Late today the heavy metal and hard rock world were hit with some sad news. Lemmy Kilmister (born Ian Fraser Kilmister) died at the age of 70 from cancer.
Lemmy was the frontman and the face of the band Motörhead and one the great bassist of hard rock and heavy metal. His band would help influence the rise of both speed metal and thrash metal. The band would combine the speed of punk with the heavy sound of metal. While he would never acknowledge his contribution to both speed and thrash, Lemmy and his band’s influence would be felt early on. Metallica even covered one of the band’s classic songs, “Overkill”, as a birthday gift to Lemmy.
Lemmy lived his life as he saw fit. He drank, did the drugs, had the sex and continued to do so despite what the world at large thought of such behavior. He was one of the true gods of rock and his presence will be sorely missed. Yet, despite his passing he would be the first to tell everyone to get off their asses and celebrate his life and not mourn his death.
I plan to do just that and drink a couple fingers of bourbon in his honor.
Rest in peace Lemmy.
Killed by Death
If you squeeze my lizard I´ll put my snake on you I´m a romantic adventure And I´m a reptile too
CHORUS: But it don´t make no difference ´cos I ain´t gonna be, easy, easy the only time I´m gonna be easy´s when I´m Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death
I´m a lone wolf ligger But I ain´t no pretty boy I´m a backbone shiver and I´m a bundle of joy
CHORUS
But it don´t make no difference ´cos I ain´t gonna be, easy, easy the only time I´m easy´s when I´m Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death
Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death
Through good times and bad I have always been a huge fan and follower of Metallica. Even as they foolishly went off track following the path Bob Rock set for them throughout most of the 1990’s through the disastrous St. Anger debacle as they tried to return to their earlier sound, I have always followed this band which made up the original Big 4 of thrash metal (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth).
It was on their 1998 cover album, Garage Inc., that the band released one of their most popular songs. It wasn’t an original, but a cover of the classic Bob Seger hard rock song about the hard road and life of a musician. Seger’s “Turn the Page” is just one of those hard rock tunes that latches onto the listener and forces them to listen and understand. Most such songs tend to be quite pretentious with nothing much to say once the listener really pays attention. The same cannot be said about Seger’s song.
Metallica decided to cover this song for their Garage Inc. album which was all about them covering their own favorite hard rock and metal songs of the past. While Metallica kept the original’s tempo, they added their own heavier and harder edge to song that straddles the line between hard rock and heavy metal. Even James Hetfield’s alcohol and cigarette ravaged vocals lent a sense of the hard road and life the track sings about.
The biggest change from the Seger song to Metallica’s cover has to be the accompanying music video which still remains one of the most controversial in MTV’s music video history (well, when they still played music videos). Seger’s song was released in 1973 when the concept of music video was nonexistent. With Metallica’s cover it was almost a guarantee that it would get a music video and what a video it was and still is.
The video was directed by Jonas Akerlund who had made a name for himself directing some of the most creative and innovative music videos of the day. His take on the song switches from a musician’s hard road and life on the road to that of a single mother trying to make ends meet as an erotic dancer by day and a prostitute by night to provide for her young daughter. The video was banned from receiving any sort of airplay on MTV as it dealt and showed the disturbing side of such a life. The fact that the tamer version of the video (below) still couldn’t make it on the airwaves just showed how much more haunting and controversial the uncensored version turned out to be.
Turn the Page
On a long and lonesome highway, East of Omaha You can listen to the engines Moanin’ out it’s one note song You can think about the woman, Or the girl you knew the night before But your thoughts will soon be wanderin’, The way they always do When you’re ridin’ 16 hours, And there’s nothin’ much to do And you don’t feel much like ridin’, You just wish the trip was through
(Chorus)
Here I am, on the road again, There I am, up on the stage There I go, playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page
So you walk into this restaurant, All strung out from the road And you feel the eyes upon you, As you’re shakin’ off the cold You pretend it doesn’t bother you, But you just want to explode Yeah, most times you can’t hear ’em talk, Other times you can
All the same old cliches, Is it woman, is it man And you always seem outnumbered, You don’t dare make a stand Make your stand
(Chorus) Ah But here I am, on the road again, There I am, up on the stage Here I go, ah playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page Woah
Out there in the spotlight, You’re a million miles away Every ounce of energy, You try and give away As the sweat pours out your body, Like the music that you play
Later in the evenin’, As you lie awake in bed With the echoes of the amplifiers, Ringin’ in your head You smoke the day’s last cigarette, Rememberin’ what she said
What she said
Yeah, and here I am, On the road again, There I am, up on that stage Here I go, playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page And there I go, turn that page
There I go, yeah, Here I go, yeah, yeah There I go, yeah, Here I go, yeah Here I go, There I go And I’m gone
If there was ever a song that’s become synonymous with a TV series (and there’s been a lot of them) then I would say that the latest “Song of the Day” would be at the top of this particular mountain. This particular song became the signature song of the series. I am talking about that classic song from 70’s progressive rock group Kansas, “Carry On Wayward Song”.
The song was released as part of the band’s Leftoverture full-length album. The single for the song was released around 1976 and became one of the band’s biggest hits. “Carry On Wayward Son” is just one of those songs which instantly hooks you and won’t let go. From the acapella intro followed up by a prolonged progressive section that leads up to vocals accompanied by some subtle percussions and keyboards.
Then there’s lead guitarist and founding member Kerry Livgren starting, bridging then ending the song with guitar solos that were all different from each other. One usually will see two solos, but three in and in three different instances tend to be the exception to the rule.
In the long run this song will stick to your mind once it catches a hold of you and you’ll be happy to sing-along whenever it comes on. For Supernatural fans this song has become an anthem for their favorite show and definitely will send Wincest fans of the two brothers in the show into a-twitter.
Carry On Wayward Son
Carry on my wayward son
There’ll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don’t you cry no more
(guitar solo)
Once I rose above the noise and confusion Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion I was soaring ever higher But I flew too high Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man Though my mind could think I still was a madman I hear the voices when I’m dreaming I can hear them say
Carry on my wayward son There’ll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don’t you cry no more
(guitar solo)
Masquerading as a man with a reason My charade is the event of the season And if I claim to be a wise man It surely means that I don’t know On a stormy sea of moving emotion Tossed about I’m like a ship on the ocean I set a course for winds of fortune But I hear the voices say
Carry on, you will always remember Carry on, nothing equals the splendor Now your life’s no longer empty Surely heaven waits for you
Carry on my wayward son
There’ll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don’t you cry no more
I think I’ve been saying that all day and it’s all because of a very catchy and classic hard rock song from my youth. It’s also the latest “Song of the Day” and marks another entry in the current series of great guitar solos.
“Rock You Like A Hurricane” by Scorpions was one of those rock songs during the 1980’s that really help propel a very good rock band into the next level of epicness (yes, that’s a word I decided is a real one). It was also a song that took advantage of the new visual media called music video to help market it to a much wider audience.
Many people tend to just fixate on the chorus of the song and tend to not remember the bulk of the songs lyrics. If they did they would realize it’s quite the raunchy bit of songwriting. The song is pretty much about someone looking to hook up and once partner has been chosen…well we know by the chorus how the encounter will develop and end up.
For a song about no-nonsense one-night stands it also has a classic guitar solo in the middle by lead guitarist Matthias Jabs that has been admired by listeners since the song’s inception. Jabs might not be as well known outside of the hard rock and heavy metal community, but his guitar playing talent was and is just as good as any of his contemporaries during the early 80’s.
Rock You Like A Hurricane
It’s early morning, the sun comes out Last night was shaking and pretty loud My cat is purring, it scratches my skin So what is wrong with another sin?
The bitch is hungry, she needs to tell So give her inches and feed her well More days to come, new places to go I’ve got to leave, it’s time for a show
Here I am Rock you like a hurricane Here I am Rock you like a hurricane
My body is burning, it starts to shout Desire is coming, it breaks out loud Lust is in cages till storm breaks loose Just have to make it with someone I choose
The night is calling, I have to go The wolf is hungry, he runs the show He’s licking his lips, he’s ready to win On the hunt tonight for love at first sting
Here I am Rock you like a hurricane (Are you ready, baby?) Here I am Rock you like a hurricane Here I am Rock you like a hurricane (Come on, come on, baby) Here I am Rock you like a hurricane
Rock you like a hurricane
(guitar solo)
It’s early morning, the sun comes out Last night was shaking and pretty loud My cat is purring, it scratched my skin So what is wrong with another sin?
The night is calling, I have to go The wolf is hungry, he runs the show He’s licking his lips, he’s ready to win On the hunt tonight for love at first sting
Here I am Rock you like a hurricane (Are you ready, baby?) Here I am Rock you like a hurricane Here I am Rock you like a hurricane (Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on) Here I am Rock you like a hurricane
Even though it’s a day late I should still include as the latest “Song of the Day” an epic song from the greatest rock band to come out of the Emerald Isle.
The band is Thin Lizzy. The song is “Róisín Dubh (Black Rose)”.
I would’ve added this song somewhere down in the future even if it didn’t have an awesome guitar solo that segues into dueling guitars during the middle section. Why you ask would I have added it well it’s because it’s Thin Lizzy and was a great marriage of traditional Celtic music with that very American folksy blues rock that was huge during the 1970’s.
Phil Lynott (R.I.P.) does an amazing job on bass and with the vocals (one of the best there ever was on the mic). Yet, the song soars once Gary Moore and Scott Gorham start battling it out in the middle section with an opening guitar solo and then both going at it.
So, yes it is a great addition to our ongoing “Greatest Guitar Solos” series within the “Song of the Day” feature.
Róisín Dubh
Tell me the legends of long ago When the kings and queens would dance in the realm of the Black Rose Play me their melodies I want to know So I can teach my children, oh
Pray tell me the story of young Cuchulainn How his eyes were dark his expression sullen And how he’d fight and always won And how they cried when he was fallen
Oh tell me the story of the Queen of this land And how her sons died at her own hand And how fools obey commands Oh tell me the legends of long ago
Where the mountains of Mourne come down to the sea Will she no come back to me Will she no come back to me
Oh Shenandoah I hear you calling Far away you rolling river All down the mountain side All around the green heather go lassie go
(dueling guitar solos)
Oh Tell me the legends of long ago When the kings and queens would dance in the realms of the Black Rose Play me their melodies so I might know So I can tell my children, oh
My Roisin Dubh is my one and only true love It was a joy that Joyce brought to me While William Butler waits And Oscar, he’s going Wilde
Ah sure, Brendan where have you Behan? Looking for a girl with green eyes My dark Rosaleen is my only colleen That Georgie knows Best
But Van is the man Starvation once again Drinking whiskey in the jar-o Synge’s Playboy of the Western World
As Shaw, Sean I was born and reared there Where the Mountains of Mourne come down to the sea It’s such a long, long way from Tipperary
As a child of the 1980’s it would be difficult to come up with a greatest guitar solo ever list and not make mention of the work of one Slash. The man with the top hat, who played a mean Gibson Les Paul would become part of what the 80’s called “The Most Dangerous Band” in Guns N’ Roses.
“Sweet Child o’ Mine” would become one of the band’s biggest hits and, ultimately, their most recognizable. This is quite an impressive considering this is the band that came up with quite a bit of classic tunes in the short time they all played together. It’s also the song where Slash truly made his mark by creating not just one of the most recognized opening hard rock riffs, but also one of the best guitar solos.
For a band that was seen and who saw itself as “the most dangerous” they also came up with a power ballad that combined not just genuine emotions, but the hard rock sensibility one expected from a band such as Guns N’ Roses. It’s a power ballad worthy of past great power ballads such as “Stairway to Heaven” and “Free Bird”.
Sweet Child O’ Mine
She’s got a smile that it seems to me Reminds me of childhood memories Where everything Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face She takes me away to that special place And if I stared too long I’d probably break down and cry
Sweet child o’ mine Sweet love of mine
She’s got eyes of the bluest skies As if they thought of rain I’d hate to look into those eyes And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place Where as a child I’d hide And pray for the thunder and the rain To quietly pass me by
[3x] Sweet child o’ mine Sweet love of mine
(guitar solo)
[4x] Where do we go? Where do we go now? Where do we go? Sweet child o’ mine
Who hasn’t heard and sung with Queen’s most iconic song ever. I know I can’t think of anyone that I know of.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” has become a staple of many best ever rock lists. It’s a song that’s been paid homage, imitated, parodied and copied by so many artists both music, tv, film and video games. This song has become synonymous with that most epic of all rock shows: arena rock. It’s an amalgamation of rock power ballad that bridges over to rock opera then into straight hard rock before circling back to a gradual softening of a coda.
One would think that all that wouldn’t mesh very well together, but with Freddie Mercury (arguably one of the greatest rock frontman) on vocals (who also wrote the lyrics), Brian May on lead guitar, John Deacon on bass and Roger Taylor on drums the song ends up not just great, but a gamechanger in how hard rock and heavy metal would be seen since it’s release.
Every hard rock and metal band worth their name would attempt to have their very own “Bohemian Rhapsody” to different degrees of success (I’ve always thought that the power metal bands like Blind Guardian have become successors in this endeavor). The song has become so ingrained in the general public’s pop DNA that just hearing a snippet of the song sans lyrics and people probably would know what song it was they just overheard.
Oh, it also has a killer guitar solo by Brian May which occurs after the ballad section and acts as a bridge into the operatic section of the track.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide No escape from reality Open your eyes Look up to the skies and see I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy Because I’m easy come, easy go A little high, little low Anyway the wind blows, doesn’t really matter to me, to me
Mama, just killed a man Put a gun against his head Pulled my trigger, now he’s dead Mama, life had just begun But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away Mama, ooo Didn’t mean to make you cry If I’m not back again this time tomorrow Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come Sends shivers down my spine Body’s aching all the time Goodbye everybody – I’ve got to go Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth Mama, ooo – (anyway the wind blows) I don’t want to die I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all
(guitar solo)
I see a little silhouetto of a man Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango Thunderbolt and lightning – very very frightening me Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo, Gallileo Figaro – magnifico
But I’m just a poor boy and nobody loves me He’s just a poor boy from a poor family Spare him his life from this monstrosity Easy come easy go – will you let me go Bismillah! No – we will not let you go – let him go Bismillah! We will not let you go – let him go Bismillah! We will not let you go – let me go Will not let you go – let me go (never) Never let you go – let me go Never let me go – ooo No, no, no, no, no, no, no – Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me for me for me
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye So you think you can love me and leave me to die Oh baby – can’t do this to me baby Just gotta get out – just gotta get right outta here
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah Nothing really matters Anyone can see Nothing really matters – nothing really matters to me
Time for the latest “Song of the Day” and this one has grown on me with each passing year: “Hotel California” by The Eagles. It also continues an impromptu mini-series of songs with some of the greatest guitar solos. The previous entry, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”, gave us an extended triple guitar solo that never seems to end.
I must admit that the group was never a favorite of mine growing up. I rarely listened to them and when they came on the radio I used to change the station. But as the years passed I began to give them more of a chance. I think part of it comes from the fact that this band is one of my Dad’s favorites. So, I gave them a chance in my advancing years. I guess with age does come wisdom since I began to really dig the band that I’ve dismissed as typical “adult contemporary” music in my youth. This just goes to show that the adage that sometimes “youth is wasted on the young” has some truth to it. My Dad’s probably looking down at me right now wherever he is and giving me that smirking smile that says “I told you so.”
“Hotel California” is my favorite of all the songs The Eagles have ever made. It’s not just catchy but the song also plays out like some sort of tale being sung by bards of old. Well, bards of old until we get to the dueling guitar solos by Don Felder and Joe Walsh which forms the climactic finish to the song. Guitar solos that I must say earns its place in rock pantheon as one of the best. That’s fact and not hyperbole.
FACT.
Another reason why this song of The Eagles is a favorite of mine is just the sense of the ominous just below the surface of the song. The lyrics does play out like a story, but a story tinged with a sense of malice and just a hint of the supernatural. It’s no wonder some of the more religious-minded fans of the song consider “Hotel California” as a song that details a time spent inside the Anton LeVay purchased San Francisco hotel called Hotel California which was converted into what would become the Church of Satan.
Lastly, I just plain love this song for the fact it paints my home state of California as something more than just a place to live and work in, but a place half in and out of reality. Maybe the song will convince Lisa Marie that California isn’t that bad of a state to be in.
Hotel California
On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim I had to stop for the night There she stood in the doorway; I heard the mission bell And I was thinking to myself, ‘this could be heaven or this could be hell’ Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say…
Welcome to the hotel california Such a lovely place Such a lovely face Plenty of room at the hotel california Any time of year, you can find it here
Her mind is tiffany-twisted, she got the mercedes bends She got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget
So I called up the captain, ‘please bring me my wine’ He said, ‘we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine’ And still those voices are calling from far away, Wake you up in the middle of the night Just to hear them say…
Welcome to the hotel california Such a lovely place Such a lovely face They livin’ it up at the hotel california What a nice surprise, bring your alibis
Mirrors on the ceiling, The pink champagne on ice And she said ‘we are all just prisoners here, of our own device’ And in the master’s chambers, They gathered for the feast The stab it with their steely knives, But they just can’t kill the beast
Last thing I remember, I was Running for the door I had to find the passage back To the place I was before ‘relax,’ said the night man, We are programmed to receive. You can checkout any time you like, But you can never leave!
“An’ I’ve made up my mind, I ain’t wasting no more time but here I go again, here I go again.”
Previous entry to our 27 Days of Old School I mentioned something about how hard rock and metal music videos were mostly the realm of hair metal bands. Videos all about loud, over-the-top costumes and personalities. bands such as Motley Crue and Poison just to name a few. Other bands would mimic the long, over-teased and hairsprayed look which gave hair metal it’s name. Coming in at #22 is a rock band from England that took on the look of your typical hair metal band, but had some deep roots in old school blues rock.
“Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake is a great song of the 80’s and part of it was due to an even more awesome video which included a young Tawny Kitaen, white lingerie and the frontman’s Jaguar XJ. Yes, the car used in the video is David Coverdale’s own car. Kitaen would later marry David which just took the whole thing full circle.
While Whitesnake and Coverdale made sure to take advantage of the hair metal look of the 80’s he definitely channeled Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant more than he did Vince Neil or Bret Michaels. And for that the world was and continues to be grateful.
“Gimme all your lovin’ All your hugs and kisses too, Gimme all your lovin’ Don’t let up until we’re through.”
I didn’t know what blues and blues rock was when I first heard it on the radio and then watched it on MTV. I did know that they had a real unique sound that was very much like rock, but also had a sort of country vibe to it.
One of the first bands of blues rock that I really ended up being a fan of was ZZ Top and it was mainly due to their three videos for three singles off of their Eliminator album. The first one that I saw was for the track “Gimme All Your Lovin’“.
The video itself was just very cool. It had everything a young boy was curious about. Cars, girls and rock and roll. Well, mostly it was the girls and the video to this song introduced the “Three ZZ Girls”.
It was much, much later in high school that I went back to listening to ZZ Top and their songs and realize that they were pretty much singing about sex, sex and more sex to the tune of Texas boogie blues. I ended up loving the band even more then.
Through the Shattered Lens 