This is Your Life (Japanese Version Pressing) - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio

WARNING with all the passion that I sometimes spew on this blog - This is going to be a long post with lots of photos from the very pretty Japanese-pressing version of the Ronnie James Dio Tribute called This Is Your Life which is arranged by Wendy Dio. 
The Japanese version comes on obi-wrapped at the corner digipak with a booklet that is different as has extra info on the two extra bands (how can I resist Dio Disciple's contribution for the Japanese version) and also another extra booklet written in Japanese plus lyrics in English. Its very nice packaging.
I am very very very excited and really cannot wait for this album release.
 I really adore Ronnie James Dio, its like his voice is in ears my whole life... to see him sings live is an amazing experience, I still got shivers of the memory of him singing "Falling Off The Edge Of The World".  It so bleedingly touching..

 I'm the Man On The Mountain, The Man On The Silver Mountain.

Whether whole bands or individual members of Scorpions, Rainbow, Dio, Motorhead, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Whitesnake etc etc, taking part is already amazing in this tribute but when Metallica is reported to be taking part in this tribute, I think the status of this tribute cd change into World News as Metallica is such a huge attraction world wide.

I have never been so excited about anything Metallica for many years. But when they say they got a problem even choosing a song from Rainbow Rising (which I think is one of my favourite all time albums, and maybe one of the most influential heavy rock and metal album till now) and they decide to choose a four songs medley of KILL THE KING (Kill The King was a little late during Rising studio recordings so that's why it end up on "LLRNR" album but its already played as the opening song during Rising Tour) /TAROT WOMAN/ STARGAZER/ LIGHT IN THE BLACK, I was so happy. 
I was never this happy with regards to Metallica since.... LOL!! maybe Bleeding Me S&M version LOL!! Its almost UNBELIEVABLE Metallica is going to play this four songs as a Medley on a Ronnie James Dio tribute album. OK enough about Metallica participation now let me hear each song and talk cock about it... 

Intro (some Tony Carey please.. LOL!!)

Ronnie James Dio voice whether for Rainbow, or Black Sabbath, or DIO is the soundtrack of my whole life, since I was a little ignorant vilage boy,  So I am very excited on this release with some of the big names of music.

My only wish was if RITCHIE BLACKMORE for once, just for once, throwing aside all feelings or whatever... do or play or contribute something too.
In addition, I think this is not only a tribute to Ronnie James Dio, but also to those humongous names in music like Ritchie Blackmore, Cozy Powell, Toni Iommi etc etc..

So on the above three photos, you have notes, stories, reflections on Ronnie and also this tribute cd written by Malcome Dome, Koh Sakai, Eddie Trunk, by musicians who participate in this tribute and also Japanese pressing booklet has the extra notes by Tim Ripper Owens on Dio Disciples participation.



ok lets begin to the songs that colours my whole life!!! I am listening to each song and then just write it on this blog...

1. Neon Knights - ANTHRAX. Joey Belladonna is simply fabulous. Love to see him play drums on YouTube with his own band playing clubs doing covers. I think at Ronnie's memorial service he sang Man On The Silver Mountain??
I hope one day Joey Belladonna will personally record a full album of Tribute To Journey. He is the best singer Journey never have. Neal Schon should have chosen Joey Belladonna to replace Steve Perry in Journey. 
2. Last In Line - TENACIOUS D. A heart-rendering start by Jack Black. IS THAT A RECORDER SOLO?!!. Very Rainbow Eyes'ish. I wish Jack Black had followed Ronnie Dio live version style last verse of "we may never!never!never!never!never!never!never!never! come home!!".. 
3. The Mob Rules - ADRENALINE MOB. Over the top. Well..my opinion anyway..
4. Rainbow In The Dark - COREY TAYLOR. Do I contradict myself if I say I like to see Stone Sour on YouTube but when I was at Donington Park and on the first night Slipknot was playing the main stage headlining First Day of Download Festival 2013,  and I decide to exit, go back to my lodge place to eat and sleep because I find them live B.O.R.I.N.G, Sorry..., anyway nice version this one.
5. Straight Through The Heart - HALESTORM. Rocking female voice!!. Love this version. OK, I got to take note to surf the YouTube and check out this Halestorm band more. "RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!" I really love this version on second listen now!!
6. Starstruck - MOTORHEAD with SAXON'S BIFF BYFORD. Of course a 100% like for this version.
7. Temple Of The King - SCORPIONS. I am so scared to listen to this version. As a small village boy, before I discovered this techno trance breakdancers group called Iron Maiden, it was the Scorpions and Rainbow which were my dosage of introduction to the wonderful magical world of music.
So I was listening to this and I was like just gazing away... Scorpions performing Temple Of The King... WHO COULD HAVE IMAGINE THAT???

8. Egypt (The Chains Are On) - DORO. Why oh Why?? I love this Doro version but its a very old cover version!!. Ok maybe not many people have heard of this song thru all these years but Doro should still sing a new song. I would like to listen to Naked In The Rain by Doro version! Now imagine that!!
9. Holy Diver - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - Another old one released a few years back. Its nice to re-listen to this version.
10. Catch The Rainbow - GLENN HUGHES, craig goldy, rudy sarzo, scott warren, simon wright (basically lineup of Dio Disciples band). Its so Romantic!! This song has always been so Romantic. Even when OPETH plays this song live, and I watch it on YouTube for me its still so romantic LOL!!!
Anyway, the start of this song, its the intro of As Long As Its Not About Love from Magica. Craig Goldy's album anyway.
11. I - JIMMY BAIN/ROWAN ROBERTSON/Oni Logan/Brian Tich - Jimmy Bain plays with RJD in Rainbow and Dio, Rowan Robertson is introduced in Locked Up The Wolves. This is one of my most favourite songs on this tribute cd on the first listen.

12. Man On The Silver Mountain - ROB HALFORD/doug aldrich,vinny appice, jeff pilson, scott warren  - TOTAL HAPPINESS! I am smiling from ear to ear. Exciting!! the way this song was meant to be.
13. Rising Medley (A Light In The Black/ Tarot Woman/ Stargazer/ Kill The King) - METALLICA. NINE-MINUTES-OF-HEAVY-METAL-HEAVEN!!!. Oh My Goodness, its beyond my expectation!! Everything is so perfect, LOL!!! This is James best singing since ...AJFA!!! "oohh I see his face!!" haha, James will never be Ronnie but he is still damn marvellous here! hahaha.... Is there a video for this recording...?? OOHHH!!! Kill The King is ROCKING!!!! This is the Metallica that I so love last time!! Fuck I am typing this as I am listening, and now they revert back to Light In The Black... SURPRISE!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!! and ooohhh what a dramatic Kill The King ending!! What a full of twist medley!!

Ok, I don't really follow Metallica's current developments, yes just saw them last year though left before Seek And Destroy so there is still public transport LOL!!, and yes like some of you am also eagerly waiting for the coming Helsinki show bootleg just for the historic Frayed End Of Sanity request, but listening to this... I am so happy. Listening to this Medley, I got to say I love Lars, James, Kirk and even Rick?Rob?? or John or something?? the bassist HAHAHA. I am so happy!! ok listen to it one more time....WOOHOOO!!!
14. This Is Your Life - \m/   \m/ - I dont really understand the 90s trendy industrial revolution of Angry Machine album LOL!!!, even till now. But this is the last song on that album. Ronnie and just a piano. This is a very sad song. A very poignant song. Yes, if my wishes, if my dreams have been an eagle, how would I fly?? Fuck I had surely fly to outer space with the wishes and dreams I had!! LOL!!. Never mind, I am still happy with my shares in life. I am a Muslim, I believe in what God has for me,  and this is my life... though I just got to keep on trying my best to catapult onwards and onwards and onwards!! and let it be Magical....!!!
15. Heaven And Hell - STRYPER - The most holy heaven and unholy hell choices for both band and song LOL!!! A nice cover..
16. Stand Up And Shout - DIO DISCIPLES - Craig Goldy is in and out of Dio thru the years so its nice to listen to him with Dio Disciples with Dio's final line-up plus some well-known singers.

OK end of the album, and back to the real world LOL!.
I have completed listening, this album will be on my portable music player for quite some time to accompany me while walking and taking public transport.

ALL IN ALL, this is very very very nice tribute album. I really really love it.

p.s - Maybe one day I will take a photo of the collection of CDs that I have which are Tributes to Rainbow/Dio. The Germans and Japanese ones are so amazing... 
oohh and they dare to perform Rainbow Eyes these Germans and Japanese rockers!! LOL!! But I really like the voice of the speed-up Ritchie Blackmore's wife singing this song on one of Blackmore's Night album too although she will never ever be as good as Ronnie James Dio version. 
Its so bitter sweet song...a heartbreaking song that fits Ronnie's voice completely... ok I will stop now.

whitesnake - made in britain the world record double cd

Last quarter of 2011 saw Whitesnake played the South East Asia region.

Ideally, I would have like to see them play both Kuala Lumpur & Singapore. Unfortunately I got to catch only one. For many including myself - David Coverdale's voice and songs ( & Whitesnake's ) appears a lot in the soundtrack of our lives, so its nice to see him perform live. Anyway, he always has the big names to play with him in Whitesnake. ("you go to Push!" - dio.)

Like I say before, its pathetic to see an Indonesia band Slank opened for Whitesnake in Singapore, as if there is no good Singapore rock band good enough. (Lovehunters - yazid, moliano, sahar - would have make the place erupt although I did heard earlier rumour that Malaysia's Wings could be the opener.)
Worse, to see two girls (planted definitely in the crowd) coming up on stage to gyrate to "dangdut" music. I find it a total switch off and realising I should come later , although the irony is Whitesnake is playing immediately after, and we know what DC is capable of exploiting any moment haha, but of course I would pay money to see David Coverdale does or say anything because he is DC. 

Anyway, its a great show, the new songs from the Forevermore album were unexpectedly very very good, Deeper The Love was played and I was so happy with that,
and I think  compared to some parts of Asia, Singapore got a bit of " Lonely Days Lonely Nights "an additional "Bad Boys" at the end. With the amount of great songs Whitesnake (and DC's period in Deep Purple and with Jimmy Page) have, I would be happy with anything.
This is the write up on Singapore in the cd inlet.

ok come to the double cd.
Just looking at the content, and its already a killer. Worth getting just on the strength and amount of songs packed on both cds.

CD 1 is great but I love CD2 more, so how lucky some countries and places got - Slide It In.

"Pistols at Dawn" is king awesomeness from Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach.

Overall I like the vibe of the songs on both cds with songs like Burn keeps evolving with the crowds joining in on THAT Jon Lord solo. The songs sounds wonderful and loud to my problematic ears, The band is fantastic, David Coverdale is romantic one moment and being TARZAN at most other times haha.




Next change,
-
Look what I just got , - KRATON 'S the Nusantara Chronicles,  I like this album.

review Whitesnake - 1st Nov 2011 Singapore

Sample of David Coverdale stage banter last night
" F*%k me is this hot all the time? Splendid! Dont you like it when its moist? moist moist? I feel like moving here " haha.

This is a review of what I saw and heard last night at Singapore's Fort Canning Park of Whitesnake Forevemore Tour 2011 concert.

Firstly, I just want to say Singapore got two surprise extra songs ( one and a half but if you want to count that very short Slow N Easy teaser we got three songs haha) , a short Lonely Days Lonely Nights as a birthday song and also Bad Boys after Burn. David Coverdale even remarked whether they still remember the song. I think this is the first time the song is played on this world tour that had played many parts of the world already.

Talk cock in Malay a bit.
-Datang ngan selipar, bawak beg sling standy baju extra haha, musim hujan la siak. Kalo nak bawak payung, siak payung aku jenis lipat kecik2 ada bunga2, lawak lak tengok Whitesnake pegang payung pompuan haha
- Dah jadi macam habit lak, sengaja datang lambat tak kuasa nak tengok band openers. Semalam, Band Indon, SLANK. Aku tak kesah la kalo konsert Inul kat Singapore promoter panggil Slank opening. Tapi ni Whitesnake! Semalam jumpa kawan aku pun cakap sama " Takde band rock Singapore ke nak panggil?? Malek ke? ". Aku sebenarnya dalam hati nak kumpulan Lovehunters. Get it? Lovehunters? ada paham? dari mana nama tu? haha. Anyway nak kena harapkan band Indonesia? Memalukan la.
Dah la last song Slank panggil dua pompuan Indonesia kat crowd naik stage, joget dangdut je aku tengok.
A could be scenario
Foreigner " hey, is this opener a local band? ". "Nope, Indonesian". " What? You cant even have a local rock band to play tonite? ". Embarassing right?

ok ulasan Whitenake semalam..

Enjoying a show and recording a personal bootleg of the event especially outdoors with many people around having lots of fun is a challenge haha. But I am happy with the quality. At least not so embarassing if people wants a copy.

This is the setlist songs played last night, same and added extras compared to other places.
- Intro - My Generation ( The Who not the Iron Maiden version haha ).

- Best Years
- Give Me All Your Love Tonite
- Love Aint No Stranger
- Is This Love
- Steal Your Heart Away
- LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS ( acapella birthday song for a Bob who is in the audience last night )
- Forevermore
- Guitar Duel
- Can You Hear The Wind Blows
- Love Will Set You Free
- Drums Solo
- The Deeper The Love
- Fool For Your Loving
- Here I Go Again
- Still Of The Night
- Soldier Of Fortune
- Burn / Stormbringer
- BAD BOYS

- Outro - We Wish You Well / Always Look On Brighter Side Of Life



What I notice and interested enough to blog about it

- Doug Aldrich - The Dio guitarist for Killing The Dragon and a few other releases. So of course I like him as much as David Coverdale in the current whitesnake lineup.
He is like more high profile on stage compared to Reb Beach. Funny about him seating down for Forevermore and David Coverdale complaining the guitarist and drummer seating down like signing cheques or something like that.
Doug has more solos on the Forevermore album songs they played tonite.

Its interesting to see how they split the old Whitesnake / Deep Purple songs solos.
First solo Is This Love is shared.
Reb Beach guitar solo for
- Give Me All Your Love Tonight, Deeper The Love, Here I Go Again etc
Doug Aldrich guitar solo for
- Is This Love 2nd solo, Bad Boys, Still Of The Night, Burn, Love Aint No Stranger etc.

Drum Solo - Too long, I always hope they rather squeeze an extra song but definitely David Coverdale need to care for his voice and rest. I wonder how many drum sticks this drummer use everynight. Maybe they recycled?? haha.

Bass player - At the song Burn I thought it was Glenn Hughes at the Budokan mid 70s like what we all see in Youtube haha.

David Coverdale - he can still scream. He still got his voice for his age. Very good still although its too bad we only catch him in action now. Like he say " Why the Hell it took so long ?? " to come here I think thats what he means.

Band Introduction is funny
- Soon to release a book called " Waitresses I Have Known - bass player Michael Devin and they play a bit of Aerosmith's Walk This Way
- The Man With The Massive Organ - Keyboards player
- Red Corner, Crown Prince Of Porno - Reb Beach and they play a very short Slow N Easy.
- Blue Corner Lord Of The Les Paul - Doug Aldrich


Deeper The Love - They dont play the fading end part of which is my favourite the " never gonna let you go in my heart I know " section.
But this song makes me so fuckin happy. I was like smiling from ear to ear haha. BEST GILER SIOL ni lagu. Its like everytime I see Deep Purple and once they start Sometimes I Feel Like Screaming haha.

The crowd ( and even its a Tuesday crowd are many ) knows the older famous songs so its great everytime there is the crowd singing participations and David Coverdale ask the crowd to sing certain parts of the songs.
Everytime David Coverdale ask to clap or havent ask to clap, many in crowd co-operate haha. Sporting crowd, and this why Fort Canning Park helps to promote a rocking environment rather than the boring seating down of watching a rock concert.

What is all that flying around? Fruit Bats?. I think they love Whitesnake/Deep Purple music too.

After Burn, David Coverdale says Thank You, but then the surprise thing is the band members were not assembling in front of the stage for their bow.
And the crowd was not moving away... when I think majority in this internet age knows Burn is the last song of this tour, Some cheers of We Want More! from the audience.
David says " you want more? "
And they start to play another song.
HAPPINESS!! I thought I am not going to hear Bad Boys live. HAPPENING SONG!.
Doug Aldrich huhu really awesome on this song.

The way I look it, the band was on fire tonight. Must be the outdoor weather that they are not used to, and in fact its already cool as its rainy season. Or else it will be like what Andi Deris Helloween says at Fort Canning " Sweating like a pig! ". haha.

The New songs played last night are really nice... Forevermore gerek siak intro. Lain2 pun sedap.

The Outro tape is the song We Wish You Well and after that a big surprise to me - " Alway Look On The Bright Side Of Life ", which is also used by Iron Maiden. Very nice.


I see what I can do with the taping of the audio I did last night. Its all for my own satisfaction, but if its not too embarassing quality, I hope to share it.


p.s - First concert I attend for 2011, the 1st January Lovehunters show has Soldier Of Fortune being sung by Yazid, last night, which is maybe last concert for 2011 for me is also the same, but by the original singer haha.
So something fantastic for a fantastic song haha.

three serpents

"she's got eyes of the bluest skies as if they thought of rain"..
(click all photos to enlarge, as per normal on this blog )

First, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake





Second, king cobra ( ular tedung selar )

Dont Tread On Me.. ( hehe ).

janganlah terpijak kat mana2...

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Third,
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Ular Putih.
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Early Early Bird.... boleh? Aku? Ngan Band Indon Slank sebagai opener?

Konfirm Mat Salleh semua ketawakan Singapore...
" YOU NEED AN INDON BAND TO OPEN WHITESNAKE?? " , " YOU DONT HAVE ANY LOCAL ACTS ?? ".

Nak beli jiwa penonton2 Indon beli tiket show ni malam kot?
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THERE WILL BE A LOT OF BOOING AND CURSING TONITE DURING THE OPENING ACT I BELIEVE.




I cant make it for the KL one but the first few reviews are out - http://www.spadesmagazine.com/2011/10/31/whitesnake-live-in-kuala-lumpur-october-30-2011-gig-review/
http://darkshahrulez.blogspot.com/2011/11/whitesnake-live-in-depan-mata-aku.html
seems the show itself is fabulous unfortunately the crowd attendance is not.

Talking about tonight,
Susun berderet la penyanyi dari zaman rock 70an depan segala mat rock dan minah karen 70an yang skarang rata2 semua pakcik2 makcik2 nye pangkat..
David Coverdale memang ada dia punya tarikan yang buat ramai teruja.
So aku tak surprise ni malam untuk Singapore punye show ramai old timers turun tengok David Coverdale, Doug Aldrich and company perform lagu2 Whitesnake dan jugak zaman Deep Purple dia. I am going to love it. Especially looking at the just completed Japanese tour setlist they include Deeper The Love. ( the song that can compete with the ending of Wing's Sejati "kenangan itu!!", with the "never gonna let you go...in my heart I know...( fade ending ) ".

- Fort Canning, aku suka... berdiri atas rumput bawah cahaya bulan dan kalo hujan, basah kuyup la. Kalo tak mau diri, korang golek2 la atas rumput tu.
Harga tiket semua sama, (I always find in shows with staggered pricing tickets, you can find the more hardcore fans in the peasants seats faraway when they deserve to be right in front), so ulang lagi sekali - Harga tiket semua sama... aku suka... korang nak berebut depan atau lepak kat belakang, takde hal. Dan aku selalu baca kelebihan Castle Donington Park ( tempat lagenda Monsters Of Rock dan skarang Donwload Festival ), ialah sloping ground dia...satu tempat dari aku budak sekolah aku nak pegi, tapi rasanya tak boleh ah...kecuali aku tersandong harta karun, atau harta general yamashita.
Gitulah Fort Canning pun serupa.. sloping... best... walau korang diri atau golek2 kat mana pun..
Macam aku cakap.. aku suka...


In other news,

I'll try to start my opinion for the On Board Flight 666 book and post some of the content today or tomorrow..