"I´m speechless. I´m without speech."
Skåning. Zingo på burk. Djävulsdyrkan. Våld. Brottning. Kärlek. Moped. Skoldans.
Nuff said!
/Niclas
Old school Metallica!
Har helt missat att den här inspelningen/demon ligger uppe. Med tanke på att den spelades in i Ron McGovneys garage den 14: mars 1982, låter det förvånansvärt bra.
Om jag har förstått det rätt bestod den första demon, "Hit the lights", av endast tre låtar, "Hit the lights", "Killing time" och "Let it loose". Som texten anger kan detta då mer röra sig om en ren "replokalsinspelning". Oavsett är det musikhistoria.
/Niclas
Har helt missat att den här inspelningen/demon ligger uppe. Med tanke på att den spelades in i Ron McGovneys garage den 14: mars 1982, låter det förvånansvärt bra.
Om jag har förstått det rätt bestod den första demon, "Hit the lights", av endast tre låtar, "Hit the lights", "Killing time" och "Let it loose". Som texten anger kan detta då mer röra sig om en ren "replokalsinspelning". Oavsett är det musikhistoria.
/Niclas
Lästips!
Pressbyrån fortsätter sitt priskampanjande. 39 ballesteros även för denna månads nummer av Classic Rock. Dessutom medföljer Cheap Tricks senaste album "The latest" samt en kokboks- kalender med recept från bl a Sepultura, Udo D och Pentagram.
Vad som sedan gör att samma tidnings specialutgåvor "AOR" och "Prog" kostar 185 kr styck, är och förblir en gåta.
/Niclas
Pressbyrån fortsätter sitt priskampanjande. 39 ballesteros även för denna månads nummer av Classic Rock. Dessutom medföljer Cheap Tricks senaste album "The latest" samt en kokboks- kalender med recept från bl a Sepultura, Udo D och Pentagram.
Vad som sedan gör att samma tidnings specialutgåvor "AOR" och "Prog" kostar 185 kr styck, är och förblir en gåta.
/Niclas
måndag 29 november 2010
“Going back to make an album with a producer you’ve worked with before is not unlike fucking a girlfriend you had 20 years ago."
Saxat från Grungereport.net:
"Dave Grohl compares working with Butch Vig again to 'fucking a girlfriend you had 20 years ago.'
The Foo Fighters frontman is making a record with the producer for the first time since he was the drummer in Nirvana and Butch recorded the band’s defining ‘Nevermind’ album, but said he was at first apprehensive whether it would work out.
He told Q magazine: 'Going back to make an album with a producer you’ve worked with before is not unlike fucking a girlfriend you had 20 years ago.
'It can either be really good or a total fucking disaster. But it was perfectly natural and totally comfortable and he’s the same person he was 20 years ago. He wears cologne now, I think that’s the only difference.'
The seventh Foo Fighters album will also feature former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic on bass and accordion for one song, ‘I Should Have Known’, and Dave told how it was emotional to be reunited with the other surviving member of the group, which ended in 1994 when frontman Kurt Cobain killed himself.
Dave said: 'When I see Krist, I hug him to celebrate our lives, but I also hug him to console him, y’know. When you see each other you’re immediately connected by the good things and the bad things.
“The song ‘I Should Have Known’ I thought would sound great with his bass-playing and accordion-playing. It’s probably the darkest song on the album.'
Foo Fighters new album will be released in spring next year."
/Niclas
Saxat från Grungereport.net:
"Dave Grohl compares working with Butch Vig again to 'fucking a girlfriend you had 20 years ago.'
The Foo Fighters frontman is making a record with the producer for the first time since he was the drummer in Nirvana and Butch recorded the band’s defining ‘Nevermind’ album, but said he was at first apprehensive whether it would work out.
He told Q magazine: 'Going back to make an album with a producer you’ve worked with before is not unlike fucking a girlfriend you had 20 years ago.
'It can either be really good or a total fucking disaster. But it was perfectly natural and totally comfortable and he’s the same person he was 20 years ago. He wears cologne now, I think that’s the only difference.'
The seventh Foo Fighters album will also feature former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic on bass and accordion for one song, ‘I Should Have Known’, and Dave told how it was emotional to be reunited with the other surviving member of the group, which ended in 1994 when frontman Kurt Cobain killed himself.
Dave said: 'When I see Krist, I hug him to celebrate our lives, but I also hug him to console him, y’know. When you see each other you’re immediately connected by the good things and the bad things.
“The song ‘I Should Have Known’ I thought would sound great with his bass-playing and accordion-playing. It’s probably the darkest song on the album.'
Foo Fighters new album will be released in spring next year."
/Niclas
söndag 28 november 2010
Charlie Benante snackar Lennon!
Författaren och skribenten Joel McIver (Total Guitar) snackar Lennon och The Beatles med Anthraxtrummisen och Benante verkar helt klart kunna sin rock and roll. Han berättar även hur The Beatles påverkade hårdrocken med låtar som bl a "Come together" och "Helter skelter".
Benante här
/Niclas
Författaren och skribenten Joel McIver (Total Guitar) snackar Lennon och The Beatles med Anthraxtrummisen och Benante verkar helt klart kunna sin rock and roll. Han berättar även hur The Beatles påverkade hårdrocken med låtar som bl a "Come together" och "Helter skelter".
Benante här
/Niclas
Bring Me The Horizon = Pirates of the Caribbean!
Kort story i SPIN om hur bandet fick sitt namn.
BMTH i SPIN här
/Niclas
Kort story i SPIN om hur bandet fick sitt namn.
BMTH i SPIN här
/Niclas
Eric Carrs bonusbil till salu!
Den Porsche som Eric Carr fick som en bonus av KISS i samband med kontraktskrivningen 1980 är nu till salu. Även han klassiska Chikara trumset, som användes under "Crazy nights-turnén" finns att köpa.
Erics Porsche här
/Niclas
Den Porsche som Eric Carr fick som en bonus av KISS i samband med kontraktskrivningen 1980 är nu till salu. Även han klassiska Chikara trumset, som användes under "Crazy nights-turnén" finns att köpa.
Erics Porsche här
/Niclas
"It does sound good, I have to say."
Kelly Simms på SMNnews.com har snackat med Geoff Tate om bl a nyutgåvan av "Empire", eventuell ny soloplatta och kommande albumet med Queensryche.
Kory Grow på Revolver Magazine har snackat med både Geoff Tate och Michael Wilton om just "Empire" och vad de kommer ihåg från själva inspelningen.
Geoff Tate här
Geoff Tate och Michael Wilton här
/Niclas
Kelly Simms på SMNnews.com har snackat med Geoff Tate om bl a nyutgåvan av "Empire", eventuell ny soloplatta och kommande albumet med Queensryche.
Kory Grow på Revolver Magazine har snackat med både Geoff Tate och Michael Wilton om just "Empire" och vad de kommer ihåg från själva inspelningen.
Geoff Tate här
Geoff Tate och Michael Wilton här
/Niclas
lördag 27 november 2010
Intervju med Jeff Scott Soto.
Herr Soto är aktuell med en ny liveplatta, "Live at Firefest 2008", samt som sångare i Trans Siberian Orchestra, som just nu turnerar i USA.
Jag ringde upp honom i Boise, Idaho av alla ställen och fick ett långt och kul samtal om bl a första tiden med Yngwie, uppväxten, enda låten han spelade in med Journey, TSO, rädslan för KISS, Babylon AD och mycket mer.
Jeff Scott Soto: Hi, how are you?
I´m good. How are you?
JSS: I´m doing alright.
Where are you exactly? Are you in LA?
JSS: I´m in Boise, Idaho. That´s where all the potatoes come from in the US.
Right! Are you playing there?
JSS: We have the night off and then playing here tomorrow.
Is that a big town or a small town?
JSS: It´s actually a big town for this state. I can´t try to think of a small town… Little Rock, Arkansas.
Well, I know of it.
JSS: Ok, well Boise is the state capital and the biggest city in the state.
Cool! I thought we´d start off with a bit about your background and then work our way up to present day, if that works for you?
JSS: Sure, whatever you wanna do!
Ok. I´ve been reading a lot about you and I found out that you were born in Brooklyn and then you moved to San Fernando Valley when you were around 8 years old. What do you remember from that period of time. Did you go to a lot of shows in the 70´s and 80´s? Do you remember the first concert you ever went to?
JSS: Yeah and you´re gonna laugh! The first concert I ever went to was actually The Bee Gees at Dodger Stadium. I think I was in 7th grade. I mean, I´m not ashamed to say my whole musical background was more pop and R&B oriented anyway. I liked a lot of the bubble gum stuff and the hit radio stuff when I was growing up. A lot of my friends and colleagues grew up with heavy metal and hard rock and I actually detested that stuff. I actually didn´t like it at all, growing up. I always kind of followed in my brother´s footsteps. He´s a year and two months older than me and once he started getting into rock, I still kind of hated it but because I wanted to emulate him and he was my older brother and I kind of followed his footsteps and started to get into the heavier bands, the rock bands. On my own, I was always into the whole Motown, Michael Jackson, The Temptations and then later into Earth Wind and Fire and The Bee Gees and the whole disco scene and everything. It wasn´t until much later, in my later teenage years that I got into hard rock and heavy metal and ironically enough, that´s basically how my career started. It started in hard rock and heavy metal.
The Bee Gees were killer back then!
JSS: Yeah, and this was back in their heyday. This would´ve been right after “Saturday Night Fever” and I remember Andy Gibb came on stage and joined them on stage. That was a big deal. That was the kind of music I loved and it was great.
I was born in ´71 and grew up as a teenager loving the stuff from the 80´s and especially the whole scene in LA with the hairspray and all…
JSS: Absolutely! I totally got into that stuff. My favorite era of music is the 70´s. Everything from the soul music to… it was a whole revolution at that time. Everything was changing experimentally. Everything from Queen and Led Zeppelin and all those bands, they were taking it to a whole new standard which led into the whole 80´s scene. But the 80´s became a bit too homogenized. It just became a little too cheesy and homogenized for me and there was a reason for why kind of that whole sound died off. Today we have, I guess, a blend of that melodic rock and a lot of people are mixing it with the 70´s thing and making a kind of a new brand behind it. It´s great!
Back in the 80´s, did you hang out at all the famous places like The Whisky and the Rainbow and?
JSS: Oh God yes! When I was old enough to finally go, I used to see Mötley Crüe all the time and Ratt and all the LA bands that struck it big. It was a short lived period for me, because when I was old enough to go to those places, I must´ve been around 16, I joined Yngwie when I was 18 so it was only two years where I got to do all that stuff and the next thing I was on the road and kind of starting my own career.
Right! I also read that your parents were singers and that you haven´t had any real vocal training.
JSS: No vocal training, no. They weren´t professional singers, they basically were high school sweethearts and they were in a do wop band together and they sang in that format. Once my mother got pregnant with my brother, they basically gave it up. They thought it was a dream and they didn´t pursue or follow up on it. “Now we´ve got to be responsible and get real jobs and raise a family!”. It was a lot different back then too. Do wop bands, they were a dime a dozen back in those days and they looked at it like it was too much of a pipe dream and they basically got real jobs, you know. It´s kind of like when your parents are giving you shit for being a musician and going “This is a hobby! Someday you have to grow up and get a real job!”. Well, I´m 45 years old and I still haven´t got a real job! (laughs)
That´s the way to do it! When did yourealize for the first time, that a professional singer was what you wanted to be?
JSS: Oh, since I was like five years old! Since I saw Michael Jackson doing it at such an early age. It´s so true when you see even things like today like Hanna Montana. They´re huge now and obviously their fan base are kids that are much younger than them. It´s exactly the same thing it was for me when I saw Michael Jackson. “That´s what I waanna do! If he can do that, and he´s just a few years older than me, why can´t I?”. It was already in my blood, already in my frame of thought. That´s what I want to do for a living and that´s all I´m gonna do for a living!
I´m a huge KISS fan, did you ever go see KISS in LA?
JSS: Funny thing, no. I never was a KISS fan growing up. It was always kind of scary for me. It´s like when kids have fears of clowns. When I saw them, it was very evil and very dark for me. And some of the influences, like I told you about, were completely on the other side of the fence. Those were really positive and uplifting and very happy and energetic music, so to me KISS sounded like the devil´s music and they looked like devils. It wasn´t till I was much older and got into rock, that I found out how tame and how calm KISS really was. I got into them when they unmasked and did the whole 80´s thing, like “Heaven´s on fire” and “Lick it up” and that´s when I really got into KISS. But of course now, I truly appreciate everything that they´ve done in their legacy and especially now, being friends with Paul Stanley and some of the newer guys like Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. It´s kind of cool to say that these guys are your friends now and appreciate what they did when I didn´t even like them as a kid. (laughs)
Funny! Working with Yngwie and those two albums, what do you remember from… you didn´t audition, do you remember what songs you played or did you just jam?
JSS: I remember it like it was yesterday. I met Yngwie and I basically got the call… I was surprised I got the call because because they didn´t expect the demos that I sent them. I was 16 years old when I sang it and I didn´t even expect that I would get listened to and when I found out later, that out of the box of tapes that they brought to Yngwie, only two were taken out and played for him. The first one that they played him was the absolute worse one that was in the box and the second one they played him was my tape. Everything else they didn´t bother with. That is amazing to me, that they got this 18 year old kid who was 16 on the demo and that was good enough to play for Yngwie at that point in time compared to everything else that was sent to him. I went down to the studio to meet him and he was working on the instrumental album and he was kind of cold and reserved. He didn´t put any real interest into meeting me. He was in the middle of doing his record and was like “Yeah, I´ll take some time and meet this guy, whatever!”. He brought me into a little room, pulled out this acoustic guitar and started playing. “Ok, I´ve got this song so just come up with some melodies!”, so I´m kind of singing along and he goes “Ok, this is the chorus and this is the melody for this – ba ba bapa ba!”. And I´m just jotting down lyrics as fast as I can and I´m trying to remember the melody and singing it to him, just me and him, like a duet kind of thing and he goes “Yeah, that sounds pretty cool! Let´s put it on tape!”. He goes into the control room and they set up the microphone in the room in front of him and they start playing that same song, but with the whole band playing and I was like “Oh, Jesus, now I´ve got to sing these lyrics and this melody!” and I´m trying to remember everything right on the spot. I think I even have a copy of that. They mixed me a copy of it on a cassette tape and I still have that somewhere at home. And that was my audition. I basically sang “As above, so below” with my kind of fake lyrics and tried to remember the melody and all he remembered was the soaring high notes I was able to hit at the very end and he said “Man, sounds cool! Let´s get together at my house and demo some more songs and we´ll see what happens from here!”. And it was about three weeks of that, that we did together and which eventually led to “Welcome to the band!”
Wow! When was the last time you met Yngwie?
JSS: I haven´t seen Yngwie in a couple of years. I usually run into him at the NAMM show in Anaheim. He lives in Miami and I live in LA and I´m all over the world and I´m basically never around anywhere he´s at when he´s touring or I´m touring, so the last time I saw him… actually I think I saw him in London, he was playing a gig two years ago and then I saw him at the NAMM show, but I didn´t se him this last year, so I´ll probably run into him in January.
I read in an interview from earlier this year where you called him a “mad genius”.
JSS. Yeah, they were asking me if I had to define him in one sentence.
Right! If it came up, would you consider working with him again?
JSS: I don´t know! First of all, that´s the key sentence right there, “work WITH him?”. I don´t really know what it´s like to work with him, I know what it´s like to work FOR him. To work with him might be a conflict of interest, because he´s so head strong and God bless him for it. He´s very head strong and what he wants and how he wants it and what he he´s gonna do and really doesn´t want or need any input from anybody else, in how to complete that. So that´s not really working with him. If he wanted to work on something where I got to put my influence and I got to put who Jeff Scott Soto is, as much as he´s getting to put Yngwie Malmsteen in it, then that would be something I would be very interested in, because obviously we could finally put our history together and do something that actually works for both of us, as opposed to me just being hired by him again.
Ok. What about Talisman then? How did you all get together? How did it all start?
JSS: Talisman was basically a spin off from my participation with Yngwie and during that time of course, Marcel Jacob was the bass player. I left the band first and when Marcel finally left he went back to Sweden and started working with John Norum and when he parted with him, he was working on a solo album or a new concept album, that Göran Edman was supposed to sing on, but Edman decided to stick with John Norum. So all of a sudden he didn´t have a singer for this album, so he just reached out to me and told me into sing on these demos that he called “Guitars on fire”. It was a demo when he sent it to me and actually I knew he turned that into Talisman and that´s how that whole thing was born. It was never intended to be a new band and it wasn´t supposed to be anything more than me singing and being hired. I mean, Marcel paid me to sing on this album, that I was not to receive any future royalties on or have any interest in. I was doing him a favor and he was paying me for that favor and that´s all it was supposed to be, but we had such a great time. We had more of a bonding moment during that recording than we actually had during the whole time we were in Yngwie´s band. From that, obviously “I´ll be waiting” became a hit and he asked me if I could come up and do some promotional shows and promotional shows turned into a whole tour in Sweden and next thing you know, we´re talking about doing a second album and making this a real thing. It was totally by accident, but this accident turned into 19 years of my life.
Wow! Did he come up with the name Talisman?
JSS: Yeah! I don´t know if he got it from the novel “The Talisman” or… a lot of people thought that it was ironic because Marcel was that kind of bass player like Billy Sheehan and Billy had a band called Talis. It was kind of coincidental that he named it after Talis, but I don´t know. Bottom line is that Marcel named the band and he had his own reasons for choosing that. I just kind of went a long with it.
I went through your website and there´s like tons of stuff. Do you have any idea, roughly, how many albums you´ve worked on?
JSS: I think I lost count after 64. (laughs) It sounds crazy and it sounds ludicrous to think that I´ve sung on more albums than the biggest bands in the world combined. Thinking of how many albums The Rolling Stones have done and how many albums any of the biggest bands. Aerosmith even. Bands that have been around since the 70´s and are still going and I´ve done more albums than them. Ok, it´s not with the same group, but the idea that I´ve done over 60 albums, it makes me go “What? How is that possible?”. I don´t even know how that´s possible for one artist to do, but God I wish everyone of those went multi platinum! (laughs)
How does it generally work? Do people constantly send you demos and stuff or do you look for stuff as well and think that “Well, this might be cool! I´d love to do something with these guys!”?
JSS: Well, not so much looking for stuff. A lot of that stuff, especially back in the early days, that´s how I make my living. I´m in the music business and music is my business. If I don´t want to make a living from music, I would turn all that stuff down. Fortunately I have the versatility and the voice and the choices rather, to be able to do these kinds of things. In other ways it´s actually bad for you because it kind of prostitutes you out there. It´s like Gene Simmons said the first time I met him. This is many many years ago, before I did half the stuff that I have out there now, he went: “Oh, mr Soto! The man who´ll sing on anybody´s album for a buck!”, and it was true. Back in the day I couldn´t turn things down because not only was it means to support myself, but I also looked at it as a challenge to be able to sing on so many different things and to kind of put myself out there and challenge myself as a vocalist, challenge myself as a writer and do all the things that I was influenced by, that might channel into something I would do in the future for myself or that I could take something of myself and put it into something that somebody else wouldn´t normally expect of me. It was kind of cool that I could wear all these different shoes and all these different albums and all these different projects, because it was just overextending myself of what I would eventually become.
Cool! Do you remember when you realized that your choice of career was actually going to work? This is really gonna pay off?
JSS: I looked at it as I had no choice! This is do or die and I´m gonna get rich or die trying, like the 50 Cent movie. It´s all about… failure is not an option as far as I was concerned. There was no other thing for me to do. There was nothing else that I wanted or could do besides singing for a living! There was no other option and it had nothing to do with “Well, I´m making money now!” or “I´m not making money now”. It has everything to do with that this is in my blood. It is the only thing I can and want to do.
The stuff that happened when you sang with Journey, was there ever anything put on tape or was it just doing live shows?
JSS: Yeah, we did one song. It was actually for the last show I sang with them before they fired me. It was a big America celebration polo match or something like that. It´s kind of a weird thing. It was organized more like a corporate gig, yet they sold tickets to the public, and with that they asked us to write a song in the theme of celebrating America´s history and Jonathan Cain kind of whipped up this kind of ballady type of thing, but the lyrics were about the pilgrims coming here and settling down and fighting for our freedom and all this stuff. It wasn´t the normal Journey song and it wasn´t meant to actually ever be released. It was only meant for us to write for this event and perform it at this event. We recorded a demo of it, just so we could all kind of whip it up and we sang it at this gig and it never saw the light of day after that. I think later, when they were working with another singer before Arnel, they reworked the song with normal lyrics, like making it more like a love song or a break up song or whatever, but it didn´t even end up on the latest album. It was kind of hokey and when you listen to it now you hear this beautiful Journey song with cool melodies and everything and then you hear these lyrics and go “What?”. It didn´t really work and I think it actually leaked out there. Some of the fans got wind of it and went “This is horrible!”. Of course this is my one and only representation of me singing for Journey and they go “This is terrible! No wonder they fired him!”. (laughs)
I was kind of wondering about the band W.E.T.? Great album and excellent performances of all you guys1 Will there be more or was that just a one off thing?
JSS: Well, you know what, W.E.T. kind of started off in the same way as Talisman. It was an idea and I was brought in. It was basically an album of songs that Robert Sall and Erik Martensson were coming up with and the label came to me and said “This is the kind of album we´d love to release with your voice on it. Would you be willing to do it?” and as soon as I heard a couple of songs I thought “This is great!” and as they kept doing more and more I was like “Man, this is really really good! If people like this it could actually turn into something!”. Next thing you know, people are loving this album, everyone from critics to fans. We have discussed following up and if we do a follow up album, the next step is to actually take it on the road, which I would love to do.
I´m looking forward to it because it´s a great album!
JSS: Thanks! And you know what? In many ways it reminds me of the very first Talisman album where we got such a buzz from something that we kind of went into blind. We didn´t really know what to expect working with each other and in the end the end result was something that we were pleasantly surprised to the point where like “Wow, we might actually wanna think about following up on this thing!”.
You´ve got a new live album out and your singing is awesome, but I´m kind of wondering when it comes to live albums and in this day and age, are there any overdubs? Do you fix anything in the studio when it comes to a live album or do you record it and that´s it?
JSS: I´d be lying if I said no. You have to fix a few things. It´s anything from technical problems that could occur or could´ve occurred and in this case we didn´t even have our own selection of the audio engineer and there were a lot of major glitches here and there that we had to fix, just for that reason alone. It has nothing to do with the performances because the performances were there, but for the most part they were only little fixes here and there, just because something dropped out or the microphone was off or the microphone wasn´t working or the background vocal mic wasn´t on. Little things here and there that occur and this is one of the reasons back in the day, live albums used to be a compilation of a few shows. Looking at all the live albums from the 70´s and 80´s, you would see that most of the albums were from three or four different shows and it was for that reason whether they wanted a particular performance that was better one night or there was a problem with some of the equipment on another night, you know. When you do one show in particular you gotta hope that everything is perfect from top to bottom and it usually isn´t. But I like to leave the mistakes in, I like to leave the glitches here and there for the most part, because it shows that it´s live. But when something completely drops out or if there´s something very noticeable, you kind of have to patch those things up. But I don´t agree with bands going into and just recreating the whole thing where it´s no longer live. Then, what´s the point? Why even bother releasing a live album?
Yeah, and speaking of KISS earlier, when I grew up you always considered ALIVE to be very true and you kind of figured out that ALIVE II was doctored in some way, but later on, as more information surfaced, it turned out that both those albums were doctored in many ways and stuff was done in the studio. So it turned out they weren´t that live anyway.
JSS: Well, that´s disheartening! (laughs) That´s enough to make you go “Ah, that sucks!”
Since you´ve released several albums through Frontiers Records, do you have an ongoing contract with them or is it just taken from album to album?
JSS: Pretty much album to album. I mean, my solo stuff, they do have options for me with my solo albums. The live albums are extras and I work out side deals with them, because that not included in my option . I don´t owe them a live album or a greatest hits album and those don´t count as far as real releases. With every album they release with me, they have the option to do the next one. It´s not like I have a seven or five album option like back in the day. We do it per album. In legal terms I owe them another album, but it has to be of a certain genre. They wasn’t me to actually stick to a certain style and sound and genre and if I record like a country polka punk album, they´re not gonna release it. They´re gonna say “Well, that´s not in the genre that we want you to release it, so we´re not gonna pick up your option.” and that´s what gets me out of that. If I record a melodic rock AOR hard rock kind of album, then that´s gonna fit along their category and they automatically get to release it.
Cool! I just thought of something. Have you ever come across or met Paul Sabu?
JSS: I know who he is and I don´t know if we´ve actually ever spoken. I think we might have had some kind of communication in maybe the 90´s at some point. I definitely know who he is.
Well, he´s a great singer and song writer and the same goes for you and I just thought that you would come up with a killer album!
JSS: Ok, thanks!
What´s next? You´re touring now in the States? What´s next when it comes to new albums and so on?
JSS: Well, I was gonna start diving into a new solo album as well as we were gonna start writing a new W.E.T. album, but unfortunately this winter tour kind of snuck up on me and I thought that after this is done, I´ll start diving into that, but I´ll probably not get too much done because I´ve just committed to do another spring tour with TSO and we start rehearsals at the end of February and this thing is going until June, so they´re gonna keep me pretty busy. In a way it´s actually kind of good because I feel I´ve been maybe a little too out there. I think I´ve been a little bit too exposed, so to speak. I think it´s good to take a few steps back. I keep working and I keep doing what I love doing and earning my keep, on the other hand, removing the JSS brand now for a while and make people want it again, I guess. You start putting the demand out there and then finally I can work on something I know they´re all gonna be jumping on, as supposed to “Oh, there he is, releasing another album again! Whoptido!”. And kind of why we´re releasing the Firefest album so soon after I released my last live album. This is something we had in the can and we didn´t know if or when we were gonna release it and since Frontiers know that they´re not gonna have anything from me, easily, for the next seven or eight months, they thought “Well, let’s put this out there and we kind of fill the pocket of having a JSS product out there until he´s ready to come do something.”
Ok. So when you´re playing Boise, Idaho tomorrow, you´re playing with TSO?
JSS: Yes!
Alright! How did you hook up with those guys?
JSS: I´ve known the musical director and guitar player, Al Pitrelli, for about 20 years now. We actually met in Karlskoga in Sweden. We were doing a big festival. He was playing with Alice Cooper and it was the first Talisman tour back in 1990 and we met at the hotel afterwards. We were staying at the same hotel and I´d already been on tour with these guys for a month, so a hotel full of Americans was like “Oh, it´s like being back home!” and me and Al hit it off and got to be, not really good friends, but we got to be acquaintances and we kept running into each other over the years and I remember running into him about 11 years ago and he was telling me about they were taking this Trans Siberian Orchestra thing on the road and he told me what it was all about and I thought “that´s an interesting concept! Good luck with that, dude!” (laughs) He walked away and helped turn this thing into an empire along with Paul O´Neill, the guy who founded this. Fast forward to three years ago and they were recording their latest album “Night castle” (2009) and they were trying everybody for the final role, the main role of the rock opera, and Al went to Paul and said “What about Jeff Scott Soto?” and he goes “Isn´t Jeff a tenor?” and “”No, he´s a baritone! Check him out!”. They flew me out and I think I got the gig based on meeting them much less actually singing with them and from that it just snowballed into me doing the winter tours and now doing the spring tours and they want me on future albums. I think for the next thing, me and Al are gonna finally get together and start working on some stuff. We have some really cool ideas. We don´t know if it´s gonna be an actual project or or turn into solo stuff for me, but I definitely want to work with this guy. He´s one of the greatest guitar players in my eyes that I´ve ever played with and he´s so underrated. Not many people know of him, but I think he´s one of those guys that needs to be heard and I´ve already played with Yngwie Malmsteen and Neal Schon, why not Al Pitrelli?
Who´s Paul O´Neill?
JSS: He used to work with Aerosmith and Joan Jett back in the 70´s and 80´s and then he started producing Savatage and he produced the first Badlands album. He´s basically a producer/songwriter and that´s how he turned Savatage into Trans Siberian Orchestra. He was already going that direction with the whole rock opera theme and taking a lot of the classics and remaking them with a heavy metal vibe behind them and when Savatage split, he just launched into what is now the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Right! Just a couple of quick ones. I read that you recorded some demos with Vinnie Vincent back in ´87?
JSS: Yeah, Vinnie had a publishing deal with … I don´t know if it was his own publishing deal or a deal with a company, but he used to write songs for other artists. He´s written for Cher and Celine Dion, things completely on the other side of the metal genre and that´s exactly what these things were. They were kind of ballady, syrupy kind of songs that he came up with that had nothing to do with Vinnie Vincent Invasion at the time. He used to sing on his own demos, but he wanted a soulful kind of R&B singer on there and he knew I had that style in me. He just brought me in and I sang four or five songs and he sent them to his publishing company and that was that. Years later I see that these demos are flying around and everybody´s going “Whatever happened to that project? Why didn´t that take off?”. It wasn´t a project or a band, it was me singing some demos for Vinnie and he paid me to sing on the demos that he did for his publishing company. End of story!
Vinnie Vincent just kind of dropped off the face of the earth.
JSS: I don´t know what happened to him and I haven´t seen or heard from him, so who knows if he´s still in music or doing something as a ghost writer. I don´t know! I haven´t seen the guy in years.
And you also recorded stuff with Zakk Wylde as well around the movie “Rock star”.
JSS: No, only the stuff for the movie. There was only one additional song called “Crown of falsehood” that Zakk had written and submitted as a possibility to be on the soundtrack. I demoed that one song. I don´t know if he recorded it with Black Label Society or maybe Pride and Glory, I don´t know or if he ever did it on his own, but it was something he wrote and I sang in the studio, they turned it down and again, that demo surfaced somewhere on the Internet and people hear it as a “Rock star” demo and that´s exactly what it was. It was just something that we did together as a possibility for the movie.
Finally, which I also found out on your website, you did some backing vocals on this great band, Babylon AD, that I actually discovered just a few years ago.
JSS: Oh yeah! That´s how I got the “Rock star” soundtrack as a matter of fact. Tom Werman, who´s a famous producer from the 70´s, 80´s and the 90´s until he finally retired, I sang backgrounds on the last Stryper album they did as a band when they were signed to Hollywood Records and because I was friends with those guys for many years they brought me in to kind of toughen their background vocals instead of sounding like Angel, like they always did on their past albums. Tom werman happened to be the producer on that album and he loved how quickly I worked in my range and how I helped build the background vocals and from that point on I sang on all the albums that he were producing and Babylon AD happened to be one of them and Steelheart, Lita Ford, a band called Pirayha. I did everything until he retired, but they pulled him out of retirement for the “Rock star” soundtrack and when thys asked him “Who would you cast for lead vocals?” and I was one of the first names he pulled out of his hat.
Babylon AD was a damn good band!
JSS: Yeah, they were a great band! Really cool guys and that was a really good album and it was a pleasure singing on that record.
Well, I´ve kept you really long here, but thank you so much Jeff! It was a pleasure talking to you and I wish you all the best with the show tomorrow and I´m looking forward to more albums and more songs from you in the future.
JSS: Awesome, man! Thank you so much!
/Niclas
Herr Soto är aktuell med en ny liveplatta, "Live at Firefest 2008", samt som sångare i Trans Siberian Orchestra, som just nu turnerar i USA.
Jag ringde upp honom i Boise, Idaho av alla ställen och fick ett långt och kul samtal om bl a första tiden med Yngwie, uppväxten, enda låten han spelade in med Journey, TSO, rädslan för KISS, Babylon AD och mycket mer.
Jeff Scott Soto: Hi, how are you?
I´m good. How are you?
JSS: I´m doing alright.
Where are you exactly? Are you in LA?
JSS: I´m in Boise, Idaho. That´s where all the potatoes come from in the US.
Right! Are you playing there?
JSS: We have the night off and then playing here tomorrow.
Is that a big town or a small town?
JSS: It´s actually a big town for this state. I can´t try to think of a small town… Little Rock, Arkansas.
Well, I know of it.
JSS: Ok, well Boise is the state capital and the biggest city in the state.
Cool! I thought we´d start off with a bit about your background and then work our way up to present day, if that works for you?
JSS: Sure, whatever you wanna do!
Ok. I´ve been reading a lot about you and I found out that you were born in Brooklyn and then you moved to San Fernando Valley when you were around 8 years old. What do you remember from that period of time. Did you go to a lot of shows in the 70´s and 80´s? Do you remember the first concert you ever went to?
JSS: Yeah and you´re gonna laugh! The first concert I ever went to was actually The Bee Gees at Dodger Stadium. I think I was in 7th grade. I mean, I´m not ashamed to say my whole musical background was more pop and R&B oriented anyway. I liked a lot of the bubble gum stuff and the hit radio stuff when I was growing up. A lot of my friends and colleagues grew up with heavy metal and hard rock and I actually detested that stuff. I actually didn´t like it at all, growing up. I always kind of followed in my brother´s footsteps. He´s a year and two months older than me and once he started getting into rock, I still kind of hated it but because I wanted to emulate him and he was my older brother and I kind of followed his footsteps and started to get into the heavier bands, the rock bands. On my own, I was always into the whole Motown, Michael Jackson, The Temptations and then later into Earth Wind and Fire and The Bee Gees and the whole disco scene and everything. It wasn´t until much later, in my later teenage years that I got into hard rock and heavy metal and ironically enough, that´s basically how my career started. It started in hard rock and heavy metal.
The Bee Gees were killer back then!
JSS: Yeah, and this was back in their heyday. This would´ve been right after “Saturday Night Fever” and I remember Andy Gibb came on stage and joined them on stage. That was a big deal. That was the kind of music I loved and it was great.
I was born in ´71 and grew up as a teenager loving the stuff from the 80´s and especially the whole scene in LA with the hairspray and all…
JSS: Absolutely! I totally got into that stuff. My favorite era of music is the 70´s. Everything from the soul music to… it was a whole revolution at that time. Everything was changing experimentally. Everything from Queen and Led Zeppelin and all those bands, they were taking it to a whole new standard which led into the whole 80´s scene. But the 80´s became a bit too homogenized. It just became a little too cheesy and homogenized for me and there was a reason for why kind of that whole sound died off. Today we have, I guess, a blend of that melodic rock and a lot of people are mixing it with the 70´s thing and making a kind of a new brand behind it. It´s great!
Back in the 80´s, did you hang out at all the famous places like The Whisky and the Rainbow and?
JSS: Oh God yes! When I was old enough to finally go, I used to see Mötley Crüe all the time and Ratt and all the LA bands that struck it big. It was a short lived period for me, because when I was old enough to go to those places, I must´ve been around 16, I joined Yngwie when I was 18 so it was only two years where I got to do all that stuff and the next thing I was on the road and kind of starting my own career.
Right! I also read that your parents were singers and that you haven´t had any real vocal training.
JSS: No vocal training, no. They weren´t professional singers, they basically were high school sweethearts and they were in a do wop band together and they sang in that format. Once my mother got pregnant with my brother, they basically gave it up. They thought it was a dream and they didn´t pursue or follow up on it. “Now we´ve got to be responsible and get real jobs and raise a family!”. It was a lot different back then too. Do wop bands, they were a dime a dozen back in those days and they looked at it like it was too much of a pipe dream and they basically got real jobs, you know. It´s kind of like when your parents are giving you shit for being a musician and going “This is a hobby! Someday you have to grow up and get a real job!”. Well, I´m 45 years old and I still haven´t got a real job! (laughs)
That´s the way to do it! When did yourealize for the first time, that a professional singer was what you wanted to be?
JSS: Oh, since I was like five years old! Since I saw Michael Jackson doing it at such an early age. It´s so true when you see even things like today like Hanna Montana. They´re huge now and obviously their fan base are kids that are much younger than them. It´s exactly the same thing it was for me when I saw Michael Jackson. “That´s what I waanna do! If he can do that, and he´s just a few years older than me, why can´t I?”. It was already in my blood, already in my frame of thought. That´s what I want to do for a living and that´s all I´m gonna do for a living!
I´m a huge KISS fan, did you ever go see KISS in LA?
JSS: Funny thing, no. I never was a KISS fan growing up. It was always kind of scary for me. It´s like when kids have fears of clowns. When I saw them, it was very evil and very dark for me. And some of the influences, like I told you about, were completely on the other side of the fence. Those were really positive and uplifting and very happy and energetic music, so to me KISS sounded like the devil´s music and they looked like devils. It wasn´t till I was much older and got into rock, that I found out how tame and how calm KISS really was. I got into them when they unmasked and did the whole 80´s thing, like “Heaven´s on fire” and “Lick it up” and that´s when I really got into KISS. But of course now, I truly appreciate everything that they´ve done in their legacy and especially now, being friends with Paul Stanley and some of the newer guys like Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. It´s kind of cool to say that these guys are your friends now and appreciate what they did when I didn´t even like them as a kid. (laughs)
Funny! Working with Yngwie and those two albums, what do you remember from… you didn´t audition, do you remember what songs you played or did you just jam?
JSS: I remember it like it was yesterday. I met Yngwie and I basically got the call… I was surprised I got the call because because they didn´t expect the demos that I sent them. I was 16 years old when I sang it and I didn´t even expect that I would get listened to and when I found out later, that out of the box of tapes that they brought to Yngwie, only two were taken out and played for him. The first one that they played him was the absolute worse one that was in the box and the second one they played him was my tape. Everything else they didn´t bother with. That is amazing to me, that they got this 18 year old kid who was 16 on the demo and that was good enough to play for Yngwie at that point in time compared to everything else that was sent to him. I went down to the studio to meet him and he was working on the instrumental album and he was kind of cold and reserved. He didn´t put any real interest into meeting me. He was in the middle of doing his record and was like “Yeah, I´ll take some time and meet this guy, whatever!”. He brought me into a little room, pulled out this acoustic guitar and started playing. “Ok, I´ve got this song so just come up with some melodies!”, so I´m kind of singing along and he goes “Ok, this is the chorus and this is the melody for this – ba ba bapa ba!”. And I´m just jotting down lyrics as fast as I can and I´m trying to remember the melody and singing it to him, just me and him, like a duet kind of thing and he goes “Yeah, that sounds pretty cool! Let´s put it on tape!”. He goes into the control room and they set up the microphone in the room in front of him and they start playing that same song, but with the whole band playing and I was like “Oh, Jesus, now I´ve got to sing these lyrics and this melody!” and I´m trying to remember everything right on the spot. I think I even have a copy of that. They mixed me a copy of it on a cassette tape and I still have that somewhere at home. And that was my audition. I basically sang “As above, so below” with my kind of fake lyrics and tried to remember the melody and all he remembered was the soaring high notes I was able to hit at the very end and he said “Man, sounds cool! Let´s get together at my house and demo some more songs and we´ll see what happens from here!”. And it was about three weeks of that, that we did together and which eventually led to “Welcome to the band!”
Wow! When was the last time you met Yngwie?
JSS: I haven´t seen Yngwie in a couple of years. I usually run into him at the NAMM show in Anaheim. He lives in Miami and I live in LA and I´m all over the world and I´m basically never around anywhere he´s at when he´s touring or I´m touring, so the last time I saw him… actually I think I saw him in London, he was playing a gig two years ago and then I saw him at the NAMM show, but I didn´t se him this last year, so I´ll probably run into him in January.
I read in an interview from earlier this year where you called him a “mad genius”.
JSS. Yeah, they were asking me if I had to define him in one sentence.
Right! If it came up, would you consider working with him again?
JSS: I don´t know! First of all, that´s the key sentence right there, “work WITH him?”. I don´t really know what it´s like to work with him, I know what it´s like to work FOR him. To work with him might be a conflict of interest, because he´s so head strong and God bless him for it. He´s very head strong and what he wants and how he wants it and what he he´s gonna do and really doesn´t want or need any input from anybody else, in how to complete that. So that´s not really working with him. If he wanted to work on something where I got to put my influence and I got to put who Jeff Scott Soto is, as much as he´s getting to put Yngwie Malmsteen in it, then that would be something I would be very interested in, because obviously we could finally put our history together and do something that actually works for both of us, as opposed to me just being hired by him again.
Ok. What about Talisman then? How did you all get together? How did it all start?
JSS: Talisman was basically a spin off from my participation with Yngwie and during that time of course, Marcel Jacob was the bass player. I left the band first and when Marcel finally left he went back to Sweden and started working with John Norum and when he parted with him, he was working on a solo album or a new concept album, that Göran Edman was supposed to sing on, but Edman decided to stick with John Norum. So all of a sudden he didn´t have a singer for this album, so he just reached out to me and told me into sing on these demos that he called “Guitars on fire”. It was a demo when he sent it to me and actually I knew he turned that into Talisman and that´s how that whole thing was born. It was never intended to be a new band and it wasn´t supposed to be anything more than me singing and being hired. I mean, Marcel paid me to sing on this album, that I was not to receive any future royalties on or have any interest in. I was doing him a favor and he was paying me for that favor and that´s all it was supposed to be, but we had such a great time. We had more of a bonding moment during that recording than we actually had during the whole time we were in Yngwie´s band. From that, obviously “I´ll be waiting” became a hit and he asked me if I could come up and do some promotional shows and promotional shows turned into a whole tour in Sweden and next thing you know, we´re talking about doing a second album and making this a real thing. It was totally by accident, but this accident turned into 19 years of my life.
Wow! Did he come up with the name Talisman?
JSS: Yeah! I don´t know if he got it from the novel “The Talisman” or… a lot of people thought that it was ironic because Marcel was that kind of bass player like Billy Sheehan and Billy had a band called Talis. It was kind of coincidental that he named it after Talis, but I don´t know. Bottom line is that Marcel named the band and he had his own reasons for choosing that. I just kind of went a long with it.
I went through your website and there´s like tons of stuff. Do you have any idea, roughly, how many albums you´ve worked on?
JSS: I think I lost count after 64. (laughs) It sounds crazy and it sounds ludicrous to think that I´ve sung on more albums than the biggest bands in the world combined. Thinking of how many albums The Rolling Stones have done and how many albums any of the biggest bands. Aerosmith even. Bands that have been around since the 70´s and are still going and I´ve done more albums than them. Ok, it´s not with the same group, but the idea that I´ve done over 60 albums, it makes me go “What? How is that possible?”. I don´t even know how that´s possible for one artist to do, but God I wish everyone of those went multi platinum! (laughs)
How does it generally work? Do people constantly send you demos and stuff or do you look for stuff as well and think that “Well, this might be cool! I´d love to do something with these guys!”?
JSS: Well, not so much looking for stuff. A lot of that stuff, especially back in the early days, that´s how I make my living. I´m in the music business and music is my business. If I don´t want to make a living from music, I would turn all that stuff down. Fortunately I have the versatility and the voice and the choices rather, to be able to do these kinds of things. In other ways it´s actually bad for you because it kind of prostitutes you out there. It´s like Gene Simmons said the first time I met him. This is many many years ago, before I did half the stuff that I have out there now, he went: “Oh, mr Soto! The man who´ll sing on anybody´s album for a buck!”, and it was true. Back in the day I couldn´t turn things down because not only was it means to support myself, but I also looked at it as a challenge to be able to sing on so many different things and to kind of put myself out there and challenge myself as a vocalist, challenge myself as a writer and do all the things that I was influenced by, that might channel into something I would do in the future for myself or that I could take something of myself and put it into something that somebody else wouldn´t normally expect of me. It was kind of cool that I could wear all these different shoes and all these different albums and all these different projects, because it was just overextending myself of what I would eventually become.
Cool! Do you remember when you realized that your choice of career was actually going to work? This is really gonna pay off?
JSS: I looked at it as I had no choice! This is do or die and I´m gonna get rich or die trying, like the 50 Cent movie. It´s all about… failure is not an option as far as I was concerned. There was no other thing for me to do. There was nothing else that I wanted or could do besides singing for a living! There was no other option and it had nothing to do with “Well, I´m making money now!” or “I´m not making money now”. It has everything to do with that this is in my blood. It is the only thing I can and want to do.
The stuff that happened when you sang with Journey, was there ever anything put on tape or was it just doing live shows?
JSS: Yeah, we did one song. It was actually for the last show I sang with them before they fired me. It was a big America celebration polo match or something like that. It´s kind of a weird thing. It was organized more like a corporate gig, yet they sold tickets to the public, and with that they asked us to write a song in the theme of celebrating America´s history and Jonathan Cain kind of whipped up this kind of ballady type of thing, but the lyrics were about the pilgrims coming here and settling down and fighting for our freedom and all this stuff. It wasn´t the normal Journey song and it wasn´t meant to actually ever be released. It was only meant for us to write for this event and perform it at this event. We recorded a demo of it, just so we could all kind of whip it up and we sang it at this gig and it never saw the light of day after that. I think later, when they were working with another singer before Arnel, they reworked the song with normal lyrics, like making it more like a love song or a break up song or whatever, but it didn´t even end up on the latest album. It was kind of hokey and when you listen to it now you hear this beautiful Journey song with cool melodies and everything and then you hear these lyrics and go “What?”. It didn´t really work and I think it actually leaked out there. Some of the fans got wind of it and went “This is horrible!”. Of course this is my one and only representation of me singing for Journey and they go “This is terrible! No wonder they fired him!”. (laughs)
I was kind of wondering about the band W.E.T.? Great album and excellent performances of all you guys1 Will there be more or was that just a one off thing?
JSS: Well, you know what, W.E.T. kind of started off in the same way as Talisman. It was an idea and I was brought in. It was basically an album of songs that Robert Sall and Erik Martensson were coming up with and the label came to me and said “This is the kind of album we´d love to release with your voice on it. Would you be willing to do it?” and as soon as I heard a couple of songs I thought “This is great!” and as they kept doing more and more I was like “Man, this is really really good! If people like this it could actually turn into something!”. Next thing you know, people are loving this album, everyone from critics to fans. We have discussed following up and if we do a follow up album, the next step is to actually take it on the road, which I would love to do.
I´m looking forward to it because it´s a great album!
JSS: Thanks! And you know what? In many ways it reminds me of the very first Talisman album where we got such a buzz from something that we kind of went into blind. We didn´t really know what to expect working with each other and in the end the end result was something that we were pleasantly surprised to the point where like “Wow, we might actually wanna think about following up on this thing!”.
You´ve got a new live album out and your singing is awesome, but I´m kind of wondering when it comes to live albums and in this day and age, are there any overdubs? Do you fix anything in the studio when it comes to a live album or do you record it and that´s it?
JSS: I´d be lying if I said no. You have to fix a few things. It´s anything from technical problems that could occur or could´ve occurred and in this case we didn´t even have our own selection of the audio engineer and there were a lot of major glitches here and there that we had to fix, just for that reason alone. It has nothing to do with the performances because the performances were there, but for the most part they were only little fixes here and there, just because something dropped out or the microphone was off or the microphone wasn´t working or the background vocal mic wasn´t on. Little things here and there that occur and this is one of the reasons back in the day, live albums used to be a compilation of a few shows. Looking at all the live albums from the 70´s and 80´s, you would see that most of the albums were from three or four different shows and it was for that reason whether they wanted a particular performance that was better one night or there was a problem with some of the equipment on another night, you know. When you do one show in particular you gotta hope that everything is perfect from top to bottom and it usually isn´t. But I like to leave the mistakes in, I like to leave the glitches here and there for the most part, because it shows that it´s live. But when something completely drops out or if there´s something very noticeable, you kind of have to patch those things up. But I don´t agree with bands going into and just recreating the whole thing where it´s no longer live. Then, what´s the point? Why even bother releasing a live album?
Yeah, and speaking of KISS earlier, when I grew up you always considered ALIVE to be very true and you kind of figured out that ALIVE II was doctored in some way, but later on, as more information surfaced, it turned out that both those albums were doctored in many ways and stuff was done in the studio. So it turned out they weren´t that live anyway.
JSS: Well, that´s disheartening! (laughs) That´s enough to make you go “Ah, that sucks!”
Since you´ve released several albums through Frontiers Records, do you have an ongoing contract with them or is it just taken from album to album?
JSS: Pretty much album to album. I mean, my solo stuff, they do have options for me with my solo albums. The live albums are extras and I work out side deals with them, because that not included in my option . I don´t owe them a live album or a greatest hits album and those don´t count as far as real releases. With every album they release with me, they have the option to do the next one. It´s not like I have a seven or five album option like back in the day. We do it per album. In legal terms I owe them another album, but it has to be of a certain genre. They wasn’t me to actually stick to a certain style and sound and genre and if I record like a country polka punk album, they´re not gonna release it. They´re gonna say “Well, that´s not in the genre that we want you to release it, so we´re not gonna pick up your option.” and that´s what gets me out of that. If I record a melodic rock AOR hard rock kind of album, then that´s gonna fit along their category and they automatically get to release it.
Cool! I just thought of something. Have you ever come across or met Paul Sabu?
JSS: I know who he is and I don´t know if we´ve actually ever spoken. I think we might have had some kind of communication in maybe the 90´s at some point. I definitely know who he is.
Well, he´s a great singer and song writer and the same goes for you and I just thought that you would come up with a killer album!
JSS: Ok, thanks!
What´s next? You´re touring now in the States? What´s next when it comes to new albums and so on?
JSS: Well, I was gonna start diving into a new solo album as well as we were gonna start writing a new W.E.T. album, but unfortunately this winter tour kind of snuck up on me and I thought that after this is done, I´ll start diving into that, but I´ll probably not get too much done because I´ve just committed to do another spring tour with TSO and we start rehearsals at the end of February and this thing is going until June, so they´re gonna keep me pretty busy. In a way it´s actually kind of good because I feel I´ve been maybe a little too out there. I think I´ve been a little bit too exposed, so to speak. I think it´s good to take a few steps back. I keep working and I keep doing what I love doing and earning my keep, on the other hand, removing the JSS brand now for a while and make people want it again, I guess. You start putting the demand out there and then finally I can work on something I know they´re all gonna be jumping on, as supposed to “Oh, there he is, releasing another album again! Whoptido!”. And kind of why we´re releasing the Firefest album so soon after I released my last live album. This is something we had in the can and we didn´t know if or when we were gonna release it and since Frontiers know that they´re not gonna have anything from me, easily, for the next seven or eight months, they thought “Well, let’s put this out there and we kind of fill the pocket of having a JSS product out there until he´s ready to come do something.”
Ok. So when you´re playing Boise, Idaho tomorrow, you´re playing with TSO?
JSS: Yes!
Alright! How did you hook up with those guys?
JSS: I´ve known the musical director and guitar player, Al Pitrelli, for about 20 years now. We actually met in Karlskoga in Sweden. We were doing a big festival. He was playing with Alice Cooper and it was the first Talisman tour back in 1990 and we met at the hotel afterwards. We were staying at the same hotel and I´d already been on tour with these guys for a month, so a hotel full of Americans was like “Oh, it´s like being back home!” and me and Al hit it off and got to be, not really good friends, but we got to be acquaintances and we kept running into each other over the years and I remember running into him about 11 years ago and he was telling me about they were taking this Trans Siberian Orchestra thing on the road and he told me what it was all about and I thought “that´s an interesting concept! Good luck with that, dude!” (laughs) He walked away and helped turn this thing into an empire along with Paul O´Neill, the guy who founded this. Fast forward to three years ago and they were recording their latest album “Night castle” (2009) and they were trying everybody for the final role, the main role of the rock opera, and Al went to Paul and said “What about Jeff Scott Soto?” and he goes “Isn´t Jeff a tenor?” and “”No, he´s a baritone! Check him out!”. They flew me out and I think I got the gig based on meeting them much less actually singing with them and from that it just snowballed into me doing the winter tours and now doing the spring tours and they want me on future albums. I think for the next thing, me and Al are gonna finally get together and start working on some stuff. We have some really cool ideas. We don´t know if it´s gonna be an actual project or or turn into solo stuff for me, but I definitely want to work with this guy. He´s one of the greatest guitar players in my eyes that I´ve ever played with and he´s so underrated. Not many people know of him, but I think he´s one of those guys that needs to be heard and I´ve already played with Yngwie Malmsteen and Neal Schon, why not Al Pitrelli?
Who´s Paul O´Neill?
JSS: He used to work with Aerosmith and Joan Jett back in the 70´s and 80´s and then he started producing Savatage and he produced the first Badlands album. He´s basically a producer/songwriter and that´s how he turned Savatage into Trans Siberian Orchestra. He was already going that direction with the whole rock opera theme and taking a lot of the classics and remaking them with a heavy metal vibe behind them and when Savatage split, he just launched into what is now the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Right! Just a couple of quick ones. I read that you recorded some demos with Vinnie Vincent back in ´87?
JSS: Yeah, Vinnie had a publishing deal with … I don´t know if it was his own publishing deal or a deal with a company, but he used to write songs for other artists. He´s written for Cher and Celine Dion, things completely on the other side of the metal genre and that´s exactly what these things were. They were kind of ballady, syrupy kind of songs that he came up with that had nothing to do with Vinnie Vincent Invasion at the time. He used to sing on his own demos, but he wanted a soulful kind of R&B singer on there and he knew I had that style in me. He just brought me in and I sang four or five songs and he sent them to his publishing company and that was that. Years later I see that these demos are flying around and everybody´s going “Whatever happened to that project? Why didn´t that take off?”. It wasn´t a project or a band, it was me singing some demos for Vinnie and he paid me to sing on the demos that he did for his publishing company. End of story!
Vinnie Vincent just kind of dropped off the face of the earth.
JSS: I don´t know what happened to him and I haven´t seen or heard from him, so who knows if he´s still in music or doing something as a ghost writer. I don´t know! I haven´t seen the guy in years.
And you also recorded stuff with Zakk Wylde as well around the movie “Rock star”.
JSS: No, only the stuff for the movie. There was only one additional song called “Crown of falsehood” that Zakk had written and submitted as a possibility to be on the soundtrack. I demoed that one song. I don´t know if he recorded it with Black Label Society or maybe Pride and Glory, I don´t know or if he ever did it on his own, but it was something he wrote and I sang in the studio, they turned it down and again, that demo surfaced somewhere on the Internet and people hear it as a “Rock star” demo and that´s exactly what it was. It was just something that we did together as a possibility for the movie.
Finally, which I also found out on your website, you did some backing vocals on this great band, Babylon AD, that I actually discovered just a few years ago.
JSS: Oh yeah! That´s how I got the “Rock star” soundtrack as a matter of fact. Tom Werman, who´s a famous producer from the 70´s, 80´s and the 90´s until he finally retired, I sang backgrounds on the last Stryper album they did as a band when they were signed to Hollywood Records and because I was friends with those guys for many years they brought me in to kind of toughen their background vocals instead of sounding like Angel, like they always did on their past albums. Tom werman happened to be the producer on that album and he loved how quickly I worked in my range and how I helped build the background vocals and from that point on I sang on all the albums that he were producing and Babylon AD happened to be one of them and Steelheart, Lita Ford, a band called Pirayha. I did everything until he retired, but they pulled him out of retirement for the “Rock star” soundtrack and when thys asked him “Who would you cast for lead vocals?” and I was one of the first names he pulled out of his hat.
Babylon AD was a damn good band!
JSS: Yeah, they were a great band! Really cool guys and that was a really good album and it was a pleasure singing on that record.
Well, I´ve kept you really long here, but thank you so much Jeff! It was a pleasure talking to you and I wish you all the best with the show tomorrow and I´m looking forward to more albums and more songs from you in the future.
JSS: Awesome, man! Thank you so much!
/Niclas
O Henry, dear Henry!
Henry Rollins befinner sig fortfarande i Afrika, närmare bestämt Sudan. I veckans inlägg möter han enkla människor som verkligen värdesätter demokratin och möjligheten att få rösta om sitt lands framtid.
Henry här
/Niclas
Henry Rollins befinner sig fortfarande i Afrika, närmare bestämt Sudan. I veckans inlägg möter han enkla människor som verkligen värdesätter demokratin och möjligheten att få rösta om sitt lands framtid.
Henry här
/Niclas
Imperial State Electric liverecension
Debaser Medis, Stockholm 101126
Det känns på något sätt helt självklart att Nicke Anderssons senaste konstellation väljer att öppna kvällens konsert med Cheap Tricks "Hello there". Ett rivarröj och en stenhård käftsmäll fint paketerad i Nicke Anderssons själfulla riff. Lika självklart blir det när bandet en timme senare avslutar balunsen med en furiös version av KISS "Take me" från herr Anderssons favoritplatta med sagda band.
Jag tyckte det var tråkigt när Hellacopters lade ner sina vapen, men samtidigt gjorde de det nog vid precis rätt tillfälle. Att Nicke Andersson skulle dyka upp i något annat sammanhang var det nog ingen som betvivlade, dock tycker jag fortfarande att ISE är en aning blek på platta.
Live däremot, vaknar bandet till live och de nya låtarna får en helt annan stuns och än en gång visar Nicke Andersson att han är Svedalas allra förnämsta rockstjärna och en man med fenomenal fingertoppskänsla för låtsnickeri.
Comboöppningen med Cheap Trick följt av "A holiday from my vacation" får fullsatta (850 pers) Debaser att koka av rock and roll och helt plötsligt känns Hellacopters väldigt avlägsna.
Imperial State Electric live är något av det bästa jag sett och frågan är om det inte slår alla de 15-17 gig jag såg med Hellacopters. Till och med Anderssons röst är starkare och mer nyanserad än tidigare och bandet sen? Det är inga dåliga musiker han samlat ihop och tillsammans blir de en tight sammansvetsad rockmaskin som fullständigt kör över stockholmspubliken.
Dessutom lyckas man göra trumsolon intressanta igen då batteristen Tomas Eriksson och Nicke kör ett gemensamt solo på de två ihopkopplade trumseten. Rock and jävla roll, om man säger så!
Den stora frågan är nu vad Nicke Andersson ska göra här näst? Oavsett vad det blir kan jag redan nu säga att det kommer bli bra. Riktigt förbannat bra!
Betyg 4/5
/Niclas
Debaser Medis, Stockholm 101126
Det känns på något sätt helt självklart att Nicke Anderssons senaste konstellation väljer att öppna kvällens konsert med Cheap Tricks "Hello there". Ett rivarröj och en stenhård käftsmäll fint paketerad i Nicke Anderssons själfulla riff. Lika självklart blir det när bandet en timme senare avslutar balunsen med en furiös version av KISS "Take me" från herr Anderssons favoritplatta med sagda band.
Jag tyckte det var tråkigt när Hellacopters lade ner sina vapen, men samtidigt gjorde de det nog vid precis rätt tillfälle. Att Nicke Andersson skulle dyka upp i något annat sammanhang var det nog ingen som betvivlade, dock tycker jag fortfarande att ISE är en aning blek på platta.
Live däremot, vaknar bandet till live och de nya låtarna får en helt annan stuns och än en gång visar Nicke Andersson att han är Svedalas allra förnämsta rockstjärna och en man med fenomenal fingertoppskänsla för låtsnickeri.
Comboöppningen med Cheap Trick följt av "A holiday from my vacation" får fullsatta (850 pers) Debaser att koka av rock and roll och helt plötsligt känns Hellacopters väldigt avlägsna.
Imperial State Electric live är något av det bästa jag sett och frågan är om det inte slår alla de 15-17 gig jag såg med Hellacopters. Till och med Anderssons röst är starkare och mer nyanserad än tidigare och bandet sen? Det är inga dåliga musiker han samlat ihop och tillsammans blir de en tight sammansvetsad rockmaskin som fullständigt kör över stockholmspubliken.
Dessutom lyckas man göra trumsolon intressanta igen då batteristen Tomas Eriksson och Nicke kör ett gemensamt solo på de två ihopkopplade trumseten. Rock and jävla roll, om man säger så!
Den stora frågan är nu vad Nicke Andersson ska göra här näst? Oavsett vad det blir kan jag redan nu säga att det kommer bli bra. Riktigt förbannat bra!
Betyg 4/5
/Niclas
fredag 26 november 2010
Idag för 15 år sedan.
19951126. Bandets tredje och sista album med layne Staley, "Alice In Chains", låg etta på den amerikanska topplistan för 15 år sedan. Utan tvekan ett av de bättre albumen från 90-talet och framförallt regniga Seattle.
Skänk en tanke till Layne Staley och spela albumet från början till slut!
/Niclas
19951126. Bandets tredje och sista album med layne Staley, "Alice In Chains", låg etta på den amerikanska topplistan för 15 år sedan. Utan tvekan ett av de bättre albumen från 90-talet och framförallt regniga Seattle.
Skänk en tanke till Layne Staley och spela albumet från början till slut!
/Niclas
torsdag 25 november 2010
Idag för tre år sedan.
"25112007, Kevin Dubrow, the frontman with metal band Quiet Riot, was found dead in his Las Vegas home at the age of 52. Their 1983 release Metal Health was the first metal album to top the US charts. The band's biggest hit was 'Cum on Feel the Noize', a cover of the Slade song which they are said to have grudgingly recorded in just one take."
Mötte Kevin DuBrow som hastigast på Sweden Rock samm år. Det var faktiskt lite surrealistiskt att han några månader senare var död. Han verkade vara "in good spirits" och skämtade om min Misfitströja.
Quiet Riots "Metal health" och "Condition critical" är två av alla mina 80-talsfavoriter. Mannen kunde sjunga, det är en sak som är säker, även om han lät kusligt lik Noddy Holder.
/Niclas
"25112007, Kevin Dubrow, the frontman with metal band Quiet Riot, was found dead in his Las Vegas home at the age of 52. Their 1983 release Metal Health was the first metal album to top the US charts. The band's biggest hit was 'Cum on Feel the Noize', a cover of the Slade song which they are said to have grudgingly recorded in just one take."
Mötte Kevin DuBrow som hastigast på Sweden Rock samm år. Det var faktiskt lite surrealistiskt att han några månader senare var död. Han verkade vara "in good spirits" och skämtade om min Misfitströja.
Quiet Riots "Metal health" och "Condition critical" är två av alla mina 80-talsfavoriter. Mannen kunde sjunga, det är en sak som är säker, även om han lät kusligt lik Noddy Holder.
/Niclas
Duff reser.
I senaste bloginlägget berättar McKagan om sitt ständiga resande, tulltjänstemän och Thanksgiving.
Duff här
/Niclas
I senaste bloginlägget berättar McKagan om sitt ständiga resande, tulltjänstemän och Thanksgiving.
Duff här
/Niclas
onsdag 24 november 2010
Q&A med Svalövs stoltheter Trash Queen!
(Foto: Frida Warnerbring)
Trash Queen från skånska Svalöv är ju klara för den stora finalen i tävlingen "Released live and unsigned", som äger rum den 11/12 på Göta Källare i Stockholm.
Jag drog iväg lite frågor till sångaren Andy och nedan hittas svaren.
Hur började det hela? Vad sammanförde er?
Andy: Matt (Trummor) och AJ (Gitarr) har känt varandra sen de var små och spelat ihop i flera år. Övriga medlemmar har svarat på annonser, Andy (Sång) kom med i december 2007 och Ben (Bas) i September 2010. Kärlek för 80-talsrock och motvilja mot MTV (efter 1993), HipHop och Seattle är kittet som håller bandet samman!
Presentera bandet!
Andy: AJ är strängbändare men även ett uppslagsverk för hur ett 80-talsband ska se ut, bete sig och låta. Matt är det blonda yrvädret som meteronomer kan rätta sig efter. Han lär sponsras av valfritt ölbryggeri inom kort. Andy pratar mest, skrattar mest, skriker mest - ibland sjunger han också. Ben är en eldig basist som aldrig har långt till ordvitsar eller andra lustigheter.
Vilka är era främsta influenser?
Andy: Mötley Crüe, Van Halen, Firehouse, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi.
Hur mycket material har ni så här långt?
Andy: Nog för att spela in en skiva med 10-11 låtar. Då har vi samtidigt lagt lika många låtar på hyllan de senaste åren.
Hur går arbetet med debutskivan? Hur mycket tid lägger ni ner på den?
Andy: Det går framåt, 2-3 ggr i veckan sitter/står/ligger vi i studion och jobbar. Just nu kämpar AJ med gitarrerna, låter ståkuk!
Har ni en titel på plattan ännu?
Andy: Vi har ett förslag, men det håller vi för oss själva än så länge..;)
Vem skulle vara er drömproducent?
Andy: Vem det nu var som proddade Firehouses debutplatta, iaf för mig (Andy).
Vilka är de främsta låtskrivarna i bandet?
Andy: Alla bidrar mer eller mindre, mest Matt och AJ så här långt.
Hur viktigt är klädsel och smink?
Andy: Hur viktigt är syre?
Hur många gig har ni spelat så här långt? Hur har responsen varit?
Andy: 40-50, börjar bli svårt att hålla reda på dem... Kastas mer och mer underkläder upp på scen för varje gig...
Något speciellt kul gigminne som sticker ut?
Andy: Vi hyrde in en strippa till ett gig i Landskrona i somras. Hon klädde av sig och gjorde det hon skulle och så. Problemet var bara att hon dansade lika illa som Andy, kunde lika gärna varit hambo, och dyr var hon också. Efteråt fick vi bl a mail från en kvinna som skrev att hon ändrat sina planer på att se oss i Helsingborg nån vecka senare, därför att hon hört att vi haft en strippa i Landskrona. Det hon var mest upprörd över var förmodligen att det var hennes man som hade varit och sett oss (och framför allt då strippan) i Landskrona.
Hur ser sleazescenen ut i Svalöv?
Andy: TrashQueen
Trash Queen på MySpace här
/Niclas
(Foto: Frida Warnerbring)
Trash Queen från skånska Svalöv är ju klara för den stora finalen i tävlingen "Released live and unsigned", som äger rum den 11/12 på Göta Källare i Stockholm.
Jag drog iväg lite frågor till sångaren Andy och nedan hittas svaren.
Hur började det hela? Vad sammanförde er?
Andy: Matt (Trummor) och AJ (Gitarr) har känt varandra sen de var små och spelat ihop i flera år. Övriga medlemmar har svarat på annonser, Andy (Sång) kom med i december 2007 och Ben (Bas) i September 2010. Kärlek för 80-talsrock och motvilja mot MTV (efter 1993), HipHop och Seattle är kittet som håller bandet samman!
Presentera bandet!
Andy: AJ är strängbändare men även ett uppslagsverk för hur ett 80-talsband ska se ut, bete sig och låta. Matt är det blonda yrvädret som meteronomer kan rätta sig efter. Han lär sponsras av valfritt ölbryggeri inom kort. Andy pratar mest, skrattar mest, skriker mest - ibland sjunger han också. Ben är en eldig basist som aldrig har långt till ordvitsar eller andra lustigheter.
Vilka är era främsta influenser?
Andy: Mötley Crüe, Van Halen, Firehouse, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi.
Hur mycket material har ni så här långt?
Andy: Nog för att spela in en skiva med 10-11 låtar. Då har vi samtidigt lagt lika många låtar på hyllan de senaste åren.
Hur går arbetet med debutskivan? Hur mycket tid lägger ni ner på den?
Andy: Det går framåt, 2-3 ggr i veckan sitter/står/ligger vi i studion och jobbar. Just nu kämpar AJ med gitarrerna, låter ståkuk!
Har ni en titel på plattan ännu?
Andy: Vi har ett förslag, men det håller vi för oss själva än så länge..;)
Vem skulle vara er drömproducent?
Andy: Vem det nu var som proddade Firehouses debutplatta, iaf för mig (Andy).
Vilka är de främsta låtskrivarna i bandet?
Andy: Alla bidrar mer eller mindre, mest Matt och AJ så här långt.
Hur viktigt är klädsel och smink?
Andy: Hur viktigt är syre?
Hur många gig har ni spelat så här långt? Hur har responsen varit?
Andy: 40-50, börjar bli svårt att hålla reda på dem... Kastas mer och mer underkläder upp på scen för varje gig...
Något speciellt kul gigminne som sticker ut?
Andy: Vi hyrde in en strippa till ett gig i Landskrona i somras. Hon klädde av sig och gjorde det hon skulle och så. Problemet var bara att hon dansade lika illa som Andy, kunde lika gärna varit hambo, och dyr var hon också. Efteråt fick vi bl a mail från en kvinna som skrev att hon ändrat sina planer på att se oss i Helsingborg nån vecka senare, därför att hon hört att vi haft en strippa i Landskrona. Det hon var mest upprörd över var förmodligen att det var hennes man som hade varit och sett oss (och framför allt då strippan) i Landskrona.
Hur ser sleazescenen ut i Svalöv?
Andy: TrashQueen
Trash Queen på MySpace här
/Niclas
tisdag 23 november 2010
"This evening I am feeling in a very Swedish retro/doom/stoner metal kind of way."
AltSounds är på svenskhumör och tipsar världen om lite Svedaladoom/stoner, så som exempelvis Witchcraft och Graveyard.
Svensk doom/stoner här
/Niclas
AltSounds är på svenskhumör och tipsar världen om lite Svedaladoom/stoner, så som exempelvis Witchcraft och Graveyard.
Svensk doom/stoner här
/Niclas
BLS livebilder!
(Foto: Timothy Norris)
37 coola bilder på BLS, Children of Bodom och fans från i fredags på The Wiltern i Los Angeles.
Bilder här
/Niclas
(Foto: Timothy Norris)
37 coola bilder på BLS, Children of Bodom och fans från i fredags på The Wiltern i Los Angeles.
Bilder här
/Niclas
"Dad's the master, I'm the student."
Ny intervju med Jason Bonham i LA Weekly. Bl a om hans pågående tributeturné, jämförelsen med pappan och om varför Robert Plant inte ville turnera med Zeppelin.
Bonham i LA Weekly här
/Niclas
Ny intervju med Jason Bonham i LA Weekly. Bl a om hans pågående tributeturné, jämförelsen med pappan och om varför Robert Plant inte ville turnera med Zeppelin.
Bonham i LA Weekly här
/Niclas
Full, fullare, fullast!
Metal Sludge listar de tio fullaste rockstjärnorna. Kul trivia som lättar upp i vintermörkret.
Vince Neil kvalar in på plats fyra.
Fullare än full här
/Niclas
Metal Sludge listar de tio fullaste rockstjärnorna. Kul trivia som lättar upp i vintermörkret.
Vince Neil kvalar in på plats fyra.
Fullare än full här
/Niclas
måndag 22 november 2010
Hårspray, kajal och skinnbyxor = Svalöv!
Senaste bandet att ta sig vidare till finalen (11/12 Göta Källare) i tävlingen "Released live and unsigned" är skånska sleazerockarna Trash Queen. Persoligen tycker jag att deras skånska blod borde vara nog bara det, för att gå vidare.
Så här långt finns en EP med fyra spår att tillgå, men ett fullängdsalbum är på väg. I fredags intervjuade jag sångaren Andy på Rocket.FM och jag passar även på att länka lite andra saker också.
Trash Queen på MySpace
Trash Queen på Rocket.FM
Trash Queen i Skånskan
Trash Queen i Geeloo
Ngt blogginlägg
Foton av Ottilia Lindell
/Niclas
Senaste bandet att ta sig vidare till finalen (11/12 Göta Källare) i tävlingen "Released live and unsigned" är skånska sleazerockarna Trash Queen. Persoligen tycker jag att deras skånska blod borde vara nog bara det, för att gå vidare.
Så här långt finns en EP med fyra spår att tillgå, men ett fullängdsalbum är på väg. I fredags intervjuade jag sångaren Andy på Rocket.FM och jag passar även på att länka lite andra saker också.
Trash Queen på MySpace
Trash Queen på Rocket.FM
Trash Queen i Skånskan
Trash Queen i Geeloo
Ngt blogginlägg
Foton av Ottilia Lindell
/Niclas
söndag 21 november 2010
Fantastiska foton!
Jag kan inte påstå att jag direkt skulle springa benen av mig för några av de konserter som fotas av Soile Siirtola, men herrejesus min skapare vilka foton!
En otrolig närvaro i bilderna och alla tagna i precis rätt millisekund för att fånga känslan.
Titta och njut!
Soiles bilder hittar du här
/Niclas
Jag kan inte påstå att jag direkt skulle springa benen av mig för några av de konserter som fotas av Soile Siirtola, men herrejesus min skapare vilka foton!
En otrolig närvaro i bilderna och alla tagna i precis rätt millisekund för att fånga känslan.
Titta och njut!
Soiles bilder hittar du här
/Niclas
Death magnetic over and out!
Saxat från Metallica.com:
...so this is the end my friends...
I mean, not of Metallica or anything like that, uh-uh... as James Hetfield himself said at the conclusion of tonight's World Magnetic tour at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, 'we'll be coming back quite a few more times' ...no, the end my friends of a tour which has taken in 215 shows over 992 days in 45 different countries.
The end of an end of a tour which saw Metallica go to Australia thrice times such was the demand (I mean, what was it? 16 shows that those lovely, mad antipodean bastards drank up like the finest champagne in comfy beer bottles?) .
The end of a tour which (for me) saw this band rediscover it's true heart and soul.
The end of a tour which saw these four men grow up a whole lot more than ever before.
It's the first time I've seen a tour end where everyone in the band hadn't grown tired of each other, and hasn't always been that way.
No fights.
No major grumbles.
No passive-aggressive games.
Just four men who were genuinely enjoying every night they brought this music to you, and furthermore, genuinely enjoying their own beautiful, harmonious chemistry.
There is obviously a physical relief that their bodies will get some rest, some recuperation beyond two weeks.
But equally, there is the gnawing sense that this...this...well, 'this was fun and shit, we're gonna miss it quicker than we know.'
Because to me, Lars, James, Kirk and Rob plugged into performances that were often transcendent in terms of realizing another level to which this band can go as artists and performers. And as such, there has grown an enormous comfort in the knowledge that their re-birth at the start of 'Death Magnetic' has flourished into a whole new life.
These shows (this tour) has seen Metallica play unencumbered by the sorts of performance worries and stresses that multi-platinum bands often get back-ache from. They've played with the spirit of kids again, and because they've been having fun and not sweating the details, the details have been virtually spotless. Funny how that works...
But make no mistake, this ain't been no sloppy-Joe garage band trogging it around the place. This has been a mighty operation reliant on what must be the best crew anyone could ask for. I'm not usually one for just throwing out statistics uninvited, but I'm going to because, well, they're pretty mind-blowing.
143 arena shows, 34 festivals, 29 stadium shows, 4 club/theater shows, 3 TV/radio shows, 2 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame shows...two natural disasters with the Icelandic volcano and the Christchurch, NZ earthquake but no shows lost (unless you count a certain oyster incident!)...approximately 56,000 beach balls have been dropped (and word is that the carpenters and illustrious stage manager might well have consumed an equal amount of beers)...seven new babies were born to Metallica crew members, there was an engagement (Tori to Trivett) and a marriage (Dewey)...there have been approximately 180 crew members for whom this has been a life taking up varying degrees of 24-7 time; 14 have made it from the first show to the last. There are more stats but, ah, another day. Needless to say, since the tour that became World Magnetic kicked off on May 14, 2008 to this, it's final day, November 21, 2010, a lot has happened to a lot of people...
...and so it is that for tours to survive, let alone flourish, the family spirit must be here, there, everywhere. Think for a second about that; it doesn't always mean 24/7 happy-shiney-people, but it does mean love and respect from EVERYWHERE at a show, from the band to the crew to YOU...
Lars had been talking to a few of the fantastic fans that travel thousands of miles to dozens of Metallica shows, the next-level dedicated if you will, and he told them that he was also them, that he had done similar for Richie Blackmore. He said he'd join them at the rail and get in there. And tonight, after the final note of the tour had been heard, after the 'final whistle' had been blown if you will, there was Lars, jumping down from the stage and getting right into that crowd (Kirk being quick to join him) diving into the melee and coming up for air with that famous dirty, filthy grimace of Ulrichian joy. It was great, a simple but immensely powerful (as well as pure) gesture. And you simply cannot fake that shit. You really can't. And I say that not just because Lars said he'd get on the rail with the fans and did, I say it because deep down, there is a real kinetic charge that they all get from the fans. It's undeniable. You most likely know what I mean, and if you don't, go to a show one day and learn!
So really, let me be clear once more. Yes, it's the end of the World Magnetic tour, but it's been a celebration of the new worlds, new places, new journeys and destinations I feel Metallica will now embark upon with greater happiness, enjoyment and fortitude than for many a year. And as hard as I try to round this off by saying goodbye, well, it isn't is it? Metallica is 30 starting in January 2011...and given the appetite I've witnessed even during these last three Melbourne shows, we'll be hearing from them sooner than later (they already announced Rock In Rio next September before officially ending World Magnetic, that tells you something). I have no inside knowledge and no details of anything whatsoever, but I'm telling you goddamit that I'm right!
:-)
Steffan Chirazi (Editor So What Magazine)
Melbourne, Nov 21st 2010"
/Niclas
Saxat från Metallica.com:
...so this is the end my friends...
I mean, not of Metallica or anything like that, uh-uh... as James Hetfield himself said at the conclusion of tonight's World Magnetic tour at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, 'we'll be coming back quite a few more times' ...no, the end my friends of a tour which has taken in 215 shows over 992 days in 45 different countries.
The end of an end of a tour which saw Metallica go to Australia thrice times such was the demand (I mean, what was it? 16 shows that those lovely, mad antipodean bastards drank up like the finest champagne in comfy beer bottles?) .
The end of a tour which (for me) saw this band rediscover it's true heart and soul.
The end of a tour which saw these four men grow up a whole lot more than ever before.
It's the first time I've seen a tour end where everyone in the band hadn't grown tired of each other, and hasn't always been that way.
No fights.
No major grumbles.
No passive-aggressive games.
Just four men who were genuinely enjoying every night they brought this music to you, and furthermore, genuinely enjoying their own beautiful, harmonious chemistry.
There is obviously a physical relief that their bodies will get some rest, some recuperation beyond two weeks.
But equally, there is the gnawing sense that this...this...well, 'this was fun and shit, we're gonna miss it quicker than we know.'
Because to me, Lars, James, Kirk and Rob plugged into performances that were often transcendent in terms of realizing another level to which this band can go as artists and performers. And as such, there has grown an enormous comfort in the knowledge that their re-birth at the start of 'Death Magnetic' has flourished into a whole new life.
These shows (this tour) has seen Metallica play unencumbered by the sorts of performance worries and stresses that multi-platinum bands often get back-ache from. They've played with the spirit of kids again, and because they've been having fun and not sweating the details, the details have been virtually spotless. Funny how that works...
But make no mistake, this ain't been no sloppy-Joe garage band trogging it around the place. This has been a mighty operation reliant on what must be the best crew anyone could ask for. I'm not usually one for just throwing out statistics uninvited, but I'm going to because, well, they're pretty mind-blowing.
143 arena shows, 34 festivals, 29 stadium shows, 4 club/theater shows, 3 TV/radio shows, 2 Rock And Roll Hall of Fame shows...two natural disasters with the Icelandic volcano and the Christchurch, NZ earthquake but no shows lost (unless you count a certain oyster incident!)...approximately 56,000 beach balls have been dropped (and word is that the carpenters and illustrious stage manager might well have consumed an equal amount of beers)...seven new babies were born to Metallica crew members, there was an engagement (Tori to Trivett) and a marriage (Dewey)...there have been approximately 180 crew members for whom this has been a life taking up varying degrees of 24-7 time; 14 have made it from the first show to the last. There are more stats but, ah, another day. Needless to say, since the tour that became World Magnetic kicked off on May 14, 2008 to this, it's final day, November 21, 2010, a lot has happened to a lot of people...
...and so it is that for tours to survive, let alone flourish, the family spirit must be here, there, everywhere. Think for a second about that; it doesn't always mean 24/7 happy-shiney-people, but it does mean love and respect from EVERYWHERE at a show, from the band to the crew to YOU...
Lars had been talking to a few of the fantastic fans that travel thousands of miles to dozens of Metallica shows, the next-level dedicated if you will, and he told them that he was also them, that he had done similar for Richie Blackmore. He said he'd join them at the rail and get in there. And tonight, after the final note of the tour had been heard, after the 'final whistle' had been blown if you will, there was Lars, jumping down from the stage and getting right into that crowd (Kirk being quick to join him) diving into the melee and coming up for air with that famous dirty, filthy grimace of Ulrichian joy. It was great, a simple but immensely powerful (as well as pure) gesture. And you simply cannot fake that shit. You really can't. And I say that not just because Lars said he'd get on the rail with the fans and did, I say it because deep down, there is a real kinetic charge that they all get from the fans. It's undeniable. You most likely know what I mean, and if you don't, go to a show one day and learn!
So really, let me be clear once more. Yes, it's the end of the World Magnetic tour, but it's been a celebration of the new worlds, new places, new journeys and destinations I feel Metallica will now embark upon with greater happiness, enjoyment and fortitude than for many a year. And as hard as I try to round this off by saying goodbye, well, it isn't is it? Metallica is 30 starting in January 2011...and given the appetite I've witnessed even during these last three Melbourne shows, we'll be hearing from them sooner than later (they already announced Rock In Rio next September before officially ending World Magnetic, that tells you something). I have no inside knowledge and no details of anything whatsoever, but I'm telling you goddamit that I'm right!
:-)
Steffan Chirazi (Editor So What Magazine)
Melbourne, Nov 21st 2010"
/Niclas
"I’m there eating the yogurt, watching the sun come up, and BOOM! The bomb goes off, you know. Oh, wow, it was like I was gonna wet my pants, you know."
Bravewords.com har lagt upp del 2 av skribenten Tim Hendersons långa intervju med Geoff Tate och samtalet handlar bl a om bandets resa till Irak, "Empire 20th anniversary edition", bandets finanser, hans vin, arbetet bakom "Empire" och producenten Peter Collins roll för soundet.
En mycket läsvärd och bra intervju.
Geoff Tate här
/Niclas
Bravewords.com har lagt upp del 2 av skribenten Tim Hendersons långa intervju med Geoff Tate och samtalet handlar bl a om bandets resa till Irak, "Empire 20th anniversary edition", bandets finanser, hans vin, arbetet bakom "Empire" och producenten Peter Collins roll för soundet.
En mycket läsvärd och bra intervju.
Geoff Tate här
/Niclas
Skivrecension
Engrained "Deep rooted" 2010
Tysk punkrock med rötterna i Motörhead och The Ramones. Visst svänger det en aning emellanåt, men jag ställer mig frågande till vem som verkligen köper det här? Det är lite skramligt hobbyband över det hela.
Trots att de harvat på sedan 92 är det här tydligen debuten och det kan ju inte vara helt fel att stora SPV ger ut den. Däremot tvivlar jag starkt på att de kommer att göra ett namn för sig. Band som detta ploppar upp i tusental varje dag och väldigt, väldigt har något riktigt bra att komma.
Ett stort plus dock är att de 13 spåren klockar in på 35:03 min. Detta gör att det inte blir helt omöjligt att lyssna sig igenom hela plattan från första till sista ackord.
Betyg 2/5
/Niclas
Engrained "Deep rooted" 2010
Tysk punkrock med rötterna i Motörhead och The Ramones. Visst svänger det en aning emellanåt, men jag ställer mig frågande till vem som verkligen köper det här? Det är lite skramligt hobbyband över det hela.
Trots att de harvat på sedan 92 är det här tydligen debuten och det kan ju inte vara helt fel att stora SPV ger ut den. Däremot tvivlar jag starkt på att de kommer att göra ett namn för sig. Band som detta ploppar upp i tusental varje dag och väldigt, väldigt har något riktigt bra att komma.
Ett stort plus dock är att de 13 spåren klockar in på 35:03 min. Detta gör att det inte blir helt omöjligt att lyssna sig igenom hela plattan från första till sista ackord.
Betyg 2/5
/Niclas
Skivrecension
Emil Bulls "Phoenix" 2009
Hittade plattan långt ner i en hög med allsköns promoplattor. Fanns antagligen en anledning till att den låg i botten, då det är en typ av hårdrock jag fullkomligen avskyr.
Bandet är tyskt och påstås dra influenser från NIN och In Flames, för att nämna några. Kanske är jag rejält tondöv, men några likheter kan jag ej finna.
Det här är trallvänlig Green Day-rock uppblandat med tyngre slaktarriff och erbjuder inte lyssnaren någonting. Totalt könlös musik utan udd eller nyans. Jag kan dock tänka mig att deras målgrupp inte är en 39-årig skåning utan mer kajalöverdoserande och angstfyllda tonårspojkar. Och tredje spåret "The architects of my apocalypse", kan vara något av de mest löjeväckande som fastnat på en cd-skiva.
Tysk skit av stora mått.
Betyg 1/5
/Niclas
Emil Bulls "Phoenix" 2009
Hittade plattan långt ner i en hög med allsköns promoplattor. Fanns antagligen en anledning till att den låg i botten, då det är en typ av hårdrock jag fullkomligen avskyr.
Bandet är tyskt och påstås dra influenser från NIN och In Flames, för att nämna några. Kanske är jag rejält tondöv, men några likheter kan jag ej finna.
Det här är trallvänlig Green Day-rock uppblandat med tyngre slaktarriff och erbjuder inte lyssnaren någonting. Totalt könlös musik utan udd eller nyans. Jag kan dock tänka mig att deras målgrupp inte är en 39-årig skåning utan mer kajalöverdoserande och angstfyllda tonårspojkar. Och tredje spåret "The architects of my apocalypse", kan vara något av de mest löjeväckande som fastnat på en cd-skiva.
Tysk skit av stora mått.
Betyg 1/5
/Niclas
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away...
Det är lätt att bli nostalgisk. Lätt att drömma sig bort till tonåren då bandet ovan var råast, tuffast, farligast, snuskigast, svinigast, talangfullast...
Numera är Guns N´Roses ett sorgligt skämt och Axl Rose för alltid förlorad. Tur då att klipp som detta kan få påminna en om en svunnen tid då bandet var epitetet för rock and roll.
/Niclas
Det är lätt att bli nostalgisk. Lätt att drömma sig bort till tonåren då bandet ovan var råast, tuffast, farligast, snuskigast, svinigast, talangfullast...
Numera är Guns N´Roses ett sorgligt skämt och Axl Rose för alltid förlorad. Tur då att klipp som detta kan få påminna en om en svunnen tid då bandet var epitetet för rock and roll.
/Niclas
Bokrecension
Ross Halfin
"The ultimate Metallica" 2010
Mina första minnen av namnet Ross Halfin är från 80-talets Kerrang. Jag vet inte riktigt vad det var, men jag lade snabbt olika fotografers namn på minnet, så som Halfin, Zlozower, Costello, Weiss. På samma sätt lärde jag mig tidigt alla olika gitarrmärken, utan att vara gitarrist eller ens kunna slå an ett ackord. Det hörde liksom till när man var hårdrockare i tonåren och hade ett fanatiskt intresse för musik.
Denna stora coffeetablebok är en djupdykning i bandets historia. Från de första bilderna Halfin tog på bandet 1984, fram till senaste turnén med "Death magnetic" världen över. Om Bob Rock under lång tid var deras hovproducent, blev Ross Halfin deras hovfotograf. Den kortväxte britten som fotade medlemmarna överallt och alltid lyckades få enastående resultat.
I boken bjuds det på ett ganska långt och roligt förord av världens mest danska amerikan, Lars Ulrich, där han också berättar kring deras brytning med Halfin i mitten av 90-talet och som kom att vara i 10 år.
Även om fotona är bokens kärna, ges det även en mycket stor behållning i att läsa alla texter i slutet av boken. Här berättar Paul Brannigan (Kerrang), Phil Alexander (Mojo), Paul Rees (Q), Brad Tolinski (Guitar World) och Steffan Chirazi (So What) om hur de kom i kontakt med både bandet och fotografen i fråga. Väskrivna och humoristiska texter som höjer bokens innehåll ännu ett snäpp.
Slutligen ges det även en längre intervju med Halfin, utförd av nyss nämnde Chirazi, som är klart läsvärd.
"The ultimate Metallica" är en given bok för varje Metallica-fan att gotta ner sig i. Det är mer än 250 bilder att studera och njuta av och det är ett självklart faktum, vilket många gånger klargörs i boken, att ingen annan kan fota Metallica som Ross Halfin!
PS. Glöm inte att kolla in Halfins hemsida med tillhörande dagbok! Mängder av roliga och intressanta bilder från bl a Metallicas precis avlutade Australienturné. DS.
Ross Halfin här
/Niclas
Ross Halfin
"The ultimate Metallica" 2010
Mina första minnen av namnet Ross Halfin är från 80-talets Kerrang. Jag vet inte riktigt vad det var, men jag lade snabbt olika fotografers namn på minnet, så som Halfin, Zlozower, Costello, Weiss. På samma sätt lärde jag mig tidigt alla olika gitarrmärken, utan att vara gitarrist eller ens kunna slå an ett ackord. Det hörde liksom till när man var hårdrockare i tonåren och hade ett fanatiskt intresse för musik.
Denna stora coffeetablebok är en djupdykning i bandets historia. Från de första bilderna Halfin tog på bandet 1984, fram till senaste turnén med "Death magnetic" världen över. Om Bob Rock under lång tid var deras hovproducent, blev Ross Halfin deras hovfotograf. Den kortväxte britten som fotade medlemmarna överallt och alltid lyckades få enastående resultat.
I boken bjuds det på ett ganska långt och roligt förord av världens mest danska amerikan, Lars Ulrich, där han också berättar kring deras brytning med Halfin i mitten av 90-talet och som kom att vara i 10 år.
Även om fotona är bokens kärna, ges det även en mycket stor behållning i att läsa alla texter i slutet av boken. Här berättar Paul Brannigan (Kerrang), Phil Alexander (Mojo), Paul Rees (Q), Brad Tolinski (Guitar World) och Steffan Chirazi (So What) om hur de kom i kontakt med både bandet och fotografen i fråga. Väskrivna och humoristiska texter som höjer bokens innehåll ännu ett snäpp.
Slutligen ges det även en längre intervju med Halfin, utförd av nyss nämnde Chirazi, som är klart läsvärd.
"The ultimate Metallica" är en given bok för varje Metallica-fan att gotta ner sig i. Det är mer än 250 bilder att studera och njuta av och det är ett självklart faktum, vilket många gånger klargörs i boken, att ingen annan kan fota Metallica som Ross Halfin!
PS. Glöm inte att kolla in Halfins hemsida med tillhörande dagbok! Mängder av roliga och intressanta bilder från bl a Metallicas precis avlutade Australienturné. DS.
Ross Halfin här
/Niclas
Skivrecension
Stratovarius "Darkest hour" EP 2010
Jag har aldrig varit något större fan av de galopperande gitarrerna. De där trallvänliga up-tempo gitarrerna som hetsar på gentemot en glad melodi. Det har alltid låtit tomt och innehållslöst.
Finska Stratovarius faller utan tvekan in i denna kategori och är ett band jag aldrig någonsin brytt mig om.
Senaste given är en EP innehållandes en liten försmak av vad som komma skall. Är det bra då? Tja, det låter onekligen bättre än vad jag egentligen vill erkänna, men å andra sidan säger det egentligen inte så mycket.
Två nya låtar, "Darkest hours" och "Infernal maze", är stöpta i tidigare nämnda form och är väl helt ok. Inget jag hetsar upp mig över, men ej heller olyssningsbart.
Förutom de två nya alsterna bjuds det på en demoversion av titelspåret, vilket är lite kul då texten är helt annorlunda än den slutgiltiga versionen. Och som ketchup på moset för alla fans delar man även ut två livespår av "Against the wind" och "Black diamond". Vid första anblicken trodde jag det rörde sig om en Bob Seger respektive KISS cover, men så är det givetvis inte. Det handlar nog bara om dålig fantasi.
För en oinvigd låter livespåren helt ok, trots diverse solon, men det bjuds fortfarande inte på något som kan få mig att vilja köpa upp Stratovarius-katalogen.
Omslaget är snyggt dock, även om det känns lite billigt med sina tydliga nickningar åt oljekatastrofen utanför Louisiana.
Betyg: 2/5
/Niclas
Stratovarius "Darkest hour" EP 2010
Jag har aldrig varit något större fan av de galopperande gitarrerna. De där trallvänliga up-tempo gitarrerna som hetsar på gentemot en glad melodi. Det har alltid låtit tomt och innehållslöst.
Finska Stratovarius faller utan tvekan in i denna kategori och är ett band jag aldrig någonsin brytt mig om.
Senaste given är en EP innehållandes en liten försmak av vad som komma skall. Är det bra då? Tja, det låter onekligen bättre än vad jag egentligen vill erkänna, men å andra sidan säger det egentligen inte så mycket.
Två nya låtar, "Darkest hours" och "Infernal maze", är stöpta i tidigare nämnda form och är väl helt ok. Inget jag hetsar upp mig över, men ej heller olyssningsbart.
Förutom de två nya alsterna bjuds det på en demoversion av titelspåret, vilket är lite kul då texten är helt annorlunda än den slutgiltiga versionen. Och som ketchup på moset för alla fans delar man även ut två livespår av "Against the wind" och "Black diamond". Vid första anblicken trodde jag det rörde sig om en Bob Seger respektive KISS cover, men så är det givetvis inte. Det handlar nog bara om dålig fantasi.
För en oinvigd låter livespåren helt ok, trots diverse solon, men det bjuds fortfarande inte på något som kan få mig att vilja köpa upp Stratovarius-katalogen.
Omslaget är snyggt dock, även om det känns lite billigt med sina tydliga nickningar åt oljekatastrofen utanför Louisiana.
Betyg: 2/5
/Niclas
lördag 20 november 2010
Skivrecension
Houston "S/T" 2010
Första gången bandet passerade min radar var väl i början av året. Jag hörde någon låt och läste om bandet på diverse forum där de unisont hyllades.
Det är dock först nu som deras debut har hittat in i cd-spelaren och jag knockas redan i första spåret "Pride". Det här är svensk AOR av ett sällan skådat snyggt slag. Fantastiska låtar som fångar känslan av Toto, Journey och främst kanske Bon Jovis debutplatta. Smäktande synthar och riviga gitarriff gör att det här faktiskt är något av det bästa jag hört på väldigt länge.
Houston består av två killar, Fredie Allen och Hampus Hank Erix, och med hjälp av exempelvis veteraner som Tommy Denander och Thomas Vikström har de snickrat ihop det bästa svenska melodiösa hårdrocksalbumet på år och dag. Det är uppenbart att Allen/Erix har en synnerligen god förmåga att skriva slagkraftiga 80-talsmelodier, som inte för den skull på något vis är patetiska eller bleka. Det hela känns väldigt självklart och det vore ytterst konstigt om vi inte får se mer av det här bandet i framtiden.
Lyssna framförallt på duetten "Truth slips" med för mig helt okända Helena Alsterhed! Det är ingen dålig pipa den tjejen sitter inne med.
Gå nu ut och stöd din lokala skivaffär samt bandet och köp plattan! Ladda inte ner.
Betyg 4/5
/Niclas
Houston "S/T" 2010
Första gången bandet passerade min radar var väl i början av året. Jag hörde någon låt och läste om bandet på diverse forum där de unisont hyllades.
Det är dock först nu som deras debut har hittat in i cd-spelaren och jag knockas redan i första spåret "Pride". Det här är svensk AOR av ett sällan skådat snyggt slag. Fantastiska låtar som fångar känslan av Toto, Journey och främst kanske Bon Jovis debutplatta. Smäktande synthar och riviga gitarriff gör att det här faktiskt är något av det bästa jag hört på väldigt länge.
Houston består av två killar, Fredie Allen och Hampus Hank Erix, och med hjälp av exempelvis veteraner som Tommy Denander och Thomas Vikström har de snickrat ihop det bästa svenska melodiösa hårdrocksalbumet på år och dag. Det är uppenbart att Allen/Erix har en synnerligen god förmåga att skriva slagkraftiga 80-talsmelodier, som inte för den skull på något vis är patetiska eller bleka. Det hela känns väldigt självklart och det vore ytterst konstigt om vi inte får se mer av det här bandet i framtiden.
Lyssna framförallt på duetten "Truth slips" med för mig helt okända Helena Alsterhed! Det är ingen dålig pipa den tjejen sitter inne med.
Gå nu ut och stöd din lokala skivaffär samt bandet och köp plattan! Ladda inte ner.
Betyg 4/5
/Niclas
"When I got really loaded, I would claim I was a botanist. I would take the plants from the hotel and create a forest wonderland in my hotel room."
Jag såg Coheed and Cambria live för några år sedan, men kan just nu inte för mitt liv komma på i vilket sammanhang. Tyckte väl att det var lite halvhjärtat, men sångarens afroburr är ju oförglömligt.
Snart lirar de i Stockholm som förband till betydligt intressantare Deftones. Nedan hittas en intervju med gitarristerna Travis och Claudio.
Coheed i Total Guitar här
/Niclas
Jag såg Coheed and Cambria live för några år sedan, men kan just nu inte för mitt liv komma på i vilket sammanhang. Tyckte väl att det var lite halvhjärtat, men sångarens afroburr är ju oförglömligt.
Snart lirar de i Stockholm som förband till betydligt intressantare Deftones. Nedan hittas en intervju med gitarristerna Travis och Claudio.
Coheed i Total Guitar här
/Niclas
Ompaketering av Pearl Jam.
Kungarna av Seattle har signat med Kobalt Music Group, vilka i fortsättningen kommer att ha hand om bandets katalog samt Vedders soloaktiviteter. Detta innebär bl a nya versioner av "Vs." och "Vitalogy" under 2011 samt den kommande liveplattan "Live on ten legs". Det enda som skulle få en att inhandla nyss nämnda studioplattor är om de packas om helt med bonusspår, tidigare ej utgivet material etc, så som gjorts med "Ten".
Story här
/Niclas
Kungarna av Seattle har signat med Kobalt Music Group, vilka i fortsättningen kommer att ha hand om bandets katalog samt Vedders soloaktiviteter. Detta innebär bl a nya versioner av "Vs." och "Vitalogy" under 2011 samt den kommande liveplattan "Live on ten legs". Det enda som skulle få en att inhandla nyss nämnda studioplattor är om de packas om helt med bonusspår, tidigare ej utgivet material etc, så som gjorts med "Ten".
Story här
/Niclas
Duffs boktips!
Mörkret är här och så även kylan, vilket passar utmärkt för en boknörd som undertecknad. Duff McKagan är inne på samma spår och tipsar om flera riktigt tunga titlar, men även om några mer lättsamma.
Duff tipsar här
/Niclas
Mörkret är här och så även kylan, vilket passar utmärkt för en boknörd som undertecknad. Duff McKagan är inne på samma spår och tipsar om flera riktigt tunga titlar, men även om några mer lättsamma.
Duff tipsar här
/Niclas
Dagens tidningstips!
I senaste Mojo bjuds det bl a på en kortare intervju med Jason Bonham som är klart läsvärd, en fem sidor lång intervju med Alice Cooper samt en kortare story om Charles Manson och "The spaghetti incident". Just nu 39 ynka pix på Pressbyrån. Lägg därtill alla annan fantastisk läsning i tidningen plus en formidabel cd med bl a John Lee Hooker, Pete Seeger och Bukka White.
Mojos hemsida här
/Niclas
I senaste Mojo bjuds det bl a på en kortare intervju med Jason Bonham som är klart läsvärd, en fem sidor lång intervju med Alice Cooper samt en kortare story om Charles Manson och "The spaghetti incident". Just nu 39 ynka pix på Pressbyrån. Lägg därtill alla annan fantastisk läsning i tidningen plus en formidabel cd med bl a John Lee Hooker, Pete Seeger och Bukka White.
Mojos hemsida här
/Niclas
KISStory!
News 10 i Terre Haute, Indiana har flera riktigt roliga och intressanta stories om hur KISS Army bildades på plats för 35 år sedan. Intervjuer med Bill Starkey, skaparen av KISS Army, mängder med intressanta bilder samt flera gamla radiointervju från när KISS anlände i Terre Haute 1975. Ren och skär musikhistoria!
Här hittar du allt
/Niclas
News 10 i Terre Haute, Indiana har flera riktigt roliga och intressanta stories om hur KISS Army bildades på plats för 35 år sedan. Intervjuer med Bill Starkey, skaparen av KISS Army, mängder med intressanta bilder samt flera gamla radiointervju från när KISS anlände i Terre Haute 1975. Ren och skär musikhistoria!
Här hittar du allt
/Niclas
Bonham hyllar far sin i Dallas och blir själv hyllad.
Darryl Smyers på Dallas Observer tvivlade starkt på Jason Bonhams tributeshow, men blev glatt överraskad och gör tummarna upp.
Mkt positiv recension här
/Niclas
Darryl Smyers på Dallas Observer tvivlade starkt på Jason Bonhams tributeshow, men blev glatt överraskad och gör tummarna upp.
Mkt positiv recension här
/Niclas
Livebilder på A Perfect Circle i SF.
Foton från första giget av tre utsålda på Fillmore i San Francisco.
Bilder här
/Niclas
Foton från första giget av tre utsålda på Fillmore i San Francisco.
Bilder här
/Niclas
Volbeat fick stryk på hemmaplan av Entombed!
Danskarna har med sig Entombed som förband, men vad som skulle bli ett rödvitt överfall i Köpenhamn inför 10,000 glada danskar, blev ett rejält magplask då de svenska stoltheterna Entombed blåste Volbeat ända ut i Öresund.
Recension i Ekstra Bladet här
/Niclas
Danskarna har med sig Entombed som förband, men vad som skulle bli ett rödvitt överfall i Köpenhamn inför 10,000 glada danskar, blev ett rejält magplask då de svenska stoltheterna Entombed blåste Volbeat ända ut i Öresund.
Recension i Ekstra Bladet här
/Niclas
Gitarrist i Guns N´Roses + same = Saivu
Richard Fortus i Axl Rose Show samarbetar med samiske Lasse Johnsen Kvernmo och tillsammans har de skapat bandet Saivu.
Story i Aftenposten här
/Niclas
Richard Fortus i Axl Rose Show samarbetar med samiske Lasse Johnsen Kvernmo och tillsammans har de skapat bandet Saivu.
Story i Aftenposten här
/Niclas
Dear old Henry!
I veckans skrift befinner sig herr Rollins i Sudan för att hjälpa till med brunnborrning. Dessutom avslöjar han slutet på den rafflande historien om voice over projektet.
Henry här
Niclas
I veckans skrift befinner sig herr Rollins i Sudan för att hjälpa till med brunnborrning. Dessutom avslöjar han slutet på den rafflande historien om voice over projektet.
Henry här
Niclas
fredag 19 november 2010
Alltid kul med demoversioner.
Hittade den här på ett forum där dess äkthet diskuterades livligt. Hade faktiskt inte hört den tidigare och kontentan av diskussion var att den säkerligen är "legit".
Håller fortfarande "Creatures of the night" högt och tycker det är den platta då de låtit som råast och tyngst, utan att förlora melodi och nyans.
/Niclas
Hittade den här på ett forum där dess äkthet diskuterades livligt. Hade faktiskt inte hört den tidigare och kontentan av diskussion var att den säkerligen är "legit".
Håller fortfarande "Creatures of the night" högt och tycker det är den platta då de låtit som råast och tyngst, utan att förlora melodi och nyans.
/Niclas
torsdag 18 november 2010
Lite grattis och lite urpluggat!
931118 spelar Nirvana in "MTV Unplugged in New York" i Sony Studios, NY. Plattan släpps 6 månader efter Kurts död.
491118 föds Herman ze German i Saarbrucken, Tyskland.
501118 föds Rudy Sarzo i Havana, Kuba.
621118 föds Kirk Hammet i San Francisco.
Mycket rock and roll på en och samma dag.
/Niclas
931118 spelar Nirvana in "MTV Unplugged in New York" i Sony Studios, NY. Plattan släpps 6 månader efter Kurts död.
491118 föds Herman ze German i Saarbrucken, Tyskland.
501118 föds Rudy Sarzo i Havana, Kuba.
621118 föds Kirk Hammet i San Francisco.
Mycket rock and roll på en och samma dag.
/Niclas
"But our legacy will probably be 'the band that Beavis and Butthead said was cool!' They had great taste so that's fine with me."
Den forne White Zombie-basisten Sean Yseult har kommit ut med en bok, som ser riktigt läsaptitlig ut på alla sätt och vis.
En kortare Q&A med Sean nedan om boken och vad hon sysslar med för tillfället. Dessutom en del bilder från "I´m in the band - Backstage notes from the chick in White Zombie".
/Niclas
Bokrecension
Ozzy Osbourne (with Chris Ayers)
"I am Ozzy" 2009
Ozzy Osbourne är, precis som Keef, ett vandrande mirakel. Den mängd alkohol , droger och medicin som passerat genom hans kropp borde fällt honom för flera år sedan. Men nej, den gode Osbourne fortsätter stappla framåt, kanske lite skakigare än förr, men ändå.
Nu har han lyckats plita ner sin egen självbiografi, eller rättare sagt, berättat vad han kan komma ihåg för författaren Chris Ayers. Just minnet nämner har redan i försättsbladen. Det är ju något dimmigt numera efter alla år av missbruk och man frågar sig omgående hur mycket the Prince of darkness verkligen kommer ihåg eller överhuvudtaget ens har fragmentariska minnesbilder av?
Oavsett, så är boken en hyfsat undehållande berättelse om hur den klassiska arbetargrabben drömmer stort och slutligen lyckas. Minnen av en tidig och tämligen misslyckad karriär som inbrottstjuv till mötet med medlemmarna som han senare skulle komma att spela in klassiska album med under det givna namnet Black Sabbath.
Största behållningen i boken är språket, då de många gånger verkligen fångar Ozzy och hans smått humoristiska sätt att prata. Faktum är att man mer än en gång hör hans röst när man läser och detta får en att skratta till på flera ställen genom boken.
Men som ett stort musikfan och med tanke på att jag läst åtskilliga böcker om Black Sabbath tidigare, är det inte mycket nytt som kommer fram. Och givetvis återkommer man hela tiden till minnet. Är det Ozzys egna minnen eller är det diverse fragment av händelser som han genom åren fått berättat till sig av andra? Jag tror en hel del på det sistnämnda, vilket även framkommer i boken då han flera gånger berättar att han egentligen inte minns, men att det säkert kan ha hänt. Hans omtalade och omskrivna turné med Mötley Crüe 1984 är ett sådant minne. Å andra sidan bygger väl de flesta självsanerande biografier på egna och även andras minnen.
Det boken ger först och främst är Ozzys egna tankar och funderingar och i viss mån, lite smådetaljer om diverse kända, bra eller dåliga, händelser, som exempelvis den gången han hög som ett hus ”went postal” på sina egna hönor och kycklingar. Och självfallet är boken också en hyllning till frugan Sharon, som trots misshande, otrohet och allmän galenskap, fortfarande står stadigt vid sin mans sida.
”I am Ozzy” är en helt ok rockbiografi, men är du ett gammalt fan av Black Sabbath och hans solokarriär, är det som sagt inte alltför mycket nytt som kommer upp till ytan.
/Niclas
Ozzy Osbourne (with Chris Ayers)
"I am Ozzy" 2009
Ozzy Osbourne är, precis som Keef, ett vandrande mirakel. Den mängd alkohol , droger och medicin som passerat genom hans kropp borde fällt honom för flera år sedan. Men nej, den gode Osbourne fortsätter stappla framåt, kanske lite skakigare än förr, men ändå.
Nu har han lyckats plita ner sin egen självbiografi, eller rättare sagt, berättat vad han kan komma ihåg för författaren Chris Ayers. Just minnet nämner har redan i försättsbladen. Det är ju något dimmigt numera efter alla år av missbruk och man frågar sig omgående hur mycket the Prince of darkness verkligen kommer ihåg eller överhuvudtaget ens har fragmentariska minnesbilder av?
Oavsett, så är boken en hyfsat undehållande berättelse om hur den klassiska arbetargrabben drömmer stort och slutligen lyckas. Minnen av en tidig och tämligen misslyckad karriär som inbrottstjuv till mötet med medlemmarna som han senare skulle komma att spela in klassiska album med under det givna namnet Black Sabbath.
Största behållningen i boken är språket, då de många gånger verkligen fångar Ozzy och hans smått humoristiska sätt att prata. Faktum är att man mer än en gång hör hans röst när man läser och detta får en att skratta till på flera ställen genom boken.
Men som ett stort musikfan och med tanke på att jag läst åtskilliga böcker om Black Sabbath tidigare, är det inte mycket nytt som kommer fram. Och givetvis återkommer man hela tiden till minnet. Är det Ozzys egna minnen eller är det diverse fragment av händelser som han genom åren fått berättat till sig av andra? Jag tror en hel del på det sistnämnda, vilket även framkommer i boken då han flera gånger berättar att han egentligen inte minns, men att det säkert kan ha hänt. Hans omtalade och omskrivna turné med Mötley Crüe 1984 är ett sådant minne. Å andra sidan bygger väl de flesta självsanerande biografier på egna och även andras minnen.
Det boken ger först och främst är Ozzys egna tankar och funderingar och i viss mån, lite smådetaljer om diverse kända, bra eller dåliga, händelser, som exempelvis den gången han hög som ett hus ”went postal” på sina egna hönor och kycklingar. Och självfallet är boken också en hyllning till frugan Sharon, som trots misshande, otrohet och allmän galenskap, fortfarande står stadigt vid sin mans sida.
”I am Ozzy” är en helt ok rockbiografi, men är du ett gammalt fan av Black Sabbath och hans solokarriär, är det som sagt inte alltför mycket nytt som kommer upp till ytan.
/Niclas