Tag: Day Tripper

Cheap Trick – ‘The Epic Archive, Vol. 2 (1980-1983)’ (2015) – Album Review (The Cheap Trick Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic26 Comments

Last time around we reviewed ‘The Epic Archive, Vol. 1′ and like that one all 3 Volumes were released on November 27, 2015 digitally. There was no physical product at the time. That has since been corrected as they eventually did release these on vinyl for Record Store Day on three separate occasions. I was lucky enough to get all 3. And since we started with ‘The Epic Archive, Vol. 1 (1975-1979) since that is the first one in the series, it is now time to review ‘The Epic Archive, Vol. 2 (1980-1983).

My copy is the 2018 Record Store Day Release and let me tell you it is quite stellar. As the sticker below says, it is a 2-LP Gatefold Set that is limited to 1,500 copies and both LP’s are on a beautiful clear translucent vinyl. And Bun E. Carlos might not be in the band anymore, but he was involved as the liner notes on the inside of the Gatefold are track-by-track commentary by Mr. Carlos as well as Rick Nielsen and Tom Petersson as you can see below. This Volume didn’t have the “Golden Ticket” like the last one where you received a band picture autographed by all four original members. Nope, nothing like that in here.

But what I did get was a beautiful set of vinyl and a great collection 16 tracks spanning from 1980 to 1983, which includes demos, live recordings, early studio recordings of later released songs and alternate versions. I would say this is for the more hardcore fan and maybe not the casual listener so I believe I qualify for the more hardcore fan, I mean I am doing a whole review series on the band. I don’t think that makes me a casual listener.

But before we get to the music, let us take a look at the vinyl. I actually really think they are stunning. Hard to believe that the absence of color could be so cool…but it is…

Okay, Okay, enough already…on to the music…

SIDE 1 & 2:

The first three tracks are from the E.P. ‘Found all the Parts’. The first track is a live version of the Beatles song “Day Tripper” recorded live on their 1978 US Tour. Only that it wasn’t. Nope! They planned on using that version, however, it sucked so they went back in to the studio and re-recorded it while still using the crowd noise from the live version though. I do like the fact that they kept the studio version rough around the edges and gave it a live feel. If I wouldn’t have told you, you probably wouldn’t have noticed. Next up is “Such a Good Girl” and it is a happy little track that feels like sunshine. Meaning it is uplifting and bright in its sound. The final track from Found All the Parts E.P. is “Take Me I’m Yours” which is a lot slower and more bluesy almost lounge-singer style. Rick sings it in a weird way almost gimmicky. Think early Roy Orbison style except not as high in the vocal range as Roy can get. Lastly on Side 1 is the Vocal Version of “Oh Boy”. Intended for the first album, but Jack Douglas didn’t like it. He thought it was too poppy and not hard or edgy enough and I would agree.

Side 2 kicks off the demo of “Loser” which is a very simple song with only 3 chords because that is what Rick wanted. A song you didn’t have to look at your guitar to play. It is a slower song and doesn’t feel flushed out fully. Robin sings it with a gritty tone and sounds a little sad and lonely to keep in line with the loser theme. The chorus is pretty simple as well and maybe is sung badly on purpose, who knows. The next two tracks are live from the L.A. Forum from December 31, 1979 when the headlined the arena after playing it before as an opening act with Kiss. First is “The House is Rockin’ (with Domestic Problems)” which has “Goodnight Now” included at the end which I have always loved when the do that one and then we get “Way of the World” which is one of the rare times that song has been played as there some very hard vocal parts to do live. The last track is the single edit for a song I really like called “World’s Greatest Lover” off 1981’s ‘All Shook Up’. It knocks about 30 seconds off trimming a little bit and there. The band loves this one for how different it sounds to their other songs and Rick loves the chord changes.

SIDE 3 & 4:

Side 3 kicks off with “Everything Works if You Let It” (Single Version). The song was written for the movie “The Roadie” and released as a single. It is a great, high energy track and deservedly released as a single. Then we get two tracks from the Heavy Metal Movie Soundtrack. First is “Reach Out” which to me is not very heavy or metal. Way too much on the keyboards, but that was the time. The cool thing is I don’t have to get the soundtrack for these two songs…although I probably want it for all the other songs. The next one from the movie is “I Must Be Dreamin'” and the first half is an instrumental with lots of keys and I am sure fits the animated movie it was used for, but the second half has Robin and helps the song find its groove. The last track on Side 3 is the demo version of “If You Want My Love” and do I really need to anything. We already know it is a great song and the demo proves it was great from the beginning.

Side 4 kicks off with a song I would love to just skip. It is A Super New Dance Remix of the song “Saturday at Midnight” and you lost me at Dance Remix. It is over 6 minutes of 80’s keyboards and fake ass drums and a total waste of my time. Then we get a cover of the Motors song “Dancing the Night Away” (Short Version). The album version is the long version. The label forced this one on the band and Todd Rundgren was so pissed, he refused to produce it so it was produced by the band with Ian Taylor. The label even forced this to be the first single and it flopped…big time!! The suits know nothing!! However, the song really isn’t bad as it is quite catchy. It is a decent cover and since I was unfamiliar with The Motors song, I thought this was a Cheap Trick song all along. The we get the song “Spring Break” from the movie of the same name. Let us just say this song is just as bad as the movie. Inspired by the Beach Boys, it is an upbeat, energetic track, but thankfully was not on a Cheap Trick album as it doesn’t work. Lastly we get “Get Ready” which was the B-Side to the “Spring Break” single and I like it so much better. Inspired by a Humble Pie song, it rocks out so much more and sees a heavier edge of the band.

There are no unreleased tracks on here. These are all released in some other form, mostly on expanded editions, B-Sides or soundtracks. But if you don’t have all those, then this set will compile them for you nicely. I think the Record Store Day release really did a great packaging job and those clear translucent vinyl are simply beautiful. The 80’s started to be an uneasy time for the band and some of the songs on here show that. But I love demos, live songs, B-Sides and all that stuff is just great for a collector. I really like these releases as sometimes I like to just hear the more obscure rarer tracks like demos and alt arrangements, I’m strange that way. And this compiles them up nicely, but I don’t like it as much as Vol. 1 . I will give this one a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars.

UP NEXT: ‘THE EPIC ARCHIVE VOL. 3 (1984-1992)’ (2015)

The Cheap Trick Collection Series:

  1. Cheap Trick (1977)
  2. In Color (1977)
  3. Heaven Tonight (1978)
  4. Cheap Trick at Budokan (1978)
  5. Dream Police (1979)
  6. Found All The Parts (1980)
  7. All Shook Up (1980)
  8. One On One (1982)
  9. Next Position Please (1983)
  10. Standing on the Edge (1985)
  11. “Tonight It’s You” (1985) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
  12. “Mighty Wings” (1986) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
  13. The Doctor (1986)
  14. Lap Of Luxury (1988)
  15. “The Flame” (1988) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
  16. “Ghost Town” (1988) – CD Single Promo (Bonus Edition)
  17. Busted (1990)
  18. Woke Up With A Monster (1994)
  19. Sex, America, Cheap Trick (1996) – Box Set
  20. “I Want You To Want Me” (Alternate Version) (1996) – 7″ Single (Bonus Edition)
  21. Cheap Trick (1997)
  22. Cheap Trick at Budokan: The Complete Concert (1998)
  23. Music For Hangovers (1999)
  24. Special One (2003)
  25. Rockford (2006)
  26. The Latest (2009)
  27. The Epic Archive, Vol. 1 (1975-1979) (2015)
  28. The Epic Archive, Vol. 2 (1980-1983) (2015)

Cheap Trick – ‘Found All The Parts E.P.’ (1980) – Album Review (The Cheap Trick Collection Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic60 Comments

The 70’s were a huge decade for Cheap Trick. In just three short years, we were blessed with four studio albums and one of the greatest live albums of all time with ‘Cheap Trick at Budokan’. Not a bad run. Now we are in to the 80’s and this album was sort of a way to end the 70’s with a nice little bonus. The four-song E.P. was released on 10″ Vinyl and was part of Epic Records series called Nu-Disk, but that series was rather short-lived and I don’t know if I’ve found another album from that series.

If I remember correctly, it was believed that some of the songs on here were from a Cheap Trick album that was canned and never released, especially when more songs from this time frame were released as bonus tracks on other releases/compilations down the road. I believe there were 7 other tracks with all but 1 being released. However, I don’t think that was ever confirmed or denied. Most likely, they were working on an album and decided to shift gears in to a new direction which then became the album ‘All Shook Up’ which we will get to next time.

The album was released on June 2, 1980 and contained four tracks. Side 1 were both live songs (cough, cough, sort of) and side 2 were brand new studio tracks (thus the rumors mentioned above). I don’t see any chart information on them so not sure how well the E.P. did, but doesn’t matter to me as I love finding this kind of stuff.

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Whitesnake – ‘Trouble’ – Album Review (The David Coverdale Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic52 Comments

Before David’s second solo album, ‘Trouble’, came out in March 1978, David had already put together a band and the delivered an E.P. called ‘Snakebite’ just a few months later under the name Whitesnake.  And by September of that same year, they had a full length album ready to go.  The album was produced by Martin Birch and recorded in only 10 days at the Central Recorders Studio in London over those Summer months.

The album was called ‘Trouble’ and was released in September 1978.  The album name came from one of the songs, but it was inspired by the fact that David had a son during this time and that could only mean one thing…TROUBLE!!

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Now the band had a new member by the name of Jon Lord on keyboards.  He replaced former keyboard player Pete Solley. For those that have followed David’s career, Jon Lord is no stranger as he was the keyboard player with David on the Deep Purple Mark III and IV versions of the band.  Jon wasn’t there for the recording of the album, however, they overdubbed his parts in the songs after the fact so he could be on the album as he was now a member and thankfully so in my opinion.

The album I picked up had a nice cut-out in the top right corner, but overall still in great shape.  It still even included the vinyl inner sleeve which consists of the bands lyrics for the songs and writing credits. The really cool thing on the lyrics was at the end of each song, it let you know who did the solo as it was usually a toss-up between Moody and Marsden and occasionally Lord.

 

The band for this album consisted of the following:

  • David Coverdale – Lead Vocals
  • David Dowle – Drums
  • Jon Lord – Keyboards
  • Bernie Marsden – Guitar
  • Micky Moody – Guitar
  • Neil Murray – Bass

Now it is time to talk about the music…

SIDE ONE:

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The album kicks off with a rockin’ riff on “Take Me With You”.  This high energy rocker comes at you at breakneck speed and tempo that it immediately gets you moving.  David sounds fresh and throws in a little moaning at the end.  There is so much going on musically and always something new each time you listen.  The solo on this one is actually a drum solo by Dave “Duck” Dowle, but there are still a lot of guitars including some slide on it so don’t fret.

Next up is “Love to Keep You Warm”.  A little slower than the previous and a little more blues feel to it.  A nice groove by Dave and Neil.  The song is a little poppy at times, but manages to hold on to being a rocker thanks to Bernie Marsden’s guitar solo.

“Lie Down (A Modern Love Song)” is interesting as it is more pop than blues or even rock.  It is a very fast tempo’d love song. The vocals at times have this whole Elton John feel to them and even the vibe of the song with Lord’s piano feels like him as well.  Not that it is a bad thing.

Then we get the horrible cover of the Beatles’ “Day Tripper”.  It is…let’s say…not good.  It is uninspiring and bluh.  The adding in of the Framptonesque Talk Box doesn’t help and I really can’t stand it.  I hope that point is coming across. Skip/Delete whatever you do, just avoid it.

The first side ends with the speedy “Nighthawk (Vampire Blues)”.  Now the song is so fast that it doesn’t feel bluesy at all to me.  It is rocker, for sure, but not blues.  The drumming on this is sensational and the guitar work is fantastic.  David sings a hundred miles an hour and you get exhausted after trying to sing the chorus as fast as David.  I really dig this one and it even has a solo by Jon Lord to help push it over the top even more.

SIDE TWO:

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Side Two opens up with Deep Purple style song “The Time is Right For Love”.  It has a nice blues guitar feel to it and has a great beat and tempo that it get stuck in your head and you sing it even when the song is done.  On this one, the guitar solos are done in harmony between both Moody and Marsden which is the beauty of having two guitarists.  David again performs brilliantly and sounds so good on this one as well.

Next up we get the title track, “Trouble” which is the most blues worthy song of the bunch. David’s lyrics mention a gambler’s son which he uses a lot over the next few decades.  The song feels a little like Purple’s “Mistreated” or at least in the same realm of comparability for style and form.  The solo on this one goes to Marsden and it is fantastic. He lays down some riffs that have great melody and you could sing along with it if you sing your solos…I do every so often.

The coolest song on the album is “Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick” which is a full assault of an instrumental with 3 different solos.  One for Moody, One for Lord and One for Marsden.  I don’t see it as out of place as Purple threw in an instrumental on ‘Burn’ and this one is way better.  I really love when Jon Lord lays it down and he does just that.  The guitar’s have a riff that plays through-out that is the main feel for the song and everything is played beautifully off of that riff.

Then we get a change of pace with Bernie Marsden on vocals instead of Coverdale.  The song is called “Free Flight” and is interesting to say the least.  Not necessarily in a good way interesting.  It does have some great drumming and music, but vocally, ehh!  There is a reason David is the lead singer.  I think Bernie sounds good on the verses, it is just a horrible chorus. Oh yeah, and Bernie gets the solo so this one is the Bernie Marsden show.

The final song is “Don’t Mess With Me” and David is back with all his glory as we have missed him for the last two songs.  This one is a pure rocker, with a great rhythm and groove and filled with two totally brilliant guitar solos for both Moody and Marsden.  What a way to end the album.  They give you everything you would want and end the album on an utter high note.

Track Listing:

  1. Take Me With You – Keeper
  2. Love to Keep You Warm – Keeper
  3. Lie Down (A Modern Love Song) – Keeper
  4. Day Tripper – Delete
  5. Nighthawk (Vampire Blues) – Keeper
  6. The Time is Right for Love – Keeper
  7. Trouble – Keeper
  8. Belgian Tom’s Hat Trick – Keeper
  9. Free Flight – Delete
  10. Don’t Mess With Me – Keeper

For a track score, you get 8 out of 10 songs or 80% which is pretty solid.  However, there a couple things to note.  The guitar playing is sensational on this album, but the guitar sound was lacking a little punch in sonics.  Also, there are no real stand out tracks that I would consider Whitesnake classics, although, there are some contenders.  For those couple reasons, I am giving it a 3.5 out of 5.0 Stars.  This an awesome first step for the band and a sign of great things to come, but I really liked the ‘Snakebite’ EP a lot better as it was more blues tinged then this album was.  Still this is a solid release and a must have in the collection, I just think they do much better in the coming years.

Up next…Whitesnake – ‘Lovehunter’.

The David Coverdale Series:

  1. Deep Purple – Burn
  2. Deep Purple – Stormbringer
  3. Deep Purple – Come Taste the Band
  4. Deep Purple – Made in Europe
  5. David Coverdale – Whitesnake
  6. Deep Purple – Last Concert in Japan
  7. David Coverdale – Northwinds
  8. David Coverdale’s Whitesnake – Snakebite
  9. Whitesnake – Trouble
  10. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
  11. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
  12. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
  13. Whitesnake – Come An’ Get it
  14. Deep Purple – Live in London
  15. Whitesnake – Saints & Sinners
  16. Whitesnake – Slide It In
  17. Whitesnake – “Give Me More Time” 12″ Single (Bonus Review)
  18. Whitesnake – ‘The Best of Whitesnake (Bonus Review – 1982 release)
  19. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
  20. Whitesnake – “Is This Love” 12″ Promo (Bonus Review)
  21. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
  22. David Coverdale – “The Last Note of Freedom” – Single Review
  23. Coverdale/Page – Coverdale/Page
  24. Coverdale/Page – “Take Me For A Little While 12” Single (Bonus Review)
  25. David Coverdale & Whitesnake – Restless Heart
  26. Whitesnake – Starkers in Tokyo
  27. David Coverdale – Into the Night
  28. Whitesnake – Live…In the Still of the Night (DVD)
  29. Whitesnake – Live…In the Shadow of the Blues
  30. Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad
  31. Whitesnake – Forevermore
  32. Whitesnake – Live at Donington 1990: Monsters of Rock
  33. Whitesnake – The Purple Album
  34. Whitesnake – The Purple Tour (Live)
  35. Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood
  36. Whitesnake – The Rock Album
  37. Whitesnake – The Albums Ranked Worst to First
  38. David Coverdale – The Albums Ranked Worst to First

Other David Coverdale Albums reviewed – (Box Sets and Bootlegs):

  1. Whitesnake – 1987 (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  2. Whitesnake – Slide It In (35th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  3. Whitesnake – Unzipped – Box Set
  4. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue (30th Anniversary Edition) – Box Set
  5. Whitesnake (Snake) – Still of the Night Live in Battle Creek, Mich. July 26, 1987 (Bootleg)