It’s true: ย By all measurements, Hero, Hero is an exploitive compilation of Judas Priest material. ย Their first record label, Gull, was prone to do this. ย However this is no typical “hits” set; this one is of interest to collectors and die hard fans.
Hero, Heroย (named for a lyric from the song “Dying to Meet You”) was originally released in 1981 to take advantage of Priest’s rising star. The original two releases on Gull records, Rocka Rolla and Sad Wings Of Destiny, had been exploited previously in a compilation called The Best Of Judas Priest, which was a single record. Hero, Hero was a double record which included all ofย Rocka Rolla and most of Sad Wings, as well as the crucial Joan Baez cover, “Diamonds and Rust”, in an alternate take (previously heard on Best Of).
So, if you have all that material already, why is this album required at all? ย Cover art aside, of course. ย That cover (a pre-existing painting) is brilliant. ย There is also a Kiss bootleg called Barbarize with the same cover.
The reason is revealed in the liner notes. All of Rocka Rolla had been remixed for this release. Why is unknown, as that record sounded just fine for what it is. The remixes are, in general, not even all that different. The major changes are made during “Cheater”, the “Winter” suite, and “Rocka Rolla” itself, during which major portions of the songs are noticeably shifted around. “Rocka Rolla” has its verses rearranged, and there’s a burst of harmonica in “Cheater” where there never was before.
The remix done to Rocka Rolla doesn’t really add or subtract anything from the album, which makes it that much harder to understand why it was done. ย Why Gull records spent the money to remix these tracks is unknown, and the names of the engineers involved are a mystery. ย But there it is: ย Rocka Rolla remixed in its entirety but not in order, here on the Hero, Hero album. ย Because they’re less familiar to the ear, they sound fresh, but in many cases you’d struggle to point out differences. ย A little reverb here, a little echo there.
Highlights including a bluesy “Cheater” and the flanged chug of “Diamonds and Rust”. ย The six tracks from Sad Wings of Destiny are brilliant. ย “Dreamer Deceiver” and “Deceiver” are used to open this CD, but that is not the original running order. ย Normally the album begins with “Prelude” and “Tyrant”, also from Sad Wings. ย The original Canadian cassette version on Attic maintained the original running order with “Prelude” at the start. ย Essentially, the Connoisseur Collection CD has side one and side two flipped.
Fair warning to CD buyers: ย There are some shoddy reissues of this album that don’t have the remixed tracks. ย Transluxe is one such version. ย To make your life easier you might just want to look for an original 1981 LP. ย The pictured CD from Connoisseur Collection (1995) does have the remixes, so you’re good to go if you spot one.
ย – Animalize Live Uncensoredย (from 4 CD setย Radio Waves 1974-1988) (2015 American Icons broadcast release)
The Animalize tour was the most successful that Kiss had done since the original lineup. ย It was an exciting stage show including a finale with the band playing on a levitating platform over the stage. ย It was logical to film the Detroit concert, returning to the Cobo Hall where much of Kiss Alive! was forged in 1975. ย It had been a long time since Kiss released anything live. ย The sequel album Alive II came in 1977, and then Kiss underwent radical upheaval and change, as we have documented through this series. ย In the 1970s there was a pattern: ย Three studio albums and then a live album. ย Animalize was the sixth studio album since Alive IIย with no Alive III on the horizon.
Fans had their own theories as to why Alive III never materialized when due, but it likely has a lot to do with the lineup changes, shifts in direction, and fading fortunes. ย These events all struck right around the time when the third live album would have been appropriate, but as Kiss replaced members and took off the makeup, they had to re-establish themselves as a valid, current entity not dependant on past glories.
The Animalize Cobo Hall concert that was filmed was released in 1985 as the home video, Animalize Live Uncensored. ย For an entire generation of Kiss fans, Animalize Live Uncensored was our own Alive III. ย You could break down KISStory up to this point into three distinct eras as seen in the chart below. Kiss had a whole new generation of fans, the MTV generation, who associated the makeup with ancient history. ย We didn’t have our own Kiss Alive. ย Without one, we made Animalize Live Uncensored into our unofficial Alive III.
Kiss were introducing yet another guitar player to the fans, but Bruce Kulick was fitting in great. ย Animalize Live Uncensored gave the fans at home a chance to check out his interpretations of new and old Kiss classics. ย He gave the Mark St. John tracks a smoother soloing style with more emphasis on hooky licks. ย The threw on tons of the flash that was in vogue at the time, but he didn’t showboat. ย He did exactly what the bosses (Paul and Gene) wanted, and he did it well enough to win over fans and keep the gig.
The Kiss of the 80s were way, way faster than the Kiss of the 70s. ย Eric Carr could play things that Peter Criss couldn’t, and speed was in fashion. ย Even old songs like “Cold Gin” and “Detroit Rock City” were sped up and 80s-ized. ย The fast stuff from their 80s albums, like “Fits Like a Glove” and “Young and Wasted” are done up even faster. ย Lots of songs by the original band such as “Shout it Out Loud”, “Christine Sixteen”, “Firehouse”, “Strutter” and many more were dropped in favour of new ones. ย “Under the Gun”, “Thrills in the Night” and “Heaven’s on Fire” were the newest, while plenty of songs from Lick it Up and Creatures were also retained. ย Using the chart above for reference, only five Kiss songs from the first two eras combined were included. ย The third era, never before represented in live form, gets ten tracks. ย The rest of the space is taken up by solos: ย Paul Stanley (guitar), Gene Simmons (bass) and Eric Carr (drums). ย There is no Bruce Kulick solo. ย As you have probably surmised, a Paul Stanley feature solo is as basic as they get, with Gene’s only a modicum more memorable. ย Eric Carr’s is fun and flashy — more so on video.
One big highlight ofย Animalize Live Uncensored is Eric Carr’s lead vocal debut on a Kiss release. ย The Fox was given “Young and Wasted” from Lick It Up to sing, in addition to Peter Criss’ part in “Black Diamond”. ย And so Kiss fans began a long and painful wait to hear him sing something on a Kiss studio album.
For dyed in the wool Kiss fans, Animalize Live Uncensored is universally remembered for mainly one thing: ย that is Paul Stanley’s epic song introductions. ย “Love Gun” is the most legendary, a tale of Paul “partying” too much and having to go to the doctor to get himself checked out. ย The nurse decides to “start this examination just a little bit early” and asks Paul to remove his pants…where she discovers his (wait for it) “LOVE GUN”! ย There are so many great Paul intros on this video that it’s worth checking out for them alone. ย Full visuals help.
But what about a CD release, for that generation of fans for whom this is their Alive III? ย There are options. ย None are perfect. ย In fact, there isn’t even a DVD version. ย There are only semi-official looking bootlegs and the old original VHS. ย For CDs, you must go with a radio broadcast release, and none are perfect. ย Single disc versions are obviously trimmed for time and usually have 15 tracks including a couple solos. ย There is also a two disc broadcast from WLLZ in Detroit which has all 18 songs and all the solos too. ย This is available on a quadruple disc set called Radio Waves 1974-1988, released in 2015.* ย It even has intros and raps not includedย on the original Animalize Live VHS release! ย “Black Diamond” has a much longer introduction and much of the talking isn’t available elsewhere. ย During the encores, they mess around with the traditional “Oh Susannah”. ย The other intros and raps, the classic ones, are edited or missing completely! ย You just can’t win.
Only one track from this concert has been officially released on LP and CD: ย “Heaven’s On Fire”, which was Kiss’ contribution to Ronnie James Dio’s Hear N’ Aid – Stars album in 1986. ย Kiss completists will want to make sure they have that one.
One could meticulously paste in all of Paul Stanley’s missing and edited stage raps, and add them to your tracklist. ย It would be bloody time consuming. ย You’d have to listen to your compiled creation a few times to justify the time spent putting it together. ย But it could be done. ย It really is a shame that this broadcast CD is a few intros shy of complete. ย The sound is iffy at times too, with a lot of static where there shouldn’t be. ย But for the time being, it’s the best we got.
GETTING MORE TALE #576: “Why’d You Lick My Pee-noose?” The Sausagefest 2017 Countdown
By the time it was all over I fairly surmised that, personally speaking, Sausagefest 2017 (the 16th annual) was the best one yet.
There are many reasons for this. One happened by pure change.
The weather reports for the weekend were changing daily. I contacted Uncle Meat on Wednesday to tell him they were calling for rain all weekend. He responded, โNo theyโre not, are you new?โ But they were! And the next day, the forecasts had changed again.
By our Friday departure the skies were partly cloudy, but weโve seen worse. After we arrived and set up our tents it started pouring for a short while. The old fire pit was flooded. When the rain stopped the decision was made to move the location for the Countdown, uphill on dry land. This was the first time the actual location had ever been changed after 15 years down by the river. It turned out that this was the best possible decision. The new location was wide open, more conductive to mingling and conversation, and as you have seen, provided some beautiful photographs. The new location will be permanent from now on.
I felt one of the reasons things went so well for me was good preparation, but that may not be the case. Uncle Meat also had a great time, and was so ill-prepared that he only arranged a tent to sleep in when we were halfway there! Way to be ready, Uncle Meat!
The vibe was right from the get-go and the Countdown began on time.
Highlights from the first night included some lesser-heard tracks:
Queen โ โWe Will Rock Youโ โ the โfastโ version
Deep Purple โ โVavoom: Ted the Mechanicโ
Kiss โ โShock Meโ โ live version from Alive II with solo
The Beatles โ โHelter Skelterโ โ mono version
Queen โ โMy Fairie Kingโ
Mercyful Fate โ โInto the Covenโ
There were lots of cool tunes this year: 87 in total including tributes (more on those later). โIndiansโ by Anthrax was a perfectly appropriate song this year too, since I pulled a large chunk of my own recorded bits from the Brocket 99 CD, a spoof of reservation radio stations. (I voted for “Indians” as #22 on my list.)
And plenty more! You can check out the Countdown list yourself. It was also a treat hearing Ray Charlesโ โMess Aroundโ, which you probably know from John Candy in Planes Trains and Automobiles. Rainbowโs โLight in the Blackโ was a personal favourite for my air guitar workout.
The comedy sketches were on-point, and I had tears streaming down my face laughing so hard. The Lord of Lamb, Zach Britton, wrote a sketch regarding my insistence that a Bacon Big Mac is not the same thing as a Big Mac. Bacon is not in the Big Mac song, therefore a Bacon Big Mac is not the same thing. Britton rebutted me successfully, and hilariously. โLoosey Gooseyโ is now a catch-phrase. As a peace offering, he gifted me a bottle of Big Mac sauce.
The first night it rained, but it mattered not as we huddled in our waterproof tents. We were up by the crack of 10:00 to grab breakfast at the Spatula โ not the โFlyingโ Spatula anymore, please note. They have officially changed the name of the place, but still offer the โFlesherton Fill-upโ for breakfast. Not as large, nor as good as it was in the past. On the way up, Uncle Meat yelled โLoosey Goosey!โ at anyone we passed on the road.
You have to give credit to our Spatula server Heather. I sat with Max โIโm kind of a big dealโ the Axe, and I got to witness him working his magic on Heather the server. He promised her the last CD copy in existence of one of his albums. What a deal! Max told me I had a good singing voice. Was he hitting on me, too? Wayne also had a golden line at the store Top of the Rock, with the girl who was distributing bags of ice. โAre you the ice lady? Ice to meet you!โ
There was a new exciting twist this year at the 16th Sausagefest. Submitting lists (aka โpaying your rock and roll taxesโ) has long been a problem. Some people are always prompt. Those people were rewarded with an extra song, a โtributeโ this year. Mine was The Police โ โNext to Youโ. That was a blast for air guitar. You can see by the list at bottom, only eight people got tributes. That means only eight people got their lists in on time without nagging! Due to the amount of time it takes to compile the votes and actually record the Countdown, it was decided that this time, you must vote for 2018โs songs by the end of the weekend. And so Saturday afternoon was spent socially compiling lists. It was weird seeing a bunch of guys at Sausagefest with clipboards and pens, furiously writing, colluding and discussing. It was also successful. All lists are in. There will be a whole year to compile and record for 2018!
The second evening had more great rock. Ghost, Dunsmuir, The Sword, Iron Maiden, CCR, Floyd, Purple, Tenacious D, Sabbath and Zeppelinโฆall building up to the top ten. Not only building up to the top ten, but also setting up the very first Sausagefest live theaterโฆ.
There were plenty of fake-out tracks in the top ten, as they pretended they couldnโt read the songs written on Uncle Meatโs upper thigh. Sabbath, Rush and Metallica were played eventually. After the #2 track โThe Immigrant Songโ (Zeppelin), there was an announcement made.
Tom, father of four, the co-founder, the Captain himself, wanted to take a step back. Recording the Countdown was no longer possible for him, due to family demands at home. This made sense, since the guy does have four rugrats and was absent from some of the top ten due to a supposed argument with his wife about it. They saved the announcement for the #1 spot. Only one person was told in advance, and that was the immortal Lord of Lamb himself, Zach Britton. As the song lyrics state, โHe is the reason we still do this shit.โ He was given a 20 minute heads-up to collect his emotions.
As the announcement was made, they said there would be no #1 song this year. Theyโd play it first in 2018. Instead, they played the traditional โHappy Trailsโ by Van Halen as Tom clinked glasses and shook hands with attendees. And then Zach got up to make a speech. He was obviously still shocked and upset by this sad turn of events.
His speech began as expected: melodramatic, sad, and stirringโฆuntil it was interrupted.
There was a 4 minute 30 second gap built into the Countdownโฆspecifically timed for Zach to start his speech but not finish. All part of the pre-planned โlive theaterโ. Thenโฆ.
โZACH BRITTON!โ boomed the speakers.
Suddenly the Countdown recording continued, as a pre-recorded Bucky urged Zach to shut the fuck up and sit back down because he had just been pranked! Tom wasnโt retiring. Zach didnโt have a clue, nor did any of the rest of us! We all bought it, hook line and sinker, even though Tom has 12 months to record for 2018. It seemed so believable especially with that supposed โargumentโ with his wife built into the recordings. So I raised my goblet of Romulan Ale to Zach โthe Lord of Lambโ Britton for being a great sport and a diamond geezer! The โlive theaterโ, the first ever attempted at Sausagefest, was a tremendous success. As Uncle Meat said afterwards, โThey will never ever trust us again.โ It easily could have gone sideways, if Zach didnโt stand up to make his speech. They were counting on him and he fell right into it. Brilliant live theater!
The actual #1 song, played after the live theater, was โCygnus X-1โ by Rush, a fantastic song on which to close.
The following morning, we packed up to go home. As per usual, Uncle Meat kept singing and repeating one sentence. This year, it was a ditty called โWhyโd You Lick My Penis (Rectum)โ.*
โWhyโd you lick my pee-nooseโฆwhyโd you lick my pee-noose, rectumโฆโ Over and over again. You can hear this on the Sausagefest video.
We made our way home, but for many of the guys, it was time to rock again. Five Alarm Funk played a free show in London on Sunday night, and a few tired โFesters trekked out to party some more. Totally fitting, since Five Alarm Funk had three songs on this yearโs Countdown.
What a Sausagefest! Best one ever? Until next year, maybeโฆ.
ALICE COOPER – The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper(1999 Rhino 4 CD set)
With the benefit of hindsight, 1999 was way too early for Alice Cooper to be looking back with a comprehensive box set. ย His new album Paranormal will be out this month. ย He’s been consistently touring and recording. ย The picture was different in 1999 though, since Alice had been quietly under the radar for much of the decade and there was no sign of new music coming.
This Rhino box set is pretty comprehensive. ย Though there are plenty more rarities out there to get on singles and elsewhere, Rhino served up a very generous selection of them. ย Starting in 1966 with singles by The Spiders and The Nazz, Alice’s sound begins to evolve. ย Those early bands were 4/5 of the original Alice Cooper group: ย only drummer Neal Smith had yet to join. ย The early singles are unfocused compared to what Alice was going to do in a couple years. ย “Don’t Blow Your Mind” and “Lay Down and Die, Goodbye” (sometimes known as “I’ve Written Home to Mother”) are sloppy psychedelia. ย “Hitch Hike” is like rockabilly. ย “Why Don’t You Love Me” is late 60s style rock and roll with a nice harmonica part. ย It sounds influenced by the Beatles.
A demo version of “Nobody Likes Me” is the first “official” Alice Cooper Group track and it sees the sound veer closer to where they were headed. ย It has a sing-song melody that recalls “School’s Out” later on. ย A few tracks from Alice’s first two albums (Pretties For You and Easy Action) demonstrate a work in progress. ย “Reflected” is an early version of something that would be re-written as “Elected”. ย The band was still very psychedelic and not as tight as they would become.
There is a sudden shift, and Alice Cooper emerges as the classic artist we know and love when he hooked up with producer extraordinaire Bob Ezrin. ย “Caught in a Dream” (a single edit) and a number of essential tracks from Love It to Death kick the box set right in the ass and it suddenly becomes a very engaging listen, when before it was just…interesting. ย A quintet of songs from the next album Killer are just as special, though including “Halo of Flies” would have been appropriate too.
Before heading into the School’s Out material there is a rare demo entitled “Call it Evil”. ย A small portion of the music would make it into the the classic West Side Story tribute “Gutter Cat vs. the Jets” (also included), but this is its own song and otherwise unreleased. ย The single version of “School’s Out” ย is an obvious inclusion, but these two are the only tracks from School’s Out, a baffling set of omissions. ย Granted, “School’s Out” plays like a concept album and is tricky to split up for a box set, but it is under-represented here, period.
Billion Dollar Babies is considered a peak of this period, and gets five tracks of its own, all brilliant. ย “Elected” is the single version. ย “No More Mr. Nice Guy” is a highlight of Alice’s entire career and it still sounds fresh. ย Another rarity ensues which is “Slick Black Limousine”, a UK exclusive flexi-disc release. ย It sounds more like early Alice Cooper group material, with Alice doing his best Elvis. ย The end of the original group was nigh, unfortunately, and Alice’s next album Muscle of Love was noticeably lacking something. ย Maybe it’s because Bob Ezrin didn’t produce it, but the band was also on the verge of splitting. ย Addictions were hurting them. ย They were still making great rock and roll, just not…as great. ย “Respect for the Sleepers” is a demo version of “Muscle of Love”, an unreleased track with lyrics inspired by Alice’s “dead drunk friends” (Jimi, Janis, Jim). ย There are more songs from Muscle of Love included than there were for School’s Out, which is odd but alright.
At this point, Alice split from the original band. ย Then there are a pair of rarities featuring Alice from an obscure rock opera called Flash Fearless Vs. the Zorg Women, Pts. 5 & 6. ย Before Queen, there was this Flash Gordon album and Alice’s tracks feature players like John Entwistle, Kenney Jones, Nicky Hopkins, Bill Bruford and Keith Moon as “Long John Silver”. ย “I’m Flash” and “Space Pirates” are mere curiosities, but it’s stuff like this that makes buying a box set so much more worth it. ย Where else would you hear these tracks? ย Both feature Alice’s delicious trademark sneer.
Alice’s solo career really began with 1975’s Welcome to My Nightmare. ย He and Bob Ezrin went all-in with an elaborate horror rock concept album featuring a number of classics. ย “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “Only Women Bleed” are single versions, and it’s fantastic that the blazing “Escape” was included. ย Another concept album, Alice Cooper Goes to Hell, was not as strong. ย Only two tracks are included, but both were singles. ย “Go to Hell” is a must-have.
The third CD in this box set commences a murky period. ย Alice was making albums frequently, but they weren’t as well received and many dwell in obscurity. ย Lace and Whiskey was pretty good, and “It’s Hot Tonight” is a great track to start the disc. ย Meanwhile, original band members Michael Bruce, Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway formed the Billion Dollar Babies. ย They made one album called Battle Axe, and their cool rock track “I Miss You” is included. ย That’s a nice touch, because for the first seven albums those guys were as important as Vincent Furnier (aka Alice Cooper). ย Michael Bruce sings, but lead guitarist Glen Buxton was more or less incapacitated by addiction and wasn’t invited. ย “Battle Axe” sounds like a natural continuation of the Muscle of Love sound. ย A bunch more rarities are incoming: ย a torch ballad called “No Time for Tears” (unreleased) and “Because”, the Beatles cover featuring the Bee Gees. ย This was from that pretty mediocre Sgt. Peppers tribute album from 1978, so it’s great to be able to get it in a box set. ย Alice’s interpretation is creepy, and the Bee Gees are immaculate.
Moving on to his next solo album, Alice changed direction on From the Inside.ย He had just gotten out of rehab (an actual mental hospital) and made a concept album with David Foster and Bernie Taupin about the experience. ย The title track is included as a single version, and you also get the beautifully campy ballad “How You Gonna See Me Now”. ย It was a single too, and its B-side “No Tricks” is also included. ย It is a duet with soul singer Betty Wright. ย Disc three is generous in rarities. ย Another one called “Road Rats” (produced by Todd Rundgren) is a decent rocker from a movie called Roadies.
Alice moved into the 1980s on Flush the Fashion which employed some new wave and punk influences. ย Its two best songs, “Clones (We’re All)” and “Pain” are included. ย 1981 brought Special Forces and more rarities. ย “Who Do You Think We Are” is a single version, and “Look at You Over There, Ripping the Sawdust from My Teddy Bear” is a synthy unreleased song pulled last minute from the album. ย Then there is “For Britain Only”, the stripped-back rocker from the EP of the same name. ย “I Am the Future” is a single version originally from 1982’s Zipper Catches Skin. ย Completing this era (sometimes called Alice’s “blackout period”) are a pair of tracks from DaDa (1983). ย Alice had moved as far as he would go into the high-tech synthesizer direction, and he soon cleaned up for good. ย A couple odds and ends tidy up the tracks from this era. ย “Identity Crisises” and “See Me in the Mirror” are previously unreleased songs from the Monster Dog movie (1984) which starred Alice. ย These are very low-fi tracks, but “Identity Crisises” is actually pretty cool.
The final track on the third disc is the first one from Alice’s big comeback period. ย “Hard Rock Summer” is a fun heavy metal rocker from the Jason Lives soundtrack. ย It’s cheesy but also previously unavailable. ย The fourth and final CD picks up there, with two more rarities from the same movie. ย “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask)” is included in demo and movie mix versions. ย Onto 1986’s Constrictor LP, you get the enjoyable “Teenage Frankenstein”. ย By 1987 Alice was telling us to Raise Your Fist and Yellย on “Freedom”. ย The excellent “Prince of Darkness” is also from that album, but then there are two more rarities. ย Alice cut a re-recording of “Under My Wheels” with Axl Rose, Slash and Izzy Stradlin for the movie The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years. Unlike many re-recordings, this one is well worth it because hey, it’s Guns N’ fuckin’ Roses.
Alice’s sound got slicker moving into the late 80s. “I Got a Line on You” is a Spirit cover from the movie Iron Eagle II. There is a notable shift towards mainstream hard rock, and this spilled over onto the next album Trash (1989). ย This box set has three songs from Trash, but one is the irritatingly bad title track featuring Jon Bon Jovi. ย His sound got a little tougher on Hey Stoopidย (1991) from which you get a single version of the title track, and “Feed My Frankenstein” (also from Wayne’s World). ย The Hendrix cover “Fire” is the last song from this period, which was a B-side. ย Unfortunately another B-side called “It Rained All Night” is a superior song, but not included.
Alice took another short break between albums before emerging in 1994 with another critically acclaimed concept album, The Last Temptation. ย Alice shed the trappings of the 80s and the album is held in high esteem today as a diverse combination of the 70s and 90s. ย Three tracks represent it, but it’s hard not to wish “Side Show” was also included.
The Last Temptation was Alice’s last studio album when this box was released in 1999. ย In the meantime, Alice made friends with Rob Zombie who was obviously influenced by the Coop. ย They collaborated on a song called “Hands of Death (Burn Baby Burn)” for an X-Files CD. ย This box set has the unreleased “Spookshow 2000 Mix”. ย The track points in the direction of Alice’s next album Brutal Planet.
This box set is quite an epic journey, with many facets and side roads. ย A trip like this needs an appropriate closing, and Rhino did something interesting to do that. ย They broke the chronological format they used for the majority of the set, and slid in the acoustic rocker “Is Anyone Home?”. ย This was a studio track included on Alice’s 1997 live album A Fistful of Alice. ย This serves as the climax, and “Stolen Prayer” from The Last Temptation is the finale. ย “Stolen Prayer” is a powerful duet with the late Chris Cornell. ย It was always a perfect closer, but now it’s…also sad.
It should be obvious now that The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper is a worthwhile box set even for fans who own every album. ย The wealth of rarities are just a taste, but they certainly scratch a lot of track off of collector’s lists. ย Many remain exclusive to this box set. ย On top of that, it is simply a good listen, bumpy start aside.
One of the great Unplugged albums of all time…isn’t even an “official” Unplugged album. ย That would be Tesla’s spontaneously released Five Man Acoustical Jam from 1990. ย Its hit single “Signs” absolutely helped set up the MTV Unplugged revolution.
With no intention of creating a live album, Tesla played a few acoustic gigs on off days and then recorded the Philly show for the archives. ย However a radio station in Boston started playing an acoustic rendition of “Signs” and plans were put in motion to capitalize. ย Thus Five Man Acoustical Jam came to be, a highlight of the Tesla catalogue that was almost completely unplanned.
“We’re just fuckin’ around tonight!” says singer Jeff Keith before “Heaven’s Trail”. ย Well then Tesla should spend more time fucking around. ย The looseness of the songs was so fresh for 1990. ย Tesla rolled the hits: “Modern Day Cowboy”, “Gettin’ Better”, “The Way it Is”, and of course “Love Song”, the only one with an electric solo. ย But because they were “just fuckin’ around”, there are also some very interesting covers: ย Beatles, Stones, the Dead, CCR and of course the Five Man Electrical Band. ย Tesla’s version of “We Can Work it Out” is awesome and incredibly fun. ย Less so with the Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper” which is an unusually structured song to start with. ย “Lodi” by CCR was custom made for Tesla. ย “Signs”, of course what the smartest cover song decision the band ever made.
Five Man Acoustical Jamย is a live album held in high esteem, for many good reasons.
1. A great selection of original material (old and brand new) that worked well in the acoustic format.
2. Choice covers.
3. Terrific recording, and 100% live with no fixes or overdubs.
4. Expert musicianship.
5. Humour.
Frank Zappa asked “Does humour belong in music?” The answer is “Sometimes”! One of those times is a loose, fun acoustic show. They could get away with playing a joke track like “Tommy’s Down Home”, written and sung by guitarist Tommy Skeoch. “I’d like to cut the balls off a long-haired hippie, and tie them up to a tree,” he sings gleefully.
The one single was the smash hit “Signs”, and it had a non-album B-side. ย “Little Suzi” (also a cover, but an earlier one) might be from the same gig. ย Jeff’s voice is shredded on this one, but it’s hella cool.
It’s probably fair to say that Tesla are underrated. ย They get stuck on tours with bands like Poison, who have nothing to do with the rootsy rock that Tesla has on offer. ย Tesla are better than that, and Five Man Acoustical Jam is actually a bit of an essential classic to own. ย The irony is that Tesla’s most definitive live album is the one that was basically a fluke!
Animalize: ย a huge hit not proportional to the quality of the songs inside. ย It went platinum on the strength of lead single “Heaven’s On Fire”, but going deeper into the record, Kiss did not have the goods this time.
New guitarist Mark St. John (formerly Mark Norton) replaced the fired Vinnie Vincent, and in doing so, continued Kiss’ quest for shreddery dominance. ย In the 80s you had to have an Eddie Van Halen or Yngwie Malmsteen to get noticed, or so it seemed, and that was what Kiss went for. ย In the meantime, Gene Simmons was off in Hollywood leaving Paul Stanley to do handle Kiss, something Paul eventually came to resent.
Paul Stanley re-teamed with his songwriting buddy Desmond Child. ย Their last collaboration was 1979’s disco hit “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” from Dynasty. ย The partnership struck gold a second time with “Heaven’s On Fire”, a simple song perfectly suited for the Kiss of the 80s and beyond. ย Paul Stanley’s “Woo-ooo-ooo-ooo-OOOOO-ooo” intro is legendary and truthfully a song like “Heaven’s On Fire” isn’t too far removed from classic Kiss. ย Paul’s sassy delivery is enviable.
Desmond Child also co-wrote the opening number “I’ve Had Enough (Into the Fire)”. ย As the 80s began, Kiss seemed determined to write fast songs for their albums. ย Very fast songs. ย “I’ve Had Enough” is one of those, and it’s a good one too, though it was rarely played in concert. ย You’d never guess Desmond was involved without reading the credits, but you’d also not imagine it was Kiss if it wasn’t Paul singing.
Another fine Paul song called “Get All You Can Take” is a co-write with Mitch Weissman whose name has repeatedly popped up on Kiss credits over the years. ย This slow paced sleazy rocker has one of the few Kiss f-bombs in the chorus: ย “What fucking difference does it make?” ย Mark St. John’s solo is a blazing showcase of different tricks and techniques, but it suits the song rather awkwardly like an ill fitting tux. ย Such was the problem with a jazz-influenced shredder in Kiss.
Another fast number is “Under the Gun” written by Paul, Desmond and drummer Eric Carr. ย This one was played frequently on the Animalize tour though there are better songs. ย Fluttery guitars sound like laser beams zipping back and forth. ย Carr kicks ass, but it’s not a great track. ย Paul gets in a cute double entendre though: ย “There’s no speed limit where I’m coming from…let’s hit the highway doing 69!”
The final Paul song is probably the best one, although he has since criticized it as not good enough. ย “Thrills in the Night”, co-written with Jean Beauvoir, deserves praise. ย Sometimes the artist is their own worst critic, but “Thrills in the Night” is awesome, dramatic Kiss rock. ย The chorus goes on for weeks and the soloing fits.
If Animalize was a Paul Stanley solo EP, there would be enough good songs to give it a passing grade. ย However…we have the Gene Simmons songs.
Animalize shall forever be cursed as the album with the lyric, “I wanna put my log in your fireplace.” ย Yes, the man who once wrote a song with Bob Dylan also wrote a ditty called “Burn Bitch Burn”. ย The riff is awesome. ย It has its moments. ย It’s also undeniably one of Gene’s worst lyrics, and that is saying something. ย The song also sounds unfinished, as if he said, “OK good enough, onto the next song.” ย Fortunately Mark St. John’s solo playing is awesome, though not especially accessible. ย And that’s Gene’s best song on the album.
Gene’s other songs are “Lonely is the Hunter”, “While the City Sleeps” and “Murder in High Heels”. ย Of these, “Lonely is the Hunter” is by far the best. ย A slow sleazy groove is more up Kiss’ alley than these fast speed rockers. ย All three of these songs have one quality in common with “Burn Bitch Burn”, and that is that they sound like rough ideas gone unfinished. ย Animalize was produced by Paul (with a co-producer credit for Gene). ย A Kiss producer like Bob Ezrin likely would have told Gene to go back and come up with better material. ย The most interesting thing about “Lonely is the Hunter” and “Murder in High Heels” is the solo work. ย It’s stellar. ย It’s not overdone. ย It’s melodic and memorable. ย And it’s…familiar. ย Future Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick stepped in to play ghost guitar on these songs.
The trend of Kiss using uncredited outside musicians was growing. ย Allan Schwartzberg (who also played on The Elder) did drum overdubs. ย Jean Beauvoir played bass on “Under the Gun”. ย Gene played the rhythm guitars on his own songs. ย That’s why the credits on Kiss albums always simply state: ย KISS – and the names of the members.
Gene cut his hair short for a movie called Runaway. ย He starred as the villain (of course) Dr. Luther, opposite Tom Selleck. ย Kirstie Alley was in it, and it was written and directed by Michael Crichton. ย Considering the year and the names involved, this was a fairly high profile role. ย Gene went for it, and has since admitted his brain wasn’t in Kiss at the time. ย The wig he wore on stage with the band made him look silly, and new fans considered Paul the singer and Gene a secondary guy. ย Gene’s songs weren’t singles anymore. ย They weren’t being played live. ย “Burn Bitch Burn” was only ever played once! ย These were all clues as to what was going on behind the scenes. ย Paul was sailing the ship now. ย He had no choice. ย Animalize suffers for it. ย Gene is to blame for his own downfall during the period and has since gracefully accepted that.
The Animalize tour was the biggest Kiss had done since the glory years, but troubles began early. ย Mark St. John couldn’t play. ย He was diagnosed with an arthritic condition called Reiter’s Syndrome. ย His hands swelled up and he simply could not do the gig. ย Mark passed away in 2007, but suggested that the arthritis may have been triggered by stress. ย The aforementioned Bruce Kulick stepped in to take his place, and did so with professionalism and respect. ย He got along with everyone. He was willing to learn. ย He was a great fit. ย The first great fit in many years.
The Animalize period put Kiss on MTV and on back the radio again, but its success was vastly disproportional to its quality.
Today’s rating:
2/5 stars
Uncle Meat’s rating:
2/5 steaksย
Meat’s slice: ย There really isnโt much to say here. “Heaven’s on Fire” is a good song that I still enjoy hearing. Everything else is OK at best and non-essential. “Burn Bitch Burn” might have some of the worst lyrics of all time.
During my first few weeks at the Record Store, one of the new releases I got to deal with was the new Tesla, Bust a Nut. ย My boss cracked open a copy to play in store, but he wasn’t impressed.
“It sounds the same…” he remarked. ย “It’s just the same.”
Gosh, Tesla didn’t go grunge or rap in 1994? ย What a crime. ย No, instead Tesla stubbornly continued, as they always have, without bowing to trends. ย Bust a Nut wasn’t a successful album, but it was a damn good one. ย To call Bust a Nut “the same” sells it short. ย It sounded like Tesla, but a tad heavier and more diverse. ย Of course, this being Tesla, there must be ballads too.
“The Gate” invites you in via chugging guitars and squealing six-strings. ย It merges into “Invited”, a hell of a fine introduction. ย “Invited” reflects the light and shade of Tesla in one song: ย the mournful acoustic verses, the heavy and catchy choruses, all grounded in a solid classic rock vibe. ย Tommy Skeoch and Frank Hannon made one fine guitar duo, and the layers of instrumental goodness will keep you interested and digging for more. ย Heavier still is “The Solution”, which is about as metal as Tesla have ever been. ย Songs about environmental conservation are more relevant than ever: ย “Mother nature’s on her knees, and we’re the reason for her disease.” ย Very true, Jeff Keith. ย “If we’re gonna make it through tomorrow, the solution is to make a change today.” ย Tesla have never used such a grinding, detuned riff like this before. ย What’s this about it being “just the same”? ย Tesla didn’t go grunge, but they were able to go harder within their own style.
A brilliant track called “Shine Away” uses the soft/loud dynamic popularized by grunge, but that chorus is brighter than the sun. ย Enjoy some patented Tesla guitar harmonies which always sound as if inspired by Thin Lizzy, though this time verging on Iron Maiden! ย Time to cool things down with a ballad, and “Try So Hard” is a lovely one in the acoustic mold. ย A good variety of tunes occupy the rest of side one, but the next obvious standout is “Action Talks”. ย This is as angry as Tesla get, even dropping a “fuck you!” in the lyrics. ย It’s difficult to imagine that the same band can do “Action Talks” and “Try So Hard”!
Bluegrass and heavy bluesy rock collide on “Mama’s Fool”, as Tesla have never been afraid to mix genres. ย Sharp fans will recognize the opening and closing acoustic patterns as the same as “Government Personnel” from Psychotic Supper (1991). ย A slamming beat drives the tense “Cry”, a killer track based on a simple riff. ย Dig that theremin! ย “Rubberband” returns to the soft/loud format, and the loud part is fucking killer. ย The chorus goes on for days and sticks like glue. ย Another heavy groove called “Earthmover” earns its title, but some of the best tracks on side two are the ballads. ย “A Lot to Lose” is likeable, and “Wonderful World” begins with a southern acoustic flavour. ย Best of all is the fun closer, the old Joe South hit “Games People Play”. ย It’s Tesla-fied, and the sitar is ditched in favour of more traditional rock instrumentation. ย It’s transformed into a soul-gospel-rock and roll good time.
Tesla fired Tommy Skeoch (too many drug problems) and went down to a quartet before splitting up. ย Thankfully they have enjoyed a long and quality-driven reunion since 2001. ย Bust a Nut is an unsung highlight of their catalogue, and an album you’d be well advised to pick up.
AC/DC โย The Razors Edgeย (1988, 2003 Epic remaster)
The 80s were bumpy for AC/DC. ย Back In Black was massive. ย For Those About to Rock was almost as big. ย Flick of the Switch was a solid ball of rock, but things were uneven and some songs were filler. ย Fly on the Wall has its detractors for its muddy sound, and Blow Up Your Video was mostly a snooze. ย For their 1990 comeback, AC/DC got Canadian mega-producer Bruce Fairbairn involved.* ย He had a huge run of hit albums most notably by Bon Jovi and Aerosmith. ย Could he work his magic with AC/DC?
Bruce was one of the biggest names around, but having a hitmaker like him working with AC/DC was bound to affect their sound. ย Not too much of course; this was AC/DC after all. ย But Bruce did offer a cleaner sound, and there is no question it worked. To the tune of five million copies! ย Another change was bringing in ex-The Firm drummer Chris Slade after the departure of Simon Wright, who joined Dio. ย The bald-headed beat keeper became a fan favourite very quickly. ย (Slade is once again the drummer of AC/DC today after replacing Phil Rudd.)
Debut single “Thunderstruck” has deservedly become a classic in the pantheon of AC/DC classics. ย It was immediately obvious that AC/DC toned down the bluesy leanings of Blow Up Your Video in favour of rock and even arguably metal. ย “Thunderstruck” is heavy metal, especially with that fluttery Angus Young lick that dominates the song.
Chris Slade’s hyper-caffeinated drum stylings really impact “Fire Your Guns”, one of the fastest and most fun AC/DC tracks in recorded history. ย Any AC/DC song that involves them yelling “fire!” is guaranteed to thrill. ย Not to be ignored is bassist Cliff Williams who is effortlessly locked in with Slade. ย And sonically this is the best sounding AC/DC stuff since Back in Black. ย Singer Brian Johnson said at the time that Bruce Fairbairn encouraged him to scream more like the old days.
Another huge single was the plucky “Moneytalks”, bringing the groove down to a perfect mid-tempo. ย The main thing is the hook of the chorus. ย Though all songs were written solely by the Brothers Young, you can hear Bruce Fairbairn’s impact. ย It’s tight and focused more than AC/DC had been last time out. ย No doubt Bruce acted as a brutal editor in the studio when necessary, and must have had a role in shaping the songs to their final form. ย Listen to the layers of vocals on the chorus and tell me that’s not Bruce’s doing.
Some of the best AC/DC tracks in history have been deeper album cuts. ย The title track is one such song, an ominous almost-epic. ย “The Razors Edge” refers to a storm front on the horizon, and the song has that kind of foreboding feel. ย Unfortunately this friggin’ incredible construction of guitars and screams is followed by a novelty track. ย A seasonal novelty track. ย “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all day the day. ย I can’t wait til’ Christmas time when I roll you in the hay.” ย This song should have been axed and saved for a compilation or single, where it actually could have had some impact. ย Not that it’s not fun; it is! ย But who wants to listen to jingle bells on track five of an AC/DC album? ย “Rock Your Heart Out” closed the side with the dubious distinction of being the first obvious filler song.
The third single “Are You Ready” was the opening track for side two. ย Good tune, nothing particularly special, but good enough for an AC/DC album. ย “Got You By the Balls” is an amusing title, but not a memorable song. ย It has a menacing bite, but not enough hooks. ย There’s a definite “side two slump” as none of these songs are as good as the first batch on side one. ย “Shot of Love” is OK. ย Things get back on track with “Let’s Make It” which might have made a great single itself. ย It has an old-timey rock and roll feel, and a slow groove. ย That classic rock and roll sound isn’t heard frequently on The Razors Edge. ย “Goodbye and Good Riddance to Bad Luck” isn’t shabby but veers close to that filler territory. ย Finally The Razors Edge comes to a campy end with the unusual “If You Dare”. ย Fortunately it’s a great, hooky little closer.
As it turns out, The Razors Edge was a one-off of sorts. ย It spun off a successful live album, also produced by Bruce Fairbairn, but that was the end of their partnership. ย A 1993 single called “Big Gun” sported a ballsier sound provided by Rick Rubin who went on to do their next album as well. ย The Razors Edge is also the only studio album with Chris Slade. ย Phil Rudd returned, reuniting the classic Back In Black lineup. ย No one will question that Rudd is the best fitting drummer that AC/DC have ever had, but that doesn’t negate Chris Slade’s contribution. ย Slade and Rudd do not sound alike, and therefore AC/DC acquires a different flavour with him in the band. ย His cymbal work is enviable and nobody can play “Thunderstruck” like Chris Slade, period.
3.5/5 stars
*Much to the upset of the Scorpions who had tapped Bruce to do their next album Crazy World. ย That didn’t happen because of the AC/DC job.
EUROPE – Best Ballads (1999 unofficial Russian compilation)
Ah Russian imports! ย Those funky and cheaply printed covers, the lack of liner notes or label information…how quaint. ย It is clear the Tempest Administration had no collusion with anyone in Russia. ย Yet the Russians did hack their database and release Best Ballads anyway, a weird collection of 12 Europe songs and three solo tracks by Joey Tempest. ย This CD originated during the period right before Europe’s triumphant reunion album Start From the Dark, so Best Ballads only contains music from the first five Europe discs.
Because it’s unauthorized and the Russians can do whatever they want, why not have both versions of “Open Your Heart” on one CD? ย The sweeping 1988 version from Out of this World inaugurates the album, a brilliant version often forgotten in favour of the 1984 original. ย What’s the difference? ย John Norum played on the 1984 version from Wings of Tomorrow, and the re-recording has his replacement Kee Marcello. ย The 1988 version also has more modern keyboards added. ย Since both are included, you don’t have to pick a favourite. ย We can all agree it truly is one of Europe’s Best Ballads.
What else is present? ย The “big one” of course, which would be “Carrie”. ย It’s the only track from The Final Countdown, because it was the only hit ballad from that album. ย Other crucial Europe ballads: ย “Dreamer” (Wings of Tomorrow), “Coast to Coast” and “Tomorrow” (both fromย Out of this World). ย All timeless and flawless ballads. ย From their first album (1983’s Europe) are a couple songs I wouldn’t have considered ballads. ย In my review, I stated that “Words of Wisdom” has “an acoustic verse [but] that doesnโt make it a ballad!” ย The other track, “Return of the King”, is “still pretty epic and wouldnโt be considered wimpy by anyone”. ย Do they belong on a CD called Best Ballads? ย Who gives a fuck; it’s just a Russian import!
You’ll even find a couple rarities included. ย “Sweet Love Child” and “I’ll Cry For You (Acoustic version)” are both B-sides from the Prisoners in Paradise (1991) period. ย The title track “Prisoners in Paradise” is also present but again, not really a ballad. ย Either way…all the Europe tunes included are fantastic no matter how you classify them. ย Each one has at least a foot in ballad territory so it all works out.
But what about those Joey Tempest “bonus tracks”? ย Surprisingly good and un-Europe. ย “Under the Influence” flies close to adult contemporary levels. ย “Lord of the Manner” could have been a hit for Rod Stewart, but that’s not a bad thing! ย This is more like soft rock than balladeering. ย “Elsewhere” sounds more like a ballad, enhanced with strings and all the accoutrements. ย All good songs and worth checking out.
Europe’s Best Ballads is not a bad little CD, but being an unofficial release, it’s difficult to reason out a rating out of 5. ย I did the best I could.
There is an informal rule that a band should have at least three albums out before they entertain the idea of a live or “greatest hits” release. ย Aerosmith obviously had lots of albums out in 1994, but on two different labels: ย Columbia, and Geffen. ย Their 1994 best of, not-so-cleverly titled Big Ones, drew from only three Geffen albums. ย Therein lies its weakness, though Aerosmith have often had issues trying to balance their classic and pop hit eras on compilations. ย Big Ones is easily made redundant by later compilations, but how is it for a straight listen?
A long one: ย 73 minutes with lots of hits and perhaps a few too many ballads, although there is no denying their chart power.
Three songs were new to the majority of buyers. ย “Deuces Are Wild” was a fine ballad, one of their best from this era. ย It wasn’t entirely new; it was written for Pump and considered for Get A Grip before being released in 1993 on the Beavis and Butt-head Experience CD. ย The other two were brand new recordings: ย “Walk on Water” and “Blind Man”. ย Fans who dug the heavy Aerosmith on tunes like “Eat the Rich” will enjoy “Walk on Water” as one of their harder rockers. ย OK song, but long forgotten now. ย Unfortunately “Blind Man” is just another ballad, this one similar to “What It Takes” from Pump. ย It’s the better of the two new songs, but sadly another ballad is not what Big Ones needed.
Making this CD even less valuable to buyers, every single track is on the later albumย Young List: The Aerosmith Anthology (2001). ย Even the three new songs!
Otherwise Big Ones plays much like a run-though of Aerosmith’s radio staples that you can hear on the FM dial just about everywhere. ย Each and every big hit from the three massive Geffen albums is here. ย How often do you need to hear “Crazy”, “Cryin'”, “Amazing”, “Janie”, “Rag Doll”, “Angel”, “Dude”, “Elevator” and the rest? ย That is up to you.
JUDAS PRIEST – Hero, Hero (1981 Gull)
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