MAVERICK SOLITUDE.
Posted on June 11, 2012 1 Comment
It’s scenes like this that continue to rock my senses to this day. Note: if the sun is rising or setting wherever you are in the world right now, you’re in for a treat. If not, don’t fret, because this scene is about to take you there.
The heart-wrenching loss of co-pilot Goose was one of the biggest blows to mankind. But if you can somehow find the strength to pull yourself away from the grieving process for a moment, you’ll find solitude in this stunning clip. Here, Maverick is visiting Viper at his home on a late Sunday afternoon, coincidently the same time this post is being written. The loss of Goose is still very fresh in the air and the emotion is felt immensely in this scene. This is where my new-found appreciation for Top Gun stems from. The movie paints a picturesque vision of California that is unmatched in any other film. Add a chunk of swooping synths and ripping guitars to the score and you’ve found the key to TNUC’s heart. I’m on my 95th play of this scene and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
With a popular and stellar soundtrack from start to finish, the Harold Faltermeyer track in this scene is missing. They’ve yet to release a full score or anything of greater quality than the following file. This was taken from a bootleg score of the movie. If you’d like to see Harold pull everything from his mighty vault and release something remastered that you can blast on your home audio system as you watch the tide come in from your porch, send Screen Archives a message demanding they do just that. In the mean time, here’s a free stream + download to get you through the next sunrise/sunset.
CRUDE DUDE RECORD REVIEW #2.
Posted on June 1, 2012 3 Comments
||| If you’re new to this, the following is part of an on-going series we’re featuring here that you’ll first be required to read about in an official “manifesto” at this location |||
– Stephen Pearcy, RATT
Before getting into the real stuffed-crust pizza of this forgotten record, let’s clear the air regarding the album artwork. One thing that didn’t help these bands during the tail-end of the scene was some of the poor, weakened artwork that accompanied many of these records. The unappealing, dull-colored imagery could be good for other genres, but not for the Crude Dudes of the business. Compare for a moment Ratt’s debut, 1984’s Out of the Cellar. The album artwork features a seductive girl (Tawny Kitaen) climbing out of a lit-up, foggy cellar. Jump six years later to 1990. You’re at the record store browsing around and in front of you is the artwork for Detonator — a dull, barely legible, crappy drawing of a bombed out building. Is that supposed to jump off the shelves and into your face? With the stripped down looks and stylings that were diseasing modern man, these bands bought into the trends and subdued their image. But at least in Ratt’s situation, the album made up for this. To quote Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer, “the Detonator album was poised to be our Dr. Feelgood.”
The album begins with a bluesy, down-on-one-knee-guitar intro track courtesy of Warren DiMartini. This one could be humming in the background as your woman clenches on to you while you both stand out on your penthouse balcony in the balmy night summer air. You’re in that brand new red + purple satin blazer you bought on Melrose just that afternoon. The sleeves are pushed up, shoulders are padded and you’re feeling like a king. That feeling carries over and soon explodes into first single “Shame, Shame, Shame”. The bigger and bolder production is immediately heard and grabs you by the balls. In the first couple of minutes the band clearly has become louder and more polished than ever before. “Shame”is a pissed off war-cry to an apparent babe or two that has been unfaithful to lead rodent/vocalist Stephen Pearcy.
…Here’s Pearcy with possibly one of the alleged psycho-hose-beasts that sparked the lyrics to “Shame”.
Play the video above for further evidence that the Ratt clan were going for an all-things-HUGE vibe on this record. The production value compared to previous records is immediately recognizable. This is largely due from the assistance and, shall I say, disciplinary review from legendary producer Desmond Child. This guy deserves an entire spotlight of his own on TNUC. His list of production credits is massive and while he’s probably most known for resurrecting Aerosmith’s career in the late eighties, he’s also known for beating the living daylights out of musicians in the studio to get the perfect sound and take. Ratt wanted to take it to the edge on this record and give the changing music scene of 1991 a kick to the crotch. Child was hired late into the recording process of Detonator to help out with the writing.
Listening to highlights on the album such as “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose (feat. Jon Bon Jovi)”, “One Step Away” and “Can’t Wait on Love” will catapult your Crude Dude attitude to new levels that you hadn’t planned on reaching. You’ll be the talk of the town when you blast these numbers as you cruise down Sunset Blvd in your freshly waxed 4×4 pickup, wearing your oversized tank-top and 4″ above-the-knee British flag shorts (see Anthony Keidis in Point Break). You’ll pull over to stop for a mega-burger and to do some self-reflecting as the ballad “Givin Yourself Away” echoes on the stereo. You must have one of those long-butted-girl-magnets under the hood of your car because before you can slurp down the last drop of your 100% whey milkshake, the girls are demanding a spot in the bed of your truck as you continue the Detonator listening party ride.
Final track and personal TNUC favorite “Top Secret” wraps the album up with a bang and in my opinion, certifies Detonator as the quintessential album of the Crude Dude era. The band is firing on all levels and has never sounded so strong. The album was released in August of 1990. It wasn’t received well and opinions of the band at the time were clearly misunderstood. But in a time of oppression from radio and record companies, Ratt should be idolized for pushing themselves and delivering their most solid effort to date. This massively underrated and forgotten chunk of the Crude Dude era will echo on forever and be introduced in TNUC lectures to next-generation young Crudes who seek to embrace the lifestyle.
Buy Detonator here
CRUDE DUDE RECORD REVIEW #1.
Posted on May 25, 2012 9 Comments
Crude Dude Manifesto:
||| Scholars proclaim that the official “era of the Crude Dude” is 1989-1993. This truly is the grand finale and last hurrah of the feel-good-party-metal scene. During this five year span, there was a distinct image that people seldom discuss. Gone was most of the make-up and spandex of previous years and in came Baja sweatshirts, extra-large holes in the knees of jeans, babes with longer butts and California-muscle tank tops (see Vince Neil in the first years after he left the Crüe for exact representation). For reasons unknown, this beach-bum-party-dude attitude took over but didn’t last long. Much like Cro-Magnon man, they ruled the land but unfortunately were facing an expiration date. It was only a matter of time before MTV, radio and record company pigs would turn their backs on these bands in favor of a moody and dreary alt-rock scene.
In the wake of their critically acclaimed mixtapes Two Crude Dudes and Two Crude Dudes: Part Deux!, TNUC & Mike Ballermann have started a series of Crude Dude album reviews to celebrate the most overlooked record releases of the most overlooked and misunderstood era. Our quest is not to talk about the bands that changed their sound during this time and tried to “adapt” to what were the present humdrum stylings, because we all know there were plenty of bands that went that route. Our mission is to spotlight the bands that sharpened their sound and took it to the edge…the pier…the brink. The bands that stayed true to what originally made them the appealing, roaring, Crude Dudes of rock that we witnessed from the get-go. By the time grunge hit, many bands were just preparing to hit their peak and missed their chance to reach the masses. What some people don’t realize is that many of these bands were improving during these years, fine-tuning musically and perfecting their craft as Crude Dudes in society. In all seriousness, while the vast majority were turning to alt-rock, there were still a number of talented bands making killer records that even to this day people don’t talk about. We’re here to rocket these records out of the crypt in a series we’d like to call…CRUDE DUDE RECORD REVIEWS |||
Take off your shades slowly, wipe your eyes and look again closely. The cover artwork for Danger Danger’s massively overlooked 1991 opus Screw It! portrays a giant, bad ass heavy metal chimp, rope-swingin’ in the jungle with his tongue flapping in the wind. Obviously he’s carrying a busty, sparsely-clad blonde who happens to be sucking on a banana. When you flip to the backside of the record, if you do happen have reading capabilities, you’ll find song titles such as “Slipped Her the Big One”, “Get Your Shit Together”, “Crazy Nites”, “Everybody Wants Some” and “Horny S.O.B.” This is right around the time when you realize you’re in the right place! Before we continue, a little about the band itself. With the reckless, yet happy-go-lucky, all day sunshine sound that they produce, one would immediately swear to the Gods of rock that these Crude Dudes hail from Los Angeles, when in fact they’re actually based out of New York.
First off, a serious warning. Kids….this is the type of album that once it begins spinning at your party, the girls are likely to rip off their shirts and bang their hair in the wind without restrain. The dudes on the other hand will start jumping around like chimps hopped up on Peruvian white. Last but not least, the nerds will throw their glasses on the ground to scrunch’ em, and drink hard liquor straight from the bottle for the first time ever in their sheltered lives. The promise-to-party instinct will arise like never before.
As we take our first dive into this wicked necronomicon, we begin with some wild jungle beats and monkey screams, featuring original moans and groans by porn goddess Ginger Lynn (pictured). This introduces the album properly and sets you in the correct neanderthalic mood of what is to come. Suddenly, the ultra-hymn “Monkey Business” begins, with a refrain that proclaims “Climb up on my tree, monkey around with me”. You need to let your hair down immediately on this one. “Slip Her the Big One” is next, complete with heavy drums and keyboards that set the sound for riding your chopper through foggy alleyways at night, to arrive at the local neon-lit rock & pool bar where upon entering, you discover that sleeveless denim vests, ripped jeans, snakeskin boots, denim hotpants and white leather/studded neckbands are the standards for the dress code for boys and girls alike. “Everybody Wants Some” hits exactly the same vein, so feel free to sing along with a clenched fist in the air.
The build up to the slick, emotional guitar solo in “Beat the Bullet” creates the ideal vibe for overlooking the city lights from your apartment in a moment of mediation. When the heavy guitar work and pummeling drums set in, you’ll want to pedal to the metal and face any fight. “Get Your Shit Together” is the 100% Crude Dude Approved track on the album. Upbeat drums combine with pile-driving guitars and lyrics that lay down the law for any smartass who dares walk into your territory wearing a Pearl Jam shirt. Two power ballads, “I Still Think About You” and “Comin’ Home” grace the album and give the ladies something to loosen up to. Then it’s time for the relentless, ultimate party anthem, “Horny S.O.B.”. Crank this one to its maximum potential because this is more than a song. This one features an uber-cheery main riff matched with possibly the most sincere vocals in the history of the recording industry. This little number is an invitation (or perhaps a warning?) to any fun-loving hardbody to drop everything and party with the Crude Dudes. Whether they be working in the bikini shop or at the local galleria, hanging out at a Danger Danger concert or grabbing a drink and picking a fight at the Double Deuce. This album is the cure to any bookworm or wallflower who needs a release.
Mike Ballermann’s advice: “Listen to this album at least once a day to get your mind irreversibly stone-aged!”
CRUDE DUDE RICHTER SCALE = 5/5 PERSONAL PAN PIZZAS
LOVELOCK::THE INTERVIEW.
Posted on May 10, 2012 4 Comments
T: How did the Lovelock project start and what sparked it?
SM: Korg Polysix, Sequential Prophet 600 and Pro-One, Moog Little Phatty, Sound Lab Plus Mini Synth, Elka Rhapsody, Crumar DP-50, Sequential Drumtraks, Simmons SDS 8, Univox SR-95, Roland CR-78. Some softies too – Native Instruments FM8 loaded via SySex with DX7 factory patches, fake piano, fake rhodes. Some drum samples from a very rich and influential/controversial southpaw drummer/singer/songwriter. And of course my Geddy Lee signature series Jazz Bass.
T: I believe I recall reading an interview you did that said the songs on this album are most likely the last you’ll do. Why is that? Nothing gold can stay?
T: To me, the perfect Lovelock live show would need to take place either at Red Rocks Amphitheater at dusk or on a private yacht with its anchor dropped in the middle of the Caribbean. In your mind, what would be the ideal venue for the ultimate and mega-exclusive Lovelock live event?
SM: Life preservers, sun screen, visors, blue blocker shades (the kind that fit over prescription glasses), first aid kits, fishing lures, golf gloves and tees, nicotine patches, lighters, lawn chairs, lawn darts, wind chimes, grill accessories, leather conditioner, snuff boxes and humidors, beer pitcher and pint glasses set, hair tonic, moustache grooming kits, arch support shoe inserts, hot water bottles, acetaminophen gelcaps, toilet paper, support socks.
T: Can a Billy Ocean “Lovelock remix” happen? Or even a cover? My friends/colleagues and I can pool some cash to fund it. I know you love some Bill.
SM: Big fan, definitely. The problem there is that his songs are too perfect. I’d rather remix someone like Usher. Take a really strong singer and put his vocals in a sort of Billy Ocean setting. Like that “DJ’s Got Us Falling in Love” song. I could make that work.
T: Did you ever have any Lovelock-ish ideas for songs, artwork, videos, etc. that just didn’t work out for whatever reason? And if so, would you care to share any?
SM: The Fruit of Despair, borne of the Tree of Longing.
T: Any last words for the Lovelock legions?
DEEP MOUNTAIN MEDITATION MIX.
Posted on April 9, 2012 11 Comments
The air around you is calm and still. The only sound is a light whistling wind blowing through the trees, a running stream, a crackling fire, and the constant buzz from cicadas. Your training now awaits. You will learn to breathe, to focus, to stretch, to harness and control a great inner strength only to be unleashed in occasional bursts of spirit.
After months of training, you are finally ready to train at Stone City. At the heart of Stone City is a forbidden temple shrouded in centuries worth of mystery. The ruins of a once great city, a city that birthed generations of ancient warriors and fighters. With bruised shins, burning pride and a hardened mind and body you enter the temple. You feel the connection of all that is around you. You feel an immense sense of history, a deepened sense of sadness and nostalgia, you feel all of it come to you in this moment and it LIFTS YOU. You look up and a majestic hawk soars overhead, it’s cry echoing across the whole ruin. Now your final preparations can begin, for soon it will be your time to enter the ring. A lone warrior. A mercenary man.”
Track-list:
5. BURST OF SPIRIT
AOR DISCO.
Posted on April 2, 2012 2 Comments
“AOR Disco was started in 2009 by Matthew Hamilton with a mission to rediscover the lost golden age of Adult Orientated Rock. From the beardy acoustic era of late 1960s Laurel Canyon to the white-suited Yacht Rock yuppies of the early 1980s, AOR Disco seeks out the best in vintage Californian drive-time hits, soft-rock disco, psychedelic funk, and the kind of obscure album tracks you might find at the back of your dad’s record collection.
This isn’t some guilty pleasures site however. Having been misunderstood and marginalized by the music press for decades AOR is finally being given the love it deserves by a new generation of DJs and producers who give the old classics a very modern shine whilst retaining the spirit of the originals.”
AOR is back and you need never say sorry for liking this music ever again.
uncletnuc.com 
