February 2012
Liner Notes by Brian Chozick
Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns
Local: Inn of the Mountain Gods Spreads the Valentine Love A Little Early
If you love to gamble and are equally passionate for your ’80s hair metal bands then casinos are a one-stop shop. More and more this genre is having a rebirth on the wager hall circuit. This time it is Inn of the Mountain Gods that will keep heads banging, or maybe just rapidly tilting at this age. The wagers will be on a great performance by Slaughter, which hasn’t had a new release in over a decade — but that doesn’t seem to matter. This band rose from the ashes of the defunct Vinnie Vincent Invasion, helmed by the former Kiss guitarist. Slaughter’s sound tended to cross over, edging themselves on the Billboard Hot 100 charts with their anthemic melodies and lighter waving ballads. Next up is your big-dollar bet with Great White. These guys had a string of hits in the late ’80s but some know them more for the 2003 Rhode Island tragedy when 100 people were killed after pyrotechnics ignited an inferno in the nightclub. They have tried to move past that disaster, releasing two albums of original material since. It is all happening Feb. 10. Nothing helps Cupid’s arrow fly faster than the beat of hair metal masterpieces.
National: Matthew Sweet, “Modern Art,” Missing Piece
He was a critical darling of the ’90s alternative music scene and bubbled up commercially for a few moments in 1991, but overall Matthew Sweet’s career has been built on a devoted cult following. He has shaken off his musical partnership with The Bangles’ Susanna Hoffs and has said goodbye to his old friends, fellow singer-songwriters Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins. The last decade has seen Sweet following a softer and at times psychedelic side, with classic harmonies and the feeling of a warm California sun throughout his work. His new release “Modern Art” may not feel all that modern as he continues to channel the Beach Boys and the Byrds, but that throwback sound mixed with his distinct vocals creates an all-new kind of art. On the disc’s second cut, “Ivory Tower,” we are treated to Fred Armisen pounding away on the skins (yes the same guy who is a Saturday Night Live alum and Portlandia star). Sweet is the man who brought us “Girlfriend,” “Sick of Myself” and “Divine Intervention.” He has now crafted 12 more guitar-driven, pop-focused, and dream-like tracks that drift into your body and fill your soul.
R.E.M., “Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011,” Warner Bros
In late September of last year the world lost a pioneer of the college/alternative rock music scene. It wasn’t a plane crash, drug overdose or even any inner band squabbling. R.E.M. just decided to call it a day. The band had just rounded three decades and released some of the greatest material ever. It was perhaps because of this newfound wealth of brilliant material that it was time to bid a fond adieu while at the top of their musical game. So it is no surprise that Warner Brothers has decided to release a double-disc collection celebrating their entire career, including time served with I.R.S. records. It is a fantastic time capsule starting at the very beginning and moving swiftly through the years, ending beyond their last CD with three brand new cuts. The first of those sounds as if it could have a nice cozy spot on their debut. “Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011” is unfortunately where the world has to say goodbye and part with the one and only R.E.M.
Slash, “Live: Made in Stoke,” Armoury Records
Just after the recent announcement that Guns N’ Roses would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came rumors that Slash was ready to play nice with Axl Rose again. So what better way to warm up for this reunion than Slash’s new double-disc set, “Live: Made in Stoke.” The collection was recorded last year in Stoke-on-Trent, the birthplace of Saul Hudson (Slash’s given name). It features 21 cuts from his entire career, including his very first venture out of GNR, Snakepit; continues with numbers from Velvet Revolver, his union with Stone Temple Pilots’ frontman Scott Weiland; a few from his last release; and then the main reason you probably bought the set, half a dozen Guns N’ Roses gems. The vocals are handled by Miles Kennedy of Mayfield Four and Alter Bridge. Hearing songs like Mr. Brownstone, Nightrain, Paradise City and more in 2011 will bring hope that we can all forget about GNR’s “Chinese Democracy” and ignite a spark during the April 14 ceremonies April 14, so we can finally get a proper follow-up to the “Illusions” of 1991.
Collectibles: The Rolling Stones, “Live in Texas,” Eagle Rock Entertainment
As the Rolling Stones back catalogue continues its slow overhaul at Universal Music, Eagle Rock Entertainment is accenting those releases with some phenomenal accompaniments. The first came by way of a unique documentary about the “Exile on Main Street” years. Now they have unveiled “Live in Texas” as a companion piece to “Some Girls,” available as a stand-alone DVD or a CD/DVD combo. This set captures the band in fine form in Fort Worth in 1978. The Stones had already established a reputation for gargantuan productions, but this time around it was all about the music. The bulk of the 17 selections are from the “Some Girls” LP. It wasn’t a show laden with hits of the late ’60s, although a few make it in as encores. An intense high-energy performance from top to bottom, this is the Stones in all their glory proving why they are the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band. The video offers a few nuggets of interest from a very hoarse vocal performance on Saturday Night Live, to a time capsule interview on 20/20 and an updated conversation in 2011. “Live in Texas” helps heal the wounds for those of us who weren’t ever fortunate to catch the Stones in the ’70s.
Keep an eye out for these releases:
Ben Kweller — “Go Fly A Kite”
Mark Lanegan Band — “Blues Funeral”
Paul McCartney — “Kisses On The Bottom”
The Shins — “Port Of Morrow”
Van Halen — “A Different Kind Of Truth”
Paul Welle — “Sonik Kicks”
Brian Chozick is owner of Tumblin’
Dice Music. Drop him a line at
tumblindicemusic@netscape.net
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