Archive for rock and roll hall of fame bands

SANTANA AND THAT SUMMERTIME VIBE

Posted in classic rock, classic rock bands, classic rock music, Guitar, guitar legends, Hard Rock, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock guitarists, rock music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 10, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

SANTANA – I am guilty of associating many songs, albums and even bands/musicians to a certain season of the year. In the past, I wrote that RUSH is my Winter band… a band I turn to when I’m driving in snowstorms. Maybe the whole music imbedding “thing” comes into play here. When I used to live in Northwestern Connecticut, the snowstorms were very generous and very consistent, couple that with RUSH being a super HUGE band in that area of the world and maybe the exposure factor really left it’s mark with me.

Come Wintertime, it just felt as if FM stations played RUSH every 5 minutes while I was growing up, in very expensive Connecticut. Therefore, I gather that all the parameters were lining up for my RUSH/Winter imbedding many years ago.

I led with my RUSH and Wintertime “vibe” (as I’ll now call it), to introduce what is my Summertime “vibe” band… or musician… take your pick for it’s Santana. Yes, we all know that Santana is an exemplary musician and yes, Santana has always had a fabulous band behind him, (the original Santana band lineup is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame). Therefore, referring to Santana as either a band or musician can go both ways. Now, if you want to get picky, I can say… Carlos Santana, the exemplary and legendary guitarist. I’ll just stick to “Santana” and hopefully we can all agree.

Since I was a young lad, Santana always had an open sound to his guitar tone… a feeling of sunny days and hot weather just seems to drift over me when I hear him play. Driving to the beach comes to mind each time I listen to Black Magic Woman. This song has me seeing visions of ocean waves slapping against the hot sand of the beach, while I feel my feet burrowing into the deeper depths of the cool sand. Black Magic Woman has always been a Summer chill-out song for me… so listening to it while driving in a snowstorm would ruin it’s ambiance, in my own mind.

Santana can tell a story with his guitar, having a lead vocalist on his songs proves to be a bonus for my ears. If there ever was a song that Santana speaks that mystical guitar language through his playing, it is Black Magic Woman. Captivating is the word.

Back in the Summer of 1999, my wife was expecting with our twin daughters… and so was I expecting too. We were on the threshold of a forever life changing event, the birth of our daughters with a target date of late September. That Summer of ’99 was extremely hot and humid… abnormally humid as the “weather experts” were saying back then. (You know those “weather experts”… they get it right every time). One album that kept my wife and I from going bananas during that period in our lives was… Santana – Supernatural.

As Metal as my witness, this Santana album chilled us out, as well as it lifted our spirits and made us feel very comfortable… on our journey to becoming first time parents. This Supernatural album just cast a magical spell on us… we would listen each day and night to those Summer Grooves and melodies of Santana’s guitar and be glad we did. Our favorite song from Supernatural was of course, Smooth, with Rob Thomas on lead vocals. That song is a quintessential Summertime Santana song if there ever was one. The music video for Smooth was a hit back in ’99 too… it radiates Summertime cool in the city streets.

It has gotten to the point, that when I see a photo of Carlos Santana, I think of Summer. Carlos “Summertime” Santana. Gee Metal whiz… it’s just me I guess. The same can be said for Jimmy Buffet, only equating Summertime and the ocean to Jimmy is way too obvious. Jimmy Buffet is all about songs that stir up images of the Tropics and fun in the Summer sun. However… I can never eat a cheeseburger without thinking of Jimmy Buffet… (I don’t drink Margaritas by the way).

I never want to resist or ignore the positive memories and images that music provides me. Just as I equate a song, album, musician or band to a season, I can equally equate them to specific moments in my life. Santana just happens to be an example of just how good music makes me feel.

* Santana (entire original band), was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1998.

* For more info on the ever legendary guitarist, songwriter, musician and Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer – Carlos Santana, just click on this link: SANTANA – Official Web Site

* For more info on my favorite Wintertime band, RUSH, click here: RUSH Aw, heck, RUSH is a favorite of mine all year long.

LONG LIVE SANTANA!

… AND RUSH & JIMMY BUFFET TOO!

Stone.

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METALLICA – “MASTER OF PUPPETS” VS. “THE BLACK ALBUM”

Posted in hard rock music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, Thrash Metal, thrash metal music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 3, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

METALLICA – Just the band name alone explodes with pure Metal. Metallica is synonymous with Metal excellence, regardless of any Load or ReLoad moments in their bands storied history. Back on March 3, 1986, my Metal lovin’ life was transformed into a state of Metallidelirium… Master Of Puppets, the third studio album from Metallica, was released. I was already a proud and boisterous fan of Metallica in 1986, looking upon and listening to their debut Kill ‘Em All and sophomore Ride The Lightning albums as if they were Metal gospels.

Before I carry on any further… Master Of Puppets is my favorite Metallica album that this beyond legendary Metal band ever created.

Metallica was on quite a roll with their first three album releases, a generation of loyal Metallica fans was certainly bred from listening to them. I am one of those fans. The Black Album released in 1991 garnered a gazillion more fans, a whole new generation of them too. I can’t and never will dismiss The Black Album as a Metal goliath in the history of Heavy Metal. Often times, when “The Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time” lists are put together, I will see The Black Album in the top five. Truthfully, it doesn’t quite jive with me for Master Of Puppets is a more true measuring stick of the incredible career/catalog of albums that Metallica has created. Regardless, this is just my Metal opinion.

It just seems to appear this way, that Metallica fans that grew up in the “early” 80’s will lean towards Master Of Puppets, (or even Ride The Lightning), as their ultimate Metallica album. Metallica fans that I speak to, that are at least ten years my junior, will more often than not tell me The Black Album is Metallica’s finest. Am I “off base” here? I don’t think so, especially since I have the gift to gab about Metal with just about every person I bump into at fye, concerts, blogs and everywhere else I venture to in life. The topic of Master Of Puppets vs. The Black Album will “pop-up” more frequently than you can ever imagine.

The Black Album is undisputedly the biggest selling Metallica album of all-time. With that fact stated, The Black Album also spent four consecutive weeks as the #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. I bought this album on or about it’s release date back in 1991, no mistaken. Enter Sandman was a melodically heavy, side-step of a song for Metallica and extremely addicting to my ears upon the very first listen. The same goes for Sad But True. Overall, the entire album was a sigh of relief for me, just knowing that Metallica did not have a song like One on it. Sorry, but any semblance of a ballad coming from Metallica, never mixed well for this lifetime Metalhead.

Back to Master Of Puppets. Battery. The opening track. Whoa. Whoa again. A scary fast Thrash Metal song. An angry sound with angry vocals. I fell in Metal love. Upon my very first listen to Battery, I felt as if the rest of the Heavy Metal world was now in the “catch-up mode”. Master Of Puppets was to the Thrash and Heavy Metal world back in 1986 what the iphone is to our world of communication today. Very, very, important. A cultural impact. Could not picture the world without this Master Of Puppets album… these were my Metal school of thoughts back in 1986. These same Metal school of thoughts I stand by still, in 2010.

The song Master Of Puppets, one word: excellence. My Metal memories of the Summer of 1986 is overridden with this song being blasted to it’s maximum potential at every single keg party, get-together, function or hang-out that my fellow Metalhead buddies and I engaged in back then. The entire Master Of Puppets album was played this way by me and my Metal peers, for arguments sake. The Master Of Puppets album felt like a victory back in 1986, a righteous fist being raised in the air, all in the name of Thrash Metal and all of it’s Metal genre cousins. A feeling that we Metalheads had finally, indeed, conquered all. In 1986, with the release of Master Of Puppets, we Metalheads along with the strength of Metallica behind us… really did conquer an era of Rock ‘N’ Roll.

Wearing the Master Of Puppets concert t-shirt constantly, was like wearing a badge of Metal honor. As I wore this t-shirt, from 1986 until it finally met it’s final demise from over wear… wherever I may have roamed… people looked at it with either horror and disgust or they wanted to talk about it, as if Metallica were the Metal equivalent to the Beatles. My seeing Metallica twice on their Master Of Puppets tour wasn’t just bragging rights back then… it was as if I had been to see The Holy Grail itself and I had been anointed as a Metal prophet.

Now, it is July 3, 2010. I look upon both the Master Of Puppets and The Black Album with undeniable respect and reverence. It’s no secret that Master Of Puppets is the heaviest and fastest album out of the two, being a full-throttle Thrash Metal album. Yet, that is not why Master Of Puppets is my favorite Metallica album, the real reasoning for me is that Master Of Puppets was and still is the real heart and soul sound and energy of what Metallica was really about in the 1980’s. The other non-secret is that The Black Album is Metallica’s biggest seller. I only hope this is not the sole reason as to why so many professionally paid Rock critics put this album in their “top 5” lists. A biggest selling album does not necessarily equate it to being the best offering musically, from that respective bands catalog of albums.

Any fan can choose any Metallica album to be their favorite, it’s a personal choice and there is no right or wrong answer for fans. However, once major mainstream magazines begin to idolize The Black Album in “Top 5 All – Time” lists without even comparing it to Master Of Puppets, well, that just comes across as journalistic bias and purely following the status quo leader. The professionally paid mainstream Rock media ignoring Master Of Puppets and not including it on any “Top 5 All-Time” lists won’t make it go away.

It’s my thought that The Black Album became much more popular due to it’s semi-commercial accessibility. In reflection, could it have been the strength in popularity of Metallica as “THE” Metal band to beat and/or be measured against be the REAL reason for the strong record sales of The Black Album after all? The Metallica momentum was in full swing way before The Black Album was released and Master Of Puppets was a Metal historic building block and reason for this momentum in the first place.

What are your thoughts? Am I all alone in thinking Master Of Puppets is better than The Black Album?

* If you care to read about my seeing Metallica live, a long time ago, in a Metal world far, far, away, then click on the cool link below:

My greatest Metal memory/experience of my life.

LONG LIVE METALLICA!

Stone.

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THE ROLLING STONES – FLASHBACK: 1964 NEW HAVEN ARENA CONCERT CANCELLED!

Posted in 1960's classic rock music, 1960's rock and roll albums, 1960's vintage rock albums, 1960's classic rock bands, 1960's rock & roll, 1960's rock & roll british invasion, 1960's rock music, 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's hard rock, 1970's rock bands, 1970's rock music, 1980's hard rock bands, 1980's rock bands, 1990's rock bands, 1990's hard rock bands, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, hard rock bands, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock & roll hall of fame inductees, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame members, rock and roll memorabilia, rock concert posters, rock music, rock music history with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

I just get into Rock History sometimes… well, all the time that is. It’s all about the roots of Rock and Roll that peeks my Metal interest. The Rock Music legends of yesterday are the reason we have Hard Rock and Heavy Metal today. I may have mentioned this before, (here I go again), in the event a time machine does ever get off the ground… I’m on it! My destination? A Rock concert from the 1960’s or 1970’s. If I was to take a trip back in time, it would be just my Metal luck to travel to this night on Thursday, June 18, 1964. Once I arrived to the New Haven Arena, in New Haven, Connecticut, I would then be informed that The Rolling Stones were NOT going on stage! You read that correctly… the concert was cancelled, due to poor ticket sales! Granted, this was the very early years, uh, days of The Rolling Stones… only give me a Metal break! Gee Metal whiz.

Look at those ticket prices! $2, $3, and $4 respectively! Golly… if you spent an additional $2, your probably going from nose bleed seating to front row! Plus, it was only one show! If The Rolling Stones were to appear for only one show today, or any day, anywhere in the last four and a half decades… your talking pandemonium breaking loose! Throw in the fact, this historical concert poster also states there are three opening acts as well – The Chiffons, Younger Bros and The Epics… no fans for them either in New Haven, Connecticut, back in 1964!

I can easily stare at this concert poster of The Rolling Stones and easily wonder – what was the general public thinking back around this date? Maybe the hardness of The Rolling Stones was a tad too controversial for the general public, after all, American Rock and Roll back around 1964 was all about falling in love and surfing. (No, I am NOT making fun of American Rock and Roll of that time, only I am trying to make sense out of this cancelled concert). Maybe the cancellation of The Rolling Stones that evening correlates with America not being ready for a harder Rock sound? Were people scared to go see The Rolling Stones? It was in the month of June after all, a blizzard cannot be blamed for New Haven Connecticut not being into The Rolling Stones. A Hurricane? Doesn’t seem likely. Whatever the case might have been for this concert not selling tickets, it is one heck of a Rock moment in time to ponder!

Granted, The Rolling Stones were extremely new Rock and Roll recording artists to The United States general public, embarking on their first American Tour, with their second American album – 12 x 5 still to be released in October of 1964. Essentially, The Rolling Stones were touring with just one American album release under their Rock and Roll belts, (after only one month), that being England’s Newest Hit Makers, (released in May of 1964). Still, there is NO excuse! The Rolling Stones should have had some type of a showing of fans, at the New Haven Arena that Summer night on June 18, 1964. (In my Metal opinion).

The whole premise of my bringing this historic date in Rock and Roll history to light, is to wonder out loud to the world… WHAT WERE PEOPLE THINKING back on June 18, 1964? It’s THE ROLLING STONES! Without argument, one of the most historic, influential, original, talented and famous Rock bands to ever walk planet Earth! The Rolling Stones, (along with The Who, The Beatles, The Animals and The Kinks), arguably CREATED HARD ROCK! If this date in Rock History proves one thing, it’s that yes, The Rolling Stones DID pay their Rock and Roll dues. At the end of my Metal day, I am leaving this up to social psychologists, cultural think tanks and Rock Music historians to figure out. All I can do is look back on this date in Rock Music history and shake my head in disbelief.

* Please note that the word Golly was used on Metal Odyssey, yes it was, in the second paragraph.

* Metal Odyssey’s source for this unreal great story on The Rolling Stones cancelled concert of June 18, 1964 and it’s historic poster is from: Vintage Concert Posters.com

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METALLICA – “CREEPING DEATH” PICTURE DISC IS THRASH METAL HISTORY

Posted in 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's thrash metal albums, 1980's thrash metal bands, 1980's thrash metal music, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1980's heavy metal picture discs, 1980's metal bands, 1980's metal music, 1980's thrash metal, 1990's thrash metal bands, collecting heavy metal albums, cool album covers, current thrash metal bands, heavy metal albums, heavy metal albums 1984, heavy metal history, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 1984, heavy metal picture discs, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, new wave of british heavy metal, old school heavy metal, old school thrash metal music, rock and roll hall of fame members, rock music, scary album covers, thrash metal albums, thrash metal bands, thrash metal cover songs, thrash metal legends, thrash metal music, thrash metal picture discs with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 3, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

Any regular visitor to Metal Odyssey knows, that from time to time, I like to post about Heavy Metal picture discs. This past year of 2009 was when I realized how much I really like collecting them… again. Back in the ’80’s, I picked up quite a few Heavy Metal picture discs. The picture discs that survived from being sold or traded by me over the decades, I have in recent months been showing to the world on Metal Odyssey. Here is a cool picture disc from Metallica, a Thrash Metal band that really needs no Metal introduction on Metal Odyssey. Metallica is in the elite class of Metal, a band that is partly responsible for my being a lifetime Metalhead. Uh, thank you, Metallica… very Metal much. Metallica’s first three groundbreaking albums will always be considered, in my Metal opinion, a major part of the puzzle in the creation and evolution of Thrash Metal Music. This is the Metallica I most revere, (and it is not due to my growing up with these first three albums either). The first three albums from Metallica experimented and brought forth a style of Metal Music that was/still is original as a personal signature. I pulled this Metallica gem out of a stash of mine this past week:

METALLICA – CREEPING DEATH – PICTURE DISC, 1st ISSUE

SIDE 1:

SIDE 2:

Why is this Creeping Death picture disc considered a 1st issue? Answer: There is NO barcode found on side 2, the 2nd issue of Creeping Death HAS the barcode on side 2.

Those pics of Metallica on Side 2 of this picture disc are now… vintage. Kirk Hammett on the left, Lars Ulrich on the top, the late Cliff Burton on the right and James Hetfield on the bottom. Yup, Metal time does seem to fly.

This Creeping Death picture disc was released sometime in 1984. (I just do not know the exact month/day of it’s 1984 release… I will continue my Metal research and update this post once I do know).

Although it is not printed on this actual picture disc that I own, this is a U.K. release, on the Music For Nations record label – I have found this information upon my Metal research through the years.

The infamous, picture disc letter & number code found on this Creeping Death 12″ is:

P12 KUT 112 – (you can see it, on the above side 2 image too)

I am absolutely psyched, that this Metallica Creeping Death picture disc is still in my collection. As I delve further into it’s track listing, the Thrash Metal History just seems to come alive… as you read on, you shall see what I mean!

The track listing on Creeping Death: (The image above, of side 2, shows it as well)

Side 1:

Creeping Death

Side 2:

Am I Evil?

Blitzkrieg

Am I Evil? and Blitzkrieg were two songs labeled together as – Garage Days Revisited, (the above image of side 2, shows this).

Creeping Death is from Metallica’s second studio album: Ride The Lightning, (released in July of 1984. I can remember the first time I listened to this Ride The Lightning album, it was sometime back in 1984… I held onto and stared at the album jacket as the songs played on and I never felt more awe struck in my entire young life. Yes, I do remember trembling, upon my very first listen to For Whom The Bell Tolls… it was a listening experience so unreal, I can never forget it. Creeping Death, however, was/is just as sensational a song from Ride The Lightning as any of the others.

Metallica Ride The Lightning – greatness never fades, it only grows stronger.

Am I Evil? is the b-side single on Side 2, a song originally written and made famous by Metal legends… Diamond Head, from the Diamond Head 1980 debut album – Lightning To The Nations.

Metallica’s cover version of Am I Evil? was only found on this Creeping Death 12″ picture disc, up until it was released on the Metallica album – Garage Inc., (a double album of cover songs), in November of 1998.

Blitzkrieg is the second cover song on side 2, a song originally written and released by the Heavy Metal band – Blitzkrieg. This song was originally released in 1981, on the Blitzkrieg 7″ single – Buried Alive. The song Blitzkrieg was later released on the Blitzkrieg 1985 album – A Time For Changes.

So there you have it, some Thrash Metal and Heavy Metal History surrounding the 3 songs found on this Metallica Creeping Death 12″ picture disc. I find it of Metal importance, to understand where the songs originally came from… and from what band and/or album. Die hard fans back in 1984 knew who Diamond Head was for sure, yet for Metallica to also embrace a song from Blitzkieg and make it work as a Thrash Metal cover, just magnifies the brilliance that Metallica created together as a band. To just listen to a song is one thing, to know the linkage of a song makes it all the Metal better… it’s called Metal roots, Metal history.

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ZZ TOP “ANTENNA” WAS MY RAINY DAY CD TODAY

Posted in 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's hard rock, 1970's rock music, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's rock music, 1980's hard rock bands, 1980's rock bands, 1990's rock bands, 1990's rock music, 1990's rock albums, blues rock music, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, cool album covers, essential classic rock albums, essential rock albums, feel good stories, guitar legends, hard rock music, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock & roll hall of fame inductees, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame members, rock music, vintage rock albums with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 1, 2009 by Metal Odyssey

ZZ Top Antenna cured my rainy day blues today. You bet it did rain, all day long too in Pennsylvania. I turn to music any time it rains, just to get my adrenaline and momentum perked up. This ZZ Top album may not get the notoriety of their Eliminator, (1983) or Degüello, (1979) albums, still this is one dandy of an album. A dynamite Rock album is Antenna. Cutting to the chase here, Cherry Red is one of my favorite ZZ Top songs ever… it has all the vintage Blues Rock and patented Rock Boogie that this Hall of Fame band is super known for. Cherry Red, in my Metal opinion, sounds like a ZZ Top song that would have fit perfectly on their El Loco album from 1981. Lizard Life is one groove saturated, bluesy Rock song that showcases ZZ Top’s flare for all out, old school, jamming. Fuzzbox Voodoo is another knockout song on Antenna. The foot stomping and (kick your worries aside) beat and swagger of Fuzzbox Voodoo is so good. Pincushion was the big hit from this album, a meat and potatoes song from ZZ Top without a doubt, it is a substantive opening track for Antenna.

I re-discovered this Antenna album over this past Summer of 2009, finding it at an antique store in Bird-In-Hand Pennsylvania… believe it or not. When I saw this CD for sale amidst a small bounty of others, my mind was made up as to taking this ZZ Top title home. It really amazes me, that over the years, I just never bought this ZZ Top album. Regardless, I have redeemed myself by buying this used copy. Quite honestly, there are those bands I listen to that are like comfort food… ZZ Top has always been a comfort band for me. Does that sound ridiculous? Maybe, only that is how I feel and see it.

I did get to see ZZ Top on this Antenna Tour too, back in 1994 at the Hartford Civic Center. George Thorogood opened up for ZZ Top and he simply put… rocked. My girlfriend (and now wife), bought the tickets to this concert, we both had a great time. Bringing back cool memories is only one of many great qualities of music. I realize that I have mentioned going to this concert in a past ZZ Top related post, please excuse the redundancy. As I listened to Antenna today, I couldn’t hold back the memory of that ZZ Top concert… good times. My daughters had the day off from school, (Thanksgiving Holiday), so we listened to this CD as we played UNO… good times again. I also played this ZZ Top CD in the car as we embarked on our errands, driving around in the cold rain. Long live ZZ Top.

The caricatures of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard on the cover of Antenna are just plain fun. As I look at the front cover of Antenna, I conclude that sometimes artistic creativity is grand in it’s most simplistic design. I have to give a Rock and Roll salute to designer/illustrator Michael Ray Nott for the front cover artwork of Antenna.

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