Category: Reviews

Making The Grade

On By bigbadburchIn Reviews17 Comments

So this week I did a new thing – I introduced grading songs and albums into my Album of the Week feature. This is going to be a new thing going forward. I’m using this post today to discuss the grading scale in detail. I will have this post around as a guide for people who happen across my album reviews. At the end of this I’ll also touch on stuff regarding the Album of the Week going forward.

I had a long period of indecision about how to do a scoring system. I was torn between the 5 point number system and a 10 point scale. The 5 point scale is nice and compact and very easy to understand scoring differences, a 2.5 is a world away from a 5 or even a 4.5. A 5 point scale with half steps is also a 10 step scale, or 11 if you count zero, but that’s beside the point.

I honestly thought about doing a 10 scale just to be “different.” A lot of people use the 5 point scale and I wanted to present things a bit differently. But I was having fits with stuff like a 6 or a 7, those kind of scores just look weird to me and seem like they’re just numbers hanging out somewhere. What the hell is a 7, really? The 10 point scale didn’t fit me.

Being bright as I am, it took me a really long time to hit on the letter grade system. Seriously, I deliberated on this for over a year and then finally messed around with letter grades just a few weeks back. I really liked the results and I feel like I can accurately express what I want with the grades so that’s what I’ll go with.

I will lay out the various letter grades and what they represent on my grading system below. And yes, I’m using plus and minus on all but the very bottom and top grades, so there are 14 possible grades for songs and albums. Most people understand the letter grade system but my top grade is somewhat unconventional in western society so I’ll lay it all out here.

F – the lowest end of the scale and a failing grade. It’s a song that sucks in irredeemable fashion. I don’t even know if I’ll use it all that much but I can think of a few total stinkers that would get the harshest of grades. No need for a plus or minus here, an F is an F.

D – really bad. Not failing, but not that far off. D on my grade scale is not a great thing. I’m not trying to keep a student from failing a class, this isn’t a pity grade. I’m judging final work here and a D is just not cutting the mustard. Anything on a D scale is a song I don’t really want to listen to again but I can find something about it that keeps if from earning the dreaded F.

C – this does generally denote average and is how I’ll use it. There are plenty of average songs out there and even great albums have some less than stellar tracks a lot of the time. There isn’t anything “wrong” with being average, though of course music fans are looking for something more. But I’m sure I’ll hand out plenty of stuff in the C range as I go along, there are a lot of ho-hum songs out there.

B – B is a very good, solid grade. Better than average, as would stand to reason. For a song it doesn’t represent a transcendent work but is still a very good song worth listening to. It is me saying that this is very much worth giving a spin to and is ideally the minimum grade for any music I listen to, but that obviously won’t happen.

A – the top of the Western grading scale, an A is usually as good as it gets. It won’t be the top rank on my scale but it will commonly be the best possible grade. This is a band or act getting the music really, really right. Every student wants an A and every band wants an A. But they’re not that easily earned.

S – S is a grade above A that is used in Japan and it has also seeped into Internet culture on tier lists and things like that. S-Tier stuff is the greatest stuff possible. An S song is a rare gem and is absolutely the best of the best. I used to run an S-tier songs series on here and that is the same concept here – any song that gets this grade is just truly magnificent. It won’t been seen a whole hell of a lot but those S-tier songs are out there. I won’t use plus or minus for S grades either – S is as good as it gets.

That sums up the letter grading scale. It will take me a bit of time to get used to doing it but early returns are pretty good so I’ll rock it out going forward. This feature will apply to the Album of the Week series, as well as any other albums I happen to write about. I won’t use it for the Song of the Week or other stuff like that. I may do brief album grades for more current releases in short review form as well.

If you came here to get an explanation for my grading scale, you’ve reached the end of relevant content. I’ll throw a YouTube clip in here and then discuss some stuff relevant to my Album of the Week series in April 2024 below, it won’t really pertain to the grading system outline. If you’re reading this on or about Friday April 12 and are a regular reader, you may (or may not) want to read the below passage.

So with this grading thing also comes a re-evaluation of the Album of the Week feature. I started it when I started the blog as a way to ensure I had something consistent to write about at least once a week. It has served that purpose well but like anything I have also evaluated it over time.

At one point last year I was actually thinking of pulling the plug on AOTW – I was getting a bit bored with it and felt it was a grind to finish off the post each Saturday before it went live. But doing the 1984 thing this year has reinvigorated me a bit and I feel fine with continuing AOTW going forward.

It will take me a little time to truly integrate the grading system into my posts. There may be one or two that pop up without it as I have a few things nearly ready to go – my inability to post a few times so far this year has left me with a bit of extra material.

As I go along I’ll be playing with the posts a little bit, small changes to formatting and such. I don’t have a grand direction here – I just want to play with a few things and see how they look, it’s not a huge deal.

One other hope as I introduce the grading system – I am reasonably confident that I can cut down the length of these album posts as I switch my focus more to the song’s grade. I’ve had a few of my posts this year really get away from me. I will be working on keeping things more compact in the near future.

Also – I’ve done nearly three years’ worth of album posts without grades. Over time I will likely drag a few back up again and hand out grades. I will make them separate posts and I’ll probably just do those on other days rather than doing a second AOTW post about those albums. Honestly I only have plans for one right now and that will come up in August on the album’s 30th anniversary, but I will recycle content a little bit to integrate this new grading scale.

And one small aside about the AOTW and the grading system – I by no means want to only review great albums. There is plenty of other music out there worth looking at that isn’t A material. But, as it would happen, the next few albums lined up in queue are, well, pretty damn amazing and so it’s gonna look like I’m the easy teacher handing out As like candy. That will be somewhat true as I keep doing the 1984 thing, but I think this will actually get me to dig into some less heralded albums as I go along. But there are a few ringers lined up here in the near future.

I think that about covers what I wanted to talk about. I will leave you to guess which 1984 classic album I’ll discuss on Monday, I’m sure it’s hard to figure out, lol. See you then.

This Is Pop – Hail Britpop!

On By bigbadburchIn Reviews10 Comments

Last week I was trying and failing to find something to watch across streaming services when I landed on a series called This Is Pop! This was a short series filmed in 2021 by the Canadian crew Banger Films, responsible for Metal Evolution, originally Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and many other quality documentaries.

I did not watch the whole series and I probably won’t, but one was really interesting to me – Hail Britpop! This recounts that brief but lovely time in British music when a bunch of different forces converged to reshape the English music scene, and at least one act broke out internationally. So I figured I’d go over the episode a bit and also run down the Battle of Britpop, which was discussed in some detail on the show.

The show depicted Britpop as a movement of rather different music interests, ranging from alt-rock to shoegaze and other forms, that would fit together to express a uniquely English musical identity in the early 1990’s. While Suede is generally credited with the birth of Britpop, the show paints Blur as the main culprits. Alex James and David Rowntree of Blur both give pretty insightful interviews for the episode.

The consensus is that Blur were on tour in America and were lamenting the lack of English identity in music, which at the time was very much under the thumb of American grunge. Blur returned from the tour and recorded their seminal Parklife album, which celebrated British culture and made them superstars. The fact that some of Parklife was a sneer at that same British culture rather than a celebration was left out of the show.

Once Blur went over, it was open season for the British music press for anything Britpop. The show does a great job of painting the music press as the actual main purveyor of Britpop – this wasn’t a codified music scene with a common sound and characteristics, this was a bunch of different bands grouped together because they sounded British and were generally more cheery than the alt-rock of the day. Members from bands like Lush and Echobelly give interviews to this effect.

The show does make what I assume is a joke, that one day a heavy metal band changed their attire and “became” a Britpop band. I don’t know of any such act who actually did that, if one did I’d be happy to know who it was. But even if the show made the point in exaggerating fashion, it was true that there was a hop on the press-driven bandwagon of Britpop.

While Blur were the early winners of the Britpop phenomenon and it was largely a London-based scene, most everyone who was alive at the time knows what eventually happened – a group of sneering lads from Manchester came along and stole the spotlight.

The part of Oasis in the episode is represented by Alan McGee, the head of Creation Records and the man responsible for signing Oasis to their record deal. The introduction of Oasis also brings about the North-South divide in England – the south being more posh and the north more working class and perhaps grim. Blur would come to represent the south aesthetic while Oasis would carry the torch for the working people of the north. While this depiction is true to some degree, it’s also a media invention that would fuel the Battle of Britpop in 1995.

The Battle of Britpop was pretty simple – both Blur and Oasis released singles from their new albums on the same day – August 14, 1995. It was billed as a titanic heavyweight fight in the British press, extending far beyond just the music rags. The show offers arguments from both Food Records and Creation Records label heads as well as Blur band members about the choice to release on the same day, note that Blur’s band and record exec stories directly contradict one another on the show.

Blur would come out winners of the Battle of Britpop, as their single Country House outsold the Oasis offering Roll With It. While this temporarily went in Blur’s favor, the show quickly pivots to the runaway success of Wonderwall and the massive sales Oasis would see of their second album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Oasis would trounce Blur in full album sales and, while this wasn’t mentioned on the show that I recall, music press even changed reviews of Blur’s The Great Escape after Oasis mania truly took hold.

Just as quickly as Britpop took hold, it would fizzle out. A bit of Oasis’ triumphant Knebworth gigs in 1996 are touched on, this was likely the zenith of Britpop. Oasis’ third album Be Here Now did well out of the gate but landed pretty hard in critical reviews and tends to signal the end of Britpop. Blur also changed tack, actually embracing the American music they’d forsaken years ago and had their big international hit with their self-titled album and especially Song 2.

This wraps up the episode of Hail Britpop! I felt the episode was good, though it did move quick and leave a lot of Britpop out. It nailed the central points of being a press movement and it got the rise of Oasis and the posh/working class clash of the Battle of Britpop right, but a lot of Britpop’s other history was left unaired. Suede, Pulp and Elastica all played big roles in the Britpop phenomenon but were relegated to pictures and small mentions in the show. I don’t intend this to be a huge criticism of the show as I understand the makers were going over the main points in their 45-minute airtime, but I do admit to being more of an admirer of comprehensive coverage.

Overall though, I do think this episode was really good and it’s a nice primer to the main aspects of Britpop for those unfamiliar. I had a good time watching it and reliving a small but very important part of my music listening history. It is a good place to go for those maybe not as vested in the finer points of the Britpop movement but who want an easy to digest version of what all the fuss was about from England in the mid 1990’s.

Since I’ve been writing about Britpop, I figured I would take a moment to link back to some old posts of mine on the subject. I covered Oasis extensively in this site’s early days and I have a few more here and there about the subject so I’ll link up to some relevant stuff below for your further reading pleasure.

Oasis – Definitely Maybe Album of the Week

Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory Album of the Week

Oasis – Be Here Now Album of the Week

Oasis – Knebworth ’96 Album of the Week

The Importance Of Being Idle – Will Oasis Ever Re-unite?

Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger (S-Tier Songs)

Blur – Parklife Album of the Week

Blur – Song 2 (S Tier Songs)

Elastica – Stutter (S Tier Songs)

Bronson Arroyo – Covering The Bases

On By bigbadburchIn Reviews4 Comments

I’m gonna close out 2022 with a curveball from 2005. A few weeks back I was doing a write-up on a song when I discovered the existence of this curiosity. After looking into it a bit I decided to take the plunge and get a copy so I could see what’s up with it.

This album of cover tunes comes from Bronson Arroyo, a former Major League baseball pitcher who had a long career from 2000 through to 2017. He was a part of the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship team, which rankles me because I’m a St. Louis Cardinals fan. Arroyo was the guy trying to tag Alex Rodriguez in game 6 of the ALCS when A-Rod slapped the ball out of his hand, that was a pretty infamous baseball play.

Arroyo spent the bulk of his career with the Cincinnati Reds, which also rankles me because I’m a St. Louis Cardinals fan. At any rate, Arroyo had a pretty nice career – he lasted a long time as a pitcher and was durable for the bulk of his stay in Cincinnati, only having issues through the 2010’s when he hopped around on a few teams before his retirement in 2017.

What I wasn’t really aware of was that Arroyo was also a musician and had cut a covers album in 2005, when Arroyo was still a member of the Red Sox. This isn’t some rinky-dink project either – dude had to have spent some serious coin on this album. There was an entire production team and some world-class session musicians were brought in to play, including Michael Landau, Kenny Aronoff and Leland Sklar. Also appearing on a few tracks is Mike Inez, of Alice In Chains and Ozzy fame. Arroyo sticks to singing on this album but does play guitar.

Covering The Bases offers up 12 songs, all of which are pretty well known in some regard. Most all of them besides the final track are alt-rock standards of the 1990’s, letting us know where Arroyo’s tastes evolve from. I’ll go ahead and run through everything here to see what we’ve got, it’ll be a long post but whatever. I’m not familiar with a handful of the originals but others I know pretty well.

Slide

Originally a big hit for the Goo Goo Dolls in 1998, Arroyo’s album leads off with what sounds like a very faithful rendition of the OG tune. I’m not radically familiar with the original nor am I a fan of the band but I’d say Arroyo and company nailed this one.

Down In A Hole

The Alice In Chains classic is how I came across this album. I was gearing up my post about it when I noticed that Bronson Arroyo was listed as having done a cover version. This is pretty well done, the music hits the song and stays accurate to the original. Arroyo and his backing singers keep stuff at a lower register, which is understandable as few people are going to touch Layne Stayley and Jerry Cantrell’s voices. It is curious that Mike Inez played other songs on this record but not on the one from the band he is in, but there’s no real info to go on about that.

Also of note – the title is misprinted as “Down In The Hole” on the back cover and inner booklet.

The Freshmen

This was originally done by The Verve Pipe. I recall the song but I’ve never sat and listened to the band so I’m not overly familiar with it. It’s not something I really want to jam out to but I’ll say that it fits the album Arroyo has put together pretty well.

Everlong

No real introduction needed, this is the massive Foo Fighters hit. It’s an accurate version of the song, it’s all performed true to the original. There is a brief spoken word bit from Stephen King on here, which is odd but a nice touch.

Black

This is a Pearl Jam song, I’m sure I say to people who know that damn good and well. I’m not at all a fan of PJ so I’ll bow out of this one, other than to say this cover sounds like I guess it’s supposed to.

Pardon Me

One song from the year 2000 here, this was the big hit that launched Incubus into superstardom. It’s done well here but I was never a fan of Incubus and I actively dislike this song so I’m moving on.

Something’s Always Wrong

This tune comes from Toad The Wet Sprocket. This is a band I’m honestly not familiar with at all. This song was a hit in its day but I don’t remember it in the least. I do recognize their big hit All I Want but it took a minute and that’s the only one I recall. Anyway, this version Arroyo does is good and again sticks with the original in execution.

A bit of fun baseball trivia here – playing guitar is Theo Epstein, who was general manager of the Boston Red Sox when Arroyo was there. Not many albums can boast Theo as a cameo player.

Plush

The massive Stone Temple Pilots hit gets a rendition here. No more “I don’t know or like this” for me – this is an amazing song. Arroyo handles the vocals well here, not an easy feat considering the prowess of the late Scott Weiland.

Shimmer

Up next is the initial hit from alt-rockers Fuel. I did kind of listen to these guys a bit way back when though it’s been a very long time since I’ve heard their stuff. It’s a nice change of pace here to have something more uptempo and it’s again a well-done version of the song, pretty well in line with the original.

Hunger Strike

Now this Temple Of The Dog cover could have been scary, as while Bronson can sing pretty well, his range isn’t going to get into Chris Cornell territory or anywhere near it. But there is nothing to fear as the group surely knew their limitations and brought session musician Amy Keys in to handle the higher range parts. This one is a bit divergent from the original, as Bronson handles the bulk of vocals, as if Eddie Vedder had done the lion’s share of the original. Overall it works well for all involved.

Best I’ve Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)

This was a song from Vertical Horizon, who I’m not familiar with and I really want to be. Bronson gets up into a bit of a higher range here and the song fits the other selections to keep a pretty unified feel going, but I can do without the song itself.

Dirty Water

The album ends with a different tune – this goes back to 1965 and The Standells. The song is a Boston sports anthem which makes it a logical conclusion here. Bronson is not alone for this swansong – fellow Red Sox Johnny Damon and Kevin Youkilis are along to shoot the breeze about random stuff through the song. It’s a fun way to end the record and a nice tribute to Boston from Arroyo fresh off the World Series win.

While this is a bit of a curiosity project, I’d say overall it turned out pretty well for Arroyo. He got people who knew what they were doing to execute faithful versions of the songs, and it’s clear that Bronson has talent as a musician. While there were no real chances taken on the album and everything was played as it sounds, this isn’t at all a bad effort. I think Bronson and company did a good job of selecting songs that flow well together and give this the feel of an album, as opposed to just being a collection of cover songs as so many of those wind up being. There was clearly a high level of thought and care put into this.

It is a bit “ironic” perhaps that Arroyo shows Boston so much love on the final song and in the liner notes – in less than a year after releasing this album, the very guy who played guitar on Plush would trade Bronson to the Reds. I’m sure that’s not a big deal all things considered, as Arroyo got a ring in Boston and obviously enjoyed his time there, but it’s a bit of a funny thing to point out.

This is, to date, the only album Arroyo has released. He has played out live plenty of times, including hosting a concert of Pearl Jam covers after his final MLB game in 2017. But, after all this time, he hasn’t chosen to cut another album. Obviously that’s his business, but it does seem odd that he hasn’t done something else since he threw down on this one so early in his career.

As I close, here’s a note – this isn’t available on streaming that I know of and the YT videos I posted are bootleg links so they might go away. The only real way to have this is to get a physical copy, which set me back $4.25, and $4 of that was shipping. I will say I’ve spent far more on far worse, Bronson did a pretty good job on his album.

Why did Tower Records go out of business again?

Emma Ruth Rundle – Orpheus Looking Back

On By bigbadburchIn Reviews2 Comments

This will be a pretty quick and easy post. Last Friday, Emma Ruth Rundle released a three-song EP consisting of leftover tracks from her Engine Of Hell sessions. The collection is called Orpheus Looking Back and is available digitally, Emma has stated on social media that she does not know of any plans for a physical release.

It’s interesting to hear what got left off of the album. Engine Of Hell was my number two on my list of Albums of 2021. It was a minimal, stark effort that brought difficult themes to life instead of being sometimes hidden behind the music of past albums.

The three songs here are in keeping with the style of Engine Of Hell. It is Emma singing along to sparse instrumentation. Two feature a guitar and one has a pump organ. I will let you all guess which song has the pump organ.

Emma Ruth Rundle – Orpheus Looking Back

Released March 25, 2022 via Sargent House Records

The EP kicks off with Gilded Cage. The song has a kind of Celtic folk vibe or something, it’s a bit exotic. It seems to depict some struggle between being “like them” and feeling the rage to transcend. Emma’s singing on the track recalls Dolores O’Riordan, who I suspect is an influence on Emma’s work (sort of confirmed, I don’t know, she doesn’t tell me things). The song is very nicely done and is also over before you know it at a 2:36 runtime.

Up next is the Pump Organ Song. It is Emma and a pump organ, exactly as advertised. The song is a bleak recount of some lost love or episode. It is a little hard to tell as the work feels unfinished, but what was established here is a nice piece. I’m hopeful that Emma will use the organ again in the future as there is plenty she could do with it.

The final track on this collection is St. Non. It’s one more light, minimal number that feature’s Emma and a guitar. Non is a real saint, I had to look it up as I’m way more up on band lineups or baseball rosters than I am my saints. The song is a very quiet and honestly sweet one that does feel a bit against the grain of the more harsh vibe of the Engine Of Hell album.

All three of the songs fit the vibe of the album they were part of the session of but also aren’t quite as fleshed-out as the works on the record. Orpheus Looking Back is a nice piece to have as a further window into the Engine Of Hell sessions. It’s also very nice to end a post before the first page is filled, I don’t often get a chance to do that.

Orpheus Looking Back is available on Bandcamp and other digital platforms.

The Scorpions – Rock Believer

On By bigbadburchIn Reviews10 Comments

Last Friday the Scorpions released Rock Believer, their 19th studio album in a storied career spanning over 50 years. It also marks their first studio effort in 7 years.

The Scorpions have been hit and miss a bit with their albums in the past long while. Some of their 2000’s output didn’t quite hit the spot, though with decided variances in quality. The early offerings from Rock Believer seemed to indicate a return to form for the legendary group.

I’m just going to go through this with some quick thoughts about each song and wrap it up at the end. This is one of the releases I’ve really been looking forward to this year so I wanted to give it a bit of extra attention. I will say that on my first few listens through I am really impressed with what I’m hearing. I’m only going to cover the proper album and omit the bonus disc on this sweep through the songs.

The Scorpions – Rock Believer

Released February 25, 2022 via Vertigo

Gas In The Tank

The opener hits with a nice rocker that seems to be a mission statement from the group. There still is gas in the tank and the Scorpions can still rock with the best. The lyrics are dripping with sly references to their own catchphrases and past songs as well as a small nod to Motorhead in the second verse. It’s a great opening track that sets the tone for more to come.

Roots In My Boots

Silly title aside, the songs keeps the pace going with a song that would have fit very well on their seminal 1990 outing Crazy World. It’s got melody for days and as a great solo section to put a stamp on everything.

Knock ‘Em Dead

Three tracks in and it’s looking like we have a winner of an album. It’s another signature Scorpions rocker that hits all the right notes. The party is going strong in 2022.

Rock Believer

This was the second single released ahead of the album and obviously also the title track. The song starts in ballad-like territory but then the song kicks it up a notch. This serves a reaction to the oft-cited “rock is dead” cliché. Sure, rock isn’t what it once was and isn’t likely to be again. But here are one of the pioneers of the format still at it many years after rock was declared dead.

Shining Of Your Soul

Here we see the band pick up a bit of a reggae beat. It mixes things up a bit but still keeps the hard rock alive and flowing. The band doesn’t tackle too many love songs on this record but this one keeps the band’s long-storied career of educating its fans on the nuances of love going.

Seventh Sun

This slow burner pounds its way through some heavy riffs and a marching-like pace from Klaus Meine, who is sounding especially vibrant on this track. The band have not let up at all through this record and are on pace for a classic. It recalls China White from Blackout, one of the band’s best.

Hot And Cold

The pace kicks back up for yet another hard rock gem. Lyrics and music are kept simple for this one as the band gets hot and sleazy, they aren’t breaking new ground here.

When I Lay My Bones To Rest

Klause Meine and the band go off the rails on this barn burner. I had thought by the title that this might be the signature Scorpions ballad but it’s the exact opposite. The song recalls drummer Mikkey Dee’s old band Motorhead, this song just drips with Lemmy’s influence.

Peacemaker

This was the first song we were given the chance to hear in advance of the album. It is a massively heavy track that laments the state of war, a topic the band have handled many times over the years. Sadly this album comes to us in a very troubling time on that front but the song itself is magnificent.

Call Of The Wild

The Scorpions kick down the tempo a notch but keep the heaviness going for this new entry into their extensive catalog of songs about getting with it. The man may get older but the thoughts and desires don’t change.

When You Know (Where You Come From)

The album concludes with a ballad, a song type the Scorpions have excelled at over the decades. This tune is an uplifting song about keeping your head up and believing in yourself. It’s a nice message for these pretty dark times and another winner in the band’s long history of knocking it out of the park with ballads.

Rock Believer is a massive statement from the Scorpions. It stands out head and shoulders above their past several albums, I have to go back to 2010’s Sting In The Tail to recall the last one I’d begin real comparisons with. I’m not ready to say what I could say, which is that this is their best since Crazy World, but it’s a thought going through my head right now. I’ll give this album more time to settle before going out on those kinds of limbs.

No matter – Rock Believer is rock done right. The Scorpions sound great on this record and this album is a triumphant statement from a band many thought were well past their prime. The album is unreservedly great and is a fine addition to their catalog. Everyone into old rock stars knows that age is a debilitating factor in performance, but that is absolutely not the case here. The Scorpions came out swinging on this effort and there’s really no excuse for anyone else who can’t execute at a passable level. Rock isn’t dead, it’s right here.

Smith/Kotzen – Better Days EP

On By bigbadburchIn Reviews2 Comments

Rather than cheap out and make another EP the Album of the Week, I decided to go ahead and give this one its own space. This new record comes to us from Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, a perhaps unlikely pairing who offered up a fantastic full-length album earlier in 2021.

Richie Kotzen has been around the block in rock music – over 20 solo albums, many more as a band member, and a slew of guest shots and projects. And Adrian Smith has a handful of various projects over the years, interspersed with his time as a part of Iron Maiden’s celebrated guitar duo/trio. As luck would have it, Kotzen and Smith are neighbors and the pandemic finally gave them a chance to hang out and record some music.

The self-titled debut of Smith/Kotzen was an excellent affair that stood out from the typical “side project” crowd. We’re now offered this 4-song EP as a Black Friday treat. Thankfully this release did not suffer from the secondary market RSD premium and is readily available on wax for normal retail prices. I just couldn’t bear the thought of not having an Iron Maiden-adjacent record in my collection, even if it means financial well-being will elude me.

As there are only 4 songs on this disc, it should be pretty easy to get through a track-by-track look at it.

Smith/Kotzen – Better Days EP

Released November 26, 2021 via BMG

My Favorite Track – Better Days

Better Days

The EP’s title track leads the proceeding. This is a nice rocker that picks up right where the debut album left off. The song brings the well-worn theme of looking at the past with rose-colored lenses while hoping for better days to come, something certainly relevant after the past few years. On highlight is the guitar work, well done but also very fitting for the song and not just a wank fest showcase. Of course both Smith and Kotzen have long plied their trades in that fashion so it’s no surprise.

Got A Hold On Me

This track kicks up the power a notch. It is another example of rock music done in 2021 outside the influence of alternative rock, something that usually takes a bit of digging to find these days. It’s a song that also would have been at home on the full album, driving home the point that this EP is not an exercise in getting rid of leftovers.

Hate And Love

A more mid-tempo affair that sounds like something that could have been a solid hard rock hit from the later 80’s. It does benefit though from the seasoned experience of the players, both in vocal delivery and in the to-the-point groove of the song. The song is fine to listen to for its own merits, and a person almost needs to keep an ear out for the quick guitar flourishes that remind everyone who exactly they’re listening to.

Rise Again

This song brings a different vibe that reminds me at points of Van Halen’s song Judgment Day from the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge record. It’s a very quick rocker that feels like it’s over almost as soon as it began, but with plenty going on for its duration. This closer keeps things fresh with its variety but also maintains the rocking mood of the EP.

The Better Days EP is another excellent offering from the duo of Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen. It’s great to have both a full album and this bonus recording from the group. Hopefully they will find time to do more in the future and perhaps have a gig or two. Time will tell, especially as Adrian’s day job is calling again. Whatever the future may hold, it’s nice to have some good rock music in 2021.