Legendary Guitar Solos

Here’s a great Amazon playlist I stumbled on by accident. It is called Legendary Guitar Solos and there is some great stuff here!

One of my very favorite songs ever, “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine makes the cut. So does Jimi Hendrix’s version of the “Star Spangled Banner.” Alice In Chains “Man In Box” is here and so is Ozzy’s “Crazy Train.” Ted Nugent’s best song “Stranglehold” makes the cut as does “November Rain” by Guns n’ Roses, but I would argue the solo in “Estranged” is much stronger (it is also Slash’s favorite!)

Try Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial

There’s some more obscure stuff too like “Made Up Mind” from Tedeschi Trucks Band and “Search and Destroy” from Iggy & The Stooges.

Of course, every playlist can’t be perfect. I would not include “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana here. I’d probably drop “Reba” by Phish too but that’s just because I don’t like that band very much.

Then there’s those underrated songs I feel like everyone loves but no one thinks of much like Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen.”

Rounding out the end of the playlist is Buffalo Springfield’s masterpiece “For What It’s Worth” – definitely in the top 5 protest songs of all time.  

Steven Tyler + The Backstreet Boys

I've seen the Backstreet Boys Las Vegas residency and it was awesome, so come at me. Apparently Steven Tyler is a fan too. Or at least his girlfriend loves Backstreet. He took his girlfriend Aimee Ann Preston to see the boy band and ended up on stage himself. Preston is 31 years old. So that's some rock n' roll right there.

HEY I THOUGHT I WAS ONLY DOING 3 SHOWS A WEEK IN VEGAS 😀 TOOK THIS ONE TO SEE THE @backstreetboys CONCERT MY WAY! 😍 pic.twitter.com/cXi5AoZOV9

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) April 20, 2019

BACKSTREET’S BACK((STAGE)) AT #DEUCESAREWILD ALRIGHT!!! @backstreetboys I’LL BE THE ONE ((ROCKING MY BODY)) IN THE FRONT WITH MY LADY AT YOUR SHOW TONIGHT! 📷@KatBenzova pic.twitter.com/eFajlwyc6W

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) April 20, 2019

Happy Easter 2019

Happy Easter! I hope you enjoy some great chocolate eggs today.

Duff McKagan is out with some new solo music. He has an album coming out called Tenderness. The new song he's sharing today is called "Don't Look Behind You." The entire album is out May 30. 

Pre-order Tenderness [Explicit]

Oh Boy

This is something right here. Just wow. #Delusional

MICHAEL SWEET 'Guarantees' He Could Help VAN HALEN Make Best Album Since 'Women And Children First' https://t.co/HXVtjhrelT pic.twitter.com/2Qgf2r3pfZ

— BLABBERMOUTH.NET (@BLABBERMOUTHNET) April 19, 2019

I'm Going To See Kings of Chaos!

The Kings of Chaos are coming to Fraze Pavilion which is a small outdoor venue near my house this summer. I stumbled upon this concert announcement by accident because I was on Sebastian Bach's Facebook page and I saw the show linked. Tickets go on sale tomorrow and I am pretty pumped! If you are in southern Ohio, you might be interested to know that up close seats are $75.

100 Greatest 60s Rock Songs

Another day, another Amazon playlist.

I was in the mood for something a little older, so I went for “100 Greatest 60s Rock Songs.”

This is my old stomping grounds.

I cut my teeth on sixties rock. My mom loved her music growing up, so we had lots of 45s and cassettes of many of the most famous songs from the summer of love.

I have to say, the 100 Greatest ’60s Rock Songs playlist is excellent. It includes some of the best music ever recorded. Many of the folks on the playlist are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame too.

Try Amazon Music Unlimited Free Trial

Some of my favorite songs on the playlist include “House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals, “My Generation” from The Who and “Good Times Bad Times” from Led Zeppelin. One of my favorite songs of all time, “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and the Pappas is here as is the hit “Sunshine of You Love” by Cream. Another absolute favorite of mine is “Time of the Season” by the Zombies. The first time I heard that song, I was probably 12 or so. I went wild for it. I still do.

The best song the Rolling Stones ever recorded, “Paint It Black” is here. So is “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple and The Beach Boys masterpiece “God Only Knows,” which is perhaps the most significant pop song ever recorded, save for maybe “Imagine” by John Lennon.

But what about the Beatles you say? Don’t worry, there’s heaps of the Fab Four on this playlist, including tracks from A Hard Day’s Night (which was my first Beatles CD), “She Loves You, “Hey Jude” and more. Enjoy.

The Best of Van Halen

There I was at work, typing away and I thought I should listen to a little Van Halen. I couldn’t really pick which album so I just opened the Van Halen playlist on Amazon Music.

I clicked around, choosing the songs I wanted to hear.

When I got to “Right now” I stopped and chuckled to myself a little. You know in the video, where the guys are all looking at a map of the world on the ground and the words on the screen say something like “Right now Van Halen is planning a world tour”- well, when you watch that clip now, you know that isn’t happening.

Shoot there have been reunion rumors for months flying around the Internet. I don’t believe any of them.

Working my way down the playlist, I listened to “Humans Being” and I realized that it isn’t a very good song.

Some of my old favorites remain: “Top Of the World,” “Love Walks In,” “Poundcake” and of course “Runnin’ With the Devil.”

I feel sorry for people who say Van Halen is their favorite band. They’ve been such a mess for so long – periods of dead silence. Rumors. Infighting and outfighting. But all that great music in a back catalog does help. It’s just such a shame none of the members – any of the singers! – can get it together.

The last time the official Van Halen Twitter account sent a sweet was at Christmas for a “happy holidays” message. The year before was the same. Oh and the year before that? Same. So in 2016 there were two tweets. During 2017, one tweet. Last year, just the one tweet. I fully expect to get a “happy holidays” tweet from Van Halen in 2019 as well… and nothing else but a lump of coal.

You think the Van Halen brothers ever listen to “Right Now” these days and think, “Hey, we really should plan that world tour?”

Nah.