Author: 2loud2oldmusic

The Original vs. The Cover – “Smokin’ In the Boy’s Room”

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For this episdoe of The Original vs. The Cover, we are going to discuss the anthem for the outcast, “Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room. The Original is by the band Brownsville Station who were a regional band out of Michigan and this was probably their biggest hit and was off their 1973 album ‘Yeah!’ (I wonder if this title inspired the title to Def Leppard’s Cover’s album. Hmmm). It reached #3 on the Billboard Charts. The Cover as done by Motley Crue was off their album ‘Theatre of Pain’ from 1985. Crue only took the song to #16 on the Billboard Chart, but MTV played the crap out of this song.

The song was written by Michael “Cub” Koda along with Michael Lutz and is about a bunch of outcast school kids who would hideout in the bathroom to not get caught by the principal for smokin’. They get caught and the principal tells them “Smokin’ Ain’t Allowed in School”. The song was inspired by Cub’s experiences as a young pup sneaking smokes that he stole from his parents at the movie theatre.

Whose version is better you might ask yourself so let us explore each song and find out which version is best.

BROWNSVILLE STATION

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My Sunday Song – “Freak Like Me” by Halestorm

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For My Sunday Song #238, we are going to discuss the song “Freak Like Me” by Halestorm off their stellar album ‘The Strange Case of…” from 2012. The song went to #1 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart and was the band’s first song to do so. The song was written by Lzzy Hale, Johnny Andrews and Rob Graves.

The song is basically about being a “Freak” which means being different in any way, shape or form. Whether you are gay or straight, a nerd or a geek or you act differently than the people around you, the song is telling you to embrace it and don’t apologize for it, love you for you and wave the flag of your freakdom! You don’t want to be like everyone else, be an individual…basically…be you!! That is a message that needs to be spread around so everyone knows it’s okay to be who you are.

Musically, the song is a beast. It is a full on rocker, head banging anthem to raise that freak flag!! Lzzy’s vocals are so strong and powerful and she gives her all for the song. The song is personal to her and you can tell that it means a lot to it. She believes it and it comes through. The drumming by Arejay Hale is brutal and thundering along with Josh Smith’s thumping bass. And don’t forget Joe Hottinger’s guitar playing as he is ripping through the riffs and shredding the hell out of his guitar. If you want a song to kick you in your ass, this is it!!

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Friday New Releases – March 5th, 2021

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We are already in March, crazy. If I blink, we will be in August or it will be Christmas…either way, time does fly some time. This week there is an abundance of releases worth checking out. Some new, some old in a deluxe format. But all fantastic. And if you make it to the bottom, there is a very special release that is only on here because I took my kids to see them when they were wee little tots which feels like yesterday but was easily 10+ years ago. There is really nothing for me I’m excited about but some I will give a listen and they are highlighted in Blue. Let me know what you want to hear and/or what I may have missed from the list so that way everyone that comes to the site can see what else is out there. Thanks as always and I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!

These are the ones I will DEFINITELY give a listen…

  • 91S64aN-Q3L._SX522_  Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (Deluxe Edition) – (Rhino / Warner Bros): Sabbath & Dio…yes, please…Deluxe Editions…even more of a Yes!!!

  • 712Q7mruCZL._SX522_  Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell (Deluxe Edition) – (Rhino / Warner Bros):  Ditto with above!!!  I mean, come on really!  Do you need your arm twisted to listen to this one.

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Kiss – ‘Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions’ (1997) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)

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Shortly after the MTV Unplugged Show, the current line-up of the band, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer, went back in to the studio to record what would become the band’s 17th studio album. The album was recorded between November 1995 and February 1996, however, the album was scrapped and pushed aside. Why would they do such a thing, was it that bad? No, not exactly. The problem was that after the MTV Unplugged Show, the buzz about the Ace Frehley and Peter Criss playing with the band again was reaching a fever pitch. Would they get back together and do a reunion tour? Would they put the make-up back on? And the answer to both of those questions was a resounding, YES!!

The album was set aside for the time being. Somehow though, bootleg copies of the album got out and were being distributed around in certain circles (I wasn’t in that certain circle). As a result, the band decided to finally release the album and they called it ‘Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions’. It actually didn’t have all the same songs as the bootleg, but at least it was out.

The album was a complete departure for the band. It saw them go darker and more grunge because as usual, the band were followers and trying to follow the trend. They didn’t care in the least anymore to be trend setters and set the bar high. Nope, they pandered to what was big in music. There is a problem with that as Grunge was fading by this time. A lot of the sound was actually a result of Bruce Kulick’s doing as he helped co-write 9 of the 12 songs. I am not saying it is his fault, I am only saying that it was because of Bruce they were able to do that sound as he was versatile enough and technically savy enough to play anything.

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The Cult – “She Sells Sanctuary” – 12″ Single

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Continuing the saga of all the 12″ Singles I picked up at the big Metalocalypse sell at Noble Records, we are now on a 4 week run of singles from The Cult. First up is from the band’s album ‘Love’ from 1985. The song is “She Sells Sanctuary” and this is the 12″ Remix release. The original version of the song is not on here, nope. Instead you get two extended mixes of the song and one unreleased track.

All of these were only available on one of their 12″ Single releases which they had a couple. That was until 2009 when the band released a deluxe edition of the album which included all the mixes and unreleased tracks.

The original song did really well and stayed on the Dance Club Chart for about 6 weeks reaching #36 back in 1986. I never thought of The Cult as a dance band, but whatever floats your boat. My only complaint with this 12″ is the back cover. I’m old and my eyes aren’t that great anymore, but the font with songs is really light and very heard to read. I snapped a closer up shot so I can read it and you too…

Let’s get to the music…

Side 1:

As you can see, the sole song on side one is “She Sells Sanctuary (Howling Mix)” which is over 8 minutes long. The howling mix does just that. It has a howling dog at the beginning and several other times in the mix. There isn’t much in the way of vocals as it is mostly music done in more of a dance fashion than anything else. It was remixed by Steve Brown. The song is good if you like that sort of thing, but I’ll stick with Side 2 as that is where the greatness is for this disc.

Side 2:

Side 2 kicks off with the 12″ Mix of of “She Sells Sanctuary” and this one more closely resembles the original song. It has the vocals from Ian Astbury who sings with such confidence and a sound that is unique to him. He is easily recognizable. But it is that guitar work from Billy Duffy that shines on this song. Accompanied by that driving beat from Nigel Preston, which this was his last recording before he was fired, Billy’s gritty metallic guitar sound delivers a killer riff and some cool fills This is the version I’m more familiar with and the extended version just adds to its greatness.

The real gem at the time of this release is the final track which was the unreleased song called “Little Faces”. Ian’s vocals are so melodic and powerful, it has a smoothness to it that lifts the song to another level. Billy’s guitar work is sensational as usual and he lays down a nice solo. I found the song to be worthy of the album and no reason it needed to be left off as it is as good as anything else they have done. I love it when a B-Side track shines and this does brightly.

And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the look at this little gem…well, a gem to me. Side Two is the winner of the best side as the extended long version of “She Sells Sanctuary” is just as good as the album version. But the real joy is the song “Long Faces” as that is worth price for just this song. My copy is practically mint and I don’t think was played much…that has since changed. We will be back next week with the next The Cult 12″ that we picked up. Thanks for stopping by.

Kiss – ‘Greatest Kiss’ (1997) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)

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Welcome to the 50th Review in the Kiss Review Series and we aren’t even close to being done. Sadly, the 50th review is this pile of crap. Kiss in 1997 was still touring the Alive / Worldwide Tour and to keep pushing out product for cash grabs, they dumped on us a total worthless pile of dung called ‘Greatest Kiss’. Yes, another greatest hits package. This one was released on April 6, 1997 and it only hit #77 on the Billboard Charts. I don’t think it was ever certified Gold or anything like that because let’s be honest, this is not a good greatest hits package.

The problem with it is that the U.S. version only covers the time frame of 1974-1980, the make-up years with the four original members. And there is only one previously unreleased track which is “Shout it Out Loud” that was recorded the prior year while on tour. It was recorded at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, MI on June 28, 1996 and was the show opener. It had a ton of explosions and fireworks and you hear every last pop. It’s not a bad recording.

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Queen – ‘Queen II’ (1974) – Album Review (The Studio Album Series)

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In August 1973, the band started recording the follow-up to their debut album. The big difference between recording the first album and this one was now they actually could use a recording studio at any time. The first album, they were stuck recording only when the studio was not being used, now they were with a label, the sky was the limit. The band took full advantage of that and improved production and we even start to see the real over-the-top production we became used to seeing from the band. They finished recording in February 1974 and the album was finally released on March 8, 1974.

The album only had one single which actually charted giving the band their first hit since the song “Keep Yourself Alive” from the debut didn’t even chart. The album went on to go to #5 in the UK and up to #49 in the US where the band was just starting to catch on ever so slowly. The band was starting to get noticed and helped ever more by their touring and stage performances. Who knows, maybe they might make it big one day.

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My Sunday Song – “What Were You Expecting” by Halestorm

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For My Sunday Song #237, we are going to discuss the song “What Were You Expecting” by Halestorm off their 2009 debut album. The song was not a single, but for me helped me get in to the band especially when I found out the song was co-written by Lzzy Hale, James Michael from Sixx A.M. and some due name John Lowery or you might know him as John 5. That was enough for me as John 5 is king!!

The song is about a guy that got a little taste of Mz. Hale and couldn’t get enough. He was desperate to be with her again, but she didn’t really give a crap. She wasn’t in to him and to her it was more of a one night stand than anything serious. He was down on his knees begging for more and she just yelled at him to get up off his knees and be a man and go away. What I love about it is the reversal of the roles. Usually you get this viewpoint from the guys point of view so it is refreshing for the woman to be that way. Lzzy continues to push the boundaries and show there is nothing a man can do that she can’t do better!!

Musically the song totally rocks out. There is an opening eerie guitar riff that sounds like John 5, but it doesn’t show he played on the song so if not, good job by Joe Hottinger on that sound. That guitar sound comes back during the bridge and then the chorus explodes and Lzzy goes all out and sounds so tough and flippant to the guy it is awesome. Arejay Hale pounds away and the drums and with Josh Smith they lay the foundation and rhythm of the song. Sometimes it is great just to put the pedal to the floor and go all out and that is what they do with this one.

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Friday New Releases – February 26, 2021

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This is another big week as I have over 25 new releases for today. Unfortunately for me, there is only a couple I’m really interested in and they are marked in Blue. There has to be something you can find in this list that you want to spin. Let me know what tickles your funny bone. Also, let me know what new releases I missed because believe it or not, it has been known to happen. Thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

  • 61yFSK+0uGL._SX522_  Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories – (Edel Germany / Earmusic): Alice is still going strong at around 73 years of age. This time around the album actually features all surviving members of the Original Alice Cooper Band. How cool is that!! I am sure this is going to be another guitar heavy masterpiece that only Alice can give us.
  • B1qx+KFwSPS._SX522_  The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker (30th Anniversary Deluxe) – (Universal Music / American Music) – DIGITAL ONLY – The Deluxe Edition is not until March 19th on CD & Vinyl…This is the only other I am eager to hear. This is loaded full of unreleased material. The only bad news is that the CD & Vinyl Deluxed Editions aren’t coming for another month. I think I can make it!! It will be difficult, but I will survive.
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February 2021 Purchases – Vinyl & CDs

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Welcome to the February wrap-up of my album purchases for the month. I have to say Vinyl took a pretty big backseat this month as I have been going gangbusters buying back my CD collection that I once had. I decided to add more to the Paul Laine collection and start on the Will Hoge collection. I only hit one record store and it was a quick stop in to one out of town. It has been awhile since I’ve been to a local shop and oh how I’ve missed going . That means March better get some visits before I start going through withdrawal and getting the shakes and a fever.

First up, do you know when you are having a little downer of a day? When I have those, I tend to shop for music (man, I must be down a lot…I’m not). But some days when I am, I just feel better buying something and that is what I did. I ended up buying a very hard to find Paul Laine album from his band Shugaazer called ‘Shift’. This one I found in England and man did it ship fast. I think I got it in 5/6 days.

Next up, I was getting close to the Gene Simmons album Asshole in my Kiss Review Series, but honestly, I had never bought it. So, I did for like $5-6 bucks. That review will be coming up in either late April or early May, don’t know yet.

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