Sunday's Best: Week 29, 2022

Another week in the books! It was honestly a long one for me because I spent every day trying to get caught up on work. I was also tired as hell, presumably wiped out from traveling and the like. Beyond getting caught up on office work, house chores and playing extra with sweet Roosevelt, I spent a lot of time indoors just sucking up air conditioning because of the crazy heat. I took a walk yesterday and it was 80% humidity! Last night was pleasant weather and I went out to eat on a patio with Eric and a friend, which was nice.

For our Sunday's Best this week, a rare live video from Warrant. The clip is of Warrant playing live at Gazzarri's on the Sunset Strip at the end of March in 1987. Yes, that's well before their debut album Dirty Rotten Stinking Filthy Rich was released. The clip below gives you a historical look at classic 80s glam as it was coming up - Jani Lane and the rest of Warrant sound rough at times and amazing at others. It's clear that there was a magic with Jani at the helm and the band just needed some time and more practice to get things right.

'A Great Day For Freedom 2022' - Pink Floyd Update Track

Pink Floyd released the track "Hey Hey Rise Up" months ago to support Ukraine after Russia invaded. The b-side of the single is the older track "A Great Day For Freedom." The catch, of course, is that this is a new version of the older song. The version below is known as "A Great Day For Freedom 2022"

In the YouTube notes to the revised version of the song, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour writes: For this limited edition release, David Gilmour revisited The Division Bell track ‘A Great Day For Freedom’, he has reworked the song using the original tapes which feature Nick Mason on drums and Richard Wright on keyboards, along with backing vocals from Sam Brown, Claudia Fontaine and Durga McBroom. The track was composed by Gilmour with lyrics by himself and Polly Samson. Speaking about the song in 1994, Gilmour said, “There was a wonderful moment of optimism when the Berlin wall came down – the release of Eastern Europe from the non-democratic side of the socialist system. But what they have now doesn't seem to be much better. Again, I'm fairly pessimistic about it all. I sort of wish and live in hope, but I tend to think that history moves at a much slower pace than we think it does. I feel that real change takes a long, long time.”

Talking about the inspiration for ‘Hey Hey Rise Up’ Gilmour commented, “Any war, but particularly a war that is started by a world superpower against an independent democratic nation, has got to raise enormous anger and frustration in one. As I said before, I have a small connection there; my daughter-in-law is from Ukraine. And the band Boombox are Ukrainian people that I already knew, not well, but from some time ago. It’s an enormously difficult, frustrating, and anger-making thing that one human being could have the power to go into another independent democratic nation and set about killing the population. It’s just obscene to an extent that is just beyond my belief.”

1/3 Using A Great Day For Freedom as the B-side of the new Pink Floyd single, Hey Hey, Rise Up seemed like an obvious and relevant choice. And David has, for some time, wanted to record a simpler more direct version of the song.

— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) July 22, 2022

2/3 So here it is, with a newly edited video taken from a Pulse rehearsal during Pink Floyd’s two-week run at Earl’s Court, London, in 1994. The recording, using the original drums and bass by Nick and David, has keyboards by Rick and backing vocals by Claudia, Sam and Durga...

— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) July 22, 2022

3/3 ...taken from the Pulse rehearsals. New piano, Prophet 5 synthesiser and Hammond are played by David, as on the original demo.https://t.co/lo3Zv6HzkU

— Pink Floyd (@pinkfloyd) July 22, 2022

Aerosmith Shares Never-Before Seen Concert Footage

As part of the band's 50th anniversary celebration, Aerosmith is sharing never-before-seen concert footage over the next few weeks. The band is dipping into their vaults to share these treasures - and fans can view the shows for free. The release lineup of footage is as follows:

Schedule (all livestreams at 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST):

- July 29: Live From The Summit, Houston, TX, 1977 (Draw The Line Tour)

- August 5: Live From The Capital Centre, Landover, MD, 1989 (Pump Tour)

- August 12: Live From The Coca-Cola Star Lake Amphitheatre, Pittsburgh, PA 1993 (Get A Grip Tour)

- August 19: Live From Comerica Park, Detroit, MI 2003 (Rocksimus Maximus Tour)

- August 26: Live From Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City, 2016 (Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble Tour)

ANNOUNCING: 50 YEARS LIVE! FROM THE AEROSMITH VAULTS - Watch never-before-seen concert footage over five consecutive weeks, starting July 29th. Tune in each week to https://t.co/Gvt1XirvII for a rare and previously-unreleased archival concert film, spanning #Aerosmith50YearsLive pic.twitter.com/pE9HUgKH9c

— Aerosmith (@Aerosmith) July 22, 2022

35 Years Ago Today

It was 35 years ago today that one of the most important rock albums of all time was released. July 21, 1987 saw Guns n' Roses unleash Appetite for Destruction on the world. Since that day, the album has remained a rock favorite and perennial big seller. From vinyl, to cassette, to CD, to digital downloads - most of us have owned several copies of Appetite over the years. Axl Rose sashaying all over the stage in the "Welcome to the Jungle" video was a moment for both the band and MTV. "Sweet Child 'O Mine" cemented the band's fame and "Paradise City" made them instant sports-stadium classics.

In some ways it feels like Guns n' Roses debut was released yesterday. The songs from Appetite have bene played into the ground around the world and yet they still feel fresh and timeless. That's because the album was one of those "lightning in a bottle" moments that happen once in a lifetime. I was so young when the album was first released that I didn't get to grasp the full importance of the band or the work. By the time the Use Your Illusion albums hit stores, I got it quite well. I was a full-on MTV addict by that point and everyone understood how important GnR was to MTV. These memories never get old.

35 years ago today, Guns N' Roses released their legendary debut, “Appetite For Destruction.” Click below to read the full story behind each track, in the words of Axl, Slash, Izzy, and Duff.https://t.co/URLuBJEW6z

— uDiscover Music (@uDiscoverMusic) July 21, 2022

Appetite For Destruction is 35 🔥 What's your favorite track off the album?https://t.co/8EgO4BsDoN pic.twitter.com/IIdrXUoFSY

— Guns N' Roses (@gunsnroses) July 21, 2022

Stryper, 'See No Evil, Hear No Evil' -- New Track

There's new Stryper music today! The band just released the song "See No Evil, Hear No Evil." The song will be on the band's upcoming new album. I really like the beginning especially. The guitars even sound a little sludgy, so there's a definite heavy sound here. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is classic 80s all the way and the chorus is catchy too.

Honestly, I like this song better than the new Skid Row track I shared yesterday. The new Stryper album is due sometime this year.

New song premiering at: https://t.co/L4hJW0QPJC pic.twitter.com/ar3rTA3gJU

— Stryper (@Stryper) July 20, 2022

'Tear It Down' - Skid Row

I'm catching up on... everything and I see that Skid Row released a new song while I was at sea. "Tear It Down" is one hell of a catchy tune! The song will be on the upcoming album The Gang's All Here. I think "Tear It Down" is the best Skid Row song in about 20 years. New vocalist Erik Gronwall sounds amazing. All that said, the video clip itself is pretty bad but what matters is the music.

I can't get the chorus out of my head! I wish Skid Row much success with this new effort.

Monday After Vacation

It's Monday after vacation for me and I have to admit, I feel completely out of whack. My work inbox is nuts and I don't have any idea what is going on with the music world or much news in general, really. Eric and I had a great cruise. I highly recommend Virgin Voyages if cruising is your thing. The line is all adults - and everything from the food, to the entertainment to the shopping is geared toward mature folks who like to have fun. Music plays everywhere - nonstop - on Virgin which makes sense because Richard Branson started his Virgin empire with a record label.

I did see where Bret Michaels will be inducted into the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall of Fame. I had never heard of the institution before, but good for him. He will accept the individual honor personally in the fall and do a concert, too.

Meanwhile, I missed my own black (tuxie) metal kitty so much while on vacation. I really think my Roosevelt would make a great mascot for an emerging metal band.

We couldn't help ourselves. pic.twitter.com/9C31Qj2i3Z

— Black Metal Cats (@evilbmcats) June 14, 2022