Tenology: Valuable Vocalists In Rock/Metal

Here we are! The end of this four-part Tenology collection looking at impressive musicians who take on the four main roles of any great Rock/Metal outfit. We've covered guitarists, drummers and bassists so far so vocalists are finally getting their time in the spotlight...you know, apart from all the time when they're on stage.
As I feel obliged to mention whenever I write a Tenology post, this is not the equivalent of posts proclaiming that Vocalists 1-10 are THE best in Rock and/or Metal, nor is it my personal top 10 list of all time. There are almost certainly going to be talented vocalists that I overlook when writing this (I'm still kicking myself for completely missing a fucking awesome bassist in my last post. I might go back and edit it soon) but as the name suggests, this is merely a 10-person list of vocalists whom I would place on a pedestal.
If I've missed any shining stars that you believe deserve a space more than some of my other entries, feel free to let me know in the comments or via Twitter. However, if they've appeared in previous blog posts for their talents as a different musician (e.g. Geddy Lee of Rush) then you won't find them here, although chances are I value them as a vocalist if they can play and sing simultaneously. Also, be aware that there are some vocalists I have intentionally left out because I personally believe that when it comes to singing, they're a bit shit (or at best, overrated). Here are some of them!

Ozzy Osbourne
Mick Jagger
Bruce Springsteen
Janis Joplin
Bob Dylan
Serj Tankian
Blaze Bayley
Axl Rose

Right, now that we've got that unpleasantness out of the way, let's look at the valuable vocalists!


1. Paul Rodgers

Largely responsible for one of the best live shows I've ever been to

I don't usually write these posts in order of personal ranking but I felt like I had to start this list off on a strong note, so to speak. Paul Rodgers has been in quite a few groups over the years (notably Free and Bad Company, although he also recorded an album with Queen) but I'm mostly counting Paul's contributions as the Bad Company frontman for his placement here. The man's voice is simply incredible; smooth and soulful but able to fully Rock at the drop of a hat. Some of the bands big hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Electricland" showcase his ability to flawlessly flip between two different singing styles but if you need even more proof, go and see him perform live. The fact that the man can still belt out the classics after four decades as if he were in the studio laying them down for the first time is the sign of an incredible vocalist.


2. Klaus Meine

No, this isn't Ronnie James Dio

Compared to some vocalists, Klaus Meine probably isn't the first choice for a list of undeniably talented Rock/Metal frontmen but to me, there is no Scorpions without Klaus Meine. His raw vocals are synonymous with the band's own blend of Heavy Metal, whether it's in the band's iconic anthems ("Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Wind Of Change") or lesser known deep cuts ("Catch Your Train", "Another Piece Of Meat"). To me, the sign of a strong Rock/Metal vocalist is the ability to use the sound of their singing voice as its own instrument unique to that band. Some of the vocal melodies sung by Klaus give the songs that extra push that separates them from generic material by other 70s/80s Metal bands, hence his inclusion here.


3. Sean Harris

In an alternate universe, this guy is as popular as everyone else on this list

It's hard to compare the works of former Diamond Head vocalist Sean Harris to the rest of the entries on this list when you factor in that most iconic and well respected Rock/Metal vocalists have had many, many albums to hone their ability and make a splash on the music scene. However, the fact that Sean's only had a couple of albums worth of decent material to show how great he is only adds to my admiration of the man. There was a time when he was hailed as the next Robert Plant and after listening to such tunes as "It's Electric" and "Trick Or Treat", I can understand why. I'm hesitant to describe his singing as "wailing" because it sounds like criticism but if you've ever listened to the band, you'll know what I mean. His vocal work isn't as harsh or aggressive as you'd expect from a Metal band but it still works incredibly well. It's a shame these guys didn't get a bigger break as I imagine we only scratched the surface of what Sean Harris would've been truly capable of.


4. Steve Perry

Not sure if this guy counts as "underrated" but if there's a tier just behind that, this guy's in it

Whilst I'm not the biggest Journey fan on the planet, I would defend Steve Perry's inclusion on this list for one song and one song alone. Naturally he's a great vocalist on a wide range of Journey's material but whenever I think of his work, I always find myself drawn to one clear example of what I would consider his finest hour: "Keep On Runnin'". It's the kind of song that would inspire me to learn to sing just so I could blast it out without sounding like a completely tone-deaf wannabe although I doubt any amount of practise would make me capable of matching his vocals. The verses Rock extra hard because of his singing and the chorus is driven by the sheer power of his voice alone. Your average music fan will probably be impressed by his work on "Don't Stop Believing" and "Open Arms" but seriously, listen to "Keep On Runnin'" if you haven't already and tell me that this guy doesn't have pipes of fucking gold.


5. Stevie Nicks

From Steve to Stevie. If Aerosmith were a bit better, I could've had the hat trick

The first woman to appear on these Tenology posts although she's not the only one worthy enough to grace this list (hint hint). Fleetwood Mac has had a few vocalists but none as significant as Stevie Nicks. Stevie's stage presence and, most importantly, her voice gave the band a specific image; one of mysticism without going into full weird territory like some Prog Rock bands. Female vocalists like Lizzy Hale and Ann Wilson succeed in bringing power to songs through conventional means but Stevie Nicks achieves that same level of pure Rock through her haunting, raspy vocals that were easily responsible for putting Fleetwood Mac on the map. The whole Rumours album is essential listening if you want to hear some of her best work but there's also signature songs from her solo career, even if you think "Edge Of Seventeen" is a bit dull when it comes to the structure.


6. Phil Lynott

Photography 101: black and white makes everything better

I know I mentioned Phil Lynott in the honourable mentions of the bassist blog post BUT he didn't make the main cut so technically he's still a contender for this one. The main reason I didn't give Phil a proper place in the bassist post is because I believe he was a much greater vocalist than a bassist, hence his inclusion here. I mean, his voice was just so fucking cool! When he sung about "the boys" (and let's face it, he sung about 'em quite a bit!), you got the impression that he was not just one of them but one of the more badass ones. At the risk of sounding repetitive, Phil was also skilled at adapting his voice to suit softer or less powerful Rock songs ("Sarah", "Don't Believe A Word") and heavier, fast paced powerhouses ("Cold Sweat", "Angel Of Death"). His voice was so unique, so irreplaceable that his death effectively killed Thin Lizzy once the rest of the band realised there would be no Thin Lizzy without him. Granted they then formed Black Star Riders but if Phil didn't have his incredible voice, you can bet that they would've stuck with the original band name.


7. Biff Byford

Now THAT's a name and a half!

It's no secret that Saxon are one of my favourite bands of all time AND that I feel they're one of the few proper Rock/Metal bands in existence that have only improved with age. If you listen to rerecordings of their classics, they sound so much heavier without losing part of what made Saxon incredible and the main reason for that is Biff Byford's raw vocals. Some of the vocalists here will never be able to recreate the magic they captured in the recording studio all those years ago but to actually surpass it many, many years later is a talent that Biff deserves way more credit for. And yes, his voice is awesome in every single Saxon song that I've heard so far; the perfect Heavy Metal vocals for a band as great as Saxon. I recommend checking out some of the rerecordings on the Heavy Metal Thunder compilation as well as the original recordings to hear how Biff's voice has remained incredible since the early 80s.


8. James Hetfield

Ugh, Metallica. Right? Am I cool yet?

Whilst Hetfield may have gone down in my books on a personal level due to his refusal to flat out denounce Trump (claiming that politics separates people and indirectly stating that he's totally OK with Nazis and shitheads getting joy out of his music), he's still right near the top on a professional level. To me, any vocalist who can play an instrument whilst singing without fucking up either task has a great amount of skill but the fact that James can shred out some pretty fucking heavy riffs from Metallica's back catalogue whilst belting out each line is something I will always admire. James Hetfield is also notable for being one of many singers to be affected by puberty in the 90s, as the rage filled vocals from Metallica's first four Thrash albums gradually sunk into a deeper (but still powerful) tone. However, if you listen to live footage, it's clear that James still has the ability to keep up with his past self so at the very least, he's not the worst member of his own band...aaaand that's all I'm gonna say about that on this post!


9. Eddie Vedder

I'm usually the first to criticise vocalists with an acoustic guitar and stool on stage but I'll make an exception here

I'll admit, I wasn't sure if I was going to choose Eddie Vedder or Chris Cornell for this post. Whilst I like both vocalists a great deal, I think I had to give it to Eddie purely because I'd rather belt out Pearl Jam tracks than Soundgarden ones. Both vocalists have a similar 90s Grunge style to their voice but to me, Eddie's classic drones make for more pleasurable listening than Chris' passionate shouting. I also admire Eddie for adapting his voice with the band's sound from typical Grunge based vocals to modern Alternative ones without compromising the overall quality. There's something uniquely primal about some of his vocals in tracks like "Animal" and "Jeremy" that encapsulates exactly what Rock is about; releasing the beast. That's why Eddie's here!


10. Bruce Dickinson

Nearly made it to the end without mentioning Iron Maiden...but that was never gonna happen

If you've been keeping up with these Tenology posts so far, you'll know I've listed at least one member of Iron Maiden in each post so far and with bloody good reason. They are my number one favourite band and I firmly believe that each member brings their own skills to the table to create a unified, incredible sound. However, if you have to single out one driving force behind the band's success (and you don't know about Steve Harris), you'll probably pick Bruce Dickinson due to his operatic, screeching vocals that propelled the band away from the Punk sound they were dangerously close to solidifying with in their first two albums. Bruce has a supreme vocal range, great songwriting talents and knows how to be a top notch (if not slightly outspoken) frontman. Final cherry on top? The guy had throat cancer not long ago and kicked it right in the fucking cunt before releasing a brand new Iron Maiden studio album AND going on tour to promote it. Top bloke indeed.


So those are the ten vocalists I've selected but that's not to say there aren't other great vocalists who leapt to the front of my mind as I was thinking about great voices in the world of Rock/Metal. Here are some slightly fleshed out Honourable Mentions along with reasons why I didn't choose them to be listed up above.

Ronnie James Dio

No, this isn't Klaus Meine

Arguably the greatest voice in all of Metal and quite possibly one of the most talented, considering he's been in three iconic Rock/Metal bands (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) along with several smaller outfits. Out of the three main bands he's been a part of, I'd rate his tenure with Black Sabbath at number one simply because his vocals had all the power with none of the...hmmm, how should I put this...pomposity? There's something a bit ridiculous about some of his vocals in Rainbow and Dio tunes as if he took himself a little bit too seriously. It takes me out of the music when I hear him trying to vocally simulate the sound of a door slamming or shouting "NO! NO!" over and over again. He was a great vocalist but a little too absurd at times.


Chris Cornell

"Come at me, bruh"

I've already gone into a bit of detail about why I chose Eddie Vedder over Chris Cornell for the main list but come on, I couldn't just completely ignore him. I wrote a Rapid Fire post looking at three albums by three bands/projects Chris Cornell sung in after he died where I praised his voice and songwriting abilities as half the reason why Audioslave are worth listening to. The guy's influence is peppered throughout modern Rock (notably Shinedown) and similar to Anthony Kiedis, Chris' vocals are much better when he's singing softer songs. However, since I prefer Soundgarden to his solo work, I feel like I never got the best out of the guy based on what I've heard.


Brad Delp

Another great vocalist who took his own life

Boston definitely aren't one of my favourite bands but their debut is easily one of my all-time favourite albums. I've talked about why various times but I feel like I haven't really focused too much on Brad Delp's contributions to it. Sure, he had a sweet sounding voice but there's some genuine talent buried beneath the music. Take "More Than A Feeling" and that section before the final chorus where Brad hits that high "slipped away"; that's fucking impressive, especially with how long he holds it for. The main reason he isn't in the list above is simply that I feel other vocalists deserved it more with their wider selection of records and talents that were showcased, but I still think Brad Delp deserves a shout out here.


Grace Slick

Get it? "GRACE this list"???

Similar to Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane also had shared vocalist duties that most people will probably agree was easily dominated by the sheer talent of the female artist. However, whilst Stevie Nicks rocked the mystic, Classic Rock oriented vocals, Grace Slick locked down the psychedelic style and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she helped inspire Stevie's stage presence too. Overall, I couldn't deny that Stevie was the superior vocalist but tracks like "White Rabbit", "Somebody To Love", "Law Man" and even backing vocals in "Volunteers" showcase an incredible voice at work, I felt like this voice didn't quite match some of the others in the list above.


Roger Taylor

Just give me a paragraph to explain myself, that's all I ask!

Yeah, I picked one of the OTHER band members who shared vocalist duties from Queen. There are two reasons for this. 1) We all know Freddie Mercury was an amazing vocalist, probably one of (if not THE) best in this list. I didn't feel the need to place him here when I felt like other vocalists deserved more recognition or my personal take on why they're great although yes, I do think Freddie was a fantastic frontman. 2) Some of you may not know that Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor, took the helm for a few tracks and did a pretty fucking great job. Songs like "I'm In Love With My Car", "Rock It (Prime Jive)", "More Of That Jazz" and (my personal favourite) "Fight From The Inside" all feature Roger on lead vocals and whilst Freddie will always be instantly more recognisable as a vocalist and frontman, I personally believe Roger successfully held his own and provided a more aggressive side to the Rock band that Freddie could never quite pull off to the same degree. However, since Roger isn't exactly the band's main vocalist in the same way that everyone else in the post is, I felt Honourable Mention was the best place to shine a light on Roger Taylor's vocal work.


So that's my list of valuable vocalists in Rock/Metal! I hope you enjoyed reading and waiting two months at a time for each Tenology related to band members. Next year, I might revisit these in some format but for now, all four key band members have been accounted for!
COMING SOON: I dunno, maybe something Christmassy. Probably not though.

Shout Out: 70s Studio Albums - Bad Company

Last week, I saw Bad Company on their Swan Song tour and bloody loved it. I loved it so much that I decided to revisit the first five studio albums by the band (all the albums released in the 1970s) and do a quick shout out to each of them, as they're all worth listening to.
I haven't listened to Rough Diamonds, released in 1982 as the last album with the band's original line-up, but I'm sure that's got some great tunes on it too like "Electricland". Anyway, time to start with the band's self-titled debut.

Bad Company is one of two albums responsible for giving us iconic Classic Rock hits by the band, starting off with album opener "Can't Get Enough", an upbeat rewrite of Mick Ralph's "One Of The Boys" chord sequence from his time with Mott The Hoople ("Ready For Love" is also a Mott The Hoople cover that's often attributed to being a Bad Company original). However, the album doesn't peak there. It also contains "Movin' On", "Rock Steady", "Seagull" and of course "Bad Company", all hits among the Classic Rock community but none more so than the title track.
It's a great listen from start to finish with a healthy variety of music and some fantastic production values for its time (it was released two years before Boston's debut!). If you like any of the songs off this album, you'd be wise to give the rest a listen as well. An incredibly strong debut from this Classic Rock supergroup!

1. Can't Get Enough

2. Rock Steady

3. Ready For Love

4. Don't Let Me Down

5. Bad Company

6. The Way I Choose

7. Movin' On

8. Seagull

ALBUM RATING - 8/10

Of course the only problem now is how to top this with the follow up album.

The solution? Straight Shooter.

I would say on average, Straight Shooter is just what the band needed to survive. It may not contain as many iconic Classic Rock staples but the few tracks that were released as singles are, in my opinion, superior to the ones on the debut. Album opener "Good Lovin' Gone Bad" shows listeners that Paul Rodgers and (bad) co still know how to deliver good old fashioned Rock but it's the next track that pulls out all the stops. "Feel Like Makin' Love" combines soft acoustic guitar melodies and romantic lyrics with heavy power chord riffs and a chorus about shagging; two opposing ends of the Rock songwriting spectrum that come together absolutely fucking perfectly.

The album also contains "Shooting Star", a beautiful tribute to what would become known as the 27 Club, "Weep No More", a Bluesy number for fans of material from Paul Rodgers' other well known band Free, and "Wild Fire Woman", a sturdy Classic Rocker with an "OHHHHHH THAT song!!" chorus. Whilst Bad Company was firmly in the Classic Rock category, Straight Shooter delves into Hard Rock territories meaning the album is better suited for fans of both genres rather than one or the other. Fortunately, it's still a well written collection of great material regardless of personal taste.

1. Good Lovin' Gone Bad

2. Feel Like Makin' Love

3. Weep No More

4. Shooting Star

5. Deal With The Preacher

6. Wild Fire Woman

7. Anna

8. Call On Me

ALBUM RATING - 8/10

To me, Bad Company and Straight Shooter are the band at their peak but even if you're not a Bad Company fan, I'd still recommend the first three albums if you can enjoy Classic Rock...well, the first half of the third album anyway. It may not have created as many hits as the first two albums but Run With The Pack is still, at its heart, a Bad Company album.

Much like the debut, this album contains a modest number of great tracks that are fairly well known but nothing quite as awesome or iconic as any off Straight Shooter (although that's just my opinion). Among the great tunes are riff-based album opener "Live For The Music", Folk Rock number with strong Neil Young vibes "Simple Man", Classic Rock single "Honey Child" and piano heavy title track "Run With The Pack". The album has a grander sound with the increased use of strings and piano as an accompaniment to the Rock, as well as an increased number of slower songs. This probably attributed to the diminished acclaim but make no mistake, it's still a solid record.
Other than that though, it's probable that the singles off this album didn't receive the same attention that tracks like "Bad Company" and "Feel Like Makin' Love" got due to the more common lyrical nature of those songs in comparison. Despite this, Run With The Pack is a good listen if you haven't heard many of the tracks but if you prefer the band when they're rocking out, you may be disappointed with the softer sound of this album.

1. Live For The Music

2. Simple Man

3. Honey Child

4. Love Me Somebody

5. Run With The Pack

6. Silver, Blue & Gold

7. Young Blood

8. Do Right By Your Woman

9. Sweet Lil' Sister

10. Fade Away

ALBUM RATING - 6/10

The next album in the band's career is somewhat of a buried treasure, as none of the songs on it are Classic Rock hits but several of them are great Rock songs. Swaying more towards the Hard Rock side, Burnin' Sky is the band slowly clawing back some of the energy they lost in the last album...but did they claw back enough?

Clearly realising that their last album was a little too delicate, Bad Company decided to turn it back up to whatever it was on during their debut album's recording sessions. Album opener and title track "Burnin' Sky" may be a slow burner (so to speak) but the heavy organ and strong riffs, along with the lyrical themes, create a suitable introduction to what should've been a Hard Rock album. However, even though the tracks sound heavier on the surface, they're lacking the same energy and power that tunes off the first two albums boasted with pride.

There's something about the filler tracks that feel formulaic. The guitar riffs sound like lesser versions of earlier songs and tracks that deviate from this head in the wrong direction, such as pointless interlude "Knapsack" and seven-minute Steve Miller Band wannabe "Master Of Ceremony". What the band needed was to go even further with the heavier riffs, as Heavy Metal was becoming more popular with the rise of bands like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Scorpions whilst Classic/Hard Rock bands such as Queen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin retained their power.

1. Burnin' Sky

2. Morning Sun

3. Leaving You

4. Like Water

5. Knapsack

6. Everything I Need

7. Heartbeat

8. Peace Of Mind

9. Passing Time

10. Too Bad

11. Man Needs Woman

12. Master Of Ceremony

ALBUM RATING - 6/10

OK, this may have started off well but by now you're probably wondering why I like this band so much considering their last two albums were disappointing. We're at the last album of this blog post now and if you listen to Rock radio, you'll probably recognise a few of these tunes as Bad Company slowly started to get back on track with Desolation Angels...no really, I mean it this time.

If you like at Rock bands that start off well, building up a solid fan base before trying something new and losing some of those fans (which is pretty much any band that's released more than three or four albums), they always end up "going back to their roots". Or, in layman's terms, "releasing music that fans actually want" which is often the first few albums of theirs. Desolation Angels is no exception as Bad Company scrapped the idea of being fully Hard Rock and instead went back to feel-good Classic Rock, albeit retaining some of the ideas they adopted along the way.

Album opener and lead single "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" showcases this mix of old and new pretty well, blending guitar melodies and soulful vocals with use of synthesisers and heavier drumming. The album features a good variety of songs too, ranging from upbeat Classic Rock with a modern twist ("Evil Wind", "Rhythm Machine") to softer tracks with less frills and needless accompaniments than tunes off Run With The Pack ("Early In The Morning", "Crazy Circles"). All in all, it's still not quite as great as their first two efforts but it was a good imitation.

1. Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy

2. Crazy Circles

3. Gone, Gone, Gone

4. Evil Wind

5. Early In The Morning

6. Lonely For Your Love

7. Oh, Atlanta

8. Take The Time

9. Rhythm Machine

10. She Brings Me Love

ALBUM RATING - 7/10

I'll have to give Rough Diamonds a listen at some point but I'm definitely glad I listened to these five, even if I didn't love every minute of it. Overall, Bad Company might be a band that were more reliant on their hit singles than album quality but at least there's hidden gold to be found in the river of their first five albums. You won't waste all your time listening to them but at the same time they're no Queen, even if Paul Rodgers did try to join their band for a bit (remember Queen + Paul Rodgers? Come on, at least they tried to do something awesome).

Bad Company - Swan Song Tour

I wouldn't call myself a massive Bad Company fan but I've listened to quite a few of their albums and generally enjoyed most of the tracks. Last night, I saw them at the First Direct Arena in Leeds (same place I saw Slash November before last) and had a fucking blast, even if the first half of the evening was a bit of a wash out.

It started off with a naff pre-warm up warm up from Paul Rogers' daughter. About half an hour later, once Richie Sambora had finished his Colombian Red Bull, he sent his backing band (featuring Orianthi, guitarist extraordinaire) out before joining them for what has to be the most awkward pissing contest I've ever sat through. I'm aware I tweeted that line already but it's so fucking accurate, it needs saying twice. The band started with a cover of "When Love Came To Town" - U2 and finished with a cover of "Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Bon Jovi, filling the space in between with a variety of Richie Sambora/Bon Jovi and Orianthi covers.
First, I should probably start with the things these guys got right. The backing band were great. Bassist, drummer, keyboardist, all top notch and giving it their all. Second, I now have a lot more respect for Orianthi as a musician. I'd previously written her off for being a peddler of generic tween Rock punctuated with the occasional bout of soulless shredding but now I've seen her play some of her other tracks live without pulling a Randy Rhoads on her six-string, I happily admit I was wrong about her. Finally, the setlist choice was suitable. Some decent tracks from both artists and solid cover choices. If each member of the band was on point, it would've been a great show.
Now for the negative aspects which, I'm afraid to say, dwarfed each of the positives. The backing band may have been carrying the show but they were hindered by a poor technical set-up by their sound crew. Amps appeared to be on the fritz throughout the show judging by the amount of time the band and their roadies spent around one particular section of the stage and the dynamics weren't quite right for each instrument, particularly with drums and keys. My guess is Sambora and Orianthi wanted the attention to be on them which brings me to the next point; the frontman and frontwoman.

Richie Sambora and Orianthi are both successful solo artists who are capable of lead vocals and lead guitar. However, when you put two strong musical leaders in the same spotlight, nothing good can come of it. It was painfully apparent from the first song that this line-up wasn't going to work as Samborianthi both began their own separate solos, clashing and forming a horrific wall of noise that nobody paid to hear. Not only that but as lead vocalists, they couldn't harmonise for shit. I'm willing to place most of the blame for their poor performance as a duo on Richie Sambora.
He seemed to be more interested in stroking his throbbing ego than entertaining the audience and by the fifth or sixth song, you could actually hear the audience collectively muttering amongst each other underneath the music. However, credit goes to Orianthi for knowing when to take a step back. Even though she looked bored shiteless playing rhythm guitar on a Richie Sambora track, at least she didn't try to make it about her like he did during one of her songs. The performances where there was one clear lead were the best in the show, although that's not saying much.
As a frontman, Richie Sambora seems too full of himself to make them worth seeing again. Clearly Jon Bon Jovi kept the man in line and now he's out of the picture, Richie's free to show everyone how "awesome" he is. If you find yourself in a position where you can see these guys play, I'd recommend avoiding it until Richie sorts himself out, or at least until Orianthi and the band kick him out and tour as a four-piece outfit as they probably would've been better off without him. Fortunately, Bad Company were getting ready to salvage this absolute 9/11 of an evening.

I honestly didn't expect these guys to be so amazing but from start to finish, they brought the thunder. Kicking things off with "Live For The Music" and finishing with "Rock & Roll Fantasy", these guys played a healthy number of greatest hits along with a few top quality deep cuts (I nearly squealed when I realised they were about to play "Crazy Circles") and just one new track that could've been plucked straight out of the 70s with its riff-heavy Hard Rock sound.
The setlist was definitely one of the highlights but the superb show didn't end there. You'll be pleased to know that Paul Rogers is still exceptional on vocals, effortlessly belting out each line without any noticeable mileage on his vocal chords at all. He also made the concert all about the music, only stopping occasionally to give us a bit of trivia about the songs or respond to a heckler/dumb shithead who wanted them to perform "All Right Now" (I clapped when Paul corrected the man and I hope that chap felt like a right tosser for the rest of the show).
I've seen plenty of 70s bands playing live within the last decade (Deep Purple, Cheap Trick and Slade to name a few) but out of all of them, this show felt like the closest thing to a proper 70s stadium gig I might ever get to see in person. The music was as good as the studio recordings, the stage effects weren't too excessive (no lasers but a modest amount of dry ice) and the videos played on the screens behind the stage looked like black and white footage of the band during one of those old BBC shows like Old Grey Whistle Test. However, since the footage was of them playing live, it didn't feel like the band were trying to make us feel nostalgic; it felt like they wanted to recreate the experience for fresh fans.

Compared to the warm up gig, the sound was a lot clearer, the band members had better chemistry and awareness of each other, the audience were more invested in the music (which absolutely affects the band's performance) and the music was simply better. The only downside to the gig was that after they finished, they left the stage to do a one-song encore of "Bad Company"...only to leave and come back to do a second one-song encore of "Rock Steady". It would've been wiser for them to come out and play a single encore with two songs, "Rock Steady" and "Bad Company" in that order.
I'm not sure if Bad Company will be touring again, as this is their Swan Song tour. However, if they do another circuit or add another date, you'd be wise to get tickets. Go and see Bad Company if a) you like their music, b) you like Classic Rock and c) you've heard and like a couple of their well known tracks ("Feel Like Makin' Love", "Can't Get Enough" and "Bad Company" being the main three). They have a back catalogue full of brilliant Rock tracks that you'll probably enjoy if you like their signature songs and the atmosphere at the gig was generally a lot warmer than modern concerts.
I intend to write two blog posts in the future covering topics mentioned here; the first will be about a selection of Bad Company albums that I've had the pleasure of listening to, the second will be about the utter joy that is the modern gig experience. I'm not sure which I'll write first but you can expect at least one of them before the month is up.

Tenology: Songs That Sound Better When Sped Up

Bonus Post!
This is to make up for the week I missed in March and I figure you might want to read this short little post over a random video game one.

Recently, I learned that you can speed up or slow down videos on Youtube so naturally, I gave several slower songs a listen with the speed increased to 1.25x. Many tracks didn't work at all but surprisingly, quite a few songs actually sounded pretty awesome when sped up slightly.
I've created a playlist of some of these songs on Youtube but the problem with keeping track of things via Youtube (especially when it's a music playlist) is that videos get deleted quite frequently. As a result, I've chosen to list ten of my favourite sped up songs here so that I can find them again even if some prick deletes them off Youtube.
If you have any suggestions for songs that'd sound just as good (or arguably better) when sped up, let me know in the comments or via Twitter. Also, feel free to let me know if any of the embedded Youtube videos get removed and I need to replace them.

WARNING! YOU MAY NEED A COUPLE OF LISTENS TO THE ORIGINAL/SLOWER VERSIONS OF THESE SONGS IF YOU EVER WANT TO HEAR THEM THE SAME AGAIN!


1. "Night Moves" - Bob Seger
(wait until the drums come in, it sounds like The Doobie Brothers)




2. "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
(I finally found a way to fix Axl's voice...sort of)




3. "Man In The Box" - Alice In Chains
(less Alice In Chains, more Velvet Revolver. I love it!)




4. "Nothing Else Matters" - Metallica
(it almost sounds like a Christmas song or sea-shanty, SO much better!)




5. "Bad Company" - Bad Company
(it may not sound less powerful and more...broadway, but it sounds alright enough for this list)




6. "Everything About You" - Ugly Kid Joe
(the Poison vibe is strong with this one!)




7. "Time Is Running Out" - Muse
(I can imagine a band like Paramore rocking a sped up cover of this)




8. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult
(obviously I prefer the original but it's cool to hear this song if covered by The Ventures)




9. "Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne
(the rest of the song is kinda...yeah...but at least the riff sounds cooler!)




10. "Do You Feel Like We Do?" - Peter Frampton
(closest I can get to creating a studio version of the Frampton Comes Alive version, although shame about the Disco sound)




Honourable Mentions

"Green Tinted Sixties Mind" - Mr. Big
"Jump" - Van Halen
"Hot Blooded" - Foreigner
"Rosalie" - Thin Lizzy
"Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" - The White Stripes*
"Don't Stop Believing" - Journey
"The Zoo" - Scorpions
"Same Old Song And Dance" - Aerosmith


Thanks for reading/listening! I'll see if I can find something to review either next week or the week after.


* Fun fact! You can hear Meg White changing the tempo between 1:28-1:34 due to being a shit drummer a lot clearer when everything's sped up.