Month: December 2017

RSO (Richie Sambora & Orianthi) – Making History E.P. – Album Review

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Richie Sambora and Orianthi are back with their second E.P. this year.  From what I understand, they have written 70 songs together and recorded 25.  They plan on releasing them as E.P.’s so that means with 2 down (5 songs each), we have 3 more to look forward to in 2018? I hope that is the case as I am up for that. Before we get to those, we have to review the 2nd E.P., ‘Making History’.

The first E.P. ‘Rise’ was not what I expected from these two at all.  With both being exceptional guitar players, I was looking for a guitar based album and they did not come close to that on the first one.  Thank God they redeemed themselves with this album.  They brought the guitars on ‘Making History’.

With the opening track and title track “Making History” you know that they are doing what we wanted them to do.  They are rocking out.  The guitars on this one are exceptional with an almost Def Leppardesque sound from around the “Euphoria” era at times.  The guitar solo is the best thing they have done so far and it is all what I asked for so why should I complain.  Of course I have one negative on the song.  The vocals aren’t the best.  I feel the production is lacking (Bob Rock is the producer which is surprising).  Richie and Orianthi don’t sound like they are singing together and I don’t know if it is the effects they put in her vocals, but something is missing with the chemistry and the mix with the two of them singing together.

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My Sunday Song – “G Train” by Thirdstory

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For My Sunday Song #70, I am going with a lesser known band called Thirdstory.  The song is called “G Train”.  It is off their debut E.P called ‘Searching’ which I did a review back in 2016.  The band consists of only three singer/songwriters – Elliott Skinner, Ben Lusher, and Richard Saunder.  And let me tell you, these guys can sing.

I first came across them when they opened for Tori Kelly back in 2016 on her tour.  The guys were so incredible and their harmonizing was second to none.  Their performance made me go out and download their E.P. because there was one song in the show that stood out to me and is now one of my favorite songs.

“G Train” was written due to the band’s schedule in rehearsing.  One of the members was was always taking the NY Subway back and forth.  On the video, theFader.com states…

…the three members of the group trade stories about lovesickness as they ride the subway through New York City’s boroughs. The song is a perfect soundtrack for the type of deep contemplation that only happens on the train, when you have altogether too much time with your own thoughts.

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Friday New Releases – December 15th

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This is the last Friday New Releases for the rest of this year.  I don’t have anything for the next two weeks. If you haven’t released by this date, you will miss the Christmas rush so you might as well wait until January or be lost the hubbub.  Not much out this week.  The only one I am interested in is the live Linkin Park album and it is highlighted in Blue.  Let me know if there is anything for you.

  • 814YHlOdhFL._SX522_  Linkin Park – One More Light Live – (Warner Bros):  This was recorded off their most recent tour and just months prior to Chester Bennington’s death.  This for me is a must have for any Linkin Park fan to get one of Chester’s final performances.  I have heard the song “Crawling” from this show and it is outstanding. I am sure the rest will be as well.

  • 51ERsLlYB-L  Asking Alexandria – Asking Alexandria – (Sumerian Records)
  • 51Ya6AzwKsL._AC_US218_   John Williams – Star Wars: The Last Jedi – (Walt Disney Records)
  • 71GhXjjrIML._SX522_  G-Eazy – The Beautiful & The Damned – (RCA)
  • 61CoYwpB0GL._SX120_SY120_  N.E.R.D. – No One Ever Really Dies – (Columbia/Sony)

Whitesnake (Snake) – Still Of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987

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On Black Friday, 16 members of my family went to Zoo Atlanta.  It was a great trip and some great times were had.  However, my mind was elsewhere.  I wanted to venture over to Criminal Records over in Little Five Points and check out this great Atlanta record store.  At 2pm, my daughter and I were going to leave are family behind and head over to the store.

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While at the Zoo, we missed the new Reptile house and we were planning on going back around to check it out before we left.  Well, being at the zoo with 16 people and a lot of those people are children, it was very slow going.  2pm started creeping up on us and I started to think, we weren’t going to make it to the reptile house and of course, we didn’t.  I was a little disappointed I didn’t get to see any of the “Snakes”.

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“My First Time” with Kiss – ‘Lick It Up’

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We are now to the end of the “My First Time” series. I ended up skipping it in November as their were too many new albums to review, plus I just wasn’t in the mood,  That got me thinking.  I don’t like being tied down to a specific album or theme.  I want to review albums whenever I am in the mood to do it.  Doing this series, limited me a little so I figured I would do one more and then just start reviewing any album, any time…no theme.

I figured if it was going to be my last, it needed to be something special.  For me, that means Kiss!!  The “My First Time” series is about the FIRST album I bought from a band.  Believe it or not, that album is ‘Lick It Up’ by Kiss.  A couple of my brothers were huge fans and had all their albums, but I had never bought one.  That changed with the excitement of this release.

What was all the excitement about this album?  Well, I am glad you asked.  Kiss sales had been in the decline.  Even with the stellar album ‘Creatures of the Night’ (one of their best), Kiss needed to do something to shake things up.  So they did just that.  They removed the make-up.  It was such a big deal, MTV held a special for the band to reveal themselves without make-up.  They also introduced the video for their first single, “Lick It Up”.  Here is the MTV special reveal…

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My Sunday Song – “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” by KT Tunstall

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My Sunday Song #69 is “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” by KT Tunstall.  The song was released as a single in 2005 from her 2004 debut album ‘Eyes to the Telescope’.  It was a sensational debut song and reached as high as #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made it to #1 Adult Pop Songs chart.

The acoustic guitar and drum beat had you tapping your feet and bobbing your head instantly.  When you add in that gritty voice, you had an instant classic. KT’s song was a little blues, a little soul and a little rock, but a had a lot of character.  I never knew what the song meant and it didn’t really matter.  It was catchy and had a certain charm to it. I would catch myself singing it all the time when it was released and it was one of the best songs of 2005 for sure.

KT Tunstall discussed the meaning of the song at Contactmusic.com.  She said the following:

“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” is inspired by old blues, Nashville psycho hillbillies & hazy memories. It tells the story of finding yourself lost on your path, and a choice has to be made. It’s about gambling, fate, listening to your heart, and having the strength to fight the darkness that’s always willing to carry you off.

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Friday New Releases – December 8th

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The closer we get to Christmas, the fewer good new releases coming out.  That doesn’t mean that aren’t any, just fewer to choose from.  For me this week, there are only two Live albums I am interested in hearing and they are highlighted in Blue.  Let me know if there is anything you see that you like.  Have a great day!!

  • images  Collective Soul – Live – (Suretone Records):  One of my favorite bands from the 90’s and from Georgia.  I have followed them since their first single “Shine” way back in 1993 and they haven’t disappointed me ever!!  I am looking forward to a live album as I don’t have one of those in my collection for them.

  • 61KX5d0LirL._SY300_QL70_  Deep Purple – The Infinite Live Recordings, Vol. 1 – (earMusic):  Deep Purple has been killing it this past year with a new album and so many treats associated with that new album. Now we have a live album as well.  That is all I need to hear.  Thanks and turn it up!!

  • 91G9cZ63fOL._SX522_  Circus of Power – Four – (Noize in the Attic)

  • download-1  Story of the Year – Wolves – (Story of the Year)

  • 61gxmQsSKGL._AC_US320_QL65_  Culture Club – Live at Wembley World Tour 2016 – (Cleopatra Music)

  • 619Oq4V4E1L._AC_US436_QL65_  Luke Bryan – What Makes You Country – (Capitol Records)

  • 91DPED-TXzL._AC_UL115_  Walker Hayes – boom. – (Monument Records)

  • 51qiaHny6mL._AC_US436_QL65_  Belle and Sebastian – How to Solve Our Human Problems Part 1 E.P. – (Matador)

Stone Temple Pilots – “Meadows” – Single Review

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Back on November 14, 2017, Stone Temple Pilots announced their new lead singer, Jeff Gutt, and released their new single “Meadows”.  Through an exhaustive search of over 15,000 submissions they finally found the guy they were looking for in Jeff.  Over the past year, they  have been working together and honing their skills to make sure the band sounded as good as ever and that they gelled.  They didn’t want a Scott Weiland clone, but they needed someone that could pull off the old material as well as the new material (soon to come).  Not only can Jeff sing, but he writes as well.  That combination was what STP was looking for with a new singer.

Scott Weiland was one of the most iconic frontman any band had ever seen.  He is irreplaceable and STP will never be the STP they were with Scott.  A lot of fans won’t be accepting of Jeff for this reason and they are going to be too judgmental of anything new STP puts out.  That is a crying shame because STP isn’t trying to be that STP anymore.  They are trying to move forward with a new sound and honoring the days past.

With the release of “Meadows”, the band has stepped into the future without abandoning anything from the past.  Musically, the song sounds like STP and why wouldn’t it.  These are the same musicians and songwriters of the music from days gone by so of course it is going to sound like STP.  Jeff Gutt sounds amazing. With tinges of Scott’s sound, but not imitating him, you can hear Jeff’s own style shine through.  I think it was a great song choice for the introduction of Jeff as it bridges that gap between new and old so well.

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Maroon 5 – Red Pill Blues – Album Review

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Maroon 5 started off their career as a Pop/Rock/Funk band back in the very early 2000s and brought us the masterpiece debut album ‘Songs About Jane’.  15 year later the band is still going strong with the newest album called ‘Red Pill Blues’.  The resemblance between these two albums is relatively zero.  The Rock/Funk part of the band is non-existent and all you have is glorified POP!

Don’t get me wrong, there is some pop music I like.  However, there is something about pop music that irritates me and that is most songs on pop radio seem to think the actually have to be “featuring” a hip-hop artist or at least another artist.  Singers and bands today don’t seem to be able to do a song that is strictly their own.

Maroon 5 now believes in that theory whole-heartedly.  As a result, they have six songs, that is right 6!!!, on their new album that feature another artist.  They are as follows:

  1. “What Lovers Do (Feat. SZA)
  2. “Help Me Out (duet with Julia Michaels)”
  3. “Who I Am (Feat. Lunchmoney Lewis)”
  4. “Whiskey (Feat. A$AP Rocky)”
  5. ‘Don’t Wanna Know (Feat. Kendrick Lamar – yeah for like 10 seconds)”
  6. “Cold (Feat. Future)”

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My Sunday Song – “Hold Back the River” by James Bay

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My Sunday Song #68 is “Hold Back the River” by James Bay.  You could say I have become a huge fan of this young man.  I have his album “Chaos & the Calm” (on vinyl and a picture disc at that) and my daughter and I have seen him in concert (Great show – read the review HERE).  He has been posting pictures on Facebook of him in the studio and a new album coming in 2018 which got me listening to him again.

When I hit this song in the playlist, I remembered how much I love this song.  The quiet opening with just some slow picking on the guitar and his voice.  The slow build up and a little faster pace and faster and faster.  It actually has the feel that as you try to hold back the river, it get harder and harder and more intense.

In an interview with The Sun, James said the following about the song:

“I wrote it after my first really busy period as an artist, when music had taken me around the world for the first time, and at the end of the year, I’ve become really eager to see friends and my family properly. ‘Hold Back The River’ is a metaphor for that feeling.”

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