The Days of General Admission, Right Side of Stage, Obscenely Loud Guitar

[toomanycats]

This video of the band Loudness performing at Madison Square Garden in 1985 brings me back to the good old days of general admission shows in the 80s. I didn't catch this particular tour, but legend has it that Loudness kicked the headliner's azz every single night. The headliner in question was none other than Motely Crue.

I love how in this clip you can't hear the vocalist when he starts to sing their signature number, "Crazy Nights." You can barely hear the bass and drums either. That's because the person filming this is right against the barricade in front of guitarist Akira Takasaki, who probably had several 100 watt Plexis cranked and pushing a wall of 4X12 Marshall cabs. That is exactly where I wanted to be as a kid, right in front of the guitar player, where I could hear and see everything they did and bask in the glory of obscene decimals. Akira is an absolute animal in this clip. He's one of the most underrated guitar players of that decade, was Japan's answer to EVH, Randy Rhoads, Lynch, Jake E Lee, and all the other American gunslingers, and every bit their equal.





If you have any doubts about Akira's incredible guitar prowess, give this a listen:

[bleys21]

He is an interesting mix. His physical technique is similar to Eddie's, especially those 4 finger stretches. His reach between index and pinky must be massive, like Eddie's.

His phrasing reminds me of Randy, but kicked up to about 180 bpm. And some of his stuff reminds me of Nuno, even though he was probably after Akira, timeline-wise. Similar influence from EVH, maybe?

[toomanycats]

He is an interesting mix. His physical technique is similar to Eddie's, especially those 4 finger stretches. His reach between index and pinky must be massive, like Eddie's.

His phrasing reminds me of Randy, but kicked up to about 180 bpm. And some of his stuff reminds me of Nuno, even though he was probably after Akira, timeline-wise. Similar influence from EVH, maybe?

Great observations there. Yes, definitely an Eddie Van Halen influence in the ferocity of his pick attack, tremolo picking, and wide legato. Very different tones however. I also hear the Randy and Yngwie, but that may go mostly back to Ritchie Blackmore, who Akira has stated is one of his greatest influences. The effect that Blackmore left on Japanese youth during Deep Purple's tours of Japan in the 70's can't be underestimated. I also hear a Paul Gilbert type sound in his playing, which couldn't have come from Gilbert himself in 1985, but must result from a common source of inspiration.

This is a great representation of where Akira's guitar playing went in the following years. He just kept getting better, though unfortunately, a metal album released in 1992 wasn't going to gain any traction given the tsunami of Grunge that was swallowing everyone at that moment.

[toomanycats]

Another observation I've made while watching the live videos:

They were filmed in 1985 at Madison Square Garden. Everyone knows that this stop on a tour is major; it is a hugely significant venue in major media market. Led Zeppelin filmed The Song Remains the Same 12 years previous on that same stage. The connection with Zeppelin is significant here. In a similar way to how Zeppelin was a foreign (British) band that showed Americans how to properly play one of their one native art forms (Chicago electric blues), in 1985 the foreign band Loudness showed America what a Los Angeles metal band should sound and look like. The stories of Loudness demolishing the headliner Motley Crue on that tour are legendary.

[tlarson58]

I read somewhere that Nirvana had a major impact on the revival of guitar because their music was almost instantly playable. Guitarists from the 80's and 90's had set the bar so high that "proficiency" was only a dream only a fanatically committed few (not me).

That said, I appreciate the dedication and results.

[toomanycats]

I read somewhere that Nirvana had a major impact on the revival of guitar because their music was almost instantly playable. Guitarists from the 80's and 90's had set the bar so high that "proficiency" was only a dream for all but those who put their all into it (not me).

That said, I appreciate the dedication and results.

Yes, history repeats itself. In the 70s rock music evolved to the point where kids in the garage couldn't dream of playing Steve Howe (YES), but they could play Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols). The transition from technical guitar to grunge in the early 90s is analogous.

[Chocol8]

I read somewhere that Nirvana had a major impact on the revival of guitar because their music was almost instantly playable. Guitarists from the 80's and 90's had set the bar so high that "proficiency" was only a dream only a fanatically committed few (not me).

That said, I appreciate the dedication and results.

EVH had that effect on me. I was a huge fan as a kid, but didn’t pick up guitar until later because I knew there was no way I could ever learn to play like Eddie! It wasn’t until VH broke up in ‘85 and my interests wandered to other more accessible genres that I even considered learning guitar.

[BrianSkeezer]

I read somewhere that Nirvana had a major impact on the revival of guitar because their music was almost instantly playable. Guitarists from the 80's and 90's had set the bar so high that "proficiency" was only a dream only a fanatically committed few (not me).

That said, I appreciate the dedication and results.

Nirvana was how I started learning to play. I learned the bass line to "Polly" first, then to "About A Girl." Then I learned how to play power chords on guitar and that was it.

[Rollin Hand]

I was a big Takasaki fan in high school, and still want a Random Star because of him. My favouritr solo of his is on "Let it Go." It sounds simple and melodic, but it is really complex (untouchable for me).



I listened to that album a lot in high school. For some reason, I was very efficient at advanced math while listening to it. Can't explain it.

[toomanycats]

I was a big Takasaki fan in high school, and still want a Random Star because of him. My favouritr solo of his is on "Let it Go." It sounds simple and melodic, but it is really complex (untouchable for me).



I listened to that album a lot in high school. For some reason, I was very efficient at advanced math while listening to it. Can't explain it.

The guitar solo on this song is so reminiscent of a style of playing that became associated with Vito Bratta after White Lion's Pride album blew up in America in 1987 that I can't help but speculating about a possible influence.

White Lion's Fight to Survive record was released in Japan before it was released in the States, on November 9th, 1985 to be exact. Loudness recorded their album Lightning Strikes, which the song "Let it Go" is on, from December 85 through February 86. White Lion was known in Japan, and the chronology certainly allows for the possibility that Akira heard the band, and it is not far fetched at all to imagine that Vito's unique style of playing would have captured his attention.

As you mentioned, it is a technical but highly melodic style of playing. It has almost classical rules of composition, without being a full on Yngwie style neo classical schred fest. It's highly composed, sounding like a mini composition within the larger composition of the song. All of those things apply to many solos by both Vito and Akira.

[Rollin Hand]

Yes, it is almost a composition within a composition. To me, that solo is integral to the song -- nothing else fits.

Vito was incredible in a lot of ways too, but he started to get into the "scale goes up.....and scale goes down...." method of solo composition. I'll put my flame suit on here: "Little Fighter" is a prime example.

But "Pride"...that tone is the closest I have heard to the Brown Sound without copying the Brown Sound. As he said in one interview "you couldn't stand in front of Angus' amp, but you could stand in front of mine." I have tried to copy that on my 11Rack quite a few times, but never hit it.

[toomanycats]

Here's another interesting little tidbit of info about Loudness: The chant "M Z A" in the song "Crazy Nights" doesn't stand for anything. The band just thought that it sounded cool.

I personally like to imagine is stands for the single greatest toy I ever got as a kid, "MaZingA". My little brother and I had some crazy nights with my Shogun Warrior fighting his Godzilla with the forearm that shot off and the flickering flame tongue.

[LancerTheGreat]

The last truly good show where the crowd was actually people instead of cellphone stands, was in 2008.
Trivium and some other bands at Headliners in Louisville KY.
There was such a thick fog (of sweat) from the ceiling to the floor, you could hardly see the crowd from the merch/refreshment balcony. This was in either October or November too, and no heat or anything on in the building.


I guess the best Band:Crowd I've experienced since then has been Clutch, the fans are there for the show instead of their Instagram, and the band really puts the energy out into the crowd.

[ID10t]

The last truly good show where the crowd was actually people instead of cellphone stands, was in 2008.
Trivium and some other bands at Headliners in Louisville KY.
There was such a thick fog (of sweat) from the ceiling to the floor, you could hardly see the crowd from the merch/refreshment balcony. This was in either October or November too, and no heat or anything on in the building.


I guess the best Band:Crowd I've experienced since then has been Clutch, the fans are there for the show instead of their Instagram, and the band really puts the energy out into the crowd.

That was well put and got my brain churning. It's been more than a couple years since I saw a live show and though Facepalm existed, there wasn't the tagging and poundsigning and no insta crap. Remember lighters?
I've been following this thread but didn't miss the shows until your post.

[LancerTheGreat]

@ID10t
I definitely remember lighters at shows, or making sure you pick one up for each person with you before you get to the show. So much better before everyone was their own paparazzi.

I couldn't help but go there, when I was reading through I was just thinking "man, I wish I had been around to catch this back in the day."
And then it made me think about how much I miss really good live shows with good crowds.

[jhull54]

I didn't catch this particular tour, but legend has it that Loudness kicked the headliner's azz every single night. The headliner in question was none other than Motely Crue.

The only show I've ever walked out on was Motley Crue on their Generation Swine tour. Cheap Trick opened for them, and easily held their own with Crue even though they got 25% of the stage, lights, and sound. Crue was terrible. Particularly vocally.

That is exactly where I wanted to be as a kid, right in front of the guitar player, where I could hear and see everything they did and bask in the glory of obscene decimals.

I saw Journey on their Departure tour in 1980, and was second row on Schon's side of the stage. That was a mistake regarding my hearing, but I left the show in awe of his talent. It was like sticking your head inside a sawmill at full throttle.

And BTW, this was a couple of years before GA "seats" became really popular. They first called GA "festival seating".

Loudness should have been bigger in the US. They kicked a lot of ass.

[toomanycats]

I didn't catch this particular tour, but legend has it that Loudness kicked the headliner's azz every single night. The headliner in question was none other than Motely Crue.

The only show I've ever walked out on was Motley Crue on their Generation Swine tour. Cheap Trick opened for them, and easily held their own with Crue even though they got 25% of the stage, lights, and sound. Crue was terrible. Particularly vocally.

That is exactly where I wanted to be as a kid, right in front of the guitar player, where I could hear and see everything they did and bask in the glory of obscene decimals.

I saw Journey on their Departure tour in 1980, and was second row on Schon's side of the stage. That was a mistake regarding my hearing, but I left the show in awe of his talent. It was like sticking your head inside a sawmill at full throttle.

And BTW, this was a couple of years before GA "seats" became really popular. They first called GA "festival seating".

Loudness should have been bigger in the US. They kicked a lot of ass.

Vince Neal has taken a lot of crap for his lackluster vocals in recent years, but the truth is he never was a great vocalist.

Regarding Journey, other people have told me that Journey in that era was the loudest band they ever heard live.

[bleys21]

Yeah, I heard the same thing about the late 70's and early 80's Journey shows. I saw them in 83 during the Frontiers tour at the Great Western Forum in LA, and it was seriously loud. And I was nowhere near the stage! Its a wonder that anyone in the band can hear at all...

[slowhand84]

though unfortunately, a metal album released in 1992 wasn't going to gain any traction given the tsunami of Grunge that was swallowing everyone at that moment.

I have to respectfully disagree with this last part of the statement given that metal albums released in 1992 included Pantera's "A Vulgar Display of Power", Megadeth's "Countdown to Extinction", Iron Maiden's "Fear of the Dark", etc. It was more so that a hair metal album coming out at that time wouldn't really gain any traction because that style was already on its deathbed for quite some time by then. Metal in general was still alive and kickin'

Thanks for the reminder about Loudness though, super fun band. I have a couple of their records and Akira was always a monster player.

[Rollin Hand]

Here's another interesting little tidbit of info about Loudness: The chant "M Z A" in the song "Crazy Nights" doesn't stand for anything. The band just thought that it sounded cool.

I personally like to imagine is stands for the single greatest toy I ever got as a kid, "MaZingA". My little brother and I had some crazy nights with my Shogun Warrior fighting his Godzilla with the forearm that shot off and the flickering flame tongue.


s-l1600.jpg

I always wondered what M Z A! stood for and now I know.....the rest of the story.

[Rollin Hand]

I didn't catch this particular tour, but legend has it that Loudness kicked the headliner's azz every single night. The headliner in question was none other than Motely Crue.

The only show I've ever walked out on was Motley Crue on their Generation Swine tour. Cheap Trick opened for them, and easily held their own with Crue even though they got 25% of the stage, lights, and sound. Crue was terrible. Particularly vocally.

That is exactly where I wanted to be as a kid, right in front of the guitar player, where I could hear and see everything they did and bask in the glory of obscene decimals.

I saw Journey on their Departure tour in 1980, and was second row on Schon's side of the stage. That was a mistake regarding my hearing, but I left the show in awe of his talent. It was like sticking your head inside a sawmill at full throttle.

And BTW, this was a couple of years before GA "seats" became really popular. They first called GA "festival seating".

Loudness should have been bigger in the US. They kicked a lot of ass.

Vince Neal has taken a lot of crap for his lackluster vocals in recent years, but the truth is he never was a great vocalist.

Regarding Journey, other people have told me that Journey in that era was the loudest band they ever heard live.

I saw an episode of Sammy's AXS TV show where he was doing a show, and Vince came out to sing "Girls, Girls, Girls." At one point Sammy screams to the crowd "VINCE NEIL IS KILLING IIIIIIIIT!" and I thought "oh, that's it. Because it sounds like something is dying."


Then there was Live8. Motley came on, and my wife walked into the room, and asks "who's the fat guy?"

"That's Vince Neil from Motley Crue."

"Well, the fat guy from Motley Crue can't sing."

Of course, I am old, fat, and can't sing like I used to, so who am I to say anything?