Monthly Archives: June 2009
ALICE COOPER – Brutal Planet
Alice Cooper – Brutal Planet (2000, Spitfire Records)
1. “Brutal Planet” … 4:40
2. “Wicked Young Man” … 3:50
3. “Sanctuary” … 4:00
4. “Blow Me a Kiss” … 3:18
5. “Eat Some More” … 4:36
6. “Pick Up the Bones” … 5:14
7. “Pessi-Mystic” … 4:56
8. “Gimme” … 4:46
9. “It’s the Little Things” … 4:11
10. “Take It Like a Woman” … 4:12
11. “Cold Machines” … 4:14
Band:
Alice Cooper – Vocals
Ryan Roxie – Guitar
China – Guitar
Phil X – Guitar
Bob Marlette – Bass, Keyboards, Guitar
Eric Singer – Drums
Produced by: Bob Marlette and Bob Ezrin
After 1994′s The Last Temptation, Alice took a six year break from recording (the longest in his career). The Last Temptation shook off the 80s pop metal of Trash, Constrictor, Hey Stoopid and Raise Your Fist and Yell and featured similarities to his 70s work, but in 2000, Alice’s “comeback”, Brutal Planet, was another shift in sound. This time a drastic one which had more in common with the industrial metal of Rob Zombie (Alice’s “pick” to be his successor, should he ever desire to step down from being the King of Shock Rock) than Bon Jovi or the original Alice Cooper band.
I remember “Brutal Planet” was made available for streaming and it took me awhile to get into it. Alice inspired Rob Zombie greatly, so it was sad and disappointing to see Alice trying to play catch up with the new generation by taking a stab at industrial metal, which was then a trendy sound for many young metal acts.
I listened to this album a lot when it came out, just because I was a huge fan of Alice, but I could not get over Alice’s new heavier sound. It just didn’t seem natural to me. 70s Alice, 80s Alice… Anything but industrial Alice! In the last few years though, I’ve come to really appreciate it for what it is. Personally, 80s Alice is my preference, but Brutal Planet has some great songs, even if they aren’t what I would consider to be Alice classics. The lyrics are great to boot and I remember many reviews at the time giving high praise to them, saying they are some of this best.
There’s a general sense of doom and pessimism (see “Pessi-Mystic”) to the album. There’s not a lot of Alice’s signature humor outside of “It’s the Little Things”. This is angry Alice. This is an Alice that’s a bit more serious and the album focuses on real world tragedies instead of his usual tongue-in-cheek macabre. This album is a different kind of Alice, but one that I’ve come to enjoy.
The one song that really sticks out just from the rest, for the fact that musically it is so different than the rest of the album, is “Take It Like a Woman”. It is just one of a few numbers Alice has done throughout the years that I consider to basically be follow-ups to his signature ballad “Only Women Bleed”.
There was a really great Alice song left off the album, and it too, did not fit in with the rest of the songs — “Can’t Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me”. It definitely showed that fun, twisted side of Alice and sounded like a great fit for Trash or Hey Stoopid. It eventually ended up on international special editions of Dragontown.
On a superficial note, I’ve always hated the cover the and pictures of Alice the album had. Alice just didn’t look like Alice. He looked like a old bum. Maybe that’s what they were going for, but it didn’t work for me.
Highlights: “Brutal Planet”, “Sanctuary”, “Pick Up the Bones”, “Pessi-Mystic”, “Gimme”, “It’s the Little Things”, “Take It Like a Woman”
VAN HALEN – 5150
Van Halen – 5150 (1986, Warner Bros. Records)
1. “Good Enough” … 4:04
2. “Why Can’t This Be Love” … 3:47
3. “Get Up” … 4:37
4. “Dreams” … 4:54
5. “Summer Nights” … 5:06
6. “Best of Both Worlds” … 4:48
7. “Love Walks In” … 5:11
8. “5150″ … 5:44
9. “Inside” … 5:02
Band:
Sammy Hagar – Vocals, Guitar
Eddie Van Halen – Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Michael Anthony – Bass, Backing Vocals
Alex Van Halen – Drums, Percussion
Produced by: Mick Jones, Don Landee, Van Halen
Ladies and gentlemen, David Lee Roth has left the building!
I prefer Roth-era Van Halen, but Van Hagar kicked off to a very promising start with this release, which I would rank right behind For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge for the Hagar albums.
“Why Can’t This Be Love”, “Love Walks In” and “Dreams” had been three of my favorite Van Halen songs since before I was even heavily into the band. It spelled out the change in the direction towards an adult contemporary sound the band would explore even more on the slightly disappointing OU812, but they are still great songs.
“Best of Both Worlds” is another VH classic, regardless of which era you prefer and “Get Up” is a tremendous rocker which would’ve been a great album opener.
This was the last VH album I needed to complete my collection and I got it probably 5 years ago or so. Well, honestly, I still have never picked up the Gary Cherone fronted Van Halen III, but I’ve heard enough to know it’s horrible and that I’ll probably never pick it up. I held off for so long just because I was so familiar already with “Love Walks In”, “Dreams”, “Why Can’t This Be Love” and “Best of Both Worlds” that I was in no urgent rush to hear the rest.
The album would eventually go platinum six times over and was Van Halen’s FIRST album to hit #1 on the Billboard charts.
Highlights: “Why Can’t This Be Love”, “Get Up”, “Dreams”, “Summer Nights”, “Best of Both Worlds”, “Love Walks In”
AMERICAN HI-FI – American Hi-Fi
American Hi-Fi – American Hi-Fi (2001, Island Records)
1. “Surround” … 3:11
2. “Flavor of the Weak” … 3:08
3. “A Bigger Mood” … 3:38
4. “Safer on the Outside” … 4:01
5. “I’m a Fool” … 4:00
6. “Hi-Fi Killer” … 3:05
7. “Blue Day” … 3:33
8. “My Only Enemy” … 3:27
9. “Don’t Wait for the Sun” … 3:50
10. “Another Perfect Day” … 3:38
11. “Scar” … 4:03
12. “What About Today” … 3:34
13. “Wall of Sound” … 5:48
Band:
Stacy Jones – Vocals, Guitar
Jamie Arentzen – Guitar
Drew Parsons – Bass
Brian Nolan – Drums
Produced by: Bob Rock
Another album from 2001 that really worked for me during a time of hudge drama. American Hi-Fi are a blend of alternative, power pop and pop punk (which was an extremely popular genre in the early 00s). I’ve never really cared for pop punk, but I was heavily into modern day power pop at the time with bands like Tsar, 40 Ft. Ringo, Lit, Zebrahead, Weezer and of course, one my favorite bands of all time Marvelous 3. American Hi-Fi came along went a sound that was slick and not too slick. The album has more of an alternative rock edge than the previously mentioned bands’ work and it’s not quite as cheery and carefree.
I spent a lot of time sitting on the bed with my headphones on, using a DISCMAN, in my friend’s house in Virginia (where I stayed while going to college for a semester) listening to the melancholy/aggressive songs like “Safer on the Outside”, “My Only Enemy” (which, with a little more sprucing up, could be a NIN song) and “Don’t Wait for the Sun”. I got a lot of poetry done being inspired by the music and the word of Stacy Jones.
“Flavor of the Weak” hit #5 on Billboard’s Modern Rock charts, but it’s a shame the album wasn’t more successful, it’s definitely a worthwhile rock/pop entry for the early 2000s.
The band has been in limbo for a few years after The Art of Losing (2003) and Hearts on Parade (2005, and produced by Butch Walker!) were commercial failures. Supposedly, a new album, which was initially planned for 2008, is still on the horizon. In the meantime, Jones has gone on to produce a number of albums and is the “music director” for Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus and is also her touring drummer.
Highlights: “Flavor of the Weak”, “A Bigger Mood”, “Safer on the Outside”, “My Only Enemy”, “”Don’t Wait for the Sun”, “Another Perfect Day”, “Wall of Sound”
PUDDLE OF MUDD – Come Clean
Puddle of Mudd – Come Clean (2001, Geffen Records/Flawless Records)
1. “Control” … 3:50
2. “Drift & Die” … 4:25
3. “Out of My Head” … 3:43
4. “Nobody Told Me” … 5:22
5. “Blurry” … 5:04
6. “She Hates Me” … 3:37
7. “Bring Me Down” … 4:03
8. “Never Change” … 3:59
9. “Basement” … 4:22
10. “Said” … 4:08
11. “Piss It All Away” … 5:39
Band:
Wes Scantlin – Vocals, Guitar
Paul Phillips – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Douglas Ardito – Bass, Backing Vocals
Greg Upchurch – Drums, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Josh Freese – Drums, Backing Vocals
Produced by: John Kurzweg, Fred Durst, Jordan Schur
Surprisingly, this is one of my favorite albums of the decade. It really came out at the right time for me in my life when I was lonely, angry and heartbroken, so it all worked out for me and fit my mood at the time (just like Cold’s 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage simultaneously). I usually rally against most grunge-influenced hard rock, and I can see that I shouldn’t like this album, but I do.
In fact, I love it and I’m not even sure why I picked the album up all those years ago because I remember the lead single “Control” getting lots of radio play and it was the generic post-grunge song to me. “Blurry” was the album’s biggest hit, and my favorite on the album, but I’m pretty sure I picked this up before that was a single, so I guess I was desperate for a “new” band to listen to.
Puddle of Mudd is really the brainchild of lead singer Wes Scantli, but the band was heavily championed by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst (who signed them to his imprint over at Geffen). Don’t worry though, they have absolutely nothing to do with nu metal/rap-metal and are more derivative of Nirvana mainly (especially on “She Hates Me” and “Nobody Told Me”) with a bit of Alice In Chains thrown in.
Odd thing is, as much as I enjoyed this album, I never tried anything after that. I guess I’ve always been afraid this album was a fluke for me. Maybe someday I’ll get around to it though.
Highlights: “Drift & Die”, “Out of My Head”, “Nobody Told Me”, “Blurry”, “Bring Me Down”, “Never Change”, “Said”
OZZY OSBOURNE – Diary of a Madman
Ozzy Osbourne – Diary of a Madman (1995, Sony Records/Epic Records)
Original Release: 1981, Epic Records
1. “Over the Mountain” … 4:31
2. “Flying High Again” … 4:44
3. “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll” … 6:59
4. “Believer” … 5:17
5. “Little Dolls” … 5:38
6. “Tonight” … 5:50
7. “S.A.T.O.” … 4:07
8. “Diary of a Madman” … 6:14
Band:
Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals
Randy Rhoads – Guitar
Bob Daisley – Bass, Gong, Backing Vocals (uncredited)
Lee Kerslake – Drums, Percussion, Bells, Timpani (uncredited)
Additional Musicians:
Johnny Cook – Keyboards (uncredited)
Produced by: Max Norman, Ozzy Osbourne, Randy Rhoads
Geez, I really hate these ’95 Ozzy reissue covers. That huge border is SOOOO annoying.
As much as I can’t stand Ozzy’s voice, his second solo disc is a worthy follow up to his 1980 debut, Blizzard of Ozz. Despite Ozzy Sharon Osbourne trying to erase Daisly & Kerslake’s contributions from the album, this was a really tight unit and depending on who is telling the story, Ozzy, Randy, Bob and Lee all had a hand in writing the album.
The story of Daisy and Kerslake’s involvement with Ozzy is quite a strange one. They weren’t even credited when the album was released, instead bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge were (Don Airey was also ignorantly credited on keyboards when it was in fact Johnny Cook who played on the album). Then when the Ozzy albums got yet ANOTHER reissue in 2002, then Ozzy bassist (and future Metallica bassist) Robert Trujillo and then Ozzy drummer Mike Bordin rerecorded Bob and Lee’s parts. Oh well. Sharon may not want to give them credit for their time spent in Ozzy’s band, but true rock’n'roll fans know the score and that’s all that matters.
Back to the album, I think this is far superior to his debut and it’s probably Ozzy’s best. The music is so good, I can even withstand his voice!
Highlights: All of it
SALIVA – Back Into Your System
Saliva – Back Into Your System (2002, Island Records)
1. “Superstar II” … 3:21
2. “Weight of the World” … 4:28
3. “Always” … 3:51
4. “Back into Your System” … 4:31
5. “All Because of You” … 4:42
6. “Raise Up” … 3:45
7. “Separated Self” … 4:01
8. “Rest In Pieces” … 3:46
9. “Storm” … 4:21
10. “Holdin On” … 4:21
11. “Pride” … 2:53
12. “Famous Monsters” … 4:43
Band:
Josey Scott – Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion
Wayne Swinny – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Chris D’Abaldo – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dave Novotny – Bass, Backing Vocals
Paul Crosby – Drums
Produced by: Bob Marlette
Back Into Your System is the band’s follow-up to their multi-platinum major label debut Every Six Seconds. It’s a definite step in the right direction as the band sheds a bit of their nu metal/rap-metal skin (not totally though) and decides to employ a more straight forward hard rock sound.
There were a few songs I liked from their debut, but overall, it was a mixed bag because it was as if the band couldn’t decide if they were rap-metal act or southern rock act. I briefly dabbled in rap-metal, but decided it wasn’t for me, so I initially had zero interest in hearing what Saliva had to offer in 2002.
I can remember it like it was yesterday though… my alarm went off one morning and the radio was playing I song I easily deduced was called “Rest In Pieces” and it stuck in my head all day, so as soon as I got home, I hit the internet and was surprised to discover it was Saliva. “Rest In Pieces” has become my favorite Saliva song and I was amazed they can up with such as catchy tune, but then I found out that Nikki Sixx & Sixx:AM lead singer James Michael wrote it. No wonder it was so good! Nikki Sixx still writes great radio ready hard rock songs. Unfortunately, the single didn’t chart very high but on the success of the lead single “Always”, the album went Gold.
All told, this is a solid effort (though there is room for improvement) that sees the band moving past their nu-metal beginnings and turning into a good hard rock band.
Highlights: “Weight of the World”, “Always”, “Raise Up”, “Rest In Pieces”, “Storm”, “Famous Monsters”
Lowlights: “Superstar II”. I generally think it’s a bad idea to do such a direct sequel to one of your previous songs in terms of title and sound (theme is okay), but not only did the band manage to copy the original “Superstar”, they also ripped off another song of theirs — “Click Click Boom”! A two’fer!
Moving
I’ve been in the process of moving since Friday. We’re pretty much set up in our new apartment, just a bunch of little stuff let in the old one that we need to figure out what we’re going to do with and it’s a matter of cleaning. So that’s why I haven’t been posting much lately. Should have something new up tomorrow night though!
JON BON JOVI – Blaze of Glory
Jon Bon Jovi – Blaze of Glory (1990, Mercury Records)
1. “Billy Get Your Guns” … 4:49
2. “Miracle” … 5:09
3. “Blaze of Glory” … 5:40
4. “Blood Money” … 2:34
5. “Santa Fe” … 5:41
6. “Justice in the Barrel” … 6:49
7. “Never Say Die” … 4:54
8. “You Really Got Me Now” … 2:24
9. “Bang a Drum” … 4:36
10. “Dyin’ Ain’t Much of a Livin”‘ … 4:46
11. “Guano City” … 1:00
Musicians:
Jon Bon Jovi – Vocals, Backing Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Harmonica
Elton John – Piano, Backing Vocals
Jeff Beck – Guitar
Little Richard- Piano, Vocals
Robbin Crosby – Guitar
Aldo Nova – Guitars, Keyboards, Piano, Tambourine
Danny Kortchmar – Guitar
Waddy Wachtel – Guitar, Slide Guitar
Bob Glaub – Bass
Randy Jackson – Bass
Kenny Aronoff – Drums, Percussion
Produced by: Jon Bon Jovi
Jon’s first solo outing was a very successful one, featuring the hit #1 song “Blaze of Glory” (which won a Golden Globe and received Academy Award & Grammy nominations) and the album achieved double platinum status. “Miracle” was a minor hit, getting to #12 on the singles chart.
The story goes that initially, Young Guns II star Emilio Estevez was seeking Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead Or Alive” but Jon declined allowing the use of it because he didn’t think the song fit the movie, but he was inspired to write original pieces for the film and its soundtrack and thus, the Young Guns II soundtrack doubled as Jon’s 1st solo release.
It’s no surprise Jon was hyped about writing a bunch of cowboy rock ballads because Bon Jovi had already been doing it for years with songs like “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, “Stick To Your Guns” and “Ride Cowboy Ride” (and later, “Good Guys Don’t Always Wear White” for The Cowboy Way soundtrack). The album, written solely by Jon, is basically more of the same and that’s to say it’s an enjoyable album. It doesn’t stand next to the band’s best, but it’s still a solid release and way better than his second solo release, 1997′s Destination Anywhere.
Back in the day, when “Blaze of Glory” was a hit on the radio, I used to think it was a Bon Jovi song and not a Jon Bon Jovi song. It’s become synonymous with the band though because there’s really no difference in sound and it was included on the band’s 1994 greatest hits compilation Cross Road and has been performed in concert over the years.
For this effort, Jon assembled an impressive lineup of guest musicians including Elton John, Jeff Beck, Little Richard, Ratt’s Robbin Crosby and then Bon Jovi pet project Aldo Nova!
Highlights: “Miracle”, “Blaze of Glory”, “Blood Money”, “Santa Fe”, “Dyin’ Ain’t Much of a Livin’”
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – Core
Stone Temple Pilots – Core (1992, Atlantic Records)
1. “Dead & Bloated” … 5:10
2. “Sex Type Thing” … 3:36
3. “Wicked Garden” … 4:05
4. “No Memory” … 1:20
5. “Sin” … 6:05
6. “Naked Sunday” … 3:50
7. “Creep” … 5:33
8. “Piece of Pie” … 5:24
9. “Plush” … 5:13
10. “Wet My Bed” … 1:36
11. “Crackerman” … 3:13
12. “Where the River Goes” … 8:26
Band:
Scott Weiland – Vocals
Dean DeLeo – Guitar
Robert DeLeo – Bass
Eric Kretz – Drums
Produced by: Brendan O’Brien
If you know me, or have read this blog for a period of time, you know I’m not a big fan of alternative & grunge music. That whole scene made it a crime to actually have FUN with your rock, but even so, a very select few bands slipped through and rose above it all to create some great music. Stone Temple Pilots was one of those bands and they are easily one of my favorite bands of all-time and certainly my favorite alternative act.
This debut album is a classic hard r0ck release, regardless of genre. Tons of songs were and still are radio staples, but it’s actually quite different, being heavier than the later STP albums that blended hard rock with pop and psychadelia. Although I consider STP to be “alternative” and not “grunge”, the grunge sound is quite strong on this album with Pearl Jam and especially Alice In Chains influencing the sound.
Great release, and the band would only get better as time went on.
In addition to producing the next three STP albums, Brendan O’Brien has gone on to become very in-demand having produced albums for Pearl Jam, Papa Roach, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Korn, Velvet Revolver, My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Incubus, Aerosmith and Audioslave.
Highlights: “Dead & Bloated”, “Sex Type Thing”, “Wicked Garden”, “Naked Sunday”, “Creep”, “Plush”, “Crackerman”, “Where the River Goes”
THEORY OF A DEADMAN – Scars and Souvenirs
Theory of a Deadman – Scars & Souvenirs (2008, Roadrunner Records)
1. “So Happy” … 4:11
2. “By the Way” … 3:35
3. “Got It Made” … 3:14
4. “Not Meant to Be” … 3:33
5. “Crutch” … 3:16
6. “All or Nothing” … 3:30
7. “Heaven (Little by Little)” … 4:19
8. “Bad Girlfriend” … 3:25
9. “Hate My Life” … 3:10
10. “Little Smirk” … 3:31
11. “End of the Summer” … 3:30
12. “Wait for Me” … 4:03
13. “Sacrifice” … 2:54
Band:
Tyler Connolly – Vocals, Guitar
Dave Brenner – Guitar
Dean Back – Bass
Joey Dandeneau – Drums
Produced by: Howard Benson
The label was kind enough to send me this album along with a few others (don’t worry, we’ll get to them).
Let’s face it, Theory of a Deadman is not an original band. They have the Nickelback act down pat, the only difference is they aren’t quite as successful. Maybe they will reach that higher commercial status when they release their next album because this third album has done pretty well, selling 500,000+ copies with big rock radio hits like “So Happy”, “Bad Girlfriend” and “Hate My Life” to support it.
I guess “Bad Girlfriend” is a decent tune about having a girl who is well, a bad girl, but there’s hardly much to distinguish this album from their last one (Same producer from their last album Gasoline, same Nickelback coattail riding) and there’s too many slow, reflective moments as if these songs were written to be included in a tender scene from a teen drama on The CW or part of a movie soundtrack. And something really bugs me about Tyler Connolly vocals. Yes, he hits the notes, but his voice is the epitome of the generic and bland status that the current mainstream hard rock scene displays. Then again, he’s aping Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger who is the template for this generation’s bland rock style of singing.
For fans of current radio rock, this is probably a great album, but for me, it’s a definite pass. This is the type of hard rock that appeals to females that envision themselves as party animal rock chicks, but I can’t imagine a true male rocker actually enjoying this album.
It’s interesting to note that producer Howard Benson , has produced all kinds of rock bands over the years, most notably (as far as this blog is concerned, anyway): Tuff, Motorhead, Pretty Boy Floyd and Bang Tango!
Highlights: “Got It Made”, “Crutch”, “Bad Girlfriend”
