Amazing how a cover could sell the album to you! No Sleep Til Hammersmith did just that to me back in early 1982. That album cover with the Bomber airplane being used as a lighting truss and another power trio band(Power Trio being the term used lightly here) playing METAL!
Lemmy(RIP) Fast Eddie and Philthy Phil blew my brains out with their style of Metal. It was loud/noisy/fast but there was still hooks buried somewhere in between Lemmy’s vocals/rumbling distorted Bass and Eddie and Phil’s thrashing about on the Guitar and Drums respectively.
Ace Of Spades opens the 11 song album and Spades just destroys anything in its path. Welcome to the world of Motorhead as an 15-year-old! Stay Clean/No Class/OverKill/Bomber and my favourite tune on this album We Are The Road Crew just reek of booze/smoke! Just general chaos!
This fellow in high school with me at the time David Kunis bought all of Motorhead’s stuff so the next album I had heard was Iron Fist but it didn’t take to me at all and it wasn’t until 1992’s March Or Die that I would purchase another Motorhead album!
Make no mistake though No Sleep is Live! No OverDubs!
Faithful Stick It In Your Ear reader Robbo likes stories attached to the reviews….
Let’s Do This..
Summer of 1981 and I’m 14 years young and have basically become a Music Junkie(spending all my Allowance on Magazines and Records) So one Hot July afternoon I along with my good pal Muc headed into a local Record Shop ( Record On Wheels which was a cool shop but only lasted a few years in Tbay).
As per protocol a few times a week we would cruise on down to all the record shops and check out the Record Action going on in the Racks.
So that July afternoon on the Racks was two albums that caught my eye right away and that was Def Leppard’s High N Dry and Iron Maiden’s Killers. Both albums I wanted but I only had enough cash for one. I must have flipped each album over a 100 times as I couldn’t decide which one to buy that week! ( I would only have to wait a week until I could muster up more dough to go back and buy the other album that I didn’t buy)..
Muc made my choice much easier and he grabbed Leps High N Dry! Thank you Dude…So off it was to home with Killers and talk about a Game Changer in regards to my Young Musical Mind.
Look at the cover(if you recall from my Number Of The Beast review the importance of Marketing). Here it is the name of Iron Maiden in bright read lettering. I would find that the Band had a mascot named Eddie. He’s the one holding the Axe. In other words this cover is Bad Ass! Look for yourselves…
The back cover had the cool Live action shot of Maiden and you can see it’s Maiden putting on a show and by this pic you can see how quickly they progressed from Bars/Clubs/Arenas to Stadiums! This Picture on the back shows the band going for it and below it there are pictures of each of the Maiden Dudes and even a picture of the Producer Martin Birch as well! How many album sleeves or even CD Booklets could you recall seeing a picture of the Fella who produced the album your listening too?
Once the needle was dropped on my stereo. Mind Blower! How about the titles of these tracks! You want M-E-T-A-L look no further than Killer’s!
The Tunes…Even the titles to these tracks Sound Heavy…
SIDE ONE
1. “The Ides of March” (Instrumental) 1:48
2. “Wrathchild” 2:54
3. “Murders in the Rue Morgue” 4:14
4. “Another Life” 3:22
5. “Genghis Khan” (Instrumental) 3:02
6. “Innocent Exile” 3:50
SIDE TWO
1. “Killers” Paul Di’Anno, Harris 4:58
2. “Prodigal Son” 6:05
3. “Purgatory” 3:18
4. “Drifter” 4:47
Total length:
38:10
First thing you notice when you look at the tracks is that Bassist Steve Harris wrote the whole album solo except for the title track which vocalist Paul Di’Anno had a help in shaping.
This kinda blew my mind at the time as the bands I was listening to at (1980 On) like Van Halen/KISS/Queen/Cheap Trick and AC/DC had multiple songwriters in the band well except for Cheap Trick who had guitarist Rick Nielsen who basically wrote the Trick songs’ solo. As an 13-year-old at the time I understood the guitar player writing all the tunes solo but how the hell does the Bass Player write all the songs himself on just 4 strings? Haha….Silly Me!
So once I got home and dropped the Needle In The Groove(Mama’s Boy’s Name Drop!) I was forever Blown Away and became an Instant Lifer Maiden Fanboy!
Let’s Decipher Shall We?
1:48 Seconds of a Musical (no vocals )Stomp to my Noggin and it’s Steve and Crew Sonically laying down the Foundation with big Power Chords Guitar while the Late Great Drummer Clive Burr with his galloping drum rolls take charge and we call this ditty Ides Of March.
Welcome To Maiden Ville …….
Harris and Burr lock up musical chops in Wrathchild with Bass An Drums and here comes the Guitar Dual lead Attack in Dave Murray and his new Sidekick Adrian Smith( Dennis Stratton who played guitar on the self titled debut in 1980 got the Heave Ho from Harris and manager Rod Smallwood) lay down some serious ax work and if it means anything to you’s out there to this day they are still my favourite Dual Lead Dudes! That’s saying something after what? Listening to Maiden for 35 years! Whut?! Di’anno’s voice blew me away as he sang with a cool vibe, had a different aurora about him. In 81 Paul had a cool thing going but he too would face the Boot from Harris and Smallwood and be replaced by a fellow named Bruce Dickinson less than a year later.
Maiden shift gears and the beginning of Murders In The Rue Morgue is Metal as I never heard. The opening bit is just bass and guitar and before long Burr bashes his snare into submission and we are off. Paul with his Punky Metal like Voice that comes at you like he’s in your face singing while pointing his finger right at you! It’s so good and Maiden don’t play it safe! No sirree as time and tempo changes rule the Morgue and Maiden have kicked my Arse Hard! The solo’s between Dave and Adrian just take this band to the next level….
Burr as he does so well leads the Troops here at the beginning of Another Life. It’s only a matter of seconds before the song lifts off with some A+ Riffing that leads into Paul’s snarky drawl. This song is an instant classic. Another Life is Another Great Maiden Track and with Murray/Smith riffing along were what? Four songs’ in and Davey and Adrian are telling all Guitarists out there ….Watch Out!
Ok. Let’s get this straight! Genghis Khan is the 5th song on Side 1. Remember this is my first time hearing Maiden in July of 1981 when I was 13 and here’s Steve-O and Posse throwing down a second musical only tune as Paulie gets another break! We are only 5 tracks in! Who does this kind of stuff upon first impression? Maiden ….! By Golly they have already smashed my brains to smithereens with the heaviness of a sound. A sound I have never heard and it took less than 15 minutes!
Innocent Exile begins with some out of control Bass Work by Harris and before long everyone is on board and Innocent Exile is METAL. Love the last-minute of this tune as it ramps up and just goes into a whole other level! What better way to finish off Side 1 with a big galloping ending as all instruments mash-up….
Killers begins with Harris and Burr leading the charge and before long Davey and Adrian roar in and set the world on fire. Not to be outdone Paul steps up and Killers is a bona fide classic! “Scream For Meeeeeeercy” sings Paul and this song soars! Attack of the two mad axemen as Murray just shreds on the Strat while Smith matches Dave lick for lick in the solo Dept. Burr is a beast on his Kit on this tune… Just watch the video posted below for some Excellent Maiden Ass Kicking! Kinda cool that there’s different lyrics that ended up on the album than this live version! LIVE METAL FOLKS!
Prodigal Son is a slower like tune well by Maidens standards. Nice use of acoustics along with the electrics blended in with Burrs drums keeps the song pushing forward without losing steam. Dianno can even slow down his Punk Mentality Delivery and sing chill. Great tune that even though it doesn’t Roar like Murders In The Rue Morgue it can still pack a decent punch!
Purgatory is Maiden at it’s punkiest and once the guitars start it’s Maiden taking off yet again. Purgatory has a real awesome chorus witness for yourself the real clever wording of a Mr Harris. Speaking of which it boggles my mind that Steve was in his early 20’s writing this kind of stuff Lyrically and Musically. Genius that Dude is!
Oh another time, another place.
Oh another smile on another face.
When you see me floating up beside you,
You get the feeling that all my love’s inside of you.
Yes siree it does not get any better than that ..Heck I’m posting the video below as well.. Lyrics are posted so my pals Rockin Roberts and BMellis can sing along….
Drifter ends Killers with a stomp. Love the sync of the Guitars and Bass at the beginning and then Drums and Paul Screaming “Walk Away!” Great vocal by Paul in which he keeps pace with the band. Drifter is a Gem especially when the song breaks down and then ramps up with Burr once again reducing his snare drum to shreds. What a Finish…
Maiden! What an introduction from just being hooked by the red logo and Eddie with his bloody dripping axe and that s just the cover! The Back cover with the live action shot just won me over that day! I actually bumped into Muc the other day at work and mentioned to him that I was going to be posting about this album and our Trip that day to the old Record On Wheels Store here in Tbay! Muc still remembers it as well as he took home Def Lep’s album.
Killers hooked me as a fan from that day on. It’s really a shame that Di’anno came unglued personally and professionally and this was his Maiden Studio Swan Song. Than again we all know who Governor Harris and Smallwood recruited to replace Paul and Maiden than really took off. For some like fellow reader and Great Blogger Mr 1537 says he prefers Killers over anything else Maiden has done. Fair enough … I think he said that!
Crazy that it’s been 35 years! Time does indeed Fly!
What is Deke’s going on about now you ask?! Well the title say’s it all!
2:22 to 5:31 is time it take’s Neil Peart to demolish his Red Tama Double Bass Drum Kit During his solo that is all brilliantly captured sonically on the Classic Double Live Exit Stage Left from 1981.
The tune is the Musical Only YYZ.
I don’t need to go on about how great the other two Fella’s from Rush are and that’s Vocalist/Bassist Geddy Lee and Guitarist Alex Lifeson.
Together they mash up up a jam. Call it YYZ where each guy can play snippets of brilliance on there instrument but for me hands down it’s Peart who goes to town on this one…
Some background History I would like to share with ya’s…
I was raised in Rock with Solo’s as in Guitar Solo’s and Drum Solo’s. The first two Rock Guy’s that I had heard on vinyl that had solo’s were No Stangers to this Blog and that’s Ace Frehley and Peter Criss From KISS. Back in 1979 when I caught KISS live this would also be the first show that I had seen and the solo’s Ace with his smoking guitar and his mish mash playing of notes and Peter with his Drums rising high into the rafters had an impact on me. It was like Wowzer’s these guys are God’s. Well kinda….
A few years later I heard Eddie Van Halen’s Eruption which to this day I think is the best guitar solo live or in studio I have ever heard. Sorry Ace!
The first KISS album I owned was KISS Alive 2 which I got back in 1978. Smack dab on Side 2 of KISS Alive 2 was Ace playing a bunch of wacka doodle notes during his solo on his own tune Shock Me.
Peter Criss was interesting. On Side 3 of KISS ALIVE 2 is Peter slamming his Drums on God Of Thunder. Criss I thought at the time was the best drummer I had heard. I mean the opening of his Drum solo as simple as it is still sticks in mind 38 years later….
Case in Point….
Years later back in January of 1991 as Myself/Tbone/Rugg and Oink’s were headed on a Party Bus to Winnipeg to witness Poison put on a Half Assed Live show one dude on the Bus that we knew as Brighton even talked about the Criss drum solo from Alive 2 which garnered a good discussion about solo’s! In case your wondering why we called the dude Brighton. It was simple he was wearing a Brighton Rock T shirt. (Canadian Band). See Aaron we got nickname’s for everyone!
But back to the early 80’s and as everyone know’s KISS is struggling. Criss is tossed from his drum stool and here comes Neil a blazing and when I heard the live YYZ for the first time I was like…..
Speechless….
Now you have to remember it would be a few years later that I would discover Led Zeppelin and the Late John Bonham who is also Master of the Drums. But by than Zep was finished and I was digging into Bands that were still out there at the time doing it.
YYZ I could go on about it but I’m no Drummer so basically play YYZ or just start it at the 2:22 mark….. That part that Neil does with his cowbells is just ridiculous! Like …WHUT?
How can this dude play at this level that quick during all those Kooky Time Changes that Rush song’s have and still have enough Sauce left in his tank to bash out a Drum Solo?
Who know’s but Neil does. He is indeed The Professor! Come tot think of it I can listen to all of Neil’s Drum Solo’s on the various Rush Live Release’s through the years but man YYZ on Exit is just a Sonic Explosion….!
The Greatest Drum Solo I have ever heard or will hear for that matter!
Summer of 81 and it was Rush Rush Rush Rush. Moving Pictures was selling like Hotcakes and Tbone was the first to jump on the Prog Train by purchasing this album before Moi ! Wowzer’s,as our first introduction to Rush our minds were blown!
Like other huge Rock albums that came out around the time of the early 80s(AC/DC’s Back In Black being the biggest) what could I possibly add to a review that many have already read?
Um….Nothing! Haha! What I will try to explain is how this album impacted a couple of young Thunder Bay Hooligans and became an instant classic! Tbone has Moving Pictures securely set in his all time Top 20 whereas I have Rush’s followup Signals(1982) which just beats out Moving Pictures by a smidge in my Top 20!
Rush is……
Geddy Lee – lead vocals, bass guitar, bass pedals, Minimoog, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, OB-X, Moog Taurus
Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitar, Moog Taurus
Neil Peart – drums, timbales, gong, bells, glockenspiel, wind chimes, bell tree, crotales, cowbell, plywood
Look at that resume of what 3 Dudes can pull off! Interesting to note that Peart is so good he plays Plywood??! Would not put it by the Professor!
The production of Moving Pictures (Courtesy of Terry Brown) is awesome! Terry does an excellent job at keeping all 3 instruments in check with the guitar/drums/ bass never being buried by the Keyboards! The sound of the album gives off a Warm vibe but with a Fist to the Gut when need be!
The Song’s…..
Or should I say The Classic’s!
Side one
No. Title Length
1. “Tom Sawyer” (Lyrics: Peart and Pye Dubois) 4:34
2. “Red Barchetta” 6:10
3. “YYZ” (Lee, Peart; Instrumental) 4:26
4. “Limelight” 4:20
Side two
No. Title Length
5. “The Camera Eye
I: New York
II: London” 11:01
6. “Witch Hunt” (Part III of “Fear”) 4:46
7. “Vital Signs” 4:46
What can you say about Side 1 that already hasn’t been said?! These first 4 tracks were prominently featured on the live Exit Stage Left album that came out later in 1981! What a fantastic way to become an Rush Fan back in the Summer of 81! We first get our 14-year-old noggins wrapped around this new Sonic Sounds Of Rock than shortly a few months later comes the Double Live Exit Stage album! What a great couple of months to be a Rush Newbie!
First time hearing Tom Sawyer just boggled my mind! I had never heard and I’m sure I can speak for Tbone as well that up to that point we didn’t know what Prog Rock was. I’m sure for the diehard Prog enthusiast out in Blogsville there are more Proggy Rock Acts going but for us Moving Pictures was a whole new Ball Game!
Peart lays down the beat and who has not air drummed to that part of Tom Sawyer after Lifesons solo? We all have and when we(Tbone) caught Rush for the first time live in 2002 I seen with my own eyes 14,000 people airband Peart. That’s saying something! Sawyer sets the pace for the rest of the album.
Love the geetar picking of Alex at the beginning of Red Barchetta until the pace of the tune ramps up especially during the chorus and Lifeson once again lifts this track off the ground with that solo! Also must mention Geddy’s riffing on the Bass at the tail end of the tune. He’s a Beast on the 4 Stringer!
YYZ is the instrumental so each guy shows off their musical muscle during the 4 plus minute of Sonic Prog Furry! Tempo changes galore rage supreme during YYZ!
Limelight ends Side 1 with another Classic! Speaking of Air-banding. How about the opening riff of this tune? Instant Gem! I will go on record as saying that the guitar solo on this tune is one of my all time fav’s. Love how the song just breaks down and Alex takes over while Geddy and Neil layoff of the gas pedal for a second while Alex dips and dives during the solo until the boys pick up steam to end Side 1.
Side 2 is where things get real interesting!
Camera Eye is one of the best Rush Tracks ever! Basically this is my first foray into Prog! I had never ever heard a tune like this before as it’s a long way from KISS’s Ladies Room. Love that funky wavy synth sweeping around the track and of course Neil once the drums kick in and lays down the pace i’m hooked! Crazy time changes and Lifeson just laying down the law sonically with his 6 string just encompasses all good things Rush! At 11 minutes this at the time was the longest song I had ever heard before and basically good on Rush for holding my attention span! I posted the video for Camera Eye as I don’t expect you to listen to the whole 11 minute track( you should though!) but cue up the track at the 5 minute 50 second mark and at exactly the 6 minute mark this just proves Rush’s pure brilliance as the band is going one way and then Neil shifts gears and the song goes down another avenue! Everytime I hear this part of Camera Eye it gives me Goosebumps! How can dudes in there early to mid 20’s at the time come up with stuff like this?
Witch Hunt has to be the creepiest/darkest Rush tune ever as at the beginnings of the song you hear an Mob and well Folk’s were on a Witch Hunt! The Lyrics are dark the pace of the tune is darker. Neil’s lyrics are deep here basically about Society going down the Shitter! (well that’s how I hear it!)…You want pre Grungey 1981 Rush? Look no further than here friends!
Vital Signs has a real neat synth Cars/Devo like charm added with what sounds like Neil playing some electronic drums. Vital Signs triggers the end of Rush on Moving Pictures but Vital Signs also begins the sound that Rush would pursue on their next studio release (My all time fav Rush album) Signals. Just always to remember not to Deviate From The Norm!
Ged/Neil/Alex released a Classic with Moving Pictures! Once I dived into Rush’s 70’s music and 1980’s Permanent Waves album you could see Rush was moving forward!
Side 1 of Moving Pictures to me anyways is Rush going mainstream as we all know the first 4 tracks right? Even a non Rush fan knows Tom Sawyer!
Side 2 of Moving Pictures is Rush going little Prog to keep the 70’s faithful happy especially on the first two tracks but by the time Vital Signs rolls around its Rush saying this is our new direction. You with us??
Over the years Billy Squier in my humble opinion has never gotten his due and take away his 1985 Career Ending Video (Rock Me Tonite) the dude wrote/recorded a bunch of great straight ahead rock songs!( Don’t get me started on 1989’s Superb Hear N Now album!)
1981 Billy and his Band release Don’t Say No and first single The Stroke explodes on the charts and rocks Billy to the top of the Charts in both Album and Single Sales.
The Dudes With The Instruments…
Billy Squier – lead vocals, guitars, percussion, piano
Cary Sharaf – guitars
Alan St. Jon – keyboards
Mark Clarke – bass, backing vocals
Bobby Chouinard – drums
Even in 2016 The Stroke is still sampled amongst rap acts and Billy is one of the few artists out there that has full control over his back catalogue. Smart fella that Billy with an even better Lawyer back in 1981!
Here’s some of the acts that have sampled Squier’s Stuff Below from this album…
“The Stroke”
“Hip Hop Is Dead” by Nas from the album Hip Hop Is Dead
“Stroke Me” by Mickey Avalon
“Berzerk” by Eminem from the album Marshall Mathers LP 2
“My Kinda Lover”
“Shady XV” by Eminem from the album Shady XV
What’s crazier is that Billy’s whole catalogue has been sampled 111 Times and has him third all time on the Most Sampled Rock Track List!
But back in 1981 this album had a bunch of standout tracks and thanks to Billy’s and Mack’s (Queen Producer) Production they hit this album out of the park in Grand Slam Fashion…
1. “In the Dark” 4:09
2. “The Stroke” 3:38
3. “My Kinda Lover” 3:32
4. “You Know What I Like” 2:56
5. “Too Daze Gone” 4:05
6. “Lonely Is the Night” 4:42
7. “Whadda You Want from Me” 3:43
8. “Nobody Knows” 4:20
9. “I Need You” 3:52
10. “Don’t Say No”
The songs have that real cool laid back early 80’s rock vibe and this is Billy before Billy was making serious $$$$. The sound of the album has elements of Queens The Game not in songs of course but the Sonic end of things.
The opener track In The Dark takes you all of about 30 seconds in to know that Squier has his own style of Rock Voice that is distinct and well to my ears Billy was and is a good singer that no one ever talks about. In The Dark fuses some cool drums/keys and guitars and makes the listener listen up! Great straight ahead rock track!
The Stroke. What can you say about this track that hasn’t already been said! The Drums are the centerpiece of this song dig the interplay between the suped up keys and guitars during the chorus! Yeah I could have posted this video but why? Just sing it …..STROKE/STROKE/STROKE……..
My Kinda Lover just keeps the radio rock hits going! Squier and the Boys keep the party buzzing and the song is just a 4 on the Floor rock song! Catchy chorus…slick verse’s all tided up by a fine vocal delivery by Billy.
Basically you cannot go wrong with the first three tracks as they are very good tunes and this vibe continues onto the rest of the album as well.
Songs like Too Daze Gone/Whadda Want From Me are straight rock tracks catchy with ton’s of Hook’s and great playing and singing whereas a track like I Need You sounds like if The Cars had lost a bit of quirkiness and went with running there keyboard through a Marshall Amp. I Need You is different but good.
Album closer and title track Don’t Say No has Billy and Band doing a little fade out at the beginning of the song that goes into some nice acoustic playing before the electrics once again show up and lead the song to the end of the albums conclusion.
Don’t Say No is a worthy Crash Course in all good things Rock!
1981 and Michael Schenker releases the superb MSG Album which features some serious players! Check out the list below….
Michael Schenker – lead guitar
Gary Barden – vocals
Chris Glen – bass
Paul Raymond – keyboards, rhythm guitar
Cozy Powell – drums
MSG was my first dabble in the term Supergroup and like many Supergroups these guys dissolved after there next release the fantastic double live One Night At The Budokan.
Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. “Are You Ready to Rock” Michael Schenker, Gary Barden 3:26
2. “Attack of the Mad Axeman” Schenker, Barden 4:17
3. “On and On” Schenker, Barden 4:41
4. “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” Barden, Chris Glen, Cozy Powell, Paul Raymond, Schenker 5:21
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
5. “But I Want More” Schenker, Barden 6:56
6. “Never Trust a Stranger” Raymond 4:24
7. “Looking for Love” Schenker, Barden 4:03
8. “Secondary Motion” Schenker, Barden 3:42
Total length:
36:47
The album is lock stock and barreled with a ton of Mikey’s fantastic soloing while Cozy Powell Drives the bus with his drumming! Gary Barden sings for his supper on this album…..
The album is of the 8 tracks 7 are flat-out rock tracks while Never Trust A Stranger is the lone slow mo like tune but good nevertheless!
A shame really Mikey could not keep this unit together!
Brooklyn’s Riot released in 1981 what many consider(myself included) a bonafide all time great piece of executed Hard Rock! Why this album did not catapult these guys to Fame at the time is beyond me. At the time Riot(1981) was opening for Rush on there Moving Pictures Tour so Riot were getting the tours as well in England they were going over a storm opening for Sammy Hagar so who knows what the problem was perhaps the Record Company politics did them in as well as management or perhaps Fire Down Under was ahead of its time.
I tend to think it was all three …. management,record company and an album ahead of its time…
The Riot dudes that created this Epic Piece Of Rock are…
Guy Speranza – vocals
Mark Reale – guitar
Rick Ventura – guitar
Kip Leming – bass
Sandy Slavin – drums
This album has all the trimmings of a Super Duper Classic around Stick It In Your Ear HQ’s! The lead singing is superb,the music muscle shown by the Fella’s is superb as well! This album can do no wrong….Case in point just the song titles along Kick Ass!
Side one
“Swords and Tequila” (Guy Speranza, Mark Reale) – 3:15
“Fire Down Under” (Speranza, Kip Leming) – 2:34
“Feel the Same” (Rick Ventura) – 4:30
“Outlaw” (Speranza, Reale) – 4:50
“Don’t Bring Me Down” (Speranza, Reale, Leming, Ventura, Sandy Slavin) – 2:57
Side two
“Don’t Hold Back” (Speranza, Reale) – 3:15
“Altar of the King” (Speranza, Reale) – 4:46
“No Lies” (Ventura) – 4:10
“Run for Your Life” (Speranza, Reale) – 3:16
“Flashbacks” (Speranza, Reale, Leming, Ventura, Slavin) – 4:02
Swords and Tequila is a bonafide superstar opener. Swords sets the pace and features the guitar wizardy of Reale and Ventura while Speranza kicks in the doors of your local Mexican Watering Hole and lays down the law vocally and tells us how to get through the night! Big Time Muscle is this tune! Crank the video posted!
After Guy and crew demolish the Mexican Tavern they take things even further and faster and unleash Fire Down Under that keeps the song racing and you would think the Riot train was going to come off the rails it doesn’t though as the boy’s keep it all together. Riot ramp things up to 100 mph and guess what folks? It all makes sense!
Feel The Same just chills the vibe right out as the verses are relaxed but the chorus takes it a notch and no it’s not a power ballad but a power track that will hoof you square in your man junk regions! Slavin drums an awesome vibe here….
Ok Track four being Outlaw is soon friggin good! Guitars lead off the charge and the boys toss down another tune about another round trip to the Mexican town with more tequila being spilled and searching for missing Gold! Check out the clip of Outlaw posted!
Don’t Bring Me Down is Riot Boogie Rock that shifts gears at a quick pace. This song is classic rock with a Metal Twist. I’m breaking protocol here and dropping down a third video and for Aaron at the KMA site I posted the lyrics to the second verse where Guy chirps the word Chump!….. watch the vid and follow the words below….
You took my car, for just one night,
Out to cruise the scene, that’s what you told me.
Now the engine’s gone, the tailpipe’s bent,
My 8-Track’s playin’, Spring-st-st-steen.
You call me a wimp, you say I’m a chump,
Well your face is bent,
And you smell like gorilla dump.
Ooooh, don’t bring me down.
Ooooh, don’t bring me down.
No, no, no.
Slavin and Kip drive this tune while the guitar bite of Reale and Ventura is so bang on its sick! It’s tunes like this that make me miss 1981! Ha! Well kinda…don’t miss my Math Mark from that year!
Side 2 opens with Don’t Hold Back and AlterOF The King which are kinda like reader HMO’S homeboys Saxon. Its two tracks of straight ahead Power Rock with a twist in the Blender of Saxon and Riot mashed up!
No Lies is another awesome track that has Drum Boy Slavin leading the charge while Guy delivers it all vocally and this tune like I have said many a time on previous reviews of albums its one of those end of album GEMS!
Run For Your Life rocks out as well and keeps the Riot Xpress going (HMO I hear old school Saxon here!)while end of the album Flashbacks is basically Riot sampling a bunch of shows with a guitar threading across the track while you hear some announcer welcoming Riot to the Hammersmith Odeon and chants from the crowd hollering Riot….Riot….Riot.. Kind of a weird end of the album Hodge Podge of sounds but whatever and give these dudes credit as they sampled there Shit back in 81! See I told you a band ahead of its time!
The first 5 songs on this album(Side 1) are pure genius and it’s just one Swift Sonic Kick to the Chin as these guys dug deep and just keep swinging with so much Piss N Vinegar that it’s a shame that this album never went mega….
Side 2 is no slouch in the material but man you cannot beat the fury of the first 5 tracks in regards to Bad Boy Boogie Power Rock…
What also must be mentioned is that Guy Speranza and Mark Reale are no longer here so R.I.P Fella’s …..
Coming up I will be reviewing Martin Popoff’s excellent book on Riot tilted Swords And Tequlia (Riots Classic First Decade)
deKe's Vinyl Reviews & More... 