Showdown: Homages/Rip Offs 2

Back again for more songs that sort of sound like something else!
Once again, this is a work of opinion and is in no way accusing these songs of blatant and borderline offensive plagiarism, no matter how sure I sound or how direct I am in calling these artists out on their alleged thievery.
If you can't remember how Showdown posts go, please refer to the first Homages/Rip Offs post. All you need to really know is that for this post, I'm not just considering songs that are officially Homages/Rip Offs; any song that has a notable similarity is fair game to me. Now that you've done that, let's get comparing!

ROUND ONE: The Rolling Stones vs. Buffalo Springfield
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - I once saw an interview with a Rock producer where he called Keith Richards "the riff master" because of this song and all I wanted to shout was "Fuckin' why?!" Everything about this song is just shit to me, from the mediocre riff that gets old real fast to the dull vocals. However, personal opinion aside, this song is regarded as one of the band's signature hits...so who would think of ripping it off? Neil Young, that's who!
Mr. Soul - Granted this song came before "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (a much better version of the previous Rolling Stones song) so I can't touch the vocal delivery here. What I can touch is the song's main riff, a shoddily tweaked impersonation by a band that are far too tepid to be considered Classic Rock in my books. Maybe it's because nobody wants to take Mr Young to court but I'm surprised none of the Stones have got the lawyers involved here, especially if the Spirit lads can with Led Zepp. Sure, they might have lost but there's no fucking doubt here, right?
VERDICT - I hate both songs equally but I'm giving the win to The Rolling Stones, as their riff clearly came first and "Mr. Soul" isn't good enough to justify the cheeky riff pinching that may or may not have gone on...but probably did.

ROUND TWO: Bad Company vs. Arctic Monkeys
Feel Like Makin' Love - One of the great Classic Rock tracks that perfectly blends soft and heavy guitar to make an awesome song. It's also got a pretty sweet guitar solo during the fade out that often gets ignored in favour of the chorus riff. Anyway, it's that heavy chorus riff that I'm focusing on in this post. It's pretty damn iconic and I defy anyone who's heard this song to listen to those three power chords and not belt out "Feel like makin'!" or at least hum it/sing it in your head. Can't be done, seriously.
Arabella - I discussed this song on my Rock Band 4 blog post and yes, I compared it to Bad Company's track there too. The riff actually fits this song well and I don't feel like the band are trying to steal some of Bad Company's cred in the slightest (although they are trying to steal some of Black Sabbath's cred). This one might not be my favourite Arctic Monkeys track but it's decent, I'll give it that.
VERDICT - This time, I like both songs but not equally. The win goes to Bad Company for what I believe is the far superior song and use of the heavy riff, especially in that outro where the band just fucking go for it. Whilst I may have accused the Arctic Monkeys of plagiarism in my RB4 post, claiming that their song "pretty much rips off the chorus without shame", I'm starting to reconsider my opinion. I think the only thing the band are guilty of is not knowing a freaking awesome Classic Rock track before recording "Arabella"...that and the "War Pigs" moment from that video link.

ROUND THREE: Gary Glitter vs. The Black Keys
Rock And Roll (Part 2) - It's a shame we can't remember Gary Glitter for this song instead of the whole Vietnamese paedophilia scandal (you know, that whole thing) but that's the way it goes. Sometimes, you make enough of an impact for people to remember you for your music instead of being a bit of a crazy prick and sometimes, a couple of hits aren't enough to wipe away the reputation of a nonce. Gary should've written some more iconic Pop hits if he wanted people to remember him fondly, something like "Purple Rain" or "Thriller".
Howlin' For You - Chances are this is a similar situation to the last songs I compared but if you listen to the first couple of bars of each song, the similarities are there. Solo drum intro? Yep. Same drum rhythm? Oh yeah. Same bass intro? Well, no, not exactly but both songs introduce bass next (if you ignore Gary's random yelling, since that's not really an instrument) and both riffs are kinda close. I could forgive these guys if it was just the drum intro but man, those first bass notes add that little element of doubt.
VERDICT - You probably think I'm going with Gary Glitter, right? I mean, his song predates the other by over a good couple of decades and I will always choose singing along to that guitar riff over the one in "Howlin' For You", a song with all the energy of a piece of incidental music in a dull roadhouse bar scene on TV. HOWEVER, I have to give the win to The Black Keys for slightly hypocritical reasons. I don't believe they intentionally stole the riff and I reckon on this occasion, it was purely chance that these lads rewrote the intro to a much better song before passing it off as their own. The main difference between this and the last round, though, is that Paul Rodgers never travelled abroad to fuck a kid.

ROUND FOUR: Neil Diamond vs. The Romantics
Cherry Cherry - I'm not a huge Neil Diamond fan but damn, I love this song. Everything about the mix and song's structure is flawless, it's a masterclass on how to create a catchy Pop/Rock song without sticking a soulless guitar solo in the middle or sellotaping two different songs in the same key together. It's basically the same riff throughout but it doesn't get stale or grating at any time, unlike the first song in this post. Both that and the bass riffs easily stand out, making them pretty hard to copy, right?
What I Like About You - Another case where I love this song but I'm not overly fond of the band. It's a party song but it also has pretty similar riffs to "Cherry Cherry" after the guitar intro. Whilst it's not illegal to use similar chord structures to other songs (see "4 Chords" - Axis Of Awesome), I think it's fair to say that at least one of The Romantics likes a bit of Neil Diamond.
VERDICT - Tricky one. I reckon I like both songs equally for separate reasons so I'll have to give it to Neil Diamond for being the first to write the song. Once again, I'd like to reiterate that I doubt The Romantics set out to copy this song or write it as a homage but I do think they'd heard the track and maybe even subconsciously let that bleed through into their music, which is OK in my books as long as their inspiration doesn't go unrewarded in one way or another.

ROUND FIVE: The Beatles vs. 10cc
Dear Prudence - It's not one of the band's hits (and it didn't even have Ringo on drums) but it was one of John Lennon's favourites. The song is instantly recognisable by the guitar melody, the swaying rhythm created by the bass and the psychedelic vibe aided by the gradual build up of the backing vocals...but enough about how great this song is, let's look at the bit that 10cc copied.
Feel The Benefit - I don't know if the band paid to use the identical fucking guitar melody in the intro but up until about a minute in, the song is just a flat rip off of "Dear Prudence", albeit with a slightly different guitar tone (but still similar enough to conjure memories of the Beatles track). The rest of this 11 minute song is a progressive Art Rock number until it comes back to the intro melody again towards the end, just like "Dear Prudence" does!
VERDICT - Yeah, The Beatles easily get this one. I like the 10cc song (the intro, at least) but prefer "Dear Prudence" overall.

ROUND SIX: Dio vs. Foo Fighters
Holy Diver - One of Dio's, hell, one of METAL's most iconic songs with a heavy riff and great vocal delivery. I wouldn't call it the best song on the album (the whole album is awesome, if you're wondering) but it has its moments, the intro riff being one of them.
Something From Nothing - I'd probably love this song if it didn't have that goofy clavinet section in the middle. As it stands, I think it's a decent Foo Fighters track...a decent track that borrows the same riff from "Holy Diver" but still a decent track. I'd probably rate the album fairly highly too if it didn't feel like the band jerking off in my ears.
VERDICT - I doubt Dave Grohl is blissfully unaware of "Holy Diver" or the song's main riff so Dio get the win for this one. I'm not saying he plagiarised it but a man with a gift for coming up with great Rock riffs like Mr Grohl should've spent a little longer fooling around with riffs before finalising this track. Funnily enough, this isn't the only Dio track I could've written about. "Battle Lines" - The Temperance Movement full on copies the intro to "The Last In Line" but I doubt the band even know who Dio is, let alone what one of his title tracks sounds like.

ROUND SEVEN: Black Sabbath vs. Alice Cooper
Paranoid - One of the three classic Black Sabbath tracks that every Rock fan should know. A pretty straightforward track with a simple riff and a solid solo (even if it does sound a little off on repeat listens). Since it was one of the earliest classic Metal tracks, it's pretty obvious that its influence and subsequent similarity to other tracks is a given by this point.
Dirty Diamonds - I'll admit this connection is a little forced but once the intro has finished, the guitar riffs in the verse sound like a mix between the "Paranoid" intro and verses. Other than those superficial connections, there's no real relation between either track...told you it was a little forced.
VERDICT - Clearly, Alice Cooper didn't steal or intend for this song to be a subtle wink towards Black Sabbath. It just sounds a little like it, that's all. As for which one is my favourite, it's tricky to say. "Paranoid" is a classic but since I've heard it so many times, I'd rather listen to "Dirty Diamonds" now. Both are great songs in their own right so both Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper get the win here.

ROUND EIGHT: The Who vs. One Direction
Baba O'Riley - Named after two of Pete Townshend's musical and philosophical mentors, this song has multiple iconic moments that are easily recognisable. The opening batshit keyboard solo, the three piano power chords, the introduction of Keith Moon's drums, the line "out here in the fields", the list goes on. It may sound like I'm just naming shit from the song but the fact of it is each of those components are all iconic moments in Rock, just like all the various moments of "Won't Get Fooled Again". My point is that anyone invested in Rock music should know at least the intro to this song.
Best Song Ever - Oh. Granted One Direction aren't proper Rock but the opening to their hit song "Generic Shite Written To Make A Fuckton Of Cash #8" is clearly designed to remind older listeners of "Baba O'Riley". I'm not entirely sure why, as "Baba O'Riley" isn't even The Who's best song ever and I doubt there's a single 1D fan who could tell you anything about The Who (most would probably reply "The Who?" to being told about them), but there it is.
VERDICT - The Who win, hands down. My theory is some shitbag executive had the genius idea of ripping off one of the biggest Rock bands in the world due to their ability to create an iconic hit that's stood the test of time and after they were found out, they claimed that it was an intentional homage even though it would be completely wasted on 100% of the band's demographic.

ROUND NINE: The Hollies vs. Rush
Look Through Any Window - I believe I've mentioned The Hollies before on this blog but if I haven't, they have a special place in my heart as one of the first Rock bands I got into as a child. This song opens with a guitar riff played with what sounds like a chorus or clean tone (not as harsh as overdrive or crisp as acoustic) and revisits said riff just before a key change later on. The rest of the song is good too but it's that opening riff/tone that I'm focused on.
Time Stand Still - It might not be the same string of notes or exactly the same tone but you have to admit, the intro to this song does sound pretty similar. The speed at which the notes are played are a little slower too but the sound of the same basic melody is there. As for the rest of the song? Yeah, it's completely different.
VERDICT - There's no way Rush wrote "Time Stand Still" as a homage or cheeky rip off. It's its own song that happens to share a similar riff at the start and that's that. Both songs are great tracks in their own genres so, once again, the win goes to both The Hollies and Rush. If I had to pick the genuinely better song, I think I'd go with Rush just for the lyrics. Musically, I'm happy with both though.

ROUND TEN: Saxon vs. Metallica
Heavy Metal Thunder - What's that? You thought I was going to talk about "Princess Of The Night" and "Seek & Destroy"? I was tempted, as I'm pretty sure it's been confirmed that Metallica basically stole the riff from that, but instead opted for a comparison many of you probably haven't made. This song isn't one of the band's biggest known tracks but it's got a great rhythm and a sweet riff before the solo/outro. It's those two factors that I believe heavily inspired this next song.
The Four Horsemen - Yes, I know this song was technically written by Dave Mustaine and a much faster version appears on Megadeth's debut as "The Mechanix". However, Metallica rearranged it and came out with a longer (and better) track that, according to James Hetfield, also contains a section inspired by the main riff from Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama". However, the song's rhythm and main intro riff that occasionally gets repeated throughout does have slight similarities to Saxon's track, potentially another case where a great song bleeds through subconsciously and affects the songwriting.
VERDICT - Saxon are awesome but if I had to pick a better song, I'd definitely go with Metallica here. Their riff and rhythm combo sound similar to "Heavy Metal Thunder" but I feel like they've done enough with the rest of the song to justify their clear inspiration.


Once again, let me know if you agree or disagree with my comparisons and/or verdicts via the comment section or Twitter. I'm not sure what my next post will be about (maybe another Rapid Fire one) but if I don't get one posted next week due to being away for a few days, I'll get two up the next week.


UPDATE: So about a week after posting this, I either discovered or remembered FOUR different pairs of similar songs that would've been much better than some of the tracks I included here.
Rather than write up another post and scrape the bottom of the barrel for six more homages/rip offs, I'm adding the four tracks here as a bonus. When I can bring that number up to ten, I'll move all the extra songs here into a third homages/rip offs post (along with any others that I haven't included). With that, here are some more similar sounding songs!

UPDATE UPDATE: Yeah, those songs aren't here anymore. I've taken the eight that I added here and pasted them into a new Showdown post, as well as adding two others. If you want to read them again, you'll find the new post here.

Shout Out: The Traveling Wilburys Collection

I've been meaning to listen to these guys again since they appeared on Spotify without any fanfare but after doing a bit of research, I thought it might be best if I did a Shout Out blog post discussing their only two albums, or rather their 2007 compilation album featuring all of their tracks (including a few bonus ones).

Disc One of this three disc collection covers the band's first album, The Traveling Wilburys Vol 1. Before I talk about it, I should explain why this Folk Rock band are worth giving a toss about. The Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup of five established solo artists that released two albums, one in 1988 and one in 1990. The band consisted of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and probably would've recorded more material if not for the fact that the group's unofficial leader (Harrison) died in 2001. Plus, with Roy Orbison already being dead, a third album wouldn't feel like it came from the same band that gave us this collection.

Anyway, their first album was less Folk oriented and featured easily accessible Rock penned by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne. You'd be forgiven for assuming this was more of a Jeff Lynne side project than a brand new collaboration, as several tracks contain the typical ELO sound without the elaborate orchestra/synth effects ("Heading For The Light"). However, there are tracks containing clear influences from the rest of the group too, such as one of the few Folk tunes "Congratulations" sung and presumably mostly written by Bob Dylan and "Margarita" containing synth elements you'd expect from 80's Tom Petty, when it's not borrowing ideas from "You Better You Bet" - The Who.

There are two tracks that stand out though. Album opener "Handle With Care" and album closer/signature song "End Of The Line" (ignoring the two bonus tracks on the 2007 collection), as both songs successfully blend each member of the band's talents into creating the closest thing we have to The Traveling Wilburys' iconic sound, particularly in "End Of The Line" where each band member has a go at lead vocals. Overall, this album doesn't have much in the way of iconic Rock songs in the same way that each band member has in their own discography but considering the first and last tracks are well known enough to extract an "OHHHHHHH it's THEM!" from anyone who listens to them, it's an impressive debut.

1. Handle With Care

2. Dirty World

3. Rattled

4. Last Night

5. Not Alone Any More

6. Congratulations

7. Heading For The Light

8. Margarita

9. Tweeter And The Monkey Man

10. End Of The Line

11. Maxine (bonus track)

12. Like A Ship (bonus track)

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

Next up is the band's second album, Traveling Wilburys Vol 3...yes, you read that right, they deliberately named their second album Traveling Wilburys Vol 3 just to fuck with people, which is kind of brilliant if you ask me. The album itself is also a worthy follow up, despite losing Roy Orbison to a serious case of death, and what it lacks in easily accessible Rock it makes up for in easily accessible Folk. There's a certain quality to the album that makes it sound like something you'd listen to outdoors in your garden as the summer sun sets; it's very upbeat and pleasant, something the first album arguably lacked in comparison.

What's also notable is how the album seems to have shifted from sounding like it came from Jeff Lynne's fingers to George Harrison's. Indian influences have crept in ("The Devil's Been Busy") and whilst these guys were never a guitar band, it feels like the instrument has essentially replaced Roy Orbison as the fifth member. Album opener "She's My Baby" brings in Gary Moore on lead guitar to help confuse listeners into thinking they're about to enjoy a Rock album and even Folk tracks like "New Blue Moon" feature clearer guitar melodies than you'd expect from songs of the same genre.

I would personally rate the second album slightly higher than the first for delivering a strong follow up to a decent debut. The fact that Roy Orbison's crooning isn't present is one of the album's strengths and it's a shame they couldn't get their affairs in order to record a third album before George Harrison died eleven years later. Fortunately, the band ended their short lived career on a high note and whilst there are supergroups who were more successful and more likely to earn a place in the annals of Rock, this band deserve recognition a hell of a lot more than outfits like Chickenfoot.

Also, as a sidenote, the 2007 reissue features an ace cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway" with an introduction that sounds as note-perfectly close to the original as quite possibly any other cover version I've ever heard. This doesn't affect my verdict of the album as a whole but I thought I'd bring it up, just in case any of you are after a great cover version to tuck into.

1. She's My Baby

2. Inside Out

3. If You Belonged To Me

4. The Devil's Been Busy

5. 7 Deadly Sins

6. Poor House

7. Where Were You Last Night?

8. Cool Dry House

9. New Blue Moon

10. You Took My Breath Away

11. Wilbury Twist

12. Nobody's Child (bonus track)

13. Runaway (bonus track)

ALBUM RATING - 8/10

In the same way I'd recommend Rainbow to any fans Mk II/III Deep Purple, I'd definitely recommend The Traveling Wilburys to any fans of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and, to an extent, Bob Dylan. The band manage to cobble together their own sound by blending the musical talents of each band member but none of their unique voices or skills get lost in the mix, providing a well-rounded musical experience.

Rapid Fire: Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Anthrax

What's this? A NEW style of blog post?!
Yeah, don't get your hopes up too much. This is more of a blend of old and new partly down to an arguably lazy desire to get more album related content up on the blog in less time. Whilst I'll still do Shout Out posts about older albums or new collections of old albums, I thought it would be good to have blog posts where I discuss several all in one place, dedicated a couple of paragraphs or so to each of them.
One of the other reasons for this is that I feel like talking about albums in short, 140 character bursts on Twitter isn't really a great way to archive my thoughts about these works of art. I might still tweet about them if I'm bored/want to share my thoughts in a way that I know people will read but if you want a more in-depth view of my reaction to these albums, this is the place to be!

Speaking of Twitter, the first three albums are ones I've mentioned listening to already! You might know my summarised verdict of the albums but as I said before, I'll go into them with more detail than a tweet stream but less than a fully fledged review. Also, I don't know how I'll choose albums for future Rapid Fire posts but I'll try to keep it to a mix of old and new albums that I don't have much to say about.
Alright, let's see if this works!

1. 1987 - Whitesnake

I can't say I'm a Whitesnake fan but since I liked their Deep Purple covers album and a few random tracks off other albums, I thought I'd give their iconic album a listen all the way through. Along with containing their three biggest tracks ("Here I Go Again", "Still Of The Night", "Is This Love"), it's also a pretty decent Hard Rock album which is saying something, considering it came out in the late 80's. It's a guitar driven album, even down to the power ballads, and whilst few of the technical solos stand out, there are plenty of epic riffs to get stuck into.
The lyrical songwriting mostly boils down to your typical feast of romantic platitudes and four out of eleven songs all start with the same chord slide on guitar, making this a little bit uninspired when compared to other iconic Rock albums of the decade. However, this album does one thing incredibly well; it rocks. It's an album you can stick on in the car or at home and just enjoy all the way through, making it great in my books.

1. Still Of The Night

2. Give Me All Your Love

3. Bad Boys

4. Is This Love

5. Here I Go Again

6. Straight For The Heart

7. Looking For Love

8. Children Of The Night

9. You're Gonna Break My Heart Again

10. Crying In The Rain

11. Don't Turn Away

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

2. Bark At The Moon - Ozzy Osbourne

I knew two songs off this album before listening to the whole thing; the title track and "Centre Of Eternity", both of which I love. I was curious to see if the rest of the album could live up to that level or, at the very least, give me another reason to call Randy Rhoads overrated. Turns out this isn't the best album to support my argument as it's pretty mediocre overall. A lot of slow tracks and some very generic Heavy Metal plague this album, aside from the tunes mentioned above and "Slow Down", a song that may well have inspired some of the filler tracks on Iron Maiden's Powerslave.

Ultimately, it's not an album I'd recommend to any fans of the Golden Age Of Metal (1982-1985) as the title track/album opener sets the bar way too high for an artist of Ozzy Osbourne's quality to ever meet. It's a decent follow up to the Randy years but I'd argue that Diary Of A Madman is a stronger album as a whole. Shame, as I rate Jake E. Lee highly but it sounds like he was dragged down by the Prince Of Darkness.

1. Bark At The Moon

2. You're No Different

3. Now You See It (Now You Don't)

4. Rock 'n' Roll Rebel

5. Centre Of Eternity

6. So Tired

7. Slow Down

8. Waiting For Darkness

ALBUM RATING - 5/10

3. For All Kings - Anthrax

I was tempted to review this album on the blog but since it took me so long to actually finish the whole thing, I opted against it. The reason I chose to listen to this having only listened to two of their other albums was all because of one track; "Breathing Lightning". I love that song, even if it doesn't sound like classic Anthrax and has a pointless instrumental outro, and I was hoping the rest of the album would follow a similar suit. Sadly, the first half is mostly just aggression and unimpressive Thrash and the shining songs in the second half don't even begin to make up for the last 40 minutes or so of noise.

There are a couple of tracks that sound like a good blend of modern and classic Anthrax, which is probably good news for fans of the band. However, fans of the genre might be split down the middle. It's decent Thrash but nothing special, certainly not Spreading The Disease or even Among The Living. This might be controversial but I'd rate the former a lot higher than the latter, even if both albums are great. For All Kings doesn't even come close to either of them, but I doubt anyone expected it to.

1. You Gotta Believe

2. Monster At The End

3. For All Kings

4. Breathing Lightning

5. Suzerain

6. Evil Twin

7. Blood Eagle Wings

8. Defend Avenge

9. All Of Them Thieves

10. This Battle Chose Us

11. Zero Tolerance

ALBUM RATING - 4/10

What albums or bands would you like me to discuss next? I'm not sure what I'll talk about next week (possibly a Shout Out post) but let me know if there's anything you'd prefer.

Taster Session #5

You know the drill! New Rock/Metal singles means it's time to look at some upcoming material from bands old and new...although mostly new.

"Breakin' Outta Hell" - Airbourne         (listen here)
From the album Breakin' Outta Hell (16/09/16)

Has it really been three years since the last Airbourne album? Feels like only a few months ago I was listening to Black Dog Barking and feeling disappointed. Anyway, this track reminds us that Airbourne have yet to go stale with another powerhouse of Hard Rock full of a heavy yet catchy chorus and badass riffing...then again, so did "Live It Up" from their last album. At least this one sounds more like great Airbourne and less like good AC/DC, if that makes sense. Another album I'll have to check out and (possibly) review when it comes out in two months!


"Fake My Own Death" - Sum 41         (listen here)
From the album 13 Voices (07/10/16)

Of all the 90's Pop Punk bands, Sum 41 are probably my second favourite right after The Offspring. However, whilst all those bands tend to soften their serrated Punk edges into more of a rough Alternative sound, Sum 41 seem to be one of the few who actually got heavier and for that, I commend them. Sum 41 always seemed the heaviest of the 90's Pop Punk bands to me and I would say they're the closest thing to Pop Metal if I hadn't heard of Babymetal. They may have been lumped in with the whiny voiced dinks like Green Day and blink-182 but these guys could actually play their instruments pretty damn well...at least, the band could.
Anyway, this track is short and sweet. Heavy riffs, solid vocals, high energy and a fun music video for the cherry on top. I especially liked how they used the old Guitar Hero controller and highway but that's a different matter. I should probably listen to more Sum 41 as I've heard a few of their lesser known tracks such as "88" and "Reign In Pain" and generally liked them. I tend to say this a lot on the Taster Session posts but if this track is anything to go by, I reckon I'll enjoy this new album too.


"Beautiful Thing" - The Stone Roses         (listen here)
From the album ???? (??/??/??)

I'm not a huge Stone Roses fan although both of their albums are on my list of things to listen to at some point. As for this song, it's pretty good. It's no "Driving South" or "Fool's Gold" but it's great mellow background music with a sort of trippy vibe to it. I've no idea if this is part of an upcoming album or if the band are just releasing singles now and then but if this is part of a larger collection of music, it sounds like it'll be a good collection! I can't speak with complete authority but it also sounds like a good tune if you're into The Stone Roses, especially if your tastes have matured a little since the 90's.


"Going All The Way Is Just The Start" - Meat Loaf         (listen here)
From the album Braver Than We Are (09/09/16)

Meat Loaf is one of those Marmite artists for me. The thing that probably annoys me most about Meat Loaf is his album covers and image scream Heavy Metal but his material doesn't even cover Hard Rock, he's either capable of great songs or shit ones with no middle ground and whilst the great ones ARE fucking great, the shit ones seem to dominate his albums/compilations. Sadly, this song falls into the shit category. It sounds like a typical Meat Loaf track that he just couldn't be fucked to follow through with and, as a result, lacks any energy or fun that his best tracks are known for.
I won't be listened to Braver Than We Are but I'm hesitant to be too critical of what will probably be his last album as I doubt he's long for this world, judging by his recent on-stage collapse and the way 2016 is going. If I was a betting man, I'd put all my Dead Pool money on either him or Neil Young biting the dust next, followed by yet another online slideshow of platitudes and fake quotes about how they were pioneers of their craft.


"Afraid Of Heights" - Billy Talent         (listen here)
From the album Afraid Of Heights (29/07/16)

I know a few Billy Talent songs and I quite like their Alternative/Punk take on Riff Based Rock. I'm not well versed in their discography but based entirely on this song, it sounds like their new album could be pretty good or resoundingly mediocre. It sounds like the kind of song that's included on one of those film soundtracks where none of the songs actually appear on the film; "Music Inspired By..." albums. I doubt I'll listen to this album, seeing as how the title track sounds a bit like filler material, but if you're a Billy Talent fan or just like modern Alternative, you might want to check it out.


Once again, if you have any recommendations or requests for me to write about, let me know on Twitter or the comment section. I have a few ideas (as always) but I'm always happy to give readers what they want.

Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie - Volbeat

If you've been reading my previous posts, you'll know that I'm not writing this review. Like the Bridge Burning - Bon Jovi review, Sarah Taylor (my girlfriend) will be writing this one as she's had more experience listening to Volbeat and I feel that this album is more suited to her music tastes than mine.
I like some Volbeat tracks ("The Hangman's Body Count" and...others) and there were a couple I enjoyed on this album but to me, they're not really a certain genre. They're too light to be Metal and too heavy to be Hard Rock; if anything, their music is Soft Metal but I doubt they'd embrace that classification with open arms.
Anyway, enough from me. Here's Sarah!

Hello readers!
I'm back again and still no better at reviews, but I'm going to give it a bash anyway.

So, Volbeat's latest album Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie didn't exactly leave me wanting to dance the night away. Upon listening to the album for the first time I found myself listening to a familiar sound, reminiscent of their last album. Whereas I absolutely loved every track on Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies this album left me feeling rather underwhelmed. None of the songs really caught my attention as tracks that would become a firm favourite, instead I found myself zoning out. I would best describe this album as "background music".

The first seven songs on the album flow really well in a sea of Volbeat's signature sound (albeit a rather unexciting one). It was only when the eight track on the album, "Mary Jane Kelly", started that I came out of my daze and my ears pricked up a little. The song itself sounds like it would have fit well on the previous album, in a good way. It's punchier than previous tracks on Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie, and seems to have more of a Rock N Roll vibe. I became more hopeful that the album was going to get better as it went on.

The next song on the album ("Goodbye Forever") followed the same theme as "Mary Jane Kelly". A decent, punchy Volbeat track. Yes I like the song, but in the same breath, it's easily forgettable. I definitely don't find myself humming it in the shower that's for sure.

Track 10, "Seal The Deal" starts off fast and loud and rather heavy compared to the previous nine songs. I liked it a lot, but feel that this far into the album, it's a rather strange addition. It felt more like an album opener than one you'd put near the end of a tame album. I thought that this track was going to be the heaviest on the album, oh how wrong was I. Fast forward to the 14th song on the (deluxe edition) album and you're in for a surprise. "Slaytan" starts with a riff I can only describe as thrash. Thrash! And you're in for yet another surprise. "Slaytan" is a measly 59 seconds long. Christ, I think a nervous virgin would last longer than that. Just when you think things are changing for the better, it ends. Abruptly. I have no idea what the reasoning is behind this track, and feel it would've been better for them to keep it, work on it and bring the track out on another album quadrupled in length.

There's a nice little cover slipped into the middle of the album too, "Battleship Chains" by Georgia Satellites. Now I'm not going to slate this at all. In fact it helped ease the disappointment of the album! The song sounds great covered by Volbeat and I'd actually go as far as to say that I prefer the cover to the original.

Overall, this album (for me anyway) was a massive letdown. After the release of their previous album, Volbeat got me excited. They had a sound I'd never come across before, they were original and fresh. This album though was like a wet weekend. I felt like the majority of songs on the album were ones that didn't quite make it to Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies and were just shoved on here for good measure. If I were to describe the album in a body movement, it would be a shrug. One giant shrug. I will revisit the album again, maybe I will learn to love it, who knows. Until I do though, I'm afraid it's going to get put away, probably to be forgotten about for a long time. Oh and it gets a 5/10.

The Getaway - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Apologies for the lack of a post last week but I was enjoying the lovely scenery in Whitby. There'll be two posts this week, one of which (hopefully) written by Sarah Taylor like the Burning Bridges review.
For now though, it's me and the boys from California!

I'm not really certain how to start this review so I might as well just come out and say it.
I loved this album.
I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did and still do but I really, really liked the majority of The Getaway. It sounded like a good Red Hot Chili Peppers album, although not a great one. If anything, it sounded like the band listened to their own greatest hits compilation (or chunks of Stadium Arcadium) to prepare for writing this one. Fortunately, the album opener/title track "The Getaway" is a perfect reflection of this with all the band's hallmarks from Anthony Kiedis' soft vocals to Flea's prominent bass. It sets up the rest of the album's tone and reminds fans who were disappointed with I'm With You that these guys were masters of their craft.
That's only the first of the tracks musically inspired by the band's back catalogue either. There's also the groovy Funk number "We Turn Red", the delicate guitar driven "The Longest Wave" and instantly catchy/personal album highlight "Goodbye Angels" that contains echoes of "Can't Stop" and "Snow [[Hey Oh]]". The first third of this album is exactly what I want from the Red Hot Chili Peppers; a healthy mix of softer songs with exceptionally crafted lyrics, held together with soulful melodies and the occasional burst of concentrated Rock.
The next third takes a little bit of a dip as the band sway more towards the Pop genre shortly before lurching back to the heavier region of Funk Rock. These aren't bad songs but compared to the earlier tracks, they're not exactly noteworthy entries in the band's career. However, it's interesting to hear songs where the band have clearly taken inspiration from a variety of modern influences, presumably thanks to new producer Danger Mouse. "Feasting On The Flowers" could almost be a Black Keys or song and "Go Robot" is easily single/music video material with its Disco rhythm and use of Gothic synth.

The final portion of the album also contains tracks clearly inspired by other bands but these appear to be straying into areas not immediately associative with RHCP. If anything, the last two tracks cross into Art Rock territory as "The Hunter" uses the piano rhythm and restrained drumming of a Supertramp or Moody Blues song, whereas "Dreams Of A Samurai" brings the album to a Psychedelic, semi-Progressive close (unintentionally borrowing heavily from "Decision/Indecision" - Atomic Rooster in the intro). Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It was a little weird but my kind of weird; the kind of experimental that works in small doses and doesn't loiter around the entire album.
Before I summarise with closing thoughts, I should mention that Josh Klinghoffer has stepped his game up having replaced John Frusciante as guitarist five years ago. His fretwork is more in tune with the band's sound now and I reckon you could play some tracks from this album to someone who wasn't aware of the band's members without them noticing any line-up change at all, the true mark of a great replacement in an established band such as this. As for the rest of the band, they're still going strong. Anthony's vocals are still pitch perfect, Flea's bass is still one of the band's defining features (even if it does get a little self indulgent now & then) and Chad's drumming is still flawlessly tailor made for each track.
To me, this album felt like a roller coaster in reverse. Instead of starting off slow, having an exciting middle and ending on a low note, it was more like an apathy sandwich with surprisingly tasty bread. However, unlike previous RHCP albums released long after their signature hit, I feel like The Getaway lacks the same number of amazing singles and B-sides as some of their previous efforts. By The Way produced at least three instantly recognisable hits that have become staples in the band's live setlist, not to mention a selection of awesome filler tracks such as "This Is The Place" and "Midnight" and that was released about 10 years after Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Meanwhile, I feel like maybe two tracks from this album could become fan favourites depending on how well the band play them live.

I rate this album 8/10 for being a thoroughly enjoyable listen more than once and proving that the band are capable of adapting without losing their touch. Much like Megadeth's Dystopia, this is the band coming back from the brink of a fairly unpopular last album with style and substance and I would definitely recommend this to fans of Alternative Rock both old and new. In fact, if you like some Red Hot Chili Peppers songs but aren't sure if you're a fan of them or not, give this album a listen start to finish and by the end, you'll know.

COMING SOON: Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie - Volbeat review.