Month: August 2020

Friday New Releases – August 21, 2020

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Another Friday is upon us and I am glad you made it through another week.  I am sure my kids are glad it is Friday as well since they started school this past week.  It is a different type of school for them now thanks to COVID.  But one thing that hasn’t changed is Friday is new release day.  There is a lot here this week, but there isn’t at the same time.  There is one I am looking forward to and one I will give a spin as it looks interesting and they are both marked in Blue. Let me know what you are excited about and what I may have missed.  Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend!!

  • 71EA1ClpcdL._SX522_  The Lemon Twigs – Songs for the General Public – (4AD Ltd):  I know nothing about this band, but the album cover with them dressed very glam like has made me interested in spinning this one.  I need something new, so hopefully this will satisfy that craving.

  • 91-dFqF+lTL._SX522_  The Killers – Imploding the Mirage – (Island Records):  This album got bounced around so much due to Covid, I lost track of the release date and missed having it as a featured cover on the header.  However, this is the main one I would want to hear this week.  Sorry this was added late, but it has been added.

Continue reading “Friday New Releases – August 21, 2020” →

Kiss – ‘Double Platinum’ (1978) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)

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Kiss was flying high.  Alive II was doing well and heck, all their albums were selling and some even reaching Platinum status.  Kiss had been in and out of the studio and on the road touring for over 4 years straight. They had 6 studio albums and 2 live albums under the belt now and they were tired.  Band friction was starting to form.  They were about to implode.  Ace wanted to do a solo album and to help keep the peace, management and the band came up with the idea of doing 4 solo albums all under the Kiss moniker.  To keep the ball rolling and capitalize on their current success, a greatest hits album was put together for a quick cash-grab and to give them more time to finish the solo projects and save the train wreck about to happen.

The album was released on April 2, 1978 and not just a simple single LP.  No, this was a 2 LP, 20 song greatest hits compilation.  It covers everything.  To entice people to buy it, they remixed a number of songs on here so the fan would have something a little different than what they already had.  And the packaging was beautiful.  The album cover was a gatefold which made sense for a double LP.  It was also embossed in a silver, foil-like sheen.  And let me tell you that trying to take a picture of this and not have me and the camera visible was very difficult.  The front and back cover for my version, are exactly the same.  I know some later ones, the back is different. Continue reading “Kiss – ‘Double Platinum’ (1978) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)” →

Robbie Williams – ‘Sexed Up – Forever Texas’ (2003) – Album Review

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There is nothing better than going through racks of CDs and finding something you’ve never seen before.  I was at 2nd & Charles in Mathews, NC with my wife (she was looking at books) and I started digging through the used CDs. I started in the “A” section and within 30 seconds I stumbled across this album…Robbie Williams “Sexed Up”.  Yes, in the “A” section as naturally that is where it would be instead of the “R” or “W” section.  Makes total sense.  It had Japanese or some Asian lettering on it so I snatched it up especially knowing that the price was only $3.50.

I did some research once I got home and all I could find out is that the CD is referred to as Robbie Williams – “Sexed Up/Forever Texas” and is an unofficial release.  As a result, Discogs won’t sell it.  I did see a copy on eBay for about $36 and Discogs had a single cd version on sale for over $100.  Either way, my $3.50 is looking like a pretty great deal.

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The packaging is great as the plastic CD case comes in this nice cardboard housing with a flap to open and remove your CD case.  The disc is also labeled as an HDCD whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.  I figured it was going to sound better, but it is CD, it already sounds good as a CD should. Continue reading “Robbie Williams – ‘Sexed Up – Forever Texas’ (2003) – Album Review” →

Kiss – World Domination 2003-2004 Tour – Tour Book

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In yet another Kiss post, we are back on the topic of Tour Books. I had 3 Tour Books from Kiss and I have done posts on 2 of those and I really enjoyed going back through the book and looking at all the pictures.  The third one is from the End of the Road Tour and I will get to that one eventually.  In the meantime, I said to myself, “you know John, we should start collecting Tour Books”.  And I answered myself back with “John, that is a brilliant idea.  Not only are you handsome, but you are pretty damn smart too!”  I couldn’t agree with myself more.

That got weird fast!!

Back on topic.  I actually went on to eBay and noticed there are tons of them for sale, but dang! they are expensive.  Maybe this wasn’t a good idea.  Then I saw one that was only $5 and the pictures looked pretty great actually.  I added it to the Watch list and about 4 hours before it was to end, I figured let me place a bid.  So I did and I was not wanting to go over $10 so that was what I put in as the max bid. I went to bed and forgot about, but morning came and dang it, I got it.  My Tour Book collecting had officially begun.

The one I bought was from the World Domination Tour in 2003.  This was Kiss with Aerosmith and I actually missed this tour as I believe they came to town shortly after the birth of my first daughter so there was no way I was getting out to see a show.  So I was excited to see what this book looked like and now it is time to share it with all of you. Continue reading “Kiss – World Domination 2003-2004 Tour – Tour Book” →

The Original vs. The Cover vs. The Cover – “Me and Bobby McGee”

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It is time for another the Original vs. the Cover and this time it is another trio of versions.  This time we are discussing the song “Me and Bobby McGee” which was written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, but let’s be honest, Fred only gave the song the title.  The versions we are covering are the original release by Roger Miller (1969), Kris Kristofferson’s own version (1970) and then the version by Janis Joplin (1971).  There were actually two other versions released in 1970 by Gordon Lightfoot and the Statler Brothers and then in 1971, Jerry Lee Lewis released a version.  That is 6 versions in 3 years.  Insane.  I’m going to stick with my three.

The song was started by Fred Foster, the head of the label Kris was signed, when he went to Kris with a song title called “Me and Bobbie McKee” which Kris thought it he heard McGee.  Kris didn’t think he could write the song, so he avoided Foster for months until he finally got it written.

The song is about a couple that is traveling across the southern part of the country.  They are hitchhiking, singing the blues and discovering the land and each other.  They end up breaking up and going their own ways and the singer is filled with sadness and regret about them parting as I believe he loved that Bobby McGee.  I could go in to more depth about the song and the lyrics, but then this would turn in to a My Sunday Song episode where we deep dive in to the songs.  This is about which version is the best so we will get to that part of the show.

ROGER MILLER

R-10005558-1490014864-6519.jpeg Continue reading “The Original vs. The Cover vs. The Cover – “Me and Bobby McGee”” →

My Sunday Song – “Slow An’ Easy” by Whitesnake

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For My Sunday Song #209, we are going back to the first album that really broke in the states for Whitesnake and one of the songs that helped start it all, “Slow An’ Easy”.  The song was the fourth single off the album and was written by David Coverdale and Micky Moody who were the last two remaining original members of the band at the time, Micky wouldn’t last much longer as he was replaced by John Sykes before the album’s release and is guitar parts were replaced by Sykes, but that is whole other discussion.

Whitesnake was notorious at the time with critics for their “cock rock” lyrics and “Slow an’ Easy” is pretty much that to a T.  The song is about Sex!  No sugar coating it here, it is Sex!  I wish I could give you a deeper meaning to the song, but I can’t and I wouldn’t want to as the song is what it is and it is awesome!  In the 25th Anniversary edition of the album (and thanks to wikipedia), David had this to say…

“Slow & Easy was recorded at 4 in the morning in Munich after a serious night’s partying…Most of the vocals is just a live ‘jam’ lyric I made up to inspire the band as we recorded…I played around with the lyric later to try and make some sense of it…”

Continue reading “My Sunday Song – “Slow An’ Easy” by Whitesnake” →

You Pick It! – Which Album to Review in September?

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You, my reader, are going to pick an album for me to review each month.  It is really simple…first, I will give you 5 albums to choose from and second, you will tell me which one of those you would like to see reviewed on the site.  See…simple!

There are a few simple rules I have put in to place in my selections.  They are…

  • One has to be a new release (within the last month)
  • One has to be one I have never heard before (new releases don’t count for this one)
  • One has to be from a genre I don’t normally listen to at all or very often
  • And the last two are choices from my collection that I haven’t reviewed before

What are the 5 albums you ask?  Funny you should ask because I have those right here…note: I tried to throw in some non-obvious choices to make things a little more interesting.

91fueI6vNPL._SS500_  New Release – Adelitas Way – ‘Shine On’

91XuGESJC+L._SX522_  Never Heard Before – Funkadelic – ‘Maggot Brain’

71j8hhKN7fL._SX522_  Not My Normal Genre – Stevie Wonder – ‘Songs in the Key of Life’

81E2pAj6FwL._SS500_  From My Collection – Mr. Mister – ‘Welcome to the Real World’

41G32ZGTGML  From My Collection – Genesis – ‘Genesis’

Let me know which one you would like to see and sometime in September, I will post a review of the album that gets the most votes.  You have one week to decide and from there I will start listening to the album and do a review.

Thanks for participating!!

Friday New Releases – August 14, 2020

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It is Hot! Hot! Hot! I’m talking about the weather though and not the new releases. There are a bunch this week, but nothing I am “hot” over.  Maybe lukewarm.  My choices are highlighted in Blue.  Hopefully there is something here that will get you hot and excited about.  If so, let me know what it is and let me know what I may have missed on the list so other people can see.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  Stay Cool!!

  • 91fueI6vNPL._SS500_  Adelitas Way – Shine On – (Vegas Syn / The Fuel Music):  Adelitas Way isn’t an exciting rock band, but they are consistent.  They have decent songs and there is always a few good songs worth grabbing and throwing in to a playlist. For that fact, I will give them a spin.

  • 910MrctHG9L._SS500_  Biffy Clyro – A Celebration of Endings – (14th Floor Records / Warner Music);  This band came on my radar some years back when my brother-in-law engineered one of their albums.  They a pretty interesting as they don’t settle on one thing, they like to try new things.  These boys from Scotland always bring something worth while to the table and here is hoping for something new and awesome to digest!

Continue reading “Friday New Releases – August 14, 2020” →

Kiss – ‘Alive II’ (1977) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)

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After three studio albums, it was time to repeat the magic with another live album, ‘Alive II’.  It worked well the first time so it seemed like that was the intention this time around to try and capture that gold again.  However, that was not the original intention.  While the band was touring Japan for ‘Rock & Roll Over’, they recorded the entire show of the band at the famed Budokan Hall in Tokyo on April 2, 1977.  They felt the band needed a break before recording the next album and this would be it.  However, Casablanca hated the album and it was scrapped.

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The band went and released ‘Love Gun’ as planned and then it was time for another live album.  This time they recorded three shows at the LA Forum on August 26-28 of 1977 while out on Tour for the ‘Love Gun’ album which was just released in June.  Heck, they even recorded the soundchecks as the goal for this album was to not duplicate any songs that were on ‘Alive!’.  And to add something special to the album, Side Four was going to be all new studio songs which gives this release a little something extra.  Eddie Kramer was brought back in to produce and he worked his magic. Continue reading “Kiss – ‘Alive II’ (1977) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)” →

Turntables & Vinyl #23 – The David Coverdale / Whitesnake Collection

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If you follow this site, then you know I am a huge David Coverdale fan.  I must be as a spent a year reviewing everything that he has done.  I had about 38 posts in the series and we are doing one more to show-off the collection.  I have amassed quite the Coverdale collection of Vinyl and CDs and even a DVD.

What do I have…well…lets us go through it.  Now before we do, note that I don’t have everything, I am still working on it and some stuff I have on CD, I will be getting the vinyl eventually.  For now, this is what I have…

Where it all began…DEEP PURPLE!  Have “Burn”, “Stormbringer”, “Come Taste the Band” and “Made in Europe”.

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Then David did some solo work then Whitesnake and then more solo work.  Here is the Solo work…the vinyl here is both “Whitesnake” and “Northwinds”.  You get “Into the Light” as well as the “Coverdale/Page”.

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Next, there is the early Whitesnake years starting with “Snakebite”, “Trouble”, “Lovehunter” and “Ready an’ Willing”… Continue reading “Turntables & Vinyl #23 – The David Coverdale / Whitesnake Collection” →