CD Odyssey Disc 324: The Kills

The preceding review on my CD Odyssey showcased yet another Jack White side project (The Raconteurs). This review demonstrates that the people Jack collaborates with are making some pretty fine music without him as well.

Disc 324 is...Keep On Your Mean Side

Artist: The Kills

Year of Release: 2003

What’s Up With The Cover?: Designed to look like either a school record or an intake record for the slammer (I'm not sure which), this cover shows the Kills posing as their alter ego, "Kid Tsunami" (those with good eyesight will see that name on the forms). It is all a bit silly, but the cover does capture the low tech sound of the band, so I'll give it a pass.

How I Came To Know It: I simply followed the yellow brick road, paved by Jack White's collaborations. I have long been a fan of the White Stripes, and when exhorting the virtues of the Raconteurs one night, my friends Joel and Sherylyn asked me if I'd heard of The Dead Weather, which I had not, but quickly purchased thereafter (and reviewed not long ago at Disc 263).

The Dead Weather is a collaboration partly composed of White Stripes architect Jack White and Alison Mosshart, lead vocalist of The Kills. It was a simple step backward to The Kills, which I got to a few months ago. I decided to start from the beginning for a change, so I bought their debut "Keep On Your Mean Side" first. I have since bought all three others in rapid succession.

So to review: White Stripes leads to Raconteurs leads to The Dead Weather leads to The Kills. If you're wondering how you can discover good new music without the terrible experience that is modern radio, this is how it's done. If you sadly find yourself friendless, Youtube also works, although it will take longer.

How It Stacks Up: I have all four of the Kills full length records. Of the four, I would say "Keep On Your Mean Side" is tied for first with their most recent effort, 2011's "Blood Pressures."

Rating: 4 stars.

As I noted when I reviewed the Dead Weather's "Horehound" (see above), Allison Mosshart has one of the great rock and roll voices of our time. I may not have put it that way at the time (I believe I said she was 'lasciviously bluesy' and that she stands tall among musical giants, but same difference).

Mosshart is both sexy and scary in equal proportion and her vocals are like nails on a blackboard, if those nails are attached to the hottest teacher in school. Many a recent artist has tried hard to capture the raw emotion of early blues masters like Robert Johnson or Muddy Watters. Mosshart manages it effortlessly, the sound coming from somewhere deep inside her.

The other half of this album are the crunchy rock riffs of Jaimie Hince. On tracks like "Pull a U" these riffs sit so low down in your gut that you're sure they're going to push you through the bottom of your chair. The song doesn't have any deep message, principally being variations on the three lines:

"Pull a U with your sexy low car
Got your black magic
And your two dollar love."

With Mosshart's delivery, and the low grind of Hince's guitar, they take on all the importance in the world. They remind you of every hot, dangerous girl you've ever known, and the many more you didn't have the guts to even say hello to. Lately, I'm obsessed with owning an early model Dodge Charger (call it a second mid-life crisis) and this song had me thinking about all those muscle cars I've ridden around in as a kid in a small blue collar town, and how great it was.

In fact, my buddy's older brother used to have a beefed up mid-seventies Chevy Malibu. The blower on the engine was so big, the hood never fit properly, and you could see the engine shaking around dangerously in there like a caged bear. He'd replaced the stock radio with a tape deck connected to two tower speakers, that were laid down behind the bench seat in the back, secured with a piece of unfinished plywood and some screws. It was one hell of a ride.

I guess what I'm getting at is that while we went around town in that car around listening to ACDC, it could have just as easily been "Pull A U" if the year was 2003 instead of 1983.

I don't remember where we used to go in that Malibu back then and it didn't matter; it was enough to take a ride and enjoy the journey. "Keep On Your Mean Side" is the musical equivalent of that experience. The songs are blues-inspired rock songs, powerful guitar licks, and a sexy lead singer dropping catchy sentence fragments that make as much sense as they need to, and no more.

Occasionally, "Keep On Your Mean Side" slows the tempo, putting in tracks like "Kissy Kissy", "Wait" and "Monkey 23" where the guitars ease back a little, and a slow echoey reverb takes over. These sections had me thinking of Concrete Blonde's early work, although Mosshart's scratchy voice holds a harder edge than Johnette Napolitano's more breathy vocals. Of these songs, I prefer "Wait", which is stripped down and acoustic and has an emotional vulnerability from Mosshart that is rare on the record.

Two or three times this record feels the need to end songs with ramblings by the "Kid Tsunami" persona, who sounds like some raving semi-literate in the throws of drug withdrawal. It is OK on the first time through for the novelty of it, but after a few listens I had the desire to cut those pieces out of the record as unnecessary filler on a record that doesn't need such tricks to be great.

"The Kills" are my great musical find for 2011, and "Keep On Your Mean Side" is as good as they get. I just wish it hadn't taken me eight years to discover them.

Best tracks: Superstition, Cat Claw, Pull a U, Fried My Little Brains, Black Rooster, Wait, Monkey 23

CD Odyssey Disc 323: Raconteurs

My friend Steve recently commented that he'd like to see some more painted miniatures on this site (my production takes a dip once football season begins). In an effort to deliver to my unwavering fans, I listened to this next album while painting.

Sorry, Steve, still nothing finished, but I'm getting there. In the meantime, more music!

Disc 323 is...Consolers of the Lonely

Artist: The Raconteurs

Year of Release: 2008

What’s Up With The Cover?: Those of you who know anything about Jack White know that he is a lover of early Americana. This cover looks to be an homage to early travelling road shows. Apart from some confusion on where these guys are gonna plug in their instruments, I like this cover.

How I Came To Know It: I had bought the Raconteurs first album back in 2006 and really liked it (I reviewed it way back at Disc 112). "Consolers of the Lonely" was just me buying the new release when it came out.

How It Stacks Up: I have both Raconteurs albums, and while they are both good, I have to put "Consolers of the Lonely" second of the two.

Rating: 4 stars.

Ah, Jack White; the boy loves his side projects, and the Raconteurs is probably his most famous (although I am very partial to the Dead Weather these days).

White is never afraid to collaborate with the best and brightest, and both bands feature Brendan Benson, a solo artist and songwriter who is responsible for writing most of the songs on "Consolers of the Lonely". I don't know anything about Benson, but based on his work with Jack White, I aim to find out.

The Raconteurs have a sound similar to The White Stripes, but with less of a punk sensibility and a bit more southern rock. In many ways the cover is an accurate depiction of the music, which is a modern reimagining of American folk/blues music.

Jack White is a devoted musical historian, and his love for the roots of his music with the White Stripes is very evident on this record. That said, he avoids sounding dated or repetitive on "Consolers of the Lonely". The Raconteurs always manage to sound inspired by earlier music without simply rehashing it, and the music on this album sounds as fresh as anything else from way back in 2008 (a good year for music, incidentally).

Many of the songs tell stories that hearken back to the first third of the twentieth century. In songs like "The Switch and the Spur" and "Carolina Drama" you can feel the dust and dirt of the depression settling into your pores as White spins the tales of the down and out. I particularly like "Carolina Drama" which tells the tale of an abusive family. The song revolves around a single violent episode, but before the action begins in earnest, we have the scene set for us:

"It was a junk-house in South Carolina
Held a boy the age of ten
Along with his older brother Billy
And a mother and her boyfriend.
Who was a triple loser with some blue tattoos
That were given to him when he was young
And a drunk temper that was easy to lose
And thank God he didn't own a gun."

These lines are laced with the threat of future violence, whetting our appetites, while at the same time filling us with dread about what will come (spoiler alert: it is 'death by milk jar' - you'll have to listen to the song to know who gets killed, though).

Musically on this listen, I really noticed the heavy use of a horn section on "The Horn and the Spur". The horns aren't used like to add R&B flavour like the Rolling Stones might have done, but instead shriek out in short, raucous bursts, adding dramatic flair to the songs.

White uses this same effect on the 2007 White Stripes album, "Icky Thump" on the song "Conquest". Overall I prefer "Icky Thump" as a record, but I think the horns are used to better effect on "Consolers of the Lonely". They just seem to fit with the old school sound here.

"Consolers of the Lonely" also feature fiddle and piano, delivering just the right amount of inspiration to the brain's higher functions, offsetting heavily reverbed guitar riffs aimed significantly lower on the anatomy.

Ever the post-modernists, The Raconteurs include the song "Hold Up" where they acknowledge their obsession with the past:

"Had enough of these modern times
About to drive me out of my mind
And you know this, too well
I'm hold up in my little cell"

It is a good song, but I don't feel the need for an explanation halfway through the record - I can come to my own conclusions. This is not the only negative occurence of post-modernism on the album. It also hits the title track, where you can hear Jack White low in the mix saying 'double track that', referencing a guitar riff. It may be a great guitar riff, but don't tell us you're double-tracking it, just do it. I hate that self-referential stuff, even on an album which is designed to sound raw.

Still, these are minor quibbles, and while I had intended to give this record 3 stars, two listens later I realize I can't go less than 4. It is a record I don't put on enough, but I think the only reason is when I want this sound I tend to gravitate to "Icky Thump". As ever, the Odyssey reminds me to look a little deeper and vary it up a bit.

Best tracks: Consolers of the Lonely, Salute Your Solution, Old Enough, Top Yourself, These Stones Will Shout, Carolina Drama

CD Odyssey Disc 322: Guy Clark

My reviews for September have lagged and at this pace I'll never finish the Odyssey. Time to pick up the pace, Logan!

This next disc is one of my current favourites, and was a joy to review.

Disc 322 is...Dublin Blues

Artist: Guy Clark

Year of Release: 1995

What’s Up With The Cover?: A serious looking Guy Clark sits on an expensive looking couch. I like that the guitar on his lap is sitting up high on his lap and pointing downward pointing, in that position you used to always see country artists play it at in the fifties and sixties.

How I Came To Know It: This is another artist from the Steve Earle musical tree. I found a live album a couple years ago called "Live At The Bluebird Cafe" (and even reviewed it back at Disc 231). I bought it for Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, but the album had a third artist named Guy Clark. I liked what I heard and so went in search of Guy Clark albums. "Dublin Blues" is the album from the same year as the Bluebird Cafe concert, and has a lot of the same tracks, making it a pretty safe bet.

How It Stacks Up: I only have one Guy Clark album. I did buy his third record, which was self-titled and released in 1978, but I really didn't like it, and sold it within a week. I love "Dublin Blues" so needless to say it is my favourite Guy Clark album.

Rating: 4 stars.

As I mentioned back when I reviewed the "Live At The Bluebird Cafe" album, Guy Clark is a classic singer/songwriter storyteller type. He uses simple, down home language to evoke strong emotions. When I listen to him sing I feel soothed, like that wise old uncle who always seems to have good advice when you need it. The kind of guy who doesn't say much, but when he speaks people listen.

"Dublin Blues" is a great record, that tells stories that run the gamut. The title track is a song about lost love and regret, as a man sits in a pub in a far off country (in this case, Ireland) reflecting on what went wrong over a few too many drinks and cigarettes.

It is a song that sets a sombre opening tone, but Clark doesn't allow himself to wallow, and covers a lot of different topics along the way, including the uplifting "The Cape." It is a song about holding on to your childlike sense of wonder, and not being afraid to take risks.

The last song on the album is "The Randall Knife" the story of a man coming to grips with his relationship to his father through a Second World War combat knife inherited after he dies. It always chokes me up, maybe because of my own failed relationship with my father, or maybe just because the song is real and emotionally resonant. I'm pretty sure regardless of your relationship with your father, "The Randall Knife" will get you in the guts (hopefully not literally). That's what good art does.

All of these songs I already knew from the Bluebird Cafe concert, and so part of me just enjoys hearing the other deeper cuts on "Dublin Blues" that were new to me. In particular, "Stuff That Works" a song about the things in your life that you come to rely on. Although he starts by listing things like an old shirt, a guitar or a reliable car, he quickly extends the metaphor to the people that come into your life:

"I got a pretty good friend
Who's seen me at my worst
He can't tell if I'm a blessing
Or a curse
But he always shows up
When the chips are down
That's the kind of stuff
I like to be around."

I've got a few friends like that, and wise old uncle Guy's song is a gentle reminder of just how lucky I am.

Musically, "Dublin Blues" is a country/folk crossover. The storytelling elements are definitely folk, but the arrangements and instrumentation are classic country. Like his contemporaries Earle and Van Zandt, the songs are very simple in their construction, and easy on the ears. Clark is by no means a gifted vocalist, and he half sings half speaks the lyrics, as he idly plucks his guitar.

I have a hard time imagining going to see him in concert, but I have an easy time imagining having him over and sitting on the back porch and sharing a beer and a few songs with him. Clark's style sets you at ease, and make you want to settle back in a comfy chair and let the afternoon while away.

There are a couple songs on "Dublin Blues" that come off more as songwriting exercises, such as "Hank Williams Said It Best" with a series of unfortunate lines like "One man's hawk is another man's dove/One man's hug is another man's shove" - an idea he takes way too far, with comparisons that visibly strain to rhyme.

Fortunately, these moments are aberrations, and even when they happen, the tracks in question still have agreeable enough melodies that you are willing to indulge Clark his weakness for wordplay.

Because of my bad experience with the other Guy Clark album I purchased, I have been gunshy about getting another record, but when it comes to "Dublin Blues" I have no such reservations; this is a record worth owning.

Best tracks: Dublin Blues, Stuff That Works, The Cape, Baby Took A Limo To Memphis, The Randall Knife

CD Odyssey Disc 321: Kiss

The CD Odyssey is on a bit of seventies roll, with three of the last four records being classic rock from that decade. I'm not complaining about that.

Disc 321 is...KISS (self-titled)

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1974

What’s Up With The Cover?: The band introduces themselves to America - in kabuki-style makeup of course - from left to right we have Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, and Ace Frehley. Naturally, Gene is alone in hamming it up for the photo shoot, but what I noticed in this picture was just how feminine Ace looks in this picture. I think it is the hair style, but the star earring and medallion necklace certainly add to the vibe.

Overall, I like this cover; although it's simple, it has a very low budget, garage band feel to it that KISS covers never really have again after this.

How I Came To Know It: As this is my 8th KISS review, this story is getting pretty old. I've known KISS since I was five years old. I never had this album as a kid, but knew the majority of the songs from my brother's copy of the much more famous "KISS Alive" record. They didn't resonate back then like my two favourite records (which I will talk about when I roll it) so I was glad to get properly reaquainted with their self-titled debut when it was reissued in remastered format back in the late nineties.

How It Stacks Up: I'm glad to roll this record only three albums after reviewing "Dressed To Kill", as these two are the best of KISS' early records. I left room for "Dressed To Kill" to beat this one out by saying I liked it "3rd or 4th best", but having heard their self-titled debut, I think it is marginally better. So I'll formally put KISS self-titled alone in 3rd, and drop "Dressed To Kill" to 4th.

Rating: 4 stars.

KISS' debut is a classic rock album by any reasonable measurement. The riffs are rock-steady, the band plays as tight as they ever will (Peter and Ace both being at the top of their game, and not addled by the substance abuse that would come later). Gene Simmons at this earliest stage of the band's career seems genuinely focused on the music. His vocals and playing are great, and the songs he writes for the record feature some of his best stuff (including "Nothin' To Lose" and "Deuce", although the latter really ascends to another level because of Frehley's inspired guitar playing).

As ever, KISS likes to sing about what they know; beautiful girls and living the rock n' roll dream. Something about writing and recording these songs before they ever achieve stardom makes the accomplishment so much better. At the same time, it gives the songs a bit of a gritty edge they never recapture on later records. This down n' dirty feel is particularly noticeable on tracks like "Cold Gin", an Ace Frehley offering which gets into alcohol abuse from the perspective of a couple who is only held together by the prospect of getting drunk:

"It's time to leave and get another quart
Around the corner at the liquor store
Haha the cheapest stuff is all I need
To get me back on my feet again.

"Ooh, it's cold gin time again
You know it'll always win
It's cold gin time again
You know it's the only thing
That keeps us together."

I like this section because it willingly rejects KISS' gods of rock imagery, to acknowledge the sad edge to alcohol abuse. Frehley's bad habits are revealed early, and given what happens to the band later on, it had me thinking beyond the surface, as though the song is subversively about the band's internal relationship, with partiers Frehley and Criss increasingly at odds with the relatively straight-laced Stanley and the teetotalling Simmons.

At the same time as they are playing imperfectly with their images as rock superstars to great effect, the band also showcases another side of themselves as rock and roll traditionalists, with a remake of the 1959 Bobby Rydell hit "Kissin' Time". They would go on to do another great cover on 1977's "Love Gun" with "Then She Kissed Me", but I'll talk about that when I roll it.

I think there is a strong argument to be made that KISS' debut album is their greatest achievement. It shows a band that knows exactly where they are going, but with a raw rock edge still on their music by virtue of their not having arrived yet. It is as heavy as anything they would later record, and Frehley's guitar was never better than on classics like "Strutter", "Cold Gin", "Deuce" and even the groove-rock instrumental "Love Theme From KISS".

If I hold out for a couple albums to top it (and I do), it is more a favouritism born of nostalgia, than any critical consideration. But hey, it is my blog; if you want your own version of nostalgia, feel free to write your own.

A final note on the KISS remasters, which are among the best out there, and worth the investment even if you already have the original releases. They aren't just louder like a lot of remasters, nor has someone come along post-recording and messed up the mix. Instead they just sound crisper, more full and more distinct, but otherwise exactly as they felt the first time you spun them on your turntables back in the 1970s.

KISS has even avoided adding a bunch of extra track filler, keeping tight little albums like their debut short, sweet, and leaving you wanting more. Other artists currently remastering your early work, take not on how it can be done properly.

Best tracks: Strutter, Firehouse, Cold Gin, Deuce, Love Theme From KISS, Black Diamond

CD Odyssey Disc 320: Bourbon Tabernacle Choir

This next album takes me way back to my early twenties, and takes the Odyssey away from all that hard rock and heavy metal it has been pursuing. Don't worry, gentle reader, it isn't folk.

Disc 320 is...Superior Cackling Hen

Artist: The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir

Year of Release: 1992

What’s Up With The Cover?: A classic example of early nineties arty college-band type album covers, and how bad they are. The BTC are a very upbeat band, though, so I won't go on any further.

How I Came To Know It: Although they had been around in the underground music scene for years, I learned about this band like most people; through the Highway 61 Soundtrack (reviewed back at Disc 230) where they had a single which is by far the catchiest on that album. I went looking for an album after I heard it, and came home with "Superior Cackling Hen".

How It Stacks Up: I only have this one Bourbon Tabernacle Choir (BTC) album. I used to own the follow up effort, "Shy Folk", but I didn't like it very much and sold it years ago. I would be keen to find some of their earlier work, but it's not easy.

Rating: 4 stars.

Back in 1992/93 I was twenty-two years old and working a dead end, minimum wage job and dreaming of a better life. I had graduated from University with an English degree, and had wrongly assumed that was going to assure me of a job in a depressed economy. It was a life lesson in humility I'm glad to have learned, but one that went completely unappreciated at the time.

Enter into my life the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, with a record so different from anything I'd heard before it forced me to stop wallowing and take note. They were a band combining elements of pop, alternative rock and a healthy dollop of RnB.

They had all the usual instruments for a rock band, but by the time "Superior Cackling Hen" had come out they also had a three piece horn section. With eight band members they could've qualified as ska if they'd sped up the tempo of their songs.OK, maybe not the ska thing, but they certainly had the requisite number of band members (no respectable ska band should have less than seven).

Anyway, I heard this record and fell in love with their sound. At a time in my life when I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, the BTC sang songs that playfully told you to pull your socks up, and that had funky tunes that helped you do it. Lyrically it wasn't anything special, but I liked the band's no-nonsense philosophy that each of us is responsible for our own attitude.

As they sing in "Waiting In A Hurry":

Sitting all lonesome, trying to be happy
Wishing I could just dive in
If I wanna be master of the stuff I'm after
I gotta get on and take a spin."

Not brilliant by any means, but at the time it was the message I needed to hear. It didn't give me the full attitude adjustment I needed at the time, but it helped get my feet moving down the right path one step at a time.

There are also vague political themes on the record which could be preachy, but because they stick to character failings and not specifics, they work on a universal level. The BTC is a band that tells you to get your act together, but they do it with a smile and a swing in their step.

On "Superior Cackling Hen" the BTC like to deliberately complicate their arrangements, and generally they get away with it (a quality that was lacking on their follow up album noted above). Many in the band sing, and most songs feature more than one voice, and the blending works well. You get the impression it is a collaborative effort, with everyone adding their own piece to the sound; something any good band should have.

Collaborative or not, one member always stuck out for me, and that was vocalist Kate Fenner. Her voice was low and sexy and full of playful energy. I'm not ashamed to admit I fell in love with that voice in the same way you fall in love with the lead in a romantic comedy; at a distance, but with an artificial closeness that is comfy all the same.

When the band came to Victoria to play Harpo's later that year, I went even though I think I had $20 to my name at the time and had to work the next day. I even took an advance on my visa card and bought a tour shirt, and in the years that followed I wore the hell out of it.

They put on a hell of a concert - full of energy from start to finish; horn section blasting away, and much whooping and good times being had both on stage and off. I stood up front and danced away, and after the concert I even got Kate Fenner to sign my CD (yes, I brought it down). Here's a picture!

She writes, "luck and love, from Kate Fenner," which I think is as fine an autograph as one could hope for.

That was one of the only times I've behaved in such a gratuitous fan-boy way, and I think it fitting that Kate's message wished me exactly what I needed - and the band's music taught me to find it in myself.

I often wish that BTC had enjoyed a long career following, but after 1995's "Shy Folk" they went their own ways and now work on a variety of projects. Maybe that is just as well. From the album art, to their quirky infectious sound and the place they occupy in my musical memory, they were of a time. I do miss the tour shirt though.

Best tracks: Grow, Waiting In A Hurry, Afterglow, Make Amends, Two Clowns, and Rude Groove (for the saxophone solo alone - yeah, you read that right).

CD Odyssey Disc 319: Judas Priest

Despite only having 10 Judas Priest albums (a mere ten!) the Odyssey has proven very fond of the British rockers. This is my 7th review of Priest, although sadly not my favourite.

Disc 319 is...Sin After Sin

Artist: Judas Priest

Year of Release: 1977

What’s Up With The Cover?: It appears to be ancient temple dedicated to sin. Although you can't see it in the picture very well, right above the pillars "Sin After Sin" is written in silver block lettering. This is the kind of temple I could get behind.

How I Came To Know It: I've known Priest since I was a teenager, but I only recently discovered this record while drilling through their back catalogue.

How It Stacks Up: Judas Priest is consistently good, so the competition is fierce, and "Sin After Sin" just doesn't measure up to the same calibre of some of the records I've previously reviewed on the Odyssey. I'd say it is one of the weaker ones - I'm going to go with 8th or 9th out the 10 I have.

Rating: 3 stars.

"Sin After Sin" is Judas Priest's third studio album, and the first that I think has that full 'heavy metal' sound that we associate with the band because of more widely known records that came later.

Halford's voice is still youthful and fantastic, particularly on "The Last Rose of Summer" an original song written by Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton, which sounds like it was updated to metal from some classical folk song. (My confusion is warranted, mind you, since there is a traditional folk song called "The Last Rose of Summer" - but it is a different song).

His voice, usually employed in a melodic assault over top of Priest's memorable guitar licks is instead restrained and almost operatic as Judas Priest shows the range they're capable of when they are suitably motivated. The band also covers a Joan Baez song, "Diamonds and Rust" to good and similar effect.

Despite the band's willingness to branch out with a different sound, I felt that when they 'went heavy' on "Sin After Sin' they left me wanting in places. Don't get me wrong; the killer riffs are still there (particularly on "Sinner" and "Raw Deal"), and Halford is in fine vocal form. It is just that songs generally didn't elevate my energy level like Priest songs usually do. They are good, but not great, and after recent reviews of records like "Killing Machine", "British Steel" and "Defenders of the Faith", I expect greatness from this band. It may sound unduly harsh but hey, they set the bar high, not me.

In places it even sounds like they are trying to do some kind of prog sound - like in the song "Starbreaker" which gave me strong associations with early Rush, or the six minute double song "Let Us Prey/Call For The Priest" which ranges through a number of defined movements - some of it having the furious, relentless guitar playing that would define the classic record, "Defenders of The Faith." However, at this early stage, they don't quite bring it all together. Again, the songs are good, but not great, and left me wanting more.

My version of this record is the remastered one, and as ever Judas Priest is suitably restrained, only adding two bonus tracks. The first is a song called "Race With the Devil", a song about how you...er...can't win a race with the devil. According to the liner notes, it was a song taken from an early jam session and never released. That's a pity, because I think it is an excellent song, and one of my favourites on the record.

The other bonus track is a live version of "Jawbreaker" originally from the "Defenders of the Faith" album. They are a good band live, but it didn't overly inspire me beyond that.

I ultimately enjoyed "Sin After Sin" but I think it could have been so much more, and for that reason I can't go above three stars, even for as great a band as the Priest.

Best tracks: Sinner, Last Rose of Summer, Raw Deal, Race With the Devil

CD Odyssey Disc 318: KISS

Ever since I was six years old there are three hard rock bands that have always spoken to me: Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Blue Oyster Cult (OK, if you count Nazareth there were four - but Nazareth has faded for me in adulthood).

Since I've started the Odyssey, I've rolled 9 of 25 Alice Cooper Records and 5 of 10 KISS albums, but still just the one of fourteen Blue Oyster Cult records. If I was looking for fate to even the odds up a bit, it is not to be.

On the plus side, I got to listen to a fine KISS record.

Disc 318 is...Dressed To Kill

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1975

What’s Up With The Cover?: KISS gets dressed up in suits to offset their less than business-like face makeup. I love this cover, which I think is one of rock and rolls great iconic album covers. I don't like Gene's white leather clogs, however, and Paul looks like he's wearing black sneakers. Cris and Ace steal the footwork show, but as ever Gene and Paul get all the credit.

How I Came To Know It: I only got this studio album relatively recently (probably around 2000). I started buying KISS records in 1976 with Destroyer and kept buying them thereafter, but as a child with limited buying power (and less historical perspective) I didn't think to go backwards in the catalogue. That said, many of these songs are on KISS' first live album, and I know them from there.

How It Stacks Up: I have ten of KISS' studio albums, and "Dressed To Kill" is one of my favourites. I'd say it is 3rd or 4th depending on my mood at the time.

Rating: 4 stars.

"Dressed To Kill" is the third album KISS released in only thirteen months (or so saith the fawning liner notes that accompany my remastered copy). It was released a mere six months after their second record, "Hotter Than Hell" and I think it is a superior product in practically every way, returning to the high level of their self-titled debut. It is also the source of their most famous and enduring song, "Rock And Roll All Nite" which has become an anthem to young rebels the world over for more than thirty five years.

This is straight ahead rock and roll, with the underappreciated Paul Stanley belting out tunes like "Rock Bottom" with a wild abandon that makes you know he is feeling it. This is one of Stanley's better records, and I found myself noticing him more than on previous KISS reviews.

Of course, this could be because "Dressed To Kill" has some of the most ridiculous lyrics in the KISS catalogue - and that is saying a lot. Most of the songs are about partying hard, bedding groupies and...um, I think that's about it actually. From "C'Mon And Love Me":

"I'm a man, I'm not a baby
And you're looking every inch a lady
You're good lookin' and you're lookin' like you should be good
You were distant, now you're nearer
I can feel your face inside the mirror
The lights are out and I can feel you baby, with my hand."

These lyrics are absolutely ridiculous - in places they don't even rhyme correctly (baby/lady?) but in the hands of the bombastic KISS they not only work, they are awesome. I found myself struggling not to sing along or laugh out loud, and ended up doing both. I'm not sure if these guys know how silly they sound, but it is almost better if they don't.

Fortunately, a couple of things firmly ground this album and make it a four star rock album. First of all, the songs are catchy and well written. They hearken back to a late fifties/early sixties rock sound that is timeless, and then they add in plenty of grit that updates them to the mid-seventies audience.

Second, is the genius of Ace Frehley's guitar. It always sounds big and brash, and vaguely out of this world, not unlike the character he portrays in the band. Despite this, it somehow grounds this band during overblown songs like "C'mon And Love Me", keeping the album's sound firmly in a rock groove when it threatens to take a turn toward vaudeville.

Frehley's guitar on the monster track, "She" is particularly amazing, not just in playing the memorable riff that the song thrives off of, but also in the solo and after, as he meets Paul Stanley's vocal stylings and then bests them, like a poor man's Jimmy Page showing up an equally poor man's Robert Plant.

Timewise, the album is incredibly tight - less than 30 minutes of music. It might seem a bit thin to a modern audience, but it leaves you wanting more in a good way. Too often bands feel the need to pad their songs with long intros and outtros. The songs on "Dressed To Kill" get right down to business, rocking your socks off, and leaves you swaying barefoot less than three minutes later (and possibly giggling).

This album makes me feel young, and not just because the music came out when I was young. It makes me feel young, because it takes joy in having a good time, and does it well. And of course, whether you're 41 or 14, the borderline-lewd lyrics are guaranteed to annoy your parents; a rock and roll staple through the ages.

Best tracks: Getaway, C'Mon And Love Me, Lover Her All I Can, She, Rock And Roll All Night

CD Odyssey Disc 317: Happy Mondays

I'm having a very creative day today. I finally got to collating all the notes and feedback I've received on my book and making my final revisions. It is damned exciting to embark on this next phase of the process. Also, I want it done so I can write something else - right now my head is overloaded with the one project, making it hard to motivate for others.

And in between my job search activities, I even snuck in about 45 minutes of painting...and now a blog entry. In my little creative world, that means I've hit for the cycle.

Disc 317 is...Pills 'N Thrills And Bellyaches

Artist: Happy Mondays

Year of Release: 1990

What’s Up With The Cover?: Way too much. It spells out the band's name and album title, but it is so busy it is painful to look at. A big thumbs down to this cover.

How I Came To Know It: This is one of my friend Nick's discoveries. Nick is from Manchester and he will periodically introduce us to some Manchester band of his youth (others include Magazine and Black Grape). It isn't music I ordinarily listen to, but Nick has a good ear, and tends to pick the best of it.

How It Stacks Up: I only have this one Happy Mondays album, so there isn't much to compare it to. That said, I also have one Black Grape album, which is also a creative project of two former Happy Mondays (Shaun Ryder and Bez). If I were to compare this record to my Black Grape record ("Stupid Stupid Stupid") the Happy Mondays win by a hair.

Rating: 3 stars.

The Happy Mondays is a band that I have a hard time describing. They are sort of a cross between early nineties pop and funk, with maybe a dose of post-punk thrown in. Many of their songs feature drug use so maybe "Stoner Pop Phunk"?

Whatever it is, I first heard it on a night Nick and I were hanging out and sharing music, and I liked it. For years afterward I looked for a copy, but it was damned hard to find on CD. Eventually I had all but given up hope, but then I found a copy in a Seattle record store about five or six years ago. Take that, Amazon!

On this listen it didn't immediately appeal. The first track, "Kinky Afro" is not that great, and overall the whole first side is a bit weak, with the exception of "God's Cop". "God's Cop" is exactly what is great about this band. It has a killer hook, and manages to be funky like Parliament and edgy like the Clash at the same time.

The lyrics are far from deep, but they have a cleverness to them that makes them memorable. Happy Mondays have a real knack for catchy phrases, delivered by lead singer Shaun Ryder in a playful tongue-in-cheek style that reminds us all not to take life too seriously. Examples from "God's Cop" include, "God made it easy on me" and "Me and the chiefs got slowly stoned". I'm not sure either has any deep meaning (or even who 'the chiefs' are for that matter - although I suspect his mates, rather than those guys that hang out at Arrowhead Stadium).

Another standout is "Loose Fit" which has a very groovy hook that plays throughout and settles you into your couch (or most recently, the seat of my car). "Loose Fit" hits at track five, and from here to the end (a tastefully restrained ten songs) the album really picks up momentum and improves overall.

"Bob's Your Uncle" is a sexy song that takes a marimba beat and fuses it to the Mondays' unique sound. Halfway into the song, they throw in what I think is a synthesized penny whistle and actually make it work.

Later songs return to fun lyrics including one of Nick's favourites from "Step On" which goes, "You're talkin' so hip you're twistin' my melon man!" which I believe is nineties Stoner Pop Phunk for "you're creative ideas are confusing me."

On the downside is an old pet peeve of mine, that being that the song titles have very little to do with the lyrics. This is a common early nineties theme, which has sadly stuck around in many genres of modern music (indie being the most notable).

Also, while I like the groove of this record, it has a few tracks that lose themselves in an excess amount of competing rythyms that muddle the song. This happens more commonly at the front end of the record, which is odd since most artists put that kind of muddle on side two.

Overall, "Pills 'N Thrills And Bellyaches" is a good record for both car or party. It doesn't have a lot of layers, but what it does, it does well, which is make your head bob, your body move and generally create a good vibe in the room.

Best tracks: God's Cop, Loose Fit, Step On, Holiday