The Bangles have always been somewhat a paradox for me. They were known for soppy love songs and the track, “Eternal Flame,” is one of their best known. A little story here: I read an account that while on tour for this album, “Everything,” the band was accosted in the Netherlands by a female contingent of the LBGQT brigade because they wore short skirts and sang such love songs. The thing is and the album proves it, The Bangles could produce some cool new wave sounding rock. Take the opening track, “In Your Room,” for instance, it is a trippy new wave sounding song and here’s the big thing, it got into the top ten in the singles charts in several countries! Unfortunately, the song will forever be overshadowed, (not by me), by “Eternal Flame.”
Here’s another interesting point about the Bangles, while Susanna Hoffs sings lead vocals on the majority of the band’s singles, the lead vocals on the album are almost equally shared by all of the band. Bloggers have sung the praises of the likes of KISS and The Eagles for the all members of the band being able to sing lead vocals but surely, the Bangles should be included there as all four members have great voices.
One song which is totally different on the album is “Bell Jar.” Lead guitarist Vicki Peterson sings lead vocals on it and makes it her own. It has a new wave sound which reminds me of my all time favourite Bangles song, “The Hero Takes a Fall” from their first album. Vicki also plays mandolin on the song and it does go way out in some parts. Is it the hidden gem? Well almost, that honour goes to “Watching the Sky” which oddly enough, Vicki sings lead on that. This particular track is the closest they go to a total rock out.
Another track which showcases just how talented this band was is “Something to Believe In.” It is a near haunting ballad with some rather trippy piano work on it. Bassist Michelle Steele sings lead and her vocals bring a different but cool element to the song. “The Glitter Years” rocks pretty good and Vicki plays probably her best guitar solo on it. The closer, “Crash and Burn” is another interesting song and is definitely the song to end the album on a good note.
Track Listing:
In Your Room
Complicated Room
Bell Jar
Something to Believe In
Eternal Flame
Be With You
Glitter Years
I’ll Set You Free
Watching the Sky
Some Dreams Come True
Make a Play for Her Now
Waiting for You
Crash and Burn
The Bangles
Susanna Hoffs- guitar, lead and backing vocals, perucussion
Vicki Peterson- lead guitar, lead and backing vocals, mandolin
Michelle Steele- bass, lead and backing vocals, percussion
Debbie Peterson- drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals
Additional Musicians:
Darryl Citizen- noise
Paulinho Da Costa- percussion
Bobby Donati- guitar on “Some Dreams Come True”
Vinnie Vincent- 12 string guitar on “Make a Play for Her Now”
Tommy Morgan- harmonica
Jim Snodgras- tabla
David Lindley- classical guitar, bouzouki, saz, dobro
John Phillip Shenale- keyboards
Walker Ingleheart- keyboards
David White- keyboards
“Everything” further strengthens my argument about not judging an album by one or a couple of songs. Back in 1988, the Bangles had a reputation for making soppy love songs because of “Eternal Flame,” which if I was to rate the songs from best to worst, would be very close to the bottom. This is a great album of some cool new wave rock and should be listened to as a whole.
Next post: Fairground Attraction- First of a Million Kisses
To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com
We are all reflecting on 2018 as the year comes to a close. For me, the year has been a roller coaster of triumphs and tragedies. The tragedies being losses in my own personal life as well as some in the music and entertainment world. Although it happened in 2017, the effects of the passing of my mother in law were felt for several weeks into the new year. Then, when I thought Mrs 80smetalman and I had gotten over it, my mother died in early March. Losing both mothers barely two months apart is something I would not wish on any couple. After putting that behind us, my wife’s aunt suddenly died. No one was really expecting it but it was not the way anyone wanted to see the year end.
Like 2016 and 17, 2018 has had its share of people we love from the music world departing this world, including two I only just found out about. Those were Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy from The Blues Brothers and former Jefferson Airplane/Starship lead singer Marty Balin. Saying that, the list I found them on did not include Huntress lead singer, Jill Janus, which I’m a little peeved about. Here’s a list of some of the others who passed on.
Vinnie Paul
Bruno Sammartino
Blues Brothers with Aretha Franklin
It’s rather ironic that Aretha Franklin and Matt Murphy, they played husband and wife in the Blues Brothers film, both died in 2018.
Marty Balin
The only decent shot I got of Jill Janus and she has her back to me
Ed King
Fortunately, there were many triumphs in 2018 as well. The best of those was becoming a grandfather, thus ensuring a third generation of metalheads in the LeFevre family. In addition, two weeks ago, I got to see my daughter receive her master’s degree, a proud moment.
Grandfather and grandson
Needless to say, there were a lot of musical highs in 2018 as well. In February, I was invited to the album launch party for the band Black Emerald. A band I had seen at Bloodstock in 2013 and impressed me so much, I wrote a post as to why they should be signed. Someone must have read it because this year saw the release of Black Emerald’s debut album, “Hell Can’t Handle All of Us. I have listened to the album several times now and it’s brilliant. I hope this is the dawning of great things to come for this band.
Although my trip to the US, was due to tragic circumstances in March, I still got to experience what I called “America’s best kept secret” in the form of blues guitarist and singer Hannah Wicklund and her band the Steppin’ Stones. This was another album from this year that I enjoy more with each listen.
Hannah Wicklund
Hannah wasn’t the only lady in rock to turn my head in 2018. Not long after, I got to experience Lebanese metal maidens Slave to Sirens. Last report I heard, they are working on a full length album and I will definitely be picking it up when it comes out.
Slave to Sirens
No year would be complete without going to a music festival or two. In June, I went to the Sunday at Download where I was awed by the likes of Iglorious, Shinedown, Black Veil Brides, Marilyn Manson and Ozzy himself. I was also introduced to up and coming new band, Puppy but the best part for me was after a more than thirty year wait, I got to see German thrashers, Kreator. It was definitely a day to remember.
Mille leads Kreator onto the stage
Ozzy’s kick ass show
One festival wasn’t enough so in August, I went to Bloodstock for the full three days. Each day brought both the expected and unexpected. On the Friday, Suicidal Tendencies, Judas Priest and Doro all performed as well as I thought but I was further impressed by Kamelot and Feed the Rhino. Likewise on Saturday, Gojira proved they earned the headlining slot but I was also wowed by Orden Organ, the pirate metal of Alestorm and Sophie Lancaster Stage headliners Orphaned Land. I am currently listening to Orphaned Land’s new album, “Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs” and so far, I’m very much liking what I am hearing. However, you can’t forget Sunday, which could have been called Scandinavian Day as most of the bands were from Sweden or Finland. Still, Fozzy was brilliant as always and Mr Big showed they could play Bloodstock and Devil Driver was one big mosh pit. On the other hand, I was very grateful for my introductions to Amaranthe and Nepalese metalers Underside. This was a great way to end my festival career.
Feed The Rhino welcome everybody to Bloodstock
ST comes on stage
Doro on the Sophie Stage
Levermann and Kersting leading from the front.
Alestorm on stage with a lot of flying inflatable objects.
Orphaned Land
A shot of the entire band
Amaranthe won me over
Underside show that you can rock in Nepal.
Late in the year, AC/DC tribute band Hell’s Bells made their annual trip to Stroud and were as good as always but the year ended with seeing Slayer, Anthrax and Lamb of God in Cardiff. This is supposed to be Slayer’s farewell tour and it was a great night for them to go out on.
Obviously, I got closer to the stage for Hell’s Bells
Anthrax in Cardiff
Lamb of God
Slayer appear!
Yes, 2018 was a year of triumphs and tragedies for me. The important thing is that I got through it with many great memories. Likewise, 2019 is also looking very promising. On the personal side, both of my sons are getting married this year. My younger one in February and my eldest is getting married in December. While I have retired from going to three day festivals, I think I will go to Bloodstock on the Sunday with the Scorpions headlining that day and Dee Snider playing as well. However, the band I want to see most that day is Queensryche. I’m already looking forward.
So, I wish all of you a very happy 2019! I look forward to continuing my tour through the golden decade of heavy metal as well as talking about relevant events and I look forward to reading what you all have to say in 2019.
Next post: I think I’ll put on some of the music from the bands I mentioned here.
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.html
Even having a crap night’s sleep the previous evening didn’t dent my enthusiasm for the first full day at Bloodstock. We started with a hardy bbq breakfast because we couldn’t have one the evening before on account of the waiting to get in and the brief rain. Therefore, we had it in the morning. After a breakfast of champions like that, which was washed down with beer, we decided to head for the arena.
Keeping with my established tradition, I made it a point to be present for the very first band out on the Ronnie James Dio Stage. That band happened be British punk band Feed The Rhino. If there is a textbook on how the opening band of a festival should act, then Feed The Rhino followed it to the letter. They exploded on stage at 300 mph with a song that grabs you by the throat and makes you listen to it nor did any of that energy dissipate after the first song. However, some purists may argue that the band broke protocol by organizing a mosh pit and then a wall of death. Whoever said opening bands weren’t allowed to do that? Especially when the lead singer, Lee Tobin, did a little crowd surf towards the wall. It was amazing and when they left, which was too soon, Feed The Rhino had set the mood not just for the day but for the entire weekend!
Feed The Rhino welcome everybody to Bloodstock
Lee Tobin carried by the crowd
In spite of the fact that I had seen and heard three bands I had never heard of previously who totally blew me away, I still went to the New Blood Stage to seek out more. Playing at my arrival was the band Garshkott. While they weren’t bad, their sound was in the vein of Feed The Rhino and Bloodshot Dawn, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were ever signed, in my mind, they didn’t measure up to the two bands I have just mentioned. Then again, those two bands set the bar astronomically high.
Garshkott giving it their all
Heading back to the RJD Stage, I thought I should see Onslaught. I had seen them at my first Bloodstock in 2010 but I didn’t remember anything about them. Seeing them again, I remember why I didn’t remember them, there’s really nothing about them to remember. While their music was okay and I have since discovered from Youtube that their recorded material sounds pretty good, they just didn’t do anything for me when I’ve seen them live.
Onslaught coming out to play
Another shot of them
The uneventfulness of Onslaught meant that when the rains came down in the final minutes of their set, I fled for cover. The closest was the New Blood Stage. Providing the entertainment in my new found refuge was Democratus. They weren’t thrash but good solid metal. The singer did a great job in getting those in the tent to sing along. He would sing out, “Is this what you call?” and the audience, me included, would shout back, “Democracy!” Very relevant at the moment and I thought they were pretty good. If I was a scout, I would have signed them before the previous unsigned band on the day.
Democratus
Still raining down in buckets outside, I decided to stay in the New Blood Tent to remain dry. It turned out to be the will of the metal gods because coming on stage next was Vulgore. Of the three unsigned bands I had seen so far, these guys were the best. Their music was loud and brash but the guitarist could shred a little too. Still, their music is not for the faint hearted. They announced they have an EP coming out titled “Bliss.” I might have to hunt this one down.
The guitarist from Vulgore
More Vulgore
Vulgore made the rain stop, so after their departure, I headed outside. On the Dio Stage at the time was Memoriam. I only caught the last two songs from their set but they sounded all right. Plus, I noticed that the lead singer’s hair probably made many ladies jealous.
Memoriam, but this photo doesn’t show the singer’s hair properly.
Still looking for the music, I headed for the Sophie Lancaster Stage where I was treated to the doom metal sounds of Godthrymm. This trio was doom metal in the true sense of the word, even more than Black Sabbath. Most of the songs were about death. I remember one lyric, “Oh God, you lost your only son,” I think that explains a lot. Guitarist hammered out some good solos and he shared the lead vocal duties with the bassist. Godthrymm proved a great change of pace on the day.
Godthrymm playing doom
I’m not sure what this picture was. I think it was this person dressed up going through the crowd during Godthrymm
After a brief but necessary break, I returned to the Ronnie James Dio Stage for the first band I truly wanted to see. Before that band came out, I caught the last few minutes of Swedish death metal band Bloodbath. They sounded okay and I was amused at the shirtless guitar player whose torso was covered in fake blood.
Bloodbath, not sure if you can see the guitarist covered in blood
Then came the big bombshell. It was announced that Suicidal Tendencies were running late and wouldn’t be up next. They were re-scheduled to play at the Sophie Lancaster Stage two hours later. I had caught up with Teal and Joe and we decided to get some dinner. I kind of regret this in hindsight because swapping places with ST was the all female death metal Japanese band Love Bites. I heard they were really good and I’m liking what I’m hearing thus far. Oh well, I’ll put a song of theirs in tribute.
Returning from our late afternoon bbq, I followed Teal’s suggestion that I go with him to check out prog metal band, Kamelot. Full marks to his wisdom here because I thoroughly enjoyed them. I was duly impressed with the guitar work of Thomas Youngblood but I won’t take anything away from the rest of this band, they’re that good. They brought a female singer on for a few songs as well which made them more diverse. Let’s say I was very impressed.
Kamelot
A better shot of them
Thomas Youngblood jamming
I tried to get the female singer in this one
Instead of Kamelot following Suicidal Tendencies, we had Suicidal Tendencies following Kamelot. Which way around didn’t matter as we joined the throng heading for the Sophie Lancaster Stage. There was talk that the sheer weight of numbers in ST fans would knock the Sophie Tent off its foundations. Suicidal Tendencies exploded onto the stage with “Don’t Bring Me Down.” Almost immediately, Mike Muir had the crowd in his hand with everyone singing the chorus. The band darted around stage and Mike did his little dance. It seemed that the opening song might go for the entire set because every time it sounded like it would end, the band would pick it up again. When the song did end, the audience was screaming their appreciation. Afterwards, they played songs “I Shot the Devil,” The War in My Head” and “Subliminal.” When they played the “Skater’s Song,” Mike announced that the band had been inducted into the Skater’s Hall of Fame. A young boy was brought up to play drums along side of Dave Lombardo for one song and they also let a man in a wheelchair onto the stage. ST are definitely a class act! In between songs, Mike talked about not letting things get you down. His advice was to “Get up, stand up for yourself and you will be the person you want to be.” Great words of wisdom. When they left, the crowd was on a major high and it was also announced that it had been the largest crowd the Sophie Lancaster Stage ever had. They were phenomenal and like Teal converting me to Kamelot, I converted him to ST. It didn’t even matter that they didn’t play my two favourite songs again nor the fact that they pretty much played the same set they had at Download last year.
The crowd heading to the Sophie Stage to see Suicidal Tendencies
ST comes on stage
Guitarist Dean Pleasants can still jam.
Another shot of Dean
Mike leading the charge
After feeding my face some more, we all headed back to the Ronnie James Dio Stage for the main even, Judas Priest. They had a massive stage set up with what looked like cacti which lit up on the wall behind. When the band came out, Rob Halford looked like a bent over old man but he quickly straightened up when they started playing. They opened with “Fire Power” and played two more songs from the album. It was the fourth song that was the big thrill for me when they revealed their all time hidden gem, “The Ripper.” I think I was the only one in the crowd who went absolutely nuts at it. Both Teal and some young lady in front of me both stated, “You’re excited about this song.” Next, they revealed that it was the 40th anniversary of their “Stained Glass” album where they played “Saints in Hell” as a tribute. Other Priest greats included “Turbo Lover” and “Freewheel Burning.” While Rob was the great show man he has always been for more than four decades, I was impressed with guitarists Richie Faulkner. He seems to have learned from his mentors and if the band was to continue, he is more than capable to carry them on. Scott Travis was pretty cool too and I loved how he and Richie traded solos. Things seemed to end with an extended version of “You Got Another Thing Comin'” and “Painkiller,” both drawing large cheers from the crowd. But Judas Priest weren’t done. Obviously, there would be an encore and that’s when they sprung a surprise. Glenn Tipton came out to play with them for the four encore songs. He did look a little frail and Rob kept coming over to him but he stayed the course. He even played a solo on the closing song, “Living After Midnight” which followed on from “Breaking the Law.” When the mighty Priest did leave, it was to much adulation and a brief but cool fireworks display.
Blasted light show kept me from getting decent pictures of Priest
See again!
A little better
Even taking a photo of the big screen didn’t work.
I kept trying though
Teal and Joe called it a night but I had one more act to watch. As soon as Judas Priest was finished, I high tailed it over to the Sophie Lancaster Stage to catch Doro. My timing was perfect because as I entered the tent, she was performing one of my favourites, “I Rule the Ruins.” That wasn’t the only one she treated me to, a few songs later, I got to hear “East Meets West,” where she brought out a former guitarist Tommy Bowen. Therefore, for the rest of her show, she had a three guitar attack behind her. Sounded real good when she played “Burning the Witches.” Doro engaged the audience really well throughout and while her light show was nothing like Priest, it was still pretty cool. “All We Are” got the crowd really going and it carried on until she left the stage. When she came back out, Doro asked the audience what song they would like. I was too far away so she couldn’t hear me calling out for “I’ll Make It On My Own,” so she said, since nobody came forth with a song, she’d pick one, which she did. A second song was asked for and she picked one from a young lady in the front and that’s how the night ended, with loads of bows and “thank yous” before leaving. It was a great way to end the first day!
Doro on the Sophie Stage
Better pics with Doro
Tommy Bowen on guitar
Doro mesmerizes the crowd
Note: You may have noticed that I haven’t posted songs from every band I saw. I thought to do it with the ones I had never heard of before and now you have.
Next post: Saturday
To download Rock and Roll Children, go to: http://mediahubb.net/14510967/rock-and-roll-children.html
“Oh my God,” you’re all probably thinking. Is 80smetalman on speed or has he lost one of his jobs? Neither, hwile I admit it is a rarity that I make three posts in as many days. Actually it will be four in four as I intend to write my Whitesnake post tomorrow but this is something I must post about. While originally created to take readers through the history of 1980’s heavy metal and sell “Rock and Roll Children,” I have expanded to reporting on festivals, concerts and to alert people of new metal acts that people might be interested in hearing about. Cue Black Emerald and Hannah Wicklund and the Steppin Stones but this morning I have, thanks to Google Alerts, been led to another cool metal band, Slave to Sirens.
Slave to Sirens
As you can see from the photo, Slave to Sirens are and all female band and that’s important in light of yesterday’s post. I am on a campaign to stamp out sexism in metal, there’s no need for it. However, being all female isn’t the most interesting part about this band, what is more interesting is the fact that they hail from Lebanon. This is a country that has been experiencing its an East-West clash for several decades and has had problems with Islamic Extremists. So, for these girls to play metal and even daring to wear Western style clothing is a testament to the guts these ladies possess. Furthermore, I think that they display these guts in their music. I’ve listened to their four song demo, which I will share at the bottom of the page.
Slave to Sirens is:
Shery Bachara- lead guitar
Tatyana Boughara- drums
Alma Douhmani- bass
Maya Khairallah- lead vocals
Lilas Mayassi- rhythm guitar
Don’t expect any love songs here, just straight forward fast, speed metal. They cement my belief that heavy metal is for all people regardless of race, gender or culture. I think these five ladies would agree with that.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doing making a horrible noise like that?”
“Are you the groupie or the merch girl?”
“Watching with the sound off cos I don’t wanna listen to your music but I wanna fuck you so bad.”
“Angela Gossow would kick your ass and Simone Simmons is way hotter than you.”
These are just a few of the comments I’ve received as a woman playing in a metal band. I think I despise the last one the most.
Firstly, Simone Simmons is the fantastic soprano singer in Epica. I play guitar in a post metal band. But, despite having very little in common musically, our appearances apparently *must* be rated against each other.
No one compares the handsomeness of our male guitarist against say, Bruce Dickinson, because they realize how ABSURD and IRRELEVANT that is. They manage to discuss the boys’ vastly different musical merits without…
Girlschool wasn’t the only female band to come along on the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM). In early 1984, I happened to catch another band of ladies who proved they could rock as hard as the men. That band happened to be the trio known as Rock Goddess. I have to admit, when I first saw the video for the big single from this album, “Hell Hath No Fury,” “I Didn’t Know Till I Saw You Rock and Roll,” I was totally smitten. Not only did these three ladies tingle my then 22 year old hormones, they could play metal as well and play it well. Note: this single doesn’t appear on the UK release of the album.
While the mentioned single can still be found on some compilation albums from time to time and is the song Rock Goddess is best known for, I can say with certainty that the entire album kicks ass. It’s just one complete blow your eardrums to pieces rock party from start to finish. In fact, if I had to pick, I would say that the opening title track is probably the least strongest track on here. I can’t use weakest because I don’t think that applies. “Gotta Let Your Hair Down” is a great example of what I mean by blow your eardrums metal. When I hear that song, I regret the fact that I never seen them live.
Because they are an all female band, I feel the need to make the cliched comment that they are just as good as their male counterparts. Take singer/guitarist Jody Turner. Now, I admit that her guitar playing isn’t equal to greats like Blackmore or Van Halen but it’s good enough. Her best guitar effort can be found on “In the Night” and runner up is “Hold Me Down.” Plus she has the added gift of having a good singing voice that can bellow to the high extremes and then soften to a melodic purr. If that’s not all, she was the songwriter for the band and to me, she does write some good songs. I find, “The Visitors Are Here,” a song about an alien visit, quite cool. As for the rhythm section of Julie Turner and Dee O’Malley, they are as tight as any other section I know of.
Track Listing:
Hell Hath No Fury
I Didn’t Know I Loved You Till I Saw You Rock and Roll
Gotta Let Your Hair Down
In the Night
Hold Me Down
The Visitors Are Here
You Got the Fire
It Will Never Change
Don’t Want Your Love
God Be With You
Rock Goddess
Jody Turner- guitars, lead vocals
Julie Turner- drums, backing vocals
Dee O’Malley- bass, keyboards, backing vocals
My question has always been, why didn’t Rock Goddess go further? According to Wikapedia, there were problems from the outset. Julie Turner was still a school age minor and there were legal limitation on how many live shows she could perform. Right before the scheduled US tour, Dee O’Malley announced she was pregnant and left the band. That was typical of the band’s history as bassists and sometimes second guitarists would come and go so they never became fully solid. Damn shame in my opinion because they could have achieved so much more.
Next post: White Wolf- Standing Alone
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Before Prince and other more commercial types got their claws into them, The Bangles debut album, “All Over the Place” was a solid new wave sounding album. When the video for the single, “The Hero Takes a Fall” appeared on MTV one day, I thought to myself, I like this song. It wasn’t heavy but there was just enough guitar in there for me.
“The Hero Takes a Fall” never broke the top forty charts in 1984, most likely because I liked it. What it did do was to further my intrigue into this band and I liked what I discovered. Like, I said above, “All Over the Place” is a decent album. There is a strong new wave sound but it stops a just short of being a hard rocker and in no way did it knock Girlschool off top spot as my favourite all female band.
The funny thing is that the album could have been a cool metal album if they had let loose with the guitars a bit more. One song that typifies this is “All About You.” There is a guitar bit that sounds okay but it would have sounded amazing if they had put a fuzz box in there. The same thing could have been said about “Restless” and “Tell Me.” However, there is another song that stands above even those. “Dover Beach” is where lead guitarist Vicki Peterson really gets to shred a little. I’m not going to say she’s a hidden guitar great because of one solo but it would have been nice to hear her shred a little more. She does shred a little bit on “Going Down to Liverpool” but because the song is in the early Beatles form, her guitar solo sounds like something from “A Hard Day’s Night.” Not a bad thing and the song is okay, it just doesn’t make it any real rocker.
“He’s Got a Secret” is another decent song. It’s about a man whose cheating on his partner and there is some good guitar work in it. However, it is the vocals of Susanna Hoffs which punctuate the song for me. Actually, the hardest rock song is, “Silent Treatment” and it’s good to hear the band really let loose. I think that song should have been the closer as I was never very impressed with the one that actually is.
Track Listing:
The Hero Takes a Fall
Live
James
All About You
Dover Beach
Tell Me
Restless
Going Down to Liverpool
He’s Got a Secret
Silent Treatment
More Than Meets the Eye
The Bangles
Susannah Hoffs- rhythm guitar, vocals
Vicki Peterson- lead guitar, vocals
Michael Steele- bass
Debbi Peterson- drums, vocals
While I wasn’t the only one who took notice of the Bangles in 1984, they pretty much came and went through the year unnoticed. Unfortunately, the wrong people, as far as this metalhead is concerned, did take notice of them and would turn them into a top forty band. That is why “All Over the Place” would be the only Bangles album I would ever listen to.
Next Post: Billy Satellite
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Cause and effect here: From what I remember, the third album from The Go Go’s received hardly any radio airplay although the first single, “Head Over Heels” got a decent video play on MTV. That is the effect, the cause was because I think “Talk Show” is the best of their three albums in the early 1980s. They had matured as a band by this album and while the music is still in the pop-rock, new wave vein, their playing had really improved and why it’s my favourite Go Go’s album.
Of all five ladies who comprised the band, the one whose musicianship really struck me was that of lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey. I’ll be the first to admit that she doesn’t hold a candle to Girlschool’s Kelly Johnson in the female lead guitarist sweepstakes, she does some okay solos on the tracks. “Turn to You,” “Beneath the Blue Sky” and “You Thought.” She also plays keyboards and her best efforts if probably on “Head Over Heels.” Fair play, Caffey is a very underrated musician for sure. Speaking about underrated, I think that drummer Gina Schock is much better drummer than what she’s given credit for. All drummers reading this are welcome to comment here.
Actually, I think “Talk Show” is heavier than their previous albums, “Beauty and the Beat” and “Vacation.” The songs I mentioned in the previous paragraph are all fairly hard. Not metal but they are hard enough to be a step up, “Turn to You” especially. “I’m the Only One” is even harder though. It almost explodes onto you at the beginning and that is kept up throughout the song making it the hardest rock song on the album. Plus, it has Caffey’s best guitar solo. Okay, it’s my favourite track on the album. “Capture the Light” is pretty good as well and “Mercenary” is a cool closer that gives further support to my feelings in Gina Schock’s drumming.
Track Listing:
Head Over Heels
Turn to You
You Thought
Beneath the Blue Sky
Forget That Day
I’m the Only One
Yes or No
Capture the Light
I’m With You
Mercenary
The Go Go’s
Belinda Carlisle- lead vocals
Charlotte Caffey- lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Jane Wiedlin- rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Kathy Valentine- bass, backing vocals
Gina Schock- drums, percussion, backing vocals
It is possible that “Talk Show” being my favourite Go Go’s album was why they broke up after it. I hope it’s not the case but after 1984, the Go Go’s would be no more. Lead singer, Belinda Carlisle would have a successful solo career towards the end of the decade, (I’ll cover those albums in due time) and Jane Wiedlin would have a couple of hits but for me, she’ll always be Joan of Arc in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” Still, the end of the road for a band that was just discovering how good they could be.
During the torrent of new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM), Girlschool were somewhere in the middle. They weren’t mentioned in the same breath as the giants of the time but they were better known than other bands like Diamond Head and Raven. True, their music didn’t get the airplay it deserved but most metalheads in 1983 knew who they were. I was fortunate on one occasion in the year to catch one of the few times the title track from the album, “Play Dirty,” got played on MTV.
“Play Dirty” marked a change in direction for Girlschool towards a more softer rock sound. Some would compare them to Def Leppard, really? However, the softer sound comes out with the first two tracks on the album. It is the first time, to my knowledge, that keyboards were ever used on a Girlschool album. Those tracks aren’t bad but they aren’t real headbangers either. Things do go much heavier with the third one, the title track. Even then, there are keyboards at the bridges on the song and though I have to admit, they compliment that part of the song well, it took me a couple of listens to get used to it. Besides, Kelly Johnson’s guitar solo on said song makes counters any keyboards.
Track four, a cover of T-Rex’s “20th Century Boy,” marks a definite return to more traditional ground. I get the feeling that the band had a lot of fun recording this cover because it sounds good. Marc Bolan would have been proud. Even if he’s not, “Play Dirty” goes even harder after that with “Breaking All the Rules.” Now this song sounds like the Girlschool I knew and love. Keyboards are used again on “Burning in the Heat” but only as a scary movie type introduction. Something I give Ozzy credit for starting but done by many metal bands then and now. After this introduction comes more traditional Girlschool. For me, it’s probably the best lesser known track on the album.
After wowing with those more harder songs, things go back to the sound of the opening tracks. Keyboards a plenty here for I get the feeling that on “Surrender” that they were trying for a Night Ranger or Journey type hit single. However, it wasn’t released as one so this is a paradox that baffles me. It’s still a cool song and Kelly nails another cool guitar solo. The keyboards die with that song because “Rock Me, Shock Me” is a true Girlschool anthem. They should have played that on the radio but that’s the good thing about buying albums. You get to play the best songs from them that radio won’t play to yourself. The closer is a good rocker and the title has me wondering. In Britain, knob is a slang term in the media so I wonder if they were attacking the media or at least some person in it.
Track Listing:
Going Under
High and Dry
Play Dirty
20th Century Boy
Breaking All the Rules
Burning in the Heat
Surrender
Rock Me, Shock Me
Running for Cover
Breakout (Knob in the Media)
Girlschool
Kim McAuliffe- rhythm guitar, lead vocals tracks 3,5,7,8,9,10
Kelly Johnson- lead guitar, lead vocals tracks 1,2,4,6
Gil Weston- bass, backing vocals
Denise Dufort- drums
Additional backing vocals: Lemmy, Vicky Blue, Marc Haircut
Don Garbutt- keyboards
While I like the album, “Play Dirty” marked a downward turn in Girlschool’s fortunes. Kim McAuliffe would leave shortly after the release and the US tour would never materialize. Shame, I would have loved to have seen them. That wouldn’t come for another two years but still, even with the keyboards, “Play Dirty” is still a decent album.
Everything I said in my last post about Anvil not getting the respect they’ve deserved for all these years can be said for Girlschool. Like their Canadian counterparts, Girlschool blasted onto the scene in the early 1980s only to disappear a few years down the line, although they were bigger in the UK than they were in America. But with all of the other bands from the UK who came on the wave of new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), Girlschool seemed to be the first to fade from view. Should I play the ‘it’s because heavy metal is sexist’ card? After all, Girlschool were an all female outfit. No I won’t do that unless clear evidence can be provided, but whatever the reason, one thing I know for sure was that they could rock just as hard as the men.
The 1982 album “Screaming Blue Murder” is proof alone that Girlschool weren’t just four pretty bimbos who decided to take up instruments. They could at least play them. Each song, except for maybe the closer, is a true metal tune and each contains something of the basic elements to be a true metal song. “Screaming Blue Murder” is a fantastic opening track and sets the pace to the album ever so appropriately. The introductory riffs on “Take it From Me” are the type to grab you by the ears and say, “Here’s a song you should listen to.” Other stand out tracks for me are “Don’t Call It Love,” “Live With Me,” “Turns Your Head Around” and “When Your Blood Runs Cold.” So, I ask myself, why didn’t these girls go onto to the same accolades as the likes of Saxon, Maiden or Priest?
Another issue I noted from listening to the album is the guitar work of one Kelly Johnson. She can shred, plain and simple. Just have a listen to “Don’t Call it Love” and you will be convinced. That’s the song where she shines the most but she certainly makes her presence known on the other tracks on “Screaming Blue Murder.” So, let’s all give Johnson the respect she deserves as a guitarist. P.S. You could probably add Kim McAuliffe to my list of great rhythm guitarists as well.
Track Listing:
1. Screaming Blue Murder
2. Live With Me
3. Take It From Me
4. Wildlife
5. Turns Your Head Around
6. Don’t Call It Love
7. Hellrazor
8. When Your Blood Runs Cold
9. You Got Me
10. Flesh and Blood
Girlschool
Kim McAuliffe- rhythm guitar, vocals
Kelly Johnson- lead guitar, vocals
Gil Weston- bass, vocals
Denise Dufort- drums
1982 was full of great metal bands, probably so many that some possibly slipped through the cracks and faded into obscurity. That might be said for Girlschool but in that year, they made their mark with the album, “Screaming Blue Murder.” For me, it was another metal album made in the way the gods of metal intended and it has played a major role in getting me psyched for Friday.
“What’s a pretty girl like you doing making a horrible noise like that?” 
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