The weekend has come once again, thus is the nature of time. Nothing can stop the weekend from coming, and therefore nothing can stop another list of my opinions on a random sampling of albums. Though it's Mother's Day Weekend, there is no particular connection to that and my list this week, except that maybe these are all albums the mothers somewhere along the line have probably objected to having their kids listen to. There a few classics on here from favorite bands and two wonderful new metal selections. Hopefully there's something on here that strikes your fancy. Enjoy.
Rob Zombie - The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser: Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated album of the year for me is this one. After 2013's fantastic Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor, I've been looking forward to this one and it finally came out last week. Not quite as unbelievably good as its predecessor, this is still pretty terrific and follows the same groove metal vibe, if not as psychedelic as the previous. The Zombie still remains at the top of his game even after all these years.
New York Dolls - New York Dolls: On RSD, the one local shop was having 50% off used vinyl and when I saw the New York Dolls 1973 debut in mint condtion, and knowing it could be mine for a mere $10, I had to have it. This is the album that launched glam rock in the States and which inspired all my favorite '80s glam metal. Perfect from start to finish. Fun fact: in the 90's, I lived in the same building that Sylvain Sylvain lived in during the '70s.
The Mars Volta - Live at the Electric Ballroom: From their debut album, this double LP captures them on the tour that I saw them play in NYC. Obviously, it is songs from the first album. Probably not the cleanest sound recording, and perhaps a little off putting to some fans of their polished studio work, but capturing their energy live makes up for the drawbacks. It helps that I'm a fan of bootlegs, especially bootlegs on vinyl. A nice addition to the collection.
Dead or Alive - Youthquake: The Liverpool new wave band's second album, released in 1985, features the smash hit "You Spin Me Round" which was a featured song in my childhood and one of my all time favorites. I picked up a really nice copy of this for $1 and have enjoyed the high energy of it. It falls squarely into the realm of other new wave favorites of mine, Adam and the Ants and Duran Duran. Much of my elementary school years were spent in new wave sphere, before I moved into rock, this was a fun flashback to those years.
The Beatles - Yesterday and Today: Still in Liverpool, I picked up this 1966 Beatles record on RSD. I was hoping my used copy was a stickered over butcher cover, but turned out not to be. Regardless, this is one of the best collection of songs by the Fab Four. I actually like these better in their entirety than Rubber Soul and Revolver (the two records that book end this release in their career). It's basically a comp, featuring singles and songs that were available before, but put together, it makes a stellar record.
Merlin - Electric Children: The second album from Kansas City heavy psych band is similar to other recent greats of the genre including Electric Wizard, Sleep, and Orchid. It's very heavy, with clear roots to Sabbath. It's no surprise that this is right in my wheelhouse, and no surprise then that I love it. There isn't really a bad song on here. "Will 'o' the Wisp," "Bad Trip" and the title track are standouts though. Available for listen and purchase at the Bandcamp site.
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