GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man Episode 88: Musical Odds n’ Sods: A Grab A Stack of Rock Collection
We have had our first bump in the road with our 50 Years of Iron Maiden series: Mike had come down with his second case of Covid. Fortunately, we have been prepared for occurrences such as this, and we have already pre-recorded an episode to buy us a week if necessary. This is that week: Welcome to Musical Odds n’ Sods!
In this episode you will see topics including:
Fake KISS Autographs
Vertigo Records in Ottawa and Japanese Deep Purple imports
Record Store Tales
A Day in the Life of a Record Store Guy
Tom’s frozen winter beater car
Hot Wheels ZZ Top Eliminator car
Beat Up in a Mascot Suit
Metallica’s Fan Can #4
Secret method for unwrapping CDs
Record Store Photo Gallery
Unboxing 7 Japanese import CDs from Discogs
Unboxing Sloan Twice Removed box set
Dr. Kathryn Ladano “Evil Kirk” animation attempts
Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son MuchMusic interview (1988)
Easter eggs
I have to admit, I enjoy watching this episode myself. There is so much variety here to enjoy. Join me in the comments tonight!
Friday January 31 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. / 8:00 P.M. Atlantic. Enjoy on YouTube.
While ZZ Top were on a break between Tejas and Degüello, it made sense to issue the band’s first Best Of. This album was released in 1977 and though it did not chart high, it did eventually go double platinum, selling over 2,000,000 copies in the United States alone.
The cassette and vinyl releases had the sides flipped. This cassette copy in hand begins with “La Grange”, which is still a pretty solid opening even if the vinyl says otherwise! “La Grange” is an ode to a house of ill repute somewhere in Texas, and it became the prototype blues/rock shuffle for a generation. This song still burns up the radio today.
One of ZZ Top’s greatest blues had to be “Blue Jean Blues” from Fandango! So slow, so fully soaked in whiskey and gasoline that you can smell it from here. Billy Gibbons is fully in the driver’s seat here, but it is Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s unobtrusive rhythm section that allows him to emote so well.
From the first album comes the dirty upbeat blues of “Backdoor Love Affair”. It’s a combination of elements: Billy’s distorted take on the blues guitar, mixed with Dusty’s melodic bass and Beard’s perfect punctuation. By the end of the song, it’s a jam around a tasty riff.
The familiar “Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers” from Tres Hombres is an incendiary duet between between Billy and Dusty. Pedal to the metal, ZZ are off on one of the best rockers from the entire catalogue. This is the kind of song that endeared them to the headbangers. Similarly, “Heard it on the X” hones in on the speedy aspect of ZZ Top’s abilities. This is another duet with Dusty and Billy, and an ode to the Mexican radio stations that informed much of ZZ Top’s upbringing.
Flipping the tape, we are now hearing what is side one of vinyl. “Tush” ain’t a bad way to start. It’s the stuff of legend today. It boasts one of Billy’s best guitar riffs, yet it’s still little more than a basic blues. It’s just a winning combination: the blues progressions played by a rocking band. Billy’s leads are as much of legend as the song itself, stinging little zips of flavour in a bluesy soup of chords and drums.
“Waitin’ For the Bus” is a steady blues. The speed has been shed for this heavy sludgy one, with Billy laying down not just a guitar solo but a harmonica solo too, one after the other like one greasy blues rock statement. Then, just like on the Tres Hombres album, “Jesus Just Left Chicago” follows immediately after. Still blues, but of a different flavour. ZZ Top were always talented at showing us different sides of the genre, while mixing it with the sensibilities of rock guitar distortion.
“Francine” is a belter, a perfect pop rock tune, with more rock than pop. Billy’s little riff is tasty as candy, and the song has the necessary melodic mettle. Even so, it is overshadowed by the slide-drenched closer “Just Got Paid”. One of ZZ’s heaviest tracks, it’s made completely digestible by Billy’s incredible guitar work.
RECORD STORE TALES #1151: An Egg of a Day: End of August Scores
I have a coworker whose parents recently passed. This is always sad, but the time came for my coworker to purge her mom’s music collection. Periodically when this happens, people come to me to ask my opinion. Essentially, she wanted to know: “is there anything here that I shouldn’t take to the local Beat Goes On because it might be worth more?” She didn’t think much of her chances, but wanted to be sure.
“Sure, I’ll pop over and have a look,” I said. “I can’t promise you anything but I can at least have a look.”
That was good enough for her.
“I bet I find a bunch of Lawrence Welk!” I joked to Tim Durling and Jex Russell. You know the kind of record collection I mean.
Indeed, I did find Lawrence Welk in the very first box of vinyl. I had a laugh and kept digging. To everyone’s surprise, I found things that might indeed have been valuable, and they had no idea how it got into that collection.
First of all, she had a really nice stack of 78s. Big Crosby was the first one I saw. I have no idea on value of 78s, but this were stored well and all seemed in good condition. It might have been my first time handling a stack of 78’s like that. They are thicker than an LP, and much heavier. They require a special stylus as well as a turntable that can go up to 78. I used to have that equipment. She even had a cylinder, whether Edison or a competing brand, that was out for professional appraisal. So, this collection I was looking at had these formats:
LPs
45s
78s
Cassettes
8-tracks
CDs
and one cylinder
Pretty wild scope. The genres were all over the place, from easy listening and country (the usual suspects) to disco, jazz, oldies, and even progressive rock and heavy metal, as you’ll see. This, I did not expect.
Then I spied an album called Egg. Something about it jumped out at me. I flipped it around and there were black and white photos of long haired guys jamming. That struck me as out of place in this collection, so I set it aside. Somebody looked it up, and it can sell for easily over $100. Everyone seemed really impressed by my ability to sniff this out. I am no expert, folks. Not at all. But it looked out of place, which is why I took a second glance. It turns out Egg were an English progressive rock band, and the album was released in 1970. Very surprising, but they felt that this one find justified me coming over and looking at their records, so I was happy.
Original price: $6.99
I found some things I wanted for myself and made an offer. I left with the following titles:
Guns N’ Roses – “You Could Be Mine” 1991 Geffen cassette single. I own it on CD, but never on cassette. Why not? In this day and age of owning everything on every format, why not?
The Best Of ZZ Top 1977 Wea Music cassette. A staple, but one that I somehow have never owned before on any format. Stone cold classic compilation.
John Williams and the Boston Pops – Pops In Space 1980, Philips, made in Holland. This contains music from some of Williams science fiction classics: Superman, The Empire Strikes Back (which was brand new in 1980), Star Wars, and Close Encounters. I haven’t seen this one before.
Oscar Peterson – The Trio – Live from Chicago 1961 Verve/1986 Polygram CD. My second Oscar Peterson score this summer. You rarely find Oscar in the wild, and never this one.
Johnny Cash – His Greatest Hits, Volume II1971 Columbia 8-track. This was the Cash album I grew up with in the car with my dad, albeit on cassette. This cartridge is in great shape, and resides in a bright red shell. This is my first red shell 8-track tape.
When I called my dad to tell him of my musical scores, he was surprised at the 8-track. While he clearly remembers that Cash album, he asked me “Do you have anything that plays an 8-track?” This is a common question that we collectors get. No I do not. I don’t have a way to play a Minidisc, a DAT, or a DCC either but I would love to have some in my collection. My collecting desires are no longer strictly just to have music to play. Now I collect music I can’t even play too! Just to have a piece of history.
After we completely examined the collection and left some advice, I departed with my treasures. Since we were in the neighbourhood, I decided to visit the old Toys R Us/HMV store. There, I finally decided to pick up Iron Maiden’s Powerslave on vinyl, edging me closer to completing the 1980s collection. Now, all I should need are the first two Di’Anno albums (I think). Powerslave was $36 and hard to pull the trigger on, since I can distinctly remember a time when Sam the Record Man was swinning in new copies for $6.99 each, and that sticks with you. I finally have it now.
A successful Saturday. Time to listen to some music!
Billy Gibbons described the sixth ZZ Top album Tejas as “transitional”. Modern technology was creeping its way into the recording studio, but ZZ Top were still as bluesy and greasy as ever. Their palette was becoming more colourful, if anything. Not just the browns of desert landscape and beer bottles, but a broadening spectrum of shades.
Opening with fan favourite slow groove “It’s Only Love”, we are off to a stunning start. The high twang of the guitars contrast with the low thump of Dusty Hill’s bass, but it is the chorus most of us remember best. Frank Beard’s drums clank along creatively, and the band are cooking. Vocals are shared between Billy and Dusty. Three quarters in, the song shifts into something a little more tense, with a brilliant harmonica solo.
Things sound a little more familiar on the bouncing “Arrested For Driving While Blind”, a solid blue boogie. Listen to Frank shuffle while Billy effortless rips out one of his patented smokers. The grooves turn gently relentless on “El Diablo”, a nocturnal desert tale, with adventurous chord changes and rolling guitar work. Once again Dusty Hill creates a backdrop of low thunder. This ain’t blues, but a sci-fi hybrid. Likewise, “Snappy Kakkie” is not at all standard, nor is it a bizarre Frank Zappa workout. Yet it has certain adventurous and challenging elements that lend it a foot in many worlds. At the end of the day, that hook of “Say hey Snappy Kakkie!” keeps you coming back. The pace picks up on “Enjoy and Get It On”. This track is a serious deep cut; a nice little greasy blues blitz at the end of side one.
“Ten Dollar Man”, with Dusty on vocals, is a ripper. As Frank Beard deftly taps out the beats, Dusty and Billy get down to the business of cooking. A menacing track with plenty of head-bopping potential. Then you better solder your head on straight, for “Pan Am Highway Blues” rips! ZZ Top are never content to just play the blues. They have to throw a few tricks in the bag, and they do, but this song is focused more on the highway and the gas pedal. Billy takes advantage of the studio tech to overlay a few nice slide guitar lines.
Dusty takes the mic on “Avalon Hideaway” which features some tasty, pounding Frank Beard fills. The lead solo by Billy might be the best part, but the slightly funky vibe really makes it a mover. Beard is a busy drummer without sounding busy. “She’s a Heartbreaker” is a classic pop/country/rock/Top tune. The croonin’ melody of the chorus is a classic that will go down as one of ZZ’s best in their vast catalogue. “She’s a heartbreaker, she’s a love taker, but she can break a heart and take all the love she needs…” There’s a hint of violin just to nail that hoedown vibe. As far as Top tunes go, this one’s a masterpiece of musical fusion.
Tejas closes on a brilliant instrumental, “Asleep In the Desert”, which allows Billy to play both electric and acoustic, slow and easy, as the sun sets over the oasis and the sounds of the night begin to emerge…
Many ZZ Top albums can be considered among their best in the catalogue. In 1976, there was concern that ZZ Top was going too far country. Obviously in hindsight, that wasn’t the case, and we can appreciate Tejas for what it was. Because none of its songs were included on 1977’s Best Of ZZ Top, Tejas abounds in great deep cuts. It’s not the kind of album you buy and get all the hits you remember. It’s something far better. It’s an album you buy and learn a bunch of brilliant songs you might not have heard before. It’s a must.
4.5/5 stars
The 8-track release shuffles the track order, but no songs are split between tracks, which is always nice. “El Diablo” coming in second changes the vibe of the listen a bit.
This went viral a few days ago, with everyone missing the point!
Remember when ZZ Top used to showcase goofy guitars in all their music videos? Be it a furry bass or a guitar made out of Muddy Waters’ house, ZZ Top have long showed off bizarre electric stringed instruments as part of their schtick.
It doesn’t matter that you could play this song on one string if you tried hard enough. All that matters is that Elwood got peoples’ eyes on ZZ Top! And tongues are waggin’, pro and con. Not that any of that matters. When you look at ZZ Top’s history, Elwood now fits in better than ever!
ZZ TOP – Raw – ‘That Little Ol’ Band From Texas’ Original Soundtrack (2022 BMG)
In 2019, ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill was still alive, and filmmaker Sam Dunn brought us the critically acclaimed documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas. The film was cherished for a number of reasons, not least of which was the music, old and new. A big part of the film was seeing the modern-day ZZ Top jamming away on their classics. And it was clear they lost nothing.
With Dusty gone, it’s appropriate to release his final recordings as the soundtrack to the documentary. As the title boldly states, this is ZZ Top raw, playing live in the studio, as only they could. 12 tracks; nothing beyond Eliminator. Every song a classic.
Going back to the first album, “Brown Sugar” opens with some amp hiss and seriously bluesly licks from Billy Gibbons. Raw yes, but also crisp and clear with plenty of bottom end. These are not simple re-recordings, nor are they vastly different re-imaginings. They are just 12 tracks of ZZ Top playing hard and heavy, backed with modern equipment and techniques. The groove flows right through the speakers like jelly. Sonically the tracks are heavier simply because of the modern equipment, though they are still…you guessed it…raw! Dusty’s bass on “Just Got Paid”…oh man. Track after track of familiar rock will hit your ears, satisfying your need for that dirty greasy blues that ZZ Top peddle in. Jamming solos, rolling bass and luscious blues licks await within.
As far as surprises go, there are not many, but it is fun to hear “Legs” done in this raw settling. The sequencers are there but back in the mix. It’s much more rocking. Interesting to hear no backing guitars when Billy is soloing. “Gimme All Your Lovin'” benefits similarly from the raw treatment. No sequencers here, just guitars, drums and bass. No loss either. A slow jam version of “Thunderbird” is another treat. Finally, it’s a blast to hear Frank Beard playing hard on the surf rock of “Tube Snake Boogie”.
From rockers, to blues rockers and just plain ol’ blues, this album contains a nice cross section of songs from 1971 to 1983. Arguably, the essential years. While not essential itself, ZZ Top Raw should make your purchase list. It’s an excellent set of recordings, of some of the best ZZ Top songs, with modern fidelity and of course, the last of Dusty Hill. You loved it when you saw ZZ Top jamming these tunes in the film. Now you can own the soundtrack. So get on it!
4/5 stars
Thanks to John T. Snow for kindly gifting this copy!
Sometimes the easiest way to make a video is to do it live. Last night I unboxed four new arrivals from Japan!
There’s one seller in Japan who has dozens of items on my wishlist. They’ve helped me add many long-sought items to my library over the years. This time, I added to my Scorpions and ZZ Top collections, while taking a chance on a serious Iron Maiden rarity that was priced inexplicably cheap.
Wanna see how it turned out? Watch the short video below.
The band that has had the same three members for 50 years has lost a brother. ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill is gone, in the middle of an absolutely brutal week for music. Joey Jordinson, Mike Howe, Don Simmons, and now Dusty Hill.
The bassist with the groove. The mover and the shaker. The guy who sang “I think it’s time to spank my monkey” on a mainstream rock album. He’s gone.
Dusty missed a show earlier and it was most likely the first time ZZ Top ever played without the bearded bassist. After 50 years in the same band together, you can bet that Billy Gibbons and Frank Beard are going to miss their brother.
Rest in Peace, Dusty Hill, May 19 1949 – July 28 2021.
What a strange time the dawn of the compact disc was. Even at the end of the 1980s, vast catalogues of music had yet to be released on CD. It was a hit and miss affair, with some early discs sounding wonderful and others sounding like a thin, tinny facsimile of the original vinyl. The longer running time of CD was a bonus that many bands took advantage of, while other heritage groups were considering the ways they could re-release their music on this new format.
Before Jimmy Page took his first crack at remastering the Led Zeppelin catalogue for CD, ZZ Top took a different route.
Now, granted, ZZ Top’s music spans a longer time period than that of many of their rivals. They’re also notable for starting the 1970s as a dirty raw blues and ending the 80s as clean space-age rock. While this took them from one success to an even more massive one, it unfortunately meant that the ZZ Top camp felt it necessary to “update” their music for the CD age. Make the catalogue sound more on an even keel with Eliminator and Afterburner.
And so the six ZZ Top albums that were so-far unreleased on CD were remixed: First Album, Rio GrandeMud, Tres Hombres, Fandango!, Tejas, and El Loco. Only Degüello was spared, having been released on CD earlier.
Apparently, updating the ZZ Top catalogue for CD was of “overriding concern” for all parties involved. ZZ Top were aware that there were complaints about early CD transfers for classic albums. The goal was “return to the original analog tapes and consider what steps were needed to render the music appropriate to contemporary digital playback equipment without compromising integrity.”
The answer was none. No steps were necessary. The remixes were not what the old fans wanted to hear on their brand new CD players. Rhythm tracks were updated with sequencers, drums treated digitally, and the whole thing came out sterile and flat. Adding echo didn’t add depth. Doing an A/B test with a remix vs. an original track makes you wonder why you even own the ZZ Top Six Pack.* It just…doesn’t sound right. Like a disorienting time displacement.
As of 2013, you can get all the original ZZ Top albums on remastered CD as they should have always sounded.
While it is nice to have six ZZ Top albums on just three CDs, and there is no denying the booklet is hot, you do not need the ZZ Top Six Pack anymore. The charm of the originals is that they are a document of those hot Memphis studios where ZZ Top laid down the original tracks fast and dirty. The remixes sound like a digital mixing board trying to tame a wild animal. Wrong, and unnecessary. “Francine” is actually awful.
The booklet is truly valuable (nonsense justifying the remix aside) and worth a point on its own. The ZZ Top songs in and of themselves are always incredible, so they too are worth a point.
2/5 stars
* It was a gift from Kevin. He also rates it 2/5 stars. I asked him for a quote for this review. All he had to say about the ZZ Top Six Pack was: “I’m glad Mike took this crap off my hands.”
Tons of fun, both on and off topic tonight, on the LeBrain Train. Aaron from the KMA and Kevin from Buried On Mars were on board with some killer lists of ZZ Top’s best deep cuts. A lil’ bit of overlap but not too much! We also read off some guest lists: San Diego guitarist Mike Slayen, and a local Kitchener singer named Mike Mahler. Check out their lists as well as ours!
Show time index:
Watch from the start to see the latest CD unboxing from Encore Records.
To check out the new music video by Current River called “Hodder To Hell”, skip to 0:16:45 of the stream.
The ZZ Top talkcommences at 0:22:20.
At the end of the show I spun the Loudness video for “Black Widow”. Find that at 2:32:36. (No copyright strike, yay!)
I hope you enjoy this week’s show as much as I did! The 2021 season is off to a great start.
mikeladano.com 