BIRDY needs to Breathe...
Dear Universal, Be Kind 2 the Birdy!
Give Peaks a chance!
♡
P.S. Everyone else, TURN IT UP!
Now You CAN!
P.S. Hands off the North Pole & Free Pussy Riot ~ Greenpeace and everyone else who has a ♡
>
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Dear UNIVERSAL Music Group, please be gentle with the BIRDY!
BIRDY needs to Fly...
BIRDY needs to Breathe...
Dear Universal, Be Kind 2 the Birdy!
Give Peaks a chance!
♡
P.S. Everyone else, TURN IT UP!
Now You CAN!
BIRDY needs to Breathe...
Dear Universal, Be Kind 2 the Birdy!
Give Peaks a chance!
♡
P.S. Everyone else, TURN IT UP!
Now You CAN!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Storyteller's Night, with DRAIN Sth, Manhole L.A. & Fear Factory
"Kick my Bassdrum!"
Talking about pleasure, either given or taken, I love drums. Sadly you can't put headphones in them, oh well, you can but what's the point right?! But, I really would like to practice but alas, it's quite an expensive hobby so it's not been in the cards yet.
But I also love to hear and watch drummers and I love drum solos very much too. (Unless the drummer is really, really terrible...)
A very nice bonus is always the joy of hearing and seeing a woman do the banging. Why is it that so few known recognized artists are female I wonder. Why is that?
In 1996 I had the pleasure to attend a tour of the brutal dudes from Fear Factory and they had two support acts. One was Manhole (later better known as Tura Satana and My Ruin with the bad ass sweety Tairrie B. handling the mike.) The second band on the bill was Drain from Stockholm Sweden. Due to confusion because there had been a US band with the same name, the all girl doom rockers were later on stylized as Drain STH.
I had the total pleasure of being invited back stage and I first was invited by the guitar player from Manhole L.A. to come see Tairrie backstage and say hello. It was the cutest thing because when the door to the dressing room opened Tairrie stood there all freshly showered and smelling like roses in her perfectly white bathrobe. After some inspiring and warm words had been shared I asked Tairrie if she wanted to sign my CDs. One was the debut Manhole album and the other her first solo album 'Power of a Woman'. She blushed and she gasped for air or so it seems, whispering "Dude! You got one?! I thought I'd burned them all!" She wrote to me on that legendary album (One of the first true Female Gangsta-Rap albums in history if I remember correctly) that I was 'DJ Eddy Lite, DJ Supreme' and that I was down with the Tairrie right from the start. Awe. (and she was rite!)
After some quality time in the venue Noorderligt in Tilburg, The Netherlands, the bands were eager to go into the city and party. I heard the question where to go and so I proposed to go to the legendary (yes, yes) Extase Café in the historical center of the city. And thus a half hour later Fear Factory and following (yes, yes, is sneer) entered Café Extase. After a few beers I saw Burton C. Bell and Tairrie almost flying hand in hand through the emergency exit door in the back of the part of the Café where the DJ-booth and dancefloor are. Once someone opens this door there is an alarm light (luckily without siren) going off and so the DJ and bouncer rushed and looked what happened and then closed the door behind Tairrie and Burton. Aren't they lovely people, those Tilburgers?! Tairrie and Burton probably made sweet, sweet love that night. I believe they dated for some time too.
Because I spent some money on beers (ofcourse I did!) and because the women and following of the Drain STH clan offered me more I got a little tipsy there. I did find singer Maria Sjöholm a bit scary to look at and she didn't say a word that nite but she married Tony Iommi later on so I guess I was rite and wrong at the same time. Now, ever since I had heard and seen Martina Axén from Drain STH (best all female band ever I MUST add!) drum, I had fallen in love with that gorgeous and mighty talented woman. Intelligent too, because she had me seen smoking one doobie earlier and she said that it mushes your brain. Direct talk, love it! But one or two beers too many, and the unthinkable stupidity came over me and oh, god, there it was... Didn't happen before and it probably will never ever happen again, but I asked Martina to marry me! Right there on the spot. *poof* Mushed brain!
I've talked a few times to Martina on various places in cyberspace after the event and she's been really cool. She moved to the USA and played in some bands there. Not the biggest names but quite lovely music. But, the thing is, although it had been quite idiotic of me to propose to her that way, I did have the best intentions. I wanted Martina to conquer the world and be a big star. I wished her nothing but the best.
I lost track of her some time ago. Where are you miss Axén? And how you're doing, are you happy?
Love and women on top!
Eddy Lite
Oh, you want proof of my story...
Here you go...
Talking about pleasure, either given or taken, I love drums. Sadly you can't put headphones in them, oh well, you can but what's the point right?! But, I really would like to practice but alas, it's quite an expensive hobby so it's not been in the cards yet.
But I also love to hear and watch drummers and I love drum solos very much too. (Unless the drummer is really, really terrible...)
A very nice bonus is always the joy of hearing and seeing a woman do the banging. Why is it that so few known recognized artists are female I wonder. Why is that?
In 1996 I had the pleasure to attend a tour of the brutal dudes from Fear Factory and they had two support acts. One was Manhole (later better known as Tura Satana and My Ruin with the bad ass sweety Tairrie B. handling the mike.) The second band on the bill was Drain from Stockholm Sweden. Due to confusion because there had been a US band with the same name, the all girl doom rockers were later on stylized as Drain STH.
I had the total pleasure of being invited back stage and I first was invited by the guitar player from Manhole L.A. to come see Tairrie backstage and say hello. It was the cutest thing because when the door to the dressing room opened Tairrie stood there all freshly showered and smelling like roses in her perfectly white bathrobe. After some inspiring and warm words had been shared I asked Tairrie if she wanted to sign my CDs. One was the debut Manhole album and the other her first solo album 'Power of a Woman'. She blushed and she gasped for air or so it seems, whispering "Dude! You got one?! I thought I'd burned them all!" She wrote to me on that legendary album (One of the first true Female Gangsta-Rap albums in history if I remember correctly) that I was 'DJ Eddy Lite, DJ Supreme' and that I was down with the Tairrie right from the start. Awe. (and she was rite!)
After some quality time in the venue Noorderligt in Tilburg, The Netherlands, the bands were eager to go into the city and party. I heard the question where to go and so I proposed to go to the legendary (yes, yes) Extase Café in the historical center of the city. And thus a half hour later Fear Factory and following (yes, yes, is sneer) entered Café Extase. After a few beers I saw Burton C. Bell and Tairrie almost flying hand in hand through the emergency exit door in the back of the part of the Café where the DJ-booth and dancefloor are. Once someone opens this door there is an alarm light (luckily without siren) going off and so the DJ and bouncer rushed and looked what happened and then closed the door behind Tairrie and Burton. Aren't they lovely people, those Tilburgers?! Tairrie and Burton probably made sweet, sweet love that night. I believe they dated for some time too.
Because I spent some money on beers (ofcourse I did!) and because the women and following of the Drain STH clan offered me more I got a little tipsy there. I did find singer Maria Sjöholm a bit scary to look at and she didn't say a word that nite but she married Tony Iommi later on so I guess I was rite and wrong at the same time. Now, ever since I had heard and seen Martina Axén from Drain STH (best all female band ever I MUST add!) drum, I had fallen in love with that gorgeous and mighty talented woman. Intelligent too, because she had me seen smoking one doobie earlier and she said that it mushes your brain. Direct talk, love it! But one or two beers too many, and the unthinkable stupidity came over me and oh, god, there it was... Didn't happen before and it probably will never ever happen again, but I asked Martina to marry me! Right there on the spot. *poof* Mushed brain!
I've talked a few times to Martina on various places in cyberspace after the event and she's been really cool. She moved to the USA and played in some bands there. Not the biggest names but quite lovely music. But, the thing is, although it had been quite idiotic of me to propose to her that way, I did have the best intentions. I wanted Martina to conquer the world and be a big star. I wished her nothing but the best.
I lost track of her some time ago. Where are you miss Axén? And how you're doing, are you happy?
Love and women on top!
Eddy Lite
Oh, you want proof of my story...
Here you go...
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
DARK POEM @ BUT Film Festival 2013
Published on Sep 9, 2013
Recorded at www.BUTFF.nl by Eddy Lite,
De Nieuwe Veste, 07-09-2013 23.25u, Breda, The Netherlands
Courtesy of Dark Poem / BUT Film Festival 2013
https://www.facebook.com/darkpoemmusic
http://www.wix.com/darkpoem/home
Faerie-Lectro from Antwerp, Belgium. "Our music wants to be a reflection of the subconcious, the wondrous world of dreams, shadows and desires."
Raya Schaduwjaagster :
music, lyrics, vocals, dancing, percussion, wild ideas
Sophie Drakenvleugels :
music, lyrics, vocals, dancing, percussion, mixing
1. Keep Your Eye On The Path
2. Shadowhuntress
3. Predator
4. What You Should Do
5. Violet Fire
6. Special Design
7. No Life In Here
8. Silent Noise
9. Euphoria
10. Craving Creatures
De Nieuwe Veste, 07-09-2013 23.25u, Breda, The Netherlands
Courtesy of Dark Poem / BUT Film Festival 2013
https://www.facebook.com/darkpoemmusic
http://www.wix.com/darkpoem/home
--- preview, not final version ---
Faerie-Lectro from Antwerp, Belgium. "Our music wants to be a reflection of the subconcious, the wondrous world of dreams, shadows and desires."
Raya Schaduwjaagster :
music, lyrics, vocals, dancing, percussion, wild ideas
Sophie Drakenvleugels :
music, lyrics, vocals, dancing, percussion, mixing
1. Keep Your Eye On The Path
2. Shadowhuntress
3. Predator
4. What You Should Do
5. Violet Fire
6. Special Design
7. No Life In Here
8. Silent Noise
9. Euphoria
10. Craving Creatures
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Sunday, September 30, 2012
METSATÖLL – Äio (CD) Review (2010) for MMM
METSATÖLL – Äio (CD) | Estonia | April 2010 by Eddy_litE
Style: Folk Metal | Running time: 60:26 (Tracks: 14)
This is definitely the surprise of the month for me! Being a long time fan of their neigbors Finntroll, it was a great experience listening to this album the first time. Since the last few albums by the Finnish trolls failed to impress me I could use some fresh folklore metal. I am always interested in new territory, especially if it is music that is much more than just entertainment. Estonian native Metsatöll (which translates as 'wolf') provided me not only with a very impressive album but also with a very satisfying evening of absorbing their culture.
Everything about this release made me wanna get further into the storytelling and wanting to know where it all came from. So I found myself cruising the internet and reading about a country, oddly enough not that far from where I live, with a rich history and a very different culture than mine. And it amazed me that I didn't know that much about this intriguing country and especially this amazing band which exsists since 1999 and released an impressive list of material throughout the years. "Äio" (which symbolizes the essence of sleep) is their fourth full length release, and the first for Spinefarm Records, but the band has released 14 titles in total. A handful of those are singles/videos but they also released some DVDs of which "Kõva Kont" (a double DVD package containing over 5 hours of material) seems to be a must-have for me.
Much of Metsatöll's material used in the painting of the scenery, featuring flutes and various other native traditional instruments, is based on the wars for independence in the 13th and 14th centuries which makes you expect something grim and aggressive. While listening to the music the opposite mood is triggered.
The songwriting is often very catchy and quite easy to get into but it also stays very close to the folklore of the region. For starters all lyrics are sung in the Estonian language. But before you start to think that Metsatöll uses metal as a gimmickery and should be classified as folkmetal with the emphasis on folklore I can tell you that is not the case. The balance between the two is spot on and are forged together in a way that makes the album compact and easy to swallow. Having the album mixed and mastered at the famous Finnvox Studios helped in that area too.
Many of the songs have that typical "beerdrinking & hellraising" basis with the massive masculin runo-singing that is typical for the region. And the more traditional parts are never too long, dull or difficult to scare the average metalhead away. In fact, I think this album can reach a very wide range of metalheads. Although translations in English are provided some of the archaic history is difficult to translate. It doesn't really matter, it still speaks to me and I get a great feeling of joy and might out of it all. I guess this album is going to serve as a party starter many a time from now on and I am sure most of my friends want to buy the album after hearing it. If you are already used to the odd-sounding language and like Finntroll or Korpiklaani you're going to like this album I'm sure. If you are not sure, just listen to the songs either on their myspace or in a recordstore and you'll be surprised. Chances are you'll find a new world to discover just as I did.
Rating: 90/100
Style: Folk Metal | Running time: 60:26 (Tracks: 14)
This is definitely the surprise of the month for me! Being a long time fan of their neigbors Finntroll, it was a great experience listening to this album the first time. Since the last few albums by the Finnish trolls failed to impress me I could use some fresh folklore metal. I am always interested in new territory, especially if it is music that is much more than just entertainment. Estonian native Metsatöll (which translates as 'wolf') provided me not only with a very impressive album but also with a very satisfying evening of absorbing their culture.
Everything about this release made me wanna get further into the storytelling and wanting to know where it all came from. So I found myself cruising the internet and reading about a country, oddly enough not that far from where I live, with a rich history and a very different culture than mine. And it amazed me that I didn't know that much about this intriguing country and especially this amazing band which exsists since 1999 and released an impressive list of material throughout the years. "Äio" (which symbolizes the essence of sleep) is their fourth full length release, and the first for Spinefarm Records, but the band has released 14 titles in total. A handful of those are singles/videos but they also released some DVDs of which "Kõva Kont" (a double DVD package containing over 5 hours of material) seems to be a must-have for me.
Many of the songs have that typical "beerdrinking & hellraising" basis with the massive masculin runo-singing that is typical for the region. And the more traditional parts are never too long, dull or difficult to scare the average metalhead away. In fact, I think this album can reach a very wide range of metalheads. Although translations in English are provided some of the archaic history is difficult to translate. It doesn't really matter, it still speaks to me and I get a great feeling of joy and might out of it all. I guess this album is going to serve as a party starter many a time from now on and I am sure most of my friends want to buy the album after hearing it. If you are already used to the odd-sounding language and like Finntroll or Korpiklaani you're going to like this album I'm sure. If you are not sure, just listen to the songs either on their myspace or in a recordstore and you'll be surprised. Chances are you'll find a new world to discover just as I did.
Listen to previews of the Äio album here
Visit the Metsatöll website: http://www.metsatoll.ee
Recordlabel: http://www.spinefarm.fi
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/metsatoll
Rating: 90/100
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
HIPPER THAN HELL REVIEW: MASQUE OF DEATH - Ivory Cities (MCD/digital download)
MASQUE OF DEATH - Ivory Cities(MCD/digital download) | Spain | February 2010 | Eddy_litE | Style: Catchy & Melodic Death Metal | Running time: 0:34:59 (tracks: 6)
If Century Media had been sending me this gorgeous debut by Madrid's Masque of Death it would've been their most impressive release since Lacuna Coil's "In a Reverie" from 1999. But they didn't. In fact this band is unsigned. And although I think that Century Media would be the best match for this promising combo, I am afraid for the event to happen. But then again, this EP has Century Media written all over it already. The quality of the songwriting, the arrangements, the artwork and the sheer art of persuasion, it is top-notch all the way.
The Masque of Death origins date back to mid 2004, when singer/composer/guitarist Sofía Ruiz and drummer Abel Ramos met at a local University and decide to mount a music group. After several years of trying different styles with various musicians, the two decide to start a melodic metal project. After considering different options the name Masque of Death is chosen for the project, a derivation of the original idea of Sofia, Masquerade of Death, which was discarded as being too long. The last year has been nervewrecking for the band because they were still studying but great leaps have been travelled to this very day. Not literally, but in the landscape of creativity and defining the coup. As I said before, this MCD must be the most impressive DIY product I have had the pleasure of absorbing in years, maybe even of all time. Yep, it's that good!
Part of the charm comes from Sofía. Not only is she very pretty to look at but her voice will make anyone surrender within the first minute. Cristina Scabbia could be a good reference to give you an idea in which section to look. But as much as I love Miss Scabbia and her Italian posse, she has been poked off the throne by Sofía's mesmerizing voice last week when this masterpiece arrived here. Why I call it a masterpiece, you ask me. Well, what if Within Tempation had the voraciousness of Arch Enemy, and Megadeth the cuteness of The Gathering? Well, then you'd have Masque of Death! Yep, it's that good!
Lyrically, Masque of Death reads like the best Jostein Gaarder novel "Sofies verden". Visually this is pretty much drop dead gorgeous. And musically this album has it all. Melody, attack, adventure, mystique, graciousness, vulnerability, catchiness, heavyness, control and balance. And a sometimes unpredictable blackhaired atomic kitten. I would've provided info on which track is the best then. But I simply can't. Opener "Abeyance" is a good candidate for being the favorite with it's marvelous solo's and massive impact, but so is "Black Red Roses" with it's catchy persuasive swing, and "Numedak" is simply sounding like the Dead can indeed Dance. "Darkest Eyes" is Iron Maiden like Maiden never managed to be and "The Shape of Things to Come" is simply the track I was hoping Queensrÿche would release in the last decade. Again, it's that good!
The strongest point of Masque of Death is it's capability to move the listener and make him or her feel really thankful to be "Alive". And to kick it in the m**her**cking a**! The songs are quite long, with an average of 5 minutes each, but there is never any dull moment going through this magical piece of Efteling Metal. As it suits a Spanish band typically, you will hear many acoustic flamingo style passages performed in a way only the Spanish can. And though the songwriting is very catchy and the main vocals butterscotch sweet, this album should be most able to impress the die-hard metal-heads among us too. Lots of tempo-changes and surprisingly clever fills, and lots and lots of passion, it all adds up to a legendary debut.
And, boy oh boy, that voice! That voice!
Visit the website: www.masqueofdeath.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/masqueofdeath
Rating: 99/100
If Century Media had been sending me this gorgeous debut by Madrid's Masque of Death it would've been their most impressive release since Lacuna Coil's "In a Reverie" from 1999. But they didn't. In fact this band is unsigned. And although I think that Century Media would be the best match for this promising combo, I am afraid for the event to happen. But then again, this EP has Century Media written all over it already. The quality of the songwriting, the arrangements, the artwork and the sheer art of persuasion, it is top-notch all the way.
The Masque of Death origins date back to mid 2004, when singer/composer/guitarist Sofía Ruiz and drummer Abel Ramos met at a local University and decide to mount a music group. After several years of trying different styles with various musicians, the two decide to start a melodic metal project. After considering different options the name Masque of Death is chosen for the project, a derivation of the original idea of Sofia, Masquerade of Death, which was discarded as being too long. The last year has been nervewrecking for the band because they were still studying but great leaps have been travelled to this very day. Not literally, but in the landscape of creativity and defining the coup. As I said before, this MCD must be the most impressive DIY product I have had the pleasure of absorbing in years, maybe even of all time. Yep, it's that good!
Part of the charm comes from Sofía. Not only is she very pretty to look at but her voice will make anyone surrender within the first minute. Cristina Scabbia could be a good reference to give you an idea in which section to look. But as much as I love Miss Scabbia and her Italian posse, she has been poked off the throne by Sofía's mesmerizing voice last week when this masterpiece arrived here. Why I call it a masterpiece, you ask me. Well, what if Within Tempation had the voraciousness of Arch Enemy, and Megadeth the cuteness of The Gathering? Well, then you'd have Masque of Death! Yep, it's that good!
Lyrically, Masque of Death reads like the best Jostein Gaarder novel "Sofies verden". Visually this is pretty much drop dead gorgeous. And musically this album has it all. Melody, attack, adventure, mystique, graciousness, vulnerability, catchiness, heavyness, control and balance. And a sometimes unpredictable blackhaired atomic kitten. I would've provided info on which track is the best then. But I simply can't. Opener "Abeyance" is a good candidate for being the favorite with it's marvelous solo's and massive impact, but so is "Black Red Roses" with it's catchy persuasive swing, and "Numedak" is simply sounding like the Dead can indeed Dance. "Darkest Eyes" is Iron Maiden like Maiden never managed to be and "The Shape of Things to Come" is simply the track I was hoping Queensrÿche would release in the last decade. Again, it's that good!
The strongest point of Masque of Death is it's capability to move the listener and make him or her feel really thankful to be "Alive". And to kick it in the m**her**cking a**! The songs are quite long, with an average of 5 minutes each, but there is never any dull moment going through this magical piece of Efteling Metal. As it suits a Spanish band typically, you will hear many acoustic flamingo style passages performed in a way only the Spanish can. And though the songwriting is very catchy and the main vocals butterscotch sweet, this album should be most able to impress the die-hard metal-heads among us too. Lots of tempo-changes and surprisingly clever fills, and lots and lots of passion, it all adds up to a legendary debut.
And, boy oh boy, that voice! That voice!
Visit the website: www.masqueofdeath.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/masqueofdeath
Rating: 99/100
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
PRIVATE LIFE – Shadows/ Private Life
(32bit True Tape™ Remaster 2008)
Info compiled/ written by Eddy_litE – I have no idea where various snippets came from.
The history part came from Rock Detector
Copyright Musicdetector Websites 2008
History
A coed group including the Blackfoot, Rick Derringer, Axis, Rod Steward and Alcatrazz credited guitarist Danny Johnson. PRIVATE LIFE arose from a project put together by Johnson with vocalist Kelly Breznik. The pair had worked together in a band previously. Johnson and Breznik were joined by Johnson's ex-Axis and Rod Steward band colleague Jay Davis on bass, erstwhile Badfinger drummer Lenny Campanaro and a keyboard player by the name of Jennifer Blakeman.
Blakeman had played with Breznik in previous incarnations of PRIVATE LIFE, the name having been in the custody of Louisiana born Breznik for some five years prior to its adoption by the singer for her new project with Johnson.
It was whilst Kelly was still living in Louisiana that she became friends with Valerie Bertinelli, the actress wife of Van Halen's Eddie Van Halen, but it was through using engineer Don Landee on demo tapes in Los Angeles that Van Halen became interested in working with the band. Van Halen wound up co-producing PRIVATE LIFE's debut album, 'Shadows', with Donn Landee. The group signed to Warner Brothers and almost naturally were then taken out on tour by Van Halen.
The band's sophomore album, a self-titled offering, found Van Halen and Ted Templeman on board although Jay Davis and Lenny Campanaro had made way for Steve Kershisnik and Chris Frazier respectively. Amongst the tracks on offer was a cover of Van Morrison’s 'Domino'.
In 1991 Danny Johnson was working with ex D'Molls singer Desi Rexx and former UFO drummer Andy Parker in Rexx And Johnson. By 1996 he had enrolled into the veteran act Steppenwolf, appearing on their 'Feed The Fire' album.
Discography
1. Shadows (1988)
2. Private Life (1990)
Both albums were released by Warner Brothers Records in the US. WEA/Warner released them in Europe as well. They were originally released on CD, vinyl and musicassette.
In the early 2000s Wounded Bird Records re-released both titles on 1 CD. In 2008 Warner/Rhino re-released them once again separately although I have no idea if they were released as CDs or only as downloads. I also have no idea how they will sound, but Rhino has a tendency of squashing all the life out of their releases so it wouldn’t surprise me if they did that on those too.
Wounded Birds Records has a reputation that is respectable in that area, but sadly the release is not easily tracked down.
PRIVATE LIFE - SHADOWS (1988, WARNER BROS)
‘Shadows’ Album Cover Art
Personnel
Kelly Breznik - vocals
Danny Johnson - guitars
Jennifer Blakeman - keyboards
Jay Davis - bass
Lenny Campanaro – drums
Produced by Edward Van Halen and Donn Landee
Background
Quite a lovely slice of AOR from this Los Angeles quintet, with a mix of male and female, plus established personnel plus not so well known. The band apparently got their break after being witnessed by actress Valerie Bertinelli, she was so enarmored with the band, she got her husband Eddie Van Halen involved. So it was that Warner Bros too became involved, giving the band a home, with Ted Templeman and Van Halen doing the production honors.
The Songs
Of the established players, Johnson had just come off a stint playing with Alcatrazz (refer their 'Dangerous Games' album), Both he and Jay Davis were previously with 70's rockers Axis, plus they did a stint together in Joe Cerisano's Silver Condor. Meanwhile Blakeman had moved west to LA from Louisiana to further her music career. However, the star of the show is vocal princess Kelly Breznik, who really does have an incredible voice, and who fits the bill perfectly for the type of music that Private Life play, which is radio friendly melodic rock/AOR. Altogether, a soaring
voice combined with power and control. We are not lacking for anything of the ten tracks on offer here. Personal favourite is the absolutely gorgeous & intense ballad ‘Rockabye Angel’, other favorites include the album opener 'Put Out The Fire', the surging relentlessness of 'Last Heartbeat' and the vivid melodies of 'Spirit Free'. However, the others aren't far behind either, including the punchy 'Hold On', the hard rocking 'Runnin The Race' or the AOR freefall that is 'Don't Blame It On Love'.
In Summary
Overall it's a pretty complete AOR album, and has few weaknesses on it. The stellar vocals of Ms Breznik make it a compelling listen. On the other hand, their follow up album (a self titled one at that) from 1990 was a little disappointing, and doesn't quite reach the heights of 'Shadows'. Stick with this one instead.
Track Listing
01 Put Out The Fire
02 Last Heartbeat
03 Don't Blame It On Love
04 Don't Let Go
05 Rockabye Angel
06 Spirit Free
07 Hold On
08 Runnin' The Race
09 Spider
10 Amazing Grace
SELF-TITLED Second Album (1990 - Warner Bros.)
‘Private Life’ Album Cover Art
Personnel
Jennifer Blakeman - keyboards, backing vocals
Kelly Breznik - vocals
Chris Frazier - drums, backing vocals
Danny Johnson - guitars, backing vocals
Steve Kershisnik - bass, backing vocals
Produced by Edward Van Halen and Ted Templeman
A nine days’ wonder…
Though, still a very enjoyable album with all the elements that graced their debut. ‘Private Life’ may sounded better but as far as songwriting goes these songs are the ‘Shadows’. ‘Fallin’ Apart’ is probably my favourite here, with it’s bluesy layed back swing it’s a great track, reminds me even of Janis Joplin had she been alive in the 90s. Though pretty mellow and poppy, ‘Nothin’ To Lose’ stands out from the rest too. Just simply a good pop-song that provides a warm blanket to the listener. All in all the songs just don’t jump out as the ones on the first album did, which was also far more unique. The only remaining factor that’s keeping up with the high standards of the first album is Kelly’s incredible powerful vocals. Goosebumps all over my body any time I hear her sing. (Where have you gone Kelly?!!)
Track Listing
1. Touch Me
2. Domino
3. Fallin' Apart
4. Communication
5. Night All Night
6. Nothin' To Lose
7. Give It Up
8. Holiday
9. Cure For Love
Preview snippets for both albums can be found on the iTunes page
________________________________________
Notes on this release:
Not a vinyl transfer this time. It’s a remaster I did from the original promo musicassettes from WB US. I have the first album on vinyl still and once owned the original first CD pressings. A vinyl transfer of the best of the two albums (‘Shadows’) can be expected in the not too far away future.
The tracks in this release are tagged as to fit on one CD. Artwork is included but it’s not the best quality. Those are from the original first WB CD issues. Ofcourse you can choose for yourself if you want to burn them to one or two CDs.
• Note: The reason I did this remaster in 2008 was because of the quite big difference between the two albums' sound. While the second S/T is fine, the first one is a typical 80s AOR style production. There’s nothing wrong with that and there have been released far, far worse productions in that era. But it’s all a bit too clean, sterile if you will and would’ve benefitted from somewhat more power.
Ofcourse, it is what it is and again, nothing wrong with it. But since it’s one of my favourite 80s AOR albums and spinned regularly I wanted to see if I could pimp it a bit. I used the original HQ chrome musicassettes (promo) since these seemed to sound the most analog and warm. Captured the output of a Denon DRM-600 using Cubase’s brilliant 32 bit TrueTape™ compression technique. So, in contrary to what I usually prefer I compressed the music to reach for that wanted oomph. I’m quite fond of the results, though I must say that it is not necessarily better as the original.
Enjoy!
EddylitE - december 2009
©2009 - Hipper than Hell Records * Eddy_litE appears courtesy of himself * You have been Aped
"The music in these files was originally recorded on analog equipment.
We have attempted to preserve, as closely as possible, the sound of the original recording.
Because of it's high resolution, however, these files can reveal limitations of the source."
________________________________________
Turn Me Up!™
To preserve the excitement, emotion and dynamics of the original performances this record is intentionally quieter than some. For full enjoyment simply Turn Me Up! (www.TurnMeUp.org)
________________________________________
Rapidshare Links:
TextSnip
Hotfile Links:
TextSnip
pw: True_tapE
The history part came from Rock Detector
Copyright Musicdetector Websites 2008
History
A coed group including the Blackfoot, Rick Derringer, Axis, Rod Steward and Alcatrazz credited guitarist Danny Johnson. PRIVATE LIFE arose from a project put together by Johnson with vocalist Kelly Breznik. The pair had worked together in a band previously. Johnson and Breznik were joined by Johnson's ex-Axis and Rod Steward band colleague Jay Davis on bass, erstwhile Badfinger drummer Lenny Campanaro and a keyboard player by the name of Jennifer Blakeman.
Blakeman had played with Breznik in previous incarnations of PRIVATE LIFE, the name having been in the custody of Louisiana born Breznik for some five years prior to its adoption by the singer for her new project with Johnson.
It was whilst Kelly was still living in Louisiana that she became friends with Valerie Bertinelli, the actress wife of Van Halen's Eddie Van Halen, but it was through using engineer Don Landee on demo tapes in Los Angeles that Van Halen became interested in working with the band. Van Halen wound up co-producing PRIVATE LIFE's debut album, 'Shadows', with Donn Landee. The group signed to Warner Brothers and almost naturally were then taken out on tour by Van Halen.
The band's sophomore album, a self-titled offering, found Van Halen and Ted Templeman on board although Jay Davis and Lenny Campanaro had made way for Steve Kershisnik and Chris Frazier respectively. Amongst the tracks on offer was a cover of Van Morrison’s 'Domino'.
In 1991 Danny Johnson was working with ex D'Molls singer Desi Rexx and former UFO drummer Andy Parker in Rexx And Johnson. By 1996 he had enrolled into the veteran act Steppenwolf, appearing on their 'Feed The Fire' album.
Discography
1. Shadows (1988)
2. Private Life (1990)
Both albums were released by Warner Brothers Records in the US. WEA/Warner released them in Europe as well. They were originally released on CD, vinyl and musicassette.
In the early 2000s Wounded Bird Records re-released both titles on 1 CD. In 2008 Warner/Rhino re-released them once again separately although I have no idea if they were released as CDs or only as downloads. I also have no idea how they will sound, but Rhino has a tendency of squashing all the life out of their releases so it wouldn’t surprise me if they did that on those too.
Wounded Birds Records has a reputation that is respectable in that area, but sadly the release is not easily tracked down.
PRIVATE LIFE - SHADOWS (1988, WARNER BROS)
‘Shadows’ Album Cover Art
Personnel
Kelly Breznik - vocals
Danny Johnson - guitars
Jennifer Blakeman - keyboards
Jay Davis - bass
Lenny Campanaro – drums
Produced by Edward Van Halen and Donn Landee
Background
Quite a lovely slice of AOR from this Los Angeles quintet, with a mix of male and female, plus established personnel plus not so well known. The band apparently got their break after being witnessed by actress Valerie Bertinelli, she was so enarmored with the band, she got her husband Eddie Van Halen involved. So it was that Warner Bros too became involved, giving the band a home, with Ted Templeman and Van Halen doing the production honors.
The Songs
Of the established players, Johnson had just come off a stint playing with Alcatrazz (refer their 'Dangerous Games' album), Both he and Jay Davis were previously with 70's rockers Axis, plus they did a stint together in Joe Cerisano's Silver Condor. Meanwhile Blakeman had moved west to LA from Louisiana to further her music career. However, the star of the show is vocal princess Kelly Breznik, who really does have an incredible voice, and who fits the bill perfectly for the type of music that Private Life play, which is radio friendly melodic rock/AOR. Altogether, a soaring
voice combined with power and control. We are not lacking for anything of the ten tracks on offer here. Personal favourite is the absolutely gorgeous & intense ballad ‘Rockabye Angel’, other favorites include the album opener 'Put Out The Fire', the surging relentlessness of 'Last Heartbeat' and the vivid melodies of 'Spirit Free'. However, the others aren't far behind either, including the punchy 'Hold On', the hard rocking 'Runnin The Race' or the AOR freefall that is 'Don't Blame It On Love'.
In Summary
Overall it's a pretty complete AOR album, and has few weaknesses on it. The stellar vocals of Ms Breznik make it a compelling listen. On the other hand, their follow up album (a self titled one at that) from 1990 was a little disappointing, and doesn't quite reach the heights of 'Shadows'. Stick with this one instead.
Track Listing
01 Put Out The Fire
02 Last Heartbeat
03 Don't Blame It On Love
04 Don't Let Go
05 Rockabye Angel
06 Spirit Free
07 Hold On
08 Runnin' The Race
09 Spider
10 Amazing Grace
SELF-TITLED Second Album (1990 - Warner Bros.)
‘Private Life’ Album Cover Art
Personnel
Jennifer Blakeman - keyboards, backing vocals
Kelly Breznik - vocals
Chris Frazier - drums, backing vocals
Danny Johnson - guitars, backing vocals
Steve Kershisnik - bass, backing vocals
Produced by Edward Van Halen and Ted Templeman
A nine days’ wonder…
Though, still a very enjoyable album with all the elements that graced their debut. ‘Private Life’ may sounded better but as far as songwriting goes these songs are the ‘Shadows’. ‘Fallin’ Apart’ is probably my favourite here, with it’s bluesy layed back swing it’s a great track, reminds me even of Janis Joplin had she been alive in the 90s. Though pretty mellow and poppy, ‘Nothin’ To Lose’ stands out from the rest too. Just simply a good pop-song that provides a warm blanket to the listener. All in all the songs just don’t jump out as the ones on the first album did, which was also far more unique. The only remaining factor that’s keeping up with the high standards of the first album is Kelly’s incredible powerful vocals. Goosebumps all over my body any time I hear her sing. (Where have you gone Kelly?!!)
Track Listing
1. Touch Me
2. Domino
3. Fallin' Apart
4. Communication
5. Night All Night
6. Nothin' To Lose
7. Give It Up
8. Holiday
9. Cure For Love
Preview snippets for both albums can be found on the iTunes page
________________________________________
Notes on this release:
Not a vinyl transfer this time. It’s a remaster I did from the original promo musicassettes from WB US. I have the first album on vinyl still and once owned the original first CD pressings. A vinyl transfer of the best of the two albums (‘Shadows’) can be expected in the not too far away future.
The tracks in this release are tagged as to fit on one CD. Artwork is included but it’s not the best quality. Those are from the original first WB CD issues. Ofcourse you can choose for yourself if you want to burn them to one or two CDs.
• Note: The reason I did this remaster in 2008 was because of the quite big difference between the two albums' sound. While the second S/T is fine, the first one is a typical 80s AOR style production. There’s nothing wrong with that and there have been released far, far worse productions in that era. But it’s all a bit too clean, sterile if you will and would’ve benefitted from somewhat more power.
Ofcourse, it is what it is and again, nothing wrong with it. But since it’s one of my favourite 80s AOR albums and spinned regularly I wanted to see if I could pimp it a bit. I used the original HQ chrome musicassettes (promo) since these seemed to sound the most analog and warm. Captured the output of a Denon DRM-600 using Cubase’s brilliant 32 bit TrueTape™ compression technique. So, in contrary to what I usually prefer I compressed the music to reach for that wanted oomph. I’m quite fond of the results, though I must say that it is not necessarily better as the original.
Enjoy!
EddylitE - december 2009
©2009 - Hipper than Hell Records * Eddy_litE appears courtesy of himself * You have been Aped
"The music in these files was originally recorded on analog equipment.
We have attempted to preserve, as closely as possible, the sound of the original recording.
Because of it's high resolution, however, these files can reveal limitations of the source."
________________________________________
Turn Me Up!™
To preserve the excitement, emotion and dynamics of the original performances this record is intentionally quieter than some. For full enjoyment simply Turn Me Up! (www.TurnMeUp.org)
________________________________________
Rapidshare Links:
TextSnip
Hotfile Links:
TextSnip
pw: True_tapE
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