Twisted Sister – Under The Blade

 

I’m sure you’ve heard of Twisted Sister but do you know about Twisted FUCKIN Sister? Twisted Sister is the band you saw on MTV and heard on the radio starting in 1984 but loooong before that Twisted Fuckin Sister were blasting fast n loud in the bars and clubs of the tri-state NYC area. In the late 70’s/early 80’s heyday they were one of the heaviest bands out there. They battled against demon disco forces and helped make heavy metal a huge phenomenon on the east coast. They played 4 or 5 nights a week in any dump that could contain them and their ever growing fan base of rowdy sick motherfuckin friends (S.M.F.’s).

I’d heard the name and legend from older burnouts in high school but was first indecently exposed to them when they appeared on the short lived Flo & Eddie TV show. I was already a huge Alice Cooper fan and when I saw Twisted Sister on TV I knew these freaks would be right up my alley. They were introduced and then exploded into the song “Under The Blade.”  It made my little 9th grade mind explode and I went berserk in front of the TV. Luckily it was late at night and no one could see me headbanging and jumping off the couch in my pj’s. Not long after that I tracked down this album, the band’s 1982 full length debut album Under The Blade. Twisted Sister had been releasing singles on their own labels for years but was unable to get a record deal. Finally, a punk label from England called Secret Records (home of The Exploited) took a chance on them. Long out of print, Under The Blade is back and better than ever. 

Under The Blade has always suffered from a thin, low budget sound but the songs are so full of aggression and belligerence it’s never been a problem. The album was produced by Pete Way of UFO but who knows how sober he was during the recording. Twisted Sister had been playing these songs live for years so he probably stayed out of the way and made sure they were fired up enough to deliver good takes. “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)” was their set opener at the time and issues a challenge to rock out or get the fuck out. When I finally got to see Twisted Sister for the first time at Lamour in Brooklyn Dee got right in my face and screamed the line “HOW DO YOU LIKE IT SO FAR?” I like it just fine and still do!

Catchy tunes like the AC/DC influenced “Bad Boys (Of Rock N Roll)” and “Shoot ‘Em Down” point towards the commercial direction that would eventually make them huge stars a few years later. Great songs, but hardcore S.M.F.’s like me always went ballistic for the Judas Priest inspired “Sin After Sin” and the always intense title track. “Destroyer” is probably the heaviest song they ever wrote. Slow and powerful with creepy heavy breathing during the intro, it’s obviously Black Sabbath influenced but sounds more like the Cro-Mags. This was always a major crowd pleaser with a sea of fists pumping the air. “Run For Your Life” starts out slow and heavy before shifting into major high gear. But my favorite Twisted Sister song has always been “Tear It Loose.” It’s a major headbanging boogier. Just imagine if Motorhead was drinking some of Jim Dandy’s moonshine while imbibing some pure crystal meth. You don’t even really have to imagine it since Fast Eddie Clarke plays dueling leads with Jay Jay French on it. “The Day Of The Rocker” is the last song and thuds along like AC/DC or Rose Tattoo at their blusiest.

Even better than having the album back in print is the bonus DVD of Twisted Sister’s notorious set at the Reading Festival in the summer of 1982. I had seen the photos in Kerrang magazine and heard that they blew away the crowd. The footage is everything I had hoped for and more. They come out blazing and basically destroy the audience with full on MC5/Ted Nugent energy and attitude. English festivals are notorious for the crowd throwing shit at bands. Within seconds rolls of toilet paper and eggs are flying up on to the stage. The band never flinches and Dee even challenges the entire crowd to fight after the show. They blaze through 7 songs from Under The Blade with supreme gusto and confidence. To jack up the energy level even more they end the set with their raucous cover of “It’s Only Rock N Roll.” During the breakdown who strolls out on to the stage but Pete Way, Fast Eddie Clarke and Lemmy. Not only do you have a triple axe attack but three bass players, too. Fast Eddie had quit Motorhead not too long before this show and this was the first time Lemmy and Eddie appeared in public together. Not a bad show, eh? The rest of the DVD contains interviews with the band about the Reading Festival and the making of Under The Blade. Great stuff, but the live footage is nothing short of totally mint deluxe.

Fans of Twisted Sister and Twisted FUCKIN Sister are ordered to pick this muther up at once. You won’t be sorry. Other good news for S.M.F.’s is that Rhino is FINALLY releasing an album from the landmark shows recorded at London’s Marquee club in March, 1983. Some of the recordings turned up as B-sides but never a complete show. Until that comes out, keep blasting this one and your worn out tapes of the killer 1982 WBAB radio broadcast from Hammerheads on Long Island. If you need a copy, lemmy know. I’d be glad to hook you up.

--Woody

Buy here: Under the Blade

Ripple Theater - Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch DVD

Ever since people stopped buying rock records in decent quantities, there’s been an increase in quality documentaries on classic artists like The Ramones and Rush as well as rescuing a band like Anvil from obscurity. Given the subject matter, it seemed like Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch would be the ultimate portrait of rocks favorite ugly son but unfortunately this one falls pretty short of expectation. While definitely worth watching, the overwhelming feeling I’m left with is “what happened? How did they not get the job done?”

Granted, I’m a bigger Motorhead fan than most Motorhead fans. Motorhead’s music changed my life the first time I shoplifted Iron Fist from Caldors back in 1982, and when I saw them for the first time in 1983 my ears rang for 8 days afterwards. To this day, all live performances are measured against that high energy volume overkilldose. It’s obvious the filmmakers are fans but not stone deaf forever Motorheadbangers. They have stated many times that the movie is about Lemmy and not a history of Motorhead but we all know that those two things are one and the same.

Some of the better parts of the film are about Lemmy’s days before Motorhead, including a great segment about the Rockin’ Vicars, the band he played guitar for in the mid-1960’s. They managed to track down some of his band mates and even legendary producer Shel Talmy (The Who, The Kinks) who make it clear that Lemmy was pretty much the same guy back then that he is now. The section on Hawkwind is also good. Lemmy repeats his often told tale of how he got fired from the legendary space rock band, but you also get to hear Dave Brock and Nik Turner’s side of the story, too. Even the Amazonian dancer Stacia gets some screen time. Unfortunately, there isn’t that much discussion of Hawkwind’s groundbreaking music. No one mentions that everyone should own a copy of Space Ritual and there’s no information about the classic albums Lemmy made with them.

The formation of Motorhead takes up about 120 seconds of screen time. Guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke is on and off the screen way too quickly. Philthy Animal Taylor apparently did not want to be interviewed for the movie and he’s barely mentioned. Again, there’s hardly a word on the incredible run of albums that line up made. Wurzel, Pete Gill and Brian Robertson are written out of the script. Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell wind up looking like mere sidemen of a band that they’re equal partners in.

Way too much screen time is spent on pointless interviews with Billy Bob Thorton, Jarvis Cocker and the bass player from New Order. Who fucking cares what these clowns have to say about Lemmy? The usual VH1 talking heads like Scott Ian, Dee Snider, Dave Navarro and Henry Rollins have some good stories and there are interviews with all the members of Metallica except, surprisingly, Lars Ulrich. Dee has one of the funniest lines in the movie where he talks about not having seen Lemmy for a long time and goes backstage and it’s all the same roadies that he knew from ten years before. Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible of The Damned share some great tales from the insanity they participated in with Lemmy in the late 70’s. 

One thing that the filmmakers get right is showing just how dedicated Lemmy is to his music. This is someone that has literally sacrificed everything for rock n roll. He’s had some moderate success but lives in a rent controlled 2 bedroom apartment with his enormous World War II collection when he’s not on tour or at the Rainbow Bar & Grill in LA. He has one son that he has a good relationship with and another one he’s never met. When he’s not playing music, he’s reading or gambling but always drinking.

Luckily the DVD helps correct some of the problems with the feature film. It’s worth picking up just for the full interview with Fast Eddie Clarke. It’s up to him to tell the real story of how the band started and he’s the only one to mention original guitarist Larry Wallis by name. Eddie also gives insight into how Motorhead got their signature sound – speedy music played by guys on speed. He claims that speed is a great drug to take when you’re playing music since you don’t have to leave the stage every 20 minutes to re-up. His story on how they wrote their signature song “Overkill” is hilarious and inspiring.

Other cool extras include extended interviews with Lemmy and individual features on Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee. The movie could have used more of this and less ass kissing testimonials. Any movie about Lemmy is worth watching, and this one definitely is, but it should have been so much better.


--Woody


Buy here DVD: Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch 
Buy here Blu-ray: Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch [Blu-ray] 



 

Stone Axe Storm the Shores of Europe and UK with New Tour and Deluxe CD/DVD Package

Classic rock preservationists Stone Axe have officially announced that they’re hitting the road through the UK, parts of Europe, and wrapping up the tour with a night at the illustrious Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Holland! Starting on April 8^th in Oxford, England and running through April 16^th, this will mark the third time that the band has ventured to foreign soil with the aim of converting new ears to their sonic-brand of classic rock, but this time they’ll be doing it in support of their first CD/DVD package.

Scheduled for release on April 5^th and in time for the tour, Stone Axe has put together a Deluxe Edition of their self-titled debut album. The CD portion of the package features eight bonus live tracks, while the DVD portion features more than 70 minutes of videos, interviews, and live footage! Released through Ripple Music, Stone Axe – Expanded Edition CD/DVD will be available for pre-order beginning February 18^st, 2011 on the label's web site. www.ripple-music.com

Tour Dates:

8th April -The Wheatsheaf, Oxford (with Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Desert Storm)
9th April- The Unicorn, Camden, London, UK (with Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Grifter)
10th April- The Earl, Sheffield, UK (with Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Groan)
11th April- The Captains Rest, Glasgow (with Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Low Sonic Drift)
12th April- Asylum 2, Birmingham (with Stubb, Trippy Wicked, Alunah)
14th April- The Vortex, Siegen, Germany (with Stubb)

15th April- MTC, Cologne, Germany (with Stubb+more)
16th April- Roadburn Festival, Tilburg, Holland

Stone Axe has also contributed a song to the Heavy Ripples double vinyl 7” compilation that will also feature three other acts that have put their own unique spin on the sounds from a by-gone 70’s era, showing that rock n’ roll hasn’t died, but simply has gotten better! The compilation record will include tracks from the UK blues-based bike rockers Grifter, Brooklyn-based stoner-fied punks Mighty High, and New England’s southern-rock-tinged Sun Gods In Exile (on loan from incomparable Small Stone Records). The record will be officially released on April 19^th to a world-wide audience!

www.stoneaxeband.com

www.ripple-music.com

Alice Cooper - Theater of Death Tour 2009 CD/DVD

Now, please allow me to manage your expectations. I am a huge fan of Alice Cooper…there I said it. I’m not one of these fly by night types who got into Poison when it came out in the 80’s nor am I one of the sniffy purists who only claim allegiance to the original band between 1970 and 1974 (though obviously this has to be the best era…any fool knows that!!!). No, I am a fan, I won’t turn my nose up at the challenging first two albums when he was in bed with Frank Zappa. I can forgive him Lace and Whiskey because of the good songs and even his early 80’s era, which he forgot before it had even ended, has its moments of quality. So with all this in mind any hope of this being an impartial and objective review are pretty much zero. This was always going to be a good review but whether it would be a great review…well, that would remain to be seen….

When I heard that Alice would be playing a show local to me on his 2009 “Theatre of Death” tour I almost literally busted a nut to get tickets. Impoverished, I begged and borrowed to be able to get two tickets for myself and my wife (one of the fly by night Poison-era fans!!!). On the night Alice delivered backed up by an incredible band…obviously not the classic Buxton, Bruce, Dunaway and Smith line-up, but a stripped down 2 guitar line-up that played the catalogue with skill, fire, passion and due reverence. It’s one thing though standing amongst 2000 other fans watching the spectacle unfold in front of you and it’s quite something else listening to it on a CD in the comfort of your room or watching it compressed to a TV screen on DVD. But this is a good review right? So you already know that I dig the living shit out of this release!!!

Given the benefit of a crystal clear, low end powered, punch in the nuts sound Alice’s live albums have never sounded so good. Chuck Garric’s bass tones threaten to pull your guts out of your ass (maybe a future stage prop?), while the duelling guitars of Keri Kelli and Damon Johnson are the closest Alice has come in years to nailing the Michael Bruce/Glenn Buxton partnership of the original band or even the mid 70’s pairing of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter. Both players play as if they were born to be in Alice’s band. Former Y&T and Megadeth man Jimmy Degrasso is obviously reveling in his role playing out the hits and the more obscure tunes with millisecond perfect precision. And what of Alice? What of the main man himself? In his 60’s and 40 plus years into his career we could forgive him for sounding a little jaded right? We could forgive him if his voice wasn’t what it used to be, if he strained to hit the higher notes after rasping his vocals chords for more years than most of us have been eating solid food…not to mention blasting them for many years with alcohol? No fucking way!!! Alice is a pro and delivers with the guts and determination of a man a third his age and far from being shot his voice is as strong as ever. In fact the guy must have vocal chords like leather as his voice is tougher, stronger and meaner now than ever before.

What of the material I hear you ask? Is this an attempt to sell the latest album of the time (2008’s magnificent Along Came A Spider) or is this a cash in greatest hits package? Neither, this is Alice delivering the best show he can from a catalogue that that most of his contemporaries would even shudder to compete with. The choice of material stretches as far back as Love It To Death with all the classics you would expect, only Muscle of Love from this era is ignored but as the track list flies buy you’d be hard pushed to notice. Welcome To My Nightmare is featured heavily with no less than seven songs (perhaps setting the tone for his next project, a sequel to that classic album). Even Goes To Hell and From The Inside are represented with classics like the former’s title track and “Nurse Rozetta” from the latter. Most of the 80’s are sensibly ignored though Poison does get the back combed, scantily clad metal chicks frothing at the mouth. Even Alice’s more recent output is given some welcome airing with “Wicked Young Man” from Brutal Planet and the title track from the Dirty Diamonds album. Whatever era is represented here, none of it sounds out of place which is remarkable considering the number of musical u-turns Alice has taken in his career. The band holds it all together with faithful arrangements that give the set a sense of continuity and cohesion.

The added bonus here is that, not only do you get to hear Alice do what he does best in a live environment, flip the DVD on and you can watch it all in glorious, glorious technicolour as it all went down on that fateful night in old London Town. Capturing the live Alice Cooper experience on film is never going to be easy but the direction is sharp yet retains that in-the-audience vibe that some live footage can miss. To see Alice putting everything into his performance at an age when most people are contemplating holidays by the sea and cocoa before bed is inspirational, particularly as he endures being killed onstage not once, not twice but four times by guillotine, lethal injection, hanging and in the Iron Maiden. Here, as well, Alice’s band prove themselves to be no mere side men. Each member works the stage and the crowd as if this was their own life’s work they were presenting. Garric even gets to take the role of front man during “I Love The Dead” while Alice is resurrected from one of his many deaths.

There must come a time when Alice Cooper has to consider how long he can keep doing things to this level but when he does decide to retire to his armchair to pull the legs off spiders this CD/DVD package will remain for the faithful to fill the void. The fact that I received this on Christmas Eve 2010 and it immediately hit the higher reaches of my top 10 for a year full of highlights should give some indication as to how essential a purchase this is. Buy it…unless you’re a pussy scaredy cat!!!


--Ollie

Buy here: Alice Cooper - Theatre Of Death-Live At Hammersmith 2009 (DVD W/Bonus CD)
Buy here: Alice Cooper - Theatre Of Death-Live At Hammersmith 2009 (Blu-ray W/Bonus CD)
Buy here: Theatre Of Death-Live At Hammersmith 2009 (CD/DVD)

Ripple News - Jeff Beck – Rock ‘n’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul DV

Filmed on June 9, 2010 at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, forever associated with the legendary Les Paul, this DVD captures Jeff Beck celebrating the great man with a selection of Les Paul songs and other great rock 'n' roll tracks on what would have been Les Paul’s 95th birthday. Jeff Beck is joined by some very special guests including Imelda May and her band led by Darrel Higham on many of the tracks plus appearances by Gary US Bonds, Brian Setzer and Trombone Shorty. The intimate setting puts you right there in the audience for a performance featuring stunning musicianship and truly great songs.


TRACK LISTING

1) Baby Let’s Play House

2) Double Talkin’ Baby

3) Cruisin’

4) Train Kept A Rollin’

5) Poor Boy

6) Cry Me A River

7) My Baby Left Me

8) How High The Moon

9) Sitting On Top Of The World

10) Bye Bye Blues

11) The World Is

Waiting For The Sunrise

12) Vaya Con Dios

13) Mockin’ Bird Hill

14) I’m A Fool To Care

15) Tiger Rag

16) Peter Gunn

17) Rocking Is Our Business

18) Apache

19) Sleep Walk

20) New Orleans

21) Walking In The Sand

22) Please Mr Jailer

23) Casting My Spell On You

24) Twenty Flight Rock

25) The Girl Can’t Help It

26) Rock Around The Clock

27) Shake, Rattle & Roll



Bonus Features

1) Interview with Jeff Beck

2) Behind The Scenes

3) At home with Jeff Beck & his guitars

4) Jeff Beck & Les Paul – Rock ‘n’ Roll Tonite

5) Les Paul & his little black box.

Ripple Theater - UFO/MSG Rockpalast DVD's

Are you ready to rock? Hot n ready? Armed and ready? Then you are ready to for these two new kick ass DVD’s to rock your television into the ground. Rockpalast (Rock Palace) is a German music TV show that’s been around since 1974 and they’re starting to release some of their historic concerts. Yours truly has already drooled all over the ZZ Top and Thin Lizzy releases here on Ripple but this double dose of primo heavy rock is a major cause for celebration.

First up is UFO live, loud, proud and drunk in Dortmund, Germany from November 1980. True, that means no Michael Schenker or Paul Raymond but the excellent Paul Chapman is on lead guitar and this is the tour supporting the solid No Place To Run album. Starting off with the high energy “Lettin’ Go” UFO comes out blazing. Chapman doesn’t have the charisma of Michael Schenker but his fiery playing is terrific and it gives Pete Way an excuse to jump around even more than usual. Watching vintage Pete Way in action, it’s obvious what a big influence he was on Steve Harris and Nikki Sixx, not only in his playing but for his awesome stripey jumpsuits. Andy Parker is one of the most underrated drummers in rock. He’s hard hitter with a huge sound and never overplays. Neil Carter does a fine job on rhythm guitar and keyboards and mainly stays out of the way. Phil Mogg is in excellent voice and his tipsy in between song banter is always entertaining. There are some great shots of the crowd. Some 13 year old little shit loves flipping the bird to the camera every time it gets near him. Classic.

The entire UFO concert is great but does drag a bit in the middle with a few too many slower songs like “No Place To Run,” “Making Moves,” and “Love To Love” all in a row. Luckily they wake everyone up with their blistering cover of “Mystery Train,” one of the highlights from the No Place To Run album. Old favorites like “Only You Can Rock Me,” “Lights Out,” “Doctor Doctor,” and of course “Rock Bottom” kick major ass. Chapman really scorches on “Rock Bottom” and proves he was probably the only guy who could replace Schenker in this classic band. (Lots of people forget that he actually played side by side with him in the short lived twin axe attack UFO line up of 1974).

Watching UFO in 1980 is the perfect warm up for the Michael Schenker Group 1981 live show. What a band! You get Paul Raymond on guitar & keyboards, Chris Glen from the Sensational Alex Harvey Band on bass and Cozy Powell on powerhouse drums. The only weak link, unfortunately, is vocalist Gary Barden. He sounds good on the opening number “Armed & Ready” but not long after that it’s obvious his voice is pretty shot. He’s not really a great frontman, either. Despite a lot of cracked notes, Schenker rescues the concert with superb playing. On a good night there are few guitarists that can come close to his tough yet melodic playing. It’s incredible what that guy can do with just a Gibson Flying V, a wah-wah pedal and FOUR STACKS of 50 watt Marshall amps.

In 1981, only the first MSG album was out so the best songs from that like “Cry For the Nations,” “Victim of Illusions” and “Into The Arena” get played alongside UFO standards “Natural Thing,” “Doctor Doctor” and “Lights Out.” It’s a lot of fun to compare these versions with the ones on the UFO DVD. Schenker and Phil Mogg never got along too well but they did make a great team. As much as I love Andy Parker, it’s too bad they never built a super UFO with Mogg, Schenker, Chapman, Cozy, Paul Raymond and Pete Way. These 2 DVD’s is the closest we’ll ever get. Get a 15 pack of Strohs and tell the old lady to hit the road when you bring these home. Tell me your ready to ROCK!!

 --Woody

Buy here:  UFO - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 1
buy here CD: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends 1
buy here mp3: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 1

Buy here: Michael Schenker Group - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2
Buy here CD: Rockpalast: Hard Rock Legends Vol. 2
Buy here mp3: Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2

Ripple Theater – The Rolling Stones – Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones

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Velvet Revolver Leaks Performance From Upcoming ‘Live In Houston’ DVD

And speaking of rock . . .

Velvet Revolver has just leaked their performance of “Slither” which comes off their upcoming DVD, Live In Houston, hitting stores on November 16th. Filmed in 2005, the concert captures the band touring in support of their award winning debut album, Contraband. The full length tracks are intercut with brief interviews with the band members talking about how Velvet Revolver came to be. The setlist focuses on Contraband, but also includes cover versions of tracks by Guns ‘n’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilots highlighting the history of the group members. Live in Houston features the original Velvet Revolver line-up of vocalist Scott Weiland, lead guitarist Slash, bassist/vocalist Duff McKagan, drummer Matt Sorum, and rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner.

Track Listing:
1.)  Sucker Train Blues
2.)  Do It For The Kids
3.)  Headspace
4.)  Crackerman
5.)  Illegal I
6.)  It’s So Easy
7.)  Fall To Pieces
8.)  Big Machine
9.)  Set Me Free
10.) Used To Love Her
11.) Slither
12.) Sex Type Thing


Get the DVD  Velvet Revolver: Live in Houston DVD


Check out “Slither:”


Velvet Revolver - "Slither" from 'Live in Houston' DVD from RawknRoll on Vimeo.

Harry Nilsson - The Point!

“Dr. Penfold I just can’t take it anymore.  I think I’m really at the breaking point.”

“Calm down Mr. Noname,” I say in a slow, pacifying manner.  “There’s no benefit to getting this worked up after we have been talking through your issues for at least twenty five minutes.  If you really were this upset, you should have expressed your discontent at the very beginning of your session.  We’ve had this discussion before…many times.  It’s alright.  Just take some deep breaths.  That’s it, there you go.  Now, why don’t you tell me what is really troubling you.”

“Well Dr. Penfold, the whole world hates me.  I literally feel the weight of the world bearing down on my shoulders all the time.  Sometimes it literally slows me down to where I’m moving at half my normal speed or less, and…”

Okay, here we go again.  At this point I pretty much tune out.  I realize that it is my duty as a psychiatrist to pay close attention and make note of any new information that my patient wishes to provide, but frankly after treating this particular gentleman for the past several years – Mr. Noname (pronounced no-nah-mi) – the hackneyed nature of our discussions has worn me down.  Honestly, I’ve compared notes and voice recordings from randomly chosen sessions spread over several years and the overlap is unreal.  An outsider would definitely be forgiven if they assumed I had multiple mislabeled copies of the same session.

Recently I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something, anything really, that would help Mr. Noname out of his oh so common bouts of depression.  Nothing from any medical journal or publication has proven to have any kind of lasting impact.  Sure the techniques provided might ‘cure’ my patient for about a day, maybe a week, but the next session would reveal that we were right back to square one.  Aggravating?  You bet.

“…and I always hit red lights, never green.  It is always storming all day long on my birthday.  The grocery store never has my favorite cereal in stock, even though when I ask them about it they say they will get more in soon.  Every Christmas, Mother Nature gives me the gift of a flu bug.  If I become a fan of a sports team, they immediately start losing and quickly go bankrupt.  When I…”

“Mr. Noname, I’m going to stop you there.  What you are describing to me are circumstances that you can’t expect to have any control…you know what, I have an idea.”  My idea would end this drivel for the next few minutes and give me some peace in which to try to come up with a new ‘cure’.  “I want to play some music for you Mr. Noname.  Whenever I am sad or upset I always put this album on and my day turns around 180 degrees.”

“What album is it Doctor?”

“The album is called The Point! by a man named Harry Nilsson.”  I found my office copy on a shelf and put the CD into the stereo system.

“Huh, I’ve never heard of it before Doctor.”

“That’s okay Mr. Noname.  Strangely enough, not very many people nowadays have.”  Although I maintained my calming speech and demeanor, I could not press play soon enough.

The Point! was originally released in 1971.  The album is the soundtrack for an animated movie of the same name.  Both endeavors were the result of Harry Nilsson’s bountiful imagination.  They tell the story of Oblio, a unique young man living in a society dominated by omnipresent points.  Every individual person has a head that literally comes to a point.  These people live in the Land of Point where everything is produced with at least one point in its design.  Oblio upsets the balance of this society by being born without a point on the top of his head.  The story follows Oblio as a young boy when he is singled out for his pointless condition, his subsequent banishment to a place known as the Pointless Forest, and finally his heroic return to the Land of Point with important life lessons in tow.  The story is a wonderful morality tale that will appeal to kids and adults in equal measure, but enough about that.  What about the music?

As stated earlier I listen to this album often when I am feeling down.  Why would I do that you ask?  Simple.  This music has healing powers.  It is actually impossible for anyone listening to this album not to be happy and content.  Not the superficial happiness that people often experience with some new material possession or fake accomplishment.  No, no, no.  The happiness produced by this album is far more powerful and all-encompassing.  While the music plays, and for at least a short time thereafter, everything seems right with the world.

All seven songs comprising the album qualify as pop music marvels.  In all my years of music listening, I have yet to come across songs that are as instantly memorable as these.  Once, I tried to break the songs down to their respective elements to try to understand the formula garnering such perfection.  The music itself is provided by a multi piece band and is often very orchestral in nature.  On top of the standard drums, bass, guitar, and piano of modern pop music Nilsson often includes strings, wind instruments such as flutes, horns, and also extra percussion in the mix.  With all of these incorporated elements each song is very playful and engaging.  The real star of the show however is the sublime vocal performance provided by Nilsson himself.

Harry Nilsson is hands down one of the best vocalists I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.  He had absolute control of his three and a half octave vocal range, and he used it to great effect.  Unlike some of today’s singers who show off their range seemingly in an attempt to shatter glass, Nilsson went about things entirely differently.  He would record differing takes of a song in the studio to successfully harmonize with himself or add additional vocal flair to a passage.  The end results are stunning.  These harmonies radiate warmth like a high dollar furnace along with an overwhelming sense of compassion, and all of the individual layers give listeners the opportunity to continuously pick out nuances they did not notice before.  The descriptor that automatically comes to mind is spellbinding.

Due to the top to bottom quality of this album, it is impossible for me to select an overall favorite track.  On the other hand, I can tell you which of these songs pop into my mind with more frequency than the others.  “Me and My Arrow” is intoxicatingly sweet with an ever-present playful organ line running behind some of the best sing along vocals in existence.  The last song on the album, entitled “Are You Sleeping?”, is absolutely phenomenal.  It opens a direct line to your soul, formally introduces itself, and proceeds to whirl your soul away in a dance of joy (it’s always a waltz for me) for a little over two minutes.  Truly, not enough positive exclamations exist to adequately convey my feelings about this magnificent music.

Getting back to the present, the album was ending and I had not yet come up with a new ‘cure’ for my patient.  “Alright Mr. Noname, this week why don’t we try…”

“Actually Doctor, I feel fine.”

“Really?”  I admit it, I was dumbstruck.  I couldn’t really believe it, but this manic depressive actually looked happy.  Was that a smile on his face?  It couldn’t be.

“Yeah, I can’t even remember what I was complaining about earlier.  Do you mind if I take a copy of this music.  I would really like to listen to it some more.”

“Of course, of course.  Are you sure you are all right?”

“Yes Doctor Penfold.  This music has made me feel like a new man.  Thank you so much for playing it for me.”

“Your welcome Mr. Noname.”

I wrote a special note in my journal, and made sure it was underlined.  Order More Copies of The Point!  It Works!

-- Penfold


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Ripple News - Rolling Stones Legendary Concert Finally Available on DVD and Blu-ray

Ladies and Gentlemen…The Rolling Stones is finally coming to DVD on October 12th.  The DVD features Rolling Stones concert footage, shot over four nights in Texas during the Exile on Main Street tour in 1972, which was recently released in cinemas around the country for a one-day, one-time engagement. The DVD also includes previously unreleased rehearsal footage and interviews with Mick Jagger from 1972 and 2010.

This is probably the most sought after Rolling Stones concert performance and it has been fully restored and remastered from the original film print and multitrack audio masters. Ladies & Gentlemen follows the highly successful CD reissue of Exile On Main Street (Universal Music Group) in May of this year and the Stones In Exile DVD (Eagle Rock Entertainment) on June 22, 2010.  The October 12 releases will be followed shortly after by a deluxe edition box set with additional bonus material and memorabilia.

Filmed in Texas in 1972 over four nights of the Exile On Main Street US tour, Ladies & Gentlemen was premiered at the Ziegfield Theatre in New York on April 15, 1974 and released into selected cinemas across the USA shortly afterwards. Bonus features on this release include tour rehearsal footage from Montreux, plus two interviews with Mick Jagger; one from a 1972 Old Grey Whistle Test show, and one filmed in 2010.

The line-up for this show comprised Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitars), Charlie Watts (drums), Bill Wyman (bass), Mick Taylor (guitars) with Bobby Keys (saxophones), Jim Price (horns) and Nicky Hopkins (piano).  Ladies & Gentlemen was billed at the time as “…the most powerful rock film ever made” and is considered by many fans to be the finest Rolling Stones performance ever captured on film.  This is simply unmissable!

Track Listing:
1.)   Brown Sugar
2.)  Bitch
3.)  Gimme Shelter
4.)  Dead Flowers
5.)  Happy
6.)  Tumbling Dice
7.)  Love In Vain
8.)  Sweet Virginia
9.)  You Can’t Always Get What You Want
10.) All Down The Line
11.) Midnight Rambler
12.) Bye Bye Johnny
13.) Rip This Joint
14.) Jumpin’ Jack Flash
15.) Street Fighting Man

Buy here: Ladies & Gentlemen The Rolling Stones
Buy here: Ladies & Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones [Blu-ray]