...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:
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...
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...]
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 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...
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]
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]
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]
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]
Thanks for coming along for the ride...
J.
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.
