It's about time I covered the setlist from the game that took the next step in the rhythm game evolution started by Harmonix with Guitar Hero (and also continued by Harmonix with their new franchise). Much like previous setlist blog posts, I'll be going through each song and awarding a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based on whether I thought the song had a fun guitar chart, whether the song belonged in the game (due to sound and popularity) and finally, whether I actually like the song myself. NOTE: I'll only be discussing songs from the main setlist in this post, not the EU/Wii exclusive tracks or bonus on-disc songs.
Sooner or later I'm going to run out of these big-name rhythm games and will have to talk about setlists from third party titles or cruddy little Indie games with music in them...until then, let's look at this 2007 setlist!
"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" - Jet
First song in and we're off to a decent start! Sure, this track may be completely inspired by "Lust For Life" - Iggy Pop but the guitar has a fun rhythm and the charting of the chords is pretty fun too. The "solo" at the end is kinda weak but at the end of the day, you've got a popular, catchy song with fun guitar, great vocals, presumably some decent drumming and a great bass intro. It's a perfect all-rounder, which is a slam-dunk for this band based game. THUMBS UP.
"Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet
Our first WaveGroup Sound (?) cover in this game and it's not bad. It's nowhere near as good as the original but the chart is more fun as a result (and I say this having played what sounds like a fairly accurate chart on Clone Hero so I know exactly what I'm talking about). It's Sweet's most popular song and it doesn't sound too focused on one particular instrument, another great choice for the game. Whilst there are plenty of Sweet songs I would love to play on guitar for their awesome potential, I'm glad Harmonix did this classic justice. THUMBS UP.
"Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
I hate this song. Dreary, dull, boring, all the appropriate synonyms to describe Chris Cornell moaning along to terrible guitar riffs and slow percussion. Whilst it might be one of Soundgarden's signature songs, it's a shitty choice for Rock Band if you want a fun party song or a fun challenging track. Solo aside, the guitar is simple and even if the solo has some fun shreddy bits, it sounds like complete crap. Just an all-round terrible song that should've been "Spoonman", "Rusty Cage" or one of Soundgarden's other songs that isn't terrible. THUMBS DOWN.
"Blitzkrieg Bop" - Ramones
A pretty straightforward track and an iconic Punk hit. Even if it's mostly chords and strumming on guitar, the vocals are probably quite fun in party scenarios and the need for "easy" songs is necessary in any rhythm game to establish a difficulty curve. THUMBS UP for being a short little track for beginners that actually belongs in a game called Rock Band, unlike some of the easier songs we'll be looking at later on.
"Celebrity Skin" - Hole
Eww, Courtney Love. I understand the need for songs with female vocalists to appeal to a wider variety of gamers but come on, Hole? Couldn't find any better bands to license like Heart, Paramore, Blondie, Halestorm, Jefferson Airplane, L7, Fleetwood Mac or Pretenders? The fact that the guitar chart is pretty repetitive doesn't help either so this song earns a THUMBS DOWN.
"Cherub Rock" - Smashing Pumpkins
One of the many songs in-game that's shared with Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock, released in the same year as Rock Band. As far as charts go, this song's pretty damn fun on guitar! Great riffs, a solid little solo and a good amount of variety. I would even argue that this song is more fun in Rock Band because the Big Rock Ending kicks in before the annoying rapid strumming section so you don't have to worry about that when going for the FC. As for whether it's the right Smashing Pumpkins song to choose, of course it fucking is! It's the best Smashing Pumpkins song ever picked for a GH/RB game and it deserves a THUMBS UP.
"Creep" - Radiohead
On the one hand, this is one of Radiohead's biggest songs and it's probably got some appeal to vocalists. On the other, so is "Paranoid Android" and at least that has a great guitar solo and some beefy riffs to play. This song, though, has a weak guitar chart that's either dull strumming or ridiculous rapid strumming with no middle ground. Not a very fun one to play unless you love rapid strumming but I can't say it feels out of place in the game. This one comes down to a tiebreaker, which is do I generally like the song? The answer? THUMBS DOWN.
"Dani California" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Yes, perfect choice for Rock Band. Initially, this wasn't a song that I imagined would be very fun on guitar but after playing it, my mind was instantly changed. Awesome riffs, fun outro solo and arguably one of the greatest Rock songs of the current century, definitely one of the band's stronger entries. Plus, I bet it's perfect for the band too, what with Antony, Chad and Flea rocking away too. THUMBS UP.
"Dead On Arrival" - Fall Out Boy
Since I'm not a teenage girl who thinks life is soooooooooooooooo unfair, I'm not a fan of Fall Out Boy. That being said, this is actually a pretty decent song for Rock Band! I've played a few Fall Out Boy charts on GH/RB and this is by far the best. Fun riffs, a surprisingly decent solo and a fair amount of variety. I can appreciate the need to put more than just my favourite genres into a game designed to appeal to as many people as possible but I'm really glad Harmonix didn't just choose an obvious and dull Fall Out Boy song for the game. THUMBS UP.
"Detroit Rock City" - KISS
Simple guitar chart? Yes. Great song? Hell yes. There are a lot of KISS tracks out there that could've been picked (and were picked for GH/GH DLC) but I'm glad they went for one that was a bit heavier and had some relatively simple but fun guitar. However, it's clear that the main appeal here are the other instruments. Bass, drums and vocals shine in this track, making for a fun party song and a worthy addition to Rock Band. THUMBS UP.
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult
A Classic Rock staple with an iconic riff makes this perfect for Rock Band, although the guitar isn't exactly the most fun you could have with Blue Oyster Cult. With the addition of extended sustains, this song probably would've been more fun on Guitar Hero but the track itself feels like more of a Rock Band choice. Sure, there are other great Blue Oyster Cult songs to pick (such as the one from GH3) and maybe "Burnin' For You" would've been just as good in this game but I'm still giving it a THUMBS UP for being a great song with a decent, if not slightly underwhelming, chart.
"Electric Version" - The New Pornographers
Indie Rock chordfest with a cute melody and some repetitive guitar. I remember having a lot more fun with this song when I first played it compared to when I revisited it on Rock Band 4. Once again, this song choice was likely due to the other instruments over guitar, although it's hardly a well known track or band that screams "I should be playable in Rock Band!". There are other Indie bands/songs out there that would've been more fun, therefore THUMBS DOWN.
"Enter Sandman" - Metallica
One of the few Metallica songs in Rock Band due to Activision's exclusivity deal (hence why it's not exportable to other Rock Band games). Since it's arguably Metallica's most well known song to casual audiences whilst still containing plenty of fun guitar sections, it makes sense to include this track in the first Rock Band game instead of something more demanding like "Battery" or "Master Of Puppets". That being said, they did chart a harder solo than the Guitar Hero: Metallica version so if you're after more of a challenge, you've always got this chart. THUMBS UP.
"Epic" - Faith No More
Can't stand this song, not gonna lie. It was enough to turn me off Faith No More for years when I first played it and even though it's one of their biggest songs with a fairly fun guitar chart, I couldn't stand played it at all. The horrible faux-Beastie Boys vocals, the piano outro you have to sit through, it just wasn't enjoyable for me. However, I accept that that's down to personal taste and an objective eye can tell that there's nothing inherently wrong with this song choice or chart. Perhaps it would've been better saved for Rock Band 3 but whatever, as much as I want to shit on it, I can't really. THUMBS UP.
"Flirtin' With Disaster" - Molly Hatchet
It's a crying shame we never got more Molly Hatchet in GH/RB. This chart is hugely entertaining from start to finish with fun riffs, a great solo and plenty of variety. It feels like Harmonix went out of their way to chart this in a way that was deliberately more fun on guitar too (due to the overuse of HOPOs) and even if this wasn't Molly Hatchet's biggest song, it would still earn a THUMBS UP for being a hoot & a half. By the way, if anyone from Harmonix or any Clone Hero charters are reading this, I recommend the Molly Hatchet songs "Bounty Hunter", "Boogie No More", "The Rambler" and the studio original of "Fall Of The Peacemakers" if you want more fun guitar.
"Foreplay/Long Time" - Boston
Anything off the Boston debut album is a solid choice but "Foreplay/Long Time"? Oh man, you went right for the best choice. Most people would probably argue that "More Than A Feeling" and "Peace Of Mind" are the better known tracks to go for but come on, people know those songs. Give them a Boston track that's fun AND underrated! This seven-minute Classic Rock piece of perfection starts off a little dull with chords and strumming but the blend of great riffs and fun solos throughout make this not just an ace song to play single player but also a fantastic party jam. The only downside to this being in Rock Band instead of Guitar Hero is that the outro solo we get to hear for the first time is wasted on a Big Rock Ending whereas the full solo would've been charted on GH. Still though, I cannot fault this song's inclusion. THUMBS UP.
"Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
Ladies and gentlemen, the ONLY Rolling Stones song in a Rock Band game and it's not the worst choice in the world. It's a classic tune from the band's best decade (60s) and the guitar isn't all bad, even if it is a little dull for the most part. Whilst there are plenty of well known songs by The Rolling Stones that could've been more fun such as "It's All Over Now", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "The Last Time"...OK, maybe that last one would be a bit repetitive too, but my point is that "Gimme Shelter" belongs in RB along with the majority of 60s Rolling Stones songs. In fact, I would even argue that The Rolling Stones belong in Rock Band more than Guitar Hero, although that was never going to happen with Bobby Kotick running the show at Activision. THUMBS UP.
"Go With The Flow" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Oh hey, a QOTSA song with a load of chord strumming and sustains. Another track that clearly wasn't meant for guitarists although it doesn't mean that the guitar has to be this fucking boring. At this point in time, there were barely any QOTSA songs in GH/RB. "No One Knows" and "3s & 7s" were the only ones, leaving "Sick, Sick, Sick", "Little Sister", "In My Head" and "Burn The Witch", along with a bunch of deep cuts/filler tracks that could probably be justified due to the popularity of the band at the time. THUMBS DOWN.
"Green Grass And High Tides" - The Outlaws
Another cover and my God, this one is fantastic. Apparently, Steve Ouimette did the guitar in this song and if that's the case, he absolutely nailed it. I've talked about this cover before, stating that it's impressive that the band perfectly recreated the lengthy solos practically note-for-note, but now it's time to focus on the quality of the chart too. From start to finish, this nine-minute Southern Rock epic keeps you entertained with great HOPO riffs, varied solos and some neat little strumming patterns. Once again, you can tell that it's been charted to be more fun on guitar but that doesn't mean it's not a perfect final boss for the game. Even though it's not a hugely iconic Southern Rock track like "Free Bird", it certainly belongs in the game and I can't imagine Rock Band without it. THUMBS UP.
"Here It Goes Again" - OK Go
One of the first songs in the game and hey, I don't mind it. It picked up steam online due to the fun treadmill music video and even though the chart's nothing special, it makes for a fun party song to play which is the best you can hope for when dealing with songs in the earlier phase of the difficulty curve. Plus, the song arguably works on multiple levels when you imagine it as a comment from Harmonix about them starting a brand new music game franchise after creating Guitar Hero. THUMBS UP.
"Highway Star" - Deep Purple
Whilst I absolutely adore this song and enjoy playing it in Rock Band, part of me wishes that this song was in Guitar Hero instead of Rock Band. You know they would've charted the organ solo on guitar with tap notes whilst Harmonix just let you strum along to the rhythm. Yeah, the guitar's not the greatest in this song. Repetitive chords and strumming until the solo which is largely just sustains until the rapid strumming bit. Hey, at least every other instrument (especially bass) is insanely fun, which makes it a valid inclusion in Rock Band. Factor in that this is one of Deep Purple's more famous songs that ISN'T "Smoke On The Water" and it earns a comfortable THUMBS UP.
"I Think I'm Paranoid" - Garbage
Returning back to the earlier stages of the difficulty curve and you end up with this Garbage track...as in a track by the band Garbage. The song's pretty good, actually. Mostly sustains and chords but as mentioned, it's not meant to be a challenging one on guitar. It still has some fun aspects to it and it's probably the best Garbage song I've played in GH/RB so THUMBS UP, especially when compared to the Hole song from earlier.
"In Bloom" - Nirvana
Boring. Boring boring boring boring, even though it's early on in the game that doesn't excuse it from being booooooooooooring. "Heart Shaped Box", "Come As You Are", "Lithium", "Breed", all far superior Nirvana tracks to play for the whole band INCLUDING the guitarist. THUMBS DOWN.
"Learn To Fly" - Foo Fighters
I've talked about how Scrubs ruined this song for me but before I watched that episode, I played the song on Rock Band and loved it. It's a basic chart with some variety throughout but I would argue this song is the perfect choice for Rock Band. Not too taxing on your fingers, a gentle song to listen to with a punchy chorus for vocalists to belt out, definitely a party song with a slightly inflated difficulty tier to accommodate the need of single players. A calculated choice that paid off handsomely. THUMBS UP.
"Main Offender" - The Hives
Regardless of your opinion about The Hives, this is a Rock song. Great riff, some guitar solos (even if they are just rapid strumming) and a raw sound to the entire track. However, is this the best song to pick for the game? Meh, not sure. It's alright but "Hate To Say I Told You So" is arguably a better known track and probably equally challenging on each instrument. The Hives are the kind of band that only need a handful of songs in rhythm music games but I wouldn't say this is a song that needed to be in Rock Band compared to some of their others. THUMBS DOWN.
"Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Regardless of your opinion about Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this is not a Rock song. It's breathy Indie Wood for hipsters and bellends that's boring to listen to, let alone play. Definitely not a party song, definitely not fun on guitar and the fact that it's one of the first songs you have to play to unlock all the better tracks (as pointed out by comedian Dara O'Briain in a hilarious gag) only adds to the song's shite factor. If you like this song, more power to you but come on, this should've been DLC at the absolute best, not one of the first on-disc tracks you experience. THUMBS DOWN.
"Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
It might be somewhat of a Classic Rock staple but let's be honest, it isn't a fun one to play on guitar. "DUH-NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH". "DUH-NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH". "DUH-NAH-NAH-NAH-NAH". Over and over again before the fairly horrible sounding guitar solo. I mean, they did the best they could with this WaveGroup cover but it still earns a THUMBS DOWN for being a bland chart and song, even for one played in the earlier stages of the game's difficulty curve.
"Next To You" - The Police
Whilst I can admire Harmonix wanting to pick a lesser known song by The Police with a more challenging (though not really) guitar chart, there's not a whole lot to this song. I probably would've preferred swapping something like "Mississippi Queen" for a Classic Rock song with harder guitar and this track to an easier one by The Police like "Can't Stand Losing You" or "Roxanne" to make the overall game better. However, I still like the song and enjoy playing it...but I'm still giving it a THUMBS DOWN for being an odd choice with an inflated guitar chart to round out an otherwise flawless difficulty curve.
"Orange Crush" - R.E.M.
I get it, R.E.M. are indeed a Rock band and pioneers of Alternative Rock which hasn't been represented too well so far. It's not the most boring chart but equally, a song like "Losing My Religion" or "Stand" would've served a similar purpose whilst being as challenging as this track, only slightly more fun on guitar. However, I'm not gonna give it a Thumbs Down for being a little bit worse than other songs when it's still decent. In fact, I'm not giving it one at all. It belongs in the game and I like it. THUMBS UP.
"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
Another WaveGroup cover that sounds a little bit worse than the one in GH3. It also contains a slightly worse chart too AND isn't exportable to future Rock Band games so it's easy to forget about this song's inclusion in the game. Not the worst Black Sabbath song to choose from the game; it's just unfortunate that the song was used far better in a competing game. Besides, if you're gonna choose a Black Sabbath song for the whole band to play, you're not really trying when your first choice is "Paranoid". THUMBS DOWN.
"Reptilia" - The Strokes
Another GH3 repeat, although this is the master recording and you know that vocalists are gonna have fun with this one. Chart wise, this has a bit more variety than the GH3 one but it's also less of a challenge to FC in my opinion. All in all, I think I prefer this chart and I can't argue with the song choice either. Modern Indie but with some passion behind it, more of that over "Maps"! THUMBS UP.
"Run To The Hills" - Iron Maiden
The last song that didn't export to future Rock Band games (although the master recording was later released as DLC). As far as covers go, it's not horrible although you were never gonna recreate Iron Maiden perfectly. A+ for ambition in getting an iconic Iron Maiden song, although execution is more like a B. Chart's got some annoying moments too but hey, it's one of the last songs in-game; it's allowed to be challenging. The Iron Maiden fan in me wants to give a Thumbs Down for not choosing a better song but since it's one of the band's most popular and the chart offers a decent amount of challenging variety, it's getting a THUMBS UP.
"Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
More GH3 repeats and this one makes a whole lot of sense. Vocalists who want a bit of mild rapping get to sink their teeth into this whilst guitarists and bassists get some sweet licks to play fairly early on in the game. Probably one of the best Beastie Boys songs to pick, definitely compared to all the other ones we got in GH/RB. THUMBS UP.
"Say It Ain't So" - Weezer
OK, you picked a song from the right Weezer album but really? This song? One that's slow and dull instead of one of their lively, fun songs? This song doesn't work for single player or party gameplay and if I'm honest, I'm struggling to remember anything about playing it apart from the chorus. Whilst Rock Band would go on to pick most of Weezer's best songs for DLC (apart from "Only In Dreams" and "Surf Wax America", those have yet to make the cut), this one should've been swapped out with one of those. THUMBS DOWN.
"Should I Stay Or Should I Go" - The Clash
The very first song in the game. It's a fair choice, one of the less aggressive tracks by iconic Punk band The Clash with an iconic intro riff and some fun (if not slightly flawed) lyrics to sing along to, not to mention the changing tempo for drummers and a bit of fun bass thrown in too. A great all-rounder to kick off the game and get the crowds gathering at parties. THUMBS UP.
"Suffragette City" - David Bowie
Fair play Harmonix, you found an upbeat David Bowie song with fun guitar! The solo might be a little weak and the riffs may get a little repetitive but damn, this song is enjoyable. I'll take "Suffragette City" over "Changes", "Rebel Rebel", "Fame", "Space Oddity", "Starman", "Sound And Vision" and countless others any day. Plus, if I remember correctly, this song featured heavily in marketing for Rock Band in the UK so clearly I'm not the only one to think this song's a great choice for the game. THUMBS UP.
"The Hand That Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
I've never really cared for Nine Inch Nails and this song does absolutely nothing for me. It sounds like generic clubbing muzak and the guitar chart doesn't really have anything beyond strumming and strumming and strumming. If you were going to pick some Industrial music (and let's face it, you never have to pick Industrial music for anything), some Rob Zombie may have been more interesting to listen to. THUMBS DOWN for this boring song.
"Tom Sawyer" - Rush
When I first played this song, Harmonix had already released the original version as DLC and I had already listened to/played it in Rock Band. Imagine my surprise when I heard this bizarre sounding cover with a more challenging guitar chart but hey, at least they tried. This song is perfect for Rock Band from the great guitar riffs to the awesome basslines and drum solos, not to mention the awesome vocals. Rush would go on to become a Rock Band favourite and it all started with this little cover. THUMBS UP.
"Train Kept-A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith
I believe I've discussed this cover in the past and claimed that I actually thought it was superior to the original due to the great guitar and exceptional vocals. It also helps that when you play this song, the crowd and cheering anyway so any additional crowd cheer effects feel natural unlike when you listen to the Aerosmith original. Guitar chart contains a bunch of trills that provide a suitable challenge for the game's final stage and the increase in tempo provides a fun challenge for drummers too, not to mention the great vocals throughout. Perfect song choice and an outstanding cover to boot. THUMBS UP.
"Vasoline" - Stone Temple Pilots
Goddamn, nice work picking a fun STP song! All other STP songs chosen for GH/RB games and DLC would end up mostly being pretty dull in comparison to this and the one from Guitar Hero 2. A short track with a great riff and fun little solo, definitely a game highlight if you like charts that are fun without becoming too much of a pain to nail. I don't know enough about Stone Temple Pilots to comment on whether this was the best choice for the game but since, as I said earlier, we've yet to have a classic STP single that is more fun than this, I'm inclined to say this was a perfect choice. THUMBS UP.
"Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Bon Jovi
Fucking THUMBS UP straight away. Incredible guitar, signature Bon Jovi song without being an obvious pick, amazing vocals, perfect party and single player track to play. The best song in Rock Band 1 without a shadow of a doubt.
"Wave Of Mutilation" - Pixies
Song starts off alright but unfortunately, everything goes to shit when it gets to the terrible chorus. If you like chords and strumming paired with droning vocals then this song's perfect for you. But wait, there's more! There's a non-solo towards the end of the song and the knowledge that better Pixies tracks like "Where Is My Mind???" and...uhhh...still THUMBS DOWN.
"Welcome Home" - Coheed And Cambria
Another one of my favourite songs from the game, the guitar chart contains plenty of variety whether you like HOPO sections, powerful chord-based melodies or sustains during the chorus so you can sing along at home. Whilst this song contains awesome charts for single player modes, it also works as one that's great for parties. Did I mention the killer guitar solo near the end? Yeah, that's in there too. Definitely worthy of a THUMBS UP.
"When You Were Young" - The Killers
The Killers always earn a THUMBS DOWN. They fucking suck.
"Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who
I'll admit, I probably wouldn't have picked this song for the on-disc choice due to the length and massive pauses with nothing happening on guitar, bass, drums or vocals throughout. This probably should've been the Rock Band 3 song but that doesn't mean this song isn't fun to play. Plenty of variety throughout and some fun guitar solos too. Plus, there's definitely fun sections for bassists, drummers and vocalists (YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) so it's getting a well earned THUMBS UP.
Harmonix had a difficult job of assembling a setlist of great yet popular songs that were fun on all instruments but the majority needed to contain decent guitar to appease fans of the Guitar Hero franchise if it wanted any hope of competing with GH3...and they fucking pulled it off! 30 Thumbs Up against 15 Thumbs Down, a 67% success rating (although I haven't factored the largely terrible bonus songs into the list so that might change). Most people generally consider Rock Band 2 to have the greatest setlist in the franchise but after going through each track, I think Rock Band 1 needs a lot more recognition.
Anyway, which music rhythm game should I cover next? Probably gonna be a Guitar Hero one as I like to alternate and it won't be until November so we've got plenty of time to decide!
Showing posts with label Rock Band. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rock Band. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 September 2018
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.
Monday, 30 April 2018
Rock Band Unplugged
What's that? You haven't heard of Rock Band Unplugged? Not surprising, since it was released on the PSP and who the fuck plays on the PSP or Vita anymore?
Anyway, Rock Band Unplugged was the first handheld title from Harmonix and featured no peripherals or additional purchases to play; just the UMD for the game and the PSP itself. It was actually quite a fun game that required button tapping to either guitar, bass, drums or vocal melodies and effective organisation in the form of musical plate spinning, as it was up to you and you alone to play all four charts for a song. Unfortunately, it wasn't multiplayer which was kind of a big deal for a game in the Rock Band franchise but other than that, it was decent!
However, the aim of this blog post is to look at the setlist and whether they chose the right songs for the Rock Band Unplugged treatment, similar to previous blog posts that are listed in the Guitar Hero 2 write-up. I'll be awarding each song a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based on my personal taste of the song, whether it translates well to the Rock Band Unplugged engine and whether it deserved to be in the game over other songs by the same band/genre.
Anyway, let's get...unplugged...yeah, that was shit. Let's just read what I have to say, shall we?
"3s & 7s" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Whilst I'm not a huge fan of this song in general, I do think it's a fine choice for the game. Since the gameplay involves matching button pressing to the guitar, bass, drums and vocals, it makes sense to include songs with borderline erratic rhythms that aren't your typical 4/4 plodfests. Granted that the vocals are a little dull in this track but the guitar and drums more than make up for it. There are several QOTSA songs that could've had challenging melodies to play but if you want one that's well known...well, this or "No One Knows" but I supposed they wanted to hold onto that for an on-disc inclusion, which I'm glad they did. THUMBS UP.
"ABC" - The Jackson 5
As much as I fucking hate this song with a burning passion, I have to concede that it's kinda fun to play in Rock Band Unplugged. The bass and vocals have some fun sections but those after a challenge have a decent drum solo to deal with too. However, you know what else has some funky bass and a great drum chart (complete with drum solo)? "Funk #49" - The James Gang, another 70s song that translates well into Rock Band Unplugged. Granted that song is vastly more challenging and it's not a new song, like "ABC", but I don't care. There are enough easy songs, as we'll discuss later, and this track is terrible. THUMBS DOWN.
"Ace Of Spades '08" - Motorhead
Man, those drum rolls can eat a dick. I always fucked them up when I played this song but hey, at least it's a great song. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of an awkward chart and since "Ace Of Spades" became one of many songs that the GH/RB community joked was in every single game, perhaps a different Motorhead song would've been better. That way, we could've had more Motorhead DLC which, if the GH:WT songs were anything to go by, would've been incredible. It's with a heavy heart that I give this track a THUMBS DOWN.
"Alive" - Pearl Jam
You'll probably notice that a lot of songs on this game are borrowed from Rock Band 2, seeing as how they were made/released around the same time. However, since Rock Band 2 has a banging soundtrack, I don't particularly mind. Besides, this game introduced me to a lot of songs that I hadn't heard because I bought it before Rock Band 2...like "Alive" - Pearl Jam! The song might be quite a long one to sit through on the PSP but hey, you get that beast of a guitar solo at the end and various opportunities to play Eddie Vedder's vocals in the chorus throughout. Those reasons are enough to convince me that this song was the best pick, therefore THUMBS UP.
"Aqualung" - Jethro Tull
Another song from RB2 that this game introduced me to. It took a while for me to get into, probably because the drums and guitar in the faster section don't translate into a particularly fun chart for the inexperienced player, but at least they were cracking to listen to. In fact, hearing the amplified drums and bass in Rock Band Unplugged is awesome in this song, especially if you're only used to poor quality MP3s of this song. It may have been a little too challenging for me but hey, it wasn't a bad choice. There are a bunch of 70s Prog songs that could've been neat but aside from a slightly tricky chart that's easier to master than some of the others in this game, there's nothing bad about this song's inclusion. THUMBS UP.
"Buddy Holly" - Weezer
Meh, I never really got into this song. I kinda missed out on Weezer when growing up, although there are a couple of belters that I still listen to. Sadly, this isn't one of them. The guitar is mostly just chords over and over (which aren't tremendously fun to play or good for your thumbs) and the vocals are probably the highlight to play, even if drums and bass have some variety in the charting. I'd argue that "Troublemaker" probably would've been a more fun Weezer track for this game, although there'd be that guitar section later on where it's just strumming over and over again. I dunno, my instinct tells me to give it a Thumbs Down...so that's what I'm going with. THUMBS DOWN.
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
Another rhythm music game staple, although I knew this before Rock Band used it. Arguably one of the most iconic Classic Rock songs of all time (along with another well known hit that also appears on this game a bit later on) and with good reason; it's fucking awesome. Thankfully, this belter translates beautifully to Rock Band Unplugged with multiple vocal solos, cracking drums and fun riffs on bass and guitar. THUMBS UP.
"Chop Suey!" - System Of A Down
I fucking hate this song in Rock Band but my God, it is great in Rock Band Unplugged. The rapid alternation between two notes across all instruments works brilliantly, as do Serj's usually annoying vocals. The timing and rhythm of the note alternations stop it from being just another thumb-buggering tune and the softer sections in between allow for some great charting too. Definitely not a favourite from this game but I wouldn't mind when I had to play it, even if it did mean sitting through this godawful song. THUMBS UP.
"Come Out And Play (Keep Em Separated)" - The Offspring
OK, I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand, it's a great song and the chart starts off really fun on each instrument. On the other, there's not an awful lot of variety to this one. Once you've played all the instruments, it's basically the same riffs until the end. Plus, there are a bunch of great Offspring songs that could've made the cut instead of another RB2 song. I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP again because it's still one you can have fun with, especially on drums.
"De-Luxe" - Lush
Somebody at HMX must've really liked this song. It's OK, I suppose; a decent chill-out song with some catchy sounding vocals. Not too bad to play on Rock Band Unplugged either, although maybe a different 90s Alternative song with some fun charting could've been good. "There's No Other Way" - Blur might have been a good one or maybe "Heavy" - Collective Soul? Yeah, this probably should've been DLC and one of those on-disc. THUMBS DOWN to account for the generous Thumbs Ups I've been dishing out.
"Drain You" - Nirvana
Oh fuck, this one. Nirvana at their blandest. Dull song, dull to play. Why they had to use this song from Rock Band 2 instead of one of the other fun but easy songs, I don't know. As for a Nirvana song that could've been a better alternative...I mean, pick one at random? "Heart Shaped Box", "Come As You Are", "Lithium", "Mr Moustache", the list goes on. THUMBS DOWN.
"Everlong" - Foo Fighters
I've talked about how mediocre this song is way too many times on the blog before so I won't go into that again. What I will discuss is the chart and how average it is. It's not good, it's not bad. It's just a chart, much like the "Everlong" chart on GH/RB. It's as bland as it comes and takes up the space that a better Foo Fighters song could've occupied. "All My Life", "This Is A Call" or "Monkey Wrench" would've been preferable to this crap. THUMBS DOWN.
"Float On" - Modest Mouse
Jesus, this really is portable Rock Band 2, isn't it? I'm not a big fan of this song but as far as early tier introductory songs go on Rock Band Unplugged, this track's kinda perfect. It's got some challenging sections but it's mostly straightforward stuff; a wide range of button variety all to the song's basic rhythm, making it manageable and fun to play for beginners and skilled players alike. THUMBS UP.
"Gasoline" - Audioslave
Oh thank fuck, a new song! I feel like giving it a Thumbs Up for that alone but let's treat this fairly. It's a great tune by Audioslave that I'm glad got a Rock Band DLC release after this game's release, although I'm not certain that it was the best choice for this game. It's mostly fun on each instrument although the guitar in the verses is annoying as fuck to play. I suppose I can forgive one annoying section if the rest of the chart is great, which it is...apart from the post-solo guitar. OK, TWO annoying things. THUMBS UP.
"Holiday In Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys
Again, this song probably deserves a Thumbs Up just for the fact that it's not the shitty GH3 cover. However, it also helps that this song is great to listen to...even if it isn't so fun to play, unless you're up for a challenge. Lots of alternating notes over and over and over again. It was probably picked to be one of the more challenging songs although it's a shame they couldn't find one that was challenging and fun. Hmmm, tough call. I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP just because it's still good to listen to, a decent choice to highlight challenging charts and even if it's not a barrel of laughs to get through, at least it's not boring.
"I Was Wrong" - Social Distortion
Whilst I didn't much care for this song in RB2, I really liked it in Rock Band Unplugged. The song translates well to the Unplugged gameplay and it's a good little tune to listen to. They should've used it in Rock Band Unplugged and picked a different Social Distortion track to be in Rock Band 2, something like "Ball And Chain" or "Story Of My Life"...mind you, their "Story Of My Life" chart is pretty dire. I'm still giving this a THUMBS UP though.
"The Killing Jar" - Siouxsie And The Banshees
I genuinely couldn't remember anything about this song until I reminded myself of the chart. I'll probably forget it again shortly after finishing this blog post, it's that ordinary. I'm not overly familiar with this band although I do know their song "Spellbound" and would've easily preferred that song to this cruddy one. Ordinary chart for a dull as fuck song. THUMBS DOWN.
"Kryptonite" - 3 Doors Down
Whilst these guys have revealed themselves to be tremendous cunts in recent years, they did give us one great song before outing themselves. It's got a decent guitar chart but it's the guitar AND drums that help this song stand out. The distinct rhythm separates it from other charts and gives it that edge, even if the vocals and bass do let it down a bit. However, it's a solid modern track (is the year 2000 still considered modern?) and it's getting a THUMBS UP.
"Laid To Rest" - Lamb Of God
Damn, this one's intense. It's also a lot of alternating buttons, translating pretty poorly from the great chart that this song has as Rock Band DLC. Drums provide a pretty tough challenge, as do guitar and bass, although vocals are a piece of piss. I guess this song makes sense for a challenge, although I bet other tracks with a little more charting variety could've been better. It's a tough call but I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN as I doubt I would've missed this song were it not included.
"Less Talk More Rokk" - Freezepop
Another difficult song, another alternating notefest. The one advantage this one has is some musical variety, as it's not straight forward Rock/Metal. It's Electronic Pop with a decent riff that translates horrifically to Rock Band Unplugged. It may be good to listen to and be a welcome addition to Rock Band if only because it meant "Get Ready 2 Rokk" would get a DLC release but as far as Rock Band Unplugged additions go, I'm afraid it's another THUMBS DOWN.
"Livin' On A Prayer" - Bon Jovi
Back to easy Rock Band 2 tracks then. The guitar and bass may be identical at first but at least they have some note variety, along with the drums. Plus, it's hard to think of a better Bon Jovi song to get the Rock Band Unplugged treatment. I'm OK with this being an early tier track to help players get used to the feel of the game with an Arena Rock classic. THUMBS UP.
"Message In A Bottle" - The Police
This song's been in quite a few games too but not enough to reach "Ace Of Spades" or "Free Bird" territories. It's a decent chart, not a huge amount going on but the guitar in the chorus is something different. It's also probably the best choice for a song by The Police, as they're not the strongest band when it comes to rhythm music games. Other than that, it's a bog standard affair so the rating depends on whether or not you enjoy listening to this song...and I do! THUMBS UP.
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
I don't think I've ever heard this song being used anywhere other than a rhythm music game from 2008 or 2009. It's a cute song but man, is it a crappy one to play in Rock Band Unplugged. Alternating notes, dull vocals and pain-in-the-arse drums. I don't know many (or any) other songs by Jimmy Eat World that would work and you all know that 2000s Pop Rock isn't exactly my wheelhouse but I'm pretty sure we could've had a better song choice than this. Hell, I'd even accept Paramore. THUMBS DOWN.
"Miss Murder" - AFI
Remember this song from GH3? Yeah, another song that got a hell of a lot of mileage from rhythm music games in the late 2000s. It's a decent track, definitely not as annoying as many other 21st Century Emo bands (like Paramore) and the rhythm allows for fun guitar, bass and drum charts that are different from the majority of songs on this list. Plus, it was a new song for Rock Band so it's a win-win-win. THUMBS UP.
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
This is the OTHER iconic Classic Rock song I was talking about earlier. I love Boston and I love this song although I'm not convinced that it was the best choice for the game. Bass aside, the chart's a little dull and it could've been a good opportunity to introduce players to one of Boston's other great songs off their debut. Sure, "Foreplay/Long Time" was in Rock Band 1 and most of the others were released as DLC but "Peace Of Mind" or "Smokin" could've been fun, even if the latter almost certainly would've had alternating notes in the organ solo. I'm still giving this a THUMBS DOWN for being a bit of an obvious choice.
"Move Along" - All-American Rejects
I don't care for this song, even if the guitar chart isn't too bad. It also features a lot of alternating notes and that whiny American style of singing that I fucking despise. I accept that they needed some modern songs for teens to enjoy but come on, they should've set their standards a bit higher. THUMBS DOWN.
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
The Killers are one of the shittest "Rock" bands in recent years. Consequently, their music needs to be as far away from these games as possible, even if the guitar chart is kinda fun here but that's the only bright side to "Mr. Brightside"...I apologise for that pun. THUMBS DOWN.
"My Own Worst Enemy" - Lit
To this day, I still love making fun of the vocals during the chorus for this song. As for the translation to this game, it's not bad! It's a good song to help introduce you to alternating notes and chords without throwing too many at you, not to mention a short Pop Punk track to enjoy. All in all, it might be yet another Rock Band 2 song but this is one of the more appropriate songs they picked. THUMBS UP.
"Our Truth" - Lacuna Coil
Whilst I prefer playing this in GH:WT over RB2, I love the translation onto Rock Band Unplugged. Every instrument is fun to play for various reasons, from the great guitar/bass riffs to the catchy vocal melodies and challenging drums (not to mention the opening drum solo). Another great pick from Rock Band 2! THUMBS UP.
"Painkiller" - Judas Priest
The final song in Rock Band 2 and Rock Band Unplugged. For that reason, it's a little uninspired even though it is an incredible song. But hey, if you want a challenge, this is the song for you...apart from the vocals, they're easy to play on this but everything else is tough. However, rewatching the guitar solo play out on Rock Band Unplugged, I can't help but feel like this is wasted potential. Sure, "Painkiller" will always be tricky to master but reducing the solo to just a series of alternating buttons is a little bit shit. At least you get a chance to play the drum solos in the intro and outro. Meh, what the hell. THUMBS UP.
"The Perfect Drug" - Nine Inch Nails
I don't particularly care about Nine Inch Nails but if you have to use one of their songs, this seems like a decent choice. The alternating notes in the drum chart are fast enough to make them slightly more fun than others in this list and the general sound of the song is different to your typical Rock track on the setlist. For these reasons, I give it a generous THUMBS UP even though I probably wouldn't care to play or listen to this song again.
"Pinball Wizard" - The Who
I don't really like this song but I can't say I object to it being in Rock Band Unplugged. The fast paced guitar is quite fun to play, as are the drums and bass. Thankfully, vocals aren't dull so there's a solid balance between all instruments. However, despite the song sounding unfinished and a bit shit at the end, it doesn't make too much of a difference when the rest of the track is fun to play. I didn't care for this in Rock Band 2 but it gets a THUMBS UP for Rock Band Unplugged.
"Rock Your Socks" - Tenacious D
I'll always welcome Tenacious D in Rock Band but...really, this song? I mean, it's good but hardly a standout track on the album. "Wonderboy" would've been good although I'm guessing this was chosen due to the nature of the chart. There are guitar and vocal solos and semi-interesting melodies on guitar/bass, along with a few fancy drum fills. Plus, it's fun to play on console and the inclusion of Tenacious D meant we got "Tribute" as DLC. THUMBS UP for The D.
"Show Me The Way" - Black Tide
Again, I'm all for the inclusion of any Black Tide from their Light From Above album but I can't say I particularly care for this track. It's good but it's one of the album's weaker "good" tracks, if that makes sense? Ah well, it's still a solid track and it pisses all over a lot of modern American Metal so I suppose it's a decent track to include. Plus, the backbeat on the drums is decent to play when combined with the faster guitar/bass riff so I give it a THUMBS UP.
"Spoonman" - Soundgarden
Damn fine Soundgarden song and one of the more fun guitar charts in Rock Band 2 (which is saying something). It's also quite fun to play until you get to the guitar solo but at least there's a good drum solo and bass riffs afterwards. There could've been many fun Soundgarden tracks to choose from for Rock Band Unplugged like "Rusty Cage" or "Fell On Black Days" but I'm OK with this song making the cut, even if it is yet another RB2 song. THUMBS UP.
"Today" - The Smashing Pumpkins
I often forget that this song was in Rock Band 2, probably because I'm so used to it from GH:WT. Either way, it was dull as fuck in RB2 but it works pretty well here. It's not challenging on any instrument but it makes for a solid chart across all fronts, provided you don't mind a slower tempo 4/4 rhythm. RB2 should've got a more interesting Smashing Pumpkins song like "Rocket" or "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "Today" should've been released as DLC. THUMBS UP.
"The Trees (Vault Edition)" - Rush
All praise the sacred Vault! I previously gave this song shit for having terrible lyrics that even English Literature students would cringe at but hey, it's pretty damn fun on Rock Band Unplugged. There's a fun little drum solo and the guitar is decent too. Bass is always fun on Rush, even on Rock Band Unplugged, so there's no surprises there. There are many Rush songs that could've been picked but I'm glad they took a weaker one of there's and made it better through this unique gameplay. THUMBS UP.
"What's My Age Again?" - Blink-182
Back to the new songs. It's funny how the most fun sections of this song are some of the most dull in an actual instrument chart and vice versa. Usually, the song's main riff on guitar is fun to play but it sucks here, whilst the chorus and guitar solo are pretty damn great in this game. If a Blink-182 song had to be picked for the game, I'm glad they went with one of the more fun ones on guitar that has a proper riff instead of just chords and strumming so THUMBS UP, although maybe a Sum 41 song would've been better.
"Where'd You Go?" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Back to Rock Band 2 songs. This one's pretty fun on guitar in RB2 and that does not translate into this chart in the slightest. The main reason to play this in Rock Band Unplugged is for the vocals, although they only really pick up after the halfway point. The other instruments are alright but nothing you haven't played already. This probably should've been DLC and a different Alternative song picked for the game, maybe even "The Impression That I Get" so we wouldn't have had to wait until Rock Band 4 to play it on RB. THUMBS DOWN.
"White Wedding, Part 1" - Billy Idol
The last Rock Band 2 song in the game; they probably should've called this game Rock Band 2.5 with all the repeats but hey, at least there were tracks that translated well...like this one, sort of. It's a basic chart across all instruments but I like how the bass isn't just the same repeated note; they tried to do something fun with it. This is an acceptable RB2 repeat, although maybe "Dancing With Myself" would've been fun too...or "Rebel Yell". Still gets a THUMBS UP though.
"Would?" - Alice In Chains
The final song of the game (alphabetically speaking). Not a big Alice In Chains fan but hey, at least it isn't "Man In The Box" from RB2. Sadly, this song isn't much better. The bass is kinda fiddly and the drums are annoying as hell. Guitar's pretty good but vocals are as dull as they come. I couldn't tell you a better Alice In Chains song as I'm unfamiliar with most of their work although Stone Temple Pilots may have had better Grunge or 90s Alternative songs. THUMBS DOWN.
Out of all 41 songs, there were 26 Thumbs Up and 15 Thumbs Down; another success for the Rock Band franchise! Looking back over previous charts, I'd love to play this game on Nintendo Switch but I don't see that happening any time soon. Shame as it was actually pretty fun.
Anyway, Rock Band Unplugged was the first handheld title from Harmonix and featured no peripherals or additional purchases to play; just the UMD for the game and the PSP itself. It was actually quite a fun game that required button tapping to either guitar, bass, drums or vocal melodies and effective organisation in the form of musical plate spinning, as it was up to you and you alone to play all four charts for a song. Unfortunately, it wasn't multiplayer which was kind of a big deal for a game in the Rock Band franchise but other than that, it was decent!
However, the aim of this blog post is to look at the setlist and whether they chose the right songs for the Rock Band Unplugged treatment, similar to previous blog posts that are listed in the Guitar Hero 2 write-up. I'll be awarding each song a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down based on my personal taste of the song, whether it translates well to the Rock Band Unplugged engine and whether it deserved to be in the game over other songs by the same band/genre.
Anyway, let's get...unplugged...yeah, that was shit. Let's just read what I have to say, shall we?
"3s & 7s" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Whilst I'm not a huge fan of this song in general, I do think it's a fine choice for the game. Since the gameplay involves matching button pressing to the guitar, bass, drums and vocals, it makes sense to include songs with borderline erratic rhythms that aren't your typical 4/4 plodfests. Granted that the vocals are a little dull in this track but the guitar and drums more than make up for it. There are several QOTSA songs that could've had challenging melodies to play but if you want one that's well known...well, this or "No One Knows" but I supposed they wanted to hold onto that for an on-disc inclusion, which I'm glad they did. THUMBS UP.
"ABC" - The Jackson 5
As much as I fucking hate this song with a burning passion, I have to concede that it's kinda fun to play in Rock Band Unplugged. The bass and vocals have some fun sections but those after a challenge have a decent drum solo to deal with too. However, you know what else has some funky bass and a great drum chart (complete with drum solo)? "Funk #49" - The James Gang, another 70s song that translates well into Rock Band Unplugged. Granted that song is vastly more challenging and it's not a new song, like "ABC", but I don't care. There are enough easy songs, as we'll discuss later, and this track is terrible. THUMBS DOWN.
"Ace Of Spades '08" - Motorhead
Man, those drum rolls can eat a dick. I always fucked them up when I played this song but hey, at least it's a great song. Unfortunately, it's somewhat of an awkward chart and since "Ace Of Spades" became one of many songs that the GH/RB community joked was in every single game, perhaps a different Motorhead song would've been better. That way, we could've had more Motorhead DLC which, if the GH:WT songs were anything to go by, would've been incredible. It's with a heavy heart that I give this track a THUMBS DOWN.
"Alive" - Pearl Jam
You'll probably notice that a lot of songs on this game are borrowed from Rock Band 2, seeing as how they were made/released around the same time. However, since Rock Band 2 has a banging soundtrack, I don't particularly mind. Besides, this game introduced me to a lot of songs that I hadn't heard because I bought it before Rock Band 2...like "Alive" - Pearl Jam! The song might be quite a long one to sit through on the PSP but hey, you get that beast of a guitar solo at the end and various opportunities to play Eddie Vedder's vocals in the chorus throughout. Those reasons are enough to convince me that this song was the best pick, therefore THUMBS UP.
"Aqualung" - Jethro Tull
Another song from RB2 that this game introduced me to. It took a while for me to get into, probably because the drums and guitar in the faster section don't translate into a particularly fun chart for the inexperienced player, but at least they were cracking to listen to. In fact, hearing the amplified drums and bass in Rock Band Unplugged is awesome in this song, especially if you're only used to poor quality MP3s of this song. It may have been a little too challenging for me but hey, it wasn't a bad choice. There are a bunch of 70s Prog songs that could've been neat but aside from a slightly tricky chart that's easier to master than some of the others in this game, there's nothing bad about this song's inclusion. THUMBS UP.
"Buddy Holly" - Weezer
Meh, I never really got into this song. I kinda missed out on Weezer when growing up, although there are a couple of belters that I still listen to. Sadly, this isn't one of them. The guitar is mostly just chords over and over (which aren't tremendously fun to play or good for your thumbs) and the vocals are probably the highlight to play, even if drums and bass have some variety in the charting. I'd argue that "Troublemaker" probably would've been a more fun Weezer track for this game, although there'd be that guitar section later on where it's just strumming over and over again. I dunno, my instinct tells me to give it a Thumbs Down...so that's what I'm going with. THUMBS DOWN.
"Carry On Wayward Son" - Kansas
Another rhythm music game staple, although I knew this before Rock Band used it. Arguably one of the most iconic Classic Rock songs of all time (along with another well known hit that also appears on this game a bit later on) and with good reason; it's fucking awesome. Thankfully, this belter translates beautifully to Rock Band Unplugged with multiple vocal solos, cracking drums and fun riffs on bass and guitar. THUMBS UP.
"Chop Suey!" - System Of A Down
I fucking hate this song in Rock Band but my God, it is great in Rock Band Unplugged. The rapid alternation between two notes across all instruments works brilliantly, as do Serj's usually annoying vocals. The timing and rhythm of the note alternations stop it from being just another thumb-buggering tune and the softer sections in between allow for some great charting too. Definitely not a favourite from this game but I wouldn't mind when I had to play it, even if it did mean sitting through this godawful song. THUMBS UP.
"Come Out And Play (Keep Em Separated)" - The Offspring
OK, I'm in two minds about this one. On the one hand, it's a great song and the chart starts off really fun on each instrument. On the other, there's not an awful lot of variety to this one. Once you've played all the instruments, it's basically the same riffs until the end. Plus, there are a bunch of great Offspring songs that could've made the cut instead of another RB2 song. I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP again because it's still one you can have fun with, especially on drums.
"De-Luxe" - Lush
Somebody at HMX must've really liked this song. It's OK, I suppose; a decent chill-out song with some catchy sounding vocals. Not too bad to play on Rock Band Unplugged either, although maybe a different 90s Alternative song with some fun charting could've been good. "There's No Other Way" - Blur might have been a good one or maybe "Heavy" - Collective Soul? Yeah, this probably should've been DLC and one of those on-disc. THUMBS DOWN to account for the generous Thumbs Ups I've been dishing out.
"Drain You" - Nirvana
Oh fuck, this one. Nirvana at their blandest. Dull song, dull to play. Why they had to use this song from Rock Band 2 instead of one of the other fun but easy songs, I don't know. As for a Nirvana song that could've been a better alternative...I mean, pick one at random? "Heart Shaped Box", "Come As You Are", "Lithium", "Mr Moustache", the list goes on. THUMBS DOWN.
"Everlong" - Foo Fighters
I've talked about how mediocre this song is way too many times on the blog before so I won't go into that again. What I will discuss is the chart and how average it is. It's not good, it's not bad. It's just a chart, much like the "Everlong" chart on GH/RB. It's as bland as it comes and takes up the space that a better Foo Fighters song could've occupied. "All My Life", "This Is A Call" or "Monkey Wrench" would've been preferable to this crap. THUMBS DOWN.
"Float On" - Modest Mouse
Jesus, this really is portable Rock Band 2, isn't it? I'm not a big fan of this song but as far as early tier introductory songs go on Rock Band Unplugged, this track's kinda perfect. It's got some challenging sections but it's mostly straightforward stuff; a wide range of button variety all to the song's basic rhythm, making it manageable and fun to play for beginners and skilled players alike. THUMBS UP.
"Gasoline" - Audioslave
Oh thank fuck, a new song! I feel like giving it a Thumbs Up for that alone but let's treat this fairly. It's a great tune by Audioslave that I'm glad got a Rock Band DLC release after this game's release, although I'm not certain that it was the best choice for this game. It's mostly fun on each instrument although the guitar in the verses is annoying as fuck to play. I suppose I can forgive one annoying section if the rest of the chart is great, which it is...apart from the post-solo guitar. OK, TWO annoying things. THUMBS UP.
"Holiday In Cambodia" - Dead Kennedys
Again, this song probably deserves a Thumbs Up just for the fact that it's not the shitty GH3 cover. However, it also helps that this song is great to listen to...even if it isn't so fun to play, unless you're up for a challenge. Lots of alternating notes over and over and over again. It was probably picked to be one of the more challenging songs although it's a shame they couldn't find one that was challenging and fun. Hmmm, tough call. I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP just because it's still good to listen to, a decent choice to highlight challenging charts and even if it's not a barrel of laughs to get through, at least it's not boring.
"I Was Wrong" - Social Distortion
Whilst I didn't much care for this song in RB2, I really liked it in Rock Band Unplugged. The song translates well to the Unplugged gameplay and it's a good little tune to listen to. They should've used it in Rock Band Unplugged and picked a different Social Distortion track to be in Rock Band 2, something like "Ball And Chain" or "Story Of My Life"...mind you, their "Story Of My Life" chart is pretty dire. I'm still giving this a THUMBS UP though.
"The Killing Jar" - Siouxsie And The Banshees
I genuinely couldn't remember anything about this song until I reminded myself of the chart. I'll probably forget it again shortly after finishing this blog post, it's that ordinary. I'm not overly familiar with this band although I do know their song "Spellbound" and would've easily preferred that song to this cruddy one. Ordinary chart for a dull as fuck song. THUMBS DOWN.
"Kryptonite" - 3 Doors Down
Whilst these guys have revealed themselves to be tremendous cunts in recent years, they did give us one great song before outing themselves. It's got a decent guitar chart but it's the guitar AND drums that help this song stand out. The distinct rhythm separates it from other charts and gives it that edge, even if the vocals and bass do let it down a bit. However, it's a solid modern track (is the year 2000 still considered modern?) and it's getting a THUMBS UP.
"Laid To Rest" - Lamb Of God
Damn, this one's intense. It's also a lot of alternating buttons, translating pretty poorly from the great chart that this song has as Rock Band DLC. Drums provide a pretty tough challenge, as do guitar and bass, although vocals are a piece of piss. I guess this song makes sense for a challenge, although I bet other tracks with a little more charting variety could've been better. It's a tough call but I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN as I doubt I would've missed this song were it not included.
"Less Talk More Rokk" - Freezepop
Another difficult song, another alternating notefest. The one advantage this one has is some musical variety, as it's not straight forward Rock/Metal. It's Electronic Pop with a decent riff that translates horrifically to Rock Band Unplugged. It may be good to listen to and be a welcome addition to Rock Band if only because it meant "Get Ready 2 Rokk" would get a DLC release but as far as Rock Band Unplugged additions go, I'm afraid it's another THUMBS DOWN.
"Livin' On A Prayer" - Bon Jovi
Back to easy Rock Band 2 tracks then. The guitar and bass may be identical at first but at least they have some note variety, along with the drums. Plus, it's hard to think of a better Bon Jovi song to get the Rock Band Unplugged treatment. I'm OK with this being an early tier track to help players get used to the feel of the game with an Arena Rock classic. THUMBS UP.
"Message In A Bottle" - The Police
This song's been in quite a few games too but not enough to reach "Ace Of Spades" or "Free Bird" territories. It's a decent chart, not a huge amount going on but the guitar in the chorus is something different. It's also probably the best choice for a song by The Police, as they're not the strongest band when it comes to rhythm music games. Other than that, it's a bog standard affair so the rating depends on whether or not you enjoy listening to this song...and I do! THUMBS UP.
"The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
I don't think I've ever heard this song being used anywhere other than a rhythm music game from 2008 or 2009. It's a cute song but man, is it a crappy one to play in Rock Band Unplugged. Alternating notes, dull vocals and pain-in-the-arse drums. I don't know many (or any) other songs by Jimmy Eat World that would work and you all know that 2000s Pop Rock isn't exactly my wheelhouse but I'm pretty sure we could've had a better song choice than this. Hell, I'd even accept Paramore. THUMBS DOWN.
"Miss Murder" - AFI
Remember this song from GH3? Yeah, another song that got a hell of a lot of mileage from rhythm music games in the late 2000s. It's a decent track, definitely not as annoying as many other 21st Century Emo bands (like Paramore) and the rhythm allows for fun guitar, bass and drum charts that are different from the majority of songs on this list. Plus, it was a new song for Rock Band so it's a win-win-win. THUMBS UP.
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
This is the OTHER iconic Classic Rock song I was talking about earlier. I love Boston and I love this song although I'm not convinced that it was the best choice for the game. Bass aside, the chart's a little dull and it could've been a good opportunity to introduce players to one of Boston's other great songs off their debut. Sure, "Foreplay/Long Time" was in Rock Band 1 and most of the others were released as DLC but "Peace Of Mind" or "Smokin" could've been fun, even if the latter almost certainly would've had alternating notes in the organ solo. I'm still giving this a THUMBS DOWN for being a bit of an obvious choice.
"Move Along" - All-American Rejects
I don't care for this song, even if the guitar chart isn't too bad. It also features a lot of alternating notes and that whiny American style of singing that I fucking despise. I accept that they needed some modern songs for teens to enjoy but come on, they should've set their standards a bit higher. THUMBS DOWN.
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
The Killers are one of the shittest "Rock" bands in recent years. Consequently, their music needs to be as far away from these games as possible, even if the guitar chart is kinda fun here but that's the only bright side to "Mr. Brightside"...I apologise for that pun. THUMBS DOWN.
"My Own Worst Enemy" - Lit
To this day, I still love making fun of the vocals during the chorus for this song. As for the translation to this game, it's not bad! It's a good song to help introduce you to alternating notes and chords without throwing too many at you, not to mention a short Pop Punk track to enjoy. All in all, it might be yet another Rock Band 2 song but this is one of the more appropriate songs they picked. THUMBS UP.
"Our Truth" - Lacuna Coil
Whilst I prefer playing this in GH:WT over RB2, I love the translation onto Rock Band Unplugged. Every instrument is fun to play for various reasons, from the great guitar/bass riffs to the catchy vocal melodies and challenging drums (not to mention the opening drum solo). Another great pick from Rock Band 2! THUMBS UP.
"Painkiller" - Judas Priest
The final song in Rock Band 2 and Rock Band Unplugged. For that reason, it's a little uninspired even though it is an incredible song. But hey, if you want a challenge, this is the song for you...apart from the vocals, they're easy to play on this but everything else is tough. However, rewatching the guitar solo play out on Rock Band Unplugged, I can't help but feel like this is wasted potential. Sure, "Painkiller" will always be tricky to master but reducing the solo to just a series of alternating buttons is a little bit shit. At least you get a chance to play the drum solos in the intro and outro. Meh, what the hell. THUMBS UP.
"The Perfect Drug" - Nine Inch Nails
I don't particularly care about Nine Inch Nails but if you have to use one of their songs, this seems like a decent choice. The alternating notes in the drum chart are fast enough to make them slightly more fun than others in this list and the general sound of the song is different to your typical Rock track on the setlist. For these reasons, I give it a generous THUMBS UP even though I probably wouldn't care to play or listen to this song again.
"Pinball Wizard" - The Who
I don't really like this song but I can't say I object to it being in Rock Band Unplugged. The fast paced guitar is quite fun to play, as are the drums and bass. Thankfully, vocals aren't dull so there's a solid balance between all instruments. However, despite the song sounding unfinished and a bit shit at the end, it doesn't make too much of a difference when the rest of the track is fun to play. I didn't care for this in Rock Band 2 but it gets a THUMBS UP for Rock Band Unplugged.
"Rock Your Socks" - Tenacious D
I'll always welcome Tenacious D in Rock Band but...really, this song? I mean, it's good but hardly a standout track on the album. "Wonderboy" would've been good although I'm guessing this was chosen due to the nature of the chart. There are guitar and vocal solos and semi-interesting melodies on guitar/bass, along with a few fancy drum fills. Plus, it's fun to play on console and the inclusion of Tenacious D meant we got "Tribute" as DLC. THUMBS UP for The D.
"Show Me The Way" - Black Tide
Again, I'm all for the inclusion of any Black Tide from their Light From Above album but I can't say I particularly care for this track. It's good but it's one of the album's weaker "good" tracks, if that makes sense? Ah well, it's still a solid track and it pisses all over a lot of modern American Metal so I suppose it's a decent track to include. Plus, the backbeat on the drums is decent to play when combined with the faster guitar/bass riff so I give it a THUMBS UP.
"Spoonman" - Soundgarden
Damn fine Soundgarden song and one of the more fun guitar charts in Rock Band 2 (which is saying something). It's also quite fun to play until you get to the guitar solo but at least there's a good drum solo and bass riffs afterwards. There could've been many fun Soundgarden tracks to choose from for Rock Band Unplugged like "Rusty Cage" or "Fell On Black Days" but I'm OK with this song making the cut, even if it is yet another RB2 song. THUMBS UP.
"Today" - The Smashing Pumpkins
I often forget that this song was in Rock Band 2, probably because I'm so used to it from GH:WT. Either way, it was dull as fuck in RB2 but it works pretty well here. It's not challenging on any instrument but it makes for a solid chart across all fronts, provided you don't mind a slower tempo 4/4 rhythm. RB2 should've got a more interesting Smashing Pumpkins song like "Rocket" or "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "Today" should've been released as DLC. THUMBS UP.
"The Trees (Vault Edition)" - Rush
All praise the sacred Vault! I previously gave this song shit for having terrible lyrics that even English Literature students would cringe at but hey, it's pretty damn fun on Rock Band Unplugged. There's a fun little drum solo and the guitar is decent too. Bass is always fun on Rush, even on Rock Band Unplugged, so there's no surprises there. There are many Rush songs that could've been picked but I'm glad they took a weaker one of there's and made it better through this unique gameplay. THUMBS UP.
"What's My Age Again?" - Blink-182
Back to the new songs. It's funny how the most fun sections of this song are some of the most dull in an actual instrument chart and vice versa. Usually, the song's main riff on guitar is fun to play but it sucks here, whilst the chorus and guitar solo are pretty damn great in this game. If a Blink-182 song had to be picked for the game, I'm glad they went with one of the more fun ones on guitar that has a proper riff instead of just chords and strumming so THUMBS UP, although maybe a Sum 41 song would've been better.
"Where'd You Go?" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Back to Rock Band 2 songs. This one's pretty fun on guitar in RB2 and that does not translate into this chart in the slightest. The main reason to play this in Rock Band Unplugged is for the vocals, although they only really pick up after the halfway point. The other instruments are alright but nothing you haven't played already. This probably should've been DLC and a different Alternative song picked for the game, maybe even "The Impression That I Get" so we wouldn't have had to wait until Rock Band 4 to play it on RB. THUMBS DOWN.
"White Wedding, Part 1" - Billy Idol
The last Rock Band 2 song in the game; they probably should've called this game Rock Band 2.5 with all the repeats but hey, at least there were tracks that translated well...like this one, sort of. It's a basic chart across all instruments but I like how the bass isn't just the same repeated note; they tried to do something fun with it. This is an acceptable RB2 repeat, although maybe "Dancing With Myself" would've been fun too...or "Rebel Yell". Still gets a THUMBS UP though.
"Would?" - Alice In Chains
The final song of the game (alphabetically speaking). Not a big Alice In Chains fan but hey, at least it isn't "Man In The Box" from RB2. Sadly, this song isn't much better. The bass is kinda fiddly and the drums are annoying as hell. Guitar's pretty good but vocals are as dull as they come. I couldn't tell you a better Alice In Chains song as I'm unfamiliar with most of their work although Stone Temple Pilots may have had better Grunge or 90s Alternative songs. THUMBS DOWN.
Out of all 41 songs, there were 26 Thumbs Up and 15 Thumbs Down; another success for the Rock Band franchise! Looking back over previous charts, I'd love to play this game on Nintendo Switch but I don't see that happening any time soon. Shame as it was actually pretty fun.
Wednesday, 27 December 2017
Lego Rock Band
Since we've just had Christmas and Christmas is all about toys, I figure the next Rock Band/Guitar Hero title to discuss should be one that incorporated one of the most popular toy franchises on the planet into the game; Lego. In 2009, Harmonix released Lego Rock Band, an expansion to the Rock Band series that was based heavily around the Rock Band 2 build but with Lego avatars/stages and a more family friendly soundtrack. In other words, no System Of A Down and Tenacious D but plenty of Queen and modern Pop Rock.
I personally think Lego Rock Band is one of the most fun Rock Band games for the gameplay elements alone and the fact that you can play select family friendly DLC tracks throughout the game in case the main setlist isn't to your liking only adds to the game's quality. However, we're not here to review the game. We're here to look at each individual song in the setlist (just like previous posts such as Rock Band 3, Guitar Hero: World Tour, The Beatles: Rock Band and Guitar Hero: Van Halen) by considering whether it's a good song, whether it's fun to play on guitar and whether it's appropriate for the game. Once I've done this, I'll give it a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down before tallying all votes up for a final verdict on whether the game's soundtrack is good.
"A-Punk" - Vampire Weekend
To me, this will always be the song from The Inbetweeners but it was also used in Guitar Hero 5. It's a popular song with a catchy sounding guitar riff but other than that, there's not really much to it. Also, the slider gem notes in Guitar Hero are used for the string section in the middle and at the end whereas LRB has standard notes/chords. As a result, the guitar chart is probably more fun in GH5 BUT the song definitely feels more at home in a family friendly music game rather than a main title GH one. THUMBS UP.
"Accidentally In Love" - Counting Crows
Since the game has a soundtrack mostly aimed at kids and their parents, there are several songs that come from films in the setlist such as this one from Shrek 2. Shrek films have had some great tracks used throughout but if you had to pick one to play in RB, I'm glad this was one of them. It's a fun little song with plenty of fun guitar sections too. Totally appropriate for the game and easy worthy of a THUMBS UP.
"Aliens Exist" - blink-182
Oh yeah, there was that awful phase in GH/RB where they just kept licensing blink-182 songs over and fucking over again. This was one of the many casualties of this decision; a bland Pop-Punk track that isn't even one of their iconic ones, picked purely to fit in with the alien plot of the game and let's be honest, it's hardly like the subject matter is untouched in the world of Rock. Boring chart, boring song, should've been DLC and if they had to pick a song by this band, maybe "All The Small Things" would've been the less inspired but more suitable pick. THUMBS DOWN.
"Breakout" - Foo Fighters
Obligatory Foo Fighters choice, yes. Fun choice, hell yes! It's one of their many popular tracks and it has a fairly solid guitar chart too. Maybe I'm just biased because you play this during a level where you have to free frozen explorers with the power of Rock (yeah, that happens in LRB) and if you play well, you get a caption reading "The penguins are going wild"...because I like penguins. Where was I going with this? Oh right, THUMBS UP even if the screechy bit ruins a perfectly fine guitar riff.
"Check Yes Juliet" - We Three Kings
There must be some kind of fucking law stating that every uninspired band or artist that released a song after the Dire Straits one has to reference Romeo & Juliet in their love songs if they're ever going to not be taken seriously. This time, it's the turn of low rate emo whiners We Three Kings in a song as forgettable as this sentence with a chart full of chords and strumming just to add to the tedium. There are more fun songs that idiot children will like with decent guitar charts so it has to be a THUMBS DOWN.
"Crash" - The Primitives
The next song popularised through film (Dumb And Dumber, to be precise). It's not a track I would've ever requested to be in Rock Band but it's still pretty fun to play on guitar, provided you like the main riff. It's a harmless bit of 80s Pop Rock with a bog standard chart that probably wouldn't have been made DLC if it wasn't in this game. I'm tempted to say THUMBS UP although it's only just making it through because it's a catchy song.
"Crocodile Rock" - Elton John
One of my favourite songs from the game, not just in terms of the song itself but the guitar chart's pretty damn fun too. Of all the Elton John songs, this is probably the best choice for the entire family too. Sure, he has bigger hits like "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer" but those are primarily piano based and a little too serious compared to the party classic "Crocodile Rock". It's infinitely more fun to sing along to and did I mention the guitar chart? I did? Well, it's great and worthy of a THUMBS UP.
"Dig" - Incubus
I'm slowly getting into Incubus a bit more now, although I feel like I'm always saying that whenever I mention Incubus. However, this is one of the songs that kickstarted the process of "getting into" a band. It's off the Light Grenades album which also contains "Anna Molly" and the track is built around a HOPO riff that's quite fun to play. If you don't dig the song (pun intended), you might find it a little dull when it comes to playing the riff for the 90th time but fortunately, I like it. It's a softer tune to counter balance all the energetic Pop Rock and even if the solo's a bit naff, it's still a solid choice for the game. THUMBS UP.
"Dreaming Of You" - The Coral
I'm pretty sure this has been used in a few films and TV shows too although it's generally a catchy little tune so I'm not surprised it was used in this game. For the most part, it's just the odd chord now and then...until you get to the solo. The solo has a bit of life in it that might catch inexperienced players off guard but if I'm judging these based on how well they fit in the game, how fun they are to play and whether or not they're enjoyable tracks, I'm gonna say THUMBS UP.
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police
The Police have had hits and misses with guitar charts in rhythm music games but this is probably the most fun out of all of them. It starts off a little slow but it's somewhat of a sleeper hit, seeing as how there are fun little HOPO moments throughout and the tempo increase at the end contains guitar melodies that you probably didn't realise existed until you heard them in this game. THUMBS UP for finding a belter of a Police song for the game.
"The Final Countdown" - Europe
Another fucking classic for this game. It might be a little overplayed in conventional media but as far as RB charts go, it's awesome! Chugging guitar gallops, a fairly challenging solo (for LRB standards) and the first thing you play is the iconic synth intro. It was the band's biggest hit and it's become synonymous with 80s Hard Rock, much like "Jump" - Van Halen only not as shite. Whilst this song would've fit right into any RB game, I feel like Lego Rock Band is probably the most sensible choice. Everything about this song's inclusion is spot on so THUMBS UP.
"Fire" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
So, a bit of context. The Hendrix estate has a bit of a history with rhythm music games dating all the way back to the first Guitar Hero in 2005. GH1 was allowed to use a Hendrix track but only on the condition that there weren't any vocals in the WaveGroup Sound cover as they didn't want anyone who wasn't Jimi Hendrix performing a Hendrix song (hence why you could only play as Jimi Hendrix during any of the Hendrix tracks playable in GH:WT, and why the DLC wasn't forwards compatible). Flash forward to 2009 when this game was released and a studio version of a Jimi Hendrix track was playable without any kind of Hendrix avatar. Rock Band then released most of Hendrix's back catalogue as DLC over the next couple of years whilst GH got nothing. But hey, it's amazing what decisions you're willing to go back on when you're running low on cash and have absolutely zero integrity.
But you're not here to read me bitching about the Hendrix estate; you're here to read about the songs you've heard of and to ignore the ones you haven't. If you've heard of "Fire", you'll know it's a fast paced Hendrix number with a great riff and some fancy guitar fills throughout. Perfect for Rock Band, not sure it's the best choice for this game when many of Jimi's other classics are more recognisable. However, if you're after a tricky song for the difficulty curve, there aren't many better choices than this one. THUMBS UP.
"Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty
Ah Tom, R.I.Fuckin'.P. I may not be a big fan of this track in particular but as far as catchy Rock songs go, it's a fine choice for this game. Most of Tom's tracks are probably more for the parents but this is probably one of his songs that younger players would get some joy out of, even if it's mostly just chords and strumming. However, it's certainly a song that belongs in RB and I suppose this is a better place for the song than as DLC. Whilst I personally prefer "Running Down A Dream", that feels more like a DLC (or Guitar Hero 5) song than this one so THUMBS UP, even if it's a wee bit tedious to play.
"Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Jr.
Fun little story: I've always wanted to play this song in Guitar Hero ever since I realised that there's guitar running all the way through it but it took the song's inclusion in Lego Rock Band to convince me that I wanted the game. Aside from not charting the main synth melody at any point, this chart is everything I hoped it would be. It's got plenty going on and it feels fucking awesome rocking out to the Ghostbusters theme. I've seen complaints that this song doesn't really fit in with the typical Rock Band soundtrack but after some of the shite we've had as DLC over the last few years, that complaint is well and truly fucked now. THUMBS UP for being quite possibly my favourite song in the game.
"Girls & Boys" - Good Charlotte
Some more Pop Punk for the kiddies, which is understandable. It's a standard tune but the main question is: is it fun to play? Yeah, sort of. It's not your typical strumfest and even when it is just chords and strumming, the chorus is good enough to just listen to as you're playing each note on auto-pilot. A more fun song by Good Charlotte probably would've been "The River" but I doubt that that would've been as sensible a choice as this song so I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP. It's not a song I personally like playing but it's one I don't recall objecting to at the time.
"Grace" - Supergrass
Another fairly challenging guitar chart for LRB standards. It's also the game's theme and it definitely suits the more casual, family friendly vibe. Granted there are more obvious picks for family friendly or Rock Band themes like "Alright" or "Richard III" respectively but this song sits firmly between both ends of the suitability spectrum, making it ideal for this game. THUMBS UP.
"I Want You Back" - Jackson 5
There are two Jackson 5 songs in Rock Band. This and "ABC" and let me tell you, I'm glad they picked this for LRB instead of that other shite. Granted that was an on-disc track for Rock Band: Unplugged (another game I'll have to write about!) but this one's certainly more active on guitar. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's a bit of a rubbish song that should've just been DLC with the other Jackson 5 track. If you want some 70s Pop Rock or Funk in the game, there are plenty of cracking Stevie Wonder tracks that could've made it. THUMBS DOWN.
"In Too Deep" - Sum 41
I remember this song mostly from the octopus battle in-game where characters are literally running around in circles when the line "we're running in circles again" is sung. Mamma-Mia level cringeworthy interpretations aside, this song totally belongs in this game. Superb guitar chart with a challenging solo perfect for inexperienced players wanting something to grind and seasoned pros looking for something fun, a classic song by the band and one of the better Pop Punk songs to fill this game with. THUMBS UP.
"Kung Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas
Hey everyone, remember "Kung Fu Fighting"? Remember "those cats were fast as lightning"? Isn't it fun to sing catchy songs everyone knows? Ugh, this song's way too overplayed but I can understand why it was chosen for this game. It's somewhat a classic that kids will probably enjoy, even if it's a right ballache on guitar. At least the Band Hero version charted the Kung Fu melody on slider gem notes to mix up the chart a little bit but this is just wrist-knackeringly accurate to the point that it stops being fun as soon as all the other instruments kick in, which is also when it starts being fun. From fun to shit in the blink of an eye, now THAT's fast as lightning! THUMBS DOWN for the song and my shit joke just then.
"Let's Dance" - David Bowie
OK, I can understand including a Bowie track in the game...but this?! It's so fucking dull! Once again, Band Hero had to add slider gems to the chart to make it somewhat playable but the LRB version is just so fucking tepid. The solo at the end brings some life back to the song but by then, it's too little and way too fucking late. I mean, come on, it's not like Bowie was lacking in suitable songs for the game. "The Jean Genie", "Ziggy Stardust", "John, I'm Only Dancing", a bunch of his other popular tracks that I don't care about, anything but this...this and "Ashes To Ashes" or "Sound And Vision", I fucking hate that song. THUMBS DOWN.
"Life Is A Highway" - Rascal Flatts
Wasn't this song used in the film Cars? If so, definitely a solid choice for kids. Not only that but it's a pretty fun chart too! It may have a few awkward little chord HOPO bits but honestly, it's a delight to play more or less from start to finish. Much like the song by The Police, it's one of those sleeper tracks that you don't expect to be fun but surprises you in the best way. As for the song itself, I think it's a fine track that I would happily listen to in a casual capacity but never feel the need to purchase just to listen to. THUMBS UP all the same.
"Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
OK, this is definitely one for the parents. I'm actually surprised this made it as an on-disc track as I can't imagine it being popular with anyone outside of England under the age of about 40 but there we have it. It's a cracking song although the rapid strumming in the solo's a bit of a bitch. That aside, it's definitely one I enjoy playing and always love to listen to for its sheer feel good tone (even if lyrically it is essentially a "Fuck You" to the people Steve Harley used to work with). THUMBS UP.
"Monster" - The Automatic
I never got into this song. Not once. I remember it was hugely popular around 2006 but I always thought it was an annoying earworm with godawful backing vocals and a chorus that fuckwits couldn't help but sing along to. Anyway, I'm sure The Automatic are happy that they produced one song in their illustrious career as an Indie Band and managed to get that one song onto a video game in a level where you're chased by a dinosaur. As for the chart, it's not bad but it does also contain a rapid strumming solo that makes the previous song look like a HOPO wet dream. THUMBS DOWN.
"Naive" - The Kooks
Ugh, this fucking band. We must be into the "annoying voice" section of the game's setlist now but as far as the guitar goes, it's not bad. It's a solid chart so I can't fault it there but I can fault it for being an annoying song from that similar point in time where UK Indie/Alternative bands collectively gave teens the wrong impression of what Rock is. If I had to pick a song by The Kooks for the game, I would've gone with "She Moves In Her Own Way" or "Sofa Song". They're both well known tracks from the same album and they aren't as annoying as this one; plus, they probably would've given us better guitar charts (especially the latter). THUMBS DOWN.
"The Passenger" - Iggy Pop
Ah, now THIS is one I was surprised by! Having heard a song a bunch of times before this game came out, I was expected a repetitive chart that I'd have to suffer through. Turns out there are several guitar fills, melodies and sections throughout that HMX helpfully alternated between to keep the variety up and the end result is a cracking track for the game. It also helps that it's Iggy Pop's most well known yet safely family friendly single, although "Lust For Life" also would've worked, especially if it was the studio original and not the shitawful live version we got in GH5. THUMBS UP.
"Real Wild Child" - Everlife
From actual Iggy to fake Iggy! Actually, that's not true. Iggy covered the song but I think it's fair to say he's made it his own. For some reason, HMX included a cover of a song made famous by Iggy Pop by [INSERT GENERIC GIRLBAND HERE] instead of an original song by a talented female group. Hell, I would've taken a Paramore song over this. Failing that, I would've accepted a popular tune by a terrible artist; something like "Girlfriend" - Avril Lavigne would've fit in better than this non-entry. Guitar chart's not bad but it doesn't stop this song from getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Ride A White Swan" - T. Rex
Yup, you did it! You found the perfect T. Rex song for the game! Short enough for the kids, classic enough for a parents and fun enough for RB enthusiasts. Great little guitar chart with a solid solo and it's possibly one of the best recordings of the song I've heard. The only other song I would say could've been better is "I Love To Boogie", as that's a catchy number from a film (Billy Elliot) that would be very fun on guitar. Still, this song's still a great choice and there's always hope for DLC...although it's fucking dwindling. THUMBS UP.
"Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)" - Lostprophets
I believe I've talked about this song in the GH:WT post but my opinion on the song is pretty straightforward. I hated it before we found out the vocalist was a nonce. THUMBS DOWN.
"Ruby" - Kaiser Chiefs
Yeah, I'm OK with this choice. It was a bonus song in GH3 for some reason (although that inclusion did help get me into GH!) and it was a hit single of theirs in 2007 so it probably made for a better choice than anything off their debut, especially since I believe "I Predict A Riot" was already DLC at the time. It's one of their best songs and even if the chart's a little average, it's still great to listen to as you play it. THUMBS UP.
"Short And Sweet" - Spinal Tap
Soooo...this song...uhh...yeah. Was it a contractual obligation? Did they have to include it to get Spinal Tap DLC in the future? It's not a bad song but come on, it was released on the band's 2009 revival album, not in the original This Is Spinal Tap one. You'd have thought a song like "Stonehenge" would've been the logical choice, hence my theory about them having to include a new song in order to get the classics later on. Ah well, at least they picked a track with some fierce shredding, although maybe a little too intense for this game. On the basis that it's not really a favourite of mine and that it feels like an odd choice for this game as opposed to future DLC, I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN.
"So What" - P!nk
Not a big fan of P!nk but I have to say, I really enjoyed playing this song. It has a relatively fun chart (rapid strumming section aside) and the use within the game felt neat too. I recall this being the song used in the first trailer for the game without feeling out of place so it definitely fits in there although the sound of the song isn't too offensive either. It's modern Pop Rock so younger listeners will know it and it's a proper Rock song so it ticks all the boxes. THUMBS UP.
"Song 2" - Blur
Another song from GH5 that made it into this game. It's only a short track but it's instantly recognisable with that guitar riff and the "WOO HOO" based chorus. A solid choice although we need to discuss the chart; it sucks. The chorus consists entirely of yellow notes even though I'm pretty sure the rhythm guitar would've been much more fun to play. As a result, the chart's a bit shit but I can't knock HMX for including this song. THUMBS UP.
"Stumble And Fall" - Razorlight
There's only one Razorlight song I can tolerate and that's "Golden Touch". Anything else is terrible so it's an automatic THUMBS DOWN, even if the guitar chart's quite good. Fuck Razorlight.
"Suddenly I See" - KT Tunstall
Lego Rock Band got this one and Band Hero got the other KT Tunstall song anyone gives a fuck about. Either way, I'm glad this song got some representation. It's a great vocally driven track with fun guitar throughout for kids and parents who frequently heard this song on the radio and would go on to say "Oh, it's THIS song" when their kid picked it in LRB. Similar to most of this game's setlist, it's not a track I would have ever wished to be in GH/RB but if you had to pick a contemporary female driven Country inspired Rock track, I'm glad it was this. THUMBS UP.
"Summer Of '69" - Bryan Adams
Fuck this song and everything about it. I can understand why it was picked but the fact that this song got representation in Rock Band and, at the time of typing this, "Run To You" is still missing makes me angry. This song is basically the retro clubbing dickhead's anthem and even if it does have some mildly fun guitar sections, it's fucking horrible to listen to from start to finish so it's a pretty solid THUMBS DOWN from me. It might fit into the game's feel and it might not be a total bore to play through but they could've picked plenty of other 80s Rock "anthems" for kids and mums to enjoy without ever touching this.
"Swing, Swing" - The All-American Rejects
I can't hear this song without also hearing the intro to the US version of The Office. The chord sequence is too damn similar, I tell you! Anyway, the song's your basic strumfest with a tidy little solo that will introduce inexperienced players to the joys of Rock Band. My familiarity with this band goes as far as the tracks that were picked for GH/RB games and based on what I've heard of them so far, this is probably the best song out of the lot...yes, even beating "Dirty Little Secret". THUMBS UP for being tolerable Emo music!
"Thunder" - Boys Like Girls
When this soundtrack was first revealed, I thought they'd licensed a song by Thunder for the game. Then I realised that was the song name instead of the artist name and after that, I proceeded to get this confused with the Good Charlotte song for several years. Now I simply use this handy little trick to remember the difference: the Good Charlotte track has some fun to it and is quite fun on guitar whereas the Boys Like Girls song is a puddle of piss, both emotionally and physically. Also, Boys Like Girls, your band name certainly hasn't aged well. Boys can like who or whatever the fuck they want to like in 2017. THUMBS DOWN.
"Tick Tick Boom" - The Hives
I think this was the first time I'd ever actually heard this song. Now I know it's one of their big songs but at the time, I was confused as to why they didn't go with "Hate To Say I Told You So", as that was the song I'd heard on TV more often. It's hard to say whether it's the more exciting song with the better riff as it's a song by The Hives and let's face it, their back catalogue sort of blends together when it comes to hit singles. However, I don't hate this song. It was pretty good in GH:WoR but I vaguely recall this chart being annoying due to the rapid strumming section, lack of variety in comparison to the GH:WoR chart and the funny little not-trill section before the first chorus. Eh, gonna give this one a THUMBS DOWN for not being the better Hives song to pick.
"Two Princes" - Spin Doctors
Another one of those "Oh, THAT song" songs. Yeah, I prefer the RB4 Spin Doctors track in just about every sense although I can understand why they chose this for the game. It's a well known song with a solid guitar chart, making it perfect for the game's demographic and their average ability level. It's hard to argue with its inclusion as I feel like "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" definitely belongs in RB4 over LRB yet I can't think of a better 90s Alternative Rock song for this game in particular. With that in mind, THUMBS UP on a technicality.
"Valerie" - The Zutons
No, no, no, no, I can't stand this song. Overrated as fuck, even for The Zutons. "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love" and "Hello Conscience" are far superior as Rock songs and if anyone knows this song at all, it'll be because of the Amy Winehouse cover. The original is a fucking grey colour swatch in comparison to that and even then, I wouldn't want the cover in Rock Band. THUMBS DOWN.
"Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina & The Waves
Uhhhh, sure? I guess this works in the game as it's a fun 80s tune with plenty of guitar throughout. The guitar might be repetitive but this is one of those vocally driven songs for kids to sing along to whilst the older brother plays another instrument. It's not the worst song in the world so I can tolerate it being in this game for the sake of having a larf with the family. THUMBS UP. Incidentally, this song was used in Lego City Undercover during the opening cinematic. I'm kinda disappointed they didn't have radio stations featuring more real music, seeing as how it was basically the GTA of Lego games. Ah well, the game was still fun.
"We Are The Champions" - Queen
Got to have some Queen in there and out of all the band's hits, this was probably the most sensible choice. It might not have a lot going on outside of vocals but if you're going to include a Queen song that's got something happening on each instrument that isn't really as action packed as some of their other singles, this has to be near the top of the list. THUMBS UP.
"We Will Rock You" - Queen
Oh, another Queen song...and it's that song. Again, if you have to include this in RB, this game is probably the best place for it as it wouldn't really work with the BOOM-BOOM-CLAPs charted to guitar outside of this game. Since both Queen songs are connected, I can understand licensing both of them for this game although I'm still giving it a THUMBS DOWN for being kinda dumb and not really having anything fun until the outro solo...and even then, it's not great.
"Word Up!" - KoRn
Uhhhhh...why? Why license a KoRn song for the family friendly game? Why not just get the original Cameo version or a different song altogether? It's not even the best cover of this song, Gun do a version that has a proper guitar solo and would've been fucking amazing in GH/RB. Dumb choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"You Give Love A Bad Name" - Bon Jovi
Final song and it's a belter. Whilst it might not rank highly on my personal list of great Bon Jovi tracks, it's certainly one that needed its own place on a game's setlist rather than just being DLC. Since RB2 had "Living On A Prayer" and RB1 had "Wanted Dead Or Alive", that left this game to get the final song of the BJ Trifecta. I seem to remember the guitar chart being a complete ballache due to the terrible chord HOPOs but aside from that, it was alright. Just a shame the LRB engine wasn't great but if you're looking at it from a soundtrack perspective, it's an easy THUMBS UP.
It's 28 Thumbs Up against 17 Thumbs Down, confirming my suspicions that Lego Rock Band does indeed have a decent soundtrack.
Looking back on the game, I really think LRB didn't get the praise it deserved at the time when ATVI was pumping out a GH title every couple of months. Since this game came out in October/November, it's easy to pass it off as just another rhythm music game but the fact is it had more heart and effort put into it than arguably any other release that year...except The Beatles: Rock Band...and Guitar Hero: Metallica, but definitely more than GH5, GH:OTMH, GH:VH and GH:SH. If you own a PS3/XBox 360 and can get your hands on this game (along with suitable instrument controllers), I recommend it as it's a fun little treat and you can't export the soundtrack to RB4 if you don't own it already so it's your only chance to experience the joy that is Lego Rock Band.
COMING SOON: The last blog post of the year!
I personally think Lego Rock Band is one of the most fun Rock Band games for the gameplay elements alone and the fact that you can play select family friendly DLC tracks throughout the game in case the main setlist isn't to your liking only adds to the game's quality. However, we're not here to review the game. We're here to look at each individual song in the setlist (just like previous posts such as Rock Band 3, Guitar Hero: World Tour, The Beatles: Rock Band and Guitar Hero: Van Halen) by considering whether it's a good song, whether it's fun to play on guitar and whether it's appropriate for the game. Once I've done this, I'll give it a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down before tallying all votes up for a final verdict on whether the game's soundtrack is good.
"A-Punk" - Vampire Weekend
To me, this will always be the song from The Inbetweeners but it was also used in Guitar Hero 5. It's a popular song with a catchy sounding guitar riff but other than that, there's not really much to it. Also, the slider gem notes in Guitar Hero are used for the string section in the middle and at the end whereas LRB has standard notes/chords. As a result, the guitar chart is probably more fun in GH5 BUT the song definitely feels more at home in a family friendly music game rather than a main title GH one. THUMBS UP.
"Accidentally In Love" - Counting Crows
Since the game has a soundtrack mostly aimed at kids and their parents, there are several songs that come from films in the setlist such as this one from Shrek 2. Shrek films have had some great tracks used throughout but if you had to pick one to play in RB, I'm glad this was one of them. It's a fun little song with plenty of fun guitar sections too. Totally appropriate for the game and easy worthy of a THUMBS UP.
"Aliens Exist" - blink-182
Oh yeah, there was that awful phase in GH/RB where they just kept licensing blink-182 songs over and fucking over again. This was one of the many casualties of this decision; a bland Pop-Punk track that isn't even one of their iconic ones, picked purely to fit in with the alien plot of the game and let's be honest, it's hardly like the subject matter is untouched in the world of Rock. Boring chart, boring song, should've been DLC and if they had to pick a song by this band, maybe "All The Small Things" would've been the less inspired but more suitable pick. THUMBS DOWN.
"Breakout" - Foo Fighters
Obligatory Foo Fighters choice, yes. Fun choice, hell yes! It's one of their many popular tracks and it has a fairly solid guitar chart too. Maybe I'm just biased because you play this during a level where you have to free frozen explorers with the power of Rock (yeah, that happens in LRB) and if you play well, you get a caption reading "The penguins are going wild"...because I like penguins. Where was I going with this? Oh right, THUMBS UP even if the screechy bit ruins a perfectly fine guitar riff.
"Check Yes Juliet" - We Three Kings
There must be some kind of fucking law stating that every uninspired band or artist that released a song after the Dire Straits one has to reference Romeo & Juliet in their love songs if they're ever going to not be taken seriously. This time, it's the turn of low rate emo whiners We Three Kings in a song as forgettable as this sentence with a chart full of chords and strumming just to add to the tedium. There are more fun songs that idiot children will like with decent guitar charts so it has to be a THUMBS DOWN.
"Crash" - The Primitives
The next song popularised through film (Dumb And Dumber, to be precise). It's not a track I would've ever requested to be in Rock Band but it's still pretty fun to play on guitar, provided you like the main riff. It's a harmless bit of 80s Pop Rock with a bog standard chart that probably wouldn't have been made DLC if it wasn't in this game. I'm tempted to say THUMBS UP although it's only just making it through because it's a catchy song.
"Crocodile Rock" - Elton John
One of my favourite songs from the game, not just in terms of the song itself but the guitar chart's pretty damn fun too. Of all the Elton John songs, this is probably the best choice for the entire family too. Sure, he has bigger hits like "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer" but those are primarily piano based and a little too serious compared to the party classic "Crocodile Rock". It's infinitely more fun to sing along to and did I mention the guitar chart? I did? Well, it's great and worthy of a THUMBS UP.
"Dig" - Incubus
I'm slowly getting into Incubus a bit more now, although I feel like I'm always saying that whenever I mention Incubus. However, this is one of the songs that kickstarted the process of "getting into" a band. It's off the Light Grenades album which also contains "Anna Molly" and the track is built around a HOPO riff that's quite fun to play. If you don't dig the song (pun intended), you might find it a little dull when it comes to playing the riff for the 90th time but fortunately, I like it. It's a softer tune to counter balance all the energetic Pop Rock and even if the solo's a bit naff, it's still a solid choice for the game. THUMBS UP.
"Dreaming Of You" - The Coral
I'm pretty sure this has been used in a few films and TV shows too although it's generally a catchy little tune so I'm not surprised it was used in this game. For the most part, it's just the odd chord now and then...until you get to the solo. The solo has a bit of life in it that might catch inexperienced players off guard but if I'm judging these based on how well they fit in the game, how fun they are to play and whether or not they're enjoyable tracks, I'm gonna say THUMBS UP.
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police
The Police have had hits and misses with guitar charts in rhythm music games but this is probably the most fun out of all of them. It starts off a little slow but it's somewhat of a sleeper hit, seeing as how there are fun little HOPO moments throughout and the tempo increase at the end contains guitar melodies that you probably didn't realise existed until you heard them in this game. THUMBS UP for finding a belter of a Police song for the game.
"The Final Countdown" - Europe
Another fucking classic for this game. It might be a little overplayed in conventional media but as far as RB charts go, it's awesome! Chugging guitar gallops, a fairly challenging solo (for LRB standards) and the first thing you play is the iconic synth intro. It was the band's biggest hit and it's become synonymous with 80s Hard Rock, much like "Jump" - Van Halen only not as shite. Whilst this song would've fit right into any RB game, I feel like Lego Rock Band is probably the most sensible choice. Everything about this song's inclusion is spot on so THUMBS UP.
"Fire" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
So, a bit of context. The Hendrix estate has a bit of a history with rhythm music games dating all the way back to the first Guitar Hero in 2005. GH1 was allowed to use a Hendrix track but only on the condition that there weren't any vocals in the WaveGroup Sound cover as they didn't want anyone who wasn't Jimi Hendrix performing a Hendrix song (hence why you could only play as Jimi Hendrix during any of the Hendrix tracks playable in GH:WT, and why the DLC wasn't forwards compatible). Flash forward to 2009 when this game was released and a studio version of a Jimi Hendrix track was playable without any kind of Hendrix avatar. Rock Band then released most of Hendrix's back catalogue as DLC over the next couple of years whilst GH got nothing. But hey, it's amazing what decisions you're willing to go back on when you're running low on cash and have absolutely zero integrity.
But you're not here to read me bitching about the Hendrix estate; you're here to read about the songs you've heard of and to ignore the ones you haven't. If you've heard of "Fire", you'll know it's a fast paced Hendrix number with a great riff and some fancy guitar fills throughout. Perfect for Rock Band, not sure it's the best choice for this game when many of Jimi's other classics are more recognisable. However, if you're after a tricky song for the difficulty curve, there aren't many better choices than this one. THUMBS UP.
"Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty
Ah Tom, R.I.Fuckin'.P. I may not be a big fan of this track in particular but as far as catchy Rock songs go, it's a fine choice for this game. Most of Tom's tracks are probably more for the parents but this is probably one of his songs that younger players would get some joy out of, even if it's mostly just chords and strumming. However, it's certainly a song that belongs in RB and I suppose this is a better place for the song than as DLC. Whilst I personally prefer "Running Down A Dream", that feels more like a DLC (or Guitar Hero 5) song than this one so THUMBS UP, even if it's a wee bit tedious to play.
"Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Jr.
Fun little story: I've always wanted to play this song in Guitar Hero ever since I realised that there's guitar running all the way through it but it took the song's inclusion in Lego Rock Band to convince me that I wanted the game. Aside from not charting the main synth melody at any point, this chart is everything I hoped it would be. It's got plenty going on and it feels fucking awesome rocking out to the Ghostbusters theme. I've seen complaints that this song doesn't really fit in with the typical Rock Band soundtrack but after some of the shite we've had as DLC over the last few years, that complaint is well and truly fucked now. THUMBS UP for being quite possibly my favourite song in the game.
"Girls & Boys" - Good Charlotte
Some more Pop Punk for the kiddies, which is understandable. It's a standard tune but the main question is: is it fun to play? Yeah, sort of. It's not your typical strumfest and even when it is just chords and strumming, the chorus is good enough to just listen to as you're playing each note on auto-pilot. A more fun song by Good Charlotte probably would've been "The River" but I doubt that that would've been as sensible a choice as this song so I'm gonna give it a THUMBS UP. It's not a song I personally like playing but it's one I don't recall objecting to at the time.
"Grace" - Supergrass
Another fairly challenging guitar chart for LRB standards. It's also the game's theme and it definitely suits the more casual, family friendly vibe. Granted there are more obvious picks for family friendly or Rock Band themes like "Alright" or "Richard III" respectively but this song sits firmly between both ends of the suitability spectrum, making it ideal for this game. THUMBS UP.
"I Want You Back" - Jackson 5
There are two Jackson 5 songs in Rock Band. This and "ABC" and let me tell you, I'm glad they picked this for LRB instead of that other shite. Granted that was an on-disc track for Rock Band: Unplugged (another game I'll have to write about!) but this one's certainly more active on guitar. However, that doesn't change the fact that it's a bit of a rubbish song that should've just been DLC with the other Jackson 5 track. If you want some 70s Pop Rock or Funk in the game, there are plenty of cracking Stevie Wonder tracks that could've made it. THUMBS DOWN.
"In Too Deep" - Sum 41
I remember this song mostly from the octopus battle in-game where characters are literally running around in circles when the line "we're running in circles again" is sung. Mamma-Mia level cringeworthy interpretations aside, this song totally belongs in this game. Superb guitar chart with a challenging solo perfect for inexperienced players wanting something to grind and seasoned pros looking for something fun, a classic song by the band and one of the better Pop Punk songs to fill this game with. THUMBS UP.
"Kung Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas
Hey everyone, remember "Kung Fu Fighting"? Remember "those cats were fast as lightning"? Isn't it fun to sing catchy songs everyone knows? Ugh, this song's way too overplayed but I can understand why it was chosen for this game. It's somewhat a classic that kids will probably enjoy, even if it's a right ballache on guitar. At least the Band Hero version charted the Kung Fu melody on slider gem notes to mix up the chart a little bit but this is just wrist-knackeringly accurate to the point that it stops being fun as soon as all the other instruments kick in, which is also when it starts being fun. From fun to shit in the blink of an eye, now THAT's fast as lightning! THUMBS DOWN for the song and my shit joke just then.
"Let's Dance" - David Bowie
OK, I can understand including a Bowie track in the game...but this?! It's so fucking dull! Once again, Band Hero had to add slider gems to the chart to make it somewhat playable but the LRB version is just so fucking tepid. The solo at the end brings some life back to the song but by then, it's too little and way too fucking late. I mean, come on, it's not like Bowie was lacking in suitable songs for the game. "The Jean Genie", "Ziggy Stardust", "John, I'm Only Dancing", a bunch of his other popular tracks that I don't care about, anything but this...this and "Ashes To Ashes" or "Sound And Vision", I fucking hate that song. THUMBS DOWN.
"Life Is A Highway" - Rascal Flatts
Wasn't this song used in the film Cars? If so, definitely a solid choice for kids. Not only that but it's a pretty fun chart too! It may have a few awkward little chord HOPO bits but honestly, it's a delight to play more or less from start to finish. Much like the song by The Police, it's one of those sleeper tracks that you don't expect to be fun but surprises you in the best way. As for the song itself, I think it's a fine track that I would happily listen to in a casual capacity but never feel the need to purchase just to listen to. THUMBS UP all the same.
"Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)" - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
OK, this is definitely one for the parents. I'm actually surprised this made it as an on-disc track as I can't imagine it being popular with anyone outside of England under the age of about 40 but there we have it. It's a cracking song although the rapid strumming in the solo's a bit of a bitch. That aside, it's definitely one I enjoy playing and always love to listen to for its sheer feel good tone (even if lyrically it is essentially a "Fuck You" to the people Steve Harley used to work with). THUMBS UP.
"Monster" - The Automatic
I never got into this song. Not once. I remember it was hugely popular around 2006 but I always thought it was an annoying earworm with godawful backing vocals and a chorus that fuckwits couldn't help but sing along to. Anyway, I'm sure The Automatic are happy that they produced one song in their illustrious career as an Indie Band and managed to get that one song onto a video game in a level where you're chased by a dinosaur. As for the chart, it's not bad but it does also contain a rapid strumming solo that makes the previous song look like a HOPO wet dream. THUMBS DOWN.
"Naive" - The Kooks
Ugh, this fucking band. We must be into the "annoying voice" section of the game's setlist now but as far as the guitar goes, it's not bad. It's a solid chart so I can't fault it there but I can fault it for being an annoying song from that similar point in time where UK Indie/Alternative bands collectively gave teens the wrong impression of what Rock is. If I had to pick a song by The Kooks for the game, I would've gone with "She Moves In Her Own Way" or "Sofa Song". They're both well known tracks from the same album and they aren't as annoying as this one; plus, they probably would've given us better guitar charts (especially the latter). THUMBS DOWN.
"The Passenger" - Iggy Pop
Ah, now THIS is one I was surprised by! Having heard a song a bunch of times before this game came out, I was expected a repetitive chart that I'd have to suffer through. Turns out there are several guitar fills, melodies and sections throughout that HMX helpfully alternated between to keep the variety up and the end result is a cracking track for the game. It also helps that it's Iggy Pop's most well known yet safely family friendly single, although "Lust For Life" also would've worked, especially if it was the studio original and not the shitawful live version we got in GH5. THUMBS UP.
"Real Wild Child" - Everlife
From actual Iggy to fake Iggy! Actually, that's not true. Iggy covered the song but I think it's fair to say he's made it his own. For some reason, HMX included a cover of a song made famous by Iggy Pop by [INSERT GENERIC GIRLBAND HERE] instead of an original song by a talented female group. Hell, I would've taken a Paramore song over this. Failing that, I would've accepted a popular tune by a terrible artist; something like "Girlfriend" - Avril Lavigne would've fit in better than this non-entry. Guitar chart's not bad but it doesn't stop this song from getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Ride A White Swan" - T. Rex
Yup, you did it! You found the perfect T. Rex song for the game! Short enough for the kids, classic enough for a parents and fun enough for RB enthusiasts. Great little guitar chart with a solid solo and it's possibly one of the best recordings of the song I've heard. The only other song I would say could've been better is "I Love To Boogie", as that's a catchy number from a film (Billy Elliot) that would be very fun on guitar. Still, this song's still a great choice and there's always hope for DLC...although it's fucking dwindling. THUMBS UP.
"Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)" - Lostprophets
I believe I've talked about this song in the GH:WT post but my opinion on the song is pretty straightforward. I hated it before we found out the vocalist was a nonce. THUMBS DOWN.
"Ruby" - Kaiser Chiefs
Yeah, I'm OK with this choice. It was a bonus song in GH3 for some reason (although that inclusion did help get me into GH!) and it was a hit single of theirs in 2007 so it probably made for a better choice than anything off their debut, especially since I believe "I Predict A Riot" was already DLC at the time. It's one of their best songs and even if the chart's a little average, it's still great to listen to as you play it. THUMBS UP.
"Short And Sweet" - Spinal Tap
Soooo...this song...uhh...yeah. Was it a contractual obligation? Did they have to include it to get Spinal Tap DLC in the future? It's not a bad song but come on, it was released on the band's 2009 revival album, not in the original This Is Spinal Tap one. You'd have thought a song like "Stonehenge" would've been the logical choice, hence my theory about them having to include a new song in order to get the classics later on. Ah well, at least they picked a track with some fierce shredding, although maybe a little too intense for this game. On the basis that it's not really a favourite of mine and that it feels like an odd choice for this game as opposed to future DLC, I'm gonna say THUMBS DOWN.
"So What" - P!nk
Not a big fan of P!nk but I have to say, I really enjoyed playing this song. It has a relatively fun chart (rapid strumming section aside) and the use within the game felt neat too. I recall this being the song used in the first trailer for the game without feeling out of place so it definitely fits in there although the sound of the song isn't too offensive either. It's modern Pop Rock so younger listeners will know it and it's a proper Rock song so it ticks all the boxes. THUMBS UP.
"Song 2" - Blur
Another song from GH5 that made it into this game. It's only a short track but it's instantly recognisable with that guitar riff and the "WOO HOO" based chorus. A solid choice although we need to discuss the chart; it sucks. The chorus consists entirely of yellow notes even though I'm pretty sure the rhythm guitar would've been much more fun to play. As a result, the chart's a bit shit but I can't knock HMX for including this song. THUMBS UP.
"Stumble And Fall" - Razorlight
There's only one Razorlight song I can tolerate and that's "Golden Touch". Anything else is terrible so it's an automatic THUMBS DOWN, even if the guitar chart's quite good. Fuck Razorlight.
"Suddenly I See" - KT Tunstall
Lego Rock Band got this one and Band Hero got the other KT Tunstall song anyone gives a fuck about. Either way, I'm glad this song got some representation. It's a great vocally driven track with fun guitar throughout for kids and parents who frequently heard this song on the radio and would go on to say "Oh, it's THIS song" when their kid picked it in LRB. Similar to most of this game's setlist, it's not a track I would have ever wished to be in GH/RB but if you had to pick a contemporary female driven Country inspired Rock track, I'm glad it was this. THUMBS UP.
"Summer Of '69" - Bryan Adams
Fuck this song and everything about it. I can understand why it was picked but the fact that this song got representation in Rock Band and, at the time of typing this, "Run To You" is still missing makes me angry. This song is basically the retro clubbing dickhead's anthem and even if it does have some mildly fun guitar sections, it's fucking horrible to listen to from start to finish so it's a pretty solid THUMBS DOWN from me. It might fit into the game's feel and it might not be a total bore to play through but they could've picked plenty of other 80s Rock "anthems" for kids and mums to enjoy without ever touching this.
"Swing, Swing" - The All-American Rejects
I can't hear this song without also hearing the intro to the US version of The Office. The chord sequence is too damn similar, I tell you! Anyway, the song's your basic strumfest with a tidy little solo that will introduce inexperienced players to the joys of Rock Band. My familiarity with this band goes as far as the tracks that were picked for GH/RB games and based on what I've heard of them so far, this is probably the best song out of the lot...yes, even beating "Dirty Little Secret". THUMBS UP for being tolerable Emo music!
"Thunder" - Boys Like Girls
When this soundtrack was first revealed, I thought they'd licensed a song by Thunder for the game. Then I realised that was the song name instead of the artist name and after that, I proceeded to get this confused with the Good Charlotte song for several years. Now I simply use this handy little trick to remember the difference: the Good Charlotte track has some fun to it and is quite fun on guitar whereas the Boys Like Girls song is a puddle of piss, both emotionally and physically. Also, Boys Like Girls, your band name certainly hasn't aged well. Boys can like who or whatever the fuck they want to like in 2017. THUMBS DOWN.
"Tick Tick Boom" - The Hives
I think this was the first time I'd ever actually heard this song. Now I know it's one of their big songs but at the time, I was confused as to why they didn't go with "Hate To Say I Told You So", as that was the song I'd heard on TV more often. It's hard to say whether it's the more exciting song with the better riff as it's a song by The Hives and let's face it, their back catalogue sort of blends together when it comes to hit singles. However, I don't hate this song. It was pretty good in GH:WoR but I vaguely recall this chart being annoying due to the rapid strumming section, lack of variety in comparison to the GH:WoR chart and the funny little not-trill section before the first chorus. Eh, gonna give this one a THUMBS DOWN for not being the better Hives song to pick.
"Two Princes" - Spin Doctors
Another one of those "Oh, THAT song" songs. Yeah, I prefer the RB4 Spin Doctors track in just about every sense although I can understand why they chose this for the game. It's a well known song with a solid guitar chart, making it perfect for the game's demographic and their average ability level. It's hard to argue with its inclusion as I feel like "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" definitely belongs in RB4 over LRB yet I can't think of a better 90s Alternative Rock song for this game in particular. With that in mind, THUMBS UP on a technicality.
"Valerie" - The Zutons
No, no, no, no, I can't stand this song. Overrated as fuck, even for The Zutons. "Why Won't You Give Me Your Love" and "Hello Conscience" are far superior as Rock songs and if anyone knows this song at all, it'll be because of the Amy Winehouse cover. The original is a fucking grey colour swatch in comparison to that and even then, I wouldn't want the cover in Rock Band. THUMBS DOWN.
"Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina & The Waves
Uhhhh, sure? I guess this works in the game as it's a fun 80s tune with plenty of guitar throughout. The guitar might be repetitive but this is one of those vocally driven songs for kids to sing along to whilst the older brother plays another instrument. It's not the worst song in the world so I can tolerate it being in this game for the sake of having a larf with the family. THUMBS UP. Incidentally, this song was used in Lego City Undercover during the opening cinematic. I'm kinda disappointed they didn't have radio stations featuring more real music, seeing as how it was basically the GTA of Lego games. Ah well, the game was still fun.
"We Are The Champions" - Queen
Got to have some Queen in there and out of all the band's hits, this was probably the most sensible choice. It might not have a lot going on outside of vocals but if you're going to include a Queen song that's got something happening on each instrument that isn't really as action packed as some of their other singles, this has to be near the top of the list. THUMBS UP.
"We Will Rock You" - Queen
Oh, another Queen song...and it's that song. Again, if you have to include this in RB, this game is probably the best place for it as it wouldn't really work with the BOOM-BOOM-CLAPs charted to guitar outside of this game. Since both Queen songs are connected, I can understand licensing both of them for this game although I'm still giving it a THUMBS DOWN for being kinda dumb and not really having anything fun until the outro solo...and even then, it's not great.
"Word Up!" - KoRn
Uhhhhh...why? Why license a KoRn song for the family friendly game? Why not just get the original Cameo version or a different song altogether? It's not even the best cover of this song, Gun do a version that has a proper guitar solo and would've been fucking amazing in GH/RB. Dumb choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"You Give Love A Bad Name" - Bon Jovi
Final song and it's a belter. Whilst it might not rank highly on my personal list of great Bon Jovi tracks, it's certainly one that needed its own place on a game's setlist rather than just being DLC. Since RB2 had "Living On A Prayer" and RB1 had "Wanted Dead Or Alive", that left this game to get the final song of the BJ Trifecta. I seem to remember the guitar chart being a complete ballache due to the terrible chord HOPOs but aside from that, it was alright. Just a shame the LRB engine wasn't great but if you're looking at it from a soundtrack perspective, it's an easy THUMBS UP.
It's 28 Thumbs Up against 17 Thumbs Down, confirming my suspicions that Lego Rock Band does indeed have a decent soundtrack.
Looking back on the game, I really think LRB didn't get the praise it deserved at the time when ATVI was pumping out a GH title every couple of months. Since this game came out in October/November, it's easy to pass it off as just another rhythm music game but the fact is it had more heart and effort put into it than arguably any other release that year...except The Beatles: Rock Band...and Guitar Hero: Metallica, but definitely more than GH5, GH:OTMH, GH:VH and GH:SH. If you own a PS3/XBox 360 and can get your hands on this game (along with suitable instrument controllers), I recommend it as it's a fun little treat and you can't export the soundtrack to RB4 if you don't own it already so it's your only chance to experience the joy that is Lego Rock Band.
COMING SOON: The last blog post of the year!
Thursday, 17 August 2017
Rock Band 3
I know I said I'd try to hold off on video game posts until next month but I also said I might do a Guitar Hero/Rock band post that deals with actual music as opposed to video game tunes.
If you've read my posts on Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock, Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, The Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock, Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero: Van Halen, you'll know how this works already. I list all the songs in the game along with my opinions on them (based on song quality, how fun the guitar chart is and whether the song belongs in the game) before tallying all the Thumbs Up/Down at the end for a final verdict.
I've gone on record as saying Rock Band 3 has the worst tracklist of any main entry in the GH/RB series but let's see how bad it is compared to the others. It'll also be interesting on a personal level to see if any of these tracks have grown on me over time or if I still think they're shit after seven years.
"20th Century Boy" - T. Rex
Of all the T. Rex songs, this is probably one of the more fun guitar tracks. Sure, it was used in Guitar Hero 5 but compared to other well known T. Rex songs, this isn't a bad choice. Good song, great guitar chart (until the final solo), a well known hit by the band and a good inclusion due to the new keyboard and vocal harmony support. THUMBS UP.
"25 Or 6 To 4" - Chicago
I didn't know this song until I played it on RB3 and my God, did they pick a great song. It doesn't sound like much from the preview but as well as having a solid guitar chart during the verses, it's fucking loaded with fun solos. It's a great Classic Rock song that definitely belongs in rhythm games. THUMBS UP.
"Antibodies" - Poni Hoax
Aaaaaaand now we're into the RB3 soundtrack. When I think of RB3, I think of shitty Indie tracks that waver between painfully dull or horribly charted guitar to the point of amplified difficulty beyond the fun threshold. This is somehow a mix of both. It's absolute wank to play and I can only assume it was included because somebody on the HMX team really liked the track and it was cheap to license. It's not a bad track, even if it is a little repetitive towards the end, but it's the absolute worst in this game. THUMBS DOWN.
"Beast And The Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
If you're going to pick an Avenged Sevenfold song for your music game (and let's face it, you have to now), this is a solid choice. It's one of their bigger songs that hadn't already been used in Rock Band at that point and since it was used in Guitar Hero 2, music game fans who aren't familiar with A7X will probably be familiar with it (assuming there's such a thing as music game fans who aren't familiar with A7X). Decent guitar chart too so yeah, THUMBS UP.
"The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson
We all know Marilyn Manson sucks ass if you're not an angsty 12-year old and this song is no exception. Dull guitar and dull choice if you want Industrial or Nu-Metal, especially when there are Rob Zombie tracks yet to appear in RB. However, I guess they wanted an easy song for Pro-Guitar (another huge problem with the game's soundtrack). THUMBS DOWN.
"Been Caught Stealing" - Jane's Addiction
This song was pretty fun to play in GH:WOR, even if the song is as bland as most 90s Jane's Addiction songs come. Naturally, since this is a Rock Band chart, it's worse than the GH one and since it's an RB3 one, it's just an annoying chart in general compared to one that already exists on a much better game. However, I can't deny that it belongs in the game. Well known song, great pick by the band, still has a place in RB. If GHWOR didn't exist, it'd probably be a lot better so I give it a THUMBS UP for good intentions.
"Before I Forget" - Slipknot
Goddamn, this song is piss easy to play compared to the GH3 version. Once again, I can't argue that this song doesn't deserve to be in RB as it's a well known track of theirs and I think most of their other popular songs were released as DLC already. It may not be that fun to play but it still gets a THUMBS UP purely because there's no sensible reason to give it a Thumbs Down and I'm sure that argument won't come back to bite me in the arse.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
...one song. Couldn't even make it one song without going back on myself. Yeah, this track sucks in RB. It's not even a case of being bored by the lack of guitar; when the guitar eventually does kick in, it's horribly charted and a fucking ballache to play. This might be a huge track and a significant part of the game's marketing but if you're going to pick a Queen song with keys, either make the guitar fun or go for something like "Don't Stop Me Now", seeing as how the other instruments will probably be as (if not more) fun on that song than this overrated anthem. THUMBS DOWN.
"Break On Through (To The Other Side)" - The Doors
Hats off to HMX for actually picking a good song by The Doors, unlike Activision who picked a right shitfest for GH:WT. Again, another song that played its part in the game's marketing only this time, it's brand new to rhythm games. It's short and sweet with some good HOPO sections, not to mention a big hit of theirs. Might not be the biggest hit but it's probably one of the most fun for each instrument. THUMBS UP.
"Caught In A Mosh" - Anthrax
I have no idea why this is Anthax's biggest song. It sounds like Punk (or, in other words, fucking shit) and the solo sucks. However, I have a feeling that certain Anthrax master recordings are unavailable so they couldn't pick one of the much greater songs off the Spreading The Disease album and instead went for the obvious choice from the Among The Living one. This song might have worked in RB2 or as DLC but it feels a little out of place in RB3 so I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN as I can't say I enjoyed playing it or felt like it was a well thought out inclusion.
"Centerfold" - The J. Geils Band
Now THIS was a well thought out inclusion! Awesome party song, fun guitar chart, instantly recognisable chorus and vocals, not out of place in RB AND good use of all the new instruments/features added to the series. One of the easiest THUMBS UP I've ever awarded. Hey, remember when Activision made a Classic Rock pack for GH and it had "Freeze Frame" instead of this song? Remember how it was mostly keys charted on guitar and didn't really belong in the game and was probably chosen because ATVI knows fuck all about Classic Rock, likely hearing this song on the radio without realising it was the same band that did "Centerfold"? Good times.
"China Grove" - The Doobie Brothers
Not the most awesome Classic Rock song in existence but a good tune by this band. It's got a great guitar riff and a passable solo (not to mention piano and vocal harmonies), plus it's a fairly popular track so I don't really see anything wrong with it apart from it being a very run-of-the-mill choice. Then again, I'll take average over bad (especially when it comes to RB3) so THUMBS UP.
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
Not a huge fan of this song, if I'm being honest. It sounds a little tacky to me and it follows the RB3 pattern of dull chart with an annoying solo. However, of all the Foreigner songs to pick for the game, I'm glad it was this instead of one of their 80s power ballads. Then again, I would've preferred something like "Dirty White Boy". Ah well, it's not the worst choice for fans of Soft Rock. THUMBS UP.
"Combat Baby" - Metric
I don't know about you but if I was going to learn guitar, I'd want to learn by playing a bunch of shitty Indie Rock. Definitely helping to support the Rock star fantasy there! Anyway, another track that sounds OK if you're just listening to it but falls apart when you play it on RB. Boring guitar is one of the many things that gives it a THUMBS DOWN.
"The Con" - Tegan And Sara
Fuck no, are you kidding? This is Rock Band, not Pretty Little Liars. Get some music with balls and/or fun charts. Screw whoever championed this song's inclusion in the game (probably whoever was in charge of the money for licensing). THUMBS DOWN.
"Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne
I'm conflicted on this one. On the one hand, it's a hugely popular Metal track with an instantly recognisable riff and is the kind of track that feels right for an on-disc RB track. On the other, the guitar chart is total balls. Fuck lanes and fuck the team responsible for making them suck. You probably know I think this song's a little overrated in the solo department and that most Ozzy Osbourne songs after this were basically just failed attempts to recreate this song but my brain says this song's a solid choice, even if it was executed in the worst possible way. THUMBS UP.
"Crosstown Traffic" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Around the time of this game's development, HMX acquired the rights to most of Jimi Hendrix's back catalogue because the Hendrix estate are hypocritical cunts who went from caring about preserving the Godlike image of Hendrix to preserving their bank accounts in the space of about a year. As a result, RB got a bunch of Hendrix DLC but this was the song they picked for the game disc. Not "All Along The Watchtower", "Purple Haze" or "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)". This. This mediocre crap that you'll probably recognise but won't care about. This was the on-disc song and those were the DLC releases. It's not even worth discussing guitar charts as all Hendrix songs have average to terrible charting (except "Fire" on Lego Rock Band, that's actually decent). THUMBS DOWN.
"Dead End Friends" - Them Crooked Vultures
See, licensing modern music is fine if you pick songs like this. Rock songs with fun charts, not Indie crap. GHWOR got the more fun song but this one still has its moments, even if there are a few annoying little riffs now and then that can ruin an FC run. Either way, I approve of this song being in RB3 despite not being a hit single or Rock anthem. Gotta have filler tracks somewhere so you might as well make them count. THUMBS UP.
"Don't Bury Me... I'm Still Not Dead" - Riverboat Gamblers
Oh yay, Punk. Whiny modern Punk too, not that passable 70s or 90s Pop orientated stuff. If you know the guitar chart, you'll know I hate it so let's spend this time making fun of the song name. "I'm Still Not Dead"? Way to make it sound like you're fucking eight years old, guys. THUMBS DOWN.
"Don't Stand So Close To Me" - The Police
I like The Police and whilst all of their songs are easy to play, they're usually quite fun if you like simple guitar charts. This song's a fairly well known one of theirs and whilst it's not as fun as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Truth Hits Everybody" or "So Lonely", it's fun to play if you like the song. However, set your standards low to avoid disappointment. THUMBS UP.
"Du Hast" - Rammstein
I must've missed the meeting where everyone collectively decided Rammstein were awesome because to me, they're a fucking joke. This song sounds like a floor filler at a gay rave and even when the guitar comes in, it's still pretty lame compared to other Metal tracks that don't feel the need to add techno synth. By the time the vocals come in, the song's completely off the rails. Oh yeah, and it sucks to play. THUMBS DOWN.
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears For Fears
Not a bad New Wave guitar chart and a well known 80s song too. Whilst I never would've requested this song to be playable in Rock Band, I'm kinda glad they went with it as it's quite fun to play if you're after a simple chart. I'm really glad they didn't use lanes for the HOPO riff too, as that would've easily ruined it. THUMBS UP.
"False Alarm" - The Bronx
I've heard exactly three songs by The Bronx. One from GH5, one from Saints Row IV and one from Rock Band 3. I like the first two but this one's kinda shitty due to the lack of fun guitar and noise that comes with modern Punk. Based on that statistic, I can only assume that The Bronx have better songs that could've been picked but instead we got "False Alarm", hence THUMBS DOWN.
"Fly Like An Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
What is it with Steve Miller Band songs that makes them so godawful as RB charts? GH can chart their songs properly, what beef do HMX have with Steve Miller? This song's not bad but the guitar chart's fucking horrific. Awkward strumming, poor HOPO placement and long periods of nothing, although that's mostly the song's fault. This song was likely chosen as on on-disc track because they knew nobody would pay money for it after watching the guitar chart on Youtube, although it could've been picked due to the funky keys and bass. THUMBS DOWN despite being a good Space Rock track.
"Foolin'" - Def Leppard
Props to HMX for getting a Def Leppard master recording that wasn't off a recent studio album. Not only that but it actually sounds like a Def Leppard Rock song, not a shitty power ballad. Whilst the logical choice probably would've been something like "Rock Of Ages" off the same album or one of the live recordings off the Mirror Ball collection like GHWOR went for, there's something to be said for getting a good track even if it has a poorly charted solo. Because of the solo and lack of popularity compared to other Def Leppard songs, it's getting a THUMBS DOWN but this was close to Thumbs Up, if not for typical HMX charting.
"Free Bird" - Lynynrd Skynyrd
The final boss of the game and by this point, it's a bit of an anticlimax. "Free Bird" had already been used in Guitar Hero 2, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Guitar Hero 5 as DLC with a different chart to the Smash Hits version so when it finally appeared in RB with a mediocre guitar chart, it had no real impact compared to "Painkiller" or "Green Grass And High Tides". Nevertheless, it's still fun to play if you can stand the opening half and like the song. It's also a more sensible choice than releasing it as DLC so I guess it gets a THUMBS UP, especially if the last one got Thumbs Down.
"Get Free" - The Vines
I remember this song being more fun to play on guitar than the GHWOR chart (only slightly) but it's still a two minute song with minimal guitar and rubbish vocals. Not really sure why The Vines are worthy of an on-disc inclusion for any game but hey, it is what it is and it is a song that gets a THUMBS DOWN for being the definition of dull filler.
"Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley And The Wailers
Oh joy, Reggae. Just what we needed. But wait, it's not just any Reggae. It's Bob Marley! Woooooooo! Who cares if it's fucking boring, everybody loves Bob Marley! It doesn't matter if there are Rock songs that deserve a space more than some bland fucking Reggae jam, Bob Marley everyone, BOB MARLEY! He's the Reggae Man and Reggae is great now! I'm so stoked by this song that it gets an ironic THUMBS DOWN that totally isn't my way of saying "Fuck you" to this track.
"Good Vibrations (Live)" - The Beach Boys
Rock Band games tend to have at least one impressive artist that nobody would've assumed possible to get and you could argue that The Beach Boys are RB3's band in question. Thankfully, they picked the best Beach Boys song, regardless of whether the live version is better than the studio one (it isn't) although sadly, the guitar chart's a little dull. Plus, the keyboard melody is fucking terrible to listen to as you plonk along the chorus. Ah well, at least HMX tried although I feel like the setlist might have been a bit better if they hadn't. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Hardest Button To Button" - The White Stripes
I think it's fair to say the best songs by this rubbish band were released as DLC. This song's not just boring on guitar but also crap to listen to. It should've been DLC instead of one of the better tracks like "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" but ah well, I guess they wanted more low tier songs for Pro Guitar players. Then again, if you're going to learn guitar, I'm surprised they didn't pick "Seven Nation Army" as a future on-disc track instead of this. THUMBS DOWN.
"Heart Of Glass" - Blondie
Speaking of bands with a limited number of great songs that have already been made into RB DLC, Blondie are a band that have had all their better songs released as RB DLC. "Call Me" and "Hanging On The Telephone" were released way before RB3 and I believe "Atomic" was released via the Rock Band Network. I suppose a modern Blondie track would've been good but I doubt anyone else would've been happy about that. Of all the Blondie tracks to pick, this would probably be one of the best choices although it's still a bad choice for Rock Band in general. THUMBS DOWN.
"Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake
It's a shame Whitesnake didn't get 1987 album DLC, as most of the tracks on that album would be fucking amazing in RB. However, they got this and later released "Still Of The Night", the better of the two main singles. This track is a sensible pick for the on-disc soundtrack due to its popularity and simple guitar, perfect for Pro Guitar. There's also the heavy synth, catchy chorus and "challenging" guitar solo. THUMBS UP.
"Hey Man, Nice Shot" - Filter
This song is all kinds of fun in GH:WT but they did take a few liberties with the guitar chart. Thankfully, the use of sustains within sustains provided a fun experience and that's before the track got to the HOPO section. Flash forward to RB3 and...yeah. It's an astronomical difference in quality. If you like realistic charting over fun, you'll love this. If, however, you're not fucking stupid and much prefer fun charts, stay away from this track. It might be awesome but it's possibly the biggest letdown of the game. It's weird too as HMX charted "Gasoline" - Audioslave to be more fun, even though it uses similar guitar effects. THUMBS DOWN.
"Humanoid" - Tokio Hotel
I don't know a lot about this band other than they used to appear in GH/RB way too much. It's sad to think that this song is some poor kid's idea of what Rock is. This whiny, affected horseshite that happens to use guitar, bass and drums in a completely uninspired and bland way. THUMBS DOWN.
"I Can See For Miles" - The Who
Fun fact: every Rock Band game has one song by The Who in it, the only band across all of GH/RB to have that honour. Unfortunately, this song is terrible. It's got some decent guitar now and then but as soon as it gets to the chorus and you've heard your 10th "AAAAAND MIIILES", you want to kill yourself. Of all the songs by this band to pick, it's a fucking shame they chose such a wankfest for the on-disc slot. THUMBS DOWN.
"I Got You (I Feel Good) (Alternate Version)" - James Brown
I know I gave the Reggae song shit but Funk definitely has a place in these games...unless it's this alternate version which sounds like a fucking Shreds video. What the bloody fuck were HMX thinking when they chose this song? If you can't get a good version of a track, don't bother and if you can't tell the difference between a good and bad version, you shouldn't be making music games. It doesn't even matter what the guitar chart is like, the song is so crap that it's an automatic THUMBS DOWN.
"I Love Rock N' Roll" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
It might be a dull song and a boring guitar chart but it is an iconic Rock song with a low difficulty tier, perfect for Pro Guitar mode and easy songs early on. It's one of those cases where the song was picked due to its place in Rock history rather than because Joan Jett is such a great artist so there's no point in talking about suitable replacements. THUMBS UP.
"I Need To Know" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
HMX released a bunch of live Tom Petty tracks as DLC with some absolute belters on it. Unfortunately, it meant we wouldn't be getting the studio version of "Mary Jane's Last Dance" or "Refugee" but at least the song they picked was still good. It's got a solid guitar chart and even if it's not as famous as songs that weren't released as DLC until long after RB3 came out, I'm glad they chose this instead of those ones. THUMBS UP.
"I Wanna Be Sedated" - Ramones
Jesus, I recently watched the piece of shit known as Terminator: Genisys which features this song a fair bit. Now whenever I hear this song, I think of that fucking film. Ah well, back to talking about this song in RB. It sucks. It's just chords and terrible "solos". I wouldn't even say it was a sensible pick as the better known Ramones songs are always a bit shit on guitar. THUMBS DOWN.
"Imagine" - John Lennon
An interesting on-disc choice, seeing as this song has absolutely no guitar in it whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant song and definitely one of Lennon's best but I don't think it deserved a spot on the main setlist. It should've been DLC with the other Lennon songs and if anything, a George Harrison solo track like "What Is Life" would've been a better choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"In A Big Country" - Big Country
Strange how this version is noticeably different to the version used in Band Hero but at least the guitar is still fun. The song's still great as well, even if the intro sounds worse, and I can't think of a better song to replace it in the same vein. It's a solid Pop Rock song and it gets a THUMBS UP.
"In The Meantime" - Spacehog
I'd never heard this song until it was used in GH5 and I mistook it for "Where Is My Mind???" - Pixies but thankfully this guitar chart is more fun than that song. As for the song itself, I always find myself enjoying the intro with the "OoooOOOOOooooo" vocal melody and feeling annoyed that it never happens again. However, it seems like a fair choice for the game. Apparently, it was popular when it came out (?) and it isn't awful on guitar, although there are other 90s Alternative songs that would've been more fun that we still haven't got as DLC yet (insert song here). THUMBS UP.
"Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" - Primus
Another song on the Rock Band 3 setlist that sounds so fucking terrible that the charts are irrelevant. I never got the appeal of Primus as their songs always sound like somebody threw a bass guitar down a flight of stairs but apparently, they're quite popular in the world of rhythm gaming. Unfortunately, this song has terrible guitar and bass charts unless you love awkward chord HOPO sections and repetitive riffs so there's literally nothing redeemable about it. THUMBS DOWN.
"Just Like Heaven" - The Cure
Not the best Cure song but at the time, we'd only had this song and "Fascination Street" in GH:WOR with this song being the obvious winner of the two. The guitar's incredibly average but the song's a popular one of theirs so I don't have a problem with it being in the game. I would've preferred "Lovesong" or "A Forest" at the time but thankfully the former song has been released as DLC since then. THUMBS UP.
"Killing Loneliness" - H.I.M.
There are so many mediocre modern tracks in this game that it's hard to say unique comments for each of them. It's just another generic strumming track on guitar and if I had to pick a better H.I.M. song, "Buried Alive By Love" would've been my first and only choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Killing Men" - Echo & The Bunnymen
More generic strumming, this time in an 80s New Wave track. It sounds depressing as fuck and doesn't have any fun guitar sections to make up for it. I wouldn't even call it the best Echo & The Bunnymen track, as "The Cutter" sounds more fun to listen to and is as famous, I reckon..then again, it'd be mostly synth on that track. THUMBS DOWN.
"King George" - Dover
The fuck is up with this chick's voice? It sounds like someone doing karaoke but duff voice aside, the music's pretty good. Guitar's not bad either, although not as great as some songs. If you like easy tracks with a bit of semi-complicated strumming/chord sequences near the start, you're in for a treat. It's better than I remember, that's for sure. THUMBS UP.
"Lasso" - Phoenix
It's a shame HMX picked the Phoenix song that was on-disc in GH:WOR but at least it's a good song. I would've preferred "Lisztomania", even if the RB chart for that song as DLC was fucking awkward. Maybe that song should've been in GH and "Lasso" should've been in RB. Yeah, that makes sense. THUMBS UP.
"Last Dance" - The Raveonettes
Still haven't finished with the terrible Indie Rock yet. More strumming, more chords, more boredom and more THUMBS DOWN.
"Living In America" - The Sounds
Modern New Wave this time, what a twist. Oh wait, there are also large breaks in the guitar for periods of nothing. Totally game-changing! THUMBS DOWN.
"Llama" - Phish
If the GH track pack was anything to go by, Phish songs are usually quite fun and active on guitar. This song's definitely active, debatable as to whether it's fun. It's got a decent solo, I guess, but also a lot of awkward strumming and it sounds kinda shitty. If you want difficulty on each instrument, this song fits the bill. If you want a tough but fun Phish song, I can imagine there being a bunch of great live tracks or even a few studio ones. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Look" - Roxette
It might be 80s Pop Rock but damn, it's got a great guitar riff. It's also fairly well known thanks to advertisements for GTA IV DLC so it's not too obscure for the game (although the more obscure, the better by the looks of it). Funnily enough, the guitar solo for this song isn't actually charted as a solo (even though small guitar breaks in other songs are, for some reason) but it's still decent to play. This is the song I was most looking forward to when I bought the game and I still enjoy playing it to this day. THUMBS UP.
"Low Rider" - WAR
God, the guitar's so fucking dull in this track. It's a good thing the song is cool but I'm not sure it's cool enough to redeem the terrible experience of playing it. Boring, repetitive notes over and over and over again without any great HOPO sections or anything; low difficulty is fine if the chart's still fun, which it certainly isn't. At least the other instruments sound quite fun but I'm still not entirely sure it deserved to be an on-disc track. The other great WAR track was released as RB DLC, this should've been sold along with it in favour of some other great 70s Funk. THUMBS DOWN.
"Me Enamora" - Juanes
I wish this song had a better chorus. The guitar chart and solo are great but the chorus sounds so fucking bad I can't bring myself to play or listen to it. I guess it's good that HMX are choosing foreign songs for the game (maybe not for the vocalist, though) and it's certainly better than some of the GH:WT foreign tracks. THUMBS UP for diversity and variety!
"Midlife Crisis" - Faith No More
I'm not a fan of Faith No More and it took me a while to find a couple of songs of theirs I actually liked. Fortunately, this is one of them and the other was released as RB DLC after this game, even if the chart for that one kinda sucks. This guitar chart isn't much to shout about either but it's got a few good moments if you don't mind simple songs. It's heavy, it's a solid choice by this band and it's got my vote. THUMBS UP.
"Misery Business" - Paramore
You guys should know how I feel about Paramore by now but this song isn't too bad. I believe I said this in my write-up of the GH:WT soundtrack and I still feel the same here. I wouldn't swap this for any other Paramore track and I still enjoy playing it now and then so THUMBS UP.
"Need You Tonight" - INXS
If you don't know this song from the title alone, you will when you listen to the chorus. It's an understandable pick for the game, as it's a well known 80s tune and even if the guitar is repetitive, it's something people will enjoy when it comes to "OOOHHHH it's THAT song" moments. However, since I'm not a fan of the song and I recall hating playing it due to extreme boredom, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN. Sure, it's well known but so are plenty of great 80s songs that would've been more fun to play like "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats.
"No One Knows" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Of all the QOTSA songs that have ever appeared on the main disc setlist, this is probably the best. It's not a song I like that much but it's quite fun to play on guitar and it's a big hit for the band. However, since the QOTSA songs I like were released as DLC and ...Like Clockwork hadn't been released yet, I'm not entirely sure what track I would've replaced this with. With that in mind, I guess I have to give it a THUMBS UP.
"Oh My God" - Ida Maria
Damn, back to strumming and chords again. Luckily there's a small section involving mild fretting that prevents it from being as tedious as the other modern Indie/Alternative songs in the setlist but at the end of the day, it's still more of the same new shit without a tune good enough to make up for it. THUMBS DOWN.
"One Armed Scissor" - At The Drive-In
I remember this from GH:WT. THUMBS DOWN without further comment.
"Outer Space" - The Muffs
Whoopee, more chordfests and generic modern Rock. But wait, there's also a solo! A solo that sounds like dogshit but it's something. Sadly, it's not enough to stop this boring-ass song from getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Oye Mi Amor" - Mana
Whilst I don't recall playing this song too often when RB3 came out, it seems quite fun based on the guitar chart. It might not have awesome HOPO sections or a memorable solo but the chord sequences and strumming isn't the same as about 50% of this game's soundtrack so far. By this point in the soundtrack, I'm willing to award a Thumbs Up to anything that isn't bog-standard New Wave or Indie shite so THUMBS UP for something different.
"Plush" - Stone Temple Pilots
About time we have some 90s material and I never thought I'd say that. It's a decent song by the band although the best STP material still doesn't come close to great music. This track goes on way too long and lacks any notable changes in the guitar chart, although it's not a bad choice for STP since a bunch of their better tracks were released as DLC. THUMBS DOWN as there are loads of better 90s Grunge or Hard Rock tracks that could've been picked.
"Portions For Foxes" - Rilo Kiley
I knew this song would be a boring Indie track from the name of the song and band alone; it's got that level of nonsensical pseudo-intelligence they all fucking have. Unsurprisingly, the guitar chart is dull as dishwater and even the fretting section is a snoozefest. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Power Of Love" - Huey Lewis And The News
One of the first songs announced for the game and definitely a solid choice. The guitar chart's a little boring until the solo but come on, it's the song from Back To The Future...well, not THAT one, the other one. The first one! It's a fucking classic and whilst there are better Huey Lewis songs for music games, this is probably the best choice for the on-disc setlist. THUMBS UP.
"Radar Love" - Golden Earring
Here we go, back to the fun songs. It may have a lot of guitar breaks but at least the frequent guitar sections are all fun to play, although not quite Devil Tier level so I'm not sure what HMX were thinking with that one. Anyway, it's a well known Classic Rock track with some cool guitar throughout so you bet your arse it belongs in RB3. THUMBS UP.
"Rainbow In The Dark" - Dio
Oh hey, another track that was announced early on. Fortunately, unlike "Crazy Train", this song's got fun guitar from start to finish. The main riff is a great little HOPO pattern and the solo's blistering shredfest provides even seasoned pros with a fun challenge, although might be a bit of a pain for those who aren't as experienced. Still, it's an undeniably great song and the best pick for a classic Dio tune. THUMBS UP.
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
What the fuck is this song doing in RB3? When I first played it, I think I actually muted the audio so I didn't have to listen to the joint worst song in the game. Fuck everyone who made this song popular enough to include on the main setlist. THUMBS DOWN.
"Rock Lobster" - The B-52's
When it was confirmed that The B-52's were in the game, we knew it would either be this or "Love Shock" and my God, am I glad it was this. Don't get me wrong, I like "Love Shack" but come on, there's no contest as to which is the better song. The riff alone earns it a THUMBS UP but the fact that they edited the repetitive bits on the album version out to give it more variety and plenty of fun fretting sections helps.
"Roundabout" - Yes
Wait a mo, this isn't modern Indie or New Wave! It's Prog Rock! Good Prog Rock too! Lots going on on each instrument with two guitar solos after some fun HOPO sections and dull sustains. Since there aren't many difficult guitar songs in this game, "Roundabout" is a solid choice from Yes as the tiers are high and it's one of their better known tracks before they went Pop. THUMBS UP.
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" - Elton John
Easily the best song in GH5 but how well does it translate into RB3's engine? It's mostly the same guitar chart so pretty well, yeah! RB's had a few Elton John songs over the years but this is definitely the best one to play. Not only that but it's one of Elton's better known Rock songs so it's pretty much three for three, seeing as how it's also a great song to listen to. THUMBS UP.
"Sister Christian" - Night Ranger
I remember people getting annoyed when this song wasn't part of a Night Ranger DLC pack for RB2. Turns out it was being saved for a game with keyboard support, although that made for a very dull guitar chart. Think "Bohemian Rhapsody" but better. It's one of the few 80s power ballads out there that doesn't make me want to self harm and even if the guitar's not amazing, it's a good inclusion in my books. THUMBS UP.
"Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple
When keys were announced for RB3, I thought "Awesome, we're definitely getting a Deep Purple track!". When Pro Guitar was announced afterwards, I thought "Oh. We're definitely getting "Smoke On The Water" as the Deep Purple track". It's the most famous guitar riff out there so learning it on Pro Mode was an obvious choice, even if that meant picking a dull track without a badass Jon Lord keyboard solo or Richie Blackmore masterpiece. Sure, "Child In Time" was released as DLC later on in the year but I can't help but feel we were robbed of amazing Deep Purple tracks during the RB3 DLC years. THUMBS DOWN.
"Something Bigger, Something Brighter" - Pretty Girls Make Graves
Bollocks, more modern Ind...hang on, this isn't the same as the others. It's actually...fun! It might start off a little depressing but at least it picks up later. Not just that but it also has an excellent HOPO intro that's perfect for guitarists at most skill levels. The song itself is alright and I'm not sure if this is a particularly popular Indie track but after the steaming shite we've had from that genre so far, it's about time we had one that was amazing. THUMBS UP.
"Space Oddity" - David Bowie
I've expressed my hatred for this song before on the blog so there are no prizes for guessing what rating I'm going to give it. David Bowie's released so many excellent songs and this track is so fucking dull to play. It might be a popular track of his but there's no way it deserves to be on the main disc setlist compared to some of his 70s material. THUMBS DOWN.
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" - The Smiths
There are many great tracks by The Smiths and whilst this is probably one of the less interesting ones on guitar, it's still a good song. However, I probably would've preferred "Hand In Glove" or "What Difference Does It Make?" for the guitar charts alone. These songs are probably all as popular as each other (except maybe "Hand In Glove") and it's still OK on guitar, I guess. THUMBS UP.
"This Bastard's Life" - Swingin' Utters
Wow, you never would've got away with this title in GH. But yeah, this song's alright! Fun little guitar chart with decent chord progressions and short breaks. Never thought I'd ever be praising a Punk track with piano but there you go, it's a good fit for the game! THUMBS UP.
"Viva La Resistance" - Hypernova
Well here's that rapid strumming song the game was missing. It's not a bad track to listen to and if you don't mind strumming, it's a good track to play on guitar too. I recall it being a bit of a pain to play but it's still good to have some variety, even if it isn't exactly to my personal liking. THUMBS UP.
"Walk Of Life" - Dire Straits
This song was almost certainly picked because of the keys but it also happens to be a great track off Brothers In Arms along with "Money For Nothing" (the song picked for GH:WOR). It's a shame RB didn't get other Dire Straits tracks like "Lady Writer" with the brilliant guitar solo in the outro but at least they picked a fun Dire Straits song unlike the majority of others off Brothers In Arms. THUMBS UP.
"Walking On The Sun" - Smash Mouth
Smash Fuckin' Mouth, man. It might not be as meme-worthy as "All Star" but it's a close second. It's also a sensible pick due to it being their other radio hit, even if the guitar is boring. However, it's a classic 90s track and the other songs off the Fush Yu Mang album probably would've been too annoying on guitar, due to all the Ska Punk. THUMBS UP.
"Werewolves Of London" - Warren Zevon
I bloody love this song but I despise playing it on RB for one simple reason; the final chorus. There's a little riff in the final chorus that's fucking torture to play and absolutely kills FC runs in an otherwise easy song. However, I still agree with it being included in the game's setlist. It's a classic track, it's got decent guitar throughout (including a solo) and the chart only gets horrible in the aforementioned outro chorus riff. THUMBS UP.
"Whip It" - Devo
Rock Band have got a couple of decent Devo songs but this is easily the most logical choice as it's their most famous song and it wasn't released as RB DLC with the other tracks for some reason. Guitar's OK, nothing special but that's to be expected. An acceptable New Wave track, which can't be said for most of this setlist. THUMBS UP.
"Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1" - The Flaming Lips
Our final song (thank fuck) and it's a bit of a weird one. Nice and gentle, yes, but it's also pretty boring. Aside from this song, my other experience with The Flaming Lips is that they released the absolute worst cover of "Smoke On The Water" you will ever hear. For that sin alone, I should say fuck this band but I actually don't mind this song. THUMBS UP because this soundtrack's taken a bit of a pounding in this post and I have nothing against this song in particular.
Well, look at that. 44 Thumbs Up against 39 Thumbs Down (although by the end, I was just awarding Thumbs Up for not being modern Indie/crap New Wave). Guess the soundtrack's not the absolute train wreck I thought it was, although I still believe it's one of the worst setlists we've ever had.
Album reviews coming soon!
If you've read my posts on Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock, Rock Band 2, Guitar Hero: World Tour, The Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock, Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero: Van Halen, you'll know how this works already. I list all the songs in the game along with my opinions on them (based on song quality, how fun the guitar chart is and whether the song belongs in the game) before tallying all the Thumbs Up/Down at the end for a final verdict.
I've gone on record as saying Rock Band 3 has the worst tracklist of any main entry in the GH/RB series but let's see how bad it is compared to the others. It'll also be interesting on a personal level to see if any of these tracks have grown on me over time or if I still think they're shit after seven years.
"20th Century Boy" - T. Rex
Of all the T. Rex songs, this is probably one of the more fun guitar tracks. Sure, it was used in Guitar Hero 5 but compared to other well known T. Rex songs, this isn't a bad choice. Good song, great guitar chart (until the final solo), a well known hit by the band and a good inclusion due to the new keyboard and vocal harmony support. THUMBS UP.
"25 Or 6 To 4" - Chicago
I didn't know this song until I played it on RB3 and my God, did they pick a great song. It doesn't sound like much from the preview but as well as having a solid guitar chart during the verses, it's fucking loaded with fun solos. It's a great Classic Rock song that definitely belongs in rhythm games. THUMBS UP.
"Antibodies" - Poni Hoax
Aaaaaaand now we're into the RB3 soundtrack. When I think of RB3, I think of shitty Indie tracks that waver between painfully dull or horribly charted guitar to the point of amplified difficulty beyond the fun threshold. This is somehow a mix of both. It's absolute wank to play and I can only assume it was included because somebody on the HMX team really liked the track and it was cheap to license. It's not a bad track, even if it is a little repetitive towards the end, but it's the absolute worst in this game. THUMBS DOWN.
"Beast And The Harlot" - Avenged Sevenfold
If you're going to pick an Avenged Sevenfold song for your music game (and let's face it, you have to now), this is a solid choice. It's one of their bigger songs that hadn't already been used in Rock Band at that point and since it was used in Guitar Hero 2, music game fans who aren't familiar with A7X will probably be familiar with it (assuming there's such a thing as music game fans who aren't familiar with A7X). Decent guitar chart too so yeah, THUMBS UP.
"The Beautiful People" - Marilyn Manson
We all know Marilyn Manson sucks ass if you're not an angsty 12-year old and this song is no exception. Dull guitar and dull choice if you want Industrial or Nu-Metal, especially when there are Rob Zombie tracks yet to appear in RB. However, I guess they wanted an easy song for Pro-Guitar (another huge problem with the game's soundtrack). THUMBS DOWN.
"Been Caught Stealing" - Jane's Addiction
This song was pretty fun to play in GH:WOR, even if the song is as bland as most 90s Jane's Addiction songs come. Naturally, since this is a Rock Band chart, it's worse than the GH one and since it's an RB3 one, it's just an annoying chart in general compared to one that already exists on a much better game. However, I can't deny that it belongs in the game. Well known song, great pick by the band, still has a place in RB. If GHWOR didn't exist, it'd probably be a lot better so I give it a THUMBS UP for good intentions.
"Before I Forget" - Slipknot
Goddamn, this song is piss easy to play compared to the GH3 version. Once again, I can't argue that this song doesn't deserve to be in RB as it's a well known track of theirs and I think most of their other popular songs were released as DLC already. It may not be that fun to play but it still gets a THUMBS UP purely because there's no sensible reason to give it a Thumbs Down and I'm sure that argument won't come back to bite me in the arse.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen
...one song. Couldn't even make it one song without going back on myself. Yeah, this track sucks in RB. It's not even a case of being bored by the lack of guitar; when the guitar eventually does kick in, it's horribly charted and a fucking ballache to play. This might be a huge track and a significant part of the game's marketing but if you're going to pick a Queen song with keys, either make the guitar fun or go for something like "Don't Stop Me Now", seeing as how the other instruments will probably be as (if not more) fun on that song than this overrated anthem. THUMBS DOWN.
"Break On Through (To The Other Side)" - The Doors
Hats off to HMX for actually picking a good song by The Doors, unlike Activision who picked a right shitfest for GH:WT. Again, another song that played its part in the game's marketing only this time, it's brand new to rhythm games. It's short and sweet with some good HOPO sections, not to mention a big hit of theirs. Might not be the biggest hit but it's probably one of the most fun for each instrument. THUMBS UP.
"Caught In A Mosh" - Anthrax
I have no idea why this is Anthax's biggest song. It sounds like Punk (or, in other words, fucking shit) and the solo sucks. However, I have a feeling that certain Anthrax master recordings are unavailable so they couldn't pick one of the much greater songs off the Spreading The Disease album and instead went for the obvious choice from the Among The Living one. This song might have worked in RB2 or as DLC but it feels a little out of place in RB3 so I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN as I can't say I enjoyed playing it or felt like it was a well thought out inclusion.
"Centerfold" - The J. Geils Band
Now THIS was a well thought out inclusion! Awesome party song, fun guitar chart, instantly recognisable chorus and vocals, not out of place in RB AND good use of all the new instruments/features added to the series. One of the easiest THUMBS UP I've ever awarded. Hey, remember when Activision made a Classic Rock pack for GH and it had "Freeze Frame" instead of this song? Remember how it was mostly keys charted on guitar and didn't really belong in the game and was probably chosen because ATVI knows fuck all about Classic Rock, likely hearing this song on the radio without realising it was the same band that did "Centerfold"? Good times.
"China Grove" - The Doobie Brothers
Not the most awesome Classic Rock song in existence but a good tune by this band. It's got a great guitar riff and a passable solo (not to mention piano and vocal harmonies), plus it's a fairly popular track so I don't really see anything wrong with it apart from it being a very run-of-the-mill choice. Then again, I'll take average over bad (especially when it comes to RB3) so THUMBS UP.
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
Not a huge fan of this song, if I'm being honest. It sounds a little tacky to me and it follows the RB3 pattern of dull chart with an annoying solo. However, of all the Foreigner songs to pick for the game, I'm glad it was this instead of one of their 80s power ballads. Then again, I would've preferred something like "Dirty White Boy". Ah well, it's not the worst choice for fans of Soft Rock. THUMBS UP.
"Combat Baby" - Metric
I don't know about you but if I was going to learn guitar, I'd want to learn by playing a bunch of shitty Indie Rock. Definitely helping to support the Rock star fantasy there! Anyway, another track that sounds OK if you're just listening to it but falls apart when you play it on RB. Boring guitar is one of the many things that gives it a THUMBS DOWN.
"The Con" - Tegan And Sara
Fuck no, are you kidding? This is Rock Band, not Pretty Little Liars. Get some music with balls and/or fun charts. Screw whoever championed this song's inclusion in the game (probably whoever was in charge of the money for licensing). THUMBS DOWN.
"Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne
I'm conflicted on this one. On the one hand, it's a hugely popular Metal track with an instantly recognisable riff and is the kind of track that feels right for an on-disc RB track. On the other, the guitar chart is total balls. Fuck lanes and fuck the team responsible for making them suck. You probably know I think this song's a little overrated in the solo department and that most Ozzy Osbourne songs after this were basically just failed attempts to recreate this song but my brain says this song's a solid choice, even if it was executed in the worst possible way. THUMBS UP.
"Crosstown Traffic" - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Around the time of this game's development, HMX acquired the rights to most of Jimi Hendrix's back catalogue because the Hendrix estate are hypocritical cunts who went from caring about preserving the Godlike image of Hendrix to preserving their bank accounts in the space of about a year. As a result, RB got a bunch of Hendrix DLC but this was the song they picked for the game disc. Not "All Along The Watchtower", "Purple Haze" or "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)". This. This mediocre crap that you'll probably recognise but won't care about. This was the on-disc song and those were the DLC releases. It's not even worth discussing guitar charts as all Hendrix songs have average to terrible charting (except "Fire" on Lego Rock Band, that's actually decent). THUMBS DOWN.
"Dead End Friends" - Them Crooked Vultures
See, licensing modern music is fine if you pick songs like this. Rock songs with fun charts, not Indie crap. GHWOR got the more fun song but this one still has its moments, even if there are a few annoying little riffs now and then that can ruin an FC run. Either way, I approve of this song being in RB3 despite not being a hit single or Rock anthem. Gotta have filler tracks somewhere so you might as well make them count. THUMBS UP.
"Don't Bury Me... I'm Still Not Dead" - Riverboat Gamblers
Oh yay, Punk. Whiny modern Punk too, not that passable 70s or 90s Pop orientated stuff. If you know the guitar chart, you'll know I hate it so let's spend this time making fun of the song name. "I'm Still Not Dead"? Way to make it sound like you're fucking eight years old, guys. THUMBS DOWN.
"Don't Stand So Close To Me" - The Police
I like The Police and whilst all of their songs are easy to play, they're usually quite fun if you like simple guitar charts. This song's a fairly well known one of theirs and whilst it's not as fun as "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Truth Hits Everybody" or "So Lonely", it's fun to play if you like the song. However, set your standards low to avoid disappointment. THUMBS UP.
"Du Hast" - Rammstein
I must've missed the meeting where everyone collectively decided Rammstein were awesome because to me, they're a fucking joke. This song sounds like a floor filler at a gay rave and even when the guitar comes in, it's still pretty lame compared to other Metal tracks that don't feel the need to add techno synth. By the time the vocals come in, the song's completely off the rails. Oh yeah, and it sucks to play. THUMBS DOWN.
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears For Fears
Not a bad New Wave guitar chart and a well known 80s song too. Whilst I never would've requested this song to be playable in Rock Band, I'm kinda glad they went with it as it's quite fun to play if you're after a simple chart. I'm really glad they didn't use lanes for the HOPO riff too, as that would've easily ruined it. THUMBS UP.
"False Alarm" - The Bronx
I've heard exactly three songs by The Bronx. One from GH5, one from Saints Row IV and one from Rock Band 3. I like the first two but this one's kinda shitty due to the lack of fun guitar and noise that comes with modern Punk. Based on that statistic, I can only assume that The Bronx have better songs that could've been picked but instead we got "False Alarm", hence THUMBS DOWN.
"Fly Like An Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
What is it with Steve Miller Band songs that makes them so godawful as RB charts? GH can chart their songs properly, what beef do HMX have with Steve Miller? This song's not bad but the guitar chart's fucking horrific. Awkward strumming, poor HOPO placement and long periods of nothing, although that's mostly the song's fault. This song was likely chosen as on on-disc track because they knew nobody would pay money for it after watching the guitar chart on Youtube, although it could've been picked due to the funky keys and bass. THUMBS DOWN despite being a good Space Rock track.
"Foolin'" - Def Leppard
Props to HMX for getting a Def Leppard master recording that wasn't off a recent studio album. Not only that but it actually sounds like a Def Leppard Rock song, not a shitty power ballad. Whilst the logical choice probably would've been something like "Rock Of Ages" off the same album or one of the live recordings off the Mirror Ball collection like GHWOR went for, there's something to be said for getting a good track even if it has a poorly charted solo. Because of the solo and lack of popularity compared to other Def Leppard songs, it's getting a THUMBS DOWN but this was close to Thumbs Up, if not for typical HMX charting.
"Free Bird" - Lynynrd Skynyrd
The final boss of the game and by this point, it's a bit of an anticlimax. "Free Bird" had already been used in Guitar Hero 2, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Guitar Hero 5 as DLC with a different chart to the Smash Hits version so when it finally appeared in RB with a mediocre guitar chart, it had no real impact compared to "Painkiller" or "Green Grass And High Tides". Nevertheless, it's still fun to play if you can stand the opening half and like the song. It's also a more sensible choice than releasing it as DLC so I guess it gets a THUMBS UP, especially if the last one got Thumbs Down.
"Get Free" - The Vines
I remember this song being more fun to play on guitar than the GHWOR chart (only slightly) but it's still a two minute song with minimal guitar and rubbish vocals. Not really sure why The Vines are worthy of an on-disc inclusion for any game but hey, it is what it is and it is a song that gets a THUMBS DOWN for being the definition of dull filler.
"Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley And The Wailers
Oh joy, Reggae. Just what we needed. But wait, it's not just any Reggae. It's Bob Marley! Woooooooo! Who cares if it's fucking boring, everybody loves Bob Marley! It doesn't matter if there are Rock songs that deserve a space more than some bland fucking Reggae jam, Bob Marley everyone, BOB MARLEY! He's the Reggae Man and Reggae is great now! I'm so stoked by this song that it gets an ironic THUMBS DOWN that totally isn't my way of saying "Fuck you" to this track.
"Good Vibrations (Live)" - The Beach Boys
Rock Band games tend to have at least one impressive artist that nobody would've assumed possible to get and you could argue that The Beach Boys are RB3's band in question. Thankfully, they picked the best Beach Boys song, regardless of whether the live version is better than the studio one (it isn't) although sadly, the guitar chart's a little dull. Plus, the keyboard melody is fucking terrible to listen to as you plonk along the chorus. Ah well, at least HMX tried although I feel like the setlist might have been a bit better if they hadn't. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Hardest Button To Button" - The White Stripes
I think it's fair to say the best songs by this rubbish band were released as DLC. This song's not just boring on guitar but also crap to listen to. It should've been DLC instead of one of the better tracks like "Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground" but ah well, I guess they wanted more low tier songs for Pro Guitar players. Then again, if you're going to learn guitar, I'm surprised they didn't pick "Seven Nation Army" as a future on-disc track instead of this. THUMBS DOWN.
"Heart Of Glass" - Blondie
Speaking of bands with a limited number of great songs that have already been made into RB DLC, Blondie are a band that have had all their better songs released as RB DLC. "Call Me" and "Hanging On The Telephone" were released way before RB3 and I believe "Atomic" was released via the Rock Band Network. I suppose a modern Blondie track would've been good but I doubt anyone else would've been happy about that. Of all the Blondie tracks to pick, this would probably be one of the best choices although it's still a bad choice for Rock Band in general. THUMBS DOWN.
"Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake
It's a shame Whitesnake didn't get 1987 album DLC, as most of the tracks on that album would be fucking amazing in RB. However, they got this and later released "Still Of The Night", the better of the two main singles. This track is a sensible pick for the on-disc soundtrack due to its popularity and simple guitar, perfect for Pro Guitar. There's also the heavy synth, catchy chorus and "challenging" guitar solo. THUMBS UP.
"Hey Man, Nice Shot" - Filter
This song is all kinds of fun in GH:WT but they did take a few liberties with the guitar chart. Thankfully, the use of sustains within sustains provided a fun experience and that's before the track got to the HOPO section. Flash forward to RB3 and...yeah. It's an astronomical difference in quality. If you like realistic charting over fun, you'll love this. If, however, you're not fucking stupid and much prefer fun charts, stay away from this track. It might be awesome but it's possibly the biggest letdown of the game. It's weird too as HMX charted "Gasoline" - Audioslave to be more fun, even though it uses similar guitar effects. THUMBS DOWN.
"Humanoid" - Tokio Hotel
I don't know a lot about this band other than they used to appear in GH/RB way too much. It's sad to think that this song is some poor kid's idea of what Rock is. This whiny, affected horseshite that happens to use guitar, bass and drums in a completely uninspired and bland way. THUMBS DOWN.
"I Can See For Miles" - The Who
Fun fact: every Rock Band game has one song by The Who in it, the only band across all of GH/RB to have that honour. Unfortunately, this song is terrible. It's got some decent guitar now and then but as soon as it gets to the chorus and you've heard your 10th "AAAAAND MIIILES", you want to kill yourself. Of all the songs by this band to pick, it's a fucking shame they chose such a wankfest for the on-disc slot. THUMBS DOWN.
"I Got You (I Feel Good) (Alternate Version)" - James Brown
I know I gave the Reggae song shit but Funk definitely has a place in these games...unless it's this alternate version which sounds like a fucking Shreds video. What the bloody fuck were HMX thinking when they chose this song? If you can't get a good version of a track, don't bother and if you can't tell the difference between a good and bad version, you shouldn't be making music games. It doesn't even matter what the guitar chart is like, the song is so crap that it's an automatic THUMBS DOWN.
"I Love Rock N' Roll" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
It might be a dull song and a boring guitar chart but it is an iconic Rock song with a low difficulty tier, perfect for Pro Guitar mode and easy songs early on. It's one of those cases where the song was picked due to its place in Rock history rather than because Joan Jett is such a great artist so there's no point in talking about suitable replacements. THUMBS UP.
"I Need To Know" - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
HMX released a bunch of live Tom Petty tracks as DLC with some absolute belters on it. Unfortunately, it meant we wouldn't be getting the studio version of "Mary Jane's Last Dance" or "Refugee" but at least the song they picked was still good. It's got a solid guitar chart and even if it's not as famous as songs that weren't released as DLC until long after RB3 came out, I'm glad they chose this instead of those ones. THUMBS UP.
"I Wanna Be Sedated" - Ramones
Jesus, I recently watched the piece of shit known as Terminator: Genisys which features this song a fair bit. Now whenever I hear this song, I think of that fucking film. Ah well, back to talking about this song in RB. It sucks. It's just chords and terrible "solos". I wouldn't even say it was a sensible pick as the better known Ramones songs are always a bit shit on guitar. THUMBS DOWN.
"Imagine" - John Lennon
An interesting on-disc choice, seeing as this song has absolutely no guitar in it whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant song and definitely one of Lennon's best but I don't think it deserved a spot on the main setlist. It should've been DLC with the other Lennon songs and if anything, a George Harrison solo track like "What Is Life" would've been a better choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"In A Big Country" - Big Country
Strange how this version is noticeably different to the version used in Band Hero but at least the guitar is still fun. The song's still great as well, even if the intro sounds worse, and I can't think of a better song to replace it in the same vein. It's a solid Pop Rock song and it gets a THUMBS UP.
"In The Meantime" - Spacehog
I'd never heard this song until it was used in GH5 and I mistook it for "Where Is My Mind???" - Pixies but thankfully this guitar chart is more fun than that song. As for the song itself, I always find myself enjoying the intro with the "OoooOOOOOooooo" vocal melody and feeling annoyed that it never happens again. However, it seems like a fair choice for the game. Apparently, it was popular when it came out (?) and it isn't awful on guitar, although there are other 90s Alternative songs that would've been more fun that we still haven't got as DLC yet (insert song here). THUMBS UP.
"Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" - Primus
Another song on the Rock Band 3 setlist that sounds so fucking terrible that the charts are irrelevant. I never got the appeal of Primus as their songs always sound like somebody threw a bass guitar down a flight of stairs but apparently, they're quite popular in the world of rhythm gaming. Unfortunately, this song has terrible guitar and bass charts unless you love awkward chord HOPO sections and repetitive riffs so there's literally nothing redeemable about it. THUMBS DOWN.
"Just Like Heaven" - The Cure
Not the best Cure song but at the time, we'd only had this song and "Fascination Street" in GH:WOR with this song being the obvious winner of the two. The guitar's incredibly average but the song's a popular one of theirs so I don't have a problem with it being in the game. I would've preferred "Lovesong" or "A Forest" at the time but thankfully the former song has been released as DLC since then. THUMBS UP.
"Killing Loneliness" - H.I.M.
There are so many mediocre modern tracks in this game that it's hard to say unique comments for each of them. It's just another generic strumming track on guitar and if I had to pick a better H.I.M. song, "Buried Alive By Love" would've been my first and only choice. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Killing Men" - Echo & The Bunnymen
More generic strumming, this time in an 80s New Wave track. It sounds depressing as fuck and doesn't have any fun guitar sections to make up for it. I wouldn't even call it the best Echo & The Bunnymen track, as "The Cutter" sounds more fun to listen to and is as famous, I reckon..then again, it'd be mostly synth on that track. THUMBS DOWN.
"King George" - Dover
The fuck is up with this chick's voice? It sounds like someone doing karaoke but duff voice aside, the music's pretty good. Guitar's not bad either, although not as great as some songs. If you like easy tracks with a bit of semi-complicated strumming/chord sequences near the start, you're in for a treat. It's better than I remember, that's for sure. THUMBS UP.
"Lasso" - Phoenix
It's a shame HMX picked the Phoenix song that was on-disc in GH:WOR but at least it's a good song. I would've preferred "Lisztomania", even if the RB chart for that song as DLC was fucking awkward. Maybe that song should've been in GH and "Lasso" should've been in RB. Yeah, that makes sense. THUMBS UP.
"Last Dance" - The Raveonettes
Still haven't finished with the terrible Indie Rock yet. More strumming, more chords, more boredom and more THUMBS DOWN.
"Living In America" - The Sounds
Modern New Wave this time, what a twist. Oh wait, there are also large breaks in the guitar for periods of nothing. Totally game-changing! THUMBS DOWN.
"Llama" - Phish
If the GH track pack was anything to go by, Phish songs are usually quite fun and active on guitar. This song's definitely active, debatable as to whether it's fun. It's got a decent solo, I guess, but also a lot of awkward strumming and it sounds kinda shitty. If you want difficulty on each instrument, this song fits the bill. If you want a tough but fun Phish song, I can imagine there being a bunch of great live tracks or even a few studio ones. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Look" - Roxette
It might be 80s Pop Rock but damn, it's got a great guitar riff. It's also fairly well known thanks to advertisements for GTA IV DLC so it's not too obscure for the game (although the more obscure, the better by the looks of it). Funnily enough, the guitar solo for this song isn't actually charted as a solo (even though small guitar breaks in other songs are, for some reason) but it's still decent to play. This is the song I was most looking forward to when I bought the game and I still enjoy playing it to this day. THUMBS UP.
"Low Rider" - WAR
God, the guitar's so fucking dull in this track. It's a good thing the song is cool but I'm not sure it's cool enough to redeem the terrible experience of playing it. Boring, repetitive notes over and over and over again without any great HOPO sections or anything; low difficulty is fine if the chart's still fun, which it certainly isn't. At least the other instruments sound quite fun but I'm still not entirely sure it deserved to be an on-disc track. The other great WAR track was released as RB DLC, this should've been sold along with it in favour of some other great 70s Funk. THUMBS DOWN.
"Me Enamora" - Juanes
I wish this song had a better chorus. The guitar chart and solo are great but the chorus sounds so fucking bad I can't bring myself to play or listen to it. I guess it's good that HMX are choosing foreign songs for the game (maybe not for the vocalist, though) and it's certainly better than some of the GH:WT foreign tracks. THUMBS UP for diversity and variety!
"Midlife Crisis" - Faith No More
I'm not a fan of Faith No More and it took me a while to find a couple of songs of theirs I actually liked. Fortunately, this is one of them and the other was released as RB DLC after this game, even if the chart for that one kinda sucks. This guitar chart isn't much to shout about either but it's got a few good moments if you don't mind simple songs. It's heavy, it's a solid choice by this band and it's got my vote. THUMBS UP.
"Misery Business" - Paramore
You guys should know how I feel about Paramore by now but this song isn't too bad. I believe I said this in my write-up of the GH:WT soundtrack and I still feel the same here. I wouldn't swap this for any other Paramore track and I still enjoy playing it now and then so THUMBS UP.
"Need You Tonight" - INXS
If you don't know this song from the title alone, you will when you listen to the chorus. It's an understandable pick for the game, as it's a well known 80s tune and even if the guitar is repetitive, it's something people will enjoy when it comes to "OOOHHHH it's THAT song" moments. However, since I'm not a fan of the song and I recall hating playing it due to extreme boredom, I'm giving it a THUMBS DOWN. Sure, it's well known but so are plenty of great 80s songs that would've been more fun to play like "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats.
"No One Knows" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Of all the QOTSA songs that have ever appeared on the main disc setlist, this is probably the best. It's not a song I like that much but it's quite fun to play on guitar and it's a big hit for the band. However, since the QOTSA songs I like were released as DLC and ...Like Clockwork hadn't been released yet, I'm not entirely sure what track I would've replaced this with. With that in mind, I guess I have to give it a THUMBS UP.
"Oh My God" - Ida Maria
Damn, back to strumming and chords again. Luckily there's a small section involving mild fretting that prevents it from being as tedious as the other modern Indie/Alternative songs in the setlist but at the end of the day, it's still more of the same new shit without a tune good enough to make up for it. THUMBS DOWN.
"One Armed Scissor" - At The Drive-In
I remember this from GH:WT. THUMBS DOWN without further comment.
"Outer Space" - The Muffs
Whoopee, more chordfests and generic modern Rock. But wait, there's also a solo! A solo that sounds like dogshit but it's something. Sadly, it's not enough to stop this boring-ass song from getting a THUMBS DOWN.
"Oye Mi Amor" - Mana
Whilst I don't recall playing this song too often when RB3 came out, it seems quite fun based on the guitar chart. It might not have awesome HOPO sections or a memorable solo but the chord sequences and strumming isn't the same as about 50% of this game's soundtrack so far. By this point in the soundtrack, I'm willing to award a Thumbs Up to anything that isn't bog-standard New Wave or Indie shite so THUMBS UP for something different.
"Plush" - Stone Temple Pilots
About time we have some 90s material and I never thought I'd say that. It's a decent song by the band although the best STP material still doesn't come close to great music. This track goes on way too long and lacks any notable changes in the guitar chart, although it's not a bad choice for STP since a bunch of their better tracks were released as DLC. THUMBS DOWN as there are loads of better 90s Grunge or Hard Rock tracks that could've been picked.
"Portions For Foxes" - Rilo Kiley
I knew this song would be a boring Indie track from the name of the song and band alone; it's got that level of nonsensical pseudo-intelligence they all fucking have. Unsurprisingly, the guitar chart is dull as dishwater and even the fretting section is a snoozefest. THUMBS DOWN.
"The Power Of Love" - Huey Lewis And The News
One of the first songs announced for the game and definitely a solid choice. The guitar chart's a little boring until the solo but come on, it's the song from Back To The Future...well, not THAT one, the other one. The first one! It's a fucking classic and whilst there are better Huey Lewis songs for music games, this is probably the best choice for the on-disc setlist. THUMBS UP.
"Radar Love" - Golden Earring
Here we go, back to the fun songs. It may have a lot of guitar breaks but at least the frequent guitar sections are all fun to play, although not quite Devil Tier level so I'm not sure what HMX were thinking with that one. Anyway, it's a well known Classic Rock track with some cool guitar throughout so you bet your arse it belongs in RB3. THUMBS UP.
"Rainbow In The Dark" - Dio
Oh hey, another track that was announced early on. Fortunately, unlike "Crazy Train", this song's got fun guitar from start to finish. The main riff is a great little HOPO pattern and the solo's blistering shredfest provides even seasoned pros with a fun challenge, although might be a bit of a pain for those who aren't as experienced. Still, it's an undeniably great song and the best pick for a classic Dio tune. THUMBS UP.
"Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
What the fuck is this song doing in RB3? When I first played it, I think I actually muted the audio so I didn't have to listen to the joint worst song in the game. Fuck everyone who made this song popular enough to include on the main setlist. THUMBS DOWN.
"Rock Lobster" - The B-52's
When it was confirmed that The B-52's were in the game, we knew it would either be this or "Love Shock" and my God, am I glad it was this. Don't get me wrong, I like "Love Shack" but come on, there's no contest as to which is the better song. The riff alone earns it a THUMBS UP but the fact that they edited the repetitive bits on the album version out to give it more variety and plenty of fun fretting sections helps.
"Roundabout" - Yes
Wait a mo, this isn't modern Indie or New Wave! It's Prog Rock! Good Prog Rock too! Lots going on on each instrument with two guitar solos after some fun HOPO sections and dull sustains. Since there aren't many difficult guitar songs in this game, "Roundabout" is a solid choice from Yes as the tiers are high and it's one of their better known tracks before they went Pop. THUMBS UP.
"Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" - Elton John
Easily the best song in GH5 but how well does it translate into RB3's engine? It's mostly the same guitar chart so pretty well, yeah! RB's had a few Elton John songs over the years but this is definitely the best one to play. Not only that but it's one of Elton's better known Rock songs so it's pretty much three for three, seeing as how it's also a great song to listen to. THUMBS UP.
"Sister Christian" - Night Ranger
I remember people getting annoyed when this song wasn't part of a Night Ranger DLC pack for RB2. Turns out it was being saved for a game with keyboard support, although that made for a very dull guitar chart. Think "Bohemian Rhapsody" but better. It's one of the few 80s power ballads out there that doesn't make me want to self harm and even if the guitar's not amazing, it's a good inclusion in my books. THUMBS UP.
"Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple
When keys were announced for RB3, I thought "Awesome, we're definitely getting a Deep Purple track!". When Pro Guitar was announced afterwards, I thought "Oh. We're definitely getting "Smoke On The Water" as the Deep Purple track". It's the most famous guitar riff out there so learning it on Pro Mode was an obvious choice, even if that meant picking a dull track without a badass Jon Lord keyboard solo or Richie Blackmore masterpiece. Sure, "Child In Time" was released as DLC later on in the year but I can't help but feel we were robbed of amazing Deep Purple tracks during the RB3 DLC years. THUMBS DOWN.
"Something Bigger, Something Brighter" - Pretty Girls Make Graves
Bollocks, more modern Ind...hang on, this isn't the same as the others. It's actually...fun! It might start off a little depressing but at least it picks up later. Not just that but it also has an excellent HOPO intro that's perfect for guitarists at most skill levels. The song itself is alright and I'm not sure if this is a particularly popular Indie track but after the steaming shite we've had from that genre so far, it's about time we had one that was amazing. THUMBS UP.
"Space Oddity" - David Bowie
I've expressed my hatred for this song before on the blog so there are no prizes for guessing what rating I'm going to give it. David Bowie's released so many excellent songs and this track is so fucking dull to play. It might be a popular track of his but there's no way it deserves to be on the main disc setlist compared to some of his 70s material. THUMBS DOWN.
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" - The Smiths
There are many great tracks by The Smiths and whilst this is probably one of the less interesting ones on guitar, it's still a good song. However, I probably would've preferred "Hand In Glove" or "What Difference Does It Make?" for the guitar charts alone. These songs are probably all as popular as each other (except maybe "Hand In Glove") and it's still OK on guitar, I guess. THUMBS UP.
"This Bastard's Life" - Swingin' Utters
Wow, you never would've got away with this title in GH. But yeah, this song's alright! Fun little guitar chart with decent chord progressions and short breaks. Never thought I'd ever be praising a Punk track with piano but there you go, it's a good fit for the game! THUMBS UP.
"Viva La Resistance" - Hypernova
Well here's that rapid strumming song the game was missing. It's not a bad track to listen to and if you don't mind strumming, it's a good track to play on guitar too. I recall it being a bit of a pain to play but it's still good to have some variety, even if it isn't exactly to my personal liking. THUMBS UP.
"Walk Of Life" - Dire Straits
This song was almost certainly picked because of the keys but it also happens to be a great track off Brothers In Arms along with "Money For Nothing" (the song picked for GH:WOR). It's a shame RB didn't get other Dire Straits tracks like "Lady Writer" with the brilliant guitar solo in the outro but at least they picked a fun Dire Straits song unlike the majority of others off Brothers In Arms. THUMBS UP.
"Walking On The Sun" - Smash Mouth
Smash Fuckin' Mouth, man. It might not be as meme-worthy as "All Star" but it's a close second. It's also a sensible pick due to it being their other radio hit, even if the guitar is boring. However, it's a classic 90s track and the other songs off the Fush Yu Mang album probably would've been too annoying on guitar, due to all the Ska Punk. THUMBS UP.
"Werewolves Of London" - Warren Zevon
I bloody love this song but I despise playing it on RB for one simple reason; the final chorus. There's a little riff in the final chorus that's fucking torture to play and absolutely kills FC runs in an otherwise easy song. However, I still agree with it being included in the game's setlist. It's a classic track, it's got decent guitar throughout (including a solo) and the chart only gets horrible in the aforementioned outro chorus riff. THUMBS UP.
"Whip It" - Devo
Rock Band have got a couple of decent Devo songs but this is easily the most logical choice as it's their most famous song and it wasn't released as RB DLC with the other tracks for some reason. Guitar's OK, nothing special but that's to be expected. An acceptable New Wave track, which can't be said for most of this setlist. THUMBS UP.
"Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 1" - The Flaming Lips
Our final song (thank fuck) and it's a bit of a weird one. Nice and gentle, yes, but it's also pretty boring. Aside from this song, my other experience with The Flaming Lips is that they released the absolute worst cover of "Smoke On The Water" you will ever hear. For that sin alone, I should say fuck this band but I actually don't mind this song. THUMBS UP because this soundtrack's taken a bit of a pounding in this post and I have nothing against this song in particular.
Well, look at that. 44 Thumbs Up against 39 Thumbs Down (although by the end, I was just awarding Thumbs Up for not being modern Indie/crap New Wave). Guess the soundtrack's not the absolute train wreck I thought it was, although I still believe it's one of the worst setlists we've ever had.
Album reviews coming soon!
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