We’ve finally reached the finish line. It’s now Halloween. Enjoy the sun while it out and about because when it goes down and the sky darken and turns to black, the ghouls and monsters come out to play.
Those inclined towards enjoying the darker aspects of life will dance and play throughout the night as they continue their way down the highway to hell.
“Highway to Hell”
Living easy, livin’ free Season ticket, on a one – way ride Asking nothing, leave me be Taking everything in my stride Don’t need reason, don’t need rhyme Ain’t nothing I would rather do Going down, party time My friends are gonna be there too
I’m on the highway to hell On the Highway to hell Highway to hell I’m on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speedin’ limit Nobody’s gonna slow me down Like a wheel, gonna spin it Nobody’s gonna mess me ’round Hey Satan! Paid my dues Playin’ in a rockin’ band Hey Mama! Look at me I’m on my way to the promise land
I’m on the highway to hell Highway to hell I’m on the highway to hell Highway to hell
Dont stop me!
I’m on the highway to hell! I’m on the highway to hell! I’m on the highway to hell! I’m on the highway to hell!
And I’m goin down..all the way! I’m on the highway to hell..
This past week saw another great musician pass away.
Ed King was an integral part of the three-guitar sound that made the Lynyrd Skynyrd sound so unique among the other blues-inspired American rock bands of the 70’s. Some have called Ed King the backbone of the band.
He was great either on bass guitar or as the third guitarist. The latter becoming the signature sound of the band’s most popular song and one of their most requested: “Free Bird.”
While it’d be simple enough to commemorate Ed King’s passing with another listen to that hit song, it’s on another much simpler song of the band’s that best typifies the member of Lynyrd Skynyrd. He who helped give them their signature sound and whose laid-back attitude finally convinced him that it was time to leave the band when the atmosphere around it began to turn mean and violent.
Some fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd don’t have good things to say about Ed King. They think he bailed on the group just when they were reaching the pinnacle of their success and popularity. But as the song “Simple Man” says, “Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast.”
That was Ed King. It’s time you joined the rest of your band mates waiting for you up above.
Simple Man
Mama told me when I was young “Come sit beside me, my only son And listen closely to what I say And if you do this it’ll help you some sunny day”
“Oh, take your time, don’t live too fast Troubles will come and they will pass You’ll find a woman and you’ll find love And don’t forget, son, there is someone up above”
“And be a simple kind of man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby be a simple kind of man Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can”
“Forget your lust for the rich man’s gold All that you need is in your soul And you can do this, oh baby, if you try All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied”
“And be a simple kind of man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby be a simple kind of man Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can”
Oh yes, I will
“Boy, don’t you worry, you’ll find yourself Follow your heart and nothing else And you can do this, oh baby, if you try All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied”
“And be a simple kind of man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby be a simple kind of man Oh, won’t you do this for me, son, if you can”
Baby, be a simple, be a simple man Oh, be something you love and understand Baby, be a simple kind of man
Chris Cornell passed away on May 17, 2017 and the world is that much more empty with his passing.
He was 52 and joins the others Gods of Rock in the afterlife.
R.I.P. Chris Cornell.
I Am the Highway
Pearls and swine bereft of me Long and weary my road has been I was lost in the cities Alone in the hills No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel
I am not your rolling wheels I am the highway I am not your carpet ride I am the sky
Friends and liars don’t wait for me ‘Cause I’ll get on all by myself I put millions of miles Under my heels And still too close to you I feel
I am not your rolling wheels I am the highway I am not your carpet ride I am the sky I am not your blowing wind I am the lightning I am not your autumn moon I am the night, night
I am not your rolling wheels I am the highway I am not your carpet ride I am the sky I am not your blowing wind I am the lightning I am not your autumn moon I am the night, night Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
About three weeks ago, I attended the Vanilla Fudge 50th Anniversary show at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, MA. It’s a great venue to see a concert, with an intimate 280 seat capacity. Three of the four original members performed (bassist Tim Bogert is retired from active touring), and their psychedelic, proto-metal stylings had the joint rocking hard. Keyboard wizard Mark Stein, guitarist Vinnie Martell, new bass player Pete Bremy, and legendary drummer Carmine Appice tore the house down with their renditions of hits like “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”, “Take Me for a Little While”, and “People Get Ready”.
Much as I enjoyed all their musicianship, the main reason I went was to catch Carmine Appice, one of rock’s all-time greatest drummers. The band did a meet-and-greet after the show, and I snatched by a copy of Appice’s recent book, STICK IT! MY LIFE OF SEX…
So, the latest “Song of the Day” comes courtesy of Led Zeppelin and also in no small part from the release of the first trailer for the third Thor in the MCU (that’s Marvel Cinematic Universe for those who have been living in a cave the last 10 years).
“Immigrant Song” has been used in past trailers though not as often as people think. Led Zeppelin has been very selective of who uses (and pays) for the license to use their songs.
Whether the song makes it into Thor: Ragnarok still to be determined, but it definitely fits the trailer as it sings of Vikings and their call to ship off to find new lands, adventure and battle.
So, yes, Lisa Marie, that song in the Thor: Ragnarok teaser trailer was definitely Led Zeppelin.
Immigrant Song
We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow
Hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands
To fight the horde and sing and cry
Valhalla, I am coming
On we sweep with the threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore
We come from the land of the ice and snow
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow
How soft your fields so green can whisper tales of gore
Of how we calmed the tides of war
We are your overlords
On we sweep with the threshing oar
Our only goal will be the western shore
So now you’d better stop and rebuild all your ruins
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing
One cannot reminisce about the 80’s music scene without including the biggest (and most dangerous) band of that decade. Well, the band and it’s handlers sure thought of them that way. The band I speak of is Guns N’ Roses. this was the band that dared to put the word hard back into hard rock after the glam metal scene began to turn it into a joke.
Nothing against glam metal. Mötley Crüe was and is a favorite rock band of the 80’s for me. Yet, even they succumbed to the hairspray overload that glam metal would turn into. These bands became more about their look (especially in their music videos) than actually playing good music.
Guns N’ Roses still had the teased hair, but their music when they released their Appetite for Destruction album was a breath of fresh air in the hard rock scene and would grab glam metal fans from the vapors of hairnet spray into the dark, dingy bluesy lounges and then the overwhelming open air arenas.
I’ve already featured two of the bands most famous tracks from their first album, “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine”, so it’s time to give their third biggest hit from this album time to shine.
“Paradise City” is a place we all should aspire to visit.
Paradise City
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home (Oh, won’t you please take me home?)
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home (Oh, won’t you please take me home?)
Just an urchin livin’ under the street I’m a hard case that’s tough to beat I’m your charity case so buy me somethin’ to eat I’ll pay you at another time Take it to the end of the line
Rags to riches or so they say You gotta keep pushin’ for the fortune and fame You know it’s, it’s all a gamble when it’s just a game You treat it like a capital crime Everybody’s doin’ their time
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Oh, won’t you please take me home, yeah, yeah?
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home
Strapped in the chair of the city’s gas chamber Why I’m here, I can’t quite remember The surgeon general says it’s hazardous to breathe I’d have another cigarette but I can’t see Tell me who ya gonna believe
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home, yeah, yeah Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Oh, won’t you please take me home, yeah?
So far away So far away So far away So far away
Captain America’s been torn apart Now he’s a court jester with a broken heart He said “Turn me around and take me back to the start” I must be losin’ my mind, are you blind? I’ve seen it all a million times
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home, yeah, yeah
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home, yeah, yeah
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Oh, won’t you please take me home, home
Oh, I want to go, I want to know Oh, won’t you please take me home? I want to see how good it can be Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Take me home
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Take me down, take me down Oh, won’t you please take me home? I want to see how good it can be Oh, won’t you please take me home?
I want to see how good it can be Oh, oh take me home
Take me down to the paradise city Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty Oh, won’t you please take me home?
I want to know, I want to know Oh, won’t you please take me home? Yeah, baby
To say that the Wilson Sisters (Nancy and Ann) who fronted the band Heart will forever be crushes would be an understatement. These ladies, for a growing teenager whose hormones were on overdrive, were a surprising find during the early years of MTV when they actually showed music videos. The sisters and their band had already made their bones during the 70’s but for most boys and girls of my era it would be the “Big Hair” Era of hard rock during the 1980’s that would introduce Nancy and Ann Wilson to a new generation of fans.
I was already on board the Wilson train (Nancy being my favorite) with their two power ballads from their 1985 self-titled album, “Alone” and “These Dreams”, but these ladies were not just about power ballads. They could rock out with the best of their male counterparts. The fact that both Ann and Nancy were accomplished singers in their own right put them heads and shoulders above most of the hard rock frontmen. Ann Wilson could belt out a tune, hold a note for ages and not lose any power behind those vocals. Nancy would do back-up duties, but no less impressive as a soprano, but it would be her work as lead guitarist that would mesmerize a certain young teenager.
It would be in the track “Never” that the band busts out their hard rock chops. They sure don’t make bands like these anymore. These ladies rocked then and they rock now. Rock on, ladies!
Never
Hey baby I’m talking to you Stop yourself and listen Some things you can never never choose Even if you try, yeah You’re bangin’ your head again ‘Cause somebody won’t let you in One chance . . . one love Your chance to let me know
We can’t go on Just running away If we stay any longer We will surely never get away Anything you want—we can make it happen Stand up and turn around Never let them shoot us down Never—Never Never—Never run away
Hey baby you know it’s true Why you bother lying when you know That you want it too Don’t you dare deny me Walk those legs right over here Give me what I’m dying for One chance . . . one love Hold me down never let me go
We can’t go on Just running away If we wait any longer We will surely never get away Anything you want—we can make it happen Stand up and turn around Never let them shoot us down Never—Never Never—Never run away Never—Never Never—Never run away
Hey baby I’m talking to you Stop yourself and listen Some things you can never choose Even if you try, yeah You’re bangin’ your head again ‘Cause somebody won’t let you in One chance . . . one love Your chance to let me know
We can’t go on Just running away If we stay any longer We will surely never get away
