This Mother Love Bone record, Apple, is better than I remember. Too bad the singer Andrew Wood wasn’t able to manage his state. He died of a heroin overdose before this album was released. On the back cover there is a note: “In memory of Andrew Wood.” At the time I thought they were a little too perfect, too Seattle, too trippy. Some of the lyrics and titles still strike me as a bit uh… something, but the record has plenty of great riffs and hooks. My favorite song is a dirge, “Stardog Champion.” I’m a sucker for gang vocals from a bunch of kids. Check out the video, and stay tuned for the kinders at the end.

More about Mother Love Bone at Wikipedia.

• Artist: Scatterbrain
• Title: Here Comes Trouble
• Year: 1990
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1990 – Promo at a store I owned with my brother.
• Keeper: No

I love metal and comedy, just not combined. At least that’s true when the comedy is not so subtle, which is the case here. Scatterbrain are a group of tremendous musicians, and I’m sure their live shows were pretty fun. Here Comes Trouble is full of intricately arranged songs that no lazy bunch of slackers could ever produce, but the over-the-top jokes end up making it all seem trivial. Take a look at the liner pic below of the guys in Groucho Marx glasses. That pretty much sums up this album.

Possibly the most noteworthy thing here is the Robert Williams painting as cover art.

More about Scatterbrain.

Steve Vai -- Passion And Warfare

• Artist: Steve Vai
• Title: Passion And Warfare
• Year: 1990
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1990 – Bought it for myself at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

This isn’t the only Steve Vai record I own, but for some reason it’s the only one I can find. Hmm.

I love being witness greatness, and Vai is certainly a tremendous guitarist. Like most guitar hero albums this isn’t the kind of record you want to play often. The songs serve as vehicles for the guitar showmanship. Unless you’re a guitar hero or wannabe yourself, music is more enjoyable when the solos serve the songs.

That said, Steve Vai’s work is much more about the music than just the intense solos than, say, Joe Satriani. It’s also a lot weirder.