Starting off the 90s hit parade with an oldie but a goodie from an artist that I fully respect and enjoy yet oftentimes confuses the hell out of me, but I’ll be damned if he didn’t go off and release one of the better albums in his career in Ragged Glory.  Released in 1990 and recorded with his comrades in Crazy Horse, ol’ Neil pretty much cemented his “Godfather of Grunge” image with this one, especially after releasing and odd melange of albums in the previous decade that flirted with rockabilly, blues, hard rock, country, and electronic new wave.  With 1989 album Freedom hinting that Neil had plenty of gas in the tank courtesy of the menacing “Rockin’ In The Free World” it wasn’t until his first album in the new decade pieced everything together via ten solid tracks of garage rock tunefulness and extended guitar workouts.  This was Neil Young at his fiercest and most rocking in years, cooking up an excellent batch of catchy songs like the twangy grunge of lead track “Country Home”, the crunchy “Mansion On The Hill”, or the sweetly melodic yet ballsy “Days That Used To Be”.  But for my money, the best cuts on here are the heaviest ones:  the venomous bite of “F*!#In’ Up” and the absolutely killer two headed monster in “Love To Burn” and “Love And Only Love”, all three cuts feature some of Neil’s best playing in ages-  guitars are loud, nasty, and ugly and feature a unit just JAMMING.  The Horse is the rock steady backbone, giving Neil much freedom to bob and weave with lead/rhythm playing that runs the gamut of tuneful chord structures, hammering feedback, and distorted crunch with as much passion as anyone can wring out of a guitar.  A fantastic album and a great kickoff to the decade as Ragged Glory offers up a bit of a clarion call, leading the charge for no nonsense rock music that was starting to bubble up in the Seattle area and soon to take over the world within just a couple of years.

For me, the 90s were an odd decade- personally it was great: worked in a record store, got married, my son was born, became an uncle, and eventually moved on to a great job, among other things.  But from a musical standpoint there was a massive sea change in what was deemed hot and trendy:  grunge and rap became huge, boy bands were everywhere, Disney stars became singing sensations, and female artists of all sorts were making their mark.  As the industry was focusing on the “fresh and new”, they were kicking many 80s bands to the curb or shoving them into the deep, dark recesses of the underground.  For a music fan like me who was used to picking up his new favorite tunes from the radio or MTV, I had to dig deeper and search farther and wider.  Thankfully, a little old thing called the Internet opened up a whole new world and offered up another option to find hidden gems after weeding through the crap.  But I digress…

So if the 90s were such an odd decade, why run off a list of favorite albums?  Well…  I wanted a challenge.  This is the first decade where I was becoming extremely disappointed in what the industry deemed as popular vs where my interests lay.  Don’t get me wrong; the start of the decade was great and I dug some of the newer bands and artists but by the end of those ten years there were plenty of bad copycats or bands that were of ZERO interest to me.  Instead of a musical progression there was a musical regression, so I started to look elsewhere.  This series of posts will cover my favorite 25 albums from the 90s, starting with an honorable mention of 15 releases followed by individual posts for each top ten entry.  And once the #1 is announced down the road, those adventurous types may want to dig into the release dates of each of these because you’ll find something VERY telling.

So without further ado, here’s albums 11-25 (in no particular order) of my favorite albums of the 90s:

Rage Against The Machine – Rage Against The Machine

Van Halen – For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

Lynch Mob – Wicked Sensation

Elvin Bishop – Don’t Let The Bossman Get You Down

Badlands – Voodoo Highway

Armored Saint – Symbol Of Salvation

Iron Maiden – The X Factor

Cheap Trick – Cheap Trick (1997)

Pantera – Vulgar Display Of Power

Green Day – Dookie

Page/Plant – No Quarter

Megadeth – Rust In Peace

Sacred Reich – The American Way

Social Distortion – Live At The Roxy

Stone Temple Pilots – Core

Yep, revisiting this thread after nearly a year from Part One.  We’ll definitely have a part three down the line but here are a new five 🙂

Rob Halford (“Victim Of Changes”, “Exciter”, “The Green Manalishi”, “Devil’s Child”, “Painkiller”)

Like some of these other guys, there are just too many awesome choices from Judas Priest’s Rob Halford.  Been a fan of the band since their Screaming For Vengeance album, so he’s pretty much been the first metal screamer I ever really got into.  Interestingly enough the title cut from that LP is not my fave moment on there, going a bit more for the dynamic vocal of “Devil’s Child”.

Paul McCartney\John Lennon (“Helter Skelter”, “Revolution”, “Twist & Shout”, “I’m Down”, “Oh Darling”, “Hey Jude”, “Yer Blues”)

Tossing in a couple extras for the Beatle boys since we got the dynamic duo here.  What’s interesting is the different depths of scream on display-  Paul could do the Little Richard and John pretty much let out the primal scream (“Mother” being the example), both with great unbridled effect.  Preference for Paul’s enthusiastic shouts if I had to pick between the two.

Randy Rampage (“Welcome To Your Death”, “Phantasmagoria ’86”, “Alison Hell”)

Gotta throw this one on here from the Annihilator man because it’s a bit of a manic, gurgling RAAAAAH that comes out of his mouth instead of singing the final word of the song’s title during the last line of the chorus.  Rampage was never a great singer but has a voice of character that makes this a fun, killer addition to this list.  Anything from that first album rules; too bad he didn’t stick around very long.

Philip Anselmo (“This Love”, “Hellbound” , “I’ll Cast A Shadow”, “Cemetery Gates”, “5 Minutes Alone”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kue-zcTr4A

Anselmo’s an interesting case here because he can be very tasteful with his singing and then full on manic with his screaming.  I prefer a mixup in his style and lean more towards his mid period roars rather than his early years Halfordesque yelps or his occasional constant hardcore roars-  he shows some killer intensity throughout “Hellbound” and his croon to riproar in “This Love”.

Robin Zander (“Anytime”, “Gonna Raise Hell”, “The Ballad Of TV Violence”, “Best Friend”, “Twisted Heart”)

Yes ladies and gentlemen, these are titles to Cheap Trick songs.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, Cheap Trick is MUCH MUCH more than the hits.  Robin Zander has always been “the man of 1000 voices” and these are five songs where he shows off his mastery of the scream.  He doesn’t rely on it too much, tending to use various facets of his powerful range but when the roar comes you know it.

Love, love, love it when I go CD shopping and find something interesting and come up with a new favorite song in the process.  Those of you not familiar with The Yayhoos likely know one of the key players in the band-  guitarist Dan Baird, formerly of the Georgia Satellites (“Keep Your Hands To Yourself” fame), but by golly you gotta dig the rest of the gang too:  guitarist (and former Blackheart for Joan Jett) Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, bassist Keith Christopher, and drummer/guitarist Terry Anderson, the latter of which pens this fine ditty in “I Can Give You Everything” from the band’s 2001 disc Fear Not The Obvious.

Originally covered by R&B queen Etta James, The Yayhoos version sounds like a long lost Rolling Stones/Faces cut from the early ’70s; maybe a cross between “Happy” and “Tumbling Dice” mixed in with, say, Rod Stewart’s “Hot Legs” or his former band’s “Stay With Me”.  Anderson sings with some serious Keef Richards mojo, a bit of country twang that’s certainly in the same ballpark as fellow Yayhoo Baird as he belts out a fun and spirited lyric about how much love he can give to someone of the fairer sex.  And how about the guitar work on this cut?  So much CHONK from Anderson and Ambel, the latter of which throws in some tasty counter chunk and leads against the former’s steady rhythm.  And how about Baird and Christopher?  Both switch up instruments; Baird laying down a seriously groovy bassline that would make Bill Wyman proud and Christopher bashing the drums with some serious heat.  Great backing vocals from Ambel too.

Now THIS ladies and gentlemen, is what a good bar band should sound like.  If I ever get back into the game we’d have to play this one-  just a good time booty shakin’ rock and roll tune with plenty of mojo and swagger.  If you like, track down The Yayhoos disc and while you’re at it grab a Dan Baird solo disc or pick up one from Terry Anderson and his Olympic Ass-Kickin’ Team.  Fine fine stuff.

A few years ago I was cruising the net as is my wont, looking for something maybe a little different from the headbanging stuff that I love but still maintaining a bit of attitude and sense of rockin’ spirit when I stumbled onto a YouTube link for “Acid Jazz Singer” and immediately found my next fave new band.  Kicking off as a bit of an acoustic campfire strummer, the song adds some rock stomp with the addition of bass and drums and some cool lead guitar touches before segueing into a dead on killer, boozy singalong chorus that sounds like a mix of The Kinks’ music hall pomp, a bit of Slade cum AC/DC swagger, and the songsmithery of a T Rex.  All in all, one incredibly fun ditty but what about the rest of their tunes?

Well, you’re in luck because this Scottish band has plenty stretched out across four great albums (with a fifth on the way) chock full of catchy tunes that stretch from acoustic based ditties to solid rock with plenty of great choruses and singalong bits.  The Fratellis were formed in 2005, led by lead singer/guitarist and main songwriter Jon Fratelli and backed by bassist Barry Fratelli and drummer Mince Fratelli (not their real names, but hey, it worked for The Ramones!) and soon released their intro disc Costello Music in 2006 which featured the incredibly fun ‘n swingin’ “Chelsea Dagger”, a song now ubiquitous at various worldwide sporting events do to its bootstomp and fun “doo doo doot” singalong bits, kind of like an updated “Rock And Roll, Part II” for a newer generation.  The rest of Costello Music features other catchy material like intro rocker “Henrietta”, the laid back strummer “Whistle For The Choir”, the fast and punky “The Gutterati?”, the 60’s garage rock vibe of “Doginabag”, and country glam (seriously!) of “Vince The Loveable Stoner”.  The whole album feels like a mashup of 60s/70s bands mixed with newer artists of the same ilk like the Dropkick Murphys and Jack White-  just a batch of fun tunes with straightforward riffs, catchy singalong bits, often funny lyrics, and good time rock sure to bring a smile to your face.

But wait a minute…  what about the other three albums?  Well, if you liked Costello Music you’re sure to like the next one just as much.  Here We Stand maybe dials back the in your face production just a tad but still includes killer cuts like the aforementioned “Acid Jazz Singer” and other goodies such as straight ahead burners like “Mistress Mabel” and “My Friend John”, the fuzz rock of “Shameless”, the dangerous bluesy swing of “Stragglers Moon”, the beautifully melodic “Babydoll”, and the Scottish jig and grandeur of “Lupe Brown”.  An album just as good as the debut that doesn’t change up the song formula but adds a few new wrinkles in instrumentation and different melodies, maybe surpassing it in levels of confidence but falling slightly short when it comes to loose and rollicking fun.  Still, a very very good album.

Shortly after the touring cycle ended for Here We Stand the band went on hiatus as the guys explored other creative outlets but eventually reformed in 2012 for next album We Need Medicine, which continued the Fratelli formula of fun singalong rock and roll.  Like its predecessor, Medicine sounds like a confident and veteran rock band willing to fall into a solid groove and let the song speak for itself but unlike Costello Music the production is not as open and swinging as that boisterous debut. Still, Medicine has a number of wonderful songs as well:  the rowdy singalong of the title cut, the raucous stomp of “Halloween Blues”, the almost Springsteenesque/Van Morrison rumble through “This Old Ghost Town”, the twangy swing of “Seven Nights Seven Days”, the stomp of “Shotgun Shoes”, and laid back ruminations of “Rock N Roll Will Break Your Heart”.  While the production here and on Here We Stand loses that pop and sizzle feel of the debut, I guarantee a number of these cuts would sound just as killer in a live environment.  All the elements of great songwriting are definitely there and even moreso as Jon Fratelli continues to paint different tapestries from one album to the next.

As for Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied…  sorry, haven’t heard it yet and can’t weigh in.  I’ve caught bits and pieces of it and what I’ve heard continues to expand the Fratelli brand, maybe a bit more singer/songwriter than the rest of the catalog but still with those catchy singalong moments that gets your foot tappin’.  Without having fully listened to the album I can’t vouch for how good it is, but from what I’ve sampled it covers a fairly wide swath of sonics, from funk to keyboard samples to different guitar tones throughout all eleven cuts.  Certainly the album appears to brave some newer atmospherics while retaining that original vibe, all in an attempt to stretch out creatively without reinventing the wheel.  And with new album In Your Own Sweet Time on the horizon I’m sure the band will continue to build on that sonic spectrum and we’ll have another great batch of tunes.

So yeah, hit up iTunes or Amazon and do some sampling of this band’s material right now and enjoy!  Touring the States this year as well, so go support them live if you can.

Fellow music nerds, let me regale you with my bloviations on the first ten songs that pop up in shuffle mode this mighty fine Wednesday evening.  Huzzah!

“The Ballad Of Lupe Montosa” Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Sonoran Hope and Madness

Odd how shuffle works…  I just bought this CD on Saturday and loaded it in my iPod and it’s the first cut of 30,000 plus songs this go round.  And that ain’t a prob cause this is a fine tune, Clyne in excellent cowboy song mode here about the demise of Lupe Montosa with some great harmonizing from his fellow Peacemakers.  Nice story lyric that sets the tone with some simple acoustic modification and fairly sparse instrumentation from the band, allowing you to focus on the heartfelt vocal.

“The Escape Artist” OSI, Music In Progress, Vol. II (Inside Out sampler)

From an InsideOut sampler (great label for progressive rock, check it out!) comes OSI and “The Escape Artist”, featuring a fairly simple yet chunky riff from Jim Matheos (also from Fates Warning) with spacy keys courtesy of Kevin Moore and guest drums from Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison.  A banging cut, leans pretty close to modern rock with that riff but branches out into proggier territory midway through plus has a fairly staid and laid back vocal courtesy of Moore.  Proof positive that top notch musicians can write some heavy duty modern rock and sound 100 times better.

“A Slight Attack” The Tea Party, Triptych

Canada’s The Tea Party is a great band-  early days leaned towards the Kashmir-esque side of Led Zeppelin with the middle Easternisms but in latter years they stretched out to get a bit noisier, maybe more techno or industrial in a way.  “A Slight Attack” takes a Zeppish riff and dirties it up with some echoey drums and distorted vocal but throws in a couple of awesome curveballs via a dramatic, pomp rock vocal and equally dramatic piano driven section.  Toss in some oddball keyboard effects into the mix to bounce around the sonic spectrum and you’ve got quite a thrilling cut.

“Dirty Hands Empty Pockets/(Already Gone)” Corrosion Of Conformity, In The Arms Of God

Post grunge years I thought for sure that stoner rock was definitely THE next big thing to take over the world, but it wasn’t meant to be.  COC is one of that genre’s greats and “Dirty Hands Empty Pockets” gives you a good taste of the rock that they bring to the table.  Funky bass courtesy of Mike Dean, great Woody Weatherman riff, and the always excellent Pepper Keenan show you how its done.  As much as I love Stanton Moore as a drummer he’s a semi-odd fit, obviously enjoying the opportunity to pound the kit but it ain’t like his dayjob with the awesome and funky Galactic.

“Sometime” King’s X, Ear Candy

“Criminally underrated” is a phrase often thrown around anytime King’s X is brought up and I tend to agree.  “Sometime” is a classic example of what these guys do best, which is not only bringing the solid rock but nailing it with a great song and outstanding vocals.  Simple and effective-  great riff?  Check.  Solid bass? Absolutely low down and groovy.  Kicking drums?  Truly stomping.  Fab hook?  Definitely.  How about the vocal?  With Doug Pinnick it’s shut your mouth good, especially when he’s got the ultra clean Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill mixed with his soulful rasp.  Sing this from the rafters!

“Whistle For The Choir” The Fratellis, Costello Music

Man these guys are soooo good.  Toss in The Kinks and T Rex with a nice dollop of The Beatles and you’re in the ballpark as to what The Fratellis are all about.  “Whistle For The Choir” sounds like it could come out of the music hall or cabaret days of the 1920s or 1930s, just a nice singalong with acoustic guitars and a memorable lovelorn lyric (check out the whistling part too!).  Not many bands are making sounds like this these days, but The Fratellis proudly do and often rock things up quite a bit as well.  One of my favorite bands that started in this century- look for a Spotlight On post soon!

“Slow Marching Band” Jethro Tull, The Broadsword And The Beast

The Tull has covered quite a wide variety of musical territory, from hard rock to folk rock to on “Slow Marching Band”, what appears to be a bit of a pompy, beer hall singalong power ballad.  Sounds like an odd description but hey, that’s what it sounds like to me.  As always with Tull the melodies are interesting, this one mostly guided by a moving piano and the ever entertaining Ian Anderson on smooth vocal and intro flute passage.  “Locomotive Breath” this ain’t but for a change of pace in the Tull canon it’s a decent tune.

“Long Way From Home” North Mississippi All Stars, Hernando

I like my Allstars raunchy and low down dirty blues, but “Long Way From Home” sounds like some fuzzed out psychedelic trip; kinda bluesy, kinda space rock, kinda improv jazzy in the guitar solo and possibly stoned (ha ha).  Kinda reminds me of Space Cowboy Steve Miller but without the cool synthesizers, more like a fumbled mess recorded in a haze of pot smoke with lyrics made up on the spot (“Chickenfoot… and my mind is blown”).  Yet…  I like it for its oddness and wanting to be “out there” for the sake of being out there.  Or was that the point?  🙂  I dunno, you decide.

“Things Are Getting Better” The Kinks, Kinks Size/Kinks Kinkdom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhIY_R5_c6s

Who says songs under two minutes suck?  Not me!  “Things Are Getting Better” rides Dave Davies’ rockin’ Bo Diddley beat in 1:57, featuring a laid back brother Ray vocal and some cool boogie woogie piano and harmonica midway through.  Early Kinks were a mix of ramshackle rock and wistful melancholy depending on Ray Davies mood yet this cut certainly falls in the former category-  no wistfulness here, just an awesome blast of guitar and fun band vocal.

“Cold Turkey (Acoustic)” Cheap Trick, B-Sides Demos Outtakes Rarities

Snagged from the incredible B-Sides Demos Outtakes Rarities boot comes a high speed acoustic cover of John Lennon’s “Cold Turkey”, which the band had originally recorded fully plugged in and rockin’ at regular speed for the Working Class Hero tribute album.  Not sure if this version was recorded for future release, but it’s a fun run through the tune with some sprightly guitar from Rick Nielsen and the ever awesome Robin Zander on vocal.  Psst…  hey guys…  can ya officially release this one?

Wow, tough call for the top three songs this time around (Cheap Trick pun!) but I gotta go with “Sometime” for the gold medal followed by “Whistle From The Choir” and “Things Are Getting Better” for the silver and bronze.

It’s pretty rare when I listen to music that I’m paying attention to the lyrics but I’ll be damned if Walking Papers doesn’t paint some compellingly stark yet incredibly moving visuals.  I mean, hey, the music is often killer and matches the mood but I feel like I’m listening to the soundtrack of a movie adapted from some cheap pulp fiction crime novella featuring fractured relationships and various sordid characters from the dark and grimy streets of the big city straight out of a Scorcese film.  This ain’t no “happy happy joy joy” at all…  no, this is often bleaker.  Still the occasional ray of light will shine through and offer hope for the parties involved.

Walking Papers’ debut disc released in 2013 was one of my favorite releases that year and when word came out that album #2 was due in early 2018, I quickly went to the PledgeMusic site and plunked down my $12 on a preorder.  First cut I’d heard from that debut was the stomping “The Whole World’s Watching”, featuring Barret Martin’s Bonhamesque kicks anchoring a semi-doomy yet bluesy Sabbathesque riff, which hooked me immediately.  The rest of the disc was just as incredible, mixing similar rock tuneage but what really grabbed me was the overall rich, bluesy, and soulful vibe of the seamier cuts featuring the smoky vocals of Jeff Angell, whose half-sung/half-spoken depictions are hued in various shades that often add to the various tensions in the music (check out “The Butcher” and “A Place Like This” for examples).

So how about that second disc?  If you liked the debut, you should like this one as well.  Overall it may rock a little more than the debut and the mix is a little more compressed and dense, thickening up the sound a little more as it dirties up the guitars yet flattens Martin’s drumwork.  The debut had a bit more clarity and openness with cleaner separation between each instrument that provided some excellent sonics, which worked incredibly well with the songs.  Still, this is a minor knock on the disc as it does offer up a slightly different vibe, maybe showing a more confident and comfortable band that has no problem playing off each other and jamming a little bit more than on that debut.

Enough of the sound quality…  what about the songs?  Kicking off with a bouncy rocker in “My Luck Pushed Back”, the band swing a bit mightier and harder across a good chunk of this disc.  If that’s your bag, then jump straight to heavyweights like the punky “Somebody Else”, the swirling thump and swing of “Hard To Look Away”, or the Deep Purple grooves in “Into The Truth” for some solid rock.  But if you are like me, the atmospherics of this band are truly their bread and butter-  songs like “Red And White”, “Yours Completely”, “This Is How It Ends”, and “I Know You’re Lying” are some of the real standouts here, although all four are totally different from each other…  “Red And White”‘s dark and desolate landscape is similar to the songs on the debut while the sexy and pulsating drive in “Yours Completely” is its polar opposite , and “This Is How It Ends” is a swirling groovy maelstrom with a fantastic lyric about…  well, just take a listen below. But “I Know You’re Lying” may be my favorite of all-  with a tempo laid back and in the pocket, the song sits back and gives the melody ample space to shine.  And when the short coda hits, the result is truly sublime.  A dead on stunner with a fine, fine lyric.

If I had to pick an unsung hero on this disc it’s keyboardist Benjamin Anderson, who splashes a lot of color on most every song-  a little bit of piano here, organ stabs here, and various other touches.  Odd that I didn’t pick up on his handiwork on the first disc, but on WP2 he’s mixed a bit higher and on some songs he acts more as a lead instrument (the heavy organ vibes on “Into The Truth” and “Death On The Lips”; the spacy keys on “Right In Front Of Me; the hook in “I Know You’re Lying”).  As for the rest of the band-  rhythm section is incredibly solid; I’ve already talked about my love for Barrett Martin’s work but Duff McKagen is spot on with his basslines, often comping the guitar work or providing unique grooves on his own like in “Yours Completely”.  As for guitar and vocals?  Once again, Jeff Angell shows off his subtle and smoky style on each song and his guitar work is a perfect accompaniment to the band and songs, mostly solid rhythm work (and cool slide too, check out “King Hooker”!) with the occasional tasty lead break.  Seriously, this guy should be a star.

If you like elements of classic rock with some dirty blues, excellent musicianship, vivid lyrical content, and killer songs, then Walking Papers’ WP2 is for you.  And while you’re at it, pick up that debut too.

Gene…  Paul…  Ace… Peter…  outside of The Beatles, what other band out there can you rattle off the first names of each member?  Those of us impressionable youth of a certain age group likely knew as the KISS phenomenon was definitely mega in the mid to late 70s.  Some of us had the albums, the lunch boxes, the bubblegum cards, the dolls, the posters, and even dressed up as the members for Halloween (guilty as charged).  But how do you explain KISS to those who were born in the 80s or 90s or 2000s?

I didn’t know KISS from Adam until I was in the sixth grade, where at one of our school holiday parties (Christmas?  Maybe Valentine’s Day?) it seemed like EVERYBODY brought in a copy of KISS Alive II album to play during the last hour of the day.  I can remember taking an instant dislike to the cover-  who ARE these weirdos?  What’s with the clown makeup and why does that guy have blood dripping out of his mouth?  And what’s so special about these guys if I’ve never heard them on the radio before?

Silly me…  I didn’t listen to the album that day but shortly thereafter I did hear my first KISS album, courtesy of someone I played Little League baseball with.  I was probably eleven, maybe twelve years old at the time and Pat (my friend’s name) had an older brother who had a decent record collection with a lot of KISS records.  I remember seeing Alive II in the stack and likely made the comment to him that I thought these guys were weird but boy did he set me straight.  He didn’t put on Alive II at first-  no, he put on their first live album Alive and it changed my life in ways unimaginable.

Man…  what a racket!  I don’t know if it was the songs, the guitars, the music, the vocals, the excitement of the crowd, the liner notes, whatever…  this was something new.  This was HUGE!  This was awesome!  Once we got done listening to that we threw on Alive II and I was kicking myself because these “weirdos” were awesome!  Everything just sounded big and was totally different from anything I’d ever heard before.  At some point his brother came home and told us not to screw up his records but we didn’t care- we just turned it down so he didn’t hear us and listened to the others that he had (maybe Rock And Roll Over and Destroyer, but that’s almost 40 years ago!).

So for a good two years, KISS was pretty much THE band for me.  They hadn’t quite released the solo albums yet, so my brother and I got hooked on the early stuff up to Alive II and were mesmerized.  Shortly thereafter the solo albums did come out but to me, something had changed and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it…  I loved Ace’s, Paul’s had some decent songs (my brother loved it), Gene’s was a little strange in spots with a couple of good songs, and Peter’s was…  well, something that my young brain couldn’t quite absorb.  All that said, that early magic for me was suddenly gone and everything was just different-  I don’t know if it was the original element of danger or the thrill of discovery, but my love for KISS took a pretty big hit.  Dynasty was the next big album and “I Was Made For Loving You” was cool, but it was no longer the same.  Soon after drummer Peter Criss left, then guitarist Ace Frehley (my all time favorite member), and then…  my fandom kinda sorta left too.

Well, not totally.  I still hung around and my brother or I would buy their latest releases through the 80s (the non makeup years) and into the 90s (Revenge is a pretty damn good record) but by that time my tastes had changed tremendously and the urge to pick up the latest KISS album for old times’ sake had gone bye bye.  However, I will admit the mid 90’s reunion of the original band donning the grease paint and costumes piqued my interest but the resulting Psycho Circus album did nothing for me other than the stomping title cut and Space Ace’s “Into The Void”.  And when the reunion died and Tommy Thayer donned the Spaceman makeup and Eric Singer became the Catman I still held out some hope, but…  it’s just not the same.  Those guys are great players but the resulting albums that they’ve played on (Sonic Boom and Monster) are just missing that special magic that the original four had.

All that said, I have huge respect for the band and support whatever it is that Gene and Paul want to do.  While my KISS ship has sailed, there remains a legion of adoring fans of all ages that still love them and eat up anything and everything they put out, whether it be CDs, T shirts, dolls, Mr Potato Heads, or KISS Koffins.  My comment earlier about explaining KISS to those that were born after their heyday?  Just tell them this…  at the time it was a phenomenon like no other.  The lights, the costumes, the explosions, the blood, the smoke, the fire, the SHOW was 100x bigger and more grandiose than anyone else at the time.  And much of that live spectacle that you see in shows today may very well have come from “the hottest band in the world…  KISS!!!”

Ahhh, the cover song…  over the years there have been quite a few good ones, just as many bad ones, and some that transcend the original and become THE version (“All Along The Watchtower”, anyone?).  Back in the ’80s, record companies seemed to push cover songs onto new bands left in right because…  well, if it was a hit before it can be a hit again with a newer audience, right?  Suuuuuuuuure…  maybe sometimes.  But what about those artists that do it to pay homage to their musical forefathers or just want to do their own personal take on a classic?  As for Animal Bag, they recorded an EP of five originals and two covers back in 1994, one from Jethro Tull (“Dun Ringill”) and an outstanding take on the Crosby, Stills, and Nash classic “Wooden Ships”.

While I often enjoy covers of classic hits, it’s pretty rare that I prefer a cover of a song that was instilled in my memory banks at such an early age.  While the CSN original may not be as familiar as sweeter fare such as “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” or “Our House”, it certainly received frequent airplay on the more daring AOR stations that would pluck those deeper and often more experimental tracks on the albums for airplay.  And with Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and occasionally Young) running a parallel trajectory with the rise of FM radio and eventually the AOR format, I grew up hearing and enjoying a good chunk of their music.  The original “Wooden Ships” is certainly a bit darker in tone lyrically, featuring a co-lead vocal between Stephen Stills and David Crosby as they trade off lines in the verse until the two join together with Graham Nash for some sweet harmonization come chorus time.  As for the music, there is a contrast to the vocal as Stills lays down some jazzy yet occasionally frenzied lead guitar lines accompanied with Hammondish organ stabs that fit well with the chaotic lyrical landscape based on a perceived outcome of a nuclear holocaust.  The song was written during the height of the Vietnam War, which likely colored the tension of the subject matter and the overall feel of the music.

Amazingly, with the Animal Bag version, the musical tension is relatively gone; replaced with a dreamier and more languid flow that works incredibly well both musically and vocally.  The key to this version is the pace:  the rhythmic strum follows a much slower vibe, the lead guitar is much bluesier than the push/pull exhibited in the original, and the multiple vocals are beautifully measured and more fluid.  The feel here is reminiscent of a late night jam after the lights are dimmed, the incense lit, and a few cocktails consumed-  there is no rush, leaving room for every vocal line, every emotional lead guitar bend, and every snare crack to breathe in a magically ethereal fashion.  While the original offers an atmospheric yet bleaker tone based on the dynamic ebb and flow of the music, the cover feels much more illusory yet hopeful thanks to its relaxed and restrained pace.

As much as I enjoy the original, this is an example where I love the cover even more.  Oddly enough both songs are in that five minute range but the Animal Bag version feels much shorter, making me hit the repeat button and leaving me enveloped in the song’s warm embrace.  Yes folks, it is THAT good.  Unfortunately, the band has been long gone and the EP is out of print and hard to track down-  if you dig the tunefulness though, you can support lead vocalist/acoustic master Trent Edwards and his new bluegrass band The Grassbillies out of Shelby, North Carolina.  Maybe go catch a gig and surprise him with a special request 🙂

Hey ho let’s go and do another shuffle and give you my thoughts on the first ten songs that pop up in shuffle mode on my iPod

“Trust” Lynyrd Skynrd, Lynyrd Skynyrd Box Set

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYzb8leQbs

Pulled from the box set comes “Trust” (originally found on Gimme Back My Bullets), a steamy rocker featuring some killer guitar work via riff and tasty leads plus a groovy bassline courtesy of Leon Wilkeson.  Singer Ronnie Van Zant belts out a warning to beware those you can’t trust, whether they be loved ones or friends.  And speaking of Ronnie his vocal hits a few higher sweet spots outside of his regular range, akin to the depth of a “Saturday Night Special”.  A deep, underrated cut.

“Everybody Makes It Through (In The Light)[Early Version/In Transit]” Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (Deluxe Edition)

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

The Zeppelin remasters that Jimmy Page put out a couple of years ago had a second disc chock full of goodies- while many were fairly close to the originals, there were some like this odd take of “In The Light”, featuring what sounds like a demented harpsichord intro with Robert Plant warbling through some alternate lyrics for this well known classic.  Some ideas made the final cut of this early workthrough, and those that were left on the cutting room floor are certainly worthy of hearing.  Wish more bands would release stuff like this.  Interesting and very cool.

“‘Til The Livin’ End” Zeke, ‘Til The Livin’ End

Like a bastardized version of Motorhead crossed with LA sleaze metal and NYC gutter punk comes Seattle four piece Zeke and title cut to their 2004 release.  Gritty and slammin’ with a nice and dirty riff topped with gutteral vocal courtesy of Blind Marky  Felchtone ripped out in a quick one minute and fifty two seconds.  If Lemmy woulda been born in the mean streets of da Bronx, I guarantee this is what he would have sounded like.

“Wherever I May Roam” Metallica, Live Shit: Binge And Purge

I got burned out of the Black Album hits quickly, but by golly this is a pretty massive live version.  At the time of this album Metallica was riding high and they were definitely a live and dangerous force,  Lars doing a fine push and pull job here with the tempo and the band suitably falling in line.  Jaymz live during this time was a beast, turning in more of a gritty vocalization on the album but seriously owning it and commanding in front of a crowd.  Saw them on this tour and it was awesome.

“Hounds” Savatage, Ghost In The Ruins (A Tribute To Chriss Oliva)

Talk about an underrated band…  Florida’s Savatage released some molten slabs of metal in the 80’s courtesy of the one-two punch of Chriss Oliva’s savage guitar histrionics and the absolutely evil and spell binding vocals from brother John Oliva.  This live  version of “Hounds” is stunning as it moves between the solid rock bits, dramatically charged dark areas, and the headbanging final minute.  Loved Chriss (RIP), but John sends chills up the spine.  A commanding vocal presence.

“Gates Of Babylon” Rainbow, Long Live Rock ‘N Roll

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

One of those castle rock classics that has birthed many a progressive rock/metal band over the years, “Gates Of Babylon” is a gem of a cut from Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow.  Kicking off with keyboard sonics courtesy of David Stone, “Gates” is a cinematic journey as it weaves through a vaguely Middle Eastern sounding riff and a knockout of a vocal from one Ronnie James Dio.  And speaking of Blackmore…  some stunning lead work here full of spirit and sweet, fluid runs.  A feast for the ears and imagination.

“By The Grace Of God” The Hellacopters, By The Grace Of God

Sweden has a helluva lot of great metal and rock bands and The Hellacopters are one example of many killer bands from that country.  Featuring a stinging melodic guitar intro, the song quickly charges headlong into some riffy goodness and a shouty singalong chorus that sticks like an earworm.  If you take equal parts Detroit garage rock and mix it up with a relatively clean yet strong vocal topped with killer melodies then you’ve got your next favorite band.  Seriously…

“Over The Hills And Far Away” Led Zeppelin, How The West Was Won

Hey, a Zep twofer in this shuffle!  Not a damn thing wrong with that, especially when you’ve got a killer version of this well known classic.  Maybe a tad bit speedier here but the force of the playing and mind blowingly ON Robert Plant vocal gives you an idea why these guys are one of my all time favorite bands.  Oh wait a minute…  Page is great too as are Bonham and Jones, especially during the middle breakdown section.  But Plant…  at the top of his game here.

“Fortuneteller” Deep Purple, Slaves and Masters

A Richie Blackmore twofer as well with that “other” band he was in, although if you weren’t paying attention you may think it was that “other other” band due to the vocal presence of Joe Lynn Turner.  But wait a minute, that was Dio…  umm…  nevermind.  Seriously, “Fortuneteller” is certainly more latter day Rainbow than Deep Purple, although the Jon Lord keys on this cut are pretty cool.  Turner’s vocal is fairly standard for him, but Blackmore throws out some tasty and stinging lead lines.

“Why You Do This?” Death Angel, Frolic In The Park

Frolic Through The Park will always have a soft spot with me as it was my first Death Angel cassette(!), having first been introduced to the band by the oddly infectious “Bored”.  But hey, I’m reviewing “Why You Do This?” and its mix of punky hardcore thrashiness over five minutes of non-stop crazy riffery that mixed Suicidal Tendencies with, say, Exodus.  Mark Osegueda turns in a typically fine vocal but the drum tornado that is Andy Galeon really steals the show as he slams and pounds the kit with reckless abandon.

Cut of the week goes to “Over The Hills And Far Away” followed closely by “Gates Of Babylon” and “By The Grace Of God” a distant third.