Cheap Trick:Cheap Trick(1977)

 

Blasting out of the gate in Feburary 77 was Rockford Illinois very own “Cheap Trick” which released a pretty widely at the time ignored debut album which is a shame as it only got only to #207 on the Billboard charts.

Epic Records signed Cheap Trick sent them to the Record Plant in  NYC and better yet hired Jack Douglas (Aerosmith) to man the ship at the production desk.

For some, this debut is the best Cheap Trick period.

A valid case is made for this album as it’s ten songs of Hard Rock Power Pop!

Now check out these two pics below. Here’s a little quiz for you fine folks out there. There is a pic of the songs on the record but something is different. Can you spot the difference?

The answer lies at the end of this review.

Before I go any further I have to thank a good pal of mine JohnB who seen my post on Facecrack a few weeks back about the recently released live album. (come back this Friday). Here is the actual conversation in which how I never owned this on vinyl until well, read on…

JohnB-I picked up this one on vinyl back in the ’80s at Records On Wheels along with “In Color” and “Heaven Tonight.” Still have this vinyl, but nothing to play them on anymore … but I do have them in digital form!

deKE-JohnB that’s awesome. I need to get a copy of the debut. My CT collection is coming along fine on viny. Have “In Color” Heaven Tonight “Dream Police” “Budokan” Wouldn’t mind a few others but not the syrupy stuff.. ie ‘The Flame” kinda was a miss for me but I was glad to see them get back in the spotlight. Their 70s output is some of the best Power Hard Pop Rock created.

JohnB-I lost interest after “The Flame”. I also have Dream Police on vinyl and Budokan on 8-track. I know you are into vinyl and CT, so hold tight. I don’t have a turntable anymore, so you can have my CT debut. I can’t remember the condition of the vinyl, but the jacket is in near-mint shape. Once I find a way to get it to you, it’s yours – Merry Christmas! Maybe PM me your address and I’ll drop it off at the door or in your mailbox next time I’m in town.

Hell’s Yes! Two days later waiting for me on my kitchen table when I got home from work was this record!

Thank You, Mr. B!

Now back to business…

Rick Nielsen (guitar) wrote eight of the records ten tracks and in describing the sound Cheap Trick was after you could say back in 1977 they liked it a little noisy.

“Hot Love” begins the Trick festivities which is my case is a hard-driving opener that should have been the first single from this album. “Oh Candy” was the single that was released and ironically enough  “Oh Candy” is the last song on the album.

Nielsen had the knack of writing Beatlesque like songs over the years like “Taxman, Mr. Thief” which is a Fab Four like tune cranked through a Marshall!

I will add my two cents worth and say that two tracks on this album are two of the best Cheap Trick tunes in the catalog.

“Ello Kiddies” has Drummer Bun E Stomping a straight beat while mucking about on his Ludwig drums as Bass fella Tom Petersson was already making a statement about playing those 8 and 12 string Hamer Basses which sounded huge and we’re talking 77.

Robin Zander the man with the golden throat delivers a stellar vocal basically telling kiddies to quit school as school is for fools and get into crime as it pays off! What a killer track. period!

He’s a whore
(I’d do anything for money)
He’s a whore
(Look at the things that I write)
He’s a whore
(Ooh, the stories I can tell)
He’s a whore
(And my body really smells)

 

Rick had the skill of writing great hooky-like tunes with at times quirky lyrics but underneath it all when you peel back the layer there’s the message of the tune.

1977 get into crime kids as Ricky and Robin told ya to do!

The second one which when I listen to it in 2020 is musically a tune Poison could have ripped off ten years later on their debut album. That tune is.

“He’s A Whore”. What a great tune as it gets right out of the gate with catchy chord changes and a great chorus.

He’s a whore
(I’d do anything for money)
He’s a whore
(Look at the things that I write)
He’s a whore
(Ooh, the stories I can tell)
He’s a whore
(And my body really smells)

You know that’s the thing I love about these guys to this day (been a fan since early 1979) is this band wrote their first four albums (Cheap Trick, In Colour, Heaven Tonight, and Dream Police) that I can honestly say can stand toe to toe with any other recording acts first four albums.

If you look closely there is a Side A and a Side 1. Interesting no Side B and that was the Trick Guy’s said there was no B Side like material on this album. How many of you figured that out? If you did, fantastic your a star if not your still a star also as that’s the best I could do for a prize!

 

 

 

Ace Frehley: Trouble Walkin'(1989)

 

Record Store Day I have never participated in, as here in my hometown our one record store (which is part of a chain which shall go nameless) SUCKS  at doing anything remotely cool with it.

The one time I did go down to that store (2018 I think it was) to check it they had like a lame 4 shelves tucked off to the side for RSD Titles. Not much to look at here folks just keep passing through.

Thanks for coming out!! Not!

The day was not a total waste as I did score 4 used albums at a second-hand shop and got to hang out with my daughter Lexie as well!

So that was a plus!

Fast forward to RSD Septemeber 2020. I didn’t even bother to go down to the mall but a few days before I noticed on Facecrack one of the record stores I follow from Montreal (Aux 33 Tours) that they were doing RSD but the catch was online only. They said if you show up to the store looking for RSD records not happening, all online.

Well, now I thought this was interesting. So at 1pm, all the RSD titles appeared on their website. I figured I came this far to login to the Aux 33 Tours site so what the hell…

Let’s Do This!

Click and …

My pic was Ace Frehley, with his 1989 release “Trouble Walkin” that in 2020 is the first time it would be issued on vinyl in 31 years!

I had heard good things from the blogging folk about” Trouble Walkin’.” I have never owned this album in any format so I guess it was about time right?

 

At the time though (89) there was so much music coming out some stuff fell by the wayside. Sure I saw this album in adds and in the stores but I still didn’t bite. My younger brother bought it and I borrowed his tape and listened to once I think.

Maybe I didn’t bite as I liked the Frehley’s Comet name and now it was just under the boss man Ace’s name.  They canned Tod Howarth which I also thought was a goofy move but someone had to take the fall from the poorly received “Second Sighting” from 88.

Who knows what really went down with “Second Sighting” but upon spinning this album Ace and his bandmates at the time John Reagan(Bass), Anton Fig (Drums), and Richie Scarlet(Rhythm Guitar and Vocals) tried to get back to that rockier side of the debut “Comet” from 1987.

While Ace himself did not factor as much as he should have on “Second Sighting” he makes up for it here by contributing seven songs all in co-writes with other people.

When Ace decides to kick back and crank it up he can produce some quality rock like the opener “Shot Full of Rock”. “Five Card Stud” is a good ripping tune. The title track “Trouble Walkin'” has a pretty decent pre-chorus leading into the chorus. 

 Ace’s guitar work is awesome as well which has never been questioned on any KISS or solo album as Frehley has always delivered the goods!

Look who showed up and sang backup on four tracks as well? The one and only Peter Criss!  

Skid Row was a big band at the time and they show up singing backgrounds on “Back To School” well Bach does as you can hear him plain as day.

How about another KISS connection and that was that both Ace and KISS had both “Hide Your Heart” on each of there albums from the same year!

Ok better yet how about two bands and two solo acts that released “Hide Your Heart” as a single in 1989!

Molly Hatchet was first out of the gate with the song  followed by Ace who released his version four days before KISS released the album that featured “Hide Your Heart”(Hot In The Shade) followed later in the year by Robin Beck who released it as well.

I guess the story goes that “Hide Your Heart” written by Paul Stanley/Holly Knight and Desmond Child was rejected for the KISS Crazy Nights in 87.

Better yet Bonnie Tyler released it in 1988 as a single.  So if you count that into the equation under a two-year span two bands and three solo artists released this song as a single! 

None of the 5 versions set the charts on fire butI’m sure Starchild raked in a bit of cash on “Hide Your Heart”.

Ace always had a knack of taking cover tunes and making them sound like his own (2,000 Man, New York Groove), and as well on this album Ace covers the Jeff Lynne song “Do Ya” which is a great version of the song. 

No Ace album could end without an instrumental and Trouble Walkin’ is no different as “Fractured III” tidy’s things up.

Considering up to RSD 2020 I really had no idea about ever getting around to getting this Ace album but I’m glad I did. Sure it was pricey but that’s what RSD is..Pricey! First RSD purchase ever so what the hell!

I like the layout and the spray-painted look of the vinyl and the music is pretty good as Ace was going for the rebound but as the album didn’t even crack the Billboard Top 100 in 89 I guess there was more Trouble Walkin’ for Ace ahead in the early ’90s as well until KISS came calling in 1995!

 

 

 

Boston/Third Stage:Last Night At The Centrum(1986)

Boston is one of those bands that has never released an actual live recording. There is one floating around out there that is worth the catch if you come across it recorded live in Worcester Massachusetts at the Worcester Centrum during a 9 night stand in which Boston played to 12,000 people per night back in August of 1987!

Boston was out promoting their latest opus Third Stage and for myself it was a mixed bag of music as I couldn’t believe when you have the guitar firepower of Boston leader Tom Scholz you open your long-awaited new album with a ballad!(Amanda).

Gripes aside this is the closest thing to an actual Boston live album you will ever hear as it features the late great Brad Delp. The sound on this live show is brilliant. It blows me away why these guys never pounced and put this album out officially. Actually this is one of the best ever non officially released live albums I have ever heard! Play the tracks posted included below! Soooooo Goooooood!

25 Boston classics including of course More Than A Feeling/Rock N Roll Band/Piece of Mind/Don’t Look Back/Feelin Satisfied are featured. What’s even more cool is that after a 13 minute version of More Than A Feeling(which considering its length is quite good) which is the 6th track of the show Delp announces to the crowd that Boston is going to play Third Stage in its entirety!  Who the hell was doing this back in 1987?

Imagine for a second if back in 1987 Motley Crue played the entire Girls/Girls/Girls album front to back!! HAHAHA…there would be a mass exodus to the exits  when Vince Neil would begin singing Your All I Need!

Anyways back to the task at hand….

Lots of artists  are doing front to back albums but give Tommy and Delp credit. The Third Stage songs cut through a lot better live than the studio versions. Man you gotta love Scholz’s playing as the dude never gets his due but along with Gary Pihl they  ramp up at certain times with dual leads and Tom  even at times does that wacky sound effect with his guitar that makes it sound like  a spaceship is landing!

 

This is a great unofficial live album that by the sound of it is official as an live album you will hear from  Boston!

Must own… Brad Delp you are missed!

 

Huey Lewis & The News/Fore(1986)

Sure the title of this post says Huey Lewis & The News /Fore(1986) but I could have added Huey’s 1983 album Sports to the title  as well.

I never owned these two albums and this is the first time I’m breaking protocol of reviewing something I don’t own but my good pal Tbone purchased and owned these so that counts for something right??

1983 and  here comes Huey and the News along with the Sports album and this album takes off like a rocket. The songs and videos are everywhere and well lookie here as Tbone is branching out and purchasing some Huey!

Man! That is news in my world!

I didn’t mind the Sports album actually, The Heart of Rock N Roll was a decent opening track with that snap ,crackle,  pop with a ton of horns throughout with Huey name dropping a bunch of Cities in the tune as well. What? No shout out for Tbay?

Heart and Soul/I Want A New Drug/If This Is It were all mega singles and this album kept selling right into 1984 .When the videos were on MuchMusic I never turned Huey off. Out of 9 songs on Sports,five ended up as singles.  He always made goofy 80’s rock videos. Kinda like a PG version’s of the Van Halen videos of the time(Hot For Teacher/Panama). For some crazy reason I never took the plunge and purchased Sports.

One Million Canadians did though making it to the Diamond Certification that not too many artists can do. Basically 10 times Platinum.

( I remember reading at the time that the record label  that Huey was on got snapped up by another record company so until issues were resolved financially with the new record company Huey would take the master tapes home of Sports with him overnight and not  leave them at the studio just in case  the ol record company politics crept in!)

What I did do was borrow Tbones purchased cassette and tossed it into my duel cassette at home and dubbed it. Sorry Huey!

Pretty decent album actually and I have been tinkering about buying this on iTunes, Well I have thinking about it for a few years though but I do like the fact that Huey comes across as a likeable chap plus give him a few props as he opened and hung with Phil Lynott(RIP) decades ago. Deep down Huey does have the rock in him…..

Now I wasn’t around when Tbone purchased Sports but I was with him back in 1986 when he coughed up his hard-earned cash and purchased the Fore album at Music City(InterCity Mall)  and paid though the nose for it! Like all Music City CD’s/Cassette Tapes they were obviously priced higher at the mall than a local shop.

Tbone didn’t care! These were the roaring 80’s! Cash was  flowing. A ton of music to be had and instead of buying blow we bought tunes! Lots of em… Our vice was Music Candy not Nose Candy!

I may have questioned Tbone at the time as he was drooling over the new Huey album on the new release shelf at Music City. I was leery. I think I may told him about the first single/video Stuck On You wasn’t a real   hard rocking Huey track . (First album singles always tell the tale for me. If it was a slow mid tempo tune we might have to abort ship on the release)

Tbone did not care. I quickly realised that Tbone was with the News on this one and I figured if anything I could borrow it and dub it…..

Fore had some good tracks like Jacobs Ladder and the goofy Hip To Be Square. Huey though was a smart chap. Record 40 minute albums and write a bunch of singles. Six of the ten tracks on Fore were released as singles and they were everywhere.

Huey once again sold a bunch of records with Fore( 5 times Platinum in Canada ) but I dunno I never even borrowed Fore at the time to dub…

Maybe it was the first single that lost me by being a sluggish like track.

Tbone never even talked about Fore as in 1986 it was Van Hagar/David Lee Roth/Iron Maiden  and AC/DC (Who Made Who) that was on our  musical radar a lot more than Huey.

Still though Tbone took the plunge found some merit in  listening to the News. I’ll give him props 31 years later for this…..

 

 

 

Bryan Adams/Live At Wembley(2017)

This is a live Bryan Adams (1996) from London England  and back in 96 I was kinda starting to get leery what Adams was doing. His album at the time 18 Til I Die was ok to say the least. The title track is real good though. Check it out below thanks to Mr Vevo!

After 18 Til I Die I basically bought one more Adams album and that was it. I will go on record right here saying that guitarist Keith Scott is brilliant. If you don’t believe me ask Ed Van Halen.

So here we are in 2017 and 21 years later comes this Live At Wembley show which thanks to John at his site 2loud2oldmusic had mentioned on his Friday New Release Post about this album.

Off to iTunes and Bam, another purchase. Thanks John!

Adams opens this 24 song set with The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You followed by Do To You which features some nifty like Keith Scott riffs with the aid of the harmonica. For a couple of newbie tracks these cut across pretty good live.

Of course with this album Adams biggie record Reckless is featured predominately and why wouldn’t it! It sold millions and millions . Out of the 24 songs  7 are featured. You know the usual one’s (Heaven/Kids Wanna Rock/Somebody/Summer of 69/Run To You/It’s Only Love which features Melissa Etheridge) are represented from Reckless  but the one I was glad to see here was She’s  Only Happy When She’s Dancing. I dig the Stones like riffage of Adams/Scott with the guitars during the chorus. Such a Great Track!

There are a few goofy spots in the track I Wanna Be Your Underwear and that Robin Hood Track two songs in which I never really dug….

But out of 24 ( which also includes a few cover songs as well) tracks that isn’t to shabby and just like Reckless,1991’s release Waking Up The Neighbours(great studio album wishin House Arrest was on here) has a bunch of tracks as well especially Touch The Hand and There Will Be Never Be Another Tonight which are great songs featuring the driving drums of Mickey Curry.  Everyone goes on about the songs on Waking Up as being like Def Leppard. Course they are as don’t kid yourselves folk’s as producer Mutt Lange has more of a hand in the sound of Leppard than ya think.

In other words Mutt Lange writes how he writes and that’s his deal. Artists like Lep/Adams and Twain made zillions of dollars ..

Back to the task at hand….

Live At Wembley being a 1996 recording is a welcome release in 2017.

If you need a fixin of Adams N Roll. Wembley will do the trick!

Alice Cooper/Paranormal(2017)

Here’s a conversation I had with Alice Cooper the other day..

Deke- ‘Hello Alice!”

Alice- ‘Deke! Is that actually you returning all these years later to finally buy a new release of mine?”

Deke-“Sure Is!”

Alice-“Hey Stoopid!”

Deke- “WHUT?”

As you can see I never actually had a conversation or met the man.

Believe it or not Alice’s 1991 release Hey Stoopid was the last actual Coop album I had bought as upon its release  I had my brother both pick us copies of this album….

Hey Stoopid had some good stuff especially the title track and Feed My Frankenstein but as is the case sometimes I just stopped buying his stuff.

Until….

July 28th 2017! Crazy how time flies huh? Yep read some good things about this album  and once I had seen a deluxe edition available I took the plunge on the preorder from iTunes.

This album peaked my curiosity on numerous levels. One being Alice has the great Bob Ezrin on board producing.

Coop has brought back some of his old hombres from the Alice Cooper Band from the 70’s(Dennis Dunaway/Neil Smith/Micheal Bruce/Steve Hunter) on two tracks Genuine American Girl  and You And All of Your Friends.

Alice had Deep Purple’s Roger Glover and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons drop by for a couple of guest appearances as well!

As well Coop with his current band has added 6 old school Alice Classics recorded live in Columbus (May 2016) for inclusion as well to make this indeed a total deluxe !

The biggest one(for me ) has to be that Alice has shaken things up as well as  he has enlisted of all dudes Larry Mullen Jr from U2 to slam down some drums on 9 of the 12 studio tracks. Awesome to hear Mullen Jr get out from the safe confines of U2 and smash around on the kit!

Paranormal leads the album off with a real cool catchy riff and this track features the co write and Bass playing of Roger Glover! First songs usually set the tone of an album and this one features just that. Love Cooper’s voice as he may not be the best rock singer but with this kind of music it fits his creepy like persona. Slick move at the end of the song to go back to the “well” with that opening catchy riff!

The next few tracks Deadflies and Fireball keep the Coop clipping at a decent clip. Ha! Still can’t believe Mullen Jr has these kind of drum chops in him. Unleash the beast behind the kit. Break free from those shackles that Bono has had around your ankles for decades! Atta boy Larry drum man drum!

Paranoiac Personality features a real cool like drums and bass stomp with Alice sneering and snarling like only he can do. Real cool rhythm throughout and man did someone sample that crazy ‘Psycho” sound bite?

Billy Gibbons like do I really have to tell you what band he is from? Anyhoo he and Alice collaborate on the song Fallen In Love which is a total ZZ and Alice mashup featuring Gibbons laying down that dirty guitar tone like only the Reverend can do! Great solo and can you dig it…Mullen Jr and Gibbons on the same song together?

Dynamite Road has to be an autobiographical lyrical tune  that has that Charles Daniels “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” vibe to it except its played through a Marshall Amp cranked up to 10!

Another real cool groove on Private Public Breakdown which features more cool percussion with once again Alice leading the charge with the guitars sounding heavy at a slower clip than Dynamite Road but still a good swift kick in the ass …

Ahh Horns! Coop incorporates some real cool  Brass in Holy Water. Basically Holy Water is like if one of Coops Boa’s put the choke on a Huey Lewis  tune and squeezed the devil out of Huey! Nice shuffle like vibe!

Rats a typical like Alice tune. Straight ahead Alice rocker. Kind quirky  but you gotta expect this stuff from the man known as Coop! Slick hard rock solo.

The Sound of A. Kinda a creepy send off from Alice. Bizarre like creepy vibe but this is Coopville!

So Alice gets the original mid 70’s Cooper band back together. Genuine American Girl  has that 70’s like Cooper throwback sound. Nice to see Coop reunite with these guys!

The second track featuring the original Coop band is You And All Your Friends has Alice singing he’s going to burn down your city! More throwback like vibes on this tune. Real cool wicked slide guitar solo from Steve Hunter. 

This album totally surprised me at how good it is! Alice steps up and give all involved full props! This album has gotten a ton of press and is selling and charting high around the world as well!

Cool how Alice has a current rock sound on the first 10 tracks whereas when the original Coop band play on the last two tracks it sounds like a 70’s throwback!

Buy This!

 

Rainbow/Rising(1976)

 

Man what an awesome Cover! If that doesn’t make a musical statement nothing will!

My Rainbow listening habits started around the time of Rainbow’s 1982 release Straight Between The Eyes. I basically skipped the whole Ronnie James Dio (RIP)period(my bad) until just recently as this album was on iTunes for $3.98 so it was an easy peasey purchase!

Tarot Woman is a whopper of an opening. Tony Carey opens the album with a 1 minute 40 second keyboard intro. Hows that for laying down some Moog Law? The late great Cozy Powell slams the drums into gear while the rest of the chaps Jimmy Bain(RIP) and Mr Happy Rainbow Himself Ritchie Blackmore provide the sonic sizzle while Dio sings the tale of the Tarot Woman.  Blackmore does his deal with the devil during the solo while Powell is lurking int he background slamming the skins!

Run With The Wolf begins with all hands on deck. The band shifts a slower gear but make no mistake this song is still heavy in a Deep Purple like stomp of yesteryear. Not surprising considering Ritchie had a huge hand in those Purple songs. Dig the almost like slide guitar action during the solo. Great tune.

Speaking of Purple Starstruck  begins like a Purple track(You can hear how much Ritchie had a hand in those old Purple tunes). A real cool groove that chugs down Blackmore avenue and say what you want but the real deal on these tunes is Cozy Powell who is all over the place rhythmically and basically lets Richie loose in his rock caboose to do the stuff that the man in black can do on guitar!

Ritchie takes over and opens the song Do You Close Your Eyes and this is an all out Rainbow jam played at a loud volume! Dio drops down a ton of cool lyrics on this album. I guess you could say that this would be as close to a rock radio track you could get from these guys back in 76….

Powell drops down one of the coolest opening drum fills ever at the beginning of Stargazer. 12 seconds of a drum brilliance and Rainbow  will take you through the stratosphere of time changes  and what nots as only they can for oh lets say 8 minutes and 20 seconds! This song is a bonafide classic. It grabs you by the back of the neck and doesn’t let you go through sweeping musical climates yet never dulling out it just goes and goes and before you know it Stargazer is done! Hard to believe its 8 minutes plus…. On the way out of the door say hello to the Wizard will ya!

How about another 8 minute opus! A Light In The Black fits the bill perfectly and it rockets right out of the gate. Dio and crew play this song at a ferocious clip! I betcha once Powell/Bain/Cary hook up and  start rolling Blackmore goes all batty on his guitar for a good 5 minutes of this track! No ending in site for this song as the band is firing on all four’s.

It’s safe to say that if I was a little older back in 76 i would have been all over this album. It’s all here for the taking! You got Dio scripting all the lyrics to Blackmore’s pedal to the metal riffs. Powell slams the drum kit into smithereens  while Bain and Cary (with his keyboards adding not subtracting from Ritchie) add colours to the Rainbow! (ha that was sappy) Ok how about a boot in the ass! Crazy how it took me 41 years to own this!

Blackmore for a while leaves Deep Purple in the rearview mirror and forges a new identity known as Rainbow!

Great album!

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!

 

 

The Black Crowes/Shake Your Money Maker(1990)

 

HEY FOLK’S… This week it’s a couple of Black Crowes reviews that are on tap and Mikey Ladano is onboard as well with a couple of reviews of the same album over at his site. In other words it’s “DOUBLEHEADER TIME”.. Click the link below/pour yourself a beverage of your choice and enjoy some fine reading…

REVIEW: The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker (remastered)

You know Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell  who played the   Ivories on Shake Your Money Maker must have told his bosses Mick & Keef about the Black Crowes. Wonder if the Glimmer Twins heard this album before it hit the streets for mass consumption back in January 1990?

If so I betcha Keef lost his shit when he heard that opening riff of Stare It Cold as Crowes guitarists Rich Robinson and Jeff Cease sound like a jacked up version of Richards/Wood? That opening riff has so much muscle…Ok I’m getting way ahead here ….

So It was the release of this album I came across in one of my weekly jaunts to the record store(Jan/90) and came across SYMM on CD in the new release bin.

It easily caught my attention as these 5 dudes on the cover looked rock and well it was a no brainer and I got money in my pocket burnin a hole so there ya go! (wish I could say that now!) I think I may have seen a bit of promotion in the magazines about this disc but it was little…Boy would that change in a few months!

My first impression on listening to Money Maker was how Stonesy like it was. I read later in reviews as well that it had an element of The Faces but I can’t really comment as I’m not a Faces fan…so we go with the Stones vibe but with a more amped up sound!

George Drakoulias captures the sound of the Crowes brilliantly on the debut and funny thing was when this album took off Rick Rubins name was added as co producer as Rubin owned the label but had really nothing to do with the production of this album which irked singer Chris Robinson.  Actually you have to hand it to Chris as once this album started moving units The Crowes were invited to open for ZZ Top but once Chris started saying that it sucked that some bands needed corporate sponsorship  to promote a tour( ZZ was sponsored by Miller Beer for their 1990-91 Tour. I can back Chris up as when I caught this tour the ZZ shirt underneath the Tour dates on the back had Miller as a sponsor. Kinda irked me but hey I’m the ding-dong who bought the T in the first place!) The Crowes were punted off the ZZ tour. ZZ canned em in Atlanta (Crowes turf)

Twice As Hard opens the album and from the outset you know this badboy is gonna be jammed with bunch of Riffs and a ton of Rolls! Cease and Rich drive forward with there playing and drummer Steve Gorman keeps the Crowes movin along. Chris has a bit of a southern rasp in his voice which is quite frankly Awesome. Real good put together straight ahead opening tune!

Wow man did this song take off eh? Jealous Again is track 2 and once again it’s a riff that starts the track. This is the tune I betcha Keef would say he wish he had written! The guitars play almost in a chill like vibe and ramp up with that Stonesy vibe during the chorus!

Sister Luck. Plain and simple another real slick like track. Jeff and Rich inner channel once again Keef/Ronnie and this song just drifts along and Chris sings it perfectly. Awesome Chorus!

Could I Have Been So Blind kicks the doors off its hinges with a super-duper coolness and its the Crowes taking the party and moving on.

Seeing Things is a great track! Seeing things for the first time! It may take a while as Chris lyrics say but it will be more evident as time passes on! Gorman keeps the train a moving so this track doesn’t dip into Sapville! JellyFish!

Gorman lays down the groove and were off with Hard To Handle (Otis Redding Cover) and this song was everywhere in the Summer of 91. Great beat played but the fella’s and I like that little snippet of when the tempo picks up right before the verse! Pretty cool Crowes on the road video that was shot of the Crowes to plug this tune!

Got a chainsaw buzzin’/Who’s that cussin’? and this is the opening line to the fantastic Thick N Thin! Clocking in at 2 minutes 44 seconds and it’s the Crowes rolling  up with plenty of riffs n spiffs and along with Colts bass line and Steve driving the drums this track is a scorcher. Cease and Rich’s guitars are fired  up on this album.

She Talks To Angels features the acoustic guitars that are in the forefront and its the Crowes spreading there wings and the track must be about a long-lost friend who succumbed to addictions. This track was a big single as well.

Struttin Blues another straight ahead rocker that features a nice Hammond Organ rocking along with the boys. 4 on the Floor stomper of a track!

Remember about what I had written in the first paragraph of this review about being jacked up with a cool riff that Keef and Ronnie would and wish they could devour? This is indeed time for Stare It Cold. Big and I mean Big riffs along with Gorman snare drum that sounds like a shot being fired along with the big Bass drum propel this tune into utter coolness! This is one of the Crowes finest tracks I have ever heard! Love the Verses/Chorus/Solo’s and cue end of song crazy jam out mashup of everyone including Chris whose about to unravel at the speed of the song. Whooooosh! So good, that opening riff is pure gold! My CD has some creep out eery what the hell it is tied to the end of this track…hahaha…Silly Crowes …

When you talk about killer debut albums in the rock spectre SYMM has to be included as there are no dud’s on this album. I’m sure these songs were built from the rehearsal space into the bar stages and into the recording studio where the sonics captured the rest!

The playing on this record is infectious. Must make note of the guitars of Robinson and Cease. They intertwine each other so well and of course when this tour wrapped up Cease got the heave-ho to be replaced by Marc Ford. Shame really for Cease as everyone loses their shit over Ford and his playing on the follow-up to Moneymaker(myself included) but give it up for him. Hell I would think this is the best-selling album in the Crowes catalogue so that’s gotta stand for something correct?

Check back round these parts this upcoming Friday when myself and Mikey drop down another review….

Cheap Trick/We’re All Alright(2017)

 

A few months back I had a great conversation with Scott (HMO) about all things Cheap Trick. We discussed at great length our fav albums of Cheap Trick(basically the whole 70’s output) and the not so good stuff (basically the whole 80’s output except for the very underrated 1982 album One On One) and the soon to be released We’re All Alright (which has been out since June 16th)

Scott said he was going to wait this one out before taking the plunge as Scott did indeed take the plunge on Tricks studio release from last year Bang Zoom Crazy… Hello. Let’s just say Scott was a tad little disappointed to say the least and I will leave it at that! Bug Scott if you want more info….

I almost joined Scott’s line of thinking. A few weeks back I was in our local record store “Sunrise Records” and I actually held the physical copy of the disc  in hand. I hemmed/hawed/more hem/more haw and then put it  in my pocket and walked out! HAHAHA….no I did not lift it I put it back in the Cheap Trick section and walked out. I could not pull the trigger purchase on it…..

Jon from Sweden posted a quick little blurb on Facecrack that he was loving the new CT album. I sent Jon a message saying “really?” Jon said it was a great album…

Than….another fella named….

John over at his fantastic written Blog 2loud2oldmusic site reviewed We’re All Alright and John loved it…Check it out for yourselves… Click the link below folks’

Cheap Trick – ‘We’re All Alright!’ – Album Review

John’s review sold me on it so off to iTunes and I downloaded the deluxe edition and as an added bonus the Trick included the digital booklet!

Upon first listen I was hooked! It’s an amazing album and it’s as CT dug back to their roots and decided to rock it out and if were keeping score this is my first new studio Trick purchase since the brilliant 1997 self titled release! 20 years it has been….

Robin Zander/Tom Pettersson/Rick Nielsen and Daxx Nielsen need to be saluted here for all intents and purposes may have in my mind made the best Rock album of 2017!

Right out of the gate Trick fires on all four cylinders on the song You Got It Going On. Zander still has one of the best sets of pipes in the biz. Listening to his voice you wouldn’t know it was 1977/1987/1997/2007 or 2017! 40 years man! What a vocal run. Rick Neilsen looking today more like a creepy old Uncle than the Geeky College nerd of 1977 still has a ton of classic riff’s up his sleeve!

First single Long Time Runnin is a great track. Straight forward hard rock done Trick style! Cool lyrics and of course a real good lead vocal by Zander. Must also mention about the production by Julian Raymond as he has produced this album brilliantly. Not too much polish on this album yet still keeping it  a little rough around the edges.

The next two tracks Nowhere and Radio Lover ( Radio Lover was a demo from 97)are brilliant tracks and man I just love Tom’s 12 String Hamer Bass and Daxx’s drum  workout’s  on these tracks. Nowhere and Radio Lover could have easily fit right  on the debut Trick album back in 76! Basically a pissed of Trick dumped into a blender with some punky attitude rock.

Brand New Name on a Old Tattoo has Robin wailing like it’s Auf Wiedersehen time. Can’t believe Zander is still rocking the throat like this in 2017.  This is another hard rock track. Love the groove.

Basically let’s put it this way. 5 tracks in so far! 5 Brilliant well written Hard Rock Nuggets!

Oh oh here it comes….The ballad……oh man ….wait for it! Floating Down is ballad like for about a minute and then shift gears to a tempo that I’m comfy with! That’s thanks to Daxx on the drums. The Flame from 1988 has been extinguished!

She’s Alright has the band picking up the pace with some  roots like rock action. Love the opening bass and drum groove to start the tune. Cool laid back musical  vibe with a cool laid back vocal vibe.

Listen To Me is another throwback 70’s workout and Tom and Rick lock horns and stomp all over the verse’s while Robin just flat-out takes over which will come as no surprise!

The Rest of My Life ends the regular album with a mid tempo like tune. Another sure-fire winner with a real sweet Trick like chorus!

The Deluxe Version features three more tracks…!

Trick does a cover of The Move’s song BlackBerry Way with Cheap Trick’s gives it a Beatle’s like stamp. No lagging on the bonus tracks even with a cover included! Like the all the swirling like action going on in the background.

The Fly gets things back to rock with  some Rick feed backing off of his amp. The Fly is a great hard rock tune with Tom playing a bunch of solid bass licks under the drums and guitar.

Everyone is saying that the final track If You Still Want My Love is the followup up 1982’s If You Want My Love. Perhaps but like the 82 classic this 2017 song is a great track. If I had it my way I would have ended this album with The Fly as I always like to go out Rockin but still since the Tricks did a solid album I can forgive em for this . Bottom line is a great track is a great track and this is well….you get the picture!

Well what can I tell ya!?  Cheap Trick have dug deep into there 1970’s vibe and in the year of 2017 have totally blown me out of the water on how good of an album this is. You know my deal with these guys through this blog. Loved all that 70’s into the early 80’s output than their collective wheels came off on the various 80’s albums(The Doctor/Lap of Luxury/Busted/Woke Up With A Monster) yet I still purchased their output as Cheap Trick was one of those earliest bands that I had discovered on my own!

I must also mention that in all the rocked up glory on this album I like how Trick uses some strings throughout the album(the track Nowhere being one). For myself these kinds of things remind me of way Trick did things back on the classic Dream Police.

Hell,even the front and back covers look throwback.

So good to see these guys ramp it up with a 13 song album that flies by with one catchy hook after another…

A Must Own!