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Category: Observations and Musings

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Ace Frehley and Kiss: The Tom Snyder Interview – Halloween 1979

Green and Black Music3 Comments

On Halloween night in 1979, Kiss appeared on the nationally syndicated The Tomorrow Show. Almost immediately, a clearly inebriated Ace Frehley stole the show. Reacting to Tom Snyder’s assertion that Gene Simmons played the “bass” guitar, Ace jokes that he is the “trout player” before schooling his amused host on the proper pronunciation of Gene’s instrument. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAmCUicx-uQ One can’t help but be taken by Frehley’s laugh. Ace is at once revealed as a jokester who saw the humor in a grown man dressing like a space alien. He couldn’t help…

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10 Punk Rock Cover Songs

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Punk bands have a long tradition of transforming well-known songs into punk rock bliss. Covering a famous hit is the perfect way to pay homage to influence. It can also be an ironic embrace of an unlikely song. As the following list demonstrates, punk versions of classic hits are pure fun! THE RAMONES – LET’S DANCE Amid songs of sniffing glue and fear of basements, The Ramones self-titled debut includes a cover of the 1962 hit, “Let’s Dance.” Although lyrically out of place, the song is easily absorbed into the…

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THE BEST/WORST ALBUM COVERS IN HEAVY METAL & HARD ROCK

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HELLOWEEN – FUTURE WORLD Based on Judge Dredd, to me, this was just a badass pumpkin with a Mohawk strumming an electric guitar. After all, it’s HELLOWEEN. Of course there’s gonna be some chill pumpkin dude killing it on guitar. He’s kind of spacey and futuristic too. Well, that’s cause it’s the “Future World” single. The music is upbeat and happy. Seriously. It makes me want to dance a happy jig and hug people. OF COURSE the album cover is gonna have a lighthearted take on the band’s ongoing connection…

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Album Art Exploration Articles Observations and Musings 

DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH: THE METAL MONSTERS OF JUDAS PRIEST

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In 1982, Judas Priest found themselves at a crossroads. Point of Entry had brought criticism from fans who thought the record suffered from commercial leanings. For their next record, the band could either continue to court radio or proudly return to their characteristic heavy sound. With Screaming for Vengeance, Judas Priest chose the latter path and created one of the strongest statements of their career. To reassure fans that the new album was a return to form, the cover needed to make a bold visual statement. The result was The…

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A Light in the Black: A Tribute to Jimmy Bain

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Jimmy Bain passed away on January 24th, 2016. He enjoyed a lengthy career working beside some of rock’s greatest talents. Bain leaves behind an impressive discography, but is best remembered as the bass player of choice for Ronnie James Dio. The two first crossed paths in Rainbow. After quitting Deep Purple, Ritchie Blackmore was determined to make Rainbow a spectacle of sight and sound. Only the very best musicians would be capable of meeting the demands of this mad architect. Jimmy Bain was chosen to round out a rhythm section…

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Rush vs. Rainbow: The Great Rock and Roll Swindle

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In 1978, Rainbow was a veritable super group carefully assembled by Ritchie Blackmore. The gatefold photo inside Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll perfectly captures the excitement of seeing these giants perform live. A festive crowd eagerly waits for the curtain to drop. A few fans even hold a banner to greet Blackmore and company as they hit the stage.   This sign has always struck me as problematic. Who makes a banner to hold up at a rock concert and decides NOT to include the name of the band? One…

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Live To Win: A Tribute to Lemmy Kilmister

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Motörhead are a part of my youth. At the time I was discovering music, promotional videos from 1916 were played in heavy rotation on Headbangers Ball. I soon purchased the album along with a copy of No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith. Yet another Motörhead fan was born. Shortly thereafter, stories of Lemmy’s pre-Motörhead existence began to reach me. The rumors that he had been a roadie for Jimi Hendrix were indeed true. I can’t imagine anything that gives more street-cred to a musician than lugging around Hendrix’s Marshall stack. Yet, there was even…

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NEVER SAY DIE! PUNK ROCK MEMORIES OF THE UNDEAD

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Look at this glorious memory that has found its way to me! This lost relic was discovered at a friend’s house. Its very presence remains a mystery. Neither my friend, nor his wife, had ever listened to The Undead. Both were at a loss to explain how it came to reside beneath the basement stairs.   Yet, there it sat. Displaced and lost, this punk rock bible had finally been found. My hosts kindly insisted that I keep it. It’s as if cosmic forces conspired to unite us. Not owning…

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Album Art Exploration Articles Observations and Musings 

TASTING IN TOKYO: SUBLIMINAL HOMOEROTIC ALBUM ART OF THE SCORPIONS

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Most of us are familiar with the eighties version of the Scorpions. In the decade before MTV and “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” the band steadily released well-received albums to an international fan base. Although these records arguably represent the band’s best work, the music is often overshadowed by their outrageous cover art. Some images were humorous while others were done in bad taste. They could also be strange. Very strange. LONESOME CROW It all started innocently. Lonesome Crow, their debut album, features a human hand towering over a scorpion. Seems…

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Don’t RUSH to Judgement: An Impassioned Defense of Caress of Steel

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Rush fans are a funny bunch. Passionate and opinionated, they love to argue amongst themselves. From Zeppelin-esque beginnings, to prog-rock glory, to misadventures with keyboards, the band simply followed their musical instincts. While most fans embrace all eras, an emotional minority clings to specific periods that they hold near to their heart. For me, this narrow connection roughly translates to 70’s Rush. True, I love parts of Permanent Waves and freely admit that “YYZ” is an indisputable work of undying perfection. Yet, to me, Hemispheres was the last great Rush…

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