THE DARKNESS – Easter is Cancelled(2019 Canary Dwarf, Japanese release)
I’m baffled. I’m truly baffled this time, and I’ve followed The Darkness through thick and thin! From brightest days to darkest nights. From Stone Gods to Hot Leg. And for the first time, The Darkness have thrown me for a loop.
Easter is Cancelled sounds like their rock opera, their big concept album, with gentle acoustics turning into loud bombast. It looks brilliant on paper, but in practice it sounds more like Tenacious D. That’s it — this isn’t a Darkness album. This is what the D should have released instead of whatever Post-Apocalypto was.
Where I used to shout with glee as one gleaming riff gave way to another and then another, now I hear only fragments. Only portions of great tunes, not completely brilliant tracks front to back. The top track is actually one of the bonus songs, called “Different Eyes”. The guitar work on Easter Is Cancelled is consistently stunning, at least.
This review has been painfully hard to write. I take no pleasure in this. It took months of agonising to get here. I don’t want to hate The Darkness. I want to embrace them — all four of them! — with open arms and heart. Perhaps one day, I will again. With all due apologies to Justin, Dan, Frankie and Rufus, this one wasn’t for me.
2/5 stars
I would be neglecting my rock and roll duty if I didn’t report on the Japanese bonus track, “Dancing House”. It’s only a minute long and it’s…umm…about people dropping in for a party. It sounds like bad B-52’s. Really bad B-52’s. I cannot discern its purpose or reason to exist.
For a few albums starting with their fourth record Disillusion, Loudness began recording English lyrics for outside Japan. For the Japanese versions, the lyrics are a mixture of both languages with the choruses usually sung in English. Whichever version you hear, Disillusion will satisfy your craving for memorable heavy riffs, brilliant vocals, and incredible guitar shredding.
Guitarist Akira Takasaki was considered the Japanese Eddie Van Halen and you can hear why on Disillusion. Though Loudness are heavier than Van Halen, Takasaki employs techniques similar to King Edward. Disillusion opens with the thunderous “Crazy Doctor”, on which you can hear the Van Halen chords loud and clear, though the track sounds more like heavier vintage Dokken. As outstanding as Akira is, also unmistakable is singer Minoru Niihara. The original Loudness frontman could really sing with all the necessary panache and metal inflection.
The opening guitar shreddery on the speed metal “Esper” recalls St. Edward once again, but Loudness could have given Metallica a run for their money on this one. Completely over the top! A number of fans think that Loudness softened their sound when they released their American major label debut Thunder in the East in ’85. You can understand why they think that when you hear “Esper”. However this is a balanced album, and the more melodic “Butterfly” slows things down so you can catch your breath. Unfortunately “Butterfly” is the closest thing to a mistep on this otherwise brilliant disc.
There’s a Maiden-y vibe to “Revelation” circa Piece of Mind, but not just because of the name. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Loudness were influenced by Maiden. We do know that both Loudness and Maiden were influenced by Deep Purple so there might be some convergent evolution going on.
The parallels to Sir Edward continue on side two with an instrumental called “Erupt…” err, sorry, it’s called “Exploder”. Whatever the similarities, Takasaki is an enticing guitar player and he came to public attention exactly when this kind of playing was most popular. “Exploder” blows away most of the competition. Only a handful of players could do stuff like this and they usually had names like “Rhoads” and “Halen”.
Vocals return on “Dream Fantasy”, another blazing hot metal extravaganza, with solid chorus intact. It’s worth noting that Takasaki was not alone in musical excellence. Drummer Munetaka Higuchi (R.I.P.) was a heavy-hitter who could thrash it up and come up with interesting fills. Masayoshi Yamashita has a knack for a busy, melodic bassline, though mostly holds down the fort so Akira can fly.
“Milky Way” boasts a cool, smoother style of riff and another exemplary Minoru Niihara chorus. It’s a challenging arrangement with different rhythms and textures. Loudness were not simply banging out metal riffs for your rock and roll crazy nights. They were stretching the boundaries of their abilities, playing intelligent metal like the Scorpions and Priest did in the 70s. But they also weren’t afraid of getting down n’ dirty, as they do on “Satisfaction Guaranteed”. Though you can’t tell without the lyric sheet, it’s the only song that is completely sung in English. It’s not the lyrics, but the riff that will hook you. Note the passing Maiden-esque gallop.
This version of Disillusion concludes with an epic “Ares’ Lament”. It’s a cross between early Maiden and Scorpions with a touch of darkness, with a long shadowy outro reminiscent of “Child in Time”. It’s a brilliant end to a pretty stunning album.
Disillusion is not immediate, except for “Crazy Doctor” which will hook you at first listen. It’s a busy record, so you need to give it a couple proper listens to let the riffs and hooks come to the fore. Once they do, you will uncover many elements of pleasure in the grooves within. It sounds uncompromised and is more unique than the albums that followed. It’s a fine example of metal forged in integrity.
The first great album of 2020 is upon us. Brighton Rock guitarist extraordinaire Greg Fraser has returned to the recording studio and emerged with Storm Force, a hot new band born out of the roots of the 80s.
I am hesitant to do a full-on “review” of Storm Force just yet. Why? It’s simple really. Some albums sound as if purposesly concocted for certain environments. I sense that Storm Force is going to sound bloody perfect this summer in the car with the windows down. In fact, I cannot wait to do it that way. I think this album demands it. Just like certain hard rock classics of the past just sound better on a warm afternoon on the highway.
Though the band has no weak links, it’s important to single out the strength of vocalist Patrick Gagliardi. His power and range is reminiscent of singers such as Jack Russell and Axl Rose. There’s grit, soul and there are vocal acrobatics aplenty. Whether he’s singing a ballad or screaming a road-burner, Patrick is on point!
It cannot go unsaid that Greg Fraser has pulled some killer riffs out of the bag. These are classic hard rock riffs, and would have been at home on any Brighton Rock record from 1987-1991. Not to mention his lead work is still fantastic. Frase has a recognizable style and you can hear it on Age of Fear.
You won’t find a weak track inside, and they run the entire range that a hard rock album should. Closer “Ringside” is burning hot metal, but “Marshall Law” has a vibe akin to Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”. For a commercial “rock single”, check out “Because of You” which pushes all the buttons. “Different Roads” features piano like a classic Aeroballad from 1987. Hard to pick a favourite among these great tunes.
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY – “Seven Days” (1995 Sony promo CD single)
COC’s landmark album Deliverance spawned three singles, the least known of which was “Seven Days”. The promo CD single contains a rarity that makes it worth tracking down. It’s not expensive, and thanks to online stores not hard to find.
Deliverance is a heavy album even with a few slower songs on board. “Seven Days” is one such track. A slow, heavy dirge can often make for a good single. This CD has two versions, the full-length album cut and a shorter single edit with a truncated fade-out.
The special track here is a “jam box tape” of “Fuel”, a track that was as yet unreleased. COC recorded it properly for their next album, Wiseblood. This early version is an identical arrangement, but way way more ragged. Pepper sounds like James Hetfield on this one, but it has far more balls than the Metallica song of the same name. Total smokeshow. This is the proverbial “song you buy the single for.”
Gre-ea-easy! That’s how the molton hot guitars sound on this landmark album. Greasy, in the most complimentary way. Six-stringers Woody Weatherman and Pepper Keenan have a way of making their guitar licks sound slippery and heavy at the same time.
Corrosion of Conformity (“COC”) did something really smart when they set out to record this album. After the departure of bassist Phil Swisher and singer Karl Agell (who both turned up later in Leadfoot), they promoted Pepper Keenan to lead vocals, and brought back founding member Mike Dean on bass. Pepper scored a hit for COC last time out with a lead vocal on “Vote With a Bullet”, so it was a logical move. As for Mike Dean, his punk roots and busy bass are important to the sound of this band. Dean was also COC’s vocalist from time to time in the past, and gets a lead vocal once again on the title track.
The resulting album Deliverance is 14 tracks (give or take an instrumental or two) of heavy, dirty metal they way they make it in Raleigh, North Carolina. Pepper’s vocals lent them a southern edge. Metallica are fans — Pep auditioned for them on bass when Newsted left the band. (What a sound Metallica could have had, with James Hetfield backed up by Pepper Keenan on vocals!)
Regardless of who’s singing or playing, COC nailed all 14 songs. None of the proverbial “filler”. This is one hell of a trip, an album that demands to be listened to from start to finish, no skipping. John Custer’s crisp and chunky production brought out the metal side more than ever.
“Help me Jesus, help me clean my wounds. He said he cannot heal that kind.”
Check out the choppy riff on the single “Clean My Wounds”. The song is a tour-de-force, a textbook example of all the right ingredients. The riff is outstanding, but the verse and chorus melodies slay. Drummer Reed Mullin has a spare groove, but he knows exactly when to accent it with some heavy hitting. The multi-tracked vocal in the chorus (“Knock it down!”) is the perfect fit, but the Lizzy-ish guitar solos are an additional layer of perfection.
Another key track, “Albatross” is too heavy to be a ballad so let’s call it a dirge. You can hear what Mike Dean brings to the table — a slinky, Geezer style of bass that provides subliminal melody. “Albatross” flies on the wings of a strong melody and heavy performance. It has a vibe similar to “Outshined” by Soundgarden but more mournful.
The aforementioned instrumentals are integral parts of the album. Remember how a Black Sabbath album had key instrumental bits, usually introducing another song? That’s what COC do here. “Without Wings”, a dark acoustic guitar figure, leads into the heavy-as-fuck “Broken Man” exactly like a Sabbath song. Later on, “#2121313”, an electric guitar piece, is joined directly onto “My Grain”. “Mano de Mono”, another acoustic piece, is basically the front end of “Seven Days”, a mid-paced groove single.
Speaking of “My Grain”, it’s the most punk rock track, but even so it features a kickass bass solo! Other noteworthy tracks include the wah-wah inflected title track (Mike Dean on vocals). Jittery, jumpy riffs dominate “Señor Limpio”, another blistering blitz. Finally there is “Pearls Before Swine”, the slowest and bluesiest of the tracks and a seriously heavy closer.
Corrosion of Conformity have made some good (albeit very different) albums over the years, but like many bands they have a clear peak. That is Deliverance, the one perfect album they made.
“I was the one who talked about the other man, I thought he was my friend but you had other plans!” – Loudness
GETTING MORE TALE #815: Let It Go
The first time I saw Loudness on the Pepsi Power Hour, I was hooked. I can remember being fascinated by Japanese culture for a long time, but Loudness made it deeper, because now I had Japanese heavy metal to be interested in.
“Rock and roll Crazy Nights!” sang the quartet. “You are the hero, tonight!” Sounded cool to me. I was 13.
Minoru Niihara on MuchMusic, 1986
The Power Hour didn’t play a lot of Loudness, just two songs. “Crazy Nights” was the first, but by 1986 the band were becoming more Americanized. “Let It Go”, the only other video they played, was a real attempt to crack the US market. I was an instant fan. Contrived or not, “Let It Go” is one of the ultimate 80s rock anthems.
Some brief Loudness history is in order. Akira Takasaki, lead guitar, is the Eddie Van Halen of Loudness. He formed the band and is the only member to play on all the albums. He and drummer Munetaka Higuchi came from an earlier band called Lazy, named after the Deep Purple single. Lazy was far more pop rock and Takasaki, a true virtuoso, was dissatisfied. Metal was growing in Japan. Soon Masayoshi Yamashita had joined on bass, and the band just needed a singer. Minoru Niihara of Earthshaker to the rescue. Within months they had a debut album: 1981’s The Birthday Eve.
The band recorded four albums in Japanese. But the fourth, Disillusion had an English version recorded as well. This led to their breakthrough Thunder in the East, released on Atco in the US. The opening track was “Crazy Nights”, which led to video play. And that’s how I came on board.
“M-Z-A!”
“You, come to see the show, well we’re gonna rock and roll you!” I never ask too much lyrically of any band whose second language is English. Still, “Crazy Nights” was about as good as the American rock of the 80s. Niihara’s accent is thick but this only adds to the appeal. The music, compared to their earlier Japanese albums, is toned down, more mainstream. But it’s still clearly heavy metal. The emphasis is on the riff.
Also important is the image. Despite the cultural differences, Loudness still looked cool to American audiences. When everybody else (cough cough Iron Maiden) were wearing rising sun T-shirts, these guys were actually from the rising sun! Their stage moves also translated perfectly. And check out Takasaki’s metal-plated guitar. He understood the kind of visual flash that he needed. His outfit matched, but Vince Neil was not amused. When Loudness opened for the Crue, Takasaki was ordered to wear a different top. His was too similar to Shout-era Motley.
But what’s with that strange chant, “M-Z-A”? According to Niihara, he didn’t have lyrics in place for that section, and on the guide vocal just sang random sounds, “M-Z-A”. It made the album, and puzzled fans the world over!
Like Thunder in the East, the followup album Lightning Strikes was produced by Max Norman. Under Norman, the band recorded “Let It Go”, their most commercial song yet and one that will stick with me for life.
In 1986 I had mono, and I was housebound for weeks and weeks on end, except for doctor’s appointments. I sat in the basement recording MuchMusic videos, and “Let It Go” was early in that batch. To me, Loudness had never looked or sounded cooler. I thought Niihara was really slick in that suit jacket. The image was clearly toned down to “hard rock” from “heavy metal”, but the new casual-looking Loudness also appeared more natural. The video even showed the construction of a guitar (Takasaki’s), the likes of which I had never seen before. When I was well enough, Bob came over and watched all the videos I taped. He loved “Let It Go” too.
“It’s Godzilla!”
I continued to love the song into adulthood, partly because of the lyrics. They were almost autobiographical!
I was the one who talked about the other man, I thought he was my friend, but you had other plans, I just can’t take that chance, There ain’t no looking back, Just a victim of circumstance, I helped you fall in love so, Let It Go!
That happened to me! I did tell her about the other man. They totally would not have met if it wasn’t for me. Fuckin’ hell! Niihara knew my pain before I even did! What about the rest of the words?
Driving to the top of the city, Drive until I reach the view, Where we used to try and see, Our dream come true.
There was this one location where you could park the car and just look down at the city. I did this sometimes when I was feeling romantic, or alone and feeling down.
Stop the car, light a cigarette, Fill the air with the radio, And there’s nothing I can do, But think of you.
I never smoked a cigarette in my life; I wish I could just delete that line! Otherwise, everything so far is bang on.
When I dial your telephone number, It’s like you’re never home, But I know it isn’t true, What’s he doing with you?
Oh man. So many times. So many times.
They almost could have called this “The Love Life of Young Mike”! That’s one way a song you like can stick with you for life. Today I just really like the music. “Let It Go” has all the right stuff. Brilliant riff, great verses and chorus, and a well-composed melodic guitar solo. It’s literally the perfect hard rock song.
Loudness with Mike Vescera
What happened next to Loudness? They made one more album with Niihara called Hurricane Eyes, with Eddie Kramer producing. It failed to have an impact, and Takasaki was convinced to hire on an American vocalist. It seemed to be the only option, to grab that brass ring of success. After one more EP (Jealousy, released only in Japan), Minoru Niihara was let go. He was replaced by Obsession’s Mike Vescera for two albums. “You Shook Me” from 1989’s Soldier of Fortune gained some video play. Ultimately though, Mike had to make a go of it with Yngwie Malmsteen, with whom he recorded the excellent Seventh Sign album.
Like many metal bands, in the 90s Loudness faced an identity crisis. Bassist Yamashita departed, and Mike Vescera was replaced by former E-Z-O lead singer Masaki Yamada. E-Z-O had two US-released albums, and some name recognition due to a Gene Simmons produced record. Releasing albums in Japan, Loudness carried on after original drummer Munetaka Huguchi departed as well. The band experimented musically and lyrically, with Eastern and nu-metal influences, like the song “Dogshit” from 1998’s Dragon.
Loudness with Masaki Yamada
Takasaki kept Loudness going while also taking care of a very busy solo career. Through the 1990s, Loudness made five albums with Yamada singing, all released only in Japan.
Ultimately, though Yamada was an ideal replacement, he could never be the original. He suggested that Loudness reunite their classic lineup for their 20th anniversary, and so it happened. Akira Takasaki, Minoru Niihara, Masayoshi Yamashita and Munetaka Higuchi reformed the classic lineup, and proved it was not just a one-off. They continued to crank out new albums starting with 2001’s Spiritual Canoe, losing no momentum. The reunion seemed built to last, until Higuchi sadly succumbed to liver cancer in 2008. The beloved drummer was replaced by Masayuki Suzuki the following year and Loudness carried on again.
It’s an inspiring tale of perseverance, talent, and determination.
Strangely enough I have only now bought my first Loudness album. They no longer have a huge presence here and their CDs are very hard to find. Lightning Strikes seemed the right one to go with. It’s enjoyable. Everybody knows that Takasaki is frighteningly good, but really the whole band is. Quite a lot of fun, to hear a classic 80s metal album so long after it came out. It’s a trip. And I’m glad Loudness never “Let It Go”, and kept going on despite all the changes. Time to get Thunder in the East next. I love it Loud…ness.
“Let It Go” with friends at the memorial concert for Munetaka Higuchi
DIO – Live In London – Hammersmith Apollo 1993 (2014 Eagle)
The only good thing that came from Ronnie Dio’s death is the number of reissues and live albums we’ve gotten since. One of the more overlooked eras of Dio was the “Tracy G” era, Strange Highways and Angry Machines. Dio had just reunited in the middle of the grunge movement. Tracy G (ex-WWIII) was not to everybody’s taste. While he could indeed shred, he also utilized shrill noise and harmonics in his guitar work which isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. He could, however, lend Dio a heavier edge necessary in 1993. Add in bassist Jeff Pilson from Dokken and veteran drummer Vinnie Appice and you have one hell of a lineup.
Dio assembled a setlist with his best material, but ignoring a couple albums. Lock Up the Wolves and Dream Evil were considered disappointments when they were new. Even Sacred Heart is skipped over on this live album, in favour of old classics and a healthy serving of new songs. Sabbath and Rainbow only get a song a piece.
The sound is bloody perfect, as if they meant to release a double live album all along. Having Pilson on bass lends a heavy, low grumble and immaculate backing vocals. Tracy G might be an acquired taste on guitar but there’s no question he could do the job. He gets an extended solo on “Pain” that displays shredding, noise and musicality. Vinnie Appice gets a long solo too, as part of a “Heaven and Hell” / “Man on the Silver Mountain” medley. Eventually the band returns and they pound out a machine gun riff with monstrous Pilson bass licks. Incidentally, it’s Jeff Pilson that captures that old Black Sabbath/Geezer Butler groove better than any other bassist Dio has had.
This is a phenomenal live album. Sure, you can buy live Dio with better known lineups and songs. You can get live stuff with Vivian Campbell or Craig Goldy. This setlist is considerably different from those, and the sound is heavy as hell!
SVEN GALI – In My Garden (1992 BMG promo cassette)
One of the great perks to a M.E.A.T Magazine subscription was getting free promo tapes in the mail. One of the bands that M.E.A.T had been hyping was Sven Gali, who had a major label debut on deck with BMG for release. We were all curious what Sven Gali sounded like…and then this promo tape arrived, previewing three of the tracks!
The lead singer can make or break a band, and Sven Gali had Dave Wanless. Mr. Wanless had the power reminiscent of another successful Canadian, a certain Sebastian Something who was out there ruling the concert stages. Wanless also had the right look, and of course a pretty good band! From the ranks of Billy Idol came veteran drummer Gregg Gerson, joining with Dee Cernile (guitars, R.I.P.), Andy Frank (guitars), and “T.T.” (bass). They could rock. They had soloists arguably more interesting than the guys in Skid Row. And, as evident in this tape, they could write hooks.
“Freakz” wasn’t the lead single, but it could have been. Rebellious rock attitude, tires smoking down a dark alley, guns blazing…and just a pinch of funk. “When you gonna learn, baybay!” screams Dave Wanless, and just know he’s got at least one fist raised when he’s singing it.
Up second is a track that did become a single, the dark ballad “In My Garden” (an edit version). This world-class ballad has all the right ingredients including chorus hooks, a place to shout along, and perfect guitars. In the early 1990s, if grunge had not derailed the rock n’ roll train, bands like Sven Gali (more aggressive than the 80s groups but not abandoning solos and choruses, and with an ear for musicianship) would have been the next wave.
The last track on the tape is the borderline thrash of “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”, ironic in hindsight since Sven Gali only managed two albums before being submerged by the flotsam of the mid 90s rock scene. Skid Row comparisons are easy to make (in a positive way), but there’s one major difference between Skid Row and Sven Gali. That is Sven Gali still have their original singer where Skid Row do not. (They have a new track out called “You Won’t Break Me” to be followed by a CD in 2020.) They might not have exceeded the fame of Skid Row, but they might just end up having more material with their original singer….
This cassette whet the appetite for the eventual album, which maybe suffered from too much material, but on tape these songs sound ace!
4/5 stars
Check out the credits. Photos by famed photographer Floria Sigismondi, who took just about every memorable photo of every 90s band you can think of. Today she’s a movie director! She’s the reason this tape looks so cool.
WHITESNAKE – The Purple Tour (2017 Rhino CD/Blu-ray set)
David Coverdale releases so much Whitesnake product (most of it worthwhile) that it is easy for the odd live album to slip between the cracks. After he felt recharged by 2015’s The Purple Album, Coverdale released a live album and video from that tour. This is not long after the four live CDs that make up Made in Britain and Made in Japan, so what does The Purple Tour offer that is different?
More Purple, obviously. Of the 13 tracks on CD, five are Deep Purple covers. There are an additional three more in 5.1 surround sound on the Blu-ray.
They open with “Burn” which leather-lunged David struggles with a bit right out of the box. Fortunately his capable backing band can handle the supporting vocals, though it sounds sweetened after the fact.
This lineup of Whitesnake, which is still the current one featuring guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra, bassist Michael Devin, drummer Tommy Aldridge, and keyboardist Michele Luppi, is particularly good. Whitesnake can never simply revert back to being a blues band. John Sykes and Steve Vai made certain that Whitesnake would always have to have a couple shredders on hand. When Beach and Hoestra get their hands on a Purple (or Whitesnake) oldie, they generally heavy it up by a few notches.
You could consider the setlist to be a surface-level “the classics of David Coverdale” concert. No new material, nothing later than 1987. It’s cool that some standby’s like “Slow An’ Easy” were jettisoned in favourite of even older tracks like “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”. It’s fun to hear “The Gypsy” instead of something better known. Another Purple classic, a heavy version of “You Fool No One” from Burn goes down a treat, with plenty of tight interplay.
The Blu-ray disc includes some more obscure treasures. “You Keep On Moving”, “Stormbringer” and “Lay Down Stay Down” fill in some of the Deep Purple blanks. A dual solo with Reb and Joel called “Lotsanotes” is also the fun kind of addition that usually gets axed from a live album. You’ll also find a music video for “Burn” and a fun interview with Joel and Reb conducted by Michael Devin. These guys love their jobs.
But just who is this album for? Don’t Whitesnake have enough live stuff by now? Yes — they certainly do. So this album is for two groups of people. 1) Those of us who have to have “everything.” 2) Somone who hasn’t bought a Whitesnake in a long time, but is curious what they sound like these days. For those folks, they won’t be “bogged down” by anything new. They will only get David and his crack band tackling the oldies. Pull the trigger if that sounds like something you’re into.
GUNS N’ ROSES – Appetite For Destruction (Originally 1987, 2018 Universal 4 CD/1 Blu-ray super deluxe edition)
Of course Axl Rose would be late for his own 30th anniversary. And why not? This set obviously took time to prepare for release so it’s better we have something that is not rushed out.
As Appetite is one of the most influential rock albums of all time, a super deluxe expanded edition is expected by now. This album launched a million bands back in the 80s and 90s, most of whom looked and sounded like knockoffs. Now you can deconstruct the album and hear how simple the formula actually was. (Liberal doses of Aerosmith with punk sprinkled on top.)
The first disc in this well-stuffed box set is the 5.1 Blu-ray. Why just listen in stereo when you can go full-bore with a surround sound mix?
This disc answers that question. It’s because you can tinker too much with a 5.1 mix, and come out with something that is too different for a beloved classic original like Appetite. This album was the roughest sounding thing Guns ever released. Unfortunately the 5.1 mix sounds clean. Too clean. An artefact of not having to cram all that music into just two channels?
“Welcome to the Jungle’s” guitars come from behind. Slowly turning, Axl surrounds you. Then the mix plays it straight, though backing vocals are more prominent. Hear Steven Adler’s reckless abandon up close and personal, the ride cymbal like his accelerated heartbeat.
It’s a good mix but some will find it too gimmicky and inconsistent, with guitars and vocals jabbing you unexpectedly from here and there. It varies from song to song and it’s all a matter of taste. You want to hear the 5.1 mix, but not so much that it changes parts of what you liked in a song. Some tracks are a mixture of both approaches. The intro to “Paradise City” is immaculately layered and laid out around you. Then things consolidate when it’s time to rock. Man, can you hear those guitars though! Every Les Paul can be noted clearly and separately in your mind. So can every vocal track; and there are a few.
There are even 5.1 bonus tracks. “Shadow of Your Love” is one of them, being the big song they were promoting for this box set. “Patience” benefits from the 5.1 re-examination. It’s a gimmick-free mix with sparse arrangement that sounds natural and familiar — like a band jamming on acoustics in a room with you. This makes it the best one on the whole disc. Even “Used to Love Her” has more prominent differences from the stereo mix, as does the acoustic “You’re Crazy”. The last bonus track is “Move to the City”, also acoustic, and sounding like a big party jam.
Finally the Blu-ray disc includes all the music videos and even one for “It’s So Easy” that was made just for them and not MTV! It could be the first documented appearance of Axl Rose in a kilt.
Unfortunately the 5.1 mix will most likely get less play than the good old stereo version, remastered on CD 1. What can be said about Appetite for Destruction that hasn’t been said before? All that sonic power is on the verge of overload in just two channels. If you imagine yourself back in 1987, you can hear why this album made the impact it did. It steered rock and roll back into a less cartoony, more dangerous direction. Classic single after classic single still command the airwaves today. In an unlikely twist, the back-to-basics, loose guitars of Slash and Izzy Stradlin are studied now like old Stones riffs.
The second CD (“B-Sides N’ EPs”) is brimming with extra value. Most of the followup EP, GNR Lies is included…all except “One In A Million”, that is, which Axl promised he’d delete approximately 20 years ago. With that EP still in print, nobody misses the track here. Adding the Lies material as bonus tracks is cheating a little bit, but I suppose that EP was part of the Appetite album cycle. Even though one track is deleted, the Lies stuff is expanded with bonus songs. A sharp “live” version of “Shadow of Your Love” follows “Mama Kin”. There’s also an alternate acoustic take of “You’re Crazy”. Once you’re past the acoustic songs including “Patience” you’ll get some vintage live B-sides. “It’s So Easy” is more vicious than the original, and sounds really live unlike the previous Lies songs like “Nice Boys”. The rare “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” is especially cool since it’s pre-Dizzy Reed and has no piano. Otherwise the style of the eventual Illusions version is sketched out, right down to the “high, yai, yai yai yai” vocals. Last on the CD is the live cover of AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie”, foreshadowing Axl’s future as frontman of the Australian institution. This classic version has been heavily bootlegged, but remastered on CD, it sounds so fresh.
The final two discs are all unreleased sessions from the legendary Sound City (and other studios). Most of the Appetite songs are present in demo form but some, like “It’s So Easy”, “Brownstone” and “Sweet Child” are not. The shape of the album was already arranged down to most of the guitar solos. It’s less frantic and more rehearsed but it’s there in very close to final shape. Elements that wouldn’t make the final cut, like some of Axl’s scatting a-la Steven Tyler on “Jungle”, are here to examine. In the 1970s these Sound City sessions would have been good enough to release as an album! In the 80s, they needed Mike Clink to make the album stand out and they did that.
Non-album material is here a-plenty. The Sound City version of “Shadow of Your Love” on CD 3 is the B-side from the old “Live and Let Die” CD single, my personal favourite version for its reckless abandon. The cleaner one on CD 4 is the one released as a single in 2018. Then there’s a trashy punk metal version of Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel” which could have been a fine B-side as well. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” on CD 3 is faster and different from the familiar bootlegged version (still unreleased).
The 4th CD is a mixed bag of demo sessions and unreleased songs, jams and acoustic versions. Instrumental “Ain’t Going Down No More” sounds like an Aerosmith outtake riff, with cowbell out the wazoo. “The Plague” has vocals but it’s quite clear why it was never released. It could be the worst Guns N’ Roses song heard yet. “New Work Tune” is just an acoustic riff that didn’t make it into anything. There are, however, a couple tunes that did. “Back Off Bitch” was reworked on Use Your Illusions, as was “November Rain”. This old demo of “Back Off Bitch” is probably better than the final version because that’s Steven Adler on drums. “November Rain” is particularly interesting because it’s present in both acoustic and piano forms. You can hear how the song grew, but also that it wasn’t ready yet.
Three more versions of “Move to the City” (electric and two acoustic) are here in case you ever wanted a studio version of that song. There are also studio takes of “Mama Kin” and “Reckless Life”. It’s a bit much in terms of repeat, but at least all the versions are notably different from each other. You’ll also have to hear an acoustic “You’re Crazy” one more time, but “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” is pretty cool and jam-like in acoustic form.
A box set at this price point always has paper extras inside: replica posters, tickets, even Axl temporary tattoos. Nothing of any particular value. There are some posters and glossy photo prints. There is even a reprint of the original controversial Robert WIlliams artwork. What are you going to do with all this stuff? You’re not going to tape it to your walls. You’ll keep it safe and unseen in the box, of course. That’s why it’s valueless to most of us. There is also a massive hard cover photo book, in which you’ll find the CDs and Blu-ray. It’s light on text but heavy on glossy photos and memorabilia scans. (Within those scans, there’s plenty to read.)
The super deluxe Appetite For Destruction is of value to those who are going to listen to and appreciate all the different versions inside. The 5.1 mix is disappointing but there will be those who love how different it sounds. It’s not easy to consume all five discs in quick succession, but these bot sets rarely are.
THE DARKNESS – Easter is Cancelled (2019 Canary Dwarf, Japanese release)
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