Posts Tagged ‘Black Sabbath’


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Black Sabbath-Paranoid: Classic Albums DVD

July 27th, 2010 No Comments

Classic Albums: Black Sabbath-Paranoid DVD

Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Classic Albums DVD

Is there any band that has influenced heavy metal like Black Sabbath? And is there another album that cemented the genre like Sabbath’s sophomore release, Paranoid? Early Sabbath is what many of the hardcore fans still cling to- those glory years from the debut self-titled Black Sabbath album through at least Sabotage, although I really dig Never Say Die and Technical Ecstasy, too.

But let’s get to the point: if it weren’t for Paranoid, and epics such as “War Pigs,” “Iron Man” and the title track, the fate of Black Sabbath would have been much different. As this Classic Albums DVD recounts, though, it seems as if the band was being led by some mysterious “fifth member” as the foursome of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward wrote and recorded Paranoid. And what is most striking about this DVD is not just how original Sabbath were, but how musical.

Watching this DVD, and getting plenty of first-hand accounts from the band members and original recording engineer, Tom Allom, gave me new appreciation for the record and how bloody talented these blokes were. So much is made of how “heavy” Sabbath were-and certainly there was no precedent for such a sound-that the parts making up the music are often forgotten. Remember, Sabbath were really a power trio-Geezer, Tony and Bill played instruments and didn’t sing (I know Ward had a cameo later in the band’s career) while Ozzy wove his strange magic over the ever-changing riffs and rhythms. Lost in it all was the fact that Butler and Ward were a swinging rhythm section, able to turn on a dime from the slow gloom of the “War Pigs” intro into the almost Big Band sounds of “Fairies Wear Boots.” Laugh for a second, but go back and really listen and you’ll hear the influence of Ward’s hero, Gene Krupa, and not just on that track. It’s no wonder, listening to Ward recount his childhood growing up where his parents staged “jazz parties” on Saturday night, and the young Bill awakening to explore his father’s friends “traps” with near mystical rapture.

Butler, too, gets his due when the original 4-track tapes are manipulated by Allom so we can each band member playing his respective parts to the Paranoid tracks. Butler’s bass lines-long and flowing, like a heavy metal Jaco Pastorius-are the thread that sew these tracks tight. Whether he was doubling Iommi’s guitar lines for emphasis or running wild underneath a solo, Butler was metal’s answer to Free’s Andy Fraser.

There’s no other guitarist-in any genre-responsible for more classic riffs than Tony Iommi. I’m not just talking about main riffs from “Paranoid” or “Iron Man,” but the uncountable secondary and sub-riffs that complete the songs. That doesn’t even take into account the classic solos. How many guitar solos can you hum note for note? I bet the outro to “Iron Man” is one of them. I love listening to Ward and Butler thrash about, doubling the song’s time while the ringing open notes of the intro buzz about. Then, Iommi breaks in with the start of the solo, really another riff that gets its power from the accented notes, just before he dives full in with a barrage of bends and triplets that sound like they’re destined to derail but never do.

Not to forget Ozzy. As I said earlier, the original Black Sabbath seemed to be guided by larger forces and Ozzy’s melody lines and vocals are part of that darker cosmos. The DVD showcases some of Ozzy’s early attempts at creating lyrics in the moment as the three others played around him. Check out the early incarnations of “Planet Caravan” and “Paranoid” to hear how adept Ozzy was at locking into and interpreting the music around him. It’s uncanny. Just like the band.

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KISS – Recollections of the Hottest Band In The Land, Album #1

July 15th, 2010 No Comments

KISS-First album cover

Somewhere in the distance, an inbred kid is playing a series of beckoning banjo chords…

Anyone who knows me well understands that I have had a long-standing love/hate relationship with the band KISS.  After discussing this affliction with ClassicRockMusicBlog.com publisher, Todd Whitesel, we’ve decided to embark on a journey to define exactly what both of us love and hate about the group.  Some of these things, baffling television appearances, excessive marketing, abbreviated live shows, performances below that of their opening acts, are incidental.  We’re going to focus, instead, on KISS’ recordings in a chronological manner.  So, Sherman, please set the Wayback Machine for the year 1974 to help us examine KISS’ debut album.

KISS – KISS

Actually, in 1974, I was only 7 years old.  My love for rock music had not even begun.  But in 1977, a classmate of mine sold me KISS’ first record and Dressed To Kill for $1.00 each.  These were the first rock records I’d ever owned and I still have them to this day.  This was a very rebellious move for a fourth-grader in Central Wisconsin, as many parents would not even allow their kids to listen to “such garbage.”  It was my money and my parents never asked.  My fate was sealed.

Anyone who wasn’t into rock music would not “get” KISS and what they were trying to accomplish.  In fact, the photographer that snapped the cover photo (in a very Beatles-esque manner, by the way) thought they were some sort of circus clowns and he wanted to surround them with strings of balloons.  The lyrical content was waaaaayyyy over the heads of most of the underage fans and the artistic approach of using Kabuki-style make-up and New York Dolls’ gender-bending costuming was lost on squares living outside of the Big Apple.  Still, the music persevered despite stagnant record sales.  The songs written for their debut album are very well known by music fans and continue to be included in the set list on recent KISS tours.

If I were to wax rhapsodic about this album, I could easily write a page on each one of these songs.  The emotions and memories brought to life are numerous, but I’d easily lose your interest amid my foggy nostalgia.  I’ll choose a few highlights and then turn it over to Todd for his response.

The whole thing began with a song co-written by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons called “Strutter.”  This will always be considered a KISS signature tune, with its lyrics about a woman who makes herself unattainable while driving on-looking men insane with her ravishing beauty.  The vocals are actually not some of Stanley’s best, but Ace Frehley’s guitar riff and solo are solid as is Simmons’ bass line.  Frankly, I’m a bit perplexed that it figures so high in their list of true classics.  The best thing I can say is that each member of the band is able to display their own identity and their parts are very well-recorded by producers Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise and engineer Warren Dewey.

As would be the case with KISS throughout their career, a Stanley-sung song is followed by one sung by Simmons.  Stanley is often considered their lead singer, but Simmons is usually the guy singing their “dirtier” songs and “Nothin’ To Lose” certainly fits the bill.  “Nothin’ To Lose” actually has Simmons singing the verses with drummer Peter Criss singing the chorus.  Both Simmons and Criss have their own distinctive rasp to their voices, however.  Frehley’s lead line owes a lot to his hero Keith Richards and his solo takes quite a few left turns.  The background vocals on the chorus: “You got got, nothin’ to lose,” which feature Simmons prominently, and the honky-tonk piano are probably the most memorable elements and they really allow Simmons to wear his Beatles love on his sleeve.  All this in a song, that Simmons reveals in later interviews, for a song about anal sex.

Stanley steps to the mic once again for his song “Firehouse.”  Again, this is a song which the band continues to perform live to this day.  Stanley often chose to sing more “romantic” songs or songs about women that were so hot he couldn’t stand it anymore.  “Firehouse” is the perfect example of the latter.  He’s only cooled off after the cheesy fire alarm sound effect near the end of the tune.  Although Stanley’s voice delivers the lead vocal, Simmons is very prominent in the background—one of the things I love about their early recordings.  Gene may be The Demon and he may have bedded thousands of women, but he’s a damn fine singer as well.

Skipping to the last track on side one, a lesser known gem called “Let Me Know”, we have a nice example of how Simmons and Stanley used to trade off on vocals.  Despite being written by Stanley, the song lets Simmons sing the verses.  This is may be one of their most early-Beatles-influenced songs in terms of the lyrical content.  But then, after a nice a capella spotlight, the jam kicks in. These guys were true rockers and they took us out of side one with a spectacular cascade of drum fills, rhythm groove and Frehley’s amazing lead.

If you had no idea that Gene Simmons was a kick-ass bassist, just give a listen to “100,000 Years.”  His noodling, which sets up the song for no more than a measure, sent us straight into the darker regions of the KISS catalog.  Frankly, I have no idea what Stanley is singing on this song that he’d co-written with Simmons, but I couldn’t care less.  Although more structured than anything recorded by Aerosmith, “100,000 Years” sounds a bit like them and blows them away with the performances.  Criss has room to show off, Frehley’s solo is incredible once more, and Stanley’s indecipherable vocals are some of the best of his career.

And now over to you, Mr. Whitesel.  Do you hate this record or mostly love it like I do?

-Mark Polzin

KISS – KISS

Wow, this takes me back to the mid-70s when I was first discovering rock  music. Like my colleague, Mark, I was also an apple-cheeked lad of 7 when KISS’ debut was released. It wouldn’t be until years later that I listened to the album proper, but I already knew 70% of the record through repeated listenings to KISS Alive! My next door neighbor and best friend, Steve Forte, had an older brother with a small but excellent record collection. As well, Steve’s dad had a sweet hi-fi system that we would get control of on many a weekend. I remember spinning two records over and over again: KISS Alive! and Kansas‘ Leftoverture. They remain two of my faves to this day.

Mark has already touched on “Strutter” and “Nothin’ To Lose”-both classics in the band’s catalog. I would only add that the riff to “Nothin’ To Lose” is one they don’t write anymore. Like so many of the early KISS gems, the guitars spin like spider webs or fractals; the beauty and form becoming more apparent with each verse and chorus.

What sets KISS’ first album apart from anything that followed or what their peers were doing is the hell-fire energy of the songs and playing. Listen to “Deuce” and it’s like hearing a guitarist “finding” a riff and a band stumbling upon a song instead of writing one. But it’s one of the most assured tunes Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss ever committed to tape. Often forgotten among the makeup and stage theatrics are the songs. In 1974, KISS wrote great rock songs with memorable riffs and instantly recognizable guitar solos courtesy of Ace Frehley.

And speaking of Ace, the subtle-shifting riff that bottles “Cold Gin” is  one of the things that made KISS so great. Frehley probably plucked it out one afternoon in 30 seconds, but that riff lives on for its grit, melody and attitude. The curious dichotomy of Gene Simmons-an adamant teetotaler-playing along to a tune advocating grabbing a bottle of the cheapest hooch is Hollywood “proof” that music is a business and not a religion. (The band-and fans-would suffer later for such views.)

KISS were never a group to write grand (or any) instrumentals, so “Love Theme From Kiss” retains a special place in my heart. The “theme” is redundant and never fully develops but I can still call on the melody and for that I’m grateful.

But it’s track 10, the final cut on Side 2, that cemented the deal for me. Whatever KISS were or would become, the band brought it big time, brought it all, with “Black Diamond.” Paul Stanley’s lament-laden minor-key arpeggios paint a starkly black picture before the startling heavy riff runs the song along the edge of a cliff. But it gets crazier. Peter Criss comes in with an absolutely manic vocal that sounds like he was gargling with a bucket of Gillette razors just moments earlier. As Criss’ cries fade, Frehley’s solo careens over Simmons’ bass broodings like magma, burbling from the center of the earth. Just when you think the song is over, comes the slow, dirge-like mantra that announces the glorious coda of “Black Diamond,” chord by tortured chord.

In 1974, there were few acts bringing music this savage to the public. Black Sabbath was heavy but rarely this straightforward. Nazareth had unleased Loud ‘N’ Proud that same year, and threw a mean punch with “Go Down Fighting,” but even that uppercut retained a bluesy-ness that didn’t translate into the sheer pandemonium of “Black Diamond.” King Crimson’s Red had its own terrifying aspects, but more in the Robert Heinlein, sci-fi vein.

So, to answer your question Mark (pun intended), I love this album.

I can’t imagine growing up without this music, and I truly feel sorry for those who weren’t there the first time ’round.

The heaviest and best KISS album is called KISS. You wanted the best…

-TW

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Suck – Time To Suck

March 31st, 2010 1 Comment

Suck Time To Suck Suck Time To Suck

In the grand scheme of time, 8 months is not even a blink of the eye. But it was long enough for hard rockers Suck to make their name, maybe not in North America or Europe, but certainly in their native South Africa. Formed in Johannesburg in early 1970, the four members of Suck – Andy Ionnides (vocals, flute), Stephen “Gil” Gilroy (guitars), Louis “Moose” Forer (bass) and Saverio “Savvy” Grande (drums) – would unleash a maelstrom of heavy music and batter stages and props; then calling it a day before three seasons had passed.

From the beginning, Suck was out to shock. In the liners from the band’s sole release, Time To Suck, Forer states, “We wanted to be as controversial as possible,” and apparently had thought about calling themselves “Fuck,” but shied away. Instead, the foursome injected heavy doses of heavy rock into the music of their peers, serving up blistering covers of tunes from acts including Grand Funk Railroad, King Crimson, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, along with a lone original, “The Whip.”

South African life in 1970 was dictated by a conservatism that extended directly from the despicable Apartheid mandate. It didn’t take Suck long to get under the skin of promoters and authorities with on-stage practices that included destroying gear and hacking mannequins with axes. In a career spanning no more than 240 days, Suck would be forcibly extricated from Rhodesia and given their walking papers at the South African border, banned and road-blocked from entering certain South African towns and obliged to play under assumed names to sidestep hesitant promoters.

They say any publicity is good publicity, but not in 1970′s South Africa, where rock and roll was viewed as dangerous to society and its impressionable youth. Suck barely got out of the gate before being put out to pasture for good. Still, the boys managed to lay down nine studio tracks that hint at what could have been. Suck’s sole composition, “The Whip,” is a fire-brand brooder, something of a cross between Black Sabbath and early Blue Oyster Cult, with a lumbering riff and bruising Ionnides vocal. The remaining eight tracks are covers. Suck’s 10-minute take on Donovan’s “Season Of The Witch” highlights Ionnides’ flute playing and Gilroy’s gritty guitar, even if the track sounds like it was recorded in a giant tin can. Searing versions of King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man,” Free’s “I’ll Be Creepin’” and Deep Purple’s “Into The Fire” feature expertly played barrages of guitar, bass and drums, proving that Suck was more than image. Though the Who-like stage antics gave them identity, Suck’s music and arrangements are what should be remembered. Check ‘em out at Fresh Music.

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Pearl Jam – Backspacer

February 26th, 2010 2 Comments

Pearl Jam Backspacer Pearl Jam Backspacer

Before I begin this review, let us please dispense with the term “grunge” as a way to describe music and stuff it aside as a word for the resinous build-up inside of a weed smoker’s bong.  “Grunge” has always been a media creation for lazy journalists to lump the music of all bands from Seattle into one faceless category.  Can you say that Tad, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees have any sonic similarity aside from the fact that they like their guitars up loud in the mix?  If you can, please go read an Adam Lambert review elsewhere and let the serious music fans enjoy this website on their own.

Now that I’ve shaken the wheat from the chaff, let’s talk about one of the best rock and roll records to see the light of day in 2009.  Pearl Jam’s Backspacer, their ninth studio release in nearly 20 years as a band, sees the band stripping away all of their experimental trappings to focus on songs that will blow their fans away in a live setting.  If your only exposure to PJ has been “Alive,” “Jeremy” or “Even Flow,” all from their 1991 debut record, my friend, you’ve been missing out on some of the best rock music recorded in the last two decades.  I won’t make the case for everything they’ve done between then and now.  You’ll have to play “catch-up” on your own time.  Instead, let’s concentrate on what the band is up to nowadays and talk about why Backspacer is, contrary to what many of their other devoted fans might say, their best record to date.

First off, the band is reunited with producer Brendan O’Brien, a man who’s made his name elsewhere, but is responsible for encouraging PJ’s muse on their releases Vs., No Code and Yield.  On each of the band’s releases that O’Brien has been involved in the band has approached the studio with a fully conceived collection of songs that merely required that he capture the ideas and expand on them with additional keyboards and string arrangements.  Pearl Jam is, after all, a band that both relishes their companionship and is able to riff off each other’s ideas unlike the vast majority of combos that have recorded together through the ages.  In most bands there are one or two designated leaders that present the concepts and expect their fellows to follow suit with their performances.  Much has been made of singer Eddie Vedder’s unique voice and critics have tried to say that Pearl Jam is his show alone.  This is markedly untrue.  On Backspacer the band has relinquished the lyric writing duties to Vedder alone, but as on each album they’ve released, the band takes turns at creating the music behind the words Vedder is singing.

Additionally, the band has approached the concept of Backspacer differently than they have with other records.  This is the first release that they’ve controlled independently of a major record label.  You can purchase Backspacer at Target stores only, in a move similar to that with the Eagles’ and AC/DC’s latest records which were only available through Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club outlets.  This assures (and displays a trust from Target that the product is saleable) that the band is not hampered by any expectations from outside forces to produce a record that meets market necessities for airplay and unit sales.  That being said, the record will be heard by Pearl Jam’s loyal followers through conventional outlets online and in a live setting and will still sell millions of copies.  Thus unfettered, and with a trusted compadre in the booth, Pearl Jam set out to make a record that satisfies themselves and their legion of fans worldwide.

“What’s so different about Backspacer that you say it’s their best album?”  I hear you.  That’s a mighty weighty statement, isn’t it?  The deal with Pearl Jam is that they are music lovers, constantly drawing from an incredible array of sources for their inspiration.  From punk, to classic rock, to metal, to oldies, to folk influences, Pearl Jam has often surprised us with what’s ended up on their recordings.  The main juice coursing through their veins on Backspacer is power pop- and new wave-derived.  This isn’t unusual for them, but it is remarkable that the same feeling follows them all the way through the entire album.  I’m not talking about synthy, dancey, new wave, I’m talking about when bands were coming up with new ways to blend guitar sounds into their music that didn’t involve overdriven feedback and blinding, 10-minute solos.  Ideas are concise with eleven songs coming through in just over 36 minutes.  We used to like when bands got up to the mic, made their points quickly, and got right to the next song.  Pearl Jam hearkens back to that time and does a damn fine job at it.

A few examples of what I’m talking about:

Track two “Got Some” (music written by bassist Jeff Ament) has this peekaboo, echoing guitar line behind the verses that is so atypical of lead axe slinger Mike McCready.  This is a guy that regularly drops bits of Jimi Hendrix, KISS, Led Zeppelin and Van Halen into his live solos and here he is referencing Television or the Talking Heads.  Matt Cameron’s super-jittery drumming is incredible!  He’s wafting back and forth between surf punk, across-the-kit fills, cocktail lounge hi-hat and accented rim shots.  True, the choruses and the song’s close build in intensity, but it feels more like something from The Knack than Black Sabbath.

Track three, “The Fixer,” is nearly a full-band composition with Cameron, McCready, and guitarist Stone Gossard writing the music.  From Vedder’s “yeah-yay-yeah” and “ah-ah-ah” vocal fillers to McCready’s nod to R.E.M.-style jangle pop on the bridge to the barely perceptible organ rounding out the edges in the background, this song is as straight-forward a pop rock song as PJ has ever delivered.  Vedder’s repeated “fight to get it back again” line emphasizes an optimistic desire to mend rather than a condemnation of an irreparable situation.

Track four “Johnny Guitar” is Vedder’s paranoid dream about Johnny “Guitar” Watson macking on his woman.  No kidding; that’s what the song is about.  Cameron and Gossard team up to write the music here on this brief but fun rocker.  Gossard’s  fuzzed out  and chicken pecking guitar bits leading into and out of the chorus and Cameron’s assured flailing serve as the set-up to the dominant McCready power chords.  Surreal yet brilliant!

Track six “Amongst The Waves” is easily one of the top three songs Pearl Jam has ever recorded.  The Gossard-penned chord changes in combination with Vedder’s lyrics of overcoming adversity do much more to exemplify the uni-mind of this band than anything I will write here.  Gossard and Vedder’s muscular rhythm lines beneath a dazzling McCready solo and the soaring organ accompaniment make for something that’s pure positive emotion rather than mere music.

Track seven “Unthought Known” with a Soundgarden-esque title is Eddie Vedder with Pete Townshend whispering over his shoulder.  A simple eighth note guitar strum begins a slow build that eventually accommodates pounding piano and thunderous drumming.  The lyrics indirectly question the existence of that which cannot be sensed.  This is an example of Eddie’s best songcraft and most impassioned vocals.

Track eight “Supersonic” is something more akin to what Gossard usually delivers with punky propulsion, harmony vocals and a sludged-out breakdown that gives McCready room to stretch out.  The chord progression and buzzsaw rhythm remind me of the Gossard-sung “Mankind” from No Code, but more like that song was the warm-up to what was actually done on this one.  All that in two minutes and forty seconds!  Great bands don’t need more than that to get their message across.

Complete with demented sleeve artwork from cartoonist Tom Tomorrow, Backspacer is a blast from start to finish.  It’s the perfect example of what a band can accomplish when they concentrate only on having a great time hanging out and letting the ideas flow.  It’s also a bow to the band’s supporters throughout their career rather than a recruitment drive.  In the process, they’re likely to pull in more true believers amongst open minded music fans, even though that clearly is not the band’s intent.  Preaching to the choir?  Perhaps.  But, ah, what hymns they create!

-Mark Polzin

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Heaven & Hell – The Devil You Know

October 13th, 2009 No Comments

Heaven & Hell Devil You Know

In many ways, though this may be taken as sacrilege, Black Sabbath fronted by Ronnie James Dio was an outfit responsible for far superior and consistent material than the one fronted by Ozzy Osbourne.  I understand that Sabbath back in the 1970s was fueled by a desire to shock and an unending flow of chemical enhancement, but in drafting the former Rainbow vocalist, and shifting the lyrical invention away from bassist Geezer Butler and over to the man who would actually be singing the words, Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi were freed to craft some of the most enormous and dark riffs known to recorded music.  Black Sabbath can never again feature a vocalist other than Osbourne due to legal boundaries set by Ozzy’s management (wife).  Fair enough!  As Dio, Butler, Iommi and drummer Vinnie Appice reunite, it seems it’s not simply a necessity but actually more fitting to name the band something other than “Black Sabbath.”  Thus, named after the first Sabbath album featuring Dio, Heaven & Hell have released their first full-length, The Devil You Know on Rhino Records.

Years have passed since the last full album by this combo. 1992’s Dehumanizer marked a return of Dio and Appice to the Sabbath fold, but the record lacked the punch delivered by Heaven and Hell and The Mob Rules or even Live Evil.  The reunion feels more natural and inspired on The Devil You Know.  Iommi and Butler’s riffs sound like mad experiments that have been locked away in a laboratory until now, while Dio’s lyrics convey emotions other than those found on any Rainbow, Dio or Sabbath records.  All the while, the music is powerful, classic and majestic.  Dio’s presence is accompanied by all the theatrics that we’ve known him for

The rocket to our doom blasts off on “Atom And Evil,” a conversation on the threat of nuclear annihilation as a result of mankind’s quest to master science in the name of peace.  This is not a hippy-dippy warning a la “War Pigs” or “Children Of The Grave,” but more of an in-your-face vibe confronting the darkest side of humanity.  Dio’s spider-and-fly imagery is far more wicked than the creep factor exhibited through a tableau of military men likened to porcine Lords of Hell.  Devil You Know is also rife with Dio’s religious symbolism with a twist.  The best example of this is on “Bible Black,” beginning with beautiful solo acoustic guitar overlain with electric fills from Iommi that soon descends into crushing cacophony as the song’s protagonist is drawn deeper into the spell of a fearsome tome.  The book is symbolic of addiction to the antithesis of goodness (use your own vice in place of the Bible Black and you’ll get what Reverend Ronnie is preaching about).

“Double The Pain” shifts gears slightly to a more driving rhythm from Appice as Dio wallows in a “kick him when he’s down” moment.  The band is in fine form, especially Butler on some inspired solo bass lines.  The lyrics take a similar direction on “Turn Of The Screw”— the subject is built up only to be brought down hard, all completely by design of shadowy kingmakers.  The downtrodden rise up to confront their enemies on “Eating The Cannibals,” however.  Fittingly the song is clipping along at a “Neon Knights” pace, while a thirst for revenge is being slaked.

The challenge set before Iommi and Butler on The Devil You Know forces them to remain true to the Sabbath legacy, with which they’re associated, while staying informed by modern metal approaches and freeing themselves from formulaic repetition.  This is a challenge that they’ve almost always risen to and they’ve succeeded once again on this record.  All the classic elements of the Sabbath sound from the past 30 years are present.  Their ability to pull off this trick with nearly all of their recordings is what has kept them from falling into has-been territory.  Forty years after their debut release, this band is much more direct, more talented, and even more fun.  What’s in a name?  Black Sabbath is the then, while Heaven & Hell is the now.  And evil is much better now than it used to be.

- Mark Polzin

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Warhorse – Nick Simper leaves Deep Purple for a new Thoroughbred

February 20th, 2009 No Comments

Warhorse \

At the height of Deep Purple’s first wave of commercial success – thanks largely due to their remaking of Joe South’s “Hush” – bassist Nick Simper stepped away to play in Marsha Hunt’s band, whose members included keyboardist Rick Wakeman and guitarist Ged Peck. The stint with Hunt would be short-lived, though, and Simper soon was looking to form a new band, which begun with Hunt alumni Wakeman, Peck and drummer Mac Poole. Vocalist Ashley Holt – who had auditioned for the original Purple singing slot – was recruited, and the lineup was set… almost. Wakeman’s heart must not have been in it, as the liners indicate that he failed to show for practice one too many times. A replacement was found in former Rumble keyboardist Frank Wilson, whose Hammond organ stylings would figure largely in Warhorse’s sound.

The newly minted Warhorse cut a demo and soon found friends at the burgeoning “progressive rock” Vertigo label, with whom they signed a contract. The five members gathered in the studio and recorded seven songs in just five days, and Warhorse was officially born. The self-titled debut is a slab of hard-driving rock that fit neatly alongside then label-mates Black Sabbath. The record apparently enjoyed a great reception across Europe, but never saw a North American release – something that undoubtedly hurt the band later.

“Vulture Blood” opens the album with one minute of Hammond organ, sounding like a church hymn, before the peace is shattered with drums and guitar. The song has a great boogie-ing riff that Holt pushes with his brash vocals – the histrionics bringing to mind Ian Gillan (and I bet Rob Halford listened to Holt, too). There’s a nice interlude, with some minor-key arpeggios played by Wilson and then doubled by Peck. I particularly like Poole’s drumming underneath it all, slipping in and out of the spaces with ease and grace.

With its vocal harmonies and swirling keyboards, “No Chance” sounds like a lost Uriah Heep track. “Burning” is where Simper’s bass breaks out and proves the perfect foil for Wilson’s bludgeoning organ chording. Holt, in turn, hits some notes that could shatter glass. A rollicking cover of The Easy beats’ “St. Louis” is the most straight-ahead rock and roll track on the disc, sounding like a charged-up Doobie Brothers’ tune or Cactus of the day. “Ritual” opens with a circular guitar riff that sounds a lot like Deep Purple’s “Wring That Neck,” and is the most Purple-like cut on the record. The brooding “Solitude” is the real highlight, here, with a fantastic guitar solo from Peck that brings to mind the more psychedelic work of Roy Buchanan and Eddie Hazel’s monumental playing on “Maggot Brain.” And Holt stacks on an impassioned vocal that absolutely makes the cut. “Woman Of The Devil” closes the show with some cool wah-wah guitar and more great lead work from Peck, lithe drumming from Poole and organ madness from Wilson.

This Angel Air reissue gathers an additional five tracks – four live cuts and the demo of “Miss Jane,” the song that Warhorse first shopped to the record execs. If you’re a fan of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath or Uriah Heep, you need to hear Warhorse. This reissue is a gift to all fans of early hard rock, done English style. Done right.

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Glenn Hughes – Soul Mover

January 2nd, 2009 No Comments

\Ex-Trapeze, ex-Deep Purple, ex-Black Sabbath bassist and vocalist Glenn Hughes has released several solo albums since his 1978 debut, Play Me Out. His 2005 effort, Soul Mover, may be my favorite of the lot. Hughes gets a little help from his friends, guitarist Dave Navarro and drummer Chad Smith of Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, along with keyboardist Ed Roth and guitarist J.J. Marsh. They provide the perfect complement to Hughes’ blend of soulful hard rock.

Whether it’s the slippery riffing of the title track, the Prince-like funk of “High Road,” the rising fury of “Let It Go” or the anthemic “Last Mistake,” Hughes grabs each song by the anatomy and doesn’t let go. The songs are killers, the arrangements dead-on and the grooves cut deep as a glacier. He sings high and low, hard and soft, however he wants, with power, soul and emotion. And he could be the best hard-rock singer alive. Hughes has completely ruined karaoke for me.

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Egg – The Polite Force

October 21st, 2008 No Comments

egg the polite force Egg The Polite Force

Egg’s The Polite Force is one of many excellent reissues I recently received from my friends at Esoteric Recordings. This UK-based label specializes in “good music,” with a far-ranging artist roster including Bill Fay, Keef Hartley, Claire Hamill and Paladin.

The Polite Force was originally released in 1971, and features the trio of keyboardist Dave Stewart, bassist/vocalist Mont Campbell and drummer Clive Brooks – ¾ of former band Uriel (minus guitarist Steve Hillage). Egg have often been compared to Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and the musicianship is certainly top-end in both cases, but Egg seem to go less for speed than melody mixed with a dash of dissonance.

Stewart is often associated with the “Canterbury Sound,” that indefinable genre that linked English bands such as Caravan and Soft Machine, although Stewart was never geographically part of the Canterbury scene. Still, some of Egg’s music has that clean, almost friendly, Canterbury sound, coupled with plenty of improvisation, tricky rhythms and cheeky humor. The music convincingly hints at Dave Brubeck, Caravan, Pink Floyd and the avant-garde, without being derivative.

“A Visit To Newport Hospital” opens with an almost Black Sabbath-like dirge before slipping into a jazzy organ riff, and Campbell recounting the members’ early days performing as Uriel, “We spent our time avoiding skinheads and the law. It was a freedom that we never felt before. And now we’re doing this instead.”

“Contrasong” is a jerky, fun and rhythmically disjointed romp across time signatures that’ll challenge you to keep the beat in your head. Saxophones seem to bounce directly off the angular piano line. It’s irrepressible fun. Brooks is endlessly inventive, displaying a deft touch and creativity that makes this and other songs sparkle. His bass drum foot seems detached from his body!

“Boilk” – a 9-minute-plus instrumental, bogs down under an experimentalism that never lifts off, but it’s the lone dud here.

The four-part capper, “Long Piece No. 3,” is a tour de force at more than 20 minutes, and showcases the breathtaking diversity these three musicians are capable of. Whether it’s the multitude of tones from Stewart’s keyboards (sounding like Robert Fripp at the end of “Part Four”!), Campbell’s clever bass lines and arrangements or Brooks’ tireless timekeeping (listen to his clean, powerful playing on “Part Two).

I’m happy to have such eggs in one basket.

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