(Over the next few weeks I’ll be going into a little more detail about each band in my “Favorite bands since 2000” post back in March.  This time around we take a look at North Carolina’s Valient Thorr)

You know, I’ve seen quite a few concerts over my lifetime and have sat through a number of opening bands; some decent, some kinda meh, and some that have knocked me out so much that I leave the show thinking “who WERE those guys???”  Back in 2011, my brother Steve and I went to Chicago to see Motorhead at the Congress Theater (thanks to a Christmas gift from my awesome wife) who were supported by Clutch and Valient Thorr.  Clutch I was already familiar with and was already a big fan of, but all I’d heard from this band with the funny sounding name was the song “Exit Strategy” courtesy of a video via OnDemand cable.  The song was good but didn’t quite grab me.  But boy, were we ever in for a shock of epic proportions.

I still don’t quite remember what song they started off with (likely “Double Crossed” per the footage below), but right from the get go these guys had out attention.  With a mix of heavy metal zaniness and punk rock spirit Valient and the boys rocked hard through their brief five (or was it six?) song set as all five members were energetic and a blur of non-stop movement.  It may have been only one song in when lead singer Valient Himself decided that it was just a bit too hot up there and decided to ditch his vest and shirt, which wasn’t too surprising as this guy had already worked up a sweaty mess running in place and trying to fire up the crowd.  These guys look like a band of pirates or Vikings crossed with a local biker gang but who cares?  I didn’t know any of the songs that they played but left the show totally impressed by their energetic and enthusiastic performance and knew I’d be buying some (well, actually ALL now) of their CDs.

My lasting memory from the show was midway through their third or fourth song, where Valient made a couple of hand motions to the crowd asking us to leave a little bit of space on the floor so he could jump down and…  lead us all in a massive rowing session?!?!?  And sure enough, the crowd followed suit and sat down with him as he proceeded to row in time to the music.  We weren’t sure what in the hell he was doing from the stage at first but once he got on the floor and rowed we just about fell over.  A bit odd but hilarious at the same time.

A little bit of band background…  Valient Thorr has been together since 2000 and is a five piece band that hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina  The band has released an EP independently and has five other CDs to their name, the latest being Our Own Masters.  Musically, these guys are hard to pin down as they are a mix of heavier southern rock, hardcore punk, and classic heavy metal-  think AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, D.R.I., Motorhead, and Blackfoot all mixed together and you’re kind of in the ballpark.  Vocally, Valient Himself is not the greatest of singers, belting things out in more of a full throated speak/sing style that sounds a mix of a Southern preacher, Mojo Nixon, and a professional wrestler cutting a promo (YouTube “Buzz Sawyer” or “Dusty Rhodes” and you’re close), but he is a totally unique and energetic frontman.  Guitarists Eidan Thorr and Sadat Thorr are a great team, showcasing unison guitar riffs and leads in similar fashion to southern rock greats like Molly Hatchet along with Iron Maiden and the aforementioned Thin Lizzy; and the rhythm section of Lucian Thorr and new bassboy Storm Thorr bash out solid tempos at often breakneck speed.

Yeah, these dudes put on an awesome show and write some great tunes but let’s not forget what a sense of humor they have as well.  With a name like Valient Thorr how can they not be funny?  Just check out their videos-  from their take on The Office for the “Torn Apart” video, to the manic house party in “Double Crossed”, or their daily routine in the rollicking “Sleeper Awakes”.  Why make a boring performance video when you can add a little bit to it?  And just to show that these guys aren’t all fun and games you’ll come across some lyrically hard-hitting topics in their cuts “Exit Strategy”, “Tomorrow Police”, “Goveruptcy” or “Red Flag” all tackling serious subjects but still performed at a manic and furious pace.

If you dig energetic songs, if you dig top notch riffs, if you dig manic drumming, and if you dig a vocalist that’s out there, you’ll absolutely love Valient Thorr.  Start with Stranger or Immortalizer first, enjoy, go out and buy the rest, and then go catch them live.  Trust me, you WILL have fun.

10.  “Bittersweet” Grip Inc. Hostage To Heaven

Former Slayer drum king Dave Lombardo formed Grip Inc. in the 90’s after leaving the band circa “Diabolous In Musica” and formed a heady and sometimes moodier mix of metal with Waldemar Sorychta on guitars and former punk vocalist Gus Chambers.  “Bittersweet” comes from their 2015 EP of unreleased cuts and is a sweet mix of acoustic interplay with heavy, melodic guitars and Lombardo’s laid back drumwork with an understated vocal from Chambers, who died in 2008 after an accidental mix of alcohol and medication.

9.  “All Night Long” Junior Kimbrough You Better Run: The Essential Junior Kimbrough

I’ll admit that my gateway to Junior Kimbrough was through The Black Keys and North Mississippi All Stars, two bands certainly entranced by the hypnotic boogie of this Hill Country bluesman.  Take a heaping dose of John Lee Hooker and other blues stomps and mix in a dose of non-stop groove and you’ve got a winner.  The blues is a feeling and this song is a great intro to a unique artist that would be certainly at home in a sweaty juke joint down South.  Just give in to the irresistible groove of “All Night Long” and let it soak in.

8.  “Coming Home” Spiritual Beggars Return To Zero

If you dig 70’s rock in the vibe of Deep Purple/Uriah Heep/Whitesnake/UFO then Spiritual Beggars should be part of your collection.  Led by Arch Enemy head man Michael Amott, the Beggars features a coterie of great musicians from various European hard rock and metal bands taking a break from their day jobs to put together some great hard rock in honor of their influences.  “Coming Home” is one of their more melodic cuts, riding a fairly simple but banging riff to allow lead throat Apollo Papathanasio to break out his inner David Coverdale for us all.

7.  “Mr. Recordman” Ugly Kid Joe America’s Least Wanted

The Ugly ones came in at the tail end of hair metal and grooved it up a bit, but this cut sounds like it could have fit on a Lemonheads record or other alt-rock band soon to pop up post grunge.  Likely a bit of tongue in cheek here based on the lyrics and overall delivery and certainly nothing like their more amped up hits.  All that side, this is a fine little ditty that we should all be singing around the campfire as we toast marshmallows and knock back a few cold ones.  Also includes a nifty little solo midway through.

6.  “Swingtown” Steve Miller Band Book of Dreams

Man, The Space Cowboy could write a hit.  “Swingtown” is a full on classic with a great melodic hook and great backing musicianship; one of those songs you can recognize immediately due to that swingin’ drum intro and bumping bass lick.  “I can name that song in two notes!”  Funny that something like this comes out during the height of the disco era as this song has some of those elements rhythmically but does its fair share of rocking.  Miller has such an easy cool vocal on everything he does that these songs are so much fun to sing.  Had this thing on 8 track back in the day which would fade out early in the cut so it could switch tracks (what’s an 8 track Mommy?).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbXx2ag6L4I

5.  “Legions In Hiding” Testament Low

The Low album is a bit of an underrated return to form for Testament as Alex Skolnick and Louie Clemente exit and the band brings back the heavy, with “Legions” a bit of a thick and chunky groover.  Chief Chuck starts to get a little more guttural with the vocal and he’s perfect for it, lots of low roar to go along with the tribal stomp.  The guitar team of newboy James Murphy with Testavet Eric Peterson drop in a dual lead as fill in sticksman John Tempesta and bassist Greg Christian fill out the bottom end.  Solid production on this as well and a good intro to those that fear Cookie Monster type vocals.

4.  “Murder On My Mind” The Hellacopters Rock & Roll Is Dead

Holy cow Batman, what is in the water over in Sweden?  The Hellacopters are a great, great garage rock band that is a mix of something you’d hear from the 60’s topped with some of your more melodic rock bands from the late 70’s and early 80’s (pre-hair era).  “Murder” features a great hook throughout the verse and the chorus as it rides some Stones-y cum KISS rock chords atop some Keith Moon drums with just a hint of keyboards.  And don’t just listen to what I say, none other than Springsteen side man Stevie Van Zandt (or Silvio Dante, for you Sopranos fans).

3.  “Some People Say” Eddie Spaghetti Old No. 2

Taking a break from his day job with the Supersuckers, Mr. Spaghetti treats us to the simply sweet and countryesque “Some People Say” featuring some basic acoustic strumming o’er top a 4/4 drum beat.  Ol’ Ed has always been a country fan and this is certainly more old school country crossed with something like The Byrds or Tom Petty in overall delivery with maybe a hint of Mexicali thrown in as well.  If you know the Supersuckers, this is FAR removed from that.  Keep Eddie Spaghetti in your prayers as he is battling stage 3 oropharynx cancer.

2.  “I’m Not Blind” Presto Ballet The Lost Art Of Time Travel

Presto Ballet leans quite heavily to 70s AOR/Prog, sounding a lot like radio ready bands a la Styx or Kansas.  “I’m Not Blind” sounds like it could easily fit on The Grand Illusion as lead singer Scott Albright sounds similar to Dennis DeYoung plus the keyboard and guitar interplay hearkens back to the glorious 70s.  Lots of melody here with some beautiful guitar and keyboard interplay in the intro before Albright dives into the verse.  Guitars are a little more crunchier than their influences, especially since Metal Church main man Kurdt Vanderhoof is at the helm of this band.

1.  “Fly” Blind Guardian A Twist In The Myth

Blind Guardian’s brand of power metal is a little different than, say, Hammerfall or Helloween in that it adds a bit more keyboard interplay along with the heavy riffing.  I’m not a Blind Guardian expert but I do have a handful of their cuts and “Fly” is quite enjoyable, a melodic, adventurous journey led by the dramatic and layered vocals of Hansi Kursch backed by some seriously symphonic rocking band interplay.  If you’ve ever wanted to dive headlong into some catchy and ornate Eurometal then Blind Guardian may be your bag.

Fave cut this time around would be “Swingtown”, followed by “Coming Home”.  Happy listening!

In honor of the last batch of Led Zeppelin reissues (go get those deluxe editions!) I’ve decided to put together my ten favorite Led Zeppelin songs.  I’ve been a Zep head for years and they rank in my top five of all time, so putting together this list was AWFULLY tough.  Years ago this list would have been quite different but nowadays I lean more to those non-hits (although you have a couple of radio staples in here).  I’ll keep my descriptions of why to one brief sentence 🙂

10. That’s The Way – sublime acoustic cut, great Plant vocal and Page guitar

9.  For Your Life –  love the stop start riff and in the pocket backbeat

8.  The Ocean – awesome Bonham drums and cool flow throughout the song

7.  Kashmir – moves mountains and perfectly shows off the Led Zep mystique

6.  Achilles Last Stand – pure power from all four members across the board and definition of their “tight but loose” approach

5.  Rock N Roll – still an awesome tribute to their roots with a killer Bonham intro

4.  Gallows Pole – haunting introduction leads into serious foot stomper with Plant at his strongest

3.  Trampled Underfoot – great blast of Zep funk with fab clavinet from the always underrated Jonesy!

2.  Ramble On – one of the best examples of Zep’s heavier and lighter moments

1. Ten Years Gone –  such beauty in its simplicity and subtlety with utter cool for miles

“ALL RIGHT TOKYOOOO…  ARE YOU READYYY?  WILL YOU WELCOME, EPIC RECORDING ARTIST, CHEAP TRICK!!!”

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dudes and dudettes…  Cheap Trick at Budokan is my all time favorite live album bar none; a release of which I have multiple copies on vinyl and on CD as well and is still an album I listen to frequently even today.  Sure, everyone knows “I Want You To Want Me”; that classic radio staple culled from this LP in front of a large contingent of “cryin’ cryin’ cryin'” Japanese fans (if you don’t you must have been living in a cave for the past 40 years as it’s EVERYWHERE) and likely knows my all time favorite song “Surrender”, but Budokan has a ridiculous amount of great songs across both sides.  Not a dull moment can be found across both sides (we’ll talk Budokan II and the Complete Concert shortly) as Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson, and Bun E. Carlos are in top form.

Before I go into some details on the album, let’s talk Cheap Trick in general.  CT is one of THE most underrated bands on the planet and often get a lot of slack from music fans that are only familiar with their softer material like “The Flame” or “Ghost Town” or “Voices” (all great songs, IMO).  But Trick is a multifaceted band that can rock with the best of them, not only on Budokan but on a lot of their material-  the self titled album from 1977 is full of fantastic sinister hard rock, Beatle-esque melodies, and raw punkiness; plus In Color, Heaven Tonight and Dream Police rock just as mighty but have their poppier moments too.  Budokan and subsequent reissues feature many songs pulled from these four releases, many of which are still performed live to this day.  If you dis the Trick because of the hits you’re missing out big time.

With that classic intro to side one Cheap Trick launches into “Hello There”, a blast of a straight forward rock tune that gets us primed and ready for CT action in two and a half minutes.  Guitars are LOUD, bass is heavy, drums solid, and lead vocal is prominent and commanding as the boys bash right through to Bun E. Carlos’ brief solo spot.  From the get go, the Trick grabs ahold and doesn’t let go for the next 40 minutes or so.  Next up is “Come On, Come On”, a bit of raucous power pop from the boys with classic “yeah yeah, yeah yeah” background vocals over a great hook and classic Zander vocal.  After that comes “Lookout” and “Big Eyes”, the former a top notch, building rocker with an awesome riff from guitarist Nielsen and the latter is a swinging and slightly menacing stomp featuring Zander in classic “man of 1000 voices mode” as he easily shifts between the fierce roar of the verse until hitting a sweeter spot during the chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWj8nBdwuFw

So, four quick blasts of solid rock lead to the epic of the album:  “Need Your Love” is a slow, brooding builder kicked off by Carlos as Nielsen and Petersson form a riffy wall of sound that builds until Zander comes in with a soft croon until a rumbly, Beatle-y bit of heaviness (think “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” to get that vibe) breaks in for a few minutes before Zander comes crooning again.  Halfway into the song comes a curveball that makes Cheap Trick such a great band:  Carlos and Petersson form the backbone of this song, allowing Nielsen plenty of room to build a dramatic solo as he alternates between pentatonic scale blues riffs and heavier slamming chords.  Zander joins in with some rhythm guitar that intensifies the heaviness of this section until the song comes to a crashing finale as he exhorts “Need… Your… Looove” near the end.

Side two…  I’ll admit, I’ve memorized side two and wore that side of the album out as it had my favorite songs and rocked just as much (if not more) than the classic side one.  “Ain’t That A Shame” is a cover of the Fats Domino hit, this time with an introductory Bun E. solo piece (one I’ve air drummed to a gazillion times) before the intensity increases a notch as the rest of the band rumbles in and Nielsen offers up a solo of his own before segueing into the song itself.  “Shame” is nothing but a bit of 50s fun; swagger and bombast throughout and with some great Nielsen guitar work.  “I Want You To Want Me” is next, and…  well…  what can you say?  This song was THE hit from the album and deservedly so, from the classic drum intro from Carlos to the bouncy guitar motif from Nielsen to the awesome vocal performance from Zander to the unsung Japanese heroes in the audience singing along mightily.  I never tire of hearing this song as the performance is downright infectious and the reaction from the audience is highly entertaining.  Fun with a capital F.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more livelier, “Surrender” kicks down the door and barges out in anthemic fashion.  I remember being at my friend Gary’s house before I had my own copy of the album and him telling me, “if you thought I Want You To Want Me was good, just wait until you hear Surrender”.  Truer words were never spoken.  Going on forty years now, “Surrender” is everything a great song should be: majestic and slamming riff, irresistible hook, awesomely cool lyric, superb band performances all around, outstanding vocal, and a song that is flat out difficult NOT to sing along with especially come chorus time with that fab lyric “Mommy’s alright, Daddy’s alright, they just seem a little weird”.  I was fortunate to sing in a cover band with some great dudes and we’d pull off a rousing rendition of “Surrender” each night, often with me in complete bliss trying to sing through the Jokeresque grin plastered on my face!  Sheer delight…

But no, we’re NOT done!  We must end the night similar to how we started as “Goodnight Now” closes the show in fine rock fashion, just as heavy as “Hello There” but a nod to the fans to say “Goodnight” before encore time.  And what an encore it is-  “Clock Strikes Ten” is another kicker, Rick Nielsen hitting some harmonics on his guitar to mimic a tolling clock before hitting the main riff as the band falls in step behind him as they charge through four and a half minutes of solid rock as the Japanese crowd screams throughout.  At the tail end, Bun E. Carlos has a brief and awesomely rumbling drum solo before the song reaches a crescendo and comes to a crashing end.

Budokan has been rereleased a few times and if you like the songs on the regular album I urge you to track down a copy of At Budokan: The Complete Concert which adds nine more rockers PLUS you get a DVD copy of one of the nights of the Budokan shows that was shown on Japanese television.  Or, you could also track down the Budokan II CD which showcases the nine additional cuts plus showcases three additional songs from their return Budokan shows in 1979.  Smoking takes on “Downed”, “Oh Caroline”, “Auf Wiedersehn”, and “High Roller” offer up the same intensity levels and sonic goodness found on the original LP that it’s hard to imagine why they were left off in the first place.

As the intro tape to their current live shows states, Cheap Trick is “the best fucking rock band you’ll ever see”.  I’d add to that to state that At Budokan is the best fucking live album you’ll ever hear.  Not to be underestimated!

Experiencing Iron Maiden live marked a massive sea change in my musical tastes after catching them as part of my first concert back in 1983.  Quiet Riot, at the time riding high on the charts with Metal Health, was my reason for attending the show-  “Metal Health” and “Cum On Feel The Noize” were the rage on MTV and in the music rags and were gaining popularity with music fans in my high school.  The only thing I knew from Maiden at the time was the video for “Flight Of Icarus” (which I totally dug) and maybe hearing “Run To The Hills” on the local rock station’s midnight metal show.  Even though I hardly knew any of their material, I was so impressed with their show that I always tell people “I went in a Quiet Riot fan and left an Iron Maiden fan for life”.

Given that I saw the band on the World Slavery Tour supporting Powerslave almost a year and a half later (possibly my favorite concert memory EVER), I pretty much knew what to expect from this disc before I even purchased it.  Sides 1,2, and 3 of this album were recorded at Long Beach Arena and contained all of the songs that I’d heard minus Dave Murray’s excellent guitar solo spot and a take on instrumental “Losfer Words (Big Orra)” (live version later to be found on a B-side to “Phantom Of The Opera), but side 4 contained five different cuts recorded for their home crowd at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.  All songs were blistering takes of songs found on their five studio albums and if you know Iron Maiden, the intensity level, energy, and fire of their live performances often overshadows their initial recordings.  It is this relentlessness and passion that makes them my favorite band of all time.

Before diving into this disc I need to make a few comments:  For one, sound quality on the CD version is very trebly with not a lot of bottom end.  Guitar sounds are sharp but in many ways that was the sound of the time.  That said, the mix is really good as you can clearly hear each band member and there is no muddiness.  The album was MUCH better and warmer overall.  Two, and this could be a touchy subject for some:  Lead singer Bruce Dickinson is a much better live vocalist these days.  Granted, he is very good here; sometimes great in spots but clearly struggling in others.  This can somewhat be chalked up to the amount of touring these guys did in the day, the World Slavery Tour lasted almost an entire year with close to 200 shows with the band rarely taking days off in between shows.  Had to have been tough on these guys!

So diving right in…  as with Maiden shows things kick off in dramatic fashion, this time with a wartime speech from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill before diving headlong into a monstrous take of Powerslave’s intro cut “Aces High” followed by a very strong “Two Minutes To Midnight”.  The pace never lets up as they dive into three straight Piece Of Mind classics in the awesome “The Trooper”, moody “Revelations”, and rumbling “Flight Of Icarus”, all three featuring outstanding guitar work from the tag team of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, prime drumwork from Nicko McBrain, and that infamous galloping bass courtesy of Mr. Steve Harris.

Side two takes a turn for the dramatic with the epic, “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner”.  This song is a thirteen minute roller coaster ride of massive metal, prog rock interludes, symphonic buildups, and dramatic tension from beginning to end.  This version is truly monumental, Dickinson pulling out all the stops as he shifts between operatic vocal and full throated banshee wail while the band deftly swings through the peaks and valleys with machine like precision.  You think those first five songs on side one were great?  Hell, that was just a warmup for this incredible performance.

The theatrics don’t stop there as the band dives into a fine, fine version of “Powerslave”, Dickinson with another energetic vocal and Dave Murray with an almost ethereal guitar solo, all bluesy tones that rival the best of Jimi Hendrix or Robin Trower.  Side two ends with an electrifying take on “Number Of The Beast” as a simmering Dickinson vocal during the introductory buildup leads to that classic scream and the band rips into a tenacious version, Harris machine gunning the crowd with some hearty bass licks as McBrain pounds away on the skins.

Side three rounds out the Long Beach show with “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, possibly Maiden’s finest song and one of those songs much better live than on studio disc:  Smith and Murray’s unison guitar intro topped with Dickinson’s melodramatic buildup and Harris’ tolling bass start things off until kicking into another gear as the song dives, swoops, and speeds between different time signatures and passages until it reaches an epic conclusion.  “Iron Maiden”, “Run To The Hills” and “Running Free” round out the disc in impressive fashion.

Side four was recorded a bit earlier in the tour and Dickinson sounds a bit fresher here.  “Wrathchild”, “22 Acacia Avenue”, and “Children Of The Damned” are all great performances but the real winners on this side are truly devastating versions of “Die With Your Boots On” and “Phantom Of The Opera” as all members are on fire, especially Dickinson’s tenacious vocal performance on both cuts.  Not to be outdone, the guitar work of Murray and Smith is top notch but the unsung heroes are the rhythm section of Harris and McBrain as they lead the charge through both songs.  They form such a strong backbone that truly sells the performances throughout all four sides of this album.

I will say that these days I probably listen more to the live discs released since Dickinson and Smith’s return to the band in 1999 (there are quite a few to choose from).  Dickinson arguably is a better singer now than ever; his middle and lower ranges are stronger and his high end vocals are more consistent than his early years, which offer up for an excellent listening experience (listen to Rock In Rio; I almost included that in the top ten as Dickinson’s performance is so good plus he totally nails the version of “Run To The Hills” on there!).  However, I must stick with Live After Death based on the band’s fiery performance, the classic songs within, and mostly because my Maiden fandom reached new levels after listening to the album non-stop for many months afterwards.

Full confession before we get started here…  I had this album in my early teens and did not really like it at the time.  I was certainly a Who fan; friends of mine had the Hooligans and Greatest Hits collections and The Kids Are Alright soundtrack and I myself had Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy but this was something else.  In my feeble young mind I couldn’t wrap my head around the cover tunes on here and how my fave Who song at the time (“My Generation”) was suddenly a fifteen minute jam session with other stuff tacked on to it.  And the album at the time only had six songs on it!  Probably the worst crime of all was that I had this on 8-track(!) and could not easily get to my favorite songs, so it got little play.

Flash forward a few years to my freshman year of college and my mind changed considerably.  For those of you that have not lived in a dorm it is certainly an experience and has its good points and bad points, but one of the coolest things is the sheer amount of different people that you meet from different walks of life.  Most of the students happened to be in state with a few from out of state and one of these happened to have a huge record collection and actually was the first person that I knew who owned a CD player, which was relatively new at the time.  It was partly through him that I finally got Leeds, likely due to repeated watchings of the great Who documentary The Kids Are Alright.  I’d certainly heard the soundtrack and once again liked the studio versions, but The Who as a live entity was a totally different animal-  suddenly, I understood that there was more to the band than the two minute pop hits like “I Can’t Explain” or “Pictures Of Lily” or later classics like “You Better You Bet”.  Townshend, Daltrey, Entwistle, and Moon in full live flight could be beautiful, powerful, brutal, bombastic, and ugly all within the span of just a few minutes.

To be fair, I’m going to categorize the 1995 rerelease on CD as my favorite version of Leeds.  Suddenly, the album expanded from the original six songs to a whopping fourteen to greatly take advantage of the space available compared to the limits of the LP.  Only one of these additions is a cover (“Tattoo”, to go along with original covers “Summertime Blues”, “Shakin’ All Over”, and “Young Man Blues”) while the rest feature plenty of Pete Townshend classics along with bassist John Entwistle’s intro cut “Heaven And Hell”.  As I mentioned, I was a bit of a latecomer to Leeds in the first place but having an additional eight songs was almost too much for this “Whohead” to take!

So…  HOLY SHIT…  did I say “bombastic”?  “Heaven and Hell” totally breaks down the door and barrels out of the speakers with the introductory clang of Townshend’s power chord, Keith Moon’s superhuman drumming, and Entwistle’s out of this world bass playing.  Right from the start these guys were out to take no prisoners for the college crowd at Leeds University.  This is power trio playing at its finest as these guys took the rudiments of most of these songs and went on one wild tangent after another, essentially non stop jamming through extended Townshend solo spots until he brings everyone back into the next verse, chorus, change, etc.  And keep in mind that I’m only talking about the first song!

The next three cuts hearken back to the bands early days of “maximum R&B” and feature the leonine roar of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey.  While not the greatest of singers, there was no one else that could have fronted these guys better than he could as he belts out strong versions of  “I Can’t Explain”, “Tattoo”, and “Fortune Teller”.  Daltrey is very strong throughout this disc, whether it be the poppier moments of something like “Happy Jack” or “I’m A Boy” or great band singalong “A Quick One While He’s Away”.  As a live performer, Daltrey was certainly coming into his own during this period and quickly morphed into one of the best frontmen alive during the 70s.

The musical ebb and flow on this disc is sublime.  In many ways it’s like listening to a symphony:  there are mellower parts, there are heavier parts, and there is a lot of shade.  Songs and performances will build and build with manic intensity, often swooping in and out of mellower sections and offsetting them with sheer power.  Check out how the band pummels mightily through a cover of “Shakin’ All Over”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDj4SRALQ9Y

Listen that rhythm playing!  Those classic crashing Townshend chords lingering wide open on heavy sustain and feedback.  And that bass!  Entwistle all rumbling spider fingers and forming the backbone of the band.  Last but not least, THOSE DRUMS.  Keith Moon in fantastic form, pushing the beat along forcefully and massively as only he could.  It’s always amazing to me that these guys could be playing three totally different rhythms with all of them making perfect sense and then come bashing back in to finish out the song.

My favorite Who live cut of all time is “Young Man Blues”, a Mose Allison cover that these guys totally make their own.  Led by a menacing Townshend riff, this version is a master class in relentlessness as it starts with a simple blues based call and response riff before literally taking off for greater heights during nearly four minutes of dynamically overdriven jamming.  Daltrey roars out the early verses and then after a minute and a half all hell breaks loose-  Townshend riffing and likely windmilling like mad, tossing out brief lead guitar blasts, Entwistle drops in some absolutely sweet bass runs, and madman Moon beating his kit senseless as he and Townshend push each other on until the finale.  An absolutely stomping version.

This album has been rereleased with even more material as this was the tour where they performed the entire Tommy album at their shows.  No matter which version you listen to you are in for an absolute treat, especially if you like great musicianship and some extensive jamming.  Buy one, listen, then chase it by watching The Kids Are Alright documentary for an awesome visual representation of the band.  You can thank me later…

I must admit that I am a relative latecomer to the magnificence that is Thin Lizzy.  I actually didn’t get a copy of this album until probably the 1990s and I’ve got NO idea why I waited so long as the playing is fantastic and the album is full of great songs.  Sure, I was very familiar with “Jailbreak” and “The Boys Are Back In Town” and had heard “Cowboy Song” but that was it.  My first Lizzy was actually their Dedication greatest hits, which I immediately fell in love with and from there I quickly set about purchasing anything and everything by the band.  This live platter was from their 1976/1977 tours supporting their recent Johnny The Fox and Bad Reputation albums and features the classic lineup of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson on guitar, the underrated Brian Downey on drums, and charismatic frontman/lead singer/songwriter/bassist Philip Parris Lynott.

Side one kicks things off with a rousing rendition of “Jailbreak” (an underrated classic if there ever was one) and the immortal “Emerald”, the latter of which is an excellent example of Lynott’s songwriting and his fascination with Irish history.  Both songs stay fairly true to form compared to their studio counterparts found on the Jailbreak album but offer up a bit more excitement in front of the live crowd with some seriously stinging guitar playing.  Next cut “Southbound” is actually a smooth take from a soundcheck, all cool and mellow and featuring a great vocal from Lynott.  Side four rounds things out with “Rosalie”, a Bob Seger penned cut that Lizzy makes their own by speeding up the tempo and fattening up the riffs.

Side two is a great mix of funk, rock, and heartfelt ballad type cuts that show the great range of this band.  “Dancing In The Moonlight” is an excellent cut, a bit of a laid back rocker/funkster with one of Lynott’s best lyrics and a saxophone solo to boot!  “Massacre” is another hard rocker, kicking off with Downey’s tribal tom toms and unison Robertson/Gorham riff with another fantastic Lynott lyric about the plight of the American Indian.  Last two cuts on side two offer up even more great variety-  “Still In Love With You” is a slow burner, a love letter to a former flame with a blistering axework from Robertson; and “Johnny The Fox” is Hendrix-y in a mellow blues take with plenty of wah wah guitar.  Great stuff!

Side three is pretty much full on rock of all shapes and sizes:  “Cowboy Song” starts off with a softly strummed melody before kicking into an all out rocker before immediately segueing into the Lizzy cut everyone knows, “The Boys Are Back In Town”.  Both versions are fabulous and show what a formidable live unit this band was at the time.  Next three cuts are more straight forward rockers, not as cheerful in vibe as the aforementioned two but nonetheless ballsy in their own right:  the bouncy “Don’t Believe A Word”, the Hendrixian “Warriors”, and solid “Are You Ready” all kick down the doors and feature more great guitar work and excellent vocals.

Last but not least side four goes out with a bang with the awesomely swinging “Suicide”, a song featuring fantastic soloing from the team of Robertson/Gorham and continues into “Sha La La” featuring a brief solo spot for drummer Downey.  Last two cuts end the show on a rocking note including a bit of crowd participation in “Baby Drives Me Crazy” (featuring harmonica from Huey Lewis, soon to be of The News fame) and stomping version of “The Rocker” from their early years as a trio.  Once again, all songs are fine, fine examples of this band’s talents-  excellent guitar playing, rock solid drumming, and fantastic songwriting.

If you like guitar driven rock with extremely well written songs, you owe it to yourself to pick up a few Thin Lizzy albums.  The first three albums show a fine young trio getting their feet wet featuring more folkier material sprinkled in with some blues based rock cuts, with Lynott starting to blossom as a songwriter.  Their famous middle years period (including this album) is their most well known and is my favorite era of the band, especially the classic teaming of Robertson/Gorham as an unwieldy guitar duo.  Later years featured a slew of guitarists that replaced Robertson, offering up even more fab tunes until the band split for good in 1983.  Unfortunately, years of heavy drug use started to take its toll on Lynott and he passed away in January 1986.  For a great taster of the man’s fine work, Live and Dangerous will do you just fine 🙂