Apologies for missing a blog post last week. I couldn't find motivation to get back into blog post writing and even now, I've picked a Guitar Hero expansion with a relatively small amount of songs to talk about. Then again, listening to and talking about the 83 songs in Rock Band 3 nearly killed me so I don't care, I'm having a shorter setlist this time.
Much like previous posts about these rhythm music game tracklists (see this post for a list of all of them so far), I'll still be going through the entire game's soundtrack whilst discussing whether I believe the song deserved to be in the game based on the quality of the track, how fun it is on guitar and whether it's appropriate for the game in question. At the end, I'll tally up the Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down count for the game to give a final verdict on whether I personally approve of the game's soundtrack. Right, let's revisit the most overlooked Guitar Hero soundtrack!
"18 And Life" - Skid Row
Before I talk too much about the song, one thing that should be mentioned is this is one of two games I've discussed with WaveGroup covers before GH/RB went with 100% master recordings. I'll be judging the sound quality primarily on the covers but the decision to include the song on the originals, if that makes sense. Anyway, this song. It's a great track by Skid Row with a cool riff and a killer solo, perfect for the encore of the first tier in the game's career mode. The cover's pretty decent too, especially the solo. All in all, it's a well known 80s Hair Metal track that isn't too hard but still fun to play. THUMPS UP.
"Ain't Nothin But A Good Time" - Poison
I'm not entirely sure where the "Ain't" came from but as far as song choices go, this one's to be expected. You're obviously going to put Motley Crue or Poison in an 80s Rock based game and since Motley Crue was in GH2, that leaves you with the other guys. As for which Poison song to pick, it couldn't be "Unskinny Bop" as that was released in the 90s so it was either this, "Talk Dirty To Me" or "Every Rose Has Its Thorn". Whilst each song would've been fun to play, they thankfully went for the most fun of the three, presumably for the difficulty curve. Even thankfullyer, the cover's great if you don't mind the vocals sounding a bit off. THUMBS UP.
"Ballroom Blitz" - Krokus
This is one of the game's weird cover choices, as I'm sure we're all more familiar with the Sweet original of this track. Someone at Harmonix must've really liked this song and wanted to chart it before the job was handed to Neversoft, as there's not really a good reason for this song's inclusion. It's alright to play but compared to other Hair Metal/Hard Rock tracks by bands that were left out (Europe, Nitro, Autograph, Whitesnake), it's nothing special. THUMBS DOWN.
"Balls To The Wall" - Accept
I've heard a few Accept songs and this is probably the worst of the lot. However, it's also one of their most popular so I understand why it was included. The cover's not great and the chart's a little dull so even though it's part of the career mode's first tier, there's nothing really exciting about playing the song. Whilst I acknowledge Hard Rock in the 80s wasn't as good as 70s Hard Rock, there were still a few great bands. In fact, Stadium Rock bands such as Journey or Styx would've added a bit of extra diversity to a soundtrack based largely around 80s (Hair) Metal, especially since they all have fun guitar songs. THUMBS DOWN.
"(Bang Your Head) Metal Health" - Quiet Riot
A solid opening song, although the cover is questionable. The vocalist sounds like he was told it was a KISS song instead of Quiet Riot and the guitarist must've had an off day, since they completely forgot to play the first guitar solo. You might think they removed the solo in the cover to make it perfect for the first tier in career mode but the outro solo isn't that easy for beginners. They should've kept the whole thing intact but as it stands, it's a boring chart until a decent little solo at the end that will almost certainly screw over unsuspecting players, thereby making the whole simplification of the track pointless. Great choice, poor execution. THUMBS DOWN.
"Bathroom Wall" - Faster Pussycat
I'm familiar with most of the songs in this game but honestly, I still have no idea who this band are or why the song deserves a spot in the game. It's OK for an 80s track based around the Blues Chord progression that isn't by George Thorogood but there's nothing in it that makes me think it belongs in a GH game apart from a solo that'd probably be fun to play if the rest of the song wasn't pretty mediocre. THUMBS DOWN.
"Because, It's Midnite" - Limozeen
God, I'm fucking torn with this one. On the one hand, it's not even from the 80s; it's a modern track by an 80s Hair Metal parody band. Plus, it has an insanely difficult synth solo charted on guitar that has no place in the second tier of career mode. On the other hand, it's fucking awesome. It's a bitchin' song from start to finish AND it's the master recording so there's bonus points for that. Unfortunately, I'm going with my gut and saying that it should've been a bonus track on GH2 and that an actual 80s song should've been on the 80s tribute game. THUMBS DOWN but it's still a great track.
"Caught In A Mosh" - Anthrax
It's a good thing they actually included proper 80s Metal in this game instead of just Hair Metal stuff. Whilst I'm not a huge fan of this song (as mentioned in my RB3 post), I can understand why it was picked and honestly, I don't dislike the cover. It's just a bit of a shitty track to listen to...and play, what with the emphasis on awkward chords/strumming and less on fun HOPO sections (the solo doesn't count as, like most Anthrax guitar solos, it's pissweak). GH2 got "Madhouse" so this track inclusion was the most sensible Anthrax choice to go with; I also admit that my personal taste in the song is resulting in a largely critical write-up, as I'd probably enjoy playing it if I could stand to listen to the tune. THUMBS UP on a technicality, I guess.
"Electric Eye" - Judas Priest
Another master recording AND it's a proper 80s Metal song! Whilst the mix may be a little dodgy to the point that it starts off sounding like a WaveGroup cover, Rob Halford's vocals save the song and the chart is great if you like a challenge. I'm struggling to think of a Judas Priest song that would've been better for this game as it's fun, popular and appropriate. THUMBS UP.
"Heat Of The Moment" - Asia
Fun fact! This is one of only two songs I ever FC'd on Expert in this game! It's also a great tune to listen to, although not the best to play. It has its moments but there's nothing spectacular about the chart. It's also a weak cover so whilst the inclusion makes sense, it's a shame the execution was once again a bit lacklustre. However, do I think it belongs in this game? Of course! It's a classic 80s Rock song and probably would've been better in the first tier of career mode but still helps ease players into the game. THUMBS UP.
"Hold On Loosely" - .38 Special
OK, some Southern Rock, I guess. I would've gone with something by ZZ Top instead of .38 Special but a good song is a good song and this song is...it's alright, just a bit basic. The chart's mostly strumming until the outro solo and I suppose this song's inclusion makes sense if you think of it as a track you'd hear for the first time on GH rather than a classic you actively hope is in the game. Ah, why not? THUMBS UP.
"Holy Diver" - Dio
More 80s Metal! I'm glad they chose this over other tracks off the debut with clusterfuck solos but damn, it's a shame they couldn't get the master for this; I mean, that vocalist gives it everything he's got but he's no RJD. On the plus side, the chart's alright. Some basic chord strumming and a decent solo but ultimately, the Thumbs Up/Down is based on whether I think they should've picked this song or a track by Ozzy Osbourne. Since GH1 got "Bark At The Moon" and there's no way in hell a Randy Rhoads guitar chart should've been on HMX-era GH games, it's a resounding THUMBS UP.
"I Ran (So Far Away)" - A Flock Of Seagulls
Now for a genre that was surprisingly underrepresented in this game; New Wave. On the plus side, they did manage to get the master recording for this classic track so it definitely has some positive reasons for being in the game. The chart's alright but it is meant to be an easy track so it can't really be faulted there. In fact, HMX tried to make it more fun by removing the intro and overcharting echo effects. THUMBS UP for not really doing anything wrong and for being a fine New Wave choice.
"I Wanna Rock" - Twisted Sister
Another master recording BUT I believe this is a rerecording from the 00s so it still sounds like a shitty cover version. I can't fault the choice in song though, as it's fucking awesome and contains decent riffs/solos that would trounce "We're Not Gonna Take It" any day. The chart's got a variety of challenging areas from sweeping HOPOs to rapid strumming and, as an interesting side note, fades out for some reason. Usually master recordings have some kind of ending but this one...doesn't? Oh well, it's still a good song choice that introduced me to a tune I'd only ever heard as "Goofy Goober Rock" from The Spongebob Squarepants Movie until this game. THUMBS UP.
"Lonely Is The Night" - Billy Squier
Yep, another decent choice. It's a fairly popular Rock song (although arguably "The Stroke" is better known) with solid guitar throughout. The cover's not bad either, as the guitar still sounds cool despite using what sounds like a different tone, and most important of all they didn't fuck up the double time outro. I don't think I would've replaced this song with a generic 80s Rock track by someone like Loverboy or Aerosmith either so all in all, it earns a place on the setlist. THUMBS UP.
"Los Angeles" - X
Nope, never heard of this band or song outside of GH/RB. I also feel like there are better examples of 80s Punk they could've gone with (Ramones and The Clash are two examples). However, as far as the song goes, it's not bad. It's mostly chords and strumming but with a more fun rhythm behind it all. However, I can't say I'd feel bad knowing this song could've made it into the game and was ultimately rejected in favour of any other 80s track like "I Want Candy", a song originally teased to be in the game but dropped for unknown reasons. THUMBS DOWN.
"No One Like You" - Scorpions
Thank God they got a Scorpions song in the game! Whilst I'm not overly fond of the song, it's proper 80s Metal at its finest (second only to Riot and even then, it has to be the strongest Riot track against the weakest Scorpions) so I can't argue with its inclusion there. I'd also argue that it's one of the strongest Scorpions tracks they could've picked, as "Rock You Like A Hurricane" is too awesome for an expansion pack. As far as the chart goes, it's as solid as the song could provide. The solos aren't insanely challenging, making it great to rock out to fairly early on in the game's career mode, and even if Scorpions purists don't like the vocalist's attempts at singing, it's still getting a THUMBS UP from me...the song, not the vocals.
"Only A Lad" - Oingo Boingo
There's an air of Loverboy about this track but after revisiting it, I like it quite a bit! It's not exactly complex on guitar but it has a great rhythm and chorus, not to mention a fun little HOPO section towards the end. Another track I'm happy to be introduced to as a result of this game and even if it isn't as iconic as some 80s songs, it definitely sounds like a quintessential 80s tune so I haven't got a problem with it being in the game. THUMBS UP.
"Play With Me" - Extreme
The final boss of the game. It looks relatively tame compared to the GH: Smash Hits version but hey, this shit used to be insane. It still is, to an extent, as the sweeping solos at the end will test even the most seasoned expert if they're not quick on their fingers. The song itself is a great little slice of wacky 80s Hair Metal and the cover does a decent job of recreating that to the best of WaveGroup's abilities. The only other song I can think of for a suitably fun final boss of the game is possibly "Freight Train" - Nitro but I feel like they'd probably have to underchart it in order to make it playable on the HMX engine. Still, I agree with this song's inclusion. THUMBS UP.
"Police Truck" - Dead Kennedys
More 80s Punk although this definitely puts other Punk bands to shame, despite borrowing the Batman theme. There's actually something going on on guitar and even though the outro strumming section can fuck right off, the rest of the song is enjoyable for a Punk chart. It's a fair inclusion for the genre and I can't think of an 80s Punk song that would've been better off instead of this track so THUMBS UP. Jesus, I'm being generous here, aren't I?
"Radar Love" - White Lion
Another weird cover for this 80s game, when you consider the original "Radar Love" by Golden Earring came out in the 70s. This may have been a big hit for the band but as I said earlier, there are a bunch of great 80s Hair Metal tunes that could've worked in this game instead of the uninspired choices we got. Not just that but the cover of the cover kinda sucks in the chorus; the original's a lot better but I still wouldn't have considered it for the game. THUMBS DOWN.
"Round And Round" - Ratt
OK, THIS is an iconic Hair Metal track. Great riff, sweet solos, catchy chorus and a solid rhythm throughout. As far as the cover goes, it's pretty decent too right up until the last solo where it almost goes off on its own tangent before bringing it back around...then going off on its own tangent in the form of a blistering outro solo. Still, it hits all the right notes until then so it gets a THUMBS UP.
"Seventeen" - Winger
Goddamn, this song's fun to play. Excellent HOPO riffs throughout before several insane solos, great cover (possibly the best in the game?) and a fairly well known Hair Metal/Hard Rock hit in the community, although this comes near the end of the game AFTER all the iconic 80s tunes so it can be forgiven for not being Bon Jovi. It's definitely the best Winger song for any music rhythm game so THUMBS UP on all counts!
"Shakin'" - Eddie Money
I'm not hugely familiar with Eddie Money songs but the ones I know are way better than this. It's pretty generic without much to shout about on guitar, basically the equivalent of "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield, a song that thankfully we never got on this game. To be honest, most Rock songs by solo artists would've been better than this. "Run To You" - Bryan Adams immediately leaps to mind but I'd take just about any 80s Rock in a Billy Squier vein at this point, hence THUMBS DOWN.
"Synchronicity II" - The Police
Damn, this is a fine cover. It's also one of the best songs by The Police for GH/RB games, as the guitar chart is fun throughout, even if it does have a shit sustain-heavy section in the middle. However, be warned that it does contain a challenging solo right at the end which might trip you up. Fortunately, if you know it's coming, you can plan for it and have fun with it. I definitely rate this song over some of the more well known and painfully dull tracks The Police have released. THUMBS UP.
"Turning Japanese" - The Vapors
I knew this song WAY before the game came out but I never thought it'd be this fun to play. Lots of rapid triplets and great chord sequences to a fun song to listen to although the cover's a bit off. I mentioned earlier that there's not a huge amount of New Wave in this game but the few songs that have been picked are decent. Even though the game could've had some B-52s and Blondie, I'm glad this made the final setlist and gave me another reason to love the song. THUMBS UP.
"The Warrior" - Scandal
The final master recording on the list and...yeah, it's still impressive but it's not the best song to listen to outside of the chorus. It's a little dull to play and easily forgettable so I'm not sure it's a great choice. Maybe some Pop Rock like "Go For Soda" - Kim Mitchell with great guitar throughout would've been a better choice, especially since it would still fit in the difficulty curve if you put the Oingo Boingo track in tier 3 and the new one in tier 4. But back to what's important; why doesn't this song have an ending either? Another master recording fade out. Weird. THUMBS DOWN.
"We Got The Beat" - The Go-Go's
I can't remember if it was this or "She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult in GH:A that was my first ever FC on Expert but I do remember being able to FC this song without even looking at the screen; that's how easy it is. Easy songs aren't a problem if they're early on in the tier but considering there's a massive gap in the song where there's no guitar or bass, I'm inclined to say that a better Pop Rock tune could've been picked, despite this being semi-popular. THUMBS DOWN.
"What I Like About You" - The Romantics
There's a bit of a backstory behind this track. After the game's release, The Romantics tried to sue Activision because they were unhappy with the cover, claiming it didn't sound enough like their song. This is presumably due to the beefed up solo which makes the song WAY more fun to play but in the end, ATVI won the case. As for the song itself, it's pretty chord heavy but if you like the track, it's tolerable. I also wouldn't recommend swapping it for another 80s Rock song although maybe one with a solo that they didn't have to artificially add in could've worked. THUMBS UP.
"Wrathchild" - Iron Maiden
The last song in the game and it's fucking awesome. Excellent HOPO riffs and a great guitar tone for a cover version make this a game highlight and thankfully the vocalist didn't have to ruin Bruce Dickinson's vocals; only Paul Di'Anno's. It's a pretty short track compared to other Iron Maiden hits but it's also a fan favourite and perfect for a representative of 80s Metal. Hopefully one day, we'll get this song as a master recording for Rock Band but until then, it's a damn fine track in GH. THUMBS UP.
Unsurprisingly, this soundtrack takes a landslide victory with 20 Thumbs Up against 10 Thumbs Down. If you own a PS2 and never bought this game, you could probably find it relatively cheap online now...either that or it'll cost a shitload but if you can find it cheap, I recommend it.
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