THIN LIZZY – UK Tour 75 (2008 Major League Productions)
This album was recorded 21 November 1975, in Derby, England. Why it was recorded, for what purpose, and how it came to be released in 2008 are a mystery to me. But this good sounding live album has liner notes provided by drummer and original member Brian Downey, so that makes it seem official-ish enough for me!
In 1975, Thin Lizzy (consisting also of Phil Lynott, Brian Robertson, and Scott Gorham) had yet to release Jailbreak. This live album serves as an interesting reminder of a time when Thin Lizzy had yet to break out with some serious success. They were on the verge and you can hear the confident, competent band ready to take on all comers.
Thin Lizzy sails from classic to classic, effortlessly, and these songs are indeed classics. “The Rocker” sounds as great as ever, a song that will never get old. (I remember seeing a four-piece called The Meligrove Band cover this one in Kitchener, Ontario in the early 2000’s.) Lizzy were turning the corner from their earlier folksy beginnings and had galvanized themselves into a solid hard rock band.
“Fighting My Way Back” has always been one of my favourite Lizzy songs, and they open with this energetic number. “It’s Only Money” grooves like it never did on the Nightlife album. Downey plays a thundering tribal solo during a ferocious “Sha La La”. “Derby Blues”, also released on the recent Jailbreak deluxe edition, is an early take of “Cowboy Song”.
My favourite track is “Little Darling”. According to Brian, they dropped this song from the set forever shortly after this recording. It was an early non-album single from the Eric Bell era, accompanied by horns in its studio guise. Live, it’s explosive. (You can get the studio version on the Vagabonds of the Western World deluxe now.)
The packaging is decent. It comes in a sleeve-style case with a nice booklet inside. I don’t feel ripped off by the packaging the way I have with other semi-official official live albums in the past.
DEEP PURPLE – Rapture of the Deep (2 CD special edition, 2006 Eagle Rock)
Deep Purple, that hard rock institution that formed back in ’68, has been at it nearly non-stop with critically acclaimed albums and tours since reforming back in ’84. Lineup changes ensued, but by and large the band has retained its integrity even if only one member of the original ’68 lineup remains (drummer Ian Paice). However, this lineup of Purple is still 3/5 of the classic “Mark II” lineup that recorded Machine Head and Perfect Strangers, and is chock full of rock royalty.
Vocalist Ian Gillan is intact, his voice no longer screaming, but still unique and recognizable as a one-of-a-kind. His partner in crime, bassist Roger Glover is here, joining drummer Paice to complete the legendary rhythm section. On guitar is Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs), first joining Purple in ’95 and this being his fourth studio album. “New kid” in the band is keyboardist Don Airey, celebrating his second Purple album here, but no stranger to these guys from his work with Rainbow, Whitesnake, Ozzy and many more.
Airey’s first album with Purple, 2003’s Bananas, was a reboot of sorts. Gone was original member (and legend on the Hammond) the late Jon Lord, for the first time ever in Purple’s history. Also new on board was producer Michael Bradford, who was very much a collaborator. Bananas was a great album, but perhaps a little too commercial for Purple in the long run? Rapture Of The Deep is an attempt to steer Purple back to the sounds of ’71 while still retaining the modern edge that they gained with Bradford. It is raw and uncompromising, not slick at all, definitely and defiantly Deep Purple.
Purple and Bradford have produced here an album that is not an easy first listen, but a very rewarding 6th or 7th listen. If you give it a chance it will become a favourite. Keep in mind, these guys are musicians of the 60’s and 70’s. Back when people still had attention spans, you were supposed to listen to an album 6 or 7 times, usually in one night!
“Money Talks” kicks off the album with the growl of a Hammond B3, that’s how you know this truly is Deep Purple. Morse’s guitar, very different from Ritchie Blackmore’s, leaves a lot of space between the chords. It’s a different kind of riffing, staggered and jagged, fast and genius. Gillan’s lyrics are, as always, witty and full of humour. Only Gillan can chuckle in the middle of a lyric and make it sound like it’s suppose to be there, and he does.
“Girls Like That”, the second song, is more melodic and commercial A little bit more “Bananas”, and exactly what the album needed after the vicious “Money Talks”. Track 3, “Wrong Man”, has one of the most powerful Morse riffs on the album, and it sounds great live (more on that later). Fantastic song, great chorus.
The centerpiece of the album is the title track, “Rapture Of The Deep”. The guitar part sounds like a Morse trademark, slightly Arabic, rhythmically odd; just an entrancing song and worthy of the Deep Purple canon. As if this wasn’t enough, the next song “Clearly Quite Absurb” is simply one of the best ballads Purple have ever done. This is thanks to another trademark Morse guitar melody, and some wonderful singing by Gillan. The lyrics are emotive and optimistic. It sounds a lot like material from the wonderful Purpendicular CD, and keep in mind this is a band that doesn’t do a lot of ballads. There’s only this one ballad on Rapture Of The Deep.
Other standout tracks on the album includes “MTV”, a wry look at the life of a band of the “classic rock” format. Gillan and Glover must be used to certain interviewers getting their names wrong, and only knowing one song, judging by the lyrics:
“Mr. Grover n’ Mr. Gillian, you must have made a million, the night Frank Zappa caught on fire.”
“Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” is one of the heaviest tracks, Gillan attempting a scream here and there, sounding like the furious side of Deep Purple is alive n’ well. “Junkyard Blues” is anchored by a solid Glover bassline, simple but metronomic, and then that takes us into the final track, the atmospheric “Before Time Began”. At 6:30, “Before Time Began” is not for people with ADD!
A great album, demanding of your attention. Worthy of your attention. Deep Purple have always had some kind of standards when it comes to studio albums. Even their weakest have some sort of integrity to them. Rapture of the Deep is not an immediate album, nor will it unseat Machine Head as the fan favourite. But it does serve to remind the world that Deep Purple are still a great band, within the confines that age brings with it. Deep Purple are in fact one of the best bands of this age, because they just refuse to sell out.
The bonus disc here is a treasure, and I am so glad I re-bought this album (third time now) to get these songs!
The “new version” of “Clearly Quite Absurd” sounds like a re-recording to me, with more orchestration. I’m not sure why this was done, the two songs have a similar feel even though they are instrumentally quite different. Both versions are equally great in my opinion. Yet even with a great song like this, Purple can’t get their new material on the radio! What a crime! “Things I Never Said” is a great song, a bonus track, with another busy Morse riff. This is originally from the Japanese release of the CD. Next up, finally released in its studio version (but recorded during the Bananas sessions) is “The Well-Dressed Guitar”. You may remember this instrumental workout from Deep Purple tours and live albums circa 2002 (check out the Live at the Royal Albert Hall CD). Then, five live tracks, the first ever official live tracks with Airey on keyboards! Two are from this new album (“Rapture” and “Wrong Man”), and there are three classics including — yes — “Smoke On The Water”. These tracks prove that no matter who is in the band these days, they still sound like Deep Purple. The other two live tracks are “Highway Star” and “Perfect Strangers”.
4/5 stars. Now What?!
I also have a single disc 2005 tin version from Edel Records. This one boasts an enhanced CD with studio footage and an EPK (electronic press kit video) which I’ve never watched.
WHITESNAKE – Snakebite (1978, released as both album and EP)
You gotta give David Coverdale some kind of credit for name-dropping two of his old Deep Purple Stormbringer classics right there in the first song on this album/EP, “Come On”.
“I’m just a SOLDIER OF FORTUNE, Must be the GYPSY in me…”
Maybe David just wanted to remind people who he was, that this was not just some “new” band. Either way, it’s a very solid outing, considerably more enjoyable than David’s first two albums as a solo artist.
Snakebite was originally a 4 song EP, under the name Whitesnake. Over here in Canada, I knew it as a full album . North America stuck on four of the better tunes from David’s solo album, Northwinds, and released it as an LP.
The EP, or side one of the album, was helmed by Purple producer Martin Birch. He ensured a solid sound, and Coverdale & Whitesnake provided four solid tunes.
The aforementioned “Come On” sounds like a smoove Paul Rodgers prowl, and features three players who would stay through most of Whitesnake’s history: Neil Murray (bass), Bernie Marsden (guitar) and Mickey Moody (guitar). Track two, “Bloody Mary” is driven by a boogie piano, one of the best songs on the album. My personal favourite of the album, anyway. It’s just impossible not to move to this one. David’s as naughty as ever in the lyrics:
“You know that Madam Palm and her five sweet daughters” Couldn’t give her man what the doctor ordered”
Then Coverdale gets bluesy. “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City”, previously a hit for Bobby “Blue” Bland, ended up becoming Whitesnake’s live centerpiece. On the original EP, it is the last track, its position swapped with “Steal Away”. “Steal Away” is a another highlight. Moody’s slide guitar is just pure awesome sauce. The only thing I dislike is some really cheesy sounding electronic toms.
Side two of the LP had the earlier Northwinds material, produced by ex-Purple bassist Roger Glover. Although Mickey Moody plays on these songs, he’s the only future Whitesnake member present. The tunes are decent enough. “Keep On Giving Me Love” was funky, like the kind of stuff Glenn Hughes was always trying to push on Deep Purple. It’s not really outstanding until you get to the chorus. “Only My Soul” however is a stand out. Coverdale has often done these incredible soul-searching pieces, such as Purple’s “Soldier Of Fortune”, and Whitesnake’s later “Sailing Ships”. This time out we’re treated to some very appropriate violin, and Glover on synth. The side is rounded out by “Queen of Hearts” and “Breakdown”, the raucious rocker written about the final demise of Deep Purple.
Although David Coverdale seemed to still be searching for direction after leaving Purple, the Snakebite album (or EP, whatever you happen to own) is an enjoyable listen from front to back. Some material really showed what David was capable of, and he certainly would deliver in full in the future. Whitesnake diehards should not do without Snakebite, as it provides an interesting set of snapshots as to what Coverdale was up to, between his bouts of fame and glory.
There are numerous options today to get this music. Not only is the Snakebite album still in print on CD in North America, but you can now also find the tunes remastered. The Snakebite EP has been added as bonus tracks to Whitesnake’s debut album, Trouble. You can also get David’s solo album, Northwinds, remastered with bonus tracks. Or you could just get ’em on original vinyl! The choice is yours, but I think any Whitesnake fan would enjoy this Snakebite.
Just in time for their Viva! Hysteria & More tenure in Vegas, comes another re-recorded “forgery” (Joe’s words). This one is really good. It takes a bit to figure out which version it is, in fact. Musically, you can barely hear any differences, although the production sounds slightly less shimmery and saturated. A few guitar parts (probably Vivian) sound mildly different. Vocally, you can slightly tell it’s not the same version, but what’s incredible is how much Joe Elliott 2013 sounds like Joe Elliott 1987. I read that Joe spent a lot of time getting his voice into that shape again.
“Hysteria” has long been one of my favourite Def Leppard songs, probably since I first heard it. I think it’s an incredible song, one of the best from this commercial phase of Def Leppard’s career. Time stands still when I hear it. An original version is always going to mean more to the real fan. That’s just the way it is, that’s psychology. These forgeries were designed so Leppard could sell their music on iTunes on their own terms (ie; make more money than the label was offering them). It’s business — I have no problem with it. For $1.29, I have an alternate version of this track. I didn’t have to, I wasn’t tricked into it, and the song is clearly labelled as a 2013 re-recording.
Necessary for those who “have to own it all”, or those who want a quick easy cheap way of getting a studio version of the song online (like, say people downloading it for a wedding). This will be of little value to anyone else.
I remember one night at the cottage, I had my ghetto blaster with me, and my sister and I were listening to Kiss Alive II. Cassette, of course. This would have been summer of 1986. Track #3 was “Ladies Room”, sung by Gene Simmons:
I’ll meet meet you in the ladies room I’ll meet you greet you in the ladies room For my money You can’t be too soon
My dad did that thing that dads sometimes do. He stood there with a strained look on his face, trying to figure out the words. Struggling to hear what Gene was singing, my days said:
“A ‘beach creature in the ladies room‘? Is that what that man is singing?”
This classic underappreciated masterpiece of rock goodness has finally been expanded with bonus tracks. Underappreciated? Sure, while everyone knows at least two songs from this album, how many friends of yours actually own a copy?
Jailbreak‘s been given some cool bonus tracks. An entire disc’s worth in fact! The remastering sounds good enough to me. Until I got this deluxe, I hadn’t played Jailbreak in a while, and I had completely forgotten about great album cuts like “Running Back”. It’s a sweet little love ditty as only Phil can do it, romantic but classy all the way.
I think the second track, “Angel From the Coast”, is one of Lizzy’s greatest album cuts. It rides on top a rhythmic, rolling guitar riff, but it’s also one of Phil’s more memorable compositions. “Romeo and the Lonely Girl” is another one of Phil’s romantic classic rockers. The lyrics are kinda cheesey: “Whoah-oh, poor Romeo, sittin’ all on his own-e-o”. But it works, because it’s Phil, and everything he did sounded sincere and cool.
“Warriors” brings the metal. It’s a classic heavy rocker that I am sure people like Steve Harris studied meticulously to learn the mysterious art of songwriting. Multiple sections collide, thundering drums roll, and solos rage.
“Fight Or Fall” is a great ballad, acoustic and soulful. This is the kind of thing that Phil had done so well on albums like Nightlife. “Emerald” is another Phil historical epic. Once again, I feel that Steve Harris probably studied this song intensely. This really anticipates where Iron Maiden were going to go later on.
One of the true classics on Jailbreak was “Cowboy Song”, a song that melded live with Lizzy’s cover of Bob Seger’s “Rosalie”. In my mind, the two songs are one in the same now. They go together like peanut butter and jam. And that, friends, is a tasty sandwich.
I don’t really need to talk “Jailbreak” and “The Boys Are Back In Town”, do I?
Alright, I will. “Boys Are Back” is one I discovered initially through Bon Jovi. They covered it back in 1989 on a charity CD that I’ll cover another time. It was perfect for them. Didn’t Jon always sing about the boys being back in town back then? It had a tasty guitar harmony part for Richie Sambora to sink his teeth into, and it was melodic and radio-worthy. In a way, this is Lizzy’s Bon Jovi song, but it is no less classic for it.
And “Jailbreak”? Everything about it is perfect. The riff, the melody, but it really came alive in a live setting. As good as the album version is, it was live that “Jailbreak” burned.
The bonus disc kicks off with four remixes helmed by Joe Elliott, one of the biggest Lizzy fans out there. His strategy was simple: some subtle fixes to out-of-tune guitars and drums that were mixed too low. Then he and Scott Gorham added previously unheard lyrics, solos and fills. The result is some fine alternate versions that won’t replace the originals but serve as interesting companion pieces. I especially enjoyed the previously unheard lyrics from Phil.
The remixes are followed by some live takes. BBC recordings of the title track, “Emerald”, and others are nice and clean. Just as you would expect from the BBC. Then there is an extended cut of “Fight Or Fall” with some very tasty slide guitar brought up to the forefront. It’s a nice touch. “Blues Boy” is a completely unreleased track, a blues as you might have guessed. It is complete with some skeletal vocals from Phil, but this is essentially a blues jam. As an unreleased song, this is a valuable inclusion, albeit not a standout song. The album ends with a live take called “Derby Blues”, which is an embrionic version of “Cowboy Song”. “This is a new number, this one!” says Phil. “As yet untitled. We’ll call it ‘Derby Blues'”. It still has all the energy and fire that it would later embody. (“Derby Blues” is also on a more recent release called UK Tour 75.)
The liner notes to this edition are quite excellent, among the best I have ever run into in a deluxe edition. As an added bonus, there is a page of notes from Joe Elliott, explaining the included remixes.
If you don’t want to bother with the deluxe, at least make sure you own Jailbreak. 5/5 stars
I was just 11 years old when I first heard of Kilroy.
Allan Runstedtler at school had it first. He was always talking about it…this cool song called “Mr. Roboto”. This album where the songs all told a story. It had robots in it, it was an album with pictures and a story…not unlike those Star Wars story soundtracks we used to listen to. In hindsight it seems obvious that Kilroy Was Here was my gateway drug to rock music.
I went over to Allan’s house, with my little Fisher-Price mono tape deck, as he put Kilroy Was Here on the hi-fi. I hit “record” and we all quietly left the living room…so as to not disturb the open air recording. Only once did we step downstairs, but this was only to flip sides on the LP and cassette.
You can see why it was so appealing. The robots didn’t look that dissimilar from the childhood classic film The Black Hole, plus there were robot vocals on the song, but it wasn’t guitar heavy or threatening. It was catchy though, “Mr. Roboto” being the song that hooked us in. We had the lyrics completely memorized (the handy lyric sheet was a revelation to us) and could sing any part of the song by heart.
With the benefit of hindsight, “Mr. Roboto” todays sounds quaint, a harmless boppy synth radio hit nothing like the Styx that emerged onto the scene over a decade earlier. Dennis DeYoung’s vocals are all spellbinding as ever, the man as identifiable on this as he was on “Lady”. Where’s the guitars from Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young? I’m really not sure. There are a few things here and there, fuzzy buzzy melodies that might well be guitars. Only once in a while in the course of a 5-minute-plus song can you really hear any sort of instrument that wasn’t programmed or played with keys!
Tommy’s “Cold War” was another upbeat one we liked as kids, and yes you can hear some guitar in the intro and chorus. There’s even a solo! Otherwise, it’s just a dreadful synth pop piece, with loads of those annoying synth-claps and other assorted sounds that are supposed to sound like percussion. Tommy plays a character named Jonathan Chance on this album, and “Cold War” reads like a manifesto from that character.
The album came with a story, so it was quite easy to break it down and figure out what was happening. It’s a dystopian tale, and the setting is…”the future”. Dr. Righteous (James Young) has risen to power, using a clever manipulation of media and government. Rock N’ Roll music…is banned! Robert Kilroy (DeYoung), a legendary rock musician, is jailed for a murder he did not commit. But Jonathan Chance (Shaw), a young rebel hoping to bring back Rock N’ Roll, is using Kilroy’s image and music as a rallying cry for his cause. One night Kilroy escapes prison, and disguises himself as a “Roboto”, the labor robots pervasive in this future world.
Got all that?
Drummer John Panozzo is credited as a character named “Col. Hyde”, and bassist Chuck Panozzo as “Lt. Vanish”. I have no idea who those people are supposed to be. There was a minifilm that went with the album and tour, and opened the live shows. It’s incredibly funny and campy, the Styx version of the Star Wars Holiday Special.
“Don’t Let It End”, a DeYoung ballad is a song we always skipped as kids. I played the ballads maybe once the whole time I owned the album! But it’s actually a pretty good tune, and you can see why it was a hit. This is followed by “High Time” with DeYoung, introducing the character of Dr. Righteous:
“I flip the switch on my laser video, And there’s the man staring back at me, He starts to speak in a voice so righteous, About the sins of society”
It’s a fun song, upbeat, very showtune-y, with DeYoung having a chance to cut loose a bit. It’s alright, and it sounds like the horn section are real horns, not some synth.
JY gets to be the one to bring the rock on “Heavy Metal Poisoning”. In this song, Dr. Righteous takes to the airwaves with the ironically hardest rocking song on the album.
What the Devil’s going on? Why don’t you turn that music down, You’re going deaf and that’s for sure, But all you do is scream for more!
We were always amused by Dr. Righteous using heavy metal music as his musical vehicle to attack heavy metal music, and wondered if there was a hidden message there? Something about hypocrisy. Righteous complains that rock and roll will lead to sex and drugs, while punishing his guitar with some seriously heavy riffing and a smoking solo. Unfortunately, some goofy keyboard bits detract from the song and keep it from being a pure heavy rocker.
“Just Get Through This Night” is a ballad we skipped as kids, but in retrospect this is a great dramatic ballad. Tommy wrote this one, a long, atmospheric meandering 6 minute piece that would have been too long to hold our kiddie attention span anyway. Even though it didn’t do anything for us as kids, it stands as one of the bright spots on an album that so often just gets too goofy. Tommy’s guitar solo, recorded backwards, is a highlight on this song.
Our second-favourite song was next: “Double Life” written and sung by JY. It’s certainly one of the highlights on the album, a menacing, dark stomp with the synths this time supporting rather than fighting the song. No idea how this fits into the story, but who cares!
Tommy’s final ballad, “Haven’t We Been Here Before” is kinda skip-worthy, although it’s nice when Dennis accompanies him on the chorus. There’s also a nice harmony guitar solo, but loaded down with effects, blunting its edge. Fortunately, the album ends with “Don’t Let It End (reprise)” which is actually a reprise of “Mr. Roboto”, but with Tommy singing and more guitars. The album ends on a bright note, as Jonathan Chance seemingly takes the mantel of rock leadership from Kilroy, vowing to keep Rock N’ Roll alive! Then Dennis comes in, doing his old rocker schtick, sending up Elvis, Little Richard and many more, and that’s the album. Great finish.
I think if we were to discuss this album in 1983, I would have raved and rated it 4/5 stars. I also probably would have overused the words “awesome” and “cool-a-mundo”. That was 30 years ago…man. That’s a long, long time. Listening to it now…
One year ago today, I launched LeBrain’s Record Store Tales & Reviews. It’s been a blast. Keep on keepin’ on!
ALICE COOPER – Alice Does Alice (2010 iTunes EP)
It seems the latest thing to do these days is re-record your old classic hits and sell them again. Alice’s reason for doing so was that they needed new multi-track recordings for use in the Guitar Hero video game. I think only one was ever used, which is “No More Mr. Nice Guy” (Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock). The Alice Cooper 6 Pack download for Rock Band is mostly live tracks, not the versions that Alice released on Alice Does Alice.
According to the official Cooper site, these re-recordings were produced by Bob Ezrin. Ezrin, of course, helmed the originals. That must be why these new versions sound so authentic. Yes, part for part, note for note, they’re pretty much the same. Just with Alice’s voice older and wiser, and today’s sound quality. But of course you can’t duplicate a classic, no matter how hard you try nor who you work with. It’s impossible. It’s catching lightning in a bottle. So, these versions will always remain inferior to the classic, magical originals. They’re just too nice, clean and neat.
I will say though, it’s pretty amazing how close these are to the originals. The drums don’t sound the same, they’re thuddier and more modern, but the guitar tones are remarkably similar. All the strings and horns are there too, and they do benefit from the sonic clarity of today’s technology. Kudos to Ezrin and the players for capturing this. (Because this is an electronic release with no physical version, there’s no credits.)
Tracklist:
“School’s Out”
“No More Mr. Nice Guy”
“Elected”
“I’m Eighteen”
“Welcome To My Nightmare”
According to sickthingsUK, six tracks were actually recorded. The sixth was “Poison”, which of course was originally produced not by Bob Ezrin, but by Desmond Child. The track remains unreleased in 2013.
The Phantom of the Opera, and Paul Stanley’s Autograph
I seem to have lost my ticket, so I don’t know the exact date. I do know however that I saw Phantom of the Opera at Pantages around October of 1999. As you probably know, that was a big deal to us Kiss fans. Paul Stanley was playing the titular Phantom.
My memories of the performance are good. I recall there being a lot of longhairs and leather jackets in the crowd. I remember that Paul couldn’t keep that edgy scream out of his voice, but he still did a remarkable job with the material. I also remember he did a total rock star bow at the end of the show.
Having Paul play the Phantom was a stroke of genius. It pulled in thousands of people, like me, who otherwise would not have gone to Toronto to see the show. And it was a quality show. Paul had the vocal range to do it, just not that classic training, and he was a bit rough around the edges. But who cares? He was so popular they had to add several more weeks of performances to his stay. In fact I missed the chance to see him initially, it was only when they added the additional weeks that I got a ticket.
Now, you’re probably asking yourself, “OK, so what about that autograph? Did you meet Paul?”
No. But DJ Donnie D did.
I worked with this guy, DJ Donnie D. (Yeah, don’t ask.) Donnie went to see Phantom a few weeks after me, with his girlfriend (now wife). While in Toronto, walking down the street, he spotted a familiar figure.
“I know who that is. That’s Paul Stanley,” he told his girlfriend. “I have to ask for his autograph.”
He approached Paul who was kind, and signed their stuff. But Donnie went one step above and beyond the call of duty. He got me an autograph too.
He came into work on his next shift, and surprised me with it. “I had to get it for you,” he said.
I was blown away, I was jumping up and down I was so excited. How cool is that? I’m telling you right now, in my 12 years at the record store, I worked with some of the best people I’ve ever run across. Donnie was one of them. Thanks Donnie!
“Hello America” was the third of three singles from Def Leppard’s debut album, the first two being “Wasted” and “Rock Brigade”. Like many kids in the late 80’s, I first heard the song “Hello America” on Def Leppard’s video anthology, Historia. It was a weird video, with Rick Allen’s drums up front and the band in behind! Nobody would ever say that this was one of Def Leppard’s all time best songs, but it’s catchy with a driving riff. Joe Elliot hadn’t really found his voice yet. This is standard hard rock, but not outstanding. The guitar solo by Steve Clark is quite excellent.
Please note, Leppard’s first single for “Wasted” had an alternate recording of “Hello America” on the B-side. This is not that version. This is the standard album version.
The B-side, like the A-side, was produced by (Colonel) Tom Allom who had also produced Judas Priest’s British Steel around the same time. “Good Morning Freedom” was not on the On Through the Night LP, however. This is an exclusive track. Just over three minutes long, “Good Morning Freedom” is a good song, much in the same vein as the rest of Leppard’s music at the time. “Good Morning Freedom” (parsed as “Goodmorning Freedom” on the vinyl itself) is very New Wave of British Heavy Metal in style. It almost sounds like an Iron Maiden B-side from the same period. The track boasts a driving rhythm, rock-solid riff, but also another shaky Joe Elliot lead vocal. Not an outstanding song, but most definitely collectible. The tune is credited to Elliot, Clark, guitarist Pete Willis and bassist Rick Savage. It’s notable for its Rick Allen drum intro.
Not a bad single, comes with a picture sleeve, and rocks harder than their later material.
3/5 stars
Def Lep playing “Good Morning Freedom” in Vegas as part of Viva! Hysteria
You must be logged in to post a comment.