Not Really Record Reviews Album musings from a guy who probably hasn't listened to the entire disc... [1]Recent | [2]2000 | [3]1999 | 1998 Last update: 28AUG00 _________________________________________________________________ _Rating System (in Secret Satan Signs): from * * * * * (cool) to * (sucks)_ _________________________________________________________________ 1998 Reviews Black Sabbath - _Reunion_ - Sony, 1998 While Ozzy's _Speak of the Devil_ still gets my vote as the best-sounding collection of Sab songs done live, this newly recorded reunion album-- the first-ever with the original line-up, not counting bootlegs-- has gotta be the definitive Sab _concert_ chronicle. The live tracks number 16 and include such less-familiar tracks as "Dirty Women." Lots and lots of stage patter and singing along and Ozzy trying again and again to incite a riot. His voice is tremendous with the never-tiring singer missing only the occasional note. (The exception is a reworked melody for "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" which kinda sucks.) Iommi sounds great, Butler's bass is a bit buried, and Ward's drumming is surprisingly fierce. (He's all _over_ that kit, man.) The two new studio tracks are the lyrically dull (though musically OK) "Psycho Man" and the excellent (if old-style sounding) "Selling My Soul." Reviewed 10/98. * * * * * The Boogie Knights - _Welcome to the Jungle Boogie_ - Perfect World, 1998 It doesn't get much better than this. Disco tribute band, fronted (under pseudonym) by former Malmsteen screamer Jeff Scott Soto. Their album-- available from _[4]www.boogieknights.com_-- mixes live and studio tracks. Soto sings on all but three. Fab production and impeccable musicianship. All covers, including the title track which blends (albeit blandly) Guns 'n' Roses and Kool & the Gang. The closing medley is the killer. Lay down the boogie and play that funky music till you die. With three hidden tracks at #69 (farts), #83 (latin percussion), and #99 (industrial cover of "I Will Survive"). Reviewed 7/98. * * * * Blues Brothers and Friends - _Live From Chicago's House of _Blues - HOB, 1997 This one's a blast, from Dan Aykroyd's motormouth introduction of the band to Brother Zee's (AKA Jim Belushi's) belting of "Viva Las Vegas" at the end. The Blues Brothers Band, led by Paul "The Shiv" Shaffer, is in typically fine form, backing Elwood, Brother Zee, and a bevy of blues vets, including Lonnie Brooks, Billy Boy Arnold, Lonnie Brooks, and Charlie Musselwhite. Reviewed 9/98. * * * * The Charlie Daniels Band - _Fiddle Fire, 25 Years of..._ - Blue Hat, 1998 Twelve fiddle-intensive numbers, from what sounds like an extended, live-in-the-studio version of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" to a super-fast rendition of "Orange Blossom Special." Though the licks sound a bit alike from song to song, there's gusto to spare in Daniels blending of boogie, bluegrass, country, Cajun, and whatever else he happens across. Includes an odd but not unsatisfying cover of "Layla" (!). Reviewed 9/98. * * * Deep Purple - _Abandon_ - CMC International, 1998 Bor-ing. The first track ("Any Fule Kno That") is kinda interesting, but the rest of the tracks all sound the same, even though... they don't. Ace production, however, and a super mix with Jon Lord's organ right out in front. Reviewed 6/98. * The DLR Band - _The DLR Band_ - Wawazat!, 1998 David Lee Roth is back and he _rocks_! Hot on the heels of Van Halen's "3" arrives this hastily recorded, but quietly promoted disc. The rotating band members include guitarists John Lowery and Terry Kilgore. All originals; all mid- to hard-rockers. No covers; no novelty songs. Wicked guitar playing; strong vocals. Sure, it smacks of Van Halen, but what else is new about Mr. Roth's approach to music-making? All that's really missing are some kick-ass, stay-in-your-brain-on-auto-rewind hooks. Truth be told, I've kinda forgotten about the album after a handful of listens. Reviewed 8/98. * * * Judas Priest - _Bullet Train single_ - ?, 1998 From Japan, with new (studio) versions of "Rapid Fire" and "Green Manalishi." Neither is particularly impressive. The former adds an almost-embarrassing chorus to a song that doesn't need it. Worse, Owens' sings the second verse an octave higher than the first. It doesn't work as a song, I don't think, but it sure send chills as a vocal display. As for the Fleetwood cover, Priest play "Manalishi" at a slower tempo than the original. It plods, despite an appealing "heavy-osity." Reviewed 6/98. * * 1/2 Judas Priest - _'98 Live Meltdown_ - CMC, 1998 This 2CD set is as true as a fan's (front-row) eye-view as you're likely to get: vocals mixed a bit too high, guitars mixed a bit too low, ample crowd noise and spoken song intros, and no seeming attempts to mask the occasional botched note or cracked shriek. All the expected hits are here, plus a handful of songs from _Jugulator_. Too bad the tracks are all cued at the start of the spoken song intros and _not_ when the music actually starts. (My CD player's fast-forward is getting a workout!) Tim "Ripper" Owens proves that he's no Halford clone. (His voice is more full, but doesn't quite have the range. And, though he overdoes the vocals a bit, here and there, he's excused.) The audience participation is incredible, even if it sounds like the various chants and sing-alongs have been slightly bumped up in post-production. ('Twas recorded in Europe, which helps explains the enthusiasm of the crowd.) The spoken word song intros have an appealing cheesiness to them ("what's my name?" "Ripper!" "WHAT'S MY NAME!" "RIPPER!"), though the album's only true Spinal Tap-worthy moment is an acoustic rendition of "Diamonds and Rust." Judas Priest plays folk _as_ folk! Hilarious. As you'd expect, a little of this one goes an awfully long way. Reviewed 8/98. * * * Yngwie Malmsteen - _Concerto Suite For Electric Guitar and Orchestra in E Flat Minor Op. 1_ - Canyon, 1998 The Speed King goes for baroque with his first full-fledged orchestral work, recorded with the Czech Philharmonic under the baton of Yoel Levi. Stunning, no matter which way you cut it. At first listen, though, it's kinda dull. No drums. No bass. No chugga-chugga riffs to die for. The excellent arrangements and virtuoso playing pick up on repeated plays. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the album-- only available in Japan, as far as I know-- is the prospect for future works. I daresay he's only beginning to tap the potential of heavy metal meets musica orchestra. Also called the Millennium Suite. Reviewed 7/98. * * * * * Joel McNeely and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra - _The Batman Trilogy_ - Varese Sarbande, 1997 Music from the movies _Batman_, _BatmanReturns_, and _Batman_ _Forever_, plus an amusing orchestral rendition of the TV theme. This one takes a couple listens to get used to. Here and there, the arrangements are slightly different than the originals. (In particular, the percussion is heavier.) And, as is the case with all such collections, the tempos don't quite match what might already be burned into your brain. Eh, if nothing else, I was compelled to go back and listen to the originals. Reviewed 8/98. * * * The Brian Setzer Orchestra - _Dirty Boogie_ - Interscope, 1998 Another album of electric swing from the former Stray Cat and Swing Revivial Instigator. More covers, including "Sleepwalk," "Jump an' Jive," and a horn-heavy "Rock This Town." As with his first two albums, the Setzer-penned originals are less catchy. Great sound all around, though, thanks to the group's expert playing. Good arrangements, too. Reviewed 6/98. * * * The Simpsons - _The Yellow Album_ - Geffen, 1998 Six years (!) on the shelf, this wildly erratic, over-produced follow-up to _Simpsons Sing the Blues_ is closer to _Golden Throats_ material than anything else. Precious little of the first album's musical charm is left. The songs aren't diverse enough-- Bart sings/speaks _three_ raps??-- and, worse, the voices aren't always consistent. (Homer's duet with Marge sounds more like Grandpa Simpson singing!) Lots of dance-fueled pop, most of 'em originals and most of 'em rather bland. (The exception is Apu's very funny "Twenty Four Hours a Day.") Of the covers, only Homer's traditional country duet with Linda Ronstadt is worth a second listen. (More for her voice than his.) They sing Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away." And if you can make it through that last track, the ear-aching "Hail to Thee, Kamp Krusty," you're a better man than me. Great cover, though, spoofing Sgt. Pepper. Reviewed 12/98. * * 1/2 U.D.O. - _No Limits_ - Gun, 1998 Ugh. Is there any hope for the twice former lead singer of Accept's solo career? Only one track (barely) strikes a chord, a almost-funky cover the '70's disco hit "Lovemachine." We also get a noisy cover of Accept's "I'm a Rebel." And an unremarkable ballad ("Azrael"). And, on the Japanese import, a bonus track ("The Key"). Reviewed 6/98. * 1/2 Various Artists - _Appalachian Stomp: Bluegrass Classics_ - Rhino, 1995 Another nifty Rhino compilation that I happened across (in a Morehead City Wal-Mart of all places!). The booklet contains a fine history of the genre; the tracks span from Bill Monroe to Alison Krauss. Flatt and Scruggs are here, as are Andy Griffith Show performers the Dillards, as are those dueling banjo players, Eric Weissberg and Steve Mandell. 18 tracks total. Reviwed 9/98. * * * * Various Artists - _The Best of Schoolhouse Rock_ - Rhino, 1998 Absolutely delightful compilation of the ABC-aired animated musical shorts from the '70's (and '80's?). Clever lyrics, better production values than I remember, and at least one melody ("Figure Eight") that's downright haunting. Now I want to rush out and buy (or at least listen to) the 4-CD box. Track list: "Schoolhouse Rocky," "Three Is A Magic Number," "My Hero, Zero," "Figure Eight," "Unpack Your Adjectives," "Conjunction Junction," "Interjections!," "No More Kings," "The Preamble," "I'm Just A Bill," "Body Machine, The," "Interplanet Janet," "Telegraph Line," "Walkin' On Wall Street," "This For That," "Tyrannosaurus Debt," and "Check's In The Mail." Reviewed 1/99. * * * Various Artists - _ECW: Extreme Music_ - CMC International, 1998 Wrestling-themed album, with a bunch of newly recorded (I think) metal covers, plus a couple other tracks including a remixed Rob Zombie song ("El Pantasmo and the Chicken Run Blast-o-Rama") and an intriguing instrumental version of Megadeth's "Trust." Motorhead's noisy-but-still-butt-kicking cover of "Enter Sandman" is the obvious high point, here. Also very good is Tres Diablos' (members of Pantera) take of ZZ Top's "Heard it on the X" and Bruce Dickinson's guitar-crazy cover of the Scorpion's "The Zoo." Muscataine's (sic?) cover of AC/DC's "Big Balls" is kinda fun, though the singer's mixed a bit low. The least enjoyable is Anthrax's goes-nowhere rendition of Metallica's "Phantom Lord." Reviewed 10/98. * * 1/2 Various Artists - _Pure Disco 2_ - PolyGram, 1997 The first compilation that _I've_ been able to find containing the camp classic "It's Raining Men" by the Weather Girls, a tune co-written by Paul Shaffer believe it or not! The rest of the 20 tracks are same-o, same-o: "Macho Man," "Play That Funky Music," "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," etc. Two mixes/mega mixes are also included. Reviewed 9/98. * * * Copyright 2000 by Michael J. Legeros