Apparently they recently played their hometown of Boston and guess what? The $233 tickets (after service charges) did not sell. I am told that the 10,000 seat shed had over 3,000 empty seats in the shed alone.
So what happened? Live Nation representatives went up to the lawn and began recruiting people from the lawn to the pavilion for a $20 upgrade fee. It's not bad enough that the lawn seats were $50+, but they asked for $20 extra?
Lesson learned: Don't overestimate how much your average fan has to spend on entertainment.
The funny thing is that back in 2002 Aerosmith toured with Kid Rock and Run DMC and tickets were $75. It's always better to play to a full house and make a lot of money rather than taking the money upfront and alienating your core fan base.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen By Anthony KuzminskiWatching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is akin to going to a great restaurant, getting food poisoning and spending the next four hours on the toilet; a well intentioned evening make a turn for the worse. I love movies, all types of movies. Action, drama, comedy, concert films, indie films, films too pretentious for their own good…I love them all! At least I thought I did. While watching the latest Transformers installment all I could think about is how director Micahel Bay has validated every single film critic on the planet with one film. People always say critics are out of touch with reality and they don’t understand the need for mindless entertainment. I agree with this to a certain perspective, but let me make one imposing statement, Transformers:Revenge Of The Fallen is flat out atrocious. It’s worse than even unscrupulous sex or inferior pizza, both of which have some redeeming qualities…this film is downright bad, bad, bad, bad.
In my review of the first film two-years ago, I largely stuck up for Michael Bay. I tend to think people pick on him when he makes some really entertaining films, with The Rock being the finest. When I saw the original Transformers, I found it to be big dumb fun. And guess what, that is OK. I enjoy a whopping popcorn movie as much as anyone, especially in the summer. However, the sequel to Transformers is so dreadful, I can’t believe anyone didn’t stop them from releasing it. However, this is completely unrealistic because Dreamworks had to make their money and while I’m all for eye candy and special effects that leave your mouth agape, this film was so over the top, that you could cut not just 30, or 60 minutes, but it could probably shed 90 minutes and it still wouldn’t be good. For the record, are some of the action sequences decent? Yes. However, most of the sequences are overlong and lack any and all emotional impact. I was waiting for one of the lead characters to die, that’s how bad it all is.
There is so much horrificably wrong with this film, let’s bullet point it all.
·The first film had a sense of adventure paired with humor and a human element. The humor this time around is designed for eight-year olds. It’s ghastly toilet humor.
·Megan Fox has a career for one reason only; her body. They showed more of it in the first film and while she wasn’t as annoying as I thought she would be, she added nothing to this film. Translation: She is way hotter in the first film.
·Shia LeBeouf: I want to know who he has pictures of. I will never understand his appeal and he’s a whiner, complainer and useless in this film. Anyone could do this role and the franchise wouldn’t lose a single dollar. In fact, I’m a believer that if you kill his character off, I’d fork over money for it (something that won’t be happening on future Transformer films).
·Bad stereotypes: There are robots who are very un-PC in this film and while I am all for being a little less PC in the world, these characters are downright offensive. Who the hell thought this was a good idea?
·The script: Non-existent. I could have come up with this within ten minutes. The film was worked on during the writer’s strike and the second the strike was over, they whipped something together than a third grader could have done.
·Ramon Rodriguez (the college roommate): Who is this guy? Who is his agent? Why wasn’t he killed within ten-minutes of his introduction? He did nothing for the remainder of the film other than add time onto the film.
·The ending: It goes on for over an hour, fifteen minutes would have sufficed. It got to the point where the sequences and explosions became monotonous and something that a Michael Bay film has never been; dull.
This film is a colossal piece of crap and all I can tell you that your money and most importantly your time can be better served by doing anything other than wasting your time with it.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
Michael Jackson: The Curtain Has Fallen on an Icon By Anthony Kuzminski I’m at will call outside the Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee picking up my passes for the Soraia and Bon Jovi show that will inaugurate the opening of Summerfest. One of the guys in line tells me that Michael Jackson died. I can see he has been indulging in some summer fun and I’m not sure if he’s telling me the truth. I call my buddy Johnny who lives in LA, but grew up in England. Being a huge Michael Jackson fan, I ask if he heard anything and he tells me that TMZ is reporting it and that it’s either true or the biggest hoax of all time. Once we make it through the gates, the whole place is abuzz with the rumor and I soon found out that it wasn’t a rumor but the truth. The amount of discussion occurring at the event was staggering. Not since Princess Diana has there been a death that punctuated so many people. Beneath the TV movie of the week that his life has taken on the last fifteen years, was a very sad, incredibly talented and tortured soul who created music that wasn’t just revolutionary for its time, but will continued to be listened to for decades to come.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
Bon Jovi- These Days Album Reflection and Review: Part II (A Personal Journey) By Anthony Kuzminski
Part I of this review focused on the album overall and I left my personal feelings to the side, but I’m going to get deep here, so for those of you who hate these types of reviews, check out part one and skip this one. Ultimately, I’ve decided to write about it because it’s part of my experience and I’m ok with people calling me a sentimental fool, because at my core, I am. I know I will have my detractors, but I had to go one step further and fully explain why it is that this record means so much to me and maybe…just maybe…someone can read this and not only give an underrated classic another listen, they’ll listen to it without prejudice and maybe take a lesson or two away from it as well.
It’s a bone chilling Sunday afternoon in February of 2008 and I’m sitting in Obie O’Brien’s (Bon Jovi’s engineer) Chicago hotel room and two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple is behind a camera as Obie and I banter back and forth about what makes Bon Jovi tick. The night before I was introduced to Kopple to discuss a few ideas about the film she was just embarking on and during my interactions with Obie, who granted me a compliment I wouldn’t dare repeat, she smiled and said she wanted to get us on camera the next day. What was supposed to be a swift and rapid thirty-minute interview evolved into over four-hours. The camera was on me for a long time as I ranted and raved about the band that introduced me to music, made me look to their influences so I could appreciate the greater scope of rock n' roll, grew up with me, has comforted me, disgruntled me and ultimately is one of only a handful of artists that are truly part of my life. I talked about everything; the highs, the lows, the members and most importantly their music. I gave Kopple a history of Bon Jovi, spewing forth hip anecdotes and giving insight and perspective into why they merit more critical respect than they get. I even found a way to poetically compare Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull to the “Wanted Dead or Alive” video; how ‘bout them apples? More importantly, I made them “sound cool” (end of shameless Almost Famous references) while simultaneously being all too human as well. What made the interview go from thirty-minutes to over four hours was when we came to the subject of These Days.
I started talking about how “These Days is the best Bruce Springsteen record of the 1990’s that Springsteen didn’t make.” Bon Jovi made a record as revitalizing, filled with prayers and heals the soul like the best Springsteen and Dylan records. Bon Jovi’s 1995 reflective and somber These Days is a record that would be hailed as a masterwork only if it had been created by any other artist on the planet. Not only did I think it was the band’s finest record to date, it spoke to me in a way no other piece of vinyl with a hole in the middle (or CD/cassette) ever did. There are records you encounter in your life that you listen to because you want to and then there are others you listen to because you need to. Over a two year period, I must have given away two or three dozen copies to friends and bought every international version I could get my hands on because These Days was an existential thematic magnum opus that would enhance their lives like a distinguished book or film. Even though each version of the record may have only contained a few bonus tracks, I always started from track one, “Hey God” and allowed it to unfold into my psyche. After a while, I realized that every time I listened to it or found a cool b-side associated with the record, it healed me. My life during the time of this record’s release was full of questions and an overriding sense of being very alone. I had my own cross to bear, I honestly (and very stupidly) believed that I had to drown myself in misery before I could rise above it all. When Jon Bon Jovi sung the lyric, “I guess I’d rather die than fade away”, it felt like he summed up my existence to a “t”. This was the lyric that entered my head when Kopple was interviewing me about the record. She has a unique gift of allowing people to drop their guard in front of the camera. If you have seen The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing film from 2006 and the scene at the end of the film where fiddle player Martie Maguire breaks down, you know exactly where I am coming from. I shared things with Kopple that I wouldn’t ever dream of with a stranger over dinner let alone someone I met for the first time twenty-four hours earlier. She put me at such ease, that I let my motor mouth flow and my emotions to carry me away. As I was talking about the record, at some point she asked me to clarify why it meant so much to me and all I remember is I grew nauseous, became lightheaded, a bit red around the eyes and when I opened my mouth, there were no words. As I began to stutter, she stood behind the camera and began to drill and coax me, “Don’t stop, keep going, tell me why you feel this way, what happened in your life, what was going on?” and that little bit of coaching was all I needed as for the next few minutes I unloaded in a way I am not sure I ever have before. I’ve always found myself to be a tad more emotive than your average person and I think during my trying years, I held a lot in, this was probably my way of letting it go once and for all. Even though I was in a radically altered place at the time of the interview than I had been a decade earlier, she touched a nerve and in short, I lost it. My wife looked on and saw me open up about a time she knew about but never fully realized scarred me as much as it did until this moment. What I do remember vividly is that somehow, I managed to make sense of how emotions come into play, the themes of the These Days record and how, even when the band disappoints me, I reflect back to how that record saved my life. It made me feel like I wasn’t isolated and that there was hope out there. I’ve never been one to conceal my emotions, I wear my heart on my sleeve, but the levels of revelation I gave to her was unparalleled. When I finally stopped my vocal convulsing, Kopple sat behind the camera with her hands pressed firmly on either side of her head and only removed them to wipe away a few tears. Now, let me make one thing clear, not even if you forced me to smoke a joint the of a steroid size A-Rod, did I ever think that one second of that footage would have wound up in the finished film, even if the band had not switched the direction of the film and directors. There’s a part of me that is semi-thankful as I know that footage of me is buried forever because I think I probably came off as an unhinged fan. But on the other hand, I’ve learned that I have nothing to be ashamed of, because that is who I am and the shedding of skin was cleansing.
Thinking back to that time in my life, I can’t help but recall the cloud that seemed to follow me anywhere and everywhere. My experience isn’t distinctive or all that dissimilar than most other people, but music was my saving grace and in it, I lost myself. For some it’s a needle, others it’s a bottle, but for me, I needed something to coerce me to look inward and concede that not only am I fortunate, but that I often hold the keys to my own cage. We all encounter experiences in our life that leave us feeling less than whole, but the answer is to rise above it all and open yourself to love again. Eventually, I had to pick myself up, put my faith back in people. I would be lying to you if I told you that everyone welcomed this, but regardless, eventually I found the right person who did. Maybe there is a higher power making moves on a chess board for us in the chance we travel down that undiscovered path or that we take a risk and give our heart to someone after it’s been decimated. The bravest human trait is the admission of emotional vulnerability because it is only when you allow someone else to see you at your worse will you truly allow yourself to be loved. I think this is why I bought a few dozen copies for friends during its initial release. It was my way to trying to converse with them because we live in a culture where most of us submerge our emotions. Rarely did anyone ever mention on the gift after I gave it them, except once. It was 1999 and a friend came to me at a party and cornered me and said, “I listened to These Days and Stranger In This Town today…I wish you would have talked to me back then”. Granted, my friend was about six hours into an inebriated state, but the fact that he sat with each record and listened to them song by song blew my mind. For the next few hours, we did talk, about everything I was going through during that time and how I came through the storm.
Art can be a drug for our pain, an answer to a prayer and a tonic to our tragedy. In a world filled with a lot of spitefulness, it reminds us that there is something to grasp onto. It helps us make sense of the turmoil. Whenever people tell me about below the belt entertainment (Reality TV show, horror films, Creed), I appreciate where they are coming from, we are all entitled to mindless and numbing amusement and I indulge in this as well. There’s nothing wrong with it, but occasionally people scoff at this, not because they don’t get it, but they feel your time would be better served by engaging with a piece of art that elevates the spirit. I remember once having a conversation with Roger Ebert and he told me that the reason some of his reviews were brutal because there are so many remarkable films in the world full of life and enlightenment that he couldn’t imagine anyone messing with a ninety-minute piece of fluff that no one would remember the second the film was over. Illustrious art makes you feel and has the ability to alter you as a person and there’s a lot of it out there, we just sometimes have to take off the blinders and be open to it. At some point in my wallowing, I thought of the fine line of optimism that is in a handful of the songs on These Days and realized that no one is going to better my life other than myself. You hear about people talking about how the albums of Peter Gabriel, the Beatles, Pearl Jam, the Replacements and dozens of other acts that save lives, These Days didn’t just save it, it changed it…for the better. When you listen to a record or see an artist in concert, one of the most essential needs is to make the audience believe in your art. Can they relate to your experience, your ache, your bliss, and your inner thoughts? Between 1992 and 1996, no one did this better for me than Bon Jovi. In the songs “These Days”, “Something to Believe In” and “If That’s What It Takes” the characters take chances, wear their hearts on their sleeves and attempt to find consolation in people. A better tomorrow can be found by being vulnerable; laying it on the line, sharing your life story with someone, expressing gratitude and love. All of this involves taking a gamble because ultimately, only the loftiest of rewards are discovered through immense risks. Good records take you away for a few hours, but great records, like These Days permeate your life with change, force you to look hard n the mirror and transform. Those who don’t love music, well they don’t get it and I don’t expect them to get it. Only we can take the necessary steps forward to adjust course, but we sometimes need a guide, a hand to hold onto and a companion who feels your pain, is a shoulder to cry on and encompasses you like a hug when no one else will. These Days did this for me and for that reason alone Bon Jovi will forever have a chapter in the story of my life.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
I was the first of my friends to have a DVD player and a Laserdisc for that matter. I was a film aficionado and the main reason I bought my combo player was not just for the improved image and sound, but for the bonus materials. Listening to Kevin Smith rap and even say “DVD Sucks” on his commentary for the Chasing Amy was priceless. Even better was the extended cut of The Blues Brothers, don’t get me wrong, the original is far superior, but it was still nice to have that extended cut. I cherished it and as my friend Jeff said when he got his DVD player two years later, “I hug it when no one is looking”. It was a life changing event after watching so many of these films in non-widescreen prints on VHS no less. For the better part of a decade, DVD ruled…until now. A few years back, studios began to get lazy and were releasing, upwards of three or four different DVD versions of the same film within two years of its release. Why? Greed of course. There will be those who argue with me, but I believe that this trend is directly responsible for a number of things, most importantly, my interest in buying DVD’s. One of the things the movie studios did get right was giving the consumer good bang for the buck. Between 2000 and 2004 I spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on DVD’s. Why? It’s simple, they were great packages and the movies were almost always under $20, even for special editions. I also give them credit for significantly lowering the catalog titles within a year which would spur me to buy some movies I wasn’t even going to rent, but for $8, seemed too good of a deal to pass up. But then, something changed. Either the special edition was released far after my interest waned or even worse, it was released separately and ran anywhere from $5 extra to $10 extra. I’ll admit it; I caved and like a giddy fan boy, shelled out money for select films but more times than not, $23 seemed far too much for a special edition of a film that I may have only watch once or even worse, keep in the wrapping never to be opened. The irony of all of this is that if there was no financial differentiation between the movie only and the special edition, I would have continued to buy DVD’s at an alarming rate that would have made me miss a mortgage or two. But I didn’t because the films came with less and less in order to have the film in stores because of the shortened box office window. Now, I understand this as it does not leave the filmmaker’s proper time to put into a special edition, but with a select few filmmakers (Kevin Smith, Peter Jackson); they let the consumer know that there would be a more fully loaded edition coming. For this I will always respect both of them and in each of their cases, I often bought both DVD’s because the bonus materials didn’t overlap and they were their own unique packages.
In recent weeks, I grabbed a copy of Valkyrie only to notice that the special edition didn’t even have a second disc. They were able to fit it all on the same disc as the movie. So why didn’t they just put the bonus materials on it, have one version of the film in stores. Oh wait, I forgot, there is a digital copy in the special edition of Valkyrie (WTF?). Here’s my question, does anyone use this digital copy? If so, email me (thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com). Valkyrie is a perfect example of a film I did not see in the theaters, but if priced affordably with cool special features, I would have bought it without thinking twice. But I was pissed by what I saw, I rented it, watched it once, returned it and even a year from now when it’s $5.99, I won’t give it a second thought. I was an impulse DVD buyer and now I’m cautious because I often wonder if there is going to be a better version down the road and even worse, I have a hard time paying $20+ for something that may not be all that good.
This all brings us to Blu-ray. Everyone seems to be surprised that the players are not having the impact that DVD players did. I haven’t even thought of buying one. Why may you ask? First and foremost, I’m surprised there isn’t a really top of the line player under $200. However, more importantly, the films are all $25 to $30. After a decade of buying films for less than $20, why am I going to fork over for movies I already have bought on VHS, Laserdisc, DVD and special edition DVD? I’ll admit it, the picture quality is great, but it’s not the same leap from VHS to DVD was. So what should the studios be doing to reel people like me in?
First and foremost, make sure no DVD’s are priced above $20. Anyone will fork over for a movie under $20, but when they see $30, they often wonder if it’s worth it especially when stores like Best Buy and Target run sales of DVD’s that are between $5 and $10. Not to mention the secondary market where DVD’s are always under $10. I even know some stores that won’t even buy DVD’s from you unless they are less than a month old because they have such a huge backlog. If the studios price the films under $20 and older ones can be bought for $10, they will see sales spike. This is what they did with DVD and it’s one of the reasons that DVD’s ruled for the first part of this decade (and it also led, in my humble opinion, to the fall of CD sales which never came down in price). Granted, it wouldn’t hurt to have really great special features as well, but price is most important.
Secondly, this whole bait and switch of regular editions versus special editions…make them all special editions. It cannot cost that much more to include all of the extras. I stopped buying DVD’s because I got confused by the multiple configurations, the extra $10 for two documentaries and even worse, when you buy a movie and eight months later when a souped up special edition hits shelves. If you do not have time to put everything together for the first release…tell people. Trust me, it’s good customer service and will be worth its own weight in gold. I knew that the Lord of the Rings DVD’s were coming in waves and that the big explosive edition with added scenes was coming six months after the first release, but that made me want to buy both all that much more. People don’t feel cheated when they know this and as a result, buy more. I would love to hop on the Blu-ray wagon and grab that multi disc set of The Godfather saga, but I’m not doing so until prices on players come down and the average disc costs far below $20. Until then, my regular DVD’s will have to suffice.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
BonJovi-These Days Album Reflection and Review: Part I By Anthony Kuzminski
Writer’s note:
I’ve been meaning to write about this record for the last five years but have always put it off because it would involve a deep dive into my psyche and I wanted to do the album justice. As I started writing this a little while ago, it morphed into a monstrous piece more fit for a magazine than a blog or online zine. However, I had a hard time editing it and decided to split it over two pieces. Why? First and foremost this record, 'These Days' should stand on its own two feet without my own personal experiences and feelings coming into play. However, whenever you believe your own personal experiences can bring the reader closer to the material, you should divulge fully. So as to not overwhelm the reader, I’m splitting the actual record review and my own personal thoughts into two separate pieces. The second piece will be published in the next 72-hours, so check back {Part 2 can be read here}. Without further adieu, here’s my reflective review of BonJovi’s 1995 record 'These Days' {Buy at this link}.
In the mid-1990’s in America, BonJovi was about as hip as disco and bell bottoms. At least the disco era could ride the nostalgia train, whereas BonJovi was viewed by many as a sick dog that should have been put down five-years earlier. In fact, if I was wearing a BonJovi t-shirt and the person next to me was a 400-pound man with facial piercings, tattoos of expletive words on his face and was wearing pink underwear on the outside of his clothes, I would be the one who got dirty looks and would be snickered at. When I meet people who now swear their undying love to BonJovi and go to as many shows as possible, I always ask them where they were in the 1990’s because being a BonJovi fan was a lonely existence. Unlike what most people think, BonJovi did not disappear during this decade, in fact, on a worldwide basis, they surpassed their 80’s glory days. In the United States alone, they sold eight-million records and singles between 1992 and 1996. They had five singles chart in the US Top-40 and at the time, they had their biggest hit ever, “Always” which spent six months in the Top-Ten singles chart starting in the fall of 1994 through the spring of 1995. In the rest of the world, they became a behemoth almost no one could tame. They released thirteen singles overseas and all charted in the Top-Twenty in the UK, all in three and a half years no less. Cross Road sold ten-million copies in less than six months of release and they graduated to a full time stadium act in Europe, Japan, South America and Africa. They were a global juggernaut who sold upwards of forty-million records and singles around the world during the decade. On a worldwide basis, I would dare and say only the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Metallica or U2 could even come close to their level of popularity. Not only that, but all of the members of the band experienced significant changes in their personal lives; Jon BonJovi and keyboardist Dave Bryan had their first children and guitarist Richie Sambora and drummer Tico Torres got engaged and married. So how amidst all of this personal and professional success did the band create These Days a skeptical, meditative and ominous collection of songs? Let’s find out… The Keep the Faith tour, which saw the band perform some two-hundred concerts and promo gigs on multiple continents over a fifteen-months, concluded in Red Bank, NJ in late December 1993. It would be the last gig bassist Alec Jon Such would ever play with the band and officially for the first time Hugh McDonald, whose history with the band goes back to the original recording of “Runaway”, would be officially credited as bass player. In January 1994, Jon BonJovi went on vacation when the song “Something to Believe In” came to him. This would prove to be one of two songs Jon would write by himself for this record, but this revelatory epiphany would set the course that Jon and the other band members would embark on. Over the next nine-months, forty-plus songs would be written and demoed. The album was originally slated to be released in the fourth quarter of 1994, but BonJovi and Sambora were on such a creative roll writing, they asked for more time because when lightning strikes, you don’t tell the muse you have to stop. They released Cross Road, their first greatest hits package as a stop gap release leading up to the release of These Days in the summer of 1995. The band cut both new tracks for Cross Road (“Always” and “Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night” {video link}) in two days in Nashville with producer Peter Collins (producer of albums by Rush, Queensryche and the Indigo Girls). Because of the swift adeptness of this process, they opted to record this record in Nashville in the fall of 1994. However, after a month of recording during October and November ‘94, only two pieces of music were deemed useable and for the next four months recording would shift between Jon’s home studio (Sanctuary I), Woodstock, NY and three separate studios in Los Angeles (One On One Studios, Ocean Way Recording and A&M Studios). The reason for the numerous studios was for a variety of reasons; the band embarked on a mini tour of clubs in December 1994 (where they aired many of the new songs), they were continuing to promote Cross Road and Richie Sambora’s marriage to Heather Locklear. As a newlywed, Jon granted Sambora the time with his new wife whose television career kept her in LA. The forty-plus songs written were narrowed down to fourteen. The two extra songs (“All I Want Is Everything”, which echoes Prince’s “Sign O’ the Times & “Bitter Wine”, which pays homage to the Stones “Wild Horses”) would appear on every release of the record, except in the US. Released June 12th in Japan, June 19th in Europe and June 27th in the rest of the world, the album was an immediate success. It even displaced Michael Jackson’s HIStory in the UK debuting at number-one, a spot it would not relinquish for a month. The band performed a total of 136 concerts by the end of July 1996 and These Days sold over eight-million records, spawned five singles and set the world on fire…except in America. While the album hit platinum status (about 700,000 over the counter and 300,000 through CD clubs), it never had a monster hit single to cement the album’s reputation. The truth is that 1995 was a very odd time for music in general in America. Kurt Cobain had died a year earlier, it would be a few years before teen starlets and boy bands would infiltrate the landscape and ultimately, rock n’ roll was out of favor. What kills me about the showing of These Days in America is that most people don’t realize what a brutally poignant record this is, because they most likely don’t realize it exists. I’m here to hopefully change that.
These Days is the sound of a sedated society without a road map, remaining aimlessly seeking answers to questions that go unanswered. They question everything around them pondering what they did to deserve their lot in life. These are respectable people confronted with desperation from societal and domestic dwellings beyond their control. However the flip side of the record, as showcased on songs like “If That’s What It Takes”, “Something To Believe In” and “These Days”, one has to look inward to defeat the darkness that can surround ones soul. (“There ain’t nobody left but us these days”). While Keep the Faith was the band’s stab at reinvention along the line of U2’s Achtung Baby, These Days would find them at their most confident and be a colossal step forward. The social commentary very easily could have been overwrought but the band and producer Peter Collins find a perfect balance. Despite the collage of influences the band infused on this record (soul, R&B, 70’s and 90’s rock), it sounds definitively BonJovi, albeit with a more pronounced social conscience. Their entire career was leading up to this record. It was theirs to fumble or triumph.
The album, unlike any other in the band’s canon gives one the impression of being in the middle of a volcanic concert performance. Its strength, besides its regal compositions, is its sound and production which is full of no-nonsense soundscapes. This was the first record the band ever made where the studio versions and live versions stand equal with one another. Credit must be given to producer Peter Collins, engineers Obie O’Brien and David Thoener and lastly, mixer Bob Clearmountain. The chrome is polished just enough for radio, but the intensity of a home demo survives. Sambora’s “Hey, hey, hey” chant on “Something to Believe In” is actually lifted from the demo. It was so spot-on they kept it and used it on the record. The sonic grittiness and lyrical sophistication hits all the perfect notes. These songs easily could have been polished with blinding sheen, but Clearmountain allowed the songs to breathe and it is this intimacy that allows the listener to live inside these songs, feel the heartbeats of the lost characters and ultimately it’s the pulse of optimism that allows one to crawl through the wreckage on to the other side. The instruments are on full display with brutally raw emotion and the band tore open their souls and expunging demons with a vengeance. There are times where an artist’s output matches their drive, psyche and soul. BonJovi’s These Days is one of those rare occurrences where all of the pieces of the puzzle (performance, production, and songs) came together. Opening the album with the roar of sledgehammer guitars and drums, “Hey God” throws you into the thick of battle that is relentless and cruel leading to a dazzling musical climax that leaves you emotionally exhausted. The opening crunch of chaos from the band on “Hey God” {Video link} is the world at its knees without hope. The vocal by Jon BonJovi is as anguished and full of agony as the people he sings about. This is no simple feat coming from a man who had millions in the bank. However, he makes you the most fervent of believers (“I almost lost the house, yeah I bought into the dream”). “Something For The Pain” {Video Link} is the search for a remedy to that pain; a human connection of sorts to combat the chaos. The song features an exuberant getaway chorus that’s devilish as it is intense (“Give me something for the pain, give me something for the blues”). If I were to pick one song from the band’s catalog that should have been a colossal hit, this is it. It’s as good as anything the band ever wrote and recorded. The album’s one hit on American shores, “This Ain’t A Love Song” {video link} may be a ballad, but it’s not a “power” ballad. The band evolved from the swinging arms-to-the-air lighter anthems to more mature fare and this is the proof. You could see a great blues artist in a Chicago night club tear through this song and it stands as one of their underrated classics. “Lie To Me” {Video Link} finds the characters of “Livin’ On A Prayer” a decade onward and the scene isn’t pretty. Just trying to survive in life is a struggle and this elegant and somber tune reflects this. Heightened by an almost duet-like serenade by Sambora, the song rises to new heights as the pairing of BonJovi’s and Sambora’s voice are akin to Steve Van Zandtharmonizing with Springsteen on the best tracks on The River. Two lovers serenade each other with the fears, trepidations and wonder if they could even face the world without them in it. “Damned” is a song they could have given to Southside Johnny with a scrupulous soul groove heightened by the same horn section made famous on Southside’s records and later became the core of the Max Weinberg 7. The narrator finds himself in a lose/lose situation where he has fallen for a woman who is married and otherwise, unavailable. They come to the realization that while they pine for their physical touch, they need more but are unable to obtain more which leaves them in mental torment but they know the only way out is the walk away.
“My Guitar Lies Bleeding In My Arms” was written from a writing session where they were hit with writer’s block. Taking a cue from the opening line of “Bed of Roses” (“Sitting here wasted and wounded at this old piano, Trying hard to capture the moment”), Jon instead of putting the pen down, wrote about his experience and out of it is one of the band’s most ingenious compositions. The narrator is weary of trying to tap into the limitless vista of inspiration. Miraculously, the band elevates this song with the plucking of plaintive strings of the metallic guitar which leave you in a dreamy withdrawal. “(It’s Hard) Letting You Go” is catastrophically devastating and hearkens Peter Gabriel at his best. Written for Jon BonJovi’s film debut, Moonlight and Valentino it fits in perfectly on These Days. The narrator yearns for a lost love, one who is never coming back. Moments of desperation where loneliness is prominent come to the forefront. BonJovi’s ability to make the listener feel is extraordinary. They have always have a penchant for tackling themes their audience can relate to, but there is a somber maturity on this track and is reflective of how damn good their songwriting was at this moment in time. There is a tidal wave of sonic rejuvenation on the charismatic “Hearts Breaking Even” which after a few intense numbers is a perfectly ebullient sounding but it’s ultimately about a love torn relationship about how breaking hearts is the perfect crime. Given to anyone else on the pop landscape, it would have been enormous. “Something to Believe In” finds a soul who has no reason to have faith in anything; a witness to the contradictions of life, but manages to pull themselves out of their self-imposed prison to face the world (“I’ll face the night and pretend I got something to believe in”). The thunderous “If That’s What It Takes” which finds the band bursting back to life amidst endearing melodies that flesh the song out. The latter song has guitar chords that leap out at you with rigorous harmonies that instill optimism (“I’d bet my life on a roll of the dice for you”). The emotional intensity of the record builds gradually until its finale, the languid “Diamond Ring”. It’s mysterious and leaves you hanging, but it was the seed for which launched their growth in the 1990’s. Originally written for the New Jersey record in 1988, the band knew it was the first step towards the next chapter. Ironically, the band wrote the entire Keep the Faith record around “Diamond Ring” and in the end, it didn’t make the cut. This time it did, and with a little assistance from Desmond Child, the band found the perfect arrangement, a haunting plea of a lover who has been jilted and in many ways, it’s a gloomy way to end the record. However, there is no mistake that the record is titled, These Days. Two titles that were considered were Open All Night and Stripped but ultimately, the band wanted to make a statement about the themes of the record. The characters of “These Days” {video link} are searching for something…anything…to hold on to. There is a extreme anxiety in the verses (“No one wants to be themselves these days”) but ultimately, the band turns the tables to show that even at that moment of loss, there is something to hold onto (“Still there’s nothing to hold onto but these days”). It shifts between the sweet and sour in elegant fashion reminding the listener of the highs and lows of life. Bon Jovi does not camouflage the confusion and heartache but they also push you to seek out rays of light emitting from the heavens above. This is one of the band’s darkest, dreamiest and ultimately their most beautifully redeeming songs.
If there was any great life lesson I took from the record it was that life is definitely not a bed of roses, but more times than not, its how we deal with the obstacles in our life. Positive actions speak louder and drown out our concerns, questions and doubts. It’s not easy to connect your thoughts to people, places and most importantly…emotions. These Days is a record that compels one to ponder, reflect and hopefully reconcile their demons and broken hearts head on. The album proves to be a true exorcism of sorts where one witnesses the harsh realities of life. It’s also a testament to one’s willpower and determination which allows the listener to emerge whole again at the end.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
The RIAA lawsuits may have stopped ratcheting up new victims, but those old cases are still being fought.
One of the most intriguing ones can be read at this link.
Charles Nesson is the William F. Weld Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and co-Founder of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Together with a group of his students, he is defending Joel Tenenbaum, accused in federal court of sharing seven songs some years ago through KaZaA. Due to the intense public interest surrounding the case, we have offered Professor Nesson the chance to lay out what's at stake in his own words. His views do not necessarily reflect those of ArsTechnica.
This is one of the best things written about the lawsuits and make sure you put some time aside to read it.
Cameron Crowe via Empire Magazine counts down his top ten (scratch that, his top 36) music moments in film. Stayed tuned to The Screen Door for some Cameron Crowefeatures in coming weeks.
Soraia: The Real Thing The Elbo Room/ Chicago, IL July 2008-January 2009 By Anthony Kuzminski In the lower depths of the Elbo Room in Chicago, Soraia singer Sue Mansou is purging her body of demons as the slithers across the tiny stage like a snake ready to swallow its prey (in high heels no less). She sways her body like Gwen Stefani, howls like Janis Joplin and has a rock n’ roll attitude that’s akin to Joan Jett. Her every move is watched with pensive and penetrating eyes from the audience. “It’s been a long time, since we’ve smelled the love” she snarls in all her sexually releasing glory, but to say she’s intoxicating to watch because of the way she moves her body is an insult to the music; she merely happens to be a remarkable front women. As Mansou is front and center seducing the crowd, the four piece band proves to be more than backing musicians but four essential ingredients that make up the spine of the Philadelphia bred band Soraia. Guitarists Dave Justo and Joe Francia face off against one another like gunslingers with their respective axes providing the distorted echoes of nostalgic beauty while drummer Joe Armstrong manically sheds his skins with potent passion and precision all the time while bassist Travis Smith provides the steadiest grooves that shake your mind, body and soul. “Long Time” is an ode to the yearning need of mental and physical inspiration where two people find a common connection. Connection. Hundreds of thousands of bands tell you they’re worth your time, but few speak to your soul. I’m here to tell you that this five-piece band from the City of Brother Love isn’t just worth your time, but your money and mental energy as well.
I did something highly unusual when I reviewed their debut album, Shed the Skin a little over a year ago. I did it without seeing the band live, something I rarely do as I believe the power the live performance is essential to an artist’s core. I receive upwards of forty new releases every week and trying to decide which one to listen to is daunting and the truth is most go unheard not because I don’t want to, but because there are only so many hours in a day. I always make a point of seeing a band in concert, because it’s in the flesh where you see whether they have the goods or not. However, I made an exception with Soraia. I received a call one day at home from the band’s producer, Obie O’Brien. O’Brien has made his career as Bon Jovi’s archiver, engineer and mixer. He wrote to me a few years ago because of a review I did for Bon Jovi’s box set which he put together. From that a very casual friendship began. We’ve even met up a few times here and there and while we never discuss Bon Jovi, we discuss music. In his heart of hearts, O’Brien is a fan. Brought up on the Beatles and classic soul records, his tastes are eclectic, yet classic, so when he told me about a band he was producing, he had my ear. Within a few days I received Shed the Skin and for the next few weeks I had it on constant rotation. When I spoke to Obie, he knew I’d be honest and I made no promises in being able to write about the record, as I all too often hear music that isn’t bad, but lacks the necessary connection to pull me in. Obie knows me from my Bon Jovi reviews and as he told Mansou before he had her send me the disc, “Be prepared to get the truth”. Needless to say, Soraia’s Shed the Skin made that connection in an immeasurable way. I liked what I heard…scratch that…I loved what I heard. Soraia’s music is a commanding pre-punk celebration of rock n’ roll finding middle ground between late 60’s Rolling Stones yet it is packed with a breath of freshness that reminds me of the no-nonsense sound of the White Stripes. They do not fit into any specific genre of rock. They are merely a damn grand rock n’ roll band who reminds you of its significance over the last fifty-years. Shed the Skin has an organic and fresh feel of a vinyl record from 1969, instead of following trends or fashions, here is a band that aims for timeliness. Months later, they made their way to Chicago for a headline gig at the Elbo Room and even though I had another gig to review the same night, I was able to make it in time to catch their ferocious midnight set. The five of them appeared on stage like a band ready to rock the Chicago crowd with an alluring show full of sex and soul. Most upstart bands lack drive and confidence in their craft, not Soraia. They connected with the entire crowd. Most acts drown in their own self-awareness, but Soraia let their primal urges and instincts fly. On “Shed the Skin” the rhythm section of Armstrong and Smith proved to be devilishly sly while the dueling guitars smelled of sex. If you ever wondered what Jimi Hendrix would sound like covering Prince, their teasing rendition of “Erotic City” puts the question to rest as they embody the spirit of 60’s rock with flair. Too many artists try being original in this day and age without realizing that there is much to be learned from the past and the forefathers of rock n’ roll. “Little Cat” was expansive and incandescent with a dash of psychedelic thrown in. “Jolene” was delivered with a pining vocal that hinges between experience and innocence and found Mansou eliciting a provocative response from the females in the crowd.
An existential outpouring of emotions was on full display for “Had Enough” where Mansou punctured through everyone’s heart with anguished vocals (“My lonely heart has no resting place, I’ve had enough, I’ve had enough”). Midway through the song, Mansou poured a bottle of water over herself and as the band tore through their thick and pounding vintage rock riffs, she began to sway. Her hair flew, she shook her hips and her sweat drenched body glistened with a sexual summer gleam as bright as a city’s lights. As the band converged into a stunning array of riffs, Mansou worked the audience like a pro. She will make eye contact with someone as she stares at their penetrating eyes making them feel like she is speaking to your soul while simultaneously undressing you. I looked to my left and there was a girl in jeans that if they were any tighter, she would have popped out of them. Her eyes stayed on Mansou the entire performance. What struck me was the power Mansou had over males and females alike as their mouths gape over her command of the stage. One girl I spoke to spoke of wanting to give Mansou a carnal lesson, although she did slyly smile and tell me how she would settle for the sizzling lead guitarist (Dave Justo). Not since the mid-90’s ascension of Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette have I seen a woman unite two sexes who simultaneously has men and women on their knees with her meditative and illuminating lyrics and her alluring stage moves. However, I wouldn’t be writing about this band if their live show was great but their music didn’t connect with the audience. After the show, I was given a copy of an updated version of Shed the Skin which had a new tracking order and an illuminating new song; “Still Cryin’”. It was a song that almost never became a reality. Mansou wasn’t sure if she could get in the right frame of mind to really deliver the lyric. She has the vocal prowess to sing the song, but could she make you feel her pain? The answer to that question is a resounding “yes”. “Still Cryin’” is a startling revelation where Mansou’s vocals are as naked as her soul. Featuring her most introspective and personal lyrics to date, the song is delivered is a hush like atmosphere. She sat alone in the recording booth and O’Brien coached her through her emotions because the lyric comes from a relationship that almost hits too close to home to sing about. However, Mansou closed her eyes, reached into the depth of her soul and knocked this one out of the park. Here is a song that easily could have been taken over the top in a vocal frenzy, but producer Obie O’Brien pulled the reigns in, added a string section and what we are left with is an extraordinary record. Artists are at their best when they bleed and “Still Cryin’” is the type of song where more than a band aid will be needed to heal the wounds, alas this is where art comes into play. We use art to heal us in ways that no bottle or prescription or doctor ever could. Artists purge their souls and in the process, they hopefully find a bit of solace in the process. Speaking to Mansou after hearing the song, I can hear the triumph in her voice. Not the type of victory where one nailed a great song, but one where she hurdled a mountain she wasn’t sure she could tackle. The beauty of her conquest is that now it’s out there to heal others.
After the show I spoke to the members one by one but it was with bassist Travis Smith whom I connected with the most. Despite the great debut record and throbbing live performance, he proved to me how serious Soraia is as a band. Almost every act I meet today talks about “making it” and how they are seeking fame almost immediately. Travis spoke of the Beatles and how they honed their craft in the clubs in Hamburg in the early 60’s. He isn’t telling me about dreams of grandeur and selling out stadiums, but about playing music. Travis is an artist who gets it and only the third one in the last decade who really understand what has to be done to make it. While he’d love a little extra money and notoriety, he is aware of the dues that have to be paid. We talked about Dylan’s astonishing poetic ness, Prince’s alien like talent and how the Beatles were the best because of all the time their invested in their craft and how if every other artist put in as much time, the rest would take care of itself. He understands that great artists are not born over night. There is more to showing up for a television audition and winning a contest. You have to then go out and make music that people relate to. Why do so many of these television stars stumble when it comes to their own music? Because it’s not genuine. Five minutes with Travis and I knew he was one of the most authentic musicians I’d ever encountered. It’s not about fame or glory, but the music. Show by show, song by song a relationship is built between a band and their fans and Soraia is on their way to building it. What makes Soraia different from other acts is that they feel real. There is a sense of authenticity to their music and their live show.
Seeing Soraia live is an exceptional experience showcasing the immeasurable talents of this band. Soraia are a club band who performs with arena-rock muscle tone with each member being integral to their sound. Make sure you check them out in clubs…while you still can. They will be opening for Bon Jovi in front of 23,000 people on June 25th at the Marcus Amphitheater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Forget television talent shows were people sing other artists songs, this is the real thing. You can see it in the band member’s eyes, you can feel it in their music and most importantly, you can feel it in your soul.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil Film Review: 4-Stars By Anthony Kuzminski
Read my DVD review of the film here Read my review of their latest album This Is Thirteenhere
I’m sitting in a small suburban movie theater just outside of Chicago and the audience is roaring with laughter, cheering at the screen, banging their heads, thrusting devils horn hands to the air and at select moments, shedding a few tears along the way, which my wife did a few times throughout the 90-minute experience that is Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Much has been written about the film and what was once a fringe metal band is now almost a house hold name. The short of it is that Anvil is a band whose influence is infinitely larger than their wallets. The film begins with admissions of admiration from Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Slash and Lemmy from Motorhead all singing the band’s praises. However, despite the millionaire’s admiration, the current day-to-day life of Anvil’s two original members, Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner is anything but paradise. Despite being together for the better part of three decades, the band has little to show for it. They play mostly small clubs where cover bands bring in more people, but despite all of this, Lips and Robb remain undeterred which is the center and heart of the movie.
Anvil! The Story of Anvilis an all too familiar story that isn’t told very often. For every rock star you see living it up, there one-thousand who are struggling to make ends meet. Lips and Robb are no different. They work nine-to-five jobs and when Anvil is alive and well…it doesn’t always mean the awoken beast produces a paycheck. After a disastrous European tour, Lips optimistically reminisces that at least there was a tour for things to go wrong on. Talk about optimism. Watching this film can be disheartening at times because of the sheer amount of bad luck they encounter surpasses Spinal Tap levels. Any other human being would call it a day, put on a suit and tie and that would be the end of it; except for Anvil. Trying to make money from your art is a near impossible task and the film shows all of their struggles, warts and all. Most rock documentaries find artists trying to come to terms with their art, their success and how time has changed the relationships of those around them but Anvil’s story is one of survival on an every day level. What makes this rags-to-rags story so involving is Lips and Robb. You immediately find them loveable and looking upon their circumstances, you begin to think to yourself how you could very well see yourself in their shoes. You see them work their every day jobs, on tour, recording a new album and performing in a club where there s virtually no one there. In the end, when the film was over my wife told me, “I want to go out and buy something of theirs and support them because they deserve it”. When I was speaking to my friend Tom Trakas (former or Midwest Metal magazine and now found on the None But My Own Blog) he pointed out that while this story of struggle is universal, it wouldn’t be as engaging with other individuals. There are numerous of vile people in the music industry; Lips and Robb are not among them. These two men are dedicated and true to themselves. How many people do you know in your life who continues to forge ahead with a dream when it has all but been extinguished? These guys are in their fifties, haven’t had a hit of any kind in over two decades and their art does not reap financial rewards. But when you see them talking about how this is going to be “the album” that opens doors for them, you don’t scoff or laugh at them, you admire them because despite the up hill battle they are about to encounter, they remain undeterred. How many people have the bravery to see their dreams through? Not too long ago, my friend and I were all young and full of hunger and how we were going to make some kind of impact. Ten years on from college, virtually all of us have settled into complacency (which there is nothing wrong with) but the main reason we did is because fighting for our dreams would ultimately be too hard, time consuming and ultimately heartbreaking. The members of Anvil haven’t just had their heart broken a few times here and there, but they have had them decimated along the way by anyone and everyone who would step on it. Their families are interviewed and support Lips and Robb, but they realize that the ship has sailed and are waiting for their partners to come to this realization as well. However, in a day and age of extreme pessimism, this is a film that warms you, stays with you after the light come up and more importantly, it is a reminder that anything is possible. However, instead of placing your hopes and dreams in some fictional world of make believe, Lips, Robb and Anvil are very real and ultimately, it is what makes the film so remarkable because it reinforces the hope.
During the recording of their thirteenth album in England, things come to a head where it appears the band has broken up. But just when you think they have reached the end, comes a scene with humor and heart. The emotion that flows between these two friends is astonishing. There are highs, lows and even physical altercations with harsh words spoken, but ultimately, these two men come together in what most people would deem a great love story. We walk through life like zombies en route to our graves, but Lips and Robb aren’t going down without a fight, no matter how long they have been fighting. Anvil! The Story of Anvil isn’t merely a impressive rock documentary, in fact, it’s far bigger than even a documentary, it’s one of the most appealing and earnest films you will ever see and that is why it has a place on my year end Top-Ten list of Best Films of 2009 secured.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
