Tag: Aldo Nova

My Sunday Song – “Shake” by Saints & Sinners

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For My Sunday Song #371, we are starting a new 10 song set and this time the songs were chosen by good pal Deke over at The Distortion Den and SuperDekes. You must check them both out as you’ll get great reviews and a great show he does called The Retro Showdown on Youtube. Deke wanted to challenge me on these songs as he picked All Songs by Canadian Artists (thus the artwork above). Most of these bands I hadn’t heard of so he definitely is making me work for it.

First up is “Shake” by Saints & Sinners. A band formed in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by Sword lead singer Rick Hughes along with Stephane Dufur on guitar, Jesse Bradman on keyboards, Martin Buldoc on bass and Jeff Salem on drums. They only had one album, which was self-titled, and there biggest problem was that they had the 80’s Glam rock sound and this was 1992 which was the death rattle of that genre thanks to grunge.

The album was produced by one of my favorite singers, a Mr. Aldo Nova and Aldo captures the band’s sound perfectly as this an album I would’ve loved back in the day. “Shake” was not released as a single, but it is the lead off song on the album and packs quite a punch. It has that Sleaze rock sound with electrifying guitars, heavy drums and the singer has a grit to him as he screams out those lyrics with a burning intensity. The chorus is huge, almost anthemic in style and a really strong opener as it lights a fire under you and really draws you in. It is a simple song in that it is about going to their show and letting them rock you and make you shake. Love it! I think this is an album that is right up my alley and I think I need to hear the whole thing.

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Bon Jovi – ‘Bon Jovi’ (1984) – Album Review (The Bon Jovi Collection Series)

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By 1982, Jon Bon Jovi re-recorded “Runaway” which he had originally recorded back in 1980 and had shopped it around with no luck. This re-recording he did with what he liked to call The All-Star Revue which consisted of guitarist Tim Pierce, keyboardist Roy Bittan, drummer Frankie LaRocka, and bassist Hugh McDonald (remember this name). The song started getting a little traction and eventually Jon Bongiovi got a record deal and changed his name to Jon Bon Jovi. He was an artist with a deal, but no band. Jon wanted a band and he was going to go with Johnny Electric, but Pamela Maher that suggested he use the name Bon Jovi since a two word name worked so well for Van Halen. No one really liked that idea at first, but eventually Jon came around and Bon Jovi was born.

So, Jon called his old buddy from his old band Atlantic City Expressway, David Bryan Rashbaum, and the ball got rolling. David called his buddy Alec John Such to handle bass and a drummer he knew by the name of Tico Torres. Alec and Tico were formerly in a band together called Phantom’s Opera. They needed a guitarist, so Jon reached out to his friend Dave Sabo (or “Snake”) who played with them for a very short time. He never actually joined the band, but thankfully he would go on to something almost quite as good with a band called Skid Row…maybe you’ve heard of them.

But the band still needed a guitarist. Jon had seen, and was impressed, by a guitarist by the name of Richie Sambora. Richie had played with Joe Cocker and was in a band called Mercy. Hell, Richie even auditioned with Kiss to replace Ace Frehley, but that didn’t go well. Jon asked him to join and now the band was complete. The band had a new manager by the name of Doc McGhee and with his help, they went off to record their debut album.

The name of the album was going to be “Tough Talk”, but that didn’t end up as the title as the record company had other ideas. They felt a self-titled album was certainly the way to go and they wrote the checks so they got their way. The album came out on January 24, 1984 and has been certified platinum. It reached #43 on the album chart so not a bad start for a brand new band. There is even an Aldo Nova connection to this album as he supplied some additional keyboards and guitars as the band hadn’t been complete yet while Jon was in the studio. We will touch on him more later in the series.

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May 2023 Purchases – Vinyl, CDs & More

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If you had a 2 Loud 2 Old Music Mug, I’d tell you to sit back, fill it up with whatever you like and prepare yourself for what is to come. This was an interesting month and some incredible finds…for cheap!! And I mean cheap!! But before we get to the cheap stuff, let’s discuss what first showed up on our doorstep for May…well, it was actually April but it was the day I posted the April Purchases wrap-up so it missed that post. That is the boxset for the Whitesnake album ‘Good To Be Bad”…titled “Still…Good To Be Bad”. Another impressive boxset…or is it?…review to come.

And there was an album that came out months ago on CD and digital, but the album just showed up in May. It is for the lead singer of one of my favorite bands Needtobreathe. It is Bear Rinehart’s second solo album under the name Wilder Woods. It is different then NTB which it should be since he is the voice of NTB. If it sounded like NTB, it would be a NTB album…

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My Sunday Song – “Fantasy” by Aldo Nova

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The final My Sunday Song for the 10 Song Aldo Nova set is “Fantasy” of his self-titled 1981 debut album. The song #360 in the My Sunday Song series rocketed up the charts and landed at #23 on the Top 40 charts. It was Aldo’s only song to chart in the Top 40 in the U.S. and made him a One Hit Wonder. Which is so far from the truth, but charts are charts. VH1 named “Fantasy” one of the Top 100 One Hit Wonder songs of the 80’s.

The last song we discussed, “Monkey On Your Back” was about drugs and guess what…so is “Fantasy”. Another dark story on drug addiction and prostitution and the shadowy world in the big city. The drugs make you so high that life seems great and you party hard, but it is all a fantasy…all is not well and life pretty much sucks. Drugs mask reality and only help you hide from the truth. When on the drugs, nothing is real.

The song starts off with an ominous feel and a short machine gun burst before the helicopter comes soaring in (all done with keyboards I believe). The music intensifies and the laser blast busting open the door kicks off this powerhouse of a rock song. Aldo comes soaring in with the guitars and then the vocals all accompanied by his amazing keyboard work. The songs use of keyboards, gave the song such a sci-fi feel to it, but it was the guitar playing by Aldo that made this a great rock song. The guitar dual solo is awesome even if it is Aldo going against Aldo. What’s not to love about it. This song feels like a pre-cursor of what was to come with music in the 80’s. Was this the kick-off point to the 80’s glam/hard rock era? Maybe.

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My Sunday Song – “Monkey On Your Back” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #359, we are talking about the song “Monkey On Your Back” off Aldo Nova’s 2nd album, 1983’s ‘Subject…Aldo Nova’. The song was the first single off the album and although it didn’t make the Top 100, it did rise to #12 on the Mainstream Rock Chart which helped send the album to Gold status in the U.S. and Platinum in his home country of Canada. Not a bad start, however, the promotion was lacking and the album didn’t hit the level it probably should have as this is my favorite Aldo Nova album.

Before there was Bon Jovi’s Tommy & Gina, we get the sad stories of Timmy and Sally. “Monkey On Your Back” is about the monkey on your back and in their case that monkey is drugs. Tommy got addicted to Heroin and it took all his money and ruined his life. Sally had it worst, she met a guy name Willy and Willy was a pimp. He was kind enough to turn her into a prostitute and got her addicted to heroin. What a swell guy. Both tragic stories with no happy ending. The song is Aldo’s commentary on the drug problem in this world and how easily it is to get addicted and take over you life. It is a dark, disturbing world and something needs to be done.

The song opens with some pounding drums, a killer guitar riff by Aldo accompanied by some solo work by Aldo as well. The keyboards are massive adding to the whole sci-fi vibe of the album giving it more texture and color. Aldo’s vocals are aggressive and at times he even uses the talk box for more dramatic effect and this was before Bon Jovi did it. But the hero of this story is the guitars as Aldo is so underrated in this area. His mixture of the keyboards and the guitar are always great together. The song was probably ahead of its time but does sound a little dated, but when that solo kicks in with the robotic like growl, you don’t care one bit. You just want to rock out.

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My Sunday Song – “Blood on the Bricks” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #358, we are going to dive in to the title track of Aldo Nova’s 1991 comeback album ‘Blood on the Bricks’. The song kicks off the album and was the first single. It is also a collaboration between Aldo Nova and his long time friend Jon Bon Jovi. After Aldo helped Jon with his debut solo, Jon returned the favor and helped on this one. The song and the album were released on Jon’s own label Jambco Records which was part of Mercury Records.

The song is a dark view on inner city life. It is a sad commentary on the amount of crime in the big cities, the increase in gang violence, how unsafe life is there and a very unfavorable opinion of how the police handle it all. What is awful about this commentary is that 30 years later, it really isn’t any better and might be worse now. This song is really just as relevant today as it was back in 1991.

The drum barrage to kick it off gets the blood flowing. Then the guitars and bass coming roaring in and Aldo comes in with the vocals and there is a heck of a lot more energy as this song is a pure on rocker with heavy guitar, blistering riffs and a solo that will knock on your ass. The vocal deliver is a cross between Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” and Kiss’ “Hide Your Heart” as it is telling a story of a hard, rough life. Aldo does sound great, but it is the guitar’s that are the star here as Aldo rips and shreds all over the place with this one. The second star is Kenny Aronoff’s drumming as it is spectacular and the driving force to the song. A stellar comeback track for Aldo Nova!!

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My Sunday Song – “King of Deceit” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #357, we are talking about another recent release of Aldo’s called “King of Deceit” from his upcoming Rock Opera – ‘The Life & Times of Eddie Gage’. In 2022, he released a 10 song E.P. showcasing some of the 25 tracks on the over 2 hour Opera. This was one of the really cool songs on the album. The song and I believe instrument might have been played solely by Aldo Nova himself.

The album tells the story about a guy that sells his sole to the Devil to be a rock star and lyrically, this song is coming from the perspective of the Devil. The devil’s name is Ratl Ayida who was sent to Eddie (the rock star) by the CEO of the Deedalus Records, M.F. Stophalis, to corrupt him as felt Eddie would be his downfall. He is telling the Eddie not to trust him as he will lie to him and blind him from the truth. He will even cheat him since he is the “King of Deceit”. The singer is in such a bad place he is mesmerized by the trappings of the fame he could receive and he falls for the lies hook, line and sinker. He does tell Eddie that he will take it away as fast as he handed it to him, but the singer still goes along.

Musically, it is very dramatic with string orchestration and a beautiful, yet dark piano accompaniment. The song isn’t a rocker, it is a slower temple and the vocals are purposely almost sung in a spoken voice technique as he tells Eddie what is going to happen. The piano that is behind the vocals is so creepy and eerie as is all the music. It lets you know there is something evil going on with the story. I really loved it and can’t wait for the whole album to finally hit the shelves.

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My Sunday Song – “Rumors of You” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #356, “Rumors of You” off Aldo Nova’s third album from 1985 called “Twitch” is our song topic today. “Rumors of You” was the first single from the album but didn’t chart anywhere that I am aware, but that doesn’t take away from how good the song really is. On this album Aldo was, I would guess, talked in to using outside writers and I would say the record label had a lot to do with this album, but this song is solely written by Aldo and for that, it is more of who he is then maybe the other songs…in my opinion.

The song is a power ballad and it is about a man who learns about his girlfriend and her cheating ways. I believe he was hurt by her cheating, but more upset that he had to learn from others and not directly from her. The song is a big FU to her and letting her know he is walking out the door. The girl comes in and tries to tell him that the rumors are all lies, butI don’t believe he believes her at all because maybe she’s done it before.

Musically, the is duet with the singer Fiona. Before she sang with Kip Winger, she did a stint with Aldo. The song is very synth based and the drums are electronic which normally I would hate, but Aldo has a way of making them feel like they belong with the song. It is a ballad and Aldo’s vocals drenched with the emotion needed for the pain that is felt on the cheating. The chorus is powerful and has all the energy a great power ballad has. Fiona’s vocals fit so nicely with Aldo and you want to believe her, but you know she’s lying trying to cover her ass. The production on the album was a little lacking and the song is dated in the Miami Vice 80’s, but I still love it just the same.

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My Sunday Song – “Excuse Me While I Scream” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #355, we are going to talk about a song called “Excuse My While I Scream” by Aldo Nova. The song is one of the very few vocal performances on his mostly instrumental, weird concept album called “Nova’s Dream” from 1997. Aldo had been absent for almost 6 years and I can tell you personally I was completely unaware of this album until a couple years after its release. There was no promotion on it here in the States and so this album didn’t sell much and went pretty much ignored by most of the listening public. This was not a single, and honestly don’t know if there were any singles for this album, but it was one of my favorites from the album and I can’t say there many on this one.

The song is basically a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. There are so many references to his work and Aldo was heavily influenced by him so why not have a song that pays homage to Jimi. There is nothing wrong with that. When you give the song a listen see how many references you can pick out.

The song is heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix as that guitar tone and playing is all done as a tribute to the man himself. The vocals have a massive effect on them to make them sound like coming from a radio or old style. It has some woman on backing vocals for the chorus, but the real champion here is the guitar playing. Aldo is very underrated and he goes all out and lays down a nasty solo, some killer riffs and it is all a masterpiece. The keyboards are used for added effect and the drumming is sensational here, but damn those guitars are absolutely nuts. Check it out for the playing alone.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think? I think he’s an underrated guitarist, what do you think? Thanks for stopping by and I hope all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday.

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My Sunday Song – “Ball And Chain” by Aldo Nova

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For My Sunday Song #354, we are talking another ballad by Aldo called “Ball And Chain” off his debut 1982 album ‘Aldo Nova’. The album came out on April Fool’s Day in the States but it was no joke. The double platinum selling album was huge for Aldo. His song “Fantasy” made the Top 40, but that wasn’t necessarily the best song on the album. One thing Aldo can do is ballads and “Ball And Chain” was one I gravitated towards almost immediately. Aldo wrote and played guitars and keyboards on it as well.

Lyrically, the song is about a love gone dead. The guy sits around waiting for the girl to come back to him. That love he feels weighs him down like a ball and chain as he can’t get over her and he just wants to hear her voice one more time. He wants to hear her say that she still loves him and so he sits, painfully, by the phone waiting for her and yet she never calls. How miserable must he have been to wait so long…he needs some help!!

Musically, it is saturated with keyboards/piano as Aldo loves those synths, but it fits the song so well. The keyboards are almost wailing at times as if they are crying as the hurt so much not hearing from the woman he loves. It is pretty cool effect. Aldo’s guitar solo matches the sound of the keyboards and he just wails away on those notes and makes them cry as well. Aldo sings as if he is feeling the loneliness of his situation and he captures the lyrics so well. And that last “Ball & Chain” vocal sees Aldo hold out the note as long as he can and it ends the song perfectly.

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