“The Dream” and “A Star Crossed Wasteland” are great albums of melodic rock/Metal.
And then the transition started to the point where there is nothing recognizable or worth liking on their new album “Godmode”.
DOKKEN
A new album is out but if you can’t put any effort into the singing, why bother.
It’s the same monotone throughout, which is a shame because songs like “Lost In You”, “I Remember”, “Saving Grace”, “Fugitive” and “Gypsy” could have been great if the vocal delivery had emotion.
LYNCH MOB
George Lynch sure keeps busy and as a fan of the 80s, I like it.
And Mr Scary has still got a lot of things to say with his riffs. And Frontiers Records is keen to give him a platform to showcase his riffs.
So here we are with “Babylon”, the 8th Lynch Mob album. The difference between Lynch Mob and other artists from the 80s is the singers.
Gabriel Colon is a great vocalist with a great tone. He is the X Factor here. On the Metal cuts, it feels like Halford. On the rock cuts, its loose, sleazy and rawk.
And if Lynch could keep him around he has a lot of albums with him.
For the Metal check out “How You Fall”.
For the Rock check out “I’m Ready” and it’s nod to the great EVH.
ANY GIVEN SIN
The song “Dynamite” came up on a playlist and I pressed save instantly. It reminded me of Shinedown and it’s a great act to be associated with.
When he went to an audition with a band called “Legend”, he took his guitar.
But they said to him that they need a singer and wouldn’t let him play.
And then he gets the vocalist gig for Black Sabbath, who were going through an identity crisis between 1984 and 1987.
And as soon as he righted the Sabbath ship, he was out and Dio was back in for the “Dehumanizer” album.
And while that was happening on the Sabbath front, Tony Martin kept writing until he had enough material for a solo album.
“Back Where I Belong” was released in 1992 on Polydor.
“It Ain’t Worth Fighting For” is the opening track from the album.
The musicians are seasoned professionals.
Nigel Glockler from Saxon is on drums. Neil Murray from Whitesnake is on bass. Richard Cottle is a session pro, and he plays the keys and also performs the saxophone solo. Carlo Fragnito is on guitars.
A bit if trivia, Fragnito and his brother Anthony formed a band called Blacklace, with vocalist Maryann Scandiffio.
Hailing from Canada, their music is best described as NWOBHM. They released “Unlaced” in 1984 and “Get It While It’s Hot” in 1985. Like a lot of bands who didn’t see success right away, they struggled and eventually broke up.
Carlo then became a session pro.
As soon as you press play, the riff that smacks you in the face is reminiscent to “Headless Cross”.
But the track feels like a heavy blues rock track instead of a metal track.
If it ain’t worth fightin’ for It ain’t worth having And I just gotta have your love
The Chorus is Arena Rock. Make sure you pay attention to the melodic guitars underneath the vocal melody.
Bad Company comes to mind here and the feel from “Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy.”
Vocally, Martin comes across as a combination of Lou Gramm and Paul Rodgers.
And that Sax solo works perfectly. It outlines the Chorus vocal melody with some improv.
Disaster. That’s how the American magazines described this album.
Released in 1985, the album never stood a chance.
It was fighting for our attention along with a lot of other things.
Like.
The trilogy of Mutt Lange albums were outselling everything else AC/DC put out during this period.
The Sunset Strip gave the charts and MTV a major shake up and sales followed.
The British had invaded the U.S again with Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, a solo Ozzy Osbourne and Def Leppard cementing themselves as arena acts.
The Germans also invaded via a hurricane called The Scorpions.
And finally an underground Speed Metal scene in San Francisco was slowly taking over the U.S.
But in Australia we remained true. Never wavering. And we made it triple platinum.
But let’s go back in time.
The success of “Back In Black” in 1980 showed the labels that their was an appetite for hard rock music. And the labels wanted more of the same.
So it’s no surprise that by 1985, most of the label rosters had a lot of “hard rockers” on the books. But these rockers wore everything that wasn’t denim and their hair kept hair dressers employed for decades.
Even acts from the 70’s started to participate in this new look so they could remain relevant. But AC/DC didn’t change. They stuck true to their denims and Angus still wore the schoolboy outfit.
And the critics found them irrelevant while they still sold out arenas.
Fly On The Wall
The music is infectious and the vocals indecipherable.
Sign me up.
Shake Your Foundations
It was the only song that got a pass back in the day.
How good is that intro and the Chorus is iconic?
Plus it got decent radio play in Australia.
First Blood
Musically, it’s typical of AC/DC.
Lyrically, Brian Johnson is indecipherable and hard to understand.
Danger
“Come Together” comes to mind when I hear this.
“Here come old flat top” is what my ears are expecting when the song begins.
It’s no surprise that the Young brothers are referencing Chuck Berry here as his fingerprints are all over the riffs the Young’s write.
Sink The Pink
The music clip comes to mind here.
Seeing the band playing in a pub/bar again and that pesky fly from the cover getting a hard on (via its nose going from limp to hard) when a women dressed in pink enters the pub.
But it’s the music that seals the deal and Brian Johnson sounds better in the video than the recording.
I like the musical reference to “For Those About To Rock” and The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. So I was hooked.
“Sink the pink, it’s all the fashion”
It has so meaning meanings.
The Urban Dictionary tells us, sink the pink means to “have sexual intercourse with a virgin, and to pop her cherry”.
But the Urban Dictionary didn’t exist in 1985 and my young impressionable brain saw it as a song about drugs.
And thanks to the Internet, I believe it is.
Welcanol was known during the eighties as the South African Heroin (Pink Heroin). It could be obtained via a Doctor prescription and it came as a pink tablet.
So before OxyContin there was Pink Heroin.
“Drink the drink it’s old fashioned”
I’ll take an old fashioned drink any day.
Playing With Girls
I love the music and the groove here.
But I hate the title and the fact that Johnson is mixed low and indecipherable.
Definitely a missed opportunity here.
Stand Up
I like this song. It’s defiant and it rocks.
If you just listen to the Chorus you would think it’s about standing up and facing the world, but when you read the lines in context with the verses, well, it has a different meaning.
Hell Or High Water
A 4/4 groove and we are off.
But it’s pointless as Johnson is buried in the mix and the song is ruined.
Back In Business
A deep cut. It reminds me of ZZ Top and I like it.
Send For The Man
Musically it rocks but the buried Johnson chainsaw like vocals ruin it.
It’s not a perfect album, then again most of the albums released in 1985 are far from perfect. In other words, the era of more filler than killer was well and truly in motion.
But I would say, it’s an underrated album from a band that enjoys doing their thing without over obsessing about it.
The U.S tour had controversy. It all took place underneath the censorship discussions concerning rock music. Religious groups tried to ban certain shows while city officials wanted to rate each show and give the shows a movie style rating, which would then exclude fans from going. Fire officials would also get in on the act and limit or stop any pyrotechnics.
But the band went on.
In the vinyl album sleeve of the “Fly On The Wall” re-release from 2020, Angus sums up the tour like this;
“This tour’s a little like a series of wrestling matches with the loonies. But what’s the fun of life without an occasional tussle”.
Six years had passed since “American Standard” (1995) hit the streets and chalked up a Platinum award.
Seven Mary Three was written about as an “overnight sensation” by the media. An overnight sensation which had built their success mile by mile since 1992.
They finally got their major label deal and switched to Atlantic from Mammoth after “American Standard”. Actually I think the labels were joined at one time and they split apart with the band agreeing to sign with Atlantic.
“RockCrown” came out in 1997 and it failed commercially. The emphasis on folk rock alienated their hard rock audience who didn’t want to go on this journey with them.
But “American Standard” was still selling and “Cumbersome” was still on radio, so Atlantic put them back in the studio. Let’s reap whatever sales we could get was Atlantic’s motto.
A year and a month later, “Orange Ave.” comes out and it also fails commercially. Atlantic dropped em and Mammoth took em back.
In 1999, one of their main songwriters, guitarist Jason Pollock left, citing writers block. Thomas Juliano took his place, joining vocalist Jason Ross, bassist Casey Daniel and drummer Gigi Khalsa.
And here we are in 2001, with “The Economy Of Sound”.
Sleepwalking
It’s written by Ross and Juliano. It reached #39 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks.
It’s a great post grunge/alternative rock track, reminding me as a cross between Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Rolling Stones, The Vines and Collective Soul.
Can’t stop this sleepwalking Can’t stop my mind
A sense of being helpless or unable to exert control over our actions and thoughts.
And my spies realize that my hope’s euthanized by the paranoid ape in my heart
A feeling of disillusionment due to internal struggles or fears.
Wait
Written by Ross.
It reached #7 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and #21 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks.
It reminds me of the song “Signs” which Tesla made popular again in the early 90s. On its Wikipedia page, the song is criticized as being a “Goo Goo Dolls” knockoff or a Bon Jovi homage.
Regardless, this song is littered with some of my favorite lyrical lines.
Machines and luxuries don’t last
Machines and luxuries are temporary and can’t provide lasting fulfillment.
I took my sleep for granted in the past,
Taking our sleep for granted in the past, only to realize the consequences later.
And I woke up half-dead in the hourglass.
It portrays the feeling of time slipping away and the importance of valuing things that truly matter.
Wait, you’re almost there it’s gone
A sense of missed opportunity. We are always focused on the goal and in achieving something, but by the time we realize it, the opportunity has already passed.
It could be about realizing the value of something too late or the fleeting nature of moments.
I never found a gift you get for free, You pay for them dearly
Nothing is obtained without a cost.
Even though things might appear to be free initially, there is usually a significant price to pay in terms of effort, sacrifice, or consequences.
Faster
Written by Ross.
It’s standard pop alternative rock, more like what Good Charlotte would do.
Before tearing it down. I’m alone by my design.
A deliberate choice to be alone while making changes or taking actions.
Summer Is Over
Written by Ross and Juliano, it’s got this chromatic descending line, reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilots “Plush” and certain songs from Collective Soul.
And by some six degrees of separation that Seven Mary Three listened to the “Slang” album from Def Leppard, we’ll I hear that as well.
So this song is a definite like for me.
Honey
Written by Ross.
“Song No 2” from Blur comes to mind.
Still I Find You
Written by Ross.
And still I find you waiting for me on the other side.
A hidden deep cut, with its Led Zeppelin and Beatles feel. They should have lived in this world for a little bit longer and written more songs like this.
And it’s a favorite.
Breakdown
Written by Ross and Daniel.
Its aggressive like a Blur song and its got an excellent Bridge section which is very Beatles “Helter Skelter” like.
Man In Control?
Written by Ross, it’s got this groove and feel that The Wallflowers became famous for with “One Headlight”.
Zeroes and Ones
Written by Ross and keyboardist Kevin McKendree.
It’s got this “Heroes” vibe and I like it.
First Time Believers
Written by Ross, it feels like an attempt to be Collective Soul.
Steal A Car
Written by Ross.
Velvet Revolver comes to mind here and I like it.
Tug
Written by Ross.
It’s an acoustic heartland like cross that wouldn’t the out of place on a Jovi or Collective Soul album.
And the album was another commercial disappointment.
After the release, their label Mammoth would also be swallowed up by Hollywood Records/Disney and the band was again without a label.
But they continued.
A few more albums, a couple of EPs and a live album would come out and then in 2012, the band broke up.
There was no announcement or updates on their Facebook page.
All the music here has been released before circa 2003 when the band remastered their albums on their own Motley Records label.
But let me highlight how many issues of the album they have done recently.
In 2022, they released a Limited Edition, Reissue, Black/Clear Split Vinyl edition.The music on this edition was just the normal album.
In 2018, they released a Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Clear With Red Swirl Vinyl Edition. The music on this edition was just the normal album.
In 2016, they released a Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Red With Black Swirl, 180g Vinyl edition. The music on this edition was just the normal album.
In 2011, they released a Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Mini Vinyl Replica edition. The music on this edition was just the normal album.
Again in 2011, they also released a Reissue, 180g, Gatefold edition. And again, the music on this edition was just the normal album.
Between 2003 and 2023, they also released various CD versions of the album with wording like, HDCD, Club Edition, Limited Edition, Enhanced, Reissue, Remastered and SHM-CD (for Japanese Releases). Apart from the 2003 edition, it’s been the same album re-released.
But, it’s selling for $370AUD. It looks like a nice collectors piece and if you don’t have this album, you’ll be thinking “why not”, but at that price I would have expected something to be included that hasn’t been released as yet.
Take a cue from Mr Coverdale, who puts the effort in with his evolution compositions, different jams/rehearsals of the songs and live recordings.
STEVE JOBS
At 12 years old Jobs called Bill Hewlett (the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard) to ask for spare computer parts.
Jobs got the parts and a summer job working the assembly line at Hewlett-Packard.
Steve Jobs, believes asking is the single thing that “separates the people that do things from the people that just dream about them.”
METALLICA
Brian Slagel is putting together the Metal Massacre compilation album.
Slagel met Lars Ulrich a year ago at a Michael Schenker concert. Lars calls him up and asks him, “if he puts together a band can he be on the record?”
BON JOVI
It’s 1982 and Jon Bon Jovi has just finished writing and recording “Runaway”.
He shopped it around and couldn’t get a record deal. He couldn’t get a band together to play live because original bands didn’t make enough money.
Luck would have it that a brand-new radio station would open in New York. It was so new it didn’t have a receptionist so nobody was there to stop Jon from walking straight to the DJ and asking him to play “Runaway”.
The song quickly gained traction and Hobart entered Bon Jovi into a contest the radio station was running for the best unsigned band.
Jon won, he got his Mercury deal and by the summer of 1983, the song had become a huge hit.
It’s amazing what could happen from asking.
SONG ON REPEAT
“Crime Of The Century” by Revolution Saints.
That Chorus hook is undeniable. It’s from the new album “Eagle Flight” which has Joel Hoekstra and Jeff Pilson joining Deen Castronovo.
Check it out.
BONUS SONG I’M LISTENING TO
“Burn For Me” by The Night Flight Orchestra. It’s the Bowie “Modern Love” feel which hooks me in and then that feel gets put in the TNFO blender and what comes out is an infectious AOR Rock song.
He walked away from Evanescence before “Fallen” exploded and after it he become a new Jim Vallance or Desmond Child or Max Martin in the song writing world of modern/pop rock.
But a musician needs to create and sometimes their creative output outweighs what the big labels require. So Hodges started to form some projects.
Let’s go back to 2003. Hodges and Mark Colbert began to collaborate and formed Trading Yesterday, recording music from an apartment setup.
A demo album listening party attracted the attention of Epic Records.
They finally got the green light to record an album and it was finished during the first half of 2005.
But.
The label deal with Epic fell apart which meant the “More Than This” album was shelved.
Sound familiar.
Welcome to label purgatory.
After returning to independent status, the band had their first demo album “The Beauty and the Tragedy” reprinted for sale on February 25, 2006.
Due to leaving Epic, “More Than This” was unable to be released due to licensing. However, the entire album leaked to the internet in December 2006. Thank you, Mr Internet.
“Shattered” is from that album, which finally got an official release in 2011 on an independent label created by David Hodges.
It is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that explores the pain and heartbreak of a failed relationship. But in this case, the failed relationship is between David Hodges and his faith.
The song starts off with a gentle piano melody that sets the tone for the emotional journey to unfold.
Yesterday I died, tomorrow’s bleeding, I fall into your sunlight
With “yesterday I died”, the phrase represents a significant loss or change that feels like a death. This could be a literal death of someone close, or a metaphorical death of a relationship or a part of oneself.
“Tomorrow’s bleeding” could suggest that further pain or difficulty is anticipated in the future. The use of the word “bleeding” creates an image of something raw or exposed.
“I fall into your sunlight” is seeking comfort or refuge in someone or something that brings light or positivity into our lives. The phrase “fall into” suggests a surrender or a letting go, allowing ourselves to be embraced by this source of warmth and hope.
And the song really comes to life at the 2.13 mark. There is a quiet piano. It’s melodic, haunting and yet hopeful.
Then the acoustic guitars come in and vocals.
There’s a light, there’s the sun Taking all the shattered ones To the place we belong, and his love will conquer
“There’s a light, there’s the sun” is interpreted as a metaphor for hope and positivity. The light and the sun represent brightness, warmth, and clarity, which can help dispel darkness and confusion.
“Taking all the shattered ones” are the people who are broken or wounded in some way. The phrase “shattered ones” could be a metaphor for people who have experienced trauma, heartbreak, or disappointment.
“To the place we belong” could be interpreted as a metaphorical destination, a place where the “shattered ones” can find a sense of belonging and acceptance. This could be a literal place, such as a community or a home, or a more abstract concept, such as a state of mind or a spiritual dimension.
“And his love will conquer” could be interpreted as a reference to a higher power or a divine force that can help heal and transform the “shattered ones”. The phrase “his love” could refer to the love of God or some other spiritual figure, or it could be a more general reference to the power of love and compassion.
Overall, this phrase conveys a sense of hope and optimism, that even those who are broken and wounded can find a sense of belonging and healing. It suggests that there is a higher power or a force of love that can help overcome adversity and bring people together.
The band announced in 2007 that they would change their name from “Trading Yesterday” to “The Age of Information”, with an EP, “Everything is Broken”, released on September, 2007.
But this whole project is forgotten. It shouldn’t be.
Wings came into my life because of “Live And Let Die”.
I knew Paul and Linda McCartney were in the band but had no idea who else was.
A quick Wikipedia search showed that Denny Laine is on vocals, acoustic/electric/bass guitars, piano and harmonica, Jimmy McCulloch is also on vocals and acoustic/electric/bass guitars and Joe English is on vocals, drums and percussion.
Let Em In
A door bell like sound starts off the song before a simple drum groove with a locked in bass line rolls in with piano chords on each start of a new bar.
It’s soul noir in vibe.
The McCartney’s are welcoming you in to their house. Paul is on vocals here.
The Note You Never Wrote
Written by the McCartney’s with vocals from Denny Laine.
I like this.
It is typical of the era, with hints of blues, gospel and soul all wrapped up in a ballad like groove with various 70’s sound effects lightly playing in the background. Subtle and not overpowering.
She’s My Baby
It’s a skip for me. The feel good upbeat feel of the song and the title just don’t resonate.
Beware My Love
The acoustic riff in the intro. Press play to hear it.
And it goes through many musical movements. When you get the 2 minute mark it’s almost unrecognisable. But I like it. The 70’s acts all experimented with structures and different musical movements.
Both the McCartney’s share vocals here.
Wino Junko
Great title, it sounds like a Sammy Hagar owned pub.
Written and vocals by Jimmy McCulloch.
I like the acoustic guitar strummed riff. It rolls along nicely, giving space for the vocal melody to lead.
Silly Love Songs
It is one of the most listened songs from the album at 60.6 million streams. But its soul ballad rock just doesn’t connect.
Vocals are provided by the McCartney’s and Laine.
Cook Of The House
The sound of a frying pan starts it all off. Before a 12 bar blues riff kicks in and Linda McCartney starts singing.
Time To Hide
My second favourite just behind “Beware My Love”.
Written and sung by Laine.
The groove on this song connects immediately. Just listen to McCartney’s bass lines. It rules while the guitar just plays chords.
The lead break that kicks in after the harmonica solo is simple, more or less playing the chords with a single note on the higher strings. Yet it works so well. “Play for the song, not for the glory” comes to mind here.
Must Do Something About It
It’s a skip for me. Vocals are provided by drummer Joe English.
San Ferry Anne
It’s got this traditional sea pub groove happening with vocals from Paul.
But it’s a skip for me.
Warm And Beautiful
A piano riff starts it off, a mixture of “Hey Jude” and “Let It Be”. But it stays in that piano and vocal sound for the full 3 minutes and it does get a boring.
Vocals are provided by Paul.
I’ll finish this off with this Wikipedia entry from the Rolling Stone review which described it as a “Day with the McCartneys” concept album. The introduction, “Let ‘Em In” was perceived as an invitation to join the McCartneys on this fantasy day, with explanation of their philosophy (“Silly Love Songs”), a lunch break (“Cook of the House”), and a chance to get to know McCartney’s friends (Denny Laine in “The Note You Never Wrote”, Jimmy McCulloch in “Wino Junko”, etc.).
The debut album from Heart, released in September 1975 for all Canadian music lovers via Mushroom Records. It then got a U.S and international release in 1976.
The band for the album was made up of Ann Wilson on lead vocals, Nancy Wilson on electric and acoustic guitars, Roger Fisher on electric guitars, Howard Leese is on a lot of different instruments, Steve Fossen on bass and Mike Derosier on drums for two songs, with Dave Wilson, Duris Maxwell and Kat Hendriske providing drums on the other tracks.
Mike Flicker is producing. As Heart got bigger so did Flicker’s career.
But the Heart story doesn’t just start in 1975. It goes back almost a decade.
In 1967, bassist Steve Fossen formed the band as The Army, along with Roger Fisher on guitar, Don Wilhelm on guitar/keyboards and lead vocals, and Ray Schaefer on drums.
In 1969, the band went through some line-up changes and took on a new name, Hocus Pocus. Between this period they took on the name “White Heart”.
By 1973, the band was Ann Wilson on vocals, Steve Fossen on bass, Roger Fisher on guitars, Brian Johnstone on drums, and John Hannah on keyboards and they had taken the name Heart.
Ann’s sister Nancy joined circa 73/74 and the sisters quickly established themselves as the main songwriters.
Magic Man
A simple groove and Ann Wilson’s iconic voice. It’s almost psychedelic and progressive.
Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child)
It’s a dreamy acoustic arpeggio riff to begin with, before it morphs into some serious acoustic folk rock playing from Nancy Wilson.
Crazy On You
Press play to hear the riff and the infectious vocal melody. This is what Hook City sounds like.
Soul Of The Sea
Another dreamy washy acoustic guitar riff forms the centrepiece. Almost “Albatross” like. The structure of verse and chorus is not here. It feels like verses and various gateways to progressive like movements, more mood and atmospheric like than a million notes per minute.
Dreamboat Annie
Flamenco like acoustic arpeggios are its foundation.
White Lightning And Wine
Its greasy and sleazy blues.
Love Me Like Music (I’ll Be Your Song)
Country folk rock. Even in the title.
Sing Child
Press play to hear the intro riff.
How Deep It Goes
More dreamy/smoking weed acoustic folk rock.
Dreamboat Annie – Reprise
It continues with the dreamy acoustic guitars. Campfire folk rock.
In the end, the standout track here is “Crazy On You”. It’s melodic rock at its best. Then press play on “Magic Man” for its rock groove and vocal melody. If you are still interested, crank the blues rock of “White Lightning and Wine” and finish it off with the dreamy trilogy suite of “Dreamboat Annie” songs.
In Australia, the album went Gold. In Canada in went 2x Platinum and in the U.S it went Platinum.
The success of the album indirectly led to a break between the band and label.
The band tried to renegotiate their royalty rate to be more in keeping with what they thought a platinum band should be earning. Mushroom wasn’t interested so instead of paying the band more in royalties they used the money earned from the band to take out a full-page ad in Rolling Stone, to mock the band, with a special dig to Ann and Nancy Wilson.
Not long after the ad appeared, a radio promoter asked Ann about her lover; he was referring to Nancy, thus implying that the sisters were incestuous lesbian lovers. The encounter infuriated Ann who went back to her hotel and wrote the words to what became one of Heart’s signature songs, “Barracuda”.
The band then signed with Portrait Records.
But Mushroom wasn’t done yet. It’s a big no-no in label land to let an act leave and make money with another label. So Mushroom said that the band was still bound to the contract, which meant they had to deliver two more albums. The band refused and Mushroom released “Magazine” with incomplete tracks, studio outtakes and live material and a disclaimer on the cover in 1977.
The band got a federal injunction to stop distribution of the 1977 edition of “Magazine”. Most of the initial 50,000 pressings were recalled from stores. The court eventually decided that the band could sign with Portrait, however they did owe Mushroom a second album. The band returned to the studio to re-record, remix, edit, and re-sequence the recordings.
“Magazine” was re-released in 1978 and sold a million copies in less than a month.
P.S.
Mushroom Records went bankrupt by 1980 although an Australian arm of Mushroom did survive well into the 2000’s.
When I first heard “Sweet Dreams” I said, that’s “Crazy Train”. I don’t care how Dave Stewart spins it, he was definitely influenced by Randy Rhoads. If you don’t believe me, listen to this recent cover version of the song from Iron Savior.
I guess they heard the similarities as well.
Anyway, “Revenge” is album number 5, released on 29 June 1986 by RCA Records in the United Kingdom and on 14 July in the United States.
All tracks are written by Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart.
Missionary Man
I like the groove on this song.
Thorn in My Side
This song is excellent. The intro riff alone is iconic in my book.
When Tomorrow Comes
A rarity on the album, written by keyboardist Patrick Seymour.
It’s a melodic AOR rocker.
The Last Time
The rock sounds continue.
The Miracle of Love
This is a song that has survived the test of time. It is one of those crossover songs that works well in hard rock and normal rock. The intro keyboard lead sounds so good on a distorted guitar, sort of like the sax solo on “Careless Whisper”.
For me, it’s a 5 out of 5 for side A.
Side B is a good listen but the track titles always seem to escape me.
Let’s Go!
It’s got a New Wave vibe, with a bit of rock.
Take Your Pain Away
Repetitive with a funky bluesy bass groove.
A Little of You
The Chorus is addictive. Press play to hear it.
In This Town
It’s like they are warming up in soundcheck. And then it kicks in, with a rhythm and blues “Mustang Sally” vibe. The hook of “in this town something got to change” will always be relevant, considering how crazy and divisive towns have become.
I Remember You
A lonely Sax player is wailing away with the sounds of streets noise as the song builds. It’s not a favourite, as it percolates without exploding.
Side B is a 1 out of 5 and not as strong as the opening side.
This album was huge in Australia, reaching number 2 in the Charts and hanging around for a long time on the backs of the singles, eventually reaching a 4x Platinum certification. All the radio stations played the songs and the music video stations played the music clips.
And what is good for Australia, New Zealand likes as well, with the album certified 5x Platinum. Other places the album received certifications include Austria (Gold), Canada and the UK, (2× Platinum), Finland, Norway and Switzerland (Platinum), , while it only got a Gold certification in the U.S, Spain, Italy and Germany.
Press play on the first five songs and check out Iron Savior’s cover of “Sweet Dreams” on the YT link provided.
It was their 2001 self-titled album that made me a fan and I went backwards. “Darkest Days” was consumed next and then “Whither Blister Burn & Peel”.
Before writing started for this album, main songwriter and guitarist Stuart Zechman departed the band after the “Ungod” tour due to “personal differences”.
So the band for this album is Christopher Hall on lead vocals, guitar and drum machine programming. Jim Sellers is on bass and guitar. Walter Flakus is on keyboards and programming. Andy Kubiszewski is on drums, guitar and keyboards.
Kubiszewski was actually new as well, and when it came to song writing for this album, he played the band dozens of demos he did. Songs like “What Do I Have to Do?”, “Haunting Me,” “Sometimes It Hurts,” “Crushing Me,” “Slipping Away,” “Desperate Now,” and “Goodbye.” These song would appear on this album and the “Darkest Days” albums.
The band thought about finding another guitarist however they went into the studio without any guitar player and decided to play the guitar parts themselves with Sellers and Kubiszewski taking on most of the guitar duties.
I Don’t Believe
Any song that starts off with the words “I’m such an asshole” and “I just keep fucking up” means business. While rooted in the Industrial sounds of NIN, it has a certain arena rock vibe when the Chorus kicks in which the hook “I don’t believe I could be so stupid and naïve”.
Shame
The big song from the album. The intro riff is infectious, instantly making me pick up the guitar to learn it.
What Do I Have to Do?
The electronic keys riff with the sound effects is unusual and I like it. My favourite song, which shows a real rock vocal.
Press play to hear how the second verse riff crashes in. Brilliant.
And the hook, is so desperate with the words, “what do I have to do if you don’t want me”
Why
The main music is sound effects, electronics and the keys providing a riff. It all feels so desolate and haunting. But I like it.
Why can’t you see that everything is broken?
These kind of artists got blasted by rock audiences at the grim nature of their lyrics, but as a fan of metal bands and thrash metal in particular, these kind of lyrics are nothing new. All of our heroes have fears and doubts.
Inside You
It’s like soundtrack music with a vocal melody over it.
Falls Apart
The album does fall apart with this song. It has a Ministry like riff which starts off the song full of energy, however the verses really let it down.
So Wrong
This could be on a metal album or a rock album and it wouldn’t be out of place because of the main riff.
Actually Fates Warning have a similar song on their “Disconnect” album from 2000.
Crushing Me
It’s like a long lost song from Kurt Cobain. Press play and check out the intro riff. But there are a lot of sections with sound effects, electronics and keys which just take away the good from the intro riff.
Sleep
There is a cool riff in this song, but you would need to listen through a lot of soundscapes and electronics. But when it comes it around the 2.10 mark, it’s worth the wait.
Slipping Away
This one just slipped away from me as the title states, with too much electronica.
The album was a success and supported by the singles “Shame” and “What Do I Have to Do?” they got themselves a Gold certification in the U.S and some heavy MTV rotation. The band also recruited Mark Eliopulos to handle the live element of the main guitar parts.
This is how it was for me between 1995 to about 2005. I would buy an album from a hard rock band I knew and I would be buying albums from so many different artists that looked like they had distorted guitars and played something that could be influenced by metal and rock bands.
destroyerofharmony 