20 years ago: Again, I'll let the video speak first:
Jon Bon Jovi was asked to write the theme song for the film "Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory." He released an entire album of music "from and inspired by" the film, and the lead single set the world on fire, hitting #1 in the US and Australia, receiving a Golden Globe award and Grammy and Academy Award nominations. The album also featured guest appearances from legends such as Jeff Beck and Elton John.
Today: Jon never really went away like many of his hair band compatriots. His eponymous band, Bon Jovi, has released eight original albums, two "greatest hits" compilations (with a third on the way), a live album, a box set, and a documentary since 1990. They tour incessantly, and this year, released ten of their albums in expanded, remastered form, including live and rare tracks with each one.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
July 24, 1990: Winger - "In The Heart of the Young"
20 years ago: Winger burst on the scene in the late 1980s with "Seventeen," a paean to illicit young love off their wildly successful debut album. Kip Winger became a heavy metal heartthrob for legions of female fans, and guitarist Reb Beach became an icon for all of us young male future guitar heroes.
"In The Heart of the Young," their followup effort, was released in 1990 on the strength of the singles "Miles Away", "Easy Come, Easy Go," and "Can't Get Enuff". Winger was, unfortunately, cast in a less-than-positive light on the MTV show "Beavis and Butthead," featured on the shirt of the title characters' wussy neighbor, Stewart (as a foil to the "cooler" Metallica and AC/DC shirts worn by the title characters), and after their largely forgotten third album, "Pull," tanked, Winger vanished into the hair metal ether.
"In The Heart of the Young," however, went much deeper than the two singles. "Rainbow In The Rose" featured trumpeting from a young Chris Botti:
The band reunited for a few shows, a new song for a "Greatest Hits" disc, and a live album in 2001, but disbanded again to continue to work on independent projects. Beach recorded and/or toured with Alice Cooper, Dokken, and Whitesnake, while Kip Winger released a series of more introspective solo albums, including one with acoustic versions of some of his old band's more popular songs.
Today: Winger's back, incredibly. They released their fourth album, "IV," in 2007, but didn't click with fans, as it took the band in a much more modern direction. 2009's "Karma," however, brought back the big choruses and wailing solos. Kip and his brother Nate reformed Blackwood Creek, a band from before the Winger days, and released a new album in early 2010 as well.
"In The Heart of the Young," their followup effort, was released in 1990 on the strength of the singles "Miles Away", "Easy Come, Easy Go," and "Can't Get Enuff". Winger was, unfortunately, cast in a less-than-positive light on the MTV show "Beavis and Butthead," featured on the shirt of the title characters' wussy neighbor, Stewart (as a foil to the "cooler" Metallica and AC/DC shirts worn by the title characters), and after their largely forgotten third album, "Pull," tanked, Winger vanished into the hair metal ether.
"In The Heart of the Young," however, went much deeper than the two singles. "Rainbow In The Rose" featured trumpeting from a young Chris Botti:
The band reunited for a few shows, a new song for a "Greatest Hits" disc, and a live album in 2001, but disbanded again to continue to work on independent projects. Beach recorded and/or toured with Alice Cooper, Dokken, and Whitesnake, while Kip Winger released a series of more introspective solo albums, including one with acoustic versions of some of his old band's more popular songs.
Today: Winger's back, incredibly. They released their fourth album, "IV," in 2007, but didn't click with fans, as it took the band in a much more modern direction. 2009's "Karma," however, brought back the big choruses and wailing solos. Kip and his brother Nate reformed Blackwood Creek, a band from before the Winger days, and released a new album in early 2010 as well.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
July 10, 1990: Poison's "Flesh And Blood"
Twenty Years Ago: I'll let the videos do the talking.
And a few that don't allow embedding:
"Life Goes On": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beq8dxup7Pk
"Something To Believe In": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk11Ywen5a4
"(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isJQodWtH50
If any band is hair metal royalty, it's Poison. "Flesh and Blood" was the band's third album, and their last featuring their original lineup. This album had its share of hits, but I think the real gems here are the songs you probably don't know. "Let It Play," "Poor Boy Blues," and "Life Loves A Tragedy" are three of my all-time favorite Poison songs.
Not too long after this album (and the live disc that followed it), guitarist C.C. DeVille went bonkers, and the other guys went through Richie Kotzen and Blues Saraceno -- actually releasing two criminally underrated albums, one with each of them -- before realizing that they were a bigger draw together than they were apart, and got back together. They've been doing virtually the same exact live show since that first reunion tour.
Today: Bret Michaels is probably the bigger story these days, with the reality shows, health crises, and creepy old man Miley Cyrus duets. I would love to say that these guys could put together respectable new music, but really, they haven't done anything new that's worthwhile in any quantity since this album. 2000's "Power To The People" was an EP of five songs that weren't awful with a couple of mindless live tracks; then 2002's "Hollyweird" was beyond dreadful. The only redeeming track on their 2007 covers disc was actually a version of Justin Timberlake's (!!) "Sexyback," which was only available on the Wal-Mart version of the disc.
And a few that don't allow embedding:
"Life Goes On": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beq8dxup7Pk
"Something To Believe In": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk11Ywen5a4
"(Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isJQodWtH50
If any band is hair metal royalty, it's Poison. "Flesh and Blood" was the band's third album, and their last featuring their original lineup. This album had its share of hits, but I think the real gems here are the songs you probably don't know. "Let It Play," "Poor Boy Blues," and "Life Loves A Tragedy" are three of my all-time favorite Poison songs.
Not too long after this album (and the live disc that followed it), guitarist C.C. DeVille went bonkers, and the other guys went through Richie Kotzen and Blues Saraceno -- actually releasing two criminally underrated albums, one with each of them -- before realizing that they were a bigger draw together than they were apart, and got back together. They've been doing virtually the same exact live show since that first reunion tour.
Today: Bret Michaels is probably the bigger story these days, with the reality shows, health crises, and creepy old man Miley Cyrus duets. I would love to say that these guys could put together respectable new music, but really, they haven't done anything new that's worthwhile in any quantity since this album. 2000's "Power To The People" was an EP of five songs that weren't awful with a couple of mindless live tracks; then 2002's "Hollyweird" was beyond dreadful. The only redeeming track on their 2007 covers disc was actually a version of Justin Timberlake's (!!) "Sexyback," which was only available on the Wal-Mart version of the disc.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
June 26, 1990: Nelson's "After The Rain"
Twenty Years Ago: The twin sons of Ricky Nelson, Gunnar and Matthew, burst onto the hair metal scene in 1990 with their long blond hair and a catchy hit single that lit up MTV and became a Billboard #1 hit:
"(Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection" was also listed at #96 on VH1's Greatest Hits of the 90s list.
Although Beavis & Butthead thought "these chicks look like guys," from top to bottom, "After The Rain" was a really well-crafted pop gem. Gunnar and Matthew harmonize brilliantly, as only siblings can; the title track, a follow-up single and video, was a big hit as well.
I love almost all the songs on here; "Only Time Will Tell" and "Everywhere I Go" are beautiful, albeit schmaltzy, ballads that could have been hits.
With the collapse of hair metal, the Nelsons vanished from the mainstream; their second record, 1995's "Because They Can," entered a very different pop music landscape and was largely forgotten. They kept recording music, including a 2000 tribute album to their father, but never came anywhere near the heights of their debut.
Note: The band also released two acoustic versions of their biggest hit. The first, an early B-side, is a straight acoustic version. This one, which twists the original a bit, appears on the VH1 "Metal Mania: Stripped, Volume 2" compilation:
Today: The Nelsons are back! They signed with Frontiers Records, and announced that they are planning a live album and a set of all-new material as well, hopefully in 2010 or 2011. The brothers have made regular appearances on several of the VH1 "flashback" shows, and joined fellow hair metal veterans Mark Slaughter, Eric Martin (Mr. Big), and Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) in a band called Scrap Metal that tours occasionally.
"(Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection" was also listed at #96 on VH1's Greatest Hits of the 90s list.
Although Beavis & Butthead thought "these chicks look like guys," from top to bottom, "After The Rain" was a really well-crafted pop gem. Gunnar and Matthew harmonize brilliantly, as only siblings can; the title track, a follow-up single and video, was a big hit as well.
I love almost all the songs on here; "Only Time Will Tell" and "Everywhere I Go" are beautiful, albeit schmaltzy, ballads that could have been hits.
With the collapse of hair metal, the Nelsons vanished from the mainstream; their second record, 1995's "Because They Can," entered a very different pop music landscape and was largely forgotten. They kept recording music, including a 2000 tribute album to their father, but never came anywhere near the heights of their debut.
Note: The band also released two acoustic versions of their biggest hit. The first, an early B-side, is a straight acoustic version. This one, which twists the original a bit, appears on the VH1 "Metal Mania: Stripped, Volume 2" compilation:
Today: The Nelsons are back! They signed with Frontiers Records, and announced that they are planning a live album and a set of all-new material as well, hopefully in 2010 or 2011. The brothers have made regular appearances on several of the VH1 "flashback" shows, and joined fellow hair metal veterans Mark Slaughter, Eric Martin (Mr. Big), and Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger) in a band called Scrap Metal that tours occasionally.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
July 25, 1989 - Alice Cooper's "Trash"
Twenty years ago: Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Phoenix teenager Vincent Furnier shocked the world with his unique brand of rock and roll. He called his band Alice Cooper, and although not his original intent, he became "Alice Cooper," the snake-charming, cane-toting, clown-baiting frontman, bringing a new genre -- "shock rock" -- to the music world.
In July 1989, he released an album that would propel him back up the charts, this time as a solo artist, "Trash." Powered by the Desmond Child-aided single "Poison," which reached #7 in the US, matching 1972's "School's Out" as his highest-charting single. The song is broadly indicative of its time; slick production, a huge, anthemic chorus, and a video (linked above) that found its way into heavy rotation on MTV that summer. The album, his second platinum record, didn't just blast Cooper back into the spotlight; he became a media superstar, recording two more hit records in the early 90's and appearing, notably, in the first Wayne's World movie:
Side note: The last song, "Only My Heart Talkin'", includes a killer backup vocal line from Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Two of the most distinctive voices in rock history!
Today: Alice has continued to rock, and despite that fact that he's become better known for his golfing than for his current musical output, he's still releasing albums and putting on an incredible guillotine-and-snakes-filled stage show, selling out arenas around the world:
His latest, Along Came A Spider, shows him still in fine form, hearkening back to his 1970s material, even referencing the Steven character from Welcome To My Nightmare, Alice's last platinum album. I highly recommend it, along with 2003's The Eyes of Alice Cooper, which was raw, dirty, and among Alice's best work.
In July 1989, he released an album that would propel him back up the charts, this time as a solo artist, "Trash." Powered by the Desmond Child-aided single "Poison," which reached #7 in the US, matching 1972's "School's Out" as his highest-charting single. The song is broadly indicative of its time; slick production, a huge, anthemic chorus, and a video (linked above) that found its way into heavy rotation on MTV that summer. The album, his second platinum record, didn't just blast Cooper back into the spotlight; he became a media superstar, recording two more hit records in the early 90's and appearing, notably, in the first Wayne's World movie:
Side note: The last song, "Only My Heart Talkin'", includes a killer backup vocal line from Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Two of the most distinctive voices in rock history!
Today: Alice has continued to rock, and despite that fact that he's become better known for his golfing than for his current musical output, he's still releasing albums and putting on an incredible guillotine-and-snakes-filled stage show, selling out arenas around the world:
His latest, Along Came A Spider, shows him still in fine form, hearkening back to his 1970s material, even referencing the Steven character from Welcome To My Nightmare, Alice's last platinum album. I highly recommend it, along with 2003's The Eyes of Alice Cooper, which was raw, dirty, and among Alice's best work.
Monday, July 28, 2008
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