Cheap Trick – ‘At Budokan: The Complete Concert’ (1998) – Album Review (The Cheap Trick Collection Series)

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After three labels on three different albums, things weren’t going great for Cheap Trick. Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson and Bun E. Carlos needed to rebuild and find themselves again. One way they did this was by Epic Records re-releasing their stellar live album ‘At Budokan’, but this time they did a 2 CD release of the entire concert. All 19 tracks in order just as one done in the concert the show was from back in 1978. It was the 20th Anniversary of the original album and time to show the fans what all the fuss was about once again but in glorious full setlist detail.

The album came out on April 8, 1998 which was only 20 short days from the release of the official album which makes me wonder why they didn’t just wait a few more weeks. But what do I know. The concert was completely remastered and fully restored with all the tracks. And since we’ve already been through the original album track by track, we will focus on only the songs that were not included on the original.

That means we will kick things off with “ELO Kiddies” from their 1977 debut album. Live the song has even more of the band’s early punk aggression. It sounds rich and full and ready to rock your face off. They go straight in to the Terry Reid cover of “Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace” also from their first album. Tom Petersson starts it off on bass and he gives us a little solo rather than the normal blues guitar opening. We get a two minute instrumental instrumental before the song really gets going. The song rocks more than before and Robin sounds as great as ever.

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Axel Rudi Pell – ‘Eternal Prisoner’ (1992) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

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During 1991, Axel Rudi Pell wanted to go out and do some live shows for his most recent album, ‘Nasty Reputation’. There was only one problem. His lead singer, Rob Rock, left the band. That does cause a problem not having a singer. Axel started searching and one name was thrown out to him and that was Jeff Scott Soto. When Jeff found out that he could sing with a former guitar player from the band Steeler, he thought he was having de ja vu! Didn’t he just sing in a band with former Steeler guitar player…oh yeah…Yngwie Malmsteen. Soto couldn’t pass that up so he did it. He also couldn’t pass it up because his band, Slam, he was working with at the time hadn’t completely got off the ground so off he went.

After the tour, Jeff went on his way back to the Slam. That was until a short time later, Jeff got another call from Axel Rudi Pell. Axel was so impressed with Live Singer Jeff, why not have Jeff sing on his new album. Since Jeff really enjoyed working with Axel, why not and off he went. The result of that collaboration was the album ‘Eternal Prisoner’. Soto did more than just sing for Pell, he also co-wrote 6 of the 9 songs on the album. Along with Kai Raglewski on Keyboards, Volker Krawczak on Bass and Jorg Michael on Drums, the album was recorded at RA.SH Studio in Germany from June to September 1992. After a quick turnaround, the album saw the light of day on October 1, 1992.

We might be in the year 1992, but musically the music is still drenched in the 80’s rock and metal sound. If you like Black Sabbath, maybe some Deep Purple with a dash of Aerosmith and AC/DC there is going to be something on here you like. Axel is also a huge fan of Dio and Richie Blackmore and that influence is seeping from all corners of this album. Throw in the powerhouse vocals of Jeff Scott Soto and you have the making a damn fine album…but is it? That is what we are here to find out so turn it on, turn it up and I can’t think of of another turn it statement…oh well…on to the music.

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My Sunday Song – “Eat Me Alive” by Judas Priest

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For My Sunday Song #291, we are going to go down on the song “Eat Me Alive” by Judas Priest. The song is off their 1984 smash album ‘Defenders of Faith. The song was not a single, but it did make some major news and caused the band a few headaches and probably increased sales as a result.

The most controversial song on the album, “Eat Me Alive”, caught the ear of the PMRC movement. The Parents Music Resource Group, that was started by Tipper Gore, had this song as #3 on their 15 song list that they objected to and felt was offensive. I can’t imagine why as it was only about a guy giving another guy a blow job. Actually, the PMRC thought the song was a snuff song and about killing…boy what were they thinking. Priest weren’t really trying to be corruptive or controversial for that matter, they were just doing a song that was a little tongue-in-cheek and Rob was being Rob with his lyrics plus he was so drunk when he wrote it. Rob as we know now is gay, but back then no one really knew and this was his idea of funny that for some reason no one picked up on.

Anyway, the song is great and rocks out. It is extremely catchy and has a great grove that moves the song forward at a blistering tempo. You can’t help but be “sucked” in by it…sorry…had to go there. For such an interesting topic, the band sounds fierce, menacing and attacks the song with a lot of gusto. They make the song feel terrifying like someone is actually going to get eaten alive, but that isn’t really happening is it.

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‘Unspooled: An Adventure in 8-Tracks’ by Tim Durling – Book Review

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Can you imagine someone spending the precious time to write a book about 8-Tracks? 10 or more years ago and I would’ve said you would have to be nuts. As my love for music has grown and my appreciation for all formats of music, now I say…It is about Damn Time someone wrote a book about 8-Tracks. I have secretly been hunting 8-Tracks every time I go to a record store, an antique mall or even a yard sale, but have not found hardly any of bands I would remotely be interested in obtaining. I do have 6 Kiss 8-Tracks, but that is the extent of my collection currently. However, this book has sparked more interest in finding the ones for the bands I love.

The book is “Unspooled” An Adventure in 8-Tracks” and it was written by Tim Durling. When my buddy Mike Ladano told me about this book (he is actually featured in the book as well), I was actually excited and I went and bought a copy as soon as I went to Kickstarter and checked it out. I remember my brother having a bunch of 8-Tracks. He had Kiss and there was one by a band named Shark that I remember vividly. I remember how sometimes the song would fade out, you’d hear a click and the song would fade back in and finish. Some songs you would hear so much on the 8-Track that you expected the fade out, click, fade back in on vinyl, cassette or radio and I couldn’t comprehend why it didn’t. Enough about my experience with them, let us talk about the book.

Tim has given us a book that is both Entertaining and Educational. Wait…those two words do NOT go together! But they do for this book. It is made up of Tim’s personal stories, interviews of 8-Track Experts (there are some…really I promise) and interviews of collectors. The book is niche being about 8-Tracks but it is super niche in that it is about a certain aspect of 8-Tracks that most might not be aware and that is 8-Tracks from the 80’s and more specifically, 8-Tracks that are exclusive to Record Clubs. You know, like Columbia House where you could get like a million for 1 penny!

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Friday New Releases – March 25, 2022

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Sit back, grab some coffee as it will take you awhile to get through this list. We have around 75 releases for you this week so there is bound to be something for you to listen to this week. Maybe more than one thing. For me, my choices are highlighted in Blue. Let me know what you want to hear this week and what we may have missed. Thanks for stopping by and let’s get to the releases…

  • 61F7aEHALOL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Michael Bublé – Higher – (Reprise Records): What can I say, I like Buble!! That voice is incredible and I like that whole Crooner thing as well.
  • 91US-fcMzmL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Hardcore Superstar – Abrakadabra – (Golden Robot Records): If you like Modern Glam Rock then you know Sweden delivers some of the best. Hardcore Superstar is a band worth checking out and I will be doing that today!!
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Aerosmith – ‘Get A Grip’ (1993) – Album Review (The Aerosmith Collection Series)

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After the massive success of their previous album, ‘Pump’, the band took a little break in 1992. They started recording the next album in January & February, but stopped for some rest and didn’t return until September of that year to finish up the album. The music environment had significantly changed since 1989’s ‘Pump’ so I believe everyone was curious as to what they would do. And it turns out, they would keep doing what they do best and didn’t change a thing. When most bands faded away around this time, Aerosmith ended up flourishing even more. How did they do it?

First thing was they brought back Bruce Fairbairn as their producer as he has been creating gold with everything they had done…or should I say Platinum since the last album went 7 x’s Platinum. Second, they brought in some friends to help out such as Don Henley and Lenny Kravitz. Third, the record company wanted them to continue using outside writers to help so back was Desmond Child, Jim Vallance, Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw, Richard Supa, Mark Hudson and Taylor Rhodes. Damn, that is a lot of help!!

The line-up was still unchanged with Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer. The Boston Boys we ready to take on the world again. The album was released on April 23, 1993 and became the band’s first album to debut at #1 on the Charts. They released 7 singles on the album and selling over 7 million copies again in the U.S. It was the band’s third straight album of over 5 million in sales. If that wasn’t enough, the album won two Grammy’s for Best Rock Vocal Performance for a Duo or Group in both 1993 and 1994. The band was on fire still and the fans were eating it up.

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Cheap Trick – ‘Cheap Trick’ (1997) – Album Review (The Cheap Trick Collection Series)

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Let’s see if I get this right. Two albums earlier with ‘Busted’, Cheap Trick leaves their label Epic Records. They then get signed with Warner Brothers and release “Woke Up With A Monster” and then the label drops them. The band finds an indie label called Red Ant Records to release their new album on April 29, 1997, the self titled, ‘Cheap Trick’, only to be label-less again after Red Ant goes bankrupt a mere 3 weeks after the release causing it to only go to #99 with the lack of promotion. The poor guys are having some major issues.

Now, that doesn’t mean the new album is not any good. It just didn’t get the full promotion it deserved from a financially strapped label. The album, ‘Cheap Trick’, was a fresh start. A starting over. A time to re-introduce the band to a brand new generation of kids, thus having the album self-titled like they did with their debut album. This was a band getting back to their roots and remembering who Cheap Trick were. This was the beginning all over again.

What I love about the cover is a play on what the band had done with most of their covers over the years. Their older albums always had Robin Zander and Tom Petersson on the front and Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos would be relegated to the back cover. This time around, Rick & Bun are on the front and Robin and Tom are on the back. However, to switch up, it is the instruments. Well done boys, well done.

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Kiss – “Beth” – 7″ Single (The Kiss Review Series)

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I’m always out searching for Kiss music that I don’t have on vinyl and right now that is mostly singles. The latest time I was out digging, I came across a 7″ Single for the song “Beth” off their 1976 classic ‘Destroyer’. The original single for this album was “Detroit Rock City” as the A-Side and “Beth” as the B-Side. When that went out to the radio stations, the DJ’s ended playing “Beth” which quickly became the most requested songs on a lot of stations.

After that, the decision was made to reissue the single with “Beth” as the A-Side and “Detroit Rock City” as the B-Side. That is the copy I have. It was released in August 1976. Now, my version I found doesn’t have a picture sleeve as shown as the header. I used that to make the post more enticing. My version actually just came in a plain white sleeve but the original at least would’ve had the Casablanca Sleeve that would’ve looked something like the above picture…If I find any singles out there with that sleeve I will buy it (regardless if it is Kiss or not just so I have the correct one).

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Skrapp Mettle – ‘Sensitive’ (1991) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

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I think most people know of the band Steel Panther. A band that parodies the 80’s rock scene but has lyrics that are filthy, dirty and yet funny…to a point. Back in 1991, we actually had a band that did that exact same thing. That band was Skrapp Mettle. However, they weren’t a parody of the 80’s rock scene because they were still in the 80’s rock scene. They did have the naughty lyrics and let me tell you, they are raunchy and raw. It is pretty telling about how the metal scene was already laughable before it was even over and tells you how far it had fallen.

The one thing about this band and that is they don’t take themselves very seriously. And if you don’t believe me, look at the name of the band members:

  • Spunk – lead vocals
  • Nasty Gerbil – keyboards
  • Snuff Buzzsaw – guitars
  • Beef – bass
  • Pounder – drums
  • Dirk Vespucc – special vocal effects

And if that wasn’t enough, their scumbag lawyer is Richard Bagg from Sleezem, Greezem and Scuzzem. Mangement is Sleeze E. Wadd for Slime Time Management. Oh, and Satanic Marketing was done by Bill Z. Bubb. You see, the band, or anyone for that matter, didn’t use their real names because this was for fun and some were afraid their career would be hurt if anyone found out they were in it. Jeff Scott Soto only agreed to do this if his name was left off the album jacket and by the way, he is Spunk.

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My Sunday Song – “Halls of Valhalla” by Judas Priest

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For My Sunday Song #291, we are kicking off a 10 Song Set of Judas Priest songs with “Halls of Valhalla” off their 2014 album, ‘Redeemer of Souls’. The album came out on July 8, 2014 in the U.S. and debuted at #6 making it their first album to debut in the Top 10…ever!! That would get topped with their next release ‘Firepower’. “Halls of Valhalla” was not a single, but it was the standout track for me so I thought it was as good a place to start as any.

The song was inspired by the TV Show ‘The Vikings’. The got Rob Halford thinking about Scandinavia, the North Sea and all the mythology of that part of the world. The word “Valhalla” came to mind at 4 in the morning and that turned in to the focus of the song. The song is about sailing around the North Sea searching for the Halls of Valhalla. According to Songfacts…

In Norse mythology Valhalla is a giant hall, where the souls of warriors slain in battle are taken by the Valkyries. A form of heaven where they are ruled over by the god Odin, the fallen combatants spend their days fighting safe in the knowledge of never being permanently harmed.

This song for me might be the shining achievement of the ‘Redeemer of Souls’ album. The dramatic guitar opening is then filled with a brutal guitar riff and Scott’s thundering drum. Rob comes screaming in and that classic Priest piss and vigor is back. A cross between old Priest and Black Sabbath, we are treated to brilliant metal masterpiece. Rob really stretches his vocal range giving it a full workout and that is all we want to hear. He goes from a guttural growl to the highest of highs almost effortlessly. When I hear the mention of Asgard in the lyrics, I expect Thor to show up or hell, even Loki, but that doesn’t happen.

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