RANDO : HSAS - Through the Fire

1984 / US

Geffen Records / GHS 4023

Allied Record Company Pressing / Quiex II

Mastered @ The Mastering Lab by Doug Sax and Mike Reese

     Even though I'm on the record as being less than positive toward Van Hagar, I was actually a big fan of peak Sammy Hagar. By peak, I mean Standing Hampton, Three Lock Box, and V.O.A. era Sammy. Through the Fire is a supergroup album, featuring Hagar and Journey guitar wizard Neal Schon, which came out right in the middle of that run of albums. I was quite excited about this release and picked it up on cassette. At the time, I remember hearing the tracks "Top of the Rock" and "Missing You" on the radio on solid rotation. I recently picked up a used copy of the LP, mostly because it was pressed on Quiex II vinyl. Quiex was a high quality vinyl that appeared black, but when held up to a light source was translucent and colored. My copy appears to be purple. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between the purple and brown Quiex. 

     According to Wikipedia, the only single from this album was their cover of Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale". Not a good choice by Geffen. As a result of some of my deep dives, I've become a fan of Procol Harum and this cover is not good. Sammy's vocals are weak and not even Neal Schon can salvage it. Other than that, it's a solid record. I'd probably rate it a 3.5/5. 

     I grew up in the golden age of A.O.R (Album Oriented Rock) radio. Neal Schon was one of the guitar heroes of that era, along with Gary Richrath of R.E.O. Speedwagon, Gary Moffett of April Wine, Tom Scholz of Boston, and Rik Emmett of Triumph. These guitarists never got the recognition of Hendrix, Page, Clapton or Van Halen, but they were all fantastic players with unique styles. Schon shows off his versatility on Through the Fire, setting aside his signature Journey sound in favor of a more muscular hard rock sound. However, why bring in Neal Schon and have him not sound like Neal Schon? Speaking of A.O.R, the next RANDO will be my 7" single of "Renegade" by Styx. Peace.

2026 Rock Hall Nominees

      So, I was going to come on here today to announce a new trajectory for Sound Mind, but then I saw the 2026 Rock Hall nominees had dropped. I'll get to the Sound Mind update at the end of this post, but here are my initial thoughts about the nominees. Let me begin by saying music is personal and no one ever agrees with these nominee lists. Once all the "no-brainers" were inducted this process has devolved into an exercise of agendas and gatekeeping. And I'm someone who loves the Rock Hall and what it represents. But it's clear the time has come to stop forcing mediocrity just to have an annual gala event. This list is preposterous. And truthfully, so is the fan vote. For what it's worth, here's my personal breakdown of the nominees. 

OASIS

     A polarizing bunch of wankers who don't care about the Rock Hall, but I love them and feel they should be in. At least in America, they were the face of Britpop. 

BILLY IDOL

     I would support him for a Video Music Hall of Fame, but not the Rock Hall. 

INXS

     While they have slightly more merit than Billy Idol, they aren't Rock Hall level.

IRON MAIDEN

     I suppose they belong in, but in all honesty I haven't listened to them in 40 years. They do have a legacy that merits recognition. 

JEFF BUCKLEY

     I like Grace, and apparently the precedent has been set for artists with limited catalogs being inducted. However, Buckley has had no real impact or influence in rock music. Thumbs down.

JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER

     Stop already. Pick one or the other. Neither should be inducted.

THE BLACK CROWES

     Is there a Hall of Fame for smoking weed? Their big hit was a cover BTW.

WU-TANG CLAN

     Yes. They are better than most of the other Hip-Hop artists who have already been inducted. 

PHIL COLLINS

     Peter Gabriel is in as a solo artist, so I can support Phil getting in as well. It does seem like they're throwing a bone to someone who is in poor health, because they developed a conscience for a second.

EVERYONE ELSE

     Are the members of the Rock Hall Foundation trying to kill me? PINK??????

     The actual reason I'm posting today is to announce a new series for Sound Mind. It's called Randos. I'm going to use the Random Item feature in Discogs and reflect on whatever album or single is selected. My intention is to make it through my whole collection, but that would take several years. The first selection was Through the Fire by HSAS. I picked this up a few months ago and you may be surprised at my thoughts. I am kind of a sucker for supergroups. Peace.

Goodbye Everybody, I've Got to Go

      I've reached a point in my life where I need to kill the dreams of youth, move on with whatever time I have remaining, and dream some new dreams. My oldest dream was to be a writer. In reality, it was just a delusion because I never fully committed to the craft of writing. When I was in college and the whole world was ahead of me, I went into Education so I would have a "backup plan" to being a writer. By the time I flamed out as a teacher, I was in a doomed first marriage, and settled into a series of retail management jobs. In 2012, I had an epiphany. I had come into possession of a couple record collections, and began to muse over what would happen to my music collection when I die. That, of course, was the genesis of Sound Mind. I decided to start a blog in order to force myself to write every day, with the end goal being a published book. Thirteen years later, I'm no closer to writing a book than I am to being the new drummer in RUSH. 

     I never created the Sound Mind blog with the intention of monetization or promotion. It was supposed to be a means to an end. After all these years, the end is still not in sight. It's time to pull the plug on my self-delusional vanity project. Hell, as far as I know, I'm just talking to myself anyway. Occasionally, I've had the vibe that someone was actually reading these posts, but I have no evidence to that effect. I have no followers or commenters. If anyone out there has been reading Sound Mind you have my thanks. I'm guessing it's mostly bots, though. But, like I said, that wasn't the point. In recent years, Sound Mind has strayed quite a bit from its original mission. Much of what I publish now has nothing to do with my collection or what will happen to it. It's just Deep Dives and other low hanging content. What's the point. And honestly, no one cares what will happen to my collection. Either my kids will keep it, or my wife will sell it. It's all on Discogs at this point. I may even start selling it off before I die. Sometimes, I feel stupid for continuing to collect records like I'm still 10 years old, but it fills a hole in my life. 

     Anyhow, this final post is mostly closure for me. If there really is anyone out there that enjoys reading Sound Mind, I'm sorry, but it's time for me to shut it down. In the immortal words of Queen, "Goodbye everybody, I've got to go". Peace Out. 

     

     

     

2000 Deep Dive: The Songs

      Every song in my Top 25 for the year 2000 is from one of my Top 25 albums, except one. There is nothing from the Billboard charts. The handful of chart singles I might have considered were actually on albums from 1999, so I didn't count them. The Eels and Grandaddy had some songs that almost made the list. So, not a super exciting list, but it is what it is. Peace.

25. WATCHING ME FALL - THE CURE

     Who knew The Cure had 11 minute epics with amazing guitar-scapes. 

24. SECRETS OF THE SEA - WILCO AND BILLY BRAGG

     A beautiful song from an otherwise middling project.

23. L.A. - ELLIOTT SMITH

     This song is packed with Beatles goodness.

22. DARK CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE - MODEST MOUSE

     I love Isaac Brock's lyrics and unhinged delivery. 

21. NOTHING IS GOOD ENOUGH - AIMEE MANN

     The voice of an angel. An angel who got messed over by her record label.

20. DUSTING COATTAILS - EYESINWEASEL

     Prime hi-fi Tobin Sprout. 

19. BEAUTIFUL DAY - U2

     Don't let it get away.

18. HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO - THE HIVES

     Great song for blowing off some steam.

17. WORK IT OUT - THE GLANDS

     Fantastic piece of garage rock pastiche.

16. BOHEMIAN LIKE YOU - THE DANDY WARHOLS

     The Dandys channeling The Rolling Stones. 

15. TWO LIBRANS - THE FALL

     I don't know what a "Libran" is, but this song kicks ass. 

14. ELEVATION - U2

     I enjoy when U2 rock out.

13. HELLO OPERATOR - THE WHITE STRIPES

     "Hello operator. Can you give me number 9. Can I see you later? Will you give me back my dime?"

12. LETTER FROM AN OCCUPANT - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

     Another great TNP track with Neko Case belting out the vocals. 

11. 3RD PLANET - MODEST MOUSE

     "Everything that keeps me together is falling apart".

10. MY FAVORITE HEADACHE - GEDDY LEE

     "I watch TV. What do you want from me?"

9. CALL THE LEGION IN TONIGHT - CENTRO-MATIC

     "Gavel drops! Chatter stops!"

8. CATCH THE SUN - Doves

     "I miss the way you lie".

7. WAITING - GREEN DAY

     The last great Green Day song.

6. WHERE'D YOU GO - J MASCIS + THE FOG

     This is classic J Mascis. Briefly considered it for #1.

5. MASS ROMANTIC - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

     This may be the perfect indie rock song.

4. EVERYBODY'S STALKING - BADLY DRAWN BOY

     "Maybe all I need, you need to. Don't wait for me. I'll wait for you".

3. THIS IS A FIRE DOOR NEVER LEAVE OPEN - THE WEAKERTHANS

     "And the silence knows what your silence means".

2. OPTIMISTIC - RADIOHEAD

     "The best you can is good enough". (Unless you're Aimee Mann and Geffen Records). 

1. THE CEDAR ROOM - DOVES

     "I tried to sleep alone, but I couldn't do it". 

2000 Deep Dive: Part Five

     I can virtually guarantee no one else has this Top 5 for the year 2000. But I love all of these albums. I have lived with three of them for 20 plus years, and the other two are newer discoveries. 

5. DELTRON 3030 - DELTRON 3030 ( 4.5 STARS )

     I first fell in love with Del on "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz. I'm not a fan of hip hop, in general, but I do like rappers with a good flow and Del is the best I've heard. I tend to either like hip hop that has jazz samples or futuristic narratives. Deltron 3030 falls into the latter style. It's a concept album about the year 3030, where Deltron-Zero and The Automator fight against corrupt corporations. Very fun album. My favorite tracks are "Positive Contact" and "Virus". 

4. EYESINWEASEL - WRINKLED THOUGHTS ( 4.5 STARS )

     This is the only studio album by Tobin Sprout's side project, Eyesinweasel. Unlike Tobin Sprout's lo-fi solo albums, Wrinkled Thoughts is a full band banger. They also released a high energy live album called Live in the Middle East. In the end, this is still a showcase for Tobin Sprout's genius songwriting. Among the guitar rockers is "Slow Flanges" where Sprout continues to demonstrate that he possesses the most beautifully fragile and world weary voice. As further proof I submit "Hands and Covers". The rest of the album is high quality, GbV level rockers like, "Dusting Coattails", "Marriage Inc.", and "Jealous Mantles". Do yourself a favor.

3. CENTRO-MATIC - ALL THE FALSEST HEARTS CAN TRY ( 4.5 STARS )

     Another great album from Centro-matic, who features my favorite songwriter, Will Johnson. I love how this album starts with the fragile, one minute track "Cool That You Showed Us How" and flows into the banger "Blisters May Come". That's followed by my favorite song, "Call the Legion in Tonight". Other highlights include, "Huge in Every City" and "Most Everyone Will Find". I really miss these guys.

2. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS - MASS ROMANTIC ( 5.0 STARS )

     Neko Case makes her triumphant return to the countdown with AC Newman and the rest of The New Pornographers. I hadn't heard this album until the dive and it blew my mind. The way it begins with a drumstick count in, then a chugging guitar riff, and then Neko belting out "Mass Romantic" had me completely hooked. This is a perfect indie rock album. The combination of Case and Newman is magic. I went to the record store to look for this. They didn't have it, but they had Electric Version and Twin Cinema, so I picked them up and they're fantastic as well. I'm kind of obsessed with TNP right now. 

1. DOVES - LOST SOULS ( 5.0 STARS )

     This should come as no surprise. I've posted multiple times about Lost Souls. This could be my album of the past 25 years. There have been so many great bands from Manchester, and Doves are one of the best. This album sounds like what I imagine Manchester to be. While I was doing some research on Lost Souls, I discovered that the members of Doves played on several tracks of Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour of Bewilderbeast album. They also did gigs as his backing band. CRAZY! I don't know how I missed that when I was posting about Badly Drawn Boy. Virtually every song on this album is brilliant; but I'll call out "Here It Comes", "Sea Song", "Rise", "Catch the Sun", "The Man Who Told Everything", and "Cedar Room" as the standouts. I was first exposed to Doves by the music video for "Catch the Sun". Over the years, though, "Cedar Room" has become my favorite song on Lost Souls. I love the hand claps, and the chorus is glorious, yet devastating. I probably mentioned this before, but I would also recommend the B-sides and rarities compilation, Lost Sides. Lots of great stuff from this era that didn't make the album. Peace.

2000 Deep Dive: Part Four

      We have reached the Top 10 albums of 2000. Some of these won't be a surprise. One of them will be a huge surprise. My 6-10 has two new listens. I really like this Top 10, and I'm fairly confident no one else would agree with it. Here goes...

10. RADIOHEAD - KID A ( 4.0 STARS )

     Here's the huge surprise. I posted in the past about how I've bought Kid A twice, because I'm supposed to like it, and subsequently got rid of it twice. So, this dive gave me one more opportunity to connect with the album. And I did. It wasn't looking good after "Everything in Its Right Place" and the title track, but when the bass kicked in on "The National Anthem" my mind began to open. When I got to the brilliant track, "Optimistic" I was on board. It's one of the few guitar jams on Kid A. I would still have this ranked as, probably, my 5th favorite Radiohead album, but there's a chance I'll buy it for a third time. Third time's a charm.

9. BADLY DRAWN BOY - THE HOUR OF BEWILDERBEAST ( 4.0 STARS )

     Badly Drawn Boy is the moniker of Damon Gough. This album is a long time favorite of mine, that for some reason, I've never owned. It's a beautiful record. The track "Everybody's Stalking" is one of my all-time favorite songs. It's menacing and languid, with a great chorus. "Another Pearl" is a nice, Zombies adjacent, piece of Chamber Pop. There's even some lo-fi on the track, "Cause a Rockslide". My only complaint about The Hour of Bewilderbeast is it's over an hour long. There's too much to  focus on for that long, but it's still great. 

8. ELLIOTT SMITH - FIGURE 8 ( 4.5 STARS )

     Maybe it's because I'm old, and not in on the ground floor with Elliott Smith, but from the two albums I've listened to he seems very inspired by George Harrison. Not that it's a bad thing. Figure 8 is a marvelous record. The production is spectacular. The songcraft is great; particularly "Son of Sam" and "L.A.". The latter is quite Beatles-esque. I'll have to get around to his 90's albums, since they are all rated higher than Figure 8 on RYM. 

7. THE FALL - THE UNUTTERABLE ( 4.5 STARS )

     I'm really starting to love Mark E. Smith. The Unutterable opens to "Ballroom Blitz" drums on the track "Cyber Insekt". "Two Librans" is a banger, with snarling guitars. The riff on "W.B." sounds like a slowed down "Peter Gunn". He even gets in on the garage rock revival on "Hot Runes". I can't even explain "Octo Realm / Ketamine Sun, but it's a brilliant composition. "Serum" has a distinct cyber-punk sound. My favorite track is the psycho-billy tune, "Hands Up Billy". I could see this being a 5 star album after a few more listens. MES is a legend. 

6. GEDDY LEE - MY FAVORITE HEADACHE ( 4.5 STARS )

     Speaking of legends...Geddy Lee. During RUSH's five year hiatus, Geddy decided to make a solo album. He enlisted his friend Ben Mink and Grunge drummer Matt Cameron to record the excellent My Favorite Headache. It opens with a blistering bass riffs on the title track. The most surprising thing about MFH is Geddy Lee's level of lyric writing. Neil Peart wrote virtually all the lyrics in RUSH since Fly By Night, so no one really knew what to expect from Ged on that front. He comes out of the gate with, "One man standing on the plains of Abraham watching a damaged sunrise. One man standing near the edge of a quiet breakdown". Wow. I also love the line "Just between the ice ages anyway". The other standout track for me is "Runaway Train", but there are no bad songs on this record. Maybe, one of these days, he'll make another one. I hope so. Peace.

2000 Deep Dive: Part Three

      I guess the common denominator with my 11-15 albums is great guitar playing. There's some garage revival, indie rock, and wily veterans. Let's just get to it.

15. THE CURE - BLOODFLOWERS ( 4.0 STARS )

     Apparently, I like The Cure, or at least The Cure albums that don't have the hits. The guitar sound on this record is amazing, I'd never heard of Perry Bamonte before this dive, but his tone is great. I was completely blown away by the 11 minute track, "Watching Me Fall". It's hard to believe this is the same band that wrote "Love Cats" or "Just Like Heaven". I would never have expected this level of rock bombastic from The Cure. Maybe I need to do a deep dive of their catalog if there's more material like this. I could see this going up from 4 Stars with more listens. I've also grown to appreciate how Robert Smith lets these songs breathe. He could easily be an egomaniac who overpowers everything, but he chooses to lay back and let the band shine quite a bit. 

14. THE HIVES - VENI VIDI VICIOUS ( 4.0 STARS )

     This album didn't really click with me in 2000, but during this dive it really hit. I didn't expect to have two albums by Swedish bands in my Top 25, but here we are. I love the energy on "Die, Alright". "Main Offender" is classic garage rock. Of course, there's the infectious hit, "Hate to Say I Told You So". That bass solo is killer. 

13. MODEST MOUSE - THE MOON AND ANTARCTICA ( 4.0 STARS )

     "3rd Planet" may be Isaac Brock's greatest piece of songwriting, and that's saying something. "Dark Center of the Universe" may be the second greatest. Two great songs about fucking people over. Even though Modest Mouse's guitar sound is a little derivative of Built to Spill, I still love it. Overall, I don't like this album as much as Good News For People Who Like Bad News, but it's still an essential listen. If for no other reason it has the delightfully bonkers "Wild Packs of Family Dogs". 

12. THE WEAKERTHANS - LEFT AND LEAVING ( 4.0 STARS )

     John K. Samson is one of my favorite songwriters and should be the Poet Laureate of Canada, or at least Winnipeg. Left and Leaving is a 4 Star album just on the strength of three of my favorite Weakerthans songs; "Aside", "Watermark", and "This is a Fire Door Never Leave Open". I've posted about this before, so I won't rehash it here. The only thing keeping this at 4 Stars is that the album kind of drags in the second half, though the lyrics are still great. 

11. THE WHITE STRIPES - De Stijl ( 4.0 STARS )

     I've posted about this one as well. Except, at that time they hadn't yet been elected to the Rock Hall. They are one of the most important bands of the 2000's and were key to the garage revival movement. However, there is plenty of love for the Blues and Jimmy Page on De Stijl, as well. I still kick myself for never going to see them in Detroit when I could have, back in the day. Please get back together Jack and Meg. Peace.