One of the mose underrated voices in Rock is that of James Dewar. He was a Scottish Bass player/Singer that was in a relatively unknown band called Stone the Crows and later with Robin Trower. For my money, one of the best singers in the history of Rock!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dewar_(rock_vocalist)
What a great voice! Soulful. Powerful. If you can track down the first Stone the Crows Lp, simply entitled Stone the Crows, you will be pleased. It's kind of a weird combo of Big Brother and the Holding Company mixed with soulful blues. James alternates with a Janis clone named Maggie Bell, and they compliment each other perfectly! I can't find the tracks I need to put on the list, so I will give you some of his finest work with Robin Trower. In particular, "Daydream" is a classic!!!
Do yourself a favour and grab the Robin Trower lps..Twice Removed from Yesterday, Bridge of Sighs, and Long Misty Days. You will be treated to some great guitar and some fantastic underrated singing!!!!
Enjoy!!!!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Album of the Week 12/17/09
Ah…an underrated classic, Manic Frustration, by Trouble. I first heard the song “Memory’s Garden” on a local hard rock station in 1991. I can’t remember which. I heard it was Trouble, and went to by the lp. I was not disappointed.
Here is the Wikipedia entry on them..Chicago boys!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble_(band)
After a couple of independent albums, they got with Rick Rubin, basically the Ultimate Producer in the late 80s early 90s and whipped out this classic.
Me and my buddy Dan would always wonder why this album was not a smash hit for them. It has all you want in Heavy Metal, along with some wild psychedelia! Unfortunately I can’t post any songs on my playlist because Playlist.com is VERY limited in what you can find. I will remedy that in the future. If you are a metal nut, just trust me and go and get this album!!!
Now on to the songs!
1. Come Touch the Sky- Starts off the lp with a riffin’ bang!!!! I love the fact that they go with the fuzz type distortion for the most part. Classic metal structuring here!
2. ‘Scuse Me- This jam starts as though it is being heard from a faraway, poor reception, half broken, AM radio, then kicks you in the face as it kicks in proper. TBJ all the way!
3. The Sleeper- No rest here. All riffs. All jams.
4. Fear-The singing through the megaphone effect done to perfection here. Fuzzy, wah-wah, loud. A must listen! I love that they can put in a totally melodic bridge amidst the crunch!
5. Rain- Time to break it up with a ballad. I LOVE this song. I think that every song entitled “Rain” is good. Uriah Heep, The Beatles…..um….other bands…..
6. Tragedy Man-False start acoustic opening into hard ass riff…the way to my heart. I’m easy that way. Take me to dinner, have your way with me….
7. Memory’s Garden- The one that started it all for me. A perfect blend of 60s/70s psychadelia and Heavy Metal. Impossible to listen to if you don’t have a volume control that goes past 6…(and who would have that anyway?)
8. Manic Frustration-The title cut is a solid number. Ironically one of the weaker tunes here, but still a good one
9. Hello Strawberry Skies- Flowery 60s hippie title…complete TBJ. Nuff Said.
10. Mr. White-This could have fallen into the “Should have been a #1 Hit” category. A good solid groove.
11. Breathe- An epic ballad that goes right into the coda for Donovan’s “Atlantis”. Fucking awesome.
Go and find this album and buy it now. Crank it loud and make your cats hide. Maker your significant other ask you to turn it down, and you say…no.
Here is the Wikipedia entry on them..Chicago boys!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trouble_(band)
After a couple of independent albums, they got with Rick Rubin, basically the Ultimate Producer in the late 80s early 90s and whipped out this classic.
Me and my buddy Dan would always wonder why this album was not a smash hit for them. It has all you want in Heavy Metal, along with some wild psychedelia! Unfortunately I can’t post any songs on my playlist because Playlist.com is VERY limited in what you can find. I will remedy that in the future. If you are a metal nut, just trust me and go and get this album!!!
Now on to the songs!
1. Come Touch the Sky- Starts off the lp with a riffin’ bang!!!! I love the fact that they go with the fuzz type distortion for the most part. Classic metal structuring here!
2. ‘Scuse Me- This jam starts as though it is being heard from a faraway, poor reception, half broken, AM radio, then kicks you in the face as it kicks in proper. TBJ all the way!
3. The Sleeper- No rest here. All riffs. All jams.
4. Fear-The singing through the megaphone effect done to perfection here. Fuzzy, wah-wah, loud. A must listen! I love that they can put in a totally melodic bridge amidst the crunch!
5. Rain- Time to break it up with a ballad. I LOVE this song. I think that every song entitled “Rain” is good. Uriah Heep, The Beatles…..um….other bands…..
6. Tragedy Man-False start acoustic opening into hard ass riff…the way to my heart. I’m easy that way. Take me to dinner, have your way with me….
7. Memory’s Garden- The one that started it all for me. A perfect blend of 60s/70s psychadelia and Heavy Metal. Impossible to listen to if you don’t have a volume control that goes past 6…(and who would have that anyway?)
8. Manic Frustration-The title cut is a solid number. Ironically one of the weaker tunes here, but still a good one
9. Hello Strawberry Skies- Flowery 60s hippie title…complete TBJ. Nuff Said.
10. Mr. White-This could have fallen into the “Should have been a #1 Hit” category. A good solid groove.
11. Breathe- An epic ballad that goes right into the coda for Donovan’s “Atlantis”. Fucking awesome.
Go and find this album and buy it now. Crank it loud and make your cats hide. Maker your significant other ask you to turn it down, and you say…no.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Secret Jams
Imagine you are sitting at your computer minding your own business..you are typing a paper, or perhaps working on an Excel spreadsheet. You sip your Coke Zero. You eat a chip. You tell your kids to stop fighting. You stop…you look at your speakers in amazement. You know the song that was playing, but then you got hit with a brick wall of JAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When did this happen?!?!?!? How!?!?!?
My friend, you have been attacked by a Secret Jam.
There are many kinds of Secret Jams. Some are actual jams. Jams that you know. All of a sudden, there is an element you discover that converts it into a TBJ!!!!!! There are others that you realize halfway through the song that there are jams happening. They lull you into a false sense of security, then the guitar creeps in and attacks you like Godzilla!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
Examples:
1. The King Will Come: Wishbone Ash-This is from the immortal Argus lp. I have gone over this one before, but it starts out rather inconspicuously, then before you know it, by the middle you are surrounded by guitar solo jams!
2. Love is Only A Feeling: The Darkness-From Permission to Land. It starts rather plodding. Hell, they even have mandolins going at one point. Then they get to the chorus. The first 2 lines…fine, rocking to the groove of the riff, then the last line is when you realize you have been rocked as the riff just takes you to the end of the chorus in that third line….wow!
3. Fight the Good Fight: Triumph-What? You say that already is a jam? Sure, they give you dynamics at the beginning, but by when the chorus actually kicks in the riff FORCES you to play it loud and band your head to it. There is no other choice.
4. Everything’s Alright: Jesus Christ Superstar-The Original 1970 cast recording. This whole album is a secret jam. It’s a musical, right? Listen to this song. Oh, it starts out sweet. Isn’t that nice. That first verse is lovely. Lovely little background vocals. Then comes the next verse. Drums come in telling you that this is not to be trifled with. Then comes Judas…he brings it home. Then we bring it down, then Jesus, then a build up to stop you from breathing! The same could be said with “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”. Listen to how the drums sneak up on you by the second bridge!
5. There Goes Another Love Song: The Outlaws- Country rock, yes. Vocals aplenty, yes. By the last solo into the chorus, you want to mount a horse and run it as fast as you can to the next town!!!!
These are to start. I will post as many as I can onto the playlist, but there will be more to come!
My friend, you have been attacked by a Secret Jam.
There are many kinds of Secret Jams. Some are actual jams. Jams that you know. All of a sudden, there is an element you discover that converts it into a TBJ!!!!!! There are others that you realize halfway through the song that there are jams happening. They lull you into a false sense of security, then the guitar creeps in and attacks you like Godzilla!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!
Examples:
1. The King Will Come: Wishbone Ash-This is from the immortal Argus lp. I have gone over this one before, but it starts out rather inconspicuously, then before you know it, by the middle you are surrounded by guitar solo jams!
2. Love is Only A Feeling: The Darkness-From Permission to Land. It starts rather plodding. Hell, they even have mandolins going at one point. Then they get to the chorus. The first 2 lines…fine, rocking to the groove of the riff, then the last line is when you realize you have been rocked as the riff just takes you to the end of the chorus in that third line….wow!
3. Fight the Good Fight: Triumph-What? You say that already is a jam? Sure, they give you dynamics at the beginning, but by when the chorus actually kicks in the riff FORCES you to play it loud and band your head to it. There is no other choice.
4. Everything’s Alright: Jesus Christ Superstar-The Original 1970 cast recording. This whole album is a secret jam. It’s a musical, right? Listen to this song. Oh, it starts out sweet. Isn’t that nice. That first verse is lovely. Lovely little background vocals. Then comes the next verse. Drums come in telling you that this is not to be trifled with. Then comes Judas…he brings it home. Then we bring it down, then Jesus, then a build up to stop you from breathing! The same could be said with “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”. Listen to how the drums sneak up on you by the second bridge!
5. There Goes Another Love Song: The Outlaws- Country rock, yes. Vocals aplenty, yes. By the last solo into the chorus, you want to mount a horse and run it as fast as you can to the next town!!!!
These are to start. I will post as many as I can onto the playlist, but there will be more to come!
Should Have Been a Number One Hit
Sometimes you listen to songs that rule so much in a pop sense, and you think. “Why wasn’t this a #1 hit?” Most of the time the songs had zero radio airplay. I have compiled a partial list of songs that I put in the “Should have been a #1 Hit” category. I will periodically post more as I think of them, but start out with these!
1. So Sad About Us: The Who-This is from the album A Quick One. Not even a hit, just a catchy-ass tune that you NEVER forget!!!!
2. Perfect: Alice Cooper- This is from the 2005 lp Dirty Diamonds. Just one listen and you will be confused that it was not on the Billboard charts!
3. Between Heaven and Hell: Zakk Wylde- This is from the 1999 gem, Book of Shadows. If you don’t have this lp, find it. Mostly acoustic with jammin’ solos, this leadoff track is the stuff of Allmans!
4. Come On: Whitesnake- From the appropriately titled Whitesnake album. A pure harder edged pop ditty…yes, I said ditty!
5. Feelings: Uriah Heep-From the 1980 album, Conquest. No one bought it. They were on there 3rd singer. It sounded nothing like they did before. The rest of the album is….questionable, but there is no doubt that this is a toe-tapper..80s style!
6. Too Young To Know: UFO-Virtually ALL of UFO’s songs should have been # 1 hits! This is one that didn’t get even that much FM airplay. This is form the album Phenomenon.
7. I Only Want My Love to Grow In You: Strawbs- From the lp Deep Cuts in 1976. This actually did get radio airplay but did not chart well. It should have. You can’t get more poppy than this!
8. We All Die Young: Steel Dragon- Yeah, they aren’t a real band, they are the band in the movie “Rockstar” with Mark Wahlberg, but Goddammit, they did it right here! This would have been a big hit in the 80s with the rest of the hair metal!
9. I’ll Be Your Sister: Motorhead- From the lp Overkill, you will disagree with me, you are wrong. This should have been a #1 hit!
10. I’m In Disgrace: The Kinks- From the VERY overlooked lp, Schoolboys in Disgrace. Yeah, they already have a shitload of hits, but this one got by everybody!
1. So Sad About Us: The Who-This is from the album A Quick One. Not even a hit, just a catchy-ass tune that you NEVER forget!!!!
2. Perfect: Alice Cooper- This is from the 2005 lp Dirty Diamonds. Just one listen and you will be confused that it was not on the Billboard charts!
3. Between Heaven and Hell: Zakk Wylde- This is from the 1999 gem, Book of Shadows. If you don’t have this lp, find it. Mostly acoustic with jammin’ solos, this leadoff track is the stuff of Allmans!
4. Come On: Whitesnake- From the appropriately titled Whitesnake album. A pure harder edged pop ditty…yes, I said ditty!
5. Feelings: Uriah Heep-From the 1980 album, Conquest. No one bought it. They were on there 3rd singer. It sounded nothing like they did before. The rest of the album is….questionable, but there is no doubt that this is a toe-tapper..80s style!
6. Too Young To Know: UFO-Virtually ALL of UFO’s songs should have been # 1 hits! This is one that didn’t get even that much FM airplay. This is form the album Phenomenon.
7. I Only Want My Love to Grow In You: Strawbs- From the lp Deep Cuts in 1976. This actually did get radio airplay but did not chart well. It should have. You can’t get more poppy than this!
8. We All Die Young: Steel Dragon- Yeah, they aren’t a real band, they are the band in the movie “Rockstar” with Mark Wahlberg, but Goddammit, they did it right here! This would have been a big hit in the 80s with the rest of the hair metal!
9. I’ll Be Your Sister: Motorhead- From the lp Overkill, you will disagree with me, you are wrong. This should have been a #1 hit!
10. I’m In Disgrace: The Kinks- From the VERY overlooked lp, Schoolboys in Disgrace. Yeah, they already have a shitload of hits, but this one got by everybody!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Album of the Week 12/09
The album of the week this week is Badfinger’s Straight Up. Badfinger was one of the first bands to sign on the Beatles’ Apple Records. They are known for four hits. “Come and Get It”, “Day After Day”, “Baby Blue”, and “No Matter What”. That only tells a small portion of their musical story. I submit to you that 90% of their albums are great! I am focusing on this one because it was the first full album I got by Badfinger. They kind of represent the pop side of where the Beatles might have gone, had they stayed together..Maybe. All I know is that they are damn good songwriters and know their way around their vocals!
Let’s get to it!
1. Take It All-A great starter. Ringing piano to haunt you in it’s first notes, until this unbelievably catchy song invades your psyche!
2. Baby Blue-You all know this one. Not one note out of place. Not one sound imperfectly executed. One of the greatest songs of all time. I will not take discussion to the contrary
3. Money-This reminds me of something off an early Paul McCartney album, what a great tune! Perfect dual vocals, and it goes right into…
4. Flying- A perfect companion piece to the last tune. Beautiful vocals here. Perfectly blending the piano right into the guitars here.
5. I’d Die Babe- A sort of change of pace. More McCartney influence here. You know what? There’s nothing wrong with that.
6. The Name of the Game- This would be the 11 O’Clock number on this lp. Just a beautiful “epic” 5 minute plus tune. This is why we listen to music.
7. Suitcase- Normally this would scream “filler” but after the last song, I’m still in ecstasy, so I can dig it!
8. Sweet Tuesday Morning-Good acoustic tune here. Beautiful melodies. See? Everything doesn’t have to be all distortion for me!!!!!
9. Day After Day- Another MASSIVE hit, and with good reason. George Harrison played leads on this. Couldn’t ya tell? If you have never heard this song, I can’t help you!
10. Sometimes- A nice little rocker, kind of like a Monkees tune here. Bop till you drop!
11. Perfection-Just some Goddamn good songwriting here! They should be fly fishermen they’re so catchy!!
12. It’s Over- Another great riff and guitar/piano/vocal blend. What a great closer. This lp is so solid from top to bottom , it’s not even fair. I LOVE when albums give you a great song to close it out.
Well, that’s it! I’ll throw some of these songs on the playlist.
Other Great Badfinger lps:
1. Ass
2. No Dice
3. Magic Christian Music
4. Wish You Were Here
Enjoy!!!
Let’s get to it!
1. Take It All-A great starter. Ringing piano to haunt you in it’s first notes, until this unbelievably catchy song invades your psyche!
2. Baby Blue-You all know this one. Not one note out of place. Not one sound imperfectly executed. One of the greatest songs of all time. I will not take discussion to the contrary
3. Money-This reminds me of something off an early Paul McCartney album, what a great tune! Perfect dual vocals, and it goes right into…
4. Flying- A perfect companion piece to the last tune. Beautiful vocals here. Perfectly blending the piano right into the guitars here.
5. I’d Die Babe- A sort of change of pace. More McCartney influence here. You know what? There’s nothing wrong with that.
6. The Name of the Game- This would be the 11 O’Clock number on this lp. Just a beautiful “epic” 5 minute plus tune. This is why we listen to music.
7. Suitcase- Normally this would scream “filler” but after the last song, I’m still in ecstasy, so I can dig it!
8. Sweet Tuesday Morning-Good acoustic tune here. Beautiful melodies. See? Everything doesn’t have to be all distortion for me!!!!!
9. Day After Day- Another MASSIVE hit, and with good reason. George Harrison played leads on this. Couldn’t ya tell? If you have never heard this song, I can’t help you!
10. Sometimes- A nice little rocker, kind of like a Monkees tune here. Bop till you drop!
11. Perfection-Just some Goddamn good songwriting here! They should be fly fishermen they’re so catchy!!
12. It’s Over- Another great riff and guitar/piano/vocal blend. What a great closer. This lp is so solid from top to bottom , it’s not even fair. I LOVE when albums give you a great song to close it out.
Well, that’s it! I’ll throw some of these songs on the playlist.
Other Great Badfinger lps:
1. Ass
2. No Dice
3. Magic Christian Music
4. Wish You Were Here
Enjoy!!!
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Namesake
You are probably wondering why I named this blog “The Mesmerization Eclipse”.
You may or may not know of the classic band Captain Beyond! They are an early 70s band comprised of former members of Deep Purple, Johnny Winter, and Iron Butterfly. They have three albums. The first one is a masterpiece, the second one is an underachiever when compared to the first one. The third one has a different singer, but is pretty good.
I am going to focus on this first lp simply titled Captain Beyond.
What is peculiar about this album is that they list 13 tracks, when in actuality there are only 5 with certain songs having different sections named for them.
Here is the technical running order:
1. Dancing Madly Backwards (On a Sea of Air)
2. Armworth
3. Myopic Void
4. Mesmerization Eclipse (OOOOH!!! See what I did there!!?!?!?!?!?!?)
5. Raging River of Fear
6. Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Intro)
7. Frozen Over
8. Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Time Since Come and Gone)
9. I Can’t Feel Nothin’ Part I
10. As The Moon Speaks (To the Waves of the Sea)
11. Astral Lady
12. As the Moon Speaks (Return)
13. I Can’t Feel Nothin’ Part 2
You see, most of these tracks are simply parts of one song. Here is the REAL track list.
1. Dancing Madly Backwards/(On A Sea of Air)- (jam…no debate….none)
2. Mesmerization Eclipse -(Still a fucking Jam!!!!)
3. Raging River of Fear- (TBJ to the highest degree)
4. Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Time Since Come and Gone)-(Three parts of love!)
5. I Can’t Feel Nothin’ (A perfect closer…keep all breakables away!)
Nevertheless…still complete jams! The lead singer for the first two albums was a guy named Rod Evans. He was the first singer for Deep Purple. You might remember that he is singing the classic hit “Hush”
Listen to the namesake for the blog in the playlist. It’s in 6/8 time..and still jams hard…and will make you hard!!!!!!
You may or may not know of the classic band Captain Beyond! They are an early 70s band comprised of former members of Deep Purple, Johnny Winter, and Iron Butterfly. They have three albums. The first one is a masterpiece, the second one is an underachiever when compared to the first one. The third one has a different singer, but is pretty good.
I am going to focus on this first lp simply titled Captain Beyond.
What is peculiar about this album is that they list 13 tracks, when in actuality there are only 5 with certain songs having different sections named for them.
Here is the technical running order:
1. Dancing Madly Backwards (On a Sea of Air)
2. Armworth
3. Myopic Void
4. Mesmerization Eclipse (OOOOH!!! See what I did there!!?!?!?!?!?!?)
5. Raging River of Fear
6. Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Intro)
7. Frozen Over
8. Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Time Since Come and Gone)
9. I Can’t Feel Nothin’ Part I
10. As The Moon Speaks (To the Waves of the Sea)
11. Astral Lady
12. As the Moon Speaks (Return)
13. I Can’t Feel Nothin’ Part 2
You see, most of these tracks are simply parts of one song. Here is the REAL track list.
1. Dancing Madly Backwards/(On A Sea of Air)- (jam…no debate….none)
2. Mesmerization Eclipse -(Still a fucking Jam!!!!)
3. Raging River of Fear- (TBJ to the highest degree)
4. Thousand Days of Yesterdays (Time Since Come and Gone)-(Three parts of love!)
5. I Can’t Feel Nothin’ (A perfect closer…keep all breakables away!)
Nevertheless…still complete jams! The lead singer for the first two albums was a guy named Rod Evans. He was the first singer for Deep Purple. You might remember that he is singing the classic hit “Hush”
Listen to the namesake for the blog in the playlist. It’s in 6/8 time..and still jams hard…and will make you hard!!!!!!
12 Bars of Immortality
The 12 bar blues song…we’ve all heard it… a million times. Think of every Chuck Berry tune, or perhaps any number of 50s tunes by Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, or hell, even the Beatles did it!
It’s time honored, for all guys in bands, you all know it as the I-IV-V pattern. It is the single most used formula in music.
It is also the laziest!!!!!
Hell, I’m always up for a good 12 bar tune, but Goddamn, there’s only so much you can do with it.
Sometimes it’s an excuse for a guitarist to say “Hey, look…I can do hours of solos!”
Other times it’s an excuse for pulling out the acoustic and slide and bringing things down a bit.
Sometimes, your just too damn lazy to write an actual song, so you write lyrics and just put it to any 12 bar key. Try listening to every Bob Dylan lp in the 60s and early 70s. For every “All I really Want to Do” there are 57 “Black Crow Blues”. I mean, yeah, we know the guy can write lyrics, but damn was he lazy back in the day!
This is my issue with a lot of great 60s and 70s bands. When they play some straight up rock tunes, they are excellent, but then they bog down ¾ of the lp with 12 bar blues excuses for solos with “feeling”.
Some notable examples:
1. Cream-One of the very first super groups. Great Jams such as “NSU”, “White Room”, “Tales of Brave Ulysses”, “Badge”! Yeah, I know you get “Crossroads” and “Strange Brew” but Goddamn..there’s a lot of “Sleepy Time Time” and fucking “Spoonful” HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO PUT A 30 MINUTE VERSION ON AN ALBUM!!! IT’S NOT A GOOD SONG!
2. Ten Years After- All jams, but lotsa 12 bar filler…and yes, I know they are a blues band, but their straight rock and roll tunes are so good!!! Songs like “I’d Love to Change the Word” “Positive Vibrations” “I’m Coming on” kick my ass! I will tell you that this is the one band that keep the 12 bar thing sustainable for long periods of time because they understand variation. I will get to that in a bit
3. Rory Gallagher- Perhaps the biggest offender of this phenomenon..no wait…that could be Eric Clapton’s solo work…anyway, this guy jams so hard on songs like “Bad Penny” “I’m Not Awake Yet”, “Follow Me” “Tatoo’d Lady” and such, but man can he bog down some albums! His first band The Taste is another primo example. Complete jams like “Blister on the Moon” and “What’s Going On” then 8 songs of LedBetter impersonations!
4. Eric Clapton’s solo work-Especially lately, the pure definition of lazy! Dude! You used to write the hardest jams ever!!!! Why?!?!?!?!
What I enjoy is when bands take the 12 bar and beat it to within an inch of its life!!!!!
Examples:
1. Led Zeppelin-“Since I’ve Been Loving You” –They take the 12 bar and bash it into submission, but it’s still there. It creeps up on you, then before you know it, you are being fetish raped by Jimmy Page’s solo!!!! I get hard just thinking about it!!!!
2. Cream-“Strange Brew”-Yeah, I know I just complained about them a little, but this one fools you. You are caught up in the whimsy and Psychedelia , that you forget the blues!
3. Black Sabbath-“Warning”-This is what I call “Punch you in the face Blues” …no thinking, just a good smack…and you like it! Yes, Aynsley Dunbar wrote it and recorded it first. Sabbath showed them how to do it Koreshly!
Now I’m not knocking the Blues…it’s just that it has a finite window for listening in one sitting. Like right now! I’ve got the Blues!!!
It’s time honored, for all guys in bands, you all know it as the I-IV-V pattern. It is the single most used formula in music.
It is also the laziest!!!!!
Hell, I’m always up for a good 12 bar tune, but Goddamn, there’s only so much you can do with it.
Sometimes it’s an excuse for a guitarist to say “Hey, look…I can do hours of solos!”
Other times it’s an excuse for pulling out the acoustic and slide and bringing things down a bit.
Sometimes, your just too damn lazy to write an actual song, so you write lyrics and just put it to any 12 bar key. Try listening to every Bob Dylan lp in the 60s and early 70s. For every “All I really Want to Do” there are 57 “Black Crow Blues”. I mean, yeah, we know the guy can write lyrics, but damn was he lazy back in the day!
This is my issue with a lot of great 60s and 70s bands. When they play some straight up rock tunes, they are excellent, but then they bog down ¾ of the lp with 12 bar blues excuses for solos with “feeling”.
Some notable examples:
1. Cream-One of the very first super groups. Great Jams such as “NSU”, “White Room”, “Tales of Brave Ulysses”, “Badge”! Yeah, I know you get “Crossroads” and “Strange Brew” but Goddamn..there’s a lot of “Sleepy Time Time” and fucking “Spoonful” HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO PUT A 30 MINUTE VERSION ON AN ALBUM!!! IT’S NOT A GOOD SONG!
2. Ten Years After- All jams, but lotsa 12 bar filler…and yes, I know they are a blues band, but their straight rock and roll tunes are so good!!! Songs like “I’d Love to Change the Word” “Positive Vibrations” “I’m Coming on” kick my ass! I will tell you that this is the one band that keep the 12 bar thing sustainable for long periods of time because they understand variation. I will get to that in a bit
3. Rory Gallagher- Perhaps the biggest offender of this phenomenon..no wait…that could be Eric Clapton’s solo work…anyway, this guy jams so hard on songs like “Bad Penny” “I’m Not Awake Yet”, “Follow Me” “Tatoo’d Lady” and such, but man can he bog down some albums! His first band The Taste is another primo example. Complete jams like “Blister on the Moon” and “What’s Going On” then 8 songs of LedBetter impersonations!
4. Eric Clapton’s solo work-Especially lately, the pure definition of lazy! Dude! You used to write the hardest jams ever!!!! Why?!?!?!?!
What I enjoy is when bands take the 12 bar and beat it to within an inch of its life!!!!!
Examples:
1. Led Zeppelin-“Since I’ve Been Loving You” –They take the 12 bar and bash it into submission, but it’s still there. It creeps up on you, then before you know it, you are being fetish raped by Jimmy Page’s solo!!!! I get hard just thinking about it!!!!
2. Cream-“Strange Brew”-Yeah, I know I just complained about them a little, but this one fools you. You are caught up in the whimsy and Psychedelia , that you forget the blues!
3. Black Sabbath-“Warning”-This is what I call “Punch you in the face Blues” …no thinking, just a good smack…and you like it! Yes, Aynsley Dunbar wrote it and recorded it first. Sabbath showed them how to do it Koreshly!
Now I’m not knocking the Blues…it’s just that it has a finite window for listening in one sitting. Like right now! I’ve got the Blues!!!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Glossary of Terms
You will find that when I describe particular songs and such, that I use custom terms. Here are some of them..
TBJ-Table Bustin’ Jam-This is when a particular song is rocks so hard that the only response is to put both hands through the nearest table.
Example sentence:
“Space Station No. 5 by Montrose is a TBJ!!!”
Flim-Flam Tape- This is when you make your own full cd or 2 cds encompassing a career of a particular band.
Example sentence:
“You say you’re not sure if you like Wishbone Ash? I’ll tell you what, I’ll make you a Flim-Flam tape of them.”
An “I Demand” album-This one I got from my friend Beav. This is any album in which it is impossible to only listen to the first track.
Example situation:
William plays the lp Led Zeppelin. In particular, he plays “Good Times, Bad Times”.
Charles then says “I DEMAND to hear “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” then I DEMAND to hear “You Shook Me” etc…
Koresh- Correct in the most sincere form. Yeah, it makes no sense, but it’s there.
Example sentence:
Jim is 100% Koresh, when he explains the suckage of Dave Matthews.
Going in the right door- This is when you want to help a newbie explore a particular band that they might by ready to learn about.
Example sentence:
“Overnight Sensation is the right door to enter if you are going to start to listen to Frank Zappa”
Sneaky Jams- This is when you start listening to a song, and it sounds pleasant enough, but before you know it, you are overcome by the jams halfway through.
Example sentence:
“The King will Come” is a sneaky jam by Wishbone Ash”.
I will throw some of these songs on my playlist for you to peruse!
In particular check out some Wishbone Ash. I put the aforementioned “The King Will Come”, also their ultimate classic “Blowin’ Free” and a nice little blues jam “Blind Eye”
One more thing, check out “Camarillo Brillo” form Frank Zappa. It’s like the drums function as a rhythm guitar! This is one of his most accessible tunes!
TBJ-Table Bustin’ Jam-This is when a particular song is rocks so hard that the only response is to put both hands through the nearest table.
Example sentence:
“Space Station No. 5 by Montrose is a TBJ!!!”
Flim-Flam Tape- This is when you make your own full cd or 2 cds encompassing a career of a particular band.
Example sentence:
“You say you’re not sure if you like Wishbone Ash? I’ll tell you what, I’ll make you a Flim-Flam tape of them.”
An “I Demand” album-This one I got from my friend Beav. This is any album in which it is impossible to only listen to the first track.
Example situation:
William plays the lp Led Zeppelin. In particular, he plays “Good Times, Bad Times”.
Charles then says “I DEMAND to hear “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” then I DEMAND to hear “You Shook Me” etc…
Koresh- Correct in the most sincere form. Yeah, it makes no sense, but it’s there.
Example sentence:
Jim is 100% Koresh, when he explains the suckage of Dave Matthews.
Going in the right door- This is when you want to help a newbie explore a particular band that they might by ready to learn about.
Example sentence:
“Overnight Sensation is the right door to enter if you are going to start to listen to Frank Zappa”
Sneaky Jams- This is when you start listening to a song, and it sounds pleasant enough, but before you know it, you are overcome by the jams halfway through.
Example sentence:
“The King will Come” is a sneaky jam by Wishbone Ash”.
I will throw some of these songs on my playlist for you to peruse!
In particular check out some Wishbone Ash. I put the aforementioned “The King Will Come”, also their ultimate classic “Blowin’ Free” and a nice little blues jam “Blind Eye”
One more thing, check out “Camarillo Brillo” form Frank Zappa. It’s like the drums function as a rhythm guitar! This is one of his most accessible tunes!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Band Profile: Thin Lizzy
My all time favourite band is Thin Lizzy. No debate. Everything they do speaks to me in some way.
“Thin Lizzy?!?!?! That’s the band that had the hits “Jailbreak” and “The Boys are Back in Town” right?”
Yes
“That’s crazy..they only have, like 1 or 2 albums!”
No, they have 12 studio albums, and a couple of killer live lps!
I was like the majority of you at first. I knew of the songs “Jailbreak” and “The Boys are Back in Town” and thought they were good songs, but what else? Well, the Bass player in the band I was in at the time, wanted us to play “The Cowboy Song”, so he played it for us. It’s on the same album as the other two.
I asked for more. He played the lp Bad Reputation, and that was pretty much it. I did my research and snapped up all the Thin Lizzy vinyl I could find.
What is it about Thin Lizzy that I love? Many things…the dual lead guitar work of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. The passionate voice of Phil Lynott, and just song, after song of straight up hard rock and roll!!!!!
My purpose here is to give you my opinions on their albums and songs, and perhaps stir some interest in you to go out and acquire some Thin Lizzy!!!
The First Period: “Irish Cream”
Thin Lizzy was a power trio on their first three albums. I call them an Irish “Cream” because they had a totally different sound that what we would come to recognize later. Very Irish, and very psychedelic, and still very good! The lineup here was Phil Lynott-Bass/Vocals, Brian Downey-Drums, Eric Bell-Guitar.
-Sidebar-…”The Door”
I believe that when you are starting to get into a band for the first time, or are checking out a band to see if you like them, you need to go in the right “door”, meaning , you need to pick the right album to listen to first. If you pick the wrong one, you might get the wrong idea and go no further. For example, if you wanted to check out Tom Waits, you need to listen to Closing Time first, then you can proceed. If you listen to Rain Dogs first, you may never listen to him again!- End Sidebar-
That all being said. These three Thin Lizzy albums are ones you would go back and get after you envelop yourself in some of the others first. The first three albums are as follows:
1. Thin Lizzy-A good first effort, kinda like an unfocused Disreli Gears, but with plenty to chew on. Rating: 7/10
Song highlights:
A. Honesty is no excuse- a lovely ballad showing the beauty of Phil’s voice
B. Ray Gun-somebody had his Hendrix records out!!
C. Return of the Farmer’s Son- pure rock jam..Eric Bell wails here!
D. Remembering Part 1- Classic Phil songwriting here! One of my favorites. Slow then jam, then slow, then jam!
2. Shades of a Blue Orphanage-More of the same. If they combined the best songs off this and the first album, you would have a dynamite lp!
Rating: 6/10
Song highlights”
A. Baby Face- a little rock ditty with the classic Phil scowl
B. Call the Police- another short little rocker, nice riff!
3. Vagabonds of the Western World- The best of this period, hands down! Many good jams to be had on here!
Rating: 9/10
Song highlights:
A. Mama Nature Said- Eric Bell slides his way through this tune with a boogie-down prowess!
B. The Hero and the Madman- So weird, it’s good. Part spoken word, part wacked out wah-wah jam, part blistering solo!!!! Crank up the volume at the end of this tune, then buy a neck brace!!!
C. The Rocker-Ultimate Classic!!!! This song makes you want to buy a Harley and ride it down the open road after making out with a tough chick!
D. Little Girl in Bloom- Phil sings about a daughter telling her parents about her pregnancy!!! No subject goes untouched!!!!
E. Whiskey in the Jar- THE definitive version. Their first real hit in England/Ireland
The Second Period: The Classic Lineup
This is where they defined their sound. Gone was Eric Bell and in were American Scott Gorham and Brit Brian Robertson..the dual lead attack takes shape!!!!
4. Nightlife- A transitional album, rather soft, but some good tunes and a few bona fide rockers as well
Rating: 7/10
Song highlights:
A. She Knows- The start of the dual leads, mixed with some good acoustic and naturally Phil’s passionate voice!
B. It’s Only Money- One of the only true rockers on this album, but a good one. Play it loud
C. Philomena- My favourite. Period. Irish. Guitar-y.
5. Fighting-This is where it really happens. The true Thin Lizzy sound starts here! Go out and get this album NOW!!
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
EVERY CUT!!!! But in the interest of giving examples..
A. For Those Who Love to Live-listen to this once, then again listening only to the rhythm section..flawless!
B. Suicide- 100% pure jams!!! Grade A!!
C. Fighting My Way Back- The true definition of a Table Busting Jam…hide the furniture!
D. King’s Vengeance- I love the way he switches the dynamics around here…a treat!
6. Jailbreak- The classic, the one you know. If you don’t have it. Turn the computer off, and go get it..I don’t care how…
Rating 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Jailbreak- Please. You know this.
B. Running Back- Phil can write a pop tune. This should have been a #1 hit!
C. The Boys are Back in Town- Need I explain?
D. The Cowboy Song- Simply put, a perfectly crafted rock song. Perfect solos. I defy you to find a better song…TOO LATE!!!!
E. Emerald- When you hear this tune, you want to stand on a mountain in gale force winds…especially towards the end,
7. Johnny the Fox- Supposedly Phil was messed up with Hepatitis during the writing and recording of this album, so it is considered “soft”……no. It is considered “jams”..by me.
Rating 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Johnny-Gritty, wah-wah-y…play it too loud!
B. Rocky- Love Brian Downey’s drums here!
C. Don’t Believe a Word- Another tune that should have been a #1 hit!
D. Fool’s Gold- This song has my favourite guitar solo ever. I can’t explain it, but there it is.
8. Bad Reputation- Yet another fantastic album. Any album from Fighting to this one is a proper door in which to enter Thin Lizzy.
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Bad Reputation- More dual lead amazement!
B. Southbound- Just a pleasant tune. I can say no more
C. Dancin’ in the Moonlight- Feel Phil’s whimsy here! Great solo!
The Third Period: Revolving Guitarists
At this point Brian Robertson left due to drug problems and other issues, so it seemed like they had a different second guitarist on each album almost! Some of their most metal-like stuff appears here.
9. Black Rose: A Rock Legend- Gary Moore joins them for this dynamite lp!!! Some of my favourite songs ever are on this one!
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Toughest Street in Town- This song rocks so much, that you must wear protective gear when you listen to this. Gary Moore’s solo here can knock you down.
B. Waiting for an Alibi- A classic. The outro is the best in Rock! One of my favourite songs ever to be recorded!
C. Sarah- Probably Phil’s best ballad,
D. Rosin Dubin- Irish guitar wizardry…where’s the Guiness?
10. Chinatown- Snowy White joins them for the next two albums. He was a guitarist who played for Pink Floyd in the mid 70s. This album is standard issue hard rock, the Thin Lizzy way!
Rating: 7/10
Song highlights:
A. Chinatown- Solid rocker from Phil and the boys here.
B. Killer on the Loose-Another really hard and heavy one from them here.
11. Renegade- Still with Snowy White and still a very solid album of rockers here.
Rating: 8/10
Song highlights:
A. Renegade-Kind of an epic tune here, but really good. I like the dynamics between verse and chorus here.
B. Hollywood(Down on your luck)- Yet another pop rocker that should have been a hit!
C. Fats- A semi –jazzy departure here, but I love it. Check this one out!
12. Thunder and Lightning- John Sykes joins up here along with keyboardist Darren Wharton. This is my favourite album, I just keep coming back to it. This was a little ahead of its time because it predates the 80s hair metal by a few years, but it would sound right at home in it. (yeah, I know that might not be a good thing, but fuck it!!!)
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
All of it!!!!!! I can’t single any out. Call your boss, tell him you have to leave, go to the nearest Tower records and buy this, then thank me!!!! Any song from the title cut, to “Holy War” to “Cold Sweat” to “Baby Please Don’t Go” is a winner!!!!
OK! There you go! Hopefully I gave you some info on what you may or may not be interested in, but if I were to list the “door opening order” of albums, it would go like this….
1. Fighting
2. Jailbreak
3. Johnny the Fox
4. Bad Reputation
5. Black Rose: a Rock Legend
6. Thunder and Lightning
7. Renegade
8. Vagabonds of the Western World
9. Chinatown
10. Nightlife
11. Thin Lizzy
12. Shades of a Blue Orphanage
“Thin Lizzy?!?!?! That’s the band that had the hits “Jailbreak” and “The Boys are Back in Town” right?”
Yes
“That’s crazy..they only have, like 1 or 2 albums!”
No, they have 12 studio albums, and a couple of killer live lps!
I was like the majority of you at first. I knew of the songs “Jailbreak” and “The Boys are Back in Town” and thought they were good songs, but what else? Well, the Bass player in the band I was in at the time, wanted us to play “The Cowboy Song”, so he played it for us. It’s on the same album as the other two.
I asked for more. He played the lp Bad Reputation, and that was pretty much it. I did my research and snapped up all the Thin Lizzy vinyl I could find.
What is it about Thin Lizzy that I love? Many things…the dual lead guitar work of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. The passionate voice of Phil Lynott, and just song, after song of straight up hard rock and roll!!!!!
My purpose here is to give you my opinions on their albums and songs, and perhaps stir some interest in you to go out and acquire some Thin Lizzy!!!
The First Period: “Irish Cream”
Thin Lizzy was a power trio on their first three albums. I call them an Irish “Cream” because they had a totally different sound that what we would come to recognize later. Very Irish, and very psychedelic, and still very good! The lineup here was Phil Lynott-Bass/Vocals, Brian Downey-Drums, Eric Bell-Guitar.
-Sidebar-…”The Door”
I believe that when you are starting to get into a band for the first time, or are checking out a band to see if you like them, you need to go in the right “door”, meaning , you need to pick the right album to listen to first. If you pick the wrong one, you might get the wrong idea and go no further. For example, if you wanted to check out Tom Waits, you need to listen to Closing Time first, then you can proceed. If you listen to Rain Dogs first, you may never listen to him again!- End Sidebar-
That all being said. These three Thin Lizzy albums are ones you would go back and get after you envelop yourself in some of the others first. The first three albums are as follows:
1. Thin Lizzy-A good first effort, kinda like an unfocused Disreli Gears, but with plenty to chew on. Rating: 7/10
Song highlights:
A. Honesty is no excuse- a lovely ballad showing the beauty of Phil’s voice
B. Ray Gun-somebody had his Hendrix records out!!
C. Return of the Farmer’s Son- pure rock jam..Eric Bell wails here!
D. Remembering Part 1- Classic Phil songwriting here! One of my favorites. Slow then jam, then slow, then jam!
2. Shades of a Blue Orphanage-More of the same. If they combined the best songs off this and the first album, you would have a dynamite lp!
Rating: 6/10
Song highlights”
A. Baby Face- a little rock ditty with the classic Phil scowl
B. Call the Police- another short little rocker, nice riff!
3. Vagabonds of the Western World- The best of this period, hands down! Many good jams to be had on here!
Rating: 9/10
Song highlights:
A. Mama Nature Said- Eric Bell slides his way through this tune with a boogie-down prowess!
B. The Hero and the Madman- So weird, it’s good. Part spoken word, part wacked out wah-wah jam, part blistering solo!!!! Crank up the volume at the end of this tune, then buy a neck brace!!!
C. The Rocker-Ultimate Classic!!!! This song makes you want to buy a Harley and ride it down the open road after making out with a tough chick!
D. Little Girl in Bloom- Phil sings about a daughter telling her parents about her pregnancy!!! No subject goes untouched!!!!
E. Whiskey in the Jar- THE definitive version. Their first real hit in England/Ireland
The Second Period: The Classic Lineup
This is where they defined their sound. Gone was Eric Bell and in were American Scott Gorham and Brit Brian Robertson..the dual lead attack takes shape!!!!
4. Nightlife- A transitional album, rather soft, but some good tunes and a few bona fide rockers as well
Rating: 7/10
Song highlights:
A. She Knows- The start of the dual leads, mixed with some good acoustic and naturally Phil’s passionate voice!
B. It’s Only Money- One of the only true rockers on this album, but a good one. Play it loud
C. Philomena- My favourite. Period. Irish. Guitar-y.
5. Fighting-This is where it really happens. The true Thin Lizzy sound starts here! Go out and get this album NOW!!
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
EVERY CUT!!!! But in the interest of giving examples..
A. For Those Who Love to Live-listen to this once, then again listening only to the rhythm section..flawless!
B. Suicide- 100% pure jams!!! Grade A!!
C. Fighting My Way Back- The true definition of a Table Busting Jam…hide the furniture!
D. King’s Vengeance- I love the way he switches the dynamics around here…a treat!
6. Jailbreak- The classic, the one you know. If you don’t have it. Turn the computer off, and go get it..I don’t care how…
Rating 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Jailbreak- Please. You know this.
B. Running Back- Phil can write a pop tune. This should have been a #1 hit!
C. The Boys are Back in Town- Need I explain?
D. The Cowboy Song- Simply put, a perfectly crafted rock song. Perfect solos. I defy you to find a better song…TOO LATE!!!!
E. Emerald- When you hear this tune, you want to stand on a mountain in gale force winds…especially towards the end,
7. Johnny the Fox- Supposedly Phil was messed up with Hepatitis during the writing and recording of this album, so it is considered “soft”……no. It is considered “jams”..by me.
Rating 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Johnny-Gritty, wah-wah-y…play it too loud!
B. Rocky- Love Brian Downey’s drums here!
C. Don’t Believe a Word- Another tune that should have been a #1 hit!
D. Fool’s Gold- This song has my favourite guitar solo ever. I can’t explain it, but there it is.
8. Bad Reputation- Yet another fantastic album. Any album from Fighting to this one is a proper door in which to enter Thin Lizzy.
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Bad Reputation- More dual lead amazement!
B. Southbound- Just a pleasant tune. I can say no more
C. Dancin’ in the Moonlight- Feel Phil’s whimsy here! Great solo!
The Third Period: Revolving Guitarists
At this point Brian Robertson left due to drug problems and other issues, so it seemed like they had a different second guitarist on each album almost! Some of their most metal-like stuff appears here.
9. Black Rose: A Rock Legend- Gary Moore joins them for this dynamite lp!!! Some of my favourite songs ever are on this one!
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
A. Toughest Street in Town- This song rocks so much, that you must wear protective gear when you listen to this. Gary Moore’s solo here can knock you down.
B. Waiting for an Alibi- A classic. The outro is the best in Rock! One of my favourite songs ever to be recorded!
C. Sarah- Probably Phil’s best ballad,
D. Rosin Dubin- Irish guitar wizardry…where’s the Guiness?
10. Chinatown- Snowy White joins them for the next two albums. He was a guitarist who played for Pink Floyd in the mid 70s. This album is standard issue hard rock, the Thin Lizzy way!
Rating: 7/10
Song highlights:
A. Chinatown- Solid rocker from Phil and the boys here.
B. Killer on the Loose-Another really hard and heavy one from them here.
11. Renegade- Still with Snowy White and still a very solid album of rockers here.
Rating: 8/10
Song highlights:
A. Renegade-Kind of an epic tune here, but really good. I like the dynamics between verse and chorus here.
B. Hollywood(Down on your luck)- Yet another pop rocker that should have been a hit!
C. Fats- A semi –jazzy departure here, but I love it. Check this one out!
12. Thunder and Lightning- John Sykes joins up here along with keyboardist Darren Wharton. This is my favourite album, I just keep coming back to it. This was a little ahead of its time because it predates the 80s hair metal by a few years, but it would sound right at home in it. (yeah, I know that might not be a good thing, but fuck it!!!)
Rating: 10/10
Song highlights:
All of it!!!!!! I can’t single any out. Call your boss, tell him you have to leave, go to the nearest Tower records and buy this, then thank me!!!! Any song from the title cut, to “Holy War” to “Cold Sweat” to “Baby Please Don’t Go” is a winner!!!!
OK! There you go! Hopefully I gave you some info on what you may or may not be interested in, but if I were to list the “door opening order” of albums, it would go like this….
1. Fighting
2. Jailbreak
3. Johnny the Fox
4. Bad Reputation
5. Black Rose: a Rock Legend
6. Thunder and Lightning
7. Renegade
8. Vagabonds of the Western World
9. Chinatown
10. Nightlife
11. Thin Lizzy
12. Shades of a Blue Orphanage
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Rick Springfield....is Good!!!
Don’t laugh… the guy can write a song! He’s got the hits with “Jesse’s Girl” and “Don’t Talk to Strangers” (not to be confused with Dio’s classic jam! My particular favourite is off the Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet lp entitled, “Calling All Girls”. Lest we not forget “I Get Excited” from the same lp. This album also sports the hit “What Kind of Fool Am I” He is a major guilty pleasure with me. A true Guilty Pleasure is one that you love…not one of those “I kinda like this tune”..but a song that you have NO business even listening to, that you love!!!
Track down “Calling All Girls” and TRY to tell me I’m wrong!!!
Top Guilty Pleasure tunes!!!
1. Wannabe-The Spice Girls
2. We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off-Jermaine Stewart
3. Fake- Alexander O’Neil
4. Loverboy-Billy Ocean
5. Oh Sheila- Ready for the World
6. The Look-Roxette (Major embarrassing GP here)
7. Like a Prayer-Madonna
8. Strut-Sheena Easton
9. Mickey-Toni Basil
10. Pass the Dutchie-Musical Youth
Don’t tell anyone! This is just between me and you!!!!
Track down “Calling All Girls” and TRY to tell me I’m wrong!!!
Top Guilty Pleasure tunes!!!
1. Wannabe-The Spice Girls
2. We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off-Jermaine Stewart
3. Fake- Alexander O’Neil
4. Loverboy-Billy Ocean
5. Oh Sheila- Ready for the World
6. The Look-Roxette (Major embarrassing GP here)
7. Like a Prayer-Madonna
8. Strut-Sheena Easton
9. Mickey-Toni Basil
10. Pass the Dutchie-Musical Youth
Don’t tell anyone! This is just between me and you!!!!
OKen's Album of the Week 12/02
This feature is to hopefully steer you towards listening and or purchasing an lp that you might not have heard previously. With listening to albums, I like to employ the “3 times” rule. That is to say, you must listen to an album 3 times within a few days to really formulate a true opinion of it. The first listen is for first impressions…do you even like what you hear before you delve into the specifics of the songs.
The second listen is to identify what songs you may target or enjoy better than others. The third listen is to listen in the context of a full album. You ask yourself if it works for you as a full Lp, or just a few goods songs. Will this stay in your rotation, or will you pull it up for a few songs here and there.
My Album of the week is Frijid Pink…by Frijid Pink!
Here is the Wikipedia link for background on them…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frijid_Pink
I love this album. I was introduced to this while in a battle of the bands way back in high school (1982 or so) The song we played in our set was “Drivin’ Blues” . This wasn’t even the hit on the album! That honor went to their version of “House of the Rising Sun”…and a minor hit at that! So my bud, had the album on vinyl back in the day and I listened to it and really dug the Big Muff driven fuzz tones. God Bless the 70s!!!!!! They are basically a blues band, but they shine when they straight up rock the house!!!
On to the songs!
1. God Gave Me You-A lovely opening ballad, that picks up to knock you around a little bit. I am a sucker for the slow beginning and then the drums kick in and shove me a little. Mind you, not table flipping by any means, but enough to groove me.
2. Crying Shame- Fuzz…Fuzz…Fuzz…so fuzzy you can hear it fuzz and overdrive simultaneously…this is the perfect psychedelic jam…pure and simple!!!
3. I’m On My Way- This is typical of their blues influence here, but it is relatively short and they pull it off well. It is pleasant enough to get you to a more force blues jam….
4. Drivin’ Blues- Appropriately titled. A drivin’ beat with a nice 12 bar blues riff. Some points may be taken away for the use of harmonica, but it is rectified immediately with skillful soloing!
5. Tell Me Why- Turn on that Big Muff again. Tom Beaudry lets if fly but not too hard here with the vocals. Kind of a chaotic instrumental break here, but he puts in the wah-wah, and we all know what that does to a song….INSTANT JAMS!!!
6. End of the Line-More 12 bar, but disguised a little better here. What I love about this album is that it sounds good at ear shattering levels!!!! Good toke and drink lp as well!!!!
7. House of the Rising Sun- My favourite version of this tune…where is my lava lamp? Lose yourself in this jam…now…I COMMAND IT!!!
8. I Want To Be Your Lover-It’s like if a skiffle band smoked a lot of dope and got a little pissed off as well. This album does not stop!!!!!! On some of their later albums they have way too many 12 bar blues tunes, but they really mix it up here..and that is a good thing!
9. Boozin’ Blues- Speaking of blues…this is the classic smoky room slow blues/atmospheric blues tune…and a good one
10. Heartbreak Hotel- a well done version of Elvis’ classic…this basically is a bonus track because it was one of their first two singles before this album was released
11. Music for the People- the other single before the album was released…nice little tune…kind of reminds me of the Five Man Electrical Band, or the Youngbloods or something like that…good 60s type stuff
Go find this album, download it, whatever you need to do, and either sit down one night while getting ready to go out, or play this early at a party, and it will be pleasing….until next week…
The second listen is to identify what songs you may target or enjoy better than others. The third listen is to listen in the context of a full album. You ask yourself if it works for you as a full Lp, or just a few goods songs. Will this stay in your rotation, or will you pull it up for a few songs here and there.
My Album of the week is Frijid Pink…by Frijid Pink!
Here is the Wikipedia link for background on them…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frijid_Pink
I love this album. I was introduced to this while in a battle of the bands way back in high school (1982 or so) The song we played in our set was “Drivin’ Blues” . This wasn’t even the hit on the album! That honor went to their version of “House of the Rising Sun”…and a minor hit at that! So my bud, had the album on vinyl back in the day and I listened to it and really dug the Big Muff driven fuzz tones. God Bless the 70s!!!!!! They are basically a blues band, but they shine when they straight up rock the house!!!
On to the songs!
1. God Gave Me You-A lovely opening ballad, that picks up to knock you around a little bit. I am a sucker for the slow beginning and then the drums kick in and shove me a little. Mind you, not table flipping by any means, but enough to groove me.
2. Crying Shame- Fuzz…Fuzz…Fuzz…so fuzzy you can hear it fuzz and overdrive simultaneously…this is the perfect psychedelic jam…pure and simple!!!
3. I’m On My Way- This is typical of their blues influence here, but it is relatively short and they pull it off well. It is pleasant enough to get you to a more force blues jam….
4. Drivin’ Blues- Appropriately titled. A drivin’ beat with a nice 12 bar blues riff. Some points may be taken away for the use of harmonica, but it is rectified immediately with skillful soloing!
5. Tell Me Why- Turn on that Big Muff again. Tom Beaudry lets if fly but not too hard here with the vocals. Kind of a chaotic instrumental break here, but he puts in the wah-wah, and we all know what that does to a song….INSTANT JAMS!!!
6. End of the Line-More 12 bar, but disguised a little better here. What I love about this album is that it sounds good at ear shattering levels!!!! Good toke and drink lp as well!!!!
7. House of the Rising Sun- My favourite version of this tune…where is my lava lamp? Lose yourself in this jam…now…I COMMAND IT!!!
8. I Want To Be Your Lover-It’s like if a skiffle band smoked a lot of dope and got a little pissed off as well. This album does not stop!!!!!! On some of their later albums they have way too many 12 bar blues tunes, but they really mix it up here..and that is a good thing!
9. Boozin’ Blues- Speaking of blues…this is the classic smoky room slow blues/atmospheric blues tune…and a good one
10. Heartbreak Hotel- a well done version of Elvis’ classic…this basically is a bonus track because it was one of their first two singles before this album was released
11. Music for the People- the other single before the album was released…nice little tune…kind of reminds me of the Five Man Electrical Band, or the Youngbloods or something like that…good 60s type stuff
Go find this album, download it, whatever you need to do, and either sit down one night while getting ready to go out, or play this early at a party, and it will be pleasing….until next week…
Pet Sounds vs Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band!!!
I have gotten into arguments with rabid Beach Boys/Brian Wilson fans on the genius of Pet Sounds and how it inspired the Beatles to make Sgt Pepper. I am not debating that fact. I am not debating the greatness of Pet Sounds. It is a landmark album, and it was such a radical departure for the Surfin’ hit machine that was the Beach Boys, that it was shocking, and brilliant at the same time. It is a great album. It is NOT, however, better than Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Not even close.
It is not better than Revolver. It is not better than Rubber Soul. Wilson vs Lennon/McCartney?...Lennon/McCartney win in convincing fashion.
Here is the main issue as to why the Beatles always win vs Brian Wilson. The Beatles understand that they are making a ROCK album, with ROCK music. Pet Sounds at times could very well be a Bing Crosby Christmas album. Where are the guitars? Oh, they’re not there, or they are buried under layers of plinky-plinky piano, or churchy-churchy organ, or orchestra, or 506 vocal tracks. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s just not rock and roll.
Many people dislike when you go to a concert and the band leaves the stage so the drummer can do a drum solo for 20 minutes. Basically it’s him wanking and saying, “Look…I’m good at drums” Wonderful.
It only works in the context of a song. A good example being “Karn Evil Number 9 Fist impression part 2” Carl Palmer hits the drum break for a few seconds to show you the skill, then the vocals come back to remind you that this is a song… the the beat changes…perfect! What the hell does this have to do with Pet Sounds? Well, I’ll tell you. Pet Sounds is Brian Wilson’s 20 minute drum solo, only his drums are a studio. There are times where he is more interested in showing you how innovative he can be using the studio, than creating some good songs with his band for you.
This is not to say that the Beatles are not guilty of this as well. On Sgt Pepper, (yeah, I ain't writing it out 30 tmes!) there is the Pet Sounds section of the album starting at “She’s Leaving Home” and finishing at “When I’m 64”. All well and good, but they don’t do that the whole album, which is key.
This is the perfect time for me to compare impartially because I am in a huge Beach Boys phase right now and have always been a huge Beatles fan, so I sat down and listened hard!
Let us begin with Pet Sounds.
1. Wouldn’t it be Nice- Classic pop tune. Probably the best or second best song on the album. A perfect transition from the Surfin’ tunes to the new sound. He still retains the familiarity of their past hits while showing you that things are about to change.
2. You Still Believe in Me- I’ll not debate his lyrics here or the rest of the lp. We all know Brian Wilson can write a song. Good song, but the plinky-plinky starts to take over here.
3. That’s Not Me-ah, I hear some Bass here…good. The trademark wall of vocal sound works especially well here because it does not dominate the song. There is a reason they are called “background” vocals.
4. Don’t Talk (Put your head on my shoulder)-You see, here is where we start to have issues. Hey Brian…guitar…I know you have one….look behind you…you hired studio musicians right? I’m sure one of them has one. Try it. They are good.
5. I’m Waiting for the Day- This is a really good tune. LOVE the outro. Some Rock going on here as well!
6. Let’s Go Away For A While- No. Elevator music. No. I’m glad he still uses drums though!
7. Sloop John B-This was recorded before the sessions really started for this album. I’ve always liked this one. I wanna get on a ship and fish…
8. God Only Knows- Easily in the running for best song on the album. So good that it doesn’t matter what the instrumentation is! A true classic!
9. I Know There’s Answer- closer to some rock, but Goddamn, the lack of guitar really bugs the shit out of me here!!!!!!!!!!
10. Here Today- This one seems like filler to me. Bing Crosby. Weak
11. I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times- Great tune, but then again it would register better if he broke up the album with some upbeat songs!!!!
12. Pet Sounds-Instrumental. Short. Guitar. Win.
13. Caroline No- Another classic. Listen. I am by no means saying that this is a bad album. It is fucking fantastic, but Jeez….Easy Listening. Dan Fogelberg…damn!
Let us move on to Sgt Pepper….
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band- Right away…no waiting…Rock and fucking Roll!!!!!!!! They start out by driving you right in with a great beat, then show you that yes, they will use unconventional instruments with the horns..but then rock your balls off....Where are my balls?...oh yeah, McCartney just rocked them off!!!
2. With a Little Help From My Friends-simple, yes, light, but melodic Bass, great vocals, guitar throughout. They never let you forget that it is a rock song!
3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds-Psychedelic…pithy..then the chorus…see? Rock. Psychedelic Bass lines!
4. Getting Better-Jumpy Jumpy, but still has some balls. Shit, you forgive McCartney for singing about beating his woman!!!!
5. Fixing a hole- This starts with the Glockenspiel-y, sixties thing, but the guitar keeps coming in to remind you to stop fucking around!!!!!!
6. She’s Leaving Home- Harp…I could go for one. This is cool because it’s not the whole album of this.
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite- this is George Martin’s 20 minute solo here…it’s ok, he’s earned it.
8. Within You and Without You-George getting all Indian with Indian musicians. We put up with it because we can smoke a bowl and he doesn’t do it that often.
9. When I’m 64- I love it. It is a Danny Kaye type song, but I still love it!
10. Lovely Rita-Alternates between poppy, silly, and rock. God bless the Beatles!
11. Good Morning, Good Morning-Underrated Jam!!!! Love the solo!!!! It bites me!!!
12. Sgt Pepper(reprise) One of the biggest jams of their catalogue! Almost with this was 5 minutes long…almost
13. A Day In The Life- Please. There is no debate. One of the greatest songs ever. Ringo takes it to the house secretly here!
There you go. In my world Sgt Pepper beats Pet Sounds to a bloody pulp! Let me restate that I am NOT saying that the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson are inferior artists! I LOVE the Beach Boys, and I will give you OKen’s Ultimate list on them in the future!!! I am just addressing the debate on these two albums! You just have to remember that Pet Sounds is more of an Easy Listening album, not a rock album. Not to be confused with a Light rock album, like Tapestry by Carol King…but that’s another blog!!!!
It is not better than Revolver. It is not better than Rubber Soul. Wilson vs Lennon/McCartney?...Lennon/McCartney win in convincing fashion.
Here is the main issue as to why the Beatles always win vs Brian Wilson. The Beatles understand that they are making a ROCK album, with ROCK music. Pet Sounds at times could very well be a Bing Crosby Christmas album. Where are the guitars? Oh, they’re not there, or they are buried under layers of plinky-plinky piano, or churchy-churchy organ, or orchestra, or 506 vocal tracks. There is nothing wrong with that, it’s just not rock and roll.
Many people dislike when you go to a concert and the band leaves the stage so the drummer can do a drum solo for 20 minutes. Basically it’s him wanking and saying, “Look…I’m good at drums” Wonderful.
It only works in the context of a song. A good example being “Karn Evil Number 9 Fist impression part 2” Carl Palmer hits the drum break for a few seconds to show you the skill, then the vocals come back to remind you that this is a song… the the beat changes…perfect! What the hell does this have to do with Pet Sounds? Well, I’ll tell you. Pet Sounds is Brian Wilson’s 20 minute drum solo, only his drums are a studio. There are times where he is more interested in showing you how innovative he can be using the studio, than creating some good songs with his band for you.
This is not to say that the Beatles are not guilty of this as well. On Sgt Pepper, (yeah, I ain't writing it out 30 tmes!) there is the Pet Sounds section of the album starting at “She’s Leaving Home” and finishing at “When I’m 64”. All well and good, but they don’t do that the whole album, which is key.
This is the perfect time for me to compare impartially because I am in a huge Beach Boys phase right now and have always been a huge Beatles fan, so I sat down and listened hard!
Let us begin with Pet Sounds.
1. Wouldn’t it be Nice- Classic pop tune. Probably the best or second best song on the album. A perfect transition from the Surfin’ tunes to the new sound. He still retains the familiarity of their past hits while showing you that things are about to change.
2. You Still Believe in Me- I’ll not debate his lyrics here or the rest of the lp. We all know Brian Wilson can write a song. Good song, but the plinky-plinky starts to take over here.
3. That’s Not Me-ah, I hear some Bass here…good. The trademark wall of vocal sound works especially well here because it does not dominate the song. There is a reason they are called “background” vocals.
4. Don’t Talk (Put your head on my shoulder)-You see, here is where we start to have issues. Hey Brian…guitar…I know you have one….look behind you…you hired studio musicians right? I’m sure one of them has one. Try it. They are good.
5. I’m Waiting for the Day- This is a really good tune. LOVE the outro. Some Rock going on here as well!
6. Let’s Go Away For A While- No. Elevator music. No. I’m glad he still uses drums though!
7. Sloop John B-This was recorded before the sessions really started for this album. I’ve always liked this one. I wanna get on a ship and fish…
8. God Only Knows- Easily in the running for best song on the album. So good that it doesn’t matter what the instrumentation is! A true classic!
9. I Know There’s Answer- closer to some rock, but Goddamn, the lack of guitar really bugs the shit out of me here!!!!!!!!!!
10. Here Today- This one seems like filler to me. Bing Crosby. Weak
11. I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times- Great tune, but then again it would register better if he broke up the album with some upbeat songs!!!!
12. Pet Sounds-Instrumental. Short. Guitar. Win.
13. Caroline No- Another classic. Listen. I am by no means saying that this is a bad album. It is fucking fantastic, but Jeez….Easy Listening. Dan Fogelberg…damn!
Let us move on to Sgt Pepper….
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band- Right away…no waiting…Rock and fucking Roll!!!!!!!! They start out by driving you right in with a great beat, then show you that yes, they will use unconventional instruments with the horns..but then rock your balls off....Where are my balls?...oh yeah, McCartney just rocked them off!!!
2. With a Little Help From My Friends-simple, yes, light, but melodic Bass, great vocals, guitar throughout. They never let you forget that it is a rock song!
3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds-Psychedelic…pithy..then the chorus…see? Rock. Psychedelic Bass lines!
4. Getting Better-Jumpy Jumpy, but still has some balls. Shit, you forgive McCartney for singing about beating his woman!!!!
5. Fixing a hole- This starts with the Glockenspiel-y, sixties thing, but the guitar keeps coming in to remind you to stop fucking around!!!!!!
6. She’s Leaving Home- Harp…I could go for one. This is cool because it’s not the whole album of this.
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite- this is George Martin’s 20 minute solo here…it’s ok, he’s earned it.
8. Within You and Without You-George getting all Indian with Indian musicians. We put up with it because we can smoke a bowl and he doesn’t do it that often.
9. When I’m 64- I love it. It is a Danny Kaye type song, but I still love it!
10. Lovely Rita-Alternates between poppy, silly, and rock. God bless the Beatles!
11. Good Morning, Good Morning-Underrated Jam!!!! Love the solo!!!! It bites me!!!
12. Sgt Pepper(reprise) One of the biggest jams of their catalogue! Almost with this was 5 minutes long…almost
13. A Day In The Life- Please. There is no debate. One of the greatest songs ever. Ringo takes it to the house secretly here!
There you go. In my world Sgt Pepper beats Pet Sounds to a bloody pulp! Let me restate that I am NOT saying that the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson are inferior artists! I LOVE the Beach Boys, and I will give you OKen’s Ultimate list on them in the future!!! I am just addressing the debate on these two albums! You just have to remember that Pet Sounds is more of an Easy Listening album, not a rock album. Not to be confused with a Light rock album, like Tapestry by Carol King…but that’s another blog!!!!
The Flim-Flam Tape
I was talking with a couple of my buddies a few weeks ago, and we were talking about the Grateful Dead. I made the statement(I make a lot of statements) that you could get all you need out of them on one Greatest Hits-type tape. My buddy Manny expressed his shock and awe as he questioned my ability to reduce decades of work onto one tape. (Yeah, I know everything goes on cd’s or mp3 players or phones and such, but I still call it a tape! When I was growing up, we made TAPES!) He called me a “Flim-Flam man” for thinking I could pull off such a stunt! (All in our trademark sarcasm, of course) I embrace this term. From this point on, if there is a group whose, best efforts can be burned onto 1 cd, it will heretofore be called a “Flim-Flam Tape”.
For example, a typical conversation may go like this…
Bill:
Hey, OKen, are you a fan of Steely Dan?
OKen:
A tiny bit, they have a few good songs
Bill:
I am unfamiliar with them. What ever am I to do?
OKen:
No problem, I’ll make you a Flim-Flam Tape of Steely Dan (It will consist of 4 songs, Reelin’ in the Years, Dirty Work, Peg, and Rikki Don’t Lose That Number)
Rules on the Flim-Flam Tape:
1. It can be 1 or 2 cd’s but if it goes to 2, you must fill them both
2. You cannot include solo work by an artist in the band. He/she must have their own Flim-Flam tape
3. You must write in marker the name of the band on the CD and include a song list inside the sleeve. Commentary optional!
Flim-Flam Tape FAQ
1. Does the Flim-Flam tape have to have the hits?
A: It depends on the person you are giving it to. If it is a casual Deep Purple fan who has a greatest hit lp , then you make a Deep Track Flim-Flam Tape. I personally like to mix both in.
2. What if there are only a handful of songs worth it?
A: It is acceptable for a 1 cd Flim-Flam Tape to not take the whole length
3. Are there any bands that are impossible to Flim-Flam?
A: Yes. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Thin Lizzy (Do not question! I will have a whole separate blog about that) Black Sabbath, The Spice Girls (just wanted to see if you were paying attention…although “Wannabe” is a secret jam!)
4. Do the dongs have to be in chronological order?
A: No, but it’s professional if you do!
5. How dare you!
A: Dude, I’m just trying to help! Maybe you don’t want to buy all of Spirit’s albums! (although that would be a mistake!)
OK…here is the first Flim-Flam Tape…The Cult!!!!
1. Nirvana
2. Big Neon Glitter
3. Rain
4. She Sells Sanctuary
The above from the lp: Love
5. Wild Flower
6. Peace Dog
7. Lil’ Devil
8. Love Removal Machine
The above from the lp: Electric
9. Sun King
10. Fire Woman
11. Edie (Ciao Baby)
12. Sweet Soul Sister
The above from the lp: Sonic Temple
13. Wild Hearted Son
14. Full Tilt
The above from the lp: Ceremony
15. The Saint
16. Take the Power
The above from the lp: Beyond Good and Evil
17. Dirty Little Rockstar
The above from the lp: Born Into This
For example, a typical conversation may go like this…
Bill:
Hey, OKen, are you a fan of Steely Dan?
OKen:
A tiny bit, they have a few good songs
Bill:
I am unfamiliar with them. What ever am I to do?
OKen:
No problem, I’ll make you a Flim-Flam Tape of Steely Dan (It will consist of 4 songs, Reelin’ in the Years, Dirty Work, Peg, and Rikki Don’t Lose That Number)
Rules on the Flim-Flam Tape:
1. It can be 1 or 2 cd’s but if it goes to 2, you must fill them both
2. You cannot include solo work by an artist in the band. He/she must have their own Flim-Flam tape
3. You must write in marker the name of the band on the CD and include a song list inside the sleeve. Commentary optional!
Flim-Flam Tape FAQ
1. Does the Flim-Flam tape have to have the hits?
A: It depends on the person you are giving it to. If it is a casual Deep Purple fan who has a greatest hit lp , then you make a Deep Track Flim-Flam Tape. I personally like to mix both in.
2. What if there are only a handful of songs worth it?
A: It is acceptable for a 1 cd Flim-Flam Tape to not take the whole length
3. Are there any bands that are impossible to Flim-Flam?
A: Yes. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Thin Lizzy (Do not question! I will have a whole separate blog about that) Black Sabbath, The Spice Girls (just wanted to see if you were paying attention…although “Wannabe” is a secret jam!)
4. Do the dongs have to be in chronological order?
A: No, but it’s professional if you do!
5. How dare you!
A: Dude, I’m just trying to help! Maybe you don’t want to buy all of Spirit’s albums! (although that would be a mistake!)
OK…here is the first Flim-Flam Tape…The Cult!!!!
1. Nirvana
2. Big Neon Glitter
3. Rain
4. She Sells Sanctuary
The above from the lp: Love
5. Wild Flower
6. Peace Dog
7. Lil’ Devil
8. Love Removal Machine
The above from the lp: Electric
9. Sun King
10. Fire Woman
11. Edie (Ciao Baby)
12. Sweet Soul Sister
The above from the lp: Sonic Temple
13. Wild Hearted Son
14. Full Tilt
The above from the lp: Ceremony
15. The Saint
16. Take the Power
The above from the lp: Beyond Good and Evil
17. Dirty Little Rockstar
The above from the lp: Born Into This
My take on Rock and Roll
I am Scott OKen, I am 44 years old…I like Rock and Roll. I’m going to write about it and hopefully try not to sound too much like a know it all. (fat chance)
First, a little background…My first remembrance of Rock and Roll is the Chipmunks, more specifically, The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits. I don’t remember how I acquired it, but it was always there. I knew it by heart. I was 4. Then I heard “All My Loving” on the radio. “Who the hell are these guys, and why are they singing the Chipmunks?” They were the Beatles. They are the Beatles. My musical life had forever changed.
The first album purchased for me was The Beatles 1962-1966 aka “The Red Album”. I must have listened to that lp 87 times a week! The first album I purchased with my own money was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It cost $6.49, I ran home and played it 6 times in a row.
From that point it was all 60s and British Invasion bands. Nothing else was satisfactory. I was a snob that way. That lasted until Senior year in high school. Two things happened that year that changed everything. The first was a neighbor that lived down the block from me. He lived with his wife and a kid on the way and we hit it off talking about 60’s bands and such, so I had a great respect for him. He brought me down in the basement…(sounds creepy, but not! Get your mind out of the gutter!!!!) He asked if I heard of Led Zeppelin. Of course I did, but I had no interest. He pulled out the first lp, Led Zeppelin (there is NO such album called “Led Zeppelin 1”) I heard the first notes of “Good Times, Bad Times” and that was pretty much it. Yeah, I was sheltered, it took me a while to get with it! The next event was a battle of the bands in which the band I was in, and a friends band merged to create a “super group” …we were not good, but we compromised on playing half British invasion songs, and half standard Hard Rockers. It is here that I had to do my research and was handed Black Sabbath’s Greatest Hits and Ted Nugent The End…I rock.
Enough with the bullshit about me. Here are my commandments of rock and roll.
I. Thou Shalt Utilize the Guitar- All Rock music is centered around the guitar. End of story. Are there exceptions? Of course, but never shall ye stray too far from the Mjolnir that is the Guitar!!!
II. Thou Shalt have solos-I’m not talking 20 minute solos out of the context of a song, I mean I want to hear you scream or tastefully solo within the song. They can have some length if executed properly. Example “Rock Bottom” by UFO.
III. Thou Shalt have brilliant bass work- Be it melodic, or booming, I need to hear it. I need to feel it!
IV. Thou Shalt not bog down thine LP with instrumentals- Every now and then is fine, but a full lp of instrumentals? No. People want to hear singing. If you are gonna make me listen to an instrumental, make it interesting and short.
V. Understand the Hammond B3- The most acceptable keyboard to use.
VI. If Thou art creating Prog-Rock, Understand that the second word in Prog-Rock is Rock!!!!
VII. Thou shalt NOT be Genesis
VIII. Most great music has been created BEFORE 1979.
IX. Thou shalt not be embarrassed for enjoying Hair Metal.
X. Adding wah-wah will create INSTANT JAMS 99% of the time!
These are the most basic. I thought about making an 11th commandment about the harmonica not really being an instrument, but I will probably get killed!! (3 crazy bluesmen rush in to kick the shit out of me...I run...) Yeah, it seems like I’m rather short sighted, but really I’m not. I like all types of rock, not just the jams. I am equally at home with Deep Purple, or the Association. Trust.
It’s all in fun anyway. My goal here is to dissect particular albums, groups, songs, etc. Why? No reason. I like to talk music and get it out. You may think I’m an idiot. (you may be right) Hopefully you will just take it as something to be an alternative to making spreadsheets or something. Enjoy Rock! You will hear more from me soon!!!
First, a little background…My first remembrance of Rock and Roll is the Chipmunks, more specifically, The Chipmunks Sing the Beatles Hits. I don’t remember how I acquired it, but it was always there. I knew it by heart. I was 4. Then I heard “All My Loving” on the radio. “Who the hell are these guys, and why are they singing the Chipmunks?” They were the Beatles. They are the Beatles. My musical life had forever changed.
The first album purchased for me was The Beatles 1962-1966 aka “The Red Album”. I must have listened to that lp 87 times a week! The first album I purchased with my own money was Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It cost $6.49, I ran home and played it 6 times in a row.
From that point it was all 60s and British Invasion bands. Nothing else was satisfactory. I was a snob that way. That lasted until Senior year in high school. Two things happened that year that changed everything. The first was a neighbor that lived down the block from me. He lived with his wife and a kid on the way and we hit it off talking about 60’s bands and such, so I had a great respect for him. He brought me down in the basement…(sounds creepy, but not! Get your mind out of the gutter!!!!) He asked if I heard of Led Zeppelin. Of course I did, but I had no interest. He pulled out the first lp, Led Zeppelin (there is NO such album called “Led Zeppelin 1”) I heard the first notes of “Good Times, Bad Times” and that was pretty much it. Yeah, I was sheltered, it took me a while to get with it! The next event was a battle of the bands in which the band I was in, and a friends band merged to create a “super group” …we were not good, but we compromised on playing half British invasion songs, and half standard Hard Rockers. It is here that I had to do my research and was handed Black Sabbath’s Greatest Hits and Ted Nugent The End…I rock.
Enough with the bullshit about me. Here are my commandments of rock and roll.
I. Thou Shalt Utilize the Guitar- All Rock music is centered around the guitar. End of story. Are there exceptions? Of course, but never shall ye stray too far from the Mjolnir that is the Guitar!!!
II. Thou Shalt have solos-I’m not talking 20 minute solos out of the context of a song, I mean I want to hear you scream or tastefully solo within the song. They can have some length if executed properly. Example “Rock Bottom” by UFO.
III. Thou Shalt have brilliant bass work- Be it melodic, or booming, I need to hear it. I need to feel it!
IV. Thou Shalt not bog down thine LP with instrumentals- Every now and then is fine, but a full lp of instrumentals? No. People want to hear singing. If you are gonna make me listen to an instrumental, make it interesting and short.
V. Understand the Hammond B3- The most acceptable keyboard to use.
VI. If Thou art creating Prog-Rock, Understand that the second word in Prog-Rock is Rock!!!!
VII. Thou shalt NOT be Genesis
VIII. Most great music has been created BEFORE 1979.
IX. Thou shalt not be embarrassed for enjoying Hair Metal.
X. Adding wah-wah will create INSTANT JAMS 99% of the time!
These are the most basic. I thought about making an 11th commandment about the harmonica not really being an instrument, but I will probably get killed!! (3 crazy bluesmen rush in to kick the shit out of me...I run...) Yeah, it seems like I’m rather short sighted, but really I’m not. I like all types of rock, not just the jams. I am equally at home with Deep Purple, or the Association. Trust.
It’s all in fun anyway. My goal here is to dissect particular albums, groups, songs, etc. Why? No reason. I like to talk music and get it out. You may think I’m an idiot. (you may be right) Hopefully you will just take it as something to be an alternative to making spreadsheets or something. Enjoy Rock! You will hear more from me soon!!!
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