1344. Led Zeppelin / Presence. 1976. 3.5/5

On the back of their album “Physical Graffiti”, an album that had been released in 1975 and was reviewed for this podcast on episode 17, Led Zeppelin reached what could be regarded as their zenith on the tour that followed. The album was a huge commercial success, a success that saw their entire back catalogue to that point in time return to the album charts around the world. It also led to a review of the album in Rolling Stone magazine that said that the only bands Led Zeppelin had to complete with for the title of World’s Best Rock Band were the Rolling Stones and The Who. “Physical Graffiti” went to number one in the UK and the US, the band embarked on huge tours of Europe and the US, and finished off with five sold out nights at Earls Court Arena in London, at the time the biggest venue in England. Following this, the band went on a scheduled break, before planning to reconvene for two outdoor gigs in San Francisco in the northern hemisphere autumn.
This all went on hold in August 1975, when Robert Plant and his wife Maureen were involved in a serious car crash on holiday in Greece, where he suffered a broken ankle and his wife required a blood transfusion. With all touring put on hold to enable his recuperation, they went to the Channel Islands for eight weeks before relocating to Malibu in California. During his time in the Channel Islands Plant composed lyrics that pondered his own current position and thinking about the future. In Malibu he was joined initially by Jimmy Page, and the two decided that to fill in time when they were unable to tour that they should put together a new album. Between the two of them they put together enough material to put to John Paul Jones and John Bonham, who then joined them in the studio to rehearse that material into songs.
From here, the band relocated to Munich which the band felt had the best facilities to record in. Plant was still recovering from his injuries and so had to sing during these sessions from a wheelchair. It also meant that Page was left to take care of most of the responsibility of the production at the sessions. The entire recording was completed in just 18 days, mainly due to the fact that the Rolling Stones had the facility booked to begin their new album. The album release itself was delayed by problems with the album sleeve, and there was eventually thoughts from band and critics that the album felt rushed. Despite these thoughts, it didn’t stop the public’s anticipation for the band’s seventh studio album, titled “Presence”.

Coming from the diverse style of song on the band’s previous album, crashing straight into the 10.5 minute epic of “Achilles Last Stand” from the outset here is a strong motive. The almost immediate entry of the rollicking drum beat and Jones’s machine gunning bass guitar sets the tempo from the beginning. Plant’s vocals come out strong, and Page’s guitar is forthright without getting over complicated. His solo pieces, backed by the wonderful rhythm here is magical to the ear. The rolling tempo of the track is where it is at its best. The song features some of John Bonham’s finest drum work, he is perpetually busy in the background of the track, a leading light that continues to barrel onwards even when Page’s guitar strums and is allowed to ring out to its natural next phase. The driving nature of Bonham’s drumming is generally when Led Zeppelin is at its best, and you cannot argue that he is at the top of his form on this song.
“For Your Life” drags back to the basic blues that the band’s roots originate from, with a stop/start bass guitar riff accentuating the slower tempo of the song, and Plant’s vocals doing the same with his very best bluesy croon throughout. Page mentioned in interviews that this song was created very spontaneously in the studio, and perhaps the foundation of the track being what it is does showcase that. This is followed by “Royal Orleans”, the only song here credited to all four members. It is a short sharp burst; under three minutes' worth compared to the 17 minutes that came from the first two tracks on the album. It has a jivy attitude about, almost ‘N’Orleans’ in character, and closes out the first side of the album in an upbeat way.
The opening track of Side 2 is another of these Led Zeppelin re-arranged songs from other artists that they don’t necessarily give proper credit to. Music is full of them of course, but Plant and Page were perhaps somewhat negligent on occasions as to what credit was given in regard to writing and composing on some tracks. “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” is adapted from Blind Willie Johnson’s original from 1927. Heavily adapted mind you. This is a power based electric guitar slinging version of that standard blues slide guitar song. Page had wanted to do his own version of this song and in the process composed a new musical arrangement, while Plant then retained some of the original lyrics while also composing more of his own to suit the modern day and the rearrangement of the music by Page. In essence, it is a different song based on the original, and if you weren’t aware of the history of the track you would never imagine it was an old blues standard from back in the day. Like Led Zeppelin were able to do because of their wonderful musicianship, they manage to make a song that they spent a great deal of time managing its precision to sound as though it is an off the cuff jam session. Brilliantly, one might add. This is followed by “Candy Store Rock”, a song that was not only released as a single in the US (which failed to chart), but also one that Robert Plant in retrospect some time later would say was the ‘saving grave of Presence’. It is an interesting track that mixes vocals and guitar and rhythm, none of which truly seem to match the other. It’s tempo and rhythm seem to be trying to draw from the band’s earliest singles, the ones that drew the fans to the band, but the guitar and vocals are on a different plane entirely. “Hots on for Nowhere” actually feels as though it carries on in the same tempo and rhythm from the previous song, a guitar line that sways dangerously close to that line as well, but Plant’s vocals have been brought back into line singing in a style much more reminiscent of what we are used to. And the closing number, “Tea for One”, reverts back to the slow blues standard style that offers the band its lifeblood, here at its base level. In the same style as “Since I’ve Been Loving You” from “Led Zeppelin III”, the music very much depicts the lyrics of the song, with Plant reminiscing and brooding over his feelings about being separated from his family due to writing and recording. As with the opening track, this is almost ten minutes in length, as it slowly moves along like thick molasses down the inside of a tall glass, in no rush to reach its destination. Lovers of the blues will love this song, with Page’s interspersion on his lead guitar being a highlight.

Despite their tremendous history in the pantheon of rock music, the influence that they have had and, like The Beatles before them, the reasonably short career space with the defining number of albums released, Led Zeppelin has never been one of my favourite artists. I knew who they were, I knew those same half a dozen songs that everyone gets introduced to in their teenage years, but I was never what I would call a fan. None of my friend group really had a crush on them, and neither my parents nor their friend group listened to Zeppelin. So there was no urge or need for me to really jump into their music. It wasn’t until the release of their wonderful greatest hits package in 1990 titled “Remasters” that I really discovered their music, and though that perhaps I should look into their albums more seriously. That became a project that took many years, slowly collecting each album on the basis of where I might see it in a record store at a price that I was willing to pay to indulge in it. With “Presence”, that was some time ago, but I couldn’t tell you where or when. My Led Zeppelin collection is one that I have slowly come by, but not one that commits itself to my memory. And it can be said as a result that a lot of Led Zeppelin all seems to merge into one big melting pot when it comes to listening to their music.
Still, there was always something that stood out for me about this album, certainly compared to those that were released around this. Because those all tended to have some amount of experimentation about them, a varied variety of styles of tracks that incorporated different and exotic musical instruments that created different styled tracks as a result. But what has always struck me about “Presence” is that this is pretty much just the four boys, playing their instrument, and that’s it. Just Bonham on drums, Jones on bass, Page on guitar and Plant on vocals. And the songs are carbon copies of each other, the moods and swings and deep blues pieces all come into it. It is really just the four piece rock band, coming at you. And I really like that.
Listening to the album again this week, this has struck me most all over again. There are no keys, or the very barest amount. Plant plays harmonica where needed (something that does sound great in “Nobody’s Fault but Mine”, where Page then mimics it on his guitar). I really enjoy how the band is back to just the four and their instruments. I love Bonham’s drumming on this album, and while John Paul Jones might be a little minimised on this album I still think he combines beautifully with what is written. And Page and Plant are at their best, offering the best moments that they usually combine to do.
For me it is interesting that this is apparently the band’s lowest selling album. Does that relate to the time that it was recorded and released? Were the fans, or the casual fans, LOOKING for that diversification of the music that the band had begun to drive toward? Did they WANT the acoustic rock or the differing instrumentation that had come before this album and would again after it? Listening to this album in isolation once again this week, I find all of the strengths that this foursome possessed, and for me in their best environment. Sure it isn’t as groundbreaking as earlier albums had offered, but for me it is a refreshing return to the band they once were. As I’ve admitted Led Zeppelin isn’t one of the bands I follow with fervour. But this was and still is a terrific album.

1343. Thin Lizzy / Jailbreak. 1976. 4/5

At times when you look back on the history of Thin Lizzy, it is hard to believe that they initially came together in the very latter stages of 1969, with the first announcement of a band by this name coming in February 1970. The main trio of bass and lead vocals from Phil Lynott, guitar from Eric Bell and drums from Brian Downey had stuck together until 1974, at which point Bell left citing ‘ill health caused by the band’s lifestyle’. Now there is a metaphor I would like to have used sometime in the past. After a brief flirtation (again) with Gary Moore as his replacement, Lynott and Downey recruited two guitarists to join the band, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. This quartet became the ebst known and arguably most successful line up of the band, storming through the mid-to-late 1970’s with a vigour that revitalised the band. They released their first album together “Nightlife” in 1974, and a follow up “Fighting” in 1975. While “Nightlife” was an album where the new formation was still coming to terms with what they were supposed to do when it came to writing and performing with two guitarists, “Fighting” saw this come together is a much better package, with the composing and performance of the songs on that album feeling more comfortable and intuitive. And yet, despite this, the critics were not favourable to either album. More importantly to their record label, the albums didn’t sell either, and Vertigo Records more or less gave the band an ultimatum as they moved into the final month of 1975 – give us an album that will sell, and be popular with the masses, or your contract won’t be renewed. Tough times at the Thin Lizzy ranch, one would suspect.
With Lynott leading the writing, being involved as a composer on every track of the album, there was more input coming from the other three members of the band, each being a co-composer on one track each with Lynott, and the closing track “Emerald” being credited to all four members. It offered a more rounded feeling to the album as a result. Though, even here, not everyone was happy in retrospect. Though Lynott was happy with the choice of John Alcock as producer for the album, both Gorham and Robertson ended up being less than impressed. Both felt that the speed that the album was completed at adversely affected its quality, and that they were unable to explore their own styles on their guitar parts due to the rigidity of the recording process, and that neither was overly happy with their guitar sounds on the finished product.
Despite this, the band moved forward and released the album and single that are arguably the ones that Thin Lizzy is most remembered for, the hard rocking moments of “Jailbreak”.

Aside from the album’s two big hits, the ones that open each side of the album, there is a lot to like about the songs on “Jailbreak”. It offers a diverse range of style of songs that all add to the flavour of the opus, offering each member of the band the opportunity to showcase their wares (though obviously Gorham and Robertson don’t necessarily agree with that). “Angel from the Coast”, which follows the opening title track, is Brian Robertson’s co-write on the album, and it does incorporate the driving guitar riff as the main attraction which is masterfully filled with the deep bass sound to mirror it, giving the song the musical depth it needs. It is a brisk and breezy track dictated through the verses, and the combination of guitars in the middle of the track from Gorham and Robertson is fantastic. It flows along in a constant motion that follows up the opening excellently. This is followed by “Running Back”, with added keys and a very soul filled melody that gives it a unique sound on the album. Robertson was particularly infuriated by what was done with this track, where Lynott and Alcock brought in session musician Tim Hinkley to add more commercial elements to some tracks to produce a hit single. Those elements are very highly noticeable on this track. The original version of the song was in a blues format, with his own additions on guitar and piano, but they were scrubbed. Robertson later said that he was offended at the changes, and quoted: “I couldn't understand why they'd pay this guy a fortune just for playing what he did. Listen to it and tell me it's not bollocks.”. He refused to play on the completed version of the song, and while Lynott himself really liked the song, suggesting it was influenced by Van Morrison, Hinkley was later quoted as saying: “Robbo and Scott were not keen on it at all, but they were overruled”. Initially considered as the possible first single to be released off the album, saner heads prevailed. It does appear out of place here.
“Romeo and the Lonely Girl” follows with a similar composition though devoid of the additional features. It moves in its melodic form, again motivated by the fast strumming clear based guitar riff through the tempo of the song, that meld into twin guitar harmonies through the middle of the track. Downey’s drumming on this track is deceptively superb, often going unnoticed but easily tracks the fast paced rhythm required without taking away from the other three members and their pieces. This was apparently another song considered for single release, though Gorham was quoted afterwards as saying “nobody was overexcited about it”, perhaps due to the feeling that it does feel as though it overstays its welcome, a tricky thing for a song that is under four minutes in length.
The closing track on Side A is “Warriors”, the song co-written by the other guitarist in Scott Gorham. The difference in style comes through immediately. This SOUNDS like a guitar players song. A harder guitar riff (slightly reminiscent it must be said of ‘Massacre’) and tougher vocal from Lynott combine to get the head and feet moving again. Downey’s drumming picks up again; his kit being hit harder and driving the song forward. He leads the rhythm with Lynott to plant the base of the song early on, and leaves Gorham and Robertson to charge through with rhythm riff and duelled solos that bring the back half of the song to life, along with Downey’s superb drum rolls to complement it all. It’s a great way to close out the first half of the album, the bookended tracks here doing their job.
After the opening monster of the B side, we have “Fight or Fall”, a song that breaks that momentum and drags everything back to the reflective, slow tempo pace, giving Lynott the opportunity to fall back to his dulcet tones that he is wonderfully brilliant at highlighting in his vocals. It pulls on all of its mid-1970's imagery and musical disposition, bring a soul element back to the album that survives here without the addition of other instrumenst as was utilised on the failed single hope of “Running Back”. “Cowboy Song”, with help from Brian Downey as co-composer, does offer similar features to “Romeo” from Side A of the album, even to the point that the lyric here of “Roll me over” almost sounds like Lynott is again saying “Oh sweet Romeo” from that track. Here though, both Scott and Robbo are giving their head when it comes to their solo spots and harmony between them as well. It lifts this song above the average, and really showcases that when this foursome come together in a real hard rock scenario, utilising their talents to create the true hard rock tones of songs, that they are one of the best examples of this from this time period. The album then closes with “Emerald”, a great hard rock infusing of their Irish Celtic rock tones and the best of their hard rock entreaties. The verses and the music underneath them are some of the best of the album, with driving riffs and drum beat throughout. This song actually highlights everything great about this band, and certainly this line up of the band. As the closing number, it does complete the deliberation that this foursome, by the completion of their third album together, has unlocked what makes them Thin Lizzy, and what draws the best out of themselves and as a band.
There is, of course, the little matter of discussing the band’s two biggest and well known tracks, and having left this until the end of this review perhaps makes it seem that I am doing so deliberately so that I can fawn over their greatness and brilliance. But in truth, it was to be able to highlight the rest of the album, rather than make them the major part of this album review. Because you all KNOW “Jailbreak” and “The Boys Are Back in Town”. I shouldn’t HAVE to tell you all about them, and their place in the Thin Lizzy pantheon. Rather than rave about them, I wanted to show that this album isn’t just about those two tracks, there is more hear to discover.
And if you DON’T know those two songs... what the hell have you been doing with your life?

Thin Lizzy came to me, inevitably, through the song that propelled this album’s sales and became the band’s most recognisable song. Years of hearing it turn up on radio stations all over, whether they be the local Wollongong pop-based stations or Sydney rock-based stations, brought me a love of the track. Furthering my eventual desire to track down the band came from my exposure to Gary Moore, as his friendship and camaraderie with Phil Lynott brought us the tracks “Parisienne Walkways” and “Out in the Fields”. There were other tendrils that came to me that drew me to the band itself, but these were my strongest lures. Despite this, the closest I got to buying or hearing a Thin Lizzy studio album came from my purchase of the “Lizzy Killers” CD in 1991, which was a greatest hits compilation. It wasn’t until 2000, while watching a comedy movie that had nothing to do with Thin Lizzy, that I was finally motivated to move to getting this particular album. It was “Detroit Rock City”, a movie that talks about four kids trying to get o see a Kiss concert that night. It’s a fun film if you haven’t already seen it. But what tipped me to this album was the insertion of the song “Jailbreak” into a scene from the movie, and I thought to myself ‘wow, I’d forgotten how good that song is! I really should track it down!’ And, as it turns out, “Jailbreak” also had the one song everyone knows from the band on it, so that was a noteworthy element of finally finding the album.
OK. No doubt you have already guessed that not all of the album is awesome for me. I could pretty much side with Scott and Robbo on thoughts in regard to parts of the album. “Running Back” doesn’t work for me at all. “Fight or Fall” doesn’t work for me either. Those tracks are so far away from the rest of the album in particular, but also my own enjoyment of music, that it makes it a difficult sell. As it turns out, this is a typical thought process when it comes to almost every Thin Lizzy album for me. There are pretty much always two songs that don’t work for me on a song-by-song basis. And that does not stop me from listening to the album from pillar to post, but it becomes more obvious in this setting. On “jailbreak” in this instance, for this review, by going through track by track and describing the songs and my loves – or not - of them, these differences in opinion will come to the surface. And I say that especially here. Because I have had this album out again this week, playing it well over a dozen times, and I have enjoyed it as much as I always have. Those two songs that I mentioned as being ‘less good’ here do come up and are noticed, but as a part of the album as a whole as I am listening to it, they blend in and don’t raise any problems for me. Only when turning on the blowtorch to crack open each track individually do you get the responses I have offered.
So yes. I still love this album. I love this line up of the band. The guitars of Gorham and Robertson here are superb, they fit together so nicely. Downey’s drumming is fabulous again. And the smooth amazing vocals of Phil Lynott along with his incredible sounding bass guitaring tops off the whole experience. Is it their best album? Honestly, I don’t think it matters if you believe it is or not. There are several that could fight for that award. What matters is that, for me at least, this is where the band found their magic, and brought together a number of tracks that must be considered as their very best. Led by this one.

1342. Split Enz / Corroboree. 1981. 4/5

It would have literally been impossible to grow up in Australia and New Zealand in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s and not know who Split Enz was or know the tracks that were plastered all over the radio. It had been a slow burn in regards to the band’s popularity, building through several line up changes and eventually to the band’s fourth album in 1979 titled “Frenzy”, one that saw the band begin to move away from the band's early progressive/art rock style, towards high-energy, guitar-based power pop that they became known for, especially on the back of the single “I See Red”. This led into their next album “True Colours”, released in January of 1980. It was here that Neil Finn, younger brother of band found Tim Finn, who had come into the band in 1977, began to become more creatively involved in the writing for the album, contributing three songs including the hit single from the album “I Got You”. This, along with tracks such as “Shark Attack”, “I Hope I Never”, “Missing Person” and “Poor Boy”, brought the band’s biggest success to that point in time, with the album reaching number one on both the New Zealand and Australian charts, 38 in the UK and 40 in the US.
Looking to follow up on this success, the band began to collaborate on songs for their next album. Though Tim Finn was still the band’s major writer, penning five of the ten tracks on the new album, Neil again contributed four and keyboardist Eddie Rayner the two instrumental tracks of the album. It helped to give the album a more rounded sound and one where all of the best elements of the band were utilised.
The band’s original concept for the title of the album was give it a native name for each country it was released. Called “Waiata” in New Zealand, which a Maori term for song and singing, their idea was to have the album in each country of its release relate to a native name of that country that corresponded to song and singing. For what we can only assume are obvious reasons, the record label did not go through with this idea, and the name was retained as the title for all countries – except one, where in Australia it was named after the first nations people’s word for song and singing, that word being “Corroboree”.

The album moves off on a sure footing with Tim’s “Hard Act to Follow”, a brisk and punchy song with Tim’s vocal driving the song onwards and upwards. The bass line and keys provide the major basis of the track giving it a softer tone as a result with the guitar sitting in the background. Lyrically the song can be read in general terms though it certainly feels as though the subject may have come up when it came to trying to create an album that would be the equal of their previous effort “True Colours” which had performed so well. This is followed by Neil’s first composition on the album, “One Step Ahead”, the first single released from the album and also the song that proved the band had nothing to worry about when it came to following their previous album. Neil’s sweeter vocal fits beautifully in the softer music he composed for the song. The bittersweet melody and the emotional hesitation of the lyrics create what has become one of the band’s best known and most beloved tracks. And then the album moves into “I Don’t Wanna Dance”, a song that again picks up the pace to move out of that style, and Tim’s in his head-wobbling lyrical kind of frenzy that mimics the style of Split Enz song he produces so easily and comfortably. He sings in melancholy about the loss of his girl, and of not wanting or being able to dance without her. You can read deeper here to take more meaning from the song, but musically it offers up a wonderfully emotional aspect while still creating a song that is trying to get you to move around despite itself. This is one of the album’s best songs and one of the bands most underrated gems. The opening three songs on the album combine together beautifully in every aspect.
“Iris” is another quieter Neil Finn new wave ballad state of affairs, and is followed by “Wail” which is Eddie Raynor’s first instrumental of the album, combining the sounds of the band’s past with a modern new wave polish. The band’s art-rock roots all seem to get a chance to re-establish themselves herein Raynor’s piece, with lots of layered keys combining with a solid bass line and the interjection of guitar. The first side then closes out with Tim’s “Clumsy”, another of his songs that channel the style that made Split Enz stand out from the crowd. Its quirky nature brings back the memories of the band’s best eccentricity. Musically it touches the heights of mania, each instrument pushing tiself beyond the normal to incorporate a touch of zaniness about it, and in doing so creates a sound that is quintessentially Splitz Enz.
“History Never Repeats”, the third of Neil’s songs, opens up the second side of the album, and the brightness and energetic shine of the music and his vocals make this such an easy listen, and
“Walking Through the Ruins” has a touch of The Police about it, in the way it moves from a moody introspection to a faster and more frenzied approach, including the Stewart Coupland like drums from Malcolm Green, the bass line from Nigel Griggs and guitar from Neil Finn. It offsets against the previous track by moving through those different corridors, all motivated by Tim’s vocals that express the undertones of the lyrics. In some ways it might be tied to the era but overall it offers a great impass to the style of the album.
“Ships” is Neil’s final track of the album, one that shares a more melodic sound and offers a swaying motion that mimics the title of the track. The dual vocal of the Finn brothers comes together here beautifully to give the nautically themed song a vision that is matched by the vocals. “Ghost Girl” moves along in an eerie atmosphere, one motioned by wailing guitar set in the background to the keys and synth of Eddie Rayner. Tim’s vocals soar and wail as he rides the waves of the music presented, and produces another song here much like the previous track that does amazingly offer up a musical piece that has you imagining the images that the lyrics are offering. The album then concludes with the second Rayner composed instrumental “Albert of India” that completes another beautifully toned album from the band. The album moves comfortably along in the new wave era that had come with the commencement of the 1980’s decade, with the Finn brothers in particular taking on the movement and infusing it deep into their music on this album. The immediately noticeable tracks are the ones that appear to have been composed for a commercial setting, and they do so without affecting the quality or the output of the remainder of the album.

Growing up in Australia, Split Enz was a band that you would hear on the radio on occasions, depending on if a song had been recently released. More appropriately, they were a band that you saw on the ABCTV music program Countdown on a Sunday night, dressed up and regaled in their outstandingly garish outfits and make up, jumping around the stage and miming with intense energy and fun whatever song they were currently promoting. And that’s who they were, a fun and energetic band whose performances and songs were infectious. And in Australia and their native New Zealand, they were as popular as any other band going around.
I had copies of this album and “True Colours” and at least one other that I can’t remember now through the mists of time, and once the band broke up and the plethora of greatest hits albums came out, I definitely had that. Still do, as it turns out. The albums didn’t always all agree with me, but I still enjoyed them.
In recent times I have made an effort to try and restock my Split Enz collection on vinyl when I attend the various record fairs that now pop up around the place. This album was one of those, about a year ago, and when I first listeneed to it again I was mesmerised. There is so much on this album that identifies with the era of music when it was released. The new wave scene of our part of the world still drew on the same influences as the UK and US, and some of those sounds are definitely still here. In particular, as I mentioned here, The Police and their sound is certainly prevalent in places. But more than anything else, it is the Split Enz sound that still comes though in many places that pricked up my ears. It isn’t there on every song. Indeed, it mostly comes from the Tim Finn composed and sung songs than those of Neil Finn. Neil is already at this point in time showcasing his own style, one that he would fully develop in the band he formed after the conclusion of this band. But the combination of the two is what gives this album a terrific sound, melding between one Finn to the other, and able to do so without compromising the sound and style of the band or this album.
Over many listens again this week, I still find everything I love about this band covered here. The upbeat and positive fun tones that often cover the underlying mood of the lyrics. And then vice versa, the moodiness of the music that belies the positive lyrics. They were an incredible band, the New Zealand band (one of many really) that Australians called their own. This still stands as one of their finest albums in a loaded catalogue. And 45 years on it still has that freshness and vitality that make it worth listening to still.

1341. Kiss / Unplugged. 1996. 3/5

One of the more remarkable music stories of the early to mid-1990's, with the changes that occurred in popular music during that period, was that Kiss was still a going concern as a band in the limelight. Much of this could be drawn from their 1992 release “Revenge”, which took on a distinctly harder edge to the music, offering a sound that could mix with the direction some music genres were heading. It didn’t deviate from the Kiss template lyric-wise (something that makes it a little cringey in places in the modern day) but musically it was able to hold its own where other bands from the 80’s were struggling to find their place in the new decade. They followed this with their third live album, inevitably titled “Alive III” that covered the band on that tour, and showed they still had enough in the tank to continue their career on their own terms.
In 1995, the band released its 440-page book ‘Kisstory’, and then embarked on a Worldwide Kiss Convention tour, all day events that included massive Kiss memorabilia displays of outfits and instruments, performances by Kiss cover bands, a Q&A with the band, and a live acoustic set played by the band, which often included fan requests on the day. The whole convention tour was a smash hit with fans, and the first event even included an appearance and performance with Peter Criss, the band’s original drummer, and the first time he had performed with the band in 16 years.
Later in 1995 – August 9 to be precise – Kiss joined the list of artists who had appeared on MTV’s iconic program ‘Unplugged’, probably a given as they had been playing acoustic sets during their convention run. The surprise point of the evening however came when for the final four songs, former members Peter Criss AND Ace Frehley appeared on stage to play, marking the reunion of the original four for the first time in 16 years. According to Peter Criss, it was the success of his appearance at that first convention that brought about the idea of inviting the two former members to appear at the performance.
While this aired on MTV, it was not released as an album until seven months after the initial performance, and by that time the wheels had been slowly in motion as to where the band was heading in its immediate future. And all of this made the release of the “MTV Unplugged” album something that created a bigger splash than you would normally have expected to occur.

Here’s the thing about the MTV Unplugged show itself, along with the performances that it brought and the releases that followed it. For me, there is not a lot of relevance to it all. For a start, it’s a bit rich calling it unplugged if the guitars are still all miked up and playing through amps, in order to be able to be broadcast to the audience and recorded. Kurt Cobain famously ensured his was running through his amp to get the sound he wanted for his guitar. MTV Acoustic might have been a better title, but that also isn’t necessarily accurate either.
When this came out, I really thought that it was a stitch up, or at the very least, the next money-making idea for the band that has made a business out of doing so. And in retrospect I have had to retract that, because at the time I was unaware that they had been playing acoustic sets at their conventions, and thus this was an obvious next step.
The album contains a setlist that covers most of the eras of the band, and many songs that don’t always get a chance to shine in the live setting. All three of the opening tracks fall into this category. “Comin’ Home” is given great life, in the main from the guitaring of Bruce Kulick and the vocals of Paul Stanley, which at least draws you in to experience what else they have to offer. Gene’s “Plaster Caster” is always a great up tempo track which sounds surprisingly good here, and is then followed by “Goin’ Blind”, the Wicked Lester song that was transformed into the Kiss ballad. And if you are going to play a song like this, I guess it may as well be in an unplugged setting.
My favourite part of the album follows, starting off with “Do You Love Me?”, a great song in any setting, but it does sound particularly good on this version. Paul always manages to make songs sound good, and his attitude here is as always, the winner. Then comes a great version of “Domino” from the then current release of “Revenge”, one where Gene carries the track with his vocal. And completing this excellent trio of songs is the classic “Sure Know Something” that never fails to delight.
The third section of the album again is replete with songs that don’t often see the light of day, and while this makes this album unique and offers you a point of difference when it comes to what you hear when you buy the album, various tastes of the music may collate in a different fashion. “A World Without Heroes” from “Music from The Elder” kicks it off, and again I would stress that if you are going to compose and release a song like this, then perhaps the unplugged environment is the best option to do so. The same could be echoed for the opening passage of “Rock Bottom”, though once the song jumps into gear we get a more energetic performance from the band. Perhaps the most surprising song here is “See You Tonite” which is from Gene’s 1978 solo album, not because of the style because it makes complete sense to be found in this format, but because it was from the solo pickup era of 1978. More surprising is the epic hard focus of “I Still Love You”, one that I would NOT have expected to be here. It’s a little funny to hear the overplayed drums from Eric Singer that should be the booming belligerence of the track, here in a muffled undertone so as not to damage the situation. And rounding out this section of songs is “Every Time I Look at You”, which still sounds so much like a Def Leppard song that it is hard to disassociate itself from that sound and image. There are even ‘unplugged’ keys utilised. Except they aren’t unplugged. Ah, what a time to be alive.
The final four songs are where Ace and Peter come out to play, initially as just a four piece with Bruce and Eric relinquishing their spot and allowing the other two to move in. It allows Ace to sing “2000 Man” as his contribution, and Peter of course to sing “Beth”. Bruce and Eric then return, marking the only time ever that all six appeared on stage together, and completed the evening with “Nothin’ to Lose” which both Peter and Eric sang, and then “Rock and Roll All Nite” as the closer, with Gene and then Ace and Peter doing the vocals. It was a nice touch of nostalgia to add to an event that, to be fair, probably needed something to make it into something that drew it apart from the everyday Unplugged performance.

It may not surprise you to know that I did not rush out to buy this when it was first released. I know I watched the performance about a year or so after it was first shown, when it was aired on MTV on repeats, at a time I had cable TV and MTV was a part of it. And it was OK, but it really was at a time that I was of the belief that Kiss was winding down and that I had other bands I was more interested in following. More to the point, when you compared what was offered here compared to the performances of Nirvana and Alice in Chains in this format, there is a great deal of difference in quality. Hell, even Midnight Oil lit up the stage with their performance on MTV Unplugged, it was fabulous. In the end, what really drove me into watching this was the reappearance of both Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, which although was the shining light of this performance, had already begun to fade in a reason to watch it again, because the catalyst had become reality with the reintegration of the original four members into the reunion that included falling back into full makeup and stage gear. Like I said, it was fine, but I didn’t really need to invest in it. I did revisit it when the band released “Alive IV” which they recorded in Melbourne with the Symphony orchestra, but that was generally about it.
As it turns out, I have only just recently bought the CD of this album. It is one of my rules as such, that I must own the album that I am reviewing, and it does help to complete my Kiss collection by doing so. And when I first put it on to listen to it, I was surprised by how good it sounded. Certainly better than I remembered the concert looking and sounding from MTV. Even the tracks that I have a problem with enjoying SOUNDED really good, and the performance itself sounded great. The same problems still arise with the concept. I mean, Kiss is not an unplugged band. Even if they have songs that can be suitable in that arena, they are not that band. They need to be loud and bright and outrageous, on stage and on album. They aren’t really either of those things here. But I won’t lie to you, this has been fun to revisit. I would without doubt have listened to this more over the last two weeks than the rest of my life combined. And now that I have finished this episode, it will return to my CD shelves, where it could well sit for the remainder of my days. Probably not – there will be occasion at some stage in the future to listen to it again – but it isn’t one I’m going to consider playing under normal circumstances. It isn’t Alice in Chains after all. But I’m glad to have finally rectified a gap in my Kiss collection. That in itself makes this worthwhile.

1340. Alice Cooper Band / Love It to Death. 1971. 4/5

If you were to sit down and listen to the first two albums by the Alice Cooper Band, you would be hard pressed to believe that they would develop into the successful and popular outfit they became, both as the original band and then by Vincent Furnier as the solo artist following this. There is very little on those two albums, “Pretties for You” and “Easy Action”, that resembles the music that they eventually popularised. Those first two albums concentrated on a 1960’s psychedelic freak-rock aesthetic that involves long jam sessions in the recording studio, recorded live and brought to life in that arena. The band itself was finding its audience mainly through its outrageous stage shows and performances, something that created word of mouth and brought the crowds in. Those first two albums were by the record label owned by Frank Zappa, Straight Records, which he then sold to Warner Bros in 1970 for $50,000. It meant that Alice Cooper was now a part of Warner Bros, but only if Warner Bros wanted to keep them.
Manager Shep Gordon approached highly sought after producer Jack Richardson to produce the band’s next album, but he was uninterested in doing so, and so he sent his young protégé to do the job instead. This young producer also had little interest in producing the band, but changed his mind when he saw them perform live in October of 1970. He was impressed with the band’s rock-theatre of their gig, as well as the audience adulation they received. He went back to Richardson to convince him that he should produce this band, which Richardson only agreed to do if his protege worked directly with the band and he would oversee from afar. This led to one of the most enduring partnerships in music history coming together, that of Alice Cooper and producer Bob Ezrin. Band and producer came together and produced the single “I’m Eighteen” with the B-side “Is It My Body” which was released in November of 1970. Warner Bros had agreed that the band could proceed with an album if single sold well. On the back of this, the band and others went on a quest, posing as fans to ring radio stations everywhere and request the song be played. The result was that the song began to find traction, and eventually peaked on the US singles chart at #21, and Warner Bros informed Richardson to go ahead and produce an album.
It was Ezrin who fought with the band to have them come together in a more focused and regimented fashion. The band resisted changing their style, but it was the success of “I’m Eighteen” that helped convince them that he knew what he was talking about. Ezrin had rearranged “I’m Eighteen” from an eight minute jam piece originally titled “I Wish I Was 18 Again” to the three minute single that marked the true starting point of their career. From here, the band worked 10-12 hours a day in rehearsals to produce a collection of tracks that eschewed their past and brought forth the more modern hard rock sound of the songs that comprised the album that was to transform the way the world saw the Alice Cooper Band, with the release of “Love it To Death”

The album opens up with Michael Bruce’s musically upbeat “Caught in a Dream”, a great hard rocking track which trades off guitar licks while incorporating the melody of guitars and vocals that has the album up and running from the start. It begs the question when you first put the album on, where did this come from? It is so completely different from everything that the band produced on those first two psychedelic driven albums. This is a hard rock song, pure and simple, replete with great solo and terrific rhtyhm from the drums and bass guitar. This was released as the second single from the album, and surely had those at the time wondering the same thing. The successful early released single “I’m Eighteen” comes next, positioned nicely on the album to follow up the great tempo of the opening track. Everyone in the world knows this song. It is one of the bands best and most famous songs, and is one of the songs here that brings to the fore Alice out front playing the part of the protagonist within the song, something that proved a winner for the band here and through the future.
“Long Way to Go” once again lifts the tempo with Michael Bruce again at the helm as songwriter. Glen Buxton’s guitar solo in the middle of the track is complemented by Neal Smith’s off the rails drum solo combining to make a point of difference within the song. Dennis Dunaway’s bass line is a powerful melodic factor throughout. The influence on the change on this album from Bruce’s songwriting is significant – as is, I suspect, the influence of Bob Ezrin, in pushing the band to tighten everything they did and not warble on aimlessly and then just throw it on a record. These opening three songs on the album, that showcase how far the band has moved in a short space of time, is perhaps the best argument for Ezrin’s major influence.
"Black Juju" was the only track recorded live in the studio, in the way the band wrote and recorded their first two albums, and as such is the most similar sounding song to those that came on those first albums. Even the sinister organ from Bruce here mirrors those early recordings. At over 9 minutes it is by far the longest track on the album, with only “Ballad of Dwight Fry” also exceeding 3.5 minutes. “Black Juju” probably works here because it is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule.
The second side of the album opens with the B-side from the first single, “Is it My Body?”. Another song where Alice sings as the protagonist, this is such a simply composed song lyrically and musically, but its greatness is driven by the great bass line, the staccato strum of the guitars, and Alice’s emotional expression of his vocals. Buxton’s solo cuts through as well, finishing off the perfect short single. Great mood and energy throughout, and still one of the band’s best.
“Hallowed Be My Name” offers Alice up as the priest listening to the travails of his parishioners, though of course he is not and they are not. The jaunty style of the track gives the lyrics an offbeat character, something that this band has begun to craft to their own style here on this album, the beginning of what was to come. Alice delights in his expression, asking ‘Come all you sinners, come now in your glory, and my ears will listen to your dirty stories, you’re fighting to go up ‘cause you’re on your way down”. Neal Smith offers up a an easy to visualise scene with his lyrics here, so much so that you would thinnk that personal experience may well have been drawn into them. Lyrically this segues into “Second Coming” from Alice himself, a short sharp burst where the consequences of the previous track appear through Alice’s lyrics “I couldn’t tell if the bells were getting louder, The songs they ring I finally recognise, I only know Hell is getting hotter, Devil’s getting smarter all the time”. This is a track where you truly hear exactly what sound and style this band is going to take forward with it over the next few years. It encompasses the entire band, offering great melody, a great marching drum beat from Smith and bass line from Dunaway, while the piano keyboard outro from Bob Ezrin leads straight into the wonderfully brilliant strains of “Ballad of Dwight Fry”. And here again, it is that rhythm of drum and atmospheric bass line that makes this song. It is David Bowie-esque in its moody trance like style and even in Alice’s vocals through the early part of the song. Michael Bruce and Alice have created a song and character here that will be replicated through the ages in other forms. Alice crying insanely ‘I’ve got to get out of here!” through the middle of the track breaks this out of the standard song technique into the character of the protagonist breaking out of the song and becomng alive, away from the constraints of the song itself. This three song arc, of “Hallowed Be My Name”, “Second Coming” and “Ballad of Dwight Fry”, became the template that finally saw this band find their true calling, the music they were supposed to create, to match the stage show that would follow and be the drawcard for the live performances. But musically, for the albums, this is where it began, these three songs, but especially “Ballad of Dwight Fry”.
And then, another segue, and surprisingly – still, even after all of these years – it is “Sun Arise” that it segues into, the final track of the album. It is a cover of a Rolf Harris song, one that the band had apparently been opening their live shows with for a year. This was written by Rolf Harris, a name that sadly was sullied in his final years due to historic cases of sexual abuse, as incorporating and paying tribute to the music of the first nations people of his home country of Australia. And this is a surprisingly faithful version of the original track, and also more upbeat lyrically compared to most of the rest of the album. Indeed, it brings a nice lift to conclude the album, and album that is now seen as far more important and influential that it was on its release 55 years ago.

With so many albums released by the band as well as the artist known as Alice Cooper over the last 56 years, you get to hear me talk about my love of the artist a lot more than you probably do any other band. And though some of those episodes no longer exist – eventually to be replaced by brand new episodes as those albums come around again – no doubt many of you are still familiar with my origin story with Alice Cooper. It is the singles I remember most vividly from my pre-teen years, especially “School’s Out” and “Department of Youth” which were sung on the bus on the way home during the last afternoon of term, and also “You and Me” that Mum had recorded on one of her mixed tapes of the age. My first album that I discovered of Alice’s was “Constrictor” and “Raise Your Fist and Yell”, recorded for me by my heavy metal music dealer during my final years of high school. And obviously, from that point on, it was a time to begin to search out the many many other albums that they had released.
The original run of albums by the original Alice Cooper Band came almost in a block, or a couple of blocks at least. And the first two stand out apart from the next five because they are so different, and very much of their own era. And when you listen to those two albums, and then put this album on, the third released by the band, you are immediately hit by the massive difference of style of music, structure of song, but the sheer leap in professionalism of the album. These songs are a mile in front of their predecessors. They are tight and driven, musically adept with the twin guitars and the rhythm of the bass and drums, and in Alice’s vocals they have a purpose at last. Getting this album on its release, having only had those first two albums, must have been a blast, a really defining moment in the love of the band.
Even over this past couple of weeks, when I have put the album back on again, I still notice the true first visit from the Alice Cooper Band. From the opening of the first song, there is still that momentous coming together of the five members of the band that makes this era so special. And the excellence of the album is still immediately noticeable. This is one of those albums where there are the three songs that are very well known that make their presence felt when they come on, those being “I’m Eighteen”, “Is it My Body” and “Ballad of Dwight Fry”, but the quality of the surrounding tracks is still so important. “Caught in a Dream”, “Long Way to Go”, “Second Coming” and “Sun Arise” all help to keep this album forward in your mindset while listening. And the variety of the songwriters on this album is not compromised by that. Each has a contribution to make, and each seems to slip seamlessly into the mood of the album throughout. And without a doubt, this is at least partially due to the arrival of Bob Ezrin on the scene, as he would showcase over the next half a century.
This still ranks as a landmark album. It took Alice Cooper into the charts, reaching #35 on the US charts and #28 in the UK. It became the catalyst for what was to come, in all of its shapes and forms. The tour that followed cemented this and the band’s reputation. “Love it To Death” is still an album everyone should listen to once. It is a fun and enjoyable ride.