_Not Really Record Reviews Album musings from a guy who probably hasn't listened to the entire disc... [1]Recent | 2000 | [2]1999 | [3]1998 Last update: 16MAY01 __________________________________________________________________ _Rating System (in Secret Satan Signs): from [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] (cool) to [INLINE] (sucks) __________________________________________________________________ 2000 Reviews Doro - _Calling the Wild_ - Koch, 2000 The dormant-of-late ex-Warlock takes another solo stab with 14 generous tracks that, alas, are more atmospherically relaxed than angry, restless, or wild. Translation? Lots and lots of ballads, including two with one Lemmy Kilmister, one a 'head cover ("Love Me Forever") and the other a tune specially written for Ms. Pesch ("Alone Again"). Nothing _really_ breaks loose, though, not even the live shouter "Burn it Up" nor the creepy quelled cover of Billy Idol's "White Wedding. " Sure makes for interesting listening, though... 9/00 [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] The Scorpions and the Berlin Philharmonic - _Moment_ _of Glory_ - EMI, 2000 Another "hits" package, this time with orchestra. Yawn... or so you think until the blaring fanfare opening "Hurricane 2000" startles you straight into the ceiling. A minute later, the rock drums. Another minute, that all-too-familiar, twin-guitar riff. If the song selection is a bit on the cloying-ly cheery side-- a children's choir appears on the title track!-- the studio-recorded mix is note-perfect. And _way_ better than last year's warts-and-all live document of the Metallica/San Francisco Orchestra title fight. Happily, the colliding worlds thrown down at least a couple times-- on the aforementioned "Rocks You" remake and a Ray Wilson (of Genesis!)-guest vocaled "Big City Nights. " (Other guests include Lyn Liechty and Zucchero. Nice touch, that. Broadening the vocal parts. ) There is one bonafide surprise here-- that an instrumental piece rocks _harder_ than any of the Scorp songs. "Deadly Sting Suite" is by far the best track, or so says this die-hard symphonic rock 'n' roller. 9/00 [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Various Artists - _Little_ _Guitars_ - Shrapnel, 2000 One more all-metal star tribute. Van Halen's turn, pre-Hagar and with most of the vocalists (Doug Pinnick, Jani Lane, John Corabi, Fee Waybill, etc. ) actually _sounding _like Diamond Dave. Kinda weird, as if these singers have a rehearsed Roth impersonation that they pull out at parties. Good guitar, too, including a rare, non-rapid solo on "Light up the Sky" by the usually overplaying Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Other Eddie-adoring axe-aphonists include Dweezil Zappa, Reb Beach, Jake E. Lee, and Mitch Perry. Fine, fine production from Bruce Kulick, who keep spearheading this imminently intriguing projects. Now whether or not I'll still be _listening_ to the album in another month is another matter entirely. 9/00 [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Halford - _Resurrection_ - ?, 2000 After way too many years spent experimenting with techno/industrial (Two) and Pantera-swipes (Fight), the Metal God-- Rob Halford, former frontman of Judas Priest-- has finally returned to balls-on, straight-forward melodic metal. And the results are... very good. Perhaps great. I'm still sampling the full platter, but three early favorites are the high-squealing title track, the chuggingly autobiographical "Made in Hell, " and a rockin' duet with Bruce Dickinson on "The One You Love To Hate. " Who knew they sounded so much alike? 8/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Brian Setzer Orchestra - _Vavoom_ - Interscope, 2000 Fourth swingin' study from the former Stray Cat. Still a mixed bag of (jump) blues that he's been let out of. I'll say it again: he's better at _covering_ this stuff than creating same out of thin air. Or out of his butt, if that's where he gets them. This time, the covers including a "Johnny Quest"-sounding instrumental of Duke Ellington's "Caravan, " a smokin' rendition of "Mack the Knife, " and two newly-lyricized Glenn Miller standards, "Pennsylvania 6-5000" and "In the Mood. " (The latter now titled "Gettin' in the Mood. ") Both have had added electronic, dance slash hip-hop beats that are amazingly effective. Just _try_ not to not tap your feet... 8/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Various Artists - _Bat Head Soup / Tribute to Ozzy_ - Deadline, 2000 The latest all-metal-star tribute from those crazy folks at Deadline Records is more immediately listenable than this year's earlier Jap-only, other-label _Tribute to Randy Rhoads_. I mean, what Eighties Metal metalhead _doesn't_ want to hear Vince Neil attempt "Paranoid?" Or Dee Snider ride "Crazy Train?" Or the remarkably full-voiced Tim "Ripper" Owens lament "Mr. Crowley?" Too bad too many of these covers, like, suck after a few spins. The previous three, for example, are respectively tanked by forgettable vocals, a weak drum section, and the horrendous overplaying of one Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Thanks Swede. Other tracks are bland but interesting. Like the hearing one-time Ozzy axeman Brad Gillis going "Over the Mountain. " Same with Lemmy's pop-crooning on "Desire, " a song he originally co-wrote with the Ozz-man. (He also co-wrote "Hellraiser, " better-covered here byJoe Lynn Turner. Of course, _Motorhead's_ version is better than either Ozzy's _or_ Turner's!) Those precious few _good_ ones--let's make it a good one!-- are also the least-expected: Lisa Loeb softly saying "Goodbye to Romance, " Jack Blades admitting "I Don't Know, "and a slightly rearranged brew of "Suicide Solution. " And that last guy sure sounds like Ozzy! 8/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Elvis Presley - _That's The Way It Is_ - RCA, 2000 B. B. King - _Let the Good Times Roll _- MCA, 1999 Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops - _Route 66_ - Telarc, 2000 _That's The Way It Is_. The original concert film-accompanying album, all stunning Seventies schlock, _plus_ an entire1970 concert (23 tracks with gobs of end early goofy stage patter), _plus _an entire disc of rehearsal takes (25 tracks of varying quality)! Groovy packaging, too. _Let the Good Times Roll_. Tribute to Louis Jordan with King before a big-band. The result is a curiously satisfying blend of blues, jump-blues, and swing. Immaculate production, too. 18 tracks. _Route 66_. Tribute to Nelson Riddle, with orchestrations based on Riddle's original arrangements. Think swingin' easy-listenin'. 18 tracks. 7/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] (all) Various Artists - _Tribute to Randy Rhoads_ - Japanese import, 2000 Ten tracks from _Blizzard of Ozz_ and _Diary of a Madman_, produced by ace metal-forger Michael Wagener and performed by a rotating band of all-star headbangers. Sebastian Bach rides "Crazy Train" and a couple others; Joe Lynn Turner laments "Diary of a Madman" plus two more; Mark Slaughter reveals "Revelation(Mother Earth)"; etc. Axes are wielded by the likes of Rhoads' Brad Gillis replacement Jake E. Lee, ex-Accept-er Wolf Hoffman, George Lynch, Chris Impelliteri, Dimebag Darrel, et al. Fabulous production with a _furiously _thick guitar sound. Strong vocals, too, that are certainly technically superior to Ozzy's original, whinier takes. (Hey, you can actually understand the lyrics!) Alas, they still don't have the... passionate pain or... geeky enthusiasm that the Ozz-man brought. Also, as the ten tracks are non-interpretive, be prepared for the inevitable note-for-note comparisons to the originals, both in performance and arrangement. Makes for a nice, if not surprising, revelation that Ozzy and Randy's two-album collaboration was even _more_ remarkable in hindsight. Reviewed 6/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Various Artists - _Nativity in Black II_ - Divine/Priority, 2000 The long awaited follow-up to 1994's gold-certified (or was it platinum?) Black Sabbath tribute takes a more experimental turn this time, adding rap, fusion, and even (mild) reggae to the mix. Rest assured, there are at least a _couple_ non-tampered versions, like Megadeth's live version of "Never Say Die. " (With Dave Mustaine sounding eerily Ozzy-like. ) Or the Primus/Ozzy teaming on "N. I. B. . " (With weird, staccato bass intro. ) Or Slayer's disarmingly straightforward "Hand of Doom. " Too bad the overall effort doesn't _rock_ the way the first one did. Sure, it's intriguing as all get-out; I just don't know that it'll warrant repeated plays. Track list: "Sweet Leaf, "Godsmack; "Hole In The Sky, " Machine Head; "Behind The Wall Of Sleep, " Static-X; "Never Say Die, " Megadeth; "Snowblind, " System Of A Down; "Electric Funeral, " Pantera; "N. I. B. , " Primus with Ozzy; "Hand Of Doom, " Slayer; "Under The Sun, " Soulfly; "Sabbra Cadabra, " Hed(Pe);"Into The Void, " Monster Magnet; "Iron Man (This Means War), " Busta Rhymes. Reviewed 6/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Motorhead - _We Are Motorhead_ - CMC International, 2000 Though not labeled as such, the 'head's 30th anniversary release-- thirty years! Formed even before the Sex Pistols and whose "God Save the Queen" they cover here-- is a speedier, speed-freakier affair. Less melody than their last couple of albums. More thrash, right down to the "Ace of Spades"-style closing title track. The trio is still in fabulous form, however. And, like last year's _Snake Bite Love_, this one has actual _production _values. Fancy that! Plus, you gotta love Lemmy's ever-willingness to croak the unexpected, like the butt-kicking power ballad "One More Fucking Time. " Yup, born to kick your ass. Reviewed 6/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Trans-Siberian Orchestra - _Beethoven's Last Night_ - Atlantic, 2000 A deaf Beethoven signs a deal with the devil to write a 10thSymphony in this first non-Christmas release from the Savatage boys. Nice blending of Beethoven (and occasional Mozart) melodies to rock slash hard rock. The vocal parts vary in quality, however, and the arrangements includes way too much piano. How 'bout some other members of the orchestral family? Feels kinda simplistic on the songwriting side, too... Reviewed 4/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Lemmy and Friends - _Lemmy, Slim Jim, and Danny B_ - Cleopatra, 2000 The legendary Motorhead croaker pairs with a guitarist and a drummer, neither of whom I recognize, for a loosely-played, low-voltage electric set of oldies-style oldies. They cover Elvis ("Stuck on You"), Lloyd Price ("Lawdy, Miss Clawdy"), Carl Perkins("Matchbox"), and even Johnny Cash ("Matchbox"). Two instrumentals, too, the syrupy "True Love Ways" and a lazily rockin' "Heartbreak Hotel. " Lemmy sings, plays acoustic guitar, and blows a bit of harmonica. Danny B Harvey plays all guitars and keyboards. Slim Jim Phantom does drums, percussion, and backing vocals. Amusing, to say the least, though it might wear thin on repeat playings. How 'bout a follow-up, with _real_ production? Reviewed 4/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] AC/DC - _Stiff Upper Lip_ - Elektra, 2000 Superbly formulaic return to the blusier days of yore, a la both _Back in Black _and the Bon Scott era before it. Ace production, ace musicianship, and Brian Johnson's best-sounding vocals in _years_. (They certainly lend credence to those throat polyp-removal rumors... ) The workmanlike lyrics could probably use an additional layer of self-awareness/self-mocking, but, hey, they get the job done. And _well _done, at that! Nice cover, too, though it doesn't quite compensate for the skimpy linear notes... Reviewed 2/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] U. D. O. - _Holy_ - Nuclear Blast, 2000 Yet another Udo album, this one a _world_ more mainstream-sounding than his last two or three or four albums. The songs are immediately accessible-- and probably instantly appealing to Accept fans--even if they're largely unremarkable. Sigh. Udo solo, bless his heart, just doesn't have much success either penning memorable melodies or being heard on a decent vocal/choral mix. There is one glaring exception, though: a piano-accompanied, jazz-tinged closing track that's unbelievably good. How 'bout an entire _album_ in that style?? Reviewed 2/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Various Artists - _Holy Dio - Tribute to Ronnie James Dio_ - Century Media, 2000 Double-disc tribute to Ronnie James, covering cuts from Rainbow, Sabbath, and Dio solo. Variety of metal artists, both bigger-name to smaller. All true-to-the-original arrangements; no barf vocals or thrash renditions. Most of the song rock even if they don't all _rock_. Nice linear notes, too, with comments from each of the participating bands, a la Century Media's two-volume Judas Priest tribute. Reviewed 2/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Deep Purple - _In Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra_ - Spitfire, 2000 Double-disc recording of last year's live show at Albert Hall. Includes several songs from solo efforts, sung both by Gillian and guests, such as Ronnie James Dio. Then, we get a new recording of "Concerto For Group and Orchestra, " a piece that's gonna take some getting to. (I'd never heard it. ) Purple songs wrap the set, with the final cut a Gillian/Dio duet on "Smoke on the Water. " With big horn and orchestral accompaniment, of course. Splendid arrangements throughout and times so lovely they might just cause you to cry. Rock on. Reviewed 2/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Various Artists - _Gimme All Your Top - A Tribute to ZZ Top_ - DeadLine, 2000 Hard-rockin' tribute to the Top that covers a whopping _seven __Eliminator _tracks. All are straight-shot run-throughs, excluding, perhaps, the cookie-monster vocals on "Sleeping Bag. " The participants are a diverse bunch, from "Fast" Eddie Clark to Neil Murray to Nick Moody to Paul Samson. Be ready for fizzle, though. The last couple covers aren't all that remarkable. Reviewed 2/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Crimson Glory - _Astronomica_ - Spitfire, 1999 Long-awaited album is a curiously devoid of any flat-out rockers. Lots of atmosphere, in a Queensryche-y way, with plenty of melodic riffing, a la Judas Priest. The opening instrumental "March to Glory" is grand, as a pair of ballads, "Edge of Forever" and "The Other Side of Midnight. " Wish it rocked more straightforwardly, tho. Great linear notes, brimming with doom 'n' gloom quotations. Listen for the bonus track--some 20-minutes of a police radio, with the officers and dispatcher talking about a UFO sighting. Reviewed 2/00. [INLINE] [INLINE] [INLINE] Copyright 2000 by Michael J. Legeros _________________________________________________________________