Van Halen - 1984

As I write this, today is January 9, 2014.  On this day in 1984, the album of the year(literally) was released.  Looking back, this was such a big event for me and my circle of friends.  I’m talking about the chart-topping, video friendly and teenage defining album by Van Halen known simply as 1984.

My listening habits and love of Van Halen had been building since my friend Mick introduced the VH album Diver Down in the Fall of 1982.  The sound of Eddie’s stunning guitar, Alex’s muscular drumming mixed with the high harmony vocals of bassist Michael Anthony along with the swagger of David Lee Roth was something that sparked in my teenage mind and gut(and somewhere lower than that).  I would pick up every rock magazine I could get my hands on. I was reading Hit Parader and Circus along with Modern Drummer and Musician magazines just to get a glimpse or article on something pertaining to the Mighty Van Halen. I had started to collect all of their albums. I wanted it all. These were my new rock heroes. 
When it was announced (in late 1983) that Van Halen would be releasing their new album in the new year, I was going to the record store every week, or day or moment I had a chance to find out. Originally, I had read in one of the many magazines that the band was releasing the new album on New Years’ Day 1984.  So, as soon as the calendar changed, I was at one of record stores that I would frequent in those days to see if that new album was in the bins. I don’t remember asking the record store clerks. I just kept checking day after day.  I do remember finding a copy of Billboard magazine with a full page ad for the 1984 album on the back cover of the magazine. I scooped up the magazine for that purpose alone. I tore out the ad and quickly hung it on the inside of the door of my high school locker. I wasn’t sure what the significance of the cherub smoking a cigarette was. I didn’t care. It was so incredibly cool.  I went to the record store and bought a cassette version of the album. I wanted it for mobile purposes to have with me at all times. I had a walkman that I would listen to many an album in the halls of the school between classes and this one was to be #1 on my listening priorities.
I’m not completely sure if I was driving the family station wagon home from the record store or if I got it home and threw on a pair of headphones. I do remember the opening synthesizer sound of 1984 permeating my brain and then swept through my whole body.    The sound of the synthesizer fades out and then fades back in with the opening notes of Jump.  For years, hard rock fans have criticized Eddie for featuring the sound that was practically foreign to the hard rock genre known for favoring the sound of guitar pyrotechnics.  I don’t remember feeling particularly betrayed by the sound of the synths.  If I did, it was momentarily.  The song was catchy and in the middle of the song, Eddie fills it up with one his signature guitar solos.  The band had released the video for Jump a week or so earlier.  So, the song was fresh in most people’s minds and it was the first glimpse of Van Halen on video that most people had ever seen. Apparently, there was some controversy over the band’s video for their cover of Roy Orbison’s Oh Pretty Woman (from Diver Down)and had been pulled a few years earlier. So, here was the whole band performing and hamming it up for the camera. I remember reading that the cost to make this video was very cheap to make. They set up the cameras and played. The playfulness of the band was palpable. Dave strutted with confidence. Mike smiled and played along. Alex slammed away on the drums and Eddie played his keyboards and guitar and won over a nation of new fans with the coolest chesire cat type grin.

“…..Might was well….”

Soon, It seemed that tons of people in my own class were now talking about Van Halen.  I remember being at a school dance and some guys were talking about the video and the band. As I hear my classmates talking about the song and the video, I hear one guy ask another, “What’s up with Eddie’s guitar and his smile and the band etc?”  I hear the other guy say, “I’m not sure. Ask Ferris. He’s the big Van Halen fan.”  I look back at that moment and think that may have been where I may have reached my first moment of “coolness”.  That was when I knew that rock music was what I knew and what I was passionate about.
The second (or third)song was Panama.  What was it about? I have no idea. Did it rock? Yes it did. It starts with the primal pounding of Alex’s drumming and Eddie riffing together.  It’s lyrically filled with all the little innuendos that the band was famous for in the early 80’s.  This was actually the 3rd single released from the album and the second with a video from the album.  Soon, my friends and classmates would be talking about that video as well

“Then I reach between my legs…..and….ease the seat back!”

The song ends and I’m on the edge of my seat and waiting intently and intensely for the next song to start.  This song is Top Jimmy and still to this day is one of my favorites off this album.  It starts with Eddie’s trademark tapping and then Dave weaves the tale of “Watching this cool cat blow”

“They say he sang so good that the roof fell in and they didn’t even stop the show.
They don’t remember the place, but they remember the face
and now everybody wanna go”

I remember discussions about “who was Top Jimmy?” between my friends.  One guy says, “They’re talking Jimi Hendrix!”  By the time I had heard the album a few times, Hit Parader had published an interview with David Lee Roth and he confirms that the song Top Jimmy was about an LA rock, rhythm and blues band called Top Jimmy and the Rhythm Pigs. They were part of the punk/roots scene in the late 70’s and early 80’s.  Once again, my continual reading of rock magazines put me in the know.
The next track is Drop Dead Legs.  There didn’t seem to be anything special about it. But, the song was catchy enough that you could sing along and Alex’s drumming is spot on and muscular as usual. It’s not till I look back at this album and I’m drawn in by everything on this album yet again.
Side two of the album starts with the song that had all my drummer friends talking. Hot for Teacher begins with an Alex Van Halen drum solo that still rocks me to my core.  Over the years, I’ve had fellow drummers say that the drum solo was played on a drum machine.  I think somehow that gets misinterpreted because Alex was playing Simmons electronic drums as his rack and floor toms.  Since that is the technology of the day, it does have a tendency to sound a little “electronic” and dated. But, when he kicks into that double bass hyper boogie groove that leads into the song, It’s all real and all Alex. 

“SIT DOWN, WALDO!”

The video for this song had everything a teenage boy would want to see in a Hard Rock video…..HOT CHICKS!!  It’s funny looking back. But, this video was a bit controversial because the band had child lookalikes that were in a classroom where the teachers were unlike any school faculty I had ever seen before.  If you’re not sure what I mean, watch the video.  There was such a buzz about the song, the video, the drumming.  My friend Mick was the first to say, “Dave, I figured out the opening to Hot For Teacher.”   He had and figured it out well. 
The next track was I’ll Wait. It was also the next single released off the album.  It charted well at #13 on the Billboard charts. The song pumps with Eddie’s new synth sounds and Alex’s strong backbeat. But, looking back, the song always felt like a filler track and not hit single material. I would guess the record company thought that since Jump was a number 1 single that another synth infused track would make a good follow up single.  I’ve always thought that some of the best songs on an album are the ones that the record companies don’t release as singles.
The album finishes up with Girl Gone Bad and House of Pain.  Both of these songs had brief histories in the band’s stage show.  Girl Gone Bad had been used as a brief instrumental intro into Somebody Get Me a Doctor in their live show and House of Pain was one of the songs included on their Gene Simmons produced demo years before they signed with Warner Brothers.
The history of this album is so much fun to reminisce about. I’ve seen various posts lately where people find it amusing that those of us in our 40’s still talk about the greatness of Van Halen in the 80’s. It was great to us. But, there are still young kids that appreciate what we did back then.  Mostly, I’m talking about young drummer Avery Molek who has made an online presence on YouTube who plays along to many classic rock and Heavy Metal songs and does them well. At the age of 6 years old, Avery recorded himself playing along to VH’s Hot for Teacher.  As I watched this 6 year old play, I thought to myself, “I couldn’t even play this song when I was 16 years old.”  He’s gone on to play this song live with country star Brad Paisley both on Good Morning America and made a special appearance at one of Brad’s concerts.

I couldn’t even play this when I was 16 years old.

Of course, this was the last album made by the original band of Dave, Eddie, Alex and Michael Anthony.  The year and a half after this album was released, was probably a rollercoaster ride of fame for the band.  But, in the summer of 1985, it was announced that Dave had left the band and was soon replaced by Sammy Hagar.  There are some that still argue about the pros and cons of the Dave vs Sammy era of the band.  I liked them all.  This band has always been a big thing for me. I still follow what they are doing.  But, Let’s just say my passion for this band is not what it was 30 years ago. 
Now, where has the last 30 years gone?

Music and Listening Habits of 2013

This past year has been a year full of changes. I started the year in Central Nebraska. I moved to San Antonio in late July and eventually ended up moving to Las Cruces, NM in November to be near my son and be a part of his life.  I said in my 2012 listening habits blog that I was looking forward to writing more blogs and more creativity.  Turns out, I only published 3 blogs for 2013. I have been writing. I actually have about 2-3 projects in the “need to finish” bin.  I’ve been so busy with moving, job searching and adapting to new life changes that I haven’t been concentrating heavily on music. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to write up a list of favorites for the past year.  I am always searching out new music. In this age of internet social media, I usually find out about new music through the posts of my favorite artists on Facebook and Twitter.  Media personalities like VH1 Classic’s Eddie Trunk still flies the flag for fans of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.  I have continually followed his posts on Facebook and Twitter as well and online episodes of “That Metal Show”.  Two of the albums on my list come from Eddie Trunk’s coverage on That Metal Show and his radio show on NY’s Q104(which I listen to on Iheartradio.com).

One of the guests on this past Spring season of That Metal Show was guitarist Scott Gorham and vocalist Ricky Warwick.  These two had been touring as a reunited lineup of the 70’s Irish band Thin Lizzy.  The reunited lineup had featured guitarist Gorham and Lizzy drummer Brian Downey.  Thin Lizzy founder, vocalist and bassist Phil Lynott had passed away back in 1986. The band had reunited with Ricky Warwick singing the iconic vocals of Phil Lynott and it was soon announced the band would be recording new material.  Longtime fans made it known that new material without Phil Lynott should not be called Thin Lizzy.  Soon thereafter, original drummer Downey left. Since he and Gorham had been the only two from the classic lineup of Thin Lizzy, it was only right to change the name of the band. With the addition of journeyman drummer Jimmy DeGrasso(Y&T, Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, Alice Cooper), the band changed to become Black Star Riders and their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose was released. 

At first listen, I thought that this sounded like a lesser version of Thin Lizzy. I knew the history behind the band. I dismissed as nothing more. As a drummer, I had followed the career of Jimmy DeGrasso. He had replaced Leonard Haze in the band Y&T and Nick Menza in Megadeth. I think the majority of the gigs he’s played for have been replacing someone else in an established band.  But, I kept coming back to this album. One Saturday, I was listening to it while doing laundry with the isolated comfort of headphones and the album just rocked me right where I needed to be rocked. Does it sound like Thin Lizzy? Yes it does and in 2013, that’s just what I needed on my personal musical radar. Maybe it’s the Irish blood in me, this one still resonates for me all year long.

Another big one that Eddie Trunk was talking about in 2013 was the debut of a “super-group” trio called Winery Dogs featuring the talents of drummer Mike Portnoy, bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Richie Kotzen.

The tale has been told that Portnoy had begun to work with former Whitesnake/Thin Lizzy/Blue Murder guitarist John Sykes for a new project. Sykes didn’t seem to work at the same pace that Portnoy was used to. If you’ve looked at Portnoy’s collective work over the past 2-3 years, you’ll understand. The guy is busy in many different gigs. Trunk suggested hooking up with guitarist Kotzen to fill out the trio with Sheehan.  Sheehan and Portnoy had worked together in a couple of projects and Sheehan and Kotzen had worked together in the band Mr. Big when original guitarist Paul Gilbert left Mr. Big in the late 90’s.  I have always been a big fan of Mr. Big and the 2 albums that Kotzen recorded with the band were no exception.  In the Spring of 2013, this new band released 2 or 3 videos from this new self-titled album.  From the first listen, I was hooked.  I loved the Mr.Big (with Kotzen) albums Get Over It (1999) and Actual Size(Import 2001). So, I knew that I’d probably like them. After all, the only difference in the musical lineup of was that Portnoy was on drums instead of Mr. Big’s Pat Torpey and Kotzen did all of the lead vocals where he shared vocal duties with Eric Martin before.  When I moved to San Antonio in late July, this was my first CD purchase after moving there. I was also excited to hear it being played when I walked into the Sam Ash music store in San Antonio. 

love a good power trio!

It’s no secret that I hold onto a lot of the artists and bands I’m familiar with. So, it should be no surprise about the artist who is next on my list.  Since my teens, I’ve been a big fan of Van Halen(no matter the lead vocalist). Sammy Hagar has always seemed like one of the most down-to-earth guys I’ve ever followed.  So, when he released his album Sammy Hagar & Friends in the Fall of 2013, I was interested. 

Who are his “friends” on this album? They are a variety of artists that resonate with my own listening habits.  Duets with Blues legend Taj Mahal, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, country stars Toby Keith and Ronnie Dunn and two reunion(of sorts) with former collaborators.  He reunites with his former band mates from Montrose (bassist Bill Church and drummer Denny Carmassi) and a mash-up reunion of sorts with Chickenfoot band mates Michael Anthony and Chad Smith and Neal Schon from his 1984 collaboration Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve.   Both Chad Smith and Denny Carmassi are drummers that I admire for their heaviness, groove and Bonham-esque style.  The variety of music on this album just touched on everything that I feel comfortable with my own musical tastes.  As I listened to the album, I felt like I was one of Sammy’s friends. I’ve followed his career for such a long time. It was like hanging with an old friend.

Can I be one of Sammy’s friends?

Speaking of collaborative albums, the one that rocked me from first listen this past summer was Blues legend Buddy Guy’s new album titled Rhythm & Blues. 

This was a 2 CD album where it is rhythmic and bluesy. At first, I thought that  Disc 1 was more rhythm with funky songs like Best in Town and a duet version of Messin’ with the Kid featuring Kid Rock.  But, the entire 21 tracks are a study in both. The collaborations include Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Joe Perry and Steven Tyler along with Beth Hart and country superstar Keith Urban. This was another album I listened to with headphones in and felt myself desiring more and more as I listened.

Both the Buddy Guy and Sammy Hagar albums featured contributions from artists in today’s current country arena. Although, in my opinion, to call it “Country Music” is a stretch in comparison to country music of the past. One of the artists that has an incredible band of musicians that he both records with and performs with is Brad Paisley. Sometimes, the only thing “Country” about Brad Paisley is the cowboy hat he wears as his regular wardrobe.

His new album Wheelhouse was an album that takes the listener on a ride through the south and through the joys and trials of life. His music varies with Telecaster “chicken pickin’” licks infused with funky rhythms and refreshing samples from old country icons like Andy Griffith and Roger Miller. 

He writes songs about summertime fun, childhood fun, falling in love, getting married, the frustrations of marriage, the struggles of society, breaking up, making up, and all done with heartfelt sincerity along with a sense of humor.

love the sample of Roger Miller’s “Dang me” at the beginning.

10 years ago, Paisley worked with (then) up and comer John Mayer on the CMT show Crossroads.  It’s now 2014 and both of them are still going and recording quality music.  Both of them are very much in the public eye and get a lot of media attention. Paisley is married to actress Kimberley Williams-Paisley who now stars in the ABC drama Nashville.  John Mayer’s professional and musical career is constantly upstaged by his personal life and who he’s dating.  In fact, his current union with pop princess Katy Perry produced a new single called Who You Love on his new album Paradise Valley. 

I became a big fan of Mayer with his 2006 album Continuum and the themes he wrote about on that album. So, I am eager to hear what he has to say on the subsequent releases.  Paradise Valley was no different. His writing style has become less bluesy with a pop feel to a more acoustic laidback feel. As if he’s been sitting in front of an open fire with his guitar and the songs come from there. His electric guitar isn’t absent at all. He just seems more comfortable in his songwriting and delivery.  I have often gone to this album to settle down for the night and ease my stress for the day.

Mayer and Derek Trucks have been two of my favorite guitar players in the past 6-7 years.  For the past 3 years, Derek and his wife Susan Tedeschi have recorded and performed together as the Tedeschi Trucks band.  The music is just the right prescription for everything I look for in music. Susan’s vocals are heartfelt and touching while the band is like the freight train pictured on the cover of their new album Made Up Mind.

I anticipated the release of this album this past fall. As I zipped onto I-35 in San Antonio traffic, the music magically propelled my car to work and made the drive to my tedious job that much more enjoyable.  The funky horns, the double drummers, and the hypnotic slide guitar work on many levels for my own tastes. I continually hear from friends that we share a love for this band. Hopefully, the chance to see them live will come up in 2014. 

Derek’s other gig is playing with his uncle Butch Trucks in the Allman Brothers Band. His fellow guitar playing “brother” Warren Haynes is back in 2013 with his band that started as an Allman’s side project in the mid 90’s. Of course, I’m talking about the versatile jam band known as Gov’t Mule and the new album Shout!

Gov’t Mule is another band that I’ve been following for years.  They can play and write some great bluesy rock stuff and then take a jazz riff and jam on it and expand on it like the great bands of 60’s and 70’s.  Warren Haynes is such a killer guitar player.  Drummer Matt Abts embodies everything I love about the “classic rock” era of drummers like John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, Ian Paice and Carmine Appice.  This album is no different. Years ago, the band added keyboards to the lineup and the added sound of the Hammond B3 organ just warms my insides.  I can immerse myself in the sounds of the Mule at any time and feel like this is a band carrying on a sound that is definitely missing from the mainstream music landscape.

One of the great British Hard Rock bands of the 70’s was up for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this years. I’m talking about (one of my all-time favorite bands) Deep Purple. Alas, they didn’t make the list of inductees again. I was hoping that the band would once again be a presence in the minds of classic rock fans in 2013.  VH1Classic produced a new episode of Behind the Music focusing on Deep Purple and the various members, drug scandals and inner band conflicts.  There was some press with a cover feature on sole original member and drummer Ian Paice in the June 2013 issue of DRUM! magazine and the band released its first album of new material in 8 years and their 19th studio album called Now What?!

 

To some it may seem as some kind of joke that Deep Purple is still making music and the only fans left are balding men in their mid-40’s holding on to the remnants of their 80’s mullet hairdo.  Just to be clear, I gave up on my mullet years ago. But, Deep Purple still holds a musical mixture that still revs me up. Is this the same hard-driving band of the early 70’s blazing a trail by Space Trucking and Speed King? Not really. Drummer Ian Paice, bassist Roger Glover and vocalist Ian Gillan are the only members from that classic lineup. Hammond organ master Jon Lord left the band over 10 years ago and passed away in July 2012 and original guitarist Richie Blackmore left the band 20 years ago.  Blackmore was replaced in the 90’s by Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse and journeyman keysman Don Airey (Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow) replaced Lord back in 2001. 

These guys have mellowed with age. But the musicianship is still top notch. I’ve stated before that I met Steve Morse in the 90’s and he was very down-to-earth and a consummate musician who loves playing guitar and making music. Don Airey fills in for Jon Lord perfectly with the tasteful coloring of the Hammond organ.  Gillan can’t reach those high screaming notes like he did in the 70’s. But, his vocals still holds a certain timbre and rasp that feels like home.  Lastly, the rhythm section of Glover and Paice drive everything else.  Ian Paice is one of my favorite drummers.  Some days, I favor his breadth of work and playing over my other favorites like Zeppelin’s John Bonham.  This album peaked at number 1 on the album charts in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Norway. So, the main audience for Deep Purple was the European crowds. How high did the album chart in America where the media were concentrating on Beyonce and Miley Cyrus? It charted at 110 on the Top 200 album chart. They did manage to release a cool video as a tribute to classic horror movies called Vincent Price

The other classic British band that got plenty of attention in America this past year was none other than the partially reunited Heavy Metal forefathers Black Sabbath.  There was plenty of coverage for the reunion. But, original drummer Bill Ward couldn’t come to an agreement on the financial end of the reunion and the business end of the music “business”.  Producer Rick Rubin took the helm for this project with drummer Brad Wilk(Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave) playing with original Sabbath elders Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi for the album 13

With all the hype and anticipation going into this album, I was apprehensive about my own expectations.  For years, the riffs that Tony Iommi would write were heavy and cool to the ear. But, after a few minutes of listening to them, the tempos would plod and drone along and it wouldn’t keep my attention.  As a drummer, I want some variety to the pounding and plundering.  The first single that was released digitally was a song called God is Dead? (note the question mark)  The song clocks in at almost 9 minutes. It starts with the heaviness of a classic Sabbath tune.  But, if you hang on, there are tempo changes and it swings with a feel of classic Sabbath like something like Faeries Wear Boots.  According to the interviews with the band, Rick Rubin assigned band homework to listen to the first 4 Sabbath albums and get the ideas from those early recordings of their youth.  It took me a couple of listens. But, this was such a refreshing and sonically heavy album that still feels new and yet as classic as Sabbath gems like Paranoid and Masters of Reality.

my personal favorite from 13

There you have it. 10 new releases from 2013.  I wasn’t sure I could come up with 10 albums. I even had a couple others that “bubbled” under the 10.

 King Kobra II – my old drum hero Carmine Appice reunited with his 80’s hair band King Kobra and released an album of songs about “having a good time”, “knocking ‘em dead” and “running wild”.  I laughed at some of the cheesy lyrics from a band of guys who have got to be in their late 50’s and mid 60’s. I find it hard to believe that these are the same kind of partiers they might have been in the 80’s. But, as a fan of Carmine and his drumming, it felt so good to settle into his playing and the groove I’ve followed since I first  started following his career back in my teens.

Humble Pie – Performance:Rockin’ the Fillmore –The Complete Recordings

I had heard and read about this monumental and highly revered live album for years. I had a copy of it too. I’m a fan of drummer Jerry Shirley from his work on Frampton Comes Alive and the 80’s band Fastway.  So, when I saw that this extended reissue came out, I was excited to hear more and was drawn in by the underrated and forgotten vocals of the late Steve Marriott.

In 2014, I look forward to new experiences here in Las Cruces, NM. I anticipate the new musical interactions with the Mesilla Valley Musicians Guild as we meet up the first Monday night of every month to play music, jam and take in some local talent and music.

There’s a couple of new releases from artists that I admire and have been following over the years. I’m sure I’ll discover a few new things too.  But, I look forward to spending time with my son and develop his blossoming interest in playing drums with his daddy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Rascals– Groovin’ with the Great American band.

I know those of you that have read my blog on a regular basis have probably wondered what happened.  I’ve been through some changes in my life.  I’ve moved to San Antonio Texas from my home state of Nebraska and then to Las Cruces New Mexico in the past month.  All my energy and focus for the past few months was in finding a way to get here.  Now that I’ve relocated to the Lone Star State, I sit at my laptop and the inspiration to write has returned.

Over the past couple of years, I began to rediscover the Rascals and the drumming of Dino Danelli. So, let’s talk about the Rascals and my listening history of the band that has been labeled as one of America’s “Blue Eyed Soul” bands. 

As I researched this band, I found out that their album Groovin’ was released the summer I was born. The single Groovin’ went to #1 on the charts in March of 1967 and the next single A Girl Like You went to #10 on July 3, 1967. That’s a few days before my date of birth. But, it would be years later that their music would come knocking on my brain.

Like most people my age who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, we heard the song Good Lovin’ in various movies and TV shows throughout those decades. In 1978, George Lucas used the song in his sequel to American Graffiti called More American Graffiti.  The song was also featured in the movies The Big Chill, Joe Versus the Volcano and the 80’s TV show Moonlighting where Bruce Willis sang the lead vocal. There was even a short-lived 1989 TV show called Doctor Doctor.  In 1984, drummer Max Weinberg of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band wrote a book titled The Big Beat – Conversations with Rock’s Great Drummers.  I bought this book and obviously read through the interviews with the drummers I knew like Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts and Kenney Jones (among others). Modern Drummer magazine published an excerpt from the book with an interview with Dino Danelli of the Rascals. This was my first introduction to Dino. I read through the interview. But, I shelved that interview into my memory banks for future reference.

In 1988, Atlantic Records had a big multi-artist celebration for the record label’s 40th Anniversary. The big reunion that night was a performance by Led Zeppelin with drummer John Bonham’s son Jason filling in for his deceased father.  I was also excited to see the reunion of 60’s Psych-rockers Vanilla Fudge.  VF Drummer Carmine Appice had been (and still is) a big influence on my playing as a drummer. So, I was excited to see that reunion. Unfortunately, the Anniversary celebration was simulcast on HBO. At the time, I had just moved into a new apartment and we didn’t have HBO. After the HBO broadcast, ABC-TV aired a two hour version of the celebration. Obviously, this was edited down for time.  I was able to record that one. As I watched the recording, I would sit through some of the acts that I wasn’t exactly excited to see. I actually enjoyed some of the stuff. But, the one that reeled me in was the partial reunion of the Rascals. Atlantic Records had been known for many R&B acts in its early history. The Rascals’ are actually noted as the first “Rock’' act signed to Atlantic.  3/4 of the original band reunited onstage with Paul Shaffer and his musicians from Late Night with David Letterman known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Band”.  I was absolutely compelled by the fun that bassist Will Lee was having while he played with these guys. I loved the sound of Felix Cavaliere’s voice and the sound of the Hammond organ. Gene Cornish on guitar was playing a Rickenbacher and he was having the time of his life too. I had remembered that Dino Danelli was the drummer of the Rascals. But, to my disappointment, the cameramen are too busy catching the excitement of Will, Felix, and Gene to get a good shot of Dino playing drums.  I would go back to the videotape on this performance. It was fun and electrifying to watch.

  Since I was working in a record store, I would have to add some Rascals to my music collection.  I ended up buying a copy of Time Peace – The Rascals’ Greatest Hits.  At first, it was just an excuse to have a copy of Good Lovin’  in my collection and I could listen to it at any time. But, I remember thinking that the original audio mix was really low. So, sonically, it didn’t hold my attention for long. I remember hearing on the album itself a version You Better Run and eventually recognizing it as one of the songs that Pat Benatar had recorded. In fact, the music video of Pat Benatar’s You Better Run was the 2nd video ever played when MTV started its broadcast in August of 1981.

Fast forward to my post college days. I was living in Omaha and working at Music Avenue and Tape World. One of the promo CD’s we received was called the New York Rock and Soul Revue – Live from the Beacon.  It featured Donald Fagen from Steely Dan, Phoebe Snow, Michael McDonald and David & Eddie Brigati.  I had been on a big Doobie Brothers kick at the time. So, anything with Michael McDonald was cool to me. Track 11 on this CD was the Brigati brothers singing the Rascals’ song Groovin’.  Somehow, I knew the connection of this song back to the Rascals. But, I didn’t know the Brigati name. I knew Felix Cavaliere was awesome on the Hammond B3 organ and Dino was the influential drummer. So, I add the name of Eddie Brigati to my list of band members to be familiar with. While I listened to this album, I felt a connection yet again to the Rascals. 

When the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces their yearly inductees, I’m always interested and attentive to see who is in that year’s class. VH1 used to air an edited version of the induction ceremony. In 1997, the inductees included the Jackson 5, Parliament Funkadelic, The Bee Gees, CSN&Y, Joni Mitchell, and the Rascals.  Honestly, I was quite excited to see all of the inductees that night.  But, it’s often said that Little Steven Van Zandt’s induction of the Rascals was the highlight of the ceremony. Van Zandt had actually employed Danelli in his band “The Disciples of Soul” in the 80’s.  I’ve often said when a person is so passionate about an artist it can be infectious. So infectious to the point where I want to know more and take in as much as I can of that artist.  That can be said about Van Zandt’s induction of the Rascals.

I would pull out my vinyl copy of Time Peace from time to time. But, the audio levels were so low that it still wouldn’t hold my attention.  Now in the age of social networking and sites like Facebook, I started to post celebrity birthdays on my Facebook page with a YouTube video of that person’s live performance.  When I came to the birthday of drummer Dino Danelli, I pulled up the performance of the Rascals on the Ed Sullivan show.  I was mesmerized as I can only guess that the cameraman was as well.  Dino sits at his drumkit and drives the band with such a force and an aura of self-confidence.  He twirls his sticks with sense of cockiness that drummers in the 80’s would eventually imitate. I’ve read some comments that Dino looks weird and spastic. I don’t see that.  I’m drawn to him every time I see that video.

Watch Dino as he commands the drumkit.

Even my own drumming hero Carmine Appice admitted that Dino had been an influence on his playing in an interview with DRUMHEAD magazine.  Modern Drummer magazine added video interviews with Dino Danelli with former longtime Billy Joel drummer Liberty DeVitto back in 2008.  DeVitto is obviously a huge fan of Dino.  As I think back to seeing Liberty play with Billy Joel on live TV in 80’s and early 90’s, he’s quite commanding on his drumkit as well. 

I’ve had a running conversation with a music-loving friend of mine that Dino has yet to receive the praise and accolades he deserves as an influential drummer of the 60’s.  There’s always mention of Ringo, Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell among others.  But, you rarely see Dino mentioned in those lists.  But, I know there are a few that will list him as one of the biggies.

This past June I sat down to watch the annual Tony awards to celebrate and honor the theatre productions of the past year in New York City.  I had stepped into the other room when all of a sudden I heard Good Lovin’  coming from the TV.  A few years back, a Broadway musical had been made about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons called Jersey Boys.  So, I wasn’t too surprised to hear the music of the Rascals playing. I was actually amazed to see the actual Rascals reunited and playing together.  With that, I add another memory of fascination with the Rascals.

2013 Tony Awards

Along with the appearance on the Tony Awards, Dino was featured in a cover feature of Modern Drummer magazine. The article was basically a sum up of his career. In fact, there really wasn’t much of an interview contained in the article. But, it finally got me searching more into the catalog of the Rascals’.  I went and got a copy of the 1993 Rhino Records remastered Very Best of the Rascals’.  Of course, I knew Good Lovin’, Groovin’ , and You Better Run.  But, I was drawn in by People Got To Be Free, I’ve Been Lonely Too Long and A Ray of Hope. 

I listened to these songs and I thought about all the vocals, the drums, the guitars and the Hammond organ. I had been a fan of Deep Purple’s Jon Lord and his prowess on the Hammond B3.  Then, I listened to Vanilla Fudge’s Mark Stein and then discovered that I loved Felix and his sound too.  Somehow, they all feel connected. The members of Deep Purple have stated that Vanilla Fudge was their original template for Deep Purple.  Vanilla Fudge was from Long Island New York and obviously the Rascals were East coast based as well. This was an American band that was referred to as a “blue-eyed soul” group and was a US counterpart to the bands of the British invasion. They actually opened for the Beatles at the historical Shea Stadium gig.  They survived through the “Flower power-hippie”  movement of San Francisco.  They made their own sound. Perhaps that is why they don’t get lumped in with different bands of the 60’s. They were definitely a band of their own sound and talent.  The other day I hit “party shuffle” on my MP3 player and a Rascals song came on. I usually can guess who the band is when they come on my player. When it came on, I thought it was a Motown group like the Four Tops or the Temptations that I enjoy listening to occasionally. Nope, It was the Rascals’.

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die only lists the 1967 Album Groovin’ in their albums by the Rascals’.  Groovin’ is heralded as the band’s “most important album”. Critic George Durbalau writes,

‘'”The album grabs you from the start, switching from garage thrash into psychedelia-tinged experimentation and even gospel.
….the record brims with intelligent arrangements, blending deep soulfulness with raw, loose guitar, introspective lyrics, and unexpected touches.”

For me, it’s been music I’ve probably heard all through my life. But, I wasn’t sure how much it was affecting me.  It’s great that I’ve discovered this music that will further enrich my musical palette, vocabulary and library.

U.K. – Danger Money

 

This is a first in a series of albums by bands that are hard to find or a side project that feature musicians that come from more well-known bands or backgrounds.

When I sold my LP collection about 5 or 6 years ago. I had serious reservations about getting rid of a collection I had spent many years compiling. Then I realized as I looked at my huge collection that this was some kind of possession and something that gave me some kind of bragging rights. But to whom? I had my music loving brethren I had worked with at Dustys Records. I had millions of vinyl junkies that I could show how cool I was that I had all this music. But, all these records were sitting in a storage garage and I had no way of listening to them. Most of the stuff that I really loved was stuff I had bought on CD or had downloaded(both legally and illegally)

It’s now 2013 and there are multiple ways to access some of those old recordings. There’s iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon MP3’s, and Spotify. You can listen to a lot of these and with services like Spotify, you can stream the music on most wireless mobile devices. I often have an urge to hear one of those old albums and I will dial up that artist and their recorded catalog on Spotify and that usually satisfies my urge to hear music from my past collections.

But, there are some bands that I followed that were maybe one-off projects from musicians who came from more established and well-known acts. That is what this series of album reviews will be about.  A band comprised of musicians known for their work in BIGGER bands but made some cool music away from their so-called “day job”.  This blog is about a progressive band that was essentially a “Super Group” with a rich past.

When I first started playing drums, my friends and I would spend our weekends hitting music instrument stores, record stores and the record department of the general stores of the day(Kmart, Alco, Ben Franklin etc.)  Mick and I were(and still are) drummers. Mick had been playing his own drum kit for a few years before I had got my own. We would pick up all the free drum catalogs we could get our hands on. We had a 1980 Tama drum catalog and these would have pictures of all this companies endorsers.  One of them I remember was Terry Bozzio. They would have a picture of him behind some kind of drum kit and (in parenthesis) the band/artist he been playing with. In 1983, I didn't know Terry Bozzio from any other drummers. I had no idea of his history with Frank Zappa. But, the band this catalog had him associated with was called U.K.

 

At the time, I was bagging groceries at the store where my Dad was the general manager. I would occasionally wander over to the LPs and peruse the record bins…including the the discount or “cut-out” bins. Lo and behold, one day I came across a copy of a U.K. album titled Danger Money.  I flipped the 12 inch cover over to find a picture of 3 musicians. Eddie Jobson on violin and keyboards, John Wetton on Bass guitar and vocals and Terry Bozzio on drums and percussion. 

Here it was in the cut-out bin for $2.99 or $3.99(maybe even cheaper). So, I bought it and took it home. I placed the album on my General Electric hand-me-down stereo from sisters and was ready to be blown away. At first, I was anything BUT “blown away”. 

At that point, I loved everything with HEAVY HEAVY drums and distorted guitars(mostly heavy guitars). I’ve said for a long time that there’s something about adolescent males and the sound of distorted guitars. Once again and upon a closer look, this album had NO guitars. It was bass, drums, keyboards and VIOLIN? I dropped the needle on this album and drum beat that Terry Bozzio lays down on the first (title) track is rather basic bass drum and snare. I was waiting to be dazzled and felt let down. The keyboard sound felt wimpy and not the muscular guitar sound I loved.  Then, I start listening to the vocals and start thinking “Man, this sounds like the guy from the band Asia.”  Once again, if I had looked closer and known my Rock bios (like I do now) I would have known that John Wetton (in 1982-83) IS the bassist/vocalist for the band Asia. This album was released in 1979 and by 1982, Asia was probably the biggest selling band and album of that year. Which is pretty impressive for a band of progressive all-stars making a pop-rock album.  I listened through the album a couple times and then kind of shelved it for awhile. I heard and read such great things about Terry Bozzio and his prowess behind the kit. But, I think the lack of distorted electric guitars just dampened any kind of excitement I felt towards this album or maybe the prog overtones and complicated odd-time signatures just went over my head at the time.

Fast forward a few years (I’m guessing around 3-4 years). The store that my Dad had managed closed up in the Spring of 1984 and he looked for other work and eventually moved to the town of Hastings Nebraska. I remember one night reading through one of my many copies of Modern Drummer magazine and there was a transcription of Bozzio’s drum part on the U.K. track Caesar’s Palace Blues.  I still had the LP and so I put the album on. This track was the first track on Side two. So, I played it back and all of a sudden, I was blown away, impressed and engaged into this track. I then played the whole album again from top to bottom.  “I get this now!”

As my tastes in music grew, I became more familiar with the drumming of Terry Bozzio. The early 80’s, he led the band Missing Persons which consisted of many former members of Frank Zappa’s band of exceptional musicians.  I would continue to seek out many of the groups and albums featuring his playing. Among my favorites include his work with Frank Zappa, the Brecker Brothers Heavy Metal Be-bop, and Jeff Beck’s Guitar Shop.  I also discovered that there was another album by U.K. before the Danger Money album.  The band was originally a quartet featuring the aforementioned Wetton and Jobson along with Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford and guitarist Allan Holdsworth. Holdsworth was a guitarist I had read about from reading interviews with Eddie Van Halen who claimed that Holdsworth was “the best in my book”. I also began to learn about different drummers and styles of music. From that education, I found that many of the drummers I was getting into during the 80’s and 90’s were fans of Bozzio’s drumming with the band U.K.

Guys like Deen Castronovo(Journey, Bad English, Steve Vai, Tony McAlpine) and Mike Portnoy(Dream Theater) would cite the live U.K. album Night after Night as a favorite and an influence on their playing.  A few years back(and I wish I knew when) Modern Drummer wrote reviews on the CD reissues of the the 3 albums. So, when I sold my LP’s I figured there shouldn’t be any difficulty finding CD copies of these albums.

This past Fall, I picked up a copy of Drumhead Magazine with a cover story of drumming brothers Carmine and Vinny Appice. Carmine has been a longtime influence and favorite drummer of mine. I usually find multiple articles to read through in these kind of magazines.  As I paged through, I came across an article about U.K.’s album Danger Money written by former Damn Yankees and current Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer Michael Cartellone. In this article, Michael recounts his memory of this album much like I am recollecting now. Only his story is a bit different. He cherished the music he heard on this album and how it shaped his playing with the odd-time signatures and his love of progressive rock.  But, it also was important in his life and career as a drummer. According to the article, Michael “lived, ate, slept and breathed that record for many many years.”  He also tells the story of how he eventually corresponded with Eddie Jobson through Jobson’s fan club and would work with him. In fact, I had a VHS copy of a drummer video magazine called “Hot Drummer” which had an interview with Cartellone and he talked briefly about working with Eddie Jobson.  When I originally watched the video I remember thinking “Hey, he talking about that U.K. violinist guy.” He also would record with John Wetton on his album Battle Lines. His article tells of how he went from being a fan of the band to becoming contemporaries and friends with all 3 of the guys. 

The enthusiasm in his writing about this album made me yearn to hear it again. It had been years and I was eager to hear it again.  I figured these albums had been remastered on CD and shouldn’t be hard to find on many of the online stores and streaming services with vast catalogs of music available.  I went to Amazon.com and their digital downloads. I checked out the iTunes store and looked it up on Spotify.  I couldn’t stream it through Spotify and Amazon and iTunes didn’t have the Danger Money for download either. The only U.K. album available was the original self-titled debut album featuring Bruford and Holdsworth. I went to Amazon.com only to find the CD of the album was not that easy(or cheap) to acquire.  Amazon had the CD priced starting at $24.95 for a used copy and $185 for a new copy.  As I said earlier, I originally paid $2.99 or $3.99 for my cut-out bin LP copy almost 30 years ago.  I really liked the album…just not that much. So, I started searching out different online outlets to find a cheaper alternative.  There’s tons of websites that say “FREE DOWNLOADS”.  But, when you decide to download them, all the spyware, spamware, Anti-virus alerts start flashing and going up in front of you. So, I stop right there.

I went to YouTube and found the recordings of the 6 songs on this album. I compiled a playlist and would listen to a stream of the videos. I even downloaded a program to convert the audio from YouTube videos to MP3’s. That way I could sync the MP3’s to my smartphone and listen to the album that way. That satisfied me momentarily. I wanted the whole CD now. So, I went to eBay to find the CD and hopefully it would be at a price I was willing to pay(under $20). At the end of January(2013), I finally found a copy for about $9.65 US dollars. I specify US dollars because it would be shipped from Latvia and would take longer than a US order.  I got the bid on the CD and waited for 3 weeks for it to finally arrive.

When it arrived in the mail, I was elated and excited to hear it. I have probably listened to it repeatedly for the past month and a half. All the nuances of Bozzio’s drumming, Wetton’s bass & vocals and Jobson’s arrangements have reverberated through my head on a daily basis ever since.  I emailed Michael Cartellone through his website and complimented him on his article in Drumhead Magazine. He responded with a kind ‘Thank you’ and how fun it was to write the article and pay tribute to an album (and his friends) in proper way.

In Cartellone’s article, I found out that the band had reunited for a short reunion tour in 2012(and an upcoming small tour in 2013).  I can only imagine how cool it would have been to see these 3 perform the songs from this album in a small intimate live setting. Thanks to the technology of the 21st Century(and YouTube), many of my fellow fans of the band have posted some live video of the performances. These are great performances with some cool close-ups. I have watched these videos repeatedly and I am energized by these performances and the music played by these exceptional musicians. I only wish I could see the band live and share the experience with more people.

As I start writing more blogs on some of these lesser known albums, I reflect on the music that has touched me in my own personal way.  For years, there have been many books and lists of albums by many critics and tastemakers that state “the greatest” of all time or this or that decade etc.  I want to highlight music that touched me at a certain time in my journey as a music lover, drummer, musician and human being. I may have discovered this music in my own way. I may be the only one in my circle of friends that found an album to be “great” or a favorite. But, I know one thing. I liked or loved that album for my own reasons.  Hopefully, as you read this, you’ll seek out some of your own lesser known favorites from your past as well and revisit them. I’m sure there will be a memory(or more) to go with it.