World Wide Woozle episode #548

G'day everyone. Let's rock...

Stone Sour - Gone Sovereign / Absolute Zero - https://youtu.be/kNrS-GDAEAs

That's a great song. The album is pretty rocking as well. When they wrote the chorus for Absolute Zero surely the band knew they were onto something. It's got a hook that's just huge!

As previously advertised, I've been on holiday. I was fortunate enough to spend the best part of a week at Bonny Hills (near Port Macquarie) with the McDonalds and their brand new, rather cuddly puppy! Angus came down for a couple of days as well before Covid made a mess of everything and he had to return home. Grrrrr! But, we got to go to the beach, try out float tanks, do some whale watching, eat a lot and generally hang out. After Angus had gone home I had a day to myself which included playing my guitar, reading and spending time on the beach. I walked 6km in bare feet and did a yoga session in the sand. I think I want to live at the beach. Not bad for a guy who has avoided them like the plague for many years.

Australian Crawl - Daughters of the Northern Coast - https://youtu.be/iYSN8z0x7m0

I've written before, at length, about the Adelaide band The Mark of Cain. They are one of Australia's best and fans of heavier music really should listen to them on a regular basis. I've seen them play in Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and here in Canberra. This song seems appropriate for much of the country at the moment...

The Mark of Cain - Lockdown - https://youtu.be/mlXZqEj5Na4

Jason Isbell has a new live album recorded in 2014 with his former Drive By Truckers bandmates Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood. It's good, it's really good. This is one that I'll be getting on physical media rather than relying on streaming. Country, grungy, raw and honest. Only the whole show is on YouTube at the moment so try this link to Spotify.

Cooley, Hood, Isbell - Never Gonna Change - https://open.spotify.com/track/65NsCuMSpt1KLzo6bADCe9?si=76de104851a44eef

I've been listening to a bit of Motown, soul and classic R&B lately. It's something about the power of a solid brass section combined with singers who sing rather than scream or wobble uncontrollably between notes that has my ear for now. Let's get back to some of the best...

Sam & Dave - Hold On (I'm Coming) live 1966 - https://youtu.be/Fowldx4hRtI

I'm sure that most of you remember Suzanne Vega's song Luka. It's a great track and maybe a little surprising that it was a hit when you listen to the lyrics (which are moving and so sad). The first time I remember hearing it wasn't by Suzanne though...it was these guys.

The Lemonheads - Luka - https://youtu.be/CW9Pv0WT2K0

Metallica has two new releases coming out soon. First is a 26 hour version of everything they ever recorded in and around the release of the black album. It's a significant financial investment and I'll really need to think about it. It's a great album...but 26 hours? The other, sort of connected, is an compilation of 53 cover versions of songs from that album. Yes, 53. It's called The Metallica Blacklist. The saving grace with that one is that all the proceeds go to a range of charities. Miley Cyrus, Elton John, Chad Smith and a few friends feature on the first single release and it's worth a listen.

Miley Cyrus and friends - Nothing Else Matters - https://youtu.be/DqoQY9bobow

Australian Netflix viewers have a real treat on offer. Divinyls live from Boggo Road Jail. This was recorded in 1993 at a gig that also included Billy Thorpe and Rose Tattoo. All the hits are played as well as a few deeper cuts. But you need to watch it to understand the power of the band and Chrissie's stage presence. The sound mix is average at best but it's still a great show.

Divinyls - Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore (live 1993) - https://youtu.be/pDuUc3So5vM

That's all folks. I've got places to be.

Wear your mask,

The Woozle

"Feel the sting of the sweat on the back of my neck
It's been way too long.
Like a ricochet I hit the stage,
Let's get it on.
I'm back in the game...."

Airbourne, Back In The Game, 2013.

World Wide Woozle episode #547

Let's get straight down to business this time around.

The Hu are from Mongolia. They combine traditional instrumentation with Mongolian throat singing and a love for heavy metal. I vaguely remember hearing them a little while ago but this track rolled through yesterday and I was mesmerized by their take on it. The original, arguably the best song from Metallica's black album, is here.

The Hu - Sad But True - https://youtu.be/QpxA_ZxGX_M

Southside Johnny is a contemporary of the scene that Bruce Springsteen came up in. I got into his music a few years ago and have been fortunate enough to find a few of his older releases on vinyl. It's bar-room rock with an excellent horn section and this video shows us that a live gig would be tons of fun.

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes - Havin' A Party - https://youtu.be/qG-Ng1f_xUk

Ian Hunter was in Mott The Hoople and also collaborated with David Bowie. This song is almost a cliché nowadays but I remember it from the 90s when Great White did a cover version (which is also good). This is much rawer and the intro reminds me very much of a hilarious track on the Bad News album.

Ian Hunter - Once Bitten, Twice Shy - https://youtu.be/0cVegWFTyck

KISS. I play them a lot. They're cheesy, loud and never fail to make me smile and stamp my foot. This is from the time when they'd just taken the makeup off and I think it's one of their best tracks (with a clip so dreadful that it's a hoot). A song about getting out and making the best of life. Or is it about ice cream? Who knows...it rocks. 

KISS - Lick It Up - https://youtu.be/Gcj34XixuYg

The Preatures are no longer. You can search for the reasons behind their breakup and read about gaslighting and other really sad stuff if you want. They leave us with two fantastic albums and good memories of one of the best live shows I've been to (thanks DK CherryPom). Singer Isabella Manfredi is carrying on with a solo single and forthcoming album. I've listened to this one quite a few times and as a result have high hopes for the album.

Isabella Manfredi - Jealousy - https://youtu.be/wGyn7L5KUoQ

DJ Plooky turned me on to some very cool music when we were teaching (and surviving) together many years ago. His love for Cold Chisel led me to listen to Ian Moss' solo stuff. This next track always stood out for me. The lyrics (by Don Walker) to me are a reflection about our small place in a big universe and bigger plan.

Ian Moss - All Alone On A Rock (acoustic and live) - https://youtu.be/GQjjfuGR5U8

The self-care tip this time around is about taking time out. I'm on holiday next week and I can't wait. I had a week off earlier in the year but I really just hung around home other than a ride up to Charlotte Pass. This time I'm going elsewhere...Angus and I may see a whale. Historically I have not been good at holidays and I definitely have plans to sort that out!

Midnight Oil - Wedding Cake Island - https://youtu.be/j3FQwovIJw0

I hope you all sang along with the Oil's tune.

Keep smiling everyone,

The Woozle

"Well maybe I'm only dreamin' and maybe I'm just a fool

But I don't remember learnin' how to hate in Sunday school..."

Steve Earle, Jerusalem, 2002. ....go on, watch the whole thing!

World Wide Woozle episode #546

Hi everyone,

Last time I got stuck in 1987, this time I'll do my best to move around a bit more.

1987 was definitely a pivotal year in my love of music. Not only were there a slew of fantastic albums released, but it was the year that I got my first electric guitar. Funnily enough, I been playing my acoustic guitars almost exclusively for quite a while now but that's more a function of living in a small space. If my upstairs neighbours don't cease whatever it is that they are doing between midnight and 0300hrs (it sounds like furniture removal or redecorating) then they will shortly become intimately acquainted with me playing the red guitar…at gig level volume!

Australians of my vintage may remember a band called The Party Boys. It was a loose conglomerate of rock and rollers with an ever changing line-up depending on who was or wasn't touring or recording with their regular band. I really enjoyed their self-titled album which was released in 1987 (ha ha!). This track was originally by The Kevin Borich Express, and he's playing on it here as well. After the slow intro with the twangy guitar, there's a rundown of three power chords just before the main part of the song starts. The guitar sound there is pure rock and roll. Great track.

The Party Boys – Gonna See My Baby Tonight – https://youtu.be/wSpXFlh_47k

Volbeat is an interesting band. Heavy, melodic, Danish and also with an ex-Anthrax guitarist ripping it up. I quite like hearing bands sing in their own language and this song mixes English with a Danish chorus. I think that the vocalist here (Michael Poulsen) has a great voice. It's so strong and cuts through well for this type of music. "For Evigt" means forever.

Volbeat – For Evigt - https://youtu.be/TAhyZegVkhw

Fans of Mike Myers should be excited to hear that he has a new series coming via Netflix. If you watched his film, So I Married An Axe Murder then you'll be familiar with what Stuart MacKenzie refers to as "The Pentavarate". A secret and evil organisation run by, "The Queen, The Vatican, The Gettys, The Rothschilds, and Colonel Sanders before he went tits up." And if you haven't yet seen the original 1993 film then what are you waiting for?

Mike Myers as Stuart MacKenzie  - https://youtu.be/TPMS6tGOACo

Kim Thayil from Soundgarden has been busy recording with The Pretty Reckless. The result is a great track that rocks along with a bit of a stoner groove. I liked it…you might too.

The Pretty Reckless – Only Love Can Save Me Now - https://youtu.be/hRAdR9ryTbk

As I said earlier, I play my acoustic guitars a lot. There's nowhere to hide, no amp to lug and no pedalboard to obsess about! This has also meant that I've listened a lot more to solo performers like Bob Dylan, Jack Johnson, Gillian Welch and a few others. DJ FeeDub got me listening to Vance Joy and I was pleasantly surprised. We've all had our ears saturated with Riptide but there's a lot more to Vance. He released a new song this week and I'll get around to learning it very soon.

Vance Joy – Missing Piece - https://youtu.be/atka_0TUTLM

My guitars have been a significant part of my recovery. After leaving Junk Sculpture I didn't play very much at all for a couple of years. These days there is always a guitar on a stand in my living room. Sometimes I pick it up just for a couple of minutes and some days I'm still there three hours later doing some recording or pretending that I'm in front of a big crowd. I've also become a lot less shy about playing for other people. I'm no Billy Bragg but I've got songs to play and I'm really enjoying it.  And I'm getting better at being able to remember lyrics. 

Petra – Beat The System - https://youtu.be/KEtLRu60kUQ

I saw today that Liz Phair also has some new material out. I haven't listened to her for quite a while so I'll spend some time with her music over the next couple of weeks. I do remember this particularly cool version of a TV theme song that she did…

The Tra La Las – Theme from The Banana Splits – https://youtu.be/-JvB5AL59fM

If you remember, I'm a big fan of the film Rock of Ages. Guitarist Joel Hoekstra (now in Whitesnake) played in the Broadway musical version and has cameos in the film too. Recently I came across this video of him playing a Boston track with a whole lot of other musicians including Mike Portnoy who some of you will know from Dream Theater. The song is really well done and a lot of fun, but the vocalist…wow! I sincerely hope that he gets into a really good original hard rock band (if he's not already) as his voice is amazing.

Jelusick / Portnoy / Linder / Doley / Hoekstra/ JustinJohnson - Foreplay / Long Time 2021 - https://youtu.be/Hqy6O8no_Ic

To finish this week I thought I'd go back to an artist who has influenced me greatly and continues to do so. I picked up a Steve Earle CD in a bargain bin in about 2005. Of course, I knew the song Copperhead Road but not much else. Steve's take on alt-country music really resonated with me. It was unpolished and to the point. I have one or two of his songs in my small repertoire but I should add a couple more I think.

Steve Earle – Guitar Town - https://youtu.be/AINUPFbFpqg

That's it for this episode. Check back next time for…well…I have no idea. For more.

The Woozle

"…we are freedom fighters, with mandolins…"

The Saw Doctors, Freedom Fighters, 1991.

World Wide Woozle episode #545

Welcome back everyone. 

Many thanks to those who dropped me an email or a comment via Facebook about the return of this blog. I've been on a mission to smile as much as I can this year and all of that helped a lot!

As I mentioned last time, I'm going to write a bit about wellness and mental health. If you just want the music then skip this paragraph!  About 18 months ago I became a vegetarian. I did this for a couple of reasons that may or may not have been all that sensible. Recently I reflected on this decision and the impact it has made on me. The truth is that I've been outwardly pretty healthy but it hasn't really worked all that well. So I made the decision, in consultation with my dietician, to go back to eating some meat. She calls me a flexitarian now! I doubt I'll ever be a Ted Nugent, bow-hunting carnivore but I wouldn't mind getting off the iron and B12 tablets. I've also started to vary my exercise rather than simply smashing myself on the bike most days of the week. I already feel better and I'm not missing the daily 5:30am starts! I guess I'm trying to work towards being a better, and genuinely healthy, version of myself!

Right then, it's going to be a bit of a hard rock episode this week. Sorry if that's not your bag.

Buckcherry are a great rock and roll band. They tick all the boxes for me. Solid rhythm, crunchy guitars, melody and a vocalist who sounds unique. I've watched and listened to quite a bit from Buckcherry over the years and whilst they're not breaking any new ground, they rock pretty hard and look to be having a great time to boot.

Buckcherry - Hellbound - https://youtu.be/9n6qSjfvRn0

I grew up with heavy metal and hard rock being a huge influence. AC/DC and Queen made me long to rock out on an electric guitar. 1987 was one of the best years ever for that kind of music. In this episode we're going to strap ourselves into the DeLorean that I've borrowed and head back to what was a great year for rock and roll. Can someone please give the Flux Capacitor a jiggle...?

Def Leppard had already scored a huge hit with their album Pyromania in 1983. Only Michael Jackson's Thriller kept it from the number 1 spot. It was a long wait for their next release in 1987 as the band dealt with Rick Allen, their drummer, losing an arm in a car accident. But when they returned with Hysteria it was a triumph. It's now sold over 20 million copies. Initially I didn't really like the album. I was more attracted to the raw sound of bands like Rose Tattoo as opposed to what Def Lep were playing. I remember being in hospital for a few days in 1989 and having Hysteria on cassette in my walkman. Mind blown, and the guy in the next bed stole the tape.

Def Leppard - Armageddon It - https://youtu.be/urNFQw8VIvA

Also released in 1987 was the debut long player from Guns n' Roses. This was the album that hard rock needed in the mid 80s. It was anarchic, dangerous and bristling with attitude. GNR might have become a bit of a trainwreck and now a parody of their former selves but this album is the real deal. It's sold over 30 million copies. I hate to think how many cassette copies were also dubbed off back in the day! I don't think I owned a genuine copy of Appetite for Destruction until relatively recently! It's hard to go past this mega hit and if you've seen the movie Rock Of Ages you'll easily spot where the opening sequence came from...

Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle - https://youtu.be/o1tj2zJ2Wvg

The Cult released Electric in 1987 as well. I remember buying one of the singles based purely on the cover art. The single, and the album, are very stripped back when compared to anything else released by The Cult. This is guitar, bass, drums, vocals with maximum energy and production that is reminiscent of AC/DC or the Rolling Stones . No fuss. I was fortunate enough to see The Cult play live in Sydney a couple of years ago and they were fabulous. I chose this track as it's the single I bought way back when but also because of the video clip. Look at the wall of Marshalls! And then there's Billy Duffy alternating between his Gretsch White Falcon and a Gretsch Country Club which he'd had painted black. I never played a White Falcon....one day maybe as they are worth a mint!

The Cult - Love Removal Machine - https://youtu.be/k6PgftKbQnQ

KISS are a band that people love to hate. "The makeup is a gimmick, they worship Satan, they're coming for your children, they have no talent...." Boring. KISS are the comic book heroes of the rock and roll world. As a kid I was drawn to the makeup like many of my friends. And then I started to listen. KISS had the knack of crafting catchy heavy rock that sold millions of records as well as a ton of associated merchandise. They are unashamedly a business as well as a band. In 1987 the makeup was off and they released Crazy Nights. It's not their best album but it's far from their worst. I bought it on vinyl when it was released and I still play it. And this clip was an MTV staple...how much fun would it be having a bass guitar that's also a flamethrower??

KISS - Crazy Crazy Nights - https://youtu.be/IEZhLlX4EoU

Before we finish with 1987, let's hear from Joe Satriani. Joe released Surfing With The Alien that year and it would become a seminal album. The story goes that he was offered a credit card with a few thousand dollars available so he used it to finance the record. It was a huge hit and launched him as a bonafide guitar hero. I bought the LP in Wellington in late 1987 and it's one of the few instrumental albums that I'll play from start to finish. Joe plays for Chickenfoot these days - check them out if you like this or Hagar era Van Halen.

Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien - https://youtu.be/5ZWDVhEev40

When I was finishing high school, one of my teachers told me that I shouldn't despair. He said that someday I'd find my people (or person)...people who were moved by, and loved music the way I did. It took me years to be comfortable in my own skin enjoying the heaviest metal, folk music, pop, country and classic rock but here I am. I've been fortunate to have friends who continue to introduce me to new (and old) music. I'm happy to have a mix tape (or playlist these days) that includes a wide range of genres, some bagpipes and more! I get that not everyone will share my musical taste and that's OK. But thanks for listening. Here's a mixtape for you...

John Denver - Annie's Song - https://youtu.be/TyJRsp5t9mA

Kylie - Say Something - https://youtu.be/KMt8NbndXCo

The Chicks - Goodbye Earl (live) - https://youtu.be/MI7nWklQwrg

Johnny Cash - The One On The Right Is On The Left - https://youtu.be/sP6Qo5YCE4Y

Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name - https://youtu.be/71TJitXU8Z0

Dropkick Murphys - The Spicy McHaggis Jig - https://youtu.be/l8sFdW5h4C0

Wang Chung - Let's Go - https://youtu.be/pJNazEjVd6Y

That's it folks. Keep smiling,

The Woozle

"I'd studied your cartoons, radio, music, TV, movies, magazines
Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy"
A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth
You said that irony was the shackles of youth..."

R.E.M. What's The Frequency, Kenneth?, 1994.