Bad Company

Hearing about the Wrong Side of Heaven, a touching song of the ones from Five Finger Death Punch, I was curious about some other of their songs. So I came across Bad Company. Being a classic rock based listener, I knew about Bad Company's original. The 5FDP version is a very good one, so here I am posting it side by side with the original (actually one on top of the other).

Keep on rocking!

5FDP - Bad Company


Bad Company - Bad Company

Mitzi. Mitzi Dupree

Mitzi is the name of a friend's cat. Hearing this name I thought I should find out the meaning of Mitzi Dupree, one of the song from a famous classic rock band: Deep Purple! After searching the web for it, well, nothing special came out about it. So, all it's left to do is just to enjoy the song as it is, without thinking about some hidden meanings! And, by the way, "It has no connection with China!"

Well, if you are searching the web for "The House of Blue Lights" instead of "The House of Blue Light", you'll find quite a story, a scary tale!

Even today, though it has been many years since the “House” has been torn down, there is tremendous interest in it.

The House of Blue Lights 

Artist: Deep Purple
Album: The House of Blue Light
Song: Mitzi Dupree

Writers: Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan
Copyright: Miracle Prestige International Limited, Blackmore Music

Leb i Sol

Once upon a time in Jugoslavija (Yugoslavia), now Macedonia (also named FYROM - Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia), was a band named Leb i Sol (Bread and Salt).

As Romanians (the lucky ones living near the RO-YU border), until the early 1990's, we were listening to YU rock music, no matter from which republic the band came from. After the wars that decimated Yugoslavia (and the borders are still in dispute now in 2014 - see Kosovo), each band states its republic of origin... Politics affects everyone's life, and life includes music!

LEB I SOL is an expression which symbolizes traditional hospitality.

Latest news on their official website dates back to 2008.

KEEP ON ROCKING, no matter where you are!

Dropkick Murphys

I "discovered" the powerful sound of Dropkick Murphys while watching Martin Scorsese's "The Departed".

At first, Dropkick Murphys reminded me about Skyclad, then, some of their songs, about The Clash. Being from Quincy, MA, so Americans, results quite a mix: American Celtic punk!

Politicians vs. Musicians: 1 - 0

No matter how powerful musicians' messages are, the politicians' ones seem to resonate better with the masses. Ronnie James Dio and Ozzy Osbourne duet along with Black Sabbath are performing War Pigs with such kind of message.

Politicians hide themselves away

They only started the war

Why should they go out to fight?

They leave that all to the poor

I also posted A Powerful Message a week ago, the one sent by Motörhead to politicians:

Just 'Cause You Got The Power, that don't mean you got the right!

Useless to translate it, just pass it on! \\m//

Strange World

The other day I was told by a mate that he doesn't listen to a certain kind of (foreign) music because he doesn't understand the lyrics. I think it was his excuse for not liking hard rock or heavy metal. I did not wanted, and I did not ask for, an apologize simply because I do not care what music my mates love or hate (as long as it is quality music), and they don't have to listen to the same kind of music I am listening to.

Anyway, even so, if one wants to understand the lyrics prior to feel the sounds of music, well then, he/she needs poetry, not music. Music is a particular feeling, no matter if supported by lyrics or not. Great lyrics behind the music gives even more power to the music, but the sound is the one which creates the music, not the lyrics!

Listening to Iron Maiden's homonymous album (1980), the sounds of Strange World captured my attention. This song sounds very psychedelic to me. There is another song with a very similar approach on this album: Remember Tomorrow.

More than lyrics, when a song is linked to a good movie, the inner feeling is complete. Searching for an appropriate video for Strange World, I have found one with scenes from Ladyhawke.

 

History of The Eagles

The new two-part documentary, HISTORY OF THE EAGLES - The Story of an American Band, will make its television debut on Showtime.

Part One: Friday, February 15, at 8 PM ET/PT.

Part Two: Saturday, February 16, at 8pm ET/PT.

A documentary by Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning producer, Alex Gibney.

Poison

Alice Cooper's original Poison is now covered by the brightest star of the Finnish rock scene (as mentioned in Metal from Finland), the soprano singer Tarja Turunen.

When there's a duel between two men, well then, let the best win! Only when we are talking about a man - woman contest, one should be a gentleman!

I must say that this is not a contest. It is rather a different approach, a different sound, a different style! Have your say!

Jumping My Shadow

Recently I was listening to a Skyclad playlist on YouTube.com, and Jumping My Shadow seems to catch my attention. Although the idea of this song is not an original one, it starts with a nice Kahlil Gibran quote which I am posting right now:

And ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.

Why am I telling you that this is not an original idea? Because it reminds me of Cinderella's Don't Know What You Got ('Till It's Gone).

Searching the web for Skyclad I've found this meaning on Encyclopaedia Metallum: Skyclad is a pagan term for ritual nudity, meaning literally that the practitioners are clad only by the sky, due to their highly nature-oriented beliefs.

Below are the above two great love songs, and I hope you'll appreciate to their fair value!

Live At Luna Park - DREAM THEATER

Dream Theater's Live At Luna Park is coming soon! Here's the trailer for DVD, Blu-Ray, CD!

DREAMER DECEIVER

Tonight another "battle", a battle called: "Dreamer Deceiver".

He said in the cosmos is a single sonic sound
That is vibrating constantly

By chance, a few years ago, I've came over Dreamer Deceiver, a Judas Priest's cover (the third song from the album Sad Wings of Destiny) performed by Skyclad. The original sound of Skyclad, turned the original song into a much more powerful one. It is one of that few situations in which the cover is (way much) better than the original. Judas Priest's (and even metal ballads) fans might argue with my point of view. I am not questioning the undoubted value of Judas Priest, I am only put into the balance two version of the same song!

The End of the World: a joke, right?

So, tomorrow it's the end of the world! You must be joking, right? :-)

I prefer R.E.M.'s version: It's the end of the world AS WE KNOW IT!

ASTRONOMY

Sometimes is a question of mood, some other times is a question of taste.

Today I propose a different approach of the very same song: Astronomy.
Blue Oyster Cult comes first, then it's Metallica's cover.
Do you a favourite one?

Black Label Society vs. Lynyrd Skynyrd

Years ago, while in Timisoara, I used to listen to Radio Stotka, a radio station in Novi Sad, Serbia. One of their shows put together two songs: an original one, and its remake. The listeners sent their votes to the radio station, and counted for each version. In more than 90% of the songs contest, the conclusion was: "Uvek je bolje original!", or "Original is always better!".

For today, I have chosen Lynyrd Skynyrd's "I Never Dreamed" as the original one, and Black Label Society with its cover. Each one has an original approach of the story within the lyrics, so it is quite hard to decide which one to vote for! Speaking of lyrics, Lynyrd Skynyrd say "Daddy", and Zakk Wylde says "Father"!

Which one is your favorite?

♠ Motörhead ♠ Ace of Spades ♠

The single best expression of Motörhead's loud-fast-rules aesthetic, "Ace of Spades," also stands as one of heavy metal's all-time greatest anthems.

allmusic by Rovi 

The car chase from Bullitt (starring Steve McQueen) is an excellent choice to outline this powerful song. If you want to go further to the streets of San Francisco, then Film locations for Bullitt is the website to go next!

Us and Them

I just talked with an old school mate about "Us" and "Them". Regarding a particular situation we are facing nowadays (we are working at the same company, only at different branches), "Us" and "Them" sounded quite intriguing, and this kind of "sound" led me to the "sound" of Pink Floyd.

Whenever I start to talk about to music my mind floats away towards the waves of the song, the words vanishes, and the paper (screen) fade to white... So: no more words, just sound! The great sound of Pink Floyd's "Us and Them"!

Pink Floyd - The Animals

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL
BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE
MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

How about it? While thinking about it, take a few minutes and listen to Pigs, from The Animals, a Pink Floyd album.

Three of a Kind

The other day I was listening to Last of a Dyin' Breed, the track that gave the name of Lynyrd Skynyrd's newest album (Roadrunner Records, 2012).
Starting from it, I've jumped to one of their classics: Free Bird. The way the sound "evolve" during the song made me search for Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), and, subsequently, for Child in Time (Deep Purple).

When I am talking about the "evolution" of the sound during each of these three songs, I mean that your ears will be "prepared" with a gentle sound at the beginning of the song.
Then, step by step the tempo and the intensity of the sound are increasing until it reaches the climax which lasts exactly how it should last: no less, no more.
In the end, you will be spared of a rough transition back to reality, the sound comes down at a level compared to the one it started. It is like the climber which is compelled to come back from the top of the mountain, after he/she enjoyed the view. The pace is a little bit faster to the way back than to the way to the top...

Now I am letting you to enjoy the sounds of these great classic tracks, by posting them in the above mentioned order.

A Good Day to Die

When you listen to ManOwaR's "Today Is a Good Day to Die", well then... you really feel like the way they sing it...

But when Godsmack sing it, well, they are right too, only that their sound isn't as appropriate as ManOwaR's when we are talking about "A Good Day to Die". Their version of this "feeling" is rather a fight than an acceptance of the reality (within their lyrics).

It is up to you to decide which sound is more suited for "A Good Day to Die"!

Civil War - intro

Civil War was on some "Guns 'N Roses - Best Ballads" cassette tape I used to liten to many, many years ago, and I still own that tape. Listening to the intro of this song, one can hear a high tone voice telling the following words:

What we've got here is... failure to communicate. Some men you just can't reach. So you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it... well, he gets it. I don't like it any more than you men.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061512/quotes?qt=qt0303196

"Failure to communicate" seems to be the key words for the song. But who is the one who speaks them? A band member, an actor? Accidentally I've found the answer after... But first listen to this great song, then scroll down and watch the very next clip.

This is the voice of a prison captain (Strother Martin) from the movie Cool Hand Luke (#133 on IMDb.com). Luke (Paul Newman) is "a man refuses to conform to life in a rural prison".


"I don't like it any more than you men." Do you like the song? Do you like the movie?