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Classic Rock News And Views
June 21, 2010
Book Review: Pet Benatar’s Between A Heart and A Rock Place
It’s been almost a week since Pat Benatar’s new book hit store shelves. Being a bit of a slow reader (mostly due to time constraints), I just finished reading it last night. Normally, I would conclude that only Pat Benatar fans would have any real interest in reading her memoir, and I was a little bit apprehensive going in.
I remember Benatar from the MTV days when she broke onto the scene – at least for those of us who did not happen to be loyal fans previous to her TV debut. MTV was the first time I had ever heard of Pat Benatar. As far as I was concerned as a 20-ish guy who spent me share of time in front of MTV in those days, she was a good-looking girl who could rock. Generally, I liked the music. Not enough to go buy a record, but it was good.
If I had to come up with one take-away from the book, I’d have to sum it up by saying that Pat Benatar is a human being with emotions, feelings, hopes, dreams, desires, goals, etc. You know, all the stuff that helps define most of us as human beings.
Surely, it’s obvious that Benatar is a human being. However, recall what I said about how I viewed her back when when she first broke onto MTV. I saw her pretty much the way her record company handlers wanted me to. It was all about the sex, and that was certainly not lost on a 20-ish guy who liked rock and roll.
We’ve all heard the stories of the record company weasels who put pressure on artists to compromise their own creative ambitions. If that’s not bad enough from an artists perspective, it may be even worse to have a sex-crazed music mogul chasing you around a piano, hoping to get some “action.” Yes, it happened to Benatar, and no, the weasel did not get any “action.”
Reading Benatar’s book provided a bit of insight into the careers of other female performers who had to struggle with similar obstacles while trying to make it in the music business as an attractive woman. A few years back, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart spoke a bit about some of the obstacles they had to overcome, facing a lot of the same stereotyping and disrespect Benatar dealt with through the years.
There are a number of reasons to admire Pat Benatar. Beyond overcoming all the crap she had to put up with from power brokers who either refused to take her seriously as an artist, or simply viewed her as a sex symbol, she comes across as a very down-to-Earth person.
Unlike so many of her peers, she never fell victim to the party lifestyle. She did not make headlines by landing in rehab or jail. She worked as hard as any performer, but kept her head on straight and her feet on the ground.
One passage from the book really stuck with me, and really solidified the respect and admiration I have developed for Pat Benatar. Although she acknowledges in the book that she has very strong political ideals, she has always opted to avoid using her fame as a platform to further whatever political agenda she supports, and gives no hint as to what that might be. She does, however, seem put off by celebrities who don’t adhere to the same code. On that point, Pat Benatar and I are on the same page, so to speak.
I’ve got no reservations about recommending Benatar’s book. Loyal fans will obviously want to pick up a copy, but even for someone like me, who always had just a passing interest in Benatar and her music, it was interesting enough to keep me reading it until the end, and I am glad I did.
Sure, Pat Benatar is a successful artist and turned more than her share of heads in her day. One of those heads could have easily been mine. I never chased anyone around a piano, or anywhere else, for that matter, but Pat Benatar was just another cute rock chick in as far as I was concerned. Sharing the story of her life and career goes much further than exposing record company weasels – it also puts her in a whole new light.
Celebrities and rock stars are looked up to by their fans and are admired by many. Some of them handle fame well, and others may not. Personally, I always find myself most impressed by those that don’t elevate themselves above the everyday guy or gal. I’d say Pat Benatar is one of those rock stars I really admire. Not just because of her talent, ability, music, or appearance, but definitely because of her character.
Say it with me: Pat Benatar’s Between A Rock and A Heart Place is available on Amazon.com
June 10, 2010
Space Cowboy Steve Miller is Back – Free Album Preview Online
It’s been 17 long years, but The Steve Miller Band is back with a brand-new studio album that’s set to hit stores on June 15th. Those anxious to get a listen can check it out for free online at Yahoo Music.
For those of you that are still reading, it’s probably fair for me to say that I’m not and never been a huge Steve Miller fan. I’ve never bought one of The Steve Miller Band’s albums, but at the same time, I never considered their music a “channel changer” either.
That means if I was tooling round town in my 1973 Chevy Laguna back in the old days, and a Steve Miller song came on the radio, I would not have changed the channel. It was one of those acts that I liked enough to listen to on the radio, but not quite enough to buy the record, the cassette or the, ahem, 8-track.
The new album is called Bingo! and I’m listening to it as I write, hoping the impressions will flow smoother “in the moment.”
First things first. I really do like this album. And believe me, nobody is paying me to say that. Unless of course you consider a digital download of the album for review purposes a “pay off.” With all the shenanigans going on these days just about everywhere, I think it’s important that readers know that I don’t do “paid reviews.”
Back to business. When I first fired up Bingo! in the MP3 player (what’s an “8-track?”), what struck me right off was, “Hey, that’s Steve Miller!”
What I mean is that he sounds just like he did in 1973! It seems as if the man’s voice has not changed at all in 40 or so years! That’s not a bad thing, it was just kind of cool for me to put that on after many years of not hearing him, and discovering that he sounds exactly the same. Maybe I’m alone on this one, but it just struck me as kind of weird – in a cool sort of way.
Track number one is called “Hey Yeah,” and it introduces us to a more blues-oriented Steve Miller with a dash of funk thrown into the mix. The entire album sounds more laid back to me when compared with some of his previous hits, but since it’s Miller indulging the blues side of his musical persona, that’s to be expected.
“Who’s Been Talking” takes us firmly into blues territory, and although I’m hesitant to compare anyone to the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan, it sounds a bit like something he might have done. Not being a huge blues guy, SRV is one of a very few genuine blues guitarists I’ve spent any significant amount of time listening to. In fact, Bingo! includes some cover tracks written by SRV’s brother Jimmie, among others by legends like B.B. King.
Rather than running down the entire list, I feel pretty safe saying you will probably like this new album if you are a fan a bluesy, guitar-driven rock and roll. The band is solid and the album also features some very capable guest performers, including Joe Satriani and the group’s newest member, vocalist Sonny Charles (formerly with the Checkmates) whose sound cannot not be improved upon much if you’re looking for a guy to make a blues album with.
Miller has described Bingo! as a “party record,” a description I find no fault with. I can easily imagine this album fueling a dance floor crammed with gyrating party goers. On the other hand, it’s a good foot-tapping album to just sit and listen to as well, particularly for guitar lovers. Not terribly surprising since we are talking about Steve Miller here.
Changes in the music business have really shaken things up in recent years, and as a result, fans have access to stuff we would have never dreamed of years ago. Take advantage of the digital revolution and check Bingo! out for yourself online now.
May 18, 2009
Vancouver Critic Not Impressed With Chickenfoot Show
The new supergroup Chickenfoot has hit the road to showcase material from their forthcoming CD, and at least one music critic was not at all impressed with the show at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. Steve Newton, writing for Straight.com, was particularly disappointed with Sammy Hagar’s performance, and was not particularly impressed with former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony either.
I don’t normally headline a music critic’s opinion here, since the whole professional critic thing is of questionable value if you ask me. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” an old adage that holds true for just about everything. 
While one rock fan may think the Rolling Stones are the greatest rock band in the world, another may think they suck. We all have our own opinions and they are neither right or wrong. The same rule applies to critics – music or otherwise.
What made this review interesting is that it was the first one I have seen for Chickenfoot. In addition, there were a few readers who came to the group’s defense without holding too much back. Overall, it appears that the Chickenfoot defenders outnumbered those who agreed with Newton.
Newton’s main problems with Chickenfoot seem centered around Sammy Hagar’s vocals, suggesting that Hagar “grab himself a bottle of that premium tequila he so proudly promotes and head off into the Cabo sunset.”
Newton says he was a Hagar fan during his time with Montrose and even liked some of the material he did with Van Halen, but apparently feels it is time for the 61-year-old to put down the microphone for good.
There was high praise for guitarist Joe Satriani, who, in this case is considered too accomplished to be on stage with the aging Hagar and the “lowly” Michael Anthony. Certainly something that dedicated old school Van Halen fans may take issue with. Newton predicts that Satriani will tire of wasting his talent on Chickenfoot and leave the group so he can “go back to being an adventurous axeman of the highest order…”
There’s been a good bit of hype surrounding the birth of this new group, and people are not forgetting Hagar’s comments a while back about rivaling Led Zeppelin, although he did back away from that statement later, saying he had been tipping the bottle before making that statement and admitting it was “stupid” thing to say.
As Chickenfoot continues on their tour, we will surely be hearing from other critics, and it will be interesting to see how their take on the new group compares to Newton’s.
You can read Steve Newton’s review at Straight.com.
December 31, 2008
DVD Review: Rush Snakes & Arrows Live
Whether or not you are a Rush fan, there’s no getting away from the fact that those three guys (particularly Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) have a sense of humor and are not afraid to stretch themselves a bit and try their hand at some comedy routines. Their idea of comedy doesn’t align too well with my personal taste, but seeing Geddy Lee dressed up like a Scotsman complete with kilt and pretty well-executed accent was entertaining nonetheless.
I’ll confess to be a little slow on the uptake since I did not recognize the genie with the spinning noggin as Alex Lifeson until I heard about it later. I’ll give him high marks for his phony accent as well – not bad at all.
There are also appearances of various other comedic talents such as Jerry Stiller, The South Park kids as well as Bob and Doug McKenzie of “Great White North” fame. I’m not sure who many Dutch fans in attendance recognized some of these characters, but with the global nature of entertainment these days, perhaps they were more recognizable than the average North American might suspect.
The real meat (which of course, would be chicken) of this 3-DVD set (1 DVD for the Blu-ray version) is of course the 
concert footage, which was filmed over the course of two nights in Rotterdam, Holland during October of 2007. Employing 21 high-definition cameras certainly provides a very thorough presentation of the show and spends ample time featuring each of the three legendary performers and how they interact, and seem to genuinely enjoy performing for the assembled audience.
In addition to the Rotterdam performance, there are four songs on the “Oh, Atlanta! The Authorized Bootleg” portion of this release.
Sound quality is quite good, although I found the quality of the recently-reviewed David Gilmour CD set, Live in Gdansk more to my liking. This may be due to the open air venue in Gdansk as opposed to the indoor venue in Rotterdam, where recording may present more challenges. I’m no sound technician, and even though I prefer the quality of Gilmour’s recording, Snakes & Arrows Live is about as good as one might expect from a live recording.
Other minor criticisms include some portions of the mix that seem to bury Lifeson’s guitar a bit too far beneath the other instruments and vocals during certain passages.
I honestly don’t know whether Neil Peart’s snare drum malfunctioned or whether he switched to a different one during the performance of “The Trees,” but I thought its muddy, shallow sound really detracted from that performance when compared to the punchier snare sound on during the original recording.
With the group’s decision to perform some of their older material such as “Red Barchetta” and “2112” came some significant vocal challenges for Geddy Lee who is not able to hit the high notes like he once could. He can hardly be blamed, however, since these guys are in their mid-fifties and are still out there putting on great shows and thrilling fans around the globe.
I’ll concede that some, if not all of these criticisms are probably a bit on the nit-picky side given the challenges of presenting a quality recording of a live performance, and none of these criticisms would sway my decision away from adding this release to my collection.
The set list is posted in about a billion other places, so I’ll save some space here and not bother with it. I think its enough to say that this release is a must for inclusion in the collection of any Rush fan. Being one whose somewhat reclusive nature makes me less desirous of standing amidst a few thousand screaming fans, I dare say that watching Snakes & Arrows Live is preferable to actually being there. Many will disagree, but you aren’t going to get close enough to each one of these guys to see the kind of detail you will see with this release, especially the Blu-ray version.
The obligatory drum solo was of course included, and as contradictory as it may seem for an old drummer (strictly amateur, trust me!) like myself to say, I’m not a big drum solo guy. Demonstrating ones technical ability and speed is of course impressive, but I’ve always enjoyed hearing a good drummer accompanied by fellow performers rather than solo.
However, Peart brings an interesting and more entertaining element to his solo by the use of some electronic pads to create a unique melodic interlude before launching into his big band style finale which I thought was very cool. As far as drum solos go, I’d say that was about the most unique and entertaining I have encountered.
In case you haven’t picked up on it by now, if you are a Rush fan and do not already have this release, go get it as soon as you can. I’ve been a fan since the late 70’s myself and for me, the Blu-ray version of this release on a big screen HDTV with a good surround sound system would be as good as being there. Actually, probably better.
Snakes & Arrows Live is available at Amazon.com
I consider myself a pretty dedicated Rush fan, although not quite to the level of a “Trekkie” who might show up at a Star Trek convention wearing a pair of Spock ears, so I’m still a bit mystified with regard to the recurring “chicken” theme that’s referenced on this release.
Maybe I’m just a bit dense or have somehow missed something obvious, but if you are as clueless about the whole poultry thing and how it relates to Rush as I am, the internet – I presume – is at your disposal. Myself, I’ll just enjoy the show and allow the mystery to endure.
December 11, 2008
CD Review: Sammy Hagar’s Cosmic Universal Fashion
To me, Sammy Hagar has always typified a straight-up rock and roll kind of guy. He’s never found a place on my list off all-time favorites, but as I have said here before, I think Van Halen’s best years were during the time Hagar was with them. Besides preferring Hagar’s voice over Diamond Dave’s, I’ve never cared much for big egos. Maybe those old VH videos with Roth throwing his blond locks around and casting those“come hither” looks towards the camera just creeped me out a bit too much to ever take the guy seriously. Some footage from the most recent Van Halen tour with Roth riding a giant inflatable microphone around the stage surely didn’t help.
As far as being a straight-up rock and roll kind of guy goes, this latest effort is a bit of a departure, and some if it can definitely be classified as music with a message. Awareness about the environment seems to be a key part of the message Hagar is trying to convey with Cosmic Universal Fashion.
The CD is packaged in a cardboard case that is described right on it as being “Printed on 40% recycled paperboard,” as
well as “Environmentally friendly package: No booklet, no waste.” Indeed, there is no booklet accompanying the CD as you would normally expect, which is really not a big deal for me and the cardboard packaging certainly was easier to open than that shrink-wrapped plastic fortress that CDs are usually encased in. You can however, visit Hagar’s website and view or download the booklet if you choose.
If you’re a Sammy Hagar fan, there’s a fair chance that you will enjoy this new album. For someone like myself who is a bit more neutral where the Red Rocker is concerned, I found myself left with only one track that I really liked. I certainly don’t consider the other tracks “unlistenable,” but the one I found myself playing over and over a number of times was “Loud.” Now that’s straight-up rock and roll, and the kind of thing I would have liked to hear more of on a Sammy Hagar album.
Getting to the title track, “Cosmic Universal Fashion,” it is not your typical rock song, and it’s a difficult one for me to classify, although it has more of a machine-generated sound to it which is a bit too repetitive and certainly does not sound like any of the old classic Hagar I remember. Of all the tracks on the album, this was the one I liked the least. It’s creation is an interesting story however, since it was born out of a collaboration between Hagar and an Iraqi fan took place over the internet. Unfortunately, I found the story of the song’s creation more interesting than the song itself.
The whole album is somewhat of an odd collection, since some of the tracks don’t seem like they belong on the same CD and were made up of a collection of songs that Hagar did not know what else to do with. That’s confirmed to some degree by the credits where Hagar talks about a couple of songs he wrote with Neal Schon just before he signed on for the Van Hagar reunion and had to put his plans with Schon on hold. Those two tracks, “Psycho Vertigo” and “Peephole” are on this album, with “Psycho Vertigo” being the better track in my opinion. Deen Castronovo’s hard-driving drum work really provides a strong backbone to this guitar-driven track.
Although I have seen some criticism of Hagar’s singing on this album, I think he’s holding up pretty well at the age of 61, and to me he sounds pretty much like the Sammy Hagar I remember from the 80’s.
As someone whose favorite groups include Rush, Yes, Heart and Kansas, Hagar’s creative work, much of which has that party-inspired feel to it, has never been much of a draw for me. For Hagar fans however, this album may be worth checking out.
