“E5150/After All”, Heaven & Hell Live From Radio City Music Hall

Happier than a pig in mud I was when it was announced that Ronnie James Dio would be rejoining his Black Sabbath mates (yeah, I said it) to not only release a few cuts for a greatest hits CD but also to go on tour and rekindle the majesty that once was.  “E5150/After All” was their intro cut on their first tour and quite awesome it is in all its technical doomy glory.  RJD emotes as usual, Tony Iommi solid as ever with the riff, and Butler and Appice holding down the bottom end.  Fantastic stuff.  RIP Ronnie James Dio!

“Don’t Make No Promises (Your Body Can’t Keep)”, Scorpions Animal Magnetism

In what is possible the longest title on my iPod (maybe second to some James Brown titles), the Scorps continue to get Americanified with their simpler hard rock formula with new boy Mattias Jabs replacing longstanding guitarist Uli Roth.  This is now the Rudolf Schenker show musically; less complexity and dramatics and more meat and potatoes to suit their ever growing audience in the States.  Good, straight ahead no frills hard rock.

“The Ivory Gate Of Dreams – IV. Quietus”, Fates Warning No Exit

Just part four here of their 20+ minute opus and it’s a good taster of new boy Ray Alder’s vocal range via the initial slow three minute or so build up before he hits the high yelps shortly thereafter.  Funny listening to this as that initial slow build during the first minute is pretty much the band’s bread and butter these days rather than the Maidenisms that were typical of the band’s repertoire in the early 80’s and rounds out the last minute here.  Some good progressive metal here from an excellent band.

“Warning”, Queensryche The Warning

Queensryche were contemporaries of the aforementioned Fates Warning, mining the same progressive metal territory in their early days before branching out into other realms.  Early ‘Ryche is my favorite and “Warning” shows off the band’s strengths, especially the fantastic vocals of one Geoff Tate.  Yeah, you get a dash of Maiden here too (listen to that bass) but this is a bit more in the pocket and direct, kinda like a gothic militaristic march.

“Lionheart” Saxon The Eagle Has Landed III

I tell you what, Saxon still has it.  “Lionheart” is the title cut of their sixteenth(!) CD and these NWOBHM veterans bring the heat on this version from the live album recorded on this tour.  Vocals are a tad bit rough but you’ve got to give it up to Biff Byford, who is damn near his mid 60s as of this writing.  As with Saxon classics, you get a good dose of dramatic buildup with a strong chorus chased with solid drumwork and forged in fire guitar work.  The boys are now on album 21, if you can believe that!

“Straight Outta Time”, John Hiatt Austin City Limits: Live

Talk about underrated…  John Hiatt is not much of a household name, writing many a song that have been turned into hits by other artists.  Tis a shame, but now it’s time you learn about the greatness of his catalog-  “Straight Outta Time” is a slow and bluesy groover, recorded live with a hot, noisy band of young cats (and I mean that in a good way).  The dude can paint a vivid picture lyrically via one of the most unique yet passionate voices you will hear.  Great stuff.

“Good Rockin’ Tonight”, Sweet Alice Hoskins with the Dallas Moore Band Cincinnati’s Tribute To King Records’ Legacy

Yeah baby!  Sweet Alice Hoskins’ cover of the Roy Brown classic (made famous by Elvis Presley) is a toe tapper if there ever was one.  Backed by honky tonker Dallas Moore, Hoskins settles into a fine groove and her vocal interplay with Moore is a real treat.  This song is FUN and a worthy cover.  Found on the tribute album to King Records, the Cincinnati record company famous for early recordings from artists as diverse as James Brown, Hank Ballard, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Wayne Cochran. Video below is the original Roy Brown version recorded at King.

“Better Than The Sun”, Chris Robinson New Earth Mud

Chris Robinson gets all hippy dippy on us on this psychedelic cut from his debut solo album away from his former day job with the Black Crowes.  Written with Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo, this song is all trippy cool and sunny vibes especially come chorus time and its strong Beatles/Oasis/The Verve feel.  They underlying percussion and keyboards that are mixed in throughout are an awesomely cool touch, although the last minute or so is farrrr outt maaaaaan…

“Love’s Got A Hold On Me”, The Scream Let It Scream

A rip roarin’ good time here featuring the fantastic vocals of John Corabi and great guitar from Bruce Bouillet.  This cut is a bit Aerosmith, a bit Van Halen, and a whole lotta R&B courtesy of some hot background vocals (who is that anyway?  Not in the credits).  Holy cow, think Tina Turner singing with Steven Tyler and backed with Van Halen on guitar and a hot rhythm and blues band and you’ve got it.  That crunchy intro riff is like AC/DC or Keith Richards on steroids!

“Deathamphetamine”, Exodus Shovel Headed Kill Machine

Just when you think Exodus couldn’t get any heavier after the classic Tempo Of The Damned, the Bay Area bashers unleash the beast on their next record with new vocalist Rob Dukes.  Dukes’ vocal is a bit removed from the goblinesque shriek of former throat Steve Souza, bringing more of a hardcore bark to the proceedings.  But as always with Exodus, Gary Holt is THE MAN and “Deathamphetamine” is another classic fat riffster of manic proportions.  You get  your thrash, you get a respite of doomy riff, you get thrash again, and then you end up with a bad case of whiplash.  Eight minutes of utter brutality to scare the pants off your neighbors.

Cut of the week is very tough here, but I’m gonna go for a one/two punch of “After All” from Heaven and Hell and “Deathamphetamine” from Exodus.

1.  Edward Van Halen

Like many others, I can pinpoint the exact moment when Edward Van Halen first made a distinct impression on my psyche.  Oddly enough, it wasn’t via the first song I’d ever heard from VH (which would have been “Dance The Night Away” from Van Halen II) but when I finally got to hear the band’s debut album shortly thereafter.  Sure, “Runnin’ With The Devil” is an absolute classic but when cut #2 kicked into high gear I was transfixed.  That cut, “Eruption”, is one minute and forty-two seconds of primal fury laced with white hot intensity that seared many a young man’s eardrum when the album was first released in 1978, sending many a player into the woodshed in an attempt to at least come close to such a titanic and blistering attack.  Even to this day that aggression and dynamic playing is often imitated and rarely duplicated and is still seen as a benchmark in top notch lead guitar playing.

And no, “Eruption” surely wasn’t the only card in Van Halen’s deck-  while his lead playing is fantastic, his rhythm work should put him in high regard too.  VH’s music (especially the “six pack” of albums with original singer David Lee Roth) has always had a certain amount of swing and swagger, with much of that coming out of ol’ Ed’s right hand.  Just take a listen to the bounce of “Beautiful Girls” or the chunk of “Unchained”; two cuts with enough unique riffage far removed from the likes of most rock of the day.  And the sounds!  THE SOUNDS!  Guitar tones too!  Tapping out notes, doing crazy swells with the volume knob, phased crunch, flamenco speed, the drill…  you name it.  The man absorbed the genius of early players like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, added his own unique touch, and set the bar even higher for everyone that has come since.

Like geniuses on a whole ‘nother level, he continues to bash away and tinker with the formula in a continued search for new sounds and even greater tone.  As Sammy Hagar entered the fold, Van Halen’s music shifted some from the 24×7 party vibe of the early Roth years to something with a bit more melodic sense and hookiness to it, somewhat due to the presence of the Red Rocker but more likely to do with a newer level of creativity.  Not just straight ahead riffs galore (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) but expanding on that musical palette with keyboards and taking advantage of Hagar’s vocal range to come up with something not better than before but just as strong in its own unique way.  Cuts like “Right Now” and “Love Walks In” have a certain amount of emotional heft and depth that wouldn’t have seen the light of day on those early albums.

With David Lee Roth back in the fold and son Wolfgang joining his father and Uncle Alex, it will be interesting to see what’s in store for this next phase of Van Halen.  Just put out something… please?

Choice Cuts (other than those listed above):  “Romeo Delight”, “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love”, “Ice Cream Man”, “Take Your Whiskey Home”, “I’m The One”, “Mean Street”, “The Full Bug”, “Poundcake”, “Humans Being”, “5150”

As we wind our way down to the final three, I find myself looking back on how this list has changed over the years.  There are certainly a few guys that would have been on this list years ago but due to changing tastes and the “broadening of the palette” (so to speak), some did not make the cut.  I’m such a guitar fanatic that I probably could have made this a Top 50 Favorite Guitarists easily but I had to draw the line somewhere.

As for the remaining three, the top two have remained consistent for many years but number three has gained the most traction out of them all.

3.  Michael Schenker

Michael Schenker is an absolute monster player.  It’s a damn shame that it took me until the past twenty years to fully realize the man’s talents but I’ve only got myself to blame.  I had a Michael Schenker Group (MSG) live album and had heard a couple of live UFO tunes (his main band in the ’70s) but I turned a bit of a blind “ear” to the poppier leanings of the McCauley Schenker Group and the relative hair band-iness of his work in Contraband.  But it was his return to UFO in the mid-90s that pretty much sealed the deal for me and made me go back and reexamine that band’s seminal work and to revisit his first few albums with MSG, which left me kicking myself for not picking up the material sooner.  In my opinion, there are three keys to Schenker’s playing (ranked in order):  1)  Tone-  Schenker’s guitar tone is fantastic and one of my favorites from any guitarist, especially with the half cocked wah wah pedal; 2) Melody-  there is so much beauty to go with that classic tone, whether it be electric or acoustic; and 3) Riffs- whether it be UFO, MSG, Scorpions the man has written a boatload of classics that have influenced many a player.  After having periodic difficulties with alcohol, Schenker has cleaned up his act over the past few years and is back stronger than ever.

Choice cuts:  “Lights Out”, “Doctor Doctor”, “Rock Bottom”, “On And On”, “Attack Of The Mad Axeman”, “Another Piece of Meat”, “Venus”, “Armed And Ready”

2.  Stevie Ray Vaughan

Watching a Stevie Ray Vaughan performance is like a cross between watching someone playing as if his life depended on it and someone wrestling with an alligator.  Put a guitar in his hands and you watch a man come to life-  SRV emitted a certain fearlessness and reckless abandon that could be intoxicating to watch, especially in his early years and even much later as he conquered the substances that were slowly dragging him into mediocrity.  The man was born to play and lived and breathed the guitar; hell, the guitar always seemed to be a part of him.  Too many of Vaughan’s naysayers complain that he’s a Hendrix copycat or Albert King wannabee, but I see him as the perfect blend of multiple influences and then some.  And if he were alive today, who knows exactly how he would sound or what he would be playing.  With a base built around the blues, Vaughan wasn’t afraid to venture out into jazzier headspace at times or even in roadhouse rock territory throughout his brief career.  Stevie Ray Vaughan was all feel and he was starting to reach new heights after kicking a nasty alcohol habit until a tragic helicopter accident killed him at the young age of 35.  Often imitated but never duplicated.

Choice cuts:  “Pride And Joy”, “Scuttle Buttin'”, “Couldn’t Stand The Weather”, “Texas Flood”, “Crossfire”, “Riviera Paradise”, “Rude Mood”, “Love Me Darlin'”

Two at a time over the next couple of posts before we get to the top dog!

5.  Paul Gilbert

I remember very well the first time I heard Paul Gilbert…  I was in a record store (my regular hang in my younger years) sometime in 1986, perusing the shelves for something fresh and new to listen to when out of the speakers comes a slow buildup of double kicked drums and a tapped guitar measure that immediately caught my attention.  Then after 30 seconds I was transfixed by some of the most reeeee-diculous guitar playing I’d ever heard in my life-  it was fast, it was technical, it was meaty, and it had my wallet hook, line, and sinker.  It was Paul Gilbert’s debut disc with his band Racer X and it was jam packed with metal that was up my alley-  a good dose of heavy Judas Priest (and this is pre-Painkiller, mind you), Van Halen swagger, and Yngwie Malmsteen.  Gilbert put out another studio disc and a couple of live releases with the band before making a huge leap into the majors with Mr. Big, where he put his talents to good use for quite a few years before going solo and putting out some mighty fine discs in the process.  Pablo covers a lot of ground, whether it be writing ballads, something with a Beatle-esque or Hendrixy vibe, or showcasing his shredtastic talents.  He’s not one to stick to a particular style but has covered a lot of ground over the years and quite impressively.  A great teacher too… check him out on YouTube!

Choice cuts:  “Frenzy/Street Lethal”, “Daddy, Lover, Brother, Little Boy”, “Technical Difficulties”, “Going To Mexico”, “Scarified”, “Addicted To That Rush”, “Green Tinted Sixties Mind”, “Bliss”

4.  Jake E. Lee

1989…  a year I remember well…  college graduation and the summer of one of THE best live shows I have ever experienced in my life-  Badlands at Bogarts in Cincinnati, OH.  I’d already known Jake to be a fantastic player based on his two album stint with Ozzy Osbourne (Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin) plus I’d already devoured the Badlands debut, but I had NO inkling of what I was to experience that night at the show.  The man was possessed!  Finally free from Ozzy’s shackles, Jake could finally let loose and play what he wanted to play and play whatever pleased him.  There was so much fluidity in his playing AND his stage movements; plus he and lead singer Ray Gillen (check out my favorite singers list!) had such a command of the stage and crowd that night that I left out of there wishing I could be nearly as cool as either of those guys.  Unfortunately, Jake and Ray’s tenure only lasted two more albums (one the posthumously released “Dusk”) and he pretty much disappeared for a decade but has returned with a very good band in Red Dragon Cartel.  Jake’s got the riffs, he’s got the lead playing, he’s got style and flair, he’s got primal rawness, he’s got the acoustic bits, and he’s got the rhythm.  He does have a stubborn streak in that he often doesn’t have a set style, but that willingness to take chances and strike gold with something different often leads to very exciting results.

Choice cuts:  “Bark At The Moon”, “Centre Of Eternity”, “Shot In The Dark”, “Live Wire”, “Rumblin’ Train”, “Jade’s Song/Winter’s Call”, “Streets Cry Freedom”, “The Last Time”

“Opinionate!” Hades If At First You Don’t Succeed

A good dose of 80’s metal here, not quite thrash but more of a pseudo-technical slash power metal.  Alan Tecchio has some serious range here, reminiscent of a cross between Fates Warning’s Ray Alder and leather lunged Rob Halford, and the guitars are suitably doomy at the intro before things get nice and riffy with some tricky drumwork.  I loved this type of metal back in the day as it wasn’t straight 4/4 but took risks here and there and had plenty of riffs and time changes that kept my attention throughout.

“Whiskey On The Rocks” AC/DC Ballbreaker

I could write for days on the importance of AC/DC to my listening experience as a young lad.  If they put out a new album I’m buying it!  “Whiskey” is a decent little song; nicely riffed, gruffly sung by Brian, and a cool return to the drum stool for Phil Rudd.  Guitar tones on this are really interesting though as you can totally pick out differences during the verse compared to the chorus (and I’m not talking about the six note noodle at the intro either).  Drier in one channel (I’m guessing Malcom) and meatier in the other (obviously Angus), and probably double tracked as well.

“Lady Love” Robin Trower Bridge Of Sighs

Man…  this is a really cool song-  other cuts on this album were the bigger hits but there is so much smoothness all throughout “Lady Love” that it’s a crime it didn’t get as much high praise.  Robin Trower’s watery tone and lead work is exceptional as always but Jim Dewar’s vocal is the icing on the cake, a bit of a smoother Joe Cocker.  Sublime rhythm work here too, solid bassline from Dewar and great drums and percussion from Reg Isidore (who has a fever for the cowbell).  But yeah… Trower…  smooth as silk riff and some tasty fills up front and deep in the mix.

“Whisper In Your Soul” Gov’t Mule Shout!

Warren Haynes should be a household name.  The guy has had such a great career either as a sideman (David Allen Coe, Allman Brothers, Dickey Betts), as a guest player (Grateful Dead), as a solo player, or with his main gig in Gov’t Mule.  “Whisper” is a dose of awesomeness that we’ve come to expect from that band-  this song is a builder with lots of space for Matt Abts to pound tribal, Jorgen Carlsson to groove the bass, Danny Louis to add organ color, and brother Warren to belt it out and add some sweet guitar soul.  Kind of a bluesy/R&B/psychedelic/Beatley mix here (I think?)

“Guns For Hire” AC/DC Plug Me In Bonus CD

By all that is holy this is a GREAT FRIGGIN’ LIVE VERSION of a forgotten gem from the criminally underrated Flick Of The Switch album and before Brian Johnson’s voice went south shortly thereafter (although he’s kinda sorta magically somewhat had a serious comeback the past couple of albums).  I love Bon Scott AC/DC but the POWER of the band in the early Brian years is a phenomenon all its own.  Angus provides that intro swagger as only he can, firing up the crowd before the rest of the band comes bashing in and Brian knocks it out of the park.

“Emerald” Skyclad Prince Of The Poverty Line

I’ve gone on and on about my love for Thin Lizzy and “Emerald” may actually be my favorite song from the great Irish band (or at least top three).  This version is pretty darn close in vibe and spirit, although Martin Walkyier’s fiesty bellow is far removed from Lynott plus you’ve got some swinging fiddle which magically weaves in and out among the lead lines extremely well.  Major points for choosing a Lizzy song to cover and foist ye a draft on high for doing it very well (although that vocal may be an acquired taste for some).

“Allons-Y (1)” Pink Floyd The Endless River

For those not in the know, The Endless River is the final Pink Floyd album (or so sez David Gilmour).  The album is made up of leftovers from The Division Bell sessions and was pieced together pretty much as a tribute to their late keyboardist Rick Wright.  “Allons-Y (1)” is a very brief cut full of that classic Gilmour guitar, reminiscent of something like “Run Like Hell” in tempo.  You get snippets of Wright’s keyboard washes woven in with the riffs, but it’s that buttery Strat guitar tone of Gilmour’s that is the ultimate winner here.

“Dirty Dream” Thunder Robert Johnson’s Tombstone

Oh, what coulda shoulda been…  Thunder is a great little band from Britain that came out at the tail end of hair metal before grunge obliterated anything and everything remotely of that headspace.  “Dirty Dream” is reminiscent of that era but leans more towards early Whitesnake or UFO with a touch of Bad Company with its swinging riff, risque lyric, and the dulcet tones of one Danny Bowes.  These guys were always popular in their home country but couldn’t get a whiff of anything here, although Pamela Anderson did appear in one of their first videos (your trivia of the day!)

“Top Of The Pops” Smithereens Blow Up

The Smithereens have always been an underrated band and deserve way more credit than what they get.  “Top Of The Pops” is a little more simplified in formula than most of their classics with its meat and potatoes riff and fairly sing song-y vocal.  Funny I say that as it’s very reminiscent of something their heroes The Kinks or The Who may have put out in their early years, a dash of “I Can’t Explain” or “All Day And All Of The Night” mixed with The Dave Clark Five.  Throws in some extra trickery with the piano lick and female vocal at the the end just to make sure you ain’t snoozin’.

“John The Fisherman” Primus Fizzle Fry

Let’s get this off my chest first… PRIMUS SUCKS!  OK, that little inside joke out of the way, “John The Fisherman” is a fine, fine dose of prime wackiness from Les Claypool and his fellow oddballs.  These guys have always been totally unique in their approach but they’ve got some serious chops across the board-  bass playing is from another planet, guitar work is skronkingly good, and drum work is ridiculously groovy and heavy at the same time.  Throw on top of that a vocal that’s nasally nerdy but is incredibly fitting with the fantastic ditties Les writes.

Damn…  one helluva list here and hard to pick out a favorite but I’ve got a three way tie this time around as all three fit different moods:  “John The Fisherman” if I’m in a playfully goofy mood, “Guns For Hire” if I want to seriously headbang with my fist in the air, and “Lady Love” if I want some fairly laid back goodness.  Chase that with “Dirty Dream” and it’s a solid four in a row.