FAITH NO MORE – “From Out of Nowhere” (1990 Slash records 3 track 7″ single)
When I was beginning to seriously collect Faith No More in 1991 onwards, I had no idea what was out there. I found the UK 7″ single for “From Out of Nowhere” at a record show in Guelph. There are different versions of this single out there with “Cowboy Song” on the B-side, but that track can also be found on Live at the Brixton Academy. The UK single on Slash/London has two live tracks you can’t find anywhere else, recorded by the BBC on March 2 1990. Shortly after “Epic” was released as a single, but before it went mega.
The problem is, with 10 minutes of music squeezed onto the B-side, this single sounds horribly thin and is ridiculously quiet. Tons of surface noise too. The A-side, which spins at 45 rpm, is better. Have a look at the unaltered waveform in Audacity for comparison.
Faith No More didn’t truly make it big until the end of the (first) vinyl age. The album version of “From Out of Nowhere” was always an excellent song; one of their most “mainstream” if you can call it that. The keyboard hook is the main angle, and Patton’s notable for using that clean nasal voice he discontinued not long after. An excellent song, and a cornerstone of any nutritious Faith No More collection.
The B-side, the exclusive live recordings, rotates at 33 1/3 rpm. Captured in Norwich, “Woodpecker From Mars” is Faith No More’s instrumental classic led by a keyboard violin voice by Roddy Bottum. There is a different performance on a home video called You Fat Bastards (which is the complete Brixton set) but nothing else on audio. “Epic” is disappointingly edited by the BBC. They obscure the line where Mike Patton naughtily sings “get down on it and fuck it some more.” The band sound fresh and almost green with enthusiasm for the song, playing it a bit more straight than they would later on.
On the plus side, this single comes packaged in a gatefold sleeve, a rarity for 7″ release. Inside Mike Patton is givin’ ‘er live on stage. Some kids probably taped this to the wall as-is.
Though those without the syrup of the Mighty Maple flowing through their veins might not be familiar with Sloan, there are some who consider the east-coast quartet to be Canada’s greatest rock band. With four writers / singers / instrumentalists, it’s an argument with some merit. Though some say they are too sloppy live, in the studio they have some truly shining diamonds. Some of those gems aren’t even from albums.
1995 was a difficult time for Sloan. After receiving no support from Geffen for their shoulda-been breakthrough album Twice Removed, the band either broke up, or were about to break up, or considered themselves broken up even though they weren’t. The double A-sided “Stood Up” and “Same Old Flame” single comes from this murky period in their timeline, released on their own label murderecords. (In Japan, these two songs were included as bonus tracks on their third full length CD, One Chord to Another.)
“Stood Up” is a Chris Murphy number with a catchy tremolo guitar hook. The lo-fi recording is so tasty. Sloan’s usual vocal harmonies create the melodic blend you expect, but that relentless guitar groove is center stage. Not dark, but shady, with energetic shouts. By contrast, Patrick Pentland’s “Same Old Flame” is light and upbeat. The fun verses set up a more plaintive chorus, all danceable. Though both songs are equally strong, it’s “Same Old Flame” that you will singing and tapping your feet to.
For only $7, I found this single at yet another record show in Guelph with my buddy Peter. Today it sells for twice that. Though I hoped to find more than just one Sloan single that day (“Rhodes Jam” still eludes me), at least I left with what I came for. A great single for any Sloan collection, big or small. An essential one in fact, now that everybody is into vinyl again as their primary format.
POISON – “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (1988 Capitol 3″ CD single)
This is a beautiful item that I’m happy to have in my collection. 3″ CD singles were uncommon, but you’ve probably seen one before. What is less common is the clamshell 3″ case that this Poison single came in. A lot of 3″ singles came in regular 5″ cases, or a cardboard sleeve. Clamshells are rare. This one, called a “Gem Pak” (patent pending) was specifically made to house a “CD3”, another outdated term. It’s made of white plastic and the artwork is in the form of a sticker which covers the front, back and spine of the case. The Gem Pak’s flaw (patent pending!) is that it does not hold the disc in securely. It wants to pop out. Take care when handling one of these that the disc doesn’t fall out when you open it.
I’m a defender of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn”. I loved it as a kid. I remember some people saying it might be “too country”, which is wasn’t. It’s just an acoustic ballad but a well written one and deserving of its success, if not its notoriety. It tended to spawn a generation of soundalikes, a fuzzy swarm of late 80s acousti-balladry that ultimately only served to take bands like Poison down, while ushering in the grunge era. “Every Rose” broke down walls for Poison, but the backlash was inevitable. When Bill & Ted quoted it to get into heaven in 1991, it was already all over. I can hear all that history when I listen to this single. It’s an excellent song, and even C.C.’s solo, as inarticulate as it is, still fits like an electrically heated glove.
The B-side “Livin’ for the Minute” shows off the heavier side of Poison. Fans might forget that Poison liked to really spit one out every now and then. C.C.’s solo is bonkers on this one, but perfectly suited to the frantic tune. Bret really cuts loose too. Poison actually have some pretty cool B-sides.
These tracks are both available on the remastered Open Up and Say…Ahh!! CD, but you gotta snap this one up if you find it in the wild.
METALLICA – “Mama Said” (1996 Vertigo CD singles parts one and two)
In order to get all the songs, you had to buy three separate singles. You needed the 7″ vinyl (reviewed yesterday) and two CD singles. The total payoff was seven B-sides: five live, one demo, one single edit. The 7″ picture disc included “Ain’t My Bitch” live from Irvine Meadows in ’96, and the rest are on the two CDs each sold separately.
The first single ignites the live feast with “King Nothing”, which finds Metallica in an informal mood before kicking into the track. Though “King Nothing” was eventually released on its own as the fourth single from Load, it was never really one of the best songs from that album. It slams heavy enough and would have been fun to mosh to. They go old school on “Whiplash” which has that energy you want out of live Metallica. The old fans boo the new fans, but everybody gets what they want. Lars is sloppy as fuck; what do you expect? When Metallica play stuff like “Whiplash” live it’s not about precision, it’s about energy and this version delivers.
The first CD ends with just a single edit of “Mama Said”, a good ballad with a country twang that some fans might have found unpalatable. It’s shorter by 40 seconds, starting immediately with James’ lead vocal. 15 seconds chopped at the start and 20 more at the end. Do Metallica fans need single edits? No; Metallica was always resistant to compromises like that. Paul DeCarli was given the job of the edit, presumably being told to get it safely under five minutes for radio.
“Mama Said” album version (top) and single edit (bottom) waveforms
The second CD in the set wastes no time going for the throat. It’s “So What”, the infamously vulgar Anti-Nowhere League cover that was a B-side for Metallica once upon a time before. It was so notorious that it became a live favourite unto itself, often turning up in the encores. That’s followed by “Creeping Death”, an epic way to cap off the live tracks. That mountainously heavy rock just never lets up until it gives way to another massive one.
The last and most interesting track among the B-sides is the original “Mama Said” demo recorded solely by James and Lars in Ulrich’s basement. Electric guitar at first instead of acoustic, but beautiful. The purity of this version, unadorned as it may be, is the reason to seek it out. The twangy guitar part is in place, as are the lyrics (not always the case with James’ songs). Metallica could easily release an album of their demo versions, but they haven’t so you gotta get the singles.
I can admit that my first Metallica album was Load. I concede that they were more Rocktallica than Metallica on that album, but the fact of the matter is that for the genre, Rocktallica was good! A lot of hard rock and heavy metal albums in the mid-90s were not good. Metallica introduced themselves to me with an album that was what I wanted, when I wanted it. “Mama Said” was the third single from Load, a an acoustic ballad, and with an exclusive live B-side on the vinyl that wasn’t on the CD singles (to be reviewed next).
The 7″ single contains the album version, not the shorter single edit. James Hetfield wasn’t afraid of getting personal in his lyrics anymore, and “Mama Said” is about his late mother. It’s audible that he is getting something deeply important off his chest. The music is notable for its distinct country twang. Trash Metallica all you like, but this sounds great. The thing about Metallica is that they usually (not always) do whatever it is they set out to do, and do it well.
That said, a 7″ picture disc is not the best way to hear Metallica play an acoustic ballad. It can’t deliver the clarity and dynamics that a CD can. The B-side, “Ain’t My Bitch” recorded live in California on August 4 1996, is a louder song and can get away with the format a little better.
James gets the crowd to shout “We don’t give a shit!” a couple times before they break into the song. “Ain’t My Bitch” remains a fun little blast precisely about not giving a shit. “Outta my way, outta my day!” It might not be “Creeping Death” you can’t deny it’s fun to just bang along. “Mama Said” might have been James dealing with deep shit, but “Ain’t My Bitch” says “just forget it and let go”. Kirk Hammett’s solo on this one is mega fun, and it’s always a bonus to get Jason’s Newsted’s backing growls. An underappreciated ex-Metallica member.
Including the tracks released over the two additional CD singles, “Ain’t My Bitch” is the seventh of seven total B-sides to “Mama Said”. All the live ones are from the same show in Irvine Meadows. If you gotta get ’em all, then “Mama Said” you need this picture single too! Shame about the audio quality.
Be honest with me. Until recently, did you really expect a new AC/DC album in 2020? The notoriously private band were spotted at a studio in Vancouver a while ago, but aside from that it’s been total radio silence.
Until now. Power Up!
Brian “Beano” Johnson found himself the recipient of brand new, high-tech in-ear monitors enabling him to sing live once again. Phil Rudd put his past behind him. This was enough to get Cliff Williams back on board. Angus Young had been sorting through dozens of riffs written by Malcolm. With nephew Stevie Young still in the fold to play those riffs, AC/DC were a band once more.
2020’s Power Up (or PWRϟUP) will be the first AC/DC album since the death of both George and Malcolm Young.
“Shot in the Dark” is the first single, available now on iTunes when you pre-order the album. “Shot in the dark, beats a walk in the park.” I highly doubt that it was a walk in the park, but the thing about AC/DC is that they make everything better. (This week’s episode of the LeBrain Train was supposed to be about AC/DC bringing us exactly what we needed in 2020. It has obviously been postponed so we can talk about Eddie Van Halen instead.) If Black Sabbath’s “Rock and Roll Doctor” was a real person, there is little question that they would have prescribed us some AC/DC in 2020. We needed this. Like an Aspirin when your head is achin’, we needed a “Shot” of AC/DC. Something bright and shiny to look forward to.
What AC/DC do, only they can do right. There’s nothing even remotely unique about “Shot in the Dark”. It’s AC/DC. It is what it is and does what it does, and it’s pretty simple. All you need is a beat, a catchy guitar lick, and a belting singer. “Shot in the Dark” has all that. The things that do jump out this time are Angus’ solo — slidey goodness — and the sheer joie de vivre of it all. Brian is sounding great. Some have noted that AC/DC sounds more like the genuine article when Phil Rudd is on drums. His thrift and pocket groove are peanut butter and jelly.
Rating a new AC/DC song is kind of pointless. They always come out with something good, albeit familiar, for a first single. 1990’s “Thunderstruck” was an exception. It’s been this way since 1995’s “Hard As a Rock”. AC/DC drop a new single, and it’s always the same. Good and familiar. Same thing here. Ratings are meaningless so we’ll call it a perfect score just because we should all be happy as fuck that AC/DC are back.
VAN HALEN – Live Without a Net (1987 Warner Reprise VHS/DVD)
I set the VCR to record. MuchMusic were showing the full concert: Van Halen, Live Without a Net! Though they beeped the naughty words, I had to make sure I didn’t miss this special. I’d never heard Van Halen doing Roth tunes with Hagar before! Folks, there was a lot of beeping.
Live Without a Net is undoubtedly goofy, and that is part of its charm. It’s kind of annoying every time Sammy proclaims that they are in “New Halen” instead of New Haven, but I guess he had to. I still don’t understand why Sammy painted that lady’s shoes red. The fact that a roadie had red spray paint on standby was kind of cool though. The band were obviously wasted, but put on a completely epic show nonetheless. It was light on the Roth stuff that Sammy didn’t want to do, like “Jump”, but they also played virtually all of their new album 5150.
The new stuff was heavier on keyboards and for many of the songs, Eddie was playing the keys while Sammy actually played the solos. Unusual for this band; absolutely. Sammy’s solo in “Love Walks In” ain’t half bad. While I enjoyed this change of pace, Bob Schipper did not. “A guy like Eddie Van Halen shouldn’t be stuck on keyboards,” he said. I’ll be honest here. I prefer Eddie playing keyboards live, even if it means Sammy’s on lead guitar.
The friendship between Sammy and Eddie here is obvious. The chemistry is clear. The tension that used to fuel Van Halen is gone here, and in it’s place is simple male comradery. It’s audible in the music, and Eddie can’t stop grinning…except when he’s busy dragging on that cigarette!
With the new tunes dominating the set, there were only two Roth-era numbers. “Panama” was the only big Roth hit, with “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” representing the first LP. Balancing the Roth songs are two Hagar solo tunes, “There’s Only One Way to Rock” and “I Can’t Drive 55”. These are great and you won’t find too many live versions that are better. There were also the usual guitar, drum and bass solos, but Michael Anthony’s is mostly tuneless. A Zeppelin cover, “Rock and Roll”, closes the set.
As kids, Bob and I didn’t care about the Zeppelin song. What we watched the video for was Eddie himself. When it was time for his solo, we studied it. There was no way we could have understood what he was doing on a musical level, but we watched his actual technique. We wondered if he ever burned his hand on that cigarette dangling from the headstock. Eddie’s solo was like opening a science textbook for the first time. Except this was a textbook that looked and sounded absolutely badass!
This always should have been a live album. Edited, of course. You don’t need the shoe painting episode to fully enjoy Van Halen Live Without a Net.*
4/5 stars
* The painting of the shoes happened during “Best of Both Worlds” and was edited out when released as a single B-side.
FRANK ZAPPA – Strictly Commercial: The Best Of Frank Zappa(1995 Rykodisc)
There are many versions of Strictly Commercial available in different territories, but the North American Rykodisc edition is familiar to most. The beauty of Strictly Commercial is that it can appeal to anybody. For those who are not ready to stomach a full Zappa album proper, Strictly Commercial compresses some of his most appetising music into a tight 77 minute listening experience.
With a flourish, “Peaches En Regalia” opens the disc as it did 1969’s Hot Rats. “Peaches” is one of Frank’s most accessible compositions, with clear melodic themes. This instrumental courts jazz rock fusion while projecting images like a cue from a movie soundtrack. The horn section is both goofy and dignified at once, and the percussion is out of this world.
Great googly moogly! Speaking of goofy, it’s “Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” (a single edit) which never fails to put a smile on the face. The twisted storytelling is as clever as it is ridiculous. Jabs of brilliant lead guitar act like aural illustrations. Brilliant guitar on this one, as is the single-ending xylophone solo. Into “Dancin’ Fool”, Zappa then lampoons a guy who can’t help but hit the disco even though he stinks at dancing. Social suicide indeed! Classic, memorable Zappa with a beat you can dance to. “San Ber’dino” is more rock than blues but certainly has ingredients from both. This is an easy entry point.
All the songs flow into the next, and “Dirty Love” has a slow rock groove and a blasting wah-wah solo. This is a suitable lead-in to “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama”, one of Frank’s catchiest numbers. A classic rock composition, it must be pointed out how perfect Jimmy Carl Black’s beats are. They are hooks unto themselves.
“Cosmik Debris” has more blazing guitar, and a healthy dose of scepticism for the mystical. “So, take your meditations and your preparations, and ram it up your snout,” sings Frank with a sly smile. Then back to 1966 and Frank’s debut album Freak Out! with “Trouble Every Day”, the socially conscious track that is still relevant today. With a beat-blues bent, Frank croons “Hey you know something people? I’m not black but there’s a whole lotsa times I wish I could say I’m not white.” Frank Zappa — triggering people since 1966!
Disco people fall victim to the Zappa wit once again with “Disco Boy”. “Leave his hair alone, but you can kiss his comb.” It certainly recalls scenes from Saturday Night Fever. “Fine Girl” is about a girl who isn’t so fine, but it has irresistible elements of soul mixed in with a little bit of everything. Then the purely instrumental “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace” lets us just enjoy Frank soloing for three and a half minutes. Here he becomes the expert bluesman, with adventurous twists and turns that only a Zappa could muster.
“Let’s Make the Water Turn Black” is essentially comic opera, a silly number with munchkin voices that never fails to raise a smile. It’s over quickly enough so we can get back to more electric guitar nirvana. “I’m the Slime” is funky horn-laden fun.
If Zappa’s music has been too performance oriented for your tastes with not enough hooks per minute, then “Joe’s Garage” will do the trick for you. As one of Frank’s most immediate songs, it draws from 1950s doo-wop. A track that fits in any music collection. It gets heavy on “Tell Me You Love Me”, perhaps the closest song Frank has to metal. So of course that had to be followed by the story of a dental floss tycoon with “Montana” (single version). Brilliant xylophone is only overshadowed by Zappa himself.
Spoken word tracks can have a limited lifespan to the listener, and for many people that’s “Valley Girl”. Moon Unit Zappa’s performance as the titular character is brilliant but quickly worn thin. It could probably stand to lose its last minute or so. Focus on the playing (especially that wicked bass by Scott Thunes). Doo-wop returns on the lovable “Be In My Video”; sax solos galore!
Finally, Frank answers that age-old question: cupcakes, or muffins? Certainly one of Frank’s most charming songs, “Muffin Man” ends the disc. Yes, there is a clear preference and plenty of wicked guitar playing too. Captain Beefheart on “vocals and soprano sax and madness”! Goodnight Austin Texas, wherever you are!
Strictly Commercial might not be the album that convinces you of Frank Zappa’s mastery of guitar, or of composition. But it is carefully designed to lure you in and whet the appetite for more. From here you can explore many more of Frank’s in-depth albums, or just enjoy this brilliant run through his most fun and easily enjoyed.
GETTING MORE TALE #862: Strictly Commercial & Adventures in OCD
When I was working at the Record Store, I was even pickier about the condition of my CDs than I am today. Everything had to be pristine, including the case. No scratches on the disc, and few to none on the jewel box. I’d wanted some Frank Zappa for a while, but was never satisfied with the condition of those unique light green Rykodisc cases. As trade-ins, they were always scratched, cracked or completely broken. You never saw the obi strip on the top intact in a used copy. Tired of waiting for one that met my exacting standards, I decided to buy it new.
It was fall in the late 90s, and I had the house to myself that weekend. Everybody else was at the cottage. This was during a time when I’d rather be home than at the lake. I preferred to stay in town, hang out with T-Rev, hit the malls, watch some movies and listen to some music. Not just new music, but new bands for my collection. Along with Frank, I decided that I needed to add Journey to my collection that weekend. It was going to be a great couple days off.
I’d already heard plenty of Zappa in-store and from buddy Tom up in Waterloo. He was getting into Läther, a recent Zappa triple CD set designed to replicate a four record box set that Zappa originally envisioned back in 1977 but was forced to release scattershot instead. Specifically I remember Tom hyping over “The Adventures of Greggery Peccary”, a 21 minute track about a pig. I absolutely needed an artist like Frank Zappa in my collection if that’s the kind of thing he was about. How could the girls resist me if I put a song like that on the stereo?
I knew HMV at Fairview mall would have Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa in stock. They always did. T-Rev didn’t understand why I had to do this. “I have a copy here right now,” he told me on the phone. “There’s nothing wrong with it. It plays fine, it’s in great shape.”
“But it doesn’t have the green case or that little obi strip that goes on top,” I countered.
“I guarantee that you cannot listen to a green case,” said T-Rev simply. He was right.
But I was determined; there was nothing he could do to talk me out of the much more expensive new copy. So that day I plunked down my $21.99 plus tax and bought my first Zappa. With green case, unscuffed, and obi strip intact.
Trevor was right that I couldn’t listen to that green Ryko case, but there was also a certain satisfaction in seeing such a pristine one in my collection. I made sure to protect it by carefully cutting the cellophane in such a way that I could slide the case in and out. Although the cellophane has ripped a little in the two decades plus since then, it still protects the pristine green Ryko case beneath.
Although I do have a couple more green Rykodisc cases in my Zappa collection today, Strictly Commercial (review tomorrow) is the only one I insisted on buying new. Having one was enough. I was content to have less-than-perfect Zappas for Hot Rats and Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch. You have to be practical about such things after all!
As you’re aware, I’ve been doing a lot of introspection lately. I hope you don’t mind. A lot of my reflection has been to my distant past. As I look back, I am reminded how music was always there in my life. One of my first truly beloved records was the original soundtrack to The Empire Strikes Back. The bombast, drama and power of those pieces really appealed to me. It’s safe to say that I discovered music through Star Wars and John Williams. Until they came along, music was just something that was around me. It wasn’t inside me until Star Wars.
They stopped making Star Wars movies (or did they…?) in 1983, coincidentally the same year that Quiet Riot released Metal Health, and Styx came out with “Mr. Roboto”. I simply jumped from one train to the other! They were both going in the same direction so it wasn’t much of a leap. Rock music was very much about bombast, drama and power. And it stuck with me, bonded at a molecular level.
But why metal? There were other trains I could have boarded. At school, every other kid was into Duran Duran. I couldn’t have given a crap about Duran Duran, even if they were in a James Bond movie! So why metal?
The first factor to examine would be peer groups. Essentially, I had two: the school kids and the neighbourhood kids. The school kids were, frankly, assholes. But none of them lived in my neighbourhood. It was like growing up in two separate worlds. My classmates weren’t near me and I was fine with that. Every time I came home, it was like I had entered a safe zone. The older kids in my neighbourhood were legends. Bob Schipper, Rob Szabo, and George Balasz. They were the ones I looked up to and they were all rocking the metal. Szabo’s favourite bands? Motley Crue and Stryper. Balasz liked Kiss. Schipper was into Iron Maiden.
We would gather on front stoops with boomboxes powered by D-cell batteries. Van Halen cassettes would be passed around like a joint. I heard Maiden Japan by Iron Maiden on my front patio for the first time because George brought it over. The guys were eager to educate me. Quiet Riot, Helix, Judas Priest, W.A.S.P., Black Sabbath were names I was trying to memorize. I had a few things mixed up though. I thought the song “Sister Christian” by was Motorhead, because when they sing “Motorin’!” I heard “Motorhead”. So sure.
On the other hand, the peer group at school was mostly what we called “wavers”. They liked Mr. Mister and Michael Jackson and whatever else, I simply wanted nothing to do with it. At an instinctive level, I think these people repulsed me. I had witnessed and been victim to their cruelty. I wanted nothing to do with their music or their sports and I think that was largely unconscious. I would have loved if they liked me instead of mocking me; it would have made life easier. Obviously I had given up trying. So why not? Heavy metal music was like Musica proibita in Catholic school. There were a few headbangers — I didn’t like them either — but just a few. Those guys thought it was hilarious that I was still into Quiet Riot in 1985 when they had moved onto Van Halen. They would challenge me to “name three songs by Helix” to see if they could trip me up. That was the difference between the rock guys at school, and my friends at home. The guys at home would have just taught me what songs were by Helix.
Fucking school assholes.
An other notable factor on the road to heavy metal that has to be mentioned is the one nobody wants to talk about: puberty! But it is true that the bands I was discovering were (mostly) masculine manly men, and soon I would be wanting to attract a mate like they taught us in sex ed class. To exude masculinity, I chose metal. I am certain that was a conscious decision. Despite the long hair, the guy in Iron Maiden was clearly a tougher dude than the guy in Duran Duran. If there was going to be a fistfight, I wanted to be on the Maiden guy’s side. Easy choice. It seemed that simple in grade seven.
Of course, heavy metal music had the opposite effect in trying to attract girls. It absolutely repelled them, every single one of them. The fact that I just went double-down on the metal showed that my love for the music was genuine. Girls didn’t like metal, but I did, and I was already too committed to discovering all the bands I could. I was living in the rabbit hole.
A gleaming, riveted stainless steel rabbit hole. With a million watt stereo system.
Parental approval? Not really. Though they liked Bob Schipper, they didn’t know what to make of this metal music. They tolerated it, and never gave me a hard time about any of the bands I liked. They probably would have preferred Springsteen like the family across the street listened to. But hey, they bought me the tapes I wanted for Christmas, and they let me tape the videos on TV, so a big applause to my parents. I think my dad was worried that I was becoming such an introvert. I remember him telling me “Garnet Lasby doesn’t sit in his room listening to tapes all day.”
When he said that, all I could hear in my head were the Kiss lyrics, “Get me out of this rock and roll hell, take me far away.” I was so confused. I loved listening to music in my room. The only thing better was listening to music with my friends. Was it bad? I really thought about it, but obviously decided to follow my heart.
One more factor in my journey to metal that is easily overlooked but must be accounted for: the fact that rock and roll is one big soap opera with enough drama, violence and musical brilliance to fill an entire Star Wars trilogy. As my friends taught me the songs, they also introduced me to the stories. “This is Randy Rhoads. He was the greatest until he died in a plane crash.” And Kiss? Woah nelly, there was every kind of story within Kisstory! How many guitar players? And crazy costumes and characters to go with the story? Buying a Kiss album was never just “buying a Kiss album”. It was always buying a issue of a comic book. What would Kiss sound like this time? What seedy subjects would they be wrestling with on a lyrical level? What would the cover look like and what colour would the logo be?
It seems obvious now, but the only way for me to go was metal. In every single alternate universe, I am a metal fan.
Music allowed me to rewrite my persona a bit. I hoped that, instead of that nerdy kid with the Star Wars fetish, I would be remembered as the nerdy kid that was really into music. (Music that is still popular today, incidentally.) Why metal? Because it really only could have been metal.
FAITH NO MORE – “From Out of Nowhere” (1990 Slash records 3 track 7″ single)
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