Saturday, May 11, 2013

AC/DC Still Writing Music and Touring 2013

I just read  at acdczone.com that AC/DC is writing a new album and releasing it this year in 2013, which is a follow-up to their 2008 album Black Ice. This Australian rock band's 40 plus year longevity in the music industry is incredible with still a massive fan base today. This why AC/DC continues to tour and write new music.

As a teenager, I listend to AC/DC, had their Highway to Hell poster on the wall in my bedroom, t-shirts and went to AC/DC's concert during the Back in Black tour where they had the big Hells Bell on stage. I had every album they every released from the 1970's and 80's even European versions on Vinyl. I don't listen to any of their newer music, but know that it is still great and true to their hard rock style. 
There is no one that puts more energy in a concert performance than Angus Young. I consider Angus Young one of the greatest guitarists of all time as well as one of the greatest performers playing guitar on stage. The rumor was back in the 80s that after every AC/DC performance Angus Young lost 5 pounds because of his non-stop ENERGY on stage. Of course, science would tell you that if it were true he wouldn't be alive today; but it sure looks like he does. I want to recognize AC/DC for all their accomplishments and still entertaining new generations who love their music. Below is AC/DC's biography from the ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME including the tragic story of Bon Scott's death, rockhall.com.  Check out "Hells Bells" live in 1983, and the original music video of "You Shook Me All Night Long", and the classic "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" with Bon Scott in 1976. I have included, discography pics and videos as I remember AC/DC in the hight of their career. ~ Kenny Leibow


TRIVIA - The band's name AC/DC came from a sewing machine. It was on the back of Angus' and Malcom's sister's sewing machine, and stood for "alternating current/direct current".


TRIVIA - It's not well known, but it was AC/DC that helped launch the career of Def Leppard in which AD/DC's manager, Peter Mensch, who brought Def Leppard on board and get them signed with Polygram records. Def Leppard toured with AC/DC back then. Rumored that the solo in AC/DC's song "Highway to Hell" was copied in one of Def Leppard's tracks with permission.



AC / DC - You shook me all night long HQ



AC/DC Live 1983 "Hells Bells"




acϟdc- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Bon Scott 1976 HQ) -ɔpϟɔɐ







Source: http://www.acdcfamilyjewels.com/


AC/DC DISCOGRAPHY

STUDIO ALBUMS

  1. High Voltage (Australian release), February 1975
  2. TNT (Australian release), December 1975
  3. High Voltage (International release), May 1976
  4. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Australian release), September 1976
  5. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (International release), December 1976
  6. Let There Be Rock (Australian release), March 1977
  7. Let There Be Rock (International release), June 1977
  8. Powerage, May 1978
  9. Highway to Hell, July 1979
  10. Back in Black, July 1980
  11. For Those About to Rock, November 1981
  12. Flick of the Switch, August 1983
  13. Fly on the Wall, June 1985
  14. Who Made Who, May 1986
  15. Blow Up Your Video, January 1988
  16. The Razors Edge, September 1990
  17. Ballbreaker, September 1995
  18. Stiff Upper Lip, February 2000
  19. Black Ice, October 2008
  20. Iron Man 2, May 2010

EPS

  1. ’74 Jailbreak, October 1984

LIVE ALBUMS

  1. If You Want Blood You’ve Got it, October 1978
  2. AC/DC Live, October 1992
  3. AC/DC Live, Special Collector’s Edition, October 1992
  4. Live from the Atlantic Studios, November 1977
  5. Let There Be Rock: The Movie, November 1997

BOX SETS

  1. Bonfire, (Live from the Atlantic Studios; Let There Be Rock: The Movie; Volts and Back in Black), November 1997
  2. Backtracks, November 2009

VIDEOGRAPHY

  1. Live at Donington, (Filmed live at Castle Donington, UK, ‘Monsters of Rock’ Festival), August 1991
  2. No Bull (Filmed live in Madrid at the Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas) July 1996
  3. No Bull – The Directors Cut (Filmed live in Madrid at the Plaza De Toros De Las Ventas) July 1996
  4. Stiff Upper Lip Live (Filmed live in Munich, Germany at the Olympiastadion) June 2001
  5. Family Jewels, March 2005
  6. Plug Me In, October 2007




AC/DC BIOGRAPHY

Phil Rudd (drums; born May 19, 1954), Brian Johnson (vocals; born October 5, 1947 or 1948), Bon Scott (vocals; born July 6, 1946, died February 19, 1980), Cliff Williams (bass; born December 14, 1949), Angus Young (lead guitar; born March 31, 1955), Malcolm Young (rhythm guitar; born January 6, 1953)
For three decades AC/DC has reigned as one of the best-loved and hardest-rocking bands in the world. Featuring guitarist Angus Young as their visual symbol and musical firebrand, they grew from humble origins in Australia to become an arena-filling phenomenon with worldwide popularity. They did so without gimmickry, except for Angus’s schoolboy uniform, which became mandatory stage attire. From the beginning they have been a straight-ahead, no-frills rock and roll band that aimed for the gut. “We’ve never pulled any punches,” vocalist Brian Johnson has said. “We just play music that’s fun and simple--the way our audience likes it.”
“Cliched as it might be, we’ve always been a good, hard rock ‘n’ roll band,” Angus Young has said of AC/DC.
This uncomplicated approach has given AC/DC a single-minded sense of mission. They’ve never recorded power ballads or gone soft to enhance their commercial appeal. Their unwavering devotion to no-frills hard rock with plenty of bawdy wit has made for a consistency that’s won them the loyalty of millions of fans, who range from working stiffs to the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards. Another famous fan, author Stephen King, tapped AC/DC to assemble Who Made Who, the 1986 soundtrack album to the film version of his novel Maximum Overdrive.
Angus Young was born into a family of musical siblings. His oldest brother, George Young, belonged to the Easybeats, an Aussie beat group whose “Friday on My Mind” was a hit in most countries following its release in 1966 and a hit in America by the spring of 1967. Another guitar-playing sibling, Malcolm Young, had the original idea for a no-nonsense rock band built around energetic Angus, who was the brood’s most talented musician. The Young brothers chose the name AC/DC, which implied electricity and a hint of danger. The nascent AC/DC played their first gig at a club in Sydney on New Year’s Eve 1973. The group’s lineup solidified in 1974 when vocalist Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Mark Evans replaced early members Dave Evans, Rob Bailey and Peter Clack.
Hungry and tirelessly hard-working, AC/DC toured and recorded constantly in the 1970s. Their first five studio albums - High Voltage (1975), T.N.T. (1975), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976), Let There Be Rock (1977) and Powerage (1978) - were produced by George Young and his Easybeats partner, Henry Vanda. The Vanda-Young tandem captured the band’s raw energy in the studio. At the same time, AC/DC’s songs had a straightforward appeal that made them more of a hard rock than a heavy metal band. The group signed a worldwide contract with Atlantic Records in 1976; as a result, the American reissues of AC/DC’s early work differ significantly from the Australian originals. Let There Be Rock(1977) was the first AC/DC album to be released simultaneously around the world. After its recording, tour-weary bassist Evans left, replaced by Cliff Williams. A live album, If You’ve Want Blood You’ve Got It, came at the end of 1978.
AC/DC’s studio mastery took a giant leap with Highway to Hell (1979), recorded over a six-month period in London instead of Australia. At George Young’s suggestion, they tried a new producer: John Robert “Mutt” Lange (who’d later work with Def Leppard and Shania Twain). Angus sported a pair of devil’s horns on the jacket, which contributed to disapproval of AC/DC in some fundamentalist quarters. The band headlined its first European tour as Highway to Hell hit the British Top Ten and reached Number 17 in America. These triumphs were followed by tragedy when singer Bon Scott died of asphyxiation following a drinking binge on February 19, 1980.
Though devastated, Malcolm and Angus quickly began working up new material as a form of therapy. “I just rang up Angus and said, ‘Do you wanna come back and rehearse?’” Malcolm Young told Rolling Stone. “This was about two days afterward.” After auditioning new vocalists, they settled on Brian Johnson, a native of Newcastle, England, whose gruff, aggressive vocals helped AC/DC successfully enter a dramatic new phase of its career. The group rebounded with Back in Black, whose title and all-black cover paid silent tribute to Scott. The music rocked with a determined authority that catapulted AC/DC into a class with Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and the Rolling Stones. Because they were younger than those bands, AC/DC bonded with a youthful audience that kept them on top throughout the 1980s. Back in Black was an instant classic that ranks as the sixth best-selling rock album of all time, having sold 19 million copies in the U.S. and 41 million worldwide. The album gave AC/DC a series of anthems that have formed the backbone of their live show: “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Back in Black” and “Hells Bells,” which began with the tolling of a two-ton bell.
Building on their momentum, AC/DC followed Back in Black with For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), whose title track is performed live as cannons detonate. A decade of hard work was rewarded whenFor Those About to Rock (We Salute You) became AC/DC’s first Number One album in America, selling a million copies in its first week of release. Having ascended to the top of the hard-rock realm, AC/DC headlined 1984’s Monsters of Rock in Donnington, England and 1985’s Rock in Rio in Brazil, where they performed for an audience numbering nearly half a million. More albums followed on a dependable schedule - Flick of the Switch (1983), Fly on the Wall (1985), Who Made Who (1986) and Blow Up Your Video (1988) - each of which yielded a few new AC/DC classics to the expanding canon.
In 1990 came The Razor’s Edge, whose opening track, “Thunderstruck,” was one of AC/DC’s strongest in years. It was based on a real-life experience: a lightning bolt struck the small plane in which Angus Young was flying, which nearly crashed as a result. The album also contained an uncharacteristic hit single, “Moneytalks.” A live recording, prosaically entitled Live, appeared in 1992 and was made available as a double disc and an abridged single disc. While not as prolific in the studio or omnipresent on the road in the 1990s, AC/DC continued to deliver when they did tour and record: in 1995 with Ballbreaker and in 2000 with Stiff Upper Lip. In 1997, during the five years between studio albums, the box set Bonfire was released.
Though their choruses were as infectious as anything on radio, AC/DC were fundamentally the antithesis of a Top Forty band. Thus, they’ve cracked the U.S. singles charts only three times: “You Shook Me All Night Long” (Number 35), “Back in Black” (Number 37) and “Moneytalks” (Number 23). Their albums, on the other hand, have been all gone gold or platinum. In the America, AC/DC’s best-sellers are Back in Black (19 million copies sold), Highway to Hell (6 million), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (6 million),Who Made Who (5 million), Live (whose single and double-disc configurations have sold a combined 5 million), For Those About to Rock We Salute You (4 million), and The Razor’s Edge (4 million). AC/DC moved from Atlantic to Sony in late 2002, and 2003 began with a major reissue program and the promise of a new studio album.
Thirty years on, AC/DC continues to give the fans what they want. Through it all, they’ve never lost the common touch - the sense that the band and their audience were interchangeable, and that both were celebrating the joyful jolt of electricity provided by good, hard, uncompromising rock and roll.




Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Poison Rejected Slash in the 1980s-Crazy

According to Bret Michaels, back in the 1980s Slash auditioned for Poison and was rejected.  This may be old news, but recently Michaels provided more details (see below). Yes, I used the word Crazy in the title of this post because we all know how great and legendary Slash is as a guitarist. It's like when Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Regardless, I believe that Slash took a much better career path with Guns 'N Roses than he would have with Poison. Slash is No. 65 in Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time. Please read previous posts about Poison and Guns "n Roses on this blog. Check out the video below of Slash's live guitar solo from the 1980s below. - Kenny Leibow


Slash Solo Live 1980s



Why Poison Rejected Slash In The 80s

Source: UltimateGuitar.com, 09/06/2012


Poison singer Bret Michaels has revealed more details about why they rejected Slash in the 1980s when he auditioned to join their band.
"Slash is one of my all-time favorite guitar players and I believe he would have steered our sound a little more in the Aerosmith direction," he toldAustin 360. "He was basically the same guy he is today. What you see is what you get. It never really had a chance to work out or not. The band decided C.C. (DeVille) was the best choice for us."

Slash revealed in 2010 that before joiningGuns N' Roses that Poison guitarist Matt Smith was the one who told him to try out for the band, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. Although he wasn't a fan of their music, he was yet to make his name as a legendary guitarist and had to consider every gig that crossed his path.

He made it through the auditions and was down to the final two, but realised he would never suit their glam makeup style.
"As I was walking out of the audition, C.C. DeVille was walking in," said Slash of the auditions. "He had on pancake makeup and a ton of hairspray. I actually remember thinking right then, ‘That should be the guy.’"

Can you imagine a world where Slash didn't join Gn'R? Would Poison have been better with his influence?

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Guns N' Roses the Longest Consecutive Tour


The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by Guns N' Roses which ran from May 24, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 192 shows in 27 countries.

I have written posts on this blog regarding Gun N' Roses. When I was researching the longest tours in rock history "Use Your Illusion" always showed up at the top of the list. There are many twists and turns on the tour from Izzy Stradlin leaving the band - to the crowd riot in St. Louis. You can read all the details below.  The DVD of the tour is available and you can download all the music from the album(s).  I have included a couple of videos of "Sweet Child o Mine" live and "Welcome to the Jungle" live from the Use Your Illusion Tour. My Favorite the Theme from the Godfather! Guns 'N Roses experienced the highest popularity and level of greatness, which made them legends starting in 1987-1993 of which not many bands have ever achieved. During that time Guns N' Roses had the longest running tour in Rock history '91-'93. - Kenny Leibow

Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N’ Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the “Use Your Illusion Tour” the other being “Use Your Illusion II”. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, selling 685,000 copies in its first week, behind Use Your Illusion II's first week sales of 770,000. Use Your Illusion I has sold 5,502,000 units in the U.S. as of 2010, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Each of the Use Your Illusion albums have been certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA. It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1992.

The album has recently received critical acclaim again in 2011, being featured on Triple M Radio's Life-Changing Album series in Australia, with the station playing numerous tracks with commentary.

Sweet Child o Mine Live

Theme from the Godfather

Welcome to the Jungle Live







Guns N' Roses has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, including shipments of 45 million in the United States. The band's 1987 major label debut album, Appetite for Destruction, has sold in excess of 28 million copies worldwide and reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 and is also the highest selling debut album of all time in the US. In addition, the album charted three Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "Sweet Child o' Mine" which reached No. 1. Appetite was followed by the eight-song album G N' R Lies in 1988. The 1991 albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II debuted on the two highest spots on the Billboard 200 and have sold a combined 14 million copies in the United States



Use Your Illusion Tour

The Use Your Illusion World Tour program included a guitar solo from Slash based on The Godfather theme, a piano-driven cover of "It's Alright" by Black Sabbath and an extended jam on the classic rock-inspired "Move to the City" where they showcased the ensemble of musicians assembled for the tour.[38]
Many of the successful performances during the tour were equally matched, and often overshadowed, in the press by riots, late starts and outspoken rants by Rose. While the band's previous drug and alcohol issues were seemingly under control, Axl was often agitated by lax security, sound problems and unwanted filming or recording of the performances. He also used the time in-between songs to fire off political statements or retorts against music critics or celebrity rivals.
On July 2, 1991, at the Riverport Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri, just outside of St. Louis, during a performance of "Rocket Queen", Rose noticed that a fan was filming the show with a camera. He asked the venue's security to take away the camera, and after a few seconds decided to take it himself, jumping into the audience and tackling the fan. He had a heated confrontation with the fan before physically assaulting him. After being pulled out of the audience by members of the crew, Rose said, "Well, thanks to the lame-ass security, I'm going home!", threw his microphone to the ground and stormed off stage. The angry crowd began to riot and dozens of people were injured. Footage was captured byRobert John, who was documenting the entire tour. Rose was wanted by the police for inciting the riot, but police were unable to arrest him until almost a year later, as the band went overseas to continue the tour. Charges were filed against Rose, but a judge ruled that he did not directly incite the riot. In his defense, Rose stated that the Guns N' Roses security team had made four separate requests to the venue's security staff to remove the camera, all of which were ignored, and that other members of the band had reported being hit by bottles launched from the audience, while the security staff was refusing to enforce a drinking limit.[39] Consequently, Use Your Illusion's artwork featured a hidden message amidst the Thank You section of the liner notes: "Fuck You, St. Louis!"
Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin abruptly quit the band on November 7, 1991, after a repeat of the St. Louis incident nearly unfolded during a concert in Germany.[40] Stradlin cited a combination of Rose's personal behavior (Rose frequently delayed the start of shows by hours at a time) and his mismanagement of the band[40] and difficulties being around Slash, Sorum, and McKagan, due to his new-found sobriety and their continuing alcohol and substance addictions.[41] Axl Rose originally wanted Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro to replace Stradlin, but Stradlin was eventually replaced by Los Angeles-based guitarist Gilby Clarke, whom Slash credited for saving the band. During many shows throughout the tour, Rose introduced Clarke to the audience, and Slash and Clarke would then play "Wild Horses", a Rolling Stones cover. In late 1991, Rose added a touring ensemble to the band which included a horns section and several background vocalists despite the rest of the band's refusal. Izzy Stradlin has since produced eleven solo albums,[42] more work than any other single member of Guns N' Roses had produced.
In 1992, the band appeared at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performing a three-song set. Slash later performed "Tie Your Mother Down" with the remaining members of Queenand Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott, while Axl Rose performed "We Will Rock You" and sang a duet with Elton John on "Bohemian Rhapsody". Their personal set included "Paradise City" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door". When they returned to the US for the second leg of the Use Your Illusion Tour, Queen guitarist Brian May opened the shows with a band that included Cozy Powell on drums. Axl had originally wanted the grunge band (and labelmates) Nirvana to open their Use Your Illusion Tour, but frontman Kurt Cobain refused. Cobain also made some negative comments[citation needed] about Guns N' Roses, which infuriated Rose, and started off one of his biggest feuds, other than the ones with his band-mates.
Later in the year, they went on the Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour, with American Metal band Metallica. During a show in August 1992 at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, Metallica frontman James Hetfield suffered severe burns after stepping too close to a pyrotechnics blast. Metallica was forced to cancel the second hour of the show, but promised to return to the city for another performance. After a long delay, during which the audience became increasingly restless, Guns N' Roses took the stage. However, the shortened time between sets did not allow for adequate tuning of stage monitors, resulting in members of G N' R not being able to hear themselves. In addition, Rose claimed that his throat hurt,[43]causing the band to leave the stage early. The cancellation led to another riot by audience members, reminiscent of the St. Louis riot, that had occurred one year earlier. Rioters overturned cars, smashed windows, looted local stores and set fires. Local authorities were barely able to bring the mob under control. This can be seen on video in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica. On MTV's rockumentary about Metallica, the band spoke about this tour and how they learned from Guns N' Roses what not to do.
The historic tour ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17, 1993. The tour set attendance records and lasted for 28 months, in which 194 shows were played. The show in Buenos Aires marked the last time that Slash, as well as newcomers Sorum and Clarke, would play a live show with Rose. At the tour's conclusion, Rose would fire Clarke without consulting anyone, claiming he was only a "hired hand"




Sources:
Phmeier Trade Lists info: http://phmeiertradeinfo.blogspot.com/
Answer Party: http://answerparty.com/
Widipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/
Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame: http://rockhall.com/


Sunday, July 1, 2012

Stryper - In God We Trust




Heavy Metal has been dealt a bad wrap as only known for Drugs, Sex and Devil Worshipping. LOL Some of the greatest musicians, song writers and most beautiful songs have been created by all the big named Heavy Metal bands of which many are mentioned in this blog. *AND* When the Christian rock band Stryper first emerged in 1983, many people thought they were both a marketing ploy and tasteless joke. After 1986's To Hell With the Devil sold over two million copies, so-called Christian bands started popping up everywhere. Some assemblance of Stryper has been going strong on and off for 30 years.

Michael Sweet of Stryper: "We Have Always Thrown Bibles And We Always Will."


Below is the complete biography of Stryper. I have also included 4 great Stryper videos. Two videos showing Stryper performing their MTV famous hits "Calling on you" and "Honesty".  Two official music videos of "Always There For You" and "In God We Trust".  Whatever Heavy Metal message you prefer to follow; Stryper and their inspiring music is more than just a footnote in Heavy Metal history.  - Kenny Leibow




STRYPER ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS












Stryper - Calling on you

Stryper - Honestly

STRYPER - Always There For You (HQ Music Video)

STRYPER - In God We Trust (HQ Music Video)



Sources in blog post: warriorofthetruth.com, stryper.com, and the Dallas Observer

Stryper Biography Starpulse.com


BIOGRAPGPHY OF STRYPER

Formed: January 1, 1983

Heavy metal has been associated with ol' Beelzebub ever since its inception, but a few acts took the opposite route and put their Christian beliefs in hard rocking songs, such as Stryper. Formed in Orange County, California, in 1983, the group was originally known as Roxx Regime, and consisted of singer/guitarist/main songwriter Michael Sweet, drummer Robert Sweet, lead guitarist Oz Fox, and bassist Timothy Gaines. It wasn't until the group changed its name to Stryper (which stood for "Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness") that things really began taking off for the quartet. Specializing in the melodic Van Halen/Def Leppard style (with heart-wrenching power ballads tossed in), dressed in all black-and-yellow outfits, and spreading their religious message even further by tossing bibles out into the crowd at their shows, Stryper were signed by the Enigma label in 1984. The same year, the group's debut recording, a six-track mini-album titled The Yellow & Black Attack, was issued. 


The album created a buzz for the group among metalheads, which was only heightened with the release of the band's first full-length album, 1985's Soldiers Under Command. The first Stryper release to crack the Billboard charts, its success led to the re-release of The Yellow & Black Attack (which included an extra two tracks and new artwork) in 1986. Later the same year, Stryper issued their sophomore full-length, To Hell with the Devil, which many consider to be the group's finest hour. Turning out to be the highest-charting album of their career (barely missing the Top 30), the platinum-certified album benefited by MTV's repeated airings of the videos for "Calling on You" and the syrupy ballad "Honestly" (the latter of which peaked at number 23 on the U.S. singles charts). Despite possessing a different message than their peers, by this point Stryper fit in perfectly with the other popular pop/hair metal bands of the day (Bon Jovi, White Lion, Dokken, etc.).


Yet just as it appeared that Stryper could possibly break through on a massive scale, such new metal styles as thrash (Metallica) and more stripped-down rock (Guns N' Roses) began to usurp Stryper's pop-metal audience. As a result, Stryper's next release, 1988's In God We Trust, failed to expand their following, nor did it live up to promise of its predecessor (although it did manage to earn gold certification). Sensing this, the group adopted a harder-edged sound and look for 1990's Against the Law, and even covered the Earth, Wind & Fire funk classic "Shining Star." Neither managed to cross over to the top of the charts. A greatest-hits set, Can't Stop the Rock, followed in 1991, but with Nirvana just about to ring the death knell for pop-metal bands, Michael Sweet decided to leave the group for a solo career. Surprisingly, the remaining members of Stryper opted to carry on as a three-piece (with Fox handling lead vocal duties), and continued to tour for a spell. The Michael Sweet-less version didn't last long however, as Stryper officially called it quits in 1992. 


In the wake of the band's split, its members remained busy. Michael Sweet's solo career never scaled the same heights as Stryper's, although solo releases appeared on a somewhat regular basis, with 1994's Michael Sweet, 1995's Real, and 2001's Truth. Robert Sweet issued a solo recording, Love Trash, in addition to studio work, while Fox and Gaines formed a new group, Sin Dizzy, who issued a rock opera (concerning the crucifixion of Jesus Christ) titled He's Not Dead. 


During the intervening years, a large core of devoted fans remained intact, resulting in all of Stryper's albums being reissued by Hollywood Records. In 1999 Sin Dizzy played a show with Michael Sweet, which ended in an off-the-cuff jam session of old Stryper tunes -- resulting in reunion rumors. And with a heightened nostalgic interest regarding '80s-era metal bands during the early 21st century, Stryper agreed to sporadically reunite for a "Stryper Expo," which has since turned into an annual event. Stryper's second greatest-hits collection, 7: The Best of Stryper, was issued in 2003, and included a pair of new tunes recorded especially for the collection, "Something" and "For You." Fueled by a renewed interest in the Christian rock scene, the band returned to the studio for 2005's Reborn and again in 2009 for Murder by Pride, the latter released in celebration of the band's 25th anniversary. In 2011 Stryper released The Covering, featuring covers of songs by bands that inspired them, including a take on Black Sabbath's 1980 hit "Heaven and Hell." Greg Prato, Rovi






Thursday, March 1, 2012

99 Greatest Rock Drummers

John Bonham, Led Zeppelin
Neil Peart, Rush
Keith Moon, The Who
  



Ringo Starr,The Beatles






















Carl Palmer, ELP & ASIA


You have to go back at least 25 years to start finding all the great drummers. After listing Neil Peart, John Bonham, Keith Moon and Carl Palmer, does it really matter how you list the rest of the great drummers? My opinion is that Neil Peart and Carl Palmer are the most skilled drummers I have ever witnessed both in concert and in video. I saw Carl Palmer past his ELP days when he was with ASIA. He had a rotating stage and two big gongs behind him. Even during ballads, he was drumming with speed, precision and incredible timing. Neil Peart's "Working Man" is the greatest drumming solo of all time. I would round out the top 5 with the original innovator on drums, Ringo Starr of The Beatles. 


There are good drummers today like Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon and others, but not many. It's going to be very hard today to achieve legendary status like John Bonham and Keith Moon because of today's music, technology and less focus on the drummer compared to years past.  This is why I posted 99 and not 100 Greatest Drummers, as a symbol that great drummers today are rare. You want to see and hear greatness, then just check out the video of Carl Palmer's solo in 1970 below and listen below of Neil Peart's "Working Man" solo from Rush's live concert "All The World's A Stage" - "Ladies and gentlemen the professor on the drum kit". 


Final Note: In the 1980s, I have to give Tommy Aldridge of Ozzy Osbourne the title of best drummer of his time. One last opinion; Alex Van Halen, drummer of Van Halen, is underrated and overshadowed by his genius brother Eddie on guitar. - Kenny Leibow













The 99 Greatest Drummer list below came from digitaldreamdoor.com where I have reposted lists before. You may not agree with the order of the list or believe that there is someone missing out of the top 99, however I have found that the drummers listed below are consistently showing up on most greatest drummer lists. Please post your favorite rock drummer stories.


1. Neil Peart (Rush)  
  2. John Bonham* (Led Zeppelin) 
  3. Keith Moon* (The Who)  
  4. Carl Palmer (ELP)  
  5. Ginger Baker (Cream) 
  6. Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa) 
  7. Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson) 
  8. Hal Blaine (Session man) 
  9. Ian Paice (Deep Purple) 
10. Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) 
11. Dave Lombardo (Slayer) 
12. Danny Carey (Tool) 
13. Ringo Starr (The Beatles) 
14. Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge) 
15. Earl Palmer (Session man) 
16. Benny Benjamin* (Funk Brothers) 
17. Jeff Porcaro* (Toto) 
18. Stewart Copeland (The Police) 
19. Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne) 
20. Bernard Purdie (Session) 
21. Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) 
22. Steve Smith (Journey) 
23. Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix) 
24. David Garabaldi (Tower Of Power) 
25. Mike Shrieve (Santana) 
26. Ainsley Dunbar (Jeff Beck) 
27. Cozy Powell* (Rainbow) 
28. Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) 
29. Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews) 
30. Tim Alexander (Primus) 
31. Roger Taylor (Queen) 
32. Matt Cameron (Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) 
33. Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters) 
34. Phil Collins (Genesis) 
35. Al Jackson* (The MGs) 
36. Vinnie Paul (Pantera) 
37. Topper Headon (The Clash) 
38. Lars Ulrich (Metallica) 
39. Jimmy Chamberlain (Smashing Pumpkins) 
40. Bobby Jarzombeck (Rob Halford, Iced Earth)
41. Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger) 
42. Gene Holgan (Death, Strapping Young Lad) 
43. Martin Lopez (Opeth) 
44. Simon Phillips (Toto) 
45. Mike Giles (King Crimson, Giles, Giles & Fripp ) 
46. Max Weinberg (Springsteen) 
47. Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) 
48. Jon Theodore (Mars Volta, One Day As A Lion) 
49. Brian Downey (Thin Lizzy) 
50. Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, session man) 
51. Alan White (Yes) 
52. Nick Menza (Megadeth) 
53. Phil Ehart (Kansas) 
54. Mark Zonder (Fate's Warning) 
55. Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) 
56. Jaki Liebezeit (CAN) 
57. Scott Travis (Judas Priest) 
58. Virgil Donati (Planet X) 
59. Jim Gordon (Derek And The Dominoes) 
60. Ron Bushy (Iron Butterfly) 
61. Richard Allen (Funk Brothers) 
62. BJ Wilson* Procul Harum) 
63. Chad Wackerman (Zappa) 
64. Ralph Humphrey (Mothers Of Invention) 
65. Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Desert Sessions) 
66. Jojo Mayer (Nerve, session man) 
67. Brann Dailor (Mastodon) 
68. Clive Burr (Iron Maiden) 
69. Christian Vander (Magma) 
70. Dennis Thompson (MC5) 
71. John French (Captain Beefheart) 
72. John Weathers (Gentle Giant) 
73. Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth) 
74. Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson) 
75. Greg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, session man) 
76. Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) 
77. Mike Mangini (Extreme) 
78. Larry Mullen Jr. (U2) 
79. Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull) 
80. Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) 
81. Jabo Starks (James Brown, session man) 
82. Brian Mantia (Primus) 
83. Scott Rockenfield (Queensryche) 
84. Phil Taylor (Motörhead) 
85. Vinnie Appice (Dio, session man) 
86. Fred Coury (Cinderella) 
87. Travis Barker (Blink 182) 
88. Phil Selway (Radiohead) 
89. Randy Castillo (Ozzy Osbourne) 
90. Zak Starkey (The Who, Oasis) 
91. Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones) 
92. Dave Grohl (Nirvana) 
93. Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) 
94. Jose Pasillas (Incubus) 
95. Ron Wilson* (Surfaris) 
96. John Densmore (The Doors) 
97. Chester Thompson (Santana) 
98. Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley) 
99. Van Romaine (Steve Morse) 







Sunday, November 20, 2011

Bon Jovi #1 Single 25 Years - Thanksgiving 1986

It was 25 years ago that Bon Jovi had their first number one single the week of Thanksgiving 1986. "You Give Love A Bad Name" hit number one November 29, 1986.  Raised in New Jersey I had all of Bon Jovi's albums going back to 1984. I have seen Bon Jovi in concert 3 times, most recently on their Circle Tour 2010. Read the post on this blog "Bon Jovi Circle Rocks" posted March 10, 2010.

"You Give Love A Bad Name" is a song written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Richie Sambora about a woman who has jilted her lover. Although originally written for the band Loverboy, the song was recorded by Bon Jovi. The track was released as the first single from the album "Slippery When Wet" and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 29, 1986, Bon Jovi's first number one hit. The song reentered the charts at #29 after Blake Lewis performed it on American Idol. In 2009 it was named the 20th-greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1. 

"Slipper When Wet" Bon Jovi's third studio album; of which "You Give Love A Bad Name" was Bon Jovi's first single from the album in August 1986. It is Bon Jovi's best selling album to date with 12 million copies in the U.S. and 28 million copies worldwide. Billboard named "Slippery When Wet" the best selling album of 1987 and the 21st best selling studio album of all time. The album spent eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 and was the top selling album 0f 1987.

Below is the original Music Video of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name" singing in concert in 1986.  I have also listed "You Give Love A Bad Name"  Lyrics below, which is published on many websites today. Also, check out  "You Give Love A Bad Name" Facts and Rumors that is included in this post. Congratulations to Bon Jovi on their 25th anniversary of their first number one single! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! - Kenny Leibow

There are 100s of sources confirming the facts mentioned throughout this post. I will name a few: Billboard, Rolling Stone, m.songfacts.com, lyrics007.com,  Deniz and Kenny Original Songs, Official and Non-Official Bon Jovi websites.














Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name 1986 


You Give Love A Bad Name lyrics
Songwriters: Bon Jovi, Jon; Sambora, Richard S.; Child, Desmond

Shot through the heart and you're to blame
Darlin' you give love a bad name

An angel's smile is what you sell
You promise me heaven then put me through hell
Chains of love got a hold on me
When passion's a prison you can't break free

Oh! You're a loaded gun, yeah
Oh! There's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done

Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)
Hey, you give love a bad name

Paint your smile on your lips
Blood red nails on your fingertips
A school boy's dream, you act so shy
Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye

Whoa! You're a loaded gun
Whoa! There's nowhere to run
No one can save me
The damage is done

Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)
You give love, oh!

Oh! Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)

Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)
I play my part and you play your game
You give love a bad name
(Bad name)

You give love
You give love
(Bad name)
You give love
You give love
(Bad name)

You give love
You give love
(Bad name)
You give love
You give love

© DESMOBILE MUSIC COMPANY; POLYGRAM INT. PUBL., INC; AGGRESSIVE MUSIC; SONY/ATV TUNES LLC; BON JOVI PUBLISHING


You Give Love a Bad Name - Facts and Rumors
1.  Desmond Child helped write this along with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. He was brought in by the record company to give Bon Jovi a more commercial sound. Among others, Child has written hits for Cher, Aerosmith, and Ricky Martin.

2.  This was the first time Child worked with Jon and Richie. He came to New Jersey, where they worked on this in the basement of Sambora's mother's house. Child came up with the title, and Jon immediately thought up the first line ("Shot through the heart..."). From there, they put the rest of the song together, with "Shot Through The Heart" as the working title.

3.  This song is about a guy whose girlfriend is extremely bad for him.

4.  Jon Bon Jovi dated actress Diane Lane in the mid-'80s, and there are rumors that she was the inspiration for this song. We haven't found anything to confirm this.

5.  This was the first big hit for Bon Jovi, but they did have a minor hit 2 years earlier. In 1984, "Runaway," from their first album, became popular in New Jersey and hit #39 in the US.

6.  At one point, this was intended for the group Loverboy. Bon Jovi and Sambora started out writing it for them, but liked it so much they kept it for themselves.

7.  This was the first Bon Jovi song to get played on MTV. Lead singer Jon Bon Jovi had big hair at the time.

8.  The follow-up single, "Livin' On A Prayer", was also a #1 hit. Desmond Child also helped write and produce that one.

9.  The album was recorded in Vancouver. They got the idea for the album title at a strip club they went to after recording sessions. "Slippery When Wet" is also a common road sign in America, but they were probably more inspired by the girls who danced in a shower at the club.

10. In 2005, this became a #1 hit in Poland when the Polish singer Mandaryna recorded it.

11. Blake Lewis performed this in 2007 on season 6 of American Idol, incorporating beatboxing into the song. The judges loved it, and Lewis performed it again on the season finale. Lewis came in second to Jordin Sparks. (thanks, Donovan Berry - El Dorado, AR, for above 2)