Thunder and Lightning

#1196: When the Lightning Strikes

RECORD STORE TALES #1196: When the Lightning Strikes

Friday night, and we were off to the races.  I live for the weekend, and so Friday June 27 was set to be another one for the history books.  Fridays are a shorter day at work.  We get to go home at 4:00 PM instead of 4:30 which can make a significant difference when it comes to traffic.  Jen had bought a couple decent steaks at a cheap price, so that was the planned dinner.  Steak is always something to look forward to, even when cooked at home in a cast iron frying pan.  (The grill at the cottage is always preferred.)  On top of this, I had the night “off” from doing shows.  The evening’s episode of Grab A Stack of Rock was a fun re-run featuring my good pal Aaron along with Harrison Kopp and Jex Russell.  All I had to do was watch and comment along.  A low pressure evening.

In more ways than one…

A minor seizure derailed Jen, but only for an hour and a half.  She recovered after a quick nap.  We’d have to do dinner after the show, instead of before.  No big deal.  The electricity in her synapses doesn’t always play nice, but she’s definitely doing much better than she was doing only two or three years ago.  New medications have made a difference.

The skies were darker than usual for a summer night in June.  According to the radar, a storm was rolling in.  It had already hit the shores of Lake Huron a couple hours earlier, as my dad told me.

“The power went out a couple times,” he told me.  “The neighbours came over for a visit and they had to stay and wait out the storm, they couldn’t go home.”

Me personally, I never let a little rain get in the way of me leaving a social engagement early, but that’s just me.

“It’ll be coming your way soon,” warned my dad.  I love a good rainstorm.  The harder the better.  A low pressure zone was churning up some thunder and lightning.  It should be a good one.  The rumble of distant thunder could be heard.

Jen made a couple pretty good steaks with enough left over for breakfast the next day.  We settled in for an evening.  I was watching classic Doctor Who on Tubi.  I chose the high-strung Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, because I like his Scottish sidekick Jamie.  I usually watch Doctor Who on my laptop with my headphones, while Jen watches sports on TV.  The lights flickered as a power surge hit, followed by a roar of thunder outside.

“Here it comes,” I enthused.  The power went out twice total, knocking out the cable, but not Doctor Who.  The episode was ending and I removed my headphones.

“Wow is that the rain?” I asked, as I heard the pounding on the windows.  “Good storm!”

But there was another sound.  I thought I heard loud dripping, inside.  I went to check around the front windows, which were soaking wet and dripping all over.

“Holy shit, there’s water coming in through the windows!” I yelled.  I could see it dripping in through the top of the window sill.  This is actually not as big a deal as it sounds, as the windows are all being replaced in a few weeks.  The building itself it currently stripped of its outer siding, as it is being re-finished with a new exterior this summer.  It’s no surprise that a storm of that power could drive water right through the walls with no siding.  Any leaks will be gone along with the old windows soon.  So I was not concerned.  I just wanted to stop the water from coming in and dripping all over my stuff.

“Do you want a couple towels?” asked Jen.

“Yeah!  Great idea!” I said as I moved stuff away from the wall, out of the drip.  There was a lot of water on the window sill, but a couple towels would stop the drip.

I carefully placed the towels along the entire length of the window sill.  They thirstily soaked up water, very quickly, indicating the amount of liquid that we were dealing with.  My fingers were wet as I pushed the towels into the corners of the window sill.

BANG!

Just like that – like a loud fireworks exploding in my face – lightning struck just outside.

Shocked, I jumped and yelled “WOAH!  WHAT WAS THAT?”  It was a completely different kind of sound from lightning that I’m used it.  More a loud pop; like an explosion.  Less a bright flash of light, but more a dark flash of black!  And my fingers were deep in the water when it hit.  They tingled afterwards for hours; almost a day.  My head burst with a headache right at the pointy top of my skull.  I have no doubt that I received a mild electrical shock.

I’m going to tell people that I was hit by lightning.  Why not?  That’s where the electricity came from.  It conducted through the water in the ground into my fingers.  We live in a basement apartment and the window is at ground level.  That’s how I got shocked.  It was mild, yes – but I’m going to use it as a boast anyway.

I felt really crappy all night.  I didn’t sleep well.  I did, however, test something myself.

Lying in bed, I stretched my arms up towards the ceiling fan.  Stretching out my fingers, and using only the power of my mind, I made an effort to move the fan with my new electricity-based superpowers.  Failing that, I tried to make the lightbulbs explode.  That didn’t work either, so in a last ditch effort, I attempted to levitate myself out of bed.

Nothing.

I sighed and slumped back into a restless night, dreaming of flying over the landscape using my new superpowers, and zapping people I don’t like with lightning.  But no superpowers manifested.  I was ripped off!

The rain pattered on and off through the night, but no more water leaked in.  Soon there will be new windows through which no water shall leak.  Lightning seldom strikes the same place twice, and very few people are hit more than once, so I hope my dance with Lady Electric is over.  One of my fingers still tingles a bit.  My chance at being a superhero has passed me by, but I’m still here to write the tale.

 

REVIEW: Darrell Mansfield – “Thunder and Lightning” (1985)

DARRELL MANSFIELD – “Thunder and Lightning” (1985 Broken Records, from Revelation)

Back in old ’86, Bob Schipper taped a bunch of Christian rock bands from a co-worker at the local Harvey’s.  He recorded five songs by two artists:  REZ and Darrell Mansfield.  I, in turn, recorded them from him.  Those artists, Rez and Mansfield, were hard to find at retail.  We’d never even heard of them before.  As time went on, 12 years at the Record Store, I never saw them.  You had to go to a speciality Christian record store.  (Or, in the 2000s, just look online.)

The one Darrell Mansfield track that I really liked from that tape was called “Thunder and Lightning”.  We both loved it.  Didn’t know anything about the guy.  Couldn’t find his albums.  The tape eventually became unplayable.  What to do?

The easiest thing was just to download the song off iTunes.  Eager to hear it again, and unsure if I wanted a whole Mansfield album, that’s exactly what I did.

From his 1985 disc Revelation, which boasts cover artwork that I liken to God meets Judas Priest, “Thunder and Lightning” is the opening track.  Appropriately it commences with some rip-roarin’ guitar soloin’.

So here’s the thing about Christian rock.  You either dig it or not.  There is plenty of guitar and vocal howls n’ shrieks to entertain the masses.  Mansfield’s lyrics are not heavy handed; they can be ignored.  It’s pretty obvious what they’re about if you pay attention, but only if you pay attention.

“The wind is blowing like a rolling stone, all the believers will be goin’ home.  Don’t be caught in the fallin’ rain.  Don’t need to suffer, don’t need the pain.”  The only clue to Darrell’s true message here is the word “believers”.

“Come on, don’t lose control.  Come on, don’t lose your soul.  Come on, put your feet on a rock, come on get your neighbours and rock!”  Anyone familiar with Christianity knows that one of several meanings of the word “rock” is a metaphor for faith.  Subtle enough.  One of the more blatant lines is “We wanna meet you in the Heavenly cloud, don’t be reluctant don’t be too proud.”  Still easy enough to miss.

“Thunder and Lightning” seems to be about one of those end-of-the-world scenarios.  Disaster looms, but the faithful are saved.  Mansfield refers to the “Storm-catcher” without naming Jesus.  It’s actually better done than a lot of Stryper lyrics.

There’s a smoking 40-second guitar intro,and the another 40 seconds of blazing mid-song.  That’s a pretty generous amount of guitar for a 4:48 song.  (Apparently future Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert played on some of the other album tracks.)  What sells it though is not just the insane-o guitar playing, but also Mansfield’s powerhouse voice.  When the guy makes his voice crack, Tyler-esque, on certain words, it just hits the spot!

This is a brilliant track that, whether you’re a believer or just a rock n’ roller, deserves to be heard again.

5/5 stars

 

 

REVIEW: Thin Lizzy – Thunder and Lightning (180 gram vinyl with bonus 12″)

THIN LIZZY – Thunder and Lightning (1983, 180 gram Back on Black reissue)

I love this album, it was actually the first Lizzy studio album I bought, on vinyl, from Tom’s store way back in the late 1990’s.  I’ve always loved John Sykes from his work in Whitesnake and Blue Murder.

Thunder and Lightning is the final Lizzy studio album.  It’s definitely the most metal, but it’s not the best sounding one (gimme Black Rose for that honour). It just strikes that chord inside. You know how certain albums just click with you and you don’t know why? That’s Thunder and Lightning for me, but I think it reminds me of that general vibe of heavy metal music in 1983.  There are times it reminds me of Judas Priest.

This is the only album from the Lynott/Gorham/Downey/Wharton/Sykes lineup.  It is produced by Chris Tsangarides (Anvil, Judas Priest). Wharton and Sykes both scored songwriting credits, which may be why this album sounds so much more “metal”.  Wharton’s keys are not obtrusive.

Best track:   Gorham and Lynott’s “Bad Habits”. If there was one track that sounded like old Lizzy circa Johnny The Fox, it’s “Bad Habits”. It’s just a rock and roller of a song with killer lyrics.  Phil’s voice is noticeably a lot more raw, worn, but he works within his limitations as always.  His voice remains as expressive as ever.  In “Bad Habits” he sounds like he’s jonesing as bad as the title implies.

“Cold Sweat” is the one that Sykes co-wrote, and it is very metal, featuring his trademark guitar squeals and yet more great lyrics from Lynott. “I got a whole month’s wages, I haven’t seen that much in ages, I might spend it in stages, and move out to Las Vegas.”  Love it.  Sung by Lynott, those lines tell a whole story.

IMG_00000235_editReally, there’s not a bad song on this album. “This Is The One” has some relentless pounding drums courtesy of Brian Downey (one of the true greats). “The Sun Goes Down” is a slower one with a keyboard solo, very atmospheric. It reminds me of the similarly titled “Night Comes Down” by Judas Priest. “Holy War” is another relentless pounder with a message to be heard. Not a bad track to be found.

If I had any complaints it would probably be the mix/production which at times comes across as a bit too bombastic and 80’s.  I mean, it’s still Thin Lizzy, one of the classiest sounding bands ever.  Thunder and Lightning is pretty evolved in sound from a classic like Jailbreak, and that may or may not be to your taste.

Some vinyl and cassette versions of Thunder and Lightning came with four bonus live tracks.  They are actually from the Renegade tour and feature Snowy White on guitar instead of his replacement John Sykes.  Thankfully, the current Back on Black 180 gram vinyl release restores the rare 12″ bonus EP.  The four songs are “Emerald”, “Killer on the Loose”, “The Boys are Back in Town”, and “Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)”.  These are great tracks.  It also has a gatefold sleeve with lyrics inside.  It’s a very nice package.

I’ve heard that 2013 will see the release of more Lizzy deluxe editions, including Thunder and Lightning.  If that’s the case I will pre-order it as soon as I hear about it.  There are still several B-sides from this period that are not currently available, such as “Angel of Death”, “Still in Love With You”, and “Don’t Believe a Word” live, and a remix of “The Sun Goes Down”.  I don’t have these tracks, but it sure would be nice to get everything on one deluxe CD package, wouldn’t it?  You guys paying attention, Universal?

5/5 stars

LIZZY

Part 195 / REVIEW: REZ – Between Heaven ‘N Hell (1985)

 RECORD STORE TALES Part 195:  REZ – Between Heaven ‘N Hell

March, 1986.

“I got some cool new bands,” said Bob one day after school.  He had been working at the nearby Harvey’s restaurant and had been exposed to some unfamiliar music from his co-workers.

“Have you ever heard of Christian rock?” he asked me.

“Yeah,” I answered.  “Stryper are Christian rock.  I like Stryper.”

“Well,” Bob explained, “I taped all the best songs by two awesome bands:  REZ and Darrell Mansfield.  REZ is short for Resurrection Band.  Darrell has this awesome song called ‘Thunder and Lightning’.  You have to hear it!  It is so cool.”  Bob then sang the chorus to me.  Sounded good.

The songs he, and soon I, were enthralled with were as follows:

Darrell Mansfield:  “Thunder and Lightning”, “After the Storm”.

REZ:  “Zuid Afrikan”, “2,000”, and “Shadows”.

Bob taped them from a guy at Harvey’s, and then I taped them from him.  I had a third generation tape, which I played over and over.  We played the hell out of those three REZ songs.  They were absolutely incredible songs, and the lyrics were cool too.  They didn’t come across as “overtly” Christian, but all had positive messages.  Bob particularly loved “Shadows”, and a brilliant song it was.  He loved the lyrics, as Bob and I were both very anti-drug:

In the words of his mama, ‘He was my only son.’
In the words of his sister, ‘He was on the run.’
In the words of his girl, ‘How could it end this way?’
In the words of his daddy, ‘Well he never had much to say.’

The lyrics mentioned “angel dust and tortured dreams”, and we knew what had happened to the subject character of the song.  It focuses on the friends and family left to carry on.  But before too long, an uplifting chorus:

Lord You, You took the shadows,
All my fears and doubts, and brought me out of the night,
Lord You, You take the shadows,
Give me hope and love, turn my darkness to light.

For a little while, we had a new favourite song.

We didn’t know the name of the singer (Glenn Kaiser), but his gravelly voice was a cross between Bob Seger and Rod Stewart.  He was our new vocal hero that spring.  Now, if only we could hear more by REZ…

REZ CD

March, 1998.

By this time, my old cassette tape with the REZ songs was unlistenable.  Because of this I hadn’t heard anything by the band in many years.  I had been working at the store for four years, but never saw any listing for this band.  But T-Rev had a tendency to check out-of-the-way places for CDs.  Downtown Kitchener one Sunday afternoon, we were checking out a new local pawn shop.  In their $1.99 CD bin, I found an interesting title: I believe it was called Inspirational Rock.  It struck my eye immediately because one of the included tracks was “Shadows”, by REZ.  It was an automatic purchase.

I closed the door and hit play.  A single haunting, acoustic guitar played a dark melody.

You, you chase the shadows,
Because your hopes and dreams have been lost in the night.

Once again, I had a new favourite song.

March, 2008.

I learned that Between Heaven ‘N Hell, by REZ, was finally issued on CD, 23 years after its initial release!  Amazon.com had it for a reasonable price, and of course I had to have it.  For the first time in almost two decades, I had the chance to hear “2,000” and the anti-apartheid track “Zuid Afrikan” once again.  And they were just as good as the first time I heard them.  I found other standout tracks as well, such as the scorching “I Think You Know”.

I was surprised to find that the band had a second lead vocalist, Wendy Kaiser.  In fact she’s on the front cover!  Her songs tend to be more new wave oriented, but she does rock out on some, like “Save Me From Myself” and “Nervous World”.  Unfortunately, her voice is not to my taste, so I tend to gravitate solely to the Glenn Kaiser songs.

The final song on the album is “2,000”, one that Bob and I used to rock out to all those years ago, in the parking lot of Stanley Park Sr. Public School on Hickson Ave. in Kitchener  We’d pop like 14 D-cells or something like that into a ghetto blaster, grab a basketball, and shoot some hoops while listening to “2,000”.  We loved the futuristic, echo-y vocal.  This was an anti-nuclear weapons song, much like Ozzy was doing around the same time on his Ultimate Sin album.

Shame this one wasn’t a scorcher all the way through.  Still, it has enough positive rock power, gritty but powerful choruses, and memorable songs to earn a passing grade.

REZ – Between Heaven ‘N Hell (1985 Grrr Records)

3/5 stars

REZ BACK

NEXT TIME ON RECORD STORE TALES…

It’s Mother’s Day, again!