“Taking More Than Her Share Had Me Fighting For Air She Told Me To Come But I Was Already There”
You shook me all night long! Yes, on the KTSL charts at No. 15 is just one of the greatest rock songs ever. Hyperbole and all that, but this song is just awesome times awesome equals awesome.
AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” first appeared in their mega-blockbuster album in 1980, Back In Black. It wasn’t until 1986 when it was re-released as part of their Who Made Who album. It was during it’s re-release that I first heard and first saw the new video that accompanied the song. I think every teenage boy ended up glued to their TV’s whenever this video came on. They probably ended up taping the video for further repeat viewing.
As is their style, the song was just full of double entendres and the video itself just played up on the song’s lyrics. This video and song was just hard rock at it’s most 1980’s excess and debauchery and it was great.
Early last year I posted one of my favorite songs from my youth and it was by the band Heart. That song was “These Dreams” and still continues to be a favorite of mine to this day. My second favorite from this band is their power ballad from their 1987 album Bad Animals.
“Alone” is actually an even better song but “These Dreams” was just the song that first introduced me to the Wilson Sisters, Ann and Nancy. Where the earlier song was more folksy in it execution with “Alone” we get a full out power ballad that includes Nancy doing a guitar solo near the end. Ann Wilson crushes this song and just reinforces the fact that she remains one of the best, if not the best, female rock vocalist to ever belt out a song.
Oh, I still have a major crush on Nancy Wilson right up to this day. She’s definitely the first lady of rock.
Quite the extreme reversal from #4 to #5 but then my taste in music between junior high and high school was pretty much all over the place. I could be listening to the latest teeny bopper, LAtin-freestyle dance track one month then I’m picking up that hard rock or metal song that I knew my parents would never approve of (especially my mom).
Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” was one such song though I was surprised that my Dad actually liked it as much as I did. My first memory of ever hearing “Welcome to the Jungle” was watching the latest and last Dirty Harry film with my dad. It was The Dead Pool and this song was used as a sort of soundtrack in the fake horror film in the film. I’m not sure if my dad liked the song because it was in a Dirty Harry flick or he just liked it because he grew up in the 60’s and 70’s listening to hard rock.
I don’t think my dad was too keen on the Guns N’ Roses look though. Even then he knew the hair metal, glam look was no bueno.
So, “Welcome to the Jungle” was my initial introduction to Guns N’ Roses and pretty much opened up my ears to a whole new spectrum of music. I never abandoned the R&B, dance pop and freestyle songs from junior high and even years later, but hard rock and metal soon joined the LP (and later CD) rotation.
For some this is the height of hair metal at it’s raunchy. Some even call this song one of the best metal songs out there (though that’s stretching the term metal like it was Plastic-Man). I, for one, call this one of the guiltiest pleasures to come out of the hair metal scene of the 1980’s.
I’ll just let the lyrics speak to the cheesetastic and raunchirific pleasure this song was and remains (especially in strip clubs) to this very day.
Girls, Girls, Girls
Friday night and I need a fight My motorcycle and a switchblade knife Handful of grease in my hair feels right But what I need to make me tight are those
Girls, girls, girls Long legs and burgundy lips Girls, girls, girls Dancin’ down on Sunset Strip Girls, girls, girls Red lips, fingertips
Trick or treat, sweet to eat On Halloween and New Year’s Eve Yankee girls, you just can’t be beat But you’re the best when you’re off your feet
Girls, girls, girls At the Dollhouse in Fort Lauderdale Girls, girls, girls Rocking in Atlanta at Tattletails Girls, girls, girls Raising hell at the Seventh Veil
Have you read the news In the Soho Tribune? Ya know she did me Well, then she broke my heart
I’m such a good good boy I just need a new toy I tell you what, girl Dance for me I’ll keep you overemployed Just tell me a story You know the one I mean
Crazy Horse, Paris, France Forgot the names, remember romance I got the photos, a ménage à trois Musta broke those French’s laws with those
Girls, girls, girls At the Body Shop and the Marble Arch Girls, girls, girls Tropicana’s where I lost my heart Girls, girls, girls
Vince: Hey Tommy, check that out, man!
Tommy: What Vince? Where?
Vince: Right there, man! Hey baby, you wanna go somewhere?
I missed a couple of nights with a post leading up to Valentine’s Day. So, I shall make it up with a quickie, but definitely a classic choice for latest “Song of the Day”.
In what has to be one of the sexiest and raunchiest songs to explode from that little supergroup called Led Zeppelin in late 1969. Everything about this song oozes sex from Robert Plant’s performance to the silky riffs by Jimmy Page right up to the rhythmic pounding by Bonham on drums.
The song I speak of “Whole Lotta Love” and considered a favorite amongst fans of the group. Enough talk and just listen. I’m pretty sure there’s a sizable number of people who visit this site and go on the many social media outlets that owe their existence to their parents having this song on.
Whole Lotta Love
You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’ I’m gonna send ya back to schoolin’ Way down inside, a-honey, you need it I’m gonna give you my love I’m gonna give you my love, oh
Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love
You’ve been learnin’ And baby, I been learnin’ All them good times Baby, baby, I’ve been a-yearnin’, ah A-way, way down inside A-honey, you need-a I’m gonna give you my love, ah I’m gonna give you my love, ah
Oh, whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love I don’t want more
Ooh, just a little bit Ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, hah, hah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah No, no, no, no, ah Love, low-ow-ow-ow-ove Oh, my, my, my
You’ve been coolin’ And baby, I’ve been droolin’ All the good times, baby, I’ve been misusin’ A-way, way down inside I’m gonna give ya my love I’m gonna give ya every inch of my love (Ah) I’m gonna give you my love Yeah, alright, let’s go
Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love Wanna whole lotta love
(Way down inside) Way down inside (Way down inside, woman, you) Woman (Woman, you) You need it (Need) Love
My, my, my, my My, my, my, my, oh Shake for me, girl I wanna be your backdoor man Hey, oh, hey, oh Hey, oh, ooh Oh, oh, oh, oh Hoo-ma, ma, hey Keep a-coolin’, baby A-keep a-coolin’, baby A-keep a-coolin’, baby Ah, keep a-coolin’, baby, ah, ah-hah, oh-oh
The latest entry in my “Song of the Day” feature is from one of my favorite bands ever, Metallica, and from one of their live albums: “The Outlaw Torn” feat. the S.F. Symphony Orchestra.
This song was part of their 6th album, Load, and was picked by classical composer Michael Kamen to become part of the set list for the band’s live collaboration with the S.F. Symphony Orchestra. One of these days I’ll review that live album with all its great entries and some so-so ones, but for now it’s all about “The Outlaw Torn” and how the band’s attempt at trying a hard rock sound instead of their original thrash metal beginnings ended up becoming pretty great once paired with a full symphony orchestra adding their own voices to the song.
Unlike some of the other songs picked for the S&M album (as this one was called Symphony & Metallica), this particular track benefited from the added melodies and arrangements that only ranks upon ranks of strings, brass and percussion sections an orchestra could bring to the table. The orchestra didn’t just mimic the very sound and notes the band was playing but added different layers of sounds and with this song one could hear those additions.
This version of “The Outlaw Torn” gets continuous play on my computer and iPhone that I know by memory just when certain sections of the orchestra comes in and just what sort instruments would be coming in. It’s that good.
The Outlaw Torn
And now I wait my whole lifetime For you And now I wait my whole lifetime For you
I ride the dirt I ride the tide For you I search the outside search inside For you
To take back what you left me I know I’ll always burn to be The one who seeks so I may find And now I wait my whole lifetime
My whole lifetime My whole lifetime My whole lifetime And I’m torn
So long I wait my whole lifetime For you So long I wait my whole lifetime For you
The more I search the more my need For you The more I bless the more I bleed For you
You make me smash the clock and feel I’d rather die behind the wheel Time was never on my side So long I wait my whole lifetime
My whole lifetime My whole lifetime My whole lifetime And I’m torn
HEAR ME And if I close my mind in fear Please pry it open
SEE ME And if my face becomes sincere Beware
HOLD ME And when I start to come undone Stitch me together
SEE ME And when you see me strut Remind me of what left this outlaw torn
HEAR ME And if I close my mind in fear Please pry it open
SEE ME And if my face becomes sincere Beware
HOLD ME And when I start to come undone Stitch me together
SEE ME And when you see me strut Remind me of what left this outlaw torn
The latest AMV I’ve chosen for the regular “AMV of the Day” comes from one of the anime hit series from 2010. It combines the horror and ecchi (softcore) themes and images from that series with one of Rob Zombie’s most popular songs to date in “Dragula”. The video is plainly and simply titled, “Instinct”.
Highschool of the Dead (Gakuen Mokushiroku in Japan) was one of the major anime hits of 2010. It was the anime adaptation of the wildly popular manga series of the same name. It was a series which successfully combined the horror aspects that a zombie apocalypse brings to any story and the softcore elements that ecchi brought to the table. Simply put it was a series that was about sex, violence and horror. So, it wasn’t too much of a surprise that someone decided what better song to merge scenes from this series than Rob Zombie’s very own “Dragula”.
The editing work on this video was actually excellent. The creator, StarSapphire26, didn’t just edit and splice together scenes to match the tone and tempo of the song, but added some visual touches which made it stand out from most AMVs. This is one reason why this video stood out for me beyond just being one of the better and rare good AMVs which uses Highschool of the Dead as the foundation.
Anime: Highschool of the Dead (Gakuen Mokushiroku)
The latest “song of the day” arrives courtesy of Michael Mann’s Miami Vice. I speak of one of the best rock songs of the 1980’s: Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight”.
Phil Collins was already a major star as part of the progressive rock band Genesis. In the early 80’s he finally went out on his own and began a second successful career as a solo artist. His 1981 debut solo album, Face Value, would release it’s first single with what would turn out to be one of the 80’s iconic rock songs with “In The Air Tonight”. The song was originally recorded in 1979, but it was until Collins went solo did it see the light of day and once it made it to the mass public it instantly became a major hit. This song would end up Collins’ biggest hit ever and would be covered by rock bands and sampled by rappers in the decades to come.
Some of the younger generation would recognize this song because of a hilarious scene in the 2009 comedy The Hangover involving Mike Tyson and one of the most famous basslines in rock history. It’s a shame that it would be that scene people would remember since this song is more than just a punchline in a comedy. This song has become an integral part of my growing up during the 80’s and I still listen to it intently decades later…and yes I, too, consider that bassline to start the final chorus as the go-ahead to air drum the sequence in the privacy of my own room or car.
The one cover of this song I like just as much as the original is the hard rock cover done by the band Nonpoint for Michael Mann’s Miami Vice.
In The Air Tonight
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well if you told me you were drowning, I would not lend a hand I’ve seen your face before my friend, but I don’t know if you know who I am Well I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you’ve been It’s all been a pack of lies
And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
Well I remember, I remember, don’t worry, how could I ever forget It’s the first time, the last time we ever met But I know the reason why you keep your silence UP, oh no you don’t fool me Well the hurt doesn’t show, but the pain still grows It’s no stranger to you and me
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord I can feel it in the air tonight, oh Lord, oh lord Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord, oh lord And I can feel it in the air tonight, Oh Lord… I’ve been waiting for this moment, all my life, Oh Lord, Oh Lord
The newest entry in the “Song of the Day” feature takes us back in the glory days of the late 80’s when hard rock made a major come back. It’s only appropriate that I pick one of my favorite hard rock songs of the era: Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive”.
It was to be the third single released off of their monster third full-length album, Slippery When Wet. It would turn out to become their official anthem as millions of fans from several generations since it’s initial release. The Old West-themed song was a collaboration between frontman Jon Bon Jovi and band lead guitarist Richie Sambora. It took the two listening to Bob Seger’s own “on the road” song “Turn the Page” to bring inspiration to the two musicians. What they came up with was their own version of “Turn the Page” and it would become an instant hit and classic.
“Wanted Dead or Alive” would have one of the more recognizable openings with Sambora playing the initials chords on a Spanish guitar before the rest of the band comes in and Jon Bon Jovi starts singing about the hard life of a rock band as it travels from gig to gig. The lyrics to this song shows the less-than-glamorous side of a band no matter how successful they may be. The two musicians liken themselves to the Old West cowboys and gunslingers who, just like a rock band, lived like outlaws and on the edge of what’s morally decent as they passed from dusty towns to dusty towns plying their skills.
Even after 23 years since this song came out I’m still not tired of it and could always get me to sing along to it to the top of my lungs.
Wanted Dead or Alive
It’s all the same Only the names will change Everyday It seems we’re wastin’ away
Another place Where the faces are so cold I drive all night Just to get back home
I’m a cowboy On a steel horse I ride I’m wanted Dead or alive Wanted Dead or alive
Sometimes I sleep Sometimes it’s not for days The people I meet Always go their separate ways
Sometimes you tell the day By the bottle that you drink And times when you’re alone All you do is think
I’m a cowboy On a steel horse I ride I’m wanted (Wanted) Dead or alive Wanted (Wanted) Dead or alive
Ohh alright Ohh
Oh I’m a cowboy On a steel horse I ride I’m wanted (Wanted) Dead or alive
When I walk these streets A loaded six string on my back I play for keeps ‘Cause I might not make it back
I’ve been everywhere (Ohh, yea) Still I’m standin’ tall I’ve seen a million faces And I’ve rocked them all
‘Cause I’m a cowboy On a steel horse I ride I’m wanted (Wanted) Dead or alive
I’m a cowboy I got the night on my side And I’m wanted (Wanted) Dead or alive And I’m right (And I’m right) Dead or alive I still drive (I still drive) Dead or alive
Dead or alive Dead or alive Mm dead or alive Dead or alive
Doing a major 180 degrees the latest Song of the Day come from the Land of the Rising Sun. This song was first introduced to me by site music writer necromoonyeti and from the first time the song began to it’s final note it became one of my favorite songs. My last.fm profile will attest to this as I’ve played it a couple hundred times since hearing it for the first time.
I speak of Naki Kyoku by the Japanese power trio, Boris.
It’s difficult to describe the band Boris. They’re definitely s rock band, but other than that simplistic description they’re not a band to be pegged into any particular genre of rock. Their albums have ranged from early hardcore punk and crust. They’ve dabbled in drone metal, sludge metal and ambient. The song Naki Kyoku comes from their 2003 full-lenght album, Akuma no Uta (means “The Devil’s Song”). This particular album and, especially, this song brings to mind an eclectic blending of stoner rock with its cousin, psychedelic and noise rock.
Just like the band which birthed the song, Naki Kyoku can’t be labeled under any particular subgenre of rock as it seems to sound differently for each listener. Don’t know exactly who and what Boris is as a band and especially this particular song of theirs, but I know what I like and this song is one I definitely fell in love with at first listen.
Through the Shattered Lens 