Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction — High Priest Of Love

Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction -- High Priest Of Love

• Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction
• Title: High Priest Of Love
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Bought it when I was working at Mother’s Record & Tapes in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This EP came out at just the right time for me. There was a dearth of heavy guitar rock, at least any that I could stand to listen to. I’m not saying these guys are smart, but they are smart-assed. And that makes the otherwise completely sleazy lyrics funny. Get a load of these song titles: High Priest of Love, Hymn of The Speed Kings, High Heel Heaven, Kick Start Me For Love, etc.

There are only six songs in all and it sounds like they could barely pull those off, not that they can’t play. It’s just that this kind of rock and roll chaos clearly could be sustained much longer. This is not the most important music ever made, but it sure was fun.

X — Los Angeles

X -- Los Angeles

• Artist: X
• Title: Los Angeles
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy / Mary – We both had copies.
• Acquired: 1980 – ? We were barely in high school. Who knows where we got them?
• Keeper: Yes

“X” – Possibly, nay, probably the coolest band name ever. And the title of the first track on the album is also excellent — “You’re Phone’s Off The Hook, But You’re Not.”

I’ll keep it short and just say that this album is as good as it can be. It was only the beginning for a group that was/is as important as any band ever was.

Do yourself a favor and get all of their records. Also check out these movies:

• The Decline of Western Civilization
• X – The Unheard Music

Steve Vai — Passion And Warfare

Steve Vai -- Passion And Warfare

• Artist: Steve Vai
• Title: Passion And Warfare
• Year: 1990
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1990 – Bought it for myself at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This isn’t the only Steve Vai record I own, but for some reason it’s the only one I can find. Hmm.

I love being witness greatness, and Vai is certainly a tremendous guitarist. Like most guitar hero albums this isn’t the kind of record you want to play often. The songs serve as vehicles for the guitar showmanship. Unless you’re a guitar hero or wannabe yourself, music is more enjoyable when the solos serve the songs.

That said, Steve Vai’s work is much more about the music than just the intense solos than, say, Joe Satriani. It’s also a lot weirder.

MC5 — Kick Out The Jams

• Artist: MC5
• Title: Kick Out The Jams
• Year: 1969
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1984 ? Maybe later. I think I might have bought it in the UK, even though it was a US release, and that would be dumb.
• Keeper: Yes

“Kick Out The Jams…” No, not that one, unfortunately. I have a later release where the offensive, to some, language was replaced with “brothers and sisters.” It’s a laughably clumsy sounding edit to boot. The voices have completely different room sounds. But at least my version has the gloriously Metallic/Psychedelic gatefold album cover.

Everybody knows the title track, but my favorite may just be the show opener on this in-concert record, “Rambling Rose.” The whole record/show is so intense and frenzied, so heavy at times, it’s hard to believe it happened in 1969. Thank God it did.

I Love You – Live

• Artist: I Love You
• Title: Live
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Promo we got at our store RIP Records.
• Keeper: Yes

This is an EP. The word we got from the label rep was this EP was intended to create some buzz about the band, similar to how Guns & Roses was hyped. These guys are nothing like GNR. They are more of a straight-up riff rock band not unlike a lot of the hard rock coming out of the northwest at this time. Please don’t call it “grunge” kids. I have no idea where these cats were from.

Four originals and one solid cover of Cream’s “SWLABR.”