Like Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man In The World”, I’d like to say “I don’t listen to Def Leppard often, but when I do I listen to __________”.  That would be a bit of a lie as my music tastes have changed quite dramatically over the years and I can honestly say when reaching for something to listen to, I’m not actively scrolling through the Ds on a mad hunt for the Leps.  No, my Leppard ship sailed a loooooong time ago although at one time I was an early proponent of the band along with many of my fellow schoolmates (Def Lep/Billy Squier concert, anyone?).  While I’ve certainly moved on I clearly respect what they’ve done-  selling over 100 million albums worldwide is no mean feat!  Still, much of the reasons why my interest has faded had a lot to do with the differences between the band’s second and third albums:  High ‘n Dry and Pyromania.

Flashback to the early ’80s…  by this time I was neck deep in all things music, gravitating everywhere from KISS to Top 40 to disco to rock to anything else that fell between the cracks.  At the time, radio playlists were still pretty wide open-  one moment you’d hear Wings, the next moment KC & The Sunshine Band, then on to The Cars and AC/DC, and then rounded out by Styx or The Gap Band or Journey or Eddie Rabbit(!).  Sometime in the late 70s/early 80s my mom would buy me magazines like Song Hits or Hit Parader or Circus, which was cool as my music tastes were leaning a bit heavier and these types of bands (AC/DC, Kiss, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Judas Priest) were starting to get major ink in the pages of these rags.  So while my radio ears were tuning in and my eyeballs were diverted to the flashy videos on MTV,  I’d also want to read more and more about these bands- and one of my favorites at the time was Def Leppard.

My first exposure to the Sheffield fivesome was via the mighty “Let It Go”, likely heard via WEBN (at the time THE AOR station) in Cincinnati and remains one of my top three Lep songs of all time.  What a way to kick off an album!  As a kid and even today I’ve always been attracted to guitar riffs and “Let It Go” certainly is a monster-  at the time I hadn’t heard anything quite like it outside of some of the heavier KISS or AC/DC cuts and it was a little too simple for Van Halen, but sometimes that simplicity is for the best.  That swinging crunch, that driving bass, and Joe Elliott’s tough vocal propels this song into heavy sonic territory that improved upon the quality of their debut album and leaned closer to producer Mutt Lange’s tones he achieved on AC/DC’s seminal Back In Black and For Those About To Rock albums.

After finally purchasing the album in 1982 or so I realized that punch did not stop there-  songs like “Another Hit And Run”, “Saturday Night (High ‘n Dry), instrumental “Switch 625”, and “No No No” were uniquely rifftacular in their own individual ways, featuring various tones and tenacities of varying measures and speeds.  While “No No No” leaned punk in spirit something like the highly underrated “Lady Strange” fell into a melodic yet hooky well of goodness courtesy of a sweet chorus and Joe Elliott’s tempered croon yet still amped up the charge midway through the song.  And what about the classic “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”?  Still, a fine fine tune and the bellwether on the album, showcasing a certain level of songwriting talent that would gel even more come their next two albums.  Bottom line, High ‘N Dry matched up extremely well with the hard rock of the day, leaning a bit heavier and a hair more tuneful than their fellow NWOBHM counterparts in the UK and slotting in nicely with veterans like AC/DC and Thin Lizzy.

As for Pyromania, I can remember exactly where I was the first time I heard advance cut “Too Late For Love” and the excitement I felt – cool dramatic buildup during the intro, hefty hanging chords, and a strong Joe Elliott vocal definitely caught my ear and had me savoring what was to come with a new Leppard album.  Not long thereafter I heard (or more likely caught the video for) “Photograph” and loved the mix of hook, crunch, and melodic sensibilities-  this song was a brilliant single and was a quick favorite and remains so to this day.  Follow up singles like the ballsy “Foolin'” and anthemic “Rock Of Ages” were huge plus lead cut “Rock Rock Til You Drop” was another fine showstopper as well, all three featuring strong sing along choruses that would (and did) go down well in the live environment.  With singles like these that focused more on the hook and the album as a whole containing more of a shinier, finer tuned production, Pyromania shot to the top of the charts and made Def Leppard significant stars on MTV and in the music world in general.  But for an early fan like me, something had changed…

To me, there are a couple of significant elements and stylistic shifts on Pyromania that makes it the lesser (and FAR lesser, in my mind) album when compared to High ‘n Dry.  Yes, the former album has those well worn chestnuts that your typical Def Leppard fan knows and loves but as a whole, that latter album hangs together more fluidly from top to bottom and rocks with more hungry conviction than anything else in their catalog.  On Pyromania that hunger was replaced by a sleeker, yet more sterilized sound as keyboards crept into the mix and Rick Allen’s drums were essentially replaced with more electronic samples that left an entirely different feel than the live band wallop featured on High ‘n Dry.  While the modern vibes felt fresh and exciting and the candy gloss hooks provided a new level of excitement on the hits, there were others where the combination did not work at all (“Action! Not Words”, “Billy’s Got A Gun”) or neutered the heavier aspects of the tunes (like “Comin’ Under Fire”, which would have fit nicely with High ‘N Dry’s beefier production).

If you look at this a little deeper, Pyromania could be viewed as a transitional album; one where pop songcraft and well polished and modern production values edged into the band formula and pushed the heavier cuts to the curb.  Come next album Hysteria, the fiery rock tunes found on High ‘N Dry were pretty much gone altogether and replaced by an entirely different beast; one that capably churned out one hit after another but unfortunately left this former fan a bit disillusioned with their new direction.  While I still have huge respect for the band and I’m happy they continue to release new music, nothing will ever compare to those heady early days and the brilliance that is High ‘N Dry.  

Total honesty here…  I’m still not totally sold on Greta Van Fleet.  Yeah yeah, Led Zeppelin is one of my all time favorite bands and I hear from waaaay too many people that “if you love Zep, you’re sure to love these guys too!”  Well, hate to tell you but as of now I’m not on board the “Fleet train” as of yet-  that said, I have MAJOR RESPECT that a band full of late teens/early twentysomethings is actually getting a good amount of exposure and radio play that’s sure to bend the ears of the youth of today and hopefully inject more rock into the music scene.  But why have I yet to buy the product?

Over the years we’ve all heard that “such and such” sounds like Led Zeppelin…  (Heart, Kingdom Come, Whitesnake, Zebra, Rival Sons,  The Tea Party, just to name a few)  Sure there were certain musical elements in each of these bands where the mighty Zep came to mind whether it being a guitar riff, drum break, vocal tic, or certain visual elements but there hasn’t been any band where I’ve fully thought…  whoa…  that’s a little TOO close for comfort-  that is, until Greta Van Fleet came around.  Shoot, Kingdom Come had some touches for sure but they still leaned a bit metal and Whitesnake had the bow in the “Still Of The Night” video (and of course lead singer David “Coverversion”) but I hadn’t heard anything where I got the heebie jeebies like these guys.

Let me step back for a minute…  are these guys good?  Absolutely no question.  The band sounds great, the vocalist has quite the range, and the songs are catchy.  As stated earlier, I hope they sell big and anything that encourages someone to pick up a guitar, mic, or drumsticks is alright by me.  But…  I still can’t get Led Zeppelin out of my mind when I hear something like “Highway Tune”, “Safari Stomp”, or “Black Smoke Rising” and, I hate to say it, I feel like I’m hearing demo versions of early or unreleased Zep cuts; kinda like Jimmy Page going through the archives and uncovering a treasure trove of stuff that wasn’t quite good enough to make it on the first three records.  Lead singer Josh Kiszka has that paint peeling howl of early Robert Plant and the production values of the songs definitely have that retro late 60s/early 70s vibe, plus when you are using vintage instruments like Gibson, Fender, and Ludwig (and likely vintage amps too) you’re going to sound of a certain era.  I don’t have a problem with any of that per se but I just can’t quite get it out of my head that it’s Zeppelin but not Led Zeppelin.  And that’s my problem.

For those of you that are fans and can get around this, major props to you.  I will say I’m not totally turned off by my own dilemma here-  far from it as I’m encouraged by what they’ve done so far and I’m definitely interested in album #2 and what the future holds.  Maybe at some point I’ll hop on that train but at this time I’m content to just mingle at the station and respect from a distance.

Not sure why or how I got the soul/funk jones when I was a kid-  maybe it was the broad playlists prevalent on the radio in the mid to late 70s; maybe it was Mom and Dad having Saturday Night Fever on constant rotation; hell, maybe it was those Jackson 5 and Fat Albert cartoons that I grew up on.  I dunno, but no matter how much I eventually gravitated to hard rock and heavy metal I always appreciated a funky jam and good time groove more than anyone and boy does Brother Strut and “Love And Only” deliver.

First, a little bit of “Strut” history…  Saxophonist Stevie Jones formed the band in 2012, pulling together a killer core of funkiness tapped from a wide variety of players that had toured with major acts like Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Sting, and Jamiroquai (just to name a few).  So far the band has released three discs and a couple of EPs filled with stirring soul, dance, and funk music with hints of Latino beats and jazzy world music vibe that is sure to have you singing and dancing along.  Disc #2, the brilliant What We Got Together, contains the sizzling “Love And Only” which in an ideal musical world should be a summertime anthem based on an insistent light funk beat, killer singalong chorus, and awesome hookiness.  This, ladies and gentleman, is the sound of REAL musicians-  this is strong, this is live, and this is joyousness of the highest order.  There is no oversinging, no overplaying, no overproducing…  nah baby, this is beautifully tight, in the pocket and brilliantly performed, letting the hookiness breathe on its own.

So let’s recap and add a few other bits n bobs…  you like soul?  Check…  you like funk?  Check…  you like hooks?  All over this one…  how about groovy bass playing?  Got it big time…  Fine, fine singing?  Oh absolutely…  Maybe you’re convinced-  if you haven’t hit the play button above do so PRONTO then go to the band’s website https://brotherstrut.com  and dig in to the rest of the band’s catalog.  You’ll be glad you did.

Hitting you up with my thoughts on the first ten songs on shuffle mode this fine Friday evening!

“War Between One” Grip Inc., Nemesis

A couple of years after leaving Slayer in the early 90’s, Dave Lombardo picks up the sticks once again and forms a new band with Waldemar Sorychta to thrash us senseless with his relentless drum pounding.  1997’s Nemesis features this cut, quite the punky hardcore blast:  non-stop Lombardo pounding, nutty Sorychta riff, and the militaristic bark from lead throat Gus Chambers.  One of the tunes that’s more Slayeresque in punch but still its own unique beast.

“I Can’t Quit You Baby” Led Zeppelin, I (Live At The Olympia)

Led Zeppelin’s deluxe editions that came out over the past few years unearthed quite a few gems-  check out this live show on the second disk of their first album.  You Zep fans all know the tune and this version is a scorcher; maybe slightly sloppy in live execution but still plenty exciting for the times (was ANYONE playing like this in the late 60s?).  A bit more improv on this version compared to the studio cut but that certainly was Zep at the time.  Jimmy and Robert on fire in their early, early prime.

“Closet Chronicles” Kansas, Point Of Know Return

Kansas was probably one of America’s first proggy bands and “Closet Chronicles” is a great example of the band’s talents:  excellent musicianship, great storytelling lyrics, brilliant singing (Steve Walsh is one of the best in the genre), bits of pompy goodness, and a cool rock breakdown midway through the song.  A bit more keyboard compared to some of their other cuts but it works exceptionally well here to add different flairs and flavors along with the heavier sections.

“I Want Candy” Bow Wow Wow, Modern Rock 1982-1983

Boy that Bo Diddley beat sure sounds good anywhere doesn’t it?  This 80s take on that “shave and a haircut” stomp was Bow Wow Wow’s big hit; a fine little summertime ditty that was all over early MTV back in the day.  Vocalist Annabella Lwin has a nice bubblegum vocal that’s the major hook along with that backbeat, but don’t sell short the fine surf guitar noodling from guitarist Matthew Ashman.  One of those songs that you could toss on to get the rumps a shakin’.

“U Got The Look” Prince, The Hits/The B-Sides

I’ve never been a huge Prince fan, but boy…  he’s got some downright killer tunes and I certainly lean more to the rock/funk stomp of his work. “U Got The Look” is a prime example, insistent funky percolation and downright nasty n skronkin’ guitar that swings between heavy riff, feedback, and squeals.  Maybe a tip o’ the hat to some Funkadelic/Parliament spaciness in effects, but that co-vocal with the Purple One and Sheena Easton is maximum heat.  Definitely one of my fave cuts from the man’s catalog.

“Billy’s Got A Gun” Def Leppard, Pyromania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfKmzUBZBD8

Early Def Leppard is where it’s at for me-  anything post Pyromania seriously shaves off the heaviness in favor of the hookiness, but hey what do I know as Hysteria sold over a bazillion gazillion copies.  I digress…  soooo…  “Billy’s Got A Gun” is one of my less favorite cuts from their early days but it’s still got a decent descending riff and fine Joe Elliott vocal, but that overly processed drum snare seriously dates this.  Still… what’s this looniness in the last minute?  Whatchoo doin’ Mutt Lange?

“Candy Horizon” Gillan, Toolbox

Take Ian Gillan out of Deep Purple and you’ve got quite the interesting solo career.  If you definitely like hard rock, you’ll really dig Toolbox and “Candy Horizon” is a fine example of the goods AND one of the last discs where the man did some of his maddest (and I mean that in a good way) screaming.  Sure, that vocal and those screams aren’t prime Gillan from the Made In Japan days but they are powerfully good in their own way.  Great backing band on this disc too.

“Belladonna” UFO, No Heavy Petting

While my preference for UFO are those cuts featuring Michael Schenker’s riffs and leads front and center I gotta give some credit to vocalist and lyricist Phil Mogg, who really is a great frontman and storyteller.  “Belladonna” is certainly one beautiful cut that Mogg confidently nails o’er a subtle bed of acoustics and keyboard washes.  My boy Schenker takes the back seat in favor of the sweet vocal but pops in at the tail of the song with some fantastic, melodic lead lines.  Nice Paul Raymond work on keys.

“Someday She Is Going To Hit Back (Demo)” Thin Lizzy, Thunder And Lightning (Deluxe Version)

The demo version of this fine rocking cut is a heads down ripper; no vocal from Philo but plenty of excellent guitar tag team from Sykes/Gorham and the always tasty drumwork from Brian Downey.  Interestingly enough, listening to this without the great man’s vocal works exceptionally well and shows off a hard rock/metal prog riff, maybe a bit like Focus’ “Hocus Pocus” in punch but more melodic in the guitar department.  Really cool to hear and well worth tracking down the deluxe version.

“I Coulda Been A Contender” Gaslight Anthem, Sink Or Swim

If you’ve never heard of the Gaslight Anthem, here’s your description: take a heaping dose of Bruce Springsteen, throw in the raucousness of Dropkick Murphys, a smidge of Tom Petty, and punk spirit and you’re in the ballpark.  “I Coulda Been A Contender” features everything; Brian Fallon’s yearning shout and boy/girl lyric (the Springsteen/Petty) and that massive chorus (the Murphys) plus the no holds barred band wallop (that punk spirit) that grabs you and won’t let go.

A fine batch of ten this time around, making my top three difficult to choose.  Going Prince for number one, Gillan at number two, and a tie for third amongst Grip Inc/Zeppelin/Thin Lizzy.

If I had to describe Paul Gilbert’s playing style, I’d say…  “it sounds like Saturday morning cartoons”.  Huh?  Well, you remember when you were a kid and how excited you were for Saturday morning to roll around…  you had no school, you got to sleep in late, and when you rolled out of bed you ran into the kitchen, grabbed you a big bowl of Sugar Smacks, and plopped down in front of the TV to tune into Scooby Doo or Fat Albert or Sigmund The Sea Monster or He-Man or whatever floated your boat at such a young age.  That overwhelming feeling of elation and joy is a perfect description of what I feel when I listen to Paul Gilbert play ANYTHING.  He’s that good.

If I had to pick a Paul Gilbert song from one of his projects (either Racer X, Mr. Big, or solo), I’d have to go with the killer supersonic bluesiness of “Down To Mexico”.  Pick any version (live or studio) and not only do you have a shredtastic delight , but you’ve also got a song too-  this ain’t just three and a half minutes of non-stop noodling; you’ve got yer typical verse/chorus section and singalong bits but it’s that jacked up intensity of the riff, punchy band performance, and over the top soloing that grabs your ear and keeps me hitting the replay button.  And while singing of the fun ‘n sun down Mexico way is kinda cool and all, that ain’t what’s bringing you here now is it?  Naaaaah baby naaaaah…

So yeah Paul Gilbert is my “Saturday morning cartoons”…  how can you not feel a sense of excitement when listening to “Down To Mexico”?  It’s that non-stop push and energetic fervor that’s on full display; the bends and slides in that oh so toxic intro; the unison bass/guitar noodling at the tail end of that main riff; and that slippery middle guitar section that is my Scooby Doo.  And when it’s over I put it back on again and it’s my Speed Racer…  and then on again and now it’s Grape Ape…  and then on again and it’s…

“Black Feathers” Spiritual Beggars, On Fire

In the early days of the Internet I was hunting high and low for the next big rock band and happily stumbled across Spiritual Beggars-  if you like Deep Purple, Rainbow, and early Whitesnake you should love these guys.  “Black Feathers” features second singer JB’s strong pipes, Per Wiberg’s killer Hammond organ work, tight rhythm section in Sharlee D’Angelo and Ludwig Witt, and fab guitar work from Michael Amott.  Just a solid, solid rock cut that takes elements of early 70s heavy rock bands and creates a slightly more modern piece of work.  Highly recommended.

“All Of My Friends Were There” The Kinks, Village Green Preservation Society

As a huge Kinks fan thanks to their raucous late 70s/early 80s arena rock period, it came as a shock to hear some of their earlier material.  “All Of My Friends Were There” is certainly shocking; quite far removed from that rock period courtesy of Ray Davies’ somewhat silly vocal throughout but beautifully mixed with the playful instrumentation and melodic chorus.  Village Green is a bit of a concept album and the song definitely fits in with the rest of that material, mixing old English traditions and values via reminisces from Ray Davies’ youth.

“Radioactive” Paul Rodgers, Live In Glasgow

From his days with Jimmy Page and The Firm comes Paul Rodgers’ live take on that bands’ “hit”, this version from his cracking Live In Glasgow album.  If you remember the original there’s not too much different here other than two lead guitars playing that quirky Page noodle (that always felt a bit out of place to my ears) but the calling card is Rodgers glorious voice, a mix of bluesy rock ‘n soul like very few others.  Yeah man, the band is tight and nails the groove but this is Paul Rodgers we are talking about here!  He’s definitely on point, maybe a tad too playful but great nonetheless.

“Repeat (Stars and Stripes” Manic Street Preachers, Generational Terrorists

Not really a song as much as a remix of their album cut “Repeat (UK)” thanks to the work of The Bomb Squad, this version gets a bit hip hoppy in sound effect yet tosses in some of the rock elements as well.  But no…  that’s not what’s going to catch your ear, especially if you are familiar with that original.  It’s those pure punk vocals; the “repeat after me fuck Queen and country” which I’m sure gained them quite a bit of notoriety and fandom in equal measure.  That original is really the version you want to grab as this remix is more of an interesting curio than anything else.

“What Went Wrong” The Smithereens, 2011

I’m a big Smithereens fan and it makes me said that this is the last studio album we’ll ever hear from Pat Dinizio.  2011 is prime Smithereens and “What Went Wrong” is a fab cut, sounding like a classic mix of The Who and The Kinks due to Dennis Diken’s Keith Moonisms and Jim Babjak’s dead on Dave Davies/Pete Townshend buzzsaw guitar.  Dinizio’s slacker cool vocal is on fully display on this bouncy and swinging rock cut, so if you miss those swingin’ ’60s maximum R&B days this cut is your perfect tonic.  RIP Pat, you will be missed!

“Warning” Queensryche, The Warning

If I have a Queensryche preference it’s definitely anything pre-Empire with most of my love for Operation:Mindcrime and The Warning albums, the latter of which you’ll find this cut (makes sense, doesn’t it?).  “The Warning” is a good reason why I like the band; solid militaristic, fist raising riff and Geoff Tate’s ungodly vocals are enough to grab any headbanger’s attention.  Still, the production (as with a good chunk of Queensryche albums) leaves me a bit cold as the guitars are a bit layered and deep in the mix with little fatness on the bottom end.  But hey, I still like it!

“Things Ain’t Working Out Down At The Farm (BBC Radio 1 Version)” Thin Lizzy, Vagabonds Of The Western World

Like mentioned in the Kinks blurb above, I first got into Thin Lizzy due to the radio hits from the Robertson/Gorham era and was a bit surprised to hear the early material with Eric Bell on guitar.  “Things Ain’t Working Out” is a great little tune, this version from a BBC live session that allows the band to stretch out from the original version, giving Bell a bit of room to get “Hendrixy” near the end.  Of course Phil is a joy on vocal as usual, full of confidence at such a young age and Brian Downey provides rock solid timekeeping and snappiness on the drums.

“Calling Dr. Love” KISS, Sonic (Boom Bonus Disc)

Yeah baby!  But what’s this?  It’s Dr. Love but not Dr. Love and I’m sorry, I prefer the original because when I was a kid KISS meant the world to me and it has to be the original Fab Four here (no Ace, no Peter…  sorry!).  All that said, I have full respect for Gene and Paul wanting to continue with replacements and this version is very good but since I dressed up as Ace for Halloween and had the smokin’ guitar poster it has to be the original.  No disrespect to Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer (a killer drummer) but the original is one of my fave KISS songs of all time!  That riff…  whew!

“Back On My Feet” Vandenberg, The Definitive Collection

Vandenberg’s debut was a great little album and “Back On My Feet” is one of my favorite songs, taking a hot ‘n ready Schenkerized riff and tossing in a bit of funkiness during the verses and prechorus then getting some bass n drum double time during the chorus and lead solo section.  Vocalist Bert Heerink sounds strong here, maybe a bit like Klaus Meine in vocal tone midrange but also with his own unique stylings in the higher ranges.  Band namesake Adrian Vandenberg features a hot solo but bassist Dick Kemper’s thunder is pretty cool too.

“I Will Follow On” The Answer, Raise A Little Hell

Big fan of these guys, thanks to past plugs from Classic Rock magazine.  “I Will Follow On” is a bonus track on fifth album Raise A Little Hell, which peels back some layers of over the top rock found on their previous material and leaving a bit more of a slinkier, sexier tune.  Much of that is due to guitarist Paul Mahon’s greasy riff, although lead singer Cormac Neeson’s vocal is a bit more laid back than usual, easily sliding into the band groove and staying away from a Plant-esque belt.  Certainly less Led Zeppelin/Free this time around and more Stones/Aerosmith, which works very well.

Tough picks this time around!  I gotta go with “Black Feathers” as the number one this week with “Radioactive” not far behind and “What Went Wrong” bringing up the rear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg52j2pEKkE

I’ve had an idea for a top ten “Favorite Covers” post for a good while but I changed my mind after pulling out a CD mix of obscure cuts from 1980-1985 and being gobsmacked all over again by this Gary Moore version and thinking…  why limit myself to a top ten?  Just hit on a number of covers every so often and tell why I like them and maybe giving you a reason to seek out the cover and (possibly) give you an incentive to check out the original as well.  Kinda like my “Shameless Plug” series but focusing on great covers yet not choosing one version over the other like in my last “Showdown” post.

My first exposure to the fantastic Irish musician Gary Moore was a memorable one-  after being THE rock station in Cincinnati for years, WEBN faced a new challenger down the dial around 1983/1984 in 96 ROCK.  While the former focused a good chunk of their playlist on older, well known classic rock artists, the latter found holes in their playlist to uncover some of the lesser known hits from those artists as well as focusing on some newer rock at the time.  It was on this station that I heard this cover of the Yardbirds classic (ironically first heard by me on WEBN) but it was much different; a little less bouncy, definitely louder in guitar, and much, MUCH heavier.  And to top it all off, an absolutely off the hook guitar solo that I’d not heard from anyone aside from Eddie Van Halen.  As a kid who loved all things guitar, THIS song was a revelation and now I had another guitar hero to add to my ever growing list.

Little did I know at the time that the Gary Moore version is actually a cover of the Jeff Beck Group version, which in itself is a bit slower and much more bluesier than the Yardbirds original thanks to Rod Stewart’s soulful vocal and Jeff Beck’s otherworldly guitar work.  I finally heard that version much later in life and enjoy it for the grooviness entailed, but as far as outright rock intensity and over the top punch, the Gary Moore version rips.  Starting off with a descending riff, Moore’s tone is thick and heavy and matched in thumpiness via Ian Paice’s cannon shot snare until the first verse kicks in with a strong vocal and wide open chords of chunky distortion.  Each consecutive verse changes up the main riff a hair, either double timing a power chord here and there or layering another rhythm guitar into the mix.  But man….  get a load of that solo!  Essentially a cop on the first few bars of Jeff Beck’s solo, Moore turns up the heat and slams it into overdrive as he increases the intensity and speed in his playing, eventually reaching a crescendo and dropping things down to a simmering tempo until ramping it back up again and roaring through the final chorus.  Truly a master class in guitar histrionics.

While the rhythm section is definitely solid (Paice is a master sticksman and Neil Murray is a great bassist), this version is pretty much the Gary Moore show.  Not only is the guitar work lethal but his vocal is suitably aggressive yet passionate-  check out the hair raising screams at the tail end of the final verse.  A fitting finale to one fabulously awesome cover of a cover!  If you like what you hear, much of his other material is worth checking out but keep an open mind:  Moore’s 70s/80s discography (including his stint in Thin Lizzy) mixed heavy rock with some balladic material and his 90s/00s records were blues based.  Still, his passionate playing is on full display regardless of which album you choose.  This cover is featured on his 1983 album Victims Of The Future, which may be hard to track down but is well worth it.  Happy hunting!

A bit of a twist with my regular Showdown posts, this time a cover version of a song faces off against the original-  oh yes, I’m going there!  Jimi Hendrix’ original version, found on his final studio album Electric Ladyland, vs. the Stevie Ray Vaughan cover found on his second album, Couldn’t Stand The Weather.  Both versions highlight some of the best playing from each player but only one here will come out on top-  just who wore it best?  Err…  which version is the best?  Well, let’s not say “best”; just stick to which version is my personal favorite.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was riding high in the late sixties- Hendrix himself was arguably at his creative peak at this time, tossing out a double album in Electric Ladyland that contained his unique amalgam of psychedelic blues and heavy rock.  His version of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” is a swirling mass of guitar that is heavily distorted and panned hard left and right in the mix; a psychedelic swath of feedback, wah wah pedal, screaming bent notes, hammer ons…  you name it.  Hendrix dug deep into his bag of tricks to pull out a winner that’s a bit more ferocious than his previous hits, acting more as a guitar tour de force than anything else.  Bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell are almost non-existent here, laying waaaay back as the rhythm section yet diving in with more force during the chorus and then pulling back the reins to let Jimi weave the guitar magic that he is well known for.

Come Couldn’t Stand The Weather, Stevie Ray Vaughan was already well known as the latest blues guitar sensation on the block and was primed and ready to push the elements come record number two.  Come this album the band’s confidence was already sky high and it shows, especially on their incredible version of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, which exhibits a bit more band interplay than the Hendrix version.  A lot of that is likely courtesy of the mix, although there appears to be a bit more push and pull between all instruments rather than all the focus being on the guitar.  Vaughan’s version not only showcases his killer playing but demonstrates the tightness of the rhythm section and the interactions between all three instruments.  Bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton provide a solid foundation; Shannon’s sleek bass runs and rumblings bob and weave alongside Vaughan’s guitar, and Layton’s kitwork shines as he capably moves from a groovy drive to solid thump as he keeps the trio in line.  How the three play off each other (and on live versions) is a sweet blend of magic and feel that is truly sublime.

What about Vaughan’s guitar work?  The key difference between his version and Hendrix’ is that Vaughan is relying more on straight ahead playing into the amp with no effects whereas Jimi’s version relies on more studio trickery.  Nothing wrong with that in Hendrix’ incredible version, but Vaughan’s feels more live and in your face as if he and Double Trouble hit the record button and captured a hot live take.  Vaughan’s tone is fairly dry yet he is able to wrench out various notes and tones akin to Hendrix but also adding his own flavor-  more muscular bends, tighter rhythms, and a more menacing punch ‘n drive throughout.  Sure, Vaughan owes a huge debt to Hendrix in his own guitar stylings but he was able to take elements of his playing (as well as a host of others) and confidently and fearlessly push things even further into the sonic stratosphere.  When SRV was on, he was on and then some.

The win in this showdown post goes to Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble!

When presented with free ducats to a concert, you better believe it-  I’m gonna go.  And when it’s a classic artist the likes of Steve Miller, that just makes those tix extra special.  Last Thursday at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, I accompanied my son and a couple of his co-workers to see the aforementioned Space Cowboy with opener (and fellow classic artist) Peter Frampton in hopes that both would deliver a fine set of hits galore.  That they did, and then some.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a huge Peter Frampton fan.  I never picked up any Frampton records in my formative years and still haven’t grabbed anything since, not even the  ubiquitous Frampton Comes Alive or anything from his Humble Pie days (other than downloading the classic cut “I Don’t Need No Doctor”).  But do I know and respect Frampton’s material?  Absolutely!  Anyone growing up listening to the radio in the mid to late 70s/early 80s undoubtedly heard staples from that aforementioned solo live platter, so I somewhat knew what to expect coming in.  All that said, I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy those cuts AND the rest of his set.  Kicking off the night with “Something’s Happening”, Frampton and band rolled through a tight and somewhat jammy nine song set that featured some fantastic guitar playing from the man and fellow guitarist Adam Lester plus killer accompaniment from the remainder of his band- keyboardist Rob Arthur, bassist David LaBruyere, and drummer Dan Wojciechowski.  Songs like the familiar “Show Me The Way” and “Baby I Love Your Way” drew major applause and nods to his instrumental album in Soundgarden cover “Black Hole Sun” (a nice tribute to Chris Cornell) and his Humble Pie days with a smoking version of “Four Day Creep” were excellent, but finale “Do You Feel Like We Do?” was the showstopper of the night, especially as Frampton broke out the talkbox and did a bit of guitar deuling with Lester.  Before the song, Frampton told a wonderful story about how his signature black Gibson Les Paul guitar had been thought lost for 30 years only to be found and given back to him courtesy of a collector-  that guitar had been on his solo hits and is THE guitar on the live album, so it was only right to bring it back on tour and close the evening on that same instrument.  He may be a few years older and may not have the hair, but that guitar and his talents are still alive and were on full display this evening.

Confession time…  I caught Steve Miller in concert almost 30 years ago and I was surprised that I did not enjoy that show as much as I thought I would.  I’d been a fan since the late 70s and even received Book Of Dreams on 8 track(!) as a Christmas present when I was eleven years old to go along with the new stereo system my parents had purchased for me and my brother that year (he got Paul Stanley’s solo album…  a good deal for both of us!).  Not long after that we got a copy of Fly Like An Eagle via the Columbia House Record Club (I miss those days) and played the lead single and other hits on that album to death, so Steve Miller was definitely ingrained in the brain.  The early 80s hits were good too:  “Abracadabra” was uniquely funky; “Heart Like A Wheel” (an underrated gem) was great, and mid eighties album Living In The 20th Century had a number of great cuts as well.  So you’d think having the opportunity to catch the man in concert in the late 80s would have been exciting but it wasn’t to be.  Would this time be any different?  Read on…

Opening with a speedy rendition of deep cut “The Stake”, Miller and band were on point all night as they mixed up an excellent batch of hits and album cuts from the man’s history with nothing later than 1986’s fine “I Want To Make The World Turn Around”.  Highlights from the night included a rockin’ version of “Living In The USA”, the lazy psychedelic vibe of “Wild Mountain Honey” (complete with story about how he purchased the Coral sitar guitar he played on the song), a spirited run through “Take The Money And Run”, plus wrapping up the evening with four big dogs in “Fly Like An Eagle”, “Rock ‘n Me”, “Jungle Love”, and “Jet Airliner”.  The rest of the set was just as good, including bringing out Frampton on guitar and vocals for the Freddie King song “Same Old Blues” and for a bit of guitar dueling on Elmore James’ “Stranger Blues” and later tossing in the Howlin’ Wolf inspired “Going To Mexico” from his pre-hits days.  As with Frampton, Miller was accompanied by a fine backing band made up of bassist Kenny Lee Lewis, keyboardist Joseph Wooten, rhythm guitarist Jacob Peterson, and drummer Gordy Knudtson who were mostly there to support although Wooten added some fine keyboard interplay and he, Lewis, and Peterson ably handled all background vocals to add heft to each song.

So what was different this time compared to the late 80s show?  Props goes to Miller’s guitar playing and a great mix of non-hits plus the bringing Frampton out to play.  While Miller’s stage presence is pretty much non-existent-  the man stays rooted to one spot and rarely leaves that location save for the occasional spotlight on other members – his guitar work was a nice, subtle highlight; a bit of a contrast to the more fiery Frampton and more serving to the song.  He did not overplay but was more interested in bluesier tones yet offering up a bit more of a rhythmic flair in songs like “Rock N Me” and “Jet Airliner” and saving more of his lead work for his spotlight with Frampton when his playing had a bit more life to it.  Those only there to see the hits may have taken a potty break or went to grab a beer during those unfamiliar tunes, but I dug seeing the deep cuts and the blues standards as the man could take a few liberties vocally and guitarwise and not stick to those radio friendly melodies (unlike the vocal miss in “Abracadabra”-  too much melody tweaking for my tastes and the only sore spot of the night).

Overall, two thumbs up for this fine, fine show featuring these two classic rock masters.  The hits just kept on a-comin’, the rain held off outside of a few sprinkles, and I got to hang with my son for a few hours.  Good times…

Seems like it’s been forever since I’ve done one of these.  Time to give you my two cents on the first ten songs that pop up in shuffle mode on the iPod.

“Prowler” Iron Maiden, Beast Over Hammersmith

Yeah boyee, old school Maiden has always been the shizznit; here new boy Bruce Dickinson takes on a Dianno era classic on his first tour with the band and he nails it, band totally on fire and Dave Murray with an incredible, fiery solo.  Rumor has it that this Hammersmith was going to be an officially released live platter and VHS(!) release with Dickinson; however, dodgy video quality tabled this until it was released as part of the killer Eddie’s Archive box set in the early 2000s.  Love Bruce but I prefer Dianno’s punkier vox on his versions.

“2 Point 8” Roomful of Blues, That’s Right!

Swing, baby!  And swing they do; Roomful Of Blues drops the hammer on this mostly saxophone led instrumental, lots of jump jive and wailin’ goin’ on with some fantastic horn solos and one groovy organ rumble too.  Think sock hops, girls in poodle skirts, Dippity Doo slicked hair, and people twistin’ and gyratin, and getting their groove on like no other, fingers a snappin’ , hands a clappin’, and toes a tappin’.  If you like some uptempo swing, these cats do no wrong.  Great stuff here.

“Move In Silence” Gruntruck, Inside Yours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BShuIjS4ySQ

I always liked Gruntruck’s brand of low down grunginess, think a bit more of a funkier Soundgarden; maybe less the preponderance of that band’s love for Sabbath but leaning a little more Aerosmith.  At any rate “Move In Silence” is a quick slab of that funky/dirty grunge, kinda Rocks era ‘Smith mixed with Stooges rawness.  Saw these guys and Screaming Trees open for Alice In Chains at the height of grunge and it was a fantastic show.

“Space Truckin'” Overkill, Coverkill

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

Love Overkill, love Deep Purple even more, but do not love Overkill covering Deep Purple quite as much (and probably wouldn’t enjoy Deep Purple covering Overkill but hey).  Problem number one…  no groove here AT ALL but that’s hard to do when you have a superior drummer such as Purple’s Ian Paice.  Problem number two is that this heavies things up too much during the verses, a bit ham fisted in the riff but saved by a spirited chorus and its spinning, descending riff.  Let’s go a solid C-.

“400 Metres” Sloan, One Chord To Another

Sloan is a Canadian gem-  quite a bit Beatle-y in tunefulness and that band’s multiple singers and writers, with “400 Metres” maybe tossing in a bit of Bowie/T Rex in the psychedelic stew.  “400” starts with an insistent piano note and drum pattern with some really cool guitar work, even sounding a bit like Robert Quine/Richard Lloyd on Matthew Sweet’s great albums yet tosses in a backwards guitar solo that sounds like the great Joe Walsh.  Worthy of your time if you like power pop.

“Gardenia/Asteroid/Supa Scoopa” Kyuss, Sky Valley

Why weren’t Kyuss bigger?  Well, Josh Homme is raking in the dough with Queens Of The Stone Age but for my money his days in his original band along with John Garcia’s vox, Brant Bjork’s drumwork, and (for this album and next) Scott Reeder’s groovy basswork is the ticket.  My copy of the Sky Valley album lumps these three together- “Gardenia” with its fat grooves and choppy chunk fab riff; “Asteroid” floors us with an outer space psychedelic wobbler of a riff doused in massive feedback and gradually building tempo; and “Supa Scoopa” brings it home with a cool Garcia vocal and Sabbath rumble.  Great cut!

“Don’t Run Our Hearts Around” Black Mountain, Black Mountain

It’s always interesting to see how many Sabbath influenced bands I have in my collection.  Black Mountain might actually be more of a Sabbath/Pink Floyd influence, with this song sounding a bit Jack White-ish due to the vocal (especially in Stephen McBean’s vox, who probably drank from the same vocal well).  Toss in a bit of San Fran psych courtesy of keyboardist Amber Webber’s ultra cool vocals, which fall in that smoky Grace Slick range.  This is a great little band for those of you that may dig the Sabbath riffage, psychedelic vox, and spacey keyboards.

“One Man Army” Pro-Pain, The Truth Hurts

First few notes on this riff (and only the first few) makes you think NYC’s Pro-Pain is covering Sabbath’s classic “NIB” but the comparison stops there.  This may have been the first Pro-Pain song I’d ever heard and it’s a good ‘un if you like odd genre mixes to create something a bit fresh and new-  take a hot metal riff, throw in a hardcore vocal bark, sprinkle that with hints of rap, then toss in shades of industrial and you got something totally different.  Oh yeah…  and THEN add a sax solo?  WHHHHAAAAAAAT???  Yeah cool man, totally cool.  I swear 🙂

“We Close Our Eyes” Oingo Boingo, Boingo Alive

Somewhere in the late 80’s, genius songwriter Danny Elfman (yeah, the soundtrack dude…  Batman, Rugrats theme, among many) moved his band Oingo Boingo away from the high energy ska stomp of the band’s early days into something a bit more sing a longish and tuneful.  “We Close Our Eyes” is a brilliant example of the change, driven by an energetic Elfman vocal and some sweet keyboard lines topped off by some great background vocals by the band.  If you’re looking for those horns you won’t find them here, but you WILL find a fine little earworm that will be stuck in your brain for awhile.

“E.R.K.S” Cycle Sluts From Hell, Cycle Sluts From Hell

Cycle Sluts From Hell one and only album is a fun release; a sweet mix of biker rock with shades of White Zombie/Circus Of Power but led by a hell raising foursome of vocal power courtesy of Queen Vixen, She-Fire of Ice, Honey One %er (swoon), and Venus Penis Crusher backed some NYC metal/hardcore vets.  Vocals are more of a menacing sneer/warchant shared amongst the ladies which works really well with the music, leaning thrash in some spots but falling mostly in that heavy Priest/KISS range and the drums are suitably banging.

Song of the week goes to “Prowler”, followed by “Gardenia/Asteroid/Supa Scoop” then “2 Point 8”