This Date in Rock History: KISS, Queen, The Kinks, The Beatles and more KISS by Scott Carr

October 28, 1997 - KISS: Carnival of Souls - The Final Sessions is released.

Carnival of Souls is the 17th studio album from KISS and it was originally slated to be released in 1996. The release was derailed by an announcement in early 1996 that the original KISS line up would be reuniting for a massive world tour. The album remained in limbo for almost 2 years before finally being released on October 28th, 1997. The album came out with little fanfare and went mostly unnoticed by the general public. Most fans call Carnival of Souls the KISS grunge record. While it is heavy and dark....it doesn't sound grunge to me. It has the heavy elements of their previous record Revenge but has an overall more serious tone lyric wise. The song "Jungle" was released to radio as the only single from the record but there was no promotion at all. Carnival of Souls would be the swan song for the Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bruce Kulick, Eric Singer line-up of KISS. Once they put the make up back on....there was no turning back. Originally Carnival of Souls was released on CD and cassette......2014 saw the first vinyl pressing of the record.

Side One
1.    "Hate"      
2.    "Rain"      
3.    "Master & Slave"      
4.    "Childhood's End"      
5.    "I Will Be There"      
6.    "Jungle"  

Side Two    
1.    "In My Head"      
2.    "It Never Goes Away"      
3.    "Seduction of the Innocent"      
4.    "I Confess"      
5.    "In the Mirror"      
6.    "I Walk Alone"      

October 28, 1977 - Queen: News of the World is released.

News of the World is the 6th studio album released by Queen. News of the World is probably best known for it's opening anthems "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions" ....which have been used at countless sporting events over the past 3 plus decades....but the album is loaded with other great tracks. The sound on this record was more straightforward than previous Queen records.....they streamlined their sound and went for a more direct approach......which for the most part worked. New of the World was a huge success for the band....selling more than 4 million copies in the US alone. 

Side One    
1.    "We Will Rock You"      
2.    "We Are the Champions"      
3.    "Sheer Heart Attack"      
4.    "All Dead, All Dead"      
5.    "Spread Your Wings"      
6.    "Fight from the Inside"      

Side Two    
1.    "Get Down, Make Love"      
2.    "Sleeping on the Sidewalk"      
3.    "Who Needs You"      
4.    "It's Late"      
5.    "My Melancholy Blues"  

October 28, 1966 - The Kinks: Face To Face is released.

Face To Face is the fourth studio album released by The Kinks. Face To Face is the first Kinks album to contain all songs written by Ray Davies, although Dave Davies disputes this fact by saying he wrote "Party Line." Two songs from the album were covered and released as singles prior to the album coming out....The Pretty Things did a version of "A House In The Country" and Herman's Hermits had a hit with the song "Dandy." Face To Face is a fan favorite and it began a string of great albums lasting through 1971's Muswell Hillbillies. There really isn't a bad Kinks record but the period from 1966 to 1971 is pretty magical.

Side One    
1.    "Party Line"      
2.    "Rosie Won't You Please Come Home"  
3.    "Dandy"      
4.    "Too Much on My Mind"      
5.    "Session Man"      
6.    "Rainy Day in June"      
7.    "A House in the Country"      

Side Two    
1.    "Holiday in Waikiki"      
2.    "Most Exclusive Residence for Sale"      
3.    "Fancy"      
4.    "Little Miss Queen of Darkness"      
5.    "You're Lookin' Fine"      
6.    "Sunny Afternoon"      
7.    "I'll Remember"  

October 28, 1996 – The Beatles: Anthology 3 is released.

Anthology 3 is a compilation album released by the three surviving members of The Beatles in 1996. It is comprised of rarities and outtakes that focus on the last 2 years of the band......from The White Album....through Let It Be and Abbey Road. The Anthology series was a huge success and Anthology 3 was the bands third No. 1 double album in a row.....the previous 2 Anthologies had also hit the number one spot. Unlike the previous 2 Anthologies....Anthology 3 did not contain any newly recorded material from the three surviving Beatles.....a new track was planned for this album but was not completed. Instead they opened the album with the track "A Beginning" .....which had originally been planned as an intro track to "Don't Pass Me By" on The White Album. "A Beginning" was composed by Beatle producer George Martin.

October 28, 1978: The NBC Movie Of The Week "KISS Meets Phantom of the Park" premieres. 

"KISS Meets The Phantom of the Park" was the 2nd highest-rated TV movie of the year. 

Seeing and Hearing Them (a)Live by Jim Brazytis

Seeing and Hearing Them (a)Live

Earlier this week, I had the pleasurable audio experience of taking in an acoustic performance featuring Paul Barrère and Fred Tackett at one of Cleveland’s newest concert venues, The Music Box Supper Club. For those not familiar with the duo of Paul and Fred, they are guitarists from the legendary group Little Feat. Even though Little Feat, which was led by its deceased founder and lead singer Lowell George, never achieved mass commercial success, they influenced many artists: from Dave Matthews to Jimmy Buffett to Bob Seger with songs, including “Dixie Chicken,” “Oh Atlanta,” and "Willin.”

The Paul and Fred show was exceptional! As I stated on my Facebook page, “It was like being at the greatest camp fire ever.” But, I couldn’t stop from wondering how great it would have been to see the entire group live fronted by Lowell. Of all the artists who have passed away before their time, Lowell George is one I wish could have seen and heard in concert.

So on my way home, traveling the rock and roll streets of Cleveland, I started to think about what other artists would fall into my category of “I Wish I Could Have Seen and Heard Them (a)Live.” Names and voices streamed through my head … Jim Morrison … David Ruffin … Kurt Cobain. All good - and I’m sure very entertaining – but not at the top of my list. 

So after some thought and scanning my iPod I arrived at the list below. Drum roll please! Presenting the Jim Brazytis list of “I Wish I Could Have Seen and Heard Them (a) Live” artists (in no particular order):

Bob Marley (Bob Marley & The Wailers) – I have seen Bob’s son Ziggy Marley live a few times, and it’s a fantastic reggae experience. That said, the chance to see one of music’s most captivating, transcending artists manning the stage with his dreadlocks flowing would have been better than a Jamaican meat pocket and a Red Stripe.  

Steve Ray Vaughan (Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble) – I still kick myself! November 1989, I had tickets to see Stevie Ray and Jeff Beck in concert at Cleveland’s Public Hall but due to having to pack for a trip the next day I didn’t go. Then in August 1990, Stevie Ray dies in a helicopter crash. What is so sad is that he was just starting to make some of his best music after getting sober. 

Michael Jackson – All I have to say is, “King of Pop!” He might have been strange - to say the least - but he was one hell of an entertainer. Wish I could have been witnessed to his moonwalk. Wooohhooo! 

John Lennon and George Harrison (The Beatles) – Of the four Beatles, the only one I have seen in concert is Ringo Starr. Ringo’s show gave me chills! A “Yellow Submarine” sing-a-long with a real Beatle! What would have been like to see the entire group onstage? And better yet, post-1966 when the music became transformational.

Eazy-E – Okay, this one is generational and has to do with drinking 40s of malt liquor in Cleveland’s Flats. If you weren’t in your late teens in the late 1980s you will probably be shocked that those of us now in our early 40s can still rap along with songs like “We Want Eazy” and “Boyz-n-the-Hood.” One clarification, we have graduated from beers like Olde Engish to craft beers.

Lowell George (Little Feat) – Summed up earlier.

So, as the Rolling Stones said, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and since these artists are now jamming alongside the angels, or in some cases demons, I will never get to see them live onstage. But in a nod to Mr. Lennon, I can “Imagine” what it would have been like.

Hate to say I told you so...The NCP tackles the Jacksonville debacle and beyond.

So, what happened in Jacksonville?

Big$:  OK everybody take a deep breath, close your eyes and imagine Jay Locker never suffers a 1st-half concussion against the Browns.  What ensues is a horror-show that would rival anything basic cable is going to trot out over the next week.  Folks, that’s a much closer representation of who the Browns really are as opposed to the spunky upstarts Disney Sports (aka ESPN) painted them to be after one Steelers victory.  I agree that they seem to be headed in a better direction than during the Shurmur/Chud era, but heck, fans of the Washington Generals had more reason for optimism during that span.  The scum of losing isn’t going to be scrubbed away with one victory.  I envision a three-prong process towards that end: perseverance - consistency - excellence.  They can begin that process by bouncing back from last week’s loss against the Jaguars.  The key to sparking this turnaround is going to be the veteran leadership.  Joe T., Hoyer, Whitner, Dansby, etc., are going to have to prove their worth both on and off the field. Whether this will occur remains to be seen but what happens this Sunday will tell us a lot about the real direction of the 2014-2015 Browns.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  What is it like to be a Browns fan?  I am like a guy that can’t stop loving a woman that continues to cheat on him and do him wrong.  Every time I think she has changed her ways and things are going to be good from now on, she goes and breaks my heart again.  My hope is that last week’s ass-whoopin’ at the hands of Jacksonville was akin to my allegorical girlfriend having a harmless happy-hour flirtation, and not her telling me, “I’m pregnant with your brother’s baby.”  Based on last week’s game, however, it is hard to tell.  Missing Alex Mack at center really seemed to eviscerate the Browns offense.  Although the movement of John Greco to center from guard and pulling Paul McQuistan off the bench to fill Greco’s spot worked well in the 2nd half against the Steelers, the interior of the line struggled against a statistically poor Jaguars defense.  It seemed that the Browns could not cut off the linebackers when run-blocking, particularly on the backside.  As a result, the Browns, who entered the game with the second best rushing attack in the league was held to just 69 yards on 30 carriers, for a miniscule 2.3-yards-per-carry average.  The team was often left facing 3rd down-and-long situations and could not convert because Brian Hoyer threw the ball like total shit, missing some wide-open targets, and when he was on the mark, the receivers had some uncharacteristic drops.  (I’m looking at you Andrew Hawkins.)  Hoyer’s numbers were bad, 16 for 41 and 215 yards, and he looked even worse compiling them, as the team managed just 284 yards.  For its part, the Browns D also struggled against the run, allowing 127 yards to Denard Robinson - yes, the former Michigan quarterback.  Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but it was the timing of those yards that killed, as he kept drives going by moving the chains on 3rd down.  The pass defense was not terrible, picking off rookie quarterback Blake Bortles three times and limiting him to 159 yards, but he left the stadium with a “W” and the Browns left with a black eye. 

Who would I start LeBron over this week?

Big$:  Keep in mind, this is Lebron 2.0 were talking about. He returns with a blend of championship experience, humility, talent and strategic know-how rarely seen in any field. With that said, I’d like to put LBJ in charge of the locker room this week.  Let Pettine get a clipboard and take notes from a true champion and hope some of the King’s excellence rubs off on him.

K-Dubs, the Soldier:  I would like to see Bron-Bron line up at guard instead of Paul McQuistan this week.  Even with his off-season weight loss, I think Lebron is still big enough to play guard, and he is definitely quick enough to play in the zone-blocking scheme.  We need him to help open running lanes for the Browns trio of backs.  Plus defenders couldn’t see over him, so they wouldn’t know when to put up their hands to bat down Hoyer’s passes.

What is your prediction for this week?

Big$:  Raiders interim coach Tony Sparano and Pettine have a history, which means they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.  With this knowledge comes the ability to plan for and exploit said strengths and weaknesses.  I think both teams are going to load the box and, just like the Jaguars, I expect the Raiders to bum-rush the middle of the Browns O-line with Alex Mack sidelined.  It is my hope that Browns are twice shy and plan accordingly through formations that utilize a fullback or H-back, etc.  I trust that Kyle Shanahan can achieve this and for the 2nd time in 3 weeks I will defy my better judgment and predict a Browns 21 to 7 victory.

 K-Dubs, the Soldier:  For the second week in a row, the Browns are taking on a winless team with a rookie quarterback.  The Raiders have handed the team over to Derek Carr, who has gotten good reviews for his work so far (60.5 completion percentage, 8 TDs, 5 Ints), but they still rank last in the league in scoring at 15.3 points per game and total yards per game at 282.7.  They also rank last in the league in rushing at 69.3 yards per game.  This is good news for the Browns, who made Robinson, a former college quarterback that doesn’t even tie his shoes, look like an all-star last week.  The key when the Raiders have the ball is keeping them in 3rd-and-long and confusing Carr in terms of coverage.  Keep an eye on a potential match-up between Browns cornerback Joe Haden and James Jones, the Raiders’ top receiver.  If Haden can lock James down, the Browns can further limit the Raiders’ passing game.  On the other side of the ball, the Raiders aren’t much better.  They give up the 8th-most points in the league (26.3), and their 3rd-down conversion rate will blow your mind.  Teams are converting on 53 percent of their 3rd downs!  (Not a typo!)  If the Browns can keep the sticks moving and keep the ball away from Carr and the awful Raiders offense, I think they can chalk up a win this week.  The key again will be the play of the interior of the offensive line.  For the new line-up, I expect having another week of work under their belts will better prepare them to take on the Raiders’ base 4-3.  Look for the Browns to control the clock on the way to a 24-10 win.

Baver's Picks, A Visit to Happy Valley and Colin's CFG Questions

Follow Baver on his trip to Happy Valley. Twitter: @baverbuckeyebag

I  noticed in this week's Buckeye Bag that you don't like the Buckeyes to cover at Penn State. You haven't missed a Buckeye pick this year. What is your level of confidence in this one?

Not highly confident, but I think Penn State is the play here (against the spread).  When you are rolling, at some point you usually get a reality check….and I just see this week being that reality check.  The extra week of prep (after a bye week) for a James Franklin coached team is the big factor for me.  Hope I’m wrong, as I obviously want the Bucks to keep rolling.  I do think the Bucks come away with the win and ultimately head to East Lansing with a 7-1 record two weeks from now.  And if the Bucks get the Nits down a few scores early, they may steam-roll them, like the last four opponents.  After I said Raekwon McMillan was (basically) “playing like a freshman,” his play in the Rutgers game may be the turning point that really gets him going.  Something tells me he plays a big roll Saturday night, but I am still worried about this game, and still say take Penn State and the points.  The noise will be tough for first-year starter JT Barrett to deal with.

Give us an update on your picks to date and what games & lines jump out at you this week?

I’m 13-8 ATS, hitting 11 of the last 15, and 5-0-1 ATS in Buckeye games.  There is little I like this week, and the spreads I have been looking at haven’t moved much.  Vegas does a better job establishing the initial game week lines as the season goes on.  But, to stick with how I’ve been doing this, I will pick three games.  I am going to go against both Ole Miss and Mississippi State, both of whom have huge targets on their chests now, and both of whom have tough road games.  I like Kentucky getting the 13 1/2 at home against Messy State and I like LSU, at home, at night, getting 3 ½ against the Rebels.  With Kentucky and 2nd year head coach Mark Stoops (5-2 ATS this year), the future is bright; the Wildcats keep this one close.  LSU has covered back to back games and is showing signs of life.  Lastly, I think UCLA will start to pull things together here in the 2nd half of the year; Jim Mora will get UCLA back in the top 10.  I like the Bruins laying 13 ½ at Colorado.

Notre Dame sure looked like the real deal last week. Is this good news for the perception of Midwest football or a threat to future OSU dominance of the region?

Notre Dame is indeed a good football team and I think they still have a shot at the playoff.  But, their remaining schedule is brutal: with road trips to Navy, Arizona State and USC, and home stints against Northwestern and Louisville.  It was the right (pass interference) call at the end of the Fla State – Notre Dame game, but give the Irish credit for coming that close to upsetting the ‘Noles in Tallahassee.  Are the Irish a threat to Ohio State’s dominance in the Midwest?  I’d say, “somewhat.”

It sure looks like MSU is going to kick the unholy hell out of Michigan this weekend. Is it just that simple?

Yes.

Speaking of getting the unholy hell kicked out of you, what happened to Texas A & M last week and what team (s) are the best in the SEC?

Texas A&M is reeling big time.  And that was a Bama team that had not been playing well that spanked them.  I just think A&M is out of gas, mentally.  I still think Bama is the class of the SEC, followed closely by Auburn, who is followed closely by Georgia, who is followed closely by Messy State and Ole Miss.  The conference is very much up for grabs.  Big Ten fans are probably going to disagree wholeheartedly, but I think you have to put the SEC West champ in the playoff, regardless of how many losses they have and regardless of whether or not they beat Georgia in the SEC title game.

Back to the Penn State game….did I hear you were headed to Happy Valley?

Yes indeed….will try to even my record out at 1-1 in trips there.  The last time I was there?  Uhh….the last time Ohio State lost there, in 2005.  The students were a little hostile to us on that trip.  That was the first “white out” that I remember…it’s quite imposing.  The lion growl over the speakers (in person) is about as unbearable as it gets….probably how OSU haters view our OH-IO back and forth.  Have a friend, who is a professor at PSU, hosting a tailgate with his normal crew as well as our obnoxious bunch from C-bus.  Drinks will be flowing early Saturday.  Looking like ideal weather….knock on wood.  Will do my best to bring home a “W.”

Tim Skipper Returns to Columbus with Copperlily

The last and only time I saw Tim Skipper perform was years ago when his band was opening  for Watershed at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus. For some reason Mike "Biggie" McDermott had a big hard-on for his band and if you have read Hitless Wonder, you know full well that when Biggie gives marching orders, we take them. 

"Biggie, who are these guys? They look like kids. Why are they opening for us at the Newport? We have a list of bands who we owe this gig."

"You'll see, they are going places."

As usual, Biggie was right. The band turned out to be House of Heroes and yes, they were excellent even as teenagers before they went on to do all sorts of cool things.

Anyway, fast forward a zillion years to now and HOH founding member Tim Skipper is rolling through town with his new project, or side project, Copperlily. I don't know much about the band other than Tim and his wife Stephanie met while they were both signed to Gotee records in Nashville. One thing led to another, they got married and started Copperlily. It's a decidedly more low-key affair than House of Heroes, but once again, it seems to me this music is going places. I can only assume they are fans of Richard & Linda Thompson. 

Anyway, keep your eye on Copperlily and if you can make it out to the Rumba Cafe Friday, October 24th, you might see something special. Colin G.

Hi. We are Copperlilly. Tim Skipper (House of Heroes) and Stephanie Skipper (formally Stephanie Smith). We met several years ago while we were both signed to Gotee Records. This is a sneak peak of our brand new musical project! Follow us here, as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

Live in our living room! This song is called "Map to Your Heart" and will be on our first EP, coming soon.

Baver's Buckeye Bag 10/21/14 - OSU vs Penn State

Baver’s Buckeye Bag 10/21/14

Some random thoughts/comments on the Buckeyes after Rutgers & after 6 games:

--It’s a slippery slope with the issue of playing starters in the 4th quarter when you are up 5+ TD’s.  Meyer said backup O-linemen Joel Hale and Marcelys Jones were unable to go, which was why Jacoby Boren was in the game late before he left with an injury.  As for Barrett still quarterbacking a drive in the 4th quarter when the Bucks led 56-17, Meyer said he wanted more reps for his first-year starting QB.  What Meyer didn’t mention was the issue with OSU getting no respect in the polls, which is probably another reason for not cleaning the bench earlier.  (More on the polls in a second.)  If “style points” are part of it, I don’t think it really matters whether the Bucks beat a team like Rutgers by 30 points or by 50.  I still say, “just keep winning” and everything else will take care of itself.  I think the potential harm of leaving your starters in late during blowouts exceeds the potential good.

--It’s somewhat puzzling as to why Dontre Wilson hasn’t broken more plays; I thought Dontre would be taking more would-be moderate gains to the house this year.  From C-deck Saturday, I watched Wilson on a 12-yard run around the right end.  I shook my head, trying to think of a former Buckeye that would have gotten to the edge that quickly, and couldn’t come up with anyone.  But, why can’t Wilson break the big one on running plays, after catches, or on returns?  Someone told me they question Wilson’s top end speed, but I think the guy just makes too many wrong decisions with running lanes, especially on kickoff returns.  Nonetheless, Dontre Wilson is still a guy that needs to be heavenly involved in the Buckeye offense.

--The polls?  There is way too much griping by Buckeye fans.  The schedule is what it is – it’s been laughable so far and the Buckeyes lost at home, at night, to what is now a 3-loss Va Tech team.  How else do you rank teams besides awarding quality wins and punishing bad losses?  The good news is….in the long run, I don’t think it will matter – if the Bucks win out, they will be in the playoff.

--I don’t think Ohio State should look past this Penn State team, but the Michigan State game is now just two and a half weeks away.  How good is this Buckeye team?  We will know on November 8th.  I mentioned that beating Rutgers by 30 or by 50 doesn’t matter much in terms of polls.  It also doesn’t matter much in terms of figuring out “how good you really are.”  We will soon find out.

--This Buckeye team cannot afford to lose another DE.  With the loss of Spence for the season (likely), that left three DE’s that played in games prior to 2014.  One of them, Rashad Frazier, was injured in the Rutgers game.  As of Tuesday morning, the depth of Frazier’s injury had not been disclosed.  This doesn’t matter so much against teams like Rutgers and Maryland, but it will against Michigan State and a possible appearance in the B10 title game, followed by the bowl game.  True frosh Jalyn Holmes looks good, and is going to need to keep progressing with increased playing time likely in his future.

The matchup Saturday against Penn State:

I am in the minority here among Buckeye fans, but I fully expect Penn State to be ready to play Saturday night, and think the game will be close.  Penn State is a well coached team that is coming off a bye, and I’m always leery about giving good coaches an extra week to prepare for Ohio State’s rhythm offense.

Penn State’s rush defense is 1st nationally, giving up only 61 yards per game on the ground.  Their pass defense has been solid as well, ranking 22nd in the country in pass efficiency defense.  This will be freshman QB JT Barrett’s first game in a truly hostile environment, and I expect the PSU defense to take Ohio State’s offense out of their rhythm at times Saturday night.  The Buckeyes will need to take some pressure off JT Barrett, with this being the first truly tough venue/atmosphere he has played in: Ezekiel Elliott could help relieve some of that pressure. 

On the plus side for Ohio State, PSU simply does not have the talent to match up with OSU.  On offense, Penn State is having real problems running the football, which doesn’t bode well against Ohio State’s D-line.  The Penn State O-line will have to play better, and the PSU team as a whole will need to ride some emotion to upset Ohio State.

I think the game will be tight for at least two and a half quarters, with the Buckeyes doing enough late to pull out the “W.”  Prediction: Ohio State 31, Penn State 23.