Black Sabbath - Munich, Germany September 22nd, 1983

 

Black Sabbath
Munich, Germany
September 22nd, 1983

It is a weird time; it is the weirdest of times. Ian Gillan, legendary former lead singer for Deep Purple, fronts English hard rock and metal forefathers Black Sabbath. The smirking and relatively jovial rapscallion agree to the gig after a night of heavy drinking with Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi and the following sessions for the band’s sole studio album Born Again is none too sober. Returning drummer Bill Ward, newly sober, soon decamps again following a relapse. Despite the rock press greeting the new release with a mix of incredulity and derision, Born Again is not a commercial failure.

 

The following tour, spanning two continents, is a truncated success. Strong if not excellent performances distinguish the European leg while the North American shows are marred by increasingly throwaway Gillan performances. Bev Bevan, a fine drummer in different contexts, wears out his welcome as the tour rolls on and illustrates, more and more, is unsuitability for the position. It is no fault of his own. There is an enormous stylistic gulf between Electric Light Orchestra and Sabbath. Moreover, Bevan is not Mr. Right, but Mr. Right Now as Ward’s sudden departure on the eve of the tour forces Iommi and Butler to scramble for a replacement.

 

The recording for the September 22^nd, 1983 show in Munich, Germany features ten tracks, four from the new album. It is an audience recording and the sound is good though some will wish Gillan’s vocals are crisper. The ambient “Stonehenge” instrumental opens the show and the band kicks things off with a muscular “Children of the Grave”. Iommi drops brief flourishes into his guitar playing. Gillan’s approach to phrasing is much different than his predecessors Ozzy and Ronnie James Dio and his take on the track works well. It freshens up a setlist staple without marring a classic.

 

“Hot Line” follows, the first of the four Born Again songs, and rates among the recording’s finest moments. The band excels with the new material despite finding their mark with a number of earlier tracks and Bev Bevan, in particular, sounds much more comfortable with the new songs than the band’s classics. It is the continuation of a new era for the band however. Gone is the swing powering similar efforts in the band’s past and, in its place, the one-time bell bottom clad street kids metamorphized into black leather and straight-ahead power drumming with minimal fills. Iommi plays another fiery solo in the song’s second half.

 

The second track from Born Again, “Disturbing the Priest”, builds up tremendous energy in a short amount of time and realizes its live potential despite Iommi dropping the song’s solo. The success of the track hinges on Sabbath breathing life into its atmospherics and both the instrumentalists and vocalist are on point with their individual and collective performance. “Zero the Hero” opens with Geezer’s ambient instrumental “The Dark”. His effects laden bass sets a dramatic prelude for the track and Iommi’s juggernaut riffing that follows. Gillan misses some of the lyrics but never enough to tear down the performance; his voice is in good shape and he belts out the words like a man in an all-out brawl. Iommi plays a magisterial solo that puts an exclamation point on the performance.

 

We hear a snippet of the extended “Heaven and Hell” jam before the opening bass notes of “Born Again”. It is an album highlight and one of the consistent peaks of the tour’s European leg. It is one of the better marriages of lyric and music excepting the “retards” line later in the track and another cut leaning on the band’s talent for invoking atmosphere. It’s an instrumental showcase in some ways – Bevan’s drumming is freer than elsewhere and Iommi plays a brief yet impassioned solo. The addition of “Supernaut” to the band’s tour set list is inspired. Iommi’s wah-wah laced guitar doesn’t have the same clean punch of the album version, but he rips out the classic riff with the right amount of energy. The recording ends before the band finishes the song.

 

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Doctor” has its merits, resurrecting this moribund classic from Technical Ecstasy shows the band thinking outside the box if nothing else, but recasting it as a metallized golden oldie rock workout sans the original’s piano riffing is a mistake. Gillan gives it his best, but even he can’t save this leaden butchery. Iommi plays the album solo with impressive fidelity; it’s the high point of this performance. “Smoke on the Water” is such a crowd-pleaser, especially with Ian on vocals, it plays in any form. Black Sabbath adding it to the Born Again tour setlist is a case in point. The band plays it as a straight-forward bash and thud slab of hard rock instead of laying it down with the same bounce Ian Paice built into the iconic track. Gillan is as game as ever and Iommi serves up a desultory solo.  It’s a throwaway.

 

The band redeems the last two performances with a rousing finale. “Paranoid” steamrolls listeners and finishes fast. Sabbath segues into “Heaven and Hell” riff to close the show and Gillan offers some affectionate parting words for the audience. The sound quality is listenable during each song and, though there are cuts and omissions, the ten tracks included on this bootleg are representative of one of the better European shows. They have gained considerable confidence as an onstage unit since the tour’s first show in Stockholm. The performance is excellent overall though there are some weak moments arriving at key points during the concert. Iommi and Butler consenting to play “Smoke on the Water” live undercuts their claim they hoped the lineup achieved credibility. Ian Gillan manning the mic stand for Birmingham’s hard rock and metal gods still lingers in memories like a year long hallucination, but it was a weird time; it was the weirdest of times.

Wrestling Review: Central States All-Star Wrestling February 18th, 1984

Central States All-Star Wrestling Feburary 18th, 1984 

The February 18^th episode of All-Star Wrestling opens with its customary graphic and introduction from announcers Ric Stewart and Kevin Wall. My reviews of this year in Central States history has hitherto neglected discussing Stewart’s position in the pantheon of wrestling announcers. He worked for an assortment of promotions during his brief career and he even called the Atlanta portion of Jim Crockett’s Starrcade 1986 event. His measured delivery resists hyperbole and communicates urgency without going overboard. He lacks Solie’s signature anatomical references but nonetheless rates as one of his best pupils in the way he approaches the matches as genuine athletic contests.

The rundown for the episode promises this is a loaded show by Central States standards. Stewart and Wall preview appearances from Wahoo McDaniel, Junkyard Dog, and “Pro Wrestling Illustrated Tag Team of the Year” The Road Warriors. It is always a little interesting to note what promotions would often reference the Apter mags and the ones who did not. Central States and World Class, for instance, made unabashed use of ties to magazines such as PWI whereas such mentions on Crockett television were rare.

Our first match is between Tiger Mask (Memphis/Alabama stalwart Ken Wayne under a hood) against longtime Central States heel “Nature Boy” Roger Kirby. The match is solid though thoroughly predictable. It opens with Tiger Mask dominating the action and baffling Kirby with his speed. Kirby takes control with a sleeper hold after some mat wrestling and the match moves into the heel leading the action. The finish is poor as referee Sonny Myers disqualifies Kirby when Tiger Mask catches his head in the ring ropes following a backdrop and refuses to allow Mask a chance to get out. Myers pushes Kirby away from his attempts to reveal Mask’s identity.

The Road Warriors appearance ends up being a clip from Georgia Championship Wrestling pitting the nascent Legion of Doom squaring off with Wahoo McDaniel and “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer. There is no commentary accompanying this footage and audience enthusiasm for the match is off the charts. It is a hard-hitting, natch, yet uninspiring match notable for, if nothing else, the green heel Warriors selling much more than you might expect, Hawk in particular. McDaniel and Sawyer may seem like an incongruous pairing but work well together. The bout breaks down into an all-out brawl and the referee calls for the bell after Wahoo strikes him. Animal and Hawk win by disqualification and the latter flips off his opponents while walking away from the ring.

We get the introduction to a promo package on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, not the classic Morton/Gibson pairing, but a short-lived iteration featuring the talents of Morton and wily veteran Ken Lucas. The tape cuts here though and, instead, we’re seeing and hearing introductions for a match between Scott Ferris and “Bulldog” Bob Brown. Another Midwestern mainstay who hung on FAR past his prime, the territory’s dearth of talent during this period and beyond and his close relationship with owner Bob Geigel handed Brown a top spot.

Brown works as face here. Ferris does some perfunctory posing despite an average body for the era, but his heel talents are limited. Limited is a good word for Ferris’ overall skillset. Brown and Ferris confine their efforts to mat work with intermittent exchanges. It is clear this is Brown’s match and a Greco-Roman thumb to the eye turns the tide and Brown caps off a brief offensive flurry with a leg drop for the pin.

An interview with The Grapplers and “Crazy” Luke Graham follows a brief spot advertising the upcoming Kiel card. They didn’t have a lot of competition during their Central States run, but Len Denton and Tony Anthony nonetheless made a mark on the territory with strong interviews and matches alike. Denton unleashes his ire on the makeshift tandem of “Avalanche” Buzz Tyler and Ron Ritchie. Graham wraps up the interview spot with promo for his upcoming match with Dusty Wolfe.

Stewart does a promo with Harley Race next. He’s pushing his upcoming Indian strap match with Wahoo McDaniel. Race is in good form here, his body language is good, and he does his usual top notch job of depicting the scheduled bout as a life and death struggle rather than just another match. We return to Stewart and Wall seated ringside. They introduce the episode’s Junkyard Dog appearance, another clip from a different territory. Jim Ross introduces Dog’s foe first, a young and impressive looking Haku wrestling under the name Tonga.

The differences between Mid-South and Central States television production are, of course, stark. The Mid-South ring is well, unlike its Central States counterpart shrouded in semi-darkness. The colors are brighter and the camera work captures the action much better. The match offers viewers a glimpse of Dog near his peak of popularity in the territory and the small television crowd is vocal throughout the bout. Tonga lands his customary offense, he established that early in his career, and it is heartening to see an established star of his magnitude give so much to a near rookie. Dog takes the upper hand and lands his powerslam finisher for the pin.

Buck Robley’s tenure booking Central States demanded he involve himself in angles and our next match has the good Colonel squaring off against Grappler #1 Len Denton. Robley doesn’t look like much, he never did, but there’s no question he can legitimately go in the ring. He sells Denton’s offense well and his own offense is basic but convincing. It is back and forth affair with Robley making a number of vain attempts to remove Denton’s “loaded boot”. The key turning point in the match arrives when Robley locks in a sleeper on Denton. He breaks the sleeper by launching Robley into the ropes then scales the turnbuckle. Robley moves when Denton takes off, but the latter lands on his feet and misses a handful of attempts to stomp the Colonel as he rolls away. Grappler #2 is arguing with the referee when Ron Ritchie hits the ring and the match ends as a double disqualification when the two teams brawl. They continue fighting post-match until Robley goes berserk and tosses steel folding chairs into the ring. The Grapplers flee.

“Bulldog” Bob Brown delivers one of the most self-aggrandizing babyface promos of the era bragging about his popularity in St. Louis and his irrepressible desire to win. Our television main event is Central States champion Tully Blanchard wrestling “Avalanche” Buzz Tyler in a non-title Texas Death match. The non-title stipulation clues you into the finish. Tyler scores an early pin and we have our first thirty second rest period. It’s impressive to see the crowd so hot for this match and Tyler in particular. Another quick pin fall for Tyler. Ric Stewart works in a reference to “Iron” Mike DiBiase and Dory Funk Sr. just before the tape cuts out.

The promotion isn’t flourishing as we near the end of the year’s second month but there is a pulse, however faint. There are running no major angles, Robley didn’t have the roster for that, and his finish for The Grapplers match is simple but effective for its purposes. This episode positions Robley/Ritchie’s feud with The Grapplers as the territory’s main program of the moment and it’s all he could do; there’s nothing else on this episode remotely capable of drawing money. There are no episodes for 2/25 and 3/3 available at the moment, so our next review will be for the March 10^th episode.

Wishbone Ash - Coat of Arms (2020)

 

Six years after the band’s last studio release, 2014’s Blue Horizon, Wishbone Ash’s 2020 album Coat of Arms boasts the band’s first lineup change since 2007’s Power of Eternity. Longtime guitarist Muddy Manninen left for a solo career. Wishbone Ash’s Andy Powell, despite the interval, is no stranger to change. The band drafted Mark Abrahams as Manninen’s replacement and early returns, based on the band’s live gigs pre-COVID and this new release, reveal the band has scarcely lost a step.

Other changes are evident in the songwriting. Lyricist Ian Harris, a significant contributor to an assortment of Wishbone Ash albums, is absent for the first time in years. Despite the loss, Wishbone Ash remains an articulate and intelligent band who tackle their work with the same inspired engagement defining their “classic” material. There’s no question the band isn’t afraid of embracing recognized songwriting styles, but they do so with an individual voice honed by experience, talent, and personal conviction.

“We Stand as One” has a mixed effect as an album opener. Many listeners will wish the band came out of their corner setting a faster pace but quibbling with the song’s unifying sentiments is impossible and the song makes it case in language all their own. The song’s succinct central guitar melody carries the day and Powell glides through its vocal melody with relaxed confidence. It takes an unexpected musical turn during the song’s second half and the band stretches out with rewarding results.

The mix of the band’s classic twin guitar attack, traditional flavor, and progressive sensibilities are obvious during the album’s title track. Its lyrics adopt a grim view of the modern world many listeners will peg as reflective of these times when we wonder if the center will hold and Powell’s voice, still strong and expressive after many years, fills the lines with a vital spark. “Empty Man” is one of the album’s brightest lights. The steady engine room playing of bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Joe Crabtree gives the cut a fluid and flexible foundation, but the lead work during the track’s final half steals the show. The lyrics are pointed and spare its subject nothing.

“Floreana” is a beautiful gem in the tradition of Wishbone Ash ballads such as “Persephone” but never any sort of imitation. It has a sturdy narrative thread running through its lyrics and Powell’s singing draws out the possibilities present in every line. Once again, however, the chief strength this song builds on is the exceptional guitar playing laced throughout the track. Powell and Abrahams are a formidable pairing throughout the entire release and this is one of their high points. The fifth track “Drive” runs on a mid-tempo rock groove but there’s some stinging lead guitar coloring the mix and giving the song added bite.

“It’s Only You I See” is another high point on Coat of Arms. It is impossible, whatever you think of the comparison between the band’s present and past, to deny Powell and company reach a musical peak with this performance. It is more than an on-point composition and performance, however, as Powell serves up one of his best vocals yet. Powell and Abrahams’ guitar playing during this track is yet another highlight. “Too Cool for AC” has one of the raunchiest Wishbone Ash guitar riffs in recent memory and the band attacks the nasty edge with audible relish.

“Back in the Day” has commercial potential, for sure, and the band rocks out with convincing abandon. It’s a shrewd move underlining the muscular electric guitar with supporting acoustic rhythm playing, it fattens the overall sound, and the straight-ahead energy of the riffing doesn’t stick around long enough to wear out its welcome. Powell and his cohorts continue exploring a meditative vein with the track “Déjà-Vu” and embrace a more ethereal mood than any other song included on Coat of Arms. The light production effects applied to the presentation deepen its atmospheric allure rather than cheapening it. It’s the shortest track on the album, but few listeners will feel cheated.

Coat of Arms’ penultimate cut “When the Love is Shared” grabs your attention thanks to the steady climb it takes from the beginning. The four-piece builds dramatic peaks in the song’s second half many will mention among the album’s best moments and Powell nails a rousing vocal. There is a smattering of well-placed harmonies throughout the collection and their presence in this track is tasteful and effective.

“Personal Halloween” ends Coat of Arms in perhaps improbable fashion for some but Wishbone Ash has always packed the occasional surprise. The blues influences stamped deep into this track are a comfortable overall fit for the band and the inclusion of brass is a crucial curveball this late on the release. Let’s hope we don’t wait so long for the next album. Wishbone Ash’s latest studio release
continues a string of artistic successes stretching back into the late 20^th century and their creative energies show no sign of flagging. It’s more than a rock album, to be sure, but rates among 2020’s best rock releases.  

Muddy Manninen - River Flows (2020)

Muddy Mannien

Bold experimentation isn’t necessary for music. It has its place, naturally, but the timeless value of communicating yourself through melody, vocals, words, and rhythm can never be displaced as music’s principal vehicle for reaching the masses. High-flown efforts in a musical vein often succeed at the expense of making a deeper connection with listeners. There’s no danger of that with Muddy Manninen’s new solo album River Flows. The former Wishbone Ash guitarist capitalizes on the promise listeners heard with his debut solo release Long Player with a ten-song collection affirming the strengths of the latter and building on its achievements.

There are several guests appearing throughout the release. Manninen’s five-star instrumental skills do not readily translate into the sort of vocal presentation he wants for these tracks so Manninen chooses a familiar route for many talented guitarists and works with an assortment of singers. The opener “Make Believe” benefits from compelling synergy between Melanie Denard’s lead vocal and the musical arrangement. Her voice is equal parts grit and soul and she delivers Manninen’s lyrics as if she penned them herself. Free and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke contributes a muscular and canny performance behind the kit.

Manninen lets it rips with swampy lap steel on “Hey You” and its bluesy stomp never wavers. Tom Gilkes plays drums on this cut instead of Kirke, but the quality never dips and he puts down a deep groove the musicians ride from beginning to end. Kev Moore’s singing is closer to a growl but make no mistake his pipes are strong. Manninen and Gregory Wilson-Cobb supply effective backing vocals giving the chorus more oomph. Longtime Wishbone Ash lyricist Ian Harris makes the first of his four contributions to the release and his writing is every bit as punchy as the track’s beat.

Moore returns on the album’s third cut. “Daytona Beach” and shares songwriting credits with Manninen. He changes his vocal approach some and gives listeners a much more straight-forward performance than the preceding number, but the musical highlight of the track is Manninen’s near-threatening wah-wah licks laced through the arrangement. Including the violin is an unexpected move but serves the song well.

Muddy and Chris Melhuish share vocals on the fifth track “Take These Blues Away from Me”. Harris’ lyrics ransack familiar imagery but phrases them in such a way they possess a much more individual ring than you might expect. It’s one of the album’s longer songs and affords Manninen an opportunity to craft extended and thoughtful solos shorter tracks cannot contain. Bassist Gregg Sutton has played for an array of five-star talents ranging from Bob Dylan through blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, among others. His vocal and songwriting contribution to River Flows, “Last One to Know”, reaches the same high standard as its predecessor. Sutton’s idiosyncratic vocal helps set the track apart and Gregory Wilson-Cob’s background vocals help make another hot chorus burn even brighter.

One of the album’s two instrumentals, “The Wedge” never overstays its welcome. It is, as well, nimble and holds your attention with minimal effort. Much of this is, of course, thanks to Manninen’s playful and ever-inventive guitar lines pair up with Tomi Malm’s synthesizers and keyboard work with significant results; it expands the song’s color and scope. The heart of the album for many, however, will come with the closing duo of “The River” and “River Flows”. The first of these two tracks are an outright folk song. Melanie Denard returns to deliver a stunning vocal; she transforms Ian Harris’ lyrics into performed poetry. Manninen returns to the lap steel as well and, though its presence isn’t as pronounced as what we heard during the earlier “Hey You”, it brings a welcome added dimension to the performance.

He closes the release with its title song. This meditative five-minute plus long instrumental has an introspective spirit and a stately pace. Manninen never rushes its development and the nuance in his playing is outstanding. It’s an impassioned final curtain for a release never intent on remaking the musical wheel but committed to making you feel.