“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 🙂

Ahhhh, gaze upon that garish pink cover…  dig the new wave-y graphics and colors…  fancy that bow tie on Ray Davies…  flip the album over and drool over Dave Davies’ Les Paul Artisan guitar…  now, throw this record on your turntable (or CD in your player, or cue up the MP3s) and seriously DIG IN to some seriously great versions of early Kinks’ classics and some from their newest studio album Low Budget.  This was certainly not your father’s or older uncle’s Kinks…  this was a different beast altogether.

I grew up with a lot of musician friends and this was an album that I found in a collection of a drummer who had good taste and vouched for the goodness within, so I knew going in that this would be a great record once I finally purchased it.  I’d already heard “Lola”, “You Really Got Me”, and “All Day And All Of The Night” on the local rock radio stations and totally dug the vibe and energy of these versions but wasn’t sure I wanted to drop money on a double album.  But fear not…  once I did and gave it a good listen it didn’t leave the turntable for weeks.  These were The Kinks as arena rockers; no pretense, no nonsense, and no bullshit.  These guys were out to show the young punks how “the original punks” could outrock and outplay them with better written songs overall.

One For The Road was released in 1980, certainly an interesting timeframe for music.  Disco was in a tailspin, punk was starting to peter out overseas in favor of skinny ties and a more fashionable approach, and a new wave of heavy metal was making inroads in England.  At the time, The Kinks had been making a comeback of sorts in the States with their late 70’s albums that featured more guitar driven rock cuts than some of their early to mid-70s concept albums.  Lead singer and main man Ray Davies seemed to be in a different mindset, foregoing some of the musical theater vibe of the concept albums for more rock songs which won favor from fans in the States at the time.  All this must have appealed wholeheartedly to brother Dave Davies as he adds plenty of punch to these live versions.

Side one kicks off with a teasing bit of “You Really Got Me” before jumping full swing into newer cuts “The Hard Way” and Stones rip “Catch Me Now I’m Falling”, both featuring the younger Davies front and center with some solid riffing.  The next one-two punch feature a couple of classics:  the simple yet strong “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” and a fantastic version of “Lola” featuring Ray Davies teasing the crowd and enticing their participation throughout the chorus.  It’s obvious that Ray and the boys are now comfortable in full blown showmanship role as they hit on all cylinders.

The great thing about this disc is the great job the band does blending older classics with their newer fare as well as how their mellower cuts fare along with the rockers.  Songs like “Misfits”, “Stop Your Sobbing”, and especially “Celluloid Heroes” are absolute gems here, offering up a different energy level and in the case of “Heroes”, some great interplay between guitar and keyboards during the intro before laying back into the groove and allowing Ray to bless us with a beautiful, picturesque vocal about old Hollywood.  An absolutely underrated Kinks Klassic.

The Kinks were touring Low Budget at the time and amped up the live versions, in some cases making the songs much, much better than those on that album.  “Attitude” is a solid rocker, a funky Skynyrd-esque intro riff before going more full on punk; title cut “Low Budget” is another forgotten winner, Ray playing the lead vocal to the hilt behind a nasty riff from brother Dave, and a superbly kick ass version of “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” that is miles better than the discofied version found on the studio album, once again featuring Dave Davies on formidable lead guitar.

Did I say “formidable lead guitar”?  Hell yeah I did.  This live album is Dave’s chance to shine and to step out of his older brother’s shadow for a bit.  For one his guitar tone here is fat and nasty, wringing all sorts of notes out of his Les Paul as he powers through many a classic rock riff.  “All Day And All Of The Night”?  Punk before there ever was such a thing.  Listen to the version here as Dave pushes the tempo and builds the excitement level.  “Victoria” and “David Watts”, two other early classics, are given a new energy here due to not only being great songs but also due to the band pushing a punkier tempo.  And let’s not forget Dave’s slashing chord work during a rousing take of “20th Century Man”, a much more intense version compared to the almost countryesque original.

But the song of all songs here is a truly monstrous version of “You Really Got Me”, ol’ Dave proving to everyone that HE was an original guitar hero and featuring a brief but wickedly nasty intro solo before going headlong into THAT riff.  To me, this is my favorite version of this cut as it provides a ton of sonic wallop throughout:  the guitar tone is disgustingly filthy (and I mean that in a good way), the pace is brisk and grabs your attention immediately, Ray sings as his life depends on it, and Dave adds a fine solo to top things off.  Just two years earlier, Van Halen had grabbed America’s attention with their debut disc which featured their take on this song with its own intro solo.  On this live version, The Kinks successfully wrestle back what is theirs with this muscular, take no prisoners version.

Did the band feel threatened by the new guard?  I don’t think so, but I do think that they were certainly honored that acts such as The Jam, The Sex Pistols, and Van Halen were either covering their tunes or giving The Kinks high praise.  The period 1977 through 1983 was a bit of a comeback for the band as they gained new fans based on some great cuts and energetic live shows.  One For The Road is a great live album from this period and features a hot, energized band belting out some long standing klassic Kinks kuts as only they could do.  Long live The Kinks!

I’d say around 1982/1983 my musical tastes were starting to get a bit heavier and I was gravitating to artists and bands that were a little more underground than those found at the top of the charts.  Judas Priest had recently put out Screaming For Vengeance and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” was THE tune at the time-  a simple but cool riff, great lead break from Glenn Tipton, and awesome vocal from The Metal God himself, Rob Halford.  The album itself became a favorite and I was on the hunt to learn more about Priest.  Interestingly enough, this time it was the radio that actually turned me on to a cut from this album.  But more on that shortly.

Unleashed In The East (or Unleashed In The Studio, depending on who you want to believe), released in 1970 in front of a rabid Japanese crowd, is a bit of a turning point for the band:  from intro album Rocka Rolla up through Hell Bent For Leather (or Killing Machine outside of the US), Priest progressed mightily from more of a bluesy hard rock hybrid to something with more of a metallic bite.  Each album shows the band experimenting with different textures, often sounding like Queen in spots on their earlier material mixed with touches of Sabbath, Hendrix, and more harder edge Deep Purple.  Following this live album, Priest would release the iconic British Steel and become more of a household name, but that’s a tale for another time.

The original LP (which I actually had on cassette) for Unleashed features nine stellar cuts, with four more headbangers being added to the 2001 reissue on CD.  I first became familiar with this album via the two covers-  a fabulous, rocking cover of folkie Joan Baez’ “Diamonds and Rust”, sung passionately by Halford over heavy Tipton/Downing riff; and Fleetwood Mac’s(!) “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)”, this time ol’ Rob singing like a madman- one minute all sinister bite, another minute all high pitch wail.  Granted, the riff was fairly close to the original but a bit chunkier and more menacing to go with the Halloweenie lyrical content (is it about drugs or is it about money?  Ask Peter Green).  Dig the great dual lead from Tipton and Downing here too.

Outside of the covers you’ve got some great Priest written cuts here-  “Sinner” is pretty much a KK Downing set piece,  a guitar wankfest in the Hendrix mode via its whammy bar workout and screaming feedback;  intro pounder “Exciter” is almost a bit of early speed/thrash metal featuring some vocal shredding from Halford; sinister “The Ripper” with its great guitar riffery and Halford in thespian mode; and kicking one/two punch of “Genocide” and “Tyrant” that close out the disc with molten metal.  Oh yeah, did I not mention Les Binks?  The dude was likely Priest’s best drummer-  just listen to his double bass work on “Genocide” and “Exciter” and how he pushes each song along, staying slightly ahead of the beat to propel these songs along at a mighty pace.  The guy could lay back too, especially come something like “Green Manalishi” where he forms a solid pocket.  An underrated drummer for sure.

But alas the piece de resistance here is “Victim Of Changes” with that great dual guitar intro and that infamous first line from Halford:  “Whiskey woman don’t you know that you are driving me insaaaaaaane, OWWWW”.  “Victim” was actually written with original Priest vocalist Al Atkins but Halford makes this cut his own and still nails it in concert to this day.  I love the way this cut builds and breaks down, all menacing stomp early with lurching guitar riffs and fab Halford screams until midway through with a bit of a breakdown before some great lead guitar work from Tipton/Downing.  Then things get all trippy and psychedelic, a bit of a bluesy spot for Halford to actually do a bit of fine singing during the buildup before letting it rip with a hellacious “VICTIM OF CHAAAAAAANNGESSSSSS” and more great guitar work kicks back in Halford hits a few dog whistle notes to close things out.

I’ve not really touched on the four additional cuts added to the reissue but they pack their own punch as well.  “Rock Forever”, “Delivering The Goods”, and “Hell Bent For Leather” all from their latest LP at the time are prime rockers, a bit tighter and more direct in scope and closer to the straight ahead songwriting that will eventually be displayed on next album British Steel.  “Hell Bent” eventually would be an encore for years to come, featuring Halford revving up the Harley to get the crowd fired up.  Things end the disc with the rifftastic “Starbreaker”, including a bit of a snappy Les Binks’ solo to round out the song before it comes to a crashing conclusion.

As much as I dug Priest back in the day my tastes would eventually lean to more heavier fare.  That said, there are still those magic moments in their catalog that may come up on shuffle that cause me to smile, headbang away, and break out the air guitar/air drums.  As for trying to sing along to this stuff?  Aw, hell no…  this is PRIME Rob Halford, Unleashed In The East being a high water mark in the man’s career.  As for the rest of the band, this disc certainly captures the band in full flight with not a weak link in sight.  But once again I wonder…  whatever happened to Les Binks?

Oh man, that cover….  An attention getter ain’t it?  Kinda like how I reacted to the KISS Alive II album when I saw it, I took one look at this at my young, impressionable age and thought, “WHAAAAAAAT????”  I think I was by the record section in Woolworths or some department store and right there, in the very front of the A’s, was this album.  I don’t even think I’d heard ANYTHING by AC/DC at the time but this sure caught my eye.  Flash forward a few more years-  Back In Black is all over the radio and ‘DC are the hot band at the moment.  I loved them from the get go, quickly soaking up everything about the band and learning all about the Bon Scott years courtesy of my cousin David.

Looking back on those days, AC/DC was my segue between listening to Top 40 radio and AOR.  I would hear “You Shook Me All Night Long” constantly on that Top 40 station but on any of the AOR stations you could hear just about any AC/DC, which encouraged my listening even more.  Sure, Back In Black got a lot of play but now I was hearing stuff like Highway To Hell and High Voltage and a host of others.  And not just AC/DC I was digging; suddenly I’m hearing awesome new bands, new tunes, new sounds altogether, which opened the floodgates for a musically rewarding experience.  But I digress…

Back to the live album…  If You Want Blood is a loud, ugly, dirty, and abrasive record and I mean all of those things in a good way.  Recorded live in front of a crazy group of punters in Glasgow, Scotland, this album kicks off with what sounds like the hum of an amplifier before a loud roar announces the arrival of lead guitarist Angus Young, who whips the crowd into a frenzy as he kicks into introductory cut “Riff Raff”.  As the band comes in and gradually builds onto the riff you can sense the excitement in the air.  And once the song really takes off it’s like a dogfight; you can feel the crowd jockeying for position, one giant mass of sweaty bodies roaring as one as the band eventually hammers away at each song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9UlqMgytoE

And songs, hoo boy, there are some great ones on here.  However, the one I listen to the most on this album is an absolutely incendiary “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be”, driven by an absolutely awesome vocal performance by Bon Scott, all grit and determination as he roars through 4+ minutes of greatness.  Musically, the riff is fairly simple but it is loud, dirty, and stomping with its introductory crashing and sustained chords before tightening it up throughout the verses as Bon weaves a fine rock and roll tale about a wrong doing woman (as only he could).  Did I say something about “tight”?  Rhythmically these guys deliver and this live cut is a great example of the solid backbone between Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd.  Hell, this is probably one of my all time favorite live cuts from ANYONE, it is that good.

Other strong cuts on this disc are blistering versions of “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Problem Child” and a manic take on “Let There Be Rock”, all non stop chugging riff as it rumbles along like a freight train out of control until conductor Angus blesses us with some filthy lead guitar.  But likely the most infamous song on this live patter is a truly raunchy version of “The Jack” with a totally different set of lyrics about…  well…  AHEM…  it’s not about a card game, if that’s what you’re thinking!  No, Bon regales us with a tale of a sexual encounter and its rather unfortunate outcome (ha ha) over a bluesy stomp courtesy of the band, including full crowd participation from the rowdy Scots as well.

It’s a damn shame that Bon Scott’s senseless death less than two years after this recording ended such a promising career that was reaching even greater heights.  His performance on this album is testament to his strengths in front of a live audience as he sings with great gusto, engages the crowd, and seemingly has more fun than you or I can imagine.  As for the rest of the band- amped up, on fire, fully energized…  I mean, what more can you say?  And then I think…  can you just imagine if this was a double LP and it added “Live Wire”?  “Sin City”?  “TNT”, “Down Payment Blues”?  (Insert favorite pre-Highway To Hell song here)?

R.I.P. Ronald Belford “Bon” Scott (1946-1980)

When I was around ten or eleven years old, KISS was IT.  I distinctly remember a day at school where seemingly everyone brought in KISS Alive II for one of our holiday parties, where the teachers would let us bring in our favorite music to play while we generally goof around in class eating too many snacks and drinking waaay too much punch.  I took one look at the cover and couldn’t understand what the hubbub was about.  Who are these guys and what’s with the makeup?  Why is this guy bleeding at the mouth?  This looks stupid.  Well, little did I know at the time how much KISS would change my life.

I would say it was the summer of ’77 when I actually first listened to a KISS album.  Remember, at the time there was a lot of disco going on and we mostly listened to Top 40 radio to catch the hits of the day.  My brother and I had pretty much listened to whatever our parents listened to-  we didn’t have an older brother with the cool record collection and we hadn’t quite caught on to what our cousins were listening to (that was coming and soon enough) but fortunately I got to be close pals with one of the guys on my baseball team who did have an older brother and knew all about KISS.  And on those days where me and my brother and a few others would spend the night, we’d spin records into the wee hours and get caught up in the excitement of what would become my favorite, KISS Alive.

“YOU WANTED THE BEST AND YOU GOT IT!  THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE LAND…  KISS!”

With that intro, Alive kicks off with the one-two punch of “Deuce” and “Strutter”, two of KISS’ best and long standing concert favorites, the former with its stuttering riff and menacing Gene Simmons vocal (with Paul Stanley’s awesomely cool “DO IT”) and the latter one of the Starchild’s finer moments, all chest beating bravado topped off by a typically awesome lead break from “Space” Ace Frehley.  I remember being utterly fascinated by the whole thing, reading everything in the liner notes (each band member’s notes gave you an idea of their personality) and staring at the live shot on the cover while soaking in the bombast coming from the speakers.  This was certainly a far cry from what my parents were listening to.

Rumor has it that this album has been doctored in many ways-  if so, big whoop.  Most of the live discs in the day have been touched up here and there, maybe with vocal redos or fixing a bum note on some songs.  But hey, there is tons of solid playing here from all four members but more importantly the song selection is pretty top notch.  Besides the aforementioned cuts, other KISS Klassics like “Firehouse”, “Hotter Than Hell”, “Black Diamond”, and the definitive and most well known version of “Rock And Roll All Night” show KISS at the top of their game in front of a roaring crowd whipped into a frenzy by Stanley, who has some of the most epic stage raps around (if you don’t believe me, go to YouTube and search for “Paul Stanley Stage Banter” and enjoy!).

Out of the four sides of this album I probably played sides one and four the most, the latter side including the underrated “Rock Bottom”, classic Frehley riffster “Cold Gin”, the supreme “Rock And Roll All Night”, and Chuck Berry-esque “Let Me Go Rock And Roll”.  Listening to these two sides made me and many other budding guitarists immediate fans of lead guitarist Ace Frehley-  definitely not a flashy or noodly player but one with a fairly compact and to the point style, all bends and wide vibrato, that stood out from some of his peers at the time.  Ace was always the coolest in the band anyway and some of his best moments were to come on Alive II (which I almost chose over this album).  His style is sorely missed in the KISS of today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP3OhieZimg

So who am I forgetting?  Oh yeah…  the one and only Peter Criss, he being the “Catman”, R&B belter and balladeer (hey, he’d eventually sing possibly their biggest hit in softie “Beth”), and at the time a very fine drummer.  Just check out his awesome, rolling solo in “100,000 Years” to get an idea what the man could do behind the kit.  The song itself kicks off with a punchy rumble from Simmons on the bass followed by a swinging Ace riff and Stanley’s he-man vocal.  Peter swings massively throughout and about three minutes in he’s left to solo to his own devices, gradually speeding up his playing and bashing away like a man with eight arms.  Just when you think the Catman is all worn out from that massive performance, he provides an awesomely raspy vocal to a titanic version of “Black Diamond”.  Way too cool for a young kid and ultimately making him my second favorite Kisser.

Oddly enough, I’ve not listened to much KISS over the past 35 years or so but this album and Alive II were in constant rotation over a two to three year period that I’ve got it ingrained in my memory.  Unfortunately, KISS lost its luster for me once Criss and Frehley left, although Simmons and Stanley would continue to have some good moments here and there.  But back in 1977 and 1978 KISS were hard to knock off the top of the rock mountain and Alive is a testament to why.

For the life of me, I’m not sure of the first time that I heard Saxon.  I’m sure I’d read about them in Hit Parader or Circus magazine, but I can’t recall a specific moment where I’d actually heard a song by them.  I think the first song I’d actually heard was “Just Let Me Rock” from their Crusader LP back in 1984 but I’m not positive.  At any rate, once I heard something from them I definitely had to pick up an album.  I believe Crusader was the first purchase and sometime thereafter I grabbed their first live platter, The Eagle Has Landed.

A lot of you reading this are probably thinking…  WHO????  Yeah, Saxon certainly had ZERO radio play and they definitely were not MTV darlings, although you could catch a video here or there in the wee morning hours on MTV (take a look at pics of these guys, they certainly weren’t turning ladies’ heads).  But in order to find the good shit out there you had to look and seek out recommendations from fellow hard rock/heavy metal heads, and early Saxon was prime material.  And don’t just take my word for it; none other than NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) fan and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich can vouch for the greatness that is Saxon.

The Eagle Has Landed was cut live and released around 1981/1982 and features ten early Saxon classics in front of a rabid European crowd.  The disc roars out of the gate with a manic version of “Motorcycle Man” and doesn’t let up, all “heads down and let ‘er rip” heavy metal fury that’s somewhat of a cross between AC/DC, Motorhead, and maybe a touch of heavier Status Quo or Slade.  Lead singer Biff Byford, although not of classic singing voice, is a great frontman and gives 110% throughout this disc, belting everything out in fine fervor and whipping the crowd into a frenzy.  The guitar tag team of Paul Quinn and Graham Oliver are a solid if not flashy duo, playing for the song and avoiding guitar wankery and histrionics but with ballsy tones and fine riffery.  And bassman Steve Dawson provides simple but thumping basslines likely done with fist shaking fury (supposedly Steve was a model for Harry Shearer’s character in the classic This Is Spinal Tap!).

Ahhh, but saving the best player for last 🙂  Nigel Glockler had just recently replaced former sticksman Pete Gill, who had to leave the band due to a hand injury, and makes his Saxon recording debut with this album.  Glockler is the engine on this album, his playing totally in the pocket and forming the foundation that allows the rest of the band to kick these songs into high gear.  The dude swings with muscular might, throwing in the occasional cool drum fills throughout the song to add that extra bit of flair.  Check out the speedy “20,000 Feet”, the rock of “Wheels Of Steel”, or how he pushes the rhythm through the classic  “(747) Strangers In The Night”.  Great stuff indeed.

I hadn’t listened to this disc in a while and thought I’d throw it on to compile this review and I must say it still holds up very well.  Saxon is still around and musically is a bit of a different animal, but this disc captures the band in their rawer early days and they put on quite the spirited performance.  There is not a duff track to be found here, so if you like meat and potatoes riff rock this will suit you well.  You can’t tell me your head won’t be banging or your feet a tappin’ when you hear “Wheels Of Steel”!

Ahh, the good old days of the live album…  sure, some of them weren’t really “live” and have been touched up in spots but there is still a lot of greatness on those discs.  Live discs were a staple of rock artists from the 70s and 80s and even with some newer artists up through today.  Unfortunately, live material is a bit of a dying breed and I miss hearing cuts that were transformed and taken to another level in front of a live crowd.  Over the next few posts I will be reviewing my favorite live albums of all time, some of these being very well known and others less so, but influential to me nonetheless.

10.  Blue Oyster Cult, Extraterrestrial Live

BOC has released a number of live albums over the years and this one will always be my favorite.  In 1982 I was a full on music addict and had been transfixed by “the big three” from the Cult, namely “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, “Godzilla”, and “Burnin’ For You”.  At the time I didn’t own any material but due to the wonders of the Columbia House music club (you remember…  thirteen LPs or tapes for ONLY one dollar!) I was able to track down the BOC record which, at the time, had all three cuts on it.  I didn’t really care that the album was live as I’d caught a couple of band shows on the “King Biscuit Power Hour” (I’m getting all nostalgic here) and had taped one of them and listened to it religiously.  But this was an actual album and I could throw on the headphones and check out the liner notes and learn something about one of my newest favorite bands.

So after four to six weeks of waiting, the album finally arrived.  As you can see, the cover had a bit of mystique to it…  alien spaceship arrives with two dobermans accompanied by the band’s road cases, and on the back of the album the band is featured as part of the artwork.  I ripped off the shrinkwrap, threw the disc on the turntable, and was treated to some of the finest rock of the time.  Extraterrestrial Live kicks off with the one two punch of “Dominance and Submission” and “Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll”, two songs which were new to me but I dug immediately.  Also high on the list of new favorites to be were the brisk pace of “The Red And The Black” and the magnetic “Joan Crawford”, plus the sci fi tale “Veteran Of The Psychic Wars”.  But those were nothing compared to the two songs that I played endlessly from this disc:  the venerable “Godzilla” and a truly transcendent version of “Don’t Fear The Reaper” that closes side four of the album.

“Godzilla”…  hoo boy…  that intro from lead singer Eric Bloom really sets the tone here.  Yes, back in the day BOC had a giant mechanical Godzilla as part of their shows and his “arrival” plays a key at the beginning of this cut.  And from there, you know the rest!  This is a great live version and even includes a solo from then drummer Rick Downey, complete with “Asteroid” and space ship sound effects midway through the song, adding extra oomph to an already over the top version.

“Don’t Fear The Reaper” here is an example of a live version of a song that moves to another level.  The song here is played a little bit faster than the studio version, which elevates the excitement to a certain level, and the band background vocals and playing is spot on (Joe Bouchard’s bass is great here).  But where this really takes off is the last two and a half minutes of the song as Buck Dharma’s stinging leads (this guy is SERIOUSLY underrated as a player) really push the element and this song builds and builds to an awesome crescendo until the final crashing chords.  This song and this version is hands down why this is my favorite BOC live album and why it earns a spot in my top ten.

Oh yeah, “Burnin’ For You”?  I didn’t quite care for this live version nor any I’ve heard.  Its mastery is the studio version.  But hey, you can’t win ’em all!