Tag Archives: reviews

The iPod Shuffle (Rock Version), December 22nd, 2025

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Maybe I’m insane… maybe I’m not… I just purchased ANOTHER iPOD classic and I’m trying to figure out what I’ll do with it. I think that one will be favorite bands/songs and road trip tunes with my wife while the other two will be chock full of all metal and the other will be a mix of everything (rock, blues, country etc etc etc). This shuffle version will be that mix of everything. Let’s go!

“Come On (Let The Good Times Roll), Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland

Maybe an odd thing to say but I’m a bit of a late comer to the full Hendrix catalog. Sure, I know who the guy is having heard many a tune growing up and totally get his influence on many a guitar player but I only owned a couple of greatest hits from the man. It was only within the past couple of years that I actually purchased the studio albums he put out while alive. But I digress… “Come On” is pretty damn fat, fuzzy, groovy, and full of tasty licks, Jimi letting it rip in all of his glory with the Experience (that be Mitch and Noel) keeping up as best as they can. Fades out too early if you ask me…

“The Rest Of The Dream”, John Hiatt, Stolen Moments

In my opinion, any John Hiatt is good stuff. Maybe (maybe) this sounds a little dated with the 80s sounding keyboards (especially in that intro) but give it a few seconds and you’ll be rewarded with a nice little tune. Strong, driving playing with some really great guitar licks and one helluva chorus is what makes this one pop when it comes up on shuffle. Normally I absolutely love Hiatt’s lyrics and his turn of a phrase but with this one he plays it a bit safe, more of a strong feel good message cum love song but as always he carries it so convincingly.

“Mary Lou” Steve Miller Band, The Joker

Yes dear, there is more to Steve Miller than the hits… we all know the title song to this album (and I’m pretty sure we all have sung that chorus a few times too) but by golly there are a lot of other fun tunes that the man has penned that aren’t on your classic rock playlist. “Mary Lou” is a fun little playful rocker that’s really a bit too short for its own good, plus songs that have clavinets (or is that a Fender Rhodes in the left channel?) in them are extra special. Nice little outro with the band kicking it up a notch and Steve tossing out a few nice licks throughout the entire song.

“Fly Away”, Blackfoot Marauder

OK now, this is a GREAT song… it ain’t no “Train Train” though (THE pinnacle of Blackfoot and one of my all time favorite songs) but Rickey Medlocke and the boys could craft a southern rock special to fit along with the .38 Specials, Molly Hatchets, Skynyrds, and Marshall Tuckers of my early 1980s FM listening days. The band always leaned a bit more to the hard rock side but “Fly Away” is sprightly and tuneful with a great melodic intro, ballsy riff, and a banger of a chorus that sticks. And by golly, is that a banjo I hear popping up in the mix?

“War Machine”, Red Dragon Cartel Red Dragon Cartel

Woah… generals gather in their masses until some people say my love cannot be true. Err… no, but I give Jake E Lee a free pass here (and on a lot of things actually) as he DID play with Mr Ozzy Osbourne and the Sabs are a strong influence in his playing. And after such a long layoff he came back strong with Red Dragon Cartel, featuring a vast array of face melters including the seriously stomping “War Machine”. Solid vocally, solid rhythmically, but put a guitar in Jake E Lee’s hands your attention is going to be drawn to his six string wizardry. Play it loud!

“Give The People What They Want”, The Kinks Give The People What They Want

I’m fessin’ up here… as a long time Kinks fan I’ve always leaned to their more rocking side, especially as my introduction to their canon was via their incredible live album One For The Road. While Ray has penned many an all time classic it is often Dave’s metallic skronk that bends my ear and the title cut to their 1981 album is a perfect example. This is rock, this is heavy metal, this is punk, this is… something else and was to my young ears. The Arista years was a great comeback for the band as they leaned more arena rock and showed those young cats a thing or two.

“You Are Nothin'” The Hellacopters, Payin’ The Dues

This is rock, this is heavy metal, this is punk, this is… something (where have I heard that before?). Err nevermind. Where were we? Oh yeah, The Hellacopters and “You Are Nothin'”, which actually IS a great mix of rock/metal/punk- take the best of KISS, Sex Pistols, and Thin Lizzy with maybe a dash of AC/DC and you’ve got this song. I often wonder what they put in the water in Sweden because there are MANY a great band out there playing everything from solid rock like this to death metal. But man if there aren’t some great vocals here and some licks straight out of the Ace Frehley playbook. Good on ya fellas…

“I’ll Be Home For Christmas”, Elvis Presley The King Of Rock & Roll

Oh the timing… my iPod is playing a funny on me considering that we are three days away from the Santa man and Elvis decides to pay a visit to today’s post! Maybe even funnier is that I have very, very few Christmas songs on the iPod. At any rate, Elvis’ take on this holiday classic is first rate and you get a nice mix of E’s varied stylings… quite a bit of crooning, nice highs and dramatic lows, and a little bit of fun to boot (“messeltoe”???). My only problem with this version is that it’s just too darn short! Only two minutes but a great two minutes it is- great vocals by The King and his backup singers.

“I’ve Known No War”, The Who Face Dances

Oh I’m having a hard, hard time reviewing this one… I like the throwback to the synth (or is that “mouth harp”?) lick from their old chestnut “Join Together” but short of that this song sounds as “un-Who” as you can get. Where’s the thunder from John Entwistle? Is he even on this thing? I get hints of him in the chorus but he’s buried in the mix. And don’t get me started on the drums- I know it’s NOT Keith Moon but poor Kenney Jones is just relegated to some simple tapping. Pete Townshend is here (barely), but the saving grace is Roger Daltrey whose massive pipes save this one from ending up in the trash bin.

“Cry” 10cc, Collected

Really a Godley & Creme song and not a 10cc song but hey, who’s countin’… it shows up on that band’s Collected three CD collection so there you go. At any rate, I recall the first time I heard this song was via it’s oddly arresting black and white video as it segued from close up shots of people crying or lip synching with the lyrics with Godley and Creme popping up here and there. But from a song perspective it’s very strong vocally and features a nice pulsating rhythm and some decent synth washes, production courtesy of Trevor Horn (Yes, Seal, The Buggles, ABC, etc)

Gotta go with “Fly Away” as the best song in this batch followed by “Give The People What They Want” (both tunes stamped in my psyche from my youth) and “War Machine”

Cheap Trick, “All Washed Up”

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As a Cheap Trick fan since the At Budokan days, I have a little bit of a bias when it comes to reviewing their catalog- I’m not just a fan… I’m a HUGE fan. Got everything on album, cassette, 45, or CD, been to multiple Trick concerts, got a few Rick picks, etc; yet I’m not too biased to say that I absolutely love every single thing that they’ve put out or that I can’t find any fault in this album or that album. That said, I have my preferences as to favorite songs and styles from the band over others (I’m one of those guys that LOVES 1980’s All Shook Up) so keep all that in mind when reading the following review. So here goes…

After listening to the new one I found it an interesting mix of what sounds like a Robin Zander solo album (similar in vibe/tone to his 1993 release) mixed with hints of classic Cheap Trick from the 70s and 80s and some newer shades. If you’re looking for that classic power pop of the old days you’re not gonna find it – you probably need to go back to Rockford for a full album of that – but if you’re looking for some of the quirkier Trick mixed with hooks, harmonies, and (dare I say) a Beatle-y/Nilsson/ELO vibe here and there you may like this. In some ways this is almost an adult contemporary Cheap Trick; less on the riff rock and more dynamic across the board.

Overall this is a very good album and possibly their best from the post Bun E years. I’ve listened to this one five or six times in full with some songs getting multiple plays, especially Long Road To Worcester being the stand out track and a good example where I hear a mix of Robin’s solo album and the classic CT melodies akin to something like “Say Goodbye”. But before things get too safe, what does Rick do? He drops in one barnstorming Rick solo that sounds like something from the Dream Police album! The chorus and the psychedelic bridge that pops up midway and gradually brings things to a close is absolutely to die for. While I absolutely love the more rocking side of Cheap Trick and those classic power pop moments, songs like Worcester really round out how awesome this band remains- it sounds a bit like new territory for the band but they layer in that CT sauce to the mix and you’re left slack jawed and stunned at the end wondering…. OMG… what did I just listen to? And then you hit replay again and again. It’s sneaky good and a brilliantly crafted song.

As for other songs I really like the first six- the title cut is a great rocker; proof that Rick can still drop a cool riff or two (or three) on us as part of these 21st century albums. I can definitely hear the Iggy Pop as some have mentioned (what do you expect from The Man Of 1000 Voices?) but I could hear someone like The Darkness in those crunchy chords. All Wrong Long Gone feels like one of the better songs from Lap Of Luxury, a great singalong chorus and Robin is strong and on point. Riff That Won’t Quit is simply fun, another great springy Rick riff that kicks things into another gear. Maybe a bit hair metal in vibe but hey, Rockford’s finest were first.

Bet It All didn’t quite grab me on first listen but grew on me after a few. Kind of a more sinister Heaven Tonight and fairly short but dirty sweet. The Best Thing kinda starts like an overly sappy power ballad, maybe a too cheery Voices but those “la la las” in the background and the sentiment is sweet. And Rick’s solo in the reprise at the end just feels right. Maybe a bit too abrupt on the end from Robin but I’ll be darned if it doesn’t make me misty eyed (and for someone married to the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I get where he’s coming from). And as for Twelve Gates I’ve loved since I heard it… dreamily melodic and those background vocals are absolutely spot on. A bit of a trippier If You Want My Love, Robin just nailing the vocal and the rumble from Tom’s 12 string comes through the mix nice and strong.

After that I’m a bit hit or miss on the rest… Bad Blood I like sometimes and other times I skip right past it. It’s good but doesn’t offer up much different in style from the first six so it doesn’t stand out. A nice Rick solo and from a guitar standpoint it’s a good mix of tones but in the end it doesn’t register high on the replay meter for me (that said, if this song popped up on my playlist or on shuffle I probably wouldn’t skip it). Dancing With The Band is kinda fun but the chorus sounds a bit like a hook for a soft drink commercial from the 80s. A bit of a throwaway rocker that I sometimes skip. Love Gone makes me think of that Zander solo album and is a song I don’t much care for at all- chorus is decent but the verses feel like a bit of a downer with that descending chord progression. Last but not least Wham Boom Bang is the baby sister to I Want You To Want Me, Rick finally getting that clarinet/oboe on a Cheap Trick album on this jaunty, bouncy rocker and it’s just brilliant finger snapping fun.

Is this a classic on par with those iconic 70s records? Far from it, but at this stage of their career it’s extremely strong and proves that the band still has some good to very good (and in Worcester’s case GREAT) songs left in the tank.

The iPod Shuffle (Metal Version): Friday, November 8th, 2024

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So, what’s been going on with me since I posted more frequently? Well, outside of dealing with typical life events I’ve been buying HUNDREDS of CDs- yeah you read that right… HUNDREDS. I’ve gone a bit buck wild at thrift stores, music stores, eBay, Mercari etc and have bought so many that there will probably be songs popping up on this “shuffle go ’round” that I’ve not even heard before. We shall see…

Oh, and I missed doing this particular post so I may over pontificate and go a little longer than usual 🙂

“Queen In Love”, Yngwie Malmsteen Trial By Fire: Live In Leningrad

Boy howdy, the pairing of everyone’s favorite Swedish six string shredder with the former mighty voice of Rainbow was a match made in heaven (tonight?). Unfortunately, we only got one studio album out of the deal (and this here live album) before the pairing went poo poo and went their separate ways but what they did release was some fab castle rock featuring Joe Lynn Turner’s sonorous pipes mixed with some great Yngwie playing o’er top some great melodic pomp n circumstance. “Queen In Love” is a fine chunkster, this live version featuring some fiery guitar work with a hooky chorus and JLT in fine voice. Would I love to see another pairing of this duo? Absolutely.

“Promises”, Overkill, From The Underground And Below

Uhhh… no. Look, I love Overkill and I give them props for throwing the occasional curveball onto each album but this is so far left field for the band that it sticks out like a sore thumb. Blitz crooning? Acoustic guitars?? WHAAAAT??? Sure, you get some fat riffage during the verses and chorus that’s kinda cool but this is kind of like bad Motley Crue mixed with Meat Loaf. It’s not quite a power ballad but it definitely feels like one. I’m not going to like every song from a favorite band so no winner here (sorry guys!)

“Peruvian Skies” Dream Theater, Falling Into Infinity

Interesting… I’ve had this CD for a few years and I may have listened to it once or twice and that’s it. Knowing a bit of Dream Theater (but not a whole lot), this song is kind of a cool sidestep as it tones down the histrionics and moves into what feels like Alice N Chains territory: brooding intro (kinda “Rooster”-esque in a way), dark lyrics, and some impassioned singing from James LaBrie. But then the chorus gets into Floydian territory with some gently strummed acoustics and dreamy vocals before switching back to AIC. For a band that has some massive chops this song sits back quite a bit early, everybody playing it cool until maybe the four minute mark where we have a full on tonal shift of the metal variety that kicks you in the head. First thing I noticed at the beginning of the song is… where’s Portnoy in the mix? Then BAM! Hey Mike, where ya been?

“Metal Thrashing Mad (Live)” Anthrax, Armed And Dangerous

“Live?”… ha ha ha… yeah right. No big deal because hey! Armed And Dangerous serves as the debut of new throat Joey Belladonna, he of serious pipes selected to front these stomping Noo Yawkers in Anthrax. In a way, “Metal Thrashing Mad” may have been the bands first (ahem) hit; or at least one of those that you remember from debut album Fistful of Metal and one that the band may toss out live in concert these days. This version is pretty skronkin’, Joey sounds GREAT and the band is on fire in all of its thrashy goodness- listen to that Frankie Bello bass! He’s a new guy on this platter too as he replaced Dan Lilker, lending a bit of Steve Harris flair to those original lines. Oh, and I’ve always felt Danny Spitz to be a bit underrated in the lead department. Awesome version.

“The Eagle Has Landed” Saxon, The Eagle Has Landed: 40 Live

First exposure to the mighty Saxon was via their Crusader album and then I went backwards from there to get the other albums. I’ve always had a soft spot for Power And The Glory and its relentless title cut but I’ve also always been mesmerized by this song’s dreamy sonics and impassioned vocal from Biff Byford. This version finds the band live at Germany’s Wacken Festival and features the band playing with an orchestra on some of the cuts including this one. And whaddya know, this actually works here- the orchestration sits perfect in the mix; not too dominating but finding pockets to add some beauty and heft during the slower sections and during the heavier sections. As for the band they sound fantastic, Paul Quinn ripping some very cool solos and Nigel Glockler’s solid thumping on the kit brings this one to even greater heights than the studio version. Well done!

“We Got Used To Us” Riverside, Shrine Of A New Generation

Riverside are a great example of a band that fits the purpose of this site… hey… are you looking for something new? I don’t recall how I stumbled across these guys; it was probably when I was on the hunt for bands that would fit my progressive rock/metal jones and boy does Riverside do that. There are some similarities with Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd but I’ve always found elements of Deep Purple in their heavier material as well. As for “We Got Used To Us” it definitely leans more into into the melodious Porcupine Tree territory, maybe more of a passionate and dreamier vocal delivery with Floydian guitar work and some beautiful piano playing. Certainly no metal here but their material in this vein will definitely surprise you. A band definitely worth your attention.

“Until The End” Dragonlord, Black Wings Of Destiny

I’m a bit of a sucker for anything Eric Peterson does. Those not in the know about Dragonlord should invest, especially those looking for a little bit of black/death metal as a chaser to the man’s day job with the incendiary Testament. “Until The End” is a pretty good taster as to what you’ll get from the band- fat and chunky riffs, a well sung melodic chorus, symphonic keyboards, and Peterson’s dark gruffness along with the occasional crazy and demented wailings. If you can get past the vocals and dig what he does as part of his day job then this would be a nice pickup (and don’t give me gruff about “keyboards ain’t metal”, they offer up some cool colors on this one).

“747 (Strangers In The Night)” Saxon, The Eagle Has Landed

Hardy har har har… what is it with shuffle mode sometimes? Not that I’m complaining TOO too much as we end up with another stompin’ Saxon cut from one of the BEST LIVE ALBUMS you’ll ever hear, stuffed with classics and the band in full glory. My fave part of this disc (outside of the awesome toonz) is the performance from one Nigel Glockler, who is at his swingin’ and swashbuckling best, punching these cuts into the stratosphere. Oh, the song? One of the bands best; Biff in storyteller mode (you can feel the tension in the lyrics) with the Quinn/Oliver duo hitting the riff hard but peeling back with some sweet lines during the melodic chorus.

“Headswitch” Bruce Dickinson, Skunkworks

Good ol’ Bruce Bruce spread his wings back in the early/mid 1990s and left the massive Iron Maiden machine and releasing a handful of heavy rock records that were a bit removed from his Air Raid Siren days. One of those new hats was the band/record Skunkworks, a record that many felt was a bit alterna-metal or maybe a tad bit grunge considering the times. “Headswitch” leans more heavy blues with a dash of punkish tempo, yet Bruce is quite the contrast as he settles more into an almost talk vocal style that’s nowhere near the highs of his glory days. Actually a cool little slammin’ tune with some tasty, slippery licks from one Alex Dickson.

“Behold The Beheaded” Lik, Mass Funeral Evocation

Kicking off with a bit o’ doom, “Behold The Beheaded” lures you in until the one minute mark before thy heads start a banging and death starts a rattling. A bit of an underrated band that features some great drumwork from Chris Barkensjo, Lik falls a bit in that mostly death metal space with dashes of thrash and proper guttural barking from Tomas Akvik and nasty, megawatt riffage . Avkik’s “BeeHOOOOOOLD… the BEHEEEEADAAAAAAD” is true death, enough throaty force to peel the paint off the walls and sending those weak of heart running to the hills (and for their lives).

Fave tune of this post? Gotta go with “747” followed by “The Eagle Has Landed” with “Metal Thrashing Mad” pulling into third place