Van Halen — Women and Children First

Van Halen -- Women and Children First

• Artist: Van Halen
• Title: Women and Children First
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: No idea.
• Keeper: Yes

“Women and Children First” is the third album by Van Halen, and it’s brilliant, if not quite as stunning as the first two. These guys followed no rules. It’s hard to believe how eclectic this record is. “Loss of Control” sounds like Slayer for a minute or so, and this is only 1980! Then there’s “Could This Be Magic?”, which is an acoustic number that I suppose you could call old-time folk, blues, or maybe even a “standard.” I don’t know. That one includes the line “Women and Children First” which became the album title. The big hits from this record are “And The Cradle Will Rock…” and “Everybody Wants Some!!”

Have you seen Junior’s grades?

Billy Idol — Rebel Yell

• Artist: Billy Idol
• Title: Rebel Yell
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1983 — No idea.
• Keeper: Yes

I admit that I think the title track “Rebel Yell” is a great pop song, probably Billy Idol’s best. The rest of the album is not so exciting, except for Steve Stevens excellent guitar work. I read an interview with Stevens in Guitar Player magazine back in the 1980s. He said people were always asking him to “do the raygun Steve”, and everyone wanted to know how he did it. The raygun was some killer effect/trick that he did twice in the song “Rebel Yell.” Steve didn’t want to say exactly how to do it. As I remember it, he thought it was kind of lame for people to just copy it and said people should just experiment and come up with their own stuff. I agree, but you can tell me Steve. Seriously.

Priestess — Hello Master

• Artist: Priestess
• Title: Hello Master
• Year: 2006
• Format: MP3
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: On the Interweb.
• Keeper: Yes

Thanks to JT for turning me on to Priestess. This site is named after a Judas Priest song. So, odds are if the band name has “Priest” in it and the sound is heavy I’m gonna like it.

One thing that’s great about “Hello Master” is that Priestess manage to throw down the heavy riffs, change-ups, and the occassional tricky time signature without turning every song into a multi-movement jamfest. Tons of hooks will keep your feet tapping. The single “Lay Down” is probably my favorite. It’s perfectly short at barely three minutes with a great snaky guitar riff. Tidy, and rocking.

Their sound reminds me of Sugartooth, but with better vocals. And maybe a little Raging Slab or even Kyuss in there, but not nearly as weird. Priestess is definitely more pop than those those bands, but pop and heavy riffing ain’t a bad mix. I’m excited to hear something new and heavy without the usual lame Cookie Monster vocals. Frontman Mikey Heppner can actually sing!

Check out the official Priestess site to hear some of their music.

That’s right Keith, I downloaded this album.

Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction — Back-Seat Education

Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction -- Back-Seat Education

• Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction
• Title: Back-Seat Education
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – I probably got it when I was working at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

With titles like “Back-Seat Education”, “Whore of Babylon”, “Lager Woman from Hell”, and “Messin’ With My Best Friend’s Girl” if you can’t guess that this is another Zodiac Mindwarp and The Love Reaction record then you’ve probably never heard of the band. On this 12 inch single these kings of sleaze rock stay true to form, lyrically and otherwise. The main track, “Back-Seat Education”, is by far the slickest with big time production and even a horn section. It’s full of the usual Zodiac hard rock hooks. The other three, for the most part, sound like the silly dashed off ditties destined for B-sides that they are.

What’s probably most interesting is the packaging. If you look closely at the picture you’ll see that the cover is a heavy vinyl material with ridges, like you might find in the back seat of an older car

X — Ain’t Love Grand

X -- Ain't Love Grand

• Artist: X
• Title: Ain’t Love Grand
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1985 – Maybe Tracks Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

When this record came out I remember that I really loved the first (only?) single and video, “Burning House of Love.” This wasn’t quite the end for X, but in hindsight it seems that they had peaked earlier. There’s something flat about the production, or maybe it’s an overuse of keyboards that kinda takes the teeth out of some of the songs. There are also a couple songs I think they could’ve cut. Nowadays, my favorite song on “Ain’t Love Grand” is probably “My Goodness.” It’s a slow and slinky number sung by Exene that’s sounds more like classic lounge than classic punk, or roots rock.

I should’ve kept up with the band and its members over the last decade plus. I’m probably missing out on something special. So much music. So many artists. It can be hard to maintain hundreds of “relationships.” Which is the main reason I’m going through the entire record collection, one disk at a time.

Read all about X at “the official website.”

Van Halen — Van Halen II

Van Halen -- Van Halen II

• Artist: Van Halen
• Title: Van Halen II
• Year: 1979
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: ? Bought it used…
• Keeper: Yes

Oh man, the unpacking continues. But tonight I got my priorities straight and finally set up the stereo. And what was the first record to rock the house? That’s right, “Van Halen II.” Considering that we bought this house from a woman in her 80s who lived here since the 1960s I think it’s safe to say tonight is the first time Van Halen shook these walls. My daughter Paris came downstairs and said: “Mom, stop dancing. And can you guys turn it down some?” We couldn’t help rockin’ out.

As I mentioned before, Van Halen is one of a very few popular rock groups to have the guts to perform covers on their proper albums. This time they open the record with one, “(Baby) You’re No Good” by Clint Ballard, Jr. This song was popularized by Linda Ronstadt a few years earlier. My mother likes to tell a story about how my brother as a child heard Linda’s version in the car one day and started crying because that lady was saying mean things to a “baby.” Sorry G, had to tell that.

Other hits include “Dance the Night Away” and the most awesome “Beautiful Girls.” My favorites include “Somebody Get Me a Doctor” and acoustic solo “Spanish Fly.” Tonight when “D.O.A.” started with Eddie’s chunk-chunk-chunk guitar riff Mary said “that’s sooo rock ‘n’ roll.” Yes it is.

This site about Van Halen has the scoop about every song on this record.

Billy Idol — Hot in The City / White Wedding Promo

• Artist: Billy Idol
• Title: Hot in The City / White Wedding Promo
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 ? – She probably got it when she was working at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

This is just between us. I went to see Billy Idol in a concert during what was probably his first big US tour. That’s embarrassing enough, but since we’ve known each other for so long, I’ll keep going. I’m pretty sure what follows, or something similar, is what I was wearing:

• Camouflage BDU pants (probably from the local surplus store).
• Black tee shirt with the name of a local new-wave band, “The Nerve”, printed on it in neon pink, with the sleeves cut out, because I’m cool and all.
• Not sure about the footwear, probably army surplus boots or maybe Vans.
• Hair? I wish I could remember because I know it would be funny.
• And the best part… a wide black leather wristband with chrome spikes, not sissy studs, spikes!

While we were waiting in line outside, forever, a police officer apparently inspecting the line for trouble-makers saw my wristband and said it had to go. They knew. I was dangerous!

This 12 inch single has a remix of “Hot in The City” on one side and a remix “White Wedding” on the other. It was a promo, but it looks like it’s been sold a few times. Everybody knows these songs; they were huge hits. I even think they’re decent pop songs. But there is one hilarious detail to this version of “White Wedding” that isn’t on the original.

After one of the verses Billy yells “Rock… Music” and then later “Dynamite… (plus something else I couldn’t make out). ” What?!?… What?!? Did he just yell “Rock Music”? And there is a mega “delay” or echo so it’s really more like “ROCK ROCk ROck Rock rock rock… MUSIC MUSIc MUSic MUsic Music music…” What?!? Was this record intended for a non-english-speaking country? In the studio did someone say “Billy just scream the silliest thing you can think of and we’ll make it sound cool with effects”?

D.C.3 — You’re Only as Blind as Your Mind Can Be

• Artist: D.C.3
• Title: You’re Only as Blind as Your Mind Can Be
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Probably when I was working at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

D.C.3 put out “You’re Only as Blind as Your Mind Can Be” in the same year as “The Good Hex.” I think they should have taken a longer break. To me, this one just isn’t as exciting. I mentioned when I logged “Hex” that it didn’t sound too jammy despite a lot of guitar soloing. Well, this record crosses the line. I was playing it while Mary and I were packing for our big move to Asheville, and she walked in the room and said “What the?!? When does this song end?” I’ll have to admit that I too was feeling pretty jammed out by the time that song ended. That said, there are a few dittys here that totally rock out and make me want to keep it. And though much of it sounds retro, even for 1986, especially in 1986 I was happy to get my hands on anything that felt like rock and roll.

Van Halen — Pretty Woman

Van Halen -- Pretty Woman

• Artist: Van Halen
• Title: Pretty Woman
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: We’re not sure.
• Acquired: We’re not sure.
• Keeper: Yes

Ah, Van Halen, one of the few mega rock bands with enough guts to record covers and actually put them on their proper albums. Most bands tend relegate covers to b-sides or other oddball releases. Van Halen on the other hand celebrated the covers, with complete respect for the songs and the original artists, and put them out front so folks could hear these tunes again. When their version of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” came out I remember my friend Bennie, hardcore VH fan, thinking it was goofy, but I thought they rocked it solid. OK, the flipside cover of “Happy Trails” is a little goofy.

Georgia Satellites — Open All Night

• Artist: Georgia Satellites
• Title: Open All Night
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary or Tracy ?
• Acquired: 1988 – Probably Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This is way better than I was expecting. By that I mean, I like The Georgia Satellites, I just forgot how good they were. I didn’t even realize “Open All Night” was a single from their second album at first. Too bad I only have the first LP. The songs are great and so is the production and engineering. Jeff Glixman got a killer sound for this record. The flip, “Dunk ‘N’ Dine”, is also a winner. Hearing them sing about coffee and hash browns got me associating their music with breakfast food. It’s like eggs and biscuits, pretty sure to satisfy at any time of day. Guess what we had for dinner.