First 2 Post-Jim Morrison Albums from The Doors to Be Reissued

For those of you who may not be aware, The Doors actually released multiple albums after the passing of front man Jim Morrison in 1971. Fortunately for fans of the band the first two of these long since out of print albums titled Other Voices and Full Circle are about to be rereleased as a two disc set and on vinyl September 4th.

The recording sessions for Other Voices had actually begun a week before Morrison passed away. Though he was gone, the remaining members Robby Krieger, John Densmore, and Ray Manzarek decided the show must go on. Manzarek and Krieger both took on vocal duties in Morrison's absence. It seemed to work out because the album ended up becoming a top 40 hit in the US when it was released in October of '71. They did the same thing again for Full Circle, which was released in July of 1972.


The Doors ended up breaking up after the tour for Full Circle, but did release one more album American Prayer. This album was the band performing brand new backing tracks to recordings of Morrison reciting poetry that he had written.

The producer of Other Voices Bruce Botnik did the remastering of the songs on both of these rereleases. Also, a rare bonus track Treetrunk will be put onto Full Circle. It was originally the B side to the single Get Up and Dance.

While this rerelease can be labeled a cash grab by some, I am still in support of it. It's great when old nearly forgotten music is brought back into public attention. Even without Morrison The Doors were a fantastic band. They were each proficient at their instruments to an enormous degree and were tight as a unit. I am personally looking forward to hearing what these albums contain.

Track Listing:

Other Voices

1. In the Eye of the Sun
2. Variety is the Spice of Life
3. Ships with Sails
4. Tightrope Ride
5. Down on the Farm
6. I'm Horny, I'm Stoned
7. Wandering Musician
8. Hang on to Your Life

Full Circle

1. Get Up and Dance
2. 4 Billion Souls
3. Verdilac
4. Hardwood Floor
5. Good Rockin'
6. The Mosquito
7. The Piano Bird
8. It Slipped My Mind
9. The Peking King and the New York Queen
10. Treetrunk

Throwback Thursday: Kill 'em All, by Metallica

Before Metallica became the tired sold out commercial entity that they are today they were once four angry drug and booze fueled metal musicians who were hungry for world domination with their own terrifying new brand of heavy metal known as thrash. In 1983 they would begin their long trip to the top by putting out their debut album Kill 'em All (which they were originally going to title Metal Up Your Ass, but Elektra Records would not let them use that in fear of severe backlash from the public). Be that as it may, this album did lead the band to bigger and better things.

Kill 'em All is a very raw tone to it when compared to the high production quality of Metallica's subsequent efforts. While part of the organic nature of the sound came from production, much also came from the band's passion and enthusiasm for what they were doing. This was Metallica at their most primal and sincere. However, half of the songs on Kill 'em All were not written by any of the four members of Metallica who played on the album. Before the band went in to record the album they fired original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine who would go on to form Megadeth. The band replaced him with Kirk Hammet who has been with them ever since.

The Four Horsemen is in my opinion the most brilliant song from Kill 'em All. Though it isn't the band's fastest track it combines many different melodies and riffs to form what is an ingenious piece of songwriting in terms of construction. It definitely has some of the most passion and energy of all the songs on the album. Fun fact: The Four Horsemen is actually an altered version of a Metallica song that was called The Mechanix. The album version is slowed down, has different lyrics, and has more riffs and melodies. The original version would be recorded by Mustaine on Megadeth's debut album Killing is My Business.

The song most people know from Kill 'em All however is Seek and Destroy; for good reason too. It's opening riff is iconic. The moment the band tears into that opening riff everyone knows who is playing and what song it is. Plus, the chorus while not necessarily the most melodic is impossible not to sing along to when you're cranking the tune as loud as your stereo will allow you to. In a way it makes you feel one with this beefy monster of a song. This is the kind of song you listen to when you want to feel like a badass tough guy.

Kill 'em All is one of the more under rated of Metallica's early works. It's one of the few albums I know of where there is one track entirely dedicated to being a bass solo (from the late Cliff Burton). It might not be as crisp as some of the later albums, but what it lacks in production it makes up for in being pure raw metal that gives you nothing but Metallica at their hungriest and most passionate. It's a great crash course in thrash metal and is a great way for all of their influences from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to culminate.

Kill 'em All, by Metallica receives 4 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Hit the Lights
2. The Four Horsemen
3. Motorbreath
4. Jump in the Fire
5. Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)
6. Whiplash
7. Phantom Lord
8. No Remorse
9. Seek and Destroy
10. Metal Militia

Buy the album on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Em-All-Metallica/dp/B00EBDXYVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432874590&sr=8-1&keywords=metallica+kill+em+all

B.B. King Poisoning Allegations "Baseless and Unfounded" Says Estate Lawyer

As many of you know by now blues legend B.B. King unfortunately recently passed away at the age of 89. While it is never easy to cope with death, it seems that in this case it is especially difficult for King's children; as daughters Karen Williams and Patty King are pressing allegations against King's business manager LaVerne Toney and assistant Myron Johnson for poisoning and killing him slowly. However, King's estate lawyer Brent Bryson does not seem to share their views.

Bryson says “baseless and unfounded and are unsupported in reality."

Bryson continues saying:

“Unfortunately even musical icons die. Ms. Toney did everything she could to carry out the wishes of Mr. King while he was alive, and continues to carry out Mr. King’s wishes after his death. I hope over these next few days we can focus on Mr. King’s musical gifts to the world and not fictional statements made by those seeking attention at the expense of Mr. King.”

In the mean time the allegations are still being investigated with an autopsy of King's body. Toney has been able to produce three documents stating King “was monitored on a 24-hour basis by Certified Nursing Assistants” and that “no action [was] taken to hasten the demise of Mr. King,” who died “peacefully in his sleep.”

I understand that King's children are devastated by the loss of their father. That is completely normal. However, I think they want to find someone to blame and point their finger at because they feel he was stolen from them. Personally I don't see what is so farfetched about an elderly gentleman passing away peacefully in his sleep. Hopefully soon the truth will come out and all of this will be able to be left in the past where it belongs.

Jack White Pens Poem "Music is Sacred"

Recently Jack White did a press conference online via his record label Third Man Records' website answering questions and defending the new music streaming service he is part of called TIDAL. White went on to describe how this service will benefit up and coming artists who are trying to make it with their craft and not have to have second jobs. On May 23 in conjunction to the press conference, White also posted a poem on the Third Man Records blog titled Music is Sacred that goes on further to emphasize why it's important to help this music be made.

The original post with the poem can be read here.

"music is sacred
those of you who stand for the sanctity of music
so that its soul can breathe
and be heard
so that it blooms in graveyards
echoes in hotel hallways
awakens neighbors in the night
and fills peoples minds with fire
shout it out loud with whatever microphone you have
or these stones will shout for you.
jump in front of demons,
and stand over cowards and those who would intend
to rip out your lungs and dampen your desire
tell the living and the dead
what you know in your heart to be true
and what you know your ears
will forever hear
that the melody of the human race
is a song that never ends.
music is sacred."

Honestly, this is definitely one of the better pieces of written work describing the importance and sanctity of music. It plays an important role in our lives and culture. Without it so many people would be voiceless and have no way of communicating what they have within them. Props to White for talking about the subject so eloquently and beautifully.

Writer's Moment:

This has nothing to do with the story, but I want to say something really quick. Today marks one year since I embarked on writing Young Ears, Fresh Perspective. I realize I don't have anywhere near the readership that some blogs and publications do, but that just makes me appreciate those of you who do take the time every day to read through what I have to say even more. It's what gives me the strength and motivation to keep on with this. Thank you so much. I look forward to another year of writing these blogs for you all. 

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #27

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.  For All the Cows, by The Foo Fighters

Personally I feel this is one of the absolute best songs The Foo Fighters have ever put out. It has a bluesy swingy feel during the verses and puts things into overdrive during the choruses. In a way I kind of get a vibe from it that reminds me of The Doors at certain points. Naturally the lyrics are full of mid-90's introspective theme that criticize society, but it works for this song. Plus, it's a great way for Dave Grohl to start making his own sound after the death of former Nirvana band mate Kurt Cobain.

2. In the Navy, by Alestorm

Now I know The Village People aren't rock music by any stretch of the imagination, but this cover done by pirate metal band Alestorm makes it WAY better. Where everything in the original was disco, they have made it pure metal with overdriven guitars, thundering drums, and dirty Scottish pirate vocals. I kid you not, this is a version of In the Navy that you can actually headbang and mosh to. I know. I never thought I'd live to see the day were such a thing would be able to be said with full seriousness.

3. Lie to Me, by Jonny Lang

Singer/guitarist Jonny Lang was only a teen when he hit the blues music scene in the late 90's, but he took it by storm with his cover of the song Lie to Me. With his vibrato guitar technique and soulful vocals, it made it seem like the late Stevie Ray Vaughan had come back from the dead via reincarnation. Although he mainly plays Christian music now the mainstream will always have this fiery passionate blues tune to jam to whenever someone has been stretching the truth with how faithful they are being.

4. New, by Paul McCartney

This track from Paul McCartney's 2013 album of the same name proves that the man still has all song writing magic that he has ever (if not more) and that his voice is still in as good of shape as it was back in the day. New is a Beatles-esque jaunt that talks about how love feels when it's new. I kind of get the image of romping through a field of daisies; especially during the build-up at the beginning. Despite all that, McCartney still manages to give the song a bit of modern edge to show that while he is true to his roots he has also managed to progress as a musician at the same time.

5. Metal Guru, by T. Rex

Metal Guru is an upbeat cheery tune that in a way is a celebration of life. This song flawlessly blends electric guitars with horns. It's glam rock at its finest if you ask me because it takes the standard pop four chord progression and uses it to make something catchy, original, and memorable. It's the kind of song you jam in the middle of a huge party; or at least you would if it's a party where the people attending actually have taste in music and don't just listen to all the top 40 garbage that goes around these days.

Bill Ward Refuses to Reunite With Black Sabbath Until Ozzy Feud is Patched Up

Yesterday Black Sabbath won the Ivor Novello Award. 3/4 of the band was there to accept it; including: Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and original drummer Bill Ward who has not made a public appearance with the band since late 2011. Despite this appearance, you might not be seeing something like this again for some time if at all.

In an interview with NME Ward says:

“I’m in a huge dispute with Ozzy, so that doesn’t really help, and as far as I’m concerned, until that dispute is finished then I’m not gonna participate. They’ve already made an album without me [2013's 13], so I’m sure they’d go on without me playing, and that’s okay with me – I still love them just the same. I’d love to think I could [rejoin the band], but the things I’m asking for may be out of reach.”

Within the past couple of months singer Ozzy Osbourne and Ward have been having a public war of words over their official Facebook fan pages. Ward called Osbourne out on his cruel behavior toward him and made a list of demands to which Osbourne responded by calling Ward out on some of his own issues.

Black Sabbath is supposedly doing one more album and tour starting next year according to Osbourne. Butler and Iommi however are not so sure, though they both said in the same NME interview that they would like to keep on and see where things go. Both feel it would be a nice way to end and bring things full circle for the band.

Ward still seems to be on as friendly terms with Butler and Iommi as ever. Hopefully for the sake of Ward and Osbourne's friendship they can resolve their issues with one another like grown adults. Even if they don't do any more Black Sabbath work together it would be great for them to bury the hatchet. Bands and music are great, but at the end of the day friendship and brotherhood are far more important.

Throwback Thursday: Perpetual Burn, by Jason Becker

 
Often times in the world of rock n' roll you hear tales of musicians dying way too young. They had so much talent and could have gone so much further had things not been cut dreadfully short for whatever reason. Some times however, some musicians meet a fate worse than death. One such musician is Jason Becker who at the age of 20 started developing ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Over time this disease sapped him of his ability to move and speak. Though he is still alive to this day and still composes music he is no longer the rip-roaring neo-classical shredder he once was.

In 1988 Becker put out his debut solo album titled Perpetual Burn. This album is entirely instrumental and features many forms of neo-classical guitar playing: from melodic shred to almost traditional classical guitar pieces that are soothing to the ears. Needless to say, it has something for everyone; even those who are not particularly fans of rock and metal music. Even stuffy old farts who only listen to classical would enjoy parts of it. For those who do partake in the heavier stuff you will absolutely dig the musical statements Becker makes.

The title track Perpetual Burn is pretty much Becker's signature song. For good reason too. Rhythmically it packs a wallop, but over the top of that Becker wastes no time tearing it up with some melodies expressed through artful shred. In this track Becker stands head and shoulders above other shredders because the way he uses the techniques is in such a way where it creates a followable song with flourishes here and there that show off just what kinds of chops he has. Plus, the way it all flows together is unlike anything I've heard from most other guitarists of that era.

Air is one of the more traditional classical tunes I was mentioning earlier. It almost sounds like it is being played by an orchestra at certain points. However, the main melody is very much an electric guitar; though it is not played with any overdrive and the pacing is slowed way the hell down from tunes like Perpetual Burn. It almost sounds like a Bach piece because of how mathematically precise it is. It is nice to see such influence making its way into modern popular music even after all these hundreds of years.

If you're a fan of the electric guitar and can listen to music with no vocalist, Perpetual Burn is definitely your shindig. Becker really pushes things to the absolute edge on the album. It is amazing to hear how one so young can be so proficient at the instrument while still also playing with passion and soul and not sounding like a robot like so many other 80's shredders do. It's unfortunate to see such talent not be able to get better with age. Fortunately, Becker still composes classical music thanks to special computers he has that follow his eye movements. Pick this up. If it doesn't inspire you to air guitar, I'll be genuinely surprised.

Perpetual Burn, by Jason Becker receives 4 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Altitudes
2. Perpetual Burn
3. Mabel's Fatal Fable
4. Air
5. Temple of the Absurd
6. Eleven Blue Egyptians
7. Dweller in the Cellar
8. Ocus Pocus

Buy the album on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Perpetual-Burn-Jason-Becker/dp/B00000106M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432268039&sr=8-1&keywords=Jason+Becker+Perpetual+Burn