Speaking from a songwriting point of view...

OK... so I know I'm going to get a load of crap for this one, but I'm putting it out there anyway. I was flipping through the internet & noticed how badly Phil Collins get nailed in his recent divorce. I got to thinking about him & his music.

PHIL COLLINS IS ONE OF THE MORE UNDERRATED SONGWRITERS EVER!!!! There... I said it... let the verbal abuse begin. *lol*

Seriously though... I realize he's long been the butt of jokes from those who are "too cool" to dig his music. I realize he has also long been blamed for the eventual downfall of Genesis. However, what all of these people fail to realize is that the man is responsible for some of the greatest pop songs ever written. He is an expert at writing melodies that stick in your head for days. His lyrics, while often venturing into "silly love song" territory, are at the same-time well-crafted & simple, usually saying the things many of us are thinking but don't have the eloquence to put out there like he does.

I highly recommend his recent album "Testify". While there are a few throw-away tracks (let's face it... there are very few songwriters or artists that release an album that doesn't have one bad track), there are SEVERAL standouts, including "Can't Stop Loving You" & "The Least You Can Do". If you like Phil, leave me a comment & back me up here!! If you hate him, let's try to keep the 4-letter words to a minimum OK? *lol*

Well... that's all I've got to say about that. Until next time... you can still rock in america, so let's do it until they tell us we can't.

Hall of What??

OK... so I know it's been a while since I've posted. Things have been a bit hectic & I apologize.

I was listening to Opie & Anthony on Tuesday morning (as I do most mornings) & they got to talking about some of the artists that are not yet inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, even though they are eligible. For the record, I would like to mention how old it made me feel (today is my 32nd b-day, by the way, so I'm not really THAT old *lol*) that bands like Motley frigging Crue are eligible for the HOF!!! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?!? Sorry about that...

So I got to thinking about this. Not because I think the mighty Crue should necessarily be in the HOF, but there are quite a number of bands that should be that aren't, & quite a few that are that shouldn't be. For example, can someone explain to me why The Dave Clark Five is in but Chicago isn't? Or why Leonard Cohen is but Ozzy is not in as a solo artist?? These seem like major injustices to me, as well as the fact that Stevie Ray Vaughan is not in. Those all seem like no-brainers to me, but maybe I'm just being naive here. I'd also like to know why the hell rap pioneers Run DMC & the Beastie Boys are not in yet. Once again... INJUSTICE!!

So... I'd like to know who YOU think should be in & who shouldn't be. You can go to Future Rock Hall to see who's not there yet, & Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's official site to see already is. By the way, in all of my ranting, I would like to say I'm glad that the HOF did recognize 2 artists that should DEFINITELY be in: Frank Zappa & Steely Dan.

Well... that's all for now. I look forward to seeing what you all think about this. Feel free to post often. Until next time... as the Doobie Bros. said: "Music is the doctor makes you feel like you want to... Music is the doctor of my soul." Later, cats & kittens.

Recommendations

OK... I know I just posted last night, but I just had to make 2 recommendations for you before I forgot them. First... I was reading this month's Blender this morning. Each month they focus on the entire catalog of an artist, suggesting which albums are must-haves, which might be worth checking out & which are really for true fans only. This month's was one I think EVERYONE should check out at least once in their lives... FUNKADELIC. Funkadelic is one of 2 projects of George Clinton, the true master of "interplanetary funksmanship", the other, of course, being Parliament. I HIGHLY recommend checking out some Funkadelic or Parliament. VERY funky, very odd, ridiculously fun.

My other one is the song "Everything You're Breathing For" by the Parlor Mob. I heard it this morning on one of my cable provider's music stations & it's everything Led Zeppelin would sound like if they were a new band. I was definitely digging this & am downloading the entire album, And You Were a Crow, as we speak.

OK... until next time.

IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!

OK... pardon me for becoming fan-boy for a minute here, but IT IS ABOUT TIME that SOMEONE honors the Who!!!! VH1 's Rock Honors show is honoring, in my opinion, one of the greatest bands in history!!!! Normally, the Rock Honors highlights a few bands. Tonight, though, they are spending the entire 2 hour show just on the Who!! I was really pleased to hear this.

The Who is not only one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music, they also had one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music... Keith Moon!!

The Who were true innovators. Their rock opera, Tommy, was one of the most groundbreaking records of the 1960s. Their well-written songs & inspired musicianship still sound fresh even today.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Who, I highly recommend checking out the following songs: "I Can See For Miles", "Pictures of Lily", "Baba O'Reilly", "Who Are You", "Pinball Wizard", & "Magic Bus". Enjoy!!

Until next time... keep rockin'!!!!

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends...

OK... So, if you're reading this, welcome to my blog. I am new to this, so please bear with me for a little while at least. I will do my best to make this not suck TOO much!! lol I am a musician (drummer & singer), an aspiring songwriter, & a lifelong music lover.

This blog is going to cover a lot of different things... most of which are strictly my opinion. I am fully aware that opinions are like asses... everyone's got one & everyone thinks everyone else's stinks. I will, on as regular a basis as possible, be tossing out recommendations of songs, bands, & albums for you to check out. You may really dig them, you may really think they suck. Feel free to voice your opinion, whether you agree with me or not.

So... my first recommendation is going to be, in keeping with the title of this first blog, is for all of you out there in cyber-land, to check out Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's "Karn Evil Nine, pt. 2". It is a phenomenal track... a great introduction to E,L, & P if you are not familiar with them, & undoubtedly a favorite if you are familiar with this amazingly talented group of musicians.

Well... until next time... keep your ears out for the melody of life, & enjoy it to the fullest.