Maritime Vinyl

Sansui AU-6900, Technics SL-1700mk2 and Cerwin Vega D3's

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 00:23:00 +0000

I'm moving into my new workshop and was finally able to set up a vintage system.

I used one of my favourite amps, Sansui AU-6900. This amp sounds as good as it looks.

It packs lots of punch for a medium sized room with 50 Watts per channel.

When I found this amp it was out of commission. My friend Gary at Stereo Services took the reins and had it working like new in no time.

The original owner painted the chrome knobs black. at first I was tempted to try and remove the paint but it gives it a cool different look that I've grown to love.

I'm using a Technics SL-1700 MK2 turntable. A bit more electronics in this turntable than I'm used to but it's built like a tank. It got a bit dirty with the new workshop construction but when I shine it up it sure looks great, especially with the built in light.

I'm trying a pair of Cerwin Vega D3's. This is my first try with these speakers and they really impress me. Smaller than other Cerwin Vegas I've had but they really compliment the vintage Sansui nicely.

I know they don't have the original red surrounds but doesn't the black look slick??

Black Sabbath - Montreal 2016

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 15:47:00 +0000

I had a great trip this past week. I took a drive to Montreal to see Black Sabbath on their "The End" tour. I missed their last tour for "13" so was really eager to catch this show. Plus I had great seats in the 14th Row!

The band was really tight and you could tell they really put the effort in to finish their touring with a bang. The performance was virtually flawless. But I'm sure their are lots of reviews on this concert, what I was really excited about was how great their merchandise was! I really spoiled myself and got some great things.

First off they had this new CD titled "The End" which has 8 new songs, 4 studio recordings and 4 live cuts from their "13" tour. This CD is only for sale at their concerts and not available online or in stores.

Next I picked up a bandana. I seem to buy these most often at concerts, I use them to place over my turntables so when my kids set their toys on top of the dustcover, it saves it from scratching (plus it looks cool).

Next was a T-shirt. Probably the most common things for fans to buy, but they had a very wide selection of at least 20 different shirts. I went with this "War Pigs" one.

Finally is my absolutely favorite item. For every stop of this tour the band is releasing a special Lithograph. So this one was only available in Montreal and their next stop will have a completely different one. They are hand numbered and were only a little over 400 made. I absolutely love this lithograph and already have it being framed.

Squeaky Clean Vinyl!

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 18:29:00 +0000

For the past 5 years I have been seriously wanting a Vacuum Record Cleaning Machine. Ever since I saw the results in person at a Toronto record store, I knew that hand cleaning and using a Spin Clean would never achieve the same results (but still get decent results).

As my stereo system has been improving in quality, I find myself noticing ticks and pops more frequently... even on brand new vinyl.

Long story short, I finally saved the money to spend and I ordered a brand new VPI 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine. I'm still waiting on it to arrive and a review will follow.

However, while looking at cleaners I noticed a new 3D printed design being offered by a Canadian Seller on eBay. The price was very reasonable so I decided to buy one too. I know I won't need it with the VPI but the portability and coolness factor was just too good to pass up.

I have been getting AWESOME results from this cleaner. I swear the cleaning quality is just as good as a large record cleaning machine. You need to manually turn the record and supply your own shop-vac, but the final results are amazing. I'm still anxious for the VPI since it will always be set up in my record room and ready to go, but if I had a smaller collection, this 3D printed machine would definitely be all that I need.

Check out this video below. It's called The Squeaky Clean Vinyl Cleaner. Even the cleaning brush is 3D printed!

Top 5's of 2015 - Rob Pinnock!

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 19:29:00 +0000

Still have a few more of these lists coming in which is great! Next up we have Uncle Rob!

5. The Jam-Snap - A 2LP career overview, with unique mixes of some tracks. Always been a lyric guy, and Weller is one of the best. A clean original UK pressing to replace a CD which was stolen in 1990

4. Joel Plaskett - Park Ave Sobriety Test - A real return to form from one of my favorite songwriters. I was so glad when I heard this LP.

3. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers-DTK Live At The Speakeasy - Not a later period, make some quick smack cash, reunion gig. A hungry band with a fresh set of songs, delivering them like there was something at stake. Johnny was in fine form as he addressed the crowd between songs. The band never sounded better, or ruder, live.

2. Arctic Monkeys-AM - Probably the millennial band I'm most excited about. What great songwriter's they've turned into...plus amazing vocal arrangements. I can't resist the album. Sucks me in every time.

1. Heartbreakers-LAMF - Definitive Edition - Rock n Roll stripped to its purest form. Johnny has become my favorite guitarist ever. Not exactly a technician...but perfection in every other way. Finally with the right mix.

Honorable Mentions go to local heroes Kill Chicago and Saint John's Little You, Little Me for impressive debuts from each

Top 5's of 2015 - Bete Smith!

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 22:10:00 +0000

Next up is Frederictonès Bete Smith. His list is always a nice change of pace since he is a big fan of Hip-hop as well. Enjoy!

I couldn’t narrow this list down to any fewer than ten and I could easily have done a list of 20, given all the quality releases this year. Here are my picks:

Album of the Year (three-way tie):

Oddisee – The Good Fight {It’s a hip hop record, but it brings to mind Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield in its approach and subject matter – Oddisee is an incredibly talented producer and lyricist and doesn’t get enough recognition)

The Internet – Ego Death {I could listen to this anytime, anywhere, and not skip a single track. Funky R&B with a live band and a great vocalist.}

Kamasi Washington – The Epic {Does what it says on the tin – three hours of all-over-the-map jazz by a group of virtuoso musicians. I am amazed by the consistent quality of this album, despite its enormous scope.}

EP of the Year:

Nao – {I can’t wait until Nao releases her debut album in 2016 (supposedly, at least). For the time being, this EP and her latest single “Bad Blood” will be on constant rotation.}

The rest (in no particular order):

Mutoid Man – Bleeder {Rippin’ rock and roll! These guys get in and get out – they remind me of Zeke in that way.}

Rapper Big Pooh and Nottz – Not your typical hip hop album, nor should it be. Pooh is a gifted lyricist, and Nottz absolutely steals the show with the production on this – the drums on this one are ridiculous!}

Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon {An album that is hard to categorize, in the best way. Talented musicians and a standout vocalist.}

Archy Marshall – A New Place 2 Drown {Great voice, interesting and varied production; an album that flows naturally from beginning to end.}

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly {I’m sure this album has been analyzed a million times. It is very, very good.}

Baroness – Purple {I was pleasantly surprised by this, as I wasn’t a big fan of their last record (Yellow and Green), having really enjoyed their catalogue prior to that. Great guitar work and vocals on this one, and lots of twists and turns in the melodies.}

Top 5's of 2015 - Keltie Harding!

Tue, 29 Dec 2015 22:08:00 +0000

Good ole Keltie, he has been a huge supporter of my site from the very beginning and never fails to provide his year end list. I always look forward to it:

THEE NUMBER ONE! - Ghost - Meliora

2 - Bob Dylan - The Cutting Edge , The Bootleg Series Vol. 12. (I bought the 2 Disc "best of" & downloaded the complete 18 CD set. )

3- Outtacontroller - Televusion Zombie

4 - Zaum / Shooting Guns - Split LP.

5- Moonsocket - Eurydice

6- Chris Page - Volume vs. Voice

7 - Elvis Presley - My Happiness / Thats When Your Heartaches Begin (Third Man replica of his first acetate

8- Daniel Romano - If Ive Only One Time Askin'

9 - The Weather Station - loyalty

10- The Beach Boys - Live In Chicago 1965 (digital download only)

Top 5's of 2015 - Chris Doyle!

Sat, 26 Dec 2015 15:00:00 +0000

It's been a weird year for music for me, as I have kind of returned to my east coast roots for a lot of my music listening, a lot of it thanks to the great work put together by Paddy Quinn and the gang that do East Coast Countdown. The bottom of my top 5 are a couple of Canadian bands that have albums that I've enjoyed a pile as well.

1. Fortunate Ones - The Bliss

2. Alan Doyle - So Let's Go

3. The Ennis Sisters - Stages (check out the cover of Lennie Gallant's Peter's Dream on this one, it is killer.

4. Marianas Trench - Astoria

5. Hedley - Lost in Translation (Give this one a chance, Back to Basics is the standout track to me on this album)

Top 5's of 2015 - Shawn Williston!

Tue, 22 Dec 2015 18:06:00 +0000

1. COURTNEY BARNETT: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

"Put me on a pedestal and I'll only disappoint you," Courtney Barnett sings on the fiery rocker "Pedestrian At Best"; maybe she'll make good on that someday, but it sure isn't this day. Her debut full-length is packed with scrappy tunes that reach back to the '90s alt scene and, while that seems to have become an emerging trend, what sets Barnett's songs apart is her uncanny ability to spin observations of mundane, ordinary life into pure rock bliss.

Check out: Pedestrian At Best, Depreston, Kim's Caravan

2. CLUTCH: Psychic Warfare

While other bands their age have already put out records with diminishing returns, disbanded and eventually reformed to hit the county fair circuit, Clutch have very calmly and methodically gone about their business. Those expecting bands to be shells of their former selves by the time they release their 11th album aren't usually all that wrong, but Psychic Warfare proves that Clutch is not only immune to such criticism, but indeed one of the most dependably thrilling rock bands on the planet.

Check out: X-Ray Visions, A Quick Death in Texas, Noble Savage

3. DEAD SARA: Pleasure To Meet You

Epic Records reneged on their contract with Dead Sara upon hearing this record, likely let down that they hadn't conformed to a mainstream train of thought and become a Pretty Reckless or Halestorm clone. Instead, what Dead Sara delivered is a fiercely combative, incendiary rock rager of a record. Emily Armstrong continues to establish herself as one of rock's most formidable, intense vocalists, running the gamut from cooing songbird to roaring monster. This year also saw a happy ending for the band, as they've now earned another major label deal (this time with Elektra) and didn't have to compromise their sound to do it.

Check out: Mona Lisa, Radio One Two, Blue Was the Beautiful You

4. ROYAL THUNDER: Crooked Doors

Just as Baroness did with Yellow & Green in 2012, Crooked Doors aims to challenge your preconceived notions of what a hard rock/metal band should sound like. By expanding their sonic palette and drawing from a wide array of influences, Royal Thunder have graduated from sludge/stoner also-rans to an accomplished, full-blooded rock group with no need of pesky labels to define what it is that they do.

Check out: Time Machine, Forget You, One Day

5. TITUS ANDRONICUS: The Most Lamentable Tragedy

Never ones to shy away from conceptual tendencies in the first place, Titus Andronicus went all out for their fourth album. A five-act rock opera that stretches out past the 90-minute mark, TMLT ebbs and flows throughout the course of its story, using the music to convey the protagonist's struggles and triumphs. Even with all the disparities in tone and emotion (there's everything from a blistering punk rock suite to a Celtic-inspired section that features sloppy covers of both The Pogues and Auld Lang Syne), this sprawling double album never strays too far from its core objective, which is to make you feel the power of rip roaring, life affirming rock n' roll.

Check out: Fired Up, Dimed Out, Lonely Boy

6. SLEATER-KINNEY: No Cities To Love

In the timeless words of hair metal greats Cinderella, "You don't know what you got 'til it's gone". Adding to the point in regards to Sleater-Kinney, perhaps we didn't know what we had until they left for a decade, only to return with their most vibrant, focused and most important feeling record ever.

Check out: A New Wave, Surface Envy, Fade

7. FAITH NO MORE: Sol Invictus

Speaking of bands that went away for a long time, the unexpected return LP from Faith No More is about as potent a record as a band that ceased production for 18 years or so can be. Not content to simply rehash the past, Sol Invictus sees FNM merely using previous exploits as a jumping off point from which they push themselves forward in search of uncharted musical territory to conquer.

Check out: Superhero, Cone of Shame, Motherfucker

8. VERUCA SALT: Ghost Notes

I'm still not sure what I'll remember 2015 more for, the high quality of records released by female artists or the high quality of records released by comeback artists. Like Sleater-Kinney, Veruca Salt falls into both categories beautifully; after an ugly split before the turn of the century, Louise Post and Nina Gordon reunited for their first music together in 18 years. The resulting record doesn't shy away from old wounds, but sees them looking to heal rather than reopen them. It also doesn't hurt that the sharpness of their songwriting and unmistakable natural harmony are as intact now as they ever were. One of the year's most shamefully overlooked gems.

Check out: The Museum of Broken Relationships. Laughing in the Sugar Bowl, Empty Bottle

9. GHOST: Meliora

Fusing nefarious imagery, sinister melodies and evangelical bombast, Ghost can seem like a silly sideshow at a passing glance. I certainly chuckled and chalked them up to novelty at first blush, but on third record Meliora, I'm not chuckling anymore. Such are the chops this band has developed that this record is consistently thrilling without so much as a glance at the artwork or lyric sheet. As an added bonus, they push their sound into some very interesting places without sacrificing their integrity as musicians and songwriters.

Check out: Cirice, From the Pinnacle To the Pit, Spirit

10. THE DEAD WEATHER: Dodge & Burn

Jack White is typically so busy being in the news for his exploits both on and off record, it hadn't really registered for me that Dodge & Burn is the first Dead Weather album in five years. That absence of time resulted in a slightly more refined but no less adventurous record; together with Allison Mosshart, guitarist Dean Feritita and bassist Jack Lawrence, White has crafted a less pensive, more explosive record than we've gotten used to from him in recent years.

Check out: I Feel Love (Every Million Miles), Three Dollar Hat, Open Up

Top 5's of 2015 - Kent Fackenthall!

Sun, 20 Dec 2015 01:56:00 +0000

Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free - Astounding. Gotta be the best singer-songwriter going right now. In no way a slouch on the guitar either.

Matthew Good - Chaotic Neutral - I'm a long time Matt fan, so biased, but I think this is is a solid record.

Faith No More - Sol Invictus - Great new record from these guys. They still have it in spades.

Failure - The Heart is a Monster - Good record from this post-grunge cult favorite. Is great to hear them making music again.

Ian Fletcher Thornley - Secrets - An outstanding record from Ian. Great variety and guitar playing/licks.

Gary Clark Jr - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim - Gary kills it. Super variety of tracks/styles/moods here. And the guitar chops as always are top notch.

Top 5's of 2015 - York and Brenda!

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 12:54:00 +0000

I always look forward seeing what York and Brenda have been listening to! They have been metal fans from the very beginning, and you know if they recommend it, it's really good!

Here is York's list, they are all 2015 releases:

Absolva - Never A good Day to Die

Metalord - Speed of Light

Thunder Steel - The Exorcism

Satan - Atom By Atom

Enforcer - From Beyond

While Brenda enjoys the new stuff, she has been sticking to the classics in 2015:

Deep Purple

The Moody Blues

Janis Joplin

Black Sabbath

D-A-D

Top 5's of 2015 - Robert Johnson

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 19:39:00 +0000

Next up we have Robert Johnson. I'm always eager to see what's on Robert's list as he loves lots of hair metal and 80's style music. Whatever he recommends that is new, I usually enjoy.

Here's his list!

Slayer- Repentless

Dead Weather -Dodge and Burn

Hollywood vampires- Hollywood Vampires

Iron Maiden- Book of Souls

Marilyn Manson- the Pale Emperor

Top 5's of 2015 - Tim Durling!

Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:19:00 +0000

2015 Year in Review

Wow, December again…that means it’s Top 5 time…now last year, Brad humoured me and let me post a bunch of KISS stuff rather than an actual Top 5 album list, so this year I’ll play along. Also, as opposed to 2014, this year some of my longtime favourite artists came out with some of their finest work in years…in my opinion of course. I’m also going to be completely shameless again, and under each of my reviews post a link to my Tim’s Vinyl Confessions show on each topic. (Sorry, Gene Simmons is getting to me, self-promote, self-promote, self-promote….) These aren’t really in any particular order.

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES – Hollywood Vampires

This is basically a new Alice Cooper album with a lot of special guests to say the least. It’s also mostly a covers album. You could even call it a concept album. The core musicians here are Alice himself, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, and actor/musician Johnny Depp, whom I have to admit, I had no idea was such an accomplished guitarist. The album was also produced by longtime Alice collaborator Bob Ezrin, who was partially responsible for refining the sound of the original A.C. band and getting them on the radio (conversely, Alice Cooper’s albums also made Ezrin a hit producer which led to him producing Kiss, Pink Floyd, and countless others.) The name of the album and the “band” stems from a group of celebrity drinking buddies dating back to the 1970s, of which Alice Cooper was a member. That group had a fluctuating lineup including some honorary members; notables like John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Mickey Dolenz, Bernie Taupin, Keith Moon, etc. A lot of the “vamps” including their guests are now dead of drug abuse and/or alcoholism so this album was intended as a tribute to, as Alice lovingly refers to them in one of only two original songs on here, “My Dead Drunk Friends.” The album kicks off with a grand narration from Sir Christopher Lee (in his last recorded performance on musical album) which is just perfect. Some of the other covers aren’t exactly within the Vampires membership, but deceased musicians of the same era, for instance they cover Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” in memory of John Bonham (complete with co-lead vocals from AC/DC’s Brian Johnson.) Alice has referred to Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison as his “big brothers” when he and his bandmates first came to Los Angeles, so they are saluted with covers of “Manic Depression” and a medley of the Doors’ “Five-to-one/Break on Through.” Some other cool things happen along the way, for instance another “Sir” appears, Paul McCartney, though not covering a Beatles or a solo/Wings tune. No, Macca provides vocals on a version of Badfinger’s “Come and Get it,” which only seems odd until you’re reminded that he wrote that song. A lot of the covers have already been part of Alice’s set, for instance his mashup of his own “School’s Out” with Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2),” which also features another appearance by Brian Johnson.

I honestly wasn’t overly excited about this release when I first became aware of it, but being a huge Alice fan I picked it up and it is growing on me. My one gripe is that I wish there were more original tunes on the album. At a running time of 48 minutes and change, another 3 or 4 brand new songs would have improved the overall package, but it’s still worth checking out if you’re a fan of any of the artists featured here.

THE DARKNESS – Last of Our Kind

A group that elicits “love ‘em/hate ‘em” responses for sure, Lowestoft’s The Darkness returned in 2015 with a fantastic new album. Justin Hawkins’s over-the-top falsetto singing is still intact, so if those vocals turned you off when you first heard them back in 2003, not much has changed. But if you’re like me and got past that hurdle, this band has provided some of the best hard rock of the new millennium. After their second album One Way Ticket to Hell…and Back in 2005, they splintered off into various projects, reuniting in 2012 with the just-ok Hot Cakes, and now…they’re back with an album that is in my opinion every bit as good as their first two. A loose concept abounds here telling mad tales of Vikings and whatnot, but don’t let that throw you…just put this on and marvel that so few bands write songs like this anymore, hard rock yet melodic, with great choruses and good, solid production. “Roaring Waters” sports a drum sound right out of the mid-80s AC/DC catalogue, with a funky guitar riff that Joe Perry would be proud to have written. The title song reminds me of Boston, specifically “Peace of Mind.” That quirky Darkness sense of humour remains, with the opening track “Barbarian” sporting a chorus of “waaa-ahh-ahh-ah-ah-ah-AH-ah-AH-ah-AHHHHH” give or take an ‘h,’ “Mudslide” simultaneously makes me bang my head and laugh (“it’s hard to find the upslide of a mudslide”) and “Mighty Wings,” which starts off with a majestic synthesizer melody straight off an 80s soundtrack, and goes into one of the heaviest riffs and complex time signatures of their career. They’ve also retained their knack for great balladry, with “Wheels of the Machine” and the album closing “Conquerors,” curiously and competently sung by bassist Frankie Poullain.

I’m glad they’re back. Long Live the Darkness.

WHITESNAKE – The Purple Album

When is a covers album not a covers album? Well, when it’s a remakes album…except when it isn’t…exactly. Vocalist David Coverdale and his ever-shifting lineup of Whitesnake released this earlier this year. For fans of Whitesnake not familiar with David Coverdale’s earlier musical career, the title of this album might seem odd. Indeed you might also think these are all brand new songs. But Coverdale began his professional career with what was at the time, one of the biggest rock bands in the world, Deep Purple. He recorded three studio albums with Purple, Burn, Stormbringer, and Come Taste the Band before they disbanded in 1976. He then recorded two low-key solo albums, the first of which was titled White Snake – yes, two words. The backing musicians on those albums more or less formed the backbone of what would become a “band” called Whitesnake. Two of Coverdale’s Purple mates, drummer Ian Paice and keyboardist Jon Lord eventually became ‘Snake members as well. Sadly Jon Lord passed away in 2012, leading to David Coverdale reaching out to erstwhile Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore with the goal of making amends for past animosities, and possibly re-recording some of the classic Deep Purple songs as a tribute to Lord. The two could not come to an agreement, but Coverdale had already begun preparing new arrangements on some of the Purple songs. When discussions with Blackmore hit a wall, Coverdale’s wife suggested recording the songs and releasing them as a Whitesnake disc. Thus was born The Purple Album.

Now, I have been a fan of Whitesnake since they came onto my radar with their blockbuster 1987 album (which gave the world “Still of the Night,” “Is This Love,” and the hit remake of “Here I Go Again”) and had gone back and rediscovered the previous Whitesnake albums, which musically were very different from the flashy, loud, in your face sound captured on the 1987 album. Eventually I decided to check out Deep Purple, a band revered by so many of my favourite bands, not least of which Metallica, Def Leppard, Kiss, Aerosmith, etc. Buying a random Purple compilation introduced me to the original versions of “Burn” and “Stormbringer.”

I have been very critical of David Coverdale over these past few years, while remaining a fan. His vocals have sounded pretty beaten up as of late (I’ve seen some youtube performances that literally made me cringe) and although I purchased the last two new Whitesnake albums and enjoyed them overall – his lyrics have simply become cut-and-paste jobs from previous songs. Having said all of that, I was intrigued about this album upon hearing about it…and what do you know, I absolutely love this collection of songs.

The early Whitesnake (and Deep Purple) catalogue is a good example of great songs buried under the production of the day. Example: “Here I Go Again” was a worldwide #1 song in 1987, but it was originally recorded in 1982. Same song, same arrangement, but listen to the two versions and it’s pretty obvious why it took the ’87 version for the song to get its due. Well, that’s kind of what’s going on here. It isn’t that there were no good sounding rock albums to emerge from the 1970s, far from it. Roy Thomas Baker’s production work with Queen has stood the test of time (which is one reason why “Bohemian Rhapsody” became a hit all over again in 1992 and didn’t sound the least bit out of place on the airwaves), Ted Templeman’s masterful production job on the debut Montrose album from 1973, Jack Douglas made Aerosmith sound absolutely huge on 1976’s Rocks, etc. But the Purple and Whitesnake stuff? Extremely dated. Which is why I’m so enamoured with this new Whitesnake album. In many ways these are new songs. Even though most of the songs have had to be lowered in key to accommodate Coverdale’s voice, these new versions have supercharged what are some good songs that deserve new life. Keep in mind as well, that the Coverdale years in DP came at the tail end of their initial run, and are not the songs that generally come to mind when the words “Deep Purple” are mentioned. So to hear this band of musicians (including one of my favourite guitarists, Reb Beach of Winger and Dokken fame) tear through the likes of “Might Just Take Your Life,” Love Child,” “Comin’ Home” (possibly my favourite song here, and the biggest improvement over the original version), “Lady Double Dealer,” and really the whole collection, is a joy. Even though they are remakes of songs from 1974 and 1975, The Purple Album just might be my favourite release to come out in 2015.

QUEENSRYCHE – Condition Human

The story of Queensryche since 2012 is a pretty long and convoluted one which I won’t get into here, indeed follow the link below this blurb where my good friend Matt Phillips (whose writings you’ve seen here) and myself go through the ‘Ryche saga as of late. No, let’s just talk about this album here.

This is the 2^nd Queensryche album from the Todd La Torre-led band, a follow-up to their excellent 2013 self-titled release. And this is every bit as good, if not better. Continuing the trend started last time around, Queensryche have for the most part shed the eclectic tendencies exhibited on the previous Geoff Tate-led albums which led the band further and further away from their progressive metal roots. This one is basically old-school metal with tricky guitar riffs and time signatures, and strong, high vocals from La Torre, who still sounds enough like Geoff Tate to pull off the classic material but does have his own sound.

I was one of the fans who took part in the PledgeMusic campaign started last year to help fund the making of this album. It took a little longer than originally expected, but starting this past summer, pledgers started to receive free downloads of the albums first three songs, “Arrow of Time, “Guardian,” and “Hellfire,” all good tunes. The rest of the album did not disappoint. This has been in my car for weeks now, and grows on me with each listen. The album is heavy, but make no mistake they haven’t lost their knack for melody. A couple of fine reprieves from the heaviness with the delicate “Just Us” and the all-out power balladry of “Bulletproof” fit right in with everything else here. Fantastic guitar work, great drumming from the always busy but never over-playing Scott Rockenfield, and superb vocal work including harmonies…what more could you ask for in a Queensryche disc? I know some fans have chosen to take sides and have either planted their feet here, or in the Tate/Operation: Mindcrime camp. Like Van Halen/Hagar/Roth, I remain fans of it all.

DEF LEPPARD – Def Leppard

A late entry into this year’s list, but good enough to zoom into my personal top 5! For the first time in their history, Def Leppard have simply called their latest album, Def Leppard…and really, that just about sums it up. If you’re a longtime fan, there’s simply nothing here to be disappointed about. The pressure on a band of this vintage, especially one who had so much success in the 80s, is to come up with material that is anywhere close to the same quality and excitement level. In fact, this album almost wasn’t. Originally the plan was to put out a 2-3 song EP, possibly just to i-tunes, which to an old man like me, isn’t very appealing (I like having a physical album in my hands!!) As writing sessions went on, 2-3 songs turned into the 14 we get here. The first new Def Leppard since 2008 and far and away the best thing this band has done in decades. Always one of my favourite bands, the prospect of a new Def Leppard album in the past has left me uneasily purchasing, listening, and really searching for positive things to say. That isn’t to say there hasn’t been decent material along the way, I just found you had to dig for it. Not the case here. There are moments I would have done differently myself (such as the somewhat Taylor Swift-ish “whoa-oh-oh-ohs” in lead track and first single, “Let’s Go”) but for the most part, this is everything a Def Leppard fan could have hoped for in 2015, just a strong collection of songs. Sure, if you’re one of those metalheads who are stuck in the “NWOBHM” phase you won’t like this, but then you haven’t liked anything they did since 1981 anyway. An affliction I’ve always felt that the band has suffered from, really ever since the early 90s (a horrible time for melodic rockers like themselves) is that they’ve overthought the songwriting process and produced music of some quality, but not much excitement. None of that appears to be happening now, these are for the most part, melodic, anthemic pop-rock songs with all the usual Def Leppard hallmarks; vocal harmonies galore, guitars galore, and above all hooks that stay in your head. There is some experimentation here, such as the very “Another One Bites the Dust”-ish “Man Enough,” the Led Zeppelin-esque “Battle of My Own,” and the Billy Idol meets Psychedelic Furs new wave rock of “Invincible.” But “Dangerous,” “Wings of an Angel,” ”All-Time High,” “Broke ‘n’ Brokenhearted,” all classic Def Leppard songs in the best of ways. This longtime fan is very pleased, and plans on shouting this album’s praises to all who will listen. Well done, lads.

P.S. My version of this album came as part of Classic Rock Magazine’s Fan Pack, including a deluxe magazine featuring interviews with all five band members, reviews of all their albums, a section dealing with the various side-projects the guys have done over the years, even an article on the “mysterious genius” that is their longtime producer “Mutt” Lange. Plus some art prints and a couple of keychains, not to mention a couple of “bonus tracks” on the disc itself, granted they’re simply alternate versions of songs that already appear. It’s also available in vinyl and, get this, cassette versions but I settled for the CD version…a little something extra for the Def Leppard fan who wants more than the album itself.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

Europe – War of Kings

Stop snickering, yes it’s the same five Swedes who brought “The Final Countdown” to the world, but since 2004 they’re back, leaner, heavier and this year released a great disc.

Bryan Adams – Get Up!

Vancouver’s favourite son teams up with Jeff Lynne and the result is basically a Traveling Wilburys album with Adams on vocals…short, sweet, to the point, and best of all no boring ballads.

Operation: Mindcrime – The Key

As mentioned above, I’m still following what the original Queensryche singer is doing. This is the first album under the O:M name and although it’s not as good as what his former band is doing, it’s still a decent release with a few standout songs.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS:

Bon Jovi – Burning Bridges

I’m an old-school fan, I thought that maybe, just maybe they remembered how to rock. They didn’t. This is a 10-song waste of time. Not worth the cheap cardboard sleeve it’s housed in. (hangs head)

Top 5's of 2015 - Matthew Phillips!

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 17:15:00 +0000

It's my favorite time of the year for Maritime Vinyl, The Top 5 Lists! Anyone who wants to send a list please feel free to do so. I always get a huge response from these! I don't require a write-up but it is always appreciated if you feel like it.

First up we have Matthew Phillips! He always brings this to an entire new level with his great in depth reviews. Couldn't think of a better place to start. Enjoy!

Here's Matthew in his own words:

After two mediocre years for my musical tastes (2013-2014), I was ready for 2015 to breakout with some full-on killer albums.

From the beginning, it looked to be another huge year of PledgeMusic campaigns with no less than five of my favourite bands looking for fan support. But… I only plugged in my credit card for two of them. (More on that later).

Looking back for a moment at 2014, eight artists were on my radar last year with new albums in the works for 2015, and of those, five of them put out new records this year that made my top 10:

- Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

- Faith No More

- The Darkness

- The Winery Dogs

- Stereophonics

From that shortlist of bands alone I was as hyped for 2015 as any year in recent memory.

As with every year, don’t look to my lists for the trendiest records. Were there some killer indie records in 2015? I really wouldn’t know. What I do know is that 2015 was an exciting year for anyone’s musical tastes.

10 Favourite Albums of 2015 (in the order I found them):

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Chasing Yesterday (March 4, 2015)Bought online from Amazon.ca

My favourite songwriter from the ‘90s, Noel Gallagher has survived while his ex-bandmates from Oasis fell apart. October 2014 saw the break-up of brother Liam’s band, Beady Eye; six months later (March 2015) saw the release of the first album on my favourites list, Noel’s “Chasing Yesterday”.

I haven’t warmed to this album as much as the High Flying Birds’ 2011 debut, and it’s certainly not the experimental album that was promised when we’d heard Noel was collaborating with British EDM duo Amorphous Androgynous. “Chasing Yesterday” is sometimes predictable but just as predictably it’s stayed on my iPhone playlist all year long. There are a few curious moments (like an unexpected saxophone solo halfway into the first song, something I guarantee ‘90s Noel/Liam would never have recorded). But you can’t deny great song writing. Terrific production on this one too (as with the last “High Flying Birds” album).

I picked up “Chasing Yesterday” on deluxe edition CD, vinyl, and I also found the 12” vinyl single (“In the Heat of the Moment”) on Record Store Day at SecondSpin in Fredericton.

Faith No More
Sol Invictus (May 20, 2015)Bought at HMV Fredericton

The first new album from a reformed Faith No More was announced just over a year ago by the ominous single “Motherfucker” (“Get the motherfucker on the phone!”) featuring the vocals of keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and the man with the widest vocal range in rock music: Mike Patton.

Sadly, I haven’t tracked down a copy of the “Motherfucker” single on vinyl, but I did get the full “Sol Invictus” album on CD in May, and then the well-priced vinyl record in September. The second single – “Superhero”, on 7" vinyl – was much easier to find, and since hearing it on CD “Superhero” has been my favourite song of the year.

“Sol Invictus” (which is Latin for “unconquered sun”) is the sound of a confident band who’ve always embodied true “alternative” to me. It’s not a killer album, but a really solid one (and a must-buy for Faith No More collectors).

Whitesnake
The Purple Album (May 20, 2015)Bought at HMV Fredericton

There’s lots to discover on “The Purple Album” if you’re a classic rock fan like me who always wondered how deep their catalogue goes beyond “Smoke On The Water”.

I’ve tried to enjoy Deep Purple – for all of their influence on my favourite bands – but the really dated production on their albums always dampened my enjoyment.

Featuring 13 songs from the Mark III and IV line-ups (15 if you picked up the deluxe CD/DVD edition), you’ll either jump all over this album’s modern production and extended solos, or – if you’re a Purple purist – you might cringe at just how bombastic everything is. All of the songs are from a transitional period for Purple when they were fronted by new members David Coverdale (vocals, and king ‘Snake) and Glenn Hughes (bass and vocals), who I was really hoping would make a guest appearance on “Burn” (he shared vocals with Coverdale on the original, but not this time).

Winger’s high-energy shredder Red Beach – who is now the longest tenured Whitesnake guitarist ever, at 12 years – and new axeman Joel Hoekstra don’t stick to the purple blueprints here, and they impress with some extracurricular guitar work.

The Darkness
Last Of Our Kind (June 10, 2015)Bought online from Amazon.ca

What is it about British bands that inspire them to write the best classic rock riffs? The Darkness are carrying the torch in 2015 with their latest album “Last Of Our Kind”, full of Queen-inspired production and classic riffs that will also remind you of The Cult (“Open Fire”), and the power crunch of their debut album (“Barbarian”, “Roaring Waters”). They also haven’t lost the knack for writing great power ballads (“Sarah Oh Sarah”, and “Wheels Of The Machine”).
Since the summer it’s been my favourite record of 2015 (and favourite album artwork with many Iron-Maiden-esque references to discover). From package to production “Last Of Our Kind” was made for the vinyl experience.

I first heard about a new album from The Darkness through PledgeMusic, though my fan support (i.e. wallet) only stretches so far. I begrudgingly waited a few extra weeks and bought the limited-edition green vinyl (and CD) on Amazon.ca instead, for half the “pledge” price.

There is a new deluxe edition CD of “Last Of Our Kind” (with 4 bonus tracks) that should be out by the time this is published and it features their first Christmas single in 12 years, “I Am Santa”.

Joe Satriani
Shockwave Supernova (July 30, 2015)Bought online from Amazon.ca

Still kicking myself for missing Joe’s show at Moncton’s CasinoNB in 2013, I’ve also been very late to the Satch boogie. Sure, I owned “Surfing With The Alien” in the ‘80s. But since 1986 Joe’s put out an album basically every 2 years (with a few 3-year gaps) so there’s a lot of music to catch up on.

My favourite modern Satriani record is still 2006’s “Super Colossal” but the new “Shockwave Supernova” would come in second.

Many of the ideas on “Supernova” were intended to be on a 3^rd Chickenfoot album – Joe’s side project with Sammy Hagar, Mike Anthony and Chad Smith – that never was, and for a while it looked like Chickenfoot would be yet another disbanded “supergroup”. Certainly some songs like “Crazy Joey”, “On Peregrine Wings” and the title track could have sounded great with some Hagar lyrics/vocals. Joe confirmed in September that a reunited Chickenfoot were working on a brand new song (possibly more) and here’s hoping for a 2016 release.

As a graphic designer I was really excited for the “Shockwave Supernova” album packaging which features some smart die-cuts and shiny surfaces. While it’s a cardboard digipack (which I generally dislike), the printing has an expensive, velvety feeling and the entire package feels as slick as Joe’s playing.

Check out an “unboxing" video of the super cool packaging here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHrhpOxgiZQ

Alice Cooper
Hollywood Vampires (September 26, 2015)

Bought at HMV Saint John

“Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make…”

Alice Cooper’s latest album has been in the works for years, but I was originally in no hurry to buy a collection of mostly predictable covers of The Who (“My Generation”), Led Zeppelin (“Whole Lotta Love”, curiously sung with Brian Johnson of AC/DC), mixed with a few originals.

Just like Joe Satriani, the Coop has been very prolific – with a new album every 2-3 years since 2000s exceptional “Brutal Planet – but on paper this sounded like a throwaway album, and a waste of momentum.

Where a lot of tribute albums are terrible and often feature a B-list of washed-up musicians who suck the life out of the songs, “Hollywood Vampires” is uplifted by a solid core of guitarists, namely Joe Perry and Johnny Depp (who you may be surprised to hear has played on other people’s albums since the ‘90s).

Each song is a raising of the glass to Alice’s “dead drunk friends”, and while the title simply says “Hollywood Vampires”, this is an Alice Cooper album right down to its Producer (Bob Ezrin) and a familiar list of current and original Cooper bandmates: Dennis Dunaway, Neil Smith, previous guitar siren Orianthi, Tommy Henriksen and Kip Winger.

Promo videos for the album of course focused on guest stars Paul McCartney (who wrote “Come And Get It” back in ‘69) and Robby Krieger (on The Doors’ medley) but I was happy to sink my teeth into the new tracks: “Raise The Dead”, which easily fits on any recent Cooper album; the swaggering “My Dead Drunk Friends”; and a reading by Sir Christoper Lee of “The Last Vampire” from the original Dracula novel (marking his last appearance on record).

“Hollywood Vampires” is not an album I absolutely love, and the track listing could have been so much more interesting, but I’ll pick it up on vinyl if I ever see it.

Queensrÿche
Condition Hüman (October 2, 2015)Bought online from PledgeMusic

The most anticipated album on my list is the second album from a re-energized Queensrÿche, again featuring “new” singer Todd LaTorre. I’d been waiting almost a year for this album, since I bought in through PledgeMusic in November 2014.

“Condition Hüman” outshines their previous self-titled 2013 album in nearly every way with better songwriting, more songs (the 2013 album was too short), and interesting artwork. Depicting a little girl inside an attic – wiping away the dust from a window overlooking their hometown of Seattle – her revealing swipes on the artwork form the distinctive shape of the TriRyche logo.

Todd’s vocal range is more on display and every manner of Queensryche-ism has been dusted off for this album. It’s both heavier and lighter. Songs like the first single “Arrow Of Time” and “Guardian” recall their heavy progressive beginnings, and “Just Us” is the ballad we’ve been waiting for Queensrÿche to write since their heyday; Todd’s voice is so sweet and barely recognizable in the beginning. Another song with a distorted bass intro, “Eye9” could have been on 1994’s “Promised Land”.

Like their last album, this one has a very strong start and stronger finish, ending with the epic, seven-plus minute “Condition Hüman”.

The production is my only complaint, and while James “Jimbo” Barton may have slightly over-produced the last album, he’s nowhere to be found here, and his skills are missed.

Of the two PledgeMusic campaigns I bought into this year, “Condition Hüman” was definitely the most worthwhile.

The Winery Dogs
Hot Streak (October 2, 2015)Bought at HMV Fredericton

The Winery Dogs are probably the most adept power trio since Rush, but that is where any comparison ends.

The three dogs have never found permanent homes:

- Billy Sheehan was a bassist in the ‘80s-‘90s for Mr. Big and for a time with David Lee Roth’s first solo bands;

- Richie Kotzen co-wrote a terrific album in ’93 for Poison and since then has had a long, humble solo career;

- Mike Portnoy is a Berklee alum who drummed for Dream Theatre, has had more side projects than I would dare list here, and two recent tours with Avenged Sevenfold and Twisted Sister (after both bands lost their original drummers).

“Hot Streak” is the second album for them in two years, and after watching recent super group Black Country Communion flame-out after three albums (and a live album) in four years, I’m going to enjoy side projects like The Winery Dogs while they’re still making music.

Complicated but still catchy, it’s a better album than their first, with a really crisp production and of course lots of impressive guitar and bass noodling from Kotzen and Sheehan, punctuated by the sublime drums of Portnoy. The first five songs, “Oblivion”, “Captain Love”, “Hot Streak”, “How Long” and “Empire” are as memorable as anything I’ve bought this year.

Check out some impressive Portnoy drum-cam footage during the recording of the album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqttA8iQzyo

Def Leppard
Def Leppard (November 7, 2015)Bought at Bullmoose, Bangor

Supposedly free of record company meddling, Def Leppard released their first-ever self-titled album in October (via PledgeMusic) after a seven-year gap that was long, even by Def Leppard standards.
Being self-titled fits the album’s sound (unmistakeably Def Leppard) and it shows in the credits. No outside writers: just Joe, Sav, Phil, Viv and Rick who (coincidentally) all sing on record for the first time, with each band member taking at least one verse on the melancholy ballad “We Belong”. Drummer Rick’s voice, while not the strongest of the bunch, I think could sound current on music of the day (and an opportunity was missed when they didn’t try this on other songs). Then again, Joe Elliott is the signature voice of Def Leppard, and my favourite parts of the album are when he reaches way back for some “Pyromania”-esque, scratchy wails.
This album started out as an EP, but with time on their side it turned into a full “album” of 14 songs; in my opinion they could have trimmed 14 to 11 and released a slightly better record.

Opener “Let's Go” has a riff that will remind you of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” but a chorus that sounds more like Taylor Swift. “Man Enough” is a funky bass groove and maybe the simplest, most direct song they’ve ever done (and has some of those Joe Elliott wails at the end). “Battle of My Own” is Zeppelin-flavoured and the kind of direction I wish the rest of the album had gone in. “Wings Of An Angel” is like a modern “Foolin’”. All of these are stand-out tracks among a collection of more straight-forward pop-rock songs (“Sea Of Love”, “Invincible”, “Broke ‘N’ Brokenhearted”).

For comparison, if “Hysteria” is a perfect 10 (yes, it is), then this self-titled affair gets a solid 7.5. It’s the most current that Def Leppard has tried to sound since their 1996 “Slang” album, while (unlike that album) still wearing some of their spots.

Classic rock fans should also check out Joe Elliot’s “Down ‘N’ Outz” side project, for two albums of eccentric covers by one of Joe’s favourite songwriters: Ian Hunter (of Mott The Hoople).

Stereophonics
Keep The Village Alive (November 7, 2015)Bought at Bullmoose, Bangor

From the same time period as Oasis, the Stereophonics have never found a huge following in North America, while their credentials overseas put them in comparison with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, ABBA and U2: from 1999-2009 they ranked five-consecutive #1 albums in the United Kingdom.

Losing a bit of steam with their last few releases, “Keep The Village Alive” has returned the Stereophonics back to #1. Frustratingly, their music is becoming harder to find domestically and so it took nearly two months to get my hands on the CD version, ordering it way back in September from our local HMV.

While it’s still too fresh for me to declare this a great album, Kelly Jones (frontman, songwriter, and guitarist for the band) has never disappointed, and I’ve bought everything he’s released (including his lone solo album).

Opener “C'est la Vie" recalls the energy of their first two albums, with barely a time to breathe in between verses and choruses (and with pub lyrics that could only come from Kelly’s mind). Second and third singles “I Wanna Get Lost With You” and “Song For The Summer” could nicely fit on any Stereophonics album.

The electronic sounds that were introduced with their break-out album “Language. Sex. Violence. Other?” (2005) are kept to a minimu. Electric seagull noises punctuate one of the best songs, “Fight Or Flight”. I am guessing this slight change in direction has to do with the departure of drummer Javier Weyler, who first had a career as an audio engineer, and had been a member of the Stereophonics since their breakout period 10 years ago.

Biggest Disappointments of 2015:

Brian Wilson – No Pier Pressure Deluxe (April 8, 2015) Bought at HMV

One-fifth of all my vinyl is Beach Boys-related, so as a huge fan I think it’s a shame most Brian Wilson solo releases have been spoiled by Psychiatrists and outside writers. There are only 2-3 must-own Brian Wilson solo albums in my opinion.

This is not one of them. “No Pier Pressure” is a great title but the record is a complete sham from the pressure to make Brian collaborate with current artists. Mixed in with some nice California-dreamy songs this is a hard – sometimes embarrassing – album to listen to all the way through.
It’s my biggest disappointment of 2015.If you’re curious about Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys, spend your time instead with the “Love & Mercy” (2014) biopic that has great performances from John Cusask (playing an older Brian under the spell of Dr. Landy), Elizabeth Banks (his eventual 2^nd wife) and Paul Dano (Brian in his ‘60s prime). I am curious to see if “Love & Mercy” makes a mark this Spring at the 2016 Academy Awards.

Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts – Blaster (May 26, 2015)Bought through PledgeMusic campaign

A collection of mediocre rock songs (and one cover, “20th Century Boy”) from the ex-Stone Temple Pilot singer that I regretfully purchased through PledgeMusic, for way too much money. Scott sang melodies on another side project this year (that he’s tried to oddly distance himself from) called “Art Of Anarchy”, and there are much more interesting songs on that record, that Scott had no hand in writing.

Big Sugar – Calling All The Youth (August 28, 2015)Bought at HMV

Gordie Johnson as Big Sugar (or Grady, or as a solo artist) has been no stranger to the Fredericton live music scene. In the past 15 years I’ve seen Big Sugar live more than any other band. The Jamaican influences that have always been present finally take over here, and although it’s got that great live feel – and the first single “Natty Dread Rock” could have been on any Big Sugar record – overall they’ve lost me. I haven’t been able to finish the album start to finish.

Iron Maiden – The Book Of Souls Deluxe 2-CD (September 18, 2015)Bought online from Amazon.ca

Contrary to what some die-hard Iron Maiden fans will tell you, more Maiden is not necessarily a good thing. Here we have Iron Maiden’s first non-live double album, and the best thing I can say is that the Mayan-inspired artwork is terrific.

I picked up the deluxe edition double-CD “book” and it’s a nice package with great illustrations. But only a decent album. After a decade of decent albums I was just hoping for so much more. In my opinion they need to move on from Producer Kevin Shirley – every Maiden album he’s worked on sounds like a muffled demo recorded in a closet – and get some fresh perspective. I think Kevin’s laid back Production style has made it too easy for them and this meandering, mediocre double album is proof.

Favourite Finds of 2015:

James Mullinger – Live at Imperial Theatre (January 25, 2015)

Bought at The Algonquin Resort after the YukYuks comedy showI saw most of Comedian James Mullinger’s live set at the Algonquin (in St. Andrews) at the start of the year – tucked away during a January blizzard – and James graciously signed my CD afterwards.

His stand-up show of new material for 2015 was debuted in October at the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, and I’m thrilled to say that it will be pressed to vinyl for Record Store Day 2016 (as I sat front-row for it).

James is an avid vinyl record collector, and more importantly has been a champion for the tight-knit stand-up comedy scene in his hometown of Saint John. Originally from London, his fresh perspective on life in the Maritimes (by way of his cheeky local references and stay-at-home-Dad anecdotes) is perfectly inappropriate and always hilarious.

I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to “comedy”, and I haven’t laughed so uncontrollably hard as during his stand-up show last January.

James recently shared a live clip from “Londoner To Maritimer” on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkfe8QCeVr0

Black Country Communion vinyl & picks (January 26, 2015)

Bought online at Joe Bonamassa’s webstoreI was happy to finally get some Black Country Communion vinyl at the beginning of the year when Joe Bonamassa’s website had a 50% off sale. I snagged their first 2 records, plus “Live Over Europe” on Bluray, and a set of red Joe Bonamassa-endorsed picks – small, with a nice grip and sharper point – that have been my favourite electric guitar picks ever since.

Red Dragon Cartel – Red Dragon Cartel (July 24, 2015)Bought at Frank’s Music, MonctonFound one of my favourite metal records of 2014 – on vinyl! – on an epic 12-hour roadtrip, where we hit all of the major record stores in Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John, with Tim (of Tim’s Vinyl Confessions) and his nephew Will.

Faith No More – The Real Thing Deluxe 2-CD (October 13, 2015)

Faith No More – Angel Dust Deluxe 2-CD (October 13, 2015)

Bought at HMV Fredericton
Steal of the year for me was getting the two deluxe edition Faith No More double-CDs at our local HMV for only $16.60 total (they usually sell for $25 + HST a piece online). A 2-for$20 special plus $6 worth of HMV points.

Queensrÿche – Condition Hüman signed vinyl album (October 19, 2015)

Pre-ordered from PledgeMusic

My favourite piece of vinyl in 2015 was also unboxed on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions: a gatefold double album on clear, weighty, white vinyl, with the band’s name etched into the grooves, and signed on the cover by each band member (as one of their PledgeMusic rewards). I find that the artwork is much more vibrant on the vinyl version than on the CD.

Releases I am looking forward to in 2016:

- Megadeth – “Dystopia” (January 2016, via PledgeMusic)

- The Cult – “Hidden City” (February 2016)

- Last In Line – Featuring the original “Dio” band doing new material, obviously without Dio (February 2016)

- James Mullinger – New stand-up comedy album “Londoner To Maritimer” (April 2015)

- Meat Loaf – “Braver Than We Are” (TBA)

- Zakk Wylde – “Book of Shadows” Volume II is in the works

- The Pretty Reckless – 3rd album in the works (TBA)

- Metallica – New album in the works (TBA)

- Red Dragon Cartel – 2nd album in the works (TBA)

- Living Colour – New album in the works (TBA)

- Extreme – New album in the works (TBA)

- Skid Row – A promised 3rd volume of their “United World Rebellion”, this time with current singer Tony Harnell

- Chickenfoot are working on new material, according to Joe Satriani

- Led Zeppelin – Now that all of the remasters are out, I am hoping for a boxset to collect them all as I haven’t purchased any of them yet.

Summer 2015!

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 18:59:00 +0000

This summer has been a slow season for blogging since I was busy building a new library for my albums (post to come later), as well as doing something I haven’t done in a very long time… catch some live shows.

I gave up on concerts about 7 years ago. There were just to many times the fans have disappointed me by either yelling and interrupting performances, or spending too much time blocking everybody’s view by making a shitty video with their phone rather than enjoying the actual performance right in front of them.

I’ve learned to accept that these things and decided to splurge on a few concerts.

Earlier in the summer I went to Fred Rock. This two day event is held annually here in Fredericton and is a bit pricey, but the money is well spent as they manage to bring some great bands to a nice small venue.

I didn’t see every band on the roster but I saw the main performers. Joel Plaskett played Friday and was as good as always. I’m a big fan and he has yet to disappoint. It was especially nice to see him play a bunch from his latest LP Park Avenue Sobriety Test as well as a few older tunes that I never heard him play before like Ashtray Rock and A Million Dollars.

Next up was a new to me band, Monster Truck. I’ve had a few friends recommend them to me as a great live band, and they were right. Kind of a Southern Rock feel but heavier. I didn’t know any of their songs going in but was quick to buy their latest album on the way out the door.

Day two had a few earlier bands that I missed, but I made it in time to catch Hey Rosetta’s set. This is another band that has been recommended by a few, but I was quite disappointed. The performance was lifeless and boring, and the music seemed quite dull. Sounded like one long drawn out mediocre song. Many friends disagree with me on this, but of course it’s just my personal opinion.

Headlining FredRock was Blue Rodeo. I was really excited to finally catch Blue Rodeo live. They are one of those bands that often plays locally, but I always seem to dismiss. They had a nice long set full of all their hits and sounded awesome. Their playing was near flawless and their voices stronger than ever.

So FredRock was a great start to my summer, but the main even for me was AC/DC at Magnetic Hill in Moncton. I made it to the venue just prior to Big Sugar hitting the stage. I used to be a huge Big Sugar fan in the late 90’s, but they seemed to have stalled. It was the same performance as always and I expected much more.

AC/DC was better than I ever could have imagined. I didn’t have high expectations since the two leaders have been getting up there in age: Brian Johnson is 67 and Angus is 60. You would swear they were both in their 20’s. Brian hit every insane high note and was full of energy. Angus brings energy to an entire different level. He would duckwalk walk across the large stage almost nonstop for two hours. His solos were flawless and he works the crowd better than any lead guitarist I’ve seen.

There were a lot of people at this show (last number I heard was 40,000), but it wasn’t crammed as much as I thought it would be. The only time it really got uncomfortable was when the show finished and everybody fled to the one exit at the same time. It was shoulder to shoulder for over an hour, but most people seem patient and it went well.

I’m glad I made it to these concerts and hope to do the same next summer. I have one more lined up for fall: Alice Cooper at the Moncton Casino. I think I’m anticipating this one more than any other since I have been such a fan of Cooper for so long. I never tire of watching his performances on DVD and Youtube and can’t wait to see it in person.

Summer Project!

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:28:00 +0000

It's been hard finding the time to blog with all this nice summer weather, but vintage audio restoration and vinyl collecting has been moving along full tilt.

Last weekend I met a guy who was looking to restore a vintage radio/turntable system he saved from an old barn.

I wish we would have gotten a before picture of the insides of this system. There was half a century of dust, sand, dirt, grime, etc...

He took his time and spent a solid 4 hours cleaning all of the internals. Vacumming it out, washing parts, giving components sprays of contact cleaner. All the time invested sure paid off and the system looks great.

The turntable was in very rough shape. The motor was seized and the rubber grommets that supported the motor were dried up and deteriorating.

Instead of trying to rebuild this table we decided to install another one that was already working. Last winter I restored a vintage BSR turntable and it has been working great. So we removed the old table, drilled a few holes in the cabinet so it could handle this BSR.

Once installed, we fired up the stereo and it sounds beautiful! The tube amp gives it plenty of power and the new needle on the table really gives the vinyl a crisp sound.

Always amazes me how this old vintage gear ages so well.

Tube Amp Project!

Sat, 25 Jul 2015 00:34:00 +0000

I have been spending a lot of time in the work shop working on vintage electronics. It's has definetly been a learning curve, but bringing all this beautiful old gear back to life is really rewarding.

I have always wanted to learn more about fixing tube amps so thought a good place to start would be building a kit.

I ordered this kit from www.tubedepot.com. The kit I went with was the K12G Stereo Amp made by S5 Electronics. . It is just a straight amplifier with 8 watts per channel and the only control being the volume.

The instructions were super easy to follow.

They provided a circuit board that labelled where all the parts need to be installed.

It took me two evenings to complete the project with approximately 3 hours total invested.

This amp absolutely blew me away in sound quality. It's definetly a very crisp loud 8 watts per channel. I just have an external phono preamp between it and the turntable.

Future project will be to build a tube phono preamp.

I was nervous of having all of the components exposed so I ordered a tube cage to cover it. Very happy with the end result.

Sansui AU-8500 Integrated Amplifier

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 17:53:00 +0000

I have never been more excited to find a piece of vintage audio gear.

The Sansui AU-8500 Integrated Amplifier was manufactured in the early 70’s. Weighing in at a little over 45 pounds, this machine is a beast.

Here are the specifications:

Power output: 60 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)

Frequency response: 15Hz to 30kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.1%

Damping factor: 50

Input sensitivity: 2.5mV (mic), 2.5mV (MM), 100mV (DIN), 100mV (line)

Signal to noise ratio: 65dB (mic), 75dB (MM), 85dB (line)

Output: 100mV (line), 30mV (DIN), 0.8V (Pre out)

Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 16Ω

Semiconductors: 58 x transistors, 2 x FET, 33 x diodes, 5 x zener diodes

Dimensions: 140 x 500 x 347mm

Weight: 20.5kg

This amp looks as good as it sounds. The black front plate and sexy stainless trim, these are commonly referred to as “The Black Face” amps.

This amp has two headphone inputs. The first will shut the speakers off when being used, but if the second one is used alone, the speakers will stay on. Nice feature.

Also there are two phono inputs in the back allowing me to have two turntables set up and ready to go. I love this feature as I like using my fully manual table for everyday listening but like to use my automatic turntable while relaxing in the evenings (so if I fall asleep listening, the player will shut off).

This is my new pride and joy of my collection and will definitely be my “main” amplifier for the foreseeable future.

My three year old daughter loved my new toy and insisted she take a picture of it. This last shot was taken by her!

Record Case Restoration Project

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 18:23:00 +0000

Often while crate digging in attics, basements and barns I come across some nice retro pieces that are music related. I’ve been picking these up and storing them in my shed and recently found time to start some restoration projects.

This week I chose to refinish this vintage record carrying case.

It’s made out of tin, and while it didn’t look pretty, there was only light surface rust and decades of grime.

I tried a few household cleaners to bring it back to life, but it turned out to be too far gone. I decided to repaint it instead.

I bought some fine grit sandpaper and steel wool and smoothed the surfaces as much as I could. I started to restore the hinges and handles with brasso, but I stopped before I made it to far. I kind of liked the tarnish look of the hardware so left some to add character.

I used about 4 coats of spray paint, in between each coat I would smooth It out with the steel wool.

I’m very pleased with the end result.

It holds about 25 vinyl records at its max but works better with only 20, leaving enough room to flip through the albums rather than having to pull them out.

Vintage Record Cabinet

Wed, 06 May 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Regardless of the recent vinyl resurgence, LP’s are still far from being the dominant music medium. Sales are gaining in momentum, but the convenience of digital music is going to limit vinyl to a niche market (however a larger market which is only working in our favor).

When vinyl dominated in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, most households needed some means of storage for their music collection.

Today, it’s a bit tricky to find some affordable storage that will fit these 12 x 12 sleeves. Milk crates used to fit records when it was sold in gallons, but when milk converted to litres, these crates became just a little smaller no longer fitting albums. (Old milk crates still exist and are becoming quite sought after from collectors).

It seems that almost every shelving unit that is available at department stores is always just a little too small to fit an album, or they are not strong enough. Of course there are exceptions to this such as the Ikea Kallax (formerly Expedit) series shelves. These are super strong and fit albums perfectly, plus they are cheap. However, some people like myself don’t have an Ikea close by making this a difficult option (note: You can order the 2x2 kallax from Ikea and shipping is only $20).

But since many people had storage cabinets and shelves for their records in the 50’s-80’s, some of these units are still around. Most of the time condition seems to be an issue as they have been abused over the years, but every now and then you can find a nice vintage piece for cheap and in great condition. I lucked into one of these finds last week.

The only maintenance I did to this cabinet is a thorough cleaning, treating the wood with lemon oil, and polishing up the brass handle with steel wool and brasso. Very happy with how this turned out.

Back From the Dead Turntable: Sansui SR-222

Sun, 19 Apr 2015 01:56:00 +0000

The latest turntable on the work bench is a Sansui SR-222. This table looked pretty rough when I picked it up, but is now looking brand new.

The belt was old and needed replacing, and I upgraded the cartridge to a new Shure M92E. After adding a few drops of oil to the motor, and completing the usual adjustments and alignments, this table is running beautifully.

The majority of the work needed was cosmetic. There was years of grime on the body and it needed a thorough cleaning. No matter how clean it got, it was still unattractive because of all the scratches and marks on the dust over.

I read online how people restore covers with automotive headlight repair kits. Without doing any more research I bought one of these kits and made my first attempt. I used the provided sandpaper and went through all the steps but the cover came out very cloudy.

I brought it to my friend Daniel and he told me I made a mistake using the sandpaper. After two evening sessions of Daniel doing some heavy repair with rubbing compound and extensive polishing, he has this cover looking brand new. A big thanks to Daniel for all of the help.

Here are some before and after photos of the dust cover.

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:49:00 +0000

Richard Branson and Nik Powell opened a mail order record store in London specializing in Krautrock music. As the record store grew into a success, they decided to branch out into new interests and started their own record label in 1972. They called it Virgin as they were all new (virgins) to business. Their first release was Mike Oldfield's progressive rock album Tubular Bells, which stayed on the British charts for over 5 years, topping at number 1. A pretty good feat for a label and musician’s debut.

Mike Oldfield recorded Tubular Bells when he was only 19 years old, playing most of the instruments himself, which was uncommon in the early 70's. While the writing and performance is amazing, what really helped this album become huge was using the opening riff of the title track as the theme for the movie The Exorcist. This launched Oldfield's music to a very broad audience.

This 49 minute instrumental album went on to win a Grammy for instrumental composition in 1972. Globally it has sold 16 million copies to date and was a major player in making Virgin Records one of the most important record labels in history. Not bad for a 19 year old Mike Oldfield.

Tubular Bells launched a long and respectful career for Oldfield and he is still releasing new material. To date he has 25 studio albums released with three of them landing at number one on the UK charts. Tubular Bells was actually not his first number one. Oldfield released his second LP, Hergest Ridge, in August 1974 and this album debuted at number one. With the new publicity, Tubular Bells again gained popularity and climbed the charts (where it had never left, just dropped) beating out his second album for the top spot.

It seems that Oldfield and his labels were always trying to recapture the magic of Tubular Bells: releasing Tubular Bells 2 & 3 and even rerecording the original album in 2003. While this other material is good, it pales in comparison to the original. Besides, it would be hard for them match the publicity originally from being the theme to The Exorcist.

Miles Davis - Green Haze

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 02:05:00 +0000

Miles Davis was born in Alton, Illinois in May, 1926. His parents encouraged him in music at a young age, giving him a trumpet and starting him in lessons (his father gave him the trumpet while his mother encouraged the piano). Davis moved fast and started playing professionally locally at only 16 years of age while still in High School. After graduating, he moved to New York City where he began music studies at the Juilliard School of Music. While in New York he began playing regularly at jam sessions in some Harlem nightclubs. Eventually, Davis dropped out of school to concentrate on performing, bouncing between many jazz bands including a stint with Charlie Parker Quintet where he also contributed on their recordings. After Miles and Charlie Parker separated ties (band friction caused by drugs and money issues), Miles began working mainly as a freelancer. Fast forward several years of playing with some of the most influential jazz musicians and battling a heroin addiction, Miles signed a contract with Prestige records in 1951 where he began his solo career.

Green Haze was released in 1976 and is a rerelease of Miles’ first two albums with Prestige Records: The Musings of Miles; and Miles – The New Miles Davis Quintet.

The Musings of Miles features Red Garland on piano, Oscar Pettiford on bass, Philly Joe Jones on drums and, of course, Miles on trumpet. This is the first 12" LP released by Miles, however he had released some budget 10" LP's with Prestige prior. It was recorded June 7th, 1955 at Rudy Ban Gelder's home studio (Gelder was a fames Jazz recording engineer). This is a great introduction to Miles, an easy listen with 4 traditional jazz songs and 2 originals. Wait until you hear the sound quality they achieved in the 50’s... if only all albums were mixed this good.

Following the release of The Musings of Miles, Davis’ band made a few switches. Paul Chambers replaced Oscar Pettiford on bass, and John Coltrane was added to the lineup on tenor saxophone, forming The New Miles Davis Quintet. The Miles album was his second full length LP but there were actually recordings made between this album and The Musings of Miles. After Musings was released, Miles played at the Newport Jazz Festival where he was noticed by Columbia Records executive George Avakian, who offered them a contract. They reached an agreement where they could start recording, however, the material could not be released until after Miles fulfilled his contract with Prestige. So, while the album Round About Midnightwas recorded in November 1955, the previous month, they could only release it when they were released from Prestige (this album was eventually released in March 1957, their first from Columbia).

This album has a mix of Jazz standards and pop with “The Theme” being the only song composed by Miles Davis. While I really like both of these albums, I’d have to pick The New Miles Davis Quintet as my favorite. Of course, the obvious introduction of John Coltrane to the lineup sways my choice, but also Paul Chambers' addition on bass also plays a major role. Chambers' bass playing is very modern sounding for the time period, almost sounding like he could handle all of the rhythm alone with his fast scale runs and tight timing. It’s pretty impressive considering that the liner notes insists he was completely wasted drunk during these sessions. He proved to be very influential to the genre.

I really like these early Prestige recordings of Miles, now begins the quest to track down all those early 10” releases.

John Coltrane - Live at Birdland

Sun, 08 Feb 2015 01:50:00 +0000

As I find myself busy with family, work, and reading, jazz music is the perfect soundtrack to give me a relaxing atmosphere. It’s like a form of meditation, completely allowing me to get lost in the music, noticing a new note or drum fill buried deep in the song, always taking away just a little bit more after every listen.

The very first jazz album I bought was John Coltrane – Live at Birdland, which I found on CD at a thrift store about 10 years ago. It was a hard listen the first time, I’ll admit. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, I just didn’t seem to understand. To be honest I still don’t think I understand, but I’m really enjoying trying to figure it out. For ten years I’ve been looking for this on vinyl at a decent price.

Older jazz records tend to be hard to find cheap, at least in my area. It’s likely most people who bought these albums knew what they were seeking and tended to hang onto them. Also, to stereotype a bit, jazz tended to be the music of choice of higher income people, as if it represented their success like an expensive suit, Cadillac or jewelry. These fans are less likely to sell used items as the small financial gain wouldn’t be as important to them. While these albums do exist and can be bought, it is usually at a premium. At least, for the most part, jazz albums tended to be cared for by most collectors.

Last weekend I beat the odds and found a great deal on a small jazz collection. This collection had a nice mint copy of Live at Birdland. The stereo recording on this vinyl record is so well done and crisp, it’s like rediscovering this album for the first time.

Live at Birdland contains 3 tracks that were recorded live at New York City’s Birdland Club on October 8, 1963, as well as two studio tracks recorded the following month. My favorite track is probably the studio number Alabama which was written after a white Supremacist bombing that killed four children at 16th Baptist Church in September 1963. It is so easy to tell Coltrane was expressing something traumatic even without saying a single word. It is such a sad beautiful song.

Musicians are: McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Elvin Jones on drums and John Coltrane on tenor and soprano saxes.

John Coltrane had a relatively short solo recording career which spanned from 1957 until his death in 1967. Prior to that he was a sideman in many bands, most notably with Miles Davis until being fired due to his heroin addiction. Being fired led him to begin his solo career which coincided with him also playing with other bands including The Thelonious Monk Quartet (also more on/off again performances with Miles Davis). During this solo period his music changed dramatically from contemporary to modal jazz (modal jazz is based around musical notes, while contemporary is based more around chord progressions), so he is an artist where you may only like select albums, depending on your taste. Live at Birdland was recorded just before his modal jazz masterpiece, A Love Supreme. During this period, he is still in transition, let’s say 25% contemporary and 75% modal, which makes this is a perfect record to introduce you to the latter.

Top 5's of 2014 - Mike Bravener

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:44:00 +0000

I know it's now 2015, but I had one late comer with a top 5 list and definitely want to share. Mike Bravener always throws recommendations my way for new music and most of the time I agree with his taste. I always look forward to find out his years favorites.

Here is Mike in his own words:

1- Paolo Nutini - Sunny Side Up

Sunny Side up was released in 2009, so it’s a few years old and I don’t know why it took me so long to find it. It was by chance that I discovered it. When I worked at Chapters I heard this song 10 out of 10 playing in the background and I swore I was listening to a Bob Marley track. I shazam’d the track and found out that it was Paolo. He’s a Scottish born Italian with a vocal style that is soulful, reggae, mellow and fun!! This CD has 12 tracks and I couldn’t stop listening to it for almost 4 months. My favourite track is one called “Pencil Full Of Lead” and has a big band sound and is pure fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-xd3NuWQI0

The Cd was followed up in 2014 by Paolo’s 3rd full release called “Caustic Love” which has an old Motown, RnB sound.

Sunny Side up was a “Heather’s Choice” at Indigo which means if you bought it and didn’t like it,
you could return it. It’s now a Mike’s Choice. Most played CD of the year for me

2- Queen - Live at The Rainbow’ 74 - 4 LP vinyl Box set

I love Queen and Freddie so getting a chance to hear Freddie and the band when they were just starting out live is a treat! He could still hit all of the high notes and he was starting to build his stage banter and repertoire. The musicianship is incredible and what you hear is Rock n Roll. Songs are from their 1st three LP’s so for anybody who only knows Queen from Bohemian Rhapsody onward and fell in love with them. GET This 4 LP collection or double CD. Also they released full concert DVD or blue ray, remixed and remastered.

Stands up to and beats, in my opinion, any Queen live concert footage from the 80’s. Complete with liner notes and mp3 download card, I now have Freddie singing me to sleep through my iPod most nights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Rfb1Jtmic Stone Cold Crazy originally from the LP Sheer Heart Attack, and here live at the Rainbow.

3- Queen - Forever 2 cd deluxe edition

OK People complained that the queen marketing machine took mostly songs that have been released, which is true, added 3 new unreleased Freddie tracks and voila an easy $15.00. The 3 unreleased tracks are great. One unreleased track includes Freddie singing with Michael Jackson “There Must Be More To Life Than This” What’s interesting Michael Jackson’s vocal was weak and leads me to believe his portion was a demo. I dunno for sure. The other 2 unreleased tracks are strong and have that classic Queen sound. I’m hoping they got more because it’s great hearing new tracks from my favorite vocalist of all time. Let Me in Your Heart Again is on repeat when I drive, Great and haunting tune. It’s like Freddie is asking us to open up to Old Queen again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWzeNnq1-rA

And that’s what this collection does. It takes some familiar Queen tunes like “Love Of My Life” or “Somebody To Love” and puts them alongside incredible tracks like “Nevermore” You’re probably saying “Never heard that tune. It’s on their 2nd LP Queen 2. So you listen to that song and wonder hmmm what’s the rest of the LP Like? I think it could be right up alongside A Day At The Races and A Night at The Opera. Some of their best material is on Queen 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGj2HulhzPE

4- Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes

Well what can you say about the BOSS. Some really neat tunes on here, Almost like they were left over from Wrecking Ball. Two cuts stand out and play regularly on my iPod. First “Frankie Fell In Love” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ru2iL-fQuM Catchy fun tune about what love is and how it doesn’t make sense. The 2nd track that stands out is a track called “This Is Your Sword. I love hope and this song screams hope, never give up and that’s why I love this LP. the title track High Hopes should have been on the radio somewhere. I know this will get me in trouble with a lot of people but I believe that the modern King Of Rock N Roll is Bruce Springsteen. Sorry Elvis!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOPDhoZH91g

5- Dolly Parton - Both Sides of

Now this is a surprise to me, but I’m hooked on to Dolly Parton, and this LP has a collection of some of her greatest hits. Pure fun, pure story telling, and the more you listen to Dolly’s voice you get hooked. Did you know she’s outselling Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and others in Europe? Yessiree. Now I’ve know about her, liked her songs but the more I dug into her discography I discovered that there is some great Americana.

And here is something interesting… Try and find a Dolly LP on vinyl in great shape in any record store. You Can’t. When Dolly joins that great bluegrass combo in the sky her LP’s will be worth their mint in gold. Her first single, Puppy Love, was listed on eBay recently for $5000.00

Cory Paul Hill - Where We Live

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 02:28:00 +0000

Where We Live is the debut album from Fredericton’s own Cory Paul Hill. According to his bio on his website, Cory considers himself a songwriter first and instrumentalist second. This album proves he has what it takes to succeed at both. He is a strong multi-instrumentalist and an even stronger lyricist. This album features twelve songs of heartache, loss, love and death.

The music falls close to the folk-rock genre, but I hear lots of country influence in his vocals as well. During slow numbers like The Right Time, it reminds me of a Garth Brooks ballad with slow acoustic picking and strong vocals (I can swear I also hear a pedal steel far away in the background). These slow ballads like The Right Time and I Do is where I think Cory excels the most as a songwriter.

But all songs are not this slow and folky: the opening track, Where We Live, has some distorted guitars and drums sounding steering it farther away from folk and closer to rock.

Cory did all the recording himself and did a decent job. The mix is not consistent and I found myself adjusting the volume on my stereo often between tracks. Some songs have his vocals a bit too loud, but others have it damn near perfect. I don’t see any of this as negative, he did a hell of a job doing this by himself, but perhaps with a little bit of guidance he could make this even better.

The only real flaw I found on this album is that he seems to be trying to make some songs catchy using gimmicks. There are a few too many “la de da’s” and “do dee do’s.” My favorite track on the album is I Do, but I personally think it doesn't need those added fillers in the background. Cory has enough talent and skill as a songwriter that the “catchiness” is not required, these songs can hold their own ground.

Where We Live is available for as a CD or digital download at www.CoryPaulHill.com. It’s a great first effort from some young local talent. With the right guidance and loads of persistence, I can see Cory going far with his music.