classic rock

REVIEW: Journey – Live in Houston: Escape Tour 1981 (CD/DVD set)

Christmas gift review!  This one came from my sister and husband Melvin.

JOURNEY – Live in Houston: Escape Tour 1981 (2006 Columbia CD/DVD set)

Released in 2006, the Live in Houston CD/DVD set by Journey chronicles the band at their peak.  This is a vintage MTV concert finally released for sale. Opening with the brand new title track from the brand new album Escape was a good idea.  Its fast paced pyrotechnics fire up the crowd appropriately.  Steve Perry is resplendent in his tuxedo jacket, jeans, and animal-print T-shirt.  Now this is a fucking concert.  If the guy couldn’t sing like the angels, then he couldn’t get away with that shit, but it’s Steve Fucking Perry.  At his peak.  A great frontman with the classic voice.  His vocal acrobatics rival the furious fretwork of his bandmate Neal Schon.  Personally, I think Bon Jovi owes a lot to Steve Perry’s schtick.

Not letting up, the opening salvo is concluded with “Line of Fire” before it’s time for the ballads.  It’s a great little rock boogie that gives the band a chance to play hard.  Perry then informs the band that they are recording a live MTV special (as if you couldn’t tell by Schon’s MTV T-shirt).  If that can’t get a crowd screaming for “Lights”, nothing will.  This kind of song isn’t my thing really, but it is always a pleasure listening to Steve sing.  Live, he’s that much more entrancing.  Superhuman, really.  “Lights” merges with the ballad “Stay Awhile”, which I think is the better song.  Listen to that fucker sing!  Then it’s time for a new ballad, “Open Arms”.  This is where I step out to pee.

IMG_20141228_141216

Neal Schon’s favourite new song from Escape was “Mother, Father”, a dramatic heavy ballad.  Perry kicks this song in the ass, but it’s the anthemic chorus that you can’t forget.  And people — Steve Perry hits every single one of the high notes at the end.  Every. Single. One.

New kid Jon Cain takes a moment for a piano solo, while Steve Perry no doubt drinks something cold and soothing!  I like that Jon tucked his sleeveless animal print shirt into his jeans.  Gotta look presentable, of course.  New ballad “Who’s Cryin’ Now” is greeted by high pitched screams, indicating the crowd really know this one.  Perry has lost the tux jacket, revealing that he is not a T-shirt tucker.  Schon’s solo is epic, in how it builds from one simple melody into something completely different and blazingly fast.

The crowd goes nuts for the rocker “Where Were You”, on which drummer Steve Smith absolutely blows the doors off.  I love watching him play with classic grip.  He’s the next member to get a solo, and I can’t help but notice he has tucked his T-shirt into his jeans.  Interesting.  I didn’t expect that from the drummer.  The solo is a scorcher, leading directly into the new rocker “Dead Or Alive”.  Steve Perry looks a lot more awkward dancing to this one, but his voice leaves no doubt.  Nobody else could sing the song the way Perry did.  Nobody.

IMG_20141228_133448

Steve announces from the stage that Escape just went #1 in the US a mere three weeks before.  The crowd then goes insane for the opening keys of “Don’t Stop Believin'”.  As on the album, I love Steve Smith’s cymbal work; it’s just overpowered by the live sound of the band.  You can tell that the sound wasn’t tampered with, as Neal hits a bum note in the solo and it was left in.  The lush backing vocals seem to be provided live by Schon, Valory and Cain.  Then it’s time for “Stone In Love”, another newbie.  This hard rock classic features Jonathan Cain abandoning the keyboards and joining the frontline on guitar.  This allows Schon the ability to throw in more solos and licks; meanwhile when piano is needed, Steve Perry jumps behind the keys!  Then it’s time for “Keep On Runnin'”, again with Cain up front on guitar.  It’s another solid rock song, although a bit of a throw-away compared to the rest of Escape.  Schon then gets his chance to solo, as a lead in to “Wheel in the Sky”.  It’s a note-perfect live version, and full of energy.

For encores, it’s the annoying “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'” and “Anyway You Want It”.  The only good thing about “Lovin’, Touchin'” is the guitar solo with some tasty slide for added flavor.  “Anyway You Want It” is ragged.  It’s a hard song to sing to begin with, but Perry is running around so much that it’s bound to fall apart at times.   It’s a magnificent finish.

The CD version has a bonus track: “The Party’s Over (Hopelessly in Love)”.  I don’t know why it’s not on the DVD version.  I think it’s one of Journey’s best also-rans.  Maybe the film had deteriorated too much to use for that one song?  Who knows.  Anyway (you want it), you can get it on CD.

It’s also worth pointing out that three songs (“Don’t Stop Believin'”, “Open Arms”, and “Who’s Cryin’ Now”) were all re-released on the remastered Escape CD.  So if you’re browsing at the store thinking, “Hey, look, it’s Escape with bonus tracks, I need that,”…no you don’t.  Just get this.  Always better to have the full concert!

IMG_20141228_130508

The bonus interviews are pretty neat.  Members discuss how they found their way into Journey via manager Herbie Herbert.  Neal Schon is almost hilariously young looking.  Perry sports the shadow of a moustache, appearing as if he would have had trouble growing a full one.  Bassist Ross Valory speaks of the band’s earlier preference for instrumental music, supplanted by a switch to vocal songs.  The interviews are broken up topically and are made up from a variety of sources. In the section about touring, Steve Perry reveals that after being driven around everywhere in a limo, when he gets home from the road he feels like he’s forgotten how to drive!  It’s worth it, though: all their best songs were written on the road.

The DVD also includes a photo slide show that nobody will watch.  It’s only a minute or two long.  Some of these pics, I’ve seen before.  Neal Schon does make great “guitar faces”, possibly the best ever.  The original TV ad for the Escape album is hilarious in its 80’s cheesiness.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: AC/DC – Rock or Bust (2014)

NEW RELEASE

IMG_20141227_171303AC/DC – Rock or Bust (2014 Columbia)

We all know the story, now.  Malcolm Young, felled by dementia, and his brother Angus carrying on without him (and possibly without drummer Phil Rudd).  AC/DC don’t want to dwell on the negative, and neither do I.  Angus assembled 11 new songs from parts that he and Mal had worked on together before he was too sick to continue.  Nephew Stevie Young, who filled in for Uncle Mal in 1988, stepped up again to do so, this time in a permanent capacity.  But you wouldn’t know any of that by hearing Rock or Bust.

Sharp as ever, “Rock or Bust”, the current single boasts one of those menacing AC/DC riffs paired with that slow groove they do so well.  “In rock we trust, it’s rock or bust”.  Nothing has changed!  There is little difference between Rock or Bust and the AC/DC back catalogue since 1980 in general.  New batch of riffs, songs, and melodies.  That’s about it!  “Play Ball” has that familiar “AC/DC single” vibe.  Not too heavy, not too fast, but just right for radio.  Brian Johnson’s voice has changed very little since the 1990’s.  He doesn’t screech like it’s 1981 (duh), but he gets the job done fine.  Johnson reported that he found it hard to continue on without Malcolm but his performance is full of the joi de vivre that you need in an AC/DC song.

IMG_20141227_171334“Rock the Blues Away” has future single written all over it.  This old-timey AC/DC riff is one of those classic rock and roll licks that they used to do with Bon Scott on albums like Dirty Deeds.  True to its title, the song does indeed rock the blues away and I can’t wait to give it a test run in the car.  This is a summer time song, not a December song!  However I should point out that it’s more or less the same song as “Anything Goes” from Black Ice.  A left turn on “Miss Adventure” yields some funky AC/DC grooves not unlike what they were doing in the mid 1980’s.  It’s unfortunately the first dud on the album for me.  “Dogs of War” redeems it, with a “Razor’s Edge” dark vibe.  The only real noticeable difference from past AC/DC albums is a slicker production on the backing vocals.

Do you need some rock & roll thunder?  AC/DC got it.  “Got Some Rock & Roll Thunder” has one of those jangly AC/DC riffs, backing a catchy chorus.  This sounds a bit like material from Stiff Upper Lip, which is a good thing to me.  “Hard Times” also sounds similar to that era.  They’re good enough songs to serve as AC/DC album tracks.  Then there’s “Baptism of Fire”, back to those fast AC/DC beats that you need every once in a while.

ROCK OR BUST_0001A track that I think should be played live is “Rock the House”.  This has classic written all over it.  Taking on a “Whole Lotta Love” groove, it’s hard to resist the urge to bang your head.  Go ahead, try.

“Sweet Candy” is an ode to strippers, of course.  What did you expect?  Look forward to another singalong slow AC/DC groove.  I have a feeling a few strippers are going to add this song to their repertoire next year.  Then, ending the album on a funky note is “Emission Control”.   There are also nods and winks to the Mutt Lange era of AC/DC with the thick backing vocals.  The song throws me for a loop a bit; I’m not sure if I like it or not.

I found Brendan O’Brien’s production to be a bit thuddy and less bright than Black Ice.  It still gets the job done, as does Rock or Bust.

3.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Kim Mitchell – “Alana Loves Me (New 2014 version)” single

NEW RELEASE

ALANAKIM MITCHELL – “Alana Loves Me (New 2014 version)” (iTunes-only single)

Kim’s last studio album, 2007’s Ain’t Life Amazing, failed to blow me away.  Since then he’s been very busy, changing to a career in radio at Toronto’s Q107.  While I miss the days of being able to look forward to new Kim music every other summer, he’s been very popular and successful at Q, so good for him!

A few weeks ago, Kim announced that he’d re-recorded his old hit “Alana Loves Me” from Shakin’ Like A Human Being, a 28 year old song.  The original is sounding pretty dated with all those 80’s synths and keyboards, so I approached this with an open mind.  Plunking down my hard-earned $1.29, I bought “Alana Loves Me 2014” on iTunes.

Even though I had not expected too much, I am crushed with disappointment!  All the charm of the original has been sucked dry with a boring acoustic arrangement.  This snooze-inducing rendition only comes to life towards the end, when it goes into a more interesting laid-back instrumental band arrangement.  The piano player (Ray Coburn?) is excellent and has a long solo.  Then, finally, Kim himself picks up an electric guitar and does what he does best.  He proves he’s still the most underrated guitarist that this country has to offer.  His solo is awesome, warm and melodic, but tricky too.

So: first half of the track sucks, and the second instrumental half isn’t bad.  How do I rate it?

2/5 stars

REVIEW: Ozzy Osbourne – Best of Ozz (1989 Japanese exlusive)

Second of an Ozzy double shot! For the other review, Randy Rhoads Tribute, click here.  

OZZY OSBOURNE – Best of Ozz (1989 CBS Japan exclusive)

Japanese releases are such interesting things.  Sometimes they are chock full of bonus tracks and additional goodies, and sometimes they are not.  This CD is one that is not.

Even though this album came out after No Rest for the Wicked (1988),  this Best Of Ozz includes no songs from that album or with guitarist Zakk Wylde.  The songs are drawn from the first four Ozzy studio albums only, and the CD contains only 10 tracks.  You have to shrug your shoulders at some of the song selections.  “Secret Loser” and “Centre of Eternity” are on this, but not “Suicide Solution” or “I Don’t Know”.

Those two aside, however, this ain’t a bad but brief run through the land of Ozz.  “Crazy Train”: check.  “Bark at the Moon”: check.  “Mr. Crowley”: check.  “Shot in the Dark”: check.  They get some bonus points for deeper cuts such as “Diary of a Madman”, “Over the Mountain” and “Goodbye to Romance”.   I’m also glad “The Ulimate Sin” was included, as that song has sort of been erased from Ozzy’s canon since then, in a manner of speaking.  He doesn’t like reissuing any songs from that album.

Interestingly, each track alternates guitar players: Randy, Jake, Randy, Jake, through the whole BEST OF OZZ_0005album.  The result is an uneven listen.  I don’t know why they did that.

The tracks are most likely the original CD masters.  There are no liner notes indicating they had been remastered and I think it would be highly unlikely.  Since there is nothing exclusive to be had on Best of Ozz, and since it is limited to just 10 tracks and lacks Zakk Wylde, this CD is nothing more than a collectible to me.  I don’t remember what I paid for it, but I bought it from T-Rev’s store.  I probably paid about $16.99 or so.  The CD itself is scratched a little bit, but not bad enough to skip or play defectively.  Most appealing to me, the original obi strip was intact, and there’s a lyric sheet with Japanese writing and amusing sketches.  Bizarrely, some of these sketches are of Zakk Wylde, even though he’s not on the album.

I’ve listened to Best of Ozz exactly twice: when I purchased it, and when I reviewed it.

2/5 stars

REVIEW: Ozzy Osbourne – Randy Rhoads Tribute (1987, 2002 remaster)

Originally, I got this for my birthday in 1987.  This is the first of a two-day OZZY DOUBLE SHOT!

RANDY RHOADS TRIBUTE_0001OZZY OSBOURNE – Randy Rhoads Tribute (1987, 2002 Sony remastered edition)

It took years for Ozzy to be emotionally ready to release this live album, recorded for intentional release in 1982.  When Randy died, it was quickly shelved and replaced by Speak of the Devil, an album consisting entirely of live Black Sabbath covers.  When Tribute was released in ’87, it was my first real exposure to the talent of Randy Rhoads.  I think Tribute still stands as the very best testament to Randy.

Finally restored to CD was the concert opening featuring a recording of “O Fortuna” from Orff’s Carmina Burana. This essential part of the concert was edited off the 1995 remastered edition, a CD which I advise everyone to stay away from. If you have it, get rid of it and replace it with this one.

“I Don’t Know” is a dynamite opener.  Ozzy’s vocal sounds heavily processed and thickened up in the mix.  Whatever tampering is done with it, I don’t know (pun intended).  What I do know is that Randy Rhoads’ live guitar is so much more than it was in the studio.  Unleashed, Randy makes every lick that much more different from the last, unafraid to throw every trick in his very large book out for you to hear.  His live sound seemed thicker, but it’s his playing that steals the show, as it should. It’s looser live, Randy pulling off wild sounds midstream at all times. He was obviously someone who had clear ideas about what he wanted to play along with the ability to execute them.

The single/video from this live album was “Crazy Train”, featuring Ozzy’s new 1987 hair cut.  The album version is longer but no less definitive.  Not only is Randy’s playing at its peak, but I like drummer Tommy Aldridge’s busier fills.  In my mind, the live version of “Crazy Train” kills the original.

“Believer” is a bit of a slow point in the show.  That’s Rudy Sarzo, Randy’s old Quiet Riot bandmate, on that bass intro.  Future Deep Purple keyboardist Don Airey is also present, providing the haunting opening to the classic “Mr. Crowley”.  What an astounding version, too.  Once again, I’d call this one pretty close to definitive.  Lifting the clouds away, the set goes to the party anthem “Flying High Again”.  Revealing my naivete at the time, I had no idea what Ozzy was talking about when he said, “It’s a  number entitled ‘Flying High’ so keep on smokin’ them joints!”  I truly did not know what a joint was, or what “flying high” referred to.  I assumed the song was about feeling good, and I suppose that it is.  My friends and I didn’t know, and I think that’s the great thing about rock lyrics.

RANDY RHOADS TRIBUTE_0004When I was really young, I didn’t like ballads or slow songs that much, but Ozzy was one of the exceptions.  “Revelation (Mother Earth)” might be somber but it is also powerful, and with Randy Rhoads on guitar, you can never get to be too soft!  Going back to Black Sabbath, Ozzy was always an anti-war crusader.  “Mother Earth” seems to be a continuation of that theme.  I always found it funny that during the 80’s, Ozzy was always being accused of devil worship by people who had no clue.  Meanwhile, Ozzy’s singing about nuclear disarmament.

Two long-bombers in a row follow: complete with drum solo, it’s “Steal Away (The Night)” followed by an extended “Suicide Solution” with Randy’s solo.  The “Steal Away” drum solo is still classic to me, but it’s “Suicide Solution” that no serious rock fan should be without.

The setlist detours to Sabbath covers next: a trio of “Iron Man”, “Children of the Grave”, and “Paranoid”.  The two Ozzy guitarists who handle Sabbath best are Zakk and Randy.  Randy doesn’t play by the rules at all.  He throws in licks and tricks that were not on the Sabbath originals in any way, but somehow it all works.  Randy was just untouchable in that way.  Everything he played was classy and perfect.

RANDY RHOADS TRIBUTE_0003Two older recordings conclude the live portion of this album:  “Goodbye to Romance” and “No Bone Movies”, recorded earlier with Bob Daisley on bass and Lee Kerslake on drums.  I don’t see that in the credits anywhere, nor do I remember seeing it on the original CD’s credits.  “SHARON!”  I will say that “Goodbye to Romance” blows the original away in my books.

The album closes with an alternate studio version of the acoustic Randy piece “Dee”, named for his mother Delores Rhoads.  This version includes outtakes of mistakes and Randy speaking, and it’s a haunting way to end the album.  Especially when Randy says, “Let’s hear that,” takes off his guitar and headphones, and goes into the control room, ending the track.  It feels interrupted, like Randy’s life.

In the liner notes, Ozzy himself states that “What you are about to hear are the only live recordings of Randy and I,” but that was clearly incorrect, since there was already the Mr. Crowley EP, and later on, a whole other live album included with the deluxe Diary of a Madman.  The booklet also includes an insightful letter from Mrs. Rhoads to the fans.  Rest in peace, Randy.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Jethro Tull – “Ring Out Solstice Bells” (2004 Christmas single)

This review goes out to Jonathan who asked me about a year ago for more Jethro Tull reviews! Here you go buddy, and Merry Christmas!

IAN ANDERSON & JETHRO TULL – “Ring Out Solstice Bells” (2004 R and M)

Although Ian Anderson had played seasonal music many times before, The Jethro Tull Christmas Album in 2003 was the band’s first full-blown Christmas disc. The following year, Anderson released an independent single from it called “Ring Out Solstice Bells”, with proceeds set to help a wild cat benefit that he supports. The track “Ring Out Solstice Bells” is an Anderson original, jaunty and gleeful. Jethro Tull’s signature enchanted acoustic sound is well suited to seasonal music, and the vibe is captured on a great original song that doesn’t annoy like other seasonal tunes often do.
RING OUT SOLSTICE BELLS_0002

The traditional “God Rest Ye Gentlemen” is a live version from 2004. It’s worth noting that even though Tull’s Christmas Album was reissued and expanded to include a live CD called Christmas at St. Bride’s 2008, these B-sides are from 2004.  They are still exclusive only to this single. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was arranged by Ian to be a jazzy and playful upbeat jam, virtually impossible to hate.  It even goes menacingly electric before the ending.  Then, from Aqualung is the brief “Slipstream”, also live from 2004.  It is backed by lush keys.

The packaging for “Ring Out Solstice Bells” is pretty basic, just a single panel digipack.  I do like the little touch of the inside cover doubling as a Christmas card.  If you so wish, you could give this CD to a friend for Christmas, by inscribing their name under “To”, and your own where it says “From Ian  Anderson, Jethro Tull and.”  Of course no collector would do such a thing.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Guns N’ Roses – New York, New York (Live at the Ritz 1988)

NEW RELEASE

GUNS N’ ROSES – New York, New York (Live at the Ritz 1988 – FM Radio Broadcast, Gossip)

SAM_1729‘Twas Scott who alerted me to the release of this classic Guns N’ Roses concert on CD.  A few tracks from the gig are missing, most notably “Shadow of Your Love”, but most of what I remember seeing on MuchMusic back in the 80’s is intact.  Although I do not recall seeing “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” on the TV version, I used to love this concert.  I watched it over and over.  I had seen it over half a dozen times before I even bought Appetite for Destruction.  I dubbed an audio version to cassette, before my buddy T-Rev recorded the entire show for me later on.  I used to know these versions better than the originals.  It’s a pleasure to finally have them on CD.

Remember the sound of the guitars being picked up in the darkness before Duff’s opening bassline to “It’s So Easy”?  I don’t think I’d seen a band on TV before who seemed so…dangerous.  The sound of Duff singing the backing vocals are another element I distinctly remember.  Axl could get pretty mobile on stage, and his vocals often fell apart mid-sentence, while Duff held it all together.  He was Guns’ secret weapon, Duff McKagan.   Up next in the spotlight is Slash with those chugging, scraping guitars on “Mr. Brownstone”.    Axl then delivers his first classic monologue of the evening:

“I don’t know what by chance the television audience will see…what anyone will see…but what we’ll see tonight…is that we wanna dedicate this song to the people who try to hold you back!  The people that tell you how to live!  People that tell you how to dress!  People that tell you how to talk!  People that tell you what you can say and what you can’t say.  I personally don’t need that!  Those are the kind of people that been getting me down.  They make me feel like somebody…somebody out there….is ‘Out Ta Get Me’!”

Funny story about this song.  I had a highschool buddy named Anand who was the first kid I knew in our class to get Appetite.  Anand had strict parents.  One day he was down in the basement studying, rocking out to Appetite.  His little brother strolled in during his homework, and kept coming around to bug him.  He hung around long enough to learn the words to some songs, and returned upstairs to his parents singing, “They’re out to get me! I’m fucking innocent!”  Anand got grounded.

Needless to say the chorus to this amazing song was beeped when I first saw it on TV.  I loved it anyway.  That Izzy Stradlin riff kicks it classic-style, while Duff once again holds down the backing vocals.  Slash is shambolic, losing control several times but always pulling it back together, cig in mouth the whole time.  I love this one big sour chord he hits at 2:25 into the song.  If I remember he almost fell at that moment in the show; the audience were pulling at his guitar, but all you can hear is this big awful chord. Then it happens again at 3:00!  And again at 3:10!  The whole solo is a fucking disaster, and that must have been fun for the people in the front row.  Guns N’ Roses were so in the face of the crowd that there was constant physical contact.  That’s a fucking concert.

“Sweet Child” comes early in the set, and obviously it’s not nearly as sweet as the album version, and Axl’s hoarse.   Still, Axl hoarse in 1988 is something very different from 2014, and it sounds great to these ears.  “My Michelle” is credited on the back cover as written by Rose and “Stardlin”, making obvious that this is not an official release.  I hope Izzy Stardlin gets paid his due royalties.  The band get more and more reckless/loose/inebriated as the concert goes on.  Again it’s McKagan who seems to be holding it together and cheerleading from behind.

A very intense version of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” follows which I am less familiar with because it didn’t make the TV version I had seen.  Axl dedicates this to a friend named Todd who had “danced a little bit too hard with Mr. Brownstone”.  Needless to say, it’s very cool hearing this song played by the classic five piece lineup.  With Steven Adler on drums, it’s more to the point.  The arrangement is slightly different than what you know from the Use Your Illusion I album, but it still has the slow singalong  part that later evolved into the “reggae” section that they were known to play live later on.  Axl was a charismatic frontman and this was his moment to show off his power over an audience.

His next introduction was another memorable one:

 “About five or six years ago I hitchhiked here, and ended up stuck out…in the middle of this place.  Climbed up out of the freeway, and this little old black man comes up to me and my friend with our backpacks and about ten bucks between us…and he goes, ‘You know where you are?!  You in the jungle, baby!  You’re gonna die!’  That’s a true story, that ain’t no lie.  So ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, rats!”

This was the only tune of theirs that I knew really well back in early ’88.  It is played tight, possibly the only song of the night that is.  There’s magic in hearing this lineup play this song, their song.  And speaking of them, I always enjoy Axl’s band introductions:  Mr. Duff “Rose” McKagan on bass guitar.  Mr. Steven “Popcorn” Adler on the drums.  Mr. Izzy Stradlin on the white guitar.  Axl says he and Izzy have been together for 13 years.   He saves the most recognizable member for last:

“And last, but definitely not least…in a world that he did not create, but he will go through it as if it was his own making…half man, half beast…I’m not sure what it is, but whatever it is, it’s weird and it’s pissed off and it calls itself Slash.”


Slash then introduces a song about “a walk in the park”, called “Nightrain”.  Of the songs they played that night I thought “Nightrain” was a little less than great.  It always seems to be the one I wait to finish.  Then, Slash opens “Paradise City” with a little surf rock guitar before the classic opening lick.  This is the song where things got a little out of control for W. Axl Rose.  Doing his trademark slinky snake dance, he got a little too close to the crowd and was pulled in.  The band kept on playing and Slash took an extended solo, but you can see Axl trying to climb out. Security finally pulled him up, and then you can see Axl getting his bearings and checking himself over.  His shirt and several pieces of jewelry were ripped off, but as soon as Axl sees that he is OK, he resumes snake dancing and finishes the song!  Slash’s solo during Axl’s “down time” remains a show highlight, as does Axl’s quick recovery!

For encores you get Aerosmith’s “Mama Kin” (dedicated to Steven Tyler) and “Rocket Queen”.  The former is fast and tight, and the latter is epic and ominous.  It is a natural closer, especially with Slash’s extended soloing.  Axl delivers the closing in full-on ragged scream mode, as it should be.

I’m very glad to have this time capsule of a concert in my CD collection.  Highly recommended.

4/5 stars

LIVE AT THE RITZ_0002

REVIEW: Alice Cooper – Trash (1989)

I sure hope I don’t get “trashed” for this review!  Incidentally, this is the first CD I ever bought, in December of 1989.  I still have it.

COOPER TRASH_0001ALICE COOPER – Trash (1989 Epic)

After the strictly heavy metal n’ horror sounds of the previous two albums, Constrictor and Raise Your Fist And Yell, Alice decided it was time to get back to more diverse hard rock sounds. This time, he immersed himself in everything that was cool in the late 80’s, and created a “theme album” about sex. Cooper albums usually have themes — Alice Cooper in school (School’s Out), Alice Cooper in hell (Goes To Hell), or Alice Cooper insane (From The Inside). Sex was a new theme for this character.

Alice teamed up with Desmond Child, champion of many Bon Jovi and Aerosmith discs, as well as Mr. Jovi and Mr. Tyler themselves, among others. The result is unfortunately what I consider to be a weak disc, dated to the times, and with only a few strong songs that have held up over the years. It is certainly a creative low, though it did sell oodles of copies and was a sort of “comeback” album for Alice.

The first track and first single, “Poison”, is by far the best song. It is strong because it is based on the riff, and though it is commercial it is not blatantly so. It has a unique vibe to it, something authentic that other bands couldn’t touch. Sadly it’s mostly downhill from there. “Spark In The Dark” is unremarkable (though it does boast a killer riff), and so is the second single “House of Fire”. “House of Fire” at least has a catchy chorus, but it is simply too cookie-cutter. You could exchange it with virtually any single from any band’s albums in 1989.  Just look at the writing credits: Desmond Child, Joan Jett, and Alice.  Who was this song written for?

“It’s Only Heart Talking”, which was not written by Alice, is a decent ballad made more special with Steven Tyler’s duet. Otherwise, it is forgettable and inferior to later Alice ballads such as “Might As Well Be On Mars” and “Stolen Prayer”. Smash hit, though, so there’s that.

The lyrics to “Trash”, a duet with JBJ himself, are so bad it’s not even funny. “If my love was a lollypop, would you lick it?” Did Jon Bon just say that? “I’m Your Gun” is hardly better.  I just can’t bear to listen to those songs.  If you’re in the mood for some absolute dreck, check out “This Maniacs’ In Love With You”.

COOPER TRASH_0002One of the more interesting songs that didn’t make the album was “The Ballad Of Alice Cooper”, written by Jon Bon Jovi. There is a poor quality demo of Bon Jovi doing it in his best Alice voice out there. I think it might have been better than most of the tracks on the CD. The Japanese version, however, does have great live versions of “Cold Ethyl” and “Dwight Fry” recorded during this era.  (They can be found on the Alice Cooper Extended Versions CD today.)

This album like its sequel Hey Stoopid was loaded chock full of cameos.  Just scanning the credits, besides Bon Jovi and Steven Tyler, I see: Kip Winger, Hugh McDonald, Joe Perry, Richie Sambora, Steve Lukather, Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton.  I think these cameos are very little more than hype.

Cooper’s albums tend to go in similar pairs (Nightmare/Goes To Hell, Constrictor/Raise Your Fist, Brutal Planet/Dragontown). Trash is no exception. Although Cooper realized that Trash was too soft and weak, Hey Stoopid is essentially a brother record to this one. I find it to be much much stronger by comparison.

I would tell casual fans instead of picking up this CD, to pick up something like Cooper’s Classicks. You’ll get the major tracks from this as well as some rare live ones.

2/5 stars

COOPER TRASH_0003

REVIEW: Van Halen – Best Of Volume I (1996)

I will be live on the Craig Fee Show on 107.5 Dave FM this afternoon 12/01/14, around 5:20 pm Ontario time, to discuss one of the tracks included on this album. Listen live by clicking right here to stream!

EDIT – Show went great!  Thanks for listening!

This review is a companion piece to my previous “Van Halen (Not Van Hagar!)” series of reviews:
Part 1: The Early Years (Zero – 1977) VH_0003
Part 2: On Fire (Van Halen – 1978)
Part 3: Somebody Get Me A Doctor (Van Halen II – 1979)
Part 4: Everybody Wants Some!! (Women and Children First – 1980)
Part 5: Push Comes to Shove (Fair Warning – 1981)
Part 6: Intruder (Diver Down – 1982)
Part 7: House of Pain (1984 – 1984)
Coda: Can’t Get This Stuff No More & Me Wise Magic (1996 singles)

VH BEST OF V1_0001VAN HALEN – Best Of Volume I (1996 Warner)

Van Halen’s first “greatest hits” compilation was historic in its fallout.  The band had talked for years about putting out a “best of” set, with one disc of Dave and one disc of Sammy.  That never happened but the concept continued to be discussed in the Van Halen camp, with Sammy Hagar adamantly against it.  When Hagar’s friend and Van Halen’s manager Ed Lefler passed away, he was replaced by Canadian Ray Danniels, who was also handling Rush, Extreme, and King’s X. Hagar and Danniels never quite saw eye to eye and when push came to shove, Hagar refused to participate in the recording of new music for the compilation.  The Van Halen camp considered this to be highly hypocritical of Sammy, since he had done just that for his own solo “greatest hits” CD, Unboxed (1994).  All of this led to a tense telephone standoff with Eddie Van Halen himself, the revelation that Ed had already started working on new songs with former singer David Lee Roth, and Hagar quitting the band.  (On top of all that, and unbeknownst to Hagar or Roth, was that was Van Halen were also eyeballing Gary Cherone, who Ray Danniels brought in from one of his other bands, Extreme. They had even recorded some test tracks with Mitch Malloy who ultimately turned the gig down.)

When Best Of Volume I was finally released in fall of 1996, there was so much confusion in the air that many fans really had no idea who was in Van Halen or what the hell was going on.   At the Record Store, I had one guy come in and return this on the day of release, October 22, 1996.

“Yeah, I want to return this CD,” he said.  “I already have these songs.”

What?!  You couldn’t tell that from the title Best Of Volume I?

That’s indicative of the confusion in fandom.  This guy had assumed, like many people, that Van Halen had a brand new album of songs out with David Lee Roth singing.

VH BEST OF V1_0004Another common urban myth was that there was such a thing as Best Of Volume II.  People would constantly ask if we had it, when it was coming out, and sometimes even insist they had seen it before in stores.  When asked when Best Of Volume II was coming out again and again, I started answering “18 years”, because that’s how long it took for them to come out with Volume I.

T-Rev wrote up a quickie review for our store newsletter.  He praised the remastering job, but bemoaned that only one song was included from Van Halen II, and that there wasn’t enough Dave in general.  I would agree.  At the very least, a song like “Can’t Stop Loving You” should have been ditched for something else like “Everybody Wants Some!!”  However, to put this into context, in 1996 that was one of Van Halen’s most recent hit singles, just over a year old.   The rest of the album takes tracks from each studio record (sans Diver Down which Eddie doesn’t speak too highly of). The most notable omissions were “Hot For Teacher” (only available on the Japanese release of Best Of) and “Love Walks In” (which I can do without). Presumably there would have been more tracks on a Volume II, which never materialized.  (18 years my arse!)

To me, the hits part of this disc is just preamble. The reason fans went out and bought this CD was the return of David Lee Roth on the two new singles. Nobody cared about the hits they already had.  Indeed, as implied by T-Rev’s review, most of us didn’t really agree with most of the hits selected.

They stuck “Can’t Get This Stuff No More” and “Me Wise Magic”, the first new songs by the original Van Halen in over a decade, at the tail end of the CD.  As fans, we were elated to hear new music that clearly hearkened back to the pre-synth, pre-1984 sound of Van Halen. Dave’s voice was lower and less powerful, but no less expressive.  His delivery is pure gleeful Dave, even on these darker songs. His lyrics (which according to Roth, Eddie didn’t like) are as Diamond Dave as ever.  As far as guitar goes, Eddie’s letting it, basing both songs purely on riffage. This was a pretty cool about-face from the too-commercial sounds of Balance.

Neither song was really single-worthy, but they would have made solid album cuts, had this incarnation of Van Halen continued to make an album.  Of course, that didn’t happen.  Best Of Volume I is, thus far, the only place you can buy them.  And that means if you love original Van Halen, you need to buy this album.

For Van Hagar fans, there was the excellent newbie “Humans Being”, with its angry modern verses and bright shiny chorus.  I’ve always liked the song, because of the chorus and Eddie’s guitar.  The verses, not so much, but as a song it holds together as something different for Van Halen.  In some ways it pointed the way forward to Van Halen 3.  This is the only ‘Halen album where you can get “Humans Being”, saving you from having to buy the terrible Twister soundtrack.

(Missing is a track called “Respect The Wind” billed by Eddie & Alex Van Halen from the same soundtrack.  It’s not really that good, and it’s not billed as Van Halen the band, so seek as per your own needs.  Presumably, “Respect the Wind” was from the batch of music that they were working on while Sammy refused to record.  See KeepsMeAlive for a review of the Twister soundtrack CD.)

VH BEST OF V1_0003

Roth mentioned in his autobiography Crazy From the Heat that he hated the cover art and booklet for this.  It looked devoid and sucked dry of all life.  I would agree.  A music video was planned but nixed.  The concept was the trio of Michael Anthony and Eddie & Alex Van Halen playing on a stage, with a big screen behind them of Dave singing.  Insulted, Roth refused to do it.

Of interest, if you’re lucky enough to own a first pressing of this CD, you might have a mini-rarity.  There was a version with an error on it.  You may own a very rare alternate mix of “Runnin’ With the Devil”, released by mistake, where the verses, chorus and solos were arranged in a different order than that of the originally released album version. Take a listen and see if you’re one of the few.  That version was quickly discontinued and corrected.*

3.5/5 stars. Despite the brevity, this album doesn’t overstay the party.


*My friend at 107.5 Dave FM, Craig Fee, had this to add about the “error” mix of “Runnin’ With the Devil”:

You just solved a huge mystery for me. Something that has been bugging me for YEARS.

When I first moved here, I was listening to Dave FM one day. I heard this fucked up version of “Runnin’ With The Devil” with the “whoooooo whooooooo” part at the end edited out. I mentioned it, but Darryl didn’t do anything about it. 5 years later, we are still playing this version. It sounded like a bad edit made by an overzealous producer who was trying to do something to the song.

Until this post, I had no idea why somebody would butcher the song like that. Now I know why. The majority of the big ‘hits’ were dubbed from that CD.

I have the version I bought the day it was released. I listened to it twice. I have no idea if it’s the edited version.

Craig advised me to load both versions (Best Of and Van Halen I) into Audacity and sync them.  I did and I could see right away visually that they did not match up.  I hit “play” and everything was synced until around 1:15.  Then, as Craig puts it, “all hell breaks loose” and the two versions completely deviate.    So apparently I do have both.

RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL WAVEFORM COMPARISON

 

The only modification I made to the tracks was to reduce the version from Van Halen in volume by 7%, so they were roughly the same.

More VH:

VAN HALEN – 3 (Collectors’ tin 1998)
VAN HALEN – 5150 (1986 Warner Bros.)
VAN HALEN – A Different Kind of Truth (2012)
VAN HALEN – Balance (1995 Warner – Japanese version included)
VAN HALEN – “Best of Both Worlds” (1986 Warner 7″ single)
VAN HALEN – The Best of Both Worlds (2005 Warner)
VAN HALEN – “Can’t Stop Loving You” (Parts 1 & 2, inc. collector’s tin)
VAN HALEN – “Right Now”(1992 cassette single, Warner)
BRIAN MAY & FRIENDS – Star Fleet Project (w/ Edward Van Halen)

#339: Tyler and LeBrain episode two – Monster Truck & More

1a a a a a a a a a a a a monster furiosity live

RECORD STORE TALES Mk II: Getting More Tale
#339: Tyler and LeBrain episode two – Monster Truck & More

Missed the last episode of Tyler and LeBrain? Click here for episode one: Nickelback, and get up to speed.

Today’s subect:  Continuing our Nickelback discussion, Tyler and I turn to a controversial comparison: Do Nickelback and Monster Truck sound the same?  Listen to what we have to say, and leave your thoughts in the comments.  Enjoy.

*NOTE: I got the name of the Fu Manchu song and album wrong.  It’s “Saturn III” from The Action Is Go.