Maxi-Single #1: Drive

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".  

Track 2:  Drive

Artist:  The Cars

Album:  Heartbeat City

www.thecars.org

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.

Track 3:  Drive

Artist:  Dispatch

Album:  Bang Bang

www.dispatchmusic.com

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.

Stale Single #1: Jacob's Ladder

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.

Stale Book Review #41: The Heist

The Heist by Daniel Silva

Cost: $6.98US

Page Count: 467

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.

Cheers!

Stale Book Review #40: The Millionaires

The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer

Cost: $5.99US

Page Count: 481

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.

Stale Music Review #15: Rage Against The Machine

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.

Now I'm sad.  

Stale Book Review #39: To Live Is To Die

To Live Is To Die by Joel McIver

Cost: $0.75US

Page Count: 270

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.  

Stale Book Review #38: Idea Man

Idea Man by Paul Allen

Cost: $4.99US

Page Count: 358

Paul Allen has done so much in his lifetime.  Philanthropy, the Experience Music Project, Vulcan, space travel initiatives, the Brain Institute, and has owned the Seahawks and the Trailblazers.  It really has been a magnificent ride for the man.  Paul Allen has been able to achieve so many things because of one thing:  his relationship with a fellow named Bill Gates.  Gates and Allen got rich as balls together.  Money gives you so much freedom to explore.

You see, back in the day, there was no operating system that resembles what you are reading this blog on.  User interface?  Fuck that.  Computers were for programmers; for nerds.  Paul Allen and Bill Gates changed all that with their fledgling company, MicroSoft.  Maybe you've heard of it?  I thought so.

Like any autobiography, or biography in general, Idea Man goes all the way back to Paul Allen's childhood.  The Allen family were not broke asses but weren't the same as the well heeled Gates family.  Anyway, what I found the most interesting is that Paul's folks always supported what he wanted to explore.  That, to me, is what is the most fascinating aspect of Mr. Allen:  He is ALWAYS willing to explore what moves him.  To me, that is super-rad.

Back to the story.  Paul meets Bill very early on and, even though Paul is older, the two strike up a friendship that will last quite a while.  The two have a love of technology, yes.  But, what is striking is their differences.  Bill Gates is analytical and a wicked talented programmer.  Paul is the big thinker;  seeing what could be and what will eventually come to exist.  Paul Allen was the one who said, "why can't every person have a computer?" during a time when a computer could fill up the entire floor of a university building.  Big ideas for the time that have definitely come to pass.  Shit...I have a computer in my pocket during every minute of the day.  Paul Allen thought of this first, folks!

The duo go on to found Microsoft.  Most of this section of the book soured my perception of Mr. William Gates.  There are adjectives that get thrown around about Bill:  genius, visionary, blah blah blah.  But, as Allen reflects back on those early years of success, one adjective comes to my mind:  asshole.  Bill Gates is a shrewd businessman.  Often in business, that level of shrewd is misconstrued as assholism (can that be a new word?).  I know that these days Gates is a super-philanthopist and that is awesome.  Glad to see that, Bill.

Paul Allen eventually leaves Microsoft with bunches of stock that eventually gets him a net worth somewhere in the neighborhood of many small nations.  This allows him freedom to explore.  The human brain, outer space, rock and roll, football, basketball, yachts...etc.  Paul Allen has had his fingers in so many interesting ventures it really is hard to keep track.  In the book, it appears that Allen has trouble keeping track, too.

Idea Man is a pretty good read.  Paul Allen is one man that is not afraid of risk.  I read somewhere that he has lost many, many millions (like in the hundreds of millions) of dollars taking chances on what he views as worthwhile ideas.  I love that level of risk taking.  It's punk rock, Paul!

The section of the book regarding the purchase and running of the Trailblazers is friggin' hilarious.  It's probably not meant to be, but it made me chuckle.  If you are into professional basketball, I highly recommend at least reading this section of Idea Man.

Well, folks, that's Idea Man.  Interesting life of a risk-taking, philanthropist explorer.

Yes, this is Paul Allen's 'boat'.