So this is interesting: Miljenko Matijević, the Steelheart frontman, has a new project. It's called
Vox Eternal and it is all dark electronic dance music. I like metal-infused EDM, so this is really intriguing to me. Also cool is that Matijević will be turning some Steelheart classics into EDM tracks. The music we love keeps evolving!
This is exciting! A documentary about the glam metal heyday of the 80s is coming to Paramount+ on July 18. It's called I Wanna Rock: The ‘80s Metal Dream.
The documentary is in three parts and will feature members of Skid Row, Winger, Twisted Sister, Vixen and The Scream (yes, John Corabi!)
I'm down for this and I can't wait. Watch the trailer below!
Now, Allyson, you might be asking “Why are you mentioning a country song on BBG! – especially when you despise the genre?”
The answer, young grasshoppers, is that I was intrigued because of a past life.
“My Maria” was a big hit for Brooks & Dunn back in 1996. I know this because I grew up in farm country and people at my high school were always playing Brooks & Dunn. I was in tenth grade at this time. (You might recall Brooks & Dunn won a 1997Grammyfor their version too).
Fast forward to the year 2000. I was in college and doing a broadcast internship at the local radio station. I went to college in a small town – also in the “holler” – and the broadcast format was (and still is) country. I write all this to say that I heard “My Maria” constantly.
Like, the song was many years old by the time I was on the microphone and it was still in regular rotation in the Audio VAULT system.
Fast forward to today. You know, 23 years later. I decided to work in-office today, so I’m driving down the highway and flipping channels on my satellite radio. 70s on 7 is playing “My Maria.” I was confused and glanced down to see the track was really by B.W. Stevenson. The song was a single in August of 1973 – and was a top 10 hit then, too. The guitar portion features my beloved Larry Carlton even! You might recall Larry recorded some of the best guitar solos for Steely Dan. Remember – I’ve said before I think his work on “Don’t Take Me Alive” is among the best rock guitar solos ever!
After I googled “My Maria” and learned the roots of the song, I had to look the song up on Amazon Music and listen more closely to the guitars. I do prefer Larry Carlton’s noodling (shocker) – but the Brooks & Dunn version is pretty true to the original.
Now I want to hear a metalcore version of this song – and no, I’m not kidding. There could be a great breakdown in the middle of the song at around the 2 minute mark. I’m always amazed at how artists can approach cover songs – either completely rip them apart and make them unique or stay true to the original as a nod of respect. I’m just saying, I think Upon This Dawning should reform and do a cover. I mean, look what they did with this pop hit:
I'm pretty pumped for this: both Sammy Hagar and Def Leppard will finally get stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The news came from the Hollywood Walk officials yesterday during a livestreamed event. The video below of Sammy getting the news is pretty sweet.
I have to be honest: I thought both Hagar and the Leps already had their stars, so this honor is beyond overdue.
The ceremonies for both star unveilings have not been scheduled/announced yet.
It's time for another Conquer Divide drum playthrough. I love watching these clips - and you might recall I shared Sam's (Samantha Landa) playthrough for the band's song "Atonement" a few months back. Well, her work on "welcome2paradise" is just as epic. She's a badass! In another life, I'll learn to play just like her.
I am having so much fun going through the new Def Leppard book. It's called Definitely: The Official Story of Def Leppard and it is a mix of coffee table and true story telling. There's interviews with everyone important to the Leps orbit and so many cool photos and early press clippings. I've already Googled some places mentioned about the band's early history in Sheffield, U.K.
It's really interesting to note that Joe Elliott hates being lumped in with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and also "hair metal." He says the band is neither. To him, Def Leppard has always been Queen meets AC/DC. I guess I can see that.
I'm going back to reading (and icing my elbow!) now. Happy Sunday!
Holy cow. Give yourself a few minutes of downtime and read the article about guitarist Mick Mars from Rolling Stone. It's an exclusive and it is long form - there's lot of information here. Of course a major part of the article is about Mick suing the rest of Motley Crue. He also talks about wishing he was more assertive way back when Motley began. We also finally have a name for his long-awaited solo album. It will be called Another Side of Mars. Then there's discussions about death and how many years Mick thinks he has left on earth. Want a taste of the interview? Here's one of the best quotes (about Motley Crue):
“When they wanted to get high and fuck everything up, I covered for them,” Mars fumes. “Now they’re trying to take my legacy away, my part of Mötley Crüe, my ownership of the name, the brand. How can you fire Mr. Heinz from Heinz ketchup? He owns it. Frank Sinatra’s or Jimi Hendrix’s legacy goes on forever, and their heirs continue to profit from it. They’re trying to take that away from me. I’m not going to let them.”
Read it all through the link below. #TeamMickAlways
Friday, June 30, 2023 at 02:14PM 
