I'll give you a testimonial, THE MC5!
With the rambling 2 minute speech from Brother J C Crawford, we get a sense of the tornado forming from within and after warming up the crowd with his five second speech, the band unleashes with the punk Ramblin Rose. With an out of tune guitar from Wayne Kramer (he admitted in interviews it was out of tune) the band is like a uncoming train wreck. Being one of the first albums to use the sex with your parents word KICK OUT THE JAMS MUTHAFUKKA The Motor City Five or MC5 lays everything to waste on the way to the I Can See The Miles rip of Come Together. The drunk tempo of Rama Lama Fa Fa Fa, one has to catch his breath before turning the record over for Borderline, the mutated blues of Motor City Is Burning (with another Brother Crawford rave up), and back to the noisegrind of I Want You Right Now before concluding with the the trainwreck ending of Starship based on a poem by Sun Ra. This is the beginning of the MC5.
Basically a garage rock band, but with an eye on Ornotte Coleman Free Jazz type of avant garde noise, The 5 were ahead of their time. The twin guitars of Fred (Sonic) Smith and Brother Wayne Kramer, Mike Davis' bass, Rob Tyler's screaming vocals and the underrated Dennis Thompson. The MC5 made a couple of regional singles, a fairly note for note rendering of Them's I Can Only Give You Everything, a feedback laden I'm In The Mood, a John Lee Hooker song remade as I Just Don't Know. And the harder to find Borderline which Rhino either couldn't or wouldn't add to their mix CD of The Big Bang, a subpar overview of what MC5 had to offer. Warts and all, it shows them to be high energy rock, even more wilder than some of the stuff that came out in 1968, but it also shows the downside of the band, adding the worthless Miss X from High Time. Wayne Kramer who wrote that also compiled the best of too. Not much variety for oddities except for 3 of the 4 singles before they signed to Elektra and Thunder Express from a bootleg album.
The MC5 were signed to Elektra, the label that was better known for british blues and folk music rather than rock but with the success of The Doors were starting to take off. Elektra also signed another Detroit band The Stooges but the thought was that The MC5 was going to be bigger. And the ideal was to record The MC5 in a live setting. Bruce Botnick recorded the happening. Now Kick Out The Jams was a groundbreaking album for myself. I came across the title track via the Superstars Of The 70s series that Warner Music put out and we got to hear the Brothers and Sisters version of said song but never did I hear the MF shout till I found the actual record for 1.97 at Wells years ago and proceeded to make my dad mad about hearing that, half crocked on beer and made it known that it was a piece of crap. Especially on hearing Starship, I wonder if he was going fly off the easy chair, snatched the record off the player and break it into little pieces. But I liked most of the record, including the first side. Years later, I would trade a Neil Young Freedom Picture CD disc for a Japanese version of Kick Out The Jams. 40 plus years later, I still find Kick Out The Jams to be the definite MC5 statement and album. This is rock and roll, from the pounding drums to the loud and whacked out guitar work and shouted vocals. Rob Tyler was a shouter and not a screamer and it's a shame that nobody bothered to film their concert at the Grande Ballroom that night. You had to be there.
The 5 were radical rockers and it cost them their contract with Elektra after a now long gone department store refused to stock Kick Out The Jams and somebody responded with a F bom on Elektra paper. Which even the radical label thought that was going way too far and they dropped them. Atlantic actually snatched them up but begin to transfer the band into something less radical. They hooked up with Jon Landau, a Rolling Stone review writer and future Bruce Springsteen manager and managed to make one of the more fucked up recordings in their history. Back In The USA is a fun album. The songs are damn good but the recording of that record is odious and lacking any bass. If anything Jon Landau's production was the main blame. Some of their better known songs (High School, Tonight, Human Being Lawnmower) are here.
High Time might be the better of the two Atlantic releases. Without Landau around they self produced it with Geoff Haslem (Velvet Underground, J. Geils Band) and perhaps this album is the one true vision of what the MC5 was all about. The crazed beginning of Sister Anne which ends with a Salvation Army band doing a death march, the one note lead guitar ending of Baby Won't Ya, the eerie Future/Now and the punk jazz of Skunk (Sonically Speaking) you can hear the influences coming together for the MC5. It wasn't made for the radio and sales showed it (it didn't chart). The Five were dropped from Atlantic.
There's been a onslaught of post MC5 reissues and concerts but the three that I did buy 66 Breakout shows an early but potent lineup of the Five doing covers and plenty of James Brown. Thunder Express was recorded in 1972 with a replacement bass player and the band runs through their better known songs. I came across Phun City UK on a bootleg German import, the sound is K Mart recorder poor but the band is in fine form. I haven't heard anything else when Total Energy reissued some MC5 concert performances (some were reissued via Castle/Sanctuary in the 2000s) but I'm guessing the sound quality varies from good to poor. Buyer beware.
Just as Rhino reissued the Atlantic albums and Elektra issued Kick Out The Jams on CD Rob Tyler passed away. Fred Sonic Smith, later married Patti Smith retired from music to raise a family and then died in 1994. Wayne Kramer would reunite with Mike Davis and Dennis Thompson to do some reunion shows in the 1990s and then in 2005 with Dick Manitoba (The Dictators, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom) did reunite and played from time to time till Davis died in 2012. To which Kramer finally retired the Five once and for all.
In essence, The MC5 never got the credit due when they were around, album sales were lackluster to nonexistent but for those who had an album probably form radical bands of their own. The albums are flawed but a product of the times. But they may have been the most radical and the most dangerous band to ever come out of Detroit. With elements of garage rock and free jazz from the likes of Archie Shepp, John Coltrane and Sun Ra, no other band even attempted this as you can hear on Kick Out The Jams, this makes the MC5 one of the more original bands of the 60s.
And as the story goes, you had to be there to see it to believe it.
Albums:
Kick out the jams (Elektra 1968) A-
Back in the USA (Atlantic 1970) B+
High Time (Atlantic 1971) B+
Thunder Express (Skydog 1972) B
The Big Bang (Rhino 2000) B-
Friday, June 20, 2014
Saturday, June 14, 2014
The White Stripes
Throughout the seven decades of rock and roll, there has always been garage rock. It has never gone away even from the heydays of 60s garage rockers such as the Standells or Louie Louie Kingsmen. The more absurd the more fun (The Trashmen Surfin Bird, local Keokuk freakouts Gonn, Blackout Of Gretely, a more muted version of Dirty Water by The Standells). And there's plenty of historical overviews out there that celebrates the three chords and the truth bands from the garage, from Nuggets to Pebbles and even Teenage Shutdown which really turns every rock out there to find the most obscure garage rock band that practiced enough songs to make it to the corner tavern and then quit to get real jobs the next day. While the major labels don't pursue the local garage band (not enough autotuner or bro country rap) many toil in obscurity. Thank your lucky stars for Little Steven's Underground Garage which for a time, had his own Wicked Cool label to spotlight the garage rock bands as well as putting out a few volumes of The Coolest Songs In The World, the last decade's version of Nuggets and are found cheap at thrift stores. The best of the bunch Len Price 3 and this year's The Strypes have put out new albums of garage rock fusion to indifference attitude sales and shrugs. And so did Jack White this week with Lazaretto.
In the so called garage rock movement of the late 90s and early 00's, the major labels did sign bands of this genre. And most was blah and missing something special. The Strokes come to mind with Is This It? to which was the first thing I said after hearing it. The White Stripes quietly came out of the late 90s with a low fi first album on Sympathy For The Record Industry, a label more associated with the more radical indee labels out there (Merge, Touch And Go, Taang! to name a few). In no way did the Stripes rewrite the music book on how to make it in the music industry. Hell, nobody even predicted that they would go far. They were just another garage rock band intent on selling a few thousand copies of their album and then see how far it would go.
Basically it was a duo of Jack and Meg White, husband and wife. Jack, a music lover of the blues, Nuggets and Pebbles garage rock, and of course early Robert Plant, but Jack also played drums for semi legends Goober And The Peas before meeting and marrying Meg and taking her surname. And then managed to get her playing drums for the The White Stripes project. Jack could play just about anything on guitar or piano or drums, but Meg White's drumming can be described as sloppy at best. She could barely keep a beat and she would have never lasted in any other band but somehow, it worked best in the White Stripes recordings. But it seems like when I hear Icky Thump or Get Behind Me Satan, it sounded she didn't touch her drums since the last recording or live performance.
The first four White Stripes albums are testamentary classic albums upon themselves. The low fi approach to the S/T and De Stiji shows that anybody with a four track and good songs can make a great album. White Blood Cells in 2001, the press and trade papers took notice, as well as help from V2 Records and they managed to get a hit single with Fell In Love With A Girl. Elephant is their classic moment. The riff of Seven Nation Army has become a sporting event chant in college football stadiums all over the US, thus guaranteeing Jack White a nice check every month. Ball And Biscuit being the other major hit off this record which does in someway pays tribute to the electric blues and Zeppelin of course.
However, the last two albums are not aged very well. Get Behind Me Satan was more acoutsic guitar and piano driven and contains some of the worst Meg White drumming committed on record. Icky Thump, their last, I liked at first but then it grated on my nerves. It had its moments as well but not enough for me to recommend it. And then, Meg White either developed a fear of the stage or just got bored with it all and wanted to settle down out of the spotlight and The White Stripes were no more in 2011. While Meg got remarried, Jack White continued to be more busier than ever by embarking on two band projects, The Raconteurs with Brendan Benson and the members of The Greenhornes and The Dead Weather with Alison Mosshart. And of course, two solo albums as well. But perhaps what is best about this all, is how much that Jack White loves vinyl enough to open up a music store (Third Man Records of course) and making a whole array of vinyl art, the new Lazaretto albums has a hologram of an angel when you play the album. And White has worked with a whole array of artists from the past (Wanda Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Neil Young). And enjoys working with vintage music equipment to make his albums sound a lot different from the pro tools autotuned crap of this millennium.
In some ways, Jack White is perhaps this generation of a real rock star. 17 years after The White Stripes first album, he has managed to progress onward with a wide variety of ideals borrowed from the past and looking toward the future. With Neil Young, he recorded A Letter Home from old recording booth to voice your own records, which was used in fairs in the late 40s and 50s. And continues to put out vinyl of one offs, namely a Jerry Lee Lewis in store performance. White is the anti Spotify, the pro record junkie and it's a shame there's not many more like him. I won't say if The White Stripes were the best out of the garage rock wave of the 2000's but they were the more longer lasting and influential.
And perhaps the most fun.
Albums:
The White Stripes (Third Man 1999) A-
De Stiji (Third Man 2000) A-
White Blood Cells (Third Man 2001) A-
Elephant (Third Man 2003) A
Get Behind Me Satan (Third Man 2005) B-
Icky Thump (Third Man/WB 2008) B
Jack White:
Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia 2012) A-
Lazaretto (Third Man/Columbia 2014) A-
In the so called garage rock movement of the late 90s and early 00's, the major labels did sign bands of this genre. And most was blah and missing something special. The Strokes come to mind with Is This It? to which was the first thing I said after hearing it. The White Stripes quietly came out of the late 90s with a low fi first album on Sympathy For The Record Industry, a label more associated with the more radical indee labels out there (Merge, Touch And Go, Taang! to name a few). In no way did the Stripes rewrite the music book on how to make it in the music industry. Hell, nobody even predicted that they would go far. They were just another garage rock band intent on selling a few thousand copies of their album and then see how far it would go.
Basically it was a duo of Jack and Meg White, husband and wife. Jack, a music lover of the blues, Nuggets and Pebbles garage rock, and of course early Robert Plant, but Jack also played drums for semi legends Goober And The Peas before meeting and marrying Meg and taking her surname. And then managed to get her playing drums for the The White Stripes project. Jack could play just about anything on guitar or piano or drums, but Meg White's drumming can be described as sloppy at best. She could barely keep a beat and she would have never lasted in any other band but somehow, it worked best in the White Stripes recordings. But it seems like when I hear Icky Thump or Get Behind Me Satan, it sounded she didn't touch her drums since the last recording or live performance.
The first four White Stripes albums are testamentary classic albums upon themselves. The low fi approach to the S/T and De Stiji shows that anybody with a four track and good songs can make a great album. White Blood Cells in 2001, the press and trade papers took notice, as well as help from V2 Records and they managed to get a hit single with Fell In Love With A Girl. Elephant is their classic moment. The riff of Seven Nation Army has become a sporting event chant in college football stadiums all over the US, thus guaranteeing Jack White a nice check every month. Ball And Biscuit being the other major hit off this record which does in someway pays tribute to the electric blues and Zeppelin of course.
However, the last two albums are not aged very well. Get Behind Me Satan was more acoutsic guitar and piano driven and contains some of the worst Meg White drumming committed on record. Icky Thump, their last, I liked at first but then it grated on my nerves. It had its moments as well but not enough for me to recommend it. And then, Meg White either developed a fear of the stage or just got bored with it all and wanted to settle down out of the spotlight and The White Stripes were no more in 2011. While Meg got remarried, Jack White continued to be more busier than ever by embarking on two band projects, The Raconteurs with Brendan Benson and the members of The Greenhornes and The Dead Weather with Alison Mosshart. And of course, two solo albums as well. But perhaps what is best about this all, is how much that Jack White loves vinyl enough to open up a music store (Third Man Records of course) and making a whole array of vinyl art, the new Lazaretto albums has a hologram of an angel when you play the album. And White has worked with a whole array of artists from the past (Wanda Jackson, Loretta Lynn, Neil Young). And enjoys working with vintage music equipment to make his albums sound a lot different from the pro tools autotuned crap of this millennium.
In some ways, Jack White is perhaps this generation of a real rock star. 17 years after The White Stripes first album, he has managed to progress onward with a wide variety of ideals borrowed from the past and looking toward the future. With Neil Young, he recorded A Letter Home from old recording booth to voice your own records, which was used in fairs in the late 40s and 50s. And continues to put out vinyl of one offs, namely a Jerry Lee Lewis in store performance. White is the anti Spotify, the pro record junkie and it's a shame there's not many more like him. I won't say if The White Stripes were the best out of the garage rock wave of the 2000's but they were the more longer lasting and influential.
And perhaps the most fun.
Albums:
The White Stripes (Third Man 1999) A-
De Stiji (Third Man 2000) A-
White Blood Cells (Third Man 2001) A-
Elephant (Third Man 2003) A
Get Behind Me Satan (Third Man 2005) B-
Icky Thump (Third Man/WB 2008) B
Jack White:
Blunderbuss (Third Man/Columbia 2012) A-
Lazaretto (Third Man/Columbia 2014) A-
Friday, June 6, 2014
The Angels/Angel City Revisited
In Australia the best known band remains AC/DC but prior before them you had the Easybeats to which George Young played in that band whereas Angus and Malcolm were the guitar drive in the other. You can't escape Back In Black if you can. It's everywhere.
AC/DC originally recorded for Albert Productions in Aussie land whereas Atco originally signed them (later Atlantic, then back to Atco before they awarded the masters to the highest bidder, Sony Music. A lesser known band The Angels had the AC/DC guitar sound courtesy of the Brewster brothers but it was the vivid imagery, crooning and screams of Doc Neeson that for a short time gave the Angels a rival to the Young Brothers.
The Angels recorded three albums for Albert before CBS finally took a chance and compiled the best of the songs unto the Epic 1980 album Face to Face to which they became a one hit wonder with Marseilles in 1980 to which the earliest song Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again which came from the 1976 S/T album. The Albert version of Face To Face shows a much harder rock direction with a bit of punk overtones with lead off Straight Jacket which went into Marseilles, other songs include the more punk I Aint The One, and a live version of Live It Up. No Exit the 1979 album gets slighty better production and a more melodramatic sound with Ivory Stairs, Save Me and the title track. Upon The Angels signing to Epic Albert Productions put together their very on The Angels Greatest which slightly varies from the U.S. Face To Face, the US version having a more polished sound.
Dark Room is better than No Exit (the Australian version) , with Face The Day to which Great White had a hit single but I always enjoyed The Angels version better, it also features Night Comes Early, Poor Baby, the paranoia that is Devil's Gate and the medley of Wasted Sleepless Nights/Dark Room. Again the US version differs deleting Alexander and I'm Scared in favor of a remade Ivory Steps and Straight Jacket. It sold well enough for CBS to do another album but the end result Night Attack was spotty, as if the band was looking for a hit to get on American radio. The title track was fairly good but the rest forgettable. Watch The Red wasn't even released in the US and has been considered to be their weakest album although I never heard it.
In 1984 The Angels signed with Mushroom Records down under and MCA to release what I consider to be their best album Two Minute Warning. Evil and foreboding the beginning of Underground set the stage for some hard dark rock and roll with FM played favorites Small Price, Razor's Edge and the freaky Walking To Babylon although the meddling American label put Be With You on as a potential hit single, which wasn't.
And then they lost their way, MCA dropped them soon after Two Minute Warning was released (oddly, the then Warner backed Metal Blade reissued this album in 1989) and Howling the next album again wasn't released in the US but a listen to it revealed a lack of identity. It didn't help that The Angels were adding soul chick singers, horns and more keyboards than usual. Eddie Rayner from Split Enz played keyboards on Howling. In 1988, Terry Manning took a crack at trying to produce The Angels and Chrysalis released Beyond Salvation a album that was half Beyond Salvation and the other half remakes of their 70s stuff. Pointless but the drum roll on I Ain't The One threatens to blow up the speakers. The album stiffed although two songs did get some airplay, Dogs Are Talking and the MTV played Let The Night Roll On.
You really need a score card to figure out what the hell went on with this band in the 1990s. Red Back Fever, produced with Paul Northfield (Rush, Asia) was another clash in style and basically the band was having problems with their record label which they wouldn't record until 1998. Rick Brewster produced Sking And Bone and Kevin Shirley (Journey, Joe Bonnamassa) mixed it. Skin And Bone to which was their best album since Two Minute Warning although it was never released in the US. The further complicate things Mushroom issued the very uneven The Angels Greatest Hits (the mushroom years) which cherry picks some of their albums beginning with 2 Minute Warning and adding a second CD of outtakes, live numbers and odd remixes to which Terry Manning's ZZ Top groove just didn't do the job. To which it was the final piece of the puzzle and The Angels called it a day. Before returning back to the fold a few years later,the original Angel City band got back together in 2008 but cause such a big riff that Doc Neeson bolted for a solo career and was replaced by former Screaming Jets singer Dave Gleeson. I haven't heard their lastest Take It To The Streets, nor the new effort Talk The Talk.
The original Angels reunited for the 2006 reunion tour then Neeson had another falling out with the Brewster Brothers and moved on to a band of his own, Angels 100%. However Doc Neeson's health begin to fail him and in 2010 begin to develop brain cancer to which he beat it for a time and then it came back and eventually on June 4, 2014 died from cancer at age 67. While the major music mags ignored Neeson's passing, many bands spoke in tribute of the contributions that Doc Neeson and The Angels have done to better music from down under. While in the US they're only known for Marsalies, their only hit in the US, down under they had 12 gold albums to their credit. And the replacement players (Jim Hilburn, replaced Bailey, Bob Spencer came in for John Brewster, and Brett Eccles replaced Graham Birstrup on Night Attack) were pretty good as well. At times I think the Hilburn/Eccles rhythm section really tighten up the sound on Two Minute Warning. The Birstrip/Bailey section was a bit more loose playing.
Nevertheless, when Neeson's health begin to fail him, The Brewster brothers put together a Rock for Doc concert last year to which most of Down Under's best came out to pay tribute and even Doc himself joined on stage. Doc's final recording was released last month, a reworking of Flash And The Pan's Walking In The Rain. Picking up the lead vocalist from The Screaming Jets and Sam Brewster now playing bass, The Angels continue to be a much loved band from down under although the US never embraced them (like I did). Nothing wrong with Dave Gleason being the vocalist but for myself the Angels or Angel City, it was Neeson the voice of that band.
With that said, it begin with being signed to AC/DC's label (Albert Productions) and it ended with Skin And Bone in 1998. If nothing else, The Angels were like that other band, guitar heavy riffs, straight ahead rhythm but Neeson was a more thoughtful songwriter although more darker than Bon Scott or Brian Johnson. Great White covered Face The Day and even Axl Rose paid tribute to Doc with a version of Marsalies. It's a shame The Angels never got as big in the states as their counterparts AC DC. But The Angels were a great live band with the theatrics of Neeson being the ultimate actor a added plus. And he will be missed. One of the best singers in rock music I think. And that's all you need to know.
The Albums:
The Angels (Albert) 1976 B
Face To Face (Albert) 1978 A-
No Exit (Albert) 1979 B+
The Angels Greatest (Albert) 1980 B+
Face To Face (US Epic) 1980 A
Dark Room (US Epic) 1980 A-
Night Attack (Us Epic) 1981 B
Watch The Red (Liberation 1983) C+
Two Minute Warning (MCA 1984 reissued on Metal Blade 1991) A
Howling (Liberation 1986) B-
Beyond Salvation (Chrysalis 1988) B+
Red Back Fever (Liberation 1991) B+
Live Line (Liberation 1995) B-
Skin And Bone (Shock/Liberation 1998) B+
The Angels Greatest Hits-The Mushroom Years (Mushroom Pty 1999) B-
Greatest Hits (Liberation 2011) B-
Take It To The Streets (Liberation 2012) NR
Talk The Talk (Liberation 2014) NR
Brothers, Angels And Demons (2018) NR
Symphony Of Angels (2019) NR
Chris Bailey, bass player for The Angels lost his battle with cancer on April 2, 2013, he was 62
Doc Neeson passed away from brain cancer on June 4th, 2014 aged 67.
The Angels live on. Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets) replaced Neeson as lead vocalist. John and Rick Brewster continue to be the link to the past Angels with Sam Brewster playing bass and Nick Norton on drums. However, I have not paid much attention to the latter day Angels. While Gleason is a fine singer in his own right, it's hard to replace Doc Neeson, tho' Jim Hilburn tried his best as well. The Symphony Of Angels album is them teaming with a orchestra. Brothers, Angels And Demons goes back to the days of the Moonshine Jug And String Band and collects pre Angels music from the Brewster Brothers, leading up the today's version of the Angels. The Liberation Greatest Hits has the recording sped up and relies too much from the live album.
Out of all the band that came up form down under, The Angels got fucked. Each and every one of their US albums had remade versions from the first three albums and Beyond Salvation ended up one half of the album and side 2 greatest hits redone. MCA rejected The Howling album and basically killed Two Minute Warning when the original A and R guys that signed them up got fired. Skin And Bone was the last album to feature Doc Neeson. The Epic Face To Face remains in print and gives the argument that The Angels were the smart man's version of AC/DC. I also think that Two Minute Warning ranks up there with Dark Room and Face To Face. Had MCA promoted it better, The Angels had a chance to make it in America but in true fashion MCA didn't. And with the passing of Neeson, The Brewster Brothers turned them into a tribute band. Australia will always hold high regard for them as well as collectors in the US. As for myself, I'll stick with the original lineup.
AC/DC originally recorded for Albert Productions in Aussie land whereas Atco originally signed them (later Atlantic, then back to Atco before they awarded the masters to the highest bidder, Sony Music. A lesser known band The Angels had the AC/DC guitar sound courtesy of the Brewster brothers but it was the vivid imagery, crooning and screams of Doc Neeson that for a short time gave the Angels a rival to the Young Brothers.
The Angels recorded three albums for Albert before CBS finally took a chance and compiled the best of the songs unto the Epic 1980 album Face to Face to which they became a one hit wonder with Marseilles in 1980 to which the earliest song Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again which came from the 1976 S/T album. The Albert version of Face To Face shows a much harder rock direction with a bit of punk overtones with lead off Straight Jacket which went into Marseilles, other songs include the more punk I Aint The One, and a live version of Live It Up. No Exit the 1979 album gets slighty better production and a more melodramatic sound with Ivory Stairs, Save Me and the title track. Upon The Angels signing to Epic Albert Productions put together their very on The Angels Greatest which slightly varies from the U.S. Face To Face, the US version having a more polished sound.
Dark Room is better than No Exit (the Australian version) , with Face The Day to which Great White had a hit single but I always enjoyed The Angels version better, it also features Night Comes Early, Poor Baby, the paranoia that is Devil's Gate and the medley of Wasted Sleepless Nights/Dark Room. Again the US version differs deleting Alexander and I'm Scared in favor of a remade Ivory Steps and Straight Jacket. It sold well enough for CBS to do another album but the end result Night Attack was spotty, as if the band was looking for a hit to get on American radio. The title track was fairly good but the rest forgettable. Watch The Red wasn't even released in the US and has been considered to be their weakest album although I never heard it.
In 1984 The Angels signed with Mushroom Records down under and MCA to release what I consider to be their best album Two Minute Warning. Evil and foreboding the beginning of Underground set the stage for some hard dark rock and roll with FM played favorites Small Price, Razor's Edge and the freaky Walking To Babylon although the meddling American label put Be With You on as a potential hit single, which wasn't.
And then they lost their way, MCA dropped them soon after Two Minute Warning was released (oddly, the then Warner backed Metal Blade reissued this album in 1989) and Howling the next album again wasn't released in the US but a listen to it revealed a lack of identity. It didn't help that The Angels were adding soul chick singers, horns and more keyboards than usual. Eddie Rayner from Split Enz played keyboards on Howling. In 1988, Terry Manning took a crack at trying to produce The Angels and Chrysalis released Beyond Salvation a album that was half Beyond Salvation and the other half remakes of their 70s stuff. Pointless but the drum roll on I Ain't The One threatens to blow up the speakers. The album stiffed although two songs did get some airplay, Dogs Are Talking and the MTV played Let The Night Roll On.
You really need a score card to figure out what the hell went on with this band in the 1990s. Red Back Fever, produced with Paul Northfield (Rush, Asia) was another clash in style and basically the band was having problems with their record label which they wouldn't record until 1998. Rick Brewster produced Sking And Bone and Kevin Shirley (Journey, Joe Bonnamassa) mixed it. Skin And Bone to which was their best album since Two Minute Warning although it was never released in the US. The further complicate things Mushroom issued the very uneven The Angels Greatest Hits (the mushroom years) which cherry picks some of their albums beginning with 2 Minute Warning and adding a second CD of outtakes, live numbers and odd remixes to which Terry Manning's ZZ Top groove just didn't do the job. To which it was the final piece of the puzzle and The Angels called it a day. Before returning back to the fold a few years later,the original Angel City band got back together in 2008 but cause such a big riff that Doc Neeson bolted for a solo career and was replaced by former Screaming Jets singer Dave Gleeson. I haven't heard their lastest Take It To The Streets, nor the new effort Talk The Talk.
The original Angels reunited for the 2006 reunion tour then Neeson had another falling out with the Brewster Brothers and moved on to a band of his own, Angels 100%. However Doc Neeson's health begin to fail him and in 2010 begin to develop brain cancer to which he beat it for a time and then it came back and eventually on June 4, 2014 died from cancer at age 67. While the major music mags ignored Neeson's passing, many bands spoke in tribute of the contributions that Doc Neeson and The Angels have done to better music from down under. While in the US they're only known for Marsalies, their only hit in the US, down under they had 12 gold albums to their credit. And the replacement players (Jim Hilburn, replaced Bailey, Bob Spencer came in for John Brewster, and Brett Eccles replaced Graham Birstrup on Night Attack) were pretty good as well. At times I think the Hilburn/Eccles rhythm section really tighten up the sound on Two Minute Warning. The Birstrip/Bailey section was a bit more loose playing.
Nevertheless, when Neeson's health begin to fail him, The Brewster brothers put together a Rock for Doc concert last year to which most of Down Under's best came out to pay tribute and even Doc himself joined on stage. Doc's final recording was released last month, a reworking of Flash And The Pan's Walking In The Rain. Picking up the lead vocalist from The Screaming Jets and Sam Brewster now playing bass, The Angels continue to be a much loved band from down under although the US never embraced them (like I did). Nothing wrong with Dave Gleason being the vocalist but for myself the Angels or Angel City, it was Neeson the voice of that band.
With that said, it begin with being signed to AC/DC's label (Albert Productions) and it ended with Skin And Bone in 1998. If nothing else, The Angels were like that other band, guitar heavy riffs, straight ahead rhythm but Neeson was a more thoughtful songwriter although more darker than Bon Scott or Brian Johnson. Great White covered Face The Day and even Axl Rose paid tribute to Doc with a version of Marsalies. It's a shame The Angels never got as big in the states as their counterparts AC DC. But The Angels were a great live band with the theatrics of Neeson being the ultimate actor a added plus. And he will be missed. One of the best singers in rock music I think. And that's all you need to know.
The Albums:
The Angels (Albert) 1976 B
Face To Face (Albert) 1978 A-
No Exit (Albert) 1979 B+
The Angels Greatest (Albert) 1980 B+
Face To Face (US Epic) 1980 A
Dark Room (US Epic) 1980 A-
Night Attack (Us Epic) 1981 B
Watch The Red (Liberation 1983) C+
Two Minute Warning (MCA 1984 reissued on Metal Blade 1991) A
Howling (Liberation 1986) B-
Beyond Salvation (Chrysalis 1988) B+
Red Back Fever (Liberation 1991) B+
Live Line (Liberation 1995) B-
Skin And Bone (Shock/Liberation 1998) B+
The Angels Greatest Hits-The Mushroom Years (Mushroom Pty 1999) B-
Greatest Hits (Liberation 2011) B-
Take It To The Streets (Liberation 2012) NR
Talk The Talk (Liberation 2014) NR
Brothers, Angels And Demons (2018) NR
Symphony Of Angels (2019) NR
Chris Bailey, bass player for The Angels lost his battle with cancer on April 2, 2013, he was 62
Doc Neeson passed away from brain cancer on June 4th, 2014 aged 67.
The Angels live on. Dave Gleeson (Screaming Jets) replaced Neeson as lead vocalist. John and Rick Brewster continue to be the link to the past Angels with Sam Brewster playing bass and Nick Norton on drums. However, I have not paid much attention to the latter day Angels. While Gleason is a fine singer in his own right, it's hard to replace Doc Neeson, tho' Jim Hilburn tried his best as well. The Symphony Of Angels album is them teaming with a orchestra. Brothers, Angels And Demons goes back to the days of the Moonshine Jug And String Band and collects pre Angels music from the Brewster Brothers, leading up the today's version of the Angels. The Liberation Greatest Hits has the recording sped up and relies too much from the live album.
Out of all the band that came up form down under, The Angels got fucked. Each and every one of their US albums had remade versions from the first three albums and Beyond Salvation ended up one half of the album and side 2 greatest hits redone. MCA rejected The Howling album and basically killed Two Minute Warning when the original A and R guys that signed them up got fired. Skin And Bone was the last album to feature Doc Neeson. The Epic Face To Face remains in print and gives the argument that The Angels were the smart man's version of AC/DC. I also think that Two Minute Warning ranks up there with Dark Room and Face To Face. Had MCA promoted it better, The Angels had a chance to make it in America but in true fashion MCA didn't. And with the passing of Neeson, The Brewster Brothers turned them into a tribute band. Australia will always hold high regard for them as well as collectors in the US. As for myself, I'll stick with the original lineup.
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Alice In Chains
Call it what you want but I've never considered Alice In Chain grunge, to me it was more slowed down and a more sinister form of alternative rock or metal. A more accessible Melvins per say? Call it what you will but AIC was part of the Seattle music scene of the early 90s along with the tidal wave of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Part of the charm if AIC was the stinging guitar riffs of Jerry Cantrell and the painful yelps of Layne Staley, who like Kurt Cobain not long for this world.
Their albums varied for me. The landmark Facelift I didn't care much for, but Dirt turned out of the be the one of the best albums ever, a shockingly candid and perhaps a concept album of drugs and Layne probably took them all. Somehow this record made more sense to me when I heard it in Phoenix a few years from its release. It's not a pretty album to listen to but it's everything Alice In Chains was and more. From the end all to begin with Dem Bones to the crash endings to Would? just about everything is this album is horrid but perfect. Welcome to the jungle folks, it's not pretty but it was rock and roll 1992.
The S/T album was harder to take. Toby Wright's cold and lifeless mix and the total time of the album sucked all the air out of the room but still with the final Over Now, it remains a good listen. Despite the fact that Over Now really was over for Alice In Chains, they would eventually break up but not before issuing an MTV unplugged album and posthumous live album, somehow the acoustic album was better than the live record.
I'm surprised that Sony Music never bothered to issue both Sap and Jar Of Flies as a 2 on 1 CD (there have been imports that have done this but Sony Music like any major label loves to stiff the consumer and both EPs are still stand alone with the 6.98 price tag). Sap has some good mellow numbers (Got Me Wrong) and Jar Of Flies despite being 30 minutes long is considered a EP. This record remains my go to when I want to hear AIC, with the Rotten Apple and Nutshell my favorite AIC songs. Of course it also has No Excuses and remains the only decent production that Toby Wright gave this band. Make no mistake, even with original producer Dave Jerden candy coating the muck and dirt of Facelift and Dirt, kinda like putting sugar on turpentine. The morning after the night before so to speak.
There are countless of best ofs and greatest hits of AIC that all have their moments, Greatest Hits is misleading, The Essential Alice In Chains covers most of the bases and Nothing Safe adds demos and live versions just to be different. For myself, I rather have the original albums, they make more sense than any best ofs although The Essential does have key tracks from various EPs in one package.
Although the band broke up, Layne Staley moving on to do plenty more drugs before O'Ding in 2002, Jerry Cantrell made two solo albums. Boggy Depot was the best of the two, mostly retaining Sean Kinney and Mike Inez and having plenty of guest stars along the way. And of course keeping Toby Wright on to muck things up recording wise. Nonetheless Boggy Depot has some cool tracks (Dickeye, Cut You In) and basically the hype about this album is what would have happened had Staley added his vocals on this album. Then it would be a Alice In Chains album right? Right?? Would have been fun to hear Layne scream KILL ME at the end of Leave The Light On. Degradation Trip came out in 2002 and reviews were better than Boggy Depot.
In 2009, William DuVall replaced Layne Staley as AIC vocalist, DuVall who came from Comes With The Fall and toured with Cantrell on his 2002 solo tour. While purists of the band have claim to shy away from the new edition AIC, it really sounded no different than when Layne was alive, Jerry Cantrell is the main songwriter and riff maker. While some people were offended by Black Gives Way To Blue, I found myself enjoying the record. I thought it was more fun than the S/T album. Check My Brain got some decent airplay. Layne Staley may be missed but as a tribute album BGWTB is underrated. However the less said the better for The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. The 68 minute time of album and same sounding of songs goes on way too long. Hollow is a good song, but Pretty Done the second song sums the whole thing up and you're stuck with an hour's worth of aimless guitars and droning vocals. The wheels came off big time on this bloated effort. Five years later Rainier Fog came out, a slight improvement, but the songs weren't memorable either.
With that said, Alice In Chains does have a place in rock history. Their first four albums (Yes I count Jars Of Flies as a real album) are their legacy, the best ofs a decent sampler and the 2009 comeback album a tribute album. I never count Jerry Cantrell out and whatever he decides to do next I'll be sure to hear. But the big hole that Layne left after dying will never be filled, no matter how much William DuVall tries. He doesn't have that ring side view of hell that Layne sang and sometimes wrote about.
Grades: (Both AIC and Jerry Cantrell)
Facelift (Columbia 1990) B-
Dirt (Columbia 1992) A
Sap EP (Columbia 1993) B
Jar Of Flies (Columbia 1994) A-
Alice In Chains (Columbia 1995) B+
MTV Unplugged (Columbia 1996) B+
Boggy Deport (Columbia 1998) B+
Degradation Trip (Roadrunner 2002) B+
Black Gives Way To Blue (Virgin 2009) B+
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Capitol 2013) C
Rainier Fog (BMG 2018) B-
Their albums varied for me. The landmark Facelift I didn't care much for, but Dirt turned out of the be the one of the best albums ever, a shockingly candid and perhaps a concept album of drugs and Layne probably took them all. Somehow this record made more sense to me when I heard it in Phoenix a few years from its release. It's not a pretty album to listen to but it's everything Alice In Chains was and more. From the end all to begin with Dem Bones to the crash endings to Would? just about everything is this album is horrid but perfect. Welcome to the jungle folks, it's not pretty but it was rock and roll 1992.
The S/T album was harder to take. Toby Wright's cold and lifeless mix and the total time of the album sucked all the air out of the room but still with the final Over Now, it remains a good listen. Despite the fact that Over Now really was over for Alice In Chains, they would eventually break up but not before issuing an MTV unplugged album and posthumous live album, somehow the acoustic album was better than the live record.
I'm surprised that Sony Music never bothered to issue both Sap and Jar Of Flies as a 2 on 1 CD (there have been imports that have done this but Sony Music like any major label loves to stiff the consumer and both EPs are still stand alone with the 6.98 price tag). Sap has some good mellow numbers (Got Me Wrong) and Jar Of Flies despite being 30 minutes long is considered a EP. This record remains my go to when I want to hear AIC, with the Rotten Apple and Nutshell my favorite AIC songs. Of course it also has No Excuses and remains the only decent production that Toby Wright gave this band. Make no mistake, even with original producer Dave Jerden candy coating the muck and dirt of Facelift and Dirt, kinda like putting sugar on turpentine. The morning after the night before so to speak.
There are countless of best ofs and greatest hits of AIC that all have their moments, Greatest Hits is misleading, The Essential Alice In Chains covers most of the bases and Nothing Safe adds demos and live versions just to be different. For myself, I rather have the original albums, they make more sense than any best ofs although The Essential does have key tracks from various EPs in one package.
Although the band broke up, Layne Staley moving on to do plenty more drugs before O'Ding in 2002, Jerry Cantrell made two solo albums. Boggy Depot was the best of the two, mostly retaining Sean Kinney and Mike Inez and having plenty of guest stars along the way. And of course keeping Toby Wright on to muck things up recording wise. Nonetheless Boggy Depot has some cool tracks (Dickeye, Cut You In) and basically the hype about this album is what would have happened had Staley added his vocals on this album. Then it would be a Alice In Chains album right? Right?? Would have been fun to hear Layne scream KILL ME at the end of Leave The Light On. Degradation Trip came out in 2002 and reviews were better than Boggy Depot.
In 2009, William DuVall replaced Layne Staley as AIC vocalist, DuVall who came from Comes With The Fall and toured with Cantrell on his 2002 solo tour. While purists of the band have claim to shy away from the new edition AIC, it really sounded no different than when Layne was alive, Jerry Cantrell is the main songwriter and riff maker. While some people were offended by Black Gives Way To Blue, I found myself enjoying the record. I thought it was more fun than the S/T album. Check My Brain got some decent airplay. Layne Staley may be missed but as a tribute album BGWTB is underrated. However the less said the better for The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. The 68 minute time of album and same sounding of songs goes on way too long. Hollow is a good song, but Pretty Done the second song sums the whole thing up and you're stuck with an hour's worth of aimless guitars and droning vocals. The wheels came off big time on this bloated effort. Five years later Rainier Fog came out, a slight improvement, but the songs weren't memorable either.
With that said, Alice In Chains does have a place in rock history. Their first four albums (Yes I count Jars Of Flies as a real album) are their legacy, the best ofs a decent sampler and the 2009 comeback album a tribute album. I never count Jerry Cantrell out and whatever he decides to do next I'll be sure to hear. But the big hole that Layne left after dying will never be filled, no matter how much William DuVall tries. He doesn't have that ring side view of hell that Layne sang and sometimes wrote about.
Grades: (Both AIC and Jerry Cantrell)
Facelift (Columbia 1990) B-
Dirt (Columbia 1992) A
Sap EP (Columbia 1993) B
Jar Of Flies (Columbia 1994) A-
Alice In Chains (Columbia 1995) B+
MTV Unplugged (Columbia 1996) B+
Boggy Deport (Columbia 1998) B+
Degradation Trip (Roadrunner 2002) B+
Black Gives Way To Blue (Virgin 2009) B+
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Capitol 2013) C
Rainier Fog (BMG 2018) B-
Sunday, May 18, 2014
UFO
Criminally ignored on classic rock radio (and Deep Tracks for that matter) UFO has been around for over 40 years and led by Phil Mogg in various configurations and lineups. The early UFO with Mick Bolton on guitar shows them to be very comical as if they were trying to do the same freaky deaky music that Hawkwind was doing, only Hawkwind did it 10 times better. Fun fact is that did you know that the first UFO album came out on Motown? The first one was on Rare Earth, Motown's rock imprint. Outside of that, nothing to really hear here move on. Fuel 2000 cherry picked the more tolerable and less annoying (plus a helping of bonus tracks from new guitarist Michael Schenker which gives it a better rating than it should) for An Introduction To UFO. The future was looking much brighter.
After two albums and a forgotten live debacle, UFO moved over to Chrysalis Records and issued Phenomenon and with Schenker replacing Bolton, moved from bad space rock to a more convincing blues rock style although they're still feeling their way. With a FM classics with Rock Bottom, Doctor Doctor and Oh My the future was bright. Force It was better with Mother Mary, Shoot Shoot and Let It Rock becoming rock anthems. Denny Peyonrel joined on keyboards on the next effort No Heavy Petting (misspelled as Heavy Petting on the CD version) and three albums in, UFO showed a more rocking attitude.
This was UFO's glory years and soon after their albums sold more and more. Peynorel (can't spell his name) was replaced by Savoy Brown's Paul Raymond. I always had reservations about Lights Out, a step down from No Heavy Petting but it's a good record with the title track, Too Hot To Handle (to which a DJ at our high school dance played three times in one night) and the prog rock Love To Love standouts. And for the first time, they had a decent producer in Ron Nevison who would stay on for the next album Obsession and the live Strangers In The Night. Obsession was slightly better than Lights Out and Only You Can Rock Me and Cherry were the highlights. Strangers In The Night is their live classic and Nevison's sound makes you part of the crowd. Although the band was enjoying their found success, Mike Schenker decided to leave and was replaced by Paul Chapman Chapman was no stranger to UFO, he performed live with them in 1974
UFO came back stronger than ever on No Place To Run (1980) produced by George Martin (The Beatles) Letting Go and a good remake of Mystery Train. In looking back, the albums with Chapman on it may have been the most consistent work of UFO's career. The Wild, The Winning And The Innocent (1981), Mechanix (1982) and Making Contact (1983) all hard rocking affairs and even though members came and went (Neil Carter in for Raymonde on The Wild, Paul Gray (Eddie And The Hot Rods) replacing Pete Way on Making Contact) the sound never changed despite each record selling less and less. The Best Of The Rest is a very good overview of the Chapman era to which he left after Making Contact and joining Pete Way in Waysted for one album. Chapman would later join Gator Country a band featuring Molly Hatchet ex members in the 2000s.
Once Chapman left, UFO went into a dark period making a couple of subpar hair metal albums. Misdemeanor may have been a credible hair pop metal album but for a band like UFO it was their worst since the Mick Bolton years. Tommy McClendon was more of a flashy whammy bar specialist guitarist but by then Phil Mogg was the last original UFO member on board although Paul Raymond did come back. With that album, UFO said goodbye to Chrysalis and went to do Ain't Misbeavin' an album of leftovers from Misdemeanor but the leftovers sounded better than the real thing. Which isn't saying much.
Fast forward a few years later, the albums between Ain't Misbeavin and Walk On Water I have not heard nor intend to. Walk On Water was a surprise since it had the return of Mike Schenker on guitar and the rest of the Lights Out era band. It's is their best album in years with Self Made Man and Knock Knock my faves. The lineup was short lived again, Andy Parker left and Aynsley Dunbar took over on drums. Another move to another label (Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records where he would add his two cents worth) and two more decent records ensured before Schneker took his guitar and ran home one last time.
I guess the fourth era of UFO begins with Vinnie Moore taking over. This reminds me of when Steve Morse took over for Richie Blackmore in Deep Purple, nothing much was to be expected but Morse has been a 20 part of Deep Purple whereas Moore has been holding down the UFO axe job for 10 years. You Are Here is interesting for Jason Bonham playing drums but by the time The Monkey Puzzle came out, Andy Parker came back to provide the beats. While this era has some highlights the big problem was that Mogg was losing his vocal range, not as bad as Bob Dylan mind you but very noticeable. It's also strange to note that Jason Bonham, not much of a vocalist himself provided backing vocals to some of the music off You Are Here. For the most part it just seems as the Moore era UFO, it feels like that they're riding on past glories.
But before that, with a few missteps (Misdemeanor) UFO managed to have one of the best outputs in classic rock, moreso of their 70s and 80s albums and even Walk On Water. The Essential UFO and Best Of The Rest are nice anthologies and highlights. Buyer beware on the Vinnie Moore years. Conspiracy Of The Stars is the latest and take it for what's it worth. UFO 10 years after Vinnie Moore joined up and he holds his own but he could use the Phil Moog vocals of the 70s rather than 40 years later and too much wear and tear on the vocals. Hot N Live is Rhino's plunging into the archives for two discs of the Michael Schneker and Paul Chapman years. Not exactly essential unless you want to hear Chapman's 80s periods and a forgotten Danny Peyonel on keyboards on a late 75 early 76 tour. And Neil Carter comes on to replace Paul Raymond in 1982 and former Eddie And The Hot Rods bassist Paul Gray relives Way on the last 3 numbers (from 1983). Hugh Gilmour's liner notes are as dumb and half assed as they come. (He even misspells Kenosha Wisconsin on the notes). A nice counterpart to Strangers In The Night for those with an extra 30 dollars burning in their pocket. For the rest, we'll take the memories.
Ratings:
UFO (Rare Earth 1970) C-
UFO 2 aka Flying (Rare Earth 1971) C-
An Introduction To UFO (Fuel 2006) C
Phenomenon (Chrysalis 1973) B+
Force It (Chrysalis 1975) A-
No Heavy Petting (Chrysalis 1976) B+
Lights Out (Chrysalis 1977) B-
Obsession (Chrysalis 1978) B
Strangers In The Night (Chrysalis 1978) A-
No Place To Run (Chrysalis 1980) A-
The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent (Chrysalis 1981) B+
Mechanix (Chrysalis 1982) A-
Making Contact (Chrysalis 1983) B+
Misdemeanor (Chrysalis 1985) C
Best Of The Rest (Chrysalis 1989) A-
Ain't Misbeavin' (Metal Blade/Enigma 1988) C+
Walk On Water (CMC International 1995) A-
Essential UFO (Chrysalis 1996) B+
Covenant (Shrapnel 2000) B+
Sharks (Shrapnel 2002) B
You Are Here (SPV 2004) B-
The Monkey Puzzle (SPV 2006) C+
The Visitor (SPV 2009) C
Seven Deadly Sins (SPV 2012) C
Hot N Live-The Chrysalis Live Anthology 1974-1983 (Chrysalis/Rhino 2013) B
A Conspiracy Of Stars (Steamhammer 2015) NR
After two albums and a forgotten live debacle, UFO moved over to Chrysalis Records and issued Phenomenon and with Schenker replacing Bolton, moved from bad space rock to a more convincing blues rock style although they're still feeling their way. With a FM classics with Rock Bottom, Doctor Doctor and Oh My the future was bright. Force It was better with Mother Mary, Shoot Shoot and Let It Rock becoming rock anthems. Denny Peyonrel joined on keyboards on the next effort No Heavy Petting (misspelled as Heavy Petting on the CD version) and three albums in, UFO showed a more rocking attitude.
This was UFO's glory years and soon after their albums sold more and more. Peynorel (can't spell his name) was replaced by Savoy Brown's Paul Raymond. I always had reservations about Lights Out, a step down from No Heavy Petting but it's a good record with the title track, Too Hot To Handle (to which a DJ at our high school dance played three times in one night) and the prog rock Love To Love standouts. And for the first time, they had a decent producer in Ron Nevison who would stay on for the next album Obsession and the live Strangers In The Night. Obsession was slightly better than Lights Out and Only You Can Rock Me and Cherry were the highlights. Strangers In The Night is their live classic and Nevison's sound makes you part of the crowd. Although the band was enjoying their found success, Mike Schenker decided to leave and was replaced by Paul Chapman Chapman was no stranger to UFO, he performed live with them in 1974
UFO came back stronger than ever on No Place To Run (1980) produced by George Martin (The Beatles) Letting Go and a good remake of Mystery Train. In looking back, the albums with Chapman on it may have been the most consistent work of UFO's career. The Wild, The Winning And The Innocent (1981), Mechanix (1982) and Making Contact (1983) all hard rocking affairs and even though members came and went (Neil Carter in for Raymonde on The Wild, Paul Gray (Eddie And The Hot Rods) replacing Pete Way on Making Contact) the sound never changed despite each record selling less and less. The Best Of The Rest is a very good overview of the Chapman era to which he left after Making Contact and joining Pete Way in Waysted for one album. Chapman would later join Gator Country a band featuring Molly Hatchet ex members in the 2000s.
Once Chapman left, UFO went into a dark period making a couple of subpar hair metal albums. Misdemeanor may have been a credible hair pop metal album but for a band like UFO it was their worst since the Mick Bolton years. Tommy McClendon was more of a flashy whammy bar specialist guitarist but by then Phil Mogg was the last original UFO member on board although Paul Raymond did come back. With that album, UFO said goodbye to Chrysalis and went to do Ain't Misbeavin' an album of leftovers from Misdemeanor but the leftovers sounded better than the real thing. Which isn't saying much.
Fast forward a few years later, the albums between Ain't Misbeavin and Walk On Water I have not heard nor intend to. Walk On Water was a surprise since it had the return of Mike Schenker on guitar and the rest of the Lights Out era band. It's is their best album in years with Self Made Man and Knock Knock my faves. The lineup was short lived again, Andy Parker left and Aynsley Dunbar took over on drums. Another move to another label (Mike Varney's Shrapnel Records where he would add his two cents worth) and two more decent records ensured before Schneker took his guitar and ran home one last time.
I guess the fourth era of UFO begins with Vinnie Moore taking over. This reminds me of when Steve Morse took over for Richie Blackmore in Deep Purple, nothing much was to be expected but Morse has been a 20 part of Deep Purple whereas Moore has been holding down the UFO axe job for 10 years. You Are Here is interesting for Jason Bonham playing drums but by the time The Monkey Puzzle came out, Andy Parker came back to provide the beats. While this era has some highlights the big problem was that Mogg was losing his vocal range, not as bad as Bob Dylan mind you but very noticeable. It's also strange to note that Jason Bonham, not much of a vocalist himself provided backing vocals to some of the music off You Are Here. For the most part it just seems as the Moore era UFO, it feels like that they're riding on past glories.
But before that, with a few missteps (Misdemeanor) UFO managed to have one of the best outputs in classic rock, moreso of their 70s and 80s albums and even Walk On Water. The Essential UFO and Best Of The Rest are nice anthologies and highlights. Buyer beware on the Vinnie Moore years. Conspiracy Of The Stars is the latest and take it for what's it worth. UFO 10 years after Vinnie Moore joined up and he holds his own but he could use the Phil Moog vocals of the 70s rather than 40 years later and too much wear and tear on the vocals. Hot N Live is Rhino's plunging into the archives for two discs of the Michael Schneker and Paul Chapman years. Not exactly essential unless you want to hear Chapman's 80s periods and a forgotten Danny Peyonel on keyboards on a late 75 early 76 tour. And Neil Carter comes on to replace Paul Raymond in 1982 and former Eddie And The Hot Rods bassist Paul Gray relives Way on the last 3 numbers (from 1983). Hugh Gilmour's liner notes are as dumb and half assed as they come. (He even misspells Kenosha Wisconsin on the notes). A nice counterpart to Strangers In The Night for those with an extra 30 dollars burning in their pocket. For the rest, we'll take the memories.
Ratings:
UFO (Rare Earth 1970) C-
UFO 2 aka Flying (Rare Earth 1971) C-
An Introduction To UFO (Fuel 2006) C
Phenomenon (Chrysalis 1973) B+
Force It (Chrysalis 1975) A-
No Heavy Petting (Chrysalis 1976) B+
Lights Out (Chrysalis 1977) B-
Obsession (Chrysalis 1978) B
Strangers In The Night (Chrysalis 1978) A-
No Place To Run (Chrysalis 1980) A-
The Wild, The Willing And The Innocent (Chrysalis 1981) B+
Mechanix (Chrysalis 1982) A-
Making Contact (Chrysalis 1983) B+
Misdemeanor (Chrysalis 1985) C
Best Of The Rest (Chrysalis 1989) A-
Ain't Misbeavin' (Metal Blade/Enigma 1988) C+
Walk On Water (CMC International 1995) A-
Essential UFO (Chrysalis 1996) B+
Covenant (Shrapnel 2000) B+
Sharks (Shrapnel 2002) B
You Are Here (SPV 2004) B-
The Monkey Puzzle (SPV 2006) C+
The Visitor (SPV 2009) C
Seven Deadly Sins (SPV 2012) C
Hot N Live-The Chrysalis Live Anthology 1974-1983 (Chrysalis/Rhino 2013) B
A Conspiracy Of Stars (Steamhammer 2015) NR
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Johnny Cash-Out Among The Stars
Let's face it, country music isn't what it used to be, now that Bro Country and the odious crap that KHAK plays most of the time irradiates the hell out of me and it's not getting any better. Jarrod Niemann, who started out full of promise a few years ago is now going to the lowest common denominator by enlisting Pitbull on his latest bro country attempt to fit in. But did you notice that one week last month that Johnny Cash's latest hit number 1 through all the bile that's on the chart? A small victory considering that the Man in Black has been dead for 10 and half years.
Johnny's 80s tenure at Columbia was his worst selling time, but not that the albums were bad. They were actually fairly good although Johnny 99 (1983) turned out to be such a disappointment that Columbia sat on the next effort which was called Out Among The Stars and was all but forgotten when Johnny's son came across it by accident.
The album itself stands way out in front of the crowd despite it's 30 years in the vaults and is a classic compared to Luke Bryan and his Bro Country compares. But had it been released in 1984 it would have been merely a fairly good album from Cash. The major change was that Billy Sherrill, staff producer to the CBS roster took over for Brian Ahern and Billy uses his usual Nashville type production throughout the recording. Some cheese is heard, the kiddie choir that ends Tennessee, the second duet with June Carter Cash on Don't You Think It's Come Our Time which may have been the closest thing they recorded a Hall mark card like song but thankfully Sherrill didn't dump the album in syrupy strings which he's been known to do with George Jones. Sherrill doesn't do Cash any favors with some of the Nashville sessionmen used; Kenny Malone crashing his cymbals way too many times on songs that didn't need a cymbal crash (this isn't the Ramones for fuck's sake) but then again it doesn't hurt to have Marty Stuart play on this either.
Nevertheless, Johnny Cash delivers his usual top notch vocal work, even return to the story song telling he's famous for, If I Told You Who It Was, featuring Minnie Pearl, who's vocal seems to be buried more into the mix than usual but otherwise that's nitpicking. The favorites remain the title track, a very tongue in cheek I Drove Her Out Of My Mind which deals with a new Cadillac and the last date with his woman over the mountain, which may have been too black of a humor back in 84 but in this day and age it'd still kick the shit out of anything Brantley Gilbert would come up. And Baby Ride Easy originally done by Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds, Johnny and June do a nice version of their own. However, the Elvis Costello produced bonus track of She Used To Love Me A Lot is pointless. It's really not needed here.
Overall, Out Among The Stars isn't a classic but rather a up to date in the times (in 1984 mind you) and Johnny is in fine form here despite the cymbal happy drummer and dated 80's production. The version of I'm Moving On with Waylon Jennings would lead them to record Johnny's last Columbia album, the uneven Heroes with Jennings. Even from the grave, Cash remains a force to be reckon with. Take notes Luke Bryan.
Grade B+
Johnny's 80s tenure at Columbia was his worst selling time, but not that the albums were bad. They were actually fairly good although Johnny 99 (1983) turned out to be such a disappointment that Columbia sat on the next effort which was called Out Among The Stars and was all but forgotten when Johnny's son came across it by accident.
The album itself stands way out in front of the crowd despite it's 30 years in the vaults and is a classic compared to Luke Bryan and his Bro Country compares. But had it been released in 1984 it would have been merely a fairly good album from Cash. The major change was that Billy Sherrill, staff producer to the CBS roster took over for Brian Ahern and Billy uses his usual Nashville type production throughout the recording. Some cheese is heard, the kiddie choir that ends Tennessee, the second duet with June Carter Cash on Don't You Think It's Come Our Time which may have been the closest thing they recorded a Hall mark card like song but thankfully Sherrill didn't dump the album in syrupy strings which he's been known to do with George Jones. Sherrill doesn't do Cash any favors with some of the Nashville sessionmen used; Kenny Malone crashing his cymbals way too many times on songs that didn't need a cymbal crash (this isn't the Ramones for fuck's sake) but then again it doesn't hurt to have Marty Stuart play on this either.
Nevertheless, Johnny Cash delivers his usual top notch vocal work, even return to the story song telling he's famous for, If I Told You Who It Was, featuring Minnie Pearl, who's vocal seems to be buried more into the mix than usual but otherwise that's nitpicking. The favorites remain the title track, a very tongue in cheek I Drove Her Out Of My Mind which deals with a new Cadillac and the last date with his woman over the mountain, which may have been too black of a humor back in 84 but in this day and age it'd still kick the shit out of anything Brantley Gilbert would come up. And Baby Ride Easy originally done by Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds, Johnny and June do a nice version of their own. However, the Elvis Costello produced bonus track of She Used To Love Me A Lot is pointless. It's really not needed here.
Overall, Out Among The Stars isn't a classic but rather a up to date in the times (in 1984 mind you) and Johnny is in fine form here despite the cymbal happy drummer and dated 80's production. The version of I'm Moving On with Waylon Jennings would lead them to record Johnny's last Columbia album, the uneven Heroes with Jennings. Even from the grave, Cash remains a force to be reckon with. Take notes Luke Bryan.
Grade B+
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Deep Purple-The Reunion and Steve Morse years
In 1984 the unthinkable happened. The Gillan/Glover era DP reunited despite odds of it succeeding. Not that the other guys were doing nothing, Ian Gillan was in Black Sabbath of all bands screaming out to Born Again, Ian Paice was playing in Gary Moore's band (after a few years with Whitesnake), Jon Lord was finishing up Slide It In, Whitesnake's big album and Richie Blackmore just ended Rainbow to which Roger Glover was playing bass. Nobody saw this coming.
For the next ten years, it would be an up and down affair with Deep Purple dropping Perfect Strangers, an album that picked up where Who Do We Think We Are left off but this time the songs were better constructed, rather than the labored feel of WDWTWA. The title track and Knocking At Your Back Door were FM hits but for myself the record feels more of a Rainbow sound rather than Purple. But it's Deep Purple from the patented Gillan screams and dry wit to counter Blackmore's seriousness. While House Of Blue Light was panned by critics, I thought it was better. It had more songs and led off with Bad Attitude and the percussion led Call Of The Wild, which echoed Chasing Shadows of 20 years ago. It might been their classic had they left a few bloated numbers off but with Hard Loving Woman I forgive them. Nobody's Perfect was Deep Purple obligatory live album and really we don't need another Child In Time although Gillan takes a crack at a remake of Hush. Probably the only time Rod Evans had the better version. And with that, the egos got in the way and Ian Gillan left once again.
Joe Lynn Turner, ever so much the faithful vocalist from Rainbow comes in on Slaves And Masters. The band moved from Mercury to RCA and end result may have been the worst Deep Purple album in their catalog, to which they became Foreigner light. There was talk that Jimi Jamierson from Survivor would be the vocalist but Turner was chosen due to contractual issues. No matter, the album didn't sound like Purple the way we remembered them but rather Rainbow. That is if you could stay awake to it. Nevertheless Deep Purple soldered on with Turner but management (and the band) wanted Gillan back in the fold. And he would return much to Blackmore's chagrin and dismay. The Battle Rages On is perhaps their best album since Machine Head since it returns to a more rocking sound abandoned on Slaves And Masters and no matter what Blackmore thought of his lead singer, he did managed to put together some of his finest riffs on songs like Anya or Time To Kill. The record feels more like a band effort. But after this and a tour Blackmore had enough and quit for a final time to be replaced by Joe Satriani.
Instead of breaking up Deep Purple did the unthinkable and went on without Blackmore by replacing him with Steve Morse (Kansas, Dixie Dregs). This was not the first time Richie was replaced, the ill fated Tommy Bolin came on board for Come Taste The Band. Steve Morse is lot like Bolin, a very talented guitar player in his own right, Morse has won many awards for best guitarist and so he was probably up to task to replace the enigma that is Richie Blackmore. And Purpendicular was a worthy successor to Battle Rages On, beginning with Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic. The album starts out strong, the band rejuvenated as if the dark clouds of Richie were fading away and the band actually sounds like they're having fun. Deep Purple also showed more a softer side with The Aviator, that perhaps they could tone it down a bit. Still Gillan can't help but scream a few times (although time and age revealed he can't hit the high notes like he once did) but the straight ahead drive of the bonus track of Don't Hold Your Breath shows Deep Purple can boogie with the best of them. A good record but it became the first Deep Purple record that didn't make it into the Billboard top 200.
The Morse era Deep Purple (which continues to this day) also shows the emergence of Ian Gillan as lead singer and main songwriter and he had plenty of puns to use for titles, 1998 Abandon (a pun on A band on) was heavier than Purpendicular, the songs not much so in remembering them. Any Fuel Kno That (another of Gillan's puns via song) and Don't Make Me Happy which sounds a bit prog rock ish. It's good but not great Deep Purple. With that album Jon Lord exits from the band.
With the exit of Jon Lord, Ian Paice becomes the sole original and remaining Deep Purple member, Don Airey replaces Lord for Bananas. After co producing themselves for many years (with Roger Glover) Mike Bradford becomes the first outside producer for Deep Purple in years. The production is kinda weak but the songs themselves aren't bad and are a step up from Abandon. And Don Airey doesn't tarnish the Jon Lord keyboard playing at all, he does a fine job being the new guy. And probably more of his album rather than Steve or Ian for that matter.
After the demise of Sanctuary Records, Deep Purple moved over to Edel/Eagle Rock and made Rapture Of The Deep, an album that begins to show their prog rock side since the early days and reviews of this record was more positive. It even cracked the US charts (At number 43 on the independent record chart). Steve Morse started adding more guitar to the mix, including Before Time Begin which is more fusion than rock. Gillan still writes sarcastic and funny songs like MTV and Money Talks. Even back then Ian Gillan knew a thing or two about classic rock radio and the comparison of competing with Smoke On The Water and clueless DJs.
Which leads us to the present and Deep Purple continues on. 2013's Now What?! 20 years removed from Richie Blackmore, Steve Morse has come into his own. Not that he ever did, in the contrary this is the guy that gave us The Dixie Dregs and The Steve Morse Band so he knows how to play guitar. With Bananas onward to Now What?! we have seen that Deep Purple could survive without Richie and with a catalog going back 40 years, there's no shortage of what to play although Child In Time may have been retired. Now What?! continues a more progressive rock sound and they got a big time producer in Bob Ezrin who helped shaped that record as well. But the record, like the previous two shows that both Don Airey and Steve Morse do help a lot in the way the songs turned out. It's not super classic Deep Purple but if you have been along for the ride all these years and can overlook the fact that Richie is gone, these records are still a worthy listen.
Like Rapture Of The Deep, Eagle Records can't help but put on another bonus live CD of past hits and Vincent Price, their minor charting single. There are countless Deep Purple live albums out there and all have their moments. Basically there's not enough space on this blog to cover them all.
It's hard to believe the band has been around all these years. And Gillan can sing Smoke On The Water or Highway Star in his sleep. They should be included in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame since they did influenced a few bands that did make it in there, Lars Ullrich be dammed but he's right. They should be there. All the lineup always managed to have great players replacing the great people (Jon Lord died in 2012 sad to say). But in the end, Ian Gillan has always seem to me to be the lead vocalist of this band, although Rod Evans and David Coverdale/Glenn Hughes will have their supporters. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had Ian Gillan or Roger Glover decided to stick with Episode Six, or had Rod Evans managed to keep the faux paus Purple going in the 80s. Things would be different for sure.
But in the end, Deep Purple has managed to defy the odds and last 40 years into the present. That's saying something.
Albums:
Perfect Strangers (Mercury 1984) B+
House Of Blue Light (Mercury 1987) B+
Nobody's Perfect (Mercury 1988) C+
Slaves And Masters (RCA 1990) C
The Battle Rages On (Giant 1993) B+
Purpendicular (CMC International 1996) A-
Abandon (CMC 1998) B
Bananas (Sanctuary 2002) B+
Rapture Of The Deep (Eagle 2005) B+
Now What?! (Eagle 2013) B+
Infinite (Ear Music 2017) B+
Whoosh (Ear Music/Edel 2020) B+
Update 2020: The Gillan/Morse/Airey/Glover/Paice lineup continued to record with Bob Ezrin and came up with Infinite, a album that borderlines on prog rock. Gillan's sense of humor remains evident especially on the tongue in cheek Johnny's Band which might be taking yet another poke at Richie Blackmore. Some people say that we don't need another Roadhouse Blues cover but I like it fine myself. However this lineup has been the longest lasting Deep Purple lineup, Steve Morse has fit in quite well and unlike his tenure in Kansas has done very well living up (and beyond) to the legend of Blackmore. Despite the odds, Deep Purple has defined the naysayers saying they wouldn't last long after Blackmore's acrimonious exit in 1994. And continued to make good albums.
Whoosh is a return back to rock after the Prog Rock overtunes of Infinite, only 2 songs go over five minutes but we have 13 songs including two instrumentals and a bonus track. and the address is a revisit of their first song off Shades Of Deep Purple. Not sure if this was a final song or a thumb at the nose at Richie Blackmore, Steve Morse does a fine job on lead. With Deep Purple now five decades old, this lineup of Don Airey/Steve Morse/Ian Gillan/Ian Paice/Roger Glover has been the longest lasting for almost 20 years. Whoosh is their third with Bob Ezrin, and all three have been the best they have offered since Purpendicular. It boggles the mind that Morse has outlasted Blackmore in being in the band and Gillan says that Blackmore is not missed. Gillan is no longer the screamer of the classic years but his vocals are still witty as ever.
For the next ten years, it would be an up and down affair with Deep Purple dropping Perfect Strangers, an album that picked up where Who Do We Think We Are left off but this time the songs were better constructed, rather than the labored feel of WDWTWA. The title track and Knocking At Your Back Door were FM hits but for myself the record feels more of a Rainbow sound rather than Purple. But it's Deep Purple from the patented Gillan screams and dry wit to counter Blackmore's seriousness. While House Of Blue Light was panned by critics, I thought it was better. It had more songs and led off with Bad Attitude and the percussion led Call Of The Wild, which echoed Chasing Shadows of 20 years ago. It might been their classic had they left a few bloated numbers off but with Hard Loving Woman I forgive them. Nobody's Perfect was Deep Purple obligatory live album and really we don't need another Child In Time although Gillan takes a crack at a remake of Hush. Probably the only time Rod Evans had the better version. And with that, the egos got in the way and Ian Gillan left once again.
Joe Lynn Turner, ever so much the faithful vocalist from Rainbow comes in on Slaves And Masters. The band moved from Mercury to RCA and end result may have been the worst Deep Purple album in their catalog, to which they became Foreigner light. There was talk that Jimi Jamierson from Survivor would be the vocalist but Turner was chosen due to contractual issues. No matter, the album didn't sound like Purple the way we remembered them but rather Rainbow. That is if you could stay awake to it. Nevertheless Deep Purple soldered on with Turner but management (and the band) wanted Gillan back in the fold. And he would return much to Blackmore's chagrin and dismay. The Battle Rages On is perhaps their best album since Machine Head since it returns to a more rocking sound abandoned on Slaves And Masters and no matter what Blackmore thought of his lead singer, he did managed to put together some of his finest riffs on songs like Anya or Time To Kill. The record feels more like a band effort. But after this and a tour Blackmore had enough and quit for a final time to be replaced by Joe Satriani.
Instead of breaking up Deep Purple did the unthinkable and went on without Blackmore by replacing him with Steve Morse (Kansas, Dixie Dregs). This was not the first time Richie was replaced, the ill fated Tommy Bolin came on board for Come Taste The Band. Steve Morse is lot like Bolin, a very talented guitar player in his own right, Morse has won many awards for best guitarist and so he was probably up to task to replace the enigma that is Richie Blackmore. And Purpendicular was a worthy successor to Battle Rages On, beginning with Vavoom: Ted The Mechanic. The album starts out strong, the band rejuvenated as if the dark clouds of Richie were fading away and the band actually sounds like they're having fun. Deep Purple also showed more a softer side with The Aviator, that perhaps they could tone it down a bit. Still Gillan can't help but scream a few times (although time and age revealed he can't hit the high notes like he once did) but the straight ahead drive of the bonus track of Don't Hold Your Breath shows Deep Purple can boogie with the best of them. A good record but it became the first Deep Purple record that didn't make it into the Billboard top 200.
The Morse era Deep Purple (which continues to this day) also shows the emergence of Ian Gillan as lead singer and main songwriter and he had plenty of puns to use for titles, 1998 Abandon (a pun on A band on) was heavier than Purpendicular, the songs not much so in remembering them. Any Fuel Kno That (another of Gillan's puns via song) and Don't Make Me Happy which sounds a bit prog rock ish. It's good but not great Deep Purple. With that album Jon Lord exits from the band.
With the exit of Jon Lord, Ian Paice becomes the sole original and remaining Deep Purple member, Don Airey replaces Lord for Bananas. After co producing themselves for many years (with Roger Glover) Mike Bradford becomes the first outside producer for Deep Purple in years. The production is kinda weak but the songs themselves aren't bad and are a step up from Abandon. And Don Airey doesn't tarnish the Jon Lord keyboard playing at all, he does a fine job being the new guy. And probably more of his album rather than Steve or Ian for that matter.
After the demise of Sanctuary Records, Deep Purple moved over to Edel/Eagle Rock and made Rapture Of The Deep, an album that begins to show their prog rock side since the early days and reviews of this record was more positive. It even cracked the US charts (At number 43 on the independent record chart). Steve Morse started adding more guitar to the mix, including Before Time Begin which is more fusion than rock. Gillan still writes sarcastic and funny songs like MTV and Money Talks. Even back then Ian Gillan knew a thing or two about classic rock radio and the comparison of competing with Smoke On The Water and clueless DJs.
Which leads us to the present and Deep Purple continues on. 2013's Now What?! 20 years removed from Richie Blackmore, Steve Morse has come into his own. Not that he ever did, in the contrary this is the guy that gave us The Dixie Dregs and The Steve Morse Band so he knows how to play guitar. With Bananas onward to Now What?! we have seen that Deep Purple could survive without Richie and with a catalog going back 40 years, there's no shortage of what to play although Child In Time may have been retired. Now What?! continues a more progressive rock sound and they got a big time producer in Bob Ezrin who helped shaped that record as well. But the record, like the previous two shows that both Don Airey and Steve Morse do help a lot in the way the songs turned out. It's not super classic Deep Purple but if you have been along for the ride all these years and can overlook the fact that Richie is gone, these records are still a worthy listen.
Like Rapture Of The Deep, Eagle Records can't help but put on another bonus live CD of past hits and Vincent Price, their minor charting single. There are countless Deep Purple live albums out there and all have their moments. Basically there's not enough space on this blog to cover them all.
It's hard to believe the band has been around all these years. And Gillan can sing Smoke On The Water or Highway Star in his sleep. They should be included in the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame since they did influenced a few bands that did make it in there, Lars Ullrich be dammed but he's right. They should be there. All the lineup always managed to have great players replacing the great people (Jon Lord died in 2012 sad to say). But in the end, Ian Gillan has always seem to me to be the lead vocalist of this band, although Rod Evans and David Coverdale/Glenn Hughes will have their supporters. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had Ian Gillan or Roger Glover decided to stick with Episode Six, or had Rod Evans managed to keep the faux paus Purple going in the 80s. Things would be different for sure.
But in the end, Deep Purple has managed to defy the odds and last 40 years into the present. That's saying something.
Albums:
Perfect Strangers (Mercury 1984) B+
House Of Blue Light (Mercury 1987) B+
Nobody's Perfect (Mercury 1988) C+
Slaves And Masters (RCA 1990) C
The Battle Rages On (Giant 1993) B+
Purpendicular (CMC International 1996) A-
Abandon (CMC 1998) B
Bananas (Sanctuary 2002) B+
Rapture Of The Deep (Eagle 2005) B+
Now What?! (Eagle 2013) B+
Infinite (Ear Music 2017) B+
Whoosh (Ear Music/Edel 2020) B+
Update 2020: The Gillan/Morse/Airey/Glover/Paice lineup continued to record with Bob Ezrin and came up with Infinite, a album that borderlines on prog rock. Gillan's sense of humor remains evident especially on the tongue in cheek Johnny's Band which might be taking yet another poke at Richie Blackmore. Some people say that we don't need another Roadhouse Blues cover but I like it fine myself. However this lineup has been the longest lasting Deep Purple lineup, Steve Morse has fit in quite well and unlike his tenure in Kansas has done very well living up (and beyond) to the legend of Blackmore. Despite the odds, Deep Purple has defined the naysayers saying they wouldn't last long after Blackmore's acrimonious exit in 1994. And continued to make good albums.
Whoosh is a return back to rock after the Prog Rock overtunes of Infinite, only 2 songs go over five minutes but we have 13 songs including two instrumentals and a bonus track. and the address is a revisit of their first song off Shades Of Deep Purple. Not sure if this was a final song or a thumb at the nose at Richie Blackmore, Steve Morse does a fine job on lead. With Deep Purple now five decades old, this lineup of Don Airey/Steve Morse/Ian Gillan/Ian Paice/Roger Glover has been the longest lasting for almost 20 years. Whoosh is their third with Bob Ezrin, and all three have been the best they have offered since Purpendicular. It boggles the mind that Morse has outlasted Blackmore in being in the band and Gillan says that Blackmore is not missed. Gillan is no longer the screamer of the classic years but his vocals are still witty as ever.
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