Guitar Hero: World Tour

Another requested post, this time tackling a track-by-track look at the 2008 video game, Guitar Hero: World Tour. If you want to read my analysis of Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock, Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock, The Beatles: Rock Band and Rock Band 4, follow the links provided.

On my History Lesson blog post analysing GH:WT, I claimed that it's a fun game if you give the soundtrack a chance. Well, it's been about eight years since the game came out so now it's time to see if the setlist really has improved over time. I'll be briefly looking at each track and delivering my Thumbs Up/Down verdict based on a) how much the song fits into Guitar Hero (either due to being a well known Rock track or a great song by a well known band), b) how fun the GUITAR chart is and c) how much I like the track on a personal level. Needless to say this blog post is aided by my opinion but I'll try to focus more on the first two factors.
NOTE: I'm not including the Ted Nugent and Zakk Wylde guitar duels as you need to download them both to play completely and are therefore not on-disc tracks, even if you do play part of them as boss battles in the game. If you care about my verdicts, I like the Ted Nugent one a hell of a lot more than the Zakk Wylde one but enjoy both.
Right then, on with the show!

"About A Girl (Unplugged Live)" - Nirvana
Jesus, what a weird start. I can understand the appeal of Nirvana but this seems like such a shite song to pick. For starters, it's dull as fuck. Not just the guitar chart but the track itself, it's the complete opposite of what most people would want from history's most well known Grunge band. Next, it's not only live but it's acoustic. Granted it's from a pretty big acoustic/live session but it doesn't scream "I belong in Guitar Hero" as much as some of their other songs, bringing me onto the last point; the song choice. Not exactly top notch Nirvana, is it? You can argue that it's tricky to find better known songs due to licensing and trouble with master recordings but if that were the case, how come Rock Band 1 and 2 got two masters? Come to think of it, how come Guitar Hero got SIX Nirvana masters as GH:WT DLC that are generally a lot more fun than this one?!
Excuse my epic introductory rant but you know where this is going. THUMBS DOWN, all the way down.

"Aggro" - The Enemy
I can picture Activision employees looking for cheap music to license after blowing the budget on Tool and Ozzy whilst frantically asking themselves "What do cool young people listen to now?!" In the end, the answer to their predicament was a "Flagpole Sitta" - Harvey Danger rip-off, although having played that track as RB DLC I can confirm that this guitar chart is a lot more fun. Ultimately though, it would've been better as DLC...well, DLC if ATVI released more than three songs a week. THUMBS DOWN.

"American Woman" - The Guess Who
It's a well known Classic Rock tune with an awesome intro and a mediocre chart but considering the strong vocal melody, it's no surprise that it ended up in this game. I'm not a huge fan of it but I don't mind it being in the game. THUMBS UP.

"Antisocial" - Trust
Fair play, the music in this song is great. Definitely belongs in GH (presumably why it was released as GH3 DLC before making it to GH:WT) but there is one massive letdown; the vocals. I just can't take the track seriously when it sounds like I'm sat in a posh restaurant listening to the kitchen staff arguing. This is the first of many foreign tracks in the game, presumably because they wanted to give vocalists a selection of nightmare difficulty songs without licensing Queen. However, as I said earlier, I'm not judging the track on these factors. It's still a cool song and a fun chart to play as you listen to people shouting about Aunty Soshall. THUMBS UP.

"Are You Gonna Go My Way" - Lenny Kravitz
Again, not a fan of this track overall but it's got a sweet riff that's perfect for GH and it's somewhat of an American Rock classic so you better believe it's earned a space on the setlist. Fortunately, it's also pretty fun to play if you're not looking for anything too challenging so an easy THUMBS UP.

"Assassin" - Muse
Oh God, really? This was the best Muse song they could get? I would've settled for "Knights Of Cydonia" again over this, or "Hysteria" since that was fun on Rock Band. Muse might not have a treasure trove of epic riffs or solos in their back catalogue but they have material better than this! It sounds like your typical Musegasm so their mindless fans probably would've lapped it up despite having a truly agonising guitar chart and being one of the most dreary Rock songs I've possibly ever played on GH. THUMBS DOWN for the outro alone.

"B.Y.O.B." - System Of A Down
One of the game's most challenging guitar charts but, if you can get the strumming rhythm right, an incredibly fun one too. I love the chorus melody and if everything except the chorus and outro weren't batshit, I'd adore this track. However, it's System Of A Down so it can't just be awesome; it has to be awesome and crap at the same time. For sheer difficulty and popular appeal, this song deserves a THUMBS UP.

"Band On The Run" - Wings
More generic Classic Rock but if you're going to pick a Wings track, it's got to be "Band On The Run". I'm sure I've said in the past that I like the "If I ever get out of here" section despite more or less hating everything else so it's not a complete loss for me. I can't say there are better Wings songs with more fun guitar charts that could've been picked ("Junior's Farm" is a contender though) but with the wealth of truly great Classic Rock bands and songs out there, this song didn't deserve main setlist status. It would've been good as one of the songs in the Wings track pack released as DLC but it's getting a THUMBS DOWN for taking up space.

"Beat It" - Michael Jackson
This was actually one of the songs that convinced me to get the game. I fucking love it. Epic riff and guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen that apparently caused one of the monitors to catch fire, superb vocals from MJ and a true Rock track from a Pop artist. This is the song Prince would've recorded if he was as amazing as everyone seems to think he was now he's dead but luckily, MJ did it. Must've been a pretty expensive track to secure for the game too so props to ATVI for landing that. THUMBS UP.

"Beautiful Disaster" - 311
Heavy Reggae? Not bad but not great. What lets the song down though is the fact that it's utterly forgettable in both chart and music. I listened to all of these tracks again to prepare me for this post and I could just about remember the main riff and vocals a minute after finishing this song. It's strange because I can remember the three Reggae tracks released as GH:WT DLC perfectly, as they were great songs with really fun guitar charts; the complete opposite of this. THUMBS DOWN.

"Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne
Well obviously, this song would make the cut if you're going to get Ozzy involved. It's a very fun guitar chart if you can excuse Randy Rhoads' solo but even if it had the solo cut, it'd still get a THUMBS UP for being an iconic Metal track with a solid chart.

"Dammit" - blink-182
Between 2008 and 2009, ATVI went overboard with blink-182 songs despite having a slim amount of fun guitar songs. However, with the inclusion of new instruments and Travis Barker as an unlockable character, this song was most likely picked for the drums. The guitar isn't terrible but it's not noteworthy either and a song like "What's My Age Again?" would've been more fun. I suppose I can give it a THUMBS UP for being a suitable choice for the game and not being absolute shite like some of their material.

"Demolition Man (Live)" - Sting
An odd choice for this game but one I'm glad they went with. The guitar chart is surprisingly fun (if you can nail that tap section) and it's easily superior in every way to the original by The Police. Similar to the last track, this song was probably picked as one with fun bass and vocals from Sting due to his inclusion as an unlockable character too. For fun value, it gets a THUMBS UP. Incidentally, did you know that they asked Stewart Copeland to test out drums for the game but ended up licensing Sting and using him for mo-cap? Smooth, Activision. Real smooth.

"Do It Again" - Steely Dan
Yeah, I guess this deserves a space. It's a fairly well known track and it has a really fun sitar solo followed by a less fun keys solo charted on guitar. It's also got some neat little guitar fills floating around throughout so it's definitely a great chart. The obvious choice for a Steely Dan song on GH would've been "Reelin' In The Years" but this is a suitable pick for the on-disc setlist. THUMBS UP.

"Escuela De Color" - Radio Futura
I kinda like this song. It sounds like inoffensive music from a beach level of a video game and the guitar chart wasn't too horrible, if I remember correctly. Plus, I know I gave the French language shit earlier but Spanish vocals work pretty well with the music here. THUMBS UP.

"Everlong" - Foo Fighters
Ugh, bland bland bland. Can't see the massive appeal to this song in the slightest. It's a shame "All My Life" was released as GH3 DLC as that would've been more fun for this game, giving the alphabetically arrange soundtrack a stronger start after two weak songs. Chances are it was included for the drum chart but it's a definite THUMBS DOWN from me.

"Eye Of The Tiger" - Survivor
No surprise this was included. It's an all-rounder entry level track on each instrument that comes together well to form the ultimate band song. For guitar alone, it's worthy of a place due to the epic chords and rolling strumming so THUMBS UP.

"Feel The Pain" - Dinosaur Jr.
Funny, I thought we already had a Foo Fighters song on-disc. Ah well, Fake Fighters are just as good. Yet another track picked for drummers, leaving guitarists remembering the days of HMX made GH games. I suppose this chart isn't consistently boring like some of the songs in GH:WT and it's not all bad to listen to either. Eh, THUMBS UP.

"Float On" - Modest Mouse
Meanwhile, this song gets a THUMBS DOWN. Dull chart, dull song, a proper fucking chore to get through.

"Freak On A Leash" - KoRn
I'm no KoRn expert but I know some of their big songs like "Falling Away From Me" and "Here To Stay". Both tracks would've been much better on guitar than this, although I reckon this song's more well known than the latter. However, if you want KoRn, this is KoRn in all their glory. If you want fun, better luck next time. THUMBS DOWN.

"Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac
Fuck, this game's just laying it on with tepid Classic Rock, huh. I assume "The Chain" was (and still is) unavailable for licensing as that would've beaten the shit out of this. However, it's a well known song with a fun chorus to sing along to at parties and guitar solos easy enough for you to fluff your way through them and not look like a tosser in front of your party-going peers. I can't think of many other Fleetwood Mac songs that would be more appropriate for GH except maybe "Oh Well" but this will do. THUMBS UP.

"Good God" - Anouk
I have a weird amount of respect for this song. If you listened to a brief snippet of this track, it'd sound like a shitty Amy Winehouse knock-off. However, when you play it, it's fucking great! The guitar isn't "Crazy Train" levels of fun but it's a neat little tune with good riffs throughout. It's also fairly short so it doesn't drag like some of the entries on this list. I can't say I've ever heard the song or artist outside of this game so can't comment on whether it's well known enough to warrant a space but I fail to see a reason why it shouldn't be included outside of "it's not proper Rock". Yeah, good choice! THUMBS UP.

"Hail To The Freaks" - Beatsteaks
I think this was the last song I played on-disc and that's about all I can remember. Listening to it again, it sounds like a fairly generic Rock song that would play in the background of a bar or party scene on a TV show. Yeah, got to be a THUMBS DOWN I'm afraid. Nothing stands out and it was likely picked because one of the developers had it on their iPod.

"Heartbreaker" - Pat Benatar
Whilst "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" might be the more well known Pat Benatar track, this is easily the more fun one. It helps that it's also a Rock radio staple and contains a kickass outro solo for guitarists to get stuck into. Solid choice that's perfect for any main GH title. THUMBS UP.

"Hey Man, Nice Shot" - Filter
A pretty eerie song that packs a surprisingly fun (if not slightly repetitive) guitar chart. This is a good example of a track that fits in well with the new era of GH games; it's got a fun chart but wouldn't work in a game where you could only play that instrument. It's another all-rounder for each instrument and is well known enough to get a THUMBS UP.

"Hollywood Nights" - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
Well would you look at that! ANOTHER middle-of-the-road Classic Rock song. ATVI are really representing the genre well here, aren't they? It might be one of their signature songs but it's nothing special on guitar. Definitely more of a vocal driven song and would've been better suited for the Bob Seger track pack released as DLC. As for a better pick? Well, how about "Old Time Rock & Roll" instead of releasing that as DLC, considering that's also one of their signature songs with a much more fun guitar chart AND was used in promotional adverts for this game when they parodied the famous Risky Business underwear scene. THUMBS DOWN.

"Hot For Teacher" - Van Halen
100% picked for the drum intro but luckily, it's also got a right bitch of a guitar chart. It's catchy, fun when mastered and boasts difficult riffs and solos throughout THE ENTIRE CHART. Yup, no slacking off in the verse this time. As far as final bosses go in the Guitar Hero series, this is a worthy follow-up to "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" - Steve Ouimette from GH3 (and definitely "Train Kept A Rollin'" - Aerosmith from GH:A). THUMBS UP, no question.

"Hotel California" - Eagles
Back to limp Classic Rock already? OK then. Nah, this song's a solid choice for the game. Easily the band's signature song and a popular tune from the 70s with an iconic solo at the end. As an added bonus, the rest of the guitar chart's pretty fun as well. Despite the fact that I personally can't stand it (unless you speed it up a little bit, then it's much better!), it deserves a THUMBS UP on almost every level.

"The Joker" - Steve Miller Band
Finally, a Classic Rock song that isn't boring! Well, that depends on personal taste I suppose but if we're just talking guitar charts, this track's surprisingly fun. It's not really tricky in the slightest but if you like your charts relatively simple, it's brilliant. Plus, it makes me laugh when I think back to that scene in The Simpsons where Homer sings along to it. THUMBS UP.

"Kick Out The Jams" - MC5's Wayne Kramer
An interesting choice. On the one hand, it's cool to see more 60s Garage Rock in GH and it's the most well known song by MC5. On the other, it kind of seems odd to pick a track that's a blend of old and new; a track with original vocals and rerecorded guitar (or is it the other way around?). Part of me feels like they should've just waited until technology improved to the point where they could get the original master. Another, much bigger part of me simply says THUMBS UP for being a good track to play.

"The Kill" - 30 Seconds To Mars
I think Jack Black put it best when I saw Tenacious D live. "30 Seconds To Mars? More like 60 Seconds To Bullshit". THUMBS DOWN.

"L'Via L'Viaquez" - The Mars Volta
I'm glad they included an edit of this song instead of the 12 minute original but at least the edit has fun guitar sections. I couldn't tell you anything else about this band an whether it's the best song they could've picked but once again, it's another (semi) foreign track that doesn't feel out of place. THUMBS UP for the fun chart but I can't say I'm a fan of the track, especially the creepy bits throughout the middle before the guitar solos.

"La Bamba" - Los Lobos
Out of all the foreign language songs in GH, this and, begrudgingly, "Du Hast" - Rammstein are the two best choices. It's a classic track covered by Los Lobos with cleaner, beefed up charts for each instrument that make it WAY better to play. However, the guitar solo stands out in comparison to the original as it manages to make rapid strumming partway fun. It's also a tight edit compared to the one with the extended outro but that's only a small part of it deserving a THUMBS UP.

"Lazy Eye" - Silversun Pickups
"Hey, I remember this song from a trendy new TV show that all the kids are talking about or some shit!" is what I imagine the initial response to hearing this song when playing it in GH:WT to be. It's an acceptable guitar chart for a relatively dull song so I suppose it's an OK track to include in the game. It'd be a lot better if it wasn't as long but it still gets a THUMBS UP. Just.

"Livin' On A Prayer" - Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi makes his GH debut with his most well known and overplayed song. Even if it didn't have such an anthemic chorus, Richie Sambora's guitar deserves to be played (when he's with JBJ). Luckily, it does have an anthemic chorus as well so you've got a fun entry level song for people transitioning from one difficulty to another, a relatively easy song to blast out loud at parties and a top quality Hard Rock song for GH purists. Perfect choice, really. THUMBS UP.

"Love Me Two Times" - The Doors
Props to ATVI for securing a song by The Doors, one of the most expensive Rock bands to license along with The Beatles. However, anti-props for choosing such a shite song. The guitar riff with the annoying trills is a right cunt to play and it's not even one of their better known tracks. If you were going to get a song by The Doors from Strange Days with fun guitar, why the hell wouldn't you pick "People Are Strange"? Or better yet, why not pick another song by The Doors with fun guitar that's as well known (if not more so) than this track like "Peace Frog" or "L.A. Woman"? THUMBS DOWN for the only song by The Doors in GH. Shame.

"Love Removal Machine" - The Cult
Fuck. Yes. This is a great song and perfect for GH. Sure, The Cult aren't known for their wide array of diverse hit singles or iconic Rock tracks but when they rock, they fucking rock. This is a song where they fucking rock so with the exchange rate in play, that means they fucking fucking rock! Great riff, fun guitar throughout, TWO challenging solos and an outro that mixes the usual Cult formula up a bit. THUMBS UP.

"Love Spreads" - The Stone Roses
This song certainly grew on me after a couple of plays/listens and thankfully, I still love it. Possibly one of the best guitar charts in the entire game and a solid block of Rock with some groovy bass thrown in for good measure. It might seem quite long but trust me, it flies by when you're playing it. Songs like these make ATVI-era GH worth playing again so you better believe it gets THUMBS UP.

"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
Maybe this is a poor reflection on my experience with music up until about 2008 or maybe it was just a lot bigger in American than in the UK but I'd never heard of this song until GH, then it seemed to appear everywhere. However, it's a pretty solid Pop Rock hit with a surprisingly tough guitar solo for what it is and an incredibly catchy chorus. No complaints about this being in the game. THUMBS UP.

"Misery Business" - Paramore
It's no secret that I think Paramore are a joke BUT if every Rock band has at least one track for everyone in them, this is mine. It's a proper (albeit vocally dominated) Rock song that's just as fun to play on guitar as it is to listen to. As far as songs go, it needs a better guitar solo but I get the impression that the Paramore guitarist is only there because he was the only one with a car big enough to take all of them to the recording studio. All the same, THUMBS UP for not-shit Paramore!

"Monsoon" - Tokio Hotel
I don't remember hating this guitar chart but I remember feeling immensely bored when I listened to this track again. Another song where someone at ATVI Googled "popular songs among the alternative kids these days" without stopping to think that maybe this sort of anaemic toss isn't what GH is about. THUMBS DOWN.

"Mountain Song" - Jane's Addiction
I think GH wanted me to hate Jane's Addiction until they finally saw the light and licensed "Been Caught Stealin'" for GHWOR. However, this crappy excuse for a bland and repetitive song from an album where almost every other track has an awesome guitar chart (going by the album DLC for Rock Band) earns a great big THUMBS DOWN.

"Mr. Crowley" - Ozzy Osbourne
The second Ozzy song in the game (or first, if you're going by the Career Mode order) and definitely the superior of the two if you can excuse the Spinal Tap vibe coursing through the introduction. RR actually plays guitar solos that aren't complete wank and it transitions incredibly well into GH. Another song that's among my top favourites on-disc, even if I'm not a huge fan of the song on its own. THUMBS UP.

"Never Too Late" - The Answer
The Answer won a competition to be featured in GH (you know, the competition where they DIDN'T promise things they failed to deliver on like a bunch of twats) and as a result, one of the most fun and challenging songs on-disc was chosen. Not only a fucking insane intro solo but a pretty tricky one appears later too, giving casual and hardcore fans something special. It's a shame more tunes by The Answer weren't picked for GH as they have a bunch of great guitar based tracks across Rise, Everyday Demons and Revival. THUMBS UP.

"No Sleep Till Brooklyn" - Beastie Boys
It's debatable as to whether Beastie Boys belong in GH outside of "Sabotage" but with an intense solo from Kerry King, this track just makes the cut. However, as far as playing it goes, it's a pain in the arse. Boring throughout, stupidly tough in the middle, boring at the end. It's a pain sandwich, basically. THUMBS DOWN for not being "Fight For Your Right", a much better Rock song/parody off the same album.

"Nuvole E Lenzuola" - Negramaro
Uhhhhhhhhh...yeah, THUMBS DOWN. The music is incredibly bland and I literally cannot recall a single thing about playing this chart. Would've preferred something else from Heroes Del Silencio since "Entre Dos Tierras" sounds good on guitar and they've had a song in GH already.

"Obstacle 1" - Interpol
I keep expecting this song to break into "By The Way" - Red Hot Chili Peppers...but it never does. It just breaks into boredom. Fuck knows why this was chosen for GH. THUMBS DOWN.

"On The Road Again (Live)" - Willie Nelson
Fair play, it might be live but it's got a solid guitar chart and it's a well known Country track by Ol' Willie. If we could've had any live Country song, I would've pushed hard for "Classical Gas (Live)" - Glen Campbell for having what sounds like an amazing guitar chart but I'm happy with this. THUMBS UP.

"One Armed Scissor" - At The Drive-In
Ooo fuck me, this song is so edgy! It might sound like pure whiny teenage anger blending into a fine dust and then painstakingly converted into an .mp3 file BUT it does have an OK guitar chart. I suppose if whiny teenagers have to be represented as a core part of the GH target market, it's better that everyone else has to play this than some shitty MCR track. However, proper Rock will always be better than music aimed at that market and crippling a franchise to appease those fuckwits didn't help so it's THUMBS DOWN without regret.

"The One I Love" - R.E.M.
I don't know what's stranger; the fact that R.E.M. were considered for Guitar Hero or the fact that after this bland track with slightly less bland guitar, they were considered AGAIN for Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock. Either way, R.E.M. have a wealth of popular tracks to choose from and I guess on the surface, the riff that plays throughout this creates the illusion of "Rock" more than something like "Everybody Hurts". I would've preferred "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" (especially if you're after something for drummers and vocalists) or something off Green like "Stand" or "Pop Song 89" so it has to be a THUMBS DOWN.

"One Way Or Another" - Blondie
Blondie could fucking rock when they wanted to and this is a good example of that. It's one of those tracks that utilises fun guitar that you wouldn't ordinarily notice in the mix of the original song, making it a treat to play and listen to even if you've heard it a bunch of times before. GH could've done with more Blondie like "Hanging On The Telephone" or "Atomic" but this is just as good. THUMBS UP.

"Our Truth" - Lacuna Coil
OK, we all know Nu-Metal sucks but this isn't that terrible. Lacuna Coil have been in GH before so it makes sense that they'd appear again. It's got a solid guitar chart that could've been improved with a tasty solo (guitar solos? In Nu-Metal? What a novel concept!!) but luckily the riffs throughout are decent. Not a personal favourite but I don't mind playing it so THUMBS UP.

"Overkill" - Motorhead
I'm glad Motorhead weren't completely shafted by GH, as there was some kind of licensing issue that meant only rerecords from 2008 could be used in GH/RB. However, even though I like this song and it's got a decent guitar chart (we won't talk about bass...), I can't help but feel like it's a weak choice. I don't know exactly how many songs were rerecorded, though I think it's at least 9 or 10, and I'm not sure which song I would've preferred but it's missing something. Compare it to DLC track "Love Me Like A Reptile" which is fucking awesome on guitar; it would've been good to get something like that. Ah well, I can't fault a Motorhead choice, especially one that's probably the most logical. THUMBS UP.

"Parabola" - Tool
One of three Tool songs picked to be in the game, presumably because Tool are a right bunch of picky bastards about how their music's used. I don't want to be too positive about them on those grounds but let's look at undeniable pros to this being in GH: it's got a heavy riff that's fun to play, there are other heavy riffs that are fun to play throughout as well, Tool are a highly sought after band and this is one of their notable songs. Cons: aside from the fun riffs it's kind of dull, the outro is far too long, it doesn't really belong in GH other than the fact that it's Tool. Verdict? THUMBS DOWN on this one.

"Pretty Vacant" - The Sex Pistols
Another Sex Pistols rerecord and this time, it's not as crap as "Anarchy In The UK". Sadly, it is still The Sex Pistols so it's pretty bad by general music standards. Aside from the fact that you get to sing and drum along to a Sex Pistols song, there's not really any reason to include them in GH anymore, hence why this was their last appearance in the franchise. THUMBS DOWN.

"Prisoner Of Society" - The Living End
This is an example of Punk done well. It's fast, it's aggressive and you can tell the musicians actually have talent, unlike everything about The Sex Pistols. In terms of good Living End songs, the best choice probably would've been "Carry Me Home" but that's already in GH2 so naturally it falls to this track. It's a fun song to play on guitar and it's made me want to listen to more of The Living End. THUMBS UP.

"Pull Me Under" - Dream Theater
ATVI finally answered the call and included a solitary Dream Theater track in the GH franchise. Not just any Dream Theater track but the most well known one at that. That alone should be a good enough reason to include it on the main setlist IF they had any plans of more Dream Theater material. If they knew this would be the only one planned, it should've been something a bit more challenging. Something like "As I Am" or "Under A Glass Moon" would've been more fun for those wanting a suitable credits song but I guess this is a good song all the same, even if the solo is all fart and no follow through. THUMBS UP.

"Purple Haze (Live)" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Going through these songs, I keep remembering things I'd forgotten about GH:WT like the fact that Jimi Hendrix was a playable character and that the Hendrix estate used to have stupidly high standards before they became a bunch of money grabbing shits. Anyway, "Purple Haze" is one of his bigger known Rock songs so it makes sense to include it if you've only got a limited number of Hendrix tracks to use. Why they chose a live version, I'm not sure, but it's fun to play and it doesn't sound as fuckawful as some of his live recordings so it gets a THUMBS UP.

"Ramblin' Man" - The Allman Brothers Band
A fine choice indeed! Gentle Southern Rock with an excellent guitar chart and what sounds like fun charts for the other instruments too. I'm not sure why the guitar solos on the album version sound different to the one used for this game, as both tracks are structurally identical, but at least they didn't cut bits out or make it worse. THUMBS UP.

"Re-Education (Through Labor)" - Rise Against
I'm not one of the GH players holding unquestionable love and devotion to Rise Against (and during the GHWOR days, there seemed to be fucking hundreds of them) but this is a great track. Great Rock tune, solid guitar riffs and even if it's not the most fun song to play, it's enjoyable from start to finish. THUMBS UP.

"Rebel Yell" - Billy Idol
Yep, love it. Great guitar throughout and along with "White Wedding", one of Mr Idol's signature songs. It might not be a track I can imagine being included in GH without drums and vocals but it makes sense to include in the game so it's a clear THUMBS UP.

"Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)" - Lostprophets
Even if they weren't involved in some kind of paedophilia scandal, it'd still be a THUMBS DOWN. Boring guitar, whiny vocals, not a song that belongs in GH. I do like the double time section towards the end, though. If the whole song was like that, I may have overlooked the nonce on vocals.

"Santeria" - Sublime
Considering ATVI got Chad Smith to test the drums out with Stewart Copeland, they should've just licensed "Under The Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers instead of picking yet another song that sounds similar to one of theirs in the introduction. At least it's got a fun guitar solo and it's a chilled out little tune so I can give it a THUMBS UP, even if "What I Got" is more fun.

"Satch Boogie" - Joe Satriani
Sheeeeeit, just hearing this song gives me 'Nam flashbacks to that slider gem section in the middle. It's a really fun song if you're good enough to take on the mantle although a real bitch if you're still learning. I'm glad they chose this song for GH:WT and not one of the previous titles, otherwise it may have given me an aneurysm trying to play it. THUMBS UP.

"Schism" - Tool
Let's face it, everyone only knows this for the bass...and my God, what an awesome bassline. You get to play it on guitar now and then so there's moderately challenging joy to be shared. If I had to name the most famous Tool song out of the three, I'd probably guess this one and if only Tool song could be picked for GH, this would be the obvious winner. Hence, THUMBS UP.

"Scream Aim Fire" - Bullet For My Valentine
I hate this style of Metal but damn it, I really like this song. It's mostly the awesome chorus that improves the rest of the song for me but from start to finish, it's a consistently fun guitar chart if you can look past the screaming. I'm not familiar with this band's work outside of this song but if I had to give my verdict based on whether this is a fun and worthy song for the main disc setlist, it has to be a THUMBS UP.

"Shiver" - Coldplay
*Lana from Archer voice* NooOOPE! THUMBS DOWN.

"Some Might Say" - Oasis
OK, this isn't the Oasis song I would've picked off (What's The Story) Morning Glory but it's a great song regardless of how much better other tracks on the album are. The obvious choice would've been "Don't Look Back In Anger", the weak popular choice would've been "Wonderwall" and the best choice would've been title track "Morning Glory". But it is what it is and whilst the guitar isn't extreme, it's fun in its own way. THUMBS UP for Oasis from the 90s in a music game.

"Soul Doubt" - NOFX
More Punk that pisses all over bands from the 70s. You're in for more of a challenge keeping up with the rhythm than in "Prisoner Of Society" - The Living End but luckily, it's not all strumming here. There are some tricky riffs now and then and it actually represents the genre in a fairly positive way. I'm giving it a THUMBS UP for the same reason I give most Punk tracks that don't suck one; it's a Punk track that doesn't suck.

"Spiderwebs" - No Doubt
Why, out of all the songs on Guitar Hero: On Tour, was this pile of arse chosen to be on GH:WT? Pop Rock Reggae fans can enjoy this track far away from me as everything about it just about sucks. Guitar chart isn't fun, song is annoying and it goes. on. for-fucking-ever. THUMBS DOWN.

"Stillborn" - Black Label Society
Zakk Wylde appears as an unlockable character/boss battle so obviously one of his songs will appear in-game and obviously it won't be from his time with Ozzy. It's not bad, I guess. Solid riff, moderately fun solo and I can imagine it in GH3 when ATVI took over. THUMBS UP.

"Stranglehold" - Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent ALSO appears as an unlockable character/boss battle so we get treated to some of his music as well. Sadly, instead of one of the many songs he's written with amazing solos and fun riffs, we get this long rerecorded (?) yawn. I cannot fathom why so many people like "Stranglehold" outside of its main riff and even that's average at best. THUMBS DOWN for not being "Stormtroopin'".

"Sweet Home Alabama (Live)" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
I've discussed the live album that this track came from on the blog before. If you can't be bothered to follow the link and read it, the summary is I fucking love it and this track put me onto it. It might have different solos to the two different takes on the deluxe edition but it's one of my favourite charts in all of GH and my number one favourite song to play from GH:WT. Excellent live recording, more fun guitar and a Southern/Classic Rock hit. Perfection! THUMBS UP.

"Today" - The Smashing Pumpkins
"Cherub Rock" was awesome in GH3 but no Smashing Pumpkins song in GH or RB since has come close to being as awesome. It's a shame because Siamese Dream has a couple of decent tracks like "Rocket" and "Geek U.S.A" that would've been awesome on GH. Instead, we get this dreary number that came with a free Billy Corgan going through chemotherapy unlockable character. THUMBS DOWN.

"Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast" - Airbourne
Not to be confused with Ska track "Too Much, Too Young" - The Specials. It's great that Airbourne has at least one song on GH but...this one? It's great, yeah, but it's kind of dull until you get to the solo. Would've been better to get a more energetic one and then release an Airbourne track pack down the line with this song in it. Still, it got me into Airbourne and it's good to listen to whilst you're strumming away so THUMBS UP.

"Toy Boy" - Stuck In Sound
The main reason I'm hesitant to give this a Thumbs Up straight away is due to the vocals in the chorus. They're too screechy and the vocalist does it a fucking lot towards the end. The guitar's OK, if not a little repetitive and ordinary, and the song itself is passable for a filler track on GH. I doubt I'd lose any sleep if I learned that this song was considered and then removed so I'm going to be harsh and give it a THUMBS DOWN.

"Trapped Under Ice" - Metallica
Smart choice picking a fun, well known Metallica song from an early album but not one of the big ones that wouldn't export into Guitar Hero: Metallica. I really like this song, much more than "One", and whilst it's a shame I can't play it on GH:M, it's still great on GH:WT. It's actually a pretty good way to introduce casual players to Metallica without using one of their biggest songs. THUMBS UP.

"Up Around The Bend" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
I'm glad CCR were used in GH:WT but it's not really the best song they could've gone for. It's a neat little tune but hardly worthy of main setlist status when tracks like "Fortunate Son" and "Bad Moon Rising" had yet to be included. The guitar's alright and the song is catchy but I have to give it a THUMBS DOWN in favour of much better CCR tracks that deserved a spot over this one. Still, at least it's not the Hanoi Rocks version.

"Vicarious" - Tool
The last Tool song, picked because of Neversoft's relation to Vicarious Visions. Of course not, but other than it being another Tool song, I'm not entirely sure why it was picked. It's like a lesser version of "Schism" with a few fun little riffs, but then I suppose that could be said of most bands with their own personal sound. At least it's better than "Parabola" so THUMBS UP.

"VinterNoll2" - Kent
Another foreign track that's forgettable but not actually too bad. It reminds me of Poets Of The Fall, a band with material that's better suited for GH/RB than most of the filler bands picked here. I couldn't tell you much about the guitar chart without looking it up on Youtube and because the song's not strong enough to motivate me to open another tab on my browser as I'm typing this, it's a THUMBS DOWN.

"Weapon Of Choice" - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Short and sweet, this song's definitely worthy of being in GH:WT. The guitar chart uses the sustain-within-sustain mechanic added to the game to make the chart new and interesting without being too hard to turn people away. It's also a solid Rock song so a THUMBS UP is well deserved.

"What I've Done" - Linkin Park
The first of many Linkin Park songs to curse GH over the years. Fuck, I hate this fucking band and their terrible music. Just chords and strumming and chords and strumming and memories of Transformers followed by more pissing chords and strumming. THUMBS DOWN.

"The Wind Cries Mary" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
If you had to pick a softer, more psychedelic Hendrix song with a fun guitar chart, I'm glad they picked this. It doesn't showcase his exceptional talents on the six-string but it does showcase his ability to write great music and lyrics. Yep, I enjoy this one too although "Castles Made Of Sand" would've been great. THUMBS UP.

"You're Gonna Say Yeah" - Hushpuppies
Our last entry here is...well, it's not bad but it's a bit typical of shouty modern Alternative bands that have littered this setlist. If GHWOR proved anything, it's that modern Alternative songs with really fun guitar charts did exist around that time so there was no excuse for choosing songs like these over better ones. THUMBS DOWN.


After my incredibly in-depth analysis of the game's on-disc soundtrack, the final score is 53 for Thumbs Up and 31 for Thumbs Down. That's honestly better than I thought it would be but I guess I was being quite generous to some of these songs.
Don't worry, non-video game posts will be back soon.