Classic Album Review, Bruce Dickinson, The Chemical Wedding

Bruce Dickinson, The Chemical Wedding (Air Raid-1998)

Ahh yes old Brucie is back. And the follow up to 1997s great 'Accident of Birth'. That album was a great come back to the metal world for Bruce as he was toying with the classic rock area for a while. Again produced by Roy Z it is crystal clear and having at the time a former Iron Maiden guitarist in Adrian Smith you know it will be good.

But it was way better than that, so much so this album really did put Bruce back into the eyes of the music press all around the world. When released it didn't have as much press at the previous album but I think that was for a reason, to make the press listen.

The cover is The Ghost of a Flea by William Blake. The Painting was done on a small hardwood panel but musically this album is not small at all. First track 'King in Crimson' reminds me of classic Dio mixed with a more extreme death metal style. Big drums and guitars. The bass kicks in and takes your head off. Then Bruce starts his classic singing style, he needs good lungs for this one as to get over the band he needs them.

Bruce said every track was written like the artwork, a small frame depicting an emotion. The first was about fear (so that's why it is so loud) second track 'Chemical Wedding' is about tragedy and you do feel it with Bruce's voice dipping and almost just talking to you. The music is simple and mixes some loud guitar parts with some nice harmonies that are used to help depict tragedy.

Track three 'The Tower' brings in that guitar player, Adrian Smith is considered the backbone of Maidens sound. More so as when he left the band really went on a downward spiral (He went in 1988) and Maiden albums never sounded the same till his return. Here is the track that proves what has been missing. Theme here is union and what a union of Bruce, Adrian and Roy Z. An idea was made to have bass strings on the guitars, and they did. This song just blasts the speakers out the house, big loud and heavy. Again all very simple with nice little lead guitar parts that flow between the vocals. Telling a story and keeping the great Blake theme going. The song goes into a fantastic solo that shows what we have all missed. the solo is more than a solo, not showing off just the guitar player but the drummer, bass, producers and the studio engineer. It is stunning and up there with the best.

'Killing Floor' starts off and nails the bass guitar sounding riffs so well you could let it go on. And it does. With Bruce shouting "Satan, has left his killing floor" the song feels bluesy and builds up all the time, riffing and interluding to a fantastic end.

'Book of Thel' opens up with some nice clean bass and the album really changes here. The clean bass builds into a nice big full band assault and Bruce again nails it. This song is so spooky and the lyrics just grab you by the throat. Verse two is worth the album alone! It grabs you and will not let you away. This is what metal is and what sabbath wanted scary doom maiden music. The band play so well here knowing when to slow down and/or speed up as if you are in a horror movie. The piano and spoken word narration at the end is so eerie you may just as well check over your shoulder.

'Gates of Urizen' takes back to a classic rock style, no that is unfair as it is more of an operatic feel. It is very melodic and would easily sound great with just an acoustic guitar. but musicians as good as this they make it better.

'Jerusalem' has that classic folk sound to it. I think Bruce and the band have a great sense of humor and all traces of Stonehenge disappear from your thoughts quickly. Building up with mainly vocals and some nice melodic guitar.

'Trumpets of Jericho' and 'Machine Men' offer up the great sounding big hitting guitar from earlier. Still catchy and still kicking you about the room. More nice melodic parts here and great guitar work. You can really feel the guitar sound more in later tracks and it is very addictive.

Final track 'The Alchemist' takes you on a journey of the whole album. Ending as the first started in fear. But uses a more  disorientated feel to confuse and scare you. The vocals change from singing to melodic harmonies to shouting just adding to the fear and feel.

Black Sabbath started this in 69 and it is rare an album can scare you or at least make you feel the eeriness. You listen to this and you feel like you are back in the 1800s and watching William Blake working on a poem or piece of art. What is weird is Blake's work for the best part when he was alive was ignored. Or more so was considered crazy and blasphemous. Even after he died some of his work was destroyed due to it being considered politically radical. Much like Blake's work this album has slipped by the mainstream for too long. And with that Iron Maiden fans who have never heard it. They are the last people that should hear this as they have had there chance.

This is more than just a music album, it is a history lesson, a lesson in story telling and above all a lesson in metal.

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Classic Album Review, Ian McNabb, Head Like a Rock

Classic Album Review, Ian McNabb, Head Like a Rock (This Way Up-1994)

This album from the lead singer of the Icicle Works was a Mercury Nominated album released back in 1994. A straight forward rock album, nothing fancy here ten songs that rock.

Well it has a bit more than that, Ian had made his previous album 'Truth and Beauty' the year before. And I have to say I don't really like it. That aside it was ok but not great, his first album should have been good as the Icicle Works were at the end just him in the studio with hired musicians on the road.

This album is really just a continuation of his debut solo but a little louder. To me it sounds more fun, loose and overall just skillful. The songs are all pretty simple but delivered in fine form. Solos sound great but not over the top. Add in a big backing band...

Crazy Horse. Yes Neil Young's backing band. Apparently after making his last album was wound up by the studio engineer about his rock days are behind him. Returning to Liverpool he made a demo, the record label teased saying it sounds like Crazy Horse. Ian was happy to record with Crazy Horse if the record company could get them. Well a few phone calls later and Ian is on a flight to LA.

Before heading to the US he managed to write three more songs for the recording with Crazy horse. After that the best session musicians in the city played on this. It is rare that an album sounds this good with so many people playing in different songs. It is odd but it just worked, the album runs so well you can not notice any difference in the music.

With limited time Crazy Horse only recorded four songs and the first three and last song is by them and Ian. Album opener 'Fire Inside My Soul' should have been a big hit, it could have been. Big bold sound and guitar riffs all over the place. I love how easy the music is to play but how well its played. It is like making a cup of tea but with the best tea and milk the world has to offer. A catchy song that will stay with you forever, Ian's lyrics will make sure of that. From the heart and not the wallet.

'You Must Be Prepared To Dream' again another single and bad news it missed the top 40. Why, why why!? One listen and you want to buy the album. Quickly written for this the band really show how good they are as it was pretty much all done live. Jamming can at times make some of the best music. Again just some simple riffs that plugs away at you. Ian has one of the most underrated voices in the UK. His vocals here are powerful and all that matters is he means it.

One thing that can be understood in how this was not a chart hit was the song lengths. Track one and two are over that big 3 minute pop song for the radio.

The third Crazy Horse song is over 9 minutes and again as good as the rest. 'Child Inside A Father' was recorded on the strongest cannabis Ian has ever had. The zone the band were in could not be broken and a defining start to a song with Ian standing all over his guitar pedals and then off into a fantastic song, the amp used was destroyed on this song, worth a listen eh?

'Still Got The Fever' takes us back to planet earth and classic McNabb vocals. Big choruses backed up by a church choir and some nice keyboards done again in a church organ sound. Grab a mate for a sing along here.

Some classic acoustic rock in 'Potency' gets you foot tapping into the funky sounding 'Go Into The Light' a song that makes you ask where this was made (LA) oh right thats why its so fun.

Next song is adding into the American sound and some steal guitar (It is actually called a Dobro) adds a nice touch, mouth organ and a great slow number. 'Sad Strange Solitary Catholic Mystic' continues the acoustic feel but the feet is not tapping as much. A very eerie song that is played very slowly with some nice Cello, Violin arrangements to keep the feel.

Last song 'May You Always' is the fourth and final Crazy Horse song. It is a mellow and thoughtful ending to the album. The band show all there skills here, from when not to play and let Ian's voice do the hard work. One thing you should do is listen to Ian's lyrics, they can be very easy to dismiss but at times it really is such amazing lines of poetry.

And again another addition to an album that has been missed. Ian McNabb is still making music and touring but I think this album was his time to break it big. But not so, people didn't buy it even after the music press liking it. As I said it was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. But back then it was uncool and the winners were M People (I ain't kidding). Ian took his mother to the celebration with a slight hope of winning. It should not matter but now looking back it may have helped. M People may not be around but they did sell a truck load of music (10 platinum awards) in the UK.

Just before this album was recorded Ian helped a mate record a few songs. As he was a mate it was done for a few drinks and a few quid. The mate was Ian Broudie, the album Jollification. Just shows how well he was writing at that point eh?

Classic Album Review, The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (virgin-1977)

This blog is for albums I feel people have missed out on and also ones I feel have undersold. This is not so much a review of the album as we have all heard this (I hope). But more info on it.

Out in October 1977 this album had to live up to the hype of what punk rock was. And it did, the fans went out and bought it to the point it got a gold award (100,000) in the UK within a few weeks. The album was a gamble by the record company and well, any record company. The hard work paid off.

Hitting the top of the charts as well in 1977 many kids got this and instantly went on to form bands and learn how to play. For anyone to want to play in a band they must want success, I mean who would want to play a gig to know one? The band wanted more success and also money. This album should have provided this. but the media in the UK had painted them as some sort of terrorist faction. So bad was the heat in the UK the band just could not play. Banned in many towns and cities in the UK it is hard to promote an album if you can't play live.

As a music fan I see a band on record as a totally different entity as a live act. Bands like this who thrive and exist due to live gigs the album can be like a keepsake, a memento if you like of a great live gig. But for many this was not the case banned even in Glasgow where the Lord Provost said "that Scotland had enough hooligans already without importing them from south of the border" Ha ha, what can a band do? banned in Glasgow! John loved it. But even outside the UK. Banned by the Catholic church in Italy and Ireland. The next gig was all the way to Norway.

And now onto why this album is in my blog. A blog for albums you may have missed. And for some who read this you may have heard some of the songs on this album. And liked them but it is a great album well produced and well written. It was so much more than it should have been. It was expected to be loud and noisy and a total mess. But producer Chris Thomas has worked with some of the biggest and best in the business (Floyd, Beatles) and his skills are used well here. Extracting some great music and recording something unknown at the time was to be one of the most influential albums ever made.

Even as the album was being recorded the band had no bass player and also no record deal. And half way through Thomas left the recording to leave studio engineer Bill Price to produce some of it. A band that could not get a gig or a record contract facing an uphill struggle and people wonder why they were full of anger. Contrary to popular belief the band was in good spirits when recording. More to do with not really knowing what they were doing. Add in the sacking of Glen Matlock who was the bands member with any real music knowledge.

As the album was about to be released the record company learned that demos of the same tracks were going to be released in France a week before this album. That other album was to be called 'Spunk' and was easy to get in the UK as the importing of albums was a big seller then. With this in mind Virgin rushed the albums release a week early. In doing so an error in the printing of the album missed out one track that was included on the French LP. Know one would buy an album that was missing a track so the LP was accompanied with a 7" single that had the missing song 'Submission'.

Once in the shops the album sold and thankfully music shops found the sale of guitars, drums and bass guitars wee also increasing. back in 77 the only way to learn was to listen and you need a teacher. This album has that, great songwriting that still means something. Johns voice has such a venomous rasp. He sings what he believes add in Steve Jones a riff machine that could give Toni Iommi a run for his money. Countless bands were formed and all because of this album. I really think if this album was crap or a least sounded bad I think everything could have been different. Even to the point a second album could have been made. Again not to go over old ground but the band fell apart while in America on tour. Missing any real normality the band were hounded everywhere and were pretty much locked out of the UK. This album has had so much of an effect on the band that both Steve and John moved to the US as they just could not stay in the UK.

What happened after this was pretty much called post Punk as many of the band changed there style. More aggressive music came out like Discharge and this in turn would go on to start the Hardcore Punk/Metal, Thrash, Grindcore and on an on it goes...

One thing that is shocking is the album too 11 years to go Platinum (300,000) in the UK. Getting to this in 1988. That means the album slowly sold over time. Kids getting to read about the punks and wanting to hear it. By the 1990s music and the industry had changed. Green Day and the Offspring would sell a shed load of albums (Dookie sold 10 million in the US alone). In a way the band were before there time and also a bit behind. There sound and style is not a million miles away from MC5 but the timing was what made it here.

I have this album here as I think many people have overlooked this album. More so the kids, the album is a history lesson as well as a rock n roll album. Hated by adults and loathed by the establishment. The band and album seem to set up boundaries and it simply would not have happened if it was crap. If you own any of the 90s punk bands albums and not this then seriously get a copy. If you have had it for years give it another spin you may be shocked at how fresh is sounds.