Notes from a Padded Cell 11.05.07: The Third Batch of Greatest Albums

Posted by Jesse Coy on 11.05.2007

More great albums receive well deserved love in the latest edition of the Padded Cell... from Gwar to Ice T, Jane's Addiction to Killing Joke, Godflesh to Judas Priest... see who else makes the list.




BRIC-A-BRAC
We're starting with this one first. I have three points here, and they are as follows:


1. Down- Over the Under Review
So here's the deal… in general, unless there are WIDELY differing opinions, there's so much new music out there that there isn't a call for multiple reviews. My colleague, Mr. Dan M., got a hold of this one much earlier than I did. And while I don't have a WIDELY differing opinion (my end judgment as far as this third album by Down being a very good release is the same), I still felt it necessary to give at least an abridged review.

Where I do disagree with Dan is that to me, this is very much old school Black Sabbath, but instead of being rehashed, it's updated to current times. The whole notion of having a reoccurring riff as heavy and wicked as hell that frames a song? It has nothing to do with Led Zeppelin or any other 70's acts (okay, I'm listening to "Never Try"… he has a point there with that one track). That's Black Sabbath terrain, yet something that anything dubbed Black Sabbath (various Tony Iommi/Sabbath incarnations) have not done since the mid-to-late 70's, with the sole exception of Dehumanizer, Dio's brief return to Sabbath in the 90's.




There have been dozens of thrash acts that have paid homage to Sabbath, such as Overkill and Sacred Reich, for example, crafting songs that could easily fit on some of the golden era Sabbath years albums. There're also bands like Trouble and Cathedral, who picked up the banner of HEAVY heavy metal and dark pounding rocking doom. Am I at all surprised that Down joins the ranks of such excellent acts?

Nope.

Remember, we're not talking rehash. If Black Sabbath from the early to mid-to-late 70's carved out a certain style, or rather constructed a room that's a genre, the doors to that room, as in the possibilities and potential of expanding, adopting, contorting, and mutating that sound? Endless.

I'm not going to do a song-by-song analysis. My only counterpoint, because I would give this… well, probably an 8… would be that Dan underplayed the Black Sabbath influence. As for an Alice in Chains effect, of all the grunge bands, those guys were the most adherent act to Black Sabbath.

My end review, bearing in mind I don't have the first two Down releases? Especially in light of Rex now being on board, I'd say that here's what happens when at least half of Pantera goes old school Black Sabbath all over your ass, veering it in their own direction. That can also be translated to… GREAT FREAKIN' ALBUM!

2. Top 5 Most Disappointing Things in Music
Damn, it was such a cool topic, but I was down in New Orleans, about to be assaulted by the Voodoo Music Experience's fine outsourced event security team. Anyway, I'm a big fan of the Top 5 weekly column, and have great fun being a fellow participant. This one really got me thinking, and I just couldn't let it rest without contributing. Since I missed the official boat, being unable to respond down there, here we go (in no particular order)…

1. Iron Maiden and Bruce Dickinson in the Mid-90's and Beyond- I really tried to like the material that Iron Maiden has done since Bruce's return in 2000. Really, I have. Even Bruce's solo work, after Balls to Picasso, which I did rather like, the next three albums? A track or two stood out, but even working with Adrian Smith on board for an album, it didn't do it for me. Maybe it's me, but this band that I once loved has become a major musical disappointment for me.

2. Doctor's John's Creole Moon- ever get an album you LOVED, and then picked up another album by the same band or musician where you thought… what the fuck is this!? This was my worst ever case of that. His Gris-Gris album is an all-time favorite of mine. So I saw Creole Moon. There was a voodoo dude in the graveyard on the cover. I thought, COOL. Started listening to it, and within the first few songs, I kind of cringed. It sounded like some jazz/funk/progressive mix. I don't know, but I didn't like it. It sat on my CD stacks for about a year, un-listened to. I've since then listened to it a few times, and can kind of appreciate it for what it is, but it's still a disappointment.

3. Mojo Nixon's Retirement- thankfully, I saw him once live. But with little prospect of any new material, when I discovered this fact, I was very disappointed. Of course, until the casket closes on all of us, never say never. Maybe Mojo will become newly motivated music wise. I hope so.

4. Headbanger's Ball Tour of Anthrax, Exodus, and Helloween- this is OLD. We're talking the end of the 80's. Why was it a disappointment? I'd bought the ticket, but never went. Couldn't go. That really sucks, because to this day, I've never seen Anthrax with Joey, and never saw Exodus or Helloween (fat chance I'll ever see Helloween with Michael Kiske). So that was a very early disappointment.

5. CD's Reissued with Bonus Tracks- I've expressed on many occasions how disgusting I find this practice to be. Cry me a river, record labels and major acts, about how you're losing money to illegal downloads. Cry me a river, but until you stop doing this shit, I ain't listening to you. You deserve what you get, as far as I'm concerned. And bear in mind, they started doing this LONG before Napster.


3. Voodoo Music Experience Festival
True, I did go down to New Orleans. I covered the first day of the Voodoo Music Experience Festival. I'll provide a separate bit of live coverage. My review may not be glowing. I'll just try to relay the facts music-wise, because the other fact is, the organizers down there were rather piss-poor. Changing their press coverage policy for Rage Against the Machine immediately before the band began, the outsourced security they used basically assaulted me. There's a nice police report on file down there against them, but without a name for the shriveled-dick testosterone-retard who grabbed me, there's not much more I can do about it other than look forward to the day that that wanker's pecker shrinks to nothing, or he has a cardiac.

When I went to inquire who security was in the photo pit the following day and was asked why, I started to tell them what happened. The onsite event coordinator immediately revoked my press pass and escorted me off the premises. Lovely… hopefully this isn't a reflection of New Orleans hospitality. So if you're planning to check it out next year, I may not be the person to provide a glowing recommendation. After all, if an outsourced security team that event coordinators hired treats invited guests this way, they might not be so nice with regular concertgoers.


GREATEST ALBUM RELEASES EVER

Here's another batch of 20 of the greatest albums ever… at least as far as this music junkie is concerned.

My list rules…

1. The numerical ranking is irrelevant… this list is alphabetical

2. Nearly no acts that have two releases on this list. For an act to have two releases listed, they need to be something really special.

3. There will be something called toss-up for a handful of bands. That means, either one of the two releases could be substituted, they're so good.

4. Definition of a great album? It could've been a top seller, or maybe not. It could've been influential, or maybe it wasn't. Maybe I just inexplicably like it.


HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!!!




A Music Junkie's Greatest Album Releases Ever- The Third 20

41. Bird and the Bee- The Bird and the Bee
I'm telling you, the voice on this chick is so hot! It's a cute but strong, sarcastic voice. This one has really latched onto me, and I forgot to include it last time around. So here it is, along with two others that slipped past me, but which I'd put on this list. And to answer her question… yes, I would be her fuckin' boyfriend…



42. Cars- The Cars
The first three tracks, "Good Times Roll," "My Best Friend's Girl," and "Just What I Needed" all clock in respectively at 3 minutes and 44 seconds. I sense some sinister formula has been put in place to make this slab of 80's keyboard rock one of the ultimate summer albums you can dig up and throw on the player while throwing back a beer, kicking back with friends, and… ah, hell, just letting the good times roll. Yeah, I know. Summer's over now. Well, if you miss it, do what I do and play this great album.




43. Cat Empire- Two Shoes
Here's the second recent act I TOTALLY forgot to include on the list. Yes, it's a favorite for the year of 2007. "The Chariot" has become an all-time favorite song. Feeling depressed? Listen to this one three or four times in a row and call me in the morning. "Car Song" is also great. Or rather, it's a case of two greater tracks amongst a batch of great tracks. Like glue, this one has stuck to me.



44. Fugazi- Repeater
I don't think Fugazi would've wanted to be on a Top 100 List. They quietly do what they've been doing from the start. The lyrics don't knock you over the head and preach. They can be obtuse at times. Here was the band's first full-length album (13 Songs, which came before this, was a compilation of two EP's). Like Sonic Youth, Fugazi did their own thing. Unlike Sonic Youth, and despite the fact that record labels drooled over this "alternative" act, they never went big label. Good for them… and this release is a great showcase of the style that this band does best.



45. Godflesh- Streetcleaner
Here's one that I'm NOT surprised didn't make the Top 100 List. Admittedly, Godflesh is an acquired taste. Industrial, sludge, death metal, techno… depending on where you pick them up. This, their first full-length, has them at their scariest and most potent. There are few bands that have the sort of highly original niche like this act has. I'd recommend anyone out there track this one down.



46. Guns N'Roses- Appetite for Destruction
Back in the mid to late 80's, when it was the thrashers versus the posers, these guys were kind of a crossover band for me. While they definitely had some hairspray going on at times, they were less the spandex, and more the dirty rock, like Aerosmith or the Rolling Stones. It's a sleazy rock classic as far as I'm concerned, and great to throw in every now and then.



47. Gwar (TOSS-UP)- Scumdogs of the Univerise/ This Toilet Earth
The first of the two of these albums was the first I ever heard of Gwar. At the time, myself and my friends were thinking… what the fuck is this? Are these guys serious? It was like Kiss on speed and acid. I won't deny, Scumdogs was a real groundbreaker, and is great to listen to. But I may nudge This Toilet Earth ahead 7 out of 10 times. As with all these great albums, from start to finish, I love that one. From the moment the horns kick in on the first track, "Saddam a Go-Go," and then through one track after another… at the time, too, I was at Temple University, and I had some asshole suite mates next door to me in the dorm. They were into the "cool" alternative at the time (Nirvana, Cypress Hill, etc.). When they got loud and obnoxious and pissed me off, This Toilet Earth would be aimed at the wall, jamming at LOUD volumes. I am eternally grateful to this release for that.



48. Helloween- Keeper of the Seven Keys
Here's the first of three great heavy metal bands contained on this particular batch of 20 great albums. Can you guess the other two? I'll give you a hint… they involve a priest and a maiden. These guys are from Germany. This is their second full-length album from 1987. It's also the first appearance of Michael Kiske as vocalist. One track after another, there's phenomenal musicianship. It's metal that soars, almost classical in its construction. It all starts on the right note with "I'm Alive," ending with the 13-minute epic, "Halloween," which I listen to every Halloween.



49. Jimi Hendrix- Are You Experienced
Surprisingly, I just got this one in January of this year. I've had Live at the Winterland and Radio One for the longest of times, but never got a studio album proper by Jimi. Not even while I lived in Seattle. I also have The Ultimate Experience, a best of album, which will soon go bye-bye when I get his other studio albums. A lot of the great songs by Jimi that I'd already known were on this one, but then there were other ones I was less familiar with, or were new to me, like the title track, which are great.



50. Ice T- Original Gangster
Another artist who I'm surprised did not make it onto the 411Mania Top 100 List… bearing "Original Gangster" and "New Jack Hustler" makes this great right off the bat. But here, also, began a wicked crossover. Yes, Anthrax did it before Ice T… but then again, Ludichrist did it before Anthrax. Anyway, I'm referring to "Body Count," a track by Ice T's new band of the same name, included here. At the time, it blew a lot of people away. It's still an awesome track, and just icing on the cake of one of the best rap albums out there.



51. Insane Clown Posse- The Great Milenko
I realize these guys evoke strong feelings in many people. Some like them a lot and some hate them. I happen to like them a lot. This was the first album I got by them, and I love it. The title track is a favorite song. Alice Cooper made a guest appearance in the opener, but I think during the Disney debacle, he wanted to be removed (but wasn't). Maybe I have that wrong. Anyway, as they say, bad press is better than no press. The press ICP received over being pulled by Disney served them well. And this album is as funny and fun as hell.



52. Iron Maiden- Number of the Beast
This is one of the ultimate heavy metal albums of all time. From start to finish, there's no weak point. Long before I ever saw The Prisoner, a series that I love, I heard about it here. Bruce's vocals on "Hallowed Be Thy Name" are incredible. Obvious metal classics are the title track and "Run to the Hills," but I also love the first two… opener, "Invaders," and "Children of the Damned." And let's not forget that nice harlot we get to visit. The only track I left out was "Gangland," which I like a lot, too. As for cover art? Now we're talking!



53. Jane's Addiction- Ritual De Lo Habitual
I was actually quite surprised that this one didn't make it onto 411Mania's Top 100 (I know, they needed room for 3 Nirvana's and 3 Radiohead's, and every Led Zeppelin album)… you can start with the album cover to discover that something was up with this one. Yep, I possess the CD with the censored album cover bearing the First Amendment, because, you know… the other one was, uh, shocking. The album starts off quite well with "Stop," moving onto one great song after another. "Been Caught Stealing" is of course known by many. After that, though, we build into the longer tracks, "Three Days" (nearly 11 minutes) and "Then She Did" (a little over 8 minutes). It's all well crafted and excellent.



54. John, Elton- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
It's jam packed with songs, clocking it at over 75 minutes. So many of his well-known hits are on this one. Please forget his nauseating reworking of "Candle in the Wind" for Princess Di (or as Mojo Nixon calls her, "Drunk Divorced Floozie"). The original about Marilyn is here. The title track, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," "Bennie and the Jets," and even the epic 11-minute opener... this is one of those albums that instills an epic atmosphere.



55. Judas Priest- Sad Wings of Destiny
I almost threw Painkiller into the mix here as a TOSS-UP, but while a number of tracks on that one fascinate me because of the band's reinvention, it just can't compete with this, the band's second release. "Tyrant" and "Genocide" run back to back. "Victim of Changes" is an epic, tragic song about wasting away by alcohol abuse. "Dream Deceiver/Deceiver" should've been a classic on par with "Dream On" or "Don't Fear the Reaper." Hell, so should have several of these tracks. We'll keep it quiet as far as how great this one is.



56. Judge, Mike and Old Smoke- Sights
I guarantee FEW of you out there will know this one. Basically, Mike Judge was the lead singer for this hardcore band (no, not the same Mike Judge of Beavis and Butthead) called Judge. They put out a couple releases. You can get their entire output on Judge's What It Meant- Complete Discography. Unlike that, though, this was… well, a hardcore guy who now sounded like Neil Young. All I can say is, I happened to be reading a lot of Jack Kerouac at the time, and all I have to do nowadays is listen to the first note ring out on this CD to be reminded of Jack, as though he were a pal who I hung out with. I also love where the roots of this musician were, and what he sounded like on this album.



57. Killing Joke - Killing Joke
I always kind of wondered why they were credited as an industrial forerunner upon listening to this debut, which is a damn great album (or it wouldn't be on the list). There were pure industrial bands, and then there were other bands, maybe you'd call them industrial rock. Or in Killing Joke's case, industrial punk rock. They did something very different here. They went on to become a lot more industrialized. But on this one, it was a very subtle component. Metallica covered "The Wait," and the original is on this album. While the cover is cool, the original has it hands down. Band members Paul Raven and Martin Atkins went on to become industrial grand poobahs, spawning and collaborating all over the place. Here's where some of that began.



58. King Diamond- Them
This will always be my favorite by my Dutch friend. I also rank it as one of the best ever concept albums. The story features a grandmother who is not all she's cracked up to be. The key to interacting with "them"? Bloody tea, my friends (and I'm not being all British here… the blood goes in the tea). The sequel and follow-up, Conspiracy, wasn't too bad either. Or rather, it was pretty darn good. But this one is just great.



59. Kiss- Destroyer
It just so happens that this was the FIRST piece of music I ever owned. Yes, as a child in the late 70's and early 80's, Kiss looked freaking cool. I don't even think I listened to the music at first. My step dad gave me an 8-track of Destroyer, the only 8-track I ever owned, too. "God of Thunder" remains one of the coolest songs ever (I wish they'd release White Zombie's cover of this on CD… or reissue it, because it's long out of print). Currently, I have all the Kiss albums up to when they branched off and all did solo albums. Sorry, but none touch this one. It stands alone as an excellent pinnacle. Afterwards, Gene was too busy making Kiss coffins and Kiss toilet seat covers and Kiss back scratchers to ever produce another great classic like this.



60. Led Zeppelin- In Through the Out Door
I don't think it was a favorite of critics. It just so happened to be a favorite album of my mother's, which I heard a LOT when I was 5 or 6 in '79 and '80. We're talking immediate nostalgia when I hear it now. It brings back another time for me. Yes, I realize that's not a technical reason to pick a favorite… but I find those reasons fascinating (and I suspect some folks like a certain album solely because of this, and then try to invent reasons why they think the album is great, when it was just an album that stepped into their life at the right time, or captures a certain era of their life).




Holy bat guano! Just started on the L's, and we're already #60… this baby's overdue!

Anyway, on to…


THE MONKEY OF THE WEEK!
This week's monkey is Thomas Daltull. He is in the process of establishing his own record label called Monkey Business Records. This particular shot sees him on the phone, talking business with some major acts, establishing relations to sign them over to his label. If you knew who they were, you'd be surprised!