Well, here we are again. End of the year which means it's time to look back at all the new albums and singles I've enjoyed throughout 2018 and present them in a list of no particular order. That's right, this is NOT a "Top 10" post where the first or last song in the entry is the greatest song of the year, nor is it a ranking list of my favourite songs after listening to every Rock/Metal album released. There will be omissions and there will be no real reason for putting the ten songs I've picked in the specific order listed below, other than "because I wanted to do it this way".
Fortunately, I'll probably cover those omissions in a 2020 blog post in a similar manner to the one I'm planning for early 2019 where I'll be looking at songs from 2017 that I really enjoyed yet didn't listen to until some time in 2018. Got that? No? Too bad. One last thing before I start: I've included a Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post so you can listen to all the songs I've rated (honourable mentions and all!) whilst reading about why I liked them. It's also an opportunity for you to hear songs I really liked and would recommend in case you missed them. Right, let's do this!
1. "When The Curtain Falls" - Greta Van Fleet
When I reviewed Anthem Of The Peaceful Army a couple of months ago, I was largely indifferent to the majority of the songs due to how disappointing it was in comparison to the band's EP From The Fires. However, there were some songs I really liked and my favourite had to be lead single, "When The Curtain Falls". Great riff, shrill vocals and catchy melodies throughout, not to mention a decent solo to play us out. If you liked From The Fires but haven't listened to Anthem Of The Peaceful Army yet, you're probably better off listening to this song and maybe a handful of others instead of the whole album. Personal taste will depend on the other songs I'd recommend but regardless of what you're into, I'll always recommend this one.
2. "Firepower" - Judas Priest
Another song from an album I reviewed on the blog; don't worry, there'll be some tracks I haven't discussed before here too. The latest Judas Priest album was essentially a love letter to fans of the band's earlier material, combining good aspects of Painkiller, Screaming For Vengeance and British Steel with a modern twist. "Firepower" is a great title track and album opener with awesome riffs and fantastic vocals, exactly what was needed to remind fans that the band could still kick ass. There were other belters on the album too and who knows, maybe you'll see a few more in this post...
3. "Venom Of Venus" - Powerwolf
I only just finished writing about The Sacrament Of Sin, a great Power Metal album that contains a load of great tunes with heavy riffing and mild solos. However, for an album that's strength lies in its melodic nature, "Venom Of Venus" was the track that got me invested more than any other. The vocals steal the show, although the rest of the band bring the thunder too. However, I was also tempted to include "Fire & Forgive", "The Sacrament Of Sin" or "Fist By Fist (Sacralize Or Strike)" on this list too, although I feel like this song will stick with me longer than those.
4. "Fuchsia Machu Picchu" - Joachim Cooder
...who? Yeah, I heard this song on the radio one day and loved it. Great thumping rhythm, nice vocals, funky riffs and mystical accompaniments. I guess this is more of a Rock song than Pop, although it's probably the closest thing to Pop on this list. I haven't listened to any other songs by Joachim Cooder but if I hear something else by him/them (?) that I like, I'll be sure to check more tunes out. Until then, at least we've got this strange little number that I bet none of you ever expected to see on this list.
5. "Miasma" - Ghost
I'm mixing the formula up a bit by putting my number one favourite song of the year (from my number one favourite album of the year, as reviewed here) at the midway point of the post, rather than at the end like the last two from 2016/2017. This instrumental is fucking great and just goes from strength to strength as the song progresses. By the three minute mark, the song's taken off and before you know it, there are solos played on not just guitar and synth but also a fucking saxophone. This Metal instrumental finds a way of making a saxophone solo sound badass and for that reason alone, it deserves a spot on this list.
6. "Necromancer" - Judas Priest
Hey, look at that, Judas Priest showed up again! Revisiting some of my favourite songs from 2018 (a list that previously had about 30 different tracks in it), I tried to give songs by a wider variety of artists a chance but at the end of the day, I found myself enjoying multiple Judas Priest tracks over ones by Shinedown and Saxon. Whilst "Firepower" is probably my number one favourite off the album, "Necromancer" is a very close second. The faster tempo in the verse to give the song a driving rhythm is great and come on, if there's one thing Judas Priest knows how to do it's write awesome themes for their own mythological characters.
7. "Firewalker" - King Zebra
This was another song recommended to me that I ended up loving. Granted it might be a little similar to some of the others on this list (you can tell I definitely have a specific taste!) but when a band I've never heard of gets my attention as fast as King Zebra did with this song, I know they're worth mentioning. Fortunately for them, their song was great enough to earn a place on the full list and not just the honourable mentions so if you like NWOTHM, check this song out!
8. "Sugar Cane" - Slash, feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators
This song nearly didn't make it in the list! I completely forgot about this album until I started writing the post and after revisiting a few tracks that I remembered enjoying, I found myself wanting to come back to this song over all the others. Awesome Slash riffs, fantastic Myles Kennedy vocals in the chorus and a vibe that makes it sound like the perfect song to fucking jam to in a live gig. There are some other decent tracks on the Slash album too (that I mention in my review found here) but "Sugar Cane" is probably my favourite from it.
9. "Whatever" - Thundermother
Another new song that I heard on the radio once and forgot about for a while until revisiting all of the year's best tunes. Imagine if Halestorm were just a little bit better musically and you've got "Whatever" - Thundermother. You get the same raw vocal talent but with the added benefit of better solos, percussion and general song structure. It's a shame that Thundermother seem to be going through somewhat of a tempestuous period with changing lineups and whatnot but fingers crossed the lineup from this album sticks around for some time!
10. "Rats" - Ghost
I mean, you should've seen this one coming. Even if "Miasma" is my favourite song of the year, "Rats" is a very strong second best from Prequelle. I've talked about the track before but in short, it's got everything needed to make a perfect anthematic Rock song. If you read this blog, you must've heard the song by now. You must know that I fucking love this song and album so it's no surprise that it's on this list.
What MIGHT be a surprise are some of these honourable mentions (in alphabetical order):
"Book Of Thoth" - The Sword
I thought the latest album by The Sword was OK (review here) and had several tracks I was considering for the coveted spot of an honourable mention here. However, in the end, I went with "Book Of Thoth" for containing the heavy riffs I associate with The Sword and some interesting guitar playing too. It's a more memorable song than some of my other favourites from Used Future but it's not quite as good as the tracks listed above. At least not to me, anyway.
"Dance Macabre" - Ghost
Got to fit Ghost in one last time (go fucking listen to Prequelle). Whilst "Miasma" and "Rats" are worthy of a place in the main list, I felt like I couldn't justify three Ghost songs when there were other tracks that needed a place too. Sadly for "Dance Macabre", that meant one song had to be an honourable mention and this ABBA-esque Hard Rock tune drew the short straw. Don't get me wrong though, I still love the track and would recommend it without a moment's hesitation.
"Flame Thrower" - Judas Priest
Yup, same situation with Judas Priest. I liked Firepower and multiple songs on the album grabbed me in an incredibly pleasurable way but I couldn't put three songs off it in the list, hence "Flame Thrower" ending up here instead. I think it was easier moving this song here because I'm not really into the intro that much but once the percussion comes in, everything gets much better.
"Grazed By Heaven" - Uriah Heep
Definitely my favourite song from Living The Dream and probably the most accessible track to casual fans of the band, since it has the Hard Prog sound of guitar/organ harmonies. However, it also boasts some great lengthy solos too so if you only listen to one song from the album, make sure it's this one...which will probably happen anyway, since it's the album opener and lead single.
"The New Day" - Greta Van Fleet
The last song in the post and it's another repeat band! I may have been a bit frosty to their recent album but damn, I love this song's main riff. It's like a glorious blend of early Rush and peak Led Zeppelin...and then the vocals come in. They're so fucking bad in this song, they remind me of Steve Smith from American Dad (played by Scott Grimes) when he does a pained, high pitched scream. Those vocals can work in Hard Rock tracks but when you've got a more Folksy, acoustic-guitar driven melody and softer percussion, you need more delicate vocals. If I could travel across the multiverse and find a version of this song with identical music but someone more tactful than Josh Kiszka behind the mic, this song easily would've made the main ten.
That's it for 2018! I hope you've enjoyed what I've offered on the blog and will (hopefully) continue to offer throughout 2019 too!
Happy New Year to everyone who gives a shit about that sort of thing and see you all in January!
Monday 31 December 2018
Sunday 30 December 2018
Here Is The News: December 2018 Edition
We've had some exciting news stories this year but I think I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the stories featured in this blog post are DEFINITELY ones from December!
90s Metal band Pantera are generally considered to have been popular in the early 90s with albums such as Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display Of Power. The band also released several disappointing albums in the 80s but archaeologists have recently discovered even older albums by the Groove Metal band buried deep beneath the surface of the Earth in the desert city of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
The album, entitled Witching Hour, was found in wooden crates containing hundreds of thousands of vinyl records all of the same album. Experts are unsure of exactly when the album was recorded, as the vinyl sleeves have deteriorated over time, but they believe the album dates back as far as 1963. This is especially impressive as none of the band members were even alive at this time.
"It's a fascinating discovery, one that I don't think any of us ever dreamt of making", lead archaeologist Jeremy Spake stated in an interview after the excavation. "We're used to finding old remains of merchandise that bands or record labels have tried to get rid of when they've made a catastrophic overestimation of popularity but never anything as important as a lost album! This could very well be the most significant archaeological discovery since that thing in Egypt last week".
It's unknown exactly why Pantera (pictured right) wanted to keep people in the dark about their past but some fans have theorised that it's to do with the drastic change in the band's sound over the years. Whilst most people will know them for their aggressive, thrashing riffs and furious solos, the material on Witching Hour is rather tame by comparison. Most of the vinyls were warped and unable to be played but some songs could be heard on a few records, tracks such as "My Daisy Chain" and "Love You Til The Sunrise" that sounded more like something off of a Monkees record than one of Pantera's.
Surviving members of Pantera have been unavailable for comment but since very few people can actually remember the obscure 1960s record, it's assumed that the band's legacy will remain untarnished by the borderline embarrassing material present on the band's earlier work. However, if history has shown us anything, it's that the Internet will certainly endeavour to preserve the band's newly discovered past, no matter how garish or humiliating.
Various musicians from popular Rock and Metal bands have banded together to form a group protesting the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and its methods for inducting artists. The group, consisting of Steve Miller, Pearl Jam, Bruce Dickinson and many others, have named themselves Musicians Advocating Democracy, or MAD for short.
MAD was founded after the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2019 inductees were announced, annoying various musicians and fans who were disappointed at iconic Rock bands such as Devo, Kraftwerk and LL Cool J being snubbed. This would be the straw the broke the camel's back, as the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has repeatedly come under fire over the years by multiple musicians angry at being snubbed in favour of more commercial artists or over the futile gesture at being inducted into an imaginary hall of fame (pictured left).
According to their website, MAD believe that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should choose inductees based around a more democratic system of voting by fans and experts, similar to the one already put in place already only more in favour of the musicians snubbed by the organisation. Their website brief goes on to say "We don't demand change but we refuse to accept the authenticity of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame until they make some changes. We are MAD and we will always be MAD until we are acknowledged".
Unfortunately, due to legal disputes over domain names, MAD have had to change the name on their website to avoid copyright infringement. MAD have since rebranded themselves online as the Underappreciated Musicians Advocating Democracy (or UMAD for short). The organisation has also gained its fair share of detractors, mostly popular Rock/Metal bands who have already been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame such as Bon Jovi (pictured right) and family members of legendary Rock artists such as Nina Simone and Tupac Shakur.
Whilst it's unclear exactly how long the snubbed musicians intend to remain MAD, one thing for certain is that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will continue doing what it's doing as long as people keep publicising it, whether it's with good press or bad press. With this in mind, members of (U)MAD have proposed renaming the organisation once again to reflect a more popular mindset in the hopes that people will respect their group over the Hall of Fame. The proposed name change is Underappreciated Musicians Advocating Democracy, Truth, Heritage and Opportunity, also known as UMADTHO.
Semi-professional clown Adam Levine has had to close down his specialist school for training party performers due to a complete lack of business over the recent years. The alleged entertainer reached some fame in the 2000s with his band Maroon 5 before he decided to go into the more popular art of circus buffoonery with his Internet show "Look At Me Everybody, I'm Adam Levine!".
Adam (pictured left) started up the Adam Levine Clown School For Young Clowns By Adam Levine in 2011, claiming that he wanted to "help young artists discover their true potential" with the added benefit of some self-promotion for his band of fellow clowns, Maroon 5. Unfortunately, despite reaching some mild acclaim with circus songs such as "This Love" and "Moves Like Jagger", the latter being incredibly popular among small children, Adam's inability to teach people in a meaningful way resulted in significant financial losses. Adam tried selling his collection of expensive coats and hats to earn enough money to keep his college open; sadly, this only garnered enough cash to sustain things for six and a half years.
When asked how he felt about the news of his college shutting its doors, Adam didn't seem too fussed. "It's a shame, yes, but I know that I'll be back on my feet in no time. I'm already working on some new music inspired by black people, since they seem to be pretty popular right now". Whilst some may have found his choice of words mildly offensive, Adam is no stranger to saying or doing things for the sole purpose of incredibly mild shock value.
The tattooed Pop star has attempted to drum up notoriety in the past through a variety of methods such as suing a video game company for their portrayal of a playable avatar (pictured right) that he gave full permission to use his likeness for, two full years after the game's release. He also recently came under fire for joining the growing list of hack musicians to claim Rock is dead or, in this particular case, "nowhere".
Much like the music of Maroon 5, these comments are generally forgotten about after a couple of months and after a bit of mild irritation, people contently carry on with their lives as if Adam never existed once again. Adam may have suffered a temporary setback with the closure of his clown college but with the confirmation of his upcoming album on the horizon, we won't have to wait long before putting up with his circus antics once again.
I hope you've enjoyed all the news I've brought to you this year. One more post and then bring on 2019!
ANCIENT PANTERA ALBUM DISCOVERED BURIED UNDERGROUND
90s Metal band Pantera are generally considered to have been popular in the early 90s with albums such as Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display Of Power. The band also released several disappointing albums in the 80s but archaeologists have recently discovered even older albums by the Groove Metal band buried deep beneath the surface of the Earth in the desert city of Alamogordo, New Mexico.
"It's a fascinating discovery, one that I don't think any of us ever dreamt of making", lead archaeologist Jeremy Spake stated in an interview after the excavation. "We're used to finding old remains of merchandise that bands or record labels have tried to get rid of when they've made a catastrophic overestimation of popularity but never anything as important as a lost album! This could very well be the most significant archaeological discovery since that thing in Egypt last week".
Surviving members of Pantera have been unavailable for comment but since very few people can actually remember the obscure 1960s record, it's assumed that the band's legacy will remain untarnished by the borderline embarrassing material present on the band's earlier work. However, if history has shown us anything, it's that the Internet will certainly endeavour to preserve the band's newly discovered past, no matter how garish or humiliating.
MUSICIANS PROTEST ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME AGAIN
Various musicians from popular Rock and Metal bands have banded together to form a group protesting the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and its methods for inducting artists. The group, consisting of Steve Miller, Pearl Jam, Bruce Dickinson and many others, have named themselves Musicians Advocating Democracy, or MAD for short.
According to their website, MAD believe that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should choose inductees based around a more democratic system of voting by fans and experts, similar to the one already put in place already only more in favour of the musicians snubbed by the organisation. Their website brief goes on to say "We don't demand change but we refuse to accept the authenticity of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame until they make some changes. We are MAD and we will always be MAD until we are acknowledged".
Whilst it's unclear exactly how long the snubbed musicians intend to remain MAD, one thing for certain is that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame will continue doing what it's doing as long as people keep publicising it, whether it's with good press or bad press. With this in mind, members of (U)MAD have proposed renaming the organisation once again to reflect a more popular mindset in the hopes that people will respect their group over the Hall of Fame. The proposed name change is Underappreciated Musicians Advocating Democracy, Truth, Heritage and Opportunity, also known as UMADTHO.
ADAM LEVINE'S CLOWN COLLEGE GOES UNDER
Semi-professional clown Adam Levine has had to close down his specialist school for training party performers due to a complete lack of business over the recent years. The alleged entertainer reached some fame in the 2000s with his band Maroon 5 before he decided to go into the more popular art of circus buffoonery with his Internet show "Look At Me Everybody, I'm Adam Levine!".
When asked how he felt about the news of his college shutting its doors, Adam didn't seem too fussed. "It's a shame, yes, but I know that I'll be back on my feet in no time. I'm already working on some new music inspired by black people, since they seem to be pretty popular right now". Whilst some may have found his choice of words mildly offensive, Adam is no stranger to saying or doing things for the sole purpose of incredibly mild shock value.
Much like the music of Maroon 5, these comments are generally forgotten about after a couple of months and after a bit of mild irritation, people contently carry on with their lives as if Adam never existed once again. Adam may have suffered a temporary setback with the closure of his clown college but with the confirmation of his upcoming album on the horizon, we won't have to wait long before putting up with his circus antics once again.
I hope you've enjoyed all the news I've brought to you this year. One more post and then bring on 2019!
Thursday 27 December 2018
Rapid Fire: Uriah Heep, Joe Satriani, Powerwolf
Haven't done one of these for a while but the last Rapid Fire post of the year will be looking at three albums from 2018 that I didn't get a chance to review or shine a spotlight on...until now, that is!
First up, we have an album that I've been putting off ever since discovering that Slash released an album with exactly the same name.
1. Living The Dream - Uriah Heep
One of the main reasons I didn't want to review this album after listening to it is because I felt like it wouldn't make for a very entertaining read. After all, there was nothing wrong with the album when I listened to it but at the same time, there was very little exciting about it either; it was a competent Hard Prog record by a band that still have life in them yet. Revisiting it many months later and I have to say, my opinion is more or less the exact same. It's still a decent album with some good tunes and easily forgettable filler tracks.
Album opener and lead single "Grazed By Heaven" is one of the album highlights along with guitar-driven "Take Away My Soul" but many songs go on a little bit too long and feel closer to Prog than Hard Rock, which will probably delight Uriah Heep's original fans. However, there are still plenty of great riffs on guitar and organ (occasionally simultaneously, giving it a great 70s Rock sound) and the percussion contains enough variety to prevent this from sounding like a Thunder album with the same rhythm on every song.
All in all, I'd recommend Living The Dream to fans of 70s and contemporary Hard Prog. It's a good album rooted in Rock with great Hard Prog variety although this is probably a better record for fans of longer, less energetic music that they can enjoy mid-activity or drive. That being said, there are shorter, punchier tunes for those enthusiasts so there should be something for plenty of Rock fans here.
Next up, we have an album by guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani!
2. What Happens Next - Joe Satriani
When it comes to awesome instrumental Rock songs, Joe Satriani generally knows what he's doing. Surfing With The Alien is a top notch record and I was excited to listen to another Joe Satriani album again, especially one with modern recording technology and no need to worry about declining vocal or technical guitar playing skill (since it's clear Joe still has it!). Album opener "Energy" kicks things off with a fast tempo and fun riffs before slowing things down with funky, bass-driven "Catbot", all with unique guitar solos and tones.
That's probably the main selling point of Joe Satriani's music; it's not just the technically proficient playing, it's the strange sounds he's able to make the guitar come out with. The use of different tones and styles separates it from sounding like a load of plain guitar soloing over 12 songs. Granted he's not the only virtuoso player to realise this is the key to being a successful artist but he's arguably one of the more distinct ones (along with Buckethead). Whilst guitarists like Eric Johnson cultivate and develop their playing into a signature sound synonymous with their name, Joe Satriani typically brings you a plentiful feast of action-packed Rock muzak to get stuck into.
This album is largely the same; there's soft Funk ("Cherry Blossoms", "Righteous"), there's fast Blues Rock ("Headrush") and music in between ("Invisible") although there's a little more emphasis on the slower, more atmospheric tunes such as the album's title track "What Happens Next". Fans of those kind of songs will probably love this album but those who preferred material like "Crushing Day", "Summer Song" and "Crystal Planet" may find themselves a little bored. Sadly, I'm one of those people although I can still appreciate the talent that went into each song.
First up, we have an album that I've been putting off ever since discovering that Slash released an album with exactly the same name.
1. Living The Dream - Uriah Heep
One of the main reasons I didn't want to review this album after listening to it is because I felt like it wouldn't make for a very entertaining read. After all, there was nothing wrong with the album when I listened to it but at the same time, there was very little exciting about it either; it was a competent Hard Prog record by a band that still have life in them yet. Revisiting it many months later and I have to say, my opinion is more or less the exact same. It's still a decent album with some good tunes and easily forgettable filler tracks.
Album opener and lead single "Grazed By Heaven" is one of the album highlights along with guitar-driven "Take Away My Soul" but many songs go on a little bit too long and feel closer to Prog than Hard Rock, which will probably delight Uriah Heep's original fans. However, there are still plenty of great riffs on guitar and organ (occasionally simultaneously, giving it a great 70s Rock sound) and the percussion contains enough variety to prevent this from sounding like a Thunder album with the same rhythm on every song.
All in all, I'd recommend Living The Dream to fans of 70s and contemporary Hard Prog. It's a good album rooted in Rock with great Hard Prog variety although this is probably a better record for fans of longer, less energetic music that they can enjoy mid-activity or drive. That being said, there are shorter, punchier tunes for those enthusiasts so there should be something for plenty of Rock fans here.
1. Grazed By Heaven
2. Living The Dream
3. Take Away My Soul
4. Knocking At My Door
5. Rocks In The Road
6. Waters Flowin'
7. It's All Been Said
8. Goodbye To Innocence
9. Falling Under Your Spell
10. Dreams Of Yesteryear
ALBUM RATING - 7/10
Next up, we have an album by guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani!
2. What Happens Next - Joe Satriani
When it comes to awesome instrumental Rock songs, Joe Satriani generally knows what he's doing. Surfing With The Alien is a top notch record and I was excited to listen to another Joe Satriani album again, especially one with modern recording technology and no need to worry about declining vocal or technical guitar playing skill (since it's clear Joe still has it!). Album opener "Energy" kicks things off with a fast tempo and fun riffs before slowing things down with funky, bass-driven "Catbot", all with unique guitar solos and tones.
That's probably the main selling point of Joe Satriani's music; it's not just the technically proficient playing, it's the strange sounds he's able to make the guitar come out with. The use of different tones and styles separates it from sounding like a load of plain guitar soloing over 12 songs. Granted he's not the only virtuoso player to realise this is the key to being a successful artist but he's arguably one of the more distinct ones (along with Buckethead). Whilst guitarists like Eric Johnson cultivate and develop their playing into a signature sound synonymous with their name, Joe Satriani typically brings you a plentiful feast of action-packed Rock muzak to get stuck into.
This album is largely the same; there's soft Funk ("Cherry Blossoms", "Righteous"), there's fast Blues Rock ("Headrush") and music in between ("Invisible") although there's a little more emphasis on the slower, more atmospheric tunes such as the album's title track "What Happens Next". Fans of those kind of songs will probably love this album but those who preferred material like "Crushing Day", "Summer Song" and "Crystal Planet" may find themselves a little bored. Sadly, I'm one of those people although I can still appreciate the talent that went into each song.
1. Energy
2. Catbot
3. Thunder High On The Mountain
4. Cherry Blossoms
5. Righteous
6. Smooth Soul
7. Headrush
8. Looper
9. What Happens Next
10. Super Funky Badass
11. Invisible
12. Forever And Ever
ALBUM RATING - 5/10
Finally, we have an album by a Metal band that I've only just discovered due to playing their music in Clone Hero!
3. The Sacrament Of Sin - Powerwolf
Having listened to a couple of Powerwolf songs before checking this album out, I had high hopes for The Sacrament Of Sin. The songs I'd heard were decent Heavy Metal tunes, albeit a bit lacking in technical skill, and I'd heard positive things about the album too. Turns out those positive things were to be trusted as I liked this album quite a lot, although not enough to rave about it. I mean, it's great but it's no Prequelle (although there are similarities in the gothic Metal with a touch of 80s Pop tone). Album opener "Fire & Forgive" is a good heavy song to get things started although after the first few songs, the album takes a pretty lengthy rest break with multiple slower tracks ("Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone", "Stossgebet").
However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is definitely an album to listen to in one sitting rather than picking and choosing random tracks out of order. Sure, you can listen to your favourites out of order and still get joy out of them but the transition between each track sounds carefully planned and the consecutive slower songs don't bring the overall pace of the album down as awkwardly as other albums that shoehorn slow tunes in between fast ones because they didn't know where else to put them. It also means that unlike other contemporary albums that go through the second half slump due to putting all the better tracks at the start, we still get some bangers towards the end of the record ("Venom Of Venus", "Fist By Fist (Sacralize Or Strike)").
I would recommend this album to Heavy Metal fans who like their music grand and awesome. The album's a well crafted product and provides a damn fine if not slightly repetitive listening experience if you let it, although fans of classic Heavy Metal (or even newer Metal bands) may find the music a little underwhelming when it comes to furious solos and complex riffs...in that there aren't really any. There are heavy rapid strumming riffs but no face-melters, just melodic ones with some mild sweeping ("Nighttime Rebel"). Luckily, songs don't need insane solos to be good so if you can listen past that, you'll be in for a treat.
However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is definitely an album to listen to in one sitting rather than picking and choosing random tracks out of order. Sure, you can listen to your favourites out of order and still get joy out of them but the transition between each track sounds carefully planned and the consecutive slower songs don't bring the overall pace of the album down as awkwardly as other albums that shoehorn slow tunes in between fast ones because they didn't know where else to put them. It also means that unlike other contemporary albums that go through the second half slump due to putting all the better tracks at the start, we still get some bangers towards the end of the record ("Venom Of Venus", "Fist By Fist (Sacralize Or Strike)").
I would recommend this album to Heavy Metal fans who like their music grand and awesome. The album's a well crafted product and provides a damn fine if not slightly repetitive listening experience if you let it, although fans of classic Heavy Metal (or even newer Metal bands) may find the music a little underwhelming when it comes to furious solos and complex riffs...in that there aren't really any. There are heavy rapid strumming riffs but no face-melters, just melodic ones with some mild sweeping ("Nighttime Rebel"). Luckily, songs don't need insane solos to be good so if you can listen past that, you'll be in for a treat.
1. Fire & Forgive
2. Demons Are A Girl's Best Friend
3. Killers With The Cross
4. Incense & Iron
5. Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone
6. Stossgebet
7. Nightside Of Siberia
8. The Sacrament Of Sin
9. Venom Of Venus
10. Nighttime Rebel
11. Fist By Fist (Sacralize Or Strike)
ALBUM RATING - 9/10
COMING SOON: More news and a look at my ten favourite songs from 2018!
Wednesday 26 December 2018
Tenology: Weak Remixes from Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has taken up a lot of my time this month so I thought I'd better write a blog post about the music throughout the series. However, since I've already written about some of my favourite Smash Bros. remixes in the past, this blog post is dedicated to some of the less impressive tunes made specifically for games in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Yes, even though the majority of songs are great, there are a couple of tracks that either contain Axls or just completely get it wrong. I've also added a few tunes that might be good but could've been even better if they just changed a few things around, since there aren't a huge amount of terrible Smash Bros. tracks.
1. Tal Tal Heights - Legend Of Zelda (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
I like the Tal Tal Heights theme but boy, was I disappointed with this remix. First of all, the synth and electronic sound effects make it sound like it belongs in Star Fox, not Legend Of Zelda. Second, the actual tune from Tal Tal Heights features in a very small portion of the actual track. Most of the melody is the standard Legend Of Zelda theme reworked and some jazzed up key changed bollocks. Overall, it's not a great tune for those who were looking forward to hearing a proper remix of Tal Tal Heights compared to the naff 8-bit original.
2. Main Theme (Metroid) - Metroid (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
I've started this blog post off with some of the better bad remixes, if that makes sense. The Rock version of the Metroid theme contains a pretty sweet guitar solo, an appropriately used synth melody and a great arrangement throughout. However, there is one glaring Axl that prevents it from being a song I frequently listen to in-game; that cringe-worthy vocal intro. "SAMUS IS UNDER FIRE! SHE'S SENT AN EMERGENCY DIRECTIVE! JOIN THE FIGHT!". Oh man, it just sounds so out of place and unintentionally dorky. It ruins an otherwise awesome rerecording.
3. Magicant / Eight Melodies - Earthbound (Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U)
I've never really cared for the Smash Bros. remixes of Earthbound music, although I've never given much time to the original music from Earthbound either. However, despite being a cute little stage, Magicant contains one of the more boring tracks to fight to in Smash Bros history. Smiles And Tears isn't that much better but this definitely feels like the less interesting track, especially when you consider that better remixes of Earthbound music to fight to DO exist! This stage needed a more upbeat track, similar to how Temple contained the spicy Fire Emblem tune as well as the slower Zelda one.
4. Flat Zone 2 - Mr. Game And Watch
The original Flat Zone melody from Super Smash Bros. Melee was kooky and neat for the odd stage but this shrill, awful attempt at using Game & Watch sounds to create a catchy melody is fucking terrible. You know how Mr. Game & Watch has that loud, annoying phone ringing noise as two taunts? Imagine that as a whole song but with some bland musical accompaniments thrown in too. Yeah, you're better off with the various Dr. Mario remixes here.
5. Rosalina In The Observatory / Luma's Theme - Mario
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Ready to stop caring about what I have to say? Here goes: I don't like Mario music. The Ground Theme, the Underwater Theme, Super Mario World music, I don't like any of it. Consequently, I was really excited to hear great tunes from Super Mario Galaxy on this stage...until they ruined this one. I like the original versions of Rosalina In The Observatory from Super Mario Galaxy, even when they become grander and grander after obtaining more stars throughout the game. However, this remix sounds TOO grand and over the top. The use of brass for the main melody makes it sound like circus music rather than a cosmic waltz, although I can't fault them for trying to make the original music more appropriate for Smash Bros.
6. Pac-Man (Club Mix) - Pac-Man
Just...why? Why does this tune exist? We already have a great Pac-Man remix, why does it need a Club Mix? OK, they needed two tunes for the Pac Maze stage in the 3DS Smash Bros but you had the Pac-Man's Park / Block Town tune that would've worked a hell of a lot better! Maybe they just wanted another melody that contained iconic tunes from the original Pac-Man but they could've done better than a shitty Club Mix, although perhaps I'm biased due to my musical taste.
7. Saria's Song / Middle Boss Battle - Legend Of Zelda
I've talked about how Smash Bros keeps awkwardly blending great tunes from The Legend Of Zelda with boss battle themes and it Never. Sounds. Good. Song Of Storms was great until Ganondorf's Theme was shoehorned in, Ballad Of The Goddess was awesome until Ghirahim's Theme was pointlessly crammed in and now Saria's Song, a lovely tune that sounds pretty naff in this remix alone, has been tainted by the synthy mess of the Middle Boss Battle theme from Ocarina Of Time. Just a truly shit piece of music.
8. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! Medley - Freakyforms
There are some great little Nintendo titles to pick music from (still waiting for some Professor Layton tunes, even if Nintendo don't necessarily own the rights to a game that has only ever appeared on Nintendo consoles) but this definitely isn't one of them. It sounds like a worse version of the music from Tearaway but at least it improves a little once the guitars come in. It's just a shame that to get there, you have to listen to plinky plonky noise totally out of place on a Smash Bros fighting stage.
9. Main Theme (New Super Mario Bros.) - Mario
Remember earlier on when I talked about how much I hate music from Mario Bros platformers? Yeah, this is a good example of why. Ignoring the silly sound effects and boring instrumentation, the thing I hate most about the music in New Super Mario Bros. (and other variants) is the "BA-BAAA" vocals throughout. A bunch of original Mario tracks in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U contain these annoying little vocal "BA"s and I fucking hate them. I don't know why, I just can't stand them and hate the songs that contain them. Fortunately, it's easier for me to convince people that this tune sucks because the rest of the music isn't great either.
10. The Roost - Animal Crossing
Whilst it's not godawful like some of the remixes on this post, The Roost doesn't belong in a Smash Bros game. In fact, even the game's director (Masahiro Sakurai), when commenting on how music for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was chosen based on how good they are to fight to, cited The Roost as a piece of music that didn't fit the gameplay...and yet it was brought back for Super Smash. Bros Ultimate! It's a nice tune to listen to but if it had to have some use in-game, it should've been used as part of a medley or during a rest section in the game's Adventure Mode or something other than a stage track.
COMING SOON: Probably a blog post about my favourite pieces of music from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, although not until the new year.
Yes, even though the majority of songs are great, there are a couple of tracks that either contain Axls or just completely get it wrong. I've also added a few tunes that might be good but could've been even better if they just changed a few things around, since there aren't a huge amount of terrible Smash Bros. tracks.
1. Tal Tal Heights - Legend Of Zelda (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
This track probably should've been on Bridge Of Eldin but meh, Pirate Ship's fine I guess
I like the Tal Tal Heights theme but boy, was I disappointed with this remix. First of all, the synth and electronic sound effects make it sound like it belongs in Star Fox, not Legend Of Zelda. Second, the actual tune from Tal Tal Heights features in a very small portion of the actual track. Most of the melody is the standard Legend Of Zelda theme reworked and some jazzed up key changed bollocks. Overall, it's not a great tune for those who were looking forward to hearing a proper remix of Tal Tal Heights compared to the naff 8-bit original.
2. Main Theme (Metroid) - Metroid (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)
Easily the best Metroid stage in Smash...although Frigate Orpheon's good too
I've started this blog post off with some of the better bad remixes, if that makes sense. The Rock version of the Metroid theme contains a pretty sweet guitar solo, an appropriately used synth melody and a great arrangement throughout. However, there is one glaring Axl that prevents it from being a song I frequently listen to in-game; that cringe-worthy vocal intro. "SAMUS IS UNDER FIRE! SHE'S SENT AN EMERGENCY DIRECTIVE! JOIN THE FIGHT!". Oh man, it just sounds so out of place and unintentionally dorky. It ruins an otherwise awesome rerecording.
3. Magicant / Eight Melodies - Earthbound (Super Smash Bros. for 3DS/Wii U)
Still beats New Pork City!
I've never really cared for the Smash Bros. remixes of Earthbound music, although I've never given much time to the original music from Earthbound either. However, despite being a cute little stage, Magicant contains one of the more boring tracks to fight to in Smash Bros history. Smiles And Tears isn't that much better but this definitely feels like the less interesting track, especially when you consider that better remixes of Earthbound music to fight to DO exist! This stage needed a more upbeat track, similar to how Temple contained the spicy Fire Emblem tune as well as the slower Zelda one.
4. Flat Zone 2 - Mr. Game And Watch
Feed 'em to the lions!
The original Flat Zone melody from Super Smash Bros. Melee was kooky and neat for the odd stage but this shrill, awful attempt at using Game & Watch sounds to create a catchy melody is fucking terrible. You know how Mr. Game & Watch has that loud, annoying phone ringing noise as two taunts? Imagine that as a whole song but with some bland musical accompaniments thrown in too. Yeah, you're better off with the various Dr. Mario remixes here.
5. Rosalina In The Observatory / Luma's Theme - Mario
So many great tracks missing from this stage...
Ready to stop caring about what I have to say? Here goes: I don't like Mario music. The Ground Theme, the Underwater Theme, Super Mario World music, I don't like any of it. Consequently, I was really excited to hear great tunes from Super Mario Galaxy on this stage...until they ruined this one. I like the original versions of Rosalina In The Observatory from Super Mario Galaxy, even when they become grander and grander after obtaining more stars throughout the game. However, this remix sounds TOO grand and over the top. The use of brass for the main melody makes it sound like circus music rather than a cosmic waltz, although I can't fault them for trying to make the original music more appropriate for Smash Bros.
6. Pac-Man (Club Mix) - Pac-Man
Rest in Peace, Pac Maze
Just...why? Why does this tune exist? We already have a great Pac-Man remix, why does it need a Club Mix? OK, they needed two tunes for the Pac Maze stage in the 3DS Smash Bros but you had the Pac-Man's Park / Block Town tune that would've worked a hell of a lot better! Maybe they just wanted another melody that contained iconic tunes from the original Pac-Man but they could've done better than a shitty Club Mix, although perhaps I'm biased due to my musical taste.
7. Saria's Song / Middle Boss Battle - Legend Of Zelda
Another Zelda entry? Pfft, and I call myself a fan!
I've talked about how Smash Bros keeps awkwardly blending great tunes from The Legend Of Zelda with boss battle themes and it Never. Sounds. Good. Song Of Storms was great until Ganondorf's Theme was shoehorned in, Ballad Of The Goddess was awesome until Ghirahim's Theme was pointlessly crammed in and now Saria's Song, a lovely tune that sounds pretty naff in this remix alone, has been tainted by the synthy mess of the Middle Boss Battle theme from Ocarina Of Time. Just a truly shit piece of music.
8. Freakyforms: Your Creations, Alive! Medley - Freakyforms
Rest in Piss, Miiverse
There are some great little Nintendo titles to pick music from (still waiting for some Professor Layton tunes, even if Nintendo don't necessarily own the rights to a game that has only ever appeared on Nintendo consoles) but this definitely isn't one of them. It sounds like a worse version of the music from Tearaway but at least it improves a little once the guitars come in. It's just a shame that to get there, you have to listen to plinky plonky noise totally out of place on a Smash Bros fighting stage.
9. Main Theme (New Super Mario Bros.) - Mario
Yup, new Mario Bros music fucking sucks
Remember earlier on when I talked about how much I hate music from Mario Bros platformers? Yeah, this is a good example of why. Ignoring the silly sound effects and boring instrumentation, the thing I hate most about the music in New Super Mario Bros. (and other variants) is the "BA-BAAA" vocals throughout. A bunch of original Mario tracks in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U contain these annoying little vocal "BA"s and I fucking hate them. I don't know why, I just can't stand them and hate the songs that contain them. Fortunately, it's easier for me to convince people that this tune sucks because the rest of the music isn't great either.
10. The Roost - Animal Crossing
Oh hey again, Sonic and Lucario!
Whilst it's not godawful like some of the remixes on this post, The Roost doesn't belong in a Smash Bros game. In fact, even the game's director (Masahiro Sakurai), when commenting on how music for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was chosen based on how good they are to fight to, cited The Roost as a piece of music that didn't fit the gameplay...and yet it was brought back for Super Smash. Bros Ultimate! It's a nice tune to listen to but if it had to have some use in-game, it should've been used as part of a medley or during a rest section in the game's Adventure Mode or something other than a stage track.
COMING SOON: Probably a blog post about my favourite pieces of music from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, although not until the new year.
Monday 17 December 2018
The Music Made Me Do It - Ted Nugent
Did you know that Crazy Ted Nugent released an album this year? Yeah, he took a break from ranting about politics and generally being a trashy person to make some music again. Now we're all here to see what I thought of it!
If there's one motto I try to stick to whenever reviewing or discussing outspoken individuals in the world of Rock/Metal, it's "Judge a person by their personality and a musician by their music". In other words, regardless of how big a tosser or saint someone is in real life, your opinion of that person shouldn't affect your enjoyment of their craft as an artist. It's OK to like an album by a dickhead or, vice verse, hate an album by a genuinely decent person. However, it's always nice when the stars align and you can talk about how terrible an album by a piece of shit is...sadly, this isn't necessarily one of those times.
The Music Made Me Do It (which is probably going to be Ted's defence when he's arrested for shooting black people in a few years) is as bland and lacking in originality as you'd expect a 2018 album by Ted Nugent to be but unfortunately, it doesn't reach the point where as a casual critic you feel like you can justifiably rip it to pieces. It's got some solid riffs and solos here and there, almost certainly enough to get the average Rock fan's foot tapping along to several songs. A good example of this is the album opener and title track, "The Music Made Me Do It". It kicks things off with a bang and proves that Ted can still play guitar to a decent degree.
Not only that but the improvements in modern recording technology make the music sound cleaner and the riffs stand out more, something Ted was presumably happy with instead of choosing to put in the effort to make the material sound raw and untamed like his earlier records. Funny how Ted's willing to change with the times in some areas, huh. Anyway, the positives don't stop there. There's a good amount of musical variety for those who like slower acoustic ballads that still Rock ("Fred Bear") and faster Blues Rock numbers that maybe should've lasted a little longer ("Bigfundirtygroovenoize"), not to mention standard Hard Rock songs we've come to know Ted Nugent for ("Where Ya Gonna Run To Get Away From Yourself").
However, as I mentioned earlier, the lack of imagination in some of the songs really is telling. Ted's choice to write shorter Blues Rock tracks that rely on repetitive lyrics and riffs ("I Love Ya Too Much Baby") feels more like he couldn't be bothered to come up with a full-length track so chose to whack out generic boogie-woogie rather than spend a couple of extra hours penning a proper song. This might sound like I'm being too judgemental but when you factor in the fact that Ted's straight up copied his previous material on multiple occasions, the argument suddenly becomes a lot stronger.
Oh yes, Ted has absolutely phoned it in after realising that being out of the game for so many years tends to dry up the well of creativity. "Cocked, Locked & Ready To Rock" might sound familiar to fans of his earlier work because it quite literally copies the riffs, structure and even vocal melodies for "Stormtroopin'", a much better song from his self-titled debut that doesn't contain lyrics like "It's time to make a stand, it's time to put a gun in your hand", and tweaks them just enough to justify calling it a new song. Then there's "Backstrap Fever", a rerecording of "Cat Scratch Fever" but with altered lyrics, a slightly faster tempo and more refined riffing. Admittedly, this does result in a better song than "Cat Scratch Fever" though.
Finally, the album closer "Sunrize Fender (Fender Bass VI Solo)" is an extended version of the previous track, "Sunrize", but with different instrumentation. "Sunrize" is a great Rock instrumental that would've been the perfect album closer whereas "Sunrize Fender (Fender Bass VI Solo)" should've been a bonus track on the regular or special edition. However, since it's track 10 on a 37 minute album, it implies that Ted wanted it to be a proper song on the album. If he extended some of the shorter tunes and maybe added one or two more songs, it wouldn't have been an issue but this feels cynical. Either Ted couldn't be bothered to write more music or he was simply unable to, resulting in a smaller package that lacks the same power as contemporary Hard Rock records.
Basically, what I'm saying is Ted Nugent can't do a lot with his little package.
The Music Made Me Do It answers all of the questions you could possibly want to ask about a new Ted Nugent album. Ted can still play guitar and he knows how to write a passable Hard Rock song, although he can't keep all of his idiotic politics out of his music ("I Just Wanna Go Huntin"). He also still can't write music with any real depth to it or lasting appeal aside from good riffs/technically proficient solos. Fans of his earlier material might like some of the tracks but all in all, the album doesn't do enough to convince me that Ted Nugent should keep writing music. His best work already exists and anything else he comes out with is either generic or a rehash of his better songs from the late 70s.
I wasn't expecting a magnum opus, since Ted's claimed that this album basically came about through jam sessions, but it could've done with more time in the oven before being served. I rate it 4/10 but if Ted put more effort into some of the material, maybe it could've been a 6...or maybe the music is subconsciously making me think that Ted Nugent's mediocre work is actually great and that his politics are spot on, although I doubt that.
COMING SOON: A blog post about ten anti-Mexican and pro-arming our nation's children songs!
If there's one motto I try to stick to whenever reviewing or discussing outspoken individuals in the world of Rock/Metal, it's "Judge a person by their personality and a musician by their music". In other words, regardless of how big a tosser or saint someone is in real life, your opinion of that person shouldn't affect your enjoyment of their craft as an artist. It's OK to like an album by a dickhead or, vice verse, hate an album by a genuinely decent person. However, it's always nice when the stars align and you can talk about how terrible an album by a piece of shit is...sadly, this isn't necessarily one of those times.
The Music Made Me Do It (which is probably going to be Ted's defence when he's arrested for shooting black people in a few years) is as bland and lacking in originality as you'd expect a 2018 album by Ted Nugent to be but unfortunately, it doesn't reach the point where as a casual critic you feel like you can justifiably rip it to pieces. It's got some solid riffs and solos here and there, almost certainly enough to get the average Rock fan's foot tapping along to several songs. A good example of this is the album opener and title track, "The Music Made Me Do It". It kicks things off with a bang and proves that Ted can still play guitar to a decent degree.
Not only that but the improvements in modern recording technology make the music sound cleaner and the riffs stand out more, something Ted was presumably happy with instead of choosing to put in the effort to make the material sound raw and untamed like his earlier records. Funny how Ted's willing to change with the times in some areas, huh. Anyway, the positives don't stop there. There's a good amount of musical variety for those who like slower acoustic ballads that still Rock ("Fred Bear") and faster Blues Rock numbers that maybe should've lasted a little longer ("Bigfundirtygroovenoize"), not to mention standard Hard Rock songs we've come to know Ted Nugent for ("Where Ya Gonna Run To Get Away From Yourself").
However, as I mentioned earlier, the lack of imagination in some of the songs really is telling. Ted's choice to write shorter Blues Rock tracks that rely on repetitive lyrics and riffs ("I Love Ya Too Much Baby") feels more like he couldn't be bothered to come up with a full-length track so chose to whack out generic boogie-woogie rather than spend a couple of extra hours penning a proper song. This might sound like I'm being too judgemental but when you factor in the fact that Ted's straight up copied his previous material on multiple occasions, the argument suddenly becomes a lot stronger.
Oh yes, Ted has absolutely phoned it in after realising that being out of the game for so many years tends to dry up the well of creativity. "Cocked, Locked & Ready To Rock" might sound familiar to fans of his earlier work because it quite literally copies the riffs, structure and even vocal melodies for "Stormtroopin'", a much better song from his self-titled debut that doesn't contain lyrics like "It's time to make a stand, it's time to put a gun in your hand", and tweaks them just enough to justify calling it a new song. Then there's "Backstrap Fever", a rerecording of "Cat Scratch Fever" but with altered lyrics, a slightly faster tempo and more refined riffing. Admittedly, this does result in a better song than "Cat Scratch Fever" though.
Finally, the album closer "Sunrize Fender (Fender Bass VI Solo)" is an extended version of the previous track, "Sunrize", but with different instrumentation. "Sunrize" is a great Rock instrumental that would've been the perfect album closer whereas "Sunrize Fender (Fender Bass VI Solo)" should've been a bonus track on the regular or special edition. However, since it's track 10 on a 37 minute album, it implies that Ted wanted it to be a proper song on the album. If he extended some of the shorter tunes and maybe added one or two more songs, it wouldn't have been an issue but this feels cynical. Either Ted couldn't be bothered to write more music or he was simply unable to, resulting in a smaller package that lacks the same power as contemporary Hard Rock records.
Basically, what I'm saying is Ted Nugent can't do a lot with his little package.
The Music Made Me Do It answers all of the questions you could possibly want to ask about a new Ted Nugent album. Ted can still play guitar and he knows how to write a passable Hard Rock song, although he can't keep all of his idiotic politics out of his music ("I Just Wanna Go Huntin"). He also still can't write music with any real depth to it or lasting appeal aside from good riffs/technically proficient solos. Fans of his earlier material might like some of the tracks but all in all, the album doesn't do enough to convince me that Ted Nugent should keep writing music. His best work already exists and anything else he comes out with is either generic or a rehash of his better songs from the late 70s.
I wasn't expecting a magnum opus, since Ted's claimed that this album basically came about through jam sessions, but it could've done with more time in the oven before being served. I rate it 4/10 but if Ted put more effort into some of the material, maybe it could've been a 6...or maybe the music is subconsciously making me think that Ted Nugent's mediocre work is actually great and that his politics are spot on, although I doubt that.
COMING SOON: A blog post about ten anti-Mexican and pro-arming our nation's children songs!
Friday 14 December 2018
Guitar Hero (1)
We're finally here! The game that started it all AND the second worst Guitar Hero game in existence (after Guitar Hero: Live). It's also the only classic era Guitar Hero game I never purchased, although I have played it. The soundtrack may contain some absolute belters (albeit in the form of WaveGroup covers) but the game's engine was horrifically bad compared to later games.
However, is the soundtrack great overall or is this game truly just a piece of shit that's only decent contribution to rhythm music games was that it inspired a string of much better titles to exist? Let's find out! Similar to previous Guitar Hero and Rock Band posts, I'll be looking at all the songs on the main setlist before awarding a Thumbs Up/Down to each track based on my personal opinion of the song/cover, whether or not it's a fun chart and whether it belongs in the game.
"Ace Of Spades" - Motorhead
Decent choice of song for a game about playing Rock/Metal songs on a plastic guitar shaped controller! It's got an iconic riff, a fun solo and it packs a punch every time you listen to it. Whilst every chart is awkward as hell to play in GH1, the actual chart itself is pretty good (albeit a little under and overcharted at times). However, ignoring the vocalist's inability to come close to Lemmy, the big difference between this cover and the original is the outro solo here. The original ends pretty well but this version bursts into a furious solo, even if you don't exactly play it in this chart. However, can't fault them for trying to make the song better; whether or not they succeeded is up to you! It's still getting a THUMBS UP from me, though.
"Bark At The Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne
The final song in the game with two challenging solos (even if the second one is undercharted) and a pretty tricky series of strumming riffs throughout. It's definitely a great choice for the game's final boss and as far as WaveGroup covers go, it's pretty good! I think I actually prefer the vocalist in the cover to Ozzy. THUMBS UP for having a fun chart when taken out of the game's terrible engine (getting sick of hearing me say that yet?).
"Cochise" - Audioslave
Man, that riff is awesome. I'm surprised this song hasn't been rereleased as GH/RB DLC. I mean, sure it has some annoying rapid strumming sections here and there but overall, it's a track with some decent variety and a great rockin' sound. When picking modern Rock songs for the game (since the setlist can't all be 70s/80s classics), Harmonix were right to choose tracks like this instead of generic whiny modern songs that would plague latter GH games. THUMBS UP.
"Cowboys From Hell" - Pantera
The hits keep coming! Signature song by a popular 90s Metal band? Check! Great riffs and a fun chart throughout? Check. Brilliant cover with spot-on vocals and pretty damn impressive guitar? Check!! The perfect song for this game, even if I'm not the biggest Pantera fan. THUMBS UP.
"Crossroads" - Cream
Of all the Cream songs to pick for Guitar Hero, this has to be one of the better ones. Good riff and fun solos in an upbeat Blues Rock track. It's also notable as one of the few Cream songs in GH due to Eric Boring Clapton being a dumbass. Fortunately, it's a good one and much better than "Sunshine Of Your Love" from GH3. THUMBS UP.
"Fat Lip" - Sum 41
Most of the songs so far have been pretty challenging on guitar so it's good to see that even the songs with easier difficulties are still bangers! More great riffs from one of Sum 41's better known songs; another that's absolutely perfect for the game. For the first game in the series, "Fat Lip" is a better choice than "In Too Deep", "Still Waiting", "The Hell Song" or any other classics by the band so guess what? Another THUMBS UP!
"Frankenstein" - The Edgar Winter Group
Jesus, this is shaping up to be one of the best setlists ever! It might not be a well known song but it's definitely a well known riff; the fact that it happens to have a really fun chart too is just icing on the cake. Now that the song's come out as Rock Band DLC, we know that most of the guitar in the chart is actually synth but hey, I'm OK with that if the chart is this fun and if you can imagine it being played on guitar. THUMBS UP.
"Godzilla" - Blue Oyster Cult
You'd think that "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" would be the obvious choice or even "Burning For You" but nope, Harmonix picked the song with the better guitar throughout! They even got WaveGroup to play the bass solo on guitar to add more to the chart and here's the kicker; it doesn't sound that bad! Fun to play, great to listen to and even if it's not the band's most well known song, it's still a fan favourite and totally appropriate for this game. THUMBS UP.
"Heart Full Of Black" - Burning Brides
When I first saw this band and song title, I thought this'd be some kind of MCR teenage bollocks but it turns out it's not! It's modern Alternative Rock, kinda like 00s Pearl Jam! Guitar chart's decent, nothing too hard but fun for the appropriate difficulty tier. You could argue that a more well known Rock song would be better but personally, I like discovering new music from these games, especially when the songs are as good as this one! THUMBS UP.
"Hey You" - The Exies
Another modern song and whilst it's not a great song for Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, it's a solid choice for GH1. Some fun variety in the chart and musical style with great riffs popping up here and there. It arguably should've been a bonus song but I can't think of a modern Rock song that'd be a better main setlist choice off the top of my head right now so THUMBS UP.
"Higher Ground" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Another questionable choice from the band that gave us "Under The Bridge" and "Can't Stop" but since this game was released before Stadium Arcadium came out, I can understand Harmonix picking this track for a fun guitar song. This Stevie Wonder cover is still a popular track by the band and you better believe the chart is fun too. THUMBS UP.
"I Love Rock 'N Roll" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
Normally, I'd say this song is basic and dull on guitar...but it's also well known and a perfect track to start with when beginning the game's career mode. Plus, the cover quality's actually pretty awesome. Vocals are spot on and the guitar sounds heavier than the original so all in all, a good pick! I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over again but to be honest, I'm genuinely surprised at how much I'm liking this setlist. There's got to be a bad song coming sooner or later but until then THUMBS UP.
"I Wanna Be Sedated" - Ramones
Here we go, our first bad song choice! Ramones songs have no place in a game about fun guitar songs as most of their tracks are just chords and strumming, "I Wanna Be Sedated" being no exception. I can understand the desire to put some Punk in the game to represent a variety of Rock subgenres but I'd argue there are still better song choices. "Ever Fallen In Love" - Buzzcocks is a good example, as there are chords/strumming but also some fun HOPO riffs. Plus, there aren't pathetic "guitar solos" in that song so yeah, should've gone with something else. THUMBS DOWN.
"Infected" - Bad Religion
As far as generic Rock songs go, this one ticks a lot of boxes. Not a lot going on on guitar until a mini solo that looks kinda fun although it's not enough to make up for this bland not-Grunge song. Again, there are plenty of great Grunge or Hard Rock songs that would've been better than this track that I'll probably struggle to remember this time tomorrow. THUMBS DOWN.
"Iron Man" - Black Sabbath
Back to the good songs again! If you're going to get a Black Sabbath song for the first game of your Rock/Metal based rhythm music series, "Iron Man" is probably the best choice; that or "Paranoid". Iconic riffs throughout, fun solo and a damn fine cover version, complete with the "IIII, AAAM, IIIRON MAAAN" intro spoken through the fan. One of the highlights from GH1 in my opinion. THUMBS UP.
"Killer Queen" - Queen
I mean, I like Queen but...why? Of all the Queen songs with great guitar riffs and solos, why did they pick Killer Queen, a song that's driven by vocals and piano? There are countless other Queen songs they could've picked, even if they did nail the guitar for this one. However, since this should've been DLC at a later date instead of an on-disc track for TWO GH games (as well as DLC!), it gets a THUMBS DOWN.
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
Regular readers of my blog will know that I'm a big fan of Boston's debut album and, by extension, this song. Of course it belongs in the game and of course it's getting a THUMBS UP so let's talk about the quality of the chart and cover. Well, the chart's acceptable for the game and the cover not only nails the guitar but also Brad Delp's vocals. So yeah, definitely a strong choice!
"No One Knows" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Another modern Rock song, this time one that's more well known. It's probably the best QOTSA song they could've picked for the game, since Era Vulgaris wouldn't have come out yet and it beats most of the band's other material as far as fun guitar charts go. Speaking of fun guitar charts, this one is great! Some challenging chord strumming patterns if you're not that good at the game but otherwise, it's a real treat. THUMBS UP.
"Sharp Dressed Man" - ZZ Top
Probably a bit of an obvious choice for ZZ Top ("Cheap Sunglasses" would've been amazing) but you know, it's one of their signature songs and it's got a solid riff so it makes sense to choose this track. Unfortunately, the rest of the chart is kinda dull; boring solos and repetitive riffs can't be saved by a logical track choice, even if they have to spice things up with an outro solo (and even that's a little tame). THUMBS DOWN.
"Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple
Again, a sensible choice for a classic guitar riff and easy song to feature early on in the game but the chart's nothing special...at least until the solos, anyway. Plus, the cover's a bit crap too; that vocalist has got nothing on Mk II Ian Gillan. All in all, it's a mediocre track, a passable chart and a cruddy cover. Whilst I approve of the song choice and the charting part of the execution, the song cover itself needed to be better to earn a secure Thumbs Up. However, since 2 positives beat 1 negative, it still gets a THUMBS UP.
"Spanish Castle Magic" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
I think I've talked about the story behind this song before but basically, the Hendrix estate (before they completely sold out) didn't want anyone other than Hendrix to be portrayed as singing a Hendrix song...so when WaveGroup recorded this cover version, they did it as an instrumental instead of using the original's vocals. I'm guessing that's why this song was picked instead of one of his better known tracks; people won't complain about it if they haven't heard it. Fortunately, the song still works without vocals so THUMBS UP for ingenuity in the face of money-grabbing arseholes.
"Stellar" - Incubus
Eww, no. Boring song, dull chart, crap choice for an Incubus track. THUMBS DOWN.
"Symphony Of Destruction" - Megadeth
I suppose if you're going to pick a Megadeth song for a game with a broken engine, it's better that you choose a relatively easy one in comparison to some of their better known shredders. Can you fucking imagine if "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" or "Devils Island" was in GH1? At least players will have a chance of beating the game if a song like "Symphony Of Destruction", also a well known Megadeth track, is on the setlist. Plus, it's a fun chart and good cover too! THUMBS UP.
"Take It Off" - The Donnas
Another one of the game's lesser known modern Rock songs although at least this one's quite fun to play. A surprisingly challenging one, too! My policy with lesser known modern Rock songs in these games basically comes down to whether or not it's fun to play and good to listen to, since there's no point dwelling on a better replacement when it's already a decent track and clearly picked to balance out the setlist without costing too much in music licensing. Since this one's a good choice, it gets a THUMBS UP.
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
Meh, I was never a big fan of this song. It's OK, I guess, but I never would've picked it to be a song in a Guitar Hero game. However, there are plenty of songs I wouldn't have picked that turned out to be fun tracks to play and this is one of them. It's got a solid strum based chart with some fun little riffs here and there, making it a good song choice for the game's earlier difficulty tiers. Ah what the hell, THUMBS UP.
"Texas Flood" - Stevie Ray Vaughan
OK, I'll try my best to explain my reasoning here but basically, I'm giving this one a THUMBS DOWN. Firstly, I don't care for the song. It's a dull Blues Rock track and it's not one that I care to listen to, even if there's an active chart. Secondly, it might be a fun chart but it has to be undercharted for Guitar Hero's terrible engine, making it a waste of a great chart. Granted other songs had to be undercharted too but it feels like this song had a bit more than some of the others...plus, as I said already, I don't really like the song. I probably would've liked it more if it appeared in a different GH game but not GH1.
"Thunder Kiss '65" - White Zombie
Damn, the guitar and vocalist sound pretty damn good. This is a fairly well known Metal track but nowhere near the calibre of some tracks in this game. It is, however, fun on guitar and one that a lot of players probably will have heard for the first time, so that's good. THUMBS UP.
"Unsung" - Helmet
A sort of popular track from the 90s for some reason. I can imagine this song in Guitar Hero 2 but for some reason, it feels like a shitty choice for GH1. Maybe because it's mostly chords and strumming, maybe because it's a fairly unimaginative song that sounds like it belongs in a video game during a boss battle but either way, it gets a THUMBS DOWN.
"You've Got Another Things Comin'" - Judas Priest
If you're going to include Judas Priest in a rhythm music game, it's got to count. They have some amazing songs and this ain't one of them! It might come from a brilliant album but even if you want an easy Judas Priest track for the game's earlier difficulty tiers, "Breaking The Law" is the way to go. Still, could be worse. It could be "Living After Midnight", which would've certainly given this song a Thumbs Down. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, THUMBS DOWN.
"Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
The final song (alphabetically speaking) and it's good! Guitar chart is awesome and even if the vocals are...well, off, it contains plenty for the guitarist to get stuck into. They even added an extra guitar solo that caught a lot of people off guard when the master recording came to Rock Band. Much like the "All The Young Dudes" cover from Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the WaveGroup solo actually fits perfectly with the song and arguably improves it in many ways. Definitely a THUMBS UP for picking and improving the best Bowie song for the game.
I genuinely didn't think the score would be this one sided but with 22 Thumbs Up to 8 Thumbs Down, this has to be one of the stronger setlists I've discussed (if you look at the overall percentage of Thumbs Up, that is). However, this setlist only has 30 songs so when you compare that to the 83-93 songs from later GH/RB games, it's no wonder there are so many hits here. Guitar Hero 1 has a great setlist and even though there were a few missteps here and there, it's good to know that there was at least one overwhelming positive about the first game.
However, is the soundtrack great overall or is this game truly just a piece of shit that's only decent contribution to rhythm music games was that it inspired a string of much better titles to exist? Let's find out! Similar to previous Guitar Hero and Rock Band posts, I'll be looking at all the songs on the main setlist before awarding a Thumbs Up/Down to each track based on my personal opinion of the song/cover, whether or not it's a fun chart and whether it belongs in the game.
"Ace Of Spades" - Motorhead
Decent choice of song for a game about playing Rock/Metal songs on a plastic guitar shaped controller! It's got an iconic riff, a fun solo and it packs a punch every time you listen to it. Whilst every chart is awkward as hell to play in GH1, the actual chart itself is pretty good (albeit a little under and overcharted at times). However, ignoring the vocalist's inability to come close to Lemmy, the big difference between this cover and the original is the outro solo here. The original ends pretty well but this version bursts into a furious solo, even if you don't exactly play it in this chart. However, can't fault them for trying to make the song better; whether or not they succeeded is up to you! It's still getting a THUMBS UP from me, though.
"Bark At The Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne
The final song in the game with two challenging solos (even if the second one is undercharted) and a pretty tricky series of strumming riffs throughout. It's definitely a great choice for the game's final boss and as far as WaveGroup covers go, it's pretty good! I think I actually prefer the vocalist in the cover to Ozzy. THUMBS UP for having a fun chart when taken out of the game's terrible engine (getting sick of hearing me say that yet?).
"Cochise" - Audioslave
Man, that riff is awesome. I'm surprised this song hasn't been rereleased as GH/RB DLC. I mean, sure it has some annoying rapid strumming sections here and there but overall, it's a track with some decent variety and a great rockin' sound. When picking modern Rock songs for the game (since the setlist can't all be 70s/80s classics), Harmonix were right to choose tracks like this instead of generic whiny modern songs that would plague latter GH games. THUMBS UP.
"Cowboys From Hell" - Pantera
The hits keep coming! Signature song by a popular 90s Metal band? Check! Great riffs and a fun chart throughout? Check. Brilliant cover with spot-on vocals and pretty damn impressive guitar? Check!! The perfect song for this game, even if I'm not the biggest Pantera fan. THUMBS UP.
"Crossroads" - Cream
Of all the Cream songs to pick for Guitar Hero, this has to be one of the better ones. Good riff and fun solos in an upbeat Blues Rock track. It's also notable as one of the few Cream songs in GH due to Eric Boring Clapton being a dumbass. Fortunately, it's a good one and much better than "Sunshine Of Your Love" from GH3. THUMBS UP.
"Fat Lip" - Sum 41
Most of the songs so far have been pretty challenging on guitar so it's good to see that even the songs with easier difficulties are still bangers! More great riffs from one of Sum 41's better known songs; another that's absolutely perfect for the game. For the first game in the series, "Fat Lip" is a better choice than "In Too Deep", "Still Waiting", "The Hell Song" or any other classics by the band so guess what? Another THUMBS UP!
"Frankenstein" - The Edgar Winter Group
Jesus, this is shaping up to be one of the best setlists ever! It might not be a well known song but it's definitely a well known riff; the fact that it happens to have a really fun chart too is just icing on the cake. Now that the song's come out as Rock Band DLC, we know that most of the guitar in the chart is actually synth but hey, I'm OK with that if the chart is this fun and if you can imagine it being played on guitar. THUMBS UP.
"Godzilla" - Blue Oyster Cult
You'd think that "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" would be the obvious choice or even "Burning For You" but nope, Harmonix picked the song with the better guitar throughout! They even got WaveGroup to play the bass solo on guitar to add more to the chart and here's the kicker; it doesn't sound that bad! Fun to play, great to listen to and even if it's not the band's most well known song, it's still a fan favourite and totally appropriate for this game. THUMBS UP.
"Heart Full Of Black" - Burning Brides
When I first saw this band and song title, I thought this'd be some kind of MCR teenage bollocks but it turns out it's not! It's modern Alternative Rock, kinda like 00s Pearl Jam! Guitar chart's decent, nothing too hard but fun for the appropriate difficulty tier. You could argue that a more well known Rock song would be better but personally, I like discovering new music from these games, especially when the songs are as good as this one! THUMBS UP.
"Hey You" - The Exies
Another modern song and whilst it's not a great song for Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, it's a solid choice for GH1. Some fun variety in the chart and musical style with great riffs popping up here and there. It arguably should've been a bonus song but I can't think of a modern Rock song that'd be a better main setlist choice off the top of my head right now so THUMBS UP.
"Higher Ground" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Another questionable choice from the band that gave us "Under The Bridge" and "Can't Stop" but since this game was released before Stadium Arcadium came out, I can understand Harmonix picking this track for a fun guitar song. This Stevie Wonder cover is still a popular track by the band and you better believe the chart is fun too. THUMBS UP.
"I Love Rock 'N Roll" - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
Normally, I'd say this song is basic and dull on guitar...but it's also well known and a perfect track to start with when beginning the game's career mode. Plus, the cover quality's actually pretty awesome. Vocals are spot on and the guitar sounds heavier than the original so all in all, a good pick! I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over again but to be honest, I'm genuinely surprised at how much I'm liking this setlist. There's got to be a bad song coming sooner or later but until then THUMBS UP.
"I Wanna Be Sedated" - Ramones
Here we go, our first bad song choice! Ramones songs have no place in a game about fun guitar songs as most of their tracks are just chords and strumming, "I Wanna Be Sedated" being no exception. I can understand the desire to put some Punk in the game to represent a variety of Rock subgenres but I'd argue there are still better song choices. "Ever Fallen In Love" - Buzzcocks is a good example, as there are chords/strumming but also some fun HOPO riffs. Plus, there aren't pathetic "guitar solos" in that song so yeah, should've gone with something else. THUMBS DOWN.
"Infected" - Bad Religion
As far as generic Rock songs go, this one ticks a lot of boxes. Not a lot going on on guitar until a mini solo that looks kinda fun although it's not enough to make up for this bland not-Grunge song. Again, there are plenty of great Grunge or Hard Rock songs that would've been better than this track that I'll probably struggle to remember this time tomorrow. THUMBS DOWN.
"Iron Man" - Black Sabbath
Back to the good songs again! If you're going to get a Black Sabbath song for the first game of your Rock/Metal based rhythm music series, "Iron Man" is probably the best choice; that or "Paranoid". Iconic riffs throughout, fun solo and a damn fine cover version, complete with the "IIII, AAAM, IIIRON MAAAN" intro spoken through the fan. One of the highlights from GH1 in my opinion. THUMBS UP.
"Killer Queen" - Queen
I mean, I like Queen but...why? Of all the Queen songs with great guitar riffs and solos, why did they pick Killer Queen, a song that's driven by vocals and piano? There are countless other Queen songs they could've picked, even if they did nail the guitar for this one. However, since this should've been DLC at a later date instead of an on-disc track for TWO GH games (as well as DLC!), it gets a THUMBS DOWN.
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
Regular readers of my blog will know that I'm a big fan of Boston's debut album and, by extension, this song. Of course it belongs in the game and of course it's getting a THUMBS UP so let's talk about the quality of the chart and cover. Well, the chart's acceptable for the game and the cover not only nails the guitar but also Brad Delp's vocals. So yeah, definitely a strong choice!
"No One Knows" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Another modern Rock song, this time one that's more well known. It's probably the best QOTSA song they could've picked for the game, since Era Vulgaris wouldn't have come out yet and it beats most of the band's other material as far as fun guitar charts go. Speaking of fun guitar charts, this one is great! Some challenging chord strumming patterns if you're not that good at the game but otherwise, it's a real treat. THUMBS UP.
"Sharp Dressed Man" - ZZ Top
Probably a bit of an obvious choice for ZZ Top ("Cheap Sunglasses" would've been amazing) but you know, it's one of their signature songs and it's got a solid riff so it makes sense to choose this track. Unfortunately, the rest of the chart is kinda dull; boring solos and repetitive riffs can't be saved by a logical track choice, even if they have to spice things up with an outro solo (and even that's a little tame). THUMBS DOWN.
"Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple
Again, a sensible choice for a classic guitar riff and easy song to feature early on in the game but the chart's nothing special...at least until the solos, anyway. Plus, the cover's a bit crap too; that vocalist has got nothing on Mk II Ian Gillan. All in all, it's a mediocre track, a passable chart and a cruddy cover. Whilst I approve of the song choice and the charting part of the execution, the song cover itself needed to be better to earn a secure Thumbs Up. However, since 2 positives beat 1 negative, it still gets a THUMBS UP.
"Spanish Castle Magic" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
I think I've talked about the story behind this song before but basically, the Hendrix estate (before they completely sold out) didn't want anyone other than Hendrix to be portrayed as singing a Hendrix song...so when WaveGroup recorded this cover version, they did it as an instrumental instead of using the original's vocals. I'm guessing that's why this song was picked instead of one of his better known tracks; people won't complain about it if they haven't heard it. Fortunately, the song still works without vocals so THUMBS UP for ingenuity in the face of money-grabbing arseholes.
"Stellar" - Incubus
Eww, no. Boring song, dull chart, crap choice for an Incubus track. THUMBS DOWN.
"Symphony Of Destruction" - Megadeth
I suppose if you're going to pick a Megadeth song for a game with a broken engine, it's better that you choose a relatively easy one in comparison to some of their better known shredders. Can you fucking imagine if "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" or "Devils Island" was in GH1? At least players will have a chance of beating the game if a song like "Symphony Of Destruction", also a well known Megadeth track, is on the setlist. Plus, it's a fun chart and good cover too! THUMBS UP.
"Take It Off" - The Donnas
Another one of the game's lesser known modern Rock songs although at least this one's quite fun to play. A surprisingly challenging one, too! My policy with lesser known modern Rock songs in these games basically comes down to whether or not it's fun to play and good to listen to, since there's no point dwelling on a better replacement when it's already a decent track and clearly picked to balance out the setlist without costing too much in music licensing. Since this one's a good choice, it gets a THUMBS UP.
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
Meh, I was never a big fan of this song. It's OK, I guess, but I never would've picked it to be a song in a Guitar Hero game. However, there are plenty of songs I wouldn't have picked that turned out to be fun tracks to play and this is one of them. It's got a solid strum based chart with some fun little riffs here and there, making it a good song choice for the game's earlier difficulty tiers. Ah what the hell, THUMBS UP.
"Texas Flood" - Stevie Ray Vaughan
OK, I'll try my best to explain my reasoning here but basically, I'm giving this one a THUMBS DOWN. Firstly, I don't care for the song. It's a dull Blues Rock track and it's not one that I care to listen to, even if there's an active chart. Secondly, it might be a fun chart but it has to be undercharted for Guitar Hero's terrible engine, making it a waste of a great chart. Granted other songs had to be undercharted too but it feels like this song had a bit more than some of the others...plus, as I said already, I don't really like the song. I probably would've liked it more if it appeared in a different GH game but not GH1.
"Thunder Kiss '65" - White Zombie
Damn, the guitar and vocalist sound pretty damn good. This is a fairly well known Metal track but nowhere near the calibre of some tracks in this game. It is, however, fun on guitar and one that a lot of players probably will have heard for the first time, so that's good. THUMBS UP.
"Unsung" - Helmet
A sort of popular track from the 90s for some reason. I can imagine this song in Guitar Hero 2 but for some reason, it feels like a shitty choice for GH1. Maybe because it's mostly chords and strumming, maybe because it's a fairly unimaginative song that sounds like it belongs in a video game during a boss battle but either way, it gets a THUMBS DOWN.
"You've Got Another Things Comin'" - Judas Priest
If you're going to include Judas Priest in a rhythm music game, it's got to count. They have some amazing songs and this ain't one of them! It might come from a brilliant album but even if you want an easy Judas Priest track for the game's earlier difficulty tiers, "Breaking The Law" is the way to go. Still, could be worse. It could be "Living After Midnight", which would've certainly given this song a Thumbs Down. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, THUMBS DOWN.
"Ziggy Stardust" - David Bowie
The final song (alphabetically speaking) and it's good! Guitar chart is awesome and even if the vocals are...well, off, it contains plenty for the guitarist to get stuck into. They even added an extra guitar solo that caught a lot of people off guard when the master recording came to Rock Band. Much like the "All The Young Dudes" cover from Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, the WaveGroup solo actually fits perfectly with the song and arguably improves it in many ways. Definitely a THUMBS UP for picking and improving the best Bowie song for the game.
I genuinely didn't think the score would be this one sided but with 22 Thumbs Up to 8 Thumbs Down, this has to be one of the stronger setlists I've discussed (if you look at the overall percentage of Thumbs Up, that is). However, this setlist only has 30 songs so when you compare that to the 83-93 songs from later GH/RB games, it's no wonder there are so many hits here. Guitar Hero 1 has a great setlist and even though there were a few missteps here and there, it's good to know that there was at least one overwhelming positive about the first game.
Saturday 1 December 2018
Tenology: Songs That Haven't Aged Well
Kicking things off in December is a blog post looking at ten Rock/Metal songs containing lyrics that probably wouldn't fly if released in 2018. These politically incorrect lyrics might not be overtly racist or sexist in their themes but they definitely contain lines that would trigger certain individuals, and with good reason too; after all, the past is a foreign country but unlike how we'd treat foreign countries and cultures now, let's take a humorous look at some of these offensive lines from songs you thought you loved before you realised just how horrible and tasteless some of the words were!
TRIGGER WARNING: This blog post will contain examples of...
Xenophobia
Homophobia
Sexism
Racism
Toxic masculinity/male privilege
And some lesser offences.
1. "Every Picture Tells A Story" - Rod Stewart
"The women I've known I wouldn't let tie my shoe,
They wouldn't give you the time of day,
But the slit-eyed lady knocked me off my feet,
God, I was glad I found her".
I love this song for its great guitar-based melody and occasionally witty lyrics, although the lines about the "slit-eyed lady" in this song about a guy travelling the world just to get his end away don't do the track any favours. You could argue that Rod's singing it from the perspective of a young lad who still has a lot to learn about women and life, hence the ignorant views of the world, but at the end of the day, the repeated use of "slit-eyed lady" even after the character's found true love suggests it's not that simple. Factor in that Rod's actually started omitting lines about the Asian female during live performance and you've got a track that even the writer believes hasn't aged well, which is saying something considering that people generally get more racist as they grow old.
2. "Money For Nothing" - Dire Straits
"The little faggot with the earring and the makeup,
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair,
That little faggot got his own jet airplane,
That little faggot he's a millionaire".
Even if this song wasn't eight minutes long, there's no doubt in my mind that the verse about the "faggot" on TV would be cut or at least changed in live/radio play. Mark Knopfler has previously defended the lyric, stating that it's not coming from his perspective as a vocalist but rather the character's perspective in the song; a working man who says it how it is, even if that means using derogatory language. After years of controversy, Mark's changed the lyric to "Queenie" but you could still argue that the notion of a guy wearing earrings and makeup automatically making him homosexual is offensive in its own way. Thankfully, there are multiple edits of this track that remove that lyric so modern listeners who may not have heard the original lyrics can still enjoy the awesome guitar riffs and chorus without being subjected to hate.
3. "God & Guns" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
"God and guns keep us strong,
That's what this country was founded on".
Some people have assumed that "Gimme Back My Bullets" was Lynyrd Skynyrd's attempt at firing back against gun control, although that song was largely in reference to their chart positions with single releases. However, there's no doubt whatsoever that "God & Guns" is the band (not a character, the band themselves) showing full support of Christianity and the right to own things that are literally built to kill people. A decade ago, this song probably didn't raise many eyebrows when it was released. However, flash forward to 2018 where a school shooting happens every week in America and suddenly, the lyrics don't seem that persuasive. They come across as ignorant and repetitive due to lack of convincing arguments for owning firearms, although the music's good.
4. "Don't Try Suicide" - Queen
"Don't try suicide, nobody's worth it,
Don't try suicide, nobody cares".
Of all the songs in this list, "Don't Try Suicide" is the only one that hasn't aged well due to the lyrics AND music. The lyrics may be anti-suicide, which is fine, but the music and bouncing vocal melody of "Don't try suicide" is far too jolly and upbeat for a topic that many nowadays would consider the result of serious mental illness. There's also the blunt nature of the lyrics, claiming that "Nobody gives a damn" if you kill yourself. Whilst I can understand the reverse-psychology nature of the lyrics, surely someone in the band must've pointed out that telling someone who potentially wants to end their own life that they're worthless and unloved is a terrible idea.
5. "Illegal Alien" - Genesis
"The sun is shining so I head for the park,
With a bottle of Tequila and a new pack of cigarettes".
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There are a few lyrics I could've picked to demonstrate how poorly this song has aged but to me, the ones in the first verse do a good job. All the way through this song about a Mexican fellow who's decided to sneak across the border, Phil Collins sings with a noticeable accent that comes across as kinda off-putting now and then (particularly in the lyrics specified above). This might not be quite as startling as some of the entries on this list but I reckon if a band as popular as Genesis were around the time of this album's release came out with a song boiling a culture down to base-level stereotypes, there'd be at least a bit of uproar on the Internet.
6. "Make Love Like A Man" - Def Leppard
"Make love like a man,
I'm a man, that's what I am, yeah".
Another song with painfully embarrassing lyrics yet somewhat decent Hard Rock music, making it all the more difficult for someone who wants to listen to this song. Joe Elliott himself has claimed that the song probably hasn't aged too well due to sexist claims of toxic masculinity (not in this exact words, mind) and the band haven't played it live for a while...and yet, it was still included on Def Leppard's brand new compilation album The Story So Far... The Best Of Def Leppard. Also included on this album is the song "Man Enough" off the band's most recent album, not to mention a complete omission of any songs from On Through The Night, the band's first and greatest album to date. Smooth moves, lads!
7. "Island Girl" - Elton John
"Well she's black as coal but she burn like a fire,
And she wrap herself around you like a well-worn tire".
We've got a combination of triggers right here. A bit of racial stereotyping with the intentionally poor grammar and references to skin colour in the lyrics, mixed with some crass remarks about how she'll "wrap herself around you like a well-worn tire". Once again, it's a shame because the music is quite catchy and the vocal melody in the chorus is great. If the lyrics weren't about an "Island Girl" but some other kind of woman, maybe this song would be a bit more popular.
8. "(You Can Still) Rock In America" - Night Ranger
"You can still rock in America,
Ah yeah, it's alright".
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I could've picked many songs for this same reason. Originally, it was going to be "Born In The USA" - Bruce Springsteen but I feel like Night Ranger's song captures the attitude in a much more ignorant, over-the-top way. In the 80s, the "America, Fuck Yeah!!" state of mind was not only acceptable but also rewarded. Compare this to nowadays where the country is going through transitional period from world superpower to global embarrassment and spouting nonsense about how fucking awesome America is and how great it is to be American is kind of looked down upon, at least by most civilised societies. By the way, this isn't me being specifically anti-America; I think anyone showing the levels of patriotism for their country to the extent that Night Ranger did here also warrants the same reaction.
9. "Dio" - Tenacious D
"It's time to pass the torch,
You're too old to rock, no more rockin' for you".
Tenacious D have written songs about fucking and squeezing out a Cleveland steamer on someone's chest but to me, the song that hasn't aged well is the one about legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Tenacious D may have written it as a tribute to the man but the lyrics about him passing the torch and being taken to a retirement home come across as a little insensitive when you realise that Dio's since passed away. I know it wasn't meant to sound insensitive but they must've considered that Dio wasn't going to live forever and writing a song about him being unable to play music anymore so that Tenacious D can take his place instead would have the unintended consequence of making them sound a little...well, dickish?
10. "In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry
"Have a drink, have a drive
Go out and see what you can find".
The last entry on this list is quite special as it contains two separate lyrics with different reasons to potentially feel offended. First up, we have the ones mentioned above that gleefully advise drink driving for the sole purpose of finding a woman. Not a line that's aged well when you look at the way social attitudes towards drink driving has changed in the last 40 years but the second line is probably more concerning. Shortly after this lyric, we get: "If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal, if her daddy's poor, just do what you feel". Combine this with the fact that we know alcohol is involved and WHAM! You've got yourself a piping hot serving of rape culture, right there! It's an easy lyric to miss when you're busy listening to the jovial melody and "CH! CH-CH!"s but trust me, it's in there and it's not a mindset that's taken lightly in 2018.
Have I missed any Rock/Metal songs with politically incorrect lyrics that need a spotlight shone on them? I've got a couple on the backburner for a sequel to this post but for now, there's your ten! There won't be a Spotify playlist for these songs as it doesn't really serve a purpose that showing and analysing the lyrics doesn't already fulfil.
COMING SOON: About six more posts before the end of the year!
TRIGGER WARNING: This blog post will contain examples of...
Xenophobia
Homophobia
Sexism
Racism
Toxic masculinity/male privilege
And some lesser offences.
1. "Every Picture Tells A Story" - Rod Stewart
"The women I've known I wouldn't let tie my shoe,
They wouldn't give you the time of day,
But the slit-eyed lady knocked me off my feet,
God, I was glad I found her".
The story told in this picture is OFFENSIVE DEPICTIONS OF ASIAN PEOPLE!!!
I love this song for its great guitar-based melody and occasionally witty lyrics, although the lines about the "slit-eyed lady" in this song about a guy travelling the world just to get his end away don't do the track any favours. You could argue that Rod's singing it from the perspective of a young lad who still has a lot to learn about women and life, hence the ignorant views of the world, but at the end of the day, the repeated use of "slit-eyed lady" even after the character's found true love suggests it's not that simple. Factor in that Rod's actually started omitting lines about the Asian female during live performance and you've got a track that even the writer believes hasn't aged well, which is saying something considering that people generally get more racist as they grow old.
2. "Money For Nothing" - Dire Straits
"The little faggot with the earring and the makeup,
Yeah buddy, that's his own hair,
That little faggot got his own jet airplane,
That little faggot he's a millionaire".
The only thing you're getting for nothing in this song is HOMOPHOBIA!!!
Even if this song wasn't eight minutes long, there's no doubt in my mind that the verse about the "faggot" on TV would be cut or at least changed in live/radio play. Mark Knopfler has previously defended the lyric, stating that it's not coming from his perspective as a vocalist but rather the character's perspective in the song; a working man who says it how it is, even if that means using derogatory language. After years of controversy, Mark's changed the lyric to "Queenie" but you could still argue that the notion of a guy wearing earrings and makeup automatically making him homosexual is offensive in its own way. Thankfully, there are multiple edits of this track that remove that lyric so modern listeners who may not have heard the original lyrics can still enjoy the awesome guitar riffs and chorus without being subjected to hate.
3. "God & Guns" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
"God and guns keep us strong,
That's what this country was founded on".
Not exactly a form of prejudice but I don't see as many people cheering for this in 2018
Some people have assumed that "Gimme Back My Bullets" was Lynyrd Skynyrd's attempt at firing back against gun control, although that song was largely in reference to their chart positions with single releases. However, there's no doubt whatsoever that "God & Guns" is the band (not a character, the band themselves) showing full support of Christianity and the right to own things that are literally built to kill people. A decade ago, this song probably didn't raise many eyebrows when it was released. However, flash forward to 2018 where a school shooting happens every week in America and suddenly, the lyrics don't seem that persuasive. They come across as ignorant and repetitive due to lack of convincing arguments for owning firearms, although the music's good.
4. "Don't Try Suicide" - Queen
"Don't try suicide, nobody's worth it,
Don't try suicide, nobody cares".
Yeah, I don't think this one was ever considered for Bohemian Rhapsody...
Of all the songs in this list, "Don't Try Suicide" is the only one that hasn't aged well due to the lyrics AND music. The lyrics may be anti-suicide, which is fine, but the music and bouncing vocal melody of "Don't try suicide" is far too jolly and upbeat for a topic that many nowadays would consider the result of serious mental illness. There's also the blunt nature of the lyrics, claiming that "Nobody gives a damn" if you kill yourself. Whilst I can understand the reverse-psychology nature of the lyrics, surely someone in the band must've pointed out that telling someone who potentially wants to end their own life that they're worthless and unloved is a terrible idea.
5. "Illegal Alien" - Genesis
"The sun is shining so I head for the park,
With a bottle of Tequila and a new pack of cigarettes".
Back to the offensive lyrics with a hot batch of RACIAL STEREOTYPING!!!
There are a few lyrics I could've picked to demonstrate how poorly this song has aged but to me, the ones in the first verse do a good job. All the way through this song about a Mexican fellow who's decided to sneak across the border, Phil Collins sings with a noticeable accent that comes across as kinda off-putting now and then (particularly in the lyrics specified above). This might not be quite as startling as some of the entries on this list but I reckon if a band as popular as Genesis were around the time of this album's release came out with a song boiling a culture down to base-level stereotypes, there'd be at least a bit of uproar on the Internet.
6. "Make Love Like A Man" - Def Leppard
"Make love like a man,
I'm a man, that's what I am, yeah".
How about you make like a dated view of gender norms and get out of here?!
Another song with painfully embarrassing lyrics yet somewhat decent Hard Rock music, making it all the more difficult for someone who wants to listen to this song. Joe Elliott himself has claimed that the song probably hasn't aged too well due to sexist claims of toxic masculinity (not in this exact words, mind) and the band haven't played it live for a while...and yet, it was still included on Def Leppard's brand new compilation album The Story So Far... The Best Of Def Leppard. Also included on this album is the song "Man Enough" off the band's most recent album, not to mention a complete omission of any songs from On Through The Night, the band's first and greatest album to date. Smooth moves, lads!
7. "Island Girl" - Elton John
"Well she's black as coal but she burn like a fire,
And she wrap herself around you like a well-worn tire".
Rock of the Westies? More like Rock of the XENOPHOBIC SEXISM!!!
We've got a combination of triggers right here. A bit of racial stereotyping with the intentionally poor grammar and references to skin colour in the lyrics, mixed with some crass remarks about how she'll "wrap herself around you like a well-worn tire". Once again, it's a shame because the music is quite catchy and the vocal melody in the chorus is great. If the lyrics weren't about an "Island Girl" but some other kind of woman, maybe this song would be a bit more popular.
8. "(You Can Still) Rock In America" - Night Ranger
"You can still rock in America,
Ah yeah, it's alright".
Is Toxic Patriotism a thing? Let's go with TOXIC PATRIOTISM!!!
I could've picked many songs for this same reason. Originally, it was going to be "Born In The USA" - Bruce Springsteen but I feel like Night Ranger's song captures the attitude in a much more ignorant, over-the-top way. In the 80s, the "America, Fuck Yeah!!" state of mind was not only acceptable but also rewarded. Compare this to nowadays where the country is going through transitional period from world superpower to global embarrassment and spouting nonsense about how fucking awesome America is and how great it is to be American is kind of looked down upon, at least by most civilised societies. By the way, this isn't me being specifically anti-America; I think anyone showing the levels of patriotism for their country to the extent that Night Ranger did here also warrants the same reaction.
9. "Dio" - Tenacious D
"It's time to pass the torch,
You're too old to rock, no more rockin' for you".
Yes, THIS is the Tenacious D lyric that I'm picking for possibly causing offence
Tenacious D have written songs about fucking and squeezing out a Cleveland steamer on someone's chest but to me, the song that hasn't aged well is the one about legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Tenacious D may have written it as a tribute to the man but the lyrics about him passing the torch and being taken to a retirement home come across as a little insensitive when you realise that Dio's since passed away. I know it wasn't meant to sound insensitive but they must've considered that Dio wasn't going to live forever and writing a song about him being unable to play music anymore so that Tenacious D can take his place instead would have the unintended consequence of making them sound a little...well, dickish?
10. "In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry
"Have a drink, have a drive
Go out and see what you can find".
Advocating the consumption of alcohol whilst operating an automobile? Shame on Mungo Jerry!
The last entry on this list is quite special as it contains two separate lyrics with different reasons to potentially feel offended. First up, we have the ones mentioned above that gleefully advise drink driving for the sole purpose of finding a woman. Not a line that's aged well when you look at the way social attitudes towards drink driving has changed in the last 40 years but the second line is probably more concerning. Shortly after this lyric, we get: "If her daddy's rich, take her out for a meal, if her daddy's poor, just do what you feel". Combine this with the fact that we know alcohol is involved and WHAM! You've got yourself a piping hot serving of rape culture, right there! It's an easy lyric to miss when you're busy listening to the jovial melody and "CH! CH-CH!"s but trust me, it's in there and it's not a mindset that's taken lightly in 2018.
Have I missed any Rock/Metal songs with politically incorrect lyrics that need a spotlight shone on them? I've got a couple on the backburner for a sequel to this post but for now, there's your ten! There won't be a Spotify playlist for these songs as it doesn't really serve a purpose that showing and analysing the lyrics doesn't already fulfil.
COMING SOON: About six more posts before the end of the year!
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