You Pick It! – Which Album to Review in October?

You, my reader, are going to pick an album for me to review each month.  It is really simple…first, I will give you 5 albums to choose from and second, you will tell me which one of those you would like to see reviewed on the site.  See…simple! Now, if you want to cast more than one vote, comment on the Twitter and Facebook post and you could get up to 3 votes on your favorite pick.

There are a few simple rules I have put in to place in my selections.  They are…

  • One has to be a new release (within the last month)
  • One has to be one I have never heard before (new releases don’t count for this one)
  • One has to be from a genre I don’t normally listen to at all or very often
  • And the last two are choices from my collection that I haven’t reviewed before

What are the 5 albums you ask?  Funny you should ask because I have those right here…

  New Release – Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Patient Number 9’

  Never Heard Before – Joy Division – ‘Unknown Pleasures’

  Not My Normal Genre – Loretta Lynn – ‘Van Lear Rose’

  From My Collection – The Darkness – ‘Permission to Land’

  From My Collection – Peter Gabriel – ‘So’

Let me know which one you would like to see and sometime in October, I will post a review of the album that gets the most votes. You have one week to decide and from there I will start listening to the album and do a review.

Thanks for participating!!

Friday New Releases – September 16, 2022

Friday, Friday, Friday!!! It is time for new releases and we have a few…okay, more than a few. There are well over 50 releases this week so I am sure you will find something. I only have one that I’m interested in and maybe will listen to a few more over time. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great weekend!

  • 81QipCV7DrL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Smith/Kotzen – Better Days…And Nights (LIVE) – (BMG Rights): Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen are back and this time we get live and studio albums. You get 5 previously unreleased live tracks from theirTrans-Atlantic 22 Tour plus the four studio tracks featured on their sold out ‘Better Days’ vinyl EP!

And then all the rest…

  • 41aUvB+6r4L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Marcus Mumford – (self-titled) – (Capitol Records / UMG)
  • 91LbxG8uFVL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The Devil Wears Prada – Color Decay – (Solid State Records)
  • A1oqg7N0X-L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Michelle Branch – The Trouble with Fever – (Audio Eagle Records / Nonesuch Records)
  • 81QEMdZ+HDL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Ringo Starr – EP3 E.P. – (Universal Music / Roccabella)
  • 81XnU1zsH+L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Pink Floyd – Animals (2018 Remix) – (Pink Floyd Music / Sony)
  • 61y4fLkCidL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Creedence Clearwater Revival – At the Royal Albert Hall – (Craft Recordings / Concord)
  • 81+Qu-20HCL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  LeAnn Rimes – God’s Work – (EverLe Records / Thirty Tigers)
  • 91ryCA1cxSL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Little Big Town – Mr. Sun – (Capitol Records / UMG)
  • 71XpdJwaLKL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Noah Cyrus – The Hardest Part – (Records Label / Columbia)
  • download-23  The Mars Volta – The Mars Volta – (Clouds Hill)
  • 71FFLqjzM-L._SX522_  Death Cab for Cutie – Asphalt Meadows – (Atlantic Records / WEA)
  • 71n00b4TR9L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Starcrawler – She Said – (Starcrawler Music / Big Machine Label Group)
  • 817CRl2TCtL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Clutch – Sunrise on Slaughter Beach – (Weathermaker Music)
  • 91WdsFGhu1L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  House of Lords – Saints & Sinners – (Frontiers Records)
  • 81IUyCqDJlL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Ginevra – We Belong to the Stars – (Frontiers Records)
  • 71mdIsVKqeL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Fans of the Dark – Suburbia – (Frontiers Records)
  • 51EvmwHtOdL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros – Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years – (Casbah Productions / Dark Horse Records / BMG)
  • 91WR+epPXSL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The Black Angels – Wilderness of Mirrors – (Partisan Records)
  • 81NAft7MRDL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Behemoth – Opvs Contra Natvram – (Nuclear Blast)
  • 81aWnxG5CBL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_-1  Edenbridge – Shangri-La – (AFM Records / Soulfood Music)
  • 81sw5JZJlkL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Wolfheart – King of the North – (Napalm Records)
  • 61N0+E4hBOL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Sumerlands – Dreamkiller – (Relapse Records)\
  • 71NDwasldfL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Lybica – Lybica – (Metal Blade Records)
  • 91Rj7+BBtQL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Destrage – So Much. Too Much. – (3DOT Recordings / Many Hats Distribution)
  • 717wuILgS2L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Omophagia – Rebirth in Black – (Unique Leader Records)
  • 71+1qXvPu8L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Ondara – Spanish Villager No. 3 – (Verve Label Group / UMG)
  • 61mopsCfAQL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Julian Lage – View With A Room – (Blue Note Records)
  • 51MLKFYs5NL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Miles Davis  – That’s What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 – (Columbia Records / Sony Music)
  • 61y3C1KMdlL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Samara Joy – Linger Awhile – (Verve Records / UMG)
  • 71rnCFSInnL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Confessions of a Traitor – Punishing Myself Before God Does – (Facedown Records)
  • 81Z2d22lC-L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Bumpin’ Uglies – Mid-Atlantic Dub – (InEffable Records)
  • 9144wuEyPgL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Danielle Ponder – Some of Us Are Brave – (Future Classic)
  • 91pD0KLfonL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Surf Curse – Magic Hour – (Atlantic Records)
  • 81En3QhT5+L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Cape Francis – Don’t Let Your Heart Walk Away – (Sleep Well Records)

  • 61oxashW2NL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Fletcher – Girl of My Dreams – (Capitol Records / Snapback Entertainment / UMG)
  • A1ajH9wcIcL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  Djo – Decide – (AWAL Recordings)
  • 71OLCOFli-L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Rhett Miller – The Misfit – (ATO Records)
  • A1K9Kk4Rv+L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Loveless – End of an Era – (Loveless)
  • 71eDgdstDCL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The Murlocs – Rapscallion – (ATO Records)
  • 81mL1FIWtvL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The Darling Fire – Distortions – (Iodine Recordings)
  • 71CVq1DvKTL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Gogol Bordello – Solidaritine – (Das Grand Kapital / Cooking Vinyl)
  • 71n0kicwknL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Klangstof – Godspeed to the Freaks – (Velveteen Records)
  • 919pYs0zqEL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The London Suede – Autofiction – (Suede Limited / BMG Rights Mgmt)
  • 51rtikeThoL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Rina Sawayama – Hold the Girl – (Dirty Hit)
  • 81kJ+JboLPL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Abstract – No More Hope for the Hopeless – (Abstract the Artist)
  • 81nbONoaNaL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Whitney – Spark – (Secretly Canadian)
  • 81Qtp63NXqL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Maggie Lindemann – Suckerpunch – (swixxzaudio)
  • 81grxrz0whL._AC_UL640_FMwebp_QL65_  Lissie – Carving Canyons – (Lionboy Records)
  • 81PyLFrpe7L._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field – (Carpark Records)
  • 91P9bADBObL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Electric Callboy – Tekkno – (Century Media Records)
  • 61cDwQ+NeAL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_   Molly Lewis – Mirage E.P. – (Jagjaguwar)
  • A1WoSsX0klL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Jimmy Carpenter – The Louisiana Record – (Gulf Coast Records / SoNo Recording Group)
  • 81aSuHWX8RL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Mitchell Tenpenny – This is the Heavy – (Riser House Entertainment / Sony Music)
  • 81jwGm8bKML._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  We the Kingdom – We the Kingdom – (Sparrow Records / Capitol Records)

Humanimal – ‘Humanimal’ (2002) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

Back in 2001, Talisman guitarist, Pontus Norgren, was working on a side project with Z-Records label boss, Mark Alger. Mark envisioned a Talisman type project that would be very different from the normal Talisman material. It was thought to be a concept album with multiple lead singers including Jeff Scott Soto doing a few tunes as that was all he agreed to do. Pontus recruited Talisman bassist, Marcel Jacob, but the drummer was Thomas Broman who was not from Talisman.

Jeff signed on to do a few songs and said he was not a member of this band and was doing is at as a favor for his friends. Man, that sounds familiar (Takara and most of his early projects). And like normal, the multiple singer aspect didn’t work out and then Jeff agreed to do the whole album. This was basically a Talisman album with three of the four members, but it wasn’t that either. The biggest difference is the sound. This was a guitar driven album and much heavier than normal Talisman. In Talisman, you have Marcel’s bass front and center and the main focus, here, this is Pontus’ project so the guitar is the main focus. There are moments that feel and sound like Talisman, so any Talisman fan will love this album. But it is different.

The Humanimal name was chosen to mark the connection to Talisman, but at the same time to say that this is different, new and exciting. The album saw a release on January 2002, but it would end up being their last album together as this name. There were some shady dealings going on with the label and Marcel and Pontus ended up in a bitter dispute on royalties with Z-Records which led to bitter arguments between the two friends and as a result, the two parted ways. It was so bad, Pontus was now out of Talisman as well. Soto was planning on signing with Z-Records, but the royalty issue is rumored to have stopped him from signing with them as well. He would soon sign with Frontiers Records (which we will discuss on the next review). What started out as promising turned in to a total disaster…such is life in the Music Business!

Continue reading “Humanimal – ‘Humanimal’ (2002) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)”

Scorpions – ‘Lovedrive’ (1979) – Album Review (The Scorpions Collection Series)

We are now on the band’s sixth studio album and the first one with new guitarist Mathias Jabs. Mathias replaced Uli Jon Roth who was unhappy with the direction of the band and left to form his own band called Electric Sun. With Mathias on board, we now have what is considered the “classic” line-up because it was the line-up that had the most success. That line-up was Klaus Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Francis Buchholz and Herman Rarebell. But Mathias wasn’t the only lead guitarist on this album.

After leaving UFO, Michael Schenker returned to Scorpions to help work on the ‘Lovedrive’ album. Originally thought to only be on about 3 songs, Michael is on most of the album as he contributed backing vocals as well as lead guitar work on 5 songs. But he was not planning on touring with the band at least not until the band parted ways with Mathias Jabs. He joined in February 1979 at the beginning of the tour. However, it didn’t last long as by April, Michael left the Tour while they were in France. After what was said to be very intense negotiations, Mathias Jabs rejoined the band. Talk about drama!!

Continue reading “Scorpions – ‘Lovedrive’ (1979) – Album Review (The Scorpions Collection Series)”

Europe – “Cherokee” – 7″ Single

In the batch of singles I found at Repo Records a couple months back, we are now to our fourth single of 6 and second from the band Europe. This one is the fourth single off ‘The Final Countdown’ and is a song that would catch a lot of grief today as the song is “Cherokee”. With today’s over sensitive, my feelings get hurt easily culture, “Cherokee” would probably be frowned upon with a bunch of white guys singing about Native Americans. “Cherokee” was released in November 1987 and didn’t do as well as their other singles, It only went to #72 not getting anywhere close to the Top 40.

The song was written by Joey Tempest. It was inspired by a book the wife of the album producer had. He had read through it and was inspired to write about the plight of the Cherokee nation as the U.S. government relocated them to Oklahoma from their native land of the lower Appalachian Mountains. Over 4,000 died on that march. It was the last song written for the album.

The copy I have is the standard U.S. version with the single being the album version and not the shorter edited version. The B-Side being “Heart of Stone” off the same album. I also have a “demonstration-not for sale” stamp on this one as well, but it is backwards and on the B-Side so not sure what is going on with these. Maybe they were used for Promo purposes…and maybe not.

Continue reading “Europe – “Cherokee” – 7″ Single”

You Picked It! – The Smiths – ‘The Queen is Dead’ (1986) – Album Review

Alright…You Picked It! And this one I thought was going to be a blowout as The Smiths opened up with the first 5 votes. It ended up really close, but The Smiths never relinquished the lead. Therefore the winner was The Smiths – ‘The Queen is Dead’ which is one I have actually never heard from beginning to end as as it is not a genre I particularly like. Here are the results.

  1. The Smiths – ‘The Queen is Dead’ – 7 votes
  2. Ghost – ‘Meliora’ – 5 votes
  3. The Doors – ‘Morrison Hotel’ – 5 votes
  4. Pistol Annies – ‘Interstate Gospel’ – 2 votes
  5. Hollywood Undead – ‘Hotel Kalifornia’ – Sadly, 0 votes

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

THE SMITHS – ‘THE QUEEN IS DEAD’ (1986):

Disclaimer: Who would’ve thought that after I wrote this review, the Queen would actually pass away. I mean no disrespect posting this today as it has been planned and written for over a week prior to her death. I find the monarch rather fascinating as we don’t have one here in the States despite some orange colored freak who would like to be King. Enough of that, let’s just talk music.

The Smiths have been touted as one of the most important bands to come out of the 80’s British independent music scene. The album ‘The Queen is Dead’ is routinely placed in the Top 10 (and sometimes #1) as one of the best albums of the 80’s. So, no pressure in reviewing this at all.

When I first listened to the album, I played it in my car on my drive to work. This drive turned in to one of the worst drives I have had in to the office in years. The drive started out dark and gloomy with a lot of fog and then turned a 32 minute drive in to an hour due to a wreck on the highway. Waze took me off the interstate and on to back roads that quickly filled up because of the accident. I’m not saying it was the music that caused this, but I’m also not saying it didn’t. Normally, when I am in traffic like this, the music help soothes me over, but instead it made me somber, melancholic and out right depressed.

Continue reading “You Picked It! – The Smiths – ‘The Queen is Dead’ (1986) – Album Review”

My Sunday Song – “When I Wake Up Tomorrow” by Cheap Trick

For My Sunday Song #316, we are talking about “When I Wake Up Tomorrow” by Cheap Trick. The song is off their stellar 2016 album ‘Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello!’. The song was released as a promotional single and went to #24 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The song was written by Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Julian Raymond. They have decided to credit everyone that is an official band member and the producer. Whatever works right.

The song is a modern ballad. It is dark and there is a sadness as the singer is looking for more than a one night stand and is begging and pleading for more. He doesn’t feel like he can live without her and just wants her to stay the night and wake up with him tomorrow. Part of me wonders if he wants her to stay the night so he won’t kill himself it is that dark sounding. But there is a beauty to it as well.

“When I Wake Up Tomorrow” brings a darker, more moody styled song and Zander does some of his best Bowie vibes he can muster. The rhythm section on this one is also a standout as Tom and Daxx seem to have found the groove that fits nicely with in Rick’s great guitar work. But it is those keyboard parts that add a new texture and layer which are so cool and almost U2 like in their stylings. Easy to see why this was a single as it is fresh sounding and one of the best things they’ve done in years. Pure brilliance.

Continue reading “My Sunday Song – “When I Wake Up Tomorrow” by Cheap Trick”

Europe – “Rock the Night” – 7″ Single

After reviewing the two Winger singles, we are now to a set of four singles all coming from the band Europe. I found these all at Repo Records here in Charlotte and they always seem to have a some great stuff. This time around we have the single “Rock the Night” from the 1986 smash album, ‘The Final Countdown’. “Rock the Night” was originally released in 1985 for a movie soundtrack, but was re-recorded for this album. The single was released in the U.S. in April 1987 and saw it break the Top 40 landing at #30 at its peak. It was the second single off the album.

The song was written by Joey Tempest and is basically talking about how some times you go through some tough times, some pain, but you have to fight and keep going. Take all that energy and just rock the night! Simple enough.

My version of the single is the standard U.S. version, so I thought. But after pealing a price sticker of the vinyl, I noticed there is a stamp saying, “Demonstration-Not For Sale” which leads me to believe this might have been used as a promotional copy. The B-Side is a re-recorded version of the band’s first single called “Seven Doors Hotel”.

Continue reading “Europe – “Rock the Night” – 7″ Single”

Friday New Releases – September 9, 2022

Happy Friday and we have a ton of releases for you this week with over 50+ new releases. I have a few I want to hear and definitely have purchased one of these so far and it is the first one on the list. Scan through and let me know what you want to hear this week or what we may have missed out on. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

  • kisssoundboarddesmoines  Kiss – Off the Soundboard: Des Moines 1977 – (UMe): Kiss on their 4th Soundboard release and I’m a little behind as I haven’t even listened to the last one and there is another one out…crazy. Maybe this will force me to open them both up and spin them. The other 3 have been from the reunion era or later. This is the first one with the classic line-up and I am excited to dive in to this one. Bring ’em on!
  • 51ERxmZexXL._AC_UY436_FMwebp_QL65_  Robbie Williams – XXV – (Robert Williams / Farrell Music Ltd): Robbie Williams is now on his 13th studio album and it his 25th Anniversary as a solo artist. It is full of re-recorded and orchestrated versions of his biggest hits. Plus with the deluxe edition you get three new songs. A must for my collection.
Continue reading “Friday New Releases – September 9, 2022”

Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You (Live)” (1993) – CD Maxi Single (Bonus Edition) – (The Kiss Review Series)

I love it when I find something completely unexpected. At a record store down in St. Augustine Florida, I came across a CD Maxi Single for the song “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” but it wasn’t the Dynasty single, nope. It was the live version in support of the Kiss Alive III album. It is actually a European release and not released anywhere outside of Europe. Score!! I snatched it up just so I could show it off to you guys (and gals).

The single is for “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” off ‘Dynasty’ and I cringed when I saw this the original Alive III album as it is so overplayed, but damn! I think they do a killer job with this one. Might be the best version of this song I have heard live maybe because it is less disco sounding and more rocking. Eric’s drums are very prominent as well as Gene’s bass. The only negative is the backing vocals need a little work. Regardless, it is still a killer track. Track 1 & 3 are recorded live at The Palace of Aubern Hills, Michigan, November 29th of 1992.

Continue reading “Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You (Live)” (1993) – CD Maxi Single (Bonus Edition) – (The Kiss Review Series)”