Category Archives: Music

Song of the Day: Control the Divine (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

Latest song of the day once again comes courtesy from the German power metal lads of Blind Guardian. This time around the song chosen comes from their latest album which has already seen a European release and set to drop in North America in August 24, 2010. The song I’ve picked from their latest album, “At the Edge of Time”, is the seventh track: “Control the Divine”.

This latest album’s sound harkens back to Blind Guardian’s seventh full-length album, “A Night at the Opera”, which brought the band into the realm of epic power metal and some progressive rock elements which showed the band willing to experiment with their sound to come up with some new hybrid style. “Control the Divine” definitely combines the epic power and proggy sounds evident in ANATO. While it doesn’t have the old-school speed metal riffs of “Tanelorn (Into the Void)” (second track in the new album), the mid-tempo of “Control the Divine” remains consistent throughout the song from André’s lead guitar to Ehmke’s drumming. But it’s the singing of lead vocalist Hansi Kürsch which makes this song my overall favorite in the album.

Kürsch has a distinct singing voice and with his penchant for overdubbing his vocals to create Blind Guardian’s epic sound of having a “huge chorus” singing along (there’s not just Hansi) definitely fits in well with the song’s lyrics. Lyrics which tells within a span of 5mins and 25secs John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. The song tells of Lucifer’s downfall, to the rebellion in Heaven against God, and right up to the Lord of the Morningstar’s bitter brooding and vow to destroy God’s chosen (humans). That sounds  quite a lot to put into a song which is just under five-and-a-half minutes long, but Blind Guardian accomplished it.

Oh yeah, this song also has a very kick-ass melody.

Control the Divine

For what I was
I’m doomed to be
The tempter and the secret foe
Cause I am hell and hell is me
Pure hate will grow

Still I claim to be the chosen one and
Still I claim
This is rebellion rising

[Bridge 1]
First amongst equals
We’re bound to no law
There’s no one before us
Ethereal sons
Now disobey
Awake and arise
You’ll be free

[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I

[Lead: Andre]

Stay silent
Until the end of the world
So just like slaves we may deem him
Dead silence
Until the end of the world
Hence from this moment we’re doomed
I feel
It hurts though
Disburdened spirits we will be
I’ve learned my lesson
Pure and sore
An offer divine

We’re far beneath them
They consider us slaves
They steal our pride
Don’t trust them blindly
Cause truth they conceal
As it seems
I’ll reign
Cause here in my tower
Impassioned, I’ll show you a way

[Bridge 2]
I can feel your hallowed rage
Now enter my realm
Awake and arise, you’ll be free

[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I

[Solo: Andre]

[Bridge 3]
Descend – just keep moving
All things shall proceed
It’s freedom you’re choosing
Preserve our hate
Eternalize
Awake and arise
You’ll be free

[Chorus]
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I
How can we take it away
From someone who has no right?
No right to control the divine
Night shall invade
Suspicion awakes
Wherefore He’s greater than I

Music Video of the Day: True Faith by New Order (1987, directed by Philippe Decouflé)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This video was directed by the French mime, dancer, and choreographer, Philippe Decouflé.  Starting with a slap fight to end all slap fights, it also features a person in green makeup hand signing the song’s lyrics.  As is so often the case with New Order, what it all actually means is open to interpretation.

Philippe Decouflé went on to direct the video for the Fine Young Cannibals’ She Drives Me Crazy, as well as choreographing the opening ceremony of the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Enjoy!

Music Video Of The Day: Dr. Feelgood by Mötley Crüe (1989, directed by Wayne Isham)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This song spent 109 weeks on the charts after its release and it remains one of Mötley Crüe’s most popular singles.

Nikki Sixx, who wrote the song, later told Rolling Stone that the song was based on several different drug dealers that he had done business with before getting sober.  Just two years before Dr. Feelgood became a hit, Sixx had been a notorious junkie who, after a heroin overdose, was actually legally dead for two minutes before a paramedic was able to revive him with two shots of adrenaline.

Dr. Feelgood became Mötley Crüe’s first and, to date, only gold single in the United States.  The video follows the song’s title character as he goes from working the streets to owning a mansion.  In a repeat of what happened to Tony Montana, Dr. Feelgood’s own hubris eventually brings him down.  As for why Mötley Crüe is performing in a revival tent, it probably just looked cool.

Director Wayne Isham is one of the most recognizable names when it comes to music video directors.  If you were someone who was anyone in the music business, Isham probably directed at least one video for you.

Enjoy!

 

Song of the Day: Into the Storm (by Blind Guardian)

Posted on by Arleigh

Okay, so you have to listen to Into the Storm by Blind Guardian. I know, I know, it’s easy to dismiss power metal as just another fantasy genre, but trust me on this one. This track is the perfect storm of aggression and melody, and it kicks off the Nightfall in Middle-Earth album with such incredible energy that you’ll be hooked from the first riff. It’s a furious, catchy, and surprisingly deep dive into the lore of The Silmarillion, capturing the raw desperation of Morgoth and Ungoliant squabbling over the Silmarils. But seriously, don’t let the subject matter intimidate you; just let the music do its thing and you’ll be chanting along to the chorus before you know it.

The track is a masterclass in how to build intensity, but the real reason I’m writing this is to talk about the guitar solo by André Olbrich. It is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated moments in their entire catalog. If you pull up the remastered version, the solo hits right at the 2:37 mark and doesn’t let up until about 3:07. It’s a short, sharp shock of pure melodic bliss. What makes it so special is that it completely eschews the typical speed-demon shredding you might expect. Instead, it’s a soaring, beautifully constructed lead that sounds like it’s carrying the entire weight of the song’s story on its shoulders. It perfectly mirrors Hansi Kürsch’s vocal style, acting as another voice in the track to carry you forward into the chaos.

André is often listed among the greatest metal guitarists for a reason, and this solo is a prime example of his genius. He’s not interested in showing off; he’s interested in serving the song and elevating the epic feel. During those 30 seconds, his guitar weeps and soars over the frantic rhythm section, creating this incredible feeling of hope and tragedy all at once. It’s a moment of pure clarity and emotion amidst the storm, and it’s the perfect payoff to the frantic energy that came before it. It’s a piece of music that gets stuck in your head for days, and it’s a big part of why this track is such a fan favorite.

So, if you consider yourself a fan of powerful, storytelling metal or just appreciate a killer guitar solo, do yourself a favor and cue up Into the Storm. Turn it up loud, wait for that solo to hit, and let yourself get swept away. It’s a gateway into one of the most epic albums ever written, and I promise you, that brief, beautiful guitar break will be the moment that makes you understand exactly what Blind Guardian is all about.

Into the Storm

Give it to me
I must have it
Precious treasure
I deserve it

Where can I run
How can I hide
The Silmarils
Gems of treelight
Their life belongs to me
Oh it’s sweet
how the Darkness is floating around

We are following
The will of the one
Through the dark age
And into the storm
And we are following
The will of the one
Through the dark age
And into the storm
Lord I’m mean

(guitar solo @2:37)

Blackheart show me
What you hold in hand
I still hunger for more
Release me
From my pain
Give it to me
How I need it
How I need it
How I need it

I did my part
Now it’s your turn
And remember
What you’ve promised

Great Guitar Solos Series

Music Video of the Day: Drive My Car by Breakfast Club (1988, directed by Bill Fishman)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

A New York-based band that once featured Madonna on drums, Breakfast Club’s biggest hit was Drive My Car, a cover of a song that had previously been made famous by The Beatles.  The cover appeared on the soundtrack of License to Drive, one of the better films to co-star Corey Haim and Corey Feldman.

The video is the usual combination of clips from the film and scenes of the band acting crazy.  Since they were already covering a Beatles song, it made sense to go ahead and put Breakfast Club in a 1980s version of Hard Day’s Night and have them spend most of the video trying to escape their obsessed fans.  Luckily, they’ve got an invisible car.

Breakfast Club split up shortly after the release of License to Drive.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Andy Warhol from David Bowie

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s song of the day comes from David Bowie and it’s about Bowie’s fascination with Andy Warhol.  Warhol himself apparently didn’t care for this song but Bowie meant it as a tribute.

This song came out in 1971.  25 years later, Bowie would play Andy Warhol in Basquiat.

Music Video of the Day: Sacred Emotion by Donny Osmond (1989, directed by Michael Bay)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This song was a part of an attempt to rebrand Donny Osmond as a contemporary rocker.  The song was a hit and the video was popular on MTV but once an Osmond, always an Osmond.

The video is pure Michael Bay.  Donny, several hot women, and a group of construction workers drive out to the middle of the desert.  While Donny looks over blue prints and gives orders, the models and the day laborers start carrying boards and hammering nails.  Are they building a house or a temple?  No, it turns out that they’re building a stage so that Donny can perform in front of an audience that spontaneously shows up.  Donny does such a good job performing that it starts to rain and the video goes from being in black and white to being in color.  Bay directs with the same style that he would later bring to his feature films.  This video presents Donny Osmond as an epic hero and it nearly works.

It would be easy to mistake this video for being the most wholesome beer commercial ever made.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: One Headlight by The Wallflowers

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

We can drive it home with one headlight….

Some songs just get stuck in your head and I think this is definitely one of them.  This is also a song that always used to play in the background at one of my favorite used bookstores.  I associate One Headlight with searching through old books and learning about history.

Music Video of the Day: Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe by Whale (1994, directed by Mark Pellington)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Whale was a Swedish alternative band, made up for Gordon Cyrus, Henrik Schyffert, and Cia Berg.  During the mid-90s, they were big in Europe while, in America, they were best known for this video.

When this video was first released, there was a lot of confusion as to what was meant by Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe.  Everyone knew what a hobo and a babe were.  Everyone understood humpin’.  But what did slobo mean?  According to the band, they misheard the British term “sloane.”  A sloane is a type of fashionable, upper class person.  How that ties into hobo humpin’ is open to interpretation.

Mark Pellington won the inaugural MTV Europe Music Video Award for best video for Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe.  Whale broke up in 1999, though all three members remain active on the Swedish entertainment scene.

Enjoy!