Twilight Hotel was the second single to be released off of QRIII, the fifth studio album from Quiet Riot. Unfortunately, neither the single nor the video was as popular as the other single released off of QRIII, The Wild and the Young.
Director Dominic Orlando also directed videos for Kansas, The Beach Boys, Celine Dion, Dolly Parton, The Fat Boys, and several other artist that you would not necessarily expect to see at a Quiet Riot concert.
Enjoy!
Today’s song of the day is dedicated to the memory of my father. I miss you.
Tomorrow is not just Father’s Day. It’s also the first day of summer. This song by Kid Rock seems to be one of those songs that people either love or they absolutely hate, if just because they always think they’re about to hear Werewolves of London during the opening chords.
Though the song takes place at Lake Michigan, the video was filmed in Tennessee. Actress Colby Crain plays the friend who was smoking funny things all summer long.
Along with his work with Kid Rock, director Deaton Flanigen has directed several country music videos.
Enjoy!
In honor of Daria Nicolodi’s birthday, today’s song of the day comes from Dario Argento’s Deep Red!
Deep Red features the first collaboration between Argento and Goblin and the score remains a classic.
Here’s Goblin performing Profondo Rosso on Italian television in 1975.
Slow an’ Easy was Whitesnake’s first big hit in the United States and the video, which featured the band, a car crash, and an act of strangulation, was Whitensake’s first big video on MTV. It’s certainly much darker than the video for Here I Go Again.
Slow an’ Easy, by the way, appeared on an album called Slide It In. Whitesnake was never particularly subtle but they still rocked.
Enjoy!
Alright, let’s talk about Light My Fire. You’ve probably heard it a million times on the radio, but trust me, you’ve been missing the point. The short version you hear is just a tease, a little taste. If you want to understand what The Doors are really about, you have to dive into the full album version. It’s a seven-minute trip, and the journey it takes you on is all about the instrumental break in the middle. It’s not just a pop song; it’s a full-blown experience that defined an era, blending psychedelic rock with a dark, bluesy undertow that still sounds fresh today. And here’s the kicker—the guy who wrote and composed this entire masterpiece, Robby Krieger, was only 18 years old when he came up with it. Eighteen. Let that sink in.
Now, the engine of this whole thing is Krieger’s guitar. It’s easy to get hypnotized by Ray Manzarek’s carnival-like organ solo that comes first—it’s a wild ride on its own—but when that ends, Krieger steps in and things get seriously real. This is where the song truly catches fire. His style is so unique; he wasn’t just playing rock and roll riffs. He was pulling from flamenco and jazz, bending notes and creating a sound that was both aggressive and almost conversational. He’s not just showing off; he’s telling a story with his guitar, and it’s absolutely hypnotic. Remember, this is a teenager crafting this—not some seasoned pro in his thirties. It’s mind-blowing.
You really need to pay close attention to when the guitar solo kicks in at 3:18. This isn’t a quick, tidy solo you’d hear on a standard pop track. It goes for over two minutes, and it builds and builds into this incredible peak. It’s crazy to think that at a time when most pop songs were winding down, The Doors were just getting started, stretching the boundaries of what a “hit song” could even be. It’s a serious statement from a band that wasn’t afraid to be different, and it’s why the radio edit is often seen as a crime against music. That an 18-year-old kid had the vision and the guts to push for something this ambitious just makes it even more legendary.
So, do yourself a favor. The next time you’re in the mood for something that’s more than just background noise, put on the full version of Light My Fire. Crank up the volume, close your eyes, and wait for that 3:18 mark. Let that searing guitar solo wash over you, and think about the fact that a teenager was behind it all. It’s raw, it’s poetic, and it’s the kind of pure, unfiltered musical magic that you just don’t hear anymore. Honestly, once you experience it in its full glory, you’ll never want to hear the short version again.
Light My Fire
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn’t get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on, fire
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on, fire yeah
[guitar solo @3:18]
The time to hesitate is through
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on, fire yeah
You know that it would be untrue
You know that I would be a liar
If I was to say to you
Girl, we couldn’t get much higher
Come on baby light my fire
Come on baby light my fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Try to set the night on fire
Great Guitar Solos Series
Happy birthday to Sir Paul McCartney!
All of the photographs for this “promotional film” (as music videos were known back then) were taken by Linda McCartney.
Enjoy!
Zombi 2 (1979, dir. Lucio Fulci, DP: Sergio Salvati)
For today’s song of the day, we celebrate the birthday of Lucio Fulci with Fabio Frizzi’s main theme from 1979’s Zombi 2. If you’ve ever seen the film, it’s impossible to hear this piece of music without imagining hundreds of zombies walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.
We Care A Lot, written as a parody of benefit concerts like Live Aid, was the first Faith No More Song to have an accompanying music video and it is also the band’s second-most popular song, right after Epic. What the bands cares a lot about depends on which version of the song that you hear as We Care A Lot is frequently re-written to keep the lyrics updated and topical. Over the years, Faith No More has cared a lot about Madonna, Mr. T, the LAPD, the money that Live Aid made, Transformers, and the Garbage Pail Kids.
Enjoy!
Okay, so you’ve probably heard Any Way You Want It by Journey at a sports game, a movie, or blasting from someone’s car with the windows down. And yeah, it’s a classic rock anthem, but let me tell you why you need to actually listen to it like it’s your new favorite song. First off, that opening riff? Pure adrenaline. It kicks in with this chugging, joyful energy that doesn’t let up. Steve Perry’s vocals are famously sky-high and smooth, but the real secret weapon here is how the whole band locks into this unstoppable groove. It’s not complicated—it’s just fun. If you’re in a bad mood, hit play. I guarantee you’ll be tapping your steering wheel by the ten-second mark.
Now, let’s talk about the guitar solo, because that’s where Neal Schon earns his legend status. It starts at 1:34, right after the second chorus when the song pulls back just for a breath. And then—bam. Schon doesn’t waste time with flashy nonsense. He comes in with this biting, melodic line that feels like a conversation. It’s not about showing off speed (though he’s got plenty); it’s about attitude. The solo builds with these perfect bends and a little wah pedal flavor, then climbs higher and higher until it just explodes into a fiery run that hands the energy right back to Perry for the final chorus. From 1:34 to about 2:00, it’s pure rock and roll perfection.
What I love most is how the solo doesn’t overpower the song—it serves it. So many guitar heroes try to steal the spotlight, but Schon is playing like he’s part of a team. You can hear him weaving in and out of the rhythm section, almost dancing with the bass and drums. And that tone? Crisp, a little overdriven, but never muddy. It’s the sound of someone who knows exactly when to let a note ring out and when to smash into the next one. If you’ve ever thought Journey was just a “ballads band,” this solo will change your mind fast.
Bottom line: Any Way You Want It is a shot of pure joy, and the guitar solo from 1:34 to 1:45 is the heart of the whole thing. Put on headphones, crank the volume, and just focus on how Schon makes his guitar sing, shout, and then whisper all in under thirty seconds. Then hit replay, because I promise you’ll miss something the first time. Give it two listens—one for the vocals, one for the solo—and you’ll wonder how you ever slept on this track. It’s not deep, it’s not complicated. It’s just perfect. Any way you want it, that’s the way you’ll need it. Trust me.
Any Way You Want It
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
She loves to laugh
She loves to sing
She does everything
She loves to move
She loves to groove
She loves the lovin’ things
Ooh, all night, all night
Oh, every night
So hold tight, hold tight
Ooh baby, hold tight
Oh, she said
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
She said, any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
I was alone
I never knew
What good love could do
Ooh, then we touched
Then we sang
About the lovin’ things
Ooh, all night, all night
Oh, every night
So hold tight, hold tight
Ooh baby, hold tight
Oh, she said
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
I said, any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
[guitar solo]
She said ohh, hold on, hold on, hold on
Oh, she said any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
She said any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Any way you want it
Any way you want it
That’s the way you need it
Great Guitar Solos Series
Through the Shattered Lens 