Judas Priest - Rocka Rolla (1974)

It's not every day that I review an album as old as I am. Sure, I've got a month on Rocka Rolla (the album, not the single), having emerged from the womb of my unknown mother (I like to think it's Satan) in August of '74, but I don't think that there's any question the Judas Priest debut has aged far better than I have. Not that I'm fighting back shocks of white plumage, mind you, but despite being one of my lesser loved albums in the British gods' pantheon, Rocka Rolla has such great production and vibrant songwriting that even today, some 38 years in the future, it still seems 'fresh' when I compare it to some of the most modern music coming out of the rock/hard rock field. That's not to say I'm giving this the most glaring of recommendations, as I find the track list somewhat inconsistent, but there have been far worse debuts to take for granted from longstanding, outstanding bands such as this one.

I'm sure that arguments have been made to disqualify Rocka Rolla as a pure 'metal' record, just as they have for many thus labeled, but of course this is all coming from a retrofit perspective which is not necessarily valid. In a world with Cannibal Corpse, it would be difficult to claim an album like this was even remotely heavy, but for 1974, there were not a whole lot of options. You had Sabbath, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy a few lesser known groups who only today seem to get a nod and a welcome, and then the emergence of three more of the most influential 'hard rock' bands in all of history: Canadian progressive Rush, theatrical New Yorker man-whores KISS, and a bunch of Birmingham boys who had been kicking around since '69, bred on the hard blues of Cream and Hendrix and soon to shape the 'metal' sound in such a way that they would go on to influence so many in their wake that you might go less insane trying to count the stars on a clear night.

Rocka Rolla is iconic. The coke bottle cover image and admittedly lame old logo would be difficult to forget for any child of the 70s (or 80s), and this was the sole album to feature drummer John Hinch, who at that time was already the fourth to hold that position. The sound on a number of the cuts was much groovier in nature than what we've come to expect. Sabbath was the clear comparison, especially on songs like "One for the Road" where Halford's piercing pitch rubbed up against the bluesier based rhythm guitar not unlike. Or the conceptual trilogy of "Winter", "Deep Freeze" and "Winter Retreat", where huge mournful grooves explode out of a psychedelic din only to return to devolve into wailing experimentation and a smooth, clean closure. Zeppelin also plays heavily into the swaggering dirty blues metal of "Cheater", and there's a progressive and psychedelic Pink Floyd current flowing through the numbing "Run of the Mill" or solemn "Dying to Meet You" (before it explodes).

But, of course, none of those bands featured Rob Halford, who is all over this thing, showcasing the vast range and personality of his voice. He can brood sullenly against the bluesier undertow, he can scream off like a siren, and in general maintain an incredibly consistent higher pitch for just about as long as he needs. This is more than evident on my favorite tracks here: "Rocka Rolla" itself in which he measures off a lot of groovy swagger with a higher pitched counterpoint that cuts right across the throat like jagged glass, or the heavily atmospheric "Never Satisfied" where he's incredibly expressive across both the mid and upper registers, giving even a bark and bite once he arrives at the chorus before that giant Page-like bridge groove with the lead. "One for the Road" is another of the stronger pieces, with some nice percussion from Finch that really highlights the bluesy spit of the guitars and the more top heavy, resilient howls of Halford.

While I don't think Tipton and Downing had quite come into their own here, still adapting the signature dual style they are so known for, both are pretty solid at emulating the grooves of their individual influences. A lot of Clapton in there, even more Hendrix, but it works very well against the impressive rhythm section. 40 year veteran Ian Hill has long been one of the less outspoken members of the band, and I've often heard or read the guy being criticized for his low key stage presence, but he really got a chance to shine here, his subtle strutting perfectly accommodating the bright and rich tone of the guitars. If there's any real problem with this record, it's only that in hindsight the songs are nowhere near as striking and effective as the heavier style they would evolve towards on later records. Not all of them are equally memorable, and if you took Rob out of the equation, Rocka Rolla might well have been any of several other bands in this period.

Still, the production and performance ensures that, while it's never to be hailed as some great masterpiece of psychedelic heavy blues or proto-metal, Rocka Rolla has a timeless nature about it that should sate most people who find themselves in a mood for some of the harder 70s sound. Blues, progressive rock, hard rock, all can be found frothing in the spirit of these musicians, and there's a sense that this is one of the most 'honest' of their works. It's not the hi octane, fire breathing, S&M strapped Judas Priest we'd all come to recognize and worship, but a group of guys carving a sincere, dynamic and refreshing piece of the pie from their own forebears. It's not very consistent. There are few if any 'hits'. Nor is it as musically wealthy or important as other debuts like Iron Maiden, KISS, or Black Sabbath, yet it weathers the decades like a diamond, in whose facets one might glean the firestorms to follow.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10] (but I know the flame is mine)

http://www.judaspriest.com/

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

One of the few items on this blog as old as I am, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre has stood the test of time as one of the all-time great horror flicks. Though the film is 35 years old, it still remains as fresh to mine eyes as it did when I watched as a teenager. In fact, my admiration for the film has only grown. Part of this is the superb direction of Tobe Hooper, one of my favorite helmsman for this genre. Whether producing a masterpiece as this, or even a dud, his work is almost always fascinating and fun.

The story is based on an urban myth, which is actually bogus (take that, viral marketing of the future!). A group of five young men and women are visiting a Texas graveyard which has been vandalized by grave robbers, and then decide to head to the old homestead of handicapped Franklin and his sister, beautiful Sally. En route, they have a strange encounter with a hitchhiker who engages Franklin in conversation about the local slaughterhouse, before cutting himself and taking an unwanted picture of the group in the van. He then proceeds to cut Franklin, and gets kicked out, but before the group can pull away, he smears his own blood on the side of the van in some sort of figure. From there, the group hits up a local gas station unsuccessfully for fuel, and decides to go to the homestead. There is something fishy about the farm house next door...and you know the rest! If not...what the fuck is wrong with you? Go rent this film today.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a tantalizing film. From the opening shot of corpses impaled upon a gravestone, to the final chase scene, I cannot peel my eyes away. Despite its strange host of characters, what makes the film so strong is its plausibility. Interesting, if strange, conversations that seem on the fly, like they were real. A finite group of victims, a finite group of antagonists, and a series of brutal slayings that is also pretty realistic. Leatherface is no supernatural force of nature, he's just a mentally imbalanced fruitcake with a chainsaw and a dead skin mask. The Hitchhiker and the Cook are also extremely memorable villains. I'll never forget that first conversation in the van, nor will I forget the Cook's bizarre shifts of morality.

There is so much positive to say for the film. It uses its locations very well. A little piece of rural, decaying Texas serves as the perfect stalking ground for this family of nutjobs. The farm is littered with creepy baubles, the remains of various people and animals are converted into furniture, or just left lying around in this redneck charnel house. Everything shown in the film hints at a much wider mythology in the universe of the film, one that was unfortunately not explored in the lackluster sequels (or the boring Michael Bay remake). The film also makes great use of various times of day, from the afternoon opening to the following morning's climax. The soundtrack is superb. Aside from the country and folk rock tunes on the radio, sparse ambience and percussion is used to perfect effect in every gripping scene.

These would all be reasons enough to see the film, but really, where would it be without good acting? Gunnar Hansen is the best Leatherface ever, going far over the top, as he makes creepy animal sounds and shifts his huge bulk about in a chainsaw dance. You will never forget his subtle motions. Edwin Neal and Jim Siedow are even creepier as the Hitchhiker and the Cook. Even Grandpa is frightening, though he does next to nothing. As for the protagonists, the gorgeous Marilyn Burns truly sells the film. She seems realistically terrified through her first chase scene, and on the verge of madness when she is caught and 'brought to dinner'. Hers is a better maiden in distress performance than many I've seen in the past 35 years. The rest of the cast is rounded out well (in particular Paul A. Partain as the wheelchair bound Franklin), though they have less important roles.

You're best to ignore the sequels. Only the followup, Texas Chainsaw Massacre II, directed by Hooper, comes close, but even that is pretty lame. Ignore the remakes. They suck. The original film is the only one that matters, and it is possibly the best of the 'slasher' works to date. The saw is the law, folks. A film worth every frame.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.5/10] (shut up you bitch hogs!)

Phase IV (1974)

There's just something about those old 60s and 70s horror and sci fi flicks which evokes morbid vintage creepy into me time and again...something modern films tend to lack (unless maybe Miike is directing). Phase IV is a 1974 film directed by Saul Bass, who has a storied history of working on interesting films (though not generally as director). This is not to be confused with the crappy, unrelated Dean Cain film of the same name (2001). Sadly, this film will be most familiar to hardcore MST3K fans, since it was the target of a 1989 episode. But don't write it off for that reason alone, or you'll be missing a simple but effective freakshow starring a myriad of talented six-legged thespians.

The plot is pretty typical and tacky science fiction: a mysterious cosmic event has triggered a rapid evolutionary growth in the intelligence of Earth ants. They don't grow to giant sizes (to both my dismay and the film's credit), but they gain the ability to engineer large structures and communicate even more rapidly with one another then they already do. The result is that the ants begin organizing to take down their natural predators, scientists take notice, and this is where our story kicks in. Nigel Davenport plays Dr. Ernest D Hubbs (I like to believe his name is a spin on cult sci-fi author E.C. Tubbs), a scientist with a one track mind who wants to study and conquer this newfound intelligenge. Michael Murphy plays James R. Lesko, a mathematician with encryption skills whose job is to study the patterns of communication between the ants. The two set up a science station in the Arizona desert, complete with all manner of biological weaponry and high tech computers (remember, this is the 70s, so mileage with the 'high tech' may vary), and under pressure from their investors, they decide to provoke the ants in order to study them.

Oh fuck, 35 year old spoilers ahead!

After refusing to evacuate their farm, the last remaining local family is driven out by an attack from the ants. The creatures not only destroy their house, but also sabotage their pickup as they're fleeing. In desperation, the family tries to get into the science station, but they've got bad timing, because in a truly creepy scene, Dr. Hubbs releases the '100% yellow' chemical just as they near, killing all except the granddaughter Kendra (played by Lynne Frederick), who manages to hide in a bulkhead. Now, let me just state here that Lynne Frederick is a thing of beauty, probably one of the most beautiful actresses we've ever had, (though not exactly talented), and she appears in only a handful of obscure films like this one. It would be almost impossible to take your eyes off her straight brown hair and doe eyes, except for one thing...

These ants VERY quickly steal the show. The intro features some scenes of their subterannean empire building, and there are some almost 'emotional' scenes throughout the film featuring the little creatures. One in particular is amazing: after being poisoned by the 100% yellow, a chain of ants sacrifices itself to bring a sample of the chemical to their queen, who can then consume it and birth a strain of ants resistant to the stuff! Far out! But watching each ant carry the poison to its own untimely death is the most provocative image in the film, a testament to the self-sacrifice and teamwork of their species. Frankly, the ants in this film were better actors than most of who we have in Hollywood today. A shame their lives were so short, this could have been the start of quite a few careers.

Essentially, the rest of the film involves the scientists and ants trying to outsmart one another. It's soon apparent who will win this conflict, to the point where the ants begin toying with the
humans when they could very quickly finish them. I won't spoil the ending, but it's pretty interesting and almost sensual (had they made it a little 'more' sensual, this film would be a bonafide cult classic). The acting is decent (except for Frederick, but but she's too hypnotic for you to care), Davenport plays the all-too-committed, inhumane science type very well and Murphy plays off him as the nice guy with his wits about him. Obviously this was done with a low budget, so many of the gadgets and 'effects' are cheesy and might hurt your eyes. No CGI circus here, the ants performed their own stunts. The film is actually pretty inventive visually, there are several striking scenes (like the grandparents succubming to 100% yellow or the interchange between Kendra and Lesko in the end). I wouldn't call the plot predictable, there may be one or two slight surprises in store for you.

Phase IV is hardly great cinema, but it's worth the time to watch once, especially if modern film has jaded you or you're a retro geek. Like many similar works of the 60s, 70s, and early 80s, there is an intangible force at play, an evocative sense of the unknown, a chill that runs up my spine when I view this stuff. It's not a bad way to kill 90 minutes. There is also a short novel version of the film by Barry Malzberg.

Verdict: Win [7/10]