Gang Vocals?

Here lately I've noticed a trend with new releases: gang vocals. The more I think about this, the more I think "gang vocals" is a dumb phrase.

Lynam and Motley Crue both feature gang vocals on their new albums. In both instances, those "gang vocals" are by an already famous group of musicians. I remember when this was credited as "backing vocals." The liner notes usually said something like "backing vocals provided by ...." or "so and so appears courtesy of Universal Records."

I wonder when semantics crept into modern rock and changed the way we think of layered vocal tracks? I mean, is this a ProTools evolution? It's pretty common for rock musicians to think of their respective bands as a "gang" and yet the term "gang vocal" seems derivative to me. 

I wonder how many more Glam bands will use gang vocals as a marketing tactic on upcoming albums?

**What do you prefer: vocals by your favorite band, or backing tracks provided by other famous musicians?

Tragic City Symphony: The Bring Back Glam! Review

Lynam's fifth studio album Tragic City Symphony (New Ocean Media) officially hits stores on August 26, but the album is already available for purchase through the band's official website. As I predicted months ago, this album is fantastic. The track list looks like this:

1. Is This A Heartbreak Or A Loaded Gun?
2. Enemy
3. Lindsay Says
4. Just Say Anything
5. Save My Soul
6. Porn Star
7. Can’t Do Anything
8. If You Leave
9. Make It Alright
10. White Trash Superstar
11. A Million Ways
12. Suffer

Ok, I'll admit "Is This A Heartbreak Or A Loaded Gun?" sounds emo, but that's just the title. Once the chorus kicks in, it's hard to tell if you're listening to Lynam of Def Leppard - back when DL were actually good. You know, in the 80s. Not hard to believe, "Is This A Heartbreak Or A Loaded Gun?" is one of my favorite songs on Tragic City Symphony. Plus, I think the song title would look hot on a T-shirt.

"Enemy" is a big deal for Lynam. This track features slide guitar by Tom Keifer of Cinderella. It also features gang vocals by Hinder. Now, I do not like Hinder, but their input on this song isn't too pervasive and they don't muck it up. Quite frankly, lead singer Jacob Lynam doesn't need any help in the vocal department.

"Lindsay Says" is a song that's been on Lynam's Myspace for a few months now. I've listened to this track several times over the past few weeks, getting ready for this new CD. This song sounds very modern, but somehow Lynam never lose their Glam influences. "Lindsay Says" has a nice, big chorus - just what we all need to get out of bad mood. Songs like "Lindsay Says" are the main reason why I love Lynam. It takes more than image to be a great band: you have to know how to write lyrics and play and have emotion. 

Truth be told, I doubt Lynam consider themselves a Glam band. After all, Lynam is a trio - very rare in the Glam genre. They don't make over-the-top videos, or have stage shows with dancing girls and pyro. Still, this is one band that knows how to make a power ballad. Tragic City Symphony features a few nice ballads, including "Just Say Anything,"  "If You Leave" and "A Million Ways."  The latter reminds me of Warrant, with the acoustic guitar and dreamy lyrics. Think "Heaven" meets 2008 - yeah, it's that good. The lyrics to "If You Leave" are actually painful - deeply moving. That's the power of music.

The first single supporting Tragic City Symphony is "Save My Soul" and for good reason: the song is a sonic powerhouse. The guitar tone is so rich here, "Save My Soul" is a production masterpiece for my money. It also reminds me why I listen to rock music. Quite frankly, it takes a lot to impress me these days. I receive a lot of albums and watch a lot of bands - and most start to run together. When a band produces a song as good as "Save My Soul" they stand out.

The song that surprised me the most on Tragic City Symphony? That's easy: "White Trash Superstar." I suppose my boys in Lynam are paying tribute to their Alabama heritage with the banjo picking (Lynam's first album is also called White Trash Superstar). Still, the song is damn catchy and has - yet again - a huge chorus. Here, the lyrics are easy and there's a nice electric guitar solo to compete with the banjo. Ah, I love ironic juxtaposition.

Tragic City Symphony  is now in the running as my favorite album of 2008.

www.myspace.com/lynam

In Nine Days...

Click the photo...see what is next for Motley Crue!

...and now you know what is next...here's where the video was shot!

Want a Rare David Bowie CD?

David Bowie recently released David Bowie: Live Santa Monica ’72 in Limited Edition CD and numbered 180-gram double vinyl LP packages. The release is also available digitally.  The physical copies are sold out - and already a collector's item.  If you want a physical copy - I might be able to help! I'll give away a copy of the CD. Just keep reading.

Previously unreleased, the October 20, 1972 concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was Bowie’s first live U.S. radio appearance, broadcasted by the now-defunct Los Angeles station KMET (“The Mighty Met,” 94.7 FM ). The CD and double vinyl packages include photos taken at the show and a reprint of Robert Hilburn’s original Los Angeles Times concert review.

In 1972, David Bowie set out on his first U.S. tour. He'd recently introduced the world to his Ziggy Stardust persona with his album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and he had completed a hugely successful U.K. tour. Accompanying Bowie on tour were The Spiders From Mars: Mick Ronson – guitar, vocals; Trevor Bolder – bass; Mick "Woody" Woodmansey – drums; and Mike Garson – piano.

David Bowie is also particularly fond of the concert recording, saying, “I can tell that I’m totally into being Ziggy by this stage of our touring. It’s no longer an act; I am him. This would be around the tenth American show for us and you can hear that we are all pretty high on ourselves. We trainwreck a couple of things, I miss some words and sometimes you wouldn’t know that pianist Mike Garson was onstage with us, but overall I really treasure this bootleg. Mick Ronson is at his blistering best.”

David Bowie: Live Santa Monica ’72 

1. Introduction	10. My Death
2. Hang On To Yourself	11. The Width Of A Circle
3. Ziggy Stardust	12. Queen Bitch
4. Changes	13. Moonage Daydream
5. The Supermen	14. John, I'm Only Dancing
6. Life On Mars?	15. Waiting For The Man
7. Five Years	16. The Jean Genie
8. Space Oddity	17. Suffragette City
9. Andy Warhol	18. Rock 'n' Roll Suicide

So, by now you're wondering just how you can get a copy of this rare disc. I want you to know this is so rare that I don't have the actual release - just a media sample. If you like 70s Glam, then you already know you need this release. ***If you want David Bowie: Live Santa Monica ’72, simply send an email to allyson@bringbackglam.com saying how Bowie influenced popular 80s Glam bands like Motley Crue and Poison. Please, keep your submissions to 75 words or less. You have until Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 11:59 pm EST to enter. The winner will be notified by email. If you don't receive an email by noon on August 11, 2008 you didn't win. Good luck!

You Really Got Me

I swear, "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks is the bane of my existence. I am supposed to learn this song for my next bass lesson - which is Saturday - and I can't get up to speed. Quite frankly, I should be practicing instead of writing this. At any rate, I can't play the song fast enough - and the whole song is based around speed.

The main riff to "You Really Got Me" is instantly recognizable, thanks in part to the popular Van Halen cover.  It's that popular riff that also earned the track a spot on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 best rock songs of all time. 

The song isn't just fast - it's aggressive in a way that music fans were unfamiliar when Ray Davies first penned the song back in the early 1960s. I have trouble with the aggression part, too. Oh, I am a frustrated artist for sure - but that never comes through when I play my bass. The only thing that comes through is... mud.

I grew up listening to the Van Halen version of "You Really Got Me."  That song still enjoys a healthy rotation on classic rock radio. I think part of song's charm is its length - you get in, you get out, you get some rock - in about two and half minutes. Van Halen were smart to not mess with the timing of the original. 

I think "You Really Got Me" is one of those songs that will make anyone look cool. I'm sure you are familiar with at least one local band that isn't very good, but has spirit nonetheless. I would suspect that playing a Kinks classic equals automatic street cred.

I guess I should practice now.

*Musicians - ever been really frustrated by one song in particular?

The Kinks:

Van Halen's version:

On Repeat

Do you ever listen to the same song on repeat over and over? Recently, I've been listening to Tesla's "Modern Day Cowboy" several times in a row. Man, talk about a great song. I think "Modern Day Cowboy" is Tesla's greatest track. I can't get enough of the line "The USA - the USSR, with their six-guns at their side." I love that part!

Watch the video and hit repeat right along with me!

Hollywood Rocks

I love the Hollywood Rocks (Cleopatra Records) box set! It usually takes quite awhile to get through box sets, and this one is no different. Many of the bands are obscure Sunset Strips acts, so that meant discovering new bands. So far, disc one remains my favorite but I've found gems on the other three discs as well.

I won't put the entire track listing here because it is massive, but I want you to know I *love* "Time Warp" by Plain Jane, "Whatever Happened to Fun" by Candy,  "Hold On" by Rough Cutt, "Doghouse" by Sea Hags and many more.

All told, there are something like 78 songs in the box set. Sure there are some tracks you probably already own from artists like LA Guns, Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd - but the rarities are what make this collection so much fun.

The intro to Candy's song "Whatever Happened to Fun" is straight from radio! Two girls calling in to request their favorite song of the moment. The DJ asks the girls if Candy has a hit and they answer "yes" without wavering. 

Some bands I've dug for a long time are featured on Hollywood Rocks, such as Angora and Spiders and Snakes. Having so many great Glam bands together in one compilation is very exciting - and an easy way to sample tracks.

The box set also comes with a decent book. The best parts are the "then" and "now" photos. I love that sort of thing! There's also a pin and backstage laminate. As you can imagine, both are basically worthless. 

A note about sound: I typically *love remastered albums, but some of the tracks on Hollywood Rocks are...grainy. I actually prefer the diminished sound in this instance, as it adds some charm to the tracks. The first time I listened to the entire box set, I felt like I was on an archaeological dig. You don't get that very often when it comes to a favorite type of music. 

You can purchase Hollywood Rocks through Amazon.com