The post grunge years for the music industry was an interesting time in the States- heavy hitters such as Nirvana were gone after Kurt Cobain’s suicide, Alice In Chains went on hiatus as singer Layne Stayley struggled with drug abuse, Soundgarden broke up due to creative differences, and Pearl Jam spent a few years under the radar as they battled Ticketmaster over exorbitant fees.  Where was the young music fan to turn?  Why, bloody Great Britain you bastards!

Kicking off with a symphonic sample from the Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra (more on that later), “Bittersweet Symphony” made a grand melodic statement and was a staple on Top 40 radio stations during the summer of 1997.  The Verve had been quite the popular band in their native England, having released a couple of psychedelic flavored discs with tons of guitar sonics courtesy of Nick McCabe and the mesmerizing and lax cool vocals of Richard Ashcroft.  Come the third album McCabe was out but eventually brought back in to help flesh out the songs, which had become a bit more melodic and soul searching lyrically but still retained a fantastic swirl of sound that hearkened back to their earlier material.  The main theme of “Bittersweet Symphony” was built around  a six note sample from “The Last Time” from the Andrew Oldham Orchestra, which itself came from the Rolling Stones song of the same name.  The band and former Stones manager Allen Klein agreed on the sample; however, once the song’s popularity took off Klein reneged on the original agreement and filed suit, claiming that the band used a larger sample.  Klein won, and “Bittersweet Symphony” is now fully credited to Mick Jagger/Keith Richards (as writers of “The Last Time” riff) and Richard Ashcroft (as writer of the lyric).

You can argue both sides here but the bottom line is that The Verve’s creative use of the slightly sped up sample mixed with Ashcroft’s carefree lyric and the swirling guitar pattern from Nick McCabe and Simon Tong produced a classic song that stands on its own.  That four note introductory cello pattern counterbalanced with those oh so magnificent violin strums certainly forms the backbone of the song, but there is enough extra built into the melody and production that pushes this song to another level.  Cool guitar touches pop in and out of the mix and Ashcroft’s vocal melody is brilliant and plays perfectly against the backdrop of the sample and straightforward drum pattern.  But not all symphonic pieces on here are pulled from that original album sample- extra violin washes are added to the mix to beef up the sound and sweeten the melody.  Strip away the sample and the additional sonics from this and you’d still have an excellent song for just vocal and acoustic guitar.  Pure magic on multiple fronts.

I’ve always been a bit iffy on sampling but in this instance it works brilliantly.  Listen to Andrew Oldham Orchestra version and you’ll note that the sample is a part of the song but doesn’t serve as the core melody.  The Verve was able to take that and layer different things on top of it and create a unique statement which they should be credited for, but NOT Jagger/Richards.  Interestingly enough, the distinctive string sample taken from the orchestra version sounds NOTHING like the Stones original-  that comes courtesy of composer David Whitaker, who should have received the credit.  However, being that the orchestral “The Last Time” was in itself a radical reinterpretation of the Stones original, Jagger/Richards get the credit.  Funny how the music business works sometimes…

If there was one band that the guys and gals during my high school years all agreed on, it was Van Halen.  They were THE party band in high school:  we dudes marveled at the pyrotechnic guitar wizardry of Eddie Van Halen, the gals fawned all over David Lee Roth, and we all loved the songs.  Myself, I was nuts for the first five albums… and then…  the clown show took over.

I know, I know, I’m in the minority but I was totally cool when the band and Roth went splitsville and the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar came on board.  Sure, Roth was a great frontman for the band and brought tons and fun and swagger but at some point the focus was more on him (blame MTV and the media) and less on the rest of the band, which was the draw for me.  Plus, something about the 1984 album started moving the band in a slightly more commercial direction and away from the all out guitar centered assault from past albums.  While those rockers were still there, the prominence of keyboards was adding a different shade to the VH palette as Edward was branching out into newer territory.  It felt as if he needed a new creative foil to bounce ideas off of and Sammy Hagar was that man.  As for Roth, he was now in total control and free to pull together a hot shot band of hired guns to do his bidding.

Enough of the history lesson…  what about the resulting albums from VH with Hagar and Roth as solo artist?  March 1986 was when 5150 was dropped on the public, headed up by debut single “Why Can’t This Be Love” which was about as far removed from anything previously released by Van Halen or Sammy himself.  While I admit it wasn’t quite what I was expecting, the song was catchy and certainly “feel good” and was a decent teaser for the album.  But when the album dropped I was jazzed…  finally new Van Halen!  But…  a different beast altogether and one that was a bit shocking but still totally cool.  Opener “Good Enough” was a great blend of styles and an excellent showcase for what the new band could do-  Sammy in full throated roar and the band rocking hard; “Dreams” a dead on classic with a positive lyric and fab chorus; “Best Of Both Worlds” and the title cut examples of great EVH riffs with an early days swagger; and “Love Walks In” a vocal showcase for Hagar and part of that new creative direction the band was heading in.  Toss in the humorous “Inside” to show off the new band of brothers vibe on top of a handful of other cool ditties and the new VH (or “Van Hagar”, as some called them) was ready to take on the world.  I caught the band on tour at this time and it was a fantastic show-  these guys were having a blast on stage and their chemistry and on stage banter was infectious.  To this day, one of my all time favorite concert experiences.

So… how did Roth answer?  With a damn good album himself.  Always the showboat, the Diamond One pulled out all the stops with debut single “Yankee Rose” and its hilarious video (something that VH shied away from for 5150) featuring Roth as voodoo shaman needing “a bottle of anything and a glazed donut…  TO GOOO!”  Interestingly enough, I didn’t quite mind the Roth antics as a solo artist-  he DID make some entertaining videos and it certainly was all about him but hey, this time it was HIS band.  And what a band!  Steve Vai on guitar and Billy Sheehan on bass were a pyrotechnic tag team, featuring lots of flash and incendiary playing on songs like “Shy Boy” and its buzzsaw unison lines; “Bump & Grind”‘s sexy swagger; “Tobacco Road”‘s raunch ‘n roll; and the “talking guitar” featured on “Yankee Rose”.  Still, Roth was able to express his creativity with this band as well-  everything from Sinatra cool on “That’s Life” to the swinging “Ladies Night In Buffalo” to the sun ‘n fun of “Goin’ Crazy”.  Eat ‘Em And Smile took the party blueprint from Roth’s former band, cranked it to eleven, and still took it a notch higher courtesy of dual flamethrowers in Vai and Sheehan.  A fun, fun album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUpWLQ9UEYk

So who is the winner?  Whew…  tough call.  There is something about 5150 that is unique and is a great example of how two separate artists can play to their strengths and create a piece of work that can stand on its own.  One drawback for this album is that it sounds a little dated due to the Simmons electronic drums that Alex Van Halen included in his kit, but it’s not a huge knock.  Still, a lot of great, well crafted rock music with classic Hagar melodies that still sounds great today.  As for Eat ‘Em And Smile, the songs and performances are strong and play well to the strengths of each musician on the disc.  However, it seems that Roth’s main goal here was to keep the party hearty element alive and not stretch the boundaries too far (that would come with next album Skyscraper) from what made him famous in the first place.  The songs (originals and covers) fit his voice to a tee and he let the band do their thing to excellent results.

For creativity and memorable songs…  the winner is 5150.  For serious ass kicking and overall vibe…  the winner is ‘Eat Em And Smile.  And the one that I play most today and is the winner of this showdown (by a nose, I must add) is Eat ‘Em And Smile.

Happy New Year!  Let’s kick it off with another rousing rendition of shuffling through the first ten songs on the iPod and giving you my two cents…

“Mobius Slip”, Sound Of Contact Dimensionaut

For you progheads out there comes this nearly twenty minute behemoth of a cut featuring Simon Collins (Phil’s son) that mixes a great deal of spacey Floydisms and the grandeur of Genesis or Hogarth era Marillion.  Plenty of buildup here too, with lighter touches from guitar and keyboards layering into heavier phases that weave various magics throughout the song.  If you’re up for slipping away into a cool musical journey awash in various vibes and textures you’re in for a treat.

“Sweet Blue Midnight”, Georgia Satellites In The Land Of Salvation And Sin

Far removed from “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” but still in the Stonesy range that these boys do quite well, “Sweet Blue Midnight” is a fine slow burner in the country rock vein with a good dollop of bluesiness thrown in.  Kind of an electrified “Wild Horses” for the newer generation with some sweet slide guitar playing from Dan Baird (or is that Rick Richards?).  A good ol’ slow dancing tune for you  and your sweetie.

“Grow Or Pay”, D.A.D. Riskin’ It All

These tuneful Danes were one of those bands that would occasionally pop up on Headbanger’s Ball back in the late 80s and I must admit that I dug ’em.  Musically, these guys could rock but also write a decent ditty like “Grow Or Pay” which features a melodic chorus and some awesomely cool reverb-laden guitar in an AC/DC punkabilly vibe.  Singer Jesper Binzer’s vocals are nice and gritty and brother Jacob’s guitar work is simple yet quite effective.

“Stealing From A Thief”, Anthrax Volume 8: The Threat Is Real

From the John Bush era of the band comes this Pantera-esque groover with a thick and chunky bottom end and the occasional odd detour during the verses.  Midway through the song kicks into double time and rocks out the rest of the way as Bush does his typical stellar vocal job with a nice singalong chorus.  This era of the band was definitely more groove oriented instead of their thrash heyday and there’s nothing wrong with that-  just be prepared for a different taste 🙂

“Doomed”, Galactic Ruckus

Come the Ruckus album, Galactic starts moving away from straight ahead New Orleans funk and throws in different elements into their worldvision stew.  “Doomed” certainly leans more trip hop with effects laden and echoey drums and various keyboard sound textures but lays down the heavy hammer with a fat guitar riff and horn pattern.  Certainly a departure from their original sound but a nice change of pace.  And yes, Stanton Moore laying down a killer groove on the drums.

“Oh Lonely Grave”, Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster III

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzZ04tilE4U

Like a bastard son of Bill Monroe, Hank Williams, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden, and Pantera comes “Oh Lonely Grave”, featuring an incredible mix of bluegrass, southern rock, and four on the floor heavy metal.  What’s amazing is how all elements are effectively layered in together; not featuring too much of one style over another although the heavier spots might be a shock, especially Dallas Taylor’s full throated roars.  An all out assault on the senses.

“Bark At The Moon”, Ozzy Osbourne Bark At The Moon

Randy Rhoads was gone (perished in a tragic plane crash) and the Ozzman plucks young Jake E. Lee for the role as his guitar player and our first exposure is this dead on classic with its memorable riff and equally memorably video.  Jake acquits himself well in filling Rhoads’ large shoes, sounding quite a bit different from his predecessor as he ably tosses out fast, bluesy runs and killer rhythmic patterns.  Ozzy does a good job vocally but he takes a backseat on this cut.

“Soul Serenity”, Vintage Trouble 1 Hopeful Rd

Full admission here…  my preference for these guys is their balls to the wall soulful rock but something like “Soul Serenity” and its cool acoustic shuffle and smooth vocal arrangement is pretty fab too.  Lead vocalist Ty Taylor is a gem here (as he is on almost everything), full of smooth soul but also tossing in a few gritty bits and falsetto touches for some tasty flavor.  Like I say, a bit more of a campfire tune that what I normally like from these guys but good for those chillin’ times.

“Nowhere Road”, Steve Earle Guitar Town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nni2VZP966Y

I don’t have much country on the iPod but what I do have certainly leans more old fashioned or outlaw in vibe.  Steve Earle came out as a fresh voice and mixed in some rockier elements, with “Nowhere Road” giving the listener a good taste of country swing with fiddle and steel guitar but a more rocked up production.  Really good tuneful stuff that walked that fine line between country and rock when the genre needed a good kick in the pants.

“Laughing On Judgment Day”, Thunder Laughing On Judgment Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU3buhICM9c

‘Tis a shame…  these guys should be bigger than they are.  “Laughing On Judgment Day” gives you a good taste of what these guys are all about-  a big riff straight out of the Zep/Free/Whitesnake playbook, some killer vocal chops, huge layers of production, and a sing along chorus.  If you like bluesy rock as the aforementioned bands that leans more on the commercial side, Thunder will do ya good.  A fun band that doesn’t take itself too seriously but has plenty of chops for you to sit up and take notice.

Lots of variety this week!  Fave song goes to “Bark At The Moon” by a wide margin followed by a tie between “Grow Or Pay”, “Laughing On Judgment Day”, and “Doomed”.

Loaded up once again at the tail end of the year.  It’s a disease, I’m tellin’ ya…

Led Zeppelin – The Complete BBC Sessions

Magpie Salute – Magpie Salute

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon?

Sasquatch – Maneuvers

Lynch Mob – The Brotherhood

Mastodon – Cold Dark Place

Witchery – I Am Legion

Witchery – In His Infernal Majesty’s Service

The Verve – Urban Hymns (Deluxe Box Set)

Angel City – Face To Face

Stevie Ray Vaughan – Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985

John Hiatt – Two Bit Monsters

Iron Maiden – Book Of Souls: Live Chapter

The Quill – Full Circle

Thunder – Wonder Days

Sweet & Lynch – Unified

Soilwork – Sworn To A Great Divide

Soilwork – The Panic Broadcast

The Quill – Tiger Blood

Simon Collins – U Catastrophe

Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression

Tristania – World Of Glass

Satyricon – Rebel Extravaganza

Tyr – Valkyrja

Tiamat – Judas Christ

Borknagar – Empiricism

Allegaeon – Formshifter

Richard Thompson – You? Me? Us?

John Zorn – Naked City

Electric Light Orchestra – All Over The World: The Very Best Of

Soilwork – Natural Born Chaos

James Cotton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Billy Branch – Harp Attack!

The Darkness – Pinewood Smile

Robert Plant – Carry Fire

Thunder – Rip It Up

Govt Mule – Revolution Come… Revolution Go

Legendary Shack Shakers – After You’ve Gone

Black Country Communion – BCCIV

The Black Keys – The Moan

I normally steer clear of year end “best ofs” for the blog but this year will be an exception.  While I often buy quite a bit of music it is rare for me to put one particular release in constant rotation, come back to it months down the road, and STILL get jazzed on based on the songs, excitement, and energy level based on the material within.  That, my friends, is the mark of a great album and a big reason why Power Trip’s “Nightmare Logic” is my favorite release of 2017.

I wrote about this album back in June (check that out HERE) and everything still applies, even moreso.  And it’s not just me…  check out metal music sites and you’ll find scores of bloggers/writers/etc praising the album, many including it in their own personal top ten or even at the top spot.  As many note, this band has crossover appeal for thrash fans, death metal fans, speed metal fans, punk fans, hardcore fans, and is winning over people en masse based on the blending of those styles into a concise eight song, thirty minute album of relentless energy, conviction, and intensity.

A big reason why I enjoy this album is because it reminds me of 1986/1987 and the burgeoning thrash metal movement headed up by Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth.  I’m feeling the same exact vibe listening to this as when thrash finally “clicked” with me and became a full on love affair, but Power Trip is not a full on throwback band.  They don’t sound like one band in particular but are a perfect mix of multiple artists plus just enough of their own tenacity and spirit to make you take notice.  Such relentlessness and a “take no prisoners” performance from beginning to end deserves much critical praise.  Play this one straight through- it’s a Goliath of an album.

Yeah, I’ve mentioned it before…  I’m a staunch traditionalist when it comes to Christmas music, giving the ol’ BAH HUMBUG to most attempts at holiday tunes done over the past few decades.  Gimme the classics sung by Bing, Sinatra, Andy Williams (my fave), Nat King Cole, or any big band artist from back in the day and I’m a happy camper.  However there are always a few exceptions, with the biggest being my favorite rawk n roll holiday tune you’ll probably never hear on your local “all Christmas all the time” station-  “Father Christmas” by The Kinks.

For those of you that have never heard this song, it’s a bit unlike any other Christmas song you’ve ever heard and that’s the beauty of it-  you start of with a winsome, upbeat piano riff accompanied by sleigh bells but that’s where the resemblance ends because you’ll be knocked out by a hilariously wicked lyric about those that may be less fortunate come the holiday season.  The song is sung from three perspectives…  one, the poor unfortunate department store Santa who gets accosted by a group of young kids (perspective #2) voicing their displeasure about the need for money (and jobs for their unemployed fathers) instead of toys, and the third perspective from the author who reminds us to think of “the kids who got nothin'” as we enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Strong subject matter for a holiday song but it’s the rollicking guitar riff and the spirit and delivery of the vocal that makes it stand out, especially during the cranked up chorus belted by a bunch of hooligans.  It’s upbeat, it rocks, and while there is a hint of cartoon violence about beating up jolly old St. Nick and getting a machine gun to “scare all the kids on the street”, you’re not getting beat over the head with a preachy message.  But you are getting a fantastically memorable Ray Davies lyric that’s glorious, tongue in cheek fun.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

No dear readers…  this blog has not changed its focus from music to those phenomenons that are bizarre and cannot be explained…  I’m talking about Los Angeles area rock/metal trio Sasquatch, featuring the excellent Keith Gibbs on guitar and vocals along with Jason Casanova on bass and new boy Craig Riggs on drums.  Take a dash of the fuzzed out tones from Black Sabbath, the solid rock of Grand Funk Railroad, the stoner vibe/grooves of Corrosion Of Conformity or Soundgarden, and hints of psychedelia and heavy blues and you have the lethal concoction that is Sasquatch.

So just who are these guys and why are they getting a Spotlight post?  Quite a few reasons, especially if you are a fan of 70s/80s heavy rock sounds with killer vocals, solid hooks, heavy grooves, and thick and chunky riffs galore.  Sasquatch got their start in 2001 and have released five albums since (latest being Maneuvers in 2017), all chock full of fuzzy goodness that gets your head bobbing in no time.  Keith Gibbs’ midrange vocal delivery is rock solid, never straying too far high or too far low from a bluesy burr that meshes well with his tasty guitar licks.  And speaking of those guitar licks…  take the warmth of 70s era Ted Nugent mixed with Master Of Reality Tony Iommi with some hairier growl on the riff and you’ll be busting out your inner guitar hero in no time.

OK, enough about the guitar/vocals…  what about the rest of the band?  Two words…  Tight and Slammin’ (without the “g”).  The bass essentially follows the lead riff to double the thickness and intensity; not really stretching out too far from that core root but adding the occasional color (see:  “Off The Rails” from II for an example) or  boogie riff (see: “Chemical Lady” from the debut).  That said, the bass can add some heavy sonics as well depending on the type of song-  for example check out the heavy spaciness of “Pull Me Under” from III – or dance around and throw a jab a the main riff – see “Sweet Lady” from IV.  As for the drumwork?  Suitably heavy, in the pocket, and thumping with various groovy patterns depending on the mood of the song; never totally pushing the groove but content to ride shotgun with the riff and add various accents to heighten the elements of the song…  a well placed cymbal crash here or tribal stomp there.

You want some solid, meat and potatoes riff rock featuring some strong singing and excellent playing then check these guys out.  While the vibe may sound familiar and it may be a bit retro, don’t let that discourage you-  these guys play it like they mean it.  The riffs, the hooks, the overdrive, and the ROCK are all here and trust me… the songs will dig deep into your memory banks for a long time (“Pleasure To Burn”… “Get Out Of Here”…  “Rational Woman”… just to name a few).  Go support ’em live and hit them up on their website (http://www.sasquatchrock.us/) for a killer deal on all five albums to download for under $30!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXyslni3jtc

Shuffling through another ten songs on the iPod and giving you my two cents on each.  Enjoy!

“Green River”, John Fogerty Premonition

A dead on classic if there ever was one, John Fogerty lets rip on this version via his 1997 live album Premonition (which is highly recommended).  Note this is Fogerty solo with a crackin’ good band, most notable player being former Mellencamp skin basher Kenny Aronoff.  Fogerty’s voice is in great form and his guitar playing has a bit of raunch and bite, extending the song a bit with a tasty solo.  Not too far removed from the Creedence version.

“The Invocation”, Dew-Scented Invocation

From Germany comes this oddly named band, here featuring a fairly strong cut in “The Invocation”.  A bit of a herky jerky thrashin’ riff in spots with a couple of groovers thrown in for good measure, this cut has some vague death metal tones courtesy of Leif Jensen’s commanding hardcore bark.  If you’re looking to graduate to some heavier music and have always liked the thrash ‘n stomp but you’re unsure about more aggressive vocals, this may be a good start.

“This Is Where I Belong”, The Kinks Face To Face

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaC0sXzH9o8

Do I ever love The Kinks!  Definitely an all time favorite band for me, especially as Ray Davies has written many a killer kut over the years.  “This Is Where I Belong” is a fine little ditty, maybe a bit underrated yet likely in that middle tier of songs that are good, not great, but certainly not awful.  Quite catchy, well sung and played (nice drumming from Mick Avory!), plus a decent organ line hidden deep in the mix to add another element.  Also, brother Dave adds nice guitar touches and backing vocals as well.

“Skin and Bone”, The Kinks Muswell Hillbillies

A Kinks double shot!  If the previous kut was just good then “Skin And Bone” is definitely in the very good category courtesy of the loose playing, hilarious lyric, and overall fun vibe.  Dave Davies’ guitar playing has an almost country/rockabilly vibe (although that could be Ray) and brother Ray’s vocal is in the pocket as he grooves along with the rest of the band.  I keep waiting for this to show up in the next Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers commercial 🙂

“Hey Buddy”, Life Sex & Death Silent Majority

Life Sex & Death was one of those oddly memorable concert experiences from back in the day (just Google the band or check out vids on YouTube and watch Stanley- you’ll know who it is when you see him).  At any rate, “Hey Buddy” moves from an acoustic slow burner into a semi-rocker, not quite power ballad territory but more of a heavier Beatles vibe a la “She’s So Heavy”.  Unfortunately the band released only one album but fell off the face of the earth once grunge overtook anything remotely hair metal.

“Elevation”, U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind

U2 gets semi trip hoppy on “Elevation”, a groovy little number with a fun singalong “Woo ooh” bit and some psychedelic bits courtesy of some fuzziness from The Edge and various other vocal touches.  I believe this song was a minor hit from the band with the album as a whole being a bit of a return to form.  And that Bono cat?  Not sure what he’s singing about half the time but the dude does a great job of selling a song.  One of the better recent cuts from the band.

“Revolution”, The Cult Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lteomt5CWq4

If you’ve never checked out The Cult’s earlier material pre-Sonic Temple, then “Revolution” may be a good place to start.  Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy leaned closer to goth/new wave in those early days but had classic rock roots deep in their veins, especially via Astbury’s killer pipes.  But don’t sell Duffy’s guitar work short here-  you’ve got various layers from echoey bits, chime-y rhythm playing, and some sweet lead lines.  Likely a great live tune for them back in the day.  Good stuff.

“Insurgeria”, Mob Rules Savage Land

Some killer power metal here, Savage Land being the band’s debut and “Insurgeria” showing off the best of the genre-  strong melodic vocals and Iron Maiden inspired guitar work.  Not quite as happy or speedy as fellow countrymen Helloween or Gamma Ray, Mob Rules slots in more as chunkier riffsters of epic proportions.  Kinda like taking the cleaner vocals of say Dokken mixed with Maiden or Dio and you’re in the ballpark.

“The Wait – New High in Lows” Overkill, W.F.O.

Kicking off with a snippet of Al Pacino dialogue from the underrated Carlito’s Way, Overkill kicks into a banger with plenty of thrashy chops mixed in with the occasional Sabbathesque nod.  Plenty of presto changeos as the song bounces around from one slamming riff to another and Blitz does a typically fab job on vocals, but uggghh…  that ping pongy bass tone from DD Verni is hard to ignore.  Other than that, plenty of headbanging goodness to go ’round.

“Pelvis Pusher” Vintage Trouble, The Bomb Shelter Sessions

Essentially a rewrite of Wilson Pickett’s “Land Of A Thousand Dances” (without the na nas) with more rock chops, but don’t let that stop you because this is damn good in its own right.  Singer Ty Taylor is an incredible singer with tons of rhythm and blues, soul, and rock grit to match greats like Otis Redding, James Brown, Al Green, and the aforementioned Pickett.  Saw these guys in concert a couple of years ago and they are the real deal with this cut definitely a highlight.  Fantastic stuff!

Pick of the week…  gotta go with “Green River” with “Skin and Bone” and “Pelvis Pusher” rounding out the top three.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJ0zCD3tdA

Although my wife and I differ in musical tastes (she more hit oriented and popular and me more heavier and obscure), we’ll often find common ground on certain artists or hits from a particular area.  We were friends before we first started dating, so I had a good feel for things she may or may not like but I always would throw in something she may not expect just to gauge her interests.  Sometimes these surprises were music related and when I would play “Close To You” by Maxi Priest it quickly became our first song.

For you readers out there this tune is pretty far removed from what I normally listen to; however, it does have specific musical elements that have always appealed to me:  the funkified yet slightly reggaeish beat, groovalicious bassline, killer melodic hook, and great singing.  As a singer, Maxi Priest has a smooth, R&B inflected vocal steeped more in classic soul\R&B greats and on this cut he brings the cool during the verse and sultry heat during the chorus.  A nice touch is also the string section, which intertwine some fine countermelodies with New Jack swing and cool funk.  A fabulous combination.  Some of you may listen to this and say “it’s not reggae” or “it’s not funk” but that’s the beauty of music-  sprinkle a little bit of this and a little bit of that to come up with something different and catchy.

After near 25 years of being together as a couple we’ve picked up quite a few other songs that have become shared favorites, but when we are on those long road trips (and sometimes short ones) and I’ve got control of the playlist “Close To You” is always on it.  And get yer mind outta the gutter!  Not necessary to get jiggy to enjoy this bad boy, just a warm fire and glass of wine and…  ummm…  where was I?  Fun to sing along with at any time-  now if I could only convince her to sing it with me at a karaoke bar…

When many people think AC/DC, you may think Angus Young’s non-stop movement on guitar or possibly Brian Johnson belting out tunes in his beloved flat cap.  Or some old school fans may think of bare chested Bon Scott singing his heart out with a mischievous grin and glint in his eye.  However, many may not think of the heart, soul, and engine of the band-  rhythm guitarist and founder of AC/DC, Malcolm Young.

After suffering from dementia over the past few years, Malcolm Young died today at the relatively young age of 64.  From the band’s inception since around 1973 until 2014, Young was a constant presence in the band (save for a few shows missed in the late 80s) and well known for his extremely solid rhythm playing and as main songwriter on all AC/DC material.  While brother Angus was like a tornado on stage, Malcolm was always rooted to the spot behind the microphone but rhythmically bobbing and bouncing with the beat-  yellow Gretsch guitar in hand and leading the charge.  To steal a quote from Angus:  “My part in AC/DC is just adding the color on top.  Mal’s the band’s foundation.  He’s rock solid and he pumps it along with the power of a machine”.

I’ve always looked at AC\DC as a bit like a “gateway” rock band for kids and I mean this in a good way.  I know my son and my nephew were influenced when they were at a young age- the sense of rhythm, groove, and feel are in the pocket, easy to sing along with, and fun to let out your inner air guitarist.  As a budding guitarist, these songs were also great to play along with and certainly helped with timing, feel, and a keen rhythmic sense.  For all that, we have a huge debt of gratitude to pay to Malcolm Young.  Thanks for the outstanding catalog of music and may you rest in peace.