Likely THE song that really cemented my lifelong fandom of Iron Maiden, “The Trooper” ticks all of the boxes for what epic songsmithery should be:  excellent riff, otherworldly singing, fabulous lead playing, colossal drum fills, a massive sing songy bit (good for concerts, y’know), and ridiculously good and descriptive lyrics.  Invoking “The Charge Of The Light Brigade” (Google it!) in not only that stellar wordplay but also in the galloping tempo, Steve Harris once again stepped up his game and delivered a classic that is many a Maiden fan’s favorite and one that continues to appear in the live shows to this day.  There aren’t many songs that I’ll hit the repeat button on for multiple plays but due to those aforementioned fiery performances on display I’m bound to hit it at least a couple of times 🙂

In the live environment, this song often takes on a life of its own.  Maiden shows over the years will often amp up the excitement level of songs by increasing the tempo and even “The Trooper” gets an extra kick in the pants, amazingly enough.  Live versions over the years often show the band in danger of careening off the rails but I’ll be damned if they don’t pull it off well.  Drum fills may feel slightly off, guitars may not be in sync, vocals may be rushed, but the energy and excitement levels are through the roof especially come the “whoah oh oh oh” come chorus time.  If pressed, I’d have to pick the Live After Death version (and it’s not even close).

So lessee…  I would have been 15 when this came out?  I think I air-EVERYTHINGed when I heard it and sometimes I still do-  air guitar, air bass, air drums, and air vocal.  My God THAT VOCAL.  One of those songs I wish was in my range as it is one of Bruce Dickinson’s command performances.  And that guitar solo?  One of Dave Murray’s best.  And that bass?  A Steve Harris masterpiece.  And that…  oh never mind, you get the picture. 😉

Time for another shuffle blog, where I pontificate on the finer things of the first ten songs that pop up on the iPod…

“I Want The Drugs”, Supersuckers Live At The Magic Bag

One minute and sixteen seconds of searing punkabilly from (in their minds) The Greatest Rock and Roll Band In The World.  I wouldn’t go quite THAT far but these guys are very good and if you like high octane rock mixed with punk, country, and classic rock you need to buy some Supersuckers albums.  Lead man Eddie Spaghetti certainly tells you what he wants in this song, as if you couldn’t figure that out yourself 😉

“Wash Me Down”, Talk Show Talk Show

If this song sounds a bit like Stone Temple Pilots, well…  you’re not that far off base.  Dave Coutts jumped on board with the rest of the STP guys while Scott Weiland was off in recovery/recording a solo album (take yer pick) to record a fairly strong late ’90s rock album that’s fairly similar in style and tone to mid-period STP.  “Wash Me Down” is one of those cool and chill vibe songs that STP tosses out every once and awhile.

“Rich Woman”, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand

So the Led Zep man teamed with the bluegrass/country chanteuse to record a fab album of swampy/bluesy yet eclectic tunes that both sound wonderful on.  “Rich Woman” hits all those voodoo swamp basics with its reverby guitar and the funky downlow, but the killer deal here is how awesome ol’ Robert and Alison sound together.  Plant keeps it in a fairly steady range throughout, allowing Krauss to weave her charms in and out.  Spellbinding.

“Alive (Demo)”, Oasis Definitely Maybe (Deluxe Edition)

Oasis’ chief songwriter Noel Gallagher had a truckload of songs ready to go for the band’s debut that they relegated many to B-sides (this one the flip to their “Shakermaker” single), with many as good or even better than the regular album cuts.  “Alive” is best left on the flip but as this is a demo they don’t really cut loose, especially as brother Liam’s vocal is a bit more sing songy than the sneering, cocksure attitude on the LP.  Still, a fairly charming cut.

“Roll Right”, Rage Against The Machine Evil Empire

A bit of a strange one here with the odd and slippery noodle riff but things settle into a dirty groove during the verses.  Vocalist Zach De la Rocha is suitably on fire as is his norm but guitarist Tom Morello gets a little more spacier, less slamming chords and instead bits of distortion and feedback to make things a bit unsettling.  Rhythm section as always with this band is totally aces, Timmy C with some fuzzy bass and Brad Wilk solid on the kit.

“Beneath The Tides”, Down Down III: Over The Under

Whether you like him or not, Phil Anselmo can certainly sell a song.  “Beneath The Tides” is no different, but what really makes this one is the rest of the band’s southern/sludgy/psychedelic take on the Black Sabbath sound.  I think these dudes recorded this late, late at night under a full moon, deep in the bayous of Louisiana; dredging up one smoky groove for Anselmo to bellow along with the other creatures in the night.  Brilliant.

“Realm Of The Wasted”, Soilwork The Living Infinite

It took me a while to get into the screaming/shouting singing style mixed with melodic vocals, but damn…  when you got some pretty killer riffing going on it helps you get used to it.  “Realm Of The Wasted” immediately breaks into an awesomely aggressive riff that immediately has you headbanging before throwing in a couple of twists and turns before the melodic bits come in during the chorus.  A good tune to ease yourself into this style.

“London Song”, Ray Davies The Storyteller

Yeah I’m a huge Kinks fan, not only the rock n ravers but those cuts where lead Kink Ray Davies reminisces about the characters around the village greens, pubs, and sunsets in old London town.  “London Song” isn’t a classic but as always Ray paints awesomely vivid pics of the scenes and locales unlike many other lyricists, also doing a bit of namechecking of classic Londoners.  Video version is the full band but I’m reviewing the solo performance.

“Unleash The Beast”, Saxon The Eagle Has Landed III

After geez…  how many albums?  Ah, I don’t remember…  Saxon still bring it and I prefer their heavier stuff, “Unleash The Beast” being one of their better latter day cuts and the debut of (at the time) new guitarist Doug Scarratt who certainly upped the ante in the riff and lead department.  This version is a scorching live one, performances strong across the board especially from lead throat Biff Byford on awesomely scratchy/hoarse vocal (that’s a good thing!)

“I Never Loved Her Anyway”, John Corabi Unplugged

While I love the original road racin’ speedster from The Scream, this version from that band’s John Corabi is raw and unplugged and is a damn good one in all its acoustic shuffling glory.  Crab is totally on (as always) with that scratchy, raspy vocal of his plus he’s a pretty good guitar play here too.  Not sure who the other players and backup vocalists are but they do a damn fine job taking an all out metal ripper and converting it into a catchy campfire stomper.  Woo!

Man, tough choice for cut of the week but I’ll have to go with “Beneath The Tides” followed by “Rich Woman” and “I Never Loved Her Anyway”!

Time for a simpler top ten list, this one of my favorite thrash metal bands.  I’ll offer up a fairly short breakdown of each band, judging them based on their entire career from inception to today.  There may be some surprises in here for you 🙂

But first a little bit o’ history…  For those of you that haven’t kept up with this blog, here’s a bit of news for ya…  I’m a SERIOUS thrash metal fan.  Go back a few posts and read HERE about how I got hooked-  it took a little bit of time but once it got me in its grubby little paws  it’s never let me go.  I’m a little too old for the pit but I still dig a good show!

10.  Flotsam & Jetsam (great band and may have released their finest platter EVER with this year’s self titled album- it’s that good)

9.  Death Angel (relentless and formidible, moved from punky/clattery early noise to a more refined and excellent thrash unit who have made a welcome return to the scene)

8.  Overkill (No holds barred and workmanlike, these NYC boys are still going strong and release great new material although I miss the early Bobby Gustafson era)

7.  Sacred Reich (a little more brutal with hardcore punk overtones mixed with Sabbath heft, maybe some of the better lyrics in the genre- release something new please!)

6.  Slayer (got into Slayer quite late; that midperiod Rick Rubin produced stuff is epic and stands the test of time.  Best drummer in thrash bar none in Dave Lombardo)

5.  Anthrax (gets a higher vote here due to the massive Among The Living, which got me into the genre and will always rank high on my list of favorite albums)

4.  Exodus (manic yet insanely catchy thrash from another band that’s still going strong-  Gary Holt has a well full of riffs and the goblin shriek of Zetro is back where he belongs!)

3.  Metallica (might be low for some but have fallen somewhat due to some lackluster mid-period material.  Still, the first three albums rank VERY high for me with #4 not far behind)

2.  Megadeth (Mustaine edges out his former band here, mostly due to the continued technical mastery of his bandmates and to the all out aggression on the early material)

1.  Testament (in terms of overall consistency and a continued push of the thrash boundary with excellent results, Testament stands at the top.  Having the best frontman and the best lead guitarist in the genre certainly helps, plus Eric Peterson continues to write outstanding riffs)

A short and sweet post here to recognize Mr. Ed Harsch, most notably as keyboardist for the Black Crowes via second album Southern Harmony and Musical Companion up through 2006 or so.  His work throughout “Descending” is a thing of beauty and a masterwork of subtle playing.  Rest in peace…

Time for a double dose of Shameless Plug this time from a band that…  well…  I’m not the biggest U2 fan but I have the utmost respect for them.  I don’t follow the band’s every move, I’m not waiting with bated breath for their next release, I’ve not caught them on tour, I’ve never wanted my own pair of “The Fly” shades that Bono sported circa Achtung Baby, but I do own a few of their albums and fully dig some of their material.  Songs like “New Year’s Day”, “I Will Follow”, “Two Hearts Beat As One”, even stuff like “Bad” is great, but these two songs?  That’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax.

Usually with the Shameless Plug posts I’m highlighting a song from a favorite artist but this time I’m shifting gears a little to just highlight two fantastic songs.  Both of these cuts have a tendency to lift my spirits and make me feel good due to a variety of factors, although oddly enough not due to the lyrical content.  I mean, a song entitled “Beautiful Day”?  Geez, a title like that would make you think of blue skies, warm temperatures, and cool breezes but I’ve never been a guy that cares much about lyrics (although that does depend on the band).  For all I know, Bono could be spouting off about nonsensical stuff or about how the airport lost his luggage or how he’s grousing about how his dog digs up the plants in his garden.  Sure, I’ll pick up a lyric here and there but that’s not what’s hooking me.

So let’s start with “Beautiful Day” and what exactly IS hooking me.  This song is a fabulous example of how a song can build into something magical due to sparse instrumentation, sweet production touches, and a chorus that lifts the song to another level.  I love music like this because it’s a bit of a journey; lots of ebb and flow, light and shade, high and low, harsh and sweet.  Starting off with a bit of strings to set the tempo, the heartbeat of a kick drum grabs your ear along with what sounds like an echoey, lightly stabbed chord before Bono lightly croons the first verse along with Adam Clayton’s moving bassline.  After a few lines, we hear The Edge come in with a fairly quiet guitar pattern before that magical chorus comes in-  here’s where the song starts to take off:  Edge has upped the volume and distortion on the chords, Bono’s vocal raises to an even more heartfelt level, and Clayton’s bassline mixes perfectly with Larry Mullen’s crashing drum work.  And did I mention production touches?  That clearly spellbinding moment comes with the swelling and building background vocal during that chorus, that “daaaaaaYYYY… daaaAAAYYYY” just kills me.  But we’re not done yet…  the section that begins with Bono singing “touch me” kicks into another gear before we drop down into the shade as the band mostly falls out and we get that “daaaaaYYY… daaaaAAAYYY” reprised one final time before the highs of the final chorus.  Utterly beautiful stuff.

I was in college when The Joshua Tree came out, which may have been THE album for many on the floor in my dorm.  While I liked the early singles enough (“With Or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”), it wasn’t until the third single and awesomely cool video for “Where The Streets Have No Name” that I really started paying attention.  Like the aforementioned “Beautiful Day”, this song has a tremendous buildup via the keyboard intro but it’s really the pulsating, chiming rhythms of The Edge’s guitar work and the driving bass and drum interplay between Clayton and Mullen.  And by this stage of the band’s career, Bono was well into rock star mode and puts in an outstanding, earnest vocal-  not overcooking it but settling into a nice groove along with the band, the flow moving nicely yet building a bit during the chorus as he moves effortlessly from a breathy croon into a few soaring, full throated lines.  Production touches aren’t as noticeable as “Beautiful Day” outside of the beautiful washes of keyboard, but the song really drives due to the ringing guitar work of The Edge, the dynamic yet simple, rhythmic drive of the bass and drums, and Bono’s strong vocal turn.

U2 has had a storied yet chameleon-like career as they are constantly growing, morphing, and shape shifting in pursuit of something new for each album and phase of their career.  You may have your favorites but to me, these two are synonymous with each other and can certainly elevate my mood and lift my spirits when needed.  Seek them out when you need some “elevation” (sorry, that’s a bad U2 pun!).