As I got an email from Michael of the band called American Dog, I introduce his band for him. He said he released the album in Japan in 1990 with the band called Salty Dog from Geffin. Are there anybody who knows this band?
American Dog will tour in Japan in February, so if you are interested in their music, please check them out. See the tour dates in the poster above.
American Dog's official website
I found the old movie on YouTube. It's the show of Kuni Special Band in 1988, and it's the one which I saw then. I was in the center of the second row at this show. I used to copy "Strangers In The Night" with my guitar ... How time flies!
Kuni doesn't seem to play the guitar recently. This show was the first time when I saw Jeff Scott Soto live. He looked great and his singing was awesome. They did the signing session at the instruments stores, so I went there too. Doug Baker, the bassist, had well-balanced body and looked warm and kind, and he was shooting the video around. The drummer was Mike Terrana. He played with Doug in the band, Beau Nasty, after this band. They seemed to break up. Mike played with Yngwie Malmsteen after, and I sometimes see his name in some bands recently. Jeff was around 20 years old when he was singing in the Kuni band ... I was young too at that time.
My favorite song in the "Looking For Action" album
"Strangers Of The Night"
And the title song of this album
"Looking For Action"
B'z will be awarded by Hollywood's RockWalk!! It's the first time when the musician in Japan and Asia get it. And they have the 20th anniversary now! Amazing!!
I remember Zakk Wylde got it recently. The ceremony will be held on November 19, and they will be there. Japanese fans are very proud of it, I think.
B'z Official WebsiteRockWalk Official Website
Ratt & Winger package tour in Japan is confirmed.
I saw both of their shows in 90's. Recently many bands I saw in 80's or 90's come to Japan. That means the band which has a long career are still rocking. It's great. I want Steelheart to come too.
Ratt official website
Winger official website
The new song of Tacky & Tsubasa, "Samurai" is very cool.
It's as great as KAT-TUN's "Real Face".
I found the promo video of "Samurai" on YouTube, so please check it out! :)
* On June 13, Bon Jovi's new album called "Lost Highway" will be released in Japan earlier than the other countries. The limited edition with the DVD will be released also. They will play in Japan for the Asahi Super Dry Live on June 28 and 30. And on May 30, they will release the new single called "(You Want To) Make A Memory". You can hear the full version of this song on their official site. It's a good ballad.
"(You Want To) Make A Memory" / Bon Jovi
* On May 23, Ozzy Osbourne will release the new album called "Black Rain". I listened to "I Don't Wanna stop", and it's great. Zakk's powerful guitar is always great. Zakk rules!
Bon Jovi's new album "Lost Highway" seems to be completed. It will be out in June ... great! The producer is Dann Huff and John Shanks. I like Dann Huff as the singer and the guitarist too, so I really look forward to their new album. Bon Jovi will come to Japan for the special live in June. I can't see it, but I want to see them again on the next tour with this new album.
I was shocked to know that John West left Royal Hunt. I was shocked too when I knew that D.C. Cooper left the band before. But John was a really great singer, so I liked him easily. He did great at the show in Japan. And I went to see his acoustic show at the CD store when he played there for the promotion of his solo album. His vocals was fantastic. I wonder who will be the new singer, but I want John to keep singing the great songs.
On March 16, I went to see the Flametal show at the live house called Y2K in Roppongi. This band, Flametal was formed by the Whitesnake's bass player, Uriah Duffy and the flamenco guitarist, Ben Woods, and their music is the mixture of flamenco and metal. This band features 5 members including 2 bass players, but this time only Uriah and Ben came to Japan for the promotion of the album released in Japan on March 7. At the show, the flamenco dancers danced on some songs and they played the famous Japanese animation song "Yamato", but it was too heavy for me. Ben's flamenco guitar was great, but I think his death metal vocal breaks the mood. But maybe his vocals make the sound like metal ... ?
After the show, they had a aftershow party in Shinjuku, so I went there too. I had already met Uriah on the Whitesnake's Japan tour last year, but I met Ben for the first time. Both of them were nice and very friendly. Uriah was drinking until early morning on the next day, and looked funny. Uriah has some bands, and he said he like all of them. Ben and Uriah are the roommates. They look good friends. I talked with Uriah for a while, and I felt he was young. Actually he's younger than I ... he was surprised to know that, though. He said he wanted to come to Japan again with the whole band. I hope they are going well.
You can hear the Flametal songs on MySpace.
Flametal MySpace
When I was arranging the things in my closet last year, I found many old LPs and EPs.
Wham! and many more pop artists I liked before ...
Sheena Easton, Susan Anton who appeared in the TV commercial of Cameria Diamond, Duran Duran, A-ha, Pat Benatar, Bryan Adams, Heart, Starship, Arabesque ... I listened to many artists.
Here is the soundtracks and the aid albums.
Dance movie was popular at that time ... "Flashdance" or "Footloose".
And the aid albums ... Band Aid with British artists, USA for Africa with American artists, and Hear N' Aid which Ronnie James Dio formed with hard rock / heavy metal artists. There were many popular artists which played for those albums.
My idol in Japan at that time was Pink Lady and Candies. I always danced like them. I still remember their dance.
There are many rock LPs/EPs. John Norum who was the reason why I started playing the guitar, Yngwie Malmsteen, Foreigner, Survivor, Heart, Cinderella, White Lion, etc. I also liked Loverboy.
And Bon Jovi and Europe ... Bon Jovi made a big hit with their third album in 1987, but I've loved them since their debut, and the first album I bought of theirs was their second album. At that time there was nobody who knew them. I talked about them to my friend, she said "It's French?" Now everybody knows them. About both Bon Jovi and Europe, I like their second album a lot.
Lion's "Dangerous Attraction" ... it's the old band of Doug Aldrich I'm especially supporting. I bought it as CD too later. This LP is my precious one.
It's been 20 years since I bought this album ... time goes by very fast.
Finally Steelheart's 3 new songs are coming out!
You can download them on their official site.
They express their sound as "modern day Led Zeppelin", and yes it's right ... like Ozzy or Dream Theater or something ... sound something miracle. I feel something new, and it's different from their old songs. Their new sound is very different from that in the past, so you may be surprised at first ... ?
Mili overcame the big accident at the show in 1992 and his parents' death ... the new songs which he created are so powerful and filled with energy. Mili's vocal is more emotional. I can't wait for listening to the whole album!
The movie "NANA" made a big hit with Mika Nakashima and Aoi Miyazaki, and now its animation is on TV. I'm into it now. I haven't seen its movie, but I'm seeing its animation on TV every week, and I sympathize with it. Maybe there are many young girls who sympathize with it, I think. Recently there are many movies, dramas, and animations from a comic. But sometimes I'm disappointed with the casting. I haven't read "NANA"'s comics. I wonder how it is.
In this story, there are 2 rock bands called "Black Stone" and "Trapnest". And I realy like both music. Actually the singer for"Black Stone", Nana" is Anna Tsuchiya, and the singer for "Trapnest", Reira is Olivia.
NANA site on NTV
OLIVIA Official Website - Discography
ANNA TSUCHIYA OFFICIAL WEB SITE - Discography
Steelheart's new album & DVD are expected to be released next month, and finally their tour is confirmed! But ... only in the east coast of the US.
In 1990 Steelheart made a big hit first in Japan. I really hope they will be back to Japan and play live. I look forward to their new album & DVD ... and Mili's birthday is coming next month too!
11/8 - JAXX, SPRINGFIELD VA
11/9 - DINGBATZ, CLIFTON NJ
11/10 - CHANCE THEATER, POUGHKEEPSIE NY (OPENING FOR KINGS X AND SKID ROW)
11/11 - GOODFELLA’S WAREHOUSE, POTTSVILLE, PA
11/14 - WEBSTER THEATRE, HARTFORD CT
11/17 - THE FUNKY FROG, MENTOR OH (RIGHT OUTSIDE OF CLEVELAND)
Finally Steelheart will be back!
Steelheart is one of my favorite bands. I became their fan since I listened to their song "She's Gone" on the radio in 1990. Then this song made a big hit in Japan, and they came to Japan for the promotion & the tour. Their shows were amazing! Mike Matijevic's vocal was so powerful as that on the CD, very impressive, and the other guys were the great players. Their shows were awesome and I couldn't believe it was their first tour in Japan.
At the show in Denvor in 1992, the lighting set collapsed and hit Mike's head ... Mike seemed to be injured seriously, but he recovered. He released the "Wait" album in 1996 and came back to Japan with the new guitarist. I went to see his acoustic shows. His vocal was more emotional and amazing than before! Then Mike sang for the movie "Rockstar". You can hear his powerful vocals on the soundtrack.
And finally their new album seems to be out next spring. And the original lead guitarist, Chris Risola will be back to the band! I heard that he's been working for his studio in Florida after Mike's accident. I've been hoping that Mike and Chris play together again, so I feel very happy now. I can't wait for seeing their shows agian in Japan!!
Yesterday I went to the listening party of Finnish band, NEGATIVE. It was at the bar called ROCK INN CURRENT in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The special guests were Jonne (Vocal) and Larry (Guitar) from the band. There were about 100 fans in that small bar, so it was so hot! Most fans were young girls ... maybe because of Jonne's good looking. The new video clip of their new single "Planet Of The Sun" released already was played in the monitor. And 5 songs from their new album "Anorectic" released on September 27 were played. This single is my recent favorite. Their music sounds like the early Harem scarem, and Jonne's vocal is similar to Harry Hess. I saw their show in 2004, and it was great. They are full of youth! I want to see their show again.
If you like the melodious hard rock, please check out their music.
I'm listening to the "Rock Star" soundtrack today.
I sometimes listen to it, but I'm always excited!
Well, Steelheart seems to be back this year finally. The new lineup of the band is confirmed and they will start recording. The band seems to be 3-piece band. I really want to hear the new album.
It was 1990 that they came to Japan for the first time with the big hit song called "She's Gone". Then during the tour after the second album, at the show in Denver, the lighting set collapsed and fell on Mike's (singer for Steelheart) head. He had to stop his career next year and a half because of this terrible accident. And he lost some memories, so he seemed to be very frustrated.
Then he came to Japan again with the third album for the promotion in 1996. He did some instore events at the record stores with the new guitarist. Mike's vocal was more powerful and emotional, and he looked stronger. They showed a great performance. But it's been 10 years since then ... Mike lost his mother because of leukemia, and lost his father too ... I think he had a very hard time mentally. In 2001, Mike did the singer's voice for the lengendary band called "Steel Dragon" in the movie "Rock Star". His vocal was so powerful and it sounded amazing with the powerful guitar play by Zakk Wylde.
I really hope Steelheart will be back this year ... the new album, tour, and DVD release!
Rock Star website
Steelheart Official Site