We All Came Out To Montreaux...And Apparently Have To Stay There...Because There Is No Room For Us In The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame...

...So much for Wonderous Stories...

The Severe Misnomer That Is The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame...

I  have to admit, I'm not a fan of the "establishment" when it comes to rock music... [I know you're shocked...] Growing up if Rolling Stone Magazine endorsed it I probably hated it... and I grew weary of people saying that hard rock and heavy metal weren't worthy of praise or accolade... It made no sense to me... here were talented musicians who could play circles around most of the "critical darlings" but didn't get the time of day from the mainstream media.  Needless to say I wasn't alone and there were a lot of people like me who felt the same way.  

So when the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame announced it's nominees for 2014 I wasn't shocked by any of the bands listed... I was calculating which group or groups that deserved to be in wouldn't make it...   

Would Kiss finally be let in?...[love 'em or hate 'em they have a pretty impressive and influential body of work...] Same for Deep Purple... Or Yes...  Last year the establishment finally took note of this little cult band [who sold millions of records and sold out shows all over the world] called Rush and realized that they might deserve to be in there... Could this happen again?... 

Well... the votes were counted and the numbers came in and the winners are: 

Kiss:

Nirvana:

Hall & Oates:

Linda Ronstadt:

Cat Stevens:

and Peter Gabriel [Gabriel is in for a 2nd time, the first with Genesis]:

with the E Street Band getting an award for musical excellence:

To be honest, I really have no problem with the list of winners.  And while I agree that Nirvana deserve to be in there, I truly can't stand them and I don't think that they are the ultimate band that the critics so often speak of.  I'm actually much more a fan of Dave Grohl and The Foo Fighters...

I do think that it's a sad situation when a band that pioneered hard rock and created the most played guitar riff on the planet doesn't make it into the hall... 

or when a group that has over the years amassed an outstanding body of work that encompasses the bombast of progressive rock and the pop leanings of a number 1 single also doesn't make the cut...

To be fair Deep Purple and Yes weren't the only ones to get the shaft... Chic got shut out again for the 9th time... [you're thinking "Chic...that disco band"...Yes, that band...] Nile Rodgers, Tony Thompson and Bernard Edwards are amazing musicians in their own right, and for all they've done after Chic you think it would have gone their way... Turns out I was only 50% correct in my estimations... I figured Yes would get passed over, but I really thought Deep Purple had a chance... 

The politics are well beyond my pay grade, but I always have hope that rational thought will prevail.  There of course is the stigma that they are a hard rock band and maybe don't deserve the critics praise, but the fans should have more say in the voting... and until they do the entrance to the [ROCK & ROLL] Hall will be blocked by a lot of artists that are the darling of the critics but surely don't rock & roll...

My verdict: Such is life... Kiss fans finally have one less thing to bitch about, and maybe next year they might actually put some rock bands in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame... or not...why change things up now... I'll hold my breath for Iron Maiden... [Because if you're one of the biggest hard rock/heavy metal bands in the world, have your own touring plane (the mighty flight 666...piloted by your lead singer...), and sell out crowds in the upwards of 100,000 or more...why would you want to include them...]

This Week's Sonic Flashback...

Genesis - Trick Of The Tail

Their 1976 album "Trick Of The Tail"  [released in the US February 20, 1976] was a new jumping off point for this band.  Peter Gabriel left the group after the "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" Tour and left the band without a vocalist.  After trying out several people for the position Phil Collins reluctantly went in to sing "Squonk" and it was decided he would be the lead vocalist.  In retrospect it's funny given that he went on to be one of the most successful pop/rock singers of his era, but you have to start somewhere.  Collins did sing lead on one track from "Nursery Cryme" called "For Absent Friends" and "More Fool Me" off of "Selling England By The Pound", so it wasn't such a stretch to see him take over vocals.

The album was well received in England where it went to #3 on the UK charts and went Gold here in the U.S.  After the "Lamb" tour the band was in debt in the upwards of $400,000, so success of the record was critical.  While the music press pretty much wrote off Genesis after Gabriel left they proved they had the chops all along, and it wasn't just Peter Gabriel and friends... It also changed the dynamic of the live performances in that Phil Collins would now come out front to sing, requiring them to have a drummer tour with them to fill in.  On the "Trick Of The Tail" tour this was none other than Yes/King Crimson percussionist Bill Bruford. [Bruford's performances can be heard on the live release "Seconds Out"...]

The songs range from the progressive bombast of "Dance On A Volcano" and "Squonk" to the beautiful and moody "Mad Man Moon", "Entangled" and "Ripples"... It also showed they had a fun side to them with "Robbery, Assault & Battery" and the title track.  The coda track "Los Endos" culls together pieces of the songs and ties the whole thing together.

It's a record that proved that Genesis were able to continue on with just the four of them and not just rely on what was, but what could be.  If you're looking for a slightly less proggy/not quite the pop band they would become Genesis...this record is for your listening... Enjoy...

A Year In Review...

[A selective one anyway... neither of us has the time for anything more than that...]

With 2013 just a passing memory I wanted to point out some of the highlights that you may or may not have seen come your way... The medium of course is changing, be it disc or download, but the message is always the same...if you dig deep enough you may find an artist you forgot about, or a new release that drives you back to listen to them again.  Either way...here are some of the releases that made my 2013 "Best Of" list...

I will be doing the list in quarterly installments...turns out I bought a lot of music last year... And these are in some weird random order determined by a memory that is constantly lapsing... 

January...

Black Veil Brides - Wreched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones

While I will admit to not being the huge fan of Black Veil Brides that my son Connor is... this made the list for a few reasons... 1) It's a good hard rock album and 2) In my efforts to support my son and his musical meanderings...I made sure he had the record on the day of release and that he could listen to it over an over on his iPod...Mission accomplished... So I got to listen to it over and over that day plugged into the car radio...and it stuck... [Lava/Universal Records]

Pink Cream 69 - Ceremonial

Melodic hard rockers Pink Cream 69 [or PC69, as the press refers to them...] hail from Germany, and usually fly under the radar for most hard rock listeners who aren't really into the genre.  This in and of itself is a shame because they produce some of the best hard rock out there, and Ceremonial is no slouch in their canon of releases.  Bassist Dennis Ward is well known for his production of other artists really brings his best to this record.  Vocalist David Readman is as always in top form.  They called this record "Ceremonial" to signify "A celebration of musical styles the band grew up with"... Give this a listen, and if you have the time... check out their previous releases too, as you will not be disappointed... [Frontiers Records]

February...

W.E.T. - Rise Up

W.E.T. is a melodic hard rock band whose name is cribbed from the letters of the Swedish bands the members are or have been in... W is for Work Of Art, which is where lead guitarist Robert Sall hails from... E is for Eclipse, from which rhythm guitarist/bassist Eric Martensson hails, and T is for Talisman, which is one of the many groups lead vocalist Jeff Scott Soto hails from... This is their 2nd album and they continue to raise the bar for melodic hard rock.  Soto is in top form as usual and the musicianship is tight... if you've given up on rock music because you can't find anything of quality...start with this record... [Frontiers Records]

Voodoo Circle - More Than One Way Home

Made up of Primal Fear/Silent Force guitarist Alex Beyrodt, Pink Cream 69 vocalist David Readman/Sinner/Primal Fear bassist Matt Sinner/Drummer Markus Kullman and keyboard player Jimmy Kresic...this outfit reaches back to classic hard rock a la Rainbow/Deep Purple... This record leans a little more toward 80's Whitesnake, and proves that you can still make a solid hard rock album... [AFM Records]

Red - Release The Panic

Red is an American Christian rock band out of Nashville, TN.  This is their 4th release and responses from fans have been mixed.  They reduced their use of strings for atmosphere and turned up the electronica.  The result is still better than most post-alternative rock music out there.  I like the record because it doesn't so much rely on the sounds of the first three records.  The vocals from Michael Barnes are excellent and the lyrics range are positive but not preachy, which works in my book.  Definitely give this record a chance.  If you are a fan of rock music, played well, sung well, and not stuck in the vacuum that is a lot of what is out there... Pick this up... [Provident Records]

March...

Amaranthe - The Nexus

I came across Amaranthe after their self-titled debut and before their 2nd release "The Nexus"... Vocalist Elize Ryd did guest vocals on Kamelot's "Silverthorn" record so I researched the name and found this band... and the results are outstanding.  Ryd isn't the only vocalist in this Swedish/Danish metalcore band... they have a clean male vocal courtesy of Jake E and harsh/growl vocals courtesy of Andreas Solvestrom [Solvestrom left the band in October 2013 and was replaced by Henrick Englund...].  So with three vocalists and extremely tight musicianship what does one expect?... The result is melodic metal with pop sensibilites... The band rips through the songs with a ferocity, but the chorus' are catchy and melodic... Definitely worth a listen or two... [Spinefarm Records]

Orianthi - Heaven In This Hell

Guitar goddess Orianthi came to the public forefront working with Michael Jackson, and then released two records more in a pop/rock vein.  She joined Alice Cooper's band and is still touring with him.  On her third release "Heaven In This Hell" she works with Dave Stewart and here she draws on modern country/blues for her inspiration.  And she does an exemplary job in really making her guitar sing.  She plays with passion and her technique is considered one of the best of all the modern guitar players.  This record sounds more organic than the breakthrough record "Believe" but regardless of which you prefer, you can't go wrong with anything she releases [Robo Records]

Anthrax - Anthems

The first of two covers records released this month [the other one is next on the list], finds Anthrax covering some favorites... Rush/AC-DC/Journey/Boston/Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy...and the result...They have the chops to recreate some classic tunes faithfully and succesfully...and vocalist Joey Belladonna sounds great here giving his spin to these songs.  [Megaforce Records]

Adrenaline Mob - Coverta

The second covers record this months comes courtesy of Adrenaline Mob... The Mob covers Badlands/Dio/The Doors/Van Halen/Heart/Rainbow/Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath [their cover of "Mob Rules" was originally released on their digital EP]... As with Anthrax... Killer chops and vocalist Russell Allen [from Symphony X] rips through these and shows his vocal range off... Their cover of Badlands "High Wire" sounds more like Allen on his solo record "Atomic Soul"... and covering Van Halen...not an easy task...but guitarist Mike Orlando is more than up to the task... [Elm City Records]

Avantasia - The Mystery Of Time

Avantasia is the side project of Edguy mastermind Tobias Sammett... Where Edguy is more straightforward and at times humorous in it's heavy metal, Avantasia is the dramatic, symphonic step-sister...  Here Sammet creates rock operas and does them extremely well.  Coming off the Wicked Trilogy of "The Scarecrow", "The Wicked Symphony" and "Angel Of Babylon", Sammett's new project for the first time contains a real symphony and guest vocalists Joe Lynn Turner [Rainbow], Biff Byford [Saxon], Michael Kiske [Helloween/Unisonic], Ronnie Atkins [Pretty Maids], Eric Martin [Mr. Big], Bob Catley [Magnum] and Cloudy Yang.  To quote the liner notes in explanation of the concept... "So take the time to follow me into a small old English town during the Victorian era and join a young agnostic scientist by the name of Aaron Blackwell as he is forced to explore the coherencies of time, God and science; torn between belief in his professional conviction, his spiritual intuition, love and a lodge of scientific occultists"... There you have it folks...a great production and the guest vocalists really shine... [Nuclear Blast Records]


Iron Maiden - Maiden England '88

Finishing up our first quarter releases is Iron Maiden from their "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" tour... this release shows Maiden in classic form as they rip through a complete set list at the Birmingham N.E.C. Arena.  Originally released on video and edited for time, this show was a fan favorite and 25 years later the band got to give the fans a treat in the full release.  The sound is digitally remastered and mix is excellent... One thing that stands out is that the set list doesn't rely on the hits and digs a little deeper into the catalog, since it was for that specific tour, and there isn't a clunker on it... While it may not eclipse the extraordinary "Live After Death"..It makes one hell of a case for seeing this band live... [EMI Records] And...One from 2012 that got my attention a little late...

Aranda - Stop The World

Aranda hail from Oklahoma City, OK and wrote tracks for Kelly Clarkson [which also appear on their debut]... it's excellent hard rock that came to my attention listening to Sirius FM's "Octane"... I picked up the record and really found myself drawn in.  It is a solid mix of blues, rock and soul. Overall it's a solid piece of hard rock and the songs themselves really hold up.  Guitar driven and melodic this record stayed in rotation for a while.   [Wind-Up Records]

New Releases...Coming To A Medium Near You!...

Adrenaline Mob - Men Of Honor

The Mob is back with a new drummer [Twisted Sister's A.J. Pero] and another opportunity to rip your face of with some of the best hard rock/heavy metal out there... [Out 2/18]

Altitudes & Attitude - Altitudes & Attitude


Bassists Dave Ellefson [Megadeth] and Frank Bello [Anthrax] put together this 3-song EP which showcases Bello on vocals and the guys playing all the other instruments... [Out 2/18]

And Now... For This Week's Gratuitous 80's Hair-Metal Video...

Thanks for coming along for the ride...

J.

11 Years To Finally Hear... And It's A Beautiful Thing...

In May of 2002, almost 6 years after their last record "Test For Echo", Rush finally released their comeback album "Vapor Trails"... As a lifelong die hard Rush fan, I snapped it up the day it came out and couldn't wait to hear what my all time favorite band had finally released... and the result was... not quite what I expected... not even close... And in the end it wasn't the songs or the lyrics that killed it for me...it was something else entirely... Let me explain... [but first a little background on why it took almost 6 years to make a Rush record...]

After the release and tour of 1996's "Test For Echo", drummer/lyricist Neil Peart was struck by personal tragedy upon losing his daughter in a car accident in 1997 and his wife to cancer in 1998.  The band was on an indefinite hiatus in an effort to help him heal and the time was spent by Peart touring North America on his motorcycle... healing, reflecting, and working through everything.  When he was ready to come back he informed the band and the legwork for the next release began... For a complete chronicle of his journey pick up "Ghost Rider: Travels On The Healing Road" (ISBN 1-550-22548-0)

The hiatus had lasted 5 long years, and in the interim bits and pieces of the record began to form.  When it came time to put it all together, a lot of the material was assembled on computers as they took a lot of their jams and pieced them together.  This was not the conventional way they have made albums previously, and in no way in my opinion did the songs suffer for the change in recording style... The record also contained no synthesizer, keyboard or organ parts at all.  Not since the early 70's was this a conscious choice... also, while guitar driven, it is almost devoid of traditional guitar solos... [it also took 14 months to put together, longer than any other Rush album...]

So... let's see... computer assembled, no keys, and no guitar solos... all of these things should sway my opinion on the record...but in the end it wasn't even close... The reason for my failed expectations upon it's release is...

It was TOO LOUD!!... [Yes... Too Loud!...]

I don't mean too loud in the sense of volume...too loud in the sense of mastering... The record was mastered too loud and digital distortion was generated during the production of the cd.  The band did also state that there was digital distortion in the original recordings which also contributed to the overall sound.  In an effort to make the record sound punchy and in your face they raised the levels during mastering to just before the point of audible distortion and the result was a record that simply didn't have room to breathe.  The life was sucked out of it...

It clipped...it was noisy...and more importantly... it was [to me] unlistenable... When "One Little Victory" came screaming [and I mean screaming...] through my speakers I was standing there thinking "I'm sure that there is a great song somewhere in there...but I'll never know, because I can't hear it!'... The rest of the record had it's moments, but overall I listened through it a few times and then put it away... more than likely I then put my oft played copy of Dream Theater's "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" on for the 1000th time... Or Dio's "Killing The Dragon"...Anyway...

The only way to fix this [and you can't fix the distortion that exists on the original recordings] is to remix the record and bring the levels down.  I figured even a band like Rush would never go back and fix the record so when the next record came out, 2004's EP "Feedback" [which I thoroughly enjoy], I picked it up and added it to the catalog, and glanced at the "Vapor Trails" disc in the rack as I made room for "Feedback" [Doesn't everyone keep their cd's in alpha order by artist and then in release order...?] So I figured that "Vapor Trails" was a lost cause...

Flash forward to 2009... and Atlantic records releases "Retrospective 3"... The first two Retrospective records were on their original label, Mercury, and offered no new tracks so I never bothered to pick it up.  What made "Retrospective 3" special was because it had remixes of "One Little Victory" and "Earthshine" from Vapor Trails [and an unreleased live version of "Ghost Of A Chance" from "Roll The Bones"...] So now... I finally had the chance to give the remixed songs another chance... and the result was...significantly better...it gave me hope...and it also meant that when I mixed Rush songs on a cd I had a better version of "One Little Victory"... The remixes were done by Richard Chycki who had recently worked on the "Snakes & Arrows" record.  The positive results led the band and the record label to consider remixing the whole record, and it was rumored as such for a very long time...

Flash forward again...to 2013... and Atlantic Records announces it will remaster all of the Atlantic era albums ["Presto" through "Snakes & Arrows"] and will also...dum dum dum [for dramatic effect] REMIX THE "VAPOR TRAILS" record!!... 

To say that I was a little excited was an understatement...for both the box set and the remixed record.  I do a lot of audio mixing and the levels on the earlier records were very low and having all seven mastered to similar levels sounded wonderful.  [and for the low going rate of $38.88 (or $5.55 per album) on Amazon...how can you go wrong?]

Getting back to the album at hand... "Vapor Trails Remixed" was released in the box set and also as a single album if you're just looking to pick it up separately [but get the box set instead...you won't be disappointed...].  

The record was remixed by David Bottrill [Tool/Staind/Mudvayne/Stone Sour/Dream Theater] and the result is... Magnificent!... the record definitely breathes, the levels have been brought down to hear the nuances, and the songs really shine as if they have been given new life.  The noise is gone and songs like "Secret Touch" Click HERE and "Ghost Rider" Click HERE sound great, and the opening of "One Little Victory" starts us off with a bang, but for the right reasons this time... You can actually hear the individual instruments stand out... one of the reasons to listen to this band in the first place. "Freeze" Click HERE opens and you can hear Alex Lifeson's guitars really build, and it brings it together... One thing the remixing has done is take the some of the edge off of Geddy Lee's voice.  On the original record it sounded as if it was on top of the wall of sound, and now it blends with the music. On the remix it sounds warmer and the vocals roll off better ["Sweet Miracle" Click HERE stands out to me...].  Some of the changes are very subtle, but the overall effect really does give this record a second chance.

What was once a lost cause has become one of my favorite Rush records, and I find myself drawn to listening to it more often [that, and the "Clockwork Angels" record..which I think is a masterpiece...but I digress...]  If you have had a similar situation where you found the record unlistenable or it just didn't sink in...I implore you to pick up the remixed record and give it another chance... If you haven't heard the record before give it a listen...you will find a return to form after a host of tragedies from one of the greatest [and now Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame members...] bands in the rock era... "One Little Victory" indeed...

This Week's Sonic Flashback...

[I have a very good friend named Matt... He lives in Georgia... Matt...If you're reading... Please skip to the next section... You will only shake your head upon listening and go "I Don't Get It"... and that's OK...]

I find myself listening to music seasonally...and maybe that's a little weird... but some of you may understand it.  Whenever an album comes out that lands in the playlist, as I cycle through it I will find myself listening to it again roughly the same time of year it originally came out... For example... Van Halen's "5150" hit in the Spring of my senior year of high school [March 24th...] and I always find myself throwing it into the rotation that time of year.  Radio stations program somewhat like that...and songs will cycle through right around the time they originally came out... That being said...

It was 20 Years ago today... [and by today I mean Feb 7th..]

20 years ago today I was searching for a new release in a small independent record shop in New Canaan, CT called The Gramophone Shop... the album I was looking for... "Brave"... And the band... Marillion [if Matt is still reading he is now groaning...] 

For the uninitiated, Marillion are a Neo-Progressive rock band from England that released their first full length record "Script For A Jester's Tear" in March of 83... Hit #1 on the UK album charts with their third record, the concept album "Misplaced Childhood" and #2 on the UK singles chart with "Kayleigh" Click HERE in '85, lost original singer Fish after their 4th record "Clutching At Straws"... Replaced him with How We Live/The Europeans vocalist Steve Hogarth...Made 2 more records..the transitional "Seasons End" and the more pop-oriented "Holidays In Eden"...  and then decided to go back to their progressive roots with the 1994 concept album "Brave"... Which brings us to where we are now... [a judiciously edited history...]

A critical success but not the commercial success their record label, EMI, had hoped for... this record took much longer to make than the usual Marillion album, cost much more than was budgeted and was released to a fanbase that was discouraged over the more pop leanings of "Holidays In Eden" and were hungry for the old prog band they once knew...

And the result is...something worth hearing.  Lead singer Steve Hogarth wrote the story outline after hearing about a girl who was found wandering on the Severn Bridge between London and Scotland.  The woman was brought into police custody and was unable to communicate as to what happened to her.  Here is where singer/lyricist Hogarth picked up the story and wrote a fictional account of what had transpired and led her to the Severn Bridge.  The songs tell the story of an abusive family, a descent into drugs, and in the end someone is who is simply fragile and broken and ready to give up on it all.  It's dark and brooding, upbeat and [on the last track "Made Again"] uplifting... And if you are a fan of musicians who can play, look no further. The musicianship is stellar and the ambiance created by the atmospheric sound effects really draw you in.  

So...If you're looking to listen to something with a little more depth than the pop tripe streaming out of most radio stations... If you are a fan of "The Wall", "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", "Metropolis Pt.2: Scenes From A Memory"or "Operation: Mindcrime", where the story pulls you in and the musicianship keeps you there... Give this a listen... I doubt you'll be disappointed...

Track 2... "Living With The Big Lie"...

Track 7... "Alone Again In The Lap Of Luxury/Now Wash Your Hands"...

Track 9... "Brave"...

As I continue I will dust off many great records that may have been forgotten about...or maybe have been missed the first time around...

New Stuff...Old Stuff Made New Again...and Things You Might Have Missed...

Another box set that will be reviewed here [once it finds itself in my possession...] is Yes' "The Studio Albums 1969-1987"... this set covers the first 12 Yes records from 1969's "Yes" all the way through 1987's "Big Generator" Every album was originally remastered in 1995 and released on Rhino Records.  These reissues compile the 12 records on 13 discs and include bonus tracks on all of them.  The discs have all been released separately with bonus tracks with the exception of "Big Generator" which is finally released with bonus tracks in this set.  Again, a great value if you want to fill in your Yes collection or enjoy the remastered sound of these wonderful albums.  [The set is $63.98 on Amazon (which comes out to $5.33 a disc...)]

More new releases for you to consider...

This record came out in 2012 and was re-released in October of 2013 and if you are a fan of music, this talented young lady may provide something different for you to listen to... Lindsey Stirling is a violin prodigy [who actually incorporates dance into her performance... as if the violin wasn't hard enough...]who reached the quarter finals of "America's Got Talent"... and while she got mixed reviews from Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne, I think this is a great listen... and for $8.99 on sale at Best Buy...worth taking a chance on...

Guitarist Jake E. Lee returns after keeping a very low profile for a very long time with his new group Red Dragon Cartel [Out 1/28]

Prog super group Transatlantic [Roine Stolt (Flower Kings)/Pete Trewavas (Marillion)/Mike Portnoy (Ex-Dream Theater/Winery Dogs/Ex-Adrenaline Mob/Flying Colors)/Neal Morse (Ex-Spock's Beard/Flying Colors) returns with Kaleidoscope [Out 1/28]

German Power Metal returns in the form of Primal Fear with their latest "Delivering The Black [Out 1/28]

Rock Candy Records reissue the first three Dokken records each with a remaster and expanded liner notes [Out 1/28]

Dutch symphonic metal band Within Temptation return with "Hydra"... the followup to their outstanding "The Unforgiving" [out 2/4]

One new...one not so new...but worth mentioning... Def Leppard did a residency at The Joint at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel and Casino..the result is a recording of the entire Hysteria album in order plus the hits and some older classics...definitely worth checking out... the other is the re-release of 1996 album "Slang" which has been given the "Deluxe" treatment with a total of 30 tracks with demos and rough mixes... [Out 2/11]

Former October Project vocalist Mary Fahl releases her fifth full length record, "Love And Gravity"... Simply an amazing voice... [out 2/11]

And finally for your new release needs... a little band called The Beatles released a box set of their first 13 American albums... Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles Second Album, A Hard Day's Night, Something New, The Beatles Story, Beatles '65, The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help!, Rubber Soul, Yesterday And Today, Revolver, and Hey Jude [Out 1/21]

To tie things up I leave you with this...

And Now... For This Week's Gratuitous 80's Hair-Metal Video...

Thanks For Coming Along For The Ride,

J.

Every Rose Has It’s Thorns…And Every Hard Rock Album Has It’s Ballad…The Economics Of The Love Song…And The Songs The Fans Love To Hate…

Detroit Rock City…King Of The Night Time World…God Of Thunder…Shout It Out Loud…and…Beth?... Kiss’ 1976 album “Destroyer” provided us with many future Kiss classics…and was one of the first in what was seen as an alarming trend for hard rock and heavy metal…The Power Ballad….

Out of the chorus where we’re screaming “Shout It Shout It Shout It Out Loud!...” the song fades and you’re all pumped up and the next thing you hear is…strings…and an orchestra…and you’re thinking…did I change the record?…so you look at the album cover…and it says “Beth”… and the voice you hear is not Paul Stanley or Gene Simmons…but Peter Criss… and you find yourself listening to it and your only reaction is “What the Hell were they thinking??…”  Of course they shook their head even more at the release of the disco tinged “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”…but I digress…

This is not an uncommon reaction in hard rock…actually it’s the norm.  You can look on any recording by a hard rock/heavy metal band [with maybe a few exceptions…like Slayer or Pantera…] and you will find the requisite power ballad.  Is it yet again, recording label machinations? Is the band selling out? Or is there something going on that could be a proven way to move album units?  Each band has their own story and/or excuses.  But the fact remains that the best way for a hard rock band to get radio airplay is to write a ballad to send to radio. 

When people heard “Beth” [which was the B-side to the single “Detroit Rock City”, and according to Simmons, purposefully put there so the rock station had to play the A-side], they went out and bought Destroyer and immediately realized that the song was the exception, not the rule.  Those that were looking for “Beth” II either were sorely disappointed by not finding it, or got into was is arguably one of the best hard rock records made.  The album went on to be Kiss’ first platinum release.  And the ballad was one of the factors that helped put it over the top. “Beth”, after listeners began calling radio stations to play the song, was released as the 4^th single from the album, and reached #7 on the Billboard chart.

It may not happen on the first record, but somewhere down the line the band will release the “ballad” and their whole universe will change.  Suddenly the A&R guys that signed them for being a rock band want them to start pumping out ballads on every record to appeal to the female crowd [and that’s the perspective of the labels, not mine…], and the pressure to succeed can be the undoing of the band.

Two negative things can potentially happen.  The first is that the band cannot recreate the single that got them on the charts, and after dwindling sales numbers the band will then be dropped from the label and in most cases be in a whole lot of debt from the advance they spent already while making the album.  The second is that the musicians in the band are frustrated with the new direction the label is forcing upon them, and they then quit the band and it all falls apart.  Both of these scenarios have happened over and over…

An example of the former is Florida band Saigon Kick.  Saigon Kick became a victim of it’s own success after the release of the second record “The Lizard”.  The single “Love Is On The Way” helped bring gold status to the album and after releasing two more albums that sold in a less than stellar fashion, that  didn’t contain a radio friendly hit, Saigon Kick was dropped from their label Third Stone.  [During the recording of their third record “Water” they lost their lead singer, Matt Kramer, over financial issues too…]

An example of the latter is Styx…Back in 1979 the pomp-rock band Styx released what was their first #1 single in the form of “Babe”…and with the exception of Dennis DeYoung, who wrote it, the band hated it.  It was the first of many directions the band took to be more pop-single oriented and eventually led to the demise of the band [That and the tour for Kilroy Was Here…], but it also produced the 3^rd of 4 platinum selling albums in a row.  From “Babe” to “The Best Of Times” to “Don’t Let It End” to…the end… What’s even more peculiar is that the song that got them airplay several years after it’s release in 1972 was the song “Lady”…another ballad…which charted in 1975 and started the band on it’s way to success.  Such a fickle thing success…everybody wants it…nobody wants to admit they want it…and so it goes…

Regardless of what you read in the press, a lot of bands are thankful for their hit single, as it allowed them to continue and do more with their music.  Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big called their hit single “To Be With You” a blessing.  It sold a lot of records and allowed the band to do what they do best…rock and roll.  And when it comes to those “Big 80’s Weekends…” you will more than likely hear “To Be With You”…and “Love Song” from Tesla…and sadly “Every Rose Has It’s Thorns” from Poison.  But at the end of the day they get the residual revenue from the airplay…so the song keeps making them money. 

And that’s the rub…rock bands don’t want a ballad so they’re not considered wimpy…but everyone has one…so why worry about it.  And if it charts it sells…  Shinedown is a great example of a band that put out something more radio friendly without taking away from their sound in the form of the single “If You Only Knew”…great writing on that track and a great hook.  Sometimes that’s all it takes…

San Francisco band Night Ranger had [in their 80’s incarnation] two of the best guitarists out there in the form of Jeff Watson and Brad Gillis [Gillis took over for the departed Randy Rhoads in Ozzy’s band after the tragedy…and also played on the heavy metal “USA For Africa” called “Hear ‘N Aid”…], but what song are they known for?...Sister Christian of course.  Watson can play an 8-finger finger tap…that’s not exactly simple[watch the video for “You Can Still Rock In America” to see it…]…and Gillis is the king of the whammy bar.  But they are known for a song that starts out with acoustic piano and then builds.  Joel Hoekstra is now the guitarist in place of Watson, and he and Gillis are still out there jamming, of course when they get to the encore…they take a break…

Extreme had an increase in sales for their second record “Extreme II – Pornograffiti” due to their ballad…  now with a title like that…the easy listening stations are not going to come calling…and with the first track being the explosive “Decadence Dance”…they weren’t going to add it to their playlists either…but when the radio started playing what it considered a “love” song in the form of “More Than Words”…the album took off.  I had the pleasure of speaking to Gary Cherone on the tour for this record and his only thoughts were that if they buy the album and just want the song that’s up to them.  But if they buy the album and get into something different by hanging on and listening, then they are able to expand their audience.  The album also includes an actual love song called “Hole Hearted” complete with the upbeat acoustic guitars, so if they bought it and didn’t like the band, they at least got two songs out of it. 

Phil Collen of Def Leppard has been quoted as saying he hates playing the ballads.  And yet he can’t argue songs like “Bringin’ On The Heartbeak” and “Love Bites” have become such a part of the catalog, and definite chart makers for the band.  Bon Jovi, arguably not the hardest of rock bands, learned early that the ballad will keep the record moving, be it “Never Say Goodbye” off Slippery When Wet or “Always” off Cross Road.

Another way to get radio airplay is to have a “radio mix” for the song so that it takes away some of the edge.  Warrant had a radio mix for “Heaven”, and Whitesnake took “Here I Go Again” and added more keyboards and a different guitar solo to attain more airplay.  Again, this is not an unusual event.  But if there is way to sanitize a hard rock song to make it more palatable to the masses..it will happen, and usually with mixed results…

So…what is my take on all this…?  Well, ironically the ballads don’t bother me so much.  Some are just really bad in my opinion [I’m not a fan of G’NR’s “Patience”…] and some really stand out.  And if there wasn’t an audience for it…you wouldn’t be able to buy “Monster Ballads” in a 4 CD set now would you?...

So…from Nazareth’s “Love Hurts” to Black Sabbath’s “No Stranger To Love” to Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home” to Poison’s “Every Rose Has It’s Thorns”…every hard rock song has it’s ballad…and that’s just the economics of survival in the music industry… “Beth I hear you calling…”…

Thanks for coming along for the ride…

J.

I Close My Eyes…and I Hear Music...I Open My Eyes And Think…Who The Hell Is That Up There?...What’s In A Name… New Stuff, Old New Stuff [Songs for the geriatric crowd…], And Stuff In General…

John, Paul, George and Ringo…Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham… Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon.  Collectively they are obviously known as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Who.  There is a reverence to the line-up, and a general consensus that if one person were missing, the band would no longer exist.  Would it be the same with John, Paul, George and Fluffy?  Or maybe if we replaced Robert Plant with Paul Rogers of Bad Company [as Queen did…]?  It just wouldn’t be the same in the eyes of the fans.  Now to be factually correct after the death of Keith Moon The Who did replace him with Kenny Jones of the Faces…but the hard core audience said it was never the same… 

But change in music is constant.  And sadly there are very few bands that can claim only one specific line-up throughout their careers.  This doesn’t make it bad or good, it’s just the way it has always been.  Rush is known as the power trio of Geddy Lee, Neil Peart and Alex Lifeson.  But Peart was actually a replacement for drummer John Rutsey, who left after recording the first album.  Now no one will argue that having Peart in the band didn’t increase the quality of the songwriting or performing, but he wasn’t the first one there.  Now this is one instance in my opinion that without one of them Rush doesn’t exist…but 18 out of 19 studio albums and 7 live albums will do that… Styx’s “Classic” line-up is Dennis DeYoung on keyboards, James “JY” Young on guitar, Tommy Shaw on guitar, John Panozzo on drums, and his twin brother Chuck Panozzo on bass.  But they created 5 albums with John Curelewski [R.I.P] on guitar before they found Tommy Shaw.  They then went on to produce a record 4 platinum albums in a row.  A feat at the time that was unprecedented. So change can be good.  We’ve seen change bring out the best in some bands and eventually lead to their demise because the fans didn’t catch on.

The reason for today’s rant is that there are a few new albums out and/or coming out by bands that have been around for a while, and they’ve been through so many line-up changes that it makes you wonder how they keep it consistent, but they do, and the results are a lot better than expected.  The biggest challenge for a band is not always replacing the guitarist, or the bassist or the drummer.  It’s the singer that’s hard to find to keep the momentum going…

I’ll throw out some names for you and you can figure out which band they belong to….  Arnel Pineda, Kelly Hansen, Benoit David, Brian Howe, Robin McAuley, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Blaze Bayley, and Ray Wilson. 

These men will have either made or broke the band, and each had levels of success, but they are the voice you hear.  Back when David Lee Roth left Van Halen some fans thought it was the end of the world.  But Sammy Hagar stepped in and [for better or worse, depending on your opinion…] revitalized the band and gave it a new direction.  And they did well with him there.  When Gary Cherone [of Extreme] stepped in after Hagar left it was a disaster in both the fans and the critics eyes.  I personally liked Van Halen III with Gary on vocals, but I’m the minority here.   And what’s not widely known is that Eddie Van Halen approached Patty Smythe of Scandal to join VH before Hagar, so it would have been completely different.  [And if you haven’t heard Hagar’s project  with Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith called “Chickenfoot”…you NEED to pick this one up…!]

So how did you do on the pop quiz…here are the answers…

Singer: Arnel Pineda - Replacement of: Steve Perry [By way of Steve Augeri and Jeff Scott Soto] - Band: Journey

Arnel is the current singer on the new Journey release “Eclipse”.  He also sang on the album Revelation.  His biggest challenge is that the fans want Steve Perry back, but that’s not an option [due to physical challenges and the ultimate bad blood that came with it…] Now for the record he does an excellent job on the old songs and the new songs really stand out.  Since Perry was their 3^rd singer [After Robert Fleishman and Gregg Rolie, whom he shared vocals with early on] you would think that the fans would be more accepting, but some are just stuck on the idea that he needs to sing “Don’t Stop Believin’ “ perfectly. [Here’s another touch of reality…Perry can’t do it perfectly either…]  Steve Augeri replaced Steve Perry, and Jeff Scott Soto replaced Steve Augeri before Pineda joined the band…

Singer: Kelly Hansen – Replacement of: Lou Gramm [by way of Johnny Edwards] -  Band: Foreigner

Kelly started out as the singer for the heavy metal band Hurricane.  He went on to do several different projects and also appeared on Unruly Child’s third record “Waiting For The Sun”.  He was chosen to take over lead vocals in Foreigner in 2005 and has been with them since.  He made his studio recording debut on the 2008 compilation “No End In Sight – The Very Best Of Foreigner with a new track “Too Late, and an excellent acoustic reworking of “Say You Will”. His only full album so far is the 2009 release “Can’t Slow Down”.  He also appears on the two “Extended Versions” live CD’s. [The first was from 2006]  Kelly has a great voice, and the old songs are stronger than when Lou Gramm was in the band the last time [He left the band in 1989 and was replaced by Johnny Edwards for the album “Unusual Heat”, Gramm then returned in 1992 until 2003].   “Can’t Slow Down” is a solid record, and the band they have now is just as talented as the original gang. They are great live. It’s classic rock, but it works…

Singer: Benoit David – Replacement of: Jon Anderson [By way of Trevor Horn] -  Band: Yes

To be fair, Yes had had a revolving door on their members since their third album “The Yes Album” in 1971, when Steve Howe took over for Peter Banks on guitar.  However, with the exception of 2 Yes albums, Jon Anderson has been the voice of Yes.  The first record that Anderson was not a part of was the 1980 release Drama, which was released to mixed reviews since Rick Wakeman had been replaced by Geoff Downes and Jon Anderson was replaced by Trevor Horn.  Horn and Downes were the duo The Buggles [with their hit “Video Killed The Radio Star”…]  The album itself is in my opinion a very strong release, but due to Horn not being able to sing as high as Anderson on the tour, Yes once again fell apart until the 1983 album “90125” [And that lineup was different too!...]  Now…back to Benoit David. When Jon Anderson was hospitalized for acute respiratory failure, he was instructed to not work for at least 6 months.  The band decided to continue and found David in a Yes tribute band called “Close To The Edge”.  Ironically Arnel Pineda of Journey was chosen by Neal Schon because of his work with the Journey tribute band The Zoo.  In 2009, David was made an official replacement for Anderson, much to Anderson’s chagrin.  Keyboardist Oliver Wakeman had been filling in for his dad, Rick, and was also made a permanent member.  Now the second record with a new singer “Fly From Here” featuring Benoit David will be released on July 12, 2011.  As to how he sounds…YouTube videos of the band touring show him doing an excellent job filling Anderson’s shoes.  So we’ll see.  Incidentally, keyboardist Geoff Downes [who left Yes to form Asia] is back with Yes, and is the keyboardist for the new record.   And so another chapter begins, and the lengthy list of Yes members, present and former, continues to grow…

Singer: Brian Howe – Replacement of: Paul Rogers [by way of Robert Hart…and Paul Rogers] - Band: Bad Company

The original Bad Company broke up in 1982 after the release of “Rough Diamonds”.  After a few years on hiatus, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke set out to start a new project.  Due to record label demands they were forced to use the name Bad Company, as the label wanted instant recognition for the band.  With Paul Rogers working with Jimmy Page in The Firm, they found ex-Ted Nugent singer Brian Howe to fill his shoes.  Howe had more of a straight ahead rock voice, versus Rogers’ bluesy voice.  They managed to create 4 studio albums with Howe, although after the second one, “Dangerous Age” the band traveled separately from Howe, the tensions between them began to grow.  Since Howe couldn’t secure a solo deal, he stayed with Bad Co. for the remaining 2 records.  With Howe in the band, they secured 2 Gold [“Dangerous Age” and “Here Comes Trouble”] and one Platinum album [“Holy Water”], and charted a handful of singles [No Smoke Without A Fire, One Night, If You Needed Somebody, How About That…]  Howe did eventually go solo and was replaced by ex-Distance vocalist Robert Hart.  The band would then see Paul Rogers return to the fold in 2008 to tour.  They have a new release “Live At Wembly” out on June 28^th, with original members Paul Rogers, Mick Ralphs, and Simon Kirke. [original bassist Boz Burrell passed away in 2006.] Howard Leese from Heart joins the lineup and Lynn Sorenson covers the bass guitar. 

Singer: Robin McAuley – Replacement of: Jimi Jamison [who replaced Dave Bickler] -  Band: Survivor

After the massive success of “Eye Of The Tiger” and it’s lesser selling follow-up “Caught In The Game, compounded by continued vocal problems for original vocalist Dave Bickler, the band replaced Bickler for the next record, “Vital Signs” with former Cobra vocalist Jimi Jamison.  This started a three record success story for the band with it’s follow up “When Seconds Count” and “Too Hot To Sleep”.  After going on hiatus, they reformed in 1993 to record two new songs for a greatest hits record, but Jamison jumped ship to tour, and he was replaced by original vocalist Dave Bickler for the greatest hits package.  Bickler was fired in 2000, and they reformed again in with Jamison and put out a new record in 2006 called “Reach”. [with six of the songs sung by Bickler]  Jamison then jumped ship again, this time being replaced by Robin McAuley.  McAuley is no stranger to replacing vocalists, as he replaced original Grand Prix vocalist Bernie Shaw for their second record. Shaw went on to Uriah Heep, and McAuley created three albums with Michael Schenker under the moniker McAuley Schenker Group.  McAuley then put out a solo record, “Business As Usual” and then became the replacement singer for Survivor, and is technically their third vocalist.  As of now no recordings with McAuley have been released, but he continues to tour in the capacity of vocalist.  Got it?...

Singer: Tim “Ripper” Owens – Replacement of: Rob Halford [who replaced Al Atkins] - Band: Judas Priest

It’s the stuff films are made of [and one was made about this one…it’s called Rock Star starring Mark Wahlberg, and is VERY loosely based on this story…]  Lead singer of one of the most successful heavy metal bands in the world, Halford left the band officially in 1992, and in 1996 was replaced by Judas Priest tribute band singer Tim “Ripper” Owens.  Owens’ band was called British Steel.  He put out two studio and two live recordings with Priest, but couldn’t capture the magic of Halford.  Jugulator, the first record sold well, but it’s follow up did not.  Faced with the demand for a reunion, Judas Priest reunited with Halford for the “Metalology” box set in 2003 and put out a new record in 2005 called “Angel Of Retribution”.  They continue to tour and record with Halford, who took over vocal duties for the band originally in 1973, replacing original vocalist Al Atkins, before anything was recorded.  Owens went on to join Iced Earth, and worked with Yngwie Malmsteen.  Incidentally, Judas Priest has since distanced itself from the movie “Rock Star” citing too many differences in the actual storyline…but that’s Hollywood…

Singer: Blaze Bayley – Replacement of: Bruce Dickenson [who replaced Paul Di’Anno] – Band: Iron Maiden

Auditioning in September,  1981, from the band Samson, was Bruce Dickinson, who would replace Paul Di’Anno for the “Number Of The Beast” album.  Di’Anno recorded “Iron Maiden” and “Killers” with the band, and the band fired him citing destructive behavior, which Di’Anno denied.  He was released from the band in 1981.  Dickenson went on to front Iron Maiden and the band broke world wide as one of the most successful heavy metal bands in the world.  Dickinson stayed with the band until 1993, and then left to perform solo.  After an exhaustive search, the band recruited Blaze Bailey, of the band Wolfsbane.  Bailey had a completely different vocal style than Dickenson, and his reception from the fans was lukewarm at best.  After the second record “Virtual XI”, the first Iron Maiden record to not sell 1 million copies worldwide, the band and Blaze parted company by mutual consent.  Dickinson would then rejoin Iron Maiden for the record “Brave New World” and most recently received a Grammy for Best Heavy Metal Performance for their song “El Dorado” off their 15^th release “The Final Frontier”.  So, sometimes it’s best to dance with the one that brought you…

Singer: Ray Wilson – Replacement of: Phil Collins [who replaced Peter Gabriel] – Band: Genesis

If anyone was behind the 8-ball to start it was Ray Wilson, of the band Stiltskin, who was hired to replace Phil Collins for Genesis’ 1997 release “Calling All Stations”. With Collins wanting to work on other projects and other types of music, remaining members [they also had personnel shifts over the years…] Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks elected to carry on with a new singer. After auditioning several vocalists [Including Paul Carrack of Rutherford’s Mike + The Mechanics, Francis Dunnery of It Bites, and Fish from Marillion], the band decided on Ray Wilson.  An audition was offered to Kevin Gilbert of the band Toy Matinee, but sadly, Gilbert passed away in 1996.  Due to poor sales in America of “Calling All Stations” [which is a good record, if you really listen to it…], the European tour was truncated and the American tour was cancelled.  Wilson was then dismissed.  Rutherford and Banks then went on hiatus.  Wilson regretted his position with the band, citing his working class roots not mixing with the upper class wealth of Rutherford and Banks, and Collins was not happy with them continuing without him.  Collins would then reunite with Genesis for the release of their box set, and a 1999 re-recording of the song “The Carpet Crawlers” for their “Turn It On Again: The Hits” compilation.  He would continue working with Genesis and toured in 2007, producing the live record “Live Over Europe”. 

Some made it…some broke it…some couldn’t fix what was broken.  Either way it’s sometimes strange to hear a band play a song differently than you remember it.  There are two schools of thought for a replacement singer.  Either find a clone to hit all the notes and keep with the success of the band, or hire a completely different singer with a different style and re-invent the band.  Marillion was successful with the latter after replacing Fish after 4 records, with Steve Hogarth, who brought new life to the band and still continues with them since 1989.  It’s different, but equally good, and in some cases better…but the fans will still argue over that…

As I said, with so many changes in members, it has become rare that a definitive line-up is the only one people accept.  But at least we didn’t end up with John, Paul, George, and Fluffy…

New Stuff…

Journey – Eclipse – The second album with Arnel Pineda on vocals following the platinum selling Revelation.  This is a real rock record, with guitarist Neal Schon up in the mix, and the production by Kevin Shirley is tight as ever.  This record allows Pineda to stretch out more.  He’s not just trying sound like Perry as he did on Revelation, and his diction has improved [my wife can’t stand to hear him sing…his accent, albeit slight, is too distracting for her…].  If you’re looking for “Don’t Stop Believin’ II” on this record, you won’t find it. But what you will find is and excellently written and performed rock album from one of the most successful bands in the world.  The songwriting is solid and the whole album is very cohesive, so you’re not listening to it wondering when the next single is coming on.  It’s worth checking out.  

Black Country Communion – Black Country Communion 2 – The sophomore album from this rock supergroup features vocals from Glenn Hughes [Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath], guitar from blues great Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham [Bonham, Foreigner, Virginia Wolf, Airrace, Led Zeppelin] and keyboards from Derek Sherinian [Dream Theater, Alice Cooper, Playtypus] The first record is a solid piece of blues/ hard rock.  The follow-up is much more a hard rock album, and allows the band to stretch out a little bit and give each other a chance to really shine.  The record itself is more cohesive, as if the band is finally comfortable in their own shoes.  Produced by Kevin Shirley, this is one of the best rock releases of this year so far. 

New [Old] live stuff for you to sink your teeth into…

Def Leppard – Mirror Ball – Taken from the “Sparkle Lounge” Tour this record covers all the bases and is basically a “Greatest Hits Live” with 3 new tracks.   The first new track “Undefeated” went to #1 on the Rock charts.  And it’s a steal at Wal-Mart for $11.88 for a 3 disc set [Disc 3 is videos and live performances].   What’s missing [and what really bothers me] is Wasted from “On Through The Night”, Slang or Work It Out from “Slang”, Promises or Paper Sun from “Euphoria” and Now or Long, Long Way To Go, from “X”.  I know they want to give their fans something live after all these years, but they basically cut out 10 years of recording [lest we forget, Def Lep records every 2-3 years on average…] a good live record, and you would expect nothing less from this band.

Whitesnake – Live At Donington 1990 – Taken from their 1990 performance at the Castle Donington at the Monsters Of Rock [now Download] Festival.  The line-up for this record is David Coverdale on vocals, Adrian Vandenberg on guitars, Steve Vai on guitars, Rudy Sarzo on bass and Tommy Aldridge on drums.  This same band [minus Vandenberg due to a medical condition in his hand] also recorded the album “Slip Of The Tongue”.  It’s a great slice of live hard rock with Coverdale singing at his best and leaving room for the guitar solos of Vai and Vandenberg.  The band is tight and the songs really kick.  And it’s a fun listen for those that were around when this band really started their meteoric rise to commercial success.  The song list is predominantly from the last three records,  “Slide It In”, “Whitesnake” and “Slip Of The Tongue”.  This will not disappoint even the casual fan. 

Foreigner – Extended Versions II – Yes, there already was an Extended Versions release for Foreigner back in 2006, so why put out another one…the answer was simple…to capitalize on new material.  What happened was that Foreigner, with new singer Kelly Hansen [and in fact a whole new band with the exception of founding member Mick Jones], put out a new record in 2009 called “Can’t Slow Down”.  They then toured all over Europe and America in support of the record.  The label in Europe recorded and released a double live disc from their show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.  This was only available as an import.  Sony, the bands label, took a portion of this recording and released a single disc of live material and in their infinite wisdom and show of major marketing savvy, released it with the bland title of…Exteneded Versions II.  [Sony has put out Extended Versions for over 50 artists now.  It’s basically a cost effective way to put out a live album of mixed material] .  The songs are tight live and the new line-up [w/Jeff Pilson from Dokken on bass, Thom Gimbel from Jon Butcher on sax/guitars, and Brian Tichy from Pride And Glory [and now Whitesnake] on drums] does a great job on these classic songs.  There are two tracks from the new album but the rest is classic Foreigner.  [and…it’s only $5 at your local Wal-Mart…]

Coming Soon…[to a medium near you…]

Yes – Fly From Here – Benoit David’s debut as Yes’ new singer, combined with the Drama lineup of Steve Howe on guitars, Chris Squire on bass, Geoff Downes on keys, and Alan White on drums.  I have heard the first single, “Fly From Here” [which in itself is a old song that Yes played in concert on the Drama tour, written by Downes and Trevor Horn, and ending up on the re-release of the Buggles “Adventures In Modern Recording”… got all that?] And from what I have heard it’s going to be a solid album with David sounding more like Trevor Horn than Jon Anderson.  I am a huge fan of the Drama album and line-up so I am looking very forward to this release.  Out in North America on July 12…

Queensryche – Dedicated To Chaos – Out June 28^th…  - Queensryche returns with a follow up to 2009’s “American Soldier”.  I’ve heard the first single “Get Started” and it’s pretty straight forward rock, and a lot less progressive than some of their other material.  Reviews I’ve read so far are mixed, but they’ve always put out consistently solid records so I’m going to wait to dive into the whole record before deciding on it.  While Kelly Gray and Damon Johnson [Brother Cane/Slave To The System] played guitars on “American Soldier”, new guitarist for this release is Parker Lundgren, from the Seattle band Sledgeback, and Geoff Tate solo.  Lundgren is also singer Geoff Tate’s son-in-law…

David Cook – This Loud Morning – Out June 28^th.  This highly anticipated sophomore album from Season 7 American Idol winner David Cook will have a lot of expectations attached to it.  Cook’s first record was a solid piece of rock and roll, and I anticipate this release to continue trending that way.  The first single, “The Last Goodbye” is catchy and has a really solid hook.  I enjoyed the first record.  I hope this one fares just as well.  Cook also recorded a version of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” for American Idol, which unfortunately does not appear on this record, looks like I’ll get stuck buying the single…

…And I’m still waiting on the release date of Rush’s “Clockwork Angels…but…there is new Dream Theater, with new drummer Mike Mangini, out on September 13^th…

Thanks for coming along for the ride…

J.