OSI - Blood (2009)

Heavy metal isn’t generally known for its ambience. Listening to any of OSI’s three releases it doesn’t appear that Kevin Moore or Jim Matheos received that memo. Their latest release, Blood, is a natural progression from its two precursors. Where 2003’s self-titled debut felt a bit tentative, 2006’s Free and their latest, Blood feel decidedly more certain.

While some may describe OSI’s music as being progressive metal, perhaps ambient metal is a more fitting descriptor. While the music does certainly bear the evidence of the progressive metal roots of both Matheos (Fates Warning) and Moore (Dream Theater)—Moore’s influence provides the music with a much more ambient feel that listeners only caught sparse glimpses of on his Dream Theater material.

After providing percussion on the first two OSI releases, Mike Portnoy bowed out for the third outing—in his place Matheos and Moore tapped Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison. Given Porcupine Tree’s musical proclivities, one might argue that while Portnoy may have a better pedigree, Harrison’s style is a much better fit for this band than his predecessor.

With each successive release Moore’s vocals have seemed to fit better than the one before. While Moore is a mediocre vocalist at best, his sparse vocals fit the general ambience of OSI’s music. And much like on their debut in which Porcupine Tree’s Steve Wilson contributed his vocals to shutdown, OSI once again knew when to invite guest vocalists to step in—Mikael Akerfeldt (of Opeth) on Stockholm and Tim Bowness on No Celebrations (only available on the 2CD Digipak version).

In addition to No Celebrations, the two disc digipak version of this release also features a cover of the late Elliot Smith’s Christian Brothers and an extended version of Terminal.

All that being said, this release isn’t for everyone—if you’re a fan of the first two OSI releases, the recent albums of Fates Warning, and Kevin Moore’s Chroma Key releases, or if you’re willing to take a chance on something a bit different than the mainstream there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this next leap in OSI’s musical evolution.

Related Links
Chroma Key Dead Air For Radios (1999)
Dream Theater Images and Words (1992)
Dream Theater Awake (1994)
OSI Free (2006)
Porcupine Tree In Absentia (2002)

Illinois Speed Press - self-titled/Duet (2003 re-release)

In 1970 fresh off the success of Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago Transit Authority, producer James William Guercio took another band under his wing—Illinois Speed Press featuring the guitarist/vocalist tandem of Kal David and Paul Cotton. While ISP never enjoyed the same level of success as that of their contemporaries, they did release two exceptional albums before imploding—their self-titled debut and its follow-up Duet.

For years these albums remained an obscurity, long out of print and only ever released on vinyl LP. In recent years some fans & collectors took it upon themselves to re-master and finally give these albums the CD release they deserved. Unfortunately, due to the obscurity of these releases, that 2 CD set is now out of print as well and is as much as (if not more of) an obscurity as the original vinyl releases.

Prior to ISP, Kal David was a blues guitarist mainstay of the Chicago club circuit in his band, The Exceptions, which also featured an exceptional tenor vocalist and bass player, Peter Cetera who went on to join Chicago. Paul Cotton’s musical talents lean more to the acoustic end of the spectrum, his influences more of the Buffalo Springfield variety. The two different musical styles are quite evident on both albums as there appears to be an initial marriage of these styles on their debut followed by a more fractured tug of war between the two styles on the Duet album.

Indeed, it’s almost hard to believe that you’re listening to the same band when hearing Kal David’s rock blues guitar playing on songs like Get In the Wind and Pay the Price interspersed with songs like Here Today and Sky Song featuring Paul Cotton’s more mellow country-tinged guitar playing and smoother vocals. Despite the two very different styles—this works quite well on disc 1 featuring ISP’s debut album.

On the 2nd disc featuring Duet however you can hear the two styles competing rather than blending—two men trying to take the band in two very different directions in a disagreement that would lead to the band’s demise. While the first album exhibited more of Kal David’s influence, Duet seemed to show Paul Cotton exerting more control and many tracks exhibit the country-rock sound that Cotton would come to be known for as a member of Poco.

Following the demise of ISP as a band, drummer Freddie Page died and had the song Take Me Back to Chicago written for and dedicated to him by Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine and recorded on Chicago XI. Kal David continued taking his music in a blues-rock oriented direction initially with The Fabulous Rhinestones and later as a solo artist in his own right. And upon the recommendation of Peter Cetera, Paul Cotton was approached by country-rock band, Poco, to replace founding member Jim Messina who had left the band to form the duo Loggins & Messina.

A handful of ISP’s songs found new life as Poco songs once Cotton was well settled in that band. Get In the Wind was re-arranged to the point of being unrecognizable—Kal David’s distortion heavy blues guitar vibe was completely stripped away, the tempo completely changed and the only aspect of the song bearing resemblance to the ISP original being snippets of lyrics here and there. P.N.S. (When You Come Around) was a bit more faithful to the original and remained at least marginally recognizable—but without Kal David’s trademark blues tinged guitar—in its place a bit of pedal steel and a lot more of Paul Cotton’s acoustic guitar stylings. Bad Weather was probably most faithful to the original but again with pedal steel replacing Kal David’s guitar work. Cotton also took advantage of Poco’s stronger vocal harmonies in his later arrangement of the song.

This two disc set is a true gem, not to mention an interesting snapshot of what happens when you mix the urban electric blues influences of the Windy City, late sixties/early seventies rock and roll, and a bit of southern California country-rock into one band.

Related Links:
Kal David (wikipedia entry)
Paul Cotton (wikipedia entry)
Kal David's Website
Paul Cotton's Website
P.N.S. (When You Come Around)



Morning Blues

Cold Chisel - Ringside (2003)

Cold Chisel, the definitive Australian pub-rock band are best enjoyed in the context of a live setting. While their studio albums are enjoyable, they lack the spitfire energy of Chisel’s live releases. There’s a chemistry between Ian Moss (guitar/vocals), Don Walker (piano/keyboard), Jimmy Barnes (vocals), Steven Prestwich (drums & percussion), Phil Small (bass), and guest musicians Andy Bickers (saxaphone), David Blight (harmonica) that is at its fullest when the band is performing live.

In 2003 Cold Chisel embarked on a reunion tour. Ringside, captures the enthusiasm and energy of that tour to full effect, making this one of the best live albums released by ANY rock band from ANY country… ever.

The performances on this album from the piss and vinegar misogyny of Goodbye Astrid to the somber melancholy of When the War Is Over are all powderkegs of energy and emotion.

With 32 songs on 2 CDs clocking in at over two and a quarter hours, this release captures an excellent sample of the best music this band has given to Australia over the entire tenure of their careers. From their self-titled debut in 1978 to their 1998 reunion album, The Last Wave of Summer this live release covers an excellent mix of up-tempo (Home and Brokenhearted, Khe Sanh, Hound Dog, The Things I Love In You), mid-tempo (Cheap Wine, Rosaline, Saturday Night, Shipping Steel, Forever Now), and slower material (Flame Trees, Lovelight, Four Walls, Water Into Wine).

The vocals are shared between the gravelly growl of Jimmy Barnes, the Warren Zevon-eque rasp of drummer Steven Prestwich, and the smooth tenor of guitarist Ian Moss giving the concert as a whole a very vocally balanced feel. Perhaps the greatest illustrations of the vocal diversity of Chisel are the 2 versions of All I Wanna Do that close out both CDs 1 and 2. Steve Prestwich’s vocals on the song at the end of disc 1 bear a stark contrast to Jimmy Barnes more gravelly delivery of the same song at the end of disc 2.

Don Walker’s keyboard and piano playing is also highlighted on this release—whether it’s the somber tones he adds to When the War Is Over or the roadhouse boogie feel he adds to songs like Goodbye Astrid and The Things I Love In You his talent continues to shine.

Whether you’re familiar with or new to Cold Chisel, Ringside is a must have.

Related Links
Cold Chisel - Khe Sanh (Live 2003)



Cold Chisel - Bow River (Live 2003)

Cold Chisel - Goodbye Astrid (Live 2003)

Cold Chisel - HoundDog (Live 2003)

Cold Chisel - Flame Trees (Live 2003)

Cold Chisel - When the War Is Over (Live 2003)

Cold Chisel (Wikipedia entry)
Cold Chisel - The Best of Cold Chisel (1998) review
Various Artists - Standing On the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel (2007)review
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James Reyne - Ghost Ships (2007)

Following up on the success of his previous acoustic endeavour, ... and the horse you rode in on from 2005, James Reyne released his 2nd acoustic album, Ghost Ships in 2007.

Ghost Ships finishes the job Reyne started in 2005. With acoustic versions of both his hits with Crawl and his own solo material Reyne fills in the gaps-- the material he didn't get to on ... and the horse you rode in on.

Given how dated some of Reyne's early solo material from the mid-late eighties sounds today, these new acoustic arrangements offer a breath of fresh air to songs like Motors Too Fast and Fall of Rome. Reyne rounds out the collection with a new cover of the Dingoes Way Out West that he had initially covered with country vocalist James Blundell in 1992, a song that to this day remains his biggest solo hit. The new version, minus Blundell is more uptempo and lively that the original cover. Reyne also covers Australian Crawl hits Beautiful People and Boys Light Up to great effect. The new arrangement of Boys Light Up features an almost calypso rhythm and Reyne's superlative songwriting skills are laid bare when the song is presented without the bombast and bluster of his former band.

With the exception of Bug (a solo track of Reyne's I've never been keen on), there's not a weak track on the album. These fresh new acoustic arrangements of past hits and favorites give them new life and energy and remind the listener of Reyne's talents both as a singer and songwriter.

Ideally this album should be enjoyed with ... and the horse you rode in on as the two albums bookend each other very nicely, although both albums also stand on their own quite well too.

Related Links
Australian Crawl Boys Light Up (1980)
James Reyne ... and the horse you rode in on (2005)
James Reyne (wikipedia entry)
Australian Crawl (wikipedia entry)
Back to the Index

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Now playing: James Reyne - Rainbow's Dead End
via FoxyTunes

Various Artists - Standing On the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel (2007)

Tribute albums are very hit or miss affairs, and unfortunately more often than not and despite the best intentions of the bands playing tribute on them, they tend to miss.

Luckily this collection "hits" more than it "misses." Some of the covers are too close to the originals leaving the listener to wonder why the band even bothered recording a cover in the first place. And others are so far removed from the original the listener is left scratching his/her head wondering if the band performing the cover had ever actually listened to the original version.

The highlights on this collection include Paul Kelly's folky melancholic Khe Sanh. Where the piss, vinegar, and swagger was with the original-- Kelly has replaced it with a somber disillusionment. I never thought the banjo could be made to sound like a sad instrument but it gives Khe Sanh a certain lost yearning. The Waifs give a similar interpretation on Four Walls. The Living End give a nouveau rockabilly (a la Brian Setzer) feel to Rising Sun that makes the listener want to get up and dance. Sarah Blasko's Flame Trees, and Shane Nicholson's Cheap Wine are all quite enjoyable as well.

This album also serves as an excellent introduction to some of the better bands that Australia has been keeping secret from the world. If you can find the special 2 disc collection which features a 2nd disc with the original Cold Chisel versions of all the songs thare are on disc 1 I highly recommend picking it up as it's an excellent introduction to one of the most seminal (yet rarely heard of beyond their borders) Australian bands ever.

Related Links
Standing On the Outside (Wikipedia entry)
Standing On the Outside (Amazon.com)
Cold Chisel Chisel: The Best of Cold Chisel (review)
Standing On the Outside: The Songs of Cold Chisel promo video:

Return to Index of Articles

Peter Cetera - Live in Salt Lake City (2004)

In 1970 an exciting new tenor burst onto the scene as one of the three lead vocalists of what would become one of the most successful bands of the seventies and eighties, Chicago on what has long since become a classic rock staple, 25 or 6 to 4. While Chicago’s direction shifted from hard rock tinged with jazz and classical influences to more accessible pop with horns over the years, Peter’s voice became an ever growing piece of their musical pie up until his 1985 departure.

And while his former band has continued to be a staple of the summer concert circuit, his live performances have been few and far between in the years since his departure from Chicago. In 2003 Peter embarked on a series of concerts backed by a symphony. There have been a small handful of unauthorized releases of some of these performances in the years following those shows of which this release is the best.

The orchestral accompaniment to Peter’s voice seems like a natural fit and with better production and/or mixing that fit would have been much more evident than it ended up on this Live in Salt Lake City release. That being said—at 60 plus years Peter’s voice is still excellent and given that throughout the seventies Peter and his former bandmates were under the influence of a cornucopia of various substances, his voice is considerably better than on some of Chicago’s live releases that came out during Peter’s tenure in the band.

The song selection is an excellent snapshot of both his solo career and some of his Chicago hits. Perhaps the biggest surprises of the setlist are Remember the Feeling, an album cut from Chicago 17 which Cetera dedicated to former bandmate, Bill Champlin (with whom he co-wrote the song) as Champlin has now been in Chicago longer than Cetera was; and No Explanation a catchy song that had only previously been available on the Pretty Woman soundtrack.

Providing the female counterpoint to Cetera’s vocals on his popular duets—After All (originally with Cher), The Next Time I Fall (originally with Amy Grant), and Feels Like Heaven (originally with Chaka Kahn) Kim Keyes. Keyes does a respectable job (and one could argue, better than Cher on After All) and also provides backing vocals on a handful of other tracks.

The orchestral arrangement of 25 or 6 to 4 is also quite noteworthy. The first verse is slowed down nearly to the point of making the song unrecognizable as it builds slowly and the tempo is increased to the familiar tempo after Peter finishes singing the first line. The electric guitars are replaced with acoustic which puts far more focus on the orchestral horns than on the Chicago original. However the song is cut short right before the familiar guitar solo from the original version. Given the excellence of Terry Kath’s guitar solo on the original, the decision to cut the orchestral arrangement short rather than attempt to replace or mimic Kath’s solo is actually the right decision in this case.

Given that Peter rarely tours, this release is a must have for any fan of Cetera’s stellar vocals. While I’ve never been crazy about the musical direction Peter has taken since his departure from Chicago, I’ve never lost my respect for him nor my love of his voice. Even over 20 years after becoming a fan, his voice still gives me chills with its sheer power and passion.

Related Links
Peter Cetera (a reflection on his bass playing)
Peter Cetera s/t (1981) (album review)
Peter Cetera One More Story (1988) (album review)
Peter Cetera (Wikipedia entry)

Peter Cetera 25 or 6 to 4 Live in Salt Lake City


Peter Cetera Remember the Feeling Live in Salt Lake City


Peter Cetera No Explanation Live in Salt Lake City


Peter Cetera Have You Ever Been In Love Live in Salt Lake City


Peter Cetera Glory of Love Live in Salt Lake City


Peter Cetera w/ Kim Keyes After All Live in Salt Lake City

Steve Lukather - Ever Changing Times (2008)

My hopes were high for Lukather's first album of original material since 1997's Luke. While I thoroughly enjoyed his rather unusual yet festive Christmas venture, Santamental, a few years ago Lukather is at his best when performing original material.

Initially, I was underwhelmed. The album opens with a bang on its title track and had some high points like New World which featured guest background vocals by former Toto bandmate, Joseph Williams, and the deeply personal I Am was also a highlight for me but much of the rest of the album fell flat for me on first listen.

That being said, I didn't feel I was being fair to Lukather. Didn't feel as though I'd given the album a fair enough shake. After all, there were a handful of Toto albums that I'd initially been lukewarm to which later grew to be my favorites. So, I gave Ever Changing Times a few more listens and sure enough like a fine wine this album is to be sipped and savored. It won't blow you away on first listen, it will sneak in and subtly win you over, but only after you give it the time and chance it truly deserves.

While Luke, with its raw unpolished sound and darkly personal lyrics remains my favorite of Lukather's solo endeavours Ever Changing Times is arguably a more well rounded album featuring a better mix of the uptempo and Lukather's more melancholic melodic side (sometimes in the same song as in Tell Me What You Want From Me).

If you're new to Lukather's solo material or new to his music in general this is an excellent album to start with as it really displays his multiple talents-- guitarist, songwriter, and singer. If you're already familiar with him, this album might not grab you at first-- but give it a chance, in the long run it won't disappoint!

Related Links
Steve Lukather - Ever Changing Times music video


The Making of Ever Changing Times


Steve Lukather (Wikipedia entry)



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Now playing: Steve Lukather - Stab In The Back
via FoxyTunes

The Little Book by Selden Edwards

The Little Book by Selden Edwards

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Time-travel tales, as intricate as they are, require a special touch, a unique understanding of cause and effect. As such they are incredibly easy to write poorly and at the same time quite difficult to write well.

There is a long tradition to the cyclical nature of these tales, beginning, arguably with Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Flying Trunk and continued a century later with Richard Matheson's Somewhere in Time in the 1970s and most recently with Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife.

Over 30 years in the making, Selden Edwards The Little Book is a wonderful addition to the fine tradition of the well-written time-travel tale.

The book reads like a puzzle, the reader starts with a collection of pieces and characters-- The Haze, Dilly, Wheeler, Weezie, and Flora-- all of which with deep back stories that adds an extra dimension to the novel. Slowly but surely, little by little these pieces fall together to create a cohesive picture, the loose ends get tied up and a beautiful portrait of turn-of-the-century Vienna, Austria is created.

Edwards does an exceptional job-- not with merely the compelling characters he has created but with the lush portrait of Vienna at its cultural apex. In making the fiction feel so real and comfortable, Edwards is also able to create believable portrayals of historical figures like Buddy Holly, Sigmund Freud, and Gustav Mahler. And if you're now left wondering how Buddy Holly ties in to a time-travel tome set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, you'll just have to read the book.


View all my reviews.

James Reyne - "... and the horse you rode in on." (2005)

After the demise of his band, Australian Crawl, James Reyne, has for several years continued to enjoy success as a solo artist. From his pop-friendly early material to his more laidback and eclectic recent releases Reyne has continued to show himself to be an excellent singer/songwriter.

His 2005 predominantly acoustic endeavor is an aural treat. Featuring a mix of acoustic versions of some of his Crawl classics like Errol, Reckless, Downhearted, and Oh No, Not You Again along with acoustic versions of material from his own solo career. The album is rounded out with covers of songs by Townes Van Zandt, Dan Hicks, John Hiatt and fellow Aussie singer/songwriter Paul Kelly not to mention a cover of the English folk classic Mr. Frog Went a Courtin'.

The acoustic versions of his material differs considerably from the original versions. The already melancholy Australian Crawl classics, Reckless and Downhearted take on an even more somber vibe when stripped down to merely Reyne's vocals and guitar.

Perhaps the greatest treat of this collection is how Reyne's voice has matured and improved with age. The minimalist approach of these recordings allow his voice to really shine. While his vocals with Australian Crawl were quite enjoyable, this album shows that his voice, like a fine wine, has grown considerably better with age.

Whether you're already familiar with Reyne or have never heard of him and are merely on the lookout for something new-- if you're a fan of acoustic music, chances are you'll find yourself enjoying this exceptional collection.

Related Links and Media
James Reyne - Downhearted (acoustic)


James Reyne - Reckless (acoustic)


Interview with James Reyne


The Official James Reyne Website
James Reyne Wikipedia entry
James Reyne - "... and the horse you rode in on" (Order the album on Amazon.com)
James Reyne Myspace.com site
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Now playing: James Reyne - Hammerhead
via FoxyTunes

Australian Crawl - Boys Light Up (1980)

There are certain bands and musicians that capture a nation's identity. The United States has Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and John Mellencamp whose music speaks to working class blue-collar America in a way that captures the nation's identity in a way that listeners don't only hear but also feel and relate to.

Similarly Australia has their artists that not only make great music but capture their national identity in song. In 1980, borrowing elements of punk and New Wave, Australian Crawl burst onto the Australian music scene with their debut album, The Boys Light Up. While they never enjoyed the same level of success beyond their own shores as they did within their own little South Pacific corner of the globe, for five years their star burnt like a bonfire. As quickly as they burst onto the scene their star faded.

While lead vocalist, James Reyne, has enjoyed phenomenal success with his own solo material and even some scaled down more acoustic versions of his Australian Crawl classics in his homeland since the dissolution of his band, the hopes of a reunion are slim as their guitarist and co-lead vocalist, Guy McDonnough passed away in the early 80s (one of the many factors leading to the band's demise).

As such Boys Light Up is a snapshot of Australian surf culture in the early eighties. Indeed, this debut remained on the Aussie pop charts for 104 weeks! While Reyne's voice at times is reminiscent of American blue-eyed soulster, Daryl Hall, and other times British musical chameleon, Joe Jackson and sometimes even sounds a bit like Mick Jagger, Australian Crawl's musical style more closely resembles their Kiwi counterparts from "across the ditch," Split Enz.

Part of what makes this band so enjoyable is Reyne's flair for lyrics

Let me tell you about my mountain home
Where all the ladies names are Joan
Where husbands work back late at night
Hopes are up for trousers down
With a hostess on a business flight
Taxi in a Mercedes drive
I hope that driver's coming out alive.
The garden is a dorsetted
That lady -- she's so corsetted
She's got 15 ways to lead that boy astray
He thinks he's one and only
But that lovely she's so lonely
She pumps him full of breakfast and she sends him on his way
-- From Boys Light Up

I said, Beau-tiful People, you know they're going out tonight to get their Bombay Rocks off
Beau-tiful People, they 've got a Kerouac condition, gotta cocaine cough
Beau-tiful People, studio 54 is the only place to dance
Beau-tiful People, you know the gardens full of furniture, the house is full of plants
-- From Beautiful People

Antiques flown in from Venice fill your house upon the hill
While your money sold the soul love of rock and roll
For some cheap disco thrill
I've seen your peers pouting over beers
The loneliness it showed
Mistaking tacky sex for sensuality
They bought in toorak road
-- From Hootch Gucci Fiorucci Mama

Australian Crawl are a delight to listen to and this debut is an excellent introduction to their brief but notable stint in Australia's rock canon. Start, but certainly don't stop with this excellent release as you'll be missing out on some of the gems from their later albums.

Related Media & Links

Boys Light Up
Down Hearted

Beautiful People


Australian Crawl (The All Music Guide bio)
Australian Crawl (on Last.fm)
Australian Crawl - Boys Light Up (order on Amazon)

Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper

Everything Changes by Jonathan Tropper

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This being my second foray into the writings of Jonathan Tropper (the first being How to Talk to a Widower) I continue to be impressed by his writing.

While there are definite similarities in plot between the two books-- conflicted male who thinks his life is in order is faced with adversity and the true uncertainties of life to test his limits-- there are enough differences and the characters in Everything Changes are flawed enough to be believable and likable and there are still enough differences between his works to not give the impression that each book is just a re-tread of each previous book.

Zack King is not always a likable character but he's believable enough that even when you may not particularly like him, even when you want to reach into the book and throttle some sense into the lad, you care enough about him to keep reading and learn whether or not he'll ever figure it out on his own and still come out on top.


View all my reviews.

Mine All Mine by Adam Davies

Mine All Mine by Adam Davies
rating: 4 of 5 stars

After having finished 3 of Adam Davies novels, one thing has remained consistent-- his prose is crisp and his characters while not always likable, are flawed enough to feel human and real-- like people who could exist.

Mine All Mine, while predictable at times, remains an enjoyable read. Otto Sparks despite his self-developed immunities to a wide array of pharmacological poisons, is still flawed enough to be believably human.

This is Davies first attempt at a suspense/crime caper style novel and while it's not the best novel of this type I've read it certainly shows promise and it does have considerably more believable characters than many mass market suspense novels.

If Davies plot development continues to grow to eventually match his strong character development his future novels will be further improvements above and beyond his existing novels which have grown better with each successive tome.

Def Leppard - Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (2008)

So the "Sparkle Lounge" sounds more like Liberace's living room than anything one might associate with Def Leppard. But in reality, the "Sparkle Lounge" was where the band would get together while on tour to work on new material. This album is the fruits of those musical labors.

Simply put this is a step back in the right direction after the terrible misstep of 2002's X which left some fans (including this one) wondering if in addition to being deaf, the Lep might also be a eunuch.

2006's cover album Yeah! showed some promise, but being a covers album it was tough to discern whether the Lep had regained their swagger or if they were just aping the swagger of the bands/musicians they were covering.

Luckily, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge confirms that the Lep has indeed regained their swagger and attitude. With only one slow song, Love the album is considerably more uptempo and rollicking than the band has been since 1999's Euphoria album. If anything the material is considerably stronger than that on Euphoria making this possibly their strongest album since the passing of guitarist Steve Clark.

The music is catchy and upbeat, the harmonies are there, the driving guitars are there, and you can even hear Lep tipping a hat to the likes of ELO and Queen on Love which, with its grandiose strings and tight harmonies, is one of the band's best slow songs in quite awhile.

The one weak point-- the lyrics. Granted, Def Leppard's lyrics have never been within the realm of deep or profound and the one album in which they did go deep (1996's Slang) was not well received because it was largely not what the fans had come to love and expect of the band. The lyrics are traditional Def Leppard, simple and to the point but the low point on the album is Bad Actress which musically is a solid song but the lyrics are so cheesy and lamer than any of the recent ill-fated Kentucky Derby horses that it really takes away from a song that had the potential to be so much better.

Returning to good fun hair metal that put them on the map in the eighties was a recipe for success and this album is a true return to form of what this band is truly capable of. Fans of the High 'n' Dry through Hysteria era should be quite happy with this album.

Related Links
Def Leppard Songs from the Sparkle Lounge on Amazon.com
Def Leppard Slang review
Def Leppard Euphoria review
Def Leppard Yeah! review

Aussie/Kiwi Classic Rock

As a follow-up to my post on British Classic Rock, I felt it fitting to delve into some of the better music to come from our friends from the South Pacific.

AC/DC: Many will argue that Led Zeppelin were the fathers or creators of heavy metal-- a label that not even Robert Plant himself agrees with. With that in mind, it can just as easily be argued that AC/DC were the fathers of metal. There's a certain energy and attitude about the. Even if some really have trouble calling what Bon Scott or later Brian Johnson were doing "singing," one thing that certainly can't be argued is Angus Young's talents on the guitar.

Bee Gees/Andy Gibb: While these guys were born in England, they were raised in Australia and it was there that they first made a name for themselves. Whether it's their early days as a tight R&B/Blue Eyed Soul trio with tight vocal harmonies or when they were at the pinnacle of their success as Disco Kings in the late seventies thanks to a little film called Saturday Night Fever. While younger brother, Andy opted not to turn the trio into a quartet his music was cut from the cloth as that of his older brothers. Unfortunately, due to his teen pin-up status he's never really been taken seriously despite having an exceptional voice and a respectable catalog in his own right.

Cold Chisel: The definitive Aussie pub rock band of the late seventies and early eighties. While they attempted to make a splash with the US music scene, they went largely ignored by the American public-- which inspired their Aussie hit, You Got Nothin' I Want. Songs like Khe Sanh, Flame Trees, When the War is Over and Breakfast at Sweethearts remain fan favorites today. Cold Chisel also spawned vocalist Jimmy Barnes whose solo career eventually eclipsed the success of the very band that spawned him. However, arguably one of his best vocal performances remains All I Wanna Do from Cold Chisel's 2003 Ringside tour.

Crowded House: After the Finn brothers pulled the plug on their initial musical endeavour, Split Enz (see below), Neil Finn embarked on a new musical endeavor, Crowded House. A huge concert draw in New Zealand and Australia the band split up in 1997, and re-formed in 2007 after a 10 year hiatus and the death of their original drummer, Paul Hester, to release their first new studio album in over ten years, Time On Earth. Crowded House is best known for their mega-hit Don't Dream It's Over.

The Cruel Sea: Other than a minor US hit, The Honeymoon Is Over, in the early 90s these guys aren't generally known outside their native Australia. Initially these guys started out as an instrumental unit inspired by the surf music of the 60s. They later added Beasts of Bourbon vocalist, Tex Perkins, to give their music a bit of extra dimension. Perkins' deep vocals helped propel the band to much greater success than they'd ever had as instrumentalists.

Hunters & Collectors: Named after a song by Can, Hunters & Collectors made a name for themselves in the Aussie pub rock scene of the eighties and nineties. With a tight rhythm section that served as not just a backbone but also a focal point of many of their songs, a horn section that gave their songs an extra chutzpah, and the vocals of Mark Seymour. Touring with Midnight Oil in the early 90s, saw the one and only US album release, Fate. Unfortunately, the suits in the States had no idea how to market them. And much like Cold Chisel before them, they went largely unnoticed. In 1998, they entered the studio for what would be their final album, Juggernaut. Their hit, Throw Your Arms Around Me remains a karaoke staple in Aussie bars to this day.

INXS: Next to AC/DC, INXS is likely the most well known Aussie musical export. Vocalist Michael Hutchence had a stage presence reminiscent of the late Jim Morrison that was truly a sight to be seen. Unfortunately, the band lost a lot of credibility when they replaced Hutchence with Canadian, J.D. Fortune, on a reality tv show-- despite releasing one solid album with Fortune on the mic (Switch).

Little River Band: Essentially these guys were the Aussie version of the Eagles. While arguably not as strong instrumentalists as their American counterparts, they more than made up for it with the rock solid super tight vocal harmonies of Glenn Shorrock, Graham Goble, and Beeb Birtles. Despite an ever shifting line-up that even saw the departure and return of lead vocalist Glenn Shorrock at one point, the core of Birtles, Goble, and Shorrock created some of the tightest vocal harmonies in pop/rock history. Even the three albums released with vocalist John Farnham in the early 80s had some exceptionally strong material. While Farnham's voice may have been better/stronger than Shorrock's it lacked the chemistry Shorrock's voice gave the band.

Men At Work: These days these guys are more fodder for eighties trivia games but in their day they put out some rather catchy and solid songs including Who Can It Be Now, Down Under, Be Good Johnny, and my personal favorite Overkill. Even many of the deeper album cuts by these guys were quite catchy.

Midnight Oil: With lyrics that were often largely political in nature, it's likely no surprise that lead vocalist Peter Garrett left the band to pursue a career in politics. But any band that can score an international hit from a song about Aboriginal land rights deserves some serious kudos.

Split Enz: Across "the ditch" from Australia in nearby New Zealand the brothers Finn (Tim & Neil) put together a string of New Wave hits (some of which caught on in the US and some which did not) including Six Months in a Leaky Boat, History Never Repeats, Bold as Brass, I Hope I Never, and perhaps their biggest hit I Got You.

Jimmy Barnes: After Cold Chisel split up Jimmy Barnes embarked on a largely successful solo career which spawned a string of solo hits including Working Class Man, Driving Wheels, and Ride the Night Away. Barnes is not just a vocalist but an Aussie icon!

John Farnham: Farnham made a respectable career and name for himself in Australia but remained merely a star until after his short stint as Little River Band's lead vocalist. In 1986 his Whispering Jack album became an Aussie staple and propelled Farnham to superstardom largely on the success of its hit single, You're the Voice but also scored hits with covers of Cold Chisel's When the War Is Over (originally covered when he was still in Little River Band) and The Beatles Help, not to mention his collaborations with Jimmy Barnes and Aussie boy band Human Nature.

Wendy Matthews: Born in Canada, Wendy Mathews saw little success in her native North America. Then as fate would have it the then recently ousted LRB lead vocalist, Glenn Shorrock, invited her to sing back-up on his 1983 Australian tour. In Australia she found the success that had eluded her half a world away. Starting out as an in-demand session vocalist in 1990 Matthews recorded her solo debut, Emigre. Wendy is best known for The Day You Went Away.