Classic Albums: Betty by Helmet + Live Gigs: Helmet @ Rosie’s

So yesterday was a public holiday in Australia, it was Anzac day so taking the day off blogging too. The night before when to see old 90’s hardcore metal band Helmet on the first gig of their Aussie tour. Just got to post about them today because they played the 1994 album Betty from start to finish in a solid two hour setlist. I’ve just got to include it in my Classic Album posts now so a bit of a double whammy for my Wednesday’s post. They were always a fave back in the 90’s and Betty album was the best too.

In my CA list got a few metal albums so far which are: I did called L7 more metal than anything, Faith No More was before that and in the day before yesterday’s post I figured out thrash metal Megadeth post is my top CA post ever. I did blog about Lou Reed & Metallica album, I think almost every metalhead pretend that never happen but I do love it and I did write about AC/DC but they’re more hard rock than metal. Anyway couple of ago nights would been my first metal show since most likely Megadeth @ Fest Hall in Melbourne a couple of years ago.

Now the very first time seeing them was support band to the Beastie Boys and that was un-fuckin’- believable show when I think back about that. So the gig @ Rosemount wasn’t really like time traveling back to the mid-90’s but opening with Wilma’s Rainbow at ten past nine on a Monday night is pretty great. Like I already said playing Betty in full then cutting to a mix of old and new songs for the rest of the two hour set, off course finishing the night with Meantime. Betty was the third album by these guys but really it was always Page Hamilton‘s band and he’s the only original member on this tour, Hamlet always seem to be changing the line-up even back in the 90’s anyway.

BTW a great interview with Page is here talking about the songs too. Just below is the rest of the tour dates on the flyer, if you didn’t know they were on tour. You’ve missed Perth gig but you’ve got the rest of Australia to see them if you live around here somewhere?

Some of my highlights would actually be the non-video clip/singles from the albums which I’ve only found just one live clip, like Tic with it’s feedback guitar solo thingy. The song The Silver Hawaiian is the one which stars Betty if you are wondering. Banjo features on the final track Sam Hell, can’t think of another 90’s metal who does have a banjo song.

So I think I’ve already talked about my little dog I had when I was a teenage before here on my blog but Biscuits For Smut with the video clip just below is a dog song, kind-of. At the time I renamed the song Biscuits For Win because that was his name or it was shorten for Winston. Anyway I would sing or humming this track to him every morning when feeding him his breakfast but most likely I’m not the only person on earth to do that with their pet dog after hearing this song.

Off course if you were around in the mid-90’s you would know that the last video just below was the first to released and out a few months earlier on the soundtrack to the gothic movie The Crow which you can see in the promo video clip. So it was tilted Milktoast if you had the soundtrack CD then like me and then the same song listed as Milquetoast on this Helmet album. The difference is distorted outro instead of a fade-out and that’s pretty much a reason for the spelling each or the same song a little different. Maybe totally boring to some people but I love shit like that. Now they’re a few 90’s soundtrack albums I really want to included in my CA list but sorry to anyone who love it. The Crow is not going to be one, it’s good but not totally great.

So who else digs Hamlet’s Betty album or just anything, everything by the band?

Betty track listing and times:

1. Wilma’s Rainbow – 3:53
2. I Know – 3:41
3. Biscuits For Smut – 2:53
4. Milquetoast – 3:53
5. Tic – 3:40
6. Rollo – 2:38
7. Street Crab – 3:31
8. Clean – 2:26
9. Vaccination – 3:04
10. Beautiful Love – 2:03
11. Speechless – 2:58
12. The Silver Hawaiian – 2:08
13. Overrated – 2:40
14. Sam Hell – 2:09

All my Classic Albums posts are in that link or they’re all linked below too!

• Tales From The Australian Underground – Volume 1 & 2 by Various Artists
• Station To Station by David Bowie
• Unplugged In New York by Nirvana
• Rust In Peace by Megadeth
• Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs by Marty Robbins
• Henry’s Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
• Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
• Gala Mill by The Drones
• Black Monk Time by The Monks
• Ex Tropical by Lost Animal
• Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
• In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra
• The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn by Pink Floyd
• Songs Of Love And Hate by Leonard Cohen
• Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones
• The White House by The Dead C
• Silence Is Sexy by Einstürzende Neubauten
• Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica
• Kaira by Toumani Diabaté
• Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants
• Drowning In The Fountain Of Youth by Dan Kelly And The Alpha Males
• Aerial by Kate Bush
• The Future by Leonard Cohen
• Rock For Light by Bad Brains
• Last Splash by The Breeders
• Sex by The Necks
• Emergency Ward by Nina Simone
• Paradise by My Disco
• Batman by Prince
• Sings Christmas Carols by Mark Kozelek
• What Are Rock Stars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
• Love Of Life by Swans
• Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
• Blue Valentine by Tom Waits
• In The Pines by The Triffids
• Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
• TV Sky by The Young Gods
• King For A Day, Fool For A Lifetime by Faith No More
• Jean Lee And The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
• Law Of Nature by Laughing Clowns
• (I’m) Stranded by The Saints
• Super Ape by Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters
• The Soft ‘N’ Sexy Sound by Dave Graney ‘N’ The Coral Snakes
• Mutiny/The Bad Seed by The Birthday Party
• Bahdeni Nami by Omar Souleyman
• Ascension by John Coltrane
• The Definitive by Blind Willie McTell
• Rid Of Me by PJ Harvey
• Horses by Patti Smith
• Vespertine by Björk
• Hex Enduction Hour by The Fall
• Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood by DMX
• I’m New Here by Gil Scott-Heron
• Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
• In My Own Time by Karen Dalton
• Stay Sick! by The Cramps
• Primary Colours by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
• Veedon Fleece by Van Morrison
• Trainspotting by Various Artists
• After School Session by Chuck Berry
• Body Language by Kylie Minogue
• Bricks Are Heavy by L7
• Trailer Park by Beth Orton
• Arular by M.I.A.
• Moon Pix by Cat Power
• White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground
• Y by The Pop Group
• The Human Jukebox by Scientists
• The Shape Of Things by Pere Ubu
• Congotronics by Konono Nº1
• High Voltage by AC/DC
• Self-tilted by The Seeds
• His Best by Bo Diddley
• Embracism by Kirin J Callinan
• Benji by Sun Kil Moon

So the idea here is simply for me to write a post about each of my fave albums that I consider total stone cold classics!

Please do leave a reply below and tell me what you think about this album and/or artist or whatever you’d like to say about it?