Down to the top five… to build the obvious anticipation (yeah right) y’all are having for the final singers, I’ve decided to break it down to two today, two more in the next post, and one final post to reveal numero uno. So here goes…
5. Paul Rodgers
Depending on where you are located, Paul Rodgers is likely more famous to you due to one of two bands: those in England grew up with him and his mates in Free, whereas those of us in the States are more familiar with his work in Bad Company. Either way, Rodgers has one of the most soulful and bluesy voices around and has been a staple on classic rock radio for years. In post Bad Company years he joined up with Jimmy Page in The Firm, cut multiple solo albums, and even joined Queen for a couple of tours and an album. Rodgers’ midrange is tough to beat; he fits the pocket with great tone and easily shifts between the lowdown dirty vocal and the occasional higher range. Even though Rodgers is in his mid-60s, he’s arguably a better singer now than he was back in the glory days of the 1970s.
Choice cuts: “All Right Now”, “Bad Company”, “Wishing Well”, “Sweet Little Sister”
4. Ray Gillen
Ray Gillen’s career, though relatively short due to his untimely passing, left us a handful of recorded gems that are hard to surpass. Badlands was more of a cult band that never got their due during the hey days of hair, but the mark they left on the fans that they did have is longstanding. Gillen had a strong, versatile, bluesy voice that deftly covered mellower cuts and heavier material with ease. Not only did he record with Badlands but he provided background vocals on discs from artists like Savatage and Raging Slab, plus he even toured with Black Sabbath and sang lead vocals on demos for their Eternal Idol album (track down the Deluxe Edition of that album for those cuts!). I feel fortunate to have met the man and band during a meet and greet for their first tour and the show they put on afterwards easily ranks high on my list of favorites of all time. The guy had it all – a great mix of swagger, confidence, and bravado. Bo Bice of American Idol fame was aware of the greatness of Ray Gillen by covering “In A Dream” on one of the episodes and did a great job himself.
Choice cuts: “In A Dream”, “Winter’s Call”, “The River”, “High Wire”
The Black Crowes were a much needed shot in the arm when they debuted in the mid-90s with their fresh take on an old sound. Sure, the intro disc had its throwback to classics like The Faces, Rod Stewart, and early Stones but subsequent discs caused the band to branch out even further, allowing Chris Robinson to stretch out even more as a singer. Robinson is his own stylist, especially when it comes to performing their material live- he’ll keep the same general flow of the vocal but throw in a few twists and improvisations similar to the old soul and R&B artists like Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett. However Robinson has more of a blues shouter in him than either of those artists, although nowadays he’s settled into a more laid back hippy groove as far as his solo material is concerned.
Choice cuts: “Hard To Handle”, “She Talks To Angels”, “Descending”, “Black Moon Creeping”
9. John Bush
John Bush is a relative unknown in comparison to a number of singers in my top 25, but he’s certainly no slouch. Bush’s main band has been Armored Saint, but for a few years in the 90’s and early 00’s he was a member of thrash titans Anthrax (replacing the great Joey Belladonna). The guy has a lot of what I look for in a heavy vocalist: passion, power, grit, and the ability to switch from a raspy roar to a bluesier belt and then back. Bush and the Saint are semi-retired but will put out a disc every few years and will take a month’s worth of dates here and there. Also, he’s added his pipes to a number of Burger King commercials over the past few years as well (go to YouTube and look for his “wake up with the king” commercials, but try not to get too freaked out!)
Choice cuts: “March Of The Saint”, “Last Train Home”, “Only”, “Raising Fear”
8. Rob Halford
Make no mistake about it, Judas Priest’s main man is a HUGE influence on the metal world. Rob Halford is the Metal God and is a great vocalist with great range and power. As a band, Priest has moved from all out heavy metal to more commercial fare to operatic styles to some ballad material and Halford handles all with ease. It’s amazing that he’s still going at it for almost 40 years and that the band continues to put out material and tour behind it. Halford has also ventured into other heavier (and somewhat lighter) territory outside of Priest: more groove metal with Fight, industrial with Two, and back to more classic metal fare with his solo band Halford. Ol’ Rob even put out a disc of Christmas tunes a few years ago! A man with many imitators but very few can pull off what he can do.
Choice cuts: “Victim Of Changes”, “Painkiller”, “Nailed To The Gun”, “Electric Eye”
7. Ronnie James Dio
This may be unpopular opinion in the eyes of some music fans, but I’ll take the Dio led Black Sabbath over the Ozzy led version any day. Oz is good in his own right, but Ronnie James Dio is in another league as far as pure power and emotion is concerned. Dio came to popularity with the Richie Blackmore led Rainbow, where he finally got the chance to cast spells about demons, wizards, and rainbows on top of delivering a passionate vocal. However once Sabbath came calling (and later in his solo material) things became a bit more evil so out came the devil horns along with a bit more aggressive vocal delivery, pretty much putting everyone on warning to “lookout” for the dark things that lurk around every corner. Unfortunately, Ronnie James Dio passed away five years ago due to stomach cancer. RIP to a fantastic singer.
Choice cuts: “Gates Of Babylon”, “Heaven And Hell”, “Holy Diver”, “Die Young”
6. Ian Gillan
Possibly THE greatest screamer in his prime, Ian Gillan is still going strong into his late 60s. Known mostly as the lead vocalist of Deep Purple, Gillan was also a member of Black Sabbath for one album and has also put out many solo albums as well. He definitely was the right tonic at the time for Purple as they were looking to move into heavier territory and Gillan’s vocal punch could easily stand toe to toe with Richie Blackmore’s guitar and Jon Lord’s Hammond organ. After butting heads with Blackmore, Gillan left for a solo career before returning to the band in the mid-80s, leaving again in the 90s, but returning for good shortly thereafter. The guy has definitely covered hard rock and heavy metal but has also dipped his toe in operatic fare (singing with Luciano Pavarotti) and even a stab at Jamaican tinged music in his solo material. A fine, fine, vocalist.
Choice cuts: “Smoke On The Water”, “Child In Time”, “Disturbing The Priest”, “Bluesy Blue Sea”
(Let’s get this right out of the way from the beginning… yes, I am the father of the bassist in this band. Yes, I have gone to multiple shows over the years and have caught these guys in their earlier incarnation as Eyes Like Comets even before my son joined. And yes, getting all of the perceived nepotism out of the way… these guys are good. DAMN good. Read on as to why.)
Those of you that read this blog or have read posts in this blog probably know that I like a lot of different music. I’m always on the lookout for something new that will sink its claws deep into my soul, whether it be led by heavy guitar, a tuneful melody, solid backbeat, tricky time signatures, or a great hook laden song. It’s a never ending hunt via the radio (which is a hit or miss prospect, mostly miss), television (the occasional cool music related channel), friends and family (always a good source), local artists (another good source), or the internet (the best source). The older I get the worse I’ve become and the more fresh new sounds I need to hear, especially when it comes to the heavier genres that I listen to. Growing up on bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, etc doesn’t necessarily mean that I want to hear that exact same thing. The key for me is taking elements of those bands and adding your own flavor. You may not get it or understand it on first listen, but there is something in those elements that keeps drawing you back in.
Having seen The Earth Laid Bare first in action about three or four years ago, I have seen tremendous growth in a band that had these basic elements early, continued to build on them, and have created something truly unique. Circadian Rhythms was released in late April of 2014 and is an excellent mix of technical and atmospheric progressive metal. Intro cut “The Overture” is an instrumental and kicks things off in grand fashion, starting with a simple piano and symphonic interlude to set the tone before the band kicks in after the first 30 seconds or so, mixing a jarring, choppy riff courtesy of lead guitarist Michael Bishop with Daniel Reinhart pushing the tempo with tricky stick work on the drumkit. Track 2 is “Lost In Luxury”, the first cut featuring vocalist Jake Antony, whose aggressive, guttural style is strong throughout this disc. The intro riff pattern is played in unison(!) between Michael and bassist Ian Remley before Jake’s vocal kicks in and a choppy riff returns during the verse. However, this song takes off come the first chorus with a cool lead pattern and a slight change through the chorus before returning with the intro riff and ending in dramatic fashion.
Track 3, “Hypocrisy”, may just be my favorite on the disk as it builds on another strong musical intro pattern before kicking into another choppy riff with DJ Reinhart providing a solid rhythmic bed for Jake to lay into. Around the one minute mark, comes the progressive change that takes this song into another realm- Michael’s lead break here is relatively short (and reminiscent of Joe Satriani) but extremely melodic, building with Jake’s vocal and Ian pushing things along with the riff to take the song to new heights. Shortly thereafter the song changes again on a slightly different riff before kicking back in with the intro to round things out.
Track 4 is “Mechanized”, possibly the most aggressive on the disk and featuring a more atonal riff after another solid, sweeping intro lead from Michael. Jake again at the forefront here, mixing things up with some screams and deeper vocals to add to the heavier vibe. This track also features the late Eric Gentry from A Feast For Kings on guest vocal, adding a different sonic element to this solid track. Once again another excellent example of how the band takes a choppy riff, layers on a few choice melodic guitar runs, aggressive vocal, and great bass and drum playing to make a strong cut.
Last track rounding out the EP is “Divide And Conquer”, which was the intro cut released to the public before the EP’s debut. Definitely a crowd favorite in the live shows, “Divide” fades in with an arpeggiated pattern that forms the basis of the song that the rest of the band builds from. Jake and DJ kick things into gear with the intro vocal (“your existence has been proven meaningless…”) before Ian doubles Michael’s guitar pattern. This song is a great example of the aural sonics that are found on this EP: flowing in and out of the heavy riffs are often melodic guitar patterns to add a bit of light and shade and contrast to the solid crunch. These patterns can be flurries of distorted notes, double tracked passages (either multiple guitars or guitar and bass), and single note patterns layered with echo. Maybe the strongest chorus, simple yet effective and one that builds in intensity at their live shows.
The Earth Laid Bare is hard at work on their new release and from what I’ve heard, the guys continue to build on their momentum and are taking their music to another level. With second guitarist Waylon Baker added to the band shortly after the release of the EP, the band has been able to increase the level of dramatic intensity via new atmospheric sonics and has become a formidable live unit as well. The new music remains heavy and aggressive with adding just the right touch of technicality and progression on top of their thought provoking lyrics.
Circadian Rhythms can be purchased via iTunes, BandCamp, or via compact disc at one of their shows.
Two down, three more to go including this post. So, what makes someone a favorite singer? I’m sure there are qualities that you have for your own favorites but for me, mine are fairly simple- I like singers that have a certain grit and character to their vocal tone. I also like singers that tend to push the envelope and can cover slower, atmospheric pieces to something a little more aggressive. I’m more of a blues based guy but I also appreciate singers that can convey emotion in ways that makes a song great, whether they are rock, metal, soul, R&B, folk, country, etc.
15. Ann Wilson
Heart’s Ann Wilson is a strong, powerful singer that can sing rings around many guys. Wilson made her mark on early Heart albums in the 70s and continued strong into the 80s MTV era. My favorite is certainly the 70s as it was more rock oriented but there were certainly softer elements too, plus the band wrote most of their material. Once the 80s hit the song doctors got on board to sweeten the songs and the image was definitely the focus, but Ann’s voice remained at the forefront and the band sold a ton of records. You want a spine tingling performance? Go to YouTube and search for “Kennedy Center Honors Heart Led Zeppelin” and watch Ann Wilson sing “Stairway To Heaven”. Absolutely mesmerizing.
Choice cuts: “Barracuda”, “Crazy On You”, “Dog & Butterfly”, any Led Zep cover they do!
14. Jay Buchanan
Another relatively new singer in comparison to others on this list, Jay Buchanan and Rival Sons are bringing classic rock back to the forefront. Buchanan is a dynamic performer and pushes the envelope vocally, screaming like Robert Plant or Steve Marriott at one moment, getting soulful like Paul Rodgers the next, and morphing into Jeff Buckley and an otherwordly soft falsetto. I saw Rival Sons live a couple of years ago and was absolutely floored by the band, especially how Buchanan knows how to push, pull, and lay back at just the right times to make the performance even more exciting. This guy should be a star.
Choice cuts: “Pressure And Time”, “Jordan”, “Memphis Sun”, “Until The Sun Comes Up”
13. Russell Allen
Generally I’m not a huge power metal guy, but Russell Allen pulls off the “hero vocal” like no other. His work with Symphony X and his “Atomic Soul” solo album shows the range this guy has- one minute sounding like Steve Walsh from Kansas, next minute Lou Gramm of Foreigner, then the next minute Ronnie James Dio. His Adrenalin Mob work is sometimes a little too growly “tough guy” (as is some of the recent Symhony X) but Allen has the powerful pipes to pull it off convincingly. That said, he’s got a great dramatic softer range too that works extremely well with Symphony X and other side projects like the Allen\Lande CDs. New Symphony X album coming soon!
Choice cuts: “Communion And The Oracle”, “Sea of Lies”, “The Odyssey”, “The Serpent’s Kiss”
12. James Brown
The Hardest Working Man In Show Business… The Godfather Of Soul… Soul Brother No. 1… if you’ve not heard much JB other than “I Got You (I Feel Good)”, do yourself a favor and pick up a greatest hits CD or go all out and get the “Star Time” box set. Talk about a vocalist pushing the element- one minute crooning a love song and the next minute dropping the funk and “hittin’ it on the one”, James Brown could do it all. The screams, grunts, squeals, and “brother rapp” was just the icing on top of the singing cake. Maybe not technically a great singer but he’s got a lot in that vocal bag of tricks to sell the performance. James follows no band, you follow James- hit me!
What can you say about Elvis that hasn’t already been said? The King of rock and roll covered a lot of ground from gospel, rockabilly, blues, country, and was a huge influence on many vocalists (some of which will show up later in this list). Sure, Elvis didn’t write any of his material but his interpretation of the songs brought to him proved what a great talent he was regardless of the genre. My favorite material is definitely the early hits but there are classics well into the 70s up until his untimely death. No, he’s not working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but as Mojo Nixon sung, “Elvis Is Everywhere”. And that’s true, whether it be his music on the radio or his likeness on TV or in commercials or the many Elvis impersonators worldwide. Not that there’s anything wrong with that 🙂
Choice cuts: “Heartbreak Hotel”, “That’s All Right Mama”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Burning Love”
So far so good! Forgot to mention that I’m doing these in sets of five to build anticipation (yeah, it’s KILLING everyone) and to split up the posts. Who wants to read one gigantic entry? You’ve got lives to lead!
20. Freddie Mercury
Arguably the greatest frontman of his era, Freddie Mercury and Queen covered a lot of territory from progressive and hard rock to heavy metal to funk to pop to everything else in between. Producer Roy Thomas Baker layered approach often created a vocal “wall of sound” that made the band sound much bigger than they actually were, with Freddie handling it with ease. Even after his unfortunate death, Queen continues to tour with other vocalists (Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert) to keep his spirit and music alive.
In comparison to the rest of my favorite vocalists, Peter Gabriel is probably the most unique. While I mostly favor vocalists with a blues based vibe or certain grit, Gabriel has his own characteristics that make him stand out. In the early Genesis days he favored playing characters and coming up with voices and certain vocal tics, but in his later years his voice added a smoother element and more expressive and eloquent tones. Either way this vocal style along with his lyrics add a more picturesque element to his songs.
Choice cuts: “The Cinema Show”, “Solsbury Hill”, “Don’t Give Up”, “Biko”
18. Chris Cornell
My first exposure to Soundgarden and Chris Cornell was their album Loud Love, which was a revelation in the latter years of hair metal with its darker overall vibe. Cornell can belt with the best of them (with a vocal howl reminiscent of early Robert Plant) but has lessened the histrionics over the years in favor of a more rounded approach via his work with Audioslave, solo material, and recent work with Soundgarden. But make no mistake… Cornell can still push the needle into the red if the song calls for it.
When I was a kid KISS was it, which is why Paul Stanley appears on this list. Early KISS was great and the first two live albums, regardless if they are “real” live albums or not, are testament to Stanley’s vocal prowess. Even in the post makeup years the band had a few good cuts although the meat and potatoes was definitely with the original four: Gene, Paul, Peter, and Ace. I don’t listen to much KISS any more but those 70’s albums are imprinted on my DNA and Paul Stanley has quite a bit to do with that.
Choice cuts: “Strutter”, “Detroit Rock City”, “I Stole Your Love”, “Creatures Of The Night”
16. Bon Scott/Brian Johnson
Yeah, cheating again here but I have my reasons. I mentioned KISS was an influence on the younger me but when I got to my teen years I discovered AC\DC as Back In Black was EVERYWHERE in 1980. Shortly after that I discovered Highway To Hell and both albums (actually 8 tracks!) were in constant rotation. Brian Johnson’s vocals on his first three albums with the band are absolutely monstrous, and Bon’s vocals are just downright lascivious. Both are great in their own way and those early albums are full of classics that show off their unique styles.
Choice cuts: too many! Let’s go with: Brian- “Hells Bells”, “For Those About To Rock”; Bon- “Touch Too Much”, “TNT”
As I stated before, lists seem to be a big thing with magazines and blogs in general so it’s time for me to jump on the bandwagon. I’ve already listed my favorite bands since 2000 so now I’m coming up with a ranked list of my Top 25 favorite singers of all time. There are likely a lot of people on here that you don’t know but are well worth seeking out if you’re looking for something new. I’ll add a few choice cuts for you to seek out if you want!
Note these are MY favorite singers and this list likely misses some of yours, but that’s all part of the fun 🙂
Without further ado…
25. Danny Bowes
The Thunder man is mostly unknown in the States but the band is fairly big in Britain, being around since the late 80’s with their blues based rock approach that didn’t quite fit the hair metal of the times. Bowes has great range and comfortably swings between simple rock structures and more ballad material with ease. Known mostly for his Thunder material but has released a couple of discs with band mate Luke Morley. If you like Free, Bad Company, early Whitesnake, etc, Danny Bowes is up your alley.
Choice Cuts: “Love Walked In”, “Low Life In High Places”, “I Love You More Than Rock N Roll”, “Turn Into The Sun”
24. Erik “AK” Knutson
My first exposure to AK was with Flotsam and Jetsam’s debut disc “Doomsday For The Deceiver” which showed off more of a high pitched yelp and rapid fire delivery than the mid-range that he eventually developed over the years. But that yelping shriek added a lot of character to go along with the old school thrash in 1985. Around the mid-period years the material was more in the “Black Album” Metallica vein, a little more slowed tempos and geared more to a tempered groove. Flots is still around and AK’s vocal is a little more smoky but he continues to belt in fine style.
Choice Cuts: “Hammerhead”, “Forkboy”, “Suffer The Masses”, “Wading Through The Darkness”
23. Ty Taylor
A relative newcomer in comparison to most on this list, Vintage Trouble’s Ty Taylor is flat out awesome. A bit of a throwback to Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Otis Redding but having his own style, Taylor and the Trouble boys fit the R&B mold with a bit of a rock twist. Not only can the guy sing but he’s a massive showman and entertainer in his own right- check out clips from the Leno and Letterman shows from a few years back to see what I’m talking about. If these guys come anywhere near you, RUN and get a ticket!
Choice Cuts: “Blues Hand Me Down”, “Total Strangers”, “Another Man’s Words”, “Run Like The River”
22. John Corabi
I touched on Crab’s vocal skills a little bit when discussing The Scream’s debut album (see the “Under The Radar” post about rock bands you may have missed from 80’s/90’s) but it’s time to cover more ground. John Corabi is the real deal and has been around the block for a few years- stints with The Scream, Motley Crue (the self titled album from ’94), Union (with KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick), and solo. If you dig whiskey soaked and cigarette laden vocals, you can’t do much better than Corabi. Easily handles the rockers and bluesier material.
Choice Cuts: “Man In The Moon”, “Hooligan’s Holiday”, “Smoke The Sky”, “Outlaw”
21. The Temptations
OK, I’m cheating a little here but as a whole The Temptations were a great vocal band that had some outstanding singers throughout their career, from Paul Williams, Dennis Edwards, Eddie Kendricks, Damon Harris, and the fantastic David Ruffin. All versions of the band could handle everything from classic R&B, psychedelic soul, and funk with each vocalist in the band covering falsetto to bass and everything in between. Although their hits ended by the mid-70s the band (or certain former band members) lended their talents to diverse artists such as Rod Stewart, Rick James, and Hall and Oates.
Choice Cuts: “My Girl”, “Just My Imagination”, “Papa Was A Rolling Stone”, “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”
Voivod was always one of those bands that stretched the boundaries of metal, throwing in a lot of progressive elements on top of their heaviness and staying far, far away from anything commercial. “The Lost Machine” is a great mid-period track from early ’90s release The Outer Limits, mixing in some cool effects laden layered guitar (RIP Piggy) with tricky percussive work. Production is industrial tinged and punchy allowing lead singer Snake to bounce between sinister vocalizing (“Re main silent”) and more traditional singing through the verse. Good stuff for fans that like a more alternative metal blast.
“Ten Foot Pole” ZZ Top Six Pack
As stated in an earlier Shuffle post, early ZZ Top is where it’s at. “Ten Foot Pole” is quite funkified in the riff department plus Billy Gibbons offers up one of his “character” vocals, sounding a bit like P-Funk’s George Clinton in the process. But alas! The good Rev Willie laces this cut with extremely tasty and fuzzy leadwork a la Hendrix. Originally on El Loco, one of the first albums where ZZ stretched out and became a little bit more experimental before hitting big time commercial success two years hence (something to do with cars and girls and videos, I think).
“I Wanna Be Somebody” W.A.S.P. Double Live Assassins
In high school my musical tastes were becoming decidedly heavier and W.A.S.P. played a small part in that. I think I read every Hit Parader and Circus mag at the time and these guys were occasionally in both, looking like an even more demented Motley Crue/KISS/Alice Cooper and definitely ramping up the shock value. “I Wanna Be Somebody” is one of their better cuts with a great sing along chorus and dirty riff, although track down the studio version on the self titled disc for the best version. Speaking of KISS, we saw W.A.S.P open for them and it was a great show!
In an earlier blog I talked a bit about Animal Bag as a band that got lost in the shuffle during the late hair metal/early grunge metal years. “Hello Cosmo” is just so damn cool, acoustic and electric guitars mixed with a solid rhythm section and great vocals throughout. These guys could fit in well with the jam band scene of the times (Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Widespread Panic, etc) and should have been a hit, but being that they leaned heavy they didn’t quite fit into the jam band scene and were a little too funky and trippy for the hair crowd. Highly recommended.
“I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide” ZZ Top Live From Texas
A double shot of ZZ! I’ll say it again, early ZZ was the best and this is definitely one of my favorite cuts from them too. Live In Texas came out just a few years ago and the slog has put a little bit of wear and tear on these guys, but the nastiness is still here. Billy G is rough of voice, the tempo drags a little, but who am I to complain? These guys have been around since 1970, fer cryin’ out loud! We should just be happy that the “little ol’ band from Texas” and their badassery is still out there. As for the song, it’s baaad, it’s nationwiiiide, and has some of my favorite ZZ Top lyrics.
“Spy In The House Of Love” Blue Oyster Cult Club Ninja
BOC is one of my all time favorite bands but I must be honest, Club Ninja ranks near the bottom of their recorded output. That said, there are some redeeming qualities to the disc (“Perfect Water” is a winner) and as for this particular song it comes down to the killer lead guitar of Buck Dharma. The song itself is not bad, but the circus keyboards are a bit odd (I can hear some great Hammond organ work buried in the mix though) and the background vocals just don’t cut it. However, Buck’s smooth vocal and rippin’ six string work redeems it somewhat.
“Time” Wrathchild America Climbin’ The Walls
Yes, you heard that right: a metalized cover of the Pink Floyd classic from these Virginia thrashers who were pretty popular in the clubs before releasing their debut disc on Atlantic.This version is actually not bad, playing it pretty close to the vest and not changing much at all other than missing the intro, sweet female background vocals,and keyboards that are prevalent on the original. If you think Metallica as far as crunch level but with much better drumwork, you’re in the ballpark (speaking of drumwork, Shannon Larkin is now with Godsmack!).
“Untouched” Susperia Unlimited
Scandinavian countries have always been a source of various metal types, with Norway’s Susperia leaning towards a heavy melodic thrash model akin to Testament. “Untouched” certainly hits that nail but with a hint of black metal via the vocal bark from lead vocalist Athera. For those generally turned off by “cookie monster” vocals but like the heavy stuff and are somewhat intrigued by the concept, this song and band might unlock those doors for you. You like Metallica but want more heavy? Don’t be afraid, dip that toe in the water!
“Cheap Motels” Southern Culture On The Skids Liquored Up And Lacquered Down
Take a pot… mix in blues, country, surf rock, and rockabilly and you’ve got Southern Culture On The Skids. Throw in some hilarious lyrics, a whole lotta fun, and a KISS mentality (that’s “keep it simple stupid”) and you’ve got a great little song here, one of those cuts that should show up on Silly Songs compilations along with “The Streak” and “Ahab The Arab”. Rick Miller has a great mix of guitar styles and Mary Huff holds down the bass and contributes lead and background vocals (and the occasional cool wig and go go boots), so check out the warped goodness of SCOTS! DIg the live version below.
“Dogs On Leads” Accept Metal Heart
Like with W.A.S.P., my tastes were changing in the early 80’s as I was looking for even more hard rock and metal bands to get into. One of the heavier ones at the time was Accept, these Teutonic Terrors capturing my attention with songs like “Balls To The Wall” and “Restless and Wild”. “Dogs On Leads” is a bit of a sister cut to “Balls” as far as depth and mood is concerned, although this even has a touch of Bon-era AC/DC. Lead singer Udo Dirkschneider is not for the faint of heart with this unique vocal shriek but he provides the menace needed for this cut, mixing perfectly with the blistering guitar work of the one and only Wolf Hoffman.
Song of the week goes to “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”, although I’m going to cheat here and throw in “Hello Cosmo” as a tie since “Bad” is the live version. “Cheap Motels” comes in third.
So my brother Steve, son Ian, and I made the trek to Louisville’s Mercury Ballroom to catch thrash brethren Testament and Exodus with newcomers Shattered Sun. Unfortunately due to work we only caught the last few minutes of openers Shattered Sun (new kids on the block from Texas who are soon to play Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest this year), so I can’t make a fair comment on them. However, we WERE there to catch the Bay area legends in action and they definitely did not disappoint.
Exodus kicked things off with intro cut “Black 13” from the new CD Blood In, Blood Out and never let up the intensity throughout the night. The pit was pretty hot from the get go and we were positioned directly behind it, catching a few stray moshers and throwing them back in for some more good friendly violent fun. Setlist was similar to the Covington show back in December with a few new ones thrown in: “Salt The Wound” from the new disc was quite welcome as was early faves “A Lesson In Violence” and “Last Act Of Defiance”. On a personal note, I’m so glad to have Steve “Zetro” Souza on vocals as he brings a little more dynamics (it’s true!) compared to former lead throat Rob Dukes’ more hardcore stylings (which I also enjoyed). But as always with Exodus, Gary Holt and Tom Hunting just KILL IT; Holt finally getting the respect that he deserves after putting out some solid Exodus material over the past 10 years AND pulling double duty by taking over for the late Jeff Hanneman in the mighty Slayer, and Hunting’s skills behind the kit are extremely underrated especially in comparison to other thrash bands of the era. I’ve always been a big fan of the Exo dudes and they are an incredible live act worthy of your attention. Too much action may leave you in traction!
Now, as I mentioned I’d already seen Exodus just a few months ago so there wasn’t much of an element of surprise nor a certain anticipation like I had for Testament. Last time I’d seen Chief and his band of merry thrashers was all the way back in 1990 with Annihilator and Wrathchild America in tow supporting Souls Of Black, so needless to say I was chomping at the bit to see them again especially as they were playing their first two discs in their entirety (The Legacy and The New Order, for you newbies). Ian and I decided that being in front of the mosh pit would be best, so this time we were about three people deep from the stage. Shortly thereafter, houselights dimmed and the band came roaring out with “Over The Wall” and from there it was one solid thrasher after another: “The Preacher”… “Raging Waters”… “Into The Pit”… “Apocalyptic CIty”… “First Strike Still Deadly”… “Disciples Of The Watch”… Chuck Billy was in fine form, ducking the high screams in favor of a midrange roar and a few death metal growls; Eric Peterson was a constant riff machine, tightening up and locking in the tempos from song to song; new bassist Steve DiGiorgio only had three strings(!) on his bass but put them all to good use by adding counterpoint to the guitarists; and Gene “The Atomic Clock” Hoglan lived up to his nickname, holding down the fort with his steady yet propulsive rhythms and pounding the skins from cut to cut.
Let’s see, who have I left out? Ahhh… the one and only… Mr Alex Skolnick. As we were waiting for the band to come out we got into a conversation with a fellow father and son duo, with the father calling Skolnick a virtuoso and that Ian would be in for a great show. And boy, he did not disappoint. We’d placed ourselves right in front of the man and were treated to a master class in technique and tone- he may very well be my favorite lead player in thrash and well up my “favorite guitarists of all time” list. Sweeping leads, fast runs, solid melodic playing… hard to believe he was just 19/20 years old when these first two discs came out. A serious, serious talent.
After the final one/two punch of “Practice What You Preach” and “Disciples Of The Watch” the show came to an end. Once again I escaped death from the pit, although I got kicked in the back of the calf halfway through the show but the impact ’twas minor and all was good. Heading out of the show, I bought Ian a Testament t-shirt and we made our way towards the car for the two hour trek home. Although our ears were ringing, our thrash fix was not done: Ian quickly cued up some early Testament and we headbanged out to the highway.
“Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart”, Stone Temple Pilots Tiny Music… Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop
I’ve always been a big fan of STP, this song certainly being one of my favorites in their catalog. These guys were unfairly lumped in with grunge early in their career as their debut Core certainly had some similarities to the triumvirate of AIC/Pearl Jam/Nirvana; however, as the band grew other influences came into play. “Trippin'” is a rollicking good time, less chunky of riff, more open Zep-like chords, and one poppin’ bass groove from Robert DeLeo. Scott Weiland also in fine form mixing smooth clean vocal and throaty rasp towards the chorus.
Man was this one hot album when it came out- Dio fresh from his Sabbath sacking, stealing away VInnie Appice for the drum stool, recruiting former Rainbow mate Jimmy Bain, and snapping up one hot guitarist in Vivian Campbell. “Invisible” kicks off softly with phased guitar and some pretty singing from RJD before turning all stomp n’ crunch the rest of the way. Appice with his always solid groove and Bain and Campbell pretty much locked in together with the riff (Viv throwing in cool squealies here and there). As always Ronnie brings his all to the table, forecasting the doom just around the corner (LOOKOUT!).
“N.O.D.” Down Down III: Over The Under
Swingin’ the chain like the mighty Sabbath comes Down, side project of some heavy metal stalwarts (Anselmo, Keenan, Windstein, et al) that make a different sludge outside of their regular day jobs. Obviously Sab influenced but I can hear a little bit of Cathedral in here too (well duh, THEY are Sab influenced too). Phil’s roar is a little hoarse, sounding as if this was the last cut belted out after a long day in the studio (“I fight… I will fight”) although you get some mighty belts in spots too. But Phil is always more than just the roar, he’s got some cool low range moments too.
“Long Distance Runaround” Yes Highlights – The Very Best Of Yes
I can name that tune in one note! Hard to describe a tune that’s been so omnipresent on classic rock radio and one that a great number of people have heard, but if you’ve not heard it here goes…. first off, go out and buy Fragile so you can hear the awesomely cool segue into “The Fish”. Sit back, hit play, and soak in the cool guitar\keyboard run and counter bassline with fellow tricky drum pattern. But don’t let it lose you! Thirty or so seconds in comes the vocal and another different time signature for about two minutes, then switcheroo, you’re back at the intro again. Now play it over and over and over again until those musical melodies and vocal melodies sink in. Trust me, you’ll come to like it 🙂
“Dirty Hands and Empty Pockets/Already Gone” Corrosion Of Conformity In The Arms Of God
First things first… Nawlin’s drum stud Stanton Moore gets his John Bonham on, filling in for Reed Mullin on this release and providing an odd bit o’ groove to the festivities. Secondly, this song is a two-parter: intro is a bit funky and slinky with great lowdown Mike Dean vocal and a bit of Sabbath stomp, but halfway through things are amped up into a punk metal groove, this time led by Pepper Keenan vocal. Man… does anyone else think that Pepper Keenan and Load era James Hetfield sound similar? That midrange is definitely there, as is ending each line with “ah” (“we’re gonna give it to ’em till they bleed-ah”). Not that there’s anything wrong with that, ha ha.
I’ve always dug the Red Rocker from his solo years through VH and back solo. “In The Room” is a fairly simple tune, maybe a little more experimentally spooky and heavier on the keys than his usual stuff and definitely a more lower range vocal from Sam than the norm. A bit new wave-y too, considering the time period that this came out (late 1982)- think BOC mixed with The Cars and you get the picture.
“Praise Of Death” Slayer Hell Awaits
I remember the first time I listened to a Slayer album… my bro or I (can’t remember who) bought Hell Awaits on album, took it home, threw on the headphones, and came away scared shitless after listening to intro cut “Hell Awaits”. It wasn’t until South Of Heaven that I started to really like Slayer even though I was deep into thrash via Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, etc. Looking back I totally missed out, ha ha! At any rate, “Praise Of Death” is typical early Slayer, fast of riff, clattery of drums, and fairly poor production. The ferocity in this song is there but they take it down a notch towards the end but kick it back up after some whammy bar histrionics. Quite a few cool changes throughout this cut with a great lead trade off midway through.
“PCH” ZZ Top Antenna
As much as I love ZZ Top, I get a little bummed how their post-Eliminator work sounds like it could fit on that album or Afterburner compared to their early career. “PCH” suffers a bit from this as it digs up a decent enough groove but sounds a little too mechanical\too produced when the drums kick in. Starts off with a promising Billy Gibbons solo piece before kicking off and going into a bit of “Sharp Dressed Man” land through the verse. That said, this does have a groovy little pre-chorus and chorus but the verses sound like something that was on one of their hits. But hey, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater yet- the Rev Billy G has some fine, fine guitar work throughout this one.
“Hot Love” Twisted Sister Love Is For Suckers
Man, I’ve always liked this song. Not quite typical of the Twisted ones but it’s damn hooky and Dee Snider has a great vocal on it. Rumor has it that this album was supposed to be a Dee Snider solo album but ended up being a TS release due to record company pressure, which also likely explains Dee and his wife being featured prominently in the video. A far, far cry from “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock” and their earlier stuff but considering the times (1987) it fit perfectly into the hair metal that was rampant on MTV.
“Watch The Fortune Wheel” Morgoth Feel Sorry For The Fanatic
Not sure what the deal is with this release, but talk about a way to divide your fanbase. I only have this CD based on liking a couple of songs on the Century Media Identity samplers and I really like it. “Watch The Fortune Wheel” is an oddball on the CD anyway, settling into a funky, slow, atmospheric groove akin to something like Killing Joke. Lots of echo on the guitar, clattery drum bashing, and low, low vocal makes this a decent cut and providing a nice contrast with some of the more heavier numbers on the rest of the disc. If you want death metal Morgoth, this song is far removed from that.
Some good cuts here, but gotta go with Dio and “Invisible” for this week’s winner.
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