Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Thanks to Larry Toering & Music Street Journal for this review of Megadeth Another Time, A Different Place!

Megadeth Another Time / A Different Place by photographer Bill Hale Review by Larry Toering
This book by concert and general rock band photographer Bill Hale is published by VH1 Classics and carried by the likes of MTV and others. It features cover and book design by Walein Design, and foreward by Dave Mustaine. What a fine project this turned out to be. Hale also authored the Metallica book The Club Days 1982-84, and if you've laid eyes on that beauty, which I plan to after receiving this terrific piece of paper, then you know this is his passion and life's work in print. In the foreward there are no punches pulled by Mustaine, as to be expected. From cover to cover the reader is treated to countless intimate quality photos to marvel at, with witty and sometimes humorous captions to go with them. A lot of familiar names are mentioned on the first page of some of his colleagues. One in particular is Mick Wall, and if he knows that man, he has seen some wild times. I am what you would call something of an extreme novice when it comes to concert photography, so Hale's work is the kind of thing I admire and appreciate, and this book is a masterstroke of major proportions. Make no mistake this man knows his way around a camera like few others I've seen, and I have been noting rock photographers as long as I can remember. Somehow it's in my make-up to do so, either on record sleeves, magazines or books, and these days on the internet with its luxurious accessibility. Things start out in the beginning with particular photos such as the night of Cliff Burton's first show, and proceeds to rip through the entire career of Megadeth, exploring everyone in and out of the band along the way. There isn't a whole lot to say about a photo book, but a picture tells a thousand words on its own, as they say. The photos are not only stunning, but up close and personal. Hale is a very clever artist as he finds the right brief words throughout in his descriptions of the situations concerning the snapshots of everything from back stage fun, to ominous looking live concert shots. It's written in that language of rock that you either get, or you simply don't. While Megadeth is not for everyone, if you like them, or like photography in general, this book has plenty to make you happy. I recommend this title to any heavy rock fan.

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