She Only Needed Some Time

Great White: 30 Years - Live From the Sunset Strip

Frontiers Records

Great White returned in March of 2012 to the Sunset Strip, the place where foundations were laid for some of the biggest selling bands of the eighties. Their goal? Record an energetic, career encompassing, live album. Goal achieved. Featuring singer Terry Ilous (whose own band XYZ were no strangers to the strip I’m sure), the band tear it up on this album.

In reviewing the band’s last studio album I probably came off harshly on terry Ilous. Honestly, I have always loved his voice but he just didn’t sound right with Great White. I think he’s a better fit on this one though, perhaps due to being with the band longer or perhaps due to the live setting. It’s anyone’s guess but he really brings it on this live collection. “Lady Red Light” is the best example, the band tear it up and Ilous’ voice brings a bluesier flavor to it because it’s not as gritty as former singer Jack Russell. 

The heavier groove of “Mista Bone” comes off well here too, featuring some guitar god style lead work that remind you what era this band comes from. The bounce of “Rock Me” gets your blood pumping and the megahit “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” takes everything over the top. The lead work on “House of Broken Love” is another highlight, although the drums and bass are so far back in the mix that it seems kinda hollow overall.

I admit that I miss Jack Russell’s voice on a couple of the songs (“Rock Me” and “Once Bitten, Twice Shy”) but for the majority of the set, the mainstream fan wouldn’t realize the difference. Ilous sounds much better here than he did on the studio album and the band is as tight, maybe tighter, than they have ever been. I also would have love to have seen “She Only” appear here but every fan has his/her wish list right?

This version of Great White has gone a long way to reestablishing themselves as a band that still has “it.” If you are a longtime fan then this album won’t disappoint. 

Columbia/Legacy Recordings

Australia’s Midnight Oil are one of the few truly important acts in Rock and Roll post 1979. This collection from Legacy Recordings is just as important, compiling 36 of the band’s best tunes from their 25 year career. Chosen by the band, Essential Oils includes selections from the band’s dozen albums, as well as their duo of EPs, and plays in chronological order. The order offers a unique perspective on the band to say the least.

Disc One contains all of the band’s pre-mega success material prior to their platinum Diesel and Dust album. This disc is a lot edgier than the later material, ringing out much like early U2 with a passion that most bands never have. The raw post-punk sound of songs like “Cold Cold Change,” “Back on the Borderline,” and “Only the Strong” are perfectly in tune with the closer to New Wave sound of songs like “When the Generals Talk,” the rally cry of “Kosciusko,” and the sailing “Hercules.” The haunting “Armistice Day” is the highlight of this disc though, with its almost bluesy lead guitar work and God-fearing rhythm work topped by the marching, pointed vocals of Garrett. I haven’t heard this song in years and it remains as powerful today than it was during the Reagan-era. Some things haven’t changed.

Disc Two contains the more familiar tunes, a number of them from the smash hit albums Diesel and Dust and Blue Sky Mining. Both albums are considered the height of the band’s career commercially and one listen to “Beds Are Burning” or “King of the Mountain” or “Blue Sky Mining” or “Forgotten Years,” will reignite your fire to fight injustice. All three are soul-shaking tunes and when they appear alongside lesser known but just as powerful works of the aggressive “Redneck Wonderland” and the brilliant confusion of “White Skin Black Heart,” you find yourself truly longing for this band to reunite. There are no bands left in modern music that bite this hard, sound this intelligent, or play with this much heart.

I’m excited that Essential Oils is here because, unless you grew up in the eighties, it has become too easy to overlook the power of this band. The ferocity of post-punk, the grace of Peter Gabriel, and the sharp tongue of bands like The Alarm and U2 are but a few of the things that make Midnight Oil the stuff legends are made of.  If you are a fan of U2, The Alarm, Living Colour, Life of Agony, or other bands that dig deep beneath their commercial success and yearn to do something more powerful than become rockstars, then you must pick up Essential Oils. You’ll be glad you did. 

All Sons & Daughters

Live

Integrity Music

As worship leaders at the Journey Church in Franklin, TN, David Leonard (Needtobreathe) and Leslie Jordan see All Sons & Daughters as an extension of their church. They have recorded three EPs and a full length album prior to Live and have toured with artists such as Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe. With hits like “All the Poor and Powerless” and “Reason to Sing,” the duo have been turning heads everywhere for the last few years.

Organic is certainly the key word here. Anyone looking for a bombastic, anthemic, worship album that explodes with energy will not find it here. It’s got its own brand of intensity and surrender for sure, but it’s not the big, inspirational sound (for the most part) that we often here in this genre. Everything on Live has a slow build that is intimate and reflective.

“All the Poor and Powerless” is the undeniable highlight here. The absolutely beautiful lyrics and perfect build just bring you into oneness with God. It’s a once in a lifetime moment that few artists get to have and the addition of the audience’s voices just moves it to even greater places. Overall all though, the band definitely make me think of Marc Byrd and Christine Glass’ work together. It’s sort of a dialed back version but it’s very poetic in nature, very intimate lyrically, while still being a congregational feeling effort.

That’s not to say there aren’t other wonderful moments as well, of course. Rita Springer-ish “Called Me Higher” has a victorious feel to it and I’m sure speaks greatly to those who are really struggling with things in their lives. It’s a reminder that no matter where you are, God has called you to be more and you can get to where he wants you to be. “Great Are You Lord” has a nice sort of swagger to it that has a bluesy, driving, sway to it that rises and falls throughout.

What All Sons & Daughters are musically best at is being dynamic. Their songs have an excellent ebb and flow to them. For me, they just never seem to get where they are going though. I always find myself wishing that they’d musically push a little more or go over the top. This live release reminds me a lot of the more straightforward Rita Springer songs. The live showcase here gives you a different perspective on the band though and in this setting they shine brighter than on their studio work. Having an audience involved just takes it to a totally different place.  

Above It All Again

Mad Season Above
Legacy Recordings/Columbia Records

When many think of the seminal works of the grunge-era they think of Alice in Chain’s Dirt, Pearl Jam’s Ten, Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, and certainly Nirvana’s Nevermind. Lesser known, but equally important, is the lone album by Mad Season, Above. A collection of dark, smoky, alt. rock with tinges of grunge and a heaping helping of slow-paced blues. The band was comprised of Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees), Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Layne Staley (Alice in Chains), and “bluesman” John Baker Saunders. Saxophonist Skerik and Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lannegan also appear on this gold-certified album.

The deluxe edition of Above is meant to honor the memory and contributions of the sadly departed Layne Staley and John Baker Saunders. It includes the entire original album with four new tracks added to the mix. The bonus tracks come from the recording sessions for the second album that was never completed due to Staley’s failing health. Mark Lanegan returned to write lyrics and provide vocals on what were determined to be the strongest songs from the leftover material. It also includes a live audio CD and DVD of the band’s April 29^th, 1995 show at The Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington.

If any album defines the nineties, it’s this one. Everything about Above is perfect, from its thoughtful lyrics and reserved, intimate vocal work, to its blues, as filtered through Seattle fuzzboxes, riffing. Staley’s voice sounds desperate and frail and his lyrics yearn for something else, it’s like hearing someone search for themselves out loud in an extremely intimate way. The way the gentle guitars and reserved rhythms move “River of Deceit” along is beautiful and when Staley sings “My pain is self-chosen/At least, so The Prophet says/I could either burn or cut off my pride and buy some time/A head full of lies is the weight, tied to my waist…” you know that it’s intensely personal. Retrospect makes it seem even moreso. The moody swing, world-influenced, “Long Gone Day” is another highlight, falling somewhere between Jarboe and the Melvins without sounding particularly like either. “Wake Up,” “X-Ray Mind,” “Artificial Red,” and the others are all equally amazing, but you get the idea.

The instrumental “Interlude” serves as the bridge to the “new” tracks. “Slip Away” and “Black Book of Fear” have a Pink Floyd flare to them but mostly they sound like a natural progression from the material on Above. “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier” is remixed here and serves as a crystal clear reminder of the greatness we lost when Layne Staley succumbed to addiction.

The live material here is excellent as well. The band sounded great live, it’s much more loose than I would have expected and they are able to take such intimate works and give them to the audience wholeheartedly without sucking any of the energy out of the room. I would have thought songs like “River of Deceit” and “All Alone” and “Long Gone Day” would be potential downers live but the band makes a spiritual connection with the audience, converging perfectly at that moment in time that makes it feel exciting and refreshing instead. When Staley’s voice and McCready’s guitar come together to open the show with “Wake Up,” you know this was something very, very connected and it sends chills down your spine.  Like a new beginning. Watching it is a hundred times better then listening to it, but both are powerful. I will admit though that Staley looks like he had begun a turn for the worst already by this time, spending most of the show not making eye contact and looking super thin physically. 

This is THE definitive moment in the Seattle music scene in my opinion and I am completely stoked to see it re-released. The live album and the newly completed bonus tracks make it that much better. If you enjoy any of the bands from this legendary scene from Mudhoney to Screaming Trees to the bigger names then  this is a must have for you. If you already own this, there is more than enough reason to warrant a second purchase.

 

My What Sweet Honey It Is

Now in their fourth decade, Sweet Honey in the Rock are the pinnacle of strong female groups. Empowering, inspiring, and largely a cappella, these ladies know how to bring it, and on this recording they pay tribute to several cornerstone artists over two full-length albums. Recorded over two shows in 2011 at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall, the ladies smooth voices blend beautifully over the songs of artists like Odetta, Billie Holiday, Miriam Makeba, and Nina Simone, among others.

While their voices alone command your attention, there are plenty of moments here where you find yourself sort of lost in the mesmerizing voices and rhythms. “See Line Woman” on disc one is probably the best example of this. The rhythms drive the song but it’s the powerful, bluesy vocals that bring it all to life. You are transplanted back to a time long ago earl on and  you can hear the desperation in each line. It’s so incredibly powerful. The groovy Jazz of “That Midnight Special” is a highlight as well, as is the tribally gorgeous “Sabumoya.

“The Freedom Suite,” a collection of Odetta’s favorite freedom tunes, (“Oh Freedom,” “Come and Go With Me To That Land,” “I’m On My Way to Freedom Land,” and “Glory, Glory Hallelujah”) is a highlight for certain as well. It’s such a moving suite, these women sing it like they know it in their soul. These are desperate songs sung with so much conviction that they become anthems of hope. “Let There Be Peace” gets your feet moving a bit near the end of the set with a brilliant base line that you can’t help but be woo’d by.

While I’m not the most educated when it comes to Sweet Honey in the Rock’s catalog. It’s easy to recognize the perfection of this performance. Everything is spot on, from timing to pitch to, delivery. It’s all so rhythmic and moving. This album is more than a tribute, it’s an invitation (and an inspiration) for us to be better than who we are. 

You Can't Have Something From the Eighties Without a Reference to an "Animal House"

U.D.O. - Animal House Anniversary Edition (AFM Records)

After vocalist Udo Dirkschneider left Accept in 1986, I’m sure many thought it was the last we’d hear from him. In late 1987 though, he re-emerged with his own solo band, which featured (on the recording) ex-members of Warlock and Sinner as well as some relative unknowns. Animal House was better than fans could have hoped for, offering both a grittier sound and even bigger, more bombastic anthems.  AFM Records has recently reissued U.D.O.’s classic back catalog and Animal House kicks it all off with a set that includes the full album , three bonus live tracks, and the videos for “They Want War” and “Go Back To Hell.”

The album kicks off with the hard-hitting,  much more aggressive than you’d expect, title track. Udo’s gritty, old-man style, cranky vocal was at its peak here and the rippin’ guitar leads just take everything over the edge. “Go Back to Hell” and “Black Widow” are completely unstoppable forces that blend the arena rock sound of the day with a much more metal focus than many of their contemporaries had. “Warrior” is a dynamic, guitar-on-eleven tune that gives equal nods to the screaming-bloody-murder soul of King Diamond and the epic nature of classic Iron Maiden. It’s the synth laden “They Want War” though that beats them all. Boasting a classic eighties mid-tempo groove and a more reflective (at least for Udo) vocal, the band really do a superb job of getting the point across that they are far from a mindless hard rock band. The album also features a song together with Accept, “Lay Down the Law,” and while it’s cool given the time frame, it’s weak in comparison to the other material here.

If you own this already then it’s the live tracks that make this worth your while. And they certainly do. “Animal House,” “They Want War,” and “In The Darkness” are featured here and they come off even heavier as live offerings. They have a thickness to them that you don’t get from the album due to the production style of the time. The live version of “They Want War” is the highlight of this reissue without a debt. It will send chills down your spine! Given the band was opening for artists like Guns N’ Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, and Lita Ford at the time, it’s no surprise that they sound like a well-oiled machine here. The touring band was also slightly different so there is a change in sound that comes naturally from that as well. The videos are…well…they are products of the time.

This album is one of the few from the late eighties that is just non-stop great. It’s albums like this, Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction, Alice Cooper’s Raise Your Fist and Yell, and Warlock’s Triumph and Agony, that spawned the phrase, “All killer, no filler.” Animal House still holds up and the live songs make it worth purchasing all over again.

Udo Dirkschneider's World Loses Face

U.D.O. - Faceless World Anniversary Edition (AFM Records)

By 1990, Udo Dirkschneider and company (which had altered slightly from time to time) had proven themselves a force to be reckoned with. Animal House and Mean Machine had re-established the Udo, the man, as a powerhouse vocalist with an even heavier edge than his former bandmates. 1990 brought Faceless World, which was produced by now ex-Accept drummer Stefan Kaufmann. The album was a huge success for the band but brought out a much more commercial sound that relied more on spotless production and smoother tones than heard on Animal House or Mean Machine. This anniversary edition also features two live recordings  and a video for “Heart of Gold.”

The album kicks off with its most popular moment, “Heart of Gold.” A big, anthemic rocker with a lot more commercial swagger than Udo had offered since his days in Accept. “Blitz of Lightning,” the bluesier “Living on a Frontline,” the ballad “Unspoken Words,” and “Stranger” reinforce this aspect of the album well, but, at the time (and now), I find myself missing the crunch. “System of Life,” “Future Land,” and “Born to Run” offer more of what many today would call Udo’s true sound boasting a heavier edge and grittier vocal work. The title track is laden with big keyboards and an odd dynamic that make it one of the album’s more interesting tracks. The odd mix of stepping outside the box musically with the most commercial production on the album is as intriguing today as it was in 1990, which is arguably why it remains one of my all-time favorite U.D.O. tracks.

The live tracks (“Living on a Frontline” and “Heart of Gold”) here aren’t quite as impressive as Mean Machine or Animal Houses, but they do still boast a thicker sound, albeit with a much more commercial swagger that treads many of the same paths Accept did. The band still sounds tight, it’s just a much smoother sounding kind of tight, even Udo’s trademark vocals seem dialed back a notch. Also included is the video for “Heart of Gold.”

Overall, Faceless World still feels a little like a sellout and, in retrospect, the seeds for the Accept reunion with Udo were likely being planted. You can kind of hear that here if you’re paying attention. All in all though, this is still a solid album, it’s just not as ferocious as it’s predecessors. Unless you are a die-hard fan and really want this for the bonus material, I’d stick with Animal House or Mean Machine (preferably both!).