Music Listening Habits (and Favorites) for 2011

It's the beginning of another year and there has been an outpouring of "Best of" lists that have come out. For the past couple of years, I really haven't had any favorite from that year. This year has been different. Thanks to the internet and social media outlets like Facebook. I have been able to keep up with the bands and artists that I like. Gone is the day of MTV and the radio keeping you updated on music(at least for me). So, for 2011, here is my favorite releases of the year. I don’t like numbering or single out one album or another as to which is better than the other or I liked one better than the other. I realize some of these bands have been around for years. But, this is my list and these were just MY favorites releases of 2011.
Mr. Big – What If?

One of my favorite bands of the late 80’s and early 90’s was the band Mr. Big featuring instrumental virtuosos Paul Gilbert on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, Eric Martin on vocals and Pat Torpey on drums.  Of course, many associate Mr. Big with the “hair” bands of the late 80’s and their hit acoustic single To Be With You. I always felt they were more than that. I saw them in concert a couple times in the 90’s and was blown away both times. I actually met singer Eric Martin in the Crossroads Mall in Omaha and he seemed very personable too. I continued to follow the band as their fame waned in the states while they reached Beatlemania sized fame in Japan.  They broke up in the early 2000’s but reunited with a Japanese tour in 2009.  The reunion went well. So, they returned in 2011 with a new studio album on Frontiers Records(where 80’s rock bands go to get record deals) called What if?  Many could say that these virtuosos can play practically anything on their respective instruments. But, can they write a catchy song with a good melody?  I believe they could and I still they do. This album was a fine return to form for these guys. They can chug out a locomotive groove on tracks like the album opener Undertow

…and They rock out on a Van Halen type double bass drum boogie on American Beauty.  Of course, there is a couple of ballads too. Since their original release, I’ve been a big fan of drummer Pat Torpey and the groove he establishes on all of the songs. This album is no exception.  I know this album made Radio and VH1 personality Eddie Trunk’s 2011 list and he claims it’s the band’s best album since their debut album back in 1989.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You

Speaking of drummers who know how to make a band groove, 2011 saw at least two high profile recordings of drummer Chad Smith. First was a new release from his day job and regular band – The Red Hot Chili Peppers and their newest release in 5 years called I’m With You.  I honestly believe what makes the Chili Peppers as good as they are is the solid rhythm section that Smith and bassist Flea have established since Smith joined for the 1989 album Mother’s Milk.  Chad Smith has the style of playing that I love in rock. To me, Chad Smith is the perfect cross between Hendrix’s Mitch Mitchell and Zeppelin’s John Bonham. After a 3-4 year band hiatus, the band came back together with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. Of course, my ear is naturally tuned into the drums and bass.  So, I didn’t notice much difference in song structure with the new guitarist.  Chad keeps it funky throughout the album. I actually prefer listening to this album as opposed to watching videos and live footage from the album. I love the sound of this band. But, I find lead singer Anthony Keidis’s new “look” very disturbing.  He has a cheesy mustache that looks like something from a…uh…Oh well…you figure it out. His hair is long in front and is flopped over his eyes which downright bugs me. Here’s the video for the lead off single and video for The Adventures of Raindance Maggie. Obviously, if you know your Rock n’ Roll History, this is reminiscent of the Beatles in their movie/documentary Let it Be and also U2’s video for Where the Streets Have No Name.

Speaking of Rock&Roll History, 2012 marks the year where the Red Hot Chili Peppers are to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  This band has been going since the early 80’s. They definitely deserve it. So, that’s something for them to mark in their history of accomplishments.
The other high profile recording gig that Chad Smith had this year was the release of the second album by rock supergroup Chickenfoot called Chickenfoot III.  Yes, you read that correctly. The band has made the statement in the press that they had matured so much as a band since their first release it was like they skipped right over the second album and went straight to the third. How’s that for an explanation?
This album is a very strong album that stretches out with better song structure, more mature lyrical content, and some exploratory bass playing from the often overlooked Michael Anthony. As I’ve stated before, my ear is naturally drawn towards the sound of Chad Smith’s drums. But, on this album, I was drawn to the stories that are told through Sammy’s lyrics. The band did some great pre-release “behind the album” press via podcasts and YouTube Videos. I actually reviewed this on another blog website. This album was just a more mature album. Sammy’s lyrics dealt with more than his usual partying/ tequila drinking/driving really fast subject matter. Although, the first single – Bigfoot is about “my big foot on the gas”. Other than that, Sammy touches on relationships. Whether it’s dealing with the death of his longtime manager(Up Next) or the relationship with his wife(and the intense complications that make up a marriage) to the plight of the unemployed in America(Three and a Half Letters), this album struck a chord in me more than just the funky rhythmic timekeeping of Chad Smith.

Another “Supergroup” album that had a giant leap forward in songwriting and band synergy was Black Country Communion and the album Black Country Communion 2. 

This band is made of vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes(Deep Purple), drummer Jason Bonham(son of Zep’s John Bonham, UFO, Foreigner, Paul Rodgers), Former Dream Theater keyboards Derek Sherinian and blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa.  I actually enjoyed the first album(which came out in late 2010). It was a nice taste to whet the appetite for the classic rock sound of the 70’s(a’la Zeppelin & Deep Purple) Joe Bonamassa had become a favorite guitarist in the blues genre(and guitarists worldwide). But, He also has a deep love for the era of 70’s Rock. The first album seemed to be more of a showcase for Glenn Hughes with his exceptional howling vocals and a welcome comeback it was. But, It felt like a lot of highs and locomotive driving rock with little to no time to (hypothetically) catch your breath. There was no valleys to the mountainous rock heaviness. Bonamassa is a decent vocalist and I think using his talents along with Glenn’s in harmony might have helped the first album too. That being said, they still represent what artist development was like in the 70’s when a band could grow with each album. This second outing has a great sense of continuity. The drumming is solid (as always) from Jason Bonham.  Jason is the son of Zeppelin’s John Bonham. But, he’s 45 years old now.  At times, he can be at a disadvantage because his father has become THE most iconic dead rock drummer of all time.  With that, he is inevitably being compared to his father.  Sometimes (as fans) we have a tendency to exalt dead musicians to something greater than they really were….and I’ve been guilty of it too.  But, this definitely showcases the entire band.  The first album seemed to keep Derek’s keyboards buried in the mix. One thing that excited me about this band when it was originally announced (with Sherinian on keyboards) is that I would get a taste of some Hammond organ (a la Jon Lord of Deep Purple). It’s definitely on this one. The first two songs chug along nicely with the Outsider and Man in the Middle.

Then, the band slows it down with The Battle for Hadrian’s Wall. I don’t know who Hadrian is or what his wall has anything to do with this rock band. But, it is probably one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s starts with acoustic guitar and precedes to rock much like a classic rock mythological tale.


…continuing on is a song called Save Me which according to Jason Bonham was a song he had presented to Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones when the plans for a full blown Led Zeppelin reunion was seriously talked about that ultimately didn’t happen. This song has the epic mid-tempo grind of an old Zeppelin with thundering bass drum holding everything together.  The rest of the album switches from absolute barn buster rockers to bluesy heartfelt ballads to acoustic folksy heavy rock. Obviously, the bedrock of this is the heavy drum sound because of Jason and his father’s influence on him and the band too. This was just one album of many that came out this year that I really liked. There was so much and I spent so much of the time listening to these late at night that I would then being lulled to sleep in the comfort of the great music only to be woken mid album by an absolute rocker.
When Glenn Hughes was recruited to replace bassist Roger Glover of Deep Purple in 1973, he was introduced to Ian Gillan’s replacement who was an unknown singer named David Coverdale.  After Deep Purple disbanded in 1976, Coverdale started his own heavy bluesy dual guitar band known as Whitesnake.  This band has seen many lineup changes with musicans ranging from classic bands of the 70’s and metal bands of the 80’s. Most people know Whitesnake from their heyday in the late 80’s where they were more hair and videos with Tawny Kitaen than anything bluesy and hard rock.  In the early 2000’s, Coverdale reformed the band with guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach. The bassists and drummers have changed since then. In 2011, the band was solidified with the drumming of Brian Tichy and the album Forevermore. 

I had followed Brian Tichy’s career since he first appeared on singer Sass Jordan’s album Rats and Zakk Wylde’s band Pride & Glory.  Brian’s career has slowly been building to this point. In 2007, Brian replaced Jason Bonham in Foreigner and I was honored to see him play with Foreigner in October 2009. I was seriously impressed with his playing. His drum solo was very well executed and entertaining and I was lucky enough to catch his drumstick that night too.
Once again, this is an album that has the Zep-like guitar riffs and heavy rock drums that I love to hear.  The riffs are very meaty and the production is so full that the guitar parts just fill the mix. Coverdale’s voice has aged a bit. He never really could reach those high notes in the 80’s. He’s always had a more natural smoky baritone to his vocals in my opinion. So, let’s stop with the Robert Plant comparisons then. From the opening chords of Steal Your Heart Away to Love Will Set You Free, the first 3 tracks are solid rockers showcasing a tight band with a love for this music.

Track 4 is Easier Said Than Done and it’s really a sweet mid-tempo love song. But, I don’t feel like it’s a cheesy type power ballad like we heard in the 80’s.
It’s also filled with acoustic numbers reminiscent of 80’s MTV Unplugged with One of These Days. In fact, I can almost imagine the band sitting on soundstage on stools strumming along to this one.  There are some bluesy stuff too with Whipping Boy Blues.  But, the showcase for new drummer Brian Tichy is the title track Forevermore.  It’s even included at the end of the album with an extended drum solo. The lyrics on this one seem a little cliche’. But, it rocks with a revved up boogie feel. And when that’s done right, I have nothing to complain about. 
Another band from the 80’s that made a huge comeback in the world of Heavy Metal was New York Thrash icons – Anthrax! They hadn’t released an album in years and there had  been all kinds of shake-ups and questions concerning the lead vocalist duties these past 5-6 years. Then, it was announced that they had been recording with Joey Belladonna from the classic 80’s lineup.  The result was the release of Worship Music
 
Once again, radio and VH1’s That Metal Show host Eddie Trunk trumpeted this as one of the best Metal albums of the year. I would have to agree. I haven’t bought a thrash metal album in years. I haven’t had any real interest in this band since the early 90’s. I was elated with this album. This one is just phenomenal! It slams! It rocks! It melts the flesh from your face. There’s a reason these guys were on the forefront of the thrash movement in the 80’s. They’ve even played a few shows with the “Big 4” forefathers of thrash… Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax this past year. With the interest in the air about this band, I was excited to hear this one as well. In my circle of friends, I know guys that like the lineup with Joey Belladonna and some that don’t. I never had that strong of an opinion on the whole thing. For me, Belladonna gave this band a vocal identity different from the rest of the pack.
In the years between albums, the band (and the Heavy Metal community) lost a couple of iconic figures with the 2005 murder of Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell and Ronnie James Dio’s death in 2010. So, Anthrax has a song on this album called In the End that is dedicated to those two. But, once again, this band has true diversity in this album but still being very “METAL” in their delivery. In all honesty, I’m still giving this album a full listen. It’s so full of great heavy riffs and it’s so epic. I just haven’t had a chance to digest it all. But, I really really like it.

In the early 90’s, I was one of those music fans that didn’t really embrace the musical movement out of Seattle. When the “powers that be” tell me this is what’s popular and I have to like it, I usually resist.  I wasn’t a big fan of Nirvana. I’ve always said that I like (Nirvana drummer) Dave Grohl more as a frontman for his band Foo Fighters than as a drummer. Even in recent years, the Foo Fighters has become the go-to band for TV broadcasts that are looking for a token “ROCK” band.  So, I feel like the Foo Fighters have been oversaturated in the media. But, when I started to hear the buzz on the new Foo Fighters’ album Wasting Light, my curiosity got the best of me.

I picked up a copy of the CD and listened to it. The amazing story about this album is that it was all recorded on analog tape…no computers involved in the production process. The band even released the CD with a little strip of tape within the CD. As simple as this sounds, recording in analog is a process that is practically foreign now in the 21st Century. The result is a very warm album with a great attetion to the sonic details when making this album.
Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins did a really cool interview with Modern Drummer magazine about the album. He talked about how he and Dave write music together from the drummer’s perspective. I love albums written from the perspective of the drummer. Some may just write this album off as some kind of “post-grunge” music. It’s so much more than any genre can categorize. It has the reckless abandon of Grohl’s punk influence. But, it incorporates so many different sounds and influences of the other band members. Taylor Hawkins has a love for music of the 70’s like Queen and prog-era Genesis along with 80’s icons the Police and Jane’s Addiction. There are many examples in his playing of the influence of Stewart Copeland’s hi-hat work. The band now incorporates 3 guitars along with bass and drums which makes them sound so huge.

I’m a big fan of the second track Rope. The song even includes a small drum solo showcase by Hawkins.  This video is from a series of live performances that the band did at the Ed Sullivan Theatre called “Live on Letterman”.  Obviously, they are going for the iconic Beatles look from the Fab Four’s debut on Ed Sullivan back in 1964. Bottom line is that I love this album, the production and the fact that I’m actually starting to look outside my regular listening “comfort” zone again.

Black Stone Cherry - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

I first came to know about these guys from a small write up in Modern Drummer magazine that highlighted drummer John Fred Young  who is the son of the Kentucky Headhunters rhythm guitarist Richard Young and nephew of drummer Fred Young.  I was a big fan of Kentucky Headhunters in the early 90’s. So, I was interested in what this band would sound like. At first, they seemed a little abrasive and didn’t really light me on fire.  I had downloaded a couple of songs. Then, this past spring, my friend Mark posted that he saw them open for Alter Bridge and was rather impressed. So, I decided to give them another chance. 
I found the first single White Trash Millionaire amusing. When you grow up in Central Nebraska, you tend to meet many guys who are quite the gear heads and absolutely love their souped up muscle cars etc.

I’ve got a Trans Am in primered paint
Nobody taught me I was born this way
No Silver Spoon to feed a 401K
On Bourbon Street the girls they scream
They’re calling out my name

Another song I really found memorable is In My Blood which is the third track. It seems to convey the loss of being in a band and being on the road and being away from friends and family for long periods of time. At least that’s the way I perceived it.

The album has such a diverse series of songs. From pounding rockers like Such a Shame to the heartfelt lyrics of Won’t Let Go.  Then there’s the innuendo laden lyrics of Blame it on the Boom Boom.  The band shows their southern rock influence by doing of heavy rocking cover of Marshall Tucker’s Can’t You See.  I’ve seen a lot of lists for 2011 and I’m surprised this one wasn’t on many.
John Fred Young is the nephew of the Kentucky Headhunters drummer Fred Young and the guitarist(and co-leader) of this next band is the nephew of Allman Brothers Band drummer – Butch Trucks. Of course, I’m talking about guitarist Derek Trucks. This past year, he decided to combine a band with his wife Susan Tedeschi and form the Tedeschi Trucks Band. I wasn’t sure what to think about this band until I heard the new album Revelator.

I loved Derek Trucks Band albums Songlines and Already Free.  The band dynamic is so incredible. I wanted to hear more. On the album Already Free, Derek had used guest vocalists including Doyle Bramhall II and his wife Susan. Of course, as a married musical couple, they had been touring together too. So, it was only natural that they would combine their musical talents in a band. They retained DTB vocalist Mike Mattison(for background vox) and on keyboards Kofi Burbridge. This new band includes Kofi’s brother Oteil on bass (who Derek plays with in the Allman Brothers Band) along with two drummers and a horn section.  Where the Derek Trucks Band had been very funky and bluesy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band is funky, soulful, and earthy.

They had issued a free download before the album’s release called Bound for Glory.  As I played it back on my MP3 player, it began to grow on me.  When I first started getting into Derek Trucks and his playing, I had likened his slide playing as a nice big comfortable recliner or a blanket. I felt soothed by his slide-guitar playing.  Thanks to the internet in today’s culture, you’re able to sample or even listen to an entire album before making a purchase. So, I believe I found a website that was streaming the album a couple days before release. As I listened to it, I was won over on this one too. His guitar truly sings. With the added horn section, it seemed more like a 70’s R&B band. Then, I got to the third track called Midnight in Harlem.

It wasn’t overly funky or instrumentally dazzling. It was the emotion that Susan Tedeschi was conveying through her bluesy vocals.  When I feel touched emotionally through a song, I will usually post that video via my Facebook page. So, I started started searching for a video of this song. What I found was this band performing songs at Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival.  I have the 2007 Festival on DVD and I really like the version Susan and Mike Mattison do of the Derek and the Dominoes song Anyway. So, I wasn’t surprised by the outstanding performances. But, I found a performance of the band playing and old Delaney and Bonnie song Comin’ Home.  That’s when it hit me. This band was what I liked about both the Derek and Dominoes album and Delaney & Bonnie. It was very earthy, swampy, feel-good music with a foot in the blues that just sets “my worried soul” at rest.  So often, after a day of work and stress, everyone needs a way to decompress. Listening to this album is what worked for me.
Since Derek Trucks is also a member of the Allman Brothers Band, I couldn’t go without mentioning an early favorite of mine in 2011. That would be the very bluesy solo album by Gregg Allman Low Country Blues.
 
Back in January, I posted my review for this album. I believed then it was one of the best albums of 2011 and since I’m including it in my favorites of 2011 blog, I still do. It has that unmistakable T-Bone Burnett production that he’s become known for over the past 10 years with Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s Raising Sand and the soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou?.  I honestly think that a great project for Gregg Allman and T-Bone Burnett would be to include Eric Clapton. This album and the production has the “grit” that Clapton needs if he decides to do another straight “Blues” album.
Coincidentally, both Gregg’s album and the Tedeschi Trucks album were nominated for best blues album along with their fellow Allman Brother bandmate Warren Haynes and his solo album Man in Motion.  As I look through my picks for favorites of this past year, I see that both the Foo Fighters album and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are nominated for best Rock Album. So, it’ll be interesting to see how much air time these acts will get for the network broadcast in February.
Other albums that piqued my interest this past year were Dream Theater’s A Dramatic Turn of Events (with new drummer Mike Mangini), Warren Haynes’ Man in Motion, Megadeth’s Th1rt3en, and Leslie West’s Unusual Suspects. I heard bits and pieces of these albums. But, not enough to make a solid opinion of them or include them in my “Top 10” of this past year.
As I grow older, I tend to dip back into the well of music that’s come from the past. In that search, I find bands that I was A) too stubborn to admit I liked or B) had a passing fondness for a really great band. In that, I find great bands I’ve been depriving myself from.   This past year, I rediscovered how great Pearl Jam’s debut really was. I fell in love with the awesome riffs and songs that Leslie West and Mountain came up with. My favorite anniversary/remastered (besides Pink Floyd) was the 40th anniversary edition of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung…..and (as their opening announcement states) Cheap Trick really is “the best f**king rock band you’ve ever seen”.  At least they were for me in 2011.
Looking forward to 2012….that 17 year old mullet headed kid is hoping not to be disappointed by Van Halen’s new album A Different Kind of Truth.  I’m hoping Aerosmith can be bring back some of their classic rock glory to overshadow singer Steven Tyler’s stint as a judge on American Karaoke…er uh Idol!  As always, I can never get enough of those boys from the Great White North…Rush. So, I look forward to the 2012 release of Clockwork Angels.  2012 could be an exciting year for some new music from some of my favorite artists.  I look forward to writing more music memory blogs and (of course) listening to more music.

KISS – Destroyer (1976)

This past month, the annual list of inductees for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame was released. Every year, there is a wave of hope by rock fans that their favorite band will be on that list. For me, there is definitely a list of bands that I feel should be in the Hall of Fame.  The top four on my list would be the bands Deep Purple, Rush, Cheap Trick and the rock phenomenon known as KISS. The album (by this band) that I’ll be highlighting is the band’s 1976 33 minute opus Destroyer.

I know KISS doesn’t ever really get the respect of more “serious” artists like Springsteen, Bob Dylan or Neil Young. It is hard considering they rose to fame as four guys in platform shoes and black and white face paint.  They also became one of the biggest Rock n’ Roll marketing franchises ever. But, when you go back to 1976 and look at the musical landscape of the day, it’s easy for me to feel a little nostalgic. The bottom-line about KISS is they looked like comic book characters come to life and they were just plain fun.
In 1976, I was 9 years old. I was still being influenced musically by what my older sisters had been listening to. Looking back at the charts in 1976, it’s was probably songs like KC & the Sunshine Band’s (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty, Barry Manilow’s I Write the Songs, and the Bay City Rollers’ Saturday Night.  But, I still went to public school where there were other boys(with older male siblings) who listened to more masculine rock n’ roll acts.  I remember Jeff J. and Mark W. bringing the (I assume) was the inner booklet to the KISS Alive double album. It had pictures of the band as they performed. Paul Stanley was the “Starchild” who was shirtless and pranced around on stage as a definite presence. Ace Frehley was the “Space Ace” guitarist that had silver makeup and a “spacey” looking costume. In some of the pictures, his guitar looked like it was on fire. Peter Criss was the “Catman” and seemed to have a huge set of drums. There were tom-toms all around him.  Lastly, the one band member that everyone talked about, was Gene Simmons. He was the “Demon” and spit blood and breathed fire! I’m sure (looking back) Gene Simmons’ demon character that scared most parents.  But, this was hard rock and it was exciting and daring compared to the safeness of John Denver and his wholesome image.
I’ve watched a bunch of YouTube videos and “Behind the Music” type stories on the history of KISS. I don’t remember where I was when Destroyer came out. But, I do remember hearing bits and pieces of it and the furor that surrounded it.  The band had made a big splash on the music scene with the release of KISS Alive.  This was to be the studio follow-up to the live album. They enlisted the help of producer Bob Ezrin. In 1976, Ezrin was known for producing albums by Aerosmith, Alice Cooper and Lou Reed. Over the years, he’s gone on to produce for more artists including Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel and two of my favorite albums Bonham’s A Disregard for Timekeeping and Trevor Rabin’s Can’t Look Away.
The album starts out with Detroit Rock City.  But, it’s a little different. Ezrin has used this on different projects he’s worked on.  He uses ambient sounds like car doors slamming and engines revving and the sounds of radios blaring to let the listener use their imaginations to construct a story behind the song. This song starts with the sound of a news story on the radio(or TV) about a car accident involving a head-on collision. Then, we hear someone driving their car with the Rock and Roll All Nite on the radio. At 1:33, The initial song seemingly transitions from the sound of the car revving into the actual song with Gene’s rumbling bass. The song is steamrolled with Peter Criss drumming away. Paul wails away on vocals and the simplistic riff carries through the song. Then the twin guitar lead of Ace and Paul harmonizing. I’ve always been a sucker for a twin guitar lead. From the Allman Brothers to Thin Lizzy, I’ve always loved that sound.

We hear the car skid into something and the eventual crash and the song segues right into the second track King of the Night Time World.  The continuity of these two songs fading into each other really packs a mighty punch. As I was researching this album, I found that the infamous Kim Fowley (who went on to manage the all-girl group the Runaways) was a co-writer on this song.
As I’m writing this album memory, I didn’t want to just wade through all the different songs as I’ve done before. My exposure to this album was one of a couple KISS albums my sister Kathy owned.  As I look back, it’s funny to think my sister owned this album on vinyl and a copy of KISS’s Rock and Roll Over on 8-Track. My sister was a teenager during this time and the main artists she would listen to would be Shaun Cassidy, the Bay City Rollers and Andy Gibb. But, because of the many “Record clubs” that were available in those days, she would often order a few of these albums too. So, I was rather excited for myself and for her when this album arrived at the house. 
This was a bit of  new turn for KISS. The band had been riding a wave after the success of the Alive album. The first single off this album was supposed to be Detroit Rock City. The B-Side of the single was a lush piano and strings laced ballad written by drummer Peter Criss and producer Ezrin called Beth. According to “KISStory”, a DJ in Georgia flipped the Detroit Rock City single over and started playing the single Beth.  All of a sudden, KISS was being played on the radio in Central Nebraska. My pop loving sister had that “dangerous” stuff in her record club. Even if my small-town parents that were frightened by the outlandish look of KISS, I could show them that KISS had a “nice” song that was performed by the drummer. He wasn’t weird and scary looking like the “Demon” guy and the “Star” guy were.  KISS was everywhere at that point.  They even made it on a primetime Halloween special with Hollywood Squares mainstay Paul Lynde.  The band performed (or lip synched)  King of the Night Time World, Detroit Rock City and (of course) Beth.

They had definitely cracked the mainstream. The song Beth even tied for the People Choice Award for Favorite song with Rick Dees’ Disco Duck that year. I remember following the various awards shows in those days. I was a sucker for a novelty song too. So, it was funny that both Beth and Disco Duck tied for the award.  For a boy like myself, they were the embodiment of HARD ROCK and that was the best kind of rock to be a fan of.  I’ve always said there is something about the sound of the electric guitar that definitely strikes a chord in teenage and prepubescent boys. I was 9 and almost 10 when this all started happening. I wasn’t athletically inclined. I was an avid comic book reader. This would later be the traits of a geek or nerd. Oh well, that’s where I was at the time. But, this hard rock music was something that most of the boys in my age group were into.  As we grew older, we would make comments that “Oh, KISS is stupid” and the stereotypical ignorant “They’re rock stars and they’re all on drugs.”  But, deep down, the band became somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. Who am I kidding? They still are.

Much has been said by critics and musicians over the years of the talent that KISS did or didn’t possess.  Rolling Stone magazine referred to Destroyer as “bloated ballads, pedestrian drumming and lackluster performances” in their initial review.  The album was only to receive recognition in much later years. In 1989, Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No. 36 among the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time". In 2003, it was ranked number 496 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2006, it was placed No. 60 on Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. In the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die,  Bruno McDonald writes,

“Fans have debated Destroyer’s merits since its release….But the band have spent their career trying to match it.”

Of course, they were not virtuosos on their instruments. They put on some of the most elaborate stage shows of the 70’s.  They wore makeup and high platform shoes. But, their act was visual and (after 1976) they were everywhere. There was also the secret of how they looked without the makeup. It was a bit of mystery to what they really looked like and they were never to be seen in public without their makeup on.
When I was 10 years old, I decided to take part in the school band program, I picked the snare drum(singular..at first). It was the summer between my 5th and 6th grade year. Many kids were given the choice to start in band in the 5th grade. I hesitated. But one night I realized I really wanted to pursue the drums and the ole intangible spell of the drums hit me. A few of my friends had parents that bought them the standard beginner snare drum kit from Ludwig. My parents found a friend of the family that had a used snare drum(with no stand).  I remember showing it to my friend Tom T.  He asked me what the brand was. We looked at the snare strainer and the word “Pearl” was etched on the snares. I told him I thought it was the Pearl brand.  He immediately replied,  “That’s the best! That’s the kind of drums Peter Criss plays”  Sure enough, I looked on the back of the Destroyer album cover and it read:

“KISS proudly endorses Gibson guitars and Pearl Drums. Because when KISS wants the best, they get the best!”

That summer, we would have some kind of summer band program at the High School band room.  I remember there was a bunch of guys there who had already decided to decorate their drumsticks like Peter Criss. It seems like there may have been a picture of Peter with some black tape displayed in stripes at the top of his sticks. So, there were a couple of those guys with sticks decorated that way.
Time went by and so did the tastes of my peers as we grew older. Peter Criss left the band in 1980. He was replaced with a new drummer named Eric Carr. The band appeared in 1983 on MTV to finally present themselves without the makeup. By this time, original guitarist Ace Frehley had left the band too. So, Paul and Gene were the only original members that many fans really cared about what they really looked like. They toured without makeup for the remainder of the 80’s and into the 90’s.
By the mid-80’s, I was in college and I was taking in all kinds of music. But, KISS was still a guilty pleasure for me. While living in the dorms, I was always curious to look at some of the record collections of the other guys on my floor. By the mid 80’s, many guys didn’t even use a turntable and listened to most of their music on a cassette. I befriended a guy across the hall from me and he had a copy of Destroyer on cassette. This was probably the first time I had actually listened to the album in its entirety. When I was younger, I would listen to the songs on my sister’s LP that I knew.  I loved the ambient sounds that producer Bob Ezrin employed to open the album.  To this day, when I hear the album start, I have flashes of walking to the parking lot behind Mantor Hall on the UNK campus. It makes me think of driving into the parking lot there in my freshman year of college.  I would talk to many of my classmates and fellow music students and it seemed we all had a guilt to “Rock and Roll All Nite”  On a road trip to a concert in Omaha, one of my friends put in a cassette copy of KISS Alive.  The car was filled with a bunch of us that were college music majors.  We laughed as we enjoyed it. We agreed that they were a “really good bad band”.  I’ve always said that the song structure and the playing was simple. But, there were some definite moments of greatness. I found that Ace’s guitar solos were very tasteful and not overbearing and flashy.  As my record collection grew, I had owned both the Alive albums from the makeup years.  That was about it. I was always tempted to own a copy of Destroyer again.  
In 1996, the original band of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley reunited in full costume and makeup and set out on a grand tour. 

By this time, I was unashamed of my guilty pleasure. So, my friends and I ordered our tickets and we were on our way to see the reunited KISS play at the Omaha Civic Auditorium.  I know people have said it before. But, it was like 1976 all over again.  I was too young to see them in 1976.  Now, I was twenty years older and I absolutely loved the concert. It was such a fun time.  Interestingly enough, the opening band that night was the Swing revival band Royal Crown Revue. It seemed rather mismatched at the time. But, It showed how diverse the guys in KISS were willing to be for their reunion tour. I’ve recently been in contact with RCR drummer Daniel Glass about this blog. He’s a great drummer, writer and historian of jazz and rock drumming of the 20th Century.
As I write this and continue to listen to the Destroyer album, I’m reminded of some great lesser known songs that became staples of the KISS catalog too.  Do You Love Me, Flaming Youth and Shout it Out Loud are all songs that really fill out the album. The coincidental song of the album is God of Thunder.  Paul Stanley actually wrote this song. But, he eventually gave the song to Gene Simmons because it fit his vocal style better. Now this song has become Gene’s signature piece that goes into his solo spectacle of spitting blood and being lifted to the rafters of the stage to sing the song. It was exciting to see this live in concert. We had heard stories of Gene’s fear of heights. So, when he was raised to the rafters, we could see a little bit of hesitance in his demeanor.
I’m sure many will continue to argue the influence of KISS on today’s music and the way concerts are presented. Garth Brooks said in the early 90’s that his stage show was inspired by KISS’s concerts in th 70’s. Garth became one of the first country artists to have a big “rockin” country show. It’s also amusing to me that orignial members Peter and Ace are the ones that were fired, booted, forced out(whatever) in the early 2000’s. Peter was replaced by Eric Singer who replaced Eric Carr when he got sick in the early 90’s and Ace was replaced by guitarist/road manager/KISS fanatic Tommy Thayer. Instead of giving these guys new “makeup” characters, they have taken over the costumes of the Catman and the Spaceman. This has become an issue of contempt for longtime fans. I find it ironic though that musicians who grew up on KISS in the 70’s have stated that both Ace and Peter were influential in picking up their respective instruments. I’ve read that Pantera’s “Dimebag” Darrell, Skid Row’s ‘Snake’ Sabo and Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil all praise the playing of Ace as one of the guys they looked to as influence on guitar. In VH1’s Behind the Music, Tommy Lee of Motley Crue that he was inspired by Peter Criss and his huge onstage drumset. So, the two guys that are no longer in the band are probably the two that are singled out as the most influential as musicians. I’m not saying they were virtuosos by any means. But, an argument could be made that KISS was as influential to kids in the 70’s as the Beatles were to kids in the 60’s. Not that Paul and Gene can hold a candle to the songwriting of Lennon/McCartney. I’m saying that both bands were made up of four distinct personalities from two very ubiquitous bands.
In 1978, While KISS’s popularity was rising, they made a TV movie called KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.  I was so excited to see this movie at the time. The movie debuted on NBC-TV only a few nights before Halloween that year. So, I have distinct memories of my friends changing their minds regarding what they were going to dress up as for the costumed holiday. I was a huge Star Wars fan and I fashioned my own Luke Skywalker costume. But, I couldn’t take my toy lightsaber or blaster trick-or-treating. So, the costume fell kinda flat that year.  But, I had friends that went as Gene’s demon, Ace’s Spaceman and Peter’s Catman. As I grew into adulthood and dressing up for Halloween became cool for adults, I decided that I wanted to go as Peter Criss in the Catman outfit. My ex-wife was always willing to put the makeup on for me. So, in 2002, I dressed up as Peter Criss for my job at a TV station and the annual employee Halloween costume contest.  The problem was that no one was familiar with all the classic KISS members as I was. So, the only one anybody ever knew was Gene Simmons. I only got 2nd place in the competition. But, the boy who grew to like KISS in the mid 70’s was able to fulfill a childhood dream and dress up like a member of KISS.
Now KISS is everywhere. Gene has his own "reality" show that is obviously scripted. They are seen in Wal-Mart commercials, Pepsi and Dr Pepper commercials and even KISS themed lottery scratch tickets. But, I still find a great pleasure in listening to those classic KISS albums from the 70’s. There is just something fun, cool and very escapist for me to put these on and just revel in the music and memories of this undeniable band and this album.

Jethro Tull – Aqualung

When you’re thinking of the instruments associated with Rock n’ Roll and starting a band, You usually think of the electric guitar, bass, drums, maybe even some honky tonk piano or a Hammond organ, some saxophone….and the flute!?!

Wait a minute!………….THE FLUTE??????

When I think of the flute, I usually think of the front row of high school and college band. The flute section was usually filled with a few cute girls (and a few questionable) and maybe one guy. You don’t really think of something testerone filled and masculine like a distorted electric guitar and Rock n’ Roll and you definitely don’t think of groundbreaking progressive music from the 70’s…unless you’re talking about Ian Anderson and his band Jethro Tull. The record and song that most people associate with Jethro Tull and the album I’ll be writing about is none other than the 1971 classic Aqualung

Along with the various record stores I would frequent in my youth, I would also take time to visit bookstores (mostly Waldenbooks) to look at comics, Rock n’ Roll books and biographies, and books on nude photography. After all, I was a teenage boy. One book I eventually bought was a book titled The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock.

I would page through the books and read through the captions, check out the band lineups to see who was playing what instruments. Obviously, I would find out that the leader, vocalist and flautist of this band – Jethro Tull was Ian Anderson. I still look back and chuckle about that one.  I once encountered in my many trips to record stores a patron who didn’t understand the difference between band name and band leader. I was listening to a conversation between the store clerk and this simple customer probably just making small talk.  As he talked, I began to learn something about myself and that I actually know more about rock music and its history than most people(most people don’t care). I listened to this enthusiastic fellow tell the record store clerk that he “sure did like Jethro Tull. Ya got any albums by that ‘Jethro Tull fella’?”  I may be exaggerating a bit. But, the guy had obviously confused Ian Anderson as THE person Jethro Tull.  Oddly enough, Anderson had named the band after an 18th Century Author/Agriculturist named Jethro Tull.

On one of my many weekend visits to Dustys Records, My friend Shaun and I would make some absolutely important purchases.  I do remember one weekend Shaun bought a copy of Emerson Lake & Palmer’s  Brain Salad Surgery and Jethro Tull’s Aqualung.  We headed back to Shaun’s dorm room with LP’s in hand. I related to Shaun in the fact that we loved music and drums. He dropped the needle on Aqualung and the drums of Clive Bunker drove the through the opening title track. I had grown up with 3 sisters that listened to stuff like Shaun Cassidy, the Bay City Rollers, Bee Gees, Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand. Even though I had seen the name Jethro Tull,  I had no idea what the band sounded like. But, I liked it. Shaun would sing along…and I was hooked.

 

“Sitting on a park bench….
Eying up little girls with bad intent
Snots running down his nose
Greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes, hey, Aqualung!”

 

The Flute peppers the beginning of the second track Cross-eyed Mary.  If I thought the title track was cool, this was another revelation. I’ve never been one to listen to the lyrics first. So, for me, it was the instrumentation and the rhythms that drew me in. The combination of flute, organ, guitar and drums simply made the transition from song to song absolutely seamless.  From there, the rest of the album just flowed together as one movement.

 

The use of acoustic guitars and impeccable musicianship continue throughout with tunes like Cheap Day Return and Mother Goose. It was folky as it would transport me(the listener) back to a medieval time of traveling minstrels. Yet, as I would settle into an imaginary Welsh countryside, the band would kick in with Bunker’s throttling drums and the piercing electric guitars of Martin Barre. There’s just something individualistic about the the sound of Tull.  In my listening history, Zeppelin had prepared me with acoustic tinged songs penned at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales. But, it was Jethro Tull that stayed in that world of Medieval England where Zeppelin would venture back into the Blues of Southern Black America.  I often put on Zeppelin’s Rain Song when the weather prompts the music with a cloudy misty morning. But, Jethro Tull feels like a peaceful rainy day. Relax, put your feet up, read a tale of King Arthur or even Tolkien’s Middle Earth. The album finishes up with an amusing song titled Locomotive Breath. This song seemed memorable to me also as a rather rocking song too.

 

 

Funny enough, in Will Ferrell’s movie Anchorman –the Legend of Ron Burgundy, His character professes to be an expert in the art of jazz flute. He stands on tables and does an improv with the lounge band….and between breaths screams “Heey Aqualung!”  The ironic note is that there is no flute in that song.

I remember seeing live footage of Aqualung on MTV’s Closet Classics where the band lineup had changed and left-handed Mark Craney was on drums and multi-instrumentalist Eddie Jobson was on keyboards and everyone was dressed in white jumpsuits(as opposed to the medieval garb) with the letter A emblazoned on them.

It was reviewed rather favorably when it was originally released. The Allmusic guide called it “A Bold Statement” and “Extremely Profound”  It has been widely regarded as a concept album with a central theme of the distinction “between God and Religion”.  The Allmusic guide also said:

The album's "dour musings on faith and religion" have marked it as "one of the most cerebral albums ever to reach millions of rock listeners".

I don’t know about being “cerebral” or “dour musings”.  I just knew it was a very distinct sound that no other band has come close to.  Heavy Metal giants Iron Maiden even recorded a cover of Cross-Eyed Mary as the B-side to their single The Trooper.  I never owned this on an LP. I had it on my list of albums to pick up and add to my collection. I eventually bought it on CD and it was a 25th Anniversary edition with an additional 3-6 unreleased tracks including an interview with Ian Anderson.  In 2005, the band recorded a live performance of the album in its entirety for the XM Satellite radio network. The royalties from the live album are being donated to various charities for the homeless. This year(2011) it has been announced that the band will release a 40th Anniversary edition of the album(November 1, 2011). It could be a really cool collector’s set. Even when I feel like I’ve listened to it for 3-4 days in a row and I’m getting tired of this album, I begin to enjoy it again and again. Something else jumps out of the recording and hits me again. Perhaps it’s the folkiness, maybe it’s the heaviness…or maybe it’s just the that magical sound of THE FLUTE!

Cheap Trick at the Nebraska State Fair 9-5-2011

Monday night, I was able to see(again) one of the bands that I grew up with and was a big part of my teen years. Over the past 9 months, I went from being a casual/medium fan to a rabid fan that would soak up as much as I could about this 4 piece (5piece with keyboards) band from Rockford, Illinois known as CHEAP TRICK!!

Back in January, I wrote my blog on their pivotal live album Cheap Trick at Budokan.  Funny enough, the woman sitting behind me at last night’s concert tried to tell her friend about the album but couldn’t find the word “Budokan” and kept saying “Live at Bakugon!”  I couldn’t help myself as she struggled with the right word. So, I turned around and corrected her.  When I originally wrote the blog, I dove headfirst into everything Cheap Trick and their catalog of music.  I had owned the Budokan album in about 3 different formats. I had listened to a little bit of my older sister’s Cheap Trick 8-tracks and I had two of their lesser known albums (Next Position Please and One on One).  In fact, Next Position Please was one of my favorite albums by the band. So, I had some catching up to do on the band’s catalog. I bought the Dream Police album back in January and has been a part of my morning commute music at least one or two days a month since then.  Then, I would listen to lesser known albums like 1980’s All Shook Up through my subscription to Napster.  I would go on YouTube to look up old videos to find out that the band had their own YouTube Channel with an extensive catalog of live shows and lost TV appearances from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.  I had seen the band in the summer of 1988 at the Buffalo County fair in Kearney, Nebraska. This was the year of the band’s comeback. Bassist Tom Petersson had rejoined the band and they had a big radio hit with the ballad The Flame.  I didn’t know a lot of the catalog of songs they played that night. They seemed to be going through the motions as if they were back on top and the last place they wanted to be was the middle of Nebraska. So, when I rekindled my interest in this band, I was ready to see them again. I began to look up their live dates for this summer. They were playing in Omaha the first of July. I wanted to see that one but the price of gas and where I would stay in Omaha dampened those plans. On the 2nd of July, they were to be in Greeley Colorado. My sister lives in Estes Park. So, I thought maybe I could make the trip for that one. Once again, gas prices and lack of funds halted that too.  About 3 weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me a message via Facebook that Cheap Trick was coming to play at the Nebraska State Fair which was about 20-25 miles away from me. I WAS GOING TO THIS ONE!  Between that time, I was able to find used CD copies of their albums In Color, Heaven Tonight and All Shook Up for less than $10.  I feel like quite the odd music geek in that I did my homework for this live show. Thanks to the internet, I was able to look up (on the band’s website) the setlists for the last few shows. I WAS READY.

I arrived at the Heartland Events Center early to get my wristband to get into the venue. I walked around the State Fair for awhile. I ran into an old acquaintance of mine – Chuck Salestrom. Chuck and his brother Jim had been in the band Timberline from Kearney Nebraska that had actually been signed to CBS records in the 70’s. Chuck told me the story of the first time he’d seen Cheap Trick. He said it was back in the 70’s at a bar in LA and the band was either just signed or was about to be signed to CBS records.  So, I had the thought of a young hungry band playing the bars of LA was still going and I was going to see them almost 35 years later.  I entered the venue and found myself a seat. On the stage was the band’s equipment sans guitars. Rick Nielsen had his signature checkered amps. Tom Petersson had some awesome looking Orange brand bass amps and next to that I can only imagine was Robin Zander’s classic looking Vox amps like those Fab Four boys from Liverpool used to play. In the middle of the stage is a fantastic looking 4 piece Ludwig drumkit with Sparkle Green finish.  As a drummer who’s played the same sparkle silver drumkit for almost 30 years, I love the look and sound of a Ludwig drumkit.

The lights go down and over the sound system you can hear a conglomeration of Cheap Trick pop culture references from That 70’s Show to the Simpsons along with song samples of their extensive catalog. Then you hear a prerecorded voice of a woman that says….

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, BOYS AND GIRLS
PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE…
THE BEST F***ING ROCK BAND YOU’VE EVER SEEN….
CHEAP TRICK!!!

(This is a video I found online..pretty damn cool)

The band hits the stage. Rick Nielsen has toned down his outlandish outfits of the 70’s and 80’s with a nice suit jacket and baseball cap. He did include his bowtie with the CT logo emblazoned on it. For a band that had a definite image of two “un” rockstar guys and two long-haired rock star guys, that image is pretty much a thing of the past. In fact, bassist Tom Petersson sports a pair of glasses and looks very much like an eccentric college professor.  But, lead singer Robin Zander strides to the front of the stage decked in the iconic white police uniform from the Dream Police album cover.

They start with the obligatory Hello There that is pretty much expected from them in a live sense. 

…would you like to do a number with me
would you like to do a number with me?
WOULD YOU LIKE TA…WOULD LIKE TA?

Nielsen is notorious for switching to different guitars between songs. But, the continuity is good and they don’t miss a beat. Zander steps to the mic and starts off with

Just got back…. been gone too long
wasn’t my idea..didn’t pull the trigger
I feel so bad…feel so glad to be back home.

It’s Just Got Back from All Shook Up and the band is chugging and driving the crowd. I am on top of the world excited. Rick Nielsen’s son Daxx has replaced original drummer Bun E. Carlos as their touring drummer and he is a perfect fit. He keeps this band moving like a well-equipped steam engine!
At this point, Rick Nielsen steps up to the mic and proclaims

“We are Cheap Trick and accept no substitutes”

Then it’s the classic California Man…..from Heaven Tonight and the Budokan album. Then it’s Big Eyes and then back to a song from Dream Police…The House is Rockin!

Rick then switches guitars again and announces this next song that “even Willie Nelson would like”. The crowd waits in anticipation as they go into their cover of the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour.  It’s a Beatles song and they are one band that does absolutely great Beatles covers. They play the song as expected and then break into an extended psychedelic instrumentation.

The spotlight then shifts from Zander and Nielsen to bassist Tom Petersson. Petersson is very much an individual in the world of bassists.  He was one of the first bassists to use a TWELVE-STRING BASS! It’s a thunderous sound that is unmatched. He steps up to the mic and begins to sing his song from Dream Police …I Know What I Want.  This takes me a little bit to recognize this song. But, I am pulled in by that thick full thundering bass.

Of course, if you “know what you want”, then (obviously) ……

I WANT YOU…..TO WANT…….ME!!!

I’m actually a little surprised that they played this hit so early in the evening. But, as the song plays I think of my junior high crush and how I would secretly play this song on the Pizza Hut jukebox for her to hear…and my big smile grows a little bigger with a taste of fond memories.  Next up is Top of the World which was from Heaven Tonight but I know I had heard it from one of the Budokan CD’s I had owned.

Robin Zander makes a comment about this next song being something we could all relate to. I’m not sure what he’s up to at this point. But, the band breaks into Borderline from the 1983 album Next Position Please.  As I said before, I had owned this on cassette back in my high school days and I knew every note and every word of this album. I was so excited to hear this song. I sang along every note with the excitement of the 16 year old who originally heard this album in 1983. By this time, I am singing along and when Zander’s mic is pointed at the crowd, I am screaming, yelling, growling whatever.  They follow up this song with yet another forgotten song…She’s Tight from 1982’s One on One!  I honestly feel sorry for the casual fans at this point. But, at the same time, I feel like a bit of a musical snob as I know these songs and these poor schlubs are waiting through songs they have no idea about.

Next is another song from All Shook Up…It’s Baby Loves to Rock.  This song has a great interplay between Nielsen on guitar, Petersson on bass and Daxx on drums. This song has a lot of start and stops but when the instrumentalist take small solo on their instruments it’s absolutely magical. I especially love to hear the sound of the 12 string bass as it rattles the fillings in my teeth.

in the morning…In the evening…. in the summer….in the winter….
in my car….in the night….in an airplane…not in Russia
SHE LOVES TO ROOOOOCCCCCCKKK!

Daxx takes the drums down low with the slow drum intro of Need Your Love  followed by the droning sound of Tom’s bass and the chugging of Rick’s guitar. Robin Zander leans into and sings in that high tenor…..

Need you love, Need your love , Need your love….
Fell apart, broke your heart
If I flew around the world, I couldn’t find another girl

At this point it hits me that Robin Zander is one of a handful of rock singers/vocalists that can still hit those notes that shot them to fame in the 70’s. He originally recorded these vocals over 30 years ago and he’s still hitting them without a hint of struggle. My own voice was just beginning to change 30 years ago.

From there, Daxx takes his cue and starts putting together those classic drum fills that the great Bun E. Carlos made famous and leads the band into their rendition of Fats Domino’s Ain’t That a Shame!

Next was Sick Man of Europe. I wasn’t familiar with this song. It was featured on the band’s latest release (2009) called The Latest.  I think I had read that this was actually the name of the band. According to Wikipedia, Sick Man of Europe was one of the band names that Nielsen and Petersson used in the early 70’s.

Speaking of 70’s. It’s time for the song that was used for That 70’s Show. (at least part of the theme song)…..

MOMMY’S ALRIGHT, DADDY’S ALRIGHT…THEY JUST SEEM A LITTLE WEIRD!
WE’RE ALL ALRIGHT! WE’RE ALL ALRIGHT!

They finish the song and say the usual “Good nights” and “thanks for coming” . The guys sitting next to me get up and leave. So do the people in front of me. I’m thinking these people do not know proper concert going etiquette. The band says good night like it’s the end of the show. But, they’re coming back for an encore. So, my mind starts racing thinking “what haven’t they played yet?” All I can think of is Dream Police.  Zander is wearing the white Dream Police outfit. Then he picks up an acoustic guitar and starts strumming the opening chords the 80’s power ballad that those of us had put out of our minds. Yes, it was 1988’s The Flame.  AAAGH! I don’t want to hear this song. I had completely forgot about this song.  I start booing. But, after a bit, I feel alone in my disapproval. As the band starts into it, it feels good and the crowd is singing along. Okay, I’ll accept it. Just get to Dream Police next.

The spotlight shines down on Daxx and he takes the drums into the next song along with the rattling bass of Tom Petersson. It’s a slow burning building song! Oh yeah! It’s from the Dream Police album…it’s Gonna Raise Hell.  Zander comes and just nails every vocal. He takes the song from small depths to just screaming. There’s no “Gonna Raise” going on. They are raising Hell now. The band steps back and gives Daxx some room to shine.  For many fans, Bun E. Carlos is the man behind the kit.  Due to some health and back issues, Bun E. is no longer a touring member of the band. But, I would say that if he’s the teacher, Daxx Nielsen is at the top of his class. This guy nailed everything. He inflected his own style in while doing a great tribute to Mr Carlos. The drums were mic’d so well. They were just booming throughout the whole show.

To go with Robin Zander’s white costume, it was finally time for Dream Police.  The band chugs right into the song. There may have been a bit of a delay as Rick Nielsen grabs another guitar. We are now into the third song of the encore! Unbelievable! By this time, I am hoarse from singing along and screaming and growling (my vocal range is low enough..I don’t really scream, It’s kind of a Johnny Winter kind of growl). This is definitely one of the songs I’ve been waiting for.  Earlier this year, the band had played the entire Dream Police album live in Milwaukee with the accompanying string section.

Of course, the break in the song comes and Petersson plunks that heavy 12-string bass and then Rick steps up to the mic to proclaim

I try to sleep. They’re wide awake they won’t leave me alone
They don’t get paid to take vacations or leave me alone.
They spy on me and Try to Hide, they won’t leave me alone!
They find me …..at GRAND ISLAND NEBRASKA!

Next up is Auf Wiedersehen which is (obviously German) for ‘Goodbye’. The band plays like their lives depend on it. Rick Nielsen stalks the stage like no other at this point. He continually heads back to the curtain where his guitars are kept and grabs handfuls of guitar picks and just throws them to the crowd on both stage left and right and center.

(not my video)

Then, he steps backstage and grabs his infamous 5 NECK GUITAR!  As you can tell by these pictures, he wouldn’t stand still. So, it was hard to get a great picture of this man-made marvel of guitars.

 

Finally, it’s time for the bows and I am spent. I am hoarse from singing, screaming and breathing in the air from the air of the State Fair. But, I definitely was happy with the performance I saw tonight.

As I leave the Heartland Events Center, I overhear a couple of negative comments from a couple of concertgoers. I hear one woman say “Well, I guess I didn’t miss anything by NOT listening to them over the years.”  Another guy says, “that bass was sooo distorted and muddy sounding."  I’m thinking to myself, “That’s the way Tom Petersson’s 12-string bass is supposed to sound.”  Maybe I’m such a music fan and geek. I did my research on this concert so it would be an immense enjoyable experience.  I wanted to go! This was a concert I wanted to see. For those people who just went because it was a free concert with your State Fair gate fee, Don’t go because you think you have to. Go because you want to.

After seeing this concert and thinking about the longevity of this band, I began to think that this is an amazing band that definitely deserves more respect than they get. Along with bands like Deep Purple and Rush, Cheap Trick definitely belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!….AND SOON!

This has definitely been one of the best f***ing rock bands I’ve ever seen and I will continue to tell the world of this awesome band!