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.
GHOST – “Kiss the Go-Goat” (2019 Loma Vista 7″ single)
Ghost began as a gothic, Satanic metal experiment. They grew to include more pop and more humour, and while it hasn’t all been good, most of it has. In 2019, Papa Nihil and his merry band of Nameless Ghouls have returned with the kitschy single “Kiss the Go-Goat” / “Mary on a Cross”. It’s not much of a departure from their last album, the excellent Prequelle.
Look at the subtitle on the A-side of the label. “The long-lost remastered 1969 single.” That Ghost humour again.
“Kiss the Go-Goat” has a driving organ/guitar riff that is the kind of stuff recent Ghost glory has been based on. The corny chorus of “Satan, Lucifer…” is far removed from the old orthodox days of “Satan Prayer” and ante-nicean creeds. But it rocks, solidly and without embarrassment. A track this good could easily have been on Prequelle. “Mary on a Cross” doesn’t have the same impact, but is not an also-ran. It’s a little darker but the recurring organ part is perfectly piquant.
If not for the worrisome possibility (probability?) that these two songs will show up on some kind of future deluxe edition, this single would be an absolute must for all boys & girls, far & wide. In fact, it has shown up on a very very expensive edition of called Prequelle Exalted, in a disc called Seven Inches of Satanic Panic. Unless you plan on spending that kind of dough, maybe buying this single is a good option after all.
I met Thussy back in 2007. He joined the team at work and we became friends immediately. We liked the same stuff. Trailer Park Boys, Guns N’ Roses, comedy. He is responsible for getting me into Super Troopers, which admittedly took a couple tries. We were also both getting married around the same time, so we had similar complaints and gripes to talk about. Drama with bridesmaids and seating plans, egads.
Thuss is a gamer, and we enjoyed chatting games. Axl Rose did a voice (a radio DJ) in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. You could switch between stations, and if you chose the rock station you got Axl. It was one of the few things Axl did that was released during that long dry spell between albums. Of course, this led to ample discussions of Chinese Democracy.
“It’s never coming out,” Chris insisted. I hated to say he was right, but it sure seemed that way. He refused to back down on his position. We’d been fucked with by this band for so long. Guns had missed several release dates, so many that it had become a joke. Axl chewed up managers and spat them out like stale bubblegum. Then the Dr. Pepper soda company offered to buy a Dr. Pepper for everyone in America if Axl managed to make his 2008 release date. Axl seemed good-naturedly amused by the idea, offering to share his Dr. Pepper with Buckethead when the album comes out. (This because Dr. Pepper said the only Americans exempt from this offer were former Guns members Buckethead and Slash!)
On October 22 2008, I was working at my desk, listening to the radio when the DJ, Carlos Benevides, announced that they would shortly be playing a brand new single by Guns N’ Roses. It was the title track, a song both Thuss and I were already familiar with. He had a disc of rough mixes for many of the tracks, and I had the Rock In Rio bootleg CD set. We already knew half the new songs, and “Chinese Democracy” was a track I thought smoked. I called Thuss and he listened in as it played.
It sounded like shit on our little mono telephone speakers, but we were listening to brand new Guns! The overall listener reaction was mixed to negative, but I already loved it. “The album’s never coming out,” said Thuss.
“It has to, now. There’s a single out. It’s definitely coming.”
“No.” Thuss was insistent. “It’s never coming out.”
“But Dr. Pepper…” I began before being cut off.
“No. Not coming out. Never.”
The funny thing was, “Chinese Democracy” wasn’t actually the first song released from the album. A month earlier, “Shackler’s Revenge” became the first new Guns song in nine years, when it was released as part of the Rock Band 2 video game, which neither of us had.
A new release date of November 23 was announced. “Nope,” said Thuss. “Nothing is coming out on November 23.” It was, strangely, a Sunday. Generally, nothing came out on Sundays. It was absolutely an odd move that did throw the whole release into question for some.
I asked ye olde Record Store to hold a copy for me. “Do you want vinyl?” he asked. “No, just CD.” It was something I’d regret, when he sold out of the vinyl a week later. I emailed to ask if he had any left. “Do you remember me asking you if you wanted vinyl?” he scolded. “Yeah,” I sulked.
When I walked into the store on November 23 and was handed my precious copy of Chinese Democracy, it was so anticlimactic. There it is. It’s in your hands, the culmination of a decade and a half’s work. You’ve been waiting all this time for this album, and there it sits. An album that had “release dates” going back to 1995 and every single year since. Then, you witness Guns return to the live stage from their cocoon, different but recognizable. You watch them struggle to establish a lineup, and you hear rumour after rumour about song titles and release dates. Then you’re holding a CD in your hands, a pitiful little plastic case with a little paper cover inside. You hand the guy your debit card, he rings it in. Transaction approved, you are handed your receipt. Chinese Democracy goes into a little plastic bag. Even though it’s probably the most expensive and longest gestating album of all time, your little plastic bag weighs the same as if you bought Sex Pistols.
At least I’d be able to show it to Thuss. Monday the 24th rolled around.
“It came out. I have it,” I told him as I strolled into his office.
“No it didn’t. It never came out. It’s never coming out.” He was sticking to his story come hell or high water!
“Yes it did! It’s in my car right now! I’ll show it to you.”
“You have nothing,” he responded, refusing to come and look.
In the years since, Thuss has stubbornly stuck to his guns and his believe that Chinese Democracy has never come out. “I have the unreleased mixes,” he says. “That’s all there is.”
I emailed him to tell him I was writing this story, our tale of the time Chinese Democracy was released.
“So you are going to take a crack at some fictional writing…nice.”
I will never win this one!
So now I have two stories both titled “Chinese Democracy”. I say, why not? Peter Gabriel has three self-titled albums.
“Twisted Sister…come out and play!” Happy anniversary to Come Out and Play released on this day 34 years ago.
TWISTED SISTER – Come Out and Play (1985 Atlantic LP & Spitfire CD remaster)
What was a band at the proverbial crossroads to do? Continue along the commercial path of the 3 million copy selling Stay Hungry? Or revert to the tried and true heavy-as-an-SMF sound of yore?
There was only one dissenting vote. Bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza felt that putting “Leader of the Pack” on the new album was a mistake. The other four voted “yes” but some grew to regret it. Both Dee Snider and J.J. French have since realized the error of their ways. Today, Come Out and Play is acknowledged as the beginning of the end, though it has its fans and some sturdy tracks to support it.
Twisted Sister recruited Scorpions producer Dieter Dierks and enlisted high profile guest stars like Alice Cooper, Billy Joel, Brian Setzer and Clarence Clemons. They were top-loaded onto a old-time rock and roller called “Be Chrool to Your Scuel”, and the gamble backfired immediately when MTV banned the music video for its zombies and ghouls. It’s an interesting track at least. You don’t hear a sax solo on a Twisted Sister song every day, nor the kind of plucking that Brian Setzer deals in.
“Leader of the Pack” was a failure as well, actually a re-recording of a track that debuted on the Ruff Cuts EP. The video (starring the then-hot Bobcat Goldthwaite) further painted Twisted Sister as a novelty band.
Tensions, especially between Mendoza and Snider, were amplified. The songs that sound like they were meant to be “hits” fall far short. The impression you get from “You Want What We Got” is that it was intended to be a specific kind of hit. Unfortunately it’s just a repetitive anthem. “Lookin’ Out for #1” is similarly filler, a song that never quite clicks.
Some tracks maintained a heavy rock presence. They include the anthem “I Believe In Rock and Roll”. It’s a manifesto for the PMRC generation; a decent attempt that just misses the mark. “Come Out and Play” features A.J. Pero nailing down a speedy beat, but the production of Dierks neutered the powerful drummer. Dierks introduced keyboards to some of the tracks, watering them down needlessly. “The Fire Still Burns” works better than some of the other songs, and despite the production you can hear A.J. is just crushing the kit. If the backing vocals sound unusually lush, that’s Don Dokken and Gary Holland. “Out on the Streets” trades the speed in for plaintive melodies, and is the better for it. Finally “Kill or Be Killed” does what it promises. Unbelievable that A.J. could play at such a relentless velocity, but he was an absolute beast.
Strangely, some of the best tracks are the ballads. Dark ballads. Ballads of depression, of loneliness, of alienation. “I Believe in You” is the first of two, bolstered by strong melodies and Dee Snider’s enviable pipes. The one that impresses the most is the CD and cassette bonus track “King of the Fools”. Although “Kill or Be Killed” ends the album just fine, this coda adds some substance. Sounding like a man destroyed, Dee sings the melancholy lyrics.
What kind of kingdom has no throne? No crown or castle do I own, I don’t have silver gold or jewels, Yet I’m the king, king of the fools.
It’s surprisingly thoughtful songwriting, complimenting the mournful melodies. Yet there is a defiant, powerful streak in the choruses.
King of the fools, Who are these people to cast stones? King of the fools, Better a fool than just a clone.
Dee Snider has always resonated with the underdogs, the bullied, the downtrodden. “King of the Fools” might be the most honest of all those songs. Some regal guitar melodies by J.J. French and Eddie “Fingers” Ojeda show that they were picking up what Dee was laying down.
Here’s the catch though. If you’re buying this album, you need “King of the Fools”. To get it, you’ll want the CD. But Come Out and Play might be most notable for the album cover you can only get on vinyl. Open up that manhole cover and out pops Dee Snider in all his…all his…rags.
Heeere’s Dee!
Do what I did. Get CD and LP, just for the cover. Everybody needs a pop-up Dee Snider.
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY – “Seven Days” (1995 Sony promo CD single)
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