Porterhouse Prime Vinyl is a collection of vinyl records that have endeared themselves to music fans since their release. Their goal is to keep these titles alive in their original format, preserved and upheld for all to listen to, hold and enjoy.
Wherever possible they have undertaken to reproduce these recordings with the best of today's mastering technology to give you pristine sound quality that surpasses the original pressings. Prime Vinyl has also attempted to recreate each album's artwork and lyric sheets as they were originally produced. The glory lives on in your hands every time you open up the record and slide it onto your turntable.
And right now, these X 180 gram reissues are on sale for only $12. Don't miss em, they're classic editions of early 80's LA punk!
Long Live Vinyl!
X – "Wild Gift" – PHR-2006
Re-Mastered 180 Gram 12" Vinyl
Full Inner Sleeve with Original Lyric Sheet
Originally Released May 1981
Produced by: Ray Manzerek
Recorded At: Clover Studios Hollywood, CA. March 1981
"America needs to hear this album. It's been many years since the country has germinated a group with so strikingly original a sound" Parke Puterbaugh, Rolling Stone Magazine
Only a real friend will send you Pussy in the mail. Thankfully I have such a friend in Racer. He could have been greedy and kept the Pussy all for himself, but no, he let me have it. A month or so ago, Racer said he was going to concentrate his Ripple ramblings on his beloved but neglected Proto-Metal report. His reviews of bands like Toad, Jerusalem, Iron Claw, etc was a big factor for me getting involved with these clowns a few years ago. Jerusalem's album is a real favorite of mine and I was thrilled to find out that they gave birth to Pussy.
Jerusalem's self titled album was released in 1972 and produced by Ian Gillan. That's all it took for me to pick up a copy of Rockadrome's reissue of it. Thankfully the music was just as primitively heavy as I had hoped but I must have forgotten that the band later morphed into Pussy. So when this showed up I rushed straight to the stereo to get a taste of this Pussy. It did not disappoint. This is some fine, fine Pussy indeed! While not as heavy, Pussy's Invasion is a definite growth from Jerusalem and reminds me a lot of the band Hard Stuff, another band associated with Deep Purple. Bassist/vocalist Paul Dean was the main songwriter for both bands and there's a definite refinement in the material and the playing. He's joined by Jerusalem drummer Ray Sparrow. Guitar duties were originally handled by Bob Cooke who was later replaced by Brian Goff. Tracks 1- 10 were recorded for an album that was never released with Brian and the bonus tracks from their original single and outtakes are played by Bob. Both guitarists are nothing fancy, but solid British blues-rock players. Everything was produced by Ian Gillan, who also throws in some backing vocals and percussion.
70's rock freaks will definitely want to get ahold of this. There's tons of flange on all the instruments, bluesy guitar solos and plenty of mid-tempo heavy rocking beats. Plus, you gotta love a band called Pussy that wrote a risqué song like "Feline Woman." As George Clinton once said, "more power to the Pussy!"
Great news waveriders. This amazing album, and the entire Freak Kitchen catalog, is being reissued by Lasers Edge. Land of Freaks is released 5/22. Dig it and this classic Penfold review.
“Hello everyone. My name is Chef Penfold. Welcome once again to ‘Cooking With Penfold’. I’m very happy you could join me today. Folks…wow, do we have a great show for you! If this is the first time you’ve tuned in to the broadcast, allow me to fill you in on what you’ve missed. At the beginning of last month, we here at ‘Cooking With Penfold’ decided to take a culinary trip around the world, bringing you my favorite recipes from thirty different countries. Today we’ll be showing you how to make a fantastic casserole hailing from Sweden. And to make today’s program extra special, I’ll be joined by a very special guest. He is a true master of the culinary arts, and I am honored to cook beside him. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen I present to you the one…the only…Swedish Chef!”
“Hellu Cheff Penffuld, I'm gled tu be-a here-a. Bork Bork Bork!” “Thank you Swedish Chef. It truly is an honor to have you as a guest on my show.” “Theenk nutheeng ooff it. I'm joost here-a tu help.” “You’re too kind Chef, too kind.” “Nunsense-a. Su vhet ere-a ve-a gueeng tu be-a mekeeng tudey?” “I’m glad you asked Chef. Today, we are going to be making Janssons Frestelse, otherwise known as Jansson’s temptation. It is a creamy potato and anchovy casserole, named after a famous Swedish opera singer, which is traditionally served around Christmas time but is eaten year round.” “Oh guud! Thet is oone-a ooff my fefureetes! Bork Bork Bork!” “Yes, it’s one of my favorites too!”
“All right, we’ve gathered all of the necessary ingredients. Arrayed on my cooking table we have 1.2 kg (2½ lb) potatoes, 400 g (14 oz) onions, 375 g (13 oz) spice-cured anchovy filets, 600 ml (3 cups) heavy whipping cream, salt, white pepper, breadcrumbs, and butter. Now the first step is to peel the potatoes and onions and then cut them into thin strips or slices. Chef, if you’ll please peel and cut the potatoes I’ll take care of the onions.” “Off cuoorse-a.” “Great. I’m finished slicing the onions. Now I’m going to gently sauté them in a little butter, but I’m going to make sure not to brown them. While I’m seeing to that, Chef would you please grease that ovenproof baking dish sitting over there? Oh, you’re ahead of me I see. You’re already covering the bottom with a layer of potatoes. That’s fantastic! Okay, I’m going to add half of my sautéed onions and half the anchovy filets. There we go. Let’s add another layer of potatoes, and then the rest of the onions and filets. Beautiful! One last layer of potatoes and the hard part is over. Now, I don’t want to tempt you too much Chef, but do you know what comes next?” “Zee fletteneeng?” “That’s right, the flattening of the surface.” “Oh buy, ooh buy! Bork Bork Bork!” The Swedish Chef flattens the surface with his customary gusto! “All right Chef, thank you. That’s flat enough. We’re down to the last few steps here folks. First, we add a few turns of pepper from the mill and just a little salt. Next, we’re going to pour the cream on until we can almost see it through the potatoes. That’s it. Lastly, we’re going to put a few dabs of butter on top along with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs to add some nice texture. Okay, all that’s left now is to put this dish in the oven where it will cook at four hundred seventy five degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour.”
Waveriders, while we wait on the delicious casserole to finish baking, I want to tell you about something else from Sweden that is incredibly exciting. This non-edible, non-perishable entity I am going to discuss is the band Freak Kitchen. At this moment there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Freak Kitchen has established itself as one of my all-time favorite bands, and they released one of my favorite albums of 2010 (it was originally released in October 2009, but I was unable to obtain a copy in the US until 2010). That album’s name is Land of the Freaks. Using what I like to think of as incontrovertible evidence, I’m going to emphatically explain why all music fans need to become familiar with this album and its intrinsic greatness.
Freak Kitchen is a trio. No…scratch that. Freak Kitchen is a power trio! The band, brainchild of guitarist/lead vocalist Mattias “IA” Eklundh, has been in existence since the early 1990s. Their debut album Appetizer came out in 1994. After three additional albums the original trio disbanded, leaving Mr. Eklundh the task of finding two new bandmates. Shortly thereafter a new trio was formed with the addition of bassist Christer Ortefors and drummer Bjorn Fryklundh. Land of the Freaks is the group’s seventh overall album, and the third for version 2.0 of the band. But enough of the history, let’s talk about what’s most important…the music!
Here is where it gets interesting. Freak Kitchen is typically classified as a progressive metal band. I am not going to argue with that. What I am going to do is flesh out a couple of intricacies that make this particular progressive metal band unique. First of all it is critical to note that the songs contain as many pop elements as progressive ones. What does that mean? Easy. When you break down one of their songs you will find wacky time signatures, ridiculous playing, grand thematic changes, etc. But here is the catch. If you don’t concentrate on uncovering these elements, you won’t notice they exist thanks to the band’s pop sensibilities. Nothing, no matter how flashy, disrupts the flow of a song. That means unlike some other progressive metal bands I can name, there is never a moment of mid-song headbanging recalibration.
Second, also stemming from the pop sensibilities, the songs themselves never outstay their welcome. The longest track on Land of the Freaks is five minutes and forty two seconds. All of the others end before the five minute mark, most before four minutes. I’m not trying to imply that epic-length songs are bad (I love quite a few of them myself), but I am saying that I like knowing I don’t have to specifically set aside a half hour to fully enjoy one song. Third the contributions of Mattias Eklundh, both vocally and on guitar are spectacular, plain and simple. To say that he is a gifted guitarist is an immeasurable understatement. His tonality, technicality, timing, and musical IQ are second to none. The fact that he is also a fantastic vocalist is icing on the cake. His clean vocals are able to perfectly match the mood of the song whether it calls for all out aggression or heartfelt tenderness. In a time where a lot of metal bands are choosing the growling option, it’s nice to know who I can turn to when I need a break. So what about that album?
Land of the Freaks is terminally ill. “God Save the Spleen”, the opening track, has been my go to neck snapper for well over a year now. The monstrous guitar tone, devastating main riff, and bottomless groove cast a magic spell upon my person. I-Can’t-Stop-Listening-To-This-Song! But let’s not stop there. Other top-shelf metal anthems on this album include the South-Asian flavored “Teargas Jazz”, the deceptive “Murder Groupie”, and the phenomenally amusing anti-fascist “Honey, You’re a Nazi”. Feel like something different? No problem. Try the transformative “OK” which begins like a ballad before morphing into a rocker, or the straight up acoustic ditty “Do Not Disturb”. Not good enough? Fine. How about “Hip Hip Hoorah”, a danceable metal song. That’s right…danceable (don’t ask me to demonstrate; I promise you’ll be sorry you did). What I’m trying to get across is that there is a chasm-wide variety of material on offer here. No matter what you’re looking for, Land of the Freaks will fulfill your order. Ooh, looks like our casserole is ready!
“Okay folks, it’s time to take our dish out of the oven. Chef wait! That baking dish is going to be HOT!” “Ehh! I boorned my hunds! “Chef!? Are you all right Chef?” “Oh dun't vurry ebuoot me-a, I'll be-a feene-a. Bork Bork Bork!” “Thank goodness! You had me worried with that whole blowing air on your hands thing you have going there. Well folks, this dish will make six to eight servings. I hope you enjoy Jannson’s temptation as much as I do. Thanks again to my honored guest the Swedish Chef for helping me cook today. Join us next time when we continue our culinary trip around the world, won’t you? This is Chef Penfold saying goodbye for now.”
One of the funnest things about this mysterious world that we call Ripple is that we don't always agree with each other. Often times, I'll look at Pope's musical discoveries with a look of utter dismay, and Pope will return the favor by addressing my choices with pure boredom. It's what makes the world revolve. We all like different things. We all dig different sounds. The job of the Ripple is merely to tell you, our waveriders, what each one of us hears in a piece of music and how it gets us off.
Never is this dichotomy between the Pope and I made more clear than with Bang Tango.
I remember years ago when we first discussed these guys, Pope dismissed them completely with a brief wave of his hand, a shrug of his shoulders, and a look that closely approximated an acute onset of food poisoning. I, on the other hand, found them oddly compelling with their massive bass heavy groove, dark glam, and sizzling guitars. In truth, I understand exactly where Pope was coming from, and in many ways it represents the very problems that this LA quintet faced in making it big. Pope was a metalhead. He came from the point of view of Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, even Guns and Roses. When he heard Bang Tango his knee jerk response was, "this ain't metal." And it ain't.
I came from a post punk world where bands like The Cult, Sisters of Mercy, Mission UK, and Specimen ruled my orgasmic listening times. Yet, I'd been a metalhead, trouncing heads to the early NWOBHM terrors of Iron Maiden (Dianno years), Angelwitch, Witchfynde, Saxon, and Motorhead. In Bang Tango I found the perfect mathematical union of two sets. The aggression, riffing and searing leads of metal fused to that pulsating, dark post-punk glam of the early Cult.
And listening to this newly MetalMind re-issued disc, I still do.
Bang Tango never really had a chance to get the respect they deserved. Being part of the LA Sunset Strip scene of the late '80's, they were immediately lumped in with the hair metal bands that ruled the streets. And with the dual guitars of Mark Knight and Kyle Stevens and some serious Slash-esque riffing, they immediately did nothing to dispel that association. But they weren't metal. In singer Joe LeSte they had a shrieker of undefined tone. He could belt out metal, he could scream out a post-punk frenzy. He could harmonize some glam. And in bass player Kyle Kyle and kit pounder Tigg Kelter they had a backing section that really wanted nothing more than to lay down some serious funk. And they all had the look. I mean, The Look, with chiseled cheekbones, dyed hair, and an image taken from The Cult'sLove album.
Funk. Glam. Goth. Metal. That's Bang Tango.
And I dig it.
And maybe it's because Bang Tango were so many disparate things that they still sound so fucking good to my ears today. Disclaimer. I've had Psycho Cafe in my collection for years and I'd pulled it off the shelves not infrequently, as I have with Dancin' on Coals, their follow-up. Having said that, to me, Bang Tango have aged much better than most of the Sunset Strip crap that came out in the late eighties. Kyle's bass thuds and pulses with more unbridled sex than I ever heard before. Joe's vocals screech and dive and seduce with more passion. And the dual guitars shred with more metal velocity than I ever gave them credit. Basically, this shit is just plain ol' good glam metal and definitely worth a revisit in 2011.
Psycho Cafe let's it all out right there on the first number. From the muted guitar, bass, and effect opening of "Attack of Life," right into that throbbing post-gothic metal riff. Both guitars blaze and steam through this baby. When LeSte comes in, shrieking in full higher octave, we're in a full on glam blitzkrieg. Some may not dig his voice. Some may call if forced. I dig it. Full on dig it. The song quickly locks into a comfortable groove that I'm sure tore it up live. Then as LeSte drops his voice to a lower register for the kick-ass chorus, I realize who these guys really were. It may sound strange but they were the American Billy Idol, marrying that image, that post punk vitality, that snotty sneer to some beefy metal riffs and serving that whole thing on a steaming platter of funky pop. Maybe a touch of the Cult also. Either way, they were much more Red Hot Chili Peppers than they were Metallica.
"Someone Like You," is of course the piece de resistance on the album and probably the song the band is best remembered for. With it's "Sweet Child of Mine" harmonic-laden intro to it's staggering build up beat, this certainly seemed to be metal at home on the Strip. Then comes that breakdown, Kyle's massively funky bass and the chugging guitar riff that revs and soars like a charging locomotive. LeSte's voice is all over the place here, shrieking and wailing like a siren, then bottoming out in Billy Idol baritone. Guitar solos whip in and out like hornets buzzing from a hive under attack. This is truly one of my favorite goth/glam/funk/metal tunes of all time. A hands-over-the-head screamer.
"Wrap My Wings," seems to settle into a monstrously funky mid-tempo groove that just oozes sex appeal. Again, Stevens and Knight prove that they were vastly under-rated axemen, sizzling their strings with wailing electric solos. Too goth/funk for metal? Too metal for the goth crowd? Probably. That's probably why the album never broke big. I'd have liked to see these cats play this shit at the infamous London Batcave goth club and see how it would've been received. Would they have got it? Would it have been too metal? Did the boys need a club scene all their own? Who knows. All I know is that to this post-punk metalhead, this is some seriously fun stuff.
"Breaking Up a Heart of Stone," lays it all back on the line, with it's bass-laden groove. The bridge brings in a touch of pop as the song roars to it's big chorus hook. I'm sure back in the day, the chicks dug this one cause it rocked and you could move your ass to it. "Shotgun Man," roars back with a hyped up metal guitar attack, but as always the funk is still there. Percolating under LeSte's shrieking. Bookending that chunky guitar-burst chorus. Kyle really goes out of his skull on this one, popping and thumping that bass as if he was auditioning for Parliment or the Bar-Kays. Other songs like the chugging "Don't Stop Now," the intensely funky "Love Injection" the somber "Just for You," and the frenzy-neo-metallic-Chili-Peppers funk freak of "Do What Your Told" keep the energy raving and explore all the aspects of this band. In fact, "Do What Your Told" is such an ecstasy burst of fiery alt-funk metal that it's shocking the song wasn't bigger.
So where does this leave us? In my mind, Bang Tango were a band that was vastly misunderstood. Lumped in with the hair metal scene, it's no wonder many metalheads dismissed them. They were too different. Way too different. Perhaps like another lost Sunset Strip casualty, Bang Bang, these cats were simply too many things for people to identify with. They had a unique sound when every band sounded the same. They had a unique look when the others all looked the same.
But it's this difference that captivates me. Glam, funk, goth, metal. They were a little bit of it all and brewed their swirling fury into an intoxicating beverage that still goes down extremely easy today.
When you’re a classic rock fan you get used to new & supposedly improved versions of your old favorites getting re-issued every few years. Usually it’s just an attempt by the record label to generate some revenue on something they don’t have to spend a lot of money to create. That’s probably the case with this batch, too, but each of these releases gives the consumer some decent value for money.
Robin Trower - At The BBC 1973-1975
First up is Robin Trower At The BBC 1973-1975. Do I even need to tell you how great this is? This 2CD set is a mandatory purchase for Trower fans and anyone who loves outstanding guitar playing. This is Trower leading his excellent trio with James Dewar on bass & vocals during their peak time together. Reg Isidore plays drums on the 1973-74 sessions and is replaced by Bill Lordan for the 1975 recordings. There are two radio sessions from 73 and 74 and one from 75, recorded for John Peel and Bob Harris. They’re not playing live in the studio, but basically re-creating the classics from the essential albums Twice Removed From Yesterday, Bridge Of Sighs and For Earth Below. Most of the versions tend to be a little faster and rawer since they were done quickly in a day at a radio studio. Trower’s playing is inspired as always and the vocals of James Dewar are warm and inviting. The best part is a live BBC concert broadcast from 1975 that rivals the official Live album issued the following year. The 8 page booklet is a little light on photos but contains good liner notes from Malcolm Dome of Kerrang and Classic Rock fame. Might be a little pricy since it’s an import but completely worth it.
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak and Johnny the Fox: Reissues
I’m sure everyone reading this owns Thin Lizzy’s 1976 twin peaks of Jailbreak and Johnny The Fox on at least 1 format. If you own the original LP’s, the playing surface is probably destroyed and the covers have water rings from inconsiderate friends leaving their empties on them. The CD’s issued in the 90’s suffered from low levels and flimsy packaging, they’re now both double discs with improved sound and fancy full color booklets. The remasters of the original albums sound great and the volume level is up but not overly compressed. The bonus material on the 2nd discs contain some remixes done by Joe Elliot of Def Leppard with some new guitar parts added by Scott Gorham. I was a little worried about this, but they all sound good but I honestly don’t think I’ll listen to them all that often. The BBC sessions, however, I will, especially the extra fired up versions of “Warriors,” “Emerald” and “Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed.” Works in progress like “Scott’s Tune” and “Blues Boy” are cool to hear but, again, probably not gonna play those a whole lot. There’s a very funky instrumental run through of “Johnny The Fox” that’s very cool, you can really hear that they’re having a good time getting the groove right on this song. The booklets come with great photos, liner notes and new interviews conducted by Neil Jeffries. The UK label Back On Black has reissued both of these albums and other jewels from the Thin Lizzy catalog on heavy weight vinyl. If you’re not sure whether to get the CD’s or LP’s, I’d say get ‘em both. You work hard, you deserve it.
Last up is a real classic rock connoisseur favorite, Deep Purple’s 1975 overlooked gem Come Taste The Band. As a huge Ritchie Blackmore fan, I avoided this album for many years but as soon as I let my guard down I realized just what a great album it is. Tommy Bolin’s playing is unfuckingbelievable and he’s one of the guys that helped bond me with the two clowns that run this website. I think I’m on a first name basis with just about everyone on the planet who loves this album. The reissue of Come Taste The Band follows the template laid down by the awesome Machine Head double disc. Disc one is the original album with excellent remastered sound and a bonus track of the 7” edit of “You Keep On Moving.” Disc two is a remixed version by Iron Maiden’s producer Kevin Shirley (he’s also responsible for the awesome audio on the double live Led Zep DVD). The remixes don’t sound drastically different but the guitars and the drums are a bit more upfront. The best part is that the songs are all longer. No fade outs or edits and there are some minor differences in the vocals and lyrics. Bonus tracks include a previously unreleased song called “Same In L.A.” that’s pretty cool but the best is the final track “Bolin/Paice Jam.” Who wouldn’t want to hear almost 6 minutes of Tommy Bolin blazing away accompanied by one of rock’s greatest drummers? Fucking excellent!
Queen’s 40th anniversary is now upon us, and the band plans to pull out all the stops to celebrate this historic occasion. “2011 is an important year for Queen,” said Brian May “and there will be a lot of activity.” Adds Roger Taylor, I can’t believe it’s been that long and that we are still around in such a big way. I’m amazed and grateful!” This yearlong event will be marked by a series of releases, re-releases, special limited-edition items and events around the world.
As the centerpiece in the 40th anniversary celebration, Queen’s entire 15-album studio catalog is being reissued in a series of deluxe editions. Every note is being tweaked, every piece of artwork is being cleaned, freshened up and resourced, wherever necessary, with the legendary Bob Ludwig doing the remastering, working from the original source material. The albums will be released in three waves, staggered over the next year, with the first wave—comprising the first five LPs—coming this spring.
Each studio album will be released in a new two-CD edition, the first containing the updated, remastered original LP, the second disc packed with rarities—and we don’t use the term lightly. Some of these gems have never before seen the light of day, even in crappy bootleg form. To cite a particularly fascinating example, five first-album demos recorded at London’s De Lane Lea Studios in December 1971 were pulled from the only existing copy on the planet—an acetate from May’s personal archives. Not even his bandmates had a copy.
In other anniversary activity, the gallery exhibition “Storm Troopers in Stilettos” opens in London on Feb. 25, with plans in place to tour the exhibit around the world. According to May, this unprecedented event “will highlight in some innovative ways the growth of the ‘Early Queen.’” On April 12, Hollywood will reissue Queen’s debut single, “Keep Yourself Alive” b/w “Son and Daughter,” on seven-inch vinyl in a limited edition coinciding with Record Store Day. And on April 19, the label will issue the band’s Greatest Hits II for the first time in North America. This classic collection includes the rock standards “Under Pressure” and “Radio Ga Ga,” plus many other classics from the second half of Queen’s run, including the worldwide smashes “I Want It All” & “Innuendo.” Additionally, the “Queen on Vinyl” reissue program will be completed this year with the release of the final five studio albums.
Bonus Tracks on the First Five Studio Albums:
QUEEN (1973)
1. Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
2. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
3. Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
4. Liar (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
5. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971)
6. Mad The Swine (June 1972)
QUEEN II (1974)
1. White Queen (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
2. See What A Fool I’ve Been (BBC Session, July 1973 - 2011 Remix)
3. Seven Seas Of Rhye (Instrumental)
4. See What A Fool I’ve Been (B-side Version, February 1974)
5. Nevermore (BBC Session, April 1974)
SHEER HEART ATTACK (1974)
1. Now I’m Here (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975)
2. Flick Of The Wrist (BBC Session, October 1974)
3. Tenement Funster (BBC Session, October 1974)
4. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (A Cappella Plus)
5. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited (Live at Wembley Stadium, July 1986)
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1975)
1. Keep Yourself Alive (Long-Lost Retake, June 1975)
2. Bohemian Rhapsody (Operatic Section A Cappella)
3. I’m In Love With My Car (Guitar & Vocal Version)
4. You’re My Best Friend (Backing Track)
5. ‘39 (Live at Earl’s Court, June 1977) TBC
6. Love Of My Life (Live Single Version, June 1979)
A DAY AT THE RACES (1976)
1. Tie Your Mother Down (Backing Track)
2. Somebody To Love (Live at Milton Keynes, June 1982)
3. You Take My Breath Away (Live in Hyde Park, September 1976)
4. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Top Of The Pops, July 1977)
