Hair Band Friday - 4/29/22

1.  "Lady Double Dealer" by Krokus

2.  "Party's Over" by Tesla

3.  "Stand Up and Shout" by Dio

4.  "I Put the Finger On You" by AC/DC

5.  "The Mission" (live) by Queensrÿche

6.  "Rock You Tonight" by FireHouse

7.  "Kicks After Six" by Scorpions

8.  "Welcome to the Club" by Vandenberg

9.  "Sex Action" by L.A. Guns

10.  "Paradize Bay" by Europe

CoronaVinyl Day 412 (P): Person Pitch by Panda Bear

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I have no more albums by "N" or "O" artists, so today's CoronaVinyl category is "P."  I went with Panda Bear's third studio album, 2007's Person Pitch.

This was one of the monthly records I received when I was part of the Vinyl Me, Please record club a few years ago.  It is split into two LPs, one with white vinyl and the other with baby blue vinyl.

Panda Bear is the stage name for Noah Lennox, who was a member of experimental pop group Animal Collective.  He also made his own music.  Person Pitch is super weird.  It's a lot of loops and samples of random noises, with Benedictine monk-style chanting and mostly underwater vocals.  This is the kind of music I imagine would be perfect for a bad peyote trip.

It's certainly not my bag, but apparently those in the indie rock intelligensia think this album is the bees' knees.  Among other accolades, Pitchfork ranked it the #1 album of 2007 and the #9 album of the 2000s.

I am not choosing a favorite song from each side because I can't reasonably discern the difference between any of the songs, and I have neither the time nor the desire to do so.

CoronaVinyl Day 411 (M): Lee Michaels by Lee Michaels

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I meant to post this yesterday, but things got away from me.  Today's CoronaVinyl category is "M," and for the past two days, I've been listening to Lee Michaels' eponymous third studio album from 1969.

Michaels is best known for his 1971 #6 hit "Do You Know What I Mean."  An organist, Michaels took a rather stripped-down approach to his music, often just recording with himself and a drummer.  That was the case for this album, which he recorded with drummer Barry "Frosty" Smith.  Even more impressive is that the duo recorded the album live in the studio in less than seven hours one June day in 1969.

It's a good combination of psychedelic rock, blues, and blues rock.  The first side is a medley of five songs, and Smith has a crazy drum solo at one point. In parts in reminded me of Traffic and sometimes of Faces/Small Faces.  The album reached #53 on the Billboard album chart.

Michaels continued to make music until the mid '70s, when he retired from music.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  the whole side
As I mentioned above, the first side is a five-song medley, and there isn't a clear start or end to a lot of the songs, so I couldn't really choose one of the five songs.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Heighty Hi"
The last track on the album is a fun, soul-inspired song with Michaels on the piano and a singalong chorus.  It reminds me of late '60s Traffic or Joe Cocker.

Retro Video of the Week: "Do Ya" by Ace Frehley

Today is former KISS guitarist and possible alien Ace Frehley's 71st birthday.  He's my favorite KISS member, and one of my most memorable Halloweens/birthdays was back in 2006 when I dressed up as Ace in Bloomington.  I may or may not have ingested a contact lens that night.  Forensics were inconclusive.

Back in 1989, the Spaceman released his fourth solo studio album, Trouble Walkin', which didn't chart very well (#102 on the Billboard album chart), but had backing vocal contributions from the likes of former KISS bandmate Peter Criss and Skid Row members Sebastian Bach, Dave "Snake" Sabo, and Rachel Bolan (who was famous, in my mind anyway, for having a chain that connected his earring and nose ring, which I always thought was just begging for a horrific accident).

Anyway, the only single released from Trouble Walkin' was a cover of The Move/ELO's "Do Ya," and while it didn't chart, it's a pretty faithful cover.

CoronaVinyl Day 410 (L): Winner In You by Patti LaBelle

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "L," and I listened to Patti LaBelle's eighth solo studio album, 1986's Winner In You.

LaBelle got her start in music in the early '60s with the vocal group that was, at the time, called The Ordettes.  They changed their name to The Blue Belles in 1961 and then to Labelle in 1971, and they're best known for their 1974 #1 hit "Lady Marmalade," on which Patti sings lead vocals.

After the group broke up in 1976, Patti embarked on a long and successful solo career.  her biggest album was Winner In You, which had nine producers, each handling one or more songs, including Ashford & Simpson, Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Richard Perry.  The album is a fine example of mid-'80s pop R&B, showcasing LaBelle's amazing vocal range.  It became LaBelle's first #1 album on the Billboard album chart and eventually went platinum in the U.S.

The song "On My Own" -- a duet with Michael McDonald -- was an international smash.  It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (where it stayed for three weeks), the Billboard R&B Singles chart, and the pop charts in Canada, Ireland, and The Netherlands, as well as the Top 10 on the pop charts in Belgium, New Zealand, and the UK.  It was the #4 song on the Billboard Year End singles chart for 1986 and is #277 on the Billboard All-Time Hot 100 list.  In addition, "Oh, People" went to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, "Kiss Away the Pain" reached #13 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, and "Something Special (Is Gonna Happen Tonight)" went to #10 on the Billboard Dance Tracks chart.

LaBelle has continued to make music over the several decades since then, most recently releasing two albums in 2017.  She has also appeared on Broadway and in various TV shows, including American Horror Story and Empire, as well as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Twisted"
The last track on Side 1 is a fun, uptempo poppy R&B song that couldn't sound more like 1986 if it tried.  And that's why I like it.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Beat My Heart Like a Drum"
Like "Twisted," this one was produced by Richard Perry, so apparently I like what he did on this album.  This is a a synthed-up soulful little number that makes you want to shake your booty, assuming you have a booty.

Hair Band Friday - 4/22/22

1.  "Cherry Pie" by Warrant

2.  "You Are The Saint, I Am The Sinner" by Winger

3.  "Walkin' Away" by Kix

4.  "Come On and Dance" by Mötley Crüe

5.  "Look Like Hell" by Sleeze Beez

6.  "On and On" by Trixter

7.  "Answer to the Master" by Def Leppard

8.  "Carrie" (live) by Europe

9.  "Looking For Love" by Ratt

10.  "Too Late" by Jetboy

Retro Video of the Week: "Divine Thing" by The Soup Dragons

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Scottish alt rockers The Soup Dragons' third studio album, Hotwired.  The Soup Dragons had a string of UK indie rock hits between 1986 and 1900, charting 12 Top 6 hits on the UK Indie charts, including their cover of The Rolling Stones' " I'm Free," which was a #5 hit on the UK pop chart.  

In the U.S., their biggest hit was "Divine Thing" from Hotwired, which reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, #17 on the Billboard Dance Tracks chart, and #24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.  It's an infectious alt pop rock song, with slide guitar and a singalong chorus.  And it speaks to a universal truth.  Sometimes you could have sworn a woman was an angel, but it turns out those hips and lips could have tricked any fool, and she's the devil dressed like a sweet sweet sweet divine thing.

CoronaVinyl Day 409 (K): Dressed to Kill by KISS

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "K," and I listened to KISS's third studio album, their 1975 breakthrough album Dressed to Kill.

With their first two albums, 1974's self-titled album and Hotter Than Hell, KISS hadn't experienced much commercial success.  The former reached #87 on the Billboard album chart, while the latter topped out at #100.  They only had one charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, their cover of Bobby Rydell's "Kissin' Time" from their debut, which only reached #83.

The band's label, Casablanca Records, was not doing well, so much so that label president Neil Bogart had to produce Dressed to Kill because he couldn't afford a real producer.  Miraculously, Dressed to Kill did pretty well, reaching #32 on the Billboard album chart.  The album continued the band's stadium-friendly hard rock with a pop tinge, and it featured their all-time great rock anthem, "Rock and Roll All Nite," which only reached #68 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- though the live version from Alive! (released later in 1975) would reach #12.  In addition, it featured several songs that would become live staples for the band, like "Rock Bottom" and "She."  Live versions of those three songs and "C'mon and Love Me" would end up on Alive!  There are also more hidden gems like "Room Service," "Getaway," and "Love Her All I Can."

The album cover features the band standing on a New York street corner (23rd and 8th, to be exact), dressed in suits.  Drummer Peter Criss was actually the only band member who owned a suit, while the other three had to borrow suits from their manager, Bill Aucoin.  My copy of the album cover is framed and hanging on the wall in the office I've been to twice in the last 25 months.

This album set the stage for the band's success in the latter half of the '70s, as KISS soon became one of the biggest bands in the world, thanks in large part to the success of Alive!, which is one of the best live albums ever and helped capture the energy of the band's legendary live shows on vinyl.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Room Service"
The first song on the album is a Paul song, and it's a catchy rock song about getting serviced in a hotel room.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "She"
This one was originally conceived during the days of the band's precursor, Wicked Lester.  It's a Gene song, co-written by Stephen Coronel, and it has a snarling guitar riff.  The song is heavy, and Ace Frehley's descending chord guitar solo was both inspired by Robby Krieger's solo on The Doors' "Five to One" and was replicated by Pearl Jam's Mike McCready for the solo on "Alive."

CoronaVinyl Day 408 (J): Love Stinks by The J. Geils Band

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I'm back from vacation, and once again sitting in my living room listening to vinyl while I work.  Today's CoronaVinyl category is "J," and I went with The J. Geils Band's ninth studio album, 1980's Love Stinks.  Yes, I realize Geils is a last name, so this should probably be under G instead of J, but it's too late now, so deal with it.

The J. Geils Band is one of those bands that, every time I listen to them or hear songs I haven't heard before, I say to myself, "I should listen to more J. Geils Band."  While the band had built up a rabid following throughout the '70s, they hadn't had huge success commercially until the early '80s, starting with the tongue-in-cheek Love Stinks.  The album is what I consider classic J. Geils Band -- catchy rollicking rock and roll with keyboards, sax, and harmonica giving the songs a new wave, but staying true to the band's R&B-influenced roots.

The album reached #18 on the Billboard album chart -- the band's highest-charting album since 1973's Bloodshot, which reached #10.  It was also the band's first album to feature multiple Top 40 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Come Back" going to #32 and the title track -- which would become a staple of classic rock radio -- hitting #38.  "Just Can't Wait" also reached #78.

Love Stinks set the stage for the band's biggest album, the 1981 follow-up Freeze-Frame, which I reviewed a mere 274 albums ago in August 2020.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Just Can't Wait"
The album kicks off with a catchy synth-laden rock song that has a mid '70s-era KISS guitar riff.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Love Stinks"
I couldn't go with any other song on Side 2.  The title track is a sardonic pop rock masterpiece, chastising the trials and tribulations of relationships.  It's the ultimate anti-love song.

Retro Video of the Week: "Africa" by Toto

My sincerest apologies for the lack of posting this week.  Between work, that exciting NCAA Tournament championship game, and realizing I had yet to file my tax returns two days before going on vacation through the tax deadline, it's been a hectic first three days of the week.  Due to the aforementioned vacation, this will be my last post for a week and a half, as I'll be spending that time driving through the Irish countryside with three kids and a wife who will be yelling at me constantly whenever we see an oncoming vehicle.

Anywho, Friday marks the 40th anniversary of the release of Toto's aptly titled fourth studio album Toto IV.  It was a huge success, reaching #4 on the Billboard album chart, #1 on the album charts in Australia, Canada, and The Netherlands, and the Top 10 on the album charts in Japan, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK.  It went triple platinum in the U.S., and it's the band's best-selling album ever.

If you know only two Toto songs, they are likely "Africa" and "Rosanna" from Toto IV.  "Africa" was the band's first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Rosanna" reached #2.  The band had a third Top 10 hit from the album, "I Won't Hold You Back" (#10) and a fourth Top 40 hit with "Make Believe" (#30).

I'm going with "Africa."  It's the band's most well-known and beloved songs.  As soon as you hear the first measure of that synthesizer, you know what it is.  And that chorus is what karaoke dreams are made of.  The video is essentially the band sitting on a giant book called "Africa," interspersed with scenes from what I assume is an African library.

Hair Band Friday - 4/1/22

1.  "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Kix

2.  "Hide Your Heart" by KISS

3.  "On Your Knees" by W.A.S.P.

4.  "Nobody's Fool" by Cinderella

5.  "Little Suzi" by Tesla

6.  "Broken Heart" by White Lion

7.  "So This Is Love?" by Van Halen

8.  "It's So Easy" by Guns N' Roses

9.  "Only a Heartbeat Away" by Vixen

10.  "Knock 'Em Dead, Kid" by Mötley Crüe