Steely Dan, “Here At The Western World”, Showbiz Kids:  The Steely Dan Story

Ol’ Don and Walter bless us with another enigmatic lyric on this cut recorded during the Royal Scam sessions.  Are we at a brothel?  Skinny girls, red doors, rappin’ with canes, hiding from madmen… don’t bother figuring it out, just enjoy another smooth jazz/rock fusion hybrid Dan cut with its tasty hooks, sweet backup vocals, and excellent piano and lead guitar work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkIFE2sLmkM

Sacred Reich, “The American Way”, The American Way

My intro to the mighty Sacred Reich.  What separates these Arizona thrashers from their counterparts was more of a “real world” approach to the lyrics, “The American Way” offering cutting commentary on the state of the US in the Reagan/Bush years.  On top of that is one fairly simple but absolutely pummeling riff with a killer breakdown come chorus time, so much so that if you’re not headbanging or foot tapping at some point there’s no help for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOg4bDlZyAA

Metallica, “Master Of Puppets”, Master Of Puppets

To steal a line from the old TV show “Name That Tune”-  I can name that song in one note!  My all time favorite Metallica song and one of my all time favorite thrash songs ever.  What’s funny is that it took me a while to actually get Metallica but when I did there was no stopping the love for thrash metal.  The reckless pace of this song, the commanding bark of Hetfield, frighteningly cool lyric, and that choppy riff.  And oh yeah, that awesomely cool breakdown halfway through.  You want to introduce someone to thrash?  You can’t go wrong with this one.

Stone Temple Pilots, “Crackerman”, Core

It’s funny, listening to this song years later I sure can’t pick up where people said these guys were jumping on the grunge bandwagon.  Definitely not Pearl Jam, Nirvana, or Soundgarden but I can catch a hint of Alice In Chains in the riff and distorted vocal delivery.  Nevertheless, this song absolutely rocks nonstop right from the first snare crack.  The swagger of Weiland and rock solid playing from the DeLeo brothers certainly lead the charge on this cut from Core.  

AC/DC, “Let’s Make It”, The Razor’s Edge

I have a hard time knocking songs from my favorite bands but “Let’s Make It” certainly would be near the bottom of my favorite AC/DC cuts.  A too simple (even by AC/DC standards) riff, fairly flat chorus, and silly lyrics are redeemed by a pre-solo change up and brief solo spot that is really the only change of pace in an otherwise unmemorable song.  Shame as the intro riff is a bit promising too.  Razor’s Edge  is the first album where I noticed a major change in Brian’s voice, which was quite the shock at the time.  But it’s AC/DC!

Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Saturday Night Special”, One For The Road

One of my fave Skynyrd cuts and outstanding lyric that is more anti-gun than you would think (“why don’t we dump ’em people, to the bottom of the sea”).  Slippery guitar work from Rossington/Collins/Gaines with a memorable riff and an off kilter time signature, but nothing quite beats the story telling of Mr. Ronnie Van Zant.  Such a killer combination of lyric, rhythm, and pacing makes this song top notch.

The Yardbirds, “I’m A Man”, Beckology

A hopped up cover of the Bo Diddley classic with guitar wizardry courtesy of the one and only Jeff Beck (dig the switch to “rave-up” mode when Beck hits the distortion around the 1:30 mark).  The whole band is on fire here,  Jim McCarty kickin’ it on drums and Keith Relf’s vocal and harmonica rounded off by Paul Samwell-Smith’s propulsive bass runs (Chris Dreja’s guitar likely on here too).  Man, to see these guys in the day would have been totally cool.

The Mars Volta, “Copernicus”, Octahedron

A much more laid back and stark Mars Volta here but a thing of sheer beauty.  Spacey melody with excellent harmony vocals and tranquil guitar kick us off, taking us to faraway places as we dreamily float away into parts unknown.  Extra subtle touches  midway through offers a change up but nothing that kicks us too far off course.  Subtle electronic beats, haunting keys, and mellow piano on the fadeout rounds things out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne9UBdCY4gg

Cheap Trick, “Love Comes”, Standing On The Edge

First off, I love Cheap Trick.  LOVE Cheap Trick.  Huge fan over the years, but this is not one of my favorite songs from their catalog.  That said, this probably would be much, much better as an acoustic number without the extra production touches (weak keys and gated snare cracks, AUUUGH).  A pretty melody burdened by an 80’s sound.  Best part of this song is definitely Robin Zander, that dude can sing anything.  Check out his solo acoustic versions of this song on YouTube, much better!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3tB98D5odE

Public Enemy, “She Watch Channel Zero”, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Even though I’m not a huge rap fan, I have massive respect for artists like Public Enemy.  Sure, there is a lot of sampling in rap (SLAAAAAYYYYERRRR!!!) but Chuck D’s delivery and lyrical content oftentimes make you stand up and pay attention.  No raps about “bitches” and “hos” here, just straight on music with a message with the always colorful commentary from Flavor Flav.

Wow, great shuffle week here.  The Mars Volta disc is a fairly recent pickup that I’ve been listening to quite a bit and “Copernicus” is one of my favorite cuts on it, but who can deny old school Metallica.  MASTER!  MASTER!  “Master of Puppets” is the pick of the week

The year…  1989….  The times… hair metal was still en vogue, but with a slight twist due to new kids on the block Guns N Roses.  Hard rock and metal seemed to be shifting more from the power ballads and glammy stylings of bands like Warrant and Poison to the more street level approach and classic rock appeal of Guns N Roses and Jane’s Addiction.  But there was one band who took things to another level with their debut album:  Badlands.

By 1987, Jake E Lee was unceremoniously fired from Ozzy Osbourne’s band and set about forming a new band with vocalist Ray Gillen, bassist Greg Chaisson, and drummer Eric Singer.  Taking cues from 60s and 70s blues based rock, the band quickly put together a debut disc that had some similarities to the newer, edgier rock and metal but hearkened back to a more soulful era a la Free, Humble Pie, Cactus, early ZZ Top, and Led Zeppelin.  Great guitar playing?  Check.  Outstanding vocals?  Check.  Solid rhythm section?  Check.

Badlands’ first disc is an exceptional effort, a little dry on production but rock solid on all other fronts.  No longer was Jake E Lee going to be compared to previous Ozzy guitarist Randy Rhoads-  Jake’s playing and tone on this CD puts his Ozzy work to shame (although Bark At The Moon has its moments).  Just listen to the introductory cut “High Wire”-  that is ONE MEAN RIFF.   Jake’s tone is fatter than his Ozzy crunch of yore and a bit warmer too.  An excellent tune to kick things off:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6LXVqetMeo

The 80s were also the era of new guitar heroes, with many discs providing a solo spot for the six string slinger in the band.  Jake shines on the intro to “Jade’s Song”, showing off his acoustic chops and deft playing as it segues into “Winter’s Call”, a cut akin to how Led Zeppelin could easily switch between multiple shades often within the same song.  Clean electric playing and softer vocal before another nasty riff pushes the song into new, heavier territory and ends on a swirling, almost psychedelic fade out.

Now I know I’ve been talking up Jake E Lee a bit so far but Ray Gillen deserves much credit for how well this album works as well.  Gillen’s vocal work with Badlands is outstanding with touches ranging from Robert Plant wails to the soulful singing of a young Paul Rodgers.  The aforementioned “Winter’s Call” is a great example of how Gillen can easily handle the transition between the mellow and the heavy.  Other cuts such as “Streets Cry Freedom” and “Seasons” give Gillen plenty of space to shine as well, offering up plenty of atmosphere in which to dance around vocally (especially in the former) or to find the groove and ease into it (in the latter).

Last but not least… the rhythm section.  Not only do Chaisson and Singer rock on this disc, they are extremely tight and do not overplay.  Listen to a cut like “Rumblin’ Train”-  drum and bass work lay the foundation for Lee and Gillen to do their thing and boy, do all parties do it well.  Or listen to how everyone comes in midway through “Devil’s Stomp”-  Lee’s riff is duplicated by Chaisson on bass and Singer’s kick drum stomp propels the song with a nasty groove.  Not to mention another tour de force vocal performance from Ray Gillen.

Hard to pinpoint favorites on this disc, especially since I had this on constant repeat in the summer of 1989 (especially after catching them at a club gig; one of my all time favorite shows), although I may have to go with “High Wire” as it was my first taste of the band as it’s the first cut on here.  “Winter’s Call” comes close too but if I had to choose a dark horse it would be “Streets Cry Freedom”, a song with such monumental vibe from beginning to end that just knocks me out every time I hear it.  Atmosphere on so many levels it’s ridiculous.

Badlands would go on to make one other album (the mighty fine Voodoo Highway) before breaking up in the early 90s.  The great Ray Gillen would pass away shortly thereafter and the band eventually would posthumously release Dusk, another excellent collection of songs that they recorded pre-breakup in an effort to land a new recording contract.  Such an extremely talented band truly deserved a much wider audience and better record company support, but alas… it was not meant to be.

“Man of Constant Sorrow”, The Soggy Bottom Boys O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack

My first exposure to this song was from the classic Coen Brothers film “O Brother Where Art Thou” as I’m sure it was to many.  I’m not a huge fan of bluegrass music but when it’s played well I give credit where credit is due.  And no, this IS NOT George Clooney on lead vocals-  that belongs to Dan Tyminski with excellent harmonies from Harley Allen and Pat Enright.  This song is many MANY years old with versions by everyone from Ralph Stanley to Rod Stewart.

“Naturally High”, The Cult The Cult

A bit of an underrated album, “Naturally High” is a cool builder unlike some of the more bombastic guitar led bashers they are famous for.  Kicks off with a Bonham-esque groove, fuzzy bass, and some great distorted wah from guitarist Billy Duffy.  Great subtle touches on percussion and acoustic guitar mix throughout, plus the always great Ian Astbury lays down one of his more laid back bluesier performances.  If you dig The Cult and want something a little different from them this may do you just fine.

“Iron Maiden”, Iron Maiden Another Live In Japan

My ALL TIME FAVORITE BAND, bar none.  I could wax nostalgic on Eddie and the boys but we’ll save that for another post.  This version of “Iron Maiden” comes from a bootleg of the show where they recorded the Maiden Japan EP back in 1981 and it is an absolute scorcher.  Funny, early Maiden can be deemed the punkier side of the band but that’s moreso likely due to the sheer speed and vocal (although Paul spits this one out with plenty of venom).  Guitar tones on the boot are fairly weak, but Clive Burr’s pounding drums and bass from the mighty Steve Harris just pummel the listener into oblivion.  Youthful energy in spades 🙂

Not from the same show, but a killer early version below:

“Green Earrings”, Steely Dan Royal Scam

Talk about talent… the Dan circa Royal Scam was heading in even more of a jazzier vein, with cuts like this one showing off some serious funk and smoking guitar chops.  By this time both Denny Dias and Elliott Randall had played or guested with the band (which is pretty much just Fagen and Becker and chosen talent) since the first album and their leadwork on here is just stellar, reminiscent of classics like “Reelin’ In The Years” and “My Old School”.  Not as bouncy and singalong as those two but you’ll bop your head to the sheer funkiness of it all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlqb8bzMsj0

“Dead Of The Night”,  The Answer Everyday Demons

One of my favorite newer bands who deserve more exposure than they currently get, “Dead Of The Night” brings the rock out of the gate immediately with one of the strongest cuts and hooks from Everyday Demons.  Cross Thin Lizzy with the Black Crowes and you’re in the ballpark with this one.  Some of the naysayers may see this as “retro rock” but I see a great young band that is an excellent representation of their influences-  don’t let those people fool you.  Plus, Cormac Neeson is one of the finest young singers out there and is worthy of your attention.

“Takin’ Hold”, The Almighty Powertrippin’

Always kinda cool hearing a movie quote before a song, this one coming from Apocalypse Now as we mentally watch a snail crawling across a straight razor before kicking things off with a bit of feedback and rumble for a good 20-30 seconds or so.  A bit of a Cult-y build before Ricky Warwick and the boys kick it up a punky notch or two-  ballsy and crunchy guitars with solid bottom end.  Great gang vocal in the chorus too topped with awesomely fat, street ratty production.

“Hangar 18, Area 51”,  Yngwie J. Malmsteen  The Best of 1990-1999

Pomp and castle rock at its finest with one of the finest shredders in the land, “Hangar 18” is rife with melody, melodrama, and a great vocal from Mark Boals.  Yeah yeah yeah… I can hear everyone now… “What about the guitar?”  Come on, it’s Yngwie!  Kickin’ riff and off course a solo that swoops high and low, threatening to careen off track as Yngwie mesmerizes with awesome speed and technique.  Hop on the rollercoaster and hold on for dear life!

“As The Years Go Passing By”, Jeff Healey  Cover to Cover

Man…  Jeff Healey had some phenomenal stuff over his relatively short life, dying of cancer at the age of 41 back in 2008.  For those not in the know, Healey lost his sight shortly before he turned one year old due to retinoblastoma.  Amazingly, Healey started playing guitar around the age of three and developed a unique style of playing with the guitar flat on his lap, forming chords and playing leads like no other.  This cover of the classic blues tune is outstanding not just from a guitar and singing standpoint, but also some great organ work from Roy Bittan.  Killer live version attached.

“Monument”, Fates Warning  Still Life

Technical metal time from one of the earlier masters, sporting a killer bass intro from Armored Saint’s Joey Vera on this live version.  Full of tricky time signatures throughout, especially “mad scientist” drumwork from the always fascinating Mark Zonder.  Sometimes I can get a little lost with stuff like this but this one ticks all of my boxes with all the bells, whistles, chime-y and slippery riffery, and passionate singing from Ray Adler.  A great example of a song where everyone seems to carry a different riff or melody but as a whole makes a great song overall.

“Vampire Sun”, Cathedral The Carnival Bizarre

Stealing a page from the book of Sabbath, Cathedral puts their own stamp on things with a little more swinging guitar on this one with some fairly straightforward drumwork, but the kicker is the always delightful beastly roar of the one and only Lee Dorrian.  Unlike Ozzy’s manic wail, Dorrian goes for a more guttural approach, “ooh yeah”ing and “alright”ing with lecherous glee.  Some might call him a bit sloppy and out of tune at times and definitely “not” a singer, but he’s got a style all his own that is easily identifiable, something not everyone can lay claim to.  Dare I call it part of his charms, ha ha ha.

Best song of the week… hmmm… tough tough tough choice but I gotta go with Iron Maiden with everything else tied for second (yeah, these tunes are that good).

We all have favorite bands.  For those of us reared in the 70’s and 80’s we’ve likely got favorite bands that have lost members due to various reasons:  artistic differences, solo careers, bad breakups, substance abuse issues, death, etc.  As a fan I’ve got mixed feelings about bands that have carried on without key members.  Some I’ve been fine with as I was not as familiar with their earliest incarnations at the time (AC/DC, Genesis), some I’ve supported due to band infighting (Queensryche, Van Hagar), some the jury is still out (Van Halen/Roth reunion, but minus Michael Anthony), and some I’ve been saddened by (Sabbath reunion with Ozzy after Ronnie James Dio’s passing).  But one where I must give respect where respect is due…  the non-reunion of:

Yeah, for you sticklers out there I know this graphic has Bonzo’s symbol on it but that’s part of the problem, especially in the eyes of the one that seems to be holding up any sort of reunion:  Robert Plant.  But I must give the man major props for not wanting to reunite.  I think in some ways maybe he would like to do something; in a recent interview with Uncut magazine he made comments about “giving a whirl” to any acoustic music that Jimmy Page may have laying around but that seems to have fallen on deaf ears.  However, it seems Page may have other ideas as to what type of music he would like to pursue especially with his recent comments about starting a new band and performing material spanning his entire career.  And who knows where John Paul Jones would fit in to any of this?

So let’s step back almost 34 years ago now to a tragic moment in Zep history by posting the following quote:  “We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were”.  The death of John Bonham brought a most insurmountable end to the band back in 1980 that in at least one band member’s eyes (Plant) is too much to overcome.  Plant and Bonham were mates pre-Zep and had an unshakeable bond that only death could break.  Sure, there have been one offs here and there (Live Aid, Atlantic 40th anniversary bash, RRHOF, Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert) and Page/Plant efforts (Unledded, Walking To Clarksdale), but Plant has been coy about reunion talk for years.  Much of this certainly comes down to the passing of Bonzo but as time has worn on the expectations have become much too great.  Plus, I feel Plant would like to rejigger the Zep machine and restructure songs similar to their Unledded work or how they’ve been broken down on his most recent solo tours.  I just don’t think he wants to be a carbon copy of his “Golden God” persona.  The “Celebration Day” release from the Ertegun concert was a nice glimpse of the past and seems to be a bit of closure for him.

Would I like to see a reunion?  Yeah, although I’d love to hear some new material with whatever they do.  And there’s the rub…  just what could they do that would even come close to the glory days?  Do I want another “Whole Lotta Love”?  Do I want another “Ten Years Gone”?  Do I want another “Stairway”, or “Achilles”, or even “In The Evening”?  Yeah kinda, but that’s some lofty expectations and that’s also me being a selfish fan.  But that’s also asking a whole lot of a group of men that are quickly approaching (or are) 70 years of age.  Shoot, I’d love to hear something like “Wonderful One” that they did for Unledded.  I think they could accomplish that but who knows how many that would please-  we all have our own personal views as to what “Led Zeppelin” is.

So in closing, I respect Robert Plant’s decision not to be “part of a jukebox” and crank up the Zep machine again.  I will continue to enjoy his solo albums (check out “Lullaby… And the Ceaseless Roar”, it has some really good stuff on it), although I would love to see him do a rockabilly type album a la The Honeydrippers again.  As for Page, I just want him to do SOMETHING again once all of the remasters are complete.  And don’t forget about John Paul Jones!  Outside of Zep diehards, he is an unsung talent that’s been involved in a number of cool projects over the years from his solo work to working with Diamanda Galas.  Here’s hoping Josh Homme calls him and Dave Grohl and puts out another Them Crooked Vultures release!

Can we all live with this as the last on stage performance?

“Thank You”, Led Zeppelin II

This song always reminds me of Christmas as it was an album my parents bought for me and my brother around ’84 or ’85.  An early Zep classic if there ever was one and a song that almost paves the path of Robert Plant’s solo career, especially these days (meaning, the mellow acoustic pieces and not the all out banshee screaming).  Great subtlety from Page, Plant, and especially Bonham topped off with outstanding organ work from unsung member John Paul Jones.  An outstanding song from an outstanding band.

“Doctor Doctor”, Michael Schenker Group MSG

From the 2009 re-release of the Mad Axeman’s second solo album comes a pretty good version of UFO classic “Doctor Doctor”, Gary Barden doing his best Phil Mogg by keeping it in the pocket and not going too far overboard.  Schenker and Raymond provide the classic intro, then Cozy Powell almost runs away with the rhythm but holding back just enough to let the band whomp and swing through the end of the song.  Michael playing fairly simple here but with typical style and class, bending those notes ever so gracefully.

“Such A Woman”, Neil Young Harvest Moon

I was going to say Neil takes a left turn here but Neil takes left turns ALL of the time!  A song of subtle beauty, Neil at the piano accompanied by strings with a dash of harmonica.  The vocal work is impressive, Neil fairly hushed but come chorus time he’s backed beautifully by the angelic voice(s?) of Linda Ronstadt and/or Nicolette Larson.  Written with wife Pegi in mind-  unfortunately, they have filed for divorce recently after almost three decades of marriage.

“Wheel Of Time”, Grand Magus Grand Magus

Last iPod Shuffle post I’d mentioned how I started getting into stoner rock in the late ’90s in the post grunge world.  Grand Magus is an example of another band that I got into, “Wheel Of Time” building on a bit of Sabbath musical swagger but with a voice quite different from ol’ Ozzy, much bluesier and blustery (interestingly enough, lead singer JB ended up with Spiritual Beggars on a few releases).  Intros with quite a mighty riff, a touch of Kyuss in the air before JB croons (more like bellows) through the verse, throwing in a few “yeah”s and “oohs” here and there.  A great early cut from the band.

“Guitar Talk Love and Drums”, Gary Myrick Language

Kicking off with an electronic drum attack, Dallas, Texas’ Gary Myrick whammies, shucks, and jives his way through this track, which seems to be a flat out rock song dressed up in 80s new wave clothes. A great build with the drums and keys until chorus time, when the song kicks into another gear with Myrick adding a variety of guitar colors and nuances, sounding like a siren one minute and a roaring animal the next.  One of those songs that were a huge part of my formative years listening to the radio late at night in my bedroom.

“100 Years (Of Tears On The Wind)”, Masters of Reality Sunrise On The Sufferbus

An acoustic builder awash in strings and subtle drumwork of  Mr. (Ginger) Baker, “100 Years” is an example of the more laid back work of these desert rock denizens.  Chris Goss’ dreamy vocal deftly weaves (or moves “syrup slow” per the lyric) in and out of the string arrangement, lulling the listener into a trancelike state with only Baker’s drums keeping you from falling off the edge of the world.  Good headphone listening with the lights out.

“Shinbone Alley/Hard To Exist”, Spin Doctors Pocket Full Of Kryptonite

“Moonlight through the chicken wire”…  huh?  Never mind, follow along to the stream of conciousness lyrics and welcome to the world of the Spin Doctors, hot jam band from 1991 or so with some of the absolutely funkiest in the pocket drumming and Hendrix-esque guitar from the time.  If you like twelve minute jam songs, this certainly fits the bill and was probably a staple of the Doctors’ shows of the day.  About as far away as you can get from “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”, two of the hits on this CD.

“Squealer”, AC/DC Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Oh man…  I’ve forgot how much I’ve loved this song- everything about this damn thing is just awesome ’cause it’s AC/DC with Bon Scott!  Not sure you can classify this as a song as it just builds and builds and doesn’t really change, but that’s why it’s so cool.  Crashing chords topped with pulsing bass and kick drum beat, with Bon telling it like it is.  Is this a song about sex?  Ha ha, aren’t all AC/DC songs about sex? (well almost).  Maaaaaan… and Angus just belts out an awesome lead.  My most favorite part though are those background vocals…  SQWEEEELAAAHHH!!!!

Favorite song this round goes to “Thank You”, although in my younger days it may have gone to AC/DC or Gary Myrick.

Going to kick off a new feature on the blog entitled “Under The Radar”, which will feature overlooked releases from multiple unsung bands from years past.  Kicking off first is I Mother Earth and their debut disc, entitled “Dig”.

In 1993 (before I made my “career move”), I was living the high life as a record store (remember those?) employee in Cincinnati, Ohio.  As a music junkie you couldn’t ask for a better job-  stock CDs, chat up customers, listen to tunes all day, and sort through all sorts of promo goodies from the labels and other groups.  One of these other groups was Concrete Marketing, who would supply our store with promotional materials (posters, CD and cassette samplers, etc) every so often to market some of the newer hard rock/heavy metal releases at the time.  It was through one of these samplers that I got my first taste of Dig.

My first exposure to I Mother Earth was via their song “No One”, which I’d never heard anything quite like at the time:  a mix of soaring guitar, punchy bass, aggressive but melodic vocal, and a percussive attack unique to the metal/hard rock genre.  And one at almost seven minutes at that!  This song builds and builds with more twists and turns for those more adventurous listeners out there.  An aural treat:

Naturally, I had to grab the disc when it came out and was immediately hooked from first listen.  Manic funk, spacy/trippy jamming, guitar histrionics, mellow grooving, and flat out rock are only some of the words I can use to describe this thing, with much of it happening within EACH song!  I hear elements of Hendrix, Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Santana weaving throughout as songs build and morph from one style to another.  Layers of cleanly picked passages awash in reverb suddenly switch to heavy distortion, with rhythm and lead work swinging between both.  Listen to how the mellow intro of “Lost My America” changes sharply to a heavy riff and then to smooth jazz as an example of how guitarist Jag Tanna deftly moves between the light and shade:

Or check out the build of something like “And The Experience”, where Tanna’s guitar swirls across a simmering bass groove (Tanna also performed bass on this disc) and drumwork of brother Christian Tanna until it explodes with funk frenzy around the 2:30 mark:

Are all of those changes too distracting?  How about “Rain Will Fall” for those that want non-stop jamming:

Or “Undone” for those that want something more laid back:

You get the point:  Dig, as a whole, has a lot to offer.  If you like heavy rock with excellent musicianship that can easily swing between light and shade at a moment’s notice, by all means get this disc.  They made one additional disc with lead singer Edwin (the quite excellent but less manic Scenery and Fish) before new singer Brian Byrne came on board for the next two discs (both quite good) until going on a self imposed hiatus around 2003.  Good news though!  The band has been performing live off and on since 2012 and may soon hit the studio.  Stay tuned to http://imotherearth.ca for the latest.

Lucky you… two posts from me in one day!  Everybody’s shufflin shufflin…

“Tonight Is Fine” – Danko Jones, Below The Belt

Mix up a little AC/DC, Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, and a bit of cock rock and you get Danko Jones.  Reminds me of that early 80s era before hair metal started to take over, and somewhat reminiscent of the NWOBHM days.  Single note bass holding down the bottom end with some heavy riffing o’er top with yer typical macho boy/girl lyric.  A hint of AC/DC gang vocal in the chorus too.  Good stuff.

“Stax” – Galactic, Coolin’ Off

The New Orleans cats are downright nasty, although this cut is a bit more spacier than some of their other tunes but it is groovy nonetheless.  Stanton Moore lays down a typically solid backbeat while the rest of the gang adds a seriously funky keyboard line with some sparse wah wah guitar and a spot on bassline.  This is gonna sound weird, but I’m getting an odd Pink Floyd vibe out of the keys (didn’t I say “spacier” before???).  All instrumental and booty shakin’ to boot.

“Wonderful World” – Spiritual Beggars, Ad Astra

An absolutely killer song, Spiritual Beggars was one of those finds that came along at the right time for me.  Grunge had pretty much gone by the wayside and I was looking for ANYTHING that leaned heavy.  Around this time I started to get into what was being tagged as “stoner rock” and these guys quickly grabbed my ear.  A lot of stoner rock was watered down Sabbath but these guys took a lot from the 70s element and really came into their own with “Ad Astra”, especially with this song.  Mix in a strong keyboard and guitar riff, a killer hook, and some seriously slammin’ drums and you’ve got “Wonderful World”.  HIGHLY recommended.

“Grapevine Fires” – Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs

A bit of a Purdie shuffle on the drums kicks off one of Ben Gibbard’s more picturesque lyrics and melodic songs from Death Cab.  Gibbard’s talk/sing style has a definite charm and the sparse keyboard/guitar accompaniment and gorgeous harmony background vocals make this one of the better cuts from the album.  A nice segue/bridge(?) after the second chorus is a great touch.

“Snake Oil” – Steve Earle, The Essential Steve Earle

There was a brief period in college where I flirted with the “new country” movement at the time and some of the more rock/country crossovers like Hank Jr, Kentucky Headhunters, and Steve Earle.  “Snake Oil” is certainly more in the rock vein, crossing boogie woogie piano, slide guitar, and a Presley playfulness to make a flat out rock/country song (and no, I ain’t talking “country rock” like the Eagles).  Think Mellencamp fronting the Georgia Satellites with Billy Powell guesting on keys and you’re in the ballpark.

“Land Of The Rising Slum” – Skyclad, Prince of the Poverty Line

Fronted by pun king and clever lyricist Martin Walkyier, Skyclad was certainly the leader of the pack in the folk metal movement, although in the band’s early days they were certainly more metal but mixed in some folky elements here and there.  On “Land Of The Rising Slum” the band throws in a bit of everything:  a catchy percussive loop followed by a brief piano pattern before Martin’s spitting, venomous vocal delivery and even heavier riff from the band.  Then… surprise!  we’re off in psychedelia land with a brief keyboard solo until the metal returns with an absolute ace of a solo from Steve Ramsey.  Martin-  we need you to reclaim your throne!

“Shakin’ All Over” – The Who, Can We Have Eternal Live boot

From ’68-’70 or so The ‘Oo may have been at the absolute peak of their live prowess.  Daltrey was really coming into his own as a singer/frontman, Townshend was relying more on soundscape and texture with effective use of power chords and feedback (and the ever present windmilling), Entwistle was laying down the heaviest bottom end in England, and Moon was an unstoppable dynamo/whirling dervish pushing the band ever onward.  Not my fave live version of this song (that would be from Leeds) but great nonetheless.  You can NEVER go wrong with live Who during this period.  Maximum R&B indeed.

“Medicine Train” – The Cult, Sonic Temple

Once Rick Rubin got his hooks into The Cult come Electric the band suddenly shifted gears into a more guitar-centric, ballsy band from the more textured, layered approach on Love.  Come Sonic Temple, the band took those balls and shifted into an even more heavier realm with songs like “Medicine Train”.  Mix in a heavy dose of bloozy Aerosmith swagger and Zep-esque stomp with the roaring vocal of Ian Astbury and you’ve got yourself a winner.  Brownie points for the double time punked out ending.

“Mean” – John Mellencamp, Life, Death, Love, and Freedom

A departure for Mellencamp, “Mean” is a bit of a darker cut that unfortunately lasts only 2:35.  The world weary, almost defeated tone of the vocal is most effective as he asks “would you please stop being so mean” over top a haunting piano and acoustic track.  T Bone Burnette’s production is most excellent on this one.  So stark but with much beauty.

“Truth Hits Everybody” – The Police, Outlandos d’Amour

Early Police had quite a bit of freneticism and punky joie de vivre that is flat out amazing when you compare a song like this with hits such as “King of Pain” or “Every Breath You Take”.  Those songs are OK (overplayed, unfortunately) but something like “Truth” is just unstoppable fun, driven by the percussive genius of Stewart Copeland and relentless riff of Andy Summers.  Nary a hint of reggae, just flat out punk rock.

That’s it for this week!  A nice eclectic mix this time, which is why I’m a shufflin’ fool.  Fave cut of the week goes out to “Wonderful World” from Spiritual Beggars.

• The Vintage Trouble show was absolutely fantastic.  The guys were ON from the beginning and didn’t let up until an hour and a half later.  An excellent live band that is very tight with an extremely soulful singer.  The crowd was into them big time from “Strike A Match” through the encore.  Dug the show so much that I picked up their DVD (“72 Shows in 80 Days”) and my brother grabbed me a copy of the “Swing House Sessions” EP (Thanks Steve!)  Met the dudes in the band and got both signed.  They mentioned a new CD coming at the beginning of the year-  I hope they can capture their live energy!  If they are in your neck of the woods, do not miss it!
• My awesome wife bought me some Bose noise cancelling headphones for my birthday and they are absolutely fantastic.  Great sound and the noise cancelling is an outstanding feature.  Will be great when I’m on a plane or out mowing the lawn (or when I want to disappear into what I am listening to).
• The rumors are true…  Microsoft is no longer carrying the iPod Classic line.  I’ll need to track down a backup quickly and can hopefully track down a 160 GB version as I’ve got more music that can fit on the 120 GB that I have right now.  And I sure as hell DO NOT want to have one device that has my phone, iPod, apps, email, etc etc etc.  Who will step up to fill the void?  We shall see…

You ever have a band out there that intrigues you but you’ve not quite “bought in” yet?  Sure, we’ve all got our favorite bands out there where you religiously buy everything they put out but there are those bands where you may catch a song or two on the radio (HA, does that still happen?) or maybe see a YouTube link or catch them live via a late night talk show.  Vintage Trouble is like that for me-  my first exposure was a brief article in Classic Rock magazine that I didn’t really pay much attention to other than noticing the fancy “vintage” clothes they were sporting:

Second exposure was via photographer extraordinairre Ross Halfin’s diary with more fancy clothing pics.  However!  The third time was the charm as I was perusing a guitar blog and there was a post in there raving about these guys and a recent live performance on Letterman.  So I clicked on the link and was GOBSMACKED:

HOLY… SHIT…

The drum intro got my attention but once I heard that scream from lead singer Ty Taylor and that nasty riff I was hooked.  Talk about a band that was just going for it!  No cookie cutter, autotuned, choreographed dance routine crap here; these guys took their five minutes on stage, grabbed you by the throat, and knocked it out of the park. So much so that even Letterman wanted more!  Visions of James Brown, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, or Corey Glover fronting Led Zeppelin or Booker T and the MGs raced through my mind.  Now THIS is was a commanding performance.  By the end, I’d forgotten about the fashion (which is actually pretty cool, by the way) and wanted to seek out the release.

Which brings me to my “not quite bought in” comment from before-  as much as I’d loved the Letterman performance (and check out their Leno clip too) I didn’t quite fall in love with The Bomb Shelter Sessions.  Don’t get me wrong; I like it A LOT but my love isn’t quite there yet, which is probably due to just how hot that Letterman performance was.  The songs are good (some are very good) but something is missing as if they were playing it safe in the studio by having everyone record their parts separately instead of facing off and pushing/pulling against each other.  On the rocking tracks, dirty up that guitar a little more and bump it up in the mix.  Lay back on some of the soulful cuts and let the track breathe a little- keep it in the pocket, no need to rush your performance.  The elements are there to make a great record down the road as these guys are good players and they do a fine job mixing the rock with the soul-  a bit of Black Crowes, Rolling Stones, James Brown, Al Green, Wilson Pickett, ZZ Top, Zeppelin all thrown into the same stew.  Fave cuts are “Blues Hand Me Down”, “Still And Always Will” (great Stones-y vibe), “Total Strangers”, “Pelvis Pusher” (kin to “Land of 1000 Dances”), “Run Like The River”, and the gospel-ish “Gracefully”.

That said… based on those live performances I’m bought in enough to check these guys out this Thursday at the Thompson House in Newport, Kentucky!  Hey fellas-  BRING IT!  

So you folks have been waiting with bated breath…  shuffle through that iPod and give me your hearty opinion!  I need something new!

Well… without further ado, here is the first installment of the iPod Shuffle.

“Heart of Gold” – The Kinks, State of Confusion

A fine little ditty penned by Ray Davies about growing up with some country-esque fills from brother Dave, smooth acoustic strumming from Ray, and a nice rockin’ shuffle from the rhythm section.  Even though he’s writing this about a jealous older sister sibling when a newborn sister is introduced, you can almost imagine he is writing this about himself and brother Dave-   “Underneath the rude exterior, there’s got to be a heart of gold”.  Great harmonizing between Ray and Dave on that chorus as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSyDnXTONC4

“Wrong Man (Live)” – Deep Purple, Rapture Of The Deep Tour Edition

From the reissue of Rapture is one of the better cuts from this disc and a great latter period Purple track.  Sure, this ain’t your father’s Deep Purple but the Morse era has some great rock tunes.  With Paice, Glover, and Airey laying down a solid bedrock of rhythm, Morse drops some chunky, strutting riff and a great solo on top of it, and Ian Gillan delivers a passionate vocal throughout the verse and come chorus time, throwing in the Gillan shriek before the lead break.  Live cut very similar to the studio cut with a little bit more Gillan flair.

“No Reply At All” – Genesis, Abacab

I grew up with Collins-led Genesis, so I have a bit of an affinity for this era of the band.  I know, I know, some of you think Phil ruined Genesis-  I wholeheartedly disagree, although there is a big difference between the Gabriel era (which I like as well) and the more commercial appeal from Banks, Collins, and Rutherford.  This is a great Collins era track and cuts close to what he would do in his solo career-  strong vocal, horn charts (a rarity for Genesis at the time), and a strong rhythmic track underneath.  A bit different from what was on rock radio and a bit progressive for it’s time, although it leans very close to something like Earth, Wind, and Fire (of which lead singer Philip Bailey would collaborate with Phil Collins on 1984 hit “Easy Lover”)

“Across The River” – Peter Gabriel, Secret World Live

Oh, the irony of the iPod shuffle LOL…  if you like atmospheric music, Peter Gabriel always delivers.  “Across the River” opens with a very stark and ominous mood, heavy with light, atmospheric keys from Gabriel until accompanied with an absolutely haunting violin piece from Shankar.  Once entranced, Gabriel and Shankar trade vocalizations (a bit of the famous Gabriel falsetto) until Tony Levin offsets the mood with some serious bottom end on the stand up bass.  After a few minutes of being entranced, other instruments are introduced with some heavy piano chords, guitar, and kick drum to kick the song into a more uplifting gear.  If you like music with light and shade, this does the trick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB3mjKh3PoU

“Stay Young” – Oasis, The Masterplan

A very good B side from the brothers Gallagher, “Stay Young” (like many Oasis tracks) wears its influences on its sleeve but the outcome is typical Oasis.  A strong Slade-like hook with a more melodic vocal from Liam than his typical snotty delivery (which I love, by the way) and a catchy sing a long chorus with Noel in the background, this is a cut that’s strong enough to be on any of their albums.  Hey, stay young and invicible!  We know just what we are!  One of those songs that goes well in a live environment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z02HzA3cce4

“Walk Out” – Matthew Sweet, 100% Fun

One of my favorite Matthew Sweet songs is driven by a simple, straightforward (but rocking) rhythm pattern but the key to the cut is the underlying harpsichord throughout the song and the baritone guitar line through the chorus.  As with many early Sweet cuts, the guitar work is excellent and is generally a stark contrast to the vocal but this time it’s fairly concise with a fairly short but sweet lead break.  Nice little melodic line from the harpsichord rounds out the song.

“Little Too Late” – Pat Benatar, Ultimate Collection Disc 1

First off, this is a great collection of Pat cuts but the mastering of EVERY SONG is waaaay too hot.  Find the original on Get Nervous.  As far as the song is concerned, it’s one of Pat’s more melodic cuts that leans a little too heavy on a circus keyboard line but is redeemed by a strong Pat vocal (and hook) and the always tasty guitar work of hubby Neil Giraldo.  Has a bit of that boomy snare drum come chorus time but it’s used to good effect (oh yeah, cool drum intro to this one too).  One of those choruses that ends up as an earworm after the song ends, but nothing wrong with that!

“Another Day” – Lethal, Programmed

Queensryche!  No, wait a minute…  yes, vocally it sounds like old school Queensryche circa Rage For Order/The Warning but that’s part of the charm of this.  Even leans Fates Warning, but there’s nothing wrong with that either.  Song kicks off with a dark, acoustic melody and dramatic singing before the power chords kick in around chorus with strong vocal.  Some sweet dual lead playing kicks in towards the end of the song, which changes back to the chorus and closes things out. Nice mix of light and shade.  If you like old school Queensryche this is up your alley.

Aaaaaand that’s it for this installment!  We’ll shoot for another shot at this within the coming weeks.  Fave cut of the week goes to “Walk Out” from Matthew Sweet.

“Happy trails to you, until we meet again”