Writer & Editor
One of the few eighties metal acts to enjoy success without resorting to a reunion tour, Metallica became the top cover band in the world, whether covering others (as on Garage Inc.) or themselves, with orchestral backup (as on S&M).
Battles with Napster notwithstanding, it almost sounded as if James Hetfield et. al. were starting to have fun with their music. Whence, then, St. Anger?
For those of you who wondered what the KISS song “Plaster Caster” was really about, the kicker is they were never immortalized by Cynthia Plaster Caster. But the rock stars who were her subjects — such as Jello Biafra, Eric Burdon, and others — really bring to life another side of the fan/rock star relationship in this hilarious, offbeat rock film. She’s still hard at work, as you can see at her website www.cynthiaplastercaster.com/. This movie review originally appeared in 2003.
KISS had a penchant for euphemism. It took some deciphering to figure out what Gene Simmons meant by “love” (could be an emotion, sex, genitalia, or some combination). So in high school, when I first heard the song “Plaster Caster” on Love Gun, I wondered. Was it about a groupie who casts plaster, or a porno reference? Is she really taking casts of people’s penises, or are my hormones seriously clouding my interpretation? And if she isn’t, what the heck is this song about?
Well, there really is a Cynthia Plaster Caster, and she really did get access to some of the most notorious rock stars. As the documentary Plaster Caster explains, she never stopped, and has amassed a large collection of famous white penises. (Incidentally, Simmons’s is not among them; she never approached KISS to cast them. Simmons declined to take part in the film.)
The Killer Dwarfs always scored high on self-awareness, never taking themselves or their genre too seriously—something that comes through on their album Reunion of Scribes — Live 2001.
Full of energy, Russ “Dwarf” lets loose his Geddy Lee-esque voice over the heavy three-chord rock. The original lineup is reassembled, though you could be forgiven for asking “when did it change?” (Probably some time after you last heard of them.)
Again, Ozzy demonstrates why he has outlasted most of his ’80s-era metal peers, as well as more recent initiates of the heavy rock genre.
Teaming up with guitarist Zakk Wylde, who first added his pyrotechnics to Ozzy’s on 1988’s No Rest For the Wicked, the collaboration proves as fertile as ever on Down to Earth.
Note: I don’t think anyone’s asking anymore why we need another Iron Maiden album, given their output and touring since this review of Rock in Rio was originally published — but given the band’s high standard for live albums set with Live After Death, you might wonder whether Rock in Rio is worth it. Short answer: yes.
You could be excused for asking, “Why do we need another Iron Maiden album?” If you’re actually interested in an answer, listen to Rock in Rio.
SLASH / Apocalyptic Love (Universal)
MUSIC fans may well wonder why a band like Guns N’ Roses gets inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, when the lineup that made them famous hasn’t played together in roughly 20 years.
Then you hear what just one of them can do on an album like Apocalyptic Love.
Founding GNR guitarist Slash’s riffs and solos are as nimble as ever, and crackle with the energy of a musician still out to top everything he’s done before.
Slash’s second solo album kicks into high gear with “Standing in the Sun,” a melodic thumper full of the electric boogie that made GNR classic “Paradise City” such a crowd-pleaser. “Halo” boils over with sharp hooks and blistering lead guitar, and “We Will Roam” chugs along with radio-friendly riffs and an anthemic chorus.
