REAL REVIEWS CDs page II
ARTIST: RUSH
CD: VAPOR TRAILS
YES! RUSH IS BACK AND THANK GOD BASSIEST GETTY LEE STOPPED USING THAT DAMM KEYBOARD! ITS LIKE OLD TIMES AGAIN ! MY FAVORITES SO FAR ARE "CEILING UNLIMITED" & "GHOST RIDER." THIS GROUP IS OLD ENOUGH TO BE ON RUSTY METAL Link AND NEW ENOUGH TO BE ON REAL CDs Link. I KNOW ITS OLD BUT ITS GOOD.
-jes 5/30/02
ARTIST: NICKLEBACK
CD: THE STATE
CD: SILVER SIDE UP
ALL I CAN SAY IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE TWO CD'S YOUR MISSING OUT ON THE BEST NEW SH*T OUT THERE. THESE GUYS ARE SO COMPLEX BUT SO ROCKING ITS NOT FUNNY. I WANT TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR THIS COULD BE THE BEST BAND OUT THERE PERIOD.
ARTIST:TONY IOMMI AND FREINDS
CD: IOMMI
OK, REAL ROCKERS LISTEN UP! IF YOU DON’T GET
THIS ONE-YOU’RE A LOSER! TONY I. HASN’T SOUNDED
BETTER SINCE BLACK SABBATH’S HEYDAY-AND HE HAS AN ALL-STAR
CAST OF VOCALISTS TO DELIVER THE GOODS WITH HIM. LIKE HENRY
ROLLINS (BLACK FLAG, HENRY ROLLINS BAND), PHIL ANSELMO (PANTERA),
BILLY CORGAN (SMASHING PUMPKINS), PETER STEELE (TYPE O-NEGATIVE),
IAN ASTBURY (THE CULT) AND MANY MORE. THIS IS THE REAL
THING. THE ONLY CONSTANTS IN THE BAND ARE
KEYBOARDIST/PROGRAMMER/BASSIST BOB MARLETTE. MATT CAMERON
(PEARL JAM) POUNDS SOME SKINS, AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER
FAMOUS PLAYERS ON THIS ONE. THE IDEA OF USING A DIFFERENT
VOCALIST ON EACH TRACK ISN’T COMPLETELY ORIGINAL (SANTANA
PROBABLY HAD THE MOST SUCCESS WITH IT ON HIS AWARD WINNING
SUPERNATURAL CD) BUT IT SURE WORKS HERE. IOMMI/MARLETTE
ARRANGED EACH TRACK WITH THE VOCALIST. THERE IS NO FILLER
HERE-YOU GET 10 TRACKS OF KICK-A ROCK. TONY I. HAS ALWAYS
BEEN THE “RIFFMEISTER”-HE HAS A SEEMINGLY INEXHAUSTABLE
SUPPLY OF RIFFS AT HIS FINGERTIPS. AND HE PUTS THEM TO GOOD
USE HERE. IT’S GREAT TO SEE TONY BACK IN FORM-A LOT OF
THE STUFF HE HAS DONE UNDER THE “BLACK SABBATH” MONIKER
SINCE OZZIE LEFT IS PRETTY FORGETTABLE.
-FREE, (PRINCIPAL WRITER-THEREALROCK.COMCOPYRIGHT 01/15/01)
ARTIST: ORANGE GOBLIN
CD: THE BIG BLACK
OK REAL ROCKERS-THIS IS SOME HEADBANGING ROCKING HERE! THESE
GUYS ARE HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY MONSTER MAGNET-AS EVIDENCED BY THE
CHICK ON THE COVER FLOATING IN SPACE WITH A HARLEY. REMINISCENT
OF MM’S POWER TRIP CD. WELL, ORANGE
GOBLIN CITES MM AS ONE OF THE BANDS THEY LIKE. THE FORMULA
IS SIMILAR TO MM; THUNDERING RIFFS COMBINED WITH LYRICS ABOUT
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL, BOOZE AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. I
SHOULD’VE HAD THIS STUFF WHEN I WAS DOING BONG HITS IN MY
DORM ROOM! HIGHLIGHTS ARE: “QUINCY THE PIGBOY”, “HOT
MAGIC, RED PLANET” AND “KING OF THE HORNETS”. “SCORPIONICA”
STARTS THE DISC WITH A GALLOPING BASS RIFF AND SOME ACID-FUELED
LYRICS ABOUT –WELL I’M NOT SURE WHAT THEY’RE
ABOUT! BUT IT SOUNDS GOOD! “QUINCY THE PIGBOY” IS A HILARIOUS SONG ABOUT A STRUNG-OUT LOSER WHO
COMMITS MATRICIDE WHILE “SMOKIN’ LINES AND
SHOOTIN’ UP”! GOTTA LOVE THAT ONE. “HOT MAGIC, RED
PLANET” IS A SONG OF
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL TO FIND A HOME FAR FROM PLANET EARTH. SEX,
DRUGS AND SPACE TRUCKING-ALL TO SOME GREAT HEAVY RIFFS. THE BAND
FEATURES THE TWIN GUITARS OF JOE HOARE AND PETE O’MALLEY,
WITH MARTYN MILLARD ON BASS, CHRIS TURNER ON DRUMS AND BEN WARD
ON VOX. I ASSUME THESE GUYS ARE BRITS-SINCE THE CD WAS
RECORDED IN LONDON (AND
THEIR FAVORITE 2 TATTOO PARLORS ARE BOTH IN THE UK AS WELL!). YOU CAN’T GO WRONG WITH THIS ONE
GUYS-ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE A STONER. I LIKE MONSTER MAGNET
BETTER, BUT UNTIL THEIR IMPORT CD “GOD SAYS NO” GET
RELEASED IN THE US LATER THIS YEAR, ORANGE GOBLIN WILL KEEP YOU
ROCKING.
-FREE
(PRINCIPAL WRITER FOR THEREALROCK.COM
Artist: Fuel
CD: SunBurn
Fuel burst on the scene in
1999 with their debut CD, Sunburn. This now-Platinum CD gave them two singles
in heavy FM rotation-"Shimmer" and "Bittersweet". I was fortunate enough to see them at
the famed 930 club in DC on the Sunburn tour-and they rocked the
house down! Fuel and Buckcherry are bands in similar
positions-both had excellent debut CDs which yielded FM radio
hits and both needed to follow up with impressive 2nd CDs to
maintain their position in the rock world. Fuel, like Buckcherry,
has delivered a follow-up CD which will ensure that they keep
their momentum going through 2001. I was fortunate enough to meet
Carl Bell (the guitarist/songwriter for
Fuel) at the end of last year. He is a friendly, unassuming
guy-not the arrogant "I'm a rock star" type you might
expect. Fuel is also on the XFest2 bill in Greenville on 5/5/01.
So I'll be posting a review of the concert here within a day or
two after that show.
But on to the music! Sunburn, the debut CD,
produced two monster singles-"Shimmer" and "Bittersweet". I consider "Bittersweet" to be one of the best rock
songs ever. It's got the riffs and the lyrics and it just rocks!
Lyrically it seems to be a guy looking back on his life and
regretting some of his experiences that he thought were
pleasurable at the time. "Shimmer" is about how the
pleasures/material things of this world lose their luster. These
guys (well, guy really-since Carl Bell writes all the songs)
don't write about getting stoned and cruising with sluts! But,
while the lyrics are thought provoking, the tunes still rock out!
I won't do a track-by-track review here. Suffice it to say that
the rest of the tunes on Sunburn are in the same class as
"Shimmer" or "Bittersweet". Personal picks:
"Jesus or a Gun", "New Thing",
"Ozone" and of course the two hits. An superb first
effort, which went Platinum.
To follow up a great debut CD has to be a
difficult and daunting task. The label and the fans expectations
are sky high. The band faces the dilemma of trying to keep its
distinctive sound while avoiding remaking the first CD. Something
Like Human, the second CD from Mr. Bell/Fuel manages to walk the
fine line of sounding like Fuel without remaking Sunburn. This CD
has also produced a couple of hit singles- "Hemorrhage (In
My Hands)" and "Innocent". Other standout tracks
are: "Last Time", "Scar", "Easy",
and "Down". "Last Time" is a song about not
being able to stay away from a bad woman-a universally relevant
topic! "Scar" is a "breaking up with the
girl" song. "Prove" sounds a bit like STP on #4
(if you've heard STP #4 you know that can't be bad!).
"Easy" is my favorite song melodically-and also good
lyrically. "Down" has the coolest guitar sounds and the
great line "I know you want me to love you/But all you ever
do is bring me down". But all the tracks on this one are
good. Pick it up and pick your favorites-I can guarantee that you
won't be disappointed. This CD has also gone Platinum and Fuel
knows how to deliver the goods live, too. Check them out on this
tour if they are in your neighborhood!
FUEL (along with Collective Soul, American HiFi, Our Lady Peace
and Cold) will be playing the XFest2 in Greenville on 5/5/01.
You can read about the show at TheRealRock.com a couple of days
later. Better yet, come down to Greenville and party!
Free, Principal Writer
Coyright 4/11/01 for TheRealRock.com
Artist: BuckCherry
CD: Time Bomb
This is the
sophomore effort from the guys who brought you the cocaine anthem
"Lit
Up"
last year. One of the best "Just Say Yes" songs since
"Mr.
Brownstone"-with lyrics about the curious girl who
was going to "chop a line for her fiending man". Why?
"Because he wants one", stupid! The band has now
expanded to a quintet-with the addition of a 2nd guitarist-named
"Yogi" in the liner notes. The rest of the lineup is
the same as on their debut and goes like this:
Josh
Todd: vocals; Keith Nelson: guitars; Yogi: guitars; Jonathan
Brightman: Bass; and Devon Glenn: drums.
Josh Todd writes all the lyrics, and Keith
Nelson is credited with most of the music. I like this one better
than the first CD. The lyrics are mostly about the basic rockstar
lifestyle concerns: getting high, getting laid, and the search
for true love. But the addition of a 2nd guitarist has definitely
fattened up the sound. I don't know enough about these guys
(having never seen them live) to know how the guitar parts are
divided up. I am planning on catching them in Charlotte on 4/27
at the Center City music festival-so hopefully I will get to see
if Keith or Yogi is the lead guitarist-or if they split
lead/rhythm duties (like Keith/Ronnie in the Stones).
The songs: "Frontside" is an uptempo
rocker about sex, Ridin' is about getting out and getting stoned
with a babe (or babes). "Time Bomb" is a great rocker
with the immortal line "Life ain't nothing but bitches and
money". Words to live by, boys and girls (Not!!).
"Porno Star" has an even better one: "I'm a big
dick motherf@#$ing porno star"! Most of the CD is
rockers-but they back off for a couple of cuts like track #10
"You".
There's also a slow one on track #13-which is an unlisted track.
Buckcherry has delivered the goods for their 2nd CD-and it is
bigger, better and badder than their first try!
Pick up "Time Bomb" at your favorite CD store,
and better yet-catch them live! You can get the tour dates at www.buckcherry.com. I'll give you a
report on the Charlotte, NC show here in a few weeks (with
Monster Magnet on 4/25).
Free, Principal Write for TheRealRock.com
Copyright 4//7/01
REAL ROCK REAL EZ
JUST E-MAIL ME ON CDs YOU LIKE, HATE, OR CHANGED YER LIFE ! ITS JUST THAT EZ !
OF COURSE IF I THINK YER FULL OF IT I'LL TELL YA!! SO TOUGH @!#&%!!!!