Monthly Archives: December 2009
Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas, folks! I hope everyone’s Christmas is going well.
I got a pretty cool music-related gift this year from my girl — the KISS Kompendium! A massive 1200+ page hardcover collection of KISS’ comics from the ’70s to today! Awesome!
BLACK SABBATH – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath [Remastered] (2004, Sanctuary Midline – UK Import)
Original Release: 1973, Warner Bros. Records
1. “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” … 5:45
2. “A National Acrobat” … 6:16
3. “Fluff” … 4:11
4. “Sabbra Cadabra” … 5:59
5. “Killing Yourself to Live” … 5:41
6. “Who Are You?” … 4:11
7. “Looking for Today” … 5:06
8. “Spiral Architect” … 5:29
Band:
Ozzy Osbourne – Vocals, Synthesizer
Tony Iommi – Guitars, Piano, Harpsichord, Synthesizer, Bag Pipes, Flute, Organ
Geezer Butler – Bass, Synthesizer, Mellotron
Bill Ward – Drums, Percussion, Timpani
Additional Musicians:
Rick Wakeman – Piano, Synthesizer (“Sabbra Cadabra”)
Producer: Black Sabbath
I can admit when I’m wrong. The Ozzy era produced some GREAT music. He’s my least favorite singer from the band’s storied history, but you can no longer deny the music made during this era. Most people maybe would have started with the Ozzy albums, but I didn’t. I went from Dio to Martin to Gillan to Hughes and out sheer curiousity, having conquered everything else Sabbath has done, I gave Sabbath Bloody Sabbath a chance (also bought Sabotage at the same time).
In the ’70s, they did things a lot differently than today. It isn’t uncommon to see 14, 15, or even 16 brand new songs on an album. How much of that do you think is actually quality stuff? The lower your number of tracks, the less likely you’re going to have filler and there’s no filler on this album at all. Eight classic tracks. Yes, even “Fluff”, an instrumental that was meant more as a joke than anything serious.
Of course, some of this stuff is extremely dated like “Who Are You?” and the aforementioned “Fluff”, but that just adds to part of the charm but I can’t help but feeling like I’m the one on drugs just by listening to some of these songs. Sabbath really loved their synthesizers and pianos on this album.
I really love the artwork. The front and the back feature some beautiful images and there’s quite a number of interesting theories as to what is going on. Is the man dying? Is he being taken to Heaven or to Hell? Or is he just mad?
Great release and it’s encouraging me to seek out more Ozzy Sabbath releases.
Highlights: “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”, “Fluff”, “Sabbra Cadabra”, “Looking for Today”
MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP – Michael Schenker Group
The Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group [Remastered] (2009, EMI Records/Chrysalis Records – UK Import)
Original Release: 1980, Chrysalis Records
1. “Armed and Ready” … 4:05
2. “Cry for the Nations” … 5:08
3. “Victim of Illusion” … 4:41
4. “Bijou Pleasurette” … 2:16
5. “Feels Like a Good Thing” … 3:44
6. “Into the Arena” … 4:10
7. “Looking Out from Nowhere” … 4:28
8. “Tales of Mystery” … 3:16
9. “Lost Horizons” … 7:04
BONUS TRACKS
10. “Just a Lover” (Demo) … 4:34
11. “Looking Out from Nowhere” (Demo) … 5:13
12. “Get Up and Get Down” (Demo) … 3:59
13. “After Midnight” (Demo) … 4:31
14. “Breakout” (Demo) … 4:42
15. “Cry for the Nations” (Radio Edit) … 3:35
16. “Armed and Ready” (Live) … 4:40
17. “Into the Arena” (Live) … 4:20
Band:
Gary Barden – Vocals
Michael Schenker – Guitar
Paul Raymond – Guitar, Keyboards (Tracks 16 &17)
Mo Foster – Bass (Tracks 1-9, 15)
Chris Glen – Bass (Tracks 16 & 17)
Billy Sheehan – Bass (Tracks 10-14)
Simon Phillips – Drums (Tracks 1-9, 15)
Denny Carmassi – Drums (Tracks 10-14)
Cozy Powell – Drums (Tracks 16 & 17)
Don Airey – Keyboards (Tracks 1-9, 15)
Producer: Roger Glover
I’ve had the early Michael Schenker Group albums on my want list for years and for once my procrastination has paid off because this album was reissued & remastered in 2009 with an additional EIGHT tracks. Now that’s how you do reissues!
The first time I recall hearing “Armed and Ready” was earlier this year (I know, shame on me) on the Guitar Hero: Metallica game. I blown away by it, it’s a great tune and became one of my most played tracks from that game. Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn’t up to meet the energy and high level of rock set with opening track.
The album isn’t bad and it isn’t even average, I have to say it’s quite good but “Armed and Ready” is such a great hard rock song, I was disappointed by everything else I heard. This is melodic hard rock, but maybe a bit too melodic and polished. I was hoping for a bit of a harder take on things ala Scorpions. So the MSG debut is good, but not quite as good as I was lead to believe over the years.
The bonus tracks are really cool though. It’s hard rock, there’s no keyboards to be heard (I much prefer the demo of “Looking Out from Nowhere” over the final product). Solid stuff. I wonder why Schenker decided to add in keyboards for the actual album and why some of these songs didn’t make the cut?
Highlights: “Armed and Ready”, “Victim of Illusion”, “Feels Like a Good Thing”, “Into the Arena”, “Tales of Mystery”, “Just a Lover”
www.michaelschenkerhimself.com
www.myspace.com/michaelschenkerhimself
Yeah, yeah, I know…
…it’s been FOUR days since a review. I’m slacking! I haven’t gone this long without a review in awhile and I haven’t even been busy! I’ve just been… lazy. Chalk it up to enjoying the holidays and the awesome winter weather we’re having.
I promise a review tomorrow evening and hopefully I’ll be knocking out a few more before Christmas! See ya then!
RIOT – Born in America
Riot – Born in America [Remastered] (1999, Metal Blade Records)
Original Release: 1983, Quality Records
1. “Born in America” … 4:07
2. “You Burn in Me” … 3:40
3. “Wings of Fire” … 4:39
4. “Running From the Law” … 4:24
5. “Devil Woman” … 4:01
6. “Vigilante Killer” … 3:02
7. “Heavy Metal Machine” … 3:37
8. “Where Soldiers Rule” … 3:45
9. “Gunfighter” … 4:27
10. “Promised Land” … 3:55
Band:
Rhett Forrester – Vocals
Mark Reale – Guitar
Rick Ventura – Guitar
Kip Leming – Bass
Sandy Slavin – Drums
Producer: Steve Loeb with Rod Hui
There’s nothing at all wrong with Riot’s previous album, Restless Breed (in fact, it’s a very good release), but Born in America is more my speed. It’s another shift in sound as Riot gets back to playing METAL instead of Southern-fried hard rock and I’m all for it. Rhett Forrester is still around on vocals (though this would be his last album with the band), but this time he actually wails and screams like all heavy metal warrior should! Didn’t know you had it in you, Rhett!
By this point, the major labels were done with Riot and they found themselves on Quality Records, so yet again, we’ve got another great Riot album that went unnoticed (not that the majors ever helped the band in the first place). Riot sunk into inactivity after this release and it would be five years until Mark Reale (who is an underrated guitar player and song writer, IMO) staged a comeback with a brand new Riot line-up for the excellent Thundersteel. Despite the gap in time, in many ways Born in America is very close to the power metal the band would play on Thundersteel.
We get the usual awful Riot album art. There’s an alternate version featuring a close up of a girl’s torso while wearing a white t-shirt that says “RIOT” on it. That’s the version I thought I was getting when I ordered this album online because it was the picture shown. That cover is pretty bad also, looking like some indie hair band album cover.
On a sad note, in 1994 Rhett Forrester was a victim of a carjacking in Atlanta, Georgia and was fatally shot. I can think of no better way for his spirit to live on than through some of the great music he helped create.
Highlights: “Born in America”, “You Burn in Me”, “Devil Woman”, “Heavy Metal Machine”, “Where Soldiers Rule”, “Gunfighter”
