Big Turkey of 2007
I started giving this award out last year with the idea being to pick a hard rock/metal related album, event or something that was a real turkey. I came up with three candidates for this year. They are Ozzy's Black Rain, Van Halen and Rocklahoma. Even though the Van Halen thing is a quick cash-in and they are well past their prime, it's still only one band while many did this sort of thing at Rocklahoma. So I eliminated Van halen from the running. Ozzy's Black Rain is terrible, but he hasn't done a good album since 1991 so it wasn't shocking. Then I thought of Rocklahoma and considered it. Okay, there were a few younger acts like Gypsy Pistoleros and Dirty Penny playing. Getting Twisted Sister to headline was a good idea because you knew they would deliver. I am sure Poison were decent and Lillian Axe finally got on the bill when Tigertailz had to pull out. However then you had bands like Bullet Boys, White Lion and Bang Tango where it's really just one guy and a backing band. You also got one version of LA Guns, Taime Downe's version for what now is considered Faster Pussycat and Sebastian Bach-less Skid Row. Add to that people like Great White, Jackyl and Vince Neil solo and you get a real hasbeen fest. I don't more was better in this case because it actually just made it sound worse. This event could have been a celebration of hard rock if there had been a better mix of younger and older bands, but it wasn't. Instead it across more as old bands performing old music for somewhat old fans. I am not trying to rain on the parade of people who enjoyed this event, but I can't pretend that it wasn't a joke. So the big turkey award for 2007 goes to Rocklahoma.
***Who would you give a big turkey award to for 2007?
***Who would you give a big turkey award to for 2007?
posted by Metal Mark at
7:20 AM
9 Comments:
I guess the disappointing thing for me is that there are a lot of better 'old' bands out there still featuring more than one original member that could have done with the exposure Rocklahoma afforded.
I guess you can't blame the players for making a living though and it appears to have brought a good deal of enjoyment to a lot of people who attended.
I'd personally have gone with the Ozzy album as the turkey from your list of contenders. What a sadly predictable disappointment that was. On a positive note though it didn't half send me back to Blizzard Of Ozz, Diary, No Rest and No More Tears etc at speed!
Bill-I don't blame these bands for making a living. It was a chance to play in front of thousands instead of playing in front of 100 or so at some small club. It still makes the scene look tired and the event could have benefitted from some better veteren acts and more young bands.
I couldn't attend Rocklahoma, but there were plenty of good things about Rocklahoma. Dirty Penny, and Gypsy Pistoleros definitely get a nod for being introduced on a large scale.
I have heard that Dokken put on an amazing show. I have seen Firehouse live this year, and they are still very much a quality act. Great White still had their original lineup, and still sounds great.
There were definitely some has beens....the Bullet Boys Marq Torien is all that is left from the original band. Bang Tango and Enuff Z'nuff as well.
I saw the Vince Neil solo band, and their were no turkey's in that band. His drummer Zoltan Chaney is one of the best new rock drummers that I have seen. The rest of the band was filled out by Dana Strum and Jeff Blando. When they hit Cincinnati, the put on a great show.
Bottomline....Rocklahoma was no Turkey, as they are aligning acts for Rocklahoma 2008.
I would $300 for Rocklahoma before I would ever drop $150 for Van Halen by themselves. Now thats a turkey for you!
Like you though, I would like to see some new young bands added to the bill. Mix in some of my newer favorites like Airboure, Black Stone Cherry, The Answer and Babylon Bombs on this bill, and nothing would keep me from going.
Rob-I think the festival can be done right and maybe it will be this year. I think there were too bands well past their prime that played last year and not enough up and coming bands. Hopefully they get better veteran acts this year and more younger bands as well.
As far as metal and hard rock go, I'm with you about Rocklahoma. Most of those bands weren't all that great to begin with and now that they're just tired old businessmen, it had to be awful for anyone honest enough to see it for what it was. There's no explaining it to those blinded by nostalgia though.
Doesn't matter what adjectives you place on some of these groups (has beens, 'old bands'), great music is great music. Thank God Ozzy is still doing his thing and many thanks to Van Halen. I'm not dissapointed in any of the 'old' or 'new' groups. Just give me some rockin' music! Hey! if you like Metal? Sebastian Bach dishes it out on his new Album "Angel Down"! Haven't heard heavy metal like that for a while. It was and always will be great music. Who cares who's name is behind it? or where they've been? (although it sounds like Sebastian has been doing a LOT with his time out of Skid Row - I'm impressed) OH,! and ... caught Sebastian last year with Guns... Now THAT was a ticket worth $150+ with or withiout Axl - but with Axl, it just made it even more worth while.
Bob-I agree. I think a festival of this music in the US could work if it was a better blend of quality hard rock veterens and up and coming bands. Instead they went for names even though many of the bands were just cover bands dedicated to their previous selves.
anonymous-Thanks for stopping by.
Ozzy is doing the same thing he has been doing for the last 12 years. That's gliding by on sub-par music. A Van Halen reunion would have been great ten years ago, but not now.
The new Sebastian Bach is very good. He might actually sound better now than when he was in Skid Row.
Ozzy was my first choice but then I remembered the worst album of the year that I bought:
Manowar - Gods Of War
They are my Big Turkey for 2007 but Ozzy was a close second.
Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
Steve-I have not heard that album, but will take your word for it.
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