Triumph - Allied Forces

Oh yeah, this is definitely a trip down memory lane indeed, all you waveriders! My brother, Thomas, got me hooked on these guys - as with so many other bands in my formative years - the day he brought home their Never Surrender LP. That album is fantastic but pales in comparison to it's predecessor Allied Forces. So buckle up folks...a hot time in this city tonight is upon you!

It never falters. To this day whenever I put on Allied Forces and Fool For Your Love rips this album to life my teenage years collide with my current old ass and I headbang relentlessly. And as in my formative years I grab my imaginary Gibson and go to town on the invisible fretboard pretending to be the guitar hero I will never be...like Rik Emmett. Still and I just turned 41 so I guess in some ways I will never grow up which I is good I suppose. Because the moment you stop being a kid at heart and start feeling your age you wither away. So being "into" metal and heavy rock is my fountain of youth, as soon as aches and pains appear I just put on an album like Allied Forces and I feel great for days. What need is there for pharmaceuticals when you have Triumph?

Alright, alright I'm straying from the subject but indulge me if you will dear waverider. This is after all a trip down memory lane up. As I mentioned earlier Fool For Your Love gets the album going with a slight southern rock feel for a few seconds but it quickly changes into a mid-tempo rocker once drummer Gil Moore starts to sing. Lyrically it's basically a love song but where the love goes wrong. Perfect album opener with some amazing riffing.

Second song out is the beautiful Magic Power, the first to feature Rik Emmett on vocals (Rik and Gil share the lead vocal duties). It tells the tale of young people struggling to make things work while having the whole world at their disposal...and music is what helps them on their way. Great song!

Third on the list is the short instrumental intro Air Raid. Sounding like it was taken from an arcade game it leads straight into the stomping title track Allied Forces.  A call-to-arms to all rockers this rocker simply annihilates. Rik Emmett is on top of things as always with some very smart and deft guitar playing. Gil Moore sings his heart out while keeping the beat behind the drums and Mike Levine's bass playing is impeccable.
The last song on side A is Hot Time(In This City Tonight) a fantastic homage to 50's music, think Chuck Berry, and Rik's wicked guitar playing peels the paint of the walls.

Side B opens up with Fight The Good Fight which is one of the longer songs on the album. The band speaks of making the right choices in life and doing the right thing, regardless the cost. Tough it out and you will be better for it. Musically the band changes slightly from here on leading into a more progressive field as Fight The Good Fight is more technical and subtle.

Their progressive leanings continue with Ordinary Man. Although it starts out with a choir before slowly moving onto a semi-acoutic segue, the song eventually explodes turning into a predecessor of thrash metal...seriously! Emmett is shredding and riffing like there's no tomorrow putting ANY accomplished thrash metal guitarist to shame. Moore and Levine follow suit and this is an absolute corker of a song...definitely my favourite on a great album.

Second last song on Allied Forces is Petite Etude which even further enhances Emmett's traits as an all-round guitar virtuoso of the highest order. This is a short, acoustic classical piece akin to what any of the classical masters would have composed...except Rik wrote it.

Triumph rounds off the album with Say Goodbye, a break-up song if there ever was one. Musically it's a return to the more straight-forward rock of side A although it's more mid-tempo with a heavy reliance on slide and lap steel guitars.

Overall Allied Forces is a fantastic album that touches on many various rock styles. Still the band manage elegantly to keep the music and the structure cohesive, engaging and simply crushing. The musicianship is out of this world and I have already spoken a lot about Rik Emmett but let's not forget about Gil Moore and Mike Levine. Gil is a tight, technical good rock drummer which is extremely apparent since he handles a lot of the lead vocals...while drumming. That is quite an accomplishment. And apart from being a solid bass player Mike plays all the synths, organs and pianos on this album. And this muscial ability is not only for the studio, they did the same live...just like their fellow Canadians Rush. Must be something in the water up there in Canada!

Swedebeast

Electric Wizard - Black Masses

 


In the almighty Pantheon of Doom Metal, next to such immoveable pillars as Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus, there stands ELECTRIC WIZARD from Dorset, England.

Recognized as one of the greats of the genre, ELECTRIC WIZARD has a reputation to live up to. Recently, Jus Oborn and friends have returned with a killer new album titled Black Masses, further guaranteeing their tenure in the Pantheon. Black Masses, released in North America on January 18 via Rise Above Records, was produced by Grammy-winning engineer Liam Watson (THE WHITE STRIPES) in London’s Toe Rag Studios. Upon dropping the needle on this dangerous piece of wax, I expected quality production – something only found on newer releases from the band. Luckily, that’s precisely what I got - but I’m only “scratching the surface.”

At first listen, Black Masses serves as a good ELECTRIC WIZARD album, exhibiting an ever slumberous aura - something I have come to expect – along with all the Fuzzed-out, Blues-infused riffing I could ask for. Yet, after my third or fourth listen, it became clear that what makes Black Masses awesome is that the album neither solely relies on the titanic, weighty riffs of Dopethrone, nor the psychedelic atmosphere of Come My Fanatics. Rather, it kicks-off with a straight-forward, up-tempo title track and maintains a driving vibe for the first half of the record. The tracks on side-A follow a more accessible format as each includes a verse, chorus and solos. It picks up right where Witchcult Today left off, continuing to showcase a more consistently ordered, 70s sound. Jus Oborn really sings his ass off on this one, hitting higher pitches with a hint of vibrato in his voice. A couple of my favorite moments from side A are the guitar solo in ‘Night Child,’ and the aptly-titled song, ‘Turn Off Your Mind.’ Then, things change.

As I start to feel contented with the predictability of the first side of this already loud LP, the B sides are slower and HEAVIER. When ‘Satyr IX’ starts playing, plumes of volcanic ash might as well have come pouring from my speakers – it’s SO heavy! ‘Satyr IX’ displays ELECTRIC WIZARD in its true form, alluding back to some of the band’s earlier, more experimental stuff. The album closes with a 10 minute study on Drone* titled ‘Crypt of Drugula,’ a soggy and murky dwelling that some of us might have cerebrally visited once or twice.


“This ritual incantation of heavy metal sorcery will break down your psyche as wave upon crushing wave of lead weight acid-laced Doom leaves you numb and broken before our unholy altar," boasted bandleader Oborn. "Violent, bleak and ritualistic, we bow to the black altar of the RIFF. We do not rock, we kill!”


ELECTRIC WIZARD must have been feeling a little ambitious upon entering the studio to record Black Masses, as the more conventional arrangements and well-formed techniques proved to create a more accessible, yet ever enjoyable album. It’s obvious that ELECTRIC WIZARD can do anything it sets out to do – and do it well.

*a popular evolution of Doom Metal which aims to focus on, through tonal manipulation, the mechanical timbre of the instruments and amps used. Discernible melodies are sparse in Drone, hence the name, so an entire piece of music could rest on the tonic, thus allowing various competing frequencies to feedback off of each other.

-- Bones

Whitesnake - Live…In The Heart Of The City

Here's something I thought I'd never say - I just got a Whitesnake album and I love it!!

I've always known that Whitesnake in the late 70's and early 80's was an entirely different serpent than the one that made me puke when I'd hear their crap on the radio or catch a glimpse of a video (never had MTV back then, thankfully) later in the 80's but couldn't afford the import prices of their older records. Still, every now and then I'd pick up the double Live…In The Heart Of The City and consider bringing it home. It usually got put back in the bin once I found other albums I really needed to have immediately. Recently a friend picked up used copies of Saints & Sinners and Ready An' Willing. We gave them some spins during recent listening sessions and liked them but after a single side they were shelved and we moved on to vintage Priest, UFO, Purple, etc. But on a recent trip to the incredible Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ I came across the Back On Black reissue on heavy weight vinyl. It came out in 2010 but hadn't seen it before so I knew it was now or never. Another friend with me said I'd dig it and I'm very glad I picked it up. I'd be pissed if it sucked since it was pretty expensive!

Live…In The Heart Of The City was originally released in 1980 as a double album. Half of it is from 1980 and the other half is from 1978, both recordings from London's Hammersmith Odeon. The 78 show was only available in Japan until it was teamed up with the 80 show. I have no idea if this album is rumored to be heavily overdubbed like Unleashed In The East or Live & Dangerous but it doesn't really matter. It sounds great and the songs kick ass. David Coverdale's vocals are excellent, even if he overdoes it with the Robert Plant "baby baby baby" stuff from time to time. The twin guitars of Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden are great. Neither one is of Ritchie Blackmore calibre but get down with some great dueling twin guitars. Neil Murray's bass playing is right in the pocket and Ian Paice (only on the 1980 show) is incredible as always. A different drummer (David Dowle, according to wikipedia) plays on the 1978 show and is good too, but nowhere close to Paice (who is?). Jon Lord seems to be on a bit of a short leash compared to his awesome solos with Deep Purple but he smokes on the keyboards throughout. What a band! Too bad that one by one they were all eventually replaced with musicians nowhere nearly as good. I'm sure that statement will have Lord Cov calling up his banker for reassurance but it's true.

This Back On Black reissue includes the bonus tracks that were included on the CD reissue so there are 1978 and 1980 versions of the songs "Come On" and "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City." It's cool to compare and have the records in the order they were played at the show but the 1980 versions with Ian Paice are better in both cases. Like most bands back then, they play much faster than in the studio. Songs like "Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues," "Ready An' Willing" and "Lie Down" have much more energy here than the originals. As a massive Deep Purple fan I was looking forward to hearing how Whitesnake handled Burn-era classics like "Might Just Take Your Life" and "Mistreated." Good versions but definitely missing the fire of Blackmore. Freaks like me like to compare live versions of "Mistreated" done by Deep Purple, Rainbow and Whitesnake. Purple did it the best for my money but they're all worthy.

All in all I'm very happy to finally have this album in my home. I'm gonna slide it in right next to my Withcfinder General albums and pull it out whenever I need a break from Made In Japan, Tokyo Tapes, Unleashed, etc.

--Woody

Modern Day Moonshine Plow Their Allman Brothers-tinged Classic Rock Sound with Their New Single, "Fitting the Mold"

Classic rock.  Music to the ears of rock lovers everywhere.  With it's variety of styles and influences, there was a classic rock sound for every taste.  Now Ripple Music is bringing back that feeling of the heyday of 1970's Classic Rock Radio with it's ever-expanding roster of authentic, rock and roll bands.  And the latest band to forge head-first into this territory is San Francisco's Modern Day Moonshine with their Allman Brother's-tinged new single, "Fitting the Mold".

Back in the day, fans explored every facet of rock without need for clear distinctions and boundaries.  If you loved Led Zeppelin, you probably loved Lynard Skynard.  If you were a fan of Thin Lizzy's guitar attack,  there also was a Molly Hatchet.  And if you loved the blues-based rock of Free you could also lose yourself in the blues jamming of the Allman Brothers.  Modern Day Moonshine fills that space in the Ripple roster, plowing their bluesy, southern guitar-fried sound amongst the heavier tones of other Ripple bands-- and success is staring the boys right in the face.

Modern Day Moonshine's latest full-length record, Refuge, made an immediate impact on  radio charts, finding itself nestled among the likes of genre stalwarts The Black Crowes, Ray LaMontagne, and Robert Plant. Now Modern Day Moonshine looks to build on that success with the release of their latest digital single.  With it's spirited, fiery guitar, "Fitting the Mold" will harken back to those glorious days of 1970's Classic Rock, resurrect thoughts of classic Allman Brothers, and be sure to satisfy listeners who crave the variety that classic radio had in it's peak.

Released through Ripple Music, "Fitting the Mold" can be found on iTunes, CDBaby, and Ripple's own Bandcamp page.

Check it out and see what all the fuss is about.

Scott Walker - Scott

How do you describe an icon? To be perfectly honest I don’t think anything I can say about this individual truly gives him justice. He’s an amazing, brilliant, creative, diligent, excellent, and fantastic genius. I am talking about the 30 Century Man himself, Scott Walker.

For those not familiar with Scott Walker don’t feel embarrassed at all if you don’t consider yourself a music fan. However, if you’re a music aficionado you should know who Scott Walker is and the impact he has left on music. To be perfectly honest I had no clue who he was until three years ago when I saw a documentary called Scott Walker: 30 Century Man. If you haven’t seen the film already go out and see it immediately!

Scott Walker is a remarkable renaissance man that has been practically unnoticed in the United States as a solo artist. Walker was in the pop band The Walker Brothers from 1964 to 1967, until the band broke up because of artistic differences and pop stardom.  During that time, the band produced “Make It Easy on Yourself” and “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,” both #1 UK Singles and Top 20 hits in the United States. The band was particularly popular in Europe and the UK during this time.

The Walker Brother’s last album, Images, was a foreshadowing for Walker’ solo albums and gave fans a small glimpse of the direction he wanted his effective, emotional vocal range to go towards.  Walker has influenced musical artists like Marc Almond, David Sylvian, David Bowie, Radiohead, Sting, Gavin Friday and The Divine Comedy to name a few. When I discovered David Bowie and Sting were huge fans I knew right then and there I needed to listen to Scott Walker.

Scott Walker released Scott six months after Images was released. Scott was successful in the UK, but practically unnoticed in the US. The album is a unique mixture of covers and original songs that established Walker as a serious, solemn and sophisticated musician. The soulful “boy band” image was long gone.

The album begins with one of my favorite cover songs ever, “Mathilde,” one of three English-translated covers of Belgian musician and songwriter Jacques Brel’s songs. Immediately listeners are hit with loud trumpets and Walker’s sweet, somber voice. More opening tracks should be as attention grabbing as this, but sadly very few actually are.

"Montague Terrace (In Blue)" is the second track and one Walker’s original songs. Although I am not a huge fan of this song, it does seamlessly blend in with everything else. That’s what so remarkable about this album. Even though it’s an album mostly composed of covers, nothing seems out of place and as a matter of fact is pitch perfect.

The songs “Angelica” and “When Joanna Loved Me” are two phenomenal covers. Even though the majority of the songs are covers, Brel’s "My Death" and "Amsterdam" are arguably two of the best found on the album. Walker’s other original songs are "Such a Small Love" and "Always Coming Back to You." It’s such a wide variety, yet balance work of current contemporary covers, English translated songs and original songs that you lose yourself in the music.

Scott Walker was and still remains a pioneer in the music industry. He still continues making music today, but it’s always under the radar. Walker once famously said, “"I've become the Orson Welles of the record industry. People want to take me to lunch, but nobody wants to finance the picture... it's a tough way to work."

If you enjoy Scott Walker, John Cale and Tim Buckley are two other experimental and avant-garde artists that are worth checking out as well.

--Mr. Brownstone

Buy here: Scott

Harry Nilsson - The Point!

“Dr. Penfold I just can’t take it anymore.  I think I’m really at the breaking point.”

“Calm down Mr. Noname,” I say in a slow, pacifying manner.  “There’s no benefit to getting this worked up after we have been talking through your issues for at least twenty five minutes.  If you really were this upset, you should have expressed your discontent at the very beginning of your session.  We’ve had this discussion before…many times.  It’s alright.  Just take some deep breaths.  That’s it, there you go.  Now, why don’t you tell me what is really troubling you.”

“Well Dr. Penfold, the whole world hates me.  I literally feel the weight of the world bearing down on my shoulders all the time.  Sometimes it literally slows me down to where I’m moving at half my normal speed or less, and…”

Okay, here we go again.  At this point I pretty much tune out.  I realize that it is my duty as a psychiatrist to pay close attention and make note of any new information that my patient wishes to provide, but frankly after treating this particular gentleman for the past several years – Mr. Noname (pronounced no-nah-mi) – the hackneyed nature of our discussions has worn me down.  Honestly, I’ve compared notes and voice recordings from randomly chosen sessions spread over several years and the overlap is unreal.  An outsider would definitely be forgiven if they assumed I had multiple mislabeled copies of the same session.

Recently I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something, anything really, that would help Mr. Noname out of his oh so common bouts of depression.  Nothing from any medical journal or publication has proven to have any kind of lasting impact.  Sure the techniques provided might ‘cure’ my patient for about a day, maybe a week, but the next session would reveal that we were right back to square one.  Aggravating?  You bet.

“…and I always hit red lights, never green.  It is always storming all day long on my birthday.  The grocery store never has my favorite cereal in stock, even though when I ask them about it they say they will get more in soon.  Every Christmas, Mother Nature gives me the gift of a flu bug.  If I become a fan of a sports team, they immediately start losing and quickly go bankrupt.  When I…”

“Mr. Noname, I’m going to stop you there.  What you are describing to me are circumstances that you can’t expect to have any control…you know what, I have an idea.”  My idea would end this drivel for the next few minutes and give me some peace in which to try to come up with a new ‘cure’.  “I want to play some music for you Mr. Noname.  Whenever I am sad or upset I always put this album on and my day turns around 180 degrees.”

“What album is it Doctor?”

“The album is called The Point! by a man named Harry Nilsson.”  I found my office copy on a shelf and put the CD into the stereo system.

“Huh, I’ve never heard of it before Doctor.”

“That’s okay Mr. Noname.  Strangely enough, not very many people nowadays have.”  Although I maintained my calming speech and demeanor, I could not press play soon enough.

The Point! was originally released in 1971.  The album is the soundtrack for an animated movie of the same name.  Both endeavors were the result of Harry Nilsson’s bountiful imagination.  They tell the story of Oblio, a unique young man living in a society dominated by omnipresent points.  Every individual person has a head that literally comes to a point.  These people live in the Land of Point where everything is produced with at least one point in its design.  Oblio upsets the balance of this society by being born without a point on the top of his head.  The story follows Oblio as a young boy when he is singled out for his pointless condition, his subsequent banishment to a place known as the Pointless Forest, and finally his heroic return to the Land of Point with important life lessons in tow.  The story is a wonderful morality tale that will appeal to kids and adults in equal measure, but enough about that.  What about the music?

As stated earlier I listen to this album often when I am feeling down.  Why would I do that you ask?  Simple.  This music has healing powers.  It is actually impossible for anyone listening to this album not to be happy and content.  Not the superficial happiness that people often experience with some new material possession or fake accomplishment.  No, no, no.  The happiness produced by this album is far more powerful and all-encompassing.  While the music plays, and for at least a short time thereafter, everything seems right with the world.

All seven songs comprising the album qualify as pop music marvels.  In all my years of music listening, I have yet to come across songs that are as instantly memorable as these.  Once, I tried to break the songs down to their respective elements to try to understand the formula garnering such perfection.  The music itself is provided by a multi piece band and is often very orchestral in nature.  On top of the standard drums, bass, guitar, and piano of modern pop music Nilsson often includes strings, wind instruments such as flutes, horns, and also extra percussion in the mix.  With all of these incorporated elements each song is very playful and engaging.  The real star of the show however is the sublime vocal performance provided by Nilsson himself.

Harry Nilsson is hands down one of the best vocalists I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.  He had absolute control of his three and a half octave vocal range, and he used it to great effect.  Unlike some of today’s singers who show off their range seemingly in an attempt to shatter glass, Nilsson went about things entirely differently.  He would record differing takes of a song in the studio to successfully harmonize with himself or add additional vocal flair to a passage.  The end results are stunning.  These harmonies radiate warmth like a high dollar furnace along with an overwhelming sense of compassion, and all of the individual layers give listeners the opportunity to continuously pick out nuances they did not notice before.  The descriptor that automatically comes to mind is spellbinding.

Due to the top to bottom quality of this album, it is impossible for me to select an overall favorite track.  On the other hand, I can tell you which of these songs pop into my mind with more frequency than the others.  “Me and My Arrow” is intoxicatingly sweet with an ever-present playful organ line running behind some of the best sing along vocals in existence.  The last song on the album, entitled “Are You Sleeping?”, is absolutely phenomenal.  It opens a direct line to your soul, formally introduces itself, and proceeds to whirl your soul away in a dance of joy (it’s always a waltz for me) for a little over two minutes.  Truly, not enough positive exclamations exist to adequately convey my feelings about this magnificent music.

Getting back to the present, the album was ending and I had not yet come up with a new ‘cure’ for my patient.  “Alright Mr. Noname, this week why don’t we try…”

“Actually Doctor, I feel fine.”

“Really?”  I admit it, I was dumbstruck.  I couldn’t really believe it, but this manic depressive actually looked happy.  Was that a smile on his face?  It couldn’t be.

“Yeah, I can’t even remember what I was complaining about earlier.  Do you mind if I take a copy of this music.  I would really like to listen to it some more.”

“Of course, of course.  Are you sure you are all right?”

“Yes Doctor Penfold.  This music has made me feel like a new man.  Thank you so much for playing it for me.”

“Your welcome Mr. Noname.”

I wrote a special note in my journal, and made sure it was underlined.  Order More Copies of The Point!  It Works!

-- Penfold


Buy here: The Point! (Deluxe Packaging)
buy mp3: The Point!
Buy DVD: The Point

Poobah - Let Me In

One of the first things that attracted me to the Ripple Effect freaks is their deep love and understanding of the ultra obscure heavy bands from the 1970’s that they feature on the “Proto Metal Report.” Anyone who takes time out of their lives to champion Dust, Sir Lord Baltimore, Toad, JPT Scare Band, Jerusalem, etc is someone I want to know. Nobler than just talking about it, they are putting their time and money into bringing some of these lost artifacts back into existence again on their Ripple Music label. They’ve already unleashed a great collection of unreleased JPT Scare Band recordings and now they’ve done us all a huge favor by reissuing Poobah’s Let Me In.

I bought my copy just to support the label but didn’t know what to expect. Turns out this is right up my alley. Vintage Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Grand Funk Railroad is some of my favorite rock and Let Me In is a killer mix of all of ‘em. Grand Poobah, guitarist, singer, songwriter, Jim Gustafson is an awesome player and burns up the fretboard like a muther. It reminded me a lot of the first time I heard the Truth & Janey band – kick ass American power trio rock from the Midwest with lots of heart and soul.

Recorded back in the glory days of 1972, the original LP of Let Me In featured 6 killer jams and a great album cover. “Mr. Destroyer” starts off with a very funny spoken intro, somewhere in between Cheech & Chong and the voice on the early Ohio Players song “Funky Worm” before an almost “War Pigs” style riff. Jim peels off some great solos and they rhythm section of bassist Phil Jones and drummer Glenn Wiseman is very tight and grooves hard. Jim’s playing brings to mind both Ron Asheton and Tony Iommi at the same time. “Enjoy What You Have” is a mellower song that should replace Boston’s worn out “More Than A Feeling” on the playlist for all classic rock radio stations. It’s followed up with the killer mid tempo boogie of “Live To Work.” Even though Poobah is from Ohio, this is pure Texas boogie that would make Johnny Winter take notice.

Side two of the original LP kicks off with probably my favorite song “Bowleen.” It’s got a great tribal drum beat similar to Alice Coooper’s “Black Juju” and Jim adds some spooky organ on top of his creepy guitar riff. “Rock N Roll” is the type of song that my older brothers used to love to torture my mother with back in the 70’s. It’s loud and obnoxious with lyrics about how great rock is and of course getting high! I can practically hear her screaming to “TURN IT DOWN” during the guitar breaks. “Let Me In” is a 6 and a half minute epic that has everything you could possibly want – great riffs, lyrics about brotherhood and a drum solo.

In addition to this great album, there are TWELVE bonus tracks! You get everything from what was probably their intro tape (“Here’s The Band”) to unreleased gems like “Going To Rock City” and “Walk Of The Bug” to live rehearsals and radio edits. No expense has been spared on this package. Audio restoration and mastering was handled by none other than Tony Dallas Reed of STONE AXE. This guy knows a little bit about how classic rock should sound, so you know the fidelity is top notch. The CD is almost 80 minutes and the double LP is a thing of beauty. The colored wax is a tripped out marble and the inside spine awaits your seeds!

--Woody

Buy here: Let Me In

Lost Classic - Nazareth - Razamanaz

No, I’m not trying to turn the Ripple Effect into my own personal Nazareth tribute page, but my review of their awesome 1973 album Loud N Proud seemed a little lonely. And since Razamanaz, also from 1973, has been my #1 album the past few weeks I figured it would be a good companion piece. What was in the water (or weed) back in 1973? How did Nazareth come up with two killer albums the same year of Raw Power, Houses Of The Holy, Space Ritual, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Quadrophonia, Dark Side Of The Moon, Larks' Tongues In Aspic, Tres Hombres, etc?

Right off the bat, this album comes out swinging hard with the killer title track. “Razamanaz” is pure no bullshit kick ass ROCK - hard and fast with a killer groove and amazing drumming from Darrell Sweet. Singer Dan McCafferty says they were embarrassed to play this song for producer Roger Glover because it borrows so heavily from Deep Purple’s “Speed King.” Nazareth toured a lot with Deep Purple and they saw the effect of that song on the crowd and couldn’t resist. Roger didn’t mind and we’re all better off for it. This is one of the greatest songs of all time to blast in your car. It can turn even the most mundane trip to the grocery store into a boogie van ride to glory. The Meatmen used to do a scorching version of “Razamanaz” to open their live shows. Who says that Tesco Vee isn’t a class act?

The rest of the album is no slouch either. "Alcatraz," written by Leon Russell, is another stomper with a Native American influenced drum beat and killer guitar riffs from Manny Charlton. Blackfoot fans will no doubt love this one. Woody Guthrie’s “Vigilante Man” is given a slow blues treatment with some nice slide work and powerful vocals by Dan. The rhythm section of Sweet and bassist Pete Agnew get to shine on the Bo Diddley influenced “Night Woman.” Tasteful use of flange on all the instruments is a nice 70’s touch.

"Bad Bad Boy" was a hit single for them and was obviously a big influence on Guns N Roses. Dan’s balls out vocals make it easy to believe that he is indeed the bad boy that Axl Rose never was. “Sold My Soul” is a dark, moody song with tortured vocals. Nazareth was always more of a “hard” band then a “heavy” one, but this song is pretty damn heavy. "Too Bad Too Sad" balances it out with another uptempo jam and could have easily been a hit single. "Broken Down Angel" wraps up the album and points the way towards their giant hit of “Love Hurts.” It’s a little too fast to be considered a true ballad but it has a great chorus that is guaranteed to get you singing along every time it comes back around.

This is an album that deserves a home in every real rockers library. Every song is great and the arrangements are tight for maximum impact. The production is also top notch and does not sound 37 years old at all. And if the song “Razamanaz” doesn’t get you moving than that means you don’t deserve to boogie ever again.

--Woody

Buy here:  Razamanaz


http://www.nazarethdirect.co.uk/nazareth/

Musical Martyrs - The Vilified Albums - REM - New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Without knowing me, REM did me a favor during their performance at the Greek Theater in Berkeley in June of 2008.  When Mike Mills' fingers first hit the piano, I’m sure most of the audience thought they were hearing “Night Swimming”, but instead the band transitioned into “Electrolite”, the last track on New Adventures in Hi-Fi, their 1996 release which is not on the list of favorite REM albums of anyone I know.   It made me remember that I had never listened much to that album, so I put the CD in my car and listened to it every day to and from work.   For four months.

 I suspect that many REM followers did what I did when New Adventures first came out.  Unimpressed by the dull , trite title, I listened to the first track, “How the West Won and Where It Got Us,” and thought, “Interesting, but doesn’t get my blood flowing the way that ‘Radio Free Europe’, ‘Begin the Begin’, ‘Finest Worksong’, ‘Radio Song’, or even ‘What’s the Frequency, Kenneth’ did to start other great albums,” and I never invested myself in the rest of the album.

Enormous, huge mistake.  After the articulate, contemplative opening track strikes its abrupt final chord, Michael Stipe hits full force with “The Wake-Up Bomb”, a seething first-person portrayal of a power-mongering idiot, and with that begins the most powerful five-song sequence on any REM album, and arguably any album ever.  After the nauseating protagonist in “Bomb” throws up at the sight of what he’s done (did Reagan or Bush ever do that?), Stipe becomes a simpleton contemplating Jesus in “New Test Leper”, a reflection which segues elegantly to the ocean, where we surrender, if we allow it to draw us in, to “Undertow”.

Before “Undertow”, the only song that ever really scared the shit out of me was The Replacements’ “The Ledge”, off their 1987 “Pleased to Meet Me”, in which Paul Westerberg dares us to stop him from jumping in a harrowing drama that ends with him taking the leap.  In “Undertow”, Michael Stipe is drowning, matter-of-factly, facing his fate head on, and it’s friggin’ terrifying.  Peter Buck’s guitar crashes over Mike Mills' undulated base tones to create the deadly waves, and the scene ends with Buck's reverberating nerve-rattling ripple effects.

Not done, Stipe then goes for the jugular with “E-Bow the Letter”, the rock equivalent of a William Faulkner novel.  Stipe uncorks a rambling stream-of-consciousness letter to a woman who has left him a shipwrecked shell of a man.  Patty Smith’s haunting soul-splitting back-up lyrics by themselves would justify putting her in the rock-and-roll hall of fame.  REM has recorded some devastating songs; “Country Feedback” and “Let Me In” come immediately to mind, but “E-Bow” is as good as any of them.

Drummer Bill Berry takes over on the next track, “Leave”.   He leads us in with a simple one-minute acoustic riff, and then, after a moment silence, launches a synthesizer sequence packing the power of a helicopter propeller while Buck takes over the initial riff on the electric guitar.  It’s a mind-blowing combination, and Stipe’s lyrics are just powerful enough to stand up and complete the track.

The brilliance dims after that, but only slightly.  “Departure” is a travel itinerary on crank, while “Bittersweet Me” is another indication that Michael was working out some serious relationship issues in the studio.  “Be Mine” and “Zither” are both fine examples of REM’s quirky whimsies, between which “Binky the Doormat” (one of the great song titles ever) portrays a high-society loser.  “So Fast, So Numb” is a so-urgent so-desperate attempt to save a relationship, and “Low Desert” narrates a remote incident with the harsh sharp lines of an Edward Hopper painting.

That leads us back to “Electrolite”.  Anyone who imagines, “I’m Jimmy Dean, I’m Steve McQueen”, and wants the fitting conclusion to that date you’ve been trying to get forever, should whip this out end of the evening.  “You are the star tonight, the sun electric out of sight, your light eclipsed the moon tonight.  Electrolite.  You’re out of sight.”  A perfect closure to one of the best works from one of the supergroups of our, or any, generation.  I'm sure there are many who figured this out 14 years ago, but if you put New Adventures in Hi-Fi away, listen to it again.  And again.  It's a ride worth taking.


-- Birdman



Buy here: New Adventures in Hi-Fi

Protometal Report - Nazareth - Loud N Proud

Every now and then I try and convince myself that I like Guns N Roses. After about half a song I turn them off and reach for my copy of Loud N Proud by Nazareth. Axl Rose has never been shy about proclaiming his love for this great Scottish band and the influence on early Guns N Roses is unmistakable. Nazareth guitarist Manny Charlton even produced some demos of songs that later wound up on Appetite for Destruction. But enough about them, this review is about NAZARETH!

Loud N Proud was the 4th album from the band and was released in 1973. The first two (Nazareth and Exercises) have some good songs but are a bit uneven. The band started to define their sound on their 3rd album Razamanaz (also released in 1973) with the help of Deep Purple’s Roger Glover as producer. Loud N Proud would take the hard hitting sound of its predecessor and expand on it. It’s hard to believe now, but back then most bands were required to put out 2 albums a year and tour the globe to support each of them. Good luck getting a band to do that now.

There are 8 songs on this album and there’s not a dud in the bunch. Throw this muther on at a party or road trip and you’ll just keep turning the volume up. Kicking off with 2 of their hardest hitting songs, “Go Down Fighting” and “Not Faking It” set the mood for drinking, fighting and fornicating. “Go Down Fighting” starts off with a huge stomping chorus that sounds like a skinhead anthem and alternates with quieter verses. Just when you think the song is gonna get all country rock on you, they fire up the big chorus and a guitar solo that make you shake your fist in the air. “Not Faking It” is a fast kick ass rocker that flat out smokes. Dan McCafferty’s vocals really soar on this one. His influence on not only Axl Rose, but AC/DC’s Brian Johnson is obvious. Roger Glover’s production really helps the band shine. The sound is hard, tight rock n roll. The rhythm section of Pete Agnew (bass) and Darrell Sweet (drums) rock hard in the pocket and let Manny’s guitar boogie on your face.

There’s a lot of variety on this album. The ballad “Child In The Sun” points the way to their future megahit “Love Hurts” but also has parts that sound like “Paradise City.” “Turn On Your Receiver” and “Free Wheeler” are hard rock but incorporate some California influences like The Doobie Brothers and Little Feat without sounding too mellow. They even cover Little Feat’s “Teenage Nervous Breakdown” turning it from a New Orleans shuffle into a Chuck Berry rocker.

The only way for most bands to put out 2 albums a year was to do some covers. In addition to the Little Feat cover there are renditions of Joni Mitchell’s “This Flight Tonight” and Bob Dylan’s “Ballad Of Hollis Brown.” Thankfully, I’ve never heard either of the originals but I bet Nazareth’s versions are drastic interpretations and “This Flight Tonight” was a hit for them in Europe. “Ballad Of Hollis Brown” is one of Loud N Proud’s standout moments – a 9 minute super heavy dirge that challenges Black Sabbath for early 70’s proto metal stoner doom madness.

Nazareth went on to make other great albums in the 1970’s like Hair Of the Dog (their biggest seller, especially on 8-track!), No Mean City and Expect No Mercy and continue to this very day with Dan and Pete as the only original members. Most rock fans have a best of Nazareth somewhere in their collection but none of their albums. Loud N Proud deserves a place in every hard rock fan’s stack right next to their favorite Deep Purple, Rose Tattoo and Johnny Winter albums. The CD is out of print in America (of course) but the import is pretty easy to find and comes with excellent remastered sound and a few radio edits as bonus tracks. 

--Woody

buy here: Loud 'N' Proud