Metallica — Master of Puppets

• Artist: Metallica
• Title: Master of Puppets
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Probably when I worked at Mother’s Records
• Keeper: Yes

The great one from the great ones. Some, people smarter than me that is, consider this the greatest heavy metal album of all time. I wouldn’t argue with that.

I was listening to Rodrigo y Gabriela‘s version of Metallica’s “Orion” this Saturday and decided I should play the original, which ended up turning into a Metallica history lesson for my son Mars. Then, coincidentally on Sunday I got another, and unexpected, dose of Master of Puppets. We were at our kids’ music recital where most of the tunes were seasonally-correct holiday stuff. But then this one middle-school-age-looking youngster came up to play the title track, “Master of Puppets.” He was even wearing the t-shirt. He has the same cool teacher as my kids, and his teacher accompanied him on bass. There is nothing simple about this music. It’s intense in every way, but the kid did a solid job getting pretty far through the song then stopped somewhat abruptly before the pretty bridge and solos.

I was looking around the room at the faces of the parents and relatives wondering if anyone else in the room was getting it. As great as this music is, it’s not for everyone. And even for metal aficionados it takes some adaptation just to digest what’s going on. I’ve played “Master” more than you can imagine and I was still surprised how fast, intense and sophisticated it is when I spun it again this week. I was talking to the kids’ teacher yesterday and as he put it, “it still holds up.” Indeed. Side one alone qualifies it as a “10” in my book.

Check it out:
“Battery”
“Master of Puppets”
“The Thing That Should Not Be” (for you fans of H.P. Lovecraft)
“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”

Also worth mentioning about “Master” is that it was the last album with bassist Cliff Burton. He would die in a bus accident while on tour. OK, everybody knows that. But do you know this? Tipper Gore’s PMRC had it in for the title tack, which they apparently said was about “getting kids hooked on drugs.” Any moron could read the lyric sheet and see that the song was about the nightmare of drug addiction. I remember reading an interview with James Hetfield some time after the flare up. He might have even had to testify at a Senate hearing, can’t remember for sure. When he was asked about the whole thing he just said “people are going to believe what they want.” He didn’t need to explain anything.

Smashing through boundaries
Lunacy has found me
Cannot stop the Battery!

Lemme see those horns people!

More at Wikipedia:
Metallica
Master of Puppets

Fastway — Fastway

• Artist: Fastway
• Title: Fastway
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy and Bob
• Acquired: 2005 – Another one I got from Bob Bobala
• Keeper: Yes

Fastway was a hard rock/metal super group with members from Motörhead, Humble Pie, and UFO. Believe it or not, the then-unknown singer Dave King went on to found Flogging Molly. Believe it.

I have always loved the song “Say What You Will” but I never got around to getting the album. Bob Bob’s record collection to the rescue again. (I guess it’s just the luck of the draw but it seems like his old records are popping up more than my own lately.) Some of the songs are highly mediocre, but when they’re good they’re great. Another favorite is “Another Day.” Included with Bob’s copy of Fastway is a one-sided 7 inch with a Zeppelin-style dirge titled “Far Far From Home.” I don’t know what the story is with that song, but I dig it.

You can listen to “Say What You Will” at YouTube.

The Fastway story at Wikipedia.

Scatterbrain — Here Comes Trouble

• Artist: Scatterbrain
• Title: Here Comes Trouble
• Year: 1990
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1990 – Promo at a store I owned with my brother.
• Keeper: No

I love metal and comedy, just not combined. At least that’s true when the comedy is not so subtle, which is the case here. Scatterbrain are a group of tremendous musicians, and I’m sure their live shows were pretty fun. Here Comes Trouble is full of intricately arranged songs that no lazy bunch of slackers could ever produce, but the over-the-top jokes end up making it all seem trivial. Take a look at the liner pic below of the guys in Groucho Marx glasses. That pretty much sums up this album.

Possibly the most noteworthy thing here is the Robert Williams painting as cover art.

More about Scatterbrain.

Ozzy Osbourne — Diary of a Madman

• Artist: Ozzy Osbourne
• Title: Diary of a Madman
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy and Bob
• Acquired: 2005 – Inherited from Bob Bobala when he moved to California
• Keeper: Yes

Usually, I only post a concert ticket stub if it’s from a tour that supported the album I’m discussing. That’s not the case here, but there are some connections to my Ozzfest 2001 ticket stub and this copy of Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman. Both were given to me by my friend Bob Bobala.

Bob scored some killer tickets for the show at Nissan Pavilion. They were really close to the stage, in the shade, and not cheap. I bought Bob a shirt at the show, a lot cheaper. It was a long day of metal chaos and social observing. Black Sabbath with all the original members was, of course, the highlight; they blew everyone else away. By the end of the show we were getting pelted with ketchup packs and drink bottles by the jealous riffraff sitting on the grass, but it was worth it to see Sabbath up close.

Then, when Bob moved away he gave me quite a few records. This was one of them. I’ve always been a big fan of Sabbath but I never really followed Osbourne’s solo work. I have to admit I was kind of disappointed with the album as a whole. The big hit “Flying High Again” is excellent, but there is little else that comes close.

This was the last album Randy Rhoads recorded before he died. There’s also some interesting controversy about the credits for bass and drums. Sarzo and Aldridge pictured on the liner below didn’t play on the record.

I’m still a little surprised Bob didn’t keep this record when he moved. I’m going to take good care of it for him.

Head of David — The Saveana Mixes

• Artist: Head of David
• Title: The Saveana Mixes
• Year: 1988 (Sources don’t agree)
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Probably at our store RIP Records
• Keeper: Maybe

The Saveana Mixes is an EP by Head of David. There are three songs that were previously released on the excellent Dustbowl and one “new” one, “Bad Times.” The other three are “Bugged”, “108” and “Adrenicide.” According to this guy these were earlier recordings, that were released later. To be honest I can’t tell much difference from the Dustbowl versions save for some combat samples at the beginning of a couple songs, I think. Of these four “108” is my favorite, but I like “Bad Times” so maybe I’ll keep it.

Etched in the vinyl run off margins:

A – To Chief Medicine Wolf
B – Welcome to the New Prior Generation

Also etched in the margins (and in many other records in our collection) is “A Porky Prime Cut” on side A and “Porky” on side B. You can find out what that’s all about if you’re interested.

Head of David — Dustbowl

• Artist: Head of David
• Title: Dustbowl
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA
• Keeper: Yes

I was introduced to Head of David by the 7 inch records that use to come attached to Sounds magazine (RIP). Of the big three British music mags it was always my favorite. I still have that four song 7 inch, but I can’t remember the other three bands. I’ll post that one if I live long enough. The HOD song was “Roadkill” (maybe it was live version) and I knew immediately that I had to get some more of that. That song is also on Dustbowl, which wasn’t their first release but it was the first for me. It’s produced by Steve Albini, which is usually a good thing, and this record is no exception. The sound is huge and heavy and still unlike anything else I’ve heard. The earlier stuff is good, maybe the later too, but Dustbowl is essential. My favorite songs are “Dog Day Sunrise” and “Cult of Coats.”

Etched in the run off margins:
SHADOWS side: “Many fine Budgie riffs”
RAYS side: Tortoise enthusiasts all

Long live Head of David.

Country road, take me home… to Asheville in the morning.

Spinal Tap – Christmas With the Devil

• Artist: Spinal Tap
• Title: Christmas With the Devil
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: I have no idea…
• Keeper: Yes

I slammed so hard on my new skateboard ramp tonight that I threw up. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get out the out the door to back porch in time. The last time I threw up on the back porch I was a teenager coming home drunk from a party. (That only happened once, Mom!) So, I guess I was overdue for some porch puking. Damn, dude, it hurts. Anyhow…

I was going to post this record on Christmas, but I forgot to upload the picture before we started traveling. So, here it is on new year’s day. “Christmas with the Devil” is a very funny song from the very funny Spinal Tap from the very funny movie, Rob Reiner’s spoof that kept on spoofin’ for quite a while.

I can’t find much info about this record. According to the album notes at Wikipedia it’s rare, but both sides were added as bonus tracks to the This Is Spinal Tap CD. The “band” did a brutually funny performance of this song on Saturday Night Live that included chained elves pulling Santa’s sleigh with a Christmas tree on fire. That’s from memory. There must be a video out there somewhere, but I can’t find it.

The elves are dressed in leather
And the angels are in chains
The sugar plums are rancid
And the stockings are in flames

Christmas with the Devil!

God Bullies — Fear and Pain

• Artist: God Bullies
• Title: Fear and Pain
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 7 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Bought at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: No

God Bullies music is not for everybody. I know I got “Fear and Pain” when my brother and I had a record store, and I think I may have bought from our guy at Sub-Pop, which I realize seems unlikely since this is on another label, Amphetamine Reptile Records, and the band is from Michigan. Maybe I got it somewhere else… Anyhow, the cover art reminds me of engravings or wood cuts that I saw in a book I read about Vlad the Impaler. Fun. The song “Fear and Pain” is another number I would describe as more metal than metal. Whereas the other side, “Kick it to Sleep”, has a more familiar indy dirge feel. Kinda interesting, but I don’t need to hear it again. This one is number 304 of 600.

There’s more about the band at Trouser Press.

Head of David — ‘LP’

• Artist: Head of David
• Title: ‘LP’
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Vinyl Solution in London

I was already a fan of Head of David (Trouser Press) when I found this in a small record store called Vinyl Solution in London. This record is titled simply ‘LP’ with single quotes as I’ve typed it here. I didn’t even know it existed so I snapped it up.

If you agree with the expression “if it’s too loud, you’re too old” then be prepared to age significantly before getting through both sides of ‘LP’. No matter how young you are now, with the passing of each grinding, noisy, layered, psychedelimetallic dirge you will feel life leaking away. They are more metal than metal. If you want to hear it again then you are more metal than metal. I’m not sure how metal I am, but I guess I’ll keep it. The later stuff is better.

Etched in the run-off margins:
A — Kill ugly ron. A porky prime cut.
B — Clean up the filth.

Bad Brains — Quickness

• Artist: Bad Brains
• Title: Quickness
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – At our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA

Ah… back again to greatest band ever, Bad Brains. I know a lot of people were excited to know “Quickness” was coming out. It’s very solid record, if not as mind blowing as “I Against I.” Apparently, it was their best-selling album. Recorded in between break ups of the original band members, like a lot of their stuff, to me it feels like something is missing. There’s more hip hop, more metal, and even some reggae again, but something seems off. Maybe it’s just me. All that said, overall it is a great album. Every time I hear “With the Quickness” I want to stage dive off the couch, only the kids aren’t big enough to catch me, yet.