CD round-up: Music I grabbed at Leyendas del Rock this summer!

I’ve been meaning to do a short piece about this for ages, but time seemed to slip away, and the Leyendas festival is all but a distant memory. However, the three albums I bought while wandering the stalls on the perimeter are still all getting plenty of play here at Moore Music towers. I wanted to share them with you. Firstly, we have a lovingly packaged Sentenced album, in a nicely illustrated cardboard slipcase, containing not one but two of their albums on one CD. Hailing from Finland, theirs is a tale that ultimately ended in a tragedy. They began as a melodic death metal outfit, morphing more into heavy metal later on.  The band hold some interest for me for many reasons, one of which is the fact that I spent a month in their hometown of Oulu many years ago, while touring with a band up around the Arctic circle. The main album on here, ‘Amok’, recorded in ’95, is widely considered to be their breakthrough album, and it is paired here with ‘Love & Death’, which features songs recorded around the same time as Amok, and a curious cover of Billy Idol’s ‘White Wedding’. Probably because the songs were all recorded around the same time, the two albums go well together here, and the band’s musicality is well to the fore – it’s a great listen.

The band finally split in 2005 and a mere four years later, Guitarist and founding member Miika Tenkula died, on February 19, 2009. He apparently had succumbed to a genetic heart condition. As a footnote, some months after Miika’s death, Sentenced released a box set of 16 CDs and 2 DVDs chronicling their entire career in a coffin-shaped box. The box-set also included rare and previously unreleased tracks.

Next on the list was Savage Souls from German band Mystic Prophecy. This version came as a ‘book’ CD – the album being in the front, and a bonus DVD in the back, featuring a live appearance at The Matrix in Bochum. The DVD’s a nice bonus, but it’s the studio album that really shines. formed in Bad Gronenbach in 2000, this release dates from 2006. they seem to have a lot of personnel changes, but the vocals and guitar work on this album are great. They’re like a cross between U.S. and European power metal. A nice surprise, this.

Finally, I had to invest in Accept’s latest release ‘Stalingrad’ after they delivered a blistering set at Leyendas. I really like Marc Tornillo’s vocals , shades of Brian Johnson- and a great fit for the band. Produced by Andy Sneap, Stalingrad is an album that shows a band still at the top of their game. There’s so many standout tracks on here. Not only that, i picked up the special edition, which includes a live DVD featuring performances from Bang your Head and Monsters of rock festivals in 2011 and 2010 respectively , and the music videos for ‘Teutonic Terror’ (one of my favourite Accept tracks) and the (dare I say, infectious?) ‘Pandemic’.

So, three beauties, and a great festival to boot!

Kev Moore

RETRO REVIEW: Mother’s Finest’s ‘Meta-Funk’n-Physical’ (2003)

As Mother’s Finest’s kick-starter campaign to enlist their fanbase in being a part of their first new album for 10 years heads into its final week, I thought it a good opportunity to tale a look back at their 2003 release ‘Meta-Funk’n-Physical’..

I remember the first time I listened to this track. I was anxious to get it home and put it on the player. ‘Funk-a-Wild‘ promises much and delivers even more. An insidious synth sequence starts a stealth-like groove, lulling you into a false sense of security before the riff hits you, dripping with the funk, the staccato bass…Baby Jean’s wonderfully provocative lyrics draw you in and suddenly you’re into the killer chorus. Your head’s banging, your foot’s tapping, and you’re still only on track one. Oh yeah, this is gonna get Meta-funk’n physical!

On ‘Bring it’ Mother’s Finest display their innate ability to throw damn near everything in the cooking pot and make it taste good….rapping over Moses Mo’s almost eastern trippy guitar lines, Glenn Murdock and Joyce Kennedy lead us into a growling hard rock chorus, and it all fits like a glove.

I involuntarily break into a smile when I hear Wyzzard’s wicked popping bass syncopated with Moses’ sledgehammer chops underpinning Baby Jean’s chorus on ‘I Believe’. These guys make the groove sound effortless…and in reality it is. Because you cannot learn the groove. You got it, or you ain’t. And Mother’s Finest OWN the groove.

The rest of the album is just as eclectic – beautifully performed ballads such as ‘Don’t take your love’, the quirky funk of ‘What happens when we die?’ and the inspired guest-laden take of Hendrix’s  ‘If 6 were 9’.

‘Flat on my back’ drifts lazily into the detuned stomp of ‘The N-Groove’ a 21st century re-boot of their very own back catalogue, reinventing ‘Like a Negro’ and ‘Niggiz cant sang Rock’n’Roll’.

The final two tracks on the album illustrate Mother’s Finest’s joyous schizophrenia perfectly. ‘Set me Free’, a beautifully rendered classic ballad showcasing Joyce Kennedy’s excellent vocal, followed by ‘Hard time’, a soliloquy  that she delivers in spoken word over a slick syncopated groove, dropping in and out of gospel influenced chorus with ease, then punching you in the face with a full-on rock guitar solo. They do that a lot, Mother’s Finest. They Surprise you. Because they can.

Donate to their Kickstarter campaign. I have, because, 10 years on,  I wanna get surprised all over again.

To Donate, Click on the Image below:

Kev Moore

How cool is this? – The Mother’s Finest kickstarter project – 10 days to go!

Mother’s Finest, the legendary funk rock band from Atlanta Georgia, are asking YOU to participate in their bid to fund their first new album in 10 years. Visit their KICKSTARTER page to get involved!

Today, their guitarist Moses Mo released a video, detailing a brand new perk added to the bidding menu – the one-of-a-kind Mother’s Finest ‘shield’ guitar, built by Jordan guitars! Check out Moses’ video below and head over to the KICKSTARTER site to make your pledge.

BE PART OF FUNKIN’ HISTORY!

Kev Moore

WITCH CROSS – AXE TO GRIND RELEASED WORLDWIDE TODAY!

It’s been a long time coming….but the day has finally arrived! “Axe to Grind”, only the second full-length album by WITCH CROSS is on the streets today via Hells Headbangers on CD and a choice of blue or black vinyl LP or digital download.  Click on the links below to order and get your Metal fix!

AXE TO GRIND LP

AXE TO GRIND CD

AXE TO GRIND iTunes

Kev Moore

Bringing a little bit of Ireland home….

Often, on our trips around the globe, I’ll by a few CD’s, and it’s highly likely that these will reflect, either the destination, or the experiences of the trip, and our visit to Dublin was no exception. I got hold of four CD’s that I’ve been after for a while, and it seemed exactly the place to get them. They’re all Irish, but they have another thread of commonality that connects them. I saw them all play live in my hometown of Derby as a teenager.  First up, a brace of albums by the unique HORSLIPS: “The Tain”, and “The Book of Invasions”.

Both drawing heavily on Irish folklore for their subject matter, they paint wonderful images with the widest range of Celtic and rock instrumentation. they were electrifying live, and the standout track for me is ‘Dearg Doom’ from ‘The Tain.” – a brilliant mix of rock guitar, fiddle and flute. I remember leaping about like a loon to this played live at Cleopatra’s club, ably aided by some Marston’s Pedigree bitter.

No Dublin trip would be complete without some THIN LIZZY, and I’d been after the Special edition of ‘Vagabonds of the Western World’ for some time. The casual Lizzy fan, who perhaps only knows them from the beginnings of the four piece line-up on ‘Nightlife’, (On which tour I saw them at Derby College) is missing out on an absolute gem. Eric Bell’s guitar work is simply stunning on here. ‘The Hero and the Madman’ is a tour de force, surprisingly led by a young Kid Jensen ( A DJ , for all you young folks!)narrating the story, and the solo is fabulous. Bell is an original, a sound all of his own, his solo on ‘The Rocker’, proving it’s no fluke. The appearance of a young Gary Moore on a blistering ‘Little Darling’ almost seems like an embarrassment of riches. In this early incarnation, Lynott’s bass playing is funkier, and the bassline to ‘I’m Gonna creep up on you’ is one of his best. This is a great 2 disc set, highly recommended.

Finally, the late great RORY GALLAGHER. I met Rory towards the end of his life at that most ‘muso’ of places – the cafe at Scotch Corner on the A1, a more down-to -earth individual you couldn’t wish to meet. his music was raw, honest and powerful, and the set I saw him play many years before at the Kings Hall in Derby was just awesome. In Dublin, I bought ‘Big Guns – The very best of Rory Gallagher’ . It’s a rip-roaring ride through his career, and whilst its a great listen, it leaves you wanting more, and from my perspective, makes me want to explore his band ‘Taste’ once more.

So next time you get annoyed by the asinine syrup of  Westlife, Boyzone, and all rest of that shite that Louis Walsh has foisted on the world, remember, Ireland was the birthplace of some of the greatest rock music we’ve had the privilege to enjoy.

Kev Moore

Happy Talk

A rather unusual string I seem to have inadvertently added to my bow is that of appearing on a talk circuit.  I’ve recently begun giving a series of impromptu lectures about my career in general, and some parts of it specifically, the latest being the story of my album ‘Blue Odyssey’ – the songs and the journey that inspired it.  I usually perform one of the songs from it acoustically too. It’s quite fun to be able to waffle on to a group of (usually ladies) who are interested in the life of a musician, and who usually know very little about it beforehand. It’s also become a surprising and successful outlet for selling my albums. It’s something I’m looking to do more of in the future, and to that end, I’m collating my diaries from my time in America with a view to eventually producing a companion book. Certainly, in this day and age, diversity is the key to gaining, and keeping, an audience.  Long may it continue! Today, I’ve just returned form giving one such talk to the Tuesday Ladies Club (TLC-geddit?!) on nearby Mojacar Playa, a lovely experience beneath blue skies and sunshine by the sea…nice work if you can get it!

You can order the album online at SHOPKEV

Kev Moore

The Vikings are coming!

Check out the new album teaser trailer for our forthcoming album ‘AXE TO GRIND’.

WITCH CROSS are back !

Kev Moore

www.witchcross.dk

Two weeks…..

In two weeks I’ll be heading to London to meet up with my songwriting partner and Witch Cross guitarist Mike Koch to put down the final vocal tracks for our forthcoming album, scheduled for release in the Spring through Hell’s Headbangers. It’s an exciting time – we have a fabulous legendary name with an enviable metal pedigree doing the mixing for us at the end of January – Little John is finishing up his bass lines in Denmark, and my son Corey has the task of recording some ‘special contributions’ for the album.  We’re really stoked about this project, from the songs and the performances, to the guest artists and the killer artwork for the cover!

Little John gets my attention…..

2013 is all set to be a busy year for Witch Cross, as we aim to play songs old and new across Europe in support of the album – Look out for us on the road!

Kev Moore

Jilambis – Believers in Descendants NOW ON SALE!!

My son’s band, Yamaha competition winners JILAMBIS, have just released their debut album. Entitled “Believers in Descendants” it contains 7 original songs, including their breakthrough track “Well, this isn’t Texas?” which they performed at The Royal Albert hall last November. For those of you outside the Yorkshire area unable to get to a gig, the album is now available through our own shop as a mail order.  Just click here:

MIKISMART

You can also visit the guys here:  JILAMBIS FACEBOOK

And here’s a reprise of that Albert hall appearance:

Blue Odyssey – The Running Order

The lesson here......'Plan Ahead'

The Blue Odyssey project, by its very nature absolves me of the one task most musicians hate – compiling the final album running order.  In the heady world of best-sellers, the running order can make or break an album.  I don’t know if its a good thing or not but, Blue Odyssey’s running order, with the odd exception, has to be set in stone, because it is the story of a trip, and the chronology needs to fit. There is a little leeway – I could have one Nashville track near the end, for instance, as we returned there before flying home, and the three New Orleans songs, whilst having to be at a specific point in the ‘narrative’, don’t need to be in a specific order. I also have a couple of songs “Mississippi Prayer” and “Buttermilk Boogie” that are not location specific.  The main thing is to try and avoid putting songs that are to similar together, avoiding back to back ballads for instance.  But I’m banking on the fact that because the journey is self-explanatory, the running order will just work as the trip unfolds. Here’s hoping!

Anyway, I know there’s only been a small sampler available to hear some of the tracks so far, but I may do a second sampler before release, nevertheless, just for the hell of it, here’s my initial running order, and how it pertains to the area/subject matter along the journey:

Never get to Nashville

Clearly, the opening track, telling the tale of our journey from Almeria via Madrid and New York, missing Dallas completely and the airline chaos that ensued!

Cellarful of Dreams

While the opening track celebrates the Country side of Nashville, this explores the varied singer-songwriter and band scene that exists in places like The Basement.

Blue Me Away

As mentioned in my previous entry, this one is about watching bands on Beale Street in Memphis, the second city on our journey, and introduces the first real blues elements to the album.

Long Black Ribbon

Apart from the Blues Festival in Memphis, the other main event for me there was visiting the Civil Rights museum at the Lorraine Motel on Martin Luther King’s birthday. If anything was ever going to inspire a song, it was standing on that balcony.

Pass the Biscuits

So, we’re heading down into the Delta now, and a wonderful meeting with legendary “Sunshine’ Sonny Payne and my interview on King Biscuit Time in Helena, Arkansas.  I’ll never forget it, and I was honoured when Sonny agreed to provide some voiceovers for my homage to the show.

The Ghost of Bessie Smith

Visiting Clarksdale, the epicentre of the blues, steeped in history, was indescribable. -and getting the opportunity to jam with local musicians onstage at Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero club was just amazing. This song tells the story of legendary singer Bessie Smith who died in Clarksdale at what became the Riverside motel. It ponders on the possibility of her ghost still wandering the streets here, singing the blues. When you stand by the Riverside, it doesn’t seem impossible.

Mr. Johnson

Is it possible to visit the legendary Crossroads and not write a song about Robert Johnson? The story has been told many times, but I wanted to focus on his dalliance with another man’s wife, how it led to his death, and the mystery surrounding his resting place. I’ve used a report of an eyewitness account that claims he really is in fact in Little Zion graveyard, which is where I believe him to be, and where I paid my respects.

A Mississippi Prayer

This song, whilst not about any one place in particular, came to me as we were driving through the Delta, along roads that bordered what were once the old cottonfields. I tried to imagine the people, their suffering, how it made them stronger, and how it created this incredible form of music as an expression of the human condition.

Ol’ New Orleans

This has to be the first of ‘The Big Easy’ trilogy, simply because the opening line describes crossing Pontchartrain and seeing the city skyline reveal itself across the water. One of the most moving moments of my life. This song draws on the zydeco influence of the region, and like the opening track on the album, will also feature my friend Shelley from Atlanta on violin.

Who Dat

How could I not do a song celebrating the glorious and historic Superbowl triumph of NOLA’s very own Saints? We were so lucky to be down there in the French Quarter watching it with the locals when they won it. The city erupted! Great times. This track tries to capture the New Orleans funk flava.

XXX

The final piece in the trilogy, exploring the myth and cult around New Orleans’ celebrated Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau. I visited her tomb, and it’s covered with various scrawlings of ‘xxx’ which is to ask for protection from the spirits, which apparently is quite a risky business. This song features my French partner Miki as the Louisiana Witch!

Buttermilk Boogie

Quite simply, this a homage to that American institution, Waffle House. We just adored their buttermilk waffles with chocolate sprinkles and it took a month of dieting and swimming to lose their effects afterwards! This just a fun boogie that could fit into the trip just about anywhere, as there seemed to be a Waffle House on every corner!

Spaced

This track is pretty much an instrumental. I’m trying to evoke the sense of awe and wonder we felt when we visited The Space Centre, and Mission Control, Houston.  To stand in that very room, from where they safely guided the Eagle onto the Moon as I watched as a small boy back in the UK, was incredible. With the use of speech samples, TV and radio cut ups, I hope I bring across their achievements, and their sacrifices.

Brought it down in Austin

By some terrible coincidence, we were less than a kilometer away when a lone pilot slammed his plane into the local IRS building in Austin, killing himslef and one employee. I thought it so summed up that ‘crazy child locked in the attic that no-one talks about’ side of America, I had to explore it in a song. I hope it has something of  that lil’ol’ band from Texas -ZZTop – feel about it.

What a Night it Was

Another strange happening in Austin. We’d been out for the evening and as we were pulling into the car into the car park of our hotel, a Cop flashed a light in my eyes, ordering me to stop. He quizzed us on who we were, we’re we’d been, and we noticed the entire area, right up to our room was sealed off with Police ‘do not cross’ tape. We discovered there had been a death in the room next door but one to ours, but they were extremely secretive, and we never really got to the bottom of it, so like the best journalists, I made some stuff up!

96 on Sixth

If ever there was a perfect story for a song, this is it! To walk into a bar on Austin’s famous Sixth Street, sit next to a 96 year old living legend – Pinetop Perkins, shake his hand and hear him play. I was so, so lucky. I hope the song has done him justice.

Parrot Beach Cafe

This song was fun to do – especially with the help of Arkansas musicians Gil Franklin and Patrick ‘Jawbone’ Kenyon on slide guitar and blues harp respectively. It is what it is – the story of how we walked into an unknown bar in North Little Rock and stayed all night, immersed in the music, friendship, and good vibes.

Blue Odyssey

The title track, and least completed of them all up to now! Quite a recent addition, (there never was going to be a track called Blue Odyssey) it’s like a recap of all the places seen on the trip, and if I were to point to an influence as to its sound, I would say the theme to the TV show Deadwood – that’s the vibe I was after – we’ll have to see if I capture it!

The Turre Stomp

Written long ago, but never properly released, except as a single digital download, I felt this fitted right in with the mood of the album, and as it is my perception of the town in Southern Spain where I live, it’s the perfect footnote to the project, bringing me full circle. I also like the fact that it’s littered with American imagery – “Well the sun is high and it’s beating down, on a dusty road in this one-horse town…”

So, nineteen songs in all. If the truth be known, we experienced so much on that trip, had so many special moments and discovered so many great musicians along the way, I could dedicate a 10 album boxed set to it! But this will serve well enough, and it’s certain that everything I’ve seen and heard in those magical places will inform my work from now until the echo dies on my last note.

Kev Moore