REVIEW: Queens of the Stone Age – No One Knows (UNKLE Remix) CD single

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – “No One Knows” (UNKLE Remix) CD single (2002)

Remixes…meh.

There are a few different singles for “No One Knows”. The one you are currently taking a look at is the UNKLE remix single. As far as remixes go, this isn’t bad at all. It’s actually a really interesting remix, completely reinventing the song and changing it into something else, while still retaining that haunting Homme melody. A job well done, for sure, a truly good remix.
However I can’t rate this single any higher than 2 stars simply because it contains four versions of the same song, and I usually like a lot more out of my singles. The disc contains the original version, and three versions of the UNKLE remix (extended, edit, intrumental).
This is mainly for remix fans. Even completists should put this low on their priority lists.
2/5 stars

REVIEW: Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous (deluxe edition)

“Is there anyone here who has some Irish them? Are there any girls who’d like a little more Irish in them?” — Phil Lynott

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THIN LIZZY – Live and Dangerous (2011 deluxe edition)

Kiss Alive. Frampton Comes Alive. Live At Leeds. Live and Dangerous. What is it about live albums that, in the past anyway, pretty much defined a band’s career? If you were going to own one Kiss album, let’s face it, it was Kiss Alive. Likewise with Lizzy — this was the album you were most likely to find in the older brother’s record collection. Or the dad’s CD collection, as time goes on. What is it about live albums in general and this one in particular?

Hard to say. However, one thing it does have common with Kiss Alive is that it was heavily overdubbed in the studio. The liner notes go into great detail on this, with producer Tony Visconti and guitarist Scott Gorham disagreeing on the details. So we may never know, except to listen to the results and blindly enjoy them for what they are!

Now expanded to two discs with two bonus tracks, Live and Dangerous is still a fantastic listen from front to back. I can’t believe how great this album still sounds. If this was concocted in the studio, I have no idea how they managed this kind of energy. In particular, Phil’s vocals are better than anything he’d ever done anywhere else — more soulful, more pronounced, powerful — pick your adjective. Either way, this is the sound of a real singer, singing live, improvising notes here and there, making it more real.

Enough good things cannot be said about Live and Dangerous so I will just add two more things and leave you to buy (or not, but you’d have to be a real suckypants not to want to own this). I was disappointed in two things:

1. Only two bonus tracks were included, and the B-side “Me And The Boys” is not one of them. This is very rare for deluxe editions, which usually include as many B-sides as possible, and there was room on the discs. (Don’t fret though, the live version of “Me And The Boys” can be had on the Lizzy box set.)

2. The DVD Live And Dangerous – Live at the Rainbow Theatre 1977 just includes the show itself and none of the special features included on actual individual DVD editions you can buy separately.

As an added note, you may enjoy the “sequel” album Still Dangerous, although there is some overlap.

5/5 stars. Just buy it.

Part 42.5: Random Klassic Quote

The two most common requests here at LeBrain’s blog are the following:

1. We love the classic quotes!

2. You ramble on too much!

So, for your long weekend pleasure, a single Klassic Quote for you.

Remember way back in Klassic Kwotes II I mentioned a girl who shit her pants in the store?  Funnier still was the reaction from one of my regular customers that day.  Peter the Rocker.  Ahh, Peter, what ever happened to you?  Peter the Rocker was from Austria.  When the girl shit her pants in the store, the first thing heard in the store, very loudly, was from Peter the Rocker.  Picture this in thick Austrian accent.

“Hey man!  I think somebody shit their fucking pants in your fucking store, man!”

Also funny was when Peter the Rocker once declared to us, in Austrian accent:

I am no longer Peter the Rocker!  Now I am Peter Hard Core!

Part 42: The Barefoot DJ

RECORD STORE TALES Part 42: The Barefoot DJ

We had one regular at the store, Barefoot DJ.  He used to come in and say, “Do you have that song, Mistadobalina? Mr. Bob Dobalina?”  With no shoes.  Every time.  He said he had a foot disease that made his feet feel like they’re on fire.  Therefore, he could’t wear shoes.  So I said, wear flip flops.  I had to kick him out so many damn times!  He said he filed a report with human rights, all that stuff.  It was an insurance thing.  If the guy cut his foot on a broken CD case shard, we get sued.

The problem is, there were some discs that were just hard to find and Del tha Funkee Homosapien wasn’t exactly a regular, like, say, Hole (bargain bin perennial, that one!).  So he’d come in, ask for the song, do his little rendition (no shoes this whole time) and then tell us we sucked because we didn’t have it.   Then he’d be back two weeks later asking for the same damn song.    This, and “Pink” by Aerosmith, were the two that the Barefoot DJ was constantly looking for.

But…he wanted “Pink” on a greatest hits album!  Even though it was their new single at the time, from their brand new album, he wanted it on a hits album.  Wouldn’t buy it otherwise.  I told him he was just going to have to wait.  There was no pleasing this man, even when he did wear shoes!

CODA:  A question raised by Craig Fee, of 107.5 Dave FM:  “Who the fuck wants that stupid song by Aerosmith?”

Answer – Me….

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REVIEW: Metallica – Beyond Magnetic

METALLICA – Beyond Magnetic (EP, 2011)

Forget the fact that I bought this twice. (Shame on you Metallica for releasing this digitally without even announcing that there would be a forthcoming physical release.) This EP, Metallica’s umpteenth (and fourth in a row last I checked) is totally worth whatever your local shop is asking you to plunk down for it. There’s nothing in the way of special packaging so if you already own a digital copy, you’ll probably be fine with just that. For sheer riffage per minute, this is Metallica the way I remember it.

The production or lack thereof is rougher than Death Magnetic, which is fine by me. The songs themselves all could have been on Death Magnetic, there’s really nothing weak here. “Hate Train” is among the better Metallica songs from the last 20 years. It careens from fast and heavy to melodic and back again. And that’s just the first track. If you liked Death Magnetic, then buying this is a real no-brainer. If you didn’t, and still can’t get over the fact that Metallica don’t sound the same as when you were in highschool, then avoid, because I’ll tell you right now this won’t change your jaded mind.

4/5 stars.

REVIEW: Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (deluxe edition)

 

This is the third time I have bought Master of Reality on CD.  I’m addicted to buying these deluxe editions.   Check out more of my Sabbath deluxe reviews by clicking here!

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BLACK SABBATH – Master of Reality (2010 deluxe edition)

Black Sabbath really began to grow on Master of Reality. Wheras their first wax and Paranoid seem largely cut from the same cloth, Master exhibits some new flare. Acoustic guitar, flute, adventurous arrangements…this was the first step on a road that would later lead to the masterpiece Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

You already know the big songs: “Into the Void”, “Sweet Leaf”, “Children of the Grave”. These songs all combine crushing riffs, stark vocals, and the quintessential Black Sabbath sound that only these four guys could produce. Something about Bill Ward’s slightly off timekeeping and Geezer Butler’s trademark slinky bass drives these songs on a hellbent path.

You can’t go wrong with the rest of the album either, not a weak song in the bunch. “After Forever” combines a couple riffs together into a mutant beast of hard rock. “Lord of This World” is brutal. “Solitude” is hauntingly beautiful, a masterpiece that neither Sabbath nor Ozzy would equal later.  In my opinion.

This deluxe edition combines the original album with a bonus disc containing demos and instrumentals. There are alternate lyrics as well. I like the instrumental versions because you get the hear the band stripped down, and the interplay of the instruments. These guys truly were psychically locked in. (Geezer and Tony have always said so.) Casual fans won’t need this bonus disc, as there is a lot of repeat, but diehards like myself love having these previously unheard versions.

Last of all is a completely unreleased song, also unknown to me previously, called “Weevil Woman”. The great thing about this song is that it is not a throw-away. It is up to the Sabbath standard, and almost as good as anything on the album itself. Collectors rejoice, the inclusion of this one song makes this purchase compulsory. It’s a no-brainer.

My only complaint? My old Castle remaster of this album had an embossed cover, replicating the original vinyl. It’s a shame something similar wasn’t done with this. Embossing the cover would have replicated the original vinyl artwork so much better, as the original album had the album title only embossed so you can barely see it, it was not coloured at all.

Liner notes and inner artwork are, of course, great.

5/5 stars.

Oh! And one last thing. Bill Ward’s non-involvement with the Black Sabbath reunion means it is NOT a Black Sabbath reunion. It is simply a new lineup. Not happy with this!

Part 41: Klassic Kwotes VI!

Part 41 already?  Holy crap!  Thanks for tagging along, enjoy the classic quotes!

1.  When you opened up in the morning, you’d show up early, unlock, and disarm the alarm system.  On a regular basis, I would turn around to find someone had followed me in.  “Are you open?”  Yeah, because everyone opens up at 9:15, jackass.

2. “Are you guys open tomorrow?”  Sure, not an odd question, right?  Well, it is when it’s December the fucking 24th!  We’re a record store, not Tim Horton’s!

3. “Do you have any Walter Ostenek?”  Said to me by…Walter Ostenek.

4. “Hey, I know you!  You’re the one that won those Juno awards!”  Said by me, to Walter Ostenek.  His deadpan response?  “They were Grammies”.

5. “I can’t wear shoes, I have a foot disease.”  EEWWW?  Said to me by a DJ who ignoreded our annual summertime “No Shirt, No Shoes, No CDs!” sign.

6. “Because highschool is free, and Jerry Springer does not work here, please wear a shirt in the store.”  A sign that Trevor made!

7. “Who would win in a fight?  Darth Vader, or Anakin Skywalker?”  A very difficult question, posed by one of my regular customer’s kids.  The kid quizzed me on Star Wars every time he was in the store.  It was awesome.

8. “Where do you keep the GOOD music?”  Another puzzling question, but this time by someone who was old enough to know better.

9. ” My name’s Winston.”  Said to me by a guy who’s driver’s licence clearly said “Eggbert”.

DISCLAIMER – Do not read on, if you are weak of stomach.

10. “Sometimes, I shit in the shower.  It’s easy.  You just shit in your hand, drop the poo in the toilet bowl, and since you’re in the shower already you just wash your hands.”  –– Joe Big Nose.  True story.

REVIEW: Deep Purple – Listen, Learn, Read On (6 CD box set)

In ages past when spells were cast

In a time of men and steel

When a man was taught no special thing

It was all done by feel

So, listen

So, learn

So, read on….

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DEEP PURPLE – Listen, Learn, Read On (6 CD box set, 2002)  (currently $298 on amazon.ca)

I recently listened to this box set again over the course of two weekends. Delving into the gorgeous box, 6 CDs, 120 pages of text, pictures, and credits, I felt fully immersed in a Purple world. Of all the Deep Purple box sets, and there are a lot of them, this one truly is a must. Covering the years of Deep Purple’s first era (1968-1976) plus surprises, there has never been a more comprehensive set of rarities and album cuts by this band.

Starting off with solo tracks by each member of the first four versions of Deep Purple, I never had any of these tracks before, except for the one by Episode Six. I was really impressed with The Outlaws’ (featuring Blackmore) version of “Keep A Knocking”. It was also great to finally have “Medusa” by Trapeze.

After a handful of very 60’s tracks by Deep Purple Mk I, the set really begins. Ian Gillan and Roger Glover helped create an entire new beast. Before too long we’re immersed in demos, rare live versions, remasters, outtakes and the odd album cut. My only complaint was that “Speed King” is not included in its album version, as I think it is superior to the two versions included. Suitable to this version of Purple, disc three kicks off with the 30 minute version of “Mandrake Root” from the 1970 Stockholm concert. Through Fireball, Machine Head, and Who Do We Think We Are, you can hear the band grow, experiment, and eventually stagnate. However, by the end of disc 4, David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes are on board. The band was revitalized with the Burn album, but had not changed in their jamming tendencies. Disc five contains the 30 minute version of “Space Truckin'” from the Gaumont, and an unreleased 12 minute version of “Mistreated”, as well as an 18 minute version of “You Fool No One”.

The final disc contains some then-unreleased quad mixes from Stormbringer (now available in a surround sound DVD) and the final recordings of the band. Tommy Bolin replaces Blackmore, and there is material here from his first rehearsals (from the Days May Come CD). By the time the Last Concert In Japan material hits the speakers, you are overwhelmed and exhausted by the majesty of Deep Purple. Simon Robinson wisely ended the set with a remastered verion of “You Keep On Moving”.

Robinson’s liner notes are, of course, detailed and exemplary. It will take you longer to finish them than it will to listen to this monstrous set.  Tracklist is below, for your perusal and analysis.  Click the gallery and enlarge.

5/5 stars. The buck stops here, this is the one.

REVIEW: The Beatles in Mono (box set)

THE BEATLES – In Mono (box set, 2009, currently $260.00 on amazon.ca)

I’ll be brief here, mainly because this is The Beatles, and this music is so ingrained into everybody’s psyches now.   Nobody wants to see me blather on about these songs.  I was very happy with my purchase of The Beatles in Mono, despite the price. I was not lucky enough to get a first run, but Amazon hooked me up with the second run when it was in stock.

The Beatles in Mono is, as far as I know, a complete collection of every mono mix they’d ever done. The Beatles were hands-on with their mono mixes, where George Martin and his staff tended to helm the stereo mixes. This is, therefore, the mixes that the Beatles intended you to hear back in the 60’s. Playing them remastered on a modern stereo today makes them sound that much more fierce and aggresive, noticeably different from their stereo counterparts. In addition many of the actual mixes are drastically different. “Helter Skelter” is the one in particular that jumped out at me. It sounds like a completely different version of the song. Really refreshing after only having the stereo version for 20+ years!

There are some Beatles albums not included in this set, but that’s OK. Let It Be, Abbey Road, and Yellow Submarine were not mixed in true mono. The mono mixes once available of those albums were not mixed by the band.  They were just “fold downs” of the stereo mixes. I guess if you were dying to hear them, you can make your own fold-downs from The Beatles in Stereo set. What is included here is a new compilation called the Mono Masters (a companion piece to the Past Masters) which includes all the non-album mono mixes, and some previouly unreleased ones like “Across The Universe”.

This box set is for anyone who calls themselves a true Beatles fan, anyone who wants to own the versions that the Beatles themselves mixed, or any completist.

Is it worth the price? Well, the packaging is very nice, each CD is housed in its own little duplicate LP packaging with the white, square box. That means you get the full booklet from Magical Mystery Tour and all the goodies enclosed within the White album. Very nice. The CDs slide in and out, which may not be to your personal taste especially after spending this much money. The call, ultimately, is yours. There is also an exhaustive booklet to consider.

5/5 stars

Part 40: Record Store Bands

All record stores have their fare share of record store bands.  The names are fading into obscurity, but there are two that I still remember because I still listen to the CD’s more than a decade later.

It doesn’t matter if a band ever makes it big, or if you’re the only fan.  If the music moves you enough to still listen to it over a decade later, then that is all that matters.  Two bands that I still listen to over a decade later are Here Comes Jim and The Candidates.

Both Here Comes Jim and The Candidares were bands fromCambridge, Ontario Canada.  They were “our” bands – made up of record store guys, our friends, and talented ones at that.  They didn’t sound anything alike, but in my opinion, both had the potential to get signed.

THE CANDIDATES

This four-piece was a rock band influenced by The Who, The Jam, and the mod scene in general.  They started out with all four members wearing suits and ties on stage but this later evolved into a looser image.  Their stage presence was such that they could have played a hockey barn, as they acted as if there was a thousand people in the audience even if there were only a handful.  Their tunes were solid, well composed, and well played.  They boasted three lead vocalists, including this guy Neil M, who came all the way from Scotland to rock the tri-cities.

Their tunes were full of attitude.  For example, “Who’s Your Daddy Now” was a song written for Trevor, about this girl that ended up using him for a ride to her home town (Ottawa) and then breaking it off.  She was obsessed with pictures of herself:

Sold your soul for a photograph,

I tore it up and had the last laugh,

Who’s your daddy now?

He ain’t got nothin’ on me!

The Candidates eventually split and morphed into other bands.  For me personally, nothing was better than the original four-piece, the band that I went to see as often as possible.  They hit me right in the nuts and I think their debut album had all the right moves in all the right places.  They made an equally good second album, but it’s the debut that was special to me personally.

HERE COMES JIM

Another four-piece, this was a more experimental band.  The lead singer was this extremely talented guy named Matty G.  I believe that he was actually a trained singer, which would help explain why he was able to sing so many different styles (often within one song).  I used to compare him to a Mike Patton, a comparison that he was flattered by.  Yet I think the comparison was accurate.  The difference is that Matt used to sing and play lead guitar too.

They had quite a few good tunes.  My favourites were “She Is”, a melodic winner with a chorus that kills, and “Negator”.  “Negator” was just a pissed-off, scream-loaded, headache inducing pile of distorted guitars and vocals.  I would compare it to Faith No More tunes such as “Surprise! You’re Dead!” for sheer power and aggression.  Either song could have been a hit, in a just world.

Neil, Matt, and the rest of the gang that I’ve lost touch with are still some of the most talented musicians that the tri-cities have produced.  I’m glad I saw these bands back in the day, bands that are now forgotten in the dusts of time.  However, if you’re ever in the area, wandering through the pawn shops and music stores, and you run into a copy of either album, pick it up.  It’ll be a better listen than whatever Nickelcrap that MTV is pushing these days.

r-l: Me, Tom, Meat