Skid Row - Slave To The Grind

Number 21 ....finally,

Now that the festival season is over I am, as Aerosmith once sang, 'Back In The Saddle' .
Slave To The Grind follows on from their soft rock hit debut where the New Jersey group took on a heavier sound. They had always citied bands like Judas Priest and Anvil as influences in interviews and it seemed like a perfect time now to walk the talk.
Opener and first single 'Monkey Business' was a statement of intent with a mega heavy guitar riff complimented with a banshee shrill from mega mouth frontman Sebastian Bach. The song still had a chant-along-chorus that would still raise fists at concerts like any good Hair Metal anthem.
Skid Row were always about tales of the dissaffected youth and on the title track they sided again with the rebel in all of us. This track had a breakneck speed tempo about it, which must have suprised their pop metal fans at the time.
The album was a real tour de force for the likeable Bach, from the sneering 'The Threat' through to the punky 'Riot Act'. It was on the power ballads that he really did shine. 'Quicksand Jesus' and the emotional 'In A Darkened Room' were perfect examples of this.The songwriting had matured a great deal as well, it had a more group dynamic and I dare anyone not to be moved by 'Wasted Time.'
Video to Wasted Time in HD
However the Punk of the band bassist Rachel Bolan still seemed to be the main songwriter, and he was the main protagonist on my favourite track 'Psycho Love' (still sounds great 20 years on).
The one track I could never get to grips with was 'Mudkicker'. Never liked it, the song seemed to slow the pace and didn't seem coherent with the rest of the album.
Certainly this was a piece of work of its time and there is no doubt that the music landscape of 1991 would have been poorer without it.
Now in 2011 Skid Row still record and tour without Bach (who has his own career to concentrate on). I for one would love to see a reunion but I believe hell would more than likely freeze over before that ever happens!

Why I ♥ This Album

Five times five venues -  that is the amount of occassions that I have had the pleasure of watching the classic line-up of Skid Row. Always entertained and never had a bad show, and the best must have been at the New Docklands Arena (Now called EX-CEL) in November 1991. The show was originaly scheduled to take place at Wembley Arena but during a support slot with Guns n Roses at the stadium they were requested by the local council not to play 'Get The Fuck Out'.  After Sebastian had read out the letter from the council to the audience, they played 'GTFO' and were promptly banned for life. The ban was lifted in 2006 when Seb was support to GnR once more, but this time as a solo artist.
Right back to 91 though, the journey to the arena was fairly smooth from Andover. The DLR transport system in London was still far from perfect back then due to the continuing rebuild of Canary Wharf.
Myself and my friend Paul got there with a bit of time to spare. The line-up for the evening was a Hair Metal wet dream. Love/Hate were opening in support of their recently released 'Wasted In America' and the legendary LA Guns were playing their first London show. Both were superb but everyone was really only there for Skid Row's 'The Youth Gone Wild.
The lights go down, the intro to the song Slave starts and the announcer demands that everyone gets to their feet and welcome 'SKID ROW'. Then all hell breaks loose - flashing lights, twirling hair, tight silver trousers and the hottest flash bomb flames that I have ever felt, and I was standing half way back! The show was breathtaking, a band at the top of their game. A real great night out from the Vanilla Ice chant, Erasure baiting through to the Daily star ass wiping incident and that is even before we take in the music. Love/Hate joined Skid Row to cover 'Train Kept A-rolling' whilst LA guns buggered off back to their hotel.
You Tube Link To The Audio Of Skid Row With Love/Hate
The big adventure however was getting home as the DLR was shut and London Transport had kindly put on two buses an hour for approx 12000 people. As you can guess it was carnage getting home that evening, to tell you the truth. I can't really remember walking through the door the following morning, it is all a little hazy -  like most of my twenties!

Classic Line Up Skid Row

I have found the set list from that evening and posted it below:
Skid Row
London Arena Docklands
22nd November 1991
London, UK

Slave To The Grind
Big Guns
Makin’ A Mess
18 & Life
Piece Of Me
Drum Solo
Sweet Little Sister
Psychotherapy (Ramones Cover)
Snake Guitar Solo
Wasted Time
Psycho Love
Tornado
Mudkicker
Quicksand Jesus
Get The Fuck Out
Monkey Business
Riot Act
The Threat
Train Kept A Rollin ( With Love Hate )
I Remember You
Enter Sandman, Shout At The Devil Snippets
Youth Gone Wild

Faster Pussycat - Faster Pussycat

Number 20!!!

Faster Pussycat - Faster Pussycat

Emerging from the same bars and clubs on Sunset boulevard as Guns N Roses and released just a few weeks after 'Appetite For Destruction' came the self titled debut from LA's Faster Pussycat.
This album was always going to be compared to 'Appetite' and Like GnR, Taime Downe's (Vocalist) gang of vagabonds did cover many of the same subjects, girls, partying, drinking and drugs.
Although it didn't have the big budget production of 'Appetite' the storytelling about the underbelly of Sunset Strip was just as engaging.
It was as if the party bands (Poison, Warrant) had left town with their pop sound and left the pirates behind to fight for LA.
This was the sound of sleeze for the late 1980's, from the dripping attitude of the vocals and the low slung riffs of the twin guitar interplay - the ingredients were were all there.
The songs were strong such as 'Don't Change That Song', 'Smash Alley' and 'Cathouse' (an ode to the infamous club owned by Taime & MTV VJ Riki Rachtman), and worthy of gracing any prime time Aerosmith album.
Faster Pussycat didn't just finish there as 'Bathroom Wall' is just dirty, a heady mix of early Motley Crue and NY Dolls, and my personal favourite 'Babylon'.
Instantly recognisable due to the pussycat intro crashing drums and rousing chants of 'Shut Up' this would've got any party started in the late 80's.
Faster Pussycat could have pushed on to the one of the leading lights of the scene however like many of their contemporaries by the 2nd album they had gone for a more mainstream sound to appeal to the radio pluggers and tried for the commercial breakthrough. The momentum was lost. Shame.
Video For Bathroom Wall

Why I ♥ This Album

Faster Pussycat was released in 1987. That year was a watershed for me, when I had finished my exams,left school,turned 16, fell out of infatuation and got a job.
When I left school I was just an average type of student, mainly due to losing interest in school for the previous two years, doing just enough to get by and staying under the radar.
In Andover, where I lived, at 16 you had four opportunaties when you left school;
1 - College
2 - Apprenticeship
3 - Work for The TSB Trust Company
4 - YTS 
Option 1 - I had asked to go to college ,although I wasn't the most gifted of teenagers, I did seem to have a talent for acting and dancing. The college in Andover had a wonderful course in Theatre arts, but this dream was soon shot down by my mum and step-father who said that they would only support me if I went to college to get a trade - and theatre to them was not a trade!
Later in life I bumped into an old friend who had done the course that year and went onto become a light technication at some top theatres in the West End and is rolling in it!
Option 2 - Many of my school friends took up apprenticeships with the local building firm, Kings. The late 1980's, like the present climate, were hard economic times for some businesses and unfortunatly Kings went under, thus many of the apprenticeships were not finished.
Option 3 - Andover's biggest employer at the time was the TSB trust company and each year they would take on the cream of students at 16. I had an interview with them, which really didn't
go well as I found it hard to be enthused and bouyant about having an office job in a banking firm and I think this must have come across to the interviewer - YAWN!!!!
Option 4 - YTS (Youth Training Scheme) was the only option left open to me, apart from destitution.. The scheme was a government brainwave to employ and train young people, as well as to keep them off the national statistics of unemployment! In the first year the pay was £28.50 per week which would rise to £35 in the 2nd year. At the end of the 2 years
it was believed that you would have had sufficent training and therefore be more attractive in the job market to secure a full time job. The scheme was often highlighted in TV programmes such as Brookside as cheap labour with no prospect of a job at the end of it whatsoever.
It was my brother John who got me an application form to work at the local Burton's menswear shop on the scheme. As a company Burton's took it all very seriously and wanted to train their apprentices for City and Guilds exams. It worked well for me as I was only on the scheme for a few months before I was taken on full time, but it wasn't my dream.

Scene Of My First Proper Job, Andover High Street

I have no regrets about any of the above as I wouldn't have met the people that I have along the way in this journey called life, but looking back I can offer this piece of advice -  no matter how hard it may seem  to ignore
your parents, do so and..... FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS !!!!!

Slayer - Reign In Blood

Number 19

Slayer - Reign In Blood
Metal classic or just noise?
To me this is all classic.... Slayer broke into the mainstream consciousness with this, their third album. Released in 1986 against a backdrop of Reagan's America.
The album was brutal, extreme, controversial and honest. Clocking in at as little of 29 minutes the pace is both breathtaking and relentless.
'Angel Of Death' opens proceedings, this track initially had the moral majority (PMRC) throwing all sorts of accusations at Slayer, ranging from Devil worshippers through to Nazi symphathizers. The lyrical matter was questionable, it tells of the experiments at Auschwitz concentration camp by Nazi physician Josef Mengele, but the music is top draw speed Metal!
The album barely draws breath with most songs under 3 minutes, a real blink and you miss it, the following are not to be missed:
The buzzsaw guitar sound on 'Necrophobic', Tom Araya's (Vocalist) demonic vocal and scream on 'Altar Of Sacrifice' and not forgetting the Dave Lombardo school of thrash metal drumming throughout the disc, especially on 'Jesus Saves'and 'Criminally Insane'.
The outstanding track on the album is saved to last 'Raining Blood'. The track starts with thunder and rain, then the tension builds further with Lombardo's tom toms.
Then possibly one of metal's most recognisable riffs rips through. It was writers Kerry King and Jeff Hannerman's (both guitar) intent to try and make this sound like being stuck in purgatory and waiting to take your revenge on Heaven. It indeed sounds that savage.
Slayer Raining Blood Video From Live Decade
The influenece of this disc has been far reaching throughout the Metal world, without it we would not have seen bands like Pantera and Sepultura breaking into the mainstream.
Others like Carcass and Fear Factory may have never been signed etc...
Also big kudos to producer Rick Rubin for seeing the potential in them and signing Slayer to his predominantly hip hop label 'Def Jam'.
As far as this genre of music goes, Reign In Blood is a masterpiece.

Why I ♥ This Album

A couple of years ago, my wife and I were having an evening meal with friends at Cafe Galatea in Glastonbury high street, The resturant was very busy and the management had put on some entertainment for the customers. The (ahem) singer was playing acoustic guitar and looked a lot like TV presenter Sister Wendy.

At these occasion after a few drinks myself and my friend Tim were discussing which songs we should request and amongst them were Metallica and our mainstay Slayer's Raining Blood.
However desite the amount drunk neither of us had the bottle to shout out any of these, especially after what seemed to be a random person from the resturant got up and sang backing vocals on a screeching version of 'California Dreamin'.
The best laugh of the evening was left to our table. As you may imagine Glastonbury is full of the weird and wonderful people and tonight was no different. However this resturant was shocked by what was said from our table.
Tim was discussing local art galleries with our American friend, Dancing Hands, and as the resturant was very noisy they were speaking quite loudly, during their conversation the resturant went very quiet and it was at this point that Tim exclaimed at the top of his voice 'Do I Know Lucifer?' well you could hear a pin drop... everyone's head turned to our table, necks were craned to see who this satanist was. How did we reacted to this.... We fell about in fits of laughter, my stomach hurt, tears were rolling down my face.
Here we were in the spirit capital of England and people are still shocked by the mention of the L word - which really means the 'dawn of Venus' ...

NB Lucifer does run a beautiful art gallery in Glastonbury 'Portal For The Immortal' in Benedict Street. Worth a visit if you're in town.

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Here we are at 18

Michael Jackson - Thriller
I have never been Michael Jackson's biggest fan, however you have to respect the phenomenal success of 'Thriller'as to sell that many records it would have to be a great album. After the success of his previous effort 'Off The Wall' he must have felt the pressure with the follow up, however with the guidance of Quincy Jones
he showed diversity and a great ear for classic pop and soul.
In the US 7 of the 9 tracks were released as singles and all hit the top 10, a feat that has never been matched from one album. Also the videos broke down MTV's reluctance to show black artists in heavy rotation during peak hours. These are just 2 of the many legacys left from Thriller.
What about the actual songs?
Let's look at the killer trio, firstly 'Billie Jean' a song that nearly didn't make the album (Jones didn't like it at all). From the stark drum beat and the hard R&B bass lines it just makes you want to dance and wiggle. The lyrical story about a stalker was just fascinating and a real sign of the times.
Billie Jean Including The Famous 'Moonwalk'
'Beat It' has a real 'West Side Story' feel to it, the bashing tubes at the start set the tone. It also probably contains the most recognisable guitar solo ever (courtesy of
Eddie Van Halen) and the song was neither disco or rock, just classic.
Last of the trio is the weakest of them but possibly the most famous now due to the 14 minute video - 'Thriller'. Said video is amongst my generation's 'JFK' moments
(Where were you when?), the first showing on UK TV became an event and I know of people that watched in their local village halls at midnight when it was first shown. The song starts
promising enough with the howls and creeking doors but then descends into just a tepid pop/R&B song. It finishes strongly, however, with a spoken outro from 'horror' actor Vincent Price.
Other good songs on the album are the Funkadelic inspired 'Wanna Be Startin' Something' complete with African chanting and the soulful aching 'Human Nature'.
The most dissapointing song on the disc is perhaps the Paul McCartney duet 'The Girl Is Mine'. After the success the duo had with 'Say Say Say' I expect a lot of people were looking forward to another big song. However what came out was a sugary and uninspiring ballad. A letdown.
As this was the lead single from the album many critics had their knives sharpened for the failure of 'Thriller' but now after over 65 million sales worldwide those knives must have been blunted.
Pop music was never bigger than this.

Why I ♥ Album

What would you say to your eleven year old son if he asked you for alochol to take to a party he had been invited to?
Unless you've been on The Jeremy Kyle Show I'd hope you would say no! Well, my mum did say no, but hey ho, I had to ask! I was invited to a party at popular boy Jamie Sheldon's house in Popley.
The rumour at school was that the invites were exclusive and if you were lucky enough to be invited you had to take some alcohol with you.
It was like winning a golden ticket when I was asked to go. So of course I had to (like others that were invited) ask if I could take some beer or any sort of Alcohol! Unlike some of my friends I really didn't have an older sibling that I could turn to and ask. I had two older step-sisters but they would have just taken my money and told my mum (nasty girls!!!).
So what to do?
Mark Farry had told everyone he had 2 bottles of cider and other stories started to be heard about how much drink other people were bringing. So after much pleading and wailing my parents agreed to meet me nearly half way with 'Shandy Bass'. It looked like beer, smelt like it but had as much alcohol in it as mouthwash...(probably less actually!)

Yum Shandy Bass

The day of the party arrived and all excited I clutched my 2 litre bottle of shandy and left for the party with neighbour and school friend Ian Russell. We arrived at Jamie's and knocked on the door. I think it was his mother who answered the door and showed us in. Michael Jackson's Thriller was on the turntable (this was the soundtrack for any party in 1983) and there was a lot of noise. It seemed the party was not as exclusive as I was led to believe, it was heaving. Anyway we were shown into the kitchen to put our drinks
on a table and the sight was unbelievable........ a table full of 2 litre bottles of 'Shandy Bass'!!

Free - Fire And Water

No 17

Free - Fire And Water
A seven track timeless British blues rock album, and one that I discovered only in the last couple of years after much resistance. I had always loved Paul Rodgers' (Free Vocalist in Free) work with a band called Bad Company, but had always been a little reluctant to listen to Free for some reason. Even though it had a taken me a while to listen to this album I was delighted to find that it contains so many strong songs and a bone-fide classic.
'Fire And Water' opens the album with the sort of riff that Pete Townsend would have killed for! Paul Kossoff (Guitar) had a wonderful belief and swagger about his playing, and
it shows on this song - IMMENSE!
Another rocker on this album is 'Mr. Big', an awesome stuttering riff by Kossoff with some great bass lines that almost seem like the Bassist was actually playing lead. The disc does have a number of slower and medium paced tracks the best of which is 'Remember'. Paul Rodgers' voice is drenched in the blues whilst the guitar solo is just sublime.
As for the rest of the songs 'Heavy Load' is a well crafted guitar and piano workout wrapped with a wonderful story led vocal. On 'Oh I Wept' Paul Rodgers certainly proves, without a doubt, he was one of the best vocalist of his generation.
The one song that most people will be familar with closes the album, 'All Right Now'. A song that I never really tire of hearing (despite it's over use for a gum commercial back in the late 1980s). I defy anyone not to play air guitar along with the huge riff to this track. This song did catapult Free to success, but also contributed to the beginning of their downfall.
Free On Top Of The Pops Performing All Right Now
It was during the tour for the follow up record 'Highway', that differences were beginning to show between the main songwriters (Rodgers and Bassist Andy Fraser),coupled with Kossoff's growing heroin dependency.
The band disbanded in 1973. If you do buy one Free album in your life, ensure it's this one!

Why I ♥ This Album

Early 1990s before the internet, if you wanted to know the lyrics to a song you had four options to find them;
1)have the sheet music
2)some lyrics were printed on the inner sleeve of a record cover
3)buy 'Smash Hits' magazine which listed lyrics to the Hit Parade
4)listen to the song over and over again to decipher the lyrics 



Me & Mike From The Bane

 It was whilst, in my brief tenure, as lead vocalist with Durin's Bane that Graham Lenton (Guitar Hero) asked me, one late Friday evening, to learn Free's classic 'All Right Now' in time for the next rehearsal on the Sunday.
No problem, I said. The following day it dawned on me that I didn't know the words and didn't actually own a Free record. As it had no long been re-released it was on the jukebox at my local watering hole 'The Lardicake'. However I was sure that the locals would have grown sick of me pumping the machine full of 50 pence pieces and playing the song over and over and over again. So I had to come up with Plan B.
I suddenly remembered that I had not long gone to London and bought a mystery pack of 7 inch records from Berwick Street. The pack came in a sealed carrier bag and only cost a couple of quid, what would be inside was fairly hit and miss but I recall that there was a version of 'All Right Now' in there.
So off home I went to dig the single out. It is lucky that I do like the song as this version was awful!! I must have listened to it at least 20-25 times, stopping and starting it to write down the lyrics. It seemed to take forever. The second verse was a little hard to follow - "Are you tryin' to put me in shame?, I said, slow, don't go so fast" are the actual words, I found out later.
I don't remember what I wrote down but it certainly wasn't that!
Sunday rolled around and I was all ready to rehearse. After a couple of run throughs, and me just simply destroying the song and ruining it for everyone (I am no Paul Rodgers)
it was decided that Graham would sing the song in the live set. I don't blame my own vocals I blame the version that I had learned it from.
So I blame Pepsi & Shirlie!!!

Pepsi & Shirlie - All Right Now

The Levellers - Zeitgeist

16 already!!

The Levellers - Zeitgeist
The Levellers fourth album, and follow up to the disappointing 'Levellers', was a spralling 13 track angst folk classic.
Opening with the lottery sneering single 'Hope Street' the song showed a departure from the usual thumping fiddle-led sound, and instead with a slide guitar and loose hi-hats.
'The Fear' saw the Brighton band tread on more familar ground with throbbing bass lines and wirling fiddles. Whenever the pace quickens throughout a Levellers' song, their punk influences are more easily seen (The Clash / Crass). This particularly comes across on The Fear, the way Mark Chadwick and Simon Friend trade chords -  it's as if they were Strummer And Jones.
Next up is 'Exodus' a tribute to the New Age rave scene, that brought collectives like Back To The Planet and Spiral Tribe Soundsystem to the fore. The song has a big sing-a-long chorus as well as some experimental touches. However they do not lose sight of their own sound which makes you want to dance in bare feet under the stars near ancient landmarks.
A tender acoustic guitar and what sounds like a Wurlitzer organ open 'Maid Of The River', a beautifully touching ballad that has an almost historical feel.
I think just as tradional folk fans were beginning to get to grips with the disc, they, The Levellers, knock them into submission with a couple of out and out rockers!!
Firstly '4 AM', a song whos lyrical content I believe most of us can relate to; The story of staying up with friends and strangers, drinking smoking and putting the world to rights.
The other rocker of this album is 'Leave This Town', on this track Jon Sevink's fiddle playing is surpassingly good. Class!
The second single 'Fantasy' is the perfect song to play to anyone who hasn't ever heard a Levellers track, nice structure understated playing with all the pieces there in the right place.
The third and final song released as a single was a re-recorded version of 'Just The One' which was extended from the minute and a half version on the album. An ok track but it does feature a hero of mine - the one and only Joe Strummer on piano.
As we near the end of the album, the Levellers tucked away the most experminental track 'PC Keen'. This is a dark and disturbing composition compared with the lightness of the majority of the record. A superfluous social commentary.
The last song on the disc takes us back to the 'Levelling The Land' days, Men-An-Tol is the lost cousin of 'Sell Out'. An atmospheric pagan tale of belonging. Quite a wonder!!
Live Version Of Men-An-Tol
In all With 'Zeitgeist' The Levellers proved once again that they were still angry and very expressive with their charged views, despite their previous success.
A really great album that I was excited to re-visit.

Why I ♥ This Album

Note! Some names may have been changed to protect my innocence!
I still remember the first time we laughed together, we were sat in the smoking area at the local department store where we both worked. Someone had loaned a few women's lifestyle magazines to the smokers and had unwittingly filled out one of those relationship quizzes that you find in those types of magazines. As we were sat there I had tears rolling down my cheeks, my sides ached as we disected all the answers that had been marked.....
I made a mental note to myself that not only was she beautiful she also made me roar with laughter. I wanted to know this girl a little bit more, but would she be willing to get to know this long haired lad from the Delivery Department - after all she was Management!
I made a few enquires about her relationship status and found out that she had recently made herself available after a long term relationship. I expect I punched the air at that moment.
I, myself, was between girlfiends at the time. My intended had gone away for a while and another, who I liked as well, was a little complicated (yay didn't use names afterall).
It took a lot of courage for me to approach this unseemingly out of reach beauty about maybe going for a drink (I am really quite shy, honest). However, in the end I suggested was maybe a picinic in the local park one lunchtime.
I was agast when this stunning woman agreed and a date was set. As all great arranged things, it didn't quite go to plan.. .... we ended up having a meal at our mutual friend Lynwyn's house one evening instead, due to bad weather.
So there we were the three of us!! After good food, laughter and Zeitgeist playing in the background it was time to make my move.
But does she really like me? Or should I go for Lynwyn instead who, afterall, was a known safe bet? I didn't fancy being rejected. My brain was all a buzz...what to do?
The end ................ or was it?????????????
Oh come on! A gentleman never tells. But here's a clue to what happened -  that beautiful woman is now my wife. The Levellers rock!



My Beautiful Wife



David Lee Roth - Skyscraper

Number 15 up next .....

David Lee Roth - Skyscraper
The second solo outing from the Van Halen vocalist was released in 1988, the album featured (like the first) a supergroup of Virtuoso musicians, as well as the ultimate showman Mr Roth.
The album has not really stood the test of time, the production in parts seem a little pedestrian and the songs sound as though they could have had a little more time spent on them.
Guitarist Steve Vai's imprint is, however, weaved everywhere through this collection. His playing is outstanding, as is bassist Billy Sheehan. David's decision to not use long time producer Ted Templeton, and produce it himself with Vai as co-pilot, gave the album a more commercial and varied sound than its predecessor 'Eat 'Em And Smile'. This can certainly be heard on lead track 'Just Like Paradise', a top 10 hit in the States at the time. It is a song that is a fist in the air anthem and a good sing-along albeit a tad sugary.
Just Like Paradise Video
To satisfy Roth's rock fans he brought you 'Hotdog And Shake','Bottom Line' and opener 'Knucklebones'. 'Knucklebones', in particular, is a great song. The vocal production is superb with the way the two different Roth vocals comes through the speakers, one urgent and rocking and the next laidback and relaxed (listen to it through headphones and see if you can hear it).
The album also suffered from having to much of Brett Tuggle's keyboards on it, especially on the last half. Tracks like 'Stand Up' and 'Hina' come off worse because of it.
It wasn't all bad though, the title track is easily the most experimental song here. I wasn't really a fan of it back in 1988 (see below) but listening back to it now, it is the most interesting song that Roth did on any of his solo releases. I think Vai took some of the ideas from here as a template for his own Passion And Warfare release in 1990.
As with any rock hard rock album of the era, you had to have an acoustic ballad on it and 'Skyscraper' was no different. 'Damn Good' was a cut above the other ballad realeases by young pretenders like Warrant and Cinderella. The guitar work is reminiscent of Jimmy Page in his acoustic mode. Nothing was over complicated on the song and that made it sparkle.
The album closed with David Lee Roth becoming more of the lounge lizard persona that he used to great affect on his 'Crazy From The Heat' EP in 1985. 'Two Fools A Minute' is funky and jazzy with horn sections
and doo wop backing vocals. A nice close.

Why I ♥ This Album

November 15th 1988 Wembley Arena. That was the date and the venue for possibly one of the greatest shows that I have EVER seen in my life, David Lee Roth!!!!
I was so looking forward to going to this show for so long, David Lee Roth was a big big musical hero of mine up there with Kiss & Maiden.
I had booked the tickets way back in April via Touchan Travel in the Chantry Centre (Andover) for my girlfriend and me.

Ticket & Programme

In the end her parents wouldn't allow her to go, even though we had arranged to go on a coach to the venue and back! So my constant concert companion Paul came along instead.
The tickets were not the best in the world at first glance, we were about two thirds of the way back from the stage. We were a little dissapointed with that but hey we were there to party!
The support band were a big let down (Zinatra???) I must have been spoiled by the support bands that I had seen previously at Wembley (Loverboy & Kings Of The Sun).
Neverless in a blaze of lights, sound and copious amounts of dry ice the band appeared playing the opening strains of 'Bottom Line' and out pranced the Master of Ceremonies himself, Mr Roth armed only with his microphone and with a 'licence to party' (his words not mine). David reeled off all his on stage banter, that many of his fans have heard time and time before, but it is never tiresome. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout.
The band weren't shabby either. Big cheers were heard for the three necked heart shaped Ibanez that Steve Vai plays on 'Just Like Paradise', worthy of note was Matt Bissonette on bass who had some big shoes to fill with Billy Sheehan having left, before the tour started to form Mr Big.
Anyway back to the show, I missed one song as my um.. bladder couldn't hold on. I heard the opening strains to 'Skyscraper' a song I wasn't particularly fond of at the time and made a run for it. You can tell how good a show is by the lack of queue in the toilets..... no one there!!!
Got back in time to see the last 20 seconds of the song and asked Paul if I missed much. He stated it was the best song of the night so far! The energy was relentless, not a note dropped either.
Steel Drums were rolled on the whole part took part in a instrumental that invoved the usual cut the audence down in half and see which cheers loudest.
The best part of the concert was just around the corner as the band were doing their instrumental showing off, no one noticed David climbing on a rope across the ceiling of the arena. As the opening chords of the Van Halen classic 'Panama' rang out from the stage, Dave dropped on to a tiny stage just behind the sound/lighting desk that was also not far away from our seats... (this is used a lot by bands now in arena shows, but back then it was quite innovative). So noow the question was how would he get back to the stage? Run back? NO!
Why didn't I guess that he would be travelling back to the stage on a surfboard whilst singing the Beach Boys song 'California Girls'!!!! silly me.
After bringing down the house with his encore of 'Jump' I left Wembley in awe at such a showstopping performance.

Back Cover Of Japanese Bootleg

Depeche Mode - Black Celebration

Number 14

Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
If in 1986 your life was dark and claustophobic, yet powerful, this would have been your soundtrack! With this release, the synth kings from Basildon were moving further from their pop beginnings, that they had with Vince Clarke, and were becoming less predicable and a more sullen.
Dave Gahan (Vocalist) sounds a lot more mature and relaxed throughout this album especially on the opener / title track 'Black Celebration'.
On the next track 'Fly On The Windscreen' the group begin to sound like the Depeche we know of now; a magical mix of vocal sampling with a keyboard grandeur that comes across as almost sexual!
Talking of sexual, 'Question Of Lust' follows - this is the first of 5 tracks that are sung by keyboardist Martin Gore. Here he shows a sense of vunrability that I feel Gahan couldn't bring to this type of song. In my opinion no one does these sort of searing ballads better than Depeche Mode.
Martin Gore again takes up the lead vocals on 'Sometimes' a tender piano ballad with sweeping vocal overlays.
'It Doesn't Matter Two' is the most original with a mix of musical tubes and sampled chanting (this was 'borrowed' to good effect for the beginning of Queen's song 'I'm Going Slightly Mad').
'A Question Of Time' is a slightly disturbing song lyrically about a older man chasing a young girl for his own sexual needs. This was released as a single in a more hi-temp disco version. However the album version is far superior with it's slight mis-timing and slow burning atmosphere. This adds to the sinister nature of the subject. A live favourite!
Another song that the band still perform to great effect, is 'Stripped'. It's an emotional and intimate song that explores yet more sexual feelings. Far from being overly explicit, again Depeche Mode excel at a ballad, making it beautiful with no bland schmutz on the horizon.
Official Video Of 'Stripped'
'Dressed In Black' is the perfect accompaniment to late night brooding, a dark and simple song. The dressing theme continues with 'New Dress'.
'New Dress' seems to have a nod towards the electro stylings of Arthur Baker (pioneer hip hop producer) added with a dash of Depeche synth. However, what does make this song fairly interesting in passing are the lyrics. For once Depeche Mode go a little policitical by studying the newspaper headlines of the day.
How times have changed in the press as here the headlines read "Sex jibe husband murders wife", "In black townships fires blaze" and "Famine horror, millions die".These would no longer make the front page now due to this country's obsession with celebrity. There is a little reference though towards the only celeb who mattered back in 1986 -
"Princes Di is wearing a new dress".
On the version of the album that I have includes a few extra tracks that weren't on the original release. Nonetheless this really does not add anything particularly to the album.
This was a great album in 1986 but Depeche Mode easily surpassed this with future releases, but 'Black Celebration' was a snap shot of where they were at the time.
A worthy purchase for any collection.

Why I ♥ This Album

March 1986 (when Black Celebration was released) was a hard time for me. My mum and step-father had moved my brother and myself to Andover form Basingstoke a little
over a year earlier. I was finding it difficult to adapt to a new school whilst trying to make new friends.
In Basingstoke I had been through infants and junior schools with pretty much the same people and formed strong bonds there. We all knew each other so well, I know the estate was a little rough but
it was the sort area where we all looked out for each other,Kicked balls around late into the evening etc. I would even go as far to say that infact I was kind of popular!!.
So there I was in a new town living a different lifestyle, that was not through my choice. There seemed to be no community, which was foreign to me. It was a place where one would know theire next door neighbour and possibly the people opposite and that was about it. Of course, having no history with anyone didn't help either.
At school I wasn't tagged with the outcasts nor with the popular kids. I was just invisible, a ghost in the corridors. Don't get me wrong I did make some friends, at the time, but nothing on the level that I had in 'stoke. It was a real knock to my confidence which in turn made me lose interest in schooling. Geography was a big subject for me back at my old school (O-Level A/B grade predicted) and despite having a great teacher at my new one (Mr. George) I just couldn't find the enthusiasm for it.


John Hanson School Andover


When it came to taking my 'options' I just dropped the subject and I didn't really care. During my last year at John Hanson in Andover, I must have attended at least only two dozen maths lessons, opting instead to
spending time at The Gorge Cafe in the Chantry Centre.
Funnily it wasn't until I had left school that some of the friends I had made at school became even better friends. I'm looking forward to sharing stories about them through
this blog............ so watch out for tales and escapades about Des, Candy, Lorraine, Richard, Paul, Keely and Jamie Crouch.
It was also only after finishing school my confidence began to build again, but hey, you know what? I am still very shy really!!!
Even at my darkest moments, the music of Depeche Mode has always been there and helped.

Therapy? - Troublegum

Unlucky for some - Number 13. (I missed my vocation in a bingo hall!)

Therapy? - Troublegum

Drums,saw-buzz guitars and attitude - this album has it all in spades. This disc easily occupies a position in my personal all time top 10.
Northern Ireland's finest hit both their commercial and musicial with 'Troublegum'.Before this album, Therapy? had been building a sizable following with their brand of feedback induced songs and also by supporting any half decent band that toured Ireland. Amongst these were everyone from The Ramones through to Neds Atomic Dustbin.
It was particularly after supporting The Ramones that Therapy? began to introduce some punk melody into their songwriting. They also began to have some chart success with a couple of EP's that preceded 'Troublegum'. Notably with the 'Shortsharpshock' EP which peaked at No.9 on the UK national charts. The lead song from the EP 'Screamager' would appear on the album.
'Screamager' is a song of the highest qualIty, the immense riff and also the way the drumming, by Fye Ewing, carried the melody was particularly impressive. The lyrics were scornful and spoke to anyone who had worthy issues (yep, that was me!).
Promo Video Of Screamager
The first single released from the album was 'Nowhere', a huge sounding song that was everywhere at the beginning of 1994, especially on the rebranded Radio One.
The next single 'Die Laughing' was even better. The claustrophobic sound of the verses that leads into the arms in the air, fist pumping chorus.
However fans of their earlier noisy efforts (Innocent X) were not left out. 'Femtex' was a throwback to that time with it's noisy metalic sound and a hint of melody.
The album is full of highlights, from the opener 'Knives', 'Hellbelly', 'Trigger Inside' - the classics just kept on coming.
The band also pull off a great cover song as well. Andy Cairns vocals on the Joy Divison's 'Isolation' sound as tortured as Ian Curtis's original. The song is just immeasurable.
One thing, in hindsight, is the lyrics - on most of the album they seem to be about being a slightly leftfield teenager fighting with being a bit of a loser in love, unworthyness about oneself and a lot of self abuse. This I feel sat well with the generation of that time.
I cannot recommend this album highly enough. It is a great snapshot of a good time for the, then, new British metal bands like The Wildhearts, Terrorvision, Senseless Things and Skunk Anasie.

Why I ♥ This Album.

1993/4 I was living quite a bohemian lifestyle in Newbury. I had moved into a wonderful house full of colourful characters, who lived many different types of lifestyles. As a collective we were self named as 'The Number 7 Crew'. Amongst the frequent visitors to 'no 7' were a pair of brothers from Hungerford, Jon & Simon Ainge.
Despite being related they were very different from each other, Jon was a little party animal and was an outrageous flirt around the ladies, Simon was more studious but nevertheless still a party animal in his own way. Simon and I found a lot of common ground in music and his knowledge of it was only second to mine! (He will no doubt argue he knew more and was cooler.)

Couldn't find a photo of Simon, so next best thing MOBY!

As I was a fairly straight forward Metal-head his genre of choice was more noise led, eg. anything released on Earache records/Big Black etc. I remember Simon once gave me a compilation tape (not of the loving kind) with some of his favourite bands on. This opened my eyes and ears to some great bands, who I still love to this day.
The tape turned me onto Butthole Surfers, Jesus Lizard, Fishbone, Therapy? and the many works of uber-musician Steve Albini. If it wasn't for this tape I would possibly be as narrow minded about music as some of my friends still are!!!! (hee hee)
Simon said that I could have a copy of any of the albums from the artists on the tape. The one I was desperate for was Therapy?'s but alas it hadn't been released yet.
What a tease...so I had to wait. It was definatly worth it though.
It has been good catching up with Simon recently via FB and talking music again. I am glad that both of our eclectic tastes are still intact and thriving.
Also pleasing is to see that both Jon & Simon seem to have settled down and turned out NORMAL(ish) .
I was also fortunate to see Therapy? in 1994 at Reading Festival where they played a killer set, complete with a celloist and vocals from the great Lesley Rankine (Ruby).

The Cult - Electric

Well we have arrived at Number 12

The Cult - Electric
Electric saw The Cult move further away from their goth roots by enhancing their more hard rock influences. By bringing in Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys/Slayer) to the controls
this made the album more abrasive sounding. Billy Duffy's guitar was put at the forefront due to Ricks unfussy approach to production.
Opening track 'Wildflower' certainly starts things with ablomb. This was possibly the best AC/DC song that they (AC/DC) never wrote. The rhythm section of Jamie Stewart (Bass) and newcomer Les Warner throughout 'Electric' was effective and simple.
Video Of Wildflower
Many of the songs on the album were very boogie orientated like 'Peace Dog','Bad Fun' and 'Electric Ocean'. The latter is very hard not to play air-drums along with (I have tried not to, but to no avail).
'Lil Devil' is the strongest track on the album a crunching main riff with a secondary lead underneath. All The Cult wanted to be at that time is typified in this song which is probably Ian Astbury's best vocal as well.
The first single from the album was the groovy 'Love Removal Machine', another strong track with Ian going all Jim Morrison on it. It served as a good preview for Electric. At the time it shocked fans and the Press who were expecting 'Love mk 2' but to me it was the time I fell in love with The Cult.
Listen to around 3.31 on the track and just bang your head.
'Aphodisaic Jacket' was the only composition on here that would not have been out of place on their previous effort 'Love'.
'Memphis Hipshake' closed the disc, an undiscovered gem that was often overlooked but should have been a classic, Very blues led and well paced.
Electric did however have a stinker on it, a cover of Steppenwolfs classic 'Born To Be Wild, a pointless track to record, but I can see why it's here as The Cult were trying to break the US market at the time. It was quite usual for bands to include a cover on their albums in an attempt to sell more. However this version is truly awful.
I think The Cult achieved what they needed to do with this album and it was also a great audition piece for Rick Rubin to produce AC/DC (Which he finally did in 1995 with the tepid Ballbreaker).
Before meeting Rick, The Cult had completed the follow up to 'Love' already. It was to be called 'Peace' and had many of the same tracks on it as Electric. It  was scrapped as the band wanted a more rockier sound. The album did see the light of day in the early 90's as the 'Manor Sessions EP'.
It does sound a little strange to hear 'Wild Flower' et al as if they were a continuation of the 'Love' sound. Well worth a listen.
Manor Session Version Of Wildflower

Why I ♥ This Album

Being aged 16 in 1987/88 I was unfortunate in that I looked young for my age, so going to pubs was a no go for me as well as some of my friends. So it was mainly parties at people's houses that gave me the opportunity to drink, smoke and generally misbehave. One such party was at Liz and Katherine Howe's house on the Weyhill Road in Andover. I had gone with my best friend Des as he was courting Liz at the time.
We had stopped off at Little's newsagent next door to get some supplies.

Little's Newsagents as it is now!

The party was quite kicking, I put on some class tunes on the stereo, I had taken a cassette with Electric on one side and a new release by
a new LA band called Guns'N'Roses on the other (What ever happened to them?). People politely asked me to take the GNR off and turn the cassette over.
The Cult went down so much better. The party was memorable for me as it was the only time in my life where I ever been punched in the face!
The story goes in a scene reminiscent of Kevin & Perry having a party - "bigger boys came" (bigger as in they were in their 20's) and began to take the partying to another level. Anyway one of the 'bigger boys' had an almighty row with someone on the landing. I poked my head around the corner to see what was occurring. In his frustration he was hitting the walls and bannisters and then of course he saw another target appear from around a door.
He connected really well with my right eye, the pain wasn't that bad but the swelling came up really quickly. He left the party quite sharpish.
I learned a valuable lesson that night, that girls liked to ply people, who are hurt, with sympathy and attention. I loved it.
Here endeth the lesson!

The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker

No. 11 is a classic disc from 1990

The Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker
Hailing from Atlanta Georgia in the US, the brothers Robinson and their band of merry men debuted with their take of the southern blues and hard rock.
The band wore their influences on their sleeves from the riffs of Aerosmith and The Faces to the vocal swagger of Mick Jagger. This was the most definitive album by The Crowes.Latter albums wandered away from good songwriting into blues jams and mainly lost the plot. The pace on this debut was never captured again until 1999's 'By Your Side' collection.
The band released four singles from this album; the opening two rock out tracks 'Twice As Hard' and 'Jealous Again'and the bittersweet ode to an Atlantean friend hooked on heroin 'She Talks To Angels'. The fourth of which was 'Hard To Handle', which was their take on the Otis Redding classic and it was this single that broke them into the mainstream. It is the defining track on the album and a stroke of genius, as I believe that the melody was actually taken from a Buddy Guy song.
Live Version Of Hard To Handle From 1990
The album is also full of other strong tracks and not just the singles, the very stones 'Thick n Thin', the raw 'Struttin' Blues' and the other ballad 'Seeing Things'.
The disc finishes with the song 'Stare it Cold' a look into the future as they ripped this off for the first single of their next album 'Remedy'.
Not an original album by any stretch of the imagination, but one that knows how to party!

Why I ♥ This Album

Many of the tracks conjur up significant memories. During 1990 this album was not left off the turntable at many a party,
including the few we had over at Karen Ruse's parents house, which was located in the base at Middle Wallop.
Karen was a great friend of mine for nearly a decade, always there to pick up the pieces when things had gone wrong and a great listener. Not just for me but many of the others in our circle of friends. She caught a lot of flack for this from jealous girlfriends who didn't really understand the relationship Karen had
with people.
I met Karen not long after my first long relationship finished. I must have been about 18/19 years old and was basically like most lads of that age, just for a good time.
I promised Karen all sorts of things just to make her mine and looking back I realise that I was a bit of a git and quite childish as I still tried to play the field. After coming out of a long term relationship I wasn't in a place where I wanted to settle down into another.


Karen & I at the London Astoria


My behaviour really did hurt Karen and for that I will always be truly sorry, and in Karmic terms it did indeed come back and bite me bad (See the Soul Asylum post).
After that Karen was a strength in my life and didn't hold too much of a grudge against me, most of the time. She was sometimes fiery (must have been the red hair) and would not stand
for any BS from anyone. Sometimes that strong facade would be lowered down and the vunerable side would show.
If I could have had a best woman at my wedding as opposed to a best man then Karen would have got the job. I think it was during the months leading up to my wedding that I begun to lose touch with Karen, as obviously I had a lot going on and she had met a guy called Simon and was building her relationship with him.
We both got back in contact with each other around 2008 via Facebook, and the great news was that she was still with Simon.
Then Clare Swaddling began to arrange a pub reunion for the following Febuary in Andover at The Angel. So that Saturday I arranged to stay at my mum's, I had the dog's bed (another story entirely) and was ready to party!
I was feeling quite nervous about the whole thing as I hadn't seen everyone for about 12 years, how would they react? Did they still remember I was a bit of a git (or as I like to call myself a heartbreaker) back then?
The good news is we all got along and had a good time, Karen and I just picked up from where we left off.
Thank you Karen for being such a good friend x

Reunion At The Angel

Alice In Chains - Dirt

We've reached no.10 in the journey

Alice In Chains - Dirt
Alice In Chains in my opinion were the best band that came out of the 'Grunge' scene, and Dirt was my favourite album of theirs.
AIC were unashamedly from a metal background, unlike many of their contemporarys from that scene who were influenced by Punk. On Dirt they come across like a modern version of Sabbath but were brutal, fierce and truthful throughout the album. Vocalist Layne Staley laid himself bare of the horrors of heroin addiction through many of the lyrics on the disc. This all could have sounded self obsessed and tedious without the great musicianship of the remainder of the band; especially from Jerry Cantrell with his attacking and flowing riffs and harmonised co-vocals. The rhythm section were no slouches either and were immense on all the songs.
One of my favourite songs of all time features on this album. It is the last track 'Would?'a song about the late Andrew Wood vocalist of Mother Love Bone.
It is a touching tribute and a song that features AIC at their best. Showing their individual styles but also being at one as a band. When I first heard this song in 1992 on MTV's Headbangers Ball I was just mesmerised and drawn in by the hypnotic bass, drums and harmonised vocals.
Official Video Of Would?
I began to count down the months until the album release.
'Rooster' is another highlight on the album, the acoustic start, the build and tension to the chorus, then it's kick out the jam time...'Junkhead is another powerhouse performance from the band.
'Godsmack' is a true classic standing above the rest of the album due to its more uptempo beat, almost funky vibe. The opening 2 tracks 'Them Bones' and 'Dam That River' are possibly the best openers of any album, period!
Let me know if you know better.
In 2002 when Layne died of a fatal speedball (a cocktail of heroin and cocaine), music lost one of it's most unique and talented vocalists for a generation.
I had my reservations when it was announced in 2006 that Alice In Chains were reforming - how could it work without Layne? All credit to the band and new vocalist William DuVall, they made an outstanding comeback album in 'Black Gives Way To Blue'.

Why I ♥ This Album


My Alice In Chains 'Live' Experience
March 1991, I had a car full of people on our way from Andover to Basingstoke to catch a train to Hammersmith London. We were going to watch a triple bill of newcomers Alice In Chains, UK upstarts The Almighty and headliners Megadeth.
We had just got onto the A303 road and the temperature gauge of my car was going through the roof. I couldn't understand why, admittedly the car was old, but had been in very good working order. I even checked oil and water before we left.
So we pulled up at the Buck Services about 3 miles outside of Andover. Myself and my friend Ben Holmes got out of the car to inspect what was happening, we popped the bonnet and saw what the problem was. The rag that I had used to wipe clean the oil from the engine dipstick had been left on top of the engine and had now
worked its way to the fanbelt and starting-motor!!.
Ben had got under the car to try and pull the rag out but to no avail. None of us were very mechanically minded.
Back then I didn't really believe in fate but wow something happened. A van pulled into the garage and I couldn't believe who I saw getting out - 'Dennis Olliphant'!
Den lived 2 doors away from my family when we lived in Basingstoke. He was a great friend to both my mum and step-dad but we hadn't seen him in about 8 years.
So here was a handy-man/mechanic (did I not mention that?) in this petrol station. I just hoped he recognised me after all these years. I was 11 years old last time he saw me, now I was 19, skinny with longish hair and ripped jeans etc..
With a sigh of relief he did! It took a few minutes for him to dismantle the starting motor and fan belt and we were ready to rock n roll!
We were now running about 40 minutes late, but still plenty of time. So we were about to set off when Ben realised he didn't have his ticket for the gig.
He had placed it in his back pocket and it must have fallen out whilst he was under the car. We looked all over the garage forecourt but no one could find it.
I offered Ben my ticket instead as it was my fault the rag had caught up in the engine, but Ben, being the generous person he was, said no. It was with a very heavy heart we had to drive Ben back to Andover and begin our journey again.
We arrived in Hammersmith obviously a little late. I rushed into the Odeon just in time to catch Alice In Chains perform the last song of their set 'Man In A Box'.
It sounded great.
That is my Alice In Chains 'live' experience.
Big thank you to Den Olliphant for being there and no thanks to the rag!

After posting this on the evening of the 8th, the following morning I found out that bass player Mike Starr had died, RIP and thanks for the memories.


Mike Starr RIP



Cream - Disraeli Gears

No.9 takes us back to 1967

 

Cream - Disraeli Gears
This is the ultimate 1960's psychedelic album for the ultimate 60's power trio. 'Disraeli Gears' was the second release from the supergroup, Cream.
The spine of the group was ex-Yardbird guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker, the trio is completed
by Jack Bruce on Bass. Cream's first album was very blues based but with this disc they experimented with a more psychedelic sound due to the invention of the wah wah pedal as well as other forward moves in music technology.
The album opens with the 2 most famous tracks, 'Strange Brew' (was this about strange hallucegenics being placed in a teapot??) and the classic 'Sunshine of your love'.
'Sunshine Of Your Love' riff is so well known it came as a surprise to me that the song was wriiten by bassist Jack Bruce. However the lyrics were a collabaration between Bruce, Clapton & poet Pete Brown.
Pete was, I believe to be the unsung hero of Cream, and he wrote many of their lyrics on their albums but
remained under the radar when the accolades came around.
Track 3 is 'World Of Pain. I particularly like the interplay of the twin vocals of Clapton and Bruce, a great light and shade that gave Cream a uniqueness and diversity. A trick later used to good affect by Alice In Chains.
'Dance The Night Away' floats along nicely.
Cream like the Beatles gave each member of the band,a singing chance, hence the Ringo-like track 'Blue Condition' sung by drummer Ginger Baker. No one can doubt what a legend Ginger Baker is as a drummer, Singing however was not his strong point.
'Tales Of Brave Ulysses' is my favourite track on the album, lyrically, obviouslly about Homer's Odyssey. As a fan of myths and legends I connected so much to this track.
Clapton went bluesy on the following song 'SWLABR' which also in my opinion was Jack Bruce's best vocal on the album.
On Disraeli Gears as with many 60's albums, the band covered other artist's songs. The first being a solid Clapton arrangement of Blind Jo Reynolds blues standard 'Outside Woman Blues' and also the closing track 'Mothers Lament' a sort of drunken piano sing-along. Very Derek & Clive.
A great album that really has stood the test of time and one that Clapton has never matched in his illustrious recording career.
1968 version of Sunshine Of Your Love

Why ♥ Love This Album
In 1990 music was a big part of my life. My friend Des had told me about a local band in Andover (where I lived at the time) called 'The Sleeping Policemen'. He even gave me a tape of a live recording of them. I remember playing the tape and hearing a rough and raw version of the Judas Priest classic 'Living After Midnight'.I was quite impressed.
Well a little while after this I was asked to audition to sing for Durins Bane (basically the new version of the policemen). I felt a sense of pride at this, people knew how much I loved music and was very passionate about it and I felt this was a great reward for all my knowledge. I had one big hurdle though I had never sang before. Grasping for advice, Chris Holt stated that leading up to the audition I should hum all the time to warm and strengthen my vocal cords. People must have thought I was mad as all I did was hum at them.
For the audition I had to learn a couple of rock standards, one of which was 'Sunshine Of Your Love', and vocally not a great stretch to sing.
 I met the band in the Lardicake pub the night before. Stuart on drums, Mike on bass and Graham on guitar - great guys and as I found out far superior musicians compared to my singing than I expected. The audition was at the Church on Smannell Road in Andover. Well to cut a long story short I was in!!!! yay!!!. Later I found out, that I was the only person they asked to audition and I got the gig due to owning a car. Graham needed transport for his Marshall stack to rehearsals and gigs as he didn't drive at the time.
No matter I was on a high, I am now a rock n roll singer in a real band. Bring on the sex, drugs and rock n roll (well 3 out of 3 was a good score)! We would rehearse every sunday and then retire to the pub to discuss world domination.

My first gig with the band was at the Coronation Arms in St Mary Bourne to a converted crowd of drinking buddies and friends. I sang only a few songs, mainly the originals that the band had written. However I felt we had gone down a storm.
I do have to say the adulation didn't last long. A couple more gigs and I was asked to leave, I had been found out! As many of the people that know me also know I cannot sing for toffee.
My wife is always surprised that I sang in a band... "really?" she asks.
I couldn't believe they decided to get a proper singer in, it was like sacking David Lee Roth and bring in Ronnie James Dio.
As it turned out my replacement Dave became one of my best buds and was a sound bloke.
The band recorded a great demo called 'Mr Good Friday'and they should have powered on to greater things, but alas they will also be known as the biggest cult band in Andover
Cheers to the man in the corner.
Check them out http://www.reverbnation.com/durinsbane#!

Love/Hate - Blackout In The Red Room

Next up on the 'journey' a very under-rated classic from 1990 : The Stoopidest Band In The World!

8. Love/Hate - Blackout In The Redroom
One of the ultimate party albums of the glam/sleeze era of the early 90's.... this band should have been huge!
Love/Hate slogged it out on the Sunset Strip in LA for over 5 years trying to find a sound that suited them. They had tried everything from Goth to New Wave, but found their sound whilst playing a cover of Motley Crue's 'Livewire'.
However, they did find it hard getting gigs in the area due to lead singer Jizzy Pearl being banned from most of the clubs because of his drunkness.
Their break came when Columbia Records signed them after a successful show at the Whiskey A Go Go club, and a now sober Jizzy!
Famous producer Tom Werman was given production duties for the debut.
The opening two tracks 'Blackout' and 'Rock Queen' set the stall out for the rest of the disc with stories of booze, drugs and women. A sort of musicial version of Hunter S Thompson and Bukowski - debauched!
The opening riff on 'Tumbleweed' sounds like prime time Aerosmith, the toxic twins at their best.
'Why Do You Think They Call It Dope?' starts all Frankie Goes To Hollywood and dissolves into a funk metal workout. This song wasn't represental of the album and didn't fit in really. However, it was chosen as one of the two singles spawned from the album (The other was the title track).
It really should have been a hit!!
Throughout the disc the musicianship was of high quality especially the bass player of Skid, he particularly added something to the mood on the track 'Fuel To Run'
My favourite track opened the 2nd side (back in the day we turned discs over - remember?!) with 'She's An Angel'. A tasty piece of story telling as opposed to the everyday tales of drunken corruption. After this track normal service is resumed with 'Mary Jane', 'Straightjacket', 'Slutsy Tipsy' and
'Slave Girl' (this one did indeed have some really dodgy lyrics). Don't get me wrong though, these songs still sounded great and were complete singalongs.
The album finished with possibly the sleezy 'Hell Ca Pop 4'. A self depreciation song about the bad.
A great debut that the band struggled to match with their later releases. As Skid has commented in the past, money made them make silly decisions!
However'Blackout' stands head and shoulders above many of their contemporary's releases at the time. A great legacy from a band that didn't take itself too seriously.
They were never going to change the world, but they knew how to PARTY!
Video Of Blackout In The Red Room - You Tube

Why I ♥ This Album

Time New Years Eve 1990
Venue The Marquee Club in Tottenham Court Road and later, Acton West London

The Marquee In Tottenham Court Road

A large group of us were meeting up at the Marquee for NYE to witness the phenomenum that is Love/Hate. However I had to travel seperately from the rest of the group as I had to work that day (it was a tuesday). I'm not sure how I got there before the others,  but I did, and was fortunate to see
Little Big Horn (AC/DC fans will know about them, I'm sure). The rest of the gang began to appear whilst the Red Dogs were on.
Please forgive me if I miss anyone out of the list of people who there (my memory is a little fuzzy) Here goes; Karen Ruse, Nikki B, Chris Holt, Mark Bradley, Smudge, Alan, Lousie M (possibly) Dave Curtis and of course our hero who had managed to move away from our back water of a town to lead a hedonistic rock n roll lifestyle in London, Bob Page Roberts!
The Marquee that night was just full of people just out to listen to great music and to party!!
Atom Seed were awesome but we were waiting for the main show... lights go down and Skid, the bassist, appears with his cross made from budweiser cans and the funs begins.
I don't remember a great deal about the show but I know I had a wonderful time.
The next challenge was to all stay together and negotiate our way to Acton for a party back at Bob's house that he shared with glam god, Simon!!
First surprise for me was that London laid on free transport on New Year, so with everyone rounded up we caught the night bus from Oxford Street towards Acton.
Memory is a little hazy but I certainly recall the next part. we were all crossing a green near a tower block and the area was a bit of a building site. With me being me I wasn't looking where I was going and didn't notice the big hole in the ground and of course -  I fell in...ouch!
I remember peering up and just seeing a load of heads above laughing soo hard at me. It was lucky I had a bit to drink that night so I hadn't hurt myself - too much.
We finally got to Bob's and the party began. I remember rocking until about 6am and then passing out in the hallway. I awoke a few hours later, and as I opened my eyes I swore I could make out a shape of a plant pot next to me. Indeed it was a smashed plant pot. Apparently I had slept through an argument that had broken out between Bob and Simon not far from above my head. During the course of their fight they had began to throw things at each other including (yep you guessed) a pot.
Another lesson learned from that party was never use menthol cigarettes with mary - it's sick but not in a good way!

Love/Hate

Nirvana - Nevermind

It's good to be back!! Now let's spark a debate...
No.7 on the list is a good album but possibly the most overrated on the 300

Nirvana - Nevermind
I have no argument about the impact and effect 'Nevermind' had on the music scene and indeed it has some genius moments but it's god like status doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it's the very polished production or it maybe the walking contradiction that was Kurt Cobain. Anyway let me give you my review of it.
The album as everyone probably knows starts with 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' an anthem for Generation X, and possibly Kurt's best rip off from The Pixies he ever achieved - and he even got away with it!
The song was a revelation at the time. It was great to hear this type of music on the radio , this was when Radio One still thought Simply Red were cutting edge!
The quiet - loud- quiet tempo of said song remained as a template for many other grunge type songs in the future. But as I have stated previously a rip off.The song certainly would not have been the hit it was without the Butch Vig production. If you can find it listen to the demo version of it before Vig
got hold of it.
Smells Like Teen Spirit Rehersal Version 1991
'In Bloom' follows next, an average sort of track that starts well then wanders in to mediocrity.
However 'Come As You Are' is one of the highlights on this album with the water type effect used by Kurt on his guitar, which gives the song an edge. The lyrics would take on various meaning in the years to come due to the death of Cobain.
After this sombre moment Nirvana go all Black Flag / Fugazi on us with 'Breed' one of the few times they show us their Garage days.
I find 'Lithium' a better anthem than 'smells' Krist Novoselic really shows his bass chops on this song, very simple but brings the atmosphere to the song.
'Polly' slows things down again. Cobain's tale about teen dissaffection and rape. When Nirvana strip down magic happens much as the unplugged sessions proved later.
'Territorial Pissings' is no doubt my favourite track, I love the rawness & punkish attitude of it. Krist's spoken intro is class, his way of trying to upset the sixites generation by quoting one of their anthems (Youngbloods - Get Together).
Next up was 'Drain You' another good song (that surprised you!!) I love the instrumental break around 1.35 mark very progressive and this is going to hurt - it was very 'Mother Love Bone'
and the lyrics were quite sexual.
The pace on the album starts to slow up a little now and this where instead of finishing in a crescendo it all sort of peeters out except for the delightful 'Stay Away'.
This was also the era of the hidden track on CD's and Nevermind was no different...it always raised a smile in 'The Clocktower'pub where I used to drink.
The landlord Mick West thought he had a problems with the speakers and everytime got caught out with having the volume turned to 11.
All in all a good album but not the defining one of a generation and not even in the Top 5 of 1991!

Why I ♥ This Album

Everything changed...Hair Metal died as a comercial viable music scene and the big production shows died for a little while. You have to remember at this time GnR & Metallica were the biggest bands in the
world. Without Nevermind going overground fewer people would have been made aware of Alice In Chains, Soundgaren & Pearl Jam.
Music Festivals changed and you've only got to look at the line ups at Reading for that. 

At the MTV adwards of '92 it seemed there was a changing of the guards with Def Leppard, Guns N Roses looking lacklustre and Nirvana, Pearl Jam and RHCP looking like a breath of fresh air.
The first 'Grunge' band I every got into was Soundgarden. It was their 'Louder Than Love' album that used to play quite often in my car when 'Drum Master' Dave Allon and I
travelled between our 2 jobs; one in St Mary Bourne and the other in Basingstoke (We Also Played alot of RHCP & Pantera as well). 'Mudhoney' were next followed by seeing 'Mother Love Bone' on Headbangers Ball on MTV.
Without the 26 million sales of 'Nevermind' a lot of the bigger bands since 1992 would never be in the mainstream. Can you really think Green Day / Blink 182 would be where they are now?
Bush & Offspring owe their entire careers to Nirvana, we would have no Foo Fighters or no Courtney Love!!
The few million people who bought 'Nevermind' and subsequently checked out the bands that influenced Cobain (Dead Kennedys, The Germs, Fugazi, The Melvins, Screaming Trees etc.) made for a richer music tapestry than ever before.
This is the reason I love this album.I was able to speak to more people about other great bands and everyone was more opened minded - rather than hearing "Oh I only listen to punk,thrash,happy hardcore or glam."
Admitingly, record companies did go a bit gung-ho signing some really bad bands because they wore lumberjack shirts (Stone Temple Pilots spring to mind) and also watching some of the hair metal bands change image and sound to be up with the kids was also laughable (Motley Crue and Warrant - pmsl!).
After a couple of years even Grunge got stagent, the bands got a little boring (Soundgarden - 'Down on the Upside' yawn!) and the scene really finished itself off on April 5th 1994.
However the legacy does live on........