A Great American Discovery: Megan Knight- State of Mind

While visiting Sharrott Winery in New Jersey, with my sister Dawn, she loves her wineries, I had the pleasure to be entertained by the music of one Megan Knight. If the name sounds familiar, she was a contestant on American Idol a few years back and made it to the semi finals. On my very last evening in the US, she sang and played guitar to many wine tasters and let me say that I was so impressed that I bought her CD, “State of Mind.”

Megan Knight on stage

While her vocals totally blew me away that evening, she also proved that she could play a mean rhythm guitar as well. But while she showed those talents very well, the additional instruments, all played by Jamie Myerson, makes the CD sound even better. Her brand of soft rock is perfect in my view. The best example is on my vote for best track, “Oh My Love.” This song is what I would call an ‘eerie’ ballad. While you can hear that the song is a lamentation, the other instruments, keyboards especially, put a stamp on that fact. Plus, Megan’s voice makes the song sound downright spooky. It’s hard to describe here but I am blown away when I hear it.

The four other tracks are really good. The opener, “Fade” gives the false impression that it might sound rockier than what it actually is. I hear similarities between Megan and Steph O’Sullivan of Greywind but it ends there. After a minute, one doesn’t care because it can hold its own. “Built on Glass” and the title track are good bridges between the opener and the best song. An acoustic version of “Built on Glass” closes the five song party and I prefer the acoustic version to the other here. Maybe it’s just me.

I thought I’d get a shot of the winery in

Track Listing

1. Fade
2. Built on Glass
3. State of Mind
4. Oh My Love
5. Built on Glass (Acoustic)

A better shot of Megan

Megan Knight- vocals, guitar

Jamie Myerson- guitar, bass, drums, keyboards

After her second set, I had the pleasure of meeting Megan and she is a really nice person. She was more interested in Mrs 80smetalman due to the fact that she’s English and Megan really wants to go to Britain. UK booking agents, are you listening? Megan has true talent and if she doesn’t make it further in the music world than there really is no justice.

Next post: King Diamond- No Presents for Christmas

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Roll-Children-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1609763556/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=michael+d+lefevre&qid=1564601165&s=books&sr=1-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Run and Hide, I’m Back!

Just a quick hi to say that I’m back from my two week holiday in the US and I’ll be back to posting. While I didn’t see any concerts while I was there, I did see a former American Idol contestant perform at a wine tasting. She was so good, I bought her CD and will be posting about that.

Of course, I won’t disappoint and share many of my pictures from my wonderful two weeks.

Ocean City, NJ boardwalk

Philadelphia Art Museum: It was too hot to run up the steps like Rocky

LA Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies. Phillies won 9-8. 

Some cool weapons in the Philadelphia Art Museum 

Swords and tequila carry me through the night

Oh yeah, it had some other works of art in it too. 

My friend Frank and his wife Candy singing a karoke duet. They’re quite good. 

Belleville Winery

Trying to take pictures of dolphins in the Delaware Bay

Excellent food too! A famous Manco and Manco’s pizza. 

The drink was pretty good too. From top to bottom, my brother in law Mark, my sister Dawn, Mrs 80smetalman and my step daughter Lorretta in a typical American bar. There was an excellent acoustic duo playing there that evening. 

Fantastic desserts as well, the famous ‘Volcano’ from The Rain Forest restaurant in Atlantic City, NJ 

Boardwalk in Wildwood NJ

Next post: Megan Knight- State of Mind

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Roll-Children-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1609763556/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=michael+d+lefevre&qid=1564363224&s=books&sr=1-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Developments From 1985

When I posted about Helix’s 1985 album, I mentioned that I had discovered they had a new album out through a Canadian metal magazine known as “Metallion.” I bought this edition of “Metallion” because it just happened to be on the shelf at my local record store and it was different. I mean in Southern New Jersey in 1985, Kerrang only came around every couple of months and was usually that long out of date. Otherwise, for music news, we had Creem magazine but that focused more on mainstream rock and of course, Motley Crue Magazine, sorry, Hit Parader. God, I keep making that Freudian slip.

Although this would be the only copy of “Metallion” I’d every buy, the uniqueness of the magazine has been burned into my memory for nearly three and a half decades. In this issue, I remember reading some great in depth interviews with Iron Maiden, Loudness and Lee Aaron. While there was an article on Motley Crue in this issue, I don’t remember it. I do remember reading about how Ratt’s Stephen Pearcy stuffed socks down his trousers before going onstage. One of my favourite parts was the interview with Ron Keel who gave his thoughts on Yngwie Malmsteen.

It’s like having this big beautiful dick and all the girls want it but instead you only jerk off. That’s what Yngwie Malmsteen does, he just jerks off. He’s a dick with fingers.

I did use a letter in the magazine in “Rock and Roll Children.” In the letters part, some holier than thou type wrote to the magazine in rebuttal to their article on advise on finding summer jobs. This anonymous writer said that any company would not dare hire one of its typical readers and advised them to cut their hair, change their clothes and take another look at that negative force we call music. In “Rock and Roll Children,” a guest speaker at the high school says the same thing to Frankie when he asks about getting a job in a company.

Dr Ruth

By the final months of 1985, commercial radio pretty much sucked. When working at the parking lot for eight hours with nothing more than Top 40 radio for entertainment, I began looking to other stations. One station on Wednesday nights had the “Dr Ruth Show.” As most people know, she had a phone in radio show where she gave lots of advice on sex and her German accent made what she said very much worth listening to. Her show was very amusing and a lot better than having to listen to Wham on the radio.

One of the biggest disappointments from readers of “Rock and Roll Children” is that no one caught the reference I made about Dr Ruth. The comment was from Jeff who, after hearing his sister in the throws of passion, says, “I don’t think my sister will be phoning Dr Ruth saying she doesn’t orgasm.”

Well, you most likely won’t hear from me over the next two weeks. I’m off to the USA for a much deserved vacation and I don’t think I will have access to a computer. So, all of you have a great time and see you when I get back. I’ll post all the photos.

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Roll-Children-Michael-Lefevre/dp/1609763556/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=michael+d+lefevre&qid=1562881419&s=books&sr=1-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Venom- From Hell to the Unknown

Sometimes the problem with posting about compilation albums is the fact that I’ve already said great things about certain songs when I heard them on the original studio album. Therefore, I fear that I would only be repeating myself. On the flip side, it gives me a chance to listen to songs which I might have liked but missed something about that song when I first listened to it on the album. In the case of Venom’s 1985 compilation album, “From Hell to the Unknown,” it’s a bit of both cases.

First, this is not a greatest hits album. That would come out a year later. It is a trip down Venom’s memory lane. The biggest giveaway is the fact the first eleven tracks on “From Hell to the Unknown” comprises the entire debut album, “Welcome to Hell.” Having discovered Venom in 1984, if I had known this existed in 1985, I would have simply bought it back then so I wouldn’t have to buy “Welcome to Hell.” Okay, I was a cheapskate but I do have a better appreciation of the track “Live Like and Angel, Die Like a Devil.”

“Welcome to Hell” is the only full album that makes it onto the compilation album. Maybe Venom thought it might reintroduce it to people who weren’t familiar with it. Anyway, on the downside, I was slightly disappointed the only tracks from the “Black Metal” album are the title track, “Buried Alive” and “At War With Satan (Prelude). I would have thought that “Teacher’s Pet” and “To Hell and Back” would have been on it. More perplexing is that none of the songs from the “At War With Satan” album appear here either and only the title track from “Possessed” and “Too Loud for the Crowd”are represented from that album. That asks the question, where did the remaining songs come from? Well “Die Hard” and “Seven Gates of Hell” are from the live “Official Bootleg” album and “Bursting Out” was from an EP called “Acid Queen.” “Senile Decay” was recorded exclusively for the album or so it seems. Then as an added bonus, there album ends with a live radio interview with the band. With all considered, “From Hell to the Unknown” makes a compilation album worth having.

Track Listing:

1. Sons of Satan
2. Welcome to Hell
3. Schizo
4. Mayhem With Mercy
5. Poison
6. Live Like an Angel, Die Like a Devil
7. Witching Hour
8. 1000 Days of Sodom
9. Angel Dust
10. In league With Satan
11. Red Line Fever
12. Bursting Out
13. At War With Satan (Intro)
14. Die Hard (Live)
15. Manitou
16. Senile Decay
17. Black Metal
18. Possessed
19. Seven Gates of Hell (Live)
20. Buried Alive
21. Too Loud (For the Crowd)
22. Radio Interview (With Metro Radio Alan Robson)

Venom

Cronus- bass, vocals

Mantas- guitar

Abaddon- drums

If you were a newcomer to Venom, then I would recommend, (very strongly), “From Hell to the Unknown” as a great introduction to the band. While some of the songs I would like to have seen included aren’t on it, it’s still Venom at their best.

Next post: Some Other Happenings of 1985

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rock-Children-Michael-Lefevre-2010-11-16/dp/B01N2GFIGK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rock+and+roll+children+by+michael+d+lefevre&qid=1562532686&s=books&sr=1-1

 

 

 

 

Great Metal Albums of 1985: Overkill- Feel the Fire

Much has been said about the ‘Big 4′ in regards to thrash metal and a lot has already been said about them here and will be talked about more in the future since it’s metal’s golden decade in which they rose to glory. Just as much has been said about other bands who are just outside those top four bands and there has been much debate as to which bands should make it a top five or linger just below them. Bands I consider on the level just below that of Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeath and Slayer include Testament, Kreator, Venom and of course the band whose debut album I am posting about now, Overkill. There are other contenders too, I thought I’d just throw that in.

As with all the contenders, comparisons are always made with the “Big 4’ and of those, the closest link that Overkill’s “Feel the Fire” album has is definitely Anthrax. Probably because both bands are from the East Coast, the New York area to be exact. Like Joey Belladonna, Bobby Blitz’s vocals are quite clean and are backed up by strong, fast power riffs and thundering drums. This is very evident on the very first two songs on the album. Even if the remaining songs on “Feel the Fire” were so-so, these two songs would have me coming back to this album.

The third track, “There’s No Tomorrow,” constantly changes tempo so you have to keep alert on this one but Bobby Gustafson does nail the guitar solo. He does it again on the next track, “Second Son,” which is a return to Anthrax sounding metal, though Overkill do put their own stamp on it. “Hammerhead” is a definite thrash track and the one to get a mosh pit to open up. If “Hammerhead” opened a mosh pit, then the title cut would be the track to keep it going. Even if you didn’t go into the pit, you want to stand there throwing fists or horns along with it. My vote for song of the album, just beating out “Rotten to the Core.” I can see the mosh pit stopping so everyone can sing: “Fire, fire, the demon burns like a witch.” Then a killer guitar solo with a rhythm guitar trade off, brilliant!

If anything comes remotely close to being filler on “Feel the Fire,” it’s the tracks “Blood and Iron” and “Kill At Command,” though I do stress the remotely here. Even with these there are some good power chords to be had here. In 2019, the little chant like piece on the latter song may sound like it was done before but in 1985, it wasn’t. That brings us to the two closing tracks. I think the band was right to name the penultimate track after itself as it highlights everything I like about the band. It’s powerful, yet melodic in places with great vocals, throbbing rhythm section and a great guitar solo. The closer is a cover of a Dead Boys tune in which Overkill puts its own mark on. It was the correct way to end this debut album.

Track Listing:

1. Raise the Dead
2. Rotten to the Core
3. There’s No Tomorrow
4. Second Son
5. Hammerhead
6. Feel the Fire
7. Blood and Iron
8. Kill At Command
9. Overkill
10. Sonic Reducer

Overkill

 Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth- vocals

Bobby Gustafson- guitar

Rat Skates- drums

D.D. Verni- bass

Thrash would gain a hold in my life in 1986 and I would have to go back to some of the great albums I had missed in 1985. “Feel the Fire” by Overkill made that task very pleasant.

Next post: Venom- From Hell to the Unknown

To download Rock and Roll Children, go to: To download Rock and Roll Children, go to: https://c-newfreepdf.cf/olddocs/free–download–online–rock-and-roll–children-pdf-1609763556-by-michael–d–lefevre