On a hot August weekend I painted every relatives' fence, washed every window and shifted every lump of peat possible so I could embark on a buying binge which hauled in AC/DC, Girlschool, Scorpions, Rush, Judas Priest, Whitesnake and Blue Öyster Cult. My ears were happily ringing as a result and my parents no doubt felt that they were losing their son to The Devil. I found out some years later that was exactly what the local Reverend told them, "Behold! A Sinner!".
One album in my sights back then was Metal Rendezvous by Krokus. The song Heatstrokes was played by Lord Vance on the Friday Rock Show and I was under starters orders the following day to get the Metal Rendezvous album.
I still like the LP, I know Krokus got a slagging by many a Metal Head for being AC/DC and Scorpions soundalikes but that's a raw deal in my view. Who cares, tracks such as Heatstrokes, Steamer and Tokyo Nights rock out.
The Krokus songs are full of 70s cliches, cringing lyrics that would be at home in the Gene Hunt School of Sexism and the band strut their stuff as you'd expect from a Metal ensemble from that era. Say what you want but the guitar work is superb and Krokus delight these ears with their musical ability.
Top notch!
21 comments:
Proof if any were needed that the devil does indeed have all the best tunes.
I too saved up all my pennies for a metal fix, though cutting peat was not al option in Smallness.
Metal Rendezvous is a classic heavy metal album. I remember all the local metal-heads screaming that this guy should have been the replacement for Bon Scott in the mighty AC\DC!!! But they did okay with that bloke from Geordie...
Just FYI:
Van Halen is back, with 'A different kind of truth" :-)
I've been listening to the track previews and they are very average. Van Halen were exciting and innovative once upon a time but now sound weary and old. It's a shame really. No doubt the new album will sell well though.
OK, so watch THIS instead.
Iron Man, performed on a Tesla Coil!!!
http://youtu.be/fPoomwdNZeY
How cool is that!
That was insane but brilliant!
Y'all please join in my new blogmeme?
Old Vinyl Meme...
I like a bit of 'Long Stick Goes Boom'
;-)
Steve - except When The Devil Went Down To Georgia...apparently.
Toast - I'm glad you too are appreciative of Krokus!
Stu - I'm with Toast on this from what I've sampled so far, VH needn't have bothered. Tired.
Much appreciative of the Tesla Coil link.
Re: the old vinyl... if I've time at the weekend I'll dig something out. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to your weekly vinyl post!
VK - you are a lady of considerable tastes!
I remember those days vividly. I had given my mom a list of records I wanted for christmas that included Iron Maiden's Killers album, the Scorpions' Blackout album and Bomber by you know who. I ended up getting only Bomber because it was the only album the my mom could at least halfway live wih when it came to its cover art. Too funny. And I always liked Krokus, no matter what everybody said.
@Frank:
What did your mum find not to live with in the Blackout cover??? Seems pretty tame to these tired old eyes.
My mother often frowned at the album covers too!
Haha
Blackout was the last Scorpions album I bought on vinyl
Seriously, it was quite an issue back then. My mom couldn't take the 'negative aspects' of what I was confronting myself with. I really believe that grownups back then thought we were all going to hell.
Frank - I know exactly what you mean, my mother was convinced that I was under the Devil's spell when she saw my Venom albums haha!
It was all too much for a Jim Reeves fan
I never got any feedback at all about the hellish aspect of my interest in heavy metal and horror but my dad did acuse me of being queer because of all the posters of long haired bare chested men on my wall. He chose to ignore the Kate Bush, Toyah and Purdy pics. He was from a different generation and didn't really have a clue. It caused massive arguments but I stuck to my guns...he was right about one thing though, it never got me anywhere ;D
Jimmy - it was a big issuue back in the day. I remember a bunch of people who used to wait outside of concert venues when metal gigs were on handing out flyers where they had translated selected song lyrics into german, Black Sabbath being their favorite.
The flyers had 'They Only Want Your Soul' as a headline and the people handing them out were genuinely concerned.
Looking back now, close to thirty years later, it is really incedibly funny. Ozzy Osbourne a diciple of the devil? Hahahahah. No, I mean, really ... :-)
Frank - Considering the excesses of some death/black metal bands nowadays the Metal scene in our day is quite heavenly ;)
Haha
My Uncle's char woman caught me in a fit of self loathing on my knees in front of a Purdey pic cut from the daily record. I think I was 13 or something. Alarmed I pretended I was tidying up haha, a most unsavoury incident. Of course, I spent the evening doing the same thing imagining the maid finishing me off har har
Without the satanic imagery of the 70's there would be no black metal!
Caught by the char! I hope she gave you a good hard thrashing you filthy little hairy palmed beast ;D
!!!Word Ver: TANK! fnarrrr!!!
Toast - although I was Horrified by my being caught in the act ( the memory still makes my toes curl) looking back I'm convinced that the cleaning lady had been watching my bug eyed action for a while before bursting in the door.
Eeek!
She no doubt went bug eyed herself on many an occasion, re-living the event. The dirty mare!
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