Recently, I looked up the definition of the word “fun” in the Oxturd Dictionary and it told me the definition was “to be Defiant”. I thought that sounded about right. So, how could I be defiant. Well, the quickest and easiest way was to pick up the latest release by the band The Defiants. I figured that fit the bill of “fun” quite nicely.
And I was right!
The band consists of three members all stemming from the band Danger Danger. They are Bruno Ravel on bass, Rob Marcello on guitar and Paul Laine on vocals. And to make the Danger Danger connection even stronger, drummer Steve West filled in on the kit for this recording. Since Danger Danger still exists with lead singer Ted Poley, they couldn’t use that name so they came up with their own.
‘Zokusho’ is the band’s second album and the word actually means “sequel” or “next chapter” in Japanese which is actually what this record is. The band picks up right where they left off on their debut. If you liked 80’s rock and the whole melodic rock scene, let me tell you that it doesn’t get much better than this.
For My Sunday Song #161, we are now taking over with the next 10 songs coming from one of my favorite bands Needtobreathe. A rock band with a Southern Rock sound, folk, Americana, gospel all with a Christian background and some of the best songs I have ever heard. I usually try to stick with the non-singles, but as I want more people to know this band, I won’t always stick with that philosophy…although this song is just that. The song this week is called “Cops” and it is a B-Side for the song “Keep Your Eyes Open”. The song is also a bonus track on the LP version of the album ‘The Reckoning’ from 2011. Yes, the LP has the bonus tracks!!
The song is one of the bands heaviest songs and completely rocks out. The reason for that is the subject matter of the song. Needtobreathe has always been labeled a Christian band, but they are not. They are a rock band that has a Christian upbringing and that subject matter bleeds in to the music from time to time. But that is not their focus. They don’t deny they are Christians, they just want to play music and have a good time…nothing wrong with that.
The song is about the Christian people that are trying to tie the band down as a Christian band. The constant opinions about how they are disappointing God when they don’t sing about him and they should be out there spreading the word. Sorry, they are a Rock band first and they are not apologizing for that. The band likens this pressure to being chased by “Cops”…so there you have it. I find it funny how Christians are supposed to be holier than thou, but yet they are the first to cast the stone and point the finger when they should be looking in to that mirror themselves. Another problem I have with religion although I am a Christian, their hypocrisy is sickening at times. Soapbox, getting down now.
Welcome to Friday new releases on this Friday the 13th. And let me tell you this is a lucky Friday…no bad news here. There are an abundance of releases this week that I am excited about and it might be the best week in quite a long time or even all year. There are over 25 on this list and maybe 1/2 I am interested in at listening to once. How long is that going to take…it could be next September. My choices will be highlighted in Blue. Let me know what you see that you like and what I might be missing (could there be anything???). Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
The most important…
The Defiants – Zokusho – (Frontiers Records): Man, I am super excited about this one. Paul Laine and the Danger Danger boys are back with their second release and if it is half as good as the debut, then we are in for a treat. The first 3 songs they have previewed are sensational!! So expectations are HIGH!! I don’t usually listen to songs that are previewed on albums I am anxious about, but I could wait. If you like 80’s brand rock with modern productions, you will be in for a treat.
Tom Keifer – Rise – (Cleopatra Music):The voice of Cinderella is back with his 2nd solo album. His first was fantastic and nothing less is expected on this one. His blues rock and the gravely voice is just what the doctor ordered so grab a copy and crank it up. A great weekend is ahead.
Extreme has been around since 1985, but there debut album didn’t come out until 1989 and that one wasn’t as successful. However, their second album ‘Pornograffitti’ took them to the next level and brought them in to the mainstream. It was that album that I became a fan and it was through the song “More Than Words” that introduced me to the band. That song was nothing like the rest of the album and thank goodness. What I found on their records was a much more interesting band.
Extreme had an intelligence to their music and lyrics. For the first couple of albums, there was a childlike whimsy to the lyrics, but musically they were heads and shoulders above everyone else. They were lumped in to the Hair Band genre which was unfair as they weren’t anything like those bands. What I also loved about them is their use of Portmanteau. They way they would meld two words together to make a new one. They did this on all but one album…you have Pornograffitti, Politicalamity, Evilangelist and Americocaine. These songs always tackled a very serious topic in a very intelligent way.
The band broke up between 1996 and 2004, but thankfully got back together. They have only released 5 albums to date which is way too few. We need more. Until then, we will rank their 5 albums from the Worst to the First. I hope you enjoy.
WORST – SUADADES DE ROCK (2008):
If this is the band’s worst album, then dang, the rest must be incredible because this is a really great album. So why is it at the bottom? I will tell you. First, I have only had 10 years with this album and the rest I have had 25-30 years. Second, there are more tracks I didn’t like on this one then the others. Simple enough. I didn’t like the opening track “Stars” for starters and a few others, plus I actually had a few issues with Gary Cherone’s vocals. They weren’t as crisp as before. Musically though, this thing is great.
The next in the Bootleg series is a show from the Rising Sun Tour in 2006. This show took place on July 23rd, 2006 at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. It was a short tour, but it was awesome. In 2006, the members would have been Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. This is important for a later discussion.
Including solos and introductions, the setlist is 23 songs and a pretty long show. There were some songs on here I love that aren’t played every tour so I was excited to get those. But we will discuss those later.
First, we have to discuss the packaging as we normally do. This set is on CD as I have no more vinyl to discuss. The Cover of this thing is awesome. It is so scary looking and has absolutely nothing to do with the band. At least the album name is good with “Kiss of Thunder”.
Now when you open the CD jewel case, on the left is the picture below. Can you tell me what is wrong with this picture? If you can’t, you aren’t a Kiss fan so please leave! I’m kidding you can stay.
For our next edition of ‘The Original vs. The Cover’, we are going to cover the classic driving song “Radar Love” by the band Golden Earring. The song was released in 1973 and was the only U.S. single off their album ‘Moontan’. The song did very well and went as high as #13 on Billboard, but went Top 10 in numerous other countries including the UK and Canada.
The song was written by George Kooymans and Barry Hay of the band. It is about a guy that feels so he is so connected with this girl that it is like telepathy. He calls it “Radar Love”. She wants him so badly that he is trying so hard to get home as fast as he can and he is driving so fast and so recklessly to get there. As a result, this song is considered one of the Top Driving songs of all time. I can attest to that fact. It does makes you want to drive fast.
Now, I have also heard that the “Radar” part is really the use of CB Radio and she was calling over the CB for him to get home because she was lonely. Either way it works. Now there is a line that says “And the newsman sang his same song / One more radar love is gone” which makes think that when he passed that last car in the lyrics, he was killed in a car crash which I never picked up on before. Gives it an interesting twist if true.
For My Sunday Song #160 and the final in the Def Leppard series, I bring you “Die Hard the Hunter” from the multi-platinum album ‘Pyromania’. The song was never released as a single; however, was played live back in the day.
The song opens with the sound of a helicopter and machine gun fire and is representative of war, the Vietnam War to be exact. The song is about a war veteran who comes back from war, but can’t seem to let it go. The battles the soldier faces being home as he can’t seem to stop fighting the battles and now they are in his mind. The evils of war are following him everywhere and he is struggling to let go of the bad and find the good. A common problem with soldiers then and even today.
What I love about the song is the seriousness of the music. The heavy metal chords that are used give an impending feel of doom and gloom. There is a darkness to the music, an eeriness, a sadness that captures the feelings the soldier is going through. You can actually feel the heaviness of it all through the music. It is quite fantastic how they captured that feeling musically.
Steve Clark’s solo on this is fantastic. He has a really cool riff and along with Pete Willis’ rhythm guitar, the two made a great pair and helped deliver the sound that captured the essence of the song. It was simple sounding, yet brilliant. Not too flashy, but not understated either. Joe delivers the vocals in a way to also help convey the emotions of the song. Always has been one of my favorites on ‘Pyromania’.
Summer is over and School is back in session, now we need some new music. Who am I kidding, I don’t need a reason to want new music. Every week is a good week for that. However, this week is a little limited on the releases. There are quite a few, but not a lot to excite my senses. There are a few I will check out and they are highlighted in Blue. Let me know what interests you and what I might have missed. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!
Black Star Riders – Another State of Grace – (Nuclear Blast): Black Star Riders are back with their fourth studio release and I am eager to hear what is in store as well as a little apprehensive since Damon Johnson is no longer in the band. He was a big draw. I will keep an open mind and give it a try as Ricky is still on vocals and Scott is still there as well, but I hate they are only down to 2 of the 5 original members.
Lindsey Stirling – Artemis – (LindseyStomp Records/BMG): This young lady plays one mean violin. I find her to be sensational and always entertaining and I don’t expect this to be any different. A couple vocal tracks on this one as well with guest Amy Lee and Elle King which should be incredible, but the highlight is always her playing. If you haven’t checked her out, do yourself a service and do so.
Bear Rinehart is lead singer of the band Needtobreathe and if you follow my site at all you know I am a huge fan of that band. When I heard Bear was doing a solo project I was excited to see what different direction he might take. His first solo project definitely explores a different sound and style then his main job.
The name he chose is Wilder Woods which happens to be the names of his two kids, Wilder and Woods Rinehart. I think it is interesting he didn’t even use his own name on the project as he seems to want to keep it completely separate from Needtobreathe.
The album is a pure R&B and Soul album which is far from the Americana, Folk, souther rock sound of his other band. The opening track, “Light Shine In”, might the one song that sounds most like Needtobreathe with a little more of a rock edge and the track “What Gives You The Right” might have fit nicely on their album ‘Hard Love’ with its energy and alt-pop sound.
“Sure Ain’t” is classic R&B and one of the best songs on the album. He poors his heart and soul in to the vocals and there is this magical groove to pull you in. This is followed by ballad “Someday Soon” sees Bear go soulful and gives us his most heartfelt vocals.
Another R&B track is “Supply & Demand” where Bear is trying to woo his woman into a little more horizontal part of the relationship. It has a throwback sound and it is enjoyment for your ears.
“Electric Woman” might be the best song on the album with a catchy ass groove and its sultry vocal approach and seems to be another love song to his wife. And the cool thing is she is in the video with him.
Speaking of his wife, it takes balls to tell your wife that she is wrong and he does just that with “Mary, You’re Wrong” to start off Side 2. If she thinks he is going to leave her, she is mistaken as he has no desire and that is there for the long haul. “Feel” is straight out of the 70’s R&B era with the female backing vocals and the total sonics of the song.
“Hillside House” is a really slow song that seems real personal to him and I think it is another love letter to his wife who seems to be his muse for most of this album…which is really cool to see that she still pulls those feelings out of him after so many years of marriage.
The last track, “Religion”, is very church-like in its approach and you can hear his Christian upbringing in the church flow through even though it is a song that is talking about his struggles with religion. It is a little sad and the acoustic feel to the song keeps the voice as the highlight and lets you focus on the words.
It ain’t Needtobreathe and thankfully so as a solo album should be different. His first solo effort is a strong statement that he has a lot more to offer. There is a swagger and confidence in the style and his vocal delivery. I love the 70’s R&B vibes, the grooves and the soul that his heart is pouring out in his music and his lyrics. He made a modern R&B album that plays well today probably as well as it would have played in the 70’s. He has captured a sound that will hopefully resonate with everyone, young and old. My only complaint is the 2nd Side is a little weaker than the first, outside of that there are no other complaints. I would rate the album a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars.
Give it a try and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by.
One way to tell how good a band really is is to see them live. If you can’t do that, then it is to listen to one of their live albums. If they can capture what they have done in the studio and bring it to the stage or even take it up a notch, then you have a solid band. Growing up, I was never in to live albums. It was all studio albums for me. One day, that changed and live albums became the thing.
Now, I tend to be gravitating to the live albums and trying the get them on vinyl or even CD if that is all I can get. I figured we would go through what Live albums I have in my collection, then with the ones I am trying to get, my Top 5 Favorites and lastly let you weigh in on which ones I have to get my hands on as I am sure there are some I am not aware are great and I should go grab.
We will kick it off with the Hottest Band in the Land…KISS!! It was the Kiss Alive albums that did it for me. These things are great. I have 4 of them…Kiss Alive!, Kiss Alive II, Kiss Alive III and Kiss Unplugged. They did get original with their names as you can tell.
But that is not all, I also have a ton of Kiss Bootlegs as you have seen through my Kiss Bootleg Series…
2 Loud 2 Old Music 