Welcome to the first (and hopefully not last) awards ceremony on the blog!
The Riffs And Raffs Rock And Metal (And Maybe Some Pop) Awards!
Or
THE RARRAMAMSPAs!!
Since the Grammys have just been awarded and, as usual with any awards show, people are pissy about snubs and whatnot, I've decided to have a go at coming up with my own award categories looking at music released throughout 2017 from the Rock, Metal and maybe Pop genres. Some will be serious like best Rock/Metal albums, others will be less serious like...well, you'll see.
It's also worth mentioning that even though 2017 had a large collection of material recorded and released throughout the year, I probably barely listened to 5% of the albums that came out so there may be some glaring omissions. The key to enjoying this blog post is not to take it seriously...just like literally every awards show since time began.
So, let's put on our raincoats and brace ourselves for heading back into the drizzly, windy torrent of crap that was 2017 in music...but in a lighthearted, fun way!
The "Boston Zeppelin Through The Night" Award for
BEST ROCK ALBUM
The album I valued the most that belonged to the Rock genre, including various subgenres such as Southern Rock, Hard Rock and Shoegazing. It does NOT include Metal, Pop and their subgenres.
And the nominees are...
Heavy Fire - Black Star Riders
Villains - Queens Of The Stone Age
Pinewood Smile - The Darkness
How Did We Get So Dark? - Royal Blood
And the winner is...
Pinewood Smile - The Darkness in a win that nobody familiar with my blog saw coming at all.
The "Screaming For Powerslave In Peace" Award for
BEST METAL ALBUM
The album I valued the most that belonged to the Metal genre, including various subgenres such as Hair Metal and that's about it. It does NOT include Rock, Pop and their subgenres.
And the nominees are...
Lower The Bar - Steel Panther
Reaching Into Infinity - DragonForce
Paranormal - Alice Cooper
Heaven Upside Down - Marilyn Manson
And the winner is...
...
Uhhhh...
Fuck, this is a tough one...
...hmmmm...
Paranormal - Alice Cooper, I guess if you consider this Metal? It's pretty good, even if it is kinda weak for a "Metal" album. Plus it's kinda short. The point is that regardless of the winner, Metal fans lost in 2017 so this isn't really saying much.
The "Sgt. Pepper's Thriller Sounds" Award for
BEST POP ALBUM
The album I valued the most that belonged to the Pop genre. Pop albums may contain songs with a Rock twist or be recorded by Rock bands so long as it's very clearly a Pop album.
And the nominees are...
Yeah.
And the winner is...
After Laughter - Paramore because it's the only Pop album I listened to and if you want to see me gushing over Kanye West, Taylor Swift or whichever Pop artist cunts currently releasing autotuned bowel movements for a billion likes and shitloads of cash are trendy at the moment, I am glad to disappoint you. Fuck off to Pitchfork if you want opinions on anaemic shit.
The "Garage Ups Comes Around" Award for
BEST COVERS ALBUM
The album consisting of the best music written/performed by other bands but rerecorded by contemporary artists. This award goes to a band from any genre, as long as said band released an album in 2017...but mostly Rock/Metal.
And the nominees are...
Under Cover - Motorhead
The Salentino Cuts - UFO
ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP - Halestorm
Covered And Taped - Dashboard Confessional
And the winner is...
Covered And Taped - Dashboard Confessional in a surprising victory! I really liked how each track gave the band a chance to find themselves musically and...nope, can't do it with a straight face
The winner is ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP - Halestorm, and I didn't even like that record that much. The reason this won over Under Cover - Motorhead is because technically, Under Cover is more of a compilation of covers than a brand new covers album so it should've been disqualified. Why was it still listed? Because 2017 is the year of scraping the fucking barrel for decent music to talk about, how is this not apparent already?
The "Generation Lulu Or Bust" Award for
MOST PATHETIC ALBUM
The album that could've been decent (or maybe even great) if the band got their shit together and one or more members didn't absolutely phone it in. Once again, it's anyone's game in the genre department and once again, you're in the wrong part of the Internet if you want to read about Pop.
And the nominees are...
inFinite - Deep Purple
Christmas Christmas - Cheap Trick
Rip It Up - Thunder
Concrete And Gold - Foo Fighters
And the winner is...
inFinite - Deep Purple. Concrete And Gold nearly took the win but the category is "Most Pathetic Album" and a shit or even lame Foo Fighters album isn't anything new. Neither's a shit Deep Purple one but to see the band that gave us In Rock, Machine Head and Burn crap out fucking inFinite when most of the band are still capable of rocking was like watching your dad fail to make it to the shitter in time.
Now onto the awards for musical moments!
The "Ah For Fuck's Sake, Really?!" Award for
MOST EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING DEATH
This award goes to the musician whose recent death shocked and annoyed fans by making them remember that the world is fucking shit right now, pulling everyone back into the well of depression that we'd previously and temporarily clawed our way out of with the help of their music.
And the nominees are...
J. Geils - The J. Geils Band
Tom Petty - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Chris Cornell - Soundgarden
Chester Bennington - Linkin Park
And the winner is...
Chris Cornell. It was a tie between Chris and Tom but ultimately, I think that Chris' suicide felt like more of a gut punch than Tom's accidental death through an overdose of pain medication. Plus, Tom was more than a decade older than Chris and the death of a younger man (especially if it's by their own hand and out of fucking nowhere) will always surprise more people.
The "Kid Nugent" Award for
BIGGEST PIECE OF SHIT IN ROCK/METAL
This award goes to a Rock/Metal musician who did something dumb and quite possibly evil in 2017 to the point that they will forever be at least partially regarded as a colossal prick. Musicians who were assholes long before last year are still eligible as long as the reason for them being a piece of shit stems from something they did in 2017.
And the nominees are...
Gene Simmons for making jokes about sexual harassment and paedophilia at Fox News
Gene Simmons for claiming women can't have a family and be good at their jobs
Gene Simmons for not suing Bruce Springsteen for ripping off one of their songs, even though it's not the first time he's flat out ripped off older music for his modern songs
Gene Simmons for attempting to trademark the Devil Horns gesture popularised by Ronnie James Dio
And the winner is...
Gene Simmons for being egotistical enough to, despite all of the above, think of himself as God's gift to man, showing no remorse, perspective or intellectual growth/maturity despite having the sense to abandon some of his stupider attempts at notoriety.
The "Cake Out In The Rain" Award for
MOST RIDICULOUS LYRICS
This award goes to the song with some of the dumbest, most laughable lyrics of 2017. This award can go to any song from any genre from last year and unlike previous awards, there are a decent mix between Rock/Metal and Pop.
And the nominees are...
"I know tomorrow's not today" from "Public Private Breakdown" - Alice Cooper
"A tiger don't lose no sleep, don't need opinions from a shellfish or a sheep" from "Swish Swish" - Katy Perry
"Sure as a bear shits in the woods and sail boats have sails" from "Poontang Boomerang" - Steel Panther
"England is my city" from "It's Everyday Bro" - Jake Paul
And the winner is...
Well it's "England is my city" from "It's Everyday Bro" - Jake Paul, isn't it? Not just because it's a dumb line but because everyone kept fucking quoting it to the point that it was no longer funny. By the way, if there are worse lyrics from Rock/Metal songs written and released in 2017, please tell me about them. All I could find on Google were crap Pop ones, which isn't surprising considering most modern Pop songs are written by a team of eight businessmen trying to capitalise on that dumb and/or horny teen demographic.
The "Number Of Flames With Rock Of The Night" Award for
BEST RIFF
This award goes to the song with the most awesome riff played on guitar in 2017. Any songs from the Rock, Metal and Pop genre are eligible although let's face it, Pop ain't winning no riff competition. As for which riffs I'm counting (as many great Rock songs feature at least 3 distinguishable riffs), I'm mostly looking for riffs that carry the song's main melody rather than decent ones used sporadically throughout the track.
And the nominees are...
"The Evil Has Landed" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"Heavy Fire" - Black Star Riders
"Taking The Blame" - Inglorious
"Thunder Child" - The Bad Flowers
And the winner is...
"Taking The Blame" - Inglorious. It might not be my favourite song of the list but damn, that riff is fucking great. And hey, it's still one of my favourite songs of 2017.
And finally
The "Master Of Sex Magik...But Who's Buying" Award for
PEOPLE'S FAVOURITE BLOG POST
This award goes to the Riffs And Raffs blog post written/posted in 2017 that had the most views, even if it wasn't my personal favourite or even best piece of writing. Yes, this award might be a little self-congratulatory but fuck it, this is my BBQ so I get to choose the meat.
And the winner is...
Concrete And Gold - Foo Fighters with 1414 views!
I have no idea how this review has that many page views (I suspect many are bot/spam related, as this isn't the only blog post with views in the thousands) but if any of you human readers enjoyed this blog post, I'm glad I brought you some joy in these dark times. If you haven't read it, you might want to give it a quick glance as I seem to recall not hating it after posting it.
That's all from the RARRAMAMSPAs this year. Hopefully next year, I'll have some more positive awards to give out but with the news of at least four major bands/artists calling it quits only one month into the year, I'm a bit fucking sceptical.
COMING SOON: Reviews of new albums by Judas Priest, Saxon, The Sword and more when they eventually come out.
Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Saturday, 27 January 2018
Showdown: Homages/Rip Offs 6
We're back with another look at songs that may or may not have been a bit too heavily inspired by previously recorded music from a different band. The last time I did a post like this that didn't involve video games or two songs by the same band was in August last year and since then, I've found some interesting comparisons. I've also found a couple that are probably hugely coincidental but fuck it, I've got ten again!
Similar to previous posts of mine, I've included a Spotify playlist at the bottom so you can listen along and decide whether you agree with my opinions on these songs or not...because that's what this is, the work of opinion and not an accusation of plagiarism for all of these tracks.
ROUND ONE: Jane's Addiction vs. Tesla
Mountain Song - If I had to place myself on either side of the taste spectrum without wavering in the middle, I'd say I dislike Jane's Addiction. Whilst I can admire some of the guitar solos and technical work behind the majority of their tracks that I know, I just can't get into their music in a way that I can with...well, Tesla or other bands. The vocalist sounds whiny and annoying, the riffs are usually quite repetitive without sounding awesome enough to justify it and there's a sort of grimy, mucky feel to each track. That being said, this song does start off with a pretty sweet bass riff. Not just sweet but easily distinguishable.
Hang Tough - Oh look, a song released about one year later that ALSO starts off with a sweet and distinguishable bass riff. Granted this one has been ever so slightly tweaked and sped up a bit but you cannot deny that these riffs sound similar. Fortunately, the rest of the song is hugely different to the Jane's Addiction one. I can actually listen to this and enjoy it, unlike the appropriately named uphill battle that is "Mountain Song".
VERDICT - Whilst Jane's Addiction did release their song first, I have a feeling that any similarity between their song and Tesla's is coincidental. Jane's Addiction released their song/album in August 1988, Tesla in February 1989. Tesla recorded the album in 1988, although no specific month is given suggesting they wrote and recorded it throughout the year. Whilst it's POSSIBLE that Tesla heard "Mountain Song" and used their bass riff as the backbone for "Hang Tough", I'm sceptical about that. Therefore, the win goes to Tesla for recording the better song. If news comes to light that Tesla DID do a bit of cheeky riff pinching, it'll go to Jane's Addiction.
ROUND TWO: Joe Walsh vs. Gary Moore
Rivers (Of The Hidden Funk) - Not one of Joe's better known songs but it's a solid little Classic Rock number, once again built around some great bass. However, the part of this track that we're looking at is the guitar in the intro. Specifically, the first four notes. They play a melody that I'm sure I've heard in a couple of different songs, including the next track. As for the rest of the song, it's OK. Probably not my favourite by Joe Walsh but it's a good tune.
Empty Rooms - Maybe there are better examples of songs to write about for "that riff" but in this song, around about the 9 second mark, there's a keyboard melody that sounds similar to the "Rivers (Of The Hidden Funk)" guitar intro. The rest of the song is typical of your Gary Moore ballad; lame and a waste of time for someone who was as talented as Gary Moore to be bothering with. And don't even get me fucking started on "Parisienne Walkways" and his fuckawful cover of "Don't Believe A Word".
VERDICT - Oh, easily Joe Walsh. Came up with the riff first, played it in the better song, even gave it a more memorable name. Easy win, no doubt in my mind, but did Gary Moore steal the riff? Probably not, it's a fairly common little tune and it's not like the rest of the song has anything to do with the Joe Walsh one. It's just another uninspired, generic power ballad from Gary Moore.
ROUND THREE: Fleetwood Mac vs. AC/DC
Oh Well - This isn't the first time I've mentioned this song and it certainly won't be the last! However, the song is easily recognisable from the opening guitar riff, one that's great to listen to and probably great to play too. Once again, we're listening out for that intro melody that's played on acoustic guitar of "Oh Well (Part One)". NOTE: In the Spotify playlist, the intro riff is played on electric guitar as I could only find live versions on Spotify. However, it sort of works in my favourite as it makes the next song sound even closer to this one.
Beating Around The Bush - These songs have been compared to one another in the past due to the opening guitar riffs. Not just the sound of them but their placement in the songs too. Some see it as AC/DC's tribute to "Oh Well", which I can believe. It's a well known song and this deep cut off Highway To Hell probably wasn't meant to be enjoyed at the same capacity as the title track and other big hits by the band.
VERDICT - I like both songs but I'm giving the win to Fleetwood Mac. Their track came first and is far superior to the AC/DC one, even if that song doesn't sound exactly like 90% of their material. Plus, as I already mentioned, I see this as a pretty definite homage; I doubt the band were unaware of "Oh Well" at that point in their career and were likely inspired to write their version of the opening riff.
ROUND FOUR: Electric Light Orchestra vs. The Hives
Don't Bring Me Down - A classic song from the band, notable for the chorus of "Don't bring me down, groos, don't bring me down, groos, don't bring me down, groos, don't bring me down" and the descending four note riff used throughout. As far as ELO songs go, it's a good track that sounds more like Jeff Lynne being Jeff Lynne than Jeff Lynne being the fifth Beatle. However, it's a little too white bread for me to enjoy as much as other songs of theirs like "Mr Blue Sky" and "Hold On Tight".
Go Right Ahead - The Hives are another band that have relied on writing the same song over and over again with slightly different riffs but this time, they chose to write someone else's instead. "Go Right Ahead" went right ahead with a riff that sounds identical to the ELO one although there is one slight difference between this and previous entries. The Hives have actually acknowledged that their riff sounds like "Don't Bring Me Down" and even though they didn't intend to steal it, they still contacted Jeff Lynne to ask for his permission to use the track. As a result, he has songwriting credit even though they supposedly came up with it without realising it already exists.
VERDICT - Whilst I commend The Hives for doing the right thing after realising their mistake, my win still goes to Electric Light Orchestra for coming up with the riff and writing a slightly better song that I'd rather listen to on an average day. However, if I wasn't such a fan of ELO (and if The Hives didn't sound so Poppy in this song), I probably would've given the win to The Hives.
ROUND FIVE: Dio vs. The Temperance Movement
The Last In Line - I've written about the similarities between these two songs in non-Showdown posts (and briefly mentioned it in one Showdown post) but hey, it's worth cataloguing here too. "The Last In Line" is the title track from Dio's second album and starts off with a slow, ascending guitar riff before some descending triplets. It's the weakest part of the song that, to me, only really gets good when the percussion comes in and it becomes a proper Heavy Metal track. However, the intro riff is arguably what makes the song stand out so I suppose it's not that bad.
Battle Lines - I seem to recall saying in my review of White Bear and other posts that I doubt The Temperance Movement consciously stole the intro to "The Last In Line" for the intro and structure for their song but it's still weird how they sound almost identical AND both songs contain a variant of the word "line" in the title. Anyway, this song's pretty good. If they used a different riff in the intro, I'd probably love it but sadly I can't unhear the Dio song when listening to this.
VERDICT - Both songs have the same positives and negatives so it's genuinely tricky to decide which I want to give the win to. As I said before, I don't believe they stole the Dio riff and any similarity is purely coincidental but if pushed for an answer, I also think Dio should get the win for writing this song decades before The Temperance Movement. Speaking of comparisons I've already made on the blog before...
ROUND SIX: Rage Against The Machine vs. Black Country Communion
Bulls On Parade - Of all the popular RATM songs, this is probably my least favourite. Dull guitar throughout (and Tom Morello is usually the only member of RATM worth listening to) in a vocally driven track with a forgettable bass solo. The riff might sound heavy but it's hardly imaginative compared to some of the band's previous songs from their debut album. Anyway, fans of the band will probably get joy out of it because it features Zack de la Rocha rapping away like the angry motherfucker that he is.
The Crow - I talked about a Black Country Communion song in my list of great songs from 2017 and compared this to "Bulls On Parade" there too. The intro bass riff sounds slightly similar but it's only when Joe Bonamassa's guitar comes in that the band flat out copy the RATM riff. However, unlike the majority of songs so far, I actually prefer the use of this riff and the rest of the song. It picks up the pace and grows some balls; heavier ones than the RATM song.
VERDICT - Isn't it obvious? Black Country Communion. "Bulls On Parade" sucks and "The Crow" is quite good. I don't mind that they intentionally or unintentionally borrowed the riff, they used it in the better way. Besides, I don't see anti-corporation, anti-establishment, anti-everything RATM filing a lawsuit against the theft of material, though I would like to see that happen just for shits and giggles.
ROUND SEVEN: Eddie Cochran vs. David Bowie
Three Steps To Heaven - Even though this song was released in 1960, this song pretty accurately captures a lot of what I hate about 50s Rock. The Spanish style guitar riff isn't that bad but I cannot stand the vocals. The way they sound, the style they're being sung in, the nature of the lyrics, it's like scraping nails on a chalkboard for me. Ignoring the horrific vocals, the guitar chords used in the intro and periodically throughout the track may remind you of a certain Glam Rock song by one of the most original, unique artists of a generation.
Queen Bitch - I like this song; it's got a good rhythm to it and even if it could've been improved with a guitar solo and a different chorus, I still like the use of the riff that Bowie has semi-admitted to re-purposing from the Eddie Cochran song (he went on to subtly refer to the song years later in "It's No Game"). Starts off acoustic, becomes electric and gets your head nodding along whether you want it to or not. It's a solid song from the 70s and probably one of Bowie's stronger Rock songs from the decade.
VERDICT - I think Bowie did borrow the riff from Eddie Cochran...BUT he improved it, with the help of Mick Ronson of course. So yeah, David Bowie gets the win for writing the better song with a slightly different and vastly superior riff.
ROUND EIGHT: The Jam vs. Weezer
Town Called Malice - I feel like this is a pretty well known song in England, at the very least. It starts off with a catchy little bass riff before breaking out the organ and percussion but, once again, it's the intro riff we're listening to. This riff isn't used in the verse and chorus but does crop up throughout the track and stick around during the fade-out in the outro. In other words, it's an iconic bass riff that isn't just casually used once; it's integral to the song and almost certainly single-handedly responsible for making The Jam relatively well known in this country...that and "Going Underground"...or "That's Entertainment"...recently "News Of The World" got some mileage as the Mock The Week theme...but I still think this is the song most people know The Jam for.
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Wanky title aside, this song totally uses the "Town Called Malice" riff, only on guitar instead of bass. The rhythm of the melody might differ slightly but all the fucking notes are there. What's more, the riff is an even stronger component of the song than the riff in "Town Called Malice" so Weezer used someone else's material to enhance their track more than the original band themselves. The chorus might not use the riff but by that point, the damage has been done...or whatever the reverse of damage is in this case.
VERDICT - The Jam came up with the riff first and I generally prefer their song (although neither are absolute favourites of mine) so they get the win. However, as to whether Weezer intentionally stole this riff, I doubt it. I'm unsure as to whether they knew that song even existed...although the riffs are VERRRRY similar. Makes you wonder but I'm gonna assume/hope Weezer aren't assholes.
ROUND NINE: Jefferson Starship vs. Aldo Nova
Jane - OK, so Jefferson Starship might be a somewhat black sheep in the Rock community as a super corporate, lame evolution of Jefferson Airplane, but they had some good moments. Take this song, for example. It's got a great riff, some sweet solos and some great vocal melodies in the chorus. It's not a bad tune which probably explains why it's the band's biggest hit (ignoring "We Built This City" - Starship, a band that evolved from Jefferson Starship into one hit wonders). If you're listening to these songs as you're reading, pay close attention to the guitar riff and piano chords in the background.
Fantasy - Once the minute of synthy shit is over and the guitar chords roar in, this song goes from 0 to Fucking Awesome in less than a second. Unfortunately, it uses the chords and a similar sounding riff to the one from "Jane". The song is just different enough to avoid any legal disputes although it was released just three years after the Jefferson Starship track, prompting questions as to whether Aldo Nova maybe did a little bit of cheeky riff pinching.
VERDICT - Even though there's no proof that Aldo Nova consciously reworked the riff from "Jane" for "Fantasy", I think it's possible he may have heard the song on the radio and been unintentionally inspired. That being said, I'm giving the win to Aldo Nova based on the fact that I fucking love their song and think they've done enough with it to separate it from "Jane".
ROUND TEN: Tommy Bolin vs. Ed Sheeran
Wild Dogs - I'll admit right now that I may be stretching a little bit with this one but I can't hear the second song for this round without immediately thinking of this track so fuck it, I'm including it here. This song off Teaser starts off with soft guitar riffs and background synth before the vocals come in. Unlike previous entries that have been largely focused around copied riffs, the comparison here is between the vocal melody and delivery. Once again, I concede that this comparison isn't as strong as others but I can't be the only one to hear similarities.
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran fucking sucks. He is a charisma vacuum guilty of writing bland, uninspired, trite love songs for idiots and teenage girls. He shouldn't even be in this blog post because nothing about him or his music "rocks" in any sense but the vocal melody introduced at the start of this song set off alarm bells in my head and reminded me of the Tommy Bolin track. I don't know if anything else in this song sounds like any other song in existence because I can't bring myself to listen to more than about 10 seconds of his shit.
VERDICT - Tommy Bolin will always win against Ed Sheeran, even if he did die of a drug overdose less than 24 hours after telling a friend "I'm going to be around for a long time". However, I doubt Ed stole the vocal delivery. Bolin's song isn't well known and Ed Sheeran looks like the kind of cunt who has no knowledge about Classic Rock in the slightest. This probably explains why some people think his song "Sing" shares similarities with "Long Train Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers.
Here's the Spotify playlist of all the songs mentioned above you can listen as you read my ramblings:
COMING SOON: Another blog post to make up for one I missed last week. Not sure what it'll be about but probably not a music review, as all the albums I'm interested in at the moment are coming out in February and March.
Similar to previous posts of mine, I've included a Spotify playlist at the bottom so you can listen along and decide whether you agree with my opinions on these songs or not...because that's what this is, the work of opinion and not an accusation of plagiarism for all of these tracks.
ROUND ONE: Jane's Addiction vs. Tesla
Mountain Song - If I had to place myself on either side of the taste spectrum without wavering in the middle, I'd say I dislike Jane's Addiction. Whilst I can admire some of the guitar solos and technical work behind the majority of their tracks that I know, I just can't get into their music in a way that I can with...well, Tesla or other bands. The vocalist sounds whiny and annoying, the riffs are usually quite repetitive without sounding awesome enough to justify it and there's a sort of grimy, mucky feel to each track. That being said, this song does start off with a pretty sweet bass riff. Not just sweet but easily distinguishable.
Hang Tough - Oh look, a song released about one year later that ALSO starts off with a sweet and distinguishable bass riff. Granted this one has been ever so slightly tweaked and sped up a bit but you cannot deny that these riffs sound similar. Fortunately, the rest of the song is hugely different to the Jane's Addiction one. I can actually listen to this and enjoy it, unlike the appropriately named uphill battle that is "Mountain Song".
VERDICT - Whilst Jane's Addiction did release their song first, I have a feeling that any similarity between their song and Tesla's is coincidental. Jane's Addiction released their song/album in August 1988, Tesla in February 1989. Tesla recorded the album in 1988, although no specific month is given suggesting they wrote and recorded it throughout the year. Whilst it's POSSIBLE that Tesla heard "Mountain Song" and used their bass riff as the backbone for "Hang Tough", I'm sceptical about that. Therefore, the win goes to Tesla for recording the better song. If news comes to light that Tesla DID do a bit of cheeky riff pinching, it'll go to Jane's Addiction.
ROUND TWO: Joe Walsh vs. Gary Moore
Rivers (Of The Hidden Funk) - Not one of Joe's better known songs but it's a solid little Classic Rock number, once again built around some great bass. However, the part of this track that we're looking at is the guitar in the intro. Specifically, the first four notes. They play a melody that I'm sure I've heard in a couple of different songs, including the next track. As for the rest of the song, it's OK. Probably not my favourite by Joe Walsh but it's a good tune.
Empty Rooms - Maybe there are better examples of songs to write about for "that riff" but in this song, around about the 9 second mark, there's a keyboard melody that sounds similar to the "Rivers (Of The Hidden Funk)" guitar intro. The rest of the song is typical of your Gary Moore ballad; lame and a waste of time for someone who was as talented as Gary Moore to be bothering with. And don't even get me fucking started on "Parisienne Walkways" and his fuckawful cover of "Don't Believe A Word".
VERDICT - Oh, easily Joe Walsh. Came up with the riff first, played it in the better song, even gave it a more memorable name. Easy win, no doubt in my mind, but did Gary Moore steal the riff? Probably not, it's a fairly common little tune and it's not like the rest of the song has anything to do with the Joe Walsh one. It's just another uninspired, generic power ballad from Gary Moore.
ROUND THREE: Fleetwood Mac vs. AC/DC
Oh Well - This isn't the first time I've mentioned this song and it certainly won't be the last! However, the song is easily recognisable from the opening guitar riff, one that's great to listen to and probably great to play too. Once again, we're listening out for that intro melody that's played on acoustic guitar of "Oh Well (Part One)". NOTE: In the Spotify playlist, the intro riff is played on electric guitar as I could only find live versions on Spotify. However, it sort of works in my favourite as it makes the next song sound even closer to this one.
Beating Around The Bush - These songs have been compared to one another in the past due to the opening guitar riffs. Not just the sound of them but their placement in the songs too. Some see it as AC/DC's tribute to "Oh Well", which I can believe. It's a well known song and this deep cut off Highway To Hell probably wasn't meant to be enjoyed at the same capacity as the title track and other big hits by the band.
VERDICT - I like both songs but I'm giving the win to Fleetwood Mac. Their track came first and is far superior to the AC/DC one, even if that song doesn't sound exactly like 90% of their material. Plus, as I already mentioned, I see this as a pretty definite homage; I doubt the band were unaware of "Oh Well" at that point in their career and were likely inspired to write their version of the opening riff.
ROUND FOUR: Electric Light Orchestra vs. The Hives
Don't Bring Me Down - A classic song from the band, notable for the chorus of "Don't bring me down, groos, don't bring me down, groos, don't bring me down, groos, don't bring me down" and the descending four note riff used throughout. As far as ELO songs go, it's a good track that sounds more like Jeff Lynne being Jeff Lynne than Jeff Lynne being the fifth Beatle. However, it's a little too white bread for me to enjoy as much as other songs of theirs like "Mr Blue Sky" and "Hold On Tight".
Go Right Ahead - The Hives are another band that have relied on writing the same song over and over again with slightly different riffs but this time, they chose to write someone else's instead. "Go Right Ahead" went right ahead with a riff that sounds identical to the ELO one although there is one slight difference between this and previous entries. The Hives have actually acknowledged that their riff sounds like "Don't Bring Me Down" and even though they didn't intend to steal it, they still contacted Jeff Lynne to ask for his permission to use the track. As a result, he has songwriting credit even though they supposedly came up with it without realising it already exists.
VERDICT - Whilst I commend The Hives for doing the right thing after realising their mistake, my win still goes to Electric Light Orchestra for coming up with the riff and writing a slightly better song that I'd rather listen to on an average day. However, if I wasn't such a fan of ELO (and if The Hives didn't sound so Poppy in this song), I probably would've given the win to The Hives.
ROUND FIVE: Dio vs. The Temperance Movement
The Last In Line - I've written about the similarities between these two songs in non-Showdown posts (and briefly mentioned it in one Showdown post) but hey, it's worth cataloguing here too. "The Last In Line" is the title track from Dio's second album and starts off with a slow, ascending guitar riff before some descending triplets. It's the weakest part of the song that, to me, only really gets good when the percussion comes in and it becomes a proper Heavy Metal track. However, the intro riff is arguably what makes the song stand out so I suppose it's not that bad.
Battle Lines - I seem to recall saying in my review of White Bear and other posts that I doubt The Temperance Movement consciously stole the intro to "The Last In Line" for the intro and structure for their song but it's still weird how they sound almost identical AND both songs contain a variant of the word "line" in the title. Anyway, this song's pretty good. If they used a different riff in the intro, I'd probably love it but sadly I can't unhear the Dio song when listening to this.
VERDICT - Both songs have the same positives and negatives so it's genuinely tricky to decide which I want to give the win to. As I said before, I don't believe they stole the Dio riff and any similarity is purely coincidental but if pushed for an answer, I also think Dio should get the win for writing this song decades before The Temperance Movement. Speaking of comparisons I've already made on the blog before...
ROUND SIX: Rage Against The Machine vs. Black Country Communion
Bulls On Parade - Of all the popular RATM songs, this is probably my least favourite. Dull guitar throughout (and Tom Morello is usually the only member of RATM worth listening to) in a vocally driven track with a forgettable bass solo. The riff might sound heavy but it's hardly imaginative compared to some of the band's previous songs from their debut album. Anyway, fans of the band will probably get joy out of it because it features Zack de la Rocha rapping away like the angry motherfucker that he is.
The Crow - I talked about a Black Country Communion song in my list of great songs from 2017 and compared this to "Bulls On Parade" there too. The intro bass riff sounds slightly similar but it's only when Joe Bonamassa's guitar comes in that the band flat out copy the RATM riff. However, unlike the majority of songs so far, I actually prefer the use of this riff and the rest of the song. It picks up the pace and grows some balls; heavier ones than the RATM song.
VERDICT - Isn't it obvious? Black Country Communion. "Bulls On Parade" sucks and "The Crow" is quite good. I don't mind that they intentionally or unintentionally borrowed the riff, they used it in the better way. Besides, I don't see anti-corporation, anti-establishment, anti-everything RATM filing a lawsuit against the theft of material, though I would like to see that happen just for shits and giggles.
ROUND SEVEN: Eddie Cochran vs. David Bowie
Three Steps To Heaven - Even though this song was released in 1960, this song pretty accurately captures a lot of what I hate about 50s Rock. The Spanish style guitar riff isn't that bad but I cannot stand the vocals. The way they sound, the style they're being sung in, the nature of the lyrics, it's like scraping nails on a chalkboard for me. Ignoring the horrific vocals, the guitar chords used in the intro and periodically throughout the track may remind you of a certain Glam Rock song by one of the most original, unique artists of a generation.
Queen Bitch - I like this song; it's got a good rhythm to it and even if it could've been improved with a guitar solo and a different chorus, I still like the use of the riff that Bowie has semi-admitted to re-purposing from the Eddie Cochran song (he went on to subtly refer to the song years later in "It's No Game"). Starts off acoustic, becomes electric and gets your head nodding along whether you want it to or not. It's a solid song from the 70s and probably one of Bowie's stronger Rock songs from the decade.
VERDICT - I think Bowie did borrow the riff from Eddie Cochran...BUT he improved it, with the help of Mick Ronson of course. So yeah, David Bowie gets the win for writing the better song with a slightly different and vastly superior riff.
ROUND EIGHT: The Jam vs. Weezer
Town Called Malice - I feel like this is a pretty well known song in England, at the very least. It starts off with a catchy little bass riff before breaking out the organ and percussion but, once again, it's the intro riff we're listening to. This riff isn't used in the verse and chorus but does crop up throughout the track and stick around during the fade-out in the outro. In other words, it's an iconic bass riff that isn't just casually used once; it's integral to the song and almost certainly single-handedly responsible for making The Jam relatively well known in this country...that and "Going Underground"...or "That's Entertainment"...recently "News Of The World" got some mileage as the Mock The Week theme...but I still think this is the song most people know The Jam for.
(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Wanky title aside, this song totally uses the "Town Called Malice" riff, only on guitar instead of bass. The rhythm of the melody might differ slightly but all the fucking notes are there. What's more, the riff is an even stronger component of the song than the riff in "Town Called Malice" so Weezer used someone else's material to enhance their track more than the original band themselves. The chorus might not use the riff but by that point, the damage has been done...or whatever the reverse of damage is in this case.
VERDICT - The Jam came up with the riff first and I generally prefer their song (although neither are absolute favourites of mine) so they get the win. However, as to whether Weezer intentionally stole this riff, I doubt it. I'm unsure as to whether they knew that song even existed...although the riffs are VERRRRY similar. Makes you wonder but I'm gonna assume/hope Weezer aren't assholes.
ROUND NINE: Jefferson Starship vs. Aldo Nova
Jane - OK, so Jefferson Starship might be a somewhat black sheep in the Rock community as a super corporate, lame evolution of Jefferson Airplane, but they had some good moments. Take this song, for example. It's got a great riff, some sweet solos and some great vocal melodies in the chorus. It's not a bad tune which probably explains why it's the band's biggest hit (ignoring "We Built This City" - Starship, a band that evolved from Jefferson Starship into one hit wonders). If you're listening to these songs as you're reading, pay close attention to the guitar riff and piano chords in the background.
Fantasy - Once the minute of synthy shit is over and the guitar chords roar in, this song goes from 0 to Fucking Awesome in less than a second. Unfortunately, it uses the chords and a similar sounding riff to the one from "Jane". The song is just different enough to avoid any legal disputes although it was released just three years after the Jefferson Starship track, prompting questions as to whether Aldo Nova maybe did a little bit of cheeky riff pinching.
VERDICT - Even though there's no proof that Aldo Nova consciously reworked the riff from "Jane" for "Fantasy", I think it's possible he may have heard the song on the radio and been unintentionally inspired. That being said, I'm giving the win to Aldo Nova based on the fact that I fucking love their song and think they've done enough with it to separate it from "Jane".
ROUND TEN: Tommy Bolin vs. Ed Sheeran
Wild Dogs - I'll admit right now that I may be stretching a little bit with this one but I can't hear the second song for this round without immediately thinking of this track so fuck it, I'm including it here. This song off Teaser starts off with soft guitar riffs and background synth before the vocals come in. Unlike previous entries that have been largely focused around copied riffs, the comparison here is between the vocal melody and delivery. Once again, I concede that this comparison isn't as strong as others but I can't be the only one to hear similarities.
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran fucking sucks. He is a charisma vacuum guilty of writing bland, uninspired, trite love songs for idiots and teenage girls. He shouldn't even be in this blog post because nothing about him or his music "rocks" in any sense but the vocal melody introduced at the start of this song set off alarm bells in my head and reminded me of the Tommy Bolin track. I don't know if anything else in this song sounds like any other song in existence because I can't bring myself to listen to more than about 10 seconds of his shit.
VERDICT - Tommy Bolin will always win against Ed Sheeran, even if he did die of a drug overdose less than 24 hours after telling a friend "I'm going to be around for a long time". However, I doubt Ed stole the vocal delivery. Bolin's song isn't well known and Ed Sheeran looks like the kind of cunt who has no knowledge about Classic Rock in the slightest. This probably explains why some people think his song "Sing" shares similarities with "Long Train Runnin'" - The Doobie Brothers.
Here's the Spotify playlist of all the songs mentioned above you can listen as you read my ramblings:
COMING SOON: Another blog post to make up for one I missed last week. Not sure what it'll be about but probably not a music review, as all the albums I'm interested in at the moment are coming out in February and March.
Saturday, 13 January 2018
Merchandise: Dos & Don'ts
Whilst it's important that bands continue to release great music and adapt their sound to fulfil the creative aspect of their careers, they also need to find ways of making money in order to keep writing and performing great music. Since record labels and digital distribution have made it difficult for bands to make substantial money through selling music alone, it's up to bands to release quality merchandise alongside their records and live shows if they want the extravagant Rock star lifestyle to help inspire their next big album.
There are undoubtedly plenty of safety regulations regarding certain types of merch but this blog post will be looking at Dos & Don'ts in a more comical, common sense manner that plenty of bands have neglected to consider when putting their name/image on T-shirts, mugs and tampon holsters. If you're a small Rock/Metal band who are just about to hit the big time and have no idea which route to take when making/selling merchandise, you should probably consult a proper website with actual business advice...BUT if you like Rock/Metal music, my blog posts and want to read something lighthearted looking at golden rules and cardinal sins of physical merchandise, enjoy the following six paragraphs!
DO use high quality material
If any of you have ever been to a gig and stopped by the merch stand, you'll know that even the smallest item can have a ridiculous price. Keychains for £10, T-shirts for £40, pointless programmes with pictures and information about the band that you can find online for free for any amount of money that isn't £0. It's a given that you're going to have to pay a stupid amount of money for what's basically a glorified way of saying you support a certain artist so it should go without saying that the thing you're charging fans through the nose for should be high quality. Your clothing should last for years, your jewellery should look attractive and not pinch the skin, your beer should taste good and get you comfortably shitfaced at a decent pace. If you put out a crappy product, you're no better than the shitheels who sit outside concert venues selling knock-off tat that'll fall to pieces after a couple of uses. Bands need to distance themselves from these wankers with high quality merch and speaking of those tosspots outside venues...
DO use a variety of designs on your products
The most common type of merchandise found at gigs and online stores are T-shirts. These are your moneymakers that not only sell for a high price but spread the word about the band too; if someone's wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt from a new tour with an interesting new design on the front and some tour date info on the back, they're essentially advertising on behalf of the band. With that in mind, you need to make sure that your "adverts" are eye catching and not just the same logo or mascot design that everyone's seen before for two reasons; primarily to give fans a new piece of art to add to their collection but also to distance themselves from aforementioned tat peddlers who are relying on shitty copies of album covers and stock photos for their pissweak goods. If you're a big name band with millions to spare, you can afford to come up with some new designs for baseball caps and posters, although you can still sell merch with old album covers and mascot photos if you're selling them WITH new designs.
DO know your audience
This piece of advice could probably be applied to any situation ever created but fuck it, I'm bringing it out again! When coming up with ideas for things to sell your loyal fans, you need to know exactly who your fans are. If you're a contemporary Indie band that's just getting started, you shouldn't be selling products for a more mature audience like the official Arctic Monkeys sleeveless sweater vest or Arcade Fire chewing tobacco. Likewise, if you're a Classic Rock band on a 40th anniversary album tour with one surviving original band member left, you probably don't want to produce a mobile app/game based around your back catalogue. Obviously you want to appeal to a wide audience but you should be doing that with your music, not trinkets. Trinkets are for the fans you've already hooked who are desperate to support you and show everyone how much they love you.
DON'T go overboard
We all know how ridiculous KISS are with their merchandise and who knows, maybe some of you have even purchased some of the more extravagant officially licensed KISS products as the KISS Kasket, KISS Waffle Maker and even KISS air-guitar strings. However, KISS aren't the only band to go overboard with their merch. U2 have released Achtung Baby condoms, The Rolling Stones have released a tongue and lips telephone, Muse have released towels with some of their lyrics on and Rammstein have released dildos. Some of the more ridiculous items in a Rock band's merch store are likely designed to be gag products but you shouldn't go overboard with those either. Pick one, maybe two, silly ideas if they're cost effective but focus most of your budget on designs that fans will get the most out of. A hoodie or unique band patch will give more joy to your fans over a longer period of time than an air freshener that smells of generic scent...unless your band happens to have released a song/album named Generic Scent.
DON'T make regional exclusive merchandise
Decades ago when world tours were more difficult for Hard Rock bands to pull off, selling certain types of merchandise exclusive only to areas in Europe or Asia was understandable. However, now that products are cheaper to make and the Internet has made it possible for someone to receive something they ordered from the other side of the planet in a few days, there's no real excuse for popular Rock/Metal bands to pull this shit anymore. I'm not saying that bands shouldn't release artwork or merch based around certain areas of the planet that start off being sold in specific countries (e.g. a T-shirt with the band's mascot in samurai armour or punching a kangaroo) but they should make sure that anyone with the money to pay for it is able to buy it afterwards, regardless of where they're geographically based. Granted that lesser known groups may find it tricky to do this but then again, it's unlikely that they'll be making regional exclusive content to begin with.
DON'T understock your merch stands at gigs
This is quite a tricky one to avoid but I've been to a couple of shows where whoever was in charge of getting enough T-shirts for each stand well and truly fucked this one up. Yes, it's impossible to predict how many fans will want certain shirts and no, you can't bring a stupidly high amount of merch to accommodate a rush that may never happen. However, when you've completely sold out of a certain T-shirt before the warm-up band's even played, that suggests you screwed up. The bigger the band, the more you should bring with you. This could also apply to warm-up bands, as they often have a chance to sell merch in between the doors opening and their last song. It's unlikely that a lot of people will want warm-up band merch unless it's a big warm-up band (e.g. Cheap Trick warming up for Deep Purple) but you should still stock accordingly.
That's me all caught up for the year so far! I'm not sure which posts I'll be writing in the near future but hopefully there'll be an album review coming soon.
That's not a tease, by the way. I'm genuinely hoping that a new album that I'm interested in listening to comes out soon after the dry spell of Q4 2017.
There are undoubtedly plenty of safety regulations regarding certain types of merch but this blog post will be looking at Dos & Don'ts in a more comical, common sense manner that plenty of bands have neglected to consider when putting their name/image on T-shirts, mugs and tampon holsters. If you're a small Rock/Metal band who are just about to hit the big time and have no idea which route to take when making/selling merchandise, you should probably consult a proper website with actual business advice...BUT if you like Rock/Metal music, my blog posts and want to read something lighthearted looking at golden rules and cardinal sins of physical merchandise, enjoy the following six paragraphs!
DO use high quality material
If any of you have ever been to a gig and stopped by the merch stand, you'll know that even the smallest item can have a ridiculous price. Keychains for £10, T-shirts for £40, pointless programmes with pictures and information about the band that you can find online for free for any amount of money that isn't £0. It's a given that you're going to have to pay a stupid amount of money for what's basically a glorified way of saying you support a certain artist so it should go without saying that the thing you're charging fans through the nose for should be high quality. Your clothing should last for years, your jewellery should look attractive and not pinch the skin, your beer should taste good and get you comfortably shitfaced at a decent pace. If you put out a crappy product, you're no better than the shitheels who sit outside concert venues selling knock-off tat that'll fall to pieces after a couple of uses. Bands need to distance themselves from these wankers with high quality merch and speaking of those tosspots outside venues...
DO use a variety of designs on your products
The most common type of merchandise found at gigs and online stores are T-shirts. These are your moneymakers that not only sell for a high price but spread the word about the band too; if someone's wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd shirt from a new tour with an interesting new design on the front and some tour date info on the back, they're essentially advertising on behalf of the band. With that in mind, you need to make sure that your "adverts" are eye catching and not just the same logo or mascot design that everyone's seen before for two reasons; primarily to give fans a new piece of art to add to their collection but also to distance themselves from aforementioned tat peddlers who are relying on shitty copies of album covers and stock photos for their pissweak goods. If you're a big name band with millions to spare, you can afford to come up with some new designs for baseball caps and posters, although you can still sell merch with old album covers and mascot photos if you're selling them WITH new designs.
DO know your audience
This piece of advice could probably be applied to any situation ever created but fuck it, I'm bringing it out again! When coming up with ideas for things to sell your loyal fans, you need to know exactly who your fans are. If you're a contemporary Indie band that's just getting started, you shouldn't be selling products for a more mature audience like the official Arctic Monkeys sleeveless sweater vest or Arcade Fire chewing tobacco. Likewise, if you're a Classic Rock band on a 40th anniversary album tour with one surviving original band member left, you probably don't want to produce a mobile app/game based around your back catalogue. Obviously you want to appeal to a wide audience but you should be doing that with your music, not trinkets. Trinkets are for the fans you've already hooked who are desperate to support you and show everyone how much they love you.
DON'T go overboard
We all know how ridiculous KISS are with their merchandise and who knows, maybe some of you have even purchased some of the more extravagant officially licensed KISS products as the KISS Kasket, KISS Waffle Maker and even KISS air-guitar strings. However, KISS aren't the only band to go overboard with their merch. U2 have released Achtung Baby condoms, The Rolling Stones have released a tongue and lips telephone, Muse have released towels with some of their lyrics on and Rammstein have released dildos. Some of the more ridiculous items in a Rock band's merch store are likely designed to be gag products but you shouldn't go overboard with those either. Pick one, maybe two, silly ideas if they're cost effective but focus most of your budget on designs that fans will get the most out of. A hoodie or unique band patch will give more joy to your fans over a longer period of time than an air freshener that smells of generic scent...unless your band happens to have released a song/album named Generic Scent.
DON'T make regional exclusive merchandise
Decades ago when world tours were more difficult for Hard Rock bands to pull off, selling certain types of merchandise exclusive only to areas in Europe or Asia was understandable. However, now that products are cheaper to make and the Internet has made it possible for someone to receive something they ordered from the other side of the planet in a few days, there's no real excuse for popular Rock/Metal bands to pull this shit anymore. I'm not saying that bands shouldn't release artwork or merch based around certain areas of the planet that start off being sold in specific countries (e.g. a T-shirt with the band's mascot in samurai armour or punching a kangaroo) but they should make sure that anyone with the money to pay for it is able to buy it afterwards, regardless of where they're geographically based. Granted that lesser known groups may find it tricky to do this but then again, it's unlikely that they'll be making regional exclusive content to begin with.
DON'T understock your merch stands at gigs
This is quite a tricky one to avoid but I've been to a couple of shows where whoever was in charge of getting enough T-shirts for each stand well and truly fucked this one up. Yes, it's impossible to predict how many fans will want certain shirts and no, you can't bring a stupidly high amount of merch to accommodate a rush that may never happen. However, when you've completely sold out of a certain T-shirt before the warm-up band's even played, that suggests you screwed up. The bigger the band, the more you should bring with you. This could also apply to warm-up bands, as they often have a chance to sell merch in between the doors opening and their last song. It's unlikely that a lot of people will want warm-up band merch unless it's a big warm-up band (e.g. Cheap Trick warming up for Deep Purple) but you should still stock accordingly.
That's me all caught up for the year so far! I'm not sure which posts I'll be writing in the near future but hopefully there'll be an album review coming soon.
That's not a tease, by the way. I'm genuinely hoping that a new album that I'm interested in listening to comes out soon after the dry spell of Q4 2017.
Friday, 12 January 2018
Rapid Fire: Motorhead, David Bowie, Tom Petty
We're back! We might be back a week late BUT WE'RE BACK and we're celebrating with a Rapid Fire post all about DEEAAAATTHH!!! Yes, the first post of 2018 is looking at three albums by famous Rock/Metal musicians who sadly passed away in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. I should probably open up with a less sombre blog post but fuck it, everything's going to shit anyway.
The first album I'll be briefly discussing is the most recent, coming out four months before the death of legendary Metal bassist and vocalist Lemmy Kilmister. However, before I start that, I should mention that whilst writing this blog post, original guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke passed away too. He may not have been involved with this album but he did record the classic riffs and solos for Motorhead's classic albums such as Overkill, Iron Fist and Ace Of Spades.
R.I.P. Fast Eddie Clarke.
1. Bad Magic - Motorhead
I'd been meaning to check out Motorhead's final album ever since the news of Lemmy's passing broke but, without meaning to sound disrespectful, part of the reason I'd been avoiding it was I'd already listened to a Motorhead album. In fact, before listening to Bad Magic, I'd listened to three separate records and a covers album. If there's one thing I can tell you from each of these albums all released in different decades, it's that Motorhead never changed what wasn't broken and the few times they did tinker with things slightly always reset back to its original condition like a JD and tobacco stained memory foam mattress. Bad Magic does absolutely nothing to mix up the formula, making it as much a Motorhead album as anything else in their back catalogue.
Album opener "Victory Or Die" pulls no punches and does a good job of pointing out what's on the tin so you can expect to get exactly what the rest of the album says, if you'll pardon the muddled metaphor. However, there's something missing from Bad Magic that prevents it from being a top notch Motorhead album; a truly great guitarist. Don't get me wrong, Phil Campbell is top notch at playing the thing, I'm just not convinced he's got the musical talent to keep creating excellent riffs for an extended period of time. When you're literally recycling the exact same riff from "Smiling Like A Killer" for "Electricity"or recording generic, interchangeable solos for each track, it's going to let the album down.
Fortunately, Lemmy's bass still rolls out hard and heavy and even though his vocals were beginning to sound noticeably more like those of later years Johnny Cash than early years Lemmy Motherfucking Kilmister due to his health problems at the time, they hadn't completely gone to shit like many Hard Rock outfits that have gone on just a bit too long (looking at you, Deep Purple). Plus, it means we get songs like "Till The End" where we have the pleasure of actually listening to Lemmy sing as well as a banging cover of "Sympathy For The Devil", a highlight of this and their recent covers album. As far as swan songs go, Bad Magic is arguably not the guns blazing celebration of pure Rock & Roll that you may have expected from Motorhead but it's far from a tepid whimper too.
Next up is the oldest album of the three and almost certainly the most influential too from Glam Rock fashion icon David Bowie.
2. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie
Much like the previous album, this is a record I'd been convincing myself to listen to for years before this blog post...and that's pretty much where the similarities end. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Overly Pretentious Album Title is the story of a bisexual Jesus-like Rock star who learns of the Earth's impending doom from aliens but becomes one with them on stage because of the spiritual journey he's undertaken throughout the album. Oh, and this Rock star is represented by David Bowie because he was humble like that. Everybody loves this album but to me, it's a competent collection of things I personally hate about Rock that prevent me from getting the most out of it.
Tom Petty might have been guilty of frequently committing one of Rock's worst sins (fading out on a guitar solo) but damn, did he know how to make a great solo record. It's a well built collection of Heartland Rock; nothing aggressive, just a feel-good collection of gentle Rock with a couple of standout rockers. Album opener "Free Fallin'" sets the easy tone perfectly with a slow tempo, pleasant melody and cracking yet simplistic chorus; in other words, the thing iconic Soft Rock songs are made from.
One of the main differences between his solo material and a standard Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers record probably comes down to the production. Even though we had Tom Petty and Mike Campbell involved as usual, Jeff Lynne (ELO, Traveling Wilburys) also did his fair share of producing and songwriting so many tracks contain elements of those bands as well as Tom Petty's signature style ("Love Is A Long Road", "Depending On You", "Zombie Zoo"). However, there are also tracks where Tom lets loose and busts out the proper Rock riffs ("Runnin' Down A Dream", "A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own").
There's something for fans of all types of Classic American Rock here and whilst it's unlikely that every track will land with you on the same level, Full Moon Fever knows what its doing and is easily one of the most cohesive, well crafted Rock albums in existence. Whilst it might not be on my personal favourites list due to the softer nature of most tracks and the lack of complex or technical music work to enjoy, I can appreciate the talent that went into making it and would recommend it to pretty much anyone, even those who aren't really into Rock but don't dislike it.
The first album I'll be briefly discussing is the most recent, coming out four months before the death of legendary Metal bassist and vocalist Lemmy Kilmister. However, before I start that, I should mention that whilst writing this blog post, original guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke passed away too. He may not have been involved with this album but he did record the classic riffs and solos for Motorhead's classic albums such as Overkill, Iron Fist and Ace Of Spades.
R.I.P. Fast Eddie Clarke.
1. Bad Magic - Motorhead
I'd been meaning to check out Motorhead's final album ever since the news of Lemmy's passing broke but, without meaning to sound disrespectful, part of the reason I'd been avoiding it was I'd already listened to a Motorhead album. In fact, before listening to Bad Magic, I'd listened to three separate records and a covers album. If there's one thing I can tell you from each of these albums all released in different decades, it's that Motorhead never changed what wasn't broken and the few times they did tinker with things slightly always reset back to its original condition like a JD and tobacco stained memory foam mattress. Bad Magic does absolutely nothing to mix up the formula, making it as much a Motorhead album as anything else in their back catalogue.
Album opener "Victory Or Die" pulls no punches and does a good job of pointing out what's on the tin so you can expect to get exactly what the rest of the album says, if you'll pardon the muddled metaphor. However, there's something missing from Bad Magic that prevents it from being a top notch Motorhead album; a truly great guitarist. Don't get me wrong, Phil Campbell is top notch at playing the thing, I'm just not convinced he's got the musical talent to keep creating excellent riffs for an extended period of time. When you're literally recycling the exact same riff from "Smiling Like A Killer" for "Electricity"or recording generic, interchangeable solos for each track, it's going to let the album down.
Fortunately, Lemmy's bass still rolls out hard and heavy and even though his vocals were beginning to sound noticeably more like those of later years Johnny Cash than early years Lemmy Motherfucking Kilmister due to his health problems at the time, they hadn't completely gone to shit like many Hard Rock outfits that have gone on just a bit too long (looking at you, Deep Purple). Plus, it means we get songs like "Till The End" where we have the pleasure of actually listening to Lemmy sing as well as a banging cover of "Sympathy For The Devil", a highlight of this and their recent covers album. As far as swan songs go, Bad Magic is arguably not the guns blazing celebration of pure Rock & Roll that you may have expected from Motorhead but it's far from a tepid whimper too.
1. Victory Or Die
2. Thunder & Lightning
3. Fire Storm Hotel
4. Shoot Out All Of Your Lights
5. The Devil
6. Electricity
7. Evil Eye
8. Teach Them How To Bleed
9. Till The End
10. Tell Me Who To Kill
11. Choking On Your Screams
12. When The Sky Comes Looking For You
13. Sympathy For The Devil
ALBUM RATING - 5/10
2. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars - David Bowie
Much like the previous album, this is a record I'd been convincing myself to listen to for years before this blog post...and that's pretty much where the similarities end. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Overly Pretentious Album Title is the story of a bisexual Jesus-like Rock star who learns of the Earth's impending doom from aliens but becomes one with them on stage because of the spiritual journey he's undertaken throughout the album. Oh, and this Rock star is represented by David Bowie because he was humble like that. Everybody loves this album but to me, it's a competent collection of things I personally hate about Rock that prevent me from getting the most out of it.
For starters, album opener "Five Years" is more of a symphonic grandiose overture than a Glam Rock track to set the tone for what is ultimately a Glam Rock album. It reeks of self-importance without keeping me engaged enough to ignore that facet of Bowie's musical persona. Allmusic called it one of the greatest album openers ever recorded, meaning they've clearly never listened to any Megadeth or they'd realise how fucking wrong they are. Secondly, Bowie's writing style is painfully present in many of these songs and it just doesn't fly with me. For those unaware, Bowie used the cut-up technique where he'd take sentences (or just words), jumble them up and rearrange them into poetic sounding lyrics. When you listen to tracks like "Moonage Daydream" and "Ziggy Stardust", they'll either sound like genius ahead of its time or sporadically assembled nonsense and, unfortunately, it's the latter category for me.
Finally, there's the knowledge that some of these songs probably could've been amazing if written for other bands. Most of us probably know that David Bowie wrote the hit song "All The Young Dudes" for Mott The Hoople around the time of this album (the lyrics actually refer to events in this album because a bit of cross promotion never hurt anyone) but many of those may be unaware that he actually recorded versions of the song himself. They all fucking suck. I can imagine songs like "Star" being incredible by similar 70s Glam or Classic Rock artists that weren't trying to intentionally be art but at least some tracks work with the Bowie touch like "Suffragette City".
Ultimately, my opinion of this album may change over time but my initial reaction to The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Fawning Music Critics (besides one of childish mockery) is that it's not bad. It's a tidy collection of meticulously assembled material that you can blast through in a relatively short amount of time and get some joy out of. It hasn't given me any insight on any of the touched upon themes, nor will it be a record that I feel I must own or even revisit in a year's time. I like a few songs on it and would recommend listening to the second half as if it's a plain old 70s Rock album...unless you're the kind of wanker that says "bravo" without sarcasm, then you'll probably adore it and will want to see copies of it in museums and on space probes and carved into cliff edges so the wind will play melodies from it for all eternity. That's probably what you think, you ponce.
1. Five Years
2. Soul Love
3. Moonage Daydream
4. Starman
5. It Ain't Easy
6. Lady Stardust
7. Star
8. Hang On To Yourself
9. Ziggy Stardust
10. Suffragette City
11. Rock 'N' Roll Suicide
ALBUM RATING - 7/10
Finally, we have the middle child released in 1989. Even though this musician had already released plenty of studio albums with The Heartbreakers, this was Tom Petty's first solo record and it's pretty damn great!
3. Full Moon Fever - Tom Petty
Tom Petty might have been guilty of frequently committing one of Rock's worst sins (fading out on a guitar solo) but damn, did he know how to make a great solo record. It's a well built collection of Heartland Rock; nothing aggressive, just a feel-good collection of gentle Rock with a couple of standout rockers. Album opener "Free Fallin'" sets the easy tone perfectly with a slow tempo, pleasant melody and cracking yet simplistic chorus; in other words, the thing iconic Soft Rock songs are made from.
One of the main differences between his solo material and a standard Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers record probably comes down to the production. Even though we had Tom Petty and Mike Campbell involved as usual, Jeff Lynne (ELO, Traveling Wilburys) also did his fair share of producing and songwriting so many tracks contain elements of those bands as well as Tom Petty's signature style ("Love Is A Long Road", "Depending On You", "Zombie Zoo"). However, there are also tracks where Tom lets loose and busts out the proper Rock riffs ("Runnin' Down A Dream", "A Mind With A Heart Of Its Own").
There's something for fans of all types of Classic American Rock here and whilst it's unlikely that every track will land with you on the same level, Full Moon Fever knows what its doing and is easily one of the most cohesive, well crafted Rock albums in existence. Whilst it might not be on my personal favourites list due to the softer nature of most tracks and the lack of complex or technical music work to enjoy, I can appreciate the talent that went into making it and would recommend it to pretty much anyone, even those who aren't really into Rock but don't dislike it.
1. Free Fallin'
2. I Won't Back Down
3. Love Is A Long Road
4. A Face In The Crowd
5. Runnin' Down A Dream
6. Feel A Whole Lot Better
7. Yer So Bad
8. Depending On You
9. The Apartment Song
10. Alright For Now
11. A Mind With A Heart Of It's Own
12. Zombie Zoo
ALBUM RATING - 8/10
There you have it. Three decent albums by three great artists/bands who are no longer with us. What a way to start the year!
Sunday, 31 December 2017
Tenology: My Ten Favourite Rock/Metal Songs Of 2017
It's not been that long since I did a Tenology post but it's been an entire year since I did one of these specific posts! 2016 was a shitshow and let's face it, 2017 wasn't that much better. It may have been an amazing year for video games (the best since 2009, in my opinion) but it's been a bit weak for Rock/Metal albums. Most of the albums I've reviewed from this year have been average or weak with only a few standout strong entries but fortunately, there have been several brilliant album tracks and singles to list here.
As I've done in the past, this post isn't a reflection of the Top 10 songs of the year ranked according to sales, fan reception or even my personal opinion. Yes, I've chosen these songs based on my opinion and taste but I'm not listing them in any particular order. They're just ten songs I liked more than anything else I heard this year. If I've missed anything that you think I'd like or should at least draw attention to in the Honourable Mentions section later on, feel free to leave a comment or message me via Twitter.
But now it's time to find out which songs I enjoyed this year in between playing video games and being depressed!
1. "La Dee Da" - Foo Fighters
One of the big album releases this year was Concrete And Gold - Foo Fighters. If you didn't read my review of it, all you really need to know is it's terrible. It's a tepid affair full of bland, easily forgettable material...except the one track that stands out. "La Dee Da" is a fast paced proper Rock song that blows all the cobwebs of boredom formed by the gloomy Alternative dirge away. Granted it comes in the middle of the album so those cobwebs form again pretty quickly but it's still the highlight of the record and, in a year where great music was somewhat lacking, it's enough to make this list.
2. "She's $$$" - Kenny Wayne Shepherd
I feel like each year has to have at least one really good Blues Rock number and 2017 is no exception. Kenny Wayne Shepherd provided us with a track that took the rhythmic foundations of "Call Me The Breeze" - J.J. Cale and added some fancy instrumental sections, heavier percussion and new lyrics before presenting us with a catchy tune to tap your feet to. I'll even excuse the seemingly pointless use of "$$$" in the title when "She's Money" would've looked much better!
3. "Nowhere" - Cheap Trick
No, this isn't a track off Cheap Trick's mediocre Christmas album. It's off another album they released this year entitled We're All Alright that I neglected to review or even listen to. There may be better songs off the album but this one's not half bad. It's a punchy number that harks back to their early days as a rough-edged Rock outfit before they turned up the charm and churned out Dream Police. It's only a short tune but it's still an enjoyable one!
4. "Heavy Fire" - Black Star Riders
Whilst my favourite song off the latest Black Star Riders album came out last year, "Heavy Fire" is a close second which makes it number one for this year. It opens up with a thunderous riff before the rest of the band explode onto the scene and it only gets better from there. This is the kind of song that opens live shows with all guns blazing and I don't just mean shows promoting this album; this could be one of the band's most badass songs! It's just a shame they had to slow things down with an awkward middle section before bringing it back around with a heavy reprise but hey, at least they got 2/3 of the song spot on!
5. "Who's The (Bat) Man" - Patrick Stump
I'm not sure whether this technically counts (as it was a track on the soundtrack for The Lego Batman Movie) but since it functions as a song, I'm including it. Plus it's arguably heavier/more awesome than the majority of tracks in this post! If you haven't seen The Lego Batman Movie, it opens with an action scene involving Batman fighting all of his villains whilst rocking out to his Let's Go Nuts mix, featuring this song that he sings and apparently plays the guitar solo for too. It amplifies everything great about the scene in a way that's not only hilarious but also pretty damn epic, if you'll pardon the term. But here's the biggest surprise: the song is credited to Patrick Stump, lead vocalist/guitarist for Fall Out Boy. Yeah, the frontman for Fall Out Boy had this material up his fucking sleeve but instead resorts to whiny Emo shite for fake tattoo-sleeve wearing twelve year olds.
6. "The Last Song For My Resting Place" - Black Country Communion
I've heard a few decent Black Country Communion tracks but I'm making the active decision to not get into them on account of my personal hatred for Glenn Hughes. From what I hear, it's not just me who has a problem with him as Black Country Communion previously called it quits after a dispute between Glenn and guitarist, Joe Bonamassa. However, since then, they've decided to patch things up and record another album which speaks volumes about Joe's ability to forgive as there's no reason he needs to pause his solo career just to appease an egotistical tosser who's desperately trying to prove he's as talented as he thinks he is. Anyway, I listened to the album recently and it's passable at best. There are a couple of solid tracks including "The Crow", a song that shamelessly rips off "Bulls On Parade" - Rage Against The Machine but gets a pass from me purely because they made that RATM track better. However, "The Last Song For My Resting Place" is easily the highlight. It's an eight-minute emotional powerhouse that puts Glenn exactly where he needs to be; right at the back propping up a much more talented vocalist/musician (Joe Bonamassa) with bass and backing vocals.
7. "The Way You Used To Do" - Queens Of The Stone Age
The Foos weren't the only big American Rock band to release a new album this year! Queens Of The Stone Age delivered a new record with heavy Pop influences but still firmly in the Rock genre (review here). This song was the lead single and is probably the most enjoyable track out of the bunch, even if there are other tracks that are decent too. Josh Homme's guitarwork is relatively simplistic but when paired with the catchy rhythm, it's enough to carry the song from start to finish. I was torn between this track and "The Evil Has Landed", as that's another strong tune from Villains, but I went with this purely because I've found myself wanting to listen to it more than anything else off the album this year.
8. "(She Don't) Gimme No Lovin'" - King King
OK, this song would never top conventional Best Rock Songs Of 2017 lists on account of it being a little uninspired compared to some of the singles released this year but that's part of what makes it enjoyable. It's a good old fashioned Hard Rock track that sounds like it's cherry picked elements of Rock's biggest artists from the 70s and 80s, much like the song from School Of Rock that combined elements from AC/DC tracks to make an all-round crowd pleaser for kids and adults alike. This song feels like that without becoming tame so here it is!
9. "Taking The Blame" - Inglorious
From a paint-by-numbers "Rock" song to this hellraiser, Inglorious have good track record with fast paced, high octane Hard Rock so I wasn't surprised to hear another belter from them this year. I should really check their two albums out but for now, we're all presumably in the same boat of not really knowing an awful lot about them. Fans of my blog will know I'm a sucker for Riff-Based-Rock that doesn't take prisoners so "Taking The Blame" well and truly belongs on my list, although I'd like to give a special shout out to Phil Beaver for some cracking percussion in this song.
10. "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" - The Darkness
Well shit, I've done it again. I've left my favourite song until last even though I said I wasn't going to do any kind of ranking. Pinewood Smile was easily my favourite album of the year and out of all the songs I loved on it (believe me, there were several I was tempted to include), "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" is the one I played most of all. Opinions on falsetto singing and comical lyrics aside, The Darkness have proven in the last couple of years that they know how to record a bitchin' tune when they want to and that's exactly what this song is. It's loaded with heavy riffs, sweet solos and awesome vocals. It's the kind of song that wouldn't sound out of place blasted from the heavens as you stormed into the most epic of battles and even though I would probably prefer it a little more if I could slightly tweak the outro vocals (where Justin sings "BUUUH, BUUUH, BUH-BUH, BUH, BUH BUUUUUCCANEERS!"), I doubt I will ever get tired of listening to this, the shining jewel of 2017's contribution to Rock/Metal.
So that's it for 2017...OR IS IT? Of course it fucking isn't! There are still Honourable Mentions to plough through! Here are five songs I almost included before they fell at the last hurdle...or in this immediate case, the first:
"Friends Are Family" - Oh, Hush feat. Will Arnett & Jeff Lewis
Another song off the soundtrack for The Lego Batman Movie. This is played during the closing credits and whilst you could argue that it may fall into the Pop Rock category, I decided to omit it from the main list because I felt like it was a little too close to Pop. However, I still love it to bits. It pisses all over "Everything Is Awesome" from The Lego Movie and actually does a solid job of echoing one of the film's main themes through a catchy chorus and a neat solo played by Alfred the butler...what, it is. Go watch the film and see!
"Head Like A Haunted House" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Yeah, I know I said I was torn between the dancey one and "The Evil Has Landed" but remember, these are Honourable Mentions, not an extension of my ten choices. I've already mentioned that song so now I'm mentioning this one! Villains had an eclectic mix of styles but this song stood out as one with a bit more character than the rest. It's wacky, sure, but it reminds me of 70s Punk what with the amplified bass and kooky sound effects. It's also a fun title, which is somewhat of an anomaly on a QOTSA album. I didn't include this in the main list for the same reason I didn't include "The Evil Has Landed"; I preferred "The Way You Used To Do". Plain and simple.
"Heartland" - Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown
This one's a bit of a late entry but it just made it in at the last minute. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite good enough for me to make the main list but it's still got some strong attributes such as the heavy fuzz and talented Mr Bryant. I don't know if I like the vocals during the chorus to say whether this song will make a stronger impression on me than some of the other songs I've heard this year but at the current time of writing this post, I like the track.
"Southern Trains" - The Darkness
As I said earlier, there were several tracks from Pinewood Smile that could've made this list but only one that I felt deserved an Honourable Mention. For those of you reading this in the UK who have ever been burdened by delayed trains, wasted hours in shitawful stations, disgusting toilets and cramped conditions due to annoying passengers you'd rather stab repeatedly than stand up for, this is the song for you. It's a celebration of everything terrible about the Southern train service in this country packaged as a fast paced Hard Rock/Heavy Metal number in vintage Darkness fashion. Enjoy!
"Thunder Child" - The Bad Flowers
Lastly, we have what I would describe as a solid filler track out of all 15 songs included here. It's got a good riff and a fun rhythm but it just doesn't land as well as the others for me. Maybe that's because I haven't given it as much of a chance as the others on this list although you could argue that songs like "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" and "Heavy Fire" did more to grab me by the short and curlies straight away, therefore having my full attention for the rest of the track. It's not a bad song and it might even be one of your favourites if you like standard Rock but for now, it's only worthy of an Honourable Mention from me.
And THAT is it for this blog in 2017. We've had some fun moments now and then (ABCs of Producers was a personal highlight) but the next time you'll be reading anything new on here will be 2018...unless you're spending your New Year's Eve going back over some of my older posts that you haven't read yet. If that is the case, I can't say I blame you; NYE is fucking shit and my blog's pretty underrated so it's only natural that you'd rather spend your last day of 2017 reading my unchained opinions on Rock/Metal instead of spending it partying with friends and family.
See you all on the other side!
As I've done in the past, this post isn't a reflection of the Top 10 songs of the year ranked according to sales, fan reception or even my personal opinion. Yes, I've chosen these songs based on my opinion and taste but I'm not listing them in any particular order. They're just ten songs I liked more than anything else I heard this year. If I've missed anything that you think I'd like or should at least draw attention to in the Honourable Mentions section later on, feel free to leave a comment or message me via Twitter.
But now it's time to find out which songs I enjoyed this year in between playing video games and being depressed!
1. "La Dee Da" - Foo Fighters
One of the big album releases this year was Concrete And Gold - Foo Fighters. If you didn't read my review of it, all you really need to know is it's terrible. It's a tepid affair full of bland, easily forgettable material...except the one track that stands out. "La Dee Da" is a fast paced proper Rock song that blows all the cobwebs of boredom formed by the gloomy Alternative dirge away. Granted it comes in the middle of the album so those cobwebs form again pretty quickly but it's still the highlight of the record and, in a year where great music was somewhat lacking, it's enough to make this list.
2. "She's $$$" - Kenny Wayne Shepherd
I feel like each year has to have at least one really good Blues Rock number and 2017 is no exception. Kenny Wayne Shepherd provided us with a track that took the rhythmic foundations of "Call Me The Breeze" - J.J. Cale and added some fancy instrumental sections, heavier percussion and new lyrics before presenting us with a catchy tune to tap your feet to. I'll even excuse the seemingly pointless use of "$$$" in the title when "She's Money" would've looked much better!
3. "Nowhere" - Cheap Trick
No, this isn't a track off Cheap Trick's mediocre Christmas album. It's off another album they released this year entitled We're All Alright that I neglected to review or even listen to. There may be better songs off the album but this one's not half bad. It's a punchy number that harks back to their early days as a rough-edged Rock outfit before they turned up the charm and churned out Dream Police. It's only a short tune but it's still an enjoyable one!
4. "Heavy Fire" - Black Star Riders
Whilst my favourite song off the latest Black Star Riders album came out last year, "Heavy Fire" is a close second which makes it number one for this year. It opens up with a thunderous riff before the rest of the band explode onto the scene and it only gets better from there. This is the kind of song that opens live shows with all guns blazing and I don't just mean shows promoting this album; this could be one of the band's most badass songs! It's just a shame they had to slow things down with an awkward middle section before bringing it back around with a heavy reprise but hey, at least they got 2/3 of the song spot on!
5. "Who's The (Bat) Man" - Patrick Stump
I'm not sure whether this technically counts (as it was a track on the soundtrack for The Lego Batman Movie) but since it functions as a song, I'm including it. Plus it's arguably heavier/more awesome than the majority of tracks in this post! If you haven't seen The Lego Batman Movie, it opens with an action scene involving Batman fighting all of his villains whilst rocking out to his Let's Go Nuts mix, featuring this song that he sings and apparently plays the guitar solo for too. It amplifies everything great about the scene in a way that's not only hilarious but also pretty damn epic, if you'll pardon the term. But here's the biggest surprise: the song is credited to Patrick Stump, lead vocalist/guitarist for Fall Out Boy. Yeah, the frontman for Fall Out Boy had this material up his fucking sleeve but instead resorts to whiny Emo shite for fake tattoo-sleeve wearing twelve year olds.
6. "The Last Song For My Resting Place" - Black Country Communion
I've heard a few decent Black Country Communion tracks but I'm making the active decision to not get into them on account of my personal hatred for Glenn Hughes. From what I hear, it's not just me who has a problem with him as Black Country Communion previously called it quits after a dispute between Glenn and guitarist, Joe Bonamassa. However, since then, they've decided to patch things up and record another album which speaks volumes about Joe's ability to forgive as there's no reason he needs to pause his solo career just to appease an egotistical tosser who's desperately trying to prove he's as talented as he thinks he is. Anyway, I listened to the album recently and it's passable at best. There are a couple of solid tracks including "The Crow", a song that shamelessly rips off "Bulls On Parade" - Rage Against The Machine but gets a pass from me purely because they made that RATM track better. However, "The Last Song For My Resting Place" is easily the highlight. It's an eight-minute emotional powerhouse that puts Glenn exactly where he needs to be; right at the back propping up a much more talented vocalist/musician (Joe Bonamassa) with bass and backing vocals.
7. "The Way You Used To Do" - Queens Of The Stone Age
The Foos weren't the only big American Rock band to release a new album this year! Queens Of The Stone Age delivered a new record with heavy Pop influences but still firmly in the Rock genre (review here). This song was the lead single and is probably the most enjoyable track out of the bunch, even if there are other tracks that are decent too. Josh Homme's guitarwork is relatively simplistic but when paired with the catchy rhythm, it's enough to carry the song from start to finish. I was torn between this track and "The Evil Has Landed", as that's another strong tune from Villains, but I went with this purely because I've found myself wanting to listen to it more than anything else off the album this year.
8. "(She Don't) Gimme No Lovin'" - King King
OK, this song would never top conventional Best Rock Songs Of 2017 lists on account of it being a little uninspired compared to some of the singles released this year but that's part of what makes it enjoyable. It's a good old fashioned Hard Rock track that sounds like it's cherry picked elements of Rock's biggest artists from the 70s and 80s, much like the song from School Of Rock that combined elements from AC/DC tracks to make an all-round crowd pleaser for kids and adults alike. This song feels like that without becoming tame so here it is!
9. "Taking The Blame" - Inglorious
From a paint-by-numbers "Rock" song to this hellraiser, Inglorious have good track record with fast paced, high octane Hard Rock so I wasn't surprised to hear another belter from them this year. I should really check their two albums out but for now, we're all presumably in the same boat of not really knowing an awful lot about them. Fans of my blog will know I'm a sucker for Riff-Based-Rock that doesn't take prisoners so "Taking The Blame" well and truly belongs on my list, although I'd like to give a special shout out to Phil Beaver for some cracking percussion in this song.
10. "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" - The Darkness
Well shit, I've done it again. I've left my favourite song until last even though I said I wasn't going to do any kind of ranking. Pinewood Smile was easily my favourite album of the year and out of all the songs I loved on it (believe me, there were several I was tempted to include), "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" is the one I played most of all. Opinions on falsetto singing and comical lyrics aside, The Darkness have proven in the last couple of years that they know how to record a bitchin' tune when they want to and that's exactly what this song is. It's loaded with heavy riffs, sweet solos and awesome vocals. It's the kind of song that wouldn't sound out of place blasted from the heavens as you stormed into the most epic of battles and even though I would probably prefer it a little more if I could slightly tweak the outro vocals (where Justin sings "BUUUH, BUUUH, BUH-BUH, BUH, BUH BUUUUUCCANEERS!"), I doubt I will ever get tired of listening to this, the shining jewel of 2017's contribution to Rock/Metal.
So that's it for 2017...OR IS IT? Of course it fucking isn't! There are still Honourable Mentions to plough through! Here are five songs I almost included before they fell at the last hurdle...or in this immediate case, the first:
"Friends Are Family" - Oh, Hush feat. Will Arnett & Jeff Lewis
Another song off the soundtrack for The Lego Batman Movie. This is played during the closing credits and whilst you could argue that it may fall into the Pop Rock category, I decided to omit it from the main list because I felt like it was a little too close to Pop. However, I still love it to bits. It pisses all over "Everything Is Awesome" from The Lego Movie and actually does a solid job of echoing one of the film's main themes through a catchy chorus and a neat solo played by Alfred the butler...what, it is. Go watch the film and see!
"Head Like A Haunted House" - Queens Of The Stone Age
Yeah, I know I said I was torn between the dancey one and "The Evil Has Landed" but remember, these are Honourable Mentions, not an extension of my ten choices. I've already mentioned that song so now I'm mentioning this one! Villains had an eclectic mix of styles but this song stood out as one with a bit more character than the rest. It's wacky, sure, but it reminds me of 70s Punk what with the amplified bass and kooky sound effects. It's also a fun title, which is somewhat of an anomaly on a QOTSA album. I didn't include this in the main list for the same reason I didn't include "The Evil Has Landed"; I preferred "The Way You Used To Do". Plain and simple.
"Heartland" - Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown
This one's a bit of a late entry but it just made it in at the last minute. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite good enough for me to make the main list but it's still got some strong attributes such as the heavy fuzz and talented Mr Bryant. I don't know if I like the vocals during the chorus to say whether this song will make a stronger impression on me than some of the other songs I've heard this year but at the current time of writing this post, I like the track.
"Southern Trains" - The Darkness
As I said earlier, there were several tracks from Pinewood Smile that could've made this list but only one that I felt deserved an Honourable Mention. For those of you reading this in the UK who have ever been burdened by delayed trains, wasted hours in shitawful stations, disgusting toilets and cramped conditions due to annoying passengers you'd rather stab repeatedly than stand up for, this is the song for you. It's a celebration of everything terrible about the Southern train service in this country packaged as a fast paced Hard Rock/Heavy Metal number in vintage Darkness fashion. Enjoy!
"Thunder Child" - The Bad Flowers
Lastly, we have what I would describe as a solid filler track out of all 15 songs included here. It's got a good riff and a fun rhythm but it just doesn't land as well as the others for me. Maybe that's because I haven't given it as much of a chance as the others on this list although you could argue that songs like "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" and "Heavy Fire" did more to grab me by the short and curlies straight away, therefore having my full attention for the rest of the track. It's not a bad song and it might even be one of your favourites if you like standard Rock but for now, it's only worthy of an Honourable Mention from me.
And THAT is it for this blog in 2017. We've had some fun moments now and then (ABCs of Producers was a personal highlight) but the next time you'll be reading anything new on here will be 2018...unless you're spending your New Year's Eve going back over some of my older posts that you haven't read yet. If that is the case, I can't say I blame you; NYE is fucking shit and my blog's pretty underrated so it's only natural that you'd rather spend your last day of 2017 reading my unchained opinions on Rock/Metal instead of spending it partying with friends and family.
See you all on the other side!
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!
Sunday, 17 December 2017
Tenology: Valuable Vocalists In Rock/Metal
Here we are! The end of this four-part Tenology collection looking at impressive musicians who take on the four main roles of any great Rock/Metal outfit. We've covered guitarists, drummers and bassists so far so vocalists are finally getting their time in the spotlight...you know, apart from all the time when they're on stage.
As I feel obliged to mention whenever I write a Tenology post, this is not the equivalent of posts proclaiming that Vocalists 1-10 are THE best in Rock and/or Metal, nor is it my personal top 10 list of all time. There are almost certainly going to be talented vocalists that I overlook when writing this (I'm still kicking myself for completely missing a fucking awesome bassist in my last post. I might go back and edit it soon) but as the name suggests, this is merely a 10-person list of vocalists whom I would place on a pedestal.
If I've missed any shining stars that you believe deserve a space more than some of my other entries, feel free to let me know in the comments or via Twitter. However, if they've appeared in previous blog posts for their talents as a different musician (e.g. Geddy Lee of Rush) then you won't find them here, although chances are I value them as a vocalist if they can play and sing simultaneously. Also, be aware that there are some vocalists I have intentionally left out because I personally believe that when it comes to singing, they're a bit shit (or at best, overrated). Here are some of them!
Ozzy Osbourne
Mick Jagger
Bruce Springsteen
Janis Joplin
Bob Dylan
Serj Tankian
Blaze Bayley
Axl Rose
Right, now that we've got that unpleasantness out of the way, let's look at the valuable vocalists!
1. Paul Rodgers
I don't usually write these posts in order of personal ranking but I felt like I had to start this list off on a strong note, so to speak. Paul Rodgers has been in quite a few groups over the years (notably Free and Bad Company, although he also recorded an album with Queen) but I'm mostly counting Paul's contributions as the Bad Company frontman for his placement here. The man's voice is simply incredible; smooth and soulful but able to fully Rock at the drop of a hat. Some of the bands big hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Electricland" showcase his ability to flawlessly flip between two different singing styles but if you need even more proof, go and see him perform live. The fact that the man can still belt out the classics after four decades as if he were in the studio laying them down for the first time is the sign of an incredible vocalist.
2. Klaus Meine
Compared to some vocalists, Klaus Meine probably isn't the first choice for a list of undeniably talented Rock/Metal frontmen but to me, there is no Scorpions without Klaus Meine. His raw vocals are synonymous with the band's own blend of Heavy Metal, whether it's in the band's iconic anthems ("Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Wind Of Change") or lesser known deep cuts ("Catch Your Train", "Another Piece Of Meat"). To me, the sign of a strong Rock/Metal vocalist is the ability to use the sound of their singing voice as its own instrument unique to that band. Some of the vocal melodies sung by Klaus give the songs that extra push that separates them from generic material by other 70s/80s Metal bands, hence his inclusion here.
3. Sean Harris
It's hard to compare the works of former Diamond Head vocalist Sean Harris to the rest of the entries on this list when you factor in that most iconic and well respected Rock/Metal vocalists have had many, many albums to hone their ability and make a splash on the music scene. However, the fact that Sean's only had a couple of albums worth of decent material to show how great he is only adds to my admiration of the man. There was a time when he was hailed as the next Robert Plant and after listening to such tunes as "It's Electric" and "Trick Or Treat", I can understand why. I'm hesitant to describe his singing as "wailing" because it sounds like criticism but if you've ever listened to the band, you'll know what I mean. His vocal work isn't as harsh or aggressive as you'd expect from a Metal band but it still works incredibly well. It's a shame these guys didn't get a bigger break as I imagine we only scratched the surface of what Sean Harris would've been truly capable of.
4. Steve Perry
Whilst I'm not the biggest Journey fan on the planet, I would defend Steve Perry's inclusion on this list for one song and one song alone. Naturally he's a great vocalist on a wide range of Journey's material but whenever I think of his work, I always find myself drawn to one clear example of what I would consider his finest hour: "Keep On Runnin'". It's the kind of song that would inspire me to learn to sing just so I could blast it out without sounding like a completely tone-deaf wannabe although I doubt any amount of practise would make me capable of matching his vocals. The verses Rock extra hard because of his singing and the chorus is driven by the sheer power of his voice alone. Your average music fan will probably be impressed by his work on "Don't Stop Believing" and "Open Arms" but seriously, listen to "Keep On Runnin'" if you haven't already and tell me that this guy doesn't have pipes of fucking gold.
5. Stevie Nicks
The first woman to appear on these Tenology posts although she's not the only one worthy enough to grace this list (hint hint). Fleetwood Mac has had a few vocalists but none as significant as Stevie Nicks. Stevie's stage presence and, most importantly, her voice gave the band a specific image; one of mysticism without going into full weird territory like some Prog Rock bands. Female vocalists like Lizzy Hale and Ann Wilson succeed in bringing power to songs through conventional means but Stevie Nicks achieves that same level of pure Rock through her haunting, raspy vocals that were easily responsible for putting Fleetwood Mac on the map. The whole Rumours album is essential listening if you want to hear some of her best work but there's also signature songs from her solo career, even if you think "Edge Of Seventeen" is a bit dull when it comes to the structure.
6. Phil Lynott
I know I mentioned Phil Lynott in the honourable mentions of the bassist blog post BUT he didn't make the main cut so technically he's still a contender for this one. The main reason I didn't give Phil a proper place in the bassist post is because I believe he was a much greater vocalist than a bassist, hence his inclusion here. I mean, his voice was just so fucking cool! When he sung about "the boys" (and let's face it, he sung about 'em quite a bit!), you got the impression that he was not just one of them but one of the more badass ones. At the risk of sounding repetitive, Phil was also skilled at adapting his voice to suit softer or less powerful Rock songs ("Sarah", "Don't Believe A Word") and heavier, fast paced powerhouses ("Cold Sweat", "Angel Of Death"). His voice was so unique, so irreplaceable that his death effectively killed Thin Lizzy once the rest of the band realised there would be no Thin Lizzy without him. Granted they then formed Black Star Riders but if Phil didn't have his incredible voice, you can bet that they would've stuck with the original band name.
7. Biff Byford
It's no secret that Saxon are one of my favourite bands of all time AND that I feel they're one of the few proper Rock/Metal bands in existence that have only improved with age. If you listen to rerecordings of their classics, they sound so much heavier without losing part of what made Saxon incredible and the main reason for that is Biff Byford's raw vocals. Some of the vocalists here will never be able to recreate the magic they captured in the recording studio all those years ago but to actually surpass it many, many years later is a talent that Biff deserves way more credit for. And yes, his voice is awesome in every single Saxon song that I've heard so far; the perfect Heavy Metal vocals for a band as great as Saxon. I recommend checking out some of the rerecordings on the Heavy Metal Thunder compilation as well as the original recordings to hear how Biff's voice has remained incredible since the early 80s.
8. James Hetfield
Whilst Hetfield may have gone down in my books on a personal level due to his refusal to flat out denounce Trump (claiming that politics separates people and indirectly stating that he's totally OK with Nazis and shitheads getting joy out of his music), he's still right near the top on a professional level. To me, any vocalist who can play an instrument whilst singing without fucking up either task has a great amount of skill but the fact that James can shred out some pretty fucking heavy riffs from Metallica's back catalogue whilst belting out each line is something I will always admire. James Hetfield is also notable for being one of many singers to be affected by puberty in the 90s, as the rage filled vocals from Metallica's first four Thrash albums gradually sunk into a deeper (but still powerful) tone. However, if you listen to live footage, it's clear that James still has the ability to keep up with his past self so at the very least, he's not the worst member of his own band...aaaand that's all I'm gonna say about that on this post!
9. Eddie Vedder
I'll admit, I wasn't sure if I was going to choose Eddie Vedder or Chris Cornell for this post. Whilst I like both vocalists a great deal, I think I had to give it to Eddie purely because I'd rather belt out Pearl Jam tracks than Soundgarden ones. Both vocalists have a similar 90s Grunge style to their voice but to me, Eddie's classic drones make for more pleasurable listening than Chris' passionate shouting. I also admire Eddie for adapting his voice with the band's sound from typical Grunge based vocals to modern Alternative ones without compromising the overall quality. There's something uniquely primal about some of his vocals in tracks like "Animal" and "Jeremy" that encapsulates exactly what Rock is about; releasing the beast. That's why Eddie's here!
10. Bruce Dickinson
If you've been keeping up with these Tenology posts so far, you'll know I've listed at least one member of Iron Maiden in each post so far and with bloody good reason. They are my number one favourite band and I firmly believe that each member brings their own skills to the table to create a unified, incredible sound. However, if you have to single out one driving force behind the band's success (and you don't know about Steve Harris), you'll probably pick Bruce Dickinson due to his operatic, screeching vocals that propelled the band away from the Punk sound they were dangerously close to solidifying with in their first two albums. Bruce has a supreme vocal range, great songwriting talents and knows how to be a top notch (if not slightly outspoken) frontman. Final cherry on top? The guy had throat cancer not long ago and kicked it right in the fucking cunt before releasing a brand new Iron Maiden studio album AND going on tour to promote it. Top bloke indeed.
So those are the ten vocalists I've selected but that's not to say there aren't other great vocalists who leapt to the front of my mind as I was thinking about great voices in the world of Rock/Metal. Here are some slightly fleshed out Honourable Mentions along with reasons why I didn't choose them to be listed up above.
Ronnie James Dio
Arguably the greatest voice in all of Metal and quite possibly one of the most talented, considering he's been in three iconic Rock/Metal bands (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) along with several smaller outfits. Out of the three main bands he's been a part of, I'd rate his tenure with Black Sabbath at number one simply because his vocals had all the power with none of the...hmmm, how should I put this...pomposity? There's something a bit ridiculous about some of his vocals in Rainbow and Dio tunes as if he took himself a little bit too seriously. It takes me out of the music when I hear him trying to vocally simulate the sound of a door slamming or shouting "NO! NO!" over and over again. He was a great vocalist but a little too absurd at times.
Chris Cornell
I've already gone into a bit of detail about why I chose Eddie Vedder over Chris Cornell for the main list but come on, I couldn't just completely ignore him. I wrote a Rapid Fire post looking at three albums by three bands/projects Chris Cornell sung in after he died where I praised his voice and songwriting abilities as half the reason why Audioslave are worth listening to. The guy's influence is peppered throughout modern Rock (notably Shinedown) and similar to Anthony Kiedis, Chris' vocals are much better when he's singing softer songs. However, since I prefer Soundgarden to his solo work, I feel like I never got the best out of the guy based on what I've heard.
Brad Delp
Boston definitely aren't one of my favourite bands but their debut is easily one of my all-time favourite albums. I've talked about why various times but I feel like I haven't really focused too much on Brad Delp's contributions to it. Sure, he had a sweet sounding voice but there's some genuine talent buried beneath the music. Take "More Than A Feeling" and that section before the final chorus where Brad hits that high "slipped away"; that's fucking impressive, especially with how long he holds it for. The main reason he isn't in the list above is simply that I feel other vocalists deserved it more with their wider selection of records and talents that were showcased, but I still think Brad Delp deserves a shout out here.
Grace Slick
Similar to Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane also had shared vocalist duties that most people will probably agree was easily dominated by the sheer talent of the female artist. However, whilst Stevie Nicks rocked the mystic, Classic Rock oriented vocals, Grace Slick locked down the psychedelic style and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she helped inspire Stevie's stage presence too. Overall, I couldn't deny that Stevie was the superior vocalist but tracks like "White Rabbit", "Somebody To Love", "Law Man" and even backing vocals in "Volunteers" showcase an incredible voice at work, I felt like this voice didn't quite match some of the others in the list above.
Roger Taylor
Yeah, I picked one of the OTHER band members who shared vocalist duties from Queen. There are two reasons for this. 1) We all know Freddie Mercury was an amazing vocalist, probably one of (if not THE) best in this list. I didn't feel the need to place him here when I felt like other vocalists deserved more recognition or my personal take on why they're great although yes, I do think Freddie was a fantastic frontman. 2) Some of you may not know that Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor, took the helm for a few tracks and did a pretty fucking great job. Songs like "I'm In Love With My Car", "Rock It (Prime Jive)", "More Of That Jazz" and (my personal favourite) "Fight From The Inside" all feature Roger on lead vocals and whilst Freddie will always be instantly more recognisable as a vocalist and frontman, I personally believe Roger successfully held his own and provided a more aggressive side to the Rock band that Freddie could never quite pull off to the same degree. However, since Roger isn't exactly the band's main vocalist in the same way that everyone else in the post is, I felt Honourable Mention was the best place to shine a light on Roger Taylor's vocal work.
So that's my list of valuable vocalists in Rock/Metal! I hope you enjoyed reading and waiting two months at a time for each Tenology related to band members. Next year, I might revisit these in some format but for now, all four key band members have been accounted for!
COMING SOON: I dunno, maybe something Christmassy. Probably not though.
As I feel obliged to mention whenever I write a Tenology post, this is not the equivalent of posts proclaiming that Vocalists 1-10 are THE best in Rock and/or Metal, nor is it my personal top 10 list of all time. There are almost certainly going to be talented vocalists that I overlook when writing this (I'm still kicking myself for completely missing a fucking awesome bassist in my last post. I might go back and edit it soon) but as the name suggests, this is merely a 10-person list of vocalists whom I would place on a pedestal.
If I've missed any shining stars that you believe deserve a space more than some of my other entries, feel free to let me know in the comments or via Twitter. However, if they've appeared in previous blog posts for their talents as a different musician (e.g. Geddy Lee of Rush) then you won't find them here, although chances are I value them as a vocalist if they can play and sing simultaneously. Also, be aware that there are some vocalists I have intentionally left out because I personally believe that when it comes to singing, they're a bit shit (or at best, overrated). Here are some of them!
Ozzy Osbourne
Mick Jagger
Bruce Springsteen
Janis Joplin
Bob Dylan
Serj Tankian
Blaze Bayley
Axl Rose
Right, now that we've got that unpleasantness out of the way, let's look at the valuable vocalists!
1. Paul Rodgers
Largely responsible for one of the best live shows I've ever been to
I don't usually write these posts in order of personal ranking but I felt like I had to start this list off on a strong note, so to speak. Paul Rodgers has been in quite a few groups over the years (notably Free and Bad Company, although he also recorded an album with Queen) but I'm mostly counting Paul's contributions as the Bad Company frontman for his placement here. The man's voice is simply incredible; smooth and soulful but able to fully Rock at the drop of a hat. Some of the bands big hits such as "Feel Like Makin' Love" and "Electricland" showcase his ability to flawlessly flip between two different singing styles but if you need even more proof, go and see him perform live. The fact that the man can still belt out the classics after four decades as if he were in the studio laying them down for the first time is the sign of an incredible vocalist.
2. Klaus Meine
No, this isn't Ronnie James Dio
Compared to some vocalists, Klaus Meine probably isn't the first choice for a list of undeniably talented Rock/Metal frontmen but to me, there is no Scorpions without Klaus Meine. His raw vocals are synonymous with the band's own blend of Heavy Metal, whether it's in the band's iconic anthems ("Rock You Like A Hurricane", "Wind Of Change") or lesser known deep cuts ("Catch Your Train", "Another Piece Of Meat"). To me, the sign of a strong Rock/Metal vocalist is the ability to use the sound of their singing voice as its own instrument unique to that band. Some of the vocal melodies sung by Klaus give the songs that extra push that separates them from generic material by other 70s/80s Metal bands, hence his inclusion here.
3. Sean Harris
In an alternate universe, this guy is as popular as everyone else on this list
It's hard to compare the works of former Diamond Head vocalist Sean Harris to the rest of the entries on this list when you factor in that most iconic and well respected Rock/Metal vocalists have had many, many albums to hone their ability and make a splash on the music scene. However, the fact that Sean's only had a couple of albums worth of decent material to show how great he is only adds to my admiration of the man. There was a time when he was hailed as the next Robert Plant and after listening to such tunes as "It's Electric" and "Trick Or Treat", I can understand why. I'm hesitant to describe his singing as "wailing" because it sounds like criticism but if you've ever listened to the band, you'll know what I mean. His vocal work isn't as harsh or aggressive as you'd expect from a Metal band but it still works incredibly well. It's a shame these guys didn't get a bigger break as I imagine we only scratched the surface of what Sean Harris would've been truly capable of.
4. Steve Perry
Not sure if this guy counts as "underrated" but if there's a tier just behind that, this guy's in it
Whilst I'm not the biggest Journey fan on the planet, I would defend Steve Perry's inclusion on this list for one song and one song alone. Naturally he's a great vocalist on a wide range of Journey's material but whenever I think of his work, I always find myself drawn to one clear example of what I would consider his finest hour: "Keep On Runnin'". It's the kind of song that would inspire me to learn to sing just so I could blast it out without sounding like a completely tone-deaf wannabe although I doubt any amount of practise would make me capable of matching his vocals. The verses Rock extra hard because of his singing and the chorus is driven by the sheer power of his voice alone. Your average music fan will probably be impressed by his work on "Don't Stop Believing" and "Open Arms" but seriously, listen to "Keep On Runnin'" if you haven't already and tell me that this guy doesn't have pipes of fucking gold.
5. Stevie Nicks
From Steve to Stevie. If Aerosmith were a bit better, I could've had the hat trick
The first woman to appear on these Tenology posts although she's not the only one worthy enough to grace this list (hint hint). Fleetwood Mac has had a few vocalists but none as significant as Stevie Nicks. Stevie's stage presence and, most importantly, her voice gave the band a specific image; one of mysticism without going into full weird territory like some Prog Rock bands. Female vocalists like Lizzy Hale and Ann Wilson succeed in bringing power to songs through conventional means but Stevie Nicks achieves that same level of pure Rock through her haunting, raspy vocals that were easily responsible for putting Fleetwood Mac on the map. The whole Rumours album is essential listening if you want to hear some of her best work but there's also signature songs from her solo career, even if you think "Edge Of Seventeen" is a bit dull when it comes to the structure.
6. Phil Lynott
Photography 101: black and white makes everything better
I know I mentioned Phil Lynott in the honourable mentions of the bassist blog post BUT he didn't make the main cut so technically he's still a contender for this one. The main reason I didn't give Phil a proper place in the bassist post is because I believe he was a much greater vocalist than a bassist, hence his inclusion here. I mean, his voice was just so fucking cool! When he sung about "the boys" (and let's face it, he sung about 'em quite a bit!), you got the impression that he was not just one of them but one of the more badass ones. At the risk of sounding repetitive, Phil was also skilled at adapting his voice to suit softer or less powerful Rock songs ("Sarah", "Don't Believe A Word") and heavier, fast paced powerhouses ("Cold Sweat", "Angel Of Death"). His voice was so unique, so irreplaceable that his death effectively killed Thin Lizzy once the rest of the band realised there would be no Thin Lizzy without him. Granted they then formed Black Star Riders but if Phil didn't have his incredible voice, you can bet that they would've stuck with the original band name.
7. Biff Byford
Now THAT's a name and a half!
It's no secret that Saxon are one of my favourite bands of all time AND that I feel they're one of the few proper Rock/Metal bands in existence that have only improved with age. If you listen to rerecordings of their classics, they sound so much heavier without losing part of what made Saxon incredible and the main reason for that is Biff Byford's raw vocals. Some of the vocalists here will never be able to recreate the magic they captured in the recording studio all those years ago but to actually surpass it many, many years later is a talent that Biff deserves way more credit for. And yes, his voice is awesome in every single Saxon song that I've heard so far; the perfect Heavy Metal vocals for a band as great as Saxon. I recommend checking out some of the rerecordings on the Heavy Metal Thunder compilation as well as the original recordings to hear how Biff's voice has remained incredible since the early 80s.
8. James Hetfield
Ugh, Metallica. Right? Am I cool yet?
Whilst Hetfield may have gone down in my books on a personal level due to his refusal to flat out denounce Trump (claiming that politics separates people and indirectly stating that he's totally OK with Nazis and shitheads getting joy out of his music), he's still right near the top on a professional level. To me, any vocalist who can play an instrument whilst singing without fucking up either task has a great amount of skill but the fact that James can shred out some pretty fucking heavy riffs from Metallica's back catalogue whilst belting out each line is something I will always admire. James Hetfield is also notable for being one of many singers to be affected by puberty in the 90s, as the rage filled vocals from Metallica's first four Thrash albums gradually sunk into a deeper (but still powerful) tone. However, if you listen to live footage, it's clear that James still has the ability to keep up with his past self so at the very least, he's not the worst member of his own band...aaaand that's all I'm gonna say about that on this post!
9. Eddie Vedder
I'm usually the first to criticise vocalists with an acoustic guitar and stool on stage but I'll make an exception here
I'll admit, I wasn't sure if I was going to choose Eddie Vedder or Chris Cornell for this post. Whilst I like both vocalists a great deal, I think I had to give it to Eddie purely because I'd rather belt out Pearl Jam tracks than Soundgarden ones. Both vocalists have a similar 90s Grunge style to their voice but to me, Eddie's classic drones make for more pleasurable listening than Chris' passionate shouting. I also admire Eddie for adapting his voice with the band's sound from typical Grunge based vocals to modern Alternative ones without compromising the overall quality. There's something uniquely primal about some of his vocals in tracks like "Animal" and "Jeremy" that encapsulates exactly what Rock is about; releasing the beast. That's why Eddie's here!
10. Bruce Dickinson
Nearly made it to the end without mentioning Iron Maiden...but that was never gonna happen
If you've been keeping up with these Tenology posts so far, you'll know I've listed at least one member of Iron Maiden in each post so far and with bloody good reason. They are my number one favourite band and I firmly believe that each member brings their own skills to the table to create a unified, incredible sound. However, if you have to single out one driving force behind the band's success (and you don't know about Steve Harris), you'll probably pick Bruce Dickinson due to his operatic, screeching vocals that propelled the band away from the Punk sound they were dangerously close to solidifying with in their first two albums. Bruce has a supreme vocal range, great songwriting talents and knows how to be a top notch (if not slightly outspoken) frontman. Final cherry on top? The guy had throat cancer not long ago and kicked it right in the fucking cunt before releasing a brand new Iron Maiden studio album AND going on tour to promote it. Top bloke indeed.
So those are the ten vocalists I've selected but that's not to say there aren't other great vocalists who leapt to the front of my mind as I was thinking about great voices in the world of Rock/Metal. Here are some slightly fleshed out Honourable Mentions along with reasons why I didn't choose them to be listed up above.
Ronnie James Dio
No, this isn't Klaus Meine
Arguably the greatest voice in all of Metal and quite possibly one of the most talented, considering he's been in three iconic Rock/Metal bands (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) along with several smaller outfits. Out of the three main bands he's been a part of, I'd rate his tenure with Black Sabbath at number one simply because his vocals had all the power with none of the...hmmm, how should I put this...pomposity? There's something a bit ridiculous about some of his vocals in Rainbow and Dio tunes as if he took himself a little bit too seriously. It takes me out of the music when I hear him trying to vocally simulate the sound of a door slamming or shouting "NO! NO!" over and over again. He was a great vocalist but a little too absurd at times.
Chris Cornell
"Come at me, bruh"
I've already gone into a bit of detail about why I chose Eddie Vedder over Chris Cornell for the main list but come on, I couldn't just completely ignore him. I wrote a Rapid Fire post looking at three albums by three bands/projects Chris Cornell sung in after he died where I praised his voice and songwriting abilities as half the reason why Audioslave are worth listening to. The guy's influence is peppered throughout modern Rock (notably Shinedown) and similar to Anthony Kiedis, Chris' vocals are much better when he's singing softer songs. However, since I prefer Soundgarden to his solo work, I feel like I never got the best out of the guy based on what I've heard.
Brad Delp
Another great vocalist who took his own life
Boston definitely aren't one of my favourite bands but their debut is easily one of my all-time favourite albums. I've talked about why various times but I feel like I haven't really focused too much on Brad Delp's contributions to it. Sure, he had a sweet sounding voice but there's some genuine talent buried beneath the music. Take "More Than A Feeling" and that section before the final chorus where Brad hits that high "slipped away"; that's fucking impressive, especially with how long he holds it for. The main reason he isn't in the list above is simply that I feel other vocalists deserved it more with their wider selection of records and talents that were showcased, but I still think Brad Delp deserves a shout out here.
Grace Slick
Get it? "GRACE this list"???
Similar to Fleetwood Mac, Jefferson Airplane also had shared vocalist duties that most people will probably agree was easily dominated by the sheer talent of the female artist. However, whilst Stevie Nicks rocked the mystic, Classic Rock oriented vocals, Grace Slick locked down the psychedelic style and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she helped inspire Stevie's stage presence too. Overall, I couldn't deny that Stevie was the superior vocalist but tracks like "White Rabbit", "Somebody To Love", "Law Man" and even backing vocals in "Volunteers" showcase an incredible voice at work, I felt like this voice didn't quite match some of the others in the list above.
Roger Taylor
Just give me a paragraph to explain myself, that's all I ask!
Yeah, I picked one of the OTHER band members who shared vocalist duties from Queen. There are two reasons for this. 1) We all know Freddie Mercury was an amazing vocalist, probably one of (if not THE) best in this list. I didn't feel the need to place him here when I felt like other vocalists deserved more recognition or my personal take on why they're great although yes, I do think Freddie was a fantastic frontman. 2) Some of you may not know that Queen's drummer, Roger Taylor, took the helm for a few tracks and did a pretty fucking great job. Songs like "I'm In Love With My Car", "Rock It (Prime Jive)", "More Of That Jazz" and (my personal favourite) "Fight From The Inside" all feature Roger on lead vocals and whilst Freddie will always be instantly more recognisable as a vocalist and frontman, I personally believe Roger successfully held his own and provided a more aggressive side to the Rock band that Freddie could never quite pull off to the same degree. However, since Roger isn't exactly the band's main vocalist in the same way that everyone else in the post is, I felt Honourable Mention was the best place to shine a light on Roger Taylor's vocal work.
So that's my list of valuable vocalists in Rock/Metal! I hope you enjoyed reading and waiting two months at a time for each Tenology related to band members. Next year, I might revisit these in some format but for now, all four key band members have been accounted for!
COMING SOON: I dunno, maybe something Christmassy. Probably not though.
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