Thursday, March 14, 2013

HARLOT "Room With A View"

(c) 1989 Olafssongs
  1. Now I See
  2. So Much For Happy Endings
  3. Out All Night
  4. Spirits
  5. Invisible Ones
  6. Metropolis Children
  7. Dancing On Dynamite
  8. Bring Home Your Love
  9. Kecia
Alex Savage--Vocals
Mike Koch--Guitars, Backing Vocals
Bo Baerentsen--Bass, Backing Vocals
Peter Warming--Drums, Backing Vocals
Bo Brinck--Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Additional Musicians:
Steve Cherry--Backing Vocals

Here is one of those long lost albums that you read about occasionally, but rarely run across.  It's not that Harlot was a big name or that you've heard this album and just don't realize it, as much as it is that this was a pretty solid album with a nice, melodic hard rock sound that would possibly have scored a couple of big radio hits had it been released in America by an American band.  However, since these boys hailed from Denmark and since they had NOTHING in the way of label backing, this disc goes relatively unnoticed by people who aren't sure what they are looking at.  Trust me when I say that if you can find this one somewhere, you should grab it if the price is decent (anything under $20 is pretty good). 

Comparable to such bands as Da Vinci, Treat, Bad Habit, or so many other very good-to-great Scandinavian melodic hard rockers, Room With A View is a solid listen from beginning to end, with only a couple of minor glitches in the songwriting.  For the most part, the album sticks to uptempo rockers underscored with keyboards that don't overpower the songs but enhance them, instead. There are a couple of exceptions, such as "So Much For Happy Endings", when the keyboards are just too out front for my tastes, but that is mostly a problem on the intro and the rest of the song is generally a good one.  (I believe this was also a single off this album in Europe...) There are actually some very strong guitars on this track, so I'm not sure why the band felt the need to incorporate so many keys.

As you would expect, there are a few slower moments as well, but surprisingly, these songs are not the strongest as one might suspect they would be with an AOR act such as Harlot. "Metropolis Children", which isn't really a ballad but is definitely lower-mid-tempo, really does nothing for me at all, although the chorus is a bit catchy.  "Spirits" isn't a horrible song, but it is pretty long (nearly 5:30) and really seems to drag and lacks any true hook.  "Bring Home Your Love" is easily the best of the slow numbers here and I suspect it was featured at more than one high school dance in Denmark as it has prom power ballad written all over it.  Reminds me of something Bad English would have done, as a means of comparison, and I'm guessing radio would have really feasted on this track if it had been on this side of the pond and on a big label.

When the band sticks to what it does best, such as on the rocking "Dancing On Dynamite" or "Invisible Ones", they are a very solid band, even if they do rely too much on keys at times.  Again, this is an album that I think people who identify themselves as fans of the AOR or melodic rock genres are going to really like, if not love.  If you are looking for more of a "hair metal" sound, you might find the album a bit weak overall, and if you are strictly in it for the sleaze, you should just go ahead and pass on Harlot, as they are not your thing at all.

As it is, I call it like I see it overall, and I try to not get caught up in the genre/label thing...

Rating:  Rock this at a good 6.5, with just a couple of tracks...and a few too many keyboards...keeping this from being a crank-worthy disc.

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Sunday, March 10, 2013

WILD ROSE "Dangerous"

(c) 2013 AOR Heaven

  1. Alone
  2. Hold On
  3. Can't Stop Loving You
  4. If You Still Love Me
  5. Dream On
  6. Awake
  7. Tonight
  8. I Won't Forget You
  9. Is This Love
  10. Not A Day Goes By
David Saylor--Vocals
Andy Rock--Guitars, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Phil Gun--Bass 
Dirty Harris--Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Tiny Karpo--Guitars, Backing Vocals
Junior Domanos--Drums

Holy retro, Batman!  When I put Dangerous, the new release from Greece's Wild Rose, in my CD player, I had to look around to make sure everyone wasn't suddenly wearing stone-washed jeans, denim jackets, spandex, and massively teased hair!  Seriously, a lot of bands go a long way toward capturing the sound and spirit of the 80's hard rock scene, but Wild Rose takes things to an entirely different level.  Were it not for the amazingly crystal clear production on this record, it would be basically impossible to tell much of Wild Rose's music apart from the keyboard-laden AOR material of the 80's such as Giuffria, Giant, Nelson, Heart, or even an act like a John Parr, a Richard Marx, or a solo Lou Gramm, at times.    

This album was my first introduction to the band, so I had no issues with the shake-up of the band's foundation prior to the release of this disc.  From what I have gathered upon seeking out the band's previous efforts, we have a new lead singer and lead guitar player on this album, but I have no idea as to why the original members were replaced.  That being said, I have to state that I prefer Saylor's vocals to those of his predecessor, and there is no major change in the approach of the guitars on this album, so people who were fans of Wild Rose before are likely to find themselves fawning all over this album as well.

There are just so many 80's moments on this album, it's hard to explain it.  Heck, even the majority of the song titles were used on some pretty big hits from the 80's and early 90's!  Musically, "I Can't Stop Loving You" (not the Van Halen track) is about as pure a piece of 80's AOR worship as you can find anywhere.  The same can be said of the somewhat harder rocking "Is This Love" (not the Whitesnake song), and "Alone" (not the Heart song).  As I mentioned above, Richard Marx comes to mind when I hear a song like the ballad "Awake", and Lou Gramm's solo work can be referenced in "Not A Day Goes By".  "I Won't Forget You" (not the Poison song) is another above average mid-tempo rocker that reminds me musically of what Nelson was doing in the heyday of their career, although there are instances of excessive keyboard use in this track that almost ruin it for me.

In fact, if I had a complaint it would be the keyboard.  There are simply too many keyboards on some of these songs.  Heck, they have TWO keyboard players!  As I have stated before, I am not opposed to keyboards as a supplemental instrument as long as they are powerful and fill in the gaps between the guitars, giving the music that big, full sound.  For the most part, that is how the keys are used here.  But at times, such as on "Hold On", the keys are those tinkly, jingly sounds that really damaged a lot of the songs on Shy's Excess All Areas album, for example.  They are just too...prissy, too..I don't know...lacking in power.  As such, I don't really understand their inclusion.  To be fair, I didn't understand their inclusion in the 80's, either, as they tend to take some very good, sometimes even great songs, and make them very hard for me to enjoy.  

Musically, it is impossible to deny the talent of this band.  They are impressive.  Lyrically, they are a bit simplistic, but not cliche like so many foreign rockers tend to be, and I think that has to do with the fact that English is Saylor's native language.  As such, there is also not that annoying accent problem that a lot of foreign singers have.  However, while musically very skillful, it is almost too clean, too pristine, to be rock and roll in spots.  As such, some of the songs come across like those on the last Journey album: musically perfect but not overly memorable or original.

If pure AOR is your passion, and hook-filled, keyboard-heavy melodic rock is what you are looking for, Wild Rose is definitely going to be a pleasure for you to listen to.  If you need more grit and more drive, you are still most likely going to find some things to like about this album, but you may find yourself asking where the teeth of the songs are.  For me, I am somewhere in the middle, as I can appreciate really good AOR, which Wild Rose performs, although, as I stated, a few of these songs just get too "pretty" for me, and I wonder how many of these songs I will be able to instantly recognize in the next several weeks, months, or years.

Rating:  A tough ranking for me.  Musically, there is no doubt these guys are in the stratosphere as far as skill goes, so a 9 isn't out of the question.  On the other hand, a couple of tunes REALLY turn me off, and one or two don't move me in any direction at all.  So, as a final rating, I'd have to say this album still manages to land in the crankable category, but just barely, with a 7 rating.  Some people will rate this MUCH higher, no doubt, and I couldn't argue their point.

Monday, March 4, 2013

**RETRO REVIEW**TIGERTAILZ "Young And Crazy"

(c) 1987 Music For Nations

  1. Star Attraction
  2. Hollywood Killer
  3. Ballerina
  4. Livin' Without You
  5. Shameless
  6. City Kidz
  7. Shoot To Kill
  8. Turn Me On
  9. She'z Too Hot
  10. Young And Crazy
  11. Fall In Love Again
Steevi Jaimz--Vocals
Jay Pepper--Guitars
Pepsi Tate--Bass, Keyboards
Ace Finchum--Drums

Released more than 25 years ago, Young And Crazy by Tigertailz remains one of the underappreciated albums of the 80's hair metal scene.  Released on two ridiculously small labels (Music For Nations internationally and Combat Records in the U.S.) by a band that seemed to be CONSTANTLY fighting and changing its line-up, it is really little wonder that fewer people have had the chance to wrap their ears around this band that looked like Poison but rocked more like early Ratt or the other more "metallic" hair bands of the time.

One of the first things that usually hits people with Tigertailz, or more specifically with Young And Crazy, is the surprisingly low register that Jaimz sings with.  Sure, he looks like a chick on the album cover, but Jaimz actually has a rich, lower register tenor that really gives TT's music a different feel than so much of the glam that was really starting to spread throughout the Hollywood rock scene.  Another thing of note is the previously mentioned metallic tone that Pepper tended to incorporate in the music, keeping the poppy feel of the music but giving a lot of this album's material a grittier edge than their visual image would lead most people to expect.  This is not to say TT should be confused with 80's-era Metallica or Megadeth by any stretch, but they are also not purely a Aquanetted pop band, either.  Sadly, one of the other things most people notice about this album fairly quickly is the relatively poor production quality, giving the release a slightly muddy sound, which is a huge shame.  (The 2008 re-release on Krescendo Records doesn't address this issue to any appreciable level, by the way...).  

Every time I pop this disc in, I am always struck by the quality of the songwriting present here.  Solid guitar work, both in the rhythm and lead departments, a tight (if somewhat buried) bass line, and quality, if not flashy, drum work, really stand out on this album nearly as much as Steevie's vocals do.  So often bands from the Sunset Strip (and soundalike) scene would feature a great singer...OR a killer guitarist...or a flashy drummer...but rarely did a band have all the parts at the same time.  And, if they DID manage to have two or more of these parts, the songs were quite often lacking.  Not an issue for this album.  How the huge ballad "Fall In Love Again" isn't featured on every Monster Ballads, or similar, compilation is a mystery to me.  

I also wonder how that huge track was left as the last track on this entire album!  But I digress...

Whether the listener is after top notch metallic rockers such as the title track, "Star Attraction", "Hollywood Killer", "Livin' Without You" or "City Kidz", or something a bit more along the pop lines such as "Shameless" or "She'z Too Hot", this album, and this line-up in particular, had all bases covered.  Later versions of this band would slip far more into the glammy territory covered by Poison, Warrant, and their pals, but for this one, brief moment, Tigertailz really DID have the scene by the...ahem...tail, if only they had been on a label big enough to allow them to capitalize on it.  Sadly, Jaimz would be gone within a couple of years of this album's release, and there would eventually be two versions of the band touring (sound familiar, Great White, LA Guns, Faster Pussycat, Queensryche, etc.?), with Tate's version of the band eventually taking Jaimz's version to court and wrestling the name away.  As such, Young And Crazy is the only album this version of the band would ever release.

As far as the liner notes, etc., the original version of the album DID feature full lyrics, credits, etc....BUT YOU CAN'T READ THEM!  It looks like the record label got the bright idea to just shrink the lyrics sheet and liner notes from the vinyl album without bothering to include a magnifying glass or microscope with every CD so that people could see them!  Seriously, the packaging is a mess on the original; I have not had a chance to get my hands on the liner notes of Krescendo Records' re-issue to see if this was cleaned up in any way.

If you can find an original copy, snag it, as a lot of collectors consider the M.f.t.N. or Combat Records versions to be extremely collectible, whether on vinyl or CD (not so much on cassette).  These can be pretty pricey, however, with used copies regularly selling for $25 or more.  If you can find a cheaper re-issue, or if you have no problems with digital downloads, I'd tell you to get this record at once, as it is an absolute gem that more people should give themselves the chance to hear.

Rating:  Definitely a crankable release!  Crank this to 8!

THE BLACK BULLETS "Black Bullets EP"

(c) 2012 Too Loaded Records

  1. Shoot Em Down
  2. Black Bullets
  3. All Or Nothing
  4. Too Loaded For Love
  5. Teaching Yourself To Live
Rob Castle--Vocals, Guitars
Stevie Pearle--Guitars, Vocals
Carl Donoghue--Drums, Vocals
Jim Bones--Bass, Vocals

Perhaps not surprisingly, given their country of origin, The Black Bullets take a heaping dose of British punk, mix it in with a bit of sleaze, and stir in liberally such influences as Motorhead, AC/DC, and even Thin Lizzy, to create a form of punk-n-roll that people are either going to love or hate, with a slight bit of wiggle room in between (which is where I fall, but more on that in a bit).

In their bio, The Black Bullets are said to "live, eat, throw up, sleep, breathe, and drink rock n roll", and I have little doubt about that.  These four Brits play down and dirty, fast and furious, punked-up rock at such a  break-neck pace that some may find it difficult to keep up!  Castle's vocals have a definite punk approach to them, being more spit out than sung, and four of the five songs here are short bursts of angst (all under 2:40 in every case except for "All Or Nothing") that I am sure have the crowds at their shows slamming into one another in a furious fit.  The guitar tones used here are largely straight out of the 70's metal scene, especially on tracks like the self-titled "Black Bullets" and the Scott-era AC/DC inspired "Too Loaded For Love", while "All Or Nothing" uses a bit more 80's style and tone than the rest.  I highly doubt that Donoghue's drum kit survives a live show intact, as he sounds like he is beating the crap outta each tom and snare with every shot, and Bones is a solid bass thumper, but he also brings out one of the weakest points of this effort: the production.

Bones' bass is all but lost in the mix on three of the five tracks here, which is a shame, as that bottom end is what several of these songs are really missing.  I'm sure this is a relatively low-budget release, judging not only from the production, but also the packaging.  There are no lyrics, no thank yous, no credits, and purely black and white photography, all included in...you guessed it...my dreaded enemy, the DIGIPACK!!!     

Musically, the band has pretty much one speed: warp speed.  They toy around with a bit of a tempo change on "All Or Nothing", but once they hit the chorus on that track, it's balls-out, full speed blasting once again.  This leads the songs to run into each other a bit, and with an album this short, it's over before I've really had a chance to define where things begin and where they end.  Also, I'm not sure if it is intentional or due to a lack of budget for retakes, but Castle's voice breaks pretty harshly in a couple of spots, which while adding to the punk quality of the effort, also detracts from the overall sonic quality, at least for me.  I will be the first to admit I have never been a big punk fan, but I think with just a bit more restraint, Castle would get more of a Lemmy-styled metal sound than the end result here.

All in all, a fine debut effort that will possibly lead to even greater things in the future.  I would be curious to catch a live performance by this band sometime, as I have read that Thin Lizzy and Motorhead covers are worked into the set, and I can imagine that both are done at a break-neck speed, making me wonder if the band could play more than a 60 minute set without including 20 songs and then running out of material!    

Rating:  Rock this debut EP at 6, with the main issues being the production, the shortness of the album, and the lack of any real tempo changes, for the most part.  The talent is there, the execution, particularly in the production aspect, just needs to catch up a bit.

SUICIDE BOMBERS "Criminal Record"


(c) 2012 Suicide Records

  1. The Trailer: History Is About To Begin
  2. Let's Rock N Roll
  3. Easy Access
  4. Napalm Heart
  5. This Time Tomorrow
  6. Smoke & Mirrors
  7. High On Explosives
  8. Electric Fire
  9. Bombers En Vogue
  10. Teenage Breakdown
  11. Cindy
  12. Princess Socialite
  13. Riot
  14. Outro: ...Over & Motherf**king Out
Chris Damien Doll--Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Lazy Leather--Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
James Nero--Bass, Backing Vocals
T-Bone--Drums

There's something to be said about a band that has fun and doesn't take themselves too seriously.  There is also something to be said about a band that perhaps takes themselves TOO seriously.  At times, it is a bit difficult to determine which camp Norway's Suicide Bombers fall into on their independently released Criminal Record album.  How serious can you, or should you, take a band who refers to themselves as The Sleaze Fuhrer", "The Sex-Gunslinger", "The Bitch Commander", and "The Outlaw Groover"?  In fact, even after repeated listens, I am still not 100% certain if this is a serious project...such as a Zodiac Mindwarp...or something of a joke...along the lines of a less vulgar Steel Panther...but I can say with absolute certainty that there is a good degree of talent to be found in this band and on this record.

Things start off with the album's "trailer", complete with band member introductions, which should make it abundantly clear as to my confusion about whether or not this album is completely on the up-and-up.  However, once the music starts with a pummeling drumroll the band comes out swinging full-force with the ripping sleaze-fest, "Let's Rock N Roll".  "Easy Access" continues in the same manner with another full-steam-ahead, sleaze-drenched romp, giving Leather a chance to really flash his guitar prowess.  In fact, if it is this style of music you are after, Suicide Bombers pack plenty of hook-laden, riff-packed sleaze onto this album, with "High On Explosives" being the best, and others such as "Electric Fire", "Bombers En Vogue", and "Riot" all falling in line not too far behind.  And, while not as high-octane as the other mentioned, "Princess Socialite" is definitely one of the sleaziest tracks here and definitely worth checking out.

The album only slows down on one of the actual songs here (ignoring the intro and outro), and that would be on "Smoke And Mirrors", but even this is not what I would call a ballad...more of a brief breather would be more like it.  "Teenage Breakdown" has a bit more of a classic rock feel to it, and "Napalm Heart" is more straight ahead hard rock, less sleaze, than the rest of this disc, but all three are solid, if unspectacular additions to the album.      

There are a couple of weak spots for me.  "Cindy" is pretty bland overall, and doesn't add anything to the album.  "This Time Tomorrow" also misses the mark here, but I can't really tell you what it is I don't like about it; something just doesn't "feel" right about it.  Maybe it's the song's location between "Napalm Heart" and "Smoke And Mirrors" that makes it seem out of place.  Not sure, and it's not a horrible song, just not a high point, either.  And, as I have said with many other albums, while cute a time or two, intros and outros, no matter how entertaining or well thought out, get old and become an annoyance with repeated listens.  The first and last tracks here are no exception.

There is a good deal of talent to be found here, with Lazy Leather's guitar work being of top-notch quality pretty much throughout the disc.  Chris Damien Doll's songwriting is also of a pretty high caliber, and his vocals, while eerily familiar at times, are distinct enough to keep him from sounding like an 80's sleaze clone. The rhythm section is smooth and tight, perhaps even a bit TOO tight for those who like their sleaze to be a bit sloppy and loose, but they certainly don't detract from the structure of the songs.

I was surprised at the quality of the production, as so many indie projects seem to leave something as important as production on the "things to do" list.  Suicide Bombers were smart to put some extra effort into this department as it helps the majority of these songs to rip and claw their way to life, especially in the guitar tones and the separation of the instruments.  Sure, it's sleaze, so there is a certain level of sludginess to the sound, but you can tell it is an intentional feel and not the side-effect of sloppy work at the control board.  The packaging is also top notch, with full band pictures, brief movie-style bios (what would you expect?), and lyrics, which I always rate highly, especially when checking into new bands.

I love it when a new band surprises me, and Suicide Bombers did just that, for a number of reasons.  Definitely worth checking out, especially if you find a way to snag it without having to pay big import prices to get it.

Rating:  Crankable, to be sure!  Crank this to 7.5 and decide for yourself how seriously you should take Suicide Bombers!

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

WHITE FLAME "Cougar"

(c) 2012 Independent Release
  1. Get What's Mine
  2. I Know Where You Live
  3. Make Believe
  4. Cougar
  5. What Girls Like
  6. Used To Be A Girl
  7. Right Back In
  8. The Look
  9. Stay
  10. We Get It On
  11. Gutted
  12. The Question
Vince--Vocals
Anthon--Guitars
Sammye--Bass
Jony--Drums

Additional Musicians:
Chris Laney--Backing Vocals, Producer
Hanna Henrikson--Backing Vocals

Yeah, the woman on the cover...or what you can see of her, anyway...is smoking hot.  But, as I always say about music, it doesn't matter what's on the outside if what's on the inside is crap.  Fortunately, that is not a problem at all with White Flame!  The music on this project is top notch, with great performances across the board, and some excellent production to keep the sound tight and crystal clear.

Things start off with the rocking"Get What's Mine" which, I will admit, threw me for a bit of a loop when the vocals kicked in.  Why?  Because Vince sounds so much like "Symphony Of Destruction" era Dave Mustaine that it is almost frightening!  Seriously, if MegaDave ever loses his voice but still wants to tour, Vince is his man!  The music is not even remotely thrash, however, but is a great updated take on 80's melodic hard rock, complete with a tasty guitar solo, solid bass work, and some nice, tight drumming to drive the track.  Follow-up track, "I Know Where You Live" is the lead single from the album and features some nice "talk box" guitar work...and more of those eerily Mustaine vocals on the verses followed by far more melodic singing on the chorus.  It's an odd dynamic, to be sure, but it works well for this band and really serves to set them apart from so many other sound-alike indie bands that are fighting for attention.

Things slow down for the first time with "Make Believe", which has something of an Aerosmith vibe to the approach, recalling a song like "What It Takes" without coming across as a rip-off.  "Stay" is the other ballad on the album, this time going for more of a melodic rock feel than the bluesier approach.  Vince shows that he is able to sing as well as he snarls, especially on the big chorus, although he will never be mistaken for a truly melodic singer like James Christian (House Of Lords), or Jeff Scott Soto or anything.  Anthon also lays down some nice power-ballad inspired guitar work here, especially at the end of the track. 

The previously mentioned Aerosmith feel is actually one that is scattered across the whole of the album, showing up again on the rollicking title track, "Cougar", as well as "We Get It On", which may be the strongest original rocker here.  There is also the possibility that "Gutted" would contend for that title as well, because this is another excellent up-tempo number with a great hook and some of Vince's strongest vocal work with the singer using a raspier snarl that I think is the sound he should approach for the entirety of the band's next album.

A couple of funky numbers worm their way into the mix here, both of which are tied together with the word "girl".  "What Girls Like" and "Used To Be A Girl" both have a feel to them that is not unlike some of the tracks that can be found on Extreme's Pornografitti album (minus the horn section).  Vince's vocals here take on a Mike Patton (Faith No More) quality in places, especially on the chorus section of "What Girls Like".  From here, the band jumps back into a more straight ahead hard rock territory as Sammye gets to intro "Right Back In" with his bass rumbling it's way out front on yet another top-notch rocker that this band pulls off so well.     

While "We Get It On" and "Gutted"...and possibly "Right Back In"...slug it out for best original number, I have to say that they are fighting for best overall track with a cover tune, which is a total oddity for me to say.  However, the show stealer here is very possibly the rocked up cover of Roxette's "The Look".  Yes, you read that right.  I was skeptical at first but I have to admit I absolutely love what the band has done with this track and feel that it is expertly performed and a lot of fun to listen to.  Faithful to the original, but given a grittier, dirtier edge, the band doesn't try to reinvent the track, but they do take ownership of it, especially in the guitar department. 

One hiccup keeps this album from being an absolute knock-out, but fortunately that blip is left at the end of the disc.  I just can't get into "Questions" at all.  It doesn't fit anything else on the album vocally, musically, stylistically...in any way, actually.  I don't necessarily think it's a horrible song, but I don't know why it's here.  It's too poppy for the rest of the material here, with no edge to the music at all.  Very generic sounding, it comes off as a stab at Top 40 rock radio...if Top 40 rock radio still existed.  Again, the positive here is that it is at the end of the album and can either be tolerated or easily skipped.

Yeah, it's a digipack, so I can't say I love the packaging, but the insert contains full lyrics, so the positive and negative points there are a wash.  I would have liked a few more pictures of the band (and maybe a couple more of the cover model!), but, again, it's the music that I am after here, and White Flame definitely delivers in that department.  Make an effort to track this one down, folks...White Flame has a winner on it's hands here!

Rating:  Crank this one every time you pull it out!  7.5 should be a nice dial setting for Cougar, and I anticipate White Flame will go nowhere but up from there!

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

LA GUNS "Live In Concert" (DVD Review)

(c) 2013 Cleopatra Records

DVD Tracklisting (Live Tracks)
  1. Sex Action
  2. Never Enough
  3. You Better Not Love Me
  4. Sweet Mystery
  5. Revolution
  6. Sleazy Come, Easy Go
  7. Electric Gypsy
  8. The Ballad Of Jane
  9. Rip N' Tear
Studio Videos
10.  You Better Not Love Me
11.  Arana Negra (Black Spider)
12.  Requiem (Hollywood Forever)

Making Of Hollywood Forever

13.  The Beginning
14.  Bookends
15.  Writing Songs
16.  Working Together
17.  Time Crunch
18.  Phil's Songs
19.  Hot Rods & Strippers
20.  Treasure Chest
21.  Vinyl Spider
22.  Hot Take

Filmed in 2012 at the M3 Festival in Maryland, LA Guns: Live In Concert is an interesting collection of live material, studio videos, and studio outtakes from the making of the band's most recent album, Hollywood Forever.  The set-list is a bit unique, as it includes the band's best known songs such as "Sex Action", "Electric Gypsy", "Rip N Tear", and of course, "The Ballad Of Jayne", while also managing to mix in a few of their more recent tracks, with a pair of songs from Hollywood Forever, and one, "Revolution" from the Waking The Dead album.  I realize that a festival requires a rather condensed set-list, and omissions are often required, but I would have thought the band might have included a couple of their more popular songs, such as "Kiss My Love Goodbye", "No Mercy", or "Some Lie For Love"...or possibly even "It's Over Now" or "Beautiful" in place of "Revolution" and the over-rated (my opinion) "Sleazy Come, Easy Go".  Again, these are songs I would have rather heard, especially since "Revolution" isn't even the strongest song on Waking The Dead, but sacrifices to have to be made to fit into a time-slot.

As such, it is also a good thing that LA Guns decided to include the rest of the material here, as it would have been a VERY short DVD with just the live material.  So, as a bonus, we are treated to three studio videos and several outtakes from the making of the Hollywood Forever album.  The videos are cool, and I enjoyed watching them, but to be honest, I have never been much of a fan of these "making of" segments, as they are quite often just strung together stories and outtakes with little rhyme or reason given for their inclusion.  Yeah, some of these stories are humorous and good for a one-time viewing, but I can honestly say that I won't likely watch them again.

There is one thing LA Guns does that I wish EVERYONE would do when putting together a live DVD like this (ATTENTION ALL BANDS:  READ THIS)....THEY INCLUDED A LIVE CD OF THE CONCERT AS WELL!!!  This is one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to packages like this because I am a music LISTENER, not generally a watcher.  I like to be able to take the music with me wherever I go.  Sure, I know, I could rip the audio tracks, but why waste the time and effort?  This is something all bands should do, and I for one truly appreciate the little bonus that LA Guns threw in here!  Nice touch!  Kudos!

The sound quality and video quality are excellent with the exception of Phil's voice being a bit buried in the mix at the beginning of "Sex Action".  This problem is quickly sorted out and the rest of the CD/DVD sounds great.  Lewis' voice is still strong, although some of the upper range may have disappeared from "The Ballad of Jayne", but this is not a distraction at all.  Also, it is nice to see this incarnation of the band one final time, as Stacey Blades has, of course, moved on from the band.  The band seems to be enjoying themselves, despite a somewhat lackluster crowd at times.  I have no idea what time the band went on, so they may have been warming things up...or the crowd may have already been worn out.  Regardless, this is not an issue for me, as I personally get annoyed when the crowd is so loud on live albums that the band can't be heard very well.  I know, I know...I'm pretty picky about live albums.

This is an overall strong DVD/CD package from an underappreciated band that continues to perform to a high standard and keeps releasing quality material.  The song selection could have been a bit stronger, to be fair, and a few of my faves are missing, but overall this was an enjoyable set.  I'm still waiting for the next studio album, so this live CD will help to tide me over until then.

Rating: Rock this at a solid 6.5, especially since the CD was included as well!

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

TALKIN' TRASH WITH....RON KEEL (KEEL/Steeler/Iron Horse)

A couple of weeks ago, Ron Keel (KEEL/Steeler/Iron Horse) took the time to chat with me about all things KEEL related...not telling me he was actually at a soundcheck for a KEEL show that night! Talk about a cool guy looking to connect with his fans! In our lengthy conversation, Ron touched on everything from KEEL and Steeler to his side projects, his country music releases, and his scheduled appearance at Skull Fest in October! If you have a few minutes, enjoy your chance to catch up with Ron Keel here on Glitter2Gutter!

G2G:  Ron, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us.  I have to tell you, I am so very excited that you are going to be one of the acts that comes here to Central Nebraska to our new event, Skull Fest.  You are one of the acts from the 80’s that I always wanted to see but never got the chance, so I’m really happy you will be joining us…

Ron:  Man, that goes both ways.  I’m really excited to do it, so thanks for the opportunity.

G2G:  Ron, let’s go back and start from as close to the beginning as possible, at least as far as your musical past goes.  A lot of people know you from KEEL, obviously, but a lot of people don’t necessarily realize you were with Steeler first.  What was that experience like?

Ron:  Well, um, Steeler was originally formed in Nashville in 1981.  We were like the Motley Crue of Nashville.  I mean, we got a lot of attention because we were really loud and we dressed really crazy, um…you know, I screamed really loud and high…and, so, we ended up relocating the band to Hollywood in 1981 because that was the place to be.  It was, obviously, a very exciting scene in LA and Hollywood, and Southern California in general, at the time, you know, when you bands like Quiet Riot and Ratt and Motley Crue, all really making some serious noise in a lot of ways.  We were just really glad to be a part of that.  You know, it was really a cultural revolution at the time, yet the people in the business really didn’t take things very seriously.  It was interesting that they were all digging our own graves, that we would never get played on the radio, that no one wanted to hear what we were doing, and this kind of stuff…you know, you guys are just pissin’ into the wind…and, um, nobody stopped to take a look around and see just how popular and how powerful the scene was becoming.  Then, all of a sudden, in just a matter of a couple of short years, bands like Steeler and Motley Crue, Ratt, Poison, and such had created a cultural revolution that not only changed the musical scene but that also generated, literally, trillions of dollars of revenue.  But, getting back specifically to Steeler, that album was released in 1983 and was the first album to feature myself and a certain guitar player from Sweden named Yngwie Malmsteen.  So, with our first album, you know his first album and my first album, and the only real Steeler album to ever see the light of day, it was an amazing experience.  In fact, it went on to be the biggest selling independent record of all time and really got my career, and Yngwie’s career, started.  And, just to be a part of that, to have been included in that revolution, was a great accomplishment and something that I am very proud of. 

G2G:  Did the breakup of Steeler lead you directly into forming what would become KEEL, or did you go through some down time, or some sort of hiatus?

Early KEEL promo ad
Ron:  No, no…um…I’ve never had a hiatus.  I wouldn’t even know the meaning of the word.  I can’t sit still for too long.  Steeler’s last gig was…it was March 4 of 1984 and KEEL’s first gig was the following month on April 7, so there was just about four weeks between the last Steeler gig and the first KEEL gig.  I had come to realize that I wanted to…well, it was really a business decision.  Steeler was my baby, you know.  I had moved to LA with that band, and had a fierce determination to succeed, but after a number of personnel changes, with Yngwie leaving to join Alcatrazz being among those changes, even though the band continued to progress not only musically but also in terms of our draw, I mean we were still packing the clubs and the venues in Southern California, but there came a point where people wouldn’t take us seriously because of the revolving lineup changes.  Record labels wouldn’t take us seriously or didn’t want to take a chance on a band that seemingly never had the same lineup toward the end.  So, I wanted to build something around myself so that I wouldn’t be dependent upon any one particular musician.  It was actually a solo project with these four young, hungry guys behind me, but it became a band by default.  The guys that I got in the band, Marc Ferrari, Brian Jay, and so forth, we became not only friends, but we shared the same work ethic, we shared the same goals, we were all hungry and were willing to do whatever it took to succeed, and we became a true band in every sense of the word.  And it still is that way today, 29 years later. 

G2G:  Now, when you recruited a guy like a Marc Ferrari, were you looking for another Yngwie?  I mean, Marc has the skills, there’s no doubt about it, so was that a conscious thing on your part?

Ron:  Well, I was not looking for another Yngwie, no.  I wanted a combination…I wanted a twin-guitar team that could emulate some of the bands I was really excited about at the time, you know, like Judas Priest or Thin Lizzy, where they would have these amazing guitar solos bouncing back and forth between guitar players, and I wanted KEEL to be able to be like that.  So, KEEL was pretty much built around that twin-axe attack, although we were actually a three-guitar band, because I played guitar as well, and still do.  Even today, if you come to a full KEEL show you will still see all three of us up there, wielding our axes together.  Now, in terms of chops, like Yngwie had, yeah, you’re right, they have the skills.  In fact, they are even better now than they were then.  But, uh, what I liked about Marc was the fact that he played real, American, hard rock and metal-styled guitar with very melodic and memorable solos that you could sing along with.  That’s why he ended up doing most of the solos in the more commercial stuff that KEEL did, you know, the songs that ended up being hits like “The Right To Rock” or “Because The Night”, stuff like that.  But, actually, Brian’s the real shredder.  He’s not necessarily like Yngwie, but he has these fast, fluid, sweeping, um, lightning speed type of players, where Ferrari is more the grinding, melodic solo kind of guy, and a great songwriter as well.  So, I ended up with the best of both worlds and, in my opinion, one of the most underrated twin-guitar teams of the 80’s.

G2G:  That’s interesting.  I think most people think that Marc did most of the soloing, but Brian’s every bit “the man” too, huh?

Ron:  Absolutely.  You know, people think that because…that perception about Marc was because he was the one doing the solos in most of the videos.  But, if you watch “Somebody’s Waiting” or “Rock N Roll Outlaw”, you will see Brian Jay taking his share of duties on the solos.  It was really split pretty much down the middle.  It was pretty much whatever guy’s style fit the song.  We were writing songs for both of them together where they could go back and forth, too, so there would be a lot of that interplay bouncing back and forth between the two of them, both on the records and on stage.

G2G:  One thing that I always stood out about KEEL in the 80’s was that you guys, especially early on, were definitely more on the metal side of the scene as opposed to the poppier, glam side of the scene.  Was that by design?  Were you trying to stand out in some way?

Ron:  You know, each album has its own identity, really.  The Right To Rock, for example, really is a metal album.  That was a very focused, energy-driven album that was all headed in one direction.  Big, fast, hard, and crunchy, and a lot of that had to do with Gene Simmons’ production.  Once we had some success with The Right To Rock, we had established a strong enough relationship with Simmons that he allowed us to stretch out a bit on the follow-up album, The Final Frontier.  This allowed us to do a bit more commercial-type music, more radio-friendly, I guess,  you know like “Because The Night” or “Tears Of Fire”.  You know, there are no ballads on The Right To Rock, but we were able to stretch out on The Final Frontier.  Diversity has become one of my trademarks, and I’m proud of that, not only in my KEEL projects but in my other projects as well.  I like to take on the challenges of writing, creating, and recording different types of music, as many people know.  You know, on The Final Frontier, we even had a classical piece that Marc Ferrari composed, we had some poppier stuff like “Just Another Girl” and the remake of “Because The Night”, and then we had some more bone-crushing, metal-like stuff like “No Pain, No Gain”, “Rock N Roll Animal”, and so forth.  So, The Final Frontier was a really diverse record, but there wasn’t really a whole lot of intentional design to it then…or now, really.  We play what we feel, write what’s in our hearts and hopefully the audience will relate to it.  We just enjoy the good, you know, fist pumping, guitar driven rock n roll, the anthems that really get people going and pumping their fists in the air and screaming along.

G2G:  You brought him up so I have to take the opportunity to ask the question:  is Gene Simmons the megalomaniac that everyone makes him out to be, or how was he to work with?

Ron: (chuckles)  Gene, you know…Gene was amazing to work with.  Obviously, he’s huge in the industry, there’s no doubt about that.  He was a huge help to our career and, uh, in terms of a human being, Gene is not what he appears to be.  I’m sure there’s that side to him, but to us he was one of the guys.  Really.  He would do anything for us, he was like a sixth member of the band, and was an incredible help.  And, you know, still to this day, when I see him or we hang out, he’s just Gene.  He’s a nice, super nice guy, we talk about our moms and our kids and our lives and…it’s…he’s just Gene to us, just a super-sweet, down-to-earth, nice guy.  Now, the guy on the television show, I’m sure there’s that side to him as well, but he’s been very driven and very successful, and I think he’s still learning and growing, like we are.  It was really nice to see him and Shannon get married, and I know that Shannon is just absolutely over the moon about him, and Gene and Shannon and my wife, Virginia, and I got to hang out together at an event a while back, and it was a really nice time.  It feels like family, it really does.  And, you know, I get star-struck, even with a guy like Gene.  You know, I have this radio show now, and I get to interview stars…not big stars, you know I haven’t had anyone like Gene on my show yet…but I’m doing the radio show and I’m interviewing people like Jack Blades from Night Ranger, or Lita Ford, and these guys have a lot of platinum and gold on the wall, and I get a little star-struck, a little nervous, when I’m meeting people like this.  Like tomorrow I’m meeting Roger Daltry from The Who, and I’m like shaking in my boots, you know?  But whenever it’s Gene, it’s like, “it’s Gene!” you know, like just any other old friend even though he’s this mega-popular member of one of the biggest rock bands ever.  So, it really is a strange relationship in that way, but I’m really proud and happy that we’ve been able to make it last for so long, and to know that Ron Keel and KEEL are a very small thread in the tapestry that is the history of KISS…that’s pretty cool, to me anyway.

G2G:  Well, now you know how I feel when I get to do these interviews with guys like you or Jack Russell or CJ Snare from Firehouse..you know, guys I grew up listening to all the time.  I get nervous when I make the phone call, trust me, so I know what you’re saying, at least to a degree.

Ron:  I know, dude…right before you make that call and you get them on the air or the recorder is going and…for me, it’s like walking on stage.  Even now, I’m getting ready for a show at Planet Hollywood tonight, and I know that I’m going to get those nerves when I walk out there, those jitters when I first walk on, but then you hit the first verse of that first song and you’re home.  It’s a great feeling.

G2G:  Was there a point after the self-titled KEEL album that you knew it wasn’t going to probably happen on the big scale that you hoped things would break open for the band?

Ron:  Well, you always hold out that hope, you know.  If you’ve given up hope then you might as well pack it up.  But, we did realize after the self-titled album that it was going to be an uphill climb.  With our record company, MCA, we had not achieved the level of success that we were hoping for, and a lot of that was just due to some decisions that were made that were really out of our hands.  The choice of singles, for example, or the fact that we never had a follow-up single.  Back in the day, it used to take a band two or three songs to establish an album, with your radio hit and your power ballad and then maybe another follow-up or two, and by that time you likely had a gold or platinum album on the wall.  We never got that, we never had that shot.  After “Somebody’s Waiting” was released in 87, they decided not to release a follow-up single even though the album was climbing the charts and we were on tour with Bon Jovi.  So those are things we didn’t have any control over; we had to roll with the punches and just do what we do.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason those decisions are critical and when you’re in a big situation like we were, where you’ve got producers and mangers and labels and record company exec’s calling the shots, and they’re holding the purse strings that fund those critical decisions, sometimes they’re going to make the wrong call.  They’re only human, you know.  They’re wrong but obviously they don’t want to be wrong, but still a band like KEEL is on the bad end of the deal.  But like I said, all we could do was roll with the punches.

G2G:  I was surprised, personally, that “United Nations” didn’t get released as a single.  I thought that song had “hit” written all over it and that it’s just a monster of a song.

Ron:  Yeah, it should have been, and thank you.  That was my intention in writing the song and putting it first on the record.  It was a song that I think really could have crossed over worldwide and brought the fans together under that powerful, anthem-styled song.  I agree with you wholeheartedly that that was the money song.  For whatever reason, the people at MCA chose “Somebody’s Waiting”, and, you know, looking back, it’s happened to some other bands as well, where people released the wrong single.  Black N Blue was a prime example.  These guys were one of my favorite bands of that era and we are still really good friends to this day.  But, their first single was “Hold On To 18”, but most of their fan base at the time was 15, 16 years old.  They couldn’t relate to a song called “Hold On To 18” because that’s years away for them.  It’s just simple logic that someone who is 13, 14, 15 years old isn’t going to grasp the urgency of “Hold On To 18”.  Same thing with “Somebody’s Waiting”.  That’s a song about cheating on your wife, or your wife cheating on you…and the kids, they can’t relate to that.  Not that there’s anything wrong with either song, but they didn’t hit with the core audience at that time.  The kids, from us at least, they wanted “United Nations”, they wanted “Rock N Roll Animal”, “The Right To Rock”…they didn’t relate to the subject matter of “Somebody’s Waiting” or “Hold On To 18”, and as a result the songs did not succeed.  “Rock N Roll Outlaw” and “United Nations”, though, even though they weren’t singles, we still play them at the show and get great results every time.  People still yell for them, still put their fists in the air, and those are songs that will live on.  But like I said, those choices of singles are not up to the artist at that point.  You have a lot of other people making those decisions and the artist has to hope that things work out.

G2G:  How did you get pulled into the Dudes movie soundtrack?  I always thought KEEL was an interesting band to be selected for that album.

Ron:  We were chosen by the producer of the film.  It was one of those deals where we were in the right place at the right time, and we just happened to have a great relationship with the people who were making the film.  For instance, our song “Speed Demon” appeared in Men In Black II and it’s because one of the people on the film was a KEEL fan and wanted that song in that scene.  So sometimes you get lucky, man, and you never know what the next phone call will bring.

G2G:  You actually kinda stole my thunder a bit there because I was going to ask you about Men In Black II.  I remember seeing that movie in the theater and I broke out laughing and I was like, “That’s KEEL!” when I was watching the movie, and I knew that nobody sitting around me knew what I was talking about but I thought it was very cool to hear that song on there.

Ron:  Yeah, me too.  Those things are always a thrill and we will take ‘em when we can get ‘em.

G2G:  One thing that surprised me was when the Larger Than Live album came out after you had seemingly disappeared from the scene.  I really liked a lot of the songs on that album, including a couple of them that you only recorded live for that disc.  Is there any chance we will ever get to hear studio versions of those?  (For reference, “Private Lies” and “Hard As Hell” are the songs being spoken of.)

Ron:  There is a studio album of “Private Lies” that I released on my acoustic album in 2004, which I’m very proud of, but that’s a good observation and a good call.  We had always intended on perhaps doing full band studio versions of those songs at some point, but as of yet they haven’t made it out.  It’s something we’ve talked about also for our upcoming 30th anniversary album which will be released in 2014.  You never know, man, those are good songs and like I said, that’s a good call and I’m glad you like that record.

G2G:  Streets Of Rock N Roll kind of brought you full circle as a band when it came out a couple years ago.  Marc was back in the band and…you didn’t have all original members, but all but one, right?

Ron:  Yeah, our new bass player…well, he’s not really new because he’s been with me since 1998…Geno Arce replaced Kenny Chaisson, joined myself, Marc Ferrari and Brian Jay on guitars, and Dwain Miller on drums.  But without these guys, there is no band.  Despite the fact that it’s my last name…and I had many opportunities through the years to go out and perform as KEEL without the rest of the guys…I wouldn’t go out any other way than with Marc, Brian, and Dwain, that’s for sure.  Like I said earlier, it’s a family situation as much as a band situation for me.

G2G:  Ron, can you tell me a bit about some of your side projects?  You were in Saber Tiger for the one album, you’ve had a couple of Iron Horse albums, you sang with Liberty N Justice, you did the Fair Game project.  Was there a method to your madness, if you will, with those projects or was it, again, more right place, right time?

Beauties and the Beast, Ron Keel,in Fair Game
Ron:  There’s always…obviously, it’s a business…and these are calculated moves to either generate some revenue or a helluva good time! (chuckles)  So, those were all…there were business reasons for all of those projects, and I’m very proud of all of those records you just mentioned.  The Saber Tiger record that I did in Japan was the heaviest record of my entire career.  It was a session that I was literally hired for.  They wanted an American singer that had a good reputation in Japan, and so...literally, I had just gotten done with a country gig that night, I think I made like $50 for that gig busting my ass in some honky tonk bar, and so there’s this fax for me at home…we did things by fax back then…and it says we are working for this label in Japan and we want you to sing on this album with Akihito Kinoshita, a famous Japanese guitarist, how much do you charge to make contract with us?  So, you know, I’m half drunk, so I called this guy in Japan, and I said, “I’ll do it for $75,000”.  They said, “we call you back!”  And so I put the phone down, I was laughing, and I had another drink, and they call back not five minutes later and they say, “we give you $30,000”, and I was like “that’s it, I’m there!”  (laughing)  It was a cool negotiation!  (laughing)  But, no, it was a cool experience to get to go to Japan and work with these really great musicians.  And they really pushed me, vocally, to the limit because that was some really heavy, screaming type of music that the producer was pushing me for, and he was very demanding and knew what he wanted, and luckily I was able to deliver the goods.  I’m still very proud of that record.  The Iron Horse stuff was a labor of love really…there was no $30,000 for those.  I SPENT more than that on those records, but that was my attempt at combining my love of country music with my love of arena rock.  I tried to combine the loud, aggressive rock style with the big drums and big guitars with the melody and songwriting sense that country tends to bring.  People ended up calling it southern rock, which is fine, but…  Anyway, all of those records had their special place in my life and my career and my timeline, and there’s going to be more where that came from.  I’m working now on my first full-blown, full band solo album called Metal Cowboy, which is a heavy metal cowboy record and I hope to play you guys a couple of those new songs when I come out to Skull Fest in October.

G2G:  Very cool!  I wanted to tell you when you mentioned your love of country music, I was actually working as the music director for a country music station about a hundred miles from here and all of a sudden, across my desk comes this CD by Ronnie Lee Keel, and I’m like “wait a second, there’s no way…”  I remember it was a promo album, so it just had a black and white cover of you standing there in the desert or something…

Ron:  Yep, yep, that was it…

G2G:  So I picked that thing up and started reading through the credits and thank yous and, sure enough, it was you!  I was like, “What the heck?!”  So, I held onto it and since then, I’ve seen a couple of other country releases come out from you and I’ve got to say that you while it’s not overly commercial country music by today’s standards, you pull it off and I dig what you’re doing.  You sound like you enjoy it.

Ron:  Thanks, man.  Whatever I do it’s coming from the heart.  It’s real.  And it has to be for people to buy it.  Whether it’s a heavy metal record or a country record, the fans of those styles are in tune with what they like and they’re not going to buy what you’re doing if it’s not real to them and it doesn’t come from the heart.  The two styles are a lot alike in that way.  You can’t get up in an arena full of metalheads and scream and shout with your fist in the air and be fake; they will throw shit at you! (laughs) 

G2G:  (laughter)

Ron:  Same thing…you can’t get up in a rodeo arena full of cowboys and cowgirls and sing country music and be fake about it.  You don’t just put on a hat and do it, they will kill you, they will eat you alive.  So, both of these styles of music that I love and I love to play, they both come from the heart.  I’m also very proud of my accomplishments from my younger days with jazz music and classical music and playing in the orchestra.  To me, music is one huge landscape and I want to explore it.  Now, there’s some stuff I’m not interested in; I don’t like hip-hop or rap, it’s not my cup of tea.  I don’t get it, I don’t relate to it, but after being broke, homeless, divorced a few times, and thrown in jail, you start realizing country music’s got something to it, man! (laughs)  There’s really a lot of common ground between country and rock and it’s all party music built to have a good time, it’s all entertainment and escapism.  Songs about drinking beer and chasing girls, it doesn’t matter if there’s a fiddle or a screaming electric guitar, if it’s good it’s good and it’s all party music.

G2G: I’ve been telling people for several years now that I think modern country music stole the power ballad from the 80’s hair bands, added some steel guitar to it and then marketed to it basically the same crowd that had just gotten older and had some kids.

Ron:  Yeah, you’re exactly right, man.  You hit the nail right on the head.  They are very similar.

G2G:  Now, when people come to Nebraska to see you at Skull Fest, what are we going to hear from Ron Keel?

Ron:  Well, for these solo shows like this, I like to mix it up with stuff from throughout my career.  You’re going to hear all the KEEL hits, you know, “Because The Night”, “Right To Rock”, “Tears Of Fire”, all that stuff, man.  You’re going to hear some of my favorites from some of the other records that you mentioned, and hopefully a couple of new songs from the Metal Cowboy album as well.

G2G:  Do you ever break out “Cold Day In Hell” from Steeler?

Ron:  We still do that song, yes.  We do it at the KEEL shows, also, and this is the 30th anniversary of the release of that Steeler album, so we’re hoping to celebrate that in a number of ways, one of which is including it in our shows, including on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise coming up in March.

G2G:  That Monsters Of Rock Cruise has exploded into a pretty big deal…

Ron:  It is, it’s a very big deal and we’re glad to be a part of it for the second year in a row.  It’s, to me, one of the signature hard rock events of the year in terms of getting people together from all over the…excuse the noise, man, sound check just started…umm, getting people together from all over the world together on that ship.  It’s just a brotherhood of hard rock and metal and the relationship that we have with all the other bands on the ship, or with the fans that you run into at the bar or the meet-and-greets, that’s something that’s so special to us as a band.  The camaraderie is an amazing experience and I think it brings out the best in the performers, because when I’m up there on stage, I know that, you know, Night Ranger and Tesla and Kix and all these other bands are also out there in the crowd, watching us do what we do, and we’re watching them during their gigs, so everyone brings their “A games” to events like this.  The Cruise is sold out already, which I expected it to be, no surprise there.

G2G:  Is there anybody from today’s scene that you listen to that you would consider yourself a fan of?  You mentioned watching each other play at these festivals and on this cruise, so who else do you listen to or watch besides your peers?  I listened to the podcast of your show and you feature several of what I like to call the New Wave of European Glam and Sleaze bands like Crashdiet and that, so I’m curious who Ron Keel is a fan of now.

Lizzy Hale
Ron:  If their on my show, I’m a big fan of theirs, and one band that I really like is this band called Halestorm.  They just…their songs, their production, and that girl’s voice…it’s all money.  They’re amazing.  There’s a band from Columbus, Ohio called Full Tilt that I’m really high on.  And, truth is, many of these kids grew up on me and bands like KEEL, and when I was in central Ohio about ten years ago doing some rock shows, these kids who were about 13 years old came out, the lead singer was especially young.  His parents are actually friends of mine and they would play my music and come to my shows and when he got older they would bring him to my shows, and now that he’s 23 years old, he is bringing it man.  To me, he’s like Paul Rodgers for a new generation, man.   Some others that I really enjoy listening to…Daughtry is number one.  I think Daughtry has a great package overall and…(phone cuts out)…Did I lose you?  Marc Ferrari’s calling on the other line.  He can wait…  (laughs). 

G2G:  Ron, you are obviously busy with the show coming up tonight, so how can fans stay in touch with you?  I know there’s the iTunes app people can get, of course they can come out to Skull Fest and some of these festivals and meet you, but how do people stay in tune with Ron Keel now?

Ron:  The best way is www.RonKeel.com .  I’m a big fan of the old-fashioned, conventional website.  I’m not a big Facebook guy.  Twitter’s cool, but Facebook is the devil.  So, RonKeel.com is my home online.  You can listen to the radio show, check out our tour schedule, there’s a forum there where we talk and I post things that you don’t normally hear on Facebook or Twitter.  We’ll talk about sports, food, politics…whatever.  All the show dates are there on RonKeel.com , including Skull Fest, so I encourage fans to stop there, hang out with me, and check out what I’m doing.

G2G:  Awesome, Ron.  Thanks for taking the time to talk with me and I’ll let you go ahead and call Marc back, he’s probably a little more important than me right now (laughing)…

Ron:  Yeah, he knows what he’s doing, but we are getting tuned up and ready to rock…

G2G:  Well, I will let you go and I look forward to meeting up with you at Skull Fest in October in North Platte!

Ron:  Thank you, Arttie.  I appreciate what you are doing and you’ve got my number, so if there’s anything you need, anytime, just give me a holler.  Count on me, my friend, I’m all yours…


That was a great conversation with a guy who will tell you pretty much anything you want to know!  Can't wait to meet one of my favorite singers after all these years when he finally gets to North Platte, NE and Skull  Fest 2013!  If you want to meet him as well, tickets are on sale NOW at THIS location!  Get 'em while they are cheap, folks!!!

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