I have been hearing lately that guitarist Vinnie Vincent has gone missing. I did a Google search and found a couple of atricles regarding this but nothing concrete. Interesting how a former member of “The Hottest Band In The World!” can just fall off the earth. Is it a conspiracy? Did people from the planet Jendell abduct him on Ace’s command? Did Gene and Paul stash him with Jimmy Hoffa? Has fallen under the spell of the Cat People? Or is he just done with the limelight and rat race and just living life? I’m gonna keep digging and will keep you updated.
Ahhh the old cover issue again. I have been asked to revisit covers so here it is. I have stated in the pas that there are good, and there are bad, very bad. As I am writing this I am reminded of classic rock songs that are ruined by rap/hip hop artists. I am of the opinion that some artists cannot come up with something of their own so they cover an already successful song and others choose to pay homage to the artists which inspired them.
There are songs out there that achieved little or no attention by the original artists for example:
“I Love Rock ‘N Roll” which was written and recorded in 1975 by Alan Merrill and Jake Hooker of Arrows.
And then there is the Joan Jett cover from 1982 which the world knows and loves.
I am probably one of the few people who actually prefers the original but Joan stayed true to the original vibe of the song.
“New York Groove” was written by Russ Ballard and first recorded by Hello in 1975.
Then the world famous version by Ace Frehley of KISS in 1978.
Ace stayed true to the original as well and, in this case, I prefer the Ace version.
“Space Truckin'” by Deep Purple is one of my favorite songs in the world and was written in 1972.
Tesla decided to take on this hard charging track on their ambitious Real To Reel release in 2007.
Tesla crushed this cover and kept to the original Deep purple vibe, but I still prefer the original.
Now to the covers which leave me less enthusiastic. I have heard some people talking about these songs as if the covers were the original tracks which makes me nuts.
Let’s go back to 1934 where Clarence “Tom” Ashley and Gwen Foster recorded an old folk song called “House Of The Rising Sun”
This song was made popular by the Animals in 1964 and is probably the best known version of the track.
which has led to the version Five Finger Death Punch recorded in 2013.
While I happen to dig the vibe of the earlier versions I think the FFDP version is an abomination and shows no respect to the original song. I am embarrassed for the band and their version of it.
“Good Times Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin was recorded in 1968 and was a blast to the ears and mind.
While I was an early Godsmack fan their 2007 version was a miss for me.
I think it’s obvious that the Led Zeppelin version wins out for me.
Ok, so all of this is just a matter of opinion for me and I mean no disrespect to anyone. Please share your opinions with me and the readers as we would love to hear them.
I met Randy a few years back and was amazed by his playing and his style. I stayed in sort of a disjointed contact with him through the internet throughout that time. I found out in passing that we shared some common friends in the music world. Randy even played on my good friends Scattered Hamlets’ new release Skeleton Dixie. Randy and I finally caught up and had a great conversation about the events in his life. Enjoy and leave some feedback!
WOO HOO! A new KISS record! Ok, ok, I know it’s not the complete KISS (Peter and Ace will ALWAYS be missed by me) but this record is quite good. I felt like a little kid again listening to this record. The songs seem back in their classic KISS format. I have always liked the fact that KISS used all four members as lead vocalists on various songs. Granted there is only one Tommy Thayer and one Eric Singer lead vocals the two songs are amazing. “Outta This World” is a fitting tribute to the “Space Man” persona. Tommy’s vocals are solid and his playing is reminiscent of KISS of old. “All for the Love of Rock & Roll” is easily my favorite track on this record. It takes me back to a day when life was fun and everyone was having a good time. Eric handles the vocals perfectly keeping the “Catman” alive and well. Gene and Paul remain steadfast as always leading KISS as they have from day one. So, thank you KISS thank you for a MONSTER record. Do yourself a favor and pick a copy up, even if you haven’t’ been a fan This record might change that!
1. “Hell or Hallelujah” (vocals) Stanley 4:07
2. “Wall of Sound” (vocals) Simmons 2:55
3. “Freak” (vocals) Stanley 3:35
4. “Back to the Stone Age” (vocals) Simmons 3:01
5. “Shout Mercy” (vocals) Stanley 4:04
6. “Long Way Down” (vocals) Stanley 3:51
7. “Eat Your Heart Out” (vocals)Simmons 4:06
8. “The Devil Is Me” (vocals) Simmons 3:41
9. “Outta This World” (vocals) Thayer 4:29
10. “All for the Love of Rock & Roll” (vocals) Singer 3:21
11. “Take Me Down Below” (vocals) Simmons, Stanley 3:24
12. “Last Chance” (vocals) Stanley 3:05
I remember in 1983 a friend of mine told me about a band he had seen called Pantera. He said the guitarist “Diamond Darrell” was “out of this world”. I remembered the name but never heard anything more about the band at the time.
1990- I turned on the radio one day and heard a song that blasted through and hit me like a ton of bricks. “Cowboys From Hell” totally crushed me! I found out the name of the band was Pantera. Hmmm??? Could this be the same band I heard about several years ago? It was, and I understood what my friend had meant. “Diamond Darrell” and Pantera became one of my new favorite bands. I bought “Cowboys From Hell and played it over and over. Cherishing each brutal song as they burned into me.
1992 – “Vulgar Display Of Power” continued the onslaught, I was telling everyone and anyone about Pantera! The songs remained true to the name of the record and “Diamond Darrell” was burning up the strings.
1994 – Pantera continued to evolve as did “Diamond Darrell”. I do not know the circumstances but he had morphed into “Dimebag Darrell” with the release of “Far Beyond Driven”. The aggression continued and the guitar work became even more amazing (yes it did!) I was sure that Pantera was going to change the face of Rock N’ Roll and I championed their cause.
1996 – “The Great Southern Trendkill” gave me my favorite Pantera song to date. “Floods” (in my opinon) was Dimebag’s best work EVER! If there are any doubts check it out here and get back to me and we can discuss it:
2000 – “Reinventing the Steel” gave me more ammunition to carry on the fight! This band was going straight into the halls of Metal Icons from my past. I knew that I would forever sing the praises of Dimebag’s playing. And then…..Pantera was no more. I was crushed.
2003- Damageplan! Well alright! Dime was back! My guitar hero was back! I eagerly listened to this album and was happy! “Reborn” (featuring Zakk Wylde!!!) was never a truer song!
2004- December 9th – I was at work, it was early in the morning. I had stepped outside to receive some materials when I received a text message from my then fourteen year old son. “Dad, did Dimebag get killed?” WHAT?!?!?! I had heard nothing at this point. I made some phone calls and it was true. I was horrified at the thought. Another of my favorite musicians had been taken from us. When I heard the details of his murder I was sickened. WHY?!?! I will ALWAYS wonder why?
2012- I still listen and try to turn people on the music Dime created and left for us. He remains now and forever one of my favorite guitarists. Thank you Dime for the music and for giving all you had.
Dime and his brother Vinnie did a cover of one of my favorite Ace Frehley songs “Fractured Mirror”. You can just feel the emotion in this fitting tribute to one of Dimebag’s heroes.
the Hellion
P.S. this post is dedicated to a young music lover who has parents who care enough to share the healing power of music with him – “Matt The Cat” this is for you!
the Hellion Rocks 