You Picked It! – Joni Mitchell – “Blue” – Album Review

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Alright…You Picked It! And this one was probably the closest one yet. It wasn’t until Uncle Meat Cast his vote that we had a winner as I was sitting with a three way tie at first . The one you picked was Joni Mitchell’s album “Blue” which I had never heard before. The votes were as follows:

  1. Joni Mitchell – ‘Blue’ – 6 votes
  2. Ozzy Ozbourne – “Bark at the Moon’ – 5 votes
  3. Phil Collins – “Face Value’ – 5 votes
  4. Outkast – ‘Stankonia’ – 4 votes
  5. Durbin – ‘The Beast Awakens’ – 4 Votes

Thanks to all for participating. The April choices will be up on Saturday!

Joni Mitchell – ‘Blue’ (1971):

You people are not making my life easy by picking some of the most famous albums of all time for me to review. It puts so much pressure on me for two reasons. One, if it is one of the greatest albums of all time, will I like it and if not, look like a fool for no. Two, with it being one of the greatest albums of all time, will my write-up do it any justice. Can it live up to those standards. I know it is my fault because I have been putting them on the list and I do enjoy stretching outside the box to do the best I can on these reviews. But it is exhausting at the same time. Enough complaining, on to the review.

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My Sunday Song – “Do Not Disturb” by Halestorm

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For My Sunday Song #239, we are going to talk about the song “Do Not Disturb” by Halestorm. The song is off their current album which is 2018’s ‘Vicious’. The album went to #8 on the Billboard Charts and this song was the 2nd single. It was written by everyone in the band, Lzzy hale, Josh Smith, Joe Hottinger and Arejay Hale.

The song is based on a true story and if you are sheepish about sex, then you might want to stop reading now. There was a night when the band was overseas, Lzzy met another woman and a guy and turned that meeting into a threesome. She figured the band was heading out the next day for another country so why not have a little fun as she would never see them again. The song is extremely suggestive in the lyrics without being dirty or vulgar. Before this song I always wondered what was going on behind a closed hotel door with the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the handle, well, now I know.

Musically, this is really a cool track. The way the guitar riffs, the drum fills and bass line play against each other is great. I like the pacing of the lyrics delivered by Lzzy. There is a really tight groove and the song is a little playful in tone to go along with those tasty lyrics. The song has a sexual tension to it as well and that guitar solo slides in nicely towards the end that seems to be the beginning of the climax of the song. One of the coolest sounding songs the band has ever done.

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Friday New Releases – March 12, 2021

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Happy Friday!! And you made it another week, good for you. We have a ton of new releases for you this week. In fact, Frontiers Records thought you need some new albums so they are releasing a whopping total of at least 9 albums that I have listed. I have complained about them in the past as I don’t understand how they can release so many albums on the same day. No ones wallet can handle that. It doesn’t seem fair to me or the artists because people will have to choose which one they want to buy as there artists are some what the same type of genre. Now, I guess I am kidding myself because most people stream and not buy, but still the point has been made. No more rambling on and on. I only have one I’m interested in hearing this week and it is marked in Blue. There a couple my kids might be interested in so they are up after my choice and then there are at least 23 more to choose from so hopefully you will find something. Let me know what you want to hear and what I may have missed. Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

  • 91TFUgrEX9L._SS500_  Rob Zombie – The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy – (Nuclear Blast): Rob Zombie is back and John 5 is still in tow on guitar. I will admit, I like Rob, but I am a huge fan of John 5 so that is the main reason I want to hear this is so I can see what new insane stuff Mr. 5 pulls out of his hat. Crank It MutherF###er!!

The ones my kids might be streaming…

  • B1Ga7oYpJ-S._SX522_  Nick Jonas – Spaceman – (Island Records / UMG): One third of the famous boy/brother band the Jonas Brothers, Nick is back with a new solo album. After a successful turn with his brothers, he is ready to go back out on his own. I am sure this will be played in my house a little so not much I am going to be able to do about it (maybe I could shut off their internet access…that’s an idea!!)
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Kiss – “Psycho Circus” (1998) – Album Review (The Kiss Review Series)

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After the very successful Reunion Tour from 1996-1997, it was time for the original band members to put other their first album in 20 years with the Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter. The last one they did together was 1979’s ‘Dynasty’. Let me tell you, I was super excited to get a new album with only the original 4 guys. I couldn’t wait. I would get to hear Ace rip solos and cool riffs on every song and Peter would bang those drums until the cows came home. Man, I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it. Now imagine my surprise when it wasn’t even close to the build up.

Yes, it was a new album that did feature all four original members. Their pictures are on the front, they each sing song, but it was far from only being the original four guys. Ace appears on only 2 of the 10 songs and Peter sings on 2 and only plays drums on 1. Nothing seems to have changed as ‘Dynasty’ was also an album Ace and Peter slightly appeared on as well. Gene and Paul still rule the roost and do things the way they want to do them. Ace does appear on the Japanese only track so on that release he is on 3 of the 11 tracks. The only song that features all four members is the Ace sung song “Into the Void” which we will discuss later. To be fair, the reason behind Ace and Peter not getting to play much as they were trying to renegotiate their contracts with Kiss and I don’t think that sit real well with Gene and Paul.

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Judas Priest – ‘Sad Wings of Destiny’ (1976) – Album Review (The Complete Albums Collection Series)

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Judas Priest recorded their second album in only 2 weeks in November and December of 1975. That is not much time at all, but the record label, Gull, was pretty freaking cheap and the boys were only living on one meal a day. Heck, some of the guys had to work a side job to make ends meet. Doesn’t sound like a good record deal in my book, but what do I know. It was recorded at the Rockfield Studios in Wales and finally saw its release on March 23, 1976.

The album had positive reviews, but that did not translate in to sales as the timing in the UK wasn’t the best. There was a genre that was popping up and becoming real popular. It was called punk rock. As a result, the band only released one single and the album only went to #48 on the UK Charts. What is really great about this album though, is this is really the birth of the Judas Priest sound. This is what I was expecting on ‘Rocka Rolla’, but I didn’t get. This was the real beginning of Priest.

The band was basically the same line-up with Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing and Ian Hill. They did have a new drummer as John Hinch left the band and they replaced him with Alan Moore. This was be the only album that Moore would play on because he wasn’t overly thrilled with the money situation and would soon leave the band. They seemed to have trouble keeping a drummer as I have counted around 9 different drummers over the years. Crazy!

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The Cult – “Wild Flower” – 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 was from the band’s 1985 album ‘Love’ with “She Sells Sanctuary”. This time we are going to look at the lead track and third single form the band’s 1987 album ‘Electric’ with the song “Wild Flower”. The 12″ this time around doesn’t have any other tracks other than “Wild Flower”, but you do get three versions. You get the the Remix version, the Dub version and the original LP Version.

My copy is mint and still in the plastic which is why the picture is a little hard to read. The vinyl was clean and who knows when it last saw a needle…maybe never. That has since changed.

The song was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy. “Wild Flower” is basically Ian’s alter ego Wolfchild who has a lust for the liquor, drugs and those fine women. The Wolfchild came out when Ian decided to crossover to the wild side.

SIDE 1:

The remix was done by Andy Wallace and the album and the album was produced by Rick Rubin. The Remix version of the song is actually 2 minutes longer than the original which in part comes from the extended opening which is heavy on the drums and not as much as a crushing opener as the original. Throughout, you get extended parts with repetitive musical breaks, more drum parts and bass added to give it a more dance feel I guess. You still get that killer Duffy solo as the song would be lost without it.

SIDE 2:

First up on this side is the dub mix which was also done by Andy Wallace. This time they open with the guitar and then give that echo layered heavy drum beat that extends out numerous times before the song kicks in to familiar territory. No real lyrics here only Ian thrown in the with lines from the chorus and occasional “Wild Flower” thrown in. It is a lot of drums and guitars which isn’t always a bad thing.

The second track on here is the LP Version and man what a beast of a track. Those rip roaring riffs by Duffy are soul crushing. Ian’s vocals are stellar as his inner beast shines and he tears through the lyrics. As an opening track on the album it is impactful and mind blowing. What a killer way to start off the album. Here it is the last to remind you that even though there are dance mixes, this song is a total rocker and way better than any mix.

And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the look at this little gem…well, a gem to me. I actually enjoy all versions on this one, but the original LP version is still the killer track here. I am glad I have all the mixes since they didn’t go too crazy with them. I actually like the dub version as it is more guitar driven and the extended version still makes for a joyful ride even with all the extended parts probably because the musicianship on the song is stellar so now matter how you slice it up, it still sounds great.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.

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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