Old Dude School of Rock- Part 2-1987

Hey, Folks! Thanks for checking out Part 2 of 1987.

Those batch of albums from Part 1 of 1987 totally outsold those that I’m going to talk about here. 

Still some good stuff here and well, some so so stuff.

Giddy Up!

I was on board with what Gary Moore was doing after the brilliant Run For Cover album from 85. Gary dropped Wild Frontier which was a pretty good spin and Moore you have to give credit to him as he didn’t release the same album twice. Gary displayed his Celtic roots played through a Marshall amp. Over The Hills And Far Away, the title track and Thunder Rising are stellar tracks. The only real knock on this is the drums were all programmed.

Kinda weird but Gary went through drummers like my buddy Tbone emptying bottles of Scotch through this pandemic.

Ozzy released the fantastic Tribute double live album for his fallen partner Randy Rhoads who died 5 years prior back in 82. Rhoads playing was crazy at the time.  What a great band Ozzy had back in 82 with Rhoads, Bass licker and picker Rudy Sarzo and drummer fella Tommy Aldridge. All the songs on here are wicked but man Believer I just love. Ozzy is off the rails of course but Rhoads and crew keep the Crazy Train known as Ozzy on the tracks. 

3 years after the stellar comeback album Perfect Strangers comes Deep Purple with House of The Blue Light. I was pumped to buy this album as when I saw the first video/single Bad Attitude I was sold and bought it right away and then was bummed out as it was nowhere near as good as Perfect Strangers. Well, that was that and outside of Bad Attitude this album just did not do it for me. 

Sorry Richie, Ian, Mikey, and HMO!

You would think after not being impressed with an album that came out in 84 why on God’s Green Earth would I tempt fate by buying another album by the same band three years later. Well, that’s what I did as I bought TNT’s Tell No Tales. I. bought this on cassette tape for the walkman as I heard the single 10,000 Lovers (in one) and thought it was a decent track.  The rest is meh. I got hosed out $12  Canadian. End of Story.

John Norum who put out the pretty decent Total Control was another one I purchased on cassette tape. This was a good album. John even covered Vinnie Vincents Back on the Streets tune. Kinda funny I could not handle Europe at the time but Norum I liked as he laid down two brilliant solos in The Final Countdown and Rock The Night. So for that reason, I picked this up and enjoyed it at the time.  Quick question. Anyone else in Canada buy this one back in 87?  Yeah, that’s what I thought! LOL

An album to fulfill a Contractual Obligation came in the form of Sammy Hagar who released at the time his last solo that Sam titled I Never Said Goodbye. Hagar had his sidekick EVH play Bass as well as Sammy did the right thing and featured the solo band that he had with him up to the point where Sam joined Halen. Pretty good record especially opener When The Hammer Falls. Give To Live and Eagles Fly were tracks that Sammy incorporated in his acoustic solo spot on later Halen tours. 

Another solo fella who put out an excellent record that went nowhere sales-wise was x-Duranie Andy Taylor. Andy released Thunder and what a pretty fine slab o rock it was. Don’t Let Me Die Young is the best track on this record and if you recall my little interview with Jonathan Valen from a few years back gave some insight on this album as he was the drummer for Andy on this record and tour. Valen as well drummed in Priest on their Turbo Tour in 86 (but Priest don’t want you to know that!)

SATURDAY NIGHT AND THE PRIEST IS BAAAAAAACK.

Speaking of Priest. J.P released the pretty decent double live album titled Priest Live which was there double live to satisfy all of us Metal Maniacs! Outside the atrocious budget looking, cover Priest nailed the classic’s on this record. This band was on fire live and is Valen on this album along with Holland on the drums? Something’s Fishy!  If you come across this record give it a listen as its a decent representation of those early to mid 80’s Priest albums that Rob Halford and his hombre’s laid down.

Triumph came back with Survillaince which was a try to return to the classic rock years after Triumph destroyed their fan base with Sport of Kings(86). This album tanked. Triumph played like 8 shows and Rik Emmett split and Triumph was listed as D.O.A. For the trashing, this record  I kinda dig as in Never Say Never and the wicked friggin brilliant Headed For Nowhere that if your a guitar player out there reading this check out the battle royal of guitar solos between Steve Morse and Rik Emmett. Holy friggin Wow! 

Wild In The Streets from Helix  tried to recapture the glory years of Helix which in 1987 they were trying to hold onto. Helix gave it there all and this may be my second fav album of there’s after No Rest For The Wicked. Ok maybe third after Walkin The Razors Edge which would be Number 2. Still, though Vollmer and The Doctor put out a solid batch of rock and it was a shame that this album did squat in the U.S. Here in Canada it sold well and Helix was still headlining arenas but the crowds were dwindling which was no fault of Helix and the material they were putting out.

Mikey Schenker got a vocalist with the last name MacAuley and good on Michael not having an ego and calling the band the MacAuley/Schenker Group. (M.S.G). M.S.G released the ok sounding Perfect Timing album which had MSG really going for the American Market. MSG had there shot as they opened for RUSH on there Hold Your Fire Tour. Robin MacAuley has a good rock voice and I’m surprised this album didn’t take off in sales.

Contagious from those fun dudes known as Y&T really tried as well to go for the gravy train on this record. Overall a decent attempt as the title track that came out as a single and video didn’t move mountains. Y&T played the game somewhat getting outside songwriters and for once they didn’t have a goofy cover! I bought this on cassette back in 87 and a year ago (2019) bought it on used vinyl as the price was right. Way fuckin better than that previous Y&T studio attempt in 85. Ask Tbone about that album as I’m sick talking about it now. lol

Space Ace finally returns to solo land after many starts and stops in the early ’80s after he left KISS. Ace wasn’t fooling around as he put together Frehelys Comet with a stellar band in support. John Regan on Bass, Tod Howarth on Vocals and Guitar as well as Anton Fig who is the key on this album. Hell Ace even dug up Eddie Kramer to dial it in just like Ace and Eddie did on the 1978  Frehley KISS solo album. A pretty damn good record that I still enjoy putting on when the mood hits. Rock Soldiers was the single from this record while Breakout (co-write with Eric Carr) Something Moved, Stranger In A Strange Land are great tracks. Dolls though sucks but made me realize that Ace was still on the party train as he must have been high to want Dolls on this album. Still a pretty decent record all in all.

Well, that’s it for what soaked my wallet in 1987.

Coming up sooner than later-1988!

 

Europe/The Final Countdown 30th Anniversary Show.(2017)

30 years ago already? Whut? EUROPE unleashed the mega selling The Final Countdown back in 1986 and it’s kinda funny as if we were to talk about my listening curve with Europe back in 1986.

The Final Countdown had some great rock tracks like Cherokee/Danger On The Track and Rock The Night.

Course the song The Final Countdown song and video was played to death (will say that Europe Guitarist John Norum plays a great solo on the track)  as was the ballad Carrie(no comment) but things kinda went south for me when Lead Singer Joey Tempest sang into a Heinz Ketchup bottle on the Rock The Night video( I posted a story about Joesph and The Ketchup Bottle)…

So Europe basically that year 1986-87 flatlined for me. Even when Europe released in 1988 Out of This World it didn’t do it for me(my brother Todd bought Out of This World on cassette tape) even after hearing it. Superstitious was a great track still though….

Than EUROPE closed up shop and then in the year 2000 EUROPE reforms with the same 5 guys and they still continue on to this day which is remarkable as they look  and sound in decent shape. Case in point check the vid below with a recent tune from 2015’s excellent War of Kings album called Nothing To You. Killer track with Norum soloing like a lunatic on  guitar! Norum is an underrated guitarist the guy is a genius on the 6 string….

The first part of this show is the full War of Kings album played in its entirety. A great slick move as Joey and the boys are like keeping it fresh and current and just not relying on some huge nostalgia only rock act….

So here comes in 2017  the actual  release of the Final Countdown show recorded last year and it features a ton of tunes. On the first disc as i mentioned EUROPE plays a bunch of new stuff from the War of Kings release. These new tunes stand up well.

Remember earlier on I was talking about my listening curve with EUROPE?!

Let’s put it this way Joey and the boys have blended on there last few releases  the sonics of Deep Purple and UFO into their music and have become a great straight ahead hard rock act that know the role of the keyboards just as UFO did in their heyday.

Funny how time changes one’s mind in this case whereas I have no problem listening to EUROPE now especially with the recorded output they have recently put out in the last few years.

I cannot say the same about Bon Jovi currently and even UFO for that matter. Now don’t get me wrong folk’s what I mean is when I do listen to UFO or Jovi it’s a certain era. UFO its everything from the brilliant Strangers In The Night to Making Contact. For Bon Jovi it would be Slippery thru to Keep The Faith. Basically anything these bands have put out since than I really couldn’t care less about…

EUROPE on the other hand its a role reversal with Jovi and UFO…

Europe has ramped up there sound/mixed things up sonically(hiring Rival Sons producer Dave Cobb was a brilliant move) and have made it interesting to say the least! Speaking of which EUROPE has a new album coming out this October titled Walk On The Earth. Friggin rights I’m getting it….

I can listen to Europe in 2017  whereas  in 1987 I had issues with them! Haha..

Better late than never!

 

Frehley’s Comet(1987)

 

You know the hype with this album(well in my noggin that is) was pretty huge back in the year of good ol 87!

That Year KISS with its members  Gene Simmons/Paul Stanley  were hard at work on there Heart Tribute sounding  album called Crazy Nights while ex drummer Petey Criss was doing..ummm who knows what he was doing while Space Ace Frehley was finally coming out of his AceCave in Connecticut and unleashed onto the world his debut album Frehleys Comet. 

Once I started to read in magazines that Ace got a record deal I was stoked as Ace’s KISS solo album from 78 was an absolute scorcher of a record that no one thought he could pull off and tack on after that 2 more great tracks from the Dynasty album in 79 Frehleys contributions were huge as the SpaceMan  had a slick cool rock voice mixed with his solo’s should be a huge recipe of coolness right?

Well Kinda….

After Ace left Kiss in 1982 he kinda disappeared  for a few years and the only time I would hear any news it would be about the trouble he would get himself into…

So when the Mags around early 1987 started  printing adds for the upcoming release it was wild to see he scored Drummer Anton Fig as Anton was the drummer on Ace’s 78 solo album so I knew the drumming would be top-notch! Ace also enlisted Peter Frampton Bassist John Regan and some dude who I had never heard of Co Lead Vocalist/Guitarist Tod Howarth.

My own hype on this album was huge as I was still trying to get over the silliness of that Uh All Night track  that Demon and Starchild were pushing on me…..

So April 1987 in the midst of Bon Jovi  mania came The Comet!

	TUNE AGE	wRITER	DA siNGER
1.	“Rock Soldiers”	Ace Frehley, Chip Taylor	Frehley	5:05
2.	“Breakout”	Frehley, Eric Carr, Richie Scarlet	Tod Howarth	3:38
3.	“Into the Night”	Russ Ballard	Frehley	4:12
4.	“Something Moved”	Howarth	Howarth	4:02
5.	“We Got Your Rock”	Frehley, Marty Kupersmith	Frehley	4:12
6.	“Love Me Right”	Frehley, Ira Schickman	Frehley	3:54
7.	“Calling to You”	Frehley, Howarth, Kevin Russell, Jim McClarty	Howarth	4:20
8.	“Dolls”	Frehley	Frehley	3:28
9.	“Stranger in a Strange Land”	Frehley	Frehley	4:02
10.	“Fractured Too”	Frehley, John Regan	(Instrumental)	4:14

The only copy I ever had of this was on cassette so basically this review is going to be done on memory from 30 years ago! Yikes!

So Space Ace tells the tale in the opening track Rock Soldiers about his drinking n driving slipping n sliding in Delorean’s automobile. Autobiographical is this song if you had no idea and Ace opens his Eddie Kramer produced album with huge drums from Anton and some slick like Ace riff’s and Ace is back and he told you so! (how many times has that last line been used in reviews?)

Breakout is a great track and new boy Howarth handles the lead vocal and look there’s a co write with Kiss drummer Eric Carr. (My money is on the fact that Gene and Paul were probably not amused by Carr and Frehley dabbling together). This tune has a nice hard rock swing. Like the mashup of drums and  guitars in this tune. Great Ace solo as well…..

Into The Night was the single it’s an ok track. Kinda like mid 80’s REO Speedwagon track. Russ Ballard the fella who wrote Ace’s 78 hit New York Groove wrote this track so I guess the record company was hoping just hoping that 9 years later another Ballard track would push the Comet into the Hitsville…..Nope/Nada…..

Another decent slab of Hard Rock and that’s Something Moved which is another Howarth sing-song and a track written solely  by him. Nice riffage during the verses and once again another slick solo by Ace !

Calling To You I think may have been another single but if were keeping tracks of singles they should have released this before Into The Night. Just saying….This one has a little more oomph than the Ballard track and come to think of it Into The Night may have hurt some sales as it sent the wrong message to the  Ace Fan Base who weren’t invested as much in this album as I was…..

Dolls. ?? Has to bee the goofiest Frehley song  ever. Big Dumbo Rock Lyrics are littered throughout this track. Did Ace and Sam Hagar have a contest between who can be more goofy in the lyric department between Sam’s Source Of Infection and Ace’s Doll’s? This song is just a plain out creeper track if there ever was one!

Buried at the back-end of this album is a fantastic track titled Stranger In A Strange Land.  Ace pulls out all the stops on this track. Slick like verse’s. Cool rock voice. Catchy chorus. Cool Solo. Well you get the point right? Crank the video posted below….

The album ends with the instrumental  Fractured Too which is the followup up to Ace’s Fractured Mirror from 78’s solo album. Kinda ok but really no point here in why he did this…

So if you’re wondering why the tracks We Got Your Rock and Love Me Right weren’t scribbled about well that’s easy. I don’t remember them and I wasn’t going to cheat so I guess they were duds on my radar back in 87 …..

Frehleys Comet was ok. This album actually comes close  at times with some Filler but my problem was Ace set the bar way too high(ha) with the 78 solo album. My expectations were huge. I was kinda disappointed by this album, well half of it.

Ace though stuck out a 5 song EP in 1988 which I reviewed a ways back which was mostly live and one studio track so it restored my faith in him. Did it?

Check back at some point  when I review the Second Sighting album and the online email  brawl that started between a Comet and an Blogger! (depends on if I get a cease and desist order)

Bam!

 

 

 

Dokken/ Back For The Attack(1987)

 Rokken Dokken Rokken Dokken….

There I said it! Love Dokken! To me even with there 80’s output of 4 studio albums and 1 Double Live they were pretty consistent with their albums…

In 1987 Dokken released the super-duper long Back For The Attack and to this day I still remember the ads for it saying it was over 60 minutes of Rokken With  Dokken! Now that’s giving the Fan base what they want. This was easily a quick purchase upon release  and I along with many others scooped it up quick when it hit the shelves… If were keeping score it went to #13 on the U.S Charts and to # 25 on the Canadian  Charts.

A lot of years have passed and it was when Mikey Ladano reviewed this album I thought “Sheeeeit…I gotta dust off that bad boy and give it  a listen!” So listen I did and here are my Dokken Facts!

Incase you forgot Dokken is….

Don Dokken – lead vocals
George Lynch – guitar
Jeff Pilson – bass, background vocals
Mick Brown – drums, background vocals

Back For The Attack Track Listing….

Side 1
1. “Kiss of Death” George Lynch, Don Dokken, Jeff Pilson 5:51
2. “Prisoner” Lynch, Pilson, Mick Brown 4:20
3. “Night by Night” Pilson, Lynch, Brown, Dokken 5:23
4. “Standing in the Shadows” Dokken, Lynch, Pilson 5:07
5. “Heaven Sent” Dokken, Lynch, Pilson 4:52
6. “Mr. Scary” (instrumental) Lynch, Pilson 4:31

Side two

7. “So Many Tears” Dokken, Lynch, Pilson 4:56
8. “Burning Like a Flame” Lynch, Pilson, Dokken, Brown 4:46
9. “Lost Behind the Wall” Lynch, Brown, Dokken, Pilson 4:19
10. “Stop Fighting Love” Pilson, Lynch, Dokken, Brown 4:52
11. “Cry of the Gypsy” Dokken, Pilson, Lynch 4:51
12. “Sleepless Night” Lynch, Brown, Pilson 4:32
13. “Dream Warriors” Lynch, Pilson 4:42

13 Tracks! That’s a lot of L.A Hullabaloo so let’s see what the Dokken Crew can muster up…..

Lynch one of the 80s Guitar Hero’s leads off with a SuperStar Riff that charges out of the gate and that would be Kiss Of Death. George is cranked and blasting off like a rocket along with Pilson and Brown leading the charge for Don and his melodic rock voice to come in and take over. Don sings the tale of the Kiss Of Death and it’s  about Aids and Wowzers has Don been hanging out with Bono circa 1987 in preaching? Na…..this is Dokken! On one hand Don will tell you all be careful about what you’re doing while on the other hand  Dokken and staff were stocking up on Party Treats!  Great opening track and Lynch lifts off….

Prisoner being Track 2 is one of mine and I believe Mikey Ladano’s Fav’s as well! It seems to be a forgotten Dokken track as I don’t think they ever tackled this live but it oozes cool! Lynch once again sets his guitar ablaze right  off the bat with a great intro solo while the verses are chill and the chorus take us into money shot…

Night By Night  keeps the party going and its a great song and like many a good band the song is built by the riff. This mid tempo rocker features some good vocals by Don and George of course takes over. Like all good thing syrupy from the 80s Night By Night will keep you humming all night long…..ummmm thats a stretch but if you were my age when this album was released(I turned 20 in 1987) you’ll know what I mean!

 Yep. I dig Standing In the Shadows. The Boys dig deep and come up with a real good pre chorus which is Dokken catchy. Lynch plays another one of my fav solo’s here. That is the thing with these guys and Ratt. Both of these bands had great lead guitar players Ratt with Warren Di Martini and Lynch hanging around Dokken. Plus they had the songs to back it up.

Heaven Sent is melodic Dokken at it’s best. George takes a different approach and instead of playing Guitar Hero he takes a back seat plays some nice clean electric almost Ed Halen like picking. The chorus is an excellent written piece of Rock. The song falls far from wimpdom  as  Brown keeps the  song moving at a decent clip!

Mr Scary is George locking Don out of the studio and slamming down a bunch of Riff N Rolls in a musical Tour De Force with Mick slamming double bass drums while Pilson plays his Simple Simon Bass Licks and Lynch solo’s solo’s and solo’s…..

Thats just Side 1

So Many Tears is a Dokken Melodic Metal To A T! Great straight ahead rocker to start things on Side 2! Dokken 87 was a great band and there friggin egos between the guitar player and singer destroyed this band. At the time I always thought  why can’t Dokken be like Sam Halen in getting along and such. Boy was I  a ding a ling in thinking that way! George and Don combusted as they were about to really make the move from opening  act into Headlining Arenas and KABOOM!  They all went solo and came nowhere near what they had as a unit in Dokken. Maybe they had suffered brain damage from all that hair spray whiffing around when they shot the cover for 1985’s Under Lock And Key. See Hair Do’s Pic Below…..

HAHAHAHA….remember the video to this tune! This is the case of a Fruity Video ruining a good tune. At the time I giggled as Don and The Boys are blasted off their rockers and hanging off a Fire Truck! Ok I Geddit…Burning Like A Flame if you close your eyes and not watch the video is a real good track..Frigg Yeah I’m posting it…

Did you watch it? Cool in some ways back than when you were a 80s Rocker in LA and you could  get Loaded and cruise around on a Fire Truck while Mick Brown plays his drum sticks on a ladder for Fucks sake! Sounds like I’m bitter? You bet your Ass I am! Hahaha… In 1988 I was washing dishes in a Hospital Kitchen while George is playing pool with his guitar in a rock video!  Aaaaaaaargh! FTW!

For myself and myself only the next three tracks Lost Behind The Wall/Stop Fighting Love and Cry OF The Gypsy are ok tracks. Nothing I really want to discuss about them but that there ok. Filler like perhaps? I dunno when I spun them for this review after not listening to them for years they didn’t really do it. Even back in 87-88 I recall these songs being a slog to get through…

Sleepless Nights! Wowzers what a great end of the album GEM! Lynch set’s sail with a Sleazy L.A.  like Riff and were off! This mid paced walloper has a real good chorus and yes as per protocol whether Don likes it or not George carries a lot of the Dokken albums with his playing. Real cool use of some percussion during the chorus as well. Bona fide Winner! Sleepless Nights puts the Dokken train back on track after the slight derailment of the previous 3 songs!

Dream Warriors. Another decent tune which was included here as I didn’t ever seldom buy Soundtrack albums. (Come to think of it Tbone had a pretty decent one back in the day which I should review sometime) Dream Warriors is a decent paced end of the album throwdown track album which the boys hang out with Freddy Kruger…. Read an interesting  blurb (Think it was in the excellent I Want My MTV  book) that when Dokken was filming the video to this track i read something about Krugers Finger Nails/Blow and Dokken? Ummm you figure it out…….HA!

Dokken put out a fine album stuffed with 13 tracks! I think if they would have shaved of the 3 song’s that didn’t do it for me they would have still had a decent 10 song album which was a lot stronger than what others were putting out at the time…….

 

 

 

Def Leppard/Hysteria(1987)

When I think of Hysteria I think of millions of copies of this album sold and sugar! Ha! So after a ton of turmoil (Drummer Rick Allen losing his arm no doubt being the worst) from 1983 til 1987 I would read about updates(Circus and Kerrang magazines) on the progress or lack there of the followup to the mega selling Pyromania. Leppard started recording with Jim Steinman (MeatLoafs songwriter/producer) but after a while they punted Steinman(with a huge buyout from what I read) and went back to Mutt Lange the super sonic layered plastered producer who helmed the previous Pyromania(1983) and the Deke approved High N Dry(1981).

So when Hysteria dropped in August of 1987 I was a  first day buyer(cassette) and upon first listen it was apparent that this thing in the guitar department was gonna be huge with the guitars sounding like a thousand guitars and of course the curiosity factor of Allen and his electronic drums(Bravo) was another factor like how the hell is he drumming with one friggin arm??

Joe Elliot,Rick Savage,Steve Clark(RIP),Rick Allen and Phil Collen hit a huge payday with this album and to this day it still carries them on rock radio….

Rock Rock Til Ya Drop…..Insert Cash Into Leppards Bank Vault!

WOMEN-Swirling guitars and a slam of Allen’s electronic drums cue up Women which is a good leadoff track and what is even better is when the tempo ramps up at the beginning of the solo. Phil Collen as per his shred  protocol of guitar hero slices and dices a pretty slick solo. It’s all here snazzy sing along chorus! Powerful bass sonics. Simple yet effective! Steve Clark blitzes the solo at the end of the tune and as his cool  protocol plays a simple yet effective solo to take the song out. Actually it’s one of my fav solos of his. Dude did not have to shred at a million times the speed limit of some(like his partner) Great player that Clark was! As I have said many a time at Mike’s site and here all the great Leppard guitar riffs went to Heaven when Clark passed away. They have never been the same….Anyhoo….

ROCKET-I dig this tune and even though MuchMusic played the tar out of the video I like the sound of this tune as its like we’re landing on the moon! The lyrics are Joe telling us all the influences that have come into the Leppard sound. Kinda corny but catchy as heck! The chorus though is the money shot! Rocket….Satellite Of Love! Huh? Whatever it’s a fun song as it keeps building and building into a aural sonic romp!

ANIMAL-A well written rock track that was a huge hit and it has all the trimmings of Lep single! Once the song hits the chorus it takes this tune to another level. Power chords galore with a snappy happy chorus.

LOVE BITES-Oh,Oh it’s 1987 but by the time Love Bites is released as a single it’s 1988 and Power Ballads are everywhere! This one included but it’s Def Lep so I give them a pass. The song is what I would think would be a Mutt Lange signature piece. Big time hook that draws you into the chorus and along with the twin guitars or is that 500 guitars just gives it enough gas for me not to push skip on the CD player circa 1988.

POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME-Ha! What the hell could I say about this tune other than the video being all about Leps live show and a ton of shots of the ladies in the crowd from  there 1988 Denver show! What I wish Lep would do is go back to Denver now(2016) and do a casting call and have all the ladies that were in the original video from 1988  show up and for Lep to recut the video! Hahaha…man that would be a hoot! The song is driven by Allen’s electronic drum kit and the song musically is pretty decent kinda plods along but this tune was another biggie from this album.

ARMAGEDDON IT-Back to some great rock! Are You Getting It? This tune starts with a great guitar hook and we’re off. Armageddon It is what I like about Leppard. It’s not rocket science just a great hard rocking track(well hard rocking for Leppard) love Clarks guitar solo after Joe chirps “come on Steve”. Awesome stuff and of course Collen has to have a crack of a solo at the end of the tune as well. Great song.

GODS OF WAR-Side 2 begins with a big Lep song! This is a great track. This has to be Steve Clarks deal this one! Big power chords thumping loud Drums  and Bass carry this song and consider that at times Leppard likes to write straight forward catchy songs(Animal,Armageddon It) they can roll the dice and put out big epic rock with a wicked sounding chorus as well! Gods Of War is one of them. They even sample Presidents and such.

DONT SHOOT SHOTGUN-This song and the next one (Run Riot)got buried under a ton of Sugar(get it?) as the singles are the ones everyone would talk about. Don’t kid yourself folks theirs some good rock here! Yeah sure everything is multilayered (guitars,vocals) but when you strip back the sonics It’s a bare bones rock track! The verses are real good even better than the chorus. Collen does his dippity do da  shred work as per protocol and yeah I can be a sucker for that kind of solo(in little doses mind you)

RUN RIOT-This is my fav track from Hysteria! Yeah it is! I shit you not! Dig Allen and his drums smashing down a ton of percussion along with a million layered guitars all over the musical map and say what you want Run Riot is a great track with a great solo and real ear catchy chorus. ‘Ruuuuuuuun Riiooooooot!” Big lead and cracking backing vocals deliver me a Lep Sonic Sandwhich! Loooove it!

HYSTERIA-Another biggie Lep single! Wow man for a slower groove like tune this is a masterpiece! Sweeping the landscape musically Clark  drives this song with his guitar work. Hysteria is a well written rock track that over time has become one of my sleeper tracks on this album. Great title for this record along with artwork for the cover. Lepp 1987 were the deal and by 1988 they were a Big Fackin Deal!

EXCITABLE-Are You Excitable some one asks and you hear a female panting in the background and this is a goofy tune! Just a cheap over night Lep romp at a 5 and Dime hotel! It’s like Mutt Lange wanted Lep to write a Cars Like song. In the element of this album this tune is the weak link amongst some pretty decent hard rock!

LOVE AND AFFECTION-End of the album closer! A pretty decent tune at a mid clip speed. Like many other tunes which are here singles this could have been one also. Nice tempo and Elliot tosses down a decent vocal and as the song ends, the Leps bid adieu! Good song.

FINAL YAMMER- So your asking ‘Wheres the video Deke?” Ummm well the whole first side (first 6 songs) was released as singles and we all know them right? We have seen the videos a million times over so let’s leave it at that! Seriously would you watch the video of  Pour Some Sugar On Me again? Ok, Rockin Roberts of course You would! Haha….

Read somewhere years ago that Lep went into huge debt with this album back in 1987 and when it was released it would have to sell 2 million to break even so when Women was released as the first single it tanked on the charts! There must have been a real freak out at Camp Lep! But no worries 5 other singles were released and I still recall Pour Some….that video on Muchmusic every 5 minutes during the summer of 1988! No looking back for Joe and the boys!

Hysteria is a top-notch album and the last one to feature the great Steve Clark! He was the King Of Lep Riffs. Lep never really recovered from his loss! See my Adrenalize review on how I spin wit and wisdom on that album! Allright a bit of wit no wisdom! Ha!

Folks this is my 300th Post! Holy CRAP! Thanks to everyone who has hooked up for the ride and have taken the time to read,comment,join and follow along!

Had no idea this was my 300 post until after I had finished this review! Kinda appropriate that one of the biggest selling Hard Rock Albums Of All Time would be number 300 don’t you think?

 

 

 

 

Motley Crue/Girls Girls Girls (1987)

1987 and I turn 20 years young while that same year Tbone turned 30! Hahahaha…Nope he didn’t he’s just 6 months older than me but hey when opportunity Knocks you gotta kick the door in to bug your best friend!

This post on The Crue came to me when myself and Mikey Ladano were yacking about how a lot of 80s band just put out album after album tour followed by tour and sometimes the bands recorded material suffers…..

Case in point….Girls Girls Girls….

Hop aboard the Arena Rock Tour Bus as we dissect just what the hell went haywire in the Crue Camp….

Nikki Sixx(bass and main songwriter) Vince Neil(when he could  sing) Tommy Lee(drums) and Mick Mars(guitar) are the culprits  here…..

Time for another installment of 3/4s Filler and as per protocol I only toss albums that I have purchased sometimes twice over (like this one) on vinyl and later on cd so my blog, my rules! Hahaha!

Mikey Ladano did make the point over at The KMA site that most Motley Crüe albums half sucked anyways …hahahaha….and Ladano does make a pretty decent point!

For Every Crue Classic Album that I would consider top notch rock (Too Fast For Love and Motley Corabi) there are some duds(Theatre Of Pain and Girls) ….you can read about my yammerimg on Theatre Of Duds here…..https://superdekes.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/34s-filler-motley-crue-theatre-of-pain/

Consider the Bastard dead!  Is that  me?

WILDSIDE-Wowzers Sixx nails a grand slam right off the bat with this tune! With what Sixx is shovelling I’m digging it here! Wildside is a well written piece of LA street rock! From the opening of  Mars wang bar diddle doodle and Lee playing some hard rock cool drum beats  Sixx slams a straight ahead Cliffy Williams of ACDC fame bass line and Boom were off and running and hey Vince man sings this real good and the opening line of Wildslide is the best written opening verse by a LA Glam Rock band ever….”Kneel Down Ye Sinners To Streetwise Religion,Greeds Been Crowned The New King,Hollywood Dream Teams,Yesterday’s Trash Queens,Save The Blessings For The Final Ring,Amen…..Amen indeed! Check out the live vid posted from the Girls Girls Girls Tour! This 8 minute vid has all the trimmings of 80s Arena Rock. You want Vince dropping F Bombs and plugging the new album?  Check! You want a couple of floozie back up singers whose backing vocals are jacked up way to high too the point of hilarious? Check Check! You want a Mars guitar solo in the middle of Wildside? Triple Check! How about a huge live production with pyro,lights and screaming women? Cheque Please Waiter! Yup ,I miss 1987 hahaha…kinda!

GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS- ok let’s face it this when I was  20 this was cool. You know the background to this! Sleazy Vince tells the tales of how many bad ass stripper clubs The Crue has visited like The Body Shop and The Marble Arch! I mean the middle part where Tommy and Vince are whistling and calling each other’s names to check out the women is plain dumbo! Thought it was back in 87 and more so in 2015! So for that Blah! Poor Mick Mars by this point he has no choice to go along with the gimmick he plays some good guitar on this record but man it’s amazing you go from a deadly start with Wildside and quickly you start to meander around by track 2! Last time I went into a strip club here in Tbay was  with Tbone,Darr and Rugg and some other yahoos it was for Tbones  Stag night   we got tossed out over the fact that someone punched in some roof tiles! Yup there Ya go we’re bad ass like Sixx and company minus the blow,hookers and Tats! Ummmm I’m gotta think about this one for a sec!

DANCING ON THE GLASS-a big problem for me listening to this album is the production! Tom Werman handles the producers chair here and man the sonics sound weak and sterile! Dull I guess would be the word. Dancing On Glass i dunno Tommy pounds the drums into the ground but Dancing On Glass is really not a spectacular tune!  Just never registered with me…

BAD BOY BOOGIE-kinda like the somewhat Aero Groove here that starts the song! That’s about it. Actually Mars plays a decent solo with Sixx slobbering all over his bass and laying down a decent line(ahem!) The lyrics about getting your hands caught in the cookie jar and getting banged in the back seat of your car are just plain out goofy doofus rock 101! Wonder if Tbone got a lyric writing credit for this Hodgy Podgy piece of rock?

NONA-hey this is about Sixxs GrandMother so  it’s his band his deal and who doesn’t  love there G-Ma! (That’s what my daughters call there Grandma!) it’s all good here man all good!

FIVE YEARS DEAD-side two starts with some promise! I dig Mars and his slide guitar playing over the years I like  his style more now than I did back in the day as poor Mick was buried under a avalanche of LA Hot Shots!  Yeah this song has a neat groove and aero like shuffle ….pretty damn good….

ALL IN THE NAME OF ROCK N ROLL-Drugs,Boobs,Sex,Young Girls are on tap for this tune. Tommy smashes the drums at the beginning and Mick joins in as well Nikki plays a decent bass line but the over dubbed guitars just ruin this song I mean there a ear sore to me anyways if that means anything! Not to Sixx as he cashed his zillion dollar cheque at the bank on the sales of Girls Girls Girls …..

SUMTHIN FOR NUTHIN-Track 8 and pure genius! This is a great great song! Love the groove as it just reeks old school rock! The chorus is just plain sick! Cowbell Tommy and the band lay down a real solid song! Sumthin For Nuthin In and Out Is Never Free yodels Sleazy Vince and man I’m buying what there selling! Hahaha….like the Gang like backing vocals. Crank the video posted!

YOUR ALL I NEED-Sleazy Vince sings in a register so high that my parents probably thought i was skinning the family cat! Ha…seriously though I guess Sixx thought “we hit paydirt with Home Sweet Home” so let’s do it again. Not exactly! Guess this song is about some guy who offs his ex girlfriend  you know the deal when he doesn’t want anyone else seeing his ex! Not really PowerBallad material hahaha….like if EveryRose Has It Thorn went cuckoo is Your All I Need! I remember at the time thinking that if Journey did this kind of tune they would be locked up! Don’t Stop Believin Chop Chop!

JAILHOUSE ROCK(live)- Live? Blah? Not? This is a waste man! Poor Elvis! Let’s slap some audience on a studio track and call it live! This is brutal man..this album finished after Sumthin For Nuthin! Arena Rock Filler these last two tracks and I bought this album twice! DeKEs + Girls Girls Girls Album+$$$ Spent = Sucka!

IN CONCLUSION- Sixx Sixx Sixx and his bag of Trixx fooled a young me and you know what in my rock circles no one ever really talked about this album. What people did talk about was the live show with Lee going 360 in his drum cage and the cool looking strip club stage. That’s what people talked about and when myself and Tbone went to see the Crue on the Feelgood tour (1990)only Girls and Wildside were played and that pretty much tells the tale of said record. Even Sixx,Lee,Sleazy V and Mick M even know the deal!

I can say what I want but bands like Maiden,Leppard,Priest and Crue are firmly implanted in my DNA so i guess Sixx is having the last laugh after all ……

Maybe 3 songs I dig here 4 tunes tops! And I bought the damn thing twice??! I think I should be committed!

 

Guns N Roses/Appetite For Destruction

So what am I gonna say about a album that has sold 28 Million copies worldwide? Lots….well kinda! Just my Simple  Simon two cents worth…

There’s no need for me to go into the background history of Gunners as well all know the deal but a while back some one asked me to jot down some words on this classic piece of Vinyl Slab! My apopologies to the person who requested as I forgot who it was who asked! My Bad!

Appetite I purchased in late 1987 as i was so heavily Into Drugs! Hahahaha….kidding i was heavily into The Cults Electric album. A bonafide all time classic here at Arena Rock(‘YaYa’ Sez Ian Astbury) and it was Gunners who were the opening act for the Cult on there 1987 Canadian Tour. So I figured If The Cult is ripping out AC/DC style riffs and drums on Electric these Gunner fellas must be doing the same …

Kinda,Sorta!

The Songs were street rock,oozing with sex,dope,hookers,cranked amps,crazy wired lead singer,raw production no gloss as it was opposite to what was the current sound of late 1987 early 1988 (take a bow Mr Coverdale and Bandanna Micheals) a sound myself and Tbone had only heard on a album like Aerosmiths Toys In The Attic and Rocks! Basically the common theme running with the two Aero records and Appetite you believed what you heard both lyrically and musically! Not to many of those low down dirt street albums are out there if you ask me.

Mike Clink the fella who produced this album has to be given props as well. He kept the production raw,simple like plug in a record! Probably has more to do with budgetary reasons than anything and for that it’s for the better sonically speaking!

One of my fav all time concert Intros was when myself,Oinks,Andre and few others caught Gunners on there second show of the Use Your Illuison Tour(May 1991)…the voice that introduced Gunners said… “You Wanted The Best? Well They Didn’t Show Up!”

Perfect….

Oh,one  more thing! For the Love of God Guns  please don’t reunite for anything ….keep your history how I wanna remember it! Sleazeball Rock before the Lawyers/Handlers/Suits/ Destroyed it ……just leave it man ..

Slash,Izzy Stradlin,Steven Adler,Duff McKagan and Axl stomp on Poisons lipstick and make B Micheals cry!

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE-So it begins the riff! And from there here’s  Bill Bailey doing his siren wail like snakey slithery slippery drawl and we’re off! Guns a storming and setting LA fires as they go! Slash rips into the solo and I love the breakdown of the track when Adler nails his cowbell quicker than Tbone downing Tequila on a Saturday Night! The song cranks back up for one final push towards the drugged out finish line and man oh man what a stomper of a track!

ITS SO EASY- Duff launches his soon to be out of tune bass with a real wicked opener and it’s one of those bass lines that’s just DNA ‘d into the sonic regions of your Noggin! Adler,Slash and Izzy all join in and here comes Axl in that deep style singing which I actually prefer to his screech at times! This song is total destruction! No one and I mean no one has come close to these kind of tunes since than in regards to a debut! It’s all here on this Firecracker of a song! Of course right before Slash blasts off on the solo(I dig that little breakdown before the solo ) Axl throws down of of his many F Bombs on this album and well this song who knows how many? A Bakers 12 pack of F Bombs! Sure it’s all here….! Years ago (1988) myself and Tbone were in our local deptmartment store at then time (Zellers) and in there music section they had a actual juke box loaded with 45s! Of course we mosied on over and took a gander at such selections and Lo and behold there was a 45 record of Gunners Sweet Child Of Mine and on the flip side! Yup you guessed it it was It’s So Easy. Boom! I emptied my pockets dumped the change in and selected Its So Easy except for the fact that when it came on it was a live version and Hahahahaha….all you could hear was Axls voice throughout the store especially at the end of the song when he loses his shit on the F Bombs! Hahaha…. A few weeks later we were back at Zellers( we bought Project Driver at Zeller!!)and the jukebox was still there but the Gunners 45 was pulled! Ha!

NIGHTTRAIN-Adler smashes the tar out of his cowbell and we’re off with a huge dose of GNR smatterings all over the musical map! Axl man say what you want about his zany crazy off stage antics but lyrically the cat could write lyrics! I recall Tbone saying this exact comment to me when the Illusions came out to the effect of that there was a ton of lyrics written! Axl was never at a loss for words that’s for sure! Ha!

OUTTA GET ME-is a great rock track its Gunners skidding off the road  and I mean everyone in Axls Noggin was out to get him! The verse  has a real chill vibe and of course the chorus ramps up and Axl delivers us his sermon from the Rock Temple Of LSD(Lead Singers Disease) and we are followers and we all believe! Like Axl Sez its a song about people trying to hold you back yada yada yada! Like I would hold him back if I bumped Into Axl. Tbone though would pull out his business card and go a different route with Axl in conversation  and it would probably pay off! Trust me I seen Tbone live and in action hand his business card to a very famous Canadian Musician and man I fuckin giggled like a school girl after that move! I will tell all in a review coming up…..(hype)

MR BROWNSTONE-one of the best Guns tracks! Love the percussion at the beginning with Izzy and Slash wahing out there guitars and its a real cool groove that is Mr Browstone! The lyrics like so many or should I say all of them are street! You believe Axl when he says ‘ “worryings a waste of my fucking time!” Great vibe and the chorus is Gold! Drugs especially Heroin are bad kiddies Uncle Ax is telling us so!  This is a Groovers delight! The second video is Mr Brownstone a bootleg from Philadelphia. It’s ruff and live man……ain’t no slick polish police around these parts known as Gunnner County!

PARADISE CITY-we all know  the the lyrics right?  Slash begins the festivities with a nice little cool hum and strum and Heeeeeeeeere’s Axl! The song has a jacked up what sounds like to me a cranked up synth and Axl blows his whistle and we’re off! Back in day I loved this as a single because you had your Warrants/Poisons/Firehouses singing there syrupy ballads of  love and heres Izzy and company blasting that shit into the next decade and here’s Paradise City cranked and no ones  worrying about love…..

MY MICHELLE-a super fried out space cadet named Michelle is the topic of Axls story line and that’s what this song is about! Porno,Heroin,Partying …well well well……that Michelle she’s a messed up bird but like Axl says be careful because most of all this song is true! The rawness of this track is great. More Cowbell,Thanks! Great solo and the chorus just kicks it into another frontier! Also bonus points for the end of the song when Ax sounds like he’s comimg unglued for like the 150th time where here hollers..My,my my my my my my Michelle(repeat as many times you like …Go)

THINK ABOUT YOU-once again some great cowbell kicks this tune off and it’s a song no one ever talks about it eben Gunners! So here I posted this track as the video as its a little hard nut kicker of a track! It should get its due and by golly I giving it it’s due! I mean I could go with other tracks but c’mon peeps I can’t be that predictable…..

SWEET CHILD OF MINE-Slash man one of his epic guitar tunes and solo! What the hell could I possibly add in  regards about  this track?

YOUR CRAZY-Wowzers! The band fires up the Party Bus and lifts off into no mans land! Dig the chill vibe during the chorus and boom it ramps up with Adler and Slash leading the charge!

ANYTHING GOES-this one has a Aerosmithy vibe at the beginning and it could have fit snugly on side two of Aeros Rocks after Lick And A Promise and before Combination! Great tracks! Cool tempo change as well..

ROCKET QUEEN-the ultimate song ends this album! Adler and Duff lay down the groundwork and before you know it Slash and Izzy join in and Axl lays down a real good rock voice along with lyrics and man the chorus is DA SHIT! Over 8 minutes of Gunners weaving in and out of different grooves and how about the second part of the song where Axl goes real high with his voice! Man he’s one cooked dude! But he delivers it in spades here! Kudos to the other guys as well! Mint man Mint!

IN CONCLUSION- this review was more about mine and Tbones shenanigans than anything Ha! High jacking Juke Boxes,  handing out business cards,purchasing cassette copies of Project Driver! Frigg that’s lame oh! But if I told Ya all we were doin  hookers,blow,money and partying on the Nightrain you wouldn’t believe us so…..lame it is!

Seriously though when I think of this album 27 years later….Classic comes to mind! It does not get any more street than this ……

One of the all time best……

Hope ya’s dug the ramblin!

 

 

SONIC WAVES….Andy Taylor/Thunder

This ones a shout out to Mr 1537! This notes for you!

Whoah whoah…Yep this is Andy Taylor he formerly of Duran Duran and guess what peeps? Andy put out a decent  rock record and if your looking for Rio,Girls On Film,Hungry Like A (do a do do a do do do do) Wolf it ain’t here…not close!

So I guess how I read it the Kerrangs  of the world back in the mid 80s Andy and John Taylor from Duran did that real cool album with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson (Powerstation) and it made me take notice Shit these two Durannies could play and they weren’t mixed way down on the studio Duran albums under Nick Rhodes fucking mountains of keyboards instead they were cranked up on the Powerstation album.

So myself and Tbone bought Powerstation….check!

In 1987 Andy Taylor releases Thunder,myself and Tbone each buy Thunder ….Check! Check!

Andy was smart he got Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols to co produce,co write and play guitar. Also he hired Mickey Curry of Bryan Adams to play drums and Tbones favourite keyboard player Bret  Tuggle from David Lee Roths solo band to slam the keys….

Basically Thunder is more Bryan Adams rock than Duran Duran dribble so sign me up as I love a good slab of AOR Rock now and again.

Get it on …Bang A Gong or 2!

I MIGHT LIE- bunch of guitar feedback begins this song and it’s a shot of  adrenaline fast and easy! Taylor has a good rock voice which I never knew well I kinda did from that tune he did a few years earlier called Take It Easy so the cat had some chops on the guitar and a decent rock vocal! So when this album dropped in 1987 I scooped it pretty quick! So yeah back to I Might Lie which is a good opener! Good on Andy and plus he has sidekick Jonesy on guitar as well! Man there as probably some good parties off of the recording console for this record! Ha!

DONT LET ME DIE YOUNG- kinda some punchy drumming followed along with some echoey guitar starts with what is my favourite tune from Thunder. I love it when the crazed ass piano kicks in and check  out the vid posted! Andys voice suits this tune! Just a simple rocker no flash just a kick in the ass! Don’t Let Me Die Young…I’m Begging You sings Mr Taylor and I think he’s kinda getting autobiographical here!  Bottom line great tune! Crank the video and enjoy the fine selection of music here at Arena Rock!

LIFE GOES ON- this tune is dripping AOR all over the place this tune totally reminds me of a Bryan Adams tune kinda could have fit on Adams Into The Fire side 2 right before Hearts On Fire! Kinda that kind of vibe some nice guitaring on this track but the thing is the chorus of Life Goes On repeated over and over gets a little redundant after a while!

THUNDER- is the title track its just  a straight ahead rocker and it amazes me that Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols is riding shot gun on this album but i guess a pay cheque is a pay cheque! Thunder is nothing fancy but it’s a simple rocker witha great solo by Taylor and Jones. Mickey Curry pushes the drums fast forward while a total 80s sounding keyboard aides the chorus which I really could do without!

NIGHT TRAIN- is another mid tempo rocker. Taylor’s singing carries this tune and its a different kind of rock. Regular piano helps this tune along and I love the clean sound of the geetar on this track! Video number 2 posted just for You!

TREMBLIN- Wowzers this should have been a single! It squeaks 80s delight think Robert Plants Now And  Zen! This song is heavily accented with that 80s Synthy sound! The song is not great not bad just there! Like i said if your looking to order a 80s cheesecake check this one out! BUT Taylor even though he’s 80s thru an thru his solos are short precise and to the point! Look folks he’s Tremblin!

BRINGIN ME DOWN- some pickity pickity guitar and boom some mid tempo rock is ordered and he sings a chill vocal! Pretty good I suppose!

BROKEN WINDOW-hmmm to me sounds like Curry took the day off and Mr Drum Machine showed up but it has that cool groove like this could have been on a episode of Miami Vice! Tubs! Crockett! You guys there? What saves this song is Taylor’s solo once again the dude can play but I wish he would have really let himself loose on this album!

FRENCH GUITAR-is a musical man when I hear it  feel like I’m flying! Flying High Again! Hahaha….no this tune is super chill laid back kinda  like lying on the grass staring up at the sun on a hot warm August afternoo  and and spacing out!

IN CONCLUSION- Andy Taylor drops Thunder on the public and the public mmmm doesnt really go for it! For me at Arena Rock though this is a album that had to be reviewed for all intent and purposes and it doesn’t fall into 3/4’s Filler Area but it doesn’t rage supreme either! I will say  that Don’t Let Me Die Young is a great rock track and Andy was on the right path (in my book ) anyways with that song but he shifts gears and doubles back into Bryan Adams ville even though Taylors material at times falls a little short in some serious rock but Andys guitaring  is standout on Thunder!

In other words if you come across it in your music journeys pick up Thunder and check it out!

SONIC WAVES…..Kiss/Crazy Nights

 

So in 1985 Heart release the album Heart(sold trillions!) You know that one! What About Love and These Dreams and well lookey lookey come two years later(1987) Kiss hire Hearts producer Ron Nevision and make a closer to sounding like a Heart record than like a Kiss record!

This album was real and I mean real close to making into the 3/4’s Kiss Filler Week list but for some unexplainable reason when I first got this idea a few weeks back I started listening on my iPod to and from work what would make the chopping block in regards to Kiss! Much to my surprise both The Elder and Crazy Nights slid by DeKEs musical chopping block!

Who woulda thunk it? Not me but Kiss was floundering in 1987 like a turd being flushed down the toilet and anything we need a hit sez Mr Stanley and viola get Nevison here lets water down the sound and write some catchy hits or something like it…..

Ladies And Gents …..

YOU WANTED THE BEST….ummmm ok?!

CRAZY NIGHTS-the first time I played Crazy Nights was on my Walkman as I purchased it on cassette tape and my first few thoughts were wow the sound is like Hearts album from two years earlier! Stanley tells us all that if life is like a radio turn it up to 10! Hahaha ok pal and there we have it Kiss 87 is writing or trying to write the HIT! You know it’s one of those songs that gets stuck in your head and you will find yourself saying “these are Crazy Crazy Crazy Niiiiiights” maybe it’s just me thinking that  and I need to visit a psychiatrist! Bruce Kulick lays down a Heartish guitar solo and Eric Carr is in handcuffs and can’t break loose and plays a simple yet effective drum beat! In reality this ain’t too shabby of a start! I also remember at the time of this release that Kiss was saying that the song Crazy Nights went top 10 in Britain! My good friend from the UK Mr HMO can you confirm this or was I fooled by Mr Stanley’s hype machine yet again? Ha! Crank the video posted it’s from the Hot In The Shade Tour and its a great version…..

I’LL FIGHT HELL TO HOLD YOU- rumble go the drums and this is a good song it’s a little more of a ooooomph than Crazy Nights and what’s bizarre is that doesn’t Gene get track two on most records or most of the 80s output? Kinda or track 3 hmmmmm Gene your making bad movies get back to Kiss and write another Burn Bitch Burn would Ya! Ha! But yeah Paul rocks it up on this track the boys lay it down pretty good on this tune.

BANG BANG YOU- I dunno being 20 and this coming out was just a big dumb rock anthem. Stanley can write some real dumb lyrics and this can be the second song (Uh All Night being the first from 1985)of Stanleys dumb ass lyric written tracks  and culminating two years later (1989) with You Make Me Rock Hard and Let’s Put The X In Sex! Now as goofy as the lyrics are the music is good especially the pre chorus and now Kiss has  incorporated the Kiss synth to I guess enhance the sound of the times! Kulick and Carr do what they can do and show up being good soldiers and cashing in there paycheque as good employees of Starchild and Demon! Play the vid and feel free to comment!

NO NO NO- wow the leash is off of Kulick and Carr and they get to show off a bit and this is Genes deal song número uno 4! The Kiss guys are clocking in at age 40 and there still giving er! Pretty good tune fast paced and Gene even though he may have written this song in about 5 minutes shows that the band still has some chops! Come to think of it the bass is mixed low on this whole record….either that or I’m tone-deaf!

HELL OR HIGHWATER-Simmons and Kulick totally step up here and this is a win win tune! Good verses,real good chorus and the solo from Kulick is real good the dude could burn a bit when the Bosses would let him! I have always liked this tune. Not an Arena Rock Gem but still a good track never the less! Crank the video posted so Ya all don’t think I’m talking out of my arse!

MY WAY- AH Geez ….the first time I heard this i thought this was a Heart throw away song left outside the garbage pail and picked up by Paul and reconfigured into a Kiss track! Paul’s reverted back on this track like he was singing on Animalize. Throw down some Kiss synth and man oh man …..if Paul in 1987 told a 20-year-old DeKEs that it’s his way or the highway in regards to this track I would have said “Highway,” seriously I would have !

WHEN YOUR WALLS COME DOWN-this song is just filler. Kiss knew it as it was never heard from them again…Next!

REASON TO LIVE-Power ballad,Ya surprised? Nope I mean Poison,Bon Jovi,Whitesnake and Def Leppard were selling tons of records in 1987 and they all were dropping the Ballad some worked (not saying which ones!) some flopped(everything Poison). Reason To Live has the Kiss synth cranked and this is Rock 101 Power Fromula executed to a T! The only problem was it tanked quicker than you can say Tank! The chorus Paul sings hiiiiiiiigh…stop it dude please! Now having said all of this there’s a live show from this tour called Kiss Live At The Ritz(thanks Mr Ladano!) from 1988 and this song is on their and guess what? I can tolerate the live version as Eric Carr pushes the pace a little better and Kiss  doesn’t feature the full meal Heart deal live…well a bit they have some dude slinking on the side of the stage playing keys thru the live version…..

GOOD GIRL GONE BAD-Simmons steps up and delivers another good song! I like it when he sang chill especially on the Creatures album! Good song,good solo it’s all here…Simmons on this album for the most part is kinda not buying into the Stanley Heart Nevison Hype Machine!

TURN ON THE NIGHT-This tune should have been called Turn On The Synth…I dunno this song is too obviously a single…another tank job as no one bought into it! Stanley must have lost a ton of hair over this album! ” I make a Heart record and no one is buying it!” Sez Paulie. Umm  Paul you are a good singer but it’s Ann Wilson man!

THIEF IN THE NIGHT-Simmons ends the record with a so so track and pretty much his weakest track on here but better than about 4 Stanley tracks on here! Did I just type that? Ha! Thief In The Night plods along to the finish line and Gene closes off the album with his tune,and before he shuts off the studio lights on Crazy Nights he unplugs the Kiss Synth!

IN CONCLUSION-Whoah Nelly! This just passes I mean out of 11 tracks I can still listen to about 5 of these and 3 of them are Genes tunes! And 2.5 are from Paul the . 5 is the music to Bang Bang You. Kiss was floundering and well what can Ya do I’m sure in their minds they were hot shit but lack of tickets on this tour and sagging record sales sure didn’t help the cause but give em credit they stuck it out…

As crazy as it sounds I wish Kiss would go back and do the non make up era of the band one last time! This I could handle more now. I may be in the minority here but why not? Kiss in makeup is now almost at 20 years(1996) and I’m kinda bored by the their whole makeup deal kinda…..

This is the final Kissy thingy bloggy for a bit! Thanks for reading and commenting all things Kiss this week ….Have a good weekend friends and back to regular babbling on and on when Monday rolls around!

Anyone up for a little Fly On The Wall?

 

SONIC WAVES…Faster Pussycat/Faster Pussycat

You know that this debut album by these LA sleazeballs came out two weeks before Guns N Roses Appetite For Destruction? (July 7 1987 for Pussycat and the 21st of July for Gunners!)No shit Sherlock! Seriously though it did and of course we all know that Gunners sold millions upon millions of copies of Appetite and Faster Pussycat well they put a pretty decent debut of there own which sold well,went gold so not too shabby!

These guys I know  we’re one of Tbones younger brothers first cassette purchases but I know Darr and Rugg  had it….so yeah let’s 

Look What The Pussycat Dragged In….

DONT CHANGE THAT SONG- Taime Down is the singer and he has a different kind of voice but one that suits this band! Taime sing it pal “Don’t change that song it’s my favooooorite wreckoooord!’ Ha that’s how it has always sounded to me! This song was there debut single and   It was just a simple straight ahead back alley rock. Catchy verse,pre chorus and chorus. Brent Muscat and Eric Steele lay down some simple yet effective Rock guitar the sound is remiscent of Hanoi Rocks not the vocals but the music.

BATHROOM WALL-drums and bass lead off this super charged tilt thru the stalls of the Bathroom Wall! And hear comes sloppy guitar the kind that I have always liked. This song is pretty damn catchy and well they must have honed there craft in the bars cuz this sure sounds like it was one of those 3 am throw downs in the studio!

NO ROOM FOR EMOTION-booze n blues and The Pussycat has no room at there inn for emotion! This is a great tune one of the better on the debut. It has a old school Aerosmith vibe that’s what it sound likes to me anyways! Cool interplay between the guitars. Love the Ol school sleaze sound of yesteryear!

CATHOUSE- bam,here comes some riffing on the six strings and the drums,bass and here’s some rocking piano(remember the piano on the studio version of Christine 16 by Kiss? Speed that piano up to 78 rpms and you got Cathouse!) This is another rocker and its a full tilt no holds barred corker!

BABYLON- holy shit! Pussycat rap rock…this song is another fav as no other rock artists were doing this at the time but these guys did. They should have put this out as a single! Record company dropping the ball! Crank the vid!

SMASH ALLEY- side 2 leads the charge and the chorus rocks and holy crap were bar room brawling with the Pussycat Guys circa 1987. Shit if we’re keeping score me and Tbone were just turning 20 than! This song has nifty guitar solo and it’s a straight ahead dash to the finish line!

SHOOTING YOU DOWN-this tune is alright I find it so so. Not bad,not great just so so! Kinda like the Big Mac of tunes meaning it’s just some slop thrown together. Sometime rock slop can be pulled together and a real cool tune can come about like Aerosmith with My Fist Your Face from there Done With Mirrors album! That is slop thrown to the wall and it sticks and I still love that tune (My Fist Your Face) that is my comparison of cool rock slop Vs close but no cigar rock slop!(Shooting You Down)

CITY HAS NO HEART-ok so the band puts some gas in the tank after almost running out on Shooting You Down and man they rev up on this song! This is a great rock track! It’s all there at Pussyville! Cool guitar, lyrics,chorus it’s all here! Love it!

SHIP ROLLS IN-more Booze n Brawl from the boys this is a ok rocker! Nuthin to write home about.Pussycat are not reinventing the rock wheel here.

BOTTLE IN FRONT OF ME- speaking of Booze well here’s the tune that ends the album and hey fella’s it’s been a slice! The song is a little slower but it still has that OL stingy barroom smoke filled aura goin on.

IN CONCLUSION- Faster Pussycat puts out there debut and I kinda dug it. Even now revisiting it all these years later I still say that the first 5 songs are real good and that side two except for (City Has No Heart) kinda lagged behind but this is still a good debut. Fortunately for me I kinda lost interest when there second album Wake Me When It’s Over failed to really make a Sonic Impact on yours truly. But for little time when everyone was being signed out of LA in the mid to late 80s these guys had a shot…..