Def Kenny T.

Panther Adds A Leppard

2012-01-22T14:38:00.002-07:00

I got a Facebook message from my friend Justin today who lives in L.A.

Dude, Joe Elliott played with Steel Panther last night because NAMM conference was in town. Then I go to Starbucks this morning and he's sitting here right next to me. Ha Ha - you would be so happy here!

After doing a bit of research, it looks like Def Lep’s Vivian Campbell was the special guest at the SP show, not Joe. Hey Schuvie, maybe you had one too many beers last night?? HA!

Of course Leppard and Panther just toured the UK together, so it’s not a surprise that Viv was invited on stage to play a few tunes. The funny part was seeing him play the guitar solo in “Rock of Ages,” a song where Phil Collen handles the lead. I’m guessing that’s the first time he’s played that guitar solo in the 20 years he’s been in Def Leppard.

After “Rock of Ages,” they broke into a killer version of Dio's “Rainbow In The Dark.” Now there’s a song that Viv hasn’t played on stage in at least 25 YEARS! You would never know it based on his blistering guitar solo on this track. Note for note perfection…

As if on cue, here's a post from Viv's Facebook page:

I was in Anaheim for the NAMM show yesterday and afterwards I got up on stage with Steel Panther at the House of Blues and played "Rock of Ages" and "Rainbow in the Dark". It's only been a few weeks since I played "ROA", but it's been 27 years since I had to play the solo in "Rainbow in the Dark". Wow, that's a tough solo to pull off, but I think I got away with it!

Women, Women, Lots Of Pretty Women

2012-01-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's Mix CD time again! So many great love songs have been written over the last 50 years - and it would seem that most of the big pop hits were written about one specific woman. Fictional or real, writing a song about your girlfriend or wife is your ticket to the top of the charts. Don't believe me? Take a look at the track listing of my "Women" mix CD and tell me otherwise! (And I know there are MANY more - this is all I could fit on one 80-minute CD!)

The Police – Roxanne
Michael Jackson – Billy Jean
Toto – Rosanna
Boston – Amanda
Starship – Sara
Fleetwood Mac – Rhiannon
Barry Manilow – Mandy
KISS – Beth
Steve Perry – Oh Sherrie
Ready For The World – Oh Sheila
Donnie Iris – Ah Leah
Winger – Madalaine
Jefferson Starship – Jane
Rick Springfield – Alyson
Europe – Carrie
Richard Marx – Angelia
Rolling Stones – Angie
Kool & The Gang – Joanna
Tommy Tutone – Jenny (867-5309)

Moving On

2012-01-16T07:35:00.002-07:00

Below is the letter I recently sent my bandmates in Naked Truth. Or should I say ex-bandmates. Things just weren't working out for me on a variety of levels - personally, musically and how the band took me away from my family. So I moved on...

Hi All -

I contacted Steve last June because I was looking to record my original songs and he invited me to check out his recording studio. Two days later, Craig called and asked if I would be interested in joining Naked Truth. My goal was not to play in a band, but I wasn’t working at the time and I felt it would be a rewarding experience, especially if I could still find time to record my songs.

It’s seven months later and I haven’t spent one second recording my originals.

Not I’m back at work F/T in a challenging position that requires the overwhelming majority of my time, energy and focus. I’m working 60-hour weeks, but I love what I’m doing. I’ll have a limited travel schedule that will take me away from my wife and kids even more. In any spare time I can manufacture, I have decided to rededicate myself to recording my original material.

What I’m saying is, I simply don’t have the time or interest in continuing to play in Naked Truth. I’ve been thinking about this for weeks, but I wanted to see how our gigs went and see if I felt I could handle the time commitment. I didn’t mention anything to you when we met at Steve’s house, because Craig wasn’t there and I hadn’t fully made up my mind what I wanted to do.

I appreciate the opportunity to play with you all and I feel like I brought 100% effort, talent and dedication to the project. I learned 40 songs as quickly as I could. I learned all the notes, arrangements, guitar solos, tempos and background vocals. I showed up on time for photo shoots, rehearsals and gigs. I brought more than 15 friends and family members to our shows. I have no regrets about what I brought to the table – even though some (all?) of you clearly felt it wasn’t enough.

I have two amazing kids that I love more than anything in the world. They deserve 1,000% of my focus and that’s what I intend to give them. (They didn’t care that I got home from the gigs at 2am and woke me up at 5:30am anyway!) I’m sorry this didn’t work out, but I hope you understand where my career and my personal life are taking me.

Best wishes to all of you in the future - Ken

"Show Me Your Dragon Magic"

2012-01-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

S.M.C.

2012-01-08T11:22:00.002-07:00

Too Late

2012-01-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

Photograph - Like You've Never Heard It Before

2011-12-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

Greek/Swedish melodic death metal band Nightrage have released a cover of Def Lep's "Photograph" on their latest album, Insidious.

The cover features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album which was released on 26th September. Listen to the cover below. It's quite..... different. But I dig it!

Van Halen - Coming Soon To An Arena Near You

2011-12-27T06:08:00.002-07:00

I'm Going Back To School

2011-12-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

The last few weeks have been very busy for me as I interviewed and landed a new job at the School of Rock. I can't begin to describe what a great Holiday gift this is for my family. I could easily detail my months and months (and months) of unemployment, the hundreds of cover letters I wrote and resumes I sent, the dozens of interviews I had (but was never left standing at the end), blah, blah, blah... but I'd much rather look to the future and the work I'll be doing for School of Rock. There are 75+ SOR's across the country including three in Colorado. I'll be working to open new franchises across the country, and eventually internationally. So here's a little breakdown on what the SOR is all about:

We believe the best way to learn music is to play music. We take students from the lesson room to the stage, developing both their confidence and musicianship with programs designed for all skill levels.

School of Rock teaches guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums and combines weekly private music lessons and group band rehearsals to prepare students to take the stage in front of live audiences in an authentic concert setting.

To date our students have played thousands of concerts, to more than 100,000 people, at such legendary venues as CBGB's, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, The Big Easy and BB King's Blues Club in Times Square. We have also had the great fortune to be able to perform at music festivals from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, to Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany.

Mark Your Calendars

2011-12-20T19:02:00.002-07:00

You Gotta Rehearse, Dude...

2011-12-14T16:09:00.001-07:00

Guns N' Roses - Concert Review

2011-12-13T06:49:00.001-07:00

The following Guns N' Roses review was written by TDWenger of Listen Up Denver. I'm posting his review here because, to be completely honest, I didn't stay for the duration of the GNR marathon show. Keep reading and you'll understand why...

The Scene: The scene at the Guns N’ Roses show at the 1st Bank Center was pretty much what I thought it might be. There were plenty of aging metalheads in leather and old tour t-shirts with big haired ladies in tight outfits on their arms and they were rubbing shoulders with well dressed suburban couples in their late 30′s out to relive their glory days with songs like “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Paradise City.” Sure there were some younger folks who came out to catch a glimpse of a fading legend, but the average age in the arena was pushing 40 for sure. It was an interesting crowd to say the least and the variety of people that turned out for a walk down memory lane was a clear testament to the wide reach of GnR’s material in the late 80′s and early 90′s.

Guns N’ Roses: First off, I’ve got to admit that the main reason I headed out on a Sunday night to catch this show was because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch an Axl Rose meltdown. While they do seem to be fewer and farther between than just a few years ago, it’s by no means unheard of these days. For better or worse, Axl didn’t fly off the handle and instead decided to be surprisingly professional. Guns N’ Roses was scheduled to take the stage at 11pm (yes you read that right, 11pm . . . on a freakin’ Sunday) and at the stroke of the hour, the lights went down and the theme song from Dexter came pumping from the PA. Within seconds, the lights came up and guitarist DJ Ashba appeared in silhouette against a giant LED screen emblazoned with a GnR logo. As he launched into the opening riff from “Chinese Democracy,” an array of pyrotechnics exploded around the stadium sized stage, Axl and the rest of the band appeared, and we were off on quite an interesting ride.

Though the opener was a lot less than it could have been, the band followed it up with a trio of tunes from Appetite For Destruction as if to say to the mom’s and dad’s who had to go relieve a babysitter “there, you got what you came for, you can go now.” I’ve got to admit that Rose’s voice sounded pretty impressive on what I thought would be the defacto opener “Welcome To The Jungle,” and as he pushed into “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” I thought we might be in for surprisingly good show.

Unfortunately, what followed was an on again, off again set that was in desperate need of an editor. With solo after gratuitous solo, the band stretched . . . and stretched . . . and stretched the show out to three full hours, not bidding us goodnight until 2am. Axl has publicly bragged about how long the show is on this tour, and I’ve got to say that this is NOT the hit filled powerhouse set that will leave you begging for more in the wee hours of the morning. Rather, there were moments where it was downright boring as the band slogged through track after track from Chinese Democracy, and a slew of poorly chosen teases and covers like ”Baba O’Riley,” “Another Brick In The Wall,” and even “The Theme From The Pink Panther.” What it all added up to was a whole bunch of filler, much of which was totally unnecessary at 1am on a Sunday night. Axl and his band could have put on a polished, and really quite good, 90 minute show that focused on a few tracks from Chinese Democracy and the rest of the hits that people came to hear, rather than forcing us to sit through song after song that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Editing certainly doesn’t seem to be Mr. Rose’s strong suit.

While that lack of editing was a major blow to the musical portion of the night, it served to make the visual side of things very interesting. The stage set up was so big that it could have been left over from GnR’s days of touring stadiums with Metallica. With two levels, five video screens, enough acreage to raise a couple hundred head of cattle, an arsenal of pyrotechnical effects, and a dizzying array of lights hanging overhead, the set-up rivaled any of the biggest bands touring today. Frankly, with a rig like this, I have no idea how the band is going to clear any money from this tour. The small arena might have been two-thirds full and there was plenty of room to move around on the floor or to find a seat to wait out some of the slower moments of the evening.

While there were plenty of those slow moments, songs like “Live And Let Die,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “November Rain,” delivered just about everything I was hoping for. The three guitarists that are touring with this band in an effort to duplicate the guitar heroics that Slash pulled off on his own, did an admirable job and most of legendary solos were played note for note. There is no lack of talent in this band, and while at times it seemed like we could have been at a Vegas show due to the exorbitant production values, for the most part these guys proved their worth as musicians, as opposed to actors.

The two and half hour set wrapped up with a version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that went on for what seemed like an eternity as Axl begged the sparse crowd to sing to him, followed by a high energy take on “Nightrain” which allowed Rose to put his singing prowess on display once again as he hit all the notes and growls in the powerhouse tune. After a brief encore break, the band came back and closed the show with a self indulgent 30 minute mini-set that featured at least 3 drawn out instrumentals that did nothing to advance the show. By the time they got to “Patience” and “Paradise City” much of the crowd was poised to hit the parking lot but Axl had one last surprise in store for us when confetti cannon’s by the soundboard exploded, filling the air with millions of pieces of red paper.

The marathon show was nothing short of over-the-top . . . in every way. From the stage set-up, to the three guitar attack, to the three hour set time, to the 34 song setlist, Axl did it his way, so it was more than fitting that the walk-out music for the evening was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” When all was said and done I would say that ended up enjoying about half the show and on the drive home I did my best to figure out how to get that other hour and half of my life back. I have one word for you Axl: “Edit.”

Energy: B-
Sound: C
Musicianship: A-
Stage Presence: A-
Set / Light show: A

Overall: B

Geddy Lee: Cubs Fan?

2011-12-12T09:49:00.001-07:00

Rush's Geddy Lee recently spoke to Billboard Magazine:

Billboard: You are an obsessive baseball memorabilia collector, with a museum-quality collection. How did your baseball passion develop?

GL: In the early '80s we were touring a lot in America. We'd be staying at a Holiday Inn somewhere, and after a 400-mile drive, we'd be waking up around midday. There was nothing to do but turn on the box, and there was almost always a Cubs game on. I started watching the Cubs every day, and before I knew it I was completely obsessed with baseball. It keeps me sane, or it keeps me insane, probably.

Talking Def Leppard with "Phillen"

2011-12-09T17:44:00.004-07:00

"Phillen" is the Facebook handle for Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen and his wife, Helen. I met Helen in Denver at Leppard's tour stop earlier this year and we chatted for 5-10 minutes. She works for I Love All Access and handles the band's VIP ticket packages. A few days ago, Phillen commented on Def Leppard's setlist Always a hot button topic to me, I (along with dozens of other fans) weighed in with my two cents. I've been very vocal about my frustration with Def Lep's boring setlists over the last 5-6 tours, so I thought I would share this back and forth exchange. Toward the end, you'll see some comments from Darren, who runs the DefLeppardUK.com website. He is not officially affiliated with Def Lep, but many believe he runs a much more informative site than even the band does.

PHILLEN: Birminghams show was absoluely amazing. DL was hot off the charts and Steel Panther and Motley Crue warmed up the crowd nicely for them. The DL band played hits that spanned their entire careers including Wasted, Let It Go, Gods Of War, Action, and When Love & Hate Collide in their set. Different countries have different hits so the guys make sure to cater to where ever they are for those of you who may ask, "Why didn't they play that at 'our' show?" For that premise the saying, "Different strokes for different folks definitely holds true here. And speaking of Wasted I gotta say I really hope the fans start practicing what they preach. I always see requests for Wasted but EVERYTIME the band has played this song including last night you could hear a fly fart. Come on folks! Take it from me>Not showing the love when a tune comes on is the easiest way to get it removed from a setlist permanently. Sure 27 people request it online but we need it to be at least 5000. If that's not the case say bye bye to Wasted and that's a fact jack! The guys are getting tired of taking a chance on playing it and having no response. This summer and these past tour legs have proved that although folks say they want to hear it the audience does not approve (or don't even know what it is) when it's played. Artists won't risk the integrity of their show on a prolonged basis. Who would? Still the show was a blast and the guys rocked it as usual.

KEN: I've been very frustrated by Leppard's recent string of very similar setlists, especially considering how often they've toured in the last 10 years. Even going back to the Hysteria tour, Lep played nothing from the OTTN album. My dream is for Lep at some point to do a VIP theater tour where they can play all the rare tracks and b-sides. Hard core fans would pay big bucks for the opportunity to hear those songs live. As for a track like Wasted, just because fans aren't jumping up and down doesn't mean they aren't getting off on its inclusion in the set. But that's just my two cents...

@KEN. You gotta view it from the artists' perception>If the crowd is going crazy and you start into one of your 'rarities' and all of a sudden you can hear a pin drop it's not good. There's no theory to prove otherwise. Artists don't have time to evaluate on stage. If they see you move and hear you scream they know you love it. If they see you stare blankly and leave for a beer they know you don't care. And I've seen some BLANK stares on Wasted. Definitely not worth the effort of making believers out of the crowd. No time to have the artist assume. Rock concerts are energy. If DL doesn't get it, they'll shift it til they do. One thing old skool DL'ers have to come to terms with is that the DL crowd is now actually younger than them. The kids and in betweeners aren't getting into the old stuff. They are starting somewhere in the middle or either with the primetime hits. That's premise for a major shift in DL's setlist too. For example> It's like going to a Prince concert. I'm a diehard Prince fan but I know for a fact that the house would fall silent if he played Sister or Irresistible Bitch. They were huge hits for him but most folks started their Prince journey on Purple Rain. It's understandable so I play my favorites at home where they will fully be appreciated. I wouldn't want Prince to risk his setlist falling apart because me and 100 other diehards out of 18,000 want to hear those classics. JMO.

KEN: I totally understand and respect the artists' perspective. I know I'll never hear the band play Ring of Fire or Me And My Wine in concert and I'm OK with that. I've seen Def Lep 19 times since 1987 and I also know most fans don't see a band that many times in concert. Again, my personal frustration comes in how similar each of the last 5-6 tours has been. I'd like to think there is room early in the set for a few rarities - just to balance things out a bit. Like I said, maybe one day we'll get a VIP tour - or maybe next summer the boys can play all of Hysteria to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the CD. I know, I'm a misty dreamer! Many thanks for the reply, Helen...

DEFDAZZDARREN: Wasted isn't a PSSOM type singalong, it also hasn't been played that often. Japanese crowds according to Joe always listen and don't jump around so it's the same elsewhere. They kept Mirror Mirror in the 2007 set at every show and that didn't generate mass singalongs. Some songs are listened to and others have more participation. To be fair most of the Wasted requests are from US fans where they never play it.

@DEFDAZDARREN - On the contrary Darren the band played Wasted in the states about 4 times and were disappointed with the response every time. I'm at every single show in the front of house and I gage the audiences temperment on every song. Wasted was not received well in the states. Sounds good on paper. Falls flat on stage. My point is>there are not thousands of people waiting to hear it. Think "The band's got to fill 18,000 seater venues. It's all or nothing."< The band's setlist doesn't change so drastically because they HAVE to play the hits. If DL really switched up their setlist to include random hits from a career spanning 30 years you'd easily lose Photograph, Hysteria, Sugar, Armageddon It,Love Bites, and other expected classics. THEN I'm sure it'd really be a problem. :)

I GO OFF... on Tommy Lee

2011-12-07T07:38:00.002-07:00

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee recently expressed his bemusement concerning Steel Panther’s inclusion on the same bill as Motley and Def Leppard. (Lep, Crue and SP are currently touring the U.K. together.) Here's what he had to say to Classic Rock Magazine:

“Steel Panther? That was not by our choice. That got thrown on there. I guess it’s funny if you’re drunk, but for us to play a tour with a band that mocks you is just fucking weird. I feel bad for the fans if that’s not something they want. It wasn’t my choice.”

Well, where do I start? It appears that T-Bone is a little lightheaded these days, which is understandable considering the rollercoaster drum solo he has to perform every night on tour.

First of all, Steel Panther is not mocking you. They are going out of their way to celebrate all that it good about 80’s hard rock and heavy metal. Don’t be a hater just because their band has a better singer and guitar player than the Crue has. And have you not heard the following lyrics from their debut single, “Death To All But Metal?”

"Where is Def Leppard, Where is Motley Crue?"

Duuuude, they name-checked you because they LIKE you!

Who would you rather listen to? Justin Bieber or Steel Panther? That’s what I thought, so please keep your mouth shut already and just enjoy the tunes…

Def Leppard’s Phil Collen and his wife Helen recently commented on the Panther and were much more complimentary:

“We’ve been listening to the Steel Panther album and it’s hilarious. It’s great playing, great singing and really stupid words” - Phil Collen

“Just watched Steel Panther and OMG! These guys are awesome! Great vocals, fantastic musicianship, and hilarious stage presence and lyrics. It's like watching Steve Martin do an SNL rock n roll skit. Seriously. Great show gentlemen!” – Helen Collen

Priceless

2011-12-06T06:36:00.002-07:00

Ron Santo - Baseball Hall of Famer

2011-12-05T11:18:00.001-07:00

It took 32 years, but Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo was elected posthumously to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday with 93.8 percent of the vote from the Golden Era committee.

"This is a great day for baseball and for Cubs fans everywhere," MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "I am thrilled that the memory of my dear friend Ron Santo will be preserved forever in the halls of Cooperstown. As a star player and a beloved broadcaster, Ron was a staple of the Cubs' experience every single day for decades, representing all the goodwill of both the franchise and the game he loved.

"I always admired Ron's courage and loyalty, and I miss him very much. Today, I am so proud to know that his contributions to baseball will receive the highest honor. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I congratulate Ron's wife Vicki, their four children and their grandchildren."

Upon his induction, Santo will be the 47th Hall of Famer to have played for the Cubs. He died at age 70 on Dec. 3, 2010, from complications due to bladder cancer and pneumonia.

"It's pretty amazing this all happened one year to the day that he died," Santo's wife Vicki said. "I guess you could say that it should have been earlier, but all he said was I hope I get in in my lifetime."

Congratulations, Ronnie!

Still Connected

2011-12-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Guitarist Chris Degarmo participated in an ESPN online chat today and was asked about the possibility he would ever rejoin Queensryche:

"Well, I'll never say never. I don't know how likely it is though. I'm still on good terms with everyone. I didn't leave on any bad terms. We're still connected and communicating. I don't know. If we could figure it out together how to create a really great album, maybe. I wouldn't do it just to be doing it. We've gotten together a few times so I know we have the chemistry. That's not an issue. We all know we work well together."

Adele Live DVD In Stores Today

2011-11-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Santa, I would appreciate anything you can do to leave the new Adele DVD under my tree this Christmas!

High N' Dry

2011-11-28T11:20:00.002-07:00

The (Black) Friday Five - #7

2011-11-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

KIX – “Kix Are For Kids”
From Kix, 1981

I’ve been on a huge Kix kick this last week after I ordered a $4.00 bootleg DVD from their Blow My Fuse tour. The boys from Baltimore are simply one of the best rock and roll bands ever to take a stage and yes, I’m more than just a little jealous that my sister is going to see them on the Monsters of Rock Cruise early next year. “Kix Are For Kids” is a trademark Kix jam featuring Steve Whiteman’s immediately identifiable vocal delivery and AC/DC-ish hard rocking sound, but with an 80’s twist.

DAVID LANZ & PAUL SPEER – "Behind The Waterfall"
From Natural States, 1985

I saw the “Behind The Waterfall” music video on VH1 in the late 80’s and immediately went to Musicland in Aurora Mall to purchase the tape. When the clerk saw what I was buying, she offered me a free Narada Records sampler cassette that features Lanz & Speer, David Arkenstone, Peter Buffett, Spencer Brewer and a few others. My friend Jason and I started buying Narada tapes left and right and the Lanz/Speer albums Natural States (1985) and Desert Vision (1987) became two of my favorite albums for months.

THE VERVE PIPE – "The Freshmen"
From Villains, 1996

Here’s a classic mid-90’s alternative song you just don’t hear anymore! I worked at 92X, a “New Rock” radio station in 1995 and 1996 and this song really took off for us during that time. Dynamically, it’s the softest guitar and drum performances you’ll hear in a pop single. It’s the lead vocal and great melody that really carried this power ballad for a new generation.

CHERYL LYNN – "Got To Be Real"
From Millennium Disco Party, 2000

Wow, my iPod is really mixing things up today! There’s good and bad in any genre of music, but there’s no denying Cheryl Lynn’s voice resonated with fans and that’s why this song stands the test of time more than 30 years after its release. When her overdubbed vocals sing “To Be Real” on top of the bass, horns and drums, it all comes together to create an unforgettable moment in disco history.

KING’S X - "Pretend"
From Dogman, 1994

This is easily my favorite song off the Dogman album. The patented King's X hypnotic groove grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go. Dug chugs along for two verses before they bring it down with a patented KX bass line. I love Ty Tabor's soft rhythm guitar behind his tasteful guitar solo and Jerry Gaskill is nothing short of a human metronome.

Has This Cop Been Fired Yet??

2011-11-23T05:45:00.002-07:00

Don't Drink And Drive

2011-11-21T08:38:00.002-07:00

I don't drink alcohol all that often. First of all, I tend to spend money on food and clothes for my family before I just go out and get liquored up. Secondly, I’m not 26 anymore and I’m no longer in the “party” demo. But I do enjoy a cold beer or a glass of chardonnay every once in a while, especially around the Holidays. And when you stop to think about it, booze has been very popular subject matter for rock stars over the decades. Another in a long line of Ken’s Mix CD’s, I put together these tracks a few years back.

DRINKING SONGS TRACK LISTING
George Thorogood – I Drink Alone
Sparks – Tequilla
KISS – Cold Gin
Snoop Dogg – Gin And Juice
Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
The Eagles – Tequilla Sunrise
Thin Lizzy – Whiskey In The Jar
Rupert Holmes – Escape (The Pina Colada Song)
George Thorogood – One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
AC/DC – Have A Drink On Me
Def Leppard – Me And My Wine
W.A.S.P. – Blind In Texas
Guns N’ Roses – Nighttrain
Oasis – Champagne Supernova
War – Spill The Wine
UB40 – Red Red Wine
Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina
George Thorogood – If You Don’t Start Drinking, I’m Gonna Leave

As you can see, George Thorogood must really like to drink because apparently that’s all he likes to write about. It’s funny to think that Gene Simmons sang “Cold Gin” when he doesn’t drink at all. Did you see his Family Jewels wedding episode where everyone tried to get him hammered? He was having none of it! “Funky Cold Medina” wasn’t even a real drink, but Tone Loc wrote a song about it anyway. And don’t you get the distinct feeling that GNR and AC/DC were a little tipsy in the studio when they recorded “Nighttrain” and “Have A Drink On Me” respectively?

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few tracks, but this is the perfect soundtrack to your next party. Bottoms up! (See, I forgot Van Halen!)

Cries From The Aisles

2011-11-17T13:26:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago, Queensryche performed Rage For Order, their classic 1986 LP, in its entirety in New York City. RFO is my favorite QR album and I would have really enjoyed that show, but a road trip is out of the question for me at the moment. But I did have an extra $4 burning a hole in my pocket, so I ordered a bootleg DVD of QR live in Montreal on the Rage For Order tour and I’m loving the old school footage.

The date was September 24, 1986 and Queensryche were opening for AC/DC. The thing that strikes me most about this show is just how young and hungry the band were. QR was far from a “successful” band at this point, even 4-5 years into their career. Their self-titled EP, The Warning and Rage For Order yielded exactly one music video each and they were still a few years away from more consistent exposure, airplay and record sales. But QR was slowly building an audience with their unique brand of progressive, melodic hard rock.

It’s great to see Chris DeGarmo performing live – and the original band chemistry. Geoff Tate is singing his ass off, Eddie Jackson is on the ground pounding his bass, DeGarmo and Wilton are trading guitar licks and solos like seasoned pros. QR was clearly ahead of their time musically and this is a great document of this tour. And check out this setlist…

QUEENSRYCHE SET LIST – 9/24/86
Neue Regel
Surgical Strike
Nightrider
Deliverance
The Whisper
Gonna Get Close To You
Chemical Youth (We Are Rebellion)
Walk In The Shadows
Queen Of The Reich
Take Hold Of The Flame

Happy Nigel Tufnel Day

2011-11-11T05:57:00.002-07:00

I'm Outta My Head, I Wish I Was...

2011-11-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

As we approach “National Metal Day” this Friday (11/11/11), VH1 Classic has been airing a bunch of hard rock related programs and live concerts, including a two-hour special from Download 2011 (the festival formerly known as Castle Donington Monsters of Rock). Def Leppard headlined the festival and they were joined by Alice Cooper, Linkin Park, Thin Lizzy, Twisted Sister, Cheap Trick, The Darkness and many others. I was thrilled and more than a little thankful to see VH1 Classic air two of Def Lep’s non-hits including their cover of Sweet’s “Action” and a blistering version of their 1979 classic, “Wasted.” Enjoy...

The End Of The Compact Disc?

2011-11-07T13:25:00.003-07:00

The Big Bang of the digital audio revolution occurred August, 17, 1982. This was the day that a Philips factory in Langenhagen, Germany, pressed the very first commercial Compact Disc, and propelled the world forward into the digital age of music.

USELESS TRIVIA: The very first title to be released out of the Langenhagen factory in 1982 was ABBA’s 1981 album, The Visitors.

MORE USELESS TRIVIA: The first compact disc I ever purchased was Fear by Toad The Wet Sprocket. It was 1991, I was 20 years old and I didn’t even own a CD player at the time! The awareness of CD’s in the marketplace really started to take off in the mid-80’s, but it would be several years before they would outsell cassettes. When I purchased Def Leppard’s Hysteria in August 1987, I remember going to Sound Warehouse and buying one LP copy ($6.99!) and one cassette copy. We knew CD’s were “the future” because of the crystal clear sound, but it took a while to adjust to the higher prices of CD’s and CD players.

Between 1991-2011, I’ve amassed a decent collection of roughly 2,000 CD’s. Of course a lot has happened in those 20 years including file sharing, Napster and iTunes. Now comes word that major record labels are planning on ditching the CD format by the end of 2012. It’s inevitable that the industry would go in this direction, but independent and Mom & Pop stores will always carry used, LP’s, cassettes and CD’s so I’m not exactly worried.

It sounds like retailers like Amazon.com will still carry physical CD’s and I will absolutely seek them out in the future, regardless of what the industry says. I like having a tangible product in my hands in exchange for my dough. Besides...

*** CD’s sound better than mp3’s!
*** I could lose my iPod or my harddrive could crash
*** My car has a CD player
*** I own a CD burner to make copies, mix CD’s, etc…
*** I have an existing CD collection that I’ve spent 20 years building
*** I like album artwork
*** I like liner notes
*** I like going to record fairs and buying old LP’s and CD’s
*** Even if fans are converting to digital, that means they are more likely to sell their old (and possibly rare) CD’s. As a collector, that’s half the fun…
*** And finally, If I go to a concert, I can’t stay after a show, meet the band and have them sign my iPod. I’d much rather have them sign and LP or CD…

Just For Laughs

2011-11-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Saturday Five (I'm A Day Late!)

2011-11-05T05:45:00.000-06:00

JOE SATRIANI – "The Souls of Distortion"
From Is There Love In Space?, 2004

Melody is king with Joe and I love the wah-wah/distortion melody line in this song so much – I find myself hitting “repeat” and listening to it again and again. After listening to the first two Chickenfoot albums, and as much as I like everything Satriani does, I much prefer solo Joe. This may be an instrumental, but I find the music uplifting and optimistic.

THE CARS – "Sad Song"
From Move Like This, 2011

I picked up this CD from the library a few weeks ago and have been too damn busy to even listen to it, so this is the first time I’m ever hearing any Cars music from the reunion with Ric Ocasek. First thoughts - the opening guitar riff is meant to fool me into believing it’s still 1980. Ocasek’s voice sounds like it’s from 1980, too. What’s going on here? It’s good – I dig it…

AC/DC – "Mistress For Christmas"
From The Razor’s Edge, 1990

Hey, it’s not too early to add some “Christmas” music to your playlist. Although I must say this song never really became a big Holiday favorite. The same with Spinal Tap’s “Christmas With The Devil.” Why is that exactly?

MANRAZE – "I C U In Everything"
From PunkFunkRootsRock, 2011

Def Leppard lead guitarist Phil Collen went “solo” a few years ago with his side project Manraze and the boys are already back with their sophomore release, PunkFunkRootsRock. If only Def Lep would release studio albums this quickly! Manraze is a power trio that features Collen on lead vocals and guitar, drummer Paul Cook from The Sex Pistols and bassist Simon Laffy from Phil’s pre-Lep band Girl. Musically, think a punky, hard rock version of The Police. I’m loving this new CD even more than their excellent debut. A must-have for Phil Collen fans and well worth checking out when you are in one of those “I have nothing to listen to” moods…

FOO FIGHTERS – "Miss The Misery"
From Wasting Light, 2011

See my library comments above about The Cars CD. First thoughts – geez, the Foos always have such great production and strong melody in their music. Honestly, I don’t know why I don’t own more of their stuff.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T12:07:00.002-06:00

MTV x 1983 = Retro Heaven

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have dozens of VHS tapes containing early 80’s MTV videos, concerts and VJ chatter, so I can always throw one of them in when I need a retro MTV fix. I would always tape my favorite rock videos one at a time, but never really thought to throw in a tape and just let it record. Thankfully, we have Google Video where someone recently uploaded three uninterrupted hours of classic MTV from 1983 complete with old school videos and music news hosted by Mark Goodman. To be able to watch MTV again in real time is fascinating. As great as the music videos are, the best part of this trip down memory lane has to be the cheesy commercials. I knew every single lyric to the Big Red Gum jingle and I know you will, too…

During his VJ shift, Mark Goodman tells us about:

• "David Gilmour is planning a solo tour. The way it looks like right now Pink Floyd is pretty much on break, if they haven't broken up all together."
• Quiet Riot are up against Michael Jackson in Friday Night Video Fights.
• Bob Dylan world premiere video next weekend.
• Call the MTV House Phone, it's a 1-900 number, but it only costs you 50 cents!
• Albums out this week: Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
• Black Sabbath tour dates have been announced. Loverboy dates in the next hour.
• Governor George Wallace has named October 29th Lionel Richie Day in Alabama

Videos aired include Night Ranger, Huey Lewis & The News, Prince, Sammy Hagar, Kansas, Michael Bolton, Quiet Riot, The Who, Nick Heyward, Jefferson Starship, Men At Work, The Romantics, The Fixx, Robert Plant, Stevie Nicks and many more.

Commercials:
• Album compilations – available on vinyl or cassette!
• A sweet tape-deck for your car
• Huge boom boxes
• MTV giving away Neil Young's pink Cadillac
• Murray bicycles
• Wrangler Jeans
• Deal Of The Century starring Chevy Chase hits theaters soon
• Atari 2600 video games (check out the graphics - this was cutting edge stuff back in 1983!)
• Call your cable company now to get special hardware to hear MTV in STEREO SOUND.
• And next weekend is the "nearly all-Genesis weekend on MTV!" Woo-hoo!

Now Let's Get To Work, Theo

2011-10-26T06:28:00.002-06:00

It's Theo Day in Chicago

2011-10-25T08:37:00.002-06:00

A Song For A Sunday Morning

2011-10-23T06:31:00.003-06:00

The Friday Five - #6

2011-10-21T07:06:00.001-06:00

JEFFERSON STARSHIP – "Find Your Way Back"
I loves me my 80’s cheese rock. Mickey Thomas singing higher than any girl I’ve ever heard, the song still puts a smile on my face…

YAZ – "Don’t Go"
Another in a long line of my theme mix CD’s, this track was featured on my “DON’T” CD alongside “Don’t Say You Love Me,” “Don’t Tell Me What Love Can Do” and “Don’t Eat Yellow Snow.” Who doesn’t love the synth riff in the track?

TEARS FOR FEARS – "The Body Way"
Taken from the obscure b-sides release Saturnine Martial & Lunatic, it’s not a proper studio album, but it’s must-hear stuff if you are a serious TFF fan…

TEXAS – "Alone With You"
Texas should have been much bigger in the U.S. than they were. Sultry vocals by Sharleen Spiteri, classy performances and solid production, it’s not too late for you to discover some earthy tunes that are a weird cross between The Eagles, Sheryl Crow and TLC.

WINGER – "Blind Revolution Mad"
Pull is still Winger’s coolest record and this lead-off track smokes!

Can I Scream?

2011-10-17T09:37:00.002-06:00

Launched on August 1, 1996, the original purpose of MTV2 was to give music fans a place to see commercial-free music videos once the original MTV strayed from music to focus on reality TV and soap operas. I remember discovering a lot of new bands through MTV2 including Dido, Olive, Transister and Travis.

But I’ll never forget the day my wife and I were watching a few crappy videos on MTV2, waiting for something decent to hit the screen. As the next video began, I turned to her and said, “This band has 10 seconds to impress me or I’m changing the channel!”

The next video was “New Noise” be Refused. CLICK HERE to check it out. (YouTube doesn't allow me to embed this one.) Turn it up and watch it all the way through to the furious ending…

Needless to say, I was blown away and immediately bought the CD. Halloween is coming up and I liked how they added the Iron Maiden/Eddie masks for a few seconds. There’s a lot of “noise” on that album, The Shape Of Punk To Come, but like I said before sometimes I’m in the mood for something different. The funniest user comment about this video from YouTube is:

tHIS MAKES ME WANT TO DROPKICK BABIIIEEESSSS

Bonus Trivia: Did you know Anthrax has covered “New Noise” in concert with recently-fired singer Dan Nelson?

The Friday Five - #5

2011-10-14T09:27:00.000-06:00

LOVERBOY – “Destination Heartbreak”
From Lovin’ Every Minute Of It, 1985

I always seem to have Loverboy on my iPod (although I usually hit skip if “Working For The Weekend” or “Turn Me Loose” comes on…), but “Destination Heartbreak” is an epic ballad that features what may be Paul Dean’s best ever guitar solo. He playing is so relaxed and behind the beat – it’s quite the challenge to play it as effortlessly as he does. Mike Reno’s vocals shine, as well. It’s a shame this was never released as a single, but the band chose the title track as the lead single/video first before going with the more commercial “This Could Be The Night” and the straight ahead rocker, “Dangerous.”

DAMN YANKEES – “Fifteen Minutes Of Fame”
From Damn Yankees, 1990

I made a “Numbers” mix CD a few months ago starting with one and working my way up chronologically. The teens were challenging, but I went with “Christeen Sixteen” by KISS, “Seventeen” by Winger, “18 & Life” by Skid Row and “Nineteen” by Paul Hardcastle. I needed a 15 track and I had forgotten all about this Damn Yankees gem. It’s typical Damn Yankees, meaning it features tons of Jack/Tommy vocal harmonies and a freight train guitar solo from the Motor City Madman himself, Mr. Wango Tango rip rockin’ and rollin’ yankin’ and crankin’. Man, I miss the old Terrible Ted that only used to talk about loud guitars and rock and roll.

GWEN STEFANI - “Harajuku Girls”
From Love. Angel. Music. Baby., 2004

VH1 just aired its Top 100 Songs of the 2000’s countdown and Ms. Gwen showed up near the top of the list with “Hollaback Girl.” It reminded me that it’s been forever since I’ve spun her L.A.M.B. CD. Gwen does not have the pipes of an Aretha Franklin, but she’s always known how to construct effective vocal phrases and she does a great job of overdubbing harmonies. Her tracks always have a lot of personality, which keeps it interesting for the listener. I read an article recently suggesting that No Doubt/Gwen might be worthy of consideration for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the coming years. Although I think that’s going a little too far, Gwen produces some great pop music and I respect her talent.

RATT – “Eat Me Up Alive”
From Infestation, 2010

It took waaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too long for Ratt to follow up 1999’s underrated Ratt CD with 2010’s Infestation, but at least they delivered a killer collection of shredding guitar solos and signature Ratt attitude. This opening Carlos Cavazo guitar riff can strip the paint from the side of my house! “Eat Me Up Alive” is fresh and inspired, yet classic Ratt sounding at the same time. There’s already talk of a new Ratt album after Stephen Pearcy finishes up his latest round of solo work/touring, so that works for me.

FAITH NO MORE – “Be Aggressive”
From Angel Dust, 1992

FNM hit the big time with the single/video “Epic,” but causal fans didn’t really get the rest of their funky/rappy material. I love popping on some FNM when I’m looking for something DIFFERENT to listen to. How many times can you honestly listen to Ozzy and Journey? In this particular track, Mike Patton and the fellas give us a spelling lesson.

“Be aggressive! Be aggressive! B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E!”

Pop Quiz

2011-10-13T06:24:00.001-06:00

They Forgot "Come On Eileen"

2011-10-10T07:31:00.001-06:00

Rolling Stone recently asked its readers to vote in an online poll for the worst songs of the ’80s. Starship's "We Built This City" absolutely crushed the competition, but Europe's "The Final Countdown" came in second. Here's the full list:

01 – Starship – We Built This City
02 – Europe – The Final Countdown
03 – Chris De Burgh – Lady In Red
04 – Wham! – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
05 – Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance
06 – Falco – Rock Me Amadeus
07 – Bobby McFerrin – Don't Worry Be Happy
08 – Toni Basil – Mickey
09 – Taco – Puttin On The Ritz
10 – Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up

First of all, I think there’s a big difference between a “bad” song and just an “annoying” one. We’ve been living with the tracks on this list for a good 25+ years, so there’s going to be a huge burnout factor. But in full disclosure, I own every single song on this list! The only one I would turn off if it came on the radio is “Mickey.” I never need to hear that song again as long as I live. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t catchy and well written. I’m just over it…

The Friday Five - #4

2011-10-07T06:15:00.000-06:00

It's Friday, so let's hit shuffle on the iPod (thanks, Steve Jobs) and discuss the first five tracks that come blaring through the dock station. That sounded kinda dirty...

ADELE – “Turning Tables”
From 21 (2011)

I’ve been an Adele fan since the second I heard “Chasing Pavements” from her debut album, 19. I was lucky enough to meet her at the Alice 105.9 studios just a day before she was set to appear at the 2009 Grammy Awards. That night she walked away with Best New Artist award and her life has never been the same since. “Turning Tables” is a gorgeous, piano-based ballad that almost brings a tear to your eye. Adele could sing me the phone book and I would pay for the pleasure...

MICHAEL JACKSON – “Breaking News”
From Michael (2010)

Yes, Michael Jackson and his former Dr. Conrad Murray are all over the news these last few weeks but let’s just talk music for a second. I’m a big enough fan to want to hear some of the “unreleased” material so I checked out this CD from the library. It’s a shame that a good 40% of what’s on this album is clearly not Michael Jackson singing. Anyone with half an ear can figure that out – and the song “Breaking News” isn’t Michael either. Whoever is singing this song is a decent impersonator I guess, but I have no idea how this stuff got released under MJ’s name when he’s nowhere to be found on several of the tracks. Disappointing to say the least.

JANET JACKSON – “Come Back To Me”

From Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)

OK, that was weird – first Michael, then Janet. Thankfully I don’t have any Jermaine or Tito on my iPod so I’m pretty sure some rock will pop up on shuffle eventually. “Come Back To Me” is a gorgeous 80’s ballad with a mature arrangement that has stood the test of time. Ms. Jackson whispers her way through a storyline of a lost love and the lush bridge and chorus harmonies are really well executed. And I love how a simple string arrangement (synth?) can really add texture to the mix. Janet’s not the world’s best singer, but she knows how to sell a song…

ULTRAVOX – “One Small Day”

From Lament (1984)

If you are anything like me, you have a handful of songs in your collection that you could listen to 20 times in a row without getting sick of them. Why Ultravox never made it as big as U2, I’ll never know. OK, maybe not U2, but at least Simple Minds! This is New Wave Romantic at its finest...

BLACKWOOD CREEK – “Jimmy And Georgia”

From Blackwood Creek (2009)

There’s not much that Kip Winger has done that I don’t love so this side project CD was well worth my attention. A 7-year-old Kip Winger met Peter Fletcher in 1969 in Littleton, CO and started a band with Kip’s brother Nate on drums. Fans of Winger the band will appreciate the snarly rock and roll attitude, crisp production and plethora of hooks and melodies. This isn’t so much “hair metal,” but well worth checking out if you are a melodic hard rock fan and/or you can’t wait until the next Winger album.

LOST CLASSIC ALBUMS: Fate - A Matter Of Attitude (1986)

2011-10-04T09:53:00.003-06:00

Don’t feel band if you’ve never heard of the band Fate. They were less than a blip on the radar of what we now refer to as “hair metal,” but Mercyful Fate fans probably remember guitarist Hank Sherman forming the very poppy Fate after leaving King Diamond’s ultra satanic band. Mercyful Fate broke up after one EP and two unbelievably brilliant LP’s. My friend Brandon was all too excited to inform me that the King had gone solo with Fatal Portrait and the catchy lead single “Halloween.” But it was only when I was flipping through the latest issue of Creem’s Metal Magazine that I came across the news blurb about Fate’s debut album, A Matter Of Attitude. I marched over to my local Sound Warehouse and picked up the Fate cassette without having heard a note of the music.

Listening to A Matter of Attitude now is an exercise in “you had to be there,” because it certainly doesn’t have the high budget production of a Slippery When Wet or The Final Countdown. The songs and the production are sooooooo poppy, partially because Bon Jovi ruled MTV and that’s what was popular at the time, and apparently because Hank REALLY wanted to distance himself from Mercyful Fate-style themes about Satan, Lucifer, the Devil and Satan.

Just listen to the leadoff track, “I Won’t Stop” complete with the desperate begging-for-airplay lyrics “Take me take me, can’t you see…. I’m jumpin’ up and down on the MTV” and it becomes clear that Fate were chasing a wider, more mainstream audience.

Click the links to check out the rest of the tracks below and let me know what you think. Brilliant, poppy hard rock or too much cheese? I LOVE this record for a variety of reasons, one being they never broke big and sometimes it's nice to have a band of your own that isn't overplayed on radio and MTV. Ultimately, these are happy songs that never fail to take me back to the summer of 1986.

TRACK LISTING
I Won’t Stop
Hard As A Rock
(I Can’t Stand) Losing You
Point Of No Return
Hunter
Summerlove
Farrah
Get Up And Go
Linbo A Go Go
Do It

Dancing On A Friday Night

2011-09-30T07:28:00.001-06:00

My Cast Came Off Today!

2011-09-29T14:01:00.002-06:00

Kip Winger's Homecoming Show

2011-09-26T07:38:00.001-06:00

Kip Winger sprinkles in solo acoustic shows when Winger isn’t on the road or when he wants to take a break from composing classical music. Having grown up in Golden, Kip always books shows in Colorado and last Friday night saw Kip performing ay Dickens Opera House in Longmont. I originally was going to skip the show, but my sister Laura ended up with an extra ticket and I’m glad she nudged me to attend. I’ve seen Kip perform solo before and I was a little disappointed he didn’t perform very much of his own solo material. For a guy who has three solo albums, I expected his set to at least be split 50/50 between Winger hits and his brilliant, moody solo stuff.

From the get-go, Kip announced that he likes his shows to be loose and interactive and the audience was welcome to throw out requests. That’s all we needed to hear as my friends Pete, Jimmy, Laura and I immediately began shouting out for solo Kip tracks like “Daniel” and “How Far Will We Go.” After opening with “Cross,” he launched into “Easy Come Easy Go,” “Hungry” and several other Winger favorites. But it was his willingness to play a healthy dose of solo songs which really made his set special.

Oh, and did I mention Kip also picked Laura out of the audience to sing “Miles Away” on stage? I quickly pulled out my Flip camera and captured the moment. What else can you say? It was a once in a lifetime moment and it was really cool to see her up there with such a big smile on her face! Below is Kip’s set – not in order, but he did close with the brilliant “Blue Suede Shoes” from the Winger IV CD. We stuck around to get a few autographs and photos and then quickly hit the road for the 90+ minute drive home.

WINGER TRACKS
Madalaine
Seventeen
Headed For A Heartbreak
Hungry
Can’t Get Enuff
Miles Away
Easy Come Easy Go
Rainbow in The Rose
Blind Revolution Mad
Down Incognito
Spell I’m Under
Who’s The One
Blue Suede Shoes

SOLO KIP TRACKS
Cross
Free
Steam
Daniel
Runaway
How Far Will We Go

The Friday Five - #3

2011-09-23T11:05:00.000-06:00

“Lucky Ones” by LOVERBOY
From Get Lucky, 1981

Doug Johnson was the secret weapon in Loverboy as his keyboards/synth efforts helped the band create an 80’s friendly sound that simultaneously softened and filled out their hard rock sound. If you listen closely, Doug is all over this killer track. My sister was such a big Loverboy fan (as was I) that we would watch the live video version of this track on MTV all the time. Big sound, big lasers, big guitar solos… Loverboy’s finest moment.

“Don’t Believe Her” by SCORPIONS
From Crazy World, 1990

A signature Scorpions riff kicks off this early 90’s track. Crazy World ended up being famous for he huge hit single, “Winds of Change,” and this was probably Scorpions last big commercial selling studio album. Not that they’ve been phoning it in for the last 20 years, but radio and MTV forgot about the band after this CD.

“I Would Never Have Guessed” be SADE
From The Ultimate Collection, 2011

I probably would have skipped purchasing Sade’s latest compilation, but the inclusion of a few new studio tracks helped change my mind. In addition to this song, rock fans would be very interested to hear her sultry take on the Thin Lizzy classic, “Still In Love With You.”

“Bittersweet” by HARDLINE
From Leaving The End Open, 2009

Hardline have always done ballads well and “Bittersweet” is no exception. Neal Schon is long gone, but Johnny Gioeli’s vocals still blend hard rock with sharp melodic hooks, tasteful arrangements and proficient performances.

“Fly Like An Eagle” by SEAL
From Space Jam S/T, 1996

Originally released as a single and on the Space Jam soundtrack, this was a soulful cover of the Steve Miller Band classic. At the time, it tied in well with the “flying” theme of Michael Jordan and the Space Jam movie. At the end of the song, Seal even throws in some lyrics and melodies from his first single, “Crazy” to help make the song his own. Well worth checking out if you’ve never heard it before.

"What's Wrong With Being Sexy?"

2011-09-21T11:28:00.002-06:00

Steel Crossfire

2011-09-20T11:16:00.000-06:00

Steel Panther recorded a cover of the Crossfire jingle. Crossfire was a Milton Bradley board game created in the 1970s. I've never even heard of Crossfire - I was more of a Battleship guy myself - but it must have been big enough to warrant a Steel Panther cover. Here's the original commercial and the hilarious tribute/cover. (Watch it until the end - their banter always cracks me up...) And be sure to pick up the new Panther CD, Balls Out, available everywhere on October 31!

The Friday Five - #2

2011-09-16T10:41:00.000-06:00

“Tranquilizer” by LOVE/HATE
From Wasted In America, 1992

Whenever I get sick of hearing the same 12 bands on classic rock radio, I start to dig deeper into my CD collection for some lost classics. The mid-tempo intro reminds me of GNR, but then it kicks into full on Love/Hate mode. This is how you write a chorus!

I'll be your tranquilizer
I'll be your hypnotizer
I'll be your cold Budweiser
Painkiller
Painkiller
Painkiller

“Genuine” by MAE MOORE
From Dragonfly, 1995

Sultry, mid-90’s, acoustic-based, female, Canadian, singer/songwriter, good stuff run-on sentence check her out...

“Tenderness” by GENERAL PUBLIC
From Like Omigod! – The 80’s Pop Culture Box Set

I’ve always loved this song and it boggles my mind why radio stations don’t play great songs like this more often. It was a single, it was a video and it was popular, so why have the 80’s been condensed to just “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “She Blinded Me With Science?” Drives me up the wall…

“Hope I Die Tonight” by PAW
From Death To Traitors, 1995

Paw came on my radar via their brilliant debut single and video, “Jessie” (about a dog, not a woman). “Hope I Die Tonight” was the first single off their second album and they are one of the “grunge” bands that never got the attention they deserved at the time. Maybe some people saw them as a Pearl Jam ripoff? For one reason or another, certain bands and songs just don’t stimulate you to get off your butt and buy the record. In the case of Paw, it’s not for lack of quality tunes…

“NM 156” by QUEENSRYCHE
From The Warning, 1984

QR’s first full-length LP was a major step forward from their debut EP and it remains one of my favs to this day. It would be a few more years before QR started to sell well with Operation: Mindcrime and Empire, but the groundwork for those successes was really laid down with The Warning. The first time I saw the band live was January 30, 1985 in San Antonio when they opened for KISS on the Animalize/Warning tours. I don’t know why I remember this so vividly, but QR attacked the stage and you could see Geoff Tate singing his ass off. Problem was you couldn’t hear him! His microphone wasn’t turned on and it took a good 30-45 seconds before somebody figured it out. What a weird way to start the show.

My Def Lep Concert Highlight Reel

2011-09-15T07:59:00.000-06:00

Magnificent Maiden Monkees Mashup

2011-09-12T06:30:00.006-06:00

The Friday Five - #1

2011-09-09T07:27:00.004-06:00

FRIDAY FIVE: \’frī-(,)dā,-dē ‘fīv\ : On the sixth day of every week, I hit the shuffle button on my iPod, then share the first five tracks and thought for each track. Stolen from my rock buddy Phil over at Clang & Clatter who was originally “horning in on Michael Parr's action over at IckMusic.” To listen to each tune, just click on the highlighted song titles...

“Tell Me” by DRU HILL
From Dru Hill, 1996

I used to work at a CHR radio station in the mid-90’s and I loved every minute of it, because I was exposed to so much great soul and R&B music I would have never heard otherwise. Before Sisqo went solo and unnecessarily released “Thong Song” on the world, Dru Hill dropped this classic slow jam. This track takes me back to a simpler time when we would drive the station vehicle all over town, work club nights and get paid $4.25/hour to listen to music all day.

“Of Wolf And Man” by METALLICA
From Metallica, 1991

I added this CD to my iPod as few weeks ago along with Pearl Jam’s Ten when I read it was the 20th anniversary of both albums. Yikes, 20 years? Remember the big controversy when The Black Album was released? Fans cried SELLOUT because they had a, gasp, HIT SINGLE with “Enter Sandman.” What, these idiot fans couldn’t make it to the second song of the album? “Sad But True” was one of the heaviest Metallica songs ever recorded and “Of Wolf And Man” is one of many album tracks that helps balance out the myriad over-played songs on this CD.

“Out Of Tune” by SARAH McLACHLAN
From Laws Of Illusion, 2010

Sarah is anything but out of tune on this lovely song from her most recent studio album. Commonly known as her post-divorce album, this one was years in the making and it hasn’t left my iPod since I bought the CD a year ago. Great melodies, harmonies and flawless production.

“Heart Attack” by RAPHAEL SAADIQ
From Stone Rollin’, 2011

An original member of Tony! Toni! Tone!, Raphael has been producing and performing consistently since the 90’s and this throwback tune sounds like 1967 all over again. I love new songs that sound old, not just because of the “analog” feel in the production, but also because the performances and instrumentation are meant to fool you into forgetting it’s 2011. Instantly memorable.

“Unlucky” by SPONGE
From The Man, 2005

Oh, how I love Sponge. Best known for their first two singles, “Plowed” and “Molly,” these Detroit-based 90’s rockers are the real deal and they should have gone just as far as STP and Alice in Chains. I’m just thankful Vinnie Dombroski and the boys keep making albums. “Unlucky” is a bit of a moody ballad with some nice orchestration during the chorus before the grungy guitar solo kicks things into overdrive.

My Ultimate Def Leppard Setlist

2011-09-07T17:55:00.004-06:00

After “going off” on Def Leppard’s boring Mirror Ball tour setlist, I thought I would revisit an idea I hatched last year r.e. My Ultimate Queensryche Setlist. If I didn’t adhere to the same rules I adopted for the QR set, my ultimate Def Leppard setlist would easily feature 20 songs they’ve never played in concert before! As much as that would please me, it wouldn’t work in front of 15,000+ fans. But that’s where my dream Leppard show takes a left turn…

In real life, Def Leppard haven’t played anything smaller than an arena since the first warmup shows on the Pyromania tour. That was February 1983! There were a few warmup club shows before Hysteria was released and then another short string of “In The Clubs In Your Face” shows in 1992 while they broke in Vivian Campbell. Even then, it’s been 20 straight years of Leppard playing arenas. They helped define Arena Rock in the 80’s, but I’m going to insist the Leps at least downgrade to a theatre so my set will work better…

Similar to what Queensryche did a few years ago, I think Leppard should break their show up into three “suites,” the first celebrating the formative years between 1978-1987 and the second suite showcasing a bunch of rarely and never-before-played gems released between 1992-2011. The third and final set would break out some of the biggest hits in the band’s history!

THE RULES
*** No more than 20 songs total.
*** Each studio album has to be represented with at least one song.
*** You can’t completely ignore their biggest hits.
*** The show has to flow, so “Love Bites” can’t be first

SUITE 1 – THE EARLY YEARS
STAGEFRIGHT (Pyromania)
WOMEN (Hysteria)
ANOTHER HIT AND RUN (High ‘N Dry)
LADY STRANGE (High ‘N Dry)
LOVE BITES (Hysteria)
DIE HARD THE HUNTER (Pyromania)

SUITE 2 – 1990’s - 2000’s
BACK IN YOUR FACE (Euphoria)
20TH CENTURY BOY (Yeah!)
TRUTH? (Slang)
SCAR (X)
STAND UP (KICK LOVE INTO MOTION) (Adrenalize)
IT’S ALL ABOUT BELIEVIN’ (Mirror Ball)
GOTTA LET IT GO (Songs From The Sparkle Lounge)
RING OF FIRE (Retroactive)

SUITE 3 – THE HITS
PHOTOGRAPH (Pyromania)
BRINGIN’ ON THE HEARTBREAK / SWITCH 625 (High ‘N Dry)
ROCKET (Hysteria)
POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME (Hysteria)

ENCORE
ROCK OF AGES (Pyromania)
WASTED (On Through The Night)

See how great this show looks on paper? Everyone goes home happy. Damn, I’d pay $250 to see Leppard play this set in a theater!

Now back to real life! Bret “Bandana” Michaels has already started flapping his gums about Def Leppard and Poison touring together in 2012. Joe Elliott and Phil Collen will be featured on Bret’s new solo single "Get Your Rock On" (It appears Bret is aware that Def Leppard launched their career with the song "Getcha Rocks Off") and then he hopes the tour comes together for next year. Now Leppard and Poison toured together waaaaay back in 2009, so why not change it up a little? First of all, get Steel Panther to open the show just like they are for their forthcoming UK tour. Get out of the 70's with openers like Styx, REO and Cheap Trick and make it an 80's party! The calendar tells us that 2012 is the 25th anniversary of the release of Hysteria, so the logical thing for them to do is perform that album in its entirety. With deep tracks like Gods Of War, Run Riot, Don't Shoot Shotgun and Love And Affection, that would be a good way to mix up their set and make me happy. Yes, it's all about me...

I GO OFF... on Def Leppard's Setlist

2011-09-02T10:15:00.002-06:00

Def Leppard returned to Denver this week for a show at Comfort Dental Amphitheater, the venue formerly known as Coors Amphitheater and Fiddler's Green. This was my 19th Leppard show and as you can see from the setlist above, this was another in a long line of "greatest hits" concerts. As a die-hard fan, it simply left a lot to be desired. Fans have been very vocal about the lack of album tracks and rare gems present in Leppard's set and Joe Elliott has been equally as vocal about wanting to please the "majority" of the audience by playing the hits that made them famous. Leppard will never cut "Photograph" or "Pour Some Sugar On Me" from their set - and I'm not suggesting they do.

My problem comes in the fact that EVERY SONG in this set was a single/video including the set opener "Undefeated," the one and only new song in the set. One new song where every other song in the set was written prior to 1992, yet Elliott insists on saying Leppard are "no nostalgia act?" Are you telling me there's not room for ONE album track in a 90-minute set dominated by huge hit singles? In fairness, the band has added "Let It Go" or "Make Love Like A Man" earlier in this tour, but even those two songs were singles/videos.

Hard core Leppard fans have been dealing with this BS for the last decade, ever since they started pairing with other headline acts like Journey, Poison and Heart. They cut down their set to 80-90 minutes and play nothing but the hits. After 30 years of rocking the world, Elliott honestly thinks that fans are going to walk out of the arena if they play "Stagefright" instead of "Two Steps Behind?" Or they will litter the stage with rocks and garbage if they replace "Rock On" with "Another Hit And Run?" Gimme a bus pass! By my count, here's a breakdown of the average amount of new songs played by the band per tour going back to the 1988/1989 Hysteria Tour.

Hysteria: 7+
Adrenalize: 5+
Slang: 4
Euphoria: 4
X: 4
Yeah: 2-3
Sparkle Lounge: 2
Mirror Ball: 1

I've accepted the fact that Leppard are in their glory years. Joe Elliott's vocal performance in Denver was a decent 7/10, but that's understandable given the wear and tear he's put his instrument through over the decades. These guys aren't 22 anymore and I can't expect a 3-hour, 27-song set...

I've accepted the fact that the overwhelming majority of Leppard's set will include legitimate chart-topping hits like "Love Bites."

What I can't accept - and won't accept - is their inability to throw ONE BONE to the die-hard fans who helped get them to where they are today. A 15-song set full of nothing but hit singles just isn't balanced and it isn't fair to fans paying VIP/ILAA prices upwards of $175-$225 per ticket just to get a good seat and a goodie bag with a Def Leppard bottle opener. Tell you what - you can keep the bottle opener! Just play one rare song to show me that you care about ME! I promise you, 10,000 fans will not collectively get up and go home. We love the band and we love all of your music. Maybe Joe and company will come to realize that someday...

Rant over - for now. For what it's worth, "Switch 625" was probably the best track a die-hard fan could hope for on the Mirror Ball tour. Here's some video I shot for you to enjoy...

The Other VH

2011-08-30T15:10:00.001-06:00

Here's a medley of Vertical Horizon's set at Hudson Gardens in Denver this past Sunday night. I didn't videotape their entire set - I just thought it would be fun to edit a "highlight reel" of the evening.

VH don't sell as many albums as they did 10 years ago (who does?), but they deserve to be selling millions of albums. Their 2009 release, Burning The Days, is quite possibly their best CD. Enjoy...

I'm Broken

2011-08-18T17:01:00.001-06:00

I fell off a ladder this morning and shattered my left wrist, so I'm gonna take some time off from the DKT blog. Mainly because typing with one hand really sucks. Be back ASAP...

The Wisdom of Quincy Jones

2011-08-16T06:55:00.001-06:00

“Music is a strange animal. You can’t smell it, you can’t taste it, you can’t see it. But you can feel it. It’s the only thing that engages left and right brain all the time, every time – when you’re playing it or recording it or whatever. It deals with the intellect and the emotion. That’s the fun part about it – you’re using everything you have as a human being.” – QUINCY JONES

Jani Lane (1964-2011)

2011-08-12T13:14:00.002-06:00

Don't Mess With The Big Boys

2011-08-10T16:09:00.004-06:00

What a killer Mr. Big show at Summit Music Hall in Denver last night. I know the economy is tough, but I have no idea why there were only 200 fans in attendance! This is the first U.S. tour for Mr. Big in 15 years - the last time I saw them was in May 1992 when they opened for Rush. I saw Loudness at the same venue a few months ago and they drew around 150+ fans. With Mr. Big, they had the benefit of a #1 pop single ("To Be With You") so I guess I expected a bigger turnout because of their mainstream success. Having said that, there were a LOT of young twenty-somethings which shows you that good music will always pass down to the next generation.

It's hard to take your eyes off the blistering fingers of Paul Gilbert and Billy Sheehan, but Eric Martin's bluesy voice really brings everything together. High energy, melodies and harmonies all over the place and great performances. The band took time to meet fans after the show, sign autographs and pose for pictures. (Check out my signed LP above!) I was right up front and shot some great video - just click the links below. And be sure to check out the fun instrument switch during their "Smoke On The Water" cover...

SET LIST:

Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy
Take Cover
Green Tinted Sixties Mind
Undertow
American Beauty
Alive And Kickin'
Just Take My Heart
Once Upon A Time
Little Too Loose
Road To Ruin
Tempermental
Still Ain't Enough
Price You Gotta Pay
Take A Walk
Around The World
As Far As I Can See
Addicted To That Rush

ENCORE:
To Be With You
Colorado Bulldog

SECOND ENCORE:
Shy Boy
Smoke On The Water

And Just Like That, I'm In A Band

2011-08-06T06:56:00.002-06:00

It’s been a busy month for me on the music front. After my flurry of songwriting last year and subsequent demo recording, things really slowed down. I started working for my brother’s flag business (Rocky Mountain Flag Company) and putting in as many hours as I could to make some extra cash. I also recently re-doubled my efforts to find a new job by hiring a professional employment coach and putting more time into networking. Looking for a full-time job is a full-time job in and of itself and it doesn’t leave me with a lot of time in any given week.

I put so much work into my songs/demos, but then they were just sitting there. It took me a few months to realize that they weren’t going to record themselves!

Problem #1 – I don’t have a home studio
Problem #2 – I don’t have any other musicians lined up
Solution – Craig’s List

I placed a few ads on CL looking for drummers and lead singers just to see what kind of replies I would get. I got 3-4 replies and started returning emails and making phone calls. I started writing a few drummers back and forth, but then they both disappeared. I called a third drummer and he and his buddy had a home studio about 30 minutes away from Castle Rock. The guys were in their “40’s and 50’s” and they were currently jamming on stuff like Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Van Morrison. I set up a time to meet them at their studio, but I quickly cancelled when I realized I have absolutely no interest in playing Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Van Morrison!

Enter Steve from Parker. Steve sent me an email with his phone number and a photo of his home studio. That was it. I called him and asked him what his favorite bands were. He said, “Rush, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard…” MUCH BETTER!

I went over to Steve’s place in Parker and played him some of my originals. He told me he plays in a cover band called Naked Truth and they are going to start playing around town soon. Nothing too serious, just playing to have fun. One of his guitar players Craig came over to hear my stuff, too, and pretty soon I picked up my guitar and we jammed through “Wasted” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane.” I told them I would love to work around their band schedule to start recording my originals.

Craig emailed me three days later and said he had “a proposition” for me. I knew what was coming, so I gave him a call. He said their other guitar player was developing an attitude and would I consider joining Naked Truth? And just like that… I was in a band!

Since I was the new guy, I had to play catch up on the 30+ songs the band had already learned. Fast forward a month or so and we're getting ready for our live debut next weekend. Nothing too serious - just a BBQ/Picnic In The Park around the corner from Steve's house. We even found some time to head up to Red Rocks to take a few band photos. I've been singing on stage for 25+ years and I've sat in once or twice with other bands in the past, but this will be MY first ever show with MY band. Pretty cool...

The Final Countdown

2011-08-01T06:28:00.000-06:00

MTV, Music Television, originally launched on August 1, 1981 which means it turns 30 years old today. So my countdown ends with my #1 favorite old school music video. Seriously, what else did you think it was going to be?

Barnes and Barnes - Fish Heads (#2)

2011-07-30T06:43:00.002-06:00

At #2, I give you Barnes and Barnes. "Roly poly fish heads are never seen drinking cappucino in Italian resturants with oriental women. Yeah."

Pat Benatar - You Better Run (#3)

2011-07-28T06:12:00.001-06:00

"You Better Run" was the second video ever played on MTV. Pat Benatar had a stranglehold on MTV for several years beginning with this video and continuing with early 80's classics such as "I'm Gonna Follow You," "Precious Time" and "Promises In The Dark."

"You Better Run" (actually a Rascals cover!) features a ferocious Pat snarling and screaming into the camera as well as a pre-husband Neil Giraldo ripping through a wailing guitar solo. I still get goosebumps at the 2:49 mark when he lifts his guitar up. It's a simple performance clip, but it's delivered with 100% rock and roll attitude and it's pretty much a perfect video.

Def Leppard - Photograph (#4)

2011-07-26T07:44:00.000-06:00

Coming in at #4, "Photograph" debuted on MTV in January 1983 and it blew my mind. The song, the hooks, the harmonies, the Union Jack. Leppard hit a grand slam and they simply could not be stopped. I immediately wanted Phil Collen's Ibanez Destroyer and a few months later I got my first electric guitar for my 13th birthday. Brilliant...

Rod Stewart - Young Turks (#5)

2011-07-24T06:40:00.001-06:00

YouTube loves to disable music videos, but I really had to pick this classic Rod Stewart clip as my #5 fav early years MTV video. So please take a moment and CLICK HERE to view "Young Turks."

Can you identify the actress that plays "Patty" in this clip? It's Dotty! Or the chick from Valley Girl depending on your 80's movie viewing habits.

Dire Straits - Skateaway (#6)

2011-07-22T07:44:00.002-06:00

Watching the "Skateaway" video, I was wondering who the rollergirl was. Looking it up, she is credited as Jay Carly, but her real name is Jayzik Azikiwe. She was the daughter of an early president of Nigeria and spent her life as a successful artist and musician in Africa. Sadly, she died in early 2008 with little or no notice by the press.

R.I.P. Rollergirl

The Tubes - Talk To Ya Later (#7)

2011-07-20T09:24:00.000-06:00

What else can you say about this brilliant song and video?

Pete Townsend - Rough Boys (#8)

2011-07-18T06:49:00.000-06:00

Coming in at #8, "Rough Boys" got just as much airplay on MTV as "Let My Love Open The Door" and I love both songs to death. This video is smoky and dirty and they just don't make them like this anymore. Major props to Pete for rocking out in front of a pool table for four minutes and making the million dollar budget videos look weak by comparison...

Squeeze - Black Coffee In Bed (#9)

2011-07-16T06:40:00.003-06:00

I love the thought that the kids at the beginning of the "Black Coffee In Bed" video are now both in their late 30's!

Def Leppard - Saturday Night (High 'N Dry) (#10)

2011-07-14T07:44:00.001-06:00

Cracking the Top 10 of my most memorable early years MTV videos, Def Leppard quickly shot three performance videos from 1981's High 'N Dry album. "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" was their breakthrough single and was in heaviest rotation, but I was also blown away by "Let It Go" and "Saturday Night (High 'N Dry)."

High 'N Dry was the first cassettte tape I ever bought and my life would never be the same. The one-two punch of "Let It Go" and "Another Hit And Run" turned my 11-year-old brain to mush. When I finally came up for air, I went back to the record store to buy On Through The Night on vinyl. A year later, Pyromania exploded and Def Leppard was the biggest band on the planet. Damn, those were good times...

Planet P - Why Me? (#11)

2011-07-12T06:16:00.003-06:00

Planet P (or Planet P Project as they are sometimes known) is a great example of a band I probably never would have seen if it weren’t for the video being played on MTV. I primarily listened to rock and classic rock radio stations growing up and I don’t remember ever hearing “Why Me?” even while flipping through the radio dial. “Why Me?” is a great new wave pop song, but the video is pretty spooky even by early MTV standards. Singer Tony Carey hides behind a space helmet and flashing lights, so we never even really get to see what he looks like.

It was sometime in the mid-90’s that I found myself browsing through the CD’s at Tower Records when I came across the Project CD. It must have been affordable, because I took a chance on the album only knowing “Why Me?” Unfortunately, the rest of the record wasn’t up to the “Why Me?” standard and the band quickly faded into One Hit Wonderville. Still, that’s one more hit than I’ll ever have…

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (#12)

2011-07-10T06:32:00.001-06:00

"Steppin' Out" was one of the early videos with an actual story and theme. Let's face it, Joe Jackson wasn't the most attractive musician on the planet, so the less they showed of him the better. At least he was decked out in formal wear for the occasion...

Genesis - Man On The Corner (#13)

2011-07-08T17:25:00.000-06:00

Phil Collins sings his ass off on this one...

Saga - On The Loose (#14)

2011-07-06T05:54:00.001-06:00

My #14 most memorable "early years" MTV video goes to Saga's "On The Loose." Man, MTV played the crap out of this video back in the day. Saga were one of the first rock bands played in heavy rotation on the channel. It's a shame their popularity never took off in America. Their musicianship was off the charts and the guitar part in the breakdown mid-section still is crazy hard to play...

Remembering The ORIGINAL MTV 30 Years Later (with a new countdown)

2011-07-04T06:21:00.007-06:00

The calendar reads July 2011 and that means we are less than one month away from the 30th Anniversary of MTV. Music Television debuted on August 1, 1981 but I didn’t see the rocket launch that day. I was only 10 years old and my family either didn’t have cable TV or MTV wasn’t part of our local programming yet. But it was only a few months before we were plugged in and watching music videos 24 hours a day. Mark Goodman, JJ Jackson, Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter and Nina Blackwood came into our homes and quickly became my extended family. As Nina Blackwood said recently, the popularity of the channel meant that MTV became the national radio/video channel. We were instantly exposed to dozens of artists and songs that we’d never heard before. Kids flipped out, album sales skyrocketed and within 2-3 years, Michael Jackson, The Police, Def Leppard, Van Halen, Prince and Madonna were the biggest artists on the planet!

The first two years of MTV were much more innocent. Record companies and artists rarely made promotional videos, so the network really had next to nothing in terms of actual videos to play. With 24 hours of programming to fill every day, that became a problem. MTV executives bet the farm that record companies would fall over themselves to quickly make videos so their artists could get the exposure and they ended up being 1,000% right.

We all know that the original MTV ceased to exist many, many years ago. Reality TV is here to stay and it’s really not even worth getting pissed off about. But that didn’t stop Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott from commenting on the “decline” of Music Television:

“I think it’s the saddest thing I’ve ever seen,” Elliott said recently. "The decline of MTV is worse than watching some relative die of Alzheimer’s. It’s awful, I’m sorry but it is. I won’t be celebrating its 30th. I’m not a fan at all. I think it stinks. I can totally understand if people stopped watching videos, but it’s not MTV, so just put it in a coffin and bury it for God’s sake.”

Well said, Joe. I choose to fondly remember the early years of MTV because it honestly helped shape my love of music. When my family bought a VCR, I started taping all my favorite music videos, live concerts (Sammy Hagar, Krokus, Night Ranger) and any music news segment on Def Leppard. Do you remember the story about Joe Elliott’s hair catching on fire during the filming of the “Foolin’” video? Or the time Phil Collen drove his new Porsche through a butcher shop window and ended up under a rack of beef? True stories!

I love watching my old MTV VHS tapes, because it takes me back to a much simpler time. I was just about to become a teenager in the early 80’s and I didn’t have a care in the world. The future was out there somewhere and MTV had us believing the future looked like Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” video. (That’s still some trippy shit.) I love the early music videos because the budgets were low and the directors really had to work to create something visually appealing. In the coming days, I’ll count down my Top 15 most memorable music videos from the early years of MTV. I'm really just going to focus on 1981-1983 because it's my game and I make up the rules!

Let's start with a Boston-based band that cracked MTV's playlist with tracks like "Love Stinks" and went on to score HUGE hits with "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame." But when I think of Peter Wolf and J. Geils, I'll always think of "Come Back."

The Cloudy Confines

2011-07-02T07:28:00.003-06:00

In this image made with a fisheye lens, storm clouds swirl above Wrigley Field before an interleague baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox, Friday, July 1, 2011, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Hard Rock Alive And Well in 2011

2011-06-30T06:35:00.003-06:00

If you would have told me back in 1988 that Def Leppard, Warrant, Whitesnake, Queensryche and Night Ranger would all still be releasing excellent new material in 2011, I probably WOULD have believed it. There’s always been a strong work ethic within hard rock, not to mention the close relationship the bands have with the fans and the overall desire to keep writing and recording new music.

When you go see most “80’s bands” in concert these days, you are going to get a greatest hits set for the most part. Queensryche seem to be the exception, as they consistently debut more new material when they play live. But look at Cinderella – they haven’t released a new studio album in 17 years! They played Denver earlier this week, but I skipped the show because I saw them twice in a two month period last year and they NEVER mix up their set list. Not that they don’t still rock the house, but I’ve been throwing what little spending money I have on some new releases by classic hard rockers. My reviews are in and I’m really happy with what I’m hearing from these new albums!

DEF LEPPARD – MIRRORBALL
The Leps have FINALLY released their first official live album. As a mega-fan, of course I would have loved a double live album from the Hysteria tour, but Leppard have always focused on getting back into the studio to record new music and there’s nothing wrong with that. The bonus CD in the Deluxe Edition of Pyromania (2009) features a smoking live album from the L.A. Forum in 1983. And Joe Elliott has been hinting about a Def Lep box set in the next few years, so there will be plenty of Steve Clark and Pete Willis-era live tracks included I’m sure. Mirrorball only features tunes recorded during the Sparkle Lounge tour, but the band sounds great and the songs are delivered with passion and clarity. The biggest selling point of Mirrorball is the three excellent new studio tracks, "Undefeated," "Kings of the World" and "It’s All About Believin’." I do have a small gripe with the bonus DVD, however, as it’s too short and does absolutely nothing for the die-hard fan. As much as I hate to say it, it’s pretty much a throwaway. But two CD’s and a DVD for only $11.88 (exclusively at Walmart) is good value for money and that's what Leppard have always been about.

WARRANT - ROCKAHOLIC
Yes, original vocalist Jani Lane left Warrant quite a while back. They enlisted Jamie St. James (Black N Blue) and recorded a record a few years ago, but I ignored it because I’m not a fan of JSJ vocally. But I saw Robert Mason lead Warrant through a great set last year at Greeley Stampede (opening for Cinderella) and immediately knew he was the right guy for the job. Rockaholic actually doesn’t sound a lot like a classic Warrant record, because only Jani Lane writes like Jani Lane. But what we have here is a solid hard rock record with a lot of great tunes like “Sex Ain’t Love” and "Cocaine Freight Train." Mason's voice actually makes some of these tracks sound like long lost Lynch Mob songs, but that’s a good thing. Don’t hesitate to check them out if they come through your town…

WHITESNAKE - FOREVERMORE
DC, Doug Aldrich and the boys dropped Forevermore several months ago and it’s almost a carbon copy of their 2008 comeback album, Good To Be Bad. Which is to say an awesome collection of hard rockers, mid-tempo tracks and ballads. Great songwriting and great performances from start to finish – no complaints. And can I say how much fun I am having watching their Live at Donington 1990 DVD! This was well before HD and BluRay, so some may get bent out of shape by the “one step above bootleg” video quality, but the sound is excellent and the performances are a huge time capsule of the entire hair metal era. Steve Vai and Adrian Vandenberg trade licks, Rudy Sarzo licks his bass and DC screams like a banshee. Just good fun…

QUEENSRYCHE – DEDICATED TO CHAOS
The last three QR studio albums have included two concept albums, Operation: Mindcrime II (which apart from the first 4-5 songs, wasn’t very good) and American Solider (slightly better) and the uneven covers album, Take Cover. Personally, I’ve been waiting patiently for them to just deliver a collection of original songs and not be tied down to a concept. Sonically, I would place this record somewhere between The Promised Land and Tribe. This is really a groove record, the production is good and there’s a lot going on in the mix. Those expecting sing-along choruses ala Empire will no doubt be disappointed, but this is their most interesting and listenable work in the last 7-8 years.

NIGHT RANGER – SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA
Here’s another band that have under-delivered in their last 3-4 studio albums. There are plenty of shining moments across albums like Seven, Neverland and Hole In The Sun, but I never felt like we were getting Night Ranger’s best work start to finish. And I was also troubled that they seemed to get further and further away from their 80’s trademark sound of dual guitars, melodies and harmonies. Those problems have disappeared as Somewhere In Califormia is a glorious return to the multi-platinum days of Midnight Madness and Big Life. The opening track, "Growin’ Up In California" is a monster and the rockers come fast and furious after that. The remaining original members Blades, Keagy and Gillis sound fantastic. This album may not be a perfect 100% like Andrew from MelodicRock.com rated, but it’s damn close…

The Cubs Need To Sign This Guy...

2011-06-28T15:38:00.000-06:00

A Cirque du Soleil performer throws out the first pitch in dramatic fashion at PETCO Park...

"Defining The Value Of Me" by Angie Stevens

2011-06-25T14:57:00.004-06:00

Angie Stevens is a talented Denver-based singer/songwriter. I saw her Facebook post a few days ago and wanted to share it here. For all the musicians that have ever tried to "make it," this will no doubt resonante with you. A long read, but well worth your time...

As we face this struggling economy my story isn't uncommon. Here's my battle of Good v. Broke:)

It's been 12 years of playing. I've toured more cities than i could have ever dreamed of, played incredible venues like Hotel Cafe, Red Rocks and festivals to over ten thousand in attendance. I've had placements on CMT, MTV, HBO and charted on radio worldwide. I've put out CD's, EP's, DVDs, worked with Grammy award winners and sold out concerts in various cities. I've gotten to play on bills with and even along side some of my all time favorite musicians and been moved to tears by audiences across the country. I embraced the bigger purpose of giving back while playing for dozens of charities and constantly encouraged other musicians to do the same. I have been a teacher/ coach/ mentor to kids and found success by just believing in them. I feel like my gift is connection and I do my best to focus on that in any and every aspect of my life. I have learned to live getting by on little to nothing and have been totally humbled by the process. I think basic needs of shelter, feeding my son and having a car to tote him around are good enough- which compared to friends my age who spend their free time shopping- seems somewhat barbaric. If I wasn't blessed with my child I realize my life would be different. This choice to pursue music, however taxing, would be my own. I'd sleep in cars, tour endlessly and really need nothing else in return. However - since that isn't my reality - The question I keep having to come back to month after month is what is the real value of what I'm contributing?

Today I open my fridge. I have 3 tubs of potato salad I took home from a barbecue I went to almost 3 weeks ago. Even though I know they are expired I can't bare the thought of throwing them out and have to stare at a completely empty fridge again. Luckily we have some easy mac in the cupboard and my son isn't picky. Also due to my recent survival mode I've grown accustom to only eating once every few days. I turn to the kitchen counter and the ever growing stack of bills that are piling up. One being Internet that has been already been shut off (which actually seems like a luxury at this point). The other three which are more important seem to nag at me each passing day. My car, rent and electricity. I have 80 dollars to my name and realize that I won't be able pay any of them.. What's worse? This is not my first time in this position.

I need to get a job...

I have had jobs outside the music business- All seeming to get in "the way" of this music career as well as let down all involved that rely on me to be available to help grow and promote this business. I was extremely successful in the business world only when i didn't try and juggle both. Inevitably time would run out for music and i had to make a decision to focus on music or watch it go away. I won't deny that I wanted to believe what others did- that I COULD make a living as a musician. We all know it's hard to ask for vacation- let alone weeks off to tour or to record an album, leave early for sound checks, photo shoots and charity events on top of trying to juggle babysitters for both jobs. You must also strike while the irons hot in the music biz and that means you work a LOT for little and keep your smile on at all costs. When you have paid your dues and finally start getting a sizable guarantee, you also have larger payouts and in that I'm usually left with just enough to pay gas to get there and pay for the babysitting for the night. Still coming home empty handed doesn't necessarily make me feel like I've "made it." I'm not naive in thinking that the music industry is a reliable place for a single mom but i do my best to juggle both until something drops... It's to no one's surprise that the job is in my rear view mirror, I've thrown caution to the wind for the greater good, destined to prove i will find a way.

My son says "Mom - I wanna help people like you do when I grow up."

I think about this long and hard. In any given week, I spend so (many say way too) much time doing things that although may help the greater good also leave me poor and struggling. I get more requests for Charity show than anyone I know and realize there is reason for this - I used to do them all, went to doing most and now do as many as I can without crumbling. I literally used to pay for a sitter so I could do a free event because I wanted people to know their cause was important. I guess I didn't know how to tell Spencer the payoff is not worth it - such as seeing kids smile or helping someone through a hard experience- even though in the end I come up short in providing for us. I know he's like me in embracing chaos/change. He takes our constant moving, lack of stability and coming home empty handed from tour in strides. He is always proud of me and even as he's the one who really feels the burden, he always tells me to continue doing it. He takes pride in the fact that I help people and I realize this is pretty profound for an 8 year old. Could be because our souls are so closely connected or it could just be the way he's learned to deal with me:).

What gets me through is other people.

I teeter between crippling guilt and the overwhelming feeling of being blessed in knowing that it has been 12 years of surviving on contributions from others. When music comes up short - which is in most cases - someone always seems to show up with a gift of something that pushes me forward. They believe that I can do it and in that make it happen. I yearn for a true business solution but somehow buy time with help from around me. I say my thank yous every morning/night in knowing i wouldn't have gotten this far without them. I never forget their belief in me although I won't deny I cringe at the thought of how much money I will one day have to pay back.... If only i could write that HIT song!! LOL

Now I wonder if it's time.

So once the tour is over and I'm back to face the empty fridge, the broken down van, the electricity that will be shut off soon if I'm not kicked out first, the overwhelming feeling that I have nothing to offer my son in the way of insurance, medical care, stability of any kind or food for that matter. I overlook the nagging hunger, the lack of sleep and the building anxiety and ask the final question...

WHY am I doing this and what is the value?!

As beautiful as this gift of connection is - I can't help wonder if I let it go too far. The paralyzing realization that i would give up everything to help others- even if that meant Spence and I were on a street corner has been haunting me in the last few months. How do i justify all this to my son? I am tired of not being able to provide for him. I'm tired of relying on an industry that's ever changing and fleeting at best. When your best case scenario after 12 years is to accrue loans (debt) in order to pay your bills I think it's then you realize the business is probably finished. That it may be time to work that 9 to 5er (I DO look pretty hot in a suit:), put an end to the crazy schedule and get on with life. In my pursuit to be selfless i realize i have been incredibly selfish.

I once told a friend that all of this love that I'm putting out there, the tireless efforts would come back to me someday if even in a smile. He answered - Let me know how that works when you tell the clerk at Walmart that you can't pay for your groceries but you are a really good person....

I despised him for saying that. Although I think get it now.

This crazy career of music which I chose was the best time of my life. I couldn't have asked for anything more, well.. besides a steady income:) In everything I had a hand in, I did my best to give a hundred percent. I did my best to never give a half assed performance in the 12 years whether it was to 2 people or ten thousand. I never sold my soul even when i was approached to sleep with someone to get a better opportunity. I never gave up even when people told me I needed to lose weight, do Pilate's, get a boob job, stick to one specific style or learn to write better hooks for the industry. I never stopped believing even through hundreds of broken promises people gave along the way which would ultimately caused a huge loss in money and the demise of my van. I could handle the years of people telling me I needed to be or do this or that - except I really didn't understand what their point is. The experience was in sharing my story and that's what I was good at. I didn't do it to be rich (Obviously) and I gave it all until I had nothing.

I always wanted to believe that the harder you work the more money you could make but now I know the harder you work the better you get at trying:)

I may never have an answer to my question of what my worth is - but I guess I am just eternally grateful to those who were apart of this crazy process.

If only I could be adopted by Bill Gates!?!?! LOL Oh wait - that's about as likely writing that "hit" song:)

Maybe it's time to sell the ax and pay the rent.

On A Library Raid (Part 2)

2011-06-23T06:31:00.002-06:00

BEE-GEES – THE ULTIMATE BEE-GEES

I already have one greatest hits from these guys, but this is a 2CD collection, so I’m sure there are a few tunes on here I’ve never heard before. I was just watching the news where they showed home video of a duet recorded at Michael Jackson’s studio with Barry Gibb about 10 years ago. You couldn’t really hear the song, because they kept talking over it, but I’m sure it will surface eventually.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION
This “supergroup” features Glenn Hughes (vocals), Joe Bonamassa (Guitar), Jason Bonham (Drums) and Derek Sherinian (Bass), so it’s gotta be good, right? All I’ve read about this CD are good things and I believe their second album is already out, so I have a lot of catching up to do…

THE CARPENTERS – THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION (BOX SET 1965-1997)
I posted on my Facebook page that a 4-CD box set may very well be a little too much Carpenters, but I’m absolutely loving the “time machine” effect of it all. The late 60’s and early 70’s were just such a completely different time for making records and the sonics really reflect the times. For me personally, the big draw is Karen’s gifted vocals and her dead-on harmonies with Richard. Well worth checking out if you are a fan…

HEART – RED VELVET CAR
Heart are opening up for Def Leppard this summer, so I want to be familiar with their new tunes and I’m sure the Wilson sisters will throw 3-4 tracks into their set. I’ve read this is more of a “70’s album,” so I’ll have to see if any hooks/melodies jump out at more or if it will be more jammy in direction.

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS – SOULSVILLE
I’d love to see these guys live, but Huey and the boys never “tour.” They just accept boat loads of money for private gigs and corporate functions, so there’s no need for them to go on the road for months at a time.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – STONE TEMPLE PILOTS

VH1 Classic recently broadcast an STP live show from 2010 and they sounded great, so I’m finally getting around to checking out their most recent studio album. I haven’t heard anything from this record, so I don’t know what to expect. The only STP record I really hated was Tiny Music… which I thought was under-produced and really uneven.

ULTRAVOX - LAMENT
Some vintage new wave pop/rock from 1984. I’ve always loved “Vienna,” “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” and “Reap The Wild Wind,” but I’ve never dug into their catalog. They were actually part of the Live Aid concert back on July 13, 1985. Midge Ure came out wearing a long, grey trench coat, a grey guitar and sunglasses. Very 80’s.

On A Library Raid (Part 1)

2011-06-18T06:27:00.002-06:00

Every six months or so I get really tired of my own CD selection and that’s when I go to the library to raid their inventory. I want to check out (no pun intended) new albums by The Cars and Foo Fighters and the new Sade greatest hits compilation but they didn’t have ANY of those. So I went off and grabbed as many CD’s as I could carry out the door.

APRIL WINE – CLASSIC MASTERS – I saw April Wine for the first time in concert last year and I want to hear “I Like To Rock, “ Roller” and “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” again. Not to mention their big MTV video hit “Just Between You And Me.” Man, they played the crap out of that song back in 1982.

CLASSIC ROCK FOR DUMMIES – All the classic rock standards I’ve heard a million times before, but I checked this out to dub “How Much I Feel” by Ambrosia. I’m pretty sure I don’t have this one yet…

THE CRANBERRIES – EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT SO WHY CAN’T WE: THE COMPLETE SESSIONS 1991-1993
Challenger for the longest album title in history (oh wait, I forgot Fiona Apple easily has that distinction), The Cranberries re-release their debut masterpiece with a few bonus tracks and remixes. This album was brilliant the day it was released and it still holds up 20 years later. IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS? Yikes!

IRON MAIDEN – THE FINAL FRONTIER
I love Maiden, but I’m not a big enough fan to buy their stuff without hearing it first.

MICHAEL JACKSON – MICHAEL

Finally getting around to the new/old MJ tracks that were released after his death

KISS – DESTROYER – I have this album on cassette and most all the remastered tracks are represented on their box set, but I still need to hear "Sweet Pain," “Great Expectations “ and “Flaming Youth." One of these days I’ll get around to completing my KISS discography, as I still don't have Love Gun, Unmasked or Rock And Roll Over on CD.

OZZY OSBOURNE – BLIZZARD OF OZZ – VH1 Classic has been playing a new Ozzy documentary to celebrate the 30th Anniversary re-release of Blizzard of Ozz. Unfortunately, the version I checked out is the remaster from 2002 where Sharon Osbourne made the executive decision to have the original Bob Daisley bass tracks and Lee Kerslake drum tracks erased and re-recorded by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin respectively. Why? I’ll let Wikipedia pick up the story…

In 1986, Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake sued Osbourne for unpaid royalties, eventually winning songwriting credits on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman. The 2002 reissues of these albums saw the replacement of the original bass and drum tracks of Daisley and Kerslake with new ones by Osbourne's then-current drummer Mike Bordin and bassist Robert Trujillo. Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, explained the re-recordings in a press conference: "Because of Daisley and Kerslake's abusive and unjust behaviour, Ozzy wanted to remove them from these recordings. We turned a negative into a positive by adding a fresh sound to the original albums." Daisley and Kerslake denied the allegations of abusive behaviour and continued to battle for royalties for their work on Blizzard of Ozz, but their case was dismissed by the US Supreme court on May 3, 2004, putting an end to any future potential litigation on the matter.[citation needed] However Ozzy states in his new autobiography that he felt sorry for removing Daisley's and Kerslake's tracks from the album and he did include he had nothing to do either with the removing or the re-recording process. Many fans have criticized the 2002 reissues and consider them to be unlistenable.

Unlistenable, eh? This should be interesting…

The Chicago Cubs Are Really Bad!

2011-06-13T07:34:00.002-06:00

With full credit to the creative fans over at Bleed Cubbie Blue...

With the summer in full swing, and the Cubs competing for the worst record in the majors, the BCB faithful should be looking for better ways to spend their time. As always, the summer box offices are thriving, as the annual blockbusters hit the theaters. However, this summer, Hollywood is going Chicagowood... as Cubs themed re-makes are flying to box offices in groves.

Here are a some previews for movies you all might enjoy, instead of watching the Cubs turn into doormats.

Good Sugar -vs- Bad Sugar

2011-06-09T08:32:00.002-06:00

There aren't too many good Def Leppard covers out there, because it's hard for other artists to capture the signature Leppard sound. The most "famous" Lep cover is probably Mariah Carey's verson of "Bringin' On The Heartbreak" which she released as a single in 2002. Lionel Richie covered "Long Long Way To Go" a few years back, too. There are quite a few Def Leppard tribute CD's out there (and two more to be released soon), but most of them sound like they were recorded in 20 minutes.

Sometimes it's a smarter idea to tackle Leppard material in a different style alltogether. Enter Canadian singer/songwriter Emm Gryner who used the piano to deliver a sultry take on the Lep classic "Pour Some Sugar On Me."

But if you are a 90's boy band looking for a quick hit single, you can always do what Townsend did and, well, just watch for yourself...

Broncos Bunch Summer Kickoff

2011-06-05T08:32:00.003-06:00

We spent Saturday morning at Invesco Field @ Mile High for the Broncos Bunch Summer Kickoff, a fun event where the kiddos got a chance to run football drills on the field, meet current/former Broncos players and cheerleaders and play on inflatable games. Many thanks to my big sis for enrolling Ivy and Zander in the Broncos Bunch program!

Ivy was excited to meet three of the Broncos cheerleaders, get a poster signed by the girls and also get a photo while holding a real pom-pom. Believe me, she was SUPER excited. She already has her autographed poster up on the wall in her room...

Next up was a visit with former Broncos greats Ron Egloff and Randy Gradishar. Of course Big Z doesn't know who these old-timers are, but he'll appreciate this photo when he gets older.

Zander had a blast running different football drills on the field and even tried to catch a pass from current Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban. After this, we went inside to meet Miles, the Broncos horse mascot. Z was a little scared a first, but he quickly hung up his signed photo in his room when we got home and can't stop talking about how much fun he had.

Photo Of The Day

2011-06-03T06:37:00.001-06:00

I was cruising through Highlands Ranch Town Center yesterday and came across a series of stop signs that I thought had personality and style...

10 Best Local TV Ads

2011-05-29T16:36:00.001-06:00

How To Claim You Were Misquoted

2011-05-24T07:54:00.000-06:00

I took the kiddos to McDonald's yesterday for dinner and picked up a loose copy of USA Today. In the Sports section, the following headline caught my eye:

Rose Backpedals From Quote on Drug Use in NBA

There's been so much talk about steroids and performance-enhancing drugs (PED's) in recent weeks. From the Barry Bonds trial to accusations about Lance Armstrong using PED's - and now comes comments attributed to Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose in the May 16 issue of ESPN The Magazine. Asked how big a problem such drugs are in the NBA on a 1-10 scale, Rose was quoted, "Seven. It's huge, and I think we need a level playing field, where noboby has that advantage over the next person."

Well, it appears the NBA didn't appreciate his comments because in a statement Sunday, Rose said, "I do not recall making the statement, nor do I recall the question being asked. If that was my response to any question, I clearly misunderstood what was being asked of me. But let me be clear, I do not believe there is a performance-enhancing drug problem."

Are you serious? That has to be one of the funniest things I've ever read in my life! And also a complete joke of a "statement." If you are going to grant an interview, at least have the basketballs to stand behind what you say!

M-Z-A

2011-05-19T09:28:00.004-06:00

I'm glad I forced myself to go to the Loudness show on Tuesday night, because I really needed to hear some loud, live rock and roll. For those not familiar with Loudness, the "Japanese Metal Masters" have been around since the early 80's. They broke through MTV's rotation in 1984 with "Crazy Nights" (see below) and toured the U.S. with Keel. They returned with a follow-up CD a few years later, scored a minor hit with "Let It Go" and even played Red Rocks opening for Stryper and TNT on August 5, 1987. Their show on Tuesday night at Summit Music Hall (formerly LoDo Music Hall) was their first time in Denver since that 1987 concert.

The set was a little on the short side (75 minutes tops) and the crowd was a little on the thin side (150 tops), but those are minor complaints for the $20 bill I spent on a ticket. 50 or so fans stayed after to get autographs and photos from the band. Guitar God Akira Takasaki is by far the most popular guy in the band and everyone mobbed him, including me (see photo). Going back to "Crazy Nights," I couldn't believe they played the song SECOND in the set. I was sure it would be the encore! As soon as the opening track ended, Minoru screamed, "Do you want to get crazy? Do you want to get CRAZY?" You should have seen me scrambling for my Flip camera! Enjoy...

It's All About Leppard (Part 2)

2011-05-16T06:39:00.007-06:00

I love it when other artists publicly give props to Def Leppard because it just doesn't happen all that often. Look, I know "Let's Get Rocked" isn't exactly "Blowing In The Wind" when it comes to lyrics, but Joe Elliott and the boys are well worthy of praise for their songwriting prowess, powerful performances, incredible production, zillions of albums sold and overall stain left on pop culture. Def Leppard goes beyond hair metal and Michael Starr of Steel Panther knows that more than anyone!

The new issue of Classic Rock Magazine (see right) focuses on "100 Greatest Songwriters" and Starr went out of his way to say some nice things about the mighty Lep. (Parental Guidance: the following excerpt may contain filthy language and/or the word "boobs.")

The first time I heard Def Leppard was On Through The Night. I was in my friend’s room and he was like: “Dude, check out this new record.” They write great lyrics. I like “one lump or two” from Pour Some Sugar On Me. I thought he was talking about putting two lumps of sugar in his tea. I thought “That’s not too metal.” When you’re young it takes you a while to figure out sexual innuendos.

If you haven’t seen or heard Def Leppard before you’ve probably had your head stuck up your ass since you were born. They’re they greatest European heavy metal band. They’ve lasted so long because heavy metal is like cockroaches: it will never die. We may go away in dark corners and take a while to come back, but if people want to party it’s there.

And I’ve got some exclusive news for ya: Joe Elliott might sing on our next record. He wants to hear the songs first. We sent him three last week and we’re waiting to hear back, but it’s looking like it’s a go so far. I saw him at an awards show and starting talking, and it turns out he’s a huge Steel Panther fan. I got totally nervous around him, he’s a legend.

The first two albums were really great, but it was Pyromania that I really gravitated to. I just loved it because of Photograph and Rock of Ages, those songs kick ass.

The band has definitely changed the way I approach having sex with chicks after a show. If a girl likes Def Leppard it means they have a sensitive side to them, and if they’re into Metallica that means they just like it in the ass. I prefer Def Leppard chicks. They have bigger boobs, too.

I think selling over 20 million records with Pyromania and Hysteria is pretty much the pinnacle of anyone’s career. That’s amazing. I hope that one day I can accomplish that. Our new record sounds just like Def Leppard, so everyone should buy it.

I'll be first in line to buy the new Steel Panther CD, even if Joe doesn't end up singing on the album. Let's go back a few years to a time when Steel Panther were still known as Metal Skool. This video needs no introduction...

It's All About Leppard

2011-05-13T16:30:00.010-06:00

Contrary to what my friends think, I really don’t listen to Def Leppard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Unless the band has a new record out or they are on tour, I don't break them out all that often. I’ve heard “Photograph” enough to last ten lifetimes. But Leppard took a year off from touring last year to recharge their batteries, focus on side projects (ManRaze and Down ‘N Outz) aaaaand put together a live CD/DVD. Mirrorball: Live and More will be released on June 7 in the U.S. exclusively through Walmart stores. Mirrorball features two CD’s of live material taken from the Sparkle Lounge tour, three new studio songs and a 45-minute bonus DVD of live/backstage footage. Not only that, but the band and rock photographer Ross Halfin have just released The Definitive Visual History of the band, an amazing coffee table book that spans 33+ years of iconic Def Leppard images.

To promote Mirrorball and the new book, Leppard have been in full press mode doing national TV and radio interviews and live performances including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Lopez Tonight. And I just finished listening to their interview on Rockline with Bob Coburn.

“BC” has interviewed the band at least a dozen times going back to 1981 and I was lucky enough to get through to the Leps back on November 20, 1987. Hysteria had just been released and I was a 17-year-old mega fan. To make sure I got in to the show, I called at least 5-6 hours before the show started and let the phone ring. And ring. And RING! There were no answering machines or voice mail, the phone just kept ringing until somebody picked it up. When an operator finally answered, he screened my question and put me back on hold.

950 odd miles south of Denver in San Antonio, TX, my best friend Brandon was also calling in to the show. I gave shout-outs to “Brandon, Laura, Charisma and Studly Jason” before I asked my question and he mentioned “my friend Ken who you just talked to in Denver” during his question. It was a memorable evening to say the least.

I was the second caller on the show that night. I knew what I wanted to ask, but I was pretty nervous and didn’t want to mess up my question so I ended up typing it out and reading it off the page when I got on the air. Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, here’s how it all went down:

Going back to the Ross Halfin photo book, I have one small story about Ross to share. Fast forward to January 16, 2000 when Def Lep played World Arena in Colorado Springs. I was working for a concert promoter at the time and spent the few hours before the show quietly stalking Leppard’s dressing rooms and production offices. I brought some LP’s to get signed and tour manager Malvin Mortimer helped me get that accomplished. I also ended up chatting with Phil Collen very briefly. I didn’t want to come off like a psycho fan and didn’t have a camera with me, so I happily took my autographs home. I didn’t even know Ross Halfin was there until he walked right by me with his camera bags. Roughly 30 minutes before the show started, the band came out fully dressed in their stage clothes and lined while Ross started taking pictures. I’d never seen anything like it. First of all, the band were just in a sterile hallway with white walls, so there wasn’t much in the way of scenery. Ross just snapped away – snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap, snap. Over and over and over and over. He must have taken two hundred photos in three minutes.

I was standing about 10 feet behind Ross watching everything go down, secretly hoping I were friends with him so I could take a few pictures with the band. I quickly turned my attention to the guys and noticed they weren’t moving a muscle! They weren’t giving different looks or poses. They weren’t doing the rock star thing. They were just staring at Ross while he snapped away like a madman. So weird… Memorable, but weird. I never saw any of those photos surface, but they did a longer photo shoot at a train station in Colorado Springs and three of those photos ended up in the new coffee table book.

And what a book it is! My copy showed up in the mail today and it blew me away. Hundreds of iconic Leppard images compiled with a ton of behind-the-scenes stories and memorabilia. A must own for die-hard Def Lep fans.

What Do These Band Have In Common?

2011-05-11T08:09:00.007-06:00

What do these bands all have in common?

The Beatles, KISS, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Night Ranger, King’s X, Styx, The Eagles, Tears For Fears, Depeche Mode and Heart?

Well, they were all wildly successful, but that’s not what I was going for. Each of the bands listed above features more than one lead singer. In the case of The Beatles and KISS, all four original members have recorded tracks singing lead vocals.

THE BEATLES – Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr
KISS – Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss
PINK FLOYD – David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Syd Barrett
FLEETWOOD MAC – Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham
STYX – Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young
THE EAGLES – Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt
NIGHT RANGER – Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy
TEARS FOR FEARS – Roland Orzabal, Curt Smith
DEPECHE MODE – David Gahan, Martin Gore
HEART – Ann Wilson, Nancy WIlson
KING’S X – Dug Pinnick, Ty Tabor

There may be more that I’m not thinking of - did I miss anyone? Bon Jovi is obviously a double threat with Richie Sambora, but I don’t think he’s ever recorded a lead vocal with the band. (But his solo records make JBJ sound weak by comparison…)

I can’t think of a single popular band in today’s music scene that successfully rotates between different singers. Why is that? I think it comes down to talent, but I also think that record companies today have a difficult enough time selling and branding a band. If it’s a Maroon 5, Matchbox 20 or Train or whoever, they are going to want to push pretty boys Adam Levine, Rob Thomas and Pat Monahan to the front of the stage and make sure they are the focus of the videos.

But who can argue with the success of Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles and Styx? Even though these bands were huge in the 70’s, you still saw 80’s bands using the formula – Tears For Fears, Night Ranger, Depeche Mode and Heart. I would argue that it made for a stronger live show. Ann Wilson can take a back seat while Nancy sings “These Dreams.” Go to a KISS concert and you’ll see Paul and Gene rotating songs all night – it keeps both of them fresh and everyone gets a chance in the spotlight.

With King’s X, you have two very different styles of songs depending on if Dug or Ty is singing lead. It helps the songwriting stretch into different areas because the writing is so unique to that particular singer. Same thing with Pink Floyd and Depeche Mode. Everyone knows that Dave Gahan is the frontman, but Martin Gore can step in to sing “Somebody” or “Home” and the audience goes crazy.

So why don’t bands do this today? I really don’t know. There must be a band out there that still features more than one lead singer, maybe a Country band? When you think about it, how could such a successful formula be completely extinct? There just aren’t that many great singers around today, I guess. And vocal harmony isn’t as “popular” in today’s scene. Look at the list above again – all of these bands are known for big chorus and rich vocal harmonies. Maybe some young band will read this post and be inspired to bring multiple lead singers back to popular music. They would stand out, because nobody else is doing it!

100 Best Movie Lines in 200 Seconds

2011-05-09T07:32:00.000-06:00

30-Day Song Challenge

2011-05-06T08:26:00.009-06:00

Many thanks to Laura for turning me on to the 30-Day Song Challenge on Facebook. The rules are simple, just post a song that fits the categories below. It's been fun trying to find the PERFECT song for each category. I mean, trying to pick one favorite song of all time is pointless, but the rest of the categories really test your ability to work through your music collection to find a great match. I've only just begun, so here are my choices so far.

day 01 - your favorite song

King's X - Goldilox
day 02 - your least favorite song
Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
Boston - Feelin' Satisfied
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
Depeche Mode - I Feel You
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
Hurricane - It's Only Heaven
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
Snap - The Power
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
Depeche Mode - Agent Orange
day 11 - a song from your favorite band
Def Leppard - Rocket
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
Train - Drops Of Jupiter
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
Force MD's - Tender Love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favorite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favorite song at this time last year

Facebook Spam Is HILARIOUS

2011-05-04T08:04:00.001-06:00

I've been getting a lot of Facebook spam messages recently, but this one made me laugh out loud. When my stalker Tracey gave me her email address, I really lost it!

Subject: Hello Handsome

How are u doing?Hope u having a Nice day?...I found Your profile interesting , actually i am not always on here .. But maybe You could be of very good reason to stay in touch ... Please check out my profile if i match what you looking in a relationship get Back to me , But if Not Please don't bother to reply

Looking for the Serious Minded only...Also want you to Know that distance does not mean anything too me as well as Age its just a Number but maturity is matter....Feel Free to write me on my personal E-mail cos i do check my E-mail often so you can write me on traceyneedhusband007@yahoo.com Make sure you write even Hello is okay just for me to have your E-mail and i will Respond back or whats your Email so i can write you...Await your respond

Tracey

Metallica

2011-05-02T07:14:00.003-06:00

Metallica is the biggest heavy metal band in the world and they long ago earned the right to do whatever they want. The last time I saw them was on the Death Magnetic tour in November 2008 and they really supported that album well. This time around, the set was more balanced (with the exception of completely skipping Load and St. Anger), but one review of their performance called them “shaky.” In 2011, Metallica are clearly not the precision metal machine they were back in, say, 1988. They have earned the right to be, dare I say, a little sloppy.

Opening with “Creeping Death” is a great choice and the excessive pyro during “Fuel” was just what the crowd needed after standing in the heat for hour after hour. Blame Lars (not the world’s greatest drummer), but a lot of the song tempos seemed to push and pull back. Incredibly, a lot of the tempos were excessively faster than on album, most notably during “Creeping Death,” “Fade To Black” and “Sad But True.” Gotta make time to cram more songs in the set, I guess…

The biggest surprise in the set had to be the inclusion of “Orion,” the brilliant 8:12 instrumental from Master of Puppets. After the song, James Hetfield dedicated the song to “the one that’s always with us in spirit, Mr. Cliff Burton.”

After “Orion,” the “greatest hits” portion of their set picks itself, but give them credit for at least sticking “Blackened” in between “One,“ “Master of Puppets,” “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman.” After Sandman, we decided to hoof it back to the rental car, for no other reason than to beat the other 55,000 fans back to THEIR cars. We were beyond tired and didn’t feel the need to sit in a 2-hour traffic jam. We could easily hear the rest of the set while we were walking, and just like on the DVD, James invited the rest of The Big 4 onstage to jam on the Diamond Head classic “Am I Evil?”

Metallica always seem to play “Seek And Destroy” at the end of their set, but they also quickly squeezed in “Hit The Lights,” which was very cool to hear. The Big 4 festival was over, but here we are just a few days later and the bands have just confirmed an East Coast date on September 14 at Yankee Stadium. It is amazing to think that Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax are all still slugging it out on the road and recording new albums. The show is a celebration of all things old school heavy metal and it’s a day we’ll never forget!

METALLICA SET LIST:
Creeping Death
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Fuel
Ride the Lightning
Fade to Black
Cyanide
All Nightmare Long
Sad But True
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Orion
One
Master of Puppets
Blackened
Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman

Encore:
Am I Evil? w/members of Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth
Hit the Lights
Seek and Destroy

Slayer

2011-04-30T08:56:00.005-06:00

If I had to use one word to describe Slayer, it would be relentless. They come at you like a pack of wild dogs and just don’t let up. They started their set with “World Painted Blood” and they immediately had the crowd in the palm of their hands. A large group of kids used the space right in front of us to mosh and that became a problem as Slayer’s set progressed. I mentioned that we had scoped out a spot against the back barricade, just in front of the sound boards. Everything was fine until the kids started moshing, because that forced the fans on the perimeter to make room in every direction, essentially squishing us back against the barricade. We dealt with it as long as we could, but eventually realized it wasn’t going to get any better.

We were due for a dinner/bathroom break and wanted to check out the merch tables anyway, so we decided to jump the back barricade with the help of security. A dozen other fans had already been pulled out, including a few females that weren’t having a very good time. It was just a little too much to take. As we were walking away, Slayer launched into “South Of Heaven” and it felt like we got out of Hell just in time before we were crushed to death.

Overall, Slayer delivered a powerful set of tunes and I was extremely impressed by Tom Araya’s vocal/screaming delivery. I believe it was Scott Ian that recently said Slayer’s music is the soundtrack to Hell. He’s 1,000% right. If you don't believe me, just take a peek at their song titles...

SLAYER SET LIST:
World Painted Blood
Hate Worldwide
War Ensemble
Postmortem
Raining Blood
Dead Skin Mask
Silent Scream
America
Circle of Beliefs
Seasons in the Abyss
Snuff
South of Heaven
Angel of Death

Anthrax and Megadeth

2011-04-27T09:56:00.005-06:00

I bought “The Big 4 - Live in Sofia” DVD a few months ago when I had no idea I would be in California for this show. So I suppose it spoiled any suspense as to the general direction of the set lists. With Joey Belladonna back fronting Anthrax, it wasn’t a surprise that they focused on his 80’s output.

The NY thrashers kicked off the festival in style with “Caught In A Mosh” and steamrolled through an hour of their most popular tracks including “Antisocial,” “Madhouse” and “Metal Thrashing Mad.” They debuted one new song, “Fight ‘Em Till You Can’t,” which sounded like it could have easily been written in 1987. During “Indians,” Scott Ian stopped the show to chastise the crowd for not moshing it up to his standards:

“This is southern California. Get your shit together, motherfuckers, and let’s see a WAR DANCE!”

Anthrax was always one of my favorite metal bands back in the day and I can’t believe this was the first time I’ve ever seen them in concert. With any luck, it won’t be my last. These guys are pros and they know how to deliver a great performance. Charlie Benante is a monster drummer and Scott Ian is a passionate, entertaining rhythm guitar player. Great set to start the day...

ANTHRAX SET LIST:
Caught in a Mosh
Got the Time
Madhouse
Among the Living
Antisocial
Indians
Fight ‘Em Till You Can’t
A.I.R.
Metal Thrashing Mad
I Am The Law

Megadeth is another band I can’t believe I’ve never seen in concert. Dave Mustaine seems like a compelling guy, but he’s also had his well-publicized problems with alcohol and substance abuse. From the stage, he growls his trademark vocal delivery and sounds exactly like he does on record. For a guy who has gone through three dozen band members (OK, I’m exaggerating), he doesn’t come across like a control freak on stage. In fact, his stage presence is very relaxed.

For a band that crushes its way through songs like “Symphony of Destruction,” “Holy Wars…” “Peace Sells” and “Sweating Bullets,” Mustaine does it all in a very calm fashion. Chalk it up to age and experience, but I have a feeling Megadeth were a different animal at the height of their MTV popularity of 1986. And it's nice to see Dave Ellefson back in the band as he was there in the beginning and deserves to be a part of The Big 4 "celebration." Below is some video I shot during my fav ‘Deth track, “Wake Up Dead.” (All photos by Marv Watson)

MEGADETH SET LIST:
Trust
In My Darkest Hour
Hangar 18
Wake Up Dead
Poison Was the Cure
She Wolf
Sweating Bullets
Head Crusher
A Tout Le Monde
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars… The Punishment Due

We Came, We Thrashed, We Survived

2011-04-26T07:48:00.004-06:00

Well, that was an adventure! The Big 4 show has come and gone, but here’s what you missed if you weren’t able to attend the biggest metal event of the year.

Overcast skies and a cool breeze greeted us upon arrival at LAX, but we quickly grabbed our rental car and drove to meet one of Laura’s Facebook friends for some grub at Warehouse Pizza. Great pie that really hit the spot. With a long day ahead of us, we drove to our hotel and crashed for the night.

We awoke Saturday morning to sunny skies and a beautiful day. Shower, breakfast and then off to the Empire Polo Club. Palm trees everywhere! The parking lots officially opened at 11am, but we were parked and standing in line by 10am. After security shuffled the gathering crowd around a bit, thousands of fans finally settled just outside the main gates. Unfortunately, we had to wait there for three hours before we could enter the venue at 2pm. By the time 1pm arrived, the fans started getting a little restless. The temperatures started to rise and it was more than a little boring to just sit there, so people started tossing empty water bottles across the mass of humanity. Water bottles turned into slices of American cheese being chucked everywhere. Cheese turned into open containers of pudding. (I’m not making this up.) Pudding turned into an all out food fight of epic proportions. I think someone got smacked with a full can of soda pop. I took a gallon of water off my left shoulder. Watch the video!

We met three sisters from Maryland (ages 22, 18, 15) who told their parents they were flying to Los Angeles to visit their cousin, but they were really traveling across the country to see their first ever live concert. I started quizzing them on their metal and lemme tell you, they knew their stuff. When is the last time you met a teenage girl that knows who Dave Lombardo and Cliff Burton are?? Any 15-year-old who tells you her favorite Metallica album is Kill 'Em All is OK in my book!

As impressive as that was, the other guy we were standing next to in line was from the Netherlands. He traveled a mere 5,628 miles just to see The Big 4 show. Amazing...

Just before 2pm, the fans were fed up with waiting. When they opened one small section of fence, the entire crowd pushed forward in one swift motion to get through. It was the worst security I’ve ever seen at a show because there WAS NONE! Hundreds of fans were in extreme danger of getting trampled and it’s amazing that nobody was hurt. The security took their time checking bags and patting everyone down, but we finally got into the venue shortly after 2pm. We grabbed a spot at center stage, but against the back barricade – just in front of the sound boards. Perfect spot – or so we thought. Stay tuned for more…

Going Back To Cali

2011-04-20T07:11:00.002-06:00

My friend Mercedes and I both started in radio back in the mid-90’s. I was a promotions intern and she was the front desk receptionist. As I moved up in the promotions department, Mercedes moved on-air and eventually graduated to a great gig in Las Vegas. She’s super talented, a good friend and a morning show superstar.

Last week, Mercedes posted a “Big 4” concert ticket on her Facebook page to show the world she was on her way to see Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax in Indio, CA on April 23. My natural response was to reply “I hate you.” Within minutes, she sent me a private message and said, “I have an extra pair of tickets if you can find your way out here.” Whoa – are you serious? I immediately thought of my sister 1) she's a rocker, 2) because she’s been talking about wanting to travel to see a concert outside of Colorado and 3) I’m dirt poor and I thought she would generously offer to finance most of the trip. Many thanks to Laura for making this trip a reality!

A half an hour later, the airfare and hotel were booked and we were on our way. I’ve seen Metallica seven times and they always put on an epic show, but I’ve only seen Slayer once and I’ve never seen Anthrax or Megadeth live. We’re flying out Friday and we’ll return a quick 48 hours later, but hopefully we’ll have time to track down an In-N-Out Burger while we’re in LA. A full review of the weekend will arrive next week – stay tuned!

A View From The Top of the Flagpole

2011-04-14T10:34:00.009-06:00

This picture was taken at the top of an 80-foot flagpole at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver and that's just not a view you see every day! And believe it or not, my Mom is in this picture. Let me explain...

My brother Jeff owns Rocky Mountain Flag Company and he has the Fort Logan account. When they ordered an eagle to add to the top of their flagpole, he took his camera up with him to capture the moment. In addition to capturing the eagle in all its glory, he also captured quite a few of the headstones at Fort Logan. My mother passed away in 2001 and was laid to rest at Fort Logan, so she is somewhere among the crowd at ground level. Amazing, when you think about it.

A few weeks later, we were both called out to Fort Logan again to fix the rope which became stuck when he installed the eagle. We had to call out a crane again and were lifted 80 feet into the air in a steel cage to make the repairs. Not for the faint of heart, but the view was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Snow-capped Rocky Mountains, crystal clear blue skies and our mother just a few hundred yards away from us - all while fixing rope on a flagpole. Now that's living!

Undefeated

2011-04-12T08:00:00.005-06:00

I'm lazy, so I'm just going to cut and paste this press release from DefLeppard.com

The world premiere of "UNDEFEATED", Def Leppard's new single, will take place tomorrow, 12th April exclusively on Planet Rock's Rob Birnie Show (starting at 9:00 AM UK time - 4:00 AM EST / 1:00 AM PST).

"UNDEFEATED" is taken from the band's new live album "MIRRORBALL" and is one of three brand new studio recordings. The new album hits stores in the first week of june and contains two discs of live material, three new studio tracks, a DVD of live performances and a documentary about life on the road with the band.

I really dig the track, but you can tell the audio isn't CD quality. Other than that, maybe they have finally started listening to the die hard fans who have been begging for a little more "Rock" in their "Rock of Ages" if you know what I mean...