The Metal Thread

[Moss]

I saw Poison when I was 16. Maybe 17. Tesla opened. bwahhhhh! It was a free ticket, but felt like a fish outta water 'cause my favorite bands at the time were the Cult, the Smiths and pretty much every one else on 120 Minutes.

 

No love for Crue? No

Cinderella? Not really

What about WASP? No

RATT? Yes

How about Lita Ford? No

WINGER!!!!! (remember Stewart on Beavis and Butthead??) No

Megadeath? Yes

Dio? Yes

I'm just throwing bands out there -- I do like a little Crue some times.

 

I think Decline of the Western Civilization 2 pretty much showed what a bunch of scum/douche bags alot of these dudes/bands were. (I'd love to see Decline 1, been a long time since)

 

Actually I like some stuff from just about every band. I thought Ratt was a cut above a lot of those bands, Maybe because I like Warren DeMartini's guitar playing.

I'm more of a Sabbath, Priest, Megadeath kind of guy.

[Wild Frank]

I'm not sure what they are up to these days by Queensryche were a top band back in the day. 'Operation Mindcrime' and 'Empire' were two great albums. Prog Metal I suppose you would call it. Are they still going?

[Analogman]

I'm not sure what they are up to these days by Queensryche were a top band back in the day. 'Operation Mindcrime' and 'Empire' were two great albums. Prog Metal I suppose you would call it. Are they still going?

 

Queensryche - American Soldier

[Analogman]

I forgot I read about this when the message board was down. I figure this will kill any original Black Sabbath line-up shows or albums happening any time soon:

 

Ozzy Sues Over 'Black Sabbath' Name

Ozzy Osbourne

June 01, 2009 12:14 PM ET

Gary Graff, Detroit

 

Even as the third incarnation of Black Sabbath - now doing business as Heaven & Hell - prepares to tour to promote its new album, "The Devil You Know," a battle is raging over who should own the Sabbath name.

 

Frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who left the band in 1979 and returned in 1997 for periodic touring and a live album, is suing guitarist Tony Iommi, accusing him of falsely assuming ownership of the Sabbath name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The suit contends that Osbourne's "signature vocals" were responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting its decline in popularity after he left the first time. Osbourne is demanding a 50 percent share of the name for himself as well as a split of monies earned while he was not in the band.

 

Iommi has not yet responded to the suit, but prior to that he acknowledged to Billboard.com that a desire to avoid "legal issues" was behind adopting the name Heaven & Hell for the currently active lineup that includes himself, original bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler, singer Ronnie James Dio (who replaced Osbourne in 1979) and drummer Vinnie Appice. And whole he acknowledged that having another name for a band that had recorded as Black Sabbath "does get confusing," he maintained that it portrays the current group's repertoire more accurately.

 

"I think if we went under the Black Sabbath label it would cause problems along the line," Iommi said. "People would expect us to be playing 'Iron Man' and 'Paranoid' and other stuff from (the Osbourne era), and that wasn't the idea with this lineup. The idea was to play all the stuff we've done with Ronnie, and that's why we're using the different name."

 

Heaven & Hell, which reunited in 2007, is currently on tour in Europe and begins a 15-show North American swing on Aug. 7 in Vancouver.

 

Osbourne has also reached out to Iommi in a public statement released by his publicist, which reads:

 

"Since 1997 when Geezer, Bill (Ward, the group's original drummer) and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'Black Sabbath,' which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively...Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright. We're all in our 60s now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing."

[Moss]

I'm not sure what they are up to these days by Queensryche were a top band back in the day. 'Operation Mindcrime' and 'Empire' were two great albums. Prog Metal I suppose you would call it. Are they still going?

 

I absolutely love Operation Mindcrime. Listened to that one a bunch. Some great music and lyrics on that one.

[mountain bed]

Aman, I REALLY hate to hear stuff like that (legal proceedings, etc.). These things nearly always seem to happen with the classic groups from the past that have any relevance. Young men (or women) with the desire to make their music heard work their asses off for recognition, get said recognition, and the fame that comes with it...and then turn into a corporation. With all the bureaucracy and back-biting that accompanies it. Just sick-making. Somewhere along the line the (naive) aspirations get so perverted. And the original camraderie disappears - "I'll have my people get with your people", etc.

 

This ain't what RxR is about.

[Analogman]

I have a feeling Sharon is really the one behind the lawsuit. I read somewhere that Tony has owned the name for a long time, so it seems odd that Ozzy is doing this now. His solo career seems to be in the toilet, so that may also have something to do with it. I doubt the Osbourne family is hurting for money.

 

From Eddie Trunk's site:

 

Ozzy Osbourne has filed a lawsuit against his Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi, claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

 

Osbourne is suing Iommi for a 50 percent interest in the "Black Sabbath" trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name.

 

The Manhattan federal court suit also charges that Osbourne's "signature lead vocals" are largely responsible for the band's "extraordinary success," noting that its popularity plummeted during his absence from 1980 through 1996.

 

In a statement released Friday, May 29th, Ozzy says about his decision to sue Iommi, "It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long-term partner Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse."

 

"As of the mid-1990s, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of 'Black Sabbath' was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name Black Sabbath) was reduced to performing in clubs. Since 1997, when Geezer [butler, bass], Bill [Ward, drums] and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world. We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'Black Sabbath,' which led to the band being inducted into the U.K. and U.S. Rock And Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively."

 

"Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the 'Black Sabbath' brand through Ozzfest, touring, merchandising and album reissues. The name 'Black Sabbath' now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour."

 

"Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright."

 

"We're all in our 60s now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone."

 

"Please do the right thing."

 

Osbourne added in a separate online post, "I am very saddened that I've had to take legal action against Tony. This is something that I've tried to avoid for years. I am not Geezer or Bill's voice. However, 'till the day I die I will not change my mind on this issue. The Black Sabbath trademark should be equally owned by Geezer, Bill, Tony and I as the true Black Sabbath lineup is Tony, Geezer, Bill and I. We've all been mates since school. I've always said there is an invisible thread that holds us together."

 

"Tony, let's get this ridiculous issue sorted and move on with our lives. You're 61, I'm 60. I hope that we've got a good 20 years left in us. But if not, God forbid something happens to you. What's going to happen to the Black Sabbath trademark? Who's going to oversee it? Don't you think after we're long gone the rights should stay in your family, my family, Bill's family and Geezer's family?"

 

Ozzy's suit follows one filed by Iommi in December 2008 against Live Nation. In that filing, Iommi claims the concert giant sold merchandise bearing the band's logo, despite the 2006 expiration of a merchandising deal, reportedly worth nearly $80 million. Soon after that agreement concluded, Iommi reclaimed the band's trademark.

 

Iommi's suit argues Live Nation continued to sell more than 100 items of merchandise featuring the band's likeness, name and logo, despite the receipt of cease-and-desist orders from the guitarist's camp. Iommi's suit seeks damages in the amount of three times the profits from the merchandise sales, plus a halt to the Black Sabbath product sales

.

[Analogman]

 

Well, if that's you, Heaven & Hell wants to hear from you. The site also calls him a "Superfan". I can't say I agree with that terminology. I'd agree with "overly loud, borderline annoying fan that makes it uncomfortable to be a respectable metal fan" for sure. But not "superfan".

[calvino]

 

 

That's great. I see nothing wrong with that. Gotta love Dio, the first one to reach out his hand. I think you posted the video of Dio talking about the fans, this video documents it pretty well.

[Analogman]

That dude sounds like Chris Farley - sort of.

[calvino]

That dude sounds like Chris Farley - sort of.

 

Yeah, I was kinda waiting for the guy to fall into the table (a la Farley).

[Analogman]

I was waiting for the security dude to put him in a choke hold.

[calvino]

I was waiting for the security dude to put him in a choke hold.

 

He seemed harmless. (annoying yes.)

[Analogman]

I wonder who was wearing the glove - Tony or Geezer?

[Moss]

Hah! That was funny. Very Farley-like. Geezer must have a thing about Germs but I suppose you are shaking quite a few hands of some interesting people.

[Moss]

This is interesting, something I did not know about British steel:

 

From interview with Rob Halford at RollingStone.com:

 

With the group revisiting British Steel this summer, where was Priest at when you started work on the album?

It was a very interesting time for us. I've always believed that most times, the best material from any band is their first two releases. Priest is a little unusually different in that manner, because this was our sixth studio release. Suddenly, the band seemed to change shape, and you get a very distinctive moment coming from Priest, in terms of the way the songs were written and the production. We'd just come off the back of mixing Unleashed in the East, and we were on a schedule to release a full studio album. We were burning the candle at both ends, because we had some ideas, but we didn't have enough.

 

So quite a bit of the writing took place at a house that was the former home of John Lennon [Tittenhurst Park, in Ascot, Berkshire, England] — Ringo was living there at the time. There was a lot of stuff going on in the U.K. — socially/politically, it was in turmoil with the Thatcher government and the unions, street fights with coal miners and the police. It was a really volatile bit of a revolution around the late '70s. I think some of that went into my writing as a lyricist. If you listen to the words and messages on British Steel, it's full of that angst.

 

Did you meet any of the Beatles during the recording?

Ringo was in Barbados or Bermuda — he has a second house there — so we didn't see him. But the house was full of Lennon, as far as the white room he'd made "Imagine." That's the room where Glenn [Tipton] woke me up, because my bedroom was above that room, and Glenn was clanging out the chords to "Living After Midnight" at 4:00 in the morning. He woke me up, I came downstairs, and said, "Glenn, it seems like you're living after midnight down here." And he said, "That's a great title for this song!" It's full of memories like that — walking around the lake where Lennon was rowing across in that "Imagine" video. I always will be a Beatles fan. If you want to learn about writing a good song, listen to the Beatles. It's as simple as that.

 

[mountain bed]

I just returned home from the WORLD PREMIERE of "British Steel". Dudes, my ears are ringing - but I had such a fantastic time!

 

The Priest came right out and did the whole LP right at the start. Halford had the crowd eating out of his hand. Still a great frontman. The whole band appeared to be having a great time. And the crowd was as cranked up as any crowd I've ever seen - they knew seeing these guys in a 2000 seat theatre was a special treat.

 

After the LP they wasted no time - went right into a savage "Ripper". Other highlights for me were Victim Of Changes, and Diamonds And Rust. They ended with the obligatory Another Thing Comin' that blew the roof off. I didn't a Green Manalishi, but wtf - it still was an explosive 100 minutes.

[Moss]

Loudest concert I have ever been to was Judas Priest at the Cow Palace in Denver for the "Defenders of the faith" tour. My ears were gone for several days. British steel is a great album, sounds like a good night to me. I love Victim of Changes.

[Analogman]

A new Alice in Chains song.(link leads to their official website)

[Moss]

A new Alice in Chains song.(link leads to their official website)

 

This sounds good, has the classic Alice harmonies and guitar sound.

[Analogman]

Finding that made me break out Sap/Dirt/Jar of Flies.

[bjorn_skurj]

Best band of the 1990s, was Alice in Chains. This sounds good - a friend of mine whose music judgment I trust above most others said they rocked when she saw them live in Vegas.

[Moss]

Finding that made me break out Sap/Dirt/Jar of Flies.

 

As far as I'm concerned they never put out a bad album. Even the first solo album by Jerry Cantrell (Boggy Depot) is really good.

[Analogman]

I never cared much for the other albums, besides those three. I wish they would re-master them, or do something about the sound in general - sort of like what was done with Ten recently.

[Moss]

Facelift has some great stuff but I do like the ones you mentioned the best. I thought the Unplugged was very good too. They are about due for the remaster treatment.