Kiss – ‘The Summer of Satan: The Devils Ride Out!’ (Bootleg Series) – Album Review

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And now we are on the third Kiss Bootleg I picked up in Paris.  This one is a beauty.  It is called “Kiss – The Summer of Satan: The Devils Ride Out!”.  The package is fantastic on this release as you get a beautiful gatefold, some awesome pictures on the vinyl sleeves and some colorful vinyl.

The show is at the Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, NJ on July 10th, 1976.  It is a full soundboard recording (and I believe this show was videotaped as well and circulating).  You get 15 tracks plus 3 solos, so yes, a full show.  Before we get in to the music, as always, let’s go over the packaging.  You’ve seen the cover above, now take a look at the back cover.  It is a picture of the band on motorcycles.  I really cool shot!

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And It is a 2LP set and they did it right with a gatefold.  The full picture on the gatefold is a shot of the stage with all the band and the Kiss Logo!!  Okay, Peter is  little blurred by the smoke…lots of smoke.

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Billy Idol – ‘The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself’ – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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I wasn’t going to do any greatest hits, but with this one I changed my mind.  Billy has only had a handful of official greatest hits packages and although they cover the hits, none are really that great.  So, I thought I would help your search and give you what I think might the best of the greatest hits albums he has released.

The one I think is the best is the 2008 release, ‘The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself’.  It isn’t that much different than the 2001 release simply titled ‘Greatest Hits’. In fact, there are 14 songs that are the same and almost the exact track list order.  With the “Greatest Hits’ package from 2001, you get a live version of “Rebel Yell” and the Simple Minds cover of “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” which is a really good cover.  Those two are great to have, no doubt.  However, I do prefer the ‘Idolize Yourself’ version better.

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Why do I like this version better than the prior release?  There are actually 5 reasons.

First: It is the most current, so you get a song from “Devil’s Playground called “World Comin’ Down”.  The song is an uptempo rocker about the troubles in the world and the pressures you feel as a result.  It is a song that gets you moving and with Steve Stephen’s speedy guitar riffs and Brian Tichy’s heart-pounding drums you never catch your breath.

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Stray Cats – ’40’ – Album Review

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The Stray Cats are back after 26 years with their new album titled ’40’.  The band started 40 years ago and this is the celebration of that fact.  The album feels like you are back in the 80’s when they were tearin’ up the charts with “Stray Cat Strut” and “Rock This Town”.  The album has that feel, that energy and it is “Rockabilly” at its finest.

With Brian Setzer on guitar, Lee Rocker on the Stand-Up Bass and Slim Jim Phantom on drums, they fly through 12 songs that make you feel you are back in the 50’s listening to  Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry and every other legend from the time.

From the opening track “Cat Fight (Over a Dog Like Me)” to “Rock It Off” and “Cry Danger”, you want to get up, slick the hair back and swing dance all night.  Brian is in rare form on vocals and guitar playing with songs like “That’s Messed Up” and “Devil Train” and the whole band is just killin’ it through-out.  You even get sage advice on “When Nothing’s Going Right” – Brian tells you to just go Left!  Mind blown!!

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My Sunday Song – “Pleasure Dome” by Van Halen

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For My Sunday Song #148, we go with “Pleasure Dome” off the album “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge”.  This is the second one off this album I have done and for good reason, it was the first Sammy led album I actually liked but that is for another time and place.  The song was never a single, but a B-Side to the song “Poundcake” and I am not sure which one I like more.

The song is actually based on Rush’s song “Xanadu” from what I can gather and that is not a bad song for inspiration.  And…a “Pleasure Dome” could be referring to the poem “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coolidge.  Of course, Kubla Khan’s empire was known as Xanadu so the connection is complete (maybe, I am just piecing together bits and pieces from what I found on the song).

The song is a strong showcase of Alex’s stellar drumming and after doing “Everybody Wants Some” with a strong drum sound, why not continue with another that showcases Alex.  Alex has a very distinct sound he creates with his drumming and there is so much on here that fills the song.  It is one of the main things I take away from it.

Lyrically, it reminds me a little of “Everybody Wants Some” as well with how Sammy talks out a lot of the lyrics like Dave was doing.  The lyrics seem to be about Sammy taking some drug tripping journey in his mind or in the universe or wherever.  He is getting lost and further away from home with no escape.  I don’t know what it really means, but it is fantastic trip.

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Friday New Releases – June 14th

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Happy Friday!!  Welcome to the weekend.  There are a ton of releases this week, sadly though, not much for me.  There is one I will listen to and I am excited about and another that I will listen to celebrate their 50 years together.  The rest, hopefully you will be digging those!  My choices are highlighted in Blue as usual.  Let me know what you are interested in hearing and what I might have missed.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

  • 71plwaZe7oL._SS500_  Caleb Johnson & the Ramblin’ Saints – Born From the Southern Ground – (Big Johnson Records):  Caleb has such an amazing voices and for me, one of the best voices to come out of American Idol.  His debut I thought was great and from what I have heard off this one, this release will be fantastic as well.  Give him a try if you haven’t, you won’t be disappointed.

  • 616ig+9LFaL._AC_UL115_  ZZ Top – Goin’ 50 – (Warner Bros) – (Deluxe 3CD out August 16th): Can you believe they have been going for 50 years?  No, I can’t either.  This is a celebration of their career and a career worth celebrating.  It looks like these are remastered 2019 versions so that should be great to hear!! Digital and Single Disc CD is today!!  3 Disc Set and Vinyl is August 16th in case you want the mack daddy version.

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Kiss – Look Wot You Dun To Me (Bootleg Series) – Album Review

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The second review in the series is for a bootleg of the 1988 tour of Crazy Nights.  And of course, this is another tour that I saw.  This one was recorded on April 18th, 1988 at the Castle Hall in Osaka, Japan.  Now, I saw the tour on February 10th at the Omni in Atlanta, GA.  At my show they only played 13 songs.  They played those same 13 songs in Japan plus 6 more tracks.  Yes, just like the Japanese Edition of CDs, Japan gets extra tracks during live shows as well.

Now the packaging for this release is not quite as nice as the first review.  It is a double LP, but not a gatefold.

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There is no pictures or posters included, but it is a colored vinyl.  It is a pretty white with a white label on one and a black label on the other.

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Billy Idol – ‘Happy Holidays’ – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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A short time after Billy’s comeback release, ‘Devil’s Playground’, he thought (or somebody thought), we should release a Christmas Album.  I don’t know if it was because of the positive feedback for the Christmas song on the last album “Yellin’ at the Xmas Tree” or drugs, but they decided to do it.

Now, “Yellin’ at the Xmas Tree” is absolutely fantastic. It is a rocking Idol song and I love the twist on the song that it is not all happy and joyful at Christmas. Some people don’t have the stereotypical Yuletide joy.

This album is nothing like that.  It is Billy putting on his dinner jacket, pouring himself a drink and playing traditional Christmas songs in both a traditional or even a smoke-filled room jazz style.

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The album is full of songs you know and love (well, the original versions you love) and it even has two brand new songs written by Billy…oh joy!!  I know…you can feel my excitement.  I am sorry…I will be completely honest with you.  I HATE CHRISTMAS ALBUMS!!!  That isn’t entirely true.  If you want to do a compilation Christmas albums with different artists singing the best versions of Christmas songs…I am all for it.  If it s one Singer or one Band doing a whole entire 40 minute album of them doing Christmas Songs..,please count me out!!!

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Aldo Nova – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

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Ever since the first time I heard the song “Fantasy” on MTV back in 1981, I have been a huge fan of Aldo Nova’s.  In fact, I finally got to meet him back during his “Blood on the Bricks” Tour back in 1991.  It was cool getting his autograph and the band’s which included current Bon Jovi guitarist, Phil X.

Aldo hails from Canada and has worked with Jon Bon Jovi on the debut album of Bon Jovi and his solo album from the movie ‘Young Guns’ which he wrote the guitar riff for “Blaze of Glory”.  He has also worked with Celine Dion where he has written for her as well as produced which garnered him a Grammy for Producing her album “Falling Into You”.  He has been busy.  However, we will only concentrate on his Solo work here for this post.

He has put out only 6 solo albums and there is talk of some new material coming and if so, I will be in line to buy it (okay, I will click away on my computer and have it delivered).  From his eponymous debut to Aldo Nova 2.0, we will go through and I will rank them from Worst to First.  I am sure people will disagree the order, but that is fine as this is only my opinion, you have your own.  I do hope you enjoy it nonetheless and maybe you discover something new and try him out.

THE WORST – NOVA’S DREAM (1997):

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My Sunday Song – “Everybody Wants Some” by Van Halen

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For My Sunday Song #147, Van Halen’s song “Everybody Wants Some” will get the royal treatment this week.  The song is off the album “Women and Children First” and the second one I have done from that album (because it is that good).  The song was never a a single, but a B-Side to the song “And the Cradle Will Rock”.

The opening of the song is the tribal drum beat by Alex with Dave making some little noises in the background and Eddie comes in with that sinister riff.  The music sounds menacing and when they kick it in to full gear, it is a slammin’ rock song.  Eddie’s guitar playing on the solo has him two-handing the fretboard on his guitar and really breaking new ground as usual.  The driving force though is Alex with that drum beat throughout.  Really killer.

Lyrically, there isn’t much there.  It is a pure sex song and Dave’s talking vocal performance is the star here.  His vocals sound almost like he is ad-libbing the whole thing.  Just making it up as he goes along, but it works so well.  The first line on the second verse is “I Seen a Lotta People Lookin’ for a Moonbeam”, but seriously, can you understand one word of what he says…except for maybe moonbeam?  No, as I don’t think he knew what the hell he was saying.   The song ends with Dave going “Look, I’ll pay you for it, What the fuck”, but the “fuck” is not really audible with the way they phase it out the sound.

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Friday New Releases – June 7th

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Welcome to June and the first Friday of releases.  There are a lot of releases this week so there should be a little something for everyone.  For me, there is a lot as well!  A lot of nothing.  There are a couple I find appealing and they will be highlighted in Blue.  One of which I have had for a month and be enjoying it a lot.  Hopefully there is something you like.  Let me know what interests you and if I missed anything.  Thanks and have a great weekend!

  • 81s-SBSe+vL._SS500_  Jonas Brothers – Happiness Begins – (Republic Records):  Yes, the Jonas Brothers are back!!  Okay, I am not really this excited, but my kids are going nuts!  I have a feeling that this will be blaring around the house and in the car for quite sometime to come!!  The first song released, “Sucker”, was quite catchy so let’s hope the rest of the album is as enjoyable otherwise this will be a painful period for me.

  • 71OGzJRYF7L._SX522_  Ida Mae – Chasing Lights – (Vow Road):  I came across Ida Mae when they opened for Greta Van Fleet on tour.  I picked up the album at the show around May 15th and have been playing it almost every day since.  It is fantastic. They are from England and have a heavy Blues influence to their music and songwriting.  It is quite different than what I normally listen to, but I can’t get enough of it.  Check it out.

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