Happy New Year!

Last entry of 2008. Happy New Year!!! See you in 2009.

GN'R

Ok...here we go. I have tried to write the perfect GN'R post for a while, but honestly, I don't know what to say. The only thing I would talk about is "Chinese Democracy." Fine..i'll let it out...

OMG!!!! AXL ROSE FINALLY RELEASED CHINESE DEMOCRACY!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Ugh...

THEN...you get these foolish fans and idiot critics who immediately initial the album as a weak effort or say "it's not Appetite for Destruction." Obviously not! You know, some people have to understand that if you keep requesting the same old songs from a band, it's going to be old and boring. Chinese Democracy is the perfect example. Though it wasn't worth the 15 year wait, it's still a damn good album. Oh and by the way, it's not a 17 year wait. It just so happens that their last studio album of original material was 1991's "Use Your Illusion" I & II. The last album they release was "The Spaghetti Incident?" in 1993. That was a cover album. Get your information straight!

The latest offering from Axl Rose & friends displays a marvelous use of instrumentation and epic song-writing abilities. Face it, Axl Rose wrote an excellent record and for a 46 year old...he can still hit those high notes! I will admit that the album has its hits and misses. Doesn't every album?

QUICK COMMENT: Hinder lead singer...uh, I forget his name, stated that the album was over-produced. HOW? Actually...I won't even comment. The guy sings for Hinder. THEY ARE AWFUL!

Just listen to the album. I am a huge GN'R fan and though it took me a while to warm up to the album, I think it's great. Some opinions may differ. However, try not to be so quick to dismiss it.

QUICK FACT: "CHINESE DEMOCRACY" DEBUTED AT #3 ON THE BILLBOARD 200 SELLING 261,000 COPIES. Kanye West AND Taylor Swift outsold Axl Rose? Oh boy...

Was there a point to this post? Not really...it was purely a rant.

(***) Recommendations

1. Chinese Democracy
2. Shackler's Revenge ***
3. Better ***
4. Street of Dreams ***
5. If The World
6. There Was A Time *** (props to Buckethead on the guitar solo)
7. Catcher In The Rye
8. Scraped
9. Riad N' The Bedouins
10. Sorry ***
11. I.R.S.
12. Madagasgar ***
13. This I Love ***
14. Prostitute ***

Still young...

Happy 43rd Birthday, Dexter Holland!
(lead singer of The Offspring)

This is funny...

I had to post this picture...

New bands

Rock Band is a very addicting game. I bought it on boxing day. Here are the hours I spent playing that game...

Friday: 4 hours
Saturday: 3 hours
Sunday: 6 hours...CLEARLY I have no life

Anyways, I've come to the conclusion that the bands I listen too everyday are getting older and won't be around too much longer. If you're wondering who I listen too...The Offspring, STP, GN'R, Chris Cornell, Metallica, Our Lady Peace, Goo Goo Dolls, etc...

iTunes is fantastic. It has introduced me to so many great bands. If you have time, please check out the following...

Red
Bulletproof Messenger
Midnight to Twelve
Under the Flood
Low Level Flight

Merry Christmas

Just like the title says.....Merry Christmas to everyone!

Most Anticipated Albums of 2009

Default- "Still Standing"
Our Lady Peace- "Burn, Burn"
Chris Cornell- "Scream"
Thornley- "Tiny Pictures"
Three Days Grace- TBA
Breaking Benjamin- TBA
Alice in Chains- TBA
Slash- TBA

Welcome to the Fold

For the past hour or so, I have been listening to the sweet sounds of the industrial rock group known as Filter. I must say, I have always been a fan of Richard Patrick. He is a great songwriter and a tremendous singer. You might even call him underrated, which is unfortunate.

QUICK FACT: Richard Patrick used to be the guitarist for Nine Inch Nails in the early 1990s.

Their first album, Short Bus, was released in 1995. The album was commercially successful, and included the hit single "Hey Man, Nice Shot". The song was somewhat controversial, as it was seen as capitalizing on the public suicide of Budd Dwyer.

Filter went on to release three more albums, the most current album being Anthems for the Damned. The album includes the single "Soldiers of Misfortune". This past June, I had the privilege of seeing Filter live at the Government in Toronto. They were amazing! For a 40 year old, Richard Patrick can still belt out those Filter classics!

Filter Discography
Short Bus (1995)
Title of Record (1999)
The Amalgamut (2002)
Anthems of the Damned (2008)

Check out these tunes:
- Hey Man, Nice Shot
- Take A Picture
- The Missing
- Where Do We Go From Here
- American Cliche
- Welcome to the Fold
- The Wake
- Kill The Day
- Cold (Anthems for the Damned)
- The Only Way is the Wrong Way

QUICK STORY: Richard Patrick took a break from Filter in 2002 to recover from drug and alcohol abuse. He has the date "September 28, 2002" tattooed on his right forearm in reminder of his sobriety date. He also started a supergroup known as Army of Anyone, with Robert and Dean Deleo of Stone Temple Pilots and phenomenal drummer, Ray Luzier.

Army of Anyone released their debut album in November 2006. Despite strong reviews, the album was a commercial failure selling less then 100,000 copies. I purchased their album the day it was released. It is a great album. I also saw them in Toronto...but that story will be for another blog.

"The Best Things" by Filter



"Goodbye" by Army of Anyone

The results are in...

For those of you who are addicted to the Ultimate Guitar website like I am, you should know that the results for "Top Ten Worst/Best Bands of 2008" are in!

Top Ten WORST Bands of 2008

1. Fall Out Boy (429 votes)
2. Metallica (425 votes...?)
3. Jonas Brothers (422 votes)
4. Coldplay (331 votes)
5. Tokio Hotel (329 votes...who?)
6. Guns N' Roses (246 votes...tragic)
7. Slipknot (198 votes)
8. Dragonforce (180 votes)
9. Nickelback (161 votes)
10. My Chemical Romance (149 votes)

Top Ten BEST Bands of 2008

1. Metallica (1087 votes....weird isn't it)
2. Slipknot (277 votes)
3. Avenged Sevenfold (264 votes)
4. Trivium (221 votes)
5. AC/DC (213 votes)
6. Opeth (130 votes)
7. Muse (122 votes)
8. Bullet For My Valentine (113 votes)
9. Children of Bloom (107 votes)
10. The Offspring (87 votes) :(

Christmas with Weezer

Here is a great addition to your holiday music collection. Why not celebrate the holidays "Weezer" style? That's right, Weezer has released a Christmas album, simply entitled, "Christmas with Weezer"

Track listing:

1. O Holy Night
2. Hark The Angels Sing
3. We Wish You A Merry Christmas
4. Come All Ye Faithful
5. The First Noel
6. Silent Night

Audioslave: 2001-2007

What a mix...Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden. Two of the most iconic bands from the 90s combined to form Audioslave, the first recognized and commercially successful rock supergroup of the 21st century. The band consisted of Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass), Brad Wilk (drums) and vocalist, Chris Cornell. Audioslave went on to sell more then 5.5 million copies in North America.

QUICK FACT: Audioslave was the first American rock band to play a concert in CUBA.

I don't care what any critic says, Audioslave was awesome. Though I didn't get the chance to see them live, their 3 studio albums were all I needed to survive. Their 2002 debut is a classic. It's merely extra Rage Against the Machine songs with Chris Cornell's melodic vocals slapped on them. Remember "Like A Stone"? CLASSIC TUNE. I also recommend you listen to "Set It Off". The album went on to sell more then 3 million copies.

Their next offering, 2005's "Out of Exile" was a great follow up. My personal favourite. That album contains such classics as "Be Yourself", "Doesn't Remind Me" and "Your Time Has Come". The album was certified Platinum with more then 1 million copies in sales. However, for some reason, fans seem to not pay attention to that album. I have a few friends who can agree with me. You know who you are :|

Finally, in 2006, Audioslave released "Revelations", their finest work. This album is special because the band finally found their sound. Funk Rock. The album sounded like Led Zeppelin meeting Earth, Wind and Fire. The first single off the album was "Original Fire". The album sold over 600,000 copies in North America.

In 2007, the band broke up dew to creative differences and business conflicts. Don't ask because I don't feel like explaining it. Now, we all have to admit that rock supergroups don't last. It's true...

Audioslave (2001-2007)
Velvet Revolver (2002-2008...face it, without Scott Weiland, VR will suck...Slash etc should just reunite with Axl Rose)
Army of Anyone (2005-2007...that rock group consisted of STP and Filter)

See what I mean?

Anyways, here is "Like A Stone" taken from the Live in Cuba DVD.

Remember Jason Newsted?

I am a huge fan of Metallica. Whether it's old school or new school Metallica, I have total respect and admiration for their music. As a bass player, one of my initial interests within in a band is "who's the bass player"? or what's his/her style of playing? Well from 1986-2001, Jason Newsted was the bass player for Metallica, and to this day, I think he is still missed within the hardcore Metallica community. Now, I'm not knocking Rob Truijo. He is such a great bass player and a good fit for the band. However, what Robert doesn't have is the attitude and edgy behavior that Jason had. It's true. Oh, and the powerful backup vocals. Jason was stellar on the mic.

After his breakup with Metallica, Jason played alongside Ozzy Osbourne for a bit and then went on to form the crappy, money driven, Hollywood "super rock group" known as Rockstar: Supernova. The band featured Jason Newsted on bass, Gilby Clarke (GN'R) on guitar and Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) on drums. Oh, and the singer was...uh, let me get back to you on that one. While on tour, supporting their debut album, Jason sustained a serious shoulder injury. On October 23, 2006, Newsted was injured while attempting to catch a falling bass amp head. The accident resulted in a torn anterior labrum in his left shoulder and a rotator cuff and biceps tear in the right. He was scheduled for immediate surgery, and underwent a lengthy rehab process. Newsted has been out of the public eye ever since.

To this day, Jason Newsted remains one of my favourite bass players. Check out this bass solo from a Metallica show in 1988.

2008 Joke List

Here are the top singles of 2008 according to Rolling Stone magazine. What a joke...

HERE

Thornley is back!

Remember Thornley? Yes you do! They had a hit record back in 2004 with hits like "So Far, So Good" and "Come Again". Well they are back with a brand new single and record. Their sophomore album, Tiny Pictures, will arrive in stores on February 10th, 2009. It is the follow up to their 2004 successful debut LP "Come Again". Wow, five years in between albums? Actually, I'm not that surprised.

Check out their new single, "Make Believe", on their myspace page...

By the way, Ian Thornley was formerly the singer of Big Wreck. His voice also sounds like Chris Cornell, which is a good thing.

Check these out...

Please download the following:

"Second Chance" by Shinedown

"I Stay Away" by Alice in Chains

If you enjoy both songs, please feel free to purchase the albums that contain those songs :)

Also, "Nothingtown" by The Offspring hit 101 on its play count on iTunes. No song has ever hit 100 on my list. This calls for a celebration. Yayy! Oh, here's the song just in case you're wondering what it sounds like.

3EB

Ah, the 1990s. Personally, I think that was a great time for music. Although I was born in 1987, I still grew up listening to grunge, punk and alternative rock due to my brother and sister's taste in music. Remember Third Eye Blind? Of course you do! They released their critically acclaimed debut album in 1997. It has since gone on to sell over 6 MILLION COPIES!

3EB Discography:

Third Eye Blind (1997)
Blue (1999)
Out of the Vein (2003)
Ursa Major (2009)

OH YA! They're coming back! Check out their new tunes on their myspace page.

Ah, good old "Jumper"...

Damn rich artists...

I've been a bass player for 6 years and within those six years, I have purchased 3 bass guitars. My main bass influences have always been Greg K from The Offspring and Robert Deleo from Stone Temple Pilots. In 2004, I purchased an Ibanez RD300 bass. One of the main reasons I bought it was because Greg K also plays that bass. Sure enough, Greg K has to get CUSTOM MADE bass guitars. Look, it has lights!!!

What?

Last night, I listened to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" by Michael Jackson. I enjoyed it. However, there is no chance in hell that I will be able to sing-along to that song unless I have the lyrics stapled to my brain. It was kind of frustrating. Do you actually understand what he is saying in that song? The lyrics don't even sound like words! It sounds like moaning or something. Anyways, don't hate me.

You're Not Alone

While checking out 30 second clips of Breaking Benjamin's debut LP "Saturate", I noticed iTunes has the "LISTENERS ALSO BOUGHT" section where it features bands that resemble Breaking Benjamin. The band I discovered is called Saosin. Wow, great hard rock and a promising young band.

This is a great song...

Bowling and Boston

Bowling is fun. Especially, if it's glow in the dark AND you're winning. That's what happened last night, my two friends and I bowled 3 games and had a blast. Though I won all 3 games (Sorry, Paolo and Serena) we still had fun. During our first game, "More Than A Feeling" by Boston came on. It's such a great tune. Very catchy song. So, if you happen to be bowling on a Friday night and it's glow in the dark AND Boston comes on...embrace it. Having fun with friends with good music in the background is a pretty good combo.

Jimi Hendrix

Please read this. My friend, Paolo, recently took a pop culture course at Brock University and wrote a great essay on Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower". Here is a video with the lyrics. 

The song to which is to be critically analyzed in this essay is one by Jimi Hendrix, entitled “All Along the Watchtower”. The lyrics to the song by Hendrix were originally written by Bob Dylan on one of his country parables from the album “John Wesley Harding”. “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix is an explosive guitar filled piece of psychedelic rock that takes the listener through a conversation in which the end result ends up in chaos.  

The song features many different instruments and instrumentation. There is the lead solo guitar, the rhythm guitar, the bass, tambourine and the drums. It is arranged with an intro and three verses which tell a story. What is very striking in the song is that there is no chorus that has words. Instead, Hendrix uses his solos as a chorus in which the electric lead guitar takes the lead and becomes the primary instrument of focus. The guitar can be seen as the instrument that very much dictates to the audience the mood of the song. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical analysis of Hendrix’s song “All Along the Watchtower” and argue that Hendrix’s version can been seen to use irony within the lyrics, use instrumentation to reflect the mood of the story presented in the lyrics and discuss themes of oppression and rebellion.  

When looking at the lyrics to “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix, it is apparent that the songs lyrics are filled with irony and hierarchal figures. The beginning lyrics tell the audience that they are immersed in a conversation between a joker and a thief. Right at the beginning of the song, the use of irony is presented. The tone of the joker, who is having the conversation, is one that is serious. The joker cannot seem to get any relief from the current situation that he is in. This is ironic because it is the joker’s job (who evidently could be a gesture of some sort) to bring relief to a stressful situation. In the second verse, the audience is presented with more irony. Here, the lyrics state that the thief, the so called rebel in society, is speaking kindly. “The thief he kindly spoke”. 

We also see within the lyrics the use of hierarchal figures, of which, are used in a sense to represent distinct opposites. In the first verse, the audience sees the main distinction between the joker and the thief. Within that verse, we also see a distinction between a businessman who drinks wine and a plowman who digs the earth. The final verse has hierarchal figures that represent opposites as well. In the third verse, the audience is introduced to a Prince and a Barefoot Servant.

As stated earlier, Jimi Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” places great emphasis on instrumentation to reflect the situation that the lyrics are presenting. The intro and the chorus’ instrumentation are vastly different than that of the verse. In the verses, the guitar and accompanying instruments are mellow and calm. Aside from Jimi Hendrix’s voice, the rhythm guitar takes center stage strumming and not soloing. This, one believes, it is used to represent the mood and situation that the lyrics are presenting. The situation is that the joker and the thief are having a quiet conversation away from people. This type of instrumentation also occurs in the second verse as well. After the first and second verse is where we see the instrumentation pick-up with great emphasis being placed on the lead guitar. However, it is not until after the third verse that we see the most instrumentation take place. It is after the third verse that the guitar solos are at there highest peak in terms of notation.

One believes that the solo and instrumentation after the end of the third verse is organized that way to illustrate to the listener that chaos has taken place. The last two lines of the third verse state “two riders were approaching, and the wind began to howl”. The two riders were approaching the watchtower where the prince was staying and the use of imagery through the wind starting to stir illustrates, one believes, that chaos has broken out. Therefore, not only do we see chaos breaking out through the use of imagery but also through the instrumentation being played.

Finally, Jimi Hendrix version of “All Along the Watchtower” one believes is a representation of the time in which the song was written in. It is a song written about oppression and revolting or rebelling against certain oppression. The joker and the thief feel trapped. They are being taken advantage of by higher order people in society such as businessmen. Society around the two feel that all life amounts too is a joke and turn a blind eye to the situation. This message of revolt or rebellion becomes evident more so within the third verse. Again Hendrix uses words in a metaphorical sense to illustrate this point. One believes that the watchtower can represent some sort of government building where the prince, no doubt a government official, resides and lives in luxury due in part to all of the servants and women that serve him. The rebellion or revolt is stated in the last two verses whereby two riders are approaching the watchtower (government building) and chaos then ensues.

In conclusion, Jimi Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” is a song full of meaningful irony, instrumentation and political messaging. The use of irony is fully evident within the song. The joker is confused and the thief is speaking kindly. Not only do the lyrics thrive on irony but also on using figures that are polar opposite. The joker is the funny gesture while the thief is the serious rebel. The businessman is affluent and drinks wine while the plowmen must dig the ground. There are also polar opposites in the prince and barefoot servant. The lyrics and instrumentation of the song go hand in hand. When the conversation between the joker and the thief was taking place, the instrumentation was clam. There is no great emphasis placed on lead solos. When the discussion between the joker and thief stop, the instrumentation picks up and there is great emphasis placed on the lead solo towards the end of the song. When the lyrics suggest chaos is when the instrumentation is at its loudest and the guitar is playing its highest notation. Finally Jimi Hendrix’s song “All Along the Watchtower” can be seen as, ones believe, a political message where by the oppressed are confronting the government about their situation and causing chaos for everyone involved.

By: Paolo Taraschi

#1 on iTunes

Every so often, I start a "TOP 25 MOST PLAYED" list on my iTunes. Here is the #1 song...

Song: Nothingtown
Artist: The Offspring
Album: Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
Play Count: 96

It's a great tune. Very catchy. BUY THE ALBUM!

First Entry

Wow, my very first entry. Hmm, what should I talk about? Alright, I have something. Within the past few weeks, actually, ever since I saw "Another One Bites the Dust: A Queen Tribute", I have been OBSESSED with Queen. It was great a great show. I never knew that Queen had so many classic tunes. The only song I knew from them was obviously, thanks to Wayne's World, 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. 

So after the show, I arrived home and immediately searched Youtube for live shows of Queen. I clicked on one video..."Queen- Live AID 1985". WOW. Live AID was a benefit concert for starving third world countries. It featured the best performers and artists of the 1980s in the US and UK. To this day, a lot of critics and music enthusiasts still believe that Queen's performance at Live AID was the best live performance in music history. Here is a clip of Part 1. 

(watch the crowd erupt during 'Radio Ga-Ga') Here is the clip.