Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Classic Rock Videos

Let It Be- The Beatles

Album Cover Art

Let's start a long look at Molly Hatchet album cover art. Personally, I have never seen a MH cover I did not like. They are amazing covers and some have been done by Frank Frazetta (born February 9, 1928) who is an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, record-album covers, and other media. Some of his album covers include:

Nazareth - Expect No Mercy (1977)
Molly Hatchet - Molly Hatchet (1978)
Molly Hatchet - Flirtin' with Disaster (1979)
Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the Odds (1980)
Wolfmother - Wolfmother (2006)

Molly Hatchet

Southern Rock Masters - 2008


I bought this album mainly on faith, thinking, "OK, I like all the original versions of the songs they recorded for this, let's hear them Molly Hatchet style!" It's OK, but on this CD it appears that the band was trying to record faithful reproductions in the style of the original artists, for the most part. For a cover band, they did a good job here. However, this is Molly Hatchet!--a band with its own considerable power, legacy and individual style of music. I don't want to hear them play watered down versions of the styles of the original artists, I want to hear them approach these songs in their own style! Some of these songs shouldn't have been considered, IMO. Desperado, for one. C'mon guys. You're not a ballad band. Sharp Dressed Man--OK, that's more in their ballpark. But instead of taking Billy Gibbons' licks to another level with more power chords and dual leads or whatever, they're just trying to sound like ZZ Top. And it's good, but hey, if I want to listen to a ZZ Top song played in the style of ZZ Top, I'd rather listen to ZZ Top doing it!

So overall, a disappointment. A cool idea, kind of like what Guns 'n' Roses did with the Spaghetti Incident, but on this CD I thought the Hatchet should have taken these songs and adapt them more to their own style. ~ Amazon.com review

Vinyl Collective Update

Looking for some great vinyl? Take a look at the restocks over at http://www.vinylcollective.com

ALKALINE TRIO “S/T” LP orange w/ white swirl vinyl
ALL “Just Perfect” LP
ALL ìShreenî 10”
BLACK FLAG “Louie Louie” 7″
BLACK FLAG “Process Of Weeding Out” LP
BLACK FLAG “Six Pack” 7″
BLACK FLAG “TV Party” 7″
BLACK FLAG “Wasted Again” compilation LP
BLACK FLAG “Who’s Got The 10 1/2″ LP
BLACK FLAG ìAnnihilate This Weekî LP
BLACK FLAG ìI Can See Youî LP
BLACK FLAG ìProcess Of Weeding Outî LP
BLACK FLAG ìSix Packî 10”
CHOKING VICTIM ìNo Gods No Managersî LP
CURSIVE ìUgly Organî LP
DESCENDENTS “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” LP
DESCENDENTS “Milo Goes To College” LP
FIREHOSE ìSOMETIMESî 10″ EP
GOOD LIFE “Help Wanted Nights” LP
H2O “F.T.T.W.” LP picture disc
HUSKER DU “Eight Miles High” 7″
HUSKER DU “Flip Your Wig” LP
HUSKER DU “Metal Circus” 10″
HUSKER DU “New Day Rising” LP
LEMURIA “The First Collection” LP seafoam green vinyl
MINUTEMEN “Double Nickels” dbl LP
MINUTEMEN ìParanoid Timeî 10”
MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK “I Am The Movie” LP
NOFX “Liberal Animation” LP yellow vinyl
RANCID “Let’s Go” white vinyl
RANCID “S/T” LP 1st album
RILO KILEY “Execution Of All Things” LP
SLAPSTICK “25 Songs” dbl LP clear vinyl
SOUNDGARDEN ìFlowerî 10”
SOUNDGARDEN ìFlowerî LP
TEAM SCIENCE “More Records Than Friends” Hoodie medium
TEAM SCIENCE “More Records Than Friends” Hoodie small
TEAM SCIENCE “More Records Than Friends” Hoodie XL
THE LOCUST “Plague Soundscapes” LP
THE SLACKERS “Close My Eyes” LP
THE WEAKERTHANS “Reconstruction Site” LP
TIGER ARMY ìIII - Ghost Tigers Riseî LP
TUESDAY “Free Wheelin” LP
TWO GALLANTS “S/T” LP
VALIENT THORR “Total Universe Man” LP

This Date In Music History-February 10

Birthdays:


Don Wilson- Ventures (1937)

Roberta Flack is 70.


They Are Missed:

Cliff Burton- Metallica (1962)

Brian Connolly, vocalist for Sweet, who reached #3 in 1973 with "Little Willy,” died of kidney failure in 1997 (age 52).

The late Ral Donner ("Girl Of My Best Friend") was born in 1943.


History:

In 1942, "Chattanooga Choo Choo," by Glen Miller and his Orchestra became the first recording to be awarded a Gold record. It was actually just a master copy of the disc sprayed with gold lacquer by RCA as a publicity stunt. The actual award recognized today as a Gold Record would not be initiated for another sixteen years when the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) borrowed the idea and trademarked the Gold Record. The first Gold single was awarded to Perry Como in 1958 for "Catch A Falling Star" and the first Gold album was given to Gordon McRae for the soundtrack to Oklahoma.

In 1958, Elvis attained his ninth US #1 single with the double-sided hit "Don't" / "I Beg of You.”

The Four Tops were inked to Berry Gordy's Motown label in 1963 and received a $400 signing bonus.

Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" rose to the top of the US album chart in 1958, where it would stay for the next five weeks.

In 1964, in the wake of last night's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the Beatles became overnight sensations. Elvis Presley sent them a telegram of congratulations and the Fab Four held a press conference at New York's Plaza Hotel. American newspapers reported that "millions of teenage boys are spending extra time in front of the mirror trying to make their hair look like Paul McCartney's."

In 1967, as the Beatles continued to record "A Day in the Life," they're visited in the studio by Pattie Harrison, Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Richards, Mike Nesmith, and Donovan.

In 1971, Carole King released her album Tapestry bringing the contemporary singer/songwriter character to the mainstream radio.

Dire Straits released their signature single "Sultans of Swing” in 1979.

Van Halen made a grand entrance in 1978 with their self-titled debut record. It has a cover of the Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” and the cut “Runnin’ With The Devil.”

Little Richard recorded "Long Tall Sally” in 1956.

The Beatles closed Beatles USA in 1968, their American fan club and business office and fired their US press agents, severing all American business connections. They also withdrew from the late Brian Epstein's NEMS Enterprises and turned all business affairs over to their newly formed record company, Apple.

The Bubble Gum music craze got its start in 1968 when "Simon Says" by The 1910 Fruitgum Company entered the US record charts, where it will #4. Over the next year and a half, the group will have four more Top 40 hits.

French orchestra leader Paul Mauriat pushed all Rock records aside and reached Billboard's top spot in 1968 with a harpsichord and violin laden instrumental called "Love Is Blue.” Mauriat was no stranger to US success as he had written the music to Peggy March's 1963 #1 hit "I Will Follow Him.”