"Cheating Game" - Susan Raye

Country is the type of genre that crams in a ton of names and very few walk out of that year still being remembered. Well, up until the early 1980s, since that is as far as my country studies have taken me thus far aside from individual artists. Susan Raye had a modest career in the country world from 1970-1977, and while her albums sold fairly and she had plenty of charting songs, she is mostly remembered for her biggest hit "L.A. International Airport". That is the song that first allowed me to discover Susan Raye, though I have found that there are even better tracks than that one if you dig just a little bit deeper. Her vocals are wonderful, and not so far country leaning that it would scare away those that aren't fond of that southern drawl. In 1971, she won "the most promising female vocalist" and was nominated many times for the top female performer, because once again she sings like a damned angel and not the honky-tonk type. Do you know when you brush your teeth or have a strong mint and then drink cold water right after? That feeling is the best way to explain here singing. Buck Owens saw that and mentored her in her career, their duet work is some of the best to come out of classic country's duets. I always trust Buck Owens when it comes down to those he takes under his wing, and Susan Raye bolsters my opinion on that. "We're Gonna Get Together" is one of my favorite country duets, and I admittedly also have a great fondness for their cover of the Micky & Sylvia rhythm and blues track "Love Is Strange". While Buck Owens is certainly a great singer and performer, I think Susan Raye could sing with a dump truck carrying goats going through labor and still make it sound heaven sent. So with all that in mind, let's get into "Cheating Game". This one comes off her underrated 1973 country gem Cheating Game, and while the album certainly has a heavy emphasis towards the title track being the pride and joy of the album, there are still plenty of other tracks to get you feeling light and free. Now, if you are anyone who has dabbled in country music, both the old and the new, then you know that cheating is a revolving theme. I am honestly not sure where and why it first came up, but it has been a steady presence and probably always will. Country is a genre based around the common man with it's common man problems, and getting cheated on is something that could happen to practically anyone, I am damn certain it happened to me, and it could have easily happened to you as well. So, country is there to sing about it. That, and the genre had a damn rampant problem with cheaters and womanizers, so maybe some of them sing from their own experiences. They loved their women, pills, and liquor that is a bona fide fact, and plenty of the lyrical themes revolve around just that. But if that isn't the struggles of the common human being, I don't know what is. Anything to kill the pain. "Cheating Game" comes from the point of view of the woman that has been defeated and abused by the simple truth of the cheating game. Her lover betrayed her playing the game, and she asks what many wonder (myself included) "who knows the mind of the cheating kind". The lyrics of the song are immensely well written by Bonnie Guitar who is another musician that found fame in more the business side than her underrated albums. The performance from Raye is even better, it certainly feels like she is a victim of a broken heart. Either before the break-up when she just found out, or maybe once it's all over but the crying. This is her 2nd most popular track on Spotify, and the gap between "L.A. International Airport" is pretty large, but in my opinion this song is much more powerful even though the other is a nice crossover track that feels like it should be being played in an airport. Both of which are well put together and Raye portrays the heartbroken wonderfully. But there is a lot to love from her, even if she might be a little bit of a "one hit wonder" in the pop world. In the country world, she found decent success and is one of my favorite female performers from the varying 1970s country scenes. Give the song a listen and see what you think! A little different from what we usually have on this website, though that doesn't mean I cannot show it off and that it cannot win you over. You won't know until you give it a spin. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1973
Album: Cheating Game (1973)
Genre: Country, Crossover Country
Mood: Heartbroken
Perfect For: Getting cheated on, Feeling low, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Snowbird" - Anne Murray​​
Rating: 8 / 10

"Still in Love with You" - Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy never grows stale, a true powerhouse in the hard rock that powered the recklessness of the 1970s. Most of their tracks follow your standard hard rock, you know the stuff, fast as sin guitar work, lyricism revolving around sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Though Thin Lizzy also has a soft side, some of their best tracks are the slow ones. Singer and bassist Phil Lynott is a genuine joy to listen to and can belt out some lines with serious power, his fun playing on words in their main harder sound is where he really shows off, but even in the ballads he keeps you seated and sated. "Still in Love with You" comes off the band's primal fourth studio album Nightlife, it was the first one from them to show off the sound that would fully make them famous. Their previous album Vagabonds of the Western World gave a little taste of it, but they still felt a little lost in their sound. All that changed in Nightlife and you can feel it, the album is intense and is one of my personal favorites from the band. It was the first to feature Scott Gorman and Brian Robertson on guitars, Gorman would be with the band up until the end though Robertson only stayed around until the bands 1978 live album Live & Dangerous, which might I add is a fucking great live album, and we will probably come back to that in this post. Brian Robertson would also take over for Fast Eddie Clark in Motörhead for their 1983 album Another Perfect Day, if I recall right, I think we talked about it on the Motörhead post from December of last year, so if you want more on that then go check it out! We are here to talk about Thin Lizzy! A band I could talk about all day, and is one of my favorites to expose people to since they are one of my "spirit bands", a group that expresses my truest soul through their music! Now where were we? "Still in Love with You" is one of the many kick ass tracks off the album, it is the slowest on the album but certainly the most heartfelt. It is the kind of song that makes you feel for the character in the story, it steers the ship of your thoughts during its playtime, there is hardly any way to pull your attention away from the song. The intro to the track is smooth as it comes, but that is the Thin Lizzy way, and it slowly moves into a funky ballad of serious force. Lynott takes notes from Van Morrison (a fellow Irishman) and belts out some great vocals. This is the band's most respected love type song from their discography, and the writing from Phil Lynott might not be the deepest on this song, but there is enough juice in its love gun to make you feel both depressed and ooey gooey at the same time. Phil Lynott sings alongside Frankie Miller for this song, a musician that never gained much traction aside from his 1977 album Full House which held his big hit "Love Letters", he followed that up with his biggest hit "Darlin'" and both are great songs with a strong blues backing. Frankie Miller being there is a nice touch and breaks up the Phil Lynott forward Thin Lizzy sound, but that holds hardly any water when the other guest musician on the track is Gary Moore on guitar. Gary Moore has been a long time favorite guitar warrior of mine, I love his blues playing, and I especially love when he lets it go and plays as if his fingers are on fire. He, too, would come in for a full album with Thin Lizzy on their 1979 studio album Black Rose: A Rock Legend which I think easily has some of the best Thin Lizzy guitar work, but as I stated I do have a hard on for his guitar work so don't take that to heart too much. Moore's solo work is something to behold, and the same could be said about Coliseum II. You would need to take a month off of work just to listen to all the songs he was part of, a man that really has been around, but if you played that fluid then it is expected that everyone in a 3000 mile radius would want you on their album. "Still in Love with You" shows off some of that guitar work, half the song is practically dedicated to his playing. The song also gained the band some attention from bigwigs in the music industry, which added fuel to the fire for them to soon become one of the most essential bands out of 1970s hard rock. Another thing to love about this song (if you really needed another) is that pretty much any version you can find from Thin Lizzy is great. I can never decide if I like this studio version more or the live version from Live & Dangerous, both are immensely powerful songs but in two different ways. The live version certainly feels a lot more like a ballad type rock track, while the studio one feels like really slowed down blues rock, both are equally great but serve better in different situations. The song still builds up moodily and slowly before sweet release, and both of them are accompanied by strong musicians showing off their talents. The album cover to both is great, and I do certainly have a soft spot for the album cover you see here today, makes me want to hit the town. The panther on the album cover is supposed to represent Phil Lynott, and it is fitting enough, it also has a heavier meaning towards the Black Panthers, and Phil Lynott never shies away from adding in some serious topics to the band's lyricism, so the album cover should hardly be any different if you ask me. A great album cover with awesome logo work, nighttime feeling, city scape, and an album cover that explains the sound before you even hear it. Feeling like a panther prowling the bright lights of the city. Speaking of hearing it, you know what to do! Give it a listen! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1974
Album: Nightlife (1974)
Genre: Rock, Blues Rock 
Mood: Passionate 
Perfect For: Sitting in a dark room, Feeling sad while eating a cheap burger in a parking lot, Relaxing, Top shelf liquor
Where To Next: "After All (I Live My Life)" - Frankie Miller​​
Rating: 9 / 10

"Ever Lovin' Fingers" - Jimmy Bowen

​We have covered some serious legends in the music world, both modern and from back in the day, so let's take some time to remember those musicians that never had a full chance to hit the same level of fame even though they are just as good. Today we talk of Jimmy Bowen, a hidden gem from the 1950s rockabilly world. Most of what Jimmy Bowen is known for modernly is his hand as a producer to some fairly big acts such as Frank Sinatra, Conway Twitty, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Sammy Davis Jr., Garth Brooks, and so many more. Also being the one who matched up Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. During the late 1960s he ran his own label, Amos Records, which put out some of the more odd albums of the time and also some straight forward recordings with musicians of legend like Bing Crosby even during a time when that style faded. Later on, he left the glitter and grime of California and ran off to Nashville to work with some of the biggest names in country music during the end of the 1970s. While the business side of his music career was decent enough, nobody really talks about the music he put out in his youth during the late 1950s. He is one of the most competent from a genre that tends to be a copy and paste kind of sound. He follows in the trail of Carl Perkins rockabilly more than the Johnny Burnette side. He wasn't set on the wild child lyrical themes, but focused on a more homey country sound that is backed up by bopping rhythm. He sang alongside Buddy Knox originally in the Rhythm Orchids, and Buddy Knox went on to be one of the most successful in the rockabilly game leading into the 1960s (see "Party Doll"). Bowen got fairly looked over once he struck out on his own, which is a tremendous shame since his debut is damn good. That album cover is also a fucking great one, we really need to bring back the double bass to rock music! The font is great, the outfit is terribly of its time but in the best kind of way (those socks POP), and there is a simple emotion behind it all. The music matches just that, thoroughly of the time but in all the best ways, and there is enough pop to give you chills but plenty that mainly just calm you the hell out, like today's choice "Ever Lovin' Fingers". What sounds like it might be a dirty ditty, is actually a competent country based rocker revolving around never trusting a woman ever again after our character got his fingers burned by the fires of love and betrayal. The atmosphere is made for a spaghetti western, but the lyrical content is settled easily in the common poor working stiff of America. The song is a short one, which was common for the time, but it still packs enough of a punch to rival those that come in at 7 minutes. He doesn't have the vocals to make you want to pick up singing, but those almost bland vocals I think is the cherry on top for the track. It has this homey factor that always sells me with 1950s recordings of this type. Also, he sings exactly like you would expect after seeing that album cover. "Ever Lovin' Fingers" comes in as the B-side to his biggest hit "I'm Stickin' with You" alongside the Rhythm Orchids. The latter song is his bread and butter and closest claim to fame within his performing career, hence also giving "Ever Lovin' Fingers" a little more of a boost since I personally think it is his best song (though I have only listened through his debut since it is on Spotify). I cannot tell you how much this album is a hidden gem in the rockabilly world, I just happened to come across it on accident a couple of years back when looking deeper into Buddy Knox, since I have been a big fan of his for years. While I will admit Bowen doesn't come too close to his recording partner, there is still a simple greatness to this album that shouldn't be overlooked if you are someone who digs rockabilly or classic country. It is musicians like Jimmy Bowen that keep music flowing, the ones that play the business side but still had their own music at some point or another. They are the truest rock stars, they live the life of rock n roll royalty while still living like you and me for the most part. So do yourself a favor, and also pay tribute for the background to rock music, and give this song a listen! Maybe it will teach you a lesson about the cold hard facts of life. As always, enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1957
Album: Jimmy Bowen (1957)
Genre: Rockabilly, Country 
Mood: Depressed
Perfect For: Casual listening, Heartbreak, Depression, Driving on a hot day
Where To Next: "Devil Woman" - Buddy Knox​​
Rating: 7 / 10

"Unconscious" - Sepultura

Time for some fuckin' Sepultura, man! Another band that I am shocked it took this long into the website for them to get their well deserved coverage. Better late than never though! Today we look at a metal band that reaches further across the globe than maybe any other metal band to date. Multiple high selling and respected albums gained them a reputation as one of the most important metal bands to come out of the 1990s. They weren't always the Sepultura we know and love today, they first had an early death metal sound that even got close to black metal a time or two during the 1980s. Their first 3 albums are heavier than sin, though it was wise for them to switch up their sound into the next decade because it was there they found their international fame. They are often put in with the second wave of thrash metal that took the world by storm after the big names of the 1980s started either messing with different styles or were fading out. This new wave of thrash metal brought in something immensely groovy to the table, a thing that helped keep the genre alive much longer than practically any other metal subgenre at the time. Tracks from Sepultura like "Roots Bloody Roots", "Refuse / Resist" and "Dead Embryonic Cells" are heavy metal essentials and serve as one of the best starting points for any budding metalhead. You can hardly bang your head properly if you don't know those tracks. Sepultura is like taking your training wheels off your bike for the first time as a child, you already got that sensation from Metallica, but now it is time you add a little risk to the pot to see how you hold up. Sepultura plays a thin line between being an extreme metal and a traditional heavy metal, and that thin line saw them through multiple decades and gathered them fans from many walks of life. Like I mentioned earlier, Sepultura started off with a grim and dirty sound that came along murkily with the other hellhounds that started death metal in the mid 1980s, but switched their sound to a groove metal based thrash metal style, but that didn't stop the band from evolving, Sepultura always gave the modern metal sound a go, and we hear that loud (and I mean LOUD) and proud in the album that holds our song of the day, 1998s Against. During this time, metal had its hand in any pie it could, melding multiple genres and even previous styles with each other, an orgy between genres. One of the biggest of the time was nu metal, a genre that ruled all the way into the 2000s and even today is having a reemergence with the fittingly labeled "new nu metal" (or is it "nu nu metal"?) which sounds like an insult when said out loud. It mixed together the more user-friendly alternative metal with funk, industrial, hip hop, and the rock sound coming out of the 1990s. The genre is often speculated on its accuracy under the "heavy metal" banner, but in the end they were one of the leading forces on seeing the genre through a time of mass musical expansion. So is it shocking that Sepultura wanted to come play? No, not really. We saw many of the greats of before joining the fun in their own way. Sepultura joined in but never lost sense of self, this album served as a transitional point in their sound but it is still without a doubt prime Sepultura. Still keeping the theme of their previous goldmine album Roots, but after losing frontman and founding member Max Cavalera, it seems the band wanted a rebirth with the new frontman Derrick Green. The album is good, I would be lying if I told you it was as good as the previous albums the band put out with Cavalera, but it is still a stand-up album and a Sepultura collection isn't complete without it. The sound is much more nu metal, leaning heavily on the style of the metal bands of the time. That Sepultura groove is still there, and the all consuming heavy atmosphere of the music is still certainly there too. This album also featured a couple of guest musicians (my favorite being Jason Newsted of Metallica). Enough about the album though for a second, let's talk about our song of the day "Unconscious". I think the musician who stands out the most on the album and most of its tracks is the drumming maniac Igor Cavalera, but that is to be expected since he is a mighty powerful drummer, he really brings the groove to Sepultura, "Unconscious" is a prime example of that. The tribal theme of this album is brought to life through his playing. The lack of his brother Max Cavalera is felt a little less with his drumming. Lyrically this song isn't anything too special, it is all about that atmosphere, once the song fully grabs you and starts adding instruments not typically heard in metal music you know that they got you. Almost impossible not to turn your radio up to max when this track comes along, it has 3 main parts and each part is awesome, keeps the 3:36 playtime feeling fresh all the way through. One of the strongest tracks on the album while not consuming the whole album, just a nice compliment to the other great songs already filling its track listing. While I dig the album, I am glad they didn't stay with this sound too long, great stuff, but it felt too much like other albums at the time unlike their previous albums which had them being the album everyone else sounded like. So, if this is somehow your first taste of Sepultura I do ask you try some others out before making a complete decision. Still a good song, from a good album, and I might simply have a bias, it's simply missing that kick in the dick the other albums had for me. I hope you still give it a play though, and find something within it that betters your day and has you banging your god-damned head. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: Against (1998)
Genre: Groove Metal, Nu Metal 
Mood: Domineering
Perfect For: Working out, Getting pumped
Where To Next: "Love to Hate" - Slayer​​
Rating: 6 / 10

"Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)" - Orville Peck

Have you noticed this website tends to go in cycles? I seem to pick two similar songs in a row, when I first started doing my song of the day playlists 8 years back I sort of used it for many things. It was my calendar, photo album, journal, and emotion tracker. I can still look back to September of 2018s playlist and remember what I was doing at that point for some of the songs. I can look between 2017 and 2024 and see the change of self, while the music is very similar (I don't discard a band once I love them) there is a difference in dominant taste. Furthermore, I can tell when I stopped getting stoned for the most part, I can see when I was rambling and when I was broke and at home. I will look back on this year's playlists fondly in the future, and the other years there was immense change is felt through the music on those playlists. There was a time when I was dating my previous girlfriend that she said that she would check those playlists to actually see how I was feeling due to me not opening up much. During the mellow points in my life there is a heavy leaning towards a more straight forward metal sound, or maybe a dreamy pop song of young love. Now when it comes to changed in my life I tended to choose songs that are packed with emotion and power. So, with all that out in the light you can see why I go through little blocks of sounds, I think it has something to do with how I am feeling at that time. I mean, Orville Peck and the Allman Brothers Band really aren't all too similar as musicians, but the country leaning sound consumed the last two days even though I hardly listened to much country music. They reached out because my inner Caleb found salvation within the auditory blanket these great musicians tucked me in with. Anyway! Enough about that, let us get into the strange world of Orville Peck. In modern country music, there are few that sound like Orville Peck. He holds the retro country sound up high but then sets the foundations to it with bricks made out of alternative rock, dream pop, western, shoegaze, and even a little bit of gospel. He gave a rebirth to this old sound, and now there are many musicians under the same banner, a rebirth to the true country sound of yesteryear but with an entry level platform. He is an interesting fellow himself, staying masked with extravagant and flamboyant costumes. His most recent hits include the very interesting and VERY bold "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" alongside Willie Nelson, the clean and happy "Happy Trails", "Death Valley High" with Beck, and "Permanently Lonely" which is one of the best country tracks I have heard from 2024 easily. Granted, all of those tracks don't even come close to the ones off his debut Pony, an album made up of tremendously great songs. It holds his most successful song to date "Dead of Night", it also holds a couple of his instant classics like "Roses Are Falling", "Kansas (Remembers Me Now), and our song of the say "Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)". I cannot praise this album enough, it has a great flow that helps the album be easily replayable back to back, and it is the kind of album that has an aura so powerful that it can draw in almost anyone, if you are listening to our song of the day now you will easily see what I mean. Speaking of our song, let's talk a little about it. When I was first going through this album, after "Dead of Night" stole the spotlight from any other song for a couple of days, I did what I always do before jumping into an album and that is look at those track names. Nothing can tell you more about an artist than their track listing, you don't even have to buy the album to know what is within half of the time. I saw a couple of great sounding songs, but what really caught my eye was this song. Being someone who adores the old country and western music, I have found that if anything says "cattle call" in the title you are in for some peaceful and earthy music. The fact this song is so late into the album is a shocker, since it is easily one of the best tracks on an album full of great tracks. I guess music is taken in different now so it doesn't matter too much, but still. "Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)" is as moody as a song can get! That intro with a classic cattle call and mellow strumming really has you stopping what you are doing to turn it up a little bit before the liquor heavy guitar starts strumming along. Like most from this album, it has this power to turn all the other sound off that is around you, so you have no choice but to focus on the calm deep words of Orville Peck. For a moment you are on a stagecoach stinking from days of being cooped up in the creaking wood as you make your way out west, a bottle of red eye in the right hand and a rifle in the left, a wicked woman on your mind and the acceptance of dying young and pretty. I wish Orville Peck kept the pace of this album up longer, his later stuff is still good, but it is hardly as gritty and consuming as the work off his debut. A great lyricist, a visionary when it comes to sound and style, and the kind of musician that makes you second think your opinions about country music. I look forward to listening to what else he dishes out. Dreaming of the open plains never felt so damn good. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2019
Album: Pony (2019)
Genre: Alternative Country, Country 
Mood: Dreamy
Perfect For: Peaceful and quiet drives, Driving under neon lights at night, Walking, Casual listening, Drinking
Where To Next: "The Man from Waco" - Charley Crockett
​​
Rating: 9 / 10

"Ramblin' Man" - Allman Brothers Band

Man, do I love the Allman Brothers Band! If you need a pure dose of rock n roll magic, then look no further than them. They are the strongest jam band that ever walked the earth... well actually that might be the Grateful Dead... but they come in at a hot 2nd if not equal to the dead. That statement isn't fully backed up by "Ramblin' Man", and while it is one of my all-time favorite songs, I will be the first to admit it doesn't show off the band nearly as much as some of the others. This is one of my favorite songs to sing along to, which is when I chose it for my song of the day during (strangely sober) karaoke at my moms house for a family party. I never sing in front of people, and I mean never, so hopefully she felt special because she is mighty special in my heart. To my surprise, I actually had a lot of fun after I got over the violent shaking while I was holding the microphone. Stressful shit. It is odd how much connection you make with someone when you sing with them, or really play any instruments. I read in one of the biographies I read in the last couple of years that it feels like making love between musicians, that the connection of playing with your band gets you even closer as individuals than sex ever could. You truly get someone by complimenting someone's guitar work with your own, and while I don't play an instrument, I can totally see where they are coming from even in my small dabbling in it. Makes sense why bands fight so much (I am sure the "god status" and drugs don't help) and why some musicians you feel like you know when you have never actually looked into their eyes. Anyway, let's get back into the band, since it took this many posts to finally get an Allman Brothers Band song in this section of the website. The band paved their own path in the music world in 1969 when they released their iconic self-titled debut, which weaponized longer songs with a blues backing. A perfect album for rolling up a joint or enjoying the southern wind on a summer's day. That album flew under the radar upon its release, but once the band gained that traction, it soon became a classic in the blues rock world and the rock world as a whole. I have met few that I cannot sway with that album, it is mighty powerful. Following that debut they one upped themselves with Idlewind South which featured many of the band's most respected tracks, especially "Midnight Rider" which is a personal favorite of mine to ride my motorcycle to. Another truly great album, it also saw the band taking on a sound that would help shape rock music for years to come. Their presence in the rock world was to change forever upon their following release At Filmore East, which in my opinion is the Allman Brothers Band at their finest. A truly perfect live album that never can grow stale no matter how many times you listen to it. Long songs that get better as they go, the longest being the live jamming version of "Whipping Post" which is a true marvel to take into your ear holes. By this point they were a well known group, both the head of labels loved them and so did the common man that listened along while having a cold one after a hard day's work. They followed up that live album with their famous Eat a Peach in 1972, the last album to feature the original lead guitarist (bow before him!) Duane Allman, who died in 1971 in a motorcycle accident. That was their highest selling album, and one of the most powerful hybrid studio/live albums that ever came out in the rock world. So to follow up such an iconic album and to be down one of the leading powerhouses in the band was a daunting task, but the Allman Brothers Band still had one brother and a band filled to the brim with immensely striking musicians. Dickey Betts stepped up to lead the band into a new age for the band, and this isn't one of the cases where you can compare two musicians. This isn't Bon Scott vs Brian Johnson or David Lee Roth vs Sammy Hagar. All guitarists from the Allman Brothers Band are damn good, influential, and competent behind their instruments. That leads us to the album which holds "Ramblin Man", Brothers and Sisters, an album which served as the perfect follow-up to the band's massively successful Eat a Peach. There is a strange emotion behind most of the songs in the album, the instrumental "Jessica" is one of the band's most lasting tracks and I would say with confidence it was one of the most important instrumentals to come out of the rock sound in the 1970s if not ever. The good majority of tracks on the album have this lasting appeal, both "Jessica" and "Ramblin' Man" are some of the band's most well recognized songs, and for all the right reasons. That strange feeling of rebirth and sorrow consumed the album, I mean, the band lost both a brother and a good friend. Few took it harder than Berry Oakley, the bassist and one of the founding members of the band, who started getting further into substance abuse, and who strangely also died of a motorcycle accident before this album released just a couple of blocks away where Duane Allman died the same way. A strange romance there. Anyway, "Rambin' Man" shows off a more commercial side of the band, leaning heavier on a country sound (which was common for them while equally being uncommon) but giving it this kick in the bum to have a song that is a joy in almost most occasions. It holds one of my favorite lyrical themes, and this song became a part of my persona since the first time I heard it in my teens. If you know me, you know this song means the world and more to me, I mean this is one of the few I would sing for people both because I think Dickey Betts is a fun singer and since I know the song more than I know myself. I think if this was the first song you showed someone who was interested in the Allman Brothers Band, you might rub them a little wrong. A very country fried song, but with its heavy influence from "Ramblin' Man" from Hank Williams, how could it not be? What is slightly sad about the song (aside from the band going through a terribly rough time) is that this is the only Allman Brothers Band song to make it into the top 10, and it wasn't even their core sound. Still, people loved it then and people still love it now. One of those songs that you cannot help but fall in love with, especially when you have wheels on your heels like your beloved author of this post. Anyway, this post is going to be a big one, so I gotta start moving it to its close, which might be hard for me due to how much I want to say about this song and the wonderful album it came off of. So, thank you for reading along, unless you skimmed to this part, then you get no thanks, you get a big boooooo! Just kidding, I don't do it for me, I do it for the wonderful music that helped form me as a person. Music that can help you through the hard times, and music to make the good times all that much better. Give the song a listen, even if you already know it! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1973
Album: Brothers and Sisters (1973)
Genre: Southern Rock, Country Rock, Rock
Mood: Rambling Fever
Perfect For: Traveling, Long drives, Having a beer, Riding a motorcycle
Where To Next: "Saddle Tramp" - Charlie Daniels Band
​​
Rating: 10 / 10

"Air Blower" - Jeff Beck

If you think of guitar heroes and Jeff Beck isn't one to come to mind right off the bat, then might I suggest sacrificing your pet bunny or child to the guitar gods to keep them happy? Jeff Beck is a sensational guitarist that has had a part of many different projects and appears just about everywhere. From his work in the Yardbirds all the way to his part in Johnny Depp's 2022 album 18, he leaves behind him a trail of orgasmic groove that never goes out of style. Jeff Beck has a ton of classic albums, instrumental masterpieces, and a career rivaled by few in the guitar heavy rock world. Today we take a little looksie into Jeff Becks classic Blow by Blow. The ultimate starting place for anyone curious about his solo work, and also for anyone who loves instrumentals I truly cannot suggest this album enough, it is track after track of impressive picking. I won't lie, there is a track or two that feels like it was written for an old commercial jingle, but when it comes to guitar instrumental albums it seems hard to avoid. To me, they sometimes sound like a jingle or an intro song to a Sonic the Hedgehog game. I will tell you one thing though, if either of those themes are backed by Jeff Beck's playing then you can consider me sold, I will stand in line for hours to buy adult diapers so long as they have Jeff Beck write that jingle. "Air Blower" is track number 4 on the album. It is nuzzled between one of my favorites from him "Constipated Duck" and the grooving yet spastic "Scatterbrain", those two need a chill moment in between and that is exactly what "Air Blower" is. I am not telling you it is completely tame, this isn't the kind of thing you walk down the aisle to, unless that aisle is made of shag carpets, and you hang fuzzy dice around your neck instead of a tie. For coming in a little over 5 minutes, the song goes down as smooth as sweeter sweet tea. It shows you that some of the best rock songs don't really need a vocalist, his guitar does all the talking. It isn't just Jeff Beck that is the star in this song though, each member of the band really deserves their own spotlight. We have Phil Chen on that funky bass guitar, he is one of those session musicians that also seem to be just about everywhere. I know the name from his work with Rod Stewart when the Rod went a little more disco nearing the end of the 1970s. He has been in many different recording sessions, working with bands that could never share the same bill. A great bassist and he almost takes the cake for the song, but it is too hard to rival that smooth playing of Jeff Beck. Richard Bailey on drums is a treat, and Max Middleton is also a welcome addition since he gives the backing to this album a kick in the booty. A power force of a group, and they compliment and move along Jeff Beck without a hitch. "Air Blower" is arguably the funkiest track on the album, well worth its placement on the A-side of the album. I chose the track while my lady and I were going to meet a stranger to rob him of his bookshelf, all jokes, but for a day going to buy a thing off the classifieds there were few better places that I could go than with Jeff Beck. The day was filled up with things revolving around funky instrumentals, and naturally that means a butt load of Funkadelic, but there was still some room for Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and even a little bit of Ween and Phish. Throughout the many phenomenal tracks of that day I found myself having a hard time deciding which route to go, the peculiar "March to the Witch's Castle" from Funkadelic almost stole the show, just cause that song is so odd and unique. "Lucky Man" by Emerson, Lake & Palmer also had a heavy impact on the day, though while I was laying in bed making my decision and playing them back to back I kept getting knocked out by the intro to "Air Blower", so I added it to the playlist and started formulating what this post was gonna be about, and here we are. So hope you dig the post, hope you dig the song, and I hope it makes your day better. Give it a spin! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1975
Album: Blow by Blow (1975)
Genre: Instrumental Rock, Rock
Mood: Funky
Perfect For: Casual listening, Homework, Repetitive tasks, Kicking your feet up, Having a stiff drink
Where To Next: "Lenny" - Stevie Ray Vaughan
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Rating: 7 / 10

"I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew" - Suzi Quatro

Suzi Quatro was the original leather clad bad girl in the rock world. There were many that came before that put out a more intense sound and also image in the macho rock world, though few set up their imagery quite like Suzi Quatro did. This image was heavily replicated by many of the rockers to come, namely Joan Jett, and her influence reached almost further than her music did. Suzi Quatro found fame in the early 1970s mainly out of the United States, don't get me wrong she was still a respected name in the rock world here, she just had a heavier impact in Europe. Our friends across the ocean always have their musical dowsing rod leading them towards water. Quatro was the classic tale of being an angry byproduct of the American ruse. She was born into the working class and cut her teeth in Detroit rock city, it seems the Quatro name was full up with musicians since her sister was part of one of the earliest all female hard rock groups Fannie (we covered them in the song of the day section for December 2024) and her brother had a few hit songs in the 1970s. Anyone who knows rock knows that Detroit is one of the best place to pick up winners in the rock world, especially during the 1970s, and through the smog of the auto industry they tend to come either with a ton of soul or a mean right hook in the form of an instrument, often both, and for Suzi Quatro that statement fits her like a glove. Quatro tried a few different routes to find her place in the rock world, but it was slow coming up until 1973 when her self-titled debut came along and shook some stuff up in Europe. There were few female lead rock groups at the time, especially in the way Suzi Quatro did it, and that was enough to gather some attention. Now, a female lead group that lays down some glam based rock was even more unheard of. She isn't known for her overly grandeurs vocals, in the rock world during that time you could take or leave it so long as that power and soul was there. She is a damn fun singer to listen along to, and the way she works that bass guitar is equally impressive. Following her debut she had plenty of great albums that charted just under being a top billing name, classic albums nonetheless, but competition was steep and glam rock rarely pushed to the top of the charts, but she still had plenty that charted higher than the tenth spot mostly in Australia and across Europe. The one that did chart a touch higher in her home shores was 1978s If You Knew Suzi... which is one of my favorites of hers. It goes away from the glam rock that made her a bigger name by a little bit and comes across a touch more pop based and mellow, a good album and worth your listen, as is all the albums leading up to that one. "I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew" comes off of her 3rd album Your Mamma Won't Like Me, a great album cover meets a great album name that could sell you on just that. This was the first album I jumped into once the funky pounding of her rocking sound first came across my headphones and seeded itself within my ears. I was instantly impressed and hooked, there were enough pedal masher rocking tracks to keep the blood flow up, but the other part of the album brings forth a competent and well thought out sound that leans towards a couple of different places. You can tell she grew up in Detroit from many of the songs, especially our choice for today. "I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew" starts off damn funky, fully taking hold of your attention from its fun intro. Quatro comes in smooth as butter once her vocals join in, she jumps between a sweet little girl, a barroom vixen, and a rebellious rocker seamlessly. A great way to kick off an album, and a perfect place to start with her to see what she is all about. The song is put together damn well, there are even a few times it will give you chills with its raw power. The backing of trumpets and saxophones fills the whole space where your speakers can reach, really pulls the oxygen out of the air. Though who needs air when the music is this damn good? You can hardly tell if it's the music giving you a high or the lack of oxygen. The song helped move along a day of shopping and checking out some of the local spots around my new area. I have gone down most streets in Salt Lake City most of my life, but calling it home hits different. The local shops I have haunted countless times feels that much more homey. While my lady and I were trying to find a burger place to help along cardiac arrest, I heard this damn good intro kick off, and it matched the slightly chaotic area we were driving through. There were so many good tracks that day, but I knew as soon as the song went into full swing that I would be a fool to not post this song here for you to take in as well. I hope you enjoy it, and it lights a fire under your ass to make some time for one of the funnest musicians to have graced the rock world in the 1970s on onward. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1975
Album: Your Mamma Won't Like Me (1975)
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Funk Rock
Mood: Funky
Perfect For: Driving, Casual listening, Doing some chores around home
Where To Next: "Mama Weer All Crazee Now" - The Runaways
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Switchblade 327" - The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Well, so long as you are keeping up on the posts and are doing your part, I gave you a slight taste of the wonderful world of Brian Setzer within the Stray Cats post a couple of days past. This is his other group as you could have put together yourself, and while it never hit the same fame as his time with the Stray Cats, there is enough power here to get you punch-drunk. He commands a band of musicians to put out a more swing based sound, with a little blues and rockabilly on the side for good measure. "Switchblade 327" is a damn fun and hot-rodding track that comes off the band's breakthrough (and most essential album) The Dirty Boogie, and in 1998 there were hardly any albums released in the music world that brought back swing in such a swinging fashion. Each song off the album is enjoyable, there are mellow instrumentals like the bands cover of "Sleepwalk", and enough songs to make you want to jump and shout like the bands most well-known song "Jump, Jive an' Wail" which is a cover of Louis Prima, a man who played a role in bringing jump blues to the masses, and if you know your rock n roll history that is one of the earliest forms of what would turn into rock music. So, it is damn fitting for a man like Brian Setzer to cast his gaze on that sweet swinging boogie! Though, we are not here to talk about "Jump, Jive an' Wail" this time around, we are here for my favorite track on the album, "Switchblade 327". Ever since I was a kid, I have had an obsession with switchblades, they are the infamous knife of choice for cartoon greasers and hardened mobsters alike. It has a certain snap once you snap that blade out that almost anyone can tell what it means, it is the shotgun pump of the knife world, it means there is gonna be trouble in the streets. Cold steel, black leather, the smell of gasoline, and the fervor of the reckless rock n rollin' youth. I have owned plenty of shitty mall switchblades in my life, and while I don't carry one since they are pretty impractical, they are certainly my favorite form of blade. I have always wanted a pearl handled name branded stiletto, such a beautiful knife, so if you want to gift your dear author feel free! It is only a couple hundred bucks, but what is money when you can make a fellow rocker smile? Eh? Eh? No dice huh? Well, can't blame a fool for trying. Anyways like I was saying, switchblades are cool and go hand in hand with the mythology and image of the rockabilly rebel, and Brian Setzer Orchestra really instills that image with this track. It starts off with a guitar attack and the band really comes in hot behind its six string onslaught. Makes you feel like you are trying to outrun the devil, or gambling your soul away to the highest bidder, even while knowing they play with loaded dice. A great track for any grease monkeys that like the Americana mythology of hot rod racing in the streets. The whole song is built perfectly for street racing. The song revolves around a hard-headed and hard-assed man that drives a "327" which usually refers to ford hot rod though it can work for most classic Chevy muscle cars from back in the day with that engine. So if you own one of those suckers and don't look too far into the lyrics, you might have just found your car's song. Man, my truck needs a song! I never even thought about it. My little Ford Ranger has the nickname "Lil' Pup", but it needs a song.... I mean, it's not fast enough to have a "fast car song" nor is it mean looking enough (it looks like a nice boy) to have one of those songs. Not low or fat enough to get "Slow Ride".... hmm.... guess I gotta think about that. Here I am off-topic again, let's get back in. This song is one of the finest from the criminally underrated work of Brian Setzer's other work outside the Stray Cats. Much like the Stray Cats did in the 1980s, it is great to see Setzer going even further back to try revitalizing an older style even though this chosen track doesn't show it off as well since it is heavy into the rockabilly side, but shit, it is about pushing your hot rod to the limits on the blacktop on a Saturday night, so you bet your ass it is a rockabilly based track. This month has been an odd one for these posts, most have come out of the 1990s and 2000s, but it honestly doesn't feel like it since it is so up and down in styles. For those that come here for some groovin' 1960s rockers, I do apologize, but in the end I really am not sorry. I am still serving up some top quality tracks for you to bop around to, and if they aren't to your liking then come back tomorrow since it might be something completely different. Variety is the spice of life, and any music lover needs to have something to break up your favorite bands. So give The Brian Setzer Orchestra a go, they won't let you down, especially on this album here, it turned my drive between counties into a hell ride down the piss stream of the ol' devil himself. The power of music man..... and an overactive imagination I suppose. Well! Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: The Dirty Boogie (1998)
Genre: Rockabilly, Swing, Rock and Roll
Mood: High Octane 
Perfect For: Street racing, Watching cars on the main drag on Saturday night, Drinking, Working on cars
Where To Next: "Drink Drank Drunk" - The Atomic Fireballs
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Anthem (We Are the Fire)" - Trivium

I remember when I was first starting my studies I kept seeing a name for "the face of modern metal" and that was Trivium. During this time, I was absorbed in a toxic mentality that seems to consume a good portion of metalheads at one point or another, and that was the battle for true metal. Thinking their brand of metal was the ultimate and everyone else either falls short or isn't even metal to start with. I left that behind me a long, long while ago, sure I still hold some of the same opinions such as Linkin Park isn't metal and the same goes for Evanescence, but mine are fully backed up by years and years of study and following musical roots so it is hardly opinion based, though all art is practically impossible to staple down under one thing, the masses decide. The same people that throw in the 2000s hard rock with metal are the same ones that threw in White Lion and Warrant years earlier, just because it is heavy doesn't make it heavy metal. Bands like those do serve as wonderful support though, they keep the heavier music in the limelight so heavy metal can come and go as it pleases in the land of fame. There is a whole culture to the genre, multiple genres that branched off from set paths, years and years of creation, and there are plenty of bands that get thrown under the banner when they themselves never viewed themselves as heavy metal. Anyway! Here I go again, time to get back into the today's song and band. What I am trying to say with this previous rant is I used to see Trivium everywhere, and during this time I was fully consumed and OBSESSED with the earlier styles of heavy metal, so I sort of scoffed and brushed them away. Though year and year went by, and I started expanding my studies further and further instead of just reading into it and calling it good. I started with the band's 2005 Ascendancy and I remember it was one of those moments I felt like such an idiot. To cast off such a powerful band is something shame worthy I tell you! I am so damn glad I got out of my own ass and saw more of the genre I claimed to love so dearly. Even back then I left the comfort zone, but I couldn't find the same merit in other metals, especially of the modern variation. Trivium made me eat my words though, the album was great, and I still love whipping it out sporadically today, especially when playing online based video games. Following that I tried their other albums out for size, some impressing me just as thoroughly and some leaving me a tad bit disappointed, though I have done these band studies for years and years and even my favorite bands leave me disappointed sometimes. "Anthem (We Are the Fire)" comes off the band's 3rd studio album, The Crusade. Released in 2006 a year after their breakthrough album Ascendancy, during a time when metal was caught in a web between the bands of the previous decade switching their sound to the sound that was popular at the time. Longer more bombastic progressive based metal was hitting the limelight more and more often, and the harder side of the rock world was releasing some of alternative metal's biggest albums, it is easy to see how Trivium fit right in with this album. Some of the songs really sock it to ya, and then there are the ones that are a touch more tame, such as our song of the day today. I heard this song originally when I was first going through the main albums from Trivium, and it impressed me then and there, the music video wasn't my favorite but what do you do, I carried it with me for the following years returning to it when I wanted something perfect to ride bikes to or play louder on my half blown radio speakers after twisting and cranking that aux cord to work proper (man they used to make those like shit, guess it doesn't matter now in the age of Bluetooth and streaming though). Anyway, it wasn't until I played the underrated gem Sleeping Dogs, which featured "Anthem (We Are the Fire)" a song that I fell head over heels all over again even though I knew it for the last year or more. A perfect song for that game, it compliments the atmosphere strongly, much like it did in Saints Row 2. Trivium has a damn far reach and is still considered a powerhouse in the metal world even today. They still release albums, and those albums really set you up and knock you down, they haven't released another studio album since 2021s In the Court of the Dragon, but I look forward to another since that last one left me hungry for the modern and clean sound of Trivium. Nothing will take the place of the fast as hell but well-balanced progressive nature of their first couple of albums, but I sure do love their modern sound too. I think "Anthem (We Are the Fire)" is a great place to start with the band, it has a sound that modern metalheads can get behind just as much as the old timers. Lyrically, the band goes between some seriously kick ass lines, and then there are the tracks that are straight forward and aren't meant to be revolving around heavy topics, just straight forward, enjoyable, and often empowering lyricism. Vocalist Matt Heafy left behind the more "screaming" type of vocals in this album, a move that I think helped keep Trivium so accessible and great, don't get me wrong, those first two albums are a peach, but the more clean vocals really suited the band much better and makes them easier to take in years later for those that like heavier music but cannot handle extreme vocal styles. Well, you know the next part, give the song a listen and enjoy! Thanks for reading! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2006
Album: The Crusade (2006)
Genre: Speed Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, Hard Rock
Mood: Empowering
Perfect For: Playing online games, Casual listening, Working out, Running
Where To Next: "My Curse" - Killswitch Engage
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Aerials" - System of a Down

System of a Down are respected in many avenues, musically they are innovative and influential, their imagery is spot on, the activism that drives most of their tracks home is powerful, each member is worth their weight in gold, and the penmanship of Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian are rivaled by nobody in the metal world. "Aerials" was the band's first number one hit, and it gained them their second Grammy. "Aerials" is one of the most successful songs from metal and hard rock to date, a song that practically everyone knows, and there is a reason for that. Lyrically the song is great, even with it not having all too many lines, but the lines that are there shout more than speak. System of a Down tend to write lyrics with a serious backing for their main songs, but there still are plenty of plain odd ones (see "Bounce" and "Sugar") and there still is some room for some raunchy ones ("Violent Pornography" and "I-E-A-I-A-I-O") and not every single song is written with a pen on fire ("Fuck the System"). But the songs that do have a heavy backing are the best from System of a Down, and "Aerials" hits the serious note even if the lyrics weren't written with a certain direction in mind, overall it gives the vibe of unity and division, the folly of man, inner strength, and the acceptance of who you are which is practically the same as everyone else. If everyone is unique, then wouldn't that make us all the same? If there is no base model then what is stopping everyone from thinking they are the super sport edition, maybe they are, maybe they aren't since there is nothing to compare it to. Is Plato's theory of perfection all that off-key, doesn't there need to be a perfect form to understand perfection? We tend to obsess with what is perfect, but the idea about it being perfect is more true than the thing itself being perfect. So can a person be perfect? I don't think so, since it is the agreeance of others for something to be true, and since it seems nobody can agree on a single thing on this rock in space, then nothing is perfect, but under the same thought isn't everything perfect? Because we are all the ones who want to play, always want to go, but never want to stay. That is just a single way of taking the song, like I mentioned before, it seems the song is set up around the human condition and societal mindsets. Drink from the waterfall in which we all need and partake of, and then block it off, so others cannot get to it. Selfish mankind. We are the ones that want to choose, always want to play but never wants to lose. I too am that way admittedly, I don't take all too many chances in life since I don't want to be hit with the stick of failure, something I am terribly afraid of no matter how much I work on it. I love to gamble, but I rarely do it unless I admit failure before, so I am not disappointed, or I don't play unless I know I am to win. Sure, it takes the thrill of it all away, but I would rather comfort than risk in most cases. If the reward is high enough I will give it a go, and if it would be good for growth then sure, but overall I tend to stay on my island that I decorated with all my wonderful things. I will dream of checking out that shore I see in the distance, and some days I will wake up to go do it, just to sit back down and push it from my mind for a day, and then that day turns into a month, a month a year, and before you know it time moved along and left you wondering if that shore was even accessible in the first place, and deep down you know the answer to that. Anyway! I am really getting off-topic here, let's get back to "Aerials". It comes off the band's immensely powerful and famous album Toxicity, an album that is almost impossible to avoid globally. It touches on themes few wanted to stick their fingers into, and even the album cover is a jab at the toxic nature of society. The whole album start to finish is perfect, and I mean genuinely a perfect album that really never gets old. A perfect tone and flow that has you begging for more by the end of it, especially since it ends on such a chill rendering note such as "Aerials". This song is one of the best from the album, and it's still a relevant song today, both lyrically and atmospherically. A beautiful performance and a composition that should have taken a decade to put together. The song gives you chills over and over again, and it isn't shy about laying out raw emotion to have those lyrics cut right to the vein. It compliments an album that already feels like it is a testimonial on the adverse effects of modern society. A great album and a tremendously important and potent song. Give it another listen! And another! And another! And... another! Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2001
Album: Toxicity (2001)
Genre: Alternative Metal, Hard Rock, Nu Metal
Mood: Serious
Perfect For: Driving in the summer heat, Being half drunk, Being half stoned, In depth listening, Reading the news
Where To Next: "Right in Two" - Tool
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Rating: 10 / 10

"So What" - Metallica

Now, for many, Metallica is a more family friendly metal band in comparison to some of the others. Yes, they have some lyrical themes that are on the serious side, but to my sorrow it seems that a ton of music listeners hardly take in lyrical content anyway. Those that hardly listen to lyrics still pick up on certain keywords, and most of those keywords that stick out are things that are plain nasty, or it is when the band curses. Metallica has very few songs that swear, once again, especially in comparison to some of the others, and they tend to avoid "satanic" lyrical themes and ones of immense violence. I am well versed in all things Metallica, and I will tell you that it is there are plenty of tracks that swear, but overall, they seemed to avoid it aside from a quick "fuck" here and there. But then there is "So What".... a track that is solely made up of swearing, fucked up sexual stuff, STDs, drugs, and an attitude to shove it all down your throat (much like what happened to the goat in this song's lyrics). Though it isn't a Metallica original, they covered it from the British punk classics the Anti-Nowhere League, a band that frankly doesn't give a single fuck much in punk fashion. "So What" comes off Metallica's cover album and compilation Garage Inc. which is one of my favorite albums by them. The choices are top-notch, and it gives a taste of who helped the band find their sound, and honestly it makes sense. There is plenty of punk, classic rock, hard rock, and a ton of traditional heavy metal, mostly leaning towards the new wave of British heavy metal scene which was the powerhouse subgenre during the start of the 1980s and practically paved a path for bands like Metallica to enter. There are so many good songs, they chose to cover some serious classics and threw in a couple that never got too much play even during the covered band's prime years. "So What" obviously is one of the hardcore punk covers on the album, and I honestly think the band does the cover damn well. It doesn't sound like someone drunkenly singing it at your local bar, nor did they completely rewrite it, I mean they certainly put that Metallica brand on its ass but still kept the original energy. I am honestly not sure which version I prefer, but I do like the Metallica version due to it really mixing up the cliché Metallica sound, and it is nice to see a raunchier side of Metallica once more since the 1990s sound has them finding a happy home in a much tamer sound. I can think of few other songs in my collection that uses "cunt" especially on the metal and hard rock side of things. I mean, I think he says it like 4 times or something, and cunt is one of my favorite words. Yes, it is a nasty and naughty word, but that is the selling power. There are few words that have a special bite to them like "cunt", it starts with a hard C and ends with an even harder T. In comparison to the other things said in this song, cunt comes off strangely tame. Bold of a band like Metallica to put it out, not once but twice since the song originally came out as the B-side to the band's bombastic single "Sad but True", which for such a mainstream metal staple it was risky to throw it on the backside. This whole song is bold, truly raunchy and bold, and for a group like Anti-Nowhere League, you would expect it. I mean, the band was sold on debauchery and balls out punk rock, and they did it damn well (see 1982's We Are... The League if you want to get your rocks off), but once again, Metallica didn't set themselves up for that. Metallica sure has some real rough banter and improper live performances that help them keep their "hardcore" face that metal heads seem to feed off of, but studio wise they tend to keep on the straight and narrow, even their political tracks don't force themselves on you. Anyway! "So What" lets you know to take the kids out of the room from the first couple of words, since "fucking" is the second word of the lyrics. Then, they let it go with a rowdy style that covers the exploits of our character in the lyrics. Metallica could have easily passed on the track, or they could have made it a strange joke, but nope, James Hetfield really goes into it and the band doesn't even miss a note. The song gets you pumped, and makes you want to act out, as any worthy heavy music should. For those that think Metallica is a band of sellouts and posers this is one I like to rub in their face, while it is a cover they still went ahead with it, and then included it again on this compilation which went gold and multi-platinum across the globe. Hope you dig the track; it's a fun one and a rarity from Metallica, so it's a necessary listen for one who wants to hear all sides of the band.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1993
Chosen Compilation: Garage Inc. (1998)
Genre: Thrash Metal, Hardcore Punk
Mood: Raunchy
Perfect For: Risky behavior, Driving fast, Scaring your neighbor, Tea break, Having 2 too many at the pub
Where To Next: "Abolish Government / Superficial Love" - Slayer
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Get Outta My Car" - Hasil Adkins

Hasil Adkins is the spirit of the rough side of rock music, before GG Allin there was Hasil Adkins. He played in the background of mainstream music for years and years, and it wasn't well into his career in the 1980s that he was discovered. Though, he seems to have more fame for his ideals and tales than his actual music. This version of "Get Outta My Car" is a good amount different from the murky backwoods style of the original version that came out early in his career. He has given rock n roll a go, country music, blues, but his heart lies within rockabilly. I guess I must have set up a mood while typing out the previous post, since you are getting two rockabilly based musicians in a row. We sort of touched upon the subgenre psychobilly in the Stray Cats post, so let's get a little more into that since Hasil Adkins was probably the first musician to give it a go, well before the genre had any footing. Psychobilly modernly is mainly known as punk mixing with rockabilly, lyrically it tends to keep a lot of the hot rod fundamentals of rockabilly, but it adds in the horror movie themes that you would expect to hear from bands like the Misfits. It is a damn good style, fast and murky all at the same time, and usually pretty intense on the hardcore spectrum, especially in comparison to plain rockabilly. It allows many different sounds and styles within its genre and isn't solely based around a single band, it was a slow growing genre, but it has a pretty strong standing now, even if that standing is in the dark corners of rock music. Now, how does all this tie into Hasil Adkins? He was a natural-born hellraiser that did rockabilly in the 1950s and kept that sound for years. He has a strange obsession with sexual perversions, eating chicken, violent themes, and guns so that matches the theme. His brand of rockabilly was truly unlike any others, and for a genre with a set theme and style, that was pretty rare. Granted, those early recordings are still pretty hard to come by, but his lackluster lo-fi recording mixed with an intense lyrical theme gave us one of the earliest examples of psychobilly especially since he lived most of what he wrote about. For a dude that lived off fried chicken, cigarettes, liquor, and coffee it is shocking he is made it all the way until 2005 before he passed, behind him was a legacy of all sorts of stories ranging from stuff you don't tell at a family party and the other half is stories you would only tell if everyone in the room is as drunk as you. He was arrested for a shootout with a jealous husband, him and his buddies drove off a cliff which killed the driver, wrote and released a whole album about eating chicken, his first hit was about meat, pretty well every song he ever released as a single he sent a copy to the president (only one got a reply), he was run over by a teenager on an ATV in his yard which ultimately lead to his death, and so many more weird things this guy did or was part of. That is why I stand by my statement that he is the spirit of the raw and rough side of rock music, he lived and died by cars, women, and guitars, and he released stuff in his style and his style only. Modernly, he is known for his persona and also this one song right here today mainly due to it being included on the phenomenal track listing of the landmark game Grand Theft Auto 5. Rockstar Games really knows what they are doing when it comes to adding the perfect music for their video games, and I have discovered countless great bands and musicians within the games radio channels, this song is one of them. I was a tad bit disappointed when I found that Adkins other work is hardly anything like "Get Outta My Car" but I still can respect his other releases mainly due to the fervor behind the songs and how much personality is bristling out of them. I still have fond memories from my first playing through GTA 5 and hearing this song while driving through the fictitious Paleto Bay. I am damn excited to see which songs pop up for Grand Theft Auto 6 which is due to finally release this time next year. I know an obscene amount of music now though so I wonder if they can show me something I do not know, I sure hope so, I have an ultra fondness for a game that allows me to create new memories with a new song. Looking forward to it! For now, I will still abuse the other Rockstar titles since they are one of my all-time favorite video game developers ever, and I have played each of their games since my family got Bully for the PS2. Back to the music, "Get Outta My Car" gets the rhythm rocking pretty quick and sucks you in, and with that chorus (if you can call that a chorus) which gets stuck in your head for a good while. The only song on Spotify for this version of the track is off his 2006 compilation Best of the Haze, and it has one terrible album cover. Very fittingly Hasil Adkins, but still terrible nonetheless, but I guess it matches the overall white trash feeling of the song. Lyrically the song is set up in blues fashion, but it has a rockabilly backing before the end of the song which goes off the deep end, it feels like each person playing is drunk as hell, especially Adkins since he takes on the task of singing like a girl for a little bit. From that part, it seems that she is getting kicked out of the car since she won't show him that "thing", which I think I can guess what that is. Anyway, an odd song but one I am still proud of to have here with us today. Until next time! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1956? 1966? 2006?
Chosen Compilation: Best of the Haze (2006)
Genre: Rockabilly, Psychobilly, Country
Mood: Drunken
Perfect For: Driving in the desert, Playing Grand Theft Auto 5, Drinking at home, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Can't Hardly Stand It" - Charlie Feathers
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Rating: 6 / 10

"Something's Wrong with My Radio" - Stray Cats

The Stray Cats are the band that put rockabilly back on the charts, they served as one of the leading forces in keeping rockabilly alive well past its expiration date. The genre then went through multiple different style changes to match the emerging psychobilly and many more other subgenres, but first they needed a group to give the genre another shot in the limelight, and that was these raw and rough rockers we have here today. They are one of those groups that everyone can recognize a song from just being around, but not everyone can tell you who the band is. Hits like "Rock This Town", "Stray Cat Strut", "Build for Speed", and "(She's) Sexy + 17" are songs that set the band up for life. When I first came across the group, it felt like I found god once again. I have been fond of the rockabilly that came out of the 1950s for a long ass time, I am (according to Spotify) one of the biggest fans of Elvis Presley, and all the hillbilly hellhounds that filled the blank space in rock history from the early days are my bread and butter. I can never get enough of all the variations of rockabilly music, even if they are all pretty well the same thing. So after my early life 1950s obsession took a backseat to my new-found love for the heavy psychedelic sound that came out of the 1960s and 1970s, there was a time period that I didn't take in too much rockabilly. A year or two passed when I stumbled upon the Stray Cats, and it was like plugging something back into my brain, I went on a rockabilly bender for practically a whole year straight and that deep deep refound love never left my side ever again, it is one of my all-time favorite genres and that will never change. Musically it expresses the deepest Caleb, it is my spirit genre. Enough of that though, let's get back into today's song and the band. Stray Cats did a ton for rock music, even though they seemed to have came as fast as they went. Not only did they help rockabilly reemerge at a time when country changed their style completely and as did rock, but they also brought in a freshened up style that spurred many to follow suit. Even groups that already released a couple of big albums threw in some rockabilly, since it was acceptable now. Record labels found there was a market for something that was getting thrown in the value basket for the last while. It gave a voice to a pissed off youth of a different caliber all over again. It fought back against the popular rock sound of the time or as this song puts it "long hair music". Their debut gathered some big attention and so did their follow-up 2nd studio album, but it wasn't until their compilation Built for Speed came along that the band found their home in stardom and legend. It is a genuinely perfect compilation, it collects the best of the best from the band and adds in one of the most kick ass album covers of the 1980s. It was the first one to be released in the United States, which also helped things along since that is the home for rockabilly anyway. That is where I would suggest to start with the band, but still be sure to go back and listen to the two studio albums that the songs originally come off of. Then we finally get the band's 3rd studio album Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats, an album that kept that energy up but lacked the impactful singles for the most part. The most endearing track off the album is the big hit "(She's) Sexy + 17", a thoroughbred rockabilly rocker that has you raging alongside it. I wish the song had different lyrical content since you literally have your early years to fully enjoy it, since after that it has this creeper edge you cannot get over. Still I won't lie, the song is fucking awesome and fully deserves to be the lead single, just hits different now at 27 years old, but it was a repeat offender on my iPod when growing up, I almost knew how to get to it with my eyes shut. Anyway, with that song and its title in mind, the album took serious notes on early rock and roll albums. The album cover is still theirs and keeps the rat rod rocker imagery, the album title is a direct pull from the early 1960s, and the songs bounce between titles you would see on old country albums and 1960s surf rock singles. Our song today is "Something's Wrong with My Radio", a track that expresses the frustration of being a rocker of yesteryear in a rock world that favors a different rock style. Rockabilly gets a hard on from overselling their image, the grease in the hair, switchblades, hot rods, motorcycles, and hard ass attitudes, and this song is full of that flair. I have always been less fond of tracks that talk down on other genres and styles, but I still can get fully behind this one since it really lets it all go. A song that still talks to me, I wish my local radio channels wouldn't just be copy and paste hits from massive bands. I would love a channel that really serves up some hot n ready rockers, but I settle for getting one every fifth song, also when do I really even listen to radio though unless I am in someone else's car. I am my own DJ, and truth be told that would have probably been my job back in the day, and I promise you there would be plenty of Stray Cats. "Something's Wrong with My Radio" is a fun song though, and it fits the Stray Cats form wonderfully. Vocalist and guitarist Brian Setzer is great at what he does with those instruments and I have always been fond of his straight to the point singing. No frills but many thrills. Last thing to add before I make this post much too long is this album was also produced by Dave Edmunds which is a massive plus since that dude knows his way around this style. He is one that kept a rockabillyesque sound even in the 1970s when it was practically unheard of. I figure he helped the band put songs out that have tighter playing and a stronger guitar focus. Well, hopefully you dig the track, it isn't the ultimate place to jump into the Stray Cats, but it still serves as a phenomenal taster into the raw power the band always unleashes upon your ears. Give it a spin, blah blah blah, enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1983
Album: Rant n' Rave with the Stray Cats (1983)
Genre: Rockabilly
Mood: Energetic
Perfect For: Driving home after work, Driving into town for a cold one, Working on cars, Riding motorcycles
Where To Next: "Hillbilly Rock" - Marty Stuart
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Trip Along" - Tripping Daisy

Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to me figuring out if you say "Tripping Daisy's" or "Tripping Daisies" when typing out the band stuff. Well, guess we shall see, or I will just google it after reading through and fixing errors. With that out of the way, we shall get into the band. Tripping Daisy is a band that I can never tell if they are immensely popular, or if they are an underrated gem, looking into the monthly listens on Spotify and overall album sales on release I can put together that they are a cult classic. I have been told I need to listen to the band for years leading up to finally taking in their albums, and I can see why, the band fits me like a glove. A moody and well-thought-out experimental neopsychedelia sound that makes you feel all warm and cozy, while also making you feel sort of grimy. "Trip Along" comes off the band's one hit album I Am an Elastic Firecracker, and also is one of the best tracks from the band's short discography due to the untimely death of guitarist and founding member Wes Berggren. They left behind a legacy of some of the genre's classic albums, and once again, in the modern tongue they seem to be much more of a cult classic. The whole album almost seemed to be pointed at being a cult classic, even with being certified platinum. The album cover is an odd one, the track listing and album title are stylized with upper and lowercase lettering to give it that extra dose of weirdness, and once again that grimy feeling that consumes the album. If I had to try summing up that strange clean grimy feeling, it would be similar to how sometimes you take a hot shower and still feel a bit dirty after. "Trip Along" shows off how the band does indeed have some of the odd lyrics, it feels almost like the pen of the predominant lyricist Tim DeLaughter was let loose on the morning after a drunken bender. Always deep while equally having a face value that doesn't have you losing track of the basis of the song. Though, I don't think that the band shines through their lyricism, I think that the band shines through the stratosphere they set you on. A perfect melding between a psychedelic sound and the more obscure side of alternative rock and a little lick of pop. I am glad that the band still tours and even plans to eventually release another album, though they haven't released another studio album since their 2000s self-titled album. I was a late bloomer into the bands sound, I just barely got into them a little over a year back, and while I have yet to get to that afore mentioned final studio album I honestly am a little sad that it will be over once I take it in, so I really hope they put out another, and it goes well for them, since they genuinely deserve it. Odd to think they have faded into obscurity even though they have a strong fan base. A great band that sucks you in and then spits you out even cleaner. I love the fact they reached into the bag of classic rock and brought out the guitar work and then reached into the 1990s bag and brought out the pop based rock sound, then smashed them together to give a sound that is easy to jive along to. That strong fan base has kept the band from completely fading out, and their biggest hit "I Got a Girl" still gets plenty of love. I Am an Elastic Firecracker is a through and through overlooked goldmine of music that almost anyone who enjoys the 1990s alternative rock sound simply cannot afford to overlook. I would advise starting with either "I Got a Girl", "Prick", or "Trip Along" if you wanted a taster before dedicating just shy of an hour to an album. Though, a blind leap might be the best play in the long run, since you simply cannot go wrong with the album. I am tempted to dedicating the day to the band so I can listen to the album again, but you can never replace the first time with a powerful album. So give the song a listen, and the album if you have the time. I am typing this out on a more mellow Sunday, and I think this album would compliment that vibe wonderfully. Shit, even if you are reading this at work on a Tuesday I still think the album will leave you smiling. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1995
Album: I Am an Elastic Firecracker (1995)
Genre: Alternative Rock
Mood: Blissful
Perfect For: Driving in the melancholy rain, Relaxing after a hard day, Kicking your feet up, Getting stoned
Where To Next: "A New Decade" - The Verve
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Slaughtered" - Pantera

Pantera has few albums from their prime years, but the impact of every single track on those albums is intense! Before their 1990 game changing release of Cowboys from Hell, they were strangely enough a pop/glam metal outfit that tried out a power metal and speed metal feeling on the side. Their style is still strangely similar to the Pantera we know and love, though it had this commercial appeal to it that made it kind of odd, one of those bands you could tell weren't gonna make it in the long run. Thank fuck they changed their style and became one of the biggest names in the metal world, even modernly. We tend to forget that there were albums that came before 1990 and the band seems to agree since those albums can be sort of hard to get on the main music streaming platforms of today. Still, if you would like a minor history lesson or just wanna hear what the band sounded like before, then go check out their first four albums. I find Power Metal to be the strongest, both since it was the band's first with Phil Anselmo on vocals, and since it is a perfect transitionary album to show off that the band was about to lay down some of the heaviest, catchiest, and impressive metal to hit the scene yet. The debut Metal Magic is also admittedly a joy to listen to, if it wasn't for the Pantera name at the top I think it could stand alone as a mighty fine hidden gem in the metal world especially for 1983 when glam metal, hard rock, and the more traditional sound of heavy metal (NWOBHM & speed metal) were having a hard time separating styles from one another. Anyway, I need to get into the Pantera that we know, the Pantera that released Far Beyond Driven in 1994. This album is iconic, it holds the legendary "I'm Broken" and "5 Minutes Alone", but I think some of the other tracks deserve the love more than those two. It holds all the heavy and raunchy metal that you could ever want from the band, I mean even the original album cover reflects that since the band wanted the album cover to be a drill going into some dude's ass, you can look it up if you enjoy a little anal eroticism. I am personally glad the album cover got rejected, I can respect a little shock appeal, but I think the album cover we know (see below) is much more fitting and much better. Though, what do I know? Aside from the two massively successful tracks I mentioned earlier, the album also holds some of the band's more respected songs, many of which were a bit more extreme than the ones you could hear on the band's previous 2 historical albums Cowboys from Hell and Vulgar Display of Power. We have "Becoming" which was one of their staple tracks, the groovin' "25 Years", invigorating "Strength Beyond Strength" that fronts a hardcore punk sound, the stupidly good stupid track "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills", and so many more fucking great songs. Though today we have chosen "Slaughtered" so those others can hold on for a little bit. "Slaughtered" is fucking intense! Each member is giving it their all on this one, gets your nipples hard and veins popping! When I selected this song I was just waiting for my turn at the light to jump on the freeway, though it felt like I was about to gun my truck into a meat grinder alongside the overly aggressive Tesla. This was one of the first Pantera songs off the beaten path that I took in all those years ago. This was before I was into the extreme genres of metal and was honestly a little scared of the song, the sheer aggression and power made me feel a little sick, especially since you know those headphones had to be turned all the way up. It was a strange intro point into the less conventional side of metal vocals for me, it was unlike most of what I listened to, but it was something needing to happen so I could get more comfy to taking in more of the shouting, screaming, pissed off, and hardcore vocal styles. This vocal style is all that much more enjoyable when it talks down on religion, and furthermore it is even better when the lyrics are well written. No matter your opinion on the varying levels of heavy sounds from Pantera there is no denying the talent of writing the band puts out, the fucking sensational guitar playing of Dimebag Darrell, the drumming mania of Vinnie Paul, the bass breakdown from Rex Brown, and last but not least the powerful and wide-ranging vocals of Phil Anselmo. The band is almost perfect, sucks it was over so quickly once they lifted off, and that the last album we got from them was Reinventing the Steel with its terrible album cover. I ain't talking shit on that album, I dig it too, but in comparison to the others there is something lacking, so maybe it was for the best. No matter what, it is easy to see why Pantera are metal royalty, they brought forth a heavy sound that still was easily consumable by the masses. They had a special groove to their metal, mainly coming from the bleeding fingers of Dimebag Darrell. They are one of the bands that simply seemed to be destined for glory, and even now bands take notes from them due to their timeless kick in the dick. "Slaughtered" is one of the heaviest songs the band ever put out, and from a band with a ton of criminally fast songs and heavy beatings, that is saying something. This song might not serve as the best intro point into the band, but if you are someone who cherishes the hits and have yet to make their way into the others, then I cannot suggest this track enough. That and if you are someone who likes death metal or a more extreme sound then this is a great one. For anyone here who thinks Pantera is a one-trick pony, then "Slaughtered" is here to make you eat your words and your teeth. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1994
Album: Far Beyond Driven (1994)
Genre: Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, Extreme Metal
Mood: I N T E N S E
Perfect For: Living recklessly, Driving fast, Taking shots, Working out, Headbanging, Fighting
Where To Next: "Serenity in Murder" - Slayer
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Straight Cold Player" - Lenny Kravitz

Lenny Kravitz serves as one of the most entertaining performers that ended up on my rock deep dive for the 1990s. I have respected his music for the longest time but have yet to go through his albums, and those albums have their ups and downs, though I am happy to say it is mostly ups. I was going through is fifth studio album, simply titled 5. I was instantly taken aback by how damn clean and crisp the album is, it seemed almost to be perfectly made for my truck's sound system. The bass was perfect, with multiple punches that had me burping up my breakfast of oatmeal. It is only expected that the sound is great, since Lenny Kravitz was the one playing with the nobs to have it sounding his way. Each track kept a steady flow of clean funky rock music. I have always had a hard time placing him in playlists and categories, sometimes he is on the rock side like on this album his big hit "Fly Away" that is one of the best alternative rock songs to come out of the 1990s, a statement that pretty well anyone can agree with. Though right before that song we have "Take Time" which fronts a much more experimental R&B sound, then after "Fly Away" we get "It's Your Life" which really sets up that funky feeling to then move into our song of the day "Straight Cold Player". If you couldn't guess from the song title, this one is a complete jam meant to push your speakers to the max. A funky track that seems to be reaching back in time to bring forth the golden age of funk, James Brown screeches and all. Shit makes you wanna get down, but when it comes to Lenny Kravitz, that is a given. The album has a ton of different styles and sounds, most of which are great for playing moderately loud and having a cigarette on a warm day. The kind of music I figure I would listen to, looking at the ladies and lights of a busy Los Angeles night as I cruise on down the road. Especially "Straight Cold Player", it seems to have been crafted for just that. Mostly the track is an instrumental, aside from the little shouts here and there and the repetitious add-in of Kravitz being a straight cold player. If you needed some strong support on why this song should be part of your life, then let me show you to Cindy Blackman Santana, wife to legendary Latin rock guitarist Carlos Santana, and one hell of a drummer that I first came across when I listened to Santana's 2014 kick ass album Corazón. I got down to the last two songs on the album and was highly impressed with "Yo Soy La Luz", I was like "damn, this drummer really kicks Santana into full gear", so naturally I had to look into it and was shocked to find it was his damn wife laying down some serious beats. Turns out she had a modest yet strong career with plenty of big names, and each thing I sampled that she was part of I was pretty impressed. Aside from her being part of this one track, and some other musicians filling in the blank space, Kravitz is known for steering his own ship, through the murky blues and the rockin high tides. The album is well worth a listen, and in some ways I think it would be the first Lenny Kravitz album I would tell someone to check out. This album, or maybe his hottest seller, Are You Gonna Go My Way. Kravitz serves as a vessel between the styles that flooded the 1960s & 1970s and the clean, heavier, and more experimental side of the 1990s. A well-rounded and well respected musician that I would bet won't fade away any time soon. I know his hits like the back of my boney hand, and I am glad to have finally gone through many of his larger than life albums. I still have plenty to go, and I look forward to it fully. He understands the power of what came before and takes a piece here and there to create a wonderful musical piece that can see Prince meeting the Guess Who, a love child between Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Led Zeppelin and Sly Stone. Many musicians who try melding sounds often gets consumed by one or the other, but Kravitz always seems to make it his while paying tribute to the legends that helped form his style. I am sure you will see more of his tracks on this website, but for now I give you "Straight Cold Player" for your listening pleasure. Pleasure is exactly what it is for, about, and created by. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: 5 (1998)
Genre: Funk, Funk Rock
Mood: Smooth
Perfect For: Making love, Driving through the city, Having some whiskey at home, Getting ready in the morning
Where To Next: "Funky Monks" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
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Rating: 7 / 10

"A.C.D.C." - Sweet

No, this isn't a song about the bombshell band AC/DC, nor is it a song about electrical currents. It is indeed a song about a gal that swings both ways, which by the standards of 1974/75 was a rarely heard lyrical theme, so good on Sweet for giving it a go. Sweet doesn't per se sound like a band that doesn't give a fuck, but in the end that is exactly what they are. They followed their own path musically and lyrically and if fame came then cool, if not then who needs it. The glam rock tree was heavy with tasty fruit in the 1970s, and the good majority of them tasted just like the other fruit, but when it comes to Sweet, they for sure had a different taste and sometimes that taste is a little bit rotten. Their brand of glam rock went right for the throat, making them in many people's eyes a predecessor to the heavy metal sound that ate the 1980s, especially in the glam/pop metal side of the genre. Growing up I was taken aback by their electrifying "Ballroom Blitz" but never pushed into the band all too much further until I was nearing the end of my teenage years when I went back and gave the album a spin. I still can remember what I was doing, it was a simple day of getting buzzed then running errands, I just recently downloaded some of the more hidden "necessary listens" from the 1970s rock world and was slowly picking through them. I saw this album cover (which I have always dug), saw that this was the band that held my beloved "Ballroom Blitz", and that it held many of the band's bigger hits including "Fox on the Run", "Set Me Free", and "The Six Teens". In the end I thought it was gonna be business as usual, take in an album that would impress me leaving me with a smirk as I take notes on what was great and what was dull, but that was not the case with Desolation Boulevard. This album instantly punched me in the gut, and I couldn't help but enjoy the sweet sweet pain as some strangely heavy for its time rock fever forced its way into my ears and ultimately my heart. Since that day I have been obsessed with this album, each song is great and some are incredible. I liked the bold lyrics and vocals, backed by a good, light, and crazily catchy rhythm that has you denting your steering wheel and stomping holes in your driver side floorboard. It is a memorable album that doesn't step too far away from its roots, just keeps a steady and heavy flow of great glammed out hard rock. "A.C.D.C." comes in as the fourth track off the US & Canada 1975 Capitol Records release of Desolation Boulevard, a track listing that I think is stronger than the original, but the songs that make up the original release are just as powerful. It would be nice if the band came out with a double album that held all the songs, since it feels incomplete without "Turn It Down" and so many others that filled the original track listing. Though the same could be said for the later release since tracks like "A.C.D.C.", "Ballroom Blitz", "Into the Night", and "Set Me Free" are essential Sweet tracks and really sell the album on a heavier note. Both are equally grand, but I certainly have my own bias as you can tell, wonder if those that start with the original track listing would say it the other way around. Anyway, like I have already mentioned "A.C.D.C." is a song about our character seeing a lady that swings both ways, and his obsession with the sexual frustration and raw infatuation with his lover's appetite for both worlds. There were some songs covering this theme previously, but they were certainly rare, and when it did happen it was typically from a foreign band since Americans are daft enough to be scared from the things they didn't pound into our heads during school, and Sweet coming out of London matches that statement. Glad that shit is getting better, and I find it so odd that it has taken this long, and even then we have a loooong way to go, it confused me even more that it was a problem to start with, I am often ashamed to call myself a human. A song with a stomping rhythm that gets stuck in my head for day on end. Most of all this album is that way and can live rent-free in my brain for as long as they want. This month needed a red-hot rocker since the majority has been metal, country, and the softer and moody side of the rock world. There are few genres and sounds I appreciate more than raw, rough, and raunchy rock n roll music, and when it comes to that sound you can go few places better than Sweet. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1974
Chosen Album: Desolation Boulevard (1975)
Genre: Hard Rock, Glam Rock
Mood: Exciting
Perfect For: Steering wheel drumming, Stomping your feet, Having a good time, Sex, Driving
Where To Next: "Riff Raff (If You Want Blood Live Version)" - AC/DC
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Rating: 9 / 10

"Fool to Cry" - The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones holds the longest career in rock music, they have been steady for a damn long time and I still see that they are somehow still touring. I mean, Keith Richards just might be indestructible, but he still is 81 years old doing stuff that people half his age give up doing. Anyway, we all know that the Rolling Stones chose the perfect band name, and they released plenty of hits in the 1960s - 1990s and even continued on to release a couple more chart topping studio albums and singles all the way up until now and still won't stop rolling. It is easy to say that they are legendary for many things, and their ability to keep with the changing rock sound of the time is what helped them continue to be a household name for their whole career. "Fool to Cry" is a mellow one to come off of the band's 1976 album Black and Blue. I honestly think the Stones were having an issue finding out how to keep their sound relevant coming into the years that disco and punk forced a music rebirth and practically killed a ton of subgenres while giving birth to the new. So since the Stones were obviously going to have a harder time in the punk world due to their style and overall being "your dads music" stance, it was fair to jump on the sparkling ship of disco and soft rock. Black and Blue is full of different styles, they had a lot of songs that seemed to lean the disco route ("Hot Stuff"), still some songs with their core sound ("Hand of Fate"), and they even had some reggae join the party ("Cherry Oh Baby") which Keith Richards is a massive fan of that genre. "Fool to Cry" comes on a little softer than many of their songs, they took all that was learned from previous ballads the band put out but added a seriously moody backing. I will admit, when I was first going through all the Rolling Stones big hits back when I was 13 or so, this song really rubbed me wrong. Maybe since I was there for some "Start Me Up" or "Gimme Shelter", or maybe since I didn't fully understand the emotion behind the song yet. Life can be tough, and being a trained male, I swear I lack the ability to cry, especially when it comes to getting burned out or beat up by life. I feel the sorrow, man do I feel the sorrow, but not enough to cry. Though that might be different if I had a kid waiting at home, something that cannot understand but will also more than likely find the same if not similar issues within their own life. The song revolves around a man going through the motions of life, and at first it is his daughter saying "daddy, you're a fool to cry" to then presumably a prostitute or something (always hard to tell in Stones songs) says it later on in the song. It goes from being sweet to somewhat pitiful, but who am I to judge, gotta get your rocks off somehow. Anyway, I have been down recently, so while I was grocery shopping at wally world I heard the intro to the song kick off, not only was I slightly taken back to hear this song out of all the Rolling Stones songs play at Walmart, in a way I was glad to hear it kick on to match my somber mood. Yes, like I mentioned before, I wasn't fond of the song the first time I heard it, or the other 10 times, but before I knew it I started to really dig it and find a slight identity within it now. What I have always loved about the mid to late 1970s Stones material is their atmosphere, the tone of the guitar and the introduction of Ronnie Wood to the band's rankings. "Fool to Cry" shows off that introduction wonderfully with a mellow keyboard/piano setting, it helps create a melancholy atmosphere that has you feeling weak in the knees. The guitar work is done by Wayne Perkins on this song, a session musician that played with plenty of names and almost even became the guitarist to take the place of Mick Taylor on guitars for the Rolling Stones, though the band in the end went with Ronnie Wood, a decision I fully appreciate since I have always dug his guitar work. Still, there is no denying that Wayne Perkins made many of the tracks on Black and Blue have a strong bite to them. "Fool to Cry" was strangely the leading single off of the album, once again not out of lack of quality, I just would have thought "Crazy Mama" or maybe "Hand of Fate" would take that place. Guess that each band needs a strong tearjerker though, and "Crazy Mama" was still on the B-side in case people needed to rock after the lowdown. Hopefully the song doesn't rub you wrong the first time like it did me, I wasted a year or two without this song and I cannot leave it behind now. It doesn't always match the mood, but it is the kind of song that creates the mood if you let it. As for that album cover, I am sorry, I have always despised this album cover with all my heart and butt. As for the song, it matched the depression and rainy gloomy day and made for a memorable song of the day that I am glad to bring to the table. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1976
Album: Black and Blue (1976)
Genre: Soft Rock, Soul
Mood: Pitiful
Perfect For: Staring out a window while it rains, Feeling down in the dumps, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Lowdown" - Boz Scaggs
​​
Rating: 7 / 10

"Futureal" - Iron Maiden

Fuckin' finally, we have some Iron Maiden on this section of the website! I know just a couple of days back when we were talking about Crowbar's cover of "Remember Tomorrow" I brought up how ashamed I was that we have yet to see Maiden here. Well, we finally have them here! And strangely enough, if it is off Virtual XI, one of the band's oddest and most hated albums. I swear the band and most of the fan base try pretending that this album never happened, but I still find some merit within its tracks. Well... I find merit within this song here and "The Educated Fool". I have tried many times to get into this album, I have listened to it a ton of times, and each time I find myself unimpressed. That doesn't mean there aren't some good songs, since you would be lying to yourself if you said the whole album sucks, and overall it still is an... okay(?) album, just one that would have probably been better under a different band name. Maybe... Brass Maiden or Iron Tainted.... or maybe it would have been better to just not put the album out at all in retrospective. This is the bands 2nd and final album with Blaze Bayley behind the microphone, and honestly I feel bad for him, he is a great singer and I have always appreciated his work with Wolfsbane (check out Live Fast, Die Fast) so to have him try filling the shoes of the LEGENDARY and TALENTED (with a capital T) Bruce Dickinson is a daunting task that hardly anyone could do. I still think his vocal performance is decent, it just has a hard time jiving with Iron Maiden, especially since the band released both No Prayer for the Dying and the classic Fear of the Dark earlier in the 1990s. I think the previous Iron Maiden album with Blaze Bayley The X Factor was a decent one, or at least better than Virtual XI, but still lacked the serious power that Iron Maiden poops out. "Futureal" is the best song off the album if you ask me, and I think plenty of Maiden fans would agree. It feels through and through like this song came off of Powerslave up until the vocals kick in and then you have to second look at what is playing. Still, even with the shock of different vocals, the lyrical content is decent enough being based around being locked in a virtual reality, so nothing too far off from some of the other Maiden themes. The whole album has a heavy revolving around Iron Maiden's video game released in 1999 called Ed Hunter. The art, the theme, the album title, and so much more is based around it, and I honestly find it so cool that they put out a game since I am both an avid music fan and gamer. I have always wanted to play it honestly, but I am sure it is a hard sucker to come by unless you know a thing or two about computers (which I don't). I think it was bold to try connecting the two, but also it seemed to be bound for disaster, and disaster it was. I have trusted Martin Popoff's Collectors Guide to Heavy Metal for a good long while, we see eye to eye for the most part when it comes to the power of heavy metal, and this is one of the few albums I have ever seen from him at a 0/10 rating, and while his is opinion based just like mine it still speaks fairly loudly to me, even though I make it my creed to not take any reviews as truths and always form my own opinion. Typically, I will listen through the album once or twice before seeing what others think. Since even reading about it and not agreeing with it can still plant seeds that need not be there in an album review. Anyway, enough about that dude, this is my website! But I still implore you to not take my word for anything and find out for yourself, I am here to put these juicy tracks on a plate and add a garnish. Anyway! This song is still a good one, admittedly one of the weaker songs out of the band's massive discography, but it still is the best off the album and worth any Iron Maiden fan's time. Just not the best place for a new fan, or a casual fan that stops in here and there, but who knows maybe some will like Maiden more with Blaze Bayley, because he still is a good musician, I just don't think Iron Maiden was the best fit. Give the song a spin and see for yourself what you think, and as always, enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: Virtual XI (1998)
Genre: Traditional Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Mood: Strong
Perfect For: Casual listening, Video games
Where To Next: "Machine Man" - Judas Priest
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Rating: 6 / 10

"There's a Place" - The Beatles

I don't need to give an introduction to the Beatles, if you have made it this far into life and don't know who they are, then I fear for you and hope you weren't able to get a driver's license. They are the biggest band of all time, one of those groups that will certainly never fade away. They are the intro place for most modern rockers into the older rock sound, I mean shit, they are everywhere! What I do find funny about the group and the modern fans is I swear half of them haven't listened to the songs off the beaten track. I am not fronting myself as that cool guy that asks teenagers "name 5 songs fast" when I see them wearing a band tee, and usually I don't really care. Not everyone is like me and will fall head over heels into a band for years and years re-listening to the same 100+ songs from a band as if my life depended on it, but when it comes to the Beatles it does rub me a little wrong, mainly since the band has so fucking much great material. A start to finish royal flush, there are only like 3 songs from them I don't think are the best, but the rest of the material never steers you wrong. I know for some the Beatles are overplayed, and overplayed they are, but there are tracks that don't get the same love that deserve the throne of "Here Comes the Sun" and "Let It Be". I am talking about songs like "Don't Pass Me By" and "Eight Days a Week". The Beatles have a serious amount of flawless songs, and even more truly great songs, and very few boring ones. The ones that can come off as dull are over before you know it and you still walk away feeling better than before. Anyway, this is all opinion-based ranting, though that should always be expected on this website, for better or worse. Anyway, we have had 4 other Beatles tracks on the song of the day blog thus far. Each coming from a different album, and if you know anything about the Beatles, an album can make one huge difference to your taste. My least favorite stage of the band is their first two albums, and even my least favorite stage outshines my favorite stage of most of the other bands I abuse. The Merseybeat sound is a ton of fun, it holds that atmosphere that ate up the radio in the early 1960s. Think drive-ins, teenage love, breakups, hot summer nights, and sneaking a nip of whiskey from the flask you carry around before approaching your friend's door. A great sound, but it is easy to see how the Beatles were certainly a boy band at the start before they weren't just musical puppets and helped bring many different styles and instruments to mainstream rock music. This stage is easy and breezy, sometimes it can be a little cringe (see "Boys") but those steering the Beatles knew their market and how to play it. Elvis did it before, so it was time for the brits to finally take the American people back, we were well past throwing boxes of tea. Beatlemania was one of the most important music history events to happen, it completely changed how music was bought and sold, and it showed just how powerful and decade defining a single group of people could be. They could have more power than the president in the eyes of the people, I mean when John Lennon said "the Beatles were more popular than Jesus" he really wasn't wrong. "There's a Place" comes off the band's 1963 debut Please Please Me, an album that is poppy as hell and has the boys acting cute and selling a massive amount of records. The album is great from start to finish, just a simple album that pleases you more and more as the tracks move along. It holds countless of their early classics like "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me", and also it holds two of my most favorite Beatles tracks, "Misery" and "Chains". There are also plenty of covers that the band pulls off almost too well, like their take of The Top Notes "Twist and Shout". A damn good album, and one that anyone taking in that early 1960s rock/pop sound must take in. If you are someone who isn't fond of this style, there still are plenty of tracks to please your ears. "There's a Place" comes in as track #13 on the album. It fits in wonderfully after taking in so many lovey-dovey tracks and stands as one of the strongest from the album's B-side aside from "Twist and Shout" and "Love Me Do". It has a carefree lovey feeling that keeps pace throughout the whole song, and I am especially fond of the usage of the harmonica, and the dual vocals from John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Not only that, but it was the group's attempt of making a motown feeling song, and while they sort of missed the mark, you can certainly feel what Lennon was gunning for. In comparison to the other tracks on the album, it is one of the only that feel fully thought out when it comes to those lyrics. Instead of a straight forward "I love you so much" type of song, it more covers the refuge of inner thoughts, the salvation of isolation within your head even when surrounded by others. Still, it ties into finding happiness no matter where you are, so long as you think of your loving little gal. A strong song from a track listing of shining songs, a wonderful addition to the album with an atmosphere that sounds much like the rest of Please Please Me but still creates its own standing. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1963
Album: Please Please Me (1963)
Genre: Rock and Roll, Pop
Mood: Romantic
Perfect For: Thinking of your partner, Romantic outings, Driving home from work, Snowy coffee mornings
Where To Next: "Go To Him" - Gary Lewis & the Playboys
​​
Rating: 8 / 10

"Eclipse" - Pink Floyd

Man, we only barely passed over the year anniversary for the song of the day section, but already I have used up 3 out of 10 of the fantastic tracks from Pink Floyd's iconic Dark Side of the Moon. I am honestly not sure what to do if I have my song of the day selection be one I did previously, if I choose to skip over it in favor of the website I lose my core values when choosing my song of the day, so I might just give it a spin anyway and see if I can pull it off. I always like giving y'all a hot n ready new song for your listening pleasure, but in the end, some songs are so powerful that it needs to be covered here twice. That and how much memory do you have? I mean, you might remember, or you might not, so is it even a big deal if I choose a song twice? Especially if it was like 8 months ago? I guess we will cross that bridge, I just cannot deal with the fact that I have already selected "Us and Them" when I know for a fact it will come back to my song of the day time and time again, since I love the song. Speaking of my love, this album is so precious to me! So fucking precious to me! One of my all-time favorite albums, if not my favorite of all time, it always knocks me stone-cold dead! Such a stressful yet blissful album that has me experiencing the 5 stages of grief, the four levels of happiness, and the 9 rings of hell all at the same time. I honestly believe you are never the same person once you finish this album for the first time, it will set the bar severely high for any album that will follow and serve as the peak of musical enlightenment. Could all be a preference thing, but boy howdy does this album really hit the damn spot! Perfect from start to finish! Not a single dull moment, a full packaged masterpiece! Anyway, that is enough of that, but sometimes my love for something is so strong I cannot help but lose myself within it. Well, this day was my precious Alesha's birthday! Happy (late) birthday from AintNoisePollution! We had an exciting day of eating crêpes, seeing a live ballet rendition of the Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream, doing a little shopping, getting some beer and Cajun food, and then the crown jewel for the night.... the dark side of the moon laser show! For most anyone who has lived in Utah and appreciates classic rock, I am sure you have been there a ton of times, but that isn't the case for me. I was always saving it for something super special but then nothing was special enough to actually get me to go, which is the oddest thing for me, especially in my early years of loving to test the ol brain on narcotics, and even present me since I am a huge Pink Floyd fan, and also am not opposed to loud music with a fuckin' light show. Well, we finally went and let me tell you how impressive it was, that shit blew my mind. I know each part of this album like the back of my hand, but I was still finding more to cherish within the impressive show the laser techs put along to the music. The whole time I was sweating bullets from stress, since this album is highly stressful, and the spinning and nausea inducing visuals didn't help, but it was a stress that was addictive and great. Kind of like kicking your body into fight or flight but giggling through it, an auditory rollercoaster ride. By the middle part of the album and show my brain had all it could handle of stimulation, but I pleaded to the gods of rock n roll to not stop now, especially since I knew the ball busting "Brain Damage" was coming up and the sweet release and regrounding of "Eclipse" was to follow. During my psychonaut days I would trip to this album like it was a national holiday, I would set everything up and just take the album into my psychedelic induced ears in a dark room doing nothing but listening and thinking. Through the worries and laughter of the trip, I knew that "Eclipse" would show up to bring me right down. To have me leaving an honestly depressing album with a little bit of a smile that it will all be alright, lyrically the album is as real as it can get. They don't sugar coat a single thing as they tell you about the simple journey of life. So "Eclipse" is needed, it is there to remind you that life is life. Time moves on and what is big now will be small later, that everything under the sun is as it should be, for better or worse. We all have our experience along the journey of life, but is it really all too different from your neighbors? Most of us get our groceries from the same place, most of us get a beer at the same watering holes, we have all been betrayed, all have felt loss, all have struggled for nought, all have loved and been loved in return, we all walk a path that we love to think we created, but in the end it is as it should be and the next person to get your shirt from the thrift store will wear it under similar circumstances, it is only the sight and smell that differs. Anyway, I am going off for no reason, so time to pull it back in. "Eclipse" was chosen due to that bringing you back down to earth nature after a sensory onslaught. I could have selected any song from the album or the encore of "What Do You Want From Me" also from Pink Floyd, but it was the simplistic attack of reality of "Eclipse" that I found my song of the day. It is the outro to the album and feels as such, so having it smack-dab in the middle of the playlist is a little confusing, but with lyricism and atmosphere of this power it will easily consume you by its fourth line. Much like the two songs at the start of the album "Speak to Me" and "Breathe (In the Air)", "Eclipse" tends to be paired to the end of "Brain Damage" especially on the radio. The song's balance of good and bad, of life and death, light vs darkness is a perfect way to end the album, but without "Brain Damage" there it feels like you started reading a book from the middle page. You get the idea but don't know who the hell the main character is. The whole life journey this album gives you is summed up by some of the final lines of the album which is spoken in the background, "there is no dark side in the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark. The only thing that makes it look light is the sun". While this isn't the most essential song off the album, it needs to be there, it plays just as much of a role as the more popular tracks like "Money", "Brain Damage", and "Time". This is the kind of album you need to listen to start to finish to really get it, they all stand on their own, but they are stronger together. Anyway, I could talk and talk about this album, so I will take it upon myself to not bore you. I will say though, throw out all the times I said "you NEED to listen to this album" because this is the ultimate album you NEED to listen to! Like right now! Don't make me beg, I will do it man, I need you to do this! It is of the utmost importance that you listen to this damn album! It is so. fucking. good! If a spaceman comes down and says "give me one piece of art that sums up the human experience" then I am giving them this album. Well... I don't know how to end this after begging you sooooo... enjoy? Yeah! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1973
Album: Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Progressive Rock
Mood: Meaningful
Perfect For: Doing psychedelics, Sitting in thought, Taking a walk, Finding inner strength
Where To Next: "Dawning is the Day" - The Moody Blues
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Slow and Low" - Beastie Boys

Time to let yourself go! The Beastie Boys are professionals when it comes to giving you a damn good time! "Slow and Low" comes off the trios groundbreaking and record-breaking debut Licensed to Ill, which was one of the first albums to marry rock and hip hop and to do it so... damn... well! This album was one of the first I had constantly playing when I was a kid, ask anyone who knew 6-8 year old Caleb and they will tell you that Beastie Boys were my shit! Once again, especially this flawless album, and even as an adult it doesn't seem I can go long without giving one of its songs a spin. Always feels like the first time, but that is pretty important for bands that seem to be timeless. Licensed to Ill came out in 1986 and while it feels like it easily came out of the 1980s, there is still a timeless factor that makes it hard to tell exactly when it came out. No matter when it released, it speaks of timeless things, and most of them revolve around having a damn good time! "Slow and Low" is track #12 off the album and in comparison to some of the others on the album really has a heavy backing of the hip hop heaven the group found their claim to fame within. This album is made up of plenty of top tier tracks, the decade defining "Fight for Your Right", the classic "No Sleep till Brooklyn", a personal favorite "Paul Revere", the immensely fun "Girls", and so many more! Soon enough, I am sure that his section of the website will go over each track, and you can read along as I fangasm all over the damn keyboard time and time again. The album was the second hip hop album to ever go platinum, the first being from Run-D.M.C., and was the first to hit the top of the charts. Licensed to Ill has some strange people playing alongside the group, one of the main ones that comes to mind is Kerry King of Slayer who played guitar on "No Sleep till Brooklyn" and also "Fight for Your Right", which wasn't all too shocking due to the Beasite Boys punk roots and also since Def Jam was the label that released both this album and Slayer's massively successful Reign in Blood. In the end the Beastie Boys did a good job of keeping themselves labelless, they tried many sounds and brought in a plethora of genres into their style, plus they seemed to be just about everywhere in their prime years, they had friends in all sorts of circles. But when you think about it, how could they not? They released a fucking massively successful album that found a following in many varying types of music cultures. I have met countless people that are pure blooded metalheads that love some Beastie Boys, same with the punks, rockers, pop fan, rap addicts, and even the EDM fan bases. It reaches far, but with a style and sound like theirs you would have to be deaf to not fall in love with the great sound they put out no matter the album. "Slow and Low" might arguably be one of the weaker tracks on the album, but that doesn't stop them from putting out a track that holds your attention for its 3 1/2 minute playtime. I think they knew it was a weaker one too since they placed it as one of the later tracks on the album, the song that comes before it "Brass Monkey" gives you the full send off while "Slow and Low" and "Time to Get Ill" fill the space while you gather the energy to get up and restart the album for the 6th time. I remember the many weekends of mornings in my trailer when I was a kid and just laying on my bed with this album on repeat all day long. Simpler times man, or it felt like it at the time, but being a kid always feels that way, you almost had to search for a problem to complain about, even during the hard times. I was always told I would miss being a child, and I am not sure how I feel about that statement honestly. Sure, I miss the lack of responsibilities and everything being fresh and new, but in the end I don't miss it all too much. I was practically doing the same thing I am now, but was a little dumber and could get away with murder. Plus, now I can listen to any album I really feel like, back then I was strapped to what my mom already had, what I could get for my birthday and Christmas, and eventually what I could get on YouTube or burn onto a disc. This album certainly makes me feel like a kid again though, plenty of core memories were around the beasties! Well, as always, be sure to give the song a listen so you can have a gooooood time! If you have yet to listen through this legendary album, then maybe give it a spin, one of those that everyone should hear once in their life. "Slow and Low" is a great tune, but it pales in comparison to some of the others on the album. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1986
Album: Licensed to Ill (1986)
Genre: Hip Hop
Mood: Fun
Perfect For: Casual listening, Skating, Chill mornings, House parties
Where To Next: "Microphone Fiend" - Eric B. & Rakim
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Rating: 7 / 10

"I Love You Because" - Jim Reeves

Well ladies and gents, we have made it a whole year of doing a song each day (when I don't fall behind) so this will serve as the year anniversary of my song of the day section! Honestly, when first trying to see how to pull this section off I wasn't sure how it would play out, and if you go back and look at May of last year you will see just that. It blows my mind how much I have grown in skill by doing these daily, and it makes me excited to see how much better I can get. I know that some posts aren't the best, and then I know some are good ones, but for someone who studies music and deep dives albums, I know that not every song is going to be the best, especially if it is squished between two super great songs. Think of today's choice, while Jim Reeves outshined Stonewall Jackson in sales and impact, I think "I Love You Because" is going to lack that "umph" especially if you listen to them back to back. Both songs are great, but great in their own right, so maybe you will find yourself loving the Jim Reeves track more than the honky tonking "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water", art is subjective. Anyway, I will continue dishing out the great tracks from the well known to the obscure, and I will do it in my own way that I hope that you enjoy it. Thank you for coming along for this year, for being there through me trying to find the right and wrong way of pulling off this section, and by this time next year we could see AintNoisePollution taking a different turn where this post will look massively obsolete. With all that said let's look at our artist for today, Gentleman Jim. Jim Reeves is one of the highest selling country musicians out of the late 1950s & 1960s. He played a pivotal role in popularizing the genre to the masses. He sings with a simple beauty that will make you feel each and every emotion depending on the track that you choose. Alongside musicians like Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves flew the banner of the Nashville sound high, and that sound was the main style being pushed from the big wigs in their cozy chairs from the country music industry. While that sound ate many and left them hollow, it certainly had its role, it was the main practiced country sound during its time, and with that in mind it also spurred many counter sounds from musicians that didn't want to follow the grade no matter how shunned they might be. The Nashville sound was known for its mellow style, talented singing, string arrangements, smooth and clean country music that played safely within its boundaries especially in comparison to that decade's counterpart which was honky-tonk and then the Bakersfield sound. You didn't come here for a night of drinking on the town, nor did you come here to hear guitar picking that gave you goosebumps, you bought Jim Reeves albums for the date night with some wine. You bought the album for something easy and mellow. That isn't a bad thing though, sometimes you need something easy to swallow and it is all that much better when it is served on a golden platter. Jim Reeves lead a strange career, since he had his songs charting high just shy of 10 years after his death. He was one of many musicians from this time period to die in a plane wreck. "I Love You Because" charted at number one in parts of Europe the same year as his death and came off the album Gentleman Jim a year previously in 1963 which did well on its release, much like most of his albums. It sees Jim Reeves doing what he does best, performing a heartfelt ballad that makes you want to feed that special lady some strawberries and whispering sweet nothins. The song serves wonderfully as a lullaby as well, it has that sweet intro that makes you want to feel all soft and gooey on the inside. It is as ballady as a simple ballad can get, but once again that is a typical Jim Reeves thing and that helped him etch his name in the country hall of fame. He is a wonderful singer though, he really sets your heart at ease. Much like in country fashion (especially during these years) this song is a cover from a popular country release from back in the day. Originally written and recorded by Leon Payne (known by his stage name "The Blind Balladeer") this song went on to be covered by a plethora of musicians notably by Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, but even with those two legends putting out a recording of this pretty song they don't come close to how strikingly well Jim Reeves does it, he completely makes the song his own. We rarely have the slow songs on this website, but there is always a place for them, so hopefully this song didn't come as too much of a shock. I love my mellow songs too, they just tend to compliment the day more than make the day, so they are rarely chosen. "I Love You Because" is a country classic, and is one of Jim Reeves most timeless hits that wonderfully shows off what half the country world was doing in 1963. If you are someone who is taking the deep dive into country music history then you cannot miss out on Jim Reeves large collection of records both released when he was alive and also after his death when he was still topping charts from the grave. Nothing more to say about the song really, it is simple and it is pretty, but sometimes you just need something to pet you and calm you down, this song is just that. So go ahead and send it to your sweetheart, brownie points will take you far! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1963
Album: Gentleman Jim (1963)
Genre: Country
Mood: Romantic
Perfect For: Putting a baby to sleep, Romantic dates, Picnics, Casual listening
Where To Next: "She's Got You" - Patsy Cline
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Rating: 6 / 10

"I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" - Stonewall Jackson

God damn do I love Stonewall Jackson! He is one of the many greats that came out of the golden age of the honky-tonk country sound that filled the sawdust covered barrooms of the 1950s and 1960s. Now, before you go saying "why did he name himself after the civil war general" you should first ask yourself "why did his parents" since that is his legit name. Try telling a substitute teacher that your name is Stonewall and see how many would believe you. Well, for Stonewall Jackson he didn't have to worry about that since he grew up working on a farm, after that grew dull he did what many a country boy of the time would do to get out which was joining the military in which he served for 4 years, guess if you are gonna be named after a famous confederate general you are bound to join the military, be it in 1950 or be it 1862. Anyway, don't judge the boy from his name, he had plenty of lyrical content that was frowned upon by the bible belt, though he still kept the country themes of the times mainly revolving around rambling fever, heartache, cheating, drinking, and feeling bad for your wicked ways, and he even went so far to make a concept album around Edgar Allan Poe which for a country musician is simply unheard of. Today, we hear Stonewall singing of how he learned nothing from his father's reprobate ways and the woes of being a rotting apple that didn't fall too far from the tree. "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" is Stonewall Jackson's most famous song in the modern day, but don't stop here if you liked his singing, he has an obscene amount of hits that helped navigate the trends of country music during his heyday. He has been one of my favorite country musicians since I first heard this song and "Life to Go", and I cannot make a self-respecting country playlist without plenty of them being from Stonewall, he is an entertaining performer that really sells the part of his character no matter which role he takes. He tends to do the best when he sings about hard life, hard luck, and hard headed themes, leading us back into this song. This was his flagship when it comes to his great discography, you can feel every single sorrow that can be fit into one short song. After its release there were many big names doing a cover of the song including Charlie Rich, Lonnie Mack, and The Spencer Davis Group. Eventually there were many more covers, and any musician in the outlaw country world or the less family friendly country musicians would easily say that this song really knocked them out! This is one of the country tunes that I cannot get enough of, I could listen to it for a year straight on a deserted island with nothing to protect me from the sun and feel like I was sitting in the oval office signing bills that would kill the poor. That might sound like a weird way to have a blast, yet the politicians seem to love doing it, so there must be something there. All jokes. Eat the rich! Anyway, "I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water" is a cleverly written song from the pen of Joe Babcock, better known for his stage name Cowboy Joe Babcock, who didn't have all too much of a strong career but was one of those musicians that formed the backbone to keep country afloat both with their picking and their songwriting. Musically the song is phenomenal, that twangy intro sets the pace right from the get-go, and by the time Stonewall joins in the stage is set to tell a tale of a man that was born to fail. His pops was a jailbird that tried to dissuade his son from following in his steps, though as the story goes, he ended up keeping the family name in the outhouse and couldn't keep those hands clean. One of my all-time favorite types of lyrics are ones that start and end the same, his daddy forewarned him that if he couldn't keep those hands clean those hounds would be chasing him down, and by the end of the story there they were eating some prime delinquent rump. A perfect country song, it doesn't stay around long enough to grow stale, and keeps you hooked the whole time. Stonewall sings with the best of them of the time, and the song has enough of a beat to it to lure in many types of music fans, especially those with a more old time style leaning. This song and the rest of the album it came off of, Trouble & Me, are full of great lyrical theme and country prowess that makes all those that dislike country music eat their words. So give the song a spin and enjoy! I would say I envy you for your first time listening, but this is the kind of song that never grows old no matter the abuse, trust me I would know since I have been doing it for years and will be for years to come. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1965
Album: Trouble & Me (1965)
Genre: Country
Mood: Bleak
Perfect For: Casual listening, Traveling, Heading to jail, Breaking out of jail, Drinking cheap beer
Where To Next: "Trouble and Me" - Buck Owens
​​
Rating: 10 / 10

"Colony of Birchmen" - Mastodon 

​After so many songs that go right for the throat, we need a song that slits your throat from the back. Mastodon loves putting out material that either starts off heavy as hell, or like "Colony of Birchmen", tricks you into feeling like you are safe before getting devoured by Cronos. Granted, I think that is where the band's name comes into full play, they are slow and massive! We have talked about Mastodon previously on the song of the day section of the website, I think it was a couple of months back when I selected their cover of Metallica's "Orion", so I will probably repeat myself a little bit though honestly maybe not since I cannot remember what I said, but I bet you don't remember either so this might have worked itself out. Well, Mastodon is one of the most important names in metal and rock music in the 2000s and onward. They are completely them and even within the band it seems one album is completely different from one of their other albums, still they keep a core sound that is damn addictive. Not so progressive that it makes you feel like a nerd listening to it, and not straight forward enough to let them fall though the cracks of "been here, heard that". They are intense! I was lucky enough to see them live and even within their live sound you can tell the band never pulls their punches. All I need to tell you about the band's sound is summed up by me warning you to empty your bowels before playing any of their songs loud. Like I mentioned at the start of the post, they creep up on you half the time. There are the Mastodon tracks like this one here, "Colony of Birchmen", that start off a little more mellow and progressive, certainly taking on a more hard rock sound, but you find yourself getting chills and headaches halfway through since that heaviness finally showed through once your ears found out which layer of the many layers of sound to focus on. "Colony of Birchmen" is arguably the most popular and famous Mastodon song off the album, as for my opinion, this song is certainly the powerhouse on an album full of sickeningly powerful songs. When I first got into Mastodon I honestly didn't know where to start, and like most bands that I don't know where to start with, I go for their most popular releases first to see what all the hubbub is about. That usually sets me right, but there are times I find a fondness in a sound that isn't their "known style" and Mastodon was one of those for me. I started with Crack the Skye, which while that is a great album and one of their most essential, I wasn't completely sold quite yet so I jumped into their 2017 release Emperor of Sand, it was then that I realized I may be getting somewhere for the band to become one of my core bands. Though it wasn't until Blood Mountain and Leviathan that I found a forever home within their discography. The first time my ears heard the intro to "The Wolf is Loose" I turned up the speakers and just sat there in silence taking it all in. Plenty of the songs from this album have a safe spot within many of my playlists, but none have such a place of royalty than "Colony of Birchmen". The song was Mastodons first to hit the charts, and almost even got them the grammy for the best metal performance for the year. It was within this song that the band was thrusted out of "have you heard this fucking band?" to "how have you not heard this fucking band?". It was almost destined for greatness, both from rockers and metalheads. The song was put together to pay homage to the EPIC "The Colony of Slippermen" from Genesis off their 1974 album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, so we have a little bit of a backing from the rock side of Mastodon, and then we have the metal side with its bombastic style and the lyrical content which is metal as a motherfucker and still holds true to the Genesis influence. Then, if you needed something else to really seal the deal on this song, we have the fact that Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss, Eagles of Death Metal, etc. etc. etc. fame)  sings backing vocals. All around, the song is great, and sounded awesome as I played it a little louder than I like while having the windows down on my truck as I smoked my first sweet sweet coffin nail of the day. Give the song a swing, and if this isn't the Mastodon to sell you then maybe try out "Show Yourself", "Iron Tusk", or "Crusher Destroyer". Plenty to love and plenty of the band to keep you impressed and hooked. Enjoy!

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2006
Album: Blood Mountain (2006)
Genre: Progressive Metal, Hard Rock, Stoner Metal, Sludge Metal
Mood: Unsettling
Perfect For: Driving in the heat, Playing Saints Row 2, Steering wheel drumming, Casual listening
Where To Next: "The Shooting Star" - Gojira
​​
Rating: 8 / 10

"No Hope" - Mad Caddies

When it comes to my final days in my hometown, I think the theme of ska music is going to rule the awkward transitionary period of it all. While I already moved, I still had one last day of work with my previous company to fulfill my two weeks. So that meant I had to commute a little under an hour to work, and while some of you readers might scoff and say "that ain't shit", it is something for me. I have always been fairly close to work, I almost made it a necessary thing when selecting a job, before this the furthest commute I had was 20 minutes in the morning and 30 after work. I was worried I would be late so I gave it a head start, little did I know that the section of the studies for the day was going to be boat loads of ska. What I thought was to be a bittersweet day, full of the altering emotions that come with such a large change, was left in the dust by the reckless abandon that comes along with ska music. I actually had a damn good day. I left with a refreshing pep to my step instead of doldrums. My punk section saw this album coming across the speakers and also Less Than Jake's Hello Rockview, and the honestly disappointing Reel Big Fish album Why Do They Rock So Hard? so needless to say, I saw some of the best of what ska had to offer and a little bit of the stinky side of it all. I might have just thought Reel Big Fish was gonna serve an album that was just as great as their previous studio album, Turn That Radio Off, but sometimes you just don't get what you want. Still, I honestly think Mad Caddies stole the stage for the whole day, I kept returning to some of the songs that filled their 2nd album Duck and Cover. An album, in very ska style, seemed to not take itself seriously at all but still found a way to get you hooked by the time the second song kicked off. A really fun album from a fun band, their debut already had me hooked, but it was within this album that I found a fondness for their music, I instantly knew I had to cherish this album. The first song on the album is "Road Rash" which serves as their most popular song, but I had a serious soft spot for the belly of the album. Tracks like "The Joust" & "Betty" really knocked me out! It was super hard to choose a singular song for this post but in the end it simply had to be "No Hope". The song is fast and electric! Makes your heart beat rapidly and the pedal to your vehicle feel so light as you push it on down without thinking. It is odd, such a fun feeling song, but it is full of depressing ass lyricism, though for a song called "No Hope" is it all shocking? I love depressing themes, especially on the hopeless side, and while I cannot fully identify to the song, there still are some lines that send it home for me. Mad Caddies front a very ska side, with the full band giving it a swing, but they match it equally with that punk sound and in punk ritual the song is a whole 1:26 long, so if it isn't for you then all you gotta do is sneeze and the song is over. If a band can release something so addicting and make it feel like a 5-minute song even though it is under 2 minutes, then you know you found something with some magic. This album has plenty of tracks like this, fast and quick and leaves you wanting more. From what I have found so far in the band is they aren't a one-trick pony much like plenty of the ska acts, they have integrated many genres into their songs. Sometimes it leans heavily on jazz and then other times you might have a little countrified cow punk to keep things interesting, and what is the most impressive is they do them all so well and will always knock you on your ass. They have been a steady band for a while and only have 8 studio albums under their belt, but their impact was felt, well so far as this type of punk is impactful I suppose. I have been impressed so far and am excited to continue into their material once I get to the 2000s to take in some of their more reputable albums such as the grand slam Keep It Going which released in 2007. Though for now I bring to the table the energetic and depressing "No Hope" and with the high quality of the songs I am confident I will be sated until I can get to their other work in my studies.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: Duck and Cover (1998)
Genre: Ska Punk
Mood: Energetic
Perfect For: Casual listening, Driving fast, Summer days, Taking shots of cheap liquor, Self destructive activities
Where To Next: "Join the Club" - Reel Big Fish
​​
Rating: 8 / 10

"Stupify" - Disturbed

I am sorry for all my daily readers that have noticed I have been away from the keyboard longer than usual. A new job that is on the strenuous side mixed with trying to get my new apartment set up has put me behind schedule big time, but I am trying to catch up! It is just hard when each of these posts take me about an hour to type out, and since another one will show up for me to type out each day. Though I promise you I am trying, I made a vow to dish out some A grade music and I will not give in! The people need rock n roll! Though comically enough it has seemed to be more metal than rock this last while, but I must be in a pumped mood. Warmer weather always brings in much more metal than any other season for me though, the grimy feeling of the sweat and the long days makes me wanna pump my fist! So today, we shall pump our fists together! A metal army full of metal warriors! Let's do it alongside one of the most essential albums to come out of the 2000s, Disturbed's iconic 2000 release The Sickness. The band is currently on tour celebrating its 25th anniversary, and man would I love to go! Though the closest one to me is in Las Vegas, and that place drinks money more than it drinks water, so I should steer clear for the next little while. Also, I don't think my girlfriend is too fond of the smell of urine, weird right?! "Stupify" is one of the band's most well known songs and is one of many of the timeless songs from the album. This whole album reminds me severely of my young childhood, it seems this album has followed me throughout my whole life. My mom likes to tell the story of a toddler Caleb saying "mama, play the "ugh ugh" song"
 and once she loaded up the CD and kicked it onto "Down with the Sickness" I would be banging that bright blond head in my car seat. Seems music has been a passion before I even knew what an "Oh, ah-ah-ah-ah" even was, and honestly between you and me I still don't know what that is, still it gave us one of the most well known vocal... noises(?) in metal history. Vocalist David Draiman has a whole wallet full of 100 dollar noises, and most of which came from this album right here. He is a damn good singer, and a pure joy to listen along to, and if I had confidence that I could keep up with his vocal style it would be a blast to ruin people's night by drunkenly karaoke to it. Anyway, back to "Stupify", the song is a blast to play loud and listen along to. Lyrically, it isn't the best one out there, but who needs lyrics when you put out something heavy and enjoyable. The lyrics revolve around the relationship between Draiman and a Latina woman he was seeing at the time, her parents didn't approve due to racial biases, so naturally the song takes some antiracism stances, which I am all about, but I still stand by that I have seen some better writing throughout the bands long career. Songs like "Stupify" helped metal still hold its little corner of limelight in the music world, it is one of the most accessible songs for a budding metalhead, both then and now, pretty well most of Disturbed is that way. They often play a thin line between being hard rock and being metal, with that statement I am sure you can understand why some of the full-blooded metalheads spit on Disturbed, but I tell those people to squat and cough, Disturbed kept the roots and followed along with the tail end of the nu metal scene, giving it another coat of paint, tuning up that engine, and taking it onto the raceway. Their career also shows just how much the band is loved too, they have been going strong for years, and each time I think "really... another Disturbed album... again" I load that sucker up and am kicked on the ground for a while since they still have that knack for putting out great music! Granted, it is great music that all sounds about the same, but like always, if it isn't broken then why fix it? The fact that David Draiman can still hit some serious notes and push what it means to be a rock/metal vocalist to the extreme this far into the career is testament enough to my claim that the band still has got it! Anyway, we aren't talking of their later work today, we are talking about the spectacular first album that shows off the band in their truest and heaviest form. I suggest this album for everyone, it is one everyone should listen to at least once in their life. I will admit not every single song is something you take home and dwell on in a dimly lit room, there is certainly some filler, but that is filler I still adore! A strange cover of Tears for Fears stands as exactly as that, and the addictive but slightly cringe "Droppin' Plates" might rub some people wrong, but that song really is one of the funnest to play loud as piss through your favorite local church. So much to love, most of which is on the first half of the album, but I still suggest it. If you are sitting there on your phone, not doing all too much with your day, then maybe give it a play? Nothing to lose, everything to gain! Take in a piece of rock & metal history and never even leave the house, it seems foolish not to since you can do it for free! Or maybe just this song for now. Enjoy! Or don't! I will probably never know! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 2000
Album: The Sickness (2000)
Genre: Nu Metal, Hard Rock
Mood: Angry
Perfect For: Casual listening, Hot days, Riding a bicycle (WITHOUT A HELMET)
Where To Next: "Greed" - Godsmack 
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Rating: 8 / 10

"Remember Tomorrow" - Crowbar

Crowbar is an essential for anyone who like sludge metal, especially the sludge metal that still likes to add in some groove metal aspects and a more entry level sound in comparison to some of the bands like Eyehategod. Still, the band will kick your ass and eat your mama and papa, but there is without a doubt a more mellow style in some of the records, especially within their fifth album Odd Fellows Rest. I was doing my year by year, and knew that eventually this album would show up in my 1998 deep dive in the metal world. I used to love this album growing up, much like a lot of sludge metal, but once I started to take the dive into the other shades of extreme metal I left them behind for a little bit. Once the 1990s metal deep dive started for my studies, I was damn excited to get back into the band, and now it seems I can hardly go a week without taking some in at an unconventional volume level in my truck. When I first played through Odd Fellows Rest it was my first full album from the band, what lured me in was that album name, named after the famous cemetery in New Orleans, which is ultra fitting since Crowbar was one of the leading forces in the New Orleans heavy metal scene. I was shocked by the album at the time, damn glad I bought that CD from a thrift store, but after moving here and there I am honestly not even sure what happened to it, though that is alright so long as Spotify stays up. I always thought that their cover of Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow" was a standard track on the album, but only recently found out it was only on the re-release of the album, but since it was only a year apart from its original release it might as well be counted. I don't think I would love the album as much as I do without that song, it is a perfect way to end such a heavy and potent album. I have been a long time fan of pre-Dickinson Iron Maiden, shockingly enough I tend to head that way first when I am craving some Iron Maiden, but that could be because it is easy to take in and doesn't favor the 8-minute playtime like main Iron Maiden does, which feels morally wrong coming out of my mouth... my fingers? My finger... mouth? My fingered mouth! This fucking website, which I create with my fingers and thought mouth. Whatever. I love Iron Maiden with Paul Di'Anno! One of the tracks I cherish from his time with Maiden is "Remember Tomorrow", it is such a blissful track. Beautiful in nature but intense in atmosphere, the kind of song that compliments wine as much as it compliments overproof rye. Crowbar's version is similar but nothing alike all at the same time, and it is honestly hard for me to decide which version I like more. Crowbar brings forth a more eerie feeling before the band pours hazmat waste into your ear holes, and then melds back into a calming sound. It is honestly surreal and stresses me the fuck out, but in the best way. Now, Iron Maiden's version is a better song overall, they have a certain youthful style that really compliments the lyrics, and honestly it is typically hard to beat an original for the most part. Especially when that original has Dave Murray on guitar and Steve Harris on bass guitar. You know... I don't think we have had an Iron Maiden song on the song of the day blog... let me check... I will be damned! We haven't! Hold on while I go outside and lash myself across the back ten times... Alright, I am back, bleeding, and sorry. We need Iron Maiden! Stat! Sometimes I disgust myself. Anyway, back to Crowbar and their great cover of the all mighty Iron Maiden. While the original might have youthful spunk that assists the lyrics, there is no denying that Crowbar really bumps up the lyricism too. They seem to be the beast of perseverance behind the song, they bring forth a new-found power in the song, more than Iron Maiden could do. The mysticism of Iron Maiden's version is left in the wake of destruction and hammering of Crowbar. The way the band ends the song really sells it to me, and after a day of packing the last of my shit up at my original apartment, then taking a long motorcycle ride to my new apartment, and then finally heading all the way back down to gather cars and heading right back up I needed a little boost and I will tell you that this song will do it for you. Perfect execution of setting up and shutting down, feeling light and breezy to then being weighed down by boulders. A great song that hits even better when a little weary. Give the song a spin! Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1998
Album: Odd Fellow's Rest (1998)
Genre: Sludge Metal, Hard Rock
Mood: Stressfully Blissful
Perfect For: Driving when worn out, City lights, Reflection, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Solitude" - Black Sabbath
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Bowels of the Devil" - Body Count

Truth be told, I am shocked to see Body Count here. Not because they are lame, because they are an unique and fun group, simply because I tend not to have too much of their work to play. I am immensely selective on Body Count, half of their material seems to impose on itself a touch, that or it is plain silly. Lastly, since I am a white dude and it  makes me feel odd when I listen to songs that say a certain word, you know the word. I ain't the white picket fence white dude, wave at a cop as he passes your manicured lawn type of white dude, yet I am still a white dude, so I probably don't have too much place blaring some music that is shouting the "n word" loud and proud, even if it is the fun boogie that is Body Count. For those of you that don't know, Body Count is lead by Ice-T known for his respected rap career and his roles in many movies and shows, namely Law and Order for me. So it is easy to say that he has been around in most forms of media, so is it all that shocking that he also has a heavy metal group? Guess not. Body Count touches on some serious topics, especially on their self-titled debut which holds "Bowels of the Devil, our song of the day, but we will come back to the song. Rap metal was already around well before Body Count hit the scene, but they have a sound that is easily identifiable since it loves bringing in the rap of Ice-T's career, melding in some hardcore punk, but backing it up with bona fide metal fury and powdering some lyrics that don't take themselves seriously. It is easy to see that the band took some serious notes from bands like Suicidal Tendencies, a band that Body Count went and did a rendition of the band's immensely famous "Institutionalized". Though like I mentioned earlier, I am damn picky on my Body Count, I have listened through most of their albums at one point or another and have abused this album plenty of times. During my high school years Body Count became somewhat of a joke between my friend group, we got drunk and stoned and sat down to count out how many times they say "body count" in the bands well known song "Body Count's in the House", and after that we would always say "body count, body count, body count, body count" to each other. I mean that song will get stuck in your head way longer than it has any right to, and from my eduction in Body Count, it honestly doesn't get much better than that, especially paired with the intro track "Smoked Pork" which keeps that dark humor that the band is known forefront and center. What a way to start a god-damned album though! Alright, that is enough intro for the band, you want more you do it yourself. Let's talk of "Bowels of the Devil" which is the 6th song on the track listing from their debut. It doesn't hold even close to the same power of the afore mentioned song, but it is a through and through great song even if the lyrics aren't the best, but that seems to be a revolving theme for Body Count, they seem to take the punk thing too serious and find it too much work to give a fuck. Feels slightly like when it came to the band recording, they just got fucked up and winged it until an album was filled. I mean, the song is comically written about being in the bowels of the devil, and then getting shit out. Now, I have a million "Satan songs", I mean shit, I have been a metal head as long as I have been alive it seems, and a metalhead with a serious hard on for the metal of the 1980s, so Satan themes are my bread and butter, yet this is the only one talking about the devil's butthole. I mean, honestly the song is more about getting locked up and using the devil as a metaphor, but still, there are many choices for lyrics and they went with butthole talk. If that isn't Body Count, I really don't know what is. Still, I dig the song and when I chose it me and my little lady were just driving through a stressful part of the freeway, so the carefree aggression of the song mixed with the violent nature sure hit the spot at that moment, and now that I sit here and am finally typing it out, it hits the spot once again! Body Count might be a pure odd band, filled with its good, bad, and ugly though there is no denying they are an all around fun group to jam out to. Nothing more. Nothing less. So give the song a listen, especially if you are one who like Ice-T's work, since it is a different side of the man. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1992
Album: Body Count (1992)
Genre: Crossover Thrash, Rap Metal
Mood: Violent
Perfect For: Fast driving, Casual listening, Playing some Grand Theft Auto
Where To Next: "What Are You Afraid Of" - Clawfinger
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Rating: 7 / 10

"Call Me" - Diamond Head

I set up a whole wonderful playlist for moving, and I remember while I was crafting it I chuckled to myself when thinking "watch this be the song of the day" since unlike the others it has little to do with the positive side of moving on and life changes, but I knew I needed some Diamond Head for a playlist meant to be a send-off to the city that made it near impossible to dream. Plus, I hardly think a self-respecting playlist is complete without the addition of some Diamond Head. Anyway, after a day of sweating and stressing, I am finally getting set up all these days later. Through the Johnny Cash, Allman Brothers Band, Motörhead, and so many more we got the U-Haul loaded up and ready to rock. There were so many quality songs that it was really hard by the end of the day to choose just one, but in the end I went with "Call Me" from Diamond Head. The band is known for their heavier songs like the metal masterpiece "Am I Evil?" and "It's Electric" but the other half of the band's work is on the more hard rock spectrum. Diamond Head was one of the strongest forces bringing metal to the masses in the first couple of years of metal finding their bearings in a rock world that was taking a turn for a more mellow synthesized sound. Punk rock was busy shining their shoes, rock was being eaten by pop, and metal was just budding into the machine that we know and love today. In that mess were many hands on strings, sticks, and mics that brought forth the sound from previous hard rock bands but gave it a no life til leather recklessness that separated it from the hard rock bands that were fading and the glam based rockers fighting for a heavier sound of a different style. Diamond Head was a beacon for those that found a home in the sound of Judas Priest, Motörhead, Riot, Black Sabbath, Samson, and so many others during the changing times in society and music. Their debut Lightning to the Nations left the metal world impressed, and while it hard a rough start, it soon enough thrusted the band onto the throne of the new wave of British heavy metal world that controlled the metal game in the early 1980s. Practically any band following the release of the album worth their grit had this album and treated it as a heavy metal bible, much like they did with Black Sabbath in 1970 and then Motörhead in 1977. The band followed up their slam dunk with the 1982 metal history staple point Borrowed Time, an album that saw the band taking on a more mature and even heavier style. It is within this album that we have "Call Me". One of the more mellow and hard rock based tracks from the album, but it still keeps that beloved Diamond Head style, and don't mistake my words for them sounding like a Captain & Tennille cover band, the song is still heavy but not like some of the others. The song's lyrics are wrapped around the rock n roll lifestyle, one of my favorite lyrical themes, and sees the character in the story feeling regretful he has to move along leaving his girl behind, but being a rolling stone means heading on down the hill without choice. I think that is half what sells the song though, already being a hard rock based song you need a strong lyrical trope to follow up on and "Call Me" utilizes one of the strongest in the books. The tone of the song feels like it was written in the dead of the night on a tour bus or airplane, and it might have been. The intro starts with an easy and mellow autumn night bite before the song fully kicks into form throughout the remainder of the playtime. For the band's first major release in the big time, they did awfully well for a genre that was immensely hard to break into the big time with. Modernly, most people seem to remember it for "Am I Evil?" and "In the Heat of the Night" but the album is full up with great songs even with the redone songs. Typically, I am not a fan when a band puts one of their songs reworked on an album but "Am I Evil?" is the exception, the version from Borrowed Time is one million times better than the other one. Granted, I have a bias since it is literally one of my all-time favorite songs. Anyway, while I mentioned earlier that this song didn't really fit in the mold of the playlist I crafted to have my move, I take that back. The song is perfect for that, genuinely perfect, it has a fine sorrow to the topic of moving along, a great song to choose just not what I expected for my song of the day. Though, like many of the bands that fill the song of the day section, Diamond Head is welcome anytime. For anyone wanting to start their conquest in the history of heavy metal, then Diamond Head should be one of the first places to go. A band that didn't release all too much in their early years, but shot a flare in the world of flashing neon that heavy metal was to see it through and soon take over the world. Enjoy! 

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Year Released: 1982
Album: Borrowed Time (1982)
Genre: Hard Rock, New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Traditional Heavy Metal
Mood: Restless
Perfect For: Airports, Bus stations, Driving at night, Night walks, Casual listening
Where To Next: "Princess of the Dawn" - Accept
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Rating: 8 / 10