Tag Archives: Eugeology

Facebook Friends Must Hears or: Dale Cole

19 Thursday Apr 2018

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Salutations™!!

So, I’m doing this new thing. Yes, I gave out on the lists that I was going to listen to and I am still going to do vinyl albums that I’m listening to but I’ve called on my Facebook friends to give me five or six of their “must hear” albums. I’ve gotten quite a few entries, too. I figure I’ll do them by whoever sent them to me. I’m only reviewing things that weren’t on the RS list when I went through that.

The first one to give me a list was my buddy, Dale. So, here ya go, Dale. My take on your list (these are in no particular order):

  • The Dirty Boogie by Brian Setzer Orchestra. I love Brian Setzer. I didn’t always. I
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    liked some Stray Cats stuff, definitely. It took me a while to get into his rockabilly stuff. But as I progressed I got more into the big band/swing music, not just him but the whole genre. I love, too that he can take the blues aspect of stuff that I generally don’t care for and hide it, seamlessly in the swing grooves. Yes, I understand that blues is the basis of a lot of the stuff that I listen to. I can recognize it and acknowledge it and even like it. I think Brian Setzer stands above his swing contemporaries, Squirrel Nut Zippers (I know that’s sacrilege around here) and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, even though I do enjoy them, too. My least favorite song on the album is still a song that I like. That would be “Jump Jive an’ Wail” originally done by the late, great Louis Prima. I really dig the duet with Gwen Stefani, “You’re the Boss.” And, I like the revamp of “Rock this Town” but I like the Stray Cats version better. Overall, I really liked hearing this album and would welcome more Setzer into my listening life.

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  • Force It by UFO. Eugene introduced me to some UFO during his “Eugeology” list. A 20-year old Michael Schenker on this, writing good rocking songs and wailing on the guitar. Eddie Trunk gets on my nerves a lot but I know why he slobbers all over Mr. Schenker. Is the best? Nah, but he rocks and at so young an age. The album cover from Hipgnosis would be enough for my younger self to do nothing but stare. There are great rocking tunes and ballads as well. “High Flyer” is a really great song as is the opening tune, “Let It Roll” and “Love Lost Love.” Nothing bad to say about this record at all. I love Phil Mogg’s voice, too. Pete Way is a great bass player and as I said in the review for Strangers in the Night, his runs have a presence and are tasteful. I liked it a lot and I think Eugene would be proud of me for saying so, eh, Eug?

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  • The Very Best of Otis Redding, Vol. 1 by Otis Redding. In the RS list, I left out the compilations. As long as they don’t get out of hand, I’ll allow them on this list. Otis has a great voice and there are some great songs on here. And, as I talked about in the RS list, a lot, song-length can be important. I don’t like a lot of long songs, especially those that are long for the sake of being long. I think that’s my biggest problem with some prog rock. But, these songs are mostly under three minutes long and they get their point across. Lots of soul and expression, here. And, another beautiful thing is that he wrote or co-wrote most of the tunes himself. Some of my faves are his version of “Satisfaction,” “Mr. Pitiful,” “Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song).”
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    ©Columbia

    Good stuff, here.

  • Still Alive and Well by Johnny Winter. Yeah, right off the bat, I’m getting that bluesy thing that I really don’t like. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s very good at what he’s doing, I just don’t care about it. There’s a couple of Stones songs on there but that doesn’t really help. Then again, I’m not much on the Stones anyway. Produced by Rick Derringer and does have Todd Rundgren on it, too. Plus, it has a tune written by Dan Hartman. I’m just not much on it. Sorry, Dale.
  • Rampant by Nazareth. I had to go looking for this one. None of my streaming services had it so I had to go to YouTube. The first two
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    ©A&M, et al

    songs are good, but I really, really like “Loved and Lost” and “Shanghai’d in Shanghai.” Dan McCafferty’s voice is awesome on the soulful “Loved and Lost” and the whole song has a bit of a mystique to it that whisps you away as you listen. And “Shanghai’d” has Sweet-like qualities in its harmonies. I dig it. “Jet Lag,” however, loses me. I hate that boogie blues stuff. The rest of the album is okay but it doesn’t really move me. But, those two songs were really good. Great work from the bass player, Pete Agnew, who is the only remaining founding member and is the father of the current drummer for the band. I’d go with “meh.”

  • Making Movies by Dire Straits. I have gotten to where I can just sit and listen to Dire Straits, no matter the album. I love the “Rollergirl” story. I hear there’s a video but I think it was before my MTV days. I’ll go back and watch the video on YouTube or something. Usually, when I say that an album became background noise I mean
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    ©Warner Bros

    it in a bad way. But, for this album and really any Dire Straits album, it’s actually what I’d look for to play in the background for stuff that I’m doing otherwise. There’s enough story to really bring you in when you pay attention but the music is ethereal and genuine enough to be a soundtrack for a good writing session or meditation. This is a really good collection from Mark Knopfler. “Expresso Love” is pretty righteous, too. The keyboard/piano work of Roy Bittan is sprinkled all over this album. He’s really great with tasteful ivory work. He’s really good. The whole thing is solid and I hate that it took me so long to really, really get into Dire Straits. I really dug this.

  • Dale also included Kick Out the Jams by MC5, but I had already listened to that on the RS List. If you’d like to revisit what I wrote you can do that HERE.

So, now, a month or three since I asked for suggestions, I finally got through one. I started right away, but it’s just taken a while with my vinyl listening, podcasting, personal appearances, and cooking. None of which I’d trade, but I am glad to finally get one of these out.

And, I want to thank Dale for the list. I’m proud of myself in the fact that I gave it all a true shot and that I actually found some stuff that I liked and reaffirmed some stuff that I thought I would. Overall, a good list Dale. All this from my very warped sense of “good…” but I digress! Thanks again.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Well, this cat’s on a hot tin roof. Drinkin’ that whiskey, 96 proof. Don’t need no doctor, don’t feel no pain. My legs are just two steps ahead of my brain.” – “This Cat’s on a Hot Tin Roof” (Setzer)

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 1/6/18

07 Sunday Jan 2018

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Salutations™!!

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©Verve

 

So, yesterday was the first trip into Underdog Records of 2018. The BCPF and I got some good stuff, I believe. I filled in a couple of empty spaces on the RS list and one from the Eugeology list, too. The overall haul was short, but the depth was good! Let’s hit it…

Right after we left yesterday, Jonathan got in a used Audio-Technica ATLP120 in like-new condition with an upgraded cartridge. It has already sold but he gets stuff like this in nearly every day. Follow them on Instagram to keep track of what comes through there, as it comes through there. Great deals to be had there, in equipment and records, obviously! We also love using Discogs to keep track of what we have, info on the records, who produced what, who played on what and so on. Plus, there’s a marketplace if you’re not finding the stuff you need elsewhere. Check them out.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Everybody’s at war these days. Let’s have a mini-surrender. I need some sentimental hygiene.” – “Sentimental Hygiene” (Zevon)

Listing or: a New Play

05 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Movie Review, Music Review, Records

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Salutations™!!

Well, it’s a new year. Last year around the new year, I finished two long-time lists, The Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time and the 400 nominations for the AFI 100 Years… 100 Movies. Again, those were long, drawn-out treks. The movies list took almost nine years and the RS list was a three-year jaunt. Lots of hours spent in that. One day I may add up the run times of each film and each album to see how much time those actually took. I’m really curious.

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©NME

 

Then, this past year, I did Eugeology: Eugene’s List of Hard Rock Albums and Possible Gems where Eugene and Jon and I listened to a random list of 50 hard rock albums that Eugene thought were fantastic and perhaps lesser known to everyday music folk. I finished it in almost perfect time. Eugene got somewhere barely over half done and Jon never made it to half. Oh well.

Now, the point is, Dear Reader, you know that I do lists. That’s how I operate. Eug jokes that the only way to get me to do something is to put it on a list or let it involve a streak and watch me burn through it. He’s not far off from the truth, there.

I feel I need to explain this again, but I’m always asked why I have to have lists, why can’t I just listen to stuff? I’ll condense it and say that where I grew up there were no top 40 or pop music radio stations until at least 1982 and at that, it was a limited playlist. We didn’t have MTV and I really had no access to the plethora of music that was out there. My father listened only to what we now know as “classic country” and my mother listened to Leslie Gore and gospel stuff. She isn’t really a “musical person.” I spent most of my time, ages 8 until around 12/13, listening to nothing but KISS. I don’t regret that, but I do wish I had more knowledge of the rest of musicdom.

As I said at the beginning, it’s a new year. And, since I’m out of lists that I was already working on, well, I need another. So, I was looking through some Google searches and came across a few lists but the one that I think is manageable right now is NME’s 101 Albums to Hear Before You Die. I will figure out how to structure the listen. I know for the RS list I did 10 at a time and with Eug’s list we did one a week. I don’t know, just yet, how I’m going to approach it. I know that about half of the albums on that are on the RS list in different spots (obviously) but there are some out there things that I’ve never even heard of. You never know I may find the next Forever Changes (Love), Maggot Brain (Funkadelic) or Berlin (Lou Reed) on this list. Or, I may find the stuff too out there for me and abandon it. We’ll see. I know that NME has a 500 of all time, too. Who knows. I have the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (2011 edition) book and there’s a website with the whole list including all editions. You never know I may pick all of those. For now, however, I’m going to say the NME list is what I pick. You’ll see how it works out because I know you read every day, right? Right.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Lists are how I parse and manage the world.” – Adam Savage

Back at the Funny Farm or: Another Perfect Day (Eugeology Entry 50)

26 Tuesday Dec 2017

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Salutations™!!

So, here it is. The end of the road for the Eugeology Series/Project/Experiment, whichever you want to call it. I’ll offer a retrospective on all of it in the next week or so. Meanwhile, let’s do this one:

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©Mercury/Bronze/Castle/Sanctuary

 

#50 – Another Perfect Day by Motörhead.

Back in entry #4, I predicted there would be a Motörhead album on the list. Well, Eugene kept me in suspense on it until the very last entry. This album is from 1983 and is the only one with former-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian “Robbo” Robertson. It seemed like it was going to be a great thing until they started recording. Robbo was a bit of a perfectionist. Lemmy didn’t like the amount of time he’d consume trying to get the right take on each track. Lemmy said everyone hated it, too. I don’t know about that.

I know nothing of Motörhead’s songs except “Ace of Spades” which I’m glad isn’t on here.  Eug has been telling me about the “genius” that is Motörhead for the whole time I’ve known him and I never understood it. And I still don’t. Every song to me sounds like a big jumbled mess. Because Lemmy keeps so much distortion on his bass you can’t tell what he’s doing. It’s just fast, heavy and messy. Also, Lemmy has two notes he sings and both of them are screamed and seemingly stretched to his full vocal capacity.

I want to say that I like the guitar work of Brian Robertson, but the production is a bit muddy. So much so that even Phil Taylor’s drums are buried in the heap. Now, all that being said, I’m not saying its awful. To Motörhead fans, this is what they’re looking for. And, if I’m grading something on what its supposed to be, then I can’t fault the record. There are a few tunes that I like at least parts of. “Dancing on Your Grave” is pretty good. “I Got Mine” actually has Lemmy stepping outside of his two-note vox box. “Die You Bastard” isn’t too bad, either. I would say my favorite song on the album is “One Track Mind.” I like melodic and that’s about as close as Lemmy and Co. can get, I think.

I don’t really know what to say about this album other than, it’s just not my thing. Motörhead is just not my thing. I’ll probably be told that I don’t understand the spirit of it or the spirit of rock and roll or something. But, I’ll argue that no matter what it is to some, to me, it’s not a pleasure to listen to it. I don’t like it. But, I reiterate, it’s not bad. It’s just not something I want to hear. Perhaps if I was in a bad mood? Nah, probably not. But, Dear Reader, don’t take my word for it, listen to it yourself and you decide your thoughts on it. I do thank you, Eug, for attempting to enlighten me on Motörhead. I probably let you down on it, but I just can’t. Jon, still back at #19, perhaps by this time next year, you’ll have time to catch up?

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“One arm bandit, one-way ride. One arm bandit, one more try. One-way ticket, one horse town. One-way ticket, no way down. One track mind.” – “One Track Mind” (Kilmister/Taylor/Robertson)

Not Eugeology or: Still on Vacay

21 Thursday Dec 2017

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Salutations™!!

So, we’re still on vacay this week and I am late to the post tonight. I had already told Eugene that I wouldn’t be doing the last entry for the Eugeology countdown today because I haven’t had time to listen to it. But, I will post about it on Monday or Tuesday. So, instead, today you get something interesting like I throw out on Saturdays. Here is Hayseed Dixie doing a bluegrass cover of Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.” You’re welcome in advance.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“If you like to gamble, I tell you I’m your man. You win some, lose some, it’s all the same to me. The pleasure is to play, makes no difference what you say. I don’t share your greed. The only card I need is the Ace Of Spades.” – “Ace of Spades” (Robey)

I’ve Got a Rampant What? or: Live at the Inferno (Eugeology Entry 49)

14 Thursday Dec 2017

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Salutations™!!

Inching closer, we’re at the penultimate position in this countdown. The last entry was okay. It was more a question to Eugene about why the album for me. It was a good listen but it wasn’t anything spectacular. I know he has a way to go but I really want to read his review of that one. Jon meet ether… Ether, Jon. Let’s do the next to last ‘un…

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©Megaforce Records

 

#49 – Live at the Inferno by Raven.

We waited over half the countdown for this one. It was a matter of getting it for all of us. It is available from Amazon Prime Music and I never had any troubles, but it isn’t available on any other streaming service. I also listened when it first was mentioned but am revisiting it with research this time.

I was amazed that so much sound came out of a trio. This is full! If I’m remembering correctly (and I could be mistaken), from what Eugene said it’s a show with no overdubs so what you hear is what they gave. You get hit from the opening until the end. I believe they proclaim that on the album itself. Another drawback to having to listen to stuff digitally, I don’t get to hold the media, thus missing a major advantage of being a music fan; marveling in the packaging, thought and effort that went into an album.

I knew nothing of Raven, just the name. I thought it was yet another five-piece New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) music. They give you all that you’d want in such an album: rapid double kick with galloping rhythms, high-pitched screams, fast guitar riffs, etc. It was all in there. You can tell they were having fun and the crowd seems to be really into it.

This is no “gettin’ by” band, either. They’re the real deal. John Gallagher did things on the bass guitar that many guitarists would be jealous of. Listen to the solo “I.G.A.R.B.O.” That’s him slinging his c**k around. Figuratively, obviously. In fact, he has stated that the title of that song is “I’ve Got a Raging Boner On.” Whether that’s true or not, I have no reason to not believe him. We’ll go with it. Johnny G is also the one with all the glass-shattering screams in a register that makes even me say, wow (if you don’t know, I do a lot of falsetto screams and I’ve kind of gotten to be known for it in the VSS circle; he has me beat). I don’t know how he can growl at the crowd but still maintain the smooth vocals while singing. His jumping from lower to higher registers and back again, in the middle of the phrase is pretty cool. He does it the whole time but the verses of “Break the Chain” is where you can really hear it happen. And, his screams in “Hell Patrol.”

John’s brother Mark is all over the fingerboard. Sometimes it’s almost as if it’s too much, but he seems to reign it in and makes it work. He’s got chops, for sure. His tone is certainly in line with the status quo of NWOBHM era. That’s good – give them familiarity, but then break their face. The tone is heavy and meaty but it cuts through. He’s certainly not afraid of the tremolo bar, either. He whammies pretty darn well. Also, his pinch harmonics are pretty mean.

Future Harry Connick, Jr. audio engineer, Rob Hunter (known to his pals as “Wacko), is the one holding down those cliche galloping beats (not a bad thing) with some pretty mad fills and rolls. I love the crisp snap of his snare drum. He also does the backing vox for the show.

If I’m going to pick things that I don’t like (there aren’t many), I would start with the growling demon sounds in “Hell Patrol.” JG pretty much undermines the ingenious screams with that. I know he was just feeling it and playing the crowd and in 1984, it was definitely part of the landscape. So, just ignore that, I did. Also, nothing else stood out enough for me to gripe about it.

This was a fun listen. It’s probably not something that I’d want to hear a lot of, but I think the boys were good. I’d have it on vinyl if I came across it. They’re still together, at least the Gallagher brothers and a new drummer, Joe Hasselvander (who has no known nicknames). My faves on the album were “All for One,” “Mind over Metal,” “Break the Chain,” “I.G.A.R.B.O.” Thanks Eug for adding it. We have one more to go, I’ll get that assignment today, I hope, and we’ll be ready to close this thing out. Jon, (sigh), nevermind…

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“That complacent tramp setting the world on fire. C***s to smell you’re ready to kill and the father that calls me a liar. You can’t shimmy down, be her in this town. You won’t know the score to the break of the dawn. You’re totally wiped out!” – “Wiped Out” (Hunter/Gallagher/Gallagher)

Hot to Trot? or: Wild Dogs (Eugeology Entry 48)

07 Thursday Dec 2017

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Salutations™!!

I think I pleased Eugene with the last entry. The thing is he doesn’t comment much when I do like something. He indeed comments when I don’t. Jon doesn’t say a whole lot. He’s still sitting at #19. He may finish this time next year. We’ll see. Okay, let’s hit it. wild-dogs-541d88043e488

#48 – Wild Dogs by The Rods.

I have no clue who the Rods are. I have never heard of them, have never heard a single song (unless it’s been slipped in on me and me not know it). And, let me be clear up front, here. I think this is a fine album. I would say that I like it. Let’s leave that right there. Now, let me say some stuff about what’s going on here.

There’s not a wealth of info on the internet (Wikipedia is barren and the link to their website dies in transit) about them. The guitarist and co-vocalist David Feinstein (known to his pals as “Rock”) is the cousin of Ronnie James Dio. Okay. He played in the band Elf with his cousin. Okay. He’s a good riffing guitarist and I can’t tell who is singing what so I’m going to say he’s a good singer. He’s not overly flashy but just enough to make me say, “well, alright!”

The drummer Carl Canedy (also listed as vocals) is probably the flashiest of the musicians. The drums are more than solid, they are heavy and artful. The runs and fills are pretty impressive. Again, I don’t know who is singing what, so let’s say he’s good?

I believe this is the first album that had Garry Bordonaro as bass player with the band. I can hear some good riffing in there. There are runs and passages that are pretty good. He, too, is listed as “vocals.” I don’t know what that means, exactly, so I’m going to say he’s good?

As for the songs, there are a few that I really liked and a few that I didn’t. I am conflicted with the opening track. The song itself isn’t bad but I hate their use of the phrase “I’m too hot to trot.” I don’t know why that irks me but it does. I actually have used the phrase in conversation but its use in this song just bothers me. The rest of that song isn’t bad.

The pedophilia aspect of “Violation” is weird, but I can’t knock it too much because there were two songs from KISS that talked about the same thing and I loved both of those songs. The rest of the song lyrically is a violation. And it’s cheese. I’d say this is the song I don’t like the most. And, while I’m at it, I don’t like “The Night Lives To Rock,” the last song on the album, lyrically, because they say they’re gonna rock their arses off for me. That’s dumb. It’s very “Rock and Roll All Nite”-ish. Don’t force anthems, that’s anti-anthemic, I think.

I don’t care for the lead vox in the cover of “Keep Me Hangin’ On” but I do love the backing vox. It’s weird. Overall, that song’s pretty good.

Now, I do like “Burned By Love.” I love the harmonies in that. I like the title track. I like the guitar riffs in that. Also, there’s room for Canedy to show off his double kick work. After complaining about the lyrics of “The Night Lives To Rock” I’m contradicting myself by saying I do like the song “Rockin’ ‘N’ Rollin’ Again.”

My favorite tune on the album is “End of the Line.” The lead and backing vox are really good. “No Sweet Talk, Honey” is pretty rocking and good, too. So, I’d say it’s right down the middle, hit or miss. My faults are probably minor infractions in the grand scheme of the album.

Now, let’s revisit my initial statements on it: I think this is a fine album. I would say that I like it. However, my question is to Eugene. This isn’t a knock on the album, but why did this particular album make the Top 50? I feel that while it’s good, it’s a bit of a stretch. Even the ones in the past that I haven’t liked have been more obvious as to why you picked it. I don’t find a lot of memorable material on this. Until I just forced myself to pay attention, the best it could get was background filler. Again, I think it’s good, just I won’t ever seek it out and don’t care if I don’t hear it again. I know you’re several (okay ~20) behind and I should wait until you catch up with the review. I just think there could have been better albums for this spot. Again, this is your list and I don’t mean to question, just, I don’t know, it was kind of flat. NOT bad… flat. But, it’s still something I wouldn’t have heard and I appreciate the introduction.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“What are you going to do when I finally walk away? How are you going to feel when I’m gone? What are you going to do when I finally turn away? How are you going to feel when I’m gone? It’s the end of the line.” – “End of the Line” (The Rods)

Highway to Tomorrow or: Progressions of Power (Eugeology Entry 47)

30 Thursday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

I let Eugene down on the last one, but I had to be honest, right? Let’s move on to this week’s entry. Jon will be along, eventually, right?

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©Attic/RCA/TML

 

#47 – Progressions of Power by Triumph.

Note: I only listened to this one four times as opposed to the usual six spins per album.

I didn’t need six spins to talk about this one, even though I had never heard it before being assigned it from Eug. I know there have been things said about Triumph. The poor man’s Rush, the other rock trio from Canada, etc. I have certainly come around on Rush. I used to really get annoyed listening to them, but I have learned that it was some really good songs, mechanical or not. I had heard less of Triumph, musically. Of course, I had heard “Fight the Good Fight” and “Lay It on the Line,” those were hits here and got some play on the local classic rock channel. I even have a live album from them on CD.

But, I never really paid attention to them. I passed on them. That was dumb. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to know more, I just had other things to listen to. I can hear some similarities between Triumph and Rush much of which I won’t get into. But, this is especially the case in the vocals. Now, only about half of the songs are sung by guitarist Rik Emmett, but he has that high shrill voice that is much more melodic and smoother than Geddy Lee’s. I like his voice. I like his voice better than Gil Moore, the drummer and co-lead vox. Not that there’s anything wrong with Moore’s vocals. I just prefer the higher registers that Emmett throws at us. Also, Triumph is less proggy than Rush tends to be.

This album starts off slow with me, though. “I Live for the Weekend” is a boogie-rock type song that I just can’t get into. I was afraid the whole album was going to be like that and then I’d have to disappoint Eug for a second week in a row. I also thought it was a live album from the way the production sounded. It wasn’t. I also liked that fact, that it wasn’t. Luckily, the rest of the album was awesome and fan-frickin’-tastic.

I love the gritty riff rock of “Nature’s Child.” It gets to highlight the drum work of Moore, as well. Great flange/phaser effect there, too. I know Eug love a good flange. “Woman in Love” is just in your face rocking. It reminds me of some Foreigner and that’s not a bad thing, at all. The harmonies in the chorus are typical of the time but so well executed. The guitar solo is also on point.

So, in probably the least “rock” thing I can say about this album, “Take My Heart” is my favorite song on the album. I am a sucker for a good ballad but this gets really syrupy and sappy and I love it. The vocal melody, chord progression and instrumentation are amazing!! Again, I love it! Love! It! So, there.

“Finger Talking” into “Hard Road” is a great segue combination. “Hard Road” is a great way to rock the album out. It shows Emmett’s guitar prowess and vocal ability, well. Great song to end a great album.

I do like that it kept a little prog rock qualities but really it was a straight-up rock album that for the most part, I really dug. I have to give a shout to Michael Levine. He’s a great bass player that I think gets lost in the Emmett/Moore Machine. He has great riffs but they’re subtle and not blaring or flashing. Solid.

My least favorite tunes are “Tear the Roof Off” and “I Live for the Weekend,” but even those aren’t bad. They’re just not my favorites. All in all, I think this was an excellent album and I thank Eug for introducing us to it. If you’re not familiar with Triumph, Dear Reader, or you are a Rush fan, give this a try. I’m not comparing them to Rush, I just think fans of that band would like this one. This is a good album to intro them.

I can see Eug trying to catch up on his own list and I think I see Jon way back in the distance. He’s just had a lot going on this year. Perhaps he’ll at least listen to the albums even if he doesn’t write about them. I hope he writes about them, though. Okay, that’s all.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I wear a song to mask my awkward face. The music helps to fill the empty space. I wish that I could hide it all away. Instead, it shows in every note I play. And I play. And I play…” – “Take My Heart” (Emmett, Levine, Moore)

The Last Train? or: Heartbreak Station (Eugeology Entry 46)

27 Monday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

The last entry was something that I was familiar with and I really enjoyed it. Eugene and Jon are behind but Eug is trying to catch up. I was late with this one because Thursday was Thanksgiving and I hadn’t had time to give it a fair shake. But, let’s hit it…R-5700976-1400324217-3906.jpeg

#46 – Heartbreak Station by Cinderella.

I loved Cinderella’s first two albums. They were raw, yes, but still glammy and glittery. They were gutter rock and that was great. “Nobody’s Fool,” “Somebody Save Me,” “Nothin’ for Nothin’,” “Shake Me,” “Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams,” “Gypsy Road,” “The Last Mile,” “Coming Home” and the list goes on. Night Songs and Long Cold Winter had those. And, then, this album came along. This was Rolling Stones. This was Aerosmith. Both of those by which I picked out as soon as I heard it. I will say that Tom Keifer and company did Stones and Aerosmith better than the originals but I don’t really care for either way for the Stones, I can’t stand Aerosuck, and I don’t care for Cinderella doing them.

One way for me to switch the channel on SiriusXM’s Hair Nation channel is to let “Shelter Me” come on. I absolutely hate that song. From the first time in 1990 until the fourth time hearing it during this project, I have completely hated it. This is not the glammy and glittery gutter rock that Cinderella was to me. This was a sad excuse for a blues record, and we know how I feel about blues music. Not, hard rock – or even pop rock – that are based in blues, but when I can hear the blues coming out. And, it reminded me of “Copperhead Road” in places and I hate that song, too.

One funny thing about this album, it came out on my 20th birthday. Okay, that’s really not funny but it is somewhat ironic that I dislike it as much as I do. And, I really do. There are moments that I like and a few of the songs, but overall, I couldn’t wait for it to be over every time I listened to it. And, I never listened to it back to back. I just needed a break. I will say, though, that while I say there are a few that I like, I really do like “Electric Love.”

Like I said, on Night Songs and Long Cold Winter, I loved what Keifer, Eric Brittingham, Fred Coury and Jeff LeBar did. On this, I find very little redeeming qualities. Sorry, Eug, but this is a dud for me. But, remember Dear Reader, this is just my opinion. I’m not right or wrong, just how I feel. Definitely, give it (and the two albums prior in their discography) a listen. You may like it. It grates me, badly. Look for Eugene’s and Jon’s reviews sometime next year on this one.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Woke up this morning on the wrong side of bed. I got this feeling like a train’s running through my head. Turned on my radio to the same old song. Some big mouth talking trying to tell us where the world went wrong.” – “The More Things Change” (Keifer)

This is Home or: Fair Warning (Eugeology Entry 45)

16 Thursday Nov 2017

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Salutations™!!

Last week was a bit difficult for me to put my finger on. Good? Yes. My thing? No. But, that’s okay. Eugene doesn’t expect me to like everything, but he does expect me to give it a fair shake. That, I did. Jon is in the ether somewhere. Let’s do this week…

#45 – Fair Warning by Van Halen.

Van_Halen_-_Fair_Warning

©Warner Bros.

 

Eugene says this is his favorite Van Halen album. I can see that. It is not my favorite Van Halen album, however, I do believe it is better than both its immediate predecessor and successor. Women and Children First was a decent album but kind of a departure from the same quality as the first two VH albums. Diver Down, to me, was David Lee Roth’s cover album; an appeasement. Both good but neither fall on my favorite list. This, however, is one that I can listen to over and over. The songs are inventive for Eddie and a good showcase for DLR. And, it was still “raw” for a Van Halen album. That, you will find, is low on my priority list but for this album, it really works.

One thing I noticed is that part of  the outro from “Hear About It Later” is, at the very least, an inspiration to the intro to 1984‘s “Girl Gone Bad.” And, time signatures? Don’t get me started. Well, actually, it’s not about the time signatures themselves, generally, it’s the fact that the band syncopates the living shite out of it. “Unchained” is a perfect example. Try counting that bad boy in 4/4 time. You can’t really until you get to the part where the drums and bass come in. And, going back after you find that time, you see that Eddie starts on the “four and” beat and alternates back and forth between the “four and” and the “one.” Sorry to geek out on the music theory there, but EVH is one that takes theory and rewrites it. It’s always an exercise in “suspending the musical theory disbelief.”

Another interesting and important thing in VH lore is the opening track, “Mean Street.” Eddie uses the intro to this tune in his solos, even if they don’t play the whole song. It’s innovative because it’s his famed tapping but in an even more percussive manner. Yes, technically tapping is percussive but this is more slapping the fretboard that gently tapping it.

This whole album is a bit of a departure from the “fun” that the first three had. I don’t mean that it doesn’t have its humorous moments. I mean, David Lee Roth is involved. It just doesn’t have that “party” atmosphere that, up until this point, was evident with VH records. It’s darker, for sure.

One thing that is an absolute is that if you are familiar with the first three VH albums and you didn’t know what you were about to listen to, you’d know right away that this is a VH album upon the first listen. Part of it is that you know Eddie’s playing and you know Ted Templeman’s production.

Not that Michael Anthony needed any “highlight time” but “‘Dirty Movies'” does get to showcase his bass abilities and man, no matter how good Wolfie (Van Halen, the current bassist for the band) is, he’ll not be able to emulate those backing vocals the same way that Michael does. His chops could almost rival EVH’s as he has to play the same riffs in places and he hangs the whole time. The whole album is splattered with his awesomeness.

What can be said about Alex Van Halen that hasn’t already been said? Nothing much. He is a showman, a wildman, and one of the finest drummers you’ll find. He’s flash. He’s definitely flash, but he can back it up. For most drummers, this could be chaos. But, he still keeps it all classy and it all fits no matter how much flash he displays. It’s always thunderous. I guess he’s the storm of the band.

And DLR, as much as I have my eye-rolling moments with him, he’s still one of the greatest frontmen, especially at this time, in rock and roll. Not the greatest voice, but definitely a distinct and unique voice. Not many people can break their voice in two like he could. He could harmonize with himself on the shrieks.

My favorite tunes on this album are “Mean Street,” Hear About It Later,” “Unchained” and “So is This Love?” Sure, they’re the main tunes on the album, but as I said, it’s not my favorite VH album, so I like the hits. Incidentally, my top 5 VH albums (in order)? 1984, 5150, Van Halen, Fair Warning, OU812. Don’t hate, I like what I like.

One last note, I got to listen to this on vinyl because I own it. I enjoy the ones that I have on vinyl. I never got to listen to most of this as a kid, at least in this way. Thank you Eug for having this one on the list. It was comforting to me to have something at least familiar. I know that’s not the point of this exercise, but it was still welcomed. Jon…

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Hey, you remember when that girl was prom queen?” – “‘Dirty Movies'” (Van Halen/Van Halen/Anthony/Roth)