Tag: keel
0 M3 Rock Festival – Saturday Review Part 1
After a fantastic night of hard rock on Friday night, it was going to take a lot to top Friday night’s performances.
One big surprise this year was the new permanent side stage that was erected for this and other festival shows. The new second stage is far bigger than the original side stage at M3, and its placement at the base of a hill gave a better vantage point for the fans in attendance. This was the beginning of a day of surprises at M3.
When the M3 Rock Festival began late Saturday morning, Heavens Edge quickly set the stage with a blistering performance of their biggest songs, most of which came from their outstanding 1990 debut. Much to my surprise, this wasn’t a bunch of hired hands playing with Heaven’s Edge singer Mark Evans, this was the original band. Evans voice was in perfect form, and Reggie Wu was delivering with all of these heavy riffs that I expected from Heaven’s Edge. I have always loved this band, and thought their debut was severely underrated. Their debut album/CD has been reissued for Rock Candy records, and I highly recommend that you check it out.
Shortly after Heavens Edge’s set, KEEL was ready to rock on the main stage, and they came out all guns firing. Ron Keel looked and sounded great, as did Marc Ferrari, Brian Jay, and company. One of my favorite KEEL albums is their 1987 self titled disc on MCA records. Needless to say I was very happy to hear “Somebody’s Waiting”, but I would have loved to have heard a couple of more from this album. KEEL’s set was way too short in my opinion, but they were great, and I enjoyed their music.
Next up on the second stage was former The Scream, Union and Motley Crue front man John Corabi. I had no expectations with John’s set whatsoever, but I have never seen him live, and was greatly looking forward to his set. I thought he may just do his acoustic thing that he has been doing in the clubs, but he had with him a full electric band. John’s set list made me very happy. I was excited to hear one of my all time favorites”Man in the Moon” (from the Scream), and lost Motley Crue tunes “Uncle Jack” and “Hooligan’s Holiday”. It is a shame that Motley Crue has forgotten about that great album with John Corabi. I am so glad that Corabi still does this music. I really dig Corabi’s new look too.
On the main stage, Jack Russell’s Great White was next, and this was another band that my expectations were kind of low on. I gotta say, Jack Russell’s Great White is far better than I expected them to be. While I thought Jack Russell was looking a little frail on stage, his voice was in great form, and I gotta give him a lot of credit. This version of Great White may not have all of the original members, but I gotta say this version sounds the most like the band I remember from my late teens and beyond. I don’t know where Jack Russell found his guitarist Robby Lochner, but this guy is great, and a lot of fun to watch perform. Kudos to Great White for bringing it at M3, and putting on a great show. I hope I can catch this band live again soon.
Femme Fatale is another band that I never got to see back in the day. I still remember the day when I found their out of print CD in a local record shop. I squealed like a school girl when I found it. I was tickled to death to see Lorraine Lewis and company perform. This was obviously not the original band. Lorraine brought an all female band with her and I gotta say they definitely rocked. Lorraine Lewis was having a great time, and the fans seemed to love the band’s set as much as I did.
Moving back to the main stage was Stryper. I still remember their last appearance at M3 vividly, and I was kind of miffed by their shortened set that year. 2014 made up for that show with a longer set. Of course I gotta hear a bunch of my Styper favorites including “To Hell With The Devil”, “Soldiers Under Command”, “Free”, “Calling On You”. One of the nice surprises, was Stryper doing a a cover of “Shout It Out Loud” from KISS. I love their version on their CD The Covering, but it was awesome to see them do this live. Stryper set was one of the highlights at the 2014 M3 Rock Festival, but the best performances of the day were yet to come.
More on those later in our Saturday Review part 2.
2 The Sixth Annual M3 Rock Festival Begins Next Friday Night
The Sixth Annual M3 Rock Festival starts next Friday, and the 2014 lineup is stronger than ever. Each year, the fine folks at the Merriweather Post Pavillion bring in some of the finest classic rock acts in the U.S This year’s festival includes some first time acts at M3 including Autograph, Heaven’s Edge, Jake E. Lee’s Red Dragon Cartel, Femme Fatale, and John Corabi. (Corabi has been at M3 before with RATT, but never as a solo artist).
Friday Night’s headliner is Kix, and Saturday Night’s is Tesla. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Queensryche with Todd La Torre, or Jack Russell’s Great White, look no further. If you haven’t seen Extreme, Night Ranger or Stryper live, don’t miss this excellent opportunity to see them perform.
Overall, it is seventeen bands for a reasonable price, and tickets are STILL available. Don’t miss your chance to check out one of the coolest music festivals of the year.
You can buy tickets at this link!
Check out clips from Heaven’s Edge, Femme Fatale and Autograph below.
Heaven’s Edge – Skin to Skin
Femme Fatale – Falling In And Out of Love
Autograph – Turn up the Radio
1 Three Bands Added To The Monster’s of Rock Cruise
The Monsters of Rock Cruise has added three bands to its 2013 Voyage. Bang Tango, The London Quireboys, and Rhino Bucket join a jam packed lineup which has KIX, Tesla, Lita Ford, Y&T, Great White, Dangerous Toys, Nelson, Loudness, Lynch Mob, TNT, L.A. Guns, JSRG, KEEL, Helix, Faster Pussycat, Enuff Z’Nuff, XYZ, Femme Fatale, Black N’ Blue, Alcatrazz and more.
The Monsters of Rock Cruise takes place March 16th – 20th, 2013.
Check out the Monsters of Rock Cruise website to book your cabin now!
0 UFO Lands on Monsters of Rock Cruise
The Monsters of Rock Cruise announced the addition of UFO to their star studded lineup which includes Cinderella, Tesla, Kix, Keel, Stryper, Lynch Mob, Y&T, Firehouse, Faster Pussycat, XYZ, Bang Tango, Black N’ Blue, Eric Martin and Jon Corabi.
The Monsters of Rock departs Fort Lauderdale on February 25th, 2012. For more info, please visit, MonstersofRockCruise.com
0 Free Download From KEEL – 4th of July!
Keel has made their song, “4th of July” available for a free download. Please visit KeelNation.com and in the music player in the lower left hand side of the screen… Hit Forward until you see “4th of July” and click Download! Enjoy!!
0 Hard Rock Hideout Radio Playlist For 2/24/10
If you missed last night’s Hard Rock Hideout Radio show, you missed one of our best shows yet. Last night’s show featured a ton of classic hard rock & glam metal, plus some new songs from Krokus, Airbourne, KEEL, Shylock & more.
Lita Ford – Hungry
Saints & Sinners – Rip It Up
Krokus – Hoodoo Woman (New!)
Gypsy Rose – Poisoned By Love
Toxic Heart – Ticket
Saigon Kick – All I Want
Southgang – Tainted Angel
Shake City – Lust & Love
Danger Danger – Lovin’ A Girl Like YOu
Enuff Z’nuff – For Now
Trixter – Heart of Steel
Kenni Denile – We Are The Young
KEEL – Lookin’ For a Good Time (Random Pick of the Week)
King Kobra – Burnin’ In Her Fire
Paul Stanley – All About You
Fire – Lost Without You
Eyes – Wired For Love
Dare – Heartbreaker
Shylock – Damn Good (New!)
Treat – Paper Tiger
The Poor – What I’d Do (To Get A Piece of You)
Sister Whiskey – I’d Lie To You For Your Love
Tora Tora – Lost In Paradise (NEW!)
Britny Fox – Gudbuy T’ Jane
Quiet Riot – Mama Weer All Crazee Now
Slade – Leave Them Girls Alone
KEEL – Hit The Ground Runnin’ (Random Pick of the Week)
Silent Rage – Rebel With A Cause
L.A. Guns – Some Lie 4 Love
Wildside – Heart N’ Soul
KingoftheHill – Just A Little Bit
Slik Toxik – White Lies/Black Truth
Lillian Axe – Show A Little Love
The Darkness – One Way Ticket
Hansel – Rocketship of Love
Wig Wam – Kill My Rock N Roll
Harlot’s Webb – Wild Times
Joan Jett – A.C.D.C.
Girlschool – Fox On The Run
Sweet – Wig Wam Bam
KEEL – No More Lonely Nights (Random Pick of the Week)
Airbourne – No Way, But The Hard Way (New!!)
You can listen to Hard Rock Hideout every Wednesday night at KACV FM 90 in Amarillo, Texas, or online at www.kacvfm.org.
2 RON KEEL – THE HARD ROCK HIDEOUT INTERVIEW!
Any Metalhead will attest, (from what we can recall), that they had a pretty darn good time back in the ’80’s, so did Ron Keel. This man has seen and done it all – musician, vocalist, song writer, lyricist, composer… and he is still writing his own legacy in 2010. Ron’s most famous band KEEL not only jumped on board the Heavy Metal explosion of those colorful ’80’s, the original lineup is back for another hard and heavy go round with their loyal fans… both old school and new. Ron Keel is a smitten guy these days and there is more to this Heavy Metal veteran, more to this man, once you take in what he has to say. Oh, Ron Keel does have a lot to say too, taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk to Hard Rock Hideout recently.
With the new KEEL album Streets of Rock & Roll, (released February 9, 2010), receiving it’s just praise from around the Heavy Metal and Hard Rock circles, concerts being aligned in support of this album and the KEEL NATION rising, Ron Keel is a man that is busy, happy and proud to be alive! Ron is excited about the present, reflects on the past, looks more to the future, holds friendship sacred, values his fans, respects and cares about the American troops both past and present, has a charitable heart, reveals his Heavy Metal and Hard Rock dreams and also has a message for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Walmart too… (phew), check it out:
HRH: So, Ron, how are you doing?
Ron Keel: I’m doing great! Keel is back! We just released Streets of Rock & Roll and I’ve never been a bigger fan of Keel in my entire life than right now!
HRH: You sound really happy Ron!
Ron Keel: I am! You know, back in the ’80’s, I used to want to go down in a blaze of glory. I used to think it would be cool to die young in a plane crash or something crazy like that. All those crazy thoughts go through your mind when your young. Now, I want to live! I’m 48 years old and I’ve seen and done it all and I’ve never felt better about life! I’m a husband, father and grandfather now, I want to make music, tour, do the things I love most in life and continue to Rock! I want to continue on with Keel and talk about this band and new album to everyone!
HRH: I’ll have to admit Ron, I really like this Streets of Rock & Roll album, it’s a great album. It Rocks hard.
Ron Keel: Thanks, I really appreciate that, I’m glad you enjoy it. It’s an album that I have in my truck right now, a great album to listen to while taking a long drive through the desert with the windows down. People are liking it, unfortunately Streets of Rock & Roll has been downloaded illegally already. There are ten thousand illegal downloads that were aware of in the first two weeks alone. It’s the other one million illegal downloads that we don’t know about!
HRH: That’s terrible Ron, it’s definitely not like the ’80’s anymore, where each album sold is accounted for.
Ron Keel: Sure, only back in the 80’s there were people out there buying chart positions. It gets real bad with how some albums got pushed up in the charts back then. It’s something I might want to touch on with my autobiography that I’m working on.
HRH: I’m sure I would be schooled on some of those stories.
Ron Keel: Keel was a young band back then, we were screwed out of money, we didn’t know any better back then. We probably sold a lot more albums than was being told to us, maybe a million more. It’s not like that anymore, I’m in charge now of everything.
HRH: Going in to record Streets of Rock & Roll, were there any pre-conceived ideas that were scrapped at the last minute?
Ron Keel: None. The cream always rises to the top, we just let it happen. Recording this album was a natural, easy, creative process. The entire album was written last year, after our (Keel) reunion and there was an excitement of working together again. There was no band meeting or anything like that. It was a six month creative process, it came to be where expressing two to three songs a day was happening and we recorded on June 18th of 2009. Streets of Rock & Roll was the greatest joy of my recording career.
HRH: Sounds like you are very proud of this new album.
Ron Keel: Definitely, it’s a reunion album, it was the right move and I have no regrets. Streets of Rock & Roll has all the great qualities of past Keel albums, the twin guitars of Marc Ferrari and Bryan Jay trading licks, big choruses, rhythmic duo voicings, power grooves, the lyrical content, strong attitude and fighting for what we believe in. Lot’s of power. Plus there are different tempos and key grooves, a whole different feel on this new album that takes you on a journey. The strong bond and friendship among Keel shows through these songs. Life felt very natural in the studio while recording Streets of Rock & Roll. This new album would not sound as great if not for Pat Regan, he is the best in the business, his state of the art recording techniques made this album happen!
HRH: Hold Steady, bravo for writing such a patriotic song! Are there loved one’s of yours serving or have served in the Armed Forces?
Ron Keel: Both of my parents served and I have many dear friends that have served or are serving. Back in ’98 and ’99 we toured military bases and that inspiration carries to this day! Everyday is a sacrifice for our service men and women. I have dedicated, to their honor, a free mp3 download of Hold Steady that is available on Keelnation.com. We appreciate and honor the service men and women, by giving them and the fans this song.
HRH: The song and the free download are commendable, Ron.
Ron Keel: Thank you. We really care about our veterans, I like to donate money when it’s available by taking it out of whatever comes through the office in earnings. I don’t care about having the extra money laying around, I’d rather donate it. Just recently, I wrote a check out for The Veteran’s Hospital in Las Vegas. My wife and I strongly support and endorse a special charity as well, it’s to pay for arts classes for kids with parents that have been either severely injured or passed away in war or service. Anyone can donate by visiting http://www.our militarykids.org., it means a great deal to us.
HRH: Again Ron, very commendable.
Ron Keel: Thank you. I have lived a good life and made my money. Donating is not going to hurt our bottom line.
HRH: Live, from Streets of Rock & Roll, is this a personal message from the heart? Sounds like it to me.
Ron Keel: Forty eight years of experience wrote the lyrics to this song. I thought of these lyrics while driving home from a gig one night. I never expected to live this long, I love my life and all of it’s blessings. I have also gone through a change in my personality. My thought is now… you get through the bad times to enjoy the good times. Live is a celebration of good stuff in my life. Let me just say, finding the music to fit the lyrics for Live was the challenge! The melody and lyrics came first, then the music. I’m used to writing or being handed the music first, then adding the lyrics.
HRH: Live came out just fine to me, it Rocks!
Ron Keel: Thank you, I appreciate that you like it.
HRH: I have read recently your statement, that you have some unfinished business to still take care of. What singer or musician do you wish to collaborate with as an unfinished business item?
Ron Keel: One band I want to open for is the Scorpions, on their farewell tour. Keel wants to play with the Scorpions! I am friends with Jon Bon Jovi, Keel opened for him on the Slippery When Wet Tour, so I would love to sit down with him and write some songs together. I also would want to write songs with Chris Daughtry, he is a special, strong and unique talent. I feel Chris Daughtry has bridged the gap between modern Hard Rock edge and old school mentality.
HRH: Those are some powerhouse choices of musicians and bands, Ron. Plus, I really hope the Scorpions read this and give you an opening slot on their tour! You just never know Ron.
Ron Keel: Thats it, plus it would be a dream to play with the Scorpions! I would want to sit down with both Jon Bon Jovi and Chris Daughtry, drink some beers and kick out some songs for an album. I think the three of us together, we would write some great Hard Rock songs!
HRH: (laughs) I would love to sit down with you guys and share a six pack while you write songs.
Ron Keel: (laughs) Oh yeah!
HRH: How come Streets of Rock & Roll is not at Walmart or Target?
Ron Keel: Hey, don’t go to Walmart to buy your music! I buy everything online, it’s all out there. Walmart has nothing for Hard Rock or Heavy Metal! Hey, if Walmart wants me to send them two million copies of Streets of Rock & Roll, no problem! Just ask me! The AC/DC Black Ice marketing campaign was incredible, what Walmart did with them was brilliant.
HRH: KISS Sonic Boom as well. They had the KISS kiosk.
Ron Keel: Yes, KISS Sonic Boom was huge at Walmart! I remember seeing that KISS kiosk.
HRH: You know what you need to get into Walmart besides CD’s, is a Keel kiosk! (laughs)
Ron Keel: (laughs) Yeah! A Keel kiosk! That sounds good to me!
HRH: Well, you know how it is Ron, I’m caught in Walmart, with the family, the CD aisle is a cool escape to hang out in.
Ron Keel: I understand, actually, I went into a Walmart recently and looked for the new Chris Daughtry deluxe edition CD. Walmart didn’t even have it!
HRH: What 1980’s moment in your career do you laugh most about now?
Ron Keel: The ’80’s were happy times, it was a non-stop grind with all of the arena shows. Everyday in the ’80’s was like the 4th of July, New Years Eve and Halloween all together! We had nothing but sold out shows in Japan. As far as remembering a moment where I can laugh about today… there were many crazy female moments.
HRH: Crazy female moments? Such as? Or do we use our imagination?
Ron Keel: (laughs) Yeah! Use our imagination! That’s a good way to put it! Actually, there was this one time, where a girl handcuffed herself to our tour bus door.
HRH: Gee, what happened to this girl?
Ron Keel: (laughs) Well, no one had the key to the handcuffs! I really don’t remember what happened to her! Honestly.
HRH: (laughs) That’s funny.
HRH: What band would you pay top dollar to see, past or present?
Ron Keel: Well, top dollar or no dollar, because I’m friends with many of the bands. I like to support my friend Bret Michaels on his solo tours as much as I can. Nickelback, only when they came to Vegas, I was out of town on tour. Chris Daughtry, AC/DC, and a Van Halen reunion. Bon Jovi just blows me away every night as a fan! Queensryche as well, as a fan!
HRH: What band or musician has been ignored too long by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Ron Keel: KISS! They are one of the five most iconic bands that ever lived! Don’t even get me started on this topic! I’ve expressed my disgust for that place many times in my past. Who votes in that place anyways? I’m not trying to throw The Who under the bus here, but, one hundred years from now, most people will say who is The Who? Not with KISS! One hundred years from now, people will know who KISS is and was! I’m not just saying this because Gene Simmons is a friend of mine either. Man, Gene Simmons’s kids will be running KISS, then the grandchildren will have the run of KISS! Their music, marketing and brand will never go away.
HRH: What song or album did you hear, that inspired you to become a musician?
Ron Keel: The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. I was two years old, it was February of 1963, I believe. The song was I Wanna Hold Your Hand. I remember looking at my parents and saying, this is what I want to do! I became so addicted and drawn to it at that moment. There were many milestone albums and songs, I devoured it all! KISS, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Bad Company and Led Zeppelin all inspired me. Later on, the edgier stuff like Black Sabbath I listened to. As a kid, it all goes back to the 45, those little records I would buy at K-mart. The top thirty songs on 45, I bought them all! Every week, if the top thirty changed too. I learned them and sung them all! My father used to play Country Music all around the house, that is where my Country exposure came from. The Van Halen 1 album changed the world when I was a junior in high school! When I first heard Van Halen, everyone was saying, who is this guy Eddie Van Halen? No one was around that sounded like Eddie Van Halen on guitar. No one sounded like Van Halen, it was great! Because of Van Halen’s overnight explosion, credit Heavy Metal in America because of them.
HRH: Those are really cool influences.
Ron Keel: The kids today, they already know about most of these bands because of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. These two games are exposing all of this great Hard Rock and Heavy Metal to new generations, our music will be kept live and fresh for decades to come.
HRH: If you could go back in time and rewrite a movie soundtrack, what movie would it be and why?
Ron Keel: I’m a music movie fan, I also like music biographies of famous people. I would not want to go into the past, I’d rather want to do something new. It’s interesting to consider, with all the t.v. and film work that I do. If I had to go back, it would be Spinal Tap. I would rewrite all the music and lyrics for that one! I wouldn’t mind contributing to a Rock movie as well. My favorites are Eddie and the Cruisers, Pure Country, Crossroads and Rock Star with Mark Wahlberg.
HRH: If you were to make just one more album, knowing it would be your last, what genre would it represent?
Ron Keel: An acoustic album by myself. I already released an acoustic album called Alone At Last. It was the biggest and most personal music achievement of my career. I sang the best of my career on Alone At Last. I want my next generation to listen to it and know that grandpa gave this to them, to know that I am at my happiest when by myself with a guitar and song. Alone At Last was the single most demanding project that I have ever done in my life. My fingers literally bled while making that album. Alone At Last is driving at night songs, through the desert. You can find it on CDBaby.com. Sabre Tiger is the heaviest music I have ever done, progressive too. Country maybe… it would be another acoustic album.
HRH: What is the common thread that has kept Ron Keel, Marc Ferrari, Bryan Jay and Dwain Miller together from the very start?
Ron Keel: Friendship. We never let anything get in the way of friendship, not money, women, drugs, nothing. We became Rock stars together, sharing the best times of our life together. Now we get to do it again! This Keel reunion is not about money, together we have already pumped so much money back into the business. At the end of the day, we settle our differences. We raise our glass to each other, brothers in blood is what we are!
HRH: Just like the song on Streets of Rock & Roll.
Ron Keel: Just like that.
HRH: Any message you want to say to the fans?
Ron Keel: Listen to this new record and enjoy it! It’s special. Fans of commercial Heavy Metal and Hard Rock will enjoy it. Fans can stay in touch with us by visiting online at Keelnation.com. The Keel fans are the people that helped me, helped us, to live a dream life and I cannot forget that. Twenty years from now, I hope the fans still listen to Streets of Rock & Roll!
3 KEEL – Streets of Rock & Roll (2010)
It has been a long time since KEEL has given us a new album. Their last album VI was released in ’98 without much fanfare. How does their new reunion effort Streets of Rock & Roll stack up? A lot better than you might expect. With this CD, KEEL didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, and change their sound. The band wanted to make a classic sounding KEEL album, and I believe they have succeeded in that task. I somewhat expected Ron Keel to have lost some of his range with his vocals, but he does a great job on this record. Marc Ferrari and Brian Jay serve up some tasty guitar riffs that fans of KEEL’s earlier releases are sure to enjoy.
There really isn’t a band tune on this CD, in fact I enjoyed them all. If there was any doubt in your mind, the title track “Streets of Rock & Roll” quickly lets you know this album is going to rock. This song immediately captured my attention, and this is far from the hardest rocking track on this disc.
“Come Hell or High Water” might be one of the best KEEL songs ever. This high octane rocker is easily my favorite on this CD. “Does Anybody Believe” is another great tune that will have people breaking out their lighters and cell phones in unison at KEEL’s live shows. “Gimme That” is a tune that will instantly get you rocking.
Overall, Streets of Rock & Roll is now my second most favorite KEEL album next their awesome self titled album from 1987. Ron Keel & company have crafted a well written CD full of catchy rockers that will definitely appeal to fans of hard rock and hair metal. This is one of the better releases of 2010. Don’t miss this!
For more information on KEEL, check out the band’s myspace page. Streets of Rock & Roll will be released on February 23rd, 2010.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. Streets Of Rock & Roll
2. Hit The Ground Running
3. Come Hell Or High Water
4. Push & Pull
5. Does Anybody Believe
6. No More Lonely Nights
7. The Devil May Care (But I Don’t)
8. Lookin’ For A Good Time
9. Gimme That
10. Hold Steady
11. Live
12. Brothers In Blood
KEEL is:
Ron Keel – Vocals
Marc Ferrari – Guitar
Bryan Jay – Guitar
Geno Arce – Bass
Dwain Miller – Drums
0 KEEL’s Streets of Rock & Roll Coming in January! Audio Samples Available!
KEEL – the band that gave you “The Right To Rock” – will unleash their brand new album “Streets Of Rock & Roll” ” on January 29th 2010 in Europe and February 9th in the USA on Frontiers Records.
The new recording contains twelve new rock anthems in the tradition of KEEL’s classic “The Final Frontier,” “KEEL,” and “Lay Down The Law” albums: commercial Hard Rock featuring the twin-guitar attack of Marc Ferrari and Bryan Jay, drummer Dwain Miller and bassist Geno Arce’s rock solid groove, Ron Keel’s powerful vocals, and a collection of songs which the band feels is their best ever.
“We are not re-inventing our style – “Streets Of Rock & Roll” is a perfect follow-up to our previous albums,” says Ron Keel presenting the new album. “The only real evolution is in the quality of the songwriting, musicianship, and production; the excitement and energy of the reunion really ignited our creativity and Marc, Bryan, and I were able to collaborate as a songwriting team like we’ve never done before. One characteristic this album shares with our classic releases is diversity – there are power anthems, relentless metal, and commercial hard rock. Some of the songs are designed to make you pump your fist and stomp your feet, some have lyrical content that is a little deeper and aims for the heart. There is a power ballad, “Does Anybody Believe” which I think is an instant classic and will be a very important song for us, one of those rare compositions that capture magic and translates it into words and music.”
KEEL first exploded onto the scene when “The Right To Rock,” their major label debut produced by Gene Simmons of KISS, became the fastest-selling debut album in A&M Records’ history. Frontiers Records will commemorate the 25th anniversary of this historic release with “The Right To Rock: 25th Anniversary Edition” simultaneously with “Streets Of Rock & Roll”. This newly remastered edition adds two bonus tracks: “Easier Said than Done (Remix)” and a newly recorded version of the immortal Metal anthem “The Right to Rock” (click on the title to hear a sample). For this recording, KEEL invited their fans to participate via the internet – KEELaholics could download a guide track, sing along with the chorus, and send in an MP3 to be blended with the all-star chorus of the song which also features Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot), Lez Warner (The Cult), Ron Mancuso (Beggars & Thieves) and other members of the Las Vegas rock scene (even Graham Russell from Air Supply joined in)!
KEEL has sold over 2 million albums, garnering a reputation as one of the genre’s most entertaining live acts by touring with/opening for Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, and many more. They were unanimously hailed as 1985’s “Best New Band” in publications such as Circus, Metal Edge, and Hit Parader, and released three charting albums which spawned radio & MTV hits such as “Because The Night,” “Tears Of Fire,” “Somebody’s Waiting” and of course “The Right To Rock.”
In 2009 KEEL returned stronger than ever with festival appearances across the U.S. at Rocklahoma, the M3 Festival, the South Texas Rock Festival, and the MidWest RockFest in addition to sold-out headline shows in Hollywood and Phoenix. The excitement and energy of these shows and the fans’ response fuelled the creative fires that spawned “Streets Of Rock & Roll” and led to the band’s union with Frontiers Records. “We’re working on festival dates in the U.S. and Europe for 2010 and we’re ready to rock when opportunity knocks” explains Ron, adding “I can’t emphasize enough how much depends on sales – the more copies of “Streets Of Rock & Roll” and “The Right To Rock: 25th Anniversary Edition” we sell, the more attractive we are to concert promoters and venues who can help us get back on stage where we belong – so we’re hoping that fans of commercial hard rock will embrace these albums and add them to their collection.”
The new album was produced by Pat Regan (KISS, Deep Purple, Warrant, and many others) and features guest background vocals by Jaime St. James (Black N Blue, Warrant) and Paul Shortino, who produced and recorded Ron’s lead vocal tracks.
“The feeling in the band is triumphant,” concludes Ron Keel. ”We’ve been back together for over a year now, we’ve got some great shows under our belt, and the new album is finished and ready for release. We are thankful to all the fans for the incredible response to the reunion, and we’re very proud of our new music. We can move forward with the confidence that we’ve accomplished a lot of our goals and done it on our own terms.” KEEL is confident that Hard Rock fans everywhere are going to feel right at home on the “Streets Of Rock & Roll”, and plans are underway to promote this new release with shows around the world in the year to come.
“Streets Of Rock & Roll” tracklisting includes: Streets Of Rock & Roll; Hit The Ground Running; Come Hell Or High Water; Push & Pull; Does Anybody Believe; No More Lonely Nights; The Devil May Care (But I Don’t); Lookin’ For A Good Time; Gimme That; Hold Steady; Live; Brothers In Blood.
0 KEEL Signs With Frontiers Records
KEEL has signed with FRONTIERS RECORDS, one of the elite labels in Hard Rock and Melodic Rock, and will release two albums simultaneously in January 2010.
The band announced their reunion last November, and enjoyed appearances at major summer festivals such as Rocklahoma, South Texas Rock Festival, the Mid West Rock Fest, and the M3 Rock Festival in Maryland, in addition to sold-out headline shows in Hollywood and Phoenix. The energy and excitement of these tour dates spawned a surge of creative activity, resulting in an album’s worth of new material. This album, entitled “Streets Of Rock & Roll,” is the first new KEEL recording in twenty years.
KEEL promises this new release will continue in the tradition of their previous efforts – fist-pumping crowd-pleasing hard rock anthems fueled by screaming vocals and driven by powerful guitars. The project is being produced by Pat Regan (Deep Purple, KISS, Warrant etc.) and will feature guest appearances by Jaime St. James (Black N Blue) and Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot) who is also producing and recording Ron’s lead vocal sessions.
Frontiers Records will also release “The Right To Rock: 25th Anniversary Edition,” exactly 25 years after this classic album first hit the streets. This official reissue will be digitally remastered and will feature a brand new recorded version of the title track, which is even louder and heavier than the original. “The Right To Rock (Reunion Version)” features an all-star vocal chorus, and the band is also inviting fans everywhere to sing on the track: you can download a sample chorus on KEEL’s MySpace, add your voice to the mix, send the band an MP3, and these will be mixed in to the actual recording of this timeless classic. For details, visit the KEEL web site www.keelband.com and the KEEL MySpace www.myspace.com/keelband.
The band wishes to express their thanks to everyone at Frontiers Records for their support and belief in KEEL. Frontiers is firmly established at the forefront in this genre, having successfully released projects from Journey, Styx, Tesla, Dokken, Winger and many more, and KEEL is proud to be a part of their catalog and roster.
STREETS OF ROCK & ROLL – Track Listing (Sequence To Be Determined)
- Hit The Ground Running
- Come Hell Or High Water
- Streets Of Rock & Roll
- Push & Pull
- Live
- Brothers In Blood
- The Devil May Care
- Looking For A Good Time
- No More Lonely Nights
- Hold Steady
- Does Anybody Believe
- Gimme That
- Reason To Rock (Reunion Version)
0 An Update From KEEL!
KEEL posted the following on their blog this evening:
We are gathered in North Hollywood to begin sessions for the new KEEL album tomorrow morning – to say the least we’re fired up and really excited about this new project.
Shortly after announcing the KEEL Reunion last November, we made the decision to include a new album release in our plans. At the time we had no new songs, and discussed the possibility of coming up with a few new tunes and re-recording some of our favorite KEEL compositions. Almost immediately, new songs started to come to life through our collaborative efforts and we ended up with an entire album’s worth of new material that we are confident will fulfill our musical passions while giving our fans – and a whole new generation of KEELaholics – a collection of songs that we can all enjoy.
While we are re-visiting a couple of timeless classics to include as bonus tracks on the new album and the 25th Anniversary Edition of “The Right To Rock,” we are tracking 12 brand-new KEEL songs guaranteed to satisfy your rock n roll hunger. Here for the first time is the track listing for the new KEEL album, which will be called “STREETS OF ROCK N ROLL“:
HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
COME HELL OR HIGH WATER
STREETS OF ROCK N ROLL
PUSH & PULL
BROTHERS IN BLOOD
HOLD STEADY
LIVE
DOES ANYBODY BELIEVE
NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS
THE DEVIL MAY CARE
LOOKIN’ FOR A GOOD TIME
GIMME THAT
The album will be co-produced and mixed by ace producer/engineer Pat Regan (Ritchie Blackmore, Warrant, Billy Sheehan, etc.). My vocals will be engineered, recorded, and produced by Paul Shortino. We’ll be posting updates from the sessions as often as time permits, and plan to offer a free download of a brand new KEEL song later this summer.
I promise the musical direction of this album is this: straight ahead classic hard rock anthems – strong, powerful guitar-driven rock meant to capture the spirit of our genre, the excitement of our reunion, and our love for our music and our audience. We look forward to sharing this music with you, and we thank our fans, friends, families and everyone on our staff and crew for the inspiration to make this the greatest KEEL album of all time.
6 M3 Festival Review
I must admit that I was pretty excited when I first read about the lineup for the M3 festival in Columbia, Maryland. Unlike Rock Gone Wild, and Rocklahoma, this is a one day festival, cram packed with more classic hard rock acts that you can handle in one day. There was several bands on this festival’s roster that I have not seen before, so it was a complete no-brainer. I made the trek to Columbia, MD Friday night. Sure it took roughly 8 hours each way by car, but it was well worth it, in my opinion.
The weather was perfect for the event. It was hot and sunny all day, and the crowd for M3 filled up the stands pretty quick.
Before most folks made into the festival, they were greeted by the heavy beats of Carmine Appice’s SLAMM. I only caught the tail end of their performance, but it seemed pretty cool for the most part. This wasn’t SLAMM’s scheduled set time, as they played later on in the festival. Their early performance helped to generate excitement amongst the large crowd filing into the venue.
The festival kicked off with former Guns N’ Roses and Kill for Thrills Guitarist, Gilby Clarke. Gilby’s set was short, but he fired off some of my favorite songs of his including “Tijiuana Jail“ and “Cure Me or Kill Me“. He even threw in “Be Yourself” from the Rockstar: Supernova CD. Imagine That! I never expected to hear a song from this CD again. I think Gilby handled it better than Lukas Rossi.
After Clarke’s set, I had to pick and choose which bands I wanted to see play live because several of the set times over lapped. I HATED this part of the festival. I genuinely like every band on the bill, and wanted the chance to see every band perform. This was not possible, so I had to sacrifice one band over another several times throughout the day. I don’t think this was fair to the bands, or to the fans who paid to see them.
The first choice was Y&T vs. XYZ. Y&T beat out XYZ in the battle of the alphabet bands,and rightly so. Y&T is celebrating their 35th anniversary in 2009, and I wasn’t budging from my seat. This band doesn’t know where Cincinnati, Ohio is on the map (they never play in my hometown), so I couldn’t wait to see them play. Dave Meniketti and company blasted out a rocking set of tunes that spanned over their vast career including, “Dirty Girl”, “Black Tiger”, “Mean Streak”, and “Summertime Girls”. My only complaint is that their set was too short. I would have loved to have heard some more Y&T songs. Some friends of mine were at the XYZ stage, and said XYZ put on a hell of a show as well. I guess you win some and you lose some. I enjoyed Y&T and I hope the rock gods will be kind enough to offer me another chance to see this band, when they can play a full show.
The next band dilemna after Y&T was Slaughter vs. Jetboy. I like Slaughter, but this was no competition for me at all. I immediately ran over to the second stage to check out Jetboy’s set. I got there early, and was front and center for the show.
Jetboy guitarist Billy Rowe was having some sound issues to start the show, but the crew got him fixed up pretty quickly. Jetboy rocked the crowd hard, and put on an extremely tight set of tunes. Out of all of the bands at M3, I would say Jetboy was in the top 2 as far as the performance they gave. These guys should have played on the main stage for sure. Mickey Finn’s vocals were great, and his bright green Mohawk made him one of the most photogenic rockers of the day. The whole band was on fire during this set. Fernie Rod and Billy Rowe’s playing was great. I didn’t know who to keep an eye on. Billy was blasting away on the slide guitar, and Fernie was adding in his awesome licks. Michael Butler is a pretty fun bass player to watch as well. This guy knows how to get a crowd going. New drummer Doug Hovan didn’t miss a beat. Those that hung out for Jetboy’s set got treated to some classic Jetboy tunes including “Feel The Shake”, and “Heavy Chevy”. They also a played a few new unreleased songs that were nothing short of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!. I can’t wait to see what fans reactions are when they hear these songs. Prepare to be blown away!!
Next up on the main stage was Jani Lane and his new solo band featuring Kerri Kelli from Alice Cooper on Guitar. Jani’s set consisted primarily of Warrant tunes (no surprise there), and a brand new unreleased track. Jani’s voice sounded good, as did his band. Jani has always managed to attract some pretty good guitar players, and Kerri Kelli is definitely one of the better ones. I like Jani Lane and I wanted to stay for more songs, but he is coming to my hometown in a couple of months, and I will definitely be going to see him then. I hung out for 3 or 4 songs, and ran back to stage two for the Bulletboys.
Marq Torien might be the only original member left of the Bulletboys, but this band does not rock any less. I didn’t make it over for the start of their set, but I did catch three or four of their songs before I had to depart for my Jetboy interview. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to hear “Smooth Up In Ya”, but I will definitely catch the Bulletboys on their tour with Faster Pussycat later this year.
I met up with Fernie Rod and Billy Rowe, for a really cool sit down interview, which I will post at HRH later this week. By the time our interview was done, Dokken was finishing up their set. They sounded ok from where I was standing, and I was able to catch Jon Levin wailing away on those infamous George Lynch solos.
I quickly ran back up to stage two to catch Steel Panther perform. I didn’t expect much from these guys, but you know what…. I loved their set. Their songs are a really good hair metal parody, but they are so good at what they do, you can’t help but like them. I must admit that the only songs that I knew were “Death To All But Metal” and “Fat Girl”, but I liked all of the tunes they performed. I will certainly pick up their CD when it becomes available. I couldn’t stay for Steel Panther’s entire set either, as I didn’t want to miss one minute of Kix’s set. I ran back down the hill to stage one and got there right before Kix took the Stage.
The best performance of the day, easily goes to Kix. They were absolutely fantastic. Maryland obviously has a strong appreciation for their band, and rightfully so. Kix’s excellent set included the following songs (in no certain order): “Midnight Dynamite”, “Itch”, “Get It White It’s Hot”, “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” , “Cold Blood”, “Blow My Fuse”, “Girl Money” and a bunch more. Singer Steve Whiteman is every bit as good as the day he started this band. Ronnie Younkins and Brian Forsythe have to be one of the most under appreciated guitar tandems in rock today. Kix’s set was so good, they could have closed this show, and everyone would have been happy. Luckily, there was plenty of rock left on this day. I ran back up the hill to stage two to catch L.A. Guns.
This L.A. Guns is the version with Phil Lewis, Steve Riley, Scotty Griffin and Stacey Blades. The same lineup has been together for quite a few years now and sound great. Stacey Blades might not be Tracii Guns, but he is a damn good guitarist, and does a great job on these classic L.A. Guns tunes. Phil Lewis made this rock fan feel old by mentioning that 2009 was the 20th anniversary of the Cocked & Loaded CD. Good Grief…has it been 20 years already? I enjoyed their short set.
Extreme’s set over lapped with L.A. Guns so I missed the beginning of their show. I really wanted to stay for the whole Extreme set too, but the end of their set overlapped with KEEL’s. From what I could tell, Gary Cherone sounded exactly the same, and Nuno Bettencourt was amazing as always. I enjoyed the few songs that I got to hear.
I quickly ran back up the hill (are you seeing a pattern here) to catch the start of KEEL’s set. Judging from what I could tell from KEEL, I should have stayed to watch Extreme. I don’t know what the deal was, but something was missing in KEEL’s performance. I think Ron Keel may have been having some sound issues as his voice did not seem very loud in a few songs. He was using a wireless microphone, and this could have been oen of the problems. I thought his voice was a lot smoother, and no where near as coarse as it was back in the 80’s. It was this coarseness that gave KEEL such a cool metal sound, and I didn’t hear it during their set. They played songs from all of their albums which was cool, but I kept feeling like this was a phone in perfomance. Some of the songs from the KEEL set list was (in no order): “Cherry Lane”, “The Right to Rock”, “Speed Demon”, “Because The Night” and a few more. I hope I get the chance to see KEEL again. I love their music, and they definitely deserve a second chance. I had high expectations for KEEL at M3, and the band didn’t meet them.
I headed back down the hill one final time for RATT & Twisted Sister. I wanted to see Carmine Appice’s SLAMM, but I was ready to see two full sets of music before I called it a day.
RATT was up next, and they did not disappoint me. Pearcy’s voice sounded pretty good for the most part, and Warren DeMartini was awesome. He has been one of my favorite guitarists for a long time, and he did not disappoint. My seat for the main stage event was on the far right hand side of the stage, and the sight line wasn’t the greatest. I immediately realised that the rhythm guitarist was not Carlos Cavazo, but appeared to be John Corabi. His hair was a little different since the last time I saw him, and I almost didn’t recognize him. The one thing I have noticed the last couple of times that I have seen RATT is that Corabi kind of stands off to the side and lets the rest of the band do their thing. I don’t know if there is bad blood there, or what the deal is. Corabi is a terrific musician and singer, but I wonder how happy he is in RATT. Aside from that, I enjoyed RATT’s set. Their set list included: “Lay It Down”, “You’re In Love”, “Back For More”, “Wanted Man” and much to my surprise and enjoyment, “Nobody Rides For Free’ (From the Point Break Movie soundtrack).
Twisted Sister took the stage around 9:30, and immediately was experiencing sound issues. JJ French did not have any sound to start the show, and it took quite a while for the Twisted Sister crew to get him fixed up. After the inital snafu’s at the beginning of their set. Twister Sister kicked some major ass to close out the M3 festival. This was my first experience seeing Twisted Sister and a couple of things surprised me. These guys talk a lot during their shows. Dee Snider was pretty funny, but did he really need to continue to advertise his House of Hair Radio show during Twisted Sister’s set? Was JJ French’s rant about American Idol really necessary? Twisted Sister needs to play more and talk less during their shows, in my opinion. Aside from too much talking, I loved Twisted Sister. Their set was high energy, hair flinging fun, and the band really does try to put on the best show possible. Their set list included the following songs: “Under the Blade”, ‘Horror-teria”, “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, “Burn in Hell”, “The Price”, and I Wanna Rock”. Twisted Sister’s set was a great ending to an amazing day at Merriweather Post Pavillion. I hope they make this an annual event. If they do, I will be back!!
1 KEEL Confirmed for Rocklahoma 2009!
Tonight on Eddie Trunk Live, on XM 53, The Boneyard, Ron Keel mentioned that KEEL is the first confirmed band for Rocklahoma 2009. Keel will get either a Friday night or Saturday night time slot, where they can play all of their hits.
Ron also said that him and Marc Ferrari have been working on material for a new album which they hope to release this summer via Chavis Records. They also hope to record a live DVD for release by Christmas of 2009.
Sounds like a great year for the KEEL guys! Check them out at www.keelreunion.com!
From Chavis Records:
On Monday, January 26th, Ron Keel announced on “Eddie Trunk Live” on Sirius/XM radio that the KEEL Reunion has been confirmed for a prime slot on the Rocklahoma 2009 Main Stage.
KEEL – the band that gave you “The Right To Rock” – is back in action for their 25th Anniversary Reunion, performing and recording together for the first time in 20 years. Ron Keel, along with guitarists Marc Ferrari & Bryan Jay, drummer Dwain Miller, and bassist Geno Arce, will be delivering all the hits: “Because The Night,” “Somebody’s Waiting,” “Rock N Roll Outlaw,” “Tears Of Fire,” and of course one of the defining anthems of 80’s metal “The Right To Rock.”
KEEL also announced signing with one of hard rock’s heaviest hitters – Maryland-based CHAVIS RECORDS – with plans to release a new KEEL CD by summertime. Label CEO – Bill Chavis – “Everyone at CR is beyond excitement about having KEEL join the family not to mention that KEEL is undoubtedly one of the paramount pioneers of this genre of music. Being part of KEEL’s 25th anniversary is electrifying!”
“We are so proud to have such a prestigious spot on the Rocklahoma bill,” Ron states. “This festival is the big one that started it all, and was certainly one of our goals when we reunited. We can promise you, when KEEL hits that stage we are going to pack 20 years worth of energy and sweat into our 1-hour show.”
More information will be forthcoming.
0 DC4 Added To Keel Reunion Show
DC4 has been added to the KEEL Debut Reunion show taking place in Hollywood, CA on Saturday, January 31, 2009. The show is being held at Club Vodka at The Knitting Factory. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 day of show.
2009 will mark the return of one of metal’s pioneering and iconic acts, KEEL. Two decades have passed since the original line up has shared the stage and none of the members have performed together on stage as KEEL since 1989. DC4 is elated to part of this epic event. Members of DC4 shared the stage with KEEL “back in the day” and are proud to do it once again.
EXPLODE, the new release from DC4 hits the streets January 27th preorders are now being taken. Click here to order now!
For more information visit www.chavisrecords.net, www.myspace.com/chavisrecords, www.myspace.com/dc4duncan, www.keelreunion.com, www.myspace.com/keelband.
0 KEEL Reunion Concert in HOLLYWOOD
The KEEL “Debut Reunion Concert” will take place in Hollywood on Saturday, January 31st. The location for this historic event will be Club Vodka at The Knitting Factory. Tickets $18 advance, $20 day of show – to purchase tickets, visit http://clubvodka.com, CLUB VODKA at The Knitting Factory, 7021 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90028 – venue phone: 323.463.0204
2009 will mark iconic metal band KEEL’s 25th anniversary, and the passing of two decades since the original lineup played on stage together. Unlike most of their contemporaries, none of the members has ever performed as KEEL since 1989.
Ron Keel, guitarists Marc Ferrari & Bryan Jay, drummer Dwain Miller along with Geno Arce (Ron’s long-time bassist) are preparing to perform again for the first time in 20 years. “It would not have been right without these guys,” expresses Ron Keel. With the high volume of requests for the band to reunite, the members felt the time is right to deliver the show fans everywhere have been demanding: a KEEL reunion.
In 1985, “The Right To Rock” became the fastest-selling debut album in A&M Record’s history. Selling over 2 million albums the band was proclaimed the Best New Band by Metal Edge and Circus Magazines.
The title track was a hit on radio & MTV and remains a staple on VH1 Classic, in addition to the group’s subsequent hits “Tears Of Fire,” “Because The Night,” “Somebody’s Waiting,”and “Rock & Roll Outlaw.” They developed a reputation as one of the genre’s most entertaining live acts, opening for heavyweights like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and Van Halen amongst many others.
Plans are for KEEL to reunite at a select number of festivals and showcase dates in 2009 to perform all their hits and classic favorites in celebration of 25 years of rock n roll history – visit the web site and MySpace for details.
For more information go to http://keelreunion.com and http://myspace.com/keelband
2 KEEL To Reunite in 2009!
“The Right To Rock” still echoes the sentiments of a generation and remains one of the defining anthems of 80’s Heavy Metal Music. And KEEL, the band that created it, is finally poised to revisit their legacy and reunite on stage for the first time to celebrate over two decades of good music and good times. 2009 will mark the band’s 25th anniversary, and the passing of twenty years since the classic KEEL lineup performed on stage together.
Ron Keel, Marc Ferrari, Bryan Jay & Dwain Miller are preparing to perform a select number of dates in 2009. Due to the high visibility the act continues to receive, the members finally feel the time is right to deliver the show fans everywhere have been clamoring for: a KEEL reunion.
In 1985, “The Right To Rock” became the fastest-selling debut album in A&M Record’s history. The title track was a hit on radio & MTV and remains a staple on VH1 Classic, in addition to the group’s subsequent hits “Tears Of Fire,” “Because The Night,” “Somebody’s Waiting” and “Rock & Roll Outlaw.” They developed a reputation as one of the genre’s most entertaining live acts, opening for heavyweights like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and many others. KEEL sold over 2 million albums and was proclaimed Best New Band by Metal Edge Magazine, Circus Magazine, and Rock Scene.
Through the years, the nucleus of the band has remained close friends, working together in various musical and business enterprises. Vocalist Ron Keel has maintained a high profile with a variety of projects and has remained intensely active as a recording and touring musician. He has continued to embrace and promote his time in KEEL in countless interviews, and his live shows have proudly included the KEEL hits. Guitarists Marc Ferrari and Bryan Jay have continued to write, record, and perform and have remained in the industry via music publishing, song licensing, and other business ventures. When Ron’s band passed through LA on tour, they were joined on stage by Marc & Bryan – playing a medley of KEEL classics, and proving to themselves and the fans that the magic was still as strong as ever.
Unlike most of their contemporaries, none of the members has ever performed as KEEL since 1989. “It would not have been right,” expresses Ron. “Even though it was my last name, KEEL was a true band and I have always taken a stand against performing under that name with different musicians. I’ve had a number of bands in the years since, including Fair Game, IronHorse and K2 – but there’s only ever been one KEEL and without Bryan, Marc, and Dwain I wouldn’t be doing this.” The four original members will be joined on stage by Ron’s long-time bassist Geno Arce, who spent six years with him in IronHorse.
A new web site has been launched to establish an internet home for the KEEL Reunion: http://keelreunion.com
The KEEL “Debut Reunion Concert” will take place in Hollywood on Saturday, January 31st. The location for this historic event will be Club Vodka at The Knitting Factory – visit the web site and stay tuned to MySpace for details.
Recent highlights have included KEEL’s live version of “The Right To Rock” on the “Hollywood Rocks” boxed 4-CD collection, and the band also participated in the accompanying documentary from Cleopatra Records/Ultra Films – Ron, Marc and Bryan contributed a candid and insightful interview segment to the project, telling tales of Metal’s heyday, and discussing their career and the possibility of a KEEL reunion.
And in 2008, for the first time ever, KEEL’s rare independent debut album “Lay Down The Law” was finally released on CD by Shrapnel Records, digitally remastered with new packaging.
Plans are for KEEL to reunite at a select number of festivals and showcase dates to perform all their hits and classic favorites in celebration of 25 years of rock & roll history.
Check out the classic Keel video, “Somebody’s Waiting” below.
1 Keel – S/T (Release Year – 1987)
It is the 20th Anniversary of Keel’s self titled disc. This disc is one that I would consider to be the band’s best.
This Michael Wagener produced disc features Ron Keel on vocals, Marc Ferrari and Brian Jay on guitar, Kenny Chaisson on bass, and Dwain Miller on drums.
This is a another disc that I have owned on multiple formats. I wore my cassette tape of this out years ago, and was quick to pick it up on CD once that happened.
This disc has a bunch of excellent hard rock tunes and a solid power ballad, Calm Before the Storm. My favorite songs are Somebody’s Waiting, Cherry Lane, King of the Rock and I Said the Wrong Thing to the Right Girl.
If I had to compare Keel to other bands from the same time period, I would say that they are closest to Dokken. Ron Keel belts the vocals out with his melodic screams, and Marc Ferrari has many impressive guitar solos throughout this release.
It should be a crime, that a CD this good is out of print. The only way you are going to find this one now is through EBay, Gemm, or some expensive used copies through Amazon.com.
You can preview a couple of the songs below. Don’t miss out on this disc, if you don’t own it.
Rating: Out of 10
Track Listing:
1. United Nations
2. Somebody’s Waiting
3. Cherry Lane
4. Calm Before the Storm
5. King of the Rock
6. It’s a Jungle Out There
7.I Said the Wrong Thing to the Right Girl
8. Don’t Say You Love Me
9. If Love Is a Crime (I Wanna Be Convicted)
10. 4th of July