Don Xml's Grok This

I’ve been in a musical funk for the last couple months, and haven’t been able to really get into any of the new CDs I bought over that time.  Here’s a few of what I bought, and really couldn’t get into (even though some of these are really good CDs):

• Lit – Lit –  Probably one of the best real rock CDs in years.  I’ve come to the conclusion that PopPunk is the next iteration of Hair Metal, and this CD is a great bridge between the two.  If you loved Hair Metal or love PopPunk, this is the CD to get. 
• Bowling For Soup – A Hangover You Don’t Deserve – Not as great as Drunk Enough To Dance, but still a great CD.  These guys are my favorite “new” band (meaning a band only popular since 2000).  
• Anthrax – The Greater Of Two Evils – If I could give one CD to a kid that was into Warped Tour style of bands, this would be it.  Show them what they are really missing.
• Shinedown – Leave A Whisper – I had hoped for more from this CD.  Not bad, but not great either.  If you like this one, try Sinch. 
• Twisted Sister – Still Hungry – I had to get this one, since I love the original Stay Hungry.  It is alright.  Dee doesn’t have the same voice as back in the day, and it shows.  The extras aren’t much to write about, but I’ve got every other TS CD, so I bought this one.  When are they going to do the right thing and re-release Under The Blade with the original Secret Records mix.  That’s their best album, and the current CD version has a terrible mix.
• The Donnas – Gold Medal – Not as good as Spend The Night, but there are couple songs on this CD that make it a must have CD.  They are definitely evolving further from the Punk scene, but I don’t think it is all that bad of a move.
• Megadeth – The System Has Failed -  I glad to see that Dave is back and healthy.  Not as heavy a sound as I’d like, but still is very heavy compared with the recent stuff.  If you like Rust In Peace era Megadeth, this CD is for you.
• Simple Plan – Still Not Getting Any – Nice sophomore effort.  It is produced by Bob Rock (Metallica), so it has a heavier sound.  Funny thing, one of the songs that didn’t make it on the CD will be on the new Motley Crue.  This CD isn’t as good as the first, but there are a bunch of great songs on it.
• Saliva – Survival Of The Sickest – OK, I’m a closet Saliva fan.  I love the first major release, and wasn’t happy with the 2nd, and the latest falls somewhere in between.  Sounds a lot like Monster Magnet’s Monolithic Baby (which has a couple songs that make is a must have CD).
• LA Guns – Cocked & Loaded – I went thru an old school hair metal relapse for a couple weeks and bought a couple CDs that I should have had long ago, but never did.  I love the dirty blues thing going on in this CD.
• Faster Pussycat – Wake Me When It’s Over  - Another one that I never bought, but should have.
• Mike Tramp – Bootleg Series Box Set – My last one (and a big one) from the hair metal phase I was in.  Mike Tramp was the singer in White Lion, and has been on his own for a while now.  Freaks Of Nature was his band after White Lion, and was pretty good, but that music was dying so the band never really went anywhere (Outtakes is a must have CD).  When he went solo, he dropped the whole hair metal thing, and went towards a more Springsteen-like sound (singer/songwriter with a Telecaster), which I sort of like (I have all the solo CDs).  Mike has some ups and downs recently, and has totally revamped his website (www.miketramp.com).  Since you can’t get his CDs in the US anymore, he has a really good store on his site, and he added a bunch of bootlegs/live stuff, which this box set is one of.  There are 6 CDs of stuff here.  The first 2 are from his pre-White Lion bands (and are pretty bad), a CD of early White Lion demos, then the first recording of Pride (which was re-recorded thankfully), the Mane Attraction Demos, the Big Game Demos, and then the demos just before Freaks Of Nature.  The Mane Attraction and Big Game Demo CDs are worth the price of the box set.  Vito’s tone was killer, and these demos show it in all it’s glory (with no overproduction).   
• Crossfade – Crossfade.  I’m trying to figure out what all the hype is about.  Alright, especially considering that they recorded this in their basement (bonus points for doing it all on their own), but this isn’t my sort of thing.

But starting tomorrow, I don’t think I’ll have that problem of being in a funk anymore.  Over the 2 months some great metal CDs will be coming out, starting with the reunited Judas Priest CD, Angel Of Retribution (with Roy Z producing) .  Then a week later, Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society release Mafia (heard the single, and it is back to the metal Zakk) .  Then on March 22, Overkill release RELIXIV .

I’ll be going to see Mike Tramp on March 15, in Clifton, NJ, and was going to see Overkill at the Starland on April 23, but the Philly Code Camp is that weekend, so I’ll be in Philly, not NJ.  I think I may go the show at BB King's in NYC on April 14th, but I prefer to see them in their (and my) home state.