The Black Crowes/The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion(1992)

Folk’s here’s Part Deux of mine and Mikey’s Double Crowes Header! Click the link below for Mikey’s slamming spin on this Classic!

REVIEW: The Black Crowes – The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (remastered)

Don’t you just love the cover of this album? I sure as hell do! It’s basically the Crowes hanging out in a dump like setting so for all the wham bam Poison like happy 80’s bands trying to scrape by with any smudge of success in the early 90s The Black Crowes are basically about to stomp you out!

Nothing happy around these parts folks..move on but before you do. Dig into the grooves of this album! An absolute scorcher and in my mind (anyways) a 360 degree turn from the Hard Blues Stones like Rock of the debut (Shake Your Money Maker) from two years before!

Southern Harmony is an album of “We don’t give a F**K” we will do what we wanna do!” This album registers on all levels of that previous statement! No real radio tailor-made singles. No sir! Just plug-in and let it rip and through all its 10 songs 50 minutes of music. The co writes between vocalist Chris Robinson and his brother, guitarist  Rich Robinson are brilliant put together pieces of music without worrying about what would make it to the radio.

One big change was in the 6 string dept as Jeff Cease got his marching papers and in comes Marc Ford.  The rest of the Crowes still remained intact and that would be Johnny Colt(Bass),Steve Gorman(Drummer) & Eddie Harsch(Keyboards)

You could sense these guys were already graduates from the we don’t give a shit what anyone think’s thought of school. Fair enough…

Sting Me opens the proceedings and the Crowes are a flying as this is a straight ahead rocker. “If you feel a riot that don’t deny it” sings Chris and were off. Nice tidy like drumming by Gorman who as always does keeps the Crowes beat moving forward. This tune has a live like feel and even the Keyboards are mixed right. Great opener!

Ok. Remedy dropped as a single before the album landed in the shops and all I will say is “This is such a Friggin great Rock Track!” Whether from 1992 or 2017 it is amped and loaded. When i first heard this song I was blown away at the power of it. Just no fooling around B.S and Remedy was holding its own as the Seattle Grungeaholics were trying to wipe all kinds of rock from the map. Kinda like a hostile takeover but the Crowes were having none of that. Heads down in the trenches boys and Chris and Rich cook us all up a Remedy! With Gorman smashing about his symbols the guitars just lift this track right off! Still one of my all time fav-o rock tracks.

Thorn In My Pride is 6 minutes of a jam o ram workout. It’s all here. Chill vibe that ramps up with a snazzy driven keyboard line after the fuzzy distorted guitar solo. Chris battles “Devils/Angels” Hmmm is this about his brother Rich? hahaha….

Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye starts off with Gorman clicking his sticks with the count in as someone chirps about “Weed” beforehand. Bad Ass Rock Hippies! This song has a different vibe. Real chill verses. The chorus wakes up a bit which features the ladies on the background vocals.  See that’s the thing I love about this album is that Crowes just jam out tunes that are pushing the envelope of doing what they wanted. Great chorus!

Sometimes Salvation. Marc Ford has the distinction of being in my all time Top 10 for the fuzzed out supersonic slip n slide distorted solo that is an absolute beast on this track. The first time I heard this tune on my first listen I went back to the solo it’s so freaking good! Sometimes Salvation has that great drum/lead vocal kick that to me along with the solo is like me scrapping around looking for a fix! A fix of Rock! I have always liked this video as  Chris just gives er in the lead vocal department especially when he’s bellowing “Sister do you wanna find me?” Deep man…

Hotel Illness has a Stones like opening featuring some cool percussion and harp to lead off the proceedings. Nice smooth vocal and I like how the Crowes mix it up between vocal/harp on the first verse and shift to vocal/guitar leads on the second verse. 

More harmonica on Black Moon Creeping. BMC is another great track as the Crowes do all the trimmings on this song. A sleazy like groove during the verse and Boom comes the chorus where it goes up one notch and thats due to Gorman and his drums!

The tour opener for the 92/93 tour that touched down in Tbay. No Speak No Slave has a real cool groove love the riffage of the guitars during the chorus. The song just ploughs forward with Colt playing his bass and just being locked and loaded with Gorman while Rich and Marc just jam all out over the map. Chris just bellows and howls and asks ‘Do you wanna be heard?’ Yes I Do! A rip snorting track that goes all bonkers at the end!

My Morning Song is another jam like workout. Tons of slide action from the guitars. No fooling around with a straight ahead rock track Crowesfried just how we likey! Chris man sounds like he’s about to go hoarse on this song and kudos to these guys for just leaving as is alone!

Time Will Tell is a Bob Marley cover that closes up shop on this album. The Black Crowes become Bob Crowes and basically keep the reggae like beat but with keeping an edge on it.

What can you say about this album?

Well…

Considering the Betty Crocker Baked Oven was on full throttle for this album these guys knew what they were doing.

To my listening ears this is a complete left turn from the debut. This album reeks of nastiness(the seedier side of life)but in a complimentary way. No radio like hits. A killer live off the floor recording  that no one back in 92 was doing or for that matter is doing now.

The vocals/musicianship the crafting of the songs by the Robinson Brothers was at an all time creative peak here.  I bought into the Crowes but after this album it was hit or miss with their stuff for my liking…

All time great here!

 

 

Stevie Ray Vaughn/Live At The El Mocambo(1983)

 

Stevie Ray what can you say about this guy?! When he died in that helicopter crash outside Alpine Valley Wisconsin in August 1990 it was a devastating blow to the word GUITAR. The guy was a complete master of this instrument and for me being a Metal Boy at the time I could total appreciate his playing and singing….

First time I ever heard about Stevie Ray was when our pal named Farmer showed up to John Youngs place(another friend who is M.I.A) with two cassette tapes.(Circa early to mid 1983 )

One was Anvils “Metal On Metal” the second was Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Texas Flood”.

Anvil I knew about as they were getting some press and they were the heaviest band that I had heard coming from Canada.

Stevie Ray on the other was a different story! When I slapped those Orange Foamed Walkman Headphones on my head I could nor believe what I was hearing. This guy Stevie Ray was playing some real fused up Blues in power trio format and Texas Flood sounds like it was recorded in one take. Tommy Shannon on Bass and Drummer Chris ‘Whipper” Layton just laid down a whole new vibe that I had never heard as SRV was an artist you would  not read in Circus/Hit Parader or Rock Scene.(My current reading at the time) So I had to buy a couple of Guitar Magazines to read about the Buzz SRV was creating …..

SRV Blue’s Bug bit me big time and after that day. I the young Ding A Ling Metal Head became a Lifer of SRV! I  bought all his stuff and of course like I mentioned earlier when that Helicopter went down in August of 1990 and SRV and some of Eric Clapton’s Entourage Perished it was a Great loss to Music in general. For myself think this was the biggest shock a roo and the World lost an amazing talent!

But SRV’s Music lives on and what better way than to talk about it with  this Live show recorded in Toronto at the infamous El Mocambo  Bar as MuchMusic filmed this and straight to my VHS it went that day  when MuchMusic previewed it  and I remember me and my younger brother Todd watching it and basically it was Stevie Showing everyone how it was to be done on the 6 string! This is an amazing recording ….Just watch the clip below..

Love Struck Baby is the tune I posted and in 2 Minutes 51 Seconds Stevie lays down the law with his fantastic guitar playing I mean during the solo SRV oozes cool as he casually takes off his hat places it over the mic and lifts the guitar over his head and takes the over in solo-ville and just lift’s off.  When the solo’s finished the guitar flips back over and Stevie grabs his hat and Bam back on his head and plays the tune out!

PURE BRILLIANCE!! A true showman in every word but had the talent to back it up. Give it up for Tommy and Chris known as Double  Trouble who keep the Blue’s Boat afloat and let their Boss do the talking with the 6 string!

The Set list….

“Testify” (Isley Brothers)
“So Excited”
“Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” (Jimi Hendrix)
“Pride and Joy”
“Tell Me” (Howlin’ Wolf)
“Mary Had a Little Lamb” (Buddy Guy)
“Texas Flood” (Larry Davis, Joseph Wade Scott)
“Love Struck Baby”
“Hug You, Squeeze You” (John Lee Hooker)
“Third Stone from the Sun” (Jimi Hendrix)
“Lenny”
“Wham” (Lonnie Mack)

Also of note from this show is SRV’s spin on Hendrix’s Voodoo Child. Wowzer’s is the first thing that come’s to my  mind as it’s an audio assault and how the roof didn’t cave in that night Toronto I’ll never know…watch and see for yourself… (Of note you gotta love Shannons Bass Cabinets in the video. Talk about Old School but they look cool)

Hell, I could post this whole show it’s that good! Stevie was and still is a Genius! 27 years have almost  passed since Stevie Ray’s death and he is one of the Best..EVER!

 

 

 

AC/DC/For Those About To Rock(We Salute You) (1981)

 

 

Hey Folks! Today Marks The 35 Anniversary Of For Those About To Rock! Fellow Blogger Mr (Andrew )Bop Asked If Anyone One Wanted To Blog About This Monumental Album So Click The Links Below And Check Out Some Great Writers….

https://nauticazinger.wordpress.com

https://keepsmealive.wordpress.com

My review of FTATR was posted last September(2015) So yeah I’m cheating but …..ummmmm My Blog My Rules……..

 

Tbone raced out of the gates and bought this the day it was released and that would have been Nov of 1981! AC/DC as we know became a household item after Back In Black sold like millions and millions and millions (you get the idea) and well you can all read about how Back In Black took us all over musically and sonically as well a good story on my friend CHICO who is the star of the Back In Black post….https://superdekes.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/sonic-waves-acdcback-in-black/

So here we are back in November 81 and those smart Suits at Atlantic Records are getting out new AC/DC product before Christmas which we all know means $$$$$ for the record company’s ….

Tbone did the right thing and bought this on vinyl(I got my copy of FTATR at Christmas) once we got back to his place it was time to further inspect said product! I have always loved the cover simple,a cannon background some kind of copperish color and the logo of AC/DC of course and what a great title for a bunch of young fanboys like myself and Tbone!

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK …(on the front cover)  WE SALUTE YOU …(on the back cover)  of course we were gobsmacked as there we’re ten more new songs(which i will get into shortly) but the real kicker was that it was a gatefold album…

Boom we opened it up. There it is AC/DC  in a live action shot! Wowzers we must  have stared at that pic for minutes! Ha and no we weren’t baked!

Not to many bands did gatefold sleeves at the time(well in my collection anyways ) of course I had the two Kiss Alive Albums (1&2),Cheap Trick At The Budokan,Dream Police and Rush’s Exit Stage Left and that was it for gatefold sleeves….

Of course AC/DC had built their reputation not only on studio albums but the touring angle as well. Hence the great live shot….

After For Those About To Rocks release I heard chatter in my Highschool Halls that FTATR sounded like the Back In Black? Hahahaha…no shit Sherlock the previous 7 AC/DC albums all sounded alike but that’s AC/DC’s deal and more power to them….I dug it and bought into the program! Oi! I mean why would AC/DC change it up now! They were huge,they had Mutt Lange once again produce as he twiddled the knobs as producer on Back In Black and before that Highway To Hell.

Cliff Williams,Phil(breaking the law) Rudd,Brian Johnson and those crazy wacky Young brothers Angus and Malcolm keep the parteeee going! (Cannon Included!)

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK (WE SALUTE YOU)-Angus  gets our attention real quick with his real cool picking and brother Malcolm lays down the ultimate riff! Here comes  Cliffy (bass) Rudder (drums) and Jonno, he is already cooked hollering “we roll tonight to the guitar bite!”  Of course if you’re a fan of this album you know this songs deal! The verses and chorus move along at a mid tempo pace and the band shifts gears once Angus nails down the solo! Johnson tells us all to “Pick up balls,Load up your cannons for a 21 gun saluuuuute!” There they be….Cue Cannons…FIRE……by golly AC/DC dumped some cash into the sonics on this album as these cannons sound real! The songs ramps up Angus goes speeding up and down his guitar neck and the song ends with one more round of cannon fire! If your Lookin for an attention grabber …look no further than track 1!

PUT THE FINGER ON YOU-Angus leads off and Phil  joins in on drums Jonno lays down the vocal and man this dude was singing in the high registers on this album as he did on Back In Black. The guitars carry this one as does Angus on his solo.

LETS GET IT UP-Angus once again opens this mid tempo tune and the band steams ahead! Johnson is crafty with the lyrics on this song! At one point he sings”It’s high tide,Let’s ride the moon is rising and so am I” poetry in rock motion my  friends of Arena Rock and why do I say that? Easy peasy 34 years later these lyrics are welded Into the Neanderthal portions of my brain! Guess what? I’m totally ok with this! Angus does not abort ship but shifts gears in a real nice solo and he shows why he’s always been a great hard rock blues guitar player being he can play off the wall bonkers solos and chill it back and play blues solos cranked up to 10 on his Marshall.

INJECT THE VENOM- This is serious AC/DC! Big sound from the band stops and crashes at the start and let Brian wail his vocals in between bursts of High Voltage heavy riff rock! The chorus is real good and man Angus nails down the solo like a lightening bolt zinging the fretboard of his guitar! V-E-N-O-M! Great tune a Gem I mean, Johnson could peel paint off the wall with his vocals on this record! As always top-notch straight ahead hard rock beats courtesy of Mal,Cliff and Phillip.

SNOWBALLED- kinda one of those tunes that no one talks about but I’m gonna! Love Snowballed. It just cranks heavy blues rock from the start and it took me years to figure out what Johnsons singing about on this track! Vocally this track as man he’s giving er! “you been Snowballed!” Yelps Brian and Angus and the boys are steaming down full throttle about to come off the tracks! Angus just lets it rip and that’s the deal for early 80s AC/DC fast hard-driving rock!

EVIL WALKS- The beginning riff man that sounds like Evil to me and this opening to this tune feels like were all going down to hell! Dig how the band shifts gears at the start and by the time Johnson joins were off to the races! Great everything about this song! Crank the video posted and we all can go to Hell together! Love the street backing vocals courtesy of Cliff and Malcolm they ain’t singers man their just dudes in jeans and t-shirts that open there mouths and there’s the vocals. On record is what you hear live.

C.O.D- Love this tune! Love the crisp clear snap mix of Phil’s high hat. Speaking of mixed drums AC/DC always got great drum sounds on their albums and the only other band that has come close is the Cult on their Electric Album! Man those drums on Electric are so crisp so clear and were talking about the Cult back in 1987!  C.O.D is great with just the one guitar at the beginning joining Phil and Brian singing about ‘Call of the dog,cry of the bitch,cream of the dream is the cause of the itch,call of the doctor,cash on demand,get enough rope might even hang’ boom the band ramps up and were off to the real catchy chorus C.O.D …..man I just love  this tune and why not it’s simple yet very effective AC/DC doing what they do best! Teaching all of us 14-year-old boys back in 1981 the birds,bees,does and dont’s of life! For that thanks ACDC!

BREAKING THE RULES-A slow barn burner of a tune as the band just grooves off the top. Angus once again goes into some inner channel old blues guy and plays a low down n dirty solo! This tune is a slower paced AC/DC kinda animal! Phil,Cliff and Malcolm lay back the groove and no worries peeps if you’re gonna break rules break them with AC/DC!

NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES-The band all start out of the gate on time all together and this song Yep is one of those end of the finish line Gem classics that no one ever talks about! Love the guitar during the verses sounds pure Evil!  The chorus is real and I mean real catchy  This tune is how we like our fav Aussies…Eviiiiil man pure Eviiiiil !

SPELLBOUND-Trippy dippity tune that wheezes and sniffs its way to the finish line. Back in my youngish daze I would kinda be done after Night Of The Long Knives but over time what makes a great song sometimes is the slow grower that over time will win Ya over! Spellbound is that.  The chorus is Rock EM Sock Em a different kinda of AC/DC  but not really…hey it all can’t be about booze and humping! Well! It can be…..

IN CONCLUSION-On any given day FTATR can easily be up there in my fav AC/DC albums,yeah seriously like why not! Sure my all time fav DACCA record is Flick Of The Switch but there all great in one way or another and I can honestly say AC/DC would never be featured in a 3/4s Filler episode! Nada not happening here. Seriously though 1981 and now Into 2015 FTATR is deemed an all time classic …..just love it ….

ZZ Top/ Live-Greatest Hits(2016)

New Release…..

ZZ Top has just released their newest album which as you know by the title is Live and the Two Long Beards(Billy Gibbons/Dusty Hill) and  Stache (Frank Beard)  are telling all that will listen(Moi) that this is the followup up live album to 1975’s Fandango album which was half studio and half live! Course ZZ in recent years has released a few Live DVDs and such but hey it’s their deal so they can say what they wanna say!

41 years between actual Live Album releases! I would say it’s time! In case you’re wondering Tbone bought this on cassette  about 30 years ago so Tbone has been Fandango’n for 3 decades now! Whatever the Hell that means. Sounded cool……

ZZ Top ‘Greatest Hits Live’ Track Listing
1. “Got Me Under Pressure”
2. “Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers”
3. “Cheap Sunglasses”
4. “Waitin’ for the Bus”
5. “Jesus Just Left Chicago”
6. “Legs”
7. “Sharp Dressed Man”
8. “Rough Boy” (with Jeff Beck)
9. “Pincushion”
10. “La Grange”
11. “I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide”
12. “Tube Snake Boogie”
13. “Gimme All Your Lovin’”
14. “Tush”
15. “Sixteen Tons” (with Jeff Beck)

Well, for starters that’s a cool 15 pack of tracks and even as you can see Jeff Beck slings some ax with Billy Gibbons on two tracks!(Rough Boy and a cover of Sixteen Tons)

If you recall from a few weeks back when I reviewed Twisted Sisters Metal Meltdown release I made a point saying I really dug the fact that I enjoyed the rawness associated with the production. Almost a Bootleg like feel to it.

ZZ to my ears anyways has gone the same route. Each of these tracks are recorded in a bunch of different cities(13 different cities with London England being the city with two tracks as those are the shows that Beck appears at) The great city of Vancouver B.C is represented on here as well!(I’m Bad,I’m Nationwide)

ZZ strips back the sound. They don’t gloss up the production and once you wrap your head around the sonics of Frank Beards drums on the opening track Got Me Under Pressure were off to the ZZ Saloon downing  a bunch of  tequila shots with quick dabs of brilliance emulating from Gibbons guitar! What a freakin tone the Man possesses! Must also mention Gibbon’s lead vocals are First Chill Class all the way! Speaking of vocals! How about a round of Hot Sauce and Thumbs up to Dusty Hill  for always delivering the song Tush with a good Ass Texan Kicking…..!

You want a Guitar Extravaganza  Record in how to play real cool licks without sounding like  a Hot Dog. Check out this album for that!

Each song sounds different  I guess as it depended on the sound from where the tracks were recorded from. Audience fades out after every song just as well as some crowds are louder than others.

These guys could have made this a 30 song album easy but putting tunes like Pincushion(great track)Tube Snake Boogie and Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers I was sold and preordered it from iTunes.

I love this album man it’s great to hear the boys(Gibbons and Hill) trade-off vocal lines on certain tracks like Got Me Under Pressure. I mean I always crack up on how cool Gibbons sounds  singing the line “she likes Cocaineee” and adds to it his little magic powdery like riff on the guitar….It’s little things like that bring so much to a track…

They even have someone playing Harmonica(no digital booklet with iTunes purchase so I don’t know who’s playing harp) on a couple of tracks as well and this enhances that Sleazy ZZ feel on numbers like Waitin’ For The Bus & Jesus Just Left Chicago.

Kinda wish some stuff from Recycler/ Rhythmeen would have been added as well tracks from the  fantastic La Futura . But what can ya do? Maybe down the road Fella’s? While were at it how about cueing up and adding Woke Up With Wood to the next ZZ Live Meal Deal?

This is a Low Down Dirty Drippin Blues Fused Texas Taco Rock Album. My  first thought “Yup! Another Live Album!” But the fact these guys went and didn’t tweak the crap out of it in the studio makes it a worthwhile purchase.

 

 

 

Georgia Satallites/In The Land OF Salvation And Sin(1989)

Plain and Simple these guys Kicked Ass! Only about a year later after this album was released The Satellites called it a day but Lead Vocalist/Guitarist Dan Baird released in 1992 the classic Love Songs For The Hearing Impaired but that’s getting ahead of ourselves….

Back in 1989 though the Boys along with Baird/ Rick Richards(guitar) Rick Price(bass) and Mauro Magallen(drums) released this Fantastic Slab Of Southern Fried Rock served with a shot of Jack Daniels with a swift kick up the backside!

When it comes to these Satellite’s people always talk about the self titled debut from 1986 that featured the enormous selling single Keep Your Hands To Yourself.

Fair enough that’s what got these guys on the Musical Map and back in Hair Metal 86 with all of your Talk Dirty like tunes mixing it up with the Carrie singles of the world come these Red Neck Rockers wearing Levi Strauss clothes/Greasy hair/Riding around in the back of pick up truck’s and Loud guitars  breathing  Smokey Fresh Air in a genre that’s polluted with Crap Rock. These fella’s show up on the door step,kick the door off the hinges and toss a party!

1988’s Open All Night had some real good tracks like Sheila,Dunk N Dine, and the title track but lost a little steam but that problem was fixed when these boys put out Salvation And Sin!

Salvation And Sin is 14 Tracks Of Blitzing Rock….

1 I Dunno 3:10
2 Bottle O’ Tears 3:52
3 All Over But The Cryin’ 5:11
4 Shake That Thing 5:12
5 Six Years Gone 3:09
6 Games People Play
Written-By – Joe South
3:40
7 Another Chance 4:33
8 Bring Down The Hammer 4:23
9 Slaughterhouse
Written-By – Rick Richards
2:47
10 Stellazine Blues 4:11
11 Sweet Blue Midnight 6:26
12 Days Gone By 3:34
13 Crazy
Written-By – Gina Webb
3:24
14 Dan Takes Five

I Dunno blasts off at rocket speed and Dan being the main songwriter writes wicked tales of the Good and Bad side of relationships as I Dunno is just that! Richards blasts a quick lightening bolt of a solo and Good Times/ Bad Times /I Dunno/Just Pick Up The Dice And Baby Let It Roll sings Dan! Yee F’n Haw!

Bottle O’ Tears is a great tune that features the ying and yang of vocal play between Richards and Baird! This song oozes Cool! Too get a good feel of this Georgia Fried satellite tune I posted a live clip from 1989 speaking of which I reviewed these guys when they showed up to Tbay (Dec 1989) and basically took mine and Tbones hearing and obliterated it! Fantastic Show  ….Anyhoo enjoy the vid and check out Rick Richards mic stand instead of guitar pics he has 3 smokes taped to his mic stand! That’s Rock N Roll Swagger!

Baird can write cool lost love ballads like All Over But The Cryin that doesn’t lag and that’s thanks to Mauro’s drumming as he pushes it out of any chance of  bordering on wimpy!

Another strong feature of the Satellites is that when they cover tunes like Games People Play they make it sound their own which is a plus for these guys. Bassist Price handles the lead vocals on this track while Richards plays some wicked cool slide geetar action!

The party can’t always be rocking Another Chance features acoustic and mandolins guitars while each guy in the Satellites takes a line(not that kinda line!) vocally and it shows that these guys can shift gears at a moments notice!

SlaughterHouse is an under 3 minute Blitz of guitar riff action that features Richards doing double duty both singing and playing the slide rock guitar action…..

As you all know by now how I dig end of the album Gems well let’s give a shout out to the last track on the album Dan Takes Five which barrels out of the gate with a heavy like an AC/DC opening barrage of guitars and drums and this song is just is so good and for Dan its therapeutic  as it’s basically him writing about himself going through his divorce….I posted the lyrics below talk about autobiographical but delivered with a SledgeHammer! Watch…I mean Crank the vid!

“Dan Takes Five”

Stuffed my heart in a bag slammed the back door
if I get home it’d be a home no more
took off runnin in the middle of the night
I was aimed for anything that felt half right
look out baby I’m gone a little ride
I see my name written on the center line
moon looks good air is cool
every bone been broken in the Golden Rule

Well I’m flyin through Dothan with radio
Taylor’s Ole Time Opry’s playin Hank Snow
sing’s my nightmares in his song
I say I’m with ya man I’m just movin on
look out baby your wish came true
you got your freedom the house and the whole F.U
I got the thangs that I need
I took the car my pride and three pairs of jeans

My brain is bleedin got nails in my spine
but I ain’t gonna stop ‘fore that empty line
radio’s fadin road’s like a snake
it’s two in the mornin’ and I’m wide awake
look out baby Gates of Eden got closed
but New Orlean’s open see the pretty lights glow
I’m goin in to get myself lost and found
it didn’t take too __damn long to tear a good thing down

It may not be ideal
but at least we’re not running at the mouth
I-10 to San Antone
woke up and went south
fleeced at the border
for thirty five and some change
but that’s a small price to pay
runnin from the pain
look out baby I’m gone a little ride
there’s a brush fire on the highway
gonna burn both side
wish I could throw our sins
in the flame and smoke
I’ll call you up if and when I reach hope

Wowzers what a way to end this album! From I Dunno to Dan Takes Five and everything  in between this album Smokes!

The Rolling Stones/Totally Stripped(2016)

You gotta love The Stones  even though they too have a ton of compilations,greatest hits sets,live albums they can always make it interesting.

Case in point. Totally Stripped is The Stones rocking it still and even though it’s the Stones stripping back on a lot of bells and whistles and rocking out these 14 tracks.  These tracks are not snooze ville renditions! No Way Jose! It’s the Stones playing with a ferocity a hard swift boot in the ass that makes this album real enjoyable!

Mick Jagger/Keef/Ronnie Wood/Charlie Watts/Daryl Jones/Chuck Leavell/Bobby Keys/Bernard Fowler and Lisa Fisher Lay down the Stones Juggernaut Sonically!

Check out these 14 Bad Boys….

“Not Fade Away” – Amsterdam
“Honky Tonk Women” – Paris
“Dead Flowers” – Amsterdam
“Faraway Eyes” – London
“Shine A Light” – Amsterdam
“I Go Wild” – Paris
“Miss You” – London
“Like A Rolling Stone” – Amsterdam
“Brown Sugar” – Paris
“Midnight Rambler” – London
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Paris
“Gimme Shelter” – Amsterdam
“Rip This Joint” – Amsterdam
“Street Fighting Man” – Amsterdam

First of all these recordings are from 1995 so their  2 plus decades old! No biggie as the Stones were firing on all 4 cylinders during the Voodoo Lounge Tour..

1995 The Stones released Stripped which features some of these tunes but these songs on Totally Stripped are recorded on  different nights (except for Street Fighting Man)  than what was heard on Stripped!

Cool idea and to be honest once I read that I was onboard!

Neat that I Go Wild from the Voodoo Lounge album is featured here in a rocked up jam out version and I will tell you that Mick N Keef are strong here while Ronnie bends and flicks some neat riffs..

Faraway Eyes is featured and is rarely played so thats a bonus as it’s a great track. A slower paced Stones track…..

The real deal for me on this album is Midnight Rambler. Always have and always will love this track. This is the song for me that makes The Stones great! Ron and Keef lock horns on the guitars while Charlie drives the tune from behind his drum kit! Everyone talks about Jagger and his deal as one of the best frontman in rock but no one talks about his harmonica playing. Mick gives er on the Gob Iron. Midnight Rambler is one of those songs you don’t want to end and what is most impressive is how the Stones slow the tune right down and then on cue ramp it up without falling all over themselves as they crank it back up! Total Gem!

Gimmie Shelter….is another song built around that guitar riff and the backing vocal of Fisher who Grand Slams it out of the park with her singing! I always think of the movie Casino and Coke  when I hear this song! Ha! Another all time great..what can be said about it?

A real nice addition here is the inclusion of Rip This Joint. The boys start it and Mick kinda drifts and then Bam it stops within the first few bars! The band rock it back up and are off! It’s good to see them leave mistakes on here as it shows they can still be a bar band at heart and be sloppy yet they can mop up their mistake and continue without missing a beat! This is what makes em great!

Glad this album came out as don’t be fooled by the title as you may think its a whole unplugged deal…

Nope its the Stones…an all out Barroom Boogie Assault!

Tragically Hip/Road Apples(1991)

This review  was originally posted back in Oct/14. It was decided by the WordPress Community(a week ago) to toss down a Hip Friday! Take the time to check out everyone’s Blogs that I have set up by clicking the links below…

https://keepsmealive.wordpress.com

https://mikeladano.com

https://nauticazinger.wordpress.com

https://1001albumsin10years.wordpress.com

https://caughtmegaming.wordpress.com

I tried doing a Top Whatever list of Hip Music but the first four albums are so good it was tuff to narrow it down so I  decided to revamp and in some cases add to this review! In other words clean up the writing slop….

I should also add that a few weeks back ROAD APPLES landed in my all time Top 20 via the challenge that I swung out to some of you’s via FaceCrack!…

Without further ado…..

Man early 91 it’s winter time in Tbay and what a better way to deal with the winter blahs than to have a new Hip release bestowed upon us. I still remember like it was yesterday going to the record shop and well everyone knew about the Hip as Up To Here went crazy platinum many times over so the street vibe was huge for Road Apples. Once I had it my hands I flipped it over to check out the song titles and WHUT???  Where’s “Crack My Spine Like A Whip??” The 4/4 stomper of a rocker that they opened with about a year earlier at their University show here in Tbay that myself and TBone had checked out! But you know what? After  that glaring omission once I played the cd for the first time back at home I figured why it was left off they were so many good tracks that I guess sumthin had to be left off. I must mention that the late Don Smith who produced Road Apples and the debut Up To Here nailed the sound perfectly! He mixes  this album like it was recorded live in the studio! People should notice the Sonic’s on these early Hip album’s especially how the guitars are mixed!

So let’s check out what going on down at Hip HQ’s circa January of 1991!

LITTLE BONES- Like on Up To Here Bobby Baker and his fender 6 string start off the action and man the sonics are bang on about 30 seconds Into Little Bones.  Don Smith is once again rolling tape and letting the boys groove it on down! And yep Gordo you’re hitting the nail in the head in saying $2.50 for an eyeball and a buck a half a decade.  Happy hour,Happy Hour is here!

TWIST MY ARM- Cool picking by Baker and the boys join In a mid tempo tune which I think is some of Downies best lyrics ever. Basically after  Jacques Cousteau dumps your ass overboard Gordie picks up the paddle and carries on going through life while people are constantly twisting his arm!

CORDELIA- The Hip all take a chill pill and slow it right down at the beginning of the track and ramp it up by the chorus. Actually this  song reeks super cool but for the Hip the reeking ain’t super cool but some chic that goes by the name of Mary Jane!

THE LUXURY- Quick book your night at the Golden Rim Inn and you as in yourself can hear Gordie preach to the faithful few who have joined with his brothers Hip and this tune is a jam and man so far were into album number two and these guys just play it like it is and  it gets no better than this style Hip rock! The Luxury is that but I think Gordie is going for the opposite of the luxury and people who are conned out of it. Am I making sense…??

BORN IN THE WATER-Yep some more cool slide guitar from Mr Baker and life is smart as the trees in Sault Ste Marie. The song is a good rocker and shows us as a listener that the Hip can punch the gas at a minutes notice!

LONG TIME RUNNING- Hip slows down the tour bus and shifts right into a slow melodic rocker that shows the sensitive side of Gordie ! I mean he can’t always dump the mic down the front of his pants in every song! ( I say that cuz I recall him doing it when they played Fight live, when he was shadow boxing with himself. I wish they had cell phones back in 1990! )  Real cool use of what sounds to me like slide guitar in this one and the Hip are good at not selling out on sumthin slow mo!

BRING IT ALL BACK-Paul Langlois starts off this track with his guitar and Bobby Baker shows up and well lookie here is Gordie and now there joined by Johnny and Gord and they Bring it all back to Gordie! Like so many of these songs like this one and pretty much the debut Up To Here as well these songs sound live in the studio. Man, what a lost art nowadays! Anyways the song advances into the solo with some super cool wah pedal.  Baker was on fire on these first couple of Hip albums!

THREE PISTOLS-The guitars drive this song and  I love this tune and I remember them road testing this tune when we caught The Hip live a year earlier in March of 90! I was glad this song was on it just flat-out rocks! It’s the Hip! Marshall’s cranked to 11 and rocking it to the top on this one! Baker man is locked n loaded with a whole lotta riff a roo at the end.

FIGHT- They also played  this at the same show as Three Pistols. Gordies asking why u wanna fight ? Actually I have seen Gordie fight a few times basically with himself  and the mic stand. Gordie is like a UFC cage fighter taking on himself with a mic! This is a definite jam tune!

ON THE VERGE- This a rambling gamblin’  four on the floor stomper(road tested at the  University Hip show as well that’s three tracks played a year before the release of Road Apples)  and the Hip is once again laying down serious law. Of note Langlois is not only a solid rhythm player who like Baker does not get his due cuz everyone is watching Gordie all the time but Langlois’s backing vocals kick these songs in the ass on the first couple of records! I still remember seeing the Hip with Langlois strumming his electric with it wrapped in duct  tape to keep his strap on his guitar, ploughing out super cool rhythms,chirping out backing vocals all the meanwhile with a smoke in his trap and an ash as long as my arm! Dude that’s rock n f’n roll!

FIDDLERS GREEN- The Hip after literally blowing smoke on the last four tracks decide to slow it right down with this well written tune complete with acoustics. It’s basically a front porch jam. Well done fellas ….well done!

LAST OF THE UNPLUCKED GEMS- That’s the other thing. Hip has cool song titles as well and this is one of them and to end off Road Apples is a nice little 2 minute ditty as the boys refuse to leave the porch and just keep the jam vibe going with a little more electric. Just enough to keep the rockin chair rockin!

IN CONCLUSION- I don’t think the Hip felt any pressure in doing this as a followup to Up To Here. They just kept the vibe going and it was evident in performance as well as when they came back to Tbay in 91 Tbone and myself were left in the cold as tickets went fast! Too bad would have loved to heard this record rocked live but then again it still sounds live every time I listen to it and for me Road Apples is one of their best. Kinda wish they would stayed with this sound a little longer but they were moving leaps and bounds but thanks guys for this rock solid masterpiece!

ZZ Top/La Futura(2012)

 

2012 and the big boys all released good albums that year! The Cult(Choice Of Weapon) Van Halen(A Different Kind Of Truth) KISS(Monster) Rush (Clockwork Angels) even my Fanboy band growing up Coney Hatch (Four) cranked an album out  to name but a few…

One album that I  preordered from iTunes that year was ZZ Top and there Rick Rubin produced  Sleazy Style Taco Of Rock that was titled La Futura.

Too be perfectly honest with you all out there I wasn’t expecting much from these guys as I fell by the wayside with there last few studio releases(I think the album titled XXX was my last actual purchase of the Tops) but took the chance and for $9.99 it was a chance worth taking..

By golly I’m glad I did! Holy Frigg …what a wicked slab of fuzz out distorted guitars,live sounding drums,pulsating Simple Simon bass lines,lead vocals that are greasy….

Welcome Back ZZ Top!

Cast Of Characters-Billy  Gibbons(Lead Vocals) Dusty Hill (Bass) and Frank Beard(drums)

Seriously dump some gas into the Eliminator and lets full throttle it to The Planet Of Woman! Yee Haw!

I Gosta Get Paid is a real good leadoff track! Billy G with his fuzzed/distorted guitar tone! Dusty showing up to jam on bass and Stache on the drums to fill out the sound. This track kicks a ZZ album off like it’s supposed to! Love the big ass power chords Gibbons drops throughout the chorus. Cool use of production by Rubin as I dig  how the drums sound mixed with a  ton of percussion! The video I posted is classic ZZ! Rockin Roberts my buddy will drool like a fool! Bottom line a ZZ classic!

From there the Mexican Burrito is sliced and diced sonically into the second track which is Chartreuse  which picks up some steam as Beard channels his best Bun E Carlos (Cheap Trick) and plays a quickie like tempo as Dusty tries to keep up and Billy as always takes the charge! This song sounds simple but man its friggin good! Dig the added percussion during Gibbons solo and even Beard gets in the mix with a smash a Roo with the cymbals at one point.

Consumption is a down n dirty heavy bass sounding tune and ZZ proves you can go real heavy at a slower clip as long as you got Gibbons who actually is a real good lead singer! Everyone talks about his guitar playing but not his singing! Part of the guitar solo Billy rips some slide and the drums are sounding heavy and it’s just ZZ stripped down to a 3 piece as the ZZ Synth must have been accidentally unplugged in the studio that day!

And like a few ZZ Top albums in years gone by a slower drip of Texas style Blues as its time for Over You. Pretty good tune and at this juncture of the album I’m good with it! Billy sings with ache in his voice as well as you can hear the pain in his playing! Wowzers getting deep here (Ha!)

Heartache In Blue picks up steam! Some nice jam out ZZ Rock with a ton of harmonica added to the sonics makes this tune a real great piece of Ear Candy. Love the ZZ Greasy Feelof this tune also along with Dusty providing some backing vocals! “Chang Chang…It’s Just A Thang” sings Billy and Yup couldn’t agree with you more there!

I Don’t Want To Lose Lose You is another great ZZ Rocker! Love the slick guitar tone by Professor Gibbons! The verses are rock solid as they lead right into the more rock solid pre chorus. Of course Billy/Dusty and Stache just keep the Tequila flowing and the amps cranked up!

So the first time I head Flyin High the opening riff is right out of the School Of AC/DC! What a killer track! Stache and his drums lay down a Phil Rudd like groove and man oh man Flyin High is that! Once the track rockets into the chorus it takes it to the land of Gold! How about I post the video track! If this is first time hearing it. Welcome aboard and crank this towards the end of the album Gem!

It’s Too Easy Mañana  This is another non jet fuelled ZZ song. Gibbons man the guy drips real cool on the 6 string.  Stache and the drums also play at real chill beat.

Big Shiny Nine! Great song and the boys lower the top down and play a straight ahead rock track. You want some fuzzed out rock guitar look no further. Beard/Hill and Gibbons lower the boom into the Greasy Sleazy ZZ Pit….

Have A Little Mercy gotta love the ZZ end of the album Greasey tune. This tune slips n slides as Billy and Dusty sing the album out. Love the sound of this album big time! it’s not overproduced and it’s not all glossed up the ying yang. ZZ sleazes off into the sunset with tequila and cactus in hand! Friggin Greeeeeeat!

Buy this…NUFF said!

Rolling Stones/Sticky Fingers Live(iTunes Exclusive)

Pretty cool surprise to see this album waiting to be redeemed in my inbox courtesy of Aaron from the K.M.A(Mr Books or Wiley O Aaron depending on what day of the week it is) for Christmas!

Thanks Brother! Totally appreciate it and as well its a iTunes only release so as of right now the only way you can get this is via (digital)Apple! (Did I hear a boo from Mr Ladano? Ha!)

Basically the deal here is this was recorded May of 2015 before the Stones headed out on there Zip Code Tour! Boom! 10 songs all of Sticky Fingers played live (in a club)maybe some for the first time since Sticky Fingers original studio release back in 1971!

Mick Jagger,Keef,Ronnie Wood,Charlie Watts and Daryl Jones take the time machine back to 71 and dial up 1 800 Spliff and than let the vibes take over…..

SWAY-What a great opener! Watts counts it in and were off. It’s got that Stones guitar sound mixed with Watts drum sound and Jagger in 2015 has not lost a step vocally. Sway rocks with a swagger love the sound of Keefs and Ronnie’s guitars and Wood also lays down a real slick slide solo at the end! Stones storm out of the gate with a real cool groovey mid tempo ass kicker! Bravo!

DEAD FLOWERS-Jagger sings it almost like a country singer would so i don’t know if he’s taking the piss out of country! Ha! Dead Flowers picks up steam by the chorus! This is a great song and a little known fact is that myself and Tbone used to play this track in the Current River Band. I can honestly say we butchered it musically(no one can do Stones covers good)but Tbone sang a good vocal to it.

WILD HORSES-One of the biggies ever! Tons of chill guitars and Charlies laid back drumming propel this song into another level! You want classic Stones this is one of them. If your a classic rock fan you have heard this tune a million times if not shame on you! When me and Oinks caught the Guns N Roses/Metallica co headline jaunt back in 1992 Gunners played Wild Horses and it went on and on to the point where Axl annoyed me his his nasal drone Wiiiiiiiild Hoooorses! Like c’mon man leave the original to the original dudes. In this case Da Stones! See there’s the comparison Guns couldn’t do the Stones Justice and neither could The Current River Band. Shit we were in good company now that I think of it!

SISTER MORPHINE-Acoustics come up for the slow bluesy drawl of Sister Morphine! Sounds like perhaps pedal steel guitar being played by Wood during the track. Love the title of this tune these guys were badass back than. Load up the syringe and blast a shot of Siser Morphine into your veins! Keef would be proud! Check out the video posted from this live album!

YOU GOTTA MOVE-Stones almost halt to a screeching stop but not quite! Ha! Mick almost does his Dead Flowers like vocal on You Gotta Move and it’s slow blues like real chill vibe. It goes to show Ya that Mick,Keef and the fella’s can still get a slow pokey but it’s The Stones so it’s cool

BITCH-Boom! Out of the gate The Stones are firing on all 4 cylinders and the party is reignited. Bitch oozes cool! Cool everything! Charlie’s drumming pushes the song into different little angles augmented by Keef and Ronnies guitars. Jagger lays down a real good vocal.

CAN’T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING-With a title like this you would think it was rocking. No it’s not its a different kind of Stones rocking. Bluesy,swampy like with a Jagger like drawl leading  the subdued charge. Stones deliver different textures. Basically this portion of Sticky Fingers is the start of the chill portion of the album.

I GOT THE BLUES-Wowzers Micks got the blues. This song is another slow wobble of a track. Stones are basically shutting down and slowing the bus down and basically doing what they want and why not? You going to tell Keef that?

MOONLIGHT MILE- Lay back in your recliner and enjoy as Stones due a number with the blues resulting in Moonlight Mile! Easy Peasy is the vibe here and leading up to this latest tour some reporter asked Mick if they would play Sticky Fingers front to back. Mick answered probably not as some of these songs are a little to chill to go over in a crowd of 50,000. Right move Mick! So the Stones recorded this in a club with 1000 people where the atmosphere is more adept to these songs.

BROWN SUGAR- After the slower pace of the previous three classics The Stones punch the accelerator. Like Wild Horses,Brown Sugar is a song you do know. This tune incorperates all things cool with the Stones! Cool opening riff,cool shuffle of the drums,slick well written lyrics about  Brown Sugar(ahem!) and a real awesome sax solo that when it hits with the guitars underneath the sax is just Rock Gold! Smooth as a fine sugar is this song!

Final Yammer- When I was spinning this on the iPod it suddenly occurred to me that the Stones were the band that I would have dug the most back if I was a teenager back in 1971. Stones were bad ass I mean look at those song titles. Bitch,Sister Morphine,Dead Flowers and everyone’s fav sax driven tune Brown Sugar! These titles alone would have driven me to the record shop for the purchase. Of course it helps that the Stones back it with solid material!

Thanks for this Aaron!

 

 

Rolling Stones Live In Hampton Virginia 1981

Since its the end of KMA Week here at Arena Rock I thought I would do something that I have never done and that’s drop 2 reviews minutes apart! Ha! So enjoy part 2 folks ….

Ever since I got to know Aaron I realized just how big of a Stones fan he was and I told him How great this show was and he should get it and he did so I basically have verbally bombarded him at various times about “where’s the Hampton Stones review?” Like a  blabbering idiot enough to stir him with amusement! Ha!!

So dude I have had to take matters into my own hands!

Just like how I dig the early 80s version of The Who I also really dig the early 80s version of The Stones especially there live material from that era!

The Stones in 1981 released the classic Tatoo You album and of course followed in 1982 the fantastic Still Life Live album from that tour!

I really love  the playing of the Stones on the Still Life release and here’s my spin on it…click here….https://superdekes.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/sonic-waves-rolling-stonesstill-life/

The one thing that bummed me out about Still Life was that it was a single live album not a double album. Gripes aside it was just a little while ago that The Stones on the website starting releasing past live shows from there Vault!

One of these shows was the full Hampton Virginia (1981)show! 26 tunes and once i seen that Poof Instant download!

Charlie Watts,Ian Stewart(RIP),Ronnie Wood,Keef Richards,Bill Wyman and Mick Jagger pull off and give me more songs 26 in total for the full meal Stones deal!

Songs that didn’t make the Still Life cut are fantastic nuggets like When The Whip Comes Down,Neighbours,Black Limosuine,Beast Of Burden,Waiting On A Friend,Let It Bleed,You Can’t Always Get What You Want, my personl fav Keef Tune in Little T&A,Let It Bleed,Tumbling Dice,She’s So Cold,Hang Fire,Honkey Tonk Women and Brown Sugar!

This is the best Stones set ever! Sure I like there other things latter on especially Voodoo Lounge but Wowzers kids these songs are golden and the best thing I like is its the Stones with just Stewie on the piano and some dudes on horns on a few other tracks playing with out the bells and whistles before the Stones in the late 80s incorperated backing singers and made there band bigger! Case in point a few months back i reviewed the Stones single Doom And Gloom along with Highwire and well read about how I just like how the Stones just got back to the basics…https://superdekes.wordpress.com/2015/01/23/cool-lil-numbers-rolling-stonesdoom-and-gloomhighwire/

I just like this stripped down version best!

Gotta love Jagger at the Hampton show as it was filmed for ppv special. He name checks all the cities that are watching on ppv! Ha what a lead singer/businessman while always keeping a eye on the $$$$$!

The Stones prove without a doubt that they were a serious Ass Kicker live act back in 1981!