Tim Brough's Black Leather Bookshelf

Death Comes Driving Down The Highway: RIP Allen Lanier: 1946-2013
4 Out Of 5 Stars

Today, I heard that Allen Lanier died. It kind of hit hard as Blue Oyster Cult were one of my gateway bands into hard rock and heavy metal. Having an Aunt who gave me Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath albums helped, too. But BOC, they were pushing buttons with songs like "Dominance and Submission" and "Don't Fear The Reaper." So I became a fan. Loyal even through the albums like "Mirrors" and "Cultosaurus Erectus." Then, in the summer of 1981, "Fire Of Unknown Origin" arrived at my college radio station. All the detractors could then officially go to hell. "Fire Of Unknown Origin" kicked as hard as "Spectres" and "Agents of Fortune." And oddly enough, this may have been one of Lanier's finest moments with the band, as many of these songs are heavily keyboard and synth driven.

Take the lead-off of the title track. On top of one of Buck Dharma's fiery lead guitar solos, Lanier lays down a keyboard bed that was worthy of The Cars. This was, after all, 1981 and plenty of bands were playing catch up with the music of the times. But Blue Oyster Cult did so on a minimal level, relying mostly on Lanier's keys and tighter song compositions. It was those qualities that made "Burning For You," the second of only two singles to ever break the Top 40 for the band, such a marvel. Tightly wound up with a great Dharma lick to open it up, it was set up as a standard pop construction but with bigger sound.

There was an additional incentive for the band on "Fire Of Unknown Origin." They were approached by the producers of the upcoming "Heavy Metal" animated feature to contribute a couple of new songs. They responded with one of the band's best, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars." A pounding martial drum gives marching orders to a soldier who has seen so many battles that "wounds are all I'm made of." It's a haunting and inescapable rocker, one of several compositions that band co-wrote with science fiction author Michael Moorecock (including another favorite of mine, "Black Blade" from "Cultosaurus"). The other was "Heavy Metal (The Black and The Silver)." Riding in on a squalling guitar feedback, it's a shame it wasn't in the movie, as it encompasses what the band was about from the beginning. (Although in my humble opinion, "Psychic Wars" is the better song.)

There's still more ominous story telling, like on "Vengeance (The Pact)," again a candidate for "Heavy Metal," or in the bizarrely funny and again, piano heavy "Joan Crawford" (...has risen from the grave!). "Fire of Unknown Origin" was a mighty comeback album, which was a shame as the band would start to fragment soon after, and the next album would be the generic "Revolution By Night."

RIP Allen Lanier: 1946-2013. Thanks for adding so much music to the soundtrack of my life.

Hatchlings
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Convened as refugees from Linda Ronstadt's backing band, the 1972 "Eagles" was a calling card of the easy going California rock scene. At this point, the Eagles were something of a democratic quartet, with the members each getting shots at lead vocals and writing credits. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner all came from varying backgrounds and different bands, including Bob Seger (Frey), Flying Burrito Brothers (Leadon) and Poco (Meisner) in addition to Ronstadt, so the dominant musical theme was countrified mellow rock. Having Jackson Browne as a friend and co-writer kind of cemented that deal.

"Eagles" reflects that combination of talents. The calling card first single, "Take It Easy," was the perfect blend. Frey sings it as a breezy song about just relaxing into what comes your way while Leadon adds a banjo solo. "Witchy Woman" highlighted Henley's gruff singing style and was the first of many Eagles songs about wicked women. Then there was the ballad, "Peaceful Easy Feeling," which again was a precursor to many of the Eagles' greater successes. The formula worked for the bulk of the album, with the true wonder of the band being their exquisite vocal harmonies.

However much "Eagles" wanted to be a rock band album, though, the band just wasn't there yet. The most memorable non-single is "Train Leaves Here This Morning," a country ballad sung by Leadon (and one of the few non-hits played on the 40th Anniversary tour). The one attempt at a bona-fide rocker is "Chug All Night," which is generic bar-band stuff. Meisner's "Tryin'" fairs just a bit better. Tack on the dreadfully annoying bird whistle intro on "Earlybird," and you hear a band still finding its footing. They'd make a major leap when releasing "Desperado" (which also began Henley's ascent into the groups main voice) the following year, but "Eagles" remains a decent album of it's time and an interesting introduction to a band that would ultimately evolve into one the biggest bands in history.

It's Just a Silly Phase I'm Going Through.
4 Out Of 5 Stars

I have posited on other album reviews that I believe 10cc to be the kind of band Monty Python would have dreamed up if they'd decided to take on modern pop in the 70's, instead of the wonderfulness of The Rutles. Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were already experienced pop writers and performers in other peoples' bands before they joined forces as studio musicians in what was basically a bubblegum hit machine studio. From those beginnings, they became one of the most respected bands of the 70's, seeming to effortlessly blend elements of pop music with progressive rock all while maintaining an often dry wit and cheeky humor. This single "Very Best Of" disc gathers the best of their 45's from their first six studio albums and bonuses you the Godley and Creme hit "Cry."

The band's origins as writers for hire on on display for the songs from their debut, "Donna," "The Dean and I" and "Rubber Bullets." The first two are borderline parody in that they so closely approximate bubblegum singles that it's hard to believe that anything would come of merit in the future. "Rubber Bullets," while still aping the Jailhouse Rock genre, satirically upends the style by having the song delivered from the standpoint of the prison staff. ("I love to hear those convicts squeal, it's a shame these slugs ain't real.") If there was any indication of the brilliance to come, that was where you'd find it.

By "Sheet Music," the band was going full-steam. "Silly Love" and "The Wall Street Shuffle" threw so many styles in the blender that trying to explain the band was an impossibility, even if American audiences weren't catching on as yet. But by the next album, "The Original Soundtrack," that would change. The double bladed "I'm Not In Love" floated all the way to number two in 1975 and broke the band in the states. Sung from both sides of the story, the singer delicately kisses off a love affair - or is he? and that made the enigmatic song such a charmer. The goofy "Life Is a Minestrone" is also included, but the album is sold short.

Having finally broken the states, the band delivered their artiest album yet, with "How Dare You!" While "I'm Mandy Fly Me" and "Art For Art's Sake" were both brilliant singles (and "I'm Mandy" may have been one of the best 'mini-opera' songs of the decade), they missed the top 40, but are definitely among the band's best. That also was when creative tensions caused the rift between Godley/Creme and Stewart/Gouldman to reach a breaking point. Stewart and Gouldman decided to keep the name 10cc and soldier on with "Deceptive Bends." They were obviously eager to please, because the ultra catchy "The Things We Do For Love" became the band's second top ten single and "People In Love" (which tried very hard to find the clever spot "I'm Not In Love" achieved) squeaked to number 40.

Sadly, it seemed that each team needed the other more than they wanted to let on. "Bloody Tourists" tried to capture the old magic, but the main single, "Dreadlock Holiday," was the first time the humor sounded forced. "For You and I," the album's ballad, just couldn't quite match the majesty of earlier, similar songs. Further albums went to a different label, but it didn't much matter as they continued on a slide of diminishing returns. Godley and Creme became video pioneers, directing for the likes of Duran Duran and The Police. It's no surprise then, that their big hit as a duo, "Cry," rose on the charts on the back of an eye-popping video. It was one of the first videos to use the face-morphing technique that eventually became famous on Micheal Jackson's "Black and White."

What makes the addition of "Cry" such a delight is that it that it makes "The Very Best of 10cc" a true representation of the band's work. These were all delightful singles and, at their absolute best, 10cc rivaled any of the 70's hitmakers for style and creativity.


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An excellent quickie career overview of Three Dog Night
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Three Dog Night started in the late sixties as a rocking outfit who made their reputation at their concerts. To the point that one of their earliest albums was "Captured Live at the Forum." But they soon evolved into a singles act, racking up 21 top forty hits between 1969 and 1975. What they also had was impeccable tastes in songwriters. They plucked out gems from the likes of Laura Nyro ("Eli's Comeing"), Harry Nillson ("one"), John Hiatt ("Sure As I'm Sitting Here" not included here) and Leo Sayer ("The Show Must Go On"). They really struck gold on what became their standard bearer, the inescapable "Joy To The World." Face it, you just went "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" in your head after reading that last line. Don't fib.

They were buoyed by a trio of lead vocalists, Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells. It was one of the qualities that kept the band's sound fresh. They could work their way around a rocker like "Liar," something soulful like "Never Been to Spain," or the inspired silliness of "Joy To The World." If you were an AM radio listener through the early seventies, Three Dog Night were pretty much unavoidable. That also began to work against them; as the band became more popular, the more obvious it became that they were fishing for hits and the albums became wickedly uneven, with the final straw being 1975's "Hard Labor," the band broke up soon after.

This quickie dozen song compilation from the Icon series gets the job done on the cheap, but cuts that string of hits down by a few essentials. "Sure As I'm Sitting Here" and "Play Something Sweet" immediately spring to mind. That's why the three star/C grade is applied here. I will also note that the sound of this CD is heads above any other Three Dog Night re-issue. Worth it for the value, but not for the depth.

Back to Sludge Metal
4 Out Of 5 Stars

After decades of waiting, 3/4's of the original Black Sabbath (including Ozzy) reunite for what has to be one of the most anticipated CD's of the year, the boomtastic "13." I can testify that it was worth the wait. Producer Rick Rubin told the band to go back to their early albums to get a feel for what he was expecting to produce, and the band took it to heart. This is metal so dense, it cuts like used crankshaft motor oil. It's that heavy.

If you're looking for speedy riff rocking, it's not here. This is the sound that created such anthemic dirges as "War Pigs" or "Sweet Leaf." There's even a touch of Ozzy the blasphemer as he raises the question "Is God Dead?" And they pound that riff into submission for over 8 minutes. Granted, Ozzy's voice is showing its weathering, but Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler still have the magic spooky touch. (Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk fills in for Bill Ward.) "End Of The Beginning" snakes a demented blues riff to kick the album off with a oozing pounce. Or there's "Dear Father," which tackles the subject of abuse.

The band has never been scared of heavier topics, which "Dear Father" and the anxiety provoking "Methademic" show. (Given Ozzy's recent trip to rehab, maybe even closer to home than known.) The band even throws a few touchstones from the old days in when "Zeitgeist" pays homage to "Planet Caravan." Even with that obvious reference, "13" pounds and stomps like the monsters Black Sabbath were at the peak of their powers. The sense of dread and thrill of doom still permeate the best of the songs here, and - despite their age - the band doesn't sound like they are pandering to their past or trying to stay current. "13" is every bit as tasty as "The Devil You Know" (by Heaven and Hell with Dio), just down tuned and packed with 50% more evil.

Worth the wait and better than anyone could have possibly expected at this point in their collective life, "13" is a triumphant comeback. "I ain't no hero to come and save you," Ozzy wails in "Peace of Mind." Well, actually guys, you are. Thanks for saving heavy metal for 2013.

Paul McCartney Embraces his Legacy
5 Out Of 5 Stars

When Paul McCartney and The Beatles dissolved their partnerships, McCartney was bound and determined to go his own way. He made a few solo albums, like the masterpiece "Ram," but then decided he wanted a full fledged rock band behind him. Hence were Wings born. The corresponding Wings albums, like "At The Speed Of Sound" and "Venus and Mars" had McCartney insisting, over and over, that Wings was a band. To the point where Linda McCartney and Denny Laine were singing. The Beatles were dead and gone. Wings were here and now.

Until 1976 and the tour where McCartney shocked everyone. "Wings Over America," the then triple album, featured Wings and Paul digging into The Beatles' catalog, which also meant that he was performing some of these songs for the first time in their existence to a live audience. (As a reminder, The Beatles turned their back on touring in 1966.) The crowds, understandably, went nuts. With that kind of energy, Paul leans into "Lady Madonna," "Blackbird," "Yesterday" and a few others with an obvious glee; he may have been trying to erase his past before, but there's no way to deny he was reinvigorated to be on the road without dragging around the invisible elephant in the room.

It also shows off Wings as a more capable band than most critics gave them credit for. The opening "Venus and Mars/Rock Show" opens the concert with some serious electricity, and "Live and Let Die" rivals "Helter Skelter" for McCartney's all time rockingest tune. As an added feature, the song "Soily," which was a regular on McCartney tours, has never been released except for "Wings Over America." It's among the McCartney and Wings songs that take up the bulk of the album, with highlights being "Hi Hi Hi," "Band On The Run," and the single from the album, "Maybe I'm Amazed."

Now condensed to a double CD, the remastered sound is terrific. (I had the older CD, and a one on one comparison reveals a crisper sound, less muffled.) If you want to spend a couple extra bucks, the triple version contains an eight song bonus disc from San Fransisco's Cow Palace and adds "Let Me Roll It" and a differently arranged "Bluebird" as the main attractions. (Although the fade on "Picasso's Last Words" is annoying.) All together, this is one of the more important documents of Paul McCartney's recorded legacy, the moment in time where he let his past catch up with him and he didn't turn it away.


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One of the Great 70's Live Albums
4 Out Of 5 Stars

During the great live album glut of the 70's, it seemed every band had a double live set in their back pocket. Thanks to Peter Frampton and Kiss proving that not only could you break a not quite successful band to commercial success, but you could sell these records in tonnage, everyone from Lynyrd Skynyrd to The Tubes were putting their act on disc for all the world to listen to. For the really good ones, it could help define the band. "Live and Dangerous" did just that for Thin Lizzy.

Having broken in the states thanks to "Jailbreak," there was a lot of talk that Lizzy's studio work just didn't measure up to the band's, and especially the late, charismatic frontman Phil Lynott's stage presence. Recorded in London (1976) and Toronto (1977) for the tours supporting "Johnny The Fox" and "Bad Reputation" respectively (and like many other 70's live acts, heavily touched up in the studio), the band was at their creative peak. That means you get stunning versions of "Jailbreak" and "Don't Believe a Word," you also get songs like Bob Seger's "Rosalie" and some should have been hits like "Dancing In The Moonlight" and the lighter "Still In Love With You," where Lynott's presence shines through.

This was also the prime Lizzy lineup: Lynott, Brian Downey, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. Thin Lizzy knocks these songs out with the kind of energy fanatics knew was missing from the regular albums. The twin guitars are set for stun, and Lynott's underrated bass playing pins it all together. Interband troubles would start after this release in 1978, so this marks the close of a chapter in the band's history, covering many of the major songs from the band's catalog. If all you know of Thin Lizzy is "The Boys Are Back In Town," then "Live and Dangerous" is a great introduction to a great rock band whose career was ultimately cut short too soon.


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A True Original
5 Out Of 5 Stars

10cc, prior to "The Original Soundtrack," were something of a novelty act. They came up with arty songs with humorous twists, like "Donna," "The Dean and I," and (their biggest US single before this album) "Rubber Bullets." The album before "Soundtrack," "Sheet Music," hinted that the band had some great things potentially in store with songs like "Clockwork Creep" and "Old Wild Men." It was also beginning to show that Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme were becoming formidable songwriters.

"The Original Soundtrack" blew all their previous efforts out of the water. Opening with a cinematic suite titled "Une Nuit In Paris," it was eight minutes of mini-opera complete with Gendarmes and ladies of the evening. It took all the smart-arse confections of the past and turned it into artiness, a couple years before Queen would do roughly the same thing with "Bohemian Rhapsody." Then came knockout punch number two, "I'm Not In Love." Richly multi-tracked vocals buoy the lamenting singer's defense of a break-up, all while being utterly unconvincing about his non-nonchalance. It was simple but extremely effective, and hit number 2 on the US Pop Charts.

Nothing else here matches the brilliance of those opening tracks, but 10cc sure did try. The satirical quirks return on "Blackmail" and "Life is a Minestrone," while "The Film of My Love" ended the album with another nod to the cinema. The topical "Second Sitting For The Last Supper" is notable for its questioning of religion ("2,000 years and he ain't come yet, we've kept his seat warm and a table set...") These were salad days for 10cc, as the band worked in two halves. Gouldman and Stewart were more conventional, Godley and Creme the artier. While it all worked on this album and the follow-up ("How Dare You"), upcoming frictions would make 10cc's albums lesser efforts. "The Original Soundtrack" was the highpoint.



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