Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion unobtrusive...

I had an idea this morning for a regularly irregular Blog post.  I want to talk about the the first song that I hear on the radio when I get in the car for my daily commute. 

If you want to be something, you have to do it, right?  This will give me a recurring writing assignment.  It's basically going to be an exercise in self discipline.  You in?  Good.

Tuesday, August 14th.  First, Happy Birthdays to LeAnn, Anne, Michelle and Heidi.

Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (SLTS) literally started right with the engine this morning.  I usually only get a partial song for my first of the day, but today the radio gods smiled on me.

SLTS came out in 1991.  Even thought that's over 20 years ago, it still sounds fresh to me while feeling like it's always been part of my soundscape.  Call it timeless, if you like.

Early on Nirvana was credited with bringing punk to the masses.  This is the song that does that most effectively.  Punk rock is now part of the mainstream. 

I know the purists will harp on about other bands originating the soft/loud dynamic, but so what.  Those bands didn't have Dave Grohl.  I don't think anyone did it as effectively as Nirvana does here.  Producer Butch Vig really captures the bands explosive energy. 

Unfortunately, it was raining, so the song didn't get it's proper listening environment - windows down, sunroof open, volume up!

Oh well, whatever, never mind...




Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Second Hand News

You know how there are some bands you kind of forget about?  Sure you do, we all do it.  Don't lie to me.

Anyway, today I was inspired to dig into Fleetwood Mac by the review and streaming of a new Fleetwood Mac tribute album.  I like it, a lot.  You can check it out here.

As any good tribute album should, it got me thinking about its subject.

What a great, great band they are.

They started out as part of the British blues explosion.  Bands from the UK were taking American blues and electrifying it.  With guitarist Peter Green and later Bob Welch the Mac were a huge part of this scene.

At some point during the 70's it was decided that it was time to introduce some fresh blood.  In came Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Pop music, specifically that sub-genre of Southern California country rock would never be the same.

Their impact was felt immediately.  The first album with the new line up includes such classics as Monday Morning, Rhiannan and Say You Love Me.

And then came Rumours.

I mean, really?  Come on.  Is there any other album's sound that so completely defines that decade?  Nope, you're wrong. Wrong.

If Dreams doesn't completely transport you, you have no soul.  Stevie is a goddess.  You know it, she knows it, Tom Petty knows it.

The Chain is my, hands down, favorite Mac song and Lindsey's solo is one of the greats in the "Classic Rock" pantheon.  Like that?  Fancy word, huh?  I know.

Tusk is one of the craziest things a band had ever done at that point in Pop Music history.  A marching band doesn't seem so strange now, but this was 30 plus years ago.  The video was an early big hit on MTV.

For me as a fan, things kind of tale off after Tusk.  The band continued and continues to record and tour.  Even if they stopped 20 years ago, their legacy would be safe with me.

That, and I'd listen to Stevie sing the phone book.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Rock n' Roll Heaven

I saw them, then somebody died.

  1. AC/DC (Bon Scott)
  2. Led Zeppelin (John Bonham)
  3. Thin Lizzy (Phil Lynott)
  4. Queen (Freddie Mercury)
  5. Def Leppard (Steve Clark)
  6. Gamma (Ronnie Montrose)
  7. Larry Norman
  8. Molly Hatchet (Danny Joe Brown)
  9. Chuck Brown

Band Bucket List


Bands I Need to See.
  1. Pearl Jam
  2. Metallica
  3. The Roots
  4. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
  5. U2
  6. Parliament / Funkadelic
  7. Anthrax
  8. Red Hot Chili Peppers
  9. The Flaming Lips

Bands I've Seen.

After last night's show, I thought I'd update my list...


Artists & Bands I've Seen in Concert

1. AC/DC
2. Judas Priest x3
3. Queen
4. Rush x5
5. Led Zeppelin
6. ZZ Top x2
7. The Police
8. Cheap Trick x2
9. Asia
10. The Black Crowes
11. The Alarm
12. Kings X x4
13. Journey x3
14. Peter Frampton
15. Bob Dylan
16. Emmylou Harris x2
17. Buddy and Julie Miller x2
18, The Proclaimers
19. The Cranberries
20. Toad the Wet Sprocket
21. Dream Theater x2
22. Zappa Plays Zappa
23. Queenscryche
24. Iron Maiden x3
25. Kansas
26. Foreigner
27. Scorpions x2
28. Def Leppard x3
29. Gamma
30. Jethro Tull
31. Thin Lizzy
32. Rolling Stones
33. J. Geils Band
34. Jason & the Scorchers x3
35. Randy Newman
35. Simon & Garfunkel
36. The Everly Bros
37. Carbon Leaf
38. Seven Nations x5
39. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra x3
40. Saxon
41. Motorhead x2
42. Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath w/ RJD)
43. Larry Norman x2
44. Eddie From Ohio
45. Shawn Colvin
46. Johnathon Waite
47. April Wine
48. Krokus
49. Girlschool
50. Styx x2
51. Nickelback
52. Papa Roach
53. Hinder x2
54. Saving Abel
55. Los Lonely Boys x2
56. Los Lobos
57. The Young Dubliners
58. Great Big Sea
59. Phil Keaggy x4
60. Second Chapter of Acts
61. Blue Oyster Cult x2
62. The Machine
63. Stryper
64. The Thompson Twins
65. Howard Jones
66. TNT
67. Loudness
68. Testament x2
69. REM
70. The dbs
71. Dan Fogelberg
72. Chicago
73. Earth, Wind & Fire
74. Pete Yorn
75. Over the Rhine
76. Bill Mallonee x5
77. Ted Nugent
78. Molly Hatchett
79. Wishbone Ash
80. Pat Travers
81. Johnny Winters
82. Moe.
83. Savatage
84. The Galactic Cowboys
85. Saga
86. Susan Tedeschi
87. Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers
88. Accept x3
89. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers with special guest Stevie Nicks
90. Social Distortion x2
91. Collective Soul
92. Bryan Adams
93. Trey Anastasio
94. Christopher Parkening
95. Bruce Cockburn
96. Epica
97. Blackguard x2
98. SignalThreat
99. Megadeth
100. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers x2
101. Alice Cooper
102. Godsmack x2
102. Halestorm
103. Alter Bridge
104. Bullet for My Valentine x2
105. Seether x2
106. Sevendust
108. Red Fang
109. Avenged Sevenfold
110. Pop Evil
111. Skillet
112. Foo Fighters
113. The Joy Formidable
114. Ryan Montbleau Band x4
115. Disturbed
116. Trivium
117. Straight Line Stitch
118. Machine Head
119. In Flames
120. Black Tide
121. Three Days Grace
122. Escape the Fate
123. Theory of a Deadman
124. Sabaton
125. Sound of Thunder







Tuesday, June 12, 2012

It always comes back to Rush.

This is a repost of something I wrote a couple of years ago on Facebook, it's cross posted there too.

It always comes back to Rush. Why does it always come back to Rush? It just always comes back to those three guys from Canada. It just does.
I just watched the new documentary about Rush, “Beyond the Lighted Stage”. Like the famously cliched review, “I laughed, I cried...”, I was touched in surprising ways.
Movies about rock bands are a dime a dozen and most of them are as forgettable as the bands they expose. Not this time. Maybe because this is not the story of rock stars, but three life-long friends.
Anyway, it always comes back to Rush for me. I, like many fans my age, discovered Rush with their fourth album 2112. To say that it blew my high school mind wouldn't be completely accurate, in hindsight. Really how many of us, as sixteen year olds have much of a mind to blow? Oh sure, we fancy ourselves intellectual or sophisticated, but come on... now we all know better don't we?
It probably wasn't until they were on their tragic and unintentional sabbatical in the 1990s that I really came to appreciate their profound influence on me. I came across their live album “Different Stages” and became reacquainted with my old friends. That album came out at about the same time we first had internet access at home. So, like many fans of many artists, I had access to the Rush fan community like never before. It was there that I found out what had been happening with what had once been my favorite band. I read about Neil's tragic loss of his daughter and wife. I explored releases that I wasn't that familiar with, and heard the rumors of the bands return. Hell, I didn't even know they'd been away! Some fan I was!
The last dozen or so years have been amazingly prolific for the band, and I've been there at every step. As soon as their latest tour was announced I did two things that I'm not know for – I paid the premium for a premium ticket and I bought only one ticket. Going to concerts alone is not something I'm fond of doing, I like to share the experience, but this time it felt like the right thing to do. Man, Sept 18th can't get here soon enough!
So, anyway, why does it always come back to Rush? Well, I don't want to start quoting lyrics that have had an impact because there are too many. It's not just the lyrics. Some of the instrumentals touch me in a most powerful way. That might be hard to understand, but it's true. Jazz legend Charlie Parker said, “If you don't live it, it won't come out your horn.” That explains so much to me about the power of instrumental music. There is life in those notes. To me, it's as simple as that. There is life in there. Life.
Let me summarize this ramble this way. If you want to truly understand me, you have to understand Rush. You don't have to like them, but you must understand them. Now, I know some could care less and that's fine. Hell, sometimes I don't even care. But I've come to realize that I understand more about myself through their music than just about any other way these days. They inspire me like no other artists.
That being said, here is a short list of essential Rush tracks.

Closer to the Heart
Spirit of Radio
Entre Nous
La Villa Strangiato
Working Man
Anthem
Tom Sawyer
Limelight
Free Will
Far Cry
YYZ

Ok, maybe not so short, but it could be much longer!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Radio show ROCKS the metal


If you're a fan of metal, you need to make time on Sunday nights to tune into Damage Inc., a show on WRCU-FM hosted by Kyle Larson. Kyle mixes a wicked playlist with a love for and knowledge of the best metal out there, past and present. If the show's name didn't clue you in, Kyle is a huge Metallica fan, although you can count on a well-blended mix of bands and songs, coupled with expert commentary.

Tune in to Damage Inc. Sunday nights from 1am-2am ET/10pm-11pm PT.
You won't be disappointed.

http://wrcufm.com/showInfo.php?id=1518

(Click here for a look at Kyle's past playlists)