Like Well Aged Wine

Edgar Winter, age 70
Alice Cooper, age 69
Ian Gillan, age 72
Roger Glover, age 71
Ian Paice, age 69
Don Airey, age 69
Steve Morse, age 63

With a combined 483 years of life experience, most of which has been spent as professional musicians, you would expect a performance with Deep Purple, Alice Cooper, and The Edgar Winter Band to show some sort of musical ability, but you would be wrong.  Their performance last night at the Klipsch Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, did not show some sort of musical ability, but was rather a demonstration of what happens when human beings dedicate their lives to developing native abilities few others have.  It was like watching Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt.  The years of relentless practice and performance of one particular gift is revealed as fingers fly over strings and keyboards and drumsticks fly in blinding rhythm and voices cry out the songs that have entertained the world for, in some cases, almost fifty years.

The evening started with Edgar Winter, who is, quite simply, a phenomenon like no other.  His diverse virtuosity was on display as he prowled about the stage, moving from saxophone to keyboard to drums to microphone.  At one point he engaged in an extended call-and-response with his guitarist...and then did the same with his bassist...and then did it again with his drummer.  Here are a brief taste of his rendition of the Rick Derringer classic "Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo" and, of course, "Frankenstein."

Clip from "Rock And Roll Hoochie Coo"

Clip from "Frankenstein"

When the giant eyes with spiders for the pupils rose out of the stage, the crowd went wild.  It was time for Alice Cooper.  Vincent Furnier, a.k.a. Alice Cooper, is a true showman.  Known for his outrageous stage presentations, he did not disappoint and took the audience through campy horror set pieces and classics of hard rock.  Here you will see "Frankenstein," "I'm Eighteen," and "School's Out," which brought in part of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2."

"Frankenstein," "I'm Eighteen," and "School's Out"

I loved The Edgar Winter Band and was more than excited to see Alice Cooper for the second time, but the highlight for me was Deep Purple.  It was truly a bucket-list item for me.  Never having seen them in the '60s and '70s, I thought the chance had passed me by.  When they took the stage, I was positively giddy.  I was in the same place as Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, and Roger Glover, three members of the classic Mark II lineup!  There was Steve Morse playing guitar!  And Don Airey, who has played on the studio recording of the 1987 quintuple platinum Whitesnake album as well as with just about every name in classic rock, was right there on keyboards!

 
In all fairness, of all these talented legends, the vocal gift of Ian Gillan has suffered the most over time.  The high notes were not quite there, which is to be expected, and the energy was lacking, but at the end of the night, I'm not sure it mattered.  A nearly complete classic lineup of Deep Purple, including one founding member (Ian Paice), played classics like "Highway Star," "Fireball," "Strange Kind of Woman," "Pictures of Home," "Perfect Strangers," "Space Truckin'," "Hush," and the finale we all had waited for, "Smoke On The Water."  It may have been their Long Goodbye Tour, but fans will savor it for years to come.

On a personal note, I was glad to have my good buddy Sam along for the ride.  And yes, I did change the instrument lighting in my Mustang to purple for the evening!

 
And the evening was made even better when we ran into Hannah, one of my former students who is now a middle school teacher and was headed to the show herself with one of her colleagues!

 

Purple Crush

Where others may sap the emotions, Deep Purple squeezes, then crushes the senses and afterwards it all seems like having been bludgeoned slowly into a condition of acquiescent insensibility. --Daily Telegraph, February, 1971

For me, Deep Purple will always be the Mark I through Mark IV lineups from 1968 to 1976.  Yes, they reformed in 1984 with the Mark II lineup and there have been various changes and new albums all the way to the present, but in my mind they will always be the quintessential '70s hard rock band.

Actually, "hard rock" does not fully describe Deep Purple.  It really does not come close.  Consider the three albums they released in 1968 and 1969, Shades of Deep Purple, The Book of Taliesyn, and Deep Purple.  These were the days of the Mark I lineup of Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jon Lord (organ), Ian Paice (drums), Rod Evans (vocals), and Nick Simper (bass).  Jon Lord's lush tapestry on the Hammond organ and harpsichord provides the perfect backdrop for the poetry of songs like "Blind," "The Painter," "April," "Listen, Learn, Read On," "Shield," and "Anthem."  Those are moody pieces that convey rich images in word and sound, and while no one who hears them could place them anywhere other than the '60s, they take us back to a time of rich lyrics and experimental music.

 

With the release of In Rock in 1970, the Mark II lineup took the sound in a new direction.  Ian Gillan brought in screaming vocals, and Roger Glover took on the bass duties.  This album is a monster, and while "Child In Time" may be the best known track, "Speed King" and "Into The Fire" are in-your-face sonic attacks.  The whole album is a hard rock masterpiece, which was followed up by 1971's Fireball, itself an interesting mix.  Along with heavy hitters like the title track and "Fools," you have the country-flavored "Anyone's Daughter" and dramatic pieces like "Strange Kind of Woman" and "No One Came."  "The Mule" even has moments when we hear the musical drama in Ian Gillan's voice that he brought to the stage later in Jesus Christ Superstar.

1972 brought the last of the Mark II albums with the inimitable Machine Head.  "Highway Star," "Smoke On The Water," "Lazy," and "Space Truckin'" are the most famous, but "Maybe I'm A Leo" is every bit as hard, and the lyrics to "Pictures Of Home" have found a place in the narrative of my own life from time to time.  "When A Blind Man Cries" ends the album in an exquisite style that makes you realize just how talented a vocalist Gillan is, which is saying something when he is working alongside giants like Lord and Blackmore.

The Mark III lineup with David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes on bass holds a special place for me.  Coverdale has one of the best voices in rock.  Period.  It has certainly changed over time and is more raw now that he is pushing 70, but I have loved everything he has ever sung.  The first album for this lineup, 1974's Burn, is another monster in the Deep Purple catalogue, including the killer opening/title track, the moody "Sail Away," and the blues-rock anthem "Mistreated."  That same year saw a funky shift in musical direction with the album Stormbringer, which would also be Blackmore's last before the band's reformation in the '80s.  You could easily see this as proto-Whitesnake, the band Coverdale formed in 1978.  In addition to the funky sound and what seems to be more influence from Hughes, the lyrics on songs like "Lady Double Dealer" and "High Ball Shooter" certainly look toward the, um, "romantic" lyrics of Whitesnake.

Come Taste The Band is the one and only release by the Mark IV lineup featuring Tommy Bolin on guitar.  Released in 1975, tracks like "Gettin' Tighter," "I Need Love," and "Love Child" have a distinct '70s sound and more of Hughes's prominent bass lines.

So there you have it, a quick look at the studio albums of classic Deep Purple.  Throw in the numerous live albums they put out in that era, and you will have a solid collection of foundational hard rock music.  And when you play any of them, be sure to crank them up all the way.  After all, this is the band that The Guinness Book of World Records declared was the loudest band in the world thanks to a 1972 concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London.  Their levels reached 117dB, and three audience members were knocked unconscious by the sonic waves.

One Sided War

One year ago today, August 26, 2016, the world went to war.  It was a one-sided war led by Michael Sweet, and it resulted in complete victory.

There is a reason this album is called One Sided War. It is a sonic attack unleashed by Michael Sweet and his army of metal warriors. Michael has said in numerous interviews that this is his heaviest solo album to date, and it is. It may also be the finest showcase for his incredible voice, which is truly better than ever, and for a hard-hitting, guitar-driven, in-your-face sound that so many of his fans love. The whole album kills, and a few of the highlights are as follows

"Bizarre"... Opens with a riff that is reminiscent of Van Halen's “Hot For Teacher," then turns into a straight ahead rocker with a deep, solid foundation from bass and drums. It could have been a Stryper song given the melody, but the guitar solos are different…fierce and attacking.

"One Sided War"...Pounding drums to open. Echo-y sound to the vocals with some modulation creates an intense atmosphere. A bit of a Twisted Sister feel in the vocal bridge, then a great melodic guitar solo backed by the steady attack of the rhythm section.

"Can’t Take This Life"...This is an early favorite for me. The pounding of drums sounds like mortars falling. The guitar attack…you can just picture Michael and Ethan Brosh with their guitars held out from their bodies like six-string machine guns. The vocal then opens up, and I am not reminded of Stryper. I am not reminded of anything else. This is pure Michael Sweet.

"Radio"...I absolutely love this song. Joel Hoekstra's banjo opens, and we then move into a swaggering rhythm and opening guitar. Fun song, super fun video. The fact is, this is a gritty country-rock song with a heavy emphasis on the grit and the rock.

"Golden Age"...Fast attack out of the gates, pounding drums and guitar opening into a short melodic solo and then Michael’s attacking vocals reminiscent a bit of Dio, then moving to a chorus that could have fit perfectly on the Stryper album No More Hell To Pay.

"Only You"...Even though it is not Joel on guitars for this one, the opening could well have been to a Whitesnake tune. Slows down a bit, then picks back up to a great rock sound that would have played well in the ‘80s but is in no way dated.

"I Am"...Another opening with thunderous drums and guitar attack moving into an intro that would have worked well on the Sweet & Lynch album. This one has an undeniably Dio-esque sound in the dark, slow vocals. A true standout track for Michael’s voice.

"Who Am I"...This is the true ballad of the album. It is guitar driven rather than based on keyboards, which is great.

"You Make Me Wanna"...Drums and arena-filling guitar opener…great classic rock sound to vocals.

"Comfort Zone"...Opening could have come from Stryper’s Reborn era. Another great straight-ahead rocker.

"One Way Up"... Bluesy, dare I say country opening? Not surprising since Joel, who has been bending the strings in Whitesnake, is back on guitar.. Lean and mean in the vocals.

"Can’t Take This Life" (with Moriah Formica)...Just as he did on his last solo album, Not Your Suicide, where he brought in Electra Mustaine on a second version of "Heart of Gold," Michael has once again given the microphone to an up and coming young vocalist. Formica has a voice that is way beyond her years. For my money, she adds more to this song than Mustaine added to “Heart of Gold.”

Bottom line: If you want killer guitars that will blow you back when you crank the sound to 11, a rhythm section that hits with fists of concrete, and vocals that flat out beat the daylights out of just about anyone else, then this is your album. Classic hard rock/metal sound, yet perfectly produced for today.

The Wistful Lightness of Led

Led Zeppelin.  The very name suggests heaviness, and most people think of them along with Deep Purple and Black Sabbath as the founding fathers of hard rock and heavy metal.  Yet they have certain songs that, in the words of Guns 'n' Roses, "take me away to that special place, and if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry."  So take a trip with me to the late '60s and early '70s, when musicians experimented with sound and lyricists were poets, and savor the wistful lightness of Led.

"Thank You" is from Led Zeppelin II, released in 1969.  The innocence and passion of young love combined with a rich musical backdrop make this evocative of a simpler time.  No, everything wasn't simple in 1969.  Yes, there were many problems.  But like much great art, this song creates a historic fantasy, and it's nice to get lost there sometimes.

In 1970 the band released their third album, Led Zeppelin III, which contains the pure '70s-sounding ballad "Tangerine."  The melancholy opening is what does it for me.

That album also gives us the pure delight of "That's The Way."  Not sure why, but this one calls up images of long hair, bell-bottom jeans, and walking barefoot along the sand as the sun gets ready to start its descent on the horizon.  Dig it!

1971's Led Zeppelin IV is dominated by the most-played song in radio history, "Stairway To Heaven," yet "The Battle Of Evermore" is the quintessence of British rock to me.  The layered instrumentals provide the perfect tapestry on which a tale worthy of Tolkien is woven.  Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham are bards here, and it does not take much to imagine them strolling through a medieval festival playing for the good folk gathered there.

This classic album also gives us "Going To California," whose opening nearly makes me weep with its beauty.  I think of the innocent dreams of so many in those days, and while there was much that was bad to mar those dreams, they still remain in the delightful reverie of this song.

1973 brought forth Houses Of The Holy, the fifth Zeppelin album, and one of the most evocative songs in "The Rain Song."  For me it could have been on the soundtrack for some '70s romantic movie.  Don't listen to this one while doing something else.  Take seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds and let it just wash over you.  This is music, my friends.

Rockin' Graduation

It was May 22, 1987, and 15,642 tickets were sold for the Bon Jovi concert at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.  They were on the Slippery When Wet tour, and Cinderella opened.  I could hardly wait.  I had been to other concerts, but it would only be my second rock/metal concert following Stryper's To Hell With The Devil tour earlier that spring.  Those were the days of arena rock, and Freedom Hall did not disappoint.  Holding 19,200 seats, it was the longtime home of the Louisville Cardinals basketball team and a prime venue for concerts in that part of the country.

Anyone remember those buttons on the Walkman?

The Sears SR2100!

I had nearly worn out my cassette of Slippery When Wet by then, having played it over and over in my Sony Walkman and Sears jam box.  I knew every word and every note, even smiling at the fade out at the end of "Raise Your Hands" as Jon sings "Sayreville, New Jersey" in homage to his hometown.  I was less familiar with Cinderella, not yet having purchased their debut album.  In fact, I completely misunderstood the title and chorus of the title track to the album, hearing in my mind Tom Keifer screaming, "life sucks!" instead of the actual words "night songs."  Nonetheless, I was excited for the concert, and I was well rewarded.

Cinderella opened and rocked the place, and I banged my head accordingly, even though I did not yet have long hair.  I was a straitlaced kid (more on that in a moment), but my neck worked just fine, flinging my head back and forth in rock 'n' roll abandon.  And then Bon Jovi took the stage, and the arena exploded.  It was lights and sound and energy like nothing I had ever seen, and it was wonderful.  The band ripped through their hits, and I could not believe that I was in the same room, albeit with more than fifteen thousand of my closest friends, with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Alec John Such, David Bryan, and Tico Torres.

About halfway through the set, Jon took flight.  Literally.  A harness flew him out to the middle of the arena where a small stage had been set up.  The rest of the band was on the main stage, but Jon sang "Livin' On A Prayer" from the smaller stage in the middle and then flew back to the front.  It was incredible.  Again, this was arena rock.  It was a show, a spectacle as big as the hair of the band members themselves.

I mentioned that I was a straitlaced young man, and this is true.  I was president of our high school's Latin club and one of the valedictorians of my senior class, and that is where Bon Jovi and graduation cross paths.  The concert was on Friday night, and the following Monday was the rehearsal for our commencement.  Since it was the next school day after the concert, I naturally wanted to wear the tour shirt I had bought, and I did, but this put me in the interesting position of rehearsing my valedictory speech in front of the senior class and administration while wearing a Bon Jovi t-shirt!

I'm second from the right. Hardly headbanger appearance!

Wish I still had this one!

Stryped History

R.E.M. once had an album titled Life's Rich Pageant.  I think of that phrase whenever I reflect on the wildly different threads, so intricately woven, that form the tapestry of life, and yes, I know I am mixing metaphors here.  Can there be only one metaphor to capture the complex beauty of human life?  How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand indeed.

Part of my life's rich pageant involves classic rock, hard rock, and heavy metal.  I love these kinds of music.  Nothing else even comes close.  Okay, blues comes close.  And some country.  And the classic hymns.  Gotta love the '80s pop, too.  Throw in some Motown and ballads while you're at it and don't forget the crooners.  But on a regular basis, it is the sounds of rock and metal that blast through my speakers as I drive to and from school each day.

A dream came true recently when I interviewed Michael Sweet, founder and lead singer/guitarist of Stryper and Sweet & Lynch and also a former member of Boston.  Yeah, that's right, a high school Latin teacher got to interview one of his rock heroes, a guy who has enjoyed multi-platinum success and tours to millions around the world.

Back up the story to around 1985.  My youth minister, John Cutshall, introduced me to a cassette tape of Soldiers Under Command by a Christian metal band called Stryper, and I went to Beethoven's, the music store in Greentree Mall in Clarksville, Indiana, and purchased it.  It went straight into my Sony Walkman and hardly left.  Okay, I did put it in my boom box so I could play it for my grandma one Sunday.  I told her it was church music.  The point is, I was hooked and immediately went back to Beethoven's to get their debut album, The Yellow And Black Attack.

When I bought their album To Hell With The Devil in 1986, I had no idea I was getting such a rare treasure by purchasing the cassette with the controversial "angel" cover that was quickly replaced for later issues.  This album led to one of the iconic rock poster's of the '80s gracing my bedroom door and my first rock concert ever when I saw the band perform in Louisville, Kentucky.

When Stryper released their fourth and fifth albums, In God We Trust and Against The Law, I snapped them up as fast as I could get to College Mall in Bloomington, Indiana.  Studying to become a Latin teacher at Indiana University for many reasons, including my introduction to cable television and MTV, which played videos by Stryper, Whitesnake, and Bon Jovi and even had a show dedicated to the greatest musical form on the planet called Headbangers Ball.  The Stryper albums I purchased in those years were on the still relatively new format of the compact disc, which meant hair metal in all its digital glory cranked to 11.

And then came the long cold winter.  The band pursued other projects, and it was not until 2003 that I, as a now married man and father, found a new Stryper CD.  It was staring at me from the music rack at Wal-Mart in Westfield, Indiana, and was a compilation with a couple of new tracks.  Was Stryper back on the scene?  A year later saw the release of 7 Weeks:  Live In America, a live album from a tour the previous year that ranks with Deep Purple's famous album Made In Japan as my favorite live recording.  Something was up.  It seemed that Stryper indeed was making a comeback, and that was proved accurate from 2005 to the present.

Since that live album, the band has put out Reborn, The Roxx Regime Demos, Murder By Pride, The Covering, Second Coming, No More Hell To Pay, Live At The Whisky, and Fallen.  During that time Michael Sweet has continued his solo projects, done a stint with Boston, and formed Sweet & Lynch with George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), James LoMenzo (White Lion), and Brian Tichy (Whitesnake).

After nearly twenty years, I saw Stryper again playing an acoustic show in Pekin, Illinois, in 2014.  I met up with my own former Latin teacher and now colleague, Marcene Farley, and took my son to his first rock concert.  As we waited to enter the venue, Michael came out to meet the crowd, and Marcene got his attention.  I was like a kid myself as my son and I got our pictures with him.  Later that night as the band members tossed Bibles to crowd, I yelled to drummer Robert Sweet, and he tossed one directly to me.  Since then I have seen Stryper twice in fully electric shows and have seen Michael perform solo twice as well.

The first time I saw Michael Sweet play a solo show, I was with my friend Dr. Brad Oliver, an education leader in our state and a huge Stryper fan.  We met Michael afterward, and I gave him a copy of the lyrics to their 1985 hit "Soldiers Under Command" that I had a translated into Latin.  Shortly afterward, he tweeted out a picture of it, and earlier this year he autographed a copy for me.

And that brings us to the present.  When I knew I was going to attend Michael's solo show in Richmond, Indiana, I reached out to him and asked if I could interview him.  Amazingly, he messaged right back and said yes!  I was so excited!

Michael Sweet is a humble and honest man.  His faith in Christ makes him who he is, which is pretty amazing given his incredible talent.  The world is filled with people who elevate themselves, but Michael is a down-to-earth guy and the real deal.  So check out the time a Latin teacher got to interview a rock star!

Teachers Rock

Brownsville Station and Motley Crue both pleaded, "Teacher, don't you fill me up with your rules,," Alice Cooper seemed more than happy to discover that "school's out for summer," and Pink Floyd saw teachers with their "dark sarcasm in the classroom" as little more than "Another Brick In The Wall."

Fair enough, but I know quite a number of teachers who love to rock.  For me, it's about life, loud and proud.  It's about the exuberance of living boldly, and nothing captures that better than the rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the '60s and '70s, which found their pinnacle in the metal of the '80s.  So enjoy this new blog and come along with me as this educator indulges his hobby of rock 'n' roll by exploring videos, band news, classic albums, new releases, deep cuts, rarities, memorabilia, and more from our favorite artists.  The comment box is open!

So let's get started.  Which of these anthems really captures the spirit of why you want it "loud, right between the eyes," and turned up to 11?

Stryper, "Rock The Hell Out Of You"

Twisted Sister, "I Wanna Rock"

Whitesnake, "Children Of The Night"

Def Leppard, "Rock Of Ages"

Bon Jovi, "Let It Rock"