Metallica – Jump in the Fire (12” Single)

May 15, 2013 //
24
The Orange Demon Dude!

The Orange Demon Dude!

(Single taken from The Good, the Bad & the Live: (6½ Year Anniversary EP Collection) that I bought back in January 2013)

Can I be honest here and admit one of my main reasons for wanting this was the incredible cover? I love the orange demon dude. He looks so pleased with himself. And so he should! He is adorning the first (if you’re British, anyway) Metallica single!

Jump in the Fire is taken from Metallica’s seminal debut, Kill ‘Em All. It’s one of the more old-school Metal tracks on the debut with its mid-tempo rhythm, bluesy soloing and a sing-along chorus (which always reminds me of Deep Purple’s Space Truckin’). It’s a fun track but not one of the debut’s more promising efforts. Hammett’s soloing and Hetfield’s hoarse vocals sell the song and, thankfully, the band replaced the shagging lyrics from the No Life ‘til Leather demo version with something more orange demon dude friendly. Besides, no-one should have to imagine James Hetfield moving his hips in a circular way. Ever.

The Back Cover with the Studio and "Live" Sides

The Back Cover with the Studio and “Live” Sides

Apart from the orange demon dude, the main attraction of this single is its live B-Sides. Unfortunately, these “live” versions of Seek and Destroy and Phantom Lord were actually recorded in a studio. Reverb was added (most audibly on Hetfield’s voice) to replicate the acoustics of a larger venue and crowd noises were added on. I’m sure I can remember reading that the crowd noise was taken from a classic live album but I’m not sure if that’s true or not (answers on a postcard please) but the crowd noise does give the impression that the band had amassed a pretty large following at this early stage in their career!

Like, Hetfield's hips, this record moves in a circular way

Like Hetfield’s hips, this record moves in a circular way

If you can get over the naïve fakery involved, these lively alternate versions are still well worth hearing. Both of the B-Side tracks are more representative of the band’s early, influential Thrash style than the A-Side. While these versions are missing the breakneck intensity of Metallica’s actual live performances, Cliff Burton’s fabulous bass playing is clear as a bell, Kirk’s soloing is free of bum notes and the performance as a whole is pretty tight. Pleasingly, Hetfield’s voice is starting to sound more like it would on future albums but his exhortations to the imaginary crowd (“let’s go, c’mon”) during Seek and Destroy are embarrassing.

Sans the fakery these are still excellent performances. If they had been radio sessions instead they would have been more appreciated and it’s probably preferable to think of them along those lines. For future releases, Metallica would lose the naiveté… and the orange demon dude.

The Box Set from whence this came!

The Box Set from whence this came!

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Categories Genre, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Thrash Metal

Noise-some Notes – 9th May 2013

May 9, 2013 //
49
Taken from the front

Taken from the front

Whitesnake – Slide It In (U.S. Remix Picture Disc Vinyl)

1984’s Slide It In seemed to usher in the age of Cov the Gov endlessly remixing and re-recording old album and songs. In the UK the album’s reception had been a bit mixed, some people feeling it was a bit flat sounding and that the lyrics to songs like Slide It In, Spit It Out and Slow And Easy had gotten a bit too “oo-er missus” for comfort (can’t think why). Keen to crack the US and worried that the album might not cut the mustard, Cov gave the Whitesnake line-up an MTV-friendly reshuffle (the most note-worthy addition being guitarist John Sykes) and the album was remixed with new and re-recorded parts added by the new members. The US Remix of the album was a massive success and the big international breakthrough that Coverdale had been hoping for. No-one thought to re-write any of the lyrics. I guess they were all too busy inserting the new member’s parts.

Taken from behind.

Taken from behind.

This is the UK vinyl release of the US Mix! Although I’m a fan of John Sykes, his (presumably rushed) solos go nowhere fast compared to Micky Moody’s blissful, melodic original leads but the US remix does make the album punchier and more dynamic. For my money, the original UK version is more timeless and cohesive but the US version has a lot to recommend it and does more than enough to earn Slide It In a double-entry in the HMO Hall of Fame.

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Categories Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Noise-some Notes, Reviews

How Tempting! – May 2013

May 5, 2013 //
60

How Tempting May

A monthly look at the CDs, DVDs and vinyl (old and new) that threaten to bother my budget. Part of the HMO Challenge to cut my music spending by half.

After two “easy” months my budget for May comes crashing down to a measly £40!  It’s almost the 1st anniversary of HMO and it looks like the advent of my blog had an impact my music spending early on. I imagine I’m going to be up against it from now on. 

Let’s have a look at some of the most HMO-friendly new releases from the end of April through May. There’s a lot of good stuff hitting the racks so I’m going to have to make some tough choices if I want to come in under budget.

Just released on 29th April 2013

Deep Purple – Now What?! (CD/DVD)

I enjoyed the Purp’s last album, Rapture of the Deep and I like what I heard of this one so far so this is one of the more intriguing new albums this year. Having said that, I have seen this in the shops and couldn’t quite bring myself to buy it!

Cathedral – The Last Spire

Again, I really rated Cathedral’s last studio album The Guessing Game but I’m not sure if I really need more Cathedral right now. On the other hand, this is only £9 on Amazon so it’s hardly a budget breaker.

6th May 2013 (UK Release Date)

Cheap Trick – The Complete Epic Albums Collection

This great value Cheap Trick set finally gets its UK release. Unlike the BÖC box (which was stuffed with rarities) there doesn’t seem to be much, if anything, on this that I don’t have already. It’s extremely tempting because I love Cheap Trick and I would like CD copies of the albums that I only have on vinyl but buying this would take me over my budget in one fell swoop with no new music to show for it. Maybe someone might like to buy me this as a present? Hi EvaOverload!

After the 6th May there doesn’t seem to be any particularly interesting releases until…

27th May 2013 (UK Release Date)

Hawkwind – Warrior on the Edge of Time (2CD/DVD)

The Atomhenge label have been doing great service to the Hawkwind catalogue over the last few years and this reissue of Hawkwind’s 1975 album (the first time the original analogue stereo master tapes have been used for a remastered edition) is highly exciting. The last album to feature Lemmy (who got shown the door shortly after its release), its bonus tracks hint at the future with Hawkwind’s version of a little ditty called Motorhead. Sounds like a good name for a band!

The Stranglers – The Old Testament (UA Studio Recordings 77-82)

I bought a couple of these guy’s albums last year. This 5CD set features 6 studio albums plus singles, B-Sides and a rarities album. All for £12! This is such good value, I might just pre-order this right now. It’s probably all The Stranglers I’ll ever need.

Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

I was a fan of Black Gives Way to Blue so this follow-up may be difficult to resist.

******

And here’s some other stuff that’s of interest this month…

Satan – Life Sentence (Out Now)

Blue Öyster Cult – Imaginos (Remix) (Out Now)

Black Star Riders – All Hell Breaks Loose (27th May)

Dio – Finding the Sacred Heart Live in Philly 1986 CD and DVD (27th May)

Accept – Balls to the Wall (Reissue with bonus tracks) (27th May)

Judas Priest – Epitaph DVD (27th May)

In addition to the new releases I’m also considering buying some more Mayhem stuff, some Meads of Asphodel stuff and I’ve been thinking about getting Witchfinder General’s Death Penalty too. And there’s still the niggling leftovers from previous month’s How Tempting posts: Girlschool’s Bronze Years set manages to remain a real contender every month but just seems to always be slightly more expensive than I want it to be.

I don’t think a £40 budget is going to stretch very far this month. The bulk of the best new releases are out at the end of the month so I could maybe hold off on those until June. However, June is shaping up to be a pretty exciting month for new music too (Black Sabbath, Megadeth…) so it could get tricky. I’m basically going to have to be pretty hard-nosed if I’m going to manage from now on. 

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Categories Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Punk, Classic Rock, Doom Metal, Pop, How Tempting, HMO Challenge 2013, Record Collecting

R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman 1964 – 2013

May 4, 2013 //
7

I was shocked and saddened yesterday to hear the news that Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman has died aged 49.

My first experience of Slayer and Hanneman was watching the BBC’s 1989 Arena Heavy Metal documentary and seeing an excerpt from the above performance of Raining Blood at Hammersmith Odeon in 1988.

After seeing this my brother bought Show No Mercy (still my favourite Slayer album) on cassette and later I would see them live at the Edinburgh Playhouse in 1991 on the Seasons in the Abyss tour, my very first Metal concert.

Slayer CDs

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Categories Genre, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Uncategorized

Buying Round-Up – April 2013

May 2, 2013 //
36

Another “easy” month as I had a whole £80 to spend on music. If you’ve been following my progress you’ll know that I’m already £33 over budget. But in March I was able to come in under budget for the first time so let’s see if I can continue that good work this month.

Maiden England '88 - DVD and CD

Maiden England ’88 – DVD and CD

Iron Maiden – Maiden England ’88 DVD and CD (£29 – Fopp Glasgow)

Any archive release of 80s Maiden is a big deal and I was massively excited about this DVD reissue. But it turned out that the real treat is the live album which has an amazing vibe and sounds fantastic. The set-list is sublime too, mixing lesser heard tracks and classics. If you only own one Maiden live album… it should be Live after Death. But get this one as well.

Just £13 for this? Oh My.

Just £13 for this? Oh My.

Phenomenal

Phenomenal

UFO – On Air: At the BBC 1975 – 1985 (£13 – Amazon)

I had no idea this was coming out until it popped up on my Amazon recommendations. Let’s see… five CDs of radio sessions and a DVD of television performances from one of the best live bands of all time… for £13? Great Odin’s Raven, what a bargain! If you’ve ever heard any live UFO recordings you’ll know why this was a must-buy, especially at this price.

Nae Bonus Tracks!

Nae Bonus Tracks!

Blue Murder – S/T (£12 – Rock Candy)

Classic remastered debut album from John Sykes’ post-Whitesnake outfit. This was a bit of an extravagance as I already have it on vinyl but I was just really in the mood for it. An extra track, Cold Harbor, has been mistakenly listed on the back cover and booklet. This error has been perpetuated on many websites so please be aware there are no bonus tracks on this if you’re thinking of buying it for that reason.

Metalström!

Metalström!

Manilla Road – Open the Gates (£17 – Monorail Glasgow)

I’ve mentioned the joy of Manilla Road’s Crystal Logic in this blog many times now and I’ve been long overdue buying the follow-up. This is a gorgeous vinyl edition from the High Roller label. I can’t say it’s grabbing me as much as Crystal Logic but I’ve only had a couple of listens so far. And any album that has a song on it called Metalström has to rule. It just has to.

****

And I would have sailed in well under budget if hadn’t been for pesky Record Store Day which I had totally forgotten about when I was considering April’s purchases. I couldn’t let that occasion pass without treating myself. It only happens once a year, after all! So Record Store Day ended up costing me £21 and took me over budget once more. I’m not going to beat myself up about it. That’s me four months in to the HMO Challenge 2013 and I’m still managing to spend less than I did last year. I’ve still got another eight months to go! I can do this!!

APRIL 2013 TOTALS

Amount spent on purchases: £92

Amount budgeted: £80

Amount over/under budget: £12 Over

HMO CHALLENGE 2013 TOTALS

Amount spent on purchases: £305

Amount budgeted: £260

Amount over/under budget: £45 Over

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Categories Buying Round Ups, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, HMO Challenge 2013, NWOBHM, Record Collecting, Uncategorized

Noise-some Notes – 24th April 2013

April 24, 2013 //
45
Got to love shiny writing

The simplest covers are often the best

Master – S/T (Reissue from Doomentia)

Master’s 1990 debut is straightforward, filthy fun. One for fans of Venom, this is a raging and ugly blast of brutality with just enough creativity, skill and pacing to stop it becoming boring or one-dimensional. I’ve been listening to quite a few Death Metal classics recently and I’d put this near the top of the heap. And it has one of the best Black Sabbath covers I have ever heard. I’d happily listen to these guys bulldozer their way through the entire Sabbath catalogue!

[Master - Children of the Grave]
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Categories Death Metal, Genre, Heavy Metal, Noise-some Notes, Thrash Metal

Buying Round-Up – Record Store Day 2013 Special!

April 21, 2013 //
26

When I posted a list of upcoming April releases in my last How Tempting post I completely forgot to mention Record Store Day 2013!

I tend not to go mad about RSD because most of the releases seem to value collectability over rare music. Coloured vinyl is a nice bonus but is it really worth getting up at 6.30am for? But, setting that aside, and without spending tons of cash or getting my heart set on a rare 7” that’ll be on eBay before I get to a shop, I think the atmosphere on the day is fantastic. I love socialising and talking music with fellow shoppers at the shop and online. I also love free cake.

I’m also aware that RSD is a valuable “second Christmas” for retailers such as Monorail in Glasgow. Although I spend money there throughout the year I also enjoy being part of an event that helps them out.

This year I picked up 2 titles and, while the music is available elsewhere, they are nice standalone vinyl releases and didn’t break the bank.

Marillion - Grendel 12" RSD Exclusive

Marillion – Grendel 12″ RSD Exclusive

Amateur Dramatics Fail

Amateur Dramatics Fail

Marillion – Grendel 12” Picture Disc (£14 – Monorail Glasgow)

The Fair Deal Studios version of Grendel, backed with the excellent live version of the same track from the Reading Festival in 1983. All available elsewhere on CD but this is a nice edition to add to my small collection of Marillion singles.

Here. My jacket. Take and hang up.

Here. My jacket. Take and hang up.

At least these four tunes didn't cost a fortune.

At least these “four tunes” didn’t cost a “fortune”.

UFO – Live N’ Ready 7” Clear vinyl (£7 – Monorail Glasgow)

This 7” single is a 4-song selection of live tracks. I had understood the version of Chains, Chains on this was “unreleased” but it is actually “not yet released”. This version of the tune will soon appear on Chrysalis’ live anthology Hot N’ Live. The tracks for this were well chosen though and it’s a great listen.

You could quibble with the superfluous nature of both of these titles, but they’re fun collectibles and great mementos of a thoroughly enjoyable day.

So that’s £21 spent out of my £80 budget for the month. Join me soon for the April Buying Round-Up where I’ll discuss my other April purchases.

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Categories Buying Round Ups, Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, HMO Challenge 2013, Progressive Rock, Record Collecting

Noise-some Notes – 16th April 2013

April 16, 2013 //
14

 

UFO often hit the 24 hour garage for some McCoys for the walk home

After last orders, UFO hit the 24 hour garage to buy McCoys for the walk home. 

UFO – No Place to Run

Although No Place to Run is not one of UFO’s more immediate efforts, the material and performances are strong and it rewards return listens. I’d blame its under-rated status on George Martin’s tepid production but I’m so hooked on the album now I find it hard to criticise anything about it. Often, the albums that are hardest to love turn out to be the most rewarding so maybe George had the right idea all along. Either way, he swore off working with “Heavy Metal” bands after his close encounter with UFO.

[UFO - No Place to Run]
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Categories Classic Rock, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Noise-some Notes

How Tempting! April 2013

April 13, 2013 //
17

A monthly look at the CDs, DVDs and vinyl (old and new) that threaten to bother my budget. Part of the HMO Challenge to cut my music spending by half.

My schedule for doing these posts is all wrong. I keep getting round to them mid-month by which point my budget (£80 this month again) is starting to dwindle. So, without giving anything away about what I’ve already bought, I thought I’d do a wee list just now of the most tempting new releases due out in the next couple of weeks.

April 15th 2013 (UK Release date)

Ghost (or Ghost B.C.?)  – Infestissumam I’m in the UK so it’s still just Ghost here right? I really enjoyed this band’s debut although its appeal has worn a bit thin now. I still want to give this a fair hearing but maybe it can wait a while.

Blue Murder – S/T Reissue of a much loved album that I have on vinyl. It’d be good to have this on CD though and it’s a Rock Candy reissue which means great sound and awesome liner notes. This is a buy-on-sight kind of thing, unfortunately. So let’s hope I don’t see it.

Raging Slab – Assmaster I really love Raging Slab and Dynamite Monster Boogie Concert so this reissue (with bonus disc) is pretty tempting despite its unfortunate moniker.

Deep Purple – Slaves and Masters Not a particularly inspiring reissue but it might be a good edition to get just to fill the gap in my collection because I don’t have this one at all.

April 22nd 2013 (UK Release date)

Whitesnake – Made In Japan (2CD/DVD) Cheeky title! Included this here cause it’s Whitesnake but, in truth, I will find this pretty easy to resist.

Necrophagia – Season of the Dead A reissue but one that I doubt I’ll see in the racks! This is coming at a good time though, as I’ve been enjoying a few early Death Metal classics lately.

(Sadly Tateryche’s Frequency Unknown, due out this month, has been put back to June.)

There’s no way I’m buying anything as late in the month as the 29th April so I’ll save that stuff for the How Tempting post for May which I will try and do at the start of the month next time!

Other stuff that might cause my spending finger to twitch this month:

Wild Horses – S/T (Rock Candy Reissue)

Danzig – Anything post 4p that I might see cheap

Girlschool – The Bronze Years (still!)

UFO – Making Contact, Misdemeanor, Headstone

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Categories Black Metal, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, HMO Challenge 2013, How Tempting, NWOBHM, Record Collecting, Southern Rock

Buying Round Up – March 2013

April 10, 2013 //
13

I had a whole £80 to spend on Metal this month but, since I was already £43 over my yearly budget so far, I was hoping to spend a good bit less than my £80 allowance! Here’s how I got on:

Jailbreak, Che Guevara... and then this!

Jailbreak, Che Guevara… and then this!

Darkthrone – The Underground Resistance (£10 – Fopp Edinburgh)

This is one of the most exciting new albums to come out this the year. And it’s fantastic, a much more focused, bloodthirsty and none-more-Metal effort than their previous album Circle the Wagons. The Underground Resistance also scores extra points for its incredible Jim Fitzpatrick artwork.

Saxon - Sacrifice Deluxe Edition

Saxon – Sacrifice Deluxe Edition

Saxon – Sacrifice 2CD (£13 – HMV Glasgow)

First day buyer! This blew me away immediately. The material is not quite up to the high standard of the previous Call to Arms but the production is excellent, the delivery is fiery and each song has a clear, distinctive personality which makes it a satisfying listen. One of the few new albums I’ve wanted to listen to over and over. I’m continually impressed with these guys and the bonus disc has some goodies on it too. Particularly the orchestral version of Crusader.

Father... FATHER...

Father… FATHER…

Father I look up to yooouuuu

Father I look up to yooouuuu

Manowar – Defender 12 (£4 – Discogs)

Manowar – Dawn of Battle EP (£7 – Discogs)

Manowar – Thunder in the Sky EP (£7 – Amazon Marketplace)

Not homoerotic

Not homoerotic

A bumper load of Manowar! In the past I had a tendency to overlook singles and EPs and I’ve been rectifying that oversight recently by plugging some gaps in my collection. I’m no completist but if there is any band I have that urge towards, it’s Manowar. Dawn of Battle has only got 2 songs I don’t have but is worth it for the title track alone as it’s an absolute corker. Thunder in the Sky is a Thor-themed mini-album. I listened to it online when it was released and wasn’t overly impressed but since owning it I’ve enjoyed it immensely. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere… It also has a bonus disc with numerous versions of Father sung in various languages. A commendable idea but I’ll probably never listen to this unless I decide to learn Romanian.

Black

Black

Defender is the most exciting purchase of the 3 as it features the classic Ross the Boss/Scott Columbus line-up. This is an early version of the track (featuring Orson Welles) that was later re-recorded for the Fighting the World album. I prefer the later version as it has a better arrangement but it’s great to finally have this in my collection. I took a punt on a cheap copy so the sleeve and vinyl condition ended up being a touch shabby. I can see myself splashing out for a nicer copy one day…

Classic NWOBHM

Classic NWOBHM

Def Leppard – Def Leppard EP (£8 – Discogs)

One of the classic NWOBHM releases, I thought this was an unobtainable rarity but I didn’t know there are later re-pressings that are more affordable. This was a good price for a pristine copy. Never imagined in a million years that I would own a copy of this! Praise Discogs! … and check out a great review of the EP here.

They've let Linn Park go a bit haven't they?

They’ve let Linn Park go a bit haven’t they?

Entombed – Left Hand Path LP (£14 – Monorail Glasgow)

I saw this in Monorail and bought it on the spot. Pretty good price for a heavyweight vinyl reissue and it sounds and looks great. I’m kind of tempted to buy all the Carcass albums again now…

The best band of the 90s?

The best band of the 90s?

Skyclad – Another Fine Mess (£7 – Amazon Marketplace)

This is a live album culled from the Wacken festival but I already have the live tracks on another CD. The main reason for buying this was its 4 bonus tracks that were originally featured on a rare EP, Outrageous Fourtunes. This was the cheapest way of getting the 4 songs (and on a new CD too rather than a second-hand one), which are acoustic reworkings of Skyclad classics. Unfortunately, I’m not particularly impressed with the results. It’s all a tad dull and uninspired sounding. One for the collection anyway… and maybe they’ll grow on me. Skyclad were never the most immediate of bands!

****

I’ve came in under budget for the first time! While I’ve not exactly steadied the ship I have at least stopped it wobbling quite so much. Let’s see if I can continue this de-wobilisation (Halford would be proud) in April. From May onwards, things start getting tougher again.

MARCH 2013 TOTALS

Amount spent on purchases: £70

Amount budgeted: £80

Amount over/under budget: £10 Under!

HMO CHALLENGE 2013 TOTALS

Amount spent on purchases: £213

Amount budgeted: £180

Amount over/under budget: £33 Over

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Categories Black Metal, Buying Round Ups, Classic Rock, Death Metal, Folk Metal, Genre, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, HMO Challenge 2013, NWOBHM, Record Collecting, Thrash Metal
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