1303. Black Sabbath / Live at Last. 1980. 5/5

Black Sabbath the band had been stuck in murky waters for a couple of years by the time that this album came to light. Everyone knows the story of the eventual dismissal of Ozzy Osbourne from the band, the health problems being faced by Bill Ward, and the difficulty in the band really knowing what they were going to do from that point. Then there was the entrance of Ronnie James Dio, whose wonderful vocals and writing appeared to revitalise the band with the release of their ninth album “Heaven and Hell” in April of 1980. Prior to this though, the band had parted ways with their previous management led by Patrick Meehan, and had been embroiled in a long running dispute. The culmination of this saw Meehan through a different record label re-release all of the Black Sabbath back catalogue without the band’s consent. As well as this, he also owned the rights to live recordings that had been made of the band in 1973 on the tour to support the album “Volume 4”. These recordings were made with the view to releasing a live album following the tour, but this idea was abandoned when the band felt they were unhappy with the way they had come out. Six years later however, a disgruntled Meehan decided that as he had the rights to the recordings, and on the back of not only the split in the band’s fanbase in regards to Ozzy Osbourne or Ronnie James Dio being the lead singer of the band, and the fact that the new album “Heaven and Hell” had already sold very well, that he would release an album consisting of those live recordings. And so, once again, without the permission of the band, Black Sabbath had its first live album publicly released under the name of “Live at Last”.

If you are looking for a stunningly incisive review of this album, one that is full of interesting insights and dramatic revelations, then I’m afraid you are in the wrong place. That’s the difficulty with live albums, because the majority of them are very good. And this is no exception. Because the songs selected to be played on this tour that appear on this album are all very good. And the musician's performance of the band on these recorded songs is very very good. So there isn’t anything particularly enlightening that I can offer.
The songs here off “Volume 4” sound as fresh as they were on this tour. “Tomorrow’s Dream” opens up the album in a great way, even though I would love to have heard “Wheels of Confusion” as that opening. “Sweet Leaf” follows, and is particularly crushing through the middle of the song and into Tony Iommi’s guitar solo, backed by that ridiculous bass line underneath and Bill Ward’s hammering drums. Fabulous stuff, oh yeah baby! “Killing Yourself to Live” is one of the great classic Black Sabbath songs that still seems so underrated despite its obvious brilliance. It again is highlighted by Tony’s guitar with Geezer’s booming bassline running underneath, and Ozzy’s wonderful vocal lines over the top. What a great song this is, and this is a great version of it.
The “Volume 4” double up comes next though in reverse order from how they appear on that album, with the barnstorming “Cornucopia” charging through the middle of the album, and flowing into the utter brilliance of “Snowblind”, that opening solo show into the main riff – just magnificence. And Ozzy proclaiming ‘my eyes are blind but I can see’... Geezer’s lyrics are just so amazing in this song and Ozzy sings them so well. Then we have the heavy hitters from the big early albums, “Children of the Grave” and “War Pigs” either side of the album turnover. Both sound as huge, heavy and magnificent as they always have.
The medley of various pieces thrown together as a part of the wild and winding version of “Wicked World” here is surprisingly good. “Wicked World” sounds so much better here in the live environment than it does on the debut album, and the middle of the track has lots of great surprises thrown in such as “Into the Void” and “Supernaut”, and a drum solo from Bill Ward in the mix. At almost 19 minutes this alone is worth listening to the album for. Perhaps the only slightly disappointing ting about the album is that “Paranoid” is the closing track. It sounds so... simple and ineffective... compared to the wonderful and brilliant things the band has played before this. Yes, I get that they have to play it, even back then in 1973, but surely something else would have been a better set closer.

You’ve heard me say it before, and no doubt you will hear me say it again. Live albums should almost always be automatic 5/5 albums, because they contain the bands best songs in their best environment. Now, whether this is the case here given the complexities of how this release occurred is open to question. And I will once again raise another point about live albums, where I would prefer to hear the setlist as it was performed, and not chopped and changed. And that is not the case here. This album is a slightly rearranged selection of the songs performed over those two nights in 1973. Whatever the reason is for that, it doesn’t actually harm the flow of the album. Though, I guess this is mostly because I didn’t KNOW the order had been changed until four years ago, when the band released the Super Deluxe version of “Volume 4”, which contain the entire concert remastered for release. And it sounds fantastic.
None of that actually takes away from this release. As a snapshot of the band in this era it is fantastic. The band sounds terrific. Ozzy’s vocals are surprisingly good throughout, the fabulous basslines of Geezer Butler hold everything together, Tony Iommi's guitar breezes through the speakers and Bill Ward’s drumming is brutally proficient. The song selection is top shelf, and with just songs from the first four albums to choose from it just works.
I’ve had a couple of copies of this over the years, but in the last 12 months I managed to find a second-hand vinyl copy at my local record store Music Farmers in Wollongong, and that has been the version I have revisited over the last couple of days. And it is still as good as the first time I heard it. Prior to the Super Deluxe editions of albums coming out with the bonus live material, this was all we had of the original foursome recorded live, so it was always a special release. And, to be fair, it still is. If you want to hear Sabbath with Ozzy, this is still your best bet. “Reunion” is okay. The live albums from the last tour are okay. This has the lifeblood still running through it.

1300. Scorpions / World Wide Live. 1985. 5/5

By the time the Scorpions had reached the middle of the 1980’s decade, their popularity had reached a peak that they could only have ever imagined that they would ever achieve. While they had had big selling albums through the 1970’s, their surge on the back of their 1980’s album such as “Animal Magnetism”, “Blackout” and “Love at First Sting” had been on another level entirely, and their tour around the world on the back of “Love at First Sting” had seen record crowds and sales especially from the singles “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and “Still Loving You”.
In 1978, with the news that guitarist Uli Jon Roth had decided to leave the band, Scorpions released their first double live album titled “Tokyo Tapes”, one that highlighted the very best songs the band had recorded over the first five albums of their career. It acted as a nice way to conclude that era of the band. The arrival of Matthias Jabs as his replacement brought about a change in style for the band, one that saw a slightly heavier direction taken, one that not only reflected the changing tide of music early in the 1980’s decade but also to suit the arrival of the new guitarist and his style.
With the band riding the crest of that wave, the decision was made to record several shows on their tour to release their second live album. At some point, the decision was made that the album would include only songs from the albums since “Tokyo Tapes” had been released, that being the three albums released in the 1980’s, along with Jabs’ first album with the band, 1979’s “Lovedrive”. In hindsight this was a savvy move. It meant that, when listening to both of the live albums back to back, it not only gives a wonderful anthology of the band’s great songs from their first release right through to their ninth studio album, there are no repeat tracks. It gives more of the 1980’s hits a chance to get their live rendition recorded for posterity, and though at the time there was some blowback from older fans saying that the band had abandoned their earlier material, the way it was been constructed has indeed turned out to be the best format the band could have achieved.
This the band released their second live album “World Wide Live”, an album that not only showcased the greatness of the band in the live setting, but proved to be my introduction to their amazing music.

My usual spiel about live albums remains the same as I talk you through this album – that a live album should be an automatic 5/5 album, because you get the band’s best material in its best environment, the stage that it has been written to be performed on. And I can say that without question that this is the case for “World Wide Live”. It has the band’s best tracks from their previous four albums all represented, and they all sound brilliant here, in some cases maybe even better than their studio versions.
“Coming Home” is the perfect opening track for the album, with lyrics that relate the band’s feelings about its fan base, while also doubling as an allternative story as well. But simply saying that “I know for me it is like... coming home”, that brings the crowd into the show from the outset, and sets up what is to come. It’s a great song, jumping and jivy, one that brings the crowd to its feet. This crashes straight into the brilliant “Blackout”, one of the band’s best, a song that should never be out of its setlist. Klaus Meine’s vocals here set the scene along with Rudolph Schenker’s excellent rhythm guitar riff. This then enters the crawling guitar riff that opens “Bad Boys Running Wild”, another great anthemic track with a super guitar riff and singalong lyrics that offers the best of the band. These opening three tracks on the album find a great chord from the outset.
The version here of “Loving You Sunday Morning” is one of the best proof in points of live tracks that can make studio versions pop. This song, that opens the “Lovedrive” album is a terrific track in its own right, but perhaps is a slight plodder on the album itself. Here, it sparkles, with all of the great spots on the song brought to life and made all sparkly. The riff is a bit heavier, the pace is a bit faster, and it all seems to fit better in the live setting. A great track. The same can be said for the next two tracks as well. Both songs are good on their particular studio albums, but they sound better in this environment. “Make it Real” from “Animal Magnetism” and “Big City Nights” from “Love at First Sting” have more potency and a better feel all round on this album, and make the middle of the first album worthy of its content. It is topped off by the always brilliant instrumental track “Coast to Coast”, with Rudolph’s riffing throughout backed by the excellent rhythm section of Herman Rarebell’s titanic drum beat and Francis Buchholz’s metronomic bass line setting the base that makes this song so special.
The band then puts together their two enormous power ballads back to back, something that would always seem to be a dangerous thing in the live setting, chancing bringing the nights momentum to a standstill. But these are no ordinary power ballads, and Scorpions are no ordinary band. They pull this off perfectly, playing just the first half of “Holiday”, which then segues perfectly into “Still Loving You”. The way the band emotes during these tracks, musically and vocally, not only makes these a highlight, but showcases the side of the band that actually attracted a lot of fans to the band in the first place.
Not me though, because what attracted me to the band was their hard rock classics, and that is where the album heads now. “Rock You Like a Hurricane” crashes in to restore heavy loud order to the album, as anthemic as ever and a great live version. Following up is the brilliant “Can’t Live Without You”, perfectly introduced through the beginning of the song, and that bursts with energy throughout. Even when just listening to this section of the album, you can see the fun the band is having on stage while playing these songs, it is infectious. From here the drive through the back half of the album continues with Lovedrive’s “Another Piece of Meat” and on to the closing track of the gig, “Dynamite”, another song with such power and energy it takes you along for the ride. Everything the band had kept in reserve while performing their power ballad duo has been expended by the conclusion of these four tracks.
The encore starts with the quite magnificent “The Zoo”, one of the band’s best, and another where Rudolph’s rhythm riff dominates the track with its groove and perfect setting. They then bust into “No One Like You”, another song that has its highlights from the dual guitars, the delightful squeals from Matthias’s guitar complemented by Schenker pure riffing underneath holding the song together. The album and gig then conclude with “Can’t Get Enough”, including a solo spot from Matthias Jabs to remind everyone that he is still the gunslinger in the band alongside the band leader Schenker. All in all, 16 songs that remain almost unmatched in the band’s career, collected here to sit in posterity forever.

Back in the first half of 1986, I was beginning my heavy metal journey, one that mostly involved my heavy metal music dealer being asked to record me albums that he had brought up in conversation that he thought were excellent. I would find a blank cassette at home that had something on it that I didn’t want (or on rare occasions when I had some cash, I would buy new ones), and would bring them to school, and he would take them home overnight and bring them back the next day with new offerings for me to dine out on. On occasions when I had requested an album and he asked ‘what do you want on the other side of the cassette?’ I would suggest that he could put on something that he thought I might like. This occurred for me sometime during the first half of 1986, when on the back side of an album he recorded for me was the album “World Wide Live” by Scorpions – or at least, however much would fit on the space available. It was my first real meeting with the band, and I was immediately smitten. The great songs keep rolling into each other, they are upbeat and pacey with great riffs and those amazing unique vocals. Everything came together, and I caught the bug.
It would be a couple of years before I started to get the studio albums of the band, not until I began university and sought out a particular second hand record shop in Wollongong, but this album was enough in the meantime. The riffs from Rudolph Schenker, that became the mainstay of each song, were just superb. Matthias Jabs soloing and squeals and intricate pieces he kept throwing in – case in point the opening scrawling guitar to “Bad Boys Running Wild” - are wonderful, and his trademark to the band on those four albums to that point in time he had played on. And Klaus Meine’s vocals are out of this world.
For the past week my CD copy of this album has been back in my stereo, and I have relived it over and over, and it has brought back so many great memories of those school days when I was first introduced to it. It will always do that, because it is very much tied to that time of my life. And now having done that, I just want to go back and listen to the four albums that these songs were taken from and relive them as well. It is a difficult thing to rank live albums in the scheme of things. My heart tells me this is one of the best lives albums I own of any band. I am more certain that it is the best live album that the Scorpions have released. But as a vehicle to discovering the band, for me it was the perfect introduction.

1297. Gamma Ray / Land of the Free. 1995. 5/5

By 1994, Gamma Ray had established itself as a premium metal band in its own right. On the back of Kai Hansen’s departure from Helloween at the height of its fame and popularity, Gamma Ray had released three albums that built on the same writing and playing skills that Hansen had brought to his previous band, along with the screaming vocals of Ralf Scheepers that had given the band a huge lease of life. Apart from Hansen and Scheepers though, the band had had a revolving door when it came to the other band members, which gave the group the feeling that it was a solo project rather than an actual band. That was not to change after the release of the band’s third album, “Insanity and Genius”, and the tour to promote that album. This time, it was Ralf Scheepers who was providing a difficult situation for the band to cope with. For one thing, Scheepers did not live in the same city as the rest of the band, he was on the other side of the country where he lived and worked. It meant that he was only available for the band on weekends, and the travel situation was beginning to become a problem. On top of this, Judas Priest, who had been without a lead singer since Rob Halford had departed in 1991, had begun to search for a replacement. Schepers had been a life long fan of the band and was interested in auditioning for the role. All of this built steadily until it came to a crossroads.
In an interview in 1999, Kai Hansen spoke about the developing situation the band found itself in, and why it was that Ralf and the band eventually parted ways:
“There were two main reasons. One was after the first three Gamma Ray albums we said – now we want to do a really, really good album, something really killer. But Ralf was not living in Hamburg, he was living 700 km away from here. For that reason he only came up for a while for rehearsal or for the recordings. But to do an album which was really good we needed him there constantly. In years before we had been talking about him moving to Hamburg but at that time he still had a job going on...he still does and he's never going to leave it somehow. He could not really make up his mind to move to Hamburg and there was one problem with that because when we wrote the songs I was always trying to think of his voice but on the other hand it would have been a lot better if he write his own vocal lines, melodies and lyrics. When he came to Hamburg most of the times I was singing in the rehearsal room when he was not there and I was singing on my demos so it was like everything was more or less fixed and he could not really change it. We wanted that to change, therefore we wanted him to move to Hamburg, he could not make up his mind. Then we said either you do it or you die somehow you know...like putting the pistol to his chest. Well....on the other hand he had this Judas Priest thing going on. He wanted to be given a chance. I was the idiot who told him maybe for fun just try it out when it was clear they were searching for a singer because Judas Priest was always his favourite band. We were thinking about him doing the Gamma Ray album and then going to Judas Priest. All in all it led to the point where we said we'd rather split our ways at that point because it doesn't make sense to go on like that”.
With the album well underway, the band now had to find a new lead vocalist, not something that was easy under any circumstances. There was talk of the band recruiting Kai’s former bandmate in Michael Kiske to come on board, as he had just parted ways with Helloween himself. Kiske however had a major disillusionment with metal music at that time and was not seen as the best option. Several other names cropped up, but there was a consistent message coming from not only the band’s friends, but from the fan base itself. That message was, that Kai should take on the role himself. Kai had of course been vocalist and guitarist on the original Helloween EP and debut album “Walls of Jericho” before leaving that dual role to concentrate of presenting the best guitaring he could for the band. Ten years on, and he had the decision to make again. He had sung on all of the demos of the new songs because Ralf had been absent, which meant that they were all designed for his vocals anyway. Could he perform the same role once again? Would he be able to do both roles on stage? Despite some initial doubts, Kai took it on.
All that was left to do now was to record the album and get it out for the fans to decide. In a 2008 interview, Kai spoke about the importance of the Land of the Free album and what it represented:
“We made it exactly at a time point when this kind of metal was proclaimed to be dead as can be. Where it was almost like if a drummer came up with a double bass drum people would say 'ya dooga daga yourself out of here man.' Everything was ruled by Kurt Cobain and the alternative to the alternative and all that kind of stuff. So at that point we made an album like this and it went down very successful. That was cool, that was something special. I think it was the album that gave Gamma Ray the acceptance as being a band not only a Kai Hansen project”.

“Land of the Free” acts as a concept album, the age-old fight and story of good over evil, and in order to kick that off in the right way, it is necessary to create an opening track that is an epic. And there have been few better or more astounding opening epic songs to an album than “Rebellion in Dreamland”. The pure excitement of hearing Kai on vocals again rolls into the opening riff, Kai’s voice rising above it all to announce his arrival once again as the frontman, and we roll into opening verse. “Rebellion in Dreamland” builds in intensity throughout its opening, dragging you along to pick up your swords and join the march of the rebellion itself. The song itself doesn’t stick to the verse chorus verse format and is all the better for it. It is a swooning, melodic roller coaster with the pace coming in movements, the scene of the story being drawn from music that creates the magic. The guitar solos that cascade with fury down the other side of the mountain crash into the slow drifts below, into the final denouncement of “Have no fear, rebellion is here” into the climax of the track. It is a majestic way to open this album.
But there is no time to rest, because then we crash straight into “Man on a Mission” which sets off on its double time pace from the outset, a perfect follow up from the epic-ness of the opening track. Here the hero is introduced and sent off to his destiny by the band in a cracking song. Thomas Nack’s terrific double time drumming sets the pace, with Jan’s bass line rumbling like a freight train throughout. The energy of the song never lets up, but is channelled into different pockets through the song such that it is arguably the fastest and heaviest track on the album. The only time it lets up is for the 20 second spoke part in the middle of the song, before it careers off again at speed to regain its power. One of the architects of speed metal is at it again here on this song. Then “Fairytale” acts as the segue between this song and the next, a one-minute burst that channels all of energy and passion of “Man on a Misson” and pushes us directly into the next phase of the story and the album, the amazing and brilliant “All of the Damned”, with the beautiful opening bass riff to open the song, into the main guitar riff that that runs into the opening vocal stanza. Kai’s vocals reign supreme here, and the middle solo section of the track enhances the atmosphere that the whole song produces, all while describing the doubts our hero has as he moves on his way to the enemy, and seeing the faces of those that have gone before him and failed. The mood of the song showcases this in a dreamlike fashion. The conclusion of the song segues into the instrumental “Rising of the Damned”, which finishes off the opening stanza of the album perfectly, and a remarkable opening to an album.
“Gods of Deliverance” crashes back in with a great drum solo opening from Nack rolling straight into the song at great pace. It’s another anthemic drive for the band without respite, replete with harmony guitars and duelling guitar solos, thundering bass lines from Rubach, who wrote the music for the track, and another passionate delivery of vocals from Kai himself. Following on from the opening songs on the album, this song beats its chest in the same drive and passion that this album has found with its new lead vocalist. But change is afoot, because next comes “Farewell” which is the power ballad of the album, the only song composed by Dirk Schlachter. Dirk was still working on it as the band was recording the album. In many ways it stands out on this album because it is so different from the other tracks, perhaps to be expected given the different composer but also for the style of the track. Power ballads can halt the momentum of albums, and there is little doubt that it does that to certain degree here, but as fitting in the part of the tale it tells it still has its place. Indeed, it is boosted by a guest appearance from Blind Guardian’s vocalist Hansi Kursch who not only sings back-ups on the track but also the third verse of the track. Kai had appeared in a guest spot on three Blind Guardian albums prior to this, and Hansi returned the favour here. From here we burst out of the softer side straight back into the battlefront with “Salvation’s Calling” that exudes energy and drive from the outset. Rubach’s solo contribution of both music and lyrics to the album gallops out of the speakers at you with his fast-paced bass guitar driven by Nack’s double kick drumming pushing along the song at every opportunity, and Kai standing astride the soapbox delivering his vocals with increasing passion. You feel the gathering momentum of the protagonists of the story as they can feel the turning of the tide, and the song expresses it beautifully, charging all the way to the conclusion of the song.
The title track is a triumph, a raging, charging, cry of victory song titled “Land of the Free”. This is the pinnacle of the album and the story, the moment where victory is within sight. And what better way to celebrate and embellish that than with this song – heavy with fists raised in the air, with drums and guitar riff crushing from the outset, Nack’s double kick leading the charge as Kai stands at the front of the stage and cries “Grab your heart and I’ll show you the way, hold your head up high!”... and then comes the chorus, and the combination of two of the most famous and amazing voices in metal combine, with Kai joined on the highest of high harmony by Michael Kiske, the man who joined him in Helloween to take on the lead vocal role. And just for good measure, let’s throw in Hansi Kursch to help back them up. Three of the greats, all here. It blazes with even more greatness in the bridge, as the three combine again for “And when the cracks appear upon the wall, we know the moment's here to see it fall, and as the sunlight appears again in our sky, no wall (No more), no wall (No more), no wall will darken our life”. And then careering through to the end of the song, with Jan Rubach’s bass guitar going nuts over the top of the guitars, into the final chorus, and then Michael taking us out in a way only he can, to complete a just magnificent song.
“The Saviour” acts as the perfect segueing of the title track and the next, the bridge between the two, giving the album and the listeners to catch their breath for a moment, before we jump into the epic motion of “Abyss of the Void”. This tells the story of the return of the Saviour, having defeated evil and returned to be celebrated. The perfect mix of drama and celebration in the music and vocals, it showcases the terrific rhythm changes as the band switches from quiet and atmospheric to epic and energetic and back again through the song. After his wonderful cameo on the title track, Michael Kiske returns to the sole role of lead vocalist on “Time to Break Free”, and this track channels the joy of Helloween and happy guitars and Michael singing to the hilt in a joyous way throughout. With the epic moodiness of the preceding tracks, this one restores a depth of brightness to the album, with a positive vibe in both music and lyrics, and Michael projecting it in spades. To hear Kai and Michael together again here not only lifts the album but gives hope to a further revival down the track. That DID occur, but it was a long ways down the road.
And so, we come to the final track on the album, and given everything that has come before it, could there be any passion and drive left? The answer to that is yes, there can. “Afterlife” has the music written by Rubach, composed in the sessions prior to the album’s recording, but the lyrics are written by Kai, and they cut close to the heart. On March 8 of 1995, Kai’s friend and former Helloween bandmate, drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, threw himself in front of a train near their hometown of Hamburg in Germany. He had been suffering and dealing with the effects of schizophrenia for some time, and had obviously decided enough was enough. “Afterlife” was the final song on the album to be recorded, and when Kai brought the lyrics in and the band played the song, emotions ran high. Nack has said that they got the song down on just the second take, and the raw emotion of the lyrics and vocals are plain to hear even all these years later. The song is dedicated to the memory of Ingo at the end of the lyrics sheet. There is perhaps not a better tribute to have given him.

The black hole year of 1995 is one that I have had to look back on often during this new podcast, as the anniversary of years that I am basing my reviews on corresponds with all the years ending with 0 and 5. Let’s just say that I have had better years than 1995.
After the release of their third album “Insanity and Genius”, I missed Gamma Ray for a period, as I did a lot of music that was released around the same period. In fact, it wasn’t until the end of 1996, on a trip in to Utopia Records in Sydney, that I became reacquainted with them again. In fact, on this particular lunchtime, I found a truckload of albums from two bands who had slipped off my radar for a while, that being both Helloween and Gamma Ray, and they were albums that I didn’t even know existed. Helloween’s albums with their revamped post-Chameleon lineup, “Master of the Rings”, “The Time of the Oath” and the double live album “High Live” were all there and purchased that afternoon. Also with those came Gamma Ray’s “Land of the Free” and THEIR live album, “Alive ‘95”. It was an exciting trip back home on the train (only ten minutes in those days as I was living in the inner-city suburb of Sydney called Erskineville), especially as I opened each CD and read the band notes inside, and discovered that Kai Hansen was now also back as lead singer. I still remember that exact moment I discovered that news and just how excited I was. As a result, it was no contest as to which album I was going to listen to first as I burst through the door of our tiny town house in Devine Street.
When I first heard the opening to “Rebellion in Dreamland” I was blown away. Literally. It was just ridiculous how good this track was, and hearing Kai on lead vocals again was just incredible. And the album was instantly amazing, beyond anything I could have imagined. There was a certain level of disappointment over “Insanity and Genius”, and it was obvious that the problems that existed within the band that led to Ralf Scheepers moving on before this album was released were the same that that album had suffered from. Take a listen to Kai singing the songs from that album on the greatest hits album “Blast from the Past” and you will hear the difference, the way those songs were SUPPOSED to have been sung. And here those problems were gone, and it is clearly obvious how superior this album is to that one.
I cannot adequately explain how much I love this album. Why that should be the case is also difficult to explain. Helloween grabbed me from the moment I began listening to them, and it was Kai’s vocals on the EP and debut album “Walls of Jericho” that struck a chord. The songs he wrote were generally my favourites. And those first albums by the band were and are incredible. Then he left, and formed Gamma Ray, and I loved them just as much. There is just something about his songwriting and guitar playing that has a deep hold on me. And then this album came along, and he was singing again, and the album was so fast and heavy... I mean, there was just never any doubt I would love it. The great part about it is that the rest of the band are just as on song. Jan Rubach and Thomas Nack are sensational throughout, and Jan’s writing contributions are important pillars of the album. And Dirk Schlachter, who has been there from the beginning, is terrific on guitar, and soon to be on bass guitar.
So I have had this album on again for the last two weeks, but it is another album that rarely spends too long away from my stereo. 24 times I have listened to this album again at home and at work and in the car. It never gets old. It is an album that I can go to, in pure joy or in desolate despair, and it will right the ship or extend the joy even further. It is an incredible feat of songwriting and recording. When it comes to list of best ever albums and the such, it is almost impossible to narrow them down. Put it this way, if I could only listen to ten albums for the rest of my life, this would be one of the first ones I would choose. This is a masterpiece, and an album that I will go to the grave still listening to.

1271. Bruce Dickinson / Scream for Me Brazil. 1999. 5/5

By the time this album came to be released, the world of Bruce Dickinson had come full circle, and the hard work that he and his various band mates had put in over the previous six years was about to come to a conclusion that perhaps in many ways always felt inevitable.
Since his split with Iron Maiden in 1993, Bruce had experienced the ups and downs of life after the biggest ride of his career. Playing smaller venues, with less promotion and hype, hoping to build something away from the spotlight that he had been a part of for that previous decade, and on the back of albums such as “Balls to Picasso” and “Skunkworks”, discovering the pitfalls of putting your heart and soul into a project, and not getting back the unadulterated adulation you may have felt it deserved. He has commented in interviews since that he was at his lowest moment at this time, and felt perhaps he needed to start looking at another profession. Then through the help of partner in crime Roy Z and former partner in crime Adrian Smith, the rise began in earnest, with albums such as “Accident of Birth” and “The Chemical Wedding” which were lauded by critics and fans alike, and the quality of both of those albums meant Dickinson and his band were making inroads and beginning to become a force in the world of music. This, and the falling album and concert sales of Iron Maiden in that time frame, and the real possibility that that band would shrink in popularity considerably should something not be done about it, led to the announcement on February 10, 1999, that both Bruce and Adrian were returning to Iron Maiden as full time members, something that the world greeting with ecstasy and excitement. Of course, this meant that Bruce’s solo career would have to be put on hold, perhaps permanently, although he publicly stated that was not something he wanted to occur.
What it did mean was that his tour following this date could be celebrated on all fronts. A tour to promote “The Chemical Wedding” album with its amazing material, as well as celebrating the fact that soon fans would be able to hear new material and the live the reformed Iron Maiden, and the excitement that would bring. With this in mind, and as a way to give this period of his career the proper ending and send off, it was decided to release a live album from this tour, to properly give the end of this moment in time with a true reflection of the band at its peak, and of songs that may never again have been played in the live environment. And so, the show played on 25th April 1999 in Sao Paulo, Brazil was recorded for this purpose and released in the sunset of the band but the sunrise of the new dawn of Iron Maiden, and appropriately titled “Scream for Me Brazil!”.

The release of this live album had to be well conceived in order to make the most of the moment in time, and it appears there was also some discussion about what to include on the final release. Given that there were two former members of Iron Maiden in the Bruce Dickinson band, it was obvious that they would cover some of those songs in their live set list. On this tour, there were three Maiden songs each night, those being “Powerslave”, “2 Minutes to Midnight” and “Flight of Icarus”. All three songs were excluded from the final album release. Whatever decision process may have been invloved in that decision, whether it was just the fact that Bruce only wanted the bands songs on the album (which would be a reasonable action) or whether they decided against having songs from the band he and Adrian were about to rejoin so close to the reunion (quite possible) or whether it was just the time constraints on only having a single CD release rather than a double CD of the entire gig (also a reasonable action), they missed the final cut. And while it would have been great to hear those versions of those songs, it was not to be. Two other songs were also cut, those being “Tattooed Millionaire” and “Taking the Queen”.
Instead, we have 12 of the 17 songs played on that night, the first 11 songs, and then the penultimate song of the night “Road to Hell” closing out the album. And the first half of the setlist is all off the album they were touring to promote “The Chemical Wedding”. Indeed seven songs in total come from that album, a rare event when bands play live. But that was the best example of just how popular Bruce’s solo work was becoming with both “The Chemical Wedding” and “Accident of Birth”, that he and his band could play more than half of that album live and be feted for it rather than criticised. And the live versions hold up spectacularly well, being at least as good as the studio versions, and in places providing even more in the live environment than those studio versions could offer. And while those seven songs they play, “Trumpets of Jericho”, “King in Crimson”, “Chemical Wedding”, “Gates of Urizen”, “Killing Floor”, “Book of Thel” and “The Tower”, are spectacular, I can’t believe they didn’t play “Machine Men”. That for me is a missed opportunity.
Beyond that, we also getting excellent live versions of “Laughing in the Hiding Bush” and “Tears of the Dragon” from “Balls to Picasso”, and “Accident of Birth”, “Darkside of Aquarius” and “Road to Hell” from the “Accident of Birth” album, rounding out a fabulous live album.
The performances here are amazing. Eddie Casillas on bass and David Ingraham on drums excel again as they have on previous albums, while the dual guitars of Roy Z and Adrian Smith are superb. And of course, the voice him, who on this album proves he could still sing every song the same way as he does on the studio versions – and more! - the incomparable Bruce Dickinson.

Here’s my usual spiel about live albums, to get it out of the way. Live albums should be automatic 5/5 albums, because they should contain the bands best songs performed in their best environment. That is certainly the case here with “Scream for me Brazil”. It is a top shelf, top rated live album that everyone should check out.
Even more than that, this album proves that Rod Smallwood had to be very canny to protect his number one priority when it came to this situation. Because there is no doubt Bruce was in the ascendancy at this time, and this lie album is the final proof of that. Neither “The Chemical Wedding” nor “Accident of Birth” could have been written of recorded in Iron Maiden. It isn’t their style and has a different set of writers and people in charge that would not have occurred in the other group. “The Chemical Wedding” is a superior album in every respect over Maiden’s “The X Factor”. And if the status quo had remained onto another album cycle... would Maiden have survived? Would Bruce and band have gained further success? This live album asserts that the band was firing on the stage, and that this scenario was more than possible. And while Rod was probably just looking to save his longest investment by insisting that Steve and Bruce meet up and see if their differences could be resolved, he probably also saw the future and knew that the true longevity lay in Bruce, and Adrian, returning to Maiden and getting that ship righted and sailing true once again.
I bought this pretty much on its release, and it has been a gem from the first day I had it. And all of those thoughts ran through my head at the time... as excited as I was to see those two return to Maiden, and hear what the reunited band would produce, I also wondered if another Bruce Dickinson album would be just as worthwhile. We did of course eventually get another album, the Bruce and Roy written-by-correspondence effort of “Tyranny of Souls” which showed that even in that environment they could produce another great album, and of course more recently the excellent “The Mandrake Project”. In essence, we have had the best of both worlds. But this album does capture a moment in time, where this band was on a high, riding on the coattails in particular of two amazing studio albums, with the surge of momentum driving them to greater heights, and also of the butterflies of expectation of what the following year would bring with the return of Iron Maiden. All of that comes through on this album, and it is all the better for it.

1269. Deep Purple / Perfect Strangers. 1984. 5/5

The gradual falling apart of Deep Purple over a period of three years, with first lead vocalist Ian Gillan moving on, the sacking of bass guitarist Roger Glover, and the quitting of Ritchie Blackmore to form his own band, had seen time called on the so-called Mark II line up of the band, the most successful phase of the band. Despite the recruiting of David Coverdale to replace Gillan, Glenn Hughes to replace Glover and Tommy Bolin to replace Blackmore, and the addition of three more wonderful albums in “Burn”, “Stormbringer” and “Come Taste the Band”, the band struggled through tours with both Hughes and Bolin’s careering drug addictions proving a major stumbling block. Eventually something had to give way, and Deep Purple finally called it a day in the middle of 1976, with the band manager stating, "the band will not record or perform together as Deep Purple again".
Post-Deep Purple, most of the major players went on to successful careers away from the band, apart from Bolin's sad death by overdose just months after the band’s dissolution. Coverdale went on to form Whitesnake, which both keyboardist Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice joined as well and built a successful following. Paice did eventually leave in 1982 and moved on to join Gary Moore’s band. Blackmore of course went on to form the band he had left Deep Purple for, Rainbow, and they released seven albums that continued to be heavy influences on the music scene. Glover had produced his “The Butterfly Ball” album, and then eventually joined Blackmore in Rainbow in 1979. Ian Gillan formed his solo band Gillan and released five albums up to 1982, and then joined Black Sabbath as the replacement for Ronnie James Dio for the “Born Again” album in 1983. Thus, each of the five members of the Mark II lineup had continued to be in the spotlight musically.
Also in the spotlight during those years was Deep Purple. Several retrospective best of releases came out, and found both the old audience and a brand new audience ready to hear all of those great songs. Then came the live albums and the wider release of bootlegged live albums, which whetted the fans appetites even more. And it wasn’t long before promotors and other such people started to wave money around and find a way to get Deep Purple, in some form, back together. But with the relative success all of the members were achieving in other bands, there was no joy in finding a way to make this happen.
Eventually, talks began, and whispers started circulating. The Gillan-helmed Black Sabbath album had not been as successful as was hoped, and there was concern about his suitability for the older tracks by the band live. Rainbow’s search for true commercial stardom had proven hard to come by. While it always appeared that Lord and Paice were amenable to a Deep Purple reunion, it was the trio of Gillan, Glover and Blackmore that had to have a reason to return, and with their stars slightly diminished during 1982 and 1983, they appeared at least willing to talk. The announcement of the reformation of the Mark II lineup was met with great acclaim throughout the music world, with the fans looking forward to the answering of two important questions. One, could the band produce an album with the success that their albums from their halcyon days had had. Two, could the egos be put aside in the recording studio long enough to allow that to occur.

One of the more savvy parts of this album are the songs that open each side of the album. Both are the real heavy hitters of the album, and get the mood moving from the outset. The album opening "Knocking at Your Back Door" is laden with Gillan's double entendre lyrics, and others that aren't so well hidden. It's the perfect start to the new Mark II era, and the band's first album in 9 years. The organ and drum intro from Lord and Paice that leads into the opening riff from Blackmore and the subtle undertones of Glover's bass before Gillan's amazing vocals chime in to begin the song proper. Everything fits together perfectly, and while it is all a triumph it is the return of the duo and duelling of Lord and Blackmore on guitar and organ that is a true delight. "Under the Gun" has a terrific mood about it, with Gillan's doubled vocals through the verse and the chorus adding a great depth to the singing on this track. It's obvious from the start that Gillan has lost nothing in his absence from the band, and this song in particular brings to the fore that the music and sound has lost nothing from their glory days, and indeed fits into the modern acerbic perfectly, with the lyrics defining the pressure of being soldiers in war expertly brought to the surface. A passage of Blackmore's solo mimics the 'keep the home fires burning' parable, though I can' confirm if this was deliberate or not. This is followed by "Nobody's Home" which is again led out by Lord's organ riff into Blackmore's guitar and the cowbell from Paice's drums. This a jauntier song that again utilises double meaning in the lyrics and has the attitude energy about it. "Mean Streak" crashes in with drums and guitar to begin, but it is Roger Glover's bass guitar roaming up and down throughout the song that provides the main impetus of the song. He is at his best on this song, with the bass and Lord's Hammond organ creating a great atmosphere throughout, while Gillan's vocals lyricise about the well told tale of the woman with a mean streak, bitter sweet. This opening side to the band's first album with this line up in a decade is as strong as any they had put together in their first iteration.
Then comes the title track which opens the second side of the album, the star attraction, and one that is still played live to the present day. It has an amazingly haunting atmosphere throughout, again created and derived from the organ and guitar, perpetuated by Gillan's vocals, and the majesty of the tempo of the track mounted marvellously by Glover and Paice. One of the key parts of the song is that Blackmore does not perform a guitar solo, instead the instrumental passages are held together by the organ and the chugging riff. It's unusual for the band, but perhaps that is what makes it so interesting and iconic to this day. Following this comes "A Gypsy's Kiss", another of the high tempo tracks on the album. Blackmore's guitar takes centre stage on this song, with the solo break a beauty, and also a long guitar led passage that fades the song out to its conclusion. The lyrics weave between historical references and cryptic observations that make a great tale. "Wasted Sunsets" goes down a different road, a ballad of sorts in the style that Deep Purple likes to create them, introspective with a slower tempo. Painting a portrait of lost opportunities and feelings of reflection and regret, it gives Blackmore's guitar the opportunity to weep rather than showcase power. The album then concludes with "Hungry Daze", back to the height of the tempo on the album, almost middle eastern in its composition. This song is about the struggle of the band in its early days, and reflecting on the tough time it took to establish themselves. It touches on pieces of the Mark II history, with lines such as "We all came out to Montreux, but that's another song". The concluding cacophony of instruments and vocals crashes to a perfect finish, and brings to a close one of the best albums of the band's discography.

"Perfect Strangers" was released around the time I began to find my musical tastes beginning to mature and change with the times. While it was still to be just over 12 months from the release of this album to the time my conversion truly began, this album was one of the first that came to me during this initial phase. I had noticed songs such as "Black Night" and "Smoke on the Water" on compilation albums around this time, and knew of them even if I didn't know them very well. But when I was eventually handed a copy of this album by my heavy metal music dealer in early 1986, as a part of the answer to the question I asked at school one lunchtime, "Are Deep Purple any good?", I was almost immediately in love with it. The fact that this became my introduction to Deep Purple the band for me is quite significant, because it was their (then) modern iteration, and the return of the band's most well known formation, and they produced an album that, I believe, is as good as anything they produced before or since.
This album is another perfect embodiment of the amazing partnership that was the Blackmore/Lord duo. Their combination again on this album is spectacular, the swapping of solo slots between them, something that made those 1970's albums so special, is again here in spades. Lord's Hammond organ has that unique sound that immediately let's you know this is Deep Purple, while Blackmore's trademark guitar licks are again back in a form that is far more preferable than the commercial sounding way he was heading in the final throes of Rainbow. Ian Gillan's vocals top this trio, and at on point for this whole album. As wonderful as the Coverdale/Hughes Mark III and IV era with Tommy Bolin is, Gillan is the voice of Deep Purple at its finest, and these three are sensational here. Add to that the presence of Roger Glover's bass and Ian Paice's excellent drumming - both of whom are not in any way in anyone's shadow on this album - and you have a brilliant release.
I have had this playing for the past month, weaving in and out of the other albums I have been listening to, and each time I have been ecstatic to do so. I got this on vinyl... Again... A few years ago and it sounds superb on the turntable in the Metal Cavern. I have been singing along again, and being reminded of my latter high school years when I first got this album, as it always does whenever I listen to it. It reminds me of our mate who was dubbed Wagon, who continued to claim that Ritchie Blackmore was the only original guitarist in the history of music, and would always proclaim Deep Purple was the height of the music tree. I personally don't think there is a weak track on this album, from the opening strains of "Knocking at Your Back Door", to the genius that is "Perfect Strangers", from the hard rock attack of "Under the Gun" and "Mean Streak", the subtle change of "Wasted Sunsets" and the conclusion of "Hungry Daze", this is a superb album for the day.
The reunion tour that promoted this album put Deep Purple back in the spotlight and proved to be a major resurgence for the band and its members. Though the road remained rocky, even after the years where they had been apart, the 1980's would prove to be a time of stability and success that surely none of them could ever have dreamed of.

1267. Yngwie Malmsteen / Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad. 1989. 5/5

Yngwie Malmsteen, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, or Yngwie J. Malmsten’s Rising Force, or any of the other names that Yngwie has released his albums under over the last 40 years, had been on a hot steak from the time that their eponymous guitar prodigy had moved on from stints in bands such as Steeler and Alcatrazz and struck out on his own with his own band in tow. After three amazing albums in “Rising Force”, “Marching Out” and “Trilogy”, he had teamed up with lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner to produce the “Odyssey” album, one where the band gained their first charted single, and continued with rising album sales across the world. So, what comes next after you see a constant rise in popularity? Well, you go out and record a live album, don’t you? To showcase how good your band sounds on stage, and hopefully also bring in more fans to your music and have them consider buying tickets to your concerts as well.
The album was recorded during the band’s gigs in Leningrad in the old Soviet Union in February 1989 and features arguably the band’s best line up showcasing material from arguably the band’s best four albums. Over the years it has been noted often that Yngwie was a difficult person to work with, always looking for perfection, but with an ego that would also be difficult to work with. During the tour for the “Odyssey” album, on which this live album was recorded, there were reported differences of opinion between Malmsteen and Turner, both of whom felt they were the person to take centre stage. Turner should have been familiar with this given his time in Rainbow alongside Ritchie Blackmore, who was Malmsteen’s idol and another ego centric character. Despite these perceived differences, this album contains performances that do indeed showcase the best of what the Rising Force band were able to produce at that time, and as such is a terrific live album to listen to.

The album has 11 tracks to it, which offers you a taste of each piece of the Yngwie Malmsteen puzzle. The songs of the album that the band is touring on to promote are heavily featured, with “Deja Vu”, “Heaven Tonight”, “Dreaming (Tell Me)” and “Crystal Ball”, all of which are fantastic. Joe Lynn Turner gives a great vocal performance on them. The album also has some chosen tracks from the earlier albums, such as “Liar” and “Queen in Love” from “Trilogy”, and “You Don’t Remember, I’ll Never Forget” from the “Marching Out” album. The strangest choice here is the cover of the Jimi Hendrix Experience song “Spanish Castle Magic”. Sure, it is another opportunity for Yngwie to shred his way through a song by a fellow iconic guitarist, but with so much material of his own on offer to put out there to satisfy his fans, he chose to play this instead.
Then we have the instrumental, guitar riffing laden tracks that Yngwie has made his own. Two of these from the first album, “Far Beyond the Sun” and “Black Star”, are the songs that truly brought him to prominence, songs without vocals that are still just as amazing to listen to today as they were when they were released, and these live versions of the tracks are no different. Yngwie’s guitar solo spot in the middle of the set contains pieces of different various classical suites and stretches to over ten minutes. These three instrumental tracks take up a little over 25 minutes of the 65 minute album. And yes, they are important because they showcase who Yngwie Malmsteen is and what he can do. So, bravo for that. BUT... possibly, could it have been better if they had put some more actual songs onto the album to help maintain that side of the album? The video released with the same name as this album contained three further tracks, which would have added to this album immensely. “Rising Force”, “Fury” and “Riot in the Dungeons” are all terrific songs and while they were no doubt edited out to keep this as a single album and not a double, it is a shame not to have them. It is worth watching the video not only for these songs, but to see Yngwie capture the camera and the stage with his guitaring. It is something to behold.

Yngwie Malmsteen has been a part of my music life since very early on in my heavy metal existence. My heavy metal music dealer was very kind in furnishing me with those first three albums when they were released, and “Odyssey” is one that was purchased very close to its day of release. I am fairly certain that I actually saw the video of this concert before I got the album, once again with that same old metal dealer inviting me over to watch it one day. Jason Kearin certainly has a lot to answer for, or more precisely to be thanked for.
The video and album of this live release are both terrific, and had a lot of airplay back at the time of its release. At that point in time Yngwie had not toured Australia, so this was what we had to imagine just what it would be like to see him play live. And this band was terrific. The brothers Johanssen, with Anders on drums and Jens on keyboards, along with Barry Dunaway on bass guitar, do an admirable job of backing up the two stars of the show without trying to outshine them (though on the video Jens does look like he would prefer to be more in the action). Joe Lynn Turner croons and emotes through the whole set list in his inimitable style, while Yngwie himself takes the centre stage and holds it throughout.
I’ve been listening to this album again for this podcast episode, and it has been enjoyable, but I have different feelings about it now than I remember doing when it was first released. Back then I know I loved it, and spent weeks and months playing it over and over. And it is still a good album. But, unlike a lot of live albums, I found my interest waning quickly when I’ve had it on this time around. And for me now, the excess of the instrumental tracks, the Jimi Hendrix cover, all of that is a bit much. They are great, especially “Black Star” and “Far Beyond the Sun”, but if they had removed the other two and hit me with those three songs that are on the video, I would be enjoying this a hell of a lot more at this point of life that I am. Now it is an album that I could have listened to a couple of times, and been happy to stop there. But, because I am dedicated to this podcast and the episodes I produce, that just wouldn’t have been good enough. And so you have my more accurate position on this album 35 years on from its release. It sounds good, and it is more than worth a listen. But then, go back to the actual studio albums. They will retain your interest far longer than this.
When the tour concluded, the band imploded, and everyone moved on to other projects. Yngwie brough in new band members and continued on, including a tour of Australia following the next studio album. But that story must wait for another episode.

1265. Deep Purple / Total Abandon: Australia '99. 1999. 5/5

Deep Purple’s relationship with Australia has waxed and waned over the years. In the early 1970’s they made some memorable trips down under, one resulting in wild crowd scenes on the stage and heated arguments with other bands, famously with a young brash AC/DC. There was then a long period where the band was on hiatus, before their highly publicised reformation in 1984 of the Mark II lineup, which resulted in the hit album “Perfect Strangers”. To kick off the world tour to promote their coming back together and their new album, the band started in Australia, where they met with the acclaim that the returning heroes would have wanted. And then... they disappeared again, once again forgoing the southern nation as they continued to fight amongst each other and tour the territories that were close to their residencies.
The band went through their changes, and eventually jettisoned Ritchie Blackmore as guitarist and chief instigator, completing the final sessions of the Mark II lineup. In his place came Steve Morse, and the more settled band then moved forward, rebuilding itself with the mid-1990's albums “Purpendicular” and “Abandon”. And as the decade and millennium began to wind down, the band decided to once again tour the shores of Australia for the first time in 15 years. And much excitement ensued, especially from those of us who had waited a lifetime to see the band live.
Now Deep Purple had not been reticent when it came to releasing live albums, something that continued well into the next decade. And now, for Australian audiences, they decided to record their show in Melbourne on April 20th, 1999, and then six months later they released a live DVD and a double live album of the entire show performed on that night. And what was even more amazing at that time was that it was ONLY released in Australia, so for a short space of time, only Australians were able to listen to and purchase this album. Eventually it was opened up to mail orders, and as with all things, it was eventually released worldwide. But if you are from Australia, and you bought the album when it was released, then like me you have one of the rare original release copies of this album. Which, I won’t deny, is a little special.

By the time Deep Purple came around to this tour, they had locked into their new style, one which they had been slowly morphing into even before Blackmore had left the band. They were no longer spring chickens, but they knew what their fans wanted to see. Ian Gillan had become the cool version of himself, Roger Glover continued to groove away on his bass guitar, Ian Paice could still play his way around his drumkit, Jon Lord didn’t almost tip his Hammond organ over anymore, but he was still playing it as hard as ever. And new boy Steve Morse showcased his wares without the over-the-top flair and pomposity that Blackmore had, but with a smile and a laugh and a whole lot of skill and talent. The overt energy and antics may have gone, but this band still knew how to give it all on stage to give the songs they played the majesty that they deserved.
And this meant no loss or lack of skill and expertise. Ian Gillan introduces every song in his inimitable style, and he could still hit those high notes at this stage, as is showcased here during the last verse of “Bloodsucker” in particular. The setlist contained a mix of the band’s newer tracks alongside the great old songs that they will always have to play. Showcasing their newer material in this setlist were songs such as “Ted the Mechanic”, “Almost Human”, “Watching the Sky” and “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”. Each of them sound terrific here, especially “Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming”, a modern day classic that provides the perfect example of where the band was heading with its newer music, a more contemporary sound but still with the ability to create a heavier sound when required but also be able to ride the emotions of the track. The live version here is superb.
Mixed in with this are the great songs of the band, the majority from that Mark II era, both pre and post reunion. “Bloodsucker”, “Strange Kind of Woman”, “Woman From Tokyo” and “Fireball”, alongside “Black Night” and “Speed King’ still all packed an enormous punch, and glow and sparkle in the live setting. “Perfect Strangers” with that wonderous Hammond organ opening from Jon Lord is still magnificent, and then the “Machine Head” specials such as “Pictures of Home”, one of the most underrated songs of their career, the awesome “Highway Star” which closes out the gig, and of course “Smoke on the Water”, which has an introduction guitar piece from Steve Morse where he also plays some of the great guitar riffs of all time as a part of his solo piece on stage. Overall, the set list and thus this album gives a great mixture of the old and the new from that time, and is a terrific snapshot of this line up and what they had to offer on stage.

My friends and I had waited pretty much from the time Deep Purple had toured Australia in 1984 for the time they would tour again. We missed that tour by a couple of years when it comes to listening to the band and also being old enough to find our way to a gig, so we patiently waited (well, not really) for their next tour. And waited. And waited. So when they finally made it to our shores, we were there lining up for tickets. We ended up seeing them in Sydney the night after this CD concert was recorded, so I can confirm that it is faithful to what the band played on that tour. And the best part of that was that the next day the band put up a secret show for sale, that was played at a much smaller and more intimate venue called Selina’s out at Bondi, for four days later on April 25th, Anzac Day in Australia. Fortunately, one of my best mates worked around the corner from a Ticketek office, and having sweet talked the girl at the front counter, he went in the following morning and was allowed in a couple of minutes early , and was able to purchase tickets for this gig precisely at 9.00am when they went on sale.
Perhaps the best part of that was that another of our best mates, my brother-in-law, had not been able to see Deep Purple at that first gig, and so we were able to get him the chance to see them. We DID make it a surprise, telling him that we were taking him to see the support band from Deep Purple, and not Deep Purple themselves. He finally clued in when we lined up to go in (after many schooners in the bar beforehand) and saw posters advertising Deep Purple playing there that night. And it was amazing, standing so close to these legendary musicians as they played all the hits all over again. The other memory of this concert and our best mates group was my heavy metal music dealer constantly asking when we were going to get some songs off “Burn” and “Stormbringer” and “Slaves and Masters”. Surprisingly enough, Ian Gillan was not forthcoming with any of them.
So yes, this double CD of the entire Melbourne concert of April 1999is a terrific listen. It mightn’t have the fire and power of “Made in Japan” for instance, but it has great tracks performed brilliantly by one of the great bands that has ever walked the earth. I’ve had it on again while composing this episode, and it brought back great memories again, as it always does. Whatever you may feel about the material the band produced in the second half of its career, I think you’ll find something worth listening to on this album.

1263. Various Artists / Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath. 1994. 5/5

Cover albums and tribute albums have been around for a while, and have been done in different ways, but when it comes to the true start of the GREAT tribute albums, then I think this release marks that occasion. Firstly, it’s Black Sabbath, and by the time 1994 rolled around, it had been 15 years since Ozzy Osbourne had left the band, and in many people’s eyes was the true demise of Black Sabbath the band, or at the very least the greatest era of the band. And that era was so influential to so many bands that had then gone on to bigger and better things over that 15 year period. It contains so many great guitar riffs, so many awesome bass lines, so many amazing drum fills and so many brilliant vocals. Secondly, those bands that had been influenced by Black Sabbath were coming into their own at this time, and so it was a good opportunity for them to be involved i this kind of project. And thirdly, given the time this album was released, and the constant drama that the then current lineup of Black Sabbath was going through, it was a great time to remind everyone of the great songs that the band had written and performed in their heyday.
The compilers of the album had a difficult task ahead of them with this project. Firstly, they had decided that the songs to be covered on this album would only come from that era of Sabbath from 1970-1978, the Butler-Iommi Osbourne-Ward era of the band. This was a canny move, ensuring there was no comparison across the board of that era of the band with the ones that followed with the various members and different vocalists in particular. Then they had to choose the bands who would participate in the project, and that could not have been an easy thing. A couple of the tracks that appear here had already been released by the bands who did them on their own albums, but most were brand spanking new versions of some excellent songs. And it is interesting to note, because often, cover versions cannot match the originals when it comes to their gloriousness. But there are several tracks here on this album that truly match the awesomeness of the originals...and perhaps... almost surpass them...

There are 12 tracks on this album, and for me they are all terrific. But there are some bands and artists that seem like a strange choice to be a part of this compilation. Some I think were brought in to make this album attractive to fans who didn’t really know some of the bands involved in the hope they would buy this album, and other choices also seem unusual.
For instance, the choice of Faith No More to perform “War Pigs” is a great move, given the studio version of this song that appears as a bonus CD track on their breakthrough album “The Real Thing” from 1989. It is a brilliant version of the song and very worthy of this album. But the version on here is the live version that came off their live album “Live at Brixton Academy”, and while it is good, Mike Patton’s vocals are not as terrific, mainly because he had an aversion to the song and did not enjoy performing the song live every night, and thus made a point of changing the lyrics when they did. So good but could have been far better. Then there is “Iron Man”, which is performed by the band Therapy? but with a guest vocalist... being... Ozzy Osbourne! Now, we know Ozzy hadn’t been in Black Sabbath for 15 years, but why invite back the original vocalist of the band that you are covering, to get him to cover his own song? It has always seemed like a strange decision, obviously made to get Ozzy fans in to buy the album. But what a shame not to have had Therapy? do the song and let Andy Cairns sing it! To me, that would have been just as good if not better. The version is excellent, but just sounds generic because Ozzy is singing it. Strange. And, in that same ballpark, comes the ‘supergroup’ that was brought together only for this project, the Bullring Brummies. Now for this group, Rob Halford is the vocalist, who had filled in a couple of times for the band in recent years, and his love of the songs is well known, so having him involved is great, and he sings “The Wizard” wonderfully well. But was there a need to bring in Geezer Butler and Bill Ward to play on this as well? Again, like Ozzy, brought in to cover their own work? It seems ludicrous, no matter how good it sounds, and again could only have been to draw people into buying the album. And while I understand that Ugly Kid Joe were popular at the time and on a roll, would there not have been better options out there to cover “N.I.B.”? It's a good version, but a bigger heavier version of this amazing heavy song may have worked better.
What else have we got? We have a really good version of “Paranoid” by Megadeth. Professional, clinical, everything that you would expect from this band at this time. They received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for this song. I would love to have heard them cover something that required a bit more technical playing than “Paranoid”. 1000 Homo DJs version of “Supernaut” was released by the band as a 12” single in 1990, and Al Jourgenson from Ministry really fires up this version of the track. White Zombie do a perfectly wonderful White Zombie version of “Children of the Grave”, which probably waters down the original's heaviness across the board but overall makes for an entertaining version of the song. And Peter Steele and Type O Negative perform an amazing version of the song “Black Sabbath”, that retains the doominess of the original track while adding their own stamp to this version. It is a truly original take on the song and well worth the 7 minutes plus of the length.
The album opener is one of the best versions on this album, with Biohazard absolutely crushing their version of the brilliant “After Forever”, adding a fire and brimstone to the track that has it sitting on a pedestal right next to the original for sheer brilliance. Corrosion of Conformity add their unique take to “Lord of This World”, and Godspeed’s excellent depiction of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is helped along by the appearance of another guest vocalist in Bruce Dickinson, currently on hiatus from Iron Maiden and doing his own solo gig. And the final song here is the killer, the one most people keep coming back for because of the way the band melds itself to their version of this song, and take one of the heaviest riffs ever written, and channel that through the whole song. Sepultura’s version of “Symptom of the Universe” is something to behold.

In a period when buying music – or anything for that matter – was not an easy thing to do given my circumstances at the time, this album was still one I purchased on a whim on a visit to Utopia Records not long after its release. It had all the usual banners around it proclaiming all of the artists involved and that it just HAD to be good. So I took it home and put it on... and Utopia was right. It was amazing, right from the opening 30 seconds through to the final 30 seconds. And I got so much from it, because at the point in time that I bought the album, I still hadn’t heard bands such as Therapy? And Type O Negative, who within 12 months were to be enormous influences in my life. I hadn't heard any Biohazard. And then there were the artists I knew, whose songs here are so perfect. Bruce Dickinson, Faith No More, Megadeth, Sepultura.
Not only was it eye opening – or ear opening if you prefer – for hearing these bands, but the versions of some of these tracks are amazing. Honestly, “After Forever” and “Black Sabbath” and “Symptom of the Universe” are just sensational versions here, because the bands utilised their own music style in performing them, and that’s important when it comes to cover versions of songs. You can do a note for note retelling of the song, much like Megadeth do here, and it will sound great. But the versions that will grab your attention need to have a piece of the band attached to them to make it memorable. Not all will be great versions, of course. But these ones here certainly are.
I have spent the last three weeks listening to this album over and over again and enjoying it as much as I ever did. And like I mentioned at the top of the episode, to me this was the template that was set for future tribute albums. It showed the way to go, to make a successful album of this type. Great musicians and bands, creating great versions of songs of the artist or band you want to create a tribute to. And in the long run, with most tribute albums, you will eventually get tired of the new versions, and just want to go back to the original versions created by the band and listen to them again, because they will always be the best. And that is true here, except I have never gotten sick of listening to this album. It is a gem and sit on the top of the pile when it comes to tribute albums. Perhaps it is the reverence that Black Sabbath is held in that created this album, or that the songs were so perfectly crafted by this band that covering them becomes another work of art. No matter what the reason, this album is worth checking out, for any number of superb tracks.

1259. Iron Maiden / Powerslave. 1984. 5/5

There could have been few bands in the world in the early to mid 1980’s in a better position to reach a period of dominance than Iron Maiden. They had done their time in the pubs and clubs, five years of grind and toil that saw them attain a recording contract, and then release their debut and sophomore albums “Iron Maiden” and “Killers”. Through this saw some rearranging of the furniture, bringing in Adrian Smith as guitarist, who had always been destined to find his way into the band, then Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals, whose powerful range gave the band a wider scope of songs to aspire to, along with the songwriting ability of both he and Smith, and finally Nicko McBrain whose drumming and personality completed the outfit. This line up had recorded the band’s previous album “Piece of Mind”, which had built up on the enduring success of “The Number of the Beast” and pushed on further, showcasing longer and more complicated song structures while retaining all of the characteristics which made Iron Maiden such a unique proposition in the music world at that time. Alongside the boss Steve Harris and the ever present Dave Murray, the band had toured for 8 months to promote the “Piece of Mind” album, which was completed in December 1983. They then allowed themselves a three week break (yep, that’s it) before reconvening to begin writing for the follow up album. Is it any wonder maintaining families under these time pressures was extraordinarily difficult. And this wasn’t unusual in the days of a 12-month cycle being write an album, record an album, release an album, tour the album.
The band returned to the Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas to record the album, the same place where “Piece of Mind” was recorded and that the follow up to this album would also take place.
The success of “Piece of Mind”, which had gone to #3 in the UK, #14 in the US and #17 in Australia, proved there was a marketplace for their music, and having already shown they could write fast paced and heavy singles such as “Run to the Hills” and “The Trooper”, and longer and technically proficient songs such as “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “To Tame a Land”, in order to go to another level with their music, just what could they produce for their new album that would satisfy these requirements? The answer came in the form of 8 amazing tracks that make up the album that became “Powerslave”.

 
One of the immediate impacts of this album, that if you look at the cover of the album feels so mystical and mythical, is that the first two songs heavily reference and describe war, such that when initially listening to the album you could believe that it is going to be an album all about war. And part of the perfection of the tracks is that the music of each almost makes you feel the differing emotions of the actions being drawn. The opening battle cry of “Aces High” moves from the twin guitar montage before diving hell for leather into the song at a careering pace, which barely lets up for the entire song. As with so many of Steve Harris’ composed songs, the subject takes its basis from the movie of the same name, 1976’s “Aces High” {put in some context of the movie here]. Even the screaming solos from Dave and Adrian through the middle of the song make it sound like you are watching the planes dogfight above you, rolling and turning and diving, and the pace of the song exarcebates that as well, and the conclusion you almost see two of these plavnes colliding as the final note is played. It is a sensational opening track, setting the album off in cracking style.
This is followed by the iconic opening riff of the Smith/Dickinson song “2 Minutes to Midnight”, and while the opening track speaks in a romantically yet realistic tone of the way that air fights occurred during WW1, there is immediately a more sinister sound about the following track. There is a more serious tone about the lyrics here, referencing the Doomsday Clock, which symbolises impending doom, and is set closer to midnight the faster that this approaches. The guitars are more menacing, as Bruce starts singing lyrics such as “The killer's breed or the demon's seed, the glamour, the fortune, the pain. Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain, Don't you pray for my soul anymore”. The solo section is a brooding piece as well, the tempo rising and falling, until at the end it falls into Nicko’s rising drum roll, and crashes back into the main riff, and the tone of the whole song builds to its crescendo as Bruce spits out his lyrics - “The body bags and little rags of children torn in two, And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on you. As the mad men play on words and make us all dance to their song, To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun”. It is an incredibly powerful finish to the track, one where the built up emotion spills over and crushes to the conclusion. Still just an amazing song.
After two heavy war based song lyrically, the third track takes on a different direction, with the instrumental and cleverly titled “Losfer Words”. Some have questioned why the band would place an instrumental on their album when they have the voice of Dickinson to call on, but this works really well, and does gives you the opportunity to fully concentrate on the music and musicians themselves. The middle piece of the song, with Dave soloing and Steve’s incredible bass guitaring underneath, is still an amazing piece of music.
From here the album moves into two songs that may not be about war but are certainly referencing the use of weapons. Bruce utilises his love of the sport of fencing in composing “Flash of the Blade”, where the lines “the smell of resined leather, the steely iron mask, as he cuts and thrusts and parries at the fencing masters call” is surely a reference to his own early travails in the sport. This song moves along at a quick tempo driven my Nicko’s fast rated drum beat, vastly underrated on this song in particular. Bruce’s doubled vocals through the chorus increases the energy as well, adding that extra layer. It’s a simply structured song but each part is played to perfection. This segues perfectly into the start of “The Duellists”, Steve Harris’ depiction of an old-fashioned duel. The bassline that runs through this entire song, but especially through the middle instrumental solo section that links the two lyric bound stanzas, is truly remarkable. It is the mainstay of the song, and it is no wonder the band has never played it live, because even Harry’s fingers would be bleeding at its conclusion if he did. Take a listen to this track and be amazed at what he puts into this track, that sometimes just seems to blend in so well that you don’t even notice it. It really is a remarkable piece of bass playing. The two solos played over the top sound amazing, but it is the bass underneath that provides the real superbness of the song. An underrated classic.
Opening up side two is “Back in the Village”. Now, I love “The Prisoner”, not only do I love Iron Maiden’s song, but the TV series that it is written about. So who would ever have thought we would get a sequel to that song? Well here it is, the Smith/Dickinson composition that once again returns to the eponymously named ‘The Village’ of the TV show, and we have more rollicking fun lyrically as they again canvas us with the goings on of the show. It is a rollicking ride musically, wonderfully fast paced with great guitar licks from Adrian, that incredible rumbling bass from Harry and Nicko’s drums crashing along the way. Bruce has a ball with the lyrics, both soaring and spitting as he moves through the song. It’s yet another great track with so much energy and purpose you can’t help but be transported along for the ride.
The final two tracks of the album take a different direction and are both arguably some of the finest work that Iron Maiden has ever done. “Powerslave” is Bruce’s second solo composition for the album, and fourth overall, stamping his mark on the direction the band was taking. The Egyptian theme was apparently something Bruce had been working on while on tour for “Piece of Mind” and then eventuated during the writing sessions for this album. It is an epic song, highlighted as with many of the songs here by the two bands of lyrics connected by a long solo section that allows the two guitarists to showcase their ware. Bruce’s vocals here are amazing, but for me the epic brilliance of that middle section is unmatched in all of music. Harry’s bass once again takes the reins of the music, the way he runs his fingers up and down and around the fretboard during this interlude is truly brilliant. The mood he creates here is perfect for the song, less intense than the verses and chorus have been, and amplified by the guitars of Smith and Murray, whose perfect harnessing of the mood brings it all together amazingly. The mood swings lower and higher, serene to more intense, until again the conclusion to the solo section is hammered down the slope by Nicko’s drumming to crash back into the main riff, and the song is off again. Just magnificent, and an epic track that has stood the test of time to retain its magnificence.
And yet - there is still no song written by this band, or perhaps any band ever, that is a more perfect embodiment of bringing a poem or story to life than Steve Harris’ masterpiece, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Inspired by and referencing direct lines from the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, it is a brilliantly conceived retelling of the story of the poem, with the songs going through all of the lulls and rolls, highs and lows, anguish, fear and redemption that the poem has to offer. Each part of the story has music composed to relate to that part of the tale, and while it isn’t an opera, it is a piece of musical theatre where you can see what Bruce is singing about by his descriptions and the music bringing it to life. Again, the middle section is a superbly written and performed piece, picturing the boat stranded on the lifeless sea, the dead lying around the mariner, with the spoke passage from the poem itself. This then feeds into the return of the band proper, as the mariner accepts the curse and wishes he had taken his shipmates place, as Bruce sing and the music builds, into the cacophony of his scream, and the roller coaster of guitars and drums scream down the precipice into the heart of the solo section, one of the heaviest and brilliant pieces of music the band has ever written and played. I still get shivers down my spine every time I hear this lead into the Dave and Adrian solo pieces. It is magnificent, emotional, headbanging stuff, which continues back into the verse and the end of the tale and the song. The whole song is an experience, not just the final track of the album. Maiden has a lot of long songs, that have their own tales to tell, and the majority of them and brilliant. But “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a step above them all. If Maiden had never written another album, another song, following the release of “Powerslave”, it would barely have mattered, because this album is so utterly brilliant, and this song is the crown that rests at the top.

Back at the end of 1985 I was on an end Year 10 school camp at a place called Bundanoon on the NSW Southern Highlands. For a week 50-60 of us spent that time camping and running around like the 15 and 16 year old maniacs we were and having a superb time. The conclusion of the camp was a skit concert on the final night, where all campers were asked to participate. Some of my friend group got together and pretended to be a rock band, miming to the Stiff Little Fingers instrumental track “Go for It”, and in the process enthralling the crowd so much, that at the end they decided to do an impromptu second performance. This one saw the band miming, quite well from memory, Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills”, receiving rapturous applause at its conclusion. This, as it turns out, was the first time I had heard an entire song from start to finish by Iron Maiden. I had heard one of my best friends all camp walking around humming and singing a couple of songs throughout, without knowing what they were. As it turns out, he had recently rediscovered Iron Maiden in a big way. And so, the following week when we were back at school, as I had on quite a few occasions in the past, I brought in a blank cassette, and asked him to record me some Iron Maiden for me to experience. This friend, who at this point became and remains my heavy metal music dealer, came back two days later with the album “Powerslave” for me to listen to.
That day was Wednesday 27 November 1985. It was the first day I had truly sat down and listened to a heavy metal album. It was the first time I had listened to an Iron Maiden album. More importantly, it was the first time I had listened to “Powerslave” the album. And it was captivating. I sat in my bedroom that afternoon, with my portable tape player that had just spent the past week taping my friends laughing around campfires and playing hijinks on teachers (tapes that still exist almost 40 years later), listening to this album for the first and second times in my life. And, it was surreal, that’s what I remember feeling. Because the journey of the album is quite a winding one, of battles and fights of different eras, of mythology and poetry and mystery. And that’s not an easy thing to understand and take in when you only have your blank cassette cover with the names of the songs on it, rather than the album itself. It was something that I wanted to rectify.
About six months later, on Friday 2 May 1986 as it turns out, I had completed an English exam for my year 11 half yearlies, and was faced with the prospect of either waiting at school for about four hours for the end of the school day to catch the bus home, or instead face the walk home, a journey of about an hour and 20 minutes from school. I decided on the second, so that I would at least have some time at home before the rest of the family arrived. On the way however I decided to divert into town, and take a look at Kiama’s one and only record store, Kiama Sight & Sound, just to see what was in stock at the time. And, beyond my surprise, there was a vinyl copy of Iron Maiden’s “Powerslave” in the racks. My heart leapt, and within moments I had made my purchase ($11.99 for those interested) and returned to my journey. It was warm for the start of May, and the walk home wasn’t a pleasant stroll, but the anticipation of being able to get home to listen to my new acquisition was enough motivation to keep going. And I still remember that afternoon, putting the album on my parents' stereo, and hearing it in pristine condition, holding the album and going over every centimetre of detail in both the cover design and the information contained within.
This has been a very long winded explanation of my discovery of this album, but I feel it is important, because of the momentous occasion that it was. It was my first Iron Maiden album, and first experience of both the band and heavy metal as a genre. Is it a simple and accurate statement to say that my life changed that day forever? Probably, but a more accurate one was that over the proceeding eight weeks of the summer holidays of 1985/86 my whole world changed. The album grew with me at different stages, the rollicking opening of “Aces High” and the intangible opera of “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” the first to cast me under their spell. Then came that middle solo sequence of the title track, one that is still so amazing to the present day. The urgent charging of both “2 Minutes to Midnight” and “Flash of the Blade”, driving relentlessly forward. The utter bombasticness of “Back in the Village”, and the amazing instrumental influences of “Losfer Words”. And finally, the sheer underrated brilliance of “The Duellists”, once again through that middle solo section with the three guitarists and the drummer putting together an amazingly connected interlude. Each piece of that puzzle came to me in different times, and eventually combined to become the whole, the album that is “Powerslave”.
So I wore that cassette out that I was originally given, and countless others once I had the vinyl album. Eventually came the CD as well. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I have listened to this album in my life. It is not unreasonable to guess that it was over 500 by the time I left high school and that was 37 years ago. It has been a constant companion, an album that has never lost its sheen, never lost its lustre. The writing and composition is so superb, with all contributors arguably at the peak of their powers on this album. And the performance of the music, under the brilliant production of Martin Birch, is beyond compare.
The band that my friends and I created not long after high school eventually had a crack at five of these eight songs, with a reasonably high success. “Flash of the Blade” was one of the first songs we learned and was always fun to play. “Aces High” was well received whenever it was brought out, as was “2 Minutes to Midnight”. “Losfer Words” would give the long suffering vocalist a rest during a set, while we famously debuted “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” at our mates 21st birthday party, which saw the metal heads in attendance open mouthed in awe, and the rest of the party bored to death by the end of its 15 minute journey. There’s still video footage of it somewhere.
Today, this still ranks as one of the best that Iron Maiden has produced. Discussions will always occur between people’s favourites, but in writing, music and production this album ranks at the top of the tree. The band went forth on the World Slavery Tour to promote this album, which eventually led to one of the greatest live albums of all time, “Live After Death”. It heralded a remarkable run of success for the band built on talent and hard work.
This was my introduction to this band and heavy metal. And over that timeline of 39 years, hundreds of bands and thousands of albums, I have still heard nothing that betters this album. I believe there are a number that are of the equal of this but nothing exceeds it. Is it just because it is the first I heard? Or because I lucked out on finding it at the exact right moment that I was looking for it? Believe what you will of that. As an album and a band, you would be hard pressed to argue against it. I think it is one of the best albums of any genre ever. And still my favourite of all time.