Yeah, yeah…  so I’ve got ten opinions here that, depending on who you are, may offend, may make you laugh, may make you shake your head in shame, may make you nod your head in agreement, or may cause an argument.  So without further ado…

10. Alice In Chains and Soundgarden are MUCH better than Nirvana and Pearl Jam

 9.  Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio was better than Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne

 8.  Right now, I’d rather have Sammy Hagar in Van Halen (I see what you did there :-))

 7.   I’m a McCartney kinda guy instead of a Lennon kinda guy

 6.   Modern rock radio (or whatever you want to call it) sucks

 5.   Funk music NEEDS to make a comeback

 4.   The music industry itself (NOT GRUNGE) killed hair metal

 3.   There will NEVER be as dymanic or dangerous a live band as THE WHO from 1968-1973

 2.   Metallica’s Black Album is overrated

 1.   “Country rap” is the worst music EVER

Take a look at that picture.  Recognize any familiar faces?  For those rock fans of the past 25 or so years should recognize the dude on the far right, and some of you may recognize the guy second from the right from the grunge era.  But if not, those two are Duff McKagan (far right), ex-bassist of Guns N Roses, and Barrett Martin, drummer from Screaming Trees.  In 2012 these guys teamed up with two other Seattle-ites in guitarist/vocalist Jeff Angell and keyboardist Benjamin Anderson to form Walking Papers and released an outstanding eleven song disc filled with atmospheric, bluesy rock.  Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready adds to the A list level of players here but dropping in some lead guitar work on a couple of cuts.

It is rare these days that I like every cut on an album, but Walking Papers is chock full of goodness throughout.  Each song has its own vibe and spirit, all being fairly unique and bringing something totally new to the table.  For example, intro cut “Already Dead” feels a bit like a late night chill tune led by a simple yet haunting guitar figure and slight jazz shuffle on the drums over which vocalist Angell produces a fantastic, laid back vocal.  Next cut “The Whole World’s Watching” amps things up considerably with a blues fervor, guitars loud and crunchy, solid drumwork, and raspy, soulful vocal.

Other strong rock cuts on this disc include “Two Tickets”, propelled by Martin’s drumwork and a semi-sludgy riff over which Angell paints a lyrical picture via an awesome lower range vocal; “Red Envelopes”, which kicks things up a little more with a shuffling rock riff topped off with brief horn blasts; and “You’re Secret’s Safe With Me” and its haunting, psychedelic grooves and cool bell like tones courtesy of Martin’s vibraphone.

However, where this disc really shines are the non-rockers-  take “The Butcher”, a keyboard only tune with hints of Martin’s vibes that features a great lyric from Angell about an escaped convict eventually meeting his fate.  Or the marimbas, trumpet, and echoed guitar that highlight the awesome “A Place Like This”, a bit of a ghost tale likely set in a saloon in Mexico.  Last but not least, “Leave Me In The Dark” hints at Joshua Tree era U2 with its ringing guitars and gradually escalating tempo.

Although the band as a whole is fantastic, the stars of the show on this disc are Angell and Martin.  Angell does a great job selling each cut, vocally keeping things to a lower range rasp and not overcooking anything when he stretches into higher territory.  As a guitarist he does great job as well, offering up solid Les Paul tones whether they be heavier riffs or softer finger picked patterns.  As for Martin…  sheesh, this guy is a monster-  one minute kicking out a percolating shuffle, next minute a stomping Zep backbeat, followed by more tribal patterns.  And those vibes and marimbas REALLY add a lot to the songs where they are featured.  A seriously underrated talent.

Rumor has it that Walking Papers is working on another disc but in the meantime, track this one down and enjoy!

“Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis)” Coroner Coroner

Kicking things off with a bit of Swiss thrash, Coroner gives us a nice, choppy riffed track with typical gritty vocal.  Not much melody here but straight ahead balls n crunch, heavy on the trebly guitars with very little to no bottom end (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  Halfway through the cut things get coolly atmospheric just to throw you off track, making you wonder if you’ve accidentally ended up in Pink Floyd land for a good 45 seconds or so before that battering ram riff comes in for a brief second and switches up to a Maiden-esque gallop but with double bass drums.  Cool leads as well.

“Siege Mentality” Satan Trail Of Fire – Live In North America

Man, talk about an AWFUL sounding live recording-  it’s as if someone smuggled in a tape recorder and this was somehow converted over to a crappy MP3.  That said, this is definitely a live, warts ‘n all performance that’s actually pretty cool for a band that reunited only a few years ago.  Satan was one of those English bands that started around the time of NWOBHM, playing in a bit of a top speed riff heavy style that possibly influenced thrash players in the coming years.  If you dig fast, technical playing you may dig this (version below is a studio cut).

“Ship Of Fools” Robert Plant Now And Zen

If you read my post on my favorite vocalists of all time you’ll remember that 1) Robert Plant is my top choice and 2) “Ship Of Fools” was one of my recommendations for his better vocal performances.  If you don’t have this cut, BUY IT NOW.  This is Robert at his most subtle backed by a fantastic performance by his band at the time; the recording a great mix of well played acoustic guitar, great percussion touches, and fantastic washes of keyboards that perfectly sets the mood for an outstanding Plant vocal.  The song builds perfectly as well, giving Robert plenty of space to ooze the charm and charisma that’s always been on display since his early Zep days.  Utter cool for miles…

“Locomotive Breath” Jethro Tull Aqualung

Yes, Tull could rock back in the day as this long term staple of classic rock radio proves.  Things start a little slowly to set the mood, piano tinkling with a bit of bluesy guitar and gradually picks up over a good minute and a half before that well known riff kicks in.  Ian Anderson’s witty lyric and great vocal performance helps set the tone as well as the song builds o’er top a throbbing bass pump and occasional drum fill every measure or so, plus Ian throws in a typical nifty flute solo to boot.  Who doesn’t know this one?  A bit of trivia… this song was edited on some stations to change the “got him by the balls” line to “got him by the fun”.  Huh?

“Halfe Caste” Thin Lizzy Vagabonds, Kings, Warriors, Angels

I haven’t yet worked on a favorite lyricists post but Phil Lynott would certainly rank very high on the list.  “Half Caste” is a reggafied true story in a way as Lynott is of mixed race (father black and mother white) and sings this from the perspective of a daughter’s boyfriend and a disapproving father, adding a sardonic vocal to the title during the chorus.  This cut was actually release as a b-side to Lizzy’s “Rosalie” single of 1975 and really shows the talents of that band as they groove rhythmically around Lynott’s bass line and vocal.  Really cool song overall.

“Gods Of War” Bruce Dickinson Balls To Picasso

Another high up my favorite vocalists list, Bruce Bruce had tired of the Maiden machine by 1993 and left for a brief solo career.  “Gods Of War” is a bit of an epic cut that shows Bruce in fine vocal form, keeping the verses fairly low range but belting things out come chorus time.  Musically heavy in spots but overall removed from Maiden gallop in that there is plenty of pockets for the man to actually SING as this cut is more of a bluesy grower, keeping things calm and cool before belting out the white hot chorus.  I’d have to put this one high on my list of favorite Bruce solo cuts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShTQff5PZtg

“Diablo Blvd” Corrosion Of Conformity America’s Volume Dealer

COC drops a funky/sludgy cut on us, sounding a bit like the Red Hot Chili Peppers with more of a stoner groove.  That Mike Dean bass in here sounds like something off a Bootsy Collins record!  But yeah, this is definitely the new COC and Pepper Keenan does a fine job belting this one out (I still think Load-era Metallica was highly influenced by COC).  Relatively straight forward for these guys too compared to a couple records previously and far, far removed from their more hardcore roots, but don’t let that scare you away.  “Kickin’ hard time!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3SPdJIvF5Q

“Steady Decline” Prong Beg To Differ

Prong has always stood out to me as a band that’s fairly recognizable-  solid, echoey drums, virtually NO bass, and awesome Tommy Victor riffage.  What’s interesting here is that there are similarities in riff and tone compared to the Coroner song that kicks off this post.  However, where that was more technical thrash this song crosses more into a hardcore vibe based on the dirty riff and semi-gang vocal at the chorus.  But yeah man…  Tommy Victor riffage…  this is some good early Prong before they got a little too industrial in later albums.

“Born To Kill” Gillan Double Trouble

Ian Gillan’s solo years offered up a bit more experimentation than Deep Purple, “Born To Kill” awash in moody synths and piano far removed from the hoary Hammond of Jon Lord.  And Colin Towns’ piano really sets the tone and mood here, allowing Gillan to paint a picture with the lyric and vocal for the first three and a half minutes of this cut.  After that we are into more of a full on rock performance, although a bit on the proggy side compared to normal solo Gillan fare.  Ian’s vocal covers a lot of ground throughout this cut, softer lower range early and then full on belt the rest of the way with an occasional full on scream (yeah!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIVvLXT9PRQ

“Killing Allan” The Hellacopters Cream Of The Crap, Vol I

Who ARE these Swedish dudes and how dare they sing songs that sound like a mix of The Stooges, Monster Magnet, Motorhead, and Nirvana?  A really cool band, that’s who.  So take a bit of garage rock, punk, swirling psychedelic distorted guitars and throw that against the wall and you’ve got The Hellacopters, a band that amps things up with tons of nasty riffs, screaming vocals, and loads and loads of feedback.  “Killing Allan” is nothing but a simple riff and vocal but it’s HOW it’s played that makes this a nasty piece of work.

Favorite cut this post goes to “Ship Of Fools”!

This is too funny…

(Over the next few weeks I’ll be going into a little more detail about each band in my “Favorite bands since 2000” post.  I’ve already covered my son Ian’s band The Earth Laid Bare in the “Spotlight On” feature; now this time it’s my take on Atlanta’s finest:  Mastodon)

Mastodon is a great example of a band that intrigued me from the beginning but didn’t totally grab me right away.  I can’t remember exactly the first time I heard them (likely a magazine sampler) but I do recall catching a couple of their videos via the on demand cable channel for songs that were on their (at the time) newest release, Leviathan.  The videos were odd but in a cool way and the music was great as well-  an awesome mix of progressive riffs atop killer time signatures and ridiculous (and I mean that in a good way) drumming.  Vocally I caught odd hints of Ozzy from one singer and a bellowing growl from another singer that added to the uniqueness of the band.  It wasn’t quite anything like I’d heard before but it did have quite a few elements from some of the heavier bands I like.

Not long after I was in a local record store and found the Leviathan CD in the clearance bin of all places!  I quickly snapped it up, took it to the front counter to purchase, threw it into the CD player when I got in the car, and was quickly transfixed the whole drive home.  It wasn’t just the songs on the videos that were good but the ENTIRE DISC was an aural treat.  heavy riffing, aggressive singing, atmospheric/melodic guitar work, and even more of that spectacular drumming.  It was one of those discs that required repeated listening to let everything soak in.  No longer was this “just” intriguing but was a full on quest to learn more about this great band.

Since Leviathan was released in 2004, Mastodon has released additional studio albums with each sounding a little different from previous releases.  Intro disc Remission (from 2002) is a bit more aggressive and raw with its punkier\thrashier sound but those progressive elements are already there in full force.  Post Leviathan comes Blood Mountain which musically continues to bring the heavy but vocally things are less harsh-  less heavy on the roaring bellow from before and focusing more on a cleaner singing style (but not too clean, mind you!).  Production elements on this album and Leviathan are much denser, focusing on layered guitars plus the bass is higher in the mix.  Next album Crack The Skye pushes the cleaner vocal style to the forefront, adding a third lead vocal into the mix via drummer Brann Dailor.  Once again, progressive elements are everywhere and the sounds are more expansive, adding elements into the mix such as keyboard and banjo(!).  Time changes and riffs are kept more to a minimum in favor of straight forward songs.  And the most recent two discs, The Hunter and Once More ‘Round The Sun, strip the aggressiveness and prog back even further by offering more direct but still solidly heavy riffs and cleaner singing.  The density of production is still there; however, the focus appears to be more on songwriting overall.

That’s some killer artwork, eh?

So for those new to Mastodon or are somewhat familiar and are looking for more, here’s a breakdown of songs that’s stretched across multiple CDs.  Hopefully this will give you a taster of early Mastodon vs their newer releases.

Mastodon, “March Of The Fire Ants”, Remission

March is a one of the more straight ahead cuts from the early days, kicking off with a riff worthy of early Sabbath before Brann Dailor’s militaristic drumming kicks in and Troy Sander’s unearthly bellow roars in with the vocal.  Time signatures are relatively simple as things do not change too much although there are multiple riff changes throughout the song to keep things interesting and the drumwork is absolutely SICK!  Guitar tones are thick and meaty (don’t laugh) and really move this song forward, even offering up a quick Maiden-esque rhythmic change towards the tail end of the song.  A solid cut  that is a great intro to the early days of the band.

Mastodon, “Seabeast”, Leviathan

I’d mentioned first exposure to Mastodon was via the videos and I vividly remember this one.  This one is different from “March Of The Fire Ants” in that there are two distinct vocals, a cleaner intro from lead guitarist Brent Hinds before Troy Sanders’ roar kicks in.  This song starts off with a haunting guitar and bass intro with some simple drumwork before kicking into the main riff and Hinds’ vocal.  I don’t pay too much attention to the vocals but for those that are interested this song (and much of the album) is a concept about the famous novel Moby Dick.    The riff is once again solid and the drumwork is a little more straightforward with cool fills, but the best part of the song is the dramatic shift in tension between the vocals that go on during the verses.  The switch between the cleaner part and the heavier part really carries the song.

Mastodon, “Crystal Skull”, Blood Mountain

A bit of tribal drumming before diving in with a bang, “Crystal Skull” has some incredible riffing going on all throughout the song.  Sounding like a cross between classic Iron Maiden in spots mixed with the oddness of Voivod and solid wallop of High On Fire, this song moves in multiple directions.  Troy Sanders’ vocal moves between demented singing to deep bellow and all out roar and the riffing from Brett Hinds and Bill Kelliher is everywhere (check out Hinds’ great leadwork here, not something these guys normally do but it kicks the song up another notch).Brann Dailor’s drums are just pummeling, lots of tom tom work here on top of his awesomely bush snare work.  Production on this new album is solid and everything is HEAVY.

Mastodon, “The Last Baron”, Crack The Skye

So far I’ve covered more of the heavier side of Mastodon and not delved into their more progressive side.  Well, now is the time 🙂  Crack The Skye is a GREAT progressive metal album-  the band was able to take the heaviness of their earlier material plus the mutltiple riffs and time signatures and mix in more focused and direct songwriting.  All that said, “The Last Baron” surely isn’t direct but is a thirteen minute soundscape that takes the listener from one adventurous riff to the next, sounding like old school Rush in spots mixed with a darker Pink Floyd vibe.  Probably the biggest surprise overall on this song and the disc overall is the cleaner vocal approach-  we hear less of the roaring and bellowing and now more of a cleaner vocal reminiscent of Ozzy and often double and triple tracked in spots.  Once again production is fantastic and the playing is stellar, with hints of keyboards popping up throughout the mix.

Mastodon, “Curl Of The Burl”, The Hunter

Where to go after the greatness of Crack The Skye?  For starters, Mastodon continued with direct and focused songwriting direction and the cleaner vocal approach, keeping the solid riffs and production intact but keeping all songs relatively short in comparison to past albums (only two songs break the five minute mark).  “Curl Of The Burl” rides a monstrous, almost stoneresque riff o’er top a great Brent Hinds’ clean vocal and great backups from Sanders and Dailor.  Dare I say this is quite the sing along song for Mastodon!  Although the main structure of the song does not change, there is a quick trippy segue midway through with some effects laden rhythm and lead work that is very cool before getting back to the main riff.  Probably about as radio friendly as Mastodon would get, until…

Mastodon, “The Motherload”, Once More ‘Round The Sun

Either radio is starting to loosen its strings and is coming around to the heavier side of things or Mastodon is pushing a bit in that direction (likely a little of both), as I’ve been hearing “The Motherload” on some of the more heavier stations.  Featuring a killer vocal hook courtesy of drummer Brann Dailor, the song features some pretty dense sonics compared to the other cuts featured here.  Not too much tricky riff work either; just multiple colors and multitracked riffs from guitarists Kelliher and Hinds.  I love the way this song builds-  Dailor’s cool drum intro, the slippery riff through the verse that goes into a great chorus, a brief vocal change to Troy Sanders, and then into the trippy but slamming back end section before heading back into the chorus to bring things to an end.  Awesome stuff.

So yes, lots of goodness throughout the Mastodon catalog and plenty to explore.  Just remember, each disc has multiple surprises and the band has progressed throughout their career so make sure you check out everything across the board.  Good luck!

Oh man, where to begin on this post.  I’ve written and rewritten so many drafts on this it’s not even funny.  But after catching some clips from their opening night of their 2015 tour I’ve decided to once again change my tune.  Ah, the life of a fan!

Soooo… let’s try and fast forward somewhat.  Growing up, I really didn’t get hip to Van Halen until their second album when “Dance The Night Away” was played on the local “top hits” station (this was before I switched to the local rock one).  Loved the song but it took another couple of years before VH really grabbed hold and knocked me on my ass.  By that time I’d purchased the debut album, wore it out, bought II and Fair Warning, and caught the live videos for “Unchained”, “Hear About It Later”, and “So This Is Love?” and the VH love affair was on.  Bought 1984 and liked it (never really LOVED it) and also caught the tour which was killer but for me the David Lee Roth shtick was wearing thin.  Yeah, yeah, yeah…  guys wanted to be DLR and girls wanted to be with DLR.  Naaaaah…  I wanted to be Edward Van Halen!

So jump ahead a couple of years-  Roth is out and former Montrose man Sammy Hagar is in.  Fandom was still in full swing although the music was a bit different and EVH concentrated more on songwriting with Hagar rather than the mountainous riff rock of the earlier years (which I did miss but there was still a lot of goodness, only different).  Plus, I saw VH with Sammy twice with the 5150 tour being one of the best I’ve EVER seen:  the band was ON FIRE (pun intended) and their onstage vibe was second to none.  These guys absolutely loved being up on stage together.  Popularity continued to rise, concerts sold out, hit records were made.  But after three more studio albums things fell apart with Sam and then-

(dramatic pause)

SOMETHING happened.  Well, not something but a lot of things.  To cover everything that’s happened since Hagar left in the late 90s would be one of the greatest soap opera miniseries in history.  But for those unfamiliar you can Google the following:  Van Halen MTV Reunion 1996, Gary Cherone Van Halen singer, Ray Danniels Van Halen, Sam and Dave tour, Sammy Hagar Van Halen reunion, Michael Anthony out of Van Halen, Wolfgang Van Halen, David Lee Roth Van Halen reunion, Edward Van Halen Billboard article…  and that seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.  There has been so much turmoil around the band since that time that in many ways it’s ruined my fandom.  Backstabbing, he said/she said, put downs, it’s all there:  what was once the MIGHTY VAN HALEN is now something else altogether.  But what?

In some ways, Van Halen 2015 is a unique beast.  For the past eight or so years Wolfgang Van Halen (Edward’s son and Alex’ nephew) has admirably handled the bass duties previously anchored by Michael Anthony.  Granted, Mike’s backup vocals were always an integral part of VH songs but Wolfgang does a very good job.  In many ways, he seems to have saved Van Halen (the band AND his father) via his presence and his enthusiasm-  word has it that Wolfgang is the one picking the setlist over the past few years.  It is obvious that father loves having his son around and it shows.  As musicians, these three are locked down tight and Ed’s playing is the best that it’s been in years.  As for the vocals, however…

What in the hell is Roth doing with some of these songs?  Don’t give me “ahhhh, Dave NEVER sang anything right back in the old days… you know, his line was ‘I forgot the fuckin’ words, maaaan”.  Sure, he never sang it right but he had a coolness factor and was at least in the pocket singing the correct melodies but what he’s doing nowadays is an abomination.  Case in point, listen to “Dance The Night Away” from their recent performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPVEAPki2YA

Maybe even worse, listen to him on their recently released Tokyo Dome In Concert

What IS that?  I mean, the band is TIGHT and Ed is on fire (which is why I listen to VH to be honest) but WTF?  C’mon Dave, gimme a break!  I understand your range is gone, those cool yelps from the old days are no more, but why are you butchering the melody lines???  Not only that, but you’re not in step with the rest of the band!  It’s embarrassing.

Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk.  Van Halen as a musical entity is solid and well worth the $$$ to go see live but vocally will likely be hit or miss depending on the tune.  And yes, I miss Mike, I miss Sammy, but we should all be most fortunate that Edward Van Halen is alive and well after the health scares of the past and we should be thankful for the role Wolfgang has played in keeping the Van Halen name alive today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl4gqJ3FxC4

In honor of the upcoming Maiden album The Book Of Souls (release date 9/4), here are the top 10 Iron Maiden songs released since Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith rejoined the band.  Please note these are in no particular order!

1. Paschendale
2. Where The Wild Winds Blow
3. Starblind
4. El Dorado
5. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
6. The Thin Line Between Love And Hate
7. Blood Brothers
8. Satellite 15… The Final Frontier
9. The Wicker Man
10. For The Greater Good Of God

“Step Outside”, Foghat Energized

Boogie merchants Foghat get quite funkified on “Step Outside”, riding high on Lonesome Dave Peverett’s vocal (especially chorus time with the female backing vocals), Rod Price’s wah wah guitar, and punchy Tony Stevens’ bass lines.  If you like cool 70s boogie rock workouts a la Grand Funk Railroad splashed with a dash of James Gang and maybe Average White Band topped with Elvin Bishop’s sense of fun you’ll do yourself good tracking this one down.  Plenty of booty shakin’ and guitar solos give you bang for your buck at six minutes plus.

“Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter”, Iron Maiden A Real Live One

So the story goes that Bruce Dickinson gets tapped to write the theme to Nightmare On Elm Street 5, puts it out, and Steve Harris loves it so much that the band re-records it for their next disc No Prayer For The Dying.  This version is a live ripper and in typical live Maiden fashion, is about 100 times faster than the studio version (exaggerating, but only slightly), and has great audience participation from a crowd of Helsinki, Finland rivet heads.  Not up there with Maiden classics but a fun song nonetheless. Odd fact regarding the studio version:  it’s the ONLY UK #1 single that this band has ever had!

“Bittersweet”, Hoodoo Gurus Mars Needs Guitars!

Hoodoo Gurus were a bit of a fun band, probably considered an “roots rock” or Americana nowadays but back in the 80’s they were bundled in with so called “alternative music” or “college rock” a la The Hooters, The Smithereens, REM, etc.  “Bittersweet” was the single from their second album and is a great jangly rocker with fairly simple crashing chords but a killer sing along chorus with it’s “don’t cry” refrain.  A fun song that would have fit in well with the college cover band scene back in the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohSGGALury4

“1000 Dollar Car”, Bottle Rockets The Brooklyn Side

Reminiscent of Neil Young’s work with Crazy Horse in tone comes “1000 Dollar Car” and the great Bottle Rockets, a solid band that walks the line between rock and country.  Guitars on this one are amped up and semi-clangy with a simple backbeat, touch of Hammond organ, and world weary vocal.  Lyrically, the song hits home to those of us that have bought a cheap car at one time or another.  Like the aforementioned Neil and Crazy Horse, this song has that simple laid back rock beat similar to “Cinnamon Girl” or “Cowgirl In The Sand” that brings to mind late night smoke filled and beer soaked jam sessions.

“Tramontane” Foreigner Double Vision

Boy does hearing this song bring back memories.  This may have been one of the first albums (probably 8-track!) that my brother and I ever had and we’d listen to these things non-stop.  “Tramontane” is the instrumental on this album and was certainly a non-hit compared to everything else on there.  This song has a touch of prog pomp to it with some spooky “Phantom Of The Opera” keyboards as well with groovy Mick Jones guitar work on top.  Maybe a tip of the cap to Ian McDonald’s King Crimson days?  Who knows.

“Walkin’ Thru The Park” Muddy Waters The Real Folk Blues

Not familiar with Chicago blues and you’d like a starter?  The Real Folk Blues and “Walkin’ Thru The Park” would certainly do you just fine.  This song kicks in with a fine swinging groove and Muddy comes roaring in with the lead vocal, but possibly the real star here is the harmonica work from Little Walter.  Either way, both do such a great job on this cut and play well off each other with Muddy even throwing in a quick single line stinging lead break on guitar.  Great blues music invokes a lot of feeling and this song certainly gets the fingers snappin’ and toes a-tappin’.

“Eyes Of Fire” Rainbow Straight Between The Eyes

Richie Blackmore reaches into his trick bag and pulls out a winner here reminiscent of his more epic work on Rising and Long Live Rock And Roll, although a bit more subtle due to the smoother vocal from Joe Lynn Turner and more militaristic drumming (compared to slamming predecessor Cozy Powell) from Bobby Rondinelli.  But man, it’s all about that guitar as Blackmore pulls off plenty of eastern mysticism and snaky guitar runs to keep those old school fans happy.  Nice keyboard interplay with David Rosenthal as well.

“Womankind” Greg Kihn Rockihnroll

Sure, everyone knows “Jeopardy” as the hit, but Greg Kihn wrote an awful lot of good rock and roll songs and this one certainly fits the bill.  “Womankind” rides the same groove and chords throughout the song a la a more sinister “Gloria” (just listen, you’ll get my drift) but Kihn works it to his advantage with a solid vocal and decent lyrics as well.  The guitar work on this song is really cool too, lots of descending lines along with the bass but also some real groove as well to add quite a bit of flavor.  Nice build up to the chorus throughout the song.

“Long Live Rock” The Who BBC Sessions

Listening to this version, I’m not sure what’s live and what’s taped.  Vocals certainly sound live but I don’t think that’s Entwistle and Moon live in the studio with Townshend and Daltrey (which is ironic as Pete and Rog are the only surviving members of the band).  The mix seems a little different too as the piano seems more pronounced in spots (especially around the “rock is dead” breakdown) and Moonie’s drums are more upfront.  At any rate, this has always been a fave Who song of mine and it’s always cool to have another version even if it’s fairly close to the original.  LOVE the Townshend vocal flub towards the end!

NOT the BBC Version here 🙂

“Song For The Dead” Queens Of The Stone Age Songs For The Deaf

What makes QOTSA so great is the utter off kilter weirdness that will pop up throughout their songs.  At first, “Song For The Dead’ starts off with a flat out punk metal riff and drum bash courtesy of Josh Homme and Dave Grohl but a minute in comes the first twist:  a loopy, bouncy riff with guest vocalist Mark Lanegan howling o’er top with creepy, haunting, layered background “ahhhs” courtesy of Homme.  And then comes twist #2 (or #3) around the three minute mark as the band goes into jam session mode before quickly swinging back to that loopy bounce and Lanegan vocal before the song revisits the punk metal riff to close out the song.  Yes!

Tough choice for song of the week, but we’ll put three up here:  “Long Live Rock”, “Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter”, and “Songs For The Deaf”

1.  Robert Plant

No matter the era, no matter the type of music, Robert Plant is my favorite singer of all time.  Does he have the range he had in the late 60’s/early 70’s?  Definitely not, but he certainly doesn’t care to be THAT “golden god” from a lifetime ago.  Plant has been able to meld multiple styles: wild banshee howler, mellow acoustic/folk, 50’s crooner, rockabilly swinger, African rhythm man, duet partner… the list goes on and on.  Many of these styles were part of what made Led Zeppelin such a fantastic band-  these guys were an “A list” of players with influences far and wide, especially Plant with his love of blues music and early American rock and roll.  Once Zep came to an untimely end Plant kicked off a solo career, branching into more alternative rock soundscapes centered around atmospheric guitar/keyboard interplay before revisiting the “cock rock” of his old band’s heyday in the late 80s and eventually branching into more experimental territory that continues to this day.  Plant is certainly not one to rest on his laurels and is constantly on the move to explore the next thing, which keeps him sounding fresh and invigorated.  Don’t expect him to relive past glories but expect the unexpected.  Personally, I’d like to see a rockabilly album from him a la The Honeydrippers, although I don’t think that’s happening.  But you never know!

Choice cuts:  Gotta go with ten songs total, although it’s tough to whittle it down to just ten: from Zep:  “Whole Lotta Love”, “Kashmir”, “Ten Years Gone”, “Trampled Underfoot”, “Ramble On”;  Solo career:  “Big Log”, “Ship Of Fools”, “Calling To You”, “Rockin’ At Midnight”, “Heaven Knows”.

Rolling on down to #1!

3.  Bruce Dickinson

Are these Bruce Dickinson’s prime years?  Like fine wine, ol’ Bruce Bruce gets better with age.  I’ve seen Maiden live multiple times over the years and as an overall performer he does not disappoint, ranking #1 on my list of favorite frontmen of all time (based on charisma, stage presence, command of crowd, etc).  Dickinson was put through the wringer early as Maiden toured non-stop throughout the ’80s, putting a lot of road miles on his voice and causing a bit of a change to his singing style (from more air raid siren with a bit of a growl to more growl with less air raid siren).  Come the early ’90s it seemed the man took on a new persona, belting out tunes with that raspier growl than the operatic highs of his early years.  But fear not!  Dickinson’s leave of absence from Maiden for a solo career seemed to recharge the batteries, leading to his inevitable return to the band and return to form as THE heavy metal vocalist of all time (IMHO).  Just watch Rock In Rio, the live DVD (and album) and listen to the man roar through the classics and new material from Brave New World with ease, especially “Run To The Hills”-  previously, Dickinson stayed away from the highs on this song but nowadays he’s found a jolt of new found power that allows him to hit these notes with ease.  Bruce Dickinson is the man!

Choice Cuts:  “Run To The Hills”, “The Number Of The Beast”, “The Trooper”, “Blood Brothers”

2.  Robin Zander

Like Rodney Dangerfield, Cheap Trick often get no respect-  the general music populace know the big hits like “I Want You To Want Me”, “Surrender”, “The Flame”, (maybe) “If You Want My Love” but have NO CLUE how awesome they really are.  Part of that awesomeness can be attributed to “The Man of a Thousand Voices”, Mr. Robin Zander.  Before the popular hits, Trick was a hard working, hard rockin’ bar band that played all over the country.  Once they got signed and put out their debut disc (an absolutely kickin’ slab o’ vinyl, check it out!), the “music business” took hold and parlayed Zander and bassist Tom Petersson’s good looks against the wackiness of Rick Nielsen and the frumpy suit and tie guyness of Bun E Carlos and started looking for ways to promote looks over music.  Yeah, it had it’s charms but it often undermined the talent that these guys have.  Zander can sing ANYTHING and make is sound good, one minute sounding like The Beatles, next minute all out roaring rock god, next minute soft crooner- often within the same song.  What’s even more amazing is that he still has great range and continues to amaze night after night.  The Choice Cuts below offer up non-hits and are highly recommended for newbies to check out the absolute talent this guy has.

Choice cuts:  “Gonna Raise Hell”, “Stop This Game”, “Anytime”,  “She’s Leaving Home”