By Sir Hodge
Finally! After thirteen years, this nugget has been released for public consumption. This album can be considered the third in a series of guitar albums. First there was the Shut Up and Play Your Guitar series, second there was Guitar and now, ladies and gentlemen, there is Trance-Fusion.
This CD is a collection of guitar solos from Zappa's vault that he compiled from various tours. There are tracks from 1984 and a couple from the late 70s, but the majority of the tracks are from the 1988 tour. Two tracks feature FZ with his oldest son, Dweezil.
Some of the Zappa albums that have been released posthumously have been less than stellar. This one has exceeded my expectations. There is no old, tired or re-released material on this album, which will make it interesting for Zappa fans. I enjoyed trying to identify what I call the 'Parent' tune that each particular solo comes from.
The highlight for me is listening to any solo from the 1988 tour (my favorite tour) where I can listen to FZ play with the 5 piece horn section backing him up. I will never grow tired of listening to Zappa's idiosyncratic style of melody and rhythm. Sometimes I listen and wonder how the rhythm section kept it together.
The package is very well done. The album art is very interesting and text is well done. For me, this release was definitely worth the wait.
Be warned, this album is not for everybody. It will get very old for you if you are a) Not a guitar player or b) Not a Zappahead. There are no vocals, nor are there and conceptual continuity clues. Just very compact slices of inspired, frenzied and visceral energy brought to you by the same man who brought you "Titties and Beer", "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" and "Tryin' To Grow a Chin".
Originally published at www.oraclesmusic.com on 2006-12-17.
Monday, December 19, 2011
CD Review: Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
By Little E
This is the first in a series of music reviews by Little E that focuses on great albums from the past. Most of these 'Retro-Reviews' will cover the world of Rock and Roll. Some of them will cover music from the Classic Rock era. However, all of the albums in this series should be seriously considered for inclusion in any true music fan's library. Whether you agree or disagree with what you see here, let us know by commenting below. Now, on to the review...
I'm relatively new to the world of Iron Maiden, but since I can't get enough of their incredible music right now I felt it only appropriate to begin our series of 'retro-reviews' with one of their best albums, Piece of Mind. Released in 1983 as a follow-up to 1982's The Number of The Beast, Piece of Mind was lead singer Bruce Dickinson's second album and drummer Nicko McBrain's first with the group.
The fact that this is Nicko's first album is very significant. It's his incredible drumming which sets this release apart from all other previous Iron Maiden albums and one can hear this fact in the album's opening track, "Where Eagles Dare". This song was made for Nicko...or rather, Nicko makes this song his own as he blazes through it with power, style, and complete command of the tools of his trade. I know there are fans out there that have said that Nicko is a much better drummer than the drummer before him, Clive Burr, but we're not going to go there right now. While they both bring their own terrific playing abilities and styles to the table, Nicko seems to address the music a bit differently than Clive had before and it is refreshing to hear his take on things. "Where Eagles Dare" is one of the best tracks off of this album, as well as from Iron Maiden's entire discography, and is the perfect opening track for the album. The play between Nicko's groove and the guitars of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray is simply outstanding. This, along with the bass and lyrics of Steve Harris and the timing of Bruce Dickinson's powerful and near operatic voice, is really what Iron Maiden is all about. It's the complete package.
Next is "Revelations", the only song on the album where Dickinson is listed as the sole songwriter. Almost ballad-like at times, this is one of the stronger pieces on the album. Lyrically, it is absolutely brilliant. The groove around both guitar solos is one that sticks with you long after the song is over. Great stuff indeed.
Just when you think you're able to take a deep breath, in comes the epic "Flight of Icarus". Although a comparatively short song, "Flight of Icarus" packs one hell of a wallop. I love the way Nicko works the snare here...it gives the song a perfect undercurrent for Dickinson's magnificent storytelling. Just close your eyes during this one and watch the story unfold in your mind. Bruce's operatic voice is perfect here, especially during the chorus, and the last sixteen bars might be the best full band jam on the album. Awesome, awesome song.
Feeling a bit angry? "Die With Your Boots On" gives you a chance to sing along with Bruce on a few evil sounding screams and laughs. Great, great tune that shares a theme with so many other great Maiden songs: War!
Then in comes a song that even the most passing Heavy Metal fan has heard and one that is somewhat synonymous with Iron Maiden, "The Trooper". Based on the Battle of Balaclava and Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade", this is a Metal tour de force. One can almost see the fight and flight of soldiers on foot and horseback charging to their destiny through the frantic, yet linear guitar work. The sound of Harris' bass here is absolutely top notch as he lays the backdrop for a riff that charges violently forward and refuses to look back. Great lyrics, great solo, great everything.
What follows is the eerie, yet potent, "Still Life", with talks of nightmares, spirits, and the dreaded 'pool' that calls for us all.
Although the album seems to drop off a bit with the next two songs, "Quest For Fire" and "Sun And Steel", these two offerings are far from being sub-par on an album packed with intense and concentrated rock and roll. However, this drop off is a short one. The album's final track, "To Tame A Land", is a beautiful epic that showcases the entire band and is a fitting ending for one of the greatest albums in Heavy Metal history.
If you are looking for an album that is representative of Iron Maiden or of Heavy Metal itself, look no further than Piece Of Mind. The version you are most likely to find in stores these days is the Enhanced CD, which includes the videos for "Flight Of Icarus" and "The Trooper", a bonus to an already killer album. Also, be sure to check out in-depth commentary on this and all other Iron Maiden releases at The Iron Maiden Commentary. You'll be amazed at the site's vast amount of knowledge on the band that helped define Heavy Metal and continues to make an impact on the world of music today.
Up the Irons!
Originally published at www.oraclesmusic.com on 2006-12-04.
This is the first in a series of music reviews by Little E that focuses on great albums from the past. Most of these 'Retro-Reviews' will cover the world of Rock and Roll. Some of them will cover music from the Classic Rock era. However, all of the albums in this series should be seriously considered for inclusion in any true music fan's library. Whether you agree or disagree with what you see here, let us know by commenting below. Now, on to the review...
I'm relatively new to the world of Iron Maiden, but since I can't get enough of their incredible music right now I felt it only appropriate to begin our series of 'retro-reviews' with one of their best albums, Piece of Mind. Released in 1983 as a follow-up to 1982's The Number of The Beast, Piece of Mind was lead singer Bruce Dickinson's second album and drummer Nicko McBrain's first with the group.
The fact that this is Nicko's first album is very significant. It's his incredible drumming which sets this release apart from all other previous Iron Maiden albums and one can hear this fact in the album's opening track, "Where Eagles Dare". This song was made for Nicko...or rather, Nicko makes this song his own as he blazes through it with power, style, and complete command of the tools of his trade. I know there are fans out there that have said that Nicko is a much better drummer than the drummer before him, Clive Burr, but we're not going to go there right now. While they both bring their own terrific playing abilities and styles to the table, Nicko seems to address the music a bit differently than Clive had before and it is refreshing to hear his take on things. "Where Eagles Dare" is one of the best tracks off of this album, as well as from Iron Maiden's entire discography, and is the perfect opening track for the album. The play between Nicko's groove and the guitars of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray is simply outstanding. This, along with the bass and lyrics of Steve Harris and the timing of Bruce Dickinson's powerful and near operatic voice, is really what Iron Maiden is all about. It's the complete package.
Next is "Revelations", the only song on the album where Dickinson is listed as the sole songwriter. Almost ballad-like at times, this is one of the stronger pieces on the album. Lyrically, it is absolutely brilliant. The groove around both guitar solos is one that sticks with you long after the song is over. Great stuff indeed.
Just when you think you're able to take a deep breath, in comes the epic "Flight of Icarus". Although a comparatively short song, "Flight of Icarus" packs one hell of a wallop. I love the way Nicko works the snare here...it gives the song a perfect undercurrent for Dickinson's magnificent storytelling. Just close your eyes during this one and watch the story unfold in your mind. Bruce's operatic voice is perfect here, especially during the chorus, and the last sixteen bars might be the best full band jam on the album. Awesome, awesome song.
Feeling a bit angry? "Die With Your Boots On" gives you a chance to sing along with Bruce on a few evil sounding screams and laughs. Great, great tune that shares a theme with so many other great Maiden songs: War!
Then in comes a song that even the most passing Heavy Metal fan has heard and one that is somewhat synonymous with Iron Maiden, "The Trooper". Based on the Battle of Balaclava and Alfred Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade", this is a Metal tour de force. One can almost see the fight and flight of soldiers on foot and horseback charging to their destiny through the frantic, yet linear guitar work. The sound of Harris' bass here is absolutely top notch as he lays the backdrop for a riff that charges violently forward and refuses to look back. Great lyrics, great solo, great everything.
What follows is the eerie, yet potent, "Still Life", with talks of nightmares, spirits, and the dreaded 'pool' that calls for us all.
Although the album seems to drop off a bit with the next two songs, "Quest For Fire" and "Sun And Steel", these two offerings are far from being sub-par on an album packed with intense and concentrated rock and roll. However, this drop off is a short one. The album's final track, "To Tame A Land", is a beautiful epic that showcases the entire band and is a fitting ending for one of the greatest albums in Heavy Metal history.
If you are looking for an album that is representative of Iron Maiden or of Heavy Metal itself, look no further than Piece Of Mind. The version you are most likely to find in stores these days is the Enhanced CD, which includes the videos for "Flight Of Icarus" and "The Trooper", a bonus to an already killer album. Also, be sure to check out in-depth commentary on this and all other Iron Maiden releases at The Iron Maiden Commentary. You'll be amazed at the site's vast amount of knowledge on the band that helped define Heavy Metal and continues to make an impact on the world of music today.
Up the Irons!
Originally published at www.oraclesmusic.com on 2006-12-04.
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