Moving on with the songs by year thing, it’s time for 1972. This one was pretty easy, I have a few of these left before things get really crowded. We’re also now five years away from when I was actually around.
Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water
One of rock’s most immortal songs with the craziest of stories behind it. Perhaps the most iconic riff in history too. I know this song is over 50 years old so I don’t take it for granted that everyone “knows” it, but I do think just about everyone knows this song.
Alice Cooper – School’s Out
This might be The Coop’s prime anthem, kinda hard to say. But this song is an absolute blast. It’s great every year when school lets out for the summer, it’s great in movies about school, and it’s still great as an adult because school being out means less traffic and headaches than normal.
Neil Young – Heart Of Gold
Neil was 26 when he wrote this sad, sad song about searching for love and growing old while striking out. He’s now a few months from his 79th birthday and has about that many studio albums to his credit. But this song still resonates as one of his signature tracks. His unique vocal timber and acoustic guitar made some damn fine music.
David Bowie – Suffragette City
I talked about this song earlier this year. A nice, crazy and noisy affair with attitude and a great false ending. On heralded album full of classics, this one still jumps out to me. Bowie influenced rock of all stripes with this song and album.
Humble Pie – 30 Days In The Hole
This is a fun song about using every type of drug known to man and getting put away for it. Humble Pie were a supergroup before anyone really knew what that was, though Peter Frampton was gone by the time this song came out. This is one of those songs that wasn’t a hit at the time but it got picked up by FM radio and became an enduring classic in the years since.
That does it for this post. The ’70’s keep pushing on next week.
As for next week – the Album of the Week post will be held back until Tuesday. It lines up in order to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the album on the exact day. Not sure what album came out on September 3, 1984 that I’d be interested in…
So Sally can wait … about 16 years, as it turns out.
Hell has frozen over and Oasis are back together. Noel Gallagher and his brother Liam announced the first Oasis shows since 2009 will take place in the United Kingdom in 2025. So far 14 gigs are booked across 6 cities in Wales, England, Scotland and Ireland. Tickets go on sale Saturday, August 31st, with per-registration and pre-sale events already announced.
All of this seemed to come together quickly over the weekend, with Liam Gallagher all but announcing a reunion through his very whimsical use of social media. He and Noel also praised each other at varying points, with Noel paying homage to Liam’s vocal prowess in an interview and Liam dedicating a song to Noel while on stage solo over the weekend.
In fairness, this reunion was tipped off over a month in advance, with most of the information presented proving to be accurate. Both the reunion and general structure of the tour were leaked, though of course everyone was pretty skeptical until this past weekend. Also disclosed was that the brothers Gallagher will be taking home more money than anyone reading or writing this post will see in their lifetimes. This stands to reason with how much of a unicorn this reunion is.
As of now not much else is known about the shows, which are of course nearly 11 months away. We don’t know the Oasis line-up. The same, seemingly reliable sources indicate that it will be Noel, Liam and the members of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. That band includes two people who were in the final iteration of Oasis with Chris Sharrock and Gem Archer, so it would be a logical choice. But no word yet if Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs or any other past Oasis alum will make an appearance. I’m sure we’ll find out as we get closer to the gigs.
I’m not a betting person but if I were I’d be a bit poorer today. Three years back I wrote a post examining the Oasis reunion and I concluded that I didn’t think it would happen. But here we are and all is well, or well enough to launch a hyped and certainly lucrative tour. But cynicism aside, people are very hyped for this reunion and the brothers are giving people what they want.
Among the other rumored information not yet totally confirmed are a handful of North American dates for later this year. Toronto and Mexico City are listed, as well as New Jersey, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles in the US. While all of the UK performances are multiple nights in the same venue, the North American shows are all one-shot deals.
Certainly there are a ton of ifs still to go, but if Oasis do make their way over here next September, I might see if I can’t wind up at a gig. Chicago would be the most logical choice. I’m not in a position where I’m falling all over myself to spend tons of money on something, but if this all materializes I might have a go at it. We will see.
And I guess we’ll see a lot between now and then – there are already betting lines of if Noel and Liam start a fight with each other before or during the reunion. I suspect the shows will go off without any real incident, though both brothers are sure to supply plenty of fodder for headlines during it all. Rejoice or despair, depending on how you feel about it, but Oasis are back together.
We were supposed to just be talking about the 30th anniversary of the debut album Definitely Maybe. I covered that just a few days ago, just before the reunion rumors began to take a life of their own.
It’s a few days early but this week I’m going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the debut Oasis album. I did cover this album way back in the first months of my site but now that I’m doing song and album grading, I figured I could dig this one out and commemorate it. Note that this is a look at the original album, this won’t cover the bonus tracks from the coming reissue. This also won’t address the rumors of a reunion, which is official as of 8/27.
Oasis – Definitely Maybe
Released August 29, 1994 via Creation Records
The Oasis story in a nutshell – Oasis was formed in 1991 by Liam Gallagher, Paul “Bonehead” Arturs, Paul “Guigsy” McGuigan and Tony McCarroll. Not long after Liam asked his older brother Noel to join the band. Noel agreed, on the condition that he take creative control since he had more experience with songwriting and the music business.
In 1993 Oasis were gigging around the UK when they were spotted by Alan McGee, owner of Creation Records. The band were offered and eventually signed a record deal, the deal went international as Sony was part owner of Creation at this time.
The album was recorded in several studios, with Owen Morris becoming the producer after a few stops and starts along the way. Eventually things got settled and the album was ready to go.
There are several versions of Definitely Maybe and one more on the horizon at the end of this week. The original album had a few versions – in this case, the vinyl had a song not on the CD or tape releases. I will cover that extra song today. In 2014 a massive reissue with 2 CD’s worth of bonus discs came along, and in 2024 a new 30th anniversary version with a different set of bonuses is slated for release at the end of August. I will likely cover those bonus tracks in separate posts later down the line. There’s also a DVD version from the 10th anniversary, this is one I haven’t laid eyes or ears on.
So given that I’m covering the vinyl tracklist, today I’ll handle 12 songs at a hair over 56 minutes. For some added context, here is an Oasis song ranking I did last year where several of these tracks make appearances.
Rock n Roll Star
We open with a great, loose track about a dreamer who lives a dreary life but wants to escape that by becoming a rock star. Even though the underlying theme is a bit dire, the song itself is fun and cheery and truly opens up that dream of escape. It runs straight through until the end where there’s an extended tempo switch and a psychedelic fade-out. Grade: A+
Shakermaker
This one is a bit of a psychedelic wall of noise. There’s not a ton going on lyrically but there are some shout outs to the Gallagher brothers’ ’70’s childhood and also Mister Sifter, the guy who Noel bought records from in his youth. Overall a really cool song that shows Oasis weren’t going to be literal or always obvious. Grade: A-
Live Forever
Up next is the song that “made” Oasis, after Noel wrote it and the band heard it they knew they had something above and beyond the makings of a simple indie band.
I covered this fairly recently so I won’t get too much into it, but it is my third favorite Oasis track. It’s such a lovely expression of friendship, love and whatever else that Noel wrote as an antidote to the negative leanings of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. It’s a magnificent triumph and one of rock’s great songs, not just Oasis. Grade: S
Up In The Sky
This one is a contrast study, as the music is very bright and cheery, while the actual message behind the music is pretty angry. It takes aim at prominent people who talk about what a country like England needs without having any clue how the rank and file people are living. With or without the biting commentary it’s a pretty splendid track. Grade: A-
Columbia
Here we have one that was originally meant to be an instrumental that Oasis used to take the stage. After a bit they decided to throw some words on it. There was apparently LSD involved, which would reflect in the trippy vibe of the song. The words written don’t really “mean” much, this is one of several “all vibes” songs Oasis would write. It’s also a really damn good track and one of my Oasis favorites. Grade: A+
Sad Song
This is the song that is on vinyl copies but not on original CD editions. It is a bonus track for digital and CD reissues. Noel handles the singing here on this quiet acoustic track. It’s a fine song, nothing wrong with it, though it does honestly disrupt the vibe of the album between the songs before and after. There is a demo version of this with Liam singing that is coming on the new reissue this week. Grade: B
Supersonic
And now it’s to the band’s very first single, released several months in advance of the album. I covered a reissue of the single awhile back so I can keep it brief here. The song is excellent, it’s a good fun and total nonsense affair with a nice, consistent rhythm to it. Grade: A+
Bring It On Down
This is a great banger, more punch and energetic hard rock than the more careful pacing of other stuff on the album. It’s another look at living the layman’s life in England, similar to Rock n Roll Star. Though it’s a stylistic departure in some form, it fits in very well and stands out among the non-single tracks. Grade: A
Cigarettes And Alcohol
A riff and rhythm so nice that Marc Bolan might get a lawyer if he were still with us. This one is about diving into the title subjects to escape the drudgery of pointless work and life. And if you want something better, you gotta make it happen. So Oasis did make it happen while enjoying plenty of the mentioned substances, as well as others. And with they brought this excellent song. Grade: A+
Digsy’s Diner
This silly track was cooked up by Noel when his friend Peter “Digsy” Deary was singing a weird bit about lasagna. Noel turned it into picking up a gal and inviting her to lasagna for tea. Digsy fired off his own track later called Noel’s Nose in response. This one is funny and actually a pretty decent song that says its peace and gets out of the way quickly. Grade: B+
Slide Away
This song was written on a guitar given to Noel by Johnny Marr, a guitar previously owned by Pete Townsend. This was the first thing Noel did after getting the guitar.
Slide Away is a love song that Noel wrote in honor of his girlfriend of six years. Sadly they broke up just before this album was released. The song is brilliantly constructed and also brings out the best of Liam’s singing. Live versions of this song are regarded as the best of Liam’s performing career. Oddly, Noel didn’t want to release this as a single even though the record label wanted to. Grade: S
Married With Children
The album ends with a silly ditty about the day to day of living with someone. It’s also somewhat inspired by Noel’s girlfriend from Slide Away. It is pretty entertaining though it also doesn’t necessarily hold up to the other stuff on this pretty monolithic album. It does work on the album’s end. Grade: C+
Definitely Maybe was a hit out of the gate for Oasis. It sold 100,000 copies in the UK on its first week of release, hitting the UK number one and also setting a record for the fastest selling debut of all time. That record was later topped by Adele. It would also go platinum in the US despite a modest chart position of 61 and no mainstream hits, though songs did get aired on alternative rock stations and MTV. All in all, the album has sold over eight million copies and has eight platinum certifications in the UK. (note that 300,000 is platinum in the UK as opposed to a million in the US)
This is pretty easy to assign a grade to. There are many excellent songs on here that would anchor the Oasis live set all through their tumultuous career. There aren’t any real missteps on here, a couple of silly songs work where they’re at and the somber vinyl bonus song is still worthy material.
Album Grade: A+
Oasis got going in grand fashion with Definitely Maybe, and would only get hotter with their world-conquering next album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? For a spell in the mid ’90’s Oasis were as big as it got in music. Sure we know the stories of the brothers’ temperaments and feud that runs to this day, but the music has stood the test of time.
The “Five Songs a Year” series rolls on into 1971. As always, these are five of my favorite songs from a year as opposed to “my five favorites,” nothing here is too definitive.
This year was really easy for me to throw together, I saw a few things that got released that year and had my list together real quick. I’m sure I could have done a more exhaustive review of the music from ’71 but this is supposed to be a quick and easy thing so I’ll leave it at that. Things start getting really crowded in a few years’ time so I’ll enjoy these easier ones.
Alice Cooper – Under My Wheels
The Coop has arrived on this list, for the first and likely not last time. This was the classic band formation of Alice Cooper on their fourth album Killer. This one is a fun old-school boogie that also gets into a bit of sensory overload at points. They are going completely off here and it’s a crazy experience.
T. Rex – Get It On
A song and album so influential that just about everyone who’s made music since has a copy of the record. The song is a very simple jam but adds enough to stand out from the other happenings in rock at the time. Even 53 years later the song lives on in rock immortality.
Black Sabbath – Children Of The Grave
And here is another signature track from the masters of metal. This one has some crazy bass and percussion on it, and is even a bit bright musically. But the song is a dire warning yet again about the ills of war and its possible apocalyptic consequences. Another one of Sabbath’s finest songs.
The James Gang – Walk Away
While this group never got the traction they might have been after, this song would become a fairly solid hit for them over the years. It was another Joe Walsh composition and performance, and the amount Walsh had to put into writing for the group led him to do just what the song’s title states not long after release. The James Gang would go on for several more years before sputtering out. Never heard how it panned out for Joe Walsh…
Led Zeppelin – The Battle Of Evermore
All of the other songs here are uncomplicated, there’s nothing to get in a fuss over about them. But this one? We have a guest singer! Mandolin! Lord of the Rings AND King Arthur! The song’s overall structure is not complex but man there’s a lot going on here. I’ve heard this practically my whole life and I still can’t wrap my head around it. Not sure what that says more about – the song or me.
That does it for 1971. Things stop getting quick and easy real soon as more of rock and metal’s immortal acts show up on the scene through the next several years.
Summer does not officially end in this hemisphere until September 22, still a hair over a month to go. But the unofficial summer season does end in the latter part of August when kids go back to school. I don’t have any kids so school time isn’t some massive issue to me, but it is a bit depressing when “true summer” is over as I live in a city with a ton of schools in it. Summer time is fairly peaceful around here with less traffic and snarls of people, but now we’re back into massive traffic and people being idiots about where they drive, park and everything else.
But summer isn’t actually over yet, so let’s pull out this Danzig single from 1992. This was the lead single from the album III: How The Gods Kill. The album did decently well in its time, hitting 24 on the Billboard 200. While Danzig had a bit of a run with success, that actually came a year later with the re-release of Mother. This year prior was not obscure by any means, Danzig was a fixture on MTV by this point and his stuff fit right in with the alternative metal thing going on at the time. But true sales success was another year off.
The first defining feature of the song is actually near silence for 40 seconds. If this comes up on a playlist set to shuffle, you might think the playback died or something, especially if you’re only half paying attention or listening on a more lo-fi bluetooth device. There is a bit of atmospheric noise going on but it’s totally minimal and not always detectable. But then John Christ comes in with a divebomb note on the guitar and the song proper kicks off.
And it’s clear that the song lives up to the title – this is hot, dark and dirty. The song does have a slower pace to it, which is perfect to let the winding riff conjure up demons and dust devils and shit like that, and the drums and bass hit with extra results. And it’s all brought together by the familiar bellow of Glenn Danzig, the “evil Elvis” of heavy metal.
There isn’t much to dissect here lyrically, this song is all vibes. In this 2022 interview with Revolver, Danzig recounts how the song was simply about his memories of summer as a teenager – running around, getting into trouble, not having anything noteworthy to do. I love a good concept album as much as the next nerd, but sometimes keeping it simple is the more effective approach and it works splendidly here.
The song was a huge part of the soundtrack to my own dirty black summers in 1992 and beyond, I was 15 at the time and I enjoyed the same vibes through my vacations from school. And even all these years later, 32 of them in fact, I still dial this song up when I want to feel some good (evil) vibes during the small, hot and far too short quieter time of year.
This week let’s go back to 1984 and head right into the fire – Dokken were on the ropes with their record company after a debut that failed to sell. They needed to get their name out there and move some records. This was the result.
Dokken – Tooth And Nail
Released September 14, 1984 via Elektra Records
Dokken had at least broken onto the scene by 1984 via US remix and re-release of their debut Breaking The Chains a year prior. The album did not perform to label expectations and Elektra weren’t all that into the concept of funding more Dokken music. But they were talked into ponying up for another record and the band convened in Hollywood to record their second effort.
Dokken’s line-up already had one change between albums. While mainman Don Dokken was still around, along with guitarist George Lynch and drummer Mick Brown, it was the bass position that needed a new hand. Juan Croucier took his bass and dance moves to Ratt, so Dokken filled the void with Jeff Pilson.
The album was produced by Tom Werman, up until the point that it wasn’t. Werman vacated the job after a nasty confrontation with George Lynch. Don Dokken wanted Michael Wagener from the beginning, so Wagener was brought in despite objections from the rest of the band. Roy Thomas Baker was also brought in to babysit the angry cocaine fiends. The actual stories of all the drama around this album are numerous and can be found in many books and interviews, the whole thing is just crazy and worth a deep dive.
Eventually the album got recorded and released, and we have a 10 track record running at a somewhat lean 38 minutes. There is a Rock Candy reisusse with a few bonus tracks but there’s not much else that I know of in the way of reissues, this album is generally one that you’re getting what you get.
Without Warning
Up first is an instrumental intro. It’s fairly brief at 1:34. Here Lynch is setting a tone more than anything, it’s not a firecracker guitar virtuoso thing. It works just fine to get the ears warmed up for the rest of the album. Grade: B+
Tooth And Nail
Up next is the title track and a total scorcher of a song. It outlines the exact mindset of the band through this time – desperate and ready to do everything to take a shot at the top. While Dokken would handle several of their songs in a more pop-oriented format, this one is a total callback to the more heavy metal-oriented debut album. Grade: A+
Just Got Lucky
And now for one of those more pop-leaning songs. This one has a pretty bright and melodic ring to it, though it still has a nice crunch. This ages-old tale of hooking up with the wrong person did modestly well on the Modern Rock chart as a single, but in the years since it has become one of the band’s signature songs. George Lynch filmed his solo for the music video on top of an active volcano in Hawaii. It was so active that he and the film crew were sent away by the parks department and the volcano erupted while they were flying off. Grade: A+
Heartless Heart
A straightforward rocker with some nice gang vocals and the usual guitar work. Again, Dokken retained a pretty nice heavy-rooted sound while they pursued more commercial accessibility. This sounds like death metal compared to some of the sap of the late-80’s glam and hair scene. Grade: A
Don’t Close Your Eyes
Lynch just plain goes ham here, almost maybe showing off stuff he might have used if he’d gotten the Ozzy gig. Very well done, nice and heavy song here. This wasn’t a single but it’s another essential parrt of the Dokken catalog. Grade: S
When Heaven Comes Down
The hits keep coming with another sharp, heavy song at just the perfect pace for headbanging along to. This album started off hot and hasn’t let up one moment. Grade: A+
Into The Fire
The rock keeps going here though Dokken do thrown in a bit more in the way of pop sensibilities here. It worked, as this was a decently performing single and has also been Dokken’s most-played live song. It’s exactly the right balance of rocking and catchy to draw people in. The pop as all hell third verse coming right out of the guitar solo says it all. Grade: A+
Bullets To Spare
Nothing dives off the path here – it’s another heavy, crisp song. Again with a pretty good headbanging pace to it. If this is the least heralded track from the album, then you have one hell of an album on your hands. Grade: A
Alone Again
And now it’s time for the ballad. That’s what the record label told Don when the album was underway – the ballad was becoming a mandatory inclusion as the 80’s rock world formed around this glam rock sound. So Don dusted off this old piece of a song he and Jeff Pilson had lying around and they recorded the ballad.
And it worked. Alone Again was the best-performing single, going to 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and getting to 20 on the Top Rock Songs chart. It also works in the context of the album – this isn’t a saccharine mess, it’s a well-constructed song that still rocks even with its more somber tone and content. Grade: A
Turn On The Action
And we close out the album with one more hot rocker. It’s a nice, high-energy groove to leave off with. Nothing much more to say, the album keeps it up all the way through. Grade: A
Tooth And Nail was not the smash hit Dokken were looking for, but it did provide much-needed momentum to placate the record label and get their name out there more. The album got to number 49 on the Billboard 200 and would go gold in 1985 after steady sales. It would eventually get platinum after the band’s next few albums provided the commercial peak everyone was truly after. Dokken toured as opener for a range of acts through the year, before setting back into studio to record the follow-up that would see their fortunes shine even brighter.
After looking back at my song grades, it makes the album itself very easy to grade.
Album Grade: A+
This one is more than just a band who pushed themselves to record something worth listening to – this album helped define the sound of what 80’s rock could be and also would be. This was more melodic and catchy, but also retained a solid, heavy feel to it. Not many could handle that kind of balancing act and not many did, with some being on the heavy side of it and many others going for the quick hit off the pop ballad. But in 1984 Dokken helped establish would rock was going to do through the ensuing years.
I’m moving on through the years and now I’m picking songs from 1970. As always, this is me picking five of my favorites of a year rather than me picking an absolute top five.
We’re still in years before I was born, it’ll be seven more posts before I “show up.” While I wasn’t around for 1970, this is the year stuff I’m into really got going, as we’re just about to see. Not all of the songs I pick every year are going to revolve around heavy metal, but this year it’s an almost constant theme given the acts and songs involved.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
And here we are – heavy metal is in full force now. The Birmingham foursome mucked their way into a record deal and mutated the blues into an assault on the ears. This song is totally down in the dumps, being the herald of a subgenre of metal that would be known as doom years later.
And what a song this is. Just so morose, creepy and excellent. And while Sabbath were often accused of Satanism, here they don’t depict Satan and Hell as some kind of party – rather it’s a horrifying experience to be cast down below. Heavy metal is here, and damn is it wicked.
Mountain – Mississippi Queen
A fun, heavy cut that became the biggest hit for the US group who were also responsible for the rise of heavy metal. This had guitar loaded with purpose and was a curb-stomping song about a riverboat and of course a woman on said boat. This song still gets airtime 54 years later, a pretty wicked accomplishment.
Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
Here the titans of rock went about also contributing to heavy metal – this brief blast of music would combine loud, brash music and Viking themes, something that runs amok through metal to this day. Also Robert Plant’s wail on here is just ungodly, good luck finding anyone else on the planet to replicate that. While tales of Viking raids are fantasy in the modern age, the song’s origin is mundane – Zep were booked to play in Iceland and put on a crazy show at a last-minute venue after their original booking got axed by striking workers. And this is what they came up with out of that. Just crazy.
Santana – Oye Cómo Va
Fun fact – decades before Carlos Santana conquered the world with his accomplice Rob Thomas, his band was quite successful already. This was a cover of a cha-cha-chá song by Tito Puente from 1962. Puente was not originally happy that a rock band was doing his song, he changed his mind when the first royalty check came in.
The song is really fun with a nice groove and simple yet crazy organ from Gregg Rolie. It’s easy to see why this one caught on so well, including with me who wouldn’t have heard it until years after it was released.
Black Sabbath – War Pigs
There won’t be very many instances of one act getting two songs on the same year. But this is a rare instance since it marks the first works of heavy metal’s fathers and they happened to put out two albums in 1970.
This was an anti-war song, getting more into the evil nature behind the powers that be sending the poor off to die for a nebulous cause. It’s often discussed as one of Sabbath’s best songs and with good reason, it’s an intense jam and the speed up at the end just slides everything off the rails and into a total frenzy.
That covers it for 1970. Heavy metal is here now and it does inform a large part of my listening. But there is plenty beyond metal to go over as well as these years wind on. Until then.
Today I’m gonna have a look at the debut single from The Cult, who would go on to become a force within rock music later in the ’80’s. But they got their start in earnest in 1984 with this initial single.
And, in order to fill up space, I also get to dive into the very confusing naming history of The Cult. There was initially a band that singer Ian Astbury was in called the Southern Death Cult. Astbury ended that band and then joined up with guitarist Billy Duffy and formed Death Cult. The Southern Death Cult and Death Cult are two distinct bands, though as we’re about to find out at least one song migrated over from one to the other. Death Cult would eventually change their name to The Cult, and they are the ones as we know them today from that one song they play in every strip club across the country. The band were originally joined by bassist Jamie Stewart and drummer Ray Mondo for their first album.
Spiritwalker was originally conceived in Astbury’s old Southern Death Cult. The band performed something called The War Song in 1981 with lyrics that would go on to be used in Spiritwalker. Then moving to Death Cult, the new band reworked everything and came up with Spiritwalker. The early version was much different musically, though finding any actual performances is very hard to do so I don’t have anything on hand to offer. While there was a Death Cult EP, it did not contain any version of this song.
So anyway, we now get to the name change to The Cult and plans for the first proper album. Spiritwalker as it is known today was released several months ahead of the album – the single was released in May of 1984, while the album Dreamtime came in August. Spiritwalker did not light the UK charts on fire, at least the mainstream chart – it only got to 77 there. But it did land on top of the Independent chart and got some early buzz going for the group ahead of their album release.
With all of that exposition, let’s talk about the actual goddamn song, huh? The first thing that comes off here is the guitar tone. Duffy’s tone is so bright here, it’s pretty unreal how he pulls off going that “high” in a relative sense yet also keeping it catchy. He goes unreal high in places where nothing else is going on, then rings it a bit in the background when vocals are up. Even when The Cult went more “mainstream rock” later in the ’80’s, Duffy kept his bright guitar tone through a fair few of the band’s signature songs. He was totally operating on his own plane of existence and has been through the band’s entire run.
I often in my reviews of stuff don’t talk about drums and bass much. Honestly I’m spoiled by a band like Van Halen who had one of the best rhythm sections in existence. But The Cult were not that far behind, both drums and bass accent exactly what the song needs here and add their own layer to the song without going virtuoso and detracting from the main show. Steward and Mondo deserve kudos for their performances, both on single and album, and The Cult would make full use of the rhythm section throughout their long and winding career.
Then there’s Ian Astbury. He gets lumped in a lot as a Jim Morrison clone, and also in the “Evil Elvis” category alongside Glenn Danzig. But here Ian goes both full-throated and a bit higher, mimicking Morrison far more than Elvis. His vocals in The Cult are often described as having a “shamanistic” quality, which I don’t know what that is supposed to mean but there are multiple spiritual aspects to Ian’s outlook and performance.
What this all adds up to is one hell of a song, and something in a bit of contrast to what we had in 1984. Pop was in a new wave era and rock went a bit lighter overall, though the seeds for something heavier were planted in the heavy metal realm. But The Cult were totally on their own path, this song being very loosely classified as “gothic rock” but truly being an entity that defied categorization, something the band would take pride in over the ensuing decades. This flies under the radar a bit in terms of the music of 1984, but The Cult did firmly put themselves on the rock map with Spiritwalker back then. And the future would give us a hell of a lot more of their twist on rock.
Given the announcement recently that Aerosmith are pretty much hanging it up, I figured it was a good time to pull out this classic album that really got the ball rolling for them nearly 50 years ago.
Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic
Released April 8, 1975 via Columbia Records
Aerosmith had very light success with their first two records. They had gained a bit of notice but were dismissed as a bit of a “dumb” act and didn’t bring a ton to the table, even with a few of their now classic songs being on those records. But after a year of touring behind Get Your Wings, the band were tighter than ever before and ready to let loose in the studio. They convened with Jack Douglas, who had produced the prior album and would handle this and two more.
The line-up is the band’s classic formation and honestly the same folks they’ve had in the band for the vast majority of their existence. Steven Tyler commanded attention at the mic, while Joe Perry and Brad Whitford were on guitar. Tom Hamilton was on bass and Joey Kramer on drums. There are some other performances credited on this album, including something called a marimba. I don’t know what the hell that is.
Today we have 9 songs that wrap up in a tidy 37 minutes. I don’t honestly know of any real “deluxe” versions of this with bonus tracks, Aerosmith typically park their bonuses on other sorts of releases.
Toys In The Attic
The balls gets rolling right out of the gate with scorching hot rocker. Flying guitar work takes center stage here, this is a vehicle that would get flagged for speeding down the freeway. This isn’t a high concept song by any means. The phrase generally refers to being crazy. There are other interpretations of the song’s meaning but no need to dwell on those. This is a massive way to open an album, great sequencing work here. Grade: A
Uncle Salty
The song itself is a pretty sweet jam, this one gets down with melodic rhythm parts while Steven Tyler goes down and dirty on some of the vocals. Lyrically the song is pretty damn dark – it’s about a young woman who grows up in abuse and later becomes a prostitute. Fairly brutal stuff to contemplate on a ’70’s hard rock record. Grade: B+
Adam’s Apple
Here we have the Shakespearean combination of the Adam and Eve story from the Bible and a blowjob. The music plays out nicely here – a good groove without doing too much. Tyler has the sole writing credit on this song but has admitted he has no memory of composing the song, which is fair given the state he used to run around in way back when. Grade: B
Walk This Way
Bands who “make it” for a brief time usually do so on the back of one signature song, and bands who last over half a century still have a signature song. While Aerosmith have no shortage of ammo in their “great song” chamber, this one is the one that made them. Twice.
We have a simple yet very infectious main riff, with some additional playful guitar notes running through. Steven Tyler employs vocals that in 1975 didn’t really have a term, it could be called scatting. His main impetus for the vocals was that he used to be a drummer so he employed a percussive rhythm to his words. It all adds up to a massively catchy and entertaining song, all about some kid in high school who’s looking to lose his virginity.
I’ll be brief for this last part – Run DMC did a remix of the song in 1986, this would help launch a new act in Aerosmith’s career that saw them become megastars. The full story is really interesting but can wait for another time. Grade: S
Big Ten Inch Record
We can save a fair bit of space here – this is an old blues cover. It’s a pretty decent song to listen to musically. Lyrically it’s one of those things that’s funny the first time. It’s not out of place for Aerosmith, hell it fits right in. But it doesn’t set the world on fire either. Grade: C+
Sweet Emotion
And now on to what was the lead single from the record and another song that has become a staple of the band’s catalog. This one sets a mood with some different instruments (and apparently sugar packets for shakers) and some ungodly guitar riffs. Aerosmith could play a basic rock song and make it compelling but here they threw in elements to really up the boogie and sleaze.
And yeah, this one is sleazy. It’s an ode to everyone’s favorite pastime of sex. Maybe too sleazy, especially in light of certain news items from the past few years. But overall this song glistens in its grime and remains a favorite Aerosmith jam.
This song also got a second lease on life in 1991 when it was remixed to promote a box set (that the remixed single isn’t even on). It came with a funny music video about phone sex operators (that’s pre-Internet stuff for any of you under 40). Grade: S
No More No More
A really fun rocker that’s just about life on the road for a young, partying band. It’s nice and bright but also has some power behind it, a really cool song. Grade: A
Round And Round
For those who frown on Aerosmith and knock them for sounding too much like Led Zeppelin, we would call this Exhibit A. It’s a cool song and it definitely has Page and Plant vibes all over it. Nothing really wrong with that. Grade: B+
You See Me Crying
The album closes with a ballad and yet another song that Steven Tyler forgot he wrote. This has some pretty elaborate stuff going on, it’s a song more loaded with stuff than any prior Aerosmith track. It’s a ballad for sure and it’s also very, very 70’s – this isn’t the prototypical power ballad of the 1980’s. Overall it’s really well put together and makes its mark, all of the extra arrangement doesn’t hurt it at all. Grade: A
Toys In The Attic was a move up for Aerosmith, who hadn’t made many waves with their first two records. The album would do a slow roll, eventually charting at number 11 on Billboard. It would go gold around the same time.
But the album’s success wouldn’t stop there. Aerosmith rose from the ashes and became a massive record-moving machine years later, and now this album has nine platinum certifications in the US.
This album pairs along with its successor Rocks as an immortal one-two punch from Aerosmith, these are widely hailed as the band’s best works. And my view is no different than many others – this is a great triumph of a rock record, offering up a wonderful listening experience.
Album Grade: A
Toys In The Attic is a hallmark moment in American rock, showing that the US could rock out on par with their former colonial overlords across the pond. And while the story on Aerosmith might have come to a sad end recently, their work and especially this one remains as an immortal piece of an unparalleled American legacy.
On again with this long-running series where I pick five songs from a year. As always, this list should be taken as “five of my favorite songs from 1969,” as opposed to “my five favorite songs from 1969.”
1969 was apparently a hell of a year. I wasn’t personally around for it, I still have eight years before I showed my pretty little face. But this was the big one – the Summer of Love, Woodstock, all of that jazz.
Now, I don’t know if music from ’69 really leapt out and grabbed me the same way stuff from ’67 did. But that could be more about that year than this one. It was no real problem finding five songs for this year.
Led Zeppelin – Communication Breakdown
First off is one from Zep’s debut. I do very much love the album and this song specifically is a huge selling point. A short blast of heavy metal from them, which is honestly a rare treat as they influenced the genre for sure but didn’t actually play it much. I’ve always loved the power and insanity of this track.
Credence Clearwater Revival – Fortunate Son
I guess one way to achieve musical immortality is to release three freaking albums in one year, which CCR did in 1969. This track was a shot at the elite, who kept their children out of the Vietnam War while the sons of the working class were shipped off to face death. It’s a fantastic song and an enduring protest anthem to this day. While CCR had a number of great songs in their career, which was apparently mostly in 1969, this song stands out to me as their magnum opus.
The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
What would become punk rock took shape in no small part thanks to this track from Iggy Pop and company. This is a pretty groovy track with piano from John Cale of The Velvet Underground and the simple, distorted three chord guitar structure which would become the anchor of punk. The song isn’t literal, Iggy Pop doesn’t want to be a dog. In part it’s the word God turned backwards because Iggy was bored one day and came up with it. The other part is naughty stuff, I’ll let you dwell on that.
Merle Haggard – Okie From Muskogee
Up next is a song written as a counter to the Vietnam protests. Haggard was in full support of the US troops and composed this ode to American life. Haggard later said his views changed after learning new information about the war but the song was an enduring hit and also a tribute to the small town folks of his home state so the song remained in play through his life.
And, while the song is politically charged and in a way I’m not personally inclined toward, it is a fair assessment of that “simpler” kind of life. I can appreciate that side of things, especially the more “small town” stuff. I also fondly recall Willie Nelson playing this live in tribute just after Merle died in 2016, nothing says irony like Willie playing this song.
The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
And this year caps off with yet another song about the Vietnam War, though Keith Richards actually started it based on a far more mundane thunderstorm. But the anti-war sentiment rings strong through this excellent song. I’m not a massive Stones fan, I don’t have any of their albums or anything, but their top tracks do stand out and this is certainly one of them.
That does it for this edition and also wraps up the 1960’s. Things really kick off once I get rolling into the ’70’s. See you then.
The Crooked Wanderer 