My Sunday Song – “Cochise” by Audioslave

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For My Sunday Song #332, we are going to discuss the song “Cochise” by Audioslave which includes lead singer Chris Cornell and the reason we are here. The song was the band’s first single off their debut album from 2002. The band consists of Chris Cornell and the musical styles of the band Rage Against the Machine including Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk. Since Rage broke up, they band stayed together and brought in Chris to form a new band. The song went to #2 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart and #2 in the UK on their Rock & Metal Chart where it sold over 200,000 copies.

The song titles is “Cochise” and what the heck is a “Cochise”? Well, I’ll tell you. Cochise was an Apache Indian Chief and he was a badass. He was brutal, yet fearless and resolute. He didn’t let anything stop him and was full of rate and fury which is what Tom felt the music was that way and thus the name of the single. However, “Cochise” doesn’t appear anywhere in the song and is not about him in any way.

The song is about people that waste their life away doing nothing. They need to look in the mirror, wake up and get moving with their life. Chris had mentioned that the song was inspired by himself looking in the mirror and thinking that same thing. I look at it like Chris is out there rocking the world, having so many great adventures while that guy in the mirror is doing drugs, drinking or whatever else to destroy his life. It is like there are two people and if he doesn’t wake up and get both lives in order, the end won’t end well. And we know how that sadly ended.

The song has this tribal drum beat feel, while Tom is doing crazy things on his guitar and Tim on his bass. After about 50 seconds of this growing intensity, that wicked Morello riff comes crashing in. And what a riff it is. Chris sounds great, attacking the lyrics with that same intensity. Plus that scream towards the end is perfection. Tom’s playing throughout is worth the price of admission alone. A great, heavy ass track that let us know Audioslave was for real!!

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Friday New Releases – January 6, 2023

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Happy New Year and welcome to the first Friday New Release post of 2023. I hope this will be a great year for new music, but it is starting out with a whimper and I hope it goes out like a lion. We only have a handful of releases for you this week. Don’t worry, the next few weeks will have a lot more and some I am excited about. This week, nothing for me, but hopefully there is something for you to listen to as we kick off the year. Thanks for stopping by and let me know what you want to hear or what we may have missed this week. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend

  • 91WpPAyS6ML._AC_UY218_  Iggy Pop – Every Loser – (Gold Tooth Records / Atlantic Records)
  • 7122ay-Gb4L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Olivia Newton-John – Greatest Hits Vol. 2/Deluxe Edition – (Primary Wave Music)
  • 91cVTAPIztL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Anti-Flag – Lies They Tell Our Children – (Spinefarm Records / Universal)
  • 61Z67N8WrHL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  L.A. Edwards – Out of the Heart of Darkness – (Bitchin’ Music Group)
  • 71TNgM+GFdL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  JVRA – Veracity – (J Vera Records)
  • 91yRtZrORxL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Kidd Keratic – To Be Loved E.P. – (Kidd Keratic)
  • 81mVBYUQm4L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Gabriella Aplin – Phosphorescent – (Never Fade Records)
  • 81lCGdGMe6L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Doom Flower – Limestone Ritual – (Record Label & Doom Flower)
  • 818H5KYLIcL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Ouija Macc & Golden Bsp – Hideous – (Chapter 17 Records)
  • 815UPypFsCL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  RuPaul – Black Butta – (RuCo Inc.)
  • download-27  Javis Mays – New Beginnings E.P. – (JaMays Music)

Judas Priest – The Best & Worst Song from Every Album

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A few weeks back I was on the live stream ‘Grab A Stack of Rock’ with Mike Landano and Harrison, The Mad Metal Man and we went through the giant 50th Anniversary Judas Priest box set. During the show, as we discussed each album, we picked are least favorite and our favorite song off each album. I thought that was a great idea and I thought I’d turn it in to a post as a recap. So, here are my picks for the Best and Worst song on every Judas Priest studio album and there are 18 Albums!! Now, let’s preface this with the fact that these are my choices and not necessarily yours as we can have different opinions. If you watched the show you will see that sometimes my worst song was their favorite so you never know what people like and we all like different things or this would be a very dull world. I hope you enjoy!!

Rocka Rolla (1974)

BEST SONG – “CHEATER”: Written by Halford and Downing. The song has a blues hard rock sound and opens with a great riff and slams it home from there. I love the swagger to the song, the cowbell and the harmonica all screamed classic rock and right up my alley.

WORST SONG – “CAVIAR AND METHS”: An instrumental track written by Atkins, Downing and Hill and at only 2 minutes it didn’t really have time to develop in to much of anything. It is too short, too repetitive and didn’t do anything for me, almost a waste of time and space as it doesn’t make sense with the album.

Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

BEST SONG – “VICTIM OF CHANGES”: An epic almost 8 minute track written by Halford, Downing, Tipton and Al Atkins. The song opens slowly and breaks into a cool double guitar riff. It seems to be a very complex song with lots of rhythm changes and heck even the moods and vibes change throughout. The song is so full of layers and textures that it keeps you engrossed which is needed for such a long track. The thing that clinches the song is Halford’s falsettos and that dramatic, climactic scream at the end. It is legendary!!

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Bear Says Goodbye – August 12, 2008 to January 3, 2023

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For those regular visitors of the site, you might be familiar with Bear. He is my trusty sidekick who has sat by my desk most days I am writing for the blog and kept me company. We had to say goodbye to him on Tuesday and it was the hardest thing to do. He was 14 years old and been a member of the family for almost all of that time. He will be missed everyday as we will miss that face that lights up a room every time he would walk in to it. He has been a great guard dog protecting my girls, a great greeter who was always so happy when you came home whether you were gone for 5 minutes or 5 days, and an overall great friend who was always there when you needed him and never asked for anything in return…well except maybe some doggie treats and to throw out the cats with the garbage.

We love you a lot and will miss you dearly. Goodbye old friend…Here’s a look back…

We got Bear for my daughter when she turned two…they were best buds…she will be turning 16 soon.

He was a big boy already when we got him…he was 6 months old at the time…

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Scorpions – ‘Live Bites’ (1995) – Album Review (The Scorpions Collection Series)

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The Scorpions camp felt it was time for another live album. This would be the band’s third to date and was released April 3, 1995. Now, the disc is not one show as that would be the smart thing to do and this instead is the easy way out. They took shows from several concerts from 1988 to 1994. The cities were Leningrad (Russia), San Francisco (US), Mexico City (Mexico), Berlin (Germany) and Munich (Germany). The album has the normal crew of Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Mathais Jabs, Herman Rarebell and current bass player, Ralph Rieckermann. However, most of the bass playing is long time member Francis Buchholz. The best thing about the album is that they did include 3 studio tracks which is the real reason to buy. No definitive time on the recordings, but I believe they range for 1988-1995, just no where I can prove that out.

As far as live albums go, it does sound fantastic. The guitar sound is actually killer, almost to amazing which makes me wonder if any touch up was done. And Klaus’ vocals are spot on, the drum sound is hard and heavy. There is no denying these boys can play live. They kick off with “Tease Me Please Me” and it would be a good song to start with as it totally rocks out and gets you on your feet. Then we get a real treat with the ‘Lovedrive’ track “Is There Anybody There”. I love the reggae vibe to the song. I really unexpected choice for the live show, but very welcomed. Really cool. Back to the heavy rock guitar sound with “Rhythm of Love” and they nail it here before going in to the only song that is a found on another live album and that is the fantastic “In Trance” and this is a classic track. Man is it good.

The first misstep for me is “No Pain No Gain” as I’m not a fan of this song, but they do make it sound a little better than the studio track here. It fits better in the live setting than album setting, but not by much. Then from ‘Blackout’ we get “When the Smoke is Going Down” and another surprise track for me. I didn’t like this song as the ending to that album, but mixed here in the middle of the show and listening to Klaus sound incredible on this one, I dig it here. Next up is “Living for Tomorrow” and this song had been released previously on the 1992 compilation called ‘Still Loving You’. On here, two slow songs in a row really can start to drag the show down. Klaus speaks to the crowd in Russian as it was recorded in Leningrad.

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Redlist – ‘Ignorance’ (2007) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

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Back in 2001, Jeff Scott Soto was ready for a change. He had been touring with the group The Boogie Knights and he was ready to break out on his own again. He wanted to do something totally different. And what started out as a solo project for him became a band called Redlist. Redlist is actually another name for the endangered species list and they liked it so they used. Who are they? That would be Jeff, Dave Fraser (who played with Gary Richrath) and Neil Goldberg (Annihilator). They also Eric Malone (aka Big E, rapper).

Rapper? Did I just say rapper? Yes, I did. The Redlist project was not the typical Melodic rock that Jeff was used to. The time was 2001 and what was big was Industrial Rock. Think Linkin Park and you have the right idea. This is totally unexpected and out of left field which is exactly what Jeff was wanting. However, the project was shelved due to lack of interest from record executives. One thing lead to another and Jeff got busy again, he ended up doing a couple solo albums, Soul SirkUS and then Journey. Around 2007, they decided to dust off the cobwebs and release it.

They didn’t release it the normal way with a physical product. No, they did not. Instead they released it digitally through iTunes. And yes, I bought a digital product because it was the only way I could get it. Now, Jeff, if you ever find yourself reading these reviews, we would love to have a CD release of this product. Yes, I could burn it to a CD and print out the covers and put together my own CD version, but I want something official. Enough about that, let us get to the music and get ready as it isn’t what you’d expect from Jeff. Especially when Jeff does his own rapping.

The album kicks off strong with the heavy, industrial rocker, “Migraine”. It sees Jeff rap through the verses and he is very aggressive, angry and intense. The chorus is catchy and just as aggressive. The guitar sounds is gritty and pretty killer on this one. One of the better songs on the album.

Next ups is “World Today” which keeps the Linkin Park vibes going, but this song isn’t as aggressive. This is pure LP ripoff. Jeff spits out the lyrics in a rapid fire pace. The chorus is more melodic with some good harmonies. The electronic sounds are a little abrasive at times as to me they aren’t as crisp and clear as they should be. Blame production value on that one. But still a pretty good song, if you like this sort of thing.

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My Sunday Song – “Burden in My Hand” by Soundgarden

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Happy New Year and let us kick it off with a new 10 song set of My Sunday Songs. And with #331, we are kicking off with the first of 10 songs that will feature Chris Cornell, First up is the Soundgarden song “Burden in My Hand” off their 1996 album ‘Down on the Upside’. It was written by Chris and was released as the second single September 18, 1996. It did really well spending five weeks at #1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Chart.

The song is rather dark as it is about a guy that loses it and kills his wife. He admits it in the song. He is out in the desert where he buried her and his trying to deal with the grief and the guilt and coming to grips with what has happened. The lines “It’s just a burden in my hand / It’s just an anchor on my heart” reflects the guilt he is feeling. Kim Thayil of the band has called the song a modern “Hey Joe”. I can see that. Now, the song doesn’t say what happens to him or if he ever deals with his grief, but he is sitting there drowning his sorrows with alcohol and hopefully he drinks himself to death for what he has done

I love how the song starts out with Chris’ vocal going directly in to the first verse. The guitar comes in and it plays the song in C tuning (I read that on wiki as otherwise I’d have no idea). That opening verse with just the guitar, his voice and then the bass is perfect. The drums not coming in to until the bridge really adds a punch to the bridge. Then the full band is in for the second verse. I love the dark tone coming from the music as it matches the darkness and gloom of the situation. Chris vocals aren’t judgmental to the character, it is almost indifferent to what he has done, yet you feel a little empathy through his vocals. It is really interesting approach and it works.

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December 2022 Purchases – Vinyl & Cds…& More…

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I can’t believe 2022 is about to be behind us. Man, that year flew fast. Well, we ended with one of the biggest hauls we have ever had here at 2 Loud 2 Old Music. There are 38 albums purchased or gifted this month alone!! That is insane. Several of these purchases will be part of the new Review Series coming in 2023 after the Scorpions are done of course. Thanks for stopping by each and every day, week or month and I hope you all had a wonderful year. And I hope next year is even better for you. Let’s get started on a review of the December 2022 Vinyl & Cds…

First up is another Kiss record. I bought the 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition Box Set but that doesn’t come with a vinyl. The 3-LP Deluxe Edition has such a pretty blue color vinyl, I had to have it as well. I didn’t make it in time for last months post as it should have but at least I have it now…

Then I picked up the new 4 CD Deluxe Edition 20th Anniversary Box Set of Robbie William’s debut solo album ‘Life Thru A Lens’. It has a remastered album, 2 bonus discs of rarities and a live show…Just perfect!!

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What to Expect in New Music for 2023???

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2023 is upon us and it is always fun anticipating what new albums will come out in the year. Since today would normaly be a Friday New Release post, let’s look at the new releases coming our way in 2023. There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet.

Last year, there were a few artist I was hoping would release an album that might have or might not have released one.  It is always fun to hope for new music from these bands, but sometimes there are disappointments.  Here are the ones I was hoping to get new albums from last year and what actually happened…

  • Def Leppard – They’ve been writing…will we get the new album in 2022??  Or at least The Collection Vol. 4 which is the final in the series – We did get a fantastic new album called ‘Diamond Star Halos’ but no The Collection Volume 4!!!
  • Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!! – We did get 3 Off the Soundboard releases and the Creatures of the Night Box Set, so that was at least a success!
  • Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!! – STILL NOTHING…But did get a Use Your Illusion Box Set…big whoop!
  • Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set, but will he get around to releasing it?? We did get a 10 song E.P. with highlights from the Rock Opera which was fantastic, but no full release yet of The Life & Times of Eddie Gage’
  • Poison – I think it is time for a new album! NOPE! They did the Stadium Tour with Def Leppard & Motley Crue…but nothing new and doesn’t look like there will be any time soon.
  • Will Hoge – His last one was 2020 so now is the time for another! And we got it!! It is amazing and called ‘Wings On My Shoes’
  • Billy Idol – He teased us with an E.P. in 2021.  A full album would be nice. Okay, No full album, but another killer E.P. I think I could take an E.P. a year.

Okay, are there albums I want to see this year from some of my favorite bands that haven’t been announced or in some cases even rumored?  Of course there are.  These are the bands I want new albums from this year…but it might not happen.

  • Def Leppard – Too soon for a new album, but give us The Collection Vol. 4!!
  • Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!!  At least give us another Soundboard LP.
  • Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!  Will we ever get a new album!
  • Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set for over 3 years and still nothing much, but will he get around to releasing the full Life & Times of Eddie Gage? I hope so.
  • Ace Frehley – It is time for a new album…no Origins, Vol 3…a new album!!
  • Bon Jovi – A new album WITH RICHIE SAMBORA!!!

From what I have gathered around the internet, here are the bands that should have new albums out in 2023, but no dates announced yet. The ones I would give a try will be highlighted in Blue. The ones with Dates Announced are at the bottom of this post. The list is building up nicely!!

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The Top Rock Albums of 2022

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I can’t believe we are through with another year. And what a year it was, It saw me complete my goal of one post for every day of the year and it saw me start and still not finish the massive Jeff Scott Soto Series. I still have about 6 months to go on that one. Crazy. It saw some struggles as I had a minor surgery but the two week recovery was hard and then I got sick and was miserable for another two weeks and that put a massive damper on my enthusiasm for writing. For October, I barely wrote anything. Thankfully, I keep ahead so it had no impact on my readers, you probably didn’t even notice, but for me, it was hard. But we are way past that now and all is good.

With the Soto series and the Scorpions series, I actually didn’t spend much time with new releases, but I did have a bunch that I liked and wish I spent more time with. So, we are going to go through the Top 10 Rock Albums of 2022 and of course there will be some honorable mentions, a worst of album and some of my favorite Non-Rock albums. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee if it is morning, or a beer if it is any other time of day…and enjoy!!

TOP ROCK ALBUMS OF 2022:

#10 – HALESTORM – BACK FROM THE DEAD: Lzzy Hale and the boys are back from the dead and they are rocking the hell out of you with this one. With the title track, then “Wicked Ways” and “The Steeple”, they showed they mean business and are carrying the torch for rock. Listen to this and you know Rock Ain’t Dead!! And if you want more great ones, I really like “Psycho Crazy” and the ballad “Raise Your Horns”…oh sooooo good!!

#9 – H.E.A.T. – FORCE MAJEURE: I thought there last album was amazing with Erik Gronwell on vocals, but Erik left and is now with Skid Row who also released an album this year. Original H.E.A.T. lead singer, Kenny Leckremo, returned and they released another stellar release. I like it way better than the new Skid Row…sorry Erik. Such stellar tracks as “Back to the Rhythm”, “Nationwide”, “Tainted Blood” and “Demon Eyes” to only name a handful.

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