Part 119: Judas Is Rising In Hamilton, Ontario

RECORD STORE TALES PART 119: Judas Is Rising In Hamilton, Ontario

Feburary, 2005.  The week before Judas Priest’s new Angel of Retribution comeback album was about to drop.
 
I was on the road again, this time working in Hamilton Ontario.  I don’t remember the circumstances anymore.  Store after store, they all blended together.  I’m sure it was another staffing crisis, again.  I dutifully hit the road to Hamilton and helped put out whatever fire was happening.  I do remember that in the chaos I had forgotten to do something at my home store, where I was also pulling double duty.  I remember catching shit for whatever it was, while unwrapping those shiny new awesome Priest discs.

The burden of sin echoes the prophecy
Ascending from Hell, forever despising
Judas is rising

 
I remember that the store was really bad shape, really badly organized.  Albums were everywhere, just filed carelessly, and a lot had gotten lost somewhere in the netherworld of obscure genres.  Cases had gone missing, but so had ther actual CD’s behind the counter.  So to keep me busy, there was a list of missing discs and sections to organize. 

There was plenty of time to do this.  I don’t know how that store stayed in business, because the days that I spent there were really slow.  I remember playing almost an entire CD of the Mr. Bergis prank phone calls while I organized sections, because over an hour had passed before the last soul walked through my doors!  Not including me, as I went out to my car to get the CD.

Lunch time wasn’t too bad, as a lot of surprisingly polite highschool kids frequented the store at lunch.  They didn’t buy a lot, but they were pleasant enough and it was better than picking my nose.  That was refreshing, most highschool kids at my home store were pricks.

 
White bolts of lightning
Came out of nowhere
Blinded the darkness
Created the storm

It was pretty much just the kids that were tolerable.  The adults, not so much!  I remember opening up one morning and the first people in were selling a large box of discs.  They were a pain in the ass.  Everything I did was, “Oh, the regular person does it another way,” or “The regular person pays more for that one,” or “The regular person doesn’t ask me for ID.” 

It sucked being an irregular person!
 
There was also this one fellow looking for a Christmas song by the Eagles.  I knew this was on their recent box set, which I verified on Allmusic and told him.  I didn’t have a copy of the box set, since we were a used CD store and nobody had traded one in, which I explained to him.
 
“No problem, I don’t want to buy it.  I just want to hear it.  Can you play it?”
 
Unfortunately in 2005 that wasn’t possible, not with the computers we had, and any websites that would have allowed me to play music were blocked anyway.  Upper management was more worried about staff sitting there mucking around on the internet, than being able to play a song sample for customers.
 
“You can’t play it for me?  Seriously?  That’s useless!” said the nice man, as he walked out.

Forged out of flame from chaos to destiny
Bringer of pain, forever undying
Judas is rising

All told, Hamilton was another “fun” and “exciting” road trip for me.  The only good thing that happened was the chance to play the new Priest in store.  Not only was there no upper management to tell me to turn it off, but it wasn’t even out yet.  Sneak preview for my ears only, in an empty store, private audience of one!  Judas is rising indeed!

REVIEW: Spinal Tap – Back From The Dead (2009 CD/DVD)

SPINAL TAP – Back From The Dead (2009 CD/DVD)

It seems like ages since Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls have graced the metal masses with new music. 17 years ago came Break Like The Wind, an album which sounded just as great as it smelled. Now, finally, after the odd show and a couple internet singles, The Tap has returned with the aptly titled Back From The Dead. However, I do want you to understand that nobody has actually died (this time).

The not-dead Causasian Jeffery Vanston has returned on keyboards, still filling in for the very dead Viv Savage. Gregg Bisonette (David Lee Roth), also gratefully still alive, is the drummer on these recordings. Other living souls guesting on the album include Phil Collen, Keith Emerson, Steve Vai, and John Mayer.

All songs are studio recordings, as opposed to the “live” versions as heard on the soundtrack to This Is Spinal Tap. As such they all sound a little more sterile. Nothing here is really superior to the versions we all know and love from that piece of character assassination on celeloid. They all sound a little more stuffy, a little flat in comparison. However, these being classic songs, they are still an enjoyable listen, and performed remarkably well.

There are some new songs and some new arrangements, as well as some oldies finally seeing the light of day! These include:

“Back From The Dead” — an older internet single finally released on CD. Tufnel’s backing vocals are a bit shrill and weak, but otherwise the song rocks proudly and strongly.

“(Funky) Sex Farm” — sadly, not the funky version from the Return Of Spinal Tap TV special, this is a slower less funky version. Still funky though.

“Jazz Oddyssey” (parts I, II, and III) — Wisely breaking up this tedious, yet historic recording into three parts!

“Rock N’ Roll Nightmare” — St. Hubbins growls his way through this stomper, something that truly lives up to and maybe even exceeds the heady Tap legacy. The premier release of an oldie but goodie, this is the best “new” song.

“(Listen to The) Flower People (Reggae Stylee)” — As the title suggests, Tap have finally conquered Reggae. But fear not, a more authentic version is also available (more on that later).

“Celtic Blues” — A very brief song (1:25) that actually sounds quite like their opening act, The Folksmen. Strange coincidence, I can’t figure out why they sound so similar.

“Warmer Than Hell” — Another internet single finally released on CD. Tap want to stop Global Warming, and this is their attempt. Yes, Tap have heard of Global Warming!

“Short And Sweet” — Actually quite long (6:35), this is another rocker sung by St. Hubbins.

The rest of the album is rounded out by the classic songs that we know and love from the movie. But wait! There’s more! Three more to be exact! But you have to get these elsewhere on your own.

Bonus tracks:

“Saucy Jack” — Finally, St. Hubbins’ long unreleased song from his Jack The Ripper musical has seen the light of day. It is a delightful, jaunty track and available for free on their website.

“Sex Farm (2009)” — A more authentic version of the classic song about a farm of fornication, as opposed to the funky version. This is available for download on the iTunes version.

“(Listen to the) Flower People (2009)” — A more authentic version than the reggae one on the CD proper. This one, perhaps, almost exceeds the original 1967 version!  Unfortunately you can only get this from Amazon digital downloads, and there’s no such thing in Canada.  I still managed to get this song from my longtime friend Dan Slessor who writes for Kerrang!

DVD

Finally, Tap have given the loyal, faithful (but not Ian Faith-ful) fans a DVD. This DVD offers the band’s commentary on the tracks. Absolutely essential if you want to understand just what the band was thinking (or not thinking) at the time.

Packaging

And, also finally, the packaging: Tap have outdone themselves. How can you top a black album cover when you can simply get none-more-black? Tap are not content with 2 dimensions, so they have entered a 3rd. The cover unfolds into a stage, complete with Stonehenge monument, and miniature St. Hubbins, Tufnel, and Smalls figures. A little small Smalls! How quaint! The drawback is that it is very difficult to wedge the discs in and out of the case when it is all folded up in case form — but perhaps this was the idea all along.

spinal tap - back from the dead

photo from metalsucks.net

[According to metalsucks.net, the case takes 20 minutes to assemble, and I’ve never tried, preferring to keep mine original.]

4/5 stars. Not a perfect return from the dead, but This Is Spinal Tap.

Part 118: Famous Persons

RECORD STORE TALES PART 118:  Famous Persons

People sometimes ask me, “LeBrain, did you ever meet anybody famous through your store?”  I wish that happened more often.  As it stands my list is pretty meager.  I met Dave McDonald, the local weather man.  He wanted in the store early one day.

My meager list:

1. London, Ontario’s “Snake the Tattoo Man”, whose biggest claim to fame was appearing on Phil Donahue, and in a Helix video (“Running Wild in the 21st Century”).  He thought he deserved a discount on CD’s because, as per his words:  “I’m the Tattoo Man”.

2. Country singer Beverley Mahood, a little bit after the initial fame.  She’d worked with David Foster in the past.  She was a regular.  One time she came in and held up her CD.  “That’s me!” she said.  I felt like saying, “Yup…and that’s you in the bargain bin at $4.99, too!”

3. Grammy Award winning Polka King Walter Ostenek, who I’m told is a bit of a pompous ass.  I talked about him in a previous installment.

4. Former Helix and Saga drummer Brian Doerner, who was a super nice guy that didn’t buy anything on that visit.  However I got some drum sticks and autographs out of him later on!

5. The dad of ex-Helix and Brighton Rock guitarist Greg “Shredder” Fraser.  Nice, chatty guy.  Very proud of his son.

6. Blue Rodeo slide guitarist Bob Egan, who never said much of anything.  Just looked around.  I wasn’t sure it was him until I heard that he lived in town, and sure enough, it was Bob Egan.  I believe today he occassionally collaborates with one of our store managers.

That’s about it.  This isn’t exactly a booming metropolis, and we attracted the bare minimum of people with any sort of fame.  During my 20’s, I used to fantasize that singer songwriter Dayna Manning who lived in Stratford would pop in, and we’d meet.  That never happened.

Instead, I had Snake the Tattoo Man coming in.  Good ol’ T-Rev ran into him first.  He said to Snake, “If you wanna talk to a huge Helix fan, talk to Mike.”  So he made a trip specifically to talk to me.  What Trevor failed to get through Snake’s head is that I was a huge Helix fan, not a huge Snake the Tattoo Man fan.  So Snake walked in trying to sell me Snake merch!  I disappointed him by not buying one of his autographed glossy photos.

“Do you want to buy a picture of me with Phil Donahue?  I signed it for you.  $10.  Me and Donahue.  I also have me and Helix.  I’ll give you a deal if you buy five.”

Thanks Trev.  That was such a wonderful experience!

REVIEW: Iron Maiden – Maiden Japan (1981 EMI)

Part 4 of my series of Iron Maiden reviews!

IRON MAIDEN – Maiden Japan (1981 EP)

I don’t know exactly why, but some countries got four songs on this EP while others got five.  Something to do with what would be considered a single vs an EP.  Fortunately for me, Canada was one of the countries that got all five.

A cross section of the best songs from the first two albums, Maiden Japan (how can you not love the title?) was an almost instant love for me.   Expertly recorded by Maiden and Doug Hall, the EP breathes new life into “Running Free” and “Remember Tomorrow”, two songs from Iron Maiden.  Di’Anno’s screams are absolutely awesome.  By and large I often prefer these versions to the originals.

This EP was relatively easy to find here when I was growing up, so it was my first exposure to early Maiden aside from the “Women In Uniform” music video.   A lot of the time, if you hear a good live album first, that is the version that sticks with you through life.

This would prove to be Paul Di’Anno’s final release with Iron Maiden.  The band were already planning his replacement.  An early cover with Eddie decapitating Paul was quickly replaced with another, in light of these developments!

The original cover art

I know this was released on CD, I saw it myself.   It was with the 2 CD edition of Killers, Japanese import version.  Yet another item that I wish I’d splashed out for!

Lineup:  Paul Di’Anno, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Clive Burr.

Changing vocalists proved to be the right move to Maiden; it launched them into a whole new world and tranformed them into a bigger, better Beast…

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Iron Maiden – Killers (1981, 1996 bonus CD)

Part 3 in my series of Iron Maiden reviews!

IRON MAIDEN – Killers (1981, 1996 bonus CD, EMI)

After the masterful introduction that was the first Iron Maiden album, the band jettisoned guitarist Dennis Stratton to get the guy that Steve wanted years before:  Adrian Smith.  An old buddy of Dave Murray, Adrian fit like a glove and the next album was recorded.

Written entirely by Steve Harris except for one Di’Anno co-write, Killers was also produced by Martin Birch.  Birch had already helmed the biggest and best albums by Deep Purple, and was more than capable of capturing the Maiden sound in the studio, unlike former producer Will Malone.

Popular opinion is split on Killers.  Some fans see it as a significant up-shift from the previous, others see it as inferior.  Both aruments hold water.  There is no denying that the partnership with Martin Birch created a better sounding album, one more consistent with the band’s live intensity.  The addition of Smith on guitar meant that you’re hearing a more unified sound, two guitar players in great sync with each other.  The songs are also harder and more intricate, with even more sections and changes.

While Killers is a good album in those respects, the songs were not as memorable this time out.  There are two scorchers on this record that are among my all-time Maiden favourites:  “Wrathchild” and “Killers” itself.  Then you have some second tier goodies like “Murders In The Rue Morgue”, “Innocent Exile”, and “Drifter”.  Beyond that, there’s little else here that would make my Maiden road tape.  I don’t know why, but time after time, listen after listen, year after year, the rest stubbornly refuses to grow on me.

Killers contains one ballad (“Prodigal Son”, which is almost like Iron Zeppelin) and two instrumentals (“The Ides of March” and “Genghis Khan”).  Oddly enough, one of those instrumentals, “The Ides of March” is identical to a song by rival NWOBHM band Samson, called “Thunderburst”.  The song was originally an Iron Maiden idea; Samson’s drummer Thunderstick was very briefly in Iron Maiden during the late 1970’s.  Samson’s singer was some guy called Bruce Bruce, known to his mum as Bruce Dickinson.

This picture disc edition of Killers came with a bonus CD containing all the associated non-album songs.  “Twilight Zone”, included here, is actually an A-side of a non-album single.  The US version of Killers had “Twilight Zone” on the album.  Its selection as a single ahead of something like “Wrathchild” seems strange with hindsight.  I never really liked the song that much, aside from Di’Anno’s screamy chorus.  This one was a Dave Murray co-write as well.

Another non-album single, the infamous “Women In Uniform” is also included.  This is the one that the band hated, a cover from a German band called Skyhooks.  I liked it because of my early association with the cheesey music video.  I wouldn’t call it a standout track, but I like it better than “Twilight Zone”.  This single acually pre-dated Killers, and Dennis Stratton is still on guitar.  Its two B-sides, “Invasion” and “Phantom Of The Opera (Live)” are both included.  “Invasion” is an improved remake of the song from the first EP, The Soundhouse Tapes.  It’s still not up to the standard of anything on album #1, but it’s still an entertaining tale of the Norsemen comin’, “raping and pillaging, robbin’ and lootin’ the land.”  An early Maiden history lesson from Steve Harris.

I’ll have to say something about Derek Rigg’s artwork as well:  Now we know what Eddie was up in that back alley on the last album!  No good, clearly, as he’s weilding a bloody hatchet, as a man’s hands can be seen grasping his shirt.  Behind Eddie, you can see a “kinky sex shop” and the Ruskin Arms, where many legendary Maiden gigs went down.  Is that Charlotte in the red window?

Rating Killers is very difficult.  It’s still better than most band’s best albums, yet it’s one of my least favourite.  Trying to be objective here, I will rate Killers:

3.5/5 stars

Also pictured below:  A bootleg CD from the tour called Another Live.

MOVIE REVIEW: FUBAR (2002)

FUBAR (2002, directed by Michael Dowse)

Ferrell Mitchner, an amature filmaker, wants to look at two locals who live the party life, fast and hard. Terry and Deaner are two “bangers” living in Calgary Alberta.  They shotgun their beers, vandalize stuff, and avoid getting a real job, and to them that’s just fine.  They live a worry and care-free lifestyle with a killer soundtrack behind them:  AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Thor, and original metal music too.

All’s not well in partyland though:  Terry and Dean’s best friend, Tron (Troy) isn’t hanging out with them anymore.  Things seem pretty dull in Calgary until Terry blabs to Ferrell that Dean’s got cancer.

And it’s bad cancer, too.  Testicular cancer.  While Dean acts like it’s a joke, his on-and-off girlfriend Trixie convinces him to get treatment.  For the sake of their daughter Chastity, Dean decides to go.  But not before one last massive blow-out party weekend.  Camping.  And Ferrell’s going to film the whole thing.

While the cancer aspect doesn’t sound funny, it does lend itself to many lines about Dean’s “giant nut”.  It’s the dense but lovable Terry and Dean who make this comedy work. Eternally quotable, Fubar is equal to or better than Trailer Park Boys’ dialogue.

Even though he cast some nasty fuckin’ evil shit on people, Merlin went to Heaven. That stuff’s real. Merlin was in King Henry’s court.

I liked this one, too.

Some of the best burgers I’ve ever had came from bowling alleys. Bowling alleys have some of the best cooks. Just because they work at a bowling alley, doesn’t mean they’re not gonna put some pride in their fuckin’ burgers.

The fact is, anybody who grew up in the 80’s knew somebody just like Terry and Dean. Dumb, but lovable and loyal, finding amusement in the simplest activities like farts, jumping fences and play fighting.  Terry and Dean are not unlike that guy down the street who wore his jean jacket even on the hottest summer days. Along the way, they encouter real Albertans like themselves, (like, actually real, as in these people didn’t know it was for a fictional movie) .   Guys who drink hard and party hard all weekend, waking at the crack of noon to do it all over again. While some would like to live in denial that such people exist, they’re out there, and they don’t give a shit what you think.

A big part of why this movie works is Paul Spence and David Lawrence.  Somehow they manage to give the characters of Dean and Terry just enough pathos, while keeping them genuine.

This is a truely awesome Canadian cult classic. It is a comedy with a real heart beating inside. Most importantly, it is only the beginning. Hopefully, you’ll want to see what adventures Terry and Deaner are up to when they move to Fort McMurray in Fubar II!

Bonus features are extremely high quality, with deleted scenes that should have made the final cut, and some hilarious commentary tracks.  I’m always a big fan of character commentaries.  The character commentary in this movie is hilarious.  Just as a sad scene is about to take place, commentary Deaner says:

I know I’m supposed to be sad because of what’s gonna happen…but this song’s so good, I can’t be sad.  (“Run To The Hills”)

Note:  You gain absolutely nothing by owning this on blu-ray vs. DVD.  The movie is supposed to look like they shot it with no money (which they basically did), and blu-ray actually looked worse in my opinion.

5/5 stars, just give’r.

Dean Murdoch Paul Spence
Terry Cahill David Lawrence
Farrel Mitchner Gordon Skilling

 

Part 117: Promos (FIRST EVER VIDEO BLOG!)

RECORD STORE TALES Part 117:  Promos

First ever video blog from us, circa 2012!

Join Mike as he describes promo CDs in the 90s and early 2000s.
Worthless to him…what about you?

REVIEW: Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1980, 1996 bonus CD)

Part 2 in my series of Iron Maiden reviews!

IRON MAIDEN: Iron Maiden (1980, 1996 bonus CD, EMI)

Straight out of the gates, Maiden galloped onto the international scene, with their own sound and a debut album as strong as anybody’s.  An incredible album in fact, Iron Maiden had the benefit of containing songs that Steve Harris had been playing for years, in various incarnations of the band.  They were road tested and taut as muscle.

The cover by Derek Riggs depicts a prototypical, haunting version of Eddie.  But there he is still, roaring under the streetlight of some London back alley, probably up to no good.  This cover was re-painted for the 1998 remastered edition, but I think an original is always best.

Revised 1998 artwork

Although Harris despised punk rock, Iron Maiden is punk-like in its delivery.  While plowing through intricate riffs and time changes, they do so with the intensity of their punk rivals, feeling like they’re about to fly off the rails.  But they never do; Maiden were absolute pros even then.

Producer Will Malone did not capture the full-on Maiden sound, sonically.  It is however a step up from their EP, The Soundhouse Tapes.  Maiden would not find their studio sound until hooking up with Deep Purple/Rainbow producer Martin Birch, next album.

Every song is brilliant.  The opening wah-wah guitar intensity of “Prowler” warns away the timid, before the song trounces forward, propelled by Steve Harris and new drummer Clive Burr.  Paul Di’Anno is absolutely at his peak as a singer, with range, grit, and power to spare.  He throws it all into “Prowler”.

“Remember Tomorrow”, co-written by Paul, is a slow-burner, along the lines of those old slow Black Sabbath songs.  Paul sings his ass off, and if any one song was his showcase, I would say it has to be “Remember Tomorrow”.

The tempo picks up again with the first single “Running Free”, a song that I feel never peaked until released in a live verion.  Live, it’s faster and more intense.  In the studio, it feels like it never quite gets up to speed.  However, a classic song it remains, with Maiden’s first undeniable sing-along chorus.

7 minutes of “Phantom Of The Opera” closes side one of the original vinyl.  Steve’s first multi-part epic, this is the song that proved too difficult for many guitarists auditioning for the band.  Long time axeman Dave Murray could handle the material no problem.  Finding a second player proved difficult, until Dennis Stratton showed up and fit the bill.  “Phantom” proved to be his undoing nevertheless.  While the rest of the band were out, he overdubbed Queen-like choir vocals and guitar harmonies, which horrified Harris.  It wasn’t so much that Stratton had initiative and ideas to present, it was that they were so far off what what Steve’s vision of Maiden was.  Stratton proved to be the wrong fit, and this remains his only album with Iron Maiden.

Side two began with the instrumental stomper “Transylvania”.  This fades into a spacey ballad, “Strange World”.  “Strange World” is one of the most immediate songs on the album, perhaps because it’s different from the rest.  If I had to compare it to something else, it might be “Solitude” by Black Sabbath, but with guitars instead of flutes!  And solos too…Dave’s epic side of solo composition.

Dave’s first ever writing credit is up next, “Charlotte The Harlot”.  This fast one introduces the character of Charlotte, who turns up again in future Maiden songs.  This standout song is followed by the band’s signature closer, “Iron Maiden” itself.  I think it’s likely that this song will remain in Maiden’s sets pretty much forever.  Not only is the riff great, but the pace is absolutely perfect for headbanging!

The bonus CD comes with the associated B-sides for this album.  From the “Running Free” single, there’s “Burning Ambition”.  This is an early song that wouldn’t have fit on the album, as it is too much hard rock and not enough heavy metal for the album proper.  The bonus CD also contains the non-album single “Sanctuary”, another classic up there with “Iron Maiden”.  This song was slipped onto the US versions of the album.  It’s awesome of course!  Also from the “Sanctuary” single are live versions of “Drifter” and “I’ve Got The Fire”.  “Drifter” was another earlier song that would show up in studio form next album.  This version has Di’Anno’s reggae-ish “Yo, yo yo yo” singalong which I have always liked.  “I’ve Got The Fire” is an excellent Montrose cover, and not the last time Maiden would cover Montrose (nor this song)!

With an album this this under their belts, the future for Iron Maiden would be bright indeed.

5/5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Dale Sherman – The KISS FAQ

I’ve had numerous requests for some rock book reviews.  So let’s start with a new release:  Dale Sherman’s The KISS FAQ!

DALE SHERMAN – The KISS FAQ – All that’s left to know about the hottest band in the land (2012 Backbeat Books)

Dale Sherman’s written two of the best unofficial Kiss books:  Black Diamond, and Black Diamond 2.  Both are noted for their almost OCD level accuracy, objectivity, attention to detail, and ample Eric Carr content.  Sherman was lucky enough to get some really excellent Eric Carr interviews, and his perspective is one that isn’t often reflected in Kiss written works today.

A new book from Sherman was very welcome to this fan.  According to the author, this book is about “the various topics that fans discuss at the hotel bar after a Kiss expo,” and that about covers it!  The minutaie.  The tall tales, myths and truths.  The who-played-what-when.  Lists, lists, and lists.  The albums, the personalities, and the personas.

There are also some nice black and white pictures of memorabilia and artifacts from the author’s collection.  The author seems to have a large collection, so there are plenty of pictures to leaf through.  Colour would have been nice, but then I wouldn’t be paying $22.99 for the book, would I?

Don’t expect writing with a lot of flare, but do expect encyclopedic knowledge.  My one beef is this.  I’ve already read Black Diamond and Black Diamond 2 numerous times, and there’s quite a bit of overlap between those and The KISS FAQ.  It’s not the same text, but the subject matter overlaps.  The compensation for this is that The KISS FAQ is up to date, where Black Diamond and Black Diamond 2 were both circa the reunion era.

As a Kiss fan who likes to pretend I already know it all, I enjoyed this book.  It was like a refresher course in Kiss.  There’s lots of obscure facts I’d forgotten about.  It was a helpful reference when I did my recent series of Kiss album reviews.  Recommended.

3.9/5 stars