Classic Album Review, Strapping Young Lad, City

Strapping Young Lad, City (Century Media-1997)

Now and then a metal album comes along and just makes you wonder why bother. I still remember my first listen of this amazing album. March 1997 just back from Music Mania (Old Glasgow shop) and the owner said to me good luck as I left the shop.

I see why for 1997 it is such a crazy album. For 2012 it is still a crazy album. In 2050 it WILL still be a crazy album. But it is a good thing. Devin Townsend hits such highs on this album that it will always be a benchmark for the nosier side of things. The band was started as more of a joke band. Much like Spinal Tap.  Devin was playing guitar with Stevie Vai for a while and was a well respected musician. But he had to break away from being in someone else's band and start his own. And well job done.

I say a joke album not so much as in ha ha look at the haircuts but the music is just so over the top. It was not trying to push boundaries but show how full of shit the boundaries are. We all have seen the Cannibal Corpse album covers and heard the guttural vocals of death metal. At times it is good but much of it is a load of crap. First song 'All Hail the New Flesh' follows on from an epic intro track to really take metal to you.

There is so much going on here on this album I really don't want to review this album with words like"heavy", "Loud" and "Skullcrushing". Saying this album is heavy over and over is again the joke. But Devin is so good at making music. Not just a great writer and guitar player he has crafted this album into more than a white noise album. You can feel some real music in this, it may be layered over and over in the tracking in the album. But you do get a real sense of another listen and each time it gets better.

Songs like 'Detox' that may have a meaning to us all are delivered with such attitude it feels as if it is perfectly normal to play like this. Big riffs and a great drum sound are all here each track builds nicely and shows the listener that at times heavy music can create just as much character as a comedy actor.

Devin deemed himself a musical whore due to being forced to play with other artists that I think this album was his therapy and also the reason to move on. 'Oh my Fucking God' is as it says on the tin. Again mocking the play faster to be fastest band attitude. During the song it slows down with the lyrics just repeating the song name. Point made and at times he is so right.

'AAA' is the song that changes style a little, slower and more industrial feeling. Cleaner guitars are here but still made to sound big by Devin. You could call this a slow song in a way but well the rule book has been binned for this album.

This album really got noticed in the press and only in the metal press. I think it does deserve to be listened by more people who may hate metal music. Remember metal is not just Metallica and Slayer, give this a try and if only to have an album to get one back on the noisy crap music that is played by the neighbors till 4am on a Sunday morning.

The album was on a metal label but that really should not have stopped it selling more. It was also Devin's first full on band album (His first SYL was more him and a drum machine). It really shows what he could do and his fantastic studio skills. This album set him up for all his solo work, a body of work that is more varied than most of the 70s put together. People who say they like classic rock music may mock this album but I say this is never going to sound classic. Now that is worth a listen.

Classic Album Review, Rollins Band, Get Some Go Again

Rollins Band, Get Some Go Again (2000-Dreamworks SKG)

Who does not like Rollins Band! Come on! *Shyly put up my hand*

Yes I was never a fan. Well I do like Henry Rollins and Black Flag but this being has band after Black Flag I struggled. I think it is more me as much of his releases were done when I was a fan of rock and not into punk as much (Mostly due to Offspring and Green Day blinding me).

Bu 2000 comes my tastes have some what changed. Sex Pistols reform and I finally get it, britopop dies and rock is back but the bands love punk and then so do I. Rollins Band pretty much broke up before this album with long standing members leaving the band. He had sung in this band for well over ten years and it must have hurt to start again.

Henry was looking for a change in direction in his music and also looking to make an album that rocked. He had produced the band Mother Superior just before looking to start his new project. Blown away by the bands sound and by how fast the get things recorded in the studio he asked if they would be his band. Some writing later and this album is recorded.

It could be unfair to still use the Rollins Band name as the past members were in it for so long but the band does has his name. Also as Henry says it actually is Rollins and a band so the name stayed. But the sound did swap from the post punk/hardcore/jazz to an all out rock n roll sound.

The band and Henry know each other so well the album just sounds so great, as if friends for years it plays so well.  First song feels a little different and helps ease you into the album 'Illumination' is a mix of old and new. Punk and hardcore with the great bluesy style riffs that are so loud you may have to turn it down a bit. Lead single and the album namesake 'Get Some Go Again' is a great start to the album nailing the rock n roll all out hit the dance floor song on the head. A song about how many bands at the time were not rocking and this song does prove him right. The whole album follows this song in style but add in some nice interludes and great rhythm section the album just kicks in the speakers.

'Monster' reminds me of Sabbaths 'Iron Man'. A big iron bloke is replaced with a monster. Chunky riffs that are all over this album. 'Love's so Heavy' is similar with nice solos and Henry's voice being more sincere.

'Thinking Cap' is one of my favorites with a song about the bullshit we all put up with in normal life. From the way you have to be better than everyone else from the bigger mortgage to the looks and a nice little narration on henry pulling some sort of glamor model apart.  'Are You Ready' is a fantastic cover of the Thin Lizzy classic. It is very much like the original but a little faster, more punky and all round a nice version. The co writer and Guitarist Scott Gorham plays guest on this as well.

The album ends with 'Illuminator' a remix of the first track it does sound good and adds in a small bonus to the albums price.

I say end, not yet the UK edition has a hidden track clocking in at 14 minutes. Simply a session of the band and Henry in the studio. Bass bends and riffs a plenty its a jam worth listening to. And here we come to why this album never made the band bigger or at least the same level. The record company just did not seem to know what to do with this album and so badly they even messed up the production of the album. Missing out Illumination and the Remix on the American album was just stupid. A very important song in building this album, who would by an album with music missing?

The record company should have pulled the albums and redone it but no. You had to write to the record company and ask for the tracks on another CD. Over in the UK the album was out in a 2CD with videos and many extras. I know the album was well received here and given great reviews. Also targeting the the rock market in a time nu metal was starting to really make it was hard.

Such a shame I love this album and I never hear any reference to it by rock or punk fans. I have been at Rollins Band gigs and talked to fans who don't have it. Well if you didn't know about it you do now.

Get Some Go Again is available but get the UK edition or the Re Release 2CD (Done by Rollins himself) so you get all the tracks.

Classic Album Review, Kicked in the Teeth, Zeke

Zeke, Kicked in the Teeth (Epitaph Records-1998)

This album is one of those great punk albums that you just don't get too often. Formed in 1993 they put out a couple of great albums before signing with Epitaph in 98. Great move by Epitaph as I think they were easily capable of gaining more sales and fans. There all out punk rock at the time could have easily taken fans of Green Day and the Offspring with them. They had paid there dues in touring and releasing on indi labels but for some reason the sales never happened. 

Album number three should be a walk in the park and it was for them this is fast as you can go. Mix Motorhead, Slayer and the Ramones and you have Zeke. First track sets it off and gets you going. Simple lines of lyrics bit like Discharge (same sentence over and over). Big rhythm guitar in this much like Johnny Ramones machine gun trashiness back in the 70s. Now this is fast and so far typing this one paragraph I am onto track four.

Ha ha yes that fast I really can't review the album in a song by song fashion as some tracks barley make it out of 60 seconds. track four is 'Twisted' much like the music but this one is one of the slower songs but vocals by Blind Marky Felchtone make sure it stays with you. 

With a decent size label and a pretty simple sound the album is easy to record, it sounds well produced but just enough looseness to satisfy hardened punk fans. Solos are very quick and more like a riff at times like in 'Dogfight' bending the strings at the right time repeated can make more of a rock and roll noise than the most flashy solo. If done right of course, and it is here. The drums are so repetitive the drummer must have RSI. Relentless is all I can say, no big drum fills or build ups for a song. Forget atmosphere and building up a feeling to the music. This will catch you and take you on a roller coaster ride to hell. 

Sometimes a trip in hell is needed and an album needs just to kick your arse and show you what it really is all about. Punk music has been so raped by the music industry I think kids really don't know how to rock at times. The one and only time I saw this band live was at the Arena in Glasgow (Fuck that shows my age). Third song in the singer is throwing himself about the stage and falls over and breaks his arm. Gig over! ha ha. 

There is a cover here and it is a Kiss cover. Thankfully it is one of the best songs they done in 'Shout it out Loud' respect paid and respect back as it is a great cover. This album still 14 years later gets a spin and every time I do play it I look at the cd player thinking I am on track two when it is really on track five. I love that in an album and the whole thing is over in 20 minutes. As Joe Strummer used to say "get it over and done as people are busy and have things to do" well said. This album is best for pre night out drinks and/or a 20 minute bus ride to work. But if playing it on the bus make sure everyone else can hear it so they know you are having a good time. It will piss them off.

I am not sure why the band didn't make it bigger as the punk bands were still selling well in 98. They did seem to be connected with the skater style bands and fans so they could have been pigeonholed into that area. I know they have had songs on the Tony Hawk games. But what a punk album to miss out on. Well not anymore eh?

If pissed off play it, if happy play it and if it is only 20 minutes long play it again.

Kicked in the Teeth is easily available to download but track for track it will cost ya ;-)

Classic Album Review,Manic Street Preachers, The Holy Bible (US MIX)

Manic Street Preachers, The Holy Bible (US MIX) (Epic-1994)

I have never been a big fan of this band, well till now. I have heard this album many times before and each time I did enjoy it but I always felt that something was missing. The first single 'Faster' I always loved. With the first single being so good the album was for me going to be great.

Not so. For me the UK mix just sounds so weak, as if they just didn't know how to record the album. But this band is a live band who play gigs all the time. Most of the time the studio album is trying to capture the band in there element. Here in the UK mix it sounds as if the band have been told by the older neighbors to turn it down and have done so.

Again like previous blogs I will not go on and talk about the songs individually as many people have heard this and know it. What you have here is a review of a mix, ha ha yes it is that simple. Most bands that have a record deal in the UK and America can have there albums changed in some way for the American market. The Manic Street Preachers were also given this treatment.

The above picture is from the Beatles album 'Yesterday and Today' taken in 1966 it was a picture never intended to be used as an album cover. But the band insisted stating the butchering of the toy dolls represents what the American record company was doing to there albums. It was very normal for the US record companies to split albums into compilation style albums and release more of them that a named 'studio' album. This is why the Beatles sold so many more albums in America as the tracks were split up between more albums than in the UK. With fewer tracks and more albums that means more money to the record company. The band were more annoyed at this not just as it ripped people off but also as they really did put a lot of effort into the sequence the albums were played. The cover was at the time so insulting that the complaints poured in and the record company pulled all 250,000 copies.
All albums were destroyed and most punters never saw it but the label learned a lesson.

If you know someone with this album in mint condition in both stereo and mono then you have about $10,000-$13,000 worth of record.

Back to the Manics, they had a UK remix and were happy with it. It was now going to be printed and released so all is well. The band had sent there two previous albums to the US for them to 'butcher' the albums. This was hated by the band and the instantly felt it was a waste of time on this third album to even think the US mix will be anything that they are after. The other albums were re sequenced and tracks removed due to religious or political reasons. but this time a re mix was suggested.

The mixer this time was Tom Lord-Alge. At the time he was not really known in the music business outside of the US and even then much of his work had been out with rock music. The band got the mix back expecting to hate it and return it back with the usual dismissive remarks. But shock horror it was good. Really good so good it was way better than the UK mix. It is bigger and louder, the band sound alive on this album. The drums come over as they should, as does the whole band. The band are great musicians and can play. Now you can hear it. This mix was intended for college radio in the states (In America you don't get paid for radio plays so ANY radio is a must) hoping to get the rock and grunge fans as well it was exactly as an album this angry should sound.

There was a problem as the album was pretty much out in the UK and the band do not have the money to pull and replace an album. So it was decided to let the UK mix stay and the US mix be released as normal. After some time the album was picked up by college radio and started to get the band there first interest in America.  And rightfully so the album sounds amazing, nothing like what was in the charts in the mid 90s. Everything else was pop music and dance music. The time was right and the band looked so out of place that they market themselves so easily.

The UK festivals were booked and played but without Richey James as he was in rehab. After coming out of rehab a winter tour was played and during this the band were gaining more interest in America. A tour was booked for them, only a support tour but that is how you break the states.

On 1 February 1995, Edwards disappeared from the Embassy Hotel at Bayswater Road in London after checking out at 7:00 am. This was the same day that he and James were to travel to America for interviews prior to the gigs they were to play, The tour was canceled and the band went on hiatus.

I don't blame anyone for the failing this album had in selling as it was too late to change the UK album. Also the trouble Edwards had mentally can't be blamed on anyone as well. The US mix was never released after Edwards went missing. Only being added into the Special Edition in the 10 year anniversary album in 2004.

If it had come out and if they had played those gigs this could have been a big album. It was big in its contents and sound but the sales never happened and it has yet to even get an award in the UK. For years a secret kept by the band and due to the fact Edwards has never been found the band put this album out the way as it must have been hard to look at it so soon after Edwards diapered. Now you have a chance to own a great album listen to the UK mix and enjoy a band frustrated and anagary at the world and then listen to the US mix for an all out rock attack. I think 94 would have loved the rock feel of the album and taken it to heart. I also think the sales would have been there. But not sure on Richey.

Classic Album Review, Metallica, Load

Metallica, Load (Vertigo-1996)

So a blog on albums that did not sell enough or that were over looked. And I pick this, a five million selling album done by a band at the time at the height of there success.

I pick this as at the time it was absolutely slated. And I mean by EVERYONE! Fans, press and even the own record company. Many of the fans blamed that fact it was not thrash metal or too rock. But it is a good album with thrash influences and it showcases the backbone of rock and metal in the use of blues.

The album was a change in style as the last album sold so many album that I can't even be bothered looking it up. When you sell that much the next album will be a disappointment. And I have it here as I think the band got it right and made a great album that stands the test of time. Taking things back to the blues is nothing new as much of what a metal/rock guitarist plays are blues scales. 

The big problem here are the ones listening to the music. It is normal for an artist to make albums in a certain style and with success never move from that. But musicans should always want to learn and that is all that has happened here. Five years after the last album and the band have changed as have there musical tastes.

Listening to music for most is done in a certain way. Say driving home from work, before going out or just when plain lazy. I have albums I listen to for my different moods, days of the week or even times of the year (Its amazing how great Jimmy Cliff sounds on a sunny day). I think the typical headbanner listens to Metallica in the rock bar/club and expects the same again. They bought this but never listened to it, really listened I mean.

Much like my Sex Pistols blog I will not bore you with a full review but give a bit of extra info on this album. First up the cover. A great cover and by far the best Metallica ever has had. Done by Andres Serrano, many fans disliked it but I fear they don't get it. The contents of the cover is simply human blood and seamen. Yes it's official name is "Semen and Blood III" Looking at the cover again you can see why it caused problems when released. This only happened when press found out what it was as the name of the cover is not printed in the CD booklet.

As the album is coming out the normal tour dates go out to support the album. And again the fans show anger towards the band and not because of the music or artwork but when the posters of the band went up in France the sales of the tour tickets stopped instantly. Reason being simply the band cut there hair. And I am not kidding, stated by Hetfield himself. Also add in eye makeup on some of the members (Kirk and Lars mainly) some right old school homophobia came out of some fans. Amazing to think it is 1996 there were  knuckle dragging so called music fans that consider someone gay cause of a hair cut and make up. Again this album is here as I think the album got rid of those idiots no band or artist want. Who wants a homophobic/racist/bigoted fan base? 

One of the single 'Mama Said' cause more fans to throw out there albums. And I am not joking, there were fans who destroyed the albums due to the previous events. Yeah I know that is a simplistic chosen few but it did happen. This song is simply James Hetfield playing a ballad with an acoustic guitar. Just not what a thrash metal fan wants to hear. But the song is about Hetfield's troubled relationship with his mother (Who died when he was 16). For some fans thing go from bad to worse and on the video James is wearing a cowboy hat. Ha ha, yes that pissed of some as well. So add in the country, make up and short hair. Wow it was all over eh? 

This album split fans so much the follow up (Reload) was re recorded and made more heavy. The band felt the pressure and made that one more what the fans were after. But in doing so make a crap album. It even sold far less than this. Some of the music here is so well done and at times very personal. 'Mama Said' has a great feel to it, honest and to the point. 'Bleeding Me' is a hidden gem and a song about the inner daemons of the lead singer. it was redone in 1999 on the 'S & M' album with a full orchestra and it really comes alive then. It has the rock/metal tracks as well check out 'King Nothing' a song so good it persuaded me to pick up a bass guitar. 'Ain't My bitch' should have been a single. 'Poor Twisted Me' is as fast and raw as this album gets and does it well. 

It was 1996 and the hair metal of the 80s had died as had the Grunge bands of the early 90s. They took a gamble and I like to think it paid off. Albums after this sold less but I take that as a positive. The kids that got this may have liked it and stayed with the band. This recycling is why they can still be here now. When I saw the band in 1999 the crowd were 90% my age (at the time 19) and enjoying a great line up of bands that would never have shared the stage with Metallica in the 80s. The band moved on and took some fans with them.

Next time you see a Metallica fan in a music shop and they are looking at a Nick Cave CD ask em if they like this album.