What's this? Another blog post and one that breaks the GH - RB - GH - RB pattern of rhythm music game setlist discussions? Yep, I'm looking at the teen friendly Band Hero instead of a Rock Band expansion pack this time, mostly because I plan on going for the Band Hero FGFC on Clone Hero which means revisiting all of the songs/charts in the game. Since I have to listen to all the songs anyway, I figured I might as well write my verdicts here so I don't have to listen to all the mindless, generic Pop this game had to offer for a second time down the line.
If you want to read about Rock music, feel free to catch up on previous Guitar Hero and Rock Band related blog posts!
"A Million Ways" - OK Go
Of all the OK Go songs to pick for the game, I'm not entirely sure why they went with this one. It probably had something to do with releasing their more popular songs like "Here It Goes Again" and "Do What You Want" as Guitar Hero DLC but either way, this is a relatively forgettable song. It's not the worst Pop Rock song to listen to but they probably would've been better off picking one of the aforementioned OK Go songs with the fun charts and recognisable melodies. THUMBS DOWN.
"ABC" - The Jackson 5
Pretty sure I've talked about this song before but basically, I hate it. I hate the idiotic lyrics, the simplistic music and the fact that everyone else seems to fucking love it. The only decent thing about this song is the drum solo but even that's ruined by the toddler screaming "NO! GEDDUP GURL!" so it's another THUMBS DOWN.
"American Pie" - Don McLean
As far as credits songs go, this is a pretty great choice. Fun chart (even if it does have a lot of piano charted to guitar) and totally appropriate for the game, as the inclusion of a handful of radio friendly Rock songs is the only thing that made this game tolerable. I'm glad they included this song in Band Hero rather than an on-disc GH game so it's getting a THUMBS UP although points should be deducted for the embarrassing censorship of "whiskey" in the chorus...you know, if points were a thing in these posts.
"Angels Of The Silences" - Counting Crows
It's not "Accidentally In Love" so it's not immediately getting a Thumbs Up. That being said, it is a decent tune and the guitar chart's not bad. There are a lot of basic guitar charts in this game and I'm not expecting to be wowed, bumping up the average for what I consider a fun chart. I don't know enough about this band to choose a different/better song so I guess I have no choice but to give it a THUMBS UP.
"Back Again" - Parachute
Not gonna lie, I actually kinda like this song. Guitar chart's pretty fun and the melody is enjoyable. I don't like it enough to listen to the song outside of GH but for the purposes of playing it in a rhythm music game, it gets a THUMBS UP.
"Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett
Mostly just chords and strumming but hey, it's not a bad song...at least not until the key change, THEN it's a bad song. It's also not a bad chart...until the key change, then it's a boring chart. Still, you can thank Shrek for making this song popular enough to include on Band Hero and whilst it's not one I play that often, it's not a song I despise listening to or playing so I'm giving it a THUMBS UP. Plus, I can't think of any other Joan Jett songs that'd be better in this game.
"Beautiful Soul" - Jesse McCartney
Ugh, this song is lame. Bland modern Pop for teenage girls, one step above Jonas Brothers and shit like that. However, the chart isn't awful. It's not great either, as many of the acoustic guitar riffs would've been so much better if they had HOPOs instead of strums, but it's not just a series of chords and strumming. Some thought was put into this song choice but that doesn't stop it from getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Believe" - The Bravery
I like this song quite a bit. Great bass, decent vocal melodies, catchy chorus and some fun guitar too! This is the kind of song I wish there were more of in Band Hero; modern Pop Rock/Alternative that's got some decent guitar. I understand why the setlist was what it was but it's a shame we didn't get more surprisingly awesome tunes like this one. THUMBS UP.
"Black Cat" - Janet Jackson
First off, this song has a bitchin' guitar riff. It's not the most fun to play but damn, it is great to listen to. After that, the chart's pretty basic...until the guitar solo. This song's guitar solo is surprisingly challenging if you're not expecting it, making it another surprisingly fun tune to play! It's also a great choice from the 80s, as it's not quite cheesy enough to make you grow tired of playing it (see "YMCA") but it's not heavy enough to put off this game's target audience. THUMBS UP.
"Black Horse And The Cherry Tree" - KT Tunstall
Before this game, I knew exactly two KT Tunstall songs: this one and "Suddenly I See". I'm glad Band Hero got this song, as it's my personal favourite. Fun guitar and a great lively rhythm. It's definitely a song for vocalists but it helps that there's some solid guitar throughout too, earning it another THUMBS UP.
"Bring Me To Life" - Evanescence
I hate this song. Whiny, affected, pseudo-Rock bollocks. On the one hand, I'm glad this track was included in Band Hero instead of a Guitar Hero game/DLC but on the other, it's a terrible song and I would've been perfectly content had it never disgraced any of the Hero games. Anyway, enough about my personal distaste towards the song; how's the chart? Well, it's basically just chords and strumming with a few sustains...so THUMBS DOWN.
"Dirty Little Secret" - The All-American Rejects
Never been into these guys, although I doubt any of you will be that surprised. These guys are safe Pop Rock for edgy teenage girls so their songs tend to sound the same. That being said, I don't hate this song or chart. It's run-of-the-mill for this game so I guess it belongs here as much as any other All-American Rejects tune. I'm on the fence about this one but I'm going to give them a THUMBS UP because I sort of like the guitar riff. Just a shame it's stapled to this song.
"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" - Culture Club
80s Pop song? Cool! This particular 80s Pop song? Oh. I guess it's an alright song with a good easy chart for the start of the game's career mode, although I personally would've preferred "Karma Chameleon" or some other 80s New Wave song, as there were plenty with fun guitar. Some Blondie perhaps, maybe "Echo Beach" - Martha And The Muffins? Yeah, now that I think about it, I don't like this song. The chorus is annoying and it forms the majority of the song's melody. THUMBS DOWN.
"Don't Speak" - No Doubt
One of two songs by No Doubt in this game and I have to say, I hate both songs equally! Boring guitar, irritating vocals, just really bland performances by everyone all-round. Fuck No Doubt. THUMBS DOWN.
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" - Poison
As indifferent as I am to this Country song masquerading as a Hair Metal ballad, the guitar chart's actually pretty fun. Some great HOPO riffs and a short but sweet solo. I would've preferred a Hair Metal power ballad like "Home Sweet Home" - Motley Crue but this song's a good choice, I suppose. Probably more accessible than "Home Sweet Home" too. THUMBS UP.
"Fascination" - Alphabeat
I remember hearing this song's chorus in TV ads a lot which put me off it for a while. However, after listening to the song in full, I actually sort of like it! Catchy melody and some decent guitar (although plenty of awkward strumming too), plus it's upbeat Pop so definitely the perfect music for this game. There are a bunch of other upbeat chart songs I would probably have preferred in this game but I can't think of a good enough reason to give it a Thumbs Down so, by process of elimination, it must earn a THUMBS UP.
"Gasoline" - The Airbourne Toxic Event
Oh boy, I love this song! I especially love the heavy guitar riff and HOPO use in this classic Audioslave so...oh, wait. It's not the song I'm thinking of. It's just a modern Rock song that sort of sounds like a worse version of Tom Petty. This song has some fun guitar parts and awkward guitar parts but it's getting a THUMBS UP for being a moderately challenging guitar chart in comparison to the rest of the game. Plus, it's not just pre-pubescent teenage Pop Rock so it deserves some credit for that.
"Hands Down" - Dashboard Confessional
Aaaaand here's the pre-pubescent teenage Pop Rock. Chart's mostly chord strumming but there are some fun riffs here and there. Unfortunately, most of them would be more fun with HOPOs instead of strum notes but at least they're good riffs to listen to. I know nothing about this band (I don't think I even played this song in Band Hero) so can't comment on what song would be a better choice but since it's a decent Pop Rock tune with a fun chart, it deserves a THUMBS UP.
"Hang Me Up To Dry" - Cold War Kids
THUMBS DOWN to this boring ass, Radiohead-wannabe Indie song with its tedious guitar chart and uninspired music. That's all that needs to be said about this track.
"Happy Together" - The Turtles
This song is popular enough to belong in this game and even though the guitar chart is easy, it contains a fair amount of variety to make it slightly more fun. However, I personally would've preferred more focus on the guitar and less on the annoying brass in the chorus. Still, this is a solid pick for Band Hero. THUMBS UP.
"Honky Tonk Woman" - The Rolling Stones
Bobby Kotick loves his Rolling Stones, huh. Of all their songs to be in Band Hero, this probably has to be one of the more sensible choices. Guitar's OK but nothing special, just like all the other Rolling Stones songs, and it's a relatively well known tune of theirs without being as "heavy" as bigger hits like "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Paint It, Black" (which was already in GH3). I'm a little surprised they didn't go for something like "Start Me Up" or "Brown Sugar" but either way, I can't complain about this song's inclusion when the alternative probably wouldn't have been much better. THUMBS UP.
"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" - Marvin Gaye
This game also has plenty of R&B/Soul although, for some reason, they decided to not pick R&B/Soul songs with fun guitar and instead choose ones with strings/brass/keys. We didn't get fun Stevie Wonder songs but we got this one with the sexy bass and annoying trill section on guitar. Still, it's a good tune to listen to...although a horrible song to play so THUMBS DOWN.
"I Want You To Want Me (Live)" - Cheap Trick
Easily one of the best songs in the game. Fun guitar chart and the best version of this song available, since the At Budokan version doesn't sound as good, the In Color original is Bubblegum Pop and the rerecorded studio version doesn't quite pack the same punch. There are some mildly awkward sections but with practise, this song is easy to master and a blast to play. Plus it's one of Cheap Trick's most famous songs that hasn't already been in Guitar Hero so THUMBS UP.
"If You Could Only See" - Tonic
It would've been awesome if this game had a bunch of 90s Alternative Rock songs that crossed into mainstream radio territory, stuff like "Jumper" - Third Eye Blind and "Shine" - Collective Soul. Unfortunately, we got songs like this. Non-threatening 90s Pop Rock with fairly unimpressive guitar for 17 year old girls. That's what happens when a bunch of businessmen in suits thinktank a setlist for a target demographic currently uninterested in rhythm music video games. THUMBS DOWN.
"In A Big Country" - Big Country
Despite being the single edit, this is definitely more fun than the Rock Band 3 chart. It's got some mildly awkward sections but it's still a good chart and a great song to listen to. I don't really know anything else about this band but I'm guessing it's one of their most popular songs, seeing as how they named themselves after it. Regardless of the song/band's origins, it gets a THUMBS UP for sounding different to the average Band Hero song and for being an enjoyable experience to play.
"Just A Girl" - No Doubt
Hey, the circus clowns are back with their Pop Rock cover of the Rugrats theme! I'm sure this was intended to be a sarcastic comment on the perception of women in the media but Gwen Stefani really did a shit job of sounding frustrated at the injustice she faces. In fact, she seems better at singing the borderline slutty girly girl sections more than the "Fuck you and your misogyny" chorus parts. THUMBS DOWN for many reasons including failing to do what artists like Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) do so fucking brilliantly.
"Kids" - Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue
Definitely picked for the vocal melody in the chorus but it just so happens that this song has some fairly active guitar too. I suppose I'm glad that we got this song instead of a Robbie Williams song AND a Kylie Minogue one (unless the Robbie Williams one was "A Man For All Seasons") but it's not one I'd want to play often. That being said, it is quite funny listening to Robbie Williams' embarrassing rap in the outro so THUMBS UP for making me chuckle and entertaining me with the guitar chart, I suppose.
"Kung-Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas
MUCH better than the Lego Rock Band chart, since that version is just chords and strumming. This chart has sections where you play the "DEE-DEE-DEE-DEE-DI-DI-DOO-DOO-DI" bit on tap notes throughout, adding more variety and sparing your strumming wrist from repetitive strain injury. It's also a fun little catchy tune that kids and families probably enjoyed playing together, since it's a universally recognised song. THUMBS UP for being a solid choice and having a tolerable chart.
"L.E.S. Artistes" - Santigold
Boring chart and song. "Say Aha" would've been better in every way. THUMBS DOWN.
"Let's Dance" - David Bowie
Ugh, this song. Boring as fuck in Lego Rock Band and just plain boring in Band Hero, even with the dull brass charted. Seriously, of all the David Bowie songs, this was their best choice? Not "Life On Mars", "Heroes?", "Modern Love", "The Jean Genie", all the other songs I mention when complaining about David Bowie song choices for video games? THUMBS DOWN.
"Lifeline" - Papa Roach
One of the hardest songs in the game although, by any other game's standard, it's pretty fucking easy. Edgy teen Rock with some fun guitar but mostly just strumming when it's not the main riff. I don't know any other better Papa Roach songs but if you want modern Rock with relatively challenging guitar, there's no short supply. Hell, a Foo Fighters song would've done instead of this repetitive shite. THUMBS DOWN.
"Like Whoa" - Aly & AJ
This song's first lyric is "Life is good, I can't complain, I mean I could but no-one's listening". She's complaining about how nobody's listening to her complaining. That should give you an insight into how much I dislike this Disney shit. It just sucks musically, lyrically and from a charting perspective. Aside from one small fast strumming section, it has nothing going for it on guitar. THUMBS DOWN.
"Lips Of An Angel" - Hinder
Modern Hard Pop Rock, just what we were missing! I'm surprised this game didn't have any Creed or Nickelback to go with this song but hey, at least it's not that bland. There's some fun to be had on guitar...like, a tiny minuscule amount. Yet again, it's another song picked to sing along to but at least it's a Rock song instead of more anaemic Pop. THUMBS UP.
"Love Is A Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
Awesome song, great guitar chart (complete with bitchin' solo), totally suitable for this game. One of the best songs in Band Hero and I feel no shame in saying that. THUMBS UP.
"Love Story" - Taylor Swift
The first of three songs by Taylor Swift, an artist who started off with Country Pop before transitioning to just Pop because it made her more money/was easier to sell. This complete crap with dull guitar and cliched lyrics about Romeo & Juliet written by an eleven year-old is a perfect example of a song that deserves a THUMBS DOWN. Can't wait to see what else Taylor has to offer!
"Mr. Roboto" - Styx
Hats off to Activision for getting the original version of this song instead of a rerecording, which is probably why it didn't export to other games. Anyway, I love this song! Guitar chart's OK, nothing fancy but it's exactly what it needed to be for this song. The track itself is probably the best Styx song to choose, since some of their other Pop songs are probably a bit too much on the Prog side like "Come Sail Away" although I think I would've been happy with most popular Styx songs. THUMBS UP.
"Naive" - The Kooks
Hate The Kooks and this song. If it was "Sofa Song" or "She Moves In Her Own Way", MAYBE I would've been less harsh but instead, we got this wank. On the plus side, it's more active guitar than a lot of other songs on this list but sadly, it's all in service of a song I wouldn't listen to even if it drowned out the sound of my parents fucking. THUMBS DOWN.
"Ocean Avenue" - Yellowcard
I've listened to this song a bunch of times and I still can't remember anything about it. It's just generic weeny Pop Punk and certainly no "The Takedown". However, I'm guessing it's also this band's most popular song so it's a logical choice for the game. Plus, aside from all the chord strumming, there are some fun HOPO/tap note sections. Ah, what the hell. THUMBS UP for not being an awful Pop Punk song like "Stacy's Mom" or "Teenage Dirtbag".
"Oh, Pretty Woman" - Roy Orbison
Yeah, I like this song's riff. I prefer it to the one in the Van Halen cover too, although the rest of the song is pretty dull. If I'm being honest, I'm not entirely sure why this song was in the game as I doubt the target audience are that familiar with it to the point that they'd love to play/sing it. Some 60s songs like "Happy Together" that have reached a certain level of cultural acceptance are understandable but Roy Orbison ain't reaching the teens, I'll tell you that much. Plus, I probably would've preferred some other piece of Pop Rock from the 60s. Maybe something by Herman's Hermits or Jefferson Airplane? "Somebody To Love" would've been a great choice for this game. THUMBS DOWN, I'm afraid.
"Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's
Meh, I prefer the Fun Boy Three version of this song. Once again, it's serviceable 80s Pop Rock but I would've preferred some Blondie, as something like "Atomic" or "Call Me" probably would've been more enjoyable on guitar. However, personal taste aside, this song is suitable for the game and probably more popular than I'm aware of so THUMBS UP.
"Paralyzer" - Finger Eleven
Whilst I personally prefer the song "Living In A Dream" by this band, this is the bigger single and still has plenty of guitar throughout so it's the better choice for the game. Plus, I think "Living In A Dream" hadn't been released when this game came out so really, it's the only choice by this band. THUMBS UP despite the awkward guitar riff in the verse.
"Picture To Burn" - Taylor Swift
Yee-haw, more Country from the artist we're all supposed to worship for some reason. However, of all the Taylor Swift songs to pick for the game, this is probably the best since "Shake It Off" hadn't been released yet. It's actually got some fun guitar, complete with banjo licks and a sweet solo. If you want a fun guitar chart and can tune out the terrible lyrics (seriously, they're fucking awful), you'll get some joy out of this. THUMBS UP.
"Pictures Of You" - The Last Goodnight
What is this shit and why did they censor "gun" in the lyrics? Don't want to toddlers playing this game to know weapons exist? THUMBS DOWN.
"Put Your Records On" - Corinne Bailey Rae
I fucking hate this song. I remember hearing it on the radio all the fucking time growing up and hating every second of it. This was clearly another song picked for the purpose of singing along with friends in your bedroom after school, hence the dull guitar chart and the THUMBS DOWN I'm giving it.
"Rio" - Duran Duran
There are exactly two songs by Duran Duran that I like and since Guitar Hero 5 got the other one, I'm glad Band Hero got this one. It's also much more fun than the Rock Band chart, which was simultaneously boring AND awkward on guitar. Granted there's brass charted with tap notes here but I'm OK with that. I'm also OK with this particular 80s Pop song being in the game so THUMBS UP.
"Rock Star" - N.E.R.D.
I would genuinely have preferred the Nickelback song "Rock Star" over this trash performed by more Hip Hop cunts who don't understand what the term "Rock Star" means. THUMBS DOWN.
"Santa Monica" - Everclear
This bland Surf Rock song means absolutely nothing to me and the fact that it exists annoys me, as it meant a potentially better 90s/00s Alternative Rock song lost a place on this game's setlist. There are some decent HOPO sections that last precisely half a second each and the rest of the song consists of chords and sustains. Boring track and chart. THUMBS DOWN.
"She Will Be Loved" - Maroon 5
Hey hey, it's the other circus clown that was playable in the game, Adam Levine! It'll come as no surprise to you that I fucking hate Maroon 5 on account of having working ears connected to a functioning brain so we all know the verdict I'm going to give this generic Pop shite...but let's spend some time dicking on the track a little more, shall we? Dull 4/4 strumming, uninspired vocal melodies (anyone else hear touches of early 00s Red Hot Chili Peppers in the chorus?), absolutely no backbone from any of the band members playing on this garbage excuse for a soulful song, an appalling lack of variety in the chart due to the simplistic nature of the song and even though vocalists will probably have a blast wailing along to Patch Adam, it's getting an almighty THUMBS DOWN from me.
"So Yesterday" - Hilary Duff
Remember Hilary Duff? You do? Why? Anyway, she has a song with a name almost as annoying as the thought of Hilary Duff. Unsurprisingly, the guitar chart is dull and repetitive and the songis even worse than I thought a song called "So Yesterday" would be. THUMBS DOWN.
"Steal My Kisses" - Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Jesus, we're fully into the shit now, aren't we? More generic chord strumming to a funky rhythm in a sorry excuse for a 90s Surf Rock tune. Serious question, how did Activision fuck up the setlist this badly? Harmonix had the right idea with Lego Rock Band but Activision clearly had no clue, almost as if the setlist was picked by about eight cynical businessmen with a collective age of 430 years after a few hours Googling "What do youngsters listen to?" or asking a single intern what was on their iPod. THUMBS DOWN.
"Sugar, We're Going' Down" - Fall Out Boy
....I mean, I can't fault the inclusion of Fall Out Boy in Band Hero, as much as I dislike their pipsqueak brand of "Rock". What I am confused about is why they also appeared in Guitar Hero Warriors Of Rock, since I thought this game served an unintended purpose of attracting terrible Pop Rock songs away from GH like a black hole for non-edgy teen music? Anyway, the guitar chart is average. Chords, strumming, a decent HOPO outro and some relatively challenging rhythms for those unfamiliar with the game but otherwise, just a dull experience in comparison to some of their other songs like "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" or "Dead On Arrival". THUMBS DOWN.
"Take A Picture" - Filter
This song is only six minutes long but my God, it felt like double that when I played it in Band Hero. Anyway, what can I say about the chart? How about "hope you like chord strumming, kids!" as that's all this song is...for six minutes. In what world could someone find this an objectively enjoyable experience on guitar, especially when compared to their other song in GH, "Hey Man, Nice Shot"? I mean, this song is the complete fucking opposite of that one in every way! Complete misfire of a song choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"Take Back The City" - Snow Patrol
Yep, I hate Snow Patrol too. Moaning horseshit disguised as Rock that everyone I grew up with fucking loved. I will say this though; I do prefer this song to "Chasing Cars" and that one from the Spider-Man film...although I still dislike this song overall. The chorus is like a worse version of the "I'm not scared" part from "New Way Home" - Foo Fighters although the chart isn't awful. Since Snow Patrol were quite popular and this song is definitely the best one of theirs that I've heard, I'm giving it a reluctant THUMBS UP.
"Take What You Take" - Lily Allen
This song actually surprised me when it was announced for the game. I'm not sure if Lily Allen took off in America but she used to be on the radio all the fucking time in the UK. I heard a lot of her tunes on the radio but never this one. If I did hear this one, I probably would've given her a fairer chance instead of judging her based on the shite that charted instead. It's a fun tune with some decent guitar so THUMBS UP for giving me a reason to enjoy Lily Allen's music, something I never thought any of her songs would do.
"The Adventure" - Angels & Airwaves
Now we have one of those modern Pop Rock songs that's all about having "feeeeeeeeeeeelings". Guitar's pretty dull, mostly just strumming single notes although there's plenty of variety in the note formation. Sadly, the song is kinda meh and the outro goes on way too long. I don't know anything about this band so can't recommend an alternative. However, assuming these guys are the American equivalent of UK bands like Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs, it would've been good to get songs by bands like Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs in the game. They're fairly popular and have fun guitar charts, which is probably why they ended up on Band Hero DS/Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits instead. Ah well, THUMBS DOWN.
"The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Originally, I had no interest in buying Band Hero...until this song was confirmed for the game's setlist, then I knew I had to buy it. It was a track I requested to be in GH way before Band Hero and thankfully, the guitar chart is everything I hoped for and more. Fun chord sequence and a fun Ska Punk tune to listen to. Definitely the best Mighty Mighty Bosstones song they could've picked and whilst some people would probably want other Ska Punk tracks, this is a straight up THUMBS UP from me.
"Turn Off The Light" - Nelly Furtado
I don't know anything about Nelly Furtado, other than the fact that her name sounds like a cruel and archaic way of referring to someone with special needs, but judging by this song I can also infer that Nelly's never heard of the expression "less is more". This song sounds like she was given a list of available musical effects and instruments to use and instead of choosing ones that compliment each other, she just slammed her hand on the clipboard and blurted out "ALLADEM". That being said, I would probably like this song a lot if it wasn't overproduced. It's a nice melody and the guitar chart is pretty fun! THUMBS UP.
"Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina and the Waves
Another chart that's better than its Rock Band counterpart, mostly due to the variety added with brass on guitar. Other than that though, it's totally appropriate for the game. Fun and catchy tune, somewhat entertaining chart and I literally have no idea if Katrina and the Waves have ever recorded another song in the history of their career so "Walking On Sunshine" is the only choice available. THUMBS UP.
"Wannabe" - Spice Girls
Oh boy, THIS one. The one where the women rap "If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends" and "Slam your body down and wind it all around". The "guitar" chart is pretty laughable but this was clearly picked for the vocals, which I can understand. After all, this is one of those songs where people who like it either do so because they genuinely like the tune or they're doing it ironically because it's so cheesy. I'm neither of those people. THUMBS DOWN. There are better Pop songs to sing and play.
"Warwick Avenue" - Duffy
This is another song I could never get into when it came out. I remember the music video of her crying in black and white but I preferred "Mercy" and "Rain On Your Parade". However, this song has more active guitar than I thought it would and the vocals are pretty damn good. I'm glad we got more Soul in this game, even if it is modern Soul. Plus, they could've picked an Amy Winehouse song. That would've been embarrassing. THUMBS UP.
"When I'm Gone" - 3 Doors Down
On the plus side, this is a Rock song with a decent guitar chart. On the downside, it's by that band that played at Trump's inauguration so they're basically on the same respectability level as one of those bands fronted by a paedophile. Then again, when this song was picked, the world didn't know just how cuntish these cunts were so I suppose it's a THUMBS UP that has aged incredibly poorly.
"Whip It" - Devo
There are several Devo songs they could've picked for this game but I'm glad they picked the obvious choice. "Whip It" is a good tune to listen to on occasion and whilst it's not the most fun guitar chart, it's what it needs to be; easy for the start of the game's career mode. In short, I like this song and it's getting a THUMBS UP.
"Y.M.C.A." - Village People
This song is responsible for a funny scene in Wayne's World 2 and a hilarious joke in The Life And Times Of Tim. Other than that, I'm struggling to think of any other benefit to living in a reality where this song exists. It certainly isn't this chart that contains absolutely no guitar despite there being guitar in the song. Sure, it may have that challenging little tap note section throughout but I would taken literally any other 70s Funk/Disco song in its place. Some Bee Gees would've been incredible instead of this...this fucking meme. THUMBS DOWN.
"You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift
The final song by Taylor Swift-Transition-From-Country-To-Pop-To-Make-More-Money. The lyrics tell a story of a girl singing to a guy she likes about how his girlfriend is wrong for him and that they should be together instead; I have multiple issues with this song. Number 1: Taylor Swift could've had any guy she wanted at school, she was rich and (probably) attractive. Number 2: I don't believe for a second that Taylor would've been the quiet, awkward chick. Taylor Swift was almost certainly the school bitch or at least one of them. 3) "You Belong With Me"? Way to get weirdly possessive about romance, Taylor. If I were a guy in high school, I'd probably want to go out with the girl trying to claim me like a fucking trophy. Once again, it's lowest common denominator pandering. Oh yeah, and the music/guitar chart sucks. THUMBS DOWN.
"You Had Me" - Joss Stone
I hate Joss Stone's voice and, by extension, this song. However, that is one great guitar/clavinet chart. It's also a popular tune so it makes sense to include in this game's setlist AND it's funny to listen to with all the censored lyrics. THUMBS UP.
With that, we reach the end of the setlist and the scores are 35 Thumbs Up to 30 Thumbs Down. Despite being a setlist containing mostly Pop and modern crap, it wins with a 54% approval rating! As for what I've personally gained from revisiting all of the songs/charts, I've learned that whilst there are some good times to be had from trying to FC every song in the game, I've also got a lot of shit to wade through if I want to join the esteemed league of rhythm music gamers who successfully FGFC'd Band Hero about 10 years ago when people gave a shit.
Feel free to join me at twitch.tv/iasg14 to see my suffer through it yourself!
Showing posts with label Guitar Hero. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guitar Hero. Show all posts
Saturday, 23 February 2019
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.
Monday, 30 July 2018
Guitar Charts: Dos & Don'ts
Apologies guys; it's another video game post!
Fans of Guitar Hero & Rock Band will know that the guitar chart for a song can make or break your experience. Casual players probably won't care but fans playing on Expert would spend afternoons on forums bitching about overcharts, undercharts and instruments that aren't guitar charted to guitar. Granted that those heated debates died out with the popularity of the rhythm music game genre but ever since Clone Hero took off (a free Guitar Hero mod that contains all the music from GH/RB and a seemingly infinite supply of customs), the importance of good guitar charts is back.
So what makes a "good" chart? Well, it frequently comes down to opinion but I like to think there are some rules that players generally accept when defining a good or bad chart. These are the rules I tend to follow when making the call:
DO put fun over realism
This is one that some players will probably disagree with but for me, I would much rather play a chart that's fun albeit slightly inaccurate than one that's closer to the way you actually play it on guitar that isn't as fun as it could've been. Sure, realism is somewhat necessary in these charts as a guideline but here's the thing: Guitar Hero and other music game variants are video games, they are not real and will never be real. Trying to make them realistic is a futile exercise that only serves to please the pedantic and frustrate everyone else. If the chart would be more fun with HOPOs throughout the solo when the reality is there would be frequent strums or if the chords used have four notes in them instead of two or three, you best believe that 99% of the time fun trumps realism.
DO some research
OK, you've listened to the song a hundred times and you can already picture how it should be charted in your head...but is that REALLY how the song is played? Is that REALLY how it sounds or have you mentally filled in gaps that didn't exist? Does the riff go G-R-Y OY, G-R-Y GY or should it go R-G-Y BO, R-G-Y YB (if you can guess the song I just charted there from the notes alone, we should hang out more)? Trust me, you might have a great idea for how it's played in your head but if you have no knowledge about how to play the entire song, you're almost certainly going to make a mistake somewhere. Fortunately, it's easy to correct yourself. If it's a real song by an actual band instead of some meme remix then you can probably find a decent tab on Ultimate-Guitar.com and if it's a well known song, riff and/or solo then chances are there's a detailed video tutorial on YouTube. Hit the web and do some learning before charting your favourite song for the benefit of the fans who'll be playing your work. NOTE: This is mostly referring to mapping the notes to the correct pitch and whilst it does sound like it contradicts my previous point, there's no fun in playing a chart made by someone who clearly couldn't tell a chord from a trill.
DO know when to use instruments other than guitar
Sometimes, a song may have a section on a completely different instrument pop up in a guitar chart. It'll commonly be keys of some sort but could also be harmonica, strings or even percussion in some rare cases ("We Will Rock You" - Queen on Lego Rock Band). Some players will draw a firm line in the sand and say no instruments other than guitar in a guitar chart. Personally, I feel that there are examples where keys or strings can enhance a chart but there is no strict rule for when to use them, hence the wording of this Do. If the song has plenty of guitar and there's an introduction on a different instrument (e.g. the piano in "Hold The Line" - Toto or the strings in "Afterlife" - Avenged Sevenfold), you can probably just leave those out. However, if there's a killer organ solo later on and the guitar is just gonna be sustains or chord strumming (e.g. "Roll With The Changes" - REO Speedwagon or "Burn" - Deep Purple), you can go ahead and spice your chart up with those tap notes. Ultimately though, no guitar chart is ever ruined by NOT putting different instruments in whereas plenty have been soiled by including other instruments where they're not welcome.
DON'T take the piss when over/undercharting
This is not the same as "Don't over/underchart". Whilst it doesn't happen often, I accept that there are a few occasions where the occasional over/underchart makes a song a bit more fun, e.g. putting in a couple of extra HOPOs where there'd normally be a pause to make a section of a solo flow better or making 3-note chords into 2-note ones to avoid giving players a severe case of wanker's cramp in their fretting arm. HOWEVER, there's an incredibly fine line to tread here. If possible, stick to charting sensibly but if you do feel the urge to over/underchart, don't be a tool. Don't fill a song with ridiculous sweeping note streams where there are none just to make it a Clone Hero meme (a.k.a. the rhythm music game equivalent of YouTube Poop, a.k.a. Art Cancer) and don't be a coward who only charts every other note because they can't play very well.
DON'T focus on just lead or rhythm guitar
Variety is key when making a fun chart. Sometimes you can only play the cards you're dealt but if there are songs with lead and rhythm guitar from start to finish, you can take a mediocre chart and make it exceptional. A good example would be "Sultans Of Swing" - Dire Straits in Guitar Hero 5. Neversoft knew that the rhythm on its own up until the guitar solo(s) probably would've got dull quickly if not for the brief sections with a small riff or melody now and then to keep players on their toes. Likewise, if you compare it to some of the charts in Rock Band 3 (and Clone Hero) that focus on just lead instead of rhythm, you'll find that there are moments where you could be playing a good riff but instead have to wait. Variety spices up standard charts whilst still using the materials provided by the song and yes, whilst it might not be "realistic" to play both lead and rhythm, you can always reread the first rule for clarity on my thoughts about that. Save lead OR rhythm for the Guitar Co-Op bullshit, not the regular charts.
DON'T cut corners
Well, you've done it. You've just placed the last note on your chart and it's ready to play, right? WRONG! There's a little thing called QA (quality assurance) that professional charts in GH/RB games had to go through so that fans didn't end up purchasing songs with inconsistent riffs, calibration glitches, strums instead of HOPOs, poor audio mixes, visual bugs, broken notes, missing notes, extra notes or one of the many other problems faced with creating something for a video game. Don't be that asshole who puts out a chart for an amazing, underrated song that nobody else thought to make that's absolutely full of technical problems. I know you're excited to get your finished product out there but if you haven't at the very least quintuple checked it to make sure everything runs smoothly then buddy, you ain't finished shit. At the same time, DON'T spend so long polishing it and tweaking things that don't need changing that by the time you release it, several identical (if not superior) charts for the same song have already been released. Again, fine line to tread; such is the joy of being a charter!
DON'T use open notes
Don't use open notes in a guitar chart. Don't do it. Not now, not ever. Open notes are ugly and always pointless in guitar charts; most of the time, you can just use the green fret and the other times where a 6th pitch is needed can often by avoided with creative charting. Open notes in bass charts are fine due to how they differentiate guitar/bass charts and the visual of the open note paired with the lower pitch of bass feels more appropriate. However, unless you plan on doing two different guitar charts (with/without open notes) then under no circumstances should your guitar chart include open notes. No guitar chart has even been improved with open notes: Fact.
Bonus "Don't" to express my hatred of open notes in Clone Hero charts!
If you want more tips or opinions on what makes a good Guitar Hero/Clone Hero/Rock Band guitar chart, feel free to follow me on Twitch where I frequently stream Clone Hero and discuss the quality of charts as I play. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go take a shower as that shameless self promotion has left me feeling mucky.
Fans of Guitar Hero & Rock Band will know that the guitar chart for a song can make or break your experience. Casual players probably won't care but fans playing on Expert would spend afternoons on forums bitching about overcharts, undercharts and instruments that aren't guitar charted to guitar. Granted that those heated debates died out with the popularity of the rhythm music game genre but ever since Clone Hero took off (a free Guitar Hero mod that contains all the music from GH/RB and a seemingly infinite supply of customs), the importance of good guitar charts is back.
So what makes a "good" chart? Well, it frequently comes down to opinion but I like to think there are some rules that players generally accept when defining a good or bad chart. These are the rules I tend to follow when making the call:
DO put fun over realism
This is one that some players will probably disagree with but for me, I would much rather play a chart that's fun albeit slightly inaccurate than one that's closer to the way you actually play it on guitar that isn't as fun as it could've been. Sure, realism is somewhat necessary in these charts as a guideline but here's the thing: Guitar Hero and other music game variants are video games, they are not real and will never be real. Trying to make them realistic is a futile exercise that only serves to please the pedantic and frustrate everyone else. If the chart would be more fun with HOPOs throughout the solo when the reality is there would be frequent strums or if the chords used have four notes in them instead of two or three, you best believe that 99% of the time fun trumps realism.
DO some research
OK, you've listened to the song a hundred times and you can already picture how it should be charted in your head...but is that REALLY how the song is played? Is that REALLY how it sounds or have you mentally filled in gaps that didn't exist? Does the riff go G-R-Y OY, G-R-Y GY or should it go R-G-Y BO, R-G-Y YB (if you can guess the song I just charted there from the notes alone, we should hang out more)? Trust me, you might have a great idea for how it's played in your head but if you have no knowledge about how to play the entire song, you're almost certainly going to make a mistake somewhere. Fortunately, it's easy to correct yourself. If it's a real song by an actual band instead of some meme remix then you can probably find a decent tab on Ultimate-Guitar.com and if it's a well known song, riff and/or solo then chances are there's a detailed video tutorial on YouTube. Hit the web and do some learning before charting your favourite song for the benefit of the fans who'll be playing your work. NOTE: This is mostly referring to mapping the notes to the correct pitch and whilst it does sound like it contradicts my previous point, there's no fun in playing a chart made by someone who clearly couldn't tell a chord from a trill.
DO know when to use instruments other than guitar
Sometimes, a song may have a section on a completely different instrument pop up in a guitar chart. It'll commonly be keys of some sort but could also be harmonica, strings or even percussion in some rare cases ("We Will Rock You" - Queen on Lego Rock Band). Some players will draw a firm line in the sand and say no instruments other than guitar in a guitar chart. Personally, I feel that there are examples where keys or strings can enhance a chart but there is no strict rule for when to use them, hence the wording of this Do. If the song has plenty of guitar and there's an introduction on a different instrument (e.g. the piano in "Hold The Line" - Toto or the strings in "Afterlife" - Avenged Sevenfold), you can probably just leave those out. However, if there's a killer organ solo later on and the guitar is just gonna be sustains or chord strumming (e.g. "Roll With The Changes" - REO Speedwagon or "Burn" - Deep Purple), you can go ahead and spice your chart up with those tap notes. Ultimately though, no guitar chart is ever ruined by NOT putting different instruments in whereas plenty have been soiled by including other instruments where they're not welcome.
DON'T take the piss when over/undercharting
This is not the same as "Don't over/underchart". Whilst it doesn't happen often, I accept that there are a few occasions where the occasional over/underchart makes a song a bit more fun, e.g. putting in a couple of extra HOPOs where there'd normally be a pause to make a section of a solo flow better or making 3-note chords into 2-note ones to avoid giving players a severe case of wanker's cramp in their fretting arm. HOWEVER, there's an incredibly fine line to tread here. If possible, stick to charting sensibly but if you do feel the urge to over/underchart, don't be a tool. Don't fill a song with ridiculous sweeping note streams where there are none just to make it a Clone Hero meme (a.k.a. the rhythm music game equivalent of YouTube Poop, a.k.a. Art Cancer) and don't be a coward who only charts every other note because they can't play very well.
DON'T focus on just lead or rhythm guitar
Variety is key when making a fun chart. Sometimes you can only play the cards you're dealt but if there are songs with lead and rhythm guitar from start to finish, you can take a mediocre chart and make it exceptional. A good example would be "Sultans Of Swing" - Dire Straits in Guitar Hero 5. Neversoft knew that the rhythm on its own up until the guitar solo(s) probably would've got dull quickly if not for the brief sections with a small riff or melody now and then to keep players on their toes. Likewise, if you compare it to some of the charts in Rock Band 3 (and Clone Hero) that focus on just lead instead of rhythm, you'll find that there are moments where you could be playing a good riff but instead have to wait. Variety spices up standard charts whilst still using the materials provided by the song and yes, whilst it might not be "realistic" to play both lead and rhythm, you can always reread the first rule for clarity on my thoughts about that. Save lead OR rhythm for the Guitar Co-Op bullshit, not the regular charts.
DON'T cut corners
Well, you've done it. You've just placed the last note on your chart and it's ready to play, right? WRONG! There's a little thing called QA (quality assurance) that professional charts in GH/RB games had to go through so that fans didn't end up purchasing songs with inconsistent riffs, calibration glitches, strums instead of HOPOs, poor audio mixes, visual bugs, broken notes, missing notes, extra notes or one of the many other problems faced with creating something for a video game. Don't be that asshole who puts out a chart for an amazing, underrated song that nobody else thought to make that's absolutely full of technical problems. I know you're excited to get your finished product out there but if you haven't at the very least quintuple checked it to make sure everything runs smoothly then buddy, you ain't finished shit. At the same time, DON'T spend so long polishing it and tweaking things that don't need changing that by the time you release it, several identical (if not superior) charts for the same song have already been released. Again, fine line to tread; such is the joy of being a charter!
DON'T use open notes
Don't use open notes in a guitar chart. Don't do it. Not now, not ever. Open notes are ugly and always pointless in guitar charts; most of the time, you can just use the green fret and the other times where a 6th pitch is needed can often by avoided with creative charting. Open notes in bass charts are fine due to how they differentiate guitar/bass charts and the visual of the open note paired with the lower pitch of bass feels more appropriate. However, unless you plan on doing two different guitar charts (with/without open notes) then under no circumstances should your guitar chart include open notes. No guitar chart has even been improved with open notes: Fact.
Bonus "Don't" to express my hatred of open notes in Clone Hero charts!
If you want more tips or opinions on what makes a good Guitar Hero/Clone Hero/Rock Band guitar chart, feel free to follow me on Twitch where I frequently stream Clone Hero and discuss the quality of charts as I play. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go take a shower as that shameless self promotion has left me feeling mucky.
Saturday, 30 June 2018
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Continuing my quest to review/discuss the setlist to every Guitar Hero/Rock Band game, our next entry in the series of these posts is the second Guitar Hero expansion and the first band-centric Guitar Hero title; Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. This game was apparently the biggest selling band-centric GH title although to many fans of the franchise (myself included), certainly not the best. However, just how good is the setlist?
In this post, I'll be looking at the 30 main-setlist songs (occasionally referring to the 10 bonus tracks and ignoring the Joe Perry boss battle tune) and deciding whether or not I think they belong in the game based on a) my personal opinion of the song's quality, b) whether it's fun to play on guitar and c) whether it fits in with the general tone/purpose of the game. If you're interested in what I've had to say about other Guitar Hero/Rock Band games like Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band Unplugged, feel free to follow those links. If not, let's get started!
"All Day And All Of The Night" - The Kinks
First up, we have one of the game's guest acts and let me just say, I am fucking glad we got The Kinks in one of these games. Granted it's a WaveGroup cover but hey, at least it's a damn good one with an extended guitar solo. As for whether this song's appropriate, I can totally see Aerosmith enjoying The Kinks and wanting to include one of their songs in the game. All in all, it's a fun track for one of the early career mode stages and even if it isn't my personal favourite Kinks track, it's definitely a better choice than "Lola" or "You Really Got Me". THUMBS UP.
"All The Young Dudes" - Mott The Hoople
Not gonna lie, this song is solely responsible for me buying this game when it came out. I watched the chart, listened to the cover and immediately fell in love with it. The quality of the WaveGroup cover is incredible and the extended guitar solo fits in perfectly with the track. It's a shame they had to underchart the solo to fit in with the game's first career mode stage but at least it's still very fun to play and again, totally a song I can imagine Aerosmith being inspired by. It's definitely the best Mott The Hoople song to go with (as it is their signature song) although "One Of The Boys" would've been a fun one too. THUMBS UP.
"Always On The Run" - Lenny Kravitz and Slash
Another guest act but this time, it's the original master recording. Even though Aerosmith started before Lenny Kravitz, I can definitely hear similarities between Aerosmith's vocals/guitar riffs and Kravitz's so I have no objection to Lenny's inclusion in the game. It's also a great Kravitz song choice, as "Are You Gonna Go My Way" was clearly set up for Guitar Hero: World Tour and if you want a Kravitz song for a GH game, you definitely want one with fun guitar...so what better track than one with Slash tagging along too? It's a solid song and a fun chart so THUMBS UP.
"Back In The Saddle" - Aerosmith
Our first (alphabetical) Aerosmith song is a good 'un! Great guitar riff and awesome Hard Rock rhythms. This is the ultimate "Fuck yeah, here I am" song and it's one of Aerosmith's big hits so it totally belongs in the game. However, there are some issues I have with the chart; namely the overabundance of lead guitar over the main riff on rhythm. Rock Band released this song as DLC with the rhythm guitar taking all of the glory during the chorus and it's easily more fun to play. Playing sustains instead of the epic riff is a poor choice but hey, at least it's still fun and sensible for the game. THUMBS UP. Looking good so far, huh.
"Beyond Beautiful" - Aerosmith
So this is a bit of a funny one. Whilst the song's decent and the chart is kinda fun once the solo kicks in (as that main riff is a little dull), I'm not sure it's the best choice for the game. It's a fairly modern Aerosmith track compared to the release date of this game and considering some of the glaring omissions from this game, it feels more like it was included because the band wanted some of their more recent tracks to share the spotlight. It's not even the best modern Aerosmith track, as they recorded a fantastic cover of "Baby Please Don't Go" in 2004 and considering how much Joe Perry has shit on the album and band's career around this time, I can't say I would've missed this if it was removed at the last minute. THUMBS DOWN.
"Bright Light Fright" - Aerosmith
Meh, not impressed with this one. It's a deep cut off Draw The Line and even though it has some fun little guitar licks here and there, it's definitely not worthy of the game's main setlist. It could've passed as a bonus track instead of one of the Joe Perry solo songs but when you've got songs like "Young Lust" and "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" missing from the game, it's an easy THUMBS DOWN for this song.
"Cat Scratch Fever" - Ted Nugent
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ted Nugent might be a world class cunt but he was a fucking great guitarist in his prime and his songs would've been incredible in Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Sadly, the only ones they've picked are this and "Stranglehold", both containing fairly weak guitar riffs and solos in comparison to tracks like "Stormtroopin'" and "The Great White Buffalo". I don't really like this song and even though a great Ted Nugent song would've been fun (and suitable) in this game, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN.
"Complete Control" - The Clash
Whilst I guess Punk songs MAY have a place in an Aerosmith game if Aerosmith have acknowledged Punk influences (I don't care for the band or genre enough to independently research it), the fewer the better in my eyes. However, of all the songs to pick, this has to be one of the best. It's got an actual guitar solo, not to mention the line "YOU'RE MY GUITAR HERO" which kinda gives it a reason to be in a GH game alone. THUMBS UP for being a shining diamond in the murky turd filled toilet bowl of the Punk music genre.
"Draw The Line" - Aerosmith
As odd as this may sound, this song's guitar riff is so fucking ugly. Like, if sound could be unattractive, this is what it would be. This song is boring to play, rough to listen to and even if it is the title track from their 1977 album, it's a lame song choice that early on in the game. Compare the first few songs in Guitar Hero: Metallica; "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "The Unforgiven", both fantastic tracks with fun but easy guitar charts. There are easy Aerosmith songs like "Hangman Jury" with some great HOPO riffs that should've been included over this shit. THUMBS DOWN.
"Dream On" - Aerosmith
This is one of four songs rerecorded for the game and I'll be honest, I love this version over the original. The guitar chart is fun to play and Tyler's vocals don't sound fucking laughable during the helium-sucking "DREEM OWHN!" bit. It's also one of Aerosmith's better power ballads and if you're going to include power ballads (which you pretty much have to when making a rhythm music game focused around Rock's biggest pussies), this is a far greater choice than "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", another surprising omission although I'm not gonna shed a tear over it. THUMBS UP.
"Dream Police" - Cheap Trick
Another guest act that I'm OK with being in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. However, I'm not sure that this song is the best choice. "Dream Police" is kind of a campy song and at the time of this game's release, the At Budokan live version of "I Want You To Want Me" hadn't been featured in a rhythm music game and that song reminds me of Aerosmith more than this one. However, it's an easy song to include early on in the game's career mode and a popular track by the band. I guess there's no real reason it shouldn't be in the game but since it's a mediocre song that feels more appropriate as Rock Band DLC than on-disc track in GH:A, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN. Apparently a White Stripes song was rumoured to be in this game but changed at the last minute and you know that would've been easy on guitar. If this song replaced one of their better guitar based tracks, that would've sucked.
"Hard To Handle" - The Black Crowes
Ah, now THIS is a good track and a decent cover by Steve Ouimette. There are some damn fine guitar solos and the gritty Southern Blues sound of the song definitely fits in with the rest of the Aerosmith material. Whilst The Black Crowes have some great songs that would work in Guitar Hero, this is certainly the best one they could've gone with. It's the band's signature song (and a superb cover) so not including this would've been the wrong decision. THUMBS UP.
"I Hate Myself For Loving You" - Joan Jett
Bleh, more Punk. Chords, droning vocals and general boredom a-plenty in this song. I don't know how much of an influence Joan Jett played in Aerosmith's career but if you're after female Rock musicians, Pat Benatar always trumps Joan Jett. ALWAYS. However, if you have to pick a Joan Jett song, I probably would've preferred "Bad Reputation". It's still dull on guitar but at least it's a fun and punchy song. THUMBS DOWN.
"King Of Rock" - Run-D.M.C.
OH SHIT, IT'S RUN-D.M.C. BOIZ! You may be asking why a Hip Hop artist is in a Rock music game but remember that godawful "Walk This Way" remix? Yeah, it was this prick. Since he did a pointless Hip Hop remix of a great Rock song with these guys, he not only has a song in the game but he also appears as a playable character in game. I don't know much Run-D.M.C. although I probably would've preferred his shameless Toni Basil ripoff "It's Tricky" to this crap tune. Also, fuck this shithead for calling himself the "King Of Rock". THUMBS DOWN and furthermore, I hope he's penniless and miserable.
"Livin' On The Edge" - Aerosmith
I feel like I haven't heard this song outside of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith but apparently, it's one of the band's more popular songs? Personally, I think it's a little overproduced and the lyric "There's something wrong with the world today" just makes me hate this song. Then there's Joe Perry's guitar work, which is average at best. Sure, the riffs are fun but he craps out a terrible guitar solo and the outro goes on WAY TOO LONG. All in all, this is the kind of song I would hide in the bonus section instead of "Rats In The Cellar", a far greater Hard Rock track with an awesome guitar chart. THUMBS DOWN.
"Love In An Elevator" - Aerosmith
One of the band's more popular songs and yeah, it's OK on guitar. It also has a lengthy vocal outro which isn't fun to sit through in a guitar/bass only game but hey, the rest of the song makes up for it. I'm surprised we didn't get more songs from Rocks and Pump, since they're two of the band's better albums. However, I can't argue with this song's inclusion so THUMBS UP. However, somewhere out there in the multiverse is a reality where Guitar Hero: Aerosmith happened in place of Guitar Hero: Van Halen (with full band) and this song is far better in that game.
"Make It" - Aerosmith
Another rerecording from the band's debut album. Goddamn, Motley Crue must've been avid listeners of this album, huh. Anyway, this song is also one of the first Aerosmith songs you play in the career mode and whilst it's not exactly a big hit for the band, it's not a bad guitar chart for the early tier and it's a good rerecording too. I also don't have a problem with this song being in the game, even though I'm not a huge fan of it outside of GH, as there's nothing wrong with deep cuts being in the game as long as they're not replacing better songs. It's good to introduce people to music they may not have heard before in these games so THUMBS UP.
"Mama Kin" - Aerosmith
Another rerecording but this time at the end of the game's career mode. In comparison to final stages in other GH/RB games, this song's actually pretty easy on guitar. It's mostly challenging due to chord progressions and a faster rhythm that previous tracks but it's still relatively straightforward. However, since Aerosmith don't have a huge number of insanely difficult songs (or any at all), it's as good as they could get. I mean, this song could've been bumped down the career mode list, replacing an easier song that I'll be discussing in a bit and instead allowing "Eat The Rich" to be one of the last songs on-disc. However, the song's a solid Rock track and one of the band's popular songs so it's a good fit for this game. THUMBS UP.
"Movin' On" - Aerosmith
The final rerecorded track from the debut and my God, what a fun one on guitar. A hugely underrated track in this game with some great riffs and a tidy solo. It may be featured early on in the game's career mode but it's not a walk in the park if you're after the FC, due to some brief rapid strumming moments. Even though it's not a single, it was one of the first songs the band actually wrote and played together so it has some significance in the band's career making it a worthy song for this game, in my books. THUMBS UP for the fun chart alone.
"No Surprize" - Aerosmith
And here we have a weaker version of "Mama Kin", although the guitar riff in this song isn't bad. It reminds me of another song with a name that I can't quite place although the track has a kind of Rolling Stones vibe, which probably explains why it's a little dull. All in all, this song isn't one I would've chosen for the game, just due to how plain it is. THIS is the song that could've been replaced by "Eat The Rich" if you moved "Mama Kin" down the career mode list so it's getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Nobody's Fault" - Aerosmith
I forgot how fun the guitar in this song is, although it's off Rocks so you know it's gonna be good. Great riffs, awesome solos, one annoying trill section (fuckin Joe Perry and his annoying trills when he can't think of anything else to play) but otherwise, a great inclusion in the game. The career mode setlist should be full of fun guitar songs by Aerosmith so tracks like this will always make me happy. It also helps when they're good tunes or singles/favourites by band members or fans but the main thing is how fun it is to play. THUMBS UP.
"Personality Crisis" - New York Dolls
Jesus, more Punk?! Alright then. Admittedly, I don't know too much about the New York Dolls but I do know that "Jet Boy" would've been more fun to play than this song. Alternatively, we could've had a song that WASN'T Punk! A song that Aerosmith have been inspired by or maybe covered at one point like "Oh Well" - Fleetwood Mac or something by Deep Purple, since a Deep Purple song was also rumoured to be included in the game's soundtrack at one point. THUMBS DOWN.
"Rag Doll" - Aerosmith
This song is built around a catchy riff and vocal melody in the chorus, making it a fan favourite and a fun one to play for casual players. It's also quite similar to "Love In An Elevator" but thankfully, just as fun to play. I wouldn't replace this song with any other, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it, but if you're after a middle ground song with some fun riffs to play, you can do much worse than "Rag Doll". THUMBS UP.
"Sex Type Thing" - Stone Temple Pilots
Some 90s Grunge/Hard Rock? OK, I guess. This may be one of STP's bigger songs but come on, it's a pretty poor song to play on guitar. Something like "Vasoline" or "Crackerman" would've been way better, especially since the latter sounds just like "Sex Type Thing" only with an actual guitar solo added. I'm not sure if Aerosmith consider Stone Temple Pilots a major source of inspiration or whatever but musically, this song sounds a little out of place in this game. Just a little but enough to contribute to the THUMBS DOWN it's getting.
"She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult
As much as I love this song, I feel the same way about this inclusion. The Cult are a different breed of Hard Rock to Aerosmith and their song doesn't quite sound as aggressive as other guest acts in the game. Then again, if Mott The Hoople can sound right, so can this. This is The Cult's most famous song and since the band aren't the most musically diverse when it comes to their hit singles, it's a sensible choice. However, this arguably should've been featured earlier on in the career mode setlist (as it's pretty fuckin' easy on guitar) so we could've had a properly charted "All The Young Dudes". Ah well, what's done is done. THUMBS UP.
"Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith
Here we go, one of Aerosmith's best songs and a fun (but easy) guitar chart too. Granted the trills get a little annoying but they can't be helped when Joe Perry's involved. Thankfully, the bass is epic and the riffs are sweet. Plus, it's arguably the band's signature song so if it wasn't included in the setlist, there would've been hell to pay. THUMBS UP because do you really need me to say anything else?
"Toys In The Attic" - Aerosmith
The single greatest chart in this game and one of the finest in GH history. Unlike Rock Band 4 where they fucked up everything except the main riff, this song is just fantastic to play from start to finish. The solo is great, the trills aren't annoying and that riff. Man, that fuckin' riff is just the best. What the hell were Harmonix thinking when they charted this song in RB4? Wait, let me rephrase that; what the hell were Harmonix DRINKING? THUMBS UP and if you haven't played this song, I recommend picking up a copy of GH:A just for this and "All The Young Dudes".
"Train Kept-A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith
The final boss of the game and to the untrained player, it's pretty darn challenging. Trills, tough solos throughout and a change-up in tempo halfway through. It's also a great cover of the original by the Yardbirds and one of Aerosmith's better known tracks so totally appropriate for this game. It's a shame we never got this track as a master recording outside of GH:A but at least the RB1 cover is great; that's right, one minute I'm dicking on HMX and the next I'm praising them! However, that doesn't change the fact that this song is getting a THUMBS UP.
"Uncle Salty" - Aerosmith
This song fucking sucks. Boring, godawful to listen to and taking the place of literally any other Aerosmith song. It's bad in every sense of the word. THUMBS DOWN.
"Walk This Way" - Aerosmith featuring Run-D.M.C.
Why, why, why, WHY did they include the remix in the main setlist instead of the original?! Don't worry, the original version is available as a bonus track but boy, did they get that decision wrong. This should've been bonus, the original 1975 version of "Walk This Way" with the amazing guitar chart should've been part of the main setlist. THUMBS DOWN.
So it turns out with 17 Thumbs Up against 13 Thumbs Down, this game's soundtrack is about as good as I remembered if not a little bit better. There are a bunch of classics, some decent tunes and a sturdy collection of shit. In other words, not as good as Guitar Hero: Metallica but about as good as Guitar Hero: Van Halen, as both GH:A and GH:VH have approximately 57% Thumbs Up! However, if you factored the bonus songs into it...well, you'd probably still get the same percentage, as I like five of them and hate/dislike the other five. Still, at least we know what I think of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith ten years after playing it so it hasn't been a complete waste of time!
In this post, I'll be looking at the 30 main-setlist songs (occasionally referring to the 10 bonus tracks and ignoring the Joe Perry boss battle tune) and deciding whether or not I think they belong in the game based on a) my personal opinion of the song's quality, b) whether it's fun to play on guitar and c) whether it fits in with the general tone/purpose of the game. If you're interested in what I've had to say about other Guitar Hero/Rock Band games like Guitar Hero 2 and Rock Band Unplugged, feel free to follow those links. If not, let's get started!
"All Day And All Of The Night" - The Kinks
First up, we have one of the game's guest acts and let me just say, I am fucking glad we got The Kinks in one of these games. Granted it's a WaveGroup cover but hey, at least it's a damn good one with an extended guitar solo. As for whether this song's appropriate, I can totally see Aerosmith enjoying The Kinks and wanting to include one of their songs in the game. All in all, it's a fun track for one of the early career mode stages and even if it isn't my personal favourite Kinks track, it's definitely a better choice than "Lola" or "You Really Got Me". THUMBS UP.
"All The Young Dudes" - Mott The Hoople
Not gonna lie, this song is solely responsible for me buying this game when it came out. I watched the chart, listened to the cover and immediately fell in love with it. The quality of the WaveGroup cover is incredible and the extended guitar solo fits in perfectly with the track. It's a shame they had to underchart the solo to fit in with the game's first career mode stage but at least it's still very fun to play and again, totally a song I can imagine Aerosmith being inspired by. It's definitely the best Mott The Hoople song to go with (as it is their signature song) although "One Of The Boys" would've been a fun one too. THUMBS UP.
"Always On The Run" - Lenny Kravitz and Slash
Another guest act but this time, it's the original master recording. Even though Aerosmith started before Lenny Kravitz, I can definitely hear similarities between Aerosmith's vocals/guitar riffs and Kravitz's so I have no objection to Lenny's inclusion in the game. It's also a great Kravitz song choice, as "Are You Gonna Go My Way" was clearly set up for Guitar Hero: World Tour and if you want a Kravitz song for a GH game, you definitely want one with fun guitar...so what better track than one with Slash tagging along too? It's a solid song and a fun chart so THUMBS UP.
"Back In The Saddle" - Aerosmith
Our first (alphabetical) Aerosmith song is a good 'un! Great guitar riff and awesome Hard Rock rhythms. This is the ultimate "Fuck yeah, here I am" song and it's one of Aerosmith's big hits so it totally belongs in the game. However, there are some issues I have with the chart; namely the overabundance of lead guitar over the main riff on rhythm. Rock Band released this song as DLC with the rhythm guitar taking all of the glory during the chorus and it's easily more fun to play. Playing sustains instead of the epic riff is a poor choice but hey, at least it's still fun and sensible for the game. THUMBS UP. Looking good so far, huh.
"Beyond Beautiful" - Aerosmith
So this is a bit of a funny one. Whilst the song's decent and the chart is kinda fun once the solo kicks in (as that main riff is a little dull), I'm not sure it's the best choice for the game. It's a fairly modern Aerosmith track compared to the release date of this game and considering some of the glaring omissions from this game, it feels more like it was included because the band wanted some of their more recent tracks to share the spotlight. It's not even the best modern Aerosmith track, as they recorded a fantastic cover of "Baby Please Don't Go" in 2004 and considering how much Joe Perry has shit on the album and band's career around this time, I can't say I would've missed this if it was removed at the last minute. THUMBS DOWN.
"Bright Light Fright" - Aerosmith
Meh, not impressed with this one. It's a deep cut off Draw The Line and even though it has some fun little guitar licks here and there, it's definitely not worthy of the game's main setlist. It could've passed as a bonus track instead of one of the Joe Perry solo songs but when you've got songs like "Young Lust" and "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" missing from the game, it's an easy THUMBS DOWN for this song.
"Cat Scratch Fever" - Ted Nugent
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ted Nugent might be a world class cunt but he was a fucking great guitarist in his prime and his songs would've been incredible in Guitar Hero/Rock Band. Sadly, the only ones they've picked are this and "Stranglehold", both containing fairly weak guitar riffs and solos in comparison to tracks like "Stormtroopin'" and "The Great White Buffalo". I don't really like this song and even though a great Ted Nugent song would've been fun (and suitable) in this game, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN.
"Complete Control" - The Clash
Whilst I guess Punk songs MAY have a place in an Aerosmith game if Aerosmith have acknowledged Punk influences (I don't care for the band or genre enough to independently research it), the fewer the better in my eyes. However, of all the songs to pick, this has to be one of the best. It's got an actual guitar solo, not to mention the line "YOU'RE MY GUITAR HERO" which kinda gives it a reason to be in a GH game alone. THUMBS UP for being a shining diamond in the murky turd filled toilet bowl of the Punk music genre.
"Draw The Line" - Aerosmith
As odd as this may sound, this song's guitar riff is so fucking ugly. Like, if sound could be unattractive, this is what it would be. This song is boring to play, rough to listen to and even if it is the title track from their 1977 album, it's a lame song choice that early on in the game. Compare the first few songs in Guitar Hero: Metallica; "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "The Unforgiven", both fantastic tracks with fun but easy guitar charts. There are easy Aerosmith songs like "Hangman Jury" with some great HOPO riffs that should've been included over this shit. THUMBS DOWN.
"Dream On" - Aerosmith
This is one of four songs rerecorded for the game and I'll be honest, I love this version over the original. The guitar chart is fun to play and Tyler's vocals don't sound fucking laughable during the helium-sucking "DREEM OWHN!" bit. It's also one of Aerosmith's better power ballads and if you're going to include power ballads (which you pretty much have to when making a rhythm music game focused around Rock's biggest pussies), this is a far greater choice than "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing", another surprising omission although I'm not gonna shed a tear over it. THUMBS UP.
"Dream Police" - Cheap Trick
Another guest act that I'm OK with being in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. However, I'm not sure that this song is the best choice. "Dream Police" is kind of a campy song and at the time of this game's release, the At Budokan live version of "I Want You To Want Me" hadn't been featured in a rhythm music game and that song reminds me of Aerosmith more than this one. However, it's an easy song to include early on in the game's career mode and a popular track by the band. I guess there's no real reason it shouldn't be in the game but since it's a mediocre song that feels more appropriate as Rock Band DLC than on-disc track in GH:A, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN. Apparently a White Stripes song was rumoured to be in this game but changed at the last minute and you know that would've been easy on guitar. If this song replaced one of their better guitar based tracks, that would've sucked.
"Hard To Handle" - The Black Crowes
Ah, now THIS is a good track and a decent cover by Steve Ouimette. There are some damn fine guitar solos and the gritty Southern Blues sound of the song definitely fits in with the rest of the Aerosmith material. Whilst The Black Crowes have some great songs that would work in Guitar Hero, this is certainly the best one they could've gone with. It's the band's signature song (and a superb cover) so not including this would've been the wrong decision. THUMBS UP.
"I Hate Myself For Loving You" - Joan Jett
Bleh, more Punk. Chords, droning vocals and general boredom a-plenty in this song. I don't know how much of an influence Joan Jett played in Aerosmith's career but if you're after female Rock musicians, Pat Benatar always trumps Joan Jett. ALWAYS. However, if you have to pick a Joan Jett song, I probably would've preferred "Bad Reputation". It's still dull on guitar but at least it's a fun and punchy song. THUMBS DOWN.
"King Of Rock" - Run-D.M.C.
OH SHIT, IT'S RUN-D.M.C. BOIZ! You may be asking why a Hip Hop artist is in a Rock music game but remember that godawful "Walk This Way" remix? Yeah, it was this prick. Since he did a pointless Hip Hop remix of a great Rock song with these guys, he not only has a song in the game but he also appears as a playable character in game. I don't know much Run-D.M.C. although I probably would've preferred his shameless Toni Basil ripoff "It's Tricky" to this crap tune. Also, fuck this shithead for calling himself the "King Of Rock". THUMBS DOWN and furthermore, I hope he's penniless and miserable.
"Livin' On The Edge" - Aerosmith
I feel like I haven't heard this song outside of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith but apparently, it's one of the band's more popular songs? Personally, I think it's a little overproduced and the lyric "There's something wrong with the world today" just makes me hate this song. Then there's Joe Perry's guitar work, which is average at best. Sure, the riffs are fun but he craps out a terrible guitar solo and the outro goes on WAY TOO LONG. All in all, this is the kind of song I would hide in the bonus section instead of "Rats In The Cellar", a far greater Hard Rock track with an awesome guitar chart. THUMBS DOWN.
"Love In An Elevator" - Aerosmith
One of the band's more popular songs and yeah, it's OK on guitar. It also has a lengthy vocal outro which isn't fun to sit through in a guitar/bass only game but hey, the rest of the song makes up for it. I'm surprised we didn't get more songs from Rocks and Pump, since they're two of the band's better albums. However, I can't argue with this song's inclusion so THUMBS UP. However, somewhere out there in the multiverse is a reality where Guitar Hero: Aerosmith happened in place of Guitar Hero: Van Halen (with full band) and this song is far better in that game.
"Make It" - Aerosmith
Another rerecording from the band's debut album. Goddamn, Motley Crue must've been avid listeners of this album, huh. Anyway, this song is also one of the first Aerosmith songs you play in the career mode and whilst it's not exactly a big hit for the band, it's not a bad guitar chart for the early tier and it's a good rerecording too. I also don't have a problem with this song being in the game, even though I'm not a huge fan of it outside of GH, as there's nothing wrong with deep cuts being in the game as long as they're not replacing better songs. It's good to introduce people to music they may not have heard before in these games so THUMBS UP.
"Mama Kin" - Aerosmith
Another rerecording but this time at the end of the game's career mode. In comparison to final stages in other GH/RB games, this song's actually pretty easy on guitar. It's mostly challenging due to chord progressions and a faster rhythm that previous tracks but it's still relatively straightforward. However, since Aerosmith don't have a huge number of insanely difficult songs (or any at all), it's as good as they could get. I mean, this song could've been bumped down the career mode list, replacing an easier song that I'll be discussing in a bit and instead allowing "Eat The Rich" to be one of the last songs on-disc. However, the song's a solid Rock track and one of the band's popular songs so it's a good fit for this game. THUMBS UP.
"Movin' On" - Aerosmith
The final rerecorded track from the debut and my God, what a fun one on guitar. A hugely underrated track in this game with some great riffs and a tidy solo. It may be featured early on in the game's career mode but it's not a walk in the park if you're after the FC, due to some brief rapid strumming moments. Even though it's not a single, it was one of the first songs the band actually wrote and played together so it has some significance in the band's career making it a worthy song for this game, in my books. THUMBS UP for the fun chart alone.
"No Surprize" - Aerosmith
And here we have a weaker version of "Mama Kin", although the guitar riff in this song isn't bad. It reminds me of another song with a name that I can't quite place although the track has a kind of Rolling Stones vibe, which probably explains why it's a little dull. All in all, this song isn't one I would've chosen for the game, just due to how plain it is. THIS is the song that could've been replaced by "Eat The Rich" if you moved "Mama Kin" down the career mode list so it's getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Nobody's Fault" - Aerosmith
I forgot how fun the guitar in this song is, although it's off Rocks so you know it's gonna be good. Great riffs, awesome solos, one annoying trill section (fuckin Joe Perry and his annoying trills when he can't think of anything else to play) but otherwise, a great inclusion in the game. The career mode setlist should be full of fun guitar songs by Aerosmith so tracks like this will always make me happy. It also helps when they're good tunes or singles/favourites by band members or fans but the main thing is how fun it is to play. THUMBS UP.
"Personality Crisis" - New York Dolls
Jesus, more Punk?! Alright then. Admittedly, I don't know too much about the New York Dolls but I do know that "Jet Boy" would've been more fun to play than this song. Alternatively, we could've had a song that WASN'T Punk! A song that Aerosmith have been inspired by or maybe covered at one point like "Oh Well" - Fleetwood Mac or something by Deep Purple, since a Deep Purple song was also rumoured to be included in the game's soundtrack at one point. THUMBS DOWN.
"Rag Doll" - Aerosmith
This song is built around a catchy riff and vocal melody in the chorus, making it a fan favourite and a fun one to play for casual players. It's also quite similar to "Love In An Elevator" but thankfully, just as fun to play. I wouldn't replace this song with any other, even if I'm not the biggest fan of it, but if you're after a middle ground song with some fun riffs to play, you can do much worse than "Rag Doll". THUMBS UP.
"Sex Type Thing" - Stone Temple Pilots
Some 90s Grunge/Hard Rock? OK, I guess. This may be one of STP's bigger songs but come on, it's a pretty poor song to play on guitar. Something like "Vasoline" or "Crackerman" would've been way better, especially since the latter sounds just like "Sex Type Thing" only with an actual guitar solo added. I'm not sure if Aerosmith consider Stone Temple Pilots a major source of inspiration or whatever but musically, this song sounds a little out of place in this game. Just a little but enough to contribute to the THUMBS DOWN it's getting.
"She Sells Sanctuary" - The Cult
As much as I love this song, I feel the same way about this inclusion. The Cult are a different breed of Hard Rock to Aerosmith and their song doesn't quite sound as aggressive as other guest acts in the game. Then again, if Mott The Hoople can sound right, so can this. This is The Cult's most famous song and since the band aren't the most musically diverse when it comes to their hit singles, it's a sensible choice. However, this arguably should've been featured earlier on in the career mode setlist (as it's pretty fuckin' easy on guitar) so we could've had a properly charted "All The Young Dudes". Ah well, what's done is done. THUMBS UP.
"Sweet Emotion" - Aerosmith
Here we go, one of Aerosmith's best songs and a fun (but easy) guitar chart too. Granted the trills get a little annoying but they can't be helped when Joe Perry's involved. Thankfully, the bass is epic and the riffs are sweet. Plus, it's arguably the band's signature song so if it wasn't included in the setlist, there would've been hell to pay. THUMBS UP because do you really need me to say anything else?
"Toys In The Attic" - Aerosmith
The single greatest chart in this game and one of the finest in GH history. Unlike Rock Band 4 where they fucked up everything except the main riff, this song is just fantastic to play from start to finish. The solo is great, the trills aren't annoying and that riff. Man, that fuckin' riff is just the best. What the hell were Harmonix thinking when they charted this song in RB4? Wait, let me rephrase that; what the hell were Harmonix DRINKING? THUMBS UP and if you haven't played this song, I recommend picking up a copy of GH:A just for this and "All The Young Dudes".
"Train Kept-A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith
The final boss of the game and to the untrained player, it's pretty darn challenging. Trills, tough solos throughout and a change-up in tempo halfway through. It's also a great cover of the original by the Yardbirds and one of Aerosmith's better known tracks so totally appropriate for this game. It's a shame we never got this track as a master recording outside of GH:A but at least the RB1 cover is great; that's right, one minute I'm dicking on HMX and the next I'm praising them! However, that doesn't change the fact that this song is getting a THUMBS UP.
"Uncle Salty" - Aerosmith
This song fucking sucks. Boring, godawful to listen to and taking the place of literally any other Aerosmith song. It's bad in every sense of the word. THUMBS DOWN.
"Walk This Way" - Aerosmith featuring Run-D.M.C.
Why, why, why, WHY did they include the remix in the main setlist instead of the original?! Don't worry, the original version is available as a bonus track but boy, did they get that decision wrong. This should've been bonus, the original 1975 version of "Walk This Way" with the amazing guitar chart should've been part of the main setlist. THUMBS DOWN.
So it turns out with 17 Thumbs Up against 13 Thumbs Down, this game's soundtrack is about as good as I remembered if not a little bit better. There are a bunch of classics, some decent tunes and a sturdy collection of shit. In other words, not as good as Guitar Hero: Metallica but about as good as Guitar Hero: Van Halen, as both GH:A and GH:VH have approximately 57% Thumbs Up! However, if you factored the bonus songs into it...well, you'd probably still get the same percentage, as I like five of them and hate/dislike the other five. Still, at least we know what I think of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith ten years after playing it so it hasn't been a complete waste of time!
Friday, 16 February 2018
Guitar Hero 2
Continuing the unofficial series of blog posts I'm writing about the soundtracks for all the different Guitar Hero and Rock Band games, this entry is all about the setlist for the 2006 music game, Guitar Hero 2. Along with GH3 and GHM, this is widely considered to have one of the best setlists in the Guitar Hero franchise...but are we looking at the game through rose tinted lenses or does the soundtrack still hold up to this date? I intend to find out in the same way that I did with the following setlists:
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s
Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Rock Band 2
The Beatles: Rock Band
Lego Rock Band
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Rock Band 3
Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock
Rock Band 4
I'll be going through the entire game's main soundtrack (including the bonus Xbox 360 tracks but NOT the game's bonus songs that you can purchase) and deciding whether each song deserves a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based around three key factors. 1) Whether I actually like the song (since this game mostly consists of WaveGroup covers, I'll be judging those). 2) Whether the song is fun to play on guitar. 3) Whether the song deserves to be included in the game based on its popularity or relevance to the Guitar Hero term.
At the end, I'll tally up all the Thumbs Up/Down to determine if the game's soundtrack is a yay or nay. So now we've gone through that obligatory explanation, let's revisit this setlist!
"Bad Reputation" - Thin Lizzy
I don't even need to revisit the WaveGroup cover of this to tell you it's a THUMBS DOWN. Thin Lizzy have recorded so many great songs with amazing guitar melodies such as "Whiskey In The Jar", "Cowboy Song", "Waiting For An Alibi", "Cold Sweat" and more. Why in the hell did Harmonix think "Bad Reputation", a lesser known, easily forgettable song of theirs that's mostly strumming and waiting, deserved a spot in the game's soundtrack? My bet is it was probably a personal choice from one of the game's creative directors, even if the solo is alright.
"Beast And The Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
Ahh, the beginning of the A7X rhythm music craze. Granted it probably would've happened sooner or later but this song was the one that started it all off...and with pretty good reason. It's a decent song that makes for a great challenge, definitely worth being in the game and (as far as I know) a popular track by A7X too. Regardless of how I felt about it being in RB3, this song is fun as a WaveGroup cover in early GH games and deserves a THUMBS UP as a result.
"Billion Dollar Babies" - Alice Cooper
The first Xbox 360 exclusive track (and, therefore, one of many that I've never actually played). As far as WaveGroup covers go, it's hit and miss. The guitar sounds terrible but the vocals aren't too bad. I'm not a huge fan of the song so it's mostly down to whether it's a fun chart and a decent Alice Cooper choice. It's got a decent solo and some fun riffs, perfect for a mid-tier track, and the song's one of Cooper's biggest hits. It'd make sense to choose fun over popularity when it's not the original and part of an expanded setlist. Yeah, I'm OK with this choice. THUMBS UP.
"Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" - The Rolling Stones
Well, at least they picked a shorter version to cover. Never thought I'd say that but here we are. The guitar riff in the cover starts off pretty well although the rest of the track quickly turns to shit, even doing the impossible and finding a vocalist to cover a Rolling Stones song who sounds worse than Mick Jagger. God, I fucking hate this song. The "CAN YOU HEAR ME KNOCKIN'" riff is awful and even though it has the makings of a track I should love, there's nothing I like about this cover from the intro riff to the crappy outro solo. What's worse is there are plenty of great Rolling Stones songs that likely haven't been made into GH/RB DLC because of unavailable master tapes, meaning WaveGroup covers were the easiest way to get songs like "It's All Over Now" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash". THUMBS DOWN.
"Carry Me Home" - The Living End
Man, I forgot how awesome this song is. Not only is it excellent for guitarists looking for a challenge but it's a pretty fucking great cover too, arguably superior to the original at least as far as vocals are concerned. It's also a fairly well known track by The Living End (though I'm not sure if that's because of this game or general radio play) but I still think it belongs in this game more than some of their other great tracks like "West End Riot" and "Into The Red". THUMBS UP.
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
I'm sure I've talked about this cover in the past but I still feel that the original is easily the best version. The vocals in the intro followed by the muted guitar riff sound wrong but at least they're not terrible to play. I think it's fair to say that a lot of people discovered this song due to this game, since it suddenly started appearing everywhere after 2006, but it's a shame the cover's kinda meh. At least it's a solid choice and a fun chart, which earns it a THUMBS UP.
"Cherry Pie" - Warrant
Hats off to WaveGroup for recording a pretty fucking spot-on version of this song. Well known Hair Metal anthem, sweet guitar chart and a top quality cover. All in all, the perfect song for GH2. THUMBS UP.
"Crazy On You" - Heart
I remember hating playing this on GH2 but that was mostly because I wasn't a very good player and this has a semi-challenging guitar chart. Revisiting it, I kinda dig it. Fun guitar throughout and a serviceable cover (although the spot-on guitar tones deserve a major shout out!), but is it the best Heart song to cover? Yes. Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the right choice. THUIMBS UP.
"Dead!" - My Chemical Romance
Ugh, these guys. Fair play to these twinks, this isn't a bad song for GH. Fun guitar chart (which is fucking rare for these wankers), a catchy sound that isn't just your overly affected strumfest lamenting how hard it is to be Alternative in high school and from what I know about MCR, it's one of their more popular songs. Oh, and it's one of four master recordings in the game...and an Xbox 360 exclusive track. If I didn't know this was MCR, I'd probably like the track a lot so I've got no choice but to give it a THUMBS UP. I know, weird huh.
"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Do I really need to spend more than a single line explaining this one? Nope! THUMBS UP.
"Freya" - The Sword
This is one of the main reasons why I believe the Guitar Hero 2 soundtrack is regarded as one of the best. Yes, you've got WaveGroup covers of bands that wouldn't appear in GH/RB as master recordings for some time (if at all) and a myriad of fun guitar songs but you've also got lesser known modern Hard Rock/Metal songs that fans of classic bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are likely to enjoy. It's the perfect balance to create the ultimate Rock music rhythm game. The fun chart and great cover quality are added features at this point, as is the bitchin' outro. THUMBS UP.
"Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
I've played this song on GH2 and listened to it as a way of reminding myself about the song...and yet, I still can't tell you anything about it. It's so fucking non-descript and average, even if it does have a fun solo. There are plenty of other one-off Rock songs that could've been better used in this game but instead, we get Placeholder - Fuckin Who?! taking up a slot. It's not a terrible song but it doesn't deserve a win for any of the key factors I'm judging these on. THUMBS DOWN I'm afraid.
"Hangar 18" - Megadeth
Oh shit, this song gave me so much trouble when I first played this game. It's a shame the cover is possibly one of WaveGroup's weakest in that it sounds barely anything like the original but it still sounds good enough. There's also the added benefit of it being one of Megadeth's better known songs deliberately picked to be an insane challenge for guitarists at the end of the game. Whilst there are other Megadeth songs that I think I prefer to listen to, this is definitely the best choice for the game (way better than "Symphony Of Destruction" in GH1). THUMBS UP.
"Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana
Hmmm...on the one hand, it's one of Nirvana's bigger tracks ignoring the obvious one that they chose not to go with for some reason. On the other much bigger hand, it's not the most fun guitar track and Nirvana aren't really a band that comes to mind when I think of the term Guitar Hero. They might work in later games or DLC but not GH1-3 on-disc tracks. It's a THUMBS DOWN from me.
"Hush" - Deep Purple
It's a shame this wasn't on the PS2 version but it's still a damn good track. It's a solid little chart for those who want a fun but relatively easy song on guitar but thankfully, it's a great cover with a neat little guitar solo written in and a sensible choice for a Deep Purple song. Sure, there are plenty of more challenging Hard Rock songs they could've gone with but there's nothing wrong with this Psychedelic choice from the band's early career. Hopefully one day we'll get it as Rock Band DLC since they seem to be revisiting all the GH setlists now. THUMBS UP.
"Institutionalized" - Suicidal Tendencies
Fuck this song. Horrible to listen to, crap to play, rubbish choice for 80s Metal (although this game has some great choices overall) and completely lacking in anything remotely enjoyable. There are plenty of challenging guitar songs that should've taken its place so it's a hard THUMBS DOWN for this utter shithawk of a tune.
"Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band
Ah yes, the second best Southern Rock epic in the game. Easily one of the most fun songs to play and it's not a terrible WaveGroup cover. The guitar tone is great and the omission of the piano solo to make it more fun in GH doesn't sound bad either. The Allman Brothers Band have plenty of fun songs to choose from but this has to be the best choice, as all the others wouldn't be anywhere near as fun or popular except maybe "Ramblin' Man"...but I'm glad we got the original two years later instead. THUMBS UP.
"John The Fisherman" - Primus
Ewww, Primus. I know they're kinda shitty normally but goddamn, they sound even worse as a WaveGroup cover. I mean, the vocalist is doofy and the guitar tone is just awful. WaveGroup really fucked up when...wait...oh, it's a master recording? Yeesh, what a waste. I wouldn't mind if this was a bonus song and one of the bonus tracks like "Soy Bomb" or "Raw Dog" was a main setlist choice instead...but Jesus, this is bad. It's not even fun to play, it's just a solid lump of bad. THUMBS DOWN.
"Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine
You might be thinking that I'm generally shitting on the more modern songs but this is one that I actually like quite a bit. Whilst the GH:SH chart is still my favourite (let's not talk about the Rock Band one), the GH2 guitar chart isn't that bad and WaveGroup successfully manage to recreate a Tom Morello guitar solo without completely fucking everything up. They also did a good job rewriting the lyrics to be a bit more family friendly so overall, a good effort. It's also one of the better RATM choices, as Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band 2 would prove. THUMBS UP.
"Laid To Rest" - Lamb Of God
It's not the best song to listen to but it's a solid choice for some modern Metal that isn't just a recreation of 70s/80s stuff. Plus, that guitar chart is just fucking great. Actually, so is WaveGroup's cover. I actually had to double check to make sure it wasn't the original as the guitar tones are damn near identical. It's only when the verse vocals come in that you realise it's not Lamb Of God but musically, the cover's good. I'm assuming this is one of Lamb Of God's better known tracks as we've had barely any other tracks of theirs in music games so far. So yeah, sweet pick. THUMBS UP.
"Last Child" - Aerosmith
I'm torn on this one. It's a good little tune but I doubt any Aerosmith fan (casual or hardcore) would choose this straight away if you asked them for the best Aerosmith song; at least not if they were listening to this cover. Maybe this choice was more to do with Aerosmith being notoriously expensive to license so they wanted a nice, cheap B-side to cover instead. Either way, it's a good song with a semi-fun but easily forgettable chart. When weighing up the positives (only just passable WaveGroup cover, fun chart) against the negatives (not amazingly fun to play, so many better Aerosmith songs to pick from), I've got to go with my gut and say THUMBS DOWN if only because a song like "Walk This Way", "Back In The Saddle" or "Sweet Emotion" would've been awesome. However, this isn't a bad B-side choice.
"Life Wasted" - Pearl Jam
Another Xbox 360 exclusive that I'm a bit jealous of. I'm a bit surprised they went with modern Pearl Jam when you'd assume any of their 90s hits would've been the obvious choices. Still, it's a fun song off an underrated album and a good WaveGroup cover. I wouldn't replace this with any other song of theirs, mostly because I wouldn't be able to play it anyway. THUMBS UP.
"Madhouse" - Anthrax
I wish we got more Anthrax stuff off the Spreading The Disease album that wasn't a WaveGroup cover or shitty live recording. Ah well, at least GH2 knew what was up. Bitchin' tune from the band's best album, what's not to like? Fun guitar, totally relevant for the game and a solid cover. THUMBS UP without a moment's hesitation.
"Message In A Bottle" - The Police
The Police are a funny beast in the world of Rock Band/Guitar Hero. They're a relatively popular Rock band with a very limited collection of fun songs. "Message In A Bottle" is OK to listen to and sort of fun to play but it's not a track I would ever seek out; it's just one that I enjoy when I'm experiencing it. It's also a very sensible choice for the game, what with it having some decent but easy guitar sections for early on in the career and it being one of the band's biggest hits. Yeah, THUMBS UP I guess. I don't hate it or even dislike it, I'm just wildly indifferent but have no beef against it.
"Misirlou" - Dick Dale
Hoo boy, THIS song. I'm not sure if they were better off choosing this version or going with the Del-tones one used in Pulp Fiction. Either way, it's a fun song with LOTS of rapid strumming. If that's your jam, you better get on this song. If you hate rapid strumming, you'll probably get very little out of this other than a fail screen but luckily, it's not an arse of a song to strum hopelessly along to. Great tune, good choice for one of the game's main challenging tracks. THUMBS UP.
"Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
I'll be honest, I don't even remember playing this in GH2. I remember it in Smash Hits and I loosely remember seeing it in the setlist but I can't remember playing it at all! However, the chart is pretty standard. A lot of chords, a lot of strumming but it's all in service of a great Foos track from an album with a lot of crappy hits that could've been picked instead. The cover's not bad either, I dare say the vocalist does a better job than Dave Grohl during the shouty bit. Despite being a totally forgettable song and chart in the collection of music that is Guitar Hero 2, I'm giving this a THUMBS UP.
"Mother" - Danzig
Not a huge fan of Danzig or this song but I guess it's quite popular? The vocalist did his best but he was never going to sound like Mr Danzig so any attempt at covering this song would always just sound like a parody. So yeah, not a huge fan of the song choice or cover quality...but is it fun to play? Meh, it's OK. Pretty standard affair up until the last solo which is great. I praised the soundtrack earlier for their choice of Rock and Metal from recent years with a similar sound to classic artists as away of introducing fans to new material...but this song was released in the 80s, the same decade as Judas Priest, Metallica and Scorpions material. Granted most of those bands made it to Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s but I still feel like this is a meh song at best, even if it's not terrible to play. Fuck, I'm conflicted. I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN purely because I wouldn't miss this song if it was replaced with something else, even if I'm not a huge fan of the song replacing it.
"Possum Kingdom" - Toadies
Another Xbox 360 exclusive and master recording combo...and it's mediocre! Positives first: it's got a sweet riff that's kinda fun to play (by the looks of it). It's also a somewhat popular song, I guess? However, it's your typical 90s Alternative, Pop Punk shit only this isn't Weezer or The Offspring or some other similar band with songs that'd be amazing to play in GH. As far exclusive bonus tracks go, this is pretty dull and should've been something more fun to listen to/play (even if it was meant to be an early career mode track to warm your fingers up). THUMBS DOWN though I might buy it as Rock Band DLC in the future.
"Psychobilly Freakout" - Reverend Horton Heat
Ahhhhh, this song's grown on me. I may not have enjoyed my experience of it in GH2 but since I've improved over time, I can appreciate this song for what it is. It's the wacky GH song full of fun yet incredibly challenging guitar (for the time) that one of the developers happened to know and decided to include that you find in most GH games. GHWOR had the Snot song, GH5 had the Jeff Beck jazz one, even GH:WT had "Satch Boogie". I'm OK with this not being a well known song by a well known band if it serves a purpose in the game's soundtrack, and it does! It serves a similar purpose to "Misirlou" but in a more fun way. It's also a pretty fucking great cover so THUMBS UP. Fuck the haters.
"Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo" - Rick Derringer
Oh neat, some more Classic Rock. Oh wait, it was an Xbox 360 exclusive. Shit. At least Rock Band 4 got the master recording (for which I am eternally grateful) but the GH2 cover and chart are still good. Sure, the outro solo might seem a little forced but the actual solo is brilliant and the whole song is full of amazing guitar sections. Definitely a true Guitar Hero song, even if it is a lesser known Classic Rock track outside of America. Well, it got a Thumbs Up in RB4 so it's definitely getting one here too! THUMBS UP.
"Rock This Town" - Stray Cats
This is definitely one of the most fun songs in the game, along with "Jessica" and one coming up a bit later. Everything about this song is fucking brilliant. Most fun songs have some kind of downtime section where it's just chords, strumming or nothing at all but this track has a fun and varied chart from start to finish. Rock Band released a version as DLC that couldn't hold a candle to this chart, although at least that was still fun. The GH2 version, however, will always be a testament to the perfect GH chart, even if the song isn't exactly GH material. THUMBS UP.
"Salvation" - Rancid
Generic 90s Punk, as bland as you can imagine. Boring chart, terrible song, plenty of better Punk tunes out there to include if you want an easy song to kick the game off and I wouldn't even consider it a significant song in general if you're after great Rock tracks for the game. Thankfully it's an Xbox 360 exclusive so I never had to play it but this should've been something else. THUMBS DOWN.
"Seach And Destroy" - Iggy Pop And The Stooges
From dull Punk to amazing Punk AND quite possibly my favourite song in the game. Note: it's not the most fun song in the game (that's probably "Rock This Town") but it's still my favourite. I always enjoyed playing it, even if I wasn't good enough to completely nail that amazing outro solo. Granted the chart's a little undercharted and the cover sounds iffy at times but overall, it's a great effort by WaveGroup and adequately challenging enough for where it is in the game's career mode. It's a shame we've yet to experience this in Rock Band but there's still hope for the future, especially since I heard a rumour that it was optioned for Guitar Hero: Smash Hits. As for whether it's the best Iggy song to go with, it's definitely the best Iggy and the Stooges song to pick...you know what, it's the best Iggy song in general. Semi-well known but obscure enough to introduce casual listeners to a cracking tune. THUMBS UP.
"Shout At The Devil" - Motley Crue
OK, so it might be a lame cover but as far as entry level songs go, this is one of the best. A well known Hair Metal track that successfully crosses into full on Heavy Metal territory and contains plenty of fun little HOPO sections to separate it from bland sustain of chordfests. It might not be the perfect song (fuck that trill solo) but as it was the first song I played in Guitar Hero 2, I can testify that it perfectly sets the tone for the great game ahead of you. THUMBS UP.
"Stop" - Jane's Addiction
You know my feelings towards Jane's Addiction and this is one of the songs that started the general animosity I harbour. Frustrating chart, cruddy song and not even the best choice by this band. "Idiots Rule", "Been Caught Stealing" or "Just Because" would've been much better for the game and arguably as well known (if not more so) than this song. However, one positive thing about the track is that it is indeed the original master recording. Sadly it's the master recording of a naff song so THUMBS DOWN.
"Strutter" - KISS
I wouldn't call this a tremendously popular KISS song in comparison to some of their others but on the scale of significant KISS singles, it's definitely on the list. It's also one of the most fun KISS songs on guitar so there are no complaints from me there. I was going to give this a Thumbs Down but then I revisited the chart; damn, those twin solos are something. THUMBS UP even though it's not a KISS song I'm particularly fond of.
"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
If you're going to pick a Cheap Trick song for Guitar Hero, you're definitely better off picking one of their actual Rock songs instead of their Pop shit. It's a solid track with some basic guitar throughout, perfect for early placement in the game's career mode. Whilst I personally would've preferred songs like "Stiff Competition" or "California Man", I'm not dumb enough to state that those would've been superior choices. "Surrender" is a well known Rock track that doesn't feel out of place in GH and probably gave people a lot of fun when they played it, even if it's no "Rock This Town". THUMBS UP for not being terrible.
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
OK, I'll say it right now. THUMBS UP. Good song? Check (even if I'm slowly falling out of love with GNR due to a certain prick on vocals). Fun chart? Check (it's fucking Slash, what did you expect?). Sensible GH choice? It's one of Rock's most iconic guitar riffs and songs, of fucking course. Good cover? Debatable; the vocalist sounds like a rougher version of Axl, which is fucking saying something, but at least the guitar tones sound perfect. All in all, good track!
"Tattooed Love Boys" - The Pretenders
One of many songs that I actually forgot was in the game. Uhh, yeah, this song sucks. It's a weird blend of New Wave and Hard Rock and I don't like it. Even if the chart is kinda fun if you're good enough to tackle the strumming rhythm, it's a poor choice for the game in my opinion. Not really a song that comes to mind when I think of Guitar Hero and if you were going to choose a Pretenders song, why not "Middle Of The Road" or "Precious"? THUMBS DOWN.
"Them Bones" - Alice In Chains
Bleh, Alice In Chains. Up there with Bush in my league of terrible Grunge bands. This song might have a sweet guitar solo but I still dislike listening to the rest of the song just to get to a brief HOPO stream sandwiched between a load of strumming. Alice In Chains have some decent tracks but nothing I feel is a must have for GH. The closest song is probably "Man In The Box", which I probably would've enjoyed more than this one...although this is a lot shorter. Either way, THUMBS DOWN. I would've been more likely to award the win if it was a Rock or Metal cover of "Dem Bones/Dry Bones".
"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" - Spinal Tap
Fair play Harmonix, you put a Spinal Tap song on the main setlist. Not just a random Spinal Tap song off a new album as part of a contractual obligation in order to get album DLC later down the line (totally not referencing another game there) but a well known and awesome Spinal Tap song that featured prominently in the film too! It's a shame the song has to feature so many fiddly trills and a rapid strumming outro but at least the main riff is great. The cover quality's pretty good too, especially on the main riff and lead vocals in the verse. You could argue that a Rock song by an actual band and not a parody of 80s Rock groups should've had the spot this track took up but to those people, I say there's nothing wrong with the song as its own entity. If you didn't know it was Spinal Tap, this would sound just as awesome as anything by Twisted Sister or Aerosmith. THUMBS UP.
"Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots
OK, first of all, stupid song title. Second, this is one of the few popular STP songs with highly active guitar so I guess it makes sense to include in the game. "Vasoline" and "Crackerman" would've been good too but there's nothing wrong with this choice, apart from the aforementioned song title. As for the chart, it's not bad. A little too much strumming for my taste but it's nowhere near as awkward as "Tattooed Love Boys" or "Misirlou" so I suppose that's something. Plus, it's a 90s song that isn't bland, one of the main (and few) issues with the GH2 setlist. For that reason and all the other ones I wrote, THUMBS UP.
"The Trooper" - Iron Maiden
The last Xbox 360 exclusive track. I've played the original in GH:SH but never the WaveGroup cover, although the charts look relatively similar. Since I hated playing this song in GH:SH, I can only assume it's just as annoying in GH2. However, it is one of Iron Maiden's most popular songs so I can understand why it was picked. However, combine the annoying chart with the fairly meh solo and poor quality cover and it pains me to end up with a THUMBS DOWN for this song. As for which Iron Maiden song I would've preferred...tough to say, as any WaveGroup cover would sound crappy, but maybe one of the shorter, less annoying songs to play just to make the painful experience less harsh than this one.
"War Pigs" - Black Sabbath
Is this the same version that was released as Rock Band DLC? I love that version and the GH2 cover sounds pretty damn similar so it's possible. Since GH1 got "Iron Man", it was either this song or "Paranoid" for GH2 and I'm glad they went with this song. It's got many, many awesome guitar sections and will likely introduce casual listeners to a song that they're less likely to know compared to Black Sabbath's other two signature songs. I'm glad they didn't edit the song down to a more tolerable length too, as this track is best enjoyed with both solos in all their glory. THUMBS UP.
"Who Was In My Room Last Night?" - The Butthole Surfers
Another fun chart that I'd very much like to revisit as future RB DLC. Whilst I'm not sure this would qualify if we're after well known Rock songs, it definitely sounds like the kind of song that'd belong in Guitar Hero. Plus, it is an incredible guitar chart and decent cover so it doesn't feel out of place from the perspective of having fun. THUMBS UP before we start talking about the band's questionable choice of name.
"Woman" - Wolfmother
Similar to "Freya", this song feels like it was chosen because it sounds like 70s Hard Rock and happens to be the band's best known single with a fun guitar melody at that point in time. But enough about the song overall, let's talk about the guitar solo. Normally, the song breaks into an organ solo (which you can hear underneath the solo in this song, if you listen closely) but WaveGroup decided to add a guitar solo so that you've got something to play instead of the main riff. The solo's OK, suitable difficulty for this point in the game's career mode and not awful to listen to, especially when compared to the organ solo. If the guitar sounded a little bit closer to the original Wolfmother guitar, I'd be tempted to say this WaveGroup cover trumps the original as the vocalist sounds less whiny than Andrew Stockdale. So, to recap, good song choice, good chart, good cover; that makes this a pretty definite THUMBS UP in my books.
"You Really Got Me" - Van Halen
Really? Out of all the Van Halen songs available, you choose their meh cover of a song by The Kinks, a band that could've been included instead? Granted this is one of Van Halen's popular songs from their debut that helped catapult them into mainstream Rock along with "Eruption" and "Runnin' For The Devil" but there's no way this should've been picked over classics of theirs like "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Panama" if you're after mid-tier difficulty. However, despite my criticisms, there are some shining positives. For starters, it's an exceptional cover; vocals and guitar are fucking identical. Then there's the chart; whilst it might be a bit of a pain for the inexperienced player, it offers some great little HOPO sections in such a short package. Unfortunately, I still feel like this was the wrong choice for the game's Van Halen representative so it's a THUMBS DOWN I'm afraid, though not as offensive as some of the other Thumbs Down this game has offered.
"YYZ" - Rush
Believe it or not, this was my first experience with Rush and now it seems like they're fucking everywhere. Anyway, it's the last main disc song in the game and it's a belter. It's not a terrible cover (it's damn right spot on in the intro, but then the main riff starts) and it's certainly fun to play on guitar and bass. However, is it the best Rush choice for the game? In short, yes. There might be other Rush songs that are more iconic like "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" but you're forgetting that those would almost certainly be WaveGroup covers and if the Rock Band covers taught us anything, it's that WaveGroup cannot get Geddy's voice right. They were smart to choose a Rush song that didn't have Geddy singing, therefore saving themselves the embarrassment of attempting to copy his unique pipes. With that in mind, this song and HMX's decision to choose it get a big ol' THUMBS UP.
Well, there you have it. 33 Thumbs Up against 15 Thumbs Down. A pretty good win for the Guitar Hero 2 setlist, right there. As for why this soundtrack is so great compared to other GH games, my theory is that HMX knew that the game's engine between GH1 and GH2 had been vastly improved and wanted a soundtrack that reflected that. The first game had a lot of iconic Rock songs with a couple of modern hits peppered throughout but this game really wanted to knock the socks off players with fun riffs, epic solos and plenty of HOPOs that you didn't have to strum in order to play to enjoy.
Whilst other GH games wanted a soundtrack to reflect fun guitar charts, this game had the benefit of being the second Guitar Hero title in existence, meaning most great and obtainable Rock songs were still new to the franchise (hence GHWOR reusing two tracks from previous GH games, which really didn't help things). Anyway, even if it isn't my favourite GH to play, it certainly is one of the finest soundtracks of music game history.
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s
Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock
Guitar Hero: World Tour
Rock Band 2
The Beatles: Rock Band
Lego Rock Band
Guitar Hero: Van Halen
Rock Band 3
Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock
Rock Band 4
I'll be going through the entire game's main soundtrack (including the bonus Xbox 360 tracks but NOT the game's bonus songs that you can purchase) and deciding whether each song deserves a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based around three key factors. 1) Whether I actually like the song (since this game mostly consists of WaveGroup covers, I'll be judging those). 2) Whether the song is fun to play on guitar. 3) Whether the song deserves to be included in the game based on its popularity or relevance to the Guitar Hero term.
At the end, I'll tally up all the Thumbs Up/Down to determine if the game's soundtrack is a yay or nay. So now we've gone through that obligatory explanation, let's revisit this setlist!
"Bad Reputation" - Thin Lizzy
I don't even need to revisit the WaveGroup cover of this to tell you it's a THUMBS DOWN. Thin Lizzy have recorded so many great songs with amazing guitar melodies such as "Whiskey In The Jar", "Cowboy Song", "Waiting For An Alibi", "Cold Sweat" and more. Why in the hell did Harmonix think "Bad Reputation", a lesser known, easily forgettable song of theirs that's mostly strumming and waiting, deserved a spot in the game's soundtrack? My bet is it was probably a personal choice from one of the game's creative directors, even if the solo is alright.
"Beast And The Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
Ahh, the beginning of the A7X rhythm music craze. Granted it probably would've happened sooner or later but this song was the one that started it all off...and with pretty good reason. It's a decent song that makes for a great challenge, definitely worth being in the game and (as far as I know) a popular track by A7X too. Regardless of how I felt about it being in RB3, this song is fun as a WaveGroup cover in early GH games and deserves a THUMBS UP as a result.
"Billion Dollar Babies" - Alice Cooper
The first Xbox 360 exclusive track (and, therefore, one of many that I've never actually played). As far as WaveGroup covers go, it's hit and miss. The guitar sounds terrible but the vocals aren't too bad. I'm not a huge fan of the song so it's mostly down to whether it's a fun chart and a decent Alice Cooper choice. It's got a decent solo and some fun riffs, perfect for a mid-tier track, and the song's one of Cooper's biggest hits. It'd make sense to choose fun over popularity when it's not the original and part of an expanded setlist. Yeah, I'm OK with this choice. THUMBS UP.
"Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" - The Rolling Stones
Well, at least they picked a shorter version to cover. Never thought I'd say that but here we are. The guitar riff in the cover starts off pretty well although the rest of the track quickly turns to shit, even doing the impossible and finding a vocalist to cover a Rolling Stones song who sounds worse than Mick Jagger. God, I fucking hate this song. The "CAN YOU HEAR ME KNOCKIN'" riff is awful and even though it has the makings of a track I should love, there's nothing I like about this cover from the intro riff to the crappy outro solo. What's worse is there are plenty of great Rolling Stones songs that likely haven't been made into GH/RB DLC because of unavailable master tapes, meaning WaveGroup covers were the easiest way to get songs like "It's All Over Now" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash". THUMBS DOWN.
"Carry Me Home" - The Living End
Man, I forgot how awesome this song is. Not only is it excellent for guitarists looking for a challenge but it's a pretty fucking great cover too, arguably superior to the original at least as far as vocals are concerned. It's also a fairly well known track by The Living End (though I'm not sure if that's because of this game or general radio play) but I still think it belongs in this game more than some of their other great tracks like "West End Riot" and "Into The Red". THUMBS UP.
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
I'm sure I've talked about this cover in the past but I still feel that the original is easily the best version. The vocals in the intro followed by the muted guitar riff sound wrong but at least they're not terrible to play. I think it's fair to say that a lot of people discovered this song due to this game, since it suddenly started appearing everywhere after 2006, but it's a shame the cover's kinda meh. At least it's a solid choice and a fun chart, which earns it a THUMBS UP.
"Cherry Pie" - Warrant
Hats off to WaveGroup for recording a pretty fucking spot-on version of this song. Well known Hair Metal anthem, sweet guitar chart and a top quality cover. All in all, the perfect song for GH2. THUMBS UP.
"Crazy On You" - Heart
I remember hating playing this on GH2 but that was mostly because I wasn't a very good player and this has a semi-challenging guitar chart. Revisiting it, I kinda dig it. Fun guitar throughout and a serviceable cover (although the spot-on guitar tones deserve a major shout out!), but is it the best Heart song to cover? Yes. Absolutely. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the right choice. THUIMBS UP.
"Dead!" - My Chemical Romance
Ugh, these guys. Fair play to these twinks, this isn't a bad song for GH. Fun guitar chart (which is fucking rare for these wankers), a catchy sound that isn't just your overly affected strumfest lamenting how hard it is to be Alternative in high school and from what I know about MCR, it's one of their more popular songs. Oh, and it's one of four master recordings in the game...and an Xbox 360 exclusive track. If I didn't know this was MCR, I'd probably like the track a lot so I've got no choice but to give it a THUMBS UP. I know, weird huh.
"Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Do I really need to spend more than a single line explaining this one? Nope! THUMBS UP.
"Freya" - The Sword
This is one of the main reasons why I believe the Guitar Hero 2 soundtrack is regarded as one of the best. Yes, you've got WaveGroup covers of bands that wouldn't appear in GH/RB as master recordings for some time (if at all) and a myriad of fun guitar songs but you've also got lesser known modern Hard Rock/Metal songs that fans of classic bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are likely to enjoy. It's the perfect balance to create the ultimate Rock music rhythm game. The fun chart and great cover quality are added features at this point, as is the bitchin' outro. THUMBS UP.
"Girlfriend" - Matthew Sweet
I've played this song on GH2 and listened to it as a way of reminding myself about the song...and yet, I still can't tell you anything about it. It's so fucking non-descript and average, even if it does have a fun solo. There are plenty of other one-off Rock songs that could've been better used in this game but instead, we get Placeholder - Fuckin Who?! taking up a slot. It's not a terrible song but it doesn't deserve a win for any of the key factors I'm judging these on. THUMBS DOWN I'm afraid.
"Hangar 18" - Megadeth
Oh shit, this song gave me so much trouble when I first played this game. It's a shame the cover is possibly one of WaveGroup's weakest in that it sounds barely anything like the original but it still sounds good enough. There's also the added benefit of it being one of Megadeth's better known songs deliberately picked to be an insane challenge for guitarists at the end of the game. Whilst there are other Megadeth songs that I think I prefer to listen to, this is definitely the best choice for the game (way better than "Symphony Of Destruction" in GH1). THUMBS UP.
"Heart-Shaped Box" - Nirvana
Hmmm...on the one hand, it's one of Nirvana's bigger tracks ignoring the obvious one that they chose not to go with for some reason. On the other much bigger hand, it's not the most fun guitar track and Nirvana aren't really a band that comes to mind when I think of the term Guitar Hero. They might work in later games or DLC but not GH1-3 on-disc tracks. It's a THUMBS DOWN from me.
"Hush" - Deep Purple
It's a shame this wasn't on the PS2 version but it's still a damn good track. It's a solid little chart for those who want a fun but relatively easy song on guitar but thankfully, it's a great cover with a neat little guitar solo written in and a sensible choice for a Deep Purple song. Sure, there are plenty of more challenging Hard Rock songs they could've gone with but there's nothing wrong with this Psychedelic choice from the band's early career. Hopefully one day we'll get it as Rock Band DLC since they seem to be revisiting all the GH setlists now. THUMBS UP.
"Institutionalized" - Suicidal Tendencies
Fuck this song. Horrible to listen to, crap to play, rubbish choice for 80s Metal (although this game has some great choices overall) and completely lacking in anything remotely enjoyable. There are plenty of challenging guitar songs that should've taken its place so it's a hard THUMBS DOWN for this utter shithawk of a tune.
"Jessica" - The Allman Brothers Band
Ah yes, the second best Southern Rock epic in the game. Easily one of the most fun songs to play and it's not a terrible WaveGroup cover. The guitar tone is great and the omission of the piano solo to make it more fun in GH doesn't sound bad either. The Allman Brothers Band have plenty of fun songs to choose from but this has to be the best choice, as all the others wouldn't be anywhere near as fun or popular except maybe "Ramblin' Man"...but I'm glad we got the original two years later instead. THUMBS UP.
"John The Fisherman" - Primus
Ewww, Primus. I know they're kinda shitty normally but goddamn, they sound even worse as a WaveGroup cover. I mean, the vocalist is doofy and the guitar tone is just awful. WaveGroup really fucked up when...wait...oh, it's a master recording? Yeesh, what a waste. I wouldn't mind if this was a bonus song and one of the bonus tracks like "Soy Bomb" or "Raw Dog" was a main setlist choice instead...but Jesus, this is bad. It's not even fun to play, it's just a solid lump of bad. THUMBS DOWN.
"Killing In The Name" - Rage Against The Machine
You might be thinking that I'm generally shitting on the more modern songs but this is one that I actually like quite a bit. Whilst the GH:SH chart is still my favourite (let's not talk about the Rock Band one), the GH2 guitar chart isn't that bad and WaveGroup successfully manage to recreate a Tom Morello guitar solo without completely fucking everything up. They also did a good job rewriting the lyrics to be a bit more family friendly so overall, a good effort. It's also one of the better RATM choices, as Guitar Hero 3 and Rock Band 2 would prove. THUMBS UP.
"Laid To Rest" - Lamb Of God
It's not the best song to listen to but it's a solid choice for some modern Metal that isn't just a recreation of 70s/80s stuff. Plus, that guitar chart is just fucking great. Actually, so is WaveGroup's cover. I actually had to double check to make sure it wasn't the original as the guitar tones are damn near identical. It's only when the verse vocals come in that you realise it's not Lamb Of God but musically, the cover's good. I'm assuming this is one of Lamb Of God's better known tracks as we've had barely any other tracks of theirs in music games so far. So yeah, sweet pick. THUMBS UP.
"Last Child" - Aerosmith
I'm torn on this one. It's a good little tune but I doubt any Aerosmith fan (casual or hardcore) would choose this straight away if you asked them for the best Aerosmith song; at least not if they were listening to this cover. Maybe this choice was more to do with Aerosmith being notoriously expensive to license so they wanted a nice, cheap B-side to cover instead. Either way, it's a good song with a semi-fun but easily forgettable chart. When weighing up the positives (only just passable WaveGroup cover, fun chart) against the negatives (not amazingly fun to play, so many better Aerosmith songs to pick from), I've got to go with my gut and say THUMBS DOWN if only because a song like "Walk This Way", "Back In The Saddle" or "Sweet Emotion" would've been awesome. However, this isn't a bad B-side choice.
"Life Wasted" - Pearl Jam
Another Xbox 360 exclusive that I'm a bit jealous of. I'm a bit surprised they went with modern Pearl Jam when you'd assume any of their 90s hits would've been the obvious choices. Still, it's a fun song off an underrated album and a good WaveGroup cover. I wouldn't replace this with any other song of theirs, mostly because I wouldn't be able to play it anyway. THUMBS UP.
"Madhouse" - Anthrax
I wish we got more Anthrax stuff off the Spreading The Disease album that wasn't a WaveGroup cover or shitty live recording. Ah well, at least GH2 knew what was up. Bitchin' tune from the band's best album, what's not to like? Fun guitar, totally relevant for the game and a solid cover. THUMBS UP without a moment's hesitation.
"Message In A Bottle" - The Police
The Police are a funny beast in the world of Rock Band/Guitar Hero. They're a relatively popular Rock band with a very limited collection of fun songs. "Message In A Bottle" is OK to listen to and sort of fun to play but it's not a track I would ever seek out; it's just one that I enjoy when I'm experiencing it. It's also a very sensible choice for the game, what with it having some decent but easy guitar sections for early on in the career and it being one of the band's biggest hits. Yeah, THUMBS UP I guess. I don't hate it or even dislike it, I'm just wildly indifferent but have no beef against it.
"Misirlou" - Dick Dale
Hoo boy, THIS song. I'm not sure if they were better off choosing this version or going with the Del-tones one used in Pulp Fiction. Either way, it's a fun song with LOTS of rapid strumming. If that's your jam, you better get on this song. If you hate rapid strumming, you'll probably get very little out of this other than a fail screen but luckily, it's not an arse of a song to strum hopelessly along to. Great tune, good choice for one of the game's main challenging tracks. THUMBS UP.
"Monkey Wrench" - Foo Fighters
I'll be honest, I don't even remember playing this in GH2. I remember it in Smash Hits and I loosely remember seeing it in the setlist but I can't remember playing it at all! However, the chart is pretty standard. A lot of chords, a lot of strumming but it's all in service of a great Foos track from an album with a lot of crappy hits that could've been picked instead. The cover's not bad either, I dare say the vocalist does a better job than Dave Grohl during the shouty bit. Despite being a totally forgettable song and chart in the collection of music that is Guitar Hero 2, I'm giving this a THUMBS UP.
"Mother" - Danzig
Not a huge fan of Danzig or this song but I guess it's quite popular? The vocalist did his best but he was never going to sound like Mr Danzig so any attempt at covering this song would always just sound like a parody. So yeah, not a huge fan of the song choice or cover quality...but is it fun to play? Meh, it's OK. Pretty standard affair up until the last solo which is great. I praised the soundtrack earlier for their choice of Rock and Metal from recent years with a similar sound to classic artists as away of introducing fans to new material...but this song was released in the 80s, the same decade as Judas Priest, Metallica and Scorpions material. Granted most of those bands made it to Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s but I still feel like this is a meh song at best, even if it's not terrible to play. Fuck, I'm conflicted. I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN purely because I wouldn't miss this song if it was replaced with something else, even if I'm not a huge fan of the song replacing it.
"Possum Kingdom" - Toadies
Another Xbox 360 exclusive and master recording combo...and it's mediocre! Positives first: it's got a sweet riff that's kinda fun to play (by the looks of it). It's also a somewhat popular song, I guess? However, it's your typical 90s Alternative, Pop Punk shit only this isn't Weezer or The Offspring or some other similar band with songs that'd be amazing to play in GH. As far exclusive bonus tracks go, this is pretty dull and should've been something more fun to listen to/play (even if it was meant to be an early career mode track to warm your fingers up). THUMBS DOWN though I might buy it as Rock Band DLC in the future.
"Psychobilly Freakout" - Reverend Horton Heat
Ahhhhh, this song's grown on me. I may not have enjoyed my experience of it in GH2 but since I've improved over time, I can appreciate this song for what it is. It's the wacky GH song full of fun yet incredibly challenging guitar (for the time) that one of the developers happened to know and decided to include that you find in most GH games. GHWOR had the Snot song, GH5 had the Jeff Beck jazz one, even GH:WT had "Satch Boogie". I'm OK with this not being a well known song by a well known band if it serves a purpose in the game's soundtrack, and it does! It serves a similar purpose to "Misirlou" but in a more fun way. It's also a pretty fucking great cover so THUMBS UP. Fuck the haters.
"Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo" - Rick Derringer
Oh neat, some more Classic Rock. Oh wait, it was an Xbox 360 exclusive. Shit. At least Rock Band 4 got the master recording (for which I am eternally grateful) but the GH2 cover and chart are still good. Sure, the outro solo might seem a little forced but the actual solo is brilliant and the whole song is full of amazing guitar sections. Definitely a true Guitar Hero song, even if it is a lesser known Classic Rock track outside of America. Well, it got a Thumbs Up in RB4 so it's definitely getting one here too! THUMBS UP.
"Rock This Town" - Stray Cats
This is definitely one of the most fun songs in the game, along with "Jessica" and one coming up a bit later. Everything about this song is fucking brilliant. Most fun songs have some kind of downtime section where it's just chords, strumming or nothing at all but this track has a fun and varied chart from start to finish. Rock Band released a version as DLC that couldn't hold a candle to this chart, although at least that was still fun. The GH2 version, however, will always be a testament to the perfect GH chart, even if the song isn't exactly GH material. THUMBS UP.
"Salvation" - Rancid
Generic 90s Punk, as bland as you can imagine. Boring chart, terrible song, plenty of better Punk tunes out there to include if you want an easy song to kick the game off and I wouldn't even consider it a significant song in general if you're after great Rock tracks for the game. Thankfully it's an Xbox 360 exclusive so I never had to play it but this should've been something else. THUMBS DOWN.
"Seach And Destroy" - Iggy Pop And The Stooges
From dull Punk to amazing Punk AND quite possibly my favourite song in the game. Note: it's not the most fun song in the game (that's probably "Rock This Town") but it's still my favourite. I always enjoyed playing it, even if I wasn't good enough to completely nail that amazing outro solo. Granted the chart's a little undercharted and the cover sounds iffy at times but overall, it's a great effort by WaveGroup and adequately challenging enough for where it is in the game's career mode. It's a shame we've yet to experience this in Rock Band but there's still hope for the future, especially since I heard a rumour that it was optioned for Guitar Hero: Smash Hits. As for whether it's the best Iggy song to go with, it's definitely the best Iggy and the Stooges song to pick...you know what, it's the best Iggy song in general. Semi-well known but obscure enough to introduce casual listeners to a cracking tune. THUMBS UP.
"Shout At The Devil" - Motley Crue
OK, so it might be a lame cover but as far as entry level songs go, this is one of the best. A well known Hair Metal track that successfully crosses into full on Heavy Metal territory and contains plenty of fun little HOPO sections to separate it from bland sustain of chordfests. It might not be the perfect song (fuck that trill solo) but as it was the first song I played in Guitar Hero 2, I can testify that it perfectly sets the tone for the great game ahead of you. THUMBS UP.
"Stop" - Jane's Addiction
You know my feelings towards Jane's Addiction and this is one of the songs that started the general animosity I harbour. Frustrating chart, cruddy song and not even the best choice by this band. "Idiots Rule", "Been Caught Stealing" or "Just Because" would've been much better for the game and arguably as well known (if not more so) than this song. However, one positive thing about the track is that it is indeed the original master recording. Sadly it's the master recording of a naff song so THUMBS DOWN.
"Strutter" - KISS
I wouldn't call this a tremendously popular KISS song in comparison to some of their others but on the scale of significant KISS singles, it's definitely on the list. It's also one of the most fun KISS songs on guitar so there are no complaints from me there. I was going to give this a Thumbs Down but then I revisited the chart; damn, those twin solos are something. THUMBS UP even though it's not a KISS song I'm particularly fond of.
"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
If you're going to pick a Cheap Trick song for Guitar Hero, you're definitely better off picking one of their actual Rock songs instead of their Pop shit. It's a solid track with some basic guitar throughout, perfect for early placement in the game's career mode. Whilst I personally would've preferred songs like "Stiff Competition" or "California Man", I'm not dumb enough to state that those would've been superior choices. "Surrender" is a well known Rock track that doesn't feel out of place in GH and probably gave people a lot of fun when they played it, even if it's no "Rock This Town". THUMBS UP for not being terrible.
"Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N' Roses
OK, I'll say it right now. THUMBS UP. Good song? Check (even if I'm slowly falling out of love with GNR due to a certain prick on vocals). Fun chart? Check (it's fucking Slash, what did you expect?). Sensible GH choice? It's one of Rock's most iconic guitar riffs and songs, of fucking course. Good cover? Debatable; the vocalist sounds like a rougher version of Axl, which is fucking saying something, but at least the guitar tones sound perfect. All in all, good track!
"Tattooed Love Boys" - The Pretenders
One of many songs that I actually forgot was in the game. Uhh, yeah, this song sucks. It's a weird blend of New Wave and Hard Rock and I don't like it. Even if the chart is kinda fun if you're good enough to tackle the strumming rhythm, it's a poor choice for the game in my opinion. Not really a song that comes to mind when I think of Guitar Hero and if you were going to choose a Pretenders song, why not "Middle Of The Road" or "Precious"? THUMBS DOWN.
"Them Bones" - Alice In Chains
Bleh, Alice In Chains. Up there with Bush in my league of terrible Grunge bands. This song might have a sweet guitar solo but I still dislike listening to the rest of the song just to get to a brief HOPO stream sandwiched between a load of strumming. Alice In Chains have some decent tracks but nothing I feel is a must have for GH. The closest song is probably "Man In The Box", which I probably would've enjoyed more than this one...although this is a lot shorter. Either way, THUMBS DOWN. I would've been more likely to award the win if it was a Rock or Metal cover of "Dem Bones/Dry Bones".
"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" - Spinal Tap
Fair play Harmonix, you put a Spinal Tap song on the main setlist. Not just a random Spinal Tap song off a new album as part of a contractual obligation in order to get album DLC later down the line (totally not referencing another game there) but a well known and awesome Spinal Tap song that featured prominently in the film too! It's a shame the song has to feature so many fiddly trills and a rapid strumming outro but at least the main riff is great. The cover quality's pretty good too, especially on the main riff and lead vocals in the verse. You could argue that a Rock song by an actual band and not a parody of 80s Rock groups should've had the spot this track took up but to those people, I say there's nothing wrong with the song as its own entity. If you didn't know it was Spinal Tap, this would sound just as awesome as anything by Twisted Sister or Aerosmith. THUMBS UP.
"Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" - Stone Temple Pilots
OK, first of all, stupid song title. Second, this is one of the few popular STP songs with highly active guitar so I guess it makes sense to include in the game. "Vasoline" and "Crackerman" would've been good too but there's nothing wrong with this choice, apart from the aforementioned song title. As for the chart, it's not bad. A little too much strumming for my taste but it's nowhere near as awkward as "Tattooed Love Boys" or "Misirlou" so I suppose that's something. Plus, it's a 90s song that isn't bland, one of the main (and few) issues with the GH2 setlist. For that reason and all the other ones I wrote, THUMBS UP.
"The Trooper" - Iron Maiden
The last Xbox 360 exclusive track. I've played the original in GH:SH but never the WaveGroup cover, although the charts look relatively similar. Since I hated playing this song in GH:SH, I can only assume it's just as annoying in GH2. However, it is one of Iron Maiden's most popular songs so I can understand why it was picked. However, combine the annoying chart with the fairly meh solo and poor quality cover and it pains me to end up with a THUMBS DOWN for this song. As for which Iron Maiden song I would've preferred...tough to say, as any WaveGroup cover would sound crappy, but maybe one of the shorter, less annoying songs to play just to make the painful experience less harsh than this one.
"War Pigs" - Black Sabbath
Is this the same version that was released as Rock Band DLC? I love that version and the GH2 cover sounds pretty damn similar so it's possible. Since GH1 got "Iron Man", it was either this song or "Paranoid" for GH2 and I'm glad they went with this song. It's got many, many awesome guitar sections and will likely introduce casual listeners to a song that they're less likely to know compared to Black Sabbath's other two signature songs. I'm glad they didn't edit the song down to a more tolerable length too, as this track is best enjoyed with both solos in all their glory. THUMBS UP.
"Who Was In My Room Last Night?" - The Butthole Surfers
Another fun chart that I'd very much like to revisit as future RB DLC. Whilst I'm not sure this would qualify if we're after well known Rock songs, it definitely sounds like the kind of song that'd belong in Guitar Hero. Plus, it is an incredible guitar chart and decent cover so it doesn't feel out of place from the perspective of having fun. THUMBS UP before we start talking about the band's questionable choice of name.
"Woman" - Wolfmother
Similar to "Freya", this song feels like it was chosen because it sounds like 70s Hard Rock and happens to be the band's best known single with a fun guitar melody at that point in time. But enough about the song overall, let's talk about the guitar solo. Normally, the song breaks into an organ solo (which you can hear underneath the solo in this song, if you listen closely) but WaveGroup decided to add a guitar solo so that you've got something to play instead of the main riff. The solo's OK, suitable difficulty for this point in the game's career mode and not awful to listen to, especially when compared to the organ solo. If the guitar sounded a little bit closer to the original Wolfmother guitar, I'd be tempted to say this WaveGroup cover trumps the original as the vocalist sounds less whiny than Andrew Stockdale. So, to recap, good song choice, good chart, good cover; that makes this a pretty definite THUMBS UP in my books.
"You Really Got Me" - Van Halen
Really? Out of all the Van Halen songs available, you choose their meh cover of a song by The Kinks, a band that could've been included instead? Granted this is one of Van Halen's popular songs from their debut that helped catapult them into mainstream Rock along with "Eruption" and "Runnin' For The Devil" but there's no way this should've been picked over classics of theirs like "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" and "Panama" if you're after mid-tier difficulty. However, despite my criticisms, there are some shining positives. For starters, it's an exceptional cover; vocals and guitar are fucking identical. Then there's the chart; whilst it might be a bit of a pain for the inexperienced player, it offers some great little HOPO sections in such a short package. Unfortunately, I still feel like this was the wrong choice for the game's Van Halen representative so it's a THUMBS DOWN I'm afraid, though not as offensive as some of the other Thumbs Down this game has offered.
"YYZ" - Rush
Believe it or not, this was my first experience with Rush and now it seems like they're fucking everywhere. Anyway, it's the last main disc song in the game and it's a belter. It's not a terrible cover (it's damn right spot on in the intro, but then the main riff starts) and it's certainly fun to play on guitar and bass. However, is it the best Rush choice for the game? In short, yes. There might be other Rush songs that are more iconic like "Tom Sawyer" and "Limelight" but you're forgetting that those would almost certainly be WaveGroup covers and if the Rock Band covers taught us anything, it's that WaveGroup cannot get Geddy's voice right. They were smart to choose a Rush song that didn't have Geddy singing, therefore saving themselves the embarrassment of attempting to copy his unique pipes. With that in mind, this song and HMX's decision to choose it get a big ol' THUMBS UP.
Well, there you have it. 33 Thumbs Up against 15 Thumbs Down. A pretty good win for the Guitar Hero 2 setlist, right there. As for why this soundtrack is so great compared to other GH games, my theory is that HMX knew that the game's engine between GH1 and GH2 had been vastly improved and wanted a soundtrack that reflected that. The first game had a lot of iconic Rock songs with a couple of modern hits peppered throughout but this game really wanted to knock the socks off players with fun riffs, epic solos and plenty of HOPOs that you didn't have to strum in order to play to enjoy.
Whilst other GH games wanted a soundtrack to reflect fun guitar charts, this game had the benefit of being the second Guitar Hero title in existence, meaning most great and obtainable Rock songs were still new to the franchise (hence GHWOR reusing two tracks from previous GH games, which really didn't help things). Anyway, even if it isn't my favourite GH to play, it certainly is one of the finest soundtracks of music game history.
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