Throwback Thursday: "The White Stripes", by The White Stripes

Before they were world renowned rock stars with multiple songs in the charts, The White Stripes were just an up and coming odd, but charming rock n' roll duo from Detroit's immense and impressive underground rock scene. In 1999 they issued their mission statement unto the world in the form of a debut album simply titled The White Stripes, which had been recorded in Jack and Meg White's home on a four track reel to reel tape recorder.

The White Stripes has a pretty lo-fi feel in some respects, though not in as rough and dirty a way as anything The Black Keys did early on. This album does sound a little more refined in certain ways. That said, most of the songs are short bluesy rock n' roll tunes. You can hear the blend of blues, rock, punk, and other genres coming together to form a sound that up to that point the world had never heard the likes of before and hasn't again since. It's raw, pulsing, and in your face yet at the same time has this ghostly presence to it.

Astro is kind of an odd tune, as it doesn't have much of a structure yet at the same time it flows beautifully. It's loud, pounding, and will crush a city like Godzilla. While it is loud, the natural reverb gives it this otherworldly feel that it wouldn't have otherwise. It definitely makes the song seem like even more of a ginormous monster than it already is to begin with. It's definitely a great one to play if you need some rock n' roll that cranks.

Screwdriver in my opinion is the cream of the crop that is The White Stripes. It has this jangly, bluesy, yet loud rocking riff to it that will blow your face off. However, it knows how to use dynamics and back off in certain places. Plus, Jack's singing is rather powerful here too. Some points he gets so powerful and high that he is almost screaming which is not something you often hear him do. Meg absolutely whales on the drums too. This is definitely one of her finer moments as well.

The White Stripes is definitely a remarkable first effort by the band. It's by no means my favorite album of theirs, though. It took some time for it to really grow on me and for me to understand before it became one that stuck with me. It laid the foundation for what the band was about and has quite a few tunes that I'm sure you'll be fond of yourself. It's ranges from loud, hard, and fast, to more laid back, sedate, and emotion driven. I definitely recommend it.

The White Stripes, by The White Stripes receives 3 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Jimmy the Exploder
2. Stop Breaking Down
3. The Big Three Killed My Baby
4. Suzy Lee
5. Sugar Never Tasted So Good
6. Wasting My Time
7. Cannon
8. Astro
9. Broken Bricks
10. When I Hear My Name
11. Do
12. Screwdriver
13. One More Cup of Coffee
14. Little People
15. Slicker Drips
16. St. James Infirmary Blues
17. I Fought Piranhas

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/White-Stripes/dp/B001B83M9Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508488395&sr=8-1&keywords=the+white+stripes+the+white+stripes

Ozzy Osbourne Making Progress on New Album

Photo courtesy of The Sun

Ever since Black Sabbath came to an end once and for all with the finale of their The End tour in Birmingham, England front man Ozzy Osbourne has jumped right back into his solo career and kept himself rather busy. In fact, according to Osbourne he is already "about seven songs into the recording of the new album".

In a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie on KLOS-FM (via Blabbermouth) he goes into the names of a couple of the songs and the thoughts behind it all, saying:

"One's called Mr. Armageddon; one's called Crack Cocaine. I've got a bunch of songs written – but you don't sell records anymore. [It's] not cost effective to make a record. I haven't really thought about it, because I've been doing the Black Sabbath thing."

I'm glad Ozzy is doing a new album despite the fact that it is not a very cost effective venture. I know that he has been known for being the king of rock n' roll excess, but I can tell that at the end of the day he really is in it for the music. Under all that drugged up haze in his mind is someone who actually gives a crap about making good art. That said, I really hope that whatever he comes out with next is better than Scream.

Metallica Releases Unheard Demo of "Master of Puppets"

Metallica are gearing up for a big rerelease of their highly acclaimed 1986 release Master of Puppets. Many fans are pretty stoked for this and can't wait to hear what will be on it in addition to the original tracks. To give the fans a small taste of that, the band has just put out on YouTube a demo of their hallmark track Master of Puppets from late June of 1985 (which can be listened to above).

I definitely like this early version of the song. It has the guitar tone from Kill 'em All and the vocal style from Ride the Lightning. The vocal melody is definitely still developing and the guitars still sound a bit like they're still fine tuning things. It's definitely an interesting time capsule to say the least. Honestly, I like some parts of the demo better than the finished product. Listen for yourself and I'm sure you'll see what I mean.

The rerelease is due out November 10th on Metallica's self-run label Blackened Recordings. It will be a three disc set and will feature a remastered version of the finished album, rough mixes, previously unreleased demos, live tracks, and a 28 page booklet. There are also more expansive bundles up for pre-order in addition to the CD version for those who are big enough fans with enough extra cash to drop.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #138

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Mama Kin, by Buckcherry

While the Guns N' Roses cover is far more creative, driving, and original this cover by Buckcherry is pretty faithful to the original Aerosmith masterpiece. It's loud, bluesy, and fun. In all honesty, that's all it really needs to be considering this is bare bones, no frills attached rock n' roll. Buckcherry is perfect for covering Aerosmith and quite frankly I'm surprised I haven't heard them do it before they put out this EP/collection of singles.

2. Catcher in the Rye (Demo Version), by Guns N' Roses

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if Guns N' Roses and Queen joined forces for a new song? Wonder no further! This demo of what would be a track from the Chinese Democracy album features guitar work from Queen guitarist Brian May, most notably on the solo. It's unfortunate that May's parts didn't make the final cut of the song because although I like Bumblefoot's playing, May's solo suited the song so much more.

3. Almost Easy, by Avenged Sevenfold

I'll admit that I'd forgotten completely about this song for a while, but when I rediscovered it, it pumped me up just as much as it had back in the day. If you're in serious need of some heavy metal that will get your blood pumping, your heart pounding, and your spirits raised then you have most certainly come to the right place on this one. They somehow manage to make this kind of metal fuse with piano flawlessly and it's perfect.

4. Live Wire, by Motley Crue

If you're looking for a more old school way to do the same thing that I mentioned in the song above, then this first single from Motley Crue's debut album ought to do the trick. It's got everything a good 80's hair metal tune needs: flash, balls, and some damn fine high ranged vocals. This song always brought me right back up whenever I needed to get lifted up as a teen/early tween. You can tell they were hungry and out to make a name for themselves with songs like this.

5. Open My Eyes (Acoustic), by Rival Sons

Rival Sons while promoting their album Great Western Valkyrie did an acoustic session at Juke Joint. They put a lot of their tunes, even some of the more loud thundering ones with serious balls to them into a stripped down state where they could shine in a different way. This version of this particular tune has just as much soul to it as the regular plugged in version that they had originally recorded for the album. It's its own thing though, which makes it even better.

Albums to Listen to in Autumn

Autumn is a pretty special time of the year. The leaves are changing colour and falling, the air is getting a little more crisp and cool, the smells of apple cider and pumpkin pie waft through the air, and that spooky celebration that is Halloween is not far away. That said, while there are tons of fun songs and albums to get you pumped during the summer there are plenty of great albums to match one of the most atmospheric seasons of them all. Today I'm going to list three of my personal favorites.

1. Black Sabbath, by Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath are arguably the kings of Halloween. Their first album Black Sabbath fills you with dark imagery of devils, wizards, forests, and more. It's the perfect thing to have playing when you're wandering through a forest in the late afternoon because it enhances the feeling and atmosphere of the experience so much. You really feel like you're walking through some of the stories being told in the songs. Plus, the later it gets the more spooky and haunting the album becomes during your walk.

2. Giant Robot, by Buckethead

Not everyone knows who this master of guitar is, but those that do know he is one of the most out there and macabre figure in all of rock and metal. His first American release Giant Robot is filled with all kinds of creepy and some times downright frightening songs that are perfect for Halloween time that will get you jolting in a matter of seconds. The album has this dark, yet intriguing presence to it that never fully leaves you even long after you've finished listening to it. Put it on and you'll see what I mean.

3. Killer, by Alice Cooper

Killer is another one of those albums that has this dark, foreboding presence to it. Even the more cheery and uptempo songs seem to have this ominous undertone to them that makes you wonder what is beneath the surface and about to scratch you. The album reaches its climax when the sounds of an angry mob take Alice to the stocks to have him executed for singing about a rather tender subject matter. When the funeral procession ends and you hear the blade drop and the loud flies buzzing about, you're left with a frightened feeling that will leave you in need of hugs and hot cocoa. Best listened to on a late fall evening by yourself.

What are some of your favorite albums to listen to in Autumn? Do you agree with my list? Are there any I missed? If so, leave them in the comments below!

Throwback Thursday: "Taken By Force", by The Scorpions

In 1979 German metal band The Scorpions ended quite the era with one final non-pop/glam metal album, titled Taken By Force. Throughout the 70's The Scorpions had put out a whole slew of great heavy metal albums that sadly no one but hard core fans seem to know about these days. Before they put out their big 80's radio hits, they were even more of a musical force to be reckoned with. Incidentally, this was also their final album with guitar god Uli Jon Roth as the lead axe man so that probably explains a lot of the subsequent change in sound.

Taken By Force is a blend of straight up heavy metal, ballads, and oddly enough funk. The latter bit of course is thanks to Roth's playing style. Somehow though he managed to make funky Hendrix-like playing sound perfectly metal. Some of the best tracks on this album are ones where Roth's funk style of playing takes the foreground. You can still hear some of the kinds of styles that the band would expand upon and become famous for later on, but it's still done in such a way where it isn't overly commercial and glossy.

Steamrock Fever is one hell of a way to open an album. It sounds a lot like their 80's stuff in some ways, but it's just so loud, pounding, and fun. Honestly I don't know why this song isn't more famous. It's got a jackhammer keeping rhythm in addition to drums and has a big, thundering, melodic chorus to boot. Sadly there is no guitar solo, but you'll be having so much fun singing along to the song that you won't even notice.

The Sails of Charon in my opinion is the absolute best thing The Scorpions ever did, hands down. Nothing else comes remotely close. It starts off with Roth absolutely tearing it the eff up with some melodic, gypsy-like shredding and leads into a the first verse which whisks you away on a mystical adventure. My jaw dropped the first time I ever heard this song. There is definitely a reason that Uli Jon Roth is regarded as one of the greatest guitar players in the world even today.

Taken By Force is definitely the definition of a hidden gem. If you're a fan of The Scorpions or heavy metal in general then you owe it to yourself to go and find this album in whatever format suits you. It is entertaining and thrilling from start to finish. I guarantee there will be at least a few tracks on there that you keep in your rotation. I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's a criminally under rated album and that there are multiple tunes on it that deserve a lot more radio air play than they are getting these days.

Taken By Force, by The Scorpions receives 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Steamrock Fever
2. We'll Burn the Sky
3. I've Got to Be Free
4. The Riot of Your Time
5. The Sails of Charon
6. Your Light
7. He's a Woman - She's a Man
8. Born to Touch Your Feelings

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Taken-Force-Scorpions/dp/B00006WKY9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507882314&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Scorpions+Taken+By+Force

Op-Ed Piece: Eddie Van Halen the Most Over Rated Guitar Player Ever?

Photo courtesy of Project EVH

Over the years guitarist Eddie Van Halen of the band Van Halen has made the top of many people's lists of best guitar players of all time. He changed the game overnight the day that the song Eruption from Van Halen's debut album Van Halen first hit people's speakers. From there on out everyone was trying to copy his technique and be just like him because no one (as far as most people knew/know) had ever done anything like that before. However, I'm not exactly sharing in those sentiments and kind of think Eddie Van Halen is the most over rated guitar player of all time.

I know. That sounds like a sacrilege to many of you. Before you come at me with your torches and pitchforks however, hear me out. I do have some valid reasons for feeling the way that I do (even though in reality this is all just opinion and is completely subjective).

Let's start with the two handed tapping technique that Eddie made famous in Eruption. Many people credit him with the creation of this method when in reality he did not. The technique had actually been around for quite some time before Van Halen used it. In fact, guitarist Brian May from Queen had already been using it well before Van Halen did.

That said, I'll give credit where it's due. Van Halen did make the technique the staple in many guitarists' skill books that it is today with his particular utilization of it. The way he used it to make such long, flowing classical melodies is impressive.

However, aside from Eruption and maybe Spanish Fly Van Halen's technique and songwriting is really not all that innovative. Most of it is just glossy straightforward pop rock that we have all heard a lot of before. Maybe it was done with their particular brand on it, but it was all still blues based pop rock that blended in with the rest of what was popular at the time.

I could come up with a list right now of quite a few guitar players who are more technically skilled than Eddie Van Halen and are more clever and innovative song writers. In fact, I'll throw down a short list right now for you to check out when you have the time (if you haven't heard of some of them already):

Jimi Hendrix
Joe Satriani
Steve Vai
Frank Zappa
Buckethead
Steve Morse
John Petrucci
Paul Gilbert
Bumblefoot
Jason Becker
Marty Friedman
Ritchie Blackmore
Tosin Abassi
Jeff Beck

I know it sounds like I hate Eddie Van Halen, but in all honesty I don't. I LOVE his stuff. I've been a huge Van Halen fan ever since I was a kid. I idolized him just as much as everyone else for a while, but I guess as I got older and started listening to more stuff I realized there is a whole world of great guitar players out there that are much more skilled and creative. Eddie just kind of stays in his pop rock box where it's safe. It doesn't make him a bad musician by any means, but it doesn't make him the most innovative one either.

Do any of you agree with me? Do you feel that I'm full of cock-a-dookie and should shut my pie hole for disrespecting the greatest guitar player to ever live (in your opinion)? Why don't you send a comment my way and let me know!