Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Forced to step back for a while...
I guess I officially have to regretfully declare that I am on a hiatus. Life has been so busy lately that I have not been able to find the time to regularly update my blog. And it’s too bad too, because I love doing it. Over the last few months I have moved from a teaching position to an administration one at my school, I am trying to look out to a youth hockey program, we purchased a new business and still have some lingering family illnesses to contend with. Life has sure been busy, and most of the things listed have been fun. But I do miss blogging. As I said, I only consider this to be a hiatus, and when time permits I hope to be back on a regular basis once again. I will at least try to get back with my Alice Cooper concert review later next week. All the best out there everyone and rock on!!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sir Elton John
I passed on an opportunity to see Sir Elton John last week. Elton John played two solo sold out shows within an earshot of here for a cool $150. The ticket price is not what kept me away. I would shell out that kind of money if it were someone I really wanted to see, but I never really considered myself a huge fan of Elton John.
Don't get me wrong, from a classic rock perspective he has recorded some great tracks. Well known songs such as Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man and Levon are just a few that make my favorites list. And being an 80's child, I can also tolerate songs like Sad Songs and Nikita. But now I find myself considering Elton a Disney recording Vegas diva. However, after some thought, maybe I have been too hard on the performer.
There is no denying his accomplishments, and from what I heard of his two performances in my home province, he did not disappoint. Apparently, Elton wowed the audience with his playing, vocals and stage presence. He was not stingy on time either, the total show lasted nearly three hours. Also, on the break before the encore, rather then head back stage, he walked out to the first several rows to sign autographs. This goes totally against my impression of the singer, who I assumed was one of those hands off kind of Diva personalities who you would never get near.
If I had my time back I think I may have shelled out the 150 and took the opportunity to see the legendary performer. I don't think the opportunity will ever come by again. It is unlikely he will come through Atlantic Canada a second time, and I still don't see myself making travel plans around him.
So what are your thoughts on Elton John?
Don't get me wrong, from a classic rock perspective he has recorded some great tracks. Well known songs such as Tiny Dancer, Rocket Man and Levon are just a few that make my favorites list. And being an 80's child, I can also tolerate songs like Sad Songs and Nikita. But now I find myself considering Elton a Disney recording Vegas diva. However, after some thought, maybe I have been too hard on the performer.
There is no denying his accomplishments, and from what I heard of his two performances in my home province, he did not disappoint. Apparently, Elton wowed the audience with his playing, vocals and stage presence. He was not stingy on time either, the total show lasted nearly three hours. Also, on the break before the encore, rather then head back stage, he walked out to the first several rows to sign autographs. This goes totally against my impression of the singer, who I assumed was one of those hands off kind of Diva personalities who you would never get near.
If I had my time back I think I may have shelled out the 150 and took the opportunity to see the legendary performer. I don't think the opportunity will ever come by again. It is unlikely he will come through Atlantic Canada a second time, and I still don't see myself making travel plans around him.
So what are your thoughts on Elton John?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
CD Review: Manraze, Surreal
I have been curious about this one for a while and a couple of weeks ago I finally got around to picking it up. Manraze is a trio that features Phil Collen of Def Leppard, Simon Laffy (formerly of the 70’s band Girl, which also featured Collen) and Paul Cook (formerly of the Sex Pistols).
The three of these musicians, for the most part, offer us some straight up in-your-face rock and roll. Gone are the overproduced and slick sounds that we are accustomed to hearing from Phil Collen in Def Leppard, this is raw material. And although it’s all fine rock and roll, there are a variety of different styles and influences coming through here.
It opens fast and furious with a great track titled This Is It. From here it moves into the first single, another catchy rock and roll track called Turn It Up. Twenty years ago this would have likely been a huge hit. From here the track Runnin’ Me Up offers a bit of a reggae and groovy feel and it’s also a great song. The next track changes gears again and brings us a smoother pop song called Every Second of Every Day. And that’s what this album is like, different styles coming through on each track, but all in all, three guys giving us great music.
One of the things I like about this album the most is Phil Collen handling the lead vocals as well as lead guitar. He does a great job on both. As for Def Leppard, throughout the album there are times when comparisons can be made. Every now and again a chorus or Collen’s vocals are unmistakably ‘Def Leppard’ish’. But it’s only at times, and this is not Def Leppard 2. Manraze are playing their own sound, and as I said before, it’s far less produced than what would be heard on a Def Leppard album.
Overall, a very solid effort, and from what I have been gathering, it has been getting a lot of great reviews. I’ve always loved Def Leppard and hope to hear a few more albums from them. But I hope Phil Collen can also continue to find the time to do both, because I would love to hear more albums from Manraze too. Grade B+.
Favorite tracks: This Is It, Turn It Up, Skin Crawl, Runnin’ Me Up
The three of these musicians, for the most part, offer us some straight up in-your-face rock and roll. Gone are the overproduced and slick sounds that we are accustomed to hearing from Phil Collen in Def Leppard, this is raw material. And although it’s all fine rock and roll, there are a variety of different styles and influences coming through here.
It opens fast and furious with a great track titled This Is It. From here it moves into the first single, another catchy rock and roll track called Turn It Up. Twenty years ago this would have likely been a huge hit. From here the track Runnin’ Me Up offers a bit of a reggae and groovy feel and it’s also a great song. The next track changes gears again and brings us a smoother pop song called Every Second of Every Day. And that’s what this album is like, different styles coming through on each track, but all in all, three guys giving us great music.
One of the things I like about this album the most is Phil Collen handling the lead vocals as well as lead guitar. He does a great job on both. As for Def Leppard, throughout the album there are times when comparisons can be made. Every now and again a chorus or Collen’s vocals are unmistakably ‘Def Leppard’ish’. But it’s only at times, and this is not Def Leppard 2. Manraze are playing their own sound, and as I said before, it’s far less produced than what would be heard on a Def Leppard album.
Overall, a very solid effort, and from what I have been gathering, it has been getting a lot of great reviews. I’ve always loved Def Leppard and hope to hear a few more albums from them. But I hope Phil Collen can also continue to find the time to do both, because I would love to hear more albums from Manraze too. Grade B+.
Favorite tracks: This Is It, Turn It Up, Skin Crawl, Runnin’ Me Up
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Some Random Weekend Notes
My two passions come together in one. Def Leppard have teamed up with the NHL and will be playing a concert in Detroit as the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup championship banner is raised to the rafters at the team’s home opener. Hockey is also a favorite past time of mine, and Def Lepaard is one of my all time favorite bands. To add additional flavor to the event only one person from my native Newfoundland and Labrador have ever been on a Stanley Cup winning team. And that person is Dan Clearly of this current Detroit championship team. So it seems like an event I really should be at, but….I won’t.
Speaking of Def Leppard, I have been listening to their guitarist’s Phil Collen’s side project, Man Raze’s debut CD. A more detailed review is forthcoming.
I came so close to booking flights and tickets for a weekend in Boston that would have included a Celtics’ game on Friday night, a Bruins’ game on Saturday night, and more importantly an ACDC concert on Sunday night. The timing just wasn’t right, but now ACDC has suddenly moved to the top of the list of concerts I want to see. There are a lot of bands I would like to check out, but right now for the rock spectacle atmosphere there may be no better fit than ACDC.
Speaking of concerts I am less than a month away from seeing Alice Cooper perform live. I have never seen Cooper perform and I am hoping I am in for a treat. This one is titled the Psycho Drama Tour. I am wondering what type of antics and drama we will see unfold on stage. But I am keeping the promise to myself and I am not checking out detailed reviews or YouTube until after the show.
Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham has a new solo CD, titled Gift of Screws that has me intrigued. I have always like Buckingham and this effort is described as a return to rock. Watching Buckingham perform solo is impressive, especially his rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love from the Seven Wonders album. He does this alone with only an acoustic guitar and I’ve seen footage of it from a couple different concerts. It blew me away each time. Buckingham also confirmed in Rolling Stone that there were some talks of Sheryl Crowe joining Fleetwood Mac for a tour to take Christine McVie’s place. They decided against it saying that bringing someone in just to do McVie’s parts would reduce the band to a lounge act. I don’t know, over a long career most bands have to face lineup changes, just like any sports team or place of business. Crowe is an established artist and bringing her in would have made for an interesting mix and tour I think.
That’s all for now. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. In my part of the world the weather is awesome today, so I think it’s time to get out and enjoy it before winter creeps in faster than I’d like think.
Speaking of Def Leppard, I have been listening to their guitarist’s Phil Collen’s side project, Man Raze’s debut CD. A more detailed review is forthcoming.
I came so close to booking flights and tickets for a weekend in Boston that would have included a Celtics’ game on Friday night, a Bruins’ game on Saturday night, and more importantly an ACDC concert on Sunday night. The timing just wasn’t right, but now ACDC has suddenly moved to the top of the list of concerts I want to see. There are a lot of bands I would like to check out, but right now for the rock spectacle atmosphere there may be no better fit than ACDC.
Speaking of concerts I am less than a month away from seeing Alice Cooper perform live. I have never seen Cooper perform and I am hoping I am in for a treat. This one is titled the Psycho Drama Tour. I am wondering what type of antics and drama we will see unfold on stage. But I am keeping the promise to myself and I am not checking out detailed reviews or YouTube until after the show.
Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham has a new solo CD, titled Gift of Screws that has me intrigued. I have always like Buckingham and this effort is described as a return to rock. Watching Buckingham perform solo is impressive, especially his rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love from the Seven Wonders album. He does this alone with only an acoustic guitar and I’ve seen footage of it from a couple different concerts. It blew me away each time. Buckingham also confirmed in Rolling Stone that there were some talks of Sheryl Crowe joining Fleetwood Mac for a tour to take Christine McVie’s place. They decided against it saying that bringing someone in just to do McVie’s parts would reduce the band to a lounge act. I don’t know, over a long career most bands have to face lineup changes, just like any sports team or place of business. Crowe is an established artist and bringing her in would have made for an interesting mix and tour I think.
That’s all for now. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. In my part of the world the weather is awesome today, so I think it’s time to get out and enjoy it before winter creeps in faster than I’d like think.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My Favorite Ballads
I found this list difficult to put together. I am not a huge fan of ballads, and I think I may be cheating a little here. So someone can feel free to set me straight. Some of the songs on my list may not be true ballads. In rock and roll circles ballads, other than being slowed down, usually have themes of relationships and romance. Some of these songs do not fit that criteria, but there are many definitions of ballads out there. In any event, these are slower songs by rock bands and here are 5 of my favorites.
5. Ride On, ACDC. Question for you. Has ACDC ever recorded another slow song? I love this one. It's unmistakably ACDC, but still so different than most everything else they ever recorded. This slow song perfectly suits the mood if you are tired, wore out, haggard, and just want to crash out for a while.
4. Every Rose Has its Throne, Poison. An eighties classic ballad. I can’t count how many parties I have been at where someone strummed this one out on an acoustic guitar and everyone sang along. Pretty simple stuff too, I’ve seen non-guitar players learn this one in no time. My favorite memory of this song is from the movie Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. When Bill and Ted were asked the meaning of life, they looked at each dumbfounded for a moment and then proclaimed “Every rose has its throne, just like every night has its dawn…..”. Their answer was deemed acceptable. This song was a huge hit for Poison and reached number one. It seemed for a while the thing to do for a hard rock band in the eighties was to release an acoustically driven ballad. Many of them didn’t work for me, but for some reason this one did.
3. Wanted Dead or Alive, Bon Jovi. First question I will ask put forth to you all is this considered a ballad? It’s a slow rocker, but not a romantic one. It’s actually one of my all time favorite songs. Back in the day I loved the video and the lyrics. I still think the song is great.
2. Wheat Kings, The Tragically Hip. The Tragically Hip are known for their hard rock alternative music, but they have put out a few slower numbers that I have enjoyed (Long Time Running, Fiddler’s Green, Pigeon Camera, Scared, Ahead By a Century), but this one tops my list. It tells the true story of a man wrongfully convicted of murder. After twenty years in jail the verdict was overturned and he was released. As a teacher of English, I have often used this one with my students for an example of narrative poetry and the imagery throughout.
1. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Pearl Jam. And the award for the longest song title goes to….Pearl Jam. As a side note does anyone know a song title longer than this one? I lost interest in many of the alternative bands that burst onto the scene in the early nineties, but I did stick with Pearl Jam. From their second release comes this slow haunting acoustic track about….well, an elderly women behind the counter of a small town. Every now and again a song hits you and you can instantly relate to it. Growing up in a smaller town as a child I often visited a small convenience store to buy candy, hockey cards, etc. The same lady served me for years until I left town for the big city and college life. Years later I returned as an adult, only to find the same person serving me. We stared at each other, but didn’t really talk. This song describes that moment to me.
I have put forth a few questions throughout this post, please feel free to answer any of them or share your favorite ballads.
5. Ride On, ACDC. Question for you. Has ACDC ever recorded another slow song? I love this one. It's unmistakably ACDC, but still so different than most everything else they ever recorded. This slow song perfectly suits the mood if you are tired, wore out, haggard, and just want to crash out for a while.
4. Every Rose Has its Throne, Poison. An eighties classic ballad. I can’t count how many parties I have been at where someone strummed this one out on an acoustic guitar and everyone sang along. Pretty simple stuff too, I’ve seen non-guitar players learn this one in no time. My favorite memory of this song is from the movie Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. When Bill and Ted were asked the meaning of life, they looked at each dumbfounded for a moment and then proclaimed “Every rose has its throne, just like every night has its dawn…..”. Their answer was deemed acceptable. This song was a huge hit for Poison and reached number one. It seemed for a while the thing to do for a hard rock band in the eighties was to release an acoustically driven ballad. Many of them didn’t work for me, but for some reason this one did.
3. Wanted Dead or Alive, Bon Jovi. First question I will ask put forth to you all is this considered a ballad? It’s a slow rocker, but not a romantic one. It’s actually one of my all time favorite songs. Back in the day I loved the video and the lyrics. I still think the song is great.
2. Wheat Kings, The Tragically Hip. The Tragically Hip are known for their hard rock alternative music, but they have put out a few slower numbers that I have enjoyed (Long Time Running, Fiddler’s Green, Pigeon Camera, Scared, Ahead By a Century), but this one tops my list. It tells the true story of a man wrongfully convicted of murder. After twenty years in jail the verdict was overturned and he was released. As a teacher of English, I have often used this one with my students for an example of narrative poetry and the imagery throughout.
1. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Pearl Jam. And the award for the longest song title goes to….Pearl Jam. As a side note does anyone know a song title longer than this one? I lost interest in many of the alternative bands that burst onto the scene in the early nineties, but I did stick with Pearl Jam. From their second release comes this slow haunting acoustic track about….well, an elderly women behind the counter of a small town. Every now and again a song hits you and you can instantly relate to it. Growing up in a smaller town as a child I often visited a small convenience store to buy candy, hockey cards, etc. The same lady served me for years until I left town for the big city and college life. Years later I returned as an adult, only to find the same person serving me. We stared at each other, but didn’t really talk. This song describes that moment to me.
I have put forth a few questions throughout this post, please feel free to answer any of them or share your favorite ballads.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Suprise Element
Thanks to the Internet and my inability to stop snooping around on it, every concert I have attended in the last few years has little to no element of surprise. I remember going to concerts with my friends and fellow rock and roll enthusiasts back in the days before cyberspace. We would spend hours speculating about what the opening number would be, what surprises might occur on the set list and what would be played for the finishing songs and encore.
Now-a-days is a different story. It’s no one’s fault but my own, but every time I go to a concert I know the complete set list and often in the order it will occur. Thanks to YouTube I even know those great little concert surprises, such as a certain song played acoustically or an extended solo. In some ways, it can provide a little more excitement to the show. Before I saw Def Leppard this past summer I checked out the show’s intro on YouTube on a few occasions. It looked great and it built up some great anticipation leading up to seeing it up close and personal. I also knew the set list from start to finish. Although, it was a predicable set list anyway, there would have been a few surprises in there. I would have never guessed they would have played Switch 625, an instrumental song from the High N’ Dry album. I love this song and although I was excited knowing it was coming, it would have also been a great surprise.
So I have resolved that for the next few concerts I attend, I am not seeking out any set lists or any YouTube footage, just as an experiment, to see which experience I enjoy more. I’ll let you know how it works out…if I can keep this promise to myself.
What do you think? Would you prefer/enjoy knowing the details going in or would you rather have the element of surprise?
Now-a-days is a different story. It’s no one’s fault but my own, but every time I go to a concert I know the complete set list and often in the order it will occur. Thanks to YouTube I even know those great little concert surprises, such as a certain song played acoustically or an extended solo. In some ways, it can provide a little more excitement to the show. Before I saw Def Leppard this past summer I checked out the show’s intro on YouTube on a few occasions. It looked great and it built up some great anticipation leading up to seeing it up close and personal. I also knew the set list from start to finish. Although, it was a predicable set list anyway, there would have been a few surprises in there. I would have never guessed they would have played Switch 625, an instrumental song from the High N’ Dry album. I love this song and although I was excited knowing it was coming, it would have also been a great surprise.
So I have resolved that for the next few concerts I attend, I am not seeking out any set lists or any YouTube footage, just as an experiment, to see which experience I enjoy more. I’ll let you know how it works out…if I can keep this promise to myself.
What do you think? Would you prefer/enjoy knowing the details going in or would you rather have the element of surprise?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Should I Board the Rock N' Roll Train?!?!
ACDC’s latest tour is about to get rolling and I want to see it. I thought my traveling for at least the rest of this calendar year was done, but I can’t stop thinking about the possibility of going and seeing this tour. To top it all off I have some friends approaching me about going. I live a very middle class life style and so far this year I’ve traveled and completed major renovations to my house. I am not sure if I can afford to hop on a plane again and head to Toronto or Boston (the two cities we are thinking about seeing them in). But then again, it’s ACDC!!!
As I write I am listening to their new single, Rock N' Roll Train. It sounds like every other song they ever put out…and it’s fantastic. Is there another band out there that has changed the least and remained as popular? To pull this off ACDC must be doing something right!!
Anyone out there planning on seeing them this time round or has seen them in the past?
I shall head back to torturing myslef over this decision. In the meantime, for those about to rock....I salute you!
As I write I am listening to their new single, Rock N' Roll Train. It sounds like every other song they ever put out…and it’s fantastic. Is there another band out there that has changed the least and remained as popular? To pull this off ACDC must be doing something right!!
Anyone out there planning on seeing them this time round or has seen them in the past?
I shall head back to torturing myslef over this decision. In the meantime, for those about to rock....I salute you!
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