My Musical Evolution – Page 15 – Mapping Influences Over Time

My Musical Evolution – Part 273 The Metal Years Sabbath & Dio

I could really sense the end of The Metal Years. I was still occasionally buying metal albums but they just weren’t connecting with me the way that they used too. I still would break out the Metallica or Iron Maiden when the mood struck me but the truth was that the mood was striking less and less. I’m not trying to demean these albums, well maybe Sacred Heart just a little.

Particularly with Dio, the themes were getting tired. How many times can you string Light, Shadow, Darkness, Magic, Mystery and the like into lyrics before you are just going around in circles?

If you roll back to the Academy Days you’ll recall that my first conscious Black Sabbath experience was courtesy of that beloved Heavy Metal Soundtrack. It was Black Sabbath featuring Ronnie James Dio on The Mob Rules. It was a great song even though I was totally unaware of the concept of Black Sabbath beyond that one song.

By this time, I had come to know and appreciate the original Black Sabbath featuring Ozzy Osbourne and from that pouint on, the Dio version just didn’t feel right. It was akin to Sammy Hagar taking over for David Lee Roth in Van Halen. Sammy like Diowas technically superior musically to his predicessor but the resulting concoction while good was never as electrifying as the original.

Even in writing these posts about The Metal Years, I can feel my interest waning. It has become a chore to slog through it where the earlier albums were easy to listening to and brought back numerous great memories and emotions. I’m listening to these also rans, and even though they are good bodies of work, I’m not emotionally charged by them. Still, they were a part of My Musical Evolution.

Black Sabbath

Heaven And Hell

Rock And Roll Children

My Musical Evolution – Part 272 Roach Days Revisited The Firm

It was my respect for Led Zeppelin that made me buy this album. I had to, it had Jimmy Page on it. I didn’t know it at the time but the rest of The Firm came with prestigious pedigree as well. While it only very distantly reminds me of Led Zeppelin in some way, it is still a good album.

Listening to it now, it sounds like a blend of Robert Palmer, Duran Duran and perhaps Golden Earring especially on Make Or Break.

I’m not a huge fan of the fretless bass. There is something about the tone and note qualitiy that rubs me the wrong way. It almost sounds like somebody doing the bilabial fricative, essentially making fart noises with their mouth.

The Firm does a cover of You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling on this album. At some point along the way, perhaps even right here, I developed a curious attraction to alternate versions of songs. In the later years of my mix tape career, alternate version would frequently be included on my tapes. So much in fact that my closest friends and most frequent audience would comment on the appearance of yet another alternate version.

Make Or Break

Radioactive

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling

Satisfaction Guaranteed

My Musical Evolution – Part 271 Roach Days Revisited Zebra

I didn’t mean to buy this album. I wanted to buy the one that had that Bears song on it. When I got to the record store, this was the only one that they had there. I had a stack of Wooden Nickels so it made it easier to gamble.

I really didn’t know much about Zebra apart from the fact that Penny and I missed their set at the REO Speedwagon concert because we were at her brother’s wedding rehearsal dinner. I was pleasantly surprised with Zebra. I could hear the style that would develope into the sound of the Bears song but there was a lot more to hear.

Who’s Behind The Door is an amazing track and remains my favorite. It is one of those songs that compels me to stop and give it my full attention when it comes on. It made me forget about Bears. Who’s Behind The Door has some of the elements that I loved about Styx, and Boston, and Kansas. The acoustic guitars, the multifaceted composition and the transitional bridge that suggests some kind of ethereal travel.

Zebra is a solid album that until just a few months ago was the only Zebra album I owned. Like Kansas, I never felt motivated to pursue their other works even though I knew that Bears was out there.

Tell Me What You Want

Who’s Behind The Door

When You Get There

Take Your Fingers From My Hair

La La Song

My Musical Evolution – Part 270 Roach Days Revisited Expanding The Bass Set

By the time this photo was taken, I had just about completely stopped playing Heavy Metal songs on my bass. Occasionally, I’d thump out some Ratt or maybe some Iron Maiden but for the most part the goal was to be able to play songs that the girls were into.

Again, being only a mimic and not an acutal musician meant listening to the songs and playing along until I felt that I had copied it well enough. i even took to writing notes. I had a little composition book in which I would transcribe the music as I understood it.

I forgot to mention it earlier but back when we first started playing. Back when we were still playing metal. I recall the first song that we played with a drummer. It was The Prisoner by Iron Maiden. I don’t know why particularly. Chuck had set his drums up in the garage and was just messing around on them making sure that everything was in place. I think he might have played something that sounded like the opening drum part to The Prisioner. Anyway, we all joined in and played along and I recall the feeling of how cool it was that three people could be in sync in such a away with just the unspoken cues of the drum beat. That kind of timing doesn’t occur in many other situations.

So fast forward now back to the past but not as past as thart previous thought. Usually, when I start to learn a song on bass, it would begin as an accident. I’d be listening to music in the house, car or on the headphones when unexpectably, my mind would zero in on the bass line. I’d sit, listen and visualize then as soon as was possible, I’d get the bass out and try to replicate what I heard. In the case of a lot of pop songs that meant 4 or 5 basic riffs with little embelishments where they would change over. Of course it was the best when the whole thing was clear but it was almost as good if I could just communicate the essence. It seems so unlikely now given the way my leisure time is now consumed, but back then , without the distraction of the internet or actual career or wife or kids or DVR’s or mobile phones, I used to play my guitar for 5 to 9 hours a day nearly every day.

In those post metal days, this is a sample of what the set list was looking like.

Robert Palmer – I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On

INXS – What You Need Inks? How do you say that again? In Excess?

Glass Tiger – Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone

Cheap Trick – I Want You To Want Me

Boston – Peace Of Mind

Journey – Stone In Love

The Police – Roxanne

Queen – Killer Queen

ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man

My Musical Evolution – Part 269 Roach Days Revisited More Party Mixes

Was it the 1980’s itself changing or where we just growing up? The women’s fashion, ever evolving, ever changing, started to become somewhat more mature. The hair was still pretty large but had come down a few notches since 1983. The glitz purple and green eye shadow faded into a more natural smolder. The bright red and pink lips became more subdued and the clothing shifted away from that shabby chic that was so popular just months ago to a more executive refinement.

Again, i wonder was it the times or was it us. In 1986, I was 21. Was that enough? Did my social circle lead me away from the hot pink bubble gum of the high school girls and into the grown up club scene? I suspect that it was a combination of the two. I went to the bars half heartedly. Aric was a year younger than me so going to the clubs meant flying solo. I was OK with that but the real issue was that the bars were never as much fun as our house was. Even more so when we were having a party.

Maybe it was a control issue. I had quite a bit of control at our parties. As Co-Host, I controlled the musical mix. I was free to interrupt any conversation. Most importantly, girls at the parties were so much more accessible and there were so many of them.

Billy Idol recorded Mony, Mony and it was extended into a club favorite. I have no idea how it all began but some how the crowd got inspired to add some lyrics to the song. After Billy Idol would say Mony, Mony the dance floor would erupt with “Hey! Get Laid! Get F*cked!”. It’s true.

Bill Idol – Mony Mony

Animotion – Obsession

Falco – Rock Me Amadeus

Miami Sound Machine – Conga

Bangles – Walk Like An Egyptian

My Musical Evolution – Part 268 Roach Days Revisited A Bottle Of Anything & A Glazed Donut. To Go

After Van Halen’s 1984 tour, the band broke up. I saw Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen perform together at Farm Aid. They did a Led Zeppelin song and a some from Sammy and some from Van Halen. I didn’t know it then but the new Van Halen was just around the bend.

David Lee Roth assembled some key musicians for his band and soon we were enjoying Eat ‘Em And Smile. Listening to the opening bars of this album makes me smile. This is another one of those time capsule albums that I listened to frequently back in The Roach Days but then it got shelved. It wasn’t until just about a year ago that I finally upgraded it to Compact Disc.

The great thing about these Time Capsule musical experiences is that the memories and emotions that the music draws out of my brain are clean and not polluted with associations outside the original scope. If I had been playing Eat ‘Em And Smile every month since 1986, the waters would be muddier. As it is, if I close my eyes while listening to Shy Boy, I’m standing in the living room of The Roach Motel right in front of my bass amp and speaker cabinet. I can almost visualize every detail and even tap into the feeling of being there in that space and time.

I took Lynette to see David Lee Roth when he came to town on tour. The show was amazing. Diamond Dave knows how it’s done. Somebody threw a banner onstage that said “Van Who?” Dave held it up and that photo made it into the paper. Lynette and I were right there. You might recall the post where Lisa and I went to see Van Halen. I mentioned how things are a little different when you are out with a pretty girl. It was true here at David Lee Roth too. Lynette was so beautiful that people just got out of our way as we were on the floor and we went right up to the stage. Normally, I used the Twist & Turn technique to get up to the front of the crowd at concerts. I haven’t been to one like that for years but I imagine that liability issues have eliminated the open floor area at concerts. Back in the day, there was always a crowd down in front on the floor. It would routinely undulate in waves of pushing forward and pushing back. I found that if I turned toward the stage during the push toward the stage, I would get pushed forward. Then, when the push back occured, I’d turn 90 degrees and the scrum would slip by me while I stayed in about the same spot. Turning to face the stage for the push forward and repeat. I’d eventually get dumped right at the front. There would always be some guy up front that would turn at yell at the pushing crowd to stop the pushing. It was just the nature of the beast.

I would see Van Halen on their 5150 tour and I still maintain that David Lee Roth’s show was much more entertaining. David did his solo stuff and a lot of Van Halen stuff. It is a lot easier for David’s band to sound like Van Halen that it was for Sammy Hagar to sing old Van Halen stuff. David’s show seemed bigger and more energetic. It could have been or maybe it was just that I was there with Lynette and that always seemed to make things a little more.

Yankee Rose

Shy Boy

I’m Easy

Ladies’ Nite In Buffalo

Goin’ Crazy

Tobacco Road

Bump And Grind

That’s Life

My Musical Evolution – Part 267 Roach Days Revisited Another Batch Of MTV

It seemed like some kind of changing of the guard at MTV. The bands that were on all the time a few months ago like Wang Chung, Steve Perry, Bryan Adams, Culture Club and The Cars, seemed to drop off and another wave of fresh faces and respected veterans took over.

Maybe it didn’t happen overnight like it I remembered it. Maybe this was not so much about the evolution of MTV as it was my own Musical Evolution. The end of The Metal Years was just around the bend. I can’t say for certain if I was consciously aware of that or not. I do know that I had spent more time trying to learn how to play Journey, Boston, and other girl friendly music on my bass.

The leather and spikes began to disappear and in its place, leopard print spandex, bleached splotched acid washed Levi 501’s, Avante-garde silk shirts started to sprout up. It was still the 1980’s even if we were on the back nine.

Smithereens – Behind A Wall Of Sleep

Tears For Fears – Shout

Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls

Peter Gabriel – Sledgehammer

Mr. Mister – Broken Wings

My Musical Evolution – Part 266 Roach Days Revisited Desperately Seeking Lynette

I don’t recall how it happened but somehow I ended up with Madonna’s movie Desperately Seeking Susan on video tape. Did I record it from one of the cable movie channels? I really don’t know. I do know that for a while we watched it more than a few times. If you aren’t familiar with the story, sorry but I’m not going to go into it here. Try to find it someplace and check it out. Madonna played a mysterious, exotic woman named Susan. She didn’t seem to have a mailing address and the guy who was romantically pursuing her had to use the classifieds section of the newspapaer to contact her. I’m sure that today Susan would have an iPhone [most likely borrowed].

I’m primarily bringing it up because I had a similar relationship with a girl during The Roach Days. Remember the beautiful blonde woman that I mentioned in Part 221? Well this was her. We met casually in passing a year prior and it was some time into our second meeting that either of us realized that we had met before.

She was beautiful, provocative, mysterious and exotic. When she was with me, she made feel like the only guy in her life even though I knew full well that I wasn’t. We’d spend some time together and then she’d disappear leaving me with no way to reach her. She would show up every once in a while sometimes more frequently than others. Usually it was unannounced or preceded by a phone call. For a brief period it felt like we were dating but that could have been just wishdul thinking.

I wondered if that mysterious quality was responsible for the intensity of the attraction. One of her favorite songs at the time was Billy Idol’s Hot In The City so I got to work learning it so I could play it for her.

Billy Idol – Hot In The City

Saga – On The Loose

John Cougar Mellenkamp – I Need A Lover The first ime I heard this I was really entracned by the long instrumental into and thought “wow, somebody has done a really cool guitar version of that Pat Benetar song.”

The Fixx – Saved By Zero

Murray Head – One Night In Bangkok

Madonna – Into The Groove

My Musical Evolution – Part 265 Roach Days Revisited Love Gets A Bad Name

I was familiar with Bon Jovi. Runaway was a staple of the Rise part of The Rise & Fall Of ’84. I even saw Bon Jovi on tour supporting the previous record. I forget who he was opening for. Did he ever tour with Billy Squier?

Slippery When Wet took an already popular Bon Jovi to the next level. With the way the girls were reacting to Bon Jovi, I had to buy this album if only to learn a couple songs from it. I eventually would play You Give Love A Bad Name and Livin’ On A Prayer.

I can’t say that I was ever a huge Bon Jovi fan. Slippery When Wet didn’t make the Compact Disc cut. Instead I opted for Cross Road. I felt that the Best Of approach was sufficient to deliver any fix required for Bon Jovi.

Again, I can see the Mix Tape phenomenon at play. I’m quite familiar with some of Bon Jovi’s stuff. Those that made the party tape rotation are like old friends but the rest of the stuff remains a stranger.

You Give Love A Bad Name

Livin’ On A Prayer

Wanted Dead Or Alive

My Musical Evolution – Part 264 Roach Days Revisited The Virgin Tour

For a while this show was on MTV. It was taken from a live show in Detroit in the spring of 1985. I wish it was available on legitimate DVD. I’d pick it up. I must have seen it several times during its run on MTV. It means more to me today than it did then because I know where Madonna ends up, how she changes.

This was Madonna unspoiled and just making great music without the burden of reputation or living up to the expectations of being an icon. I’ve said it before, but this is the Madonna that I miss. You can see the roots of who she becomes but there is still a large portion of fun here that hasn’t yet been buried under the pursuit of perfection of the delivery of an important social political message.

Another thing that comes to mind that I am a total loss to explain is why when I saw Madonna as she appeared in this image, it reminded me of Lisa. I guess there might be a little resemblance. I honestly can’t tell you why, it just made me think of her.

I wonder if Madonna feels like I do when she sees this. Does she cringe at her unpolished perfermance? Does she wonder how things got to be the way they are? Does she long for the simpler times when she didn’t have to be the Queen of Pop? If the lack of a DVD version of this tour is any indicator, I’d think that she’d rather we didn’t see this.

The Virgin Tour Live