Month: October 2018

My Sunday Song – “The Joker” by Steve Miller Band

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My Sunday Song #113 is “The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band.  The song was released in 1973 and appeared on the album ‘The Joker’.  The song did really well for Steve and the band as it went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 110 chart.  It is probably the highest pot smoking song ever charted.

The song has this slow, laid back groove that is so cool and relaxing thanks to his stellar rhythm section of Gerald Johnson on Bass and John King on drums.  The slide guitar by Steve brings this really interesting feel to the song and when he does the wolf whistle on it, damn, it is just fantastic.  It really does feel like a stoner song and I don’t even smoke it, but if I did this song would be playing for sure.

However, the lyrics are king here. The song is famous for it’s pot reference for the chorus that goes…

“I’m a joker
I’m a smoker
I’m a midnight toker”

How could you not sing along to that.

Steve_Miller_Band_The_Joker_1973_single_cover

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Friday New Releases – October 12th

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Welcome to another Friday of music new releases.  There are a bunch to choose from, but sadly I am not real thrilled about any of them.  That is probably a good thing since I had so many from last week that I am still enjoying.  There is one I will listen to out of the bunch (highlighted in Blue) and the rest who knows if they will ever find the playlist.  Hopefully with all to choose from, there is something that you will gravitate towards. Let me know what interests you are doesn’t.  Thanks and have a great weekend!!

  • 51DBuL6UKqL._AC_US436_QL65_  Tobymac – The Elements – (Forefront Records):  Tobymac has always proven to me he is a talented artists whether it was with DC Talk or his solo works.  The mixture of hip-hop, pop and rock is always a great combination.  He spreads the word and makes it an enjoyable experience.  This will be the only album this week that is a must listen, the rest…ehh!.

  • 614qJEKidaL._AC_US436_QL65_  Live – Local 717 E.P. – (Kalvary Records):  It has been awhile since any new Live material and it is much needed.  I heard the song below and was intrigued.  This might be first up for the day.

  • 51pFKgIYAtL._SY300_QL70_  Elvis Costello & the Imposters – Look Now – (Concord Records)

  • 413OeeqtLUL.jpg  Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground – (Comandante): This one might get a listen…this song is pretty good.

  • 51uS3scxmmL._AC_US436_QL65_  Kurt Vile – Bottle It In – (Matador):  Okay, maybe this one too.

  • 61K5jDNoQFL._AC_UL115_.jpg  David Bowie – Loving the Alien 1983-1988 (11 CD Set) – (Rhino)
  • 61cLx3dyPoL._AC_US320_QL65_  Blues Traveler – Hurry Up & Hang Around – (BT Recordings)
  • 81MY6RPdsAL._SX522_.jpg  Evanescence – Synthesis Live – (Eagle Rock Entertainment)
  • 81GSD64tv0L._SX522_  Nazareth – Tattooed on my Brain – (Frontiers Record)
  • 51BqXIWsX0L._AC_US436_QL65_  Seventh Wonder – Tiara – (Frontiers Record)
  • 81pOu3lDOCL._SX522_.jpg  Imperllitteri – The Nature of the Beast – (Frontiers Record)
  • 71gM8z8h7QL._SX522_  City of Thieves – Beast Reality – (Frontiers Record)
  • 71sWDhwaRML._SX522_  Creye – Creye – (Frontiers Record)
  • 81mu9XvjxML._AC_UL115_  Eric Clapton – Happy Xmas – (Bushbranch/Surfdog)
  • 41cGdmvrV0L._SS500  Young the Giant – Mirror Master – (Elektra)
  • 512S+VNZwlL._AC_US436_QL65_  Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Rocket – (Verve Forecast)
  • 71NkozUUzaL._AC_UL115_.jpg  Graham Parker – Cloud Symbols – (100% Records)
  • 81fgAt+w9vL._SX522_  Atreyu – In Our Wake – (Spinefarm Records)
  • 51JfdCwUb4L._AC_US436_QL65_  John Hiatt – The Eclipse Sessions – (New West Records)

Ratt – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

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For most of 2018, I have been reviewing all the Ratt albums from the Ratt E.P. in 1983 all the way to 2010’s Infestation. It has been an enjoyable ride walking through the history of the band, all the ups and the downs, the good and the bad and loving every minute of it (wait that is Loverboy)…and loving watching the wax or cd spinning round and round (much better).

Ratt has been a love/hate relationship.  While I love most of what they do, they don’t always deliver the goods and I tried to be as honest as I could be throughout the review processes.  I believe I was brutal where I needed to be and kissed their ass when it deserved it as well.  I hear they band is planning a new album in 2019 and when it comes I will review it in detail like the others and I will update this list and put it where it belongs among the classics or the crap.

You can go back and read each review in detail by just clicking on the album title.  This ranking will be just a summary of the good and bad of each album.  I hope you enjoy.

THE WORST – RATT (1999):

The hardest review of them all to write. I couldn’t connect to this album when it came out or even now.  The production quality was horrible; Stephen’s vocals needed some cleanup and weren’t always up to par; the double guitar of Ratt of old was gone and so the songs were missing that punch; and overall it was just bad.

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Ratt – ‘Infestation’ – Album Review

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After the album ‘Ratt (1999), the band had a very troubled time.  Stephen Pearcy left the band (again) and started his own band that eventually tried to use the Ratt name, but the other members sued and won.  The remaining Ratt members continued on as a band…or at least made several attempts with many line-up changes.

In 2000, the current Ratt was Warren DeMartini, Bobby Blotzer, Robbie Crane, John Corabi (Motley Crue) and Robert Mason.  Robert was brought on as lead singer, but left shortly after when the band couldn’t get a major label deal.  That brought on Jizzy Pearl at lead vocals.  This would remain the band until at least 2006.

In 2002, the band and fans were delivered some bad news.  Original guitarist, Robbin Crosby, passed away from a Heroin overdose.  He had long battled  with addiction and it finally grabbed hold for good.  Robbin has also been battling HIV, but the drugs got to him first.  Any hopes of the original band getting back together were quickly dashed.

In 2006, Jizzy would leave and Stephen Pearcy rejoined the band.  Then 2 years later, John Corabi would leave and he was replaced by Carlos Carvazo from Quiet Riot.  The line-up was now complete for the next album…whew, that was exhausting.  Wait, where is Juan Croucier?  He was out doing his own thing.  He comes back to the band, but not for many years.

Finally, in April 2010, Ratt released their seventh studio album called ‘Infestation’.  It had been over 10 years since the last album and with all the line-up changes and the fact the last album was so bad, my expectations for this release were pretty low.

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My Sunday Song – “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

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For My Sunday Song #112, I am going to talk about “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman.  Released on April 6th, 1988, and on her self-titled album, “Fast Car” was a massive hit reaching all the way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  I remember seeing the video on MTV and thinking what an amazing and beautiful song.  It was not like anything else on the radio at the time.

The song is an acoustical track with just Tracy, an acoustic guitar and some percussion.  Tracy is a folk pop or folk rock singer and her haunting vocals are so impactful and heartfelt that you believe the hardships this person is facing.  It was her vocals performance that made me fall in love with this song (and this album).  It was the most honest performance from I song I had heard on the radio at that time.  It made me think, if she could write such a powerful song, what else can she write about.  And the album doesn’t disappoint.

The song is about a young woman who has grown up with a very rough life.  Her dad is an alcoholic and her mom left them.  She had to quit school to take care of her dad and they were very poor.  She has a boyfriend and she dreams about taking a fast car and driving to the city and starting over and having a better life in the city.  Sadly, her boyfriend is a drunk just like her dad and she can’t break free from the hold poverty has on her world.  Such a sad song and story, yet it is so beautiful.

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Friday New Releases – October 5th

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Welcome to October.  Halloween decorations will start going up and Fall should be arriving soon…well I am in the South so I guess we don’t get Fall weather until Christmas.  The new releases are still coming fast & furious (great title for a movie franchise…I wonder if it has been done).  There are two releases from 2 of my favorite singer songwriters and there are just so many to choose you should be able to find something.  My choices are in Blue.  Let me know what interests your or I am missing anything so people will know.

  • 91OE1mUg7jL._SX522_  Matt Nathanson – Sings His Sad Heart – (Acrobat Records):  Matt Nathanson, what can I say.  He is one of my favorite Singer-Songwriters out there today.  I have seen him live 3 times (all is an opener…I need to see him as a headliner).  This album will be there when I get home on vinyl along with his Def Leppard Cover E.P. on vinyl as well.  This will consume most of my listening this weekend.  His lyrics are insightful at times, quirky, funny and sometimes damn near brilliant.  I can’t say enough good things.  Damn…I hope I haven’t built him up too much to disappoint…nah..can’t happen.

  • 81Hjd0GYwOL._AC_UL115_  Steve Perry – Traces – (Fantasy): The legendary Journey singer is back with his first album in over 20 years and I could not be more excited.  I can’t say I am a huge fan of what I have heard so far, but that doesn’t matter.  Any new music by this man is welcomed and will be listened to for time to come.

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The Original vs. The Cover – “Zombie”

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For this installment of The Original vs. The Cover, we are tackling the Cranberries song “Zombie and comparing to the cover by Bad Wolves.  The song was written by Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries back in 1993 and was released on their 1994 album ‘No Need to Argue’.  The Cranberries had pretty good success with the song, but the song was never released as an official single in the U.S. so it never made the Billboard Top 40. The song helped the album go on to sell over 7 million copies in the U.S.

The song was a very big political statement for the band.  It was about the IRA bombing in England in 1993 which killed two children, Jonathan Bell and Tim Parry.  The band is from Ireland and this hit too close to home for them.  For those that don’t know, the IRA is a militant group that has been trying for years to get the British troops removed from Northern Ireland.  Dolores wrote the song as an anthem for peace.  The song also speaks to the year 1916 which is how long the fighting has been taking place over this issue.

For me, I now look at the song differently.  I think the song was also talking about depression.  The lyrics do speak of war and fighting and it is obvious what the song is about, but with the lines repeated a lot “in your head / Zombie”, I looked at as the mental anguish the singer was fighting with herself as she did suffer from depression and sadly took her life on January 15th of this year, 2018. Maybe I am trying to read too much into it.

THE CRANBERRIES

The Cranberries song was a departure for the band sonically.  The band was an alternative rock band with some pop flare to them as well.  This song was more grunge sounding than anything they had done.  It was very dark, angry and Dolores’ delivery of the lyrics made you feel that anger and the pain of losing the children and the heartache the family’s must have felt.

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1971 – The Greatest Year in Music?

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If you are new to the site, I started this series with the year 1987 and then noticed that 1991 and 1983 were also a couple of the greatest years in music.  I got to thinking, was there a pattern that every 4 years we have another great year in music.  Well theory didn’t last long as I don’t think the next two years I researched were “great” years in music.  Those years were 1979 and 1995. If you want to explore all the years I have examined so far, click on the link below…

1979 – The Greatest Year in Music?

1983 – The Greatest Year in Music?

1987 – The Greatest Year in Music?

1991 – The Greatest Year in Music?

1995 – The Greatest Year in Music?

Now that my theory is busted, I am just going to start looking for the “Greatest” year in music.  I am going to start with 1971.  Will 1971 be another great year or will it be the greatest year.  Let us explore and see and then decide at the end.  But first we have to ask What were the top albums of the year?, What were the debut albums from some of the great rock bands? and What was going on in the world of music that year?

NEWS:

What were some of the biggest news events that happened in 1971?  I couldn’t find any one big thing that happened.  Nothing new was invented such as the walkman or the CD.  There were a couple things of note.

69fillmorewest

June 27th & July 4th – Music promoter, Billy Graham, closed two of the most famous music venues, The Fillmore East in New York City closed on June 27th and closed with The Allman Brothers (the band recorded their famous live album their 3 months earlier) and on July 4th the Fillmore West in San Francisco closed with Santana, Credence Clearwater Revival and the Grateful Dead (not a bad night).

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