Archive for the 1980’s punk rock music Category

JOEY RAMONE – “CHRISTMAS SPIRIT… IN MY HOUSE” GETS ME IN THE SPIRIT

Posted in 1970's punk rock, 1980's punk rock bands, 1980's punk rock music, Album Review, christmas albums, classic punk rock, cool album covers, cover songs, essential punk rock albums, essential punk rock songs, metal odyssey, Music, old school punk rock, Punk rock, punk rock album covers, punk rock album review, punk rock albums, punk rock bands, punk rock christmas albums, punk rock christmas songs, punk rock cover songs, punk rock music, punk rock musicians, punk rock solo albums, punk rock songs, punk rock vocalists, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame members, rock music, rock music christmas albums, vintage punk rock bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 28, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

If you are prodding, looking, searching and asking around for a really great and cool Christmas album to buy, your search is over. Joey Ramone Christmas Spirit… In My House is a true Punk Rock gem. The late and legendary Joey Ramone has always captivated me with his trademark Punk Rock vocals. He had such an easy going delivery with his voice, yet it also contained the required toughness, swagger and Punk attitude that came out so naturally for Joey. Don’t Worry About Me, Spirit In My House and What A Wonderful World are three Punk Rock classics from Joey Ramone’s solo work. What A Wonderful World is covered here with remarkable, inspired spirit that flows over you like a wave of Punk Rock joy. These three songs can be enjoyed all year long, heck, this EP is so good I will listen to these Christmas songs all year long too! After I here Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), I feel like I never want to hear another vocalist sing this song again, Joey Ramone sings it that incredible, for me.

Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight) is Joey Ramone singing a ballad while not straying away from his trademark vocals, I get a real kick out of this song with it’s 1950’s Rock and Roll vibe happening. This song isn’t sappy either. Spirit In My House is the hardest song on this EP, the grooves are strong and the beat is contagious. Ronnie Spector lends her vocals on Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), while the ever legendary Marky Ramone is a special guest on What A Wonderful World. I am going to listen to this EP probably constantly throughout this holiday season, I am looking forward to each listen. I absolutely cannot exhaust myself from hearing these songs limitless times. All fans of the Ramones and Punk Rock need to own this EP. Fans of all other Rock genres need to lend an ear to what Joey Ramone created here and add this brilliant work to their Christmas music collection and enjoy it all year long too.

Based on the excited reaction my ten year old twin daughters showed, as they listened to this Joey Ramone EP today, it is safe to say his Punk/Rock and Roll legacy will live on for generations to come. I have never seen my daughters dance around and get as happy to music, like this, since they listened to Misfits Project 1950! It was a terrific sight to see, coupled with the feeling of knowing my daughters love some of the music I listen to as well.

* Christmas Spirit… In My House was released on December 10, 2002, on the label Sanctuary (USA).

* Don’t Worry About Me, Spirit In My House and What A Wonderful World are also on the Joey Ramone studio album – Don’t Worry About Me, (released on February 19, 2002).

* What A Wonderful World – was written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. The first recording was sung by the timeless legend – Louis Armstrong, being released in 1968 as a single.

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MISFITS “LAND OF THE DEAD” – MY RARE, RED VINYL COPY ARRIVED IN THE MAIL!!

Posted in 1970's punk rock, 1980's punk rock bands, 1980's punk rock music, 1990's punk rock bands, 1990's punk rock music, collecting rock music, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current punk rock music, current punk rock songs, essential punk rock songs, everyday experiences, extreme music, feel good stories, halloween rock music songs, hard to find punk rock albums, horror punk, horror punk album covers, horror punk albums, horror punk rock bands, horror punk rock music, horror punk songs, metal odyssey, Music, new punk rock music, old school punk rock, Punk rock, punk rock album covers, punk rock albums, punk rock bands, punk rock music, punk rock music 2009, punk rock musicians, punk rock songs, rare punk rock albums, rare punk rock records, real life experiences, rock and roll, rock music, scary album covers, spooky album covers, vintage punk rock bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Yesterday, November 23, 2009, was a very good day in the life of this Misfits fan, uh, fiend. You see, as I innocently walked to my mailbox, (which is on the front roadside), I stared up towards the front door to my house… what is that I see? It was a very large bubble mailer, flat and the size of a record album… extremely beautiful looking from afar. My heart began to race as I felt a tad of perspiration come upon my forehead, my legs took me as fast as they would go to this mysterious package. Holding my crap/junk mail in my left hand, I bent down to pick up this glorious bubble mailer with my right hand. The return address read: Cinder Block/FFP… from Rancho Cordova, California… what a wonderful return address indeed. You see, I pre-ordered Misfits Land Of The Dead, (the first pressing and red vinyl version), back on October 15, of this year and it is now in my hands! Yeeaaahhhh baaabbbbbyyyyy!!

The excitement that rippled throughout my body and mind, at this moment of knowing Land Of The Dead was in this bubble mailer I was holding, was a moment I will not forget for a very long time. There are only 1,000 copies of the red vinyl version! Hello, can we all say… rare? Being a Misfits fan/fiend for so long, the sheer exhilaration of finally nailing down one of their rare vinyl singles – is a Horror Punk dream come true for me. With over a month passing by since my initial order, I began to worry, that maybe I was not going to be one of the lucky ones to get a red vinyl copy of Land Of The Dead. Worry no more! Cinder Block is the distribution/mail order company that the Misfits web site uses for selling all things… Misfits. A huge Horror Punk kudos to Cinder Block for landing me a copy and making good on my order! Plus, a bonus Horror Punk kudos to Cinder Block for the protective packaging they used for shipping… my copy of Land Of The Dead is mint/spotless!

The backside of this 12 inch vinyl single has the complete lyrics for both songs: Land Of The Dead and Twilight Of The Dead. A brief write-up regarding the connection between George A. Romero, (the legendary film director for the Living Dead movie series) and Jerry Only, is also on the backside of this 12 inch single. I purchased both of these Misfits songs on itunes as well, needing digital copies is a must. It just feels damned great to order what is known to be a rarity and actually get it! I spent a total of $15.94 on this Misfits gem, (including shipping), this is not shabby when you consider what this same red vinyl version is going for on ebay currently. My best Metal buddy Scott, well, he informed me this red vinyl version is selling in the $60.00 to $75.00 range! (I wasn’t tracking this info myself, due to my waiting nervously for my own copy to arrive in the mail). Let me say this, it was worth every cent to get this Misfits single on vinyl. I am a psyched out dude today and it feels great.

Misfits as they appear on Land Of The Dead:

Jerry Only – bass & vocals

Dez Cadena – rhythm & lead guitars

Robo AKA Julio Roberto Valverde Valencia – drums

The album artwork by Arthur Suydam gets my vote for 2009 Album Cover of the Year, spanning all the Rock Music genres. As a fellow artist, it is hard for me not to stare at this cover with art appreciation.

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The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal – A Very Resourceful Metal Music Book

Posted in 1970's punk rock, 1970's heavy metal music, 1980's hair metal bands, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's metal bands, 1980's punk rock music, 1980's thrash metal, 1990's heavy metal bands, 1990's heavy metal music, 1990's thrash metal music, black metal roots, book reviews, classic rock music, death metal music, doom metal music, extreme metal music, hair metal music, heavy metal book reviews, heavy metal guitarists, heavy metal music, heavy metal music books, heavy metal music guides, heavy metal music reference, heavy metal vocalists, horror punk rock bands, Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, old school hard rock, old school metal bands, old school thrash metal music, punk rock bands, rock music, sludge metal bands, southern hard rock, thrash metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 9, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Ozzy small picI’m always looking for good deals on my Heavy Metal Music purchases, from albums, CD’s to memorabilia and books. Upon one of my recent stops into a local thrift store, I happened upon quite the Heavy Metal find indeed, for the ripe price of fifty cents. Yes, fifty cents. The find you ask? Well, none other than The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal – and it is quite the book for me. (This book is a 1st printing, printed in 2005 by Rough Guides). While perusing the book aisle at this thrift store, the image of none other than Ozzy Osbourne caught my eye. What is this? I could not believe what I had found! Knowing immediately too, that any book in this thrift store is only fifty cents… I was Metal stoked. As a bonus, this book stared right at me in gem mint condition as well. As I picked it up and browsed through it’s Heavy Metal filled pages, it was obvious to me that the previous owner of this book never bothered to read it. As crisp of a new book you will find. Life is a sweet journey sometimes, especially when you can stumble on a 410 page book, when you least expect it, that is dedicated to your favorite music genre… Heavy Metal.

Alright, enough about how I found The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal and onward with it’s review. This richly factual book is written by Essi Berelian, with a foreward by the legendary front man for Iron Maiden – Bruce Dickinson himself. There are over 300 bands and/or musicians that are covered in this book. (Hey, to make a definitive book of Heavy Metal bands would not only be a task of the ages, the page count would reach a bizarre number as well). Therefore, there are going to be bands that are missing, (I am disappointed that Enslaved did not get aknowledged), plus there is that band here and there where I can’t exactly label as Heavy Metal, (Asia has a write-up in this book). I like Asia, yet I do not see the connection here. I will bend and say Foreigner has a loose connection to the genre of Heavy Metal, they are represented in The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal. Diversity is shown in the representation of bands, The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal even acknowledges Lynyrd Skynyrd and their link to heavy music.

From Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss to King Diamond and Magnum, with the likes of Venom and UFO in between, a fabulous smorgasbord of movers and shakers are touched upon with factual integrity and reverence. I am smitten that Slayer, Motorhead, W.A.S.P., Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kreator are well covered here too. Something that Essi Berelian did here, that impresses me most, is the inclusion of legendary Punk Rock Bands such as the Misfits and Ramones. Still, where are the Sex Pistols? C’mon, if you include Punk Rock into a voluminous book such as this, it is not a bright move to ignore the Sex Pistols! Plus, whenever writers refer to the 1970’s Hard Rock band Sweet as “The Sweet”, it drives me crazy. Anyone familiar with this band knows them as Sweet… period. The only album I am aware of, that has the moniker of “The Sweet” is their very first album, which was titled Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be back in 1971. Give me a Metal break.

Essi Berelian deserves much praise and credit, despite the few flaws mentioned, that in reality, I can overlook. Each band or musician represented in The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal has it’s history and discography touched upon in enough detail that suffices for me. Interesting anecdotes and facts are also provided throughout this entire book, making for a very resourceful guide on the history of Heavy Metal. The genres of Heavy Metal are explained very well too, giving the reader an in depth explanation to it’s respective origin and impact on the world of music. From Christian Metal to Black Metal, the genres of Heavy Metal are given their own spotlight. The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal is also loaded with plenty of black and white photographs, (group and individual shots, album covers and concert photos), giving this book that much more appeal.

At the end of the Metal day, The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal makes for an extensive and detailed read into the bands that started, shaped and expanded the world of Heavy Metal Music. Whether you are a life long fan of this incredible genre of music or a brand new fan, this book is rather difficult to put down. I most highly recommend The Rough Guide To Heavy Metal to all, it really isn’t that rough at all. Hey, for the fifty cents it set me back, this book is worth every penny. I cannot shake the Metal grin on my face each time I pick this book up to read.

Ozzy large pic

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I BOUGHT MISFITS “LAND OF THE DEAD” AND IT SERVES ME RIGHT!

Posted in 1970's punk rock, 1980's punk rock bands, 1980's punk rock music, 1990's punk rock bands, 1990's punk rock music, Album Review, classic punk rock, collecting rock music, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current punk rock music, current punk rock songs, essential punk rock albums, essential punk rock songs, extreme music, guitar legends, halloween, halloween rock music songs, halloween songs, horror punk, horror punk album covers, horror punk album review, horror punk albums, horror punk rock bands, horror punk rock music, horror punk songs, independent record labels, Metal, metal odyssey, misfits album covers, Music, new punk rock album, new punk rock music, old school punk rock, Punk rock, punk rock album covers, punk rock album review, punk rock albums, punk rock bands, punk rock bands today, punk rock music, punk rock music 2009, punk rock music today, punk rock musicians, punk rock songs, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music, scary album covers, scary halloween songs, spooky album covers, vintage punk rock bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 1, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

MISFITS. Jerry Only, Dez Cadena and Robo. Punk Rock royalty. Horror Punk Royalty. Yup, I am a fan, excuse me if you please. I bought the brand spanking new… Land Of The Dead maxi single off of itunes on Halloween. I deliberately waited to buy these two new songs on Halloween too… it is only fitting and it has served me right. The two new Misfits songs are: Land Of The Dead and Twilight Of The Dead, both songs paying tribute to the Geoege A. Romero – Living Dead movie series. Land Of The Dead clocks in at 2:13 and Twilight Of The Dead clocks in at 2:45. I will take this five minutes of new Misifts Horror Punk and thank my damn lucky dark skies, that this legendary band still Rocks in 2009. Jerry Only has taken his Misfits and Horror Punk into a fourth decade, recruiting new generations of fiends along the way.

Yes, the lyrics are Horror themed… blood runs cold… ’nuff said. Yes, Jerry Only sounds outrageously great on lead vocals and bass. Yes, Dez Cadena delivers the licks as profusely solid as ever. Yes, Robo is on drums and hits the skins with vintage Punk beats. In comparison to past Misfits sound, both new songs follow in the Misfits Punk footsteps of their Project 1950 album. The Horror Punk and Roll of Misfits is alive and well in 2009. I am so gloriously thrilled to have these two new Misfits songs in my personal collection. You too can serve yourself right this Halloween weekend by snagging these two new Misfits songs off of itunes – they are only 99 cents each!!!! Hell, that is way less expensive than a damn large fry, burger and milk shake from a plastic fast food chain! Plus these Misfits songs are not a detriment to your health either! Make your life that much better and GET THESE NEW MISFITS SONGS TODAY! I’m not bashful about any of my recommendations, obviously. Happy Halloween Weekend – fellow Fiends.

For those who are new to Misfits and need to know more about their spooky background, check out their MySpace Music page http://www.myspace.com/themisfits

Misfits "Land of the Dead" large album artwork

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MISFITS – “LAND OF THE DEAD”, 2 NEW SONGS AND COVER ART! RELEASE DATE IS OCTOBER 27, 2009!

Posted in 1970's punk rock, 1980's punk rock bands, 1980's punk rock music, 1990's punk rock bands, 1990's punk rock music, collecting rock music, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current punk rock music, current punk rock songs, essential punk rock songs, extreme music, halloween rock music songs, hardcore punk rock music, hardcore punk rock songs, horror punk, horror punk album covers, horror punk rock bands, horror punk rock music, horror punk songs, metal odyssey, misfits album covers, Music, old school punk rock, Punk rock, punk rock album covers, punk rock bands, punk rock music, punk rock music 2009, punk rock music today, punk rock musicians, punk rock songs, Rock, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music, scary album covers, scary halloween songs, scary rock music songs, spooky album covers, vintage punk rock bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 12, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

ATTENTION ALL FIENDS WORLDWIDE:

Misfits Records.com has reported, (on Saturday, October 10, 2009), that the first NEW Misifts songs since their 2003’s Project 1950 album, will be released on October 27, 2009! The title of this new 2 song maxi-single is Land Of The Dead. The two songs are: Land Of The Dead and Twilight Of The Dead. Both of these songs will be available to purchase and download for 99 cents each at itunes on 10-27-09. I am extremely thrilled beyond Metal belief, that new songs from the Misfits are on the way! The extra special release being the week of Halloween, makes it a true gift from the Misfits to their fans! Jerry Only and the Misfits are titanic legends of Punk Rock – Horror Punk Rock. Halloween 2009 just got fiendishly better and spookier with the news of new Misfits songs coming out! F’n Yeah!

Here is the breakdown for the vinyl – 12″ version of Land Of The Dead:

* Clear Red Vinyl Version – 1st pressing is limited to 1,000 pieces! This red vinyl 12 inch version will be available exclusively at the Fiend Store and Misfits Records online store. From the way in which this news release reads, there will be record stores that will carry the vinyl of Land Of The Dead, however, it may not be the first pressing.

*Clear Orange Vinyl Tour Edition – limited to only 1000 pressings! This clear orange vinyl 12 inch will be available exclusively at Misfits shows – *it will not be available in stores.

* Front Cover Artwork – this fiendish new cover painting was created by Arthur Suydam. This new rendering of the Fiend Skull by Arthur Suydam is unreal great and Misfits Horror Punk imagery – at it’s ultimate level.

* Both new songs were written by Misfits founding member and bass guitarist – Jerry Only, in tribute to world famous director George A. Romero and his Living Dead movie series.

Misfits are: Jerry Only on bass guitar, Dez Cadena on guitars and Robo on drums.

Misfits "Land of the Dead" large album artwork

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Misfits “Earth A.D.” – 1983 Punk Rock album revisited

Posted in 1980's punk rock albums, 1980's punk rock bands, 1980's punk rock music, Album Review, classic punk rock, cool album covers, creepy album covers, Danzig, essential punk rock albums, extreme music, Misfits, misfits album covers, Music, old school punk rock, punk rock album review, punk rock albums, punk rock music, punk rock songs, spooky album covers, vintage punk rock albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

The Misfits… Punk Rock… Glenn Danzig on lead vocals… “Earth A.D.” is worth every listening second of my time, for these three reasons alone. “Earth A.D.”, (released in 1983), is the definitive Misfits album to own. (That is my belief). This release defined the Misfits as not only a genre splitting Punk Rock Band to reckon with, yet it served as an example of how truly aggressive, musically, the Misfits were at the time. This album could very well be defined as being one of the starting points, in orchestrating the birth of Horror Punk Rock. Dark and at times demonic, “Earth A.D.” ventured into subject matter and lyrical territory that was never explored by Punk Rock legends the likes of the Ramones or Sex Pistols. Would “Earth A.D.” be a survivor if released today, in 2009? Could this album rise above the current environment of musical expectancy, where immediate acknowledgment and acceptance from the narrow minded mainstream is practically never achieved by Extreme Music acts? Probably not, where if this album saw it’s release happen now, it would be thrown onto the heap, only to be cherished by those of us who know and understand what this music is really about.

In essence, the “Earth A.D.” album has achieved a continuous running, underground style of following since 1983. “Earth A.D.” continues to remind many of us, what a complete package really means when putting together an Extreme Music album. From the album artwork to the music found within, it is a vintage release that is looked upon for artistic guidance and reference. How relevant is this Misfits album in 2009? From the way I see it, this Misfits classic with it’s hardness and  heaviness, holds up to or exceeds many current albums that come advertised as being so called hard and heavy – regardless of genre. Music appreciation parallels fine art appreciation, whereas it boils down to personal preference and often times bias. What I feel cannot be denied, however, is the acknowledgment of a genre defining moment, one in which eclipses any commercial barometer of pop culture normalcy… enter “Earth A.D.”.

In my Metal opinion, you can trace Thrash Metal roots back to “Earth A.D.”, with the guitar riffs and speed, combined with the fury of the rhythm section. Each song is short, as per the trademark of most Punk Rock songs. The entire playing time is about 20 minutes or so, yet the total impact of the Punk heaviness this album provides, is it’s true measuring stick. “Earth A.D.” is a must for Misfits fans, Punk Rock fans and Metal fans, especially those who want to hear how Extreme Music history was molded and shaped into form. I can recall a trip I once made, to a world renowned art museum in New York City. One of the most memorable moments for me while I was there, was witnessing an extremely wide and tall modern art sculpture. This sculpture was made out of laundry detergent boxes. The entire area surrounding this sculpture was cordoned off with red, velvet ropes. In my mind, I have put red, velvet ropes around the Misfits “Earth A.D.” album years ago. This music is just as good, if not better, than a modern art sculpture made out of laundry detergent boxes. 

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BLACK FLAG “LIVE ’84” – extreme, real and essential Punk Rock

Posted in 1980's live punk rock albums, 1980's punk rock albums, 1980's punk rock music, Album Review, black flag albums, essential punk rock albums, Extreme, legends of punk rock, live punk rock music, Punk rock, punk rock album review, punk rock albums, punk rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 6, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

Black Flag “Live ’84” is a listening lesson of the early days of Extreme Music. There is no denying… Black Flag is Punk Rock. In my Metal opinion, when I think of the Punk Rock bands that laid out the blueprint for Hardcore and Extreme Music, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Misfits and Black Flag come to mind instantly. Each of these bands are so instrumental in the development of the Punk Rock, Extreme and Hardcore movements. Listening to “Live ’84” and I cannot help myself by becoming absorbed by the distortion, feedback, speed, heaviness and pissed off sound and attitude that engulfs me. Nothing beats listening to a vintage, live, Punk Rock album like this. The raw solos and low production only add to the real Punk spirit of this live Black Flag album. Henry Rollins as with each member of Black Flag, bestowed the take it or piss off approach to their music, I personally hear and feel it on “Live ’84”. For me, I am taking it… every Black Flag second of it.

I know this sounds like a cliche here… they just don’t make Punk Rock like this anymore. Heck, they don’t make bands at all like this anymore – bands that aren’t encapsulated and sheltered by their respective genre and packaged up for a massive marketing campaign for the masses. To review the songs on this Black Flag album would be a waste of my Metal time. Take my Metal word for it… this is an essential, live, Punk Rock album from Black Flag. The sum of all the musical parts here, make for an unquestionable exposure to what Punk Rock was supposed to sound like in 1984. Grit, angry, blue collar, loud, very, very fast, non-synchronized (in parts) and maddeningly abrupt musically. There is my music review for “Live ’84”. I will say that “Rats Eyes” is my favorite track, it is extremely heavy and maniacal – just Punk perfect. Take it or leave it, Black Flag is as essential to the history of Heavy Music as is the blast beat. Henry Rollins, made for as formidable a front man, as there ever existed in Punk Rock or any Heavy Music genre for that matter. Listen to this album and you might just agree with me on this.

19 songs are on “Live ’84”, only 3 tracks clock in under 2 minutes each. There are 9 songs that clock in at over 4 minutes each – with the opener “The Process of Weeding Out” coming in at 8:37. Black Flag were not your stereotypical Punk Rock band when it came to the playing times of tunes. If a martian came down to Earth, asked me for a prime example of Punk Rock and/or Extreme Music from the 1980’s, well, I would definitely hand this alien a copy of Black Flag “Live ’84”. To give proper credit where it is due, I would also hand over to this smelly space creature… a copy of the Misifts “Earth A.D.”, which was released in 1983. I think what makes me gravitate towards Black Flag “Live ’84” is hearing the brutal Punk Rock belief, in the music these guys were playing, throwing heavy caution to the wind, while not giving a crap what the commercial music world and sappy pop critics thought or said.

A Metal Odyssey roll call of the members of Black Flag, as they appear on “Live ’84”: Henry Rollins on lead vocals, Greg Ginn on guitar, Kira on bass, Bill Stevenson on drums and Tom Troccoli and various audience members on backing vocals.

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