Friday New Releases – January 27th

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and a fantastic weekend.  I should be sitting on a tropical beach in Jamaica about now soaking up the sun and the alcohol with my lovely bride of 15 years.  We are two weeks past our anniversary, but we finally got away just the two of us.

The bad news is I am missing so many great releases this weekend, but I don’t really care.  I will listen when I get back.  One release that is actually quite fitting is the Train release.  That is “our band” as I have mentioned many times on this blog.  That will the one I definitely check out this week.  I have highlighted in Blue all the ones I am interested in and will find some time to give a listen.

  • 170x170bb-14  Train – A Girl, A Bottle, A Boat – (Sunken Forest/Columbia):  So happy for another Train album.  I have heard a couple songs so far and they have been okay.  They seem to be rehashing the same formula with every album and song now and loosing some of the magic (reminds of what Bon Jovi is going through).  I am hoping the rest of the album is better otherwise, they might loose their place as my wife and I’s favorite band.

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What Do You Want For Christmas? – Playlist

Everybody wants something for Christmas.  There are a bunch of albums I would like to get on vinyl so if anyone is feeling generous, the new Motley Crue ‘The End’ Box Set would be nice.  My kids keep telling me what they want for Christmas despite the fact I keep telling them it is too late to put in new orders as Santa already has decided what they are getting.  Plus, Mommy and Daddy are done shopping.

Musicians are no different.  They want a lot of things for Christmas.  What do they want you ask?  I will tell you what they told me when I asked them.  Here is what they said…

Huey Lewis & The News – “I Want A New Drug” – I think someone has a problem!!

Queen -“I Want It All” – Greedy much?

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Concerts, Concerts, Concerts – The 80’s

I have been going through this rock & roll trip down memory lane with this blog.  It started with the vinyl records I found in a box and than last week with the posters.  I actually found one more box from my younger days and this one had a ton of concert ticket stubs from over the years.  I also found a couple concert T’s and a couple programs as well.  I still can’t believe I kept all this stuff, but I am glad I did.

Going to a concert nowadays, they don’t give you a physical ticket anymore.  If they do, they charge you for it.  Nope, tickets are on your phone and get scanned in or you print it out on your printer.  Not the same as those dot matrix printers from the old days.

You also used to stand in line for tickets.  You had to arrive an hour or two before the tickets went on sale whether it was hot, cold, raining or snowing.  We did it each and every time we wanted to go see a show.  And we loved it!  Now you go online from the comfort of you home…not the same.

Whether you want to or not, I am going to take you on a journey of my musical concert experiences…at least most of them because I think I am missing quite a few ticket stubs.

The 80’s

Our journey begins back around 1983.  I was only 14 years old.  My parents finally agreed to let me go to a concert, but I had to go with my sister…REALLY!!!  Actually, it was okay.  My sister and I have been to many concerts together and even went to one 2 years ago some 3o+ years later.

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Turntables & Vinyl #4 – The 80’s Are Back!

I have been going to records stores way too often as I continue my obsession on buying vinyl.  On the flip side of that, I also don’t feel like I have gone enough.  Confusing I know. I actually enjoy just browsing through the store and seeing what is there.  It is rare I go into the store and I don’t buy anything, but lately I am picking up 5 or 6 at a time and I am loving it.

Most everything I am picking up is of course from the 70’s or 80’s since vinyl died out in the 90’s.  The new releases that are out now are too expensive to make it a habit so I focus on the used record.  There are no shortages of those, but what I want is seldom available on my visits.  It is hit or miss.

Lately, it has been more hit than miss.  And it has mostly been 80’s records so I guess the 80’s are back.  Yes, I am buying records for albums I had already purchased back in the 80’s whether on cassette or CD, but I don’t have any of those anymore so I actually only have the one physical copy of the album.  The other copy is now digital and you can’t really hold that in your hand.

So, what I have been picking up on my adventures you might ask that is from the 80’s?  Well, you probably aren’t asking but I am going to tell you anyway.

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My Favorites Mix by Apple Music

Each week Apple Music creates a playlist for me of songs they feel I will like called “My Favorites Mix”.  This week they did a really great job of picking those songs.  There were 25 songs and 1 hour & 32 minutes of magic.  Here are the songs:

  1. “Parasite (feat. John 5)” by Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 1
  2. “You’re In Trouble” by Ratt – Out of the Cellar
  3. “Tobacco Road” by David Lee Roth – Eat ‘Em and Smile
  4. “My Woman in Black” by Scorpion Child – Acid Roulette
  5. “Outta My Way” by Talisman – Cats and Dogs
  6. “Monster You Made” by Pop Evil – War of Angels
  7. “Under and Over It” by Five Finger Death Punch – American Capitalist
  8. “Fiddler’s” by John 5 – Songs for Sanity
  9. “We Could Run Away” by Needtobreathe – The Heat
  10. “Rudebox” by Robbie Williams – Rudebox E.P.
  11. “Stay the Night” by James Blunt – Some Kind of Trouble
  12. “No Apologies” by Bon Jovi – Greatest Hits – The Ultimate Collection
  13. “Professor Satchafunkilus” by Joe Satriani – Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock
  14. “Lighter Shade of Green” by Alcatrazz – Disturbing the Peace
  15. “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones – The Complete Collection 1971-2013
  16. “Something More” by Train – Drops of Jupiter
  17. “Invisible Touch” by Genesis – Invisible Touch
  18. “Run to You” by Bryan Adams – Reckless
  19. “Bring It On Home” by Dread Zeppelin – Un-Led-Ed
  20. “One Thing Leads to Another” by The Fixx – Reach the Beach
  21. “Suicide Blonde” by INXS – The Best of INXS
  22. “Sure Know Something” by Kiss – Dynasty
  23. “Save A Prayer” by Duran Duran – Greatest
  24. “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie – Best of Bowie
  25. “Hollywood” by Collective Soul – Afterwords

When I gave this a listen the first time, this playlist put me in a great mood.  I hope the new playlist coming up on Wednesday is as good as this one.  Go to Apple Music and give it a listen at this link.

 

 

Meat Loaf – ‘Braver Than We Are’ – Album Review

When I first heard that Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman were doing another record I was very excited.  I know they are usually hit and miss records, but when they hit…they hit it out of the park (Bat Out of Hell 1 & 2).  That is why this was a sad album review for me to write. The reason is because one of our great rock vocalist is great no more.  Meat Loaf’s voice is shot.

This is quite possibly the worst album I have ever heard and especially the worst album of the year.  Meat Loaf’s vocals are no where in the same realm of the greatness it was and as a result it turns this album into a sad realization of his future as a singer.  Jim Steinman’s music can’t save the album because when you hear Meat’s voice it actually makes the music sound horrible as well.

There were several female vocalists brought in to accompany Meat, but they don’t sound good enough either to save this album.  There is not one song on this record I will keep in my music library…not a one!

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