All Hail the King

Ever heard of that guy way back when who wore jumpsuits and sang about a hound dog? Yeah, I think he went by the name of Elvis. Not musician Elvis Costello, who just wanted to "pump it up", and never wore a jumpsuit. And not Elvis Stojko, the figure skater, who was known to wear a jumpsuit now and then. 

I'm talking about Elvis Presley, father of singer Lisa Marie, and one-time husband to actress Priscilla, both of whom have managed pretty successful careers in their own right. This Elvis, through a few decades of singing with swagger, established himself as the King of Rock'n'Roll. And in my opinion, he still deserves that title, even after The Beatles, Stones, and U2 came along.

I am much more of a Beatles fan - always have been and always will be, yet I acknowledge the fact that Elvis started it all and continues to influence musicians the world over. He drew together country, gospel, blues, and existing 50's rock music ideas and hijacked the world with his charisma and vocal talent. Elvis was the reason for the Beatles, too.... Lennon and McCartney, early in their musical wood-shedding years, admitted that Elvis was their idol and that they wanted to become as big as he was. Well, they may have surpassed Presley in many ways, but the mop-tops bowed before his presence in the music world. Respect.

As a young lad, I first learned of Presley from the movies I saw on TV. Stuff like Jailhouse Rock, G.I. Blues, and Kid Galahad. These and many more light musical flicks from the 50's and 60's played endlessly on the tube while I was growing up in the 70's. Elvis was my introduction to rock'n'roll, though it wasn't much longer until other syndicated TV shows brought to me the likes of The Monkees, Archies, Partridge Family, Bay City Rollers, and so on. Not to mention the Beatles movies... Hard Day's Night, Help!, Yellow Submarine, and Magical Mystery Tour. All part of the learning process.

Back before CDs and even cassette tapes, the mighty 8-track format made a brief appearance in my life. The very first 8-track I bought was the simply-titled Elvis, a fully-loaded double-album compilation of Elvis' greatest hits. My favourite song on there was Return to Sender. I've always had a soft spot for songs about mail. P.S. I Love You (Beatles) and Please Mr. Postman (both the Beatles and Marvelettes versions) are other faves. Also Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), by Stevie Wonder. 

Though I don't really listen to Elvis music much any more, I do get the urge occasionally to throw on one of the handful of hits collections I now own on CD. I chose these carefully to avoid much overlap and so I'd get a nice, wide selection of his best-known songs. Nowadays, I lean toward favourites like Good Luck Charm and Little Sister.

Another Day, Another Sabbath

1980 was the year in which the legendary Black Sabbath brought Ronnie James Dio into the fold, replacing Ozzy on vocals, and released the pivotal album, Heaven and Hell. I loved that record to death, playing it far more than any other Sabbath I may have had laying around at the time. In fact, Heaven and Hell was the first Sab album I ever owned. It certainly left an impression upon me, for I still rank Heaven and Hell as my favourite disc by the band. 

Even though the follow-up album Mob Rules didn't grab me quite the same way, it was still a powerful dose of quality metal. Songs like Turn Up the Night, Voodoo, Sign of the Southern Cross, and of course, the title track, were in constant rotation on my music player. The song Mob Rules even appeared in the animated film Heavy Metal. It's placement in the movie was perfect, augmenting a bloody battle that involved warriors armed with laser weapons, bows and arrows, and riding winged beasts. A jolly good time!

In 2007, Black Sabbath with Dio at the helm re-named themselves Heaven and Hell, then came to town to entertain me and my crew from work. It was quite the treat since I never thought I'd see the day when these guys would re-assemble and tour again. The boys rocked the house down, ploughing through all the greatest Dio-Sab collaborations from their three albums together (which included 1992's Dehumanizer, also a strong offering). Another favourite metal act of mine, Megadeth, opened that show with efficient, snarling flair, gnashing through a selection of their "hits". I could have watched Mega-Dave perform all night long, but he was really there to warm up the crowd for Sab.... er, Heaven and Hell.

There were other incarnations of Black Sabbath, one notable line-up presenting Ian Gillan from Deep Purple at the mic stand. He only stuck around for one album, 1983's Born Again, but it was a unique musical feast (which met with mixed reviews), boasting grinding, dark anthems like Trashed, Zero the Hero, Digital Bitch, and Disturbing the Priest. After Gillan departed, the vocals spot was a revolving door for several years, until Dio popped back in for the '92 album, and then in '97 the indestructible Ozzy re-joined his old comrades for another kick at the can.

As for Ronnie James Dio, he passed away on May 4, 2010. His musical legacy will live on, however, through all of his impressive recordings. And he will forever be remembered as the man who brought the "devil's horns" hand sign to heavy metal (and rock'n'roll in general). The hand sign has a variety of meanings in different cultures, but Dio knew of the Italian context, in which the sign is meant to ward off bad luck or evil. Most suitable in the metal music genre.

Rest in peace, Ronnie

On the Seventh Day.... Sabbath!

Them blokes need 'aircuts....

Today my time machine transported me to just days ago, to a Black Sabbath concert... on Sunday, the Sabbath, as declared by that guy upstairs.... on Palm Sunday no less (observed in an assortment of ways by different religions). Add to that the flashes of lightning in the darkening sky visible through the lobby windows as I passed through the turnstile to enter the concert arena. Everything came together that evening.

Tonight was special for Ozzy was in attendance, bringing to our "cathedral" ( arena) three-quarters of the original quartet of the 1970's. Sadly, drummer Bill Ward was not a part of this line-up, but in his stead, Tommy Clufetos was a more than competent stick-slinger. Clufetos looked a bit like the Ward of old, shirtless, with long hair and beard flying as he battered his kit. Both his appearance and playing style also reminded me of the beastly puppet character Animal (also a drummer) from the Muppets. 

Forty-five years after Ozzy, Tony, and Geezer dubbed themselves Black Sabbath, I finally got to see them in performance. I did have the privilege of attending a Sab reunion in 2007, though that was the Ronnie James Dio version, dubbed Heaven and Hell for the tour, and only playing music from the three Dio-sung albums. But with Ozzy on board, the band dug way, way back to wrestle with chestnuts like War Pigs, Behind the Wall of Sleep, Fairies Wear Boots, and NIB - while still presenting some of the newer music off their latest album, 13.

Ozzy was in fine form, looking healthier than I'd seen him on a couple of his solo tours over a decade ago. He's still got the pipes to deliver his distinctive vocal style, and it sure looked like he was having a good time inciting the crowd into a frenzy. Laid-back in manner but certainly a driving force were Misters Butler (on bass) and Iommi (on guitar), weaving an aural tapestry that filled the hall. The sound, at least from where I was sitting, was clean and listenable, without distorting into a wall of unintelligible fuzz. Geezer amazed us with his still solid bass skills, nimble fingers flying up and down the neck of his instrument, plucking and slamming out melodic rhythms to either match or complement Iommi's massive guitar crunch. Tony remained rooted in place - his longtime stage habit of preference, as he riffled through the Sabbath catalogue, laying down heavy slabs of metal chords, and urging piercing solos to spiral into the rafters. Yes sir, we the fans really got a treat that night. 

Highlights of the concert: the opening song, War Pigs, introduced by air raid sirens that gave way to crashing power chords and spidery riffs fired everyone into a singalong. The song Black Sabbath sent chills down my spine with its eerie, doomy atmosphere and devastating guitars. The fans, including me, went bananas as the opening riff of Fairies Wear Boots greeted our ears; this is a fun and rollicking tune that did not disappoint live. Then Children of the Grave came chugging through the set, crushing guitars barrelling along joyfully.

An amazing and unforgettable show. 

The Final Frontier

You just stay away from that Kirk fellow, you hear me?

I was a true Trekkie back in the 70's, and believe me, it was not easy to live with the nerd stigma back then. Unlike these modern times, when being a nerd is actually cool (hey, everyone likes Star Wars and possibly even some of the many Star Trek spin-off TV series, among all of the other SF films and shows that are now considered mainstream fare), I faced ridicule from anyone who didn't get the sci-fi thing. And I was not just a Trek fan -  I also read SF novels by authors like Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke. I had a friend or two who also appreciated this stuff, but for the most part, I was alone in my obsession and was a target for teasing at school. Oh well, those meat-heads are probably either in jail or dead now. I feel better about it now!


My fandom went so far as me ordering collectibles from the Star Trek fan club. I had stacks of photos, editing room film clippings, fanzines, posters, toys and model kits, and even replica embroidered uniform insignias. Yes, this stuff was all fun to own at the time, but after hanging onto it for decades, I decided it wasn't worth the space it was taking up, so I sold off many of those goodies. Though I'm not such a massive fan any more, I do still enjoy watching the original Trek shows now and then... I have the entire series on remastered DVD. Tribbles and all. 

This pasta and meat combination is quite illogical!

Thankfully, I didn't do away with everything I collected during the 70's. I still have several Trek tomes on my bookshelves, and I don't think I'll ever part with them. Pictured below are some of them: the Star Fleet Technical Manual, perfect for re-wiring a malfunctioning tricorder; the ST puzzle manual; Trek Or Treat, a little lark full of stills matched up with silly dialogue; the ST Concordance - a very nice episode guide and encyclopedia of all things Trek; The Enterprise Logs, a collection of the reprinted ST comic strips; and my favourite... The Making of Star Trek, a fascinating look behind the scenes of production of the original series, as well as a detailed look at how Hollywood operated back in the 60's. The good and the bad and the ugly. 

Space: 1975

Where's Spock when you really need him?

As a youngster in the 70's  I developed a liking for fantasy and science-fiction through movies and series shown on TV, not to mention novels by the likes of Heinlein. It was initially stuff like the original 60's Star Trek, which played daily in TV syndication during the following decade, that caught my fancy. Extremely little else existed for several years. When England's Space: 1999 came to Canada in '75 and ran until '77 (then continued in syndication into the 80's), I was thrilled to death.... here was a show not too far off the tone established on Star Trek. While retaining my love of the old Trek show, I went crazy over Space: 1999. So much so that I built my own stun gun. Now I was only about 9 or 10 years old at the time, so I wasn't exactly soldering metal or buzz-sawing lumber on this project. I was, however, pretty proficient with cardboard, scissors, adhesive tape, and poster paints. The finished product was good enough for me back then, but I'm sure if I saw that same creation today, I'd probably shake my head in disbelief. Apparently there were model kits of the stun gun back then, but I never saw them in my local hobby store.

There was something different about Space: 1999, something I couldn't quite describe as a kid, but it was a more serious approach to science-fiction - even more so than on Trek, enhanced by a fine cast of actors, slick and impressive special effects (Star Wars hadn't appeared just yet so this was cutting edge at the time) and set design. I was most struck by the Eagle Transporter ships. If the model kit of that sleek craft had appeared at my favourite hobby shop, I would have snapped it up, but that was never to be. A real shame, because that was right at the top of my wish list for years. Even today, I'd be pleased to acquire and build that model, but since the only existing kits are circa the 70's, they command high prices. Maybe some day. 

Even though Martin Landau as Commander Koenig was a cool and efficient leader on Moonbase Alpha, I was more impressed (in my nearly teenage years, naturally) with the exotic Maya, the science officer in season two. Maya was portrayed by the ex-Bond girl Catherine Schell, who I later recognized from the 007 epic, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Schell was enticing back in the 1969 James Bond film, but there was much more to her mature, brainy, and alien (a shape-shifter, my favourite kind) character in Space: 1999. 

I recently re-watched a few of the very first episodes of the series, and I was surprised to find that the stories and acting still hold up well after all these years. Sadly, the show has largely been forgotten, except by the fans who watched the show in its first run. 

Conform Or Yer Outta Here!

C'mon, leather pants?

Though I'd been following Rush's music since the late 70's, it wasn't until the band's Moving Pictures album of 1981 that it occurred to me to go see them in concert. This was partly because I finally met some like-minded people who were willing to make the trek from small town (okay, small city) to the bustling metropolis of Rush's home-base, Toronto. My drummer friend promised he'd get his mom to order tickets for us. Ticket sale day came and went and I was getting nervous about this guy (or his mother) following through. After a lot of grilling, I finally determined that there were no tickets. The exact reason now escapes my memory, but whatever it was, it was frustrating back then. After all, Moving Pictures was a huge album, not just for Rush, but for all of rock music. The album and its singles remained high on the charts for many, many months. This would have been the perfect time to see Rush for the first time. Oh well. 

When Signals, the monster follow-up album, hit the radio airwaves and then store shelves, I had a newer Rush-fan friend who was far more dedicated to attending a show on this tour. So it was decided between us, and he made sure we had tickets to Rush in Toronto. He'd seen the band at least a couple of times before, and he wanted me to finally experience the talented Canadian prog-rock trio's incredible live show. 

My buddy and I had done a lot of preparation for this concert. We designed a very cool banner (pictured below) to parade around the arena during the show. We spent hours on that thing, and though friend-o got to keep the banner (still in his possession, I think), I at least got a photo memory of it. As we toured around the arena before the concert, we received cheers for our banner, which I believe was the best one there that night. 

Four of us drove to Toronto immediately after school finished on a Wednesday afternoon in November. Strangely, that evening at the concert, I felt like I was Rush's drummer, Neil Peart. Don't ask why - to this day, I still don't know why. I air-drummed through that whole show. Manic energy coursed through my veins as I watched my favourite band for the first time. I suppose that had to come out somehow, and so I flailed away with my imaginary drumsticks all night. I was harmless.

Among my souvenirs was a half-sleeve concert tour T-shirt, which I wore until I outgrew it... or it shrunk on me. One or the other. I also picked up a tour program, something that I continued to do for every tour that I saw Rush. Packed with great photos, a funny story by each band member, and the always cool Rush crossword puzzle, the program was a keeper and it still rests in pristine condition in my collection. We Rush fans are like that. 

This Band's Got Rhythm

So who's shorty with the big axe?

It was at one of my high school dances back in the late 70's that I saw a local cover band tear off a really smokin' version of AC/DC's Shot Down In Flames. First time I ever heard the song, in fact, and I knew right then and there I'd have to get that song - pronto. After the show, one of my friends took us backstage to see the band. He knew some of the band members, and that was our ticket behind the scenes. Not that this was a big deal. A small-time rock band playing at a high school. Still.... it was my first exposure to this world of real musicians. Hangin' with the band. I did have a little guitar experience under my belt by now so I didn't feel completely out of my element. Plus I did recognize a lot of the songs that were played that night. 

Oh, as a little aside, what ever happened to bands playing at school dances? At least here in my home province in Canada, it sounds like the whole concept was banned at least a decade ago. I suppose it was a money issue.... cheaper to hire a single DJ to play CDs all night than to pay a band - who would have many equipment and electrical issues to deal with. But the energy and connection that you feel with real live people playing instruments onstage is what makes the show special. Sure, some people can get all funky and down with it if there's a good recorded song blasting. But it's not the same. I'm glad I had the chance to grow up in that truer live music atmosphere.

Back to my story: the day after my fun evening at the school dance, I headed for the record store, where I located AC/DC's classic (and best, in my opinion) album Highway To Hell - on cassette, which contained the song I wanted so dearly. I remember loving that whole groovin' album (for there was indeed an indelible groove, marked by the aggressive drums and anchored by the rock steady bass) from top to bottom, but I know I lingered over Shot Down In Flames, listening to it much more than the other tracks, at least for a while. 

That album has aged well, much like fine wine and cheese (beer and chips might not hold up as well over time). The crisp, gritty guitar sound always impresses me, especially when I consider that back in the day, effects pedals weren't necessarily used to achieve distortion; instead, guitarists simply turned up the amp's volume until natural distortion occurred... then they'd fiddle with tone knobs and whatnot to fine-tune that sound. Early AC/DC guitar sounds were solid and palatable as slabs of musical notes, unlike the thunder and lightning crashes and stabs of the era after Bon Scott passed away. Nothing wrong with those later albums.... just a different feel.

Even though the whole album rocks evenly, and I have many favourites, the one that really stands out from the bunch for me is Girls Got Rhythm. The infectious riffs on bass and guitar drive the song like no other. And good ol' Bon squeals and burps just like we expect him to... sad that he didn't live to see another AC/DC album after this one.