THE 1996 DEP SESSIONS Iommi with Glenn Hughes (Rhino) *****
Originally released in 2004 by Sanctuary Records, this marks the first time this album has been released on vinyl, perhaps inspired by the overwhelming success of the Black Sabbath “Tony Martin Years” box set released in the spring.. What began as a couple of friends getting together to write and ‘see what might happen’ has turned into The 1996 Dep Sessions, so named after the studio where much of it was recorded. More melodic and soulful that what you might expect from the originator of heavy metal, Dep remains an immensely satisfying listen.
Sometimes the best things happen by accident. The 1996 Dep Sessions was never intended to be an official album release, but by the late 90’s a bootleg of the sessions dubbed Eighth Star was circulating amongst fans (I found it on EBay), so guitarist Tony Iommi and singer/ bassist Glenn Hughes decided a proper mix and release was warranted. Drums were originally by former Judas Priest drummer Dave Holland, an ex-Trapeze bandmate of Hughes’, but when Holland was convicted on what is now believed by some as a bogus rape charge, Iommi dodged the sex offender association by having Jimmy Copely re-do the drum tracks. Other than Iommi on guitars and Hughes on bass and vocals, keyboards are by Don Airey, Geoff Nicholls and Mike Exeter with additional bass by Neil Murray.
The 1996 Dep Sessions vinyl sounds just as good as the original cd release, but if you’re looking for a remix or bonus tracks you’ll be disappointed. To finally have this on vinyl is the real attraction and I’ve always loved the songs, having played most of them on my various radio shows over the years. Tony’s aggressive guitar with Glenn’s soulful vocals make a surprisingly potent mix, and the occasional use of acoustic guitar tempers the disc too. Released in 2004, Glenn Hughes told me on the phone that Iommi’s manager suggested Dep Sessions be issued as a taster for things to come on Fused, which Iommi & Hughes released a few months later.
I’ve always loved Tony Iommi’s guitar playing so adding Dep Sessions to my collection was a slam dunk. Sanctuary Records sent me the cd in 2004 to review along with an interview disc, which I still bust out from time to time; I bought the vinyl last month from Ditch Records in downtown Victoria, perhaps you’ll run across it in your happy place too.
HOT TRACKS: Fine, Don’t Drag The River, It Falls Through Me
ALL THE WORLD FADES AWAY Jim Cuddy (Warner Music Canada) *****+
I’ve been a Blue Rodeo fan for decades but am just onto this album, released in June. Cuddy, like so many other artists, found himself with loads of time to kill during the pandemic resulting in one of his best solo records. All The World Fades Away is like a chill visit from an old friend you haven’t seen in a while that leaves you thinking “Damn- I missed that guy!” This is Cuddy displaying seemingly effortlessly that he is a master of his craft.
“This record was written with no deadline at our little country place during the pandemic” Cuddy says. “I had a lot of time to examine things and some of those things included past relationships”, but few do melancholy reflection as well as he does. The latest single is You Belong, and he says what is described in the song actually happened, running into an ex-lover at an event where she blanked on his name. “I have no intention of rekindling anything” Jim states, and when asked how his wife, actress Rena Polley felt about the song he said “she’s not threatened by it. She knows this is art and not biography.”
With Jim Cuddy at the pen and at the mic it’s inevitable that All The World Fades Away would sound and even feel like a Blue Rodeo record; lots of pensive, reflective, nostalgic lyrics and that mid-tempo groove that they absolutely own. Of the writing process, in an article I found on www.tinnitist.com he observes that “You sort of enter a dream state when you begin writing. And I’ve begun to wonder why some images have stayed with me over the years and some haven’t. So yes, this album is about looking back. When Blue Rodeo started, I wrote songs with the intention of playing them live. (Now) I write them more as short stories.” Here is a link to that entire article;
https://tinnitist.com/2024/06/13/albums-of-the-week-jim-cuddy-all-the-world-fades-away/
Overall I think it’s safe to characterize All The World Fades Away as gentle, warm, soulful company, without as much twang as one might expect from his day job. It’s as deep as you want it to be, and will become one of your best friends in almost no time at all if it isn’t already.
HOT TRACKS: You Belong, Everyday Angels, Impossible
EVERY ROME NEEDS A NERO Alfie Smith (Gilded Tooth Records) ******
Yup, 6 stars- that’s how much I’m digging Alfie Smith’s first album in ten years. Every Rome Needs A Nero is sparse, deep, dark blues… great acoustic guitar playing and a powerful, husky voice with some stark trumpet intensifying the emotion in some lonely songs. I haven’t been this bowled over since the first time I heard Matt Andersen. Sweet Jesus, this is really good.
This Hamilton-based bluesman has been a fixture on Ontario’s blues/folk/roots festivals and club circuit. It’s been a decade since his last record Come On In My Kitchen, so no doubt he had a ton of material to choose from for Rome. One song from his last record, All The Blues I Need, has been updated here as a rollicking New Orleans flavored number. “That song actually came out of an argument (my wife and I) had” Alfie recalls. “Nicole told me told me ‘you’re all the blues I need’ and I thought ‘that’s a good line, I’ll steal it’.”
The mainly laconic, laid back blues vibe to this disc spoke to me directly and immediately. As I spun Every Rome Needs A Nero for the first time, it felt like I was discovering music I was already familiar with… an odd yet delicious feeling. The disc is 8 originals and two covers, including Elizabeth Cotton’s Sugaree and Leonard Cohen’s Bird On A Wire. There’s a wide range of tones and themes here, and the musical contributions of some sweet Hamilton players is worthy of note. Troy Dowding’s trumpet work throughout adds an old jazz feel to the record and we also have keyboards from Jesse O’Brien (Colin James, Lee Harvey Osmond), drummer Dave Gould, bassist Justine “The Bass Machine” Fischer, Brandon Bliss on B3, with Melissa Marchese & Jenni Pleau on backing vocals. The result of all this creative energy converging on this batch of well thought out, moving numbers is so deep and soulful as to be almost beyond comprehension.
Sublime, beautiful and moving, Every Rome Needs A Nero is one for the ages.
HOT TRACKS: title cut, All The Blues I Need, Mule
MOFFAT Moffat (Secret Entertainment) *** ½
This is the debut release for this Finnish alt rock group. Inspired by 90’s grunge and prog rock. It’s noisy, a tad unruly, and a rockin’ good time.
On first- and second and third listens, Moffat feels like Rush meets The Ramones at Soundgarden’s house. The music itself is guitar-centric with a rough edge, and the lyrics of the songs favor social themes like individualism, discrimination and indifference. The hairy riffs, tempo changes and guitar solos keep you on your toes too, with the physical impact of early Black Sabbath… not a bad way to start.
I would guess that the rough n ready production style displayed on Moffat is something of a reaction to the often pristine and overly mannered sound of modern recording, and in that regard the band succeeds admirably; but I have a couple of problems with this one. One, there’s a sort of sameness to the songs, and to my ears the vocals have been dreadfully under produced. Aleksi Heikkila is a decent enough singer from what I can tell, but he sounds buried in the mix much of the time. Still, the overall feel and sound is definitely grungy- you gotta like that.
Moffat may not be the sound of greatness just yet but with the influences I’m hearing through these 9 tracks it would be fair to call this a promising start. I’d call Moffat a band to watch.
https://www.facebook.com/moffatband
HOT TRACKS: My Wolf, Home, Man-Child
