Endlessly Rocking

They Do Make Them Like They Used To!

2009-03-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Everyday Demons - The Answer

Let's not beat about the bush - if this album had been released thirty odd years ago then these guys would be the biggest band on the planet.This is the meatiest hunk of 70's rock released since... well the 70's and better than most of the stuff that was on offer then as well. The Answer have taken their time putting this second major-label album together and it shows. Each song is beautifully constructed, wonderfully played, expertly paced and unashamedly crowd-pleasing - there are more hooks on here than at an angler's convention. Good grief... we even have exciting guitar solos!

All that sets The Answer head and shoulders above almost all the 'young' bands out there at the moment, but what really seals the deal is singer Cormac Neeson quite simply the best rock singer on the planet at the moment... and by a long way.

In an ideal world Everyday Demo would establish The Answer as a world-class act making millionaires out of the young Ulstermen in the process. Unfortunately though this is 2009 rather than 1979 and popular tastes have moved on. Regrettably it will probably only be ageing rockers like myself who will give this album its due. Remember one thing though, fashions are temporary whilst class is permanent - and this album is sheer class.

Rating: Essential

A Great Cup Of Joe!

2009-03-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Ballad of John Henry - Joe Bonamassa

From the Zeppelinesque stomp of the title track to the deep-fried southern funk of closer As The Crow Flies Bonamassa's seventh studio album oozes class and quality. The production is superb, the mix is crystal clear, the musicianship is often breathtaking, the original songs are amongst the best he's ever written and the five cover versions are simply exquisite. Album by album young Joe (well... 31 is still pretty young for a blues belter!) keeps getting better - this is a great album.

Rating: Superior

Solid Gold Springsteen

2009-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

Album Review: Working On A Dream - Bruce Springsteen

It seems that everything The Boss touches turns to gold and this latest nugget is nothing less than pure 24-karat. What makes Working On A Dream even more of an achievement is that the majority of it was recorded on the road and in just one or two takes. This is not run-of-the-mill formulaic stuff either - rather it is an exploration of moods, emotions and styles that rewards repeated listening. Take opener Outlaw Pete for example. A western fable weighing in at a full eight minutes that' s not afraid to risk sounding silly or contrived. This is a life-affirming album from a man who has lived and loved and lost and survived to tell the tale - and it is simply magnificent.

Rating: Essential

Saxon-force

2009-02-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

Album Review: Into The Labyrinth - Saxon

Heavy Metal has always been a slightly ludicrous thing - and I say this as a fan. Few bands epitomise that more than Saxon - the band that allegedly inspired Spinal Tap. In fairness, Saxon are also a prime example of everything that is good about the genre; showmanship, musicianship, dogged determination and undying loyalty to, and from, their fans.

This 24th Saxon album remains as preposterous as ever but works best where the band stick to their well worn formula. Live to Rock and Slow Lane Blues vary little from classic tracks Wheels of Steel and Strong Arm Of the Law, but still engender as much excitement as the latter songs did almost 30 years ago.

That other Saxon staple, the historical anthem, is also catered for with Battalions of Steel and Valley Of the Kings but less successfully as, perhaps in an attempt to re-launch themselves post-Channel 4 documentary, they stray just a little too far into Dragonforce (Saxonforce?) territory. The speed riffing and overwrought twiddling a poor substitute for the slow-burning power of Dallas 1pm or The Eagle Has Landed.

Elsewhere things are fairly bland, although Demon Sweeney Todd isn’t bad. Hellcat though is dreadful but nothing can prepare you for Biff’s pathetic warbling on the acoustic blues of Coming Home – if you thought the half-time air guitar stunt from the Get Your Act Together documentary was embarrassing, think again!

Overall a disappointing effort when compared to the magnificent albums served up by other returning icons Whitesnake, Metallica and AC/DC but there is enough here to suggest that Saxon have still got what that takes and that whilst there is life left in the old warriors perhaps there is still hope of one last momentous album.

Rating: Good

The Black Ice Project – 90 days…

2009-01-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

… or 3 months since release and Black Ice has firmly embedded itself as not just the album of 2008 but one of the greatest albums of its kind. The disc is still firmly lodged in my car CD player and is an almost constant accompaniment to short car journeys. Admittedly that is primarily a result of the ‘no downloads’ policy which gave me no option but to buy the album on CD, but the main reason I am still listening to it regularly is the sheer quality.

The band also seem to have realised that this a superior product as they now include 5 selections from the album in their live show – all of which seem to sit comfortably alongside some of the greatest, and most familiar, rock ‘n’ roll tracks ever written.

The Endys 2008

2009-01-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

Time to look back over a memorable year for classic rock with the Annual Endlessly Rocking Awards.

Any year which sees the release of new albums from AC/DC, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Metallica, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Guns ‘n’ Roses (yes…Guns ‘n’ Roses!) amongst others can only be viewed as vintage one. Endlessly Rocking reviewed 27 albums in 2008 – just one was Poor, 11 were Good, 8 were Superior and 7 were Essential. Maybe the Zeppelin reunion at the end of 2007 sparked renewed interest, perhaps the age profile of the average classic rock fan meant that the time was right for a revival, whatever the reason, such was the consistent quality of music on offer that it has proved difficult to pick a clear winner in any of the categories - but here goes…

Album Of The Year

Black Ice – AC/DC: In a year filled with quality offerings from some of the biggest names in rock this triumphant return from an eight year lay off set the high water mark. Nothing terribly new or ground-breaking – just pure quality.

Band Of The Year

Black Stone Cherry: Metallica, AC/DC et al released their albums too late in the year to back them up with a significant amount of touring, Whitesnake don’t really qualify as a band and Maiden didn’t release any recorded material so, somewhat surprisingly in a vintage year for rock music, the field is fairly limited. That’s to take nothing away from Black Stone Cherry though – the four youngsters from Kentucky followed up an impressive debut album with the even more impressive Folklore & Superstition, then set about breaking the UK the old fashioned way with a support slot on the Whitesnake/Leppard tour followed by their own headlining tour later in the year. With a refreshing work ethic and influences as wide ranging as the Appalachians, their future looks very bright indeed.

Web Presence Of The Year

Metallica: The viral attack that preceded the release of Death Magnetic will probably form the cornerstone of future internet-age marketing. Add to that their on-going release for download of virtually every live show they’ve ever played and Lars and the boys have the interweb pretty much sewn up.

Rock Icon Of The Year

Axl Rose: Interesting that a man who has shunned interviews for the last decade or so should be named as the year’s ultimate rock icon but hell… he finally released Chinese Democracy – and defied everyone by making it bloody good!

Endlessly Rocking Reviews 2008

Essential

AC/DC – Black Ice
Guns ‘n’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
The Hold Steady – Stay Positive
Rush – Snakes & Arrows Live
Thin Lizzy – UK Tour ’75
Metallica – Death Magnetic
Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad

Superior

The Black Crowes – Warpaint
Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
Joe Bonamassa - Live From Nowhere In Particular
Fish – 13th Star
David Gilmour - Live in Gdańsk
Judas Priest – Nostradamus
The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath
Muse – H.A.A.R.P. Live at Wembley

Good

Def Leppard – Songs From The Sparkle Lounge
Guy McCoy Torme – Evil Twin
Magnum – Wings Of Heaven Live 2007/08
Marillion – Happiness Is The Road
Van Morrison – Keep It Simple
Motorhead – Motorizer
Oasis – Dig Out Your Soul
Porcupine Tree – Nil Recurring
Queen + Paul Rogers – The Cosmos Rocks
Seasick Steve – Started Out With Nothin…
Stone Gods - Silver Spoons And Broken Bones

Poor

Bryan Adams – 11 {I feel a bit bad about this now….11 isn’t poor – it just isn’t terribly good!}

Axl & The Long March to Democracy

2008-12-23T03:58:00.000-08:00

Album Review: Chinese Democracy – Guns ‘n’ Roses

Let’s be clear – this is not a Guns ‘n’ Roses album, it is an Axl Rose solo album. With that out off the way we can now get on with deciding if it is any good or not. The answer is a resounding ….YES!

Whatever else he may be Axl remains a superb songwriter and a top notch rock singer. The endless stream of band ‘members’ in the last 14 years may make Chinese Democracy a trifle disjointed in places, and like it’s creator it is undoubtedly a few sandwiches short of a picnic in others, but this is a monster of an album that is worthy to carry the G’n’R name.
It’s long gestation period occasionally shows in the form of some, now out-dated, nu-metal touches but the quality shines through whatever eclectic mix Axl chooses to throw at us. Of course it would have been better with Slash on board but then what wouldn’t? A triumph – and as good as anything the rock world has come up with in the last 14 years.

Rating: Essential

GMT 2

2008-12-18T11:23:00.000-08:00

Album Review: Evil Twin – Guy McCoy Tormé

GMT’s debut album was one of the revelations of 2006. A thunderous, roaring opus full to the brim with raw excitement. It was always going to be a difficult act to follow but Evil Twin is a valiant attempt. John McCoy and Robin Guy must surely be one of the most powerful rhythm sections ever assembled and Bernie Tormé is undoubtedly the gypsy king of guitarists – screaming away with a wonderfully wild abandon. All that lets this album down is a slight dip in the quality of the song writing when compared to Bitter & Twisted – there are a couple of fillers here and a little repetitiveness. That said, Evil Twin is a joy to listen to and more than good enough to ensure that GMT remain a going concern for the foreseeable future.

Rating: Good

Quality Control?

2008-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Album Review: Happiness Is The Road - Marillion

Marillion’s business model has set the blueprint for niche music in the modern entertainment business. Their go-it-alone approach has freed them from record company influence and helped them survive innumerable shifts in fashion and taste. This latest innovation though was seen by many as a step too far. Giving an album away for free? Time will tell if tagging the downloads with links to their merchandise store bears fruit and I’m sure that the rest of the industry will be watching closely to see if the ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ approach to file sharing has any effect.

Whilst Marillion’s commercial inventiveness has ensured the ongoing existence of the band I am a little concerned at the effect that this independence can have on their music. Happiness Is The Road sprawls over two volumes and is often overlong and sometimes just a tad boring. There is real quality on show here but perhaps a little record company quality control would have honed this into a shorter and more impressive single disc. Whilst Volume 1 - Essence is beautifully played it is mostly unfocused twiddling and wittering and tends to make to me nod off after a while. By comparison Volume 2 – The Hard Shoulder is shorter and sharper and is by far the more entertaining of the two. Proof perhaps that less can be more and that commercial interests can sometimes have a positive artistic influence.

Footnote: In case you’re wondering, I bought my copy of the album off Racket Records. I still think that file-sharing is stealing!

Rating: Good

It Has Just Occurred To Me That....

2008-11-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

... Cream played their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall on this day in 1968... which means that Eric Clapton has now been more-or-less treading water for 40 years!

The Black Ice Project – 28 Days Later

2008-11-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

A month on from its release and I’ve only just taken the CD off heavy rotation in the car. Largely the impressions I formed in the first week are unchanged and if anything this album has improved as it settles into my consciousness. I have found myself hitting the skip button occasionally on Stormy May Day and frequently on Money Made but this is probably going to be my album of the year and deservedly so. It is disappointing that the band seem to have included just two songs from such a strong album into their live set – perhaps they don’t hold Black Ice in the same high regard as I do. Anyway the next Black Ice Project update will be in January - three months after release. Perhaps by that time they will have noted the ecstatic reaction Black Ice has received from the majority of listeners and will add a few more tracks into the show.

Album Reviews - Queens, Chavs & Hobos

2008-11-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

The Cosmos Rocks - Queen + Paul Rogers

Firstly let’s get the name-thing out of the way. No doubt Roger Taylor and Brain May own the rights to the Queen name so they are quite entitled to do whatever they want with it. What is irritating is their repeated justification for doing so. If they were as confident of the quality of this product and disinterested in monetary reward as they make themselves out to be then surely they would be called Taylor Rogers May or TMR or anything other than QP+R. I suspect the real reason is that utilising the Queen name ensures an audience far greater than they could otherwise expect. Unfortunately that audience will be largely disappointed – this is not a Queen album. Without Roger Deacon the unfathomable magic that makes for a great rhythm section is missing and, although it is pointless to compare the entirely different singing styles of Paul Rogers and Freddie Mercury, it’s hard not to ponder if Freddie’s unique delivery would have added just enough fairy dust to make these songs special.

Not that this is by any means a poor album – the enormous talent on display makes that all but impossible. It’s just that it’s all a tad safe & boring – reminiscent of The Eagles Long Road To Eden album. Say It's Not True (a depressing tale exploring the inevitability of tragedy) manages to raise the stakes to something approaching former glories but other than that only the undeniably catchy Small and a smattering of blues numbers that showcase Rogers’ soulful voice to good effect manage to lift the bar above average. And there lies the root of the problem – this is good but not great; and for a product carrying the Queen brand that's a disappointment.

Rating: Good

Dig Out Your Soul - Oasis

Oasis – where does Endlessly Rocking stand on Oasis? Well, as far as I can see, every rock that has ever been thrown at Oasis was probably justified. Beatles-clones, plagiarists, copyists – each and every one them describes Oasis to a tee. Yet I find it very hard not to like these guys. If what they do isn’t exactly original there is no doubt that they do it very, very well. At their peak they were pretty much untouchable as a live act and they helped keep the flag of balls-to-the-wall rock music flying during the wilderness years of Grunge and Brit Pop. Okay – they haven’t made an album of real quality since Definitely Maybe, but each of the albums since have contained one or two quality tracks. Songs that get your feet tapping, your fist punching and dare you not to sing-a-long with the chorus. In that regard Oasis are the Status Quo of their generation. Rarely brilliant but can always be relied on to deliver a good time. Dig Out Your Soul is different though. Whilst it lacks those one or two stand out tracks it is an album largely devoid of filler with a consistent quality throughout. The crowd pleasing choruses are eased back in favour of a slow but fiercely burning intensity that is maintained right across the album. Time and care has been taken on the production - and it shows. This is the most ‘adult’ album of their career – a satisfying collection of mature songs with serious intent.

Rating: Good

I Started Out With Nothin’ And I Still Got Most Of It Left – Seasick Steve

OAP Steve is very much flavour of the month at the moment and deservedly so. Strip away the record company hype and the hobo image and you’ll find an extremely accomplished musician that has been performing professionally since the 1960’s. Add that wealth of musical experience to a life obviously well-lived and you have in place most of the ingredients for a top-notch blues album. Deceptively simple in both music and lyrics this is a highly individual and surprisingly fresh take on the blues that with any luck will bring a legion of new fans to the genre.

Rating: Good

Mitch Mitchell 1947 - 2008

2008-11-14T01:38:00.000-08:00

The passing of the last surviving member of the Jimi Hendrix Experience hasn’t received a great deal of media attention to date and that’s sad. Mitch was very much a pioneer of rock drumming – one of the first to move away from simple beat keeping to an improvisational style that established the drums an instrument in their own right. I’ll always think of him in black & white, head down, deep in concentration and no doubt wondering where the hell Hendrix will take this song next.! Sleep well.

The Black Ice Project – And on the Seventh Day…

2008-10-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

…this album keeps getting better and better! With around a dozen listens under my belt I’m happy to state that I undervalued this album after one listen. Taken as a whole this is probably the band’s best album since For Those About To Rock - it even surpasses it in places. The eight year gap since Stiff Upper Lip has given the band time to hone these songs to near perfection and rarely does the standard drop below excellent. As far as individual tracks are concerned I’m ready to admit that I under estimated set openers Rock n’ Roll Train and Skies On Fire – both of which have grown steadily in stature with each successive listen. She Likes Rock n’ Roll would also fall into that category but in my defence I did reckon that it might grow on me. Elsewhere Stormy May Day still has a disappointing chorus whilst Money Made remains probably the weakest track on the album. A week of listening seems to have reinforced most of my initial impressions - the one track I got completely wrong though was War Machine. After one listen I thought this song was a filler – now I find the chorus difficult to get out my head. Powerful and brooding, it is let down by only one thing – it is much too short.

So, one week on and I reckon this is a serious contender for album of the year – what will I think in three weeks time?

The Black Ice Project – Day One

2008-10-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Well – I have limited myself to just one listen to Black Ice after picking up a copy on my way home from work last night. My initial thoughts on each track are listed below but what are my impressions of the album as a whole?
The band themselves have raised comparisons with Back in Black. After one listen I would say that Black Ice doesn’t even come close to emulating Brian Johnson’s debut withthe band, but then what does? In fact I would say that Airbourne’s Runnin’ Wild album is better – but AC/DC would have been hung, drawn and quartered for plagiarising their own past if they had produced anything like that. No, at first listen Black Ice is a good album, certainly better than Stiff Upper Lip and worthy of a place in the upper echelons of AC/DC albums – but another Black in Black? Unfortunately not.

Track by Track

Rock n’ Roll Train – I deliberately avoided hearing the first single from the album beforehand. My initial thoughts are that it is a solid rocker – nothing too out of the ordinary.

Skies On Fire – Another solid, unspectacular track.

Big Jack – The first track to make me sit up and take notice and with the best line on the album to date “Santa’s not the only one who’s got a full sack” – heh heh heh!

Anything Goes – Something different. You can imagine Journey covering this song. The best track yet.

War Machine – The only word that came to mind is ‘filler’. It might grow on me though.

Smash n’ Grab – A wee bit different. Almost a 70’s glam feel about it. Are those strings I hear? On an AC/DC album?

Spoilin’ For a Fight – Back to familiar territory but with a slight Southern Rock vibe.

Wheels – Riff reminiscent of Givin’ The Dog A Bone. Shades of Zeppelin – particularly BJ’s singing. Actually BJ is singing rather than screaming on a lot of this album and sounds a lot better for it. Another stand out track.

Decibel – ZZ Top comes to mind. Similar in style to a lot of Stiff Upper Lip but without the weird backing vocal arrangement. The type of sinister, brooding boogie that no-one does better.

Stormy May Day – Very southern rock influenced - even sporting some slide guitar! Let down by a weak chorus.

She Likes Rock n’ Roll – Nothing special on first listen but could well be a crowd please live.

Money Made – There’s that southern vibe again! Competent mid-tempo rocker but nothing out of the ordinary.

Rock n’ Roll Dream – Great vocals - a Plant-like performance. BJ to replace Percy? I’d pay to see it!

Rocking All The Way – A good old fashioned boogie with shades of ZZ Top again.

Black Ice – ZZ Top again but this time with a touch of funk – yes I said F-U-N-K!

Next review in a week......

The Black Ice Project

2008-10-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Over the years, and particularly since I started reviewing for this blog, I have noticed how my impressions of albums changes over time. Quite often an initial rush of enthusiasm trails off fairly quickly or sometimes things improve with time and distance. Rarely does my initial impression change dramatically but occasionally I feel that I have simply got it wrong. Outside influences can play a part too. A good review elsewhere can certainly make you reconsider your opinions as can an interview with the artist – sometimes knowing how the creator views their work can introduce an alternative approach. Personal mood and circumstances have to be borne in mind also. So – I have decided to conduct an experiment. I will re-visit AC/DC’s Black Ice album several times over the first year of it’s release and chronicle how my impressions change with time. I’ll review it after one listen, a week after release, after a month, three months, six months and finally a full year later. I’ve even decided to give the exercise a fancy name – The Black Ice Project. The results should be interesting - first review tomorrow!

Live Albums

2008-10-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

The ‘double-live’ often used to be the high water mark of a rock band’s career. Think back to your vinyl collection. Chances are the most dog-eared items were Made In Japan, Strangers In the Night, maybe MSG’s One Night At Budokan, but most definitely Live and Dangerous. Many artists suddenly found their stumbling career path shooting off into the stratosphere on the back of a live album – Frampton Comes Alive is probably the most extreme example. Occasionally single disc live albums would make an impact; Priest’s Unleashed In The East is a prime example; but in the hearts of rock fans of a certain age the double live is king.

All that was in the genre’s heyday of the 70’s and early 80’s. Since then live albums seem to have suffered a progressive decline in popularity. Perhaps the death of vinyl also presaged the demise of the live album. There was undoubtedly something magical about double gatefold sleeves, usually smothered in live shots that was more than a little reminiscent of a concert programme. CD sized booklets were never going to capture this. Improvements in studio production techniques have also had an impact. Many studio albums of the time failed to capture the essential power of a band that was abundantly evident on stage. Live albums somehow, possibly accidentally, overcame this problem and hence became the definitive recorded version – Live & Dangerous illustrating this perfectly.

For whatever reason, live albums no longer seem to hold the position of eminence they once did – which makes the recent batch of issues reviewed below all the more interesting.

Live From Nowhere In Particular – Joe Bonamassa

The perfect example of how the live environment can lift an already impressive catalogue on to a higher plane. Wunderkind Bonamassa has been pedalling his own particular brand of the blues for some time now but it’s on this epic double-live album that the boy becomes a man. His mastery of the blues guitar is beyond question and is showcased superbly on a collection of songs that spans the full range of electric-blues but the surprise here is that it is his breathless voice which really catches the attention. No longer a case of shut-up-and-play-your-guitar, the vocals are delivered with a passion and soulfulness that belies his relative youthfulness. The album is not without issues - extended work outs on Woke up Dreaming and Django/Just Got Paid are both over-long and over-indulgent (although snatches of Dazed & Confused in Just Got Paid does draw back your attention somewhat), but taken as a whole there is a real sense of occasion about this album – exactly what a live album is supposed to invoke.

Rating: Superior

Live in Gdańsk – David Gilmour

One of the greatest rock guitarists of all time captured live in the shipyard where Lech Wałęsa founded Solidarność in 1980 and kick started the fall of the Soviet Union. This was the last night of Gilmour’s On An Island tour and the last full-concert appearance for the late Richard Wright.
After a fairly low-key opening salvo of Dark Side of the Moon excerpts, Gilmour’s On An Island album is played in full, one track after another, with only a slight change in running order to freshen things up. As on the original studio album this is a perfectly pleasant collection of tunes but one that is really only brought to life when Gilmour’s magical guitar kicks-in. Whilst I am genuinely pleased that David has managed to find such happiness in family life, tales of domestic bliss rarely make for great rock music. Frankly I’m surprised that the Gdańsk crowd managed to stay awake until ‘Happy’ Gilmour stopped twiddling about and broke into Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Thankfully that’s when things start to warm up and those in the Polish crowd who didn’t wander off for some chłodnik were rewarded for their patience. Floyd’s ode to Syd Barrett ups the ante exponentially on what has come before and the improvement continues apace for the rest of the set. Comprised completely of Floyd classics of various vintage it includes the positively neolithic Astronomy Domine & Fat Old Sun, the rarely (if ever) aired A Great Day for Freedom and the definitely never played live (by Floyd anyway) Wot's... Uh The Deal? from Obscured By Clouds. Such rarities are very welcome but there is a lingering disappointment that Gilmour didn’t manage to include some tracks from his other (at times excellent) solo work in favour of the slightly flaky On An Island material.
The undoubted highlight of the set is a spine-chilling version of Echoes showcasing Richard Wright heavily. Gilmour and his band apply themselves fully to a song that is now an incredible 37 years old and serve up over 25 minutes of sheer prog bliss that even manages to eclipse set closer Comfortably Numb.
Ultimately the gap in quality between Gilmour’s solo work/post-Waters Floyd work and that from when Pink Floyd were still a band is fully exposed on Live In Gdańsk - clearly illustrating that Floyd were always greater than the sum of their parts. Having said that, Gilmour’s guitar playing remains as awe-inspiring as ever and in the absence of a full Floyd reunion this is as close things are going to get – if you skip straight from track 4 to track 15 that is.

Rating: Superior

Thin Lizzy – UK Tour ‘75

Live & Dangerous is generally accepted as the greatest live album of all-time. I still believe this to be true despite all the rumour and counter-rumours of studio overdubbing that have circulated over the years. No matter how much of that album was recorded in the studio the fact remains that it captures perfectly one of the best ever live bands at the height of their powers and does so better than any of their purely studio albums ever did.

What makes UK ’75 so interesting is that it is an entirely ‘raw’ radio recording of a one night stand. 100% guaranteed no overdubs. The question that raises is … why on earth would Lizzy feel the need to allegedly re-record so much of Live & Dangerous when they were this tight live? Yes – there are mistakes but very few of them, and those that there are generally help in serving up the live atmosphere to even greater effect. The twin guitar attack roars, Downey’s drumming is immaculate and Lynott’s vocals are usually pristine.

The opening half of the set features a selection of criminally overlooked tracks from the Nightlife and Fighting albums (ironically they are probably overlooked because they didn’t feature on Live & Dangerous). Fighting My Way Back , It's Only Money , Wild One, For Those Who Love To Live & Showdown sound all the better for their relative lack of familiarity. The remainder of the album collects live staples that featured on L&D and remained a part of the Lizzy set until the very end. Suicide, Rosalie, The Rocker, Sha La La, Me And The Boys and (“our National Anthem”) Baby Drives Me Crazy roar with the unbridled power of a band straining every sinew to break into the big-time. Add an early prototype version of The Cowboy Song, the rarely heard Little Darling and a fascinating Sound Check Jam into the mix and what comes out is 78 minutes of raw-edged brilliance that is often (adopts hushed whisper) even better than Live & Dangerous!

Rating: Essential

September Album Reviews

2008-10-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

New offerings from 3 generations of Rock this month – Old School, 80’s and some new kids on the block.

Death Magnetic - Metallica

Steven Tyler once commented that it was becoming increasingly difficult to write new material because so much good stuff had to be discarded for being too similar to earlier works. Metallica suffer no such qualms and Death Magnetic is instantly accessible because much of it sounds familiar. Put simply this is Metallica’s best offering since the Black Album and a storming return to form following the disappoint of St. Anger. Pounding-riff follows pounding-riff as the band throw caution to the wind and just go for it. Yes, the lyrics are often nonsensical and Lars’ metronomically precise drumming remains as unimaginative as ever but these are minor failings when put against the sheer quality of what’s on offer. Only the plodding instrumental Suicide & Redemption is sub-standard - an unnecessary addition to an otherwise outstanding album.

Defying trends rather than setting them, this is the sound of a band who have realised where their strengths lie and decided to play to them. The outcome is an album that ranks alongside the best they have produced in their 27 year career.

A quick word on the sound quality of the album. I noticed considerable distortion on the louder passages but put it down to a dodgy download. It would seem that I am not alone in this though and that the distortion is present on every format (with the possible exception of the Guitar Hero versions). Hopefully this does not signal a return to the ‘loudness wars’ that spoiled several albums a few years ago – Rush’s Vapor Trails among them.

Rating: Essential

Folklore & Superstition – Black Stone Cherry

I’ve been looking forward to this one since catching them on the Whitesnake/Def Leppard Tour and I’m delighted to report that there is no sign of difficult second syndrome here. A couple of tedious ballads aside this is a mature collection of songs that goes a long way towards re-defining Southern Rock for the modern age. The youthful enthusiasm and sheer joy in playing that was so evident on stage is fully captured here, as is the band’s willingness to adopt an eclectic mix of styles and influences. The doom-laden intensity of Creed is referenced on Sunset and Long Sleeves with the latter also reminiscent of Zak Wylde’s work with Black Label Society. There are wonderful soaring choruses to keep the stadium-rock fraternity happy (Please Come In, Soul Creek and anthem-in-the-making Peace Is Free) as well as balls-to-the-wall rockers (The Bitter End). Of course there’s also a healthy dose of good old fashioned southern rock. Devil’s Queen sees the boys down at the bayou "sippin' whiskey and a-tellin' stories" and ends with a mammoth guitar work-out reminiscent (dare I say it?) of Freebird. There’s even a southern ghost-story in Ghost of Floyd Collins. This is a very special group of young musicians who will have the world at their feet in just a few years if they keep up the development shown here.

Rating: Superior

Motorizer - Motorhead

The secret of Motorhead’s longevity is that they consistently deliver the goods and do it their way without fear or favour. So there’s nothing new and no surprises here but then, would we really want it any other way? Admittedly this is not the greatest album Motorhead have ever produced but given Lemmy’s lifestyle it’s nothing short of a miracle that we have a new album at all – especially one that still remains relevant and fresh in the 21st century. Form is temporary but class is permanent, and Motorhead ooze class from every sweaty pore.

Rating: Good

Same Kind Of Greed

2008-09-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

Before I launch into this diatribe on greed in the music industry let me make one thing abundantly clear – I believe that downloading or otherwise copying music without paying for it is stealing. I’m no angel, I have been known to borrow a mate’s album and make myself a copy, but I have never thought of this as being in anyway legal or somehow morally justified. The excuses brought forward for file-sharing; music should be free, the record companies make too much money, freedom of speech etc, are simply ludicrous – crass hypocrisy at its worst.

So what has me riled? iTunes/Metallica decision to stick a price of £10.99 on Death Magnetic that’s what. The standard iTunes album download price is an already inflated £7.99 – so is there any justification for this hefty increase? I can’t think of one but I do strongly suspect that the reason behind this is simple – pure greed.

Metallica, if you remember, were at the forefront of the attack on file-sharing site Napster. We were told that they were championing the music industry in the battle against those who allegedly threatened the future of recorded music - you may have had your own views on their motives…… Now though Metallica can seemingly charge whatever they like safe in the knowledge that their legions of fans (who would most likely have avoided Napster et al and paid for the music anyway) have no option but to fork out. Given that there was a certain amount of career re-building required following the lacklustre St. Anger and the embarrassing Some Kind Of Monster documentary I would have thought a more enticing price would have been appropriate. Perhaps though I was underestimating the rampant arrogance displayed to such effect in Some Kind Of Monster.

But then what do I know? Death Magnetic has roared straight into no.1 in the UK album chart – there are obviously much more people prepared to be ripped off than I thought. Or perhaps many were caught in the same trap I was. Having downloaded a track a week for the last four weeks with the promise of buying the remaining tracks using the Complete My Album function I suddenly found that the remaining 6 tracks were still going to cost me almost nine quid - with a nice little additional catch that prevents me from buying Suicide & Redemption without forking out for the whole album.

So, I think I’ll wait until a used copy of Death Magnetic becomes available at a reasonable price on eBay – content in the knowledge that no more of my hard earned cash will feed the all consuming greed of Metallica.

UPDATE.... well, well, well.... iTunes have dropped the price to £7.99! Whilst I'd love to say that my little rant had something to do with it that wouldn't be true. Not much use either for the die-hard fans who wanted to hear the album as soon as it was released and have already been stroked for nearly 11 quid. A nice little thank you for the fans - eh Metallica?

Richard (Rick) Wright 1943 - 2008

2008-09-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

I was saddened to learn of the sudden death of Rick Wright. Rick was an essential part of the Floyd sound, The Great Gig in the Sky typical of his contribution - a simple, unfussy piano refrain underscoring one of rock's most iconic tracks. Rick seemed to have his ups and downs with the rest of the band over the years but made a very welcome appearance on Dave Gilmour’s last album and tour. My thoughts are with his family at this difficult time - he seemed to be one of rock’s nice guys.

How Lemmy Popped My Cherry!

2008-09-03T04:12:00.000-07:00

Endlessly Rocking popped down to Dublin recently to deliver a group of 15 year-olds to their first gig – Muse incidentally. Their first solo gig, their first exposure to the true madness that is the front row - exhaustion, carnage, dehydration, pure exhilaration. All of which has prompted me to wax lyrical about my own first experience of such madness – Motorhead, Ulster Hall 7th February 1980 when I was, by a strange coincidence, 15.

Motorhead had been crowned the loudest band in the world shortly beforehand and were ripping up Europe in support of the Bomber album, the second in their triumvirate of seminal albums that had begun with Overkill and was to climax with Ace Of Spades. This was band at the height of their powers yet just short of their commercial peak. Still a cult band that few had heard of, part of a new movement that had caught the imagination of a generation – perfect for a new generation schooled in classic rock and thrilled by punk.

Belfast in the early 80’s was not a popular venue for touring bands to say the least. As a result those who did make the effort to brave the bombs and bullets were welcomed with rapturous glee. Motorhead were regular visitors throughout the bad times and therefore hold a special place in the hearts of Northern Irish rock fans of a certain age. Over the years this gig in particular ahs been elevated too legendary status. The Ulster Hall is a small and intimate venue smack bang (no pun intended) in the bomb ravaged centre of Belfast so, although I arrived around 3 hours before the doors opened, the place was already like a ghost town. There were around 50 or so of us huddled together against the cold when suddenly Lemmy appeared! The crowd surged forward prompting a typical over-reaction from the local police. A school friend of man captured the incident on camera and promptly made a small fortune selling prints. The image is indelibly ingrained in my mind. The cop has a young girl by the hair and is aiming a kick at her backside. Lemmy, dressed from head to toe in black, stands a few feet away, a murderous look on his face and a skeletal finger extended in warning towards the cop. As Lemmy stepped forward the crowd engulfed him and the cop beat a hasty retreat. This was coolness personified - not only coming to play in Bomb City but also walking the streets in broad daylight and tackling armed cops!

Eventually the doors opened prompting a mad rush for the front row – I’m proud to say I was amongst the front-runners, grabbing a space just right of stage-centre. The mists of time have obscured who the warm-up band was but nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught to come. Out of the gates of hell came the pummelling drum assault of Overkill. Choking clouds of dry ice enveloped the front rows and the Bomber swooped dangerously close to my head before the earth exploded when Lemmy’s gut-wrenching bass kicked-in. By the time Fast Eddie Clark’s guitar joined the assault I was lost in a frankly terrifying confusion of senses and I loved every second of it. The rest of the gig is lost in a miasma of pure exhilaration and no little pain. It was several days before my hearing recovered (perhaps it never has) and even longer before the ‘buzz’ subsided.

I have been to countless gigs in the intervening thirty years or so but if the truth be told nothing has come close to emulating that February night. If that new generation of 15 year olds sweating on a rainy Dublin night had anything like the experience I had, then they are very lucky indeed.

Album Reviews - August 2008

2008-08-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Stay Positive – The Hold Steady

This fourth studio album from the Brooklyn-based five-piece heralds a significant step-up from predecessor ‘Boys and Girls In America’ which, given the quality of that album is no mean achievement. This is the sound of band reaching their full potential, ‘tight but loose’ like The E-Street Band on speed with guitarist Tad Kubler’s restrained style proving much more effective than any number of fast-fingered shredders. It is singer/lyricist Craig Finn who really excels though – his wonderful staccato lines and half spoken delivery weaving tales of the night like a punk Bruce Springsteen.

There is much to admire here – a real contender for album of the year.

Rating: Essential

Nostradamus – Judas Priest

Two disks of majestic riffs, soaring vocals, overblown arrangements, operatic splendour and magnificent campness. Although weighed down a little by the sheer volume of material on offer, everything we know and love about Priest is here in bucket-loads. The Priest are back – and that can only be celebrated.

Rating: Superior

Silver Spoons And Broken Bones - Stone Gods

Wherever you stand on The Darkness it has to be said that they served to re-focus public (and record company) attention onto classic rock music. Indeed it could be argued that the current resurgence in interest would not have happened without them. So what then of Stone Gods – are they a just a re-branded Darkness or a bona fide contender?

On the evidence of this debut album the jury will have to reserve judgement. There are undoubted highs here and very few lows as the album struts across a wide range of styles but the overall impression is of a band still trying to find their identity.

Credit must be given for the band's determination to pay their dues and not trade on their ‘former’ name but perhaps another year or so to hone their sound would have paid dividends with a more consistent style. Things could get interesting further on down the road!

Rating: Good

Black Stone Cherry / Whitesnake / Def Leppard - Odyssey Arena 21/06/08

2008-06-22T14:45:00.001-07:00

An ungodly start time of 6.50pm meant that Black Stone Cherry hammered out an impressive set to a virtually empty arena – a situation not helped by ludicrous security arrangements that delayed entry for up to an hour in some cases. Nevertheless, the young Kentuckians displayed no lack of enthusiasm in delivering their southern-tinged heavy-riffing that has just enough melody in the mix to broaden their fan base beyond the average metal-fan. Expect Black Stone Cherry to be headlining somewhere near you soon.

Whitesnake hit the stage after a surprisingly low-key build-up but immediately hit their stride with a barnstorming Best Years – the first of four tracks from new album Good To Be Bad all of which fitted seamlessly within a set list rich in gems mined from the band’s 30 year history. It quickly became clear that this is incarnation of Whitesnake is not so much a band as a vehicle for the David Coverdale show. The largely anonymous supporting players were allowed only the briefest of excursions onto the projecting stage platform which was almost exclusively the domain of King David. Not that anyone was complaining though – the voice may not be what it once was but there can be very few frontmen alive that can match him for sheer stage presence. Personally I think there is something just plain ‘wrong’ with a 50+ man who thinks his microphone is a dick, but the number of ladies’ undergarments that made it into the stage indicates that not everyone feels that way. DC controlled that stage and the Belfast crowd with practiced aplomb; savouring every minute of it like it could be the last – and if that turns out to be the case then he could leave us no sweeter memories.

Whilst Def Leppard were billed as co-headliners with the mighty ‘Snake, we were left in no doubt as to who the main attraction was. Their sound was both louder and of better quality than that permitted to Whitesnake and they made full use of the rear projection screen - running videos during their performance with Whitesnake having to make do with a couple of static album covers. I for one found this a little difficult to stomach given Coverdale’s richly deserved pre-eminence in the history of rock, but despite this, and a slight existing antagonism towards the band, I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed Leppard’s set. Yes, they lack the quality of song and depth of emotion to provide a truly fulfilling experience but this was all about sing-along, join-in-the-chorus crowd-pleasing and they worked hard to deliver it. A Belfast crowd already whipped into a frenzy by Whitesnake almost exploded in response as hit after hit rolled off the production line. I can recall no stronger a crowd reaction from a Belfast crowd since the drought of live bands ended post-troubles – and it was richly deserved.

Album Reviews - May 2008

2008-06-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

A trio of new releases from bands producing their best work since the 1980's.

Whitesnake – Good To Be Bad

The Mighty ‘Snake return (perhaps for the last time if Coverdale is to be believed) with a monster of an album that storms through the whole canon of cock-rock, from Zeppelin to Lizzy and almost every shade in between. This album demands your attention with unapologetic sturm and drang; no stone or volume knob has been left unturned to ensure that every last ounce of power has been squeezed out of a fine selection of songs.

Although never quite reaching the heights of the mega-selling 1987 this is a more consistent collection that merges the both the blues-rock and hair-metal eras of Whitesnake to great effect with plenty for fans of either era to get their dentures into.

Amongst all the pyrotechnics on display it’s ironic that album closer 'Til the End of Time is the stand-out track. A slower number mixing and matching from Purple Mk III’s Soldier of Fortune, Zeppelin’s Bron-Y-Aur Stomp & Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead Or Alive, there could be no finer finale if it is indeed to be goodbye from Redcar’s finest son.

Good To Be Bad is far from perfect - the over-the-top production can sometimes get in the way and DC’s lyrics often stray uncomfortably close to ‘Moon in June’ territory; but this is a triumph of an album that probably comes as close to recreating the glory days as we’re ever likely to get.

Rating: Essential

Def Leppard – Songs From The Sparkle Lounge

I’ve never been the world’s greatest Leppard fan. I found them too calculating, too contrived and mostly just too bland for my taste. That’s not to say that I haven’t found myself tapping along to them over the years – it’s just that I don’t find them terribly inspiring.

Although Songs From The Sparkle Lounge is undoubtedly their best collection since Hysteria it remains more of a light snack than a 3 course meal - enjoyable enough at the time but instantly forgotten. Having said that, the execrable faux-Queen layered harmonies of Love would be best forgotten but leaves such a nasty aftertaste that it threatens to overwhelm the remaining tracks.

Love aside this is a competent collection of radio-friendly rock that doesn’t disappoint.

Rating: Good

Rush – Snakes & Arrows Live

If this double disc collection proves one thing it’s that you can’t get too much of a good thing. This is Rush’s third live offering in 5 years yet it sounds as fresh and as powerful as anything from their 30 year plus career.

Old favourites are dusted off and given new lease of life whilst more recent tracks from Snakes & Arrows take on a new dimension in the live arena. This is a band caught in the act of finding a new drive and enthusiasm - long may it continue.

Rating: Essential

Album Reviews - March 2008

2008-04-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

At long last 2008 begins to gather pace with a glut of releases during March.

Magnum – Wings Of Heaven Live 2007/08

This two disc offering captures the band on last year’s European tour with almost an entire disc dedicated to a live rendering of the entire Wings Of Heaven album, marking the 20th anniversary of its release. Elsewhere tracks from the then newly released Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow more than hold their own against selections from classic albums On A Storyteller’s Night & Vigilante.

With Magnum now in their 32nd year the odd creaky moment is only to be expected, but when everything clicks into place it does so gloriously; as evident here on a snorting version of Pray For The Day.

Rating: Good

The Black Crowes – Warpaint

After a 7 year break from the studio the Crowes return with another dose of their Stones/Small Faces thing – only this time the medicine has a decidedly Southern-fried flavour. To say that this album sounds like a bunch of good ol’ boys having a good ol’ time is not to diminish it in the slightest – the band seem happy to take whatever musical direction takes their fancy and the result is as strong a collection of back porch American Rock that we’re likely to come across this year.

Rating: Superior

Muse – H.A.A.R.P. Live at Wembley

Recorded on a single night at Wembley Stadium in June 2007 this could well be the career defining live album for the Devon boys. Time will tell if this is Muse’s equivalent of Made in Japan or Live and Dangerous, but there is no doubt that H.A.A.R.P. captures the band at the height of their powers and in a stadium environment that suits their epic, sweeping music. Things may get a little too ‘poppy’ at times but any band that can pull off a performance as powerful as that on Invincible can surely be forgiven the odd indiscretion – even Super Massive Black Hole!

Rating: Good/Superior

Bryan Adams - 11

OK I’ll admit it – Endlessly Rocking likes Bryan Adams. He may purvey harmless bubblegum rock but just try and stop your foot from tapping along and you can actually get your girlfriend/wife/partner to accompany you to an Adam’s gig without resorting to bribery! This not-so-cleverly titled 11th studio album starts reasonably enough with a couple of decent mid-tempo rockers but what follows generally serves only to remind you of what the ‘skip’ button was invented for. Nicely played and smartly produced but still a tepid offering from the normally reliable Canuck.

Rating: Poor

Van Morrison – Keep It Simple

This isn't the album where Van the Man rekindles the flame of Astral Weeks and Moondance, but it is the one where he cuts the crap and gets down to business with a collection of pared down tunes that give Belfast’s finest musical son ample room to exercise his wonderful voice. The perfect accompaniment to the sound of the surf on a long summer night.

Rating: Good

Cozy Powell

2008-04-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

This Saturday 5th April marks the 10th anniversary of the death of one of heavy rock's greatest, and best loved, drummers. If British music was loud and proud throughout the 70's and 80's there was a fair chance that Cozy was providing the back beat. His work with Rainbow, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath, MSG and countless session appearances with the likes of Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Brain May and Robert Plant is testament not only to his enormous talent but also to how immensely likeable the guy was. Cozy acted, looked and dressed just like his legions of fans - a common bloke with an uncommon talent, and if it is true that he was sacked from Rainbow for laughing at Blackmore's hair transplant then the guy really was a legend! Take a listen to the introduction to Rainbow's Stargazer - now that defines Heavy Metal Thunder!

Album Reviews - February 2008

2008-03-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

Porcupine Tree – Nil Recurring

In olden times these tracks would have gone by the name of 'B - Side' - the songs that either wouldn't fit on the 20 minutes per side format of vinyl LP's or were specifically written as throw-away content for the otherwise redundant second side of a 7 inch single. Now that vinyl has largely gone the way of the dodo these 'extra' tracks are either lumped onto the end of a CD to make it a 'Bonus Edition' or, as in this case, packaged together as a mini-album

Written during the sessions for the Grammy nominated Fear Of A Blank Planet but not actually recorded until the summer of 2007, the mini-album was originally sold at gigs and on the band’s website. The decision to go for a commercial release is probably more to do with providing the band’s new record company a product to promote than any burning need for a wider audience but whilst it can’t be said that that ‘Blank Planet’ suffers much fro the omission of these tracks, Nil Recurring remains an entertaining companion and coda to Fear Of A Blank Planet that does nothing to tarnish the band’s growing reputation.

Rating: Good

Fish - 13th Star

In an ideal world this album would be essential listening for all record producers and mixing engineers; especially those responsible for the some of the muddy morasses of sound that so often masquerade as albums these days. The clarity of sound produced here is well-nigh perfect – every note from every instrument is reproduced with perfect precision making this a pure pleasure to listen to. Add to that some superbly constructed songs allied to top-notch musicianship and Mr. Dick’s most controlled and mature lyrical and vocal performance to date, and you have an album that eclipses everything Fish has ever produced as a solo artist and possibly even his Marillion output.

Rating: Superior

Bon Scott

2008-02-29T15:39:00.000-08:00

Following on from last year’s superb AC/DC retrospective extravaganza ‘Plug Me In’ (some day all Rock DVD’s will be like this!), the official unveiling in Perth of a long overdue tribute to late front man Bon Scott has caused me to reflect on the nature of my admiration for Bon, his replacement Brian Johnson and on fandom as a whole.

Some time in late ‘79 I dispatched my older brother with instructions to come back with one of the albums I had listed, in priority of importance, on a shopping list. He came back with the second album on the list. I recall being slightly disappointed at missing out on my first choice but the mists of time have obscured what that album was or whether it ever found its way onto my turntable. The album he came through the door with was AC/DC’s Highway to Hell. I was 15 years old – I had never heard anything like it. By Christmas of that year I had trudged home from town with the seminal live album If You Want Blood….. (I recall that torrential rain descended as I walked home, turning much of the album sleeve into mush). Less than two months later, just days after my 16th birthday, Bon Scott was dead.

I remember being shocked by Bon’s death but not particularly grief stricken. Although I was by now an affirmed fan; that status confirmed by an astonishing TV appearance on BBC’s Rock Goes To College and now available on Plug Me In. I had only ‘known’ the guy for a few months and was probably more concerned that AC/DC would grind to a halt. Keen to wring every last ounce of remaining power from the band I spent the spring and summer of 1980 buying up the entire back catalogue, all the time becoming increasingly aware of the contribution Bon had made to the band, both musically and through his sheer joie de vivre.

It was with mixed feelings then that I read a lengthy feature in the late-lamented Sounds reporting on the recording sessions for the band’s ‘come-back’ album Back In Black. Just a few months had passed since Bon’s death and whilst my delight at the band’s continuing existence was undeniable, I also experienced a certain amount of horror that they found it so easy to pick up the pieces. I was sixteen remember, I had no mouths to feed, I hadn’t yet experienced the loss of a loved one and I still saw the world in the black and white of absolutes. Even though I had some ‘form’ with new singer Brian Johnson (having bought his previous band Geordie’s only hit All Because Of You as a 9 year old way back in 1973 - I was a rocker even then!) I found myself harbouring some resentment towards him and the band as a whole. This low-key antipathy was completely unfounded and unfair, yet traces of it linger to this day – illogical but seemingly indelible. That the ‘new’ version of AC/DC produced an iconic ‘debut’ album in Black In Black and went on to conquer the world throughout the 1980’s only made things worse. I bought and enjoyed all the albums but that faint feeling of disapproval remained.

What right did I have to judge the band? I didn’t know Bon, I don’t know Brian, I don’t know any of the band. I bought their records, I watched them on TV and I read their words and those written about them, but I know nothing of the reasons or motives for anything they did. All I know is that a young band from Australia lost not only a key contributor to their success but also a friend when on the cusp of greatness and that they were lucky enough to find a replacement with enough strength and talent to step into his shoes and drive the band to even greater heights. Ultimately the two discs of live material on Plug Me In provide a telling insight to what the band went through. Disc One from the Bon Scott era has a young Angus expending a frightening amount of energy behind his friend Bon – with an almost permanent grin affixed to his face. On Disc Two an older Angus expends just as much energy behind his friend Brian – but the grin is largely missing.

AC/DC did what we all must do after suffering tragedy; they dusted themselves off and got on with things, rising above the pain to be the best that they could be. If eventually a little light began to fall into the darkness then it didn’t mean they had forgotten the star that shone so brightly then suddenly was gone. To survive over 30 years in the music business is a tremendous achievement, to survive the loss of an enormous talent and all-round great guy like Bon Scott is an even bigger one. Here’s hoping the band can find their way into the studio sometime soon – there could be no bigger tribute to Bon.

Classic Rock - A Definition

2008-02-18T11:36:00.000-08:00

What exactly is Classic Rock? As with any art form, an interpretation of music must be an entirely personal one. A better question would be….what is my definition of Classic Rock?

Let’s begin by defining rock music. In my case this means largely album based music written and performed by people who can play their own instruments and can generally recreate their music in a live environment. Rock music doesn’t have to complicated or difficult to play but there should be at least some form of integrity involved - musical, political or spiritual. Rock music should stimulate your mind or your primal instincts leaving either your head or your hormones reeling. In short, rock music should matter.

What qualities does a piece of music require to qualify as ‘a classic’? Let’s start by looking at the dictionary definition;

Classic - work of highest quality. Something created or made, especially a work of art, music, or literature that is generally considered to be of the highest quality and of enduring value.

That looks simple enough then. To be a classic, the work has to be generally considered to be of the highest quality and of enduring value. This is my blog so my personal taste will be the sole arbiter of quality and value. What constitutes enduring though? How long must music ‘matter’ for it to be considered enduring? Back to the dictionary;

Enduring - persisting or surviving in the face of difficulties.

What sort of difficulties can a piece of music face? Well, changing tastes for one. Growing older and drifting away from the environment, people and circumstances that influenced one’s tastes at the time.. To have endured a song must have persisted and survived in the face of everything life can throw at it and still sound fresh, recalling the time in your life when you first heard it, briefly rekindling long forgotten hopes and dreams. In my estimation that requires time for a man to leave behind his youth, to meet and marry the woman he loves and to have raise his first born to the age at which he is discovering music for himself. In my case this is 20 years.

So that’s it then…….the official Endlessly Rocking definition of Classic Rock; album based music of the highest quality that was written, performed and played live by people who could play their own instruments, and that is at least 20 years old.

Whatever you do though, don’t get the impression that I’m living in the past! Just as I also listen to music that falls outside my definition of rock music, I also listen to music recorded after 1988! As the bedrock of my musical tastes was formed by the rock music recorded between 1965 and 1988 it follows that I will look for at least some strand of it in newly released music. That’s what this bog is all about – an appreciation of the classic rock of the past, a critique of those who have endured for the past twenty years or so and are still making music today and my thoughts on the new kids on the block, those who may/or may not be creating the classic rock of the future – a vintage best savoured sometime around 2028!

Album Review - January 2008

2008-02-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath

Can anyone remember the last time a 'prog' album made the headline feature in iTunes New Music Weekly? Such was my astonishment that I immediately hit the 'purchase' button - an impulsive decision that I thankfully haven't regretted. This is breathtaking stuff - weird, wacky and wonderful, a prog/jazz/funk/metal smorgasborg with helium-enhanced vocals (Prince meets Jamiroquai with a touch of Geddy Lee?) and obscure, nonsense lyrics that must have Jon Anderson sick with envy. Repeated listening is rewarded as the clouds of chaos slowly solidify. Completely bonkers!

Rating: Superior

Endlessly Rocking Will Be There.......

2008-01-18T14:32:00.001-08:00

A Nice Pair

2008-01-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Just days after Endlessly Rocking listed them as Coming Up In 2008, Def Leppard & Whitesnake have announced a co-headlining UK tour for June. An interesting pairing this…..

Although hailing from different generations, both were accused of selling their souls (and their hairstyles) to the almighty dollar in the 80’s. Whilst I have no particular axe to grind with either outfit I can certainly sympathise with this point-of-view.

Def Leppard were for many the great white hope of NWOBHM. Their early output suggested that their resemblance to Led Zeppelin may extend beyond a self-consciously stylised name. However, after an impressive debut album the band set off to conquer the USA….. and have effectively stayed there ever since. Whilst they successfully caught the mood of an America ripe for a new generation of soft rock, the British rock fan generally likes his/her rock served with a touch of grit. Only Leppard know why they chose the musical path they did and the level of success they achieved is staggering – albeit at the expense of a place in the hearts of UK rock fans.

Whitesnake provided grit galore as purveyors of good-old fashioned blues rock before front man David Coverdale elected to join the hair-metal brigade in 1987 with the admittedly awesome album of the same name. Out went the sartorially-challenged twin guitar attack of Mickey Moody and Bernie Marsden in favour of a succession of MTV-friendly pretty-boy shredders. Whitesnake still produced great rock music – it was just the cynical stink of marketing polish that caught in the throat.

Whatever misgivings there may be about the course both bands plotted during the ‘decade-that-style-forgot’, this tour (with the promising Black Stone Cherry in support) could well prove to be the Classic Rock event of the year. The tour visits the Odyssey Arena on 21st June, Endlessly Rocking is currently plotting how family commitments and finances can be juggled to allow a visit – fingers crossed!

Less encouraging news from AC/DC though which suggests their inclusion in the Strongly Rumoured category was a little optimistic. Following frenzied internet rumours of imminent tours/album releases/secret Swiss gigs, the band released an official statement denying everything. Between picking sharp shards of fence from his ar*e, Albert Records' Danny Keenan has been quoted as saying;"If you ask me if they're in the studio today, I can tell you they're not. If you ask me if they were in the studio last week, I can tell you they're not. If you ask me if they're in the studio next week, I can tell you they're not. We're pretty hopeful, but unfortunately there is no word of an album at this stage."

Coming Up In 2008

2008-01-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

So what does 2008 hold in store for the Classic Rock fan?

Confirmed (more or less)

The early part of 2008 promises quite a lot; confirmed releases include the long awaited release on DVD of Iron Maiden’s Live After Death along with a host of extras including Part 2 of The History of Iron Maiden (UK release date 04-02-08). The ever-dependable Bryan Adams releases his eleventh studio album ‘11’ on 23-02-08 whilst a double disk live offering from Magnum ‘Wings Of Heaven Live’ is scheduled for the 25th. A new Metallica album (by all accounts an improvement on the much maligned St. Anger) is also threatened for February.

Spring/Summer sees the release of a Dream Theater Best Of collection (expected in March), a much-anticipated Whitesnake album ‘Good To Be Bad’ (due in May) and ‘Songs From The Sparkle Lounge’, the latest offering from Def Leppard. Also scheduled for release in the first part of 2008 is ‘Chris Rea Presents The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes’ a musical book with 80 pages, vinyl records and three CD’s - the story of a late fifties guitar instrumental band (The Delmonts) that evolved into a 60’s blues band (The Hofner Blue Notes). The accompanying tour winds its way to Belfast in April –what we can expect from both the album and tour is anyone’s guess.

Official announcements for post-Summer releases are few and far between with only the release of a 15th studio album from Marillion currently on the radar for late Summer/early Autumn whilst Rush have promised a ‘Snakes and Arrows Tour’ DVD and ‘Rush: The Documentary’ for late 2008.

Strongly Rumoured

Guns 'N Roses will surely release ‘Chinese Democracy’ at some stage, but who would wager any money on it being this year? Rumours also abound of a new offering from AC/DC, but the much-mooted January release date looks unlikely. Heaven & Hell/Black Sabbath have announced work on new album but it would be late 2008 at the earliest before this is likely to surface. A summer 2008 release is whispered for a new Jethro Tull album whilst strong rumours persist that a new album by The Police is in the making, with a release date scheduled for Autumn 2008. Apparently material for the new album has already been brought together, and will be recorded throughout 2008. This would be combined with the release of a best of live DVD of the 2007-2008 world tour.

The strongest possibility is that a new Queen & Paul Rodgers album will see the light of day in the coming year. Paul Rodgers himself confirmed in the summer of 2007 that 9 tracks were in the can and that additional studio time was booked for Oct 07. A release in 2008 looks highly likely. Also highly probable is a DVD of the Ahmet Etregun Tribute Concert – including the Led Zep reunion.

Wishful Thinking

Dave Lee Roth has proclaimed loudly (does he do anything else?) that Van Halen will record a new album upon completion of their current tour. However, even if they can stay on speaking terms until then, the tour rolls on until April 08 at the earliest so an album release in 2008 seems unlikely. Similarly unlikely to tear themselves from a highly profitable touring schedule are Aerosmith – although Steve Tyler and the boys allegedly entered the studio in November of last year.

Tours

World Tours abound in 2008 but sadly dates in Belfast (or even Dublin) look unlikely. Amongst those hitting the road are;

Iron Maiden with their massive ‘Somewhere Back In Time Tour’
The second leg of Rush’s Snakes and Arrows Tour (with strong rumours that at least one show will be filmed by an IMAX crew!)
Queen & Paul Rodgers
Bruce Springsteen (three Dublin dates already sold out)
Neil Young
Foo Fighters

Will Led Zeppelin tour? Who knows? ‘Percy’ Plant is off touting his C&W album with Alison Krauss until late summer but this does just leave the door open for a Glastonbury appearance – time will tell!

The Endys!

2007-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

As 2006 draws to a close it’s time for the first Annual Endlessly Rocking Awards highlighting the pick of the year’s Rock music.

And ‘The Endy’ goes to;

Album Of The Year

Snakes and Arrows – Rush: Arguably the best Rush album since Moving Pictures as producer Nick Raskulinecz convinces the Canadian trio not to overlook their past in their ever-changing musical landscape

Commended:
Fear Of A Blank Planet – Porcupine Tree: A coming of age for Steve Wilson’s ‘new-prog’.
Libertad – Velvet Revolver: No ‘difficult second album’ blues for Slash & The Boys.

Band Of The Year

Rush: The “World’s Greatest Band” return with their best, and most critically acclaimed album, for at least 20 years. Suddenly it’s cool to love Rush!

Commended
Heaven and Hell: Come back of the year from Dio-era Sabbath

Web Presence Of The Year

The Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert Ticket Ballot: More than a million fans applied online for the 20,000 available tickets – one of the single biggest events in web history.

Commended:
Rush – surely the largest and most obsessive fan-base on the web
Bruce Springsteen – brief video clips from live performances as The Boss winds his way around the world.

Rock Icon Of The Year

Syd Barrett: Syd’s death in July, aged 60, came almost 40 years after his departure from Pink Floyd. It is hard to imagine any of the other band members attracting such broad media attention.

The Pink Floyd Story: Which One's Pink?

2007-12-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

If this excellent BBC documentary achieved nothing else, it at least demonstrated that the wounds caused by the forced separation of Roger Waters and Pink Floyd are as raw as ever, despite the 20 minute cessation of hostilities that was Live 8.

Using interviews with the band and close associates to chart the history of the band, the occasions when Waters and the rest of the band are in agreement are few and far between. Even Syd Barrett’s descent into madness exposes a difference of opinion. Waters reminisces fondly over Barrett’s increasingly bizarre behaviour whilst Rick Wright appears close to tears as he rejects Waters’ suggestion that Syd suffered from schizophrenia and lays the blame squarely on substance abuse.

The halcyon days of Dark Side Of The Moon and Wish You Were Here are dealt with fairly quickly, as if the documentary team can’t wait to get to the next bone of contention - Waters’ increasing dominance of the band. Whilst David Gilmour refers to the period leading up to The Wall and the subsequent World Tour as “a dictatorship”, Waters dismisses any suggestions that he refused to allow other band members to contribute to the writing process. From that point on the story focuses increasingly on the two main protagonists; Gilmour & Waters, with the remaining band members largely commenting as observers rather than participants.

The semantics of Waters departure and his subsequent brief restoration for Live 8 are interesting. Upon leaving the band Waters assumed that Pink Floyd was no more. He admits in hindsight that his reaction to Floyd’s continuing existence (a long-running and ultimately unsuccessful legal battle) was wrong, but the scars remain vivid – especially for Gilmour. It was he who resisted longest to Bob Geldof’s emotional blackmail over Live 8 (the interviews with Geldof give an interesting perspective on the band’s internal politics at that time). When he finally relented it was very much on his terms – Waters was reminded that Pink Floyd were closing the Live 8 Concert and that he was welcome to play with them if he wished, but on their terms.

To all intents and purposes David Gilmour is now Pink Floyd. Whilst the final comments from Waters, Wright & Mason left the door open for a further reunion, those from Gilmour did not. It looks like Live 8 really will be the band’s final cut.

One Weekend in Belfast

2007-12-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

Belfast hosted two of rock's biggest names at the weekend yet Endlessly Rocking attended neither event - for very different reasons.....

The Boss was in town on Saturday night but like thousands of others I didn't get the opportunity to see him. Playing such a relatively small venue as The Odyssey Arena (capacity 10,000) was always going to lead to disappointment but the manner in which the sale was handled has left a sour taste in the mouth of many. I didn't make it down to the venue when the tickets went on sale but most of those who did make the effort to turn out before sunrise on a cold winter's morning left without tickets. I can only guess at their frustration when tickets appeared almost immediately on eBay - at vastly inflated prices. The efforts made to stop the touts at the recent Zep reunion concert are to be applauded, but the only truly effective way to combat this is for fans to stop buying tickets at anything other than face value and I'm sure hell well have frozen over long before that happens.

Tickets were anything but difficult to get for Thin Lizzy's show at The Waterfront Hall the following night but again I sat at home and watched a movie. I had thought long and hard about this one but in the end I just couldn't accept that the band on show was Thin Lizzy. Only two names remained constant throughout Lizzy's career; Brian Downey & Phil Lynott. Neither were on stage last in Belfast last night. However entertaining John Syke's tribute band may be - it isn't Thin Lizzy.

Album Reviews - November 2007

2007-12-12T10:37:00.000-08:00

This month Endlessly Rocking reviews ‘new’ offerings from two of the 70’s biggest (if not the biggest) bands;

Long Road Out Of Eden - Eagles

Virtually everyone likes Eagles. Such is the eclecticism inherent in the band's multi-talented line-up there will invariably be something there for everyone. Unfortunately, on the bands first album of new material in 28 years, their greatest strength proves also to be their greatest weakness.

Disk 1 starts off promisingly enough with the a cappella No More Walks In The Woods followed by pleasant country rockers How Long and Busy Being Fabulous. Sadly though a procession of ‘X-Factor finalist’ ballads follows, broken only by the Ozzy-sings-Quo 12-bar work out of Guilty Of The Crime and the 80's funk of Fast Company (amusingly sung in a with Prince-style falsetto).

Disk 2 (the sickening I Love To Watch a Woman Dance aside) exhibits a slightly harder edge than the opening set and benefits greatly from it. Long Road Out of Eden (the album’s stand-out track and the closest it ever comes to Hotel-California-like greatness) kicks off a series of songs examining the ‘State of America’ and generally finding it wanting. The music may be middle-of-the-road, but the opinions on show certainly aren’t – this won’t be on the Christmas Party play list at the White House!

Combining the harder-hitting tracks onto a single disk effort (entitled Shorter Road Out Of Eden?) would have made this a killer album – over two disks though I find myself reaching for the next button just a little too often.

Rating: Good

Mothership - Led Zeppelin

Despite having had every single album on vinyl, this is the first time that Led Zeppelin have appeared on my iPod. Why is that? Upon reflection the answer is clear – whilst I like ‘Zep’, I don’t love them. The air of arrogance and aloofness the band cultivated has tended to generate respect rather than affection. Not to mention Robert Plant’s irritating fake-orgasms…..

So, has a gap of almost 20 years changed my view? Not entirely. This ‘greatest hits’ collection is undoubtedly of the highest quality with almost all of the 24 tracks on offer worthy of the much over-used label ‘classic’ (only the faux-reggae, bad-joke of D’Yer Mak’er and Physical Graffitti’s Trampled Under Foot and Houses of The Holy failing to make the grade). However, whilst I am reminded of just how good the band was, there is still an element of frustration that they could have been even better. Monster-constructs such as Kashmir, No Quarter and Achilles Last Stand are deflated slightly by muddy production and a weak guitar and/or keyboard sound. Imagine how magnificent they would be with a fuller, more powerful mix! Ultimately though, this is akin to claiming that the ceiling of the Cisteen Chapel would benefit from a deeper shade of blue. This is a masterpiece; showing its age in places, too gaudy at times and a little dull in others, but still a masterpiece.

Rating: Essential

Album Reviews - October 2007

2007-11-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Endlessly Rocking reviews the pick of the albums issued in October (or at least the ones that I downloaded!)

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters

A much calmer effort than that normally delivered by Dave Grohl's men and much better for it. After six studio albums the band finally seemed to have discovered the importance of the gaps between the music and their trademark frantic riffing and screaming vocal delivery is rendered much more effective by judicial rationing. This is a thoughtfully constructed album allowing the band to flex their musical muscle in new directions whilst retaining the underlying charm that has won them admirers across a wide spectrum of musical taste. A mature album from a band who now seem confident enough in their own abilities to explore new horizons.

Rating: Superior

Pictures - Katie Melua

This third album from the Georgian chanteuse brings a partial break from collaborator Mike Batt and is a little less accessible as a result. The Batt-penned tracks continue to provide comfortable listening but there is a something a little off-kilter about the album's remaining tunes - hinting at a musical future slowly sailing away from her Radio 2 audience into more 'alternative' waters. The album rewards repeated listening - Ms. Melua's excellent guitar playing is brought more to the fore and her voice remains the musical equivalent of a strong Cafe Latte. Pleasant late night indulgence.

Rating: Good

Magic - Bruce Springsteen

If Springsteen's last album with the E-Street Band (2002's The Rising) was an optimistic and hope-filled reaction to the horrors of 9/11, this latest instalment of "The World According to Bruce" views the state of the Union with a considerably more jaundiced eye. Musically there is little to separate 'Magic' from any other E-Street band offering - at times there is too much going on within the songs; the saxophone and keyboards in particular detracting from, rather than adding value to, the arrangements. Lyrically though this album hits its targets dead centre - the vocal barbs all the more dangerous for their relatively harmless musical accompaniment. The album works best where the aim is truest; highlights include the title track (focusing on political double speak and spin), Gypsy Biker (for those who didn't come back from Bush's war), The Last to Die (a reminder of who ultimately pays the price for political mistakes) and opening track Radio Nowhere (blessed with a grittier musical underscore than the majority of the album). Bonus Track; Terry's Song rounds the album off in fine style - a moving tribute to Bruce's long-time friend Terry McGovern who passed away at the end of July. Whilst Magic has some fillers, Springsteen's worst is better than the best many have to offer, and this is the case here. A worthy addition to an impressive volume of work.

Rating: Superior

Chrome Dreams II - Neil Young

Apparently compiled from a mix of new compositions and a smattering of songs originally recorded in the 1980's, the timeless nature of Neil Young's work gives no clues as to which song falls into which category. Gentler efforts such as Beautiful Bluebird and Shining Light are beautiful in their simplicity but the album's crowning glories are the two epic tracks Ordinary People and No Hidden Path (checking in at 18 minutes and 14 minutes respectively) - the moment when the horn section unexpectedly kicks in on Ordinary People sending a shiver of delight running up the spine on every listen. Dirty Old Man is every bit as low down, mean and nasty as its title suggests - a garage-band anthem of deceptive simplicity, whilst the collection's final track, The Way, (with its simple repeating motif and school choir backing vocals) completes the picture of a 62 year-old who is content with his own lot but who remains a valid voice for those less fortunate than he.

Rating: Superior

RUSH Glasgow SECC 3rd October 2007

2007-11-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

Despite the efforts of Endlessly Rocking (see the Eventful Tag to the right), "The World's Greatest Band" declined to include Belfast on their Snakes and Arrows Tour itinerary and I was forced to make my way to Bonnie Scotland to fulfil a lifelong ambition to see Canada's finest in the flesh.

Having stayed close to the venue on a trip to Glasgow earlier in the year, Hall 4 of Glasgow's SECC was ideal for the travelling headbanger with the Campanile Hotel just a stone's throw away. As a venue for a major rock concert though it left a lot to be desired. A rectangular shaped arena with the stage placed off-centre on one of the long sides, the orientation of what is basically a huge warehouse meant that anyone not seated directly front-of-stage had a oblique view of events with stage gear obscuring at least one three giant screens behind the band. The sound also was muddy at times and not quite loud enough. None of this was the fault of the band though and for almost three solid hours they enthralled the near sell-out crowd with a powerful performance.

The introductory video, with Geddy Lee masquerading as lunatic Scotsman Harry Satchel and Neil Peart sporting a rare public grin, went well down particularly well with the Scottish audience before the band took the stage with a relatively low-key version of Limelight - Alex Lifeson letting the opening chord ring while the rest of the band took up position. I was immediately consumed with an overwhelming feeling of pure joy - I had finally made it to a Rush show! This euphoria hardly faded during the rest of the evening as the band ran treated us to several rarely aired songs (including old chestnuts Circumstances and Entre Nous) and 9 songs from latest album Snakes and Arrows. Among my personal highlights were a thundering Subdivisions (not one of my favourite Rush compositions but superbly menacing live) and a spine-tingling Natural Science - selections that quickly picked up the pace after the band opened the second part of the show (following a 20 minute interval) with no less than five new tracks. Of these it was Armor & Sword that impressed most - despite it not being amongst my favourites off the album.

The lighting arrangement was spectacular with the 'Close Encounters' type flying lighting rigs and the judicial use of lasers drawing gasps of appreciation. The videos displayed on the giant backing screens at various stages were an entertainment in themselves with highlights including the fire-breathing dragon during Vapor Trails and the boy-on-the-missile graphics from the Distant Early Warning promo.

At times the musicianship on show was awe-inspiring, never more so than Neil Peart's drum-solo. Now.....I am not a drum-solo fan. Even 'The Professors' efforts generally fall victim of the 'skip' and 'fast-forward' buttons. This solo however was simply incredible - as a display of sheer skill I have never seen anything like it. He may be a cantankerous old git (it takes one to know one!) but if there is a better percussionist out there I would love to see them. The band rounded off the show with Spirit of Radio and Tom Sawyer before ending with an encore of One Little Victory, A Passage to Bangkok and YYZ. By that stage I had reached emotional and sensory overload and was incapable of truly taking in the performance of some of my all-time favourite tracks - something I regret as there may well not be an other opportunity to see the band on these shores. Still, as achieving lifelong ambitions go it did not disappoint - I have seen the greatest rock band in the world live and in the flesh, everything else pales in comparison.

Dublin 2007

2007-11-13T13:21:00.000-08:00

PHIL LYNOTT - THE ULTIMATE ROCKSTAR

A family trip to Dublin in late summer gave me the opportunity to make a long wished for pilgrimage to the Phil Lynott statue off Grafton Street.

Lynott was the ultimate rock star... exotic, handsome, poetic, charismatic, wild..... and a little dangerous. It is now 21 years since he passed away - he is still sorely missed.