Having just written a review of the WASP era from 1989 to ’95, I decided to take this double album back out and give it a few proper listens. I bought this 2 years ago [in different formats] with great expectations, and not understanding what it really was [my mistake, though I likely would’ve bought it anyway]. I then realized that this is all re-records… OK… And as I’ve said before – I loved the original album when it came out [still do], so why a new recording of it all [?], and a few previously non released tracks. My first impressions were that it was more polished [losing some of the aggression], and the changing of some of the lyrics [removing profanities] was a bit of a turn off. So I’d put the album away for some time, not enthused by the whole idea. Having said that, the current edition of WASP does kick ass, which [on here] also includes Doug Blair [guitar], Mike Dupke [drums, who has since left the band], and Mike Duda [bass] – albums like “Babylon” [2009] and “Golgotha” [2015] were fantastic releases! Blackie’s songwriting since 2000 never gets dull, and his voice is still strong. If anything, the man’s passion that he pours in to his songs and recordings has only gotten more intense. So, while on a WASP kick this past week, I thought I should pull it out give it a few listens, as it’s an end to The Crimson Idol story. Kosh returned to re-do the cover-art as well, adding a bit more color.
Despite my original response to this album, I have to say this is a great production. The sound is cleaner than the original, the mix is excellent and with a bit of keyboards that definitely give this a big movie soundtrack feel, though it possibly lack’s a bit of the raw edge of the original. The performances are pretty flawless. Doug Blair does a superb reworking of Bob Kulick’s original guitar leads. Blackie still sounds great, but not as angry this time around, the words seem to be clearer upon listening, and I find the only noticeable aging in his voice during some of the softer parts, such as the acoustic verse that starts the last song.
There is a few previously unheard songs that were either left off or not competed at the time of the original album. 2 are more so interludes tying in with the story as they clock in at under 2 minutes [each]. “Miss You” did appear on Golgotha, from 2015, but in interviews Blackie claims the song was the first one written for The Crimson Idol way back, but was never finished then, so it suits the story here quite well, and it’s a solid heavy ballad; a bit longer than the Golgotha version. “Michael’s Song” is one short passage, a sweet tune with acoustic guitar and synths – reminds me of “Euphoria” from ‘Unholy Terror’, and ends with the breaking of something [a mirror, perhaps?]. The other short tune is titled “Hey Mama”, which is just synths [playing the orchestra role] and vocal. Now, interestingly, my black vinyl copy of this has 2 – side ‘C’s , so I put on side D first and lo and behold – there are the 2 best ‘new’ tracks! “The Lost Boy”, a bit of a rocker, which would sit well right after “Hey Mama”, and definitely sounds like it always belonged on The Crimson Idol, musically. Best surprise here though is “The Peace”; it’s a ballad, but it’s moving – musically and lyrically; it’s uplifting, and regardless of it’s place in this story, it’s a fitting song for the times. Great vocal and harmonies, orchestrated synths… features Frankie Banali on drums [which makes me think some of this track is leftover from ’92]. There’s a little dialogue between Jonathan and the Mirror before the final epic “The Great Misconceptions of Me”. Not sure why the 2 B-sides to the original album weren’t worked in to this[?]. Blackie’s also altered a few words in “Chainsaw Charlie” [and elsewhere] to remove the profanity the original had. I wasn’t crazy about this upon hearing it, as it takes away a good bit of the anger in the song, and the effect that the original language delivered.
Glad I pulled this out, It’s a great double LP set. There’s also the DVD of the film, I imagine I’ll get around to watching it some day, but really, for me, I’m happy with the music telling the story [a book would’ve been cool].
The Headless Children was WASP’s fourth studio album. It came after a few personnel changes, a plan to change the band’s direction, and [according to Blackie Lawless] – 15 months of work on it. This review looks at that album, as well as the next few WASP albums; a very successful few albums, and my favorite period of the band. There’s also some insight to the albums’ artwork from the legendary Kosh, who would do a number of WASP covers starting with The Headless Children.
Prior to The Headless Children WASP had released 3 albums within 3 years, a lot of the same type of tunes about sex, partying, rebelling… The first featured the band’s first hit “I Wanna Be Somebody”, but the 2nd [“The Last Command”] was an improvement in sound and songs, and it did better on the charts. By the third album [“Inside The Electric Circus”} the band sounded rushed, and the album lacked enough quality material. There was a live album to cap off the era [“Live…In The Raw”].
By the 3rd album the band’s song ideas were getting old [for some], particularly for Blackie Lawless who wrote most of the material [produced, and wound up on the covers!] It was one Lawless would later tell Kerrang magazine he did not like – “I knew it was a transitional period and I also knew it was one of the biggest piles of shit ever made by any band in the history of the recording industry! There was nothing on it. It was made by a tired band. It was made too quickly, in nine weeks.” Gone also would be the shocking stage show and in came a new direction with the lyrics, more varied songs, and a tidier sound. The ‘new’ WASP would take on social and political issues, while managing to present them with still a good bit of shock value on 1989’s “The Headless Children”. I bought this when it came out, pretty sure on cassette [first], as I had it in my car stereo for a long time. And, although I enjoyed the first 3 albums, I couldn’t believe how much better this sounded, and with less cringeworthy titles, lyrics, and photos.
From the band’s beginning WASP had undergone a number of personnel changes, most notably the loss of founding guitarist Randy Piper. By the time of The Headless Children, the band consisted of Lawless, Chris Holmes [guitar], Johnny Rod [ex King Kobra], and Frankie Banali [on loan from Quiet Riot].
Released in the spring of 1989, The Headless Children was an improvement in sound and production, as were the songs on a whole other level – in structure and lyrics. The album’s artwork would be the first of many WASP albums done by legendary artist Kosh – who’s lengthy career included hundreds of credits from acts as The Beatles, The Who, Aerosmith, Bad Company, The Eagles, King Crimson, Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffett, and tons more. https://koshdesign.blogspot.com/ & http://www.facebook.com/koshart
The album cover alone was huge step forward, with an eye-catching cover, and [thankfully] – no photo of Blackie on the front, giving a bit of mystery as what may be inside.
Kosh – “I met Blackie after there was some animosity between the band and the Capitol art department. WASP was brash and unruly, while the label seemed unable to handle a heavy metal project as far as imagery was concerned. Capitol called Kosh. I became the middle-man and brought the project into Kosh Design Studios, which I handled personally – mainly because I felt I needed to assuage Blackie’s suspicious attitude and deliver!”
“Headless was the first cover that threw me into the realms of heavy metal art. It was quite a challenge coming from my rock background. The imagery came from research – the skull being somewhat iconic. It was all hand drawn by myself. Blackie was adamant about which characters should appear. Naturally, we ran into legal hassles at Capitol. However, these were overcome with editing the layers of xerox characters’ faces.” – Kosh
The first of 3 singles was “Mean Man”, a track written about guitarist Chris Holmes. The singles all charted in the Top 30 in the UK, but this one likely saw no air play with the use of the word “motherf**kin'” in the lyrics [chorus]. The EP release [complete with a photo of Holmes on a motorbike frame, ready to party], would feature 2 excellent non-album tracks – one being a heavy rendition of Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath”, and the other being “For Whom The Bell Tolls”.
Opening track “The Heretic (The Lost Child)” is my favorite here, an epic track, with plenty of changes, and extended solos, clocking in at over 7 minutes. Perhaps the heaviest WASP track ever. The song is about the problems of gang warfare and crack. One of 2 tracks that are co-written with Holmes [w/ Lawless] “With the exception of ‘Mean Man’ , which is about Chris (Holmes), this is a very serious, socially conscious record. I don’t want to preach to the kids, but I think guys in my position have a responsibility that’s previously been ignored. Plus, I’ve gotten tired about writing songs about my crotch.” – BL, Circus mag. 1989.
A cover of The Who’s “The Real Me” is a pleasant surprise, which is given an awesome performance from Banali & Johnny Rod [this is a heavy bass tune], and Lawless’ vocals give this classic Who tune a new life and personality. It would introduce Blackie’s fondness for Pete Thownsend’s writing and concept album “Quadrophenia” – which would influence writing on later albums.
“I sent him [Pete] a copy of the tape, figuring I’d never hear from him, but a couple of weeks later I got a letter saying how much he liked it, including ‘The Real Me’ … So, I met him at Radio City Music Hall and we took a photo and talked. I learned the craft of writing lyrics from him, and to sit and talk with him was great.” – BL, in the press, July, ’89
Again, the single/EP release would include 2 non-album tracks – “War Cry” and my own pick for best outtake – “Lake Of Fools”, a sinister tale of a place in the after-life, with a heavy and lengthy jam for a good half of it.
The title track is a dark and heavy song that starts pretty spooky, and features a classic Hammond riff courtesy of Ken Hensley, formerly of Uriah Heep. Hensley guests on this album, playing keyboards on a number of tracks.
“A song like ‘The Headless Children’ is the ultimate anti-war song. It has a very apocalyptic feel to it, and it’s very timely with what’s going on in the world these days.” – BL , Hit Parader, ’89
“I mentioned to Johnny what a huge Heep fan I was. Johnny said that he used to play with him and asked if I wanted him to give him a call. Ken was my hero. Johnny called him and he came out to LA. He was great! I just can’t say enough about him. He played on our record and I was so pleased to have him involved.” – BL, Metalexpressradio.com , 2012
“Ken was an icon at the time, and a real great person. He looked at me not [any worse than, or] no better than him, straight. I loved that.” – Chris Holmes, Eonmusic, 2018
“It was a weird experience working on The Headless Children because I did the whole album without hearing any vocals. In the rehearsals, Blackie hadn’t finished the lyrics, so I never heard him sing one song. In the studio I went in and cut all my parts and still hadn’t heard any.” – KH, UHAS magazine, 1992.
“I’d say 95% of that stuff was either demoed or rehearsed before he came in. It was pretty much ready to go before he got there.” – BL on Ken Hensley’s involvement, ’97
“Thunderhead” begins with a cool piano intro [played by Lawless], that builds up with synths and distant vocals to a quick pause before the song’s guitar riff kicks in. The song which deals with heroin addiction, and is highlighted by Chris Holmes’ guitar solo, as well as numerous ‘guests’ who join in backing vocals. There’s also a spoken word bit, mid-song, that plays up the tale of an addict. Co-written by Holmes. “I was supposed to sit down and write all the solos out, but I’m not into that. The way I learned to play guitar was first ‘Smoke on the Water’ on two strings, then I learned to play a 1, 4, 5 blues progression; ‘Johnny B. Goode’, and then play lead guitar to it. So, you learn how to jam, and that’s how I learned to play lead guitar. But Blackie always wanted stuff structured. I had to show him, and I told him I worked on the solos, but I never did. I went in and I just played what I felt.” – Chris Holmes on ‘Thunderhead’, Eonmusic, 2018
The nuclear arms threats of the 80s is addressed in “The Neutron Bomber”. A solid heavy track which took direct aim at President Ronald Reagn [RIP], with the line “here comes Ronnie”. But, Reagan was out of office by the time the album came out. “This is an angry album, but it’s saying something important. That may be a little hard for our longtime fans to deal with at first, but when they hear the music, they’ll know what I’m talking about.” – BL
An acoustic prelude titled “Mephisto Waltz” lead in to the ballad [and single] “Forever Free”. Again, something very different sounding from WASP then, with a catchy guitar intro, acoustic guitar, harmonies, organ, all building up nicely. Something that should’ve been very accessable to radio formats at the time and larger audiences, but despite the video, and the song’s UK charting, it didn’t break through as a huge hit in North America…Perhaps since it wasn’t issued until the band was done, with Chris Holmes leaving at the end of the tour, and Blackie moving on to a new project. “It’s about someone that I lost who was close to me, and if people think it’s too soft I don’t care – I like the tune.” – BL, Kerrang, ’89
Further on was “Maneater” – a nod to Harley Davidson motorcyle riders, and the anthem “Rebel In The FDG” to close out the album. ‘FDG’ being short for “f**king decadent generation”. Both tracks are hard hitting, fast paced, and full of WASP energy, with plenty of blazing guitar, probably appealing big-time to the older fans, and really, 2 of my favorites on this album.
With Chris Holmes leaving at the end of The Headless Children Tour, WASP essentially broke up, with Blackie Lawless announcing soon after that he was working on a solo project.
What started as a solo project and a concept album, eventually would retain the WASP name. Legendary guitarist Bob Kulick [Kiss, Meat Loaf…] was enlisted. – “Blackie did ask me to join the band, but the circumstances were not right for me. I needed to be a full time member, in terms of merchandise and the whole thing. I didn’t want to be just a hired gun, so to speak. I loved what I did on Blackie’s records and I would have loved to have played with him, but at the time, I had he opportunity to produce a bunch of stuff, and then producing became a big part of my career, and I opted to do that.” – Bob Kulick, RockMusicStar Interview, 2017
Ken Hensley also returned to work on the new project, but would not wind up in the credits. “I started working on Blackie Lawless’ solo project, which was a concept album, and I don’t know what’s happened to it because I haven’t heard from Blackie in a while.” – from the UHAS, 1992.
Frankie Banali would also return to record on the new project. Stet Howland would also be credited on drums, and be part of the touring band that year, along with Johnny Rod, and [guitarist] Doug Blair [more on him another time].
“The Crimson Idol” was released in June of 1992, preceeded by the single “Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue)”. The album would feature artwork by Kosh, featuring [presumably] the story’s main character on some sort of crucifix…or was it!?
Kosh – “That was my idea. It was a visual pun. Is it a bed or a crucifixion? Again, it was all a Xerox paste-up. I presented the comp 7 feet high on the office wall, not so subtly lit from the floor. It came to life and glowed.”
The artist also claims The Crimson Idol as his favorite WASP design – “I must confess I have a soft spot for Headless as it was my first foray into the genre. However, The Crimson Idol is my favorite – being so stark, yet so descriptive of the operetta. One gets the message at first glance. And then you look closer…”
I bought this CD when it came out; in fact I remember having to return the CD to the local Sunrise – at least twice, as it had static running through it. I also got one of the limited edition signed, red vinyl LPs from my uncle at the time. Both copies I still have.
The album was based on the story on a fictional character named Jonathan Aaron Steel, who wanted attention / approval and love of his family, and figured he’d get that through becoming a famous rock star, but the road to becoming that star, sacrifices, and deals he’d make, and things he’d wind up doing were all too much. Each song introduces a new character or a step in his life / career, and it all comes crashing down in the end. The album’s lyrics have Blackie singing the story from every character in it, with each track being part of the journey, and /or meetings with a new character — If that makes sense, but it helps to have the CD or LP sleeve to follow along.
“I’m a Who fan, but i wouldn’t say that I was any more influenced by Quadrophenia than any record that I would like by any other band.” – BL, ’97
“Chainsaw Charlie” is the record company excutive / owner who expects Jonathan to sign his life away. It’s a fast paced, hard rocker, with a chainsaw intro, plenty of changes, angry vocals, killer guitar,.. clocking in at 7 and a half minutes. A classic Blackie Lawless/WASP song, with a few profanities used in describing the character of Charlie. The single reached the top 20 in the UK, withe EP featuring the spoken “Story Of Jonathan”, as well as the non-album track “Phantoms In The Mirror”. “I always felt like using profanity was a weapon, and you use it at the right times… It’s got to be used at the right strategic point to create the effect that it does. On The Crimson Idol the only song that has any profanity is ‘Chainsaw Charlie’, and it’s so powerful when it comes up, it really stands out. If you do it all the time, like some bands do, then it has no meaning.” – BL, ’97
The Crimson Idol would feature 3 further singles, “The Idol” – a power ballad, and center-piece of the album [IMO], with the EP version including “The Eulogy” (left off of the album), as well as Part 2 of “The Story Of Jonathan”.
Bob Kulick on his favorite piece from the album [Metal-Temple.com], 2017 – “Definitely “The Idol”. There are two one-minute solos that are, to me, some of the best playing that I’ve ever done. You know, musicians talk about the groove of a song, how the notes can sit inside there for whatever reason and I guess that my David Gilmour approach to it was exactly what he was looking for and hence that solo kind of sores above all the other stuff that I’ve done.”
A live EP featuring “I Am One” was released. The track is a great rocker here, and the album version is intro’d with some ‘live’ feel, as Jonathan greets various cities before the band comes in hard & heavy – like a show opener. The EP was recorded at the “Monsters of Rock” festival in the UK [this can all be found on video via youtube], and also features “Chainsaw Charlie”, “I Wanna Be Somebody”, and “Wild Child”. The back cover would feature the band’s UK tour dates for later that year.
The ballad “Hold On To My Heart” was also issued as a single. A soft ballad, much in the same class as “Forever Free”. The EP would feature a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks”, as well as live acoustic takes of “Hold On To My Heart” and “The Idol”.
“It was a difficult experience in that Blackie Lawless, having a band, was really a solo artist. At that point, when Chris (Holmes) was no longer in the band, it was basically Blackie’s thing under the moniker of W.A.S.P. He always came out with a band and so everybody viewed it as a band, but in reality it was his thing, and so he was very specific about what he wanted. I had a great time playing all those solos on “The Crimson Idol” – “The Idol”, “Chainsaw Charlie” and some of those other tunes, including “Hold On To My Heart”. Being two New Yorkers we really bonded well, but you know, it was difficult in that he had a definite idea of what he wanted. He let me play what I wanted to play and he would let me know what he liked and what he didn’t like, and fortunately it turned into something special.” – Bob Kulick, Metal-Temple.com interview, 2017
On Ken Hensley’s participation – “He played on a lot of stuff, but by the time I got finished with that record everything was turned inside out that I ended up playing. I’d say there’s not one song on the record that wasn’t rerecorded at another time, in a different key. And that’s the reason his stuff was scrapped, because he didn’t have the time to come back and re-do it. So, I had to re-play it for him. …I recorded that album in a different way. I didn’t have a band to rehearse with, so when it came time to singing the stuff I was uncomfortable with the keys of most of the stuff. It was either too high or too low. So I had to start moving stuff around, and to do that I had to almost start from scratch again.” – BL , ’97
From the beginning with “The Titanic Overture”, through to “The Great Misconceptions Of Me” – which finishes the album [clocking in at 9 and a half minutes], The Crimson Idol was quite a production. Love the performances, the numerous changes, though it always came back to a certain musical passage and lyrical line, as part of the story. A bold step for Lawless at the time. In 2007 WASP undertook “The Crimson Idol” tour, and in 2018 he released the soundtrack to the film, the double album titled “Re-Idolized”, with the songs being re-recorded, and adding 6 more that weren’t on the original album. [Oddly missing are the B-side titles – The Eulogy and Phantoms In The Mirror].
Kosh also re-did the artwork for this release [and it came in multiple formats, including regular vinyl, colored vinyl, and picture disc!]. Frankly, I prefer the original album – as it was, not that the rerecords are sub-standard, but The Crimson Idol was a favorite for me when I got it upon release, and there’s no repeating that feeling 25+ years later. I also find it difficult to listen to the new version of “Chainsaw Charlie” with Blackie’s lyrical changes that basically censors himself by replacing the harsh words, with friendlier terms that just lose the original tone and effect. But, anyway…maybe more on this in the future….
“Headless Children was the biggest record we ever had, and The Crimson Idol is hot on it’s heels right now. I imagine that over time The Crimson Idol will be the biggest selling record that I’ve ever had, unless we have some huge record in the future. It’s one of those records that keeps selling. It’s not a mainstream record, it’s not for everybody. It’s a really intellectual record, you know – it’s going to appeal to a niche market, but as new fans develop that record will continue to do well. As far as a body of work – it’s definitely my favorite!” – BL, ’97
The following year saw a compilation titled “First Blood, Last Cuts”, which featured a number of remixed early tracks, as well as 4 from The Headless Children, 3 from The Crimson Idol, and 2 new tracks – “Rock And Roll To Death” and “Sunset And Babylon”, both with Frankie Banali on drums. The latter was issued as a single, and video, paying homage to the sunset strip. Lita Ford also plays lead guitar on this track. With each variation of the single {7″, 12″, pic-disc, CD] – came different B-sides [demos of early WASP tracks]. Rock And Roll To Death was a great Chuck Berry type riff rocker, with Bob Kulick on lead guitar. Oddly the song would turn up on the next studio album.
“I did those [remixes], and I think they’re better than the originals. I was always unhappy with some of those original mixes. And I always said ‘if I got a chance to re-do them – I would’. And to me the remixes on those kick-ass on what the original stuff was.” – BL
Kosh on the saw-blade cover [and “Neon God” inner sleeve] – “I rendered them, but they were Blackie’s ideas. Things had changed by now. It was no longer the era of draw, cut and paste. We had Photoshop!”
During an interview on Headbanger’s Ball, promoting the compilation release, Blackie Lawless announced that WASP would cease to exist as a band after this album and promotional tour, and that he would be moving on to a new chapter in his career. He also mentioned that he’d be starting an album under his own name in the coming weeks. Time would tell that escaping the WASP name wouldn’t happen.
Soon after Blackie Lawless was working on [again] what was intended to be a solo project, but “Still Not Black Enough” came out in 1995 as a new WASP album. It would not see release in the US until 1996. The album’s dark cover with a crow on it was done by Kosh, and the track-listing differed from the US version to the UK & European version.
“Blackie more or less let me run wirh my ideas. I would comp them up oversized and he’d get some idea of the directions in which we could go.” – Kosh
The recording once again featured Banali on drums [w/ Stet Howland on one track], as well as Bob Kulick on lead guitar. Also credited is electric violin player Mark Josephson, and a couple of backing singers.
Admittedly, this is not an album I pull out often. Not that it’s bad; it’s got a lot of good songs on it, and it’s a nice change, but overall it just feels like a lot of different songs that don’t really flow together, like someone had started different albums and in the end just threw everything together. There’s a few ballads, a few kick-ass rockers, a definite feel of The Crimson Idol on a number of tracks, a more personal feel in the lyrics, and a few covers. “It wasn’t leftovers, but the vibe of it was definitely an extension of The Crimson Idol; my head was still heavy in that space at that time.” BL on ‘Still Not Black Enough. ’97
The original UK/European release featured 10 tracks, including a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody To Love”. “Black Forever” was chosen as a single, and 2 different CD versions were issued in the UK – with 2 different extra tracks – one featuring the non-album tracks “Skin Walker” and “One Tribe”, the other featuring 2 AC/DC covers – “Long Way To The Top” and “Whole Lotta Rosie”.
The first half is the rockin’ side, with tracks like “Scared To Death” , “Somebody To Love”, and the title track. Side 2 features a few ballads – “Keep Holding On” being very reminiscent of “Hold On To My Heart”, and personal favorite “Breathe” [my wife & I used this for our wedding]. The latter would be left off of the US release. “No Way Out Of Here” closes out the album, another solid rock track. I could do without the political “Goodbye America” (with it’s spoken intro) and the repeat of “Rock And Roll To Death”.
Still Not Black Enough came out in ’96 in the US, and featured 13 tracks. It dropped “Breathe” and added 4 others – 3 of the non-album tracks from the UK CD singles and a cover of Queen’s “Tie Your Mother Down”. This album got very little promotion, with less major magazine features, fewer releases in various formats and countries – making this a hard to find album now, if you didn’t get it when it came out. I received the CD at the time through a local music paper I contributed to. I’m sure I must’ve had a press release at some point, and I would’ve reviewed it, but there didn’t seem to be much happening with it – in the press, defintitely not on radio, as if this album was just dropped off. I did come across an MTV clip of Blackie with his arm in cast, which would answer why there was no touring around this release. (He also mentioned he’d be continuing to use the name WASP at this point). Gotta wonder [and I doubt] if Any of these songs were ever played live [!?]
“We were caught in a crossfire. What should we do with that record with Chris and I working together? We didn’t want that record to cloud the issues, so to speak, with what we’re doing now. It became a sacrificial lamb. We slide it under the door and hoped no one would notice. I hate to say that because I did serve it up as an offering. I couldn’t go out and promote that record and make this record at the same time. Plus the attention would have taken away from this project.” – BL, HardRadio.com, 1997
Still Not Black Enough marked the end of an era for WASP. The band started out with a more serious approach with The Headless Children, changed personnel for The Crimson Idol, and ended on a quiet note, almost as if Blackie was burnt out and needed a new spark or direction [again]. The one constant being Frankie Banali, who’s heavy drumming style suited these albums perfectly. The band’s next chapter would see further changes in personnel, musical styles, lyrics, and attitude.
Uriah Heep entered the ’80s on a downward slide. Conquest was released in 1980, and following the departure of Ken Hensley, and eventually the whole Conquest line-up – the band had split up in ’81. Mick Box would revamp the band welcoming back Lee Kerslake, and adding Bob Daisley [bass], John Sinclair [keys], and lastly singer Peter Goalby. the latter had not been chosen in previous auditions [in favor of Sloman]. Producer Ashley Howe highly recommended Goalby this time, and the band got to work on a new album. Abominog was released to strong reviews, and the single “Thats The Way That It Is” [penned by Paul Bliss] – charted in various countries, including the US where the video for the song was in regular rotation on MTV. the band toured extensively – everywhere, making a very respectable return to North America. the band’s follow up was “Head First” –…
Prior to his years fronting AOR band Survivor, Jimi Jamison recorded a couple of excellent Hard Rock albums. Cobra was Jamison’s 2nd major recording act, having recorded 2 albums in the ’70s with Target [another time]. While on the Target albums Jamison came off at times more resembling of Paul Rodgers, on “First Strike” there is still that classic British hard-rock influence, but it is more so American hard-rock, made for radio.
First Strike was a guitar driven rock, with some lighter AOR rock, and a few decent ballads. The first 2 tracks – “Blood On Your Money” and “Only You Can Rock Me” both come out hard n heavy with big riffs and solos from Mandy Meyer [then ex of Krokus]. The first track was a single and MTV hit, with 2 further singles garnering more local support in Memphis. One single being the more laid back “Travelin’ Man” [that bass intro reminds of Uriah Heep’s “Stealin”], with a bit of a blues feel that builds up into the coolest guitar solo on this album. Travelin’ Man would be covered by Swiss band Gotthard years later [1994]. The ballad “Looking At You” was another single; still plenty of guitar on this – Cobra being mainly a 2 guitar band, with one guitarist subbing on keyboards occasionally. I’ve seen the band classed as Heavy metal, close but not quite, definitely much harder than anything Jamison did beyond this album. The album though doesn’t include any filler with a number of good pop rockers, most of which would’ve made fine singles, such as “What Love Is”, “Danger Zone”, and “Fallen Angel”. First Strike was produced by Tom Allom, who’d produced and /or engineered plenty of heavier bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, the first Def Leppard album, Krokus [also in ’83], as well as American 80s rock acts like Y&T and Rough Cutt.
The album didn’t seem to get the support from Epic it should have, with no major tour opening slots at the time. Meyer [Canadian born, but then from Switzerland], along with Swiss bass player Tommy Keiser took both left for Christmas that year, and never returned, leaving other members to ponder what to do. Before long though Meyer would join Asia for their “Astra” album, and Jimi Jamison would replace Dave Bickler in established US AOR band Surivor. Meyer would later join Gotthard [where they would cover Cobra’s “Looking At You”, and rejoin Krokus. Jeff Klaven [drums] and Keiser would also join Krokus for a while. Guitarist & keyboard player Jack Holder went on to work as a producer and sideman to many local and national acts in Memphis [including Tracey Chapman and Travis Tritt]. Van Zant [feat John Van Zant, pre Lynyrd Skynyrd] had a hit [and video] in 1985 with Cobra’s “I’m A Fighter”, a song written but not recorded by Cobra [for a 2nd album]. After hearing “First Strike”, I got to wonder how much of a step down – musically, was Survivor for Jamison[!?]
Following years fronting Survivor, where the band had numerous hit singles [plenty of ballads], Jamison would have a successful solo career. Sadly, Jimi Jamison passed away at home, September 1, 2014, at home in Memphis, Tennessee, following a performance. Following Jamison’s passing, the other 4 members of Cobra reunited for a tribute to Jimi Jamison show. Jack Holder passed away on January 17 of 2015. In October of 2015 the 3 remaining former members of Cobra reunited for a tribute show in Memphis. “First Strike” was reissued on CD by Rock Candy in 2009, along with plenty of liner notes, pics, and insight from Sullivan and Tommy Keiser. RIP Jimi Jamison and Jack Holder.
*I mentioned there being 3 singles from First Strike – these were what I’ve seen listed in reference pages, but I’ve never actually seen one, nor are any listed at Discogs.com . If anyone has a Cobra single [7″], please drop me a line or send me a pic. thanks
A few famous trios came out of Toronto in the ’70s, most notably Rush, then Triumph. But also emerging at the time in ’75 were Goddo. The band formed by former Fludd bass player Greg Godovitz, and included guitarist Gino Scarpelli and drummer – Marty Morin. The band released a single some 2 years prior to their debut album. On that first album Morin was replaced by Doug Inglis [from Ottawa band Powerhouse]. [Morin did have a songwriting credit on the first LP, and would reappear years later for reunions].
The band released 3 classic albums in successive years, followed by a double live set. It is the first album I’d pick as my favorite, recorded in late ’76 in Montreal. This album is full of energy and classic songs, an energy I don’t think later albums fully matched. Those later albums may have featured more variety or ballads, and a number of radio hits & classics, but ‘Goddo’ was straight out of the gate kick-ass hard-rock, with a good bit of humor, a bit of punk energy, and 8 songs – none of which I want to pass over upon playing. Classics include “The Bus Driver Blues”, “Let That Lizard Loose”, “Let It Slide”, the heavy ballad “I’m Losing You”, and that slower paced late-night radio favorite “Under My Hat”. Under My Hat being the single [back with non-LP track “You’ll Come Around”], and easily one of the band’s best known songs. Classic album art, as well! [C.A. Henry].
The band built up a huge following, particularly in Toronto, and would see plenty of tours for the next few years, but saw no releases outside of Canada. A few Goddo tracks still feature on classic rock radio. The band would regroup for a few albums in later years, as well as a few more ‘reunion’ live albums [*2003’s “Kings Of The Stoned Age” is worth checking out]. The band’s full catalogue was reissued on CD by Bullseye Records in 2000, while Rock Candy [UK] reissued the first 3 albums in 2019, as well.
Many years ago I saw Goddo in St Catharines [Ontario]. At the time I wrote for a local magazine, as well as my own little fan-magazine, so I was able to get in and do a pre-show interview. Pretty nerve-racking at the time, as it was a last minute idea, and I knew significantly less about the band then I do now [I think this was also my first in-person interview]. This was just around the time of [prior to] Greg Godovitz’ book “Travels With My Amp”. I need to dig that out sometime.
Many years ago I found this 1972 LP in a local shop. I bought based on a recommendation in some book, and was most curious as it was the only album from the band ‘Amish’, from Galt Ontario. Over time I’d make contact with a couple of former band members and did a small article on them. I’ve attached the article, as it has more info, as well. Back then there was no internet, so my method of making contact was writing a general inquiry letter to the singer c/o the town of Galt [hoping someone would either know him or pass it along. Almost a year later, I got a call from Doug Stagg. We talked on a few occasions, and I also had some brief contact with keyboard player Ron Baumtrog [who was nice enough to even send me a band promo pic and a few copies of old news articles], and bass player Mike Gingrich. Regrettably, no recorded interviews back then, I just jotted down a few notes.
[Amish 1972, L-R: Rich Botts, Ron Baumtrog, Mike Gingrich, Jack Byrne, Doug Stagg]
The band had a great singer in Doug Stagg, and featured plenty of heavy organ and heavy guitar driven early 70s & psych sounding tunes. Tracks like “Black Lace Woman”, “Down The Road”, and “Sad Girl” are enjoyable tunes, as is the band’s cool rendition of the Traffic hit “Dear Mr Fantasy”.
The band was signed to Sussex Records and the album was produced by the legendary Motown team of Dennis Coffey & Mike Theodore, and featured session guitarist Joe Gutz [see attachment] – who had to step in for the band’s guitarist [Rich Botts] – who happened to be a draft dodger at the time, so couldn’t travel over the border to GM Studios [Detroit]. A proposed single never came out, and the album didn’t catch on.
Tracks for a second album were recorded, but the band would go through a number of personnel changes and cease in a few years. Bass player Mike Gingrich would go on to work with a number of bands, such as Max Webster, Toronto, Champion [w/ Alex Machin], and Nightwinds. RIP Doug Stagg, 1999.
From Billboard Magazine (8-5-72) AMISH -Sussex SBXS 7016 (Buddah) Across the border from Canada comes a group with a potential for much success. From the producing team that brought us Gallery, Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey, Amish emerges as a strong fivesome with a folk-rock sound sure to command much airplay and sales. “Down the Road,” “Sad Girl,” “Black Lace Woman” and “I Don’t Need Nobody,” are standout cuts.
*A clip of Mitch Ryder feat. Joe Gutz on guitar. I believe Joe was on a number of Mitch Ryder albums, as well as at least 1 Rare Earth single as Joe Gutc. https://youtu.be/aZvDcNcieck
Well, instead of taking days coming up with a lengthy list of Favorite Canadian albums, I’ll just post them as I do them in a series of my own Canadian Favorites.
This Toronto based band released just 2 albums in the mid-70s. “Don’t Lie To The Band” being their 2nd. It was recorded in ’75-76, but upon hearing this, I would’ve guessed this album was from the early 70s. Signed to Canadian label ‘Daffodil’, with neither album getting released outside of Canada. Don’t Lie To The Band was produced by Francis W.H. Davies [British-born, Canadian], who produced plenty of great Canuck acts in the ’70s & ’80s like A Foot In Coldwater, Klaatu, Christmas, Leggatt…
Most of the material was written by guitarist Paul Cockburn, as well as keyboardist & Jacques Harrison [who also added Harp, Flute, Sax…] Features the 9 and a half minute prog epic “Munchkin Men”; lots of changes and instrumental breaks in this. Lots of great guitars, keyboards, as well as the use of a few wind instruments on this album.
Tracks like “Robot Race” and “Coming Home” stand out as well, the latter being a near 8 minute quieter tune with plenty of room for Paul Cockburn’s guitar solo. This album also includes covers of Spooky Tooth’s “Two Time Love” and a pretty funky organ driven version of The Beatles’ “Taxman” [chosen as a single release] – both are cool, and different. The band’s debut album [from ’74] was also pretty different, jazzier, and included a cover of Spirit’s “Nature’s Way”.
Dillinger never caught a break though, be it a single or a major tour, and after a couple of members split [heading back to Montreal], the band morphed in to The Hunt the in the late ’70s. Pretty Cool artwork on both album sleeves; re-issued on CD via Unidisc.
I could go on for a while making Uriah Heep lists. Here I’ve gone through all those great Heep songs that never made it to the albums they were recorded for – B-sides, outtakes, demos [good quality]. These are my favorites, and it was tough to edit down to just a dozen [+1] as the band usually had a couple of leftovers from each album – some came out in the day on the back of a 45, and some were mixed and came out years or decades later on remastered CDs or box sets. So these are my favorites, and I know there’s plenty to pick from, so drop a line with your favorites or one in particular that you feels greatly overlooked.
Here Am I
An early Heep gem from Salisbury days. This is one epic piece of everything that made that classic Heep sound and feel, it’s got some soft moments and then crushingly heavy with the Hammond & guitar and harmonies all coming in. An odd omission from those early albums.
Why (14 Minutes)
This song is probably the best known Heep B-side amongst fans. The song has a history to it,a few different releases, most notably the 14 minute version – hence the title. Having been recorded during the Look At Yourself sessions, and then later
prior to Demons & Wizards, it would have been a great track on either album, but I really can’t imagine where it would fit or what I’d substitute. My 2 favorite 70s Heep albums, and this song was so different.
Crystal Ball
A straight up rocker, written by Gary Thain, and leftover from The Magician’s Birthday recordings. Not sure where this would’ve fit on the album, tho’ such a driving rock tune would’ve been nice on the first side. Gary contributed writing to some classic Heep cuts [“Sweet Lorraine”, “Circus”…], but this is the one gem that he was credited as sole writer of.
Stone’s Throw
A demo from the Wonderworld period, which was eventually included on the “Time Of Revelation” box set. This is a very different and outstanding Heep track. An acoustic track, with a unique mix of guitars and vocals. Would’ve made a nice tune for an acoustic showcase. I really like this song, though I’m not sure how it would’ve fit on the Wonderworld album!?
The Time Will Come
A B-side from Return To Fantasy. A very classic-Heep rock track, mixed full of heavy guitar & Hammond organ, harmonies … Love David Byron’s vocal on this. Too bad it didn’t make the RTF album, which could’ve used another heavy song on Side 2. The other B-side [“Shout It Out”] was a decent heavier cut as well.
Name of The Game
High & Mighty, though one of my favorite Heep albums, is criticized by many as being a bit too ‘lightweight’. Though this track wasn’t totally finished, it definitely would’ve beefed up the album [again] on Side 2! Heavy guitar intro, great vocal from David Byron. The other outtake [“Sundown”] wasn’t bad either! Ken Hensley did a solo version of this that wound up on his “From Time To Time” collection.
A Far Better Way
The John Lawton era of Heep produced a number of great B-sides and outtakes [that would surface years later, like this one]. This ballad that builds up til Lawton goes all out. One of the best things he performed with Heep, and it didn’t make it to album…. though I really like the Firefly album as it is, so not sure where it would fit.
The River
My favorite outtake from the Lawton era. It’s classic Heep – mystical, plenty of organ, guitar [tho a bit back in the mix], harmonies, and heavier than many on the Innocent Victim album. Aussum performances from Lawton, Lee Kerslake and Trevor Bolder. This is a track [I think], older Heep fans would’ve welcomed on the album, at the time.
A Right To Live
Fallen Angel produced a number of B-sides and leftovers. This track, written by Lawton – was issued on a promo single, as a B-side. Such a good song; simply astounding that this one [and perhaps 1 or 2 others?] were omitted from that album in ’78, because IMO – there’s a few that it could easily replace.
Son Of A Bitch
A B-side from the Abominog recordings. A solid, heavy, and tough rocker that even got in to the band’s live set during that tour.
Backstage Girl
The B-side to the MTV aimed single “Rockarama”, from the last album to feature Peter Goalby. I very much prefer this song from Peter over the 80s pop mess on the A-side.
Miracle Child
When Phil Lanzon joined Heep in ’86 he brought with him his songwriting, something needed with the departure of Goalby and John Sinclair, who contributed largely to the 80s Heep original output. The band recorded a number of things, including a Live album before a new studio album. This pop-rocker, written and sang by Phil. An underrated ’80s Heep track that would’ve fit nicely on Raging Silence in place of one of the covers.
Hard Way To Learn
Included as a ‘bonus’ track on Into The Wild, in Japan. It’s a fairly heavy ballad, penned by Trevor Bolder. Such a cool classic Heep sounding tune, a shame it was left off the album elsewhere.
You likely haven’t heard of Canadian musician LORENCE HUD unless you’re a fan of APRIL WINE, and recognize his name as the writer of one of the band’s biggest hits – “Sign Of The Gypsy Queen”. However, years before April Wine made this song one of their own classics, with their 3 guitar approach on the 1981 album Nature Of The Beast – this song had a prior chart placing and release on Lorence Hud’s debut solo album in 1972. Hud’s debut album on A&M Records received no US release – Canada and Japan only. The singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist played all the instruments on his debut and wrote every track. Sign Of The Gypsy Queen is easily the stand-out track, but the album was a pretty decent collection of pop-rock, folk, a touch of country… The single though would chart on various radio and regional charts throughout Canada, and reached #16 on RPM magazine’s national chart.
Hud being a storyteller throughout this album; I can see how Hud was probably influenced a good bit by Elton John at the time, especially on the piano ballad “Grab Hold & Hang On ” [which also reminds me roughly of the Righteous Brothers “Unchained Melody”] – would’ve made a good single. “Master Of Pantomime” is another good song here, a down-on-his-luck character who entertains for food and drink [reminds me somewhat of Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr Bojangles”. That song was issued as a single, along with the track “Siren In The Night” – this track being a bit less folky, featuring more guitar, surprised this one didn’t catch on more. The track “Summer Rose” would later be covered and released as a single by Canadian country artist Wayne Rostad, and becoming a hit on Canadian country charts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmHkBXTRUCw
For the follow up album Dancin’ In My Head, Hud went to Nashville to write and work with more musicians. This is where any ‘magic’ that the first album featured was lost, in my opinion. Hud was longer writing and playing everything. Producer Norbert Putnam, who’s credits included Joan Baez, Brewer & Shipley, and New Riders On The Purple Sage was hired and brought in numerous musicians – most notably David Briggs [credits included Alice Cooper, Neil Young, Spirit…], and Ginger Holladay [credits include Elvis, Roy Orbison, Baez, Linda Ronstadt]; other players had lengthy list of Nashville sessions. The first single was “Guilty Of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, a more upbeat country-ish tune, with plenty of backing vocals and horns [courtesy of the Memphis Horns]. The song though was penned by Goldberg [who’s songwriting credits included Tom Jones, The Monkees, and Dusty Springfield] . The album as a whole was less folky, a bit more upbeat, but definitely more country sounding, with less impressive songs, and a bit too much of everything [production & outside players], taking Hud from his Canadian folk-pop-rock debut to a hopeful Nashville up and comer. Four tracks come from Nashville writers, a few of which had been recorded & released previously. Notable Hud-written tunes here include “Those Good Time Songs” and “Madame La Rue” [also released as a single]. “The Song That Annie Sings” was also a minor hit in Canada [as it was pushed to country stations]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS-EPPliDpQ
The album though was a commercial flop, and didn’t break Hud through, perhaps as expected. It was only released in Canada and Spain [I would’ve thought it would’ve received a US release, but see no listings for such]. In 1974 he was the ‘special guest’ to Canadian band The Stampeders, on their tenth Anniversary tour across Canada.
A few further singles were released in ’74 and ’75, but no 3rd album. It would be close to a decade before Lorence Hud returned with a new record. He did reportedly relocate to Los Angeles and work as part of a songwriting company that also included Rick Springfield and Les Emerson [ex Five Man Electrical Band]. A 4-song ‘min-album’ was released in 1983 on Quality Records in Canada. Produced by ‘Moe Bottom’ [hmm…], and engineered by Rich Dodson [of The Stampeders]. Whether he was inspired by the success of April Wine’s version of his song or just wanted to get in to a new rock scene, Hud completely re-invented his image and sound. Gone were the acoustics, folk and country sounds of his previous 2 albums, as he came out with a typical upbeat 80s aor-rock record; all pop-rockers, no ballads. Lyrics are less about tales and more geared to the typical 80s stuff, with anthems like “Don’t Touch That Dial” and “Here’s To You”. This mini-album though features very little information regarding any other players on this or any lyrics, etc.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnorIZKnfEU
I imagine it stiffed in ’83, as there’s very little info out there on it [tho not impossible to find]. A shame, as Hud had a pretty good rock voice for this sort of stuff, and the songs aren’t bad for the period.
Following this album, not sure where Lorence Hud’s career went, though I found mention of his involvement in a song named “Nature’s Eyes”, co-written by producer Joey Cee for a benefit record. I’ve found nothing further on this [if anyone has it!?]
For much of the 2000’s Hud has been involved in legal issues, all of which is well detailed on Canadian news sites. I’ve attached a few newspaper articles from Hud’s musical career [via http://www.newspapers.com ] I’ve see no CD re-issues of Lorence Hud’s albums listed anywhere, but if you stumble across the first one – check it out.
Since vinyl LPs were deemed out of style in the late 80s/90s, with the push towards CDs, many great albums during the 90s and up until now never saw a vinyl release, and with the cost of manufacturing LPs and buying them since vinyl started making a comeback over the past 10+ years – many new albums are still only seeing a CD or download release. For myself, in most cases – I like to have a complete set of something, unless there’s something I really don’t like in the set; or it may be that I really love a particular album and would love to have it in that format. Bare in mind, I also felt many CDs were too long, with the longer format allowing for artists and record companies to just throw anything on with no thought to running order or best quality; hence many albums would benefit from a simple 9-10 LP release, with a few dodgy tracks left off and or used as ‘bonus’ material elsewhere. So, here’s a dozen albums that I’d like to one day see issued on vinyl. For the record I’ve checked these releases on discogs.com to see if there ever was a vinyl LP version.
Badfinger – Head First
The last Badfinger album before the band split, followed by he tragic death of Pete Ham. It was posthumously released decades later. Featured bob Jackson on keyboards, replacing Joey Molland. A great album!
April Wine – Attitude
Canada’s April Wine made this aussum comeback album in 1993, but at the time LPs were no longer ‘in’, so this was a CD & cassette only release. Classic hard-rock ‘Wine! With 14 songs, could make a decent double LP.
Styx – Cyclorama
The band’s first album without Dennis DeYoung, and only 1 of 2 since 2003 [excluding the covers album]. I really liked this one, far better than their previous “Brave New World” album. Featured Lawrence Gowan in for DeYoung and Glen Burtnik, and a mix of great songs like “These Are The Times”, “Fields Of The Brave”, and “Captain America”. Another with 14 songs, could make for a decent 2LP set.
Vanderhoof – Vanderhoof
I got this in 1998 to review at the time [as with a few here]. This album was a great surprise – being a Heep fan, loved the classic heavy rock sound and mix of guitar and Hammond organ. This all coming from Kurdt Vanderhhoof of Metal Church. Killer tracks like “Take To The Sky”, “Out Alive”, and “Machine”. He did a follow up album, but not as impressive. https://outsiderrock.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/interview-with-kurdt-vanderhoof-from-the-archives-1999/
Talas – If We Only Knew Then What We Know Now
Talas was legendary in the upstate New York area in the 70s and early 80s, with a few line-up changes, but the recording & classic line-up was the trio of Billy Sheehan, Dave Constantino, and Paul Varga. In 1997 they played a sold-out show in Buffalo [Kleinhan’s], and released this 15 track live disc just in time for the band’s 1998 show. It would be a few years before any further shows, and more recently Sheehan have reformed an 80s version of the band fronted by Phil Naro. BUT, this is an excellent live recording, and with the ‘bonus’ track [from Japan CD] – this would make a killer 2-LP live release.
Ten Years After – Now
I knew [and still do] very little of TYA when I got this years ago [2005]. At the time the band had long since parted ways with Alvin Lee, and in his place was Joe Gooch. I really liked this album, heavy blues rock, a lot of great songs like “Time To Kill” and “When It All Falls Down”, an enjoyable listen. Cool cover [at least the Canadian version]. Gooch did one more studio album with TYA, which I’ve yet to get. Would love to have this reissued on vinyl.
UFO – Walk On Water
This album was a big deal when it came out – a reunion of the classic line-up, new album issued in Japan first on CD – a killer album, as good as the band’s classic 70s stuff. There’s been a number of other issues on CD – many drop off the 2 remakes at the end of the album, but there has never been a version of this on vinyl. A few of the post 2000 albums have been reissued on vinyl in recent years, but not this one.
Heaven & Earth – Windows To The World
The first ‘band’ album from Stuart Smith’s band H&E; this line up featuring Kelly Keeling on vocals [ex Baton Rouge, MSG]. Solid album of 11 tracks [+ a hidden track] from 2000. The band’s later 2 albums are both excellent, with numerous line-up changes, and nice cover art, issued on vinyl.
Coney Hatch – Four
The reunion album of this Canadian band from 2013. Plenty of cool rockers on here with “Boys Club”, “Revive”, and “Blown Away”. I enjoyed the band’s three ’80s albums, and this cover art is an improvement over the band’s last album [“Friction”], so I’d be happy to have the complete set….maybe make a mixed tape of CH songs!? http://www.travellersintime.com/UniversalWheels/Hatch2014.html
Jorn Lande & Trond Holter – Dracula : Swing Of Death
I like concept albums, especially if they’re not dragged out over a very long CD with a pile of filler and endless guests all to tell a simple tale. This is a great concept album from 2015, with legendary metal singer Jorn Lande and guitarist Trond Holter, who tell the dark story of Dracula in this rock ‘opera’. Ten tracks, very heavy, yet plenty of melody and a few quieter pieces. Pretty fitting cover art.
Berggren/Kerslake Band – The Sun Has Gone Crazy
A collaboration between former Heep & Blizzard of Ozz drummer Lee Kerslake, and singer/guitarist Stefan Berggren [ex Company Of Snakes]. A solid rock album from 2014, featuring a number of excellent rock tracks like “Walk Tall”, “Back On The Road Again”, and “Super Sonic Dream”. A triumphant album with Lee, years after he had to retire from Heep, for health reasons. Would love to see this on vinyl; a must for fans of classic Heep. Pretty cool album cover too. http://www.travellersintime.com/UniversalWheels/Kerslake2014.html
Outsider Rock 