Last Note of Freedom

Since Thursday, my husband Eric has been obsessed with a particular David Coverdale song called "The Last Note of Freedom." The song is from the movie Days of Thunder. Eric has a bad habit of watching the same old movie over and over again, basically wasting a ton of time. So, this song obsession means he's probably watched Days of Thunder six times this past week.

Anyway, Eric asked me to post the video for "The Last Note of Freedom" so you all could enjoy the song. Personally, I'm not that impressed and I don't really think it sounds like Coverdale. An interesting tidbit is that the song was written by Billy Idol.

That's all I got. Listen to the song and see if you like it more than me.

More Bands Added to ShipRocked Cruise

So, this ShipRocked cruise just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Broken Teeth and Stereoside now join Queensryche, Tesla, Skid Row, Endeverafter, Lynam and StoneRider on the bill with more bands still to come!

In short, ShipRocked is becoming a full-on floating festival.

The cruise departs Fort Lauderdale and ports in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Grand Cayman. The cruise happens aboard the MSC Poesia and runs November 15-20. I think the cheapest cabins are already sold-out, but plenty of other rooms are still available. No, I'm not booked yet. Yes, I am seriously considering this vacation.

Broken Teeth - "Roll Over"

Stereoside - "So Long"

Now, I don't know anything about Stereoside, but I have to admit, I'm digging the above song. Sure, it's got that nu-metal sound...but it's not grating like (shudder) Nickelback. These guys have potential and I'll be investigating them further.

I'm On to You

I really don't like Hair Nation on Sirius but I still listen, eagerly awaiting the return of the Boneyard. Yesterday, Hurricane popped up - finally, a different band! The song? "I'm On to You." I instantly turned up the volume and started tapping my finger on the steering wheel. I have something like 8,000 songs on my iPod (with oodles of space to spare), but I always get caught in the "repeat" trap.

What is the repeat trap? It's when I listen to the same four albums over and over again.

So, hearing Hurricane helped me break out of the "same old, same old." It doesn't hurt the band featured some amazing musicians over the years including Robert Sarzo, Tony Cavazo and Doug Aldrich.

Here's the video for "I'm On to You." What do you think of Hurricane?

Hurricane - I'm On To You

Seven Days Live - The CD

For many, Poison will always be Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall. There was a time, however, when the band went through some public turmoil and C.C. left the band. He was replaced by virtuoso guitarist Richie Kotzen. A strong songwriter, many felt Kotzen was a positive add to the line-up, even if he didn’t exactly fit the Glam mold.

Armoury Records has released Seven Days Live, a rare live recording of the Kotzen era. The show was recorded in London in 1993 during the Native Tongue tour.

Here’s the track listing:

01. Ride The Wind
02. Something To Believe In
03. Stand
04. Fallen Angel
05. Look What The Cat Dragged In
06. Until You Suffer Some (Fire & Ice)
07. Unskinny Bop
08. Talk Dirty To Me
09. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
10. Nothin' But A Good Time

Poison are kings of repackaging the same music over and over. The draw here isn’t the same old songs, rather, it’s Kotzen’s unique ability with a guitar. A lot of times he tries to overplay songs written by DeVille. A big example of this is during “Fallen Angel.” The tempo is a bit too fast, Michaels kind of forgets the words and the song sounds a little muddy because of this.

Poison’s signature song will always be “Look What the Cat Dragged In.” The song sums up the entire Glam era in under three minutes. Here, Kotzen’s guitar work is less frenetic and more true to the original. Thus, he sounds like Poison.

For a live album, there is hardly any crowd noise. You can hear a few screams over the pointless drum solo and during the introduction of “Unskinny Bop” but that’s about it.

Lead singer Bret Michaels swears far more often on this recording than during recent live performances. Perhaps he was trying to be a “bad ass” for the album. Maybe he just grew up. At any rate, his stage banter is basically worthless and the cursing doesn’t add much. Poison is a party band. Not necessarily a group of men you want to take home to mom and dad – but still shouldn’t be ashamed to spin at your best friend’s birthday bash.

Is Seven Days Live good or bad? That depends who you ask. If you’re a die hard Glam fan, you’ll want this record. If you love Poison, you need the disc to complete your collection. If you’re a casual fan of the genre, you probably already own the songs, so buying again would be pointless. Instead, put that CD money toward postage and start a letter writing campaign, begging Poison to write some new material already. Seriously, we all love “Nothin’ But a Good Time” – but how many times do we have to hear it over and over again?!

Is Joan Jett Glam?

Joan Jett was a member of the Runaways in the 1970s. She created a successful solo career in the 80s and enjoyed a string of hit songs with her band the Blackhearts.

But is she Glam?

Let's investigate. The Runaways were not a Glam act - but the six degrees of separation rule pits her close Lita Ford, and she is certainly Glam. Plus, there's no denying the time period that Jett recorded the breakout  "I Love Rock n' Roll." After all, the early 80s was the hotbed of Glam.

Joan set up shop in Los Angeles. Glam.

Joan surrounded herself with men, marking the antithesis of the Runaways. Glam.

Joan played a part in the Broadway production of Rocky Horror Show. Glam.

Joan wore a ton of eye liner in all her classic videos. Glam.

Joan made a bad ass cover of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds." Ballsy.

I think that's probably where the Glam references start and stop.  Joan has a big fan base and  she seems to bring a lot of energy to her shows. I've never seen her perform, but I'm sure it's a good time. Quite a lot of what Joan is about is punk - perhaps that comes from being a woman in a male-dominated business? It could also just be her style.

So, what do you think? Is Joan Jett Glam, Punk or just rock n' roll?

Here's the video for "Dirty Deeds." If you've never heard this cover, you must give it a chance!

Umm...

There are no words. Just listen.

Tuff - "Dear Jani Lane"

Who's The One?

Last night I was driving home from work and Winger's "Who's the One" came on Sirius Hair Nation.

I'd completely forgotten about this wonderful track. In fact, it's possibly Winger's best song (except for "Down Incognito!") I love Kip Winger's voice on "Who's the One." It has a rich tone - and really matches the guitar solos note for note. Plus, the video has a lot of hot shots of the band when they still had really long hair.

If you don't recall, both "Who's the One" and "Down Incognito" are featured on Pull - a wonderful Glam album that got totally lost in the grunge shuffle. I think the album is so great, in fact, I'd put it in the top 10 of all albums released by Glam bands.

Watch the video below...and relive the beauty that is Winger.