Please join Dan fromOfftheChartsand I for this review and unboxing!
RICK HUGHES – Redemption (2025 Deko/Rubicon Japanese import)
Rick Hughes of Sword fame is back with some of his most personal music to date. In short: it rocks!
Highlights:
“Dead End Road”
“The Real Me”
“Will of the Gun”
“Someday”
The Who cover “The Real Me” features Ozzy’s Speak of the Devil band! Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Whitesnake), Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake) and Brad Gillis (Night Ranger). This smashing version destroys other cover versions you know. Meanwhile, “Someday” is not really a cover of an Aldo Nova song. It is a Rick song he has reclaimed as his own.
There are more guests such as Lee Aaron and Robby Krieger (the Doors), and not one weak song in the batch of rockers, ballads, and soulful swingers.
Check out the video below, where Rick explains the origins of “Someday” while we take a good look at the Japanese CD and compare to the domestic vinyl.
Here on Absolva’s latest album Justice, the band have come up with a strong crop of new songs featuring some cool guests, such as Ronnie Romero of Rainbow and Stu Block from Iced Earth. Blaze Bayley fans take note that the man himself sings lead on “Atlas (War Between the Gods)”! Blaze has effectively utilized members of Absolva in his own solo band, and fans worldwide have grown to love the brothers Appleton, Chris and Luke. The band is completed by Martin Mcnee on drums, and Karl Shramm on bass.
Major standout track “Hero In Your Life” really shows what a strong singer Chris Appleton is. Yes there are guest vocalists here, but do Absolva really need anyone outside themselves? Chris combines rasp with a pleasing voice, with enough power to do these songs “justice” (see what we did there?) “Hero In Your Life” is replete with blazing solos. (As is “Left Behind”.) Both Chris and Luke are credited on lead guitar on the album, so one must conclude that both of these guys can rip. They can also write catchy, classic sounding riffs. The total package! Check out “The City is Burning” for an example of some cool riffs.
The mighty Ronnie Romero appears on “Find My Identity”, a dark vibed rocker. Romero brings his trademark powerful rasp to the fore, which is a welcome flavour. He is a seriously great vocalist and his addition here was a stroke of genius.
Another standout is “Justice” the title track, which again features some pretty incredible and memorable solo work, like a mini composition. The chorus is also pretty powerful.
Of course, it goes without saying that Blaze’s track is magnificent. It sounds like Blaze, which makes sense, but hearing Blaze and Chris sing lead together is a pretty cool moment. Their styles contrast. Blaze delivers the chilling lows, while Chris accents him from up high. A great song that could easily take its place with Blaze’s best.
A strong metal album. It combines classic metal sounding riffage with modern styles and production. It has the sheen and power that you desire, so check out some Absolva.
POISON – Open Up and Say… Ahh! (1988, 2018 Capitol 180 gram coloured vinyl reissue)
There are some bands I find myself constantly having to defend my enjoyment of. Poison is definitely up there in the top five, if not #1. They’re not incredible musicians (Richie Kotzen and Blues Saraceno notwithstanding). They put out some junk. But they also did at least three legitimately great hard rock albums, and Open Up and Say… Ahh! is one of them. Poison had good producers behind their best albums. Bruce Fairbairn, Richie Zito, and in this case, Tom Werman, who had plenty of experience getting great records out of mediocre musicians (and great ones too).
This 180 gram vinyl reissue, on red vinyl and spinning at 45 rpm, still sounds great. This was a good sounding album 1988 and this record spins well. The drum sound is a little synthetic sounding, but that was a common issue in the 80s. Rikki Rocket got a better snare sound later on in the 1990s. CC’s guitar is like an over-the-top Ace Frehley. Harsh with more of that 80s transistor amp sound, but actually not that bad on this album. Frehley was probably the model. Werman got a solid performance out of Bret Michaels, and layers the choruses with ample backing vocals, but just enough for sweetener.
The album was loaded with mostly good songs. Opening with the terrific riffing of “Love on the Rocks”, Poison started with a rocker, as if to prove a point. “She goes down slow, like a shot ‘o gin…” and 14 year old me had no idea what Bret was really signing about, so you have to give the lyricist credit for that. “You wanna taste my love, why don’t ya swallow this.” Well, maybe I did get the picture after all. Swallow This was the original album title, but cooler heads prevailed. It was later used as the title for Poison’s premature double-live.
Smash hit and first single “Nothin’ But A Good Time” is in the second position, exactly where it belongs, hitting it home immediately. The riff always struck me as something inspired by Kiss (“Deuce), but later on Kiss ripped off this song for one of their own (“Never Enough”). Although it’s bubblegum hard rock fun, there’s nothing wimpy about “Nothin’ But A Good Time”. “Back to the Rocking Horse” is a good track, a sort of Poison deep cut, as is the harmonica-laden “Good Love”. The first side ends with the darker “Tearin’ Down the Walls”. Songs like this show that Poison were more than the sum of the public’s perception. CC’s guitar solos speak. The lyrics may be shallow (coming home from the road for a good romp in bed), but there’s something about the music that is more than meets the ear.
Opening side two, “Look But You Can’t Touch” has a completely different vibe. A vicious CC riff kicks it off. We’ll ignore Bret’s ill-advised lyrics about plying an unwilling young woman with drink. Not cool, Bret! (I didn’t think so back in 1988 and I don’t think so now, so don’t come at me.) Great song otherwise, thanks to CC’s killer riff. As if to make up for the previous song, Poison got a bit serious on “Fallen Angel”. In the music video, a predatory manager played by actor Anthony James takes advantage of young girls heading to Hollywood looking for stardom. It’s a re-enactment of the lyrics: “She stepped off the bus out into the city streets, just a small town girl with her whole life packed in a suitcase by her feet.” Things gradually go bad, and Bret’s words serve as a warning. The song itself remains in the top Poison tracks of all time. It has it all: great riff, terrific chorus, strong verses, and another in a series of memorable CC guitar solos. He didn’t break new ground as a lead soloist, but like many that receive far more praise than he does, CD composes his solos. The one in “Fallen Angel” is like a mini-song inside a song.
“Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was respected in its time for being a bit further out in the acoustic direction than many bands were comfortable. “Too country!” said some. Bret was right on the money with this song, as time has shown. It didn’t take long (only three years) to become something of a pop culture phenomenon, being quoted in the second Bill & Ted film. You’ve heard it a million times, but it still stands as a good, well written and well performed ballad, with another great little CC solo.
The cover of “Your Mama Don’t Dance” was cute, and we’ve all heard it a million times now. It’s fun but at this point we don’t need to discuss it. We close on “Bad to be Good”, which actually focuses on Bobby Dall’s bass line as the main backbone of the song. Not to be ignored, listen to CC’s opening guitar licks. This is a fine song, but not an album cornerstone. Just a way to take the album out on a dark, sassy note.
One thing we always appreciated about Open Up And Say… Ahh! back in the 80s was that it came with ample photos on the lyric sheet. Though the cover was always garish and ugly, Poison gave you value when you bought their records.
JAN 3 2026: As revealed exclusively on the podcast Grab A Stack of Rock, BLOTTO will be releasing their documentary film Hello! My Name Is Blotto – The Movie on DVD and Blu-Ray in January of 2026. With details to be revealed at Blotto.net, the award-winning film by director Rob Lichter will be available on to-be-determined streaming platforms as well.
Beloved for hit songs such as “I Wanna Be A Lifeguard” and “Metal Head”, Blotto have a long history stretching back to the 19870s and the Star-Spangled Washboard Band. With vintage television footage and new interviews, the Blotto film will have you rolling on the floor in laughter, while wiping a tear now and then. It’s truly an entertaining and heartwarming story that will leave you feeling better after you watch it.
The physical release will be a current edit of the film, as it was revised periodically based on audience reactions. All the footage and more will be included in the bonus features.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA – Toronto Cast Recording featuring Paul Stanley (1999 Phantom Music bootleg CD You Can’t Escape His KISS)
Seeing Paul Stanley perform as the titular Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera was an experience I’ll never forget. It was fall, 1999. I remember hearing an ad on the radio on the way to work that the show was being extended due to popular demand – six more weeks! I remember jumping around at the Beat Goes On (Cambridge location) chanting “SIX MORE WEEKS! SIX MORE WEEKS!” I knew I wasn’t going to miss Paul as the Phantom. There were a lot of leather jackets in the audience. A few Kiss shirts. Not the usual Pantages crowd, but that’s what Paul did for Phantom of the Opera. He crossed barriers with it. A little later on, I was gifted a genuine Paul Stanley autograph from DJ Donnie D, who bumped into Paul on the streets of Toronto. I had a program, an autograph, and the live experience. All I needed was a CD of the show.
“They’d be stupid not to release a CD version of Phantom with Paul,” I reasoned. The London and Canadian cast CD releases were bestsellers for us, despite their prices. A Paul Stanley release would cross over to the rock crowd. An official CD never came, but fortunately somebody in the audience was recording one of of those shows, and bootlegged it. The date is unlisted, the CD says “Made in Japan” while the sleeve says “Printed in USA”. (The number on the CD, 27/110/99 does not refer to a date as the ended on Oct 31 1999.) This CD bootleg was gifted all the way from Australia, by the Mad Metal Man Harrison Kopp, who knew I had been seeking it a long time. From Canada to Australia and back to Canada again.
A single CD release with unrelated bonus tracks, this disc focuses on the musical numbers that involved Paul and skips the rest. This is probably sufficient for Kiss fans.
Being an audience recording, quality is all subjective. There is some tape warble, which may or may not hinder your enjoyment. There are people coughing in the audience; the usual sonic flaws. You can clearly hear that Melissa Dye, Paul’s co-star playing Christine, is a professional while Paul is not. He often resorts to a “rock frontman” voice to exclaim certain lines. However, Paul also does an admirable job. His tenor voice was no longer at its peak in 1999. He was still up to the task, insofar as a rock star goes. A tenor like Paul would never have made it to the starring role without his name marquee value. That doesn’t actually matter when you consider that Paul helmed this show from May to October, to positive reviews. Of course, there is more to it than just singing. There is also the acting; the stage performance in costume and makeup. You don’t get to see that here, but I can assure that Paul knew something about performing to music on stage in costume and makeup. He brought the same bombast to the physical role as he did the vocal part.
The most memorable musical moments on this CD are the “Phantom of the Opera” and “Music of the Night”, which most people will be familiar with. Paul’s performance on both is a knockout. This bootleg recording serves as a reminder that Paul might have been an unorthodox Phantom, but he was still capable, and did the job well…even if you can hear the Kiss frontman in him, from time to time.
The track list on the back of the CD is incorrect. There are 25 tracks total, provided below. The bonus material includes four of the 1989 Paul Stanley solo demos: “When 2 Hearts Collide”, “Don’t Let Go”, “Best Man For You” and the familiar “Time Traveler”. These are followed by a 1978 interview in seven parts. An odd potpouri of bonus material to be sure, but such is the liberty of bootleg recordings.
“When 2 Hearts Collide” belies the late 80s recording date with its ballady keyboard direction. It sounds like a Journey ballad, but it wouldn’t have done Kiss much good back then, when fans were tiring of ballads. Good chorus and would probably benefit from a quality official release so we can really appreciate Paul’s singing. “Don’t Let Go” is another ballad, but more in that “power ballad” mold, with a blaring chorus. Just like every band was doing in 1989. It could have been a hit, or it could have been forgotten. Either way, Paul should do his own “Vault” release and get this stuff out there in better quality. “Best Man For You” is, you guessed it, a ballad. It sounds like something related to “Reason to Believe” from Crazy Nights. Fortunately, the last and best song “Time Traveler” did get an official release on the Kiss Box Set. This one actually rocks! In that late 80s way, with a drum machine thudding away where you wish it was Eric Carr. The tape sounds slightly sped up from the official release. (It happens when it’s tape-based bootlegs.)
Finally the 1978 Paul interviews aren’t too action-packed. They lack the question portions of the recordings. The subject is Paul’s 1978 solo album, and what Paul was looking to accomplish. (Sing more, apparently!) He was also hoping to appeal to all Kiss fans, and new fans too. He also hopes that none of the four solo albums would disappoint the fans. That didn’t happen, but then there is some praise for the late great Bob Kulick and the other players on the record. He also prophesizes that one day, Kiss will become an institution. Was he right? In total, it’s 8 and a half minutes of interview.
A worthwhile purchase if you can find a copy. There isn’t much in terms of 1999 Phantom recordings out there, and this might be the best of them.
3/5 stars, balancing collectability and sound quality. Still a must for Paul fans.
1. Overture
2. Angel Of Music / The Mirror / Phantom of the Opera
3. Music of the Night
4. I Remember / Stranger Than You Dreamt It
5. The Phantom’s Instructions
6. The Phantom Threats
7. The Phantom Attacks
8. All I Ask Of You
9. Masquerade
10. Wandering Child
11. Let My Opera Begin
12. The Point of No Return / All I Ask Of You
13. Down Once More
14. Finale
15. Paul Stanley – When 2 Hearts Collide
16. Paul Stanley – Don’t Let Go
17. Paul Stanley – Best Man For You
18. Paul Stanley – Time Traveler
19. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 1
20. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 2
21. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 3
22. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 4
23. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 5
24. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 6
25. Paul Stanley Interview 1978 Pt. 7
This great, forgotten Union live album should be added to the collections of any fans of John Corabi or Bruce Kulick. Packed with great songs from Union, Motley Crue, Kiss, the Scream, and even Cheap Trick and the Beatles, this live album delivers on every level. 11 tracks live, plus two bonus studio songs. Power to the music indeed!
There are no specifics about recording dates, but regardless the album has been well sequenced, opening with Union’s own album opener, “Old Man Wise”. Very much a continuation of the Motley and Kiss albums of 1994 and 1997 respectively. Mix them up with riff and groove sauce, you’d get something like “Old Man Wise”. Bruce’s playing is always fascinating and “Crabby” was in top voice. Grit and power are the words of the day. This song pounds, and Bruce absolutely rules. We go straight into the equally grooving but more upbeat “Around Again”. Union had an excellent self-titled album out at the time, and it makes up the bulk of the album. Fortunately the band’s original songs set a high bar. Bruce Kulick doesn’t put out crap. A third song from the debut, “Heavy D…” might be called a ballad, but really it’s a quiet song with heavy parts. Or is it a heavy song with quiet parts? It is performed with gusto in either guise.
“We’re gonna do something from Carnival of Souls! This is called the ‘Jungle’, baby!” Then Jamie Hunting comes in with that rolling bassline, originally played on album by Bruce himself. Kulick’s past with Kiss makes an appearance on “Jungle”, a song Kiss never performed live, so quite a treat. John Corabi’s spin on a Paul Stanley vocal is full of raspy power yet still appropriate. Hearing this makes one wish that Kiss did have the balls to play it live.
That’s a lot of heavy rock in a row, and to lighten the mood, it’s the Union original “Love (I Don’t Need It Anymore)”, which is dedicated to a certain someone who was involved with a current event in the news at the time. It’s a little more upbeat, a little more “Motley” and absolutely one of the best Union songs from the debut. The chorus kills like a classic from Dr. Feelgood. Corabi then takes us back to his earliest catalogue, The Scream’s “Man In the Moon”. The Scream were a sort of musician’s super group, featuring Bruce Bouillet and John Alderete from Racer X. The Scream was more mainstream than that. This is a melodic rocker with a bluesy twist, and the band do a slamming job of it.
Bruce Kulick takes center stage on another Kiss song that was never played live, and his vocal debut: “I Walk Alone”, which he wrote with Gene Simmons. It begins with a short, Zeppelin-esque guitar exercise from Bruce. As for the vocals, you gotta give Bruce credit for not going back and fixing things. This is Kulick’s voice raw and exposed and imperfect and yet…perfect for the album. In many ways, this is better than the Kiss version, as Bruce adds a really sweet guitar outro.
A fun unexpected cover next: Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”! The backing vocal abilities of the entire band enable them to easily pull this off. You’d look at it on paper and scratch your head a bit, but it’s short work for these pros. It’s all about the vocals.
A dramatic “Pain Behind Your Eyes” brings to the stage another soft/hard hybrid with wicked drumming and vocals. However this is just a prelude to one of the heaviest Motley Crue songs ever: “Power to the Music”. Corabi takes center stage doing some screamin’ and preachin’ to the crowd. The demanding song is handled ably by Corabi, seemingly relishing playing this awesome song live on the stage again. They probably would have blown Motley off the stage doing the same song.
After some band intros, we get some Kulick solo wailing right into the final song “Tangerine”. Nothing like the Zeppelin song, this is a riff-rocking groover with excellent melodic delivery by John Corabi. Union were a melodic band, but John’s approach added the grit and grime that is like rock candy going down. This song slays with a resilient groovy riff.
Bonus studio tracks are two: an acoustic rendering of “October Morning Wind” from the debut, and a Beatles cover that blows away the more well know Oasis version. First up though, the rich acoustics of “October Morning Wind” really bring warmth to a cold subject. “My pain is measured by a sky that is old and grey,” sings John in a song that may well be about seasonal affective disorder. Then, the Beatles cover is handled with ease. “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” benefits from similar acoustic warmth. It sounds live in the studio, and again the lead and backing vocals make it work seemingly without effort!
Union really made a strong impression with their first two releases, the debut and the live album. Was it too soon for a live album? When you look at the setlist, absolutely not. They had enough material with which to build a very strong set of songs, needing only one true cover (the Cheap Trick song). The bonus acoustic tracks are icing.
My old friend and collaborator Tommy Morais passed away in 2024, but miraculously, I found this 2015 email from him. It contained a complete review of Twisted Sister’s Love Is For Suckers album that we never published, and a memorial for Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero, who had recently died. I am please to finally publish this final review that Tommy sent me to post. Rest in peace Tommy.
TWISTED SISTER – Love Is For Suckers (1987 Atlantic)
by Tommy Morais – written March 28, 2015
“The ‘Soft & Filler’ album…” Bought in 2012 in France for something like 17 euros!
Twisted Sister’s fifth and final studio album Love Is For Suckers (unless you count the band’s 2004 Still Hungry, a collection of re-recordings of Stay Hungry) is one that tends to divide people. Some hardcore fans dismiss it as too pop and lacking much substance, while others have a soft spot for it and thought it was an enjoyable release at the time. There’s some claims to be made about both opinions. The main problem with with Love Is For Suckers is that it really isn’t a Twisted Sister album. “Wake Up The Sleeping Giant” is deceiving in that it almost sounds like classic TS. Yet only Dee Snider as an original member remains, and then there’s Joey “Seven” Franco who was in the current lineup on drums. It really should have been a Dee Snider solo album which is what it was intended as and truly was, but instead the record company pressured this to be released as a Twisted Sister album.
Then it is plagued by a few big issues, besides the absence of the classic lineup. Did you ever see Reb Beach and Kip Winger receiving credits on a Twisted Sister album? Well, they played on this. Probably not a happy thought for most Twisted Sister fans, as it ended up taking an ultimately softer and a more pop direction. Then you have to consider that it may have been competitive and cutting edge in 1987, but Love ls For Suckers has not held up well with time. Also for an album title that claims love “sucks”, it’s ironic that most of these songs are well… love songs.
What’s with the drum sound?! The songs are wimpy but with a thunderous, big drum sound which leads to question that maybe Joey was a good drummer who ended up playing on the wrong album. The production by Beau Hill is about what you’d expect, very “1987” and time has not been too kind to its sound.
Opener “Wake Up The Sleeping Giant” is misleading. 1) It sounds like Twisted Sister and 2) It’s the best song on the album, and it leads you to think (and hope) the rest may be up to this standard. “Hot Love” was and is a great candy rock piece tailored for 1987; cheesy but fun and a good overall choice of single. It’s one of the most memorable songs (remember the video that went along?). The title track is actually not a bad rocker at all, it’s consistent as Snider does a good vocal performance and it’s somewhat catchy. This is where the album takes a slide in the quality department with “l’m So Hot For You” and “Me And The Boys” (this one especially is embarrassing) being generic filler tracks that halt any momentum the album had going for it. Sandwiched in between those songs is the slightly better rocker “Tonight” which showcases some aggression; not a bad tune at all. “One Bad Habit” is more filler material. “I Want This Night To Last Forever” has a Van Hagar feel to it, especially during the chorus but is nothing to write home about either. “You’re All That l Need” tried to be a big power ballad but it failed during the chorus, even though it had a nice build up. The keyboards prevent it from being a strong ballad like “The Price”, and as a result it sounds a little too soft and thin. The closing “Yeah Right” ends thing on a more positive note. It’s a solid upbeat rocker and one of the heaviest songs on an album that could’ve used more songs of this calibre.
I own the remastered version with four extra songs. “Statuary Date” is the worst of the bunch. “Feel Appeal” is better than some of the songs that made it onto the actual album, it’s more straight up rock and a little catchier. “I Will Win” is rocking but the chorus doesn’t get it right; close but no cigar. “If That’s What You Want” became “Me And The Boys” although it’s earlier incarnation was stronger and had better lyrics. If you ask me this version should’ve made the album instead!
There you have it. Any way you slice it, Love Is For Suckers is definitely, without a doubt, the worst Twisted Sister album. It suffers from the production, is full of fillers and it doesn’t feature Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza, A.J Pero (who left before this was released), even though the liner notes say they were a part of it (minus Pero, replaced by Joey Franco). The first two songs, and the album cover, are the only things that are truly memorable about LIFS. The rest is really unfocused and sub-par. Twisted Sister’s decline had already begun with their previous effort, 1985’s Come Out And Play which would show cracks of the band’s implosion, but this one was a commercial disappointment failing to reach gold status or chart successfully. Simply put, Twisted Sister was no longer a band at this point and the album did nothing to stop them from breaking up and was quite frankly just not very good.
It was grade six. I was 11 years old, and it was the Friday before a holiday, which meant the whole class got to do nothing but chill and watch a movie. For the rest of the day our teachers let us hang out and do nothing. We each brought pop, chips or both to share. One of my friends Maxime brought one of his dad’s CDs. That CD? Twisted Sister’s greatest hits. He asked the teacher if he could play it for us, and the rest is history. I was introduced to my first taste of Hard Rock and Metal. I distinctively remember telling one of my friends “this is not bad huh?”, to which he agreed. I glanced at the album cover. It said “Twisted Sister Big Hits & Nasty Cuts“. Then l proceeded to tell Maxime that this (ugly) “girl band” was pretty good. I wasn’t familiar with Glam/Hair/80’s metal at that point and even less so with the look. Truth is l had been exposed to some AC/DC, Loverboy and Metallica prior to that but this was the first time it really clicked. Maybe it was just just the right age, the right time. There you have it, Twisted Sister was the first band I recall really taking a liking to. From then on l discovered my dad and his brother’s LPs and played them on the turntable (I remember digging the first Van Halen a lot). I definitely have a soft spot for Twisted Sister.
It is with sadness that I learned of longtime drummer and classic lineup member A.J. Pero’s unfortunate passing. Pero was a crucial part of the band and its sound, and a great drummer too. I approached Mike about maybe doing something Twisted Sister related on his blog to which he was very enthusiastic. I wanted to review something AJ played on, like Come Out And Play as l plan to review all of TS’s material in the upcoming days, but with time restraints l had to settle for my (still brand new) Love ls For Suckers. The band has said that were to make some big announcement next week. One can only assume that it is regarding Twisted Sister’s future as a band. Jay Jay said on social media that they were already thinking about hanging it up prior to Pero’s passing. Then Dee Snider said it would be profitable to the Pero family if the band kept playing and that they were thinking about winding down in 2016 for the band’s 40th anniversary. I’m not against them continuing performing live and going out on a final tour to honour AJ and the anniversary of the band just as l am not opposed to the band calling it quits. I have a feeling they’ll at least play a few more shows and maybe do one last concert CD/DVD (that would be cool). Rest in peace A.J., the rock world lost a great drummer.
GEDDY LEE – My Favourite Headache (2000 Atlantic, 2024 Anthem reissue)
As a Rush fan, Geddy Lee’s solo album My Favourite Headache never quite clicked. The lyrics seemed inferior and the music immemorable. In 2024, Geddy reissued the album with two bonus demo tracks. This is a perfect time to revisit the album and see if time has been kinder than I was in my original review. It has been a number of years since last listen; perhaps even a decade.
The phrase “my favourite headache” means making music to Geddy Lee. The art of crafting songs is a headache, but he would not trade it for the world. That is what the title means. For historical context, this album was made when Rush were on a serious hiatus. Neil Peart was dealing with tragic loss and nobody knew if the band would ever reunite, including Neil. From that soil grew My Favourite Headache, which Geddy recorded with drummers Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, and Jeremy Taggart of Our Lady Peace (on one song). Geddy plays the lion’s share of instruments with Ben Mink and other guests also contributing.
As it should, “My Favourite Headache” opens with some heavy bass, Geddy’s fingers flying. Then, it degenerates into a dissonant and hard guitar riff with throws the listener for a loop: it’s not at all like Rush. It might be the bass player and singer from Rush, but this does not sound like Rush. Which is good; which is the point. It takes a moment to adjust. “My Favourite Headache” slows to a lush section with piano, violins and violas by Mink. The lyrics are fascinating. “I watch TV, what do you want from me?” There is a lot to unpack here now that Geddy is able to express himself verbally in his music.
More Rush-like is “The Present Tense”, a song about living in the now. It bounces from heavy choruses to softer acoustic verses, which is perhaps a different approach from a Rush one. Perhaps by doing something more streamlined, Geddy wrote a catchier song here. His bass sings full, but not over-dominant. Cameron is an apt companion on drums; while not attempting to play like Peart, he is more than capable of navigating the tricky changes and fills.
“Window to the World” has a more exotic feel in its light chords, and Geddy uses his bass to deliver some delightful trills and hooks. It has some of those jarring dissonant guitars from the title track, but not as prominent. This song is melodic, largely easy to digest, and it delightfully careens from soft to hard, with interesting keyboard textures.
Heavier is “Working on Perfekt”. This might be the most enticing of all Geddy’s songs. Tense verses are broken by a sparser chorus. Electronic sounds aside, this is a very Rush-like song. You can almost image what Alex and Neil would do with it, but as Geddy’s song, it is rich in tones and deep, tense hooks.
“Runaway Train” is one of the brightest, most upbeat songs. Mink’s keys and violins add a light, airy feel above Geddy’s hammering bass. His playing is always eloquent and entertaining, if you choose to focus on the bass. Between the electronics and Mink’s rich contributions, there is a lot you can listen to. Or just enjoy the song. It’s a good one. Perhaps I misjudged this album before.
The first mistep might be “The Angels’ Share”, which some may love, but fails to launch for me. It’s a lighter song, but Geddy’s bass ensures it’s like lead. Ben Mink provides some really interesting soloing and backing, but the song itself never quite takes off. In hindsight it sounds like Clockwork Angels-era Rush. While we are in this perceived rut, Geddy throws his worst lyric out in the next song: “Say goodbye to suburbia, you don’t have to cut the lawn.” That’s from “Moving to Bohemia”, which is actually a pretty catchy song. It’s pretty upbeat for this album, and Geddy’s bass playing is at its most thumping.
Geddy turns up the funk on the magnificently weird “Home on the Strange” (with Taggart on drums). What the hell is this? It’s crazy, it’s like Geddy pulled out all funkiest records in his collection and combined them. The lyrics here are also quite fun: “He’s a Canadian icon, he sleeps with his clothes on.” Is it autobiographical? “And he don’t like change, you may think he’s deranged, but he’d rather be home, home on the strange.” Once you get used to its groove, this song won’t let go.
Back to the light, with “Slipping”, which relies on acoustics and piano for a gliding kind of feeling. This is followed by “Still”, which is unusually sparse and simple. An acoustic ballad, with an upbeat tempo, it’s a beautiful song. It certainly sounds autobiographical. “Still halfway up that hill, my fingers may bleed but I’ve got to get there still.” This song strikes me as the best, musically and lyrically, on the album. Strange that it never jumped out at me before.
Closer “Grace to Grace” remains an exceptional song, and one that really ends the album on familiar territory. A burning guitar and driving bass are the focus, as if to say “Hey guys, I’m always going to rock. Thanks for joining me on this trip. Here’s a song I think you’ll like.”
Of course, on this new reissue, Geddy treats us to two previously unreleased demo versions. If you haven’t bought the album before, you may as well go for this edition. True, I usually criticize albums for being a bit on the long side, and My Favourite Headache is a bit long, but demo bonus tracks are added value that you don’t have to include if you just want to listen to the “album” for the experience. There doesn’t seem to be any recording information about these two demos, “My Favourite Headache” and “Home on the Strange”. These are full realized arrangements, though without all the vocals. “My Favourite Headache” might surpass the album track for its live sounding rawness. Maybe it should have been an instrumental with only a chorus? The demo is great. Same with “Home on the Strange”. These tracks are worth the listen, and the re-buy.
Ultimately, My Favourite Headache requires the listener to set aside any thoughts of Rush, no matter how much Geddy and his bass will always sound like Rush. It’s a challenge, but once you get there, it is easier to appreciate the songs and the experiment. It takes time to absorb, as it is actually a very dense production, even for Geddy. Ben Mink’s contributions are priceless textures that help transport yourself away from a Rush mindset. Listen to those; focus on Mink and appreciation will come.
3.5/5 stars
Check out my autographed copy of My Favourite Headache by clicking the thumbnail.
Check out Grant Arthur and Davey Cretin as they get this album all wrong on the Warehaus tonight. 8 PM EST June 23 2025
Fresh in today’s mail, it is the latest KISS Off the Soundboard CD, Asylum Tour 1985, in Texas!
“But Mike,” you query. “I thought that was a vinyl exclusive, and I thought it sold out too.”
True, it was a stupid coloured 3 LP set, exclusive to the KISS store, and now sold out except in bundles with a shirt.
The Japanese record company said いいえ and issued it on CD anyway. They did a smashing job of it! Some fans received a free sticker; I did not. Inside the cardboard gatefold sleeve was a mini KISS poster, and 2 CDs, each one within its own plastic sleeve within its own printed paper sleeve. The design for this album was a little different from the previous five in that this time there is a picture on the outer cover.
The CD sounds great, and it’s classic fastfastfast 80s Kiss with the unforgettable Eric Carr on drums. That’s why you only see CD 2 in this photo. CD 1 is in the deck! This could have been released officially in 1985.
On the weekend I had the pleasure of doing a show with D’Arcy Briggs from the YouTube channel @darcyska. The topic was the recently reviewed Sing the Sorrow by A.F.I., which D’Arcy recently picked up thrifting as well. With this happy coincidence, we sat down and reviewed the album. It turns out we mostly agreed when we split it down track by track.
Check out this fun review, and a lot of praise for an album you should get!
mikeladano.com 