Review: Heroin Diaries Soundtrack

Before jumping into a quick review of the The Heroin Diaries by SIXX AM, I wanted to give the release a fair chance. So far, I've listened to the disc a total of five times.

It's amazing how my thoughts on the release change with each listen. At first, I thought the work was a little hokey and a too contrived. Now, I've realized that this album may represent the best song writing from Nikki Sixx since Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood era.

Nikki Sixx plays bass on the work, James Michael sings and DJ Ashba plays guitar. There are times when I don't like Michael's voice. At the beginning of "Courtesy Call" I think Michael sounds a little too much like Bono, but then the tempo changes and so does his voice. I've read many reviews on the Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, just to see what other music fans thought about the work. A lot of people seem annoyed by the narration provided by Sixx, but this is where the music actually becomes a soundtrack. I can only assume that when Sixx recounts the days of his addiction - and path to sobriety - that he is reading from the forthcoming book. In many ways, the narration provided between the crescendos makes me more excited for the book. In fact, I was always looking forward to the book more than the CD. Remember: before I became a crazed Metal fan, I was a true English nerd. I feel right at home listening to Poison while reading John Donne, but I digress.

Dedicated readers to this online magazine might recall that I reported a negative view of the track "Life is Beautiful," also from the Heroin Diaries Soundtrack. After listening to the entire release I've decided the song is actually top notch, and it's the video I don't like. In fact, the video incorporates elements of the book and album cover art, which I really dislike. I assume SIXX AM were going for an avant garde element while juxtaposing a clouded photo of the band beside hand drawn skulls and scribbles. These "manufactured scribbles" represent doodles drawn by Sixx in the margins of his real journal, but I think this actually cheapens the product.

Still, the clouded album art doesn't detract from the quality of the music. My favorite tracks on the disc are "Heart Failure," "Girl With Golden Eyes" and "Permission."

A word of warning: the Heroin Diaries Soundtrack does not sound like Motley Crue, or even Brides of Destruction. If you're easily turned off by newer Metal trends (new, not "nu") avoid this release. If you like true rock, this album just might be for you.

The Best Gifts of Friendship

The best gifts are the personal ones.

You know the type: they don't necessarily cost a lot, and don't even have to be new. Typically, these "supreme" gifts are chosen with ultimate care with the recipient's personality in mind.

Yesterday, my dear friend Sean presented me with a great gift. With little fanfare he produced three records, all in primo condition. So what was the booty? Winger's self-titled release, Def Leppard's Pyromania and RATT's Out of the Cellar.

I already own these titles on the more modern CD or download format, but not vinyl. Sean is (just a little bit) older than me, and he's a big record collector. He likes to talk glam with me, even though his musical tastes have surpassed my passion. He's more into the funk now: James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic, you get the idea.  Still, Sean's been to his fair share of glam concerts, and he recently remarked he saw Def Leppard "When they were so young!"

I'm very excited about my new records. I have just about every Aerosmith release on vinyl, plus a lot of Van Halen and some other titles, but my three new additions really give my collection a boost.

I love vinyl, but I'm not elitist about it like a lot of people that read this website (and you know who you are). I love the size of the artwork and how the bands are featured prominently, typically with individual photos. Sean says he likes listening to one side and then having to get up and flip for the next listen. I never really thought about that before, but it makes sense: it takes time to absorb and appreciate good music. While I swear by my iPod (and would probably be arrested if I didn't have it to listen to while at work) I can understand how the quality of music is diluted these days. It's not hard to get sucked in by trends and the latest sale at Hot Topic. Vinyl makes me remember the golden age of Metal.

Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City

Last night, despite a raging headache and total exhaustion from my first day back to work after vacation, I finished Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City: A True Story Of Faking It In Hair Metal L.A. by Anne Thomas Soffee (Chicago Review Press 2005).

For some reason I wanted to hate this book. I can't really explain it, but maybe it was an overwhelming sense of jealousy that another girl, very similar to me in so many ways, had the experiences I dreamed of (alcohol abuse notwithstanding).

So, Anne makes her way from her childhood home in Richmond, Virginia to Los Angeles all the while clutching an English degree from the College of William and Mary. Yes, punk rock Anne sticks out like a sore thumb at the college of presidents, but never strays from her ultimate goal of becoming the next Lester Bangs.

Perhaps the best part of the book is the snarky asides and impromptu Q&A sessions Anne has with her readers. Her authorial voice is so clear, it's like listening to a friend recount a wild night of debauchery. Despite my best attempts at hate, I found myself laughing out loud at this book and at Anne and her wild attempts at making it as a rock journalist.

Yes, Anne talked her way backstage. Yes, she wrote for weekly papers without pay. Yes, she took crap jobs as a "publicist" and no, she never single-handedly resurrected CREEM. Anne embarked on her journey at the end of the 1980s, while there were still plenty of "hair gods" on the Sunset Strip, even with the horrors of grunge threatening the never-ending party.

Eventually, our heroine grows disheartened with her lack of writing success and becomes more enamored with drinking and after parties. Anne has a string of wild romances, too wild to be fictional. I can only imagine how she felt. Every day that passes, I grow a little more hurt and a little more frustrated with my stalled writing career. I feel like Anne. She felt she could take the world by storm and change the face of rock journalism. I think I can do the same. Is this logical? Probably not. Dreams never are logical.

As grunge and riots literally changed the landscape of rock L.A., Anne packed up and headed for graduate school. Been there, done that. I need to hunt down Anne Thomas Soffee and compare notes. We really are kindred spirits.

Home Sweet Home

It's Tuesday and I'm finally home and back at work. Eric and I had a nice trip and I'm proud of keeping up this website while on my voyage.

I have a lot of things planned for this week, including a classic album review of Faster Pussycat's Wake Me When It's Over, a book reviews of Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City by Anne Thomas Soffee, my opinion of the SIXX: AM disc, plus I need to write articles and review for both Hairball John and Metal Express Radio.

Today, I plan on easing my way back into work, trying to capitalize on my vacation relaxation. For now, watch this video: Motley Crue "Home Sweet Home."

Almost Like Being There...

I'm going to watch L.A. Guns live (on the Internet!).

This morning, Tracii Guns, Paul Black, Jeremy Guns and Chad Stewart announced that their upcoming performance at the Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, California will be streamed live. The show is set for August 31st.

Now, here's the catch (there's always a catch): the event is pay-per-view. The company, known as Webcastia, specializes in live concerts and sporting events.

Leatherwolf is also on the bill for the show. Webcastia is charging $11.95 for the privilege of watching.

For more information on Webcastia, go to www.webcastia.com.

Kindred Spirits

Glam fans, if you've been keeping up then you know that I've read both books I purchased for vacation. Last night, I bought another book to read in the airport for my long wait tomorrow. While weeding through the massive Virgin store at Downtown Disney, I decided on Nerd Girl Rocks Paradise City: A True Story of Faking It In Hair Metal L.A. I wasn't too sure about the book, but I thought it might be at least a little amusing, so I went ahead and plunked down cash for a paperback copy.

Apparently, the book is based around the of aspiring music critic "Soffee." Along the way she falls into the trap of thinking she is in the same league as her subjects and succumbs to alcoholism. According to Booklist she finds her way to sobriety and clarity -- to the point of penning her memoirs. I'll post a review when I'm done.

Eric and I ate dinner at Downtown Disney last night, too. During our meal a DJ keep spinning some records with videos projected on a giant screen. This man must be a kindred spirit because he played a whole lotta glam, including Poison and Def Leppard.

Here's one of those videos: Poison performing "We're An American Band."

The Life and Times of Gene Simmons

At the turn of the millennium shock-rocker, turned movie star, turned mogul Gene Simmons set out to write his autobiography. Though KISS and Make-Up (Three Rivers Press 2001) isn’t a groundbreaking work of literature, it does provide the reader with a better understanding of what makes the demon tick.

The best portion of the book is the beginning. Learning about the poor boy with the given name of Chaim Witz and how he began to form a very pragmatic world view. After Gene’s father left his family, it was just the boy and his mother alone in Israel. While telling of his boyhood, Gene paints a fairly rosy picture of life in poor Israel. While he and his mother were broke and alone, he said they were happy. An overprotective mother, Gene tells some pretty funny stories of the lengths his mother would go to keep her little boy safe.

Assimilation into American life is also a major part of the book. Gene moved to America at a fairly young age, but still had trouble communicating with other children. He couldn’t speak English and he felt like an outcast. This is when he became obsessed with television and comic books -- two forces that would prove instrumental in making KISS an international marketing phenomenon. It was during the assimilation process that Gene Witz became Gene Klein. When it was time to get serious about music, Klein became Simmons – simple as that. KISS and Make-Up has a very matter-of-fact voice, capturing Gene’s true business personality.

Readers must wade through pages of early sexual experiences and exploits before the story of KISS really begins. Finally, Gene introduces his readers to the original members of the band. Gene speaks fondly of Paul Stanley throughout the book and less so of guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. In fact, Gene’s tone toward Ace is one of general disgust. Both Frehley and Criss had drug problems, which eventually separated the original version of the band. Still, Gene’s tone makes it pretty clear he’s not an easy man to work with, especially when (at the beginning, anyway) KISS was an equal partnership.

So it goes. Gene Simmons recounts his relationships with Cher and Diana Ross, plus countless flings. His authorial voice changes again with the introduction of long-time girlfriend Shannon Tweed. While never married, Simmons and Tweed have been together for more than two decades and have two children together. The demon writing about his children is pretty endearing, if not a little corny. Still, it’s pretty easy to notice priority shifts as the book moves along. Gene also makes the statement that Psycho Circus might be the final KISS record, period. He makes so much money from the KISS brand and his reality show on A&E he doesn’t need to make a new record. Still, die hard fans are clamoring for some music, and Gene guarantees his fans always get their moneys worth.