i'd call it my death, but i'll only fade away

Gary Anthony James Webb, aka Gary Numan started out as a punker.  Got kicked out of his first punk band for being too 'creative'.  He would then form Tubeway Army and following some success release 'The Pleasure Principle' as himself.  Talk about anti-punk!  The album was completely void of guitars, with Gary using only synths.  Some consider it one of the founding synth pop albums along with the work of Kraftwerk, a heavy influence on Gary.  It also relies heavily on Gary's fascination with sci-fi themes and particularly his thoughts on androids and machines.  Of course the albums big hit was 'Cars', but everyone knows that one.  For this post we'll look at another track.  'M.E.' is sung from the point of view of the last machine on Earth.  Basement Jaxx really liked it....

it's just that demon life has got you in it's sway

What's your favourite Stones era?  60's? 70's? Do I dare ask, 80's?  I think for me it's the 70's.  Starting in 1971 with 'Sticky Fingers' and ending in '78 with 'Some Girls' it's a period where the boys were playing a loose type of rock'n'roll that I can always listen to.  Of course if I had to choose my favourite Stones' album it would have to be 'Sticky Fingers'.

Gotta love a cover with a real zipper!!

I got my first vinyl copy of this while at university in Victoria.  I believe it was at Endangered Species Music in Fernwood.  The store is gone now but I remember picking up the album and seeing the real zipper and knowing I had to have it.  Somehow lost that copy but I've picked up another one since and I'm glad I have it in the collection again.  When it comes to the tracks, 'Sway' is probably my favourite followed closely by 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking' and 'Wild Horses'.  The distortion on the guitar in 'Knocking' is awesome.  The Burrito Brothers cover of 'Wild Horses' was actually released before this version came out. Gram Parsons heard it and convinced the boys to let him do a version.  The album was also the first released on their own label 'Rolling Stones' in conjunction with Atlantic.  It was a big deal then because they finally got their own way and had total creative control of what they were releasing and when.  Before then, they were under the thumb of Decca Records.  This was also the first time the iconic Stones 'Lips' logo was used.

Like I said earlier, 'Sway' is my fave so here ya go!

you wanted the best you got the best

June 27, 2011.  Abbotsford, BC.  KISS.  The site of my son's first concert.  What can I say, great first show for a kid.  The boys still know how to put on a spectacle.  Lights, pyro, fire breathing, blood spitting, it was all there.  My brother and I took him and he loved it!  Right from the first song until the encore.  They ended the show with 'Rock and Roll All Nite' and showered the entire arena with confetti from 4 giant cannons.  We were literally covered.  My brother had never seen them before and said to me that he had been waiting 31 years to see them live.

Kiss was such a huge part of our growing up that I can't help place their songs on the classics list.  When we were kids we dressed up as Kiss for Halloween.  We dressed up and put on fake concerts in the basement.  Posters, albums, tapes, hell even 8-track tapes, we had it all.  You got to hand it to Paul and Gene, they figured out early on in their career that they needed a hook.  Something to make them stand out.  Well it worked and here they are 30 plus years later and still out there, putting on a show.  And lets face it, with Kiss, its all about the show.

Gonna feature one of the tracks that I think got the crowd going the most.

Recent Hair Metal Finds

Went on a 80's Hair Metal Search recently.  Here's what I got.

Been looking for this for a while now.  Finally got it a Apollo at a decent price.  I had mentioned in an earlier post that it was one of my purchases one Xmas in Edmonton.  It's probably one of my faves from back then.  Round and Round, Lack of Communication, You're In Trouble, all classics.  For some reason I always loved the way 'Lack' started, all spontaneous sounding.  In hindsight its probably planned but whatever.

What can I say, I'm a sucker for 80's metal.  These guys had a few good albums in the late 80's early 90's but it's this one, their debut, that I like the best.  Tom Kieffer had this weird raspy voice that really worked perfectly with the music.

Ah yes, more 80's metal goodness.  'Seventeen', gotta love it.  Kip Winger, leader and bass player, cut his teeth working for Alice Cooper before forming Winger with Reb Beach.

Now the next question is what song to post?  Each album has its own gems, so what's it gonna be?

Lack of Communication.  That'll work.  Do yourself a favour and check the other albums out as well.

Billy Preston Pt 2

Billy Preston.  Fifth Beatle, in demand session musician, actor, and damn fine solo artist.  The list of musicians he worked with is too long to list here but a quick wiki will give you the 411.  I've been on a bit of a Preston collecting spree as of late and this album is my latest acquisition.  Released in 1971, the album is a mix of soul, gospel, and funk that Billy had always been doing.  The reason I got the album was for the Grammy winning instrumental jam 'Outa-Space'.  So with out further ado, I present 'Outa-Space'

watch me do the humpty hump

Now I have to preface this post with a quick comment.  I'm not really a rap guy.  At least I wasn't when I was younger.  I've come to appreciate it later in life but back then I only listened to a select bunch of hip hop.  One of the groups I listened to was Shock G's Digital Underground.

Shock G had personality issues when he was in Digital Underground.  On 'Doowutchyalike', the first single from their debut album 'Sex Packets' he was himself.  But on the next single 'The Humpty Dance' he was his alter ego Humpty Hump.  And Humpty was a horny, big nosed, not always rhymin' playa who didn't really care if he was ugly or not, cause he was still getting laid.  Now I prefer Doowutchyalike but ya got to give props to this song.  And it also contains one of the sickest bass grooves that still keeps me wondering if its a sample, an instrument or what!  I think I liked these guys because I got the feeling that they didn't take themselves too seriously.  I felt the party coming through the speakers.  When I found this 12 inch at Neptoon Records it was a no brainer.  Had to have it.  When I find Sex Packets I'll post 'Doowutchyalike' but for now ya get 'The Humpty Dance'.

we all live with our vices

It's funny what parts of your youth you remember.  I have lots of memories of events that have happened to me but the timelines of when they happened sometimes get skewed.  One memory that is very vivid in my mind is Xmas, Edmonton 1985.  That was the year I got my first walkman.  It was about the size and weight of a small brick, but that was what passed for portable in those days.  Didn't matter to me though, I was in heaven.  I spent that entire holiday with those headphones glued to my ears, burning through batteries at a frightening rate (anyone remember the Radio Shack battery club!) and reading my new Thieves World books.

Now I mention the books because, well they were awesome, but also I literally didn't interact with anyone that holiday.  I immersed myself in those books and listened to music.  And the music was purchased at the original West Edmonton Mall.  I bought these albums:

And finally,

I also got Van Halen 1984, and Quiet Riot Metal Health so you can see I was in 80's metal heaven!

Now besides 1984, the album that keeps creeping back in my mind all these years later is Vices.  Kick Axe was a Canadian band from Regina Saskatchewan that had their heyday in the mid 80's.  Their best album was their debut Vices.  Based on the positive reviews from the album they ended up on the road, opening for Quiet Riot, Priest and Whitesnake.  I remember hearing their follow up album, but it really didn't do much for me.  For me this was the album.  Pure 80's metal goodness, and from Canada to boot. I preferred this album to the other 'Canadian' metal band Helix.  I'll take 'Heavy Metal Shuffle' over 'Rock You' any day.  Big drums, big guitars, perfect!  Also you get a touch of the over-processed background vocals that Mutt Lange would eventually paint everything he touched with.  And for this type of music it totally works.

Now I've been looking for a good copy of this for some time.  Found a copy in one of the local shops but it was in rough shape.  Had it on my Discogs wantlist for a while and even looked on ebay until I finally found it.  And once again Apollo Music to the rescue!  Picked it up at their table at the spring record fair for a decent price and great condition.  Couldn't wait to spin it.  And the first track I played was this one:

Enjoy!