You know the drill. No particular order. All I do is provide you with a list of the best in the biz. True hard rock/heavy metal hard hitters of the skins. Prize percussionists who have rocked us time and time again. Just see if you agree.
1. Neil Peart- A man of mystery who has rarely if ever done on-camera interviews. That's just part of his genius. Not only did he once possess the world's largest drum set; Neil is the primary lyricist of the progressive rock/hard rock/metal trio, Rush. Neil began as a hard rock guy but throughout his tenure in Rush, beginning with the 2nd album Fly By Night, he's also played in jazz, metal, big band and swing, and progressive musical styles. Nobody gives fans a more entertaining drum solo live nor has one drummer ever been cited as an influence on so many unique contemporary players.
2. Carmine Appice- I was watching VH1's That Metal Show the other day, of which I'm a big fan, and was surprised that Carmine didn't make their top five hard rock drummers list. The man is a terrific showman. He's a drummer with a singer's stage presence. A rare feat indeed. Also, let's have a run down of this man's credentials. Vanilla Fudge? Check. Rod Stewart? Check. Cactus? Check. Beck, Bogart, and Appice? Oh yeah. Ted Nugent? Sure. Paul Stanley? Yep, that terrific first solo record. King Kobra? Such an underrated hair unit that is more famous for their singer's sex change than their awesome rock. Marty Friedman? Come to think about it. Blue Murder? Terrific stuff. Hey, he even co-wrote Do You Think I'm Sexy with Rod.
3. Roger Taylor- Probably the most commercially successful drummer, Roger was the drummer, occasional vocalist, and one of the four songwriters of Queen. He wrote I'm in Love with My Car, Radio Ga Ga, A Kind of Magic, Innuendo, Breakthru, These Are the Days of Our Lives, and Tenement Funster. He's also been know to play the guitar and bass on his compositions. He's another artist that hasn't allowed himself to be pigeonholed into one genre. Primarily known as a rock drummer, Roger has provided beats for early heavy metal tunes like Stone Cold Crazy, film score for Flash Gordon, rock classics like Another One Bites the Dust, dance and funk tunes like Staying Power, and progressive leanings like Innuendo.
4. Ginger Baker- Ginger was the drummer for the legendary British supergroup, Cream. Ginger's biggest claim to fame is his popularization of the double bass drum.
5. Tommy Lee- Tommy is a guy who is more famous for his antics on the other side of the drum kit but make no mistake, the percussion man of Motley Crue can provide some sick beats when he has to. He's a very showy drummer and the perfect compliment to the bluesy guitar playing of Mick Mars, flashy bass and personal lyrics of Nikki Sixx, and nasaly wail of singer Vince Neil. Not to mention, his playing influenced the glam scene that would dominate the 80s.
6. Cozy Powell- Cozy is another one of those guys that passed his expert playing around quite a bit. He played for The Jeff Beck Group, Bedlam, Rainbow, Michael Schenker, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, Graham Bonnet (Marbles, Rainbow), Brian May (Queen), Roger Daltrey (The Who), Robert Plant, Cinderella, Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy), Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac), Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Warlock, and Donovan!
7. Scott Travis- Scott is one of those guys that really brings the heaviness and speed to a band. Just check out his work with Judas Priest, Fight, and Racer X.
8. Robb Reiner- No, not the filmmaker. Robb is the drummer of the long-standing Canadian metal band, Anvil. Recently, Anvil has gained a little attention on the strength of a successful documentary about their struggles. Don't let the hype do it for you though. Go get their records and see for yourself. Hard N' Heavy, Metal on Metal, and Strength of Steel are classic examples of fast heavy drumming.
9. Richard Christy- Richard may be better known to folks out there as one of the wacky folks over at the Howard Stern show, but he's a class A drummer as well. He plays with great speed and timing. He sat behind the kit for Death, Iced Earth, Control Denied, Acheron, Burning Inside, and Leash Law. Today, he's hitting the skins for his own band, Charred Walls of the Damned. A really heavy band that features the vocal talents of Tim "Ripper" Owens.
10. Eric Carr- I love Eric Carr. The man died way too early of the rare heart cancer. It was a tragic loss to KISS both as a friend/bandmate and as a band. The world had given up on KISS after Dynasty, Unmasked, and Music from the Elder (Which I think have their moments). Enter Eric Carr. The opening drum kick alone, on Creatures of the Night, is the heaviest piece of music KISS has ever recorded.
11. Frankie Banali- Frankie has played with Hughes-Thrall, W.A.S.P., and Blackthorne. But you probably know him best as the skin-hitter for Quiet Riot. He pounded his way through Quiet Riot's best albums, Metal Health, Condition Critical, and the unfairly neglected, Terrified.
12. Peter Criss- The original KISS drummer and the most poppy commercially minded member of the bunch. However, Peter got heavy when he had too. Listen to Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, and Love Gun. Not to mention, he wrote KISS' biggest hit ever, Beth.
13. Tommy Aldridge- Remember Black Oak Arkansas? Why not? They are perhaps the most neglected Southern rock unit ever. Tommy however, did achieve greater fame with Ozzy Osbourne, Pat Travers Band, Gary Moore, Whitesnake, Motorhead, and House of Lords. A heavy drummer for a southern-fried rock guy.
14. Vinny Appice- Carmine's younger brother and a great drummer in his own right. Catch his work with Rick Derringer, DIO, and Black Sabbath.
15. Bill Ward- Often called the father of heavy metal drumming, Bill coined the term Downer Rock. His slow but heavy playing helped to create the ominous doomy sound of Black Sabbath.
16. Samantha Maloney- She toured with Motley Crue! Plus she's the only female metal drummer I can think of. In fact, the only female drummer I can think of. She also played for Hole, Peaches, and The Eagles of Death Metal. Which aren't a death metal band by the way. Just another project by Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age alumni Josh Homme.
17. Randy Castillo- He's drummed for Lita Ford, Motley Crue, Brett Michaels,and Ozzy Osbourne. Another talent that died young. Thanks again, to the plague that is cancer.
18. Chuck Biscuits- He played with Black Flag, D.O.A., Circle Jerks, Danzig, and Samhain. The drummer of punk and hardcore.
19. Mike Portnoy- I almost left him off. Honestly, his recent drama has almost turned me off to him completely. However, one cannot deny he is a masterful drummer. Perhaps the most technically proficient of all. Now, if he would just realize that he's in his mid forties and that his place is in progressive metal, not new young acts like Avenged Sevenfold, he could really make some magic again. I'm sure his departure from Dream Theater had more to it but from what he's made clear in the public, he left and he doesn't want the rest of the band to soldier on. Well, they have and they just released a great record. Meanwhile, he's touting his new project Adrenaline Mob. Which, in my opinion, is a huge step down from what he did in his previous band.
20. Mike Mangini- Mike Portnoy's replacement in Dream Theater. But that isn't all. Mike also drummed for Annihilator, Extreme, Steve Vai, and Tribe of Judah. He's not living in Portnoy's shadow, he's casting his own.
21. Charlie Benante- I've never been a huge Anthrax fan. However, their 2nd record, Spreading the Disease is amazing. I wish they had duplicated it a hundred times with different lyrics. Charlie, by the way, plays on that album and really tears it up. Also, check out Stormtroopers of Death Speak English or Die.
22. Vinny Paul- One of the founding members of Pantera. Vinny's also played with Damage Plan and HellYeah. However, my money says his best work was on Power Metal, Cowboys from Hell, and Vulgar Display of Power.
23. Dave Lombardo- Dave is a huge influence on modern thrash and black metal. What band did he drum for? Slayer, of course. The cult favorite South of Heaven/Reign in Blood thrashers from California.
24. Mikkey Dee- Mikkey has drummed for King Diamond and Motorhead and I have always loved his unique sound. He has a great playing sound that reminds one of tools falling on a concrete floor. Hey, he is a metal drummer after all.
25. Ivan de Prume- Here's a guy that doen't often get mentioned. He was the drummer for White Zombie and believe it or not, drummed for Christopher Young's score for the movie adaption of the occult superhero Ghost Rider.
26. Alex van Halen- Often overshadowed by his guitar legend brother Eddie, he's the other reason the band was named Van Halen. Plus, he's a pretty good drummer who's been clean since the 80s and has remained very consistent.
27. Neal Smith- Who can forget that opening drum in Billion Dollar Babies? The drummer for the original Alice Cooper group, who should've had a longer music career. However, he can be heard on Alice's new album. The first time he's recorded with the singer since 1974.
28. Alan White- the drummer for YES. Alan, along with Neil Peart and Roger Taylor, has a great combo of influences that has made his playing in the long-running progressive rock band a real joy to listen to.
29. John Bonham- You can't forget John Bonham. He was the drummer for Led Zeppelin!
30. Jason Bonham- Yep, John's kid can play. The Bonham record, Disregard for Timekeeping is an 80s hard rock classic. These days he's playing drums in Black Country Communion.
31. Herman Rarebell- He's got to get props for writing some of the Scorpion's greatest tunes. Another Piece of Meat, Rock You Like A Hurricane, and Blackout. Oh, and what a drummer!
32. Ian Paice- The only member of Deep Purple to actually play on every Deep Purple record. Ian's another pioneer of the heavy metal sound and also played on the Gary Moore classic, Corridors of Power.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
R.I.P. David Hess. We love you.
I was very sad to hear of the passing of the great David Hess. He reportedly passed away through the night of a heart attack on October 8th at the age of 69.
If you're not familiar with David Hess, you need to be. David was by all accounts a terrific guy and his acting speaks for itself. He is, of course, best remembered as the murderous Krug in Wes Craven's 1972 directorial debut, The Last House on the Left. In fact, for most of David's career, he was the villian. In 1977, he played alongside Italian legend Franco Nero in the criminally underrated Hitch Hike. In 1980, he was directed by another Italian master, Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), in the insanely good horror/thriller House on the Edge of the Park. In all three films, Hess played a very intimidating intense killer holding someone hostage and repeatedly torturing them both psychologically and physically. If you've seen only one of those three films you know how scary David Hess can be on screen. To me, he is perhaps the only horror villian I've ever seen on screen that generally made me feel uncomfortable and in need of a shower.
In The Last House on the Left, David plays the leader of a pack (Krug) of escaped convicts who brutally tortures, rapes, and murders two teenage girls looking for marijuana on their way to a rock concert. Some of the scenes in the film feel so real, even today, that upon your first watch you will certainly feel a little uneasy. If you don't, seek help right away! Krug forces the two girls to make out with each other, urinate on themselves, and ride in the trunk of the car. He kills one with a machete before raping the other and shooting her as she walks off into a lake after her brutal violation. There is a light at the end of the tunnel however. I am in no way glorifying violence. The convicts unknowingly stumble into the home of one of their victims and are accomodated by her parents. The mother notices her daughter's necklace on the neck of Krug's son and alerts the father. After a late night walk through the woods (while the killers are sleeping in a spare bedroom), the parents discover their daughter's corpse. They vow revenge and spend the night arming themselves and setting traps for the sadistic prison escapees. The mom, knifes the female of the pack and severes the genitalia of one of the three male convicts. Krug convinces his gutless son to kill himself, after he finally stands up to his father's insanity, and is then killed by the girl's father via chainsaw.
In Hitch Hike, David scores a ride with a feuding couple and decides to use them for his own gain. The husband is a writer and David wants him to write his life story with all its depravity, violence, and theft. He takes a more intimate interest in the wife and eventually husband and wife are able to put their differences aside to kill their captor. In the film's final twist, they wreck their RV and the husband runs away with the psycho's stolen cash, leaving his wife to burn to death in the wreckage.
In House on the Edge of the Park, David plays an auto mechanic and mentor to a psychologically unstable young man. When a late night car stops by for some immediate auto assistance, Hess and his young partner accept an invitation to a party as payment for their services. At the party, the guests do little to welcome with snide underhanded insults. After one of the party guests tries to set a card game, David engages the male partygoers in physical combat. He quickly bests them and takes the party hostage. Then, with his mentally ill ward, he begins to torture, humiliate, and sexually assault the guests at gun point. In the final moments of the film, the guests finally get over on them and inflict their own violent justice. The man who set the card game reveals that it was his intention to kill Hess all along as he knows that he was his sister's rapist in the park months earlier. He shoots Hess in his genitals and leaves him to die in the swimming pool.
David Hess can also be seen in Wes Craven's Swamp Thing, Ruggero Deodato's Body Count, Smash Cut, and several TV shows including:The A-Team, Manimal, Knight Rider, and The Fall Guy. He was scheduled to appear, in some way, in the long-gestured sequel House on the Edge of the Park Part II and Manson Rising alongside Tony Todd and Adrienne Barbeau. David also directed the 1980 killer Santa Clause classic, To All A Good Night.
Outside of film, David Hess was a long-time musician. In fact, he was the first to record the song All Shook Up, which would become an Elvis Presley hit. He wrote a number of songs for musicians such as Elvis, Pat Boone, Andy Williams, and the Ames Brothers. He can also be heard singing in Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left. He composed the soundtrack!
He met his wife on the set of House on the Edge of the Park. Strangely enough, she was the rape victim from the beginning of the film. The reason his character was killed in the conclusion! They had three children and David continued to work in film as well as record music until his death.
His death, to me, seemed very untimely. He was said to be in good health and had a number of films in the early stages of production. But isn't death always untimely? One thing's for sure, the film industry lost one of its greatest villians. An actor so intense and real that legitimate serial killers were probably afraid of him. If you're not too squeamish, check out a couple of his movies. All fans of horror and exploitation shall surely remember him well. I know I will.
Goodbye David,
Your fans.
If you're not familiar with David Hess, you need to be. David was by all accounts a terrific guy and his acting speaks for itself. He is, of course, best remembered as the murderous Krug in Wes Craven's 1972 directorial debut, The Last House on the Left. In fact, for most of David's career, he was the villian. In 1977, he played alongside Italian legend Franco Nero in the criminally underrated Hitch Hike. In 1980, he was directed by another Italian master, Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), in the insanely good horror/thriller House on the Edge of the Park. In all three films, Hess played a very intimidating intense killer holding someone hostage and repeatedly torturing them both psychologically and physically. If you've seen only one of those three films you know how scary David Hess can be on screen. To me, he is perhaps the only horror villian I've ever seen on screen that generally made me feel uncomfortable and in need of a shower.
In The Last House on the Left, David plays the leader of a pack (Krug) of escaped convicts who brutally tortures, rapes, and murders two teenage girls looking for marijuana on their way to a rock concert. Some of the scenes in the film feel so real, even today, that upon your first watch you will certainly feel a little uneasy. If you don't, seek help right away! Krug forces the two girls to make out with each other, urinate on themselves, and ride in the trunk of the car. He kills one with a machete before raping the other and shooting her as she walks off into a lake after her brutal violation. There is a light at the end of the tunnel however. I am in no way glorifying violence. The convicts unknowingly stumble into the home of one of their victims and are accomodated by her parents. The mother notices her daughter's necklace on the neck of Krug's son and alerts the father. After a late night walk through the woods (while the killers are sleeping in a spare bedroom), the parents discover their daughter's corpse. They vow revenge and spend the night arming themselves and setting traps for the sadistic prison escapees. The mom, knifes the female of the pack and severes the genitalia of one of the three male convicts. Krug convinces his gutless son to kill himself, after he finally stands up to his father's insanity, and is then killed by the girl's father via chainsaw.
In Hitch Hike, David scores a ride with a feuding couple and decides to use them for his own gain. The husband is a writer and David wants him to write his life story with all its depravity, violence, and theft. He takes a more intimate interest in the wife and eventually husband and wife are able to put their differences aside to kill their captor. In the film's final twist, they wreck their RV and the husband runs away with the psycho's stolen cash, leaving his wife to burn to death in the wreckage.
In House on the Edge of the Park, David plays an auto mechanic and mentor to a psychologically unstable young man. When a late night car stops by for some immediate auto assistance, Hess and his young partner accept an invitation to a party as payment for their services. At the party, the guests do little to welcome with snide underhanded insults. After one of the party guests tries to set a card game, David engages the male partygoers in physical combat. He quickly bests them and takes the party hostage. Then, with his mentally ill ward, he begins to torture, humiliate, and sexually assault the guests at gun point. In the final moments of the film, the guests finally get over on them and inflict their own violent justice. The man who set the card game reveals that it was his intention to kill Hess all along as he knows that he was his sister's rapist in the park months earlier. He shoots Hess in his genitals and leaves him to die in the swimming pool.
David Hess can also be seen in Wes Craven's Swamp Thing, Ruggero Deodato's Body Count, Smash Cut, and several TV shows including:The A-Team, Manimal, Knight Rider, and The Fall Guy. He was scheduled to appear, in some way, in the long-gestured sequel House on the Edge of the Park Part II and Manson Rising alongside Tony Todd and Adrienne Barbeau. David also directed the 1980 killer Santa Clause classic, To All A Good Night.
Outside of film, David Hess was a long-time musician. In fact, he was the first to record the song All Shook Up, which would become an Elvis Presley hit. He wrote a number of songs for musicians such as Elvis, Pat Boone, Andy Williams, and the Ames Brothers. He can also be heard singing in Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left. He composed the soundtrack!
He met his wife on the set of House on the Edge of the Park. Strangely enough, she was the rape victim from the beginning of the film. The reason his character was killed in the conclusion! They had three children and David continued to work in film as well as record music until his death.
His death, to me, seemed very untimely. He was said to be in good health and had a number of films in the early stages of production. But isn't death always untimely? One thing's for sure, the film industry lost one of its greatest villians. An actor so intense and real that legitimate serial killers were probably afraid of him. If you're not too squeamish, check out a couple of his movies. All fans of horror and exploitation shall surely remember him well. I know I will.
Goodbye David,
Your fans.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Gothic
Photo from www.cheezburger.com
That's a word that's been easy to stigmatize in the last decade. The reason? Because it's been widely associated with certain people and certain subcultures that really have nothing to do with the original meaning of the word. In fact, did you know that the true Goths were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin who actually defeated the mighty Hun, Attila? Their languange was called, Gothic. The Goths began immigrating into Rome around 300 A.D.
Later on, in 12th century France, an art movement called Gothic emerged, directly influenced by the art of the Romans. The movement spread throughout Europe and this is when the idea of Gothic architecture emerged. Remember the Gargoyles, elaborate cathedrals, and castles of Medieval England? These are perfect examples of Gothic architecture. It is worth nothing, however, that when the term was applied to art and architecture it was not refering to the Goths (Though they did inhabit Rome). It was a derogatory term that suggested non-cival behavior. Ironically, the art and architecture is often considered quite beautiful. This information can be found in various texts and even places like wikipedia.org.
Skip forward until the 18th century. The term resurfaces to refer to a certain type of literature. Of course, most people are very familiar with the authors and books or stories in question. Horace Walpole, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allen Poe, Ann Radcliff, and Sheridan Le Fanu all wrote classics of the genre. Though the actual gothic literary movement didn't last forever, the influence did. You can go right into the 20th century, if you want to, and explore the works of such Poe fans as H.P. Lovecraft and William Faulkner.
Enter the late 1910s and the 1920s: Gothic makes yet another resurgance as film becomes very popular. Silent horror films like Nosferatu, The Cabinet of Caligari, The Golem, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Phantom of the Opera reignite the interest in the dark, mysterious, and shadowy landscapes made memorable within Gothic literature. Notre Dame and Phantom were first Gothic novels. The Golem is an early wink at Frankenstein and Nosferatu was an unauthorized adaption of Bram Stoker's classic gothic horror opus, Dracula. The 1930s got even gloomier as Universal Studios made its mark as the horror studio. They produced many classic gothic horror films including the first feature length talkie version of Frankenstein and an authorized adaption of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. Other standouts include: Three loose Edgar Allen Poe adaptions starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The Black Cat with its early look at Satanism and the great Bauhaus architecture of Karloff's home, is a real classic. Murders in the Rue Morgue (Okay, just Lugosi in this one) is a really outlandish tale of a mad scientist who is trying to breed a young human female with a gorilla. Finally, The Raven. The Raven concerns an older doctor (played by Lugosi) who falls for a young patient. When a fugitive (played by Karloff) asks Lugosi to change his face, Lugosi deforms it and blackmails him into helping with his plot to get the young maiden from her groom-to-be.
So, thus far, we have The Goths, Gothic Art, Gothic Architecture, and Gothic Film. Now we will discuss Gothic music and fashion.
Gothic music really surfaced in the late 1970s in the wake of the punk rock scene. Gothic music takes influence from classical music, pop, and classic rock with a dark edge like Alice Cooper, Bloodrock, David Bowie, The Velvet Underground, Nico, and Iggy Pop. In fact, a lot of early goth music featured guys dressed like Alice Cooper and singing like David Bowie. Gothic rock sonically, was a combination of classic rock, post-punk, and some even had a new wave inkling. Fortunately, some of the better bands built a sound all their own and as a result a new fanbase. True gothic music begins with Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Cure, New Order, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Some bands had a heavier guitar sound and even flirted with heavy metal. For bands like this, look no further than The Sisters of Mercy, The Fields of the Nephilim, and Killing Joke. Some bands that weren't necessarily goth featured gothic themes and influenced goth metal bands to come. King Diamond, Celtic Frost, and Bathory, for example, featured gloomy musical atmospheres and lyrical content that borrowed from old gothic horror films and novels. Toward the end of the 1980s, the industrial music sound pioneered by Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, Kraftwerk, Ministry, and Skinny Puppy had begun to gain popularity. Arriving on the scene was the young Trent Reznor and his band Nine Inch Nails, which had a profound impact on the early 90s Goth and Alternative scenes.
Gothic fashion draws from the Romantic and Victorian eras (When gothic art and literature was in full swing) as well as film. It has been said that Bela Lugosi, Louise Brooks, Theda Bara, and the Addam's Family have had a huge influence on gothic dress. Alice Cooper with his black leather, lace, and heavy dark eye makeup served as a prototype for the early gothic rocker. David Bowie and Lou Reed also had a tremendous influence upon fashion with their integration of lipstick, fingernail polish, and slightly effeminate clothing choices.
In recent years goth has been a word synonymous with events like Columbine because of the clothing choices of the perpetrators. A ridiculous stereotype that all people interested in gothic things are human-sacrificing Satanists has reared its ugly head. A certain sense of fear and condemnation has formed a cloud over everything gothic in mainstream society. One has to remember, these people are not Goths. Not by the true definition. They cannot even be identified as gothic because of their literary, musical, and cinematic influences because most of them don't have any of relevence. They have taken the darkness of gothic culture and twisted it into attempts to be different, rebellious, or feared. They have confused heavy metal culture and the gothic culture. Listening to Slipknot and Devildriver doesn't make you a gothic music fan. (Not meant to criticize those bands by the way) Many of these so-called goth kids have never once listened to the Creatures, Love and Rockets, Alien Sex Fiend, or the Cocteau Twins. Is it possible that the word Gothic is again undergoing a change? Will it be forever branded with the crimes and tragedy that have been linked to it in the first decade of the 21st century? I sure hope not.
Essential Gothic Reading:
1. Frankenstein- Mary Shelley
2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame- Victor Hugo
3. The Man Who Laughs- Victor Hugo
3. The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe
4. The Call of Cthulhu- H.P. Lovecraft
5. The Monk- Matthew Gregory Lewis
6. The Turn of the Screw- Henry James
7. The Phantom of the Opera- Gaston Leroux
8. The Romance of the Forest- Ann Radcliff
9. The Old English Baron- Clara Reeve
10. Dracula- Bram Stoker
Essential Gothic Film
1. Dracula (1931)
2. Frankenstein (1931)
3. The Black Cat (1934)
4. The Old Dark House (1932)
5. Black Sunday (1960)
6. House on Haunted Hill (1959)
7. Mr. Sardonicus (1961)
8. The Hunger (1983)
9. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
10. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
11. Svengali (1931)
12. The Company of Wolves (1985)
13. White Zombie (1932)
14. Theater of Blood (1973)
15. The Munsters (TV, 1964-1966)
16. The Addam's Family (TV, 1964-1966)
17. Dark Shadows (TV, 1966-1971)
18. Blood and Roses (1960)
19. The Whip and the Body (1963)
20. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Essential Gothic Bands/Albums
1. The Sisters of Mercy- Floodland
2. The Sisters of Mercy- Vision Thing
3. The Fields of the Nephilim- The Nephilim
4. The Fields of the Nephilim- Mourning Sun
5. Bauhaus- Bela Lugosi's Dead (Single)
6. Joy Division- Closer
7. Siouxsie and the Banshees- Tinderbox
8. Siouxsie and the Banshees- Kaleidoscope
9. The Cure- Pornography
10. The Cure- Disintegration
11. All About Eve- All About Eve
12. Type O Negative- Bloody Kisses
13. Type O Negative- October Rust
14. Ministry- Twitch
15. Skinny Puppy- Mind the Perpetual Intercourse
16. Killing Joke- Night Time
17. The Cramps- Songs the Lord Taught Us
18. 45 Grave- Sleep in Safety
19. Christian Death- Catastrophe Ballet
20. The Cult- Dreamtime
21. Peter Murphy- Love Hysteria
22. Tears for Fears- The Hurting
23. Gene Loves Jezebel- The House of Dolls
24. Skeletal Family- Burning Oil
25. Sex Gang Children- Song and Legend
Other Goth things:
1. BATMAN- While Batman himself is no Goth and his Batcave is far different than the British goth club, it's a reasonable assumption that his dark brooding nature, native city (Gotham), and black as night fashion sense have made him something of a goth comic book hero favorite.
2. The Goth Kids from South Park- They are hilarious stereotypes adorned in black who smoke cigarettes and drink coffee while writing morbid depressing poetry. Their bedroom walls feature posters for "Blauhaus" and "Skippy Puppy." Obvious references to 80s goth favorite bands.
3. Tim Burton- A lot of modern Goths sing his praise and one can really see why. Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Batman, Batman Returns, and Sweeney Todd are aesthetically as goth as mainstream film can get.
4. Vampires- No, no, no. Not Twilight. We're talking about the pale nocturnal bloodsuckers who absolutely under no circumstances sparkle or show off their abdominal muscles. There's a dark romantic side to vampires, as well as the sexual overtones in their biting and sanguinary feasting, that for two centuries have made them favorites of the dark-hearted everywhere.
5. The Color Black- Yeah, cause yellow would accurately represent someone whose interests lie in cemeteries, black roses, moonlight, candles, cathedrals, and Edgar Allen Poe stories. That was sarcasm my friends.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Greatest Guitar Players
Album Cover of Unplugged
Much like my greatest vocalists of hard rock and heavy metal, there is no way I could rank these players in order. They're all so good in their own way. While some are more exceptional than others be it technically, as writers of riffs, and musical impact, it's still comes down a lot to personal preference.
1. Brian May- The lead axe man of England's much beloved Queen. Brian is a very showy player and delights in performing his music for you, the fan. Much like his frontman Freddie Mercury's vocal acrobatics, Brian also brought a dramatic flare that was able to get and keep eyes planted right on his fast moving fingers. Also, you have to think about how many different styles Brian can incorporate into one piece. He's definitely a rock n' roll player but don't sell him short when it comes to the blues, jazz, and even heavy metal. Many bands including Metallica, cite the Queen song Stone Cold Crazy as the tune that set the mold for thrash. Sammy Hagar has commented that he believes, "Brian May has one of the great guitar tones on the planet."
2. Tony Iommi- Often refered to as an innovator of the heavy metal sound;Tony's distinctive guitar play may be the result of an accident in a sheet metal shop where he cut off the tips of two fingers. He began using artificial extensions to keep playing and uses lighter strings. Not to be one to give up, he kept on playing the blues but the music developed a heavier edge. When he released the first Black Sabbath album, people really took notice. Despite the bands dark and gloomy image, the guitar sound had a slow but heavy sound that drummer Bill Ward called "downer rock." The rest of the world began to call it heavy metal.
3. Alex Lifeson- Alex Lifeson is often overlooked when it comes to the Rush sound. He shouldn't be. Sure Geddy Lee might be the singer and possess a great bass playing ability to boot and Neil Peart is without a doubt one of history's great drummers and most fascinating lyricists, but Alex Lifeson is the back bone of the heavy progressive band. He brings amazing riffs and has an ability to use just about any guitar he gets his hand on with professional level skill.
4. Michael Shencker- Master of the wah-wah pedal and the disappearing act. Seriously though, this guy brought the goods to early Scorpions and UFO and was sought after by Aerosmith, Ozzy, and the Rolling Stones. Michael's a loner, however, and unable to stay grounded in the group environment, he struck up his own band called the Michael Schenker Group.
5. Ritchie Blackmore- Another mysterious axe master, Ritchie Blackmore was the bedrock of the Deep Purple sound. His heavy shred playing perfectly and unexpectedly complimented the hammond heavy Purple sound. He was a hard and heavy player in the 70s heyday of the band and left after Deep Purple's Stormbringer album. He was wholly unsatisfied by the growing funkiness brought to the band by new front man David Coverdale and new bassist/co-lead vocalist Glenn Hughes. He founded the band Rainbow. The first line-up of Rainbow, with the exception of Blackmore, was the band ELF fronted by a soaring vocalist named Ronnie James Dio. Rainbow is probably the world's first power metal band and Blackmore's playing adopted a more epic bombastic sound. After Ronnie James Dio left to join Black Sabbath, Blackmore took the band in a more pop oriented direction with a very smooth safe rock sound. These days, he satisfies his love of Medieval music with wife, Candace Night at the mic.
6. Robert Fripp- Robert Fripp is a really heavy player with a love of jazz and experimental music. He took all of it to heart when he co-founded King Crimson, a progressive rock band. King Crimson has been called many things: progressive, heavy metal, jazz-fusion, experimental, avante-garde, art rock, and psychedelic. They are in fact, all of the above. Fripp is a very off-the-wall player who delights in blending musical styles into single compositions or one-off albums. It's when he's heavy that he packs the biggest punch in my mind. Check out King Crimson classics In the Court of the Crimson King and Red.
7. Mick Ronson- Mick was a multi instrumentalist who provided the sonic bite of David Bowie's backing band, The Spiders from Mars. Mick was the glam rock prototype and the salt to David Bowies pepper. In the studio they made magic. On stage they had a great musical chemistry full of energy that seemed to motivate an even flashier and varied guitar show. He was a much sought after session player who also brought the noise to Van Morrison, Ian Hunter, and Bob Dylan.
8. Mick Mars- The often neglected member of Motley Crue, due to his ability to stay out of rehab, jail, and the headlines, Mick is a blues-based guitar beast. Inspired by Paul Butterfield Blues band and Jeff Beck, Mick brought a strong mature muscianship to a young chaotic band. He layed the riffs for all of Motley Crue's tunes and along with Nikki Sixx's lyrics, made the band something special.
9. Jeff Beck- He played for the Yardbirds. He founded The Jeff Beck Group with a young Rod Stewart. This guy has earned a reputation as one of the early innovators of the modern hard rock/heavy metal sound. Steeped in the blues, Jeff is a timeless guitar showman who made a name for himself by breaking new ground by way of old standards.
10. Chuck Schulinder- Chuck was the lead guitarst and singer of perhaps the world's first true death metal band, Death. While his singing leaves a lot to be desired, there is no doubt he could really play guitar. He was an oddly technical player with killer solos and the ability to perform an instrumental with more emotion than words can convey. Just listed to Voice of the Soul. It's tear-jerking. Many bands ran with the sound he helped to pioneer but sadly butchered it by making walls of incomprehensible noise fronted by guttural non-singers. If you've heard the demos to the Contol Denied project, you'd know that Chuck was actually a good vocalist too. In Death, however, singing took a backseat to excellent guitar playing.
11. Buckethead- Buckethead is a mystery. You never see his face as it is covered by a white mask devoid of emotion and his head is topped with a KFC bucket. Reportedly he was raised by chickens. He is a secret but tongue-in-cheek facade of a stellar musician. He plays a very avante-garde style that takes one quite a few listens to understand. He combines such routine rock styles as progressive rock, heavy metal, and funk with bluegrass and ambient. He's played in the confines of bands Guns N' Roses and Primus, solo, and in Cornbugs with horror actor Bill Moseley.
12. Jimmy Page- The dark occult-fascinated master of the end days of the Yardbirds has rightfully earned his place in hard rock history. Remember, the new Yardbirds became Led Zeppelin. In Zeppelin he raised the bar as far as heavy rock playing goes by integrating blues and folk styles with rock n' roll. The result is one of the quintessential early heavy metal bands and one of the great players of the genre.
13. Eddie Van Halen- No list would be complete without him. Despite his very off-center personality, Eddie popularized a form of guitar playing that today has been greatly duplicated. He began the "tapping" style of playing and utilized heavy feedback. Every rock n' roller and heavy metal player around these days has heard Eddie Van Halen and many have taken his style to heart.
14. George Lynch- Many folks have commented that George Lynch was too good a player to make his mark at the height of the MTV hair days. As the lead guitarist of Dokken he made what would have been called a glam unit a pretty heavy band. With his band, Lynch Mob he delivered no nonsense heavy rock n' roll. He's a consistent player that has lent some mighty riffs to some otherwise mediocre projects and solidified Dokken as one of the 80s metal groups.
15. Kerry King- Slayer is one of the most praised bands in all of metal. As one of the "Big 4" of thrash, they have constantly released records to praise from critics and excitement from fans. It's my money that the reason for this is Kerry King's frantic insanely fast guitar playing. Despite playing so fast, he never loses direction. When you see a Slayer show, you might be paying more attention to the lead guitarist than anyone else.
16. Jimi Hendrix- One of the golden oldies of the late 60s early 70s emerging hard rock scene. Jim was a rare left-handed player with some nifty guitar tricks that was able to effectively engage an audience. Despite penning some good tunes and delivering a couple heavy updates of blues and folk rock standards, he died young from a drug overdose.
17. John Sykes- John is exclusively a hard rock/heavy metal player. He has gained a lot of praise over the years for his ability to bring some much needed zazz to waning bands and deliver some hard rock masterpieces of his own on the side. With Thin Lizzy, he brought them straight into the realm of heavy metal on their classic Thunder and Lightning. He was a principal player in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal heroes the Tygers of Pan Tang. With Carmine Appice he released two amazing albums as Blue Murder. If that wasn't enough, David Coverdale wrangled him up for Whitesnake and Slide it In.
18. Ace Frehley- Ace Frehley was a very theatrical guitarist. He's always creating new little rigs and tricks for his guitar though most people would watch him without them. He was one of the founding members of KISS and brought some of the most famous riffs in rock history to the recording studio for their classic 70s output. He left KISS after Music for the Elder because he so hated the idea of experimental music and concept albums. If only he had waited a little longer because right after his departure, KISS released one of their greatest records ever, Creatures of the Night.
19. Mick Ralphs- Here's a guy I haven't seen on too many lists and it's a crime. This man was a founding member of both Mott the Hoople and Bad Company. He's the composer behind such classic rock tunes as: Can't Get Enough, Ready for Love, Good Loving Gone Bad, and Feel Like Makin' Love. He's another classic case of a blues player who adopted and shaped the traditional hard rock style for the better.
20. Glenn Tipton and KK Downing- This legendary combo really revolutionized the twin-guitar method of heavy metal players. Yes, Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy also had two guitarists. However, Glenn and KK stripped away that last shred of blues and pursued a driving metallic style unseen before. They perfectly complimented each other and layed the riffs to which bassist Ian Hill and vocalist Rob Halford filled perfectly.
21. John 5- John is a tremendous player who has brought his masterful sonic fury to David Lee Roth, Marilyn Manson, Meatloaf, Scorpions, and now, Rob Zombie. He has the ability to play great driving hard rock and metal tunes with blazing solos and has been known to play well within the confines of both the industrial music soundscape and believe it or not, country. He is an avid lover of country music and southern rock and he was more than delighted last year when he played some guitar for Lynyrd Skynyrd on their last studio offering.
22. Don Felder- He served as lead guitarist for the Eagles from 1974-1980 and then again from 1994 to 2001. Don is a classic rock n' roll guitarist who took his inspiration from the pioneers of 1950s rock, most notably Elvis Presley. Don has also dabled in Hard rock from time to time and his song, Heavy Metal Takin' A Ride is a real treat. It was composed for the cult classic film, Heavy Metal. A soundtrack that also included: Devo, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Grandfunk Railroad, Journey, Stevie Nicks, Blue Oyster Cult, Riggs, and Sammy Hagar.
23. Mick Box- Mick has long been the rocking heart of Uriah Heep. With an ability to lay down really heavy or even speedy riffs for songs like Bird of Prey, Gypsy, and the early speed metal classic Free N' Easy, Mick has solidified his spot in hard rock history.
24. Eric Clapton- Ha, I bet you were getting worried huh? Where's Clapton? I didn't forget. How could you? Eric Clapton delivered some pretty heavy riffs for 1960s hard rockers Cream. When Cream broke up he went solo and gained probably just as much if not more popularity. It's also worth noting that the blues-based guitarist known as Eric Clapton was also once in the Yardbirds. Oh, those Yardbirds. Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck. (And Manfred Mann played some keyboards that's for another day) Eric is probably best known for his great slow playing. He has a very laid back gliding style for easy listening. But he can also rock out and when you get the chance to hear it, it's worth it.
25. Carlos Santana- A smooth rock guitarist who melded Jazz and salso into his playing. He's a tropical island sountrack rolled into a tight package with a ribbon on top and with his first 3 Santana records, he definitely showed us he could play with some serious style.
26. Tracii Guns- Tracii Guns is a guy that missed the ship a little bit. Sure, he gave us some awesome sleazy riffs with his band L.A. Guns and he once again delivered the thunder alongside Nikki Sixx in Brides of Destruction. However, did you know he was one of the founding members of Guns N' Roses? Yes, that's where the "gun" comes from in the name. Tracii bailed before the recording of the famous Appetite for Destruction album and that may not be a horrible thing. His band is well revered amongst fans of glam metal and he had some great cuts like Sex Action and The Ballad of Jane.
27. Doug Aldrich- Doug is something of a bouncer. He's played in DIO, Lion, Bad Moon Rising, House of Lords, Hurricane, and most recently, Whitesnake. He's an excellent no non-sense hard rocker with a real education in the art of playing. In fact, he's attempted to pass on his hard rock guitar excellence as an actual guitar teacher.
28. Randy Bachman- Randy is the founder, lead guitarist, and key songwriter of both The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. He says his melodic playing is the result of his experience playing violin and that when he began playng guitar he actually played it like a violin. No doubt about it, Randy Bachman is a unique if unconventional player.
29. Leslie West- Leslie West is the large statured mainman of the classic blues hard rock/metal band Mountain. You've heard him play. You just don't know it. Mississippi Queen and Nantucket Sleighride are the result of his lumbering blues genius. Recently he lost a leg to Diabetes but it hasn't stopped him. No, he was fitted with a prosthetic and has booked dates on tour with Michael Shencker and Uli Jon Roth. Rock on Leslie!
30. Slash- The most famous of the guitar players associated with the LA glam scene. He made his mark as the highly energetic guitar wiz behind Guns N' Roses but it has extended into his own projects, Slash's Snakepit and Velvet Revolver. He just might be the most used player around today as his friendly demeanor and shredding skills have landed him many guest spots on many albums and in films and TV.
31. Uli Jon Roth- Uli took over for the AWOL Michael Schenker in Scorpions. He played on the most revered 70s Scorpion efforts, In Trance, Virgin Killer, and Tokyo Tapes. The latter being a stellar example of live guitar genius. Outside of the Scorpions he had his own band, Electric Sun, which is also a great testament to his powerful shredding.
32. Yngwie Malmsteen- The swedish neo-classical guitar god got his start in the short lived Ron Keel fronted Steeler and really got to show what he had in Graham Bonett's Alcatrazz. He is known for his clean style and intense speed.
33. Steve Vai- Steve is a killer shredder who has worked with Frank Zappa, Whitesnake, Meatloaf, Public Image Limited, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Joe Jackson, Motorhead, Hughes Turner Project, John 5, Dream Theater, Marty Friedman, Spinal Tap, and the Devin Townsend Band. I think his track record speaks for itself.
34. Andy LaRocque- Andy has worked as a guest musician and producer on many projects and with many bands from the 1980s to present. It is his work in King Diamond, however, that really deserves praise. He has a very distinct guitar tone that really set the atmosphere for King's operatic vocals and horror story lyrics.
34. Richie Sambora- Richie Sambora is the the other 50% of Bon Bovi not occupied by Jon Bon Jovi. He is a deservedly praised player and writer who with his partner in crime, the famous Jon Bon Jovi, has concocted some signature riffage.
35. Angus Young- Famous as the crazy high-energy school-boy dressed guitar man in AC/DC, Angus paved the way for all the sleazy booze-fueled hard rock axe-slingers to come. He's instrumental in the AC/DC sound, which is essentially really loud blues-rock mayhem. But don't sell him short, he may not be the most progressive or diverse player around but he's certainly one of the most influential and iconic.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Greatest Singers of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Okay, this is one of those little subjective lists that literally hundreds of people have their version of. In fact, over the years, I've done a few of these lists of my own. Just for fun, I have compiled another one here, for this blog. The names that appear on my list have been selected for their overall vocal ability, their position as a showman or frontman, and their influence on heavy rock. The names are not listed in any order however. It would be way too hard to rank most of these guys/gals over or below the others. So, anyway, read on to see my picks and feel free to leave feedback.
1. Ronnie James Dio- A small guy with a huge set of lungs. Ronnie's ability to deliver consistent live performances and carry notes at high volumes for long periods of time, just might have been the result of his beginnings with the trumpet and French horn. From 1958 until his death in 2010, at the age of 67, Ronnie was a well-respected mainstay of the rock n' roll scene. Credited with popularizing the "metal horns" hand gesture; Ronnie flew the banner for hard rock and heavy metal at the front of Elf, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Black Sabbath, and his solo namesake, DIO.
2. Rob Halford- He just might have brought leather and studs to heavy metal fashion and that's not all he's renowned for. Rob Halford has been affectionately called, "The Metal God." Partly because his band Judas Priest were one of the first bands to accept the term heavy metal. Partly, because the guy has a vocal range like no other. If you want to hear a human being sing in a glass-breaking register, I urge you to check out Painkiller, Victim of Changes, Dream Deceiver, The Ripper, and Exciter.
3. King Diamond- King Diamond just might be the father of Black Metal. He was rocking corpse paint before there was such a thing, holding a microphone stand made of bones, and singing about horror stories and the occult in a mighty impressive falsetto in the early 1980s.
4. Ian Gillan- Ian is insane. I mean that in a good way. I have never heard an individual sound so insane. He layed the blue print for the heavy metal high-pitch scream. Just ask Rob Halford and King Diamond. If you want to hear someone wail like no human can, check out Child In Time, Into the Fire, Speed King, and Bloodsucker as a member of Deep Purple. Also, his album with Black Sabbath, Born Again, is intense to say the least. Disturbing the Priest, Trashed, and Zero the Hero are killer.
5. David Byron was an underrappreciated talent. Without him, Uriah Heep could never recapture the fire they had on classics like Look At Yourself, Demons and Wizards, Salisbury, Very Eavy' Very Umble', and The Magician's Birthday. The man had pipes and showed it on classic tracks like: July Morning, Gypsy, The Wizard, Bird of Prey, Sweet Lorraine, Look at Yourself, and Easy Livin.'
6. Freddie Mercury- Mr. Mercury brought a certain sophistication to what he did lyrically and possessed a vocal range that could go from an operatic high to a low gravelly grunt. Couple his vocals with his flamboyant stage persona and you have one of the greatest live acts of all time. Queen died with him.
7. Graham Bonett- Graham never wanted to sing hard rock and heavy metal. He began as a singer of R&B, pop, and soul. Perhaps his first hit was Only One Woman, as a member of The Marbles. However, when Ronnie James Dio left Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore scooped him up as the new lead singer. The union only lasted one album but it was a memorable one. Rainbow scored their biggest hit ever with the Russ Ballard-penned, Since You Been Gone. Despite his short time in Rainbow, he fell in love with heavy music and went on to sing for the Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz, and Impellitteri.
8. Sammy Hagar- Sammy is a guy who couldn't sell records in his younger days. Yet, as result of his killer live performances, packed arenas and auditoriums everywhere. He sang in one of America's first heavy metal bands, Montrose. After he split from Montrose, he ran full force into a solo career that eventually made him a household name. After years of hard work and after finally achieving some sales, he joined Van Halen. He went on to be even bigger with the Van Halen brothers. Now, he fronts Chickenfoot and still delivers mighty vocals. The Red Rocker is a force to be reckoned with as a singer, guitar player, and businessman.
9. Klaus Meine- Klaus has fronted the Scorpions for 4 decades. The Scorpions remained a force of rock almost exclusively across the pond until the early 1980s. In fact, it took them quite awhile to get the attention they deserved. They began as a raw 1970s German heavy metal unit but it was the party-hearty MTV hard rock hit Rock You Like A Hurricane that solidified their global stance as a heavy hitter of hard rock music. Klaus has been noted as possessing a voice so soft that in the early days of the band he was routinely mistaken for a woman. It is my opinion that Klaus just might be the originator of the guttural scream that would become a mainstay in the 90s metal scene. He screamed like there was no tomorrow on the bands early releases, a price he eventually payed with a torn vocal cord. That didn't stop him however. After surgery he actually gained range!
10. David Coverdale- The classy English singer for Deep Purple and Whitesnake has one of the bluesiest vocal deliveries of any rock singer. In fact, now his voice is even bluesier. This is no surprise however, he is man whose influences come directly from good old southern blues. He entered Deep Purple after the departure of Ian Gillan and made three funky but heavy Deep Purple records that one really needs to hear to believe. Later he fronted Whitesnake, a straight-up blues rock unit. It wasn't until his late 80s rebirth as a glam band singer that Whitesnake got their credit but that's helped him return to playing Whitesnake tunes more akin to their earlier output. Once he grabbed the audience, he was able to persuade them over to blues hard rock and metal.
11. Glenn Hughes- David Coverdale's brother in blues with a little more of a funk edge, Mr. Hughes is another English powerhouse with a passion for bass guitar. He just might be the only bassist out there however, who sings even better! He's fronted Trapeze, shared vocal duties with Coverdale in Deep Purple, sang for Tony Iommi's Seventh Star and Fused projects, and has now taken the mic for Black Country Communion. In England he's known as "The voice of rock."
12. Iggy Pop- With a voice that seems to have really loved Elvis as a young rock n' roller; Iggy has been called one of the originators of the heavy metal attitude as well as "The Godfather of Punk." Only, Iggy Pop sings way too good for punk by the modern definition. He's an overlooked vocalist and songwriter who now, in his 60s, seems to be getting the respect he deserves.
13. Meatloaf- Famous for the voice of Jim Steinman's music, Meatloaf always brought an operatic approach to rock music. No one can deny that in his prime, Meat was one of the greatest voices around. Today he still rocks it in the studio but years of touring with songs of great length have made the live performances harder to pull off.
14. Peter Steele- Steele was a darkly comedic man with a life-long hate of life. Fortunately for us, his pain and anger translated into some of the most beautiful metal performances of all time. With Carnivore, he sang and screamed better than anyone in hardcore and thrash. With Type O Negative, his deep bass delivery could sometimes depress you, excite you, make you scream, make you cry, and make you feel like makin' love all in one song. The man was gothic personified and I don't mean those mall goth kids with trip pants and eye-lid piercings. He was a dark tortured soul crying out and conquering demons with bass in hand and microphone in front. Sadly, he passed away of heart failure at age 48.
15. Arthur Brown- Known as "The God of Hellfire." Arthur Brown conquered both sides of the Atlantic in 1968 with the smash hit, Fire. Brown possesses a vocal range of over 4 octaves. Peter Gabriel, Marilyn Manson, Bruce Dickinson, and King Diamond have all confessed their love of the man at some point and he's made guest appearances on several different projects, including: Hawkwind, The Alan Parson's Project, Bruce Dickinson solo, Klaus Schulze, Curly's Airships, and All Living Fear.
16. John Lawton- John fronted Lucifer's Friend and Uriah Heep and just might be one of the most overlooked vocalists alive today. The man has talent and it's a great shame he was never able to gain more noteriety. Ride the Sky by Lucifer's friend just might contain one of the greatest vocal performances in hard rock history.
17. David Bowie- David Bowie rules. He's a musical chameleon and sings just about any genre he's done with pefection. He possesses a rich baritone voice pefect for rock n' roll and he just might be the most emulated voice in punk, new wave, and gothic rock. He started with a British Invasion self-titled record, moved on to early Heavy Metal, then glam rock, then art rock, blue-eyed soul and jazz, electronic, dance pop, hard rock, industrial rock, and finally just plain old rock. Jeez, talk about a guy with a personality crisis. Don't forget he also changed his appearance with every musical change. British long-hair rock n' roller, drag queen, space alien, sexually ambigious art form, big band swinger, clubber, fashionista, gothic industrial rocker, and seasoned rock vet. The many faces of the amazing Mr. Bowie.
18. Dee Snider- Dee has a voice made to sing rebellion. A voice made to piss off the establishment. Well, he did it. As the singer of Twisted Sister he made the filthy 15, tackled the PMRC in court, and lived to rock another day. We're Not Gonna Take it is the timeless song of any generation and his voice sings it the best.
19. Phil Mogg- Phil Mogg is another overlooked gem of a singer and songwriter. He writes some of the best vocal melodies in the biz and as the frontman of UFO, gave hard rock and heavy metal one of its most melodic but heavy bands ever. His voice is easy to distinguish from the hard rock lot and few can catch a melody and ride it like he can.
20. Paul Stanley- It's my money that he's the musical genius behind KISS. Sure, Gene Simmons has the image and the business sense, but Paul Stanley is one hell of a singer. He probably sings 3/4 of KISS's greatest tunes. Not to mention he produced the most worthwhile of the individual members' solo efforts. He can sing reasonably high in his natural voice and gives slow songs a real kick that most lack.
21. Jack Bruce- Jack Bruce is the mighty singer of Cream. I have always loved how Jack Bruce can sing atop guitar-heavy hard rock and then gradually dip his voice into a sensuous warble to end a chorus. Cream, in my opinion, just might have been the best rock export the United Kingdom had to offer in the late 1960s.
22. Rod Stewart- That's right, the pop singer. He wasn't always a pop singer though. As the frontman in the unforgettable late 1960s Jeff Beck Group and also The Faces, Rod Stewart really rocked. He rocked hard. His throaty crisp rendition of the Elvis Presely standard Jailhouse Rock on Beck-Ola is a killer vocal performance.
23. Joe Lynn Turner- Joe took over the vocal duties in Rainbow after Graham Bonett departed, once again proving Ritchie Blackmore knows how to find singers. Joe brought a poppier flare to the founders of power metal but he never compromised when it came to singing with the aforementioned power. His solo records are fantastic as well and his sole record with Deep Purple, Slaves and Masters, is an odd but enjoyable entry in the great bands legacy. His voice is smooth and so clean sometimes it's downright jaw-dropping. You rarely have a hard time catching the lyrics on even your first listen.
24. Doro Pesch- Doro Pesch is proof that power comes in small packages. The attractive, blonde, German singer can wail with the boys. She can sing high like any good power-metaller and she can sing very moving ballads. Just crank All We Are from her band Warlock and you'll see what I mean.
25. Jared Leto- Yeah, the actor. My girlfriend turned me on to his band, Thirty Seconds to Mars. Ordinarily it wouldn't have been the kind of band I'd have bought an album from. Then I heard this guy sing. All I can say is, "Why'd the music career not come before the acting?" He has a nice clean vocal delivery that lends itself not only to pop but to some good hard rock. He also packs alot of emotion into his choruses. Commendable indeed.
26. Tim "Ripper" Owens- Perhaps the best falsetto out there right now. He filled big shoes when he took over for Rob Halford in Judas Priest and he brought extreme vocal power to Winter's Bane and Iced Earth. Now he fronts Charred Walls of the Damned with Death drummer Richard Christy. He's a dead-ringer for a young Rob Halford, with an American accent just to separate him a little bit from his English hero.
27. Ian Anderson- This man, for over forty years, has sang his heart out and played the flute like a classical music master throughtout Jethro Tull's entire catalogue and live performances. You have to pat this guy on the back. For the entirety of a live show, he sings every word of a song and breaks only to solo on the flute. He's got a pair of lungs, that's for sure.
28. Derek St. Holmes- Yet another unsung hero of hard rock. Most people probably wouldn't even know it but, Ted Nugent was not the lead vocalist in the Ted Nugent band in those early days. It was this guy, Derek St. Holmes (Actually Meatloaf sang a few songs on Free-For-All). Derek has a voice that just shouts classic rock. He was the perfect compliment to Nugent's guitar playing and even though he really hasn't done a lot of notable projects since, it's worth noting he's the guy that sang the amazing Stranglehold.
29. Anne Wilson- Ever heard Barricuda by Heart? Then you know just how much power this lady's voice has behind it. She's a stellar vocalist that has had every bit of influence on hard rock as her male peers. Dreamboat Annie and Little Queen are what the strong female voice is all about.
30. Phil Lynott- A poet with a microphone and a bass. Phil's vocals weren't the icing on the cake to Thin Lizzy's twin-guitar sound. They were the very soul. Whether he was singing a lovely ballad like Still in Love with You or soaring through a heavy metal tune like Cold Sweat, he always seemed to be singing with real feeling.
31. Michael Bolton- Before he was an adult contemporary crooner, he really rocked in the hard rock band BlackJack and his first two solo records. BlackJack reminds one of Bad Company with a harder guitar sound, the product of having Bruce Kulick (who would later join KISS) shredding away behind you. Songs like Heart of Stone and Welcome to the World really give one a sense of his vocal prowess. His solo record Everybody's Crazy is a nice hair metal/AOR album that really confuses folks that know him for his covers of 50s love song standards.
32. Gary Cherone- Gary knows how to sing. He always brings the funk to the hard rock and an attitude that gives the songs an extra boost of umph. Van Halen III should not be where you start and stop with this guy. Forget that ill-fated adventure and check out his Extreme days. Oh, and if you're aware of Extreme, the acoustic ballad More than Words isn't his best either. Unfornately for Gary he's been pigeonholed between the master failure of a horrible one-off Van Halen disc and the super success of a heavy-less ballad. When it gets down to it though, this guy can sing hard rock with real scope.
33. Matthew Bellamy- Matthew is the vocalist of the English pop/progressive/hard rock/symphonic rock unit Muse. Like UFO's Phil Mogg he can really write vocal melodies. Matthew grabs those melodies and rides them to finish with beautful falsettos and and his own killer guitar licks. He's a good guitarist and a tremendous singer.
34. Lemmy Kilmister- Lemmy is Rock N' Roll. Plain and simple. He bleeds Rock N' Roll. He sweats it. He comes from the school of Chuck Berry and Little Richard but somewhere along the way he seems to have swallowed a few razor blades. Or maybe it's just the Jacks and Cokes? The cigarettes? The speed? The strange women? Anyway around it, he has a very distinctive rough and gruff style perfect for heavy fast Rock N' Roll. He roadied for Jimi Hendrix. He played bass and sang on Hawkwind's most famous of songs. He sang for Sam Gopal. For the past 35 years he's flown the flag of Motorhead and he couldn't be happier. He was punk before it existed. He was heavy metal before Steppenwolf spoke it. He's as real as they come. While not a technically perfect vocalist, no one else should dare attempt to sing Ace of Spades, Killed by Death, The Watcher, Love me Forever, Overkill, Bomber, or God Was Never on Your Side. He's the only one who could keep up with those songs. He's also a tremendous songwriter. You know Ozzy's songs Momma I'm Coming Home, I Don't Wanna Change the World, and Hellraiser? Yep, Lemmy wrote them.
35. Messiah Marcolin- Messiah was made to sing the doom and gloom. As the darkly mesmerizing vocalist of Candlemass, he delivered some fine high volume soaring vocals.
36. Bobby Liebling- As the singer/songwriter of Virginia's long-running doom metal unit, Pentagram, Bobby has been through the ups and downs. However, he's maintained a cult following and his songwriting has often drawn the attention of folks like Gene Simmons who wanted to buy him out! His voice is masculine and rough on the fast tunes and emotionally driving on the ballads. You couldn't call his ballads soft songs though, because he always brings the heavy!
37. Philip Anselmo- Phil is most famous as the singer behind Pantera and Down. In his early days in Pantera he could sing like the best of them. Obviously one who took his Rob Halford to heart, he soared with high screams and tore through fast sections with a voice unlike anything in thrash. Cememtery Gates on the legendary Cowboys from Hell just might be his finest moment. After Vulgar Display of Power his voice adopted a rougher sludgy quality that couldn't capture the power he let loose on his first three records with the band. He began to shout more and scream less. Some say he lost the range, others say he just progressed. Either way, his earliest performances will always be his best.
38. Billy Squier- Ah, how one video can ruin a career? But honestly, he can't be doing too bad now. Adam Sandler always throws The Stroke in his movies. Good royalties? Billy has a nice naturally high voice that was well-suited to early 80s guitar-driven rock. As he moved further from hard rock, his voice never got the chance to show off again.
39. Mark Slaughter- Most known for the ballad Fly to the Angels with his namesake band, Slaughter. Mark gave some of his best vocal work for Vinnie Vincent, however, in the Vinnie Vincent Invasion. His highs are perfect in the classic Love Kills and he carries the ballads just fine too.
40. Geddy Lee- Some may not be able to handle his nails-on-a-chalkboard approach. But try singing along like that sometime. He has a very disctinctive voice to say the least and without his vocals and bass, Rush just wouldn't be the same. More range than he's given credit for.
41. Biff Byford- Biff has long carried the heavy metal flag into battle. He's even trying to get it legally recognized as a religion in his native UK! His vocals are always clean and consistent in live performances and he brings the heavy metal thunder to the studio too!
42. David Lee Roth- Commanding a raspy howl and trying for highs he picked up as a fan of the Ohio Players, he added a party happy frat house flavor to early Van Halen that is forever loved. Not the best in terms of technical ability but a wondeful showman with an unequaled energy.
43. Black Lawless- W.A.S.P.'s mainman and PMRC favorite, Blackie has one of the most sinister and mischievious voices in all of metal. He has this dark but sleazy vocal delivery that perfectly represents his raw-meat flinging persona.
44. Henry Rollins- Perhaps the most commanding agressive vocalist ever. When Rollins talks, you listen. He barks orders and enlightens you philosophically through his lyrics and has a raspy shout that gets everyone standing and paying attention.
45. John Kay- In Born to Be Wild he sang, "Heav metal thunder!" He's Steppenwolf's frontman and besides being the guy pointed at for unknowingly naming a whole genre, he has a cool collected vocal style that puts one right back on a harley cruising down the open road in the late 1960s.
As always I must mention Alice Cooper, the world's greatest showman. But above, you get to hear about some of my other favorites!
And also, dont forget to check out: Paul Rodgers (Bad Company), Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost), Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Jani Lane (Warrant), Tim Aymar (Control Denied), Lita Ford, Joey Belladona (Anthrax), Rusty Day (Cactus), Dan McCafferty (Nazareth), Patti Smith, Paul McCartney, Kevin Dubrow (Quiet Riot), Marc Free (King Kobra), Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Brian Johnson (Before AC/DC he was in Geordie), Mark Farner (Grand Funk) and Wino (St. Vitus).
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Ah, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It sounds like the perfect institution for all the great heroes and heroines of rock n' roll and its many subgenres. In ways, it really is. The museum itself is centered in the heart of Cleveland a.k.a. The City of Rock N' Roll. For those who don't know, Cleveland gets that title because a Cleveland DJ reportedly gave the music its name. But anyway, back to the hall. Aesthetically, it looks very nice. Once inside, there is an array of great memorabilia on display some from acts that haven't even been inducted yet. This is where the problem lies.
Every year the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame nominates a handful of artists that can be officially "inducted" by a majority vote within the council that nominates these bands in the first place. The criteria is that any inductee must have had an album out no less than 25 years ago and supposedly they are chosen also for their impact on Rock N' Roll. Despite the fact it's a little silly that these bands that have been playing for 25+ years must be deemed worthy of induction by folks that haven't made any records themselves; the choosing seems to be moreorless a popularity contest within the council of electors. Did you know that Alice Cooper, Neil, Diamond, and Tom Waits were inducted for the year 2011 yet Metallica were inducted in 2009? Neil Diamond's first album was released in 1966 and since then he has sold 115 million albums. Alice Cooper's first album was released in 1969 and he has obtained 6 platinum albums and 3 gold albums in the US alone. Tom Waits has been around since 73 and while he hasn't achieved the mainstream success of Alice and Neil, he's a cult icon and continues to record and tour today. Metallica didn't hit the scene until 1983. They have only released 9 records and despite the fact all are platinum, only the first five albums are generally well-regarded by fans of hard rock and heavy metal. So, it's no doubt that Metallica is successful and that they have sold some albums. However, have they had the longevity of Alice, Tom, and Neil? No. Have they influenced the contemporary music scene as much as Alice Cooper? Not likely. Marilyn Manson, KISS, Twisted Sister, King Diamond, Motley Crue, Gwar, Lordi, Zodiac Mindwarp, Rob Zombie, and even the recent pop sensation Lady Gaga have sung their praises of the man and without his existence it's quite likely that those bands wouldn't exist in the way they do now. Cooper brilliantly blended rock and theatrics.
Metallica, to their credit, acknowledged the fact that their induction was a little surprising seeing as the acts they grew up on and borrowed musically from had not yet been nominated. At the ceremony they reminded the crowd of the snubs of Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, The Stooges, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, and Thin Lizzy.
So, why is that a band that wouldn't have existed without the influence of their pioneering heroes was inducted before they were? As we speak, Alice Cooper and The Stooges have finally been inducted. The other have not. They are not the only acts continually snubbed. The list of others that haven't been inducted despite a long period of eligibility are: Rush, Jethro Tull, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Yes, KISS, The Moody Blues, Ronnie James Dio (And this is completely unexceptable seeing as the man fronted Black Sabbath, DIO, ELF, and Rainbow, released his first single in 1958 and is constantly listed by Jamed Hetfield of Metallica as his favorite vocalist), Chicago, T. Rex, ELO, Budgie, Uriah Heep, Journey, Cheap Trick, Screaming Jay Hawkins, The Cars, The Monkees, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Pat Benetar, Todd Rundgren, Meatloaf and Jim Steinman, Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, Styx, Supertramp, Def Leppard, Warren Zevon, Love, Gary Numan, King Crimson, Dire Straits, Nazareth, Grand Funk Railroad, Mountain, Iron Butterfly, Sweet, Slade, and Gary Numan. That's far from the end of the list unfortunately!
I was taken aback by the announcement this morning that the 2012 class will feature Guns N' Roses and The Beastie Boys. If Guns N' Roses is nominated why no Motley Crue? Motley Crue came onto the LA glam scene in 1981 when there was no LA glam scene. Their sleazy punky heavy metal set the standard for all the glam acts that followed. No Motley Crue, no Warrant, Ratt, Cinderella, Poison, or Guns N' Roses. Appetite for Destruction arrived 6 years later. By the mid 90s Guns N' Roses was no more. Since then it has been the Axyl Rose solo vehicly carrying the GNR label to sell records. In 2008 Motley Crue put out another fantastic record with the original lineup and has toured in support since. They have a new album in the works.
The Beastie Boys, don't even get me started. One could argue all day about how it's called The Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame. What is this compulsion to induct rap acts? Rock N' Roll is guitar based, derived from the blues and classical music, and features real touring bands playing live music. Guitar, base, drums, and vocals. The Beastie Boys also were some of the first folks to dabble heavy in sampling. Write your own music fellows. A song once in a while with a little sample isn't gonna hurt anyone, if you get written permission from the original composer, but to make entire songs or albums that are the product of splicing together prerecorded bits and adding raps over it...well, that's just not Rock N' Roll.
So, in conclusion, the major problem with the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame is that they don't acknowledge artistic originality, impact, and seniority enough. Often times, they nominate bands or performers that even major rock enthusiasts have to hit up wikipedia.org for an idea of who they are while completely ignoring a man like Ronnie James Dio or Lemmy who pretty much is the living incarnation of Rock N' Roll. The man's almost 66, wakes up to Jacks and Cokes, a pack of cigarettes, and a different hot lady for breakfast and then tears up the stage worldwide while folks like Metallica, the Foo Fighters, and even Ozzy look on in awe. What's more Rock N' Roll than that?
Welcome 2 My Nightmare
The Nightmare Returns: A Review Alice Cooper’s “Welcome 2 My Nightmare.”
How do you follow up a classic album like Alice Cooper’s 1975 solo debut, Welcome to My Nightmare? Well, I would liken it to 1983’s Psycho II. (Strangely enough a couple of other online reviewers have also used that for comparison.) You have Alfred Hitchcock’s undisputed classic of 1960s horror cinema. It’s a film so well done and memorable that along with Powell’s Peeping Tom, it kicked off a whole new subgenre of horror films. Twenty-three years after Anthony Perkins played Norman Bates, he returned in “Psycho II.” I firmly believe, as do a lot of horror fans that “Psycho II” just might be one of if not the greatest sequel there ever was. It’s only flaw, it’s not the original. The original is better only because there was nothing else like it in the time it was released. It took the world by surprise, it broke taboos, it had us on the edge of our seats, and it will always have a special place in our hearts because of it.
Welcome 2 My Nightmare is very much like Psycho II. Not in terms of plot or even medium. It’s similar in that had the original not done it first, it would have that place in our hearts the original holds.
Welcome to My Nightmare featured the classic songs, “Only Women Bleed,” “Cold Ethyl,” The Black Widow,” “Devil’s Food,” “Some Folks,” “Steven,” “Escape,” “Department of Youth,” and the creepy spoken tracks by our protagonist Steven, “The Awakening,” and “Years Ago.” Oh, and don’t forget the title track! Each song worked together to tell us something about Steven. It was Steven’s story; a tale that touched on domestic abuse, childhood abandonment, arachnophobia, necrophilia, escapism, nightmares, and murder. (Pretty progressive for 1975.)
From the lyrics of these songs, we learn that Steven is a tormented man child who may have killed his wife without even knowing it. Like Norman Bates, he is hinted to be a schizophrenic. Take for instance the lyrics, “I’m a little boy. No, I’m a great big man.” “I’m a little boy” is said from the perspective of a child, high prepubescent voice included. “No, I’m a great big man,” is bellowed in a deep masculine voice. Steven is haunted by scary dreams of spiders, death, and abuse which give us further evidence that our main character is psychologically damaged. “Escape” is his big sendoff; words that imply that Steven has temporarily awaken from his nightmare and realizes his only option is to run away and disappear. Though we know running isn’t going to solve his mental problems and that’s why, 36 years later, we have a sequel.
The first track of the new album opens with the familiar eerie keyboard of “Steven” from the original. Then we launch into the new nightmare. One disappointing factor, right off the bat is the fact that they auto-tuned Alice’s vocals for the first verse of the first song, “I am Made of You.” It’s an effect overused in modern music and robs the impact of the first verse’s lyrics. Once you get past it, the song itself is great. It has some great reflective lyrics, a haunting chorus, and awesome instrumentation.
Track 2, “Caffeine,” is an infectious hard rocking number with awesome vocal delivery on the chorus. Track 3, is almost like “Awakening.” It is a song with powerful guitar and keyboard work and it also lets us hear from Steven. He’s still having nightmares and in fact, he’s too scared to sleep now because of them, hence his dependence on caffeine.
Track 6, “The Congregation” makes it clear that we’re actually in hell at this point. Rob Zombie makes an appearance as our tour guide and one of the highlights from his spoken word is when he tells about the boiling pit of death where we can find defrocked priests, pimps, telemarketers, and the guys from Wall Street! Track 7, already a live favorite, is called “I’ll Bit Your Face Off.” It’s about his romance with an unstable woman and musically it will remind you of a Rolling Stones tune.
Track 8 is where things begin to really get weird and I mean that in the best way imaginable. “Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever,” is a techno, industrial, dance club parody that features lyrics about mowing down the disco with a machine club and stacking their bodies on the dance floor. Track 9 is a surf rock, rockabilly, Beach Boys go metal type of song that is musically and lyrically foot-tapping.
Track 10, “Something to Remember me By,” was reportedly written by Alice and Dick Wagner in the Alice Cooper Goes to Hell days and it does sound like “I Never Cry” from that album. “When Hell Comes Home” is the first song to feature the original Alice Cooper group since 1974’s Muscle of Love. It is a dark violent song about an abusive father and the little boy “putting one between his eyes.”
Remember when I said Vince Gill wasn’t the strangest addition to this album? Track 12, “What Baby Wants” is a duet with pop star Ke$ha. Surprisingly, it rocks! Ke$ha’s a sex-starved demon trying to seduce Steven to no avail. “You like my pretty mouth,” she sings. “Yeah but you got razor blades instead of teeth!” Track 13, “I Gotta Get Out of Here,” is Steven recounting the adventures from previous songs and begging to wake up from the nightmare he doesn’t want to finish. A hell choir tells him it’s not a nightmare anymore and that he’s really dead and he’s in hell. The song ends with “yeah, yeah, yeah.” Steven is eternally in denial of his fate. Track 14 wraps up the album with an instrumental amalgam of sounds from every song on both Nightmare albums.
© 2011 All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without prior written consent from Chris Petry. Chris may be contacted through email at: petry.chris@yahoo.com
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