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!

Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing Baby?

Gotta get the orig' right!  I mean there's something about the search, the quest, that really gets me going.  Hunting the bins, digging, hoping to find that album that you've been looking for.  The Meters, Jimmy Smith, Shuggie Otis.  Need to find some vintage Sabbath and Maiden.  Would love to find some Grant Green for Bill.  I've had two copies of License to Ill pass through my hands and had to pass on a third because of funds, but I'll find it eventually.  Paul's Boutique as well.  It just takes time right?

Well the other day I was at Audiopile digging through the racks and I decided to check out the re-issue section.  Damn!  Look at all the awesome 180 gram releases.  I easily could've bought a dozen records.  Price was good, selection was great.  If only the money was available.  But it did get me thinking, "What's wrong with picking up the odd re-ish once and a while?"  My son bought Ill Communication and Tribe Called Quest, both 180gram releases, with his christmas money.  They're great.  So why don't I buy re-issues?  The answer to that is I don't know.  I mean I always preach it's about the music.  It shouldn't be about the age right?  I mean I love the music and the medium, do I really care about the age?

So what's it gonna be people?  Are you original only?  Or do you buy re-issue when you find something you want?  I'm starting to lean towards a bit of both and I'll tell you why.  If we all start buying the re-issues it will let the higher ups know that they should release more.  And then more music will start coming out on vinyl.  Maybe down the road there will only be two delivery forms, online and digital for the casual listener, and vinyl for the collector.

Note: turns out that Universal Music Group was listening!

http://www.universalmusic.com/corporate/universal-music-group-distribution-umgd-launches-groovetown-vinyl

Dance The Night Away Part Deux

Today I have the great honour of conducting a fictitious interview with founder and lead guitarist from Van Halen, Edward Van Halen.

me: Thanks Eddie for talking to me about Sammy's new book.  He says he didn't pull any punches when it comes to his time in Van Halen.

eddie: No problem, I haven't read it yet but I'm sure he's telling the truth.  As he remembers it anyway.

me:  Before we talk about the book, have you heard Santana's cover of Dance The Night Away?

eddie:  No but I love Carlos' stuff.  I was listening to Abraxas just the other day.

me:  Want to have a quick listen before we start?

eddie: Sure

< play song for Eddie >

< song ends >

me: What you think?

eddie: Sorry man, I must have fell asleep 'cause I just had a terrible nightmare.  I dreamt that Carlos trashed the song with his noodling and he had that dude from Train singing!

me:  No nightmare my man, that's the track.

eddie:  Don't ever call me again!

< hangs up>

Great!  Thanks Carlos, I don't think Eddie will ever do a fictitious interview with me again.  And I didn't even get to fake ask him about Sammy's book.  Damn You Carlos!!