hard rock

THREE-VIEW: Eric Carr – Rockology (2000/2023 RSD reissue)

ERIC CARR – Rockology (2000 EMI/2023 Culture Factory RSD CD release)

This release provoked a bit of controversy early in 2023.Β  Vinyl fans and collectors were pleased that Eric Carr’s collection of unfinished tracks, Rockology, was being reissued on LP.Β  They were doubly elated by the retro-1970s cover art that fit in with the original 1978 Kiss solo albums.Β  It even came with a poster to match the original four solo albums, and the CD was printed on a disc replicating a vinyl look.Β  The packaging, with obi-strip and brilliant black and orange coloration, looks sharp.Β  They even threw on five extra bonus tracks that weren’t on the 2000 release or 2011’s Unfinished Business.

Unfortunately, much like 2011’s Unfinished Business, the bonus tracks are hardly-listenable throwaways and castoffs that were never meant for public consumption.Β  What’s more, like all RSD releases, the LP and CD copies were so poorly distributed that fans were soon paying ridiculous amounts of cash on the second-hand market.Β  Music should be accessible and affordable to everyone, but this reissue was hardly worth it for what amounts to fancy packaging and five ragged unreleased tracks.

We’ll start this review by discussing the five bonus tracks.

Part One – the five bonus tracks

First up is a “long demo” of “Tiara”, a ballad from the original Rockology.Β  The original track was 4:28 and this “long” version is 23 seconds longer, but it is a completely different demo version.Β  It is much rougher and laden with occasional noise.Β  The lyrics are incomplete, as Eric improvises “do-do-do” vocals overΒ  the instrumental opening.Β  Bruce Kulick provides overdubbed lead guitars, but sadly it sounds like a poor quality cassette.Β  This is the kind of thing we got too much of on the Unfinished Business CD.

Another “alternate demo” is next, of “Can You Feel It”, a song that Eric hoped Bryan Adams would cover.Β  Like “Tiara”, this demo is earlier and much rougher.Β  Similarly incomplete lyrics over a drum machine.Β  The liner notes claim it’s Eric Carr playing drums, but it’s obviously a drum machine.Β  Shoddy liner notes.

An “accapella” version of “Eyes of Love” is just a rough multitrack vocal take with no backing music.Β  It’s not the exact same vocal take used on the other demo version.Β  It is of limited enjoyment.Β  It doesn’t sound like there’s a pop guard on the microphone, therefore, lots of noise.

Finally, something we’ve really never heard before:Β  A 1967 version of the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”.Β  This is a very rough sounding tape with lots of noise, but due to its age, we’ll allow.Β  It’s a fairly faithful take of the Beatles classic, with Eric on lead vocals and drums.Β  It features his band The Cellarmen and is the earliest Eric Carr recording yet to be released.Β  A difficult listen, but at least something of value.Β  You’d think they could have used AI noise reduction to get rid of that crackling sound.

The last of the five bonus tracks is a 1974 original called “Stranger” by his band Creation.Β  Eric is on drums alone this time, with bandmates John Henderson and Sarita Squires (also the songwriters) singing lead.Β  It is a decent soul-rock song and one of the better sounding recordings.Β  Though the drums are not the main feature of the song, and buried back in the mix, you can hear Eric’s personality shine through his fills.

Part Two – the original album (review posted 2018/06/19)

The late Kiss drummer Eric Carr was frustrated towards the end.Β  He was writing good material, but it was always being rejected by Paul and Gene.Β  In the press, Eric would tow the company line and explain that everybody else had such good songs, that there was no room for his.Β  In his heart, he was hurt and felt shunned.

Eric Carr wasn’t just a drummer.Β  He could sing lead, and he could write.Β  Kiss’ single “All Hell’s Breaking Loose” was an Eric idea.Β  He co-wrote “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” with Bryan Adams.Β  Although his writing credits on Kiss albums were sparse, he had plenty of material in the can.Β  2000’sΒ RockologyΒ is a series of those demos, some in a near-finished state and some left incomplete.Β  Much of this material was intended for a cartoon Eric was working on called The Rockheads.Β  10 years later, Bruce Kulick finished recording some guitar parts and mixed it for release.Β  He alsoΒ wrote liner notes explaining the origins and Eric’s intentions for each track.

Eric didn’t have a particularly commercial voice, falling somewhere south of a Gene Simmons growl.Β  There’s no reason why Gene couldn’t have sung “Eyes of Love” from 1989, which has more balls than a lot of Hot in the Shade.Β  This demo has Eric on drums and bass, and Bruce Kulick on guitar with a solo overdubbed in 1999.Β  It doesn’t sound like a finished Kiss song, but it could have been tightened up to become one.Β Β Same with the ballad “Everybody’s Waiting”.Β  It sounds custom written for Paul Stanley.Β  But it was 1989, and nothing was going to displace “Forever” from the album, nor should it have.

Many of the demos have no words.Β  “Heavy Metal Baby” features Eric scatting out a loose melody.Β  This heavy and chunky riff would have been perfect for the later Revenge album, had Eric lived.Β  In a strange twist, several of the best songs are instrumentals.Β  The hidden gem on this CD is the unfinished β€œJust Can’t Wait”. Β It could have given Journey and Bon Jovi a run for their money. Β Β Eric, Bruce and Adam Mitchell wrote itΒ forΒ Crazy Nights, and you can almost hear a killer chorus just waiting to leap out at you.Β  This potential hit could have been the best song on Crazy Nights, had it been finished.

“Mad Dog” has nothing to do with the Anvil song of the same name.Β  The chorus is there but the verses are a work in progress.Β  This hard rocker from 1987 was probably too heavy for what Kiss were doing, though it would have added some much needed groove.Β  “You Make Me Crazy” is in a similar state of completion and boasts a tap-tastic solo by Bruce.Β  Apparently this demo was originally called “Van Halen” and you can hear why.Β  Two versions of a song called “Nightmare” exist, including a really rough one without drums.Β  This incomplete song could have really been something special.Β  It has a dramatic feel and different moods, and was probably too sophisticated for Kiss, though any number of 80s rock bands would have been lucky to have such good material.

The last batch of tracks show off the Rockheads material.Β  Whether Eric’s cartoon idea ever would have happened or not, the advent of bobble-heads and Pops would have made marketing easy.Β  Β The songs are virtually complete though the drums are programmed.Β  “Too Cool For School” is a little cartoony, which is the point, right?Β  For keyboard ballads, “Tiara” showed promise.Β  It’s not the equal of “Reason to Live” but it demonstrates a side to Eric unheard before.Β  Next, Bruce says that they always wanted Bryan Adams to cover “Can You Feel It”.Β  It would have fit Adams like a nice jean jacket.Β  Not that Adams really needed the help, it would have been awesome on Waking Up the Neighbors.Β  The set closes with “Nasty Boys”, nothing exceptional.Β  It sounds like a song called “Nasty Boys” would sound…or anything by 80s Kiss really.

Part Three – the packaging and remastering

The selling point for the majority of fans for this reissue was the packaging.Β  The original cover featured Eric in 1989 or 1990, obviously without makeup.Β  The new version is designed to look like an Eraldo Caragati portrait matching the first four Kiss solo albums.Β  It does, after a fashion.Β  It doesn’t have the depth or realism of a Caragati, but it matches.Β  The aura colour is orange.Β  Inside, there is a poster that similar recalls the original four from 1978.

The liner notes from the original CD release are missing.Β  This is unfortunate.Β  As such you don’t get the stories or context or knowledge from Bruce Kulick about the background of these songs.Β  Instead you get a CD that looks like a record.Β  This is pressed in black plastic, and has actual ridges on the face side that look like record grooves.Β  The play of the CD is inhibited in no way by this.

The remastering is much louder.Β  It does sound like somebody messed with the tapes.Β  “Eyes of Love” sounds like it has more echo on the drums compared to the original.Β  Is this due to more echo being applied, or more being audible due to the raised volume?Β  Possibly just a listener-induced effect, but it does sound different.

If you want but don’t have Rockology yet, seek out the reissue.Β  If you’re dying to make a display of the five lookalike solo albums, get the reissue.Β  If you don’t feel like listening to rough demos with tape crackle bonus tracks, run away like a fox.

 

Original score: 3/5Β stars

Reissue value:Β  1/5 stars

Original mikeladano.com review:Β  2014/04/24

MOVIE REVIEW: Mystique – Standing On the Firing Line (2022)

Note:Β  This review is of the new 96 minute cut of Mystique – Standing On the Firing Line.Β 

A collaboration with Jex!Β  For Jex Russell’s review, click here!

MYSTIQUE: STANDING ON THE FIRING LINE (2022, 2023 edition)

Directed by Marco D’Auria

“EPIC METAL” – Martin Popoff

They had the raw talent to make it.Β  They just needed a break.Β  They didn’t get it, but what they achieved instead was a legendary status with a handful of priceless releases left behind.Β  They were Mystique, a progressive heavy metal band from Hamilton Ontario.

Standing On the Firing Line is a 2022 documentary film by Marco D’Auria, finally shedding light on the history and music of this lesser-known band.Β  They always deserved more attention, and hopefully the film brings them that.Β  From the first shots of the band, the music of “No Return” assaults the senses with chopping riffs and unholy screams.Β  Why didn’t they make it?

The main driving force of Mystique from their beginnings to their demise were opera-trained singer Ray D’Auria (originally from Naples Italy), and perfectionist drummer John Davies, who had spent time in a few hard rock bands before Mystique.Β  Many other talented members joined and enhanced them along the way, but it was Ray and John who were there ’til the end.Β  The two met up when John auditioned for Ray’s band, Orion.Β  A friendship was formed, but the band wasn’t paying them the money they were owed.Β  They split as a pair and didn’t waste time starting their own thing.Β  15 year old Dave Dragos was a shredder – rated 2nd best in Canada at the time – and was first on board.Β  He introduced them to bassist Mark Arbour (a mixture of Geddy Lee and Chris Squire), and a solid band was formed.Β  A 1984 basement tape of “Black Rider” shows the nameless band had the goods.Β  It was Ray who blurted out “Mystique”, which felt right.

They found a rehearsal space, and added keyboardist Victor Barreiro.Β  The band practiced hard, and pushed each other to improve as musicians.Β  Davies tended to handle the business side, but they were attracting attention to themselves.Β  They found a manager (Ted Smirnios), money was borrowed, and songs were improved upon, until they were finally in shape to record.Β  Primitive but technically inventive tracks were recorded on 1/2″ tape, on a 16-track desk.Β  Not the best for sound quality, but good enough to get the songs down.Β  They went as far as to butcher a classic Leslie speaker to get a driving keyboard sound.

A stoned viewing of the animated Lord of the Rings movie captured John Davies, and inspired the song “Black Rider”.Β  The band had a sort of gothic bent in the mid-80s, but Ray D’Auria’s voice was appropriate for this progressive style of metal.Β  Journalist Martin Popoff remarks that the keyboards brought them into that progressive world.Β  Melodic guitar/keyboard solos took time to work out.Β  They were unafraid to play ballads, which Martin compares to a vintage Judas Priest dirge.Β  Mystique were a serious band!Β  The Black Rider EP impressed their peers for the playing if not the sound.Β  Popoff heard a strong Maiden influence, but compares more to Armored Saint and Odin with elements of power metal.Β  1000 copies were sold, an impressive amount.Β  Their manager got it as far away as Greece, and even accidentally set himself on fire as part of their stage show!

The band were doing well but dreams were not exceeded, and eventually members left for greener pastures, leaving Ray and John to rebuild.Β  Bizarrely, they met a talented French guitarist named Eric Nicolas in Jackson Square, and went to France to record their next demo:Β  1987’s I Am the King.Β  They struggled with the language barrier, and were recording digitally for the first time.Β  Ray blew everyone away with the “God note” that he held in “I Am the King”.Β  They were offered a record contract with Elektra in France, which didn’t pan out.Β  They brought the tapes home to Canada for release.

They added a new bassist, Les Wheeler, and evolved from metal to “hair”.Β  “The explosion in the costume factory look,” as described by Popoff, of their new extreme look that didn’t match their music.Β  “It looked good, from a distance,” jokes Ray.Β  Teenage girls loved their posters though!Β  Unfortunately having a guitar playing living in France was a barrier.Β  Wheeler broke his wrist in an accident.Β  A new lineup formed.Β  They felt forced to go more commercial, which resulted in the 1988 Poison-esque single “Rock and Roll Party Tonight”.Β  It was vastly different from “Black Rider”, but they went straight from that to recording a proper album, funded by EMI.Β  They taped 11 to 12 songs…but the album was never released and is partly lost today.Β  The masters tapes were sold and erased.Β  There were some good songs on that tape.Β  Ray, however, looks back at their change of direction as a mistake.Β  More shuffles in band members caused long breaks in activity, and the writing was on the wall.Β  Ray no longer identified with the music, and was the one to leave.Β  By 1989, their music was out of date anyway.

Manager Ted Smirnios is given a tremendous amount of credit for making Mystique happen.Β  It’s a touching part of the film.Β  The band members went their separate and sometimes surprising ways, but the story never really ends so long as people keep discovering the music.Β  Their releases are now valuable collectables today, worth a small fortune on the second-hand market.

Rare live clips and candid photos really bring an intimate look at Mystique.Β  You feel like you get to know the personalities.Β  This new edit of the film cut a substantial amount of footage, mostly interview footage with people who were there at the time.Β  The movie gains better pacing from this, as it just flies by in no time.Β  A new ending to the film brings us to the present day, and the movie’s theatrical premiere in front of a cheering audience.Β  The original cut might be considered for more hard-core viewers who want that “feels like being there” experience, but the current 96 minute edit is better for the enjoyment of Mystique.Β  It’s a much tighter and more direct story.Β  There is still plenty of unreleased music and vintage images.

Stay tuned for the mid-credit scene!

4.5/5 stars

REVIEW: The Defiants – Drive (2023)

THE DEFIANTS – Drive (2023 Frontiers)

Like a top-fuel funnycar, Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello made a stunning comeback in 2023 with The Defiants’ new album Drive.Β  They had a lot to live up to, after the luminous Zokusho in 2019.Β  Could they come up with another batch of songs, just as strong?Β  In short, yes.Β  In long, read on.

Right from the get-go, opener “Hey Life” is a wrecking ball.Β  Van Romaine on drums absolutely slays this song with ease.Β  In the first few seconds, you’re hammered by Priest-y riff and blistering guitar fretwork.Β  “Hey Life” isn’t all flash; it boasts strong melodies and an adrenalized performance by the Defiants.Β  “Hey life! Get out of my way tonight!” blasts Paul Laine at maximum lung power.Β  He remains one of the best in the business.

With some anthemic “woah-ohs!”, the second number “Go Big Or Go Home” does exactly what it says on the label.Β  “Gonna rock this town like we already own it!”Β  There’s a simple but very effective guitar riff backing this melodic stomper.Β  Thinking about it, the difference between the Defiants and all the bands that try to do what they do with traditional melodic rock, can’t touch their songs, and a big reason is the strength of the Defiants in writing structurally sound guitar parts.Β  Every lick, every crunch, every single note needs to be exactly where it is and how it is.Β  “Go Big Or Go Home” is a prime example.

Now, if I were a card player, I’d gamble that “19 Summertime” would be a hard rock anthem for the sunniest of seasons.Β  I would be correct.Β  There are some tasty 80s keyboard highlights behind that staccato guitar part.Β  Sounds like a vintage lost Europe song from somewhere between Out Of This World and The Final Countdown.Β  Therefore, we can pinpoint “19 Summertime” to the summer of 1987.Β  Then, “What Are You Waiting For” has the same teenage panache that Bon Jovi made his mint with back at the same time.Β  It’s another awesome, good time anthem that transports you back in rock history.

“Miracle” is the first ballad, and it’s a nice one at that.Β  It’s not a softy, but fully armed with guitars and keys.Β  It sounds a lot like Adrenalize era Def Leppard.Β  Things switch around on a scorcher called “Against the Grain” that has a Bon Jovi vibe via the Crush album, but way harder edged.Β  Lots of opportunities to pump fists here.Β  The tough chorus sounds great in the car.Β  “Against the grain, they say left we go right, someday you gotta realize, it’s the way you gotta live your life.”Β Β Another solid track called “So Good” slows things down to a nocturnal prowl, while retaining all the anthemic melodic qualities.Β  There’s some shimmery guitar fretwork here and a cool organ backing.

A completely different feel enters the scene on “Love Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”.Β  A light guitar picking brings in what starts as a softer opening, until the chorus pounds the power once again.Β  This song is a triumph of songwriting perfection.Β  The guitar solo here is also a remarkable performance unto itself.Β  It sounds like a hit from decades past, but also much more than just that.

Another dusky number, “Another Time, Another Place” has a driving beat and understated power.Β  “The Night To Remember” then turns up the heat!Β  This is the kind of song that Def Leppard should be writing today, but seems to have forgotten how.Β  There are many highlights on this album, and they seem to be clustered at the start and end of this album!Β  “The Night To Remember” is top notch.

Going back to the “don’t get in my way” theme of the album opener, the closer bookends it with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Me Now”.Β  It’s a tough little chunky number that kind of sounds like you’ve known it all your life.Β  The guitar blitzes on this one are exemplary and serves to help close the album on a suitably dramatic note.Β  Drive has a feeling of a journey, coming back home at the end to the place you began.

Released at the right time in history, Drive would have been a multi-platinum smash remembered in the same breath as Hysteria and Slippery When Wet.Β  “Another Time, Another Place” indeed.Β  Truth.

5/5 stars

REVIEW: Guns N’ Roses – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 single)

GUNS N’ ROSES – “Perhaps” / “The General” (2023 Geffen 7″ single)

The band that once took 15 years to release a new album hasn’t been doing too shabby of late with new releases.Β  “Perhaps” we should say new/old releases (see what I did there?) because all four of the new songs released by Guns N’ Roses since Chinese Democracy have been re-worked outtakes from that era.Β  Since Duff McKagan and Slash have returned to Guns, we’ve had four new tracks:Β  β€œABSUΠ―D” & “Hard Skool” were released on a previous single, and now we have “Perhaps” and “The General” to go with them.

The “G” side of this new single contains “Perhaps”, which is immediately reminiscent of Use Your Illusion era Guns, via the prominent piano line.Β  Of any song released since, “Perhaps” sounds the most like a song that would have come out on a new GN’R album in 1995.Β  Slash’s guitar solo sounds perfectly vintage, but it’s Dizzy Reed on piano, whose flourishes recall “November Rain”, that brings it all back to the glory days.Β  “Perhaps” wouldn’t have been a big hit in the 90s, but it certainly would have been a solid album cut.

On the “R” side is “The General”, a song we’ve heard whispers about from those in Axl’s inner circle.Β  This track is the most disappointing, without any notable hooks.Β  It sounds more of the Chinese Democracy era, and is purely B-side material.Β  It has a haunting quality that might come from Axl’s love of Alice Cooper, but it’s anything but memorable and the technical flourishes don’t do it any favours, except to obscure the lack of catchy melody or riff.

One good song, one throwaway.Β  That makes the score pretty clear.

2.5/5 stars

REVIEW: Sven Gali – Bombs and Battlescars (2023)

SVEN GALI –Β  Bombs and Battlescars (2023 Music In Motion Entertainment)

Look at me, in the eyes! When I say “Sven Gali is back,” I’m meaning it! The Canadian Quintet revitalised themselves with the 3 EP in 2020, and took their time with their next full-length (their first since 1995).Β  They recruited Coney Hatch bassist/singer Andy Curran for some of the production duties, picked a Triumph song to cover, and hit the road playing well-received shows in 2023.Β  Bombs and Battlescars is the name of the record.Β  Of note, the late Dee Cernile is credited with co-writing several tracks, and the album includes some unreleased demos from the before-fore times.Β  Let’s have a listen.

One thing for certain:Β  don’t expect Sven Gali to suddenly revert back to the sound of their self-titled debut.Β  This is a much heavier, more pounding and frankly more satisfying Sven Gali.Β  Opener “One Gun” slams with a more viscous brutality, but singer Dave Wanless is still the same.Β  If I wanted to hear the sound of ’92 again, I’d play the original purple platter by Sven (recently reissued on coloured vinyl).Β  I want the sound that satisfies the “me” of today – and I’m as frustrated as Sven Gali sound on “One Gun”.Β  The snaky guitar solo is just icing on the cake.Β  “I’m losin’ faith!” proclaims Wanless, and I believe him.

A steady chunky groove introduces “Coming Home”, a headbanger with a dark Metallica vibe.Β  Dan Fila and Shawn Minden lay down this beat that just boils.Β  The lead guitars are like liquid adamantium, but beneath it all churns a volcanic pressure cooker.Β  This is possibly the highlight of the new songs, a memorable track that demands to be cranked.Β  Car test it for good measure.Β  (The band is rounded out by guitarists Andy Frank and Sean Williamson.)

The Triumph cover is, appropriately, third in line.Β  “Spellbound” suits Sven Gali surprisingly well, but they don’t play it straight.Β  They’ve thrown the track into the darkest night, but let the chorus light the way.Β  Guitar textures are added.Β  This song should make the longtime fans very happy.Β  It’s Triumph, but presented as heavy as possible.Β  Listen to Fila annihilate his drums!

Darkness dominates on “Life Inside”, a dusky dirge with some pretty cool guitar work.Β  The atmospheric “Monster” resists being called a “ballad” but it’s the slowest moment in the journey thus far.Β  “Monster” just kills, not straightforward or easy to categorize.Β  It’s moody and doesn’t let up.

“Hang Me Out” is the first of the unreleased demos, and there’s something nostalgic about that.Β  You can hear an audible shift in sound, and “Hang Me Out” definitely has a mid-90s vibe.Β  There are twists and turns in the music that bring you right back.Β  Then the wah-wah pedal comes out for the relentless guitars on “Hogs”.Β  The funky groove here definitely brews nostalgia, but this track should have been released long ago!Β  By the end of it, you’ll be shoutin’ “HOGS!”Β Β The 8th track “All” goes for speed and groove while the guitars ring in chaotic perfection.

Finally, a record needle drops and the acoustic guitars come out for the closing ballad and classic in the making:Β  “Nothing New”.Β  As much as Sven are known for rocking, some of their big hits were ballads (like “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”).Β  “Nothing New” is a lovely, stripped down ballad with sweet melodies and the purity of acoustic music.

Ultimately the demos are just as entertaining as the rest of the album.Β  They make you wish they’d come out ages ago.

Well done to Sven Gali on Bombs & Battlescars, a blazing comeback with a surprisingly tender ending.

4/5 stars

Get your copy on vinyl & CD, plain or signed!

 

REVIEW: The Forrest Williams Democracy – “The Optimyst” (2023 single)

THE FORREST WILLIAMS DEMOCRACY – “The Optimyst” (2023 single)

Forrest Williams, Scott Maybee, and Matt DeMatteo are back with their third single (check out the first two if you missed ’em), and this is the best one yet.Β  The Democracy play a hard-to-pigeonhole mixture of 90s and classic rock with a dose of progressive, among other elements.Β  When these elements fuse, the molecules of music produced have been radiant.Β  With three songs released to date, we can now track a trend:Β  each song is better than the last, therefore the future is looking bright for The Democracy!

Fellow reviewer Jex Russell noted that “The Optimyst” reminded him of “Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel, and I hear what he’s getting at.Β  There’s something in that bright rhythm of the guitar part, and the uplifting vocal melody (verses by DeMatteo and choruses by Maybee, if the music video is to go by).Β  But there’s so much more to this track than just the melodic.Β  Listen to the drums!Β  Williams makes creative use of toms and cymbals to form an integral part of the song’s landscape.Β  The drums don’t distract, but they add a hell of a lot of depth and hookiness.Β  They carve hills and valleys in the music.

The lyrics are uplifting and the message is universal.Β  “‘Cause bad times will get better!”Β  Don’t give up hope!Β  “You feel hopeless, got to pay the Monday dues.”Β  That’s pretty accurate!Β  “I’m all fired up by Wednesday, it’s Friday soon…”Β  Amen, brothers!Β  I think most people will be able to relate to this song, and I hope they can feel its sunny vibes, to feel better about whatever is getting them down.

Everyone needs to hear “The Optimyst”, no matter what mood they’re in.Β  It’s that good and it deserves to be heard far and wide.Β  Positivity is often in short supply these days, so thank you to The Forrest Williams Democracy for bringing some sun in December.

5/5 stars…

Wait…why not?Β  6/5 stars!!

REVIEW: Sammy Hagar – Three Lock Box (1982)

SAMMY HAGAR – Three Lock Box (1982 Geffen)

Sometimes it is fun to review an album on its first listen, so that’s what we’re doing today with Hagar’s Three Lock Box.Β  I only know a handful of tunes so this will be mostly brand new to me.Β  Released December 6, 1982, Three Lock Box was Sammy’s seventh solo album.Β  Jon Cain (Journey) and Mike Reno (Loverboy) make guest appearances, and it contains Sammy’s biggest charting solo hit.Β  Let’s give it a spin, on this fancy Japanese CD pressing.

The title track is familiar, with its slightly funky riff and rich organ backing.Β  I don’t know why, but that refrain of “One, two, three lock box!” reminds me of the kind of melody and simplicity of a children’s song.Β  But child’s play this is not!Β  A couple minutes in, and the gears shift to full blown hard rockin’.Β  This is a catchy and rhythmically clever little tune.

“Remote Love” might have a bit too much keyboard in the mix, but this is a cool laid back rock ballad.Β  It sounds like something from a past age perhaps.Β  Loud keyboards aside, there’s something purely classic about it, especially when you get to the soulful chorus.

Cain and Reno appear on “Remember the Heroes” (co-written by Cain).Β  Very Journey-esque, but Mike Reno sounds absolutely brilliant!Β  What a powerhouse singer, and when he and Sammy team up on the chorus, it’s mighty great!Β  You could easily imagine Journey doing this song, and perhaps they should have.

“Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” (#13 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock songs) is clearly hit material.Β  It’s all melody, smooth and polished.Β  The production has the bells and whistles and the track is just really hard to resist.

A haunting tone enters on “In the Room”, a completely different vibe.Β  It almost sounds like a lost Alice Cooper number from the same time period.Β  “I’ve been caught in the room, that moment of sleep when you think you’re awake.”Β  The lyrics match the music perfectly.Β  This is one of those must-have deep cuts, a song that absolutely deserves more attention.Β  It’s so different for Sammy.Β  “Rise of the Animal” follows with spooky sounds, and then a synth pulse.Β  “I just came out from the room…” sings Sammy, continuing his thoughts from the prior song.Β  “I saw the rising of the moon.Β  This ain’t no ordinary night!Β  Look to my left, look to my right.”Β  It starts slow and picks up the pace, and ends with some brilliantly frantic soloing from Sam.

Another great deep cut is the pop rocker “I Wouldn’t Change A Thing”.Β  A radio-ready corker, it could have been a hit in an alternate universe.Β  Let’s call it the Sammyverse.Β  A universe where everything is bright, colourful and shiny.Β  I wouldn’t mind hanging out in the Sammyverse, and “I Wouldn’t Change A Thing” could be its anthem.Β  Wave your red flags high!

“Growing Up” has a highschool-tough sound, while Sammy sings of the girls in their summer clothes.Β  The Sammyverse only has short skirts and high heels.Β  It’s probably the filler track of the album, as it doesn’t seem to have the hooks of previous tracks.Β  Fortunately “Never Give Up” is all hooks.Β  Another pop rocker with memorably melodies and smooth guitars, it’s just a fun song.Β  Easy singalong in the car.Β  Speaking of cars, the Sammyverse is fond of ’em, and the closing track “I Don’t Need Love” races like one of Sammy’s Ferraris.Β  It’s a brilliant rocker and probably the heaviest track on an otherwise pretty mainstream rock album.

Sammy Hagar albums don’t have a lot of pyrotechnics.Β  They are often meat and potatoes, workmanlike and easily accessible.Β  Three Lock Box has its strengths not in the production or flashy performance, but in the songs and the singing.Β  It’s a satisfying listen and I understand why it is so well liked.Β  It may not have a lot of edge, but it’s a fun, feel-good listen.

4/5 stars

Top Ten SAVATAGE Tracks Ranked – A Collaboration with the 80sMetalMan

SAVATAGE!Β  This Florida metal band reigned from 1979 to 2002, and is now back ready to unleash a new album called Curtain Call!Β  They never received the recognition they deserved over the course of 12 mostly excellent albums.Β  Let’s fix that here and now!

This list is part of a collaborative effort with 80sMetalMan!Β  You can check his list here.

10. “Handful of Rain” from Handful of Rain (1994)

We begin our story with tragedy, but also triumph.Β  Lead guitarist Criss Oliva was killed by a drunk driver, almost ending the band permanently, and shattering the soul of his brother Jon.Β  Jon Oliva was not even a member of the band anymore, having abdicated the mountain king throne to new singer Zack Stevens a year prior.Β  Undaunted, Oliva wrote and recorded almost all the instruments on the next Savatage album Handful of Rain.Β  Even though bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Steve “Doc” Wacholz are pictured inside, they did not play.Β  Jon did.Β  Joining him on lead guitar was former Testament master-shredder Alex Skolnick.Β  An immensely powerful team up.Β  They produced a somber album, but not without power and thrills.Β  The title track, available as a 5:25 extended edition or the standard 5:02 version, boasts acoustic verses and a powerful chorus that will stay with you for days.

9. “Morphine Child” from Poets and Madmen (2001)

The final Savatage epic from the final Savatage album.Β  Jon Oliva was back on lead vocals.Β  Zack Stevens departed to form his own band, Circle II Circle.Β  This song utilizes a powerful, relentless riff and a host of backing singers taking care of a complicated vocal counterpoint.Β  Different lyrics and melodies all overlap to form a cohesive and weighty segment of an already powerful song.Β  With piano and guitars intertwined with equal emphasis, Savatage may have taken their new operatic metal style to its peak here.Β  Though a comeback is planned, the band has remaining largely inactive ever since.Β  Regardless, at least they finished their first life in style, and with masterful progressive metal music.

8. “Warriors” from Power of the Night (1985)

Though this song commences with a corny keyboard bit and a ballady melody, it is far from that!Β  The battle grunts of the “warriors” soon join in with a sharp metal riff.Β  An alloy of iron and titanium, “Warriors” boasts a relentless chorus.Β  The verses are fun too.Β  “Armed to attack!Β  The soldiers react!”Β  Not poetry, but it matters not when Oliva screams.Β  This is simply heavy metal, down to the basics, and executed with youth and naivete.Β  The thing is:Β  it’s really good and catchy!

7. “Sirens” from Sirens (1983)

A shorty, at under four minutes.Β  The tempered steel of Criss Oliva’s riff is the main hook.Β  Much would improve later on, such as Jon’s lyrics and the band’s writing skills, but they had everything they needed from the get-go.Β  There’s a slower breakdown in the middle that only serves to re-ignite the powerful riff later on.Β  Oliva’s shrieking was already in place, fully formed and under his complete control.Β  Because the song is so short, you just have to go back and play it one more time.

6. “Strange Wings” from Hall of the Mountain King (1987)

Producer/manager Paul O’Neill was working with a little band called Badlands in 1989, featuring former Black Sabbath singer Ray Gillen on lead vocals.Β  He made a hell of an impression before Badlands as a backing vocalist on “Strange Wings” by Savatage!Β  This song, which boasts a powerfully simple riff, contains one of Savatage’s mightiest choruses!Β  A melancholy metal song with oodles of power, “Strange Wings” is one of Savatage’s top deep cuts.Β  There are many to choose from, but Ray’s singing on this one sets it apart.Β  His voice, mixed with Jon Oliva’s, offers a rare metal duet of stainless steel.

5. “Hall of the Mountain King” from Hall of the Mountain King (1987)

A classic Criss Oliva riff, backed by the haunting screams of brother Jon!Β  This song introduced Savatage to the metal masses.Β  Few songs can top the power of its mighty riff, or the unholy notes that Oliva hits on the chorus.Β  Not overly complex, but neither is it simple.Β  After Criss’ solo, Jon simply lets loose with the howls of a banshee gone mad!Β  Many would rank this song much higher than #5.Β Β  Perhaps the Metal Man is one.Β  It is extremely difficult, since Savatage have so many songs of different flavours.Β  Of their era of pure metal majesty, this song is tops.

4. “The Wake of Magellan” from The Wake of Magellan (1999)

Savatage have utilized counterpoint vocals numerous times on their albums from Handful of Rain to Poets and Madmen.Β  It is arguable that “The Wake of Magellan” is their most effective use of the technique.Β  Multiple vocal parts and lyrics overlap over each other, with uncountable Zacks singing complementary parts over each other.Β  Fortunately, the melodies are strong enough to stand out in the storm!Β  While the band and orchestra cooks behind, Zack Stevens sings all the parts, overdubbed for simultaneous power.Β  The first layer:Β  “Don’t see the storms are forming, don’t see or heed the warning, don’t hear the sound of tyrants, surrounded by the silence.”Β  Then a second Zack joins, singing the same.Β  A third Zack emerges overtop, singing the extremely fast and challenging lines:Β  “Columbus and Magellan and De Gama sailed upon the ocean in a world of ignorance with thoughts so primitive.Β  That men were killed with no more will than that they simply had the notion, but in this world of heartless men this thing they never did.”Β  Imagine singing that live, which the band had to do, at machine gun speed!Β  Another Zack doubles those lines.Β  Then a fifth Zack joins:Β  “Don’t hear it, don’t hear it…”Β  Then another Zack:Β  “Got to keep it underground, pretend you never heard a sound.”Β  More Zacks join with the lines “If they find it, kill it, blind it,” and “Lord tell me what is to be,” until all the voices coalesce together in the line “They whisper, and I…”Β  Has there ever been a more epic song in any genre?

3. “Edge of Thorns” from Edge of Thorns (1993)

New singer.Β  New lease on life.Β  Zack Stevens was sometimes compared to Geoff Tate when he first debuted in 1993 on Edge of Thorns.Β  The first single from the first album of a new era, combining the metal of Savatage’s early years and the piano epics of the previous two records.Β  The brilliant title track from Stevens’ debut still raises goosebumps on the arms.Β  An apex of this style of metal, “Edge of Thorns” has no dull surfaces.Β  Every edge cuts deep, the scarlet blood stains lingering in your heart forever.Β  “I have seen you on the edge of dawn, felt you here before you were born.Β  Balance your dreams upon the edge of thorns…but I don’t think about you anymore.”Β  Yet he clearly does.Β  This theme recurs through the album on songs like “Conversation Piece”.Β  Another genius Criss Oliva guitar solo is the cherry on top.Β  Few bands can meld their different styles from separate eras together like Savatage did on “Edge of Thorns”.Β  A masterpiece of a song.

2. “Gutter Ballet” from Gutter Ballet (1989)

I’ll never forget hearing that opening piano figure.Β  Loosely, Jon Oliva plays:Β  “ding, ding, ding…”Β  Then as he plays the notes become stronger and the tempo more steady.Β  Suddenly the band crashes forth and “Gutter Ballet” careens through your stereo, into your soul.Β  Savatage had never incorporated piano like this before, and by breaking new ground they broke down walls.Β  No longer were they a simple heavy metal band.Β  The doors to a whole new world of concept and drama had opened.Β  Welcome to the Gutter Ballet.Β  This track combines an epic piano melody with incendiary guitar riffs, an orchestra, and street-smart Oliva/O’Neill lyrics about the nasty gutters of New York City.Β  “Balanced on their knives, little parts of lives, such a strange reality.Β  Kill the unicorn, just to have its horn, soon he’s just a fantasy…”Β  And the Criss Oliva guitar solo!Β  A composition unto itself, backed by strings.Β  Power, emotion, skill and fire combined together into one incredible song.Β  An epic song that few bands could top.Β  Few…except Savatage.

1. “Believe” from Streets: A Rock Opera (1991)

Within the context of the Streets story, the main character D.T. Jesus witnesses a luminous spirit emerge from a dying homeless man, that he follows up several flights of stairs to a roof of a building.Β  D.T. opens his heart, and hears the voice of God.Β  β€œBelieve” is the perfect ending to an epic emotional journey. Β With all the power that Savatage can muster — overblown, dramatic, and pompous — β€œBelieve” ends the rock opera (and this list) properly. Β Interestingly, it retains an epic section that was lifted directly from β€œWhen the Crowds are Gone”, as the two albums share a genesis. Β So epic is this segment,Β that Savatage had to re-use it. Β Then later, on the Savatage album Handful of Rain, part of it was re-used again, along with other parts of β€œBelieve”.Β  β€œBelieve” ends this album on the bright up-note that you want a story to end with, your soul awash with light and musically uplifted.Β  β€œI’ll be right there, I’ll never leave, and all I ask is believe”

REVIEW: Rainbow – Down To Earth Tour 1979 (2015 box set)

RAINBOW – Down To Earth Tour 1979 (2015 Purple Pyramid box set)

On the surface, this is quite a deluxe box set.Β  It’s larger than than a typical CD case by an inch on either side, and it’s almost an inch deep.Β  It has a beautiful hologram-style finish, shining and shimmery.Β  There are three discs inside, one from each of three shows on the 1979 Rainbow tour:Β  Denver, Long Island, and Chicago.Β  Each CD comes in its own full colour sleeve, and there are other goodies packed inside, such as the obligatory booklet.Β  It’s a loaded booklet, with loads of photos and text.

You might look at the track listing on the back and ask why there are only seven tracks per show (five for Chicago).Β  Rainbow were only an opening act (for Blue Oyster Cult) on this tour, a source of frustration for the band.Β  Also, the track listing is deceiving because “Lost In Hollywood” is a long bomber, over 20 minutes long on each disc, and contains lengthy solos and detours.

There are issues.Β  First and foremost:Β  the audio.Β  Β  It’s not great.Β  None of the discs are particularly outstanding.Β  They’re all different sounding; just a different variety of bad!Β  People who buy bootlegs won’t mind so much, but when you look at a set this deluxe on the store shelves, you might be expecting more sonically.Β  A lot more.Β  That’s just the nature of these kinds of releases.Β  They’re fine to play, but some people will dismiss them.

The other issue with the music would be that the tracks are repeated from show to show.Β  The variety comes from the playing, not the setlist.

Speaking of playing, even though the band were tired of the opening slot, they don’t show it.Β  The lineup was one of Rainbow’s best:Β  Graham Bonnet on lead vocals, Don Airey on keyboards, Deep Purple alumnus Roger Glover on bass, the legendary Cozy Powell on drums, and of course the man in black Ritchie Blackmore on guitar.Β  Everyone knows what to expect from a Blackmore guitar solo, but a Don Airey keyboard solo is less familiar territory.Β  It’s part Doctor Who and part rock and roll.Β  And Cozy, of course, slams.Β  You only wish he were better recorded.

Rainbow were playing loads of new material on this tour, with only a handful of Dio-era classics.Β  “Eyes of the World” is an interesting choice for opener, not an obvious selection.Β  It causes the show to open with an electronic pulse, all atmospheric and sci-fi.Β  It’s a change from the usual hit-em-hard kind of opener.Β  Of course, the song does rock, but the intro is over a minute long.Β  A second new song, the slower blues “Love’s No Friend” follows, another interesting choice.Β  It’s rife with brilliant guitar work from Blackmore, and Airey compliments him perfectly.Β  Continuing with new material, “Since You Been Gone” was the familiar single written by Russ Ballard, which closes with a load of solos from Blackmore and Airey, and the “Over the Rainbow” segment as well.Β  “All Night Long” (which opened the Down to Earth album) works well to regain focus after all that meandering.Β  I like how Graham changes the lyrics.Β  He clearly sings “I need a girl who can give me head, all night long,” instead of “keep her head”!Β  Unsubtle.Β  The fifth and last of the new songs is the aforementioned scorcher “Lost In Hollywood”, bloated to 22 to 26 minutes from show to show.Β  This is the track for the musicians in the audience, and for everyone else to take a pee.Β  Fortunately for those who love great drum solos, Cozy has a spotlight moment.Β  Unfortunately, not everyone loves drum solos.

The set closes with two Dio classics:Β  “Man on the Silver Mountain” (long solo opening, and a bit of “Lazy”), and “Long Live Rock and Roll”.Β  It’s hard for any singer to do Dio and here they sound like a Graham songs.Β  I prefer Graham’s version of “Silver Mountain” to Joe Lynn Turner’s.Β  Really, these are pretty good interpretations, as long as you can forget the mighty elf’s versions for a few moments.Β  Graham had no issue with the range or power, just that he’s a completely different vocalist from Ronnie James Dio.

The Chicago set is missing “Since You’ve Been Gone” and “Silver Mountain”, which were not played that night.

The liner notes are excellent, except when printed in black ink over a blue background, rendering them extremely hard to read.Β  It’s 28 pages with rare photos and ads.Β  The set also includes a heavy metal bottle opener that you’ll never use, a Richie Blackmore guitar pick that you’ll never use, and a Rainbow button & patch that you won’t put on any jacket that you own.

This set is for diehards only; those that need as many Rainbow shows from as many lineups as they can get.Β  For everyone else, it’s pure overkill.

I’m a diehard.Β  This is my score.

3/5 stars

 

 

 

REVIEW: The Darkness – Permission To Land… Again (2023 – 4 CD/1 DVD Box Set) – Bonus Tim’s Vinyl Confessions – Best Reissues of 2023

THE DARKNESS – Permission To Land… Again (2023 Box Set)

Once (and perhaps still) considered one of the biggest jokes in rock*, The Darkness have proven ’em wrong, for it was 20 years ago they dropped this bomb on the world called Permission to Land.Β  Regardless of the ups and downs, the band continues on today with a documentary film in the works.Β  Of course, the obligatory box set was also necessary.Β  Permission to Land… Again collects nearly everything from the era and packs it up for you in a 5 disc set perfect for home consumption.Β  And it’s affordable, too.

CD 1 commences with the original 2003 album, a monolith of Queen and AC/DC’s bastard children, brought to life in spandex and bandanas.Β  The album itself spawned four singles:

  1. “Get Your Hands Off My Woman”, the expletive-laden favourite that still delights today as a fast head banger.
  2. “Growing On Me”, perfectly in the pocket, a melodic hard right classic with just enough bite.
  3. “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, iridescent and unforgettable as ever, a classic in every sense.
  4. “Love In Only A Feeling”, bombastic and beautiful guitar chords crashing on this prototype for the trademark Darkness ballad.Β  Steve Tyler wishes he could write ’em like this today.

That leaves six killer album tracks, none of which are filler.Β  Opener “Black Shuck” is a monster (literally), rocking heavy and beating the doors down despite your best efforts.Β  “Givin’ Up” should have been a single, but the language, tisk tisk!Β  Foreshadowing Justin Hawkin’s drug issues, this song is literally about “stickin’ that fuckin’ shit” up his nose.Β  Yes it’s surprisingly delightful, and perhaps the most immediately catchy one on the album.Β  “Stuck In A Rut” is different, blasting fast and loud, with Justin singing at max voice.Β  Back to lighter, catchy territory, “Friday Night” is a certain fan-favourite.Β  It easily could have been another single, as Justin literally reads off his weekly schedule.Β  “Monday, cycling, Tuesday, gymnastics, dancing on a Friday night.”Β  Bopping piano accents will keep feet moving.Β  Moving on to “Love On the Rocks With No Ice” (great title), the slow heavy grind smacks you in the head and reminds you this is a rock and roll band.Β  Β Despite that, the album closes on a lovely ballad “Holding My Own” which also really could have been a single.

The album on its own earned a 4/5 star rating here previously, though it’s probably at least a 4.5/5.Β  As time has gone by, these songs have proven their mettle.Β  They still stand.

CD 1 is beefed out with six extra songs, all demos, of tracks that didn’t make the album and tracks that did.Β  Speaking of which, they are rough but so similar to the final versions.Β  Some have bits that were later trimmed out or de-emphasized, like keyboard overdubs and intros.Β  “Black Shuck”, though without the hard-hitting production, might be better in some ways than the album version, with more twists and vocals.Β  Β There is also a demo of “Out of My Hands”, a fine album B-side.

The best inclusions on this disc, however, are the surprises:Β  demos that didn’t make Permission to Land!Β  “Live ‘Til I Die” went unreleased until 2019’s Easter Is Cancelled, but this version has Eddie Graham on drums.Β  This version is very, very different.Β  Much more AC/DC and dare I say, much catchier and better.Β  Β There’a also an early demo of “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us”, which was finally released on 2012’s reunion album Hot Cakes.Β  This one is much more similar to the glossier final product.

CD 2 is a treasure trove of goodies!Β  Every studio B-side from the album, some non-album singles, some “clean” versions that we wouldn’t purposely seek out to buy; they are all here.Β  (The live B-sides are included with their respective shows, but we’ll get to those.)Β  This is comprehensive as heck.

The three tracks from the very rare 2002 EP I Believe In A Thing Called Love are included:Β  the title track, “Love on the Rocks With No Ice” and “Love Is Only A Feeling”.Β  The recordings themselves are the same as the final album versions, but the mixes are not.Β  These earlier mixes have slight, but audible differences and can be characterised as a bit less finished.Β  The bass may be more pronounced on some places, and backing vocals in another.

Like some British bands before them, such as Oasis, The Darkness seemed to put just as much effort into their B-sides, often making them album (or single) worthy on their own.Β Β The complete studio B-sides here are:

  • “The Best Of Me”, a crankin’ rocker with a southern vibe.
  • The aforementioned “Out of My Hands”, a lighter song with a Def Leppard vibe on the guitars.Β  Could have been a hit in its own right.Β  Brilliant chorus.
  • Concert favourite “Makin’ Out”, which has more of that AC/DC vibe that the Darkness really mined in their early days.Β  A fan favourite for a reason.
  • “Physical Sex”, another riffy number with an outrageously high chorus.
  • The ballad “How Dare You Call This Love?” which also could have been on the album, had it been longer.Β  The actual album had two already.Β  A fun song though, with some lovely Lizzy-ish guitar harmonies.
  • “The best instrumental that AC/DC never recorded”, according to Tim Durling, is “Bareback”, one of the Darkness’ best B-sides ever…if not their best.Β  Thankfully, this song was not just relegated to the dusky corners of the “Growing On Me” single, but received some live workouts too.Β  More on that later.
  • A song about building a house, “Planning Permission”, is a bit goofy lyrically (mixing cement!), but it gets goofier still as you’ll see.Β  Fortunately it’s a catchy, upbeat Darkness number that has all their trademark guitar and vocal accoutrements.
  • “Curse of the Tolland Man” is the goofiest of them all, a ghost story, and a song that gets trashed in the liner notes as awful muck, but is defended by Justin and Dan Hawkins as a favourite.Β  The jury remains out, but they are all correct about it.
  • “I Love You 5 Times” is another ballad, but by this time we’re technically heading outside album territory.Β  Forgettable, but for the strings and Justin’s silly “m-m-m-meees” stuttery vocals.Β  It was actually the B-side to a standalone Christmas single, “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”, an excellent song in its own right.

This box set is so comprehensive that it even includes the two singles that were not from it.

  • “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)“…don’t Google what “bell end” means in British slang.Β  Let’s just say Justin had his tongue in cheek!Β  Great rocker, very Lizzy, and an absolutely Darkness classic.Β  Produced by Bob Ezrin!Β  This track was included on some European editions of the album as a bonus.
  • Then we have the rarest of them all, and finally available physically for us to buy:Β  2004’s “Get Your Hands Off My Woman…Again“.Β  Though it does have Frankie Poullain on bass, this song is more a part of the story for the second album, One Way Ticket.Β  The band were experimenting with producer Roy Thomas Baker and this remake was sold digitally.Β  It is here in both “clean” and “explicit” versions.Β  A cleaner, sharper incarnation of the song, for better or worse!Β  The liner notes finally explain the mystery of the added piano part:Β  It was inspired by Ben Folds’ cover of the song, which they thought was an improvement!

CDs 3 and 4 contain three live gigs, and the balance of the B-sides from this era.Β  “Gimme a D!Β  Gimme an Arkness!”

The 2003 set at Knebworth is brilliant.Β  Opening with “Growing On Me”, the band has a bizarre and comedic stage presence, but the song kicks!Β  They are a tight band, and a beat is not missed.Β  They play two B-sides, a manic “The Best of Me” (for dancing, says Justin) and the classic “Makin’ Out”.Β  “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” from the Knebworth concert was previously issued on a German version of the Christmas single.Β  I like when Justin asks the audience which version of “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” they’d like to hear, clean or dirty?

On the same disc is a set from the Astoria in 2003.Β  Opening with a raging “Bareback”, this set is even better than the Knebworth one.Β  What a start!Β  Instrumentals can make a pretty killer opener!Β  From there it’s “Black Shuck”, and a live version of “Get Your Hands Off My Woman” that was previously issued as a B-side to a rare DVD single for “Love Is Only A Feeling”.Β  It’s notable for the strange “me-me-me” singalong thing Justin does at the end.Β  Another thing they do in this set is something called “Buffet”, a pretty cool riff, from a part in the show that is explained in the booklet.

Best of all:Β  The action-packed Astoria and Knebworth shows are both included on DVD inside.Β  Watch Dan play all the guitars so Justin can do the splits!Β  The DVD also includes all the music videos, outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from their music videos.Β  There’s a cute bit in the EPK (electronic press kit) explaining why Justin always asked the audience to see their thumbs.Β  The editing on the Astoria show is absurdly fast!

CD 4 is a full-length show from 2004 at Wembley recorded on Dan’s birthday, and the last show on the tour.Β  It’s especially cool, because the band were already road-testing new songs from One Way Ticket.Β  Opener “Grief Hammer” was a new song that would become a B-side in 2005.Β  It has a stuttery riff with elements of that AC/DC vibe, but the band were clearly moving beyond that pigeonhole.Β  It takes balls to open a set at Wembley with a new song that nobody had heard before.Β Β From there they visit more familiar territory with the favourite “Givin’ Up”.Β  A manic “Stuck In A Rut” blasts out immediately afterwards.

Other B-sides played at Wembley include the fan favourite “Makin’ Out”, “Physical Set” and that “Buffet” again!Β  Future classics “Dinner Lady Arms” and “Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time” are rolled out alongside the hits.Β  “Dinner Lady Arms” is a tad harder than the soft-Leppard style of the later version, though the chorus still soars into the stratosphere.Β  “Seemed Like Such A Good Idea at the Time” is presented without introduction, and Justin on piano with a more spare arrangement than the elaborate album version to come.Β  This is more power ballad, and less experiment in extravagance.

As the 17 song set rolls through classics and hits, it’s clear this disc could be a standalone live album if the band choose to release it as such.Β  Great banter, and the band were obviously having a blast on stage.Β  At the end, there are two more surprises.Β  One is an abbreviated cover of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid, performed solo by Justin on piano.Β  Finally, they close the show with a bombastic “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)”, which works brilliantly in the end slot.Β  There is no feigning joy and surprise here.Β  All the delight is pure and genuine.

The final ingredient you need in a box set such as this is a kickass booklet with loads of reading.Β  Look no further, as Dan and Justin exhaustively tell the story from session to session and song to song.Β  The stories will keep you in stitches as the band shed light on things you never knew before.Β  Eddie Graham was the most “normal” one of the bunch, but they have survived it all, and the Darkness keep going!

We live in the age of box sets.Β  The Darkness have risen to the occasion with, dare I say it, the perfect version of Permission To Land.Β  Β Will they pull this trick again in the future with One Way Ticket?Β  They should, because they have demonstrated an understanding of what makes a great box set.Β  In short:

  • Complete collection of B-sides, even from formats as obscure as DVD single.
  • The rare demos and EP versions we’ve been wanting.
  • Non-album singles.
  • Even those clean versions that we normally wouldn’t try too hard to collect.
  • Live concerts.
  • Extensive liner notes.
  • DVD with added value and live shows.
  • Reasonable pricing and packaging.

5/5 stars

 

* One evening in 2003, I was listening to the Darkness with my girlfriend in my living room, late at night, heavily intoxicated.Β  I suddenly jumped and said “I get it!Β  These guys are not a joke at all!Β  They are dead serious about what they are doing!Β  Listen!Β  Just listen!”Β  It was an epiphany and I was right.

 

BONUS!Β  Check out Tim and I discussing this box set and more!