Possibly my mother of all guitar riffs and DEFINITELY my favorite from Van Halen, “Unchained” is like a clarion call of sorts:  loud, distorted, and in your face; honkin’ outta the speakers like some urgent war cry from restless savages descending the hill upon sighting the enemy.  Kicking off side two of album number four Fair Warning and also many a concert since, the song is three minutes and twenty-nine seconds of deadly force courtesy of master Edward Van Halen’s fat punch and wicked use of an MXR flanger that sent the young me into air guitar heaven and had me constantly hitting rewind at the end of song to replay to death.  Like Hawk used the say from the Road Warriors\Legion Of Doom tag team of old, I think…  “ohhhhh, what a rush!” when I hear that riff.  BAM!

Funny about Van Halen sometimes…  the riffs weren’t exactly simple and straight forward but I’ll be damned if they weren’t musical.  Not only did Edward have some sleight of hand fretboard wizardry and various tricks up the sleeve when playing a lead, he was (and still is) and incredible rhythm guitarist in his own right and “Unchained” is a classic example of pulling out all the stops.  That insistent crunchy intro, the cool twists and turns during the verses, the odd little breakdown during the pre-chorus, the little bits of noodling during the lead and “c’mon Dave” section, and the driving, sliding riff and slippery tapping spot that brings it home are those incredibly tasty bits of color that pushes this tune to greater heights.  And I’ve not said anything yet about the rhythm section!  Yeah, Mike and Al are the engine room for Ed’s acrobatic flights of fancy, essentially following the riff and adding some tribal slam of their own as Mikey holds the root down and Al bashes away relentlessly.  And Dave?  I’ve been hard on the guy in recent years but he’s on point here, no time for the “clown show” other than the brief ha ha moment with producer Ted Templeman’s “c’mon Dave, gimme a break”, mostly allowing King Edward to be the main focus for a good chunk of the song.  Lyrically not much here but who cares?  It’s that riff baby!

Some VH fans like the hits, some prefer the Roth show, and some think it’s fun to sing along and letting out their inner Michael Anthony but  if yer like me you’re wailing away on your own invisible striped Stratocaster and doing leaps off the couch, coffee table, or chairs in the living room.  “Unchained” always was and always remains my monster shot of energy, better than any hot cup of coffee to wake you up on a cold winter morning or greater than any Red Bull or Rockstar drink you can down.  It is THE Van Halen riff of all time-  now, maybe I should convince my wife to sync it up with my daily alarm clock.  As Dave says in the live video…  Everybody up!

Like Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man In The World”, I’d like to say “I don’t listen to Def Leppard often, but when I do I listen to __________”.  That would be a bit of a lie as my music tastes have changed quite dramatically over the years and I can honestly say when reaching for something to listen to, I’m not actively scrolling through the Ds on a mad hunt for the Leps.  No, my Leppard ship sailed a loooooong time ago although at one time I was an early proponent of the band along with many of my fellow schoolmates (Def Lep/Billy Squier concert, anyone?).  While I’ve certainly moved on I clearly respect what they’ve done-  selling over 100 million albums worldwide is no mean feat!  Still, much of the reasons why my interest has faded had a lot to do with the differences between the band’s second and third albums:  High ‘n Dry and Pyromania.

Flashback to the early ’80s…  by this time I was neck deep in all things music, gravitating everywhere from KISS to Top 40 to disco to rock to anything else that fell between the cracks.  At the time, radio playlists were still pretty wide open-  one moment you’d hear Wings, the next moment KC & The Sunshine Band, then on to The Cars and AC/DC, and then rounded out by Styx or The Gap Band or Journey or Eddie Rabbit(!).  Sometime in the late 70s/early 80s my mom would buy me magazines like Song Hits or Hit Parader or Circus, which was cool as my music tastes were leaning a bit heavier and these types of bands (AC/DC, Kiss, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Judas Priest) were starting to get major ink in the pages of these rags.  So while my radio ears were tuning in and my eyeballs were diverted to the flashy videos on MTV,  I’d also want to read more and more about these bands- and one of my favorites at the time was Def Leppard.

My first exposure to the Sheffield fivesome was via the mighty “Let It Go”, likely heard via WEBN (at the time THE AOR station) in Cincinnati and remains one of my top three Lep songs of all time.  What a way to kick off an album!  As a kid and even today I’ve always been attracted to guitar riffs and “Let It Go” certainly is a monster-  at the time I hadn’t heard anything quite like it outside of some of the heavier KISS or AC/DC cuts and it was a little too simple for Van Halen, but sometimes that simplicity is for the best.  That swinging crunch, that driving bass, and Joe Elliott’s tough vocal propels this song into heavy sonic territory that improved upon the quality of their debut album and leaned closer to producer Mutt Lange’s tones he achieved on AC/DC’s seminal Back In Black and For Those About To Rock albums.

After finally purchasing the album in 1982 or so I realized that punch did not stop there-  songs like “Another Hit And Run”, “Saturday Night (High ‘n Dry), instrumental “Switch 625”, and “No No No” were uniquely rifftacular in their own individual ways, featuring various tones and tenacities of varying measures and speeds.  While “No No No” leaned punk in spirit something like the highly underrated “Lady Strange” fell into a melodic yet hooky well of goodness courtesy of a sweet chorus and Joe Elliott’s tempered croon yet still amped up the charge midway through the song.  And what about the classic “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”?  Still, a fine fine tune and the bellwether on the album, showcasing a certain level of songwriting talent that would gel even more come their next two albums.  Bottom line, High ‘N Dry matched up extremely well with the hard rock of the day, leaning a bit heavier and a hair more tuneful than their fellow NWOBHM counterparts in the UK and slotting in nicely with veterans like AC/DC and Thin Lizzy.

As for Pyromania, I can remember exactly where I was the first time I heard advance cut “Too Late For Love” and the excitement I felt – cool dramatic buildup during the intro, hefty hanging chords, and a strong Joe Elliott vocal definitely caught my ear and had me savoring what was to come with a new Leppard album.  Not long thereafter I heard (or more likely caught the video for) “Photograph” and loved the mix of hook, crunch, and melodic sensibilities-  this song was a brilliant single and was a quick favorite and remains so to this day.  Follow up singles like the ballsy “Foolin'” and anthemic “Rock Of Ages” were huge plus lead cut “Rock Rock Til You Drop” was another fine showstopper as well, all three featuring strong sing along choruses that would (and did) go down well in the live environment.  With singles like these that focused more on the hook and the album as a whole containing more of a shinier, finer tuned production, Pyromania shot to the top of the charts and made Def Leppard significant stars on MTV and in the music world in general.  But for an early fan like me, something had changed…

To me, there are a couple of significant elements and stylistic shifts on Pyromania that makes it the lesser (and FAR lesser, in my mind) album when compared to High ‘n Dry.  Yes, the former album has those well worn chestnuts that your typical Def Leppard fan knows and loves but as a whole, that latter album hangs together more fluidly from top to bottom and rocks with more hungry conviction than anything else in their catalog.  On Pyromania that hunger was replaced by a sleeker, yet more sterilized sound as keyboards crept into the mix and Rick Allen’s drums were essentially replaced with more electronic samples that left an entirely different feel than the live band wallop featured on High ‘n Dry.  While the modern vibes felt fresh and exciting and the candy gloss hooks provided a new level of excitement on the hits, there were others where the combination did not work at all (“Action! Not Words”, “Billy’s Got A Gun”) or neutered the heavier aspects of the tunes (like “Comin’ Under Fire”, which would have fit nicely with High ‘N Dry’s beefier production).

If you look at this a little deeper, Pyromania could be viewed as a transitional album; one where pop songcraft and well polished and modern production values edged into the band formula and pushed the heavier cuts to the curb.  Come next album Hysteria, the fiery rock tunes found on High ‘N Dry were pretty much gone altogether and replaced by an entirely different beast; one that capably churned out one hit after another but unfortunately left this former fan a bit disillusioned with their new direction.  While I still have huge respect for the band and I’m happy they continue to release new music, nothing will ever compare to those heady early days and the brilliance that is High ‘N Dry.  

Total honesty here…  I’m still not totally sold on Greta Van Fleet.  Yeah yeah, Led Zeppelin is one of my all time favorite bands and I hear from waaaay too many people that “if you love Zep, you’re sure to love these guys too!”  Well, hate to tell you but as of now I’m not on board the “Fleet train” as of yet-  that said, I have MAJOR RESPECT that a band full of late teens/early twentysomethings is actually getting a good amount of exposure and radio play that’s sure to bend the ears of the youth of today and hopefully inject more rock into the music scene.  But why have I yet to buy the product?

Over the years we’ve all heard that “such and such” sounds like Led Zeppelin…  (Heart, Kingdom Come, Whitesnake, Zebra, Rival Sons,  The Tea Party, just to name a few)  Sure there were certain musical elements in each of these bands where the mighty Zep came to mind whether it being a guitar riff, drum break, vocal tic, or certain visual elements but there hasn’t been any band where I’ve fully thought…  whoa…  that’s a little TOO close for comfort-  that is, until Greta Van Fleet came around.  Shoot, Kingdom Come had some touches for sure but they still leaned a bit metal and Whitesnake had the bow in the “Still Of The Night” video (and of course lead singer David “Coverversion”) but I hadn’t heard anything where I got the heebie jeebies like these guys.

Let me step back for a minute…  are these guys good?  Absolutely no question.  The band sounds great, the vocalist has quite the range, and the songs are catchy.  As stated earlier, I hope they sell big and anything that encourages someone to pick up a guitar, mic, or drumsticks is alright by me.  But…  I still can’t get Led Zeppelin out of my mind when I hear something like “Highway Tune”, “Safari Stomp”, or “Black Smoke Rising” and, I hate to say it, I feel like I’m hearing demo versions of early or unreleased Zep cuts; kinda like Jimmy Page going through the archives and uncovering a treasure trove of stuff that wasn’t quite good enough to make it on the first three records.  Lead singer Josh Kiszka has that paint peeling howl of early Robert Plant and the production values of the songs definitely have that retro late 60s/early 70s vibe, plus when you are using vintage instruments like Gibson, Fender, and Ludwig (and likely vintage amps too) you’re going to sound of a certain era.  I don’t have a problem with any of that per se but I just can’t quite get it out of my head that it’s Zeppelin but not Led Zeppelin.  And that’s my problem.

For those of you that are fans and can get around this, major props to you.  I will say I’m not totally turned off by my own dilemma here-  far from it as I’m encouraged by what they’ve done so far and I’m definitely interested in album #2 and what the future holds.  Maybe at some point I’ll hop on that train but at this time I’m content to just mingle at the station and respect from a distance.

Not sure why or how I got the soul/funk jones when I was a kid-  maybe it was the broad playlists prevalent on the radio in the mid to late 70s; maybe it was Mom and Dad having Saturday Night Fever on constant rotation; hell, maybe it was those Jackson 5 and Fat Albert cartoons that I grew up on.  I dunno, but no matter how much I eventually gravitated to hard rock and heavy metal I always appreciated a funky jam and good time groove more than anyone and boy does Brother Strut and “Love And Only” deliver.

First, a little bit of “Strut” history…  Saxophonist Stevie Jones formed the band in 2012, pulling together a killer core of funkiness tapped from a wide variety of players that had toured with major acts like Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Sting, and Jamiroquai (just to name a few).  So far the band has released three discs and a couple of EPs filled with stirring soul, dance, and funk music with hints of Latino beats and jazzy world music vibe that is sure to have you singing and dancing along.  Disc #2, the brilliant What We Got Together, contains the sizzling “Love And Only” which in an ideal musical world should be a summertime anthem based on an insistent light funk beat, killer singalong chorus, and awesome hookiness.  This, ladies and gentleman, is the sound of REAL musicians-  this is strong, this is live, and this is joyousness of the highest order.  There is no oversinging, no overplaying, no overproducing…  nah baby, this is beautifully tight, in the pocket and brilliantly performed, letting the hookiness breathe on its own.

So let’s recap and add a few other bits n bobs…  you like soul?  Check…  you like funk?  Check…  you like hooks?  All over this one…  how about groovy bass playing?  Got it big time…  Fine, fine singing?  Oh absolutely…  Maybe you’re convinced-  if you haven’t hit the play button above do so PRONTO then go to the band’s website https://brotherstrut.com  and dig in to the rest of the band’s catalog.  You’ll be glad you did.

Hitting you up with my thoughts on the first ten songs on shuffle mode this fine Friday evening!

“War Between One” Grip Inc., Nemesis

A couple of years after leaving Slayer in the early 90’s, Dave Lombardo picks up the sticks once again and forms a new band with Waldemar Sorychta to thrash us senseless with his relentless drum pounding.  1997’s Nemesis features this cut, quite the punky hardcore blast:  non-stop Lombardo pounding, nutty Sorychta riff, and the militaristic bark from lead throat Gus Chambers.  One of the tunes that’s more Slayeresque in punch but still its own unique beast.

“I Can’t Quit You Baby” Led Zeppelin, I (Live At The Olympia)

Led Zeppelin’s deluxe editions that came out over the past few years unearthed quite a few gems-  check out this live show on the second disk of their first album.  You Zep fans all know the tune and this version is a scorcher; maybe slightly sloppy in live execution but still plenty exciting for the times (was ANYONE playing like this in the late 60s?).  A bit more improv on this version compared to the studio cut but that certainly was Zep at the time.  Jimmy and Robert on fire in their early, early prime.

“Closet Chronicles” Kansas, Point Of Know Return

Kansas was probably one of America’s first proggy bands and “Closet Chronicles” is a great example of the band’s talents:  excellent musicianship, great storytelling lyrics, brilliant singing (Steve Walsh is one of the best in the genre), bits of pompy goodness, and a cool rock breakdown midway through the song.  A bit more keyboard compared to some of their other cuts but it works exceptionally well here to add different flairs and flavors along with the heavier sections.

“I Want Candy” Bow Wow Wow, Modern Rock 1982-1983

Boy that Bo Diddley beat sure sounds good anywhere doesn’t it?  This 80s take on that “shave and a haircut” stomp was Bow Wow Wow’s big hit; a fine little summertime ditty that was all over early MTV back in the day.  Vocalist Annabella Lwin has a nice bubblegum vocal that’s the major hook along with that backbeat, but don’t sell short the fine surf guitar noodling from guitarist Matthew Ashman.  One of those songs that you could toss on to get the rumps a shakin’.

“U Got The Look” Prince, The Hits/The B-Sides

I’ve never been a huge Prince fan, but boy…  he’s got some downright killer tunes and I certainly lean more to the rock/funk stomp of his work. “U Got The Look” is a prime example, insistent funky percolation and downright nasty n skronkin’ guitar that swings between heavy riff, feedback, and squeals.  Maybe a tip o’ the hat to some Funkadelic/Parliament spaciness in effects, but that co-vocal with the Purple One and Sheena Easton is maximum heat.  Definitely one of my fave cuts from the man’s catalog.

“Billy’s Got A Gun” Def Leppard, Pyromania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfKmzUBZBD8

Early Def Leppard is where it’s at for me-  anything post Pyromania seriously shaves off the heaviness in favor of the hookiness, but hey what do I know as Hysteria sold over a bazillion gazillion copies.  I digress…  soooo…  “Billy’s Got A Gun” is one of my less favorite cuts from their early days but it’s still got a decent descending riff and fine Joe Elliott vocal, but that overly processed drum snare seriously dates this.  Still… what’s this looniness in the last minute?  Whatchoo doin’ Mutt Lange?

“Candy Horizon” Gillan, Toolbox

Take Ian Gillan out of Deep Purple and you’ve got quite the interesting solo career.  If you definitely like hard rock, you’ll really dig Toolbox and “Candy Horizon” is a fine example of the goods AND one of the last discs where the man did some of his maddest (and I mean that in a good way) screaming.  Sure, that vocal and those screams aren’t prime Gillan from the Made In Japan days but they are powerfully good in their own way.  Great backing band on this disc too.

“Belladonna” UFO, No Heavy Petting

While my preference for UFO are those cuts featuring Michael Schenker’s riffs and leads front and center I gotta give some credit to vocalist and lyricist Phil Mogg, who really is a great frontman and storyteller.  “Belladonna” is certainly one beautiful cut that Mogg confidently nails o’er a subtle bed of acoustics and keyboard washes.  My boy Schenker takes the back seat in favor of the sweet vocal but pops in at the tail of the song with some fantastic, melodic lead lines.  Nice Paul Raymond work on keys.

“Someday She Is Going To Hit Back (Demo)” Thin Lizzy, Thunder And Lightning (Deluxe Version)

The demo version of this fine rocking cut is a heads down ripper; no vocal from Philo but plenty of excellent guitar tag team from Sykes/Gorham and the always tasty drumwork from Brian Downey.  Interestingly enough, listening to this without the great man’s vocal works exceptionally well and shows off a hard rock/metal prog riff, maybe a bit like Focus’ “Hocus Pocus” in punch but more melodic in the guitar department.  Really cool to hear and well worth tracking down the deluxe version.

“I Coulda Been A Contender” Gaslight Anthem, Sink Or Swim

If you’ve never heard of the Gaslight Anthem, here’s your description: take a heaping dose of Bruce Springsteen, throw in the raucousness of Dropkick Murphys, a smidge of Tom Petty, and punk spirit and you’re in the ballpark.  “I Coulda Been A Contender” features everything; Brian Fallon’s yearning shout and boy/girl lyric (the Springsteen/Petty) and that massive chorus (the Murphys) plus the no holds barred band wallop (that punk spirit) that grabs you and won’t let go.

A fine batch of ten this time around, making my top three difficult to choose.  Going Prince for number one, Gillan at number two, and a tie for third amongst Grip Inc/Zeppelin/Thin Lizzy.