What Is This - What Is This (MCA Records MCA-5598) (US 1985, Promo) (Vinyl 24-96 & 16-44.1)

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What Is This - What Is This (MCA Records MCA-5598) (US 1985, Promo) (Vinyl 24-96 & 16-44.1)

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What Is This - What Is This
FLAC | Artwork | 24Bit 96kHz: 767 MB | 16Bit 44.1kHz: 261 MB
Cat#: MCA Records MCA-5598 | Country/Year: US 1985, Promotional Copy
Genre: Alternative Rock | Hoster: Uploaded/Filesonic

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What Is This - What Is This (MCA Records MCA-5598) (US 1985, Promo) (Vinyl 24-96 & 16-44.1)

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What Is This - What Is This (MCA Records MCA-5598) (US 1985, Promo) (Vinyl 24-96 & 16-44.1)

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What Is This? (known prior to 1980 as Anthym) was a rock band that originated in Fairfax High School in California and would play numerous shows along the coast of California. They were formed before and played around the same time as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was one of two original people who acted as roadies for the band and would introduce the band before they went on stage. The band played many local Los Angeles California area gigs as Anthym, then changed their name to "What Is This?" shortly before they were asked to open for the band Oingo Boingo at The Country Club in Reseda for the debut of their first album Only A Lad.

Original Red Hot Chili Peppers members Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons left that band just prior to it receiving its first record contract, preferring to focus on What Is This?.[1] Slovak rejoined the Chili Peppers for their second album and Irons for their third album. The name What Is This? refers to the reaction of people listening to their music. After the joining of Natasha Shneider the band was first renamed Walk the Moon and then Eleven. The band, in their early days, are referenced numerous times in Kiedis's autobiography, Scar Tissue.

The band released three albums in the early to mid-80s. Their song, "Mind My Have Still I" from their 1984 EP Squeezed, was also featured on the soundtrack to the movie The Wild Life. Their second album, which featured a cover of the Spinners hit "I'll Be Around", was produced by Todd Rundgren, who also played Fairlight Synthesizer on the record. "I'll Be Around" was released as a single and video; it peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.

There is no confirmation or denial that the original name, Anthym, was inspired by Canadian band Rush, whose 1975 song "Anthem" gave name to their own record label. That song was in turn inspired by the novella of the same name by author Ayn Rand, who, at the time, was a major influence on Rush drummer/lyricist Neil Peart. The "y" variation in Anthym is said to have been taken from "Ayn".

Original members

* Alain Johannes: Lead vocals, Guitar
* Hillel Slovak: Guitar, Backing vocals
* Todd Strassman: Bass (replaced by Flea)
* Jack Irons: Drums

Other members

* Flea: Bass, Backing vocals (replaced Todd Strassman, replaced by Chris Hutchinson)
* Chris Hutchinson: Bass, Backing vocals (replaced Flea)
* Michael Bocretis : Keyboards

Wikipedia

Biography

by Greg Prato

Drummer Jack Irons has played with some of rock's biggest names over the years, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, and Neil Young. Born on July 18, 1962, Irons was raised in Los Angeles, and it was while as a student at Fairfax High School that he befriended Hillel Slovak, Anthony Kiedis, and Michael Balzary. Soon after, Irons and Slovak (who played guitar) formed a band called Anthym, while the pair eventually began to jam with Kiedis on vocals and Balzary on bass (the latter of which had adopted the nickname Flea). The group merged punk and funk, and added their colorful sense of humor, as evidenced by their original name, Tony Flow & the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. By their first show in 1983, however, the quartet was rechristened the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Although the group caused a major stir in the overcrowded L.A. music scene with their outrageous and high-energy stage show, Irons and Slovak refused to take the group seriously, as they jumped ship (on the eve of the Peppers signing a record contract) to record with another local group, What Is This?.

But it soon became apparent to both Irons and Slovak that they'd made the wrong decision (after a pair of What Is This? releases failed to catch on with the public – a self-titled release and the EP 3 out of 5 Live). Kiedis and Flea welcomed the duo back to the Peppers with open arms, just in time for the group's sophomore effort, 1985's Freaky Styley. Although the album was produced by one of their heroes, Funkadelic's George Clinton, it didn't come close to matching the zaniness of their live show, a problem that the group corrected with their next release, 1987's Uplift Mofo Party Plan (often credited as the Peppers' first classic album). The album caused a major buzz with the college rock crowd, and it appeared as through the quartet's next release would catapult them over the top. But in June of 1988, Slovak died from a heroin overdose. Understandably distraught, Irons opted to leave the band, although Kiedis and Flea carried on with replacement members, and soon obtained massive commercial success.

Irons joined up once more with the former leader of What Is This?, singer/guitarist Alain Johannes (plus keyboardist Natasha Shneider), to form a new group, Eleven. With Eleven just getting off the ground, a pair of friends who were trying to form a new band themselves, ex-Mother Love Bone members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, asked Irons for help. He recommended a singer he knew of from San Diego, Eddie Vedder, and after a successful tryout, Pearl Jam was born. Although Pearl Jam asked Irons to join up with them as well, he remained loyal to Eleven, and drummed on such subsequent overlooked albums as 1991's Awake in a Dream, 1993's self-titled release, and 1995's Thunk.

In the meantime however, Pearl Jam quickly became one of the world's biggest rock bands (an early breakout tour opening for Irons' old pals, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, was supposedly nailed down due to Irons' recommendation). When the group found themselves without a drummer in early 1995, the invitation was extended once more to Irons, and this time, he accepted. Appearing on such subsequent Pearl Jam releases as 1995's Merkin Ball, 1996's No Code, and 1998's Yield (as well as a Pearl Jam/Neil Young collaboration in 1995, Mirror Ball), it appeared as though it would be smooth sailing for Irons from there on out. But this didn't prove to be the case, as he abruptly left the group in 1998, citing "health problems" (he was replaced with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron). Little has been heard from Irons subsequently, as he's maintained a low profile. allmusicguide

Dynamic Range Analysis


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Analyzed folder: F:\=== VINYL RIPS ===\What Is This\16Bit\
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DR Peak RMS Filename
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DR14 -1.41 dB -16.91 dB A1 - Dreams Of Heaven.wav
DR14 -1.08 dB -17.88 dB A2 - Big Raft.wav
DR15 -0.05 dB -16.82 dB A3 - Chasing Your Ghost.wav
DR15 -0.00 dB -17.85 dB A4 - Whisper (To Natasha).wav
DR14 -1.48 dB -16.90 dB A5 - Stuck.wav
DR13 -0.95 dB -16.46 dB B1 - I'll Be Around.wav
DR15 -1.87 dB -18.51 dB B2 - Touch The Flame.wav
DR13 -2.44 dB -16.86 dB B3 - Wool Over My Eyes.wav
DR13 -1.89 dB -15.91 dB B4 - Waves In The Sand.wav
DR15 -1.17 dB -17.57 dB B5 - Breathing.wav
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Number of files: 10
Official DR value: DR14

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