Oct. Rants and Raves

Chemical Brothers.
There is nothing worst at a live show than a drum solo. Check that a bass guitar solo is pretty damn close. After a few seconds of awe you settle in for just constant repetition. I have now discovered why I find electronic/techno/big beats so annoying. It is just an extended drum and bass solo. No melody, no bridge, just complete repetition. I found it very hard to listen to it in one sitting because of the constant repetition. With this cd even though I had heard it before, it has not weathered well with age. Again the beats were interesting but quickly faded with repetition. The noise breaks were at times intrusive and others the sounds were quite annoying. Not one rhythm after each listening was able to stay with me, and after all isn’t that the point of good music, sounds that stay with you after you are done listening 1

Peter Gabriel
The Melted Face album is Peter Gabriel at his best. Catchy pop songs, political statements, rock songs, slow moving ballads they are all here. I don’t think any song is able to bring up imagery through words as well as Family Snapshot does. And through the wire is just a great rock song. Games without frontiers always leaves you whistling. And Biko no longer the strong political statement it once was still is one kick ass anthem. The people he surrounded himself on this album who helped create this aural masterpiece is outstanding. Robert Fripp to Kate Bush. Paul Weller to Phil Collins (thankfully only playing drums). There is not a bad song on this cd and many are classics. 4.0

Hanoi Rocks
I picked this cd because this is a band who deserved to be huge. They had the talent, they had the look, they had backing, and they had songs. Critics loved them, and bands wanted to be like them. Unfortunately drugs and then death cut their career short (plus costing Byron and me and chance to see them live.) This cd is their only Big Label release. With Bob Ezrin able to reign in some of the chaos in their earlier works without losing the attitude or riffs this album was supposed to be the beginning of something.

Hanoi Rocks were probably one of the biggest influences in the hard rock (because these bands never were truly metal) scene in 1980. Taking a look and sound that was a combination of Deadboys/ New York Dolls with an Aerosmith twin lead guitar approach, they made incredible cds. It is amazing that a band from Finland came up with what was later called the Hollywood Glam look. They created a look that others with far less talent ran to the bank with. To hear Poison, Faster Pussycat and Motley Crue all deny the influence is comical. At least Hanoi Rocks were proud of their hair coloured roots and wore them proudly on their scarf covered sleeve. As for Motley Crue just look at their new found look and sound on Theatre of Pain album, which was surprisingly released the same time Vince Neil killed their drummer in a car accident. So the argument still stands does the best of a genre still make it so, or will someone else come along and take the credit and the money.

Two Steps From the Move is almost the perfect hard rock record; yes record because that is the way the songs were set up. Up around the Bend is a great cover and an awesome opening. High School is childish and extremely catchy. Flip the record over and side two just grabs you and doesn’t let go. You start with the incredible single Boulevard of Broken Dreams with its sing along chorus and catchy do wops backing vocals, and it doesn’t end until the last power chord of Cutting Corners. Unfortunately Underwater World goes on way too long, and Don’t you ever leave me was done a lot better and a lot sleazier on their first album.

Yes it would easy to dismiss these guys as just another glam band, but they weren’t. They were a great rock band that just didn’t get the chance to prove it. 4.

The Call
Another band that should have been bigger and wasn’t. I have liked their music since I first heard Garth Hudson’s keyboard fill on the The Walls Come Down. I became a fan with the release of Reconciled. But when I saw them live I knew they were a band I would see any chance I could. Michael Been Is a phenomenal bass player, who had an emotional voice that, could fill a song and a venue. (And he also made a good apostle John In a Scorsese film) The band was always tight live and willing to put their heads down and rock, or just be in the background as the Voice was the only instrument needed. His lyrics were somewhat over the top with but no one can say they lacked passion. I still think U2’s Stuck in the Moment (with Bono being a fan and appearing on a cd) is A call song. Hey he even fathered one third of Black Rebel Motorcycle club. The calls music tended to ebb and flow with each album. One with just a few great songs would follow a strong one, and then just when you counted them out another strong cd would arrive. However through their catalogue some classics were penned. I don’t wanna to is a song that is in my 5 greatest songs of all time. Unfortunately as I think there songs have weathered time well, the only time one gets to here them is I believe following some sporting event, or politician trying to make some silly campaign moment.



Rules
1. All solos must take place within the framework of a song. Whatever the band gets to do while the drummer bangs aimlessly and endlessly for ten minutes, well they better have enough for the whole audience or we are leaving.
2. A cool cover must be played
3. There must be a stack of Marshall amps
4. If you are touring the United States you have to play in at least 42 (and north and south Dakota is considered one state) of them.
5. All musicians must play at least 125 shows a year. If they don’t then they are not allowed to complain about anything dealing with the music industry. 125 dates every other day still leaves a person with 3 months off. Not a bad gig.
6. If you can’t play for at least 90 minutes (before the encore) do not headline


Recommendations

Echo and The Bunnymen’s Siberia.