Hey Kids, Tuesday night (9/10) at 8:00 PM EDT — right before the big debate — I’ll be participating in a live Roundtable Discussion of Heavy Metal Journo Luminaries where we will be discussing the upcoming Slayer reunion. Hosted by Ghost Cult Magazine, this should be lots of fun! You can tune in at the link below!
Click Here! Tuesday Night (9/10) at 8:00 PM EDT
(Note You Can Now Stream it on YouTube at This Link!
And Death to False Metal!
Something I did not imagine I would ever be doing is posting a new video from alternative rock radio darlings Live in this column – and one featuring all four original members, no less! I admit that, not only because I was pretty sure that Live had broken up in a manner that could only be described as ‘acrimonious,’ but also because I had heard from sources that would know that lead singer Ed Kowalczyk had kind of, well, turned into dick. I guess that Ed must have worked through his issues, because Patrick (Dahlheimer) and the two Chads (Gracey and Taylor) have accepted him back into the fold, and Live is back to making the skull-splittingly-brilliant music that, at one point in the ’90s, made them The Biggest Band in the World — at least if this clip for “Love Lounge” is any indication. Wow. Wonders truly never cease.
If you are fans of old-school Live, you will be blown away by the sonic locomotive that is “Love Lounge.” Holy shit, Ed‘s voice is in top shape, and he is still one of the sexiest, most charismatic front men in rock. You don’t even need me to tell you anything else about this song except that, aurally, Live still have it going on. “Love Lounge” sounds like no time has passed since the glory day of Throwing Copper, except that Live somehow got ever better. Visually, you’ve got a wall of golden skulls, a high roller’s poker game, and a graffiti-covered tunnel as the major back drops that “Love Lounge” plays against. And then, there’s Ed looking like a stone solid rock god. It’s not anything I thought I would see again. And yet, here it is.
Ladies and gentlemen, Live is back. Enjoy!
Chad Taylor, Ed Kowalcyck, Chad Gracey and Patrick Dahlheimer are Live
Lita Ford doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. She’s been playing guitar professionally since she was a teenager, and while she’s partied as hard as any Rock Star, Ford has kept her private life private, raised a family and still managed to maintain a high level of respect in the rock community for her skillful musicianship, which was never compromised by the fact that she’s also a beautiful woman.
I remember reviewing her Greatest Hits Live CD when it was released in 2000 and being so blown away by what a great performer she is and how much fun she and her band seem to be having on stage. She’s never lost sight of what it means to have a Rock & Roll heart, and you have to respect that. So many performers could learn a few lessons on how to rock from Lita Ford. Maybe she’s never been a household name, but when she comes around, people take notice. Lita’s new album, the autobiographical Living Like a Runaway, signals that it’s time to start paying attention again. Continue reading Recommended Listening: Lita Ford, Living Like a Runaway
It’s easy to take a band like The Rolling Stones for granted. They’ve been together, through various lineup changes (but surprisingly only one actual member death!), touring and recording new music since before most people reading this blog were even born. Is that some kind of record? I’m just going to say that it is. In the summer of 1978, having just released the album Some Girls, The Rolling Stones took off on a summer tour of the United States that is considered by many fans to have included the band’s best performances ever. Guitarist Ronnie Wood had been an official member of the group for just two years and the entire band – Charlie Watts included – were still at least a few years on the left side of 40. The Stones were young, they were hot, and they were an unstoppable rock force!
Continue reading The Rolling Stones: Some Girls Live in Texas Coming to DVD!
Are you perhaps craving more of my Rock Critic wit and wisdom? Then cruise on over to East Portland Blog for my revealing and candid take on Live’s version of Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line.” (You know, it’s the arrangement American Idol Contestant Chris Daughtry ripped off from Live and then took all the credit for!)