AEROSMITH – Get Your Wings (1974 Columbia, 1993 Sony remaster)
Only the year after dropping their debut, Aerosmith cranked out another collection of solid bluesy rock tunes, but this time with better production! With Bob Ezrin overseeing the project, Aerosmith made the fateful hookup with Jack Douglas. Although the band had bigger hits under Bruce Fairbairn in the 80’s, Aerosmith made their best albums with Jack Douglas in the 70’s.
Get Your Wings really sounds like the Aerosmith we now know and love. The first album wasn’t all the way there yet. Get Your Wings sounds like my kinda Aerosmith. Surely, the opener “Same Old Song and Dance” is familiar to millions. Horn laden and funky, “Same Old Song and Dance” hits all the Aero-bases.
As a piano player, Steven Tyler usually keeps in simple and rhythmic, and “Lord of the Thighs” is the perfect example of that kind of Tyler piano part. It’s a menacing song, right in the pocket, also boasting some of Joe Perry’s more memorable solos.
One of my favourite songs, and one of the least-known is the sci-fi tale “Spaced”. This is a story about the “last man to survive”. It’s an ambitious tune for Aerosmith, and boasts a number of catchy parts. Another seldom heard track is “Woman of the World” which is also pretty cool. I like the acoustic intro and the smoking Joe Perry licks. “S.O.S. (Too Bad)” is a full-speed-ahead Aerosmith blast of adrenaline, a definite classic. These tracks boast a high level of musical depth and satisfying chops.
Aerosmith covered the legendary Yardbirds song “Train Kept a Rollin'” and managed to make it their own. When it picks up steam at the end, better hold on tight. This song may enduce whiplash. You get to cool down as it fades into the acoustic classic “Seasons of Wither”. As far as I’m concerned, “Seasons of Wither” is almost as brilliant as “Dream On”. It’s that good. It also takes advantage of the fuller production that Jack Douglas brought to the table.*
Although “Seasons of Wither” would have been a fine side closer, a coda is tacked on in the funky “Pandora’s Box”. Double and triple entendres, a rock solid rhythm section, and those soon-to-be-trademark Aerosmith horns n’ piano — what more do you need? While it does feel oddly sequenced, “Pandora’s Box” is every bit as classic as anything else on the album.
Get Your Wings showed significant growth from the band’s debut. Their trajectory had yet to peak…even better things were ahead.
4/5 stars
* I noticed in the photos in the CD booklet, this album was once available in Quad! Oh, to have a quad version of “Seasons of Wither”!
AEROSMITHBOX OF FIRE review series:
Disc 1: Aerosmith (1973)
Disc 2: Get Your Wings (1974)
It’s time for another series here at mikeladano.com! It’s been a while since I’ve tackled something this big, but for the last two weeks I’ve been writing and listening to a band that I hadn’t been spending a lot of time with in recent years. That band isAEROSMITH and it’s time to look at every original classic Aerosmith album on Columbia Records. The scope of the series is really simple: I’m reviewing all 13 discs in 1994’s massive Box of Fire collection — the entire box set from start to finish!
If you’re not into Aerosmith, I apologize, but that’s what I’ve got for the next couple weeks. To use the words of my friendAaron, I just had to give’r.
You ready? As Steven Tyler might say, “Oooh-wha-ga-ga-ga-GOW!” Let’s go!
AEROSMITH – Aerosmith (1973 Columbia, 1993 Sony remaster)
Who woulda thunk that the band of young kids on this shitty album cover would become one of the biggest rock bands in history? Nobody, that’s who!
I love this album. I love its simplicity, its raw sound, basic production and youthful glee. I love the built-in musical maturity that seemed to bloom fully formed. I love the interplay of the whole band, their chemistry already intact. Everything you love about the way that Perry and Whitford make their guitars mesh with bassist Tom Hamilton, and how Hamilton syncs in with Joey Kramer on drums — it’s already here. Meanwhile, Steven Tyler had yet to discover all of his sass, but he was well on his way. All Aerosmith (1973) is missing is great production, something the band would develop with Jack Douglas on the next album Get Your Wings.
It’s easy to draw comparisons between Aerosmith’s and Kiss’ first records. Both records exhibited a more “rock n’ roll” vibe, and tame production values, with a band straining at the leash to really play like they do live. Ultimately it took both bands a few years to capture that.
The two massive hits on Aerosmith are two of their best known and beloved: “Dream On” and “Mama Kin”. Think about that for a second. One album with both “Dream On” and “Mama Kin”! What more do you want?
You’ll also get six other great early Aero-gems. “Walkin’ the Dog”, a Rufus Thomas cover, is one that Aerosmith still drags out in concert occasionally. A decade later Ratt covered Aerosmith’s version, well before Guns N’ Roses made covering Aerosmith the cool thing to do, as they did with “Mama Kin”!
Hidden gem: “Movin’ Out”, based on a couple really cool Joe Perry riffs. There’s also a killer, even more raw alternate version on the Pandora’s Box set. Aerosmith recently dusted this one off again, and it sounded amazing.
I don’t think there is a weak song on the album. There aren’t a lot that are “greatest hits”, but each one is great in its own way. “Write Me”, “Somebody”, “Make It” and “One Way Street” are all catchy little blues rock tunes, nothing to write home about but plenty to shake your ass to.
Incidentally, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, Aerosmith also contains the greatest opening line of any debut album ever: “Good evening people welcome to the show…”
Long story short: Aerosmith is a tasty blend of all the great Aerosmith ingredients that I love. Electric rock and blues form a perfect blend, and Steven Tyler was the perfect singer to front this band. Throw in some of his harmonica, piano and mellotron and you have a potent mix. But keep in mind, greater things came in very short order. Aerosmith, solid as it is, was only a precursor to true greatness.
THE CULT – Sonic Temple (1989 Polygram limited edition hologram cover)
The Cult went into 1989’s Sonic Temple with nothing but promise. New hotshot producer Bob Rock had struck it rich with Kingdom Come the year before. Critics raved about his drum sound and other Zeppish tendencies on that album. The Cult themselves were following up the incendiary Electric album, a stripped back record produced by Rick Rubin. Anticipation ran high. Considering that Robert Plant was quoted as saying that “Led Zeppelin is being continued by The Mission and The Cult”, I think a few people expected Sonic Temple to be the second coming.
Some fans hoping for another Electric or even another Love were disappointed by the mainstream rock direction of Sonic Temple. Mainstream though it may be, Sonic Temple burns with the same middle finger up attitude of old Cult, just with the edges sanded off and sound enhanced by Bob Rock. Rock’s production is similar to that of Dr. Feelgood released the same year.
You couldn’t ask for a better double-whammy than the opening salvo of “Sun King” and “Fire Woman”. Even though The Cult were able to score a major hit with “Fire Woman” it’s still a tough little song based on a killer Billy Duffy guitar hook. Both songs have aged well, as has “American Horse”, a slow Cult stomper. I love the interplay on the verse riff between Duffy and bassist Jamie Stewart. Stewart, a member since the band became The Cult, departed after this tour and moved to Canada. Here he produced a few up and coming bands such as Gut-Sonic. I think Jamie Stewart was the underappreciated Cult member. His grooves (with session drummer Mickey Curry*) are a part of Sonic Temple‘s drive.
The big hit ballad was the dramatic “Edie (Ciao Baby)”. Here they really benefit from Bob Rock’s lush rock production values. Strings and acoustics ring crisp. Add in a howlin’ Ian Astbury chorus and you have one hell of a song.
“Sweet Soul Sister” was the third single (after “Fire Woman” and “Edie”) and another killer Cult song it is. You can really hear Bob Rock’s touch on the layered vocals for better or worse. It’s a touch that I find dated today, but the bare organ intro is magical! Unfortunately it gets dicey after “Sweet Soul Sister”.
I wouldn’t call any of the songs that follow “Sweet Soul Sister” poor or filler. None of them lack hooks or massive Billy Duffy guitars. Yet compared to the first side of the album, everything from “Soul Asylum” onwards fails to ignite like that. There are certainly lots of memorable moments, such as the breakneck “New York City” featuring an Iggy Pop cameo. It’s a good song, and so is “Soldier Blue” and the rest of the tunes…just not as good as side one. (By the way, if any song on Sonic Temple recalls Led Zeppelin, it the massive “Soul Asylum”, which is basically The Cult’s “Kashmir”.)
My copy of Sonic Temple is a limited edition with mirrored hologram cover. I bought it from this guy Todd, who worked at the HMV store at the mall. A buddy of mine had a crush on his sister, or something, and that’s how I knew him. He treated me right when I shopped at his store, and I returned the favour when he sold his stuff to us. That’s how I got this, and also how I got the Sonic Temple Collection 3 CD set complete with mail-away box.
I still like Sonic Temple today, but I only love side one.
3.75/5 stars
*Eric Singer played on the demos, released as part of the Rare Cult Demos box set. Ex-Tori Amos drummer Matt Sorum appeared in the music videos and played on the tour, where he fatefully met Guns N’ Roses, and the rest was history.
Let’s pretend that you’re involved with Ozzy Osbourne’s management or record label. When it comes time to release that first “definitive” box set, I’m sure you’d have your own ideas for making it the best box that Ozzy could release. Ozzy Osbourne in 2005 had eight mostly great studio albums, numerous live records, and more rarities than you could shake a stick at. They certainly had a lot of music to choose from. I greeted the eventual release of Prince of Darkness with great excitement at these rarities…but tremendous disappointment at the overall listening experience.
A 4-CD box set is a lot of listening and in order to keep it riveting from end to end, you have to pick the right tracks and sequence them for maximum firepower. Somebody at Sony’s box set department didn’t get my memos on that, obviously, because Prince of Darkness is one of the most annoying box sets to listen to in its entirety. They decided to do two discs “anthology” style, with live and rare tracks mixed in. The third disc is a questionable collection of Ozzy collaborations. The final CD is the worst of all: covers that Ozzy recorded and later released on their own album, Under Cover! A CD that was released only months after Prince of Darkness itself — with additional bonus tracks to milk it further, forcing the completist to buy it again!
I have so many complaints about this set that I felt it best to list them all off in point form.
1. Never, ever start your box set off with a live track. Even if that live track is “I Don’t Know” from Randy Rhoads Tribute.
2. Because this set was released in 2005, you are hearing the re-recorded bass and drums on all the songs from Blizzard and Diary…not the classic original versions.
3. Same with the tunes from Bark at the Moon. These are the remixed versions found on the 2002 reissue of that album. There are only two songs from that album anyway. “Bark” itself is an unreleased live version.
4. Two CDs is not enough space to represent Ozzy’s album output in a box set, especially when you include the studio albums, live albums and rare tracks too. The early Randy Rhoads material makes up the bulk of disc one, leaving the Jake E. Lee years under represented. There are no songs from The Ultimate Sin at all, only the three live tracks originally for the Ultimate Live Ozzy EP.
5. There are a few baffling exclusions, such as “Miracle Man” (first single with Zakk) and “I Just Want You”, in favour of also-rans such as “Spiders”.
6. The collaborations disc is a total mess. “Purple Haze” is just a Hendrix cover from the No Rest For the Wicked era, by Ozzy’s band. It’s not a collaboration, just a cover they did for the Make A Difference Foundation CD called Stairway To Heaven/Highway To Hell. It’s a real challenge to listen to this whole CD in one sitting. One moment you’re rocking out to a killer version of “N.I.B.” with Primus, the next you’re barfing through a piece of crap with Tony Iommi and Wu-Tang Clan. From Was Not Was to Miss Piggy, at least the CD is diverse, and it does collect a lot of Ozzy’s singing from albums I don’t have. I already had the Miss Piggy track but not the cover of “Stayin’ Alive” by Dweezil Zappa! Nor did I have “I Ain’t No Nice Guy” by Motörhead, from the mediocre March ör Die. This disc is too jokey and not at all consistent.
7. Even though the third disc collects a variety of tracks from a number of CDs, I am certain that Ozzy fans who buy this kind of box set already had some of them. Including “Psycho Man” by Black Sabbath (not even a single remix version) from the Reunion CD (2008) is odd. Many Ozzy and Sabbath collectors already have the Nativity in Black CDs, where the Primus and Therapy? tracks come from.
8. “Nowhere to Run (Vapor Trail)” by DMX, Ozzy Osbourne, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, The Crystal Method and Fuzzbubble is edited! This track was from the South Park album and still features Isaac Hayes’ introduction, as “Chef”. For reasons I cannot explain at all, the swearing and “n” words are blanked, and there were a lot of them. It’s also missing ODB’s rant at the end, which itself was edited off later versions of the South Park CD. (I have an earlier version with the rant intact.)
9. The packaging leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. Inside the box which is just book-style, you will find a nice big booklet that just sits loose inside. There is no way to secure it in, so it’ll fall out any time you pick it up!
10. Speaking of that booklet, the liner notes suck. Ozzy has a brief note about each song, but not necessarily any useful information. For example, regarding that South Park track, all we’re told is that Ozzy bit the head off Kenny. Nothing about how that random assortment of artists was assembled. The book is padded out with lyrics and shoddy credits that aren’t very accurate. “Bark at the Moon” live for example was recorded in 1982-1983 according to the notes. Come on, guys! Not good enough for a box set.
11. The entire fouth CD sucks. You can read my review of the expanded Under Cover version of it here. (Long story short: 1/5 stars.) The only difference is that the box set includes Kelly Osbourne’s duet with daddy, on “Changes”. This song was only included on the Japanese version of Under Cover but not the regular domestic.
Fortunately, Prince of Darkness is not a total bust. Some of the unreleased tracks are real treasures, such as the demo of “S.I.N.” called “Won’t Be Coming Home”. I prefer this to the album version from No More Tears by a long shot, as I do the twangier “I Don’t Want to Change the World”. I also love the demo for the emotional ballad “See You On the Other Side”, which features previously unheard saxophone accompaniment. I appreciated that they included the live version of “Perry Mason” from the Ozzfest 1 CD, which enabled me to sell off that pretty crappy album.
It’s easy to bitch and complain (don’t I know it?) but if I were to make a 4 CD Ozzy box from the same period, I would have done it very differently. The covers CD would be axed completely and the rarities set aside to a disc all their own. The first two “anthology” discs would be strictly studio versions, and original studio versions at that, with only a sprinkle of tracks from Randy Rhoads Tribute. I would try to squeeze in more rare tracks from B-sides and EPs, and I would definitely try to mix them in with the collaborations so that you’re not left listening to so many of those novelty tunes in a row.
Buyer beware — Prince of Darkness is not the feast you were hoping for. This is a poorly executed package. When you have an artist like Ozzy Osbourne, you really gotta screw up bad to put out a set that is this hard to listen to. Prince of Darkness is going back on the shelf, for a good long while.
This album was huuuuge in 1989. In Canada, summer time is Mitchell time. Cottages, brewskies, BBQ and Mitchell. That’s what it was all about! Shakin’ Like a Human Being was also a huge success for Kim, but he expressed a desire to use less keyboards and programming. Kim recorded in the US this time, and for budget reasons, did not bring along lyricist Pye Dubois with him. Pye had been in the studio with Kim for every album prior, and this caused a rift between the two that took years to heal. This was the last time they collaborated until 1994’s Itch.
The pseudo-title track, “Rocklandwonderland” refers to the “concert bowl” at Canada’s Wonderland. “Listen to the music, listen to the voices, listen to my guitar,” sings Kim, although the song is a little light on guitar. “Rocklandwonderland” was a big hit for Kim, and although it’s not a heavy rock, his guitar playing on it is stellar. Perhaps he shouldn’t have followed a slow rock tune with a ballad, although “Lost Lovers Found” is a hell of a ballad, with just a hint of twang. Some felt that Rockland was too soft compared to Kim’s progressive rock past, but a Kim ballad has more integrity than most. Kim’s backup singer extraordinaire, Peter Fredette, is present here and he also serves to class up any song by several notches.
Other ballads on the record include “Tangle of Love”, which is quirky and experimental but not great. “O Mercy Louise”, which has a rocking chorus, is a fine song with cool lyrics. The “big one” however was the single “Expedition Sailor”. This introspective acoustic song is sparse and effective. Kim’s buddy Rik Emmett from Triumph drops by to play an excellent solo on classical guitar. “Expedition Sailor” is top drawer stuff. (The music video received a remix, which you can get on Kim’s Greatest Hits album.)
The “big” song on the album, still getting airplay today, is the anthem “Rock N’ Roll Duty”. The tougher direction of the song is exemplified by a “live” style music video in a seedy bar. As a fan I really wanted Kim to come out with a tough rocking tune, with a killer chorus, and he did.
“I’m just doing my rock n’ roll duty,
Creating a buzz buzz buzz,
Some say I’m in it for the money,
Man, I’m in it for love love love!”
The phrase “I’m just doing my rock n’ roll duty,” is now commonly heard among music fans in Canada. The song just hits the spot, and the riff is now synonymous for summer in my mind.
Other highlights on Rockland include the joyful “The Crossroads” which opens side two. The guitar-heavy “This Dream” is another favourite. I could always identify with the lyrics. It’s just a stellar song, an also-ran that could have been a fourth single. The record is rounded out by “Moodstreet” and “The Great Escape”, two decent but unremarkable tunes.
MVP: Drummer Lou Molino, a near legend in these parts. Curiously, when you Google images of Lou Molino, you will also get hits for Lou Ferigno.
Overall I was pleased with the direction of Rockland, going a bit more raw and rocking. Unfortunately with the exception of a few tracks like “Rock N’ Roll Duty”, it feels very tame. Except for quirky moments within guitar solos, it doesn’t possess enough of Kim’s humour and idiosyncrasies. It feels as if it’s on a leash, but it’s also not straining to get off it. It feels like Rockland hits the mark in many respects, but plays it too safe.
KISS – Unholy Kisses(Audience recorded bootleg, 1992 Flashback)
“You know who we are, let’s kick some ass!”
That’s how Paul Stanley introduced the legendary Kiss on their stripped-down 1992 club tour, April 23 1992 in San Francisco. The Revenge album was a “reboot” of sorts, out of necessity. New drummer, new attitude, and a return to the producer (Bob Ezrin) who helped make them huge. A return to the clubs without the lights, stage show, and costumes helped Kiss transition into the 90’s. If this one bootleg CD is any indication, then the club tour was a huge success.
Eschewing their normal opening routine, the band entered to the sound of “Love Gun”, but heavier than ever. Many fans consider the Simmons/Stanley/Kulick/Singer lineup to be among their best, and this live bootleg proves why. In fantastic voice, Paul leads this devastating lineup to demolish the clubs in their wake. Full of adrenaline, “Love Gun” is faster than its studio counterpart, and Bruce Kulick creates his own individual guitar solo that fits the track.
Gene’s next on “Deuce”, the new lineup infusing it with menace. The CD, though obviously a bootleg, sounds great. Even though the drums are a bit distant you can hear that Eric Singer has come into the band paying homage to the drum parts he inherited. Then Paul takes a moment to tell the audience that they’ve been so fired up about the way Kiss have been sounding, that they just got to come down to San Fransisco and play. A rough opening to “Heaven’s On Fire” is a mere hiccup after they get going on the hit single. For the first time you can clearly hear new guy Eric Singer singing background vocals.
“You ready to hear something old? One of those Kiss klassics? Bruce – let ’em have a taste.” Then the shocked audience picked up their jaws as Kiss slammed through “Parasite” for the first time since 1976. Returning to songs like this was critical for a band who spent the 80’s largely ignoring the deep cuts.
One thing I love about bootleg CDs is the chance to overhear some audience chatter. “Shout it Out Loud” however is marred by one nearby fan who keeps singing “You got to have a party,” even when that’s not the current part of the song! Minor beef, as “Shout it Out Loud” rocks and is another song that was tragically ignored during most of the 80’s.
“How many of you people have Kiss Alive? Gene must know this one. Gene’s got Kiss Alive. Goes like this!” There begins “Strutter” (also from the first Kiss album) and the crowd goes nuts. “Dr. Love” follows, with Eric Singer showing off some fancy footwork on the double bass drums.
Fans who were shocked by these old tunes must really have lost their minds when “I Was Made For Loving You”, heavy as hell, tore through the club. “I Was Made For Loving You” was re-imagined as a chugging metal track and in the club environment, it’s only more raw and aggressive. Then Paul lets another bomb drop when he introduces “100,000 years” from the first album. “Oh my God! I don’t fucking believe it! I do not fucking believe it!” says one nearby fan, obviously excited by this rarity. It’s incredible how well Bruce and Eric adapted to the sound of old raunchy Kiss.
But what of new Kiss? The band weren’t ready to start unveiling all the new songs, as Revenge hadn’t even come out yet. They did roll out two: the first single “Unholy”, and album cut “Take it Off”.
“We got a new album about to come out,” begins Paul. “And I’ll tell you something, this album is the shit. I’ll tell you, this album is our fuckin’ Revenge and when you hear the album you’ll know what I’m talking about.” Indeed, as promised the new songs kick ass, though “Unholy” is kind of awkward in the live setting. “Take it Off” is more like Kiss.
It’s all oldies from here. Aside from the new Revenge songs, the most recent track that Kiss played here was “Heaven’s On Fire” from 1984! (Note: this CD is not the full concert and 1985’s “Tears are Falling” was also played that night.) I think it’s safe to say that Paul and Gene understand some of the errors in direction they made over the last 10 years, and successfully steered the ship back on track. “Firehouse” and “Cold Gin” from the first album are present. “I Stole Your Love”, “Detroit Rock City”, and “I Want You” close the CD. “I Stole Your Love” with the backing vocals of Eric Singer is top-notch!
The songs played that night that aren’t on this CD are “God of Thunder”, “Lick It Up”, “Got Gave Rock and Roll to You II” (its live debut), “Rock and Roll all Nite” and the aforementioned “Tears Are Falling”. Too bad this is only a single CD bootleg, but bootlegs were so expensive that a double would have cost at least $60-80. If it was a double, I never would have bought it and heard what I have of this awesome show!
RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale #391.5: Mail from Cataraqui
I got mail!
The only thing sweeter than the arrival of an Amazon order, or that of imported Transformers toys from China, is surprise mail from a fellow music lover. This time that music lover is Geoff over at the 1001 Albums in 10 Years blog. Geoff sent me a cryptic email a few weeks ago about some things he found that I might be interested in having for my collection:
“Mike, I picked up a couple practically-free musical treasures at our local Value Village this week. I’m not sure if they’ll actually play, but when I saw them I thought they’d be neat assets in the LeBrain collection!”
What a guy! I love surprises!
There are a few major audio formats that have no representation in my music collection. If I can’t play it, as a collector I generally don’t seek it out. As a music geek however, I love odd formats and releases. There are certain bands that I would collect just about anything from, and the big one is Kiss. Geoff knew this. Now I can add 8-track to the formats I own of Kiss Alive! This is definitely getting a place of honour in LeBrain’s displays of treasure. Probably right next to that weird Def Leppard Pyromania cassette that Aaron found for me at Sonic Boom.
Also in the package, and presumed worthless by Geoff, are two 45’s. According to Geoff’s accompanying letter, the records “you would be able to play, but are too damaged to do so!”
Fooey. My USB turntable only cost $50. Let’s give it a shot.
Both singles are records I didn’t have before. Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” / “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll” has a different B-side from the 12″ single that I do have. The 7″ has the studio version of “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll” instead of the live. And it played fine! It was dusty but cleaned up fine. Score!
The Kiss single, for “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” / “Hard Times”, was not as fortunate. It is massively warped. I measured the warp at 1/4 inch at its largest point. But get this…it played! It didn’t sound the greatest, but it played!
In his letter, Geoff says “Thought they still work as collectibles or conversation starting coasters.” Well, Twisted Sister and Kiss Alive! are officially entering the LeBrain Library. As for “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”? Though it plays, I don’t think I will play it again. I think this might make an excellent wall decoration, however!
Thanks Geoff! I’ll find something funky and cool to send in return.
DEEP PURPLE – Who Do We Think We Are (1973, 2000 EMI)
Five solid years of work had taken their toll on Deep Purple. Relations between the band members (particularly Gillan and Blackmore) were frayed, especially since all the touring behind Machine Head and Made in Japan. There was all sorts of bad blood, including management disputes and illness (hepatitis for Ian Gillan).
The band settled in Rome with the Rolling (truck) Stones mobile studio, but found that the vehicle could not enter the premises, as the stone arch in the drive was not tall enough for the truck! Several weeks of work in Rome resulted in only one usable track, “Woman From Tokyo” which was released as a single. [See below for a cool 1998 CD reissue of “Woman From Tokyo” (2:56 edit)/”Super Trouper”!] Another song, the excellent “Painted Horse”, was rejected because Blackmore didn’t like it. It wasn’t even released as a B-side.
A few months later the band re-convened in Frankfurt Germany to finish the new record. Perhaps due to sheer fatigue, they settled into a simpler, bluesy sound without the experimentation that marked albums like In Rock and Fireball. The only really progressive moment on the album was a breakneck synthesizer solo on “Rat Bat Blue”.
The resultant album, Who Do We Think We Are, is generally considered the weakest of the original MkII studio quadrilogy. That still makes it better than many bands’ best albums. That aside, it is obvious by listening to it that Deep Purple were not putting as much in, and getting less out.
“Woman From Tokyo” is still a great Deep Purple track, very similar to the direction of Machine Head: straightforward, and slamming. It has a mellow, dreamy bridge before it assails you once more with its inimitable guitar riff.
It’s too bad that a song like “Mary Long” hasn’t been a perennial concert favourite. This scathing attack on two British social campaigners teases the prudish! “When did you lose your virginity, Mary Long? When will you lose your stupidity, Mary Long?” Glover’s bass groove carries the song, a real driving tune. Absolutely monstrous in the car.
“Super Trouper”, less than three minutes long, feels incomplete. It feels like it needed a chorus, although it is still heavy and a Purple sledge. Closing Side One, “Smooth Dancer” is Ian Gillan’s underhanded attack upon Richie Blackmore. Black suede was his favourite clothing:
Black suede, don’t mean you’re good for me Black suede, just brings your mystery I want to be inside of you But you’re black and I don’t know what to do
You’re a smooth dancer But it’s alright, ‘cos I’m a freelancer And you can never break me though you try To make me think you’re magical
Even though Ian’s not fond of Richie at this point, it’s important to hear the line “I want to be inside of you, but you’re black and I don’t know what to do.” Ian would have loved to be able to connect with Richie, but was simply unable to get inside the man in black. Glover too has stated that Ian was frustrated by his inability to connect personally with Richie.
“Rat Bat Blue” (named for Ian Paice’s drum pattern that is the foundation of the song) is a great unsung classic. Funky and hard-hitting, “Rat Bat Blue” could have been a classic had it been released by a band that still wanted to be a band. “Rat Bat Blue” is my favourite on the album! (Note: the first time I bought the original CD at my own store, I ran into a manufacturing flaw – a moment of silence near the end where Ian sings, “Aaaaalright.” The CD with the defect just has “Aaaaaa” and then a second of silence! My boss would not let me exchange it.)
The final two songs (on a seven song record!) are both a bit slow. “Place in Line” has some swinging jamming blues to it, and “Our Lady” has gospel flavors and an incredible organ solo. Neither would be remembered as Deep Purple classics, although “Our Lady” is very special. Notice there’s no guitar solo, either. Jon does all the serious work.
The remastered edition has some cool bonus tracks. There are several 1999 remixes, with Roger Glover assisting at the mixing console. Like prior Deep Purple remixes, you can hear additional guitar and other bits that weren’t there before. They are great companion pieces to the album tracks, particularly the smouldering “Rat Bat Blue”. There are also two snippets from the writing sessions: an unheard bridge from “Woman From Tokyo” and a bit of a deleted intro from “Rat Bat Blue”. An eleven-minute instrumental “first day jam” is interesting because it has no guitar. Roger Glover was late to the session, so that’s Blackmore on bass!
Finally, the rare outtake “Painted Horse” is restored to CD. You could get it previously on the posthumous Power House compilation CD, but once placed on the album, it’s clearly one of the best tunes. Why it was disliked is beyond me. Maybe it’s Ian’s falsetto vocal or harmonica. I think they just serve to make the song more unique. This remastered version sounds loads fuller than the one of Power House. I also love Ian’s lyrics. “Why did the carpenter die?”
For the geeks, I’m sure you will enjoy the fully loaded CD booklet, with another essay by Glover, remembering times good and bad.
I like Who Do We Think We Are enough for a solid rating, but I’m not sure it that accurately reflects how Deep Purple fans at large felt about it. If Machine Head, Fireball and In Rock are all 5/5 stars, then Who Do We Think We Are can be justified at:
TRAPEZE – You Are the Music…We’re Just the Band (1972 Threshold)
Trapeze in ’72 was:
Glenn Hughes (future Deep Purple) – bass & vocals
Mel Galley (future Whitesnake) – guitar
Dave Holland (future Judas Priest) – drums
Due to the fame that this trio found fame separately elsewhere, Trapeze will be on interest to fans of classic British 70’s rock. Trapeze are a funky soul rock band — picture some of the funkier moments that Deep Purple were into when Tommy Bolin was in the band, and you are in the general ballpark. The very first track “Keepin’ Time” easily could have been on Purple’s Come Taste the Band. Not only is a high quality funk-rock song, but Mel Galley has some serious chops going on!
Personal highlights on this CD for me are the ferocious funk of “Way Back To The Bone”, the soul of “What Is a Woman’s Role”, and the solid rock of “Feelin’ So Much Better Now”. I also need to single out the track “Loser” as a great little lost funk rock gem. One thing is clear to anyone upon first listen: These guys could PLAY. Particularly with Holland and Galley, what they did later really was only the tip of the iceberg that is Trapeze. Hughes is in fabulous voice, at the very peak of his vocal powers, and this is essential listening for fans of the man that the Japanese call “The God of Voice”.
3.5/5 stars. A pleasantly perfect example of great 70’s soul/funk/rock!
AEROSMITH – Get Your Wings (1974 Columbia, 1993 Sony remaster)
Disc 1: Aerosmith (1973)
“Rat Bat Blue” (named for Ian Paice’s drum pattern that is the foundation of the song) is a great unsung classic. Funky and hard-hitting, “Rat Bat Blue” could have been a classic had it been released by a band that still wanted to be a band. “Rat Bat Blue” is my favourite on the album! (Note: the first time I bought the original CD at my own store, I ran into a manufacturing flaw – a moment of silence near the end where Ian sings, “Aaaaalright.” The CD with the defect just has “Aaaaaa” and then a second of silence! My boss would not let me exchange it.)
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