Bun E Carlos Doesn't Foresee Another Cheap Trick Reunion

Back in April, the classic line-up of Cheap Trick reunited for the first time in years to perform at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It's been quite a few months since then though and many people are wondering if there will be more activity from this favored version of the band. Sadly however, former drummer Bun E Carlos feels that further reunions with his old band are quite unlikely.

Though Carlos had a lot of fun playing with Cheap Trick again and that it really felt like old times, it's not something he really sees in the cards for a variety of reasons (one including the royalties feud with vocalist Robin Zander that was only settled just this past May).

In an interview with Radio.com, Carlos says:

"It probably was the last time, and it was real fun to get up and play. Like when bassist Tom Petersson rejoined the band in 87, when we sat down to practice, it was like, 'Oh yeah, the four of us play so much better together than the three of us without one guy.' It was kind of that good old feeling again, and that was real nice.

I’ve been asked repeatedly lately, ‘Are you ever gonna play with these guys again?’ I’m sure some promoter will come along and cough up the dough and offer us one more tour. And they’ll say, ‘Hey, that guy’s not so bad, let’s do one more.’ I really don’t anticipate that happening, though."

Kind of sad to see that there probably won't be any more Cheap Trick reunions, but I guess some times when something is meant to be over, it's meant to be that way for a reason. Plus, it's not like Carlos isn't busy or anything. Earlier this year he put out his debut solo album Greetings from Bunezuela. I hope whatever happens Carlos is happy and that Cheap Trick can keep rocking on till they can rock no more.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #83

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, by My Chemical Romance

Yes, I'm throwing in something completely different from what I usually put in just to keep y'all on your toes. I don't usually listen to much emo stuff, but this song is so quirky and catchy (despite its incredibly dark overtones) that I can't help but find myself tapping my toes along to it and singing it long afterward. It has a rather eastern European folksy nature to it at some points, but then at others it is unapologetically punk rock. It works out surprisingly well.

2. Too Rolling Stoned, by Robin Trower

This is one of those cool songs where it has multiple distinct parts that get switched between. It goes from a funky uptempo groove to a slow, swaggering blues tune and then back again. Lots of soul here. You can kind of tell this is one of those songs that just came together by the band jamming and jamming and jamming (especially since it clocks in at about 7 and a half minutes). This was also one of my nephew's favorite songs when he was still a baby, so that should also give it further credit.

3. Come on Feel the Noise, by Slade

This song is better known for the version that Quiet Riot put out, but quite frankly I like this original version by UK glam rock outfit Slade better because it has more sparkle, shine, and warmth to it. Plus, it feels like the band is having a bit of a party while jamming this out. Vocalist Noddy Holder in my opinion is also one of the most under rated and sadly overlooked singers in the many decades of history of rock n' roll. So much power, grit, and soul in that voice. It hits you like a truck in all the best ways.

4. Review Your Choices, by Pentagram

If you like Black Sabbath, then odds are you're going to like Pentagram. They both have a rather similar sound, though Pentagram is not completely a clone of the famed doom metal quartet. This tune in particular has that Sabbath feel, but Bobby Liebling's voices is NOTHING like Ozzy Osbourne's and it works quite well for what the band is doing. The lyrics are rather full of dark imagery and flow quite well. I like the phrasing and the way the verses connect to and reference one another. Give it a listen.

5. Anyone's Daughter, by Deep Purple

You really don't hear a whole lot of ballads like this any more. It has sort of a Bob Dylan-esque quality to it (though quite frankly Ian Gillan's voice is a thousand times better than Dylan's ever was). This is one of those songs I'd definitely consider a toe tapper and could hear someone performing in a pub. I think one of the best parts of the whole song though is Jon Lord's piano solo part-way through. It's so bluesy, yet at the same time still has some classical elements to it.

Lost Beatles Demo "It's For You" Rediscovered

Some times pieces of high cultural importance may slip through the cracks and be lost to the sands of time - for a long while anyway. Fortunately some times by chance they get dug back up and are able to be shared with all the world - never to be lost again. Such is the case for a long lost Beatles demo It's For You, which was a song the band had given to singer Cilla Black (who died last year).

Relatives of Black had been going through some of the singer's belongings and found 21 discs of the singer's music. They found an envelope with her name on it and assumed it was just a copy of the single. They took all 21 discs to the Liverpool Beatles Shop to get appraised, when the manager of the shop Stephen Bailey was taken by surprise by what they had actually managed to find.

In an interview with Telegraph, Bailey says:

“We got to the last one, and as soon as I heard it, I thought, ‘Oh God, that’s not Cilla Black. It’s Paul McCartney. I was shaking with excitement and speechless. I realized that this was the long lost Beatles demo disc from 1964, and I was probably one of the few people to have seen and heard it in over 50 years.”

Black managed to take It's For You up to #7 on the charts in the U.K. during the summer of 1964. McCartney played the piano on the recording and producer George Martin produced it. The Beatles' demo of the song is expected to go for between $20,000-$26,000 when it goes up for auction on August 27th at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

Personally, I'm stoked by the fact that even after all these years there is still more Beatles music that has yet to be heard by the masses. Considering what cultural icons they are it's important for such things to be preserved and be heard by all of the millions of fans out there. You can listen to a 20 second sample of It's For You here at the auction website. It's grainy and crackles like old tape from a bygone era would, but it's full of that magic and soul that The Beatles put into every song nonetheless.

Throwback Thursday: Denim & Leather, by Saxon

Some times it's good for us as music lovers to look at bands that have slipped through the cracks of mainstream music over the years. If we do we'll often find hidden treasures that we might not have known about before. A highly prevalent example of this would be NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) band Saxon. In the early 80's they put out a string of albums that many in the heavy metal community consider to be classics. Today we'll be focusing on one of their most beloved works (and the last with their classic line-up) Denim & Leather, which came out in 1981.

Denim & Leather is crunchy, overdriven, crank up your stereo kind of music from start to finish. Not a single slow, soft, or dull moment on it. The rhythms thunder, the guitars punch and wail, the vocals soar to the heavens, and then some. You can feel that old school leather metal vibe off of it (if the title track didn't give that away) where you can tell it's rock n' roll rooted, but sped up and made heavier and faster. It spawned two Saxon's most well known songs: Princess of the Night and the title track Denim & Leather. Though not the most lyrically profound of an album, it still has no lack of raw talent, drive, and a clear sense of love for what is being created and performed.

Never Surrender is one of those songs I could have heard myself blaring through my speakers a lot in my adolescence. It's all about rolling with the punches, not taking the attacks thrown your way (be they physical or not), and getting out the other side stronger. Granted, a lot of the lyrics are rather down and dirty street themed but that's what gives it that universal appeal. The heavy riffs and blistering guitar solos definitely help drive the point home as well.

Denim & Leather is one of those tracks where despite the fact I only just started listening to Saxon last week I'm playing it over and over again and feel like it's been part of me my whole life. The riff is catchy and the lyrics speak straight to my soul. It's very anthemic in nature. I can just hear it being played at a big stadium show. It's definitely a big love letter to the band's fans for helping them get as far as they did as well as celebrating the culture that surrounded heavy metal at the time.

Overall Denim & Leather may not be the greatest heavy metal album and I can see why Saxon might not have had as big of an appeal to a wider audience, but that by no means tarnishes the great music on this record. It's heartfelt and has everything associated with the true spirit of heavy metal. It's loud, raw, full of attitude, and proud. This is a fun album to put on when you want to liven up a gathering, put the pedal to the metal, or want to feel really cool. It's definitely also something I'd recommend to a beginner metal head.

Denim & Leather, by Saxon receives 3.75 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Princess of the Night
2. Never Surrender
3. Out of Control
4. Rough and Ready
5. Play It Loud
6. And the Band Plays On
7. Midnight Rider
8. Fire in the Sky
9. Denim and Leather

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Denim-Leather-Saxon/dp/B0026L3QH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469175972&sr=8-1&keywords=Denim+and+Leather

Donald Trump Ignores Queen's Publishers When Asked to Stop Using "We Are the Champions"

Republican U.S. president candidate Donald Trump has never been particularly well known for his willingness to listen to people or play by the rules. This time he has decided to give Queen and their publishing company Sony/ATV Music Publishing the finger by continuing to use the band's classic anthem We Are the Champions at his events despite the fact that he has been formally asked to desist.

Though Queen guitarist Brian May had previously made a statement about how he wanted Trump to stop and he and the band do NOT support or endorse Trump in any way, Sony/ATV Music Publishing just put out a statement that says basically the same thing, reading:

“Sony/ATV Music Publishing has never been asked by Mr. Trump, the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization for permission to use ‘We Are the Champions’ by Queen. On behalf of the band, we are frustrated by the repeated unauthorized use of the song after a previous request to desist, which has obviously been ignored by Mr. Trump and his campaign.

Queen does not want its music associated with any mainstream or political debate in any country nor does Queen want ‘We Are the Champions’ to be used as an endorsement of Mr. Trump and the political views of the Republican Party. We trust, hope and expect that Mr. Trump and his campaign will respect these wishes moving forward.”

Personally I'm amused by how many bands keep telling Trump to stop using their music. I can't say I blame them, really. I wouldn't want my music associated with him either. It's pretty clear though that he is going to do whatever he wants regardless of what laws are in place and whoever's toes he steps on in the process (as he lacks a sense of basic respect and morals). Personally if I were the publishing company, I'd sue Trump. He'd probably find a way to get out of it though knowing his status and connections.

Op-Ed Piece: Should AC/DC Retire?

Tonight I kind of felt like a change of pace was in order. It's been a while since I did an op-ed piece, so I figure there is no time like the present to change that. That said, something has been floating around in my head lately: Should AC/DC after 4+ decades of rocking the world hang up their instruments and call it a day?

Well to be honest, it's kind of a complex issue. There are plenty of reasons both for and against the idea of the Aussie band to retire. Before I get to my final opinion though, I think I'm going to go into a bit of detail on each side.

Reasons they should NOT retire:

1. AC/DC is a major household name when it comes to rock n' roll. No matter how old they get or who is in the band at the moment (as long as lead guitarist Angus Young is there) they will sell out big venues in a snap. There is always tons of money to be made.

2. Millions of fans across the world would be sad to see them go and not have the chance to see them live or get any more new music from them. They have become a household name as previously mentioned because for many of us they have gotten so close to our hearts. To many they are the definition of rock n' roll and without them around it would feel like a big fundamental part of ourselves was gone.

3. Regardless of who they have in the band they still sound GOOD. At the very least the people replacing the key members seem to really care about giving their all and giving the fans the absolute best AC/DC experience humanly possible for them.

Reasons they SHOULD retire:

1. Angus Young is the only original/notable member of the band left. Everyone else but him at this point is just a stand-in. In my opinion Black Ice was the last real AC/DC album/tour because after that members started leaving for various reasons. Drummer Phil Rudd was arrested for drugs and trying to hire a hit man. Rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young was diagnosed with dementia and could no longer remember how to play any of the songs. Singer Brian Johnson can't perform live any more because if he does he will lose his hearing completely. Bassist Cliff Williams (who was the only person left from the 70's other than Angus on the Rock or Bust tour) will be retiring at the end of the tour.

Each member of the band that is gone means another piece of the engine is gone and therefore makes AC/DC lose that much more of what made it the awesome band it is/was. It would feel kind of dishonest to keep calling it AC/DC without them. Any further tours they would do would be purely a cash grab.

2. Without Malcolm or Johnson in the band the creative engine in the band is absolutely gone. Angus is great and he is iconic, but he isn't/wasn't the only part of what made AC/DC tick. Malcolm's riffs and Johnson's screams and lyrics were also a big part of what made us love them so much. I can't imagine what new AC/DC tunes without either of them would even sound like. Hell, Rock or Bust felt rather lackluster to me because even just Malcolm was gone.

3. Even if the actual members of AC/DC weren't almost all out of the band they are definitely getting up there in age and it would probably be a few more years anyway before they would start to consider retirement without it being forced upon them anyway. It is kind of hard to imagine them being in their 70's or 80's and still putting on a high voltage rock n' roll show. Maybe Angus could do some solo work with other rockers? I know he and Axl Rose definitely shared some chemistry when Rose filled in at the tail end of the most recent leg of the Rock or Bust tour.

Conclusion:

As you can probably guess I'm more in favor of AC/DC throwing in the towel and enjoying their well deserved retirement. I would be a bit astounded if Angus did decide to keep carrying on as AC/DC once the Rock or Bust tour is completely wrapped up. With everyone but himself gone I think it would probably be the right thing of him to do by just folding things up. They have had a good run of it. Honestly, I think they should have called it when Malcolm had to retire. AC/DC will always have a special place in our hearts. Whenever we want to wave the flag of rebellion and rock n' roll we will crank their music. However, I think if they were to carry on as they are now it would be rather dishonest and would be giving fans less than they deserve.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #82

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. Denim & Leather, by Saxon

I just discovered Saxon's music last week. I'd heard the name before when it came to bands that lead the way in the late 70's/early 80's New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, but I'd never given them a try. I was glad I did. This anthem kicks some serious ass and is a great song to vibe with if you are/were a rocker/metal head. It's all about the particular culture that used to exist back then and how much of a brotherhood was created by it. Big riffs, soaring vocals, and pounding rhythms. Can't go wrong here.

2.  Countdown, by The Black Keys

This has gradually become one of my favorite songs from the duo from Akron, OH. It's rather simplistic in nature, but that finger picking backed by that rock rhythm seems to work in ways I personally have never heard before. It has this happy delta blues vibe, yet somehow made more modern. If this doesn't get you moving, grooving, and feeling a little better about taking on the week then I don't have any idea what will. 

3.  The Attitude Song, by Steve Vai

Steve Vai has done a lot of cool stuff over the years on guitar - some more outlandish and complex than others. The Attitude Song is one of his simpler ones, as it is very much based around sounding as big, simple, rocking, and badass as possible. It's one of those ones you can predict where it's going and just head bang the whole way through. To be fair, this is from Vai's solo debut album Flex-able while he was starting to do stuff outside of projects he had been in like Frank Zappa so he would of course get more complex as time went on.

4. Looks That Kill, by Motley Crue

This is one of those big pulsing, pounding songs that makes you just want to clad up in black leather and hit up the city streets at night and just prowl like the badass you wish you were. This tune has some of Mick Mars's best guitar playing throughout all of his decades long career with Motley Crue. It's heavy, dark, and makes you actually a little surprised that the same band that put out Without You put out something this rough and nasty.

5. Something to Believe In, by Young the Giant

I know that I don't typically post a whole lot of newer stuff in this here blog, but my buddy had this on the radio the other day and I couldn't help but groove along to it. It was kind of hypnotic and psychedelic, yet in a way still anthemic. It combined so many different elements of multiple genres of music into one song and I couldn't help but actually fell pretty darn impressed. Needless to say, this (figuratively) old dog will be looking a bit into something new.