My taped copy of Tigertailz Young and Crazy has been terminally mangled by my cassette deck, this is the third time in recent months the machine has tried to eat something it shouldn’t have. The first was my copy of Quireboys A Little Bit of What You Fancy, which I have now replaced on CD, Then Ozzy’s Speak Of The Devil, which I managed to save, and now this.
Looking around the internet for a replacement I am shocked at what this is demanding on CD, Amazon has it priced at £42.95, and I have even seen one priced at $102 so that must work out roughly £51, outrageous if you consider these are all second hand. The album is much cheaper on LP but that’s not an option at the moment.
I had only listened to Young And Crazy once since rescuing it from my mother in laws a week ago, and I had quite enjoyed it too (please don’t ask me to elaborate on why). The tape is still in one piece but has a tear and very crumpled so I may be able to repair it, pity I no longer know any cinema projectionists, they used to have some great stuff for fixing tapes.
£50 for a 20 year old CD that nobody admits to liking, what is the world coming to?
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
tattooed millionaire
Let’s set the scene.
It’s raining, a lot, its also quite mild and therefore good beer weather.
Beer always tastes better when there is a lot of moisture in the air (or it does for me). Weather like this reminds me of the times when I was a young metal head and it never seemed to stop raining, but that’s ok, I like rain.
Bruce Dickinson released his debut solo album Tattooed Millionaire in 1990 in what felt like the dying days of iron maiden, my friends and I thought the album was great at the time but to be honest I have not listened to it in 15 years or so. Time to revisit it methinks, inspired of course by rock of ages.
1. Son of a gun; as this track started my daughter walks in and asks if this is guns n roses or iron maiden, I ask her what she thinks and she replies iron maiden, close I say (impressed that she can notice the similarities for somebody who listens only to stuff released since 2005. says it all really, but I enjoyed this track, so far so good.
2. Tattooed Millionaire; now I know I had gone of this song years ago but I persevered and listened and I still don’t like it. Trying to hard to be angry.
3. Born in 58; liked this, in fact it seems quite relevant to how I feel today, a feeling of losing something beyond my control, as if the past no longer matters. Other artists have done this better but this song still appeals.
4. Hell on wheels; ok now Bruce is trying to be somebody else, not to sure on this track.
5. gypsy road; not to sure what’s going on here, trying t hard to be serious, no its not working, sorry.
6. Dive, dive, dive; ok that’s bad, it’s like a heavy metal carry on sketch but not funny.
7. all the young dudes; great track, like this a lot but not sure if it’s the song itself or the cover version, but better version of this song about but it is a great song.
8. Lckin’ the gun and 9. Zulu Lulu; yep these both sound like Aerosmith covers that Aerosmith never wrote, again trying to be somebody else maybe?
9. no lies; couldn’t figure this one out, to be honest I had lost interest by this point and was concentrating more on getting Sunday dinner ready.
So it was not as good as I remembered but on the whole it was nice to listen to it again, the album comes across as something he needed to get out of his system but he went on to do a lot more solo stuff of which I have never listened to, which for all I know could be far superior.
To put the album into a little bit of context; this was something I had recorded from a friend so on the flip side of the tape was Giant and their album Last Of The Runaways, when Tattooed Millionaire finished I turned the tape over and thought what the hell, 30 seconds latter I was rewinding the tape so I could play the other side again.
It’s raining, a lot, its also quite mild and therefore good beer weather.
Beer always tastes better when there is a lot of moisture in the air (or it does for me). Weather like this reminds me of the times when I was a young metal head and it never seemed to stop raining, but that’s ok, I like rain.
Bruce Dickinson released his debut solo album Tattooed Millionaire in 1990 in what felt like the dying days of iron maiden, my friends and I thought the album was great at the time but to be honest I have not listened to it in 15 years or so. Time to revisit it methinks, inspired of course by rock of ages.
1. Son of a gun; as this track started my daughter walks in and asks if this is guns n roses or iron maiden, I ask her what she thinks and she replies iron maiden, close I say (impressed that she can notice the similarities for somebody who listens only to stuff released since 2005. says it all really, but I enjoyed this track, so far so good.
2. Tattooed Millionaire; now I know I had gone of this song years ago but I persevered and listened and I still don’t like it. Trying to hard to be angry.
3. Born in 58; liked this, in fact it seems quite relevant to how I feel today, a feeling of losing something beyond my control, as if the past no longer matters. Other artists have done this better but this song still appeals.
4. Hell on wheels; ok now Bruce is trying to be somebody else, not to sure on this track.
5. gypsy road; not to sure what’s going on here, trying t hard to be serious, no its not working, sorry.
6. Dive, dive, dive; ok that’s bad, it’s like a heavy metal carry on sketch but not funny.
7. all the young dudes; great track, like this a lot but not sure if it’s the song itself or the cover version, but better version of this song about but it is a great song.
8. Lckin’ the gun and 9. Zulu Lulu; yep these both sound like Aerosmith covers that Aerosmith never wrote, again trying to be somebody else maybe?
9. no lies; couldn’t figure this one out, to be honest I had lost interest by this point and was concentrating more on getting Sunday dinner ready.
So it was not as good as I remembered but on the whole it was nice to listen to it again, the album comes across as something he needed to get out of his system but he went on to do a lot more solo stuff of which I have never listened to, which for all I know could be far superior.
To put the album into a little bit of context; this was something I had recorded from a friend so on the flip side of the tape was Giant and their album Last Of The Runaways, when Tattooed Millionaire finished I turned the tape over and thought what the hell, 30 seconds latter I was rewinding the tape so I could play the other side again.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
new stuff
I took a chance and bought Linkin Parks new album.
And its shit.
I think I’ll take it back and exchange it (unless my daughter wants it). I get the impression they are trying to be U2, everything from the album art work to the songs them self give this impression, but the band don’t carry it off I’m afraid.
I can see why they have done this, its to break the mould, make a clean break and not be confined to the same style but the whole thing just come across as unmemorable and unimpressive.
Good luck to them but it’s not for me.
On a plus note I managed to grab a copy of Backstreet Symphony by Thunder on CD from eBay, I already have this on vinyl but no assessable record deck. I also have a long awaited replacement of Open Up And Say Ahh on order (my first copy was chewed up in a cheap personal cassette player about 1991) and a CD of Skid Row’s Slave To The Grind of which I only have a tape recording of.
And its shit.
I think I’ll take it back and exchange it (unless my daughter wants it). I get the impression they are trying to be U2, everything from the album art work to the songs them self give this impression, but the band don’t carry it off I’m afraid.
I can see why they have done this, its to break the mould, make a clean break and not be confined to the same style but the whole thing just come across as unmemorable and unimpressive.
Good luck to them but it’s not for me.
On a plus note I managed to grab a copy of Backstreet Symphony by Thunder on CD from eBay, I already have this on vinyl but no assessable record deck. I also have a long awaited replacement of Open Up And Say Ahh on order (my first copy was chewed up in a cheap personal cassette player about 1991) and a CD of Skid Row’s Slave To The Grind of which I only have a tape recording of.
oh dear
I am 30% Metal Head.
Most other metal-heads acknowledge my presence, but they laugh at me behind my back. Maybe I need to stop spending all that money on haircuts and invest in a few Pantera T-shirts.
there's more where that comes from
Thursday, May 24, 2007
battle of the beard
I have a beard
So what you all say
I nearly always have a beard, a small, short neat one
This one is getting wild
Well my wife and daughter want it gone
My sons support in this hairy endeavor and my work colleagues also stand by me
But my wife is all powerful
And my daughter is her mother’s daughter
So in the words of Mick Jones
Darling you gotta let me know
Should I shave or should I grow?
If you say that you are mine
Ill be hair til the end of time
So you got to let know
Should I shave or should I grow?
Should I shave or should I grow now?
Should I shave or should I grow now?
If I grow it will be double
And if I shave there will be stubble
So come on and let me know
What should I do?
So what you all say
I nearly always have a beard, a small, short neat one
This one is getting wild
Well my wife and daughter want it gone
My sons support in this hairy endeavor and my work colleagues also stand by me
But my wife is all powerful
And my daughter is her mother’s daughter
So in the words of Mick Jones
Darling you gotta let me know
Should I shave or should I grow?
If you say that you are mine
Ill be hair til the end of time
So you got to let know
Should I shave or should I grow?
Should I shave or should I grow now?
Should I shave or should I grow now?
If I grow it will be double
And if I shave there will be stubble
So come on and let me know
What should I do?
Monday, May 21, 2007
fantasy festival
Festival season is coming up and so far none of the line ups are perfect, but they never are so I have decided to come up with my own three day fantasy festival. Theses are not necessarily my favourite bands but just some I would like to see in a festival line up. Here goes,
Day one
Day one
Fun lovin’ criminals
Dick Dale
Kasabian
Pixies
U2* *I intend to be watching Fields of the Nephilim at another stage but if I’m too wankered to move I need something acceptable here.
Iron Maiden
Day two
Reef
Levellers
Velvet Revolver
Motley Crue
Bon jovi* *definitely not watching these, I’ll be watching Carter USM followed by New Model Army at another stage.
Rammstein
Day three
Green Day
Janice Joplin (it is a fantasy festival)
Rolling Stones (playing hot rocks)
Nirvana
Ramones
Jimi Hendrix
I have to limit the number of bands knowing my festival habit of spending most of the morning and early afternoon in a local pub.
The festival will probably have to held on the banks of the river Styx
Sunday, May 20, 2007
A very eventful day, I completed my karate grading for yellow belt and discovered a new beer. I have promised myself a treat if I passed the grading so tomorrow I will buy myself the new Linkin Park album and maybe something a tad older like Motley Crue or Alice Cooper or something.
On a more important note, beer, it has been around a while but this is the first time I’ve tried it. Peeterman Artois is a nice change from generic lager, but not as heavy as some of the beers I have been trying recently (I have been working my way through the English ales and bitters at the local), Peeterman goes nicely with a salad (there you go; you’ve made admit to eating salads).
On a more important note, beer, it has been around a while but this is the first time I’ve tried it. Peeterman Artois is a nice change from generic lager, but not as heavy as some of the beers I have been trying recently (I have been working my way through the English ales and bitters at the local), Peeterman goes nicely with a salad (there you go; you’ve made admit to eating salads).
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
current listening
Tigertailz – bezerk
Guns’n’roses – appetite for destruction
Velvet revolver – contraband
w.a.s.p. – last command
aerosmith – pump
Nirvana – nevermind
wolfsbane – down fall all the good guys
kerrang – under the influence
britny fox – boys in heat
Thunder – backstreet symphony
w.a.s.p. – live ….in the raw
helloween - keeper of the seven keys part ii
Guns’n’roses – appetite for destruction
Velvet revolver – contraband
w.a.s.p. – last command
aerosmith – pump
Nirvana – nevermind
wolfsbane – down fall all the good guys
kerrang – under the influence
britny fox – boys in heat
Thunder – backstreet symphony
w.a.s.p. – live ….in the raw
helloween - keeper of the seven keys part ii
Bezerk?
Overcoming many years of post grunge heavy metal inhibitions takes time.
I first resurrected Bezerk by Tigertailz from ye dusty olde tape box a couple of months ago. When I first tried listening to the album it had a similar effect to eating too much ice-cream followed by a cup of tea, sick and sticky. Sunday I again attempted to listen to this tape all the way through and despite comments from my daughter (“what’s this you’re listening to?” in an oh my god you’ve cracked tone of voice) and my wife (“what’s this shit?”always to the point) I actually managed it.
It took some time to find what I had originally found appealing about this album, in fact I may not have found it but at least I got something else from it this time round other than nausea. Another thing I have discovered, when you dig out these old tapes it is important to listen to side A first, I don’t know why but it changes the whole perspective of the album, so rewind it if you have to, and don’t be shy, turn up the volume, it makes a difference (also makes it harder to hide your shame). So I enjoyed listening this time, in fact I have put in rotation with the other stuff by the stereo, the album has one big down point and that is the awful Heaven, the last song on side A, but if you can get over that and overall cheesiness of it all then its an enjoyable listen.
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