Once Upon A Tape...Ace Frehley

1978

New York Grove

Rip It Out

What's On Your Mind

Wiped Out

You know you liked this.

iTunes + iPod = youListen

Once Upon A Tape...Queen - The Game

1980

Play The Game

Another One Bites The Dust

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Rock It (Prime Jive)

You know you liked this.

iTunes + iPod = youListen

Once Upon A Tape....Missing Persons - Spring Session M

1982

Destination Unknown

Words

Walking In LA

U.S. Drag

You know you liked this.

iTunes + iPod = youListen

Metallica - Master of Puppets

In honor of Cliff Burton's 50th birthday today, I will review one of the greatest speed metal albums ever written.  Cliff was killed in a bus accident while touring to promote the album.  As mentioned in an earlier review, I cut my metal teeth on this album.  I heard the title track for the first time and I remember saying to myself 'this is it'. This was my gateway drug into the heavy metal scene.  Growing up in southwest Iowa and listening to Z-92, I was never exposed to this type of music and never knew it existed.  The same day I bought my first CD player, I went to the nearest music store and bougth this disc.  After that, the flood gates opened and 26 years later, here I am.  I listen to damn near every genre of music and can't live without it.  As Frank Zappa said, 'Music is the best'.

So, back to the album.....This put Metallica on the map.  Track list: Battery, Master of Puppets, The Thing That Sould Not Be, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heros, Leper Messiah, Orion, and Damage Inc.  There is not one disappointing song on this record with each song lasting over 5 minutes and some going as long as 8 minutes.  Almost 4.5 million copies have been sold and no videos for MTV were required to increase sales.  I search a lot of used record and CD bins and this one is rare to find used.  It's just that damn good.  If you do find it, check the quality, it's probably beat to shit.  Extra info: All tracks but Leper Messiah and Damage Inc. are present on the Guitar Hero games.  Anyone that likes metal already owns this and those who don't like metal won't give a damn anyway.  Again, happy birthday Cliff.

Mortician - Domain of Death

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR OOOOOOOO, (cack-oo, cack-oo, cack-oo). RAR, RAR-RAR, RAR, oooooooooo.  BR BR BR BR GRRRR, GRRRRRRRRRRRRR! AHHHHHHHHH! OOOOOO,  OO, BRARRRRRRR. (cack-oo, cack-oo, cack-oo). RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth

This is the first studio album released by Van Halen in 14 years with any combination of the 6 current/past members.  David Lee Roth resumes his role as front-man and Wolfgang Van Halen makes his VH album debut as bassist with his dad and uncle.  According to DLR, this is “A collaboration with the bands past.  A number of tracks are based on demos and unused lyrics from the 70’s.”  At 57 years old, Eddie’s dexterity on the fretboard hasn’t deteriorated and there are a few Billy Sheehan style bass / guitar solos from father and son.  Plenty of hammer-ons and pull-offs are guaran-T-e-e-E-e-e-E-e-e-E-e-eeee-d….to satis-a-fy the guitar hero in each of us.  I think Eddie bought a Digitech Whammy pedal too.  Alex’s double-bass footwork seems to be in shape and DLR still can’t sing. (I kid….I kid…although as expected, his range has decreased a little.)  Even the high vocal harmonies that Mr. Anthony provided prior to his departure from the band are present.   

Although Tattoo was the first single released and was the #1 selling rock song on iTunes and received over two million YouTube hits in the first week, in my opinion, it’s not the best track on the record (or the worst).  Lot’s of good stuff in the ‘grooves’. (That’s a vinyl reference folks.  You know, those big round plastic things with music on both sides?)  Two options available: standard or ‘deluxe DVD’ which has acoustic versions of Panama, You and Your Blues (new), Beautiful Girls, and You Really Got Me.

4 out of 5 stars.  Well done boys!  It’s refreshing to hear a good solid album for a change and a nice booster shot in the arm for music in general.  Other bands should take notes (that’s right, I’m talking to you Nickelback). 

Zappa - Hammersmith Odeon

A 3-CD set of live unreleased 1978 recordings from London's Hammersmith Odeon, released posthumous in November of 2010.  Several of the tracks are the source of Zappa's 1979 Sheik Yerbouti. 
Track list:

1. Convocation / Purple Lagoon intro
2. Dancin’ Fool
3. Peaches En Regalia
4. The Torture Never Stops
5. Tryin To Grow A Chin
6. City Of Tiny Lites
7. Baby Snakes
8. Pound For A Brown

1. I Have Been In You
2. Flakes
3. Broken Hearts Are For Assholes
4. Punky’s Whips
5. Titties And Beer
6. Audience Participation
7. The Black Page #2
8. Jones Crusher
9. The Little House I Used To Live In

1. Dong Work For Yuda
2. Bobby Brown
3. Envelopes
4. Terry Firma
5. Disco Boy
6. King Kong
7. Watermelon ( Prequel )
8. Dinah Moe
9. Camarillo
10. Muffin
11. Black Napkins
12. San Ber’dino

Players: Zappa, Bozzio, O'Hearn, Belew, Mars, Wolf , Mann.
It comes with a balloon and party hat.  Of course it does.
Not sure what else needs to be said.
6 out of 5 stars.

Metallica - Beyond Magnetic

I'm not sure what's going on with this one. Beyond Magnetic might indicate that the four songs on this EP didn't make the cut for Death Magnetic. If that's the case, maybe they should have left them on the cutting room floor. OK. After a second listen, maybe I'm being a little harsh. Some of the rhythms and time changes are decent, but the vocals are typical Hetfield (ending every last word of a sentence with a 'eyagh'), but I have no idea whatsover what the hell he's singing about. Hammett's solos are his standard work. They sound improvised after the red light was turned on. Nothing new or flashy that I heard anyway (or much thought put into them in my opinion). Of course Master of Puppets is what I cut my metal teeth on and will always be my favorite. And Justice For All is a close second, followed by Ride The Lighting, Kill Em All, Death Magnetic and then The Black Album. It would take something really extraordinary for me to be impressed and they did that with DM. Beyond Magnetic didn't do it and I think they were trying to hard.  Blah, blah, blah, 30th anniversary, a new song every night for 4 shows.....whatever.  People don't buy concert tickets to hear unreleased songs.  Play the songs that made you famous and get to it TOOT-SWEET.  I have to be at work by 8:00.  On a positive note, Rick Rubin is a much better producer than Bob Rock, but it's just not there on this one. The only good thing is that it's only $4.99 at Best Buy. Buy it if you need it to complete your Metallica collection.  It goes right after And Justice For All if you alphabetize your collection.  However, another option for your cash would be to dig another 36 cents out of your ashtray and go get a Spicy Italian foot long from Subway.  1 or maybe 1.5 stars.  Sorry Lars.  I think you owe me 4 free downloads.  Asshole.