Monthly Archives: November 2021

A to Z of Making It, Classic Songs to Be Discovered, Derivative Works, Influenced, Music, My Stories, Unsung Heroes

The Record Vault: The Darkness – Permission To Land

Released in 2003. But I didn’t buy it then.

The debut album “Permission To Land” took everyone by surprise. No one was ready for The Darkness. Their look, their vocal chops, their style of music was all “anti-what’s in vogue”.

Justin Hawkins is on vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, synthesizer and piano. His brother Dan Hawkins is on rhythm and lead guitar.
Frankie Poullain is on bass and Ed Graham is on drums.

I saw the clips and I watched em perform on various TV shows. I was a fan but I didn’t feel the need to buy. I wasn’t sure if it was a gimmick or the real deal.

Anyway a few years later I actually purchased their product.

Black Shuck

I was hooked from the AC/DC inspired intro. Very “Dirty Deeds” like.

Once the singing started, I was like WTF.

In a simple verse you hear operatic falsettos, Meatloaf like “Bat Out Of The Hell” style vocals, Freddie Mercury extravagance and NWOBHM throaty spitfire vocals. Almost theatre like. King Diamond also comes to mind.

It felt like a train wreck and I liked it. So I stayed on the train to see how far it would go before it crashed.

Get Your Hands Off My Woman

Then this started, with a bass riff that reminded me of The Police. The operatic falsetto is all over the verses and the Chorus.

And I like the “Hit With Me Your Best Shot” inspired Chorus riff.

The train crash was still on the rails.

Growing On Me

Very Cheap Trick like in the Intro/Chorus and when the Verse kicks in, check out the Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl” riff.

And I like it.

Finally we get a solo in the middle of the song and in the outro, but it’s the riff before the solo which I like.

I Believe In A Thing Called Love

At 159.4 million streams on Spotify, it’s their “hit”.

What else can be said about this. The riffs are very Sweet/ELO like and the Chorus vocal delivery has become iconic throughout the years. I remember in the early days of the “Idol” shows, there always was a singer who auditioned with this song.

And how good is the Outro, with the lead first and then that head banging riff to close.

So far, so good. A four punch knockout combo so far.

Love Is Only A Feeling

A mid-tempo like ballad more Poison like. And by now, my ears had acclimatised to the falsetto and normal singing voices.

Givin’ Up

Musically, it’s AC/DC in attitude and spirit.

Stuck In A Rut

The intro riff is “Thunderstruck” played ala Malcolm Young. Vocally it’s everywhere and not my favourite, but it doesn’t take away from the power of the music to me.

Friday Night

More Cheap Trick like influences.

Love On The Rocks With No Ice

I like the music. Its hard rock the way I like it. It has that AC/DC style of rock, with all of these other influences throughout, like ELO, Bad Company and even Judas Priest.

And this song has their best solo moments in the mid-section.

Holding My Own

“Purple Rain” from Prince and “Faithfully” from Journey come to mind when I hear this.

Makin’ Out

More AC/DC style of rawk and roll to close out.

Check out the open string lick after the solo, very “Thunderstruck” like.

By the end of it, I hoped they would stick around, but had a feeling that the labels would use them and spit them out. Like “Chainsaw Charlie” in “The Crimson Idol”.

But I was wrong, as they have shown the same resilience from when they started.

Doing it their way and “anti-what’s in”.

In Australia, Canada and New Zealand, the album was certified Platinum. In the U.K, it was 4x Platinum.

In Denmark and the United States it’s certified Gold.

And I guess you know which review is coming tomorrow.

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A to Z of Making It, Classic Songs to Be Discovered, Copyright, Derivative Works, Influenced, Music, My Stories

1976 – Part 3.7: Journey – Look Into The Future

Journey did exist before 1980 and before Steve Perry joined sometime in 1977/78. But it was a different Journey, more progressive rock and jazz fusion than the pop rock behemoth they are known for. But it’s those pop rock songs which game them a career. “Don’t Stop Believin” has 1.1 billion streams on Spotify. That equates to $3 million in royalties. Just for one song. And they have a lot of songs from that era in the hundred of millions.

But nothing from the early days.

“Look into the Future” is their second album, released in January 1976 on Columbia Records.

While the debut album was flavoured with a lot of progressive rock and Latin rhythms, the second album had a more standard song approach, with the progressiveness made to fit the song structures.

Guitarist George Tickner left the band after having co-written two songs for this album, leaving members Gregg Rolie (lead vocals/keyboards), Neal Schon (guitar), Ross Valory (bass), and Aynsley Dunbar (drums) as the recording members.

On a Saturday Nite

It’s very Doors like in style and vocal delivery.

It’s written solely by Gregg Rolie, so it’s no surprise that the piano leads the way to set the rock groove.

It’s All Too Much

A cover of a Beatles song written by George Harrison which appeared in the “Yellow Submarine” film and soundtrack.

Anyway

It’s like those 70’ mid-tempo songs that groove and rock and border on being like a heavy ballad but are not. Another Rolie composition which the band brings to life.

She Makes Me (Feel Alright)

Neal Schon makes an appearance as a songwriter along with Alex Cash and Rolie, with a super-sized Hendrix meets Sabbath like riff.

You’re on Your Own

Written by Rolie, George Tickner and Schon.

A piano riff and a melodic sing-along solo from Schon starts things off. Very Santana like.

And the song rocks and rolls.

Towards the end, Schon is shredding away over a Beatles like vocal melody in which Rolie is singing, “Trying to make up your mind”.

Look into the Future

Written by Diane Valory, Rolie and Schon. The start reminds me of “Free Bird” and the song retains that “Free Bird” feel.

At 8:10, it was the longest song Journey had recorded until 1980, when “Destiny” from the soundtrack album “Dream After Dream” took its place but no one would know it as the album is ignored, released the same year as “Departure”.

If there is a track to listen to on this album it’s this.

Especially when Schon starts to wail. His note selection, phrasing and emotive bends just needs to be heard. And the outro section has an open string like lick which Schon repeats while Rolie is singing, “it’s just around the corner” and then Schon breaks loose again, wailing away to close out the song.

The only thing you can do is press play again.

Midnight Dreamer

Written by Rolie and Schon, this one is funk rock fusion, very Hendrix like even in the vocal delivery.

But at the 2 minute mark it goes into a Doors like jam, with the piano leading the way and the drums playing a fast “Riders On The Storm” like shuffle.

And once the synth solo starts, its more ELP and Yes like than rawk and roll.

I’m Gonna Leave You

Written by Rolie, Schon and Tickner.

The intro riff is familiar because John Sykes used the exact same riff in the song, “Blue Murder”.

But then again, it’s a riff that is from the 70’s, one of those riffs that just can’t fall under copyright because it’s so derivative. Even “Carry On My Wayward Son” has this riff.

The title might not sound very metal like, but this cut is a Heavy Metal cut.

The Metal that I grew up on, before it became unrecognisable with guttural like vocals throughout.

Check it out.

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A to Z of Making It, Classic Songs to Be Discovered, Derivative Works, Influenced, Music, My Stories, Unsung Heroes

The Record Vault: Dirty Americans – Strange Generation

Formed in December 2000, they come from an area outside Detroit, Michigan. And since Kiss told me that Detroit is a Rock city, the Dirty Americans well then had to rock. And they sure do.

They got the attention of Roadrunner Records a few months after forming but were kept in limbo hell by the label. They recorded demos and albums worth of material for the label, but the label kept holding them back.

After a few false starts to release an album, “Strange Generation” was finally released in Europe, Japan and Australia in March 2004. The band was also then released from their contract with Roadrunner Records, and the debut album was later released in the US by Liquor & Poker Music. I had to google the name of the label to see if David Coverdale was running it, since Whitesnake had a song called “Liquor and Poker” written for the “Slip Of The Tongue” album and even the tour in support of the album was called the “Liquor and Poker”.

I purchased the album because of its retro psychedelic looking cover and the fact that Roadrunner was the label behind it.

Like many bands during this era, it was lucrative to have your songs on video games.

The song “Car Crash” is featured on the soundtrack for the PlayStation 2 video game Gran Turismo 4 and “Burn You Down” is featured in the main menus to ATV Offroad Fury 3 and Gretzky NHL 2005.

From an Australian point of view, they had the same sounds that Wolfmother and Jet had. That throwback to the 70’s retro sound. Good old classic rock.

No Rest

It explodes like a fuzzed out Sabbath crashing into the Rolling Stones.

Car Crash

It’s like The Doors meets Molly Hatchett.

Can love be like a car crash?

I suppose you need to be in both to really know.

Strange Generation

For some reason, “Generation Swine” keeps coming into my headspace when I see this title. But it’s more similar to early Cheap Trick than later Crue.

Burn You Down

The combination of Cream like riffs in the Verses with a Blue Oyster Cult “Don’t Fear The Reaper” style Chorus is great to listen to.

Time In Space

The start reminds me of AC/DC. Musically that is.

Give It Up

A blues rocker ballad, more in sync with Grand Funk and Lynyrd Skynyrd than anything else.

Deadman

My favourite song.

It’s got this Tea Party sound and feel, which is basically like Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti” sound.

And some sections remind me of Bush in the vocal delivery.

If you need to press play on a song from this album, then this is it.

Deep End

It could have appeared on Led Zep III and fitted perfectly with the style of that album.

Way To Go

The Chorus is addictive on this.

We Were Young

It’s got a Collective Soul feel, like “The World We Knew”.

The whole album just rocks and grooves.

I didn’t skip a song when I got it and listening to it again, today, I still didn’t skip a song.

But.

Afterwards it was hard to describe or sing or hum any of their melodies.

But.

When I pressed play again, for the second time, it was all familiar again, only to disappear a few hours later after I finished listening to it.

And I’m thinking that’s why they didn’t break on through to larger things, like other retro sounding bands. They didn’t have that “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” or “Joker And The Thief/Woman” tune.

Plus it was very hard to find any information on em back then.

Checking Spotify out right now, it does have two EP’s in “Jet Black Holy Water” and “Detroit S.O.B” and an album called “Black Feather” released in 2011.

In the end, they are largely unknown to the masses. Do yourself a favor and press play.

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A to Z of Making It, Derivative Works, Influenced, Music, My Stories

The Week In Destroyer Of Harmony History – October 32 to November 6

4 Years Ago (2017)

NIKKI SIXX

Love him or hate him, one thing is certain. Nikki Sixx is a lifer in the music business and once he and Allen Kovacs got back control of Motley’s catalogue in the late 90’s, they went about reinventing his image and persona, until he became bigger than the rest of the Crue guys combined.

Crue was my favourite band in the 80’s. Their attitude, their pop choruses, the street life lyrics and their simple but effective riffage all connected with me.

Crue showed the world that you don’t have to be the most gifted musicians to write effective songs that connect.

The 10th year anniversary edition of “The Heroin Diaries” came out during this period.

And you know what; it still is a pretty good album.

And 10 years is a long time in music. You could be here and then you could be gone.

Think about it.

In 1989, the Crue released “Dr Feelgood”. Their first ever Number 1 album. At the peak of their powers. By 1999, the Crue was creatively non-existent. By 2009, they had released a new album and had a massive tour. By 2019, they had retired from touring and then announced a comeback, which was derailed by coronavirus.

THE EARLY 90’s

By the early 90’s, the remnants of the dominant 80’s rock movement was looking for ways to fit in and get back people’s attention.

A lot of the acts signed towards the late 80’s had already splintered. Some got dropped and tried to get a new deal or they just left the recording business for good. And you had a lot of acts from the early 80’s, who had platinum success and somehow were still together and looking for ways to survive in the 90’s. You also had the 70’s acts that re-invented themselves in the 80’s thanks to MTV and were looking to keep the momentum going well into the 90’s. Aerosmith and Kiss come to mind here.

Meanwhile, the recording business was in a race to the bottom with a winner take all mentality. Label after label started to get sucked into the vacuum of the larger label.

Changes in personnel happened so fast that once an artist was signed, a few weeks or few months later, the people who signed the artist would no longer be working at the label and the interest to develop and promote the artist disappeared.

So the artist was in limbo.

But the label is not letting the artist go, just in case the artist makes it with another label. It’s one of the big no-no’s in the recording industry.

A record company in the 80’s would get you on radio, music television, magazines and they would push the album hard enough to achieve platinum sales.

If it didn’t “sell”, they would put you in the studio again, get you further in debt and if you failed again, you would be dropped.

A record label in the 90’s would sign you and then drop you before you even released anything or had a chance to get your message across.

And in today’s world it’s getting even harder to get your message across. It’s weird, because everyone has smartphones and everyone is connected however this great digital era also means that the users are the product.

WHITESNAKE 30th ANNIVERSARY

I was listening to the 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the 1987 self-titled album from Whitesnake.

Coverdale might have racked up a $3 million plus debt recording it, but Geffen Records recouped their investment and Coverdale got to make some coin himself.

To show the obscene amount of money thrown at artists, Sykes was hired in 84 with a million dollar sign-on fee, which would turn out to be another amount Coverdale had to pay back.

Because, labels recoup everything before they start to pay anything out.

And the “Evolution” demos are gold.

Pure Gold.

The way Coverdale and his team edited them together to demonstrate the evolution of each song is something that no other artist had done at that point in time.

It shows how a good chorus or a vocal melody evolves into a song. In some of the demo’s Coverdale is lost for words, but he’s hearing the melody and he repeats the same lines so he has something on tape to go back to later on.
Sykes on those jam versions; solo’s and riffs like hell. He’s unrefined and spontaneous and just trying stuff out, seeing what sticks and connects. The beauty of demos are the mistakes. There are no maps or directions but the artist sort of knows where they are going.

For example, in “Still Of The Night”. In the first minute, Coverdale is drumming on his legs, singling and adlibbing while Sykes is playing a riff over the normal F#5 chord. Then the phone rings and the next bit you hear from the minute mark to 1.45, I believe is from another song writing session. Then it evolves into a band rehearsal. And it just keeps on evolving from there. The evolution.

It’s best to invest time and check em out yourself. 

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MILLION AND SEVEN MILLION

While it’s great to see David Coverdale celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the 1987 self-titled Whitesnake album.

Dokken and the work Lynch did with the band is another favourite of mine during this period and Lynch’s guitar work is a huge influence on my guitar playing and style.

But “Back for the Attack” released in 1987 gets no anniversary treatment. It gets no attention and is rarely part of the conversation.

But back in 1987 it was everywhere. The momentum started with “Dream Warriors” which was released to promote “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”.

For nine months, Elektra Records flogged “Dream Warriors” to death over a staggered windowed release.

Then the album dropped and people purchased.

So what does 1 million sales in 1987 mean in 2021.

Using Spotify stats, 1 million sales in 1987 leads to 7.1 million streams of “Dream Warriors” in 2021.

Compared to how big Dokken was in the 80’s, these numbers are anaemic.

“Is This Love” has 181 plus million streams, while the “Here I Go Again” 1987 version has 204.8 million streams.

The “Here I Go Again” version from “Saints and Sinners” has 110 plus million streams and when you add the 68 million streams from the 1987 radio edit version, “Here I Go Again” combined 382 million streams.

The difference between a million seller and a seven million seller.

8 Years Ago (2013)

GUITAR WORLD

Once upon a time getting on the cover of a magazine was a sign of success. For the musical fan, the magazine was the only way that we could get any information from our favourite artists. The heyday for the metal and rock movements was the Eighties. Hundreds of different magazines appeared that covered certain genres and information was plentiful.

I started purchasing Guitar World magazines from January 1986. Any magazine that had content of bands/artists that I liked I devoured.

Circus, Faces, Metal Maniacs, Rip, Metal Edge, Hit Parader, Guitar For The Practicing Musician, Hot Metal, Metal Hammer, Kerrang, Guitar School, Guitar One, Total Guitar, Guitar Player and Guitar.

So how important is it to an artist to be on the cover of Guitar World today?

Back in 2013, I still subscribed to the magazine and I had all the issues for the year mapped out in front of me.

This was the cover roll for 2013.

December – Nirvana – In Utero Anniversary
November – John Petrucci
October – Synester Gates / Zacky Vengeance
September – Ultimate Prog Roundtable/Asking Alexandria
August – Jeff Hanneman Tribute
July – Tony Iommi and Ozzy Osbourne
June – Dave Mustaine / Chris Broderick
May – Brad Paisley
April – Orianthi
March – SRV “Texas Flood” Anniversary
February – The Who / Pete Townsend
January – Led Zeppelin Rides Again

Guitar World likes to play it safe. Sort of like a record label in the current environment. Not a lot of new artists in the list because they don’t sell advertising.

Each issue is still enjoyable and the lessons, plus the tabs are the reason why I still subscribed to it.

However, with user posted tabs on the rise in greater numbers on the internet (along with peer reviews and edits), plus YouTube videos of guitarists covering their favourite songs, in addition to the artists themselves delving deep into the “how to play” department, does a magazine like Guitar World still have a relevance in today’s market?

SCORE SHEET

STREAMING
Everyone talks about the money that isn’t filtering down to the artist however streaming is too entrenched to be replaced.

ALBUM
Everyone talks about the money that is lost due to piracy.

Remember that 20% of the tracks on Spotify have never been played.

SALES
Are not the best metric to measure a bands reach and pull.

PIRACY
Is not that large of a problem as the majors and the RIAA make it out to be.

LIVE
Remember the excitement and the buzz of going to the show. It was uncontrollable. Everyone waiting in line to get inside, to watch a band that rules, in an era that music ruled. By 2013 standards, it was too expensive to take kids to a concert and with a pandemic/endemic happening right now, it’s not even safe.

MUSIC IS DERIVATIVE

All the music we love is an amalgamation of music that has come before. In a lot of the cases, this amalgamation involves some serious copying.

In other words, the history of music as I know it involved a lot of “stealing.”

MUSIC IS DERIVATIVE 2

Since the Copyright industries have grown into Corporate monoliths, it is suddenly uncool for an artist to use previous works as influences for further works.

But.

Those artists who “steal” are the most successful. Those who “imitate” are the most successful. Those who “copy” are the most successful.

Led Zeppelin built a career on copying blues and folk standards.

Metallica built their career by copying their NWOBM influences and many others.

Oasis built a career on copying from “The Beatles”.

The Beatles built a career on copying from blues and rock standards.

It is a shame that we have a generation of people that have grown up with a belief that music is created in a vacuum and they decide that legal threats is the best way forward.

When Balance Sheets are affected, these industries will do anything to hold on or maintain their profits.

And that’s another wrap for another week.

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The Record Vault and Australian Method Series: Dragon

I’ve already covered this album under the Australian Method Series here.

It’s album number seven and it was released in June 1984, peaking at number 5 on the Australian charts and gaining a platinum certification.

But it was their first album since 1979.

And there’s a story.

Formed in 1972 in New Zealand, Dragon was about to break in the larger North American market.

But when you’re doing heroin, the only thing that’s gonna break are your chances of breaking big.

They had a US tour opening up for Johnny Winter that went bad when lead vocalist Marc Hunter called Winter’s blues rock audience rednecks and faggots, he was lucky he even escaped the venue.

And Marc was fired from Dragon, by his own brother Todd. Marc went solo and had some success, however the band new they could make some serious coin if they got together again.

“Rain” was the output in 1983. Written by Johanna Pigott, Marc Hunter and Todd Hunter, it’s 3 minutes and 40 seconds of pure hard rock glory.

Make sure you stick around for the “if you go out in the rain” melody towards the end.

Due to its success, the band went into the studio to record an album worth of songs.

As a side note, the writing team of Johanna Pigott and her partner, Todd Hunter (Dragon bass player) also wrote the smash hit title track “Age Of Reason” for John Farnham a few years later.

The album kicks off with “Rain”.

If it wasn’t for “Rain”, then “Cry” would be a favourite.

“Body And The Beat” has a bass groove and a feel that bands like INXS were making popular.

“Magic” feels like a driving song, with the window down and the warm winds blowing through.

But.

Apart from “Rain”, this album is forgotten.

Everyone told the band the album would break the band overseas. But it didn’t. Within a year they were back in the studio recording another album..

A year after this album came out, keyboardist Paul Hewson and the writer of their classic songs “April Sun In Cuba” and “Are You Old Enough” was found dead in a friend’s car, hours after he told the band he wanted to leave.

Dragon continued and released the super successful (in the Australia market), “Dreams Of Ordinary Men” in 1986 and “Bondi Road” in 1989. A review of “Bondi Road” is coming up.

A few greatest hits and acoustic re-recordings hit the shelves. And then tragedy struck again.

Marc Hunter was diagnosed with throat cancer in November 1997 and he died on 17 July 1998. Dragon have continued on with Todd Hunter still the driving force.

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Kiss Rocks Vegas

Kiss was in the news recently about cancelling their next Vegas Residency run of shows because of a mutiny within their own camp over COVID-19 protocols.

As I was reading the story, I was on Amazon Prime, so I searched for Kiss and “Kiss Rocks Vegas” came up.

Perfect as I do remember it going to Number 1 on the DVD charts in Australia when it came out in 2016.

And before I started to watch the show, I did some reading.

Tommy Thayer.

Thayer cops crap from hardcore Kiss elitists, but if it wasn’t for Thayer, this release wouldn’t have happened. He was involved in getting it filmed, the sound recorded and produced. Apart from that, he also does a lot more behind the scenes for the band around Kiss conventions, YouTube docos and social media.

He’s not an original member but goddamn he’s an important one.

The show was recorded from November 5-23, 2014 during the band’s residency at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, during their 40th anniversary tour.

It was then released in cinemas worldwide on May 25, 2016, and later released on pay-per-view on June 14, 2016.

Detroit Rock City

It’s their best opener. I don’t think any other Kiss song can replace it.

That middle guitar harmony section is some of the best music committed to tape from Kiss, so take a bow Paul Stanley, your guitar prowess goes unnoticed to many.

The song is listed as being written by Paul Stanley and Bob Ezrin.

As a fan of the songwriting process, it’s never been clear to me what Ezrin contributed.

Was it musically or did he contribute ideas on the arrangement?

“Creatures of the Night”

Written by Stanley and Adam Mitchell.

The power of the riff is lost with all the exploding pyro.

“Psycho Circus”

Written by Stanley and Curtis Cuomo.

The pyro again detracts from the musical performance.

“Parasite”

An Ace Frehley written song, performed vocally by Gene Simmons.

The main riff is always a standout (Dimebag from Pantera mentioned it as one of his favorites) even though Gene is a little loose vocally.

“War Machine”

Depending on my mood, I like this one more than “God Of Thunder” as a signature song for Gene Simmons.

And Simmons got some help in the song writing department from Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. There’s also a certain Stone Temple Pilots song that sounds eerily similar.

If you don’t believe me, press play on “Sex Type Thing”.

Live, Simmons nails this one.

“Tears Are Falling”

A Paul Stanley track and a favourite for me.

It was actually a surprise to see it in the set list. Bruce Kulick also doesn’t get the cred he should for keeping the band in “with the shred crowd” during the 80s.

“Deuce”

Does anyone know what a “deuce” is when Gene Simmons sings, your man is worth a “deuce”?

Tennis 40/40 is what comes to mind.

“Lick It Up”

Did Stanley and Vinnie Vincent know that they were creating a classic here?

I like how they go into a bit of “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.

“I Love It Loud”

It’s so repetitive but great for a live sing along. Simmons and Vincent delivered the goods here.

“Hell or Hallelujah”

Paul Stanley rises to the occasion again with this “Monster” of a track. Actually the two best songs from Kiss in the 2000’s are from Stanley in “Modern Day Delilah” and “Hell Or Hallelujah”.

If you’re not banging your head to the riff, check for a pulse.

“God of Thunder”

Lyrics like “wasteland”, “Aphrodite”, “Olympus”, “raised by demons” and a “modern day man of steel” are all forgotten when the Chorus kicks in and we are all screaming, “God Of Thunder and Rock And Roll”.

“Do You Love Me?”

It’s very “Sweet” like.

Do Ya like it?

“Love Gun”

Another stone cold classic from Stanley.

“Black Diamond”

Eric Singer shows his vocal chops after a small intro from Stanley.

“Shout It Out Loud”

The encore starts.

“Rock and Roll All Nite”

And the show ends.

Kiss’s bread and butter is the live show. It always was and always will be, and they have it all.

Fire, pyro, blood, flying through the arena, walkways above the crowd and everything else they could think off.

Check it out.

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1976 – Part 3.6: Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record

“A New World Record” is studio album number 6 for Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1976.

Like The Doobie Brothers, this album acts as a bridge between the progressive side of the band and the radio-friendly side of the band.

The Electric Light Orchestra of 1976 is made up of Jeff Lynne on Lead Vocals and Lead Guitars, Bev Bevan on Percussion/Drums, Richard Tandy on Keyboards and Guitar, Kelly Groucutt on Bass and Backing Vocals.

Mik Kaminski is on Violin, Hugh McDowell on Cello and Melvyn Gale on Cello.

All songs are written by Jeff Lynne. At 28 years of age, he was at the peak of his songwriting powers.

Tightrope

How good is the symphonic 80 second Intro?

And then it moves into a Beatles like cut.

Telephone Line

It starts off as a telephone call, with the call going to message and the message being left is the song. At first it sounds like a cassette recording and eventually the sound cleans up.

It’s a perfect 60s (especially when the do-wop section kicks in) like song that wouldn’t be out of place on the Grease movie.

Rockaria

Bar room 12 bar blues with symphonic elements and operatic like vocals.

What a mix?

Mission (A World Record)

A piano, violins and a vocal melody that Freddie Mercury would be proud off.

From a modern view point, Muse comes to mind.

So Fine

There was a period in the70s when artists would write a song and have”Groove” or “Shuffle” in the title.

This song is in that area of Funk blues rock.

Livin’ Thing

A great track.

It almost feels like a soundtrack with the Spanish like violin Intro before an acoustic rhythm kicks.

Press play just for the Chorus.

Above the Clouds

Next.

Do Ya

Its a remake of the 1972 single by The Move, of which Lynne was a member between 1970 and 1972.

And it’s my favorite track.

Just press play to hear the Intro riff.

Shangri-La

It moves between an aria and a rock power ballad. Very Queen-like.

In Australian it went to Number 1 and it deserved to be there.

In 1977, four of the album’s songs were featured on the soundtrack of the film “Joyride” which always help getting the awareness out there.

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The Record Vault: Digital Summer – The Aquarius EP

50 Shades

Released in 2015 as a single. The theme of the song is easy to make out.

The “Aquarius” album was also announced with the single. It’s a mixture of the electronic elements and heavy rock.

It’s No Good

Released in 2018. It’s a cover from Depeche Mode and it rocks.

The vocal delivery is like a cross between “Come Undone” from Duran Duran and Staind in the verses crashes into a big Chorus.

Buried Alive

Released on February 9, 2018.

Press play for the Chorus.

And suddenly I’m guilty
Of just trying to survive
Inhale but I can’t breathe
It’s like I’m being buried alive

And at 3.10 in length, there isn’t a note or lick or melody wasted.

Push Me

Released on May 25, 2018.

It’s an accumulation of the first three albums.

Just push me over the edge so I can feel the fall

Mayday

Released on October 15, 2018.

One of my favorite cuts from them.

It’s heavy, it rocks and the melodies show a real growth.

And it was the last song they released. Their website went from being there to being unavailable, as the domain name wasn’t renewed.

The Facebook account is there, but the band members are not active on it as it doesn’t look like there is a band.

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1976 – Part 3.5: Doobie Brothers – Takin It To The Streets

It’s a great album title but people hated the cover, thinking it was lazy.

“Takin’ It to the Streets” came out in 1976 and it’s the first to feature Michael McDonald on lead vocals. If you own the “1984” album by Van Halen, you will see Michael McDonald listed as a co-writer to “I’ll Wait”.

Tom Johnston was the leader and main songwriter in The Doobie Brothers. But in 1974 while touring, he fell ill and he had to reduce his involvement with the band. This got the label nervous as they didn’t want the band to continue without Johnston and the other members considered calling it quits.

But newbie guitarist Jeff Baxter suggested calling up a friend and fellow Steely Dan graduate Michael McDonald to finish the tour. McDonald thought that once the tour was over, he would be on his way, but was then asked to come into the studio to work on their next album.

Producer Ted Templeman (another familiar name for Van Halen fans) started going over the songs the band had available, but he knew they needed more and McDonald was asked to contribute his own songs. Which were very different sounding to what the Doobies played and if the band recorded em, would take the band in a different direction.

And that is what happened. So let’s see how the bridge between the Johnston and McDonald era sounded.

The musicians for the album are Tom Johnston who was still around to contribute and he played electric guitar, lead and backing vocals on the track “Turn It Loose” and vocals on “Wheels of Fortune”.

Patrick Simmons played electric guitars and lead vocals on a few songs,

Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is on electric guitars.

Michael McDonald played all the piano and synths as well as lead and backing vocals.

Tiran Porter on bass, backing vocals and lead vocal on “For Someone Special”. Drums were provided by John Hartman and Keith Knudsen.

The album had a The Memphis Horns section and various other musicians playing congas and violas and what not. Even Templeman chimed in with some percussion.

Speaking of the Production team Donn Landee (another familiar name for Van Halen fans) was there as Engineer.

Wheels of Fortune

The clean tone riff to start the song rocks and grooves. Almost funk rock like. Dare I say it, Steely Dan like.

Written by Patrick Simmons, Jeff Baxter and John Hartman, it’s still the old Doobies sound.

Vocals are provided by Tom Johnston.

Changin’ wheels of fortune
Drivin’ us on and on
Winnin’, sometimes losin’
As soon as it’s here it’s gone

Living from payday to payday is the only way for a lot of people.

Takin’ It to the Streets

The Michael McDonald era begins. The title tracks is solely written by McDonald. Its piano driven, and it funks and sort of rocks.

I also like the bass playing from Tiran Porter. Check it out.

And the solo is driven by The Memphis Horn Section. Yep horns and not guitar.

I ain’t blind and I don’t like what I think I see
Takin’ it to the streets

People have taken to the streets to protest a lot these last 15 years, but it’s still the same rubbish.

8th Avenue Shuffle

Guitarist Patrick Simmons wrote this one. It’s a blues soul funk tune, with some wonderful bass playing. Hell, it could appear on an Eagles album and not be out of place.

Losin’ End

Another track written by McDonald. It does nothing for me.

Next.

Rio

A track written by guitarists Simmons and Baxter, with vocals provided by Simmons and McDonald.

A Charlie Watts style drum beat starts the song, and when the Latin percussion comes in, I felt like I was listening to an Al Di Meola cut.

This track is the definition of “Yacht Rock”.

For Someone Special

Written by bass player Tiran Porter and the vocals are delivered by Porter himself.

The 70’s acts all had capable musicians who could play and sing.

The bass plays the main riff here, while the guitars and keys decorate. It’s trippy and I feel like he’s venting his feelings about Tom Johnston.

To reach down inside
And push that nightmare away
Now I’m glad that it’s over, it’s over
Now I can play

It’s always difficult for a band when a person who is like a band leader steps away. And the label does it’s best to make the other members feel worthless.

It Keeps You Runnin’

Another cut written by McDonald by himself, the lone wolf.

Not a favourite.

Turn It Loose

Johnston definitely gave the band a rocking edge. So even though he was done with the band, he did deliver this excellent cut.

People all around me
Everywhere I go
I thought I had a grip on things
Now I just don’t know

I’m not a big enough fan to know everything about The Doobie Brothers, but Johnston was seen as the driving force of the band and one of the main writers by the press and the label.

So when he disappeared, no one knew what was going to happen.

Carry Me Away

Written by Simmons, Baxter and McDonald. It’s just too much like a 70’s TV intro theme song.

In the end the album has more of a jazz, urban, soulful, funk than rock tunes and a new era started.

Michael McDonald and The Doobies.

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The Record Vault: Digital Summer – After Hours: Unplugged & Rewired

“After Hours: Unplugged & Rewired” is like a best off, done in an acoustic format with the addition of a few new tracks.

Released on October 8, 2013 and this one was purchased from the Amazon U.S store without any graffiti on the cover.

This City

One of my favourite songs.

Electronic programmed drums provide a foundation, while the acoustic guitars reign with arpeggios and harmonics.

If there is a song to listen to, press play on this.

This city made me who I am

I was always told that I am a product of my upbringing, and how the family, the social circles and the city I grew up in plays a part with all of this.

There is also a bluesy solo on this, which is cool to hear the guitarist flex their styles.

Forget You

From the “Breaking Point” album. It was heavy and aggressive on that album, a perfect concert and album opener.

It feels swampy this time around and it doesn’t lose its aggression.

Shallow (Closer Than the Angels)

From the “Counting The Hours” album and the way this song sounds in acoustic format is so Breaking Benjamin and I like it.

Suffocate

This song is from the first album “Cause And Effect” and it works great in acoustic and electric formats.

It also appeared on the “Hollow” EP.

Personally I prefer how it starts off in acoustic and I like how I can make that “American Woman” association for the riff known as the “Nu Metal” riff.

Closer to Me

A new song. This song sounds great and I like how the drums have this processed electronic effect for the first part.

Dance in the Fire

From the “Breaking Point” album.

I don’t like how they tried to recreate the fast picked distorted verse riff in acoustic format. They should have stayed within the strummed verse riff.

But the Chorus is exceptional.

Morphine

From the “Counting The Hours” album and they nail that Staind vibe.

Use Me

From the “Hollow” EP and “Counting The Hours” album. This song has been done acoustically previously and it works.

Whatever It Takes

From the debut album “Cause And Effect”.

I’ll do whatever it takes to get you out of my life

It’s a great hook and they deliver it nicely.

Demons

It’s a new song.

Just close your eyes
Let the demons rest tonight

But they don’t rest, unless we use something to rest em. Because when a person is alone with their thoughts, the demons are out to play.

Broken Halo

From the “Breaking Point” album. The song was done acoustically as a bonus track for the album and released here as well.

Sweet Misery and Worth The Pain

Both are from the “Hollow” EP. I like the electronics under “Worth The Pain”.

Little did I know that this would be the last full length album from the band.

Various single song releases came out and a new album called “Aquarius” was announced but it never saw the light of day.

However I will have one final post on those single song releases, plus a bonus post on “The Tragedy Machine” side project of the Winterstein brothers.

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