"Cortez the Killer" - Neil Young

When you need something low down and thoughtful, then look no further than Neil Young. He has hardly any positive songs, but that is the secret to the Neil Young recipe, there is a certain unexplainable loneliness to his music especially from the 1970s work he is mainly known for, from there he goes through a lackluster experimental stage, comes back to his core sound for the 1990s, and then back to doing what he wants musically no matter the good, the bad or the ugly. Still, I have an immense fondness for his music, I like the homey and raw sound of his vocals, the guitar playing that puts your mind at ease, the lyrical content that bounces between being right for your throat ("Rockin in the Free World") and the more shrouded lyricism that still shouts from the rooftops ("Powderfinger"). Today, we have chosen "Cortez the Killer" from his 1975 album Zuma alongside his long time recording partner Crazy Horse. When you see Neil Young AND Crazy Horse, you know that the album is going to be good and gritty, just how dog intended it. "Cortez the Killer" is the crown jewel off the album, and by many, the song is considered one of Neil Young's most important and lasting. Much like some of the material we hear from Neil Young's massive discography, we have a note of the historical side, and this time focusing on the Spanish conquest of the Aztec's in the 16th century. A pretty heavy song, in a pretty heavy topic but that is Neil Young through and through, and he did it well melding both historical events and his own touch of personality behind the pen. My favorite thing about the track is just how mellow the song starts off, you could have just finished a Cannibal Corpse album that sent your heart rate to the roof and then BOOM this song kicks off, and you instantly let your hair out and melt into your chair. A long set up much in Neil Young style that eventually consumes your attention and has you daydreaming, yet still you feel this unease from the music, something you cannot put your finger on, something powerful and so sad almost like this guitar intro is playing in the back of your head as you watch a hearse drive down the road. Speaking of that guitar intro, it is often ranked fairly high in the "greatest guitar solos" section on magazines and websites, though how could it not? Sometimes it isn't about shredding or being Eddie Van Halen, sometimes it is about moving you to the core and altering the chemicals in your brain. Once again, the power of music is something inexplainable by the common man. Eventually, the intro moves into the lyrics I mentioned before and that homey feeling that Neil Young always brings to the table with his iconic singing. This song is quite literally perfect through and through, there is so much character that fills its 7:30 playtime, one of those songs that never grow stale no matter how many times you get lost in its auditory folds. There are plenty of great songs from Zuma, many of which keep this feeling, but "Cortez the Killer" is immensely emotionally powerful. I had this song playing while packing up the last of my belongings before moving. Moving is a strange thing, but an important step to spiritual growth. It is equally scary and exciting, both so sad but also so happy, the kind of stuff that keeps you up at night yet you wake up with a new found resolve on seeing life through. It has been a goal of mine for so long to move out of the city that I once loved, and I did love Orem, I really did, but did is the important word there. I can't tell if I outgrew it, or it outgrew me, but we will not miss each other too much, its lifestyle and vision doesn't need my kind around. So here I am in Salt Lake City, and I couldn't ask for a better final song of the day to see me off than Neil Young. A song about hate, war, love, regret, and resolve. A song that is as lonesome as it is loved. A song that hollows out the soul to replace it with something beautiful. Give the track a spin, and you will feel it, I promise. Don't just play it while you load up another match of Overwatch, I mean really listen to the song, feel it and breathe it. Go on a drive and play it in silence with the windows up, no matter the weather. Sit back and really take the song in, this is the kind of song that needs to be felt and understood. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1975
Album: Zuma (1975)
Genre: Rock
Mood: Hollow, Dusty
Perfect For: Thinking, Drinking, Driving, Smoking, Overlooks, Outdoors, Heartaches
Where To Next: "Lost and Lonely Feelin'" - Crazy Horse
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Rating: 10 / 10

"Deadnight Warrior" - Children of Bodom

I am back online! Sorry for the absence, I was moving, but we are rocking into the night once more! Children of Bodom struts one of the most celebrated careers in melodic death metal, some of what makes them such a powerhouse in the scene is due to their leaning on other metal genres to make a truly unique and addictive sound. I first came across them while playing through the unique and AMAZING video game Brutal Legend. Not to go off on a side tangent, but man, did that game thrust my musical tastes into overdrive! Many of the songs that filled that track listing still hold some of my all-time favorites! Such a unique game that is rivaled by nobody, it is a shame that it went under the radar, but that seems to be Double Fine's creed. I have a core memory of being a budding metal head currently abusing Kill em All by Metallica and a Megadeth compilation called Warchest, and then that Christmas, my family got our first PS3 and one of the titles that my loving mother bought alongside it was Brutal Legend. Even thinking about first loading that sucker up, the great introduction with Jack Black, and the art style gives me chills to this day, my nipples are hard right here right now. While it is sort of a buggy game and maybe some of the combat system was unfair, it was within the story, art style, and most importantly the music which was so powerful that it forever changed my path as a human being. It gave me a taste of so many metal styles that ranged in styles and decades, it gave me a platform and basing for my aspiring metal mania and a general vision of what kind of dressing style I want for years to come. Man, that game really did so much for me, and I still rip off sayings and things from the game to this day. If I never played that game, I really doubt I would be here today typing about Children of Bodom. Within that game's outstanding track listing rested "Angels Don't Kill" which still holds its place as my favorite song of theirs. Nothing like flying through a metal wasteland while that song is blaring from your hot rods speakers! Alright alright, I am sure there will be a ton more mentioning of Brutal Legend, but for now we move back into Children of Bodom. Their sound is unlike anyone else sat the time, their debut Something Wild came out in 1997, and we finally had a taste of what power metal and death metal might sound like when they committed war crimes on your ears. "Deadnight Warrior" is one of the best tracks off the album, but that isn't saying too much since almost every single song is a zinger. That debut is fucking great, it is easy to see why the band is one of Finland's highest selling artists. They went along to unleash album after album of kickassery, throwing in some thrash backings here and some black metal there, but one thing is safe to say and that they have almost completely great albums! The material from the 1990s and 2000s is a goldmine, and the later stuff really kicks your ass into gear, even if the band sort of fell out of the limelight aside from their home country. "Deadnight Warrior" is a 3-minute piece that has you rattling your god-damned head at high speed! The classic Children of Bodom eerie intro gets your hairs standing up before the drums come in and kick you in the nards. Can you think of a band that is this heavy but still finds a comfy home for keyboards?! (just forget that Rammstein exists for a second, thanks) The wonderful melding of genres is felt strongly here, by the middle part of the song you have some epic piracy guitar riffage, and it strangely doesn't even slightly rub you wrong. It is hard in the metal world to keep a more hardcore based image while melding in some of the more fantasy themes, but Children of Bodom does it without an apology letter. They give you a sound that works while working out, driving fast, curb stomping someone, and shopping at your local tabletop miniatures shop all at the same time. A great and unique band that reaches far and wide in the metal community due to their style that incorporates a ton of different genres into the remorseless swing of the scythe. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1997
Album: Something Wild (1997)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Mood: Epic, Haunting 
Perfect For: Painting miniatures, Reading a fantasy novel, Thrashing and Bashing
Where To Next: "Blinded By Fear" - At the Gates
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Better Man" - Pearl Jam

Today we talk of Pearl Jam once again, a band that defined my teenage years and still serves as a safe refuge for my ears. I am ultra fond of the band's first 3 albums and the singles that surround them. And while their other studio albums have multiple great tracks, and I am never disappointed by an album, there is something truly special about the first couple. "Better Man" is a song that really doesn't need much of an introduction, you would have to be deaf to not have heard it once in your life. Locally, the popular hard rock radio channel Rock 106.7 seems to abuse the hell out of Pearl Jam. I am convinced they have no other songs in their collection aside from Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, and Metallica, but I guess if it isn't broken then why fix it? "Better Man" is one of the most peaceful tracks I can think of from the 1990s, and that decade is known for all sorts of different sounds, many of which found refuge in the peaceful and tranquil style that was offered by indie rock, alternative rock, shoegaze, and so many more. Though much like I mentioned in the previous Pearl Jam post last month for "Why Go", Eddie Vedder dips his pen in the blood of the common American that was swept under the rug. He talks of things that are all too real, and even keeps the topic in the forefront, not shying away from what it might do to the band's radio friendly leaning. Luckily enough, he is one difficult vocalist to understand until you have taken the time to know what he is mumbling. Truth be told though, I have never had a hard time understanding him, it could be since I am a mumbler as well, so I guess like calls to like. If I was reading this post out loud to you, I think only 1/3rd of it would actually come out clear. "Better Man" is an easier track to understand the man behind the microphone though, and with a message this heavy and important, it damn well better be. "Better Man" covers the wicked truth that comes along with love and war, which is domestic abuse, and in this case all is certainly not fair in love and war. We hear the story of a woman who is trapped in a bad relationship, and through the adept lyricism of Eddie Vedder and the haunting style of the song, you can almost feel the heat of the tears upon her cheek as she lies to herself about how she can't find a better man. The song is damp with raw emotion all through its playtime, and it makes sense why since the song is rooted heavily in Eddie Vedder's personal life growing up, that claim is easily backed up by the fact that Eddie Vedder has said that this song is dedicated to his stepfather. Lyrically the song is phenomenal, the execution is rivaled by few on this heavy topic, and the song as a whole is genuinely perfect, there isn't even a single dull moment. A wonderful lead up that forces you to feel the story, you can smell the stale cigarette smoke on the bedsheet, you can feel raw desperation and confused love radiating from that intro. It takes the song a whole 2 minutes before the it really kicks off and leaves that haunting melody behind for a hard driving rock ballad that gives me chills each time the song comes full circle and the same chorus cuts like a knife. An ultimate for car karaoke from me, but Eddie Vedder is always one of my go to's to imitate since he is a blast to sing along to as much as he is to listen to. Though, I cannot say all of Pearl Jam is Eddie Vedder, the rest of the band are great, and while they don't get a chance to show it off all that much you can certainly feel that the band knows their way up, down and all around their instruments. While Eddie Vedder might be the person writing the words for the picture book, it is musicians like Jeff Ament on bass that serve as the one who draws the outline, while Stone Gossard on the guitar paints in all those hues that made Pearl Jam rise above the rest of the grunge rabble into full-blown rock legends. "Better Man" has so many memories in my life, it reminds me heavily of driving around in the still of night with my father in Texas, and I have loaded a plethora of bowls in my teenage years to that intro. It used to be a slight ritual to load it up while the song built up and finally light that sucker once it kicked off. Modernly, I am still making memories, even when I chose this song and was so taken aback by its raw emotion that I had to stop what I was doing at work to pop in both headphones and just stare at nothing for its playtime. A powerful song that consumes the moment, no matter what it might be. Funnily, this wasn't even a single off of Vitalogy, but it outshined every track on its bold 14 song track listing. This album did see Pearl Jam taking the leap of faith into the arms of experimentation though, and that theme hardly left for the following years as they tried finding their own string in the well of souls that is woven by the gods of rock. "Better Man" is one of the ultimate places for someone to start into the deep dive of Pearl Jam. Most hardly needed to read this all though, since the song reached far and will forever be timeless. I am not even slightly worried about Pearl Jam ever fading away, some bands are just too powerful to disappear. Each decade has a handful of rock bands that simply will never die and will represent rock music in its truest (and usually commercial) form, even well after we all perish into the dust of our own hubris. Rock will never fully die, it is in the soul of us all, and it is in bands like Pearl Jam that it stays that way. So, do yourself a favor and give the song a spin and let all that sound enter your ears and rest within your soul. It may be the closest you can get to rapture for the all too rare price of nothing. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1994
Album: Vitalogy (1994)
Genre: Grunge, Alternative Rock
Mood: Haunting, Emotional
Perfect For: Cigarettes at night, Still of the night drives, In depth listening, Feeling sad, Star gazing, Getting the chills
Where To Next: "Creep" - Stone Temple Pilots
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Rating: 10 / 10

"Doomsday Jesus" - Black Label Society

Man, oh man do I love Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde (the guitarist, vocalist, and leading force behind the berserker army) is my all-time favorite duelist behind the six-string shooter. His playing is legendary, be it his work in Black Label Society, his time with Ozzy Osbourne, or his many side projects and guest appearances. Though out of those, nothing shows off just how potent of a musician he is more than BLS. I have been fond of motorcycles since I was young, at first it was all about the symbolism of it all, freedom and recklessness. Though as I have grown older and colder, I find a true refuge behind the V-Twin, something that really connects you to the road unlike any other vessel upon the black top. I love the feel of the engine, and strangely enough, I even like the lack of music when I go without headphones. There are no places better to collect your thoughts than riding an iron horse. It makes the most mundane of commutes a blast, and it makes the long rides feel like a journey more than point A to point B. Why do I talk of motorcycles? Well, if you don't know anything about the band or have yet to scroll down far enough to see the album cover, there are a ton of biker themes within their grand discography. They are the leading force in a subgenre that people love to call "biker metal", and while I am all about finding a place for even a speck of dust within a heavy metal subgenre, I think that biker metal might have gone a little too far. Its range is overly far, it brings in bands that have no place within the genre and even sucks in some groups that fly their flag on other shores they are better suited in. It is what I like to call an umbrella genre, there are just too many bands that it covers for it to be a solid sound. Yes, bands like Black Label Society, Motörhead, Plasmatics, and so on all share some of the same lyrical themes and overall style of loud pipes and hangovers buuuut their styles vary too much to rely on a full genre grouping. Still, it is a theme and style I enjoy with all of my body and once again with Black Label Society being the one to bang the drums of doom, it is easy to see why others would try their damnedest to make it a strong subgenre. Today we look at "Doomsday Jesus", one of the first BLS songs to have found its way to my auditory door. It comes off the band's fourth studio album The Blessed Hellride that released in 2003. This is one of their essential albums, it dedicates half the album to the heavier side of the band and much in their vision, the other half is a lot more toned down. That is the Zakk Wylde creed though, all about balance, and it gives the album an appeal that is easy to come back to no matter the mood and how much whiskey you had the night prior. "Doomsday Jesus" is one of the heavier songs on the album, being nuzzled right between the fan favorite "Stoned and Drunk" and one of the band's most well-known songs, "Stillborn". Being squished between two phenomenal tracks would make one wonder if the song could even hold up, and hold up it does. In comparison, it isn't the most inspiring lyrically, and sure it can grow a little stale with its repetitious nature, but it is a through and through heavy track that lets you get sucked into the guitar playing of Zakk Wylde. Sometimes it is nice to have the songs that aren't a complete assault on your system, but don't let that statement make the song sound light and breezy, the song is heavy as sin with a fun vibe that is perfect for a motorcycle ride at high speeds. Black Label Society has seemingly been there my whole life, the first time I came across the band was fittingly enough Guitar Hero: World Tour, and as the name implies, Zakk Wylde was a guest character on the game that you could unlock (and fuckin' duel), his signature bullseye guitar and all. Zakk Wylde is more than just a guitarist though; his vocals are completely invasive and intense and a good portion of BLS is all from his hands aside from the drumming. A visionary in the rock and metal world, and one of the strongest and truest soldiers in the army of heavy metal. He has been motivational so many times in my life, and I never even met the guy (though I did see him playing live with Ozzy years back). The dressing style, personality, and music is a big part of who I am. I mean, shit, I used him as a direct influence on how I dressed growing up, and even now I incorporate a little if I can help it even if I don't dress in the spikes and chains much anymore since it makes me get ID'd up the ass when trying to buy some beer at the gas station. "Doomsday Jesus" came to me when I first started taking the deep dive into BLS after playing along to "Stillborn" on Guitar Hero. I utilized YouTube to listen to The Blessed Hellride over and over again, and then went to the local library to get their most recent album at the time Order of the Black, which I swear I abused that album into oblivion for the following many years. I still keep a special place in all playlists, studies, and heart for Black Label Society and their wonderful discography. While "Doomsday Jesus" isn't really the perfect place to start with the band, they are good enough to start just about anywhere, so long as you know Zakk Wylde loves jumping around on the heaviness meter. Well, maybe today will be the day you too get bitten by the BLS bug, so give it a listen. Caution: may cause you to buy a motorcycle and scare the local senior citizens. May also include side effects such as but not limited to: alluring women, causing headaches, bleeding of the ears, prolonged erections, rage, sped up heart rate, seeming cooler than you actually are, desire to drink cheap American beer, random fascination with World War 2, driving erratically, and feverous inspiration to pick up the guitar before ultimately failing yourself. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2003
Album: The Blessed Hellride (2003)
Genre: Heavy Metal, Groove Metal
Mood: Intense
Perfect For: Riding a motorcycle, Driving fast, Going on a bender, Playing darts, Shooting pool
Where To Next: "Becoming" - Pantera
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Foxey Lady - Live at the Isle of Wight" - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi, Jimi, Jimi! We need a whole section of the website for all of this mans incredible music! I could spend years and years just talking about him, he is one of the most iconic musicians of all time, and unlike some of those musicians, pretty much any song you choose to listen to will back up that claim. I am convinced that everyone knows some of his songs, and many of us have had his songs branded on our hearts and asses! As soon as I heard his version of "All Along the Watchtower" all those years ago, I knew my path as a rocker has been forever altered. My obsession with Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, and Drowning Pool was about to be left in the ruins as I went down a kaleidoscope of classic rock. Jimi Hendrix set me on a path to start taking in many of the old bands and songs, since up to this point I was mainly based in the 1990s and the 2000s with a little sprinkling of 80s and 70s rock. But nope, I think my rock n roll balls literally dropped at the guitar intro to "Foxey Lady" and from then on I have been a ravenous beast that consumes all things rock n roll, be it the good, the bad, and the ugly. For Jimi Hendrix, I don't even think there is a "bad", even the half-assed releases from his massive posthumous catalogue gets me sweating and grinning. Great stuff! Well, since we are on the topic of posthumous releases, let us talk a little bit of 2002's live album release Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight. Now, like many of Hendrix's legendary performances, there are a ton of versions of this set listing, some having a heavier emphasis on this track and some having a longer version of that song, but in the end they are all fucking great so you can pick any really. What makes him and the band's performance at the Isle of Wight Music Festival such a staple with his posthumous releases is since it was his last official performance in England before his death which came 3 weeks later on September 18th 1970. The English had a taste for that heavy psychedelic sound of Jimi's before us Americans caught wind of the fragrant rose that grew within our own garden. The English always put their bids on the best horses typically though, especially when it comes to the rock of the 1960s. Anyway, I chose this version of the performance for two reasons, one since it is one of the best versions of the performance due to the more recent touch ups of the recordings, and two since this whole performance was playing in the background as I was cleaning and packing up my room with my girlfriend. I was glad to finally have a chance to have some of my DVD's I have been collecting for the last while being played, since she isn't all too fond of recorded live concerts, especially ones that land barely shy of 2 hours long. Though, there we were, and it was a great time to watch Jimi play, which honestly goes without saying. Though the band is made up of more than Hendrix, we have one of rocks drumming royalty Mitch Mitchell who has many chances to show off his talent behind the drum set during the show, and we cannot forget about Billy Cox on bass guitar, a man who treats his bass like a lead guitar half the time. Man, the band is divine! A group of musicians that changed the course of rock history before their morning cigarette. Anyway, that is a great concert to view so if you are one who digs loud invasive guitars and raw power then give it a watch, or simply enjoy the album while cleaning the house. I chose "Foxey Lady" from the 15 songs in the live DVD, which was a damn chore to figure out which one I wanted to include for this month, but I really loved how the band takes off once the singing part is through. Each member flips the hell out behind those instruments, I am honestly shocked the crowd didn't go deaf and the venue didn't burn down. "Foxy Lady" (sometimes as "Foxey Lady") is one of the band's most legendary and well known songs, it is severely easy to get behind for the studio version, and it is an electric blast to listen to for the multiple live versions. I have heard few I appreciate more than from the Isle of Wight concert though, it is absolutely mind-blowing. It is comical that Jimi Hendrix has only been included in the song of the day part of the website for 2 out of the 354 posts even though he is one of the biggest names in the rock game, and those two tracks were both live versions of songs, but in my eyes that speaks loudly on how great the band is behind those instruments. You will see much more Hendrix on here, it is just one of those things that need done. The more Hendrix, the more happiness.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1971
Chosen Version: Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (2002)
Genre: Rock
Mood: Lively
Perfect For: Watching performances, Casual listening, Packing up tons of notebooks (and I have a SHIT load, sue me)
Where To Next: "Couldn't Stand the Weather (Live 1985)" - Stevie Ray Vaughan
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Garden of Eden" - John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band

Today we cover a peculiar band, not in style or genre, but from how they got their claim to fame, which was soundtracks. John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band was the band that recorded all the songs from the cult classic Eddie and the Cruisers movies. I have yet to see the movie, though I have listened through both of the soundtracks multiple times, it is some straight forward hard rock n roll that wears the Bruce Springsteen theme on its sleeve without shame. Countless great tracks and many overly competent tracks that get close to the golden age of rock n roll in the 1950s, sew in some blues and R&B, and add some piston pumping hard rock, and we are left with a soundtrack that can hardly be rivaled by any other (even Saturday Night Fever). From what I can tell about the movie from its trailer and its plot summary, the movie is plain strange, it covers the disappearance of rock star Eddie Wilson, the frontman to the fictitious band The Cruisers. It honestly looks like a poor quality movie, but with a quirky plot and a theme of rock n roll, I really need to check it out eventually. Especially since once again the soundtrack is fucking great, especially the one from the first movie. "Garden of Eden" comes off the sequel, Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! and from my multiple run throughs of the album, I am confident that "Garden of Eden" is the best to come off of it. The style mixed with the "hard-headed woman" lyricism leaves a memorable mark. This one leans a little heavier into the blues sound for the band, yet still keeps that roots rock and Americana style that we can hear on the bands (both fictitious and real) biggest hit "On the Dark Side". Speaking of their most successful track, that is certainly where to start if I piqued your interest with this post. That song is amazing for driving at night, having a good and carefree time! If you are a fan of Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, George Thorogood, Georgia Satellites, or even Chriss Isaak then I really cannot suggest it enough. It would be even better if you listened to that track first and then moved into "Garden of Eden", though both are stand up tracks. The intro to "Garden of Eden" gives you a taste of what the song is going to be about for its 5-minute playtime. A mellow rocker that brings the blues to the table in a hotroddin' style. The comical lyrics revolve around how women have been trouble since the days began, all the way since Eve. A great song for that barroom atmosphere, and if it wasn't for the band basing their career around two soundtracks I bet they would have been a fairly big name, or so far as this brand of rock music was in style in the 1980s moving slightly into the turbulent rock years of the 1990s. It is severely reminiscent to the names I mentioned earlier though, almost cheaply so, and if someone said "have you heard that new unreleased John Mellencamp song?" and showed me this song I wouldn't even slightly doubt it. Even if the band is based in soundtracks I really love their sound, it hits the smokey barroom atmosphere, which means it will be sublime for riding motorcycles, which means it will be great for driving my truck, which means it will be worthy for taking a stroll through town, and so on and so on. A track that is all around a good steady rocker that is worth almost anyone's time, bluesmen and rockers alike. John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band had more than just the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtracks, though that is their main material. Their 1985 album Tough All Over is a zinger full of hard driven songs, but they couldn't break away from their debut in the music world with the movies soundtrack, and even their follow-up break away attempt 1988's Roadhouse still saw them getting bashed for sounding identical to many already legendary roots rock names, and so they were destined to be the band that is either pretending to be a different real musician or the band that recorded the songs for a pretend band on the silver screen. I think they are worth their weight in gold, and with or without them being bound to Eddie and the Cruisers, they are full hot-blooded rockers that gave me many great times with their music. Give the band a whirl and don't let the "original motion picture soundtrack" at the top of the album turn you off, the music outshined the movie by a long shot. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1989
Album: Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! Soundtrack (1989)
Genre: Roots Rock, Blues, Rock
Mood: Good Timin'
Perfect For: Top shelf rye, Middle shelf bourbon, Bottom shelf gin
Where To Next: "Red Light" - The Georgia Satellites
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Banditos" - The Refreshments

The Refreshments are a fairly new band to me, even their biggest hit "Banditos" has flown under my radar for a long time, up until I started doing my picking apart of 1996. The fact that I have been missing out on this song for so long is a criminal offense, the song is an essential for the 1990s alternative rock world, and while honestly their other material didn't impress me all that much, "Banditos" is enough of a song to thrust them into some notoriety. The band only released 2 main albums, and while I have listened through both of those albums and enjoyed each one, I can see why they didn't make the long haul. "Banditos" is their claim to fame, and strangely enough the introduction song to King of the Hill is their other, but once again "Banditos" is enough to sell the band to me and that fun King of the Hill intro is just the cherry on top. This song comes off their 1996 album Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy, an album title that strangely explains the album wonderfully. There is a nice freshness that comes along with the album. It still keeps within the boundaries of alternative rock and post grunge, but with its quirky nature and odd lyrical themes, the album grabs you in an odd way. When I was gathering all the songs I dug off the album, I ended up with only 3, but not because the album sucks or anything, simply because there wasn't enough power to each track to have it hold up on its own. My selected tracks were obviously "Banditos", and also "Nada" and "Blue Collar Suicide". Those other two are well worth your time if you enjoyed "Banditos". This is one of those songs that if you can survive the intro, then you will find yourself with a truly memorable song. I am honestly not sure what this song is fully about, I mean, the songs' introduction sets up a scene of running away with a chick to Mexico, some classic Bonnie and Clyde lyrics which is a theme I have always been more than fond of, but then before we know it, they are dropping Star Trek references, and from there it sort of repeats itself but adds in some more outlaw context. I honestly think this song is in much of the alternative rock style of that time, lyrics hardly matter so long as you have a damn good chorus and back it up with some mellow guitar work. Still, even with the strange set of lyrics that only halfway make up some sort of outlaw story, the song still holds up lyrically. The emphasis on "and everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people" truly sells it, even if once again, I am not sure where it fits into the story. Sometimes they simply fly over my head though, and there is hardly any need to read too far into simplistic lyrics that weren't written with a pen on fire. The song is all around good time song with a great atmosphere that comes off quite energetic but calms it down again once the chorus comes along. A song with a comical leaning that is still very potent. I hate it when more comedic bands focus on that too hard and the music hardly is anything of quality. But that is a bias thing, since I am a stick in the mud when it comes to humor. Cat videos? Prime material! Stand-up comedian that has a joke that lasts more than 20 seconds? No way Jose! Crazy that I have the patience to listen through a whole album without even growing slightly bored, or even listen to a 30-minute song that just loops, but then I cannot sit through a joke for the life of me. I just want the damn conclusion. I am too busy trying to formulate what the hook is going to be that I lose track of the joke, and then I have to fake my way through it. Like many things in my life, I just want to know information and I want it now, so I try jumping the gun to conclusions, though in my defense I am usually pretty damn accurate. Most of the time. Sort of? Anyway, there isn't too much to say about the band, they had their big-time song and then faded away. Though vocalist Roger Clyne and drummer Paul Naffah went on to form Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, I have yet to get to them but their debut lands in 1999 so in a couple of weeks / months I will be in that year and will give them a swing. I stand by my statement that "Banditos" is the band's main claim to fame, but if there was a song you want to be remembered for, "Banditos" is certainly a great song to choose. Man, that post just wasn't flowing like I can usually get it to. Well, sometimes that is how it goes. Doesn't mean you shouldn't give the song a play though, enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1995
Album: Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy (1996)
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Punk
Mood: Fun
Perfect For: Casual listening
Where To Next: "Coyote" - Better Than Ezra
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Stagefright" - Def Leppard

I have a list of bands that I wish with all my heart I could see live while they were in their prime, and Def Leppard is right near the top of the list! Their live albums are electric and a joy to listen to, especially the recordings of the band's earlier sound before Hysteria blew them up into legends and also put them on the softer side of the hard rock world. I love all Def Leppard, from their new wave of British heavy metal start to their mature and tamed down most recent album. Though in the end, my heart rests within this album here, Pyromania and the two that came before. Don't get me wrong, I still love the Hysteria days, but man do I love the harder sound. I think Pyromania is an essential rock album, and it shows off the band playing at the mainstream sound while still keeping their heavy metal core intact. I think many are shocked to find Def Leppard's first EP, that one is the true metal sound of that year, and even their first true debut On Through the Night is still on the new wave of British heavy metal side of things. Def Leppard would have faded away like so many others if they didn't switch it up and polish their sound up, and honestly that cleaned up sound IS Def Leppard, that is when they hit their full stride both with the hard rock heart attack Pyromania and their landmark 4th album Hysteria which serves as one of the most important and highest selling rock albums from the 1980s if not all time. So, with that statement earlier about them being one of the bands I regret the most for not seeing them live when they were young and wild, "Stagefright" shows off their live energy even if the song is more set up to sound live than it is actually being. It also shows off their heavy metal beginning with some red-hot rocking. I was just at work, doing my thing, when this song kicked on, and I got chills all over. For a moment I was transported to their concert in 1983 while the band was on their Pyromania tour. A time when Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen still had both arms, and his bombastic playing was still loud and proud, once again not talking down on the electric drum set of Hysteria and on. "Stagefright" is one of many that stand as some of the last harder songs the band ever preformed, the others being one of my all-time favorite songs "Rock of Ages" and the heavy "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" and "Die Hard the Hunter". The commercial side of the album is just as powerful, but those songs I hardly need to talk about, since they are massively famous songs. Tell me you haven't had at least one time rocking out to "Photograph", and if you haven't then take this as a calling from the gods of rock n roll. Anyway, "Stagefright" surely made my day all the much better! I have been running around left and right trying to find a new job for my move up to Salt Lake City, the stress levels have been code red, but sometimes all it takes is some rock n roll! I mean, a good-hearted woman and a cold beer also do help, but I can't have those at work, especially when my heart only yearns for my precious Alesha, and everyone is plain jerks for not letting me get drunk on the job! What gives?! Just playing. Anyway, this song is e p i c! A great lead up to the take-off in the song, all the band plays tight and right as they rock you into the ground and then dance on your grave. The lyrical content is decent for a straight forward rocker, even though I cannot fully get the idea of the song. A weird set of lyrics written by half the band that mixes touring life with a theme about a lusty lady, but still like I said, for a straight forward rocker these are the lyrics that easily complement the sound. I have had my stage fright when it comes to sex too, I think most of us have felt the same feeling, especially the first time in the sack. Though if my failure of a first time had this song playing in the background then I bet it might have been different! Still, "Stairway to Heaven" from Led Zeppelin, "Still of the Night" by Whitesnake, and "Thug" from ZZ Top were still some stellar choices. Crazy to think there are many people that don't remember what song they first had sex to. Though I suppose not everyone is pumping away while thinking "man.... fuckin' Jimmy Page knows how to play!" though rocker see rocker do. Anyway, I cannot express just how phenomenal Pyromania is, it was one of those albums that helped form a young Caleb, and holds countless memories and with an album of this caliber I know there are going to be so many more memories made around it. "Stagefright" is one of many great tracks off the album, and even if the lesser-known songs from the album equal the best songs from the majority of bands, I would say that you have a truly great album on your hands. So, for anyone who wants a new favorite album, or those that loved it before but don't give it the time of day now, I think it is time you give it a spin. If not the album, then at least the song so you can get a slight feel for the electricity of a Def Leppard that left this sound behind for "Rocket", "Love Bites", "Hysteria", and the 1980s MASSIVE hit "Pour Some Sugar on Me". Still, I am glad the band moved on to greener pastures, but that doesn't stop me from rocking to Pyromania. Hysteria is for the foreplay and the sweet nothins, but Pyromania is there for the action! Listen and find out for yourself, and once again it goes down even better with a cold one and your best gal by your side. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1983
Album: Pyromania (1983)
Genre: Hard Rock
Mood: Energetic
Perfect For: Casual listening, Rocking out, Sex, Having a beer, Working 
Where To Next: "Romeo Delight" - Van Halen
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Zeroed" - Bolt Thrower

Man, are we doing a shitload of metal this month, or does it just feel like it? I mean I guess within a week period there has been a tad bit less variety but what do you do. I am happy to include any song that genuinely grabs me that day, and for this day we have Bolt Thrower, a band I am honestly shocked has yet to have a place in the song of the day section. Bolt Thrower is one of the strongest supports that hold up the carnivorous altar that is death metal. They were there for the beginning of the scene, they brought forth a heavier sound than most of the others in the genre at the time, playing a thin line between a heavier death metal sound and the barely emerging deathcore scene. Throughout their 8 studio albums they unleashed an aggressive onslaught of destruction, and they inspired many along the way, making them one of the most well known and respected names in the evolution of death metal. "Zeroed" is a personal favorite of mine from their collection, it comes off the kick ass 1998 album Mercenary. Which keeps the more militaristic theme that Bolt Thrower seems to have a hard on for. While it isn't a step-up nor a step-down from the albums that surround it, there is a heavy and steady kick in the nuts that have the album standing as one of my favorites from their discography. I am currently picking through 1998, I think I have a total of 3,400 songs or so to go through, and many of them feel just like coming home since I have been a fan for years upon years. Bolt Thrower was a later love of mine, they came along at the same time I got into the more extreme side of metal, which for years was admittedly hard for me to meld into. Though within bands like Bolt Thrower, Possessed, Morbid Angel, and Terrorizer I found a welcome home especially when some of my favorites of the metal world became a tad bit stale from overplaying. In the end, my old favorites still outshine many of my extreme metal tastes, but it comes down to a day-to-day basis. Some days Bolt Thrower is all I really need to take on the day, and then others I may be more likely to skip it, which I rarely ever skip songs if I can help it. There are just sometimes the more extreme side isn't quenching that thirst, much like I need to be in the mood for the jam band style in rock music, and I need to be in the proper mood when I get to the more modern side of country music. Though once again, when the extreme metal mood strikes me, I can think of few better places to go than Bolt Thrower, especially this album and Those Once Loyal. If you are the type of metalhead that seems to have a harder time getting into the death metal world, but still have a fondness for the bands that barely fall below the "extreme metal" category like Slayer, Sodom, and Sepultura then I think maybe this song may change your tune. "Zeroed" shows off why Bolt Thrower is a well known name in the death metal world, it has a great set up for the intro that isn't too heavy and doesn't have a vocal scream at the intro that makes your hair turn white. Just a simplistic, slow, and devious intro that soon enough has the drums enter with a nice and steady double bass kick that gets your blood pumping. The man behind the sticks is Alex Thomas, he was only with Bolt Thrower for this one album but is a talented drummer that has leant his sticks to multiple groups that vary in styles. I think he is the shining star on this album and likewise on this track, it sounds especially good in my truck which has subwoofers, death metal is a go-to for making my ears have a coronary trying to keep up with the pounding bass that makes your hair poofed up. I rarely let those puppies go, but there are moments I do, and when this album kicked into gear, I knew it was time to turn that dial up. The album is a good one, worth your time if you are into this kind of metal. Lyrically it is nothing all too crazy, but still well written with all its war and gore that the band is known for. The album cover is an odd one, and the man on it looks strangely like Snake from the masterpiece video game series Metal Gear Solid, a series that I have had a deep love for since I was a child. Well, now we come to the conclusion of the post, and honestly I am not sure where to go next... so like usual.. thanks for reading! And give the song a listen! You read the whole damn post, so it would be silly to not listen to it now. Enjoy! Or don't! That is up to you, I will listen to it enough for the both of us either way.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: Mercenary (1998)
Genre: Death Metal
Mood: Violent
Perfect For: Casual listening, Playing loud on the freeway, Getting your feet wet in the death metal sound 
Where To Next: "To Be Dead" - Deicide
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Eight More Miles to Louisville" - Jerry Reed

Jerry Reed is the type of country artist you show to those that claim to hate country music. He is one of the best story tellers in the game, and that is a hill I will die on, and while "Eight More Miles to Louisville" might not show that off, but his others are famous for the fun way he tells the story. If the song starts out with him saying "son", you are in for one hell of a song from the guitar man. I once saw a bumper sticker that said "Son" - Jerry Reed and I regret not getting it, cause if you know the man behind those strings, that is his calling card. Speaking of those strings, Jerry Reed is a criminally forgotten guitar master, he changed the whole idea of how country music is supposed to sound with fast pickin' that makes Maybelle Carter shed a country cooked tear. He integrated some blues, world, jazz, and folk into his tunes, and that caught on amongst many within the country world. There is so much praise I can give him. His small collection of work out of the 1950s sees him still wet behind the ears and having an emphasis for religious and Americana lyrical themes. Though by the time the 1960s hits he put hellfire behind those strings, the man from Georgia must have found the crossroads much like bluesman Robert Johnson. He was the original artist to record "Guitar Man", a song that Elvis Presley covered soon after. If you have the king of rock n roll covering your songs, especially soon after you release it, then you know that you have the music seal of approval. Then we have the 1970s, the days when Jerry Reed fully found his own, hit after hit had him becoming a well-known name amongst the country pickers and bumpkin record spinners, and with that fame he still found time to try out some new sounds and push his guitar playing to the extreme. Once again, this track doesn't show it off as much which is saying something since he still lights a fire under your feet, it is a tame ramblers tune, another theme he has a treasure trove of for listeners like me that the highway is their home. The 1980s came, and he still had some mighty great albums and tracks; he took the comedic route a little heavier in the 1980s, even though he already had plenty before. Then, like many of the old guns in the country world, the 1990s and 2000s saw some good songs but not too many iconic albums. Anyway, he is a phenomenal musician and a pure joy to listen to, even his weak albums are worth full price. "Eight More Miles to Louisville" is a more tame one like I mentioned before, it comes off his 1970 album Georgia Sunshine, an album that peaked at #10 on the country charts and boasts some of his classics like "Amos Moses" and personal favorites of mine "Good Friends and Neighbors" & "The Preacher and the Bear" both of which strengthen my claim to him being one of the best pickers and lyricists in the country world. "Eight More Miles to Louisville" tells the tale of a rambling man, one that has seen west and east and battled with his inner beasts, from Portland east to Portland west but finally he is coming back home, Louisville in Kentucky. This song makes me want to hit the road, man. To see all there is to see, these rambler tunes always get me feeling restless. Though much in my style, my dreams reach much further than my pockets, and I ain't part of a Mark Twain novel. A fun track, there is serious energy coming out of his fingers as he twiddles away, and if it wasn't for the lackluster recording quality I think this would have been up there with the rest of them off the album. He is one of the  country guitarists that have me audibly saying "god-damn", if you YouTube "Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins" you will find there are plenty of videos that will mesmerize you. I mean, shit, Chet Atkins is a guitarist that can make most of the guitar gods of rock music seem like 3 chord wonders. Country has a full deck of immensely impressive guitar players. Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and so many more it is unreal. The fact that people chock country up to "trucks, blue jeans, tractors, and the confederacy" when there are some country artists that will blow your everlivin' socks off. Jerry Reed is the first that comes to mind with that statement. He pushed the boundaries of country music and left everyone within earshot with a mouth full of cotton. See for yourself, I will even add a link to watch some YouTube videos. Enjoy! 

https://youtu.be/Ni8KBhnebwE?si=LM3TIApJ0cTfaCBl

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1970
Album: Georgia Sunshine (1970)
Genre: Country
Mood: Sauntering
Perfect For: Driving on a desert highway, Traveling, Daydreaming, Casual listening, Room temperature beers 
Where To Next: "Rocky Top" - Conway Twitty
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Panic Attack" - Judas Priest

Hope everyone's Easter went well, or if you were celebrating the other holiday that I think is even more holy, then I hope you enjoyed that as well and made it home safe by the end of the night. It is odd that back in the day I would have made a whole day for 4/20, I mean I hardly ever left the house due to the enforced police force, but still it was nice to be part of something. Easter you never really feel part of something, one of those holidays that lost its meaning as the days went on, just another chance for the big companies to cash out on a holiday they trained us how to celebrate. I am not one to put down holidays, even the ones I know are shopping schemes, but Easter has always been another day for me. This one was still good though, I went on a nice long motorcycle ride and went and ate some sandwiches and cake with my family. When riding around town I cannot tell you how much ganja I smelt though, I think space cruisers forget that people on motorcycles can smell it loud and proud, but I ain't gonna snitch nor do I really care. It was a funny comparison switching between county lines though, when I was in Utah County the roads were dead and the church parking lots were packed, but as soon as I got into the core of Salt Lake County all I smelt was pot and saw legions of motorcycles and people enjoying the sunshine. I am glad to be moving up there in the coming weeks, much more my breed of people, but I will slightly miss the strange gloom that hangs over Utah County. Seems everyone hates each other during the day and then goes on to pray that night, but aint that religion? Anyway, it was a decent holiday and I hope yours was good as well! The song that grabbed me that day was "Panic Attack" which played quietly in the background of the cooking and prepping for the Easter meal that I kindly sat on my butt and watched. I wasn't the only person in the room to note what a strange choice it was to be listening to. Though, what is Easter music? Maybe... The Beatles? Keith Richard's solo work? The Carpenters? Meh, who knows, but I think it was a mighty fine choice to have some killer metal playing in the background, seems to always hit the spot, especially when it is the almighty Judas Priest, the gods of heavy metal! "Panic Attack" comes off the band's most recent studio album Invincible Shield, an album that I still have yet to get around to, which is a cardinal sin due to them being one of the most important bands to impregnate my ear. "Panic Attack" is the leading single off the album, and also serves as the intro track, it was the first taste I had off the album much like the rest of you when the single came out in the end of 2023. It shows off the band still has it! Rob Halford has always had one of the strongest vocals in all of heavy metal music, and even when he is in his 70s, he still really belts out that shit. My throat bleeds even listening to Judas Priest due to sympathy pain. He is a great vocalist though, and an all-around good guy, which is a rare breed in the music world. A true innovator, visionary, metal philosopher, and a necessary face to be carved into mount rockmore. The album holds plenty of the O.G. Priest members, and still has guitarist Richie Faulkner which first joined the band in 2014's Redeemer of Souls, one of the only CDs I ever preordered. While I have a bias and a deep love for who he replaced, K. K. Downing, he is a sensational guitarist and flows with Glenn Tipton's guitar flurry without a hitch, which if you know anything about Judas Priest, is an ultimate must! This album served as their 19th studio album, and strangely is the bands highest charting album to date, and from what I have heard I can see why, but it still shocks the hell out of me that the game changing albums of the 1980s and 1970s didn't outshine it, guess there was too much glitter to want the gristle back then. I seriously need to get around to this album, maybe I will do it Friday, since I have heard everything else, and I mean everything else aside from your creepy uncle's bootleg recordings. This band means the world to me! Anyway, "Panic Attack" is the finest Judas Priest track to come out of their modern sound, even though their previous album Firepower admittedly had some songs that really test this song. But with that intro building up into a cacophony of power and the pounding drums loosening your bowels, it is hard to think of any other modern Priest track that can fight against its power. A chorus that has you banging your head while it gets lodged into it for the rest of the day. Lyrically it matches plenty of later Priest material, it has the robotic theme that has always lurked within Judas Priest lyricism, and naturally we gotta have wrath and demise in heavy metal style. Overall, a good track all the way around, and it really blows my mind just how hard the band goes even with them serving as the backbone to heavy metal for now 50 years. Rob Halford still sounds possessed, and the chugging guitars still make your knees weak. It is easy to see why they are the gods of heavy metal! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2023
Album: Invincible Shield (2024)
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal
Mood: Furious
Perfect For: A day of celebration, A day of sin, A day for prayer to the gods of heavy metal (they have risen)
Where To Next: "Diving Into Sin" - Accept
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Rating: 8/10

"Drink and Drive" - Brocas Helm

Well, we already talked about Crimson Glory and all their glory that is... crimson. Though today we talk of a band that is even more buried by time and a misguided focus, Brocas Helm, and man are you in for a treat! One thing I will say about "Drink and Drive" is that it isn't their most impressive. Do I love it? Yes, yes I do, and I am proud to have it represented on this website, but still I know they have some other tracks that might be a little more exciting for the metalheads that are reading this. And who says metalheads don't know how to read?! Maybe just the ones that banged their heads until it turned to mush, heavy metal mush! If I ever have a band, I swear on my soul (if the devil will give it back) that I will name a song "Heavy Metal Mush" on the debut that the critics will hate. For now though, let's talk a little about Brocas Helm! They are a group that was overlooked but still was lucky enough to be heard by enough heavy metal maniacs to be remembered. They released two albums in their starting days in the 1980s, the entertaining and hypnotically heavy and fun Into Battle and Black Death. Though those albums didn't gather too much attention upon their release, it gathered them some core fans but still not enough, and even while I am a big fan I know those two aren't essential listens, though if you like that earlier and obscure metal sound that was brought forth from the manic mages of metal (and that will be another song for my debut) then I cannot suggest those albums enough. Pure fun and unchained metal. Though with those two albums not gathering much love, and the band taking breaks here and there, we saw the tomb of Brocas Helm joining the sprawling wasteland of the heavy metal graveyard. Though the band would still tour and play their music, it wasn't until their 3rd album that released 16 years later in 2004 that the band finally broke some ground, that ground was minor but some of the songs off of Defender of the Crown slammed its axe pommel through the helmet of the metal world in the 2000s. It held two of their biggest (and PHE-FUCKIN-NOMENAL) songs, their crown jewel and claim to fame "Cry of the Banshee" and the atmospherically perfect "Drink the Blood of the Priest". It was damn near impossible to stop my hand from choosing one of them instead of "Drink and Drive" but fate favored this track so this track I give to you! "Drink and Drive" still is a stand-up track from their collection, after the onslaught of heavy from "Cry of the Banshee", "Drink the Blood of the Priest", and "Skullfucker" then we move into the more tamed back "Drink and Drive". The song holds a strange humor and glorifying of drinking and driving, and while I do not condone it (and never have, I am an angel dammit), there is no denying its overall fun atmosphere and stupid comical nature. I really love the chorus line "drink and drive, I drink and drive, got mothers against me but I'm still alive". This song randomly grabbed me when I stopped by the local gas station to grab a pack of cigarettes and a tall boy. While my girlfriend wondered what the hell "moose drool" is, which I think is a great beer name and is oddly appetizing (what does that say about me?), the song came to my mind. Then like any self-respecting human would do, it was time to load that sucker into the queue and show her what she is missing! Needless to say, she wasn't all too impressed, but I had a real good time! Don't worry I didn't drink that beer while driving, it is sitting in my fridge as I type this, but there is a little bit of a nip of naughtiness that comes along with having a beer in the cupholder while roaring down the road jamming some music. Anyway, I think Brocas Helm deserves the love and attention, not only since well into the career they finally had some songs that could make your balls drop prematurely, but because they are an unsung warrior of heavy metal that kept it true and heavy throughout their whole career. I grieve that I didn't get any more studio albums from the band, but I thank the gods of heavy metal I have access to the 3 they have released. A great band that always puts a pep to my step each time they come across my speakers. Give the track a listen, and if you aren't a huge fan then I will pray for you, and I implore you to give a different track a spin. Go grab yourself a cheap beer, sit yourself down, and might I suggest "Cry of the Banshee" or "Fall of the Curtain"? You'll listen to both?! Man! What a winner! A true patron to the arts! Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2004
Album: Defender of the Crown (2004)
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal, Speed Metal
Mood: Reckless
Perfect For: Drinking and driving, Having a beer, Buying some beer, Drinking then driving to buy some beer to drink
Where To Next: "Impact Is Imminent" - Exodus
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Rating: 7/10

"Mayday" - Crimson Glory 

Crimson Glory is another band of the 1980s metal world that has been buried by time. Though while they were there, they released some damn good albums! None finer than their debut self-titled album that came out in 1986, a time when metal finally was a hit with the masses and thrash metal was king! We have Metallica with their monumental Master of Puppets, Megadeth was thrashing and smashing back against them with Peace Sells... But Who's Buying, and Slayer ruled the wastes with Reign in Blood which held "Raining Blood" a track that had the more traditional and safe metalheads being exposed to the more extreme side of the metal genre. Then there was Crimson Glory, they didn't see that limelight but with their style and vocalist Midnight (John Patrick Jr. McDonald) having some glass shattering vocals sort of put them in a spot where mainstream success wasn't on the menu. Though who needs that when you are fronting an incredibly impressive and heavy sound that still kept the early tradition and style of heavy metal at its heart but pushed it even further with a nipple hardening album that holds one of my all-time favorite metal songs "Queen of the Masquerade" and many other notable songs much like today's choice, "Mayday". If you need one to show off what I mean about "glass shattering vocals" then this is a perfect one to show that off. In the modern tongue it seems like many modern metalheads cannot stand this vocal style, but in the 1980s the full-blooded true metal soldiers fell head over heels for the band, and they became metal classics, the type of band that keeps the gears of the bloodthirsty heavy metal machine well-oiled for the next upcoming harvest. I have talked previously about Crimson Glory in this section of the website, but that was before I knew how I was going to play this section, now that I have confidence in its reach and quality, I will tell you all about it again. One of the things that made Crimson Glory stand out aside from their style and Midnight's vocals, was their stage show and persona. They wore eerie silver masks that held little to no emotion, like the one that is on the album cover below. The idea of wearing crazy stage attire, and putting on a show with balls to the wall heavy metal was nothing new. Though the introduction of masks? That was fairly new, there aren't any other bands I know of that did it to this extent up until this point. Now we have Slipknot, Mushroomhead, Gwar, Ghost, and many more metal bands that front that persona. Though theirs are based on horror and shock, Crimson Glory was based on some sort of unsettling discotheque and fantasy persona. The stuff you imagine black magic cultists wearing in fantasy novels. Then with all that set up they put out some truly impressive songs that melt your goddamned faces and doesn't even leave an I.O.U. and the fact that they fell out of the loop makes me cry some heavy metal tears, though I am not shocked due to their time and place. Metal moves on fairly quickly much like many of the genres, but it leaves subgenres behind and the fans that found their voice within it. Modernly I have met hardly anyone who shares the love for the more forgotten and obscure metal bands of before. Granted, I too got stuck in a time period of heavy metal that I wasn't even around for. This was the sound I found a love for before any other, and while I still can get behind the majority of modern heavy metal acts, I still find it lacking in comparison to the speed metal mania that filled the 1980s. I don't think mine is better, in some ways I completely understand mine honestly lacks in comparison to the bombastic style of modern day. Though what it comes down to for me is three things, recording quality, lyrical content, and atmosphere. You won't hear anything like Crimson Glory nowadays, and if there is something close it feels like it was picked over with a fine-tooth comb, spit shined and then stripped of its denim and leather in exchange for a mustard stained T-shirt and a bag of sour skittles. I do want to make one thing clear; I am not talking down on modern metal nor any of your favorite bands, I too will more than likely enjoy it thoroughly, just rambling on about where my heavy metal heart leans. My heart is held by songs like "Mayday" that are as stressful as they are lovely. My heart is held by the bands that recorded their prime material before I was even a glimmer in my father's eye. Honestly, I cannot even tell you why, since I love such a huge spectrum of music, but it is what it is, and I am proud of it. I am not the type of metalhead that wants to tell you how crappy your favorite band is, I am the type of metalhead that loves all the kin of sin. So just lose yourself in the music, man, and raise those fucking horns. Be proud of the culture of heavy metal, with or without the judgmental bastards that cannot listen to a band that came 10 years ago, nor the old timer metalhead that says "everything sounds the same today and all they do is scream". Fuck those people. Fuck em. Fuck em. Fuck em! They miss the whole idea behind the strength of heavy metal and the natural rebellion within. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1986
Album: Crimson Glory (1986)
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Speed Metal
Mood: Ruination
Perfect For: Casual listening, Driving fast, Presumably flying an airplane
Where To Next: "Battle Angels" - Sanctuary
​​
Rating: 8/10

"The Background" - Third Eye Blind

​Third Eye Blind are one of those groups that everyone knows but don't often remember their name, which I think is crazy, especially since they are highly successful. Their debut self-titled is one of the most essential alternative rock albums ever, it is filled with the commercial appealed tracks and also some that give the band a completely different feeling. The first part of the album holds "Semi-Charmed Life", "Jumper", "How It's Going to Be", "Graduate", and "Losing a Whole Year", each of those songs are damn good, so good it hurts, but in some ways they lack what the second half of the album holds, the bands true sound that isn't influenced by that commercial appeal they are well known for. "The Background" holds one of my favorite intros of theirs, it is smooth and so damn moody, and if you know anything about Caleb then you know I adore my moody intros. Something that forces you to stare out a nearby window and lose yourself in thought. Third Eye Blind has a good amount of these kinds of intros, but none do it like "The Background", well so far as up to their most recent album since I haven't caught up all the way yet. That and I am a little too obsessed with their debut and follow-up Blue, but I share that with most of the world since that is their two big hit albums, especially this delicious debut. Anyway, one thing I really love about the band is their atmosphere, it is often melancholy but still loves to fall into some serious electricity that gets your hairs standing on end, I mean just within this one song it starts off so sad and flowy and by the middle of the song the band finally explodes into a mess of emotion. This album is strangely depressing, and "The Background" is no different, the band approaches some pretty serious themes, such as suicide, harsh breakups, the unstoppable ticktock of the clock, drug addiction, and disappointment. You wouldn't think of such themes coming out of such a commercial band, "Semi-Charmed Life" is one of the funniest examples since that song plays loud and proud to the masses which seem to never hear lyrics since that song is blatantly about drug addiction, they even straight up say "crystal meth" which I can think of very few songs I know that say those two words together, and to get away with it so well at that, I have even heard the unedited version on the radio before. I guess all you need is a clean and friendly sound that does "do do do, do do do dooo" to make people feel good. "The Background" covers having the rug pulled out from under you, pure happiness and love being there one day to leaving you hollow before you even know it happened. The singer reminisces on the good and bad times within his past failed relationship. No matter what, he cannot clean away the images from his mind, and he knows he will be haunted by them the rest of his life. A sad song that feels a little too real for comfort, the picture they paint is damn real, and I bet there has been a ton of real tears spilt while this song plays in a Walmart parking lot. It brings you down but once the 3:00 mark rolls around that sorrow turns into reality, it feels like the sun just came over a dark cloud, and even if those memories aren't fading from the character in the story, there is a little more strength behind the words, maybe sadness gave way to anger, but it feels more hopeless than anything. I really don't think Third Eye Blind gets the respect they deserve when it comes to putting together some completely moving and thought-provoking songs. Sure the band is still super famous, mainly from their singles and hits, so they aren't underrated by any means, but still I think they deserve even more. Their debut is a classic through and through, one of those albums that leave you feeling hollow once it finishes. That great start with "Losing a Whole Year" giving that Third Eye Blind melancholy kiss, and then ending on the powerful and fun "God of Wine", a complete package kind of album that I think most of you would really enjoy, if you haven't sat down and enjoyed it a million times already like myself. An essential listen for anyone wanting to hear all the "best of" albums that came out of the 1990s. "The Background" is one of the strongest tracks on the album, but in comparison to what? All the songs are great. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1997
Album: Third Eye Blind (1997)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Mood: Hopeless
Perfect For: Crying while driving, Daydreaming, Rainy lazy days, Late night smoke breaks
Where To Next: "Blew Away" - The Smashing Pumpkins​​
Rating: 8/10

"Since You've Been Gone" - Clyde McPhatter

Clyde McPhatter led one of the most impressive careers in R&B & rock n roll during the 1950s. He was the lead tenor in the doo-wop icon Billy Ward and his Dominoes. If that wasn't enough, he went on to form the Drifters, another doo-wop and R&B classic. While the Drifters didn't hit the same grade of fame as Billy Ward and his Dominoes, they still left their print on the music world. Then finally once all that was behind him, he embarked on a solo career, in that solo career he released multiple chart toppers and re-released some of the songs he did with his other groups. He has a fine collection of singles that helped define the sound of R&B from the 1950s into the early 1960s, and honestly his impact can still be felt modernly. Though if you are someone who keeps up on their music studies, the early 1960s saw a massive shift in styles which left performers like Clyde McPhatter behind without even looking back. With The Beatles shaking America to their core and then plethora of bands coming along both from the UK and the US with the same style left no room for the crooners of the 1950s, no room for the R&B of before, nor the bad boys of early rock n roll, and that shock was felt in every single genre out there. They knew it was time to keep up, to innovate their own way, or to be prepared to find themselves in the value bin. Clyde McPhatter went to his grave feeling abandoned by the rock and R&B world he helped create. I mean shit, a good majority of groups were replicating his vocal style, many wanted to sound just like Clyde McPhatter as much as they wanted to sound like his Billy Ward and his Dominoes bandmate Jackie Wilson, which had a little better of a shake into the 1960s music world but not by much. McPhatter is a potent singer and great performer that is forgotten today, even though he has one hell of a track listing and career under his belt. And it is within musicians like McPhatter that I started this website, he helped fuel this vision of not letting legendary musicians fade away. "Since You've Been Gone" is my favorite song from his solo work, it came off the 1959 album simply entitled Clyde. That album holds a lot of his great songs and serves as one of his most endearing releases, both for its quality and also from it being one of few of studio albums that came out during his solo career. While "Since You've Been Gone" peaked at 14 on the R&B charts, the album holds some of his other chart toppers like "A Lovers Question", one of those tracks that if you had pipes and wanted to show them off then that was a track you had to do a version of. That song and a couple others of Clyde McPhatter show off the strange love affair that held R&B and country music together, much like Ray Charles 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music shows it off as well. I mean, it isn't all too shocking, while the fan bases can be quite different, the musicians usually came from the same places and we are all a product of our environment. Anyway, we will cover that more when a Ray Charles track hits the song of the day section, which I am damn surprised hasn't happened yet, back to Clyde McPhatter and "Since You've Been Gone". It is the opening track on the album and sets the pace for a more sorrowful album that still can be fun if you let it. "Since You've Been Gone" really grabs me due to its lyrical content. There were a ton, and I mean a ton, of heartbreak songs by 1959. So many that I could dedicate a whole website to just them, but I find that McPhatter took it to the next level with this song. Many will sing cliché lyrics that we can all understand and get behind, many rely on a set atmosphere that sell those cliché lyrics, but within this song that is not the case. The song tricks you into thinking it is a happy song, even McPhatter sounds slightly happy, but that quickly stops once you hear the lyrics. References to wishing death upon himself, pure loneliness and sorrow fill the air once he throws it out there. The section I love the most is within the third verse when things get all focused in, and he sings "all night long weeping like a willow, tossing and turning on my tear stained pillow, guess I'm gonna drown in my own tears". Though while that is a great set up and execution (something you should always expect from this decade of doo-wop and R&B) I love the following lyrics the most and how he sings it "Gonna go walkin', By the railroad track, I'm just gonna let the choo-choo cross over my back, life ain't worth living, how can I go on?" is a great summing up of the track. He repeats that for the remainder of the song. Though, his alluding to getting run over by a train since he just doesn't care anymore is a powerful statement. It really sets this song apart from both his lovey-dovey tracks, and many of the heartbreaking masterpieces that filled the 1950s. I have dived deep into the 1950s, it is one of my most beloved decades for music and media after all, and I have found very few tracks that have the same pure raw emotion within it. He even sounds like he doesn't care, kind of like one of those people that smile and chuckle while they tell a wicked personal story that feels painful even hearing it. I love the song, and while his solo career doesn't have nearly the same impact as his first band and is about equal with the Drifters, I still find this to be one of the finest he has ever done. Well, dear reader, looks like you have a lot of homework to do tonight! Clyde McPhatter is well worth your listening, but be sure to check out the other two groups as well that I mentioned at the start of this post. Once again, I started this website both as a creative output and under the vision of "no song left behind". So do me this one favor, I spend hours on this website all for you and rock n roll, so just give this outstanding musician a full look and listen so he doesn't fade by the next decade. Not just the Christmas stuff or his Billy Ward and his Dominoes stuff, but a good taste of all sides. You're gonna love it! I wish I could listen to his work for the first time again, but that doesn't mean I am not excited for you! Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1959
Album: Clyde (1959)
Genre: Rhythm & Blues
Mood: Lonesome
Perfect For: Casual listening, Lonesome nights and lonesome days, Music history lessons
Where To Next: "Rags to Riches" - Billy Ward & The Dominoes​​
Rating: 9/10

"Amon Amarth" - Amon Amarth

If there is one band that kept the spirit for the fight for true metal loud and proud into modern metal, it would be Amon Amarth. The band is one of the strongest to come out of the Swedish extreme metal genre, and the ultimate band for anyone that likes metal with a more Viking theme but are too scared to get fully into the work of Enslaved or other black metal groups. Speaking of black metal, this is the only Amon Amarth album to be heavily based within the genre. Like most of their albums, it still is technically melodic death metal, but there is no doubting the black metal basing. Is it all that shocking, though? The lyrical theme, the early form of the band's imagery, the album titles, and so much more screams they had their roots in that blackened metal genre. Though don't take this album to heart, this is before the band truly shook the world. Still a stand-up album, but it is nothing in comparison to their epic albums like Twilight of the Thunder God and Jomsviking. Truth be told, this album was a shocker for me when I was first getting into the band a couple of years back, and it was even more shocking when I sat down and gave the album its full listen and review. I thought it was going to be that classic and cliché Amon Amarth sound, just to find something much more wicked and devious. When I am first getting into a band, and especially a metal band, I tend to have a tendency to try finding their song that they named after themselves or vice versa. It was damn common in the 1980s, and a lot of the genres that kept some roots to traditional heavy metal tend to have it as well. Well, today we take a look at "Amon Amarth" by the band Amon Amarth, I only wish the album was named it as well since I'd love saying "Amon Amarth by Amon Amarth from Amon Amarth". While I cannot do it with this band, I still can with Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motorhead and a couple more, so I will survive. Besides, Once Sent from the Golden Hall is a much better and fitting album name. In my opinion, from my multiple listens to this album, I think this track is the best one from it. I really admire the atmosphere that is set up right off the bat, the black metal intro that gets your hackles raising. Then that moves into a more steady drum beat that has you feeling like you're marching off to war, and finally the song fully kicks off once the guitar takes back over and keeps steady alongside the drumming. Speaking of that drumming, they have a legend on board for only this album of the name Martin Lopez. Yes, indeed, that Martin Lopez. The one that laid down some of the best drumming in Opeth. He is a potent drummer full of crazy beats, he didn't get to show it off as much in this album, but you can still feel the aura of power from his kit. His transition to Opeth was like that kung fu theme when they drop what looks to be a small arm band, yet it is actually immensely heavy, and then they whoop everything in sight without breaking a sweat. I am glad he moved onto Opeth, since it also gave way to Amon Amarth to pick up Fredrick Andersson, who is another great metal drummer to not take lightly. Anyway! "Amon Amarth" is a kick ass track! Being someone who has always loved the world and lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy universe, I am more than happy to have a song about an epic battle surrounding Mount Doom. Yes, Amon Amarth got their name from where the one true ring was formed in the Lord of the Ring trilogy, the same place where only there it can be destroyed. But they didn't want to be called "Mount Doom" or even "Mountain of Fate" (which I think is a great name) so they went further into the lore and took the Sindarin (a Tolkien fake language spoken by the elves) translation of Mount Doom. Metal and Tolkien have been connected since the first guitar shredded and the first studded gauntlet was used. Be it Cirith Ungol or Amon Amarth in band names, many lyrical themes, imagery, and even later into it all we have the actor for Saruman the White, the legendary Christopher Lee, doing a full-fledged metal album! And it actually holds up! Anyway, enough gushing about the connections, but if you have a song and a band named after Lord of the Rings you have to expect it. So, if you are someone who likes that universe, great metal music, fantasy battles, and feeling pumped, then give this song a go! One of those that take a second to grab you if you aren't fully into the genre, but once it has you, it will knock you dead. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: Once Sent from the Golden Hall (1998)
Genre: Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Atmospheric Death Metal
Mood: Epic, Haunting
Perfect For: Driving in stressful situations, Marching off to war, Relaxing (believe it or not), Reading some high fantasy
Where To Next: "Hordalendingen" - Enslaved​​
Rating: 7/10

"Ocean Breathes Salty" - Modest Mouse

The older I get, the fonder I grow of Modest Mouse. I mean, growing up I really liked "Float On" like everyone else and another song here or there, but overall I wouldn't consider myself a fan back then. Modernly, I have found a home in their sound, their melancholic style that speaks right to my bruised soul. Their 1990s stuff is odd but in all the right ways, but it wasn't until the band hit their full stride in the 2000s that the world was shaken by them. Indie rock was already a proud genre before Modest Mouse came along into the scene though the addition of 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West and their debut released in 1996 This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About were albums that bolstered the genre's presence, especially The Lonesome Crowded West, that album is an essential listen. "Ocean Breathes Salty" doesn't come off of either of those though, today we stick our big noses into their more notable release to date Good News for People Who Love Bad News, released in 2004 the album left a serious impact on the decade. Songs like "Float On", "Ocean Breathes Salty" and "The World at Large" all hold a special place in the 2000s and the first two listed are on repeat on plenty of radio stations today. You would honestly have to be deaf to not have heard at least one song from this album in your lifetime, it reaches far. Back to "Ocean Breathes Salty", a song that always pleases my soul once I hear that intro kick off. It reminds me of nights driving across Texas with my dad, this song played a lot on the radio back then. While it isn't my dads jam, he was too tired by 1 AM to change that channel, so I had free reign to title myself the radio king! That is how I first got into a lot of the bands that would define some of my childhood like Fall Out Boy, The Used, Smash Mouth, Blink-182 and many more. As I grew older, the more pop punk side of the music world faded from me, but I am sure it will make an immensely strong comeback once I take my studies further into the 2000s. Anyway, that peaceful neo-psychedelia intro certainly makes me start floating, and it is genuienly perfect for super late night drives. The whole song is a touch unsettling, with each part have plenty of peculiar layers to the sound that have both ears trying their damndest to hear all of it. I am ultra fond of the intro, but the chorus is a ton of fun, vocalist Isaac Brock always demands my attention with his singing. It isn't the most talented or crazy vocals that hit the music business, but there is a homeyness to it that is equally a joy to listen to. The way he says the words and fits between the rest of the band is always enjoyable. Even within their debut, where he sounds like he is on the verge of tears half the time. Though, within this album he can shoot from shouting to soothing you to feeling like it is a friend singing karaoke with you while driving on the freeway. Modest Mouse has so many great songs and albums it really ins't shocking they are regarded as one of the greatest from indie rock, and it is within albums and songs like "Ocean Breathes Salty" that they keep that title. Also, they are a furiously touring band that never seems to stay off the road. Even with only 7 albums, the band feels fresh as ever as you start up another one of those 7 each and every time, no matter the abuse. A timeless band that can talk to any generation and aren't fully burdened by their obviously 2000s and 1990s style. They wear it like a crown while they knight the newcomers into the indie rock world. Anyway! As always check this song out, and I strongly suggest giving the album a play if you haven't yet, it is pretty well full up of pure quality tracks that have you dreaming, screaming, and fading away the whole time. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2004
Album: Phil Ochs in Concert (2004)
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Mood: Peacefully Stressful
Perfect For: Driving at night, Cigarettes and coffee, Snowy mornings, Relaxing, Napping, Daydreaming
Where To Next: "Guess I'm Doing Fine" - Beck​​
Rating: 9/10

"When I'm Gone" - Phil Ochs

I love the 1960s, it was the freest time for musical expression. It gave us countless poetic lyrical masterpieces, plenty of "common man" themes we can all get behind, the frustration of war and peace, but most importantly it gave us protest music. A time when you found a rallying call behind peace, a theme that seems to right in one ear and out the other modernly. Music where the white man finds time to love their brothers that have been put down by their ancestors. A time when you could spit on the shoes of the soldier while still caring for their kin. A time when the police beat you down, yet you still stand taller than them. Lyrically, I don't think there is another decade that could overtake the 1960s. The finest of those lyrics and poetry was written by politically activated folk pickers and psychedelic rangers. Phil Ochs wrote some of the most compelling songs and is one of the most moving protest singers of the decade. He released tracks like "I Ain't Marching Anymore" which became one of the biggest rallying calls in music history to put a stop to pointless wars. While the wars commenced, the impact of that one song showed the true soul of the American people. Not the bullshit that is pushed by those fueled by hatred and bigotry, the true patriots that believe in freedom and peace in a land that was supposed to be chosen as the place for independence. That all might be a pipe dream, but through the simplistic folk vocals of Ochs and the picking bliss of his guitar, it almost seems to be a dream worth dying for. "When I'm Gone" is one of his most famous songs, even if it took a long time to become that way. A song that is written to express the simplicity of life and death, a harrowing song of the simple man and the scrupulous attempt of coming to terms with what we all must face one day, the veil of death after the beauty of life. It blows my mind when I slow down my brain to realize I must die some day, that everyone I love too will cease to exist. At first, it makes me quite sad, as it should, but soon enough there is some beauty behind it. Death is as natural as life. We cherish our days on this earth chasing after the almighty dollar and die alone without much to show for it aside from the ease of buying our burial plot. It is in that vision that "When I'm Gone" really shines through. It is a moment of clarity as you view life for what it is worth, simply something that is temporary where you try cramming in all the love you can digest and can put out, and if you are living in a state of denial from that fact or live a life of hatred then you will ultimately die unfulfilled alongside so many others of us that bleed red, white and blue. Phil Ochs sets your mind at ease with this song, the pretty guitar work that seems to be sitting you down to tell you some truths. The simple truth behind the never stopping stomp of time. To do what you must while you live, to not miss a beat when the pleasure of love can fill your heart while you live. Once you are passed, then there is no time for these simple tasks that make life worthwhile. All the money cannot buy satisfaction, life is meant to be moderate suffering to remind the soul of what it is to be living. Life is cherishing the summer heat and the sunrise, it is equally the stress of hearing the singing of the guns as man leads a conquest against their neighbor. It is being present in a world that has no time for you and your squabbles. The suffering that is living is the beauty of just that. In a way, I think we would miss the hard times. I sometimes wonder if I am living in the "good times" during the bad times. Will I look back on these moments of struggle with a smile or a frown? I swear 3 years ago seemed awful, but now looking back I can only feel the joy of those moments. The kisses of my woman, the peaceful breathing of my feline friend, the smell of my truck after I haven't cleaned out all those cigarette butts, the fun I have alongside my mother as we get some chow and chat, and most importantly the beauty of mother nature that can wow even the most pessimistic person on the planet. I don't remember the nights of pain, nor the struggle of waking up to get to work, I remember the good times. But why is that? I swear to the stars I wouldn't mind passing away right then but don't remember it as I should? Of the sorrow? As one would think you'd dwell on. I just cannot help think on all that I did while living. All those memories that fill me and my loved ones that will stick around even after I am gone. That is what "When I'm Gone" truly is, a simplistic song that speaks nothing but simple truth that anyone can understand. A bittersweet tune that puts life in a way that is easy to understand, and that is there really is nothing to understand other than you better do what you want since it won't be possible after you pass on. All is born to die, and that might sound negative, though it is reality, something that I struggle to digest as much as you, but in the end it is truly... beautiful.

​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1966
Album: Phil Ochs in Concert (1966)
Genre: Folk
Mood: Real, Human
Perfect For: Casual listening, Thinking, Joy, Sorrow, Taking the time to be better than you were yesterday  
Where To Next: "Pick Up Your Sorrows" - Mimi and Richard Farina​​
Rating: 8/10

"Already Gone" - Eagles

I just cannot get enough of this album it seems, and I know I cannot almost to a fault. This is our third song of the day post of the Eagles, and they all come off their 3rd studio album On the Border. That sees the band still utilizing the more country rock sound of the previous two albums, but still getting ready to move into the California kissed sound of the mid 1970s. While it has plenty of Eagles classics such as "Already Gone", "Best of My Love" and "James Dean" the album seems to not gather the same affection as some of their others. To me, it holds the same power as the others, but I probably just have a soft spot for the album, much like many of the country rock themed ones of theirs. Anyway, "Already Gone" is the intro song on the album and probably the most important song within On the Border. A true classic rock staple that gets plenty of radio play and heavy attention on the band's compilations. It has been performed at almost every show the band played since its single showed up in the rock world in 1974. This was the first true love I had from the Eagles when I first started listening to them back when I was 10 or so. And still it holds a place as one of their best tracks in my heart. It has a great rambler's atmosphere that compliments the lyrics written by Robb Strandlund and Jack Tempchin, the latter being a reputable songwriter that worked with the Eagles and a handful of country artists. The Eagles always seem to do a great job with their harmonies, I can think of few other rock bands that match their voices in unison. Folk has plenty, and pop has famously many of the best vocal harmonies, but rock still seems to lack, especially in 1974 when everyone was trying to out guitar the last guy. If you need proof then check out their "Seven Bridges Road" off their 1980 live album Eagles Live.  "Already Gone" shows it off in that wonderful chorus as well, it comes after the rocking rhythm hits and Glenn Frey sets the stage for the theme of leaving a chick before she leaves you. Hitting that open road and finding the next place to hang your hat. I chose the song while getting my apartment ready to move out of, filling a box here, filling up my truck with random things to donate to the thrift store. We had plenty of rockers playing that night, but something about moving in and out of the apartment to loading the truck while the new heat of the night followed us in and out of the house really matched "Already Gone" playing proudly from inside the joint. The Eagles to me are summer, they are adventure, they are the wilderness, the never ending wheel of time, the stars, and the will to live. A powerful group that holds that good time feeling up high, but can also match that theme with their ability to write some truly sorrowful stuff. One thing is easily said about the band, and that is the Eagles can always make a night, even when packing and cleaning. "Already Gone" is the type of song that if you don't know it, there is a chance you live under a rock, or got hit in the head with a rock as a kid. It is great, a thorough rock classic that serves as a wonderful entry point in the band or the glorious world of classic rock. If you ever need help navigating the tons and tons of bands that have come out then let me know, I don't know everything, but I have been around the block and have dedicated every day of my life to the appreciation and study of music. I am happy to help any budding rocker, because when I was really young and starting my lifelong passion in rock, metal, punk and all its cousins I had to fill notebooks and notebooks of notes to keep everything straight. Especially since the internet wasn't nearly as convenient as it is now, but in a way that was part of the fun and challenge. I wish I could go back to those early days of setting everything up, falling in love with a band time and time again, having my growing brain being blown, taking on all the changing tides of life while still finding some crazy good albums to see me through it. I still find bands I dig, but after you collect multiple hundred bands and cherish many of their albums and songs it is hard for anyone else to really make an impact, but it does happen. Anyway, enough about me. The Eagles have shown up already a good amount of times, and they are a band with a lot of good history as a steady band and one of America's best rock bands, so I am sure they will show up many times on my corner of the internet. One of the highest selling rock groups and still a household name that has left a heavy mark on the rock world. You cannot think 1970s without the Eagles being there, the same can be said about rock music as a whole. A legendary band that helped move rock along and played a part in the changing tides of music, both seeing the band through the whole decade and giving more selling power to the different types of rock. Obviously I love the band, and a massive amount of rockers say the same. That love and respect is found in tracks like "Already Gone" that never seem to grow stale. Though you already know the song, let's give it another listen so the Eagles can make your day shine. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1974
Album: On the Border (1974)
Genre: Country Rock, Rock
Mood: Proud
Perfect For: Traveling, Feeling confident after a break-up, Summer days, Summer nights, Campfires  
Where To Next: "Willin" - Little Feat​​
Rating: 9/10

"March on for Pax Ramona" - Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

This is one of those bands I had to remind myself to not judge the band by their name, but after I actually listened through a couple of their songs, I found the band's name is exactly as it should be. Their work is a psychedelic chaotic mess but in all the right ways and some of the wrong ways but in a... good way? Alongside bands such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Wine Lips, The Mars Volta, Mother's Cake, and so many more, these are the modern bands that are bringing a new and heavier sound to the psychedelic world and they are doing it damn well. Mass experimentation meets garage rock tradition that meets psychedelia. Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are one of the most respected names in the movement that seemingly grabbed hold of Australia and has held on tight, so many great groups coming out of there and plenty of impressive ones coming out of Perth which the band showcases on a playlist that shows off the local talent, it is easy to see who influenced and was influenced by the band within their scene. Speaking of that scene and sound, this is the one I want to be part of, I mean Salt Lake City has a good array of bands, but it seems half are dedicated to the many cores of the metal world, and the other half are dedicated to some folk indie side. Admittedly, that explains SLC wonderfully, just throw a little Mormon Tabernacle Choir in there and we got a full beehive. Anyway, as I mention practically every single post that comes out of my Friday song choice, I follow the tradition of many and use Friday for a day of musical expansion and discovery. I listen through the new stuff from my beloved bands and give a ton of other bands a shot at being welcomed into the family. I like to think of it as some kind of twisted talent show where I am the judge! That would certainly be my niche if I was some looney Gotham reprobate. Well on this Friday I found some pretty good gems to my satisfaction. I sifted through some of the deluxe releases from the Beatles to make sure I didn't miss anything, which miss something I did, and I walked away with "The Long One" which is a medley of early versions of half the tracks on Abbey Road starting with "You Never Give Me Your Money" and ending with "The End" which was a lot of fun. Then I welcomed some more Earth, Wind & Fire into the fold, gotta love that funk! Then lastly, I decided to try getting deeper into some of the more artsy bands that are ruling the greasy corners of rock music, hence the discovery of "March on for Pax Ramona". My first though was what the hell do the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have to say about the Roman Empire, and my second thought was I really need to get further into the band since I have abused a couple of key tracks but have yet to take the deep dive, then my final thought was what a chaotic yet great song it turned out to be! It is that same mess I already knew that the band was gonna put out, but that is half the reason I come to them. They are energetic as piss and knock you down over and over again with varying styles that flash multiple different shades of pink, yellow, and purple in your third eye. This is one of the singles that comes off their upcoming album Carpe Diem, Moonman. In comparison to the other 2 tracks that have been released in hype of their album, "March for Pax Ramona" seems to be the most potent in my opinion. A strangely heavy as hell song, it feels like Primus gave birth to some strange mix between IDLES and Kyuss. The song keeps you both unsettled and restless all the way until the release at the 2:30 mark, where the band really takes off on a heavy stoner rock / desert rock feeling. It feels like the band gave you two different songs, with one secretly taking over in the middle of the track. It goes from some modern punk style with acid rock tones, to a desert rock jam, and then ends on a progressive note as the band reminds you of their heavy experimental backing. The song is pure chaos but in all the good ways, and if you are like me and always keep an eye out for modern bands to knock your socks off then you might have just found one here. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2025
Album: Carpe Diem, Moonman (TBR May 2025)
Genre: Experimental Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock
Mood: Fuzzy
Perfect For: Casual listening, Feeling that Friday freedom, Driving in chaotic circumstances 
Where To Next: "Mars for the Rich" - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
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Rating: 7/10

"Dying Inside" - Saint Vitus

We have talked about speed metal this month, we have touched on power metal, and we have talked about the precursors and philosophers of early heavy metal, though we have hardly touched on doom metal aside from Candlemass when they pop up. If there is a perfect example of a doom metal band, then Saint Vitus is it. They don't do anything epic like Candlemass, nor do they do anything for prime headbanging like Trouble. Saint Vitus came into the 1980s with a unique sound for the time, they read the book of Black Sabbath, tore out the pages, crossed out the name and put their name at the top. Now I don't mean that with any ill will, when it comes to one band you want to replicate then Black Sabbath is the one. Saint Vitus still has a sound that keeps them away from being a direct rip-off, but you can feel the heavy touch of Sabbath on most of all their work, especially their first couple albums. "Dying Inside" comes off of their third studio album Born Too Late, in which the title track of the album touches on the fact they know they are direct descendants of the hard rock and metal that came out of the 1970s. Not in the way some of the other doom metals are, but in the way they took the slowest and gnarliest riffs and pumped it full of some vigor and sent it back out into the world. Born Too Late is a doom metal and Saint Vitus classic, if not their most essential album. It is where I started with them, what feels like 100 years ago. Strangely enough, the first thing that lured me in, before I took the deep dive into doom/stoner metal, was the color of this album cover. I am a fool for purple, especially when it comes to metal album covers, it has always led me right when jumping into a new band on a whim. The album cover is simplistic but effective, the band's logo shouts with that purple background. As a youth "Born Too Late" was one of my many youthful rallying calls, I swore the band was talking about me and my fellow longhairs. Now that I am older, I still feel it a little, but the youthful spunk has faded, and now I am a shell of a man... sigh. Though if there is one genre that matches that feeling, it is this brand of metal. Saint Vitus is one of the "big 4" of doom metal alongside the others that started the genre, Candlemass, Trouble, and Pentagram. All fucking great in their own right, you can track how each of those 4 bands gave a rise to a different style within the genre. Candlemass led the force without a doubt and with that mainstream yet immensely bold touch they brought doom into the light, and many followed. Saint Vitus favored the dark, they were emboldened by it, and they took that darkness and a traditional early metal sound and kept the core values of the genre and still do. Trouble brought a faster side to the genre, well as fast as a genre known for their slow style can be. Then lastly, Pentagram brought a hard rock sound that (with the help of Saint Vitus) moved the doom metal world into the "stoner metal" world. A genre that, while it is still doom metal, separated themselves with a little more of a rock backing and the help of the desert rock genre that became popular in the 1990s. Anyway! There is a little crash course in doom metal, let's get back to "Dying Inside". This is one of the bands most popular tracks and is one of the best from Born Too Late. Coming in at a little shy of 7 and a half minutes, its lyrics match the damnation atmosphere of the song. The eternal battle of man and addiction, the fight between the devil and the angel on the shoulder, the fight between reality or sweet release. Vocalist Scott Weinrich sings it true and straight, while the band supports him with a slow and sludgy backing. Guitarist Dave Chandler wrote most of the lyrics off the album, but it is only fitting that Weinrich is the one to sing it, since his nickname is "wino". While the song wasn't talking about nicotine, the song did speak to me. I just barely made it to a week smoke-free, and I will be damned if it hasn't felt like half a year. Speaking of, doom metal was one of my favorite genres to smoke to. Man do I miss it. Anyway, no matter how you cut it the good times come to a head, be it tobacco or your poison of choice. For my deadly romance with tobacco, I know I must kill it before it kills me. There is an ember on one end and a fool on the other, and this fool thanks you for reading these posts! I would be even happier if you gave the song a listen as well (initiates puppy dog eyes) and don't you want to make me happy?

​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1986
Album: Born Too Late (1986)
Genre: Doom Metal
Mood: Damned
Perfect For: Getting drunk, Having a cigarette, Your other favorite brands of sin 
Where To Next: "By This Axe I Rule" - Reverend Bizarre
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Rating: 8/10

"Space Truckin' - Live at Osaka, Japan" - Deep Purple

It has finally happened! Deep Purple has joined the song of the day blog, so now I can rest! This will be my final post, we have hit the pinnacle of great rock music, it cannot be topped! Just kidding, but no seriously, Deep Purple are legendary for a reason. Both for their famous "Smoke on the Water" which has served as a constant annoyance to Guitar Center employees across the nation, and on their crazy bombastic work that predated metal and showed off a more mainstream appeal to the metal world in comparison to the godfathers of heavy metal, Black Sabbath. While Deep Purple is one of the holy trinity of the earliest days of heavy metal, their reach extends much further than one genre. They are one of the most definitive bands of the 1970s, bringing forth a heavy and great rock sound that helped countless hard rock groups get their bearings. Each member of this stage of Deep Purple (and pretty well all the lineups) are outstanding! Ritchie Blackmore, we have previously talked about on the Rainbow posts, is one of the most impressive guitar gods to date, pilgrim hat and all. Vocalist Ian Gillan is one of my all-time favorite singers, the way he commands the stage gives me chills, such power! Such power! That and he is one of the first recorded vocalists to utilize a "battle cry" which became a heavy metal rite of passage in the 1980s (see Judas Priest or "Angel of Death" by Slayer or the INTENSE "Machine Gunn Eddie" by Nitro). Ian Gillan also had an entertaining and rocking solo career that is worth any rocker's time. Roger Glover on bass, a true icon behind those thick booming strings, he also went on to Rainbow alongside Blackmore. Then we got Jon Lord, a compelling keyboardist and organist with a compelling mustache, he was in Deep Purple from the start up until the late 1970s, he went on to Whitesnake which was Deep Purple's later singer David Coverdale's next band after his time in Deep Purple. And last but not least, we have such an iconic drummer I could write a book about his exploits behind the kit, Ian Paice. This guy is crazy, and he is also one of the earliest members of the band back when they were a heavy psychedelic group that didn't gain much traction other than "Hush", but that early Deep Purple holds some of my favorites of theirs. All those wonderful musicians come together to create a masterpiece of a live recording, Made in Japan. Live albums can be hit-and-miss and usually serve as a fan pleaser more than anything, but when it comes to this album, it can outshine some of the band's solo work and still have room for dessert. Each song is intense, and what would be a 6-minute song in the studio transforms into 22 minutes of transcendence. "Space Truckin'" is one of the more in your face songs from the album, it has a heavy leaning on the keys of Jon Lord and the bowel rumbling drumming of Ian Paice. One of the few songs I can think of that has an organ solo in the rock world, yes you heard me right, a fucking organ solo! And not even a pretentious or odd one, it comes in and moves you, sometimes to annoyance with its high pitch tones, and sometimes it makes you want to take a seat with its psychedelic power. When I chose the track I was just at work finishing up some final things before the sweet freedom of the final bell. I have listened through this album a shitload of times, it serves as my second favorite live album of all time after all, and so I know that intro like the back of my hand. So, I knew I was in store for 20 minutes of jamming and good times, and I was not disappointed. Though on this day I had a crazy raging headache, the kind that beats the hell out of right behind your eyes, so the last thing I wanted was loud noises being fed through my headphones. I had a decision to make, do I skip the song which has a high chance of making my long hair transition into a crew cut, or do I power through, bite the pillow, and take this song into my ear hole? If you don't know the answer, then you don't know me, and my love for Deep Purple. While my head was unhappy, my ears were having the time of their lives! This whole album always gives me a buzz, man. It is powerful and fun, it shows off the pure talent of the band and with the famous courteous Japanese crowds you can hear each and every note instead of shouting or talking. The band loses it throughout the album and makes it easy to see why they are trendsetters and innovators in the rock world. For those that like Deep Purple or like some heavy jamming, then I cannot suggest this album enough. A genuinely perfect live album, and a great one to come after the band's legendary sixth studio album, Machine Head. You gotta be someone who likes the old rock to get behind this album, and even within this one song, you can't be someone who cannot listen to the same song for more than 4 minutes. A problem with the modern generation, and shit even my generation, guess everyone got used to 3-minute songs and quick social media videos. Art is damned. Alright, enough about me complaining about those whippersnappers. Though I will admit that those whippersnappers are missing out on some great rock music if they skip over this album and song. Just take the time out of your day to appreciate such a landmark of a live album and a piece of rock history. This track comes in hot with an electric rendition of their known and respected "Space Truckin'" before it kicks into a trippy drum and organ show down, finally coming full circle back into the song and boom it is over. Just be warned, if you listen to this song and album, you honestly might never be the same. And that is okay. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1972
Album: Made in Japan (1972)
Genre: Hard Rock
Mood: Otherworldly
Perfect For: Casual listening, Wearing a puff tie and drinking vermouth, Getting baked, The appreciation of music 
Where To Next: "Lord of Light (Live 1973)" - Hawkwind
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Rating: 8/10

"Angels Holocaust" - Iced Earth

Iced Earth is a highly respected power metal group that came out of Florida. They brought a different flavor of the power metal genre to the world, unlike many following the same style originally set up by Helloween and then expanded upon by Blind Guardian and other bands from the second wave of power metal. Iced Earth seemed to keep traditional heavy metal in mind, giving the sound a little more of a speed metal lick, then they seal the deal by having a strong thrash metal backing. Their iconic sound has lured in many metalheads from many different walks of life. It is hard not to get drawn into the band's kick ass "galloping" rhythm, fast guitar savagery, and lyricism that appeals to both the fantasy fans and the metalheads that just wanna bust some skulls. Their first four albums don't get nearly the same love as some of their later releases, but for me this is the Iced Earth I first fell in love with, and it is the Iced Earth I come back to much more often. "Angels Holocaust" comes off the bands 1991 studio album Night of the Stormrider, a concept album that revolves around the tale of damned soul that was betrayed by his faith in the gods and religion, ultimately making him into a killing machine mad with bloodlust let loose upon the earth, by the end of the album he looks back on what he has done and regrets his actions though it is too late since he is cast into hell for all eternity. Just a cozy children's bedtime story if you ask me. "Angels Holocaust" is the starting song on this album's 9 tracks, and let me tell you, that is one hell of a way to start an album. Instantly you are white knuckling your steering wheel as the operatic heavenly vocals meet the calm pretty guitar work of the band before intense blasphemy consumes our character and your ears. The track is built wonderfully, there are the moments it calms down before jumping right back into the heavier sound. The second half of the song is predominantly the heavier sound, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat with the addition of angelic Bel Canto, and the dual vocals of John Greely and Jon Schaffer painting a tale right in front of your mortal eyes. One of the things I love most about the earlier Iced Earth albums is how much it relies on you to listen to the album from start to finish to get the full image. Songs meld wonderfully into each other and those albums hold a damn special place in my heart. Iced Earth was one of the earliest true loves I had in the heavy metal world, especially away from the mainstream bands that were impossible to avoid, like Metallica and Iron Maiden. "When the Night Falls" is still one of my all-time favorite songs and the first time I heard that song my mind was literally blown and that "true metal" style of raunchy heavy metal still consumes me and serves as my favorite resting place within the metal world. I am a fan of practically all the subgenres of the metal world, even ones I am less fond of I can still whip out a good handful of quality tracks that I adore, but there is no doubting that I prefer the older stuff, but I am sure you have noticed that if you keep up with this website for more than 3 days. After my 10-year-old self listened to "When the Night Falls" from their debut, I instantly took up the rest of the album that then moved into their second. By the time I started my full heavy metal scholarship with my major in history, I was waist deep in Iced Earth, still a band that I love anytime they come up next on the playlists. It always reminds me of the early days of getting into heavy metal, the abuse of "Whiplash" by Metallica and the ritual of listening to "Bomber" from Girlschool any day I got the chance. That love of traditional heavy metal stayed no matter where I went within other genres and stages of my life. Iced Earth seems like a family figure at this point, playing loud on the poorly days, and playing steady on the good. Even with the stupid actions of the only full-time member, Jon Schaffer, I still am a fan. If you are curious about that little fun piece of news, then you can look it up yourself. Even bad publicity is good publicity I suppose. Anyway, not a place for politics, this is a place for music! Music that can shake you to the core and impress you! Iced Earth has a lot of that, keeping their core sound to be a foundation through the many wonderful albums with their fun concepts and pure raw driving power. So go ahead and give the song a listen, if it isn't to your liking then maybe try their later material, and if that ain't to your liking either then there is always Barry Manilow. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​Year Released: 1991
Album: Night of the Stormrider (1991)
Genre: Power Metal
Mood: I n t e n s e
Perfect For: Casual listening, Driving fast, Sharpening your collection of cheap mall swords that shouldn't be sharpened
Where To Next: "Iron Heads" - Running Wild
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Rating: 8/10

"32 Pennies" - Warrant

Warrant is the winner for our song of the day post. They were one of the first bands I can remember putting name to songs, back when I was damn young and thought the Shrek soundtrack was the best thing out there (some zingers on that one). Tracks like "Cherry Pie" are rock cornerstones that make sure the spirit of rock music doesn't fade anytime soon, especially for the mainstream side of rock music. One thing that Warrant could easily leave behind is that god awful album cover, I have always despised it, even if it is mocking the wealthy. Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich is an album that infamy and fame meet under the same banner. A great album through and through, and even with the hatred pointed at the band and the rest of the Sunset Strip glam metal scene, there is no denying it's simple good time nature. I never got the idea Warrant were actually trying to be "bad boys", that swagger just comes with this brand of rock music, a very macho lyrical theme for the boys and that macho feeling won over legions of women. And I mean legions. The live fast die young mentality of bands like Warrant, Motley Crue, Ratt, and so many others fronted this certain image of the American wasteland that is still relevant even today. They are just some dudes that want nothing but a good time, and that good time can range from the blow, fast women, fast cars, and faster guitars. Though even with all that rebellion being held under the loads of hairspray and zebra animal print, it still somehow worked. Might be one of those things I would have to be there to fully understand, and I know the lead up from glam rock into glam metal has a heavy hand in the stage performances and personas. Warrant came along when the golden days of glam metal were fizzling out. The 1980s had many great groups, and those groups started heading a different direction musically by the end of the 1980s. Though there was one last hoorah in the scene with bands like Warrant bringing forth many great singles that helped define the transitionary point in rock between the neon lights of the 1980s into the dimmed lights of the 1990s. One thing you can expect from any of the glam legends is the natural way the band creates catchy as hell songs. "32 Pennies" is exactly that, catchy as hell. The kind of song that gets stuck in your head, teeth and butt crack, once you hear it you cannot get it out of your thoughts. This album is made up of 10 songs that vary in style but still keep the core of this genre at heart, the ballads like "Heaven" and "Sometimes She Cries", the notes of a heavier sound like "S.R.F.S.R." & "Down Boys" to convince the masses that they have a spot in the metal world (they don't), and then we have the boogie tracks like "32 Pennies", "Big Talk", and "Cold Sweat" just to name a couple. Alright, that is enough about the album for a minute, let's focus on "32 Pennies". This song serves as my favorite track from the album, it is a great way to kick it off and set an overall fun time theme. With its antimaterialistic theme to match that atrocious album cover and the cocky album title, we have ourselves a well put together track. The catchy chorus with a fun groove throughout the song, good lyrics focusing on the need for love over the need for money. Jani Lane may not be the most known lyricist, but I find him to be an unsung hero of the glam world. Nothing too serious, but he does a great job balancing the seriousness of life with the fantasy world of good times that we all think about when at work. He is also a fun singer that commands the album all the way through, both with impressive pipes and entertaining call-outs, much in the late 1980s glam style. Warrant didn't go on to have all too impressive of a career, mainly living off the massive acclaim from this album and the follow-up Cherry Pie. But I will forever stand by them, they have given me plenty of thrills throughout the years of my life. Those two albums are certainly their most worthwhile, but they still have plenty of other great songs from their other releases. Just a band that got picked up right when their sound was starting to taper off. A band that went and tried to keep up just to be snuffed out. Still, all of their studio albums are worth at least one listen, especially if you are a fan of their famous albums. Don't expect "32 Pennies" level of energy or anything, but still you have to pay homage to the bands that still killed it while the music world killed them, and Warrant is exactly that. 

​​​​​​​Year Released: 1989
Album: Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich (1989)
Genre: Hard Rock, Glam Metal
Mood: Carefree
Perfect For: Casual listening, Staying positive at work, Hitting the town
Where To Next: "Here I Am" - Skid Row
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Rating: 9/10

"Saturation Point" - Marty Friedman

Marty Friedman is a guitarist that really doesn't get the full love he deserves. His playing is immaculate and that is best shown off on his solo work and the two albums released by Marty Friedman and Jason Becker's project under the name Cacophony that holds two of heavy metal's most underrated forgotten gems. What Friedman is really known for though is his work with Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He was part of the bands landmark albums Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction. So, back tracking to the opening sentence of this post, he is a known name and one of the finest guitarists in thrash metal and heavy metal as a whole, but still I feel he gets overlooked far too often. His solos on "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" are FACE MELTING, and his work with Cacophony is truly out of this world. But why do I do all this explaining for a man that really lets his guitar do the talking on "Saturation Point" so let's get into it. The song comes off of his debut solo album, Dragon's Kiss. Released in 1988 and flew under the radar, especially with the caliber of more mainstream metal that year had to offer. Plus, instrumental albums and this kind of guitar-based album rarely catches the public's eye. It is for the guitar maniac, the heavy metal collector, the historian of heavy metal's sharpest of blades, and the neoclassical metal dweebs (much love). Marty Friedman has a ton of solo albums, but I really don't know if any match the prowess of Dragon's Kiss, it really is an essential album to show off the guitar skills of one of heavy metal's greatest guitarists. A fun listen all the way through that both amazes you and also serves as a steady album to play in the background while you do anything you can imagine. This kind of thrashing neoclassical metal album wasn't anything new in 1988, there were many smoking guns on the scene, yet Friedman still brought something to the table that raised the stakes. A flow in the album that doesn't solely revolve around shredding, but gave light to a more mature sound that still can easily make you bleed from your nose and ear holes but... peacefully? Kind of like how they say once you give in then drowning is a peaceful death. "Saturation Point" is the intro to the album and really lets you know what is about to go down as soon as the drums from Deen Castronovo start shaking the ground. Castronovo was on Friedman's previous band Cacophony's second album Go Off! and he has been in many different bands and many different albums, and it makes sense when you hear his drumming. Though, that drumming still gives way to the attack of strings and fury that Friedman tries murdering you with. Right when it seems you have had all you can handle, he pulls in the leash and cools you off with the smoother side of shredding. Though, don't you get comfy, because doom lurks around the corner when Friedman kicks the amp to 11 and lays into it again. A truly sensational guitar player, and this song is one of his best if you ask me, even if the comically (and metal as fuck) titled "Dragon Mistress" serves as the most important song on the album and one of the essentials for any guitar geek. I am sure at some point or another "Dragon Mistress" will show up, since that song was made for battle! For now, we have "Saturation Point" and I am glad to be able to bring it to the table and get to show you the song! There are so many forgotten metal albums from the 1980s, some way more forgotten than this album, and it breaks my heart. Metal moves on from subgenres like it is nobody's business, and I think that is one of the main reasons there is such a divide in half of the metal community. You hear a sound you love, get sucked into its world, and then 6 years' time, if not less, the world moves on for the next thing that may be way heavier or strangely softer. For the world of the shred masters, they found themselves battling back against the glittered high-heeled leather boys of the glam metal genre to then slam into the wall of alternative and nu metal. The world of yesterday, yet luckily since these kinds of albums never get to the top of the chart, there is no real need to grieve. Many of the guitar gods of this world are still going strong. It helps all the more if you are a part of Megadeth as well to keep your name in the book of heavy metal. Give the song a listen! Just be warned, it is only safe to consume in small increments, or you risk internal bleeding. Enjoy!

​​​​​​Year Released: 1988
Album: Dragon's Kiss (1988)
Genre: Neoclassical Metal
Mood: Impressive
Perfect For: Studying, Playing D&D, Doing your website, Busy work, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Tornado of Souls" - Megadeth
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Rating: 7/10

"Mystery Mountain" - Journey

Today we talk about once again another tremendously famous band! Or are we?.. Yes, we are talking about Journey, but not many people know of the band's start. Journey at first was the love child between previous members of notable bands that filled the late 1960s into the 1970s, such as Steve Miller Band and Santana. Gregg Rolie was behind that microphone of Santana's beloved first 4 albums and then returned now and then for his future releases, and he also was the first vocalist of Journey and leant additional vocals when needed and his keyboard up until 1981 when he left the powerhouse he created. Guitarist Neal Schon too came from Santana and then followed through with Journey until modern day. On bass guitar we have Ross Valory which was part of Steve Miller Band for their odd period of them still trying to find their sound, and then came along with Journey and was a proud founding member up until 2017. Then we have Aynsley Dunbar, a drummer that has been everywhere in the rock world and drums many of your favorite songs, yet you have no clue who he is. A machine behind those sticks and one of the founding members of Journey, but kept on choogling along after their 1978 album Infinity. He has been around, and it is worth your time to go see all he has been part of. Anyway, I don't want to make this post a history lesson of rock n roll, though I hope to start a section like that soon, I just need to find a ton of time to get it done, but if that ain't life then you can call me Paul. Journey is known for the stadium rock accessible sound that still sets them up today as one of the biggest names in commercial rock. The band is infamous while being insanely famous, but many hate what shines too brightly. Though within this album we don't see that Journey. We see a Journey that is pure rock music through and through, and as you guessed it, they sound nothing alike while still sharing the same name. This early version of the band is based in a more heavier progressive rock sound, and it kicks ass! Not having Steve Perry behind the microphone is hardly Journey though in the modern day, and while it is great, it didn't age nearly as well as the clean cut sound from the band's massive hits and albums. It is much like Fleetwood Mac, but a lesser version of the band, they had a core sound that changed to a mainstream success, I wonder how it felt to sell their soul to the banker, yet once again I don't blame anyone for doing it when it makes them rich and also puts their name in the history books, and I am sure the surplus of chicks is nice. "Mystery Mountain" starts off mellow enough, but you can already tell they are gaining the power with that steady drum beat before the track kicks you down a flight of stairs with its moving keyboard vs. drums vs. guitar intro. It gets funky as the song moves along, and that funk cradles the vocals of Gregg Rolie wonderfully, much like we hear on Santana's debut album. The song comes in hot and heavy, but still keeps some water on hand to keep you rocking and feeling alllright. Do I grieve that the band didn't keep this sound longer than their first three albums? No, not really. They would have faded along with this style of rock music, even with them being great musicians, time waits for no one, especially in the music world. Besides, they sort of kept the sound in a couple of the later Journey tracks once they became an iconic name in the rock world, yet over time the sound dwindled away for what the fans came to listen to them play. I still wonder what else would have come out of them since this debut is a fun listen, their following album Look Into the Future has a nice jazz fusion kiss that is a joy, and their 3rd album adopts an even heavier sound that fits the changing rock sound in 1977 even if that is the weakest out of the three in my opinion. I love going back to the early Journey and showing people where the band came from though. It is a fun history piece, and it is all the much better when it is honestly truly great rock n roll. Each member shows off their intensity behind their tool of the trade, they don't get that chance much in the future Journey. Funnily enough, this was the first Journey track to make it onto the website, and it isn't even the Journey that we know and love. Fine with me though! I hope you found the track, played the track, loved the track, and played it again! That is what I am here for!

​​​​​Year Released: 1975
Album: Journey (1975)
Genre: Rock
Mood: Fun
Perfect For: Casual listening, Having whiskey on the rocks, Getting ready for the day
Where To Next: "Hope You're Feeling Better" - Santana
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Rating: 7/10

"Nature Boy" - Gandalf

For the last little bit, it has felt like I have been beating the more legendary bands into the dirt with over usage. I mean, once again I still end up choosing some deep cuts to serve as new tracks for the casual fans of the band, but still in the end sometimes it is nice to have something brand new to spice it up. Today we have one to spice it up with Gandalf and their psychedelic masterpiece "Nature Boy". Gandalf themselves isn't a very well known name, but their tracks "Nature Boy" & "Hang On To a Dream" are some well respected songs that can find a comfy home amongst some of the best songs in the psychedelic rock game. The band only released one album in their prime, their self-titled gem released in 1969. They would later release another album under the Sundazed Music banner, but it was in 2007, stuff in that one is still good, but there is no denying the power of their debut, and in my opinion it might have been best just to leave well enough alone. Guess you cannot hold back from rock n roll if you already had a taste for it, even if it was a whole 38 years back. There is so much to love in this album, its atmosphere is top-notch, it doesn't have that stressful feeling (that I love) like Pink Floyd, but isn't so mellow to be thrown in with the Grateful Dead and certainly ain't as heavy as the acid rock movement. The album cover is great and pretty well explains the band before you even listen to them. "Nature Boy" in my opinion is the strongest song in their small discography. I only came across this band two years back or so, and they knocked the air out of me, the natural way the band instantly put my heart at ease and transported me to a realm of prism spectrums and indigo rivers. For a band that chose a name of a famous wizard, from (as you know) J.R.R. Tolkien's high fantasy world, I was a touch worried about who they would be upon discovery. Though it is honestly the perfect name, a mystical spell is cast over you as the song plays on. It pushes forth a sensation of wanting to bolt while also wanting to fall asleep in a field of soft grass. "Nature Boy" is more than just a trippy piece of music, more than a song with a smooth guitar solo near the end that hits like the famous guitar part in Pink Floyd's "Dogs", and much more than a generic rock track. There is pure power within the track, wonderful lyricism that is beautiful, "the greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return", a message that most of us can agree with. Money comes and money goes, people come and people go, but love will always persevere, to love and be loved in return, the message reaches far and reaches into your heart. As much as I wish I could say that Gandalf was the first to record this song, I cannot. The original comes from the influential and legendary artist Nat King Cole, he put out the first beautiful version of the track in 1948 right before the tides of music shifted towards a different direction. Since then the song has been covered by a good amount of other artists like ol' blue eyes Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, David Bowie and even Tony Bennett alongside Lady Gaga. I have only listened to a couple of the versions throughout my time, but I will say with confidence that I like the Gandalf version the best, while the Nat King Cole version was my first. It is hardly the same song side by side, but the lyrics seem to match the psychedelic style better than the jazz feeling, though like most things that is opinion based. Anyway, Gandalf has put together an album that flew under the radar for a long time until it finally got notoriety and Sundazed Records re-released it in 2002. That is where I found the band and album, I love what Sundazed Music does with bringing hidden gems into the light to shine! Now it is your turn to listen to the track and see what you think of it. Feel free to check out the original too, equally beautiful yet in a completely different way. Enjoy! 

​​​​Year Released: 1969
Album: Gandalf (1969)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Mood: Enchanting
Perfect For: Daydreaming, Smoking a pipe, Relaxing, Going for a canyon drive
Where To Next: "Melancholy Man" - The Moody Blues
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Rating: 9/10

"All I Really Want" - Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette was part of the power play by female rock and alternative rock artists that touched down with a fever in the mid 1990s. "All I Really Want" is one of Morissette's most famous tracks, it comes off of her immensely famous 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. When I say immensely famous, I mean that as seriously as possible, the album was certified Diamond a handful of times and then everyone else raised her to a multiplatinum status. Is it shocking? She is still a household name, almost everyone knows someone that owned this album, modernly I guess everyone knows someone that has plenty of these tracks on their playlist or "liked songs". What is most strange about the album is its far reach, I mean Alanis Morissette already had a fan base, but nothing like this, her first two albums are hardly reminiscent of this one, and Morissette seemed to lure in so many fans from many walks of life. We have the rockers that can fall in love with plenty of the tracks, but it plays in the pop field with a vigor so the gals can listen to it on the way to the mall or mimosas, then we have the alternative rock fans that can fall in love with it, same with the collage rock fans that cherish a whimsical commercial appeal, and lastly even the strung out grunge fans got behind the album. Songs like "Hand in My Pocket", "All I Really Want", "Ironic", "You Oughta Know" and "Head over Feet" are iconic tracks that fueled the softer side of the 1990s rock world. With that far reach comes in a lot of questions, the how's, the why's, and the what's. Why could Alanis Morissette reach a large group while her fellow similar artists of the time could not? I think it is something of the unhinged nature of Morissette, the chaotic feeling of her songs, her cute yet strong vocals that jump between silly to impressive without a hiccup, the experimental styles, the unique approach to multiple genres, and then there is where I fell in love with her music, in those lyrics. She is a phenomenal lyricist and I think that "All I Really Want" is one of her best written songs, shit it is probably one of her best songs in general. The funky guitar mixed with the harmonica intro that lead into the beats sets up the theme of the album wonderfully. And like many from this album, the lyrics come from a personal world from Morissette, revolving around the harsh sides of love and general unrest within yourself. Seeing the you in the mirror and having it be ripped to shreds by the younger version of yourself and the version you would like to see looking back. With that in mind, Jagged Little Pill is a fitting album title. Anyway, back to the track, the intro holds you and then the pop appeal of the track shows through once the chorus comes around. Verse by verse, the song lays down so much info to take in but keeps a revolving theme and set up, such a great pop sensibility that helped thrust her into stardom but not so much of a pop push to scare away fans. I am extra fond of when the track shifts to a different style around the 3:00 mark, it gives the song a spot to take a full breath before moving back into it, that part is fun too and while playing this song loud, the random part of silence always fucks with your ears. Then Morissette brings forth that "jagged little pill" lyricism once again before the song moves back into its roots. The strange psychedelia guitar work meeting the harmonica, the drums meeting the steady electronic beats, the harsh vocals of Morissette meeting her clean, the song really is a gem and a pure joy to listen to. Due to how many layers are in this track and just how fast the lyrics get thrown out, the song is easy to take in multiple times in a row. A great way to start off such an iconic album, and a great spot for budding fans to start with her. Though you already know this song, but that doesn't mean you can't give it another spin. Thanks for reading! Hopefully the lack of smoking doesn't hinder my flow on these damn posts. Only time will tell and as always I will give it my best, for you! Until next time. Oh! And listen to the song yada yada yada.

​​​​Year Released: 1995
Album: Jagged Little Pill (1995)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Mood: Chaotic yet soothing
Perfect For: Summer days without anywhere to be, Casual listening, Chores, Going on an adventure, Reading her lyrics
Where To Next: "3 Strange Days" - School of Fish
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Rating: 9/10

"The Song Is Over" - The Who

The Who is one of the most important bands in the rock world, their innovation to the 1960s rock scene is rivaled by hardly anyone else. The British invasion/British beat chewed up plenty of bands and spat them out, leaving them stuck in the same year they had their hits. Though that is not the case with The Who, their debut My Generation took the music world by storm. There was nobody heavier at the time, which might seem funny to modern standards, but the title track "My Generation" was a bold track both in style which serves as one of the first examples of punk rock roots, and the lyrical content which was a rallying call to a generation. A call that went far and wide, it gave the finger to the past generations that judge the youth for what they do and what they listen to, if that isn't rock n roll I don't know what is. That debut has so much energy, it wears you out by the end of its playtime. They would then move along tasting a few different styles of rock on A Quick One, find their main core sound within The Who Sell Out, put out Tommy, a damn strong and bold concept double album following a strange ass story, but we will cover that in time, and lastly we make it to the album that holds today's selection and my full heart and soul, the bands legendary 1971 Who's Next. When I say this album has my heart and soul, I mean it, this was one of the albums that forever changed my musical taste. The first time I heard "Baba O'Riley" I had my mind blown, I listened to that song before bed for no kidding a whole year, and even now I get entranced each time I give it another listen. What a way to kick off an album, following that track we have many more powerful songs, then we get to the final track on side A of this album "The Song Is Over". This song has always taken the bench in comparison to some of the other tracks on Who's Next, but that doesn't mean it is any less powerful. A solid ballad that sees both Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey behind the microphone. And in The Who style, the song starts off mellow to grab your attention before it fully shows you what the band is about once the song kicks off. This song is a strange one emotionally, one of those tracks that feel so empowering but yet so damn sad. A rich song that you need to give multiple listens to hear it all, layer after layer of instrumentation and power, but once again that is another thing in The Who style. I chose this track while I was listening to music at work. I have been slowly cutting down on my cigarette intake so when my quit date approaches (04/04/2025) I don't have a complete meltdown. But with cutting down more and more as the days went on, I found myself having mini meltdowns each day, slowly getting a little more intense or prolonged. So while I was locked in an anxiety ridden withdrawal attack, I heard "The Song Is Over" coursing through my headphones into my ears. Almost instantly that attack faded away, I had the power once again, the will to push against my toxic friend nicotine. I am not looking forward to quitting, it will be a hell of a battle, and honestly I cannot remember a life without smoking. I know that if I am having a hard day with it, there will be "The Song Is Over" to bring me back to it. The lyrics are simplistic powerful, written as a testament to the human will, the power to persevere no matter what, much like the trees, mountains, and river. To sing your song to the wide open spaces, to sing your visions to the sky high mountains. It can work for almost anything you may be going through, be it a break-up, shitty bosses, or quitting smoking. It ends on a sweet note that leaves such a sugary taste on your tongue, "The song is over, excepting one note, pure and easy, playing so free, like a breath rippling by". No matter if you are in a poor mood or a good mood, "The Song Is Over" can match just about any of them, especially if you lend it both ears to take in the masterful playing of the band. Who's Next is an essential album to take in for any rocker, made up of high quality tracks that lift you up and also tear you right down. Songs like "The Song Is Over" that empower you, to remind you that the bad is part of existing and there is some beauty in it, so long as you don't let it take the song out of you, and even when you get to your lowest there will always be one note of your soul playing on. 

​​​Year Released: 1971
Album: Who's Next (1971)
Genre: Rock
Mood: Empowering
Perfect For: A kick in the butt, Inspiration, Relaxing at home, Camping, In depth listening
Where To Next: "Can I Make It Last (Or Will It Just Be Over)" - Boz Scaggs
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Rating: 8/10

"Dreaming" - Blondie

Welcome music fans of all walks, today we talk of Blondie once again. They are the sort of band that always hits the spot, they have tracks for almost any mood you may be in. For "Dreaming" you might come across it during a day when you are feeling romantic, or this song will compliment the day wonderfully for the dreamers amongst us. As I might have mentioned for the "Atomic" post awhile back, Eat to the Beat serves as the shifting point for the band where they almost leave behind their more punkish backing. The album melds in a ton of different styles that leave us with a stand-up album that doesn't turn sour too quick due to its flow and exciting styles. While "Atomic" might still be the best track on the album in my opinion, it isn't shocking that the album opens with "Dreaming". An immensely easy to get into pop rock song that was made to fit the radio friendly pattern, but not so much so that it is "just another pop song" especially since each member of the band is giving it their all and you can feel it. It holds a high spot in the rankings of Blondie tracks, but how could it not? This is the kind of song that pleases the outside and the inside of your soul. Blondie is such a unique group while still falling in closely with the changing rock sound of the 1970s to 1980s shift. I wonder what the band's modern variation might be? A group that starts out a little more on the harder side of music, but then slowly moves into a pop appealed sound that still doesn't lose the original core sound. Maybe Paramore? I could see that. I mean if you put them side by side there wouldn't be much connection, but they also have a couple of decades between them. I think The Pretenders can serve as the 1980s version of Blondie (though Blondie was still strong into the 1980s), and I honestly cannot think something up for the 1990s. For the 1970s into the 1980s, Blondie played a thin line of being thrown into a bunch of different genres and labels, but kept their strength high with hit after hit to show that the band can honestly not be categorized. I love that spunk, but it does make it hard for people like me in the future, but I have that coming since labels are lame anyways. "Dreaming" tells the tale of the start of singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein's love where they met at a restaurant, with that in mind the lyrics and the passion of the song really sell themselves. With its heavily influenced by ABBA feeling, it makes it easy to fade away to its simple power pop backing. It alludes to some cinema themes, but ultimately the track is for the romantic, you can almost see how the story unfolds in front of your eyes, and unlike a lot of my other "romantic" songs, this one actually ends fairly happily. The strangely powerful and frantic drumming only helps sell the track and helps keep the song on a rock level enough to not scare away the common rocker. The first time I heard this song I was shocked by the drumming, have you ever seen that famous viral video with that drummer in some kind of kids show costume? This dude is way overqualified and really kicks the shit out of that drum set in front of those kids when there really isn't any need for it, and that is what I always see in my head when I hear this song's intro start in one of my playlists. The song chugs along wonderfully, and is one of those songs you can listen to over and over again and hardly tire of it. A damn near perfect song through and through, and another welcome addition to AintNoisePollution! Give the song a spin and enjoy! 

​​Year Released: 1979
Album: Eat to the Beat (1979)
Genre: Power Pop, Pop Rock, New Wave
Mood: Dreamy
Perfect For: Romantic thoughts, Romantic options, Romantic drives, Daydreaming, Relaxing, Swimming
Where To Next: "Space Age Love Song" - A Flock of Seagulls
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Rating: 9/10