After our successful joint post at the beginning of the year where Mike and I, as well as my sister and eldest son, ranked Savatage albums, we decided to make another joint post declaring our top ten favourite Savatage songs. Hopefully, the posts will come out together.
For me, the first three songs were already set in stone but it was a fun challenge ranking and deciding the rest of my list. Four to seven wasn’t too difficult but the last three were a little more challenging. Plus, there were five songs which were considered but didn’t make the cut. I might cite them in an ‘Honourable Mentions’ post some time in the future.
Savatage’s ability to be hard hitting and theatric, sometimes within the same song is what drove me to them. I just love these songs, period. I feel I need no reason to explain why because I can’t do so in a way that makes sense. Like I said, I love these songs. The only possible exception would be for the one which is number 2 on the list. That particular song helped me cope with the break up of my first marriage. Anyway, enough of my prattling on, here’s my top ten Savatage songs, followed by my sister Dawn and son Jake.
10. Edge of Thorns
9. Conversation Piece
8. Strange Wings
7. This Isn’t What We Meant
6. Handful of Rain
5. Guitar Ballet
4. Hall of the Mountain King
3. This is the Time
2. All That I Bleed
When The Crowds Are Gone
That’s my list, now for Dawn’s.
7. Christmas Eve
6. Guitar Ballet
5. One Child
4. Edge of Thorns
3. Hall of the Mountain King
2. Dead Winter Dead
Handful of Rain
Now for Jake’s
Starting left and going clockwise: Me, my eldest Jake, my younger son Will, his fiancee Ela and my stepson Teal. A true metal family!
10. Tonight He Grins Again
9. Follow Me
8. Summer’s Rain
7. When the Crowds Are Gone
6. If I Go Away
5. This Is The Time (1990)
4. Back to a Reason
3. Alone You Breathe
2. Not What You See
Believe
Here’s our top ten Savatage songs and I’m sure many of you will want to contribute your own, feel free. First, check out Mike’s.
I’ve never seen the movie “Shocker.” From what I’ve read and what I remember, it received mixed reviews everywhere. I came to be in possession of the soundtrack via my sister, Dawn, who sent it to me as a Christmas present in 1989. It turned out to be a great present because no matter what is said about the film, this is an amazing soundtrack.
The first and last songs on it are from a super-group calling themselves The Dudes of Wrath. It consisted of Desmond Child and Paul Stanley on vocals, Vivian Campbell and Guy Mann-Dude on guitar, Rudy Sarzo on bass and Tommy Lee on drums. Also, Michael Anthony and Kane Roberts provide backing vocals. No argument from me about this being a super-group. They open the soundtrack with the title track and I have to say, it’s a pretty good way to open things. Paul’s vocals are quite obvious and he and all the dudes do a good job on it.
Second up is “Love Transfusion” from Iggy Pop. After the harpsichord sounding intro, the track goes proper metal. It has a strong, commanding beat and I regret to say but this was my first experience of Iggy. Let me say it was a great introduction. T
That is followed by what I guess you can call the single from the soundtrack, Megadeth’s cover of the Alice Cooper classic, “No More Mr. Nice Guy.” I remember this song getting pretty far up the UK charts in 1990 and even the metal hating UK newspaper, “The Sun,” ran a small article on the band and didn’t say anything negative about them. Still, while this is a cool cover, it wouldn’t win an “Original vs. Cover” competition, at least not in my view.
Up and coming German band, Bonfire, are up next with their song, “Sword & Stone.” Like stereotypical Germans, Bonfire get straight down to business with a cool, straightforward metal jam. This one ticks all the boxes, cool vocals, a strong rhythm section and some excellent guitar solos. Side one ends with a very haunting but hard hitting power ballad from Saraya. Some called this band the next Heart and we will explore that more when I get to their self-titled debut album but for now, I just want to sit back and thoroughly enjoy this power ballad. That piano intro and Sandi Saraya’s vocals are just mesmerizing.
Side two opens with the return of The Dudes of Wrath, only this time, Desmond and Paul are relegated to backing vocals. “Shockdance” is a rap duet between the movie’s villain, Horace Pinker, played my Mitch Pillegi and one Alice Cooper. The track is very amusing, especially the line “And I never do the dishes.” The backing music from The Dudes make sure the rap isn’t a joke.
Like Saraya, another metal band which got some notoriety on this soundtrack is Dangerous Toys and I will be posting their 1989 album in due time. Here, they give us “Demon Bell (The Ballad of Horace Pinker)” and for me, it has 1980s hair metal all over it. Still, it’s a nice track and there was great potential with Dangerous Toys here.
The following two tracks are from bands I have only heard of on this soundtrack. First up is Voodoo X with “The Awakening.” Since, I had never heard of this band I heard this song, I can award it the hidden gem of the soundtrack. It’s a good metal song, sort of Whitesnake before they went into more ballads. It did prompt me to research them more and I can say their one and only album has been added to the list for 1989.
Maybe, like many soundtracks from the 1980s, who try to incorporate all forms of music, the people who put the “Shocker” soundtrack tried it with all forms of metal. Penultimate track, “Different Breed” from Dead On is a nice thrash/speed metal track. While there is nothing ultra spectacular about it, it is good enough for me to add their debut album to the list. The soundtrack ends with a reprise as The Dudes of Wrath takes it out singing, “We will have the power, we will have the glory.” It’s a nice way to end things.
Track Listing:
Dudes of Wrath
The Dudes of Wrath- Shocker
Iggy Pop
2. Iggy Pop- Love Transfusion
Megadeth
3. Megadeth- No More Mr. Nice Guy
4. Bonfire- Sword & Stone
Saraya
5. Saraya- Timeless Love
6. The Dudes of Wrath featuring Alice Cooper and Horace Pinker- Shockdance
Dangerous Toys
7. Dangerous Toys- Demon Bell (The Ballad of Horace Pinker)
Voodoo X
8. Voodoo X- The Awakening
Dead On
9. Dead On- Different Breed
10. The Dudes of Wrath- Shocker (Reprise)
Who cares about the film? I ask. This is a great forgotten soundtrack with some excellent heavy metal. Now, I know some of you will come back with “I haven’t forgotten this soundtrack” and that’s cool. In fact, pull it out and listen to it again as it’s that great.
Next post: A joint post with Mike Ladano- Our Top Ten Savatage songs.
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Normally, I blast Wikipedia for providing information I know to be incorrect, however, this time they might have saved my behind. After Fish left Marillion, I saw a video for his song, “State of Mind,” in late 1989. Naturally, I assumed that an album accompanied the song, which it did. Unfortunately, “Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors,” wasn’t released until early 1990. Therefore, I have decided to wait until the tour of that year to post about the album. In the meantime, since this song came out in 1989, I can post about it now.
At the time and sort of now, I felt the song sounded more like Marillion than the new Marillion. Like I said in the post, the Steve Hogarth era took the band in a slightly new direction. On this song, Fish does what he did in his former band and I forgot how good “State of Mind” was. It’s a good progressive rock song with some hard-hitting lyrics about the political state of Britain at the time. My only small criticism is at the guitar solo where Steve Rothery would have definitely come in handy. Still, it’s a great song, have a listen.
As far as I remember, there were no other significant one hit wonders nor were there any notable triumphs or tragedies in the rock world in 1989. Even the Donington Festival didn’t happen that year on account of the tragedy which occurred the previous year. Either 1989 was uneventful in these respects or I was too busy with fatherhood to notice.
Next post: Soundtrack to Shocker
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Maybe it’s a message from the Rock Gods telling me I should buy my own copy of Don Henley’s “The End of Innocence” album. Youtube doesn’t have the album in its entirety, although I was able to listen to individual tracks, at least seven of the ten anyway but one of those was labelled as “in the style of Don Henley” so it really wasn’t him singing the song. I did find the album on Spotify but when I push ‘play,’ nothing happens. Therefore, I might have to buy this album, not a bad consequence.
When I reviewed Don’s 1985, “Building the Perfect Beast,” album, I profusely apologized for being so narrow minded back in 1985. I shunned that album back then because it wasn’t a carbon copy of “Hotel California” but realized, a few years later, how good that album actually was. Fortunately, I did not fall into that trap when “The End of Innocence” came around. I fully appreciate Don for his songwriting, singing and musicianship skills and the people he got to play on the album with him.
After I heard “Building the Perfect Beast,” I promised myself that I would no longer listen to Don or anything by former Eagles members in the light of “Hotel California.” Although that album will go down in history as a super album, it is just that, an historical album and artists tend to move on. With that said, my best description of “The End of Innocence” is to say it’s “Hotel California” meets another great Eagles album, “Desperado.”
Opening title track reminds me of the Eagles classic, “Tequila Sunrise.” There is progression as well because the next track, “How Bad Do You Want It?” has some cool horns on it and is more upbeat. It reminds me of some tracks on the future Eagles album, “Long Road Out of Eden.” Next comes my choice for hidden gem, “I Will Not Go Quietly.” Back in the day, if anyone stated that the Eagles couldn’t rock, I would point them to my favourite Eagles song, “Victim of Love.” I’m not saying that “I Will Not Go Quietly” is like my favourite but it rocks a plenty. It is great to hear Don rocking out a bit and there is a fantastic guitar solo from Danny Kortchmar and harmony vocals are done by one Axl Rose.
Two of the five singles from the album come next. “The Last Worthless Minute” is a ballad type song which Don does so well. It’s a lovely song but I prefer the next track, “New York Minute.” This track would have fit perfectly on that iconic album which I’ve already mentioned. With the guitar in the background, this one is more a power ballad. It has a vibe which just absorbs you into the song and the trumpet solo just adds to the intended mood.
The next three tracks were the ones which don’t appear on Youtube so I can’t comment on them but hearing the rest of the album, I can assume they must be pretty good. Penultimate track, “If Dirt Were Dollars,” is a great one but less of gem than my choice. The guitar hook intro catches the attention straight away and I can see when Mr. Kortchmar’s guitar skills were in demand back then. Another song which casts aside any doubts that Don couldn’t rock as he shows he can here. He does end things with another ballad type song which earned him another top 40 hit, “The Heart of the Matter.”
Track Listing:
The End of Innocence
How Bad Do You Want It
I Will Not Go Quietly
The Last Worthless Evening
New York Minute
Shangri-La
Little Tin God
Gimme What You Got
If Dirt Were Dollars
The Heart of the Matter
Don Henley
Don Henley- vocals, drums, percussion
Don uses a huge array of musicians on the album, so I’ll just name the more prominent ones and apologize to those who don’t get a mention.
Danny Kortchmar- guitars
Bruce Hornsby- piano, keyboards
Jai Winding- keyboards
Mike Campbell- guitars, tracks 4 and 10
Jeff Porcraro- drums
Steve Madaio- trumpet solo on “New York Minute”
Patty Smyth- backing vocals
Axl Rose- backing vocals
Sheryl Crow- backing vocals
Since I’m already being asked what I want for Christmas, it might be a good idea to put Don Henley’s “The End of Innocence” album on my list.
Next post: Rock One Hit Wonders of 1989
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Deborah Harry disappeared off my radar sometime around 1981. When I was posting about that year, I stated that she abdicated the throne as Queen of Rock when her band, Blondie, put out that awful “Auto-American” album. As a result, in 1980, Pat Benatar effortlessly took the throne. Debbie did put out some albums in the 80s but they totally escaped my notice, at least until 1989. For the record, I thought Blondie went disco with that awful album.
Deb returned to my radar in 1989 when her big hit, “I Want That Man,” from her album, “Def, Dumb and Blonde,” was all over the radio in the UK. From what I remember, I thought “I Want That Man” was an okay song, not one which lingered in my memory until now. Hearing it again after so many years, I like it. There is a enough guitar to make it a commercially viable rock song, which didn’t drive metalheads away.
“Def, Dumb and Blonde” is divided into three parts. While all of the songs on it have a definite 80s punk/new wave vibe, the first four songs lean more towards hard rock. “Lovelight” leans towards rock and so does in less of a way, “Kiss It Better.” However, I am glad I am posting about version of the album which was released on CD, otherwise, I would have missed out on a really good rocking tune, “Bike Boys.” This song takes me back to the very early days of Blondie, I’m talking the iconic “Parallel Lines” album. It’s great hearing that Deb can still rock!
While on the subject, when the album was released, all three formats, vinyl, cassette and CD were all different. Some had more tracks like the CD release which had 15. The rocking “Bike Boys” doesn’t appear on the vinyl version. In any case, the album heads into more synth pop territory with “Get Your Own Way.” There is some still rocking moments on the song but it is where things go down the pop road. Another point from this song is that I’m not sure if I should take Debbie’s rapping part seriously.
While the album goes down the synth pop road, it’s not as bad as I might be insinuating. The track, “Maybe for Sure,” does have a little power chord and although most of it sounds like a synthed out version of “Sunday Girl,” guitarist, Christ Stein, plays his best solo. I think Chris has never been let off the lead to show what he could do on his guitar. I’m not saying he’s a Malmesteen, Blackmore or Nugent but his solos are good. That was the case when he was in Blondie and the case on this album. He should have been allowed to play more guitar solos.
The next few songs are definitely more 80s pop and while they’re not that terrible, they don’t hold my interest much. “I’ll Never Fall in Love,” on the other hand, is pretty bad and “Calmarie” isn’t much better. Fortunately, the album rebounds with “He Is So.” This one is more of a rock tune, however, if they let Chris play a guitar solo, it would have been better. He does play a cool guitar hook in the intro of “Bugeye” and that is the best part of the song.
“Comic Books” is a fast and furious punk song and builds things up and “Forced to Live” is even better. It is great to see Debbie going back to her roots. But what surprised me most about “Def, Dumb and Blonde,” is the closer, “End of the Run.” Deborah goes progressive rock here and it’s done very nicely. When I heard it, I had to say, “Well done Debbie!” This track really is quite something, a great way to end the album.
Track Listing:
I Want That Man
Lovelight
Kiss It Better
Bike Boy
Get Your Way
Maybe For Sure
I’ll Never Fall in Love
Calmarie
Sweet and Low
He Is So
Bugeye
Comic Books
Forced to Live
Brite Side
End of the Run
Deborah Harry
Deborah Harry- vocals
Chris Stein- guitar
Steve Goldstein, David Bravo, Toni C, Johann Brundquist, Phil Ashley, Bobby Khozouri, Mac Quayle- keyboards
Leigh Foxx- bass
Terry Bozio, Thommy Price, Geoff Dugmore, Arthur Baker- drums
Paulinho DeCasta- percussion
Ian Astbury, Mike Chapman- Gary Valentine, Adele Bertei, Arif St. Michael, Biti Strauchn, Dennis Christopher, Keith Primi- backing vocals
It was great to see that Deborah Harry hadn’t disappeared from the face of the Earth. While I won’t say that “Def, Dumb and Blonde” was a classic rocker but there are some good tunes on it, especially the closer.
Next post: Don Henley- The End of Innocence
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Researching a little of the history behind Stevie Nicks’s album, “The Other Side of the Mirror,” I have discovered something which I didn’t know back in 1989. That it was Stevie’s most successful commercial album. What more is the fact that it was her most successful album in Europe, including the UK. Normally, I don’t really care about how successful an album is, all that matters is whether or not I like it and I do like “The Other Side of the Mirror.”
Why do I like this album? For me, it’s because I think many of the songs on it remind me of Stevie’s song on the soundtrack of the 1981 film, “Heavy Metal.” Her song from said soundtrack, “Blue Lamp” is an acoustic sounding song but with a short but sharp rock edge. It closes that soundtrack out so well and if there wasn’t so many other great songs on it, I would have given it more attention when I wrote that post.
Reconnecting with familiarity, I now remember the first song, “Rooms on Fire,” from 1989 and it was her first big hit from the album. I can now see why. However, in light of the mentioned soundtrack, the second track, “Long Way to Go,” is the signature song in that respect. It totally reminds me of her “Heavy Metal” contribution, plus I like the electric guitar on the intro. Then again, like her previous albums, she gets some real top rate musicians to play on it.
One interesting note and something I’m surprised I wasn’t picked up on during the tour of 1986, was her duet with Bruce Hornsby on “Two Kinds of Love.” Oh, the duet wasn’t in that year, it’s on this album and it’s a good ballad-duet but Bruce never got a mention for “The Way It Is.” It should have gotten a mention on the One Hit Wonders post at the very least. Hey ho.
Even though there were a number of singles, some of which were hits, it wasn’t too difficult to find the hidden gem. That happens to be “Ghosts” because it is probably the most rocking song on the album. It’s not a headbanger but that electric guitar is quite prominent. Another good song, which was released as a single and did well in Ireland, was “Whole Lotta Trouble.” I like the horns and when you have one Mike Campbell laying down some cool guitar hooks, then you have one great song!
Runner up in the gem sweepstakes is “Fire Burning.” Another electric guitar backing and if I didn’t know who was playing on it, I might have thought it was a Fleetwood Mac song. This brings up another point. There is little difference between the hits and the deep cuts on the album. While I call “Fire Burning” a hidden gem and “Juliet” is a cool song with an edge, I can say the same for another single, “Cry Wolf.” It just goes to show that Stevie, with the help of some great musicians, put together a great album.
Track Listing:
Room On Fire
Long Way to Go
Two Kinds of Love
Ooh My Love
Ghosts
Whole Lotta Trouble
Fire Burning
Cry Wolf
Alice
Juliet
Doing the Best I Can (Escape From Berlin)
I Still Miss Someone
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks- lead vocals, percussion
Rupert Hine- keyboards, percussion
Rick Nowles- guitar
James West Oram- guitar
Waddy Watchel- guitar
Mike Campbell- guitar, slide acoustic guitar
Vail Johnson- bass
Tony Levin- bass, stick bass
Derek Murphy- bass
Geoff Dugmore- drums, keyboards
Jerry Marotta- drums
Kenny G- soprano and tenor saxophone
Marc Russo- saxophone
Larry Williams- saxophones
Gary Grant- trumpet
Jerry Hey- trumpet
The LA Horns- additional brass
Kelly Johnston- tin whistle
Sharon Celani- backing vocals
Lorri Perry Nicks- backing vocals
Bruce Hornsby- accompanying vocal (track 3) piano, backing vocals
Stevie Nicks could do no wrong with “The Other Side of the Mirror.” Maybe because I’ve mellowed a bit with age, I appreciate this album more but Stevie could sing children’s songs or metal and make them both sound equally good. Especially if she has such quality musicians backing her.
Next post: Deborah Harry- Def, Dumb and Blonde
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
Even a few Duranies back in 1989 knew that “Seasons End” was the first album made without former lead singer, Fish, who left the band in 1988, citing health problems as well as a falling out with guitarist, Steve Rothery. Enter new singer Steve Hogarth. I apologize in advance if anyone was expecting me to jump into a Fish vs. Steve Hogarth debate, I won’t. For me, there is no debate. Both singers have totally different styles and if there is any credit to be given, it should be to the rest of Marillion who have been able to fit their sound around both and make it sound so good.
With that said, I will make one observation. The opening track, “The King of Sunset Town,” is all the proof one needs that Steve was the right choice to replace Fish. His vocals fit around the music perfectly and when the song began, it simply sounded like business as usual. Steve Rothery playing mesmerizing guitar solos and Mark Kelly continues to work his magic on the keyboards backed by the rhythm section of Pete Trewavas and Ian Mosely. Yes, there was nothing to fear.
Here’s the fly in the ointment but it’s only a tiny fly. On the second track, “Easter,” when the vocals kick in after a light melodic acoustic guitar intro, I can’t help thinking that maybe Fish’s vocals would have fit this piece better. However, this is the only part of the album where I think that. In fact, I can reverse things on the third track, the harder rocking “The Uninvited Guest,” which is my vote for favourite track. I can’t imagine Fish singing this track as well as Steve does. Observation over!
As for the rest of the album, Steve’s vocals fit the songs very well. The alluring title track is a great example. His singing fits like a glove and of course, the rest of the band are at their best as always. I was particularly impressed with Pete’s bassline and there’s a fantastic guitar solo from the other Steve. It’s my second favourite song on the album.
Here’s an odd but true story. My introduction to the new album came by way of Marillion’s appearance on “Top of the Pops.” Obviously, the new singer was the first thing to grab my attention but the second was the song they were playing. When I heard, “Hooks In You,” I thought that after Fish, Marillion were going a bit more hard rock. That is, with the possible exception of “The Uninvited Guest,” the hardest song on the album but for the rest of it, Marillion keep to their progressive style which served them so well throughout the 1980s. A great example “Holloway Girl.” In any case, it was clear that Marillion weren’t going anywhere.
Track Listing:
The King of Sunset Town
Easter
The Uninvited Guest
Seasons End
Holloway Girl
Berlin
After Me
Hooks in You
The Space
Marillion
Steve Hogarth- vocals
Steve Rothery- guitar
Mark Kelly- keyboards
Pete Trewavas- bass
Ian Mosley- drums
Additional Musicians:
Phil Todd- saxophone on Berlin
Jean Pierre Rasle- pipes on Easter
Sorry, no Steve Lukather
One point I failed to mention, “Seasons End” was the first album in three not to have been a concept album. But who cares? Even with the changes, it is still a phenomenal album.
Next post: Stevie Nicks- The Other Side of the Mirror
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
It’s my not so humble opinion that in 1989, no one walked the tightrope between pop and rock better than former Go-Go’s singer, Belinda Carlisle. Her album, “Runaway Horses,” is living proof of the fact. Let me be honest, there are no songs which I would call great rockers but at the same time, there’s something about them which makes me like them. For the record, I’m talking about the music.
Take the opener, “Leave the Light On,” which was Belinda’s first single from the album and I know it was a top ten hit in a lot of countries. There’s a very pronounced bassline in the song and while the guitars don’t dominate, they’re definitely there. I make no apology for liking the song as there’s something infectious about this one and many others on the album.
One song which is the closest to being a total rock out is the title cut. The guitars can definitely be heard on this one and I do want to bob my head when I hear it. I only wish they were turned up a bit more because I am sure that Belinda has the vocal ability to have been a fantastic rock or even metal singer. What keeps this track from being a total rock out is the absence of any guitar solo. There is a slide guitar solo on “Leave the Light On,” which was performed by none other than one George Harrison.
Speaking of Belinda’s vocals, it should be no surprise to anyone that she can sing a good ballad, which she does on “Vision of You.” But if you really want to talk about versatility, then the Spanish influenced “La Luna” is the song to go to. She also does power ballads as can be heard in “Summer Rain.” Then again, “Runaway Horses” did spawn six singles and although I don’t rate it highly, I don’t dislike it either, I must mention “(We Want) The Same Thing,” which I remember being used in some TV ads here in Britain. It does have a rather cool intro.
One belief as to why there were so many successful songs on this album was down to the videos. There are some good ones and at the risk of being called a misogynistic, sexist pig, Belinda rolling around in a bed sheet in the video for “La Luna” might make that point. However, the songs stand on their own for me.
Now, here’s the other challenge, with so many singles from the album, it’s been difficult for me to find a hidden gem. Staying true to my roots, I have to pick “Deep Deep Ocean.” There is enough guitar during the verses and a nice little bassline which makes it a bit of a rocker. The other songs aren’t filler and I do think the closer, which Belinda co-wrote with former Go-Gos bandmate, Charlotte Caffey, “Shades of Michaelangelo,” is very interesting to say the least. She goes almost 70s progressive rock on this one and it does make it a good closer.
Luis Conte- Native American drums (track 2), percussion (tracks 2 and 10), bongos, shaker (track 3)
Kenny Aranof- drums
Sid Page- violin (track 5)
Plus a load of backing vocals which are too many to list. One of them happened to be Bryan Adams
I’ll say it again! Belinda Carlisle very successfully walked the tightrope between pop and rock on “Runaway Horses.” There was enough pop to make it commercially successful but enough rock as to not to put people like me off.
Next post: Marillion- Seasons End
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
After reviewing a Canadian artist who didn’t get the accolades he so truly deserved, I thought it right to review one who totally did get those just accolades. Yes, I’m talking about Rush, who, back in the 1980s and beyond, were known around the world. I personally know a good number of Rush fans here in the UK.
In 1989, Rush treated the world to a live album in the form of “A Show of Hands” and I’ll say right off the bat that it’s another reason for me to lament never seeing them live. True, the album focuses on their 1980s material and what a lot of persons out there often refer to as they “synth period,” but this doesn’t stop it from being a great live album.
Looking at the track listing, I should have been slightly disappointed at the absence of “Tom Sawyer” or any of their songs on the first side of the “Moving Pictures” album and some of their more harder rock songs. It could be said that Rush took a gamble of not having any of their material before 1977 but they pull it off. On the subject of “Moving Pictures,” the song from that album which appears here is the hidden gem, “Witch Hunt.” Therefore, that makes me happy.
What I find very amusing about this album is how they opened their show with “The Three Stooges” theme. For those not familiar, this particular theme was when Joe was one of the stooges as my favourite (and most people’s) stooge, Curly, had passed away a few years earlier. It’s my strange mind at work again here. But for the rest of the album, you get a good catalogue of their 1980s output and it all sounds good. You get both hits like “Distant Early Warning” and “The Manhattan Project” and the only pre-80s song, “Closer to the Heart,” which is definitely a favourite of mine and many more. Furthermore, you get some deep cuts like the mentioned hidden gem, “Marathon” and “Turn the Page.” In addition, you get “The Rhythm Method,” which sounds to me like a complete drum solo from Neil. Again, this will be the closest I will come to seeing Rush live and Neil doing what he did best on the drums.
I don’t know what more I can say about this phenomenal live album. It totally surprised me as it sounded so good despite some of my favourite Rush songs not being included. I hold this album up as a counter against those who rail on their 1980s material. They should have heard this songs live because this album makes them all come alive.
Track Listing:
Intro (A Show of Hands)
Big Money
Subdivisions
Marathon
Turn the Page
Manhattan Project
Mission
Distant Early Warning
Mystic Rhythms
Witch Hunt
Rhythm Method
Force Ten
Time Stand Still
Red Sector A
Closer to the Heart
Rush
Geddy Lee- bass, synthesizers, lead vocals
Alex Liefson- guitars, backing vocals
Neil Peart- drums, percussion
In 1989, Rush was the band many people here in the UK associated with Canada. Bryan Adams wouldn’t make his mark for a few more years. However, in Rush’s case, with albums like this live one, I can certainly see why.
Next post: Belinda Carlisle- Runaway Horses
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
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