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KISS – ALIVE! (PART 1 OF 4)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags 100 000 Years, Alive!, Black Diamond, Gene Simmons, Gold Gin, KISS, KISS Alive!, Parasite, Paul Stanley, Rock N Roll All Night, She on September 29, 2009 by Tickets There

KISS-Alive

Ok, Tickets There is continuing it’s celebrations in preparation for the release of KISS’s new album, Sonic Boom on October 6^th. First we had the KISS-LECTION and now it’s time to take a good, hard look at KISS’s four Live albums, Alive! I – IV.

Before we get into it, I should point out that none of the albums come close to capturing KISS’s impossibly amazing live shows. Tickets There has been fortunate enough to be in one of their crowds and let me tell you one thing, no album could ever capture exactly how amazing they are in real life….but these albums do a damn fine job of trying.

So let’s start at the beginning with 1975’s Alive!, recorded between March and June 1975 on KISS’s Dressed to Kill tour. Upon it’s release, KISS were suddenly lunged from almost broke, make-up wearing guys in a rock n roll band to world famous, gigantic megastars. This is the album that really broke KISS into the main, main, main stream and it ended up becoming one of rock n roll’s most legendary live albums. None of the bands proceeding live records match its unbelievable raw energy, power and force and that’s saying something considering how good II, III and IV are.

“You Wanted the Best, you got the best, The hottest band in the world, KISS!”.

When you buy tickets to a KISS concert, you spend the next few days, weeks and months just waiting to hear those infamous words. The intro to the best concert you will ever see in your life. Those words are unbelievably exciting at one of their shows and when that curtain drops and the four massive figures sprawl out across the stage to entertain you with two hours of hard hitting, riff driven, theatrical rock n roll with a stage show that could match the Olympics, you’ll swear you died and this is your reward for all the good things you’ve done in your life.

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The only thing that tops those words is the first bars of the very first song the band play. On Alive, that song was Deuce. Deuce as an opening song couldn’t be any more perfect. They’re currently playing it as the opener on the current tour and really you can’t go wrong. Starts off with a little guitars riff before the drums crash into action, the curtain drops and four heaving monsters start their quest of ensuring you have the greatest night in the history of the world. That magic is well captured on Alive and its set the perfect tone for the rest of the record. Strutter follows and the pace is kept up. Filled with all the swank, swagger and traits of any hard rock n fucking roll classic. Except it’s sung by monsters. People, this band have some of hard rock’s greatest hits under their belt and they dress up like demons, space men, cats and superstars. How can you not love that?? Got to Choose follows and admittedly this wouldn’t be one of Tickets There’s favorite KISS tunes…but damn it that doesn’t mean much when everything thing they touch turns to gold. KISS are gods, learn that fact now because they don’t teach it in school.

Hotter than Hell is a truly deserved, bonafide KISS anthem classic (yep, anthem classic. It makes sense in our word baby). The version on Alive is as good as this song gets….until you see it live and it rules all!! Nothing to Lose follows and surprise, surprise…..It’s another fucking savage track. Gene sings on this one and when Gene sings, you don’t want to miss it. It brings a totally different flow to the bands tracks. C’mon and Love Me is yet another riff filled, exploited teen of a song. Paul takes the mike back and drives this baby into your ears like a doctor during an invasive medical exam with some sort of blunt yet thick object….with spikes. But before we go using all our unfunny witticisms, we have to discuss Parasite. Why the pause and dramatics? Because Parasite is one of those tracks God wrote and handed to mortals as a gift. Unfortunately for that mortal, KISS stole it and recorded it themselves. God was pleased by this, Led Zeppelin would have only fucked it up anyways. This is a savage, mentalist of a track that only improves with a live setting. Mental, mental, mental stuff folks.

She is another one of those iconic riffs and beat dependant tracks, not a bad way to spend your five minutes before the very seventies trait laden Watchin’ You pop’s along. Unfortunately this one ain’t included much anymore but it’s 100% KISS-TASTIC. Yes you can say things like that when you discuss KISS, they’re fun people. Enjoy it.

Oh, oh hang on. Gene’s bass, crowd’s cheering. Silence. Hands clapping, Gene’s bass again, the drums and finally everything else. 100,000 Years is easily KISS at their top level finest. Paul’s voice screams in over the audience as the band burst through one of their greatest recorded moments and one of the finest tracks ever written by a hard rock band. What makes this song look poor?(well, it doesn’t really. 100,000 Years is one of the finest songs known to humanity. I’m just saying that for dramatic purposes) Black Diamond, an ever bigger monster of a rock classic and the acoustic intro ion Alive really highlights this. Black Diamond is top ten KISS material. The kind of song that you play in a tank when you’re driving into one of those Vietnamese towns. The kind of song you play when you discover the true powers as a mutant. The kind of song KISS plays to remind the rest of us we aren’t Knights in Satan’s Service (K.I.S.S., for those of you that didn’t know).

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Rock Bottom and Black Diamonds main rival, Cold Gin is up next as the album and show start to come to a close. How many people here like the taste of alcohol? I know it’s getting so hot outside you need something to cool off. I know some of you out there like to drink tequila. When you’re down in the dumps and you need something to bring you up. There’s only one thing that’s going to do it for you…COLD GIN!!!! What a classic, what a live record, what a fucking sweet, amazing, incredible deadly awesome band.

Rock N Roll All Night (The ultimate party song) and Let Me Go, Rock N Roll finish of the bands first, their finest and one of the world’s greatest rock live albums. If you don’t feel the party after this record then there’s something not quite right with you but Tickets There will still be your friend. We love a challenge. Later on we’ll discuss Alive II and see what the band got up to during 76 and 77. Be sure to pop back and remember….,

Keep it KISS’d!!!

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MEGADETH DOUBLE REVIEW – SO FAR, SO GOOD, SO WHAT / THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags classic Megadeth, Dave Mustaine, in my darkest hour, Megadeth, moto psycho, return to hangar, So Far so good so what, The Sex Pistols, the world needs a hero on September 19, 2009 by Tickets There

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I think Megadeth are about to become the only band on this site with more albums reviewed than Def Leppard. Feck it, why not. About time fans of the boys got to read some shit about them. It’s just a pity many people aren’t reading them. Ah well, they’re keeping me amused although I haven’t a clue how I’m going to top the last ones. Oh I know, by writing about So Fucking Far, So Fucking Good, So Fucking What!!! And their excellent come back album, 2001’s The World Needs A Hero. Let us begin, let us taste metals divine loveliness.

Megadeth – So Far, So Good, So What

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If there is one album that’s underrated, it has to be 1988’s So Far, So Good… So Wha!t. It’s short, loud, obnoxious and a fucking pain killer styled opus. Openaing track, Into the Lungs of Hell is 3 minutes and 29 seconds of screaming guitars, bleeding drums drenched in pain and a bass so heavy it’ll drop kick you into the fourth quarter. Noting bad to say, no way to flaw it.

Although the rolling opening beats of Set The World Afire goes along way in belting it’s point across. Dave’s aggressive youthful manner is still dominant here and the overly loud overdubs during the chorus only help harness the songs dark powers. There’s little melody, there’s little hope. This is a steel cage match for all things metal and Megadeth have no bother crushing every last living thing in site. God its so mouth wateringly good, it even drove away the painful memories of revisiting Cryptic Writings earlier. Next up is a classic Thrash Metal cover track. Megadeth, covering the almighty Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the UK. I wont go into this one in too much detail. It’s a great cover of an all mighty beast of a track.

Mary Jane brings us to the half way mark. A futuristic kind of intro, some savage guitars and a song about a very loving mistress. MJ will always be there to sooth your wows and heal you sadness. Megadeth will always be there to hold Stomp Fest annually on your grave and rob your soul of it’s quintessential essence. Ah, I’m just turning this beats up every five seconds it’s getting ridiculous. This is one of those tunes that shows what girls nu-metal and emo kids are. Korn, PaPa Roach, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance and all those little pussys. Get fucked get Megadeth and hurry your mind to catch up. Sher aggression that only the almighty Slayer can rival. Their guitars are made with the bones of humans, their drum’s are fashioned from the finest moral skin and their power, their power was electrocuted into them when Angus Young and the devil shook hands.

502’s another bloody mentalist track. Fast, aggressive and loud. Car crashes, laws being broken left right and centre and then there’s yer man with all the guitars, it’s mad!. It’s just fucking great. AWWWHHHH, next we have the stand out classic for the top ten songs you need to hear…period!. In My Darkest Hour…….head bangers get ready. The swoops, the spirals, the exploding, fiery demon riffage of the gods. Dave’s growling vocals rasp their way through this power house of an anthem, Written in memory of Metallicas bereaved bass player, Cliff Burton. Poor Cliff was killed in a bus crash while Metallica were touring their incredible Master of Puppets. One of metals most tragic losses, now honoured by Mustaine and Ellefson in one of his finest writing moments.

The hard hitting, metal grinding Liar and Hook in my Mouth finish of one of the Death’s best records. It may be short, it may not be packed with hits but it’s 100% metal. If you’re and a fan and you haven’t heard this one TT advises smacking yourself. If you’re not a fan, stick with Cryptic Writings before attempting this one.

Megadeth – The World Needs a Hero

This is the album that sealed the deal on me being a fan of the Death. After hearing Cryptic Writings and being a little bemused but interested, I got my hands on the greatest hits and record and realized Megadeth had a lot more to offer than slow riffs and violins. When this record came out, it shows Dave and the boys were determined to prove they could still rock the wallet chains and hair dye out of the younger Nu-metal groups. Did they achieve this? Hell yeah they did. The World Needs A Hero saw Vic return to the sleeve and the venom return to Megadeth in blazing glory. Ever since they’ve pushed more and more to get their old sound back and forget the days of Risk. The System Has Failed, United Abominations and Endgame are all direct results of the effort shown on this record.

Disconnect may take a wee while to get your feet moving but once that first guitar solo gets going you’ll be tapping along. It’ not the strongest on the record and it wont convince you Megadeth were on their way back to their old sound but just be patient, it’s a good song. The World Needs A Hero’s title track will however help those worries. Based on that Sweating Bullets / Peace Sells kind of structure. It still doesn’t deliver that full on thrash Megadeth and its riffs are closer to rock n roll than Armageddon but again, it’s a pretty decent track and the solo is fairly wicked.

The albums lead single, Moto Psycho is a belter. A solid, fast, thrash riff and some furious drums to boot. Dave’s voice is back on this one and now you’ll start to see where this record wants to go. Lots of solo’s, riffs n metal up the ass. Now the next one may sound like a ballad but fortunately it’s not. 1,000 Times Goodbye is a god’s honest metal love song…kind of. Intro is a slow, bruising little belter and once that snare hits in you’ll hear the old sound creeping in. Theme is about a total bitch but hey, that’s rock n roll for ya. Burning Bridges is next and this is a little slower and more similar to the bands late nineties sound. Want to move on? Ok, lets do that.

Promises is a ballad kind of track but it’s probably one of the bands best. Great bridge, great chorus and a great use of the string section. This is way up there with songs like A Tout Le Monde and shows they can do ballads properly. Although, these ballad songs look so weak compared to the thrash outputs like So Far, So Good. Really, a band called Megadeth shouldn’t be attempting any of this stuff and should stick to destroying the world with every breath. Ah well, C’est la vie! Recipe For Hate…Warhorse. Now you’re talking, metal, metal, metal. There’s some great building riffs here. Nothing too classic but heavy at least so don’t complain. I’m gonna rush along, I’m suffering from the same thing as yesterday, shouldn’t have listened to So Far first but it ain’t as bad today. Losing Senses is a pretty decent effort. I don’t like the opening but it ain’t the worst.

Dread The Fugitive Mind is finally the Deth back in blazing glory. This is their classic sound clawing it’s way back to the surface. Even the title screams set list and it’s well earned. Very similar to Sweating Bullets in many way and not as good but one of the stand outs on this record. Silent Scorn’s a strange one, strange one indeed. Sounds like an ode to the fallen but it makes way for Return to Hangar…yes, it’s the sequel and one of the albums major tracks. Personally I prefer the live recording from Rude wakening but it’s a cracker. Final song, When is like a Doomsday track. Heavy, slow n thumping!! Nice atmospheric way to finish the record.

So that’s it. Three double reviews of Megadeth at their finest, their fairly decent and there, well I see where you’re going but why don’t ya stick to what your best at. You’ve read about the best, I’ve left out the worst and soon you’ll see Killing is my Business, The System Has Failed, United Abominations and Youthanasia. There you’ll hear about some of Megadeth’s best moments and more about what lead to their latest release, EndGame.

But really you’ll hear about some Irish bands, that’s enough international for awhile, they’ve had their fun. MySpace Review time!!!!!

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MEGADETH – PEACE SELLS…BUT WHO’S BUYING? / CRYPTIC WRITINGS (DOUBLE REVIEW)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags Cryptic Writings, Dave Mustaine, Devils Island, Megadeth, Megadeth peace Sells, Megadeth Peace Sells but who's buying, Wake Up Dead on September 18, 2009 by Tickets There

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OK, same drill as yesterday, a double review feature of classic Megadeth in celebration of their new album, Endgame being a pretty decent record. Now some of you may wonder why I choose Cryptic Writings instead of Killing Is My Business and Business is Good or So far, So Good, So What. Well I plan on Doing So Far tomorrow along with another newish Deth album, The World Needs a Hero and maybe do Killing Is My Business in a double thrash metal review with Metallica’s Kill Em All. Clash of the titan’s debut albums and such like. In truth I don’t actually have a copy of Killing in Dublin so I’ll track one down and get back to ye about it.

Anyways, on with today’s review.

Megadeth – Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?

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One of the bands three greatest albums, Megadeth really proved what they were capable of on this album. It’s one of those defining mid-eighties thrash records that really shows how metal should be done. Fuck killing, Metal is Mustaines business and with peace Sells, business is good!.

Wake Up Dead is suck a dirty piece of naughtiness it should be R-rated and standing inside a window on a sleazy street in Amsterdam. It’s just too much god like genius for any band to handle and it’s about a guy worried about waking his wife because she’ll yell at him. No way any moral man can get this much Armageddon styled playing onto a track about that. Then again, Mustaine isn’t moral, he’s the lovechild of Bitterness and Hate with a doctorate in being pissed…off. That riff’s and solos in this monster are fused together and so tight and delivered with such precession I imagine they were welded by the Irish in the early 1900’s and sent off to the Marines for arrangement. This song makes this album a classic all by its self and it’s more the capable of bearing the load.

Fortunately The Conjuring does its share in the lifting. A dark, blistering piece of amazing metal. Another dirty little tramp trying to sell Snow White hand grenades disguised as apples and then stomping on her charred carcass. Too graphic? Then you haven’t heard Megadeth, that’s the Politically Correct, family Friendly way of describing their sound and this song. Just wait until you hear this baby pick up speed and take flight. Full volume fully recommended, tourniquet optional. Ah, how can they keep doing this. What’s next you ask? It’s only the holiest of Holy Megadeth tracks (except all those others I mentioned yesterday), Peace Sells!! A blistering few minutes of solo’s, riffs, anger, sarcasm and ‘Dave Mustaine humor’. Remember I said Megadeth knows no humor (think I did anyway) well occasionally they do and this is it!. Seriously though, this song is so tough it would come out of the CD and beat the shit out of you for looking at it funny. Take Tickets There’s advise and bang you head, nod, don’t smile and rock out. Save yourself a major whipping further down the line.

However tough Peace Sells is, Devils Island does a good job of competing. Devils Island was a nasty little place in case you hadn’t heard and if they had had this song on the real Island it would have made things much crueler. Incredible anthem styled metal that shows Megadeth at their full on, stampeding best. Good Morning / Black Friday’s next and it’s much more of an atmospheric piece than any of the other tracks so far. I suppose this track would almost be the early Megadeth version of a ballad, despite the walls, mountains and piles of solo’s and general guitar malarkey. Not to mention the onslaught of drums, Dave’s voice and the Deth!! Another classic anyways. Bad Omen’s next and surprise, surprise, it’s another frickin’ sweet moment of metal. Another drawn out guitar n drum intro before Dave brings the noise and makes his mark. Piss on it? Nah, Dave sets fire to it and laughs while baby hamsters scream for help. He’s not a nice guy, I told you this!

I Ain’t Superstitious and My Last Words finish off one of the best metal records of all time. Little beat from reviewing four albums by the one band in the last two days so that’s enough of this one. Just buy it, what’s your problem? Fraid The Deth will reach out, smack your face and call you names? Well they’ll do it anyways so just buy the album and justify it!

Megadeth – Cryptic Writings

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Now this is interesting. Cryptic Writings is certainly different from Endgame, Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction and Peace Sell’s. It could be called the bands Re-Load (while Risk would be there St. Anger…except better than St. Anger obviously). This was the first Megadeth record I ever owned and boy was I surprised. I was pretty sure a band with as much street cred and a name like Megadeth would be ever so slightly harsher than this. Turns out they had been ten years beforehand (five even L) but it didn’t take too long to warm up top this one.

This was released around the time bands like Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica were all drifting further and further away from the Thrash sound they had helped create, shape, perfect and bring to the masses. The nineties had shifted music heads all over the place and every band that had been big in the eighties either packed it in, disappeared or changed styles in an attempt to keep up with younger people. Megadeth was one such band and Cryptic Writings was a very obvious attempt at this. Instead of the hate, the scorching hot lyrics and wave after wave of ear drum shattering solos and riffs so strong, Chuck Norris couldn’t handle them (sad – Ed), (go fuck yourself Ed – TT), you got ‘radio friendly Megadeth’. Such a thing couldn’t have been imagined in the eighties, but here you are. The Deth on 2FM thanks to songs like Trust.

Trust may be a tame, shy little kitten compared to the rabies infected jackals their previous albums had been but it’s certainly not the worst Megadeth song out there. Those looking for the rush of real Megadeth won’t find it here but those looking for melody, talent and a good tune, look no further. In comparison, Almost Honest follows the same sort of pattern expect it’s a little more full on. Not much more full on anything here and I’m feeling a little distant after the pure adrenalin of the other records. Almost Honest is a decent song. Normally I like it a lot more but I did just listen to Peace Sell’s so, ya know?.

Use the Man is always a good way to get this record rolling and the distant sound of The Searchers classic, Needles and Pins sets the right tone. I suppose the themes on this album tie in a lot Dave’s drug problems. Around this time he was kicking away his demons and becoming the well disciplined, born again Christian (who’ll still bitch slap ya) he is today. Nice, slow moving but filled with enough little melodies to keep ya happy. Mastermind finally introduces so much needed guitars onto this sucker. Good heavy but slow riffs and Dave’s raspy voice finally throwing its self into the match.

The Disintegrators is much faster and heavier again. Great chorus but still retains that melodic sound that dominates this record. Ya know the way older Megadeth is a stampede of hopelessness and despair. Well this record sounds like reworked versions of Nickleback. I’ll Get Even brings the tone back down to quiet non-Megadeth levels again and it’s a good kind of Metal rockfish track. One of those choruses you can bop along to but I imagine a lot of Deth heads were sitting back scratching their heads as to why some other band are allowed to call themselves Megadeth when it first came out. Ah, it’s not a bad song, just not a classic and I’m worried my enthusiasm has dropped to low to keep this review interesting. Sin is another one of those that’s closest to older Megadeth but still lacks the speed and aggression of the old sound. Dave’s voice sounds good though, really suits this type of tune. Who’d have thought?

And so on. The remaining tracks are decent but I’ve lost the buzz I’m afraid. On a normal day, Cryptic Writings can be best described as a Megadeth album for people who don’t like Megadeth. Today however, it’s shows up poorly.

Oh, not one mention about Marty Friedman in these reviews, I just realized that. Marty rocks the biotches to the core as does Dave E.

Read Reviews of Rust In Peace & Countdown to Extinction by clicking HERE.

Click HERE to read a review of Megadeth’s newest album Endgame.

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MEGADETH – RUST IN PEACE / COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION Double Review:

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags Dave Mustaine, Endgame, Hanger 18, Megadeth, Megadeth Countdown to Extinction, Megadeth Rust In Peace, Radiohead, Skin O'My Teeth, Tornado of Souls on September 17, 2009 by Tickets There

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In celebration of Megadeth’s latest album, Endgame being a fairly decent output, Tickets There has decided to do a double review feature of two of their strongest albums, Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction. I’ll also probably do another double review including Peace Sells and Cryptic Writings tomorrow.

Megadeth – Rust In Peace (1990)

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So let’s start in chronological order today. Rust In Peace is probably the bands defining record. Although Peace Sells had been a massive, massive hit for the band, it was only when RIP came out that they were truly elevated to the gods of metal status they enjoy today. It marked a shift from their classic Thrash metal roots while still retaining an aggressive, onslaught styled sound. In comparison to Dave Mustaines previous band Metallica, RIP is Megadeth’s ‘Black Album’ and it probably would have brought them much more fame than it did if Metallica hadn’t released the aforementioned metal devoid opus just a year after RIP came out. (ok, so it had Sad But True, Holier Than Thou, Don’t Thread on Me, Of Wolf and Man, The Struggle Within..ok enough, it’s a good album).

Kicking things off is Holy Wars…The Punishment Due. Very little you can say about this song except….it’s fucking crazy mental metal madness. How could you not pull your back out doing those massive head banging moments during the bridges. Amazing stuff from Mustaine and the boys. Next up, the equally incredible Hangar 18. Now, if by any chance you’re reading this and you’re a metal fan but you’ve never heard of Hangar 18, that just means you are a total douche!. Hangar 18 is metal. Like one of those songs that comes out and instantly owns a genre. I couldn’t be bothered looking up the net but I think there’s something like 18 solo’s on this one song. It’s a total Romper Stomper of a tune that would be very difficult for any band to match on follow up records. Full on drums, full on guitars, full on vocals n aggression, full on every mother fucking thing. This is Megadeth, welcome!!

How the hell can anyone top two tracks like that? Well they can’t fully, but Take No Prisoners gives it a damn good try. Full on Thrash metal riffs, thrash metal drums, thrash metal everything up the wazoo. I’m sitting down listening to this on head phones and you have no idea how hard it is resisting the temptation of throwing my computer out the window and setting off on a mayhem fuelled rampage. Maybe if I do, I could arrange a TT presents job of it and Take No Prisoners will be our theme song. Five Magic’s is another classic track (yes, this is just one of those albums). Slowed down intro, but things don’t take long to kick into gear. The pounding of the drums and guitars picking up pace leads the listener to think ‘ah, here we go’ but don’t get too excited., it’s not happening yet and then….out of nowhere Dave’s snarling, hate filled vocals rasp their way in destroying all the songs goodness and purity. In short, it becomes Megadeth 😀 Sound sad? Yeah, well you’re faceJ

Poison Was the Cure is yet another classic from this album. Not played too often live but it’s a damn fine wee number. I won’t ramble on too much because I have to finish Rust In Peace and move onto Countdown next. Great song, just listen to it. Same with Lucretia which sounds much happier than most Megadeth stuff until you get down to the full depth of it off course. Megadeth knows no humor. They’re like Radiohead, but ya know, not gay. Now, this next song is the one I’ve been driving towards. Tornado of Souls. I know, before you ask ‘How can a song called Tornado of Souls not get you arrested, beat up your wife and steal your car?’ well honestly, it does all of that and even insults your mother while it’s at it. This is Megadeth baby, what else did you expect?

Dawn patrol and Rust In Peace are fine songs. Good clean cut, sell your children to Turkish importers clean songs. If you don’t have this album, if you’re just starting to like Heavy metal, if you’re a human being I implore you to go buy this record. It will show you exactly how f**king amazing Megadeth were, are and always have been.

Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (1992)

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So you think most metal bands that were big in the eighties fizzled out and faded away under Metallica’s growing dominance over the scene after their black album? Unfortunately for any Met heads out there and possibly the band themselves, Megadeth released one of their finest recorded moments just a year after the Met had conquered all with their Black Album (and only two years after the incredible Rust in Peace). Why waste time with an intro when Skin O’ My Teeth is blaring through the headphones?

First of all, Skin O’ My Teeth does not sound in anyway Irish, don’t be fooled by the O’ (bad joke there TT – Ed)…..(Up yours Ed and stop interrupting my posts Biotch! – TT). Skin O’ My Teeth is without a single doubt one of the ten best songs Megadeth ever recorded in TT’s books. I mean this baby live is like a monster screaming at you from Mordor! Go find the find Frodo and don’t let Dave catch ya. Yes he’s that scary, haven’t you heard? I know he’s a born again Christian and all but that’s like Marilyn Manson becoming a born again….Christian….just shut up. But no matter how good SOMT is, no matter how much we love it, we love the next one even more. My girlfriend’s brother asked me once, ‘what’s the definitive Megadeth song?’ and there is only one answer when someone asks you that question, Symphony of Destruction. This is the song you play when anyone asks you what Megadeth are like. No, it’s not their heaviest and no, it’s not their lightest, this is 100%, full metal jacket Megadeth. A snarling, spitting beast of a track with guitars so militant they’ll drag your ass through boot camp before they hang, draw and quarter you. On par with anything else they’ve ever released and probably one of the greatest riffs/songs in heavy metal history.

Now that those two are out of the way, let’s move onto the other songs that make Countdown to Extinction so loveable and well, so damn good. Architecture of Aggression could be compared to Metallica’s One with its war styled intro but two seconds later it explodes into everything the title promises. War driven fury that Megadeth do best. Foreclosure of a Dream is one I never really liked the first few times I heard this record but god, give this baby a few listens and it’s some job. Now, I don’t mean to be rude to FOAD but the next song deserves urgent attention (partially because I got distracted and heard FOAD about 6 times on repeat and I want to move on). Sweating Bullets is a Megadeth standard. Can you imagine how kick ass this track is? No, you can’t. Not unless you’ve heard it. I’ll admit it’s no Hanger 18, Symphony of Destruction or Holy Wars but it’s bloody mental all the same. One of the Deth tracks you have to see live.

This Was My Life is much similar to a Megadeth album track that most of the others I’ve discussed today but when it comes to an album of this quality, that’s a good thing. The albums’ title track is another thriller of a piece, real full on one again. More melody than a lot of earlier Megadeth but hey, this was the nineties babe (hence why I’m saying babe every three seconds). There’s such a great flow to this tune and it shows the Deth can write more than Thrash. Also, the chorus sounds like it could have been netter produced but it’s still catchy as hell. High Speed Dirt is another album track of the highest order, I mean, what does that even mean? Who cares, if Dave said it, it’s gotta mean something. Great, fast, energetic and vicious! Psychotron is more like an older Megadeth song. Hard, fast, dirty and brutally brutal for brutals sake…to put it simply. Captive Honour has more in common with their In My Darkest Hour style (well actually more like Risk and Cryptic Writings) and final track Ashes in Your Mouth is an okish finisher.

So that’s it. Two of Megadeths greatest albums done and dusted. Now I’ll leave you fine people to head out and grab these babies form the official Tickets There reviews send a shit storm HMV’s way. More than likely sales of the band will pick up 50% over the next three days. The band will pass this off as sales of the new album but we’ll all know better, wont we J.

Click Here to read Tickets There’s review of Megadeth’s new album Endgame

All the best,
T.T.

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Megadeth – Endgame (Review)

Posted in Album Review, Music, News with tags Dave Mustaine, Endgame, Headcrusher, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Megadeth Endgame, Megadeth Thrash Metal, Metallica Death Magnetic, Thrash Metal on September 15, 2009 by Tickets There

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It’s late, I’m still in pretty bad shape from a furious session on Saturday and not eating right all week but the allure of Megadeths new album, End Game just sting there on their MySpace is far too tempting to leave alone so Tickets There is going to attempt a very, very, very hastily written review of what some people are calling Dave Mustaine’s best album in almost two decades.

Ok, we’ll do this MySpace Review style. Things kick off with Dialectic Chaos, which I actually heard the other night and all I can say is FUCKING BRILLIANT!. Two minutes of chaotic riffs, riveting, powerful solo’s and intense drums. There are no lyrics, it needs no lyrics. This song is pure fucking metal to the core and an incredible strong intro, especially for a modern Megadeth album. This Day We Fight! is next and it wastes little time starting it’s aggressive mission to send the memory of Death Magnetic into it’s grave. Dave’s voice sounds harder and grittier than normal and it swells in sporadic, plunging solos. This is a track that will send mosh puts around the world into a haze of maddened frenzy’s and ensure no fan will be able to touch there neck for weeks after a gig. 44 Minutes is next and it starts off a little tamer than the previous numbers. A police radio scrambles in over machine gun like riffs. The bass stands out like a tourist in a mosque and the Deth take a stab at delivering one of those slower numbers they’ve tried more recently. Not really as piercing or as powerful as the previous two but not bad all the same. The drums and bass make up for the songs slightly mundane structure…and the solo is pretty fucking rockin’!. When the final chorus comes in you find the whole song growing on you a little bit more. Seems to fall together and become interesting. Another savage solo and the respect increases.

1,320 is next and it kicks off with a Judas Priest style bike revving before the guitar and drums kick in, in classic Megadeth, Punk styled fury. This is thrash metal for those of you who haven’t heard it, notice the difference? The riff is fast, Dave belts out angry forceful lyrics with a vengeance as the instruments break away together to allow some incredible shredding from Dave and…what ever the new guitarist is called. Not bad to say the least. Two and a half minutes in, the guitars explode in a duelling battle that, in the words of Dylan Moran “would melt your face”. This is the kind of thing that causes tinnitus when you hear it live. The true sound of energy filled, unyielding talent that strives to out do itself with every note. Bite the Hand has the least number of plays so I’m a little weary but it starts of pretty well. The drums style keeps changing and it’s brilliant. Another full on metal track with sneering, guitars but much deeper, crunchy, bellowing riffs. Dave sings about the current economy (please note Dave has always done this, it’s not just a fad) as the band that spill their guts to keep up with him. I cannot get over the amount of solo’s on this album. Isn’t this the band that release Risk and Cryptic Writings a few years ago? Cause there’s no signs of those albums left. Don’t know why it’s the least played, it fucking rocks. Bodies jumps in straight away and crunchy bass makes a welcome return. Maybe it’s always been there and I just need decent headphones. This isn’t a bad number but possibly best described as an album track….so far, I’m only a minute in. It’s defiantly not one of their future classics but it’s decent. Great solo at the end but I wont say I wasn’t waiting for the albums title track before the end.

Endgame has the traits of a true metal blitz in the making. Not bad. Gets better and better as it continues. Pretty savage riffs, Dave’s lyrics awkwardly fall together but only hang on loosely before breaking again. Unlike Peace Sells, which was clever, Endgames lyrics sound very forced. Maybe Dave really isn’t that angry anymore? Nah, no-one happy person can play like that. Ah, not bad but I need to be in bed in 15/20 mins so lets check out The Hardest Part of Letting Go. Hmmm, acoustic guitars, violins and Chellos. Ah, this is where Cryptic Writings got to, I knew it must be around somewhere. It’s not terrible or anything but no something Megadeth need to keep in their repertoire. They already have A Tour Le Monde and that’s enough for any band. Oh Wait, two minutes in there’s an apocalyptic kind of knock on the head. Good, galloping riffs appear from no where as the lead pushed it’s self further and further into the spotlight. There’s even a few duelling moments. Tickets There is once again turned around.

The album first single, Head Crusher is next and the third last track of the album. I don’t know if any of you out there know what a Head Crusher was but its all there’s in the name really. They used this nasty little device during the Spanish Inquisitions and it could be made to last for hours, days and even weeks. The first thing that would happen is your jaws would crush together, shattering your teeth inside your skull. Then you eye sockets would buckle and they would literally pop out. Some of the devices had little metal plates, resembling small ice cream scoops to catch the eyes as they popped out. Then it got painful. May not sound as horrendously violent as the public sawings that they used to do or treatment from the Spanish tickler but pretty shocking to say the least. Oh the song, sorry. The song is FUCKING AWESOME!! NUFF SAID. Second last track How The Story Ends is thankfully not another ballad. It’s not my favourite, possibly the one I like least, though it has some of the best machine gun styled drum and guitars interaction on the whole record. Final song, The Right to Go Insane is thankfully heavy one. No soppy ballad to send us to bed, just another kick in the skull from Mustaine. Chorus sounds kind of grungy in it’s delivery but it works, works pretty well in fact. Some nice, distance between the chords in the bridge that adds some tension as you wait for everything to tear back. This is a very respectable Megadeth track and a welcome return finally to a fairly impressive album.

So, that’s it. Honestly, I was expecting more but I thought the same thing about Death Magnetic when I first heard that so you can be sure Tickets There is going to give it another few drillings before making our final decision. Might sound alot better when our minds aren’t clouded with the worry of how late we’re staying up, getting spellings correct while writing so quickly and all that nonsense. It still lacks Dave’s full on aggression though. The rage and bitterness that inspired and drove so much of the bands earlier work seems a little distant and forced on Endgame. It’s still more appealing than The System Has Failed and United Abominations but is doesn’t quite deliver the classics we know from albums like Rust In Peace, Countdown to Extinction or Peace Sells. Still well worth a go.

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Tickets There Likes: The Doors – The Doors

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar), Break on Through, Jim Morrison, Jim Morrison and the Doors, Light My Fire, The Doors, The Doors - The Doors, The Doors first album, The Doors Light My Fire, The End on September 7, 2009 by Tickets There

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I always hated The Doors. Generally when I hate a band it means I’ve given them their time and tried several times to enjoy them because I hate it when I’m wrong so I like to really give things my all before passing such an extreme judgment. Believe it or not I do have three or four Radiohead albums because I was told after I’d listen to each one that such a one was better and you know what, they weren’t. I also have two Coldplay albums because I wanted to believe the hype and turned out I was right from the beginning about them too. The Doors however are a different story. I hadn’t ever given them a chance and the main song I knew, Light My Fire, was a little boring for my tastes. Then one faithful summer they found me.

I was staying at a friend’s house for a few weeks during the summer of 04 (all those years ago J) and he played the Doors constantly. After a few days of this and then a screening of the movie to help persuade me, I finally gave in. I wouldn’t say I turned total fanatic but just enough to make me buy every album over the following year and give each ones a good grilling. Honestly I never really picked a flat out favorite and only for the sake of this review have I picked their 67 self titled debut, The Doors.

If you don’t like the Doors yet, then opening song Break on Through will go along way in convincing you of their greatness. I’m not going to say it’s a full on, stampeding chaotic master piece because that just doesn’t do it justice…but it is all those things. It’s so full of energy and quiet / loud changes with underlining D word themes a go go. In sharp contrast, Soul Kitchen is everything the tin promises. A relaxed, stripped back verse of simple guitar and piano melodies with Jims voices croaking in the background before everything collapses together for a foot stomping chorus. At times it sounds like Johns drumming is too fast for Robby’s guitars and Ray’s keyboards but oddly enough, it all works perfectly. The Crystal Ship slips even further into the albums melon collie state. Jim’s deep voice booms over the music, haunting every change and note the band play. It’s no secret that a lot of the love people have for the Doors also relies heavily on the myths, stories and a general love for Morrison himself. He’s one of music’s true icons, appealing to people in all walks of life…except those who just don’t like him off course.

Twentieth Century Fox wouldn’t be one of my favorite tracks. It’s very plain compared to the albums first three songs and falls a little on its face amidst a mess of guitars and organ melodies. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar), a cover of a Bertolt Brecht’s song (I’ve never heard of him either, don’t worry ;), is without a doubt one of the funniest songs they’ve ever recorded and could easily be used a sea chantey in the next Pirates or, if you’re like me, you have walked home many times from the pub singing this at full volume. Light My Fire follows and ya know…it’s good. Personally I think seven minutes was a bit much and the guys don’t really pull it off but many, many others would strenuously disagree so it depends from fan to fan. Back Door Man (written by Willie Dixon) on the other hand is one of the best songs they’ve ever recorded. Since it’s another cover, I won’t praise it too much in words or it may overshadow the other tracks I’ve written about….but god it’s a savage song.

I Looked At You sounds like something The Beatles could easily have come up with but still manages to retain some of the Doors quality. Not incredibly great but simple, fun pop. After all, many people forget the Doors did start of as a more a pop group than the bluesy poets they turned into. End of the Night is more of a definitive Doors piece. Broken melodies, slow changes, hits of spiraling melodies…etc. Again it’s not amazing but there’s more Doors atmosphere here than many of the songs. The best way you can describe a truly Doors-esque song is broken music and Jims lyrics. The sort of atmospheric, incoherent yet hauntingly good music they play in seedy L.A. bars at 4:00 in the morning. Take It As it Comes is one of the better tracks at the end of the album. The lyrics are bogged down in Jims over thinking and the music flows extremely well. Ray’s keyboards belt away behind Johns crashing drums and Jims iconic vocals.

I lied, I lied about End of the Night. It is not a definitive Doors classic. Not compared to the albums final track, The End. While its style is pretty general for the Doors, it is nowhere near as far reaching, over blown and mind bendingly good as The End. The lyrics represent a peak Morrison always strived for with his music. The band comes together more here than anywhere else on the record, despite the hap hazard sound. The entire group seems to spiral off in their own little tangents, all at the same time yet they seem to pull together like waves and re-group momentarily before drifting apart again. Jims voice is once again the glue holding everything together and the song loses all sense of time and structure. The music repeats and repeats but never gets stale. Jims vocals become more and more prominent at the song moves along culminating in his screams referencing the Oedipus complex.

If you give the Doors time, it’s very hard to hate them. If you like Rock n roll, folk, pop or blues, the Doors have something for you and it’s good. Jim may be long gone, or just hiding somewhere but his music and the band’s music is still very much alive and ready for any curious new generations that are willing to open their mind and experience what music drove a generation to throw up their arms and say ‘No’ when it counted.

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HY-GIY?: Jape – Ritual

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, IRISH NOISE!, Music with tags 'Jape, Floating, I Was A Man, Jape Phil Lynott, Jape ritual, Nothing Lasts forever, Phil Lynott, Replays, Richie Egan, Ritual jape, Strike me down on September 7, 2009 by Tickets There

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If you read my blog you should know three things. 1, I have a frightening love for Sheffield’s finest rock band, Def Leppard. 2, I like tearing into terrible bands and ridiculing them to the point where it just inst professional and I make very few apologies to fans or band members for the way I discuss them and three, I consider Jape to be one of Irelands finest talents ever produced and last year, he sealed that claim with his third album, Ritual.

Ritual was without a doubt my favorite Irish album of 2008 and one of best ever to come out of this country as far as I’m concerned. Yes I know Enya has a lot of albums to compete with but let’s leave that aside shall we!. Richie Egan is one of very far artists making experimental music and getting it right pretty much every time. No matter what style of song, effect or theme Richie deals with, he still manages to back everything up with inarguably good melodies; structure, imagination and a strong musical backbone (take note bands!). Before Ritual he had the poorly received Cosmosphere and the underground smash The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun than Me which spawned the massive cult single Floating. However Ritual brought all of Richie and co’s onstage energy as well as his styles and writing to a peak they hadn’t managed to release on either of the first two albums.

Opening with the well weathered Christopher and Anthony, the album gets a feverish grip of dance beats, electronic samples and Richies unique lyrical style that fans hoped would play a more dominant role of this record than the previous albums. Despite it having all this, second track I Was A Man bombards in and ups the bar 100%. Previously, Floating was the dance highlight on Japes set and fans but he has worked hard to ensure this is pushed to mid-set and his newer work gets the attention instead in order to prove he isn’t a one hit wonder and I Was a Man proves this no end. All the dancey beats, anthem styled lyrics and changes any human could want from their bands. The overall chaos of the song is best seen live but as studio recordings go, you couldn’t ask anymore from this song.

Replays hops in at third and is again surprisingly upbeat and dance oriented. It’s one of those songs that just simple, cut n grab pop. Not the kind of pop you’ll see on X-factor anytime soon, I mean good f**king pop. Once again it’s impulsively catchy, upbeat and a full on stormer of a dance floor hit. Maybe if RTE felt compelled to play Irish music more often, this song, along with many more from the album might have actually reached the country. Ah well, there only the national broadcaster. Can’t expect them to start endorsing Irish talent when there’s easy ratings to be found with international crap. If you’re reading this and you work for RTE I say to you, Go F**k Yourself you absolute waste of an organization!!

(In a ranty mood today, had to put a Happy Mondays review on hold because I wrote 500 words of complaining). Graveyard follows and gives the album one of its most relaxed moments. Lyrics are interesting and worth reading if you can find them on the net. The song just has an overall sublime melody and flow that’s just so easily enjoyable and mellow. Bringing the quality up even further is the incredibly melodic and well loved, Phil Lynott. Hard to describe why this song is so special but its worth getting this album just to hear it, never mind the other songs and seeing it live is even better.

The dance tone returns with the bouncy Streetwise. Like Replays, this is pure pop and is followed by the albums most prominent reminder of Japes Monkeys style. At the Heart of all this Strangeness is the albums most stripped back piece of music. Acoustic guitar arrangements, mixed with low melodies and Japes quiet vocals striving to stay above the music’s volume. Absolutely fantastic song and one of the few singer/songwriter style arrangements that Tickets There fully endorses. Apple in the Orchard follows with another beat laden, smack your face anthem. This song has one of the catchiest chorus of all the songs on this album and there is some very stiff completion. Another crackin’ anthem, Strike Me Down, follows and gives Richie’s set yet another classic dance fueled hit for his live show. Final song, Nothing Lasts Forever has a real Moby-ish style piano melody and haunting vocals with a great bassy drive. Incredible stuff all round.

That’s all I can really say. I reviewed this album for Drop-D when it came out last year and its quality has been diminished one bit. It’s as strong, original and enjoyable as the day it came out. If you haven’t heard Jape I advice a trip to his MySpace and I’m sure you’ll have the album on your stereo by 6.00pm this evening.

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Tickets There Likes: Metallica – …And Justice for All

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags and justice for all, james hetfield, Metallica, Metallica and justice for all, one on September 2, 2009 by Tickets There

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Ya know Metallica get a very bad rap these days. It’s as plain as day that they haven’t done themselves many favors over the last few years but people seem to be forgetting they have a stronger back catalogue than most metal acts out there. Very few thrash/heavy or hard rock bands can boast so many highly regarded albums as Metallica and they’re highly impressive and widely diverse selections of song writing make them the bonafide legends they are. Forget the St. Anger disaster and forget the Napster issue and the Some Kind of a Monster fiasco. These are long over with and the Bay Area Thrashers have returned to what they do best.

I remember first hearing Metallica in the early nineties and not being hugely amazed. Then again I was a Def Lepp / GNR kid and the styles didn’t really crossover in my eyes. It was until the late nineties that one of the lads from school started pushing me to listen to them. I remember seeing a picture of Kirk Hammett. wearing Calvin Klein undero’s and thinking ‘wow, how metal is that…puke!’. It looked like Metallica had totally sold out and this didn’t give me any inspiration to check out their stuff. Now I know there’s nothing worse in this world that an uppity metal fan. Every time you talk to one of those Bruxelles chaps they’d nearly put you off the genre entirely. They’re so up their own holes it’s almost sad and they sit there and argue on and on about mundane, unimportant crap about bands who make a living dressing up in makeup and screaming about death. Not sure if you noticed folks, but it’s meant to be a bit of fun, not f**king politics ya tossers. Anyway, enough ranting about those Metalireland.com chaps, they have to pass their sad existence somehow.

So eventually I took a copy of Master of Puppets from yer man and after a few days adjusting I came to love that album and like most of the TT Likes articles, listened to it repeatedly for many, many weeks. Ride the Lightening, Metallica (The Black Album) and Kill Em All only spurred on my excitement for the bands material and overnight, became staunch classics in my books. However it wasn’t until the mighty …And Justice for All came into my possession that I found their best work. I’d been put of getting this one by many people who wouldn’t shut up about the Bass being low and the quality generally lacking compared to the other early albums. I strongly disagree folks, and I think I’m in the majority.

Opening up with the mighty Blackened, Justice is an hour’s worth of melodic / blistering riffage, doomsday lyrics and drums all backed by Hetfields more matured, powerful vocals. I don’t care how elitist you are, there’s no denying Metallica did it better than anyone else at the top of their game. Tracks like Eye of the Beholder, The Shortest Straw, The Frayed Ends of Sanity and Dyers Eye give the album it’s unyielding power while better know classics like the title track, One and Harvester of Sorrow give the whole record it’s unstoppable force that band have failed to recreate since, despite a pretty good effort on Death Magnetic. Justice for All’s sound is so dark and inaccessible compared to all of their other work before and after and the band can be seen to vent their frustrations, pain and anger over Cliff Burtons death. It’s true the bass isn’t exactly the stand out instrument here and this is very obviously an attempt to avoid having to admit Cliff had to be replaced. As a final tribute to their friend, Justice has a nine minute instrumental entitled To Live is to Die which the band composed using riffs written by Burton before his death.

Whatever people say about Metallica now is irrelevant. Bunch of stuck up, metal pussy’s who’ve forgotten the whole genre is about taking it easy, have a few beers and a laugh. Not procrastinating and philosophizing about who’s more metal than thou! And let’s all be honest, metal fans are mostly made up of…..should I say it?, maybe not…but you know damn well the kind of people that I mean and don’t deny it! Why the hell these folks feel the need to close turn Metal into a Pink Floyd convention is beyond me. Relax folks!

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Tickets There Likes: Def Leppard – Hysteria

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags animal, Def Leppard, def leppard animal, Def leppard hysteria, Hysteria, love bites, pour some sugar on me, rocket, women on September 1, 2009 by Tickets There

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OK, ok I have to stop putting this one of and get it out of the way finally. You all knew this was coming and I can’t count how many drafts I’ve written in an attempt to get it done. Def Leppard’s mightiest of mighty accomplishments, the golden goose, the Holy Grail of their collection and one of the highest selling records of all time, Hysteria! It was the second album I ever owned and heard in full and was introduced to me just a few weeks after Adrenalize and made me a solid Leppard fan for life. Like my live review of Springsteen, I find it very difficult to write something about this record that thousands of others haven’t said before.

Let’s start by stating it’s very rare to find an album with so few album tracks like this. Almost every single song is a single or classic with almost no exceptions. On Hysteria, the bands efforts to write perfect pop rock and heavy ballads finally paid off without a hitch. Despite Rick Allen losing his arm, Steve’s continued problems with alcohol and the bands problems in their home country, producers and initial demo’s, Hysteria proved to be a feat very few critics, fans and interested parties thought they could pull off, especially considering the new levels of quality Pyromania set for them. Even 22 years on from its release the quality of the songs and production is infallible. This is the album that artists like Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Skid Row, Europe, Aerosmith and all the other 80’s Hard rock heavyweights wished they could come up with. Although Hard Rock took a different turn when Guns N Roses released Appetite for Destruction, Leppards Hysteria was the peak of the previous sounds perfection.

No song was written or produced on this with anything less than a grand, world changing effort. While some of the song’s lyrics may sound slightly cheesy in hindsight such as Women and Pour Some Sugar on Me, only a total knob end could flaw their energy and perfection. Pop rock rears its head on several of the albums singles and continue the job Photograph and Foolin’ had started previously. Animal, PSSOM, Armageddon it, Love and Affection and Women set a high bar for any band to reach and deck out the album with its foundations. The easily accessible, fist raising, mass sing along anthems that sealed the deal for Leppard and made them the biggest band on the plant for a couple of years. While more intimate numbers such as Love Bites and Hysteria ensured Leppard secured hordes of young females as lifelong fans.

Not to be overlooked, the guys still got the edge from the likes of Don’t Shoot Shotgun, Gods of War (Leppards one and only foray into the political world), Rocket, the heavier than heavy Run Riot (at least by Leppards standards) and the awesome Excitable. These provided the final master stroke to provide this album with everything it needed to entertain millions of fans around the work for the next two decades. Then again, no matter how serious the songs are, no matter how heavy or light the sound is and no matter what their theme, every song on Hysteria is a catchy rock classic that deserves respect from every rock fan. This is how pop rock is done folks, you won’t find any other album to equal Hysteria’s arsenal.

Nah Sayers will always be nay Sayers and the unfortunate rise of grunge music and its trend setting ideals about fashion, politics, depression, bullying meant bands like Leppard and their back catalogues were severely undermined all throughout the 90’s and early millennium. Fortunately the world is starting its traditional two decade revitalization and The Mighty Lepp are reaping the benefits. A few years ago the band were playing small theatres and state fairs but currently, they’re back in 10,000 + arenas reminding fans why they are a band that should never be forgotten. The years may have been cruel to their legacy but Joe Elliot, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil and Viv are a major force to be reckoned with. They have proven they can take anything and everything the music and personal world can lash on them and still emerge unscathed and ready for the next challenge. From the moment Joe Elliot wrote the band’s name on Sheffield’s town hall’s notice board in the late seventies, the band were destined to become legends and Hysteria is the pinnacle of that legacy.

Here’s a picture of the UK 12″ Vinyl sigles from Hysteria all together.

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Tickets There Likes: Weezer – Weezer (The Blue Album)

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags my name is jonas, only in dreams, say it aint so, the blue album, Weezer, Weezer the blue album on September 1, 2009 by Tickets There

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When I was younger I was a big fan of Blur and Oasis but it wasn’t until I heard Weezer’s ‘Blue Album’ that I actually became a fan of Indie music. Although my interest has become less and less evident over the last few years, Weezer opened the door to many great acts. I had heard Hash Pipe and Buddy Holly (same as the rest of the English speaking world), but had never listened to one of their albums until I started first year of college and it was passed over from Bob’s (my roommate) magical tube (sounds bad don’t it) of music. He had this plastic case with roughly a hundred burnt CD’s and no matter how many times you went through it, something new always popped up.

He recommended Weezer while he was in the grips of their buzz and I started with their debut. The damn thing was so good I couldn’t stop listening to it for around two/three months. The time it took me to walk to college from home was the exact length of the album (with a few minutes loitering to finish Only In Dreams off). I can’t say anything astonishing about it other than it’s just a great record. All the songs are catchy, fresh and heavy in their own way. Unlike the weird eco-conscious geek culture that’s taken over music at the moment, Weezer did geek rock well.

Rather than sing about the problems in the world, they kept it simple. I’m pretty sure Rivers would have trouble writing about anything other than Love but so what, he does love brilliantly and makes it more realistic. Tracks like The World Has Turned, Undone, Say it Ain’t So and Only In Dreams are classics, pure and simple. No-One Else, Surfwax America and In the Garage are the cream of the bands album tracks while My name is Jonas and Holiday are just damn good fun, don’t read into them.

I should take special time to mention that Say it Ain’t So and Only In My Dreams are two of the bands and the genre’s greatest assets. The Harmonies, melodies, riffs and full on force of those two songs is incredible especially in comparison to the other songs on the record. Rather than churn out standard ballads on an album of heavier material, the band mix the loud guitars, tension and melody so well it makes the songs stand out a mile without decreasing the albums overall quality

I never took as fondly to Pinkerton (although I do love it) and I after a couple of goes I gave up on Green and Maladroit and never bothered with the last two. After Buddy Holly being as close to pop perfection an indie band with loud guitars can get, Beverly Hills just seemed to piss all over their legacy, but who am I to judge? When I release one song in the same league as any of their stuff I can gripe, but until that day I’ll keep it shut.

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Tickets There Likes: Iron Maiden – Powerslave

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags 2 Minutes to Midnight, Aces Hight, Dave Murray, Iron Maiden, Iron Maiden Powerslave, Powerslave, Rime of the Ancient Mariner on September 1, 2009 by Tickets There

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I tried writing this review last night and have about three paragraphs done at home but I can’t stand the idea of that Radiohead chaps face at the top of my blog so I’m rushing through this one to replace his fecking hideously boring presence with the mighty Maiden’s Powerslave cover. I hope all of my readers are Iron Maiden fans because people, this is the real stuff right here. Forget the Kings of Leon, Killers and all that other rubbish, if you want to have fun, Maiden are the men (or AC/DC, but what ever).

I suppose being a TT Likes and all, I’d better bore you all with the usual speal of how I discovered the band. It was back in nineteen hundred and ninety three (1993). Roughly a year after the Leppard, Guns N Roses and Meatloaf phase had settled in. I saw a copy of their A Real Live One tape in the new release section of Sligo’s Record Room. I was completely taken with the cover and had to get it. In those days I didn’t buy many record because I had no money and not a lot of access to stores that sold them. I remember loving their sound as soon as I heard it and everything went from there. It’s not a very exciting story and I couldn’t be bothered trying to invent wacky stories and lies to keep yis entertained. I did managed to meet Dave Murray a few years ago but that’s not very exciting either, we were both hammered and nearly went for a drink in his hotel until I realized myself and my girlfriend would be stranded in town if we didn’t catch the night link and I had no other money for taxi’s. Thinking back that was a very, very stupid thing to do but it’s in the past.

I didn’t manage to get my hands of Powerslave until 98 when I picked a copy up in Athlone shopping center. They easily had the best Maiden section any shop can boast outside of Dublin (or at least they did in those days), and it’s remained my favorite Maiden album ever since. First of all you have Aces High , then 2 Minutes to Midnight which basically means it’s the greatest maiden album of all time two songs in. Then you have Losfer Words, a nice metal instrumental before Flash of the Blade which is a grand wee number similar to their earlier material. The Duellists is a savage typical Maiden number with a savage wee chorus as is Back in the Village (except this is probably my least favorite number ion the record) but the best is yet to come. The albums title track is one of the bands finest moments. One of the best riffs the band has ever written and some of their most surreal lyrics. It’s just such a grand and mighty anthem that adds that classic Maiden danger that makes their legacy as strong as it is. The album winds up with the incredible, riff filled Rime of the Ancient Mariner. A lengthy wee track but filled with surprises, changes, harmonies, melodies and everything else Maiden could squeeze in. Seeing this one live is real treat.

Well that’s it, short and sweet but I don’t like to repeat the exact same praises and such in every single review. Also, the album only has eight songs and as I’ve said before, this isn’t exactly an album review series, more of a ‘why I like this’ series 😀

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TICKETS THERE LIKES: AEROSMITH – AEROSMITH

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags Aerosmith, Aerosmith debut, Dream On, Make It, Mama Kin, Stephen Tyler on August 31, 2009 by Tickets There

Aerosmith - Aerosmith 1973

I’ve always been a part-time fan of the Smith. When I was younger I heard Walk This Way, Dude Looks Like a Lady and all those other hits everyone in the world heard many years ago. Their appearance in Wayne’s World II strengthened their image in my head (much like Alice Coopers in the first). However things took a turn for the worst when they released I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing before I ever got a chance to adopt them as a real favourite in the music books. This lack of Tyler, Perry and the boys continued until I decided to pick up a copy of their Devils Best of a couple of years ago. Listening to Love In an Elevator, Livin’ On The Edge, Sweet Emotion, Falling in Love and all the other hits was a nice little retro visit and the door was opened up again to truly appreciate Americas greatest hard rock band.

The first step of this revitalization was clear, start from the beginning so I picked up a copy of their self-titled debut album and it didn’t take long to get hooked in. Stephen Tyler’s voice was so simple in 1973. He had none of the cliché trademark he emphasise these days and the band’s sound was much more low-key. They could have been compared to the likes of AC/DC rather than Guns N Roses. There is also a distinct lack of ballads that bogged their later eighties, nineties and current career with one exception, Dream On. A powerful ballad styled song with a style all of its own, which stands out miles from the other tracks on this record.

Opening with the stripped back, riff filled Make It. Aerosmith dishes out one classic after another that puts many of their later work into a cold, dark shade. Somebody, One Way Street, Write Me and Movin’ Out provide the back bone of this album while a cover of Rufus Thomas‘ Walkin’ the Dog, Mama Kin and Dream On make it the classic it is. Mama Kin’s opening riff, blues rock piano melody and swagger is pure rock n roll and without a doubt the bands first definitive hard rock track.

If you’ve only ever heard the greatest hits and you want to find out more about Aerosmith, check this album out. Toys in the Attic and Pump can WAIT, trust me.

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TICKETS THERE LIKES: WHITESNAKE – WHITESNAKE (1987)

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags Bad Boys, David Coverdale, Still of the night, Tickets There, Whitesnake, Whitesnake 1987 on August 30, 2009 by Tickets There

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Ya know, Tickets There were never fans of Whitesnake. Yep, it’s true I’m ashamed to say. We always thought they were cheesy, comical and too poppy, an idea shared by a lot of people it turns out and one thought by Def Leppard haters as well I’m sure. All that came to an abrupt end lat June however when yours truly got to see the mighty Whitesnake five times in the space of three weeks.

It all started in Holland at the Arrow Rock Festival. KISS and Leppard were there and so was Tickets There. Whitesnake were playing just before Motorhead and KISS and I remember being slightly surprised at the strength of pretty much their whole set. Even the classics like Here I Go Again and Is This Love was incredible and Whitesnake officially moved up a notch in my books. A few days later I was in Birmingham where Def Leppard and Whitesnake were on the second night of their co-headlining UK tour. My enthusiasm for the snake had diminished rapidly in a few days as the enthusiasm of seeing Leppard indoors for the first time in five years took hold. Again I was surprised and even found myself recognizing some of the material from Holland. Coverdale’s presence and voice should be more than enough to convince anyone and his tongue in check humour and mannerisms are all part of their really enjoyable show.

After another three nights around the UK, Tickets There returned to the emerald isle as a changed man. The first thing I did was get my hands on a copy of their 1987 self titled LP and the rest is (present) history.

Now I know some of you will find it very difficult to come to terms with a band who wear open shirts and actually move on stage and more than likely you wont be able to take any band that uses the word Love as often as the Snake do in their song titles but trust me, it’s worth it and 1987 is as good a place to start as any. You have everything here like Give me all your Love, Here I Go Again, Children of the Night, Straight from the Heart, Is this Love and my personal favourites from this record, Bad Boys and the mighty, the awesome, the mouth wateringly heavy and incredible Still of the Night.

Don’t turn your nose up at it, don’t dismiss it as cheap, stereotypical joke music. I did that and was very, very wrong. If you’re a fan of rock or metal. Whitesnake have something for you and it’s good!

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Tickets There HY-GIY?: Turn – Forward

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, Music with tags Gavin Fox, Ian Melady, InPosition, Ollie Cole, Turn, Turn - Forward on August 19, 2009 by Tickets There

forward

Without a doubt, this is Tickets There’s favorite Irish album of all time. Now, when it comes to Turn I will happily admit to being fully biased, as I am with almost everything I write except the majority of the MySpace reviews. As far as I’m concerned, Turn were one of the greatest Irish band ever to emerge from the great Emerald Isle in the last twenty years. Oliver Cole’s vocals, guitar melodies, riffs and songwriting talent, mixed with Gavin Fox’s force, energy and writing skills all backed by Ian Meldays forceful command of all things rhythm makes the Kell’s trio kings in my book. Now, that may seem a little over the top and dramatic but I’ve been watching a lot of ROME recently so forgive me.

I first discovered Turn around 2002, shortly after the released the Another Year Over / Summer Song single and within a few months that opened my eyes to an amazingly impressive Irish scene I knew nothing about before. I hadn’t even heard a whisper of bands like Bell X1, Berkeley, Paddy Casey or many of the other big names around the country at the time. For someone who was as devoted to music I found this a little odd and began a quest to seek out some of this country’s finest talent. After seven years I still haven’t found many bands that compare to the power of Turns records and even fewer that can match their amazing live shows.

When Forward came out in 2003 it was praised as the album everyone who’d been following them from the late nineties knew they had in them. In sharp contrast to their third and last album, Forward’s sound was generally down beat with very few exceptions. It saw them grow from the hard guitars sound of their debut (Antisocial) and move onto more melodic song structures. Opening song, You Got Style really captures the feel of the entire record. A slow bruising piece that builds and builds as the song evolves. Dumb as it Is follows and adds some light after the darkness of You Got Style. A nice, upbeat with restrained bass lines thumping throughout with a sharp change to guitars for the chorus bursts. This is the second song written by Ian Melady to appear on a Turn record (the first being Queen of my Heart from Antisocial). Third track Harder is one of few heavy guitar tracks on the album and in comparison to the likes of Beretta, Beeswax or Too Much Makeup from the earlier outputs, it comes cross musically light but atmospherically heavy.

Summer Song gives the album a slower, more acoustic based before the bands legendary anthem, In Position comes in and blows everything away. One of the most perfectly composed songs the band have ever written and a solid fan favorite. Without You is more obviously a love song than any of the others on Forward with more harmony based melodies and upbeat guitar and piano’s rather than the down trodden sound that dominates the rest of the album. Another Year Over is another one of the albums upbeat anthems. Not much you can say about this except the fact that it’s fucking amazing and the chorus is so heavy live it’ll make your ears bleed. Ain’t it a Love is possibly the heaviest song on the album and it harks back to their earlier material without copying the same styles the band used before. Very fast, very heavy and very brilliant (Can you say very brilliant? Well I just did).

Can’t keep Waiting is similar in tones to You Got Style and at the same time, sounds nothing like it. It’s a little sadder in its tones and much more simplistic. Really atmospheric and well done. Like Never Needed from the bands Check my Ears EP, Can’t Keep Waiting doesn’t rely on several verses of poetry to carry it though, it’s a one liner folks and it works well. No More (I Close My Eyes) is another of those lovey songs, like most of Turn’s outputs. A lot of vocal stretches and a very low, smooth sound…until you get about half way in and the full guitars and vocal harmonies are released. Even Though is one of the nicest acoustic songs the band have ever written. Very emotionally based again and only listenable sometimes. Definitely not for people in a good mood. And finally we come to the album’s title song, Forward. It’s great as well 😉

Turn have been split up for over three years now though (god, it seems like a hell of a lot longer than that), but their music is still out there with new fans still discovering them. If you didn’t like Humanzi, make Forward the album you send your scouts out for this Christmas.

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Tickets There HY-GIY?: Humanzi – Tremors

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, Music with tags Album Review, Bass Balls, Diet Pills and Magazines, Fix the Cracks, Humanzi, Tremors on August 18, 2009 by Tickets There

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Time for another dive into my MP3 player to pick one of my favorite Irish albums from my limited selection of what Tickets There calls good Irish music. One of the main reasons I’ve picked this album is because the boi’s have a second one coming out sometime in the near future (although I said that last year) and I’m really hoping the Irish don’t let this one get past them.

When Humanzi burst onto the scene a few years ago they were fairly unlikely candidates for the clientele of Whelan’s and the underground scene in general to endorse them. I put this down to the fact that Humanzi are one of very few bands that can play, write good music and put on a fantastic live performance. Unfortunately their success didn’t grow outside of the Dublin scene so they took the sensible option and left the country to tour around Europe and further afield in the hopes of establishing a fan base that might actually grow. I’m not sure how much this has worked but the band don’t seem to have had any bother getting gigs across the continent thus far so I imagine it’s all good.

So back to Tremors. The first time I heard this record, I wasn’t hugely impressed. I thought many of the tracks just seemed to run together and the album had an overall style with any deviation or diversity meaning the tracks all kind of ran together and came across weak. Then I gave it another go and for a couple of months I found it hard to listen to anything else. Diet Pills and Magazines is quite simply a brilliant Punk Rock track. The lyrics are clever and witty, the tone is aggressive and the song is constructed with pop sensibilities. You can ask for any more than that now, can ya? The beating keyboards, the stomping rhythm of the guitars, drums and bass and the Shaun’s vocals are so perfectly fitting it’s uncanny. 6 Gun has a great opening, really dramatic and simple, again classic punk. Like Diet Pill’s.. it has a really full on attack mode chorus and Shaun e..bla, bla, bla. You get the point. Out on a Wire is one of my personal favs’. Great bass line, great guitars and I love the vocals. If you’re sitting down listening to this track it’s hard not to tap your feet along with the drums and when you’re on a dart or bus that looks a little strange. Really, really, really great song. I Want Silence is another of my favorites. Really swash buckling, ship swaying music. You can almost see the stage swaying from side to side with the band on it. You couldn’t stand still to music like this, it’s just too full of beats and melody not too enjoy. The verse is quite stretched but the chorus is just an anthem any band could be proud to have in their collection.

Long Time Coming is another good track. It’s a bit quieter than the others and does change the tone of the album a little. The flow is fantastic and the energy is ever present. Tremors is more like a Nine Inch Nails track than a punk song. Really heavy, really loud and really fucking good. Want to hear the best in the country, stick it on. Industrious, infectious and full of little beats, nooks and crannies that lead the song down different paths from time to time giving all the meag-moshers in the their audience a few moments of peace before it all comes crashing back down again. Song for Understanding is another slowish one. Now when I say slow and Humanzi, don’t go expecting Phil Collins singing In the Air Tonight, think more along the lines of the Sex Pistols covering …the Sex Pistols. Anyways, this one is a little more pop than the others and not a personal fav of Tickets There.

Fix the Cracks is another of the albums singles and a cracking wee tune it is too. Well worth the hype and praise it initially received and a pity it didn’t break the band abroad. Catchy chorus, great riffs and all that guff. Help me in the Morning is more a dance track than the others and shows there is a basic dance foundation ion the groups sound. Maybe that’s why they sound fresher and more original than most Punk Rock acts out there who all just to try and sound like the Clash / The Ramones or Green Day. Get your Shit Together sounds exactly like what you’d expect. Dirty distorted guitars, a mother thumping drum beat and all the attitude four lads from da north side can muster. Great track unless you’re a prat. Mass Hypnosis is last but not least. Heavy, undistinguishable vocals and a lot going on…yet still great.

If you have to get one Irish album this Christmas, make it Humanzi – Tremors.

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Tickets There HY GIY?: The Aftermath – Friendlier Up Here

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, Music with tags Friendlier Up Here, Johnny Cronin, Mick Cronin, One is Fun, The Aftermath, Tickets There on August 17, 2009 by Tickets There

FriendlierUpherecover

I May have been a bit harsh on this new series, maybe it’ll work and here to help me road test its second outing is The Aftermath and their debut album Friendlier Up Here. This is one of those albums I’m very surprised Tickets There hasn’t found a way to review before but first, a little bit of background.

Hailing from the fine towns of Longford, Leeds and Mullingar, The Aftermath have been working overtime for the last few years gigging every single chance they get in order to make a name for themselves. Their live performance is always fantastic and the Johnny Cronin is every bit a classic rock front man. Thankfully the band don’t sulk and stare down when on stage and they also don’t hide behind a pile of hats, masks, gimmick’s or any of the other shite most Irish bands try. It’s just them and the music and that’s all you need folks. Friendlier Up Here was released last year and has received a massive load of critical success. Unfortunately The Aftermath are one of those Irish bands that RTE scouts haven’t picked up yet (may your heads be struck from your shoulders) and this is one of the reasons the band haven’t achieved the commercial success they truly deserve.

Opening with the infectiously catchy Are You Not Wanting Me Yet?, the band explode into a semi-psychedelic/Beatles driven kind of sound that comes nicely packaged as a heavy, upbeat array of sounds. Really, really, really catchy. I Wish My Love Would Die is a strange choice for a second song after such a full on opener…but it works, works so well in fact that the massive difference in sounds highlights each other qualities and the bands ability to diversify their talent rather than play on one strength. Northern Lingerie is pure pop-rock at its finest. Another dance floor filling, slightly psychedelic riff’s played by a rock guitarist (of you catch my drift. Imagine Oasis playing The Velvet Underground). Nice, slow and once again, extremely catchy. All I Want For You Is To be Happy is one of the bands lead singles and a firm fan favorite. It’s a little slower than their other dancy songs and it’s just a lovely piece of music, probably because it’s clean cut and believable. There’s no bitches or bling bling. There’s also no decaying rats are antichrist mentions but it’s also not The Script.

Another single One is Fun is probably the bands best live track. Really upbeat, really melodic and full of crackin’ beats and changes. (Yes I’m rushing through this because my MP3 is about to die and I want to listen to each track while I’m writing about it). Overlooking Paris is the bands strongest love song. The style and tones are completely different to everything else on the album and the added accordion and string backing makes it all the more special. Haunting would be the best way to describe the atmosphere for this one. Up and Down with the Aftermath is a nice, short instrumental that leads into another heavy number, Need. Really fast guitars and drums and a great hark back to the days of Brit-pop. There’s a Darkness is another one of the albums strongest tracks and by this time you start to wonder how the hell this album hasn’t made it to number one? Hollywood Remake, Joyful Mystery, Tickets There’s personal favorite Six Days to Saturday and Song of a Graveyard follow and expand the albums incredible stock pile of tracks.

If you haven’t bought it already, go and get it now.

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Tickets There: HY-GIY (Have You Got It Yet) Future Kings of Spain – Nervousystem

Posted in Album Review, Hy-Giy, Music with tags Future Kings of Spain, Nervousystem, Syndicate, Tickets There on August 17, 2009 by Tickets There

future-kings-of-spain-nervousystem

Hmmm, not sure about the title for this series. I like the fact the initials spell Hy Giy (Hi Guy for all you slow folk) but I just don’t know. Wouldn’t mind if someone came on and said it sucks, then I could go back to the drawing board and dream it all up again.

Anyways, this series is similar to the Tickets There Likes one except it will focus solely on a handful of Irish albums we consider to be the best in the new millennium. First up is The Future Kings of Spain’s second output, Nervousystem. Now, personally I consider the Future Kings of Spain Irelands best act on the go at the moment. Closely followed by Jape, Humanzi, The Aftermath and Concerto for Constantine. I know I’ve made no secret of this but hey, if you want diversity and underground bla, bla, ego, go check out Una Rocks or Niallier9, plenty of pretention and nonsense over there to keep you occupied for the rest of your life. Anyways, enough bitching about other music blogs. They get a lot more hits and mentions than Tickets There so they must be doing something right.

So back to the Kings. Well, their debut came out in 2003 and it was great. Then they had record label issues which was shit. Then they nearly broke up which was even more shit. Finally they managed to pull things together, work out their issues and release their second album in 2007. Was it worth the four year wait? You’re damn right it was and I encourage any of you who bought album two years ago to take it of your shelf and give it another listen because it’s not a record that should be forgotten.

Kicking things of is Guess Again. Not a bad song, good riff but Tickets There got a little sick of this track a long time ago. One More Mistake is next and it’s easily the closest thing to a grunge classic any Irish band I’ve heard has ever managed (except Ash’s A Life Less Ordinary which is, I’ll happily admit, a better tune). Vocals and guitars are nice and dirty during the verse and the constant bridges, breaks and extras all combine nicely in the ear drum shattering chorus. Joey Wilson has a savage voice that’s both believable and reckless. I don’t like the very start of This Is the End but the song has a great overall feeling, nice anthem kind of tune. Lost and Found is a real smooth, atmospheric number with some lovely melodies, harmonies and changes. There’s a real air of restraint during the first part and you’re just waiting for the song to explode into its full form. Syndicate is has much the same feeling as Lost and Found except it’s on a much grander scale. Without a doubt the Kings flagship masterpiece. Simple, complex, light, heavy…everything really and a great video to accompany it. At nearly eight minutes in length, it’s astonishing the band manage to keep the song as interesting and evolving as it is. Each verse and bridge brings something new into the fold and every chorus whips them all together to deliver the classic FKOS hard hitting style in as much force and energy as anything else out there.

Kick in the Teeth is another good, simple track. Slow, heavy and beating is the best thing I can say about it…in a good way. Another classic pops up next in the form of You Dream in Solid Gold. The Kings talent for writing this kind of track is unparalleled in this country and it’s a style that really can be attributed to them. Nineteen Eighty One brings more guitars and pounding drums back into the fold as melodic lead’s hover in the background behind one of the albums best chorus lines and a good heavy riff. Chemical Burn is one of the actual ‘album tracks’ on Nervousystem. Very simple and catchy but nothing too classic here except a great chorus. This Song is one of the slowest the band have ever done and sounds a little like something the Foo Fighters could come up with. In saying that, The Foo Fighters didn’t and the FKOS did so it’s there’s. Very moody and grungy and a nice penultimate number before I Disappear comes raging in to show Nervousystem isn’t one bit short of great tracks.

Overall a great album (that’s why I’m writing about it). If you want to hear a great Irish band playing great music, you could do a hell of a lot worse than the FKOS. Readi ng over this piece, I’m not entirely happy with it so I’m not sure how many more I’ll do. Thankfully, Tickets There isn’t one to waste over 800 words so this one’s going up anyways.

All the best, Tickets There

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Tickets There Likes: Def Leppard – Adrenalize

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags 7-Day-weekend tour, Adrenalize, Def Leppard, Def Leppard Adrenalize, Hysteria, Joe Elliot on August 9, 2009 by Tickets There

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What? You were expecting the third Def Leppard Likes to be about Hysteria? Sorry, one more to cover first. Adrenalize gets a very special place in my heart as it’s the very first album I ever owned. This is the mother of all my music tastes and the big bang that caused the chain of events that have shaped the way I live my life ever since. Although the album isn’t generally regarded by fans as one of the bands best, it is. Think I’m a little biased saying that? Well I quite obviously am but I also truly believe it.

I was being driven back to boarding school by my mum one day in March 1992, just after my eighth birthday. It was a dark, wintery Sunday night and out of no where my mum produced this cassette and asked me what I thought of it. She put it on the stereo and we listened to it the whole way up to Dublin. The cassette was (quite obviously) Adrenalize and I loved every bit of it. Let’s Get Rocked what so full of attitude and so cool how could you not love it at eight years old. Leppard were also an interesting choice for first band. They had a drummer with one arm and that seemed very normal for some reason. At the time I imagined that metal bands were so hard most of them probably had missing limbs and it didn’t bother them (eight people, don’t judge). They had a legendary guitarist that had just died the year before and a back catalogue so juicy it was unrealistic. Over the next three months, my mum bought copies of Hysteria and Pyromania and every week we’d listen to Leppard solidly for the three and a half hour drive to Dublin and home on Fridays. I also managed to get a walk man and a copy of all three albums to keep a school where I quickly became the coolest kid in class for about a month because I had a tiny little leather jacket (which I still have) and listened to rock bands.

After three months of almost solid Leppard devotion (Meatloaf had managed to slip in aswell, not to mention the awesome Guns N Roses), I was brought to the Point Depot to see my very first rock concert. Def Leppard’s 7-Day-Weekend tour came to the Ireland and it saw the band play completely in the round. You can read more about that here – Click Here

Anyways, Adrenalize. If you didn’t like it or haven’t heard it, I suggest sitting down and listening to the mighty Personal Property (that guitar solo ugh!!), Stand Up, Tear It Down, Heaven is or I Wanna Touch You and experience pop rock at it’s very finest. Hard n loud guitars, monster riffs and anthems enough to win a war.

Then there’s White Lightening, the bands tribute to the late Steamin’ Steve Clark. Steve died in January 1991 and his death marked a major shift in Leppards sound and song writing. Adrenalize is the last Leppard record of it’s kind and White Lightening is a great tribute to the man who made their early albums so special.

I stick Adrenalize on now knowing it’s not as great as I praise it to be, but listening to those songs brings back memories of the early days of discovering music and discovering a new band you can still love as much as ever seventeen years later is a very special thing for everyone.

What’s yours?

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Tickets There Likes: Guns N Roses – Use Your Illusion I

Posted in Album Review, Music, Ranting, Tickets There Likes: with tags Axl Rose, Guns N Roses, Slash, Use Your Illusion 1, W. Axl Rose on August 8, 2009 by Tickets There

GnR--UseYourIllusion1

There is one band in the world that has always come close to beating Def Leppard to the top spot in my all time favorites. A band that I consider to be the greatest hard rock band of all time. I first discovered Guns N Roses in 1992, just a couple of months after Def Leppard when an older brother of one of my friends leant me the Use Your Illusion 1I& II albums in boarding school. Knowing that I was a Leppard and Meatloaf fan, I think he wanted someone else to share the mighty Guns with since everyone else had never heard of any rock bands. I remember trying Use Your Illusion I first because I preferred the cover and was instantly blown away by the sher force of the Axl’s voice and the guitars. I’d never heard anything like this and all of a sudden Leppard didn’t hold the holier than though pedestal I’d placed them on. Shortly after I managed to get copies of the alums from a traveller outside Mullingar at a wee market at some roadside restaurant like the covert and Guns were firmly brought into my life.

Aside from Adrenalize, I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an album so much in my life. Use Your Illusion I oozes sleazy Rock N Roll and as I got older, I understood more and more of the ands lyrics an hidden connotations. It was like an album that grew more and more mature with age and that’s the prime reason it never got left on the shelf when new bands came into my life. Despite being as big of a fan as I was, I’d never even heard about Appetite for Destruction or Lies and wouldn’t discover them for another eight or nine years. Even when Appetite did come along, it’s never managed to replace Illusion 1 as my favorites; even now I can listen to that album and enjoy it as much as I ever did.

Before getting into the songs (and honestly, I don’t write these to try and review the greatest songs in my life. If you don’t know them there isn’t much point in you reading these), I should say that to appreciate the Guns, you really need to look at their career rather than just their music. Think of them like The Sex Pistols and you will understand Rock N Roll like the Pistols make you understand the true meaning of punk. Rock n Roll is meant to be an attitude more than the music. It’s that attitude that defines real rock n roll rebellion. It’s not anarchy, it’s lazy. It’s about doing what ever you like and not letting anyone tell you otherwise. Yeah it sounds cliché but that’s what it’s all about and if there is one man in rock who lives up to every single word of that, it’s W. Axl Rose.

Axl has never and will never do what record companies, fans, and mates, family or the press expect, pressure or beg him to do. Yes I’m sure there are all these underground guys who do the same but I’m sorry, Axl is the one with the millions under his belt and he still does what he likes and makes it work at his level. He didn’t give up after the Illusion and release one watered down alum after another for the following twenty years. He also didn’t go out of his way to keep the classic line-up happy and he continued Guns N Roses in his own way with the whole world laughing at him. Even the rock press and diehard fans failed to see the brilliance behind his methods and still today the fans that claimed to stand behind him still bitch log and beg for tours, special edition albums and music videos all the while their forgetting that none of these things will make the bands latest album Chinese Democracy any better. Axl is a musician who’s quite happy to let the music speak for its’ self. If anyone else did it and said that’s what they were doing, the world would cherish them and praise their musical integrity but unfortunately for Axl, they lampoon him.

Well I hope you will read this and look on Axl more favorably. He is not a front man interested in keeping old fans happy by travelling the world selling a decaying shell of a once great line-up, who’s former members have gone on to destroy their legacy’s and tarnished their images as the rocks leading hell raisers (except Izzy). He’s doing what he wants, how he wants to do it and any fan of rock n roll out there who criticizes, laughs or attacks him for this hasn’t got fucking clue what rock n roll is all about. You’d be better of buying your Motorhead t-shirts in Top Shop and singing along with Summer of 69 when it’s one and leave it at that because Rock has enough posers already.

Anyways, Use Your Illusion I eh, great album. What else can I say?

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Tickets There Likes: KISS – KISS

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags 000 Years, 100, Ace Frehley, Cold Gin, Deuce, Gene Simmons, KISS, KISS - KISS, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss on August 7, 2009 by Tickets There

“Turn it up, this is my attitude, take it or leave it”

OK, this is the third time I’ve tried writing this introduction. The first 1,000 word draft will now go towards a politics in music blog I’ll try and publish this weekend. The second was 500 words that took the quote above and harped on and on about the underlining simplicity in Rock n Roll and the destruction caused by ego’s and money. Those words have now been deleted and it’s time to talk about the hottest band in the world, KISS.

I first discovered them while watching a wee film called Detroit Rock City in 1999. I had heard of the seven foot icons from magazines and seen pictures but didn’t actually know what they sounded like until I’d seen the movie. Ninety minutes later I was on the phone to the Record Room in Sligo asking them to order in KISS and Destroyer. When I picked up the albums I could hardly contain myself. Fortunately I had taped DRC and spent a week watching it over and over again, thanking god for opening my eyes to one of the greatest bands I’d heard in years. Everything about KISS became appealing. They weren’t pushing politics, they weren’t preaching about charities and they weren’t Radiohead. They dressed up in black costumes, make-up and blew their stages to pieces during live shows. On top of that they played bad ass, catchy as hell rock n roll, sold almost everything in the world as a KISS product and had a bass player who is so full of himself and honest about his views on the world, you’d be foolish not to admire him.

So how should one go about starting their love for the America’s greatest rock n roll band? By buying their debut album off course.

KISS is without a shadow of a doubt one of the bands strongest albums. Opening with the dirty styled Strutter, the band display their talent for catchy hooks, duel guitar leads and riffs, high piercing vocals and lyrics that only grow as the album progresses. Nothin’ to Lose and Firehouse are great little numbers that carry their own little iconic place in KISS’s history and live in Firehouse’s case. The mighty Cold Gin is one of the bands masterpieces. Pure rock n roll that personifies the bands characters and gives them their true sound. Let me know chirps things up abit while the anathematic Kissin’ Time might act as a deterrent for those of you who don’t already love KISS..so skip that one. Fortunately the best is still to come.

The incredible Deuce brings to a high very few bands can keep going but 100,00 Years and the enormous Black Diamond manage to keep them on a high to close the album with a balanced mix of heavy guitars, perfectly suited solo’s, theatrics in the lyrics and more control over song writing and melody than most bands can only wet-dream about.

KISS are more than a band, they’re a life-style. Get into them quick is my advice and ‘baby get ready, because they’ll be KISSin’ you’ next year!

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