Any time we talk with Andy Curran, we can count on two things:
Amazing rock and roll tales.
A few scoops!
This time out, we got some exclusive information about some new forthcoming Coney Hatch releases. Andy told us about one of the new songs to be included as a bonus on the new Coney live album, including the title and subject. He also dropped some details about a new band he’s working with, and involving a certain guitar player from a certain Canadian trio. Sounds interesting.
We also discussed some other releases Andy has been involved with: the Triumph Allied Forces box set, Kim Mitchell’s The Big Fantasize, and the Rush box set featuring next week’s guest Jacob Moon. Best of all, Andy showed us his El Mocambo bass up close and personal, with a detailed story behind it. He also told us about a charity idea that he has, and he wants your feedback. If you want a chance to own some Coney Hatch history, this will be of interest.
Thank you Deke and Andy for an awesome Saturday. Happy Record Store Day!
There’s a guy, at work, Jeff Taylor. Younger guy but eager enough to listen to me talk about my music. I was yammering about Kim Mitchell when he said “‘Patio Lanterns’, what’s that about? Swingers?”
I stared a minute and said “It’s about a gradeschool backyard patio party, where the hell did you get ‘swinging’ from? They’re drinking lemonade, man.”
“It could be hard lemonade,” he answered.
I wouldn’t let this go. “But seriously? Where are you getting swinging out of ‘Patio Lanterns’?”
“‘Who would be the first to kiss?'” he quoted back at me.
Sigh. Can’t argue with that, I guess.
Our house had the biggest patio Our house had all the summer shade We had patio lanterns I’d spend half the night making lemonade Which we drank a lot ‘Cause we were all so shy Shy and nervous
Who was gonna be Who would be the first to dance Who was gonna be Who would be the first to kiss Under those patio lanterns
Those patio lanterns They were the stars in the sky Those patio lanterns Lighting up our lives Those patio lanterns They were the stars in the sky Those patio lanterns Lighting up our lives Under those patio lanterns
And I was stuck on Joy (That was her name) We didn’t talk much She was a nervous girl I was a nervous boy We stuck together like glue on glue Dancing to an old song Bobby Vinton’s “Blue on Blue” Heartache on heartache
Who was gonna be Who would be the first to dance Who was gonna be Who would be the first to kiss Under those patio lanterns
Those patio lanterns They were the stars in the sky Those patio lanterns Lighting up our lives Those patio lanterns They were the stars in the sky Those patio lanterns Lighting up our lives Under those patio lanterns
2020 may have sucked, but the music didn’t. This year I bought and reviewed more new releases than ever before, which I narrowed down to the Nigel Tufnel Top Ten studio albums of 2020 listed below.
I would like to dedicate this list to my good pal Uncle Meat who originated the concept of a “Nigen Tufnel Top Ten” earlier this year. It has become our thing.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2020
11. Now or Never – III
10. Mr. Bungle – The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo
Storm Force’s debut album goes straight to #1 on their very first appearance! No surprise here. I’ve been raving about this disc since February and I owe it to Superdekes for putting these guys on my radar in the first place. This is a well-deserved #1. Age of Fear is an uplifting album with depth. It’s a thoughtful, heart-pounding blast of classic hard rock.
Deep Purple’s Whoosh! and AC/DC’s PWRUP prove two things: old dogs that both learn and don’t learn new tricks can all be champions. (I call this theory “Schrödinger’s Dog”.) Deep Purple’s growth continues while AC/DC managed to tap into the vein of success that always worked for them. Both records deserve their spots in the Top 3.
It was a thrill for me to learn that Dennis DeYoung both read and enjoyed my review of his newest album 26 East Vol 1. It’s a terrific, Styx-like conceptual work that will please the old fans. As will the new albums by Harem Scarem and Stryper, who didn’t stray far from their successful classic hard rock formulas. Kim Mitchell and Sven Gali on the other hand dared to be different. Kim went laid back and acoustic, while Sven Gali went with their heaviest uninhibited inclinations. As for Mr. Bungle, it has been 21 years since their last album California. All four Bungle studio albums are completely different from one another — four different genres. For The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny, they teamed up with Scott Ian and Dave Lombardo to re-record their first thrash metal demo tape. And it could be their best album since the self-titled debut in 1991. Not bad for a bunch of songs they wrote in highschool.
Corey “Mother Fuckin'” Taylor makes his debut on any list of mine with his solo album CMFT. It’s a surprising collection of commercial hard rockin’ tunes. Also appearing for the first time is Now Or Never (NoN) with their third album called III, featuring singer Steph Honde. It’s an excellent, dramatic metal album with light and shade.
Song of the year: “LeBrain Train“ by T-Bone Erickson
Single of the Year: Mammoth WVH – “Distance”
Ultimately whether or not you liked the new Ozzy, its success or failure falls at the feet of producer/guitarist Andrew Watt. He is already working on the next Ozzy album, so….
Huge thanks to T-Bone Erickson for the “LeBrain Train” theme song, which amazingly and unexpectedly became the song of the year in 2020! Weird how that happened. No bias here I assure you.
Finally, Wolfgang Van Halen finally released his first solo music under the name Mammoth WVH. The non-album single “Distance” is dedicated to his late father Eddie. Though musically it’s a modern power ballad, the lyrics and especially the music video evoke serious emotion. Well done Wolfgang. Can’t wait to check out his album in 2021.
There were a lot of cool rock releases in 2020, so we need more lists! Of course the brilliant new live Maiden deserved some loving attention. Meanwhile, Sloan, Def Leppard and Thin Lizzy have continued to put out quality collections of rarities & unreleased material, well worth the time and money you’ll spend on them. The Sloan collection is a vinyl exclusive and the first in a series of LPs re-releasing some of their B-sides and non-album and bonus tracks. Finally, Metallica delivered the goods even without Michael Kamen on S&M2, a very different live set than the first S&M. That’s the way to do it!
It’s naive to assume that major touring and concerts will return in 2021. This appears highly optimistic at present, with Covid still ravaging the landscape and vaccinations only just beginning. Instead of looking ahead at things like the resuming Kiss tour, or the Motley Crue reunion, we should continue to put our faith in new music.
Accept have a new album due January 15 intriguingly titled Too Mean to Die. It is their first without bassist Peter Baltes. Steven Wilson has a new record out at the end of that month. In February we get new Foo Fighters, The Pretty Reckless, Willie Nelson and Alice Cooper. Greta Van Fleet, Weezer, Rob Zombie, Ringo Starr, and Thunder will be back soon too. Many other bands are writing and recording without an announced due date. Ghost, Marillion, Scorpions, Megadeth and even Ratt are hard at work to make next year suck a little less. Support the bands by buying the music.
KIM MITCHELL – The Big Fantasize (2020 El Mocambo Records)
13 years ago Kim Mitchell released Ain’t Life Amazing, his last studio album. He wasn’t exactly quiet in that time — there was his radio show on Q107 in Toronto, but then he had a heart attack! You can’t keep Kim Mitchell down, and his new one The Big Fantasize is a quieter collection of contemplative music. Some of it is rock, some of it is clearly not. And that’s OK. Whether or not he’s rocking, Kim’s songwriting yielded some pretty great material. There are nine new tunes, plus a bonus four live tracks for those who bought the physical product (CD or LP).
The gentle call of a clarinet is the first sound to be heard on the new Kim, a surprise to be sure. “Red Horizon” is a sparse acoustic ballad with clarinet accompaniment, and melody that tugs at the heart. It’s a brave way to open the album but also an honest one. “This is what I do now, so don’t expect ‘Rock and Roll Duty Part 2′” is what this track says as an opener.
That said, “2up2Bdown” has that guitar playing you love Kim for. It rocks but in a new slick way. It would have fit comfortably on an album like 1992’s Aural Fixations, but better than that. It’s a celebration, and if it’s the only track that sounds like “old Kim” then at least it does it well.
“Summer Lovers Autumn Wine” presents quiet electric guitars and pianos dancing in the twilight. Like much of Kim’s music, it paints an audio picture with his guitar. The mood turns bright on the delightful acoustic “Wishes”. Kim’s mastery of melody and expression is apparent. He gets the beat hopping again on “Georgian Bay”, a piano rocker with no guitar, maybe a little bit like the Guess Who? Or maybe that’s just a lazy comparison. It doesn’t matter, it’ll be perfect for your next summer deck party (whenever that is).
“Best I Never Had” might be laid back, but it has a strong dusky blues vibe. Soulful backup singing lends the right feel. “Montgomery” is a highlight song, mixing some skillful acoustic guitar pickin with the most memorable of melodies. Upbeat, but quiet and gentle with trademark Mitchell hooks. The acoustic solo is masterful. More masterful melody takes center stage on “Old Marriage Waltz”, the closer “Time to Stay” really overshadows it. A strong beat behind him, Kim picks away with intent. Great light rocker to end a terrific album, on an upbeat note.
CD and vinyl buyers get the four live bonus tracks: “Lager and Ale”, “Rocklandwonderland”, “Paradise Skies” (Max Webster tune), and “All We Are”. If you needed more rock, here you go. Firey live performances, captured in the studio in front of an audience. “Rocklandwonderland” stands out with a new piano intro and a passionate performance. However nothing can overshadow an epic “All We Are”, 8:13 of awesome.
After such a long wait, and an eventful one at that, it is a good thing to see that Kim Mitchell still has the creative spark to write a great song. These songs are different but just as unforgettable as “Patio Lanterns”.
Five studio albums, one live and an EP to boot: Definitely enough music to justify your first solo Greatest Hits. For added value, Kim included a bunch of new and unreleased music. With 15 songs and over an hour of music, Kim Mitchell’s Greatest Hits is an easy buy for fans and collectors. For new fans it’s not quite ideal, for reasons we’ll get in to.
Long time fans will remember that Kim’s prior band Max Webster issued a greatest hits called Diamonds Diamonds with two new songs. This album follows suit with two brand new tracks recorded for this set. “No More Walking Away”, co-written by Pye Dubois, is an electric ballad with stunning guitar tones. This is in the same lane as some of Kim’s previous ballads from Rockland or Aural Fixations; very much a “later Kim” sound. Long time fans will love hearing Peter Fredette on backing vocals. The other new song, “Rainbow”, is a straight-on hard rocker. With Andy Curran on lyrical duties, “Rainbow” is just good time Kim rock as you have grown to expect it. It goes without saying that his guitar playing is tremendous. The chorus goes all the way to the clouds. “I’m bringin’ you back your rainbow,” sings Kim and you better believe it.
In addition to the new songs, this time Kim also included two re-recordings. This is unfortunately where first-time buyers are going to be let down. One of Kim’s biggest career hits was undoubtedly 1986’s “Patio Lanterns” from Shakin’ Like a Human Being. This compilation includes a new arrangement, which is actually quite cool. It’s twangy and has lots of guitar play. But that’s not the version that old folks remember from highschool — not even close. The tempo they used to dance to is gone. This version, excellent as it is, unfortunately is only for people who already own the original. The other re-recording is the less sacred “Lager & Ale”, originally from Akimbo Alogo. The vocal line is slightly modified, but this one shouldn’t upset too many people. The Akimbo original remains the best version.
What else is to be found on this disc? We have the opening and closing bits called “Transcendental Soda” and “Hare Soda”, which are simply snippets from the live intro to “Go For Soda”. Nothing too special, but elsewhere you’ll find some cool stuff. “Expedition Sailor” is credited as “The Other Version” which is a remix from the music video, long unavailable to regular folks like us. This fine ballad was a decent hit back in 1989-90 so it’s nice to own that elusive video mix.
That’s it for the special stuff listed on the back, but there are two hidden surprises within. Between “Rainbow” and “All We Are” (the live version from I Am A Wild Party) you will find 30 seconds of a demo. This is a demo for “All We Are”, and the tape could even date back to the Max Webster days since that’s when he wrote the tune. That’s gold. What a cool way to introduce “All We Are”. The other surprise is evident by the track times. Hit single “Rocklandwonderland” is missing the fade out, and runs out to its actual end. It just ends — the guys just stop playing. Really cool unlisted bonuses here.
As for the rest, it’s the hits! All singles (though some only for radio), except for “Lemon Wedge” which was a hit with the fans. Though it doesn’t suit everybody’s needs, Greatest Hits still plays well and scratches some of those big Kim itches.
GETTING MORE TALE #870: You Can Be My Lemon Wedge, and I’ll Be Your Tequila (Part One of a two-part review of Kim Mitchell’s Greatest Hits)
The leaves turned colours, and were starting to decorate the ground. I had been working at the Record Store for over a year. I was well over my first relationship that went south, and was now seemingly hard at work wrecking the second. Everything started lovey-dovey in the summer. The first two months were bliss. It started to sour in September and October. “People are always on their best behaviour at the start,” she used to say in regards to “new love”. Now that things were going bad, was it my fault? It had to be. What was I doing wrong? It was in this emotional environment that Kim Mitchell released his first solo Greatest Hits CD in 1995.
As things started to go south, I anticipated that I’d need some new Kim music to get me through. This compilation had two new songs, one rare remix, two re-recordings, and some surprising bonus music. Decent value for a hits set. “Ooh, it’s a messy breakup,” sang Kim on the new track called “Rainbow”.
The relationship was hitting the rocks and taking on water, and so the arguments were increasing. Making things more uncomfortable, she was hanging out with my ex from the first bad breakup. A lot. I didn’t have a lot of experience, but that was weird, right? They talked a lot. It was obvious to me that she wasn’t happy with the way things were going and I was in no way prepared to deal with this added twist.
In October we went out on our last movie date: Virtuosity, a terrible Denzel Washington sci-fi thriller featuring Russell Crowe as the killer. I didn’t pick it. I haven’t seen it since.
I was the driver that night. Kim Mitchell’s Greatest Hits was in the tape deck. I purchased the CD (and still own that copy) but I recorded everything to tape so my music was always mobile.
I will tell you one thing I remember: she hated the song “Lemon Wedge”. I wasn’t keen on it either, but it was a very popular tune with old school Max Webster fans. It’s different. T-Rev at the Record Store absolutely loved it; it was one of his jams. “Lemon Wedge” is funky, horn-laden and mental. Not at all like “Patio Lanterns”. I was more indifferent to it. I was puzzled that it was included on Greatest Hits at all, instead of one of the songs from Itch that I thought were better. But I don’t skip songs; I play albums all the way through. We’re heading home from this shitty movie and on comes “Lemon Wedge”.
You can be my lemon wedge, And I’ll be your tequila. I just wanna have a dance, And I just wanna feel ya.
“This song is terrible! Why do you listen to this?” I didn’t think it was worth explaining that I don’t skip tracks. That wouldn’t help.
Then, as if on cue, I made a wrong turn in the car. I have a terrible sense of direction and didn’t know my way around town like she did. She was really mad at me now, so I pulled over into a parking lot on Fairway Road. Then I sat there and just took it. This in turn frustrated her even more.
“You never stand up for yourself!” she complained. “Whatever shit people say, you just go with it! You can’t just keep bending over all the time! You need to grow a backbone and start sticking up for yourself!”
I wanted to, but I was afraid of getting dumped again, so I preferred not to argue. Getting dumped was no fun and I was not eager to do it again. But I got her point.
“Well, I like that Kim Mitchell song,” I lied in a half-assed rebuttal. She was not very impressed with my comeback.
My head was spinning. This was supposed to be a movie date. How did it turn into this lecture about me growing a spine? I can relate to the episode of Big Bang Theory where Penny dumps Leonard. “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it,” he said before she walked out. But that isn’t what she wanted.
“I’m pretty sure it’s already over,” said Leonard with the wisdom that I was lacking.*
It really was curtains; all over except for Kim’s singing. There were a few more arguments, but it was toast after Halloween. I can’t remember what our last argument was about, but she was hanging out with my ex again and wasn’t answering her phone. The ex was in fact the final “Lemon Wedge” that pushed us apart for good. And it’s good that it happened for reasons that are obvious to anyone who is not me in 1995.
Instead of trying to win her back like I did with my last doomed relationship, I moved on decidedly. I deleted my electronic contacts so I wouldn’t be tempted to email her. I selected a variety of rock albums that I tailored to my listening needs. She was into a lot of current music – Dance Mix ’95, the new Smashing Pumpkins, Lisa Loeb. I chose to dive deep into classic British hard rock, the stuff she wasn’t into. Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath. Ozzy had a new album out and so did Iron Maiden. There was plenty of music that didn’t remind me of her.
For a variety of reasons, that relationship took some time to get over. She married the next guy, which is exactly what also happened with the previous ex! I was the guy people go out with before the meet the one they were going to marry. So I did a lot of re-evaluation, both personal and musical. I really wanted to like that “Lemon Wedge” song just because she hated it so much, but I couldn’t force it to happen. You either like “Lemon Wedge” or you don’t. I wish I could say it was my favourite song in the world because of this story. Unfortunately not every story can be about your favourite song. Some are just about the music that was playing at the time.
Full CD review tomorrow.
* Ironically, Kaley Cuoco otherwise known as “Penny” was in that awful Denzel movie as a child actor.
Happy Canada Day from LeBrain HQ to you. I know this is rough one, a weird one, and a difficult one. I’m going to ignore the current goings-on and everything else that has to do with Canada Day, and present to you Eleven Canadian Songs You Need to Hear Right Now. Enjoy!
1. Helix – “Billy Oxygen”
2. Arkells – “Leather Jacket”
3. July Talk – “Picturing Love”
4. The Guess Who – “Albert Flasher”
5. Blue Rodeo – “Side of the Road”
6. Harem Scarem – “Slowly Slipping Away”
7. Rush – “Vital Signs”
8. Gordon Lightfoot – “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” (re-recorded version)
What a title for your first “greatest hits” compilation, eh? Diamonds Diamonds emerged the year after Max Webster broke up, with no songs from the final album Universal Juveniles, the only one without Terry Watkinson. Even though these kinds of posthumous records are usually not very good, Diamonds Diamonds is an exception. It’s also one of the hardest Max Webster albums to find on CD, but a generous slice of vinyl at 13 tracks and 47 minutes.
“What do I know?” asks Kim Mitchell in the opening line of “Gravity”, the debut number. Kim knew quite a bit actually, including how to write catchy music without it being overtly commercial. He knew how to challenge listeners while delivering the hooks they craved. “Gravity” is one such slice of brilliance. It’s complex pop.
“High Class in Borrowed Shoes” is a classic rocker from their second album in ’77. As much as it kicks, the lyrics and keyboard arrangement are not typical. The title track “Diamonds Diamonds” followed “High Class” on the original album and it does again here. Like a lullaby, “Diamonds Diamonds” floats on the wings of the backing vocal arrangement. Next is “Summer’s Up” from the incredible debut Max platter. Jangling guitars and dreamy keyboards make for a summer scene by the pool side, with drinks. “Blowing the Blues Away” has a more traditional feel, country and blues and pop rolled into one, with a side order of quirky tones. But it’ll make you feel good. Continuing the feel-good celebration, it’s “A Million Vacations”, one of the greatest Canadian party songs of all time. Kim Mitchell’s guitar work is sublime and baffling at once.
Side A ends with one of Max Webster’s most significant songs, “Let Go the Line” with lead vocals by Terry Watkinson who wrote the song, music and lyrics. In Max Webster, lyrics were usually handled by the poet Pye Dubois. In fact he wrote all but two of the lyrics on Diamonds Diamonds. The two he didn’t (“Blowing the Blues Away” being the other) were written by Watkinson. “Let Go the Line” could not be improved upon if you tried. Kim’s regal guitar line, Dave Myles bass pulse, and the thrift of Gary McCracken’s drums are all flawlessly and perfectly fit to Terry’s ballad. If Max Webster only had one “perfect” song, it’s “Let Go the Line”.
Fearlessly opening side two with furvor, it’s “The Party”! It’s the off-kilter musicianship on tracks like this that had fans often comparing Max Webster to Frank Zappa. Frank liked to have fun, too. Well Max really liked to have fun! “We’re all here for a celebration, the madcap scene and the Max Machine!” That says it all.
Every decent “greatest hits” album needs unreleased songs. Diamonds Diamonds has two decent ones, good songs that might be a bit too mainstream for a Max studio album. “Hot Spots” is the first, a rip-roaring boogie of a good time. By comparison, Kim could have recorded it on one of his early solo albums if Max didn’t release it on this. It is chased by the outstanding “Paradise Skies”, another summery Max hit that keeps Canadian radio stations in business. Melody and musicianship — that should be Max’s calling card. The second of the new unreleased tunes is “Overnight Sensation”, the most ordinary (or forgettable) of the tracks. The bassline really hops, and there’s even some cowbell, but the song isn’t comparable to something like “The Party” or “High Class”.
Although it’s better as an album opener, “Lip Service” (from Mutiny Up My Sleeve) is a bouncer. “Socialutions, written down in our teens. I mailed them to Kennedy, I typed them for Tito.” Brilliance in a pen by Pye Dubois, barely contained by the bopping bass and upbeat keys. Then before it’s all over it goes into a brief jazzy jam! Finally it’s “Hangover”, also traditionally an opening song. It’s the hardest rocker of the bunch, quirky as all hell and actually a good closer too!
Diamonds Diamonds still an important record today because “Overnight Sensation” and the outstanding “Hot Spots” haven’t been reissued on anything else. You can’t say that about any of the songs on The Best of Max Webster (1989). This is the one to get. If you find one on CD, you’ve got yourself a good one.
In the summer of 1990, Kim Mitchell and video director Don Allan stopped to visit with MuchMusic’s Dan Gallagher to ask fans for help. Kim’s first solo live album, I Am A Wild Party, was burning up the charts and tape decks nation wide! All he needed was a music video.
Mitchell is always a card and this segment is no exception.
Kim and Don Allan wanted footage of your “wild party” or your “air bands”; anything really to go with that “Rah! Rah! Olé!” chorus. I also included a few snips of my own footage that I filmed specifically with a rented camera for the video! Ultimately though, Mitchell and Allan abandoned the fan video concept, and made a straight live/studio clip for “I Am A Wild Party”.
This is historically interesting to Kim fans since the video as originally conceived never came to be.*
Enjoy some goofy Kim on Much!
*EDIT: Mike from Facebook was the winner chosen for the “I Am A Wild Party” video and says this!
I was the one that won that contest, and in MM’s defence they made a “limited edition play version” with about 10 seconds from our submission video that was cut off in the final version. But thanks for finding this… Rah Rah Ole!
This blue Scotch tape has seen a lot of use over the years. It was my first blank tape, 120 minutes. This cassette was well loved. Back in ’83, it contained open-air recordings of songs like “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” and “The Mighty Quinn”. At some point in history (early 1991) I must have recorded over it. Let’s have a listen.
Play ►
I have a feeling I know what it is now. Sounds like something I recorded for a girl! It would have been for my long distance crush Tammy.
This tape was never anything more than a cheap cassette, and it sounds awfully horrendous today. The contents, however, are still identifiable. The reason I never sent it to her was that it didn’t pass the sound quality test when I played it back. That was the shitty thing about cassettes. You could pour hours into making something, and then abandon the entire project.
I’m writing this in real time as I listen. If I’m right about my original intentions with this cassette, then I know that I’m going to find a specific song buried somewhere in the track list. Let’s find out.
Side 1
1. Tesla – “Love Song”
The acoustic intro to the song made a perfect run-in for this lovey-dovey tape. I’ll spare the identity of the poor girl who this was made for, but she knows! This Tesla ballad is still utterly perfect. Off to a good start.
2. Kiss – “Shout It Out Loud”
Whew, I sure am glad it’s not all ballads. This track took me by surprise. I’m glad I used a classic Kiss rocker as the second track, instead of pandering for romance with “Reason to Live”. Good for me!
3. Cheap Trick – “The Flame”
I read a lot of hate for this song today. In the 80s, it was my favourite Cheap Trick and it’s still in my top five. It may be a ballad but like the Tesla one, it’s utterly perfect. This tape is now clearly made for a girl. I’d never do 2/3 ballads for my opening trio otherwise.
4. Warrant – “Thin Disguise”
Here I go again with the rarities! She loved Warrant but there is no way she had this song unless she had the cassette single for “Cherry Pie”. I did — I collected that stuff even back then. Turns out the B-side “Thin Disguise” is one of the best Warrant tracks, even today. It’s an acoustic/electric killer. Jani wrote some incredible songs in his time. This is one.
5. Warrant – “I Saw Red (Acoustic version)”
Another rarity, this time from the “I Saw Red” cassette single. I think this simple acoustic track (just Jani and a guitar) is better than the bombastic A-side version. Even then, I was trying to impress a girl with my music collection — how comical is that?
6. Kiss – “Reason to Live”
Ahh shit, there it is! That is hilarious.
7. Cinderella – “Nobody’s Fool”
OK, I’m getting a little sick of the power ballads now. The cool thing is, I know for a fact that I taped this off a cassette that she gave me for Christmas called Rulers of Rock. I wanted to show that I appreciated the gift by including this song. Kind of like when your favourite aunt gave you a sweater and you had to wear it when she was over to visit.
Enough with the ballads though. Let’s get a rocker next. Let’s hope for a rocker.
8. Kim Mitchell – “Easy to Tame”
Well, it’s not a ballad, but it ain’t a rocker either. Kim Mitchell was a good way into a girl’s heart in the late 80s and early 90s. Everybody loved “Patio Lanterns”. “Easy to Tame” was kind of like it’s cooler, lesser known cousin.
9. Paul Stanley – “Hold Me, Touch Me (Think Of Me When We’re Apart)”
Jesus fuck! I went full ballad. This was probably my favourite ballad of all time back then. Stanley’s guitar solo is flawlessly written and executed. And I got three Kiss songs right there on side one.
10. Kiss – “I’ll Be Back”
Four! Four Kiss songs! What a wild inclusion, too. This is a brief, very quick, Beatles tune done a-cappella for Kiss eXposed on VHS. I dubbed this from the video for a “soundtrack tape” that I made, and then recorded it here tape to tape. Just a filler between two other songs, but fuck…that’s cool.
11. Killer Dwarfs – “Doesn’t Matter”
At least this ballad has balls. We played this song a lot the previous summer. Bob had the cassette for Dirty Weapons, and he loved this song. A couple years later it was still good enough to include on their next album Method to the Madness. It’s still great.
12. Triumph – “Let the Light (Shine on Me)”
I’m getting steadily more and more disgusted with myself as the ballads play on. This one was recorded from the 7″ single, but at this point I don’t care and I just want the side to be over so I can flip the tape.
13. Quiet Riot – “Don’t Wanna Let You Go”
I’ll let myself off with a warning here, because this electric song is still pretty great. Truthfully, I included it hoping she’d like it, as Quiet Riot wasn’t really her thing. I was feeling nostalgic for the early 80s, the simplicity and quality of the Metal Health era. You didn’t need a ballad to have a hit then, and indeed “Don’t Wanna Let You Go” isn’t a single. Even in this shitty tape, Carlos’ guitar sound incredible.
14. Slaughter – “Fly to the Angels (Acoustic version)”
I put this on because she loved Slaughter but didn’t have a CD player, and this was a CD bonus track.
Side 2
I need a break from all the balladeering, but I have a feeling the mush will be just as relentless. On the whole of side 1, there was only one track that you could call a rocker!
1. Judas Priest – “Out in the Cold”
Here it is! Yes, I sure do remember making this tape. The main motivation was — get this — to trick her into liking Judas Priest.
She hated Priest. Meanwhile, we were in the Painkiller era and I was riding a Priest high. I planned to write this song on the cover as:
1. Exciter – “Out in the Cold”
I used an alias (disregarding the thrash band with the same name because I know she wouldn’t recognize it) because I wanted her to hear this awesome Priest song with no preconceived notions. I wanted her to love it. I never found out since the cassette sounds so terribly bad and I never sent it, but this proves that I remembered my intentions correctly.
This sheds a new light on all the balladry. I was trying to really lull her in. I figured I needed a tape with nothing but the best soft songs in the world to really get her with the mighty Priest. It’s all coming back to me now.
2. Frehley’s Comet – “It’s Over Now”
I didn’t think she would know this one, but I hoped she’d like it. I was a big proponent of the second Frehley disc, appropriately called Second Sighting. I always thought this song should have been a huge, huge hit. I was hoping she would agree. Unusually for a Frehley song (but wiser from a commercial ballad point of view), it has both lead vocals and lead guitar by Tod Howarth.
3. Frozen Ghost – “Promises”
This one takes me completely by surprises. It’s a great song, but I didn’t have it back then. My sister did — I must have poached it from her collection for this tape. Bob played this a lot in the car over the last couple summers, so our whole gang would remember it fondly. She would have been in the car when we were rocking Frozen Ghost. Lead singer Arnold Lanni later went on to become quite a successful producer. Guitarist Phil X made it even bigger, now touring the world with Bon Jovi!
4. Lee Aaron – “Only Human”
I don’t think this is one of Lee’s finer moments, but I thought she’d like it, so on it went.
5. Winger – “Miles Away”
Putrid. Just awful. Fast forwarding.
6. AC/DC – “Moneytalks”
Holy shit! Finally a rock song. AC/DC were huge in ’90-’91. I couldn’t have gone wrong with AC/DC. Then why the fuck didn’t I include more? “Who Made Who”. “You Shook Me All Night Long”. Everybody likes those songs. Holy shitballs.
7. Motley Crue – “Home Sweet Home”
Tammy had Dr. Feelgood before I did, but I don’t know if she would have Theater of Pain back then. There was no such thing as a Motley greatest hits (can you imagine such a world?) so I thought this would be nice for her to have.
8. Van Halen – “Dreams”
OK, probably not a ballad. Very keyboard-heavy. Very easy to enjoy, and Van Hagar were still cool as fuck.
9. Van Halen – “Dancing in the Streets”
Some folks that are not necessarily Van Halen fans really like their version of “Dancing in the Streets”. It’s probably better than Bowie/Jagger, at least. I’m pleased with myself for including both Sammy and Dave on this tape, and one after the other no less!
10. REZ – “Shadows”
Woah! Deep cut. This was a tape, of a tape, of a tape, of a tape. You can imagine what it sounds like today. Bob and I loved this song by the Christian rock band REZ, formerly Resurrection Band. You can see that I snuck in a few unfamiliar songs like this, hoping she’d get into them. This one is pretty easy to like. Total shock to find it here.
11. Kiss – “Hard Luck Woman”
Kiss Count: five.
12. Brighton Rock – “One More Try”
This also comes as a surprise. Then I think to myself that my music collection wasn’t very large back then and I would have to pull a few obscure ones out. If I remember the details clearly, Tammy had MTV and so didn’t necessarily hear as much Canadian content like Brighton Rock.
13. AC/DC – “You Shook Me All Night Long”
Ah, good. What’s interesting to me about this is that at this point of the tape, the right channel is completely inaudible. So all I get is Angus (no Malcolm), Brian, and maybe half of Phil Rudd.
To my surprise, that is the last song. Usually I snuck something short and goofy at the end of a tape. “You Shook Me All Night Long” does make a good final song….
Wait!
I didn’t erase the tape to the end! There is something left at the tail. Older contents; older than 1991.
It’s “On the Road to Rock” by Kick Axe! It is a mystery how that song got on this tape in the first place, as I didn’t own it back then and don’t even own it now. I must have recorded it off someone. Who, I have no idea. Perhaps my next door neighbour George had it. It was him or Bob, but I’ll never know for sure. George is gone now and Bob wouldn’t remember.
Knowing when I made this tape, and all the motivations behind it doesn’t forgive it for being a piece of shit. I did a shitty job here folks! Too many ballads, not enough variety. It’s a real slog to listen to without a fast forward button. At least half of those ballads could be axed, and replaced with something else that I had in my collection at that time.
Usually when you make a tape for someone, you give it away and never hear it again. In this case I had the rare chance to play back a mix tape that I made 28 years ago and never sent. It’s just as bad as I feared though not without some surprises and the odd cool inclusion.
That blue Scotch tape, an ancient C-120, goes back to at least 1983 making it 36 years old at minimum. 120 minute tapes are never any good, and this one was always particularly cheap. Now that I’ve satisfied my curiosity, I will never play this tape again.
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