Archive for March 28, 2009

Look out! Behind you! There is an “expert” looming!

Posted in Metal, Music with tags , , , , , on March 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

You know what? I am fed up with all of the “experts” clogging up all of my favorite cable television networks. From the Food Network to Home and Garden Television, experts abound. What makes an expert, well, an expert anyway? I guess college degrees mean absolutely nothing anymore, throw them away, for an “expert” is better than you! What is the deal? Are people so self entitled now, that their career/job title is not enough? People need to add “expert” at the end of their title, in essence to say to all around them – back off! I am an expert and you are not! Obviously, it is pretty easy to figure out, that the word “expert” attached to anyone’s title is self imposed. If someone disagrees here, please tell me where I can “buy” the word expert or for that matter, “earn” the word expert? Is there a University of Expert anywhere? Nope. How about the College of Expert? Nope again. Is there anywhere on planet Earth, a college, university or any building of higher education that offers a degree in “expert”? Nope, for the third time. 

I feel this whole expert fad is very comical. Honestly, I am not kidding around here, I witnessed on the Food Network one evening, it was on the show “Unwrapped”, there he was…. are you ready? A “candy expert”. I have seen it all. What in blazes does someone need to know about candy to become an expert? I have seen and or read about the following experts, get ready for some of these experts are shocking: butter expert, tootsie roll expert, screwdriver expert, tire expert, tissue expert, weather expert (now that is a joke), comic book expert, newspaper expert and highway expert. Highway expert? Man, to think I knew it all about butter. Political experts are the funniest people alive today. Who in their right mind, would want to be called a political expert? They are out there though. Well, just to jump on the expert bandwagon, I have now declared myself, a HEAVY METAL MUSIC EXPERT. So there. From now on, when people ask me what it is that I do, I will reply, with self indulged arrogance like all the other experts I see on television, “I am a Heavy Metal expert.”

It is a social issue to say the least. As a society, people are constantly competing, on every aspect of life. Someone with a rather very high level of competition, decided to say he/she was an expert in his/her field just to “win” the game of competing in life. Guess what? I figured it out all you experts! It is just a seven letter word, yup. So, go ahead, have a blast! Anyone can be an expert! It’s fun! Yipppeeeee!  By the way….. I am also now an expert in properly flushing a toilet in a public restroom. It always appears no one else in the world knows how to do that one correctly.

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Fight was one incredible Metal band!!

Posted in Album Review, concerts, Drums, Guitar, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Heavy Metal Reviews, Metal, metal concerts, Metal Reviews, Music, Rock, Thrash Metal, Vocals with tags , , , , , , on March 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

8613039Rob Halford, the “Metal God” of the Metal music world, formed an incredible band in the Summer of 1992 named Fight. Sure, Rob Halford will forever be known as the super famous and powerful lead vocalist for Judas Priest, yet the Metal music that he created with Fight is superior stuff for me. I so very highly recommend Fight to all Metal fans, especially fans of Judas Priest, Pantera and Thrash Metal. I purchased the Fight CD/DVD – “War of Words – The Film”, (released Summer of 2008), whoa was this one powerhouse band. “Into The Pit” is a straight to your face – all out – Thrash Metal tune that does not let up or give in. “Immortal Sin” is more of a Heavy Metal/Metal track that carries along with dark lyrics and vocals courtesy of Rob Halford. “Kill It” is a very aggressive track, again I am amazed at how ahead of their time Fight really was musically. Overall, the songs on “War of Words” are very relevant to what is being created today by the Thrash Metal and Metal community. Rob Halford was joined with Scott Travis on drums in Fight, (Scott Travis being a long time & current drummer for Judas Priest).

The DVD is super loaded, with a documentary of Fight, plenty of comments and anecdotes to be found. A 13 song live concert comes off with all of the necessary Metal goods, both musically and with quality. There are 3 promotional videos as well, “Nailed To The Gun”, “Little Crazy” and “Immortal Sin” are worth their weight in Metal gold. The copy of “War of Words – The Film” that I purchased was a limited edition, numbered out of 5,000 copies for it included an authentic autographed Fight photo! The autograph is of Rob Halford! Not too shabby to have this bonus autograph included. In all Metal seriousness, this is a band and release that is so Metal worthy of listening to and watching. To me, Fight is one of those rare Metal bands that exhibited enormous excitement, great music and lasted way too short for my liking. Rob Halford to me, definitely succeeded musically while he was away from Judas Priest in the early 90’s.

Fight was: Rob Halford on lead vocals, Scott Travis on drums, Russ Parrish on guitar, Brian Tilse on guitar & keyboards and Jay Jay on bass guitar.

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I accepted an 8 track tape of The Doors “Alive She Cried”, now what?

Posted in Hard Rock, Metal, Rock with tags , , , on March 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

409613Just over this past Winter, I believe it was sometime in January, I stopped by a “good” neighbors house for a visit. It was early evening, I forget the actual day of the week, however it was arctic cold outside. The visit to see my neighbors went well, good conversation, fine refreshments and an offer I just simply could not refuse. My neighbor friend offered me, a mint in-package, factory sealed, 8-track tape of The Doors “Alive She Cried”. This little gem was also for free too. So, I replied to my neighbor, upon being asked if I wanted this 8-track, “yes, yes, I would like to have it, thank you.” Once it was time to set forth on my journey home, (about a 30 second walk), I tucked this factory sealed 8-track into my leather jacket to protect it from the wind and cold. 

Upon my return home, I was a tad bewildered with myself. Why? Why I asked myself. Why did I accept an 8-track tape knowing that there was no way on mother Earth that I could ever possibly play it and enjoy it? Did I accept it for it was free? Did I accept it for it was The Doors? Did I somehow go into some sort of cosmic and chaotic mind loop and think that maybe, just maybe, I was once again in 1981, with the ability to just “plop” the 8-track into my 8-track player waiting for me at home?

I believe the answer is simple. I get so darned crazy for my music I love, that I will jump for joy at the chance to accept any freebie that is Rock & Roll related. Even if the freebie is an item that could never be considered functional or of quality use, heck, if one of my favorite bands is remotely related to the object, I am all over it, thank you very much. Now, is this 8-track of The Doors “Alive She Cried” worth any money? I doubt it is worth much loot at all. My guess would be, say, 2 dollars? Maybe this item is worth, because it is still sealed in it’s original plastic wrapper, 3 dollars? I really do not care about the monetary value of this 8-track at all. It is the novelty of the item, a conversation piece if you will. 

I do stare at this 8-track now and again, thinking about how I used to own not one, but two 8-track players when I was in High School. Back then, I was considered the cool “stereo wizard” on my block. Now, this “technology” is considered prehistoric, ancient, dark ages, take your pick. If you were to show an 8-track tape to 100 college seniors today, I bet 100 college seniors would not be able to identify the darn thing. I am satisfied that I did accept this 8-track tape from my neighbor, on that arctic cold night. It is mine now, for me to not be able to play it, only to gaze at it and be reminded of how I really do not miss the “hissing” and “cluncking” sound of the old 8-track players, back in the dark ages.

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Jeff Healey was a real guitar hero.

Posted in Music, Rock with tags , , , , , , on March 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

381937The late Jeff Healey, now he was a genuine, real guitar hero. I just cannot resist how much of a role model he can still be, for any youngster wanting to take up playing guitar or any musical instrument for that matter. Jeff Healey was Canadian born, (March 25, 1966) and passed away on March 2, 2008. Jeff Healey lost his eye sight at infancy, despite this handicap, he became an accomplished and world renowned Jazz and Blues/Rock guitarist & vocalist. Jeff Healey & The Jeff Healey Band rose to fame with his 1988 album “See The Light”, which includes the hit single “Angel Eyes”. A Grammy nomination was from this same album for the instrumental “Hideaway”. 

A unique guitar player Jeff Healey was, playing the guitar flat down on his lap, this is a perfect example that the music being created was far more important than the stereotypical or flamboyant guitar “pose”. As a blind musician, this was how Jeff Healey learned to play the guitar. Jeff Healey appeared on Ian Gillan’s CD/DVD “Gillan’s Inn”, released in 2006. (Ian Gillan is of course, the great lead singer for the legendary Deep Purple).

I can recall a moment in time, when I was at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City, a short time after The Jeff Healey Band released “See The Light”. The two friends I was with at the time immediately recognized Jeff Healey sitting down, having lunch with a group of people. My two friends were not bashful, they each politely asked Jeff Healey to sign their Hard Rock Cafe napkins for them, without question or hesitation, Jeff Healey obliged. I was awe struck at how congenial, respectful and happy Jeff Healey was towards my friends at that moment. I never forgot that moment, never forgot how this famous musician took his time away from his own personal friends and lunch to accommodate two autograph requests. 

My regret is that I never asked for Jeff Healey to sign a Hard Rock Cafe napkin for myself. Instead, I sat at the bar, staring over at my friends having a shining moment with Jeff Healey. One thing I will never regret though, is the memory of seeing Jeff Healey as a real person, responding to my friends as a true gentleman, as a real guitar hero.

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