SPARKS

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2018 5:28 am Post subject:

Artist: Elle King
Title: Shake The Spirit
Released: October 19, 2018

“Shake The Spirit” is Elle King’s second release. You might already know her from the 2014 hit “Ex’s and Oh’s”. I really liked that song.

I can hear people asking, “Randy, I thought you listened to rock music”. How dare people look down their nose at me and ask me such a question! I say, they have not heard Elle King!

I’ll start by saying that I hear every kind of music in Elle King, everything from doo wop to T-Rex to Billie Holiday. It can be sassy, sexy and trashy but also thoughtful and reflective. The melodies are strong and as I eluded too, the influences are far reaching.

Even though there are some retro influences the sound is mostly contemporary. I suppose the sound on the up tempo tracks can be a bit of a put off for hard core classic rockers. That’s a shame because the songs are solid.

“Talk Of The Town” is the opener and instantly likeable with a dancey beat and fun back-ups. She even drops the ‘F-Bomb’ before the 2 minute mark just to let you know she means business. I love the western sounding guitar on “Baby Outlaw”. “Good Thing Gone” has the feel of 60’s girl group ballad with a Shangri-Las’ type sound. The word ‘sh*t’ is a reminder it isn’t the Shangri-Las! “Runaway” (not a cover song) has that same oldies ballad feel, Elle has this 60’s sound/style down to a science.

“Ram Jam” has a trashy glam sound that reminds me allot of Louis XIV…which reminds me of T-Rex. The last track is “Little Bit Of Lovin” which is a gospel type blues anthem that has several sections and comes in at over 6 minutes. The thing is, you wish it didn’t end and you really wish the album wasn’t over.

It took me a few listens to get acclimated to the totality and just how enormous this release is. OK, there are a few throw away tracks but overall this is very strong. I have no idea if I'll feel the same way a month from now but I love it today.

Well done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:43 pm Post subject:

New releases for holiday shoppers will be rolling in over the next month. Here are a few that might interest people.

The Struts - Young & Dangerous
Marianne Faithfull - Negative Capability
Smashing Pumpkins - Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun
John Mellencamp - Other People's Stuff
Bauhaus - The Bela Session
Jeff Tweedy - WARM
Mumford & Sons - Delta
Van Morrison The Prophet Speaks
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2018 6:07 am Post subject:

Artist: The Struts
Title: Young & Dangerous
Released: October 26, 2018

Vocalist Luke Spiller asks at the opening of ‘Primadonna Like Me’, “Hey you! Don’t you know who I think I am”?

The truth is, I know exactly who you think you are and I think I see a trend. The Struts think they are Queen where as Greta Van Fleet think they are Led Zeppelin. Wow, is it the ‘70’s? The only thing missing are the music mags encouraging a rivalry between fans of each band. Seeing how each band just had their second releases there is plenty of time for that.

The truth is…cynicism aside…the bottom line, I prefer bands selling their own music in the style of ‘70’s bands instead of watching people flock to see tribute bands imagining it is the ‘70’s. This release is a success based on that.

This isn’t the first band that’s tried to channel some of Queen’s aura both visually and musically. The first two that spring to mind are The Darkness and Foxy Shazam. I think The Struts are better than those bands and it isn’t really close. The Struts have an inside track visually because they are wearing Zandra Rhodes designed stage wear just as Queen did. Musically, it is almost eerie how Luke Spiller can sound like Freddie at times. I think The Struts are also ahead because they incorporate some newer trends into their own distinctive ball of wax. I need to say that one newer band I’m hearing is the band Fun which not unexpectedly has their own ties to Queen.

On this release, Butch Walker is doing production duties. Know Butch? Butch has produced some of the biggest artists over the last 20 years and is also a rock star in his own right. FYI, Butch has been known to do a totally outrageous live cover of Bohemian Rhapsody during his shows.

One thing disappointing about this new release is that it doesn’t seem very new! That’s probably because five of the 13 tracks have been previously released over the last several months.

Of the previously released songs, I love the anthem like “Bulletproof Baby” and self-indulging “Primadonna Like Me”. One of the most interesting tracks is “Body Talks” because it does not sound like something Queen did but more like something they could have done.

“In Love With A Camera” has a big arena sound, absolutely bombastic. Totally reminds me of when Butch Walker was a member of Marvelous 3 and they released the album, “Ready, Sex, Go”. This sound is nothing new for Butch.

I could do without the dance floor sounding tracks and it isn’t because I hate dancing. “Who Am I” sounds like a bad late ‘70’s dance idea by Rod Stewart and the track “I Do It So Well” is equally obnoxious. I’m not super crazy about the power ballad, “Somebody New”, the world has enough meaningless attempts at being important.

“Tatler Magazine” is a whole different story, the world does not have enough glammy hand clappers with infectious melodies. Same thing with “Freak Like You”, it’s a fun song.

Overall, the strongest material was already out there so that really takes away from the impact. However, the good tracks are really good and I’m always happy when somebody makes great music. The sound bridges modern top 40 to classic rock which is no easy task. The fact that a new Queen movie is coming out next week will bring some added attention (i.e. free publicity). As a Queen fan, I have no problem recommending that this release is worth a listen. I would not be surprised if this release was a success but there is a disposable quality that comes up just a little short for me.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 11:09 am Post subject:

Movie: Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody was #1 at the box office bringing in $50.000.000. That makes the movie a success.

From a pure entertainment perspective is it important that I know the difference between a documentary, a biopic and revisionist history? Probably.

I was a hardcore Queen fan in the '70's but less and less enthusiastic with each release as the band matured in the 80's. I do remember watching Live Aid with little more than casual enthusiasm as Queen took the stage. I did not instantly recognize it as the most iconic rock performance of all time but I was proud to say I was a Queen fan again. This movie begins and ends with Live Aid.

Generally speaking, I am a fan of rock music but I have never been a fan of the personal lives of my rock heroes. I have a stack of books about rock music and I've barely looked at most. I really don't care about anything other than the music. I don't care about their political views or their relationships or their favorite food. I honestly don't think it is any more important than mine.

Add on top of my disdain for gossip type personal news, I'm not a fan of movie theaters. I attend about one movie a year. I don't know why but the thrill of premier weekends for something I'll see on TV within a few months has never excited me.

It appears this movie (for me) has two strikes against it before I even buy some popcorn.

About the movie...I left the theater confused because I had no idea what I just had seen! I think it all has to do with my not knowing the difference between a documentary, a biopic and revisionist history. When things don't go well or as expected then I'm usually to blame. Maybe I should have done a little research beforehand.

If the movie is just about Freddie then it lacks some depth. If the movie is just about Queen it lacks historical accuracy. Regardless, the performance by Rami Malek as Freddie is believable and borderline brilliant.

I suppose the movie served its' purpose because not only was it a box office success, I was entertained. There were countless little Queen gems sprinkled throughout the movie. It just seems that for every thing I thought was cool it was followed by 'but'...

The stage wardrobing was spot on in most cases 'but'... the eras were mixed around a little and nearly all of the stage effects were missing. The band is thrilled to do their first tour of America 'but'...no mention that the tour was opening for Mott The Hoople which led to a great friendship with Ian Hunter. It also led to a line in the song 'Now I'm Here', "Down in the city just Hoople and me".

You get the idea, every time the movie shows us something...I think they should keep showing more. I could go on and on listing the cool parts followed by 'but'...

Also...the movie took liberty with the early line-up and also the timeline of when different characters entered the scene. Most notably...the band breaks up in the movie only to reunite before Live Aid.

My eyes and ears are that of a Queen fan and this movie was not made for me. That said, I'm glad I saw it because I was entertained and I left the theater proud to be a Queen fan.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 6:22 am Post subject:

Artist: Imagine Dragons
Title: Origins
Released: November 9, 2018

There comes a time when everything you’ve learned becomes irrelevant. I’m guessing that is how fans of classic rock feel about Imagine Dragons. Classic rock radio is the most popular format due to demographics, you won’t hear Imagine Dragons there. Classic rockers wanting to be hip and tuning into Internet or satellite formats playing newer music won’t hear them either. It seems most of these programmers prefer new bands that sound like old bands (Greta Van Fleet, The Struts).

Besides a few TV commercials, most carriers of the classic rock torch have never heard Imagine Dragons. College football fans are probably more familiar with the band due to the song “Natural” being named anthem for the ESPN 2018 football season.

Imagine Dragons’ previous three releases have all charted #1 on Billboard’s US rock charts. They have had eight top 20 hits (US Billboard) and that doesn’t include their best song, “I Bet My Life”. I’m betting that this release will soon be #1.

I do not like releases that are 52 minutes (15 songs) in length. That’s a fine length for a career defining ‘best of’ but a little much for a standard release.

The stomping rhythms are familiar territory on ‘Natural’ and ‘Machine’, it is their formula. ‘Zero’ and ‘Digital’ have a pop/rap feel and my early favorite is ‘West Coast’ that has an acoustic folky feel.

I’m having a problem with the rest of this release. It all sounds like…I dunno…Simple Minds gone wrong. This is a problem because I never liked Simple Minds! OK, that isn’t fair to Imagine Dragons or Simple Minds but regardless of fair, I’m not liking it. Honestly, I think part of the problem is 15 songs and 52 minutes. There is a sameness to about half the songs.

Maybe I’m not as hip as I think, maybe I’ll always be a classic rocker.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2018 4:58 pm Post subject:

The latest edition of Mott the Hoople is touring next spring with the promise of North American dates.

Mott The Hoople purists tend to prefer the pre glam era version of MTH. Most can accept their first two glam outings ("All The Young Dudes" & "Mott") because it is original members. Not so much their last two albums ("The Hoople" and "Live") featuring Arial Bender and Morgan Fisher. These releases are totally over the top and I love them. MTH Live is my gold standard that all other live releases are compared (the original 8 song release, not the 23 song deluxe release)

Looking forward to a stop in Cleveland
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Eric Murray · Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 7:22 am Post subject:

Ticket bought for Mott The Hoople - Glasgow April 2019

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:07 pm Post subject:

Artist: Reverend Horton Heat
Title: Whole New Life
Released: November 30, 2018

“Whole New Life” is the 12th release by Reverend Horton Heat since the debut way back in 1990 and first since “Rev” in 2014. It has been a run highlighted by consistency and living on the fringes of fame with songs in video games and TV commercials. Probably most notable is “Psychobilly Freakout” that appeared in Guitar Hero but there have been dozens. The Rev (aka Jim Heath) and his band normally play 200 shows a year and crowds keep coming back to witness this genre defining guitar wizard. I’ve only been on board with Reverend Horton Heat for about 15 years but it’s hard to imagine a time when I wasn’t a fan. This is a ‘go to’ band for any occasion.

The new album sees the band growing from a three piece to a four piece outfit. Still present along with Jim Heath is fellow founding member and upright bassist Jimbo Wallace. New on this release is drummer "RJ" Contreras and for the first time ever there is now a full time piano player with Matt Jordan.

I want to thank Rev for knowing there is more in less! What we have is 11 tracks at 36 minutes. All killer, no filler!

The first two tracks (‘‘Whole New Like”& “Hog Tyin’ Woman”) were previously released. I know that many artists like sneaking out a few early tracks prior to actual release but I’m not crazy about it. The sneak peek tracks are generally, as in this case, some of the best material on the album. This can lead to unrealistic expectations but in this case it was more like whetting the appetite.

A couple tracks are a detour from the normal formula. “Tchoupitoulas Street” has a New Orleans feel and the piano has that classic Dr. John sound. “Viva Las Vegas” is a psychobilly take on the Elvis classic and what can go wrong with that union? Absolutely nothing, it’s perfect.

The rest is best described as the Rev being the Rev in classic fashion. The album has the expected sad ballad, “Don’t Let Go Of Me”. Also, as with every release there is a fiery instrumental, here it is the western sounding, “Ride Before The Fall”.

Most of the remainder doesn’t stray very far from what we’re used to hearing from the Rev but that isn’t really a bad thing. “Got It In My Pocket” and “Perfect” are the two most up tempo tracks and cement the Rev as a borderline punk act.

Perhaps most interesting is “Sunrise Through The Power Lines”. This is a departure from the classic psychobilly roots and has more of a classic rock arrangement/sound. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking Journey or Eagles but it is a little different for the Rev. I would have to list this as one of my early favorites both musically and lyrically. It’s deep, man!

If you’ve never listened to Reverend Horton Heat then this is not a bad place to start. A time tested band that is still on top of their game. Well done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

MaelGirl · Groupie Joined: 11 Sep 2018 Posts: 191

I saw Rev. Horton Heat twice in the past. I remember it being quite a lively show.

Alex Robertson · Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2018 1:10 pm Post subject:

Missed out on a Speak & Spell (Depeche Mode tribute) gig last night...the old war wound prevented me from standing too long

MaelGirl · Groupie Joined: 11 Sep 2018 Posts: 191

Alex Robertson · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 4:04 pm Post subject:

miss sparks · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 4:09 pm Post subject:

I'm a big Depeche Mode fan as well, since the 90s.

MaelGirl · Groupie Joined: 11 Sep 2018 Posts: 191

MaelGirl · Groupie Joined: 11 Sep 2018 Posts: 191

miss sparks · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2018 7:14 pm Post subject:

I seen Depeche Mode twice. The singles tour and Exciter tour.

MaelGirl · Groupie Joined: 11 Sep 2018 Posts: 191

I was listening to the xm radio channel 'first wave' tonight and Richard Blade had mentioned an early video of Depeche Mode. Found it on his fb, its sooooo good!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks6P0cVpxjg

Buckeye Randy · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 12:08 am Post subject:

Pete Shelley died on Thursday. I saw Buzzcocks four different times and I consider myself a fan.

Lighter held high!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

Alex Robertson · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 2:47 am Post subject:

Yes..there were unconfirmed reports..then his brother announced it was true...very sad.

miss sparks · Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:49 am Post subject:

It announced on the BBC news last night.