Very High Frequencies

VHF-275 (Ramones) packs in the punk rock classics and the deep cuts too. Not Dead Yet Mike has pulled favorites from all fourteen studio albums. Early anthems like “I Wanna Be Sedated” are still today a slice of philosophy to live by. It’s so simple that it’s pure genius. Lesser known tracks such as “I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” demonstrate perhaps a dark sense of humor more than a nihilistic zeitgeist call to arms. 
To the casual listener it could be argued that the band didn’t really evolve musically but this episode of Very High Frequencies proves that there was variety within the band’s releases. The drumming especially changed (along with the drummer). 
Did digital recording techniques change the band’s sound as analog became obsolete? Very doubtful. However, the band was not a one trick pony. There was a fair amount of experimentation by the group to keep things somewhat fresh without completely reinventing the wheel. Like Motörhead and AC/DC some bands were not expected to ever change their sound. The Ramones choose to be in that category just by dressing alike in street clothes and changing their last names to all be Ramones. As a brand it was hugely successful and it simply wouldn’t have worked without kick ass tunes to go with the T-shirts. Do your punk rock cred a solid and relive some of the coolest two minute long songs ever released. Hey hoe let’s go! VHF-275 (Ramones).

VHF-274 (Metal 101 Part 3) is a companion episode with shows 113 & 166 although it is a standalone show as well.
Not Dead Yet Mike makes like a professor and spins tracks from the early hard rock that was predominantly released in the early seventies (Deep Purple) right up to contemporary acts (Triptykon). It’s a historical chronological retrospective of the evolution of heavy music. 
Professor Not Dead Yet Mike connects the dots in a coherent timeline. For example in the early nineties grunge was popular and many established metal bands fell out of favor. Metallica famously cut their hair short and said that they were not metal. But some established artists went in the opposite direction. Rob Halford quit Judas Priest for not being heavy enough and formed a heavy thrash metal band called Fight. Geezer Butler left the struggling Black Sabbath and released an album with Fear Factory screamer Burton C. Bell. GZR’s Plastic Planet (1995) blew minds and speakers alike. So many of the influential hard rock bands had limited success but for various reasons they made quite an impact. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal in the late seventies and early eighties was packed with bands that made one album and  disappeared. Groups like Witchfinder General and Legend are now regarded as major building blocks of the genre. 
Going further back in time it might seem impossible now that a band as commercial as Aerosmith was once considered hard rock. But in 1974 they were creating the heaviest rock available. 
Other influential bands we examine include Mercyful Fate, Type O Negative, Celtic Frost, Pallbearer, Trouble, Fear Of God, and a who’s who of heavy outfits. From analog to digital recordings, the evolution of heavy music gets another workout on this week’s Very High Frequencies-274 (Metal 101 Part 3). 

VHF-273 (The Cure - New Stuff) examines some of the recently released songs from Robert Smith’s long running band. 
Not Dead Yet Mike mixes in studio tracks off of Songs Of A Lost World as well as instrumental versions and remixes from the double album Mixes Of A Lost World. The instrumental tracks perhaps highlight the Hendrix inspired guitars which may be less obvious on the final versions with Robert’s vocals. Each song from the album has two remixes as well , each one produced by a separate artist. Some of the remixes are by Paul Oakenfold, Mura Masa, Anja Schneider, Daniel Avery and Orbital. 
Until  this album came out it had been something like seventeen years since The Cure put out a new album! It’s been suggested that the band is going back in to the studio soon so the story is far from over. If you consider yourself a fan of the band do yourself a favor and listen to this week’s episode of Very High Frequencies 273 (The Cure - New Stuff).

VHF-272 (Alien Sex Fiend - Haunted Halloween) is gonna make you feel Zombified! Not Dead Yet Mike has exhumed a creepy selection of ASF tunes perfect for a goth Halloween party. Nik & Christine Fiend, along with Yaxi Hirise, Johnny Haha, & the late great Doc Milton have released dozens of frightening songs about death, zombies and the dark side. Punk attitude permeates throughout the madness. Just to make this episode especially scary we have a few guests with horror movie pedigree’s adding some flavor In between some songs. Bela, Boris and Vincent all pop in for a little bit. 
Some of the song titles on this Very High Frequencies include bat cave classics and some recent stuff too. We blast ASF tracks “Death Tune”, “Death “, “Land of the Living Dead “, “Dead and Buried “, “Dance of the Dead “, “Hee Haw (Here Come The Bone People), “Psyche Out Zombie Dub”, “Possessed “, “It Lives Again “, “Ghost In The Machine), “Magic”, “Outer Limits “, “The Hills Have Eyes “, “Spine Tingler”, “Nightmare Zone”, “Now I’m Feeling Zombified” and a half dozen other terrifying tracks!
Celebrate Halloween in your favorite bat cave with the Fiends! On this week’s Very High Frequencies 272 (Alien Sex Fiend - Haunted Halloween). 

VHF-271 (Live Albums - ‘76 - ‘82) examines the golden age of the live album. Touring bands had to prove their musical chops in the late seventies and early eighties. Generally a greatest hits package, the live album was a relatively inexpensive gateway into a band’s catalog.  Some live albums were hugely successful and catapulted careers. Very High Frequencies choose a couple or few songs by a fairly wide range of bands and artists that had a reputation of rocking live. 
Rush, The Kinks, Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, & Peter Gabriel are just some of the artists who released live albums that were popular upon their release in the late seventies and early eighties.
Not Dead Yet Mike has selected a representation of their respective live  albums for this week’s episode of Very High Frequencies, the golden age of live albums.  Crank it up, it’s meant to be played loud like it was in concert.

VHF-270 (Gary Numan) presents the esteemed English musician performing tracks from ten of his albums. Breakout 1979 Gary Numan and Tubeway Army album “Replicas”, with radio hit “Are Friends Electric?” as well as concert staples “Me! I Disconnect From You “ and “Down In The Park “ picks up this week’s episode. First proper Gary Numan solo album “The Pleasure Principle “ also was released in late 1979. The classic song “Cars” catapulted the album to the top of the American charts. We also check out the 1980 Numan release “Telekon” which further cemented Gary’s legacy on songs such as “I Die:You Die”, “This Wreckage “ and “The Aircrash Bureau”. 

VHF-269 (Ministry - Live) is jam packed with tracks performed at both sweaty clubs and at beer soaked festivals. 
A live track from Chicago joint Misfits recorded on March 12, 1982 has the early DNA of some heavy later era tracks. The song “Overkill” may not have had any success on the dancefloor but it demonstrated the more aggressive sound that would emerge with upcoming releases.
1996 was a huge touring year for Ministry.  The live album Sphinctour captured the madness on tracks such as “Filth Pig”, N.W.O., “Scarecrow “, and “Just One Fix”.
Going backwards a decade, 1986 was a very different sounding version of Ministry. A show from Toronto has the group still playing early hit “Every Day Is Halloween “ alongside heavier songs like “We Believe “ and “Just Like You “. 
The album In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up” is one of those legendary live albums that really showcased the power of the music. Not Dead Yet Mike has picked a few of the best tracks from this 1990 release. Eleven minute diatribe “So What” is essential listening for any Ministry fan. “Thieves” and “Breathe” take no prisoners. 
We have a couple of covers too. Public Image Ltd’s, “Public Image”, Skinny Puppy’s “Smothered Hope” (featuring Ogre on vocals) and a Pailhead song called “Man Should Surrender “.
As a touring band Ministry had a tendency to have a vastly different set list for each year’s tour. Songs got dropped from the setlist to make room for the newest stuff. Not Dead Yet Mike invites you to relive some of Ministry’s finest moments on VHF-269 ( Ministry - Live).

VHF-268 (The Sisters Of Mercy) is packed with B-sides and album deep cuts and covers. Rather than emphasizing the huge radio and dance floor hits that are perhaps a bit overplayed, Not Dead Yet Mike has dug up some obscure Sisters tracks from The Reptile House EP and other lesser known b-sides from their early singles. BBC cuts “Jolene” and “Good Things” demonstrate the unusual dark humor that was not always understood by critics and fans alike. Andrew Eldrith might have been a comedian in another life. But thankfully he was determined to learn how to program a succession of drum machines (Dr. Avalanche) and, according to him, pretty much play all the instruments in the studio. 
With three studio albums and a compilation of early tracks released the band chose to no longer release any of their new music. The various live incarnations of The Sisters Of Mercy perform dozens of unreleased tracks as they continue to tour despite not releasing any new material since 1993. 
VHF -268 (The Sisters Of Mercy) shows off some of the amazingly good deep cuts the band released. From 1980 to 1993 they created a body of work that deserves to be heard and recognized for its unique sound and perspective. Blast up the volume and tune in, turn on and burn out with this week’s Very High Frequencies.

VHF-266 (High On Fire) features selections from a half dozen of the nine albums the long running metal band out of Oakland, California has released. Since 1998 Matt Pike has been busy with his three piece outfit as guitarist and vocalist. Matt also plays guitar for legendary stoner band, Sleep. 
Inspired by Motörhead, High On Fire may initially seem one dimensional but this episode should prove that is not the case. Occasional instrumental tracks create a fantastical mood and recent work has been dabbling in Eastern scales for a change of pace. Lyrics are way out there, aliens, messiahs and intergalactic time travel all get shout outs. 
Not Dead Yet Mike has chosen a few tracks off of mostly the most recent half dozen High On Fire albums. They very well may blow your mind or blow your speakers! Have a fire extinguisher on the ready because VHF-266 (High On Fire) is burning up!

VHF-265 (Alice Cooper - 2025) blasts a bunch of brand new Alice Cooper tracks from the new album, The Revenge Of Alice Cooper. After 52 years Alice has made a full length album with the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper group, Dennis Dunaway, bass, Neil Smith, drums and Michael Bruce on guitar. 
In honor of this momentous occasion Not Dead Yet Mike has chosen a handful of new songs to play alongside songs from the band’s original run. We’re checking out the big hit albums like Billion Dollar Babies and Schools Out as well as a few bad trip tunes from the Frank Zappa era, prior to Bob Ezrin producing. 
We’re also going to rock out with a couple pre- Alice Cooper songs that highlight the future potential of the young musicians. Early bands The Spiders and The Nazz were building blocks that would help create what would become Alice Cooper. 
Creepy stuff from Killer, Love It To Death, and Muscle Of Love round out the show. The new album, The Revenge Of Alice Cooper, is amazingly good and the new tracks flow nicely with the late Sixties and early Seventies material. 
Crack open a cold one and turn up the volume for a great legendary American band that has put out a new album after 52 years. The Revenge Of Alice Cooper even features the late guitarist Glen Buxton on a new song from some old recording that was discovered. 
VHF-265 (Alice Cooper - 2025) combines some of the best songs from the original band alongside a choice selection of brand new songs.