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Heavy Rotation

From page 18 of Classic Rock Magazine June 2011

Cover of June 2011 issue.

What we’ve been listening to this month

01 Comfortably Numb Pink FloYD

The transcendental highlight from The Wall, the 1979 album by little-known British proggers Pink Floyd. Their ex-frontman Roger Waters tours the UK next month. You may want to check him out.

02 City Of Hope JoUrneY

Proof positive that Journey can match the glories of the Steve Perry era with new frontman Arnel Pineda. The lead track from new album Eclipse.

03 Goodbye My Friends siXX am

Tattooed rock’n’roll and grandiose operatics come together in this unlikely union of Mötley Crile and Muse, courtesy of Nikki Sixx’s other band. You don’t get this with Vince Neil.

04 Hello! märVel

With an umlaut over the ‘a’ and an album called Warhawks Of War, Märvel are either taking the piss, Scandanavian or (the reality) both. But when you can squeeze Queen, Lizzy and Motörhead through the mincer and make a rock burger (with cheese) as fat and fine as this, who cares?

05 Stargazer rainBoW

Thirty five years after Rainbow’s Rising, Ritchie Blackmore’s eastern influenced epic remains a highlight of one of rock’s more illustrious career. Raise a toast to singer Ronnie James Dio while you’re at it – May 16 marks the anniversary of his death.

06 Ever Been Hurt THe knockoUTs

News that this Swedish band were recently voted ‘Punk Band of the Year’ at the American Independent Music Awards troubled CR’s punk-savvy corner (who had never heard of them). Truth is, the Knockouts are about as punk as Michael Bublé: but on this evidence they do have a fine line in rockabilly-tinged heartbreak.

07 People Of The Deer THe TreWs

With an opening riff that sounds like RATM’s Bombtrack, this track is a highlight from The Trews imminent fourth album, Hope And Ruin. Album sounds great, their name’s still crap though.

08 All Men Play On Ten manoWar

In memory of the band’s recently deceased drummer, Scott Columbus, and featuring the immortal line: ‘All men play on ten – never gonna turn down again.’

09Jumperc able Blues norTH mississiPPi allsTars

Filthy dirty slide guitar? Check. Mildly lascivious lyric? Check. Fruity vocal urging ‘y’all’ to go ‘straight to Hell’? Check. Jim Dickinson’s progeny demonstrate that the kickass apples fell pretty damn close to the kickass tree. Bitchin’.

10 Born To Run BrUce sPringsTeen

With Jon Landau’s prophetic “I saw rock ‘n’ roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen” still ringing in his ears, Live At The Main Point, ‘75 captures The Boss forcing Dylan through a Strummer filter as punk stands poised in the wings. A last chance power drive indeed.

11 She’s Got Nothing On (But The Radio) roXeTTe

The spiky-topped Swedish popstrels prove they haven’t lost their deft commercial touch. From new album Charm School.

12 Gettin’ High

(On My Mystery Plane)

lorDs oF alTamonT

Blazing Detroit-styled garage-psych with a slack jaw and a permanent sneer served up by the kind of delinquent LA scuzztronauts you thought were extinct.

14 She’s Nothing Like Me THe loVe me noTs

The kind of smart, sexy sass that Blondie used to excel in, this is perfect pop rock sung from the point of the view of the other woman: ‘She won’t get dirty/Won’t get on her knees/She’s nothing like me/She’s everything you think he needs/But I know why he’s on the phone with me’. From new album The Demon And The Devotee.

15 Blood Red Sun gracioUs!

Growling Hammond, vibes, lyrical guitar and melody lines, stop-start rhythms, musical twists and turns... They might have recorded only two albums, but even this cracking track alone from second album This is... Gracious!! makes this great but relatively unknown 70s British prog band worth investigation.

16 Lord Knows I Know That It Ain’t Right imPerial sTaTe elecTric

Nikke ‘Hellacopters’ Andersson’s latest group of garage rock purists deliver note perfect 70s rock bliss. From their self-titled debut.

17 Dead Or Alive JoHnnY THUnDers

Jerry Nolan liked to describe Thunders’ uniquely swaggering six-string technique as ‘the sound of dinosaurs screaming in the jungle’. This ‘78 single exemplifies exactly what he meant: primal NYC roar power incarnate.

18 (Don’t Fear) The Reaper BlUe öYsTer cUlT

Would you believe it’s 35 years since the release of BÖC’s Agents Of Fortune album, which gave us this masterful-bit-deathly psych-pop-AOR classic? Incredible but true.

19 Sim Sala Bim FleeT FoXes

Blissful of harmony and luxuriant of beard, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes update Crosby, Stills & Nash’s celestial Americana for the modern day.

Nurse! The razor!

20 Mars Needs Women roB zomBie

This classic slab of Zombie from Hellbilly Deluxe 2 bodes well for his forthcoming Download appearance.

21 (I’m) Wasting My Time (Yet Again) eUreka macHines

With one of those monster ‘woah-oh’ choruses, this new song from the Eureka Machines proves that their debut album of sparkling power pop wasn’t a fluke.

22 Spite Machine VerTical smile

Youth’s chops when it comes to sound manipulation, whether he be trancing a dancefloor or underpinning a Killing Joke apocalypse, are undeniable. Well, now he’s fronting his very own pop combo and they’re remorselessly devastating. So there.

23 I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive sTeVe earle

Title track from the renaissance man’s new T Bone Burnettproduced album. Hear from Mr Earle on page 88 .

24 Distance mike TramP

Tramp and his, er, Rock’N’Roll Circuz (his spelling, not ours) have delivered a decidedly countrytinged new album, Stand Your Ground. This stand-out track is the sort of mid-paced anthem that’s plastered over US radio. Which means you’ll never hear it here...