Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "Damn The Torpedoes" Classic Review

Originally in The Oklahoma Daily on November 8th, 2007.

It’s no surprise that record labels operate differently now than they did in the past. Thirty years ago, bands were given the chance to grow and find success at their own pace. Now, bands are dropped if their debut isn’t a massive hit. If Florida band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had emerged in today’s climate, they probably would never had made it, because it wasn’t until their third album, “Damn the Torpedoes,” that they found success.

The album followed a long legal dispute between Petty and MCA Records. MCA had purchased Petty’s label, ABC Records, and Petty refused to be transferred to a new label without any say. After nine months of negotiations and Petty delclaring bankruptcy, “Damn the Torpedoes” was finally released on MCA subsidiary Backstreet Records.

The main focus of the album is Petty’s superb songwriting, and his frustration and anguish from his legal difficulties seems to have affected the songs. There is a sense of melancholy felt throughout the album, even on the more upbeat, seemingly happy songs.

The album’s strongest track is the opener, “Refugee.” The driving rock song showcases all that was great about the band. Petty’s southern, Dylan-esque vocals are anchored by a simple but solid rhythm section, memorable guitar riff, and hints of piano. During the more intense, emotional moments of the song, Petty’s voice cracks and waivers, which seems to make him even more charming.

Most of the vocals on “There Goes My Girl,” are simply Petty talking. Often spoken-word passages just seem silly, but here they work perfectly when coupled with the song’s soft, melodic chorus. “Don’t Do Me Like That” brings to mind a 50’s doo-wop feel without seeming retro or gimmicky. “Century City” is the one weak track on the album. It’s not that it’s a bad song — it just doesn’t live up to the greatness of the rest of the album. It’s just a typical late-70’s arena rock track.

Though the album is nearly thirty years old, it never feels dated, and is undoubtedly just as strong now as the day it was released. At only nine tracks the album is brief, but it never loses steam and there isn’t the slightest bit of filler. It’s one of the standouts in the album-centric era of classic rock.

Kiss "Destroyer" Classic Review

Originally in The Oklahoma Daily on October 24th, 2007.

It’s easy to write off the band Kiss as simply a gimmick. Its makeup, costumes and a constant barrage of pyrotechnics seem to be a bit of a put-off for true music fans.

But beneath their comic book schtick, the band uses excellent songwriting to create some great rock anthems, many of which appear on 1976’s “Destroyer.”

With 1975’s “Alive,” the band broke into the mainstream, mostly owing to that album’s ability to capture the band’s spectacular live show. On “Destroyer,” the band could have easily tried to recreate that concert experience in the studio, but instead went the opposite route. They employed Pink Floyd/Alice Cooper producer Bob Ezrin, who brought with him an array of sound effects, an orchestra and a boys’ choir.

The album begins with the iconic “Detroit Rock City,” which tells the tale of a real Kiss fan who died in a car accident on his way to a Kiss concert — presumably by rocking out too much. The song’s massive arena-rock guitars and fist-pumping chorus are instantly recognizable.

Heavy bass lines and Gene Simmons’ raspy growl make up “God of Thunder,” a song that has since become Simmons’ theme song. When played live, it is during this song that Simmons — also known as “The Demon” — breathes fire and spits blood.

The middle of the album sags a bit. “Great Expectations,” “Flaming Youth” and “Sweet Pain” all seem terribly dated and ultimately become forgettable.

Things pick back up for the last third of the record, however. “Shout It Out Loud” is another instantly recognizable classic. Then there is the ballad “Beth” — the song was originally the B-side to “Detroit Rock City” and was never intended to be a single, but listeners began requesting the tune on the radio, and eventually it became the band’s first top 10 hit.

Cheap Trick "At Budokan" Classic Review

Originally in The Oklahoma Daily on October 18th, 2007.

Cheap Trick really had everything going for them. They wrote catchy power-pop that was intelligent, yet still rocked. They had a pretty-boy lead singer in Robin Zander that the girls could go crazy over, and a goofy guitarist in Rick Neilson that provided a sense of humor. Never was this more apparent than on their breakthrough live album “At Budokan.”

At the time of the album’s release, Cheap Trick was relatively unknown in the States but huge in Japan, which is obvious by the insane crowd reactions on the album.

The sound quality isn’t the greatest, and often the music is drowned out by schoolgirls’ screams, but there is something undefinably great about “At Budokan.” It showcases the band’s charm far better than any of their studio recordings.

The album was released right after the band’s third studio album, “Heaven Tonight,” and featured more than half of that record. “At Budokan” was probably supposed to create more of a demand for “Heaven Tonight,” but instead, it rendered the studio effort pointless. The live versions of the “Heaven Tonight” tracks are all far superior to their studio counterparts. So much so, in fact, the studio versions just sound incomplete. Robin Zander yelling the song’s title and the shrill screams that follow are an integral part of what makes “I Want You To Want Me” so great.

“Surrender” is quite possibly one of the catchiest songs ever. It’s just one of those songs that everyone seems to like. “Goodnight Now” is the perfect pseudo-ending for the album, and provides the perfect transition into the fist-pumping encore “Clock Strikes Ten.”

Obviously the band had enormous success after “At Budokan,” but they never quite matched the live album’s greatness again.

Van Halen "Van Halen" Classic Review

Originally in The Oklahoma Daily on October 10th, 2007.

The argument has been on-going since what seems like the beginning of time: who was the better lead Van Halen frontman, Sammy Hagar or David Lee Roth? Sure, Hagar is technically a better singer and sold more records than Roth, but anyone who claims he was better is, well, wrong.

Roth’s scissor kicks and spandex are simply legendary, and the Cabo Wabo tequila salesman can’t compete with that. Twenty-five years later, we all know that David Lee Roth is pretty much insane and will whore himself out at any opportunity, but that doesn’t change the fact that there was something indefinably great about those first few Van Halen albums, their self-titled debut in particular.

From the opening of the seminal “Running with the Devil,” the band’s greatness is clear. Eddie’s virtuosic guitar work is immediately apparent, and Roth’s crazy character and charisma shines.

There is really nothing to be said about “Eruption” that hasn’t been said already. Those 102 seconds of whammy-bar goodness simply changed the way the guitar was played and undoubtedly inspired more kids to pick up the guitar than any other song ever did. At this point, it’s hard to judge just how large of an effect it has had, simply because it’s been copied so many times.

The entire A said really feels like a greatest hits collection. All but one track have been a staple of rock radio since their release and are all iconic. However, the B saide isn’t any less strong. It features the hilariously bluesy “Ice Cream Man” and the hyperactive “Atomic Punk.”

From David Lee’s sleazy-yet-somehow-sympathetic “Jamie’s Cryin’,” to the masterful reworking of the Kinks’ classic “You Really Got Me,” the members of Van Halen sounded like rock stars. It’s amazing to think that at the time, these songs were being played in bars. Everything just seems custom-made to be played in massive stadiums, and knowing David Lee Roth, it probably was.

Refused "The Shape of Punk To Come" Classic Review

Originally in The Oklahoma Daily on October 3rd, 2007.

In order for a record to be considered a classic, it usually has to stand the test of time, but some records make such an impact they can be considered a classic immediately. “The Shape of Punk To Come” by Refused is one of those records.

Released in October of 1998, “The Shape of Punk To Come” blends traditional hardcore with a wide array of influences, including jazz, techno and pop, along with highly political lyrics. When the record was first released, it went largely unnoticed. The mainstream music world was too focused on the growing nu-metal scene, and much of the underground hardcore scene dismissed the record for straying too far from the traditional hardcore formula.

As time passed, however, the album’s revolutionary sounds and massive influence became more and more apparent. Current bands like Blindside, Showbread and Norma Jean have all openly admitted to essentially being Refused rip-offs.

Every track on “The Shape of Punk To Come” is completely unique and brings something new to the table. From the free-form jazz of “The Deadly Rhythm” to the orchestral “Tannhäuser/Derive,” the band completely obliterated the boundaries of what hardcore music could be.

The most recognizable song on “The Shape of Punk To Come,” and the closest thing Refused ever had to a hit, is undoubtedly “New Noise.” The song’s quiet/loud dynamic is something that has been endlessly copied since its release.

The most interesting thing about “The Shape of Punk To Come” is how it eventually tore the band apart. In the middle of a tour following the album’s release, the band announced they were breaking up and cancelled the rest of tour. The band split at the top of their game.

Rush "Moving Pictures" Classic Review

Originally in The Oklahoma Daily on September 27th, 2007.

Progressive rock band Rush has long been the butt of many jokes. Many people joke about them being Canadian, singer Geddy Lee’s falsetto wail and that most of their fans are Dungeons & Dragons-playing nerds. Most of the jokes are completely warranted and mostly true, but regardless, in its over 30-year career, Rush has had an undeniable influence on rock music, and has created some truly great albums, one of which is 1981’s “Moving Pictures.”

“Moving Pictures” is the band’s best-selling record, and plays almost like a greatest hits record. On the album, Rush condensed its epic prog opuses that defined its early career into more pop-friendly forms, and combined it with hints of the synthesizer material that would dominate its 1980’s output. The band’s musicianship is at an extremely high level, with each member, particularly drummer Neal Peart, unparalleled at his particular instrument.

The album opens with the seminal track “Tom Sawyer.” Even if you aren’t familiar with Rush at all and don’t recognize this song by name, you know this song. It still gets played constantly on both modern rock and classic rock radio, as well as appearing in a slew of films and TV shows. The epic “YYZ,” named for the transmitter code at the Toronto International Airport, is without a doubt one of the finest instrumentals of all-time. The album’s center is the almost ballad-like “Limelight,” which somehow discusses the drawbacks of fame without being heavy handed or seeming self-important.

The latter half of the record (or Side B), isn’t quite as strong as the first, but it’s still all quality stuff nonetheless.

“Moving Pictures” is essential listening for pretty much all music fans. The lyrics are intelligent, the musicianship is at unbelievable levels and the songs themselves are iconic. You just have to look past the jokes.