Week two of my 2017 playlist includes my favorite track from a great comeback album, a high-powered rock 'n' roll team and a couple of solid tracks from lackluster records.
Hellbound Glory, "Hellbound Blues" from Pinball. One of the few musical high points of 2017 for me was the triumphant return of Hellbound Glory. This gritty, dark rocker from the record is easily my favorite song. While I in no way condone the use of cocaine, I love the first verse of the song, particularly the interesting description of his coke as "whiter than the Alabama Ku Klux Klan."
For fans of a certain age, ZZ Top's new DVD, "Double Down Live, 1980-2008," gives us the chance to experience the band at the height of its blues rock power, before the MTV years of the 1980s that brought wild excess and crazy stage shows.
The two-DVD set features a live performance from 1980 recorded live for the German "Rockpalast" show and a performance from their 2008 tour that features interviews and behind the scenes footage. Both are entertaining, but for me, the real strength is the first disc. Recorded on the "Deguello" tour, the set list features most of the songs from that album, as well as some real jewels from the band's early days that fans don't get to hear often. Those are highlights of an outstanding set. There's the hard-rocking "Precious and Grace," the trippy "Manic Mechanic," the driving "Nasty Dogs & Funky Kings," and one of my personal favorite tunes from the Top catalog, the spaghetti Western-flavored "El Diablo."
In addition to some rare gems, there are the expected hits like "Thank You," "Waitin' for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago," "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" (another personal favorite), "Heard it on the X," "Cheap Sunglasses," "La Grange" and "Tush." A couple of cool covers are thrown in with "Dust My Broom" and "Jailhouse Rock." Mix in some other well-known songs that just don't get played that much anymore, like the raucous "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers," "Arrested for Driving While Blind," "She Loves My Automobile" and "Fool for Your Stockings," and you've got one heck of a rowdy set.
You've also got a rowdy band playing those tunes. At first, it's hard to recognize singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons because I'm so used to seeing the grizzled road veteran he's become these days. He's fresh-faced behind the ever-present beard and full of energy, running around the stage, jumping up and down and just generally having a great time. The interplay between Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill is a lot of fun, but not quite the over-choreographed performance that it would become by the time that I got a chance to see them live in the mid-1980s. Drummer Frank Beard is just as cool as ever, stoically pounding away on the skins, tons of energy hidden behind his laid back expression.
The band rolls through a set of classics having just as much fun as the delighted audience before delivering a couple of encores that include the two covers, the classics "Tush" and "Tube Snake Boogie," and closing with a high-octane rendition of "Just Got Paid," which might be the best moment on either DVD.
The second disc, which features the 2008 performance, is a little slicker than the first, which is simply a performance video. There are more camera angles and heavier editing, splicing in scenes from numerous shows, but these sometimes detract from the power of the band's stage presence. There seem to be some video/audio sync issues on some of the more artistic shots that are possibly intentional, but were a bit annoying. And when Dusty Hill blasts out those big bass runs at the end of "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," I'd much rather be watching work it out than footage of the crew setting things up. There are also some interesting interview pieces scattered throughout that are certainly worthy of their spots.
Surprisingly, the set list here is solidly old school, too. There are only half as many songs as the first disc, but only two from the MTV days on, "Got Me Under Pressure" and a deeper cut from the "Eliminator" record, the semi-ballad "I Need You Tonight." The sets share a few songs in common: "Waitin' for the Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago," "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," "Heard it on the X," "Just Got Paid," and, of course, "La Grange" and "Tush." The second disc also shows ZZ Top getting back to the roots of those earlier shows. The sets are stripped back and the focus is placed firmly on the men and the music.
The voices of Gibbons and Hill are a little gruffer and rougher on these tracks, but the music is still tight. There is occasionally a rough around the edges spot, particularly on this version of "Heard it on the X," which seems a bit off-kilter at points, but you'll forget those with the performances of "Jesus Just Left Chicago," "Just Got Paid" and "I Need You Tonight." The bluesy spots in this set are the truly bright ones. The band cranks out an amazing version of "Blue Jean Blues" and a killer cover of "Hey Joe" that steal the show. The Rev. Willy G. has, hands down, one of my favorite guitar tones ever, and on those two tracks, he nails it.
Both sets are solid slices of ZZ Top history and well worth owning, but as slick as the modern end is, it's the raw concert footage of the earlier show that remains the most exciting and electric. If you missed ZZ Top in the 1970s or early 1980s, I'd highly recommend correcting that by picking up "Double Down Live."
Christmas seems to come earlier and earlier every year. I've been seeing decorations in the stores since, it seems, the end of August, and I've had my tickets to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra in December in hand for nearly two months. Still, with Halloween not even having arrived yet and it being at least a month earlier than my TSO CD's normally find their way into my truck, it was a bit tough to get into the spirit.
Then the first Christmas record of the season, Armoury Records' "We Wish You a Metal Christmas and a Headbanging New Year" arrives on my desk, and despite my misgivings about the early timing, I can't resist the list of participants.
What we have here is a collection of metal renditions of Christmas songs both classic and campy with a lineup that features some legends of the genre. The compilation was put together by Wendy Dio, wife of legendary metal singer Ronnie James Dio, and features performances by Lemmy Kilmister, Billy Gibbons, Alice Cooper, John 5, Billy Sheehan, Tony Iommi, Rudy Sarzo, Geoff Tate, Doug Pinnick, George Lynch, Tim Owens, Steve Morse, Vinny Appice, Chuck Billy, Scott Ian and many others. Oddly, Wendy Dio says her husband was one of the toughest stars to convince because "he doesn't sing Christmas songs."
The performances here are remarkably good, beginning with the second track, a rowdy version of "Run Rudolph Run" featuring perhaps one of the strangest pairings here in Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl on drums. A similar turn comes on the excellent version of "Santa Claus is Back in Town," where ex-Judas Priest and Iced Earth vocalist Tim Owens teams up with Steve Morse to show a rawer hard rock vocal that we haven't heard from him before.
Some play it straight, some put their own spin on it. Alice Cooper is most notable among the latter with his Christmas horror tale "Santa Claws is Coming to Town." In his hands, it transforms from an innocent children's song into something more than a bit disturbing. Dio and Iommi essentially turn "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" into a fairly dark Sabbath number. They're not all as strong as those two, though. Geoff Tate turns "Silver Bells" into a hard rocker, which might have worked, but his normally impressive voice sounds really, really bad here.
Of the songs that stick with the script, so to speak, one of the strongest is the grooving version of "Little Drummer Boy" featuring King's X vocalist Doug Pinnick, George Lynch, Billy Sheehan and Simon Phillips. Phillips throws a little groove on the beat, and Pinnick's vocals are just perfect. It's easily one of the strongest offerings here.
There are a couple of head scratchers as well. "Silent Night" featuring Chuck Billy of Testament, Scott Ian of Anthrax and John Tempesta of Exodus, Testament and White Zombie sounds like a train wreck on paper, but the death metal take is, in truth, kind of interesting in an odd way. The strangest choice here, though, has to be "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" featuring Stephen Pearcy of Ratt and Tracii Guns. Yeah, it's pretty much as bad as it sounds.
Of the other tunes on the album, none are bad but none stand out as much as the previously mentioned ones. Joe Lynn Turner's take on "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is lively and energetic, and "Deck the Halls," featuring Oni Logan is enjoyable. Aside from "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" and the off-kilter "Silver Bells," the only other miss is Tommy Shaw and Steve Lukather's take on "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," which is more or less note for note and a bit bland.
It's a bit of surprise, but this is actually a really, really good record. I'd recommend it for any classic metal fan looking for a little Christmas cheer early in the holiday season.
I was one of the biggest critics of Kid Rock's last album, the appropriately-titled "Cocky," but I have to admit it grew on me. So I was a little more prepared for the emergence of Kid Country on his latest self-titled album.
This album is an even more dramatic departure from the rock-rapper's past than "Cocky." But it's also a much better album. "Kid Rock" gives him something he's never had, a distinct personality. It's a much more coherent record than "Cocky," which bounced from one end of the spectrum to the other.
The album has a long list of contributors from Hank Williams Jr. on the Aerosmith-laced "Cadillac" to a reunion with Sheryl Crow on "Run Off to L.A." These guest spots provide some of the hottest tracks on the album, including "Black Bob," where Shreveport native Kenny Wayne Shepherd lays down a wicked wah-wah lick, and "Hillbilly Stomp" which features the talents of ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.
There are some clunkers on the album, like the Kenny Chesney-penned country ballad "Cold and Empty" - which despite being a little dull is an almost surefire crossover hit - and the sappy "Do It For You," which really doesn't fit the Kid's style. But he more than makes up for those with raucous rockers like "Jackson, Mississippi" and "Son of Detroit," an inspired take on David Allan Coe's "Son of the South."
Those looking for the Kid Rock who recorded "Bawitdaba" and "American Bad Ass," may not find him on this album. There's only one rap, "Intro" (which for some odd reason is the album's seventh song.) But those who come to this album prepared for Kid Rock's transition into a Southern rock crooner should enjoy it.
