Yngwie Who?

The doors of the Phoenix Concert Theatre opened a little later than scheduled leaving an enormous crowd lining the sidewalk of Sherbourne St. in Toronto, buzzing with the anticipation of seeing guitar legend Yngwie J. Malmsteen. I had overheard one of the doormen say it had taken longer than anticipated to load in and set up Yngwie's thirty seven Marshall amps hence the almost hour long delay to get inside. The crowd didn't seem to mind the delay. It was one of the first nights we've had that wasn't bitterly cold in this unusually late spring in southern Ontario, so standing outside wasn't too painful at all.

The crowd, although lacking gender diversity, spanned many decades in age. The teenagers and twenty something's represented the eighties in fine form. Long hair, old school concert shirts and jackets, high tops and skinny jeans were in abundance. The energy was high as the doors opened and the night got underway. 

  

Taking the stage first was a young thrash band out of New York City. Martyrd is a high energy,  retro-thrash band with great stage presence. The singer (although a little screamy for my taste) had a great look with waist length hair that he had clearly honed as his secondary instrument. The hair solos were phenomenal!!! Martyrd is a little on the heavy side for me but definitely talented and tight. 

 The Phoenix is a great spot to see a show. The stage is a decent size, the sound is usually good and there isn't a bad place to stand.  It's a great place to people watch in between bands and tonight was no exception. I was loving the old school eighties style resurgence and amazed that the kids can (and more to the point want to) pull it off today. It was cool to see! My favorite person to watch (and that may be because he walked past us at least twenty seven times) was the guy we dubbed "Trinity". He looked like he stepped right out of the Matrix movie. I'm not quite sure where one would even purchase a coat like that but it was most impressive. I would have asked but he looked a little preoccupied with taking himself far too seriously. 

Anyway...

  

Second on the bill was The Ethan Brosh Band, taking the stage before the legendary Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Ethan Brosh has three bands. A vocal band (Angels of Babylon), an instrumental  band and a Bon Jovi Tribute band (Living On a Bad Name). Performing tonight and for the first half of the tour was the instrumental band. I don't think they had been on stage for more than thirty seconds before I knew they were something great!

Ethan Brosh is an incredibly talented, technically savvy, guitar maestro!  His sound is very retro, and reminiscent of the awesome technical skills of Vinnie Moore which took me back to a great place and time in my music archives. After an incredible set (although far too short), Ethan invited fans to come and chat with the band at the merchandise booth which I was eager to do as I had, in the last thirty minutes, become a huge fan. Ethan and his sister Nili  (rhythm guitarist) were genuinely happy to meet and talk to fans. I overheard Nili say that she had played with Tony MacAlpine, Impressive!!

Ethan was very humble, soft spoken and seemingly without ego. Surprising and somewhat refreshing for someone so young with so much talent. We chatted for a few minutes and before retuning to the concert hall, I purchased their newest CD "Live the Dream" which has been on repeat in my car ever since.

You can check out Ethan on his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ethanbrosh. 

The lights went out, the smoke started billowing and that unmistakable shredding guitar sound came pumping through the speakers louder than life!  The show opener was "Rising Force". A great choice I must say!! As I looked to see who was belting out this awesome song I was instantly in shock and awe. None other than Trinity! Straight out of the Matrix and onto stage left behind the keyboard. Cool! I guess he's entitled to take himself a little seriously. His voice was killer!! I'm a huge Jeff Scott Soto fan so I was prepared to be a little critical and instead was thoroughly impressed.

The singing was split between the keyboardist (Nick Marino) and the bass player (Ralph Ciavolino). Both were outstanding.  I was under the impression that Tim "Ripper" Owens was still singing for YJM but while at the merchandise counter had learned he was no longer with the group. The guy in front of me picked up a CD and asked "is this the one with the Ripper on it?" and the kid behind the counter replied "I don't know, I'm not a fan of that guy, my Dad is way better!" Intrigued as I was, I had to ask. "Who's your Dad?". "Ralph Ciavolino" he replied. "He's the bass player and lead singer". (Not entirely accurate but close enough and nice to see a kid so proud of his Dad.)

 About four songs into the set, the bass player donned a Canadian hockey jersey (YAY!!!). He wore it for the remainder of the set which must have been smoking hot as he, the keyboardist and drummer were crammed into slightly more than a quarter of the stage while the other three quarters was owned by the mighty Yngwie surrounded by his temple of Marshall stacks. (Did I mention there were thirty seven?) The band were tight but difficult to hear as the mix was over the top heavy on Yngwie. (About the same ratio as the stage placement)

The set ended with my least favorite YJM song of all time. "Heaven Tonight". Really?!?!

Ugh!!! Now it's stuck in my head.  I can't believe he even wants to do that song.

I'd tried to block out that they even tried to make that terrible foray into the Glam Metal scene! That could be why Odyssey was the last YJM album I bought. I didn't recognize much material past 1988 as by that time I had, shall we say, moved on.

I turned to my friend Kevin and said " Malmteen's great but I really dig that Ethan Brosh Band". "Absolutely" he said, "He's like Malmsteen but without all the attitude!"  Well said Kev, well said!

Malmsteen came back out and did a two song encore. "Black Star" which I found completely underwhelming and then, just as I was about to completely lose interest, they broke into  "I'll See the Light Tonight" for the final number." Marching Out" was probably my favorite album released in 1985 so I was stoked. What a great way to end the show.

The "back up" band were fantastic and deserved much appreciation and respect although they, at no time, received any props, nor even an introduction from YJM. (Thank goodness for Wikipedia!).  Not a surprise, merely an observation.  It is, after all, all about Yngwie right?

The guitar tech was on stage for the entire show. Between the seventy five plus pick strips that needed replacing on what seemed like a minutely basis, the spinning, tossing and general vandalizing of the huge inventory of guitars, the fans trying to touch the "Maestro" and his gear, the tech looked as though he was nearing a complete nervous breakdown by the time the show was done.  

There were a few technical glitches (it was only the third night of the tour). At one point in the show, the bassist tried to fill dead air time by telling REALLY bad jokes. Awkward!!!!! To make it just a little more awkward, more than once, when he reached the punch line, YJM broke into a test riff or a power chord just in time to cut him off (seemingly unintentional although we are talking about YJM so was it...really?!)

All that being said, there is no doubt that Yngwie was outstanding!! Of course he was, he's Yngwie J. Malmsteen!  Would you expect anything less?

Episode 82 - John Regan

When KISS decided to drop their trademark makeup in 1983, many fans from the band's 1970's glory years were perplexed when they saw a diminutive figure sitting next to Gene Simmons and loudly questioned, "Where's Ace?!"

For the general music-buying public, the once Hottest Band in the Land had become a niche curiosity with dwindling popularity. Ever-changing lineups and forays into different genres had watered down the band and turned off many in their core audience. It stand to reason that many of KISS' old school fans weren't aware that Frehley himself had grown disenchanted with the group's direction and left the previous year.

With KISS' unmasking in 1983, many fans started wondering what happened to their favorite Spaceman and what his musical plans would be for the future. Our guest this week was instrumental in what happened next.

John Regan is commonly known amongst KISS fans as the bassist for Frehley's Comet but his resume tells a much bigger story. John was nice enough to talk to Chris & Aaron this week about his 30+ year career in the music industry, working with artists such as Ace Frehley, the Rolling Stones, and Peter Frampton.

We start in 1980 with Regan's first meeting with Ace Frehley while collaborating on mutual friend "Crazy" Joe Renda's Variable Speed Band album that featured the quirky Frehley-penned single 'Eugene.' Regan shares how Renda and North Lake Sound Studios in White Plains, NY would continue to be crucial in the advancement of his musical career.

In this long-form discussion Regan shares how he first started working with Peter Frampton in 1982 and the marathon 3 day cram-session to learn Frampton's entire live set. This would mark the beginning of a friendship and musical bond that would bring the two together numerous times over the next three decades.

1985-86 would see Regan working with legendary artists such as David Bowie and Mick Jagger. In this discussion you'll hear his recollections of recording with the two for their 1985 duet of 'Dancin' in the Street' as well as his memories of working with the Rolling Stones during the sessions for the Dirty Work album.

A bit of recording and touring in 1984 with Frehley would lay the foundation that Regan would return to in 1987 as Megaforce Records picked up Frehley's Comet and backed the new lineup featuring Frehley, Regan, drummer Anton Fig, and gutiarist/vocalist Tod Howarth. John shares his memories of the recording process for the album and the difficulties that came up after Fig was given the full-time job as the drummer for David Letterman's band.

Regan shares his memories of working with Jamie Oldaker as the legendary drummer took over the drum stool in the Comet. Some Comet fans throughout the years have expressed resentment that Oldaker didn't "fit" the Frehley sound and, in this discussion, you'll hear Regan's reaction to that criticism.

Also in this long-form talk, Regan shares his thoughts on Eddie Trunk and his place in helping get Ace Frehley back into the public consciousness. "I don't think Ace would have got signed if it weren't for Eddie being the real force behind it."  Regan shares how Trunk was adamant about Frehley's potential and swayed Megaforce president Jon Zazula to give the former KISS axe-man a shot. He also shares, later in the interview, how he heard that Trunk has been telling Frehley that a Comet reunion would not be a good idea.

Regan also tells us his opinion of Second Sighting and how he thinks the Live +4 album that was shoehorned in between it and the debut may have sabotaged the band's potential growth. John also notes that the absence of Eddie Kramer behind the board may have hindered the album's sound but how there are also some shining moments as well.

1989 saw Frehley release Trouble Walkin'. With Kramer back behind the board and Richie Scarlet replacing Tod Howarth on guitar, the album had a grittier feel than the earlier Comet material and also did not bear the Comet tag. Regan explains why Howarth may have left the group and what went into the decision to not bill this lineup as Frehley's Comet.

We also ask Regan his opinion of claims made by Gordon Gebert in his KISS & Tell book that involve Regan producing Frehley-related live & greatest hits packages as a method for recouping money owed to him by Ace.

Other topics touched on in this hour plus interview include Regan's work with artists such as Michael Monroe and David Lee Roth. We also ask John some listener questions that were sent in.

There's a lot to get to in this discussion and we barely scratched the surface. John was a great sport and we really appreciate him appearing on the show. We hope you enjoy this talk.

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Crazy Joe & the Variable Speed Band
Peter Frampton
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Ace Frehley
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Now Hear This: Pantera - Projects In The Jungle

     Even though the average Headbanger's Ball viewer hadn't a clue at the time, Cowboys From Hell was Pantera's fifth album and their second with Phil Anselmo on vocals. When Cowboys From Hell came out very few people outside of the underground metal community had any idea that it wasn't Pantera's debut album, and the band did nothing to change that. In my opinion Pantera should have embraced their past and presented themselves as an evolving band, not a new band. Instead, as more people began to discover that Cowboys In Hell wasn't the band's first album, it could only be assumed that the band had something to hide. Were they ashamed of their earlier albums? Were they afraid that what their earlier albums represented would compromise the success of the new Pantera? It is undeniable that the band significantly altered their image and sound once they signed with a major label and a questioning of the motivation behind the band's drastic reinvention was inevitable. Sure, maybe it was a simple progression, the band changed organically over the course of seven plus years, but one could also reasonably put forth the hypothesis that the band collectively made a conscious decision to bury their past and recreate themselves as a thrash band. Even with the questions of who, what, when and where answered, the question of why, of the motivation behind the change, still remains. What motivated such a complete makeover and was it sincere or calculated? Maybe a little of both?

     I saw Pantera twice on the Vulgar Display of Power tour and it was the only time in my life that I ever stagedove, but I'm gonna come right out and say it: Projects In The Jungle is my favorite Pantera album. To truly appreciate how impressive Projects In The Jungle is you have to consider a few things:

1) the album was basically self-produced by the band (Darrell and Vinnie's father Jerry Abbott is credited as producer)

2) the album was self-released on the band's own record label, Metal Magic.

3) Diamond Darrell Abbot was 18 years old, I REPEAT 18 years old when the album came out

     People love to debate what is or isn't heavy metal, especially people who don't know what the fuck they're talking about, but in 1984 there was no debate, an album like Projects In The Jungle was quintessential heavy metal. That was a big year for metal, albums like Out of the Cellar and Stay Hungry dominated MTV and the Billboard charts and bands like Bon Jovi and W.A.S.P. made their debuts. Projects In The Jungle does not pale in comparison to any of those albums but rather holds its own against most of its then contemporaries in heavy metal. Tooth and Nail is a better album, but Projects In The Jungle puts up a fight. Of course a little album called Ride The Lightning also came out in 1984 and a change was a-gonna come, but all things considered Pantera had nothing to be ashamed of, rather they should have remained proud of Projects In The Jungle, it's an impressive work and was quite an accomplishment at the time. They were young and they did it themselves. Their passion resounds in the work. All of the cynical hindsight smirkery about "glam" is pseudo-tough guy bullshit. What music you listen to doesn't make you tough, that's a ridiculous mindset. You like what you like, taste is something organic that develops in each individual, or at least it should be, and taste can be quite broad. I am perfectly capable of liking both Projects In The Jungle and Vulgar Display of Power, there is nothing odd or strange about that, the two albums are not for mutually exclusive fanbases. It is my belief that many people, subconsciously or not, outwardly manipulate their "taste" to present themselves in a certain way, to cultivate a certain image. They adorn their personalities with whatever they openly profess to "dig." When it comes to Pantera, what anyone found to dig about Far Beyond Driven is far beyond me. I bought the album at a midnight release party and could find nothing at all to like about it. I thought it was a piece of shit. It seemed forced, I didn't hear any heart or passion in the music, I felt like the band was playing a role by that point, pushing the manila envelope. Of course the album debuted at number one.

     Projects In The Jungle is a much more honest and sincere record than Far Beyond Driven, in my opinion. Projects In The Jungle is a tribute album, a tribute to all of the bands that the members of Pantera worshiped and wanted to be like. As I earlier pointed out, Diamond Darrell was only eighteen years old but he was already an amazing guitar player making very professional sounding records, on his own, for the love of the music. Just listen to the opening track, "All Over Tonight."

     Obviously the band were very into High n' Dry, which is quite possibly my favorite heavy metal album of all time. They did a great job of writing their own version of "Another Hit and Run." The next song, "Out For Blood" is an amazing heavy metal riff fest, must I reiterate that Diamond Darrell was only eighteen at the time? This song reminds me of another of my favorite eighties metal albums, Fire Down Under by Riot.

     "Out For Blood" is followed by a minute and a half show-off guitar solo by Darrell called "Blue Light Turnin' Red."

     Next up is one of the simplest tunes on the album, a great hard rocker called "Like Fire." This is the kind of song that would definitely turn off the tough guy Pantera fan who thinks that he can only listen to detuned guitars played by dudes with goatees because it makes his muscles (and other too small things) bigger, but I enjoy the song a lot.

     "Like Fire" is followed by the poppiest song on the album, an AOR classic called "In Over My Head." Again, on the surface this is nothing like "Fucking Hostile," but both songs have a catchy hook and it is perfectly reasonable for a rock fan to like both songs, there is absolutely no reason to have to choose one or the other. You like what you like.

     Next up is the title track and the song on the album that might most closely resemble the band's later work, there is definitely a heavy groove element to the riff. The problem is the song doesn't really have a hook, the melody is lacking. So it's one of the heaviest songs, but one of my least favorites.

     The title track is followed by a song that is as generic as its title, "Heavy Metal Rules." After that we get the required ballad, "Only a Heartbeat Away." It's not that bad. The second to last song on the record, "Killers," revolves around a killer (pun intended) riff, this some of Darrell's best work on the album. It's a classic eighties metal tune and as I argued earlier, the band should have been proud of a song like this, who cares what they were wearing at the time.

     The last song on the record, "Takin' My Life," is a real oddball and probably the song the band wanted buried more than any of the others. It's not far removed from a band like Honeymoon Suite, which is not a bad thing at all in my opinion, but "Takin' My Life" is not a great song. So really it's the first side of the record that I like the most, but "Killers" is a great song from the second side. 

I think they look pretty fuckin' cool.

     I like a lot of rock music from many different eras and genres but when the chips are down I will most often go to eighties metal for the joy and comfort it brings me, and Projects In The Jungle is certainly in my comfort zone. Projects In The Jungle was followed up in 1985 by the band's last album with singer Terrence Lee, I Am The Night. The first song on that album, "Hot and Heavy," is freakin' awesome.

     Terrence Lee was replaced by Philip Anselmo by the time the band's next album, Power Metal, came out in 1988. Lee rechristened himself Terry Glaze and formed a new band called Lord Tracy. The band signed with MCA and released an album called Deaf Gods of Babylon in 1989. It's an okay record, appropriately filed away on my record shelf between The Long Ryders and Lords of the New Church. I like "East Coast Rose" and "In Your Eyes."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME8y0HjvTqA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDvTUe0Ad6w

     I remember my local classic rock radio station used Lord Tracy's amusing song "Piranha" as a bumper.

"This is a song about a fish...and fish...are bad!"

     What happened to Darrell Abbot was an astonishing and horrific event and the fact that it got so little attention by the news media was an insult to rock fans everywhere. Darrell Abbott was a true artist, an extraordinarily talented individual who had worked long and hard to rise to the top of his field. For him to be murdered onstage, in front of his fans, was unimaginable, and for such a historical calamity to get short shrift by an out of touch, elitist news media infuriated me to no end. Heavy metal is an art form that millions of people sincerely appreciate and benefit from. It's not a joke. If you want to see a joke take a visit to MOMA, check out some of the ludicrous bullshit that these pretentious dipshits call art, and yet they look down their noses at something as creative and heartfelt as heavy metal music. Who needs 'em.

Now Hear This: Slade In Flame

     Between October of 1971 and October of 1974 Slade released an astonishing twelve consecutive top ten singles in the UK and half of them hit number one. The song that broke that amazing streak, "How Does It Feel," which only made it to number fifteen in February of 1975, is quite possibly the best song of the bunch. "How Does It Feel" is the opening number of the album Slade released in 1975, Slade In Flame, which is essentially the soundtrack album to the feature film the band starred in that year, Flame.

     Slade's previous two albums, Slayed and Old New Borrowed & Blue (aka Stomp Your Hands Clap Your Feet in the US) had hit number one in the UK but Slade In Flame would only make it to number six. As these numbers foretold, Slade In Flame and its accompanying film were the beginning of Slade's descent from the heights of superstardom in the UK. The band's next album, 1976's Nobody's Fools, would only reach number fourteen on the charts and the album after that, Whatever Happened To Slade, wouldn't chart at all. The thing is, neither Nobody's Fools nor Whatever Happened To Slade really deserved to be top ten albums. The title track of the former is a great tune and the NWOBHM anticipating songs on the latter are entertaining, but the quality of tunes present on the band's earlier hit albums was not matched, not even close. Slade In Flame, though, was a brilliant record, probably my favorite of the band's albums, although Old New Borrowed & Blue gives it a run for its money. Slade In Flame should have catapulted the band to even greater heights, not precipitated its decline.

     Basically UK rock fans began to lose interest in Slade an album too early, apparently they were burned out on Slademania. Slade's enormous popularity had opened the doors for numerous other glam rockers, to the point that record labels were churning out single after single by this band and that band, you know the story: oversaturation. But Slade were a singular group, Noddy Holder and Jim Lea were supremely talented songwriters and the music Slade made in the first half of the seventies was truly unique and wonderful.

     Slade's unprecedented run between 1971 and 1974 may have amounted to overexposure but Slade In Flame was not just more of the same, the band was progressing, the band was getting better, the songwriting was stronger, the melodies more intricate. One interesting aspect not often considered is this: the band found themselves writing songs for fictional bands whose members they would portray in the film. This dynamic offered vibrant creative opportunities, it opened them up to try new things, explore different ideas. They came at the album from a fresh perspective. Thus Slade In Flame is in some ways the band's most eclectic and creative piece of work, at least up to that point. It is important to note that there are two different versions of the album. 

The UK track listing looks like this:

1. How Does It Feel 
2. Them Kinda Monkeys Can't Swing 
3. So Far So Good 
4. Summer Song (Wishing You Were Here) 
5. O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday 
6. Far Far Away 
7. This Girl 
8. Lay It Down 
9. Heaven Knows 
10. Standin' on the Corner 

The US track listing looks like this:

1. How Does It Feel
2. Them Kinda Monkeys Can't Swing
3. So Far So Good
4. The Bangin' Man
5. O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday
6. Far Far Away
7. This Girl
8. Lay It Down
9. Thanks For The Memory
10. Standin' on the Corner

     In the US "Summer Song" and "Heaven Knows" were replaced by the UK single-only tracks "Bangin' Man" and "Thanks For The Memory." Although I like the former pair of songs a lot I'd have to say that the latter pair are better, thus the US version is a stronger record overall. The majestic album opener "How Does It Feel" is followed by a cheeky rocker called "Them Kinda Monkeys Can't Swing" which is performed by the fictitious band Flame in the film. Check it out:

     The third song on the album is not only my favorite song on the record but probably my favorite Slade song period, "So Far So Good." This is one of those rare, amazing songs where I love the verse melody even more than the chorus melody, even though the chorus is fantastic.

     The fourth song on the record is either "Summer Song" or "Bangin' Man." Please vote for which song you like best in the Comments section below (links provided--click song title). The last song on Side One is a classic Slade tune, "O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday." Punchy melody, just tons of fun.

     Side Two begins with the first single released from the album, a top ten hit called "Far Far Away." It's a brilliant song, quite folky but it still sounds like Slade. It's a moving tune. Great lyrics as well.

      The next song on the album, "This Girl," provides our introduction to Noddy Holder in the film. At the beginning of the movie Noddy is the frontman of a rival band to the other three members of Slade, The Undertakers, and he starts out the performance of this song in a coffin from which he is supposed to rise, on stage, but he gets stuck inside it. Hilarity ensues.

     "This Girl and "Lay It Down" are my least favorite songs on the album. I still like 'em though! They are followed by either "Heaven Knows" or "Thanks For The Memory." Once again, please vote for which song you like best in the Comments section below (links provided--click the song title). The last song on the album is a raucous rocker called "Standin' On The Corner." Noddy's breakneck delivery of the quirky lyrics cracks me up. 

She's a shoe shinin' shimmy shootin' high falutin' rootin' tootin' baby yeah!
And she's found herself a shimmy shootin' high falutin' rootin' tootin' man!
She's a hard casin' fast racin' male chasin' boot lacin' baby yeah!
And to get her evil way she'll do most anything the devil says she can.

     The song plays an important role in the film, the band (Flame) perform it for an ecstatic crowd of young girls as they hit the peak of their popularity. Slade are one of my very favorite bands, they were a brilliant rock band with miles of personality and seemingly unlimited talent. Alas there was a limit, they hit a rough patch but came back strong in the early eighties with a gaggle of great songs. In 1975 they were massive stars in Europe and a feature film was the obvious next step. But Slade were smart about it and deserved more recognition for the results, not just for the amazing songs they wrote but also for the kind of film they chose to make. They took the project seriously, it was not a vanity project. Flame tells a stark tale about the dark side of the music industry. Hungry young musicians put together a band, hook up with shady management, become breakout stars, and everything goes to shit. Slade shocked everyone at the time by actually releasing a quality film which an open-minded audience would find thematically challenging and emotionally satisfying. Believe it or not it's a damn good movie, and you can watch it right now on Youtube.

Helix - Breaking Loose in 1979!

When I got wind that this week's show was 1979 Year in Review, I took a quick glance at some of the albums that were released that year and immediately smiled upon seeing Helix's Breaking Loose.

I jumped at the chance to "review" this album for the Decibel Geek. This was an album I loved but I will confess that I certainly never heard it in 1979, nor had I even heard of Helix at that point. I was nine years old and busy with little league, getting home to watch the Dukes of Hazzard and collecting Hockey Cards. I was not quite the card carrying metalhead that you know now, although I did purchase the single for Kiss's "I was Made For Loving You" (which the flip side "Hard Times" quickly became my favorite) that year.

Fast forward to 1984 when I had caught the Rock n Roll pneumonia and was quickly discovering rock bands by the droves. I was totally a Decibel Geek even back then. My friends and I discovered Helix around the time they released their 2nd album for Columbia Records "Walking the Razors Edge" and we soon found and devoured the previous release "No Rest For The Wicked".

These guys played great, melodic metal and had the image to back it up. Leather and studs, long hair and tattoos, these guys were right at home onstage with Priest or the Scorpions. By the time we found them they were already Canadian "Rock Stars" opening for the likes of Kiss and the aforementioned Scorpions and here in Canada they were headlining theatre tours and packing in fans.

So my friend Adam and I were thrilled when we were able to score front row tickets to see them in Hamilton. We were 14 years old and I was already a concert veteran having already seen Mötley Crüe, Kiss, and Ratt but this was the first time I was going to front and center, up close and not up in the stands.

Now remember, this was pre-internet and here in Canada we didn't have MTV. We would clamour to read all the rock magazines we could find to learn about our favourite Rock Gods. We would also spend countless Saturday afternoons in the record stores, examine all the albums we wanted to buy (but for the most part couldn't afford). I clearly remember searching for years hoping I would find a copy of Mötley Crüe's "Toast Of The Town" to no avail.

Anyways, it was on one of these record store outings that my buddy Adam stumbled across "Breaking Loose" from Helix. We gasped, thinking "how could we not know about this?" It was like a gift from above with only weeks to go before we would be front row at the show. I remember listening to it at his house and thinking that it was a little strange but cool. You could tell it was Helix as Brian Vollmer has a pretty distinct voice but the music was certainly less loud and distorted than the Helix albums we were used to. "I Could Never Leave", "Don't Hide Your Love" and "Down In The City" were very classic rock, very 70's and a little different from the riffing distorted guitar sounds of 80's "Heavy Metal" Helix. It is certainly an album for the times, heavier than what Kiss were doing in 79, but Iron Maiden it was not.


Then we got to the track "Billy Oxygen" and we went nuts. This tune is a high energy rocker with such a cool hook that it immediately became our favorite song on the album and we just couldn't get enough of this one. I clearly remember recording the album onto cassette and thinking how cool it was to have such a rare album in my collection. Everyone knew "Heavy Metal Love" and "Rock You" at school, but Adam and I were the only ones with "Billy Oxygen" in our collection.

 

The rest of the album "Here I Go Again", the ballad "Your A Woman Now" and "Wish I Could Be There" close out the album with the same 70's feel it started with. This is an album that has aged well in my collection. Like a fine wine, I have grown to appreciate the well written material found here and although I will always have a soft spot for "Billy Oxygen".

When the time arrived for the concert, we would prove that we were "true fans" we were so excited that they would play Billy Oxygen we even made a sign urging them to do so. Of course at the time this would be like yelling to hear "the Oath" at a Kiss concert. The chart climbing band were focused on the Capital Records albums and we were denied hearing "Billy Oxygen" live. In fact, if I remember correctly Brian even made mention of our sign informing us they didn't even remember how to play it.

Ironically it would be some 28 years later when as a new writer for the Decibel Geek Podcast, I would get to see Helix live once again. In fact the date was April 27th, 2012 the night I met my Heavy Metal brother, Rich "The Meister" Dillon and the night that FINALLY I would get to hear them play "Billy Oxygen" live! It was worth the wait.

Now Hear This: Fastway - Trick or Treat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

     Fastway began as, basically, a supergroup. You had former Motorhead guitarist "Fast Eddie" Clarke and former UFO bassist Pete Way, hence the name Fastway, accompanied by former Clash drummer Topper Headon, but Topper only rehearsed with the band for a few weeks before deciding against making it a full time commitment. Clarke and Way eventually recruited former Humble Pie drummer Gerry Shirley. Clarke found his singer in a pile of demo tapes he'd been sent, a red-headed Irishman named Dave King. Fastway swiftly signed with Columbia and booked studio time to record their debut album. 

     Not long before the band was set to enter the studio Pete Way up and disappeared. Clarke made frantic attempts to track him down but unable to do so was forced to enlist a replacement for the recording sessions. As it turned out Pete Way had joined Ozzy Osbourne's band for a European tour jaunt and neglected to inform Fast Eddie. According to Clarke he never spoke with Pete Way again. There were also legal issues at play since Pete Way was still contractually obligated to work for Chrysalis Records, UFO's label. Thus after the Ozzy tour he instead formed his own group, Waysted, and released the excellent Vices album with Chrysalis in 1983, the very same year Columbia released the first Fastway album. 

     Fastway's debut, produced by Eddie Kramer, is an undeniable classic of the hard rock genre. The band toured with Iron Maiden and AC/DC and the record went Gold. The band's second album, All Fired Up, also produced by Kramer, is excellent as well. The band went through some line-up changes at this point and the album they released in 1985, Waiting For The Roar, while it might contain some good songs, is a keyboard-laden mess. It appeared as if the band might be going out with a whimper. But wait. In 1986 the band were asked to write and record the soundtrack for a feature film to be called Trick Or Treat.

     Trick Or Treat was written by Joel Soisson, a film producer by trade who had no business writing anything. The film was directed by Charles Martin Smith, an actor by trade (he's the naked dude in Never Cry Wolf) who had no business directing anything (he would go on to prove this point even further by directing Air Bud). To top things off the star of Trick Or Treat was Skippy from Family Ties. He plays Eddie, a "high school outcast" and Sammi Curr superfan. Who's Sammi Curr? Just some ultra-famous Satanist rock star metal guy. Have you ever noticed that the bands/musicians in movies who are supposed to be insanely famous and adored would obviously not be famous or adored in real life? Like the band in that horrible Rainn Wilson movie The Rocker? But we're supposed to suspend disbelief here, right?

     Sammi Curr gets burned up in a hotel fire and then comes back to terrify poor Skippy from Family Ties, or something like that. You don't expect me to go back and watch the movie, do you? One interesting sidenote: Sammi Curr was originally supposed to be played by Blackie Lawless. Instead Curr would be played by Tony Fields, whose IMDB page is, well, uneventful. The film got a lot of hype for pointless cameos by Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne but the only redeeming quality the film possessed was its awesome soundtrack.

     The album opens with the killer theme song the band penned for the film, entitled (duh) "Trick Or Treat." You'll probably notice that Dave King sounds a lot like Jack Russell from Great White on these songs.

     That great song is followed by an even better song called "After Midnight." Vocalist Dave King had quit the band by the time the video for the song was filmed and Fast Eddie made the dubious choice of having none other than Tony Fields, Sammi Curr himself, lip sync the tune for the video.

     The third song on the record, "Don't Stop The Fight," is just as good as the first two. These are excellent pop metal tunes, what else can I say? Keep it simple stupid. 

     The next song is called "Stand Up" and it's not terrible, it has a decent hook but it's a bit plodding, gets kinda boring. Not as good as those first three, that's for sure.

     Side One ends with a short, upbeat yet generic tune called "Tear Down The Walls" that was obviously written to work as an interstitial piece in the film. Side Two opens with an excellent hard rocker called "Get Tough."

     Next up is a bouncy rocker called "Hold On To The Night." It's a really good song, I like it a lot, but it doesn't sound at all like the rest of the album. I'm guessing it was written for a specific scene or to serve a specific purpose in the film, but I'd have to watch the film again to figure out what scene or what purpose. Thanks but no thanks. The last two songs on the record are classic Fastway tunes: "Heft" from the first album and "If You Could See" from the second. The latter is a great ballad, one of the better metal ballads of the early eighties.

     And that's that. A quality album all the way through, one of those records you can just put on and let it play. And thanks to Youtube, you can do just that right now, one click.