Monday, October 30, 2017

Album Review: "Concrete and Gold", by The Foo Fighters



If there is one thing The Foo Fighters have been known for over the past couple of decades, it's being rather consistent in their timely release of quality material. This go round with their latest release Concrete and Gold is no exception. In fact, I would even venture to say that it is a bit above and beyond some of what they have put out recently.

Released September 15th on RCA Records, Concrete and Gold was recorded from December of last year till earlier this year in May over at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, CA. It was produced by Greg Kurstin, who has worked with the likes of Adele, Beck, The Bird and the Bee, Dido, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Sia, as well as Tegan and Sara. Normally I wouldn't trust someone who produces primarily pop artists to do a hard rock album, but I was pleasantly surprised with his work here.

Concrete and Gold is as described by the band to be "where hard rock extremes meet pop sensibilities". To give a more clear picture to those who have not yet listened, band front man Dave Grohl described the album being "Sergent Pepper if made by Motorhead". I can definitely hear the Beatles influence right from the get-go, but it also doesn't take long for the heavier punk and metal side of the band to take over. It's a fascinating interplay of styles that weaves the songs together in such an intriguing way. At one moment you have sweet, melodic pop sounds flowing through your speakers comforting you, but then at a snap you're being thrashed around by harsh vocals backed by instrumentation with a serious punch to it.

The lyrics all have one unifying motif that binds the entire album together, which is concern for the future of the United States given the current political climate. Grohl says that when it all ties together the main theme is "hope and desperation". Everything takes place from his point of view of Grohl "politically, personally, as a father, an American, and a musician". That said, though there are some serious political tones to the songs, the lyrics themselves are not overly political. It's more like they allude to what's going on without actually saying it. Grohl definitely knew when to strike with a hot iron and when to pull back.

One of the things that makes Concrete and Gold so special is that there were a number of famous guest performers lending their talents, including: Sir Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Stockman, Inara George, Allison Mosshart, Dave Koz, Taylor Greenwood, Greg Sierpowski, Kinga Bacik, Thomas Lea, Ginny Luke, Jessy Greene, and Greg Kurstin. Quite a mouthful, huh? Grohl definitely has no shortage of friends in high places. Personally I'm surprised he didn't get John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, or Brian May in on it considering the long list he had already.

Honestly, I don't have much in the way of any gripes with Concrete and Gold. Those who don't like music with any political themes or are fans of our country's all wise and knowing God Emperor will probably not care for it, but most anyone else will find something on the album they like. The only minor nitpicks I might personally make are the heavier parts of the album do sound a bit derivative of what The Foo Fighters have done before and some parts are just a bit too overproduced. That said, those are still minor nitpicks. The album is still REALLY good.

What I enjoy about Concrete and Gold is that you can tell the band really wanted to do something different. Every song is different from the last and it keeps you on your toes. It's exciting. You never know what is going to happen next. Personally those kinds of albums are the ones I like best. I like being thrilled and left anticipating from track to track. I also like that not every song sounds like generic radio friendly rock. I guess what I'm trying to say is Concrete and Gold will most certainly take you on an adventure. It's worth your time and money.

Concrete and Gold, by The Foo Fighters receives 3.8 stars.

Track List:

1. T-Shirt
2. Run
3. Make It Right
4. The Sky is a Neighborhood
5. La Dee Da
6. Dirty Water
7. Arrows
8. Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
9. Sunday Rain
10. The Line
11. Concrete and Gold

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Gold-Foo-Fighters/dp/B071GZJT1R/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1509409196&sr=8-1&keywords=Concrete+and+Gold

Sunday, October 29, 2017

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #140

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. The Prince, by Diamond Head

If you want to know where bands like Metallica and Megadeth got their early inspiration from, look no further than Diamond Head. A lot of techniques, riff and solo styles, lyrical themes, etc. are lifted pretty much almost entirely from this band. They were part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (or NWOBHM) movement that spanned the late 70's into the early 80's. Without them, we wouldn't have TONS of the metal bands we know and love today.




2. Saurusarmeija, by Hevisaurus

Finland has a heavy metal band for kids. They dress up in dinosaur costumes when they perform too. Ridiculous? Yes. Awesome, though? You bet your sweet ass. Even though the lyrics are all in Finnish and made for kids these tunes are still just as heavy, rocking, and awesome as anything made for adults. It's too silly, radical, and out there for it to not be. Quite frankly I wish we had something like that here in the States.




3. The Last Song of My Resting Place, by Black Country Communion

Super group Black Country Communion recently put out their first album in five years after a temporary split up. They're back with a vengeance with all of the strong heavy rock song writing you would expect from the combined forces of Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian. This particular song has Joe on lead vocals. It's an emotional fictitious retelling of the story of the violinist on the Titanic who kept playing in order to keep everyone calm while the ship was going down, sacrificing his own life to do so.




4. In My Darkest Hour, by Megadeth

This tune is the gem of Megadeth's third album So Far, So Good... So What!. The lyrics and music were inspired by two separate things. The music was inspired by the death of front man Dave Mustaine's ex Metallica band mate bassist Cliff Burton. The lyrics are more about loneliness and isolation. It's been played at every Megadeth show for nearly 30 years now and Mustaine always dedicates it to the memory of Burton.




5. Disturbing the Priest, by Black Sabbath

This in my opinion is Black Sabbath's most under rated album of all time. Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan did a phenomenal job as front man for this record and this song in particular is where he shines the brightest. This has the darkest tone of any Black Sabbath song out there. Gillan goes from hauntingly soft to frighteningly high and loud, giving off some of the most terrifying screams. What makes this song even more amazing to me is the parts where screams actually harmonize. It hits me just the right way.



Saturday, October 28, 2017

Motley Crue Bassist Nikki Sixx on Drugs and Creativity

Photo courtesy of Blabbermouth


It is a common notion in the world of music (primarily rock and metal) that drugs make you more creative. Artists like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix definitely helped cement that in the minds of the common folk. Former Motley Crue bassist and primary song writer Nikki Sixx has recently opened up and shared his thoughts on the subject.

Sixx is of course notorious for having been a heavy drug addict during Motley Crue's 80's heyday. The name Motley Crue was pretty much synonymous with sex, drugs, and rock n' roll and nobody partied harder than they did. This of course affected their work and also caused Sixx to overdose twice and die briefly the second time.

Years later Sixx would recount that time of his life with is book The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rockstar (which is now celebrating its 10th anniversary). In a recent interview with MSNBC Sixx goes into his feelings on the drug epidemic in America, but more interestingly his feelings on how drugs affect creativity, saying:

“I was thinking about 1987 and how I was barely able to get an album done and a tour. And, actually, the tour was canceled, the last part of the tour. And in 2017, I'm able to do a radio show, write books, do photography, be a better husband, a father, and be part of these conversations that are happening. So I really think that sobriety gives you more energy and more creativity.”

Sixx is sadly one of the few lucky ones who was able to get away from such a lifestyle and live many more happy and healthy years. I wholeheartedly agree with his statement on creativity. It just takes away your energy and your focus. All you become focused on is getting your next fix just to be ok. Even if you're just doing something like pot it still takes away from your creativity because what comes from you isn't really you. It's just whatever your drug addled brain made you spew out at that moment. I personally have come up with all of my best material when I'm not under the influence of any mind altering substances (that weren't prescribed to me and taken at the instructed dosage). If you're really a creative person, you can do it without any substances.

Friday, October 27, 2017

Throwback Thursday: "So Far, So Good... So What!", by Megadeth



By 1988 American thrash metal band Megadeth had been working their way up through the underground scene with their first couple of albums. The arrival of their third release So Far, So Good... So What!would usher in multiple changes that included: the arrival (and firing of after the tour) of guitarist Jeff Young and drummer Chuck Behler, more mainstream attention (despite no commercial radio airplay), and more technical song writing.

So Far, So Good... So What! primarily features faster more technical songs with themes that range from nuclear holocaust to censorship to loneliness and beyond. Like much of Megadeth's pre-existing material at the time the album is fast, heavy, aggressive, and is definitely a no holds barred presentation of rhythm guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine's true feelings on things. It features the band's concert staple and dedication to the memory of Mustaine's former Metallica band mate bassist Cliff Burton titled In My Darkest Hour.

Anarchy in the UK is quite obviously a Sex Pistols cover, but is played a lot faster and a great deal more aggressively. Mustaine originally wanted to put Problems on as the Sex Pistols cover, but the label made him use Anarchy in the UK instead because it was a more widely known song. That said, Mustaine gives it his all and has every bit as much attitude, anger with the establishment, and sincerity in his performance as Johnny Rotten did in the original. Incidentally, the second guitar solo in this cover is played by Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones who manages to keep up with the band quite well.

In My Darkest Hour is one of Megadeth's most emotionally powerful songs. The lyrics are about isolation and loneliness, but Mustaine himself has stated multiple times over the years that when he wrote the musical parts he was thinking about Cliff Burton, who had died in a freak bus accident not long before the recording of the record. It's a mid-tempo song, but it is every bit as heavy and poignant as any of the more balls to the wall material. It's incredibly rhythmic and in some ways primal, which definitely speaks to the raw emotional end of the song that much more.

So Far, So Good... So What! is a mixed bag because it does contain some of Megadeth's stronger material, but most of the album is rather forgettable. In a way I'm glad that the next album Rust in Peace ushered in the iconic line-up of Megadeth that would last into the early 2000's. That said, it's still a good album and is worth multiple listens. It has its shining moments and those moments make it worth the money spent to get it.

So Far, So Good... So What!, by Megadeth receives 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Into the Lungs of Hell
2. Set the World Afire
3. Anarchy in the UK
4. Mary Jane
5. 502
6. In My Darkest Hour
7. Liar
8. Hook in Mouth

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/So-Far-Good-What-Explicit/dp/B000TGZPUU/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?ie=UTF8&qid=1509087109&sr=8-1&keywords=so+far+so+good+so+what

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Black Country Communion Premiere New Video for "The Last Song of My Resting Place"



Black Country Communion put out their first album in five years this past September, titled BCCIV. With the band's strong comeback after their break-up naturally they are going to want to lure fans and potential fans alike in with some of the album's strongest material. Recently they have done so by premiering a new video for the song The Last Song of My Resting Place (which can be viewed above).

The song features guitarist Joe Bonamassa on lead vocals, which doesn't happen too often considering usually it's bassist Glenn Hughes taking the mic. That said, his voice suits the song perfectly as it is a blend of hard rock and folk. It is an emotionally intense song for sure, and it only builds the 8 minutes it goes on for.

The video alters between studio footage of the band performing the song and fictitious footage of the RMS Titanic and its band leader and violinist Wallace Hartley who kept playing everyone off the ship, even at the cost of his own life by going down with the ship into the black, icy cold Atlantic ocean that fateful night in 1912. It's a song that celebrates the bravery he showed and how such selfless heroism isn't seen all that much any more.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Judas Priest's New Album Name and Tour Dates Revealed

Photo courtesy of Discogs


Leather clad British heavy metal legends Judas Priest have some quite a bit in the pipe ready for us soon. They are going to be following up their big 2014 album Redeemer of Souls with a brand new album which has just been given a name. In addition to that, they have also let loose their upcoming tour dates for next year.

According to Ultimate Classic Rock the new album (which will be their 18th studio release) will be titled Firepower and it will be released some time early next year (2018). It was co-produced by Tom Allom, who not only engineered Black Sabbath's first three albums but has a long history with Judas Priest as well that spans way back to the 70's including albums such as Screaming for Vengeance, Defenders of Faith, and British Steel. Allom's most recent effort with the band was a live concert recording from 2009 titled A Touch of Evil.

The title of the album sounds VERY classic Judas Priest. I could easily see it on the shelf with the other albums from their heyday with a title like that. However, you can't judge a book by its cover. Whether or not Firepower actually stands tall with the rest of the band's catalog remains to be heard, as we do not have even the first single from it yet. Personally I'd love to hear something that has a real classic late 70's Judas Priest vibe, but maybe with a bit more modern production. However, I also would hate for it to sound like they're trying to replicate what they've done in the past, like what Sabbath did on 13. I guess it's a fine line to tread, but I'm sure whatever they put out will be great.

Judas Priest Firepower 2018 Tour Dates

3/13 - Wilkes Barre, PA, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
3/15 - Youngstown, OH, Covelli Centre
3/17 - Uniondale, NY, Nassau Coliseum
3/18 - Washington, DC, The Anthem
3/20 - Newark, NJ, Prudential Center
3/22 - Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
3/25 - Ottawa, ON, The Arena at TD Place
3/27 - London, ON, Budweiser Gardens
3/28 - Oshawa, ON, Tribute Communities Centre
3/30 - Orillia, ON, Casino Rama
3/31 - Detroit, MI, Detroit Masonic Temple
4/3 - Milwaukee, WI, Riverside Theater
4/5 - Green Bay, WI, Resch Center
4/8 - Bloomington, IL, Grossinger Motors Arena
4/10 - Casper, WY, Casper Events Center
4/11 - Loveland, CO, Budweiser Events Center
4/15 - Kent, WA, ShoWare Center
4/17 - Portland, OR, Veterans Memorial Coliseum
4/19 - San Francisco, CA, The Warfield
4/22 - Los Angeles, CA, Microsoft Theater
4/24 - Phoenix, AZ, Comerica Theatre
4/26 - Tulsa, OK, BOK Center
4/28 - Dallas, TX, The Bomb Factory
4/29 - Sugarland, TX, Smart Financial Centre
5/1 - San Antonio, TX, Freeman Coliseum

Monday, October 23, 2017

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #139

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. Here's to You, by The Dark Element

Anette Olzon, former vocalist of Nightwish has a new album coming out soon with her new band The Dark Element. This is one of the singles from it. While there are definitely some heavier, more modern elements to it in some ways it reminds me of early 80's/early Dio solo stuff. Some of the instrumental melody definitely has a bit of a Rainbow in the Dark kind of vibe, but without sounding like they're trying to copy the old greats.




2. Wish You Were Here, by Avenged Sevenfold

With the long slew of covers Avenged Sevenfold has been putting out lately, I'm not all that surprised that they chose to do this Pink Floyd classic. In terms of lyrical themes and overall musical vibe it's right up their alley. They stay more faithful to the original than most people might think they would, but at the same time they aren't afraid to veer off and do their own thing a little bit here and there where necessary in order to make it their own.




3. Play That Funky Music White Boy, by Wild Cherry

Despite the fact that I LOVE 70's music, not everything from that era was great. Some of it was trash. This particular tune is among the garbage. That said, it's trashy in all of the most fun, and awesome ways. It's got a sexy groove to it while at the same time throwing a sexy chorus hook at you that will make you want to sing along over and over again long past the time the last note fades from your speakers. If you want a cheap, easy good time then look no further.




4. Who's to Say, by The White Stripes

I discovered this song as a B side to the 45 of their song I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself from their 2003 masterpiece Elephant. I'm kind of sad that this song was only a B side because of how good it is, but I get it. It's a cover of a song by Dan Miller from Blanche, a not as well known artist as Burt Bachrach who penned the A side. Regardless, it's something you can let envelope you and get lost in. It sways and flows, making you feel like your in a waltzing trance.




5. Master of Puppets (demo), by Metallica

Metallica is gearing up to do their big rerelease of their 1986 hallmark masterpiece album Master of Puppets. The album is going to include a crap ton of stuff that the fans have never heard, including alternate mixes, demos, and live recordings. This demo of the title track will be among the copious amounts of bonus material. It's definitely interesting to hear what the song sounded like at its genesis. In a way it's a blend of Kill 'em All's instrumental sound and Ride the Lightning's vocal style.



Saturday, October 21, 2017

Linkin Park Streaming Chester Bennington Tribute Concert

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone


According to Diffuser, on October 27th (next Friday) a rather big ticket event will be hitting the internet: a concert put on by Linkin Park to honor the memory of their dearly departed front man Chester Bennington who back in May took his own life.

The concert will be streaming live via the band's YouTube channel, starting at 7:45 PM PST free of any charge. It will feature guest appearances from Blink 182, Machine Gun Kelly, Kiiara, Jonathan Davis of Korn, Zedd, as well as members of Avenged Sevenfold, No Doubt, System of a Down, Yellowcard, and according to the band "many other surprises".

Money made from the show will go to the band's charity Music for Relief, though more specifically the charity's One More Light fund that was set up shortly after Bennington's death. The charity was formed in 2004 to help aid in the relief of the survivors of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Since then they have raised $9 million to help survivors of natural disasters all over the world and have planted 1.3 million trees to offset the effects of climate change.

I think it's a beautiful thing that Linkin Park are doing. It's a great way to honor a talented man's memory and legacy. It's a lot like the gigantic Freddie Mercury tribute show that was done back in 1991 when the legendary singer passed and countless bands came to help Queen honor his memory. It's kind of like that, but for a new generation. Hopefully the charity raises a great deal of money because it seems like a good cause.

Friday, October 20, 2017

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

Thursday, October 19, 2017

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.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

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.

Monday, October 16, 2017

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.




Saturday, October 14, 2017

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!

Friday, October 13, 2017

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

Thursday, October 12, 2017

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!

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

77 AC/DC Songs Played in 5 Minutes at Electrical Substation



With all of the insanity and sad stuff going on in the world right now, I think it's high time we took a little break from it for a few minutes and look at something fun. Seems the healthy thing to do, right? I have just the thing for that: a video of two guys playing 77 AC/DC songs in only five minutes on drums and guitar (which can be watched above).

The video is done by Aussies Lindsay McDougall, guitarist for Frenzal Rhomb and Kye Smith, who is drummer for Local Resident Failure and has started to make a name for himself on YouTube with drum videos. It was shot at the Newcastle Substation in New South Wales.

These guys definitely know how to make some high voltage rock n' roll. It's always cool to see musicians paying tribute to their heroes in such cool and unique ways. Maybe they should find Brian Johnson and start a band together? Would probably be as close to AC/DC as you're going to manage to get these days.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #137

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. Energy, by Joe Satriani

Satch definitely has an exciting record coming up on January 12th titled What Comes Next. He has Glenn Hughes on bass and Chad Smith on drums. The chemistry and energy exuded by their combined strength is definitely a force to be reckoned with and it shows through the debut single of the album. It's definitely something worth getting stoked for if you're a fan of both Satch and blood pumping, grooving rock n' roll.




2. Bad Boys, by Whitesnake

This to me is arguably the one of if not THE best songs to come out of the hair metal era of Whitesnake. It's fun, it's exciting, and makes you want to put the pedal to the metal on a warm summer night with your windows down. While hair metal as a whole is usually laughable, I always respected Whitesnake during this time because they actually knew how to play. There was some actual talent going on from people who were in it for more than just the girls, drugs, and money.




3. Stand By My Girl, by Dan Auerbach

The more I listen to this song and pay attention to the lyrics, the more I can relate to it. I've been through some rough stuff with a psychotic abusive partner myself, so I can understand where Auerbach is coming from in this one. Aside from the lyrics though, it's a surprisingly fun and upbeat song that you can dance to. Sounds like something that would have come out of the 60's and been a Top 40 hit, possibly even with the lyrics as they are.




4. Last Damn Night, by Elle King

This is definitely one of King's most heavy, stomping, rocking tunes. She just hits you with a wall of sound with not just her band, but with her immensely powerful soulful voice as well. She has some real grit and bite to it when she wants to. I just wish that this song and album as a whole wouldn't have been so overproduced. If they would have just scaled it back some it would have been a whole different beast in a good way. Listen for yourself and you'll hear what I mean.






5. I Won't Back Down, by Tom Petty

Of course I can't let this week go by without making a nod to our most recently gone too soon musical genius. This was always my favorite song of his. Gave me the courage and the strength to carry on even when I felt I couldn't. What makes this song even cooler is that in this song Petty has half the Beatles and Jeff Lynne as part of his backing band. I didn't know that until recently and I find that to be extraordinary.


Saturday, October 7, 2017

Judas Priest Singer Rob Halford Feels Band Deserves RRHOF Induction

Photo courtesy of Billboard


This year the leather clad British heavy metal icons Judas Priest has been nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Due to all of the difficulties the band has faced over the past few decades in the music industry and what they have managed to accomplish despite them, singer Rob Halford feels the they deserve induction.

In a recent interview with Billboard, Halford discusses his feelings on Judas Priest deserving to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, saying:

“This is our Oscars. You often wonder what it would feel like if you were able to be onstage, making an acceptance speech, and having the pleasure to be in the company of all the other musicians and industry people. So if we do get in, it will be an absolute dream-come-true moment. Fingers crossed.

I’ve often talked about metal being the underdog in rock ’n’ roll music. We remember the times through the punk and New Wave moments, when it was proclaimed that heavy metal was dead, it didn’t stand a chance of surviving, it was Neanderthal music, wasn’t very intelligent and all those bad things. I still don’t understand the kind of push-back that we still have to bump up against now and again. Recognition by the Hall of Fame helps to slowly chip away at that kind of stereotype. The metal dog is wagging its metal tail. We do deserve this.”

I'll agree with Halford in that heavy metal often has and still does get the short end of the stick in the music industry. Just because it isn't polished and isn't a soft friendly sound it often gets shoved to the side. It's looked down upon in disgust when in all honesty it's one of the most musically complex genres there is. It requires real skill in terms of playing prowess as well as compositional ability. That said, Judas Priest definitely deserves in to the Hall of Fame because they are one of the pioneering and most influential bands of the genre. They deserve due recognition.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Throwback Thursday: "The Magician's Birthday", by Uriah Heep



In 1972 Uriah Heep had just made a huge impact in the world of hard rock and metal with their classic iconic album Demons & Wizards. To date it is considered one of if not the band's best album, so they needed to make a strong follow-up. The release of The Magician's Birthday proved to be just that and showed that the previous success that they had was not just a quick fluke. This album too became part of the set of albums from Uriah Heep that would be considered their best.

The Magician's Birthday continues the organ driven heavy hitting aural aesthetic from the previous album, but of course goes in a different direction with it instead of trying to catch the same bolt of lightning in a bottle twice. This album seems to go in a bit more of a prog rock direction (as was a very common thing for bands of that era to do) while still having some tunes that are accessible to the average listener. It's since become a noticeable milestone of the genre.

Sunrise starts off incredibly strong with some high ranged choral sounds, but quickly goes into something more soft and laid back. It definitely shifts in dynamics a lot, which makes it that much more enjoyable. You're never quite sure where it will go next. It might be a soft lyrical moment, or it might be a great wall of sound from the band. Singer David Byron really put his all into his performance and it definitely shows.

The Magician's Birthday is one of the band's longest pieces, running at nearly 10 and a half minutes. What a 10 and a half minutes it is, though. From that tasty opening guitar lick it hooks you right in. Once the vocals kick in, they transform into such an enchanting melody that you can't bring yourself to leave. The song goes from happy to emotionally heavy and back again on a whim, but it flows so seamlessly. If you have the ability and patience to sit through a song that is more than three to four moments long that goes through so many changes, then you're in for a treat with this one.

The Magician's Birthday as a whole might not be for everyone, but if ever you are feeling musically adventurous then this album should satiate your hunger. It's definitely considered one of Uriah Heep's best albums for a reason. It's a must have for any fan of the band or anyone who is just a fan of 70's hard or prog rock in general. You definitely won't hear any of it on the radio ever, but that just means it's actually good.

The Magician's Birthday, by Uriah Heep receives 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Sunrise
2. Spider Woman
3. Blind Eye
4. Echoes in the Dark
5. Rain
6. Sweet Lorraine
7. Tales
8. The Magician's Birthday

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Magicians-Birthday-Uriah-Heep/dp/B01KBDIG2Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1507265453&sr=8-3&keywords=The+Magician%27s+Birthday

Deep Purple Premiere Music Video for "The Surprising"



Deep Purple put out their 20th studio album inFinite back in April and are now on the road promoting the ever living crap out of it with a tour titled The Long Goodbye (which many interpret as being their final/farewell tour). In the mean time though, in order to further promote the album the band recently released a new music video for the song The Surprising (which can be watched above).

The video is an animated narrative of the band sailing through frosty, difficult northern waters. The video nods to all parts of the band's past (even the ones without Ian Gillan and Roger Glover) as they make their way through powerful storms until they finally come out the other end to a calm, peaceful sunset where the band can finally rest and metaphorically call it a day.

I definitely like the animation style, although some parts were just a tad bit stiff for my preference. That said, I love that the band was willing to celebrate all parts of their past regardless of what line-up played on each album represented. It matched the song perfectly and everything that happened in the video seemed to flow with the music perfectly. I'm not often a fan of music videos that the band/artist doesn't actually physically appear in, but this video is for sure an exception.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Thoughts on Tom Petty

Photo courtesy of Tom Petty's Twitter account


As I am sure many of you are aware by now, Tom Petty though not dead is on life support and has ceased to have any brain activity due to a heart attack he had today (10/2). Seeing as he has a DNR order, he will be passing very soon. That said, it is indeed a sad day for the world of rock n' roll and music as a whole.

Rather than give you details on the incident that you all more than likely already know, I'm going to offer some of my personal thoughts on the man. I'll try not to ramble on too long, but I definitely have a few words to say given that he played an integral part in my upbringing as a musician and music lover in general.

Tom Petty was among the first artists I ever remember hearing as a kid that wasn't soft, poppy oldies. He wasn't Motown. He wasn't Elvis. He wasn't soul. He wasn't any of the countless number of doo-wop groups from the 50's I had jammed down my throat from the radio all the time. This guy was rock n' roll at his core and it emanated throughout everything he did as a musician and person.

He was the kind of guy who would just pick up an electric guitar, plug it in, and crank it to 11 while singing passionate soulful songs that told the story of the reality that was his life. It was raw, earthy, organic, and real. At the same time he somehow managed to meld such music with a style that was radio friendly enough to get him cemented as a staple in the world of classic rock.

I remember him being one of the first artists I ever truly related to. I remember being a 10 year old kid who was bullied, picked on, and tortured all the time by countless people in every area of my life, but songs like I Won't Back Down helped me find the strength and the courage to carry on and realize that I was in fact strong and no one could knock me down if I just stood my ground and didn't budge even a single inch.

Even when I wasn't looking for a song to connect and hold onto in a hard part of my life, I still always had a good time rocking out to other songs of his as well. Runnin' Down a Dream was one of the first songs to ever excite me and make me want to put the pedal to the metal, despite the fact that I was nowhere near being able to drive yet. For some reason though, it always gave me a Scooby Doo vibe as well. Not sure what that was about.

Free Fallin' was one of the first songs I ever learned to play on the guitar once I finally picked up the instrument as a teen. Even though it was a different way than the song was originally written and played, I was still thrilled by the fact that I was able to in some way or another play such an iconic song that I had known and loved for a long time even by that point in my life. In fact, the band I'm in today still plays the song.

I will definitely regret the fact that I never got to see Tom live. From the videos I have seen it looks like he always put on one hell of a good show and seemed like he was always having fun and happy to be there. That's not something you see all that often with many bands and artists. He was definitely a rare breed to say the least.

In closing, this is indeed a sad day for fans of Tom Petty and rock n' roll in general. It pains me that in the past couple of years we have lost so much iconic talent. I am quite concerned with what will happen to music due to the fact that so many of the good artists are dying off in massive quantities. I don't want to live in a world where the only big shows are done by talentless hacks in the pop, rap, and country industries. People need talented folks like Tom Petty who make real, honest music straight from the soul. Stuff that doesn't need a ton of producers and computers in order for it to sound good. That said, I hope that Tom is able to rest in peace and that his family and friends are able to find the peace and comfort they need.

Monday, October 2, 2017

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #136

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. Tightrope, by Vandenberg's Moonkings

You might be familiar with guitarist Adrian Vandenberg from his time in Whitesnake from the late 80's-early 90's or from his solo career prior to that. Now though he is back with his newest band Moonkings and they have just put out a single from their upcoming sophomore album. It's not metal, but definitely a solid Hendrix-like track with some serious balls to it. You can tell they have become more of a solid cohesive unit.



2. Too Many Humans, by Buckethead

Buckethead is nothing if not versatile when it comes to playing the six string or any of the other two dozen instruments he can play proficiently. This is a pretty chill, laid back tune where he works with a keyboardist to create that same vibe that many instrumental jazz fusion records from the 60's and 70's had. It definitely recreates that feeling that many people get when there are just too many people around and it just gets to you.




3. Heroes, by David Bowie

This is by far one of Bowie's best songs. I don't think anyone will disagree there. It's filled with intense emotion, political conflict, and is cleverly put together. I actually didn't find out until recently that the instrument making the melody was a distorted violin. I thought that that was the coolest thing ever. Even back in the late 70's Bowie was way ahead of his time in so many ways. I've never heard anything like it before or since.




4. All Along the Watchtower, by The Jimi Hendrix Experience

It's really not that difficult or uncommon for someone to do a cover of a Bob Dylan song that far outshines the original. Jimi Hendrix did it best with his epic rendition of All Along the Watchtower. This version is still chocked full of emotion but at the same time throws in a bunch of dazzling guitar work that helps to further emphasize and drive home said emotion. Anyone looking to see how a cover should be done should look to this as an example.




5. I'm Just Having Such a Hard Time Loving You Right Now, by Nyte Lyfe Soul Cleansers

This is an up and coming band from the Chicagoland area that is definitely worth your time and attention. They love mixing it up by blending rock, blues, jazz, and any other genre they feel like to make some music with real charm and groove. This tune in particular has a real jazzy swagger to it and is definitely relatable to those of us who have ever been in a relationship where the magic is just completely gone and all you do is argue and fight. Definitely give these guys a listen.