Stuck in My Head 10.14.2011

Different Devil
by Chickenfoot

There's a wise old tale
About the same old Hell
Only the devil is changed
With two brand new lovers
Rolling in the covers
Everybody wants some strange
We all know somebody's gonna tell you just want to do
But it don't mean nothin' 'less it's got something for me and you
 

RUN AWAY
If you think there's someone better 

RUN AWAY
Into the arms of something new 

YOU CAN STAY
If you think he'll treat you better than I do
Turn around babe
I'll be right here waiting for you
 

Hey we're both getting older
Should've known better
Somethings stay the same
You want your freedom
I'm so jealous
No one's gonna change
We all know somebody's gonna tell what's right to do
Hey I'm sitting here missing, baby, I'm missing you
 

RUN AWAY
If you think there's someone better
RUN AWAY
Into the arms of something new
YOU CAN STAY
If you think he'll treat you better than I do
Turn around babe
I'll be right here waiting for you
 

There's a sweet dark angel
On my shoulder
Singing in my ear
From the bad side of Heaven
With all her glory
Salvation's here.We all know somebody's gonna tell you just want to do
But it don't mean nothin' 'less it's got something for me and you
 

RUN AWAY
If you think there's someone better
RUN AWAY
Into the arms of something new
YOU CAN STAY
If you think he'll treat you better than I do
Turn around babe
I'll be right here waiting for you
 

RUN AWAY
If you think there's someone better
RUN AWAY
Into the arms of something new
YOU CAN STAY
If you think he'll treat you better than I do
Turn around babe
I'll be right here waiting for you

New Chickenfoot and Mastodon Albums

On this past Thursday, Chickenfoot and Mastodon unleashed new music on the world.

Being a Van Halen fan through many years and many lineups (I even can find cool things in the Cherone era), of course I'm interested in a band that includes what's increasingly looking like the most rational (former) members of that band. I enjoyed the first Chickenfoot album, it was fun, it sounded like a bunch of friends getting together to jam. However, if this band is now a going concern, they needed to go beyond that.

Mastodon came onto my radar with Crack the Skye, which I thought was an amazing album. I can't say I was engrossed by their previous records, which seemed to embrace the "cookie monster hacks up a lung" vocal style that just bores me. Skye, however indicated a move toward more melodic vocals, and truly inspiring, progressive musicianship. I became a big fan of that record.

So, with that history, you understand that I was excited about both these releases, and downloaded them first thing on Tuesday. (That they were pretty cheap on Amazon helped a lot).

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot III

The first thing to understand is that the sound of this band has not changed dramatically. It's still the same four guys, Satriani shredding, Hagar singing, and Chad Smith bringing the same incredibly powerful drumming he brought the first time around (I'm actually very sad he'll be missing at least the first leg of any tour for the record, due to Red Hot Chili Peppers commitments). Michael Anthony is a revelation on bass here, totally unleashed from the Van Halen 8th/16th notes shackles, even beyond the freedom he enjoyed on the first album. It still sounds like Chickenfoot, but the band, apparently more comfortable with each other, finds places to jump around the map style-wise. Sure, you have the foot-stomping rockers (Big Foot), but you also have a bluesy acoustic number (Something Gone Wrong) and a couple of tracks that inject some real funk (Up Next). It's still radio-friendly rock, but these guys are masters of the form, finding ways to inject surprising elements.

It was also nice hearing Sammy Hagar embrace some lyrical content that feels truly personal, instead of the Cabo Wabo-centered "lifestyle rock" that seems to have dominated the last decade of solo work. Not that I don't enjoy having my feet in the sand with a margarita, but I did reach a "come on Sam" point with that material. Satriani also truly cuts loose on the solos here, which are much wilder and inventive than on the first record, where he seemed a little too concerned with being a team player.

I don't know that Chickenfoot will ever be considered a "great" band, I think they'll always be connected and compared to Van Halen, and there's just not enough time left, for any of these guys, to take a run at that kind of legacy. However, that said, my guess is that these Chickenfoot records will end up being far better than whatever Van Halen manages to get released in the next few years (and I am very skeptical that will ever happen, honestly).

Favorite Tracks: Last Temptation, Up Next, Different Devil

Mastodon - The Hunter

God damn what an album.

What Mastodon have done here is take that more melodic style from Crack the Skye, ejected the concept album trappings, streamlined the songs, and embraced basically whatever the hell they wanted to do. There's tracks of hard-core progressive riffing (The Hunter, Black Tongue), almost 70's-style arena stop (Curl of the Burl), and staggering, unexpected beauty (Creature Lives). The record is just a slap in the face for the metal community, it's pure rock, no nu-metal MC bullshit, with impeccable musicianship. It's so good to hear a "new" act with a serious hunger to play the crap out of their instruments, while still embracing the idea that the song is the point.

The shorter, punchier songs are also a strength. While I was enamored with Crack the Skye, I've had a few people tell me they "got lost " in the album, where several tracks neared, or passed ten minutes. Here, it's get in, rock, and get out. Take no prisoners. Nothing over six minutes, and nothing that overstays it's welcome.

While I hate to come off as someone jumping on the bandwagon of "the metal band even hipsters like," talent and execution are so high with this album, I can't help but fall in love with it. Troy Sanders and Brent Hinds up their game on vocals, while Hinds and Bill Kelliher (how can I not dig a guy covered in Star Wars tattoos?) just crush the guitars. Sanders also really fills out the sound on bass, something that too many metal bands just don't get. Brann Dailor's drumming is tight, and improvisational enough to avoid the "bam, bam, bam" metal monotony.

This is a great band, and I get the impression they're just getting warmed up. I mean, this is, essentially, a "leftovers" album, and I think it might be better than the record it was leftover from. Which is also a strength, they knew what needed to be on Crack the Skye, to fulfill the concept, and what could be filed for later. That we got a second monster album out of it is gravy.

Favorite Tracks: Curl of the Burl, Blasteroid, Dry Bone Valley, Creature Lives

Chickenfoot - Chicago Theatre -8/7/2009

Fantastic show, fantastic band.

Ok, first off. Chad Smith was out on stage about a half hour before the opening act, checking out the theatre, and hob-nobbing with the folks in front. Gave me a big laugh. Folks realizing who it was and trying to rush down there.

I was in the handicapped section to start. (Hey, I just asked what was left, and they sold it to me.) About 10 minutes before the opening act, the house manager comes up and asks if I'm alone. I say sure, she asks if she can move me "a little closer."

I say yes, and I'm led down to about the 20th row. Nice.

The opening act was great, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam. Dave F, you would've went crazy for these guys, right up your alley. The only complaint I have is that the mix seemed to be in a frequency that went right through my head. I had a few moments when Knowles' guitar was downright painful.

So, after that, the lights go out and a tons of lights, a giant, lighted version of the "Chickenfoot" symbol, and a huge "Chickenfoot" banner lower into position. Chad Smith comes out, and just stands behind his kit for a minute, arms crossed, and surveying the crowd....then sat down and started banging away.

Look, let me get right to this. Chad Smith made this show for me. I've never seen the Chili Peppers, so I have no idea if this is his "normal" routine. Sammy Hagar, when introducing him called him the "craziest guy I know," and he lived up to that. First off, great drummer, and I can only compare it to Keith Moon, just wild, total abandon in his playing, all over the kit, but always in the pocket. He must also hit HARD, about 30 seconds into the first song, I see a broken stick come flying into the crowd.

Honestly, it was raining sticks all night. He must've thrown 30 or 35 sticks into the crowd. In some songs it seemed like every measure, a stick would go flying into the air. Then another one out, without missing a beat. It was hard to fathom how he could do all that, keep the beat, and never run out of sticks. I mean, he must've had piles of sticks behind his kit.

Plus, the dude is funny. You could see him playing with the audience the whole show, making faces, interacting directly to people in front. Totally entertaining guy. Smith also gets the line of the night, "Why are you people upstairs not standing up? We're working our balls off up here! You, in the orange shirt! Yeah YOU! Stand UP!"

Sammy was obviously having a ton of fun, and Mike Anthony was Mike Anthony. Love him to death, a stand up guy, and he was obvioulsy unleashed as far as what he was playing, and being able to hear him. Satriani was more reserved, but that's also the place that seems to be carved out for him in the group, as he's obviously the most reserved one up there.

What did come through, in spades, was that these four guys were having a ball playing together. They were not trying to trade on past glories, other than the fact of who they are, which they can't do anything about. They basically played the who album, then "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Highway Star" for an encore. No Van Halen (which would've been easy to do), no Hagar solo stuff, no Satriani solo stuff, no Chili Peppers. Though, man...it would be funny to see Sammy sing "Give it Away," or something. LOL.

Sammy directly addressed the issue at one point, thanking the crowd for coming out even when they knew that they were going to get 100% new songs. He then went on to say that he felt Chickenfoot wasn't a "supegroup," but a cult band. Now, I don'tknow about that, but I get the sentiment.

All in all, a really, really fun show. A band very much worth seeing.

Oh, the joys of last-minute decisions...

Chickenfoot is playing the Chicago Theatre tonight. This, if you do not know, is the "supergroup" cosisting of Sammy Hagar (vocals), Joe Satriani (guitar), Michael Anthony (bass), and Chad Smith (drums). The debut self-titled album came out in June.

Of course I picked it up. I love Satch, and, "hip" or not, I always preferred Van Halen with Sammy over Roth. I know, I know...It's not like I DISLIKE the Roth stuff, I just felt like Sammy was a much better, and versitile singer. That Van Halen's ability to do different sorts of things increased. I like bands that are versitile.

Anyway, Chickenfoot...

I think there's only maybe 3 clunkers on the album. The opening track ("Avenida Revolution") had me worried, as it's probably the worst on the disk. (why you would open the album that way...no friggin' clue) The rest is good, solid, melodic hard rock. It's entertaining and fun, no more, no less, and they all sound like they're having a great time.

Satch isn't all over the place like on his solo stuff, which some people have complained about. Thing is...of course he isn't, he's playing behind a vocalist! I really appreciated hearing Satch play in the pocket, instead of being the main show. Hagar sounds fantastic, for a guy as old as he is, his voice is still sharp as hell. Anthony gets to actually play for probably the first time in his career, and Smith turns out to be a incredibly powerful hard rock drummer.

I read somewhere, and I think it's pretty apt, "Van Halen went and got a better guitarist and drummer, and changed their name to Chickenfoot." (and yeah, I think Satch and Smith are much sharper than the Van Halen brothers at this moment) I would MUCH rather see this band than VH, and their nostalgia-rama, now. Especially at one third the ticket price.

So, I dropped by the theatre today, to see if anything was left. Of course, I know from having a friend in ticketing (ha-ha) that they almost always have some house seats left. Especially for one person. I'm in the handicapped seating area, back of the main floor, but pretty much dead center. Bonus points for buying direct from the box office, no Ticketmaster charges!

What I also realized just a bit ago is that this is the first time I'll get to see Joe Satriani play live, so that's cool.

I dunno, I thought about going to see the GI Joe movie, or having dinner (which I still may), but I wanted to get out and do something cool. CByrd's out of town this weekend, so I'm not stuck in that "what will both of us like to do?" mode. Not like she wouldn't go to this show with me, but, yknow, I don't like to make her see stuff she's not excited about.

So, anyway...Have a weekend everybody. Avoid Grant Park, that Lollapalooza's a bitch for traffic. Which reminds me, I'll have to ride the train out of downtown with those people....