[Some of] My Favorite Albums (Part 1 of 3)

This list is by no means complete or accurate, but it is a fair reflection of my favorite albums. You will disagree. That's fine. Just remember that I have a bigger dick, and that I am probably correct about the music too. Winky face.

Starting at the bottom of the list:

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#13.
NIRVANA: UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK (1994)

Now don't let the position of this album on the list fool you, it is a great album. On beautiful acoustic and piano riffs, Nirvana rolls through some of their own hits, and does some really really good covers of songs that you otherwise never would have heard of. Cobain compliments the smooth rolling jams with soft vocals, instead of his typical throaty grunge voice. It is also significant because it was the first Nirvana album released after Kurt Cobain's death, in a way marking the end of the grunge period.

Favorite Lyrics: "Where do bad folks go when they die? They don't go to heaven where the angels fly. They go to a lake of fire and fry." - Lake of Fire.

Album Cover: Average. When I was young I also remember studying the album cover, looking at all of the instruments and people. There's a lot going on on that album cover.

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#12.

NEIL YOUNG: AFTER THE GOLDRUSH (1970)

This is an album filled with great songs. "Southern Man," "Don't Let it Bring You Down," "Tell Me Why," and of course, "After the Goldrush" make this album very memorable. Generally a slow album, it has a contemplative feel to it. He writes about castles, knights and days of yore -- which I'm sure are metaphors to modern day life, but the drug-induced translation is lost on me. Neil Young's peculiar voice and slow acoustic, along with a hard snare makes this a very balanced album. It has classic songs and a folksy feel.

Favorite Lyrics: "Thinkin' about what a friend had said, and I was hopin' it was a lie." - After the Gold Rush. "Don't let it bring you down, it's only castles burning." - Don't Let it Bring You Down.

Album Cover: Forgettable. Black and white inverted, and walking in front of a fence? Wtf.

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#11
GUNS N ROSES: USE YOUR ILLUSION II (1991)

This album opens up with the very epic song "Civil War." It tells the story of miscommunication and tragedy, with sweeping guitar riffs and heavy percussion. The album rolls into "14 Years" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." It goes through some harder songs, and in my opinion hits its apex with "Estranged" -- one of my favorite songs. It is a long song, an epic, not sure exactly what it's about, but it has really good piano thrown in. This album came out in the latter years of Guns N Roses' existence. They had put out Appetite for Destruction (1987) already, which is their hallmark album. In my opinion it is their more mature material, and marks the end of their time as a major force in hard rock.

Favorite Lyrics: "When I find out all the reasons, maybe I'll find another way, find another day, with all the changing seasons of my life, maybe I'll get it right, next time." - Estranged

Album Cover: Average/good. It contrasts with Use Your Illusion I (1991), which is the exact same cover but yellowish/orange. It's identifiable as the counterpart to the two-part series of albums which were released at the same time (and a true fan knows that this is the better one). I like the vertical text.

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#10
AC/DC: HIGHWAY TO HELL (1979)

Note: We are now in the top ten, strap on your seat-belts everybody. AC/DC's Highway to Hell was their last album with singer Bon Scott. They were about to explode onto the 1980's scene, but were met with tragedy. This didn't stop them from still being amazing. They picked up singer Brian Johnson and put out Back in Black (1980), a tribute to Bon Scott. It is the second highest selling album of all time in the world, behind Thriller (1982) by Michael Effin' Jackson. But anyway, back to Highway to Hell. This album is a fun rock album, including the songs "Touch too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," "Walk All Over You," and "Highway to Hell." It is the perfect album for cruising down the highway with the windows down on a warm day, or while grilling up hot dogs and hamburgers and playing football in the backyard with Brett Favre and blue-jeans. America.

Favorite Lyrics: "No stop signs, speed limit, nobody's gunna slow me down. Like a wheel, gunna spin it, nobody's gunna mess me around. Hey Satan, paid my dues, playin' in a rockin' band. Hey momma, look at me, I'm on my way to the promised land." - Highway to Hell.

Album Cover: Weird and amusing, especially after knowing that they are all basically midgets (all hovering around the 5' 0" range).

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Bollocks. I was going to do the list in one giant post, but I'm lazy and this is taking awhile. I'll complete it in two more installments. You will have to wait to find out the genius album selections I make, and not like them (probably). Until then, sex.


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Creedence Clearwater Revival

One of my favorite bands, which I don't talk about very often, is Creedence Clearwater Revival ("CCR"). You'll never see me listening to them unless it's a sunny day and I'm either grilling or by a pool... and in those cases, you'll likely never be around me because I'll have my shirt off (gross!).

They don't have many live-music videos on Youtube, 

but this one isn't too bad.

CCR was popular from the late sixties into the early seventies. They are classified as a "hard rock" band by many, but today I'd probably put them into the "folk rock" category -- same difference, I guess. I always think of them as a less popular Lynyrd Skynyrd, but almost equally as awesome.



CCR put out some great jams, but nothing as epic as Skynyrd's "Free Bird" or "Tuesday's Gone" (or the incredibly popular, and extremely over-played "Sweet Home Alabama"). Still, I love CCR for having some smooth beats. They have really good songs for when you are relaxing, grilling up some hot dogs, drinking some beers, maybe going for a swim... etc. They remind me of summer... and the smell of  delicious beer.

CCR in the 70's. Hairy as shit... Just like

everyone else was in that decade.

One of the only things I don't like about CCR is that they ripped a lot of their songs from old blues singers. One prominent example is a blues singer called Lead Belly. Lead Belly was an African-American blues artist way back in the 1930's. CCR covered his songs "Midnight Special" and "Cotton Fields" (at least).

Huddie William Ledbetter, or "Lead Belly"

c. 1942

CCR wasn't the only band to cover Lead Belly. Nirvana did the same thing with "their" song "Where Did You  Sleep Last Night?" See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6yCEsDsGx4. It is difficult to know how many of these great songs were actually written by Lead Belly himself. He grew up in southern Louisiana and Texas, learning delta folk and blues music when he was very young, carrying some of it through to his modestly successful music career.

In the last analysis, CCR's use of Lead Belly's music doesn't ruin their appeal to me. I still like the music a lot. I just really enjoy music which is written and performed by the same band... it seems more personal to me. I don't know, maybe it's just me. I hope you enjoyed learning about CCR, they are one of my long-time favorites.

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Most Epic Rock Songs Ever (Revised)

This is the compendium of the most epic rock and metal songs ever! No other lists matter. This is the list.

Note: For all of you idiots out there, epic does not necessarily mean badass or cool, or some other quality found in a "good" song. Epic is grand is scope -- it is a song that takes you on a journey.

Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple; Rainbow).

His bands make two appearances on this list.

20) Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas
19) You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth by Meat Loaf 
18) Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf 
17) I'd Do Anything For Love by Meat Loaf
16) Love, Reign O'er Me by The Who

15) Baba O'Riley by The Who (suggestion made by Eric Sedler)

14) Paradise City by Guns 'N' Roses (suggestion made by Dan Blum and Eric Sedler)
13) One by Metallica
12) Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
11) Fade to Black by Metallica
10) Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Iron Maiden
9) Civil War by Guns 'N' Roses
8) Mistreated by Ritchie Blackmore/Rainbow
7) Estranged by Guns 'N' Roses
6) Victim of Changes by Judas Priest
5) 2112 by Rush

2112 (The Opening)

As the song is 20+ minutes I just posted the opening part here.

It would have been higher if it played like one song, but instead

it plays more like 5-6 linked songs.

4) Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

Stairway to Heaven

It would have a higher score if it's build-up was shorter.

3) Child in Time by Deep Purple

Child in Time

Epic epic song, it has a good build up and nice crescendo.
It would have beat November Rain if Ian Gillan's voice
was less squealy.

2) November Rain by Guns 'N' Roses

November Rain

Beautiful/weird music video, and epic Slash playing on guitar.
Perfect mix of vocals and piano.

1) Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Free Bird

The studio version is better (with the organ). Only organ beats piano,

just like rock beats scissors, just like the North beat the south.

Most Mentions
1) Guns 'N' Roses (with 4 songs)
2) Meat Loaf (with 3)
3) Ritchie Blackmore (with 2 (1 in Deep Purple, 1 in Rainbow))
4) The Who (with 2)
5) Metallica (with 2)

If you think your list is better -- don't care -- suck it.

Notable Mentions: 21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson), The Ballad of Billy the Kid (Billy Joel), Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden), Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath), Rainbow in the Dark (Dio), Paradise by the Dashboard Light (Meat Loaf), Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin), The End (The Doors).

The Founding Founders: Led Zeppelin

The early Rock pantheon is occupied by only a few hallowed souls. But who makes this short list? Where did the best genre of music come from? We have to consider, at least, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin as the primary founders. If these bands were late 18th Century American statesmen, then they would rank up there with Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton... undoubtedly.



Indeed, veritable historians believe that the two histories -- that of the American founding and of Heavy Metal -- may have been intertwined. Some recently discovered evidence indicates that Ben Franklin was a satanist, and that he mistook Black Sabbath as an ally. In fact, Black Sabbath wasn't a Satan tribute band, and in addition, they were quite the opposite of an ally. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin, being ENGLISH, were the enemy! (duh)

Veritable historians believe that Ben Franklin

may have been the first Black Sabbath fan... and a satanist.  

Because of Mr. Franklin's mis-perception of the Founding Fathers of Heavy Metal ("FFHM"), he adamantly supported them. At late hours, eyewitnesses occasionally saw him wearing heavy metal t-shirts -- which must have been really odd apparel for the time period. He was also seen shopping at Hot Topic once.

One of Mr. Franklin's other favorite bands was the mighty Led Zeppelin. This morning I heard one of their songs playing over the system in my apartment building... which is awesome, by the way. Quick aside: My building plays some random ass music, but it's always awesome -- from 99 Luft Balons to Land Down Under (hilarious music video).


You should know who Led Zeppelin is. If you don't, then I hate you, and you should rethink your life. I mean seriously, Led Zep has become a music icon... unlike Uriah Heep (whom I'll cover in a post down the line). Zeppelin started in 1968, and by the 70's were in full swing as (what I call) a proto-metal hard rock band. They did crap-tons of drugs, and probably sexed lots of women. They are often cited as one of the FFHM, contemporaneous with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple.

Now, it is hard to say exactly where metal came from -- most say Black Sabbath, which is likely -- but there are some examples of early songs that were very metal indeed. In-a-gadda-da-vida is surely a proto-metal song, but Iron Butterfly, despite having a kick ass freggin' name, were quite low on the Iron, and very high on the Butterfly (and drugs, I mean c'mon "In-a-gadda-da-vida"? Really? In the garden of eden, perhaps?). So while you have an early band, with a kick ass song, and name, the band was definitely not metal. They are like the Vikings discovering America -- they discovered the best thing in the world, once, but they just didn't recognize it at the time.

Leif Ericsson c. 1000 A.D.

Some fools actually cite a Beatles song (Ticket to Ride) as an early metal song. The Beatles were the Beatles. They were good at what they did, I guess. But they were not metal... please. I really don't see a plausible argument for saying the song Ticket to Ride is metal.. at all. Proponents say that it is metal because of its repetitive bass line. ...Well those people are idiots, and clearly know nothing about metal (after all, they are Beatles fans). See, e.g., Cliff Burton; Steve Harris; Geddy Lee (for an example of an epic bass-player-front-man with a metal as shit voice (at 4:07; also, the RUSH guys look like they are having lots of fun early-on in this video)).

So, in conclusion, "they are who we thought they were" -- Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zep are the real founding fathers.

Have a happy thanksgiving everyone!

Iron Maiden: The Di'Anno Years

So being as Iron Maiden is the biggest and most well known band in the entire world, and being as everyone outside of the Eastern Bloc is an Iron Maiden fan, I figured I would put up a post about my favorite band. (actually, joking aside, I think Maiden is huge in the Eastern Bloc... I just like ripping on Communism)


But anyway, I was just listening to their first two albums with singer Paul Di'Anno, and every time I am freggin' surprised at how awesome those albums are. Amongst coffee-table metal fans, however, it's not that his time with Maiden isn't well acclaimed -- it just goes largely unknown.

Paul Di'Anno being badass.

Iron Maiden's "first" singer from 1978-81.

Iron Maiden's first LP was the self-titled Iron Maiden (1980). Of course the album is of epic-mega proportions. When we look back upon the 20th Century in the years to come, it will surely be one of the game-changing moments of the century, along with the rise of Communism, the Great Depression, the two World Wars,  the Civil Rights movement, the 1984 film Red Dawn, Rocky IV, and the consequent fall of Communism.

Iron Maiden introduced us to the songs Prowler, Remember Tomorrow, Running Free, Phantom of the Opera, and (amongst others) of course, IRON MAIDEN!

The band's second major release came in 1981 with Killers. The album was slightly less epic than the first, but still ranks up there amongst major 20th Century events, such as the Apollo 11 mission, the Vietnam War, the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, and Super Bowl XV. This album gave us Wrathchild, Murders in the Rue Morgue, Killers, and Twilight Zone.

However, Paul Di'Anno's time with the band ended shortly after Killers. He couldn't foresee, indeed no one could, the even more epic arrival of singer Bruce Dickinson. For while Di'Anno was an awesome man, Dickinson was (and still is) indeed a god on the vocals instrument. And I mean after all, Paul Di'Anno aged into looking like a fat douche anyway.

Paul Di'Anno looking like a douche. Circa sometime more recently.