I’m gonna be ending my 2013 year by reviewing the latest albums from my two most favourite bands of all time. Let’s take a listen to the Barenaked Ladies’ 2013 release Grinning Streak. Released in June and debuting at #10 on the US Billboard charts, this is their 11th studio album proper and their 2nd since singer/guitarist/songwriter Steven Page left the band back in 2009 (I’m still not over that). It is also the band’s first album on their new record label, Vanguard. The first single, Boomerang was recorded in a separate session produced by Gavin Brown in May 2012, initially for release that summer.

The album starts with Limits a song about taking a breather, taking a look at what has happened so far and knowing your limitations despite doing your best and giving it a sincere go. Boomerang is about coming back to the one who holds your heart and despite everything else and all the travails and tribulations, you come back to the one you love. I’m unsure of what the song Off His Head is all about, although I like the lyrics. I’m guessing it’s about being a parent and being faced with various situations that is out your control and being more affected because it’s not happening to you but to another human being that you love unconditionally. Gonna Walk is a song about being in love and chasing the object of your affection and not quitting until love has been achieved.

Odds Are is one of my favourite songs of BNL and one of my favourites of all time. The song is so catchy and lyrically thought provoking and yet simple enough to understand and the music lifts my spirits – just like a lot of their songs tends to do! Positivity and hope is sprayed throughout this song and the odds are in your favour that you will find the love of your life and things will go good for you and it resonates with me a lot. A little bit antagonistic and a lot about standing your ground and fighting when you are attacked is Keepin’ It Real. I know Ed Robertson (singer/guitarist/lyricist) is an atheist and this verse perfectly fits:

“What’s the point in wishing there was somewhere to go
If when you get there, you can’t let anyone know
When my time comes, I won’t be leaving this Earth
And what I’ve done for people will determine my worth”

Saying you’re sorry is hard and to a loved one making up is hard which is what the song Give It To You is all about. Talk about lyrics that let on that you are an atheist –  how’s this verse from Best Damn Friend:

Talk was cheap
‘Till I started talking to professionals
Not my first leap,
This atheist could have used confessional
Sown, so reap,
Allow me to lead you in devotional
While you weep,
Imagine the man whose more emotional.

Alright, Did I Say That Out Loud is a realization of love. Daydreamin’ is about – what else day dreams? And about wanting to make those day dreams a reality and showing the naysayers that they were wrong. Smile is about not being so serious and not forgetting the innocence of youth. Crawl is comparing the crawl of a baby to learning about life and making a sincere effort about it. We have 3 bonus tracks in this version of the album – Blacking Out, Fog Of Writing & Who Knew that add to the excellently received album both publicly & by critics. I love this album.

It’s been such a long time since I did a musical album review but I just have to get back to it. Ok, let’s start with a release from May of this year. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is Seattle giants Alice In Chains’ 5th full length studio album and the second album following the reunion post the length layoff post former singer Layne Staley’s death. It is also the second album to feature Wiliam DuWall on lead vocals & rhythm guitar. The album peaked at #2 on the US billboard charts and did well in most countries.

The album starts off with Hollow with that familiar grungy guitar style of riff and patent AiC harmony vocals with DuWall & Jerry Cantrell singing the lyrics. Pretty Done follows a familiar style although not as hard, and lyrically it’s about people who give up everything else to chase a dream. Once they get it they have to be careful as others are waiting to take it from them and the singer will not be around to be used. Stone is about an antagonistic relationship featuring lyrics like “What makes you want to carve your initials in me? Rained and weathered, erasing, hard to read
Find me distant, outwardly rough, obscene, Cold dry stone”. With some acoustic & electric guitars interchanging, Voices is an instantly hummable and memorable song and is surely a stand out in the album. It’s an introspective look at oneself and that just resonates well with most listeners. “The devil put dinosaurs here / Jesus don’t like a queer / No problem with faith / Just fear,” which appear in the title track, tells us what AiC think about the religious explanations which tend to be mixed with politics in the US. “I am wise and you don’t know, A cloud is my home, Only some get in, Got a ‘maginary friend.”

Lab Monkey is about being used for other’s purposes and gains. Low Ceiling is making fun at a wanna be big shot who’s ego is bigger than anything else he has ever done. It is stated that the song is aimed at particular music critics. I like the guitar solo a lot on this one. Breath On A Window is about the long travels on the road. Scalpel, a track that’s a bit slower, is about broken dreams. Phantom Limb back with double harmonies is about getting the due that you deserve when you have done way too much shit that trouble is imminent. Hung On A Hook is about your reflections showing you a side of you that you’ve tried to hide away from. But sometimes a cracked mirror shows the real you. Saying a goodbye or a farewell is what Choke is about. Pride and wrong decisions have let you to this path and now it’s closing around you.

The cover artwork features the skull of a Triceratops with a second skull image steganographically hidden on a red background. The two skulls, when revealed, combine to form the image of the Devil. The album title refers to a belief held by some religious individuals that to confuse the masses of humanity, Satan himself planted dinosaur bones deep into the Earth to dissuade the faithful. The veteran rock band has given us a solid and memorable album that will still proudly in the same shelf as their best. Here is the video for The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.

If you are a serious rock/metal musician, interested in approaching your art with the passion and dedication of the greats, look no further than Dream Theater to find a suitable role model for a band. There are hardly any other quintets who are as proficient on their respective instruments of choice as these guys. A Dramatic Turn Of Event, the eleventh studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, was released worldwide on September 12, 2011 and in the United States on September 13 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band’s first recording to feature drummer Mike Mangini following the departure of founding member Mike Portnoy in September 2010. And their fans flocked to see if the sound would change with the change in personnel.

A commercial success, the album moved 36,000 units in the United States in its debut week, charting at number eight on the Billboard 200. Since July 2011, Dream Theater have been on tour in support of the album. They sound much like the DT we know and love. was produced by John Petrucci and mixed by Andy Wallace. It was written, recorded, mixed, and mastered between January and June 2011 at Cove City Sound Studios in Long Island, New York. First single and opening track On The Backs Of Angels starts things off in, pardon the pun, dramatic fashion. The song was written by the band’s guitarist and producer John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and bassist John Myung with lyrics by Petrucci. Rudess and Petrucci’s works will make you feel damn good. Build Me Up, Break Me Down is the next single with a riff that will please headbangers and fist bangers. S inger James LaBrie did a three-layer vocal hook, which is insane. John Myung’s bass riff is insane and fits perfectly. The drums are amazing in this track. The chorus is catchy and Petrucci’s amazing solo followed by fucking insane keyboard work by Rudess owns.

The next song is a technical fest – Lost Not Forgotten starts off with a delicate piano intro before Petrucci’s monstrous riffs take over with Mangini following up with some intensive drumming. With many twists and turns all over the song, this is already one of my favourites of theirs – of all time! Amazing guitar solo too. The next  track is more of a ballad with some heartfelt solo guitar work and Jordan’s melodic keyboard riffs. James delivers some of his best vocal performances to date. Bridges In The Sky starts off with some fuzzy noizes and then a throaty bellow (some kind of tribal vocal performance?) before the church style chanting starts and then the band kicks in. A furious guitar solo follows later and the song ends with the same sounds that launches it. Outcry begins with some delightful keys play by Rudess laid on a synthesized drum beats before the rest of the band joins in. The keyboard work is uplifting over here. The drums, bass & guitar lock in for a rhythmic heartbeat style riff-age and James takes over.

Far From Heaven is a gentle piano work and some strings & LaBrie outperforms here, with intense emotion. This is an extremely melodious and personal song. Breaking All Illusions, the longest song on the album which is written by John Myung, after 11 years, he has penned down stuff and boy does he deliver. Everyone is at the top of their form for this track. And we come to the end of the album with Beneath The Surface; which starts with a dripping tap before gentle acoustic riffs and James’s emotional & melodious vocals starts. Jordan’s lovely keyboard solo gives you goosebumps.

I would call this one of the better offerings but not their best yet. Still awesome to hear and with a few listens you should be easily able to include this as a staple of your collection. Here is the video for On The Backs Of Angels.

For those of you who do not know what or who Black Country Communion is/are, they are a rock supergroup formed by lead vocalist and bassist Glenn Hughes (former Deep Purple), drummer and percussionist Jason Bonham, keyboardist Derek Sherinian (former Dream Theater), and guitarist and vocalist Joe Bonamassa (solo). With chops like these it’s no wonder they created a lot of excitement when the band was announced. Hughes & Bonammasa had been working for a year in 2009 when producer Kevin Shirley suggested that they contact Jason Bonham to play the drums. Keyboard player Sherinian was also asked to joined, which he did gleefully.

Released on June 14, 2011, their second album, simply titled 2, is the album we are checking out today. Things start out with a bang and Hughes loud & powerful vocals fuel The Outsider. Sherinian’s keyboard work sounds a lot like Jon Lord at his best and Joe’s guitar work excels here. First single Man In The Middle is up next with a down & dirty, heavy blues-rock feeling. I get a bit of an Extreme vibe especially in the vocal delivery here, which may or may not be intentional. I haven’t heard any of Jason Bonham’s but I certainly am digging his drumming here. Bonamassa takes over vocal responsibilities in The Battle For Hadrian’s Wall which starts off acoustic before picking up. This is probably their best track till date, done really well and one of the best songs I have heard in recent years. The almost 8 minute Save Me was partly written by Bonham during his time with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones when a Led Zeppelin reunion and future album may have been possible. Jason brought the song over to his new band mates and worked on it to form what we now hear. It has that Zeppelin sound & energy to it.

Smokestack Woman brings us more of that harder, fuller, rock and roll groove sound that BCC has come to be associated with. When I saw the title of this track, I was kinda expecting The Cult’s 1989 hit single Fire Woman. Bonamassa gives us a searing blues drenched guitar solo here. Faithless slows things down but not by much, just enough for us to catch our breath. But Hughes delivers a fine vocal performance here. Bonamassa once again picks up the vocals for An Ordinary Son an 8 minute epic. Slowly snaking it’s tempo up during the chorus, this is a fine group effort. I Can See Your Soul brings us back to Hughes’ vocals and the faster & heavier blues-rock. And then we get really down with the blues in Little Secret sung by Hughes but really it’s Joe’s song to showcase just why he is called one of the best guitarists around. Crossfire sees Hughes’s best bass work with some great harmonies and solid performances from all the band members. The final track Cold leaves you with the chills and you are left wanting more.

Transitioning from a super group to a band is not easy but BCC have done it and done it well. They are a rock force to reckon with. And we are the better for it. Enjoy the album and here is the video for Man In the Middle.

Grammy Award Nominee and four-time DIY Music Award-winner Cathy Richardson is a Chicago based singer who hit & conquered the local scene before Cathy made headlines being cast as Janis Joplin in the Off Broadway hit Love, Janis. She later toured the US with Big Brother and the Holding Co. and in 2008 became the lead singer for psychedelic rock originators, Jefferson Starship (with founding member Paul Kantner). A strong female vocalist, she then started the Macrodots with San Francisco guitarist/producer Zack Smith. Their debut album is called The Other Side.

The opening & title track sees Richardson going for the jugular with her killer vocals as she hits us full throttle. Musically the song, The Other Side, reminds me of a bit of Garbage – with balls. I really like the rhythm section on this track. The second track, Beautiful Girl, is a bit more ballad-y without being corny. A nice distorted guitar solo just adds to the feeling of longing in the song. Cathy has a voice that most female singers, and quite a few male singers, would sell their souls for. Everything Is All I Want is that obsessive, passionate lover kinda number yet cheerful & almost celebratory. Not Too Late is the hopeful kind of advice seemingly targeted to a saddened and depressed individual. The music itself has some uplifting elements to it. I love the drummers’ fills in this song.

A bit in your face and, dare I say, Piece Of Me reminds me of 60’s blues rock a lot like some of Kula Shaker’s stuff. Todd Kerns fans would find this particular track reminiscent of a couple of songs from his 2004 solo album Go Time. The dreamy I Am sees Cathy stretch her magnificent vocal in the chorus, where the music shifts intensity. The guitars & keyboards rule on this track. Every Time reminds me a bit of something Tori Amos would do if she stood up and rocked a bit more. If I Could sees Cathy singing her socks off in this vocal showcase of what a woman with the right set of pipes can do for rock. This is the ballad that could launch the band to the limelight. Richardson could literally kick the pants of any popstar wannabe female singer across the planet on the strength of this one track. Yes they are that powerful & awesome.

A bit more in your face is Kiss My Ass a blatant fuck-you to the antagonist target of the singer’s ire. The whole band lock in as one unit behind this track to deliver a strong punchy track. Raunchy Rock And Roll Part II with it’s killer riff  is that rocker anthemn that we can all relate to. I can just about picture it being played live in front of a massive fist pumping & headbanging crowd, who appreciate the ballsy guitar solo and lusty vocals. The lost woman’s lament in Save Me is a smoke filled bar ballad that will resonate with most people who need that helping hand. Once again, Cathy’s voice is awesome and will fill your home even if the volume is kept low when you play this track. Thus ends a truly wonderful rock album.

Without having to resort to cutesy, sexy barbie doll type stuff or hysterionics or any of that nonsense that young rocker-wanna gals seem to be doing these days, mature & experienced Cathy does it the way it’s supposed to be. She doesn’t apologize, she doesn’t back down and neither does she tone it down or pretend to be something she isn’t. 100% genuine rocker with balls to spare and a voice that could knock the wind outta you. Awesome and worth spending many hours just to appreciate the songs. A must buy for those of you who like rock n’roll and want to listen to what a lady rocker should sound like.

Band of the decade for 2000-2010. Not bad. Even as their detractor create a lot of hate and vitriol at the 4some from Vancouver, Nickelback themselves are laughing all the way to the bank. They remain classy in not responding in kind to all the nonsense that the haters put out in the internet. Does it make one difference to them or their fans? No! And hats off to you guys! Nickelback has received large amounts of criticism for their repetition of the same sound, same themes and nearly identical albums. But it is this no-selling out and not changing their sound to what is new & trendy, much like previously similarly maligned band AC/DC, is what makes a lot of their fans stay loyal.

Released on November 21, 2011,  Here And Now is the seventh studio album by the band, their first since 2008’s Dark Horse. The artwork for the album is the Gastown Steam Clock in Vancouver and the clock is set at 11:21, the date the album was released. he album debuted at number two on the US  Billboard 200  selling approximately 227,000 copies in its first week,  just 0.18% below the number one spot. Marching out with the groovy This Means War, which encourages us to headband long from the start to the finish. Booming drums from drummer extraordinaire Daniel Adair herald Bottom Ups, a drinkers anthem inviting everyone to have fun, party and drink up. The track also has a nice solo from Chad Kroeger.

The next track & first single is the global awareness, call for peace and cooperation When We Stand Together, the kind of track that the band always seem to slip in amongst the songs about drinking, women, strippers & partying hard. Yet with this track, catchy bouncy feel-good rhythmic and singable song, it’s time to admit – their hearts are always in the right place. Having said that and as the wonderful lyrics of that track fade away, we do get a sex-themed song next :D Midnight Queen has lyrics like  “She’s got the bottle of Tequila and’a lime for her lips / Laid her body on the bar and put the salt on her hips, / I was lyin’ when I told her that I’m only gunna’ lick her tonight!” which doesn’t leave much to the imagination. And Gotta Get Me Some is similar – drinking with a chick and then getting it on! About the perfect hottie, dance & rock star.

Lullaby comes out from left field, a ballad that’s about suicide and a message of hope to someone who is about to contemplate killing themselves. Chad has always been fascinated with Hollywood and it’s lifestyle and in the next song, Kiss It Goodbye, he adds New York City and it’s excesses compared to the ones in LA along with it. This seems like a criticism of the tv culture that is present in the West. We have another semi-ballad in Trying Not To Love You in which the protagonist wants out of a relationship but the harder he tries, he falls deeper & deeper into the relationship. Holding On To Heavenis a similar styled semi-ballad professing love. We get another sex laden lyrics rocker in Everything I Wanna Do (You and me, sitting in a tree F-U-C-K-I-N-G sung in a distorted whisper) – probably one of the songs that a stripper could shake her things as she writhes onstage.

As the last song Don’t Ever Let It End, a nostalgic love song which makes us look back at the feelings that we had in our life, you get a typical Nickelback album – rockers, semi-ballads & ballads. The themes are the same and it doesn’t ask too much of you other than clear your schedule for 40 minutes and rock on. Ryan Peake & Mike Kroeger add their contributions very well in making this a great album to have. Another success for the Canadian quartet, more world tours and gold / platinum records and a few awards. Life’s good for Nickelback and they always have the last laugh. I leave you with the fabulous first single.

Queensryche have long been one of my fav bands, ever since I heard Silent Lucidity back in 1991-92. They started out as more of a metal band but after a couple of albums they moved a lot more into the prog-metal band category. Most of their albums are based on a central theme and this one, their 10th, is a perfect example – American Soldier was released in 2009 and is a concept album that evolves around the lives and experiences of those who serve or have served in the United States armed forces.

Singer Geoff Tate spent a few years interviewing veterans from all conflicts America has been involved in from World War II to the Iraq War, including his own father and collecting their stories in order to help him write the album.  Starting of with a command “ON YOUR FEET” Sliver is the first track on the album. Not one of their better songs, it comes off like a cross of Limp Bizkit & a number of nu-metal bands during the chorus. I had an image of a drill sargent berating his troops while the song was playing along. The next song, Unafraid, is straight from the horses’s mouths, so to speak. The song uses dialogue from the soldiers’ interviews for the verses and Geoff Tate for the choruses. Thematically it is a great idea but does nothing as a song, although I see where the band is going with it. Slow paced & mixing clean & grittier guitar riffs, Hundred Mile Stare is more like it. The song also sounds like some of their older more popular material.

At 30,000 FT is about that feeling of being alone while in a fighter plane during a mission to attack the enemy. The pilot does not see or hear the people screaming in agony, bleeding & broken or running to escape. Reminding us of the atmospheric songs on 1994’s Promised Land, A Dead Man’s Words features seductive middle-eastern riffs and scales play in the background while Tate layers his vocals and even throws in a saxophone solo. Musically this is one solid song. The Killer is thoughts that a soldier struggles with in a war. If you have found yourself in the middle of a battlefield with people dying or dead left, right & center and you are trying to just make it out – welcome to Middle Of Hell. The song sounds like more of an out of the body experience or one in which the person is too stunned to do anything else. If I Were King is a pleading to have his fellow soldier back alive and praying for a miracle. Survivor’s guilt or just missing your comrade, it’s something all soldiers go through.

Man Down! is more of the same, focusing on survivor’s guilt and the horrors of remembering how some of your fellow soldiers were killed during an attack. Remember Me is a dying soldier’s last words before the life runs out. Home Again is about the other end of the spectrum, the family that struggles when the father/husband/son/brother is away in a dangerous place and is away for months & years. Tate sings this song with his then 10 year old daughter; the song  focuses on a father returning home to his family after having been gone an extended period. This theme reflects both the life of Tate as a touring musician and the life of one who serves in the military. This song belongs in the list of best ballads from the rock world. We end the album with The Voice is also about a soldier during his dying moments.

While certainly not in the class of Empire, Promised Land & Operation Mindcrime, the album does have it’s moments. I had hoped that they would have done things a bit different for some songs. The band hasn’t been the same without the talents of former guitarist/lyricist Chris DeGarmo and it shows once again. Still musically Queensryche is a force to reckon with. Michael Wilton did most of the guitars in the album, with some help from former member Kelly Gray, who engineered the album. New guitarist Parker Lundgren joined the band after the album was released. Here is the video for If I Were King.

Mr. Big broke up in 2002 but after fan interests & requests came pouring in they reformed in 2009 and did a tour of Japan. The success of that and consequent performances, including two dates in India, convinced them to stick together and in January of 2011 they released their first studio album in 10 years titled What If….. Also this album sees the return of original guitarist Paul Gilbert who had left the band in 1999 to pursue his solo career, which had seen some success and a few albums put out to guitar enthusiasts’ acclaim.

The album was recorded between September–October 2010 in a Los Angeles-area studio with producer Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Rush), and was supported by a world tour this year.

The album starts at a fast pace with lead single Undertow, galloping on the strength of drummer Pat Torpey’s boom boom sounds. You are treated to their trademark musicianship (all excellent at their instrument of choice), solid vocals and harmonies. “All dressed up in the red, white & blue” as singer Eric Martin remarks in the intro, American Beauty reminds me a lot of Colorado Bulldog from their 1993 release Bump Ahead. Stranger In My Life is a self reflective song, a ballad done in the style they are best know for. A melodic guitar riff starts off the next song, until the banging drums takes over – Nobody Left To Blame is not their best song but the bass & guitars still shine on this track.

Still Not Enough For Me which sets the album into a pedal to the metal pace, with bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan leading the way with his bass lines. The pace doesn’t slow down for Once Upon A Time, which is sure to be a concert favourite and probably the best song on the album. Whoever said that Mr. Big was a ballad band? In As Far As I Can See singer Martin shines all through, flexing his vocal abilities to it’s finest. The band takes the foot of the gas just enough to give us a delightful little number in All The Way Up, very melodic and a crowd pleaser to the crowd. It’s a love song, instantly memorable and one for the ages. A mid tempo break comes up in I Won’t Get In My Way, with harmonizing chorus vocals and thoughtful lyrics and a solid guitar solo. It’s about correcting your flaws and finding what it takes to get stuff done.

Around The World sees the trio of musicians click together like one unit, supporting Eric’s vocals and like much of this record, features a blistering bass line from Sheehan. A melodic rocker is I Get The Feeling – sunshine, top down on the car, riding along the beach sides and the music playing loudly – that’s what this song reminds me of. Kill Me With A Kiss is a bonus track, I think for the Japanese version only, which I have. Gilbert’s guitar shines & shreds, Pat Torpey’s drums are bombastic and Sheehan is awesome as always and Eric does some well done vocals. I missed them when they were gone. All’s well with the world now. Here is the video for Undertow; enjoy!

Canadian Blues-hard rock & reggae band Big Sugar had split up in 2004 after almost 13 years in the biz and 5 albums plus a greatest hits record out. Founder, guitarist & singer Gordie Johnson relocated to Austin, Texas and formed a gritty blues-rock band called Grady, while the other members went their separate ways. Johnson has produced many bands, worked with so many musicians and even had a stint with Saskatoon blues rock band Wide Mouth Mason, which als so him formalize the bond by becoming a permanent member playing bass for the trio! What did this all mean for Big Sugar? Was one of my fav bands done & dusted?

We first heard rumblings in late 2009 of a reunion tour. Finally in 2010 after playing a few gigs the band reunited with Johnson,  harmonica and tenor saxophonist Kelly Hope, bassist Gary Lowe with new members Stephane Bodean on drums & Friendlyness on keyboards. Earlier this year the band put out their 6th studio album Revolutions Per Minute. The world’s dirtiest soul band is back. That’s what they are soul –  blues, hard rock & reggae mixed soul.

What an enjoyable album this turned out to be! No weak songs at all just fun blues & hard rock with reggae added for spice. Potent stuff. From the retro feeling of Roads Ahead, a really fun loving & clap along song. We get a nice slide guitar solo, sax solo, while Friendlyness tickles the ivories. Come A Little Closer…..Now Come! is a bass driven rhythm and funky number which could be a dance floor hit if marketed properly. Sexual innuendo is not one of the band’s weaknesses and when we hear that blues harp – heaven! Track 3 is when we get a slice of reggae beat when Little Bit A All Right. This is best heard when the guitar solo is poured over the rhythm beat & then we get a rasta message from Friendlyness. Allman Brothers & Govt. Mule’s Warren Hayes lends his wah-drenched guitars to It’s All I Know. Things get a little slowed down, but in the smooth & casual way, before the song closes of in a lead guitar duel.

Smooth! Like a nice dark chocolate porter! More reggae in If I Were Heaven (Tonight) which also features the melodic Maritime fiddle of guest star Tim Chaisson. Gordie guitar sounds so great here, sublime yet strong in this romantic song. Montreal’s Shane Murphy joins the band for another reggae-esq light hearted song in Done So Much In The Dark.  Dare I say it, there’s an accordion playing in that song. Work It Now! is more dancehall with some broadway influences mixing with a little Indian/Arabian bit thrown in. Un-Employed Expert sounds like it could be tailor made for a musical Hollywood movie. Actually it reminds me of some of the songs in Once More With Feeling, that Buffy musical episode. It’s got that vibe to it and an almost middle eastern style of horns playing, while still being bluesy. Counterfeit Wings (Are Some Jive Ass Wings) continues in that old style blues style of singing and overall feel while the music gallops along. I can’t think of another band that sounds this cool and strange at the same time.

There’s No Telling Me is about the stubbornness and no-nonsense attitude that the band has been long known for. Great track which feels like a midnight blues track playing in a smoky bar. True Believers is about sticking to your guns, the lyrics of a world weary traveler and who just wants to settle down with a lover now. Jay Malinowski of Bedouin Soundclash does his bit to massage the political concerns of the title track into something a little closer to lovers rock.  This is just a chill out, weeds & beer kinda of song “The record may be scratched but the music still sounds sweet” indeed!And they channel Rush’s 1980 classic hit in the line “Don’t you believe in freedom of music?”. And as Friendlyness sounds his rasta lines, Bob Marley’s ghost is nodding & humming along.

In the end the 50 minutes of 12 really good songs serve us the best that the band has ever put up. They have matured and calmed down and it shows. Where’s my joint? I wanna relax and listen to this album again. Do the world a favour – throw out your rap crap, chuck out Lady Gaga and dance songs and never mind the Beiber. Gordie wants you to relax and sink in the pool.

Most music lovers of the late 80s & 90s know Extreme from their acoustic love ballad & super hit #1 single More Than Words. That song was so huge that Extreme were wrongly & sadly categorized as a one-hit wonder and a ballad band. Not true as long time followers of the Boson based band will attest to. However they could never replicate the success of their sophomore album Extreme II : Pornagraffitti and disbanded in 1996 after their 4th album & tour. Since then, as some people know, singe Gary Cherone had a stint as the vocalist for Van Halen before creating Tribe Of Judah along with bassist Pat Badget and a couple of other projects, while guitarist Nuno Bettencourt had a solo record & couple of bands. Original drummer Paul Geary  now manages several rock bands including….. Extreme.

The band reunited in 2007 for touring and have put out their 5th album in 2008 called Saudades de Rock (Nostalic Yearnings of Rock). The first track Star is a fast number about all the trappings that come with the power, riches, glam & glory that comes with becoming a popular star in show biz. So great to hear Nuno’s guitar solo here. Comfortably Dumb is more bluesy rock nroll, peppered with drum rolls and solid guitar work. A little hilly billy style guitar playing in Take Us Alive makes for a fun footstopping number that is sure to be a hit in pubs & arenas alike. Riffs from the bass & guitar followed closely by the drumming makes the nest track, Run. Last Hour is a love ballad but it’s not one that will ignite passions. So far it’s my least weakest song on the album.

Sounding more like a Brit pop song, Flower Man, and Cherone even sings in a more punk edge style. WTF? But hey, the song is not bad and infact is even a bit infectious. I don’t know how to describe King Of The Ladies but it doesn’t sound anything like Extreme have put out before. This is new territory for the guys in the band. We have another ballad in Ghost with a piano adding to the atmosphere and Gary singing in a falsetto during the verses. Slide starts of with, dare I say it, a Led Zepplin-esq riff. The rest of the song doesn’t sound anything like M/s Page, Plant, Bonham & Jones though. Starting off with just vocals & acoustic guitars, Interface is a nice track. It’s probably one of the best songs ever, with some emotional lyrics. Sunrise is up next with a funky rock track and nice riff.

Track # 13 Peace (Saudade) is a piano piece and is a gentle prayer for peace. We get guitars, drums & bass only towards the end. This is easily a light up your cell phones (as it is these past years instead of lighters) kind of song and is a thoughtful & beautiful track. As a bonus track we get Americocaine, which is a demo from 1985 when the band was first forming up. Sounds a lot like Van Halen here. Good album, better than 1995’s Waiting For The Punchline but far from their best effort. Bassist Pat Badger & new drummer Kevin Figuereido are awesome. Still Extreme coming back was a big deal for their fans, including me. In 2010 they released a live album too. I’m sure we will have more Extreme albums coming up.

Simon McBride is an Irish guitarist who I discovered online on Youtube. I found out about this bluesman while clicking on links for PRS guitars, which Simon endorses and often plays clinics for. That’s how I saw a few videos of his playing and then decided to watch some of his originals played live and finally got this album. While the inevitable comparisons to his late country Rory Gallagher aren’t unfounded, there’s also some Hendrix touches and some Stevie Ray Vaughn in his playing. Plus he’s also played a bit with fellow Irishman Vivian Campbell (former Whitesnake & Dio, current Def Leppard).

We start off with Down To The River, a good way to kick off things with some laid back blues-rock riffs. Lyrically its about making a woman change her mind and bringing her to you.  Standing Still starts off with this delightfully melodic lick, and is an appreciation about nature and the beautiful things we have around us that we take for granted. Fat Pockets is more rockn’roll, and about who holds the more money. And then we have the hopeful romantic in SO Much Love To Give, basically a plea for someone who wants something new to come into his life. He has washed away the pain & skeletons in his clothes and is moving on with life.

Punching It Out is a out & out rock n blues number, with a searing guitar solo by Simon. The title track, Rich Man Falling, is up next; a good ole mid-tempo rocker with a solid guitar solo. A slide guitar riff goes well in Devil Woman, about the hot & sexy nothing but trouble woman that you can’t get enough of. We get a ballad in Be My Friend. It’s a song about needing a special someone in their life to get them through the bad times. Change has a riff that at the beginning reminds me a bit of GnR’s Bad Apple from Use Your Illusion. However it’s a playful and fun number, more foot tapping than the GnR track. Tell Me Why is more bluesy and meant for a long guitar jam when played live.

You Gotta Problem is confronting a girl’s issues in her life and telling her to pick up the pieces of her life and offering help. More bright & foot tapping is the next number – DC. It’s about missing home & singing it’s praises. And we get to the Hendrix cover Power Of Soul. Nothing groundbreaking or anything but McBride’s got a good voice and he plays great blues guitar. Check him out on Youtube. Below is a live rendition of Down To the River.