I understand, making your fans “work” to listen to music is fine. I guess you could call it art. But RH artistic decision to follow this course has lead them to relative obscurity, which is unfortunate because they still have the talent to have both artistic and commercial success. Few avante garde records such as Kid A have sold such numbers, and I’m sure Thom and the boys were laughing all the way to the bank, however it led them into a musical deadend. “In Rainbows” was a nice record, much easier listening than HTTT, but what the heck happened to the band that could rock out? Like everyone else, I’m eagerly anticipating they’re next cd…if there will be one?

So we all suspect King Buzzo and Dale would rather live in their apartments collecting royalty checks and smoking dope, than be mega famous rock stars. They could have turned the “commercial” rock world upon its head, but left that to Nirvana, while they strive to remain in obscurity, always subverting their success by submarining their albums with crazing ambient experimental compositions which left fans wondering “what the #$&@*?” Okay, so after 20 years of recording and too many cds to name, we can now pull those awesome tracks the Melvins tantalized us with, but refused to deliver in mass. Example?…”Revolve” for STONER WITCH. It’s a crazy album, but this tune rocks harder than anything Metallica or Nirvana ever did. In fact, Hetfield and Cobain could only dream of singing and playing guitar as well as Buzzo could…when he wanted to. It’s time for the Melvins to prove they produced the greatest metal, albiet spread throughout many albums, ever recorded in the history of rock. Eventhough they’ve shunned the spotlight, lets put together a compilation that will get recognition for what they were…the greatest band of the 90’s.

Houdini, (A) Senile Animal and Ozma, all good. I’d also include Bullhead..very solid album, except for the drum solo at the end. Check out track #4 “It Shoved”. Classic Buzzo snarling/growling vocal, killer riff and clocking in at a whopping 2:30 minutes.

Let’s refocus for a second to what Punk Rock tried to do in the mid 70’s…essentially blowup the elitist AOR rock culture which began with Sgt. Pepper. As concept albums became more ambitious and complex, groups became more pompous and out of touch with audiences. Groups were using orchestras, over-dubs, session players, making their music very inaccessible to the up and coming garage bands. So along comes punk, erasing the Classic Rock era, and rewinding music to the late 50’s…and era when rock was basic, artists didn’t have to record 10 songs for and album and when the vast majority of people bought single 45’s, not long playing 33 and a thirds. It was no coincidence that “God Save the Queen”, “Pretty Vacant”, “Anarchy in the UK”, could only be purchased as 45’s upon their initial release. Not only did these singles absolutely rock harder than anything since “Live at Leeds”, they were also the Pistols attempt to subvert the music industry which pushed “singles” to sell more expensive and more profitable albums. Later the singles were compiled for “Never Mind the Bullocks”, and as a result, it sounds like a bunch of singles, not a perfectly selected sequence of tunes, which on the other hand, is exactly the way “Rocket to Russia” plays, making the Ramones much more similar to Classic Rock than the Pistols. This was a profound difference between the two bands…one was a singles bands, the other AOR and AOR ladies and gentlemen, is not punk.

Punk was more than just recording retro-records. The Pistols were fresh because they emphasized 45s and songs with biting social criticism. If an early 60’s sound were the sole benchmark for punk, then I’d put the NY Dolls ahead of the Ramones because they recorded “Too Much, Too Soon”, back in 1974, with legendary 60’s producer, Shadow Morton.

Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bullocks, The Ramones – Rocket to Russia

Mick Taylor Vs. George Harrison

Taylor would have slaughtered Harrison and would have held his own against Clapton.  If you don’t think Harrison was mediocre at best, consider these two things.

1.) The documentary “Let it Be” documents the trouble Paul had getting Harrison to play the guitar parts for his songs. He complained that every time he tried suggest how the part was to be played, Harrison would give him the attitude, “I’m George Harrison…you can’t tell me how to play!”, and would end up doing it his way.

2.) Between the recording of Let it Be and Abbey Road, Lennon began forming the Plastic Ono band featuring Clapton himself. If Harrison was so great, why would Lennon even consider forming a Supergroup with Clapton, while still a Beatle? Lennon also included Alan White, a real rock drumer. At this point, I won’t even get into Ringo/Watts comparasons.

The art in rock music is that it totally subverts what’s accepted as normal popular music. Do I really have to explain that? By nature, it’s politically incorrect, and challenges the pop culture of what’s accepted. For instance, “Brown Sugar” was ballsy then, and it’s still ballsy today. In fact, no radio station will play it. On the other hand, “Elenear Rigby” can be heard in super-markets and dentist offices because it’s soothing and harmless.

Regardless of motivation, the sound quality is a vast improvement. Much thicker bottom end, Randy’s guitar work sounds a lot more aggressive, and of course Ozzy’s voice is more full sounding. Overall, an updated more metal in your face mix.  Admittedly, the mix of Rhodes’ guitar solo during tonight is a little muddy in the 02′ version.

1970 Stooges FUN HOUSE, had the most direct influence on artists such as Nebula, Fu Manchu, Monster Magnet, as well as Kyuss. The raw dirty unpolished low-fi sound was a hallmark characteristic of many of their early recordings. This is in stark contrast to the 60’s garage bands like the 13 Floor Elevators, The Seeds, The Shadows of Night, Nazz  and IMO all seem too polished and singles oriented, which is the complete opposite of most 90’s stoner bands.

On the other end of the Stoner spectrum, you have bands influenced by Black Sabbath, specifically their “Masters of Reality” release which featured huge, heavy and doom laiden riffs that were as catchy as they were pulverizing.  Also the fact that the album features the song “Sweet Leaf” helped make it an influential darling amongst the stoner set.   Here’s a lits of some quality Stoner tunes.  Another influential and important proto-stoner band was a Welsh band named Budgie, which also featured a dirty low-end sound, catchy riffs and low-fi records.

Spirit Caravan – Fang
High On Fire – Master of Fist
Orange Goblin – Black Egg
Kyuss – One Inch Man
Fu Manchu – Anodizer
Monster Magnet – Negasonic Teenage Warhead
Trouble – Hello Strawberry Skies

Influential Proto-Stoner Songs
Budgie – Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman

Black Sabbath – Sweet Leaf

The Stooges – I Need Someone

Harrison was never considered a great soloist and consequently Beatle tunes are not remembered for their guitar work. Yes other bands had two guitarists, but it was the Stones who first featured a blues soloist and rhythm guitarists and structured their songs around them. When Taylor joined up, it was like the Stones getting Eric Clapton…their state of the art fret master. In fact it was the Stones who influenced the Beatles in this department when George and John started to jam Stones-like on the last song of Abbey Road, which was part of Lennon’s scheme to try to bring the Beatles into the “purer” harder rock territory of the Stones.

The Beatles string of albums are very respected, but compare the themes explored within them. On the one hand you got “Fixing a Hole”, “Ticket to Ride”, “Penny Lane”, “She’s Leaving Home”, basically a bunch of sappy, banal, personal stuff, and on the other hand you got “Sympathy for the Devil”, “Street Fighting Man”, “Bitch” and “Brown Sugar”, tough songs digging into the dark side of the human psyche which ushered in the dark era of rock n roll. The Stones were the first princes of Darkness and as you mentioned also paved the way for Sabbath, Zepplin and Deep Purple. The Stones and their “dark aura” dominated the 60’s and 70’s as well as still being influential today. I think it’s obvious that in the mythical battle between good vs evil, between light and dark, between the Beatles and the Stones…the Stones have won.

But, if I was forced to boil it down to one thing, the Beatles don’t have a song as good as “Satisfaction”.

As far toppling a government, Maggie Trudeau, the first lady of Canada decided to ditch your husbands re-election campaign so she could get banged by Woodie.