Throwback Thursday: Eat 'em and Smile, by David Lee Roth

The split of singer David Lee Roth from iconic worldwide rock n' roll sensation Van Halen is still one of the most talked about break-ups in all of rock even 30+ years later. When Roth left the band and they subsequently came out with their 1985 smash hit 5150, he knew he had to come up with a response - and quickly. This resulted in his 1986 solo debut Eat 'em and Smile, which even though it did not make as big of an impact as Van Halen, it is still favored by fans even now.

Eat 'em and Smile maintains a lot of that fun, easygoing, party time atmosphere that a lot of Van Halen's David Lee Roth era stuff had, but not in a way where it sounded exactly like Van Halen with a different set of players. Actually, Roth put together one hell of a band. He got Greg Bissonette on the drums, Billy Sheehan on bass, and the legendary virtuoso Steve Vai on guitar. You can hear the band's energy pulsing through every track. Though each musician aside from Roth was technically proficient as a musician, they used that proficiency in a way that made it one hell of a fun record.

Whenever people talk about Eat 'em and Smile, the first song that usually comes into the conversation is the album's main single "Yankee Rose". It is definitely an arena rocker for sure. Vai does some of his famous "guitar talk" throughout the intro and other parts of the song and overall it is a pulsing, pounding good time. It definitely sounds commercial, but you can still hear the chops in it. Definitely a feat that not many hair bands had back in the day.

The record also includes a cover of the classic "Tobacco Road". It definitely sounds 80's rock radio-ed up, but you can still tell they were having a lot of fun with it and putting some real care and soul into it as well. I would expect nothing less from such a group of passionate musicians, after all. Vai definitely knows how to blend blues with technical proficiency while Sheehan can flex his bass muscles and Bissonette his steady hand on the drums.

Eat 'em and Smile definitely deserves to be given another look by the general public, in my opinion. While it definitely is not as groundbreaking as anything Van Halen did, if you give it a listen while leaving context on the shelf you might be pleasantly surprised. There are some upbeat, fun, and catchy songs on it played by some of the best musicians to ever walk this planet. Like I said, Roth lucked out considering he isn't that great of a singer. Still, it is worth checking out at least once.

Eat 'em and Smile, by David Lee Roth receives 3.25/5 stars.

Track List:

1. Yankee Rose
2. Shyboy
3. I'm Easy
4. Ladies Night in Buffalo?
5. Goin' Crazy!
6. Tobacco Road
7. Elephant Gun
8. Big Trouble
9. Bump and Grind
10. That's Life

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Smile-David-Lee-Roth/dp/B004X0XXFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536295011&sr=8-1&keywords=david+lee+roth+eat+em+and+smile+cd

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #180

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. Medieval Steel, by Medieval Steel

An American power metal band from Memphis, of all places. They got started in the early 80's. Their history is rather spotty and they never made it into the big time, but they have managed to survive even to this day despite multiple break-ups, hiatuses, etc. People do still attend their shows, and for good reason. In songs like "Medieval Steel" they have towering riffs, thundering shredding solos, and melodic choruses that stick with you despite the fact that they are a tad cheesy.

2. The Sword, by XCaliber

Another FANTASTIC power metal band from the mid-80's that sadly never made it very far. Hailing from Pennsylvania, they only released one album, Warriors of the Night in 1986 and then disbanded the following year. This song in particular from that album is probably my favorite one of all. The lyrics aren't exactly the best, but melodically and sonically it still delivers. It has big riffs, juicy licks, and some ear pleasing melodic vocals that make for a catchy chorus.

3. The Watcher, by Tytan

This NWOBHM band lasted for only two years in the early 80's, but former Angel Witch bassist Kev Riddles still managed to get their only album Rough Justice released in 1985, a couple years after the band's split. This song in particular is kind of what you would get if Dio era Black Sabbath and Paul Di'Anno era Iron Maiden had a baby. It has those big riffs, yet they still groove and move at a decent pace while the singer channels his inner-Dio.

4. On the Run, by Overdrive

This is another NWOBHM band that has had a rather off and on history. They formed in 1977 and initially only put out a demo in 1978, a single in 1981 (which is what we have posted here today), and then nothing until 1989 when they put out another demo. It wasn't until 1990 when they started putting out actual albums. They still play today, but as I mentioned they have broken up and gotten back together a LOT over the years. This song definitely lives up to its name. It drives, packs a punch, and will leave you wanting more.

5. The Voice of the Cult, by Chastain

Oh my god. If you want an American power metal band with insanely shreddy guitars that still flow and make sense in the context of a song with one hell of a powerful, yet still melodic female vocalist, then Chastain is the band for you. They have been at it since 1984, and while technically never having broken up they have gone on hold and through line-up changes quite a few times over the years. Regardless, this tune is a great introduction to them.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #179

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. Mind Your Manners, by Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

Guns N' Roses axe man Slash is at it again with a new single from his upcoming album Living the Dream. This song is pure straight up, bare bones, no frills rock n' roll. It's pretty much exactly what you expect from a solo Slash song at this point. I don't think it is anything all that special, but it knows what kind of song it is and doesn't try to be anything more. I think that is where the strength of it lies for some people.

2. Only Friend, by The Temperance Movement

I went to a Judas Priest and Deep Purple double bill last week, and much to my pleasant surprise, The Temperance Movement was opening. I've been wanting to see them for YEARS and this was the chance I wasn't expecting. This was one of the tunes they played and it has grown on me even more than it already had before. It's so grooving, bluesy, and full of soul. This could have easily been a radio hit back in the 70's.

3. Megitsune, by Babymetal

Now I know what you're going to say. Babymetal, Josh? Really? Yes, really. I think if you gave them a chance you might find that you actually like some of their stuff. Their blend of J-Pop and modern metal works surprisingly well. Plus, they have some fantastic choreography and costumes to boot. If you're at all curious, this song in particular is a song about female empowerment and I think that is a wonderful thing.

4. Living After Midnight, by Judas Priest

This is one of the songs that Judas Priest encored with last week - to the surprise of absolutely no one, of course. It's a good song and it is one of the ones that put them on the mainstream radar, even to this day. It's definitely not my favorite song of theirs, nor is it anywhere near their most heavy and technically proficient song, but it's catchy, rocking, and fun. At the end of the day, there is just as much a place for that as there is anything else in metal.

5. Bloodsucker, by Deep Purple

Much to my pleasant surprise, Deep Purple pulled out this obscure gem at the concert last week. You don't hear them playing all that much of anything from Deep Purple in Rock any more, so this was pretty cool. That said, Ian Gillan can definitely NOT do the kind of screams he was doing in 1970 any more, but it was still an overall solid performance. This is one of my personal favorite tracks from that album, so I definitely feel it is worth giving at least one listen.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #178

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. Coast to Coast, by Trapeze

I don't feel this song, the album it came from, or the band that made it get talked about anywhere near as much as they deserve. This tune is one of their more laid back, grooving, melodic tunes and somehow it always helps me chill if I'm all wound up. It gives me some serious feels too, but I still have yet to ever figure out why. Maybe it's just an atmospheric thing? Regardless, this is definitely good for relaxation time.

2. Breaking the Law, by Judas Priest

Since I'm going to go see these guys this week, I figured it was a good idea to throw in one of their classic hits. This is one of the first songs that I and many other people ever remember hearing out of Judas Priest. Though I like their 70's material better, British Steel is still a classic album and deserves the fame and glory that it has all these years later. Without this hit, I don't think Judas Priest would be the hallmark metal band they are considered to be today.

3. Nancy the Tavern Wench, by Alestorm

If you dig pirates and heavy metal, then this tune will be right up your alley. Pirate metal while on a surface level may seem silly, it is still a lot of fun. This tune makes you feel like you're in an old run down sleazy tavern by the port at least 300 years ago. It certainly brings that time period and that atmosphere alive in a way that vibes with a wider audience today. You will feel like a heavy metal Jack Sparrow pretty quickly for sure.

4. What's Going on Here, by Deep Purple

Honestly, I NEVER hear anyone talk about this song, even in the circles of people that do still happen to talk about Deep Purple. It's one of my personal favorites from the Burn album for sure. It's just a straight up piano driven swinging blues tune, but somehow it just grooves in such a way that makes you want to stomp your foot along and sing along with the delectably vocal layered choruses. Why this isn't a big hit, I'll never know.

5. Lipstick Traces, by UFO

This is a completely instrumental tune, but it evokes more emotion than most overplayed love songs ever will. I get this picture of hanging out with my gal in a hammock on a beach on some warm, but not too warm summer night with a gentle breeze rolling through. Maybe a candle or tiki torch too. Who knows. Regardless, if a song can paint that vivid of an image in my head even though it doesn't have lyrics, there is definitely some worth to it to me.

Throwback Thursday: Wake Up the Neighborhood, by Wake Up the Neighborhood

You know what? I'm getting bored with the same old routine. Every week I pick some classic album from the days of yore of rock n' roll (though some times not all THAT long ago) and I talk about it for a few paragraphs. This week we're going to do something a little different just to change things up a bit. This week we're talking about an album from a band I used to be in called Wake Up the Neighborhood.

Five years ago when I was a hopeful, optimistic lad with big dreams of becoming a big rock star, I was in a band with some buddies called Wake Up the Neighborhood. We mostly played locally, but every now and again we did get a little further out there. In 2013 though, I decided it was time for us to do an album. We spent the summer getting our original material all sorted out and then recorded it all in our drummer's basement. It took a while to do, but eventually we got the whole thing done and called it simply Wake Up the Neighborhood.

Wake Up the Neighborhood at least as far as I'm concerned has a few different styles thrown into it, but for the most part it's a cohesive bluesy classic rock influenced album. I actually had multiple people tell me they thought they were listening to something from the 70's when putting it on. I took that as a compliment. Regardless, it goes from loud, pound your walls, finger blistering rock n' roll to heartfelt ballads to moments of funk to folksy acoustic and beyond.

"Let's Wake Up the Neighborhood" is the first song I ever took part in writing that I actually took pride in. I had written other stuff before, but it always felt like amateur-ish crap to me. This song however made me want to pump my fist and shout "FUCK YEAH!". It's this mid-tempo, chugging, blues tinged party rock kind of song. The kind you blare through the loudest speakers you can find in your neighborhood so you can wake them up and get them to join in on the party. I was pretty proud of the guitar solo I did on it as well.

"Relapse" is one of the other old songs from that album that was already about 3-ish years old (give or take) by the time we laid it down. It's a clean guitar and piano driven ballad that talks about the first real heartbreak I ever had and how I felt like no matter how hard I tried to move on, even the smallest thing could make me crumble back down. I'm pretty proud of how it all came together for the most part. It knows how to set a mood and then go balls to the wall rock and then back again.

Wake Up the Neighborhood is far from being a perfect album by any stretch of the imagination. Years later I can hear all the fuck-ups and things that could have been done better, but I still treasure and cherish the album nonetheless. I am proud of what we as a team managed to accomplish. There are some solid tracks on it that I will still stand by even to this day. If you have a bit of time to kill, check it out for yourself and see what you think. Maybe even leave a comment about it if you feel like.

Wake Up the Neighborhood, by Wake Up the Neighborhood receives 3 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Let's Wake Up the Neighborhood
2. S.O.L.
3. Relapse
4. Just Like This
5. Dirt
6. Keys to the Night
7. Dream
8. Crawl
9. Band Jam
10. Walk Away

Listen to the album (for free) on Bandcamp:

https://wakeuptheneighborhood.bandcamp.com/album/wake-up-the-neighborhood

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #177

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. Angel Witch, by Angel Witch

I just discovered this heavily under rated hidden gem of a band recently. They are from the early 80's New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene and they definitely sound as such. What sets them apart from all of the other bands of that time though is that their music has a lot more memorable melody and tasty vocal harmonies. They are still heavy and fast as hell, but there is more to them than that. It's a shame they never made it as big as Iron Maiden or Judas Priest.

2. Be Forewarned, by Pentagram

I used to just sort of gloss over this song when listening to Pentagram's First Daze Here album. It's a compilation that has all of their unreleased 70's demos recorded by the original line-up. However, I went back to this song recently and was completely blown away by it. The vocal octave layering in the beginning is just so eerie, yet delightful. It gets intense musically and lyrically intriguing. It just draws you in and keeps you hooked from start to finish. There are so many layers to dissect, so I suggest multiple listens.

3. Killing is My Business, by Megadeth

So Megadeth a little while back put out this AMAZING remix of their 1985 debut album Killing is My Business... And Business is Good!. There is so much more clarity, punch, and raw energy in the songs now. You can hear stuff you wouldn't have noticed before on the original mixes. This tune in particular sounds absolutely killer (pun totally intended). I can guarantee you will be banging your head along to it as much as I did.

4. Holy Diver, by Dio

Do I really need to describe this song for you? If you are a metalhead or even a classic rock fan for that matter you know this song. It's one of Ronnie James Dio's most remembered and beloved songs of all time. It is the definition of a heavy metal anthem. I was at Uproar Festival back in 2010 not long after Dio died and they played the Killswitch Engage version of this over the PA in between bands and HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of us started singing along to it in unison in remembrance of the Man on the Silver Mountain. It was a powerful moment, for sure.

5. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, by The Shirelles

And now for something completely different. I'm going to end this week's playlist on a lighter note. This is the kind of music that I remember hearing as a little kid all the time while in the car with my mom. She would always play the oldies station to protect my innocence or whatever. Regardless, this is some of the first music I ever remember hearing and I LOVED it. I still do. Stuff like this no matter how intense of music I listen to will always hold a special place in my heart.

Throwback Thursday: Powerage, by AC/DC

By 1978, AC/DC had managed to gain quite a bit of notoriety and reputation in the world of rock n' roll. With a few solid (and to this day classic) releases under their belts, they were definitely progressing musically in many ways from where they had started only five years prior. Their music was getting louder, longer, a bit more complex, and overall more creative both musically and lyrically. This definitely showed in their fifth studio album Powerage. This was also their first album with long time bassist Cliff Williams.

Powerage in a ways is sort of a transitional record of sorts between the raw, untamed, and wild early days of AC/DC and the refined, hard rocking, commercially successful band that we all came to know and love from Highway to Hell, Back in Black, and onwards. This is sort of the culmination of what the band had managed to accomplish, learn, and grow into without all that much influence from the outside. It still has that rough, raw, edge to it, but it's more focused.

"Gone Shootin'" in my opinion is one of AC/DC's absolute coolest tracks. It's not the hardest rocking (though there is still plenty of that), but they really manage to use dynamics, nuance, and twangy blues riffs to build something that has an irresistible groove to it. The verses lay back a bit and focus more on grooving rather than going balls to the wall, but the pre-choruses are where things manage to get intense and then lay back off. It's a damn cool tune.

"Riff Raff" on the other hand is one of the best fast tempo hard rocking songs that AC/DC ever wrote and put to tape. Usually "Whole Lotta Rosie" earns that title for most people, but I would argue that "Riff Raff" could give it a run for its money. The riff is infectious, the groove is just pedal to the metal, and it just makes you want to bang your head. Plus, you can tell the band is absolutely on fire and having a blast.

While I definitely don't think Powerage is AC/DC's best album by any stretch of the imagination, I do feel that it earns its place on the shelf with the rest of the beloved classic material. The noteworthy tracks on it are definitely memorable and hold up with age. If you are an AC/DC fan or just a rock n' roller in general, I guarantee you will find at least a couple tracks on here that you will like and keep in your regular rotation.

Powerage, by AC/DC receives 3.25 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Rock n' Roll Damnation
2. Gimme a Bullet
3. Down Payment Blues
4. Gone Shootin'
5. Riff Raff
6. Sin CIty
7. Up to My Neck in You
8. What's Next to the Moon
9. Cold Hearted Man
10. Kicked in the Teeth

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Powerage-AC-DC/dp/B00O75S240/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1533875207&sr=8-1&keywords=Powerage