Music videos that feature Thunderbirds

[uwe]

That's nice. I reall dig that they sing Japanese, it sounds a lot more musical than if they had to labor with English.

[Denis]

Agreed! I listened to quite a few of their tunes on YouTube yesterday while working. Really good music and interesting to listen to.
I also found some bass covers of their songs that were really good: all but one I listened to were played with Thunderbirds, new, old, NR, etc. The bass riffs are terrific and perfectly suited to T birds.

[Denis]

Here's one of the vids I listened to yesterday. Nice selection of Thunderbirds!

[uwe]

I had never heard of them before, but have now ordered a compilation.

[Denis]

Apparently, the origin of the band's name is as follows: "The band's name was derived from the ethnic slur that Japanese people look like monkeys, and that Asian people are said to be "yellow" in skin color."

Wicked sense of humor.

[gearHed289]

That was good. Solid drummer! Didn't that bass player show up here somewhere else in a discussion about different T-birds?

[ilan]

That's nice. I really dig that they sing Japanese, it sounds a lot more musical than if they had to labor with English.

You get a taste of tat when he sings "Lozeana".

I liked their music. The guy's a good rock bass player.

[wellREDman]

The Cult were my first-love.  The picture when freezed is to blurry but the way he moves it's definitely Jamie with both the Bird and the slothead,   

Never noticed this before, because, as much as I love The Cult, this album was the start of the end.  Definately a TBird, but only in momentary snippets vs Duff trying to pull a Slash the rest of the time. Bonus:  Slothead EB about 3 times  for a litterally second each starting at 2:16.  I doubt either of them were the actual bass played on the record (Jamie Stewart was still with them for that record and tour and he was always a P bass man, but I think the vid came a lot later - like 3rd single, and the bassist in the vid doesn't look like him but could be - hard to tell, no real good shots.... the drummer looks like Matt Sorum)

[4stringer77]

[Granny Gremlin]

The Cult were my first-love.  The picture when freezed is to blurry but the way he moves it's definitely Jamie with both the Bird and the slothead,

Yeah, after I posted that  I started thinking it was him.  I never realised that Sorum playing this Cult tour is how Slash found him.  He already looks old (there's hope for me yet ;p).

Anyway  Sonic Temple was obviously the next step in the change in direction from the melodic gothic rock of their beginnings to the riffage of Electric.  Edie in particular showcased their relenting to the excesses of the LA production tropes of the day, which was a mistake (because otherwise it's a good song).  The next record, Ceremony, was near unlistenable, as it took production indulgences to their very extreme (the best thing I can say about it is that Duffy's hair was better).  They had to retreat from LA (where they had moved to and recorded those last two records) to Canada so that Bob Rock could save the next record (self titled; with that black goat on the cover) which was an amazing return to Love era guitar work (but tasteful again) melded with modern rhythm section and even some industrial elements.  The lyrics got better too.  ... then I totally never even checked out any of the 2-3 records since then, I probably should, just to know, but Ians voice isn't quite what it was anymore (I am starting to sound like Uwe) - though that may be not so much aging vocal cords so much as style change post filling in for Morrison on that Doors tour (Ian was always evolving, which is good, because he was a little too unbridled in the very beginning), and I'm not sure Duffy's musical ego has come back to earth yet, but at least it can now be seen with the naked eye.

I know many 'die hard' fans have little love for Electric (I felt outnumbered on that point), and when the first attempt at those songs (Peace aka The Manor Sessions) came out many of them felt vindicated because they thought it was Love all over again, but I was thought it sucked (and Love is my fave record of theirs).  It seems that Rick Rubin saved them from themselves on that one - too many layers of guitar for no good reason  just because they could, acute arpeggio abuse, too much shazz, and a bit of a return to Ian's propensity to sing over the music rather than with it (see The Southern Death Cult Record, with the exception of Moya, which is perfect and stands up today; it took Ian a few records to integrate properly, taking well through into the Death Cult era and even a bit into the first proper Cult Record, Dreamtime).  This is especially noticeable on Wildflower; Love Removal Machine is not so bad, but still (note the changes in the timing and cadence of key lines, and the that 3 note solo all over the hole thing). No, Electric is not Love, but Peace was a disaster and the band was right to call it a mulligan and go see Rubin in NYC.  I wonder where that sense went when they went to record Sonic Temple and Ceremony; they fell into all the same traps on those two records.  I did not miss the ironic correlation of Duffy's switch from the White Falcon to Les Pauls on those records; something about LPs brings out the worst in him.

[Granny Gremlin]

LOL - the beer the dude throws his bandmate when he picks him up is a Coors Light.

[4stringer77]

If I was walking in the desert wearing black and carrying a guitar, I'd want a Coors light too. It's almost better than water. Since Pabst is a subsidiary of Miller Coors, my guess is the band is endorsed by them.

[Highlander]

Alcohol... you never own it, you just rent it...

[wellREDman]

  I wonder where that sense went when they went to record Sonic Temple and Ceremony;

Sonic temple was Bob Rock, doing what Bob Rock does best, and given that at the time Sonic Temple was a massive success it makes sense that the pressure was on the next guy to repeat the formula. But I guess he had no chance as the band were falling apart at the time, Jamie and Matt had quit and Ian and Billy were barely talking. Ceremony also suffered from being completely at odds with the grunge zeitgeist of its time. I don't think it's entirely without merit tho, their inherent songwriting ability shines through on Bangkok Rain and Sweet Soul Sister.
   I saw both tours and live the comparisons were similar: on the Sonic Temple  tour they were triumphant young gods ready to take the crown as the new Led Zeppelin, by the Ceremony tour Ian was a shambling drunk, Billy had let the guitar hero ego take him over and the new rhythm section were by the numbers Rawk without the inherent groove of Stewart/Sorum.

(self titled; with that black goat on the cover) which was an amazing return to Love era guitar work (but tasteful again) melded with modern rhythm section and even some industrial elements.  The lyrics got better too.  ...

I was lucky enough to get to spend an afternoon chatting with Billy a few years ago  and he was amazed when I told him that the Black Sheep Album was my favourite album, he was under the impression that the only people who liked it were them. It was a deeply personal Album that they at the time they saw as being their swan song. They were making it purely for themselves without any attempt at commercial success. Its  ironic that its the only Bob Rock album that doesn't sound like a Bob Rock album, yet its one that he had more input into than any other. It was written at his house, and recorded in his home studio set up, and the songwriting process (according to Billy ) was centered around his private guitar collection. each song was written/inspired by  and recorded with a different one of his vintage/classic guitars.(I'd love to know which was which, all I remember is that Billy said that that was the first time he'd ever clicked with a fender - a  vintage telecaster)

The tour on that album was also their finest hour live, Ive seen them on every tour since Dreamtime and that  was the best Cult gig Ive ever been to or heard. The combination of playing smaller more intimate venues, and the nothing to lose attitude was nothing short of brilliant, it would definitely be in my all time top 5 gigs. Of course this was also helped by  the  return of Sorum, and  the addition of Craig Adams on bass.
Although the Cult were my first love musically, Craig Adams was my first inspiration bass wise so having my favourite bass player join my favourite band was manna from the gods to the young me.

I know many 'die hard' fans have little love for Electric (I felt outnumbered on that point), and when the first attempt at those songs (Peace aka The Manor Sessions) came out many of them felt vindicated because they thought it was Love all over again, but I was thought it sucked (and Love is my fave record of theirs).  It seems that Rick Rubin saved them from themselves on that one

I'm with you on that one, Love is one of my favourites but Electric is probably the most shining example of brash , unabashed hip swinging metal(not released by AC/DC) that there is. I like the Peace album, but enjoy it as I would a cover album. its interesting to hear the songs interpreted differently, some work, some do not 

[Granny Gremlin]

I forgot Bob Rock produced Sonic Temple!   Damn.  Probably because it is not like most of the other Bob Rock records I immediately think of.  Very LA hair metal.  I know he did Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and David Lee Roth.... but I never listened to those records so they don't define his style for me.  This is the guy who did Nelly Furtado (not sure how big she got outside Canada, but it's the furthest thing from hair metal) and the Tragically Hip.  So I wouldn't say it's what he does best, so much as something he learned to do well due to the demand for it (during a certain period of time; I mean excess is easier than restraint, right?).  Even Metallica's black album (post hair metal period, if only just) isn't half as shazz-laden as Sonic Temple, and there's a band who are at least a little pre-disposed to that (at that point in their career at least).

Yes, Sonic Temple does have some good songs (Edie was a favorite to a younger me), but the never ending soloing over all of it drove me batty.  Sweet Soul Sister is a standout track (one of the few where Duffy let the riffage stand by itself for most of the song) but the Bon Jovi backupo vox are ridiculous and have not aged well.

I wish I had caught that tour; the stop here got cancelled for some reason.  I was not happy about that.

What tour was is it where Jamie switched to guitar and they got a diff bass player?  Logically I figure Temple would need that more, but maybe it was Electric.

Considering how The Cult became a revolving door for drummers and then entire rhythm sections, it never occurred to me that either of the guys on the goat record were proper known guys from other bands - I didn't recognise Craig from Sisters of Mercy.  At the time I didn't realise it was Sorum on Temple either (but that was before he got known with GnR, whom I wasn't really into anyway, so ..). 

Getting slightly closer to back on topic, I recently completed my second attempt at a White Falcon/Gibson Les Paul Jumbo hybrid guitar.  Surprisingly (the Gibson LoZ pup is nothing like the Gretsch pups) thru my Sunn Solaris and a 4x12 it gets close to Duffy tone (but nowhere close on any other amp I have tried so far):