Not So Heavy Rotation
Since the blogging is slowing down due to some campaign-related workload, I think it’s an opportune moment for a navel-gazing look at my MP3 playlist. For one, it’s a better change of pace to go from campaign work to “anything but politics” than it is to riff off of the news of the weird. Besides, its never short of amusing to revisit these things a year or two later to see what on earth I was listening to. For you normals out there, fear not … there’s not an abundance of Stryper, Krokus, or Yngwie Malmsteen on here.
With that, here’s what’s spinning in my phone …
1. I Do (Paul Gilbert)
I believe this is a Japanese bonus track off of Gilbert’s first solo album. So I never had the chance to listen to this 1000 times in a row back when I picked up the CD (that’s what we called MP3s back then, kids). Considering how much I enjoyed where Gilbert was artistically back in this period, I’m playing the heck out of this one for good reason. The guy seemed to have left Mr. Big with a terrific understanding of pop sensibility and how to combine it with having a load of fun on guitar. Here’s the video to prove it in this case.
2. Do You Love Me (Paul Stanley)
I never got into the original recorded version of this tune for one simple reason: I had only two KISS albums as a child: Alive and Alive II. That was my most devious plot to trick my parents who agreed to buy me two albums for a birthday present. This song didn’t make the cut of Alive II. I probably heard it while playing a friend’s copy of Destroyer from time to time. But the song really never took until the Unplugged Reunion. As far as a full-bore electric version of the tune, I have to confess that the Starman’s solo, live rendition is pretty solid.
3. Michelle Don’t Live Here No More (Last Autumn’s Dream)
Why Mikael Erlandsson isn’t widely known outside of Europe is a mystery to me. This is off of a relatively recent release of one of his projects. If you’re a fan of anything remotely AOR or melodic rock, check it out. If you like what you here, there’s also some solo material that he’s done, as well as another band project called Salute … which is harder to find outside of the export market.
4. Hands Tied (Scandal)
Hard for me to believe this was on the same album (that’s what we called CDs back then, kids) as “The Warrior.” But the love affair with this song is borne of my need to listen ahead to the next artist I plan on covering before I record the one I’m working on now. Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” will get a few tracks tonight. A certain, obvious Scandal tune is planned after that. Here’s hoping I mess up neither of them.
5. The World We Live In (MacAlpine)
This is just me, digging up some obscure 90s AOR metal that I’ve not listened to in ages. MacAlpine refers to erstwhile shred guitar player, Tony MacAlpine, spending some bucks trying to join in on the supergroup phenomenon that gave us Mr. Big, Damn Yankees, Bad English, and to a lesser extent: House of Lords. I think its a shame that Tony Mac never made it with this project beyond the first release (that’s what we called it when you could buy either a CD, album or cassette, kids). The band came through Houston on tour. I remember thinking MacAlpine was a bit sloppier than the other shred guys I caught back then (for the record, Vinnie Moore was spot on with his material). Oh, and the singer made me shout out the chorus to a cover of Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up” because I wasn’t there to give a rat’s behind about the singer. I don’t remember the moment really being the hit of the show.
6. Sing Over Me (Jonathan Salas)
Unknown kid out of the Katy area that opened for Stryper the last time they played the House of Blues. He deserves to be bigger than he is. He’s still a kid, so there’s this thing called twitter that he uses more than anything else. You’d be treating yourself right if you picked up his CDs.
7. Loved By You (Lincoln Brewster)
My weekly routine, when done properly, usually involves switching over to some churchy tunes on Friday to get amped up for Saturday and otherwise not merely rush through my Friday like a workaholic of some sort. Brewster’s about as good as they get for an easy-going, centering sorta song. There’s certainly other material of his that shows off the guitar a bit more. For whatever reason, though, I usually like his slower stuff. The irony is that my palate is in so much need of a change of pace when I leave church on Saturdays that I go straight to heavy metal afterwards.
8. Song of the Saints (Page CXVI)
An unfortunately little-known band that a few hipster types are tuned into. They make their way to my church every so often and they’re usually a welcome treat. What they do with classic hymns is pretty amazing. This is easily my favorite tune of theirs, but there’s a tighter bundle of tunes vying for second place. One of the other things I love about them is that they sell instrumental backing tracks for all of their releases. The music is a bit out of my own stylistic preference, but I’m still holding out hope to do something with my guitar over the backing track of this one.
9. Justice Will Roll Down (Sandra McCracken)
McCracken is the wife of one of my faves: Derek Webb. I’ve tried to get into her tunes a number of times, to no avail. Then she came out with a “reworked hymns” project that included this and a few others that I fell in love with. The band at church has put this into the worship setlist a few weeks in a row, which helps remind me to re-insert this into heavy rotation.
10. Shadows of the Night (Pat Benatar)
And this is me, fading out of my Benatar phase. If tonight’s recording session goes halfway well (which, for me, translates to “incredibly well”), I think its time to focus on playing some Scandal and then get into the more guitar-heavy tunes I’ve planned to cover. That aside, Neil Giraldo has never gotten his due as one of the best guitar players of the 80s. I’m convinced that part of the reason for taking so long to record “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is because I really wanted to spend some time learning a few elements of Giraldo’s style that occur outside of that song.
So that’s what’s on my earbuds this past week. If there’s anything similar to this sorta material that you think might be new to me, feel free to let me know.