Clang & Clatter

Getting my Good Friday Five on over at IckMusic.

Def Leppard - “See the Lights” (First Strike, 1979)
An “album” of demos from back when Def Leppard was a bonafide NWOBHM band. The “album” was later unofficially released without the band’s consent. “See the Lights” is not the best song on the collection—that designation would have to go to “Wasted” or “Sorrow Is a Woman,” both of which were released on On Through the Night—but it’s not bad, either.

Black Sabbath - “Never Say Die” (Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978, 2002)
Ozzy had already quit and rejoined Sabbath by the time Never Say Die was recorded, and he pulls no punches when expressing his dissatisfaction with Sabbath at that point in his career, calling it “the worst piece of work that I’ve ever had anything to do with. I’m ashamed of that album. I think it’s disgusting.” With the exception of the cheesy ending, “Never Say Die” is a great, fun tune—should any Sabbath song be “fun”?!—although it sounds like it would fit better on Blizzard of Ozz.

Smashing Pumpkins - “Today” (“Unplugged” 100% Pure Acoustic Performances, 1993)
I never really cared much for the original, so a bootleg recording of an acoustic rendition of it is probably not going to rate very high for me. The performance is uninspiring and limp, with no musical embellishments until the very end when Iha adds an arpeggiated section, and Corgan struggles to hit some of the higher notes as he whines his way throughout the song. Sounds like they don’t even like it very much.

Galactic Cowboys - “Through” (At the End of the Day, 1998)

I thought you were in love, what a fool’s mistake
I don’t care about love now
It’s true
I’m through

And unfortunately Galactic Cowboys’ career was almost through at this point as well. ATEOTD is one of my favorite GC albums, containing the excellent “The Machine Fish Suite,” but I’m ashamed to admit I usually skip this one. Not that there’s anything much wrong with it. I just don’t usually turn to Galactic Cowboys when I want to hear a ballad.

Rush - “Cinderella Man” (Different Stages, 1998)
Not sure why, but this version always sounds really sloppy to me, and Geddy seems to really be straining to hit some of the notes. Odd for a band that is usually so tight.

Short and sweet pre-vacation Friday Five today. And my first track sorted by name is Anthrax’s “A.D.I./Horror of It All” from Among the Living.

Saosin - “The Worst of Me” (In Search of Solid Ground, 2009)
Possibly the best song on this emo/screamo band’s most commercial (and most recent) release to date.

Glen Phillips - “Got to Get On” (The Unreleased Songs Compilation: Vol. 1)
Interesting track from a set of live versions of songs Glen had not released prior to its compilation. A bit different from the norm for Glen, but still really good.

King’s X - “Marsh Mellow Field” (Please Come Home…Mr. Bulbous, 2000)
Equal parts groove, sludge, and psychedelic. Love it.

Owl City - “Dental Care” (Ocean Eyes, 2009)
OK, confession time. Although I purchased this for my son during his brief obsession with this artist, I have kept it around since I find it catchy and not too annoying—at least most of the time. “I’ve been to the dentist a thousand times, so I know the drill.” Funny.

Smashing Pumpkins - “Siva” (Gish, 1991)
Michael recently questioned what he ever saw in Smashing Pumpkins. This is it. The slow, mellow middle breakdown is why I Mother Earth reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins at times.

I’ve got Friday—and IckMusic’s Friday Five—on my mind.

Glen Phillips - “Don’t Need Anything” (Winter Pays for Summer, 2005)
This is not my favorite tune from the album that should have put Glen’s solo work on the radio, but a not-so-good Glen Phillips song is usually still a pretty good song. Short, sweet, and simple.

Smashing Pumpkins - “Rocket” (“Unplugged” 100% Pure Acoustic Performances, 1993)
This version of the Siamese Dream track is from a compilation of bootlegs. “Rocket” is apparently part of a performance for a radio station in the Netherlands and is a nearly spot-on reproduction of the album version.

Rush - “Sweet Miracle” (Vapor Trails, 2002)
Vapor Trails was my entry back into the Rush fold. I have always been a big Rush fan, but I cautiously watched them from a distance for the Counterparts and Test for Echo albums, which is interesting since those two discs saw the band move back toward a more guitar-centric sound and are now among my favorites in their catalog. Despite the extensive use of technology used to piece together the songs for this album, it has an organic, cohesive feel to me and expresses almost a sense of urgency to get back to making music after the tragic events in Neil Peart’s life that led to a five-year hiatus that would have sidelined most bands.

Mötley Crüe - “Bastard” (Shout at the Devil, 1983)
I had a strange infatuation with the Crüe in the mid-80s and with this album in particular. Was the band mad at the devil and really shouting at him? And if so, why record an instrumental named “God Bless the Children of the Beast?!” Or were they the devil’s minions? The album’s satanic imagery would lead one to believe the latter over the former. But I could never really figure this album out other than it was a loud, heavy, rocking good time with tunes about drugs, sex, the devil, and a Beatles cover. How could that be bad? I also never figured out what “Bastard”—or most of the other songs, for that matter—were really about, but it had the F-bomb in it, which was cool for a mostly-compliant teenager who only really ever rebelled in the area of music. As I look back at it now, I realize the album was mostly a result of the over-abundance of drug use and not some grand musical statement. But isn’t that what rock ‘n’ roll is about anyway?!

Joe Satriani - “Cool #9” (Joe Satriani, 1995)
So once again Satch comes up during my Friday Five shuffle. Interesting that this doesn’t happen too often at other times. Anyway, this opener from his self-titled album is a slow groove that is reminiscent of another of his tunes that I can’t quite put my finger on at the moment. Something off Surfing with the Alien or Flying in a Blue Dream I’m sure, since those are the two albums I’m most familiar with. Nice chilled-out tune to end this Friday Five, complete with some Tom Morello-like whammy pedal antics.