CD singles

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 26: Dance of Death with Lana Teramae

50 Years of IRON MAIDEN episode 26:  Dance of Death

With special guest Lana Teramae

GRAB A STACK OF ROCK #127

Brave New World was a new beginning for Iron Maiden, but the real test to any reunion (or new lineup, for that matter) is “can they do it twice”.  Dance of Death was Iron Maiden’s chance to repeat or exceed.  The road-seasoned lineup was hot with new ideas and got back to work with Kevin Shirley producing once again, but the new album was no re-hash.  The band pushed boldly on.

Joining us for the first time on Grab A Stack of Rock is Lana Teramae, an old friend and writer for Metal Express Radio.  Time zones once again collide in new ways, as Lana is the only guest from the state of Hawaii to ever join us!  Harrison and I have not worked with Lana since our old show (the LeBrain Train), so it is wonderful to have her on with us once again.  Her interviews with many of our heroes on Metal Express Radio might make us jealous, but when we started this series we wanted to include Lana.  She chose Dance of Death of the albums up for grabs.  In her words:

Check me out on Grab A Stack of Rock with Michael Ladano and Harrison Kopp as we discuss one of my favorite Iron Maiden albums, Dance of Death! The episode is set to premiere on YouTube on Friday, November 28, at 2:00 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. I’m nowhere near as educated as these lovely gentlemen when it comes to Iron Maiden. I was just there for moral support!

Lana offered a new perspective that we have not often seen on the show:  that of a fan that is not a “super-fan” like Harrison and myself.  Lana may prefer Judas Priest to Iron Maiden, but she brings a new voice to the series and several insightful observations on this album that might be considered one that sometimes falls through the cracks.

After finishing an exhausting discussion on the 11 album tracks, we break down every B-side from the three singles:  “Wildest Dreams” (including DVD single), “Rainmaker” (Japanese CD single with two extra tracks), and “No More Lies” (boxed single with unlisted bonus track).  There is a lot to talk about with these B-sides as they included rare Iron Maiden jams, exclusive live versions, and unusual remixes.

As usual, Harrison takes us through the tour, though not too too much, since we will cover the live album Death on the Road in a future episode with special returning guest Jex Russell.  And, of course…we have to address the atrocious cover art.

On a personal note, this was the final episode recorded at the cottage in the 2025 season.  Will 50 Years of Iron Maiden still be going when we re-open in April 2026?  It might be possible as there is still a flurry of albums, live records, singles and compilations left to go.

Join Mike, Harrison and special guest Lana Teramae tonight.  We always try to comment along with you.

Friday November 28 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T., 2:00 PM Hawaii Standard Time.  Enjoy on YouTube.

Past episodes:

Handy YouTube Playlist:

REVIEW: Wolfsbane – “After Midnight” (1991 CD Single)

WOLFSBANE – “After Midnight” (1991 Def American CD single)

It was 1991, and though Wolfsbane were on Def American records, their second single from their second album Down Fall the Good Guys failed to chart.  Though the critics were consistently positive about the UK quartet featuring one Blaze Bayley on vocals, it was not translating into sales.  “After Midnight” is the name of the track, but its lack of chart performance is not a reflection upon the song.  Brendan O’Brien was the producer, which boggles the mind that Wolfsbane didn’t have more success in 1991.

“After Midnight” has a slight country & western feel, which comes unexpected.  This was a style that was becoming popular for American rock bands to throw into their tunes for some radio play.  “After Midnight” would fit in with any of those better known tracks:  acoustic-based with electric guitars for soloing and accent.  The easiest comparison is another Def American act, the Four Horsemen, but with a baritone.

This CD single is valuable for the inclusion of three non-album tracks.  “Idol” has a tricky little guitar part, but with a punk-like energy and thumping bass.  The chorus has potential.  “Win Or Lose” is a high-speed rock and roll blast, but without any significant hooks.  Good for headbanging or air guitar, but not for singing along.  The best track of the B-sides is an acoustic (self-produced) rendition of “Hey Babe” from their prior EP.  It was always a pretty good ballad, and this version is stripped back to the basics.  Hand-played percussion replaces the big drums, and it has the feeling of a campfire singalong.

Nothing particularly outstanding on this single, but a good collectible nonetheless.

3/5 stars

REVIEW: Deep Purple – “Lazy Sod” (2024 CD single)

“Recently, a young journalist asked me how many songs I had written in my life. I replied that the last time my assistant counted, twenty years ago, it was over 500. I felt quite accomplished until she pointed out Dolly Parton’s 5,000 songs, calling me a lazy sod.” – Ian Gillan

DEEP PURPLE – “Lazy Sod” (2024 Ear Music)

Since Deep Purple’s =1 album was my #1 album of 2024, it should be no surprise that I love the single “Lazy Sod”.  It exemplifies what Simon McBride brings to Deep Purple on this new album.  His smooth playing is loaded with feel and perhaps he adds just a tad more hooky riffiness into the band.  “Lazy Sod” is a fantastic track, a shorty at 3:40, even loaded with solos by Simon and Don Airey.  No fat, just like those old Deep Purple Machine Head firecrackers from the early 70s.

Back when we reviewed the =1 box set, we speculated why a live version of “Highway Star” with Simon McBride wasn’t included.  Same with “Lazy”.  Here they are.  “Highway Star” (Milan, October 17 2022) is pretty damn energetic and features the Simon stuff that we were waiting for.  His sound might be likened as somewhere between Steve Morse and Ritchie Blackmore, but what he brings to the table fits perfectly, without copying either.

“Lazy” (Sofia, May 23 2022) is the lengthy one, at 8:33.  Don Airey opens it with some meandering organ soloing, before playing some more familiar notes.  Then it’s Simon’s turn, sending out a delightfully original solo for “Lazy”.  He throws it back to Don like a game of ball, and Don slays it some more.  “Fun” doesn’t begin to sum it up.  There are old Deep Purple versions of “Lazy” where it does not sound like they are having fun.  This does, for Don and Simon in particular.  The rest of the band have to be able to feed off that.  Ian Gillan doesn’t enter the picture for over five minutes.  He turns in a performance more like a lounge singer, but with some screams towards the end.

Another great single from the Purples.  Thanks for keeping the format alive.  It’s limited to 2000 copies but hopefully that’s enough for the collectors who want it.

4/5 stars

 

#1166: A Storage Solution for Certain Promo CD Singles [VIDEO]

RECORD STORE TALES #1166: A Storage Solution for Certain Promo CD Singles

I managed a CD store for 10 years.  Storage was always a commodity to me, then and now.  As a young guy living in a small bedroom in his parents’ house, I was running out of CD space fast.  Every slot counted.  An opportunity to save some slots, by replacing a 2 CD “fat” case with a slim one, was always valuable.

There are occasional promo CD singles that were cheap on packaging because, well, it was a free handout CD given to radio stations or stores to play.  Front covers were optional.  Sometimes, singles such as these were valuable to me, for the inclusion of edit versions or other mixes that may not have been on commercially available singles or albums.

There was one storage solution I came up with to save space in my collection, and logically file these singles in an interesting way.  Have a look at the short video below.

REVIEW: Aerosmith – “F.I.N.E.” (AOR Mix) (1989 Promo)

Thanks to Ash Geisler for this CD!  It is a welcome addition to my collection!

AEROSMITH – “F.I.N.E.” (AOR Mix) (1989 Geffen Promo PRO-CD-3806)

“AOR” equals “Album Oriented Rock”, a radio format established in the 1960s that essentially means “classic rock” by today’s standards.  Therefore, this Aerosmith single would be a remix aimed specifically at those kinds of radio stations.  Frequently and historically, many of these remixes are barely different at all from the album version.  Additionally, “F.I.N.E.” from 1989’s Pump album was not really considered a single.  It wasn’t available to buy commercially, and it wasn’t made into a music video.  It was a radio single only.  At 4:08, this track is not edited.

“F.I.N.E.”, which was track 2 on the album, is considered one of Aerosmith finer rock moments from the Geffen years.  It was always focused on a biting heavy Aero groove, a melodic Tyler vocal, and that irresistible chorus of “It’s aaaaaaaalright!”  This remix is hardly different at all.  If anything, the bass might be coming through more clearly.

If you have a look at the waveform file below, you can see there isn’t much difference, though some are visible.  The AOR mix is at top, the original 1989 CD file at bottom.

I don’t feel there’s any point in rating a promo CD single like on a scale of 5, because what’s the point?  This CD is valuable as a collectible to fans and hoarders alike.  It has an exclusive remix, and whether you can hear a difference isn’t the point to a collector.   Sometimes obscure AOR mixes get reissued on greatest hits or box sets, but to date, this one has not.

“Joe Perry says I’m aaaaallright!”

Thanks again to Ash from Australia for sending me this CD which I shall file with my Pump collection!

REVIEW: Bruce Dickinson – “Resurrection Men” (2024 CD single)

BRUCE DICKINSON – “Resurrection Men” (2024 BMG CD single)

The Mandrake Project is a dense album.  It takes a lot of time to absorb and understand.  The concept goes way over my head, but the songs are heavy and the direction is metal.  Bruce Dickinson is nothing if not ambitious, and of course that means taking the new album on the road.  His live band this time out includes the always reliable Dave Moreno on drums, and Whitenake bassist Tanya O’Callaghan.  Bruce has released two singles from the album with exclusive B-sides, and the second is “Resurrection Men”.

“Resurrection Men” is long for a single, at almost six and a half minutes.  It is loaded with drama, and the acoustic intro really sets a mood.  Then it goes into something more western, like from a Clint Eastwood film, with interesting percussion.  That soon subsides and we go full electric.  This song lunges all over the place, from slow grinding verses to quiet bass-driven parts, and a powerhouse chorus.  Ultimately it’s not really single material, but that’s one thing that makes this release so interesting.  It’s also impressive how Bruce continues to sing with such lung power.

Live from Sao Paolo comes “Afterglow of Ragnarok“, the first single from The Mandrake Project.  A song about “what happens after the end of the world,” according to Bruce.  It is tight, and does not deviate far from the original cut.  The live setting is unforgiving, but even without multitracked vocals, Bruce nails it.  The stage energy is palpable, and Moreno kills it on drums.

The most exciting track is the very first live version of “Abduction” from Tyranny of Souls.  This one absolutely smokes, with breakneck pace, lightning drum fills, and melodic guitar harmonies.  A lot of solo Bruce stuff could almost be considered Iron Maiden made modern, louder and more intense.  “Abduction” falls into that category.  This live version has some really cool guitar solo work, very different from Roy Z’s on the album.

It is truly wonderful to see artists such as Def Leppard, Deep Purple, and Bruce Dickinson releasing physical singles with actual B-sides in 2024.  Keep it up.

4.5/5 stars

 

REVIEW: Dream Theater – “Hollow Years” (1997 CD single)

DREAM THEATER – “Hollow Years” (1997 Warner Music Germany)

I always found something about 1997’s Falling Into Infinity to be underwhelming.  Yes, we had the stunning Doug Pinnick cameo in “Lines in the Sand” and a wickedly heavy “Burning My Soul”, but the album didn’t have the same impact or longevity as Awake or Scenes From a Memory.  It wasn’t for lack of effort.  They recruited Desmond Child and Kevin Shirley, and released singles.  The album never broke the top 50 in Canada and received mixed reviews.  A later-released demo version of the album revealed what the band would done if not influenced by Shirley and Child.  One of those demos was first released on the 1997 “Hollow Years” single.

First track on this single is a 4:15 edit of “Hollow Years”, with more than a minute and a half edited out.  The shame is that it didn’t become an instant hit.  With the Spanish guitar melody and subtle keyboard accents, it could have and should have done better for the band.  There is a very pretty piano melody after the chorus by Derek Sherinian, in his last of two outings with Dream Theater.  Yet it’s still Dream Theater, not some ballad band.  John Myung’s fretless bass sets it apart, and Mike Portnoy is always Mike Portnoy no matter the style of music.  The premature fade on the edit version, however, is extremely annoying.  Even if you don’t already know the song, it sounds like a premature fade.  The ending is so good; a song highlight!  The full length version, uncut and as intended, is really the only version to listen to.

“You Or Me” is a version of “You Not Me” from the album, before Desmond Child helped them tweak it.  It opens with the sound of a radio changing stations, and then a cool synth rhythm.  John Petrucci’s riff soon kicks in, and it’s clear Dream Theater were trying new things that might be perceived as more appealing.  Ultimately, the version that ended up on the album is probably the better of the two.  It’s definitely catchier.

The final track is “The Way It Used To Be”, a long non-album song with a Marillion-like guitar melody.  It could have been lifted directly from Seasons End.  Petrucci is the star on this one, as he also employs cool harmonics.  Definitely a cool and valuable bonus track.  If it wasn’t almost eight minutes long with plenty of musical prowess, it might have been a worthy hard rock hit on its own.

Great little CD single, but those edit versions are never as cool as they are collectible.

3.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Deep Purple – “Pictures of You” (2024 CD single from new album =1)

DEEP PURPLE – “Pictures of You” (2024 EARmusic)

Deep Purple’s first new album with Simon McBride on guitar will be out July 19.  Called =1 (“equals one”), the music seems to heading into a riffy direction.  The band have just released a new CD single, something of a tradition for them during the Bob Ezrin era in this late part of their career.  This single includes two tracks from the album, including the recently released “Portable Door”, and two live tracks with Simon recorded in 2022.  Let’s have a listen and hear what the Purples have in store.

Track one, “Pictures of You” has a pretty cool and weighty riff.  Backed by Don Airey’s organ, it’s one of Purple’s catchiest riffs in recent years.  The chorus follows the riff melody.  “These pictures of you are too good to be true,” sings Ian Gillan.  Ian’s voice is pushed to its current limits, which is often the thing you hear people moaning about the most, but it’s really no issue.  Simon comes in with a wicked catchy solo, before the whole song detours into a dainty Don Airey piano part with Simon doing volume swells overtop.  Though only 3:50 long, “Pictures of You” packs a lot into a short time.

Without a gap, the band breaks into something completely different, ominous and heavy:  “Portable Door”.  Ian Paice is the backbone, always smooth, always identifiable, infallible. With Ian Paice on drums, Deep Purple will always sound like Deep Purple.  Don Airey’s organ really dominates the solo section, as it should, and Simon’s guitar work is sublime.  As for the tune itself?  Top notch.

The live tracks were recorded October 17 2022 in Milan, Italy.  These tracks will not be on the deluxe box set version of =1, and are exclusive to the single.  First up is the classic blues “When A Blind Man Cries”, and we get to hear Simon do what Simon does.  Perhaps more interesting though, the arrangement includes a new lounge-y into with piano.  “Blind Man” feels slower than usual, but Ian Gillan is in fine voice.  Simon takes center stage on the guitar solo, and it’s so phenomenal that you can hear the audience break into applause at its conclusion.  It’s slow and passionate until he lets rip.  Having Don Airey follow is almost anti-climax.  Welcome to Deep Purple, Simon McBride!

The more recent “Uncommon Man” closes the disc, with a beautiful guitar solo backed by heavenly keyboards.  As one of Purple’s more regal songs, it sounds great on stage.  Roger Glover gets a little bit of the spotlight just before Simon’s solo, but this is a pretty faithful version.  Most importantly, it is good to see that Deep Purple do not drop songs from the latter part of their career out of the setlist.  (There are three other live versions of this song with Steve Morse available on other releases:  Celebrating Jon Lord the Rock Legend, To the Rising Sun in Tokyo, and the Now What?! Live Tapes Vol. 2)

With only 5000 copies worldwide, this is sure to be a collector’s item.

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Brian May – “Too Much Love Will Kill You” (1992 CD single)

BRIAN MAY – “Too Much Love Will Kill You” (1992 EMI/Parlophone CD single)

The first time that most of us heard “Too Much Love Will Kill You” was in 1992, at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert.  Surely one of the biggest and most spectacular such events ever hosted, Queen played a scorching set with guests that night.  One of the highlights was a song that Brian May humbly said was the best he had to offer.  That song was the ballad “Too Much Love Will Kill You”, which Queen recorded but did not release on The Miracle (until 2022).  For that album, the band chose to only include songs written solely by the four core members.  “Too Much Love Will Kill You” was co-written by Brian with Elizabeth Lamers and Frank Musker.   A few months after the concert, May would release his solo version of  the song on his album, Back to the Light, and also as a single.  (There is now a deluxe edition of Back to the Light, containing all the songs from this single.)

“I’m just the pieces of the man I used to be,” croons May after a a delicate intro.  A song about being torn between two lovers, you somehow actually feel sorry for the guy who’s trying to choose between two women.  “Too much love will kill you, just as sure as none at all.”  May’s version is different from Queen’s, with lush orchestration taking up much of the space.  It’s absolutely gorgeous!  Queen’s version was as well, and it may be difficult to choose between versions.  Brian takes a lovely acoustic guitar solo, which is so rarely heard from the master of electric layers of bliss.  His vocals are impassioned, perhaps even more than Freddie’s were.  Though loaded to the gills with strings and accoutrements, it’s a spellbinding version.

Second on the single is a rocker named “I’m Scared”.  If it were a Queen song, it would be one of the harder-edged.  It’s a speedy ride through an amusement part of guitar and drums (by Cozy Powell, with bass by his Black Sabbath and Whitesnake compatriot Neil Murray).  Brian talk-sings for most of it, which works well, especially when he mockingly has trouble getting his words out towards the end.  It’s a performance, and the chorus ain’t bad regardless of the vocal storytelling.  It’s too weird for radio, but could be one of those cool deep cuts.

Track three is the “guitar version” of “Too Much Love With Kill You” which, believe it or not, is an instrumental.  Brian’s electric guitar takes the place of the singer.  It’s a cool and unexpected version.  It’s an incredible, lyrical version.  Brian takes liberties and doesn’t play the vocal melody note for note, but you can make it out just the same.  This could be one of May’s greatest guitar performances, simply because he uses his instrument to speak in a way that very few guitarists can do for four minutes straight.  He changes voices, he adds luscious trills, and it’s an absolute knockout.

The last track is a re-do of lead single “Driven By You”, with Cozy and Neil.  Brian played bass on the album version.  This version is hard and punchy.  The song is a melodic rock classic.  If it had come out a couple years earlier, it could have been a summer hit.  Cozy and Neil were in Brian’s live band, so having them re-do the track for a B-side probably made sense.  It’s really strong, and the bass and drums are both in your face.  Diehard fans will absolutely be able to recognize the legendary rhythm section.  Cozy in particular has a signature sound, and Neil does as well to a lesser degree.

What a great single, combining rarities with hits and a deep cut.  A total score.

5/5 stars

 

#1111: Every Copy I Have Ever Seen of This CD Was Flawed – KISS: “Forever” CD single – with audio sample

RECORD STORE TALES #1111: Every Copy I Have Ever Seen of This CD Was Flawed
KISS: “Forever” CD single

Some stories, people just don’t believe!  In my years at the Record Store, I encountered a number of anomalies.   A Four Horsemen CD with Dwight Yoakam music on it?  I witnessed it with my own eyes and ears.  This actually isn’t an uncommon phenomenon.  Mis-printed CDs happened occasionally.  The wrong artwork would be printed on a CD, and it would get sent out in the wrong packaging and sold to an unsuspecting customer.

Far more common are CDs with audio flaws.  Sometimes it’s noise, sometimes the audio drops out.  Even the glorious Judas Priest 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music box set sadly has audio flaws, on a very very expensive item.  Frustratingly, it’s on one of the songs exclusive to the set.  There is a jump the in audio during “Diamonds & Rust” on the 2nd CD of Beyond Live & Rare.  Priest have never corrected this or sent out new discs to people who bought it.

However, there is one more common flaw in a CD single that nobody seems to know about.  Whaddaya mean, every single copy of Kiss’ smash hit “Forever” single has a skip?

I worked 12 years at that used Record Store.  In 12 years, I played every single copy of the “Forever” single to check, including the one I own.  It happens, unfortunately, on the only non-album song:  the remix of the title track!

It happens at roughly 1:40 of the song, right before the solo.  The lyric should be “Until my life is through, girl I’ll be loving you forever…yeah!”  In the CD single version, it goes “Until my…rrrr, yeah!”  The remix clocks in as 3:48 on the single.  In the Kiss box set, it is 3:50.  Two seconds are missing.

It’s not a scratch on the CD (or every other copy of the CD).  There is absolutely no visible flaw.  The music was simply printed incorrectly.  Perhaps the master copy had a skip?  Who knows.  It’s there.  Hear it for yourself below!  Here is the evidence.