Ever since Motley Crue ended their 3+ decade career on this past New Year's Eve its former members have all gone in separate directions to go after various pursuits. Many of them are recording new albums, including singer Vince Neil who is currently in the process of doing one under his own name as a solo artist.
“I’ll say that we’re recording some stuff for a new record this year.
You often hear some surprises at our shows. I don’t want to give away
some of those surprises, but let’s just say you mighthave struck a nerve that could ring true."
As for how the album might stack up against his work in Motley Crue, Neil says:
“Look, I’m going to always be the guy who was in Motley Crue. but my first solo record with You’re Invited (But Your
Friend Can’t Come) was over a million-seller, so a lot of people enjoyed it and Sister of Pain and many of those songs.”
This will be Neil's first solo album since his 2010 release Tattoos and Tequila, which quite frankly was WAY better than I had expected it to be considering it was an all covers album from a guy I didn't think would be able to do much outside of the band he was famous for being in. That said, I'm curious to see how well Neil will be able to do without Nikki Sixx writing his songs for him. I will be waiting and listening with keen ears for this.
In 1971 glam rock giant T. Rex released its sixth album Electric Warrior; the second under the name T. Rex after it had changed from Tyrannosaurus Rex (which the first four albums had been billed under). This was the album where the band lead by singer/songwriter Marc Bolan really made an impact as they were changing their sound from a more acoustic/folksy vibe to a more plugged in glam rock oriented sound that people of that time could vibe with better.
Electric Warrior definitely has an interesting vibe to it because it is more than just fun glam rock tunes. There are acoustic ballads as well as funky grooves to jive on as well. The lyrics can be rather cryptic at times, but that just gives you something to think about while listening to the album for the Nth time. The single from the album which is also the band's signature tune that got them noticed and put on the map: Bang a Gong (Get it On) which is still played on commercial classic rock radio even to this day.
Mambo Sun in my opinion is one of T. Rex's finest works. While it is just the same couple of chords played back and forth over and over again, it's that chilled out grooving rhythm and soft cocky vocals that really do it for me. You can definitely tell this song is more about moving and dancing rather than about leaving the listener with a melody they can hum/whistle throughout the day while on the way to work or school.
Bang a Gong (Get it On) is a song that has survived on classic rock radio for a reason. It has that classic T. Rex groove, a big chorus, and an overall fun atmosphere to it that makes you want to jive and sing right along to it. While it is by no means the only good track on the album, it is one of the bigger selling points for sure. Personally I LOVE how they managed to put a backing orchestra into such a loud raucous rock n' roll tune and actually make it work instead of clash.
Electric Warrior is one of the best places to start if you're looking to investigate the work of T. Rex more fully. It is also an essential glam rock album to have if you are planning on starting a collection any time soon. Marc Bolan was a musical genius. It's definitely a shame he passed away so young, just when he was starting to make a bit of a comeback in the late 70's. Regardless, this is one of those 70's gems you really don't want to miss out on if you can help it.
Electric Warrior, by T. Rex receives 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Mambo Sun
2. Cosmic Dancer
3. Jeepster
4. Monolith
5. Lean Woman Blues
6. Bang a Gong (Get it On)
7. Planet Queen
8. Girl
9. The Motivator
10. Life's a Gas
11. Rip Off
It seems we keep getting mixed messages from the guys in Black Sabbath about whether or not they will be recording one more album before they call it quits for good. However, now thanks to news from bassist Geezer Butler fans are given hope once more that there might be a final record.
Originally the band was planning on entering the studio to record another album before their The End tour that they are currently embarked on, but then it was cancelled due to the fact they wouldn't have enough time to do it and would have a hard time topping what they were able to do with their most recent release 13.
“I was just being logical. At the time, we were given six
months to write and record an album and I said, ‘There’s absolutely no
way we can do it in six months.’ There’s nothing stopping us from doing another album after the tour.”
Singer Ozzy Osbourne also is not shooting down the idea of doing another album after the tour ends, though he is firm on the idea of touring coming to an end. He says:
“Time ain’t on our side. By the time we’d have written
and recorded another album, it would have been another three years. …
I’m not saying I’ll never record with Tony or Geezer again, but I don’t
think I want to go touring again with Black Sabbath after this.”
Personally I'd like to see Black Sabbath do one more album, but this time do something creative and new; unlike 13 which sounded like them trying to copy off themselves. That said, I don't want them to abandon their classic sound entirely, but they were always about pushing the boundaries and doing something new; not copying old stuff. Maybe if we're REALLY lucky they will be able to mend fences with original drummer Bill Ward and have him play on the record.
For those of you who follow news of classic rock and metal closely I'm sure it is no secret to you by now that sadly former Rainbow and Dio bassist Jimmy Bain passed away a few days ago. In response to the news, Bain's current band The Last in Line which consists of original Dio band members Vivian Campbell and Vinnie Appice with Andrew Freeman stepping in for Ronnie James Dio have made a tribute to honor his memory.
The Last in Line just released two new songs from their upcoming album Heavy Crown, which comes out on February 20th. The tracks are titled Starmaker and Blame It on Me, both of which can be found on YouTube and are available to be listened to below. They are both definitely good choices as they both kick some SERIOUS ass.
As of right now there is no word as to what the future plans of The Last in Line will be; whether that be finding a replacement for a tour or just calling it quits altogether. Personally I wouldn't blame them for throwing in the towel, seeing as the whole point of the project was for the original members of Dio to get back together to pay tribute to Ronnie. However, a tour to promote the album with a replacement bassist isn't a horrible idea either.
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. Long Way From Home, by Whitesnake
This is one of the more poppy sounding songs from the early blues infused line-up of Whitesnake. It's melodic, upbeat, and fun. With its lyrics being about love and all, the whole atmosphere the song creates almost makes you feel as though you are watching the opening title sequence to a cheesy 80's sitcom. Be that as it may, it makes it no less of an enjoyable tune to get on with if you need to do some rocking while thinking about your love.
2. Stargazer, by Rainbow
With the recent passing of Rainbow bassist Jimmy Bain I felt it was only appropriate to pay tribute to his memory by including the single greatest song he ever played on. Stargazer is Ritchie Blackmore's masterpiece. It is an 8 and a half minute epic of a tune that even features the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra to back up the band while every last member of the band is giving it their all all while taking the listener into a fantasy themed land with wizards and all that cool stuff.
3. 21 Guns, by Green Day
Need to get your feels on? I think at some point or another many of us have been in a situation that can relate to the lyrics of this song. Some times it doesn't feel like something is really worth fighting for any more despite the fact that you have put copious amounts of time and effort into making things work out. It's hard not to get swept away by the pure raw emotion that spills out of the tune. Anyone who doesn't tear up at least a little has no soul.
4. Wake Up Dead, by Megadeth
Some times you need a thrash metal infused adrenaline rush to get you going first thing in the day. Megadeth's Wake Up Dead has you covered there. Of course if you are also the type to not be faithful to your long term partner you can probably also relate to the lyrics pretty well. However, for everyone else it's a great way to completely rock out and is also a great way to introduce someone to the thrash metal genre.It has everything: dark lyrical themes, killer riffs, and ripping solos. What more can you ask for?
5. Big Ten Inch, by Aerosmith
It is absolutely RIDICULOUS how many sexual innuendos are in this seemingly innocent song about listening to one's favorite blues band on a big ten inch record. You keep thinking that while this rockabilly tune is going they are going to drop a sex related word but every time they manage to catch themselves and keep on going with the clean theme of the song. It's good silly fun that you can even show the kids.
With the recent reunion of Slash and Duff McKagan with their former band Guns N' Roses after nearly two decades, bassist Tommy Stinson who was bassist from 1999-2015 has opened up about why he left the band.
“I think everyone kind of knows where I stand with it all. I left it in a good way. I mean, roughly, I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour; I got into a position, personally, where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing, I don’t know — it must have been about five tours that they called me to do, and I just said I can’t do ’em […] I think Axl {Rose] got to the position where he was, like, ‘Okay, so what am I going to do now? ‘Cause I don’t have a band. Blah blah blah.'”
Back in September Stinson said in an interview that he wanted the original Guns N' Roses to get back together, citing from his own experience with his reunion with his band The Replacements, saying:
“I think it worked out. And I think they’ll have fun. It will be a healing thing for ’em, if it works out good. It will be good for them.”
It's good to see that Stinson is keeping active on projects that really matter to him now that he is getting a little older. He really is a pretty damn under rated musician. He was a good fit for GN'R during the Chinese Democracy years. That said however, I'm STOKED to see the old line-up getting back together after all this time. I never dreamed it would happen and it finally did. It's a good time to be a Guns N' Roses fan.
In 1994 Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke put out is debut solo album Pawnshop Guitars. It featured primarily original material, though there were covers from Rolling Stones and The Clash. Also on the record there were contributions by then-GN'R members Slash, Duff McKagan, Axl Rose, Matt Sorum, Dizzy Reed, and Pixies members Frank Black and Ryan Roxie among many others.
Pawnshop Guitars is fairly eclectic in sound, as it goes from metal, to hard rock, to blues, to country. It's kind of fun to be kept guessing what genre will pop up next. Clarke takes lead vocals on most of it and you get to hear a bit more of what kind of a guitarist he is than you did on the one GN'R record (The Spaghetti Incident). Clarke is definitely an under rated rock guitarist, to say the least.
Dead Flowers is in my opinion the track that sells Pawnshop Guitars. Even though it's a cover of The Rolling Stones it is done in such a fun upbeat way to where it far outshines the original and in some ways sounds like its own song. It's just three chords with some flourishes here and there, but with Axl singing background and Dizzy pounding away at the keys in the back it's hard to feel like this song isn't just one big party through sound.
Cure Me or Kill Me is a Clarke original that sounds vaguely Metallica-esque. The riffs are big and chunky in ways that make you feel like you're listening to thrash. I wasn't quite expecting to hear that out of someone who seems to be more hard rock oriented, but it still works with the aesthetic of the record quite nicely. Slash does an absolutely FANTASTIC job on the lead guitar work here. It's always astounded me how Slash can find ways of fitting his particular style of guitar playing into so many different genres.
Pawnshop Guitars is one of those albums where if you aren't REALLY into Guns N' Roses you probably would not have found out about it unless somehow Pandora turned you onto it through a genre playlist you already had going. That said, it is in my opinion one of those records that is a hidden gem. There are bound to be at least a few tracks on here that you will like, especially if you are even just a casual fan of GN'R. It's definitely worth picking up.
Pawnshop Guitars, by Gilby Clarke receives 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Cure Me or Kill Me
2. Black
3. Tijuana Jail
4. Skin & Bones
5. Johanna's Chopper
6. Let's Get Lost
7. Pawnshop Guitars
8. Dead Flowers
9. Jail Guitar Doors
10. Hunting Dogs
11. Shut Up
