What's The Guru Listening To? - July Edition

Welcome to the July Edition of What’s the Guru Listening To? I get asked this question a lot. What am I currently enjoying and what would I recommend? And since time is severely limited these days, it gets harder and harder to post a full review of the outstanding music that I am discovering (or re-discovering). Therefore, every month I will fill you in on the latest song, album, and/or band that I am obsessed with.  

Here’s what The Guru is listening to this month:

The Lumineers

After seeing this band open for U2, I transitioned from a casual fan to a hardcore fan. The band was amazing in concert and seeing their opening set left me with a desire to see their full headlining show. I’ve been listening to their two albums and anything else that I can get my ears on by this great band. Their music is calming, enjoyable, and deep. I love their sound and style and expect that as the rest of this year moves forward I am going to become an even bigger fan. And hopefully I will see them in concert as headliners.

Peter Wolf – Come as You Are

Admittedly, I revisited this disc for an upcoming post I am working on. Having said that, I honestly forgot how magnificent Peter Wolf’s second solo album was. Almost every song on this record could be a huge hit. As it is, almost every song on this record is worth listening to again and again and again. “Can’t Get Started,” “Love on Ice,” “Blue Avenue,” “Flame of Love,” the list of terrific songs goes on and on. Come as You Are is a pure 80s record. Baked in the sounds, styles, and themes of the 80s, this record just brings me back to yesteryear like it was yesterday. I’ve been having a lot of fun revisiting this album and I plan to continue listening to this record more even after the post is written.

Extreme

My love for hair metal music extends all the way back to my junior high school days. Listening to bands like Quiet Riot and Ratt set the stage for the influx of hair metal that I would enjoy in high school. One of my favorite bands from that time was Extreme. Earlier this month I decided to listen to Pornagraffiti for the first time in a long time. That led me down the path of listening to all of Extreme’s albums, which I have spent a bulk of my July doing. Reminiscing on their debut album as well as their later work has been a fun filled trip down memory lane. I’ve also forgotten how talented and amazing lead guitarist Nuno Bettencourt is. This July I’ve been reminded of that and now I want to see this band live again! 

The Strumbellas – We Still Move on Dance Floors

Having conquered their latest album, Hope, my desire to hear more of The Strumbellas led me to one of their earlier albums, We Still Move on Dance Floors. This was the second record that the band released and it is every bit amazing as their latest album. Songs like “The Long Road,” and “Did I Die?” get stuck in my head and I find myself singing them internally for hours on end. Just the mere mention of one of the songs from this album makes me want to listen to it yet again. If you are new to The Strumbellas, I still recommend that you check out Hope first, but if you’ve played that album out, then it is time to move on to We Still Move on Dance Floors.

Comments are open. Feel free to post some.

Monsters Of Rock Cruise Approaching Fourth Sellout

Miami, FL – THE MONSTERS OF ROCK CRUISE, the world’s largest and longest running Heavy Metal and Hard Rock cruise, has only 34-cabins available before selling out its fourth consecutive year. Tickets for the remaining 34-cabins aboard this musical playground will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, starting at $1,099 per person (double occupancy) and are available at MonstersOfRockCruise.com. 

Sailing the Bahamas this April 18-22 aboard the MSC Divina, the four-day-and-night cruise celebrating the original legendary Castle Donington music festival held in England in 1980, will showcase Heavy Metal and Hard Rock music icons (including artists on the original festival bill)--such as Tesla, Europe, Night Ranger, Tom Keifer of Cinderella, Extreme, KIX, Queensryche, Krokus, Stryper, Lita Ford, Black Star Riders, Y&T, plus many more (full lineup below)--and feature a full schedule of events and activities designed to encourage interaction between artists and fans.

This year’s cruise itinerary is kicked off by a two-night pre-party event at Miami’s Magic City Casino on April 15, featuring performances by Queensryche and Lillian Axe, and April 17, featuring performances by Stryper, Tyketto, Gabbie Rae and a special surprise guest artist. The fun continues the moment fans board the ship, meeting new friends poolside during the kickoff Sailaway Concert featuring cruise alumni, Tesla. This will set the tone for the next four days of events, including: Artist Meet & Greets, all-day stops at the private Monster Beach at Poseidon’s Grotto and the cosmopolitan resort mecca of Nassau, Bahamas, the Hot Tub Time Machine 80s Prom, “So You Think You Can Shred” fan competition, Fantasy Night Masquerade, “Rock Anthems Fan Jam” hosted by Izzy Presley, Cooking With Rock Stars, plus more events to be announced.

The official line-up for the 2015 MONSTERS OF ROCK CRUISE is as follows: Tesla; Europe; Night Ranger; Tom Keifer of Cinderella; Extreme; KIX; Queensryche; Krokus; The Winery Dogs; Stryper; Lita Ford; Black Star Riders; Y&T; Zebra; Black ’N Blue; Faster Pussycat; Honeymoon Suite; Tyketto; Keel; John Corabi; Kip Winger; Michael Sweet; Richie Kotzen; Mike Tramp; Joel Hoekstra; Derek St. Holmes; Ron Keel; Leatherwolf; Babylon AD; Bang Tango; Heavens Edge; Frank Hannon Band; Lillian Axe; Rhino Bucket; Pamela Moore; Gabbie Rae; Atomic Punks; and AJ’s Bravehearts.

In addition, Eddie Trunk, host of VH1’s “That Metal Show” and “The Trunk Nation” on Sirius XM, is returning this year as Master of Ceremony. Eddie will be assisted by an all-star lineup of personalities including Luc Carl from XM’s “Hair Nation,” Nikki Blakk from 107.7 FM’s “The Bone,” Keith Roth, host on Sirius XM’s “Hair Nation”/”Boneyard,” Don Jamieson, comedian, co-host of VH1's “That Metal Show;” Craig Gass, comedian/actor from Howard Stern’s channel on Sirius XM and DJ Will, music supervisor of VH1’s “That Metal Show,” In addition, this year’s cruise will feature a “Monster” version of the world famous Cathouse nightclub, complete with original proprietors Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat and Riki Rachtman of MTV’s “Headbangers Ball.”

Says Larry Morand of ON THE BLUE, “The Monsters of Rock Cruise has always been about fan and artist interaction and we have more bands and events this year than ever before.  Fans don’t just watch the artists perform, they make music with the artists. If you’re looking for all things Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, this is the cruise for you.”

Visit monstersofrockcruise.com or connect on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know about upcoming announcements.

Review: Extreme - Pornograffitti Remastered

Ever since I first heard the piano notes and a woman’s voice crying out “Francis…!” I have been in love with Extreme’s second album. I owned the original on cassette before upgrading to CD years later. And now, the band has released a remastered, double disc, 25^th Anniversary edition of the album, which sounds even better than ever.

Extreme is an amazing band that I have always believed never got the proper amount of attention and respect they deserved. And while their debut album was a solid, hard rock effort, it was their second release, Pornograffitti that showed the band and their fans the true sound of Extreme. Rock, Pop, Jazz, and Funk all blended into one amazing wall of music was the pronounced sound of Extreme. That was never showcased more than on Pornograffitti.

The remastered album brings back many memories with much more clarity. Almost every song on the record is a hit; the exception being “When I First Kissed You,” which is a song that I just never liked. I always felt that it was too swoony, that the band was trying too hard to be Frank Sinatra, or some jazz club act. And perhaps that was their intent for this one song, but it never sat well with me. Every other song on the record is fantastic! And while the remastered album memorized from my youth sounds truly outstanding, it is the bonus disc that makes this collection worth owning.

Along with the entire Pornografitti album, there is a second disc of deliciousness. B-sides “Nice Place To Visit” and “Sex N Love” are included in the package. Also on disc are two remix versions of “Get The Funk Out”, radio edits of “Money (In God We Trust) and “Decadence Dance,” and several versions of the bands biggest hit “More Than Words.” Four different versions of “More Than Words” are also contained, including an A Cappella version and a radio edit.

Overall, owning Extreme II: Pornograffitti is a no-brainer. The album still holds up 25 years later and sounds much better than any Nick Jonas, Taylor Swift, One Direction garbage that Ryan Seacrest shoved down our throats on New Year’s Eve. Extreme’s second album is funk rock at its finest. Even if you already own the record, do yourself a favor and get this double disc anniversary edition. It’s a huge upgrade for a small amount of dough.  

Track Listing

DISC ONE:

Decadence Dance

Lil Jack Horny

When I’m President

Get The Funk Out

More Than Words

Money (In God We Trust)

It’s (a Monster)

Pornograffitti

When I First Kissed You

Suzi (Wants Her All Day What)

He-Man Woman Hater

Song For Love

Hole Hearted

DISC TWO:

More Than Words Remix

Nice Place To Visit (Single B-side)

More Than Words – Radio Edit

Decadence Dance – Edit

Money (In God We Trust ) – Edit

More Than Words – A Capella

Get The Funk Out – What The Funk Mix

More Than Words – Non Percussion Version

Get The Funk Out – 12 Inch Remix

Sex N Love (Single B-side)

Extreme II: Pornograffitti Gets 25th Anniversary Treatment

Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale) first came out on A&M Records in August 1990, the follow-up to the band’s 1989 debut. The album is considered, according to the newly penned liner notes by Metal Hammer’s Malcolm Dome contained in the accompanying booklet, as the “definitive album” of the band’s career.

“This was the album where we found ourselves,” says vocalist Gary Cherone. “Our first album showed us to be the bastard sons of Queen, Aerosmith and Van Halen. But on the second record, we discovered our style and sound.”

The deluxe edition reissue includes a full second album of rare mixes and B-sides re-mastered from the original tapes, and is scheduled for release on January 20, 2015. The original album, which went double platinum in the U.S. with more than two million sold, cracking the Billboard 200 Top 10, featured the chart-topping single “More Than Words,” the Top 5 “Hole Hearted” and the rock radio standout “Get the Funk Out,” which included vocals by Pat Travers. Dweezil Zappa, (whose solo album guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was about to produce) added some guitar riffs to “He-Man Woman Hater” when the band recorded some of the album at Scream Studios in Studio City, CA.

Bettencourt was instrumental in initially composing the original songs, leaving Cherone alone to write the lyrics, which Cherone describes as “a coming of age tale… about an innocent boy who is growing up and exposed to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.”

Bettencourt himself doesn’t see the disc as “a concept album,” but admits in the liner notes, “I suppose what happened was a little like writing a play, and then trying to make sure the songs fit into the plot.”

Among the collectibles on the second disc of the package are a B-side a cappella version of “More Than Words,” rare B-sides “Nice Place to Visit” and “Sex N’ Love” and 7” and 12” remixes of “Get The Funk Out.”

The album has come to define the band’s career.

“I still constantly have musicians say to me that the album meant so much to them, and that proves what an impact it had. Its success established us as a major band,” recalls “decadent drummer” Paul Geary.

“We came into our own on this album,” admits bassist/vocalist Pat Badger. “We honed in on our hard rock sound. The songs were riff-driven yet also had a little funk groove. But we were still diverse, which has always been one of our trademarks.”

“It seems like another lifetime to me,” says Bettencourt, “I listen to it, and I can criticize some things. But I am still proud of it. And so many fans do still say it’s their favorite album.”

Extreme will support the release of the reissued Extreme II: Pornograffitti (A Funked Up Fairy Tale) on their ‘Pornograffitti Live – 25^th Anniversary Tour, with a series of concerts in the new year where they will play the entire album front to back, including the following January dates:

January 16: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

January 17: State Theater, Portland, ME

January 18: The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY

January 20: Bergen P.A.C, Englewood, NJ

January 21: House of Blues, Boston, MA

January 22: Penn’s Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA

January 24: The Space at Westbury, Westbury, NY

January 25: Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, MD

January 27: Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH

January 28: House of Blues, Chicago, IL

January 29: Mill City Nights, Minneapolis, MN

January 31: FireKeepers Casino, Battle Creek, MI

For more information, go to www.extreme-band.com/site/

I got to see Extreme last summer at M3 and they were on fire! Definitely check this show out if they are coming near your hometown. Extreme rocks!