New blog name, an explanation

If you are reading this page, and have found your way here from the old name, you might be wondering what is up with the new name. Well, here is the explanation.

Recently, while bouncing around the internet, I found that the name "The Vinyl Score" is the name of a You Tube show. A "Vlog," I guess. This channel had a pretty good number of shows, and the name "Vinyl Score" actually works better for them. Not only are they discussing the vinyl that they "scored" (purchased), but the show is also all about soundtracks! In other words, movie "scores"! So, their use of the name was much better than my use of the name. 

So, it only made sense that I changed the name. 

I bounced around numerous ideas, and finally settled on "The Vinyl Ruins," which is using my old magazine title (Sonic Ruin) and the obvious vinyl use. Whereas one of the other names I wanted to use I do prefer, but it too was being used somewhere (I couldn't change the address of the site to it), so, this is what I am using. 

So, I have probably lost some people in the switch (much to my amazement I do seem to have some people that stop by and read! 86 or so last month . . . with no updates in a year or so!!!).

This site will start being updated again. I let it slide while I finished my masters program, and while I have other family issues at play. The masters is done, the family issues are not. But, I am deciding I do need this outlet. My reviews will not be as crazily in-depth, but they will be more frequent. 

Oh, I had also started to write for a website. But, I am guessing they did not like how long I take to write at times, and have decided to go a different direction. I have not heard from them for a few months now, so I can only guess I was "let go." 

Eloy - A retrospective, part 1

It seems that every year I find myself going into a progressive rock mindset. It almost never ceases to fail. The winter comes and I find myself listening to more and more progressive rock than at other times during the year. I'm not sure what it is, whether the music just fits with the cold and snow, or if I am just more willing to take the artistic side of the music and nestle on in with a good tale spun to a lengthy piece of music.
More times than not, the band I usually spend the most time with is German legends Eloy. The Mighty Eloy, as a lot of us fans refer to them.
For this year the launch of my progressive infatuation came when my daughter bought me the second part of their The Vision, The Sword and the Pyre concept albums. 7 sides of the history of Joan of Arc told through music. While this might not sound like the most enjoyable listening experience for some people, for fans of progressive rock and Eloy, there is a chance that this is a form of Heaven on Earth.
For me, it re-launched my Eloy love.
I first got hooked on Eloy way back around 1988 or 1989. Maybe even 1987. The exact year is now fuzzy. I believe that the most current album from them was Ra, which many consider a particularly rough time for the band. But we will get to that later.
I can't say it was instant love. One of the issues many people have with Eloy is Frank Bornemann's voice. Frank is the main man, the driving force, behind Eloy. He sings in English, but his German accent is extremely thick, and Frank doesn't really have the most beautiful voice one will ever hear.
But, in all honesty, through the year I have found that weak, or annoyingly overly dramatic vocals are a standard within progressive rock. If there is going to be something to turn people away from prog, more than the lengthy composition times, it is usually the voice.
But, I digress.
In the early days of my spending time with Eloy I was also guilty of struggling with Frank's voice. But over the years, I have found, that each subsequent time I return to Eloy I grow more and more find of Frank's voice. It gets to a point where it is an endearing quality to the band. One of the aspects of the band that one needs to hear. Indeed, when the recent album, The Vision Part 2, reached its final song and a voice other than Frank's started singing, I was heartbroken. The years are getting on, Eloy is not a massively successful band, there is obviously a chance that this is the final album from the band. The idea that the very last bit of new Eloy music I am going to be hearing for the last time is a voice other than Frank kind of brought me down a little bit.
My plan here is to do a little retrospective on all of the Eloy releases. Starting from the beginning and wandering on up to the most current release. One of the unique things about Eloy is that they have been a perpetual revolving door of members. The line-up has rarely been the same, with only two members being the actual key to the sound: Frank Bornemann (vocals and guitar) and Klaus-Peter Matziol (bass). Yet, even with the constant changing of members and constant changing of styles, the Eloy sound has remained incredibly consistent. Digging through some interviews with the Frank Bornemann I think I understand how it is that the band has remained consistent, and exactly how they operate.
In an interview with Bornemann he states the importance of the band, and everybody in the band contributing and being an actual band. The comment made me realize that for Bornemann it truly is about being a band. I get the impression that he hires people to being in the music, with somebody contributing an idea, and then everybody building on the idea. Then, considering this is Eloy, and Bornemann's project, he then "tweaks" everything into taking on what we all know as the "Eloy sound." He adds the touches to make sure it all starts to take on the sound that we come to expect.
Due to the many changes the band goes through, the idea here will be to tackle this retrospective in chunks. The first one will just look at the first album. This needs to be addressed on its own due to it being completely unlike the rest of the albums.
The next group will be the second and third album, mainly for stylistic reasons.
I am going to lump album four, The Power and the Passion, in with the classic trilogy (Dawn, Ocean, Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes). While The Power and the Passion is the same line-up as albums two and three, and Dawn through Silent is a different line-up (though the same for those three albums), the musical style is the same. So I am going by style over the members. I believe that The Power and the Passion was the true birth of their direction, even if I do prefer Inside (album two) and Floating (album three) possibly the better albums. Frank's vision was finally realized.
When possible I will be using vinyl as my choice of listening medium. Sadly, for the first album I will more than likely be using a streaming site of some sort. I do not have the debut album, and an original copy is might expensive. I will eventually be buying the re-release. For now, however, I am using my money to replace CDs I parted with a few years ago (the 90s albums are only available on CD, except for insanely priced promos) and vinyl I never had before.
I will try to add a little bit of factual information to these articles, but this will prove difficult. Eloy never achieved much success over here, nor in many English speaking countries. They never even made it to the US on a tour, and I believe their live shows have always been fairly sporadic. But due to this there amount of information out there on Eloy is pretty light. So, I will do my best and I will revise any articles with new information, if I find or stumble on to anything.
So, until I get the next piece written, ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY ELOY!!!

The Stray Cats - 40 (2019)

The Stray Cats, what more can be said about them? Many people consider them the band that brought Rockabilly back to the charts. While they may have been the band with the most success, they were far from the only band doing the Rockabilly thing at the time. But one can’t deny that they definitely were the band that brought it into the charts, and eventually into millions of homes around the world.


A decade later lead vocalist, guitarist, and main songwriter Brian Setzer would once again do the same trick with the big band and Swing formula. Once again, while he was far from the only one in town doing the style, he was the one getting the credit for it all. But let’s not totally forget Squirrel Nut Zippers and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies.

I first grew interested in the Cats when they first arrived, but my love for them became really deep when Setzer went solo. He became an all-time favorite for me with his Live Nude Guitars (EMI, 1988).

So I followed Setzer and the Cats from that release on. The Cats have stopped and started up numerous times over the years. Each time with varying degrees of success. Blast Off! (EMI, 1989) was their closest to gaining what they had been, but it still lacked some of the magic. Choo Choo Hot Fish (JRS, 1992) completely missed the mark, with some interesting songs, but nothing that came close to what one would expect from The Stray Cats. The band seemed more interested in experimentation than they were in just giving the world great Rockabilly.

So when the Cats announced recently that they had entered the studio again for the first time since the Choo Choo album, I was a little hesitant. I was holding out hope on the strength of Setzer’s releases over the years between the two releases, but was still not as excited as I was when Blast Off! Was released.

So what follows are my initial reactions to the album once I finally got ahold of the dang thing. I wanted to purchase it from a store, not through online, for some reason. I finally found the album at my trusty Toad Hall Records in Rockford, Illinois. I ran (drove) home with it and instantly threw it on and sat back for a listen.

"Cat Fight Over A Dog Like Me": I guess this is the “single.” This one carries a pretty classic Cats sound. Fitting in well with the early material, even prior to Blast Off. In fact, it carries more of a true Rockabilly sound than most of Rant N Rave. A nice way to start the album.

"Rock It Off": Setzer is channeling Eddie Cochran for the verses on this one. The chorus is more straight-forward. The selling point for this song is the verse. Two straight-up Rockabilly tunes. A nice basic solo with this one. Playing to fit, not to show off. I like this one the most so far.

"I’ve Got Love If You Want It": This one is making me think of something that would be a b-side from the Knife Feels Like Justice sessions. A Rockabilly tune written by that version of Setzer. His voice is reminding me of that era. This is also the least Rockabilly so far. Great song, but stepping slightly away. The album keeps getting stronger.

"Cry Danger": “Day Tripper”? Further away from Rockabilly we get. Co-written with Mike Campbell probably has something to do with that. I find it interesting that it takes a secondary co-writer to help him borrow the “Day Tripper” riff.

So far this is better than Rock Therapy, Blast Off!, or Choo Choo Hot Fish.

"I Attract Trouble": A slower, plodding, gang fight sounding slab of a tune. One of those tunes that would have worked great as a duet with Lux Interior if he were still with us. It brings up images of dark alleys, cigarette smoke, hot dames, and switchblades.

"Three Time’s A Charm": Good ol’ early Gonna Ball era Cats. Not much else needs to be said. A tip of the hat to all the Rockabilly greats, but still with that Cats style.

"That’s Messed Up": Slower to mid-tempo suffling number. Total classic style, a nice mover that shines with the guitar tone, where that becomes the star.

"When Nothings Going Right": A fairly non-Rockabilly tune. If there was a country accent this tune would walk very close to a more modern Country number. I’m not too sure what to think about this one. I will either be skipping this one down the road, or it will sink into my head and become a favorite (although I doubt it). Probably the most disposable number on here so far.

Oh, just saw it is a Lee Rocker number. Sorry Lee.

"Desperado": Spaghettibilly! Yes, Spaghetti Western with a dash of Rockabilly. This one is an instrumental. We will see how wild Setzer decides to get with this one. Will there be flash or a nice easy going lead? So far nice and fitting. Nice! He never gets out of control and lets the mood and tone win out.

"Mean Pickin’ Mama": (writing two songs early to say there had better be some killer guitar flash here) Nice shuffle and swing Rockabilly, more ‘billy than the Rock, but still a great tune.

"I’ll Be Looking Out For You": Cool riff using the Setzer punk mindset with a nicely over-driven guitar and a “chorus” that is closer to something from early 80s Punk than most anything else. Cool number that is a unique tune on this album.

"Devil Train": A galloping number that fits the name. A little Western in that gallop. I would have hoped for a little more energy on the ending number, but we will see where it goes. But I expect it will not go anywhere else. Cool tune, but not what I would choose to close with.

On that first listen the album is worlds better than Choo Choo Hot Fish. Is it better than Blast Off!? That’s a tough one to say. That album definitely has some great tracks that have almost gotten better with time. Blast Off! is closer to Live Nude Guitars in feel and attitude for me, so that also wins out. Time will obviously be the true test, but for a band that has had a tumultuous career, this is a fine album to return on. It pays attention to each member and sounds fairly fresh, aside from one blatant Beatles riff rip-off too many.

Quick Takes 1 - Speed Queen

One of the goals I always had for my writing, whether it be my old print 'zine Sonic Ruin or here, was to create a scholarly type of publication. The idea was to always have articles that not only broke the songs and albums apart, but also maybe gave a little history of the bands. Treating the bands and the music with the proper respect, that has always been the dream.

Unfortunately the problem with that is the amount of time those articles take. The research can be fairly time consuming due to how obscure the bands are. Many times the information found was so light that nothing could be done with it, and nothing else could be found.

From time to time the information I would find were the bands themselves. It is always a weird thing contacting these people. A few of them seemed to not want to be associated with the bands I was calling about, even though they were still involved with music. Others seemed interested in talking, but then vanished and stopped correspondence. But whatever the cases, there was time involved.

This shouldn't be news to anybody. Any writing usually takes research and time, obviously. Problem for me was that I found the time fleeting. The problem I have is that once I get behind, I usually turn away from things. This is one of my great faults that I am working to correct. One way to correct this problem is to find a reasonable way of catching up.

This brings us to this article.

This article is basically going to be made up of a bunch of "quick takes" on items I have bought over the past half year or so of buying records. I will be giving a quick run down on certain records, but I will not be doing any deep research. Yes, if there is an interesting fact I have learned I will mention it. But for the most part these will just be discussing the albums and their positive sides and if they are worth your tracking them down, and what I decent price to spend would be on each item.This will not be how every new article is going to be, but these types will show up from time to time, and might be the standard for a little while. Just until I get caught up.

So, without further delay . . .

Speed Queen - Speed Queen (1980)

I was at a record convention recently and as I was walking out I stopped by one final booth. In the last crate I dug into I found this album. I looked it over. The band looked cool, the name was pretty good, and they thanked Lemmy and Motorhead.

Think about that for a second. This album came out in 1980 and they are thanking Motorhead. Motorhead was just starting to really lay their name down and become the band that would someday become en vogue to mention. This little band was tipping their hat to them in the early days. That should give you a little indication about what we have here.

So what do we have? Seed Queen were a five piece band out of France. They played a straight ahead Rock and Roll with possibly an extra kick to the gut. A little AC/DC meets Alice Cooper group in riffing, with a rough throat female vocalist named Stewy (real name is Stevie) who spews attitude in every single word.

The album consists of 8 songs, but each song is a powerhouse. They seemed to realize they were only putting down 8 songs so there was no time to get mellow. They had just enough time to rock the living hell out of the listener, and that is exactly what they were going to do. Don't expect anything fast as the name might imply to some folk, that name is obviously a tip of the hat to the other kind of speed. But every single song is that mid-tempo stomper that just gets to your heart and makes you want to live.

In all honesty this might be a band everybody knows about and I am just a complete sheltered idiot. The guy I bought this from was talking about it like it was a well known classic of hard rock. "Would you believe I just found out today that they actually released a second album!" He said to me as I was looking over the cover. "I could not believe I didn't know that!" I looked at him and was honest and said "Yeah, I have no idea who they are even." I almost felt like an idiot, but my quick research very much was pointing to a band that had slipped through the cracks. Every time I get a hit for them on the 'net it leads me to a French site. So my guess is that they are possibly known in France, and we can stop there.

I paid $15 for this. Might be a bit high for a band I was totally unfamiliar with, but I decided to risk it. After hearing it, I would have been happy paying $25 for it. They are really that good. They rock the hell out of the place and should have been much bigger than they are. If you like RnR ala AC/DC, Alice Cooper, or any other band that you want blaring through the speakers while drinking and raising Hell, then this should be an album in your collection. If you see it while out shopping, do be sure to exit with this one under your arm.

Someday I do hope to do a more detailed write-up on Speed Queen. They do deserve more coverage.

Quiet Riot - Quiet Riot 1 & 2!!!

On May 20 of this year I attended the Chicago Record Convention being held in Hillside, Illinois. I went down there with two albums as my intended score. My birthday was on the 19th and I was going in armed with a little extra cash and the intent to actually not caring too much about the cost of things (yet still not being an idiot).

My main goals were the 1974 release by the band Left End called Spoiled Rotten. A wonderful slab of all out ROCK by a band that gave it all they had and who have sadly become more or less forgotten by time.

The other, and main, purchase was going to be Quiet Riot II. I had seen it there previously but didn't have the money at the time that I was comfortable to spend on the one album. Granted, QRII isn't anywhere near the price of QRI, but it is still more than I have spent. But with a little extra birthday cash on hand, that puppy was going to be mine!

Getting to the convention I went straight to the spot where the dealer was the previous time who had QRII. Much to my horror he was not there! I scoured the room he was in previously, checking through crates, looking for his merchandise, as I could easily forget a face but not stock.

Sadly I could not find the gentleman. So then turned tale and went off to buy the Left End album. That dealer was in the main room and had a huge set-up, so I knew he would be back in the same place, and he was. Watch these pages for coverage of the mighty Left End at a later date.

I spent the next few hours searching for good stuff. Suddenly my buddy Todd ran up to me and pointed me in the direction of a dealer. He had found my QRII guy! Instantly the money came out and I walked away with the purchase I had been looking for, and the guy even took $20 off the sticker he had on the album!

So there I was, the two main items in my grasp. Little did I know that a few minutes later I would be finding another Holy Grail item (to be discussed in a future article). Then, just a few minutes after that Todd would again come and get me and bring me to another dealer. This one had QRI. This copy of the debut album from Quiet Riot was the strange black and white bootleg that I can't find any information on. All I have been able to find out is that it came out in the early 90s and that a bootleg of QRII was also released by the same mysterious company, Ravers. A real copy of QRI will set a person back around $300. The bootleg will set you back around $30 or so, but even  these are tough to come by.

For my money Quiet Riot is one of the sadder stories in Rock and Roll. If you don't know much about music history, but do know of Quiet Riot, you know them due to the two Slade covers, "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Mama Were All Krazee." You also possibly know that the vocalist, Kevin DuBrow, became one of the most hated men in music, and that he was responsible for destroying the great career that they had forged out for themselves.

Those that do know of music history know that this is the launching pad for the mighty Randy Rhoads. A guitarist who, along with Eddie Van Halen, propelled guitar playing into a different realm. However, as most people know, Randy made his mark playing alongside Ozzy Osbourne. Randy has always been one of my guys. One of the guitarists I have always idolized. In fact, even though Queen was my first musical obsession, Randy was the first person I singled out and fell for. Queen was the whole band, whereas for me when Randy died my love of Ozzy also died.

Truthfully the Quiet Riot of Randy Rhoads and the Quiet Riot of the hits are two fairly different creatures. The Rhoads QR was a band based in British rock, with huge dashes of Glam. Whereas the hit machine QR, even though there biggest hits were covers of British rock, were more of a Metal band with a much harder edge.

The one constant between the two bands is Kevin DuBrow's fantastic voice. This is probably the saddest aspect about what happened to the band. Due to Kevin's actions later in the band Quiet Riot have kind of become a joke. Yes, there were a few things that just would not age well for them. Kevin had a receding hairline that was destined to be a joke, some of their clothing choices were going to be hurt eventually, the videos are of an early 80s MTV nature, so more than a little cheesy. But make no mistake, DuBrow could sing. His voice is actually somewhere in the style of a Noddy Holder from Slade, which explains the two covers.

So, are these two albums worth the price? That would depend on how much money you have. Both albums should be in the collection of any self-respecting fan of Rock. No matter what, you should have them. If you have the money to burn they are without a doubt worth the price.

Quiet Riot I is a little rougher than Quiet Riot II. This only makes sense due to it being the first time these guys got into a studio. Plus, I am guessing they were not given a massive budget, partially explaining the "Japanese only" nature of the release. The songs are also a little more juvenile with lyrics and delivery.

Quiet Riot II is really the gem. This is actually a massive plus for the collectors, as it can be had for a much cheaper price tag. But this is the album where Randy Rhoads becomes Randy Rhoads. One can hear the soloing that would be associated with him, including certain runs that would later show up with Ozzy. But his playing is much more refined here, and much more confident. Through out this whole album there are moments where one hears the beginnings of an Ozzy solo, or a bend here or there, or a slide, that we are all familiar with due to hearing similar things happening in the Osbourne material. It is pretty fascinating to hear these bits in such a different style song. They work in both the Glammy QR style and the evil Ozzy style, it just shows how versatile Rhoads could be, even with the same material. It all comes down to his style and technique.

In fact, that can be said for the whole band. They are comfortable here and have matured a thousandfold from the first album. From the classic "Slick Black Cadillac" to "You Drive Me Crazy," and "We've Got The Magic" then to the cover of Small Faces "Afterglow (Of Your Love)" the band proves how good they were. Trust me, "You Drive Me Crazy" is a high point for DuBrow. Plus, the fact that he pulls off a Small Faces tune and does it justice is another testament to how great he really was.

Heads up: The Ravers release of Quiet Riot I isn't without a few flaws. It seems to have been recorded, or transferred, a tad too hot. Towards the end the levels are going crazy and the sound kind of bounces in and out a little on the levels. This comes with a bit of added distortion. This is obviously a guess that this is a side effect of the bootleg nature. I kind of doubt I will ever be holding an actual copy of QRI to be able to do a side by side comparison with, so I will just stand by my gut instinct. If anybody has an actual copy I would love to know how "Demolition Derby" sounds and if things start to fall apart on your copy towards the end.

Do yourself (and the memories of DuBrow and Rhoads) a favor, one way or another add these two albums to your collection. Whether being able to afford the real things, the Ravers boots, or even a digital download. Any self-respecting Rock and Roll fan should have these and will more than likely enjoy the heck out of these two albums. Quiet Riot II is one of the best things to be released in the 70s.

So on May 20th, 2018 I had a record buying day that might never be matched. The amount of great stuff bought that day was ridiculous. I ended up with five albums that I had been chasing for a good long while, and I bought one that instantly landed in my "all-time favorite album" list.

The Plan Was . . .

I had a plan: summer hits and I nail down a ton of reviews. I'm a teacher by day, so summers will always provide me the time to write that I long for. This is how many teachers do things. The fantastic author Dan Simmons was an author before going full-time author. It seems many authors out there are teachers, and many of them do their writing during the summer. This was a fantastic plan.

Problem is I have had this plan before.

This plan has collapsed before. It sounds good, but then the summer hits and one thing leads to another and I don't write. I like to think I am still trying to accept my role in life (I am going on my fifth year of teaching), You see, when the summer hits and I think "I am going to write!" I am also consumed by guilt that I am thinking of being a little selfish and wasting time doing something frivolous.

So, with my final three weeks I am going to take a shot at writing a bunch. Over the next few days I am going to start writing up short little reports about what I have bought. I will add little bits of information and reviews to these. But I am going to race through a bunch just to try and get us caught up. Trust me, I have not stopped the quest for great vinyl, I have just fallen off the writing.

So keep your eyes peeled! Something will show up by later tonight or early tomorrow for sure.

Rock on!!!

Record Store Report - Flipside Records

Flipside Records

Location: 41 E. 14 Mile Road, Clawson, MI. 48017
Website:  http://shopflipsiderecords.com/
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon., Tues., Fri. 11-9, Wed. and Thurs. 11-7, Sat. 11-8, Sun. 12 - 5
Listening Station: I actually did not look for one here.

What is on offer? Are you ready for this? Again I am just going to list the back of their business card: CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, LPs, Indies, Imports, audiophile, dreamcast, nin64, playstation, SuperNES, Genesis, electronics, TVs, stereos, camcorders, speakers, cameras, drums, guitars, amps, keyboards, toys, action figures, collectibles, XBox, Gamecube, XBox 360, wii, iPods, MP3 players. I am sure they have even more than what they listed on the card. This store had a lot of stuff.

Prices: Mid-range with some towards the higher end. There is a really good sized dollar section which does have some great material stashed between the usual suspects. Underneath all of the Rock vinyl the store has their merchandise that has yet to be priced. This is out for you to browse through. If you find something in there you bring the record to the counter and they will research the price and inform you how much it would cost. Hopefully they don't stick to Discog prices only, as there are many things on Discogs that tend to be inflated prices. Just like anything, rarity should not be an indicator of value all of the time.

So, honestly, how is the place: This was the second store I hit on my Marillion/record store tour. It took me a few seconds to realize I had found the place. As is visible in the picture, the sign is a little inconspicuous. I parked on the street, but once inside I realized there is a parking lot in the back. Please do me, the shop, and yourself a favor and park in back. Much easier to get to the store that way than running across busy traffic.

Flipside is, in a way, the opposite of UHF. It is a fairly dusty shop, but this can be forgiven and understood due to the sheer volume of merchandise in the store. If you like bin diving and you have a lot of time to kill, this is your store! It isn't just records that they have a lot of, it is everything on offer.

There is a lot of vinyl in the bins, but remember what I said, there is even more underneath all of the main displays. I didn't even realize it until I was about to leave. When I did notice the vinyl below I just figured it was doubles. Most record shops will put the doubles and triples below. I asked and the gentleman who was working on the underneath section informed me that it was indeed new stock that has not been priced. Much to my dismay I was running short on time by this point (I had a concert to get to) and was only able to do a quick browse, but there was some good stuff down there.

The help in the store was great. Super friendly staff. They were either helpful or just pleasant to speak to for a few seconds. It is also a regulars type of store, with people just coming in to hang out and chat.

So, what did I find?
FireBallet - Night on Bald Mountain

This is where I have to show my slight frustration. As I said, the store has a lot. They had quite a few things I was really excited to find. Sadly all of these items were in the $15 price range. This got in the way of the budget I was having to stick to during my trip. I was trying to set my budget around $20 a store, as I was planning to hit 6 stores during this trip. So due to the prices I had to try and decide what I was mainly chasing. All of the items I was walking around with were records by bands I love and I had some variation of the releases (cassette, CD, digital). So I decided to go with a band I had never heard of before, who I quickly checked out while in the store, and was lower priced than the others.

FireBallet was my purchase. The album itself was in mint condition. The cover and vinyl look brand new, and this thing is from 1975! So this thing was easy enough for me to decide as the one I left with. I love obscure 70s rock, I especially love obscure 70s symphonic progressive rock, the price was decent, and the thing was in mint condition. Yeah, I was all about this one. Turns out it was a great purchase.

Even though there are a few things that might not sound like I am raving about the store, I really did love this one. If I didn't have my budget set I would have left on cloud nine. If I lived closer I would have returned by now to buy one of the ones I left on the shelf, and I would be returning each week to pick up the others. It is a store I would love visiting every week. As the next record store report will show, this area is pretty much a definite destination spot. The three shops I hit in this area are all fantastic for different reasons. If you are in the Detroit area you must make a stop at Flipside. You will leave with something great, and possibly at a wonderful deal if it was in the massive dollar bin section!

Record Shop Report - UHF Records

UHF Records

Location: 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, MI, 48067
Website: No site found.
Facebook presence: Yes
Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11-8, Sun. 12 - 6
Listening Station: Yes, at the front of the store.

What is on offer: (per their business card) LPs, 45s, CDs, Magazines, Books, DVDs, Blu-Ray, T-shirts, Posters, Stereo Components, Turntables, Accessories, Electronics, MORE!
That "more" includes things such as patches, pins, and other music related items. If you don't find anything to listen to (which means you didn't actually try to find anything) you will be able to find something to spend your hard earned money on).

Prices: Very fair prices, yet they do their research and you will pay more for the rarer item. The prices will be lower than most Discog prices, but you won't find that mind blowing deal or run out of the store snickering that you just struck gold. More than likely you will leave with a smile because you got a fair price and were not taken to the cleaners.

So, honestly, how is the place: Recently Marillion came to the U.S. for a short tour. They have been the band I call my favorite band for the past 34 years. UHF was the first stop on a whirlwind record shopping trip I did recently. Over the next few weeks I will be posting a few more of these record shop reviews. It was a thrilling experience.

UHF is a very much one of the fancier shops I have run across. The store itself is very appealing to be in and has a very nice aesthetic to it. We are not talking about white wall with everything being sterile. No, we are talking a shop that looks like you want a record shop to look, just fairly clean. When I first ran in there asking for change for the parking meter I thought to myself "oooo, I like this place" before I even started to browse.

The selection is pretty solid. There were all of the usual finds, with everything in good condition. I should state that I rarely dip out of the regular rock sections. Everything is broken down by alphabet and the there is a miscellaneous section.

There is a new arrival section at the front of the store with a good amount on offer. Stop there first for sure as looking over their Facebook page from the past and using this day as a reference, there are a lot of cool things that show up in there that probably are snatched up right away.

I should state that I rarely dip out of the standard Rock section. I might browse Metal and Punk from time to time, but I usually kill all of my time in the regulars. In this store I looked briefly into the Metal section, and I can confirm that they have a fine Metal section. Not huge, but there was some good stuff in there. But how the Jazz, Classical, Blues, etc. sections fair I am unsure.

As I found with all of the Michigan stores I hit local music is really pushed. UHF has a wall for local music on CD and bins for vinyl. They do cater to all local. This was a little bit of a tough spot, as there are a few Detroit bands I love and I did find their stuff on CD. Sadly I didn't see the vinyl represented or it would have blown my budget out instantly.

In the back of the store are music biographies and autobiographies and general music books. The selection is larger than what one would find at a Barnes and Nobel, so we are talking about a good amount of books. I could not find the Faces book I have been searching for, but that is OK. Saved my budget again.

So what did I find? 
Starz - Starz
The Babys - The Babys
Fanny - Rock and Roll Survivors
Dirty Angels - Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

I could have walked out with a lot more, but it was the first stop of many and I had to consider my budget. At this stop much of what I put back were things I was taking a chance on. I used the listening station to decide which of those I would be putting back.One of my purchases, Dirty Angels, was a chance purchase, but it was still sealed and the description was Power Pop, one of the areas I do try to collect, so even being unheard I had to grab that one. Glad I did.

When I got back to my room later I noticed that the Starz had a bit of a large scuff on it. I returned to the store and was allowed to check the record for a skip. Their policy is that if it plays on their equipment then there is no return. This is understandable. It did play on their table and I have yet to check it on mine. I am holding off on listening to that one until I have made it through the rest of the stack that I came back with from my trip.

All in all UHF is a great shop. If you are in the Detroit area it is one of the shops I would say is a must visit. The selection is really good, the other merchandise in the store adds to your purchase temptation, and the workers are all friendly.

Fantacy Hill - First Step

Fantacy Hill - First Step
Released 1978 on Prodigal Records P7-10022R1

Looking back on the era, it is really hard to categorize bands out of the 70s. One starts to realize how close a lot of these bands ran to each other at times. Unless a band was so deep into a particular style, such as the era of Sweet or classic era of Yes, it is really hard to stick many of the bands of the era into a specific genre. Many of the bands were trying to break it through and would often sample with numerous styles.

So I sit here with an album by the band Fantacy Hill's second album, First Step. Kind of a confusing animal straight from the start. It is their second release, yet it is called First Step. The cover is fairly rough to look at and doesn't give anybody an idea of what to expect. I could only figure that the title came from them having a picture of some stairs and then tried to come up with a title. Musically it could hint to Progressive Rock, or it could also be a Funk. Plus we don't have any pictures of the band to help clue us in on what is to be found in the grooves. Now add to that it is on Prodigal Records, which is an imprint of Motown.

What Fantacy Hill were would be a 70s Hard Rock act that turns out a sound that mixes in a lot of different styles of the era. In fact, so much do they mix in other styles and bands that a few of the songs you would swear you have heard before. From the sounds to the titles, they borrowed from more than a few sources.

At one point Glam, at another Southern, and then at times almost a harder edged Doobie Brothers style rock. They really do cover quite a few grounds. One of my other problems I am having is that they use three different vocalists, so a definite sound and style is never cemented for the listener. I am thinking that the vocalist depends on the writer. So in a way we are given three different bands in this one band. All of these bands, by the way, are pretty good bands.

The album launches with one of our "I've heard this before!" moments, and you would be right if you are a fan of Sweet. Although, it isn't a cover, "Aphrodite" is just similar Sweet. It is almost a mix of "Sweet F.A." and "No You Don't." It is the vocal melody from "No You Don't" while using a part of the "Sweet F.A." riff.

"Lonely Bluebird" is Crosby, Stills and Nash. Or any other band of the sort from that era. Yes, they even have to use a species of bird for their metaphor. Not overly original, kind of so similar to the bands mentioned that it even again seems like one has heard the tune before. It is a nice song, just kind of nothing new.

The final song is the most confusing of all. A tune titled "Stay With Me," and an obvious stab at hitting that adult contemporary suave crowd. This song more than any other on the album sounds like a stereotypical 70s radio hit, complete with the sweeping strings associated with the era. It is without a doubt the most out of place tune on that album. But I do love it for its incredible 70s trappings.

Genre bouncing is understandable from the era. Radio in the 70s wasn't an all or nothing type of creature, nor were the charts. Remember that once upon a time it would not be unusual to hear Led Zeppelin on the same stations that would play Captain and Tennile, and they both stood on the charts. It is only now that people really lay claim to genres. In 1976 it wasn't unusual to listen to both Sabbath and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Searching the internet gives us very little information on Fantacy Hill. Even Discogs is very light on information, not even providing us a band photo on the band page. We know there were two albums, this being the second. For the band history the best I could turn up is a review on Amazon. The review tells us that Danny Mullins, one of the guitarists and vocalists, has since passed on. Searching Facebook it appears that other guitarist George Durbin and drummer Doug Golema are still out there. I am guessing it is them as they both look about the right age and both show their instruments. Not very in-depth investigative work here, but I do kind of hate bugging some of these people so for the time have chosen to not message the two gentlemen. Maybe in after finding the first album I will start digging further.

So even with the wacky and drastic bouncing of styles I would recommend Fantacy Hill if it can be found for a reasonable price, which it should be. My copy cost me $2, but it was lacking any kind of inner sleeve, so that may have contributed to the affordable price. But if you like hard rock that can be a little difficult to categorize at times, grab this one if you see it, it is surely worth the time.

Chopper - S/T

Chopper - Chopper
Released 1979 on Ariola Records SW-50049

While record shopping in Canada this one really caught my eye. The band is named Chopper. The cover looks like the backpatch worn by a biker gang. A search later would find that the band features a member of Steppenwolf. It was going to be a couple of days before I would be able to hear anything off of the album due to being out of town. But I mean come on, all of these signs pointed towards these guys being pretty hard rocking. Right?

That quick search of members also showed that the keyboardist was a member of Poco and future Elton John keyboardist. But nevermind that, biker name and biker looking cover! Steppenwolf member! These guys are going to be exceedingly hard rocking. No doubt about it!

Oh yeah, that Steppenwolf member would join Steppenwolf after leaving Chopper. But again, look at that cover! Wings spread, hard rock all the way to the biggest arenas with pyrotechnics all over the place.

With all of that then, Chopper, our possible biker band, actually plays AOR style Rock. AOR has always been a style of music I have tried to steer clear of due to it usually being associated with mellower bands. Bands that eventually became known for their ballads and after four albums would turn out nothing but ballads. Although AOR stands for "album orientated rock," I am not so sure why mellow music seems to be associated with the style. I'm not a fan of shmaltzy ballads, so AOR and I have never been friends.

So obviously I hate Chopper, right? I bought it expecting some great 70s HARD Rock. Something that would tear my face off, something possibly harder edged than The Godz. Obviously these guys are in my list of biggest disappointments. Right?

Well, I really like Chopper. For my money these guys do it all right. They never get cheesy, they never get too melodramatic, and they keep enough energy in the music to make it all work. They throw in just enough spots where the music kicks in and they stop being a wimpy ballad band. The album is full of great hooks, great playing, and a solid production.

Gary Link, our future Steppenwolf bassist, turns in a killer performance on "Blue Winter." Heck, he does on the entire album. But this song is close to being exactly what one would expect from an AOR band. Mellow, with some overly dramatic turns, but the bass is killer on this song. Link adds the perfect accents and gives us a little more than just a bass line. Perfect notes added here and there, just the right amount of a run here and there. The bass actually propels the song along and takes what could have been a mediocre tune and transforms it into a great track.

Songs like "Beggars Day," "Don't Cry" and "Be Ready For Me Tonight" keep the album from being too mellow. Solid 70s guitar driven radio friendly rock numbers. Yet these are really the only two numbers that show teeth. But really, this is fine, and they are far from the strongest cuts on the album.

The standout tracks for me are the aforementioned "Blue Winter," "I'll Hold Onto You" and "Eddie." "I'll Hold Onto You" features a guitar riff and tone that is just incredibly warming to the heart. It is one of those songs that you can put on, and once you hear that riff you would be fine with nothing else from the song. The riff and production on the song is that good.

Chopper was a really good band. Regardless of the image and name, they are without a doubt worthy of your time and attention. The album can be found for decent prices. It doesn't appear to be on the streaming services and it was never given a CD repressing. If AOR or solid Pop is your thing then this should be added into your want list.

Gary Link is still playing with Steppenwolf is appears. Kim Bullard was with Poco for a time. As of 2009 he has been a touring player with Elton John. Drummer Brad Seip is a bit tougher to track down. It doesn't appear that he moved on to anything else from Chopper.

Searching for lead guitarist Peter Bunch bring us to the law offices of divorce attorney Peter Bunch. Looking at the picture on the sleeve for Chopper, and the picture of the attorney, there is no doubt Mr. Bunch is now an attorney. This is further confirmed by the Record Robot blog.

So, what about that image? Why did they take on an image and name that is so out of place? According to the Record Robot page it appears that they were re-tooled by the label into an attempt at a biker band image. Which seems an absolutely ridiculous move considering the sound the band turned out. It isn't like people would be fooled once they actually heard the band. There is no way a group of bikers, looking for an evening of debauchery, are going to see this album cover on a poster outside the club, go in and be happy with the resulting music. Well, they might be, after being a little irked that the band isn't really rocking the heck out of the place. It was this over-handling of the band lead to the break up, which is a great shame. They were a really good band that could have been so much more than just the minor footnote that they are now.

Sources:
Record Robot: http://recordrobot.blogspot.com/2005/08/cautionary-tale-of-pete-and-george-and.html

Teazer - Hard As A Rock

Teazer - Hard As A Rock
Released 1980 on ROKO Records DRRC 133

Hawaii, not a place many people would think to mention when discussing the great Rock and Roll scenes of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, or really any era. As I write this I am even hard pressed to come up with any bands out of Hawaii that play any form of Rock and Roll. Obviously they exist, but have any of them made it off of the islands?

Let's just cut to the chase. Let me introduce you to Teazer.

So who was Teazer? According to keyboardist Stanton Hoffman they were based out of Honolulu in the late 70s. They play a fairly straight-up 70s Hard Rock and carried a no frills image.

Vocalist Tookie Dauzat sounds a little like Gary Mielle from Tattooed Love Boys. Yes, nothing better than using an obscure reference for an obscure band. I would have to figure that a lot of people still have no idea what we are getting at here. So how about this, at times Tookie sounds fantastic. Other times, such as the opening number - - - his voice can be a little grating. Falsetto is not his strong suit. But the attitude is there and he is a pretty good vocalist when staying within his zone.

The guitar and drum production is a little soft. I would imagine in the studio the band had a great sound, then after mastering everybody sat around trying to figure out where the bite went. Solos sound good, but everything else is more or less on a level playing field.

As mentioned at the beginning, song-wise we are talking 70s Hard Rock with a blues angle. Discogs carries a "glam" tag on the album. I would have to disagree there. There isn't anything outright Glam about the band. The band would be better suited opening for bands ranging from Boston, Ted Nugent, Foghat, and other big Rock acts of the sort. The fans would also be much more appreciative of them than fans of, say, Bowie, T-Rex, or Sweet.

Songs like "Money, Women and Guns" and "Bad News" almost walk a line that would be at home with a Lynard Skynard or Allman Brothers. Slight Southern bend to the songs. This is also explained by the dedication to Ronnie Van Zant on the sleeve. The album also features a song entitled "Louisiana" which is also a find touch of Southern Rock, complete with a brilliant chorus that would probably get clear plastic cups full of cheap beer raised in the area as an audience sang along.

Yet songs like "Hard as a Rock" and "Electrified" would almost be just as happy being played by early 80s Metal acts. "Electrified" would almost be perfectly done by Wrathchild, with Tookie's voice almost even carrying a touch of Rocky Shades at times. "Electrified" and "Rock Out" might be the two songs that create the Glam tag. I think "Rock Out" even features the chorus of "Rock out with your cock out," so I would probably have to give them the award for stupid Hair band lyrics before the time. The song also features a nice guitar break where the production works nice and the guitar is really crisp sounding.



I do have one skipper song, but it is due to personal preference and not a fault of the band. Final song "Logan Avenue Blues" is what the title implies. A Chicago electric Blues style number. Solid performance all around, but just not what I would hope for on a closing number on an album that rocks fairly steady.

In a message from Stanton Hoffman I was told that the band only made 1,000 copies of the album. Of those he says only around 500 probably made it to the streets. So this is a fairly rare find. The album can be found on Discogs for $50 or so, which then begs the question "Is it worth it?" At this point you have to ask what you are in the game for. It is a solid record with some mediocre songs and a few really good. Nothing jumps out as to being a "you have got to hear this!" song. If it was to be found up to $10 I would say it is worth your money.


I am trying to find out where the rest of the band is. Did they continue on, or what happened with them? I appears that Mr. Hoffman is still involved in music, though no longer based out of Hawaii. It would seem he is now mainland U.S., so one had to wonder if that is a sign of the scene in Hawaii for music, or were there ties to the mainland. Obviously the only way any of that matter is from a historical context as to the Hawaiian Rock and Roll scene. But as my shelves of music are not overflowing with Hawaiian Rock and Roll bands quite in the same way it is with Scandinavian, Sunset Strip, Austin Texas bands, the curiosity starts to win out in my brain.

So yes, Hawaii had some solid Rock and Roll in the late 70s/early 80s. How many bands existed? I have no idea. But I do know of one who was waving the flag and doing what sounds like a pretty solid job. I would have to guess that if there were not a lot of bands doing it down there, then these guys were either kings or they could never get booked, but either way it was due to them being pretty dang good at what they were doing.

edit: Almost to prove my point some website just ran an article on the most popular band from every state. For Hawaii they listed some band named "Pepper" I have never heard of. I guess they are from 2000 and are still going. The picture shows them on stage at a 2007 Warped Tour show. I guess they are a Reggae style thing. I am standing by my assumption that Hawaii has not turned out a lot of Rock and Roll.
http://247wallst.com/special-report/2017/08/30/most-famous-band-from-every-state/4/