I can’t believe it.
The next lot of pre-sales from Bon Jovi’s tour of Australia have gone on sale via Showbiz and no one is buying. Tickets have been on sale since 8am this morning, which is when I purchased 4 Platinum tickets.
I just went online right now, and i could purchase another 4 Platinum tickets.
I then checked Bon Jovi’s Facebook page, and there is no mention of the pre sale that is happening today.
WTF?
I guess the whole Telstra / Bang Tango debacle pissed everyone off.
A few of my favorite albums from back in the day are having anniversaries this year.
Let’s start with the Vince Neil release, Exposed. As a massive Motley Crue fan, let’s say that I wasn’t impressed with the ousting of Vince Neil. For some reason, I always took Vince’s story as the source of truth.
Back in 1992, it was hard to get current information. So I hear that Vince was fired from Motley, and next I am seeing his Exposed album in Utopia in April 1993. Without question I purchased it, took it home and put it on the CD player. Before I pressed play, I took out the booklet and I see that Phil Soussan is credited with writing quite a few songs. This got me even more interested.
For those that don’t know, Phil Soussan was responsible for writing Shot In The Dark when he was in Ozzy’s band. Shot In The Dark appeared on the Ultimate Sin album, released in a time where Hard Rock and Metal was starting to hit its commercial peak. To give some back story to Shot In The Dark, Soussan had this song written years before he joined Ozzy’s band. It was inspired by the Pink Panther movies. Ozzy loved the lyrics, but wanted Soussan to make the song darker, while trying to keep with the original idea.
Then Jake E. Lee left the band. Soussan and his best friend Randy Castillo (RIP) who was also the drummer in Ozzy’s band, started to hold auditions to find a new guitarist, while Ozzy went out to promote the Tribute album. That is where a young Zachary Weilandt came into the picture based on a recommendation from Mark Weiss (this is the guy who photographs everything to do with rock n roll). That is how Zakk Wylde was born.
Phil Soussan was just another talented musician and songwriter that had to leave a band he wanted to be in because of business disagreements with Sharon Osbourne regarding future publishing arrangements. I am sure Jake E. Lee was also forced out in this way.
To get back on track, I am a fan of Phil Soussan. So I find out that many of the songs that he had written for Ozzy’s next album, ended up on Exposed.
I then find out that it was Soussan that was responsible for putting together the Vince Neil band. The original band line up was Vince Neil on vocals, Phil Soussan on bass, Adrian Vandenberg (from Whitesnake) on guitar, Vik Foxx (Enuff Z’Nuff) on drums and Robbie Crane on guitar.
Soussan and Neil also put the Warner Bros deal together along with Vince’s manager Bruce Bird who passed away in 1993.
Then it all went sour when Steve Stevens (Billy Idol and Atomic Playboys) was asked to replace Vandenberg. Stevens already had a personal issue with not having written the songs and it looks like Stevens held a grudge against Soussan for working with Billy Idol, who was Stevens former employer. So all hell broke loose after the death of Bruce Bird.
Soussan started to be on the outer, especially when Stevens wanted to play bass and eventually Soussan had no option but to leave again. Imagine his dismay, when his manager showed him a draft sleeve of the album where Stevens had tried to put his name as the songwriter and remove Phil Soussan’s credit from his own songs. Songs that Soussan wrote all the original demos and titles from back in the Ozzy days.
The matter was addressed and legally resolved, in favor of Soussan. So much drama and the album hasn’t even come out. Isn’t that just the nature of Rock N Roll.
Look in Her Eyes is the opener and it is listed as being written by Vince Neil, Steve Stevens and Phil Soussan. Other songs written by this combination are The Edge, Gettin’ Hard and Forever.
Look In Her Eyes is a classic. The intro riff has that Euro Metal vibe, the verse has that Dr Feelgood vibe and the Chorus is melodic and catchy as hell. You can hear that Phil wrote this song with Ozzy’s style in mind. Steven Stevens contribution to this song, was to make the lead break a centerpiece and it goes for well over a minute and a half.
An ocean of temptation
With every drop of wine
Shadows meeting face to face
The tentacles entwine
One look from the jezebel
Phony valentine
Now you see the wanderer
Frozen in the corridors of time
For some reason I love the way that second verse is written. Maybe it is the Medusa reference, done in such a rock n roll way. That is why the song has that big epic classic rock feel. Men are creatures of temptation, from the Garden of Eden to now.
The Edge is another uptempo riff fest of a song. From its flamenco intro, to its pedal point driven verses and its climbing arpeggio choruses. This song is a dead set classic. It reminds me of Red Hot from the Crue for some reason. It reminds of Deep Purple. It reminds me of Scorpions. The lead break is pure class, breaking down into the acoustic flamenco passages again, before building up again, with the orchestra strings in tow into a wah shred fest of a lead break.
There is no tomorrow i live my life today
Luck is my religion to the lady i will pray
I fail to see the black in every tinsel town
They can try and take my pride
But they can never take my crown
Listen to the phrasing of the vocal line. It’s done the same way Ozzy sings. It was meant for Ozzy. Of course Vince has a totally different voice, so it sounds unique. It’s totally different to what Vince did in Motley. Living your life on the edge of time, is what the song is saying.
Fine, Fine Wine is written by Vince Neil and Phil Soussan. This song would fit perfectly on Dr Feelgood. It is classic Motley Crue. The lyrics, the riffs, the sex and the sleaze. Vince is in his element here.
Baby’s long and tall man she’s got it all she’s alright
alright
Hips have got a sway shakin’ it my way it alright
alright
Full bodied curves with her legs she serves oh yeah
oh yeah
Lips that say it all turn and hear her call oh yeah
oh yeah
Ain’t no cheap and nasty liquor dripping down her vine
Taste of golden honey sweet as candy money
Bottle it up and make her mineGive me a taste of your fine fine wine
The bass line just rolls the song along, keeping it low and dirty. Steven Stevens delivers another great solo on this song. Even though he was a dick to Soussan, he still played his arse off on this album.
Sister of Pain and You’re Invited (But Your Friend Can’t Come) was written by the Vince Neil, Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw combination. It is steeped in the blues hard rock vibe that Damn Yankees brought back to the charts. The same blues hard rock vibe made famous by Free, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Ted Nugent and many others. Again both songs would not be out-of-place on a Motley Crue album.
Can’t Change Me is a Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw composition, very similar to Damn Yankees, the super group project they had with Ted Nugent.
Can’t Have Your Cake and Living Is A Luxury is written by Vince Neil and Steve Stevens. I don’t really rate these two songs.
Finally there was a Sweet cover in Set Me Free, that is written by Andrew Scott.
The album was produced by Ron Nevison. That is why it has that AOR feel, very radio friendly, arena rock feel and the performances are top-notch.
Ron was coming off multi platinum success with Heart, Survivor, Bad English, Europe and Ozzy’s The Ultimate Sin. Actually Ron played a part in getting Phil Soussan to depart, as he started to support Steve Stevens in the decision-making.
1993 was a year of big change in the music business. Vince Neil delivered an album that didn’t get the promotion it deserved. The only way I could have purchased the album was from Utopia Records, which was a hard rock/heavy metal record store. Utopia records is located in the Sydney CBD and back then they where on Clarence Street. I had to take a 90 minute train ride from my country town to the Sydney CBD.
The usual major stores back then didn’t even stock it. Makes it hard to compete if the fans can’t find it. It can be found today, by everyone.
ANGUS YOUNG – RAW ENERGY IS ALL YOU NEED
Guitar World March 1986
By Joe Lalaina
(All parts in Italics and Quotes are from the March 1986 issue of Guitar World)
To this day. Angus continues to play in shorts, every show. However a lot of AC/DC fans say it s a worn-out routine,
“I guess it depends on which fans you talk to,” counters Angus. To me, it’s comfortable. If I took the stage and dressed like any other guitar player. I don’t think I would be able to be myself. The shorts are as much a part of me as my guitar.”
Lalaina is trying to get a reaction from Angus. I lived through the Eighties, and during this period, glam and hard rock was becoming king. All the bands had a similar look. AC/DC didn’t fit this look and a lot of the journalists tried to put AC/DC down. Even the sales of AC/DC albums started to tank during the Eighties. It wasn’t until 1990 when AC/DC released The Razor’s Edge that their career was resurrected. The response from Angus is typical of the attitude in AC/DC. They never cared for trends. To quote Frank Sinatra, the did it their way.
“When I first started playing in shorts, it was a challenge. People would say, Hey, this guy’s a clown—here comes Peepo or something. As a result, it made me work harder to prove to the people that I really did know how to play guitar. I just plugged it into the amp and played. I never used any of those wangy’ bars or stuff like that.”
These days, an artist would change who they are, just so they can please. No one wants to be hated. Instead of working harder to stay true to who they are like Angus, 99% of wannabe musicians would change.
In fact, Angus hates tremolo units.
” Those things never appealed to me,” he says. “If I want to get a similar kind of sound, I just de-tune the strings. Cliff Richard used to have this guy in his backing band, Hank Marvin, who used that thing on almost every note. He was like a Buddy Holly clone—he used to do these silly little steps. Guys like Hank set the music world back twenty years. I couldn’t believe guitarists like Beck looked at him as inspiration. Whenever I saw guys like Hank Marvin, I would always go in the complete reverse of what they were doing.”
That is what I am talking about. By 1986, everyone was doing tapping, whammy dive bombs, sweep picking and had racks of gear to rival NASA. Angus is totally against it, staying true to who he is, keeping it simple, keeping it real.
Angus says his biggest musical inspiration was his brother George Young, who together with Harry Vanda produced the first few AC/DC albums. Vanda and Young, you may recall, were the guitarists in the Easybeats, one of the most successful Australian pop bands of the late sixties.
That is what a lot of people seem to forget or don’t even know about. Angus and Malcolm Young had a successful older brother. Does anyone remember the working class anthem, Friday On My Mind?
“We learned a lot from George.” says Angus. “He was the first one who said to us, To be different, you must do everything your own way. When he first heard us, he was impressed with the fact that we could take someone’s song—an old standard like ‘Lucille’ or something and make it sound like a new song altogether. George just let us do what we wanted. He didn’t make us put nice melodies in. If anything, he made us toughen our music up.”
“Although George had more experience as a guitarist and a songwriter, he was also a good producer. A lot of people call themselves producers, but in fact they may be more of an engineer, since they know more about sound than about songs or arranging. George knew about everything. A lot of producers can’t even tell you if your guitar is out of tune.”
“George was great to work with in the studio.” adds Angus. “He always said that since we’re a rock and roll band, the less gimmickry, the better. The last album he did with us was our live album back in 78, If You Want Blood You’ve Got It. I remember George saying, “This is the last AC/DC album I’m gonna produce, since you guys already know enough about the type of sound and songs you want.”
I have a strong viewpoint on producers. A good, smart producer can really get the best out of a band, and to me, they are the real unsung heroes in the history of hard rock and heavy metal music. George Young, didn’t try to change AC/DC into another Easybeats. He made them play to their strengths. He assisted them in making their sound tougher, rawer, edgier and grittier.
After considering a few producers (whom Angus says he would rather not name), AC/DC settled for Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who produced the bands next three albums, Highway To Hell, Back In Black and For Those About To Rock We Salute You. Of these, Back In Black was the most successful, selling a whopping eight million copies.
“That album is our biggest selling album in America,” acknowledges Angus, “but our European fans preferred our early albums. A lot of the sounds on Back In Black are very much like the sounds you hear on the radio these days.”
Mutt Lange, another master producer. Of course he went on to massive things with Def Leppard, Bryan Adams and Shania Twain.
How many AC/DC fans knew that Lange, produced three AC/DC albums.
Of course, Back In Black has now moved over 30 million units worldwide since its release. Highway To Hell, the last Bon Scott album has now moved over 10 million units worldwide since its release and For Those About To Rock We Salute You, has now moved over 7 million units worldwide since its release.
It was another super producer, Bruce Fairbairn that helped re-establish AC/DC in the Nineties with the excellent Razors Edge and the classic Thunderstruck.
Could this be why AC/DC decided to produce their last two albums themselves?
“Not really,” says Angus. “We went from working with Mutt to producing ourselves simply because we wanted to. All the material was ready before we went into the studio albums we did with Matt. He left the music to us because he knew what we wanted. But the difference between us and any other band he’s worked with is that he likes to spend a lot of time in the studio, we don’t. I mean, he’s a good producer and he’s good at getting a great performance out of a band, but he spends too much time recording. We can’t stay in a studio for six months to a year on an album – that’s ridiculous.”
Is Angus happy with how Fly On The Wall turned out?
“We think we’ve done a good job and we achieved what we wanted. We just wanted to make a tough and exciting rock and roll record. And that’s what we made.”
Fly On The Wall had two stand out tracks and the rest was filler. That is why the Who Made Who soundtrack album that came next sold a lot. Even though it had a two new songs, it was sort of like a greatest hits album, featuring the best AC/DC songs from Back In Black, For Those About To Rock We Salute You and Fly On The Wall. It also had Ride On from the Bon Scott era.
It wasn’t until The Razors Edge album released in 1990 that AC/DC recaptured the public’s love affair with them. Since then they have never looked back. If any young artist is starting out, these articles form the key component to the A to Z of Making It. Stay true to who you are. If you do that, and you write great music, an audience will find you.
Silent Lucidity is another Chris DeGarmo classic. When Queensryche released the Empire album in 1991, the musical landscapes they explored on that album where exactly the same landscapes my head was in at the time.
I was starting to get tired of the hard rock / glam rock albums that the bands started to release. A lot of hard rock journalists and artists blame Grunge for killing off the glam/hard rock scene, however, that is not the case. The hard rock scene killed itself off, due to over saturation. So when Grunge came in, it was different, it was raw and most importantly it dealt with what is real. Of course, when Grunge came into the mainstream, every label wanted a Grunge band and by doing that, history repeated itself.
Silent Lucidity is about lucid dreaming. Chris DeGarmo has stated the same, in magazine interviews he was doing at the time of the release. At the start of the song, it seems like a parent is consoling a child who just had a bad dream, and then they start telling them that they can control the things that happen in dreams.
Silent Lucidity was never meant to be a hit song. It was never written to be a hit song. The beauty of music is evident here in the way that a song connects with people from out of the blue. The current pop charts these days, have songs written by a committee of writers. Those songs are written so that they chart. There is no soul in them, no life. History will repeat itself here as well.
Silent Lucidity was written because Chris DeGarmo wanted to write it. It was a topic that was special to him.
It’s a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mindCommanding in another world
Suddenly, you’ll hear and see
This magic new dimension
Didn’t we all want that kind of place as children growing up. When we played fantasy sports outside and we are always the winners.
I
Will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through
I
Will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you
In silent lucidity…
Relax child, be safe, the guardian angel will always be there, next to you, to lead the way, to protect you, in silent lucidity.
Geoff Tate is the ring master in the way that he delivers the vocal line, with all the authority of a guardian protecting their child. Listening to the song today, it sounds fresh and current. It’s not dated. It was a natural progression for Queensryche to move into. If YouTube was around back in the day, this clip would have had a billion views.
I remember a band member once asking me, what do I believe needs to be done to make it. I always had the viewpoint that successful people are far from being normal. The ones that make it had something to prove to someone. There could be abandonment issues, broken homes, mental issues, drug dependencies or some other X factor. Of course, there are the 1 percents of the small 1 percents of people who make it, that just keep on persisting their way to the top.
Let’s look at Motley Crue. Nikki Sixx was the driver of that vehicle and look at his childhood.
Machine Head’s driver is Robb Flynn. He was adopted. He had something to prove.
Metallica at the beginning was all Dave Mustaine. He was the one that had something to prove as he had the abandonment issues from Mustaine Senior. Once he was ousted, it was all James Hetfield. His Christian Science upbringing was the catalyst. Lars was the connections guy in the band, while James was the driver.
Van Halen had David Lee Roth, the troubled son from a renowned eye surgeon. Yes, I know that Eddie Van Halen wrote the music and the riffs, however DLR was the show, the ideas man, the troubled teen that had something to prove.
Megadeth had Dave Mustaine. Mustaine had something to prove when he was in Metallica and after his ousting he really had something to prove.
Dream Theater had Mike Portnoy. Portnoy’s mum died in a plane crash and his step dad was a prick. Talented as John Petrucci is, if Mike Portnoy wasn’t there, Dream Theater would never have made it. Portnoy delivered the X Factor.
Slipknot had Corey Taylor. Corey had even overdosed twice in his teens.
Something to think about when our heroes mess things up.
The Bon Jovi tour juggernaut continues to book shows around the world. Richie Sambora is still out due to personal reasons or issues.
The Australian tour just had Kid Rock added to the schedule. Big thumbs up to Kid Rock for selling $20 concert tickets to his U.S. shows, as well as taking a cut on merchandise, parking and other sales.
Interesting to note, that Bon Jovi’s tour of Australia will be offering $32 ticket prices to Telstra customers. However, this doesn’t mean that Bon Jovi is taking a loss or a pay cut.
Bon Jovi still get paid the monies offered to them.
This is Telstra taking a hit, so that they can push their brand even more. This is Telstra sending a message out to fans of live music. Telstra is saying, “Hey check us out, we are a real game player in the selling of cheap tickets to great live shows.”
However in order for the music lover to purchase, they need to be a Telstra customer. So Telstra will be expecting a surge in memberships, which in turn, will be a surge in revenue. It will be a big win for Telstra.
As a Telstra shareholder, I can’t complain with that. Maybe they will increase their dividend payments one of these days? What kind of $32 tickets they will be for a venue that fits 40,000 plus remains to be seen.
In the meantime, What About Now, the album described as the best thing we have ever done, by both Jon and Richie, continues to fall away on the charts. After 7 weeks it’s down to position 96.
In comparison, the Greatest Hits album that Bon Jovi released in 2010, is still charting and selling.
I really, really, really liked this band. Note the emphasis on the three really’s. They started off as a normal metal band, with a singer in Geoff Tate that had a unique voice for the metal genre. The musical style of the band evolved much the same way my musical tastes evolved during the Eighties, so it was perfect.
I have been forming an opinion on Queensryche, since Chris DeGarmo left in January 1998, after the 1997 Hear In The Now Frontier album.
After listening to what Geoff Tate has released recently with his Kings and Queens solo album and his F.U Queensryche offering, and also listening to the new song Redemption that the Queensryche/Todd LaTorre fronted version released, I can say without a doubt, that the star in Queensryche was Chris DeGarmo.
To be honest, I purchased all the Queensryche releases up to American Soldier. That is what fans did once upon a time, and none of the new stuff stacks up. The songs are forgettable and the music even more so. I thought that Operation Mindcrime II would be a savior, however that failed to get my attention as well. Who knew at the time that it came out, that session musicians played on it.
For those that don’t know the story so far, Geoff Tate was fired from Queensryche. He countered that firing by saying that he is Queensryche, so how can they fire him from the band that he lived and breathed.
Stories continued to come out, about violent punch ups before a South American show, involving Geoff Tate vs the rest of the band members, about how the band members haven’t even played on any of the newer Queensryche releases even though they are credited and so on. Just go to Loudwire, search for Queensryche and you will be filled in.
They have filed injunctions against each other and I am pretty sure if they could throw each other under a bus, they would. This is one of those bad blood split ups, more controversial than Vince Neil’s ousting from Motley Crue or David Lee Roth’s ousting from Van Halen.
I saw Queensryche at the Metro Theater in Sydney back in 2009, August 31. The band at the time was the original four, with Tate’s son in law Parker Lundgren on guitars. What can I say, they killed it. The Metro is a small venue, it was sold out. 1,200 people paid $90 to watch them.
They did songs from Rage For Order, Empire and American Soldier. That was cool, because they promoted the shows that way as well, so people knew what they were paying for. The American Soldier songs became toilet breaks.
Keeping bands together is a tough gig in itself. Don Henley said that it was a horrible relief when the Eagles broke up. That more or less sums it up. On one hand, the break up feels like shit, you are sad and you are on the angry, but on the other hand, you are relieved its over, you are free, you can start over again.
What is pathetic in all of this, is that the fans are being treated like shit. Both bands do not deserve the name of Queensryche. They should have taken a new name, however both versions know, that they need the Queensryche name to sell themselves.
One thing is clear in my mind, Queensryche will always be Chris DeGarmo for me.
It looks even that is not working. F.U debuted at #74, with 5,500 units sold, last week. Week 2 saw it at #173 with 2,275 sold. By week 3 it will be gone. So expect Tate to start spitting out some controversial comments, so that he can get free press come his way.
The band was formed in New Jersey, by Sandi Saraya and keyboard player Gregg Munier. One of the first names they had was Alsace Lorraine. They then travelled to LA to make it. They didn’t make it and returned home broke, ready to start over again. In interviews from 1989, Saraya has stated that the other members didn’t have the same commitment. This always leads to tensions. So the band dissolves and the nucleus of Saraya and Munier start again. They keep on writing new songs. Then songwriting great Sandy Linzer came into the picture.
Linzer assisted the band in obtaining management with David Sonenberg. Sonenberg then organised an audition for Saraya and Munier, with Polygram Records. The rest is history. Saraya and Munier secured a record deal.
Throughout all of this Linzer was still in the picture, assisting Saraya and Munier in fine tuning the songs they had been writing.
Guitarist Tony Bruno Rey joined during this period, bringing along with him his other Swift Kick band mates, bassist Gary Taylor and drummer Chuck Bonfante.
Songwriting for the album took over a year. Before Saraya signed with Polygram, she turned down another major label deal, because the label said to her, that all she needs to do is wear a skirt and they will find the songs for her.
The first album was released in 1989. It was produced by Jeff Glixman.
I actually made the decision to purchase the album because I saw Glixman as the producer. He had produced albums that I liked a lot, like Leftoverture and Point of Know Return from Kansas, Corridors of Power and Victims Of the Future by Gary Moore, The Eternal Idol by Black Sabbath and the classic Odyssey from Yngwie Malmsteen featuring the talented Joe Lynn Turner on vocals. So to me it was a no brainer, Jeff was the man. I wasn’t disappointed. Production was world-class.
Love Has Taken It’s Toll was the lead single, and it is the opposite of what Timeless Love is. It’s a classic rocker. The song is written by Sandi Saraya, Tony Bruno Rey and Sandy Linzer. The vocal track you hear from Sandi, is the dummy vocal that she recorded as a guide for the rest of the band. She did it so good, it was decided that it should be used as the final cut.
I remember reading in an interview, that one of her influences was Glenn Hughes and that he never got the attention he deserved. Fast forward 24 years, and it is the same for Sandi Saraya, she never got the attention she deserved. She had impeccable timing, a bluesy swagger and sex appeal to match the vocals.
Runnin Out Of Time has that Ritchie Blackmore feel, sort of like Speed King, Highway Star and Death Alley Driver from Deep Purple and Rainbow all merged into one. It’s written by Sandy Linzer, Gregg Munier and Sandi Saraya. The lead break by Rey is a song within a song composition. The guitar work is unbelievable and the Saraya is pushing her voice to the limit. It feels like it’s she’s going to blow her voice at any minute. This is my favourite track on the album. It was exactly what I was into at that time. Sandi said that one of her favourite instruments is a Charvel Jackson RR Flying V. I am assuming that she wrote quite a few riffs for the album.
I was listening to Halestorm and when I heard Lzzy’s voice, three female voices came to mind immediately. Ann Wilson from Heart, Pat Benater and Saraya’s. It’s a tragedy that there isn’t more content on the web dedicated to Saraya. Her voice is magical, soulful, bluesy, rocky and sexual.
It was Timeless Love from the Shocker soundtrack of 1989 that first got my attention. It’s a ballad and for some insane reason, it isn’t included on the normal version of the self titled album released the same year, only on an overpriced import album. Chalk that down to greedy record labels.
In order to “OWN” the song, you had to purchase the Shocker Soundtrack if it was available, or order it in, where they charged you a bit more for it. That is what I needed to do to hear the music I liked back in eighties. Radio in Australia very rarely played the music I liked, so I needed to spend money on it.
Timeless Love is another gem written by Desmond Child. It is a bona fide hit. The melody is haunting and beautiful. Desmond Child stated in a LA Times article, that Saraya had take after take at completing the song, however she just wasn’t getting the emotion across, that Child wanted to hear. So then an idea came to him.
“I wanted a huge chain, like they use to tie up a mean dog,” said Child with an impish grin. “I told her that doing this song was like being in a play, where she was playing a character, a woman all tied up in knots over this guy. Then I wrapped her up in the chains and she got the song on the first take.”
If it is true, he got the take that he wanted, as the vocals are dead set chilling.
There is no tomorrow in my heart
Only dreamers believe in time
So let’s leave no regrets behind
Does it sound like the run of the mill Bon Jovi style that Desmond was renowned for? No chance. This is a classic ballad in the vein of Heart’s – Alone.
Steve Lukather of Toto fame does the guitar work and the unbelievable guitar solo, Myron Grombacher from Pat Benater’s band is on drums and John Pierce from Huey Lewis and the News is on bass. It’s a super group of seasoned musicians, that know how to deliver.
Jennifer Rush (from The Power of Love fame) covered the song and it was too perfect. It was a great cover version, however Saraya’s version just has that special emotion in it, that special rawness that makes it perfect.
This is one band that I never expected to get into, however the very Tool / A Perfect Circle sounding first album got my attention back in the early days of the 2000’s and A Beautiful Lie solidified it. This Is War had its epic moments and so far the new album LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS is shaping up to be another monster.
I am really digging Conquistador. You can hear it being performed in a large arena. It feels like that is what they had in mind during the writing stages, the big anthem. Even it’s opening riff, reminds me of early Black Sabbath for some reason. Maybe due to the fact that I have been cranking early Sabbath recently.
Shannon Leto on drums is very underrated. A lot of the songs from Thirty Seconds To Mars have significant drum patterns that really take the songs to another level. (I still remember the We Will Rock You pattern that Shannon did for Vox Populi from the This is War album).
It’s the complete opposite to the first single Up In The Air. That is another form of promotion that Jared Leto has down pat. Chalk it up to his acting days. Each video clip is a statement, a mini movie, a saga. It’s very rarely over in 4 minutes. I really like that part of the band. Two out of two so far.
destroyerofharmony 