What's on the Car Stereo Part 2

WHAT'S BEEN ON THE CAR STEREO PART 2

Here's a run down of what's been drowning out the sound of my car's engine over the last couple of weeks......its a really mixed bag which might not be to everyone's taste but I've been into music for near on 50 years so you must understand my record/tape/cd collection spans a wide range of styles.....well that's my excuse anyway !!.....here goes.....

SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND (SAHB) - NEXT

Their 1973 album "NEXT" does qualify for "Burnt Into My Brain" status.....it has been one of my favourites since the late 70's when I first heard the track "Faith Healer" and simply had to have it. The track in question is some 7 minutes long with the most hypnotic pulsing beat you will ever hear from a rock band. All the tracks are seriously good, even those that have a more theatrical/burlesque feel to them...this approach was taken with their live performances for which they became rightly famous. Here is them doing the single version of Faith Healer from The Old Grey Whistle Test in '73.....

Not sure if its actually "live"...which would be unusual for the OGWT but this gives you a good idea of what they are about. A word of warning though....they are what could be described as an acquired taste and apart from the odd track and single here and there I find their other albums rather patchy and no where near as full on as this. The guitar sound and general mix is classic early 70's especially the opening riffs to Vambo Marble Eye which are glorious ! I never got to see them live which I regret as I did have the chance in '74 but declined.....doh !! After Alex Harvey died of a heart attack in 1982 the band carried on as SAHB Without Alex....but this was rather like when The Doors carried on after Jim Morrison died.....uninspiring and short lived. I saw their guitarist Zal Cleminson when he guested with Nazareth on a tour of theirs....it was very very odd to see him without his trademark clown get up. A fine guitarist though.

BLOOD OF HEROES 2012

 Not sure how this will go down with the majority of subscribers to this blog as it would be categorised as Drum and Bass.......but it not quite what you would expect from the genre as it is spacey with a heavy edge.....not that far removed from some of Pendulum's (who I will get to in a minute) less commercial album offerings. If you are curious about this style of music then this would be a reasonable intro. Having listened to this I was prompted to get out......

THE PRODIGY - INVADERS MUST DIE 2009
I'm sure you will be vaguely familiar with their unique brand of music but this album is my favourite by a long stretch. Great mix and footstompingly good !!.....I then couldn't help but listen to....

PENDULUM - LIVE AT BRIXTON ACADEMY 2008

This is marvellous from start to finish.....frantic infectious dance/rock played live with guitar, bass and a drummer.....yup....they use keyboards and whole banks of computers to provide all the rest of the backing sound and percussion/noises etc and are fronted by an MC but it all goes together to create a unique blend with crossover appeal to metal/rock fans. Their cover of Metallica's Master of Puppets has to be heard !

I was fortunate to see them some 3 years ago before they started only doing festivals and arenas and it was a gig that will live long in the memory. I fully intended to stand towards the back and stomp my foot and let the mosh pits, circle pits and mayhem go on well out of my way....this lasted about 20 seconds after they started and I found myself on the periphery of the action and was ,by the end , a horrible sweaty mess. I only saw a few people who I thought looked older than myself and indeed I'd estimate that my denim jacket was older than 90% of the audience !!

BURNING LOVE - ROTTEN THING TO SAY 2012

Full on hardcore...really reminded me of ZEKE......total noise but with good tunes and acceptable vocals (not that horrible gutteral Rottweiler with a sore throat style that I hate !). Great riffs and good speedy guitar work.....and no surprise after this album I had to listen to....

ZEKE - DEATH ALLEY 2001

This has always been a favourite of mine since I first heard it many years ago.....astonishingly good......You are left wondering just how they manage to play the guitar riffs that fast....and its very heavy and every song is superb.....not too good if you are out for a quite drive in the country but great if you want to get somewhere quickly !! You MUST check this album out.

MOUNTAIN - CLIMBING 1970 AND NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE 1971

Classic early 70's American rock fronted by legendary axeman Leslie West. A good variety of material over these 2 albums ranging from slower moody tracks to big sounding fuzzed guitar outings. Well worth checking out.

SLADE - SLADEST COMPILATION

All their singles and b-sides up to the end of '73. If ever there was a band whose music will put a smile on your face and a stomp in your foot then this is it. I've always loved Slade..ever since I bought Lok Wot You Dun back in early '72.....incidentally the first single I bought with my own money....50p I think it was. If you haven't seen the documentary This Is Slade then I urge you to do so when its next repeated (as its sure to be) on BBC 3 or 4. I wasn't able to see them in their heyday of the early 70's but was treated to a mad afternoon in their company along with 40,000 others when they filled in for Ozzy's Blizzard of Oz at the Reading Festival in 1980. Everyone was a bit miffed when it was announced that Blizzard weren't to be appearing and that Slade would entertain us instead but we'd all forgotten about Ozzy after a couple of songs and were all happily singing along, clapping and jumping up and down. Whilst NOT a favourite of mine Merry Xmas Everybody was sung with gusto by the whole audience....quite bizarre on a balmy August day !! There was also the biggest can/plastic bottle/polypin fight down the front that I've ever seen at a festival!...at one point the sky above our heads was darkened by the sheer number of objects flying about !!

and finally.....

ASTRO QUEEN - INTO SUBMISSION 2001

Fantastic classic stoner rock....awesome bass sound.....absolutely superb throughout....my only complaint is that the songs aren't long enough !! 11 tracks in 48 fun filled minutes.

Well....I hope that might have inspired you to check out some of my selections....if you do and you liked them or hated them then let us know !!

Until the next time.......

Doug E Dogg