WOLFSBANE – “After Midnight” (1991 Def American CD single)
It was 1991, and though Wolfsbane were on Def American records, their second single from their second album Down Fall the Good Guys failed to chart. Though the critics were consistently positive about the UK quartet featuring one Blaze Bayley on vocals, it was not translating into sales. “After Midnight” is the name of the track, but its lack of chart performance is not a reflection upon the song. Brendan O’Brien was the producer, which boggles the mind that Wolfsbane didn’t have more success in 1991.
“After Midnight” has a slight country & western feel, which comes unexpected. This was a style that was becoming popular for American rock bands to throw into their tunes for some radio play. “After Midnight” would fit in with any of those better known tracks: acoustic-based with electric guitars for soloing and accent. The easiest comparison is another Def American act, the Four Horsemen, but with a baritone.
This CD single is valuable for the inclusion of three non-album tracks. “Idol” has a tricky little guitar part, but with a punk-like energy and thumping bass. The chorus has potential. “Win Or Lose” is a high-speed rock and roll blast, but without any significant hooks. Good for headbanging or air guitar, but not for singing along. The best track of the B-sides is an acoustic (self-produced) rendition of “Hey Babe” from their prior EP. It was always a pretty good ballad, and this version is stripped back to the basics. Hand-played percussion replaces the big drums, and it has the feeling of a campfire singalong.
Nothing particularly outstanding on this single, but a good collectible nonetheless.
JUDAS PRIEST – Rocka Rolla (1974 Gull, 2024 Exciter Records Remixed and Remastered)
How did he do it?! Somehow, by some digital miracle of the master tape gods, producer Tom Allom has remixed Rocka Rolla, and transformed it from one of my least favourite Priest albums of all time, to one of my favourites.
Generally I can’t get into the remixed versions of albums. Even if the remix is objectively a better release, such as Rush’s Vapor Trails or Marillion’s Radiat10n, I always find myself coming back to the flawed originals.
Not this time.
For context, Tom Allom didn’t originally produce Rocka Rolla, and this is not the first remix of it. Rodger Bain produced, but his name appears smaller than Allom’s on the new back cover. The Rocka Rolla (full album) remix that appeared on Hero, Hero (1981) was helmed by Bain, less effectively. Tom Allom is best known for producing the run of Judas Priest albums from Unleashed in the East (1979) to Ram It Down (1988). What he has done with Rocka Rolla is somehow give it a makeover to sound more like a real 1970’s Priest album. Sonically, it now has thickness. There’s a real beefiness to the mix, but not in the sense that you immediate say “oh yeah, this is different.” It just sounds like the album always sounded that way, and you just got your stereo system upgraded.
The track listing is unchanged. “One For the Road” still opens with a groove, but now that groove hits different. You can better appreciate the guitar fills at the end, and the songs goes well past its old fade-out. This is a trick that remixed album should do more often.
“Rocka Rolla” remains a metal delight, but there is new shimmer to Rob’s vocals and the song chugs with more edge. It’s all very objective and subtle, but once again Tom Allom took a Priest classic and made it sound like it was always this weighty.
The “Winter” suite is the most altered of any of the tracks. Notably, Allom chose to separate the tracks from the suite format, and leave them as individual songs.
John Hinch’s drums sound crushingly Bonham-like on “Winter” itself, and the backing riff far more weighty. The biggest change is that it no longer fades into KK’s guitar showcase “Deep Freeze”. You can hear more of KK at the end, with some experimental playing that was inaudible before. The track fades out past its previous point, and “Winter Retreat” stands on its own as a song. In the 70s, Priest were experimenting with acoustics and psychedelic sounds from time to time. “Winter Retreat” can now join those songs as something that sonically fits in better. Finally, “Cheater” always was its own song really, and now it’s just heavier. Rob’s harmonica is more prominent, which of course recalls the heaviness of Black Sabbath.
Moving on to side two, “Never Satisfied” finally has the punch it always felt like it had inside: A little more echo on this this vocal line, a lot more weight behind the drums, more texture on the guitars, and a few things made audible for the first time. We now have the definitive version of this song. With the impressive soloing mixed in just right, this becomes a long, jammy Priest thumper as it always should have been. If Rocka Rolla sounded like this when I was a kid, I would have got it immediately.
“Run of the Mill” takes time to build as it always has. It has a long instrumental section, with some mindblowing guitar playing, and now it’s all finally hitting right. The bass isn’t just sitting there. It’s picking you up and taking you along with the groove. The keyboards in the background are more ominous. Everything about this is just so much better than the original.
Perhaps the only song that still bores, for the first half anyway, “Dying to Meet You” is similarly upgraded but benefits less from the treatment. That is until it picks up midway in the “Hero, Hero” section. This part of the song still cooks, but has a different, more spare feel. Finally, the light instrumental “Caviar and Meths” really benefits from the remix treatment. The drums, once again, really add atmosphere to it.
As an added attention to detail, the front cover of Rocka Rolla is now as three dimension as the music. The water drops are now tactile. You can feel the bumps with your fingers. A perfect topper.
What did Tom Allom do with these master tapes? Did he conjure some kind of heavy metal spell and make a two dimensional album sound big and beefy? Only Allom knows, but now I do believe in magic.
“Recently, a young journalist asked me how many songs I had written in my life. I replied that the last time my assistant counted, twenty years ago, it was over 500. I felt quite accomplished until she pointed out Dolly Parton’s 5,000 songs, calling me a lazy sod.” – Ian Gillan
DEEP PURPLE – “Lazy Sod” (2024 Ear Music)
Since Deep Purple’s =1 album was my #1 album of 2024, it should be no surprise that I love the single “Lazy Sod”. It exemplifies what Simon McBride brings to Deep Purple on this new album. His smooth playing is loaded with feel and perhaps he adds just a tad more hooky riffiness into the band. “Lazy Sod” is a fantastic track, a shorty at 3:40, even loaded with solos by Simon and Don Airey. No fat, just like those old Deep Purple Machine Head firecrackers from the early 70s.
Back when we reviewed the =1 box set, we speculated why a live version of “Highway Star” with Simon McBride wasn’t included. Same with “Lazy”. Here they are. “Highway Star” (Milan, October 17 2022) is pretty damn energetic and features the Simon stuff that we were waiting for. His sound might be likened as somewhere between Steve Morse and Ritchie Blackmore, but what he brings to the table fits perfectly, without copying either.
“Lazy” (Sofia, May 23 2022) is the lengthy one, at 8:33. Don Airey opens it with some meandering organ soloing, before playing some more familiar notes. Then it’s Simon’s turn, sending out a delightfully original solo for “Lazy”. He throws it back to Don like a game of ball, and Don slays it some more. “Fun” doesn’t begin to sum it up. There are old Deep Purple versions of “Lazy” where it does not sound like they are having fun. This does, for Don and Simon in particular. The rest of the band have to be able to feed off that. Ian Gillan doesn’t enter the picture for over five minutes. He turns in a performance more like a lounge singer, but with some screams towards the end.
Another great single from the Purples. Thanks for keeping the format alive. It’s limited to 2000 copies but hopefully that’s enough for the collectors who want it.
Accept finally proved they didn’t need Udo Dirkschneider with Mark Tornillo. He has had a steady run of reliable albums that continues to this day. 2014’s Blind Rage was his third with the German metal legends. Blood of the Nations and Stalingrad are hard to beat, and Blind Rage comes in third.
The album debuted at number one on the German albums chart. It Accept’s last album with guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann, and produced generically by Andy Sneap. Sneap gets a great sound, but as we’ll see, there’s too much formula and same-sameyness to the songs as the album goes on. Fortunately, the album gets off to a good start.
“Stampede” is a quintessential opener! Breakneck speed, but with melodic harmonies on guitar. Wolf Hoffman certainly knows how to write riffs and guitar melodies. Mark Tornillo is in great voice, growling low before hitting you with those screams, punctuated sparingly. A tad generic with that shouted “Stampede!,” chorus but the screams and the tempo make it worthwhile.
The lyrics on “Dying Breed” are cringe worthy, I’m so sorry to say. Some sample lines so you get the idea:
“Long ago a sabbath black cut through the purple haze.”
“Screaming with a vengeance that we will forever hear.”
“The zeppelin led it’s voyage thru skies of purple deep.”
“And in a land down under highway to hell was paved.”
“An iron fist cut the deck and drew the ace of spades.”
I am on record as disliking these kinds of references within lyrics. Fortunately, Mark sings it with conviction, and the song itself is pretty awesome. Guitar melodies are very much like a national anthem. There’s another shouted chorus, “We’re the last of a dying breed!” but let’s hope metal doesn’t die prematurely. Wolf throws in some classical-influenced guitar thrills to compensate.
The best song on the album is the desperation-drenched “Dark Side of My Heart” Melancholy metal with a stunning chorus. You can’t help but sing along, and all this is augmented by stunning guitar melodies by Wolf. Accept always keep things moving, but it’s so much better when it’s melodic, and this is the most melodic song on the album.
The first slow song on the record is track #4, “Fall of the Empire”. It takes a little longer to sink in, but the chorus is melodic enough. However, Accept’s penchant for those low pitched gang choruses is already starting to wear. Wolf’s solo here is really different, with a nice dry tube-y tone and some really unusual melodic choices.
Crank up the afterburners for “Trail of Tears”, a song about the trials of the Native American. “Who are the savages now?” asks Tornillo. The drums by Schwarzmann are phenomenal. Another high speed blur of modern metal, and one that sticks in the brain afterwards. Classical influences can still be heard in Wolf’s melodies.
Guitar harmonies take center stage for “Wanna Be Free”. Slower, more deliberate, dark and with a message. “No more crime and poverty,” “No more human trafficking”. Fairly simple, but that’s often the goal of these kinds of songs. Keep it positive, and not political. Though the guitars are always enticing, this might be the first one you feel like skipping.
Nuclear war is always a hot topic for metal bands, ever since Black Sabbath popularized it in the 1970s. In “200 Years”, nuclear war has devastated the planet to population zero: “200 years after mankind”. We’re back to the stone age just as prophesied. “I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” That’s a quote often attributed to Albert Einstein. Great topic, great song, with a neat little exotic interlude by Wolf in the middle before the solo.
Skipworthy “Bloodbath Mastermind” is just generic metal. Yes, it bangs, but there are no exceptional hooks. Pass.
Ear fatigue setting in, “From the Ashes We Rise” repeats the grooves that are becoming monotonous. We realize now that the Japanese 12 song track listing is just too long. This album should have been a simple, traditional 10 songs. Having said that, at least “From the Ashes We Rise” has melody, while “Bloodbath Mastermind” did not. Ultimately it sounds like a knockoff of another song on the album. A good knockoff, at least.
Back to quality, “The Curse” is a little more unique, and focused once again on melody. It’s a little somber, which is a nice change of pace after so much defiant headbanging. Some memorable hooks; different from the rest of the album. A highlight.
The closing track on the standard album is the Priest-like “Final Journey”, the guitar solo of which creatively features a very recognizable melody lifted from Grieg’s “Morning Mood”. Good closer, lots of building tension in the guitars.
The Japanese closer is “Thrown to the Wolves” which is fine, just like many of the album tracks, though like many of them, plagued with generic riffing and melodies. Catchy enough, just…not unique enough.
Blind Rage is a solid album, but Accept’s repeated use of certain elements such as those low-pitched choruses makes some songs really hard to remember and differentiate. Of the 12 songs, there are probably 10 keepers. It’s not a bad album by any means, but the formula is starting to set in and it takes many listens to really separate the songs in your mind. A little editing would have been wise.
NOTE: My text review of Blind Rage by Accept will go up in the coming days.
Johnny Metal and John the Music Nut have been breaking down, in detail, every Accept studio album. I jumped on board with Blind Rage, the third album with Mark Tornillo. I chose this album since I had the Japanese import and I wanted the two Johns to have a chance to cover a rare bonus track on their show.
In this episode, we break down the album track by track, with a high level of agreement between us. The Music Nut then goes through the tour in detail, discussing all the songs that were played live, and how often. Some are still played live today.
If you want a sneak preview into my Blind Rage review, watch this episode, as I tried something new here: reading my review aloud (not easy). I may have even done some singing.
Check out the show, and look for my text review in a few days.
RATT – Out of the Cellar (1984 Atlantic, 2024 40th Anniversary edition)
Shame, shame, shame on Ratt.
In 2020 they released a beautiful Atlantic Years box set, featuring bonus tracks including one for Out of the Cellar. In 2024, they coughed up Ratt Rarities, with a bunch of unreleased Ratt tracks. And now, mere months later, we are given another reissue of Out of the Cellar, this one featuring lenticular cover art and one more unreleased Ratt song. This song could have been released on a 7″ single on its own, but if you want that, you have to buy the vinyl album all over again. If you want the unreleased song on CD, you have to buy Out of the Cellar one more time. I believe this is my fourth or fifth copy of Out of the Cellar now. This is just exploitative of the fans. Pearcy must need another swimming pool.
Is the one song worth re-buying the album again? Fortunately the answer is yes. “Reach For the Sky” is a 1983 Cellar demo written by Stephen Pearcy, Robbin Crosby, and Marq Torien of Bulletboys. It sounds remarkably finished. The guitar harmonies feel very latter-day Thin Lizzy, upon which the guys build a pretty cool song. Though not as slick as Cellar, it sounds fully produced and ready to release. Amazing that songs like this can remain buried for 40 years, and was never resurrected for an album even though the title was used in 1988 for the album Reach For the Sky. While this one song didn’t warrant an entire album re-release, at least we got it.
The album itself remains solid four decades after the fact. Opening with cowboy themed “Wanted Man”, the five Ratt Rodents were off to a compelling start. The disorienting sound of backwards drums heralds in “Wanted Man” is an inventive way to make their introduction. A simple, slow, chomping riff is menacing enough, while Stephen Pearcy growls though various Western metaphors. “By the road, you will hang, it’s your neck from this Ratt gang.” The capable harmonies of the band and especially Juan Crocier help nail the melodies that Pearcy alone can’t. Nice solo work. A great track worthy of a multiplatinum album.
“You’re In Trouble” is a little different. Juan’s clunky bass still sounds a bit out of place, though the choruses rule. But “Round and Round”? Still a total sleaze rock triumph. A keen sense of melody, rhythm and vibe mixed together with a sweaty Stephen Pearcy. Brilliant solo work from Warren DeMartini, and perfectly layered harmonies under the production of Beau Hill. Every element punches, from the simple but memorable riff and those echoey choruses. Dated to the period, but tasty for all ages.
A nice choppy guitar bodes well on “In Your Direction”, a slinky number that serves Stephen’s style well. Decent song, but with only one trick. “She Wants Money” is more fun, a fast upbeat blast on a familiar theme, with Robbin “King” Crosby on lead guitar. It’s hard not to headbang along with the melodic fun of “She Wants Money”. That ended side one on the original record.
The second side opens “Lack of Communication”, a biting track just missing one key ingredient: a real chorus. The saw-like riff smokes, the verses are great, but it never resolves into a definitive hook. It’s basically just the riff with some words over it. “Lack of communication, back off!”
“Back For More” is a little disjointed but salvages it with a killer chorus. Screamin’ Pearcy and the rodent choir give it the final polish. Brilliant solo work here by Warren. Then, one of the best non-singles is the blazing fast “The Morning After”. It has a bit of a Quiet Riot vibe. Juan’s bass is furious while Pearcy sings it for melody. “I’m Insane” is mindless fun; just bad boy rock with the popular “I’m crazy” theme that their pal Ozzy was milking for millions. Finally the album closes on “Scene of the Crime” which has a neat guitar hook that unfortunately is all but unrelated to the rest of the song. Some cool melodies with the patented Ratt harmonies here. Still, solid enough song that if they had been looking for another single, it could have been “Scene of the Crime”.
This reissue doesn’t have any additional packaging or liner notes besides the new lenticular cover. The lenticular art is nice, but it’s not solidly anchored to the packaging. It feels like a symbol for the half-arsed nature of this reissue.
Review dedicated to the donor of this CD, Mr. Harrison Kopp. I hope I like it. I am writing this review “live” so to speak, on first listen.
JET – Get Born (2003 EMI)
Get Born is Jet’s first LP, only two years after forming, and after one 4-track EP. Let’s listen and find out how adept this band got at writing songs after only two years. You already know track 2, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”, the one that everyone says is “Lust For Life” re-written. Both songs utilize Motown beats, though the Jet song has more frantic energy. Plagiarism is excusable in some cases. In this case, I’m still undecided. Is the rest of the album more original?
Many of these songs are fast and short. Opener “Last Chance” doesn’t even break two minutes. It possesses a strong riff, reminiscent of AC/DC in their Bon Scott heyday. Lead singer Nic Cester is quite adept at “Yeahs!” and “Woos!” which will suffice. This leads directly into the signature bassline on “Are You Gonna”, which we don’t need to review. You already have your opinion, and mine is that you can’t tell me those guys never heard “Lust For Life”. That kind of thing always has a subliminal influence, intentional or not. The only question I have is how much was intentional, but I really stopped caring 20 years ago. It is, admittedly a good song if overplayed on radio (still).
“Rollover D.J.” hits right off the bat with bass and guitar, and sounds great in that second it smashes you in the face. Then it lays back a bit, in a Def Leppard-y way, when they used to rock. The chorus is punkier, but feels somehow incomplete. “Look What You’ve Done” switches up to a piano ballad, an unexpected twist. This tender song has an Oasis quality without the snot-nosed BS. This means, yes, you can hear a Beatles influence. Nic Cester demonstrates a smoother side to his singing. I didn’t want to like it, but the truth is, if this was on one of the first three Oasis albums, I would have liked it anyway. A keeper.
A nice rock n’ roll riff brings in “Get What You Need”, and one must admire the nice thick bass tone on this album. This song is all about the guitars. The melodies are inconsequential. It’s all the guitars, and the bass.
In another surprise, “Move On” opens with the distant sound of a steel guitar, before an acoustic intro. This western tinted ballad might be too soon after the previous ballad, but it’s a good song! Very much like the way the Stones would throw those acoustic numbers on their albums. It’s now clear that Jet are not interested in breaking new musical ground. They are focused on writing and recording classic sounding songs that fall within a certain boundary. That’s allowed.
Another surprise: acoustics and piano return on “Radio Song”, a moody trip that has me questioning everything I just wrote. Lead vocals by guitarist Cameron Muncey. I can hear some Radiohead, but the irony is the chorus: “This won’t be played on your radio, tonight.” It’s as if they knew “this is the song where we’re going to experiment a bit.” It’s different, and it has an audible heart to it. It goes epic by the ending, but not too much. Not into Guns N’ Roses bombast. Still sticking to the core instruments. An album highlight.
Back to rocking. A stock riff occupies the necessary space on “Get Me Outta Here”, which fortunately compensates for it with verse and chorus power! Really great work here, with all the singing parts hitting the spot, satisfying a certain craving for a song that’ll be in your head long afterwards.
AC/DC’s fingerprints are all over “Cold Hearted Bitch”, though with drums more out of the Who school of crashes and smashes. Unfortunately, momentum is lost on “Come Around Again”, another Stones-y ballad with piano and twang. It takes time to build, but the reward is brief. The mellotron and organ are the most interesting parts.
Energy returns on the punk-surf-rock-blast of “Take It Or Leave It”, like a shot of pure adrenaline to the album. By this stretch of the album, the “Yeah’s!” are getting a bit tiring and the schtick is wearing thin. “Lazy Gun” has a completely different vibe, with a Gary Glitter sound, and an unexpected secondary section that may or may not fit the first part. We’re over 40 minutes into the album now, and this, the longest song, shouldn’t be track 12. Ear fatigue is setting in.
Finally, “Timothy” is an acoustic ballad to close the album. It sounds extraneous, though with a psychedelic rock twist. I like the chorus, “It’s not what it seems, but it is…” but it seems the song never builds to anything bigger.
Two takeaways: 1) Jet is more diverse than I expected. 2) I don’t think they have a lot of character on this album. Nothing strikes me as unique. Further listens are warranted, but…
VAN HALEN – A Different Kind of Truth (2012 Universal CD/DVD set)
When this album was released in 2012, we all wanted Van Halen to win. Eddie had been through some tough times, but he finally did what the fans demanded: get back together with David Lee Roth, and record a new album. Sure, we all lamented that Michael Anthony was gone, but it was new bassist Wolfgang Van Halen that made it happen. Without Wolf, there would be no final Van Halen album. Just VHIII, and we know how most of you feel about that.
Working with new producer John Shanks in neutral territory, Van Halen managed to crank out a new album in just three years, starting with jams in 2009.
Wolf knew that Van Halen had to get back to a “classic” sound for their first new album with DLR since 1984. In addition to new music, Wolf dug back into Van Halen’s archive of unreleased material, and picked seven songs that rework and re-write. Roth called it a “collaboration with the past”, which is a good way of putting it. No, it does not sound exactly like old Van Halen; that would be impossible. It does, however sound like Van Halen with Roth.
Opener “Tattoo” was the first single and weakest track. It’s also the only one with audible keyboards (by Dave), though just for texture. Roth said the multi-layered chorus was inspired by artists such as Rhianna, but that chorus is actually the annoying part of the song. Eddie’s fills and Dave’s verses are fine and entertaining, as is Wolfie’s fuzzy bass. The chorus is the weak link, perhaps even worse than the lyrics: lines such as “tramp stamp tat” and “mousewife to momshell”. I like tattoos as much as the next guy, but I’ll never use the word “momshell” except when discussing this album.
The real banger is the second single, “She’s the Woman”, a pretty close approximation of the original Van Halen song (pre-debut album). Wolfie’s playing is monstrous, with a catchy circular bassline that proved the kid had the talent to be in this band. His dad must have loved jamming with him. Ed’s solo really brings us back to classic Van Halen, while Alex’s drums have that sound that we all missed. I hate to say it, but this rendition is probably superior to the original lineup’s version.
“You And Your Blues” has that choppy Eddie guitar we love, and those “ahh, ahh” backing vocals that scream Van Halen, even without Mike. Dave’s lower voice works well on the verses, though he is stretched out on the high notes in the chorus. A great Van Halen album-quality song. (If you’re fortunate enough to have a CD/DVD combo set, you’ll be treated to a cool acoustic version of “You And Your Blues” with loads of storytelling from Roth.)
“China Town” has some of the best shredding on album. From Wolfie’s crazy capo bass to the lightning fast tempo, all four members of Van Halen are on fire. If any song can be said to take the classic sound and launch it into orbit, it’s “China Town”, and Wolf is the star. The bass is not overly high in the mix, but when you listen to it and isolate it in your head, you realize that this guy has brought a new side to Van Halen: bass shred. Additionally, it’s a great song in every way.
Going back to 1984 and an instrumental section called “Ripley”, “Blood and Fire” was reworked in 2000 for an aborted reunion with Roth. Interestingly “Blood and Fire” actually sounds more like Hagar era Van Halen. It does contain one of Dave’s favourite concert phrases: “Well look at the all of the people here tonight!” If this track had been on 5150, it would have fit like a glove, though it would have been one of the more rocking tunes. Edward himself is the star on this one, as he rips, shreds, and tears as if it really was 1984 again.
“Bullethead” sounds new, and also goes back to the 2000 sessions. Van Halen speed and Dave “charasma” are held together by the rhythm section of Al and Wolf. It contains the lyric “Got a different kind of truth”, from which the album takes its title. Ed’s effect-laden solo is no less cool, though nobody will list “Bullethead” in their top 20 Van Halen songs. A cool album track it is, but that’s all.
One of the coolest tunes would have to be “As Is”. Opening with some Alex drum intensity, it breaks into a slow heavy riff, before finally accelerating into a powerhouse Van Halen smokeshow. That running riff sounds so classic, you could swear they injected Ed with youth serum. He sounds like a man reborn, both in terms of shred but also in fun. Ed gets to play with many different sounds and tempos on “As Is”, while Dave also gets to enjoy himself with singing and that spoken word stuff he does so well. Most of this is done very fast.
This sounds like a natural side break. “Honeybabysweetiedoll” (another 2000 track) comes across like a side two opener. Ed is experimenting with new sounds, like he used to, and you’ve never heard Ed sound or play like this before. He goes for a middle-eastern vibe, but with the kind of intensity that other bands do not have the mettle to muster. Dave’s lyrics about soccer moms don’t quite hit the spot where the music is concerned, but nobody’s listening to this song for the lyrics. It’s the guitar that makes the biggest impact here. You can imagine the Ed diehard fans just pounding their fists in celebration when they heard what Ed was up to, before they tried to figure out how he got that sound.
“The Trouble With Never” might be the only track that doesn’t seem like it goes anywhere. You also miss Michael Anthony the most on backing vocals here. It’s just a song. Not a great one, not a bad one…but with one hell of a cool bassline.
“Outta Space” originated in the mid-70’s as “Let’s Get Rockin'”. The riff is classic even though it never made an album before. Dave sings in his highest voice, which is actually cool after a lot of lower pitched songs. As you’d expect for a song originally called “Let’s Get Rockin'”, it smokes from start to finish, top speed and loaded with cool Eddie licks. It’s fun to hear the rhythm guitar drop out during his solo, just as it used to in 1978. Ed wasn’t fond of that sound, but it certainly evokes an era and a vibe. It’s like a warm sweater. Maybe Ed would appreciate that sometimes the absence of a guitar can also speak.
Dave plays acoustic guitar on the fun “Stay Frosty”, an old song that certainly recalls “Ice Cream Man” in every way. There’s one lyric that Dave liked to point out: “If you wanna be a monk, you gotta cook a lot of rice.” Hey, it’s not untrue. Let me put it this way: If you imagined a sequel to “Ice Cream Man”, it’s “Stay Frosty”. Not quite as good, but hits all the same beats that you want to hear.
“Big River” sounds like an older song. It has a cool curly guitar opening, before laying into this awesome guitar/bass groove. More a groove than a riff. Dave’s lyrics and singing are top notch on this song. Classic Van Halen. The surprise is that halfway through the song, for the solo section, it transforms into a completely different groove. This section has some of Eddie’s best playing too. It reverts back to the original riff for the last third of the song. All the while Wolfie is playing the most incredible bass fills, but never stepping on his dad’s toes. Think about that for a second. In the mix, you have the greatest guitar player in the world playing over this awesome riff, but the bass player still manages to throw a whole bunch of cool fills in there, without getting in the way. That’s a band, and that’s family, and that’s talent. If this song had been on an album like Fair Warning, people would still remember it today.
The closing song “Beat’s Workin'” starts with a cascade of Alex Van Halen drums, gone gonzo. It then breaks into a fun riff and a good time album-ender. A song called “Beats Workin'” should sound like a celebration. I get a bit of a Max Webster vibe, though heavier, along with a hint of Aerosmith. Once again the rhythm guitar drops out when Eddie goes solo, but then Wolf gets a moment in the spotlight too. His fuzz bass tone is very much unlike Michael Anthony’s. There’s a moment here when he and Alex are just playing while Ed does his thing, and it feels beautiful, especially now, knowing the family will never be reunited. But let’s not get too somber. It’s a party, after all.
The bonus DVD also includes acoustic versions of “Panama” and “Beautiful Girls”. They are alright. Valuable to have in your collection. You might not go back to listen to them very often. Another reason to own this physically is the lyric sheet, with cool sketches for each song. This is a Dave touch.
Final thoughts:
The album cover, though a cool picture of a train, just doesn’t feel like classic Van Halen. Then again, what does? They’ve had so many different kinds of covers.
The production on this album slams.
Though Eddie is the star, and we’re all listening to every note he plays, it doesn’t sound like an EVH solo album like VHIII did. It sounds like a real band album.
John Shanks and David Lee Roth did the best they could with what remains of Dave’s voice, and did a fine job of it by doing more of that speak-sing thing.
The flow on this album is excellent. There is hardly any filler, and every song works in its given slot, especially the closing trio of “Stay Frosty”, “Big River” and “Beats Workin'”.
“AOR” equals “Album Oriented Rock”, a radio format established in the 1960s that essentially means “classic rock” by today’s standards. Therefore, this Aerosmith single would be a remix aimed specifically at those kinds of radio stations. Frequently and historically, many of these remixes are barely different at all from the album version. Additionally, “F.I.N.E.” from 1989’s Pump album was not really considered a single. It wasn’t available to buy commercially, and it wasn’t made into a music video. It was a radio single only. At 4:08, this track is not edited.
“F.I.N.E.”, which was track 2 on the album, is considered one of Aerosmith finer rock moments from the Geffen years. It was always focused on a biting heavy Aero groove, a melodic Tyler vocal, and that irresistible chorus of “It’s aaaaaaaalright!” This remix is hardly different at all. If anything, the bass might be coming through more clearly.
If you have a look at the waveform file below, you can see there isn’t much difference, though some are visible. The AOR mix is at top, the original 1989 CD file at bottom.
I don’t feel there’s any point in rating a promo CD single like on a scale of 5, because what’s the point? This CD is valuable as a collectible to fans and hoarders alike. It has an exclusive remix, and whether you can hear a difference isn’t the point to a collector. Sometimes obscure AOR mixes get reissued on greatest hits or box sets, but to date, this one has not.
“Joe Perry says I’m aaaaallright!”
Thanks again to Ash from Australia for sending me this CD which I shall file with my Pump collection!
STIR OF ECHOES – Stir of Echoes (2008 Stir Records)
When Hamilton’s near-legendary metal band Mystique broke up at the end of the 1980s, singer Ray D’Auria bounced back with the hard rocking Slam Glory. That is a story and album unto itself. D’Auria’s next major release was a full lengther with quartet Stir of Echoes. The band formed in 2006 with a self-titled CD release in 2008. According to a note from filmmaker Marco D’Auria, the album was engineered by Steve Negus of Saga fame. What musical avenues would Ray explore this time, two decades after the end of Mystique?
The answer is: if Mystique was metal, and Slam Glory was hard rock, then Stir of Echoes is good old rough n’ raw classic rock. A heavier Led Zeppelin, perhaps.
Ray’s voice has transitioned to a rougher, more raspy delivery though still with the power and range we expect. Opener “Sentimental” boasts some slippy-slidey guitar bits and bites, while a locked-in bass/drum groove keeps things moving. This bluesy rocker is world class. I like how the rhythm guitar part drops out when the solo comes in – very live sounding. That’s Marco Ciardullo on guitar.
Track two, “Alone” is an upbeat rocker with Ray shredding the vocal cords throughout. It’s actually a bit of a drum showcase on the side, with plenty of solos and fills by Darryl Brown. There’s a bit of Zeppelin in the vocal delivery when Ray sings, “I, I…” at the midway point. A brilliant track that smokes with a bass solo (by Carmine…just Carmine) and impressive musical exposition.
The groove of “Sold It All to Fame” recalls the classic British blues of bands like Humble Pie. It sounds like it was born from a jam. There’s a tasty guitar riff to bite into. Following this groove, they go heavier on “Bonefoot” which might recall a Sabbathy vibe, circa the first three or four albums, in the riff and looseness. “Lies, lies, lies!” screams Ray D’Auria like a man wronged.
Stir of Echoes slow things to a nocturnal crawl on the blues “In the Cold”. Many classic heavy rock bands boast a classic slow blues, and this sounds like Stir of Echoes’ stab at the genre. The band gets to stretch out musically while Ray focuses on the pain. “All of this time…alllll of this time…” Like a classic-era rock singer, Ray sounds out of another decade.
The burner gets turned up to 10, and things start smoking again on “Little Dog”, an absolute blitz. Then they go for a more fun vibe on “Shot Gun”, which has one riff that definitely reminds us of Zep’s “How Many More Times”. You have to question how Ray could sustain this kind is singing! It’s top level, at all times, with the rasp and high notes! At the end of the song, they ignite the afterburners and the whole thing goes stratospheric.
The first respite on the album lies within the acoustic intro of “Burning in the Rain”, the closest thing they offer to a power ballad. Emphasis on the power. Really, it’s more of a bluesy showcase for Ray to offer up some of his most passionate singing. “Shake” takes things back to boogie, and the mid-tempo groove really allows the bassline to breathe. This is a great song to dance or drink to.
The only song you might consider “soft” would be the acoustic closer “Too Late”. Very Zeppelin III in feel. The lack of volume allows Ray to lay back a bit and really just sing. It’s just him and some acoustics, so the spotlight is on, and he uses it well. Brilliant performance.
Except “Too Late” isn’t the closer! There is an unlisted bonus track called “Wild Eye” which may be the best of the bunch! It’s certainly one of the most memorable. The stuttery opening riff is just a little different from the pack.
Stir of Echoes aren’t as diverse as Mystique, and the subject matter is more grounded. Stir of Echoes is more laser-focused on a specific kind of rock, and they go all-in. They do what they do very well. The last band that attempted this kind of sound and did it this well was called Badlands. If you know, you know. Get it.
WOLFSBANE – “After Midnight” (1991 Def American CD single)
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