Girls of Summer

Well I wanted to blog about an Aerosmith song that I liked, so here's a relatively new one that is kind of the pair to Lay it Down, which I blogged about earlier. These songs are a "pair" because they were both songs that were released in Aerosmith's 2002 greatest hits album, O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits that were previously unheard of. Girls of Summer is a classic Aerosmith song, written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, but is a little different because of the help of professional songwriter, Marti Frederiksen, who assisted in writing the song. The song isn't that lyrically deep or great, but the vocal work done to the lyrics are wonderfully smooth and catchy. The song's simply about summer and babes, there's not much deeper you can go. I hope you enjoy this relatively recent Aerosmith song which musical work has me enchanted.

Autumn Almanac

I can't help but have an immense amount of affection for this song! For the nasty and unwelcome English weather that they're singing about, this song has an embellishing upbeat feel to it, it reminds me more of surf rock than British rock, especially the bridge("This is my street, and I'm never going to leave it..."). Well this fascinating and clever little piece was written by Ray Davies, The Kink's vocalist and main songwriter, and was released as a single in 1967. This song is a complete classic and carefree song that is pleasant on the ears, and seems to put me in a sort of nostalgic trance. Now my second-most favourite thing about this song is the little lyrical changes they put in the song to add a little meaning, while keeping the basic lyrical work in the chorus almost untouched, such as the switch from "Autumn almanac" to "poor rheumatic back" for a line, as well as "almanac" to "Armagnac", which is a French brandy, very clever. What I find to be the most passionate thing in this song, for me, at least, is the wonderful rhyming at the beginning of this song, very smooth. Now they speak of trying to get away and avoid the Autumn weather, but I've mostly lived in pleasant weather places, and find myself attracted to Autumn, what with the bountiful beauty and temperate temperature.

All My Loving

So I've been watching YouTube clips of old Beatles videos, and I saw a recent one that showed Paul McCartney watching the footage of The Beatles playing on the Ed Sullivan show for the first time. His expression was just great, full of reminiscence and nostalgia. Now if you haven't seen the footage, watch it. Their performance just sums up the early Beatles experience, the happy-go-lucky and affectionate songs, the girls, the fame. Just watch it, I promise you won't regret it. Well this song was released on With The Beatles,   in 1963, but never got an abundance of popularity, until the song was released as a single in Canada, where it was a number one hit (thank you Canada, for recognizing a classic song). Paul also thought of this song as personal accomplishment, as this was the first song that he'd written the music after the lyrics, which he came up with while shaving. It's obvious what the song is about, and that's what's so wonderful about it, the song is so blatant in its meaning, it's about love! The thing that drives us all! Well I hope you enjoy this song as much as I, so take a listen, to a beautiful song.

King of Pain

Alright, little new wave-ish, but what can you do, this is a beautiful song. This was released as a single, but was on  Synchronicity in 1983. I've been feeling a little down lately, running on empty, so to speak, and this is a tune I like to play during those down times. Now this song was their second most popular single, following, you guessed it, Every Breath You Take, even though I consider this to be a lyrically superior song.  Now Sting is a superb bassist and vocalist, and is one of the few bassist frontmen, but this entire band is mind-blowing, Andy Summers is of my favourite guitarists, and Steward Copeland is a very proficient drummer, though the latter band members don't get to show off their trade that much during this song. This song is not given the symbolic credit that it deserves, every line is chalk-full of fantastic analogies and meaning that takes more than a few listens to get. Now what I think to be the most powerful lyric in this song is
"There's a little black spot on the Sun today,
It's the same old thing as yesterday."
Now this may seem simple enough, but when you look at the Sun, you're purposely damaging yourself, and I think this symbolizes the downward slope of self-destruction that many are faced with and live their lives doing. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do, because it's something fantastic.

Lay it Down

What a surprise! Another ballad.  Have you heard this song? It's exquisitely empathetic, sincerely sagacious   and chalk-full of fantastic rhythm, rhyme, and heartfelt affection. Not really, that's how they want you to imagine it, but they're really just singin' 'bout sex. Many people do not consider this to be "Aerosmith", but it is, just not in a classic sense. I can understand why people might be upset with it, it's not the classic stuff that Aerosmith is known for, but hey, just because this song isn't tragically traditional doesn't mean it's a domestic downfall, I think it's quite pleasing.  Lay it Down was released on O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, in July of 2002, and was one of two songs on the album to be radically raw, along with Girls of Summer. I've never been crazy about Aerosmith, don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, of course, but they've never been my favorite, but I'm lusciously lustful for this song, especially the first verse, just a vindication or vacation from voracious vain.

Foreplay/Long Time

Boston! Though they have many hits, this is by far my favorite, probably due to my vast affection that I have for guitar solos. Foreplay, the instrumental intro, was written about six years prior to the release of Boston's first album in 1976, but was joined at the end with Long Time, the main song. I'm sure most who see this won't listen to the whole seven minutes and forty-five seconds of this song, but if you do, it's worth it. The combination was released on Boston's first album, Boston, and reached twenty-two on the Billboard's top 100 tracks. Tom Scholz wrote it, or rather them, and actually didn't play the guitar solo in Long Time, the guitar work was done by Barry Goudreau, which is surprising, because most of the guitar action on Boston is done by Scholz. The meaning of the song is quite simple, keep on with life after a loved one is no longer in your life.

The Zoo

I thought about doing a post by a different artist, but I just got a new Scorpions album, and I couldn't resist. The Zoo, in my opinion, one of Scorpion's best. Though it never made it far on the charts, this song has depth and is very well written. Written by Rudolph Schenker(guitarist) and Klaus Meine(lead vocalist) , The Zoo was released in Scorpion's 1980 album, Animal Magnetism. Though it was never very popular, The Zoo is one of Scorpion's most acclaimed songs, and contains many appealing factors. The tempo of the song is heavy and ominous, giving it a supernatural and deadly feel. The guitar riffs are of notable factor in this song, being heavy and jagged, but at the same time melodic, catchy, and smooth. A very nice guitar solo in contained within it, being notably appealing to the most sensitive of ears, and powerful enough for the rockers and metalheads. This song is about a date, to put it simply, though it's not an ordinary date. It's a very cynical date, they walk along, and notice the streets around them to be a zoo, filled with wild and savage beasts, intent on demise. Yet the pair walk onward, feeding upon the misery of others. This might be a little dark of an interpretation, but hey, everyone's entitled to their own opinions.

Flying

Stepping back a bit from the classic and hard rock, and returning to a softer, more blues influenced band. Flying was released by Faces in march of 1970 on First Steps, and was their first album since the breakup of  Small Faces, when the vocalist/guitarist left to form Humble Pie. To make up for the loss of him, they replaced him with two members from the Jeff Beck group. First Steps was never really popular and was many times regarded as "too soon", this referring to the recent breakup of their last band. this is a soft song, that in my opinion, sounds very preacher-like, probably due to the organ. I believe this song is about dreams, returning to the place to you once were, seeing yourself do past things, almost phantom-like.

Coast To Coast

Instead of my usual vocal songs, I'm going with instrumental this time. I've recently stumbled across this song after not hearing it for a while, and I must say, it's intoxicating. the delicate smooth sensation is one like no other. It's a jam based song, but it does have the feeling of predetermined factors and ideas. The song starts out with a pair of distorted guitars, and shifts toward the fantastic with the addition of bass, drums, and later, a third guitar which brings the whole thing together. I posted a studio version here because I try and give the original, but I must say, the live versions are fantastic, and have that great messy feel to them. This song is the sixth studio album by Scorpions, Lovedrive, and it was released in 1979. This album marks entrance of the classic Scorpions feel that we know today, and this song in particular, is the feel that they kept going on later in their career.

Behind Blue Eyes

Behind Blue Eyes is a song by the Who, and was released in 1971 as a single, and was the second single in their fifth album,  Who's Next? It was written by Pete Townshed, The Who's guitarist and vocalist, and has been covered many times, by bands such as Bryan Adams and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. This song begins with smooth guitar, and is soon followed by soft vocals. A bass is soon added and drums later, creating the fantastic crescendo, though soft, that could pulverize even the toughest of meats. There is much speculation out there on what this song means, but to me, it's about self-loathing and revulsion. I think he's talking to himself, and telling himself that no one can understand him, and no one ever will.

Simple Man

I've decided to go South with this one, and give you some music from Florida, Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is my favorite song by them, though they do have a number of good ones. This one if from their first album, and assisted in skyrocketing them into popularity. The album was released in 1973, and consisted of a few hits,   Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, Tuesday's Gone and Free Bird, the aftermost of which sent this band into rock and roll history forever, with the album hitting double platinum status by 1988. This song is about wisdom, and advice for the future. It was primarily written by Ronnie Van Zant shortly after his grandmother passed away. The band got together and shared the wisdom that their elders had shared with them in their younger days, and this is what came out, a slow song that crescendos in an amazing way, every chorus being a wave upon the verse, increasing the volume and overall feel to the song.

Desire

Desire is one anthem of a song, speaking to all with its timeless message of wanting to rock, I'm sure most of us have felt that. It was written by Ozzy Osbourne, Zakk Wylde, Randy Castillo, and Lemmy Kilmister, and released on Ozzy's sixth studio album, No More Tears in 1991. The song reaches number seven on the US Billboards Top 100, and ninth in the UK. This song has a heavy feel to it form the drums, but in my opinion, the guitar isn't quite like the usual Zakk, and it seems off from what he usually does. This song doesn't have any hidden meanings within the lyrics, it's straight and to the point. This song is about Ozzy's desire to Rock And Roll!

Head Games

I have a lot of respect for Foreigner, they might not have been one of the best bands out there, but being a vocalist, I bow down Lou Gramm's incredible vocal style and voice. Head Games was released on Foreigner's third studio album, which is under the same name. Head games was released on, believe it or not, September 11, 1979, which I find to be slightly interesting, if anything. This song features Foreigner's classic soft rock style, and a great bass intro if I do say so. This song is about a girl, no surprise, and how she plays head games(real surprise). Clearly it is upsetting the songwriter, and he just wants to know how she feels, and they keep fighting and staying up late talking about their situation. Granted this is not the best Foreigner song, but I chose to do it because of the interesting feel it has to it, and how it effects my mood.

Photograph

I know my last post was regarding a Def Leppard song, but I couldn't help myself. Throughout the day, this song has been playing inside my head, and I could not be happier, for this is one of those songs that I could listen to over and over without getting tired of it. Released in Def Leppard's third album, Pyromania, this song reach number one on the billboard's top tracks. I would love to categorize this song as a power ballad, but it's a little heavy to be one, and the vocals just don't quite match those of a power ballad. However, this song has a similar feel to it, and is one of my top Def Leppard tracks. This song is about someone that you just can't get your hands on, someone in your mind, your heart maybe, but they are not tangible to you, they are built up in your mind, due to you being unable to meet them and realize that they are human too.

No One Like You

This has to be my favorite Scorpions song of all time... The intro itself sends me into a rock n' roll coma, I have a thing for songs that go straight into a solo, but this is just the tops, the combination of the heavy drums and the high end guitar solo is just fantastic, and it really sets the stage for this fantastic song. To those of you who read this and decide not to listen to it, you're making perhaps the largest mistake you've ever made, for this song is a classic, and should not be forgotten. Written by the German metal band, Scorpions, this song was released on their eighth studio album, Blackout. Blackout was released in 1982, and this song reached number one on the US Billboards for rock tracks. This song was originally written in German, but I can't find the original anywhere, and, as a result of the translation, a lot of the song's meaning is lost, which is a little disappointing. But yeah! Great song, please listen.

Panama

This here, now this is quite the song. Written by the entire band, this hurricane of a song was released on Van Halen's "1984" album. This song entails quite a simple subject matter, girls and cars. One car in particular though, David Lee Roth(lead vocalist) saw a care race in Las Vegas, is was called Panama Express, Dave eventually purchased the car and now has the hood and bumper mounted in his hallway. This song features great guitar(which most would come to expect from Eddie), as well as the totally swank sound of Eddie Van Halen revving the engine of his Lamborghini. The guitar has the classic Van Halen style to it, which I really enjoy, and will sometimes make my hair stand up on end, I'm sure many of you experience similar feelings with music that you really enjoy.

Under Pressure

This song was a collaborative work of Queen and David Bowie. I was released in Queen's tenth studio album, Hot Space, in May of 1982. Queen had been working on the song, under the name of Feel Like, but were not content. David Bowie was in the studio, in order to give backing vocals on another song, Cool Cat, which was eventually taken out due to him being unsatisfied with his work. The final song arose from a jam session in Bowie's studio in Montreux, Switzerland. The credit for the bassline was given from Queen's bassist  John Deacon, to have been created by David Bowie, but Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor have credited the bass riff to John Deacon, so there's speculation as to who actually wrote it. This song feature a fantastic bass riff, and just incredible vocals from Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. In composition, this song has a prog rock feel, where it starts slow and quiet, but then crescendo's and erupts into one of Queen's finest. Last thing I have to say, for those of you who thought this was Vanilla Ice, do not even go this URL again.