Reviews of Books and Music culled from the bargain bin, thrift stores, used record shops, and all the places where you can find all that quality cheap stuff. With a fresh perspective this media might just look a little different.
Does anyone still remember Candlebox? Man, they were the shit for like a minute in the early to mid '90's. Then, well, they faded from the public consciousness. Which is too bad...I think they had some real talent and should've been a lot bigger. I mean, fuck, Creed was HUGE. Why couldn't have Candlebox been as big as them?
Song #5 on the Candlebox self-titled album is the track Far Behind. I liked this song from the first time that I heard it. I feel like Far Behind had a throwback feel (like to the 80's) but with a more modern edge to it. I dug it...and still kinda do.
Far Behind was one of the songs from their debut album that actually got quite a bit of airplay (at least in Tampa) during that time. Which makes sense, because it was one of the standout tunes on the album.
Anyway...Candlebox disappeared for most of the early 2000's while the members went off and did other stuff. But, but, but, they are back on the scene, baby! So, go on and get your nostalgia on and go see 'em live. Check out their website, here.
Alice In Chains: The Untold Story by David De Sola
Cost: $4.00US
Page Count: 341 (with lots of footnotes and resources after)
A bit of history: When I was 16, my friends and I were totally psyched to learn that the completely awesome Van Halen was coming to the area supporting their album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. So, we piled into 3 or 4 cars and headed to the Orlando Arena (the O-Rena) for the show. The lights came up for the opening act: Alice In Chains. We knew of the band...they had one album out, at the time (Facelift) and thought they would be super cool. Letdown...they sucked. Actually, the band was quite good, but the singer, Layne Staley, was obviously bombed out of his mind. They finished up and a dozen or so people clapped. At least Van Halen was awesome.
Listening back to the Alice in Chains catalog, you can really get a sense of the immense power and talent of Layne Staley. While The Untold Story goes into the formation of the band, dynamics, etc...it's always abundantly clear that the crux of the story is on Layne. To read about his start with the band, decline, and his eventual death were just heartbreaking. We all know the outcome of Layne Staley's life but it was the decline...damn...that was heart wrenching.
What was nice to read about was the jocularity and just how damned funny that the Alice in Chains guys really are. This is a band that created some of the most somber (yet rocking) tunes on the '90's. So, this was kind of cool to read.
Finally, enough can't be said about Jerry Cantrell. He is the creative and driving force of that band, and always has been. A true talent and, seemingly, stand-up guy.
Anyway, if you are a fan of Alice in Chains go ahead and give The Untold Story a read.
Bobcat books presents the story of Nine Inch Nails by Tommy Udo
Cost: $0.75US
Page Count: 256
Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails deserved a much better book than the short unauthorized biography cobbled together by Tommy Udo.
Without question, Nine Inch Nails changed the musical landscape when they (he) released the album Pretty Hate Machine in 1989. Sure, bands like Skinny Puppy and Ministry were creating albums in the same vein around the same time. However, Pretty Hate Machine took the gristle of those bands, polished them up, and made "industrial music" safe and palatable to the masses.
Over the years, Reznor has continued to churn out classic albums his own way and with a certain amount of musical integrity. Basically, Trent Reznor has created a beast that is held in the highest regard of rock and roll.
The Story Of Nine Inch Nails fails to build up to this level. Very little of the book is new or revelatory. If anyone has read articles (or even fucking Wikipedia) about the band, they would have a pretty firm grasp of what the band's history is or what they are all about.
It's no wonder this book is Unauthorized. There's no way in hell that Reznor would sign on for this...basically a book version of Behind the Music.
One striking thing about this book: Udo spends sooooo much time during the period of The Fragile. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why. Maybe it's the author's favorite NIN album? Maybe he wrote the book during the time of release of the album? Fuck...I just don't know. Couldn't figure it out during reading and still cannot now.
Anyway, in a nutshell: If you are not aware of Nine Inch Nails AT ALL, then maybe this book will be good for you. Because if you aren't familiar with the band then I'm sure it would be a fun read under the rock you currently live under. However, if you are at least vaguely familiar with the band then it would be best to skip it.
I pretty much never hide the fact that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have been the soundtrack to my life. Therefore, I do believe that they are one of America's greatest rock and roll bands. Hall of famers, millions of records sold, millions of dollars made, and brilliant musicians on every single instrument. Doesn't hurt that all members are mostly from my home state of Florida.
Whenever something new is released about Tom Petty, I tried to read or view it. At this point, I am not sure why. There has been such a breadth of reporting on this man and his band that anything new written rarely reveals anything new. That is really the reason I wanted to include this book in the Stale Reviews blog. Warren Zanes, the author, has actually gotten Petty to open up about some things that I have not read before. So, I have got to give the writer credit here.
ONE: Zanes, somehow, got Tom Petty to open up about the period where he lived in a little shack and shut himself up from the world. During this time, Tom was fighting with drug use...something in which I had not read about before. Sure, Tom Petty has consistently talked about marijuana use throughout his career. He's even discussed his dalliances with cocaine. But, to my memory, Petty has never discussed his use of the harder stuff. It was interesting and I am glad he was able to open up about it.
TWO: Bugs. Tom Petty's longtime roadie and confidant, Bugs, was finally given his credit and he also opened up in Petty. Bugs has famously been against taking part in any interviews. It was refreshing to read what a major player in Heartbreaker history had to say.
In all, I would say that Warren Zanes's Petty is a worthwhile read. Of course, I am biased.
I really didn't have much in the way of expectations when digging into The Paths We Choose. Sully Erna is the frontman in the rock band Godsmack. Since I am not really a fan of the band, and really have only heard maybe three of their songs, this book wasn't high on my list to read. But, I love a good rock biography and had a few hours to kill…so, I picked it up. I am going to do this one in list form, as it just feels right.
Here are some things I learned:
1. I had no idea that Sully was a drummer. Just thought he was a singer.
2. I had thought that Godsmack had just arrived on the rock scene out of nowhere. Not so, my friend. Sully and his boy did the whole grind…working shit jobs, kept on going, built a following…respect for the grind, dude.
3. For some reason I thought these guys were from Jersey. Nope, Boston, yo.
4. Sully grew up poor and had to fight for everything. It shows in the band. Hardscrabble, hard-fought music…it's always been a struggle for Sully.
5. The name Godsmack is NOT about heroin. Look it up. It's actually a funny story.
The Paths We Choose is a breezy, late afternoon, kind-of read. If you dig a good music biography and decent coming up story, check this out. Sully writes a book just a little bit differently than, say, Billy Idol. There is no glamorization about the spoils of a hard fought fight…this book is all about the fight.
Song:Joe Black Artist: Paul Sanchez Album: Wasted Lives and Bluegrass Year: 1994
Paul Sanchez is a very nice guy. He's also got the city of New Orleans crawling through his blood. Both times I got to meet and speak with Paul, he was always gracious and really wanted to talk about the city he holds so dear. Seriously…VERY nice person.
Paul was the longtime rhythm guitarist for New Orleans-born rock band, Cowboy Mouth. In my humble opinion, that band has not been the same since Paul Sanchez left. No disrespect to the fellas left in the band (John Thomas Griffith is a fantastic guy, too).
Anyway, Joe Black is a funky little number on the Wasted Lives and Bluegrass album. I'm not sure why I picked this one to highlight on Stale Reviews…maybe it's the sweet little run that Paul plays on this track. Maybe because it's just a fun song that clocks in at a little over of two minutes.
Maybe it's because I just like it! It's my blog…I can do what I want.
Joe Black's lyrics don't really jibe with the upbeat rhythm of the guitar playing. The lyrics are melancholy and a little bit fucked up. But, I am the kind of person that likes the juxtaposition of happy-feeling music with downer lyrics.
Paul did well on this one.
It also struck me that this album is also over twenty years old. Damn!
I probably passed by Running With Monsters at least 20 times before picking it up and looking at the cover. Bob Forrest isn't really a household name. His former band, Thelonious Monster, was barely a household name back in their heyday…even though the band was pretty good. Hell, I though this was just another memoir of another wannabe, former drug addict, etc…
Turns out, I was sorta right.
Here's the deal: Forrest is a substance abuse counselor these days. That is awesome and admirable. I did work in the same field and it is both challenging and fucking difficult. So, kudos Bob.
But, back in his drug using days, Bob was a hell-raisin' hang-on. He was friends with the Chili Peppers, Gibby Haynes, Jonny Depp, River Phoenix, and on-and-on. But, you know what? Nobody gives a fuck who you hung out with, Bob. I figure if they had crack or smack, you would've hung out with them. However, I felt that Forrest's relationships with a few of these characters was far more interesting than his actual story. Sadly, the stories of the rich and famous WERE Bob's story.
The most interesting relationship Bob had with someone you would know would be that with John Frusciante. Frusciante, if you were born under a rock, is the former virtuoso guitarist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Not only does John have a prodigious ability with a guitar…he also has a prodigious appetite for drugs. His life got real weird and real bad and Bob Forrest may have had a hand in saving his life. That is very cool.
In fact, I think that Bob Forrest has had his fingerprints on the saving of many of lives..both famous and not. I have the feeling that Bob would deny this fact, or at least downplay his role.
Anyway, I read this book in half a day. You should, too. There is just something about the story that hooked me…can't quite put my finger on it. But, Running With Monsters has a quality that makes you want to read on.
In a lot of respects, Running With Monsters is a very typical Hollywood, musician, rags to riches to rags story. But, in a lot of ways it's not. Bob Forrest is a unique individual: a little fucked up, a lot introspective, and, apparently, cares deeply about people.
Song:Blind Artist: Korn Album: MTV Unplugged Year: 2007
Blame Korn all you want for that nu-metal eruption that happened early in the 2000's. It's not Korn's fault that we had to deal with Limp Bizkit and their kind. No, if you want to place blame…well, blame Rage Against the Machine. It's their fault.
Korn emerged from that sludge back in the day and turned out to be the best of the lot. Sure, Jonathan Davis is a little bit into himself, or maybe he's such an introvert that he comes off irritating. Whatever. The band turned out some really good albums (and a few duds…thank you drugs).
Anyway, Korn got the invite in 2007 to record unplugged for MTV. Remember when MTV used to play music? Yeah. MTV Unplugged is where we found out that Pearl Jam was legit and Nirvana was not just noise…talented fuckers. This unplugged album recorded by Korn did kind of the same thing for me. I guess I realized they were more than just rockers…they really can play their instruments. The whole album is great.
Blind is the first song on the album. The band rips it to shreds, it's so great. There is just something about rock guitarists picking up acoustic guitars and shredding…it's just so pleasant. Munky, Fieldy, and Head take a fairly brutal song (from the self-titled album), flip it around, and make it a wonderful listen.
Jonathan's vocals are spot on, too.
That opening line is probably one of the best known in metal: "Aaarrreee you READY!".
Fucking time capsules. By the time I got through reading Scavenger, I had heard enough about time capsules. The antagonist in this book was obsessed with them. Which is nerdy, I suppose. Anyway, let's look at the book, shall we?
Scavenger starts off strange. Well, not really "strange". But, it's as if we are thrown right into the middle of something without having been given much background knowledge. Just struck me as a little strange but I guess Morrell used it as a literary device. It's not that I didn't like it…
We start with out two main characters: Frank and Amanda. After the two attend a lecture about time capsules, Frank passes out and awakens to Amanda being gone. Turns out, she's been kidnapped and thrown into a twisted scavenger hunt game and, with a small team of others, must solve the riddle in 40 hours. The game master deftly points out that it takes the average gamer (video games, folks) about 40 hours to finish a well-done game. (Fuck that, I can do it in 26…amateurs).
So, Amanda and her small group of partners are out in the western wilderness looking for clues, following breadcrumbs, and trying to look for the all important Crypt of Civilization. There is infighting, adventure, exploration, and death.
Meanwhile, Frank is following his own set of breadcrumbs trying to track down Amanda and bring her to safety. I actually thought that the Frank plot line (before it converges with Amanda's) was actually really boring. It's blasphemy, I know. Frank is the protagonist, right? We always root for the protagonist, right?
Nah. Frank's kind of a bitch.
There is a happy ending. But, before the reuniting of the two lovers there is the reveal of who is the shadowy figure of the Game Master. Page after page, the Game Master is always behind the scenes, pulling strings, like a sadistic puppet master. But, when Frank "takes care of him" we see just how sad and pathetic the fucker really is.
That was cool, Morrell. I dug that Game Master reveal.
Overall, Scavenger was pretty good. I have certainly spent more time and money on lesser books.
When I sat down to write these reviews (3 for 1, right!) I skimmed through some other opinions on the internet and found that…well, just about everyone hates I, Michael Bennett. Seems a little rough, but to each their own.
There is NOTHING better than a book written by James Patterson to break you of a serious reading slump. His books are literary popcorn. Page after page read and gone before you can blink an eye. I, Michael Bennett is another one of his speed-readers.
I dislike the premise of the Bennett series from the start. Mainly it had to do with the 10 kids, dead wife, grandfather priest, and hot nanny - thing. So, I reluctantly picked up I, Michael Bennett and gave it a whirl. It wasn't too bad.
Let's start at the beginning. Warning, spoilers abound…because, well, I just don't care about you or your feelings. So, Michael Bennett, a NYC detective collars a real bad guy, Mexican drug lord Manuel Perrine. This is apparently a big deal and feather in the cap of Bennett. Until, things go haywire.
Bennett's good friend gets shot and all hell breaks loose because Perrine really, really does not want to be in jail.
Meanwhile, in Upstate New York, hot nanny has the kids and the priest on a little family summer vacation. Bennett joins when he can…with the trial going on in the city, it's tough. So, the family has having a great time in a cabin near a town where tough times have fallen. Once an idyllic rural town, drugs and gangs have taken over…welcome to America, Mr. Patterson.
Here's the rest: 2 of Bennett's kids get shot because they were trying to get some poontang. Bennett gets pissed. Bennett is also working with an old (hot) friend on the Perrine case because she is a DA. Back and forth between vacation and work for Michael. Drug gangs in Smalltown USA are paid by Perrine's people to get Bennett. Doesn't work. Bennett clears the gangs with the help of the local police force and Perrine escapes during his trial. Then…Bennett and his brood must relocate with the help of the US Marshal Service. Witness protection, baby!
Since you are getting 3 reviews in 1 these will be quick…Patterson-style.
________________________________________________________________________
Gone by James Patterson
Cost: $2.95US
Page Count: Some
Gone picks up right where I, Michael Bennett leaves off. The Bennett gang has been moved out to Northern California to a farm. The kids, predictably, both love and hate it. Hot nanny really loves it as she was raised on a farm. Priest doesn't give a shit.
But Bennett, HATES it. No policing to be done.
Perrine has people out to find and kill Bennett because he hates him, of course. Thus begins a game of hide and seek. Bennett is homeschooling the family and Gone deals a lot with the dynamics of the family unit. This was boring to we. Who cares, really?
A friendly pot farmer nearby is introduced (then killed). He seems cool.
Perrine's folks finally find Bennett's group and perform a raid while Bennett is gone consulting with the FBI and another hot female. Kind of predictable.
Anyway, Bennett rushes back to find dead people and no family. Where are they? With the kindly pot farmer, of course. Pot guy has a sweet underground bunker and has everyone safe. Then…he gets killed trying to save the day. Who says potheads don't have an industrious streak?
The US then raids Perrine's compound in Mexico and that fucker is killed dead.
The Bennett's can now go back to NYC. Yay. _______________________________________________________________________ Burn by James Patterson
Cost: $3.95US
Page Count: Some
So, I read these three right in a row. This is something I hardly ever do and I wish I would have stopped with Gone. But, no. Burn was in the bargain bin so I had to keep going.
Anyway, the Bennett's are now back to their old lives in NYC. Kids are in school. Hot nanny and Bennett are heating things up…a little. Bennett is back to work. Sort of.
Bennett has been reassigned and is disappointed. He has been put with a ragtag community policing division and things couldn't be more dull.
That is until Bennett is asked to consult on some major jewel heists. This is cool…I like a good jewel heist. However, this part of the story falls flat. Bummer.
Now for the cannibalism.
Apparently, there is a section of the upper crust of society that enjoys eating people. Neat. Bennett and his team get on this case…due mainly to some burned building. Anyway, Bennett turns his little unit of miscreant cops into a crime fighting machine. That's nice.
Police work ensues and Bennett and his crew figure it all out.
Song:Mexico Artist: James Taylor Album: Gorilla Year: 1975
James Taylor seems, and this is purely conjecture and speculation, like such a douche. Maybe it's just my perception but that's the way man comes across.
But, he can write some fucking hits.
Mexico is easily my favorite in a catalog that is just riddled with hit songs from the '70s. Hell, you could barely turn on the AM radio back in the day without hearing Baby James. He was that freakin' hot at the time.
Anyway...Mexico has this groove that James didn't let out all that often. The fact that he is singing about a place he had never been just cracks me up, too. Don't believe me? Just listen to the lyrics. "Ooooh Mexico. Never really been So I don't really know"
Love that.
If you are having a bad day...you know, if the landlord wants the rent, the baby is hungry, or your crack dealer won't return your call...listen to Mexico. It is guranteed to lift your spirits for three minutes and one second.
Great song. Even if James is kind of a douche bag.
101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera by Rex Brown
Cost: $4.00US
Page Count: 304
Can't you see? I'm easily bothered by persistence
One step from lashing out at you
You want in to get under my skin and call yourself a friend
I've got more friends like you, what do I do?
Walk - Pantera
It is under my estimation that Walk, by Pantera, is one of the top five metal songs ever written. It's a classic. So, during my weekly sojourn at the local used book shop I stumbled across the book written by Pantera bassist, Rex Brown. I had to have this book. Of course, I don't ever pay full price…so I had to wait until it hit the used shelves. Bought it, I did.
Unlike many rock biographies, 101 Proof isn't a redemption story. It's really just a story. The tale of one man and his bandmates as they climbed from relative obscurity of the club scene of Dallas, Texas to the untold many millions of records sold.
The story of Pantera has been told and retold hundreds of times. So, if you want the Pantera backstory hit Wikipedia or the many myriad of Pantera fan sites scattered across the inter webs.
101 Proof was fairly well-written. Rex and his co-author did a nice job of piecing together (cobbling together from drunken memories, I assume) the book. Where some of the books of this ilk are a little roughshod (Zakk Wylde, I'm looking at you and your "book") this one had a good flow and the reader could definitely tell that Rex was withholding a lot of detail.
Which leads me to my problem with 101 Proof. Rex Brown is hiding a lot. Maybe it's out of respect for the fallen Dimebag Darrell (RIP) or maybe it's just because Rex seems like a private dude…I don't know why but it seems like Rex is keeping a lot of information back from his fans. I respect that but I expected some dirt. Oh well. A little disappointing but not really surprising.
Being the empath that I am, I can see how writing this book would have been both cathartic AND agonizing for Rex. So, much respect for even giving it a go.
101 Proof takes you from the dirty? Dallas club scene where Pantera cut their teeth to the many debaucheries of life on the road with the band. I can imagine that the times on the road were 100x more insane than Rex lets on. Rumor has it that these guys partied just as hard as they hit it on stage. I just wanted some of these stories from an insider.
Pantera was a great metal band. One of the best. Rex Brown was a large part of that and is a fantastic player in his own right. He was in the band with some HUGE personalities so a lot his dynamic can get overshadowed. But, Rex can play. Just listen.
101 Proof is a good read. It is essential for Pantera fans. But, if you are expecting story after drunken story about life on the road with the band…and there are some of those…you may be a little let down. A little.
According to my sources on the internets, Idiocracy made just under 500K in worldwide box office sales. Worldwide. If I were the analytical type, I would say that the whole project of Idiocracy was a complete flop. Hell, if you said that to me...I may actually have to cede to the fact that you may have a point. But if you have seen the movie you would not declare it a flop.
The movie Idiocracy is a warning sign of things to come by director/writer/do-it-all Mike Judge. Yes, this is the same same Mike Judge that brought us Beavis and Butthead...two slackers that, shit, much of the teenage population resembles. He also brought us King of the Hill (which is genius in it's own right). Anyway, I tell you right now that Idiocracy is prophetic. It'll just take a while to find out.
The premise of the movie starts with Army Corporal Joe volunteering to go into deep hibernation for a government experiment. Joe is joined in the experiment by Rita, a whore. So far so good for premises, right! Anyway, the government scuttles the program quickly after Joe and Rita are put into suspended animation. Therefore, these two are essentially forgotten about for five hundred years when a gigantic garbage pile collapses and the animation pods of Rita and Joe are cast into the city and opened up. Little do Joe and Rita know, five hundred years of evolution has not been kind to the world.
Everyone is fucking ridiculously stupid.
Joe ends up in the apartment of Frito (Dax Shepard), who is a lawyer. Joe gets arrested and has to go to court (which is fucking hilarious). Frito ends up being his court appointed lawyer and "defends" Joe. He's accused of "Not being scannable, talking like a fag, and being all retarded" (paraphrased of course).
Frito: [Acting as Joe's public defender] It says here you robbed a hospital. Why'd you do that?
Anyway, Joe goes to prison and Rita tools around the city as a prostitute. In prison, Joe is given an aptitude test where it is determined that he is, indeed, the smartest man on the planet.
Word gets to the highest levels of government and after some hilarity with the president himself, Terry Crews as President Camacho, Joe becomes secretary of the interior where he is to solve the biggest problem in the country...plants won't grow and some other shit.
So, Joe (now known as Secretary Not Sure) must solve the riddle of no plants growing. Turns out, people have been putting a Gatorade-like soft drink (Brawndo) onto their crops. Apparently, Brawndo has electrolytes and is what plants crave. Joe is like "huh" and then suggests that instead of using Brawndo on the crops you use some water (Like from the toilet?). The premise is so ridiculous but everyone in this movie is so stupid that it just fits.
I seriously could go on and on about this little cult classic. Only 500K in worldwide sales? Fuck, that's crazy. Idiocracy is a very funny movie with so many tiny details that will make you chuckle and so many lines to quote when you are at parties. Fun times.
Back in the 80's and 90's the record companies had a practice of releasing singles to the world for their hot acts. This started with 45rpm records is how my mom and many in her generation first heard "I wanna hold your hand" and "Jumpin' jack flash". This was the 50's and 60's, of course. But, during later generations the maxi-single tape and CD's came on strong. If you don't remember these things in real lift, look it up...the concept is interesting.
Generally, a maxi-single is a single with more songs. Typically, three. The record companies released these as promotional materials (yeah, they sold them too) in order to push more records. Pretty clever.
Anyway, Stale Reviews is going to release our own series of Maxi-Singles. These Maxi's will be theme-based. So, you will see songs that are related in some way. Maybe it'll be the title...like today's Maxi-single. Or, it may be something more obscure like "songs from bands with a guitar player missing at least one finger". We'll try to have a little fun with it.
Stale Reviews Maxi-single #1: Drive
Track 1: Drive Artist: Incubus Album: Make Yourself www.incubushq.com
Oh boy! First up is the biggest hit Incubus has ever put out, Drive. Nice song, for sure. According to Wikipedia, the Incubus song Drive is all about fear and how fear drives us and influences us throughout our whole lives. I can see that.
"Whatever tomorrow brings I will be there, with open arms and open eyes".
The second Drive track comes from post-new wave act The Cars. The Cars are apparently still going strong after a very long hiatus in which singer Ric Ocasek went to do his own thing and produce other records (an endeavor which he is very successful).
The Cars had like a billion top 10 hits in the late-70's and 80's...Shake It Up, You Might Think, My Best Friends Girl, Just What I Needed, and this one, Drive. A slow jam. Put it on, grab your girl or guy and have a slow dance or something.
Drive, by Massachusetts jam band Dispatch, is all acoustic guitars and bongos. Seriously. Ok, so there's a little more to it but you'll have to check it out. Anyway, if you are not familiar with Dispatch...well, this will be where I get a charge out of telling someone about a band they hadn't
heard before.
Let's just say this: Zero publicity, zero play on the radio, zero notice...but somehow they sell out Madison Square Garden AND when they played in Mass for their "last" show they expected about 10-20K fans. 160,000 showed up for the free show. Their albums are pretty amazing, too. Check 'em out if you haven't already.
Song:Jacob's Ladder Artist: Huey Lewis & The News Album: Fore! Year: 1986
"Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?"
- Patrick Bateman, American Psycho
You know that scene in American Psycho where Patrick Bateman is giving his treatise on Huey Lewis and the News? It's such a great scene because of the impending murder of who he is talking to, but also because of the simple idle chat of one of the greatest bands of the '80s.
For real. Many of you all don't even remember the 1980's. But, if you had any sense of the pulse of popular culture back then you would know all about Huey and his band. Huey Lewis and the News was EVERYWHERE back in the day. Movies (Back To The Future), TV shows, MTV, etc...the band was all over the place. Say what you want about Huey Lewis and the News. Tell me that they are lame '80s bullshit. But, I will say "Fuck you, kind sir. Huey Lewis and the News were the absolute shit". Respectfully, of course.
Anyway, Jacob's Ladder is one of my favorite tunes of Huey and the guys. It wasn't really one of their smash hits back in the day but it's truly a great song. Written by the venerable Bruce Hornsby and his brother, Bruce gave it to his friend Huey to record and use on their album. Actually, Bruce and his band did a fantastic rendition of Jacob's Ladder on their album Scenes From The Southside.
The song itself is all about rejecting those biblical proselytizers that often are seen on television spewing hellfire and brimstone or out and about on the street berating others about their lifestyle and their need to repent.
Like that poor fan-dancer out in the south side of Birmingham.
Life is a struggle, yo, says Huey through the lyrics of his friend Bruce. But...step by step, one day at a time, anyone can make it through. It's truly one of those uplifting songs.
So, this is our first Stale Single...hope you like it. Sometimes it's fun just to look at one song, tell a quick story, and get the fuck out before anyone gets bored.
Daniel Silva writes a good spy story. Simple. Period. He's does the espionage genre right. For that, I respect his game. Silva has not tried to branch out and write love stories (looking at you, Patterson) and hasn't tried his hand in the alien game (and looking at you King). He stays to what has worked best for him, his magic formula if you will, and does a bang up job.
The Heist had been one of the few of Silva's works that I had not read. It's fairly new-ish and, as you can guess, I don't buy new books. So, I had to give it time to grow stale so I could pluck it from one of my favorite discount bookstores. But, the jacket description intrigued me, I like his books anyway...well, it was a perfect storm for me to read the sucker.
Art. Gabriel Allon, the master spy and protagonist in all of Silva's work, is a master art restorer. Many a book of Silva's starts with the work that Allon is performing now...stripping the veneer of an old master, touching up the hand of a fallen angel, blah blah blah. The reader knows that the cover of an art restorer has worked well over the years. But, one gets the feeling that as years have progressed, Allon just likes to do it and everyone seems to know who he really is. That was the fun about the older books....no one knew! That varnish has seemed to peel off, however.
But, I digress. The Heist is all about Allon's art buddy Isherwood stumbling into a murder and a whole scheme ass backwards, Forrest Gump-style. As per usual, Allon declares it his duty to fix things for his friend. However, like an onion, the layers reveal that Isherwood has Gumped his way into a cluster fuck.
To help his friend, all Allon has to do is find the most famous missing piece of art in the world...a Carvaggio. No easy task, this painting has been missing for decades. Anyway, one thing is clear: if Gabriel can help the Italian cops find the Carvaggio he will find the killers for the murder that Isherwood is being blamed for and that will clear his friend's name. It's actually a straightforward story that has all the twists and turns you would expect in a Silva novel.
When Gabriel and his team head to Austria for the final confrontation, his team is assisted by an unlikely hero...a girl. Don't want to give away to much here. But, the girl has been seriously wronged in the past by the killers/thieves and is persuaded (Israeli-style) to participate in the operation. It's a pretty cool turn of events that you will just have to read for yourselves.
I don't like to give away the endings of the book...if I like the book. If the book is shit, yes I will tell you all the ending. Fuck it, the book sucks you might as well give the ending away free, right? Anyway, The Heist is one of Silva's better recent works. Therefore, you get no spoiler from me.
Anyway, The Heist is a really great, really quick read. Crack it open, grab a beer, turn on the football game of your choice and sit back with a spy novel. By the end of the day, you should have it finished, have a nice little buzz on, and be satisfied with the book that you just read.
The Millionaires was Meltzer's third or fourth book that he had published. It's not a bad effort in any respect. However, it's really not all that memorable. For example, I read the book a little over a month ago. I had wanted to get a few books under my belt before I hit the Stale Review blog here and busted out a bunch of content at one time. This happens sometimes. Anyway, what I remember about The Millionaires is minuscule.
Jeebus, I don't even remember the two protagonists names. I know they are brothers but the names escape me. That's pretty bad. Is one named Jeebus, by any chance?
So, I will write this with little memory of exact details. Shit, this should be fun. Well, at least for me. You poor readers will just kind of be left in the dark.
Anyway, these two brothers are working at a bank. One's a hotshot, up-and-coming account manager destined to do great things. The other is a fuck-up. Even though the two bro's have a slightly contentious relationship, they seem to get it together long enough to swipe hundreds of millions of dollars from the bank's "dead letter file". People that die, no heirs, money has to go somewhere...etc. The brother's say "hey, we should take this cash...it's like 3 million bucks". It turns out to be 300 million and the then a whole bunch of idiots get involved. This means the government.
By the way, the let's steal a little bit of money and it turns out to actually be a whole lot was a giant premise of the movie Office Space.
So, the government starts on the trail of the thieves. The brother's are, shockingly (emits sarcasm), double-crossed and end up being exonerated for their crimes because the theft turns out to be part of a much bigger conspiracy.
Actually, I don't quite remember the end of the book. See? Not memorable. I know the brothers don't go to jail. I also know they don't become stinking rich, either. So, let's run off the assumption that they get away but have to give the money back.
Seriously, folks, just skip The Millionaires. You won't remember what you read a month later. Skip it. Sorry, Meltzer, this wasn't one of your best.
Rage Against The Machine by Rage Against The Machine
Cost: $6.99
Track Count: 10
I suppose this counts as a bargain bin find. You see, a couple of years ago my copy of RATM's first album was, gasp!, stolen. So when I had the chance to re-purchase the album at a serious discount, I totally did. Therefore, I feel that it is perfectly acceptable to spout off about this record on this here blog. If you feel like I am bending the rules a bit...well, sorry.
Rage Against the Machine burst on to the national scene with the release of 1992's self-titled debut. The time period was perfect for the album and vice versa. RATM was a perfect combination of metal, hip hop, hardcore punk, raw aggression, and unbridled anger. The band was just a perfect amalgamation of all the musical elements that strike a positive chord in your humble writer. The band is a tight playing force and singer Zach de la Rocha was, and still is I reckon, a miniature tornado...just fierce all around.
In '92, Rage Against the Machine was easily the most interesting band on the scene. The combination of all their musical influences and abilities coupled with their political beliefs and absolute confidence in throwing them out to the masses...it was just a rare thing at that time. Rage is obviously a highly influential act to many of the guys and gals that followed behind them. You can thank (or not) Rage for the likes of Korn, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit...etc. Without Rage Against the Machine music would be a little...bland.
Track List and Thoughts
1. Bombtrack. I love the little bass-lick at the beginning of this tune. There is a certain level of intensity that builds up to the main riff. Good song and the perfect track to kick off the album. It's almost a smack to the face saying "Here we are, fucker". As a bonus, it's a little funky, too. 2. Killing In The Name. This song JAMS and is has much more groove than ANY metal tune of that particular era. Name another...I dare ya. Killing in the name also has the most quoted RATM lyric of all time "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me...". 3. Take The Power Back. It's really going back and listening to this album again after a hiatus do I realize how fucking great the bass playing is on this album. This is a fantastic song and the bass carries it. "Bring that shit in...". Tim Commeford kills it on this track. 4. Settle For Nothing. In my opinion, the one song on RATM that does not really fit in with the rest of the grouping. It's a super slow build...more of a spoken word performance by Zach than anything. There are some wicked cool sonic sounds created by Tom Morello on this one, though. Headphones definitely do this track justice. Still, my least favorite song on the album. 5. Bullet In The Head. Full of the signature guitar tones, squeaks, and squeals by guitar hero Tom Morello. When I first heard this album, I was amazed that there were absolutely no noises made by electronic means...other than a guitar. I was convinced there was a DJ in this band. Nope. Bullet In The Head is an amazing song in that respect... Good tune. The breakdown is killer, too. 6. Know Your Enemy. The second best track on this album. It's got far more metal elements within than any other tune on the record. The guitar riff is amazing and drives the record. Like most of the music RATM write there is a seriously heavy funk element that underlies anything metal that they put out. It sounds like heavy rock but these dudes have definitely been influenced by the funk days of yore. 7. Wake Up. Pure unbridled rage in the voice of the singer, Zach. Amazing they lasted as long as they did before breaking up. The voice of the singer should be gone by the end of the first few songs of a live set. Amazing. Oh yeah...Wake Up is a funky and heavy jam. Very nice. 8. Fistful of Steel. 9. Township Rebellion. The bass playing...fuck it's good. Just kind of weird but super technical all at the same time. This song is very strange and interesting. Gives a little insight into the political leanings of the band members at the time. 10. Freedom. The best song on the album. We can argue about it if you want. But, this song is a fucking jamming creature that just gets in your blood. The primal roar at the end of "FREEEEEDOOOOMMMMM...yeah right!", Fuck, this is a good song.
Side Note: Rage Against the Machine was doing a tour with the Beastie Boys back in the day and sure enough I had me some tickets. Obviously, I was psyched. A week before their scheduled performance, Mike D broke his foot (or his hand or knee or something) and the tour was cancelled. Rage promptly broke up soon after and I would never get to see either band live. Rage Against the Machine is together again but I doubt it would be the same. I will never get to see the Beasties live...RIP MCA.
When I was a young teen, very young in fact (like 13), I had a close friend who was a metal-head just like myself. However, where as I was one to gravitate towards bands such as Guns N' Roses, Rush, and other not as heavy fare, my buddy was a die-hard Metallica fan. Needless to say, we ribbed each other mercilessly for our differences in tastes. Of course there was a mutual respect there. I, for example, loved Master of Puppets. He loved Power Windows, by Rush. So, good natured teasing was par for the course. Truthfully, at the time, I had not developed a full appreciation for the Metallica guys. That would come in time.
My friend is now a world-renowned studio engineer and mixing specialist. Fucker's won a grammy for fuck sake. Me? Well, I'm just a lowly blogger. Our path's took decidedly different turns. Musically, he was far more advanced than I.
So, I pick up To Live Is To Die. As my many dozens of readers know, I am a huge fan of rock biographies. This one, however, was bound to take me back to an earlier time in my life when me and my buddy were listening to way different music.
This book centers on the life of late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. Now, I know enough about the band to know that diehard fans split the group into two eras: Cliff-era and after Cliff-era. Early fans are all about the Cliff albums: Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. Truthfully, aside from KEA, I enjoy this era, too.
The figure of Cliff Burton is fairly well-developed in To Live Is To Die. I actually felt like I knew the guy a little bit after reading the book. Of course it starts off with young Cliff and his family. But, thankfully, the book doesn't delve too deeply into early childhood. Where I know this is important, it usually bores the fuck out of me in these music biopics. This one really kicks into his music career fairly quickly. Thanks, Joel.
Cliff Burton was many things and these are plainly stated by folks interviewed for the book. Cliff was musically gifted, loved his bass and effects, had a solid foundation in music theory and was steadfast in his ways. The dude wore bell-bottoms in the thrash metal realm for fuck sake! But, what I found fascinating were the personal details about the bassist. He wasn't about money or fame and hated being called a rock star. Cliff was humble, intelligent, and incredibly kind to everyone. If he were alive today, I am sure he would be the most approachable member of the group. No doubt.
To Live Is To Die delves deeply into the making of the first three albums and Cliff's role in the production of each. The other members of Metallica looked up to Cliff. Not just because he was a bass virtuoso but because he had a great sense of what was right and wrong and what was just inherently cool. Cliff never would have put up with the garbage that became Load and Re-Load, for example. He was more important to that band than anyone can fathom and this book emphasizes that point.
To this day I am not a huge Metallica fan. Lars Ulrich gets on my nerves whenever I see him on the television. Maybe if we met in person it would be completely different. But, I do admire the guy's drive and determination. I personally think that James Hetfield is one of the most gifted rhythm guitar players of all time. His precision is unparalelled. Kirk seems like an easy going dude as well as super talented. But, after the black album I just lost interest in the band. Maybe it's because I am no longer the angry young man I once was...people grow up, right?
One caveat about this book: the author goes a little far in Cliff's performances on the three Cliff albums. It's like, "Check out his fill at 0:34 of Call of Kthulu"...which he does a whole lot. It got annoying after a while. I wasn't listening to Ride the Lightning while reading the book, dude!
Overall, this was a good rock book and gave much insight into a figure in metal that is often overlooked or forgotten. Cliff Burton was good and made those first three Metallica records thrash metal classics. But, it cannot be overlooked how genuine and forthright Cliff was as a person. I was a little saddened when I finished. I knew the ending just like I did when I read the book on Dimebag Darrell but it still didn't deaden the effect.
I did go back and listen to Master of Puppets again after reading the book. Fuck, that thing is STILL a classic.
Does anyone still remember Candlebox? Man, they were the shit for like a minute in the early to mid '90's. Then, well, they faded from the public consciousness. Which is too bad...I think they had some real talent and should've been a lot bigger. I mean, fuck, Creed was HUGE. Why couldn't have Candlebox been as big as them? 
