Month: January 2022

Pair Of Dice By The Dashboard Light

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This is a place where I admit things.

Age 14, I had heard of Meat Loaf but didn’t really know the words to a lot of his songs and could maybe only name four or five. This was still two years before he would burst back onto the pop culture main stage with Bat Out Of Hell II and the epic song that was everywhere.

I found myself in a position with a Columbia House contract to fulfill. Eight cassettes for a penny had been an amazing deal, but now I had to buy six more at full price, so I needed to choose wisely.

I knew Bat Out Of Hell was a huge album and I remembered liking what I had heard, especially “Pair Of Dice By The Dashboard Light”.

I had never heard a song with a baseball play by play in it before and the sexual metaphor was absolutely not lost on me, but I still thought it was completely plausible for the song to be called “Pair Of Dice By The Dashboard Light” because if you’re making out in the front seat of a car, this could ostensibly be your view.

Dice

This was way before google and the ability to easily find any song, including the lyrics, so all I had to go on was the radio announcer and any casual conversations where the song was mentioned, which were very few. It wasn’t until the cassette came in the mail that I realized what the song was called. I’ve never mentioned this to anyone, ever, I simply just changed my pronunciation moving forward and it was as if I had always known the proper title of the song.

I still have the cassette and holding it this morning brings me right back to those summer nights, lying down on my waterbed, listening to my walkman, marveling at how absolutely epic this album was. I remember feeling that this was the first album I’d heard that told a complete story, the songs connected, though separate. It was because Meat Loaf was 100% in character in every single song and it felt like you were following them all on the same journey of love and rock and roll.

Bat Out Of Hell Casette

There’s a great article by variety published this past week where Meat Loaf talks about Bat Out Of Hell – worth a read for sure.

And I do not remember the last time I saw this video, but it has been a loooong time.

Thoroughly enjoyable, and hilarious. Especially when he is trying to buy time before confessing anything remotely like forever love.

 

That same sense of humour kills me in another favourite, “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad”.

Imagine telling a girl, actually saying these words out loud, that you want her and you need her, but you’re never going to love her.

Oh, and that’s okay because two out of three ain’t bad.

 

If Bat Out Of Hell was catching lightning in a bottle, can we agree that Meat Loaf caught lightning twice?

“I Would Do Anything For Love” came out on Bat Out Of Hell II in 1993. Grunge was everything, Alternative music was blowing up, Rap and Hip-Hop are mainstream, and here you have a seven minute plus rock opera that you could just. not escape.

And with it, another misheard lyric and I’m going to use that whole “I was today years old” bit because it is actually true.

Watching the music video again today, at the 3:50 mark and thanks to the transcription, I was today years old when I realized the lyric is “Maybe I’m lonely, that’s all I’m qualified to be.”

My entire life before today I sang: “Maybe I’m lonely, that’s all a pile of fat can be.”

Watch the video and close your eyes and tell me you don’t hear it too.

 

A legend lost for sure and a unique impact on rock and roll like no-one else I can think of.

What is your favourite Meat Loaf song and why?

Also, I can’t be the only one to have misheard Meat Loaf – are there any other lyrics out there that have confused anyone over the years?

#RIPMeatLoaf

Empire State Of Mind

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The soundtrack to Empire Records lived in my five-disc CD changer for five years in the second half of the 1990’s. It never left, never got changed out, was always in rotation.

I’m in an empire state of mind today, meaning, to me, that I’m living in the past and not in the now.

This is only a bad thing if I have successive days like this because there is so much in the now and present that needs my attention.

But every few months I think it’s totally fine to go back to 1995 in my mind and just stay there for a little while.

I can’t wait for Rex Manning Day. I think I’m going to have watch this again for the umpteenth time this weekend.

 

 

Twenty Twenty Two

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Feeling these lyrics today. After a bum first week with online back to school, catching what I’m pretty sure was COVID and general shittiness, I’m ready to call a do-over to the first week of the year.

Favourite lyrics bolded.

Let’s Go.

 

Next Year – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Next year’s gonna be better than this year
Next year’s gonna be better than this ’cause
New Year’s Eve comin’ with a fresh kiss and
Next year’s gonna be better than this year

Next year’s my come up
I’ve been lackin’ but I can feel that it’s the one
All the last three-sixty-five-one sucked
Like God group texted the world and dumped us
Bah, bah, bah, you better watch my bounce back
Imma be the man in here
Glass to the sky, like we tryna grab the chandelier
I’d like to take this opportunity and toast to me
For bein ‘exactly who I’m supposed to be
‘Cause life is gonna do what life does
I don’t wanna look back and regret who I was
Let go of the expectations and then fire one
Forget the tally sheet before all my time’s up
And I know I gotta roll with it
I’m well aware the universe doesn’t owe me shit
I know that all of this pain leads to growth, I think
That next year’s gonna be better than this (let’s go)

I’m still an optimist, yeah
I got a lot to live on time
Ain’t foolin ‘that shit’
‘Cause next year’s gonna be better than, better than (go)

Next year’s gonna be better than this year (woo)
Next year’s gonna be better than this’ cause
New Year’s Eve comin ‘with a fresh kiss and
Next year’s gonna be better than this

I’m sick of missin’ out, sick of the fear and doubt
Imma get spiritual soon, live in the here and now
Alone in my room, but you gon ‘hear me loud
And clear, let’s start it at the top of the year
I want one last cigarette, one last sip of it
One last secret, one last little bit
One last upper, one last sedative
One last supper with the devil and his relatives
And I was gonna change my ways
I was just waitin ‘for that day to pull myself up out of that page
Run that route and make a play, so sick of sittin ‘on the bench
It’s finally to get in shape and livin ‘like a scrimmage
Thinkin’ that I’ll get another day now, no
I ain’t waitin’ for coach, marchin ‘band
Imma throw and parade in my zone, goddamn
Man in the mirror finally got on, fuckin ‘next year
The time is now to press go and I’m gone

I’m still an optimist, yeah (uh-huh)
I got a lot to live on time (yes)
Ain’t foolin ‘that shit’
‘Cause next year’s gonna be better than, better than (go)

Next year’s gonna be better than this year (woo)
Next year’s gonna be better than this’ cause
New Year’s Eve comin ‘with a fresh kiss, yeah
Next year’s gonna be better than this (again)
Next year’s gonna be better than this year (woo)
Next year’s gonna be better than this’ cause
New Year’s Eve comin’ with a fresh kissand
Next year’s gonna be better than this
Let’s go

* * * * *

Further Listening: Live From Pioneer Square

This version is SOLID.

 

 
 

Advent Calendar of 90s CanRock – Day 26 to 30

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Finally we reach the end – thirty days, no artist repeats, celebrating the best of Canadian rock in the 90s.

Let’s close out 2021 now, shall we?

Day 26 – Sarah McLachlan – Ice Cream

She was one of many acts to perform in the night. It was a CFNY event and I can’t remember the name or the venue for the life of me, but she was backlit with blue lights as she sat on a stool, centre stage, with her guitar.

“Sarah McLachlan,” I told a friend of mine who I knew was also into music.

“Who?” he replied?

Hard to remember a time when she was relatively unknown and up and coming, but I developed a huge crush on her after that first performance I saw. Bought the album the next day.

Chose this song in particular because if there is any day on the calendar that embodies ice cream more than Boxing Day, I don’t think I know it.

 

Day 27 – Bass is Base – Funkmobile

No particular memory associated with this song, only that it was hella played on MuchMusic back in the day.

The chorus is still catchy AF.

 

Day 28 – Big Wreck – Blown Wide Open

Sunny days walking around the University Campus, this song seeming to echo from every building. It’s one of those songs with a very specific timestamp in my mind.

 

Day 29 – Alanis Morissette – You Learn

I was ne of the last to get on the Alanis train, I freely admit it. This album represented such a 180 from her pop career that I had a hard time believing she was legit. The songs are great and I admit this album bangs, but at the time I could not see past my belief that she was just trying to cash in on a popular sound. I don’t think I truly appreciated her until she appeared as God in Dogma, that was when I was, like, okay, she might be cool.

One of the biggest and most popular names I posted about this month, but undoubtedly a huge influence across all rock, not just CanRock, in the 90s and very worthy of a spot.

 

Day 30

Here we are, and so many bands left to choose from… Leonard Cohen, Cowboy Junkies, Crash Test Dummies, The Odds, See Spot Run, The Inbreds, Wild Strawberries, By Divine Right, Philosopher Kings, Rheostatics, Barstool Prophets (my favourite band name ever)… hell, I could even post one of the four songs I like from the Hip…

So, who is it going to be?

I saved one of my favourite music memories for the end.

Spirit Of The West – Home For A Rest

While not my favourite song from the band (that would be “Political”, released in ’88, so not applicable for this calendar), there is no denying the impact this song has had and how many Canadians identify with it. I’ve been in Memphis, Thailand, Japan, South Africa and Australia and when this song comes on, Canadians hit the dance floor.

But my favourite memory is this one: I’m 18 and standing outside in line to get into the bar My Apartment on Thursday night. No fake ID and this was before every bar ID’d everyone, so I was trying to get in based on my looks and attitude alone, something I had recently “perfected” at the beer store.

I’d never been into a bar before that was not for an all ages concert.

The bouncer doesn’t even give me a second look and we enter. The door swings open and the first thing I see is a bar and people are dancing on top of it, to this song.

Everyone is happy, people are dancing everywhere, swinging each other around by crooked elbows, beer is spilling and there is laughing, dancing and singing everywhere. My emotion in the moment is perfectly encapsulated in the scene where Bart realizes he is going to be working at a Burlesque House.

Taking it all in, I remember thinking to myself, “So, this is what bars are like.”

And yes, at their very best, it is.

Advent Calendar of 90s CanRock – Day 21 to 25

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It’s the new year and celebrating a different 90s CanRock song every day is SO 2021, but I haven’t finished the recaps yet so still a couple more posts to come.

What I love though is that the exercise inspired me to choose a song of the day every day to reflect on – 21 days to create a habit and that sort of thing. You can catch the songs of the day on my Twitter feed.

Now, let’s get to finishing last year’s project.

Day 21 – Bif Naked – Lucky

Call The Office, sometime around 1998, my then girlfriend and I saw Bif Naked play this song. It was already sort of our song when it played at the pool hall we went to for our first date and we had our first kiss.

This brings me back to all the good times we had in our short relationship.

 

Day 22 – Blue Rodeo – Lost Together

An absolute campfire classic and one that is in heavy rotation for me when the guitar sees any daylight. One of the best CanRock songs of the 90s.

 

Day 23 – Tristan Psionic – 25 Cents

I’m in a bar in downtown Toronto. I can’t remember which one, but we had to go downstairs to get here. There are a bunch of bands performing and one of them is Tristan Psionic. I honestly can’t remember if they played this song that night, but hearing it again after so long brought me right back, so at the very least it captures the mood and vibe of what was an awesome night out, being underage, in places you shouldn’t be.

 

Day 24 – Barenaked Ladies – God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (with Sarah McLachlan)

This was a natural choice for Christmas Eve and I still remember sitting there, on the floor of the Horseshoe Tavern, for CFNY’s Acoustic Christmas where they performed this. I still can’t believe they got us all to sit on the floor. I can still feel the sticky on my hands, but it was such a great series of performers and such an intimate feeling… one of the best live shows I saw in the 90s.

 

Day 25 – Rymes With Orange – She Forgot To Laugh

Absolutely no date significance when I posted this on Boxing Day, I simply forgot this song existed as it never made the transition to digital for me and so has not been on any playlists, until now.

It embodies the whole spirit of both the hashtag challenge and this blog, rediscovering the music that has kept the beat to my life.

 

 

Day 26 to 30 will be posted later this week and we close out this chapter of the blog and move onto the sounds of the past and of 2022.