Yeah - around 1987-1989 I was into Crue. I was also into Quiet Riot, Skid Row... et. al. I was Metal. Although looking at that list, one might think Hair Band Boy.
One would be wrong. I was allready hearing rumblings of Sepultura, Metallica (who I consider a hair band), MegaDeth (who I dont), and countless others you probably never heard of.
I did get a touch excited when I saw Poison (original line-up) was going to tour again. Always a fun show. Im longing for a real Anthrax reunion. Seeing Rush tour again would be extremely fulfilling.
Mind you, I was also listening to Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Biohazard, GnR, Danzig (not a word..).
But most important on that list.. beyond even the local boys of Biohazard and Dream Theatre, beyond the inter-coastal likes of Queensryche and Faith No More... there was the one.
The hardest rock in the world.
The most metal of all time.
The band with the record of 129.5 Db, the loudest concert ever played (and pegged).
Manowar!!!!
Mideval Viking Warrior Metal!!!
And how could you not love a band whose songs include: "Violence and Bloodshed", "Defender" narrated by the late Orson Wells (!),
The only band to ever proclaim "Other Bands play, Manowar Kills!"
And all this back before Marilyn Manson got his training bra.
To Quote from them from my highschool yearbook:
"Stand and fight
Live by your heart
Always one more try
I'm not afraid to die
Stand and fight
say what you feel
Born with a heart of steel"
(heart of steel, 1988, kings of metal)
You can't argue with that.
But like all things metal - they came and went and are now back again. In the interim, while searching for more music to lift my moods - I had my brief grunge phase, my goth + industrial moment, but always it came back to the metal. And the sense of drama. Thats one thing you can say about Manowar, they were dramatic - the scale was huge. And only one band fit afterwards.
Fear Factory.
Call it NuMetal, call it Tech-metal. Sure the lyrics read like crap, but its not just the lyrics - its the whole deal. 1998's album Obsolete is a movie without the visuals. You just have to actually HAVE an imagination, and the want to let it run free.
Then there was Cop Shoot Cop - who ran along the with my metal era (1987-1993ish). But better than just metal, they were local.
And brilliant.
At its best (and worst, depending on the song - which was the point) CSC was 2 bassists and a tribal drummer. Think of the NY Subways, in the dead of winter. Cold - bitter cold, and yet still smelly. Or the subways in the summer, hot - ugly, smelly, and hot.
Your beginning to tap into what made CSC so innovative. Two thick cords, one tuned high - one low, and some bashing drums to drive it. No different in winter, spring, summer, or fall. The subways call.
"All the clocks are broken" - Ask Questions Later, 1993
"Take off the mask and tell me what you find
Behind the curtain everyone's deaf dumb and blind
Everyone becomes the one, the one they most despise
You're looking through one glass eye (2x)
Well, you can't see me now, but I'm watching over you
All the clocks are broken...
Every door is open....
Take me to the ocean....
And we'll ride on the hurricane...
until were washed away... "
Maybe I'll give you a taste of all 3 bands on this weeks podcast. I'm going to be kind and bump it up a day too. So this Thursday, a new podcast, featuring my youth on display. Joy.
Long story short.. like HELL will I pay $50 for nosebleed seats to see the Crue. And Im gonna guess $79 for the floor. Not when it used to be $30 to see them and about 4 other bands. Sorry, after the Dr. Feelgood disaster album, when they suddenly got all popular with the "Z Morning Zoo" crowd (dont ask, think teen radio circa 1990) I walked out on the Crue, never to look back. Besides - a quick troll through the band news of the website (only $40 bucks to get access to a better version of the website, which will allow you to pre-order tickets for any show in 2005) shows me they might not make it to Roanoke in one piece. Vince - injured. Tommy - injured. Nikki - old. The other guy (Mick? who cares.. )- old.
Looking more like Social Security Crue.
Can't we take the money we were going to pay to see them, and get like - 20 good bands here?
Oh enough...
Technorati tags: sad, metal, motley crue, old, has been, expensive
No comments:
Post a Comment