Collectors: aren’t we something? Sometimes we end up with duplicates because we can’t remember what we ordered, or own already! I promised Jex a parcel several months ago, and I finally gathered enough excess music to fill a box.
Jex was kind enough to film an unboxing video, seen below. I sent him some review copies, some CDs from my collection that I owned in duplicate, a sticker and a special surprise from the analog age! Now get writin’ Jex, you have work to do!
SPOILER: Great bubble wrap popping in this video. So satisfying.
What out of this box would you have been most excited for? Let me know in the comments. I think I know Harrison’s answer already.
THE DARKNESS – Permission To Land… Again (2023 Box Set)
Once (and perhaps still) considered one of the biggest jokes in rock*, The Darkness have proven ’em wrong, for it was 20 years ago they dropped this bomb on the world called Permission to Land. Regardless of the ups and downs, the band continues on today with a documentary film in the works. Of course, the obligatory box set was also necessary. Permission to Land… Again collects nearly everything from the era and packs it up for you in a 5 disc set perfect for home consumption. And it’s affordable, too.
CD 1 commences with the original 2003 album, a monolith of Queen and AC/DC’s bastard children, brought to life in spandex and bandanas. The album itself spawned four singles:
“Get Your Hands Off My Woman”, the expletive-laden favourite that still delights today as a fast head banger.
“Growing On Me”, perfectly in the pocket, a melodic hard right classic with just enough bite.
“I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, iridescent and unforgettable as ever, a classic in every sense.
“Love In Only A Feeling”, bombastic and beautiful guitar chords crashing on this prototype for the trademark Darkness ballad. Steve Tyler wishes he could write ’em like this today.
That leaves six killer album tracks, none of which are filler. Opener “Black Shuck” is a monster (literally), rocking heavy and beating the doors down despite your best efforts. “Givin’ Up” should have been a single, but the language, tisk tisk! Foreshadowing Justin Hawkin’s drug issues, this song is literally about “stickin’ that fuckin’ shit” up his nose. Yes it’s surprisingly delightful, and perhaps the most immediately catchy one on the album. “Stuck In A Rut” is different, blasting fast and loud, with Justin singing at max voice. Back to lighter, catchy territory, “Friday Night” is a certain fan-favourite. It easily could have been another single, as Justin literally reads off his weekly schedule. “Monday, cycling, Tuesday, gymnastics, dancing on a Friday night.” Bopping piano accents will keep feet moving. Moving on to “Love On the Rocks With No Ice” (great title), the slow heavy grind smacks you in the head and reminds you this is a rock and roll band. Despite that, the album closes on a lovely ballad “Holding My Own” which also really could have been a single.
CD 1 is beefed out with six extra songs, all demos, of tracks that didn’t make the album and tracks that did. Speaking of which, they are rough but so similar to the final versions. Some have bits that were later trimmed out or de-emphasized, like keyboard overdubs and intros. “Black Shuck”, though without the hard-hitting production, might be better in some ways than the album version, with more twists and vocals. There is also a demo of “Out of My Hands”, a fine album B-side.
The best inclusions on this disc, however, are the surprises: demos that didn’t make Permission to Land! “Live ‘Til I Die” went unreleased until 2019’s Easter Is Cancelled, but this version has Eddie Graham on drums. This version is very, very different. Much more AC/DC and dare I say, much catchier and better. There’a also an early demo of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us”, which was finally released on 2012’s reunion album Hot Cakes. This one is much more similar to the glossier final product.
CD 2 is a treasure trove of goodies! Every studio B-side from the album, some non-album singles, some “clean” versions that we wouldn’t purposely seek out to buy; they are all here. (The live B-sides are included with their respective shows, but we’ll get to those.) This is comprehensive as heck.
The three tracks from the very rare 2002 EP I Believe In A Thing Called Love are included: the title track, “Love on the Rocks With No Ice” and “Love Is Only A Feeling”. The recordings themselves are the same as the final album versions, but the mixes are not. These earlier mixes have slight, but audible differences and can be characterised as a bit less finished. The bass may be more pronounced on some places, and backing vocals in another.
Like some British bands before them, such as Oasis, The Darkness seemed to put just as much effort into their B-sides, often making them album (or single) worthy on their own. The complete studio B-sides here are:
“The Best Of Me”, a crankin’ rocker with a southern vibe.
The aforementioned “Out of My Hands”, a lighter song with a Def Leppard vibe on the guitars. Could have been a hit in its own right. Brilliant chorus.
Concert favourite “Makin’ Out”, which has more of that AC/DC vibe that the Darkness really mined in their early days. A fan favourite for a reason.
“Physical Sex”, another riffy number with an outrageously high chorus.
The ballad “How Dare You Call This Love?” which also could have been on the album, had it been longer. The actual album had two already. A fun song though, with some lovely Lizzy-ish guitar harmonies.
“The best instrumental that AC/DC never recorded”, according to Tim Durling, is “Bareback”, one of the Darkness’ best B-sides ever…if not their best. Thankfully, this song was not just relegated to the dusky corners of the “Growing On Me” single, but received some live workouts too. More on that later.
A song about building a house, “Planning Permission”, is a bit goofy lyrically (mixing cement!), but it gets goofier still as you’ll see. Fortunately it’s a catchy, upbeat Darkness number that has all their trademark guitar and vocal accoutrements.
“Curse of the Tolland Man” is the goofiest of them all, a ghost story, and a song that gets trashed in the liner notes as awful muck, but is defended by Justin and Dan Hawkins as a favourite. The jury remains out, but they are all correct about it.
“I Love You 5 Times” is another ballad, but by this time we’re technically heading outside album territory. Forgettable, but for the strings and Justin’s silly “m-m-m-meees” stuttery vocals. It was actually the B-side to a standalone Christmas single, “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”, an excellent song in its own right.
This box set is so comprehensive that it even includes the two singles that were not from it.
“Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)“…don’t Google what “bell end” means in British slang. Let’s just say Justin had his tongue in cheek! Great rocker, very Lizzy, and an absolutely Darkness classic. Produced by Bob Ezrin! This track was included on some European editions of the album as a bonus.
Then we have the rarest of them all, and finally available physically for us to buy: 2004’s “Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again“. Though it does have Frankie Poullain on bass, this song is more a part of the story for the second album, One Way Ticket. The band were experimenting with producer Roy Thomas Baker and this remake was sold digitally. It is here in both “clean” and “explicit” versions. A cleaner, sharper incarnation of the song, for better or worse! The liner notes finally explain the mystery of the added piano part: It was inspired by Ben Folds’ cover of the song, which they thought was an improvement!
CDs 3 and 4 contain three live gigs, and the balance of the B-sides from this era. “Gimme a D! Gimme an Arkness!”
The 2003 set at Knebworth is brilliant. Opening with “Growing On Me”, the band has a bizarre and comedic stage presence, but the song kicks! They are a tight band, and a beat is not missed. They play two B-sides, a manic “The Best of Me” (for dancing, says Justin) and the classic “Makin’ Out”. “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” from the Knebworth concert was previously issued on a German version of the Christmas single. I like when Justin asks the audience which version of “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” they’d like to hear, clean or dirty?
On the same disc is a set from the Astoria in 2003. Opening with a raging “Bareback”, this set is even better than the Knebworth one. What a start! Instrumentals can make a pretty killer opener! From there it’s “Black Shuck”, and a live version of “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” that was previously issued as a B-side to a rare DVD single for “Love Is Only A Feeling”. It’s notable for the strange “me-me-me” singalong thing Justin does at the end. Another thing they do in this set is something called “Buffet”, a pretty cool riff, from a part in the show that is explained in the booklet.
Best of all: The action-packed Astoria and Knebworth shows are both included on DVD inside. Watch Dan play all the guitars so Justin can do the splits! The DVD also includes all the music videos, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from their music videos. There’s a cute bit in the EPK (electronic press kit) explaining why Justin always asked the audience to see their thumbs. The editing on the Astoria show is absurdly fast!
CD 4 is a full-length show from 2004 at Wembley recorded on Dan’s birthday, and the last show on the tour. It’s especially cool, because the band were already road-testing new songs from One Way Ticket. Opener “Grief Hammer” was a new song that would become a B-side in 2005. It has a stuttery riff with elements of that AC/DC vibe, but the band were clearly moving beyond that pigeonhole. It takes balls to open a set at Wembley with a new song that nobody had heard before. From there they visit more familiar territory with the favourite “Givin’ Up”. A manic “Stuck In A Rut” blasts out immediately afterwards.
Other B-sides played at Wembley include the fan favourite “Makin’ Out”, “Physical Set” and that “Buffet” again! Future classics “Dinner Lady Arms” and “Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time” are rolled out alongside the hits. “Dinner Lady Arms” is a tad harder than the soft-Leppard style of the later version, though the chorus still soars into the stratosphere. “Seemed Like Such A Good Idea at the Time” is presented without introduction, and Justin on piano with a more spare arrangement than the elaborate album version to come. This is more power ballad, and less experiment in extravagance.
As the 17 song set rolls through classics and hits, it’s clear this disc could be a standalone live album if the band choose to release it as such. Great banter, and the band were obviously having a blast on stage. At the end, there are two more surprises. One is an abbreviated cover of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, performed solo by Justin on piano. Finally, they close the show with a bombastic “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”, which works brilliantly in the end slot. There is no feigning joy and surprise here. All the delight is pure and genuine.
The final ingredient you need in a box set such as this is a kickass booklet with loads of reading. Look no further, as Dan and Justin exhaustively tell the story from session to session and song to song. The stories will keep you in stitches as the band shed light on things you never knew before. Eddie Graham was the most “normal” one of the bunch, but they have survived it all, and the Darkness keep going!
We live in the age of box sets. The Darkness have risen to the occasion with, dare I say it, the perfect version of Permission To Land. Will they pull this trick again in the future with One Way Ticket? They should, because they have demonstrated an understanding of what makes a great box set. In short:
Complete collection of B-sides, even from formats as obscure as DVD single.
The rare demos and EP versions we’ve been wanting.
Non-album singles.
Even those clean versions that we normally wouldn’t try too hard to collect.
Live concerts.
Extensive liner notes.
DVD with added value and live shows.
Reasonable pricing and packaging.
5/5 stars
* One evening in 2003, I was listening to the Darkness with my girlfriend in my living room, late at night, heavily intoxicated. I suddenly jumped and said “I get it! These guys are not a joke at all! They are dead serious about what they are doing! Listen! Just listen!” It was an epiphany and I was right.
BONUS! Check out Tim and I discussing this box set and more!
RECORD STORE TALES #1076: Weekend Listening At Home
When I have time and the inclination at home, I like to go through dusty corners of the CD collection and finally get them ripped to PC. I take my hard drives with me everywhere, so my music collection is always portable. This weekend I took some deep dives, and sampled the sweet exotic fruits of the E section, a sampling of K’s and L’s, and some new arrivals too.
First of all, the newer stuff.
I’m going to have to re-review Morning Report by the Arkells again! Turns out, I made a mistake in my original review. I said that the deluxe edition had three bonus tracks, but I was wrong. I didn’t realize that there was another bonus track inserted as track #2, between “Drake’s Dad” and “Private School”. This makes all the difference in the world to the sequencing. Now we get “Knocking At The Door”, a new single, as the new track #2. Since “Drake’s Dad” and “Private School” were my two least favourite songs, having something of much higher quality between them really helps the flow.
I always buy something after doing a show on Grant’s Rock Warehouse. This time, it was the Stone Gods. I’ve acquired the single for “Burn the Witch”, which comes with two awesome non-album songs: “Breakdown”, and “Heartburn”! “Breakdown” is exactly like Thin Lizzy, to a tee, except with Richie Edwards on lead vocals. “Breakdown” is of equally high quality, a light and humorous tune about Pepto-Bismol and Gaviscon. Expect a review at some point in the future.
Finally, I sampled some April Wine, from Over 60 Minutes With…All the Rockers. People ask me “Why do you not own any April Wine?” I said “I never grew up with April Wine, my friends didn’t like them, so I never bothered.” Well Tim Durling said I need April Wine. I will evaluate this at a later date, but I have some April Wine now.
The next batch of discs was from the last part of the E section, five discs that had escaped ripping to the PC all these years. It could be 20 years or more since I have last played some of these. Earth, Wind & Fire, nothing need be said here, that’s essential. I was surprised at the quality of Elf, as boogie-woogie isn’t usually my thing. The Rik Emmett CD is cool because it has 2001 live versions of some of his old Triumph classics. Episode Six runs the gamut from quaint to psychedelic. “UFO” is one cool such song, a spoken word bit over drums, that reads from UFO sighting reports. But that’s Ian Gillan and Roger Glover on the front cover, yes indeed! Finally, the Eric Singer Project (ESP) was the weak link in this batch. Just a bland covers album to me.
Next, over to the K section. I noticed that none of my Kula Shaker music was on PC, and I have a lot of Kula Shaker. That’s the entire collection below, in fact.
Look! The 2 CD edition of debut album K with a cool remix of “Tattva”. Two CDs of “Govinda” singles with B-sides and remixes. “Grateful When You’re Dead/Jerry Was There” CD single with two non-album tracks. The highlight of me of these was “The Leek”, a quiz show style radio appearance by bassist Alonza Bevan. (A distant cousin of Roger Glover, in fact.) Really funny stuff. To me, anyway! Two CDs of “Hush”, the Joe South cover (also covered by Deep Purple Mk I) with lots more non-album tracks. Then we have the Summer Sun EP, which has four of the previous B-sides and two songs I didn’t have elsewhere. The second album, Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts spawned a CD single called “Sound of Drums”, both of which are here. More non-album tracks on that as well.
Well, it turns out, I still love Kula Shaker! Like, a lot. That Britpop sound, mixed with 60s psychedelia and far Eastern influences just tickles my fancy. There were a couple tracks I really loved, but none more than “108 Battles of the Mind” from the second album. What a cool, manic track that definitely benefited from the Austin Powers era.
One thing about Kula Shaker that needs to be addressed: the stellar musicianship. These guys can jam! Special notice to drummer Paul Winterhart who is absolute monster. Incredible band. Once I start re-absorbing these songs back into my memory, I may have to catch up with what they’ve been up to since 1999, where my collection ends.
Continuing through K, and into L, the listening continued on Sunday morning.
Kyuss is a band that I don’t think was summed up well by compilation. I will have to dig further. I have their split EP with Queens of the Stone Age, which has “Fatso Forgotso” on it, but I think Kyuss were an album band. The two Kulick albums are excellent. Corabi is on Transformer, which is signed! I didn’t know I had a signed copy! The James LaBrie solo disc also sounds great from what I sampled! Very Dream Theater, in a good way. Some heavy, some soft. Then we have Life Sex & Death, also called LSD. Their gimmick was their lead singer “Stanley” who was supposedly homeless (but wasn’t). This 1992 album is one that needs more exploration. What I heard was heavy, gritty and riffy while retaining some melody. To be further examined in the future.
As far as I got on the weekend, this just scratches the surface. Look at all this stuff that is still sealed in my collection. Time or inclination just haven’t lined up with the proper mood yet. Some are newer arrivals, like Metheny, Hollywood Vampires and Eric Carr. Others have been sitting around for years. The Kiss compilation may as well stay sealed for collector’s purposes, but The Boxed Life by Rollins…that could have been waiting a decade on these shelves. The Garth Hudsons have been here since 2020. The Etta James and Beatles since 2018. They were in Jen’s mom’s collection.
Wish me luck as I continue to delve into these unheard corners of my collection. What would you be playing first if you stumbled onto these discs?
DEEP PURPLE – Bombay Calling – Live in ’95 (2022 – Edel CD/DVD reissue)
Years ago, I begged for a CD issue of Deep Purple’s live DVD Bombay Calling. You could download the audio on iTunes and burn your own double live, which I did, but that just doesn’t do it for a physical product collector. I’ve made my case for physical product here over the years many, many times. Unfortunately, this physical release was pooched by Edel by excluding one song. Like similar CD bootlegs of this 1995 concert, the new Edel CD is missing the opening track “Fireball”! It’s still there on DVD, and it was always there on the iTunes edition, but it’s missing from CD 1. That’s a real shame since it’s a good version of “Fireball” and it’s the damn opener! (The original DVD of Bombay Calling was issued in 2000. iTunes got it in 2003.)
When originally released on iTunes, this was promoted as an “official bootleg”. Now it seems to be marketed as some kind of deluxe live album, limited and numbered to 10,000 CD/DVD sets. The hype sticker calls it “the best rock show ever staged in India.”
This concert was recorded on April 18 1995, which eagle-eyed fans will realize is well before thePurpendicular album. Bombay Calling was recorded not long after “the banjo player took a hike” and Purple ultimately carried on with Steve Morse for the next few decades. Joe Satriani stepped in for a short while, but it was Dixie Dregs guitar maestro Morse that took the Man in Black’s place permanently. This concert was recorded at the very start of Morse’s tenure, and features a few songs they would drop from the set a year or two later. It also features a brand new tune they were working on called “Perpendicular Waltz”, later spelled “The Purpendicular Waltz” on the album. The lineup was fresh, feeling each other out, but full of energy and the excitement of a band creatively reborn, both in the studio and on stage.
There is one earlier concert available from this period, which is Purple Sunshine in Ft. Lauderdale Florida, exactly two weeks prior. That one is truly is an official bootleg, taken from audience sources and released on the 12 CD box set Collector’s Edition: The Bootleg Series 1984-2000. The setlists are slightly different. When they hit India for this concert, a new song called “Ken the Mechanic” (retitled “Ted the Mechanic”) was dropped, as was “Anyone’s Daughter”. They were replaced by long time favourites “Maybe I’m a Leo” and “Space Truckin’” from Machine Head.
Special treats for the ears on Bombay Calling include Steve Morse’s incendiary soloing on “Anya” (which would be dropped from the set in 1996). His feature solo leading into “Lazy” is also excellent, and of course very different from what Ritchie used to do. Jon Lord’s keyboard solo is among the best I’ve heard, and even features a segue into “Soldier of Fortune” from Stormbringer. The solo segments that Deep Purple did often allowed them to play snippets from songs from the David Coverdale period of the band, and this one was unexpected and brilliant.
Highlights: “Fireball” (boo for excluding from the CD), “The Battle Rages On”, and “Anya”.
I love a good, raw live performance captured on tape, and Deep Purple don’t muck around. This is special, coming from that transitional period when Steve Morse was just getting his feet wet. Considering how different he is from Ritchie Blackmore, this smooth switcheroo is quite remarkable.
3/5 stars (subtracting half a star from iTunes edition, for losing a song)
Paul McGowan is back with another question I’ve always wondered about. Audiophile customers at the Record Store would claim that the CD layer of Super Audio CDs sounded better than a regular CD. That didn’t seem likely or even possible. Paul clears it up here, and I’m not surprised at all.
“Mr. Lebrain is back, and this time he brought a ton of his Japanese import CDs. Or should I say, he grabbed a stack of rock! We once again go through our rare, out of print, imported, and otherwise hard to find discs. A follow to our first episode on the subject which can be seen here.”
RECORD STORE TALES #1008: Backstreet’s Back (in stock)
Little known fact, people: did you know that in the United States, the Backstreet Boys had a second self-titled album, with the same cover art as Backstreet’s Back? It’s true, and I know it’s true because I once had about 200 brand new sealed copies in the trunk of my car.
The 1997 self-titled Backstreet Boys (as opposed to the 1996 self-titled debut) was a compilation. It contained hits from Backstreet Boys and Backstreet’s Back. Some of the tracks were slightly remixed, others not. I acquired this box while dating “JJJulie”, the girl that dumped me while I was on the road opening a new store in Barrie. For the record, I don’t blame her for dumping me. I was miserable working that job. I only blame her for not waiting until I was in the comfort of my own home instead of a strange hotel room.
JJJulie and I dated for two months in 2003. If I recall the story, her mom owned one of those book clearance businesses. The kind of business that buys and sells old overstock from other chains. JJJulie must have got the box of discs from her. Unable to move the product, she gave it to me. Our store was crammed full of Backstreet Boys. I think I might have given her 10 bucks for the whole box. Then it sat in my trunk for months.
I did find some use for the box of BSB. We were allowed to carry two copies at a time in our bargain bin. We paid $1 to $2 each for bargain bin CDs. I sold two copies to the store for $2 each. I kept track of them. Any time we sold a copy (every few weeks), I would sell another $2 disc from my box to the store, for the bargain bin. That went on for a year or so. I probably moved about 20 copies from my box before I quit. Not a huge profit, but some small change for me. The store would have made double what I did with their markup.
I did all this on the sly. The owner would have said “No more Backstreet Boys!” I had to do some things on my own, even if they helped the store in the long run, simply because the upper management tended to throw one word at me repeatedly: “No”. They wouldn’t have complained at the 200% markup when the discs eventually sold, but they really had pickles up the ass. So, anytime I looked at the sales reports and saw that a copy sold, I went out to my car, grabbed another Backstreet Boys, and sold it to the store for $2.
When I eventually quit the store, I had an almost full box of BSB still left. I didn’t know what else to do with it, so I put it in the dumpster. Backstreet’s back…where they belonged! In the dumpster.
It was May 2002 and I was a first-time homeowner. My dad taught me, “Never rent! Only buy. Put your money towards something.” So I trusted his advice and lived at home as long as could I possibly milk it!
Moving in to my new place took a day. I had a lot of help from family and friends. We probably had 10 or 12 people total. I packed up all my CDs and insisted that only I handle them. It caused me more than a little anxiety. I figured a few jewel cases would crack, but there were some special ones I took extra precautions with. Coloured jewel cases are hard to replace. The most precious CD case to me is the 1996 Deep Purple In Rock anniversary edition. The case comes etched with signatures and other text. Breaking one of those means either living with it, or trying to find another copy with case intact. I desired to do neither. In Rock survived the move intact. I would not be lying to you if I told you that this one little item was of more concern to me than anything else I moved that day. My stereo equipment came in second.
Some people say they have a hard time sleeping, their first night in a new home. I did not have that problem. After a full day of moving, I was wiped. But also eager to get going the next day and set up my new place. Against the better judgement of everyone who helped me move, the very first thing I did was set up my CD towers. Having those discs sitting in boxes really bothered me. I wanted them out, so I could inspect them and ensure they all survived intact, and I wanted them accessible. A long day of painting was ahead!
I cannot remember the first album I played in my new home. Strange, because normally I’d commit that sort of thing to memory. It was probably Kiss. I like to use Kiss for firsts. I do remember the first movie I watched. It was The Phantom Menace. I wanted my first movie to be a DVD, and I wanted it to be a Star Wars. The older Star Wars films would not exist on that format until 2004.
I set up the CD towers, put the discs back in their alphabetical homes, and was relieved that only a couple cases broke. I then painted around them. Priorities.
The funny thing about these memories is how much space I thought I had back then. I had so many empty closets. I didn’t have enough stuff to put on my shelves. To say things have changed would be an understatement. Due to lack of storage, there are CDs everywhere in random order. We need to hire a carpenter and get some proper CD shelving made for this place!
After a solid weekend of working, painting and assembling, I was settled into my new place. I had my first guests over that Monday. I loved my new place, but I did not have long to enjoy it. The following week, I was on my way to Prince Edward Island, determined to find the home of Stompin’ Tom Connors, and eat lobster at least once a day. Success on both counts. But I couldn’t wait to get home again. I had a new Deep Purple box set of official bootlegs waiting for me to finish listening. 12 CDs. I only had time to hear the first three discs before departure. And you can bet your last dollar that I picked up where I left off, with disc four.
Jen moved here in 2008. It’s cramped but we make due. Her illness set us back in the sense that we haven’t been able to move somewhere bigger. But it’s home. It’s our home. It has 20 years of memories. I’m proud to say that many of them are musical in nature.
I’ve only helped crowdfund two things in my life. I’m happy to say I picked a winning horse in both cases, the second being Jacob Moon’s new CD called Under A Setting Sun.
Although Moon is certainly a stunningly good musician, and his voice could be described as “angelic”, it’s his songwriting that really sets him apart. Each song on the EP has a different flavour. That being the case, they all share a certain light, an uplifting feeling that just makes you feel better after a listen.
The opening track “Live A Little” feels like a morning sunrise, with gently picked acoustics ringing clear, and a hint of slide shining from the shadows. “Today we’re going to leave all those cares behind, and live a little” sings Moon, asking us to look at the stars above. The message here is simple but necessary. A brilliant song with a bright glow that will sound great in just about any setting. It’ll go great on the porch this summer.
The familiar crunch of an electric guitar is joined by the moan of organ on “Tennessee”, a brilliant slow ride. It has a vaguely southern feel especially when the slide guitar joins in. “And the road has got the best of me, I thought I could be free yeah, like the winds in Tennessee,” sings Jacob as a soulful backing chorus joins in. This one will sound great in the car on a country drive, guaranteed.
A unique acoustic song called “Miles To Go” has a gentle, breezy vibe. A terrific song; you could imagine Jon Bon Jovi clenching his fists in jealousy that he didn’t write it. It sounds in the pocket of mid-90s Bon Jovi when they weren’t afraid of getting a little more laid back on These Days. The track sounds more lush as it goes, building to a nice resolution at the end.
If you’ve got the guts to call a tune the “Song That Won’t Leave You Alone”, it had better be catchy! It’s actually about the creative process, but the title demands an actual song that won’t leave you alone. The lyrics are fascinating but the chorus is really fantastic. Great guitar work on this one as well, an absolute gem of a song.
“A Little More Time” is a quiet ballad, but backed with a strong drum beat. The chorus is perfect. Once again, a certain Mr. Jovi might be gnashing his teeth that he didn’t come up with this one, but that’s just pure speculation. He couldn’t sing it like Moon does anyway.
The title track ends the album with a string-coated song that brings the vibe of the album full circle. If “Live A Little” sounded like morning, then “Under A Setting Sun” brings the day to a close. Whether that’s intentional or not, that’s one interpretation if you like. Regardless, “Under A Setting Sun” wears an understated strength on its sleeve, based on the rhythm of the acoustic guitar. The strings raise it to the clouds, dreamy and powerful.
2022 has been a year for strong releases already. Add the name Jacob Moon to your list of must-hears.
The first new physical music from Guns N’ Roses since 2008’s Chinese Democracy has finally arrived in the form of an EP! Good enough; we’ll take it. Beggars (and hangers-on) cannot be choosers. Considering how scarce new Guns music has been since the early 90s, the new Hard Skool EP almost feels like manna from the gods.
To the disappointment of some, the two new songs are slightly old: Chinese Democracy outtakes that have been reworked with Slash and Duff McKagan. The duo have writing credits on “Hard Skool” along with Axl Rose and former members Robin Finck, Josh Freese, Tommy Stinson and Paul “Huge” Tobias. Formerly known as “Jackie Chan”, this song comes closest to capturing the classic Guns vibe – think Illusions era GN’R. Slash imbues the riff with his trademark snakelike style, and Axl is in full-scream mode on the powerful chorus. The cowbell brings us back to the 80s a bit, but the experimental solo section is more modern.
The other new/old song “ABSUЯD” is much more Chi-Dem, and more divisize. Formerly known as “Silkworms”, it was largely enjoyed by those who knew it from live bootlegs but thought it should have been on the album. The keyboard intro has been axed, the riff emphasized and the lyrics slightly modified. The main hook “What can I do, with a bitch like you?” has been replaced with a refrain of “Absurd!” The words are otherwise just as angry. “Listen motherfuckers to the song that should be heard!” bellows Axl on the opening line. “Parasitic demons sucking acid through your heart!” I wonder who this was written about? Vocally, Axl’s in the faux accent he utilized on “Down on the Farm” and you’ll love it or hate it. Interestingly former keyboardist Chris Pitman, who was credited with songwriting on the original “Silkworms” version, no longer has a credit. It is now credited to Axl, Slash, Duff and Dizzy. Presumably the Pitman parts were chopped. At the time of its writing, Pitman said: “It ended up being this incredible track that sounded like Guns N’ Roses 10 or 15 years in the future. It was so far removed from our other songs that we had to put it in this other place. Concept-wise, it didn’t fit with Chinese Democracy. We hope we will have other songs that match that kind of futuristic sound. It’s a really exciting track because it morphs into this crazy sound, but it was out so much in the other direction that we have to let time catch up with it.” While that was true of “Silkworms”, the version known as “ABSUЯD” is more guitar-oriented.
The live songs commence with “Don’t Cry”. Slash and rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus sound great together on this, but Axl struggles when the singing gets high at the end. It’s a demanding song, and 1991 was a long time ago. “You’re Crazy” on the other hand is really good. Using the slower Lies arrangement, but played on electric, this version is like brand new. A real cool addition to your GN’R library.
The third live track is exclusive to the 7″ vinyl: “ABSUЯD”. Not only do we get new songs on this EP, but we already get one in a live version. Guns started playing “ABSUЯD” live in 2021 as a surprise before it was released on iTunes. Axl’s voice is pretty strange here, sounding a bit muppet-ish. (The screaming portion sounds like tape.) This live track will take some getting used to. It’s not that Axl’s voice is bad just…different than what you’re used to.
The 7″ vinyl came with a sticker while the cassette and CD versions come with no extras. The CD is packed in a slipcase, and the cassette in a cassingle cardboard sleeve. This got crushed a bit in the mail; a jewel case would have been better.
The cover artwork includes an interesting visual clue. On a school locker door, the classic Guns N’ Roses logo is stickered overtop a graffiti style logo reminiscent of Chinese Democracy. Almost a metaphor for what these new songs are.
It’s encouraging that Guns N’ Roses have finally released something new, even if the songs are just reworked tunes from 20+ years ago. Perhaps they’re clearing the decks before working on truly new material. It’s all but certain that we will see more, and hopefully a longer release next time. While some moments on the live tunes are shaky, and the new tunes were not as warmly received by some, the Hard Skool EP is wonderful to hold in hand. New physical music from GN’R! About time.
4/5 stars
All cautions made Every chance was given No effort spared to save what we had All in good faith I would not hesitate To extend myself and lend you my hand
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
As tempers fade And lies forgiven No cause embraced could break what we had In its place A storm is lifting I would’ve thought you could be more of a man
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
You had to play it cool, had to do it your way Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay If that were true, it wouldn’t matter anyway
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