Is it madness?  No, it’s just the demented ramblings of a music fanboy based on the first ten songs that pop up on his iPod…

“Mars Needs Guitars!”, Hoodoo Gurus Mars Needs Guitars!

First time I heard the name “Hoodoo Gurus” was at my college RA job when one of the female staffers from another dorm didn’t like the music selection at one of our parties and wanted to hear something from these guys or the Beat Farmers (good taste, in hindsight).  Essentially, some raw alterna-roots rockiness with a bit of noisy twang n reverb to it which was certainly miles away from the hair metal and funky R&Bness of the mid to late 80s.

“Boogie Back To Texas”, Asleep At The Wheel The Swingin’ Best Of Asleep At The Wheel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2MufvrCWBY

Ray Benson and gang are keeping the swing alive from the good old days of Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys, with “Boogie Back To Texas” my favorite from the band.  Piano, horns, female background vocals, fiddle, and the ultra coolness courtesy of Ray and the band boot scootin’ all over this thing.  Listen to this thing and then wonder why in the hell country music is totally missing the mark these days other than a handful who keep the spirit alive.

“Refrigerator Car” Spin Doctors Pocketful of Kryptonite

Remember the early 90’s?  Yeah, twas good…  music was really changing and the jam band scene was hot there for a few years with NYC’s Spin Doctors high on the charts with a couple of big hits.  “Refrigerator Car” was certainly not one but is a great example of the jamminess of the band, riding a dirty Zep-ish riff early before popping the funky along with Chris Barron’s languid vocal style.  Really miss not hearing bands like this on the radio.

“Mad, Mad Heart” Reverend Horton Heat Rev

What is there to say about the Rev?  The man, band, and their retro grooviness is pure fun:  take Bill Haley, Stray Cats, Jerry Lee Lewis, and maybe a dash of Elvis…  who can beat that?  The hands are clappin’, the toes are a tappin, and the rockabilly from the band is hot and swinging.  “Mad Mad Heart” plays it fairly safe, not as wild and dangerous as some of the earlier material but is certainly a hot showcase for the Rev’s talents on the guitar.

“Scapegoat” Farmikos EP

Holy shit is this good, like Soundgarden pumped full of human growth hormone on top of an already heavy dose of steroids.  Think “Rusty Cage” in vocal approach (almost eerily so) but with a choppier riff, slightly grungy in tone and maybe a tad bit speedier and certainly in the guitar hero mode.  Guest bassist here is none other than Robert Trujillo of Metallica fame.  Holmes had been fairly silent after his brief stint with Ozzy but after hearing this he needs to get out from under that rock more often!

“Book Of Liars” Walter Becker 11 Tracks Of Whack

As one half of Steely Dan, Walter Becker generally gets a big thumbs up from me.  Sure, the band has certainly moved into more jazzier territories over the years but there are classics throughout the catalog.  “Liars” isn’t quite the classic but is pretty good, Becker’s vocal style a total 180 degree turn from band mate Donald Fagen but has a relaxed bluesiness to it and the music is a bit more sparse than the sleekness of quality Dan.  Rides a slow slink in those relatively smooth grooves.

“Luv-A-Holic” Kix Hot Wire

Kix were always a good little rock band, probably unfairly lumped into hair metal as they got a decent head start in the late 70s/early 80s with their AC/DC cum Slade ‘n Stonesy histrionics.  “Luv A Holic” is prime Kix (not that crap ballad a few years later), solid riff, great gang vocal in the chorus, and an ever insistent cowbell throughout the song.  A prime example of a hard working bar band that never had sustained chart success but has carved out a decent career.  Pure fun.

“Time Machine” Black Sabbath Dehumanizer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frUq17Av6V8

Just listening to this now makes me miss Ronnie James Dio so much.  I’ve said it before, but Dio Sabbath floats my boat moreso than the Ozzy version due to the sheer metal sheen and conviction on display.  “Time Machine” is plain solid; a storming Iommi riff and punchy Geezer bass bringing the business with Dio’s positive vibes in the chorus lifting us up from his proclamations of doom and gloom during the verse.  Lookout!

“A New Age Moving In”, D.A.D. Dic.nii.lan.daft.erd.ark

D.A.D. (formerly Disneyland After Dark before Uncle Walt got involved) has always been a bit underrated here in the States.  The Danes first hit these shores in the 80s with a couple of heavy rock albums full of tunefulness but their look didn’t quite mesh with their hair metal brethren.  The star of “New Age Moving In” is lead singer Jesper Binzer’s vocal as he ably moves from full throated roar for a good part of the song, like a mini-Joe Cocker or Brian Johnson on display.

“Sandblasted Skin”, Pantera Official Live: 101 Proof

I often kick myself for missing out on the Pantera juggernaut in a hot and sweaty club back in the day before Dime’s horrible death.  “Sandblasted” is beautifully ugly and there’s no other way to put it; that insistent and distorted wobbler of a riff, those pummeling drums, and the unbridled fury, lunacy, and insane vocal from Philip Anselmo, who manages to mix full out hardcore bark, death metal grunts, and the occasional singing bit (well, maybe not).  Want to scare your neighbors?  Throw this on.

Song of this post?  Man, that’s a toughie but I have to go with “Time Machine” followed closely by “Scapegoat” and “Boogie Back To Texas”