RECORD STORE TALES Mk II: Getting More Tale
#334: Tyler and LeBrain – episode one – “Nickelback”
Please welcome fellow Sausagefester, Dave FM listener, and lover of leather-clad blues-infested classic rock and roll: Tyler. We’ve decided to team up for musical commentary on a few different topics. Today’s subject:
Nickelback.
Hope you enjoy, and comment here for discussion.
RUSH – Red Stars of the Solar Federation (X-Rekords, Live at Montreal Forum May ’81)
I found this bootleg when I was unceremoniously transferred from one location to another. When I started at the other location, this was among the first CDs that came in that I just had to buy. It’s a Rush bootleg from the legendary Moving Pictures tour. In fact this CD is the audio of the Rush video Exit…Stage Left, which is a different audio from the LP. It sounds like a vinyl rip. Otherwise the sound quality is pretty good. The audience is shrill and very loud. There are also clearly speed/pitch issues with the audio. (This could be corrected in Audacity, but I don’t think I could do it by ear.) This CD is selling for over $70 currently on Discogs. I paid nowhere near that.
Between the songs are interview snippets from the band, same as the video. It features a few tracks that were not on the Exit…Stage Left album: “By-Tor”, “In the Mood”, “In the End”, and “2112” which is unlisted. The rest of the songs are completely different recordings, anyway. I guess that’s why the asking price is $70. They are no less perfect; no less electrifying.
“The Trees” and “Xanadu” take up one massive 17 minute track on the CD, and it’s a monument to perfection of performance and craft. I can barely remember the sequence of all the different parts of Xanadu; I can’t imagine how Rush can play a set full of this stuff with precision and feel all the time! All this while Geddy has to remember complex lyrics about searching for the lost Xanadu.
I love Peart’s slamming drums on “Red Barchetta”, a song I simply never tire of. What is it about Rush songs? They don’t burn out like so many other bands. Not even “Closer to the Heart” has burned out on me yet, and it’s always a pleasure hearing a less familiar version.
On to “By-Tor”: it features a nicely noisy and meandering Alex Lifeson solo, surely a highlight of the entire performance. This segues directly into a truncated “In the End”, also from Fly By Night. This then is butted against “In the Mood” from the first Rush album in an awkward transition. Geddy appears to change the lyrics from “Hey baby” to “Hey Cookie”. Even this song is shortened, and segues into “Grande Finale” from 2112. Alex ends it with some noise-laden blasting on his axe, almost stealing the spotlight from his two bandmates. It’s a perfect storm of musical excellence and heavy rock.
Sonically, Red Stars of the Solar Federation is vastly inferior to the current Exit…Stage Left DVD. Yet I have a geeky love for an oddball CD like this. While I can’t say it’s worth $70, I can say it’s worth:
3.5/5 stars
You’ve heard of Epic Meal Time? They should call me Epic Review Time. Here’s a couple hours of music, text and video distilled down and covered in detail. This is a double-sized review for the price of one. Dive in and engorge!
RUSH – Snakes & Arrows (2007 Warner Music Interactive DVD album)
Rush’s Snakes & Arrows album was considered a progression from the previous record, Vapor Trails. The pummeling of Vapor Trails has been tempered with light and shade, bringing a more balanced Rush. It was also mixed in 5.1 for a special “Music Video Interactive” DVD by Richard Chycki and Alex Lifeson, who oversee most of Rush’s 5.1 mixes. I haven’t listened to any version of Snakes & Arrows for many moons, so this is a review from fresh ears.
First though, there is a 40+ minute documentary video called “The Game of Snakes & Arrows” so we can learn a bit about how the album came to be. Geddy Lee says that their priority for choosing a recording studio was that they wanted the best drum sound imaginable. They chose an old mansion out in the Adironacks. 47 individual microphones were used to record the entire drum kit. Neil Peart says that the isolation of the studio led to the three guys reconnecting as musicians and friends like the old days at Le Studio. According to Alex Lifeson, the plan for writing this time was to take it easy, working on the writing part only part time. Later on, more time was spent on just rehearsing and playing the new songs, which transformed them along them way. The documentary contains snippets of some intricate Lifeson acoustic 12-string, in the studio, where Alex makes it look easy.
Producer Nick Raskulinecz was not a passive participant; indeed there was give and take with the band in order to make the best out of each song. It was a process that worked well according to Alex. I enjoyed hearing Alex explain the suspended F chord in “Far Cry” — there’s a story behind it. There is some great footage of Geddy playing Mellotron on “Good News First” too. I also love a fly on the wall scene of Geddy jamming a bass lick on his brand-new-out-of-the-box Jaco Pastorius bass. The lick sounded good and Geddy says, “We’ll jam to it later. We’ll get the Big Guy on drums.” Chills up my spine. Raskulinecz asks, “Would it be bad if we had two instrumentals on the record?” Geddy immediately responds, “No, it’ll be a first.” Peart shows up and they start to jam, and when Alex arrives it only takes him a day to come up with his guitar part to the Grammy-nominated Rush bass-drum jam called “Malignant Narcissism”. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. This is how the big boys play.
Although this doc is only 40 minutes in length it’s well worth having. This is great stuff. Neil Peart crafting drum parts in front of our very eyes is a treat that few other DVDs deliver. Seeing Geddy applauding his bandmate shouting, “He’s killing it, woo!” is glorious.
As if all this isn’t enough, there is a many-paged (I lost count) essay by Peart called “The Game of Snakes & Arrows: Prize Every Time”. My favourite detail is what producer Nick Raskulinecz was nicknamed: “Boujze”, based on the sound he’d make when trying to convey to Peart a drum fill suggestion. “Bappitty-bap-bap-booooujze!”
The DVD photo gallery is a total joke: FIVE pictures. At least the package comes with an expanded booklet with lots of Hugh Syme’s surreal artwork. Since the photo gallery on the DVD was just shite photies, I’ll give you some shots from the documentary that are loads better.
So, let’s get on with the album then. Pushing play —
Delicacy and aggression describe album opener (and first single) “Far Cry”. The acoustics of Lifeson are easily overwhelmed by the pummeling band. “Far Cry” boasts one of those powerful 90’s-style Rush riffs that groove rather than exercise the brain. Immediately I am overwhelmed by a dense 5.1 riff. I do not know how many guitars I am hearing, but Alex has unique parts coming in from all sides, including an acoustic on the left that I never noticed before. I have loved “Far Cry” since its triumphant release in 2007; it is just as powerful and engaging today. New appreciation for Lifeson will be had on this mix.
“Armor & Sword” was a standout then and now, just as “Far Cry” before. The song has always shimmered, but more so in 5.1. This track has much more of Alex’s acoustic guitars, and more texture. It has a regal 80’s Rush-like quality without the keyboards. In fact there are no keyboards on Snakes & Arrows, only the Mellotron. The 5.1 mix becomes a little dense at times, and the layers of guitars oppressive, but it is indeed a massive song. Then, you can audibly hear the Mellotron on “Workin’ Them Angels”, a phrase taken from one of Peart’s books. It is a brighter song than either of the first two, and I like the reference to the “moving picture”. “Workin’ Them Angels” is an album highlight, particularly the mandolin near the end.
Somber moods inhabit “The Larger Bowl”, with Alex’s acoustics again giving it mood and texture. The hippy-ish chorus sounds like the 1960’s to me, and with the acoustics it paints a picture in my mind. This is a very good song, but Alex’s well composed guitar solo is the focal point for me. His tone is very different on the solo, very warm. It’s an excellent song. “Spindrift” is less overwhelming to me. There is nothing wrong with it; it is simply less enchanting than its predecessors since they set the bar quite high. The song was, however, performed on the Snakes & Arrows tour and kicks of CD 2 of the album Snakes & Arrows Live and there is no denying it is powerful.
“The Main Monkey Business” is the first instrumental, again featuring Geddy on Mellotron. The main melodic element to this song feels familiar to me — it reminds me of one of Ace Frehley’s “Fractured” instrumentals in terms of melody. In terms of playing and structure, it is nothing like Frehley. The 5.1 mix here is nicely balanced. I’m getting plenty of distinct acoustic parts, with Geddy and Neil front and center. The chiming guitars behind me envelope the listener in warmth. Then, suddenly during a solo guitar section, the mix retreats almost all way to stereo before returning again on all 5.1. Things bounce back and forth between intensely heavy and intensely heady. This is a masterpiece of instrumental craft.
“We can only go the way the wind blows,” claims Peart on the next song. “The Way the Wind Blows” has two distinct sections:one heavy and one with layered acoustics. I prefer the acoustic section and I’m not too much into the heavy parts which sounds a bit same-y to 90’s Rush stuff. Then, “Hope” is a short Lifeson acoustic showcase. This might be the point at which some Rush fans started to doze a bit. Admittedly Snakes & Arrows is the most acoustic-based Rush album I can think of. I just don’t think that’s a bad thing. Not when you have Alex Lifeson in your band. “Hope” leads into “Faithless”, a strong Rush composition. There seems to be some sort continuity of theme here, or perhaps it is all in my head? First Neil says we can only go the way the wind blows. Then we go from “Hope”, to a discussion of faith. On “Faithless”, Neil says that like the willow, he will quietly resist. Seems like a total 180 from going where the wind blows to me, and I don’t care if it’s not intentional because I think it’s cool. On the guitar end, Alex plays a cool bluesy solo, once again classing up the song several notches. What a player.
The song that doesn’t work for me is “Bravest Face”. I find the verses annoying. “Good News First” is better, returning us to the regal Rush territory I prefer. Alex’s magnificent chords are enhanced by the Mellotron. Weak verses are compensated for here by other elements. It sounds like an incomplete song to me, but better than “Bravest Face”. The aforementioned “Malignant Narcissism” is a mind-tornado as opposed to a mind-blow. But it’s actually a distraction; you’re about to be blown away by the sheer power of closer “We Hold On”. Rush closers usually just bowl me over, and “We Hold On” is one of those. Fucking awesome. This time, Alex concentrates on the electric guitar and comes up with numerous unique and enhancing licks. This is a complete Rush triumph. Neil is absolutely relentless. It leaves the album on an exhausted, satisfied note.
And a good thing, too — I was starting to worry as the song quality was dipping towards the end there. I’m happy Rush redeemed it with a stunner like “We Hold On”.
4/5 stars
I really had this coming. In Part 314 (The Musical Crimes of Mrs. LeBrain) I exposed the somewhat embarrassing contents of Jen’s CD wallet. I knew retribution would come. Enjoy this penultimate episode of Record Store Tales, and its final guest shot, courtesy of Mrs. LeBrain. (Warning: LOTS of pictures!)
RECORD STORE TALES Part 319: The Musical Crimes of LeBrain
#10 HIM – And Love Said No. That deep dark gothic prince Ville Valo makes lonely girls swoon, but he is also hanging out on LeBrain’s shelf.
#9 Soundtrack – SMALL SOLDIERS. I don’t know how this made it into the LeBrain home. I understand his need for everything Geddy Lee has ever created, but “Mixed by DJ Z-Trip“?? Is that really worth it? (Not to mention that you have to rock out to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to get there.)
#8 ROD STEWART – “If We Fall In Love Tonight” CD single. Going through my adventure here, I came across this single, designed to get the listener to first base. YOU’RE MARRIED. THAT SHIT DOESN’T NEED TO STAY.
#7 Soundtrack – THE KARATE KID, Part III. “Wax on, wax off.” The case and book for this CD do not meet the demanding criteria that LeBrain enforces on his collection, but neither does the track list. (I don’t know who most of these people are, but I have heard of the Pointer Sisters.)
#6 WOODSTOCK 99 – Various. Look at the first six tracks from crap bands, and try not to laugh (a challenging task). The second CD is just as bad.
#5 Soundtrack – SON IN LAW. The Pauly Shore franchise was known for making really bad movies. The soundtracks are not much better and this shouldn’t be taking up valuable shelf space.
#4 ELMOPALOOZA – Various. If LeBrain were a daddy, this CD might make sense (Steven Tyler has a song about trash). But LeBrain is childless, and Tickle-Me-Elmo is pretty pointless here!
#3 ZZ TOP: A Tribute From Friends – Various. Three words:
MIKE OWNS NICKELBACK!
#2 AVRIL LAVIGNE – The Lavigne Collection (see below). In Part 314, LeBrain threw me under the bus for wanting to marry Joey Mac from New Kids on the Block, 25 years ago. Payback time! Just because he wanted to be her “Sk8tr Boi” doesn’t mean he needed to buy her entire repertoire.
And #1! HIT ZONE 4 – Various. LeBrain’s messiest musical moments have been in his “Various” section, but this one takes the cake. My husband owns tracks by NSync, the Backstreet Boys and Boyz II Men? And to top it off this boy band festival, here’s Hanson! Regardless, I think the most disturbing thing about this CD is cover. Look at the scratches and scrapes on the case. This tells me the CD has been well enjoyed.
CONCLUSION:
LeBrain, with all the mess on YOUR shelves, you really can’t make fun of me. But no matter what crap you listen to, you’re still mine.
– Mrs. LeBrain
NEXT TIME ON RECORD STORE TALES…
End of the Line!
RECORD STORE TALES Part 306: Happy Birthday to Me
Today is my birthday!
20 years ago…20 YEARS AGO!…I was hired at the old Record Store. It wasn’t 20 years ago today; I don’t remember the exact date. But it was mere days before my birthday, two weeks at best. I was given some money for my birthday, and I remember the exact CD that I bought on July 19, 1994. It was Rush. Chronicles.
So here’s a confession, something I’ve never admitted to here before. Privately yes, but not publicly. That Rush Chronicles that I bought 20 years ago today was my first Rush album. Ever.
I was pretty late to the Rush party. I didn’t really start to pay attention to them until the 1990’s. Growing up in the late 1980’s, in my age group, none of my friends liked Rush. As far as I could tell, nobody liked Rush. They simply were not in my hemispheres. I had seen their music videos on Much, but for the most part I didn’t like what I saw. A funny looking guy, keyboards, a guitar player wearing a tie…I overlooked Rush.
I did like one song. “Subdivisions”. That song was undeniably cool, with that slick synth part as the main hook. This song, I dug. Way more than “Tom Sawyer”. Way more than “Red Barchetta”. Definitely more than “Time Stand Still”, which I considered an embarrassment at the time. “Subdivisions” stuck with me, through highschool, through university. I decided I needed to get it, so I finally started exploring the Rush repertoire. And I started with Chronicles.
I would have got it sooner, but I didn’t have the money. Now I had money, a staff discount, and access to hundreds of used CDs in great condition. I had arrived in my own musical paradise!
I was soon enthralled with Chronicles. Many songs that were new to me were quickly becoming favourites: the new-to-CD live version of “What You’re Doing”. The silly but instantly likable “The Trees”. Most of all though, “Red Sector A” from Grace Under Pressure. For a brief while, this song unseated “Subdivisions” as my favourite Rush track.
On this day, I’m going to extend a hearty virtual handshake to the man who gave me a chance at that job, the owner-founder of the store. He did it just because he knew my dad, and my dad asked him to help me out. He didn’t have to, he didn’t even ask for a resume. He just asked me to come down one afternoon and talk. That one talk irreversibly changed my life, and I look at that moment as the end of one life and the beginning of another. It was one of those proverbial turning points.
Thank you. Now, I’m off to party!
Part 2 in my series of Trailer Park Boys reviews! This one features the mighty RUSH!
For the first installment, Seasons 1 & 2, click here.
TRAILER PARK BOYS – The Complete Third Season (2003 Alliance Atlantis)
By season 3, Trailer Park Boys was a bonafide hit show, and running on all cylinders. The confidence that Clattenberg and crew had was obvious in season 3. The writers had hit threir stride here, and produced eight of their best episodes. Granted, there are very few bad Trailer Park Boys episodes, but none of them were in season 3. Season 3 also presents the first true classic episode, “Closer To The Heart” featuring guest star Alex Lifeson of Rush.
Ricky and Julian are, once again, out of jail. They are also rich thanks to their dope sale from the previous season. Julian begins a vodka bootlegging business, and Ricky applies for the position of assistant trailer park supervisor, now that Randy has been suspended. Lahey and Ricky working together? You know that’s not going to turn out well.
Before long, Julian comes up with the idea of committing a series of small crimes, so they won’t get caught, and saving the money for a big cruise. Stealing gas and opening an illegal gas station in the park seems like a good idea. This leads to the first-ever big Ricky courtroom scene of the series. If you haven’t seen one of these, believe me, Ricky’s courtroom scenes are always a highlight.
Meanwhile, Julian starts dating a cop, and J-Roc starts jacking other rappers tunes (he calls it “cross promoting”). This leads to the debut of new character DVS (Detroit Velvet Smooth…from Moncton), who comes to Sunnyvale looking for reckoning. Seeing Bubbles rapping during a moment of crisis is another highlight of the season, as is finding out what J-Roc is really like under that headband.
Then, one day, Bubbles finds that Rush are playing at the Metro Centre. He asks Ricky to go get him a ticket, with the only money he has. That gets all cocked up, so Ricky decides that to compensate Bubbles, by having Rush do a concert in the park. Just for them. How do you do that? You start by “borrowing” one of the band members.
By the end of the season, the entire world of the Trailer Park Boys has been turned upside down, and things will be drastically different in season 4. It’s all funny, it’s all quality, it’s all good. Truly, season 3 was one of the best seasons of this show, and is actually a great place for non-fans to start watching. It is easily accessible and loaded with witty writing, inspired improvised dialogue, and great stories.
Pick up season 3 if you don’t have it already. For new fans, this is a great place to get into the series.
5/5 stars
FANBOYS (2009)
Directed by Kyle Newman
For what seemed like years, we waited…and waited…and waited…for what seemed like it could be the funniest movie ever made. Details trickled out. The trailer came long before the movie. And then when the movie itself finally arrived, that terribly familiar thud of disappointment sank in.
There are so many movies that do what Fanboys does, but so much better. Free Enterprise is a good example. Paul is another. It’s unfortunate that with a decent cast and great spoof material, they could not do better. At least the movie studio didn’t excise the cancer storyline as they wanted to, but what disappointed me was that the movie didn’t live up to the hype — cancer or no cancer, it’s weak.
Funny bits: I liked the Rush references, but they were done better in I Love You Man. I liked the Shatner cameo, but I liked it better in Free Enterprise. I liked Billy Dee Williams as “Judge Reinhold”, but come on…that Reinhold joke has been used twice before, on Arrested Development and Clerks: The Animated Series! I liked the Seth Rogen cameo(s), especially as the hapless Star Wars fan who thinks he’ll be the coolest guy ever by getting a full back tattoo of Jar Jar Binks. That was funny! Also cool was Ethan Suplee as Harry Knowles (Ain’t It Cool News).
Your story (such as it is): It is 1998. Linus has terminal cancer. He will not live long enough to see Episode I: The Phantom Menace, which he and his three friends have dreamed about since childhood. The plan: break into Skywalker Ranch, and steal it. Brilliant setup.
This sets into motion your typical road trip movie. Sidetracks into the desert, biker bars, being forced to strip, peyote…I’ve seen this all before: Beavis and Butthead and Detroit Rock City anyone? Take your favourite modern road trip movie and superimpose it over Fanboys. They are the same.
The movie ends with one funny but ominous line: “What if the movie sucks?” And it did, and after waiting this long, Fanboys didn’t fare much better.
2/5 stars
Sam Huntington … Eric
Chris Marquette … Linus
Dan Fogler … Hutch
Jay Baruchel … Windows
Kristen Bell … Zoe
Click here for Aaron’s loving review of this album, from his Rush “Partial Series”.
RUSH – Fly By Night (1975 Anthem, reissued 2011 in the Sector 1 box set)
Gotta love this album cover. It is classic. Always has been.
This, the first album ever to feature “The Professor” Neil Peart on drums and lyrics, is the birth of the new Rush, the Rush we know today. Slowly shedded were the straight-ahead rock sounds, although their shadows remain (“Best I Can”, for example). In the stead were acoustic guitars, songs about Elvish cities, and much more complex arrangements. Fly By Night remains today a beloved and important slab o’ wax in the mighty Rush canon.
For the most part Fly By Night remains heavy although the rawk groove is gone, replaced by…well, I don’t know what to call it. In it’s place is sheer ability, filtered through the Canadian lens; the snow-white brilliant abilities of Lifeson, Lee and Peart, barreling straight through the winter night, determined to just frickin’ play their tails off. (How did ya like that run-on sentence?) To listen to this monster is to listen to three kids who knew they were better than the other kids on the block. Maybe the songwriting wasn’t entirely there yet but the pieces were falling into place.
You can’t beat “By-Tor” for its piercing vocal and metallic romp, yet it bends and slithers through a lengthy instrumental section. “Anthem” harkens back to the groove of album #1, yet foreshadows the heaviness of album #3. It remains one of Rush’s most identifiable rampages. The title track reveals hippy-like happiness sheathed within the band’s monstrous technical abilities. “Making Memories” is fun acoustic-based classic road rock. “Rivendell” is a personal favourite, an ode to the home city of Elrond and his Elf kin.
Like many Rush albums of the early 1970’s, some of this music might be impenetrable to the uninitiated. However, one must push through it in order to appreciate where this band came from and where it was going.
Finally, when this album was reissued in the Sector 1 box set, a 5.1 mix on DVD was included as a bonus. I couldn’t leave you without speaking about that mix, briefly. It’s a pretty straightforward surround mix, presumably because as Rush albums go, Fly By Night is a lot more straightforward than the later discs. Not a lot of tracks and instrumentation to play around with. It’s clear though, and it’s a pleasure to listen to. I only wish I had the ability to listen to 5.1 mixes more frequently, so I could get to know this disc a little better.
As for Fly By Night?
4/5 stars. The best was yet to come….
It’s the end of the Week of Rockin’ Movies. All week we discussed movies with significant rock n’ roll connections. If you missed anything, click below! Thanks for hanging out.
MONDAY: House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
TUESDAY: The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
WEDNESDAY: 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
THURSDAY: Record Store Tales Part 284: The Impact of Movies
FRIDAY: Get Him to the Greek (2010)
I LOVE YOU MAN (2009 Paramount)
Directed by John Hamburg
I don’t know why it has taken me so long to review this rocking comedy. This and Fanboys arrived at roughly the same time, both movies featuring a character who loves the Holy Trinity known to Canadians as Rush. However only I Love You Man was able to score appearances from Geddy, Alex and Neil.
If you’re not a fan of the Apatow factory players – guys like Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Joe Lo Truglio, Aziz Ansari, Nick Kroll, etc – then even the appearance of the Mighty Rush is unlikely to sway you to I Love You Man. You know what kind of humour you’re in for: dick and fart jokes, and plenty of them. If that’s not your kind of humour, that’s cool, man!
I happen to love fart jokes.
I Love You Man has some great fart jokes. But it also has heart, which is why I’m still into it five years later. Peter Klaven (Rudd) is newly engaged to his lovely girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones), but there’s one major issue: He doesn’t have any real guy friends. Zooey has plenty of bridesmaids, but Peter can’t think of anyone for the crucial role of best man. Klaven embarks upon a series of “man-dates” to get to know some guys better. These range from funny (Joe Lo Truglio’s gratingly high-voiced Lonnie) to disastrous (a vomit-filled poker game with Jon Favreau).
Klaven has a second problem. As a real estate agent, he’s landed a great client, but also a tough house to sell: Lou Ferrigno’s place. While Peter laments that it’s hard to sell a house with a giant-size Hulk statue on the lawn, it is at an open house that he meets Jason Segel’s Sydney Fife. Hitting it off, the guys exchange cards and agree to get some drinks later.
The critics really praised the on screen chemistry between Rudd and Segal, and it’s hard not to get drawn into their story. Especially when they realize they have a mutual affinity for Rush. This leads to the now-famous “Slappin’ Da Bass” scene, a phrase that Geddy may hear at just about every concert he plays, for all eternity.
The weakness with the movie (and many similar films) is the lack of strong female characters. Zooey is relegated to the character that is slowly pushed aside by Sydney. It’s not intentional of course, but a few missteps that Sydney makes end up upsetting Zooey, and eventually Peter, enough to jeopardize the best man slot at the wedding.
Can Peter, Sydney and Zooey reconcile in time for the wedding? Will Peter ever sell Lou Ferigno’s house? Will Rush be played at the wedding?
Of course you know what will happen, but this being a review, I’m obligated to stay away from spoilers.
I thought the cast was great, the story hilarious (if not the most original idea), and even the supporting cast were all standouts. J.K. Simmons as “the dad” and Andy Samberg as “the gay brother” were notable, even in their small roles. As a child of the 70’s, Lou Ferrigno was icing on the cake for me. The guy obviously has a good sense of humour, and the movie would not have been the same without him. Ferrigno rules.
I Love You Man has earned a permanent place in my movie collection, and not just for the Rush references!
4/5 stars
Paul Rudd as Peter Klaven
Jason Segel as Sydney Fife
Rashida Jones as Zooey Rice
Andy Samberg as Robbie Klaven
J. K. Simmons as Oswald Klaven
Jane Curtin as Joyce Klaven
Jaime Pressly as Denise McLean
Jon Favreau as Barry McLean
Lou Ferrigno as Himself
Rush as themselves
SKID ROW – B-Sides Ourselves (1992 Atlantic EP)
This was a great EP, ranking among some of the better examples of such a format in metal. I love the MAD-Magazine-esque cover artwork. I also loved the concept of this EP as a bit of a treat to tide the fans over during the excruciatingly long four year wait between albums. The five selections are all fun, performed competently, and sound like Skid Row. They also sound like a band who truly loves these songs and knows them backwards and forwards. It’s not quite as satisfying as you want it to be, as it’s only about 18 1/2 minutes long. (I mean hey, there’s a Ramones cover on here so there you go.) This is meant to be nothing more than a fun snack, and as such pay no more for this than you’d be willing to pay for any 18 minute CD.
Tracklist time!
1. “Psycho Therapy”
Bassist Rachel Bolan sings this Ramones-approved cover (backed by Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe). It was chosen as the first single/video. Excellent cover, very authentic. So well received, it was even included on their Forty Seasons: The Best Of CD.
2. “C’Mon And Love Me”
Classic Kiss cover from Dressed To Kill! A great riffy Kiss song. Skid Row do it justice. It’s one of those solid, meat & potatoes rock songs that requires no frills, just some solid guitars. I think this is definitely one of my favourite Kiss covers ever.
3. “Delivering the Goods” (Live)
Featuring the Metal God himself, Rob Halford, in a duet with his buddy Baz! One thing that is immediately obvious is that Baz is absolutely pumped. But then again, he does state that he’s been waiting his whole life to share a stage with Halford. Great cover, very live sounding, mistakes and all. Still, “Delivering the Goods” is the weakest of these covers…yet it still blows away most bands.
4. “What You’re Doing”
Perhaps the best cover on the album. This is a first-album Rush cover. Back when Geddy was writing the lyrics, and before Rush were singing about how trees are talking to each other and how different sides of your brain works, or outerspace bullshit. It’s an absolutely ferocious, angry Skid Row cover with Baz paying tribute to his countrymen. Excellent, obscure choice and the only cover on the album that I hadn’t heard somebody else do before (or since).
5. “Little Wing”
A surprisingly great turn on the Hendrix classic. Very different from Jimi’s version (obviously), this sounds nonetheless authentic and classy. Of note, the Skids also did a live-in-the-studio version for the music video. I wish that version was released on a CD as well. Unlikely we’ll see that happen.
Covers records can be so very hit-or-miss, but this one is five hits. Battleship sunk. Just wish it wasn’t all over in 18 minutes.
5/5 stars
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