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........

Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast

After the intense blog last time, I tried hard to decide what was next.
With 2 bands with 6 albums each on this list..I thought one of them so...
6. Iron Maiden - Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden are the archetypal metal band. They have spanned generations and cultures, outraged parents and church-goers but their fanbase
will never ever be swayed by trends or fashion.
Nowadays they may owe a nod or two to prog rock but back in 1982 they were fresh metal and took the DIY attitude of punk and brought something new to the rock table.
Emerging as the leading light for the fledgling New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. The band were ambitious and Steve Harris (Bass) looked at the shortcomings of the band and recognised what they needed to do in order to reach a wider audience.
It was decided that the vocal department needed to change, so despite a successful previous album 'Killers' he singled out Samson's vocalist Brucie Brucie
as the key to step up to the next level. Backstage at Reading festival in 1981 the approach was made and accepted.
The difference between NOTB and the previous two albums was enormous. Martin Birch (Maiden's long term producer) seemed to go up a extra notch as well.
The first single from the album 'Run To The Hills' was Iron Maiden's first top ten uk hit and was a signal of intent.
The other well known song was the title track. The opening still makes my hair stand on end especially live when the intro tape starts. They originally wanted Vincent Price
to do the spoken word part but couldn't afford him (they settled on an unknown Barry Clayton)
Perhaps they had spent their budget on acquiring the rights to use Patrick McGoohan on the beginning of the raw & intense 'Prisoner'
I AM NOT A NUMBER BUT A FREE MAN.
'Children Of The Damned' is a track that wouldn't have worked so well if Paul Dianno was still there.The sound of the bass and drums galloping would become one of Maiden's
trademark sounds, however the next song 'Gangland' was a throwback to their previous two albums. This was the only track that to me seemed to be out of place on the disc.
The final track on the album is by far my favourite, the lengthy 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'. From the beginning bells and guitar strum it has an epic feel (especially following
the claustrophobic 'Total Eclipse'), It's at the 1.40 mark that begins Dickinson's vocal tour de force and the first of the time changes, another trademark Maiden trait.
This album set a benchmark for generations of metallers afterwards. It inspired many people to become musicians. Such has been the influence that bands such as Dream Theater
covered the album in it's entirety at a Paris headline show in 2002.
'Let him who have understanding
reckon the number of the beast'.
Hallowed Be Thy Name Live

WHY I  ♥ THIS ALBUM
I grew up in the Popley area of Basingstoke. The area was built as part of a London overspill (New Town) program to help families find work and start a life in a new home.
One of my best friends was a lad called Mark Sims, his family were from the east side of London (Leytonstone I believe). For some reason my friends and I, despite our young age at the time, were
big music fans and tried to introduce each other to all types of music from Ska and punk to pop and metal.It was Mark who introduced us all to Maiden via his older brother of course.

Back in 1982 the charts would come out on a monday lunchtime, I remember being at school listening to the Gallup countdown. We were all anticipating hearing Iron Maiden
with their new singer (Being 10 we didn't have a lot of access to the radio or new releases) We would have heard it earlier but Mark's brother thought that they had sold out
and didn't purchase it. I didn't buy it either as my pocket money at that age went on Panini football stickers, much more important to me at the time lol..
The countdown had begun, I cannot recall the chart number but do remember the words'New entry for Iron Maiden'. The drums kicked in, then that riff started and the charge began.....
Maiden Ruled!
Just a note to say Mark Sims passed away in 2003 and I never got to say what a good friend he was when we were children. His influence and generosity will never be forgotten RIP.

Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union

Album number 5 means a hell of a lot to me....

Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union.
Soul Asylum were unfairly filed under the new grunge revolution at the time, but this, their sixth album was
more Tom Petty and less Nirvana.
A couple of tracks have a garage rock feel about them like '99%' & 'April Fool' but overall the album was more acoustically raw.
The lyrics by Vocalist Dave Pirner at first may seem bleak but he does have some hints of irony in there, and a little humour too.
He proved to be a good story teller on tracks like 'Black Gold' and on the opening track 'Somebody To Shove'.
The big song on this album was 'Runaway Train' which is now a mainstay on many alternative / soft rock compilation cd's out there.
The song is a classic, even listening to it now the quality hasn't diminished at all. Probably the greatest song Tom Petty or Lou Reed never wrote.
I will admit I haven't listened to every Soul Asylum album but of the ones I have listened to, this easily stands head and shoulders above
the rest. The only real issue I have nowadays about 'Grave Dancers Union' is that the production hasn't aged well and can be a little tinny, also
a couple of songs ('New World' & 'Keep It Up') do drag their heels.
However do check out the Black Crowes like 'Growing Into You' - and I defy anyone not shaking a little bootie to the beginning of 'Get on Out'.

Video Of 'Somebody To Shove'

WHY I  ♥ THIS ALBUM




This album gave me such strength during a very dark period of my life. I was 21 and living in Andover, Hampshire. I was going out with a girl called Vanya and had really fallen for her. Vanya came with a lot of issues. She had been brought up by her grandmother due to some mental health issues with her mother. Her grandmother was a big control freak and dictated a lot of Vanya's life. Once she found out about our
relationship she took every opportunity to cause trouble for us both (She even got me barred from my local pub, that was way out of order!)
My own family, however,  were so helpful and were a great support to us.
 After a number of months, Vanya recieved some good news. Her Mum had left hospital and her Dad had set up a small model casting (Boats, Cars not women) business in Dudley, West Midlands. They felt that could offer Vanya a chance of being part of a family again.

One Way Ticket To Dudley Please!



The decision was made that Vanya and I would both move and make a fresh start away from her Grandmother.
 If I was a more spiritual man back then I should have heeded the signs and turned straight back. On moving day, a friend of Vanya's dad came to collect us both and a van full of possesions. We had reached Didcot on the A34 when his van broke down. The RAC were then called, The breakdown lorry that was sent out to us only got as far as the Northampton turning on the M40 before that too gave up. I'm sure someone was trying to tell me something!!
We finally arrived at 11pm, a mere 9 hours after setting out.
 After a few days in Dudley, Vanya was taken ill, at which point the doctor told us we were expecting a baby!!!! It was then that things started to go
wrong. On the day I managed to get a job, Vanya aksed for some space, it was also then that she started to see the sales rep for her Dad's firm!
So with that I moved to a friends house in Newbury, I was unable to to go back to Andover for the silly reason, PRIDE!! (c'mon I was young)
 Whilst I was away, Vanya was taken into hospital after a fall at her family home. She confirmed that she had lost the baby (due to her previous problems with
substances, The doctors were not sure her body would have supported the baby for the full course anyway).
Needless to say I never returned to the Midlands.
My life was in tatters at this stage - No Job, No baby and seemly no big future.
This album raised my spirits as it seemed to reflect what was happening to me and just gave me encouragment to pull myself together.
'Homesick' I interpreted as breaking away from the situation with Vanya, 'Get On Out' as well just spoke to me.
Just re-listening to this for this blog stirs up so much. If you've never listened to this beyond 'Runaway Train' give it a try.
I also want to thank my friends that took time out to support me back then Paul, Karen, Sarah, Dougal, my brother John
and anyone else that I haven't mentioned from both Andover & Newbury.