Tag: Duff McKagan

“My Appetite for Destruction: Sex, and Drugs, and Guns N’ Roses” by Stephen Adler with Lawrence J. Spagnola – Book Review

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Wow, I think the title really sums up this book.  Steven Adler’s biography details one of the most destructive paths of any rock star out there.  The many overdoses, heart attacks, strokes, it is amazing this many is still alive let alone still able to talk or ever play.  Wait, lets not forget the suicide attempts and the times he spent as a quest of the penitentiary system.  I’m exhausted just thinking about what he went through.

This biography popped up on Amazon for the Kindle at the amazing price of $0. And I will say it was worth more than that price.  I really did enjoy reading his story even though it is the same story as a lot of rock stars except maybe more destructive and he actually survives.  It is told as if Steven is sitting there with you and talking to you and it is a simple, fast-paced and easy read which helps make it a little more enjoyable.

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Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Ordinary Man’ – Album Review

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It has been 10 years since Ozzy’s last studio album and yet somehow, the man is still relevant.  How relevant, so relevant in fact that Post Malone had him guest on one of his songs. So there is a whole new generation of people discovering Ozzy.  And better late than never.

Now, it might be 10 years since his last studio album, but the last studio album I bought was 1987’s ‘The Ultimate Sin’ and the last Ozzy album I bought was 1997’s ‘The Ozzman Cometh’ so it has been a lot longer for me.

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With the sad news of Ozzy’s Parkinson diagnosis and hearing that Post Malone song, I thought I would give this album a try as I figured it might be his last (thankfully, it isn’t as he is already working on another).  To my surprise, I was completely blown away by this album.  The album is full of hooks, melodies, great guitar solos and Ozzy hasn’t sounded better.  The album is so accessible and harkens back for me to ‘The Ultimate Sin’ in catchiness and how radio friendly it is.  Some fans might not like that, but I couldn’t be happier.

The guests on this album are immense.  The main rhythm section is Duff McKagan on bass (GNR) and Chad Smith on drums (Red Hot Chili Peppers), but that isn’t all.  You get Slash, Tom Morello, Elton John, Charlie Puth, Post Malone, Travis Scott, Andrew Watt and even daughter Kelly Osbourne on backing vocals.  A mix of old and new with the musicians and it comes across in the music. Continue reading “Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Ordinary Man’ – Album Review” →

Friday New Releases – May 31st

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic18 Comments

Welcome to the last Friday of May!!  Let the Summer heat and fun begin!!  School is almost out for the kids, but busy times ahead for me.  Let’s end the month with some new releases.  I have a few I am interested in hearing and they are highlighted in Blue.  There is a handful of releases this week so let me know what you are interested in or if I missed something that needs a shout out!  I hope there is something for you.  Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

  • 819tYFEUphL._SS500_  Kenny Wayne Shepherd – The Traveler – (Concord Music Group):  First up for me is KWS and that awesome blues guitar.  Kenny has been around awhile now and his last release was stellar so expect more of the same with this. It is funny how his Blues actually makes me feel good.  Is that the way it is supposed to work?

  • 81BCSsOw5gL._SS500_  Duff McKagan – Tenderness – (Universal Music):  The Guns ‘n Roses bass player is back with a new solo album which is the first one in 20 years (not counting the 8 years since his band Loaded’s last album).  I don’t have high expectations or any for that matter, but I am curious as to what he has to offer and he has earned the respect for a listen.  I want some new GNR music though!!!

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Guns N’ Roses – ‘Appetite For Destruction: Super Deluxe Edition’ – Album Review

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I had a little Christmas money and I found the Guns N’ Roses album ‘Appetite for Destruction: Super Deluxe Edition’ on sale of $89.99 which is down from the $124.99 on Amazon so I decided to bite the bullet on this 4 CD set.  Now, I didn’t have enough to the that $800+ Locked & Loaded Box Set so I had to pass on that one.

Now, lucky for you I will review this set and go through what it has to offer.  With 73 tracks and 49 Unreleased tracks, I am not going to go through each song in detail as we would be here for days reading and I would be dead from writing all those words. You will get a “Cliff Notes” version of the review.  I hope that is okay.  The set has a lot to offer.  Here is snap shot of what all comes with the set…(I used this picture from the web as I couldn’t get a decent picture – thanks Amazon).

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The first thing that grabbed my attention was the beautiful book.   It is a 96-page Hardcover Book with Unreleased Photos and tons of pictures of posters and band memorabilia.  The book cover is all black and genuine fake leather embossed with the GN’R logo.  It is tough to see that logo, but it is there…

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My Sunday Song – “Fall To Pieces” by Velvet Revolver

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For My Sunday Song #97, we will keep it into the more recent years of power ballads and do Velvet Revolver’s “Fall To Pieces”. The song was off the band’s debut album ‘Contraband’ and went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock Charts.  It was almost a crossover hit as it did reach #67 on the Billboard Hot 100.

For those that don’t know (and shame on you), Velvet Revolver consisted of lead singer Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) and Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum (all from Guns ‘N Roses) and Dave Kushner (played with Dave Navarro).  The song follows the typical power ballad formula of a slower temple with some heavier moments and all with a softer sound even though theirs was a little dirtier and grittier.

The song is based on Scott Weiland’s addiction to heroin and the impact it had on his life and his relationship with is wife.  The title of the song “Fall to Pieces” was exactly how Weiland felt.  Now with his passing years later, you wonder if he ever didn’t feel this way.  That to me makes the song a little sadder.

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The music video for the song actually mirrors the events in Scott’s life and its impact.  It shows the spoils of rock & roll fame and the complete dark, scary side of fame.  It is a stark, disturbing picture of what a junkie can go through.

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‘Slash’ by Slash & Anthony Bozza – Book Review

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As a Guns ‘N Roses fan, this book was a no-brainer when it went on sale on Amazon.  You will notice a trend on my book reviews in that I always get the books when they are on sale, dirt cheap.  Best way to buy them.  Slash has always been this larger than life Guitar God with his trademark black Top Hat, long curly hair covering his face and a cigarette sticking out of his mouth.  And of course, that is why that picture is the cover of the book.  You instantly know who it is.

The book came out in 2007 and it covers the periods of his childhood, through Guns ‘N Roses rise and fall, Slash’s Snakepit and all the way up to his band at the time Velvet Revolver.  It is a journey filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.  You get to see what influenced him in life and what drove him forward to succeed.  I would say you get everything as he lays it all out on the table.  He isn’t afraid to paint himself in a negative light either.

After reading this book, I am amazed that Slash is actually still alive.  He started doing drugs, drinking and having sex at an extremely young age.  His parental supervision was  interesting as his parents were very artsy and lived a very bohemian lifestyle.  At a young age, he was surrounded by famous people, including the late David Bowie.  He started out skateboarding and eventually discovered the Guitar and then his focus changed.  School was never important, but even less so when he started playing guitar.

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The Original Vs. The Cover – “Live and Let Die”

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Welcome to the first installment of “The Original Vs. The Cover” for 2018.  We are going to start it off this year with the battle between Paul McCartney & Wings and Guns ‘N Roses with the song “Live and Let Die”.  The song was written by Paul & Linda McCartney for the James Bond movie “Live and Let Die”. The two versions aren’t really that different in my opinion.  Some of the orchestration is replaced with guitars, but other than that they are very similar.  But before we choose a version we like more, let’s talk about each version first.

Paul McCartney and Wings

Paul was given the Ian Fleming novel to read and then he sat down at his piano and wrote the song.  I am not sure Paul had ever had to write a song around a title before as he said it was not an easy thing to do.  Well, he wrote the song in an afternoon, so it must not have been that hard.  The song is one of Wing’s most popular songs and it received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song in 1973.  However, it did lose to Barbara Streisand’s song “The Way We Were”.  The song was also nominated for a Grammy in the same year.

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