My Music Corner: Year of the Priest – Turbo (1986 – Judas Priest series)

Johnny Metal and John the Music Nut over at My Music Corner have been relentlessly going through the Judas Priest catalogue, from Rocka Rolla to Invincible Shield.  This week they tackle the 11th Priest album Turbo.  A very divisive album:  Priest go synth!  Yet also a crucial album as it garnered them some newer, younger fans.  Where do we fall on this album?  We go through the album track by track, before the Music Nut dives deep into the Fuel For Life tour.  We talk background and fallout.

Thank you to John and Johnny for having me on.  This was a blast to record.  Good memories, good music, and good guys.

On this episode of The Year of the Priest, we look at 1986’s Turbo. This was a bit of a divisive album for Priest fans! How do we look at it?

REVIEW: Tony MacAlpine – Edge of Insanity (1985 Shrapnel)

TONY MacALPINE – Edge of Insanity (1985 Shrapel)

Tony MacAlpine seemed to be in every guitar magazine when I was a kid, but I never got to hear his music. He looked cool, and he was highly praised as a shredder, but his music (on Shrapnel records) was impossible to find unless you ordered it from a specialty shop.  Like most of Shrapnel’s output, it was produced by Mike Varney.

His 1985 solo album Edge of Insanity features an impressive band:  Journey’s Steve Smith on drums, and of course it’s common knowledge that Billy Sheehan played bass.  The album is instrumental.

Opener “Wheel of Fortune” has a neoclassical vibe, with the rapid fire bassline enabling MacAlpine to focus on the melody rather than shred his way throughout.  There is certainly a commonality in terms of musical direction with Yngwie, but Tony’s approach is more easily digested.  Tony’s music has an actual bottom end thanks to Billy, and of course Steve Smith’s technique speaks for itself.  He’s more than capable of heavy metal hammering as he does on “Wheel”, but listen carefully and you will hear his signature cymbal work, so unique to me.

“The Stranger” discards some of the neoclassical robes, and rocks a more straight-ahead blitz.  Tony has a wicked keyboard solo mid-song, showing the breadth of his abilities.  The pulse of the song is all Sheehan, and Smith’s fills sound a lot like a certain band that started with a “J”.

A live solo called “Quarter to Midnight” is unaccompanied.  It reminds me of a Randy Rhoads solo.  There’s some nice whammy work near the end, which was so popular in the era.

A ballady song called “Angrionia” (mis-printed on the back cover, but correctly in the booklet) follows; quite a nice little tune with the occasional bursts of neoclassical guitar speed.  Billy has a couple nice rips as well.  MacAlpine multitracks his guitars for effect.

“Empire in the Sky” has a very cool keyboard intro, that leads into a gallopy metal number.  This has a mid-tempo vibe like Maiden circa Seventh Son when keyboards were happening.  You could imagine this coming from that era, though of course Tony was three years ahead.  His doubletracked leads set it apart from that, and there are some chunky riff chords happening beneath, though this is not a riff album.  There’s also some outro guitar twangin’ that is absolutely freakin’ rib-shattering.

An Yngwie vibe pervades “The Witch and the Priest”.  You hate to make comparisons, and it seems lazy, but when you hear a vibe there might be something to it.  Of course, Billy Sheehan and Steve Smith help make it sound less Yngwie.  Tony’s tone is warmer than the Swedish shredder’s as well.

“The Taker” is the only song with Tony playing bass and it’s less prominent for that reason.  This tune is a full-speed blaze, with Tony deftly weaving melody through all his playing, and then suddenly taking a left turn with harpsichord-like keys and then some organ for good measure!  “The Taker” keeps you on your toes.

Tony treats us to actual classical music next:  his spin on Chopin.  “Prelude 16, Opus 28” is performed on piano, and you’d never guess it wasn’t from a professional classical pianist.  This prelude leads into Tony’s “Edge of Insanity”, a deep cut title track and one that allows the chug-chug-chug of the metal to come through.  There’s still a soaring melody and flying bassline to absorb.  Smith’s drum parts are smashing – literally.  A great tune and a little easier to digest than the speedier stuff.

“The Raven” has classical keys opening a speedy metal rollercoaster ride.  Once again, Smith is classing up the place several notches with his signature fills.  Tony rarely lets up, constantly treating the listener to impressive shred.  He switches tones (and probably guitars) at some points, giving the lead work different voices.

The closing track, “No Place in Time” has some slinky Billy bass, and really allows him to have some of the spotlight.  His playing here is all about the groove he’s laying down, and how he complements Tony’s lead.  MacAlpine uses doubletracked guitars and plays a slow melody.  It’s not the most memorable track, and not the most effective closer.

Edge of Insanity is more accessible than a lot of instrumental guitar albums of the era.  If some of those other artists seem daunting but you’d still like a taste of neoclassic rock, then go for some Tony MacAlpine.

3.5/5 stars

 

#1114: Music Groups / Party Poopers

RECORD STORE TALES #1114: Music Groups / Party Poopers

They say it’s not about size, but I do have a pretty big music collection.  I guesstimate at around 6000 CDs at present.  Because my goal in collecting music is to acquire physical copies of “all the official tracks” by the bands I like, I do have a lot of rare discs in my collection.  Primarily, Japanese imports with bonus tracks.  I don’t go out of my way to buy multiple copies on multiple formats (though I still do) and I don’t shell out big bucks for anything if I already have all the tunes.  I don’t buy cassette reissues, I don’t worry about vinyl variants.  I just want a physical copy of “all the official tracks”, be they remixes, live, or whatever.

Because I have so many rare CDs, twice in 2022, Tim Durling asked me to guest on his show Tim’s Vinyl Confessions.  We did two episodes on rare CDs (#351 and #390).  I showed off a number of my imports, but because my music is so scattered around the house (a whole other story), I missed a few.  Some I didn’t even think of.  I mean, I could have grabbed every Japanese import in my house, but instead I grabbed a few dozen of the closest ones with obi strip intact.  They just look cooler that way.

Fast forward a year to summer of 2023.  While relaxing one Saturday afternoon at the cottage, I was ambushed by Tim and John the Music Nut, as they tried to coerce me into buying some Y&T CDs.  Their methods worked, and I ordered Black Tiger, UnEarthed Vol. 1, and the DVD On With the Show.  However, Tim was flabbergasted when the subject of “Go For the Throat” came up.  “You need the 2006 reissue of In Rock We Trust,” cautioned Tim, “because, aside from the Hear N’ Aid CD, it’s the only place you can get that track on CD.”

“I have Hear N’ Aid on CD,” I responded.

“WHAT?”  Tim was absolutely floored, flabbergasted, and perhaps a little betrayed that I had never brought this fact up before.

Hear N’ Aid, of course, was a project produced by Ronnie James Dio in 1986 to raise funds for famine relief in Africa.  It was released on cassette and LP, with a 7″ and 12″ single too.  There was a documentary on VHS, and sources report there was even a very rare CD single in Japan (found on a Japanese music auction site).  In 1986, there was no compact disc release.

This changed in 1994 when a limited Japanese CD was released overseas. It was deleted again shortly after.

“Mike…that has to be one of the rarest CDs you own!  Why didn’t you show it off on my show when we did rare CDs?”

The Music Nut concurred that it was very hard to find on CD.  It didn’t occur to me.  I acquired it for about $15 many years before, from “Gum Chewin’ Conrad”, a customer of mine at the Record Store who always sold Japanese imports (no obi, unfortunately).  I also had a cassette (in a Thunder Bay landfill now) and vinyl, but the CD was the only thing they cared about.  A few days later I posted about it on Facebook, and Reed Little from the Contrarians immediately jumped into the comments, remarking on my rare treasure.

There must be some issue with record labels and estates, considering the artists involved.  The Hendrix estate is already a tangled affair, and there was a Jimi song on the album (“Can You See Me”).  The album also contains rare live Kiss, Scorpions, Accept, Dio, Rush and Motorhead.  The song “Stars” recorded by the supergroup Hear N’ Aid, had members of Motley Crue, Dokken, Journey, Dio, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Blue Oyster Cult, Queensryche, Night Ranger, W.A.S.P., Y&T, and solo artists such as Ted Nugent and Yngwie J. Malmsteen.  Even Spinal Tap were involved.  You can imagine, this must be why Wendy Dio has struggled so long trying to reissue the album.

In recent months, I began dipping my toes into the murky world of Facebook discussion groups.  The best, by far, is Jamie Laszlo’s Let’s Get Physical.  I enjoy the Rock Candy Magazine group.  I also joined a couple Facebook CD collector groups.  The experience was, to say the least, mixed.

I discovered one property that I will declare as an axiom:  there is always a party pooper in any Facebook music discussion group.

Disclaimer:  When I collect, I don’t care so much about value.  I care how much I spend for music I want, but not resale value.  I am also not an audiophile and tend not to get along well with diehard audiophiles.

I decided to post my Hear N’ Aid CD in the Rock Candy music group and see what the reaction was.  My caption was “Some folks say this is the rarest CD that I own,” which is 100% true.  Folks do say that.

There were over 500 reactions, and only two negative comments.  Negative comments, sadly, are as constant as the north star.

“It’s not that rare,” said the first Negative Nancy.  “There are copies on Discogs right now for as low as $50, and there are 17 copies available.”

Thanks.  Go buy one, then.

The other Negative Nancy wasn’t happy with the sound quality on the CD.  He complained there’s a low hum throughout the disc.  He showed me some kind of graph.  I told him I was very happy with my disc, and I enjoyed listening to the music and never noticed a hum.  He told me I never really listened.

I get it, everybody wants to say their two cents.  Most people were very cool and posted pictures from their own collections.  From about 500 reactions, there were about 10 to 15 people who owned the album on CD.  Most had vinyl, cassette, the single, or a VHS tape.

I left one CD collector group immediately, when all the comments were either focused on value or sound quality.  I stayed in another group, despite two weird comments.

“Crappy pic…more disc, less face next time,” said one guy who couldn’t read the title and never heard of the zoom feature.

“This CD is mastered from the LP,” said another guy who had no evidence for his claim.  “Wendy Dio doesn’t own the masters and the reissue will also be taken from vinyl,” he insisted.

Weird folks in some of those music groups, I’ll tell you.  The audiophiles reminded me of dealing with those types in my Record Store days.  Guys who could hear things I never could, and get angry because I couldn’t.  Music collectors are by and large an amicable group of nerds, but there’s always one or two ready to rain on your parade.

 

 

 

 

RE-REVIEW: Europe – The Final Countdown (1986, 2019 Rock Candy remaster)

EUROPE – The Final Countdown (1986, 2019 Rock Candy remaster)

When Europe set in to do The Final Countdown, some changes were necessary.  The drum seat went from Tony Reno to Ian Haughland, a guy that Joey Tempest liked partially because his drum kit looked like Alex Van Halen’s.  Some new songs, such as “Carrie” and “Ninja” had already been road-tested on the Wings of Tomorrow tour.   The record label was gunning hard and hooked them up with Journey producer Kevin Elson for the third album.  What Elson brought to the music was not drastic change, but the essentially improvements that made the record what it is today.

Record?  In this case, CD.  In 2019, Rock Candy reissued The Final Countdown with six bonus tracks:  the same three live ones from the 2001 Epic remaster edition, plus three extra.  For that reason, let’s take a second deep dive:  It has been over 10 years since we last reviewed it.

With the ominous boom of synth, the anthemic title track opens The Final Countdown with regal, grand intentions.  The track was cut down from seven minutes to just five, and for that reason it was able to become the hit it was.  Today you hear it on TV commercials and shows such as Arrested Development (in hilarious fashion).   Back then, it was pushing the envelope about how much keyboard was acceptable in hard rock or heavy metal.  Europe really started as a metal band on their first album.   Yet here we are, with those big gongs of synth provided by new member Mic Michaeli.  When the trumpet-like main keyboard melody enters the fray, it’s all but over.  Your mind is now hooked!  The wicked John Norum guitar solo remains one of his catchiest and most memorable, with plenty of fret-burning action.  The lyrics tell the story of abandoning the Earth for Venus due to catastrophe.  Corny, but pretty unusual for its time.  “The Final Countdown” remains one of those career-defining songs that live forever.

“Will things ever be the same again?” begs Joey Tempest, before the chorus.  For the band, no.  Superstardom hit soon thanks to this unforgettable anthem.  Though their fortunes would fade and they would never hit these heights again, they wrote themselves into rock history with one song.

Straight-ahead party rocker “Rock the Night” was the infamous video that featured Joey Tempest using a ketchup bottle as a makeshift microphone.  Great song though, with that kind of shout-along chorus that Bon Jovi were also becoming experts in.  But listen to Ian Haughlaand’s drums!  Absolutely pounding.  All the elements come together in perfect balance here, with the keyboards taking a back seat to John Norum, who continues to burn on the solo.  His tone on this album was unique and very tasty.

“Carrie” was born on tour as a simpler arrangement with just Joey and Mic on stage.  When recorded for the album, it was a full band arrangement.  A little heavy handed, a little over-dramatic perhaps.  It too was a huge hit.  It still sounds good today, largely thanks to Joey’s impassioned vocal performance.  The man was at the peak of his powers, and it shows here.  Very few singers can do what Joey does on “Carrie”.

The rock returns on “Danger on the Track”, a tale of Joey fleeing from the strangers on his back.  And he was so right, apparently, but we won’t get into that!  This is clearly an album track, not up to the standards of the previous three singles, but still good enough for rock and roll.  It’s “Ninja” that surpasses the singles, with a ripping tale of the era of the ninja.  It has the rhythmic chug that the other songs don’t, and plenty of John Norum’s addictive, dramatic runs.

The final song written for The Final Countdown was one of its best:  the side two opener “Cherokee”.  It seems odd for a band from Sweden to sing about a dark period in American history, but the lyrics aren’t too far off the mark.  They were based on a book Joey saw while working in America.  This is probably the second most anthemic song on the album behind “The Final Countdown”.  It has a big keyboard hook too, and a chorus that sticks for days.

“Time Has Come” is only the second ballad, but it has some heavy guitars to keep it from going too soft.  Once again, Norum’s solo is a highlight, being a key part of the song’s melodicism.  Moving on to “Heart of Stone”, a memorable mid-tempo track, John Norum continues to shine.  This cool song boasts a killer chorus to boot.  There are cool stabs of organ a-la Deep Purple ’84.  You wouldn’t call it a heavy song, but “On the Loose” sure is.  This scorcher is among Europe’s best blasts.  It’s just a simple song about teenage frustration and energy.  This might have been the song that made me a John Norum fanboy in the first place.

Album closer “Love Chaser” is a melancholy mid-tempo romp.  It has a bouncy beat and keyboard hooks, and it ends the album just perfectly.  It even has a keyboard melody at the start that recalls “The Final Countdown” a bit, providing the album with a nice set of bookends.  Sadly this would be John Norum’s last appearance with Europe until a 1999 reunion.  He was replaced by Kee Marcello, who appears in all the music videos aside from “The Final Countdown” itself.

The first set of bonus tracks are the three live songs that appeared on the 2001 Epic remaster.  These are taken from the Final Countdown World Tour VHS from the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987, and feature Marcello on guitar, though this information is not included in the otherwise excellent booklet.  It is audibly him.   “The Final Countdown”, “Danger on the Track” and “Carrie” are the three tracks included, though there is a clear opportunity here to do a 40th anniversary edition with the entire show on disc 2.  These are solid live versions, and it does sound pretty live especially in the lead vocals.  Joey Tempest is one of the most impressive singers in hard rock, and though the press was trying to build a rivalry with Bon Jovi in 1986-87, Joey was clearly the superior singer.

The first of the new bonus tracks is a rare 1986 re-recording of “Seven Doors Hotel” from their debut.  There are now drapes of synths over the piano opening, but the song still scorches hot as ever.  John’s guitar is doubled effectively for a more Lizzy-like approach.  It was clearly too heavy for The Final Countdown album but it could have been an excellent B-side.

Speaking of B-sides, a special B-side remix of “Rock the Night” is another rarity brought back to light.  This version could have been better than the original, but falls short of the mark.  It does not actually sound like a remix at all, but a completely different recording, at least vocally.  If you wanted to hear this song a little heavier, then this version might do it for you, except for the annoying looping of hooks.  “Rock now, rock now, rock now, rock the night!”  “What do you want?  What do you want?”  Stop looping the hooks, please!  It sounds so artificial.  This version is a minute and a half longer than the original.  It’s a slog, but it didn’t have to be.

Finally, the excellent B-side “On Broken Wings”, previously available on compilations, has been restored to the album as it always should have been.  It’s a hard rocker, a driving song, and could have fit very well on side two.  It would have been one of the faster songs, yet with another memorable Europe chorus.

This new Rock Candy remaster sounds sharp and vibrant.  An excellent remastering of a stone cold classic.  The booklet includes an interview with Joey Tempest on the making of the album.  Until they issue an expanded edition for the 40th anniversary (let’s hope), then this is the version to buy, hands down.

5/5 stars

 

 

#1113: Running Up That Hill

RECORD STORE TALES #1113: Running Up That Hill

By and large, 1998 was a pretty good year for me.  There was a lot going on musically with new albums by Iron Maiden and Van Halen (long awaited) coming out.  In January I moved in with T-Rev, into this little basement apartment.  It was a cool hang.  We both managed record stores, and the apartment was right near mine.   T-Rev had this “comfy couch” that was like kryptonite.  You couldn’t help but surrender to the comfy couch.  There were Christmas lights up all year round, and beaded entranceways.  Movie posters adorned virtually every wall.  He sought to make a place where gals and guys alike would want to come over and hang out.  We were both single.

I had my fully loaded Nintendo 64 and a handful of great games like Goldeneye and Top Gear Rally.  Our place was the place to be on a Friday night.  It was frustrating when T-Rev’s skills exceeded mine in both games, but that’s how it went down!  He was really, really good.  He was working at finishing both games, I was lucky to have made it as far as I did.  Friends of all kinds liked Nintendo 64 night on the comfy couch.  Trevor usually had beer and a bag of chips.

Some time in May that year was a typical gathering at the T-Rev residence.  The place was packed with people he worked with at the Waterloo Inn, including the woman that he would one day marry and is still his wife today!  There was a girl that I was interested in but didn’t return the sentiment, and another girl who had a thing for me but was unreciprocated.  I think the movie they chose to watch that night was Kama Sutra.  I wasn’t into it, and on that night I felt like a third wheel (or ninth wheel perhaps).

I was never very good at talking to girls and today I wonder if I have some kind of actual mental malfunction.  T-Rev would try to help me.  “Don’t quote movies man,” he advised me.  “Nobody gets it when you quote movies.”  I guess my hope was that one day, somebody would get it, and I’d meet a new soul mate.  However I tried to stick to Trevor’s advice and not quote Pulp Fiction lines at girls, hoping they too were fans of Samuel L. Jackson.

I seem to remember hurting my neck while washing my hair in the shower before the party, which was a common weakness of mine.  The girl that was interested in me gave me a neck rub, but it didn’t feel good at all.  I wasn’t able to relax.  I may have two separate parties mixed up here – Kama Sutra and hurting my neck might not have been the same night – but these are the memories coming back about that basement apartment.  One way or the other, at some time in the evening on May, I was feeling disconnected from everyone else.  It was one of those times where I felt alone in a crowded room.  I was lonely sitting there in that apartment with my thoughts, apart from the conversations surrounding me.  I wanted some fresh air, and maybe also some company.

“Anyone wanna go for a walk?  Anyone?  No?”

Everyone was content to stay in.  I put on my shoes and stepped out into the darkness of early evening.

We lived very close to Stanley Park Mall, which in turn is close to my old stomping grounds at St. Daniel School.  In the winter time, the large hill behind the school was popular for tobogganing.  In spring, I thought it might be a good place to catch a good view at the stars and surrounding city.  And so, I crossed River Road, and wandered through the mall parking lot.  Though it is all built over now, once upon a time just an empty field separated the mall parking lot and the hill.

The hill!  That green, steep hill!  Looking at it today, it seems so small but back then it seemed a mountain!  Perhaps the pitter-patter of children has been flattening it over the decades, but then it seemed as tall as the sky.  Located in Midland Park behind the school, it was home to so many childhood adventures.  Technically it was not on school property and sometimes the teachers would get fed up with the kids, and ban the hill from recess activities.  But what fun we had when it was allowed!  Running up that hill, running down, imagining if we caught enough air we could take off and fly!

What would I find on that hill on this night in 1998?  The view would be good at least, I was certain.  There it was in front of me, and so I took off running up just as I did as a little kid!  I may have been alone, but I smiled in glee as I flashed back to the golden carefree years.

Whew…running uphill wasn’t as easy at age 25 as it was at age 10!  But up I went, and upon reaching the summit in that pitch black, I leapt upwards and landed on the bald, grass-free patch at the very top.

“HEY!  WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” came a startled voice from the darkness.

Apparently, I had interrupted a couple in the middle of coitus! Let’s just say they must have been having a bangin’ good time.

What could I do?  Without a word I just kept running down the opposite side!  As if to say “I meant to do that,” Pee-Wee Herman style, I just kept running.

I eventually made my way around the block, and back to the basement apartment.  That was enough walking for one night.  When I returned and told my story, everyone laughed and the general consensus was that I should have expected it!  I suppose they were right; that spot did have a reputation for make-out central for the teenagers in the early 80s.

That’s what I found when I went running up that hill.  The lesson learned:  never run uphill at night!

 

 

 

Our Heavy Metal Origins with John Clauser, Reed Little, Roger and Jex Russell!

A longer episode, but worth it:   A treasure trove of memories unfurled on Friday night.  How did we discover heavy metal music?  What did we listen to before that?  What were our earliest metal records?  Johnny Metal (My Music Corner on YouTube)  came prepared with stacks upon stacks of rock (and Johnny Mathis).  Metal Roger brought a younger perspective, highlighted by Elvis Presley and Slipknot.  Reed Little left us spellbound by the stories he weaved of his Heavy Metal Origins!  Growing up watching MTV and MuchMusic, together we reminisced about Kiss videos, getting music from friends, finding our musical identities and generally rocking out to heavy music.  Family man Jex Russell joined in shortly after, with stories mix CDs, buying a turntable in 2004 (way before it became trendy again) and hearing the Heavy Metal soundtrack.

Several artists came up repeatedly.  W.A.S.P., Dio, Kiss, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Accept.  Regardless of some of the age differences here, certain albums were common to our stories.  Reed and I share a background involving a love of science fiction and discovering Kiss at an early age.   We also shared an aversion to rock music that was from a prior generation, for “old people” such as…Deep Purple!  Obviously we all grew in the years since, but when we first discovered metal, all of us went head first, all-in.

I hope you enjoy this show and this exceptional panel.  See you in two weeks with Jex Russell on Good Friday at a special afternoon time!

 

METAL: Point of Entry! Our introductions to heavy metal music with John Clauser, Reed Little, Roger and Jex Russell

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man

Episode 55: METAL:  Point of Entry

We are back to live streaming this week!  Tonight I am joined by John Clauser of My Music Corner, Metal Roger, Reed Little of the Contrarians, and Jex Russell joining in a little later at 8 PM!  The topic tonight is a simple discussion:  What was our “Point of Entry” into Heavy Metal music?

It’s an important question.  We are all passionate about the music we love.  We all have a story about how we got there.  What’s yours?

We will show off some old records, and talk about how we discovered and fell in love with this genre of music.  I will run some old promo clips from MuchMusic to illustrate our stories, and the fun will flow like molten lead!

Topics to cover:

  • What music did we listen to before metal?
  • What metal band or song changed that?
  • What were our first metal albums?
  • What were our earliest memories of listening to metal?

There will be vintage MuchMusic clips and lots of records.  All this and more with our fantastic panel!

 

 

Friday March 15 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic.   Enjoy on YouTube, or (HOPEFULLY) Facebook!

Unboxing The Vault! A Massive Mailing from Gene Simmons and Rhino Records (VIDEO)

Two weeks ago, Rhino Records released a stripped-down version of Gene Simmons’ The Vault box set.  For only $80, you could get all 11 CDs including such hits as “My Uncle is a Raft” and “Eskimo Summer”!  That’s all I ever wanted.  As a collector of physical media, I would love to have, but cannot afford, the full $1500 Vault with all the bells and whistles.  For that, head on over to 2loud2oldmusic and have a gander at John Snow’s copy!

This box also includes the famous Van Halen demos for the Love Gun album.  To finally have them is unbelievable!

The book is huge and packed with liner notes.  But don’t take it from me…watch the video!

 

REVIEW: Cinderella – Live Train to Heartbreak Station (1991 Japanese EP)

CINDERELLA – Live Train to Heartbreak Station (1991 Mercury Japan EP)

Japan sure loves the rock!  That’s one reason they get such cool exclusives. (There are other reasons too, involving incentive to purchase domestic product rather than the less expensive US imports.) Live Train To Heartbreak Station, recorded in Little Rock Arkansas, is one such exclusive. A six song EP released in 1991, this was issued to support the Heartbreak Station tour. I was fortunate enough to witness a show on the Canadian leg of that tour, which suffered from poor ticket sales, an early harbinger of the grunge to come….

Having seen it live, this sounds purely authentic. I’m sure there are overdubs, 90% of live albums do have overdubs. However they are hard to definitively detect. Tom Keifer’s patented screech is right there, in your face, still in its glory days. The band is solid, augmented by organ and keys in the background. You can also hear the two female backing vocalists that the band were using at the time.

This EP consists of six tracks, two from each of the band’s three albums in existance at the time. All six songs were singles, although not all were hits. Even though it was not a hit, I think it’s safe to say that “The More Things Change” belongs on an EP like this  It’s a great song in the opening slot. They also sequence the two ballads (“Don’t Know What You Got” and “Heartbreak Station”) right in the middle of the EP, side by side. I like that idea, get ’em out of the way.  I think that was a smart move, albeit the girly audience screams can get old pretty fast. But man, the harmonies on “Heartbreak Station” are so sweet. I don’t care if the girlies loved it, that’s just a great song. Synth replaces John Paul Jones’ string section; a fair compromise for the live setting.

After the two ballads, the band cranked out their two best known rockers: “Shake Me” and “Gypsy Road”.  Man, this takes me right back to that summer of 1988.  I can remember a time when I thought “Gypsy Road” was the best thing since sliced bread. And you know what? It still ain’t bad!

This is still one of the best, if not the best, Cinderella live packages on the market due to the vocal problems that Keifer would experience later on. It’s a shame it’s just an EP, but context is important. This was just a taster, a sampler. Don’t forget Slaughter and Ozzy both released live EPs at the same time – it was the thing to do, I guess.

4/5 stars

YouTubin’: PS Audio – Deleting Viewer Comments

Like PS Audio’s Paul McGowan, I’ve been accused of deleting unflattering comments. I think Paul nailed it here.

If you’re incapable of commenting without saying someone is “deaf”, a “Nazi”, or an opinion is “complete BS”, then I’m not wasting my time having a “conversation” with you. Neither is Paul. Go elsewhere to spew it. Paul sums it up pretty well here. “Boink! I don’t talk like that, and neither should you on my channel.”

For the record I’ve deleted:

  • Insults (some not all)
  • Comments about Erica Ehm – just deleted one today.