CD Scavenger Hunt – June 2014 update

In keeping with trying to catch up with my shopping sprees from 2014, here’s the update for this past June. It’s a longer list this time around, hopefully some interesting albums here…..

Ebay

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Y&T – s/t (1976) – $21.50 used
Mother’s Army – Planet Earth (1997) – $4 used
Mother’s Army – Fire On The Moon (1998) – $4 used
Decline of Western Civilization Pt.2 – The Metal Years (Soundtrack) (1988) – $4 used
Livesay – s/t (1996) – $13 used
Glory Bell’s Band – Dressed In Black (1982) (vinyl LP) – $15 used
Glory Bell’s Band – Century Rendezvous (1984) (vinyl LP) – $15 used
New England – s/t (1979/1998 reissue) – $8.50 used
Robin Zander – Countryside Blvd (2011) (bootleg CDR) – $44
Wishing Well (featuring Greg Leon) – s/t (1997) – $4.75 used
Cage – Astrology (2002) – $2.50 used
Parlor Trixx – Step Into My Parlor (2002) – $67 used

Starting off with my Ebay purchases for the month…..it was a good month to say the least! I grabbed a few albums that were on my wish list and some that weren’t necessarily on there but kicking around in my head. First thing was to kill off the gaping hole in my Y&T collection by acquiring the debut album on CD. $21.50 is not a bad price at all considering I’ve seen it go for $50 – $75+ over the years. Keeping with the same seller, I ended up scoring the 2nd and 3rd Mother’s Army (featuring Joe Lynn Turner) releases  and the rare Decline of Western Civilization Pt.2 soundtrack for $4 each…..complete steals! I was reading an old Metal fanzine and saw the ad for the Livesay album, I grabbed an old, hand written wish list that was years old and there it was. A little research showed this album has gone for $25+ so I scored it for what a regular CD SHOULD go for at $13. The two Glory Bell’s band LPs have been on my list for a while so I picked them up from a very reputable seller I’ve dealt with before. Near Mint overall on both records so I didn’t mind paying $15 each. The New England, Wishing Well and Cage discs were all found by doing research on other releases and I scored them for great prices.

That leaves the two most expensive CDs I purchased: Robin Zander and Parlor Trixx. I’ll go with Parlor Trixx first…..back in 2002, I read a few great reviews about this independent release and I put it on my list but with no major priority. Of course it was a limited release, the band eventually disbanded and there were no copies to be had. I’ve been watching this CD since 2002 on Ebay and I’ve watched it go for $100+ at times! This auction started at $25 and I went as high as $50 but someone had to outbid me with 12 hours to go! I ended up sniping this album in the last few seconds at $67 based on wanting it and thinking that 13 years on a want list is long enough.

I’ve been on a MAJOR Cheap Trick kick for the better part of a year so I’ve been devouring anything I can get my hands on, including solo efforts. Countryside Blvd was released online in 2011, lasted one day, and was pulled from purchase. I’m not sure why this is but an original copy is completely rare. Some copies did get sold and shipped but for some reason it was pulled after one day. I was doing my research on the album and found a copy on Ebay, contacted the seller with multiple questions and was assured this was an original release. More research, more questions to the seller, more assurances that this was an original copy. Last few minutes of the auction, I outbid someone with a high bid of $50 and scored it for $44. As soon as the CD arrived, I saw it was a bootleg! At this point, there was nothing I could do but report it to Ebay and contact the seller. $44 wiser but, on the bright side, I have the music and the sound quality is excellent.

Newbury Comics

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Mystic Prophecy – Regressus (2003) – $3 used
Mystic Prophecy – Savage Souls (2006) – $4.50 used
Mystic Prophecy – Satanic Curses (2007) – $6 used
Epica – Feint (single) (2004) – $4.50 used
King Diamond – The Graveyard (1996) – $4.50 used
King Diamond – A Dangerous Meeting (1992) – $6 used
Nashville Pussy – From Hell To Texas (2009) – $6.75 used
Sabaton – Heroes (2 bonus tracks) (2014) – $7.50
New England – Explorer Suite (1980) – $9 used
U.D.O. – Steelhammer: Live In Moscow (2CD/DVD) (2014) – $12
Night Ranger – High Road (CD/DVD) (2014) – $12.75
Saxon – St. George’s Sacrifice: Live In Manchester (2014) – $16.50
Tesla – Simplicity (2014) – $9.75
KISS – 40 (2014) – $15
Epica – Quantum Enigma (Deluxe Edition) (2014) – $15
Dio – Live In London: Hammersmith Apollo 1993 CD (2014) – $11.25
Dio – Live In London: Hammersmith Apollo 1993 DVD (2014) – $12
Alice Cooper – Super Duper Alice Cooper DVD (2014) – $9
Ted Nugent – Ultralive Ballisticrock (2CD/DVD) (2013) – $9 used
Gamma Ray – Skeletons & Majesties Live (2012) – $7.50

Arch Enemy – War Eternal (Deluxe Edition) – $16
King Diamond – Abigail 2: The Return (2002) – $7 used

Big purchases on only two visits to the record store. The first visit was on a mid-month 25% off all CDs, DVDs & Blu-Rays sale so I just had to stock up! The second visit was a routine stop at the end of the month to just check things out. The routine stop found the latest Arch Enemy album on sale and a used copy of King Diamond’s Abigail 2 that filled a hole in that collection. Just a quick stop to round out June but let’s get to that big sale in the middle of the month…..

Nothing is better than a sale and I always take advantage of them. One of the strategies I like to use is to get those higher priced releases, the box sets, the deluxe editions on these sales to save maximum dollars…..the other strategy is to pad the collection by scooping up albums I would normally pass over for more important items. On this sale I was lucky to grab  some deluxe editions from Epica, Ted Nugent, Night Ranger, KISS, U.D.O and Sabaton at better prices than when they were originally on sale as new releases. The cool thing was that the Nugent and U.D.O. albums had regular priced copies and used copies so I was able to score the used copies and get 25% off the used price for maximum savings! I also scored a lot of 2014 albums and DVDs with some of those deluxe editions, as well as, from Tesla, Dio, Alice Cooper and Saxon. I obviously grabbed a lot of used releases too but let me highlight my biggest bargain and my best find on this special sale trip.

Best Bargain: Ted Nugent
Regular price = $22
Used price = $12
Sale price = $9 (saved a total of $13)

Best Find: New England
I never see New England albums even on vinyl so to score a second New England CD this month was a cool find.

Totals

Total (June) = $407.75

Total (year) = $1476.30

Average Price (per item) = $10.55

Total CDs (year) = 132

Total LPs (year) = 5

Total DVDs/Blu-Rays (year) = 3

 

 

 

Covers Comparison – Tesla

If you’ve been reading Heavy Metal Addiction for any length of time then you know that I have this sore spot for cover songs. I’m not sure why I hate covers so much sometimes because there are covers that I like, most from back in the day and/or on tribute records. Anytime I do a current album review and I see a cover song in the tracklisting I get upset. The reason: doing a cover song is the easy way out, at least to me. I would always prefer to hear an original composition by a band rather than a cover song but sometimes a cover song is done extremely well. Sometimes a cover song takes on a life of it’s own and becomes a big hit for a band years after it was done originally by the original band.

Case in point: Tesla

“Signs, signs, everywhere signs….” I hate that song. Nothing is worse than hearing Tesla on the radio (which is rare nowadays) and it being ‘Signs’. Tesla have better songs, way better original songs, than their cover of the Five Man Electrical Band‘s #3 hit from 1971 but this cover hit big in 1990 on the album FIVE MAN ACOUSTICAL JAM.

Five Man Electrical Band – ‘Signs’ (1971)

Tesla – ‘Signs’ (1990)

But ‘Signs’ isn’t the only Tesla cover song out there that was a huge hit…..’Little Suzi’ is really a cover of Ph.D.’s ‘Little Susie’s On The Up’ from their 1981 self-titled debut. Watch the video and you’ll remember the time when MTV was new and all the played was British synth-pop & New Wave. I love Tesla’s version of ‘Little Suzi’ and I only realized that it was a cover tune a few years ago when I saw the Ph.D. video on VH-1 Classic late at night.

Ph.D. – ‘Little Susie’s On The Up’ (1981)

Tesla – ‘Little Suzi’ (1986)

So there’s the comparisons…..you decide which is better (Tesla!) and please let me know what you think of the originals…..

Scorpions & Tesla in concert (The Final Sting World Tour) at Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, CT) – 7/9/12

I went to Connecticut last week to the Mohegan Sun Casino to see the Scorpions, with special guests Tesla, on the last leg of their farewell/retirement tour: The Final Sting World Tour. Nothing is worse than hearing that one of your favorite bands is calling it a career but I’ve learned that most bands can’t stay away for long (KISS comes to mind!). Unfortunately, the Scorpions are calling it a career and have been touring the world for the last three years to give fans all over a final taste of their great live show.

Is this really the end for the Scorpions? It’s anyone’s guess really. With both founding members Rudolf Schenker (guitars) and Klaus Meine (lead vocals) reaching age 64, and putting in 40 years into the band, I can see the point. Even long time guitarist Matthias Jabs (who joined in 1979) is in his mid-50s so maybe retirement is well deserved. Maybe this is the end of touring and perhaps the band will continue to record new music? No one knows except the band but I wasn’t risking my chance to see the Scorpions live one last time. Last summer they came to New Hampshire but the drive was close to 4 hours so I didn’t bother…..this time around it was only a 45 minute drive to Connecticut. I waited until a couple of days before the show to buy tickets and my friend and I got great seats (for only $44 each!) for what was one of three concerts left on the tour’s U.S. itinerary.

Tesla setlist:

Cumin’ Atcha Live
Edison’s Medicine
Hang Tough
Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)
Mama’s Fool
Signs (cover of the Five Man Electrical Band)
Love Song
Modern Day Cowboy
Little Suzi (cover of Ph.D.)

You aren’t going to get a better opening band than Tesla and, to be honest, I expected a third band to open before Tesla. Tesla is still a headline act in small arenas and theaters so this was a great way to start. The band came out and just played, not a lot of bullshit talk between songs (KISS again!), just flat out, well-played Hard Rock. The setlist is your basic shortened hits package but it was cool to hear ‘Mama’s Fool’ off 1994’s BUST A NUT record…..that album always gets forgotten by many fans. You can’t really go wrong with big hits like ‘Love Song’, ‘Modern Day Cowboy’ and Hang Tough’ but I could have done without ‘Signs’. I know it’s the band’s second biggest hit (‘Love Song’ is #1) but it’s a cover and I never liked the original either…..I’ve hated that song since 1990 when the band released FIVE MAN ACOUSTICAL JAM and the single was all over the radio. Good to hear ‘Edison’s Medicine’ because I was kind of expecting either ‘What You Give’ or ‘Gettin’ Better’ but I was glad to hear the PSYCHOTIC SUPPER (1991) track. Of course the band ended with my favorite tune, ‘Little Suzi’, complete with the full acoustic intro like on the album. I know, I know…..it’s a cover song too but I never knew that until a few years ago so I’m going to give it a pass. The band was tight, they sounded great and they just plain kicked ass! nothing is better than a band coming out and just playing without all the gimmicks and fanfare (sorry, KISS reference again!). One last thought, for being the oldest guy in the band, Jeff Keith looks and sounds just like he did back in 1986.

Scorpions setlist:

Sting In The Tail
Make It Real
Is There Anybody There?
The Zoo
Coast To Coast (instrumental)
Loving You Sunday Morning
Rhythm Of Love
Wind Of Change
Holiday
Raised On Rock
Tease Me Please Me
Hit Between The Eyes
Kottak Attack (drum solo)
Blackout
Six String Sting (Matthias Jabs guitar solo)
Big City Nights

Encore
Still Loving You
No One Like You
Rock You Like A Hurricane

Now if you’re going to see the Scorpions in the U.S. then THIS is the setlist you want to hear! The band played hit after hit effortlessly and they sounded perfect. ‘Rhythm Of Love’, ‘Wind Of Change’, ‘Tease Me Please Me’, ‘Hit Between The Eyes’, ‘Big City Nights’ and the entire encore…..that was as long as Tesla’s set and it was MTV video and radio hit time as if we were back in 1991 and the band was touring then. The cool thing is that they had just as much energy now as they did then! The band did throw in a few older songs (but nothing before 1979!) with ‘Make It Real’, ‘Loving You Sunday Morning’, the ‘Coast To Coast’ instrumental and the signature song ‘The Zoo’ so it felt like I was witnessing the WORLD WIDE LIVE album from 1985 right in my face. The big surprise for me was that they played ‘Is There Anybody There?’ from LOVEDRIVE (1979)…..a great track but I figured the band would play either ‘Lovedrive’ or ‘Another Piece of Meat’. Actually, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t play either but you can only fit so much into two hours and they might have omitted the two newer songs ‘Sting In The Tail’ and ‘Raised On Rock’. Even though they are retiring, it was good to see the Scorpions playing new material and promoting the STING IN THE TAIL album. Even though the record is a couple of years old now, this Final Sting World Tour is also about promoting that album and that makes the band more legit in my eyes rather than a straight up nostalgia act.

Now the stage show was minimal because it’s all about the music but the band did have an amazing light show with plenty of big screens to see all the action but what set the band apart is the runway down the center of the floor that put the band right in the middle of the crowd. Everyone was up and down that part of the stage bringing the concert right in your face! There was no pyro which was fine because the lighting was really great, probably one of the best stage lighting programs I’ve seen in my 30+ year concert career. The band had a cool historical intro on the video screens with some big historical moments in Scorpions history like the US Festival in 1983 and the Berlin Wall coming down in the early ’90s but the best part of the on screen entertainment was during James Kottak’s drum solo. The Kottak Attack was your basic drum solo, complete with drum riser that mimicked the Peter Criss drum riser during his days with KISS, but what made it cool was Kottak was filmed re-enacting some of the band’s most famous album covers: LOVE AT FIRST STING, FLY TO THE RAINBOW, LOVEDRIVE, ANIMAL MAGNETISM, PURE INSTINCT, CRAZY WORLD, BLACKOUT and more. To see Kottak in the limo with a woman and then is be a mannequin that his hand was stuck to with bubblegum…..that was a priceless rendition of the LOVEDRIVE cover! Add the antics to his powerful drumming and it’s a hard combination to beat. His rhythm partner Pavel Macidowa helped him keep the beat and added some youthful (and I mean 40’s youthful!) energy to the show. The older guard of Schenker, Meine and Jabs weren’t to be out done because they were running around the stage and they sounded perfect. Schenker and Jabs sounded flawless and I seriously mean that. Schenker rocked back and forth maiming that Flying V while Matthias effortlessy made his Gibson Explorer sing…..two totally underrated guitar players and definitely overshadowed by two other famous Scorpions alums Uli Jon Roth and Rudolf’s brother Michael Schenker. I personally think Klaus Meine stole the show because I expected a slight drop off vocally but the man can sing as well as he did back in the day and it seemed effortless. You’ve got guys like Paul Stanley, Don Dokken, even Geoff Tate, who have had great singing voices throughout their careers but now have trouble in concert…..not Klaus though, the guy was a 64 year old singing machine that didn’t sound a day over 30!

All in all…..a great show. Both bands rocked hard and proved that good Rock music stands the test of time. It’s a shame that bands have to get older and eventually retire, the Scorpions proved that after 40 years they are still masters of the arena. If this is the end, I’m glad I was able to catch them one last time.

Metal Mixtape – 5/6/12

Tale of the Tape
Ipod 120
9983 songs (858 albums)

1. Gwar – ‘Parting Shot’ – Lust In Space (2009)
2. Thunder – ‘An Englishman On Holiday’ – Backstreet Symphony (1990)
3. AC/DC – ‘Walk All Over You’ – Highway To Hell (1979)
4. Night Ranger – ‘Penny’ – Dawn Patrol (1982)
5. Saxon – ‘Rockin’ Again’  – Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)
6. AC/DC – ‘Live Wire’ – High Voltage (1975)
7. Accept – ‘Sick, Dirty And Mean’ – Objection Overruled (1993)
8. Black Country Communion – ‘Stand (At The Burning Tree)’ – Black Country (2010)
9. Extreme – ‘Play With Me’ – Extreme (1989)
10. Airbourne – ‘No Way But The Hard Way’ – No Guts, No Glory (2010)
11. Megadeth – ‘Guns, Drugs & Money’ – Th1rt3en (2011)
12. Riot – ‘Heart Of Fire’ – Rock City (1977)
13. The Doors – ‘Back Door Man’ – The Doors (1967)
14. KISS – ‘Lick It Up’ – Jikogu Retsuden (2008)
15. Buckcherry – ‘Cream’ – Black Butterfly (2008)
16. UFO – ‘Borderline’ – High Stakes And Dangerous Men (1992)
17. Symfonia – ‘Rhapsody In Black’ – In Paradisum (2011)
18. Blue Tears – ‘Innocent Kiss’ – Blue Tears (1990)
19. Primal Fear – ‘Conviction’ – Unbreakable (2012)
20. Tesla – ‘I Wanna Live’ – Forever More (2008)
21. Accept – ‘Bound To Fail’ – Metal Heart (1985)
22. Autograph – ‘Everytime I Dream’ – Loud & Clear (1987)
23. Yngwie J. Malmsteen – ‘Now Is The Time’ – Odyssey (1988)
24. Anvil – ‘Shadow Zone’ – Forged In Fire (1983)
25. Chickenfoot – ‘Down The Drain’ – Chickenfoot (2009)

Bonus Track — Def Leppard – Switch 625 – High ‘N” Dry (1981)

Albums I Missed in 2008

There are so many albums released every year that it’s almost impossible to keep up. Usually I spend the first two months of the new year acquiring all the albums I didn’t buy the previous year before all the new releases start to flood the market. 2008 was no exception as I missed more than a few notable Hard Rock and Heavy Metal albums. The following is a list of albums I missed in 2008, the reason is simple: I was lazy! As many of you collectors know, if you acquire a lot of albums then they tend to pile up, my pile kept growing! The more the pile grows, the more albums that get pushed to the bottom. The following list of albums are CDs that were in a pile on my desk waiting to be listened to but I never got around to giving them a proper spin until the new year. Some of these records might have cracked my Top 30 Albums of 2008 or at least extended it to a Top 20 or 25.

1977 – Rock ‘N Roll (2008): The missing KISS album! 1977 is a tribute/original band that draws their major influences from…..KISS! The songs all sound like vintage KISS circa the mid-1970s but there is a touch of originality with good songwriting and a fresh performance. As I wrote in the album review: “The real KISS hasn’t done anything new since 1998’s PSYCHO CIRCUS so I’m calling this album the next best thing, it just sounds like KISS!” I received this CD straight from the band in late December 2008 and I started listening in January.

Brother Firetribe – Heart Full Of Fire (2008): I have been wanting to check out Brother Firetribe since 2006 when their debut record, FALSE METAL, was getting great reviews across the Internet. I actually bought the album when it came out in June 2008 but it got lost in the pile on my desk. Aside from a quick initial listen, I didn’t even give this album a second thought until this January. That was a big mistake because Brother Firetribe’s AOR/Melodic Rock is top notch with songs full of hooks and melody.

Buckcherry – Black Butterfly (2008): I have been a Buckcherry since I received a promo copy of their debut album back in early 1999, that debut album is still one of my favorites. I bought TIME BOMB (2001) and 15 (2006) when they were released, the latter before ‘Sorry’ and ‘Crazy Bitch’ became hit singles. BLACK BUTTERFLY was a day of release purchase (September 2008) too but I couldn’t get pass the novelty song ‘Too Drunk’. I’m all for a gimmick but I felt Buckcherry was always a solid Hard Rock band so they didn’t need to resort to a song like ‘Too Drunk’ to get people interested. You already had ‘Lit Up’, ‘Porno Star’ and ‘Crazy Bitch’ from previous albums so I thought it was too formulaic. I should have paid attention because I listened to the album a lot in 2009 and the album was even better after I saw the band open for KISS.

Extreme – Saudades de Rock (2008): Always been a big Extreme fan dating back to their self-titled debut back in 1989 so I was looking forward to a new album when it was announced in 2006 after the band’s reunion tour. I bought this back at the end of August 2008 and I still hadn’t taken the shrinkwrap off the CD through October! I gave it a quick listen, liked the updated sound and put the album in my growing pile. I actually forgot I had the CD until I started digging around making my “Best of” and “Worst of” lists last December. I should have kept this album out because it’s really good, no surprise it made a lot of “best of” lists last year.

Grand Magus – Iron Will (2008): talk about missing an album! I blew it with Grand Magus’ IRON WILL record! I read great reviews from June 2008 through December 2008 but I never got around to picking up the album. Then I saw IRON WILL on most of the year end lists online and in print…..I knew I missed it. I picked up IRON WILL back in early February at the local record store and have enjoyed it all year long.

Yngwie Malmsteen – Perpetual Flame (2008): I’ve been buying Yngwie albums since Yngwie was in Steeler so I’ve been a fan for a long time. The problem is I hadn’t been excited about an Yngwie album in over a decade, the last one I looked forward to and really enjoyed was FACING THE ANIMAL (1997). Then I read that Yngwie had enlisted Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens for lead vocal duties…..now it was a whole different ball game! Ripper is a great singer and he has given life to the likes of Judas Priest and Iced Earth when their distinctive singers left the band. The best thing about this album, aside from Ripper on the mic, was that Yngwie played within the songs and not totally over the top. And there were actual songs with good lyrics and melody, not just guitar noodling. Had it since it came out in October 2008 but it remained in the pile until early 2009.

Rose Tattoo – Blood Brothers (Special Tour Edition) (2008): Of all the albums I missed out on in 2008, this was my favorite! BLOOD BROTHERS was originally released in 2007 but I received a promo copy of the special edition in the summer of 2008. Same tracklisting as the original release but with different artwork, packaging and a bonus live DVD of the band’s appearance at Wacken 2006. Always compared to their fellow Aussie countrymen AC/DC, Rose Tattoo has maintained their classic barroom boogie Rock style through the years…..this easily beats out AC/DC’s BLACK ICE on sheer power and force. Is it possible for another band to do AC/DC better than AC/DC? Rose Tattoo are a band not too many people know but they are top notch, BLOOD BROTHERS would have easily cracked my Top 15 in 2008 and ranked higher than BLACK ICE.

Talon – Fallen Angels (2008): I had the Talon debut from 2002 and loved it. When I read about a new Talon album to be released in early 2008, I wrote it down and forgot about it. When all the year end lists came out last December, I made sure to put this at the top of my Want List. I never got around to buying FALLEN ANGELS until the end of November when I went on an Ebay shopping spree and got it for a really great price. I’m not sure why I kept procrastinating on picking this album up because it’s an excellent melodic Hard Rock album that would have easily been all over my daily playlists had I bought it when it originally came out in 2008.

Tesla – Forever More (2008): I saw Tesla open for Def Leppard on 10/12/1987 on the HYSTERIA tour in Providence, RI…..I was 15 years old. Tesla was the hot new band with the hot new single ‘Modern Day Cowboy’ that they opened with. From then on I was a Tesla fan. I didn’t buy FOREVER MORE until a week after it came out in October 2008 and I didn’t even play it, aside from the initial spin, until early 2009. Like the Extreme & Yngwie CDs, it got lost in the growing pile! I couldn’t help but notice this album ranking near the top of many “best of” lists last year so I knew I missed out on a good record.

Venom – Hell (2008): Not a lot of people like Venom…..not a lot of people really know anything about Venom! I grew up with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) so venom has been burned into my brain sonce 1982! I had no idea that Venom was releasing a new album in 2008 and I read all the Metal news daily so I was surprised to find this as a new release the same day in October 2008 that I bought the Tesla and Yngwie CDs. This had actually come out earlier in August but I completely missed it! A lot of people may not like the crazed and distorted sound Venom prides themselves on but I thought it was a real heavy record.

Current Playlist

I’ve got the AC/DC concert, with Anvil opening up, on Tuesday so I’m listening to a lot of both bands lately but the latest studio records from both bands have been getting the majority of the spins…..

AC/DC – Black Ice (2008): I haven’t really listened to much of BLACK ICE in the last couple of months so I figured I’d give it a few fresh spins, especially since the band has been playing about 5 new songs live!

Anvil – This Is Thirteen (2007): This album has been played a lot since I bought it in 2008 and I’m still not sick of it. I definitely can’t wait to hear a couple of tracks live on Tuesday.

Praying Mantis – Sanctuary (2009): I just got this album in the mail the other day and I’ve only given it one quick spin. I’m a big NWOBHM fan and Praying Mantis released one helluva debut with TIME TELLS NO LIES back in 1981 so I’m hoping that this album will be one of the year’s best. I need to really sit down with this over the next week and give it serious time.

Motley Crue – Shout At The Devil (1983): I’ve been on a Crue kick for the last week so I pulled this one out to relive some childhood memories. The Crue were the biggest band back in the ’80s and his album along with their debut (TOO FAST FOR LOVE) were the most Metal the band would get. I never get sick of listening to this album,

Motley Crue – Generation Swine (1997): A lot of people hate this record but I always liked it. It was definitely a more modern Hard Rock sound compared to the party metal Crue had in their ’80s heyday but you have to remember that this album was written with John Corabi in mind…..then the reunion with Vince Neil was pushed in to cash in. There are some standout songs like ‘Afraid’, ‘Glitter’, and ‘Confessions’ but there are also stinkers like ‘Brandon’…..I had to sit there and listen to Tommy Lee gush this out on piano when I saw the tour in Worcester, MA back in 1997. Awful song!

Tesla – Forever More (2008): I missed out on this album last year because I was lazy. I bought it right around the time it came out and I left it wrapped until Christmas. I think I’ve only given it one spin, maybe two. I’ve read a lot of reviews and everyone really seems to like it so I think I need to spend more time with it.

Motorhead – Everything Louder Than Everyone Else (Live In Hamburg, Germany) (1998): This is one of my favorite live albums and I haven’t listened to it in a very long time. This album was recorded on the tour for 1998’s SNAKE BITE LOVE but the 25 song set is wide ranging from obvious classic like ‘Iron Fist’, ‘Overkill’ and ‘Ace Of Spades’ to songs that were newer then like ‘Love For Sale’ and ‘Take The Blame’. I especially like hearing four tracks from 1993’s BASTARDS, a seriously underrated Motorhead record.

KISS – Carnival Of Souls (The Final Sessions) (1997): The “lost” KISS album. CARNIVAL OF SOULS is a good modern Metal record and definitely a twin companion to REVENGE (1992). I had a bootleg of this record for a couple of years but I was glad that the band finally released the album properly in ’97 in the middle of the reunion with Ace & Peter. Too bad it didn’t come out in 1994 or 1995 because it’s definitely a solid record from the band’s most talented, and stable, lineup since the original makeup days.

CD Scavenger Hunt – Catching up again!

Here we go again, another update on my neverending CD hunting! As I mentioned in my last safari update, money is tight and the economy is getting worse so my disposable income for music has taken a huge hit. The good news is that I’m so far behind in listening to CDs that I have enough new music to last until 2009! There are a few albums I picked up when they came out that I haven’t updated you on and I went out today and picked up a few discs at the record store today. Here’s what I’ve had for a few weeks…..

Venom – Hell (2008) – $13: This came out back in August but got overshadowed by other new releases. I grabbed this at the sale price when I actually saw this in the record store’s main display! The store got 2 copies: one went to me and the other to the guy who runs the Metal section at the store. I remember him telling me that he figured I’d be in for it.

DragonForce – Ultra Beatdown (2008) – $17: I picked this up the same day as the venom CD and I ended up dropping the extra $4 for the album with the bonus DVD. The deluxe set also had two bonus tracks so I guess I made the extra 4 bucks worth it! I’ll be honest here, I’m not the biggest DragonForce fan in the world, I have VALLEY OF THE DAMNED (2003) but I never bothered to pick up the rest. With all the hype the band has received from their appearance in the video game Guitar Hero III with ‘Through The Fire And Flames’, I figured I’d pick up the new record and listen to the debut. For some reason, DragonForce reminds me of Rhapsody (now called Rhapsody Of Fire) but the music is very different.

Here’s what I picked up today…..

Tesla – Forever More (2008) – $9.99: Can’t pass up that price! FOREVER MORE came out last week and I forgot so when I saw the promo poster on the front door of the record store, I added it to my list. I had a short list anyway so I didn’t mind adding this one in. This album has been streaming online for a couple of months but I haven’t heard any of it, if it’s as good as INTO THE NOW (2004), I’ll be happy. It doesn’t seem like it’s been 4 years since the last Tesla studio album…..

Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force – Perpetual Flame (2008) – $12.88: This was the only album on my list today. I ran right out to pick this one up because I have to hear how Tim Owens does working with Yngwie and if this is going to be a train wreck of an album. I haven’t enjoyed an Yngwie album since 1997’s FACING THE ANIMAL (Mats Leven on vocals) but I seem to keep buying his albums. I checked on this when I got home from the hunt and it seems that I have every Yngwie album except for ATTACK!! (2002). I have that soft spot for Yngwie, he’s made some solid albums but everything after 1997 has bored me. I skipped ATTACK!! because I was unhappy with ALCHEMY (1999) and WAR TO END ALL WARS (2000) but I did pick up UNLEASH THE FURY (2005). The Metal guy at the record shop says it’s a good album, we’ll see…..

We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year (2008) – $9.99: A late addition to today’s buying! I had heard about this project featuring Lemmy, Geoff Tate, Dio, Alice Cooper and a whole bunch more. This is another one of those albums produced by Bob Kulick that features all these Heavy Metal heroes doing covers. Usually it’s for a tribute album but I’m getting sucked in to the Xmas albums. I’ve always been big into Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I changed my tune on the Twisted Sister Xmas album, and Helix has one coming out too! I figured for ten bucks it would be a cool holiday spin.

On to Ebay…..

Gothic Knights – Kingdom Of The Knights (1999) – $6: Finally! After 10 years I finally pick up this album! I have had this album in my favorite searches on Ebay for a long time and it always comes up, I just never pull the trigger. I was watching another album and I went to view the seller’s other items and this showed up at the top of the seller’s list. I ended up being the only bidder. Now I have to update this album’s WANTED.

Halloween – No One Gets Out (1991/2001 reissue) – $13.50: It certainly is the right time of year for buying Halloween albums! I’ve been meaning to pick up all of Halloween’s albums for a couple of years now, especially the band’s own reissues with bonus tracks. Unfortunately, this album is out of print and the band isn’t making anymore for sale at their website so I had to grab it. The price the band was selling it for was $15 so I saved $1.50, the shipping is also discounted because I bought the Gothic Knights CD from this seller too. (Total shipping is $4 for both discs, I didn’t include that in the price.)

Press Release: Tesla to release new album, Forever More, on October 7, album cover revealed

TESLA DELIVERS FOREVER MORE

THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM SET FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 7

WORLD TOUR KICKS OFF OCTOBER 1

August 11, 2008 — Multi-platinum rockers TESLA–Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitars), Brian Wheat (bass), Troy Luccketta (drums) and Dave Rude (guitar)—are looking well into the future with their seventh studio album, FOREVER MORE, set for release October 7 on Tesla Electric Company Recordings (in partnership with Ryko Distribution).

“I Wanna Live,” the new album’s first single, is being serviced to radio stations nationwide on August 18. The band’s world tour will kick off October 1 in Salt Lake City with more dates announced in the coming weeks.

For FOREVER MORE, Tesla reunited with producer Terry Thomas, who was behind the boards for the band’s 1994 Gold-certified BUST A NUT album, and engineered by Michael Rosen who worked with Tesla on INTO THE NOW.

Guitarist Frank Hannon explains, “We started writing new songs for this album the first week of January, while simultaneously planning a mid-West tour of America in February and recording our COMIN’ ATCHA LIVE! 2008 DVD while we were on the road. Coming home in March, we hired Terry to jump back into writing and recording music with us while we edited the DVD and routed a summer tour of Europe. We’re riding a wave of energy that doesn’t come easy for a band of rookies much less a band whose been doing this for over 20 years – and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“After returning from Europe,” continues Frank, “we jumped right back into the studio to work on FOREVER MORE with Terry while setting up a tour of American festival shows in July and August, playing alongside bands such as Matchbox Twenty, the Wallflowers, Queensrÿche, KISS and Judas Priest. It’s great that we can play with any band, of any music genre, because we’ve never been pigeon-holed into a style or label of music throughout our career.”

In describing the vibe of the new album, he continues, “FOREVER MORE demonstrates this idea of writing songs in a diverse fashion. The title track is one of our deeper cuts complete with heavy lyrics, de-tuned riffs and acoustic interludes, while, ‘I Wanna Live’ is one of our more uplifting songs that bounces musically and delivers a lyrical message that suggests living life to the fullest.”

The rest of the album takes a similar ride of dynamic ups and downs with songs like ‘So What!,’ ‘Fallin’ Apart,’ ‘Breakin’ Free,’ ‘The Game,’ ‘All Of Me’ and ‘The First Time.’”

All the tracks on FOREVER MORE offer a variety of emotions where each song has its own twist–not sounding like another. FOREVER MORE was written and recorded during a period of high energy and bizarre life circumstances for each of Tesla’s band members, with those experiences coming full circle throughout the CD.

Tesla’s DVD, COMIN’ ATCHA LIVE! 2008 was released July 15. It’s the band’s first DVD in 17 years (since 1991’s Five Man Video Band) and is filled with over two hours of live music, special behind-the-scenes footage, their fans, backstage, on stage and loose on the streets of Seattle.

In addition, Tesla’s first double-disc collection of 32 of their best tracks and collectibles, GOLD, will be available on August 26 on Geffen/Universal Music Enterprises, ranging from 1986 through 2007 and including their chart hits “Signs,” “Love Song,” and “The Way It Is.”

www.teslatheband.com
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Press Release: Tesla – Comin’ Atcha Live! 2008 DVD tracklisting & release date

From Bravewords:

TESLA’s Comin’ Atcha Live! 2008 DVD (Tesla Electric Company Recordings) is due out on July 15. The long anticipated live concert DVD was filmed live in Minnesota this year (on February 28th) and is the first live concert DVD released by Tesla since Five Man Acoustical Jam. The release includes many bonus features including an exclusive look at the band’s gear and behind-the-scenes life on the road.

The complete tracklisting is as follows: ‘Comin’ Atcha Live’, ‘What A Shame’, ‘Modern Day Cowboy’, ‘Miles Away’, ‘Heaven’s Trail’, ‘Mama’s Fool’, ‘Hang Tough’, ‘Dear Pvt. Ledbetter’, ‘Paradise’, ‘Love Song’, ‘What You Give’, ‘Song And Emotion’, ‘Heaven 911’, ‘Freedom Slaves’, ‘Rock Bottom’, ‘Into The Now’, ‘Signs’, ‘Little Suzi’, ‘Edison’s Medicine’.

“This DVD marks a new era creatively for Tesla because we put it all together ourselves, capturing the band’s concert and life on the road,” says lead guitarist Frank Hannon. “Nowadays, we are more involved in every aspect of our music career than ever before. We are very excited about the creative results and it really shows in the new DVD.”