Category Archives: Music

I like music.

Bad Moments In Classic Rock

Posted on April 27, 2013 by | 11 Comments

Everyone has an opinion and naturally this is just my opinion on a couple of bad instances in classic rock.

For starters, I don’t do well with lip syncing, and I’m a huge fan of live music. If a performer does a live performance and is lip syncing, they are useless to me. If I wanted to listen to the album version of their song, I wouldn’t be seeing them live. That’s one reason I don’t get into the “boy bands” and music of the like.

Back in the day bands used to lip sync all the time when they’d perform live on certain TV shows. My favorite band of all time, AC/DC, lip synced on TV shows when they were getting started. It depressed me to find this out, but I have to accept it because hey, they all did it apparently. And I can sort of understand it too. They were young, trying to get their name and sound out there and they did what they had to do to get that done. Fine. At least I can rest easy knowing they’ve been selling out venues by the thousands since then, and they don’t lip sync at those shows.

One instance of this that really ruined a band for me was the Super Bowl 31 halftime show, featuring the Blues Brothers, James Brown and ZZ Top. I tried to find a video of it on Youtube, but there is none, at least of ZZ Top’s performance. Apparently someone tried to post it and it was flagged by ZZ Top’s people. Most likely because THEY WERE LIP SYNCING.

I was only 17 when that Super Bowl happened back in 1997, but even then I could see a lip syncing performance when it was right in front of me. Now, I’m not sure if every band has to lip sync when playing the Super Bowl halftime show (I doubt it, the Rolling Stones weren’t when they played and they probably should have, it was horrible). But this particular halftime show was bad all the way around. It even made the cut on VH1′s 10 Most Awesomely Terrible Super Bowl Halftime Shows Of All Time, and ironically not for this reason.

It started with a fake news report of one of the Blues Brothers breaking out of jail and making his way to the Super Bowl to perform, and then they came out to perform. It was probably the best part of the show. I don’t remember the James Brown part of it because well, I don’t. But it was James Brown, so it was probably decent. But the fact that ZZ Top were lip syncing ruined the whole damn show, despite that some think it was the best show in the last 20 years. If a classic rock band lip syncing helps to make it the best in the last 20 years, that says a whole lot about the other shows.

The easiest way to tell if a band is lip syncing is to watch the drummer. When you hear a cymbal crash in the music and the drummer didn’t hit one, that’s a good indication. And that’s what I noticed during their performance of “Tush”. I was watching the drummer because I had a feeling they were lip syncing, and sure enough, cymbals crashed and he wasn’t hitting any. Instead he was busy watching the half naked dancing girls all around him instead of paying attention to his own music.

I lost all respect for them then, and still haven’t gotten it back. I wasn’t ever a huge fan of theirs to begin with, so it wasn’t a big loss for me.

The rest of my list includes classic rock bands who not only deserve respect, but have earned it countless times over. Yet even for them they put out some questionably bad music. The first is “Going Mobile” by The Who.

I actually just heard this song for the first time tonight and while it was playing I was thinking “What the fuck is this garbage?” and then I found out it was by The Who and I almost cried. Really? Of all of the great songs this band put out, the radio chose to play THIS song instead? It just does nothing for me. It sounds like a filler song and that’s probably what it was. That’s also probably why I just now heard it for the very first time, and I’ve been listening to them for years. What a horrible song.

The Who are awesome, rather, WERE awesome. Some bands grow old with grace. The Who hasn’t done that. As much as I love and respect them, it would benefit everybody if they just stopped now.

The next on the list is by Queen, one of the greatest bands of all time. Their music was great, their singing all the way around was great (nobody could harmonize like them, ever) and they’ve put out anthems. Not just one, but multiple songs that not only define them but their entire generation of music. Except for this one.

That’s great. You want to ride your bicycle? Who the fuck cares? The biggest problem with this song that I have is it’s played ALL THE TIME on the radio. Never mind that, but it gets stuck in my head and I wind up singing it to myself until something else comes along and replaces it. And I hate that. There’s nothing worse than having a bad song stuck in your head. But I have to give it to Queen. Even their bad songs were catchy as hell.

Lastly, and this one almost didn’t make it to the list because I had justifiably forgot about it, is a song by, again, one of the greatest bands of all time, Jethro Tull.

Now I’m sure that every band has a song or two that sucks, and I don’t hold it against any of the last three mentioned for having a bad song. Even AC/DC has songs I don’t really care for, and I’m one of their biggest fans. But this song by Jethro Tull is absolutely horrible. I seriously think they made it as a joke and some asshole put it on one of their albums as another joke. You know, to get back at them for making it in the first place.

For a band that put out such great songs as “Aqualung”, “Locomotive Breath” and “Thick As A Brick”, it disgusts me to know they recorded this.

First of all, I have a problem with artists making songs with titles or hooks that rhyme, simply because they rhyme. “Bungle in the Jungle”… I can imagine the conversation behind the making of it.

“Hey guys, it rhymes!”
“So?”
“So, that means it’ll be a good song!”
“Why?”
“BECAUSE IT RHYMES!”

Bullshit. You can do your own research to come up with other songs that follow this premise. I’ve had enough of the bad stuff. Now I’m going to go listen to some great music to “rinse my mouth” of this garbage I just subjected all of us to. I suggest you do the same.

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4 Reasons Why The Monkees Were Great

Posted on November 29, 2012 by | 8 Comments

First off, let me start by saying that I’m a fan of The Monkees. As a child I used to watch their TV show on reruns (obviously, I’m not THAT old despite what my wife would have you believe) and I’ve always loved their music. Some people, especially huge Beatles fans, tend to hate The Monkees even though The Beatles themselves liked them.

From the TV show to their music, they were great and actually still are. Just a month ago they had yet another tour even though one of the four, Davy Jones, passed away earlier in the year due to a heart attack. Can The Beatles say they’ve toured recently? No. Of course more of them are dead than just one…

So here are my reasons why The Monkees deserve some fucking respect.

4. They Rocked

Despite rumors that have been around as long as they have, The Monkees played their own instruments. Yeah, that’s right, they totally did. Don’t believe me? Go read something. As much as I hate to use Wikipedia as a source for info, I can’t link to a book and have you read that without you actually buying it.

So The Monkees played their own instruments. Interesting. I wonder what else we’ve been lied to about all of these years.

“Wikipedia isn’t a reliable source? Nooo…”

Now let’s get down to it. The music they played was indeed rock, even though they had some slight country heading to the mix. Eventually they wanted to lean more towards blues which can go either way, in country and rock.

They had four number one albums in a one year period. They held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard album chart for 31 consecutive weeks, 37 weeks total. You can’t do that if you don’t put out some decent music.

Their first album The Monkees held the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was knocked out by their second album, More Of The Monkees. It included their first hit, “Last Train To Clarksville” which as it turns out was a depressing song about going to fight in Vietnam and most likely not coming home from there. Even the Cracked writer who wrote that bit thought they didn’t play their own instruments. Shows what kind of research they do.

“Hey Hey we’re The Monkees, and people say we monkey around!” Yup, now it’ll be stuck in your head all day.

Take the last train to Clarksville now I must hang up the phone
I can’t hear you in this noisy railroad station all alone
I’m feelin’ low oh no no no, oh no no no
And I don’t know if I’m ever coming home

Depressing shit, but the song was a fun-filled number you could dance to, so people loved it. Plus, you know, it was The Monkess, and they were top shit then.

3. Jimi Hendrix Opened For Them

That’s right, guitar/rock legend Jimi Hendrix opened for The Monkees. As you can imagine it didn’t go over well, because well, their music styles are completely different. There weren’t a lot of drugged out rockers in the crowd at a Monkees show. At least not then anyway. During one of the shows, Jimi Hendrix finally had enough of the audience booing him and gave them the finger before walking off the stage and quitting the tour. And now he’s dead.

2. They Had A Hit TV Show

Sure The Beatles had some hit movies, but The Monkees had a hit TV show. In the scheme of things that doesn’t mean much, but The Monkees TV show, aptly titled “The Monkees” can be shown in reruns and syndication. The Beatles can’t say that.

The Monkees TV show first hit the airwaves in 1966 and went until 1968 before stopping production on new shows. It went into syndication in 1969 and has been reran multiple times up until the 1980′s. Because of the syndication, they sold even more albums and had more success, including more tours which were critically acclaimed.

1. They Still Tour

As I said at the top of this article, The Monkees just had a tour in the U.S. even though Davy Jones passed away on February 29, 2012. From Wikipedia (AGAIN?!), “The brief tour marked the first time Nesmith performed with the Monkees since 1997, as well as the first without Jones. Jones’ memory was honored throughout the shows via recordings and video. During one point, the band went quiet and a recording of Jones singing “I Wanna Be Free” played while footage was screening of him walking along the beach. For Jones’ signature song, “Daydream Believer”, Dolenz explained that the band had discussed who should sing the song, only to conclude that it should be the fans. “It doesn’t belong to us anymore,” said Dolenz. “It belongs to you.”"

“Hey, aren’t we missing somebody? Oh… right…”
What? Too soon?

Hopefully that tour won’t be their last, because I’d love to see them live. Until then, thanks for the tunes, chaps. They rock, and so do you.

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Of Dogs And Lions

Posted on August 7, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Recently, rapper and general good guy Snoop Doggy Dogg changed his name from that to Snoop Lion. It is still unclear at this time if he’ll go by Snoop Doggy Lion or Snoop Liony Lion.

The reason he did this is, he discovered Rastafarianism. So, Snoop Lion is now a Rasta. That means he’s free to smoke as much weed as he wants.

Oh, right.

So Snoop Lion is now a Rasta. That means he’s not allowed to call himself a dog anymore, in case you were wondering. In Rasta, calling someone a dog is an insult, and to call himself one shows lack of self knowledge. When he decided to have the procedure done, the Rasta priest told him that was a no-go and thus made him change his name.

This makes me wonder a couple things. One, has Snoop smoked so much weed in his life that he, up until now, didn’t realize someone like the Rastas existed? They’re in Jamaica and smoke a ton of weed for crying out loud, you think he would have been all over that from birth.

Two, has he smoked so much weed since becoming Rasta that he has channeled the dead spirit of the greatest pot smoker the world has ever seen, Bob Marley, into his own body?

He seems to think so.

“Speaking of Marley, Snoop Lion also said that he considers himself a reincarnation of the late musician. Edmonds said that some Rasta theology bears the influence of Hinduism, in which reincarnation is a core belief.” – A bit I picked up from the news source.

Now personally, I think the move is great. Snoop is a legend. Everybody knows who he is, regardless if they listen to rap or not, and most people find him to be entertaining, regardless if they listen to him or not. I like Snoop and I’m not even a fan.

But to get used to calling him Snoop Lion, that’s going to take some time. Time I’m sure he’ll spend smoking more and doing less. I can only imagine though, what his music is going to be like now. Let’s see if his music reflects Marley’s more, or if he’ll be dropping anything else because it resembles something that is hot.

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Album Review: Airbourne – Runnin’ Wild

Posted on February 10, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I first heard of this band while playing NHL ’09 with their song “Runnin’ Wild” and I really enjoyed it, even though they quite obviously sound like they’re trying to sound just like AC/DC. However, the more I listened to that one song on the game, the more I liked it. Eventually I’d wish I could hear more, so just now I picked up their debut album “Runnin’ Wild” and am giving it a listen.

The album starts with “Stand Up For Rock ‘n Roll” and it does what it’s meant to do. It gets the album started on a high note with a fast, balls to the wall, solid, driving rock tune. And guitar solos! A rock band with guitar solos!

I know what I’m in for, and it’s an AC/DC-esque rock album. If you can successfully pull of AC/DC, then you should be successfully pulling off good rock ‘n roll. Airbourne pulls off good rock ‘n roll. It’s kind of like getting a fresh dose of AC/DC. I’m not mad at that.

The next song is the title track, the one I heard so many times on NHL ’09, which for the record also produced another favorite band of mine, Black Tide. The game’s soundtrack rocks. Anyway, it’s nice to finally hear “Runnin’ Wild” all the way through. Good tune.

The third track comes on and once again I’m in for a driving rock tune. Listening to these guys makes me happy for rock ‘n roll. This is basic, down and dirty rock and that’s what I like.

A song that got me pumped up was “Blackjack”. Another fast and driving song. Good stuff.

“Cheap Wine” was another song that I really got into. It had a real nice funky riff that kept my attention away from writing.

The last song on the album, “Let’s Ride” is another fast driving song that helps to finish the album on a high note.

Now that it’s over, I’m glad I finally listened to it. It’s nice to hear some new rock that I can get into. Hopefully the fact that they sound just like AC/DC doesn’t eventually get on my nerves, but so far so good. I’ll give this album 6.5 out of 10. Check it out. Now I’m off to get their follow up, No Guts. No Glory. to give it a listen to.

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Editorial Archives: Who The Fuck Is Vanessa Carlton Anyway?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | 4 Comments

Who The Fuck Is Vanessa Carlton Anyway?
Mar. 14, 2005

That’s all I want to know. Who the hell does she think she is? I’m sure you’ve seen her ad for Time Warner Cable (if it’s in your area). She’s the stupid bitch that plays the piano and “sings” that song “Time, is on my side, yes it is…” and she not only ruins it, but she puts shame and disgrace on piano players all over the world, not to mention her family.

That SHOULD’VE been the cover of her new CD, but as it is I added the “Talentless Bitch” on to it. She has nothing to offer the world at all. As a matter of fact, her boyfriend is the singer from Third Eye Blind. At least the talentless bitches are staying together.

So I was wondering how the fuck someone like this could get a record deal so I did a search on her. I was thinking that she was probably one of those American Idol winners, since that show sucks. But no, she actually was heard playing in a bar by a record dealer. Apparently the record guy is the same that signed up Third Eye Blind. Anyway, here’s what her bio said. This is from Yahoo Launch.

Born in a tiny town in Pennsylvania, this musician was listening to music before she was born, as her mother performed various classical pieces in the home’s piano. At the age of two, Carlton and her parents went to Disney World, where she heard “It’s A Small World.” Falling in love with the song, she discerned the song’s melody on the piano when she returned home. Having composed her first piano piece at age eight, Carlton was exposed to a wide array of music, from Debussy to Pink Floyd. At 14, she was accepted into the School of American Ballet in New York, where she lived in a dorm in the famous Lincoln Center. But, after being in the top of her class, she became frustrated at the strictness of the discipline. This frustration led to her playing a nearby piano within the dorm, from which a multitude of songs began forming. After waitressing in Lower Manhattan and living in Hell’s Kitchen, Carlton would drive between her place and her parents’ home on weekends, attempting to record “the perfect demo” on piano. Open-mic nights in New York City followed, and her music caught the attention of important music industry ears. In February 2002, her debut single A Thousand Miles, hit the charts and its video was played on MTV. She has performed on Rosie O’Donnell, MTV’s TRL, and has been mentioned in Rolling Stone as one of ten artists to watch in 2002. In April 2002, she released her debut album, Be Not Nobody. Carlton’s second effort, Harmonium followed two years later. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide

So she went to the School of American Ballet in New York and quit. She should’ve kept up with it because she is sexy and ballet chicks are usually hot. Plus, it’s a silent thing, she wouldn’t have to sing. Oh man, if only.

And in the beginning, “was listening to music before she was born”. What the fuck? How does that make sense? When our mother’s were pregnant with us, chances are good that at some point in those 9 months they were around music. So technically we’ve almost all been listening to music since before we were born. Jason MacNeil should’ve been a nuclear physicist with great writing skills like that.

And did you notice the last part of that bio? Let’s see, she was on MTV. MTV sucks, so that figures. She was on TRL, and that sucks hairy monkey balls. So that figures too. She was also on the Rosie O’Donnell show, which has since been cancelled. Figures. And Rolling Stone says that she’s one of the 10 artists to watch in 2002. That makes sense too. Let’s take a look at the list of great artists in 2002. *insert cricket noise* That’s right, 2002 sucked for music. So I’m surprised that there were even 10 sucky artists worth watching that year.

I was with a friend of mine one night just hanging out watching tv and that commercial came on where Vanessa’s murdering that “Time is on my side” song and my friend is a pianist and she actually started crying. I asked her why she was crying and she said because that bitch Vanessa Carlton just ruined piano playing for many years to come. I felt her pain.

If you haven’t heard her play you’re not missing much. Her playing isn’t all that bad, but her singing is… well… her singing sounds like she’s trying to squeeze a puking monkey out of her ass.

I was reading a review of this new CD of hers (by the way there are two to name unfortunately) and among all of the great things this reviewer says about her CD “Unharmonious”, he says this about her boyfriend being her producer… “as a producer and co-songwriter, and his presence doesn’t so much alter Carlton’s music as give it a sharper, direct focus.” Sharper and direct focus my sweaty hairy ass. His direction is going to do for her career what it did for his own. Currently he’s best known as FORMER frontman for Third Eye Blind. FORMER. Meaning they aren’t around anymore. I’m not bitching about that though. That’s actually a good sign, that maybe her career won’t last nearly as long as theirs did, and she might be out of the little lime light that she’s in now.

If she was naked more, maybe I’d have to buy her CD, just for the pictures of course. But since she’s not, fuck her.

I hate Vanessa almost as much as I hated Third Eye Blind.

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Who The Fuck Is Cee Lo Green Anyway?

Posted on February 2, 2012 by | 10 Comments

Much like Seth Rogan, Cee Lo Green popped up out of nowhere and now he’s everywhere. Also like Seth Rogan, it makes me wonder why.

Don’t get me wrong, I can stand Seth Rogan in small amounts, considering he’s played the same role in every movie he’s been in. I don’t mind it here and there, but I do mind it everywhere.

That’s where Seth stands apart from Cee Lo. I really can’t stand Cee Lo at all. The most fucked up thing about that is, I have no fucking idea who Cee Lo is, and I still can’t stand him at all.

I first heard of Cee Lo, seriously, during a commercial he did for 7Up.

After that commercial I seriously thought “why did 7Up hire this shitty singer guy to do their commercial? Who the fuck is he anyway?” And much like the question I asked about Vanessa Carlton a few years ago (who the fuck is Vanessa Carlton anyway?) I got no good answer, except “he’s a singer”. I kinda figured.

So I’m watching TV and suddenly, there he is again on a commercial for a singing show called The Voice. I find out he’s one of the judges who decides who can sing and who can’t. Alongside him is Christina Aguilara. Together, they judge people on their singing skills. Those two. Those two individuals, Cee Lo Green and Christina Aguilara tell people, in some instances, that they cannot sing. That would be like Seth Rogan telling someone they can’t act.

So then I think I’ve had enough of Cee Lo when all of a sudden, there he fucking is again. I turn on my Xbox 360, connect to Xbox live, and there he fucking is. He’s part of an advertisement for some new feature for Xbox Live.

Jesus holy assed Christ, do I need any more Cee Lo in my fucking life? I declare that I do not.

I ask my wife if he’s done anything to be famous and she told me about his hit song “Fuck You”. Instantly, I find a love for him. I hit up Youtube to listen to this song and while the concept is pretty funny, his singing sucks and I don’t think kids should be in a video with one of them (his younger version) singing along to a song that says the word “fuck” all throughout.

Not to mention he’s now a judge on a prime time family show. And for this show, I did see that commercial, where he’s saying how The Voice will be on directly after the Super Bowl. He says “the whole world will be watching!”

Yes, the whole world will be watching the Super Bowl. After that’s over, they’ll all be going home from the Super Bowl watching party they were at and they’ll be getting pulled over and given a DUI for intoxicated driving and they’ll be missing your shitty singing show.

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Album Review: From The Sandcastle

Posted on December 14, 2011 by | 1 Comment

I was at home watching the Steve Wilkos Show when a commercial came on, so I flipped channels to Cool TV. I’m not sure how broad this channel is, but where I’m at it’s an all music channel and unlike Music Television, they actually play music. A lot of it. They rock.

Every now and then I’ll pass by and hear something awesome that I love and haven’t heard in a long time, but a lot of times I’ll come across artists I’d never heard of and I like it. This is one of those times.

When I flipped the channel I found myself at the middle of a video for a song that sounded like an old blues/rock tune and it was really good. What caught my attention more than anything was, there was a guitar solo playing. Rock of today doesn’t do that much.

The longer the video went I got a good look at who the band was, and they were kids! Young guys, jamming out. They reminded me of Black Tide, young guys playing music from an era that was around before they were. It was nice, and it put me in a happy place. Awesome, I got a new band to listen to.

I watched to the end of the video and found out the band is Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown. The album, the only one they have out besides an EP, is From The Sandcastle, and it’s a blues/rock album straight from the streets that Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy used to walk down. Blues infused, in your face rock. It has its slow moments, but not many.

Through eight tracks I listened and I loved them. There were a couple that had different sounds to them, like “Good Life”, which sounds like a Tom Petty song (he even references Petty in the song).

The best songs I heard though were “Shackles”, “House That Jack Built”, and the one that brought me to them in the first place, “Say A Prayer”. All good stuff, and if you’re into that kind of music, definitely give them a listen to.

How about I just give you a taste. You can find the rest of the album on Youtube, which is where I got it.

Now, I’m going to give this album a strange score. Basically, I preached it high and proud, but I’m only giving it a 3 1/2 stars out of 5. I did this because for one, it’s only 8 songs. Ten would have been perfect, but 8 seems a little shabby. And two, there were a few moments on the album that I wasn’t as impressed as I was with the other parts. As it is with just the music, 4 stars easy, but there’s only 8. Check it out though, great stuff.

Also, check out the bands website and read the bios of the members. WOW.

EDIT: Correction, From The Sandcastle is listed as an EP. They have two, the other one being a 4 song called My Radio. I haven’t listened to it yet. Since it is an EP, I’ll give it a 4 out of 5.

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Album Review: ZZ Top – A Tribute From Friends

Posted on November 8, 2011 by | Leave a comment

I just got myself a copy of, yet another tribute album, this one for ZZ Top, done by a slew of artists from the day.

The first track I listened to was the first on the album by The M.O.B., a group consisting of Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler, Jonny Lang and Jon McVie. They cover the song Sharp Dressed Man and with a lineup like they have, I expected nothing but the best. What I got though, wasn’t what I expected. It was good, but it wasn’t anything special. It didn’t feel like those four stellar artists wrote it. It sounded more like “We Are The World”. It had so many great talents doing it, but it just wasn’t all that good. Personally I would have loved to have heard a song by Jonny Lang alone, he’s insane good.

The second track I listened to was Tush by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. It was an interesting take on the song and done the way I expected it to be, with the feel of the band performing it heavily influencing the sound. And it rocked.

The third was Legs by Nickelback. It was nice and heavy, and done pretty well, but nothing too special. I gave it a fair chance too, even though I’m not a big fan of theirs, but it wasn’t anything special, although I’d rather listen to it than the first track, if I had to choose.

The fourth was an 8 minute take on La Grange performed by Jamey Johnson. If I didn’t know it was a remake, I wouldn’t have thought it was any different when it started. Jamey sounds like Billy Gibbons in his vocals and the music is right on. As it continues, Jamey starts to sound more like himself and then rocks it out with a nice jam that sounds legit and like they were having a lot of fun. Worth the purchase price of the album.

To be honest, the next track I listened to kind of surprised me, because of all the bands I expected to cover Gimme All Your Lovin’, Filter wasn’t part of the list. After listening to it, I confirmed why that was. For what it was, and for Filter, it was unique enough for sure and well done, but it just didn’t do it for me. I don’t think this was really the right song for them to pull off.

After that was over, I listened to Mastodon’s cover of Just Got Paid. I have to be honest, I’ve never listened to Mastodon, or even heard of them for that matter. I don’t know who they are or what they’ve done musically, but they dominated this song, and they did what these types of albums are really supposed to do. Turn fans of one thing into fans of many others. Get some names out there. I’ll be checking out more stuff by Mastodon. Any suggestions?

And then BLAM! I listened to Cheap Sunglasses get completely dominated by Wolfmother. So far, the best track on the album, which is saying something after Grace and Company, Jamey Johnson and Mastodon. Then again, I am listening to this out of order, and on the album this track only follows, of those listed, Grace Potter. Naturally the album stays good throughout with just a couple of misses. Don’t pass Wolfmother up.

Duff McKagan of Guns n’ Roses fame is doing his own thing now with Duff McKagan’s Loaded where he basically joined with Velvet Revolver, and on this album they covered Got Me Under Pressure. When it started and actually through the first third of the song I wasn’t really interested in it, but after it was over I was happy I finished it. Not too bad of a tune and definitely not the worst song on the album.

The next track was Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers by Coheed & Cambria. I’ve never owned anything by them but I’ve always enjoyed listening to them whenever I could, which now really doesn’t make much sense to me why I never owned anything by them. Anyway, this cover rocks. It seems to be out of their style for the most part, and that kind of shines through a tad, but not much, because they are a solid band and that shows a whole hell of a lot more.

Next I got a dose of some Wyclef Jean, with his cover of Rough Boy. Wyclef is pretty awesome and his version of the song is kick ass, but it is NOT right for this album. Joke aside, this song is the black sheep of the album. Listen to it cause it’s great, but do it as a single.

Now let me tell you about the track that almost kept me from getting this CD. Daughtry covering Waitin’ For The Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago. To be honest, this track shocked the fucking shit out of me. Literally, turds were falling out of my butt while getting it on… holy fucking shit was this A LOT better than I thought it was going to be. And this, my friends, is the only time I’ll ever admit to liking him. Which I don’t, but this song is pretty damn good.

Overall, I’ll have to give the album 8/10. There were enough songs that weren’t so great that potentially could have brought the score down to a 6, but the songs that were great on this album were very great and for those tracks alone, the album is worth 8.

Check it out and tell me what you think.

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Black Tide

Posted on September 14, 2011 by | Leave a comment

I’m sitting back now, playing some Snood and listening to Black Tide’s album, Light From Above.

I first heard of them when I was playing NHL 09, their song Warriors Of Time is on it. The more I heard it, the more I liked it. Then, one day I was watching Cool TV and the video for it came on, and holy fuck, that video is ultra badass. So, I was hooked and had to hear more.

I went out and picked up a copy and haven’t stopped listening to it since. I love it all the way through, even their Metallica cover, Hit The Lights. This album is old school metal, from beginning to end. Guitar, guitar, guitar. The fact that this album rocks hard AND has killer thrashing guitar solo’s is impressive. Nobody does that anymore, and the fact that these are young guys (teens still in high school when the album was recorded) makes it even more impressive. And a big thumb’s up to their drummer, fuck he rocks.

I read a review of this album somewhere where the guy reviewing it said it’s like going into your attic and finding a late 80′s metal album you forgot you had.

Then again, and the reason for writing this, I can’t figure some people out. I understand not everything is for everybody, but some of the negative comments I’ve heard about them just doesn’t make sense to me.

I read on a Youtube video where someone commented and said they don’t get into this kind of metal because it all sounds the same. Obviously they haven’t listened to Black Tide, because they DON’T sound like all of the shit “metal” out now, which incidentally is why I like them. Black Tide plays guitar solo’s. In all of their songs… and they’re all good and not just for a couple of seconds. They’re REAL guitar solo’s and they rock. Someone else on there called Black Tide “posers” and said their fans are as well. Huh?

I have two friends who I let listen to this album. I did this because I had to share this awesomeness that I had discovered, called Black Tide, to someone and these two friends are into metal.

The most recent just told me it “wasn’t my favorite. Not sure why.” Me either.

The first friend I let hear it, didn’t like them. Now, this one confuses me on a different level, because this friend (Porksausage who still has yet to post here) and I have very similar tastes in stuff. We definitely each have things we like that the other doesn’t, and I used to try to get him to check out different things that I’m into to see if he might get into them as well, which he never does. So I stopped for the most part.

But those things that I know he likes, those things that we both are fans of, I will still share them with him, and he still doesn’t like them. I’m getting to think that he just doesn’t like anything I do, like it’s all about ME liking them and has nothing to do with what it is.

He’s actually a bigger fan of metal than I am and I thought for sure Black Tide would be right up his alley. Nope. He doesn’t like them. Why? I ask myself this all the time when I try to get him to check something out I like and he doesn’t. Movies, shows, music, it doesn’t matter. It’s like he’s a totally different person than he was when we first met and became friends.

So, I’m done having people check shit out that I like. Again, they don’t have to like the shit I do, I just don’t understand these certain little things why they don’t like them. So, no more. I’ll just listen and enjoy them because after all, that’s all that’s important. Right? Right.

By the by, I give this album 5 of 5 stars. Why perfect? Because it’s got all of the elements of great metal and it’s done perfectly. Even their Metallica cover is awesome. Porksausage particularly didn’t care for that one because he’s against all remakes. I’m against the fact that remakes are being done over and over now and it’s totally out of control. But, I don’t mind certain ones if done right, and Hit The Lights was done phenomenally, just as their Iron Maiden cover of Prowler, which also rocks hard.

Yes, 5 of 5, but I’m not suggesting any of you listen to it, because you’ll probably hate it.

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Top Ten AC/DC Tracks

Posted on July 26, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Anybody who knows me personally knows I’m a huge fan of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time, AC/DC. It all started when I was just a young chap, playing outside on a hot summer day. My dad was in the back yard mowing the lawn, all the while listening to a tape of High Voltage on a little portable stereo. I walked to the back yard and listened for a moment and then stopped him to ask who that was. That moment was a life changer.

A short while later, after collecting a lot of their music, I had my dad buy me their 1992 concert VHS, Live At Donington and I watched it religiously. It was then that I decided to learn to play guitar, all thanks to AC/DC and Angus Young.

Later in high school I did a report about why they’re the best band ever. I got a B, and turned my teacher on to them.

I’ve seen them live twice, both times seventh row. Both times I went home deaf, just like you should at a good rock concert. The first was excellent, as was the second, but during the second I got to see two topless chicks making out with one another and I got a souvenir. Slash’s Snakepit opened that night and I got a guitar pick tossed out by Slash that landed at my feet. Awesome.

Anyway, enough is enough. The other day I figured, for shits and giggles, that I would make a top 10 list of my favorite songs by them. This is a tough feat, considering they’ve put out 16 or 17 albums and numerous other sets including previously unreleased stuff and “back tracks”. I went through each album, wrote down the tracks that should be on the list and then narrowed it down from there. Here is the list, in no particular order except for the last one, which is my absolute favorite.

Never heard it but would like to? The songs are links that open in new windows to a youtube video of the song. I jammed to Riff Raff while writing this.

Song (Album)

The Razor’s Edge (The Razor’s Edge) – Gritty, raw, and sort of freaky in the beginning. Even now when I listen to the song I get a little chilled at the eerie background singing that comes in a ghostly way.

Riff Raff (Powerage) – One of the biggest things I love about AC/DC is their ability to put out some seriously hardcore guitar solos with a no-back-down attitude. This song has that, as do most off of this album, which stands as probably my favorite all around album by them. It’s a real shame they don’t record more solos like this. Aside from that, this song is very fast, in your face and hard as hell. Even as a classic hard rock song, you can easily feel and hear the jazz and blues influence.

Whole Lotta Rosie (Let There Be Rock) – Another song with a solo that just doesn’t stop. Plus, it’s sort of a true story about a woman that basically raped singer Bon Scott, who wrote the song following the incident, and it became one of their classics.

Bad Boy Boogie (Let There Be Rock) – While this is a great song that I’ve always loved (Bon Scott’s lyrics are just awesome, especially in this), their live version of this song is absolutely killer.

Shot Down In Flames (Highway To Hell) – A nice, hard, song. Always has to be cranked up when listened to.

Can I Sit Next To You Girl (High Voltage) – I believe this was the first song I heard when my dad was cutting the grass. Just like with most of Bon’s lyrics, this one has a comedy edge to it, and, it tells a story. I love songs that tell a story.

Squealer (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap) – Another hard jamming, awesome guitar solo song.

Anything Goes (Black Ice) – This one, from AC/DC’s latest album, sounds like an old rock tune, fully equipped with Brian Johnson… SINGING! Apparently he was told to use his jazzy voice as it was meant to be used, as a jazzy voice. He was a little nervous at first at how people would take it, stepping a little out of his comfort zone, but was happily shocked when everyone loved it. Including me. This will always be on my top list of their songs.

Ride On (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap) – This one ties for my all time favorite with the next one. Their only slow song ever, it tells another story with some serious emotion from Bon Scott. But, it’s not entirely slow, it’s just slow, AC/DC style. Great tune, would’ve made a great video.

Gone Shootin’ (Powerage) – My favorite. This is my “Casket Song”. I was once asked what my casket song is, which is a song that, when dead and buried, you can listen to for the rest of eternity happily. This is it. A great riff, powered by a great guitar solo and great lyrics/singing from Bon Scott. A perfect song all the way around.

There it is. And for those that didn’t make the final cut? Here they are.

Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (Back In Black)
That’s The Way I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll (Blow Up Your Video)
Meanstreak (Blow Up Your Video)
Ain’t No Fun (Waiting ‘Round To Be A Millionaire) (Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap)
It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) (High Voltage)
Girls Got Rhythm (Highway To Hell)
If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) (Highway To Hell)
Let There Be Rock (Let There Be Rock)
Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation (Powerage)
Gimme A Bullet (Powerage)
Kicked In The Teeth Again (Powerage)
Thunderstruck (The Razor’s Edge)
The Razor’s Edge (The Razor’s Edge)
Are You Ready (The Razor’s Edge)
Damned (Stiff Upper Lip)
All Screwed Up (Stiff Upper Lip)
Big Gun (Last Action Hero Soundtrack)

You’re not going to get a lot of “hits” in this list, this is a fan’s list. This is basically what I would refer to someone if they had never heard of AC/DC or wanted to hear more of them.

Got a similar list? I’d like to hear it, especially if it’s for a band I’m not too familiar with. I’m always up for new stuff, as long as it’s good.

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