Author: 2loud2oldmusic

Kiss – ‘Unnecessary Evil: Anaheim Stadium August 20, 1976’ – Album Review (The Kiss Bootleg Series)

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We are now to a set of shows that were all done within a month of each other. These three disc were included in the John Humphrey Collection I bought last year at an auction where I got my hands on 38 Bootleg CDs from his personal collection. Oh, if you don’t know who John Humphrey is, you need to know he is a massive Kiss collector. And he is the drummer of the band Seether. John decided to sell off his entire collection…sort of…he kept all the vinyl (like 4,000 of them). He did it through an auction at Backstage Auctions and I had to have a piece of it…which I did.

We are going in chronological order for these three shows, so first up is ‘Unnecessary Evil: Anaheim Stadium August 20, 1976’. The release was on Deep Records and was released in 1992 and is obviously another Bootleg. This is actually the 50th Kiss Bootleg Post I’ve done which is crazy to think about. And I still have several more to do. The show we have here is from the Destroyer Tour and saw the band come to Anaheim, California with an impressive line-up for this show. It had Montrose, Ted Nugent as well as Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band all on the bill. There were around 43,000 people at the show and it gross was $437,653 which in today’s dollars would be equivalent to around $2.5 million today. That is crazy to think.

This particular show I read is a soundboard recording, but maybe it is the age, but doesn’t sound that clear for a soundboard. But it doesn’t sound that bad either for an audience recording. You can hear the crowd really well, but the band is a little soft and distant sounding. Although, I can hear everything fairly clear. The show was pretty much an all day festival and reports show the band sold $36,000 in merchandise on that day. There were two massive video screens, one on each side of the stage as well as Eddie Kramer was brought in to record the show. I don’t believe that show has been released yet officially. Maybe that would be a great release for the 50th Anniversary of the album.

The show starts out with a warning from the announcer for everyone to back up as the crowd was pushing the stage. Safety is important. The fans start chanting “We Want Kiss” and with a fade out and fade in, the band was introduced by each name and there was no “You Wanted the Best” intro. As the are coming down the stage, it is known that Gene falls down, but he gets right back up. Since this is a CD, you don’t actually see that happen, just know it does. They open with “Detroit Rock City”. It is heavy, fast paced and over before you know, but not before the car crashes and they go right into “King of the Night Time World”. A song they should’ve played more in the later years. Theses songs follow each other on ‘Destroyer’ and so they should live as well. It is a messy transition with the crowd noise and such, but once it gets going, it rocks.

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My Sunday Song – “Wisdom” by Jonny Lang

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For My Sunday Song #476, we are going to go all blues with “Wisdom” by Jonny Lang. In 2017, this Grammy Award winning artist released is stellar album ‘Signs’. And that album blew me away thanks in large part to this song. If you aren’t familiar with Jonny, you are definitely missing out. He is a Blues, Gospel and Rock guitarist, songwriter and singer. There is nothing this man can’t do. He brings in so many influences and crafts them into heartfelt and moving songs that are either blues or straight up rock & roll and when he mixes the two together, watch out!! And this song…Watch The F*&K Out!!

The song was written by Jon Gordon Langseth (or Jonny Lang) and Andrew Maxwell Ramsey. It talks about how much we need wisdom to avoid those mistakes that we are bound to make. However, that lesson and wisdom tend to come way too late to ever help. It is those mistakes that give us the wisdom not to make them again. It is never there for that young man and generally don’t get it until you are much older and by then it is too late. I love the line…

When he sees he was defeated by
What he believed was only right
Was really just another lie
That’s when he’ll cry out for wisdom

For me, that is a really dark statement. What you believe is the right thing to do isn’t always the case. The lies and demons you face can skew that perception and it is the need for wisdom to help you see the correct choice or path. We have all needed wisdom at some point in time as we’ve all made mistakes. The song talks about when you are at that point where your life is on the and you would pay anything to have wisdom at that point…and it would be worth whatever price you have to pay.

Musically, holy crap! The song starts with a bass drum and snare that sounds will send chills down your spine. It is so hauntingly brilliant. The blues guitar has so much soul and pain. Jonny plays both the drums and and the guitar and those are the only instruments he needs throughout the song to convey the blues, the pain, the misery of not having the wisdom needed. The mistake has already been made. The guitar solo is amazing and probably the best guitar solo on a album that is nothing but great guitar solos. Lang is one of the best blues guitarists out there today. The emotions he can generate from those strings is amazing. Vocally, there is so much pain, so much regret, so much grit and so much life that has been lived. You believe every word he is singing.

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Friday New Releases – March 20, 2026

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Happy Friday and aren’t all Fridays happy as it is a day of new music releases & the start of the weekend! We have a bunch of old bands with new albums or reissues and I’m good with that. Can’t wait to hear the releases from Aerosmith and Tyketto as those should keep me busy for awhile. What you do you want to hear this week or what have we missed. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Also, do you like the new Friday New Release photo above? If so, that will be the cover art for this post each week.

  • Aerosmith – Aerosmith (Legendary Expanded Edition) – (Capitol Records / Aerodisc Partnership)
  • Tyketto – Closer to the Sun – (Silver Lining Music)
  • Axel Rudi Pell – Ghost Town – (Steamhammer)
  • Exodus – Goliath – (Napalm Records)
  • Venus 5 – March Of The Venus 5 – (Frontiers Records)
  • Ignescent – Eternal – (Frontiers Records)
  • Luke Combs – The Way I Am – (Seven Ridges Records / Sony Music)
  • Tedeschi Trucks Band – Future Soul – (Swamp Family Music / Fantasy Records / Concord)
Continue reading “Friday New Releases – March 20, 2026” →

Kiss – The Interview Discs (The Kiss Bootleg Series)

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We are now to a collection of Interview Discs that were included in the John Humphrey Collection I bought last year at an auction where I got my hands on 38 Bootleg CDs from his personal collection. Oh, if you don’t know who John Humphrey is, you need to know he is a massive Kiss collector. And he is the drummer of the band Seether. John decided to sell off his entire collection…sort of…he kept all the vinyl (like 4,000 of them). He did it through an auction at Backstage Auctions and I had to have a piece of it…which I did.

I am not a fan of interview discs at all. They came with the collection so I am stuck with them, unless I decide to sell them, but I don’t sell my Kiss collection. The problem with Interview disc is playability. Once you’ve heard the interview once, is there a need to ever revisit the interview? Well, no. There is not.

We have 6 discs that were included with the collection and we will briefly discuss each one. I’m not going to tell you what is said, because if I do that, there is absolutely no need for you to listen to them. This is simply a guide to a handful of interview disc that are out there. And let me tell you, there are a ton. Apparently it is a big market in the bootleg CD arena. Who knew!

THE KISS 25TH ANNIVERSARY STAR PROFILE (1999):

First up is ‘The Kiss 25th Anniversary Star Profile which came out in 1999. It comes with a 100-page booklet that gives you the history of Kiss, the complete Discography (up to that point) and a lot of cool pictures. It is thick, it is heavy and a nice surprise. The interview covers the following topics…

  • Chapter 1 – Early Wickedness
  • Chapter 2 – Noise Form The Dragsters
  • Chapter 3 – Finally Alive
  • Chapter 4 – Toy Story
  • Chapter 5 – On the Even of Destruction
  • Chapter 6 – A Bizarre Concept
  • Chapter 7 – Weakness Exposed
  • Chapter 8 – Kiss This!
  • Chapter 9 – Carnival of Kiss
Continue reading “Kiss – The Interview Discs (The Kiss Bootleg Series)” →

My Sunday Song – “Let The Children Play” by Europe

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For My Sunday Song #475, we are talking about “Let The Children Play” by the band Europe. Don’t think this is an 80’s Europe song…you’d be wrong. This is a more mature and even better sounding band. The song is from their 2006 album, “Secret Society” which might be one of their best albums EVER!! The song was not a single, but it was one of the best songs on the album, if not the best song on the album. It is the fifth song on the album and when you get to it, you realize just how good this whole thing really is.

The song was written by Joey Tempest and Mic Michaeli even though I’ve seen it basically credited to the whole band too. Regardless, the message is something we all need to hear. We get advice from everyone in our life, our mom, our dad, our siblings and even God. The lyric below says it all…

It’s not where we’re coming from
It’s how we turn from here
We know where we want to go
We just need a line, to get us there.

The best advice is simply let the children play and be kids. Maintain that innocence as long as you can. You can only guide them, give them that line to follow. It is up to them to find their own way. They will make bad decisions along the way. It is how they move from that decision that will make them who they are…good or bad.

The song is a rocker, with some gritty riffs, a killer solo and a driving rhythm section with the bass and drum. John Norum’s guitar are definitely a highlight giving us the melodic feel and great guitar sound. Joey Tempest vocals have never sounded better. He gets stronger as he ages. It is such a powerful, catchy chorus that it sucks you right in. The coolest moment is towards the end when the children’s choir comes in with the chorus. It really ties it all together and leaves you wanting more.

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Friday New Releases – March 13, 2026

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It is Friday the 13th, but it isn’t all bad luck. We have a bunch of New Releases for you to celebrate. Nothing I’m going to run out and buy, but some I’ll listen to such as The Black Crowes, Asia and Rush. What do you find lucky to hear this week? Let us know and what we may have missed. Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Friday the 13th is a lucky day!!

  • The Black Crowes – A Pound of Feathers – (Silver Arrow Records)
  • Asia – Live in England (Live) – (Frontiers Records)
  • Rush – Grace Under Pressure (Super Deluxe) – (Mercury Records / Anthem Records / UMG)
  • The Fray – A Light That Waits – (The Fray LLC)
  • Foy Vance – The Wake – (An Eala Flain Ltd / Concord)
  • Lamb of God – Into Oblivion (Behind The Scenes Edition) – (Epic Records / Sony Music)
  • Dream Theater – Lost Not Forgotten Archives: Live in Tokyo 2010 – (Ytse Jams / InsideOutMusic)
  • Angus McSix – Angus McSix And The All-Seeing Astral Eye – (Napalm Records)
Continue reading “Friday New Releases – March 13, 2026” →

Kiss – ‘Days of Sorrow And Madness’ (2012) – Album Review (The Kiss Bootleg Series)

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We are to yet another disc that was included in the John Humphrey Collection I bought last year at an auction where I got my hands on 38 Bootleg CDs from his personal collection. Oh, if you don’t know who John Humphrey is, you need to know he is a massive Kiss collector. And he is the drummer of the band Seether. John decided to sell off his entire collection…sort of…he kept all the vinyl (like 4,000 of them). He did it through an auction at Backstage Auctions and I had to have a piece of it…which I did.

This particular bootleg comes to us from The Godfatherecords and was released on October 1, 2014. What you get here are two complete live shows from Kiss on one disc. Surprising, I know, however these shows are from 1974 when Kiss was basically an opening act. The first show is from Independence Hall in Baton Rouge, LA on July 16,1974 and the second show is from The Bayou in Washington D.C. on March 25, 1974. When you look at the names of the places they played, you think the names have to be mixed up because The Bayou sounds like a place in Louisiana and Independence Hall sounds like it should be in our Nation’s Capitol. But, trust me. Those are the correct cities for each arena.

The first show at Independence Hall saw Kiss as the opening act of a three band line-up. The other bands were the New York Dolls and Blue Oyster Cult. Kiss was relegated to only 6 songs which makes it last around 30 minutes. The other show at The Bayou saw Kiss do not one, but two shows that night and both sold out. The first at 8pm and the second at 10:30pm. The Bayou was basically a hole-in-wall club that was said to look like an unfinished basement when I looked it up on Kissconcerthistory.com. The recording is the 2nd show and both shows on this disc I think are audience recordings, but done ver well.

INDEPENDENCE HALL (July 16, 1974):

Up first is Independence Hall and they kick off the show with “Deuce” but not before the announcer says “put your two lips together and get ready for Kiss!”. The band comes exploding out of the gate. Gene sounds a little bit younger here and so does Paul. They are still very early in their touring career but they sound tight and mean. There is a long pause between this one the next one which is “Strutter”. Not as abusive as “Deuce”. Strangely, Gene seems to sing the first couple lines before Paul comes in to finish it off. Being an audience recording, the instruments are little muddied, but you can still hear them pretty well.

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The Protest Song is Back!!

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Every generation has their fair share of protest songs. When there is government turmoil, civil unrest, a war or whatever event occurs that rubs people the wrong way, we get a protest song. I asked AI what is their definition of a protest song and was given this excellent definition:

A protest song is a musical composition that conveys dissent, social critique, or a call for action against injustices and prevailing political, social, or environmental conditions. These songs serve as, or are adopted by, social movements to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and articulate grievances.

The 60/70’s had a bunch of protest songs from “We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger and Joan Baez in 1963 about the civil rights movement and Sam Cooke in 1964 with A Change is Gonna Come” on racial equality. War is always a popular subject with “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye in 1971 as he plead for peace during the Vietnam War and don’t forget “Fortunate Son” by Creedance Clearwater Revival talking about the inequalities with the military draft.

The 80’s saw “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy rapping about systematic racism and oppression. Bruce Springsteen with “Born in the USA” in 1984 voicing the harsh treatment of the Vietnam veterans. “Biko” from Peter Gabriel speaking on South African apartheid. The early 2000’s saw a bunch as well with “American Idiot” in 2004 by Green Day criticizing the media and politics during the Iraq War and in 2018 “This is America” by Childish Gambino as he talked about gun violence and racism. The list could go on and on with all the great protest songs.

Here we are in 2026 and the protest song is seeing a revitalization thanks to the turmoil we are a seeing in America under the Trump Administration. And let me tell you, in the 14 months Trump has been back in office for a second term, it has been utter chaos. From his push to make Canada the 51st state, his desire for Greenland, overthrowing the Venezuela government, to the ICE raids, the Epstein Files and so many more. And the head of the Board of Peace starts a war with Iran…It is way past the point of ridiculousness. Well, the ridiculous happened when he changed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America…now we are way into the realm of ludicrous.

I have total respect for the “Office” of the President, but I have ZERO respect for this President. I am a registered Republican that did not vote for this man and knew what kind of chaos we would be in for four years under his term. And he has not proven me wrong once. And holy crap, it has only been 14 months and I’m already exhausted from the chaos. I don’t want to be quiet anymore. He is the most despicable human being I’ve ever seen, the biggest man child to ever be and a complete and utter disgrace to the Office that he holds.

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My Sunday Song – “Tall Cool One” by Robert Plant

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For My Sunday Song #474, we are talking Robert Plant’s “Tall Cool One”. The song is from his 1988 album ‘Now And Zen’ and was a change in Robert’s perception of his past…more on that in a minute. The song was released some time in April 1988 and saw Robert get a Top 40 hit as it went to #25 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. What helps makes this song so special is that it brings back Robert’s longtime Led Zeppelin partner, Jimmy Page, on guitar for this song. This might’ve been their fourth collaboration since the band’s breakup. And maybe their most special…up to this point in time.

The song was written by Robert Plant and his keyboardist Phil Johnstone who is in large part key to why this song came about. Robert had been very lackluster about anything to do with his former band Led Zeppelin. He wanted to distance himself from it and be his own person. Phil told him to lighten up about it and embrace that legacy. Maybe working again with Jimmy helped or maybe it was Phil’s encouragement, but Robert did finally lighten up about and as a result we get this really cool rocker “Tall Cool One”. It sounds like he is talking about a woman in the song, but that woman is simply Led Zeppelin. Even the lyrics give a shout out to the past with lines from the songs “When the Levee Breaks” and even “Black Dog”.

If that wasn’t enough, the song is also about Roberts displeasure with sampling at the time. I believe it was The Beastie Boys who sampled a Led Zeppelin song on their album ‘Licensed to Ill”. Robert was none too pleased. At first, Robert thought about sampling some Beastie Boys songs for this one, but instead he sampled his own Led Zeppelin songs such as  “Black Dog”, “Dazed and Confused”, “Whole Lotta Love”,  “The Ocean” and “Custard Pie” which is a much better choice.

The song itself is an upbeat, blast of a rocker. One of the most fun songs he’s ever done as a solo artist, at least to me. There is that classic Plant vocal, that full on 80’s pop/rock sound and all together makes for a blast of a song. I love the spoken word break that adds some more layers to the song and then you get some some Page guitar work, although, he isn’t in the video. There is a tongue in cheek through-out the song which I think takes it to another level and helps make it stick in your brain. At the end he throws all those Led Zeppelin samples and Zeppelin lyrics in to it letting the song go out with a bang!

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Friday New Releases – March 6, 2026

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March kicks off with a bang with a highly anticipated album for a lot of people. That would be Harry Styles new one. I’m sure I’ll give it a listen. I’ll also probably stream Rainbow and Black Stone Cherry. Others might like Leaves’ Eyes or Charlotte Sands or Morrissey and there are a couple of older bands like Squeeze and Talking Heads with new albums. Tell me what you want to hear this week or if we missed anything. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great weekend!!

  • Harry Styles – Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally – (Erksine Records / Columbia Records)
  • Rainbow – Temple of the King: Rainbow 1975-1976 – (Edsel Records)
  • Black Stone Cherry – Celebrate – (Mascot Records)
  • Squeeze – Trixies – (Love Records / BMG Rights Mgmt)
  • Morrissey – Make-Up Is A Lie – (Sire Records)
  • Gnarls Barkley – Atlanta – (TenThousand Projects Holdings LLC)
  • Talking Heads – Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live – (Rhino Entertainment Co / Warner Music)
  • Mountain – Don’t Look Around: The Recordings 1969-1974 – (Esoteric)
  • Godsmack – Awake (25th Anniversary) – (Republic Records / UMG Recordings)
  • The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – X’s For Eyes (Deluxe) – (Better Noise Records)
  • Leaves’ Eyes – Song of Darkness E.P. – (Reigning Phoenix Music)
  • Hunter Hayes – Evergreen – (LP Entertainment / DashGo)
  • Aaron Watson – Horse Named Texas – (Adub Records)
  • Charlotte Sands – Satellite – (CS Records)
  • American Adrenalin – Burn the Ships – (Together Records)
  • Erra – Silence Outlives the Earth – (UNFD)
  • Prong – Live And Uncleansed – (Steamhammer)
  • Vreid – The Skies Turn Black – (Indie Recordings)
  • Desert Storm – Buried Under the Weight of Reason – (Heavy Psych Sounds)
  • Nefastis – Shadows at the Light of Dawn – (Rockshots Records)
  • Surfbort – Reality Star – (TODO)
  • The S.E.T. – Self Evident Truth – (Flatspot Records)
  • Alex Melton – The Process – (Pure Noise Records)
  • The Theander Expression – Wonderful Anticipation (10th Anniversary) – (Malachite Night Records)
  • Status/Non-Status – Big Changes – (You’ve Changed Records)
  • War Child – Help (2) – (War Child Records)
  • Bory – Never Turns To Night – (Bleak Enterprise)
  • William Clark Green – Watterson Hall – (Bill Grease Records / Stem)
  • Austin Michael – Lonestar – (Austin Michael)
  • Willa Ford – Amanda – (Willa Ford Music LLC)
  • Travis Bolt – Burning Bridges – (Gravel Road / Stem)
  • The Brook And The Bluff – Werewolf – (Dualtone Music Group)
  • Matt Corby – Tragic Magic – (Island Records / Rainbow Valley Records)
  • Our Oceans – Right Here, Right Now – (Long Branch Records)
  • Denzel Curry – Strictly 4 The Scythe – (PH Recordings / Loma Vista Recordings / Concord)
  • Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers – Hell To Breakfast – (EmmaJava Recordings / Soundly Music)
  • Shabaka – Of The Earth – (Shabaka Records)
  • Rick Braun – Rick Braun Plays Chuck Mangione – (A-Train/Braunto)