Review: Michael Sweet "Michael Sweet"

Does anyone remember Stryper? These guys sold tons of records to kids in the 80s who craved glam rock, but who had parents that did not permit them to listen to Poison. Similar sound, similar look, but way different lyrics. Instead of "Talk Dirty To Me," they rocked to "Talk Jesus To Me." Instead of "Shout at the Devil," they'd opine, "To Hell With the Devil." But they laughed all the way to the collection box, even scoring a top 40 hit with the God-awful (no pun intended) power ballad, "Honestly".

In 1994, Michael Sweet put out this solo record, which stays true to the Stryper creed, both lyrically and musically. Sweet's voice is still theatrical and over the top, the guitar volumes could raise the dead, and an altar boy gang joins in to chant through most of the choruses.

For fans of Stryper and the Christian AOR genre, I think they will largely be pleased with this record. For me, the music sounds very dated for 1994...Sweet is clearly stuck in the 80s here. The horrific ballad "Tomorrow, Tonight" even has saxophone! You can't get any more 80s than sax. On most of the tunes, Sweet's vocals are just too dramatic...even more so than Dennis DeYoung. There are some tracks however, where he sounds more like Richard Marx (e.g. "Together" and "All I Wanna Do").

The record kicks off with "Together," which is the best track on the CD. "Together" is a testament to AOR perfection, with plenty of na-na's and A-B-C lyrics. "Take Me Home" continues in the big and bold arena rock mode, with so many hoot-hoot's that an owl might mistake this song for a mating call. "Someday" is a pleasant piano driven ballad, but ultimately forgettable. "J.E.S.U.S," which shows his obvious love for spelling bees, starts off like Hysteria-era Def Leppard...a "Pour Some Jesus On Me" if you will. "All I Wanna Do" is another song that, if you didn't know better, you'd swear was recorded circa 1987. With acoustic guitar driving "Forever Yours", this track sounds considerably less dated and shapes up to be a fine, albeit simple love song. "I Think You Hear Me Knockin'" brings out the na-na gang again, but actually has a decent hook and toe-tappin' beat. In contrast, his ode to abstinence, "Ain't No Safe Way" tries to rock out but just falls flat. Besides, if we were to apply this same narrow minded logic to listening to rock music, we'd have quite the conundrum: rock and roll is of the devil; hence, his Christian listeners should abstain from even listening to Michael Sweet.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 4, 9

Michael Sweet: Official site.

Check out the video for "All This And Heaven Too":

Review: Whitesnake "Good To Be Bad"

Thunderous, blistering, epic…just some of the words I would use to describe the surprise of the year – Whitesnake’s “Good To Be Bad,” their tenth studio album and first CD since 1989’s “Slip of the Tongue” (not counting the David Coverdale more or less solo outings).

Whitesnake is back with a vengeance, mercilessly strangling the life out of the competition. “Good To Be Bad” exceeded my expectations (admittedly, though, they were not that high to begin with as I was never the biggest fan of any band having ‘white’ or ‘snake’ in its name). In contrast to Def Leppard’s paltry 40 minute release, Whitesnake delivers lots more music for your dollar, and even includes a second CD of 7 live tracks and one video. Now with Reb Beach (Winger) contributing on guitars, Whitesnake has vastly modernized their sound, but remain unmistakably Whitesnake because of the distinctive howl of David Coverdale.

Coverdale and company sound better than ever, although his vocals do show some roughness around the edges in his lower register during the ballads – sung like he’s just eaten a bowl of gravel. But Lord the man can still wail in the finest Robert Plant tradition. And musically, Whitesnake still manage quite transparent odes to their Led Zeppelin idol (e.g. hear any “Black Dog” barking in “Lay Down Your Love”?), and even themselves (e.g. hear “Still of the Night” in that same song)? But Whitesnake also goes back to their more bluesy roots for several tracks on this new release, proving they can mix it up a bit (especially “A Fool in Love”, with outstanding results). The two catchiest songs are “Best Years“ and the title track. "Summer Rain" is a superb acoustic-driven power ballad, and is like an eye of the storm during this hurricane of a CD. “All I Want - All I Need” tries hard to be the next generation “Is This Love” – and comes damn close.

My only complaint is that many of the songs are overly long, taking us well into 6 minutes. No matter how good the hook, hearing it drag on for more than 5 minutes makes you want to hit fast forward and get on with it already. I’d rather have 2-3 more tracks than these opuses.

This release does not surpass the glory days of “Slide It In” or “Whitesnake (1987)”, but is a blazing hot, rocking CD that will receive plenty of spins in my house.

Man...new Def Leppard and Whitesnake releases back to back...I’m lovin’ life! All we need now is Guns ‘N’ Roses and I’ll feel like I am back at the beach during senior week for high school.

Whitesnake: Official site.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

Isn’t it a coincidence that so many new hairband releases would rear their heads during my hugely popular and award-winning investigation into “where have all the hairbands gone”? Here is a tally so far and whether or not the artist is still viable (in no particular order). Let's hear your opinions!

Scorpions – YES
Whitesnake – YES
Slaughter – NO
Mr. Big – SO-SO
Winger - NO
Kip – NO
Reb Beach – YES
Company of Wolves (Kyf Brewer) – YES
Def Leppard – SO-SO
Tyketto (Danny Vaughn) – YES
Extreme
Nuno - YES
Gary Cherone - NO

Review: Echo Screen "Euphoria"

Ahhhh…high-pitched whiney voices belting out pop songs with angst (don’t get me wrong – I like a lot of them!). There is no shortage of pop punk bands (ala Bowling for Soup, Fall Out Boy, or New Found Glory) vying for our ears and dollars these days, so to be competitive you really have to stand out. Echo Screen has been striving since 2003 to make their mark on the genre. Their latest offering surfaced in 2006, entitled “Euphoria.”

With only two songs in, I was beginning to believe Echo Screen could run with the best of them. Shaune Scutellaro sounds a lot like vocalists from Sugarcult and Flickerstick, and I hear a lot of All American Rejects and Denver Harbor coming through in their tunes. The CD sounds amazing…no surprise since it was produced by Shep Goodman (who’s worked with a wide range of artists, from From Autumn to Ashes to (argh!) Jordan Knight). Not too shabby to land a guy like Shep for your debut (full-length) CD! And it paid off – sonically, “Euphoria” stands toe to toe with the competition.

Echo Screen storm into your ears with two adrenaline filled tracks, “This Letter Bomb” and “Everything after Bradford”, that are rich with punk angst yet keep pop sensibilities in the foreground. “The Science of Stopping Time” is OK, saved by a memorable hook in the chorus. “Start Tomorrow” keeps things interesting with lots of cool breaks interspersed between an infectious melody – very difficult to pull off, but well done. Even when the group slows it down, like they do for “October,” they maintain an intensity in their music that truly makes you feel the band’s raw emotion. "October" is a highlight on the CD, perhaps one of the greatest songs Dashboard Confessional) never wrote.

But after this run of outstanding tunes, the momentum begins to slip and enthusiasm dampens. The rest of the disc feels a bit forced, with a lack of attention on constructing the all-important hook that is going to make the listener want to hit “replay” again and again. I applaud them for the consistent sound from start to finish, but the lackluster songwriting makes the last half of the CD fade into the background.

It is unclear to me what is currently going on with Echo Screen. The record company has collapsed and some personnel changes have taken place…but the band may be recording new stuff. According to Absolute Punk, “Echo Screen will be heading into the studio to record a few demos as well as a cover for an upcoming Tom Petty tribute album”. Tom Petty? Covering something off their 1999 "Echo" CD, perhaps? Anyway, check out Echo Screen's MySpace page below for up-to-date details.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

Echo Screen on MySpace.

Review: Tribe of Judah "Exit Elvis"

What in the name of all that is holy is going on here? This is horrible, dreadful, unlistenable. Hard rock, electronica, industrial, a little bit of soul, children singing, and lounge music just don't mix!

Gary Cherone is an enigma. He has one of the best voices in rock today, but I wish it would be used in better ways than this. He's had a very successful career with Extreme, producing 3 decent albums (the fourth one being an aptly-named joke called "Waiting for the Punchline"). After the demise of Extreme, Gary became the infamous Van Hagar singer that pooped out the atrocious CD, "Van Halen 3". Then in 2002, he puts out this mess of a CD, inviting us to join in his schizophrenic journey to Hell. Unfortunately it fails on so many levels I don't know where to begin. There is more crap on this CD than a cruise ship carrying the Norwalk virus.

"Exit Elvis" is utterly unmelodic - Gary avoids hooks like a fish on this record. Maybe that was his goal. He wanted to be experimental and that is a euphemism to describe this garbage. I couldn't find one track on this CD I'd like to listen to twice.

And the enigma goes on, his next release being an unpredictable EP of soulful light rock. Was he trying to recapture the "More Than Words" glory? I wish that he would try. It will be interesting to see what the reunited Extreme does later this year.

iPOD-worthy: uploading anything from Tribe of Judah will cause your mp3 player to give you the finger.

Gary Cherone on MySpace. Official site.

Extreme at MySpace.

Check out the video for "Thanks for Nothing":

Rare CD: Lorraine "Boy's Nite Out"

"I just picked this cd up in a trade, but the 1st thing that comes to mind when listening to this one, is "why are these guys not the biggest hair band ever?" LORRAINE - BOY'S NITE OUT!,1993, Lorraine Music Productions, 12 tracks.....not many cd's come along that truly are gems, most have a few good songs, but it is rare to find one, that is awesome from start to finish, this one is! Song after song rocks, unlike any indie that I have ever sold....standout tracks are: I'M READY, SUZI, LIVIN' ON THE LINE, TRY, DESIRE, BAD GIRL, RUNNER, GRIND, NEXT TO ME, BANGIN' ON THE BRICKS,SHINE THE LIGHT, MEMORY OF YOU, which is every song on the disc, simply put, this is a true masterpiece, (not all of the big time, big hyped indies can say that), for fans of SKID ROW, yes, that's right, these guys do compare to Skid Row, I know we have heard the skid row comparisons to alot of rare indies, but this one is the real deal...and I stand behind the comparison...these guys should have been the next skid row.... if you have wanted to buy this but are not sure if it is worth the cash, send me a message with your email address and I will email you some mp3 samples of this....cd and inserts are in excellent condition....this cd is a silver factory pressed original, only a hand full of these were made, so buy with confidence...this cd will take your collection to the next level...not many collectors can claim they own this...and this is MY ONLY COPY!..thanks for looking!"

4-27-08: Sold for $300 on ebay (best offer)

Rare CD: "KBCO STUDIO C VOLUME VOL 2"

"You are bidding on an EXTREMELY RARE & COLLECTIBLE KBCO Studio C Volume 2 CD. This CD is out of print and incredibly rare."

4-26-08: Sold for $305.00 on ebay (22 bids).

Guess how much Volume 1 sold for? (answer here)

Rare CD: Simon Says "Spin This"

"This is an original copy of the hyper rare and much sought after AOR/Hair Rock indie Spin This…from SIMON SAYS. What can I say about this glorious indie. Without much doubt of the best to come out of Canada. Polished and lush, a must have. Just take a listen to Let Me Know - Simon Says.wma and get ready to place a bid, or two or three. Fans of brilliant AOR like Wall Of Silence, Biloxi and Rude. Only 500 copies were ever pressed and this baby only appears once a year or so on Ebay, so make your bid count. Includes 7 tracks and is in excellent condition, some light tab ware on insert."

4-29-08: Sold for $328.00 on ebay (22 bids).

Rare CD: Motley Crue "Too Fast For Love" Leathur release

"VERY RARE AND STRICLY LIMITED PRESSING OF MOTLEY CRUE'S DEBUT CD 'TOO FAST FOR LOVE ' ON LEATHUR RECORDS.THIS IS AN ORIGINAL FACTORY PLANT PRESSED SILVER CD - CATALOGUE # M/C 1281-2. THIS CD WAS RELEASED PRIOR TO MOTLEY CRUE SIGNING TO ELEKTRA RECORDS, FRIDAY MAY 15TH 1982.

I HAVE THE INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH A VERY GOOD PIPELINE, THAT THIS CD WAS AN AUTHORISED RELEASE, INSTIGATED BY NIKKI SIXX, IN ORDER TO 'TEST' THE MARKET PLACE! OF COURSE THE MOST COMMON OBJECTION REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR CD, IS THE RESPONSE - "CDS WERE NOT AVAILABLE THEN" - ACTUALLY THE TRUTH WAS, YES THEY WERE!!!

UNFORTUNATELY THIS RELEASE IS NOT VERY WELL DOCUMENTED DUE TO THE VERY LIMITED NUMBERS RELEASED AND IN ADDITION THERE HAVE BEEN MANY BOOTLEG VERSIONS AS WELL. BELOW IN MY PICTURES 1-6 YOU WILL SEE THE ORIGINAL SILVER PLANT PRESSED CD WITH A CUSTOM SILK SCREENED LABEL AND THICK STOCK INLAY CARD.I HAVE ALSO INCLUDED FOR YOUR REFERENCE VISUALS OF BOTH THE BOOTLEG VERSIONS WHICH ARE JUST FOR DEMONSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR SALE, OR INCLUDED WITHIN THE AUCTION! VISUALS 7 - 11 COVER BOTH THE UNAUTHORISED VERSIONS, ONE HAS A WHITE LABEL ON A GOLD CD AND COMES COMPLETE WITH A STICKER ON THE REAR OF THE JEWEL CASE - 'NOT FOR SALE OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA. SOUND QUALITY TO BE FAIR IS GOOD.THE OTHER VERSION DESPITE BEING A PLANT PRESSED SILVER CD IS POOR IN SOUND QUALITY AND THE ACCOMPANYING ARTWORK IS POOR ALSO. THE LAST VISUAL # 12 COMPARES ALL 3 COVERS.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION THE FIRST CD WAS PROCURED BY PHILIPS / TOSHIBA, WEST GERMANY IN 1979 AND THE FIRST OFFICIAL MUSIC LAUNCH ON THIS NEW MEDIUM WAS THE BEE GEES, 1981 & THE BIGGEST MASS PRODUCED MUSIC CD WAS ACTUALLY IN 1982 BY THE GROUP ABBA.

CD & INSERTS ARE IN NEAR MINT CONDITION AND THE SOUND QUALITY IS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF THE LEATHUR RECORDS VERSION.

FOR THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW ME I AM A HUGE MOTLEY CRUE COLLECTOR AND HAVE FOLLOWED THE GROUP SINCE 1982. I HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE LEATHUR RELEASE ON CD FOR MANY YEARS HOWEVER THEY ARE LIKE GOLD DUST AND VERY RARELY SURFACE. FANS AND COLLECTORS OFTEN HAIL THE WHITE LETTERED RECORD VERSION OF TFFL OR THE STICK TO YOUR GUNS 7 INCH SINGLE AS BEING THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN - BELIEVE ME THIS SURPASSES BOTH."

4-23-08: Sold for $361.00 on ebay (6 bids)

Rare CD: "KBCO STUDIO C VOLUME VOL 1"

We've mentioned these compilations from KBCO before (see here). Here is another!

"You are bidding on an EXTREMELY RARE & COLLECTIBLE KBCO Studio C Volume 1 CD. This is the one that started it all! The CD is out of print and incredibly rare." See image above for track listing of the rare, acoustic live performances.

4-26-08: Sold for $796.99 on ebay (!!!!!) (12 bids) - that breaks down to about $57 per track.

Rare CD: REO Speedwagon "Lost In A Dream"

This is classic early REO Speedwagon...1974 release has been out of print since it surfaced on CD in 1992 on Epic Records. At the time, they had vocalist Mike Murphy, not the more familiar Kevin Cronin.

Track listing
1. Give Me A Ride (Roller Coaster)
2. Throw The Chains Away
3. Sky Blues
4. You Can Fly
5. Lost In A Dream
6. Down By The Dam
7. Do Your Best
8. Wild As The Western Wind
9. They're On The Road
10. I'm Feeling Good

Currently selling used on Amazon.com for $33.00. Check now.

5-1-08: Sold for $31.03 on ebay (6 bids).

Review: Def Leppard "Songs from the Sparkle Lounge"

Very timely that Def Leppard should put out a new record during my ongoing investigation of "whatever happened to [insert name of hairband here]."

The new CD draws its title from the fact that these tunes were largely written in an area backstage that the band has termed "the Sparkle Lounge." The band got many long time fans (myself included) very excited because they claimed that the new tracks have been written in the style of the hard rock masterpiece "Hysteria," with the production style of "High 'n' Dry." That means a) the songs should be instantly likable with massive hooks and b) the sound will suffer less processing and be truer to rock and roll. In my mind, only a handful of tracks on this release live up to that claim.

At the risk of angering the legions of Def Leppard fans embracing the band's self-proclaimed "return to form," I have to be honest to my readers and tell them that most of the tracks are mediocre. Plus, this is one of the shortest Def Leppard CDs ever, clocking in under 40 minutes! Only 40 minutes of new music, and about 20 minutes is filler. Not a lot of bang for your buck, folks.

I have to applaud the band for not going down the sappy ballad road once again...I think they've gotten the message that fans have had enough of that. The CD ROCKS and is a blast of fresh air. They've updated their sound in some instances to be modern (such as the lead off track, "Go") but other tracks sound like classic 70s rock(e.g. "C'mon C'mon"). Sonically, the CD is quite good - they've managed to pull a Scorpions here...they've updated their sound but retained plenty of distinctive Def Leppard elements. But it is more the Def Leppard of post-Slang rather than pre-Adrenalize.

The CD definitely has its moments. "Nine Lives," which guest stars Tim McGraw (!) is very good and catchy. But it isn't until track 5 that the peppy hooks come back; ironically, this track ("Tomorrow") is about the death of Collen's father. "Hallucinate" is about as close to classic Def Leppard as we get, and "Only the Good Die Young" (not a Billy Joel cover) is a really cool track, mixing tempos and moods - also a hint of Beatles in that one. I am enjoying the consistent pace of this CD, but wish the songs were as consistently strong too. It is a big step in the right direction and I hope they continue on this path.

On a side note, my CD came with a plastic card that I thought might take me to free tracks I could download...but it acutally contains punch out guitar picks...pretty cool!

iPOD-worthy: 2, 5, 7, 8, 10

Def Leppard on MySpace. Official site.

Check out the video for "Nine Lives":

Review: The Galaxies "Here We Go!"

3-2-1...blast off! The soundtrack to this rocket ride is filled with power pop influences dating all the way back to the 60s. The Galaxies are a modern AOR fan's dream come true.

"Here We Go!" (2008) is 9 track love letter, which I gather was largely written for a new bride. Let's hope the honeymoon doesn't end soon and continues to inspire more great tunes like these.

The Galaxies have masterfully captured the tone and style of 80s pop rock, with guitars that ring out like those of .38 Special or The Outfield. The Galaxies sound like they were just handed the AOR baton from REO Speedwagon...if I didn't know better, I would have thought the vocalist (Bobby Cox) was one of Kevin Cronin's spawn.

The Galaxies launch us straight into the sun with the lead off track, "Here We Go Again," propelled by guitars that sound like they belong on a Cheap Trick record. "You Promised," a wedding song for the new millennium, sounds like something the guys from Abba might write for the Tories to perform. "Lost and Lonely" takes us back to the bright and poppy sounds of the 70s, and the mellow closing track, "An Ocean Between Us," is reminiscent of something Kenny Loggins would have written on a Sunday morning. You get the idea...all the masters of power pop from the 60s to today are at the center of The Galaxies.

Get over to CD Baby and take the "Galaxies - REO" challenge. Put on a blindfold, listen to "Baby I Believe" (track 3) and tell me you don't hear Kevin Cronin! Seriously, The Galaxies have altered the space-time continuum and fused the best of power pop roots with modern rock...highly recommended.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9

The Galaxies on MySpace. Official site.

Review: The Greenberry Woods "Rapple Dapple"

Power pop was alive and well during in the 90s...just buried under grunge. But as it usually does, melody and harmony emerges victoriously from the ashes to reign once again, as evidenced by the post-grunge success of the Gin Blossoms, Sister Hazel, Everclear, and Dishwalla.

But 1994 was not the year for power pop. Perhaps this helps explain why many people have not hiked through Greenberry Woods. These Baltimore boys put out some of the most delightfully catchy and feel-good tracks of the decade. They were the true alternative to "alternative".

Fans from Badfinger to Teenage Fanclub to Cherry Twister will find pleasure in becoming a fan of The Greenberry Woods. Just try to listen to the tracks on this CD and not get hooked with a smile! "Sentimental Role" should have been their huge hit - la la la la.

It is a shame they only released one other CD (1995's "Big Money Item") and their internal tensions drove the band to "Splitsville" before the Greenberry Woods' brand of power pop was rapidly becoming all the rave again.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 3, 4, 8, 11, 13

Check out the video for "Trampoline":

Review: Donnie Vie "Extra Strength"

In 1991, a virtual masterpiece of pop rock perfection was born, delivered by the "Rodney Dangerfields" of the genre (they got no respect), Enuff Z'Nuff. "Strength" was pure pop perfection, underscoring how closely Donnie Vie and Chip Z'Nuff truly mirrored their songwriting heroes, Lennon and McCartney. One is hard pressed to find a track on "Strength" that doesn't have you humming along in no time. The album actually received excellent press and reviews for the most part, but did not light the charts on fire. A great history of Enuff Z'Nuff has recently been written up and you can read more about it here.

But let's get back to the present day. Donnie Vie has been releasing solo work since 2002, with his debut being a fantastic extension of the pop genius that excites Enuff Z'Nuff's fan base. His latest effort is a most unusual and intriguing experiment: he has re-recorded stripped down versions of one of the best Enuff Z'Nuff records in their extensive discography. These "re-interpretations" have been captured on this 2007 CD simply entitled, "Extra Strength."

For the most part, I found it difficult to get into most of these songs because the original tunes are so deeply etched into my memory. I just can't get the bias out of my head! Some of the new renditions work better than others, simply because some of the songs lend themselves to an unplugged version than others. "Heaven or Hell" works great the way he's revised it, and so does the beautiful piano-driven ballad "Goodbye." But "Mother's Eyes," one of my favorite Enuff Z'Nuff songs, doesn't work at all. And I would have anticipated that one to be especially great in this format. Additionally, "Baby Loves You" would have made for a great bluesy shuffle, but it is "re-interpreted" with just electric guitar and a vocal...it sticks out like a bad sore thumb. And some songs sound too similar to the original (for example, "Time To Let You Go").

Some non-Strength tracks are also on the record. A nice cover of "In My Life" is here, but mimics the original too closely and doesn't sound very well produced (is it me or does the volume drop dramatically when this track comes on?). Also, a great harmonica-laced rendition of "It's No Good" is here...a song from their 1997 effort "Seven".

So my conclusions from this unique experiment are mixed. About half the songs simply don't work for me and I would choose the original over it any day. But the others that do work REALLY work and are a wonderful and refreshing complement to the original tracks.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12

Enuff Z'Nuff official site.

Review: Big Country "The Buffalo Skinners"

I rescued this CD from the bargain bin at a local store, thinking it might be a rare find. I recognized the name of the band as the one who did the hit song by the same name.

The CD turned out not to be rare or of monetary value, but - whoa! It is INCREDIBLE. "The Buffalo Skinners" was released in 1993, and I was expecting to hear more songs that had that Duran Duran sound, much like their one big hit. But I got an education...Big Country is no Duran Duran on this record, but a monster power house of rock with intelligent lyrics, sizzling guitar, driving melodies, and huge hooks. It just goes to prove...even when you think you know it all about music, there is always someone out there who'll surprise you.

The first 5 tracks just bite right into your neck and shake you around like a rag doll. They bounce back with "We're Not in Kansas" and "Ships" and then the rest of the disc, while still great, doesn't quite have the holding power of the first two thirds. Amazing stuff, and the lead singer Stuart Anderson is brilliant. There is such an urgent passion in his art and I am bewildered this CD has not a huge hit. Big Country reminds me of another Scottish band called Gun, but they are even more melodic and powerful at times. They seamless fuse a hint of traditional sounding Scottish music and sounds in their tunes to great effect (check out "All Go Together"). And as Mike Myers has taught us, if it's not Scottish...

These are epic songs, many of which clock in somewhere between 5-7 minutes, but they are so good you don't even notice how much time has passed. It is very hard to pick a favorite, but I think I'd go for "The One I Love" (not a cover of R.E.M. ). It is probably one of the most insightful songs about aging relationships ever written.

Doing some research on the band, I was heartbroken to read that Stuart Anderson committed suicide in 2001. A true talent has been lost, no thanks to a business that seems engineered to disallow talent like this to shine. The silver lining is that Big Country has an extensive discography with which I look forward to becoming very familiar.

Big Country at MySpace. Official site.

iPOD-worthy: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12

Check out the video for "Ships"
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Review: Mr. Big "Get Over It"

Continuing with our exploration into "whatever happened to (enter name of hairband here)"...we have here Mr. Big version 2.0. Richie Kotzen jumps on board for this one, replacing Paul Gilbert (Racer X). Richie played guitar for Poison on their release "Native Tongue," but was quickly ousted after fooling around with the drummer's girl...but that is another story.

"Get Over It" appeared in 2000 has all the distinctive sounds of Mr. Big - Eric Martin's signature rasp, Billy Sheehan's thumping bass lines, and some sizzling guitar riffs. Mr. Big always leaned much more to the AOR side than the metal side of the hairband spectrum, and this release does not change that proclivity.

The CD starts out kind of disappointing...hookless and rather forgettable, even with Kotzen's stunning guitar work and backing vocal contributions. I was about to write this one off, and then track 4 comes on, "Superfantastic." It's an acoustic-driven ballad reminiscent of their huge # 1 hit from 1991, "To Be With You," and just hits all the right AOR buttons. The disc then goes on a winning streak with about 5 consecutive tracks of pop rock goodness, with further highlights including the mid-tempo rocker "A Rose Alone" (some cool slide guitar in that one) and the funk rocker "How Does It Feel". After a couple dud tunes, another pleasant acoustic-driven track, "My New Religion," ends the record on a high note.

All in all, this is a solid release by Mr. Big that should not be overlooked by fans of AOR. I guess I now have to check out "Actual Size," the follow up (and final) 2001 release by this Mr. Big line-up.

iPOD-worthy: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11

Mr. Big - Official site.

Check out a live performance of the single "Superfantastic":

Rare CD: Red Hot Chili Peppers "Holy Grail of 2006 -Live"

"Very Rare CD: Red Hot Chili Peppers The Holy Grail of 2006. It includes the following:

Intro
Can’t Stop
Charlie
Scar Tissue
Bass Solo / Intro
Around the World
Bicycle Song
Dani California
Don’t Forget Me
Tell Me Baby
Torture Me
I Could Have Lied
Right on Time Jam
Right on Time
Give it Away
Live at Den Gra Sal Copenhagen, Denmark, April 23, 2006

Bonus Tracks:

21st Century
Soul to Squeeze
Give it Away
Live in Fliegende Bauten, Hamburg, Germany, April 24, 2006"

4-9-08: Sold for $178.50 on ebay (15 bids).

Rare CD: Sublime "Memories"

"Sublime 'Memories' 2CD Set, Live in Everertt, WA
Excellent condition inside and out
Limited Edition # 122 out of only 1,000"

4-19-08: Sold for $197.50 on ebay (13 bids).

Rare CD: Los Lonely Boys [1997]

"This is a RARE 1997 CD by The Los Lonely Boys (self-titled), Sofaking 062797-002. THIS WAS THEIR FIRST CD Songs include: Diamonds, All Tied Up, My Little Angel, I Don't Know, Crazy Baby, Once Again, Losing You, Someday You'll Realize, I'll Make It Right, Are You Ready. Package and CD are Mint- with no signs of any play. This CD doesn't show up very often, don't let it get away!"

4-16-08. Sold for $207.55 on ebay (13 bids).

Rare CD: Bret Michaels "Freedom of Sound"

Does anyone out there have the scoop on this release? Evidently new solo effort or collection by Bret Michaels (Poison). I don't understand why someone would pay so much when you can download it here for just $7.99.

CD sold for $222.50 on ebay (33 bids).