Recently, I got reminded that in one of the cities of my country (which happens to be the “hard rock capital” of Bulgaria), there’s a statue of one of the biggest rockstars in the world – Ronnie James Dio. I’ve never been there to see it – I guess it’s just too far away from my hometown. Such a shame, right? I should go and take a picture…Anyhow, I found out more about the statue and I saw some pretty nice fan pictures of it and it really made me think about it. As a result, I came up with this idea of finding other statues that honor legendary rock musicians all over the world. I thought it might be interesting for my readers to see some pictures and places where fans gather, leave flowers and show their respect to great rock musicians who are not among us any more, unfortunately. Listening to their music and remembering their contributions and achievements is one of the ways to honor a favorite rockstar. However, sometimes this might not be enough. Therefore, many cities around the world choose to dedicate a special work of art (usually a statue of the person) to a rock legend. This way, his/her spirit will always remain alive among the people and the devoted fans. This is all good – I really think that this is a great way to show respect and appreciation. However, what I don’t get is why in most of the cases we need to wait for the artist to die, so that we can have his/her statue in a city somewhere around the world… I thought about it and I believe many rock musicians should’ve been honored much sooner – like for example, while they were still alive and doing amazing things… I guess it’s true that people don’t really cherish what they have till they lose it.
Anyhow, I did a little digging and I found some nice pictures to show you, guys. I hope you will enjoy the following publication – it’s rather informative and visual, instead of musical but I thought it’s a nice way to show respect and integrity towards those incredible figures… So here we go!
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1. Statue of Ronnie James Dio in Kavarna, Bulgaria
P.S. I do not own any photos in this publication. All the credit goes to the photographers and uploaders of the pictures. Unfortunately, I was not able to find the names of the photographers who took some of those pictures, so instead I gave the name to the website on which I was able to find the photos. For any credit missed, please contact me. I apologize in advance.
I dedicate the following publication to a special someone…
Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love Vinyl Sleeve (credits to the owner of the photo)
These past few months I’ve been listening to Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” so many times – I don’t really know why, how and when it became one of those songs you call “yours” and that you just have to play every day! I’ve known this song since I was in middle school but I never really paid much attention to it. I adore LZ but this song was definitely not one of my all-time favorites – maybe I was too young to appreciate it and get it. Years later, things changed and now I think it is one of my most favorite LZ songs. Not to mention that there’s a personal reason behind it, which I’m not going to reveal, of course. Anyhow, I decided to dedicate this publication to “Whole Lotta Love” and try to give some more insight about it, as well as to simply remind everyone of this classic masterpiece by the greatest of them all – Led Zeppelin.
I’m going to start with the basics. This song was released back in 1969 and it is the lead single from LZ’s second album. It quickly became a major hit and topped the charts in the USA, Germany and many other European countries. Also, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it 75 on their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It was indeed a huge phenomenon and we can understand why – I mean just listen to this inhumane slide guitar…
Moreover, the song was produced by non-other than Mr. Jimmy Page (of course). How come these people just come up with riffs like this one – saying that he is a genius does not even begin to cover it… I was able to find an interview with him from The Wall Street Journal, talking about the song and the memorable riff:
“I came up with the guitar riff for “Whole Lotta Love” in the summer of ’68, on my houseboat along the Thames in Pangbourne, England. I suppose my early love for big intros by rockabilly guitarists was an inspiration, but as soon as I developed the riff, I knew it was strong enough to drive the entire song, not just open it. When I played the riff for the band in my living room several weeks later during rehearsals for our first album, the excitement was immediate and collective. We felt the riff was addictive, like a forbidden thing.”
I’m not sure I can find the right words to properly describe the guitar riffs and the brilliance of this song because when it comes to legends like Jimmy Page it is indeed very difficult. He was the brain behind the production and the recording of the song which clearly shows his abilities to construct brick by brick a true work of art. The famous riff itself is very monstrous and it builds up some sort of energy and excitement inside of you which just wants to go out. Also, with this song it’s all about the intro…I’ve said it before – a rock song needs to have a mighty and compelling intro. “Whole Lotta Love” is the perfect example of how a strong and mind-blowing rock song intro should sound like.
In addition to Jimmy Page’s excellence, the vocal delivery of Robert Plant is another reason why this song has such a strong influence on me. This song is one of the perfect examples of how expressive, capable and “heavy” his voice is. Also, he sings quite suggestively and evocatively which also contributes to the whole “experience”.
“Robert’s vocal was just as extreme. He kept gaining confidence during the session and gave it everything he had. His vocals, like my solos, were about performance. He was pushing to see what he could get out of his voice. We were performing for each other, almost competitively.” (The Wall Street Journal)
In terms of lyrics, the song is quite easy to remember and sing with. The chorus are repeated and the verses include just a few lines. I should mention that there was a dispute going on concerning the words of “Whole Lotta Love” – the lyrics turned out to be quite similar with lyrics written by Willie Dixon for another song, recorded by Muddy Waters. Eventually, after a few lawsuits, Willie Dixon got the co-credit that, in my opinion, just had to be given a lot earlier. Overall, I truly enjoy the lyrics – nothing so deep, nothing so unreasonable and just simply talking about how we need love…
You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’, I’m gonna send you back to schoolin’, Way down inside honey, you need it, I’m gonna give you my love, I’m gonna give you my love.
Wanna Whole Lotta Love (X4)
You’ve been learnin’, baby, I’ve been yearnin’, All them good times, baby, baby, I’ve been yearnin’, Way, way down inside honey, you need it, I’m gonna give you my love… I’m gonna give you my love.
(Chorus)
You’ve been coolin’, baby, I’ve been droolin’, All the good times I’ve been misusin’, Way, way down inside, I’m gonna give you my love, I’m gonna give you every inch of my love, Gonna give you my love.
(Chorus)
Way down inside… woman… You need… love. Shake for me, girl. I wanna be your backdoor man. Keep it coolin’, baby.
It’s an awesome song – no other opinion about it. It’s one of LZ’s early works, so it does mean a lot nowadays – it was a beginning of an era and proved that Led Zeppelin were a true rockstars. I hope I reminded some of you about this song and now you will play it and hopefully enjoy it as much as I do. I’m not a huge fan of the “futuristic”, “trippy”, “lusty” and yes – crazy middle part of the song in which Robert makes those weird sounds and John Bonham accompanies him with his drums BUT – that’s probably its biggest charm. I’m so gonna play it right now… I hope I can click the “stop” button because with this song it’s somehow quite difficult to do it… Cheers
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Credits:
1. “Jimmy Page Describes the Creation of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, retrieved from http://www.openculture.com
It’s Saturday and it’s time for my weekly scheduled publication dedicated to a particular song. Once again, I would like to say that the choice is primarily based on my personal preferences and decisions. I was wondering which song to talk about today and suddenly the playlist on my phone decided to play this one so I thought it would be nice to tell you something about this iconic song by Peter Gabriel. Actually, it also happens to me one of my favorite songs of the 80, even though I’m not such a huge fan of Peter Gabriel. Don’t get me wrong, he is indeed one of the greatest “blue-eyed” soul singers, along with others such as Phil Collins, Steve Winwood and Robert Palmer. However, to me Peter Gabriel was always too eccentric and a little bit weird, wild and careless. I mean, we all remember those grotesque Genesis live performances in which he was dressed as a frog and a flower… He is though one of the most iconic figures of the 80s and I give him all the credit for that. He is not only famous for his distinctive vocal delivery, but he was also an activist and also made a protest song for Steve Biko – a noted black South African anti-apartheid activist who died in a prison.
Now let’s talk a little bit more about the song (somehow I always get carried away for which I’m sorry…). “Sledgehammer” was written, produced, composed, performed and pretty much all done by Peter Gabriel himself. The song was released back in 1986 from one of his most famous albums – “So”. It quickly became a huge hit – it topped Billboard Hot 100 in the USA, became #1 in Canada, #4 in UK, etc. Everyone simply fell in love with this catchy upbeat song with such distinctive and unique lyrics. Peter Gabriel’s music has always been influenced by 1960s soul musicians and we can also clearly see it in “Sledgehammer”. In particular, in this song, we can see the influence of Memphis label – Stax Records. Furthermore, the song has numerous distinctive elements, including a horn section and a synthesizer flute with which the song begins. I have to say the flute at the beginning is probably the most memorable part of the song! The reason why I love this song so much is because it has very interesting lyrics – I’m not saying they have special quality, I’m saying to me they are funny and catchy. Also, I love the drums, bass and sax in the song – the whole composition is just perfect! In term of genre, I would say most certainly a mixture between classical “blue-eyed” soul and commercial rock. However I think it has a lot of elements of funk music – The incredibly well-crafted mixture of genres is what made this song so legendary…
The music video is also one of the greatest music videos of all time – that’s just my personal opinion. Maybe now to many of you guys it may seem like nothing, however back in the days the MV was revolutionary! Say whatever you wish to say but facts are facts – up to date, the music video of “Sledgehammer” is the MOST PLAYED music video in the history of MTV!!! This speaks volumes! In addition, Peter Gabriel won the impressive nine MTV awards at the 1987 MTV Music Video Awards – the most awards a music video has ever won. He also got best British video award during 1987 Brit Awards. He also got nominated for Grammys – record of the year, song of the year and best vocal performance. Unbelievable, right…? The song and its music video were just making history and everyone loved it! The music video includes “claymation, pixilation, and stop motion animation that gave life to images in the song” done by Aardman Animations and Brothers Quay. The whole thing looks extremely unique and I can’t believe back in the 80s people could make things like that…revolutionary! There’s of course an irony in all this… Peter Gabriel absolutely hated the idea of music videos. To him, the emergence of MTV and the trend to produce music videos for every song was meaningless and was declining the value of the artist. I guess he also thought that “video killed the radio star”. Finally after so many years of pulling away and resisting the new trend and demand, he decided to produce a music video – and what a video that was. I guess he just said to himself – if I have to do it, I may as well just make something people have never seen before…and he did!
With no further due – enjoy the song and the memorable music video!
Velina
xoxox
Single / Album Cover
Music Video
Lyrics
You could have a steam train If you’d just lay down your tracks You could have an aeroplane flying If you bring your blue sky back
All you do is call me I’ll be anything you need
You could have a big dipper Going up and down, all around the bends You could have a bumper car, bumping This amusement never ends
I want to be your sledgehammer Why don’t you call my name Oh let me be your sledgehammer This will be my testimony Show me round your fruit cakes ‘Cause I will be your honey bee Open up your fruit cakes Where the fruit is as sweet as can be
I want to be your sledgehammer Why don’t you call my name You’d better call the sledgehammer Put your mind at rest I’m going to be-the sledgehammer This can be my testimony I’m your sledgehammer Let there be no doubt about it
Sledge sledge sledgehammer
I kicked the habit (I kicked the habit) Shed my skin (Shed my skin) This is the new stuff (This is the new stuff) I go dancing in, (We could go dancing in) Oh won’t you show for me (Show for me) I will show for you (Show for you) Show for me (Show for me), I will show for you
Yea, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do mean you Only you, you’ve been coming through Going to build that power Build, build up that power, hey I’ve been feeding the rhythm I’ve been feeding the rhythm Going to feel that power, build in you
Come on, come on, help me do Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you I’ve been feeding the rhythm I’ve been feeding the rhythm It’s what we’re doing, doing All day and night, come on and help me do, come on and help me do
Ok – this would be just a brief informative post containing pictures and songs. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to talk about the artists, even though I want to say so much! Especially since they are finally adding the great DEEP PURPLE – an acknowledgement that should’ve come a long time ago! Also, not to mention the anticipated induction of Chicago! I want to say a thing or two about the other inductees as well – i don’t entirely agree with the selection…When I get a little bit of free time I would write a detailed post dedicated to those great artists! For now, let’s just enjoy their most famous songs ~
The inductees:
Cheap Trick Chicago Deep Purple Steve Miller N.W.A
Christmas is coming soon, so it was only natural do dedicate a publication to some of the most classic Christmas rock songs. I love Christmas and I’m sure pretty much everyone else in this world does –but what is Christmas without music? The spirit of the holidays is perfectly captured in the following songs I would present to you. In terms of lyrics, vocal and instrumental deliveries I have chosen five songs that I believe are the best Christmas rock songs! Of course, this is just my personal opinion and I don’t want to make any claims, however those five songs are going to be played on my Christmas days for sure! Also, I would like to say that in my opinion, the bands nowadays are not really investing much of their time or resources into creating memorable Christmas songs. I honestly wish I could include some new and more recent Christmas songs, however somehow I can’t think of any – they are just too forgettable and meaningless compared to the classic songs from 30-40 years ago. So once again, I will dive into the past to dig up some of those great and memorable Christmas songs and I hope you’d enjoy them as much as I do. With no further due, here they are…
Eagles – Please Come Home For Christmas
This is probably one of the most famous Christmas classic songs ever! It was first released back in 1960 by American blues singer Charles Brown. Then, later in 1978, Eagles covered and released the song during the holiday season. The song has very beautiful lyrics which of course are related with Christmas, Christmas traditions and spending the season with the people you love. I should say that I respect and admire Charles Brown with all my heart but I decided to include Eagles’ cover instead simply because the first time I heard this song was their version so it somehow connects more with me. The song was also covered by Bon Jovi and included in his Christmas album in 1992. However, I prefer the Eagles version – it somehow creates a much warmer and cozy atmosphere – you just want to grab a cup of hot choco and sit down next to the fireplace with the song on the background. But this is Christmas, Christmas my dear The time of year to be with the ones you love So won’t you tell me you’ll never more roam Christmas and New Year’s will find you home
Queen – Thank God It’s Christmas
Then we have this brilliant song by Queen… It’s no cover this time – the song was written by lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor. It was released back in 1984. The song has no official music video and that’s probably one of the reasons why not so many people are familiar with this Christmas classic rock song. However, to me it is one of the best ever! Freddie’s voice fits just perfectly! What I mostly adore about this song (besides the brilliant vocals of Freddie) are the lyrics. To me they create the perfect atmosphere and are so easy to sing with… There’s some kind of sadness however, at least to me… But still I have to say it is one of my most favorite songs about Christmas… The moon and stars seem awful cold and bright Let’s hope the snow will make this Christmas right My friend the world will share this special night Because it’s Christmas Yes it’s Christmas Thank God it’s Christmas For one night
George Thorogood – Rock And Roll Christmas
We have another oldie – this song was released back in 1981 – can you imagine? I’m including it in my list because it is just so uplifting and so spirited. Of course, I don’t think people nowadays would enjoy listening to such music during their Christmas celebrations. The song itself carries the spirit of a long-gone time. It’s very blues and piano oriented song and I love it. It’s a song to dance to and even do the twist to! It heavily reminds me of the 60s and the Chuck Berry/Elvis sound that’s actually the whole idea of the song. Just enjoy the funny video and have a rock and roll Christmas! Let’s have a rock and roll Christmas, Just like we used to know Yeah, a rock and roll Christmas, And I’ll meet you by the mistletoe We’ll rock around the tree, Go Santa, go, go, go I want a Chuck Berry record, and a picture of Elvis too A pair of ice skates for my baby, Peggy Sue Yeah, and a phonograph player so I can rock and roll with you
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Christmas Time Again
I love love love this Christmas song. It was released back in 2000 which make it the newest favorite Christmas rock song on the list. I wasn’t sure whether I should include it or not since I’m talking about classics here, but it was released 15 years ago so i decided that it’s perfectly fine…In addition to the song title, Christmas Time Again is also the name of the seventh studio album of Lynyrd Skynyrd which was released during the holiday season. I want to include each and every Christmas song from the album; however I will go with just this one for now. I deeply recommend you guys listen to the entire album because it is that good! It is to me one of the most well-crafted Christmas albums ever! The vocals are beyond perfect and the atmosphere that the song creates is so sweet and loving! The lyrics are also brilliant! Well, its in your eyes and in your smile it shows
That this very special time of year
It seems to set your heart a glow
Oh, sing it with me, baby
Oh, its Christmas, you know its Christmas
And its our favorite time of year
Bells will be ringin, our hearts are singin
Well, Im glad its Christmas time once again
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – Little Drummer boy
The song comes from Joan Jett’s second studio album titled I love Rock ‘n’ Roll. The album was released right before the holiday season so I guess the album had to have a Christmas song! After the holidays however, “Little Drummer Boy” which was also the last song of the album, was replaced by a new one. We all know the famous song – it is a very popular and classic Christmas carols which was written back in 1940s by Katherine Kennicott Davis . The cover of Joan Jett however is most certainly very different, unique and it had that special rough rock ‘n’ roll vibe that made it so popular! I love her voice and I think she did such a good job with her own version of the song! I love the back vocals and the guitar riffs as well. The pa rum, pum, pum, pum part is so catchy!! I have no gift to bring Pa rum, pum, pum, pum
That’s fit to give a king
Pa rum, pum, pum, pum
Rum, pum, pum, pum
Rum, pum, pum, pum
Shall I play for you
Pa rum, pum, pum, pum
On my drum?
So, this is it for now – a small part of my most favorite Christmas rock songs! Some of them are covers of other famous Christmas carols but I included the versions I like the most! I’m planning on making a publication about newer artists and their contribution to the Christmas song fever! Stay tuned for more! Happy Holidays!
Due to busy schedule unfortunately the blog had to be left without a daily publication for a few days. For that I am sorry and I would definitely try my best to post things regularly from now on! The first few posts were a bit here and there – I am still experimenting and establishing the blog’s identity and what types of publications I would like to have on here. I was thinking about it and decided to make something like a weekly program – a consistent publication that will appear every week and will deal with a similar issue. I was wondering what it could be and then I decided that I’m gonna turn Saturday night into a song analysis/focus night! Every Saturday from now on, there will be a publication dedicated to a song. Of course, needless to say, the song would be chosen based on my personal preferences and views. I would also like to emphasize on variety – I will try to include different genres, eras, styles, etc. Those weekly song focus publications will also present additional song related media materials such as music video, artwork, lyrics and others. Most importantly, however, the aim of this publication would be to give some background, historical overview and significance of the song. I hope by doing so, my readers can learn something interesting about a song while listening to it!
*drumroll* …. The first song I am going to talk about is Daryl Hall & John Oates’s “Out of Touch”. I know it is supposed to be a song review; however I cannot just say nothing about those two! Their story began from Philadelphia – the place where soul music bloomed. The duo was heavily influenced by 60s Motown soul artists and we could most certainly hear it in their work. In terms of production and signwriting they were considered simply as white people copying Motown sound. However, in the 1980s they finally established their own style. Believe it or not, they soon invented a very distinctive fusion between rock ’n’ roll and soul music. They called this genre “ROCK AND SOUL” – sounds cool, right? Their sound was carefully crafted by heavy use of electronic elements and they even experimented with funky and futuristic styles. “At their best, Hall & Oates’ songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave,” – said critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine and J. Scott McClintock. One of their first big successes was the song “I can’t go for that” which topped the Billboard chart in 1981. The song was covered by numerous artists. Personally, my favorite cover of this song is Simply Red’s “Sunrise”. Their success continued with songs such as “Maneater” which also topped the chart in 1982. If I have to be honest, “Maneater” is probably one of my most favorite pop songs from the 80s – it’s just so good! Their sound however was becoming way too soft, so they called Mr. Neil Kernon – a notable heavy metal producer who worked with bands such as Scorpions and Judas Priest. He helped them enhance their sound and make it a little bit heavier. The result was the song I want to present today – “Out of Touch”. Furthermore, I wanted to say a few more things about Hall & Oates before focusing on the song. When we think about the most successful duos of all time, many of you would probably say Righteous Brothers or Simon & Garfunkel or Tina & Ike or Everly Brothers or even Daft Punk. Surprise! According to the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) Hall & Oates is the most successful duo in popular music! They have seven RIAA platinum albums and six RIAA golden albums. They have sold more than 40 million records which makes them the second best-selling duo of all time (the Carpenters hold the record with more than 150 million records sold). Those two were unstoppable! Great innovators and probably the most definitive blue eyed soul artist of the era!
About the song itself, “Out of Touch” was released in 1984 and was the lead single from their 1984 album Big Bam Boom. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for two weeks in December 1984. Just a quick reminder that back in the 80s it was very difficult for a song to top the charts –since there were so many ground-breaking and prolific artists, a song rarely stuck on top of the charts for a long period of time. As writers and producers of the song, both guys are being credited. Also, if I have to place a specific genre next to the song I would say pop rock, definitely.
The video is just hilarious! Every little element of it just perfectly illustrates what a wild, crazy and irrational decade the 80s was! The MV begins with the “Dance on Your Knees” intro, which is the opening song of the album. Daryl Hall manages to quite well embrace the spirit of the song and as we can see he is totally feeling it – the funny leopard costumes, jumps, awkward dances, overly dramatic gestures and of course – the definitive hairstyle of the era! I just love his style of delivery in the MV. John Oates is also bringing it – he and his extremely odd and bizarre dancing moves are so entertaining to watch. It was obvious that they don’t really know what’s going on but they don’t even care – the musicians of the 80s were all about having fun, feeling good, free and dance crazily. My favourite element of the MV has to be the huge drums and the huge drumsticks! Watching Oates sitting behind those enormous drums and trying to play with the huge drumsticks is absolutely hilarious! The Music Video was also heavily featured on MTV back in the day when MTV actually played music!
I will wrap things up by saying that this is one of my most favorite songs from the 80s! The lyrics are extremely catchy and you can’t but sing with them! The value of the song, at least in my opinion, lies with the distinctive drum and bass elements and in the funky, new wave sound. In terms of vocal delivery, Hall is just perfect!
Nothing more to say! Just enjoy the song!
(Oh and by the way, I am not going to talk about the dreadful cover that was made a few years ago by United Nations. To me it was just one huge mess and the only thing it managed to achieve is to insult the work of Hall and Oates. Not to mention the tasteless and horrible music video.)
Single Cover
MUSIC VIDEO
LYRICS
Shake it up is all that we know Using the bodies up as we go Waking up to fantasy The shades all around aren’t the colors we used to see Broken ice still melts in the sun And times that are broken can often be one again We’re soul alone And soul really matters to me Take a look around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
x2
Reaching out for something to hold Looking for a love where the climate is cold Manic moves and drowsy dreams Or living in the middle between the two extremes Smoking guns hot to the touch Would cool down if we didn’t use them so much We’re soul alone And soul really matters to me Too much
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
x2
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh oh
(Out of touch)
(Out of touch)
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
You’re out of touch
I’m out of time
But I’m out of my head when you’re not around
Today’s publication is very special to me, since I am going to talk about the greatest entertainer that ever lived. The idea behind the publication came to me this morning when I was simply listening to the playlist I have on my phone and suddenly it played “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. As we all know, the song features Eddie Van Halen’s instantly recognizable and brilliant guitar riffs. This made me think about other famous and everlasting collaborations and duets he did throughout the years. I don’t think right now I will have the time to actually list all of them – they are that many. However, I wanted to present and cover at least five of my ultimate favorites and of course provide some background information about the projects.
It was very difficult to decide what to begin with actually, since we are talking about the King of the Kings – the person who did so much for the music industry – not only he broke the racial barrier on TV but he was also one of the greatest philanthropists. He gave the world something much more than music. Personally, I don’t think anyone can match his success or stage persona – he was that good. I was so lucky to be probably the last generation to be influenced by his music on such high levels. It is such a shame that we lost him… Back to the publication, I don’t really think there were, are, or will be, any entertainers greater than him. However, he was a humble and gentle soul, everybody admired him and he had numerous friends in the industry. Throughout his career he made some unforgettable collaborations and duets with other artists. We grew up listening to those songs and we are still doing it – who can forget “USA for Africa” or “Beat It”? – No one. I chose to talk about 5 songs in particular – my personal five I would say. In the future, I would most certainly plan on publishing a “part 2” so stay tuned for more. The following list of songs are not numbered chronologically or based on commercial success, popularity or any other recognition. The list simply reflects my preferences.
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“Beat It” (featuring Eddie Van Halen) ROCK meets POP
I won’t lie – the reason why I love this song so much is because of Eddie’s distinctive and powerful guitar riffs. Everyone who knows me is well aware of how much I love Van Halen, so it was only natural to begin with this song. Another reason why I chose to start with “Beat It” was because of its background story. The song itself was the third single from the singer’s sixth solo album, Thriller and it was released on February 3, 1983. It ultimately topped all the charts, including US R&B singles chart, US Billboard Top Tracks chart and Billboard Hot 100. Many music critics claim that this song was the best song of the album. I would agree for sure. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Thriller and Billie Jean and pretty much every song from the album. However, “Beat it” did it perfectly to me. It is a perfect fusion of rock and pop and what a fusion that was!! “I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song… That is how I approached it and I wanted the children to really enjoy it—the school children as well as the college students,” – He said. The story of how Eddie Van Halen ended up in the song is also pretty interesting. When he was first contacted by Quincy Jones, Eddie thought it was a prank call – really? However, once he realized that Michael really wanted to collaborate with him for a rock song, Eddie quickly agreed. What I love about this story is the fact that Eddie didn’t even ask for money – he simply did it for free. “I did it as a favour…I was a complete fool, according to the rest of the band, our manager and everyone else. I was not used. I knew what I was doing – I don’t do something unless I want to do it,” – Eddie said. His guitar riffs were a bit too much though, so the producers had to reduce the distorted guitar a little. Another interesting fact is that when they were recording his solo, a monitor speaker in the control room actually caught on fire – imagine the power coming out of the guitar! Unfortunately, Eddie was not allowed to be in the music video of the song (Shame!) however he did appear on stage with Michael during Jackson brothers “Victory Tour”. Bottom line is – they were both phenomenal! Eddie was ripping through those notes with the speed of light! He wrote his own guitar solo, of course. However I should mention that the song itself was composed, arranged and written by Michael – and what a song that is! “You have to show them that you’re really not scared You’re playin’ with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare They’ll kick you, then they beat you, Then they’ll tell you it’s fair…”
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“Say, Say, Say” (featuring Paul McCartney) Legend vs Legend
Two music geniuses coming together and creating such an amazing, catchy and everlasting song with probably one of the most memorable music videos ever! The song doesn’t need introduction. In my opinion it is Michael’s most successful collaboration with another artist ever! In terms of commercial success and popularity it is indeed one of the greatest duet songs ever. However, in my opinion the vocal delivery of both Paul and Michael is not as impressive as I would like it to be. “Say, Say, Say” was released in 1983 and was produced by George Martin for Paul McCartney’s album, Pipes of Peace. It quickly hit number one in charts all over the USA and Europe. It was also certified as gold by the RIAA for sales of more than one million copies in 1983. During the recording sessions, Michael actually stayed and lived with Linda and Paul with whom eventually he became good friends. The majority of the song lyrics were written by Michael and the song itself was produced by George Martin who worked with The Beatles before. I am sure most of you guys know the story behind the feud between those two but I really think it is hilarious – so I would like to share it once more. During Michael’s stay in Paul and Linda’s house, Paul shared with him how much money he makes from all the publishing rights he bought to hit songs. That is indeed through because if you own the publishing rights, every time someone covers the song or plays it on the radio – you get money. Michael got inspired and eventually bought the company that owned most of the Fab Four’s music catalog – such an irony, right! “…to be someone’s friend and then buy the rug they’re standing on…,” – Paul said. “What can I do
Girl to get through to you?
Cause I love you, baby
Standing here, baptisted in all my tears
Baby through the years
You know I’m crying…”
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“Scream” (featuring Janet Jackson) Brother vs. Sister
Phenomenal! Exceptional! Brilliant! I don’t even know what to say about this collaboration and this song! Not to mention the video which is indeed one of the craziest videos of the 90s – but that is Michael, after all – the king of the music videos! The song is very rough, wild and quite angry I think – it about how media misinterpret and misinform the society. (Quite sensitive and popular topic, especially after the 90s)… In the first half of the 90s, Michael Jackson was often the center figure of media backlash – so he decided that the best way to respond is through his music! Specifically, the song addresses the sexual child abasement claims that were made against Michael in 1993. In my opinion, however, when we talk about this specific Janet and Michael collaboration, what made it so famous is the music video, rather than the song itself. Don’t get me wrong – it is a song to die for. However, the MV was why it stood out and made such a buzz – both of them took on a much darker and wild persona and took off to space to get away from all the media hustle and bustle. One other thing I wanted to point out is that they both sounded very different from their usual selves, especially Michael. With this song and his vocal delivery, you could tell how frustrated and angry he was – and most certainly was not hiding it. The single was released on May 31, 1995. “Tired of injustice
Tired of the schemes
The lies are disgusting
So what does it mean
Kicking me down
I got to get up
As jacked as it sounds
The whole system sucks”
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“State Of Shock” (featuring Mick Jagger) Fun, Crazy, Pure Rock’n’Roll….
I love this song! This song and “Beat It” are probably my top favorite Michael Jackson collaborations of all time! Mick Jagger – do I need to say more? Mick brought so much energy, so much passion and so much fun to the song! It was written by Jackson and guitarist Randy Hansen and it reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (huh? It deserved number 1)… It was originally supposed to be a song featuring only Jackson’s guitarist Randy, but then they came up with the idea of inviting a rockstar. Interesting fact, the song was originally supposed to be a duet between Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury, however their schedules were so different, that Michael eventually recorded it with Jagger. Personally, I think they made the right decision. I don’t wish to compare Mick and Freddie since I adore them both on so many levels; however for this song in particular, Mick’s energetic vocal delivery did it for me! “State Of Shock” was released in June 1984 “by The Jacksons and it was their last platinum effort.
“The lead singer of the Rolling Stones eyed the phenomenal success of Thriller with envy,” – said Christopher P. Andersen. “Mick became obsessed with Michael Jackson” and explained it saying, “He wanted to know every detail about Jackson’s life, his contract with Columbia, how the Thriller singles were selling,…,” said Arthur Collins, then president of Rolling Stones Records. “You gotta be mine
‘Cause you’re so fine
I like your style
It makes me wild
You take it to me good
Know you should
You get me on my knees
Well, please, baby, please…”
+ bonus – a live performance I absolutely adore – featuring my favorite female rockstar Tina Turner during LIVE AID in 1985
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“Give Into Me” (featuring Slash) Power, Power, Raw Power…
After the phenomenal success of “Beat It”, I think it was only natural for Michael to start making more and more projects with famous guitarists. This time, he chose Slash from Guns n Roses and what a perfect match!!! The song is often considered as a hard rock ballad and it was released on February 1993 as the tenth track on Michael Jackson’s 1991 studio album Dangerous. Many people are sometimes confused when it comes to Slash and Michael Jackson’s collaborations because the guitarist is often associated with the song “Black or White”. However to set the records straight, the song’s main riff is not played by Slash. “Give Into Me” on the other hand turned into this sensual, wild and rather aggressive heavy metal ballad tanks to Slash’s genius guitar skills. It was also written, composed, and produced by Michael Jackson and Bill Bottrell. Slash also appeared on the music video, as well as other musicians such as Muzz Skillings (Living Color) and Gilby Clarke (Guns n Roses).
“You Always Knew Just How To Make Me Cry
And Never Did I Ask You Questions Why
It Seems You Get Your Kicks From Hurting Me
Don’t Try To Understand Me
Because Your Words Just Aren’t Enough”
This is it for now! Those are my five most favorite Michael Jackson collaborations of all time! He was indeed the greatest and whatever he was doing – he was doing it with class, love and a lot of hard work! That is why so many people loved him and wanted to work with him. I hope I brought back some memories to you guys ~ Stay tuned for more!
James Douglas “Jim” Morrison was born on December 8th, 1943 and died on July the 3rd, 1971! He was one of the most legendary and notable American singers, songwriters, showmen and poets and most certainly one of the biggest rockstars on the world! He is of course mostly famous for being the frontman of The Doors – one of the bands that defined rock music in the late 60s and that popularized psychedelic rock. Not only was he influencing people with his music, but he was also one of the most beloved cultural icons who stood for young people and counterculture!
He died at the age of 27 and became one of the members of the infamous “27 club”, along with artists such as Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
What I mostly admire about him was the ability to improvise and include poetry in his music, especially during life performances. I am not going to talk about the way he lived because for sure – he was out of control and was a heavy drug user. What I want to focus on is his legacy. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest male singers of all time -with that distinctive sensual, delicate and rather sexual vocal delivery you can’t but admire him and lose yourself in his music. Also, the music he and his band played set grounds for progressive rock and eventually punk rock music. He had a wild stage persona and that is what made him so unique. He was most certainly not one of those humble musicians – he was feeling the music with all his body and soul and was showing it rather freely and explicitly. Through his lyrics, he wanted to open the minds and the hearts of people. Also, the disaffected young generation of the 60s was able to find themselves in his songs! For that and for many other reasons, today I decided to write a little post about this great rockstar! Sadly, we lost him at a very young age and who knows what could’ve happened if he was still alive…
Happy Birthday, Jim!
Greetings! For today’s publication I decided to take a different approach and go to another direction, rather than talking about music or songs like I usually do. As a person who specializes in media industry and PR, I would like to emphasize on the extreme importance of the logotype – or logo (which is the abbreviation) when it comes to promotion, establishing individuality and gaining recognition and respect from the public. Every major organization or commercial enterprise has a unique and distinctive logodesign, which people can almost instantly identify. In addition, individuals can also use a logo to boost their image and embody their character and individuality. Coming up with a logo design can be a very challenging task since this little graphic or word mark image is supposed to be special, easy to remember and at the same time represent an identity and differentiate the brand. Moreover, the logo of an organization or a person usually appears or numerous platforms – it turns into a signature and a face. As I already said designing a logo or even coming with an idea of a cool and rather unique logo can be a very difficult task. However, numerous rock bands managed to create a distinctive logo which carries their spirit and tells something about them to the fans. I am sure that many of you guys are already thinking or have a rock band logo in mind – they are that memorable! Band logos are used in numerous ways – mostly on T-Shirts, albums, mugs and all kinds of merchandise. It is rare to see a picture of the band or the musician on a T-Shirt for example – usually we see the logo of the band. Thus, when we, the fans, wear it we experience the satisfaction of identifying with the band and being part of them. To me personally, the 70s and the 80s was the golden age of band logos – I believe back then, musicians (especially hard rock/glam rock/heavy metal bands) were putting much more effort into creating beautiful and memorable logos for their band, compared to today. Bottom line is, every band is different and has an image. Thus, the way this distinctive image is crafted, packaged and delivered is beyond important! I came up with the idea of this publication a few days ago when I was looking at Led Zeppelin’s logo design and wondered if people really know what those symbols mean. I believe people have seen and are aware of such iconic rock band logos but may not be so familiar with the meaning behind them. That’s why I decided to make this post – it is going to be rather informative but I still will analyze and give my opinions. I hope you’ll enjoy and learn something new! So here there are – some of the most famous rock band logos!
The Rolling Stones
I just had to start with Rolling Stones – the big red mouth is probably the most memorable and widely recognizable band logos ever! The “Tongue and Lips” logo, which some have shortened to just “Hot Lips”, was created in 1970 by British graphic designer John Pasche. Interesting fact – the 24 year old (back then) John accepted only £50 (about $77) to come up with a design for the band. Originally, Mick Jagger wanted a logo resembling Kali – the Hindu goddess of energy. The goddess is usually portrayed with a large mouth and her tongue sticking out, however Pasche found a much bigger inspiration in Jagger himself. “I went into this sort of wood-paneled boardroom and there he was,” Pasche said. “Face-to-face with him, the first thing you were aware of was the size of his lips and mouth.” So at the end, it was purposefully created to resemble Mick Jagger’s mouth! So cool, right?
Led Zeppelin
“After all this crap that we’d had with the critics, I put it to everybody else that it’d be a good idea to put out something totally anonymous. At first I wanted just one symbol on it, but then it was decided that since it was our fourth album and there were four of us, we could each choose our own symbol. I designed mine and everyone else had their own reasons for using the symbols that they used,” – Jimmy Paige. I specifically chose the logo with the symbols from the epic Led Zeppelin IV album, because many people don’t really know what they stand for or at least why where they placed there. Drummer John Bonham’s symbol consists of three interlocking rings, which represent the mother, the father and the child. The symbol was chosen from Rudolf Koch’s Book of Signs. Bassist John Paul Jones’ symbol was also chosen from the same book. It resembles a circle intersecting 3 vesica pisces (a triquetra) and it symbolizes a person who has confidence and competence. Singer Robert Plant’s symbol is a feather inside a circle and was designed by him. The feather is an emblem of a writer (ie song lyrics) and also it is based on the lost civilizations and continent of Mu.
Jimmy Paige designed his own symbol and it is often referred as “ZoSo”. He never publically explained or stated what the true meaning behind the symbol is, however it was discovered that it dates back to at least 1557 and it represents Saturn. There is also a fifth and smaller symbol, chose by vocalist Sandy Denny for her contribution to the “The Battle of Evermore“ song. It is an old Christian symbol for the Godhead.
Guns n Roses
One of the most recognizable logos in history! To me, personally, this is also one of the most beautiful rock band logos ever! That is why I will just focus on this one for now and won’t talk about the skull logo (which is also very famous by the way). It has poetic, sensitive and romantic side, as well as a violent and a bad one. The logo itself consists of two revolvers and roses with thorns wrapped around the guns. Many people also miss the fact that the back view – the brass ring with the silver primer in the middle, behind the guns and the roses is actually a bullet casing. Pretty interesting, right? Also, for those of you who don’t know why exactly guns and roses – the name of the band is a combination of the last names of Tracii Guns and Axl Rose. It is also a reference to their previous bands – Hollywood Rose and LA Guns.
The Ramones
Ah, the Ramones! This is probably one of my most favourite band logos (and bands as a matter of fact) of all time! It was designed by Arturo Vega and many people say that he basically “put the seal on their success”. Interesting fact – he was not only their “creative director” and archivist but also their very good friend – he is sometimes considered as the “fifth ramone”. Instead of trying to explain it with my own words, I would rather quote the designer himself talking about his ideas and motive behind the infamous seal logo. “I saw them as the ultimate all-American band. To me, they reflected the American character in general. I thought the great seal of the president of the United States would be perfect for the Ramones, with the eagle holding arrows – to symbolise strength and the aggression that would be used against whoever dares to attack us – and an olive branch, offered to those who want to be friendly. But we decided to change it a little bit. Instead of the olive branch, we had an apple tree branch, since the Ramones were American as apple pie. And since Johnny was such a baseball fanatic, we had the eagle hold a baseball bat instead of the arrows,” said Arturo Vega.
Queen
Queen! The infamous band logo was designed by Freddie Mercury shortly before the official release of their debut album. The logo illustrates the zodiac signs of all four members of the band – two lions for Leo (Deacon and Taylor), a crab for Cancer (May), and two fairies for Virgo (Mercury). The two lions are embracing the letter Q which also has a crown inside of it. The logo itself has a very strong resemblance to the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. It is very pictorial and colourful – that’s the beauty of it! Honestly to me it is a bit too much for a logo – but then again – it’s Freddie and Queen we are talking about! The logo has to be as majestic and pompous as possible!
Van Halen
It is because I love Van Halen so much that I decided to show the two distinctive logos of the band – from the David and Sammy period. Interesting fact, before the first logo they had a few not so good ones and definitely not worth mentioning. These logos – and especially the second one, are topping my list for most favourite band logos. I like simple but powerful and memorable designs and I feel like this one delivered it in the best way possible. The logos consist of the initials of the band name – V and H. The first logo was introduced in 1978 and the second one in 1986 when Sammy Hagar became the new lead vocalist of the band. With the new frontman, the logo changed just a little – it became more 3D-ish and the wings on both sides of the initials were transformed into rings to show the notable change in Van Halen’s lineup. The iconic winged Van Halen logo was designed by Dave Bhang in 1978. He also drew up a new cover for their first album (since the initial proposal from Warner Brothers was declined by the members).
AC/DC
In my opinion this is also one of the greatest examples of how a logo can become such an important part of a band’s identity! I am sure there’s not a single rock fan in the world who doesn’t know or haven’t seen this logo at least once in their lives. This is not a publication dedicated to the meaning behind band’s names, however in this case I need to mention the relationship between the logo and the name of the band. AC/DC is an abbreviation meaning “alternating current/direct current” electricity. Malcolm and Angus Young came up with the idea after their sister (Margaret Young) saw the initials on a sewing machine. It somehow suited perfectly to their raw energy and powerful live performances –that is also the reason why there’s a lightning bolt between AC and DC. The logo was designed in 1977 by Gerard Huerta and it first appeared on the international version of their album Let There Be Rock.
Bon Jovi
Just like Guns n Roses’ logo – I think this is also one of the most beautiful rock band logos of all time. Once again, we see a combination of two distinctive elements – a heart and a dagger. It is also a famous design for tattoos. There is no specific information about what exactly is the true meaning behind the logo, however once thing is for sure – when people are in love, they feel pain. It focuses on sensitivity, heartbreak and romance and has some gothic elements which make it even more remarkable and loved by many rock fans. The logo was first introduced for the band’s “New Jersey” tour merchandise and after that it just stuck and became one of the most memorable logos ever.
Aerosmith
It is a very beautiful logo perfectly suited for rockstars such as Aerosmith. It was designed by Ray Tabano, who was a member of the original Aerosmith lineup before being replaced by Brad Whitford. The logo first appeared in 1974 on the album “Get your wings”. It is very stylish, black and white logo with a large letter “A” that spreads its wings on the background. There are also other important elements such as a little star and the wings – which symbolize freedom and movement. Also, there’s a circle around the letter “A”, which sort of reminds us about the famous anarchy symbol.
The Doors
This logo just screams “60s”! It is very simple and it includes only the name of the band. I think it is one of the perfect logos to use on T-shirts or other kinds of merchandise – it stands out and it is very easy to read. Firstly, there is a tiny but very essential “the” on top of the name which uses the typical psychedelic typeface of the 60s. Also, the two “O”s are split in the middle and resemble pills – hmm…I wonder why…? The logo itself was designed by an Elektra Records assistant and it first appeared on their 1967 debut album. This is a perfect example of how sometimes the simple logos are the best.
P.S. I don’t own any audio or visual material used in this publication. All the rights and credits go to the owners and/publishers. The publication expresses my personal opinion and in no way is trying to make a generalized statement. Please be kind and considerate when you read and/or comment. Cheers~
Some people say that the era of the CDs is long gone. However believe it or not, there are people like me out there who still purchase and collect CDs. I have this little CD shop near the place I live (I have to take a picture next time) and I just love spending hours and hours there. They have these huge wooden shelves with tons and tons of CDs and even vinyl records. The whole atmosphere just screams my name!
Anyhow, a few days ago I went there to look for some albums and spend some quality “me” time. After hours of literally checking every single album on the shelves and a huge struggle not to buy all the albums I saw, I ended up buying the debut album of one of my most favorite rock bands – Rainbow. The title of the album is “Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow” and it was released on the 4th of August, 1975. Can you believe this? It has been 40 years since this album hit the shelves. It turned out I bought it on its 40th year anniversary – such a pleasant coincidence. Originally I was hoping to come across and buy their “The Very Best of Rainbow” album that came out in 1997, however I couldn’t find it (still not giving up, though). Then, the lady from the CD shop was kind enough to find me the debut album from the storage. The album itself was imported from the USA and of course, it’s a remaster. I just had to buy it – it is such a rare precious and a must for every Rainbow or Ritchie Blackmore or Ronnie James Dio fan. In the following post I would briefly present the album and its songs. This is not a band profile publication, so I would like to focus on the album itself, rather than the members. I decided to dedicate my first publication to this debut album because it is the most recent CD I purchased and because it is the debut of my blog
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Album Title : Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow Released: 1975 (Vinyl Record) ; 1999 (CD in remastered form) Genre: Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal Record Label: Oyster (UK) ; Polydor (Worldwide) Members: Ronnie James Dio – lead vocals; Ritchie Blackmore – guitar; Micky Lee Soule – piano, mellotron, clavinet, organ; Craig Gruber – bass; Gary Driscoll – drums Singles: “Man On The Silver Mountain” ; “Snake Charmer” (October 1975) Produced by: Ritchie Blackmore, Martin Birch and Ronnie James Dio Interesting fact: The album was recorded in Germany. It is the first ever project of Ritchie Blackmore after his departure from Deep Purple. Vocalist Ronnie James Dio, consider this album as the best Rainbow album.
Tracklist:
1.Man on the Silver Mountain
2.Self Portrait
3.Black Sheep of the Family
4.Catch the Rainbow
5.Snake Charmer
6.Temple of the King
7.If You Don’t Like Rock n’ Roll
8.Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
9.Still I’m Sad (The Yardbirds cover)
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Firstly, I would like to start with the album cover. It was made by American fine artist David Willardson. Honestly speaking, I am not such a huge fan of cartoon-style album covers. Realistic album covers (photographs) or simplistic designs have always been more striking to me. On the cover we see a castle which also happens to be a guitar and there’s a rainbow behind it. It is very colorful and too Disney-like I would say. It’s only natural since the artist worked for Disney at that time, but still…The trend of putting unique and rather strange, surrealistic art on an album cover was very strong at that time – especially the second part of the 70s. For instance artists such as Roger Dean and Storm Thorgerson were extremely popular with bands like Pink Floyd, YES and Asia. Back to Rainbow’s cover, I do really like it – why? – because it is very distinctive and easy to remember. Also, there’s something very magical and mysterious in the painting itself – I just want to enter into the rock castle and never go out…
Real-life picture of the album cover ~ That’s how it looks; Very distinctive, right?
Secondly, I would like to talk more about the songs from the album. I am not going to comment on each and every song; rather than that I will focus on the overall picture, as well as on two songs in particular – my favorite songs from the album.
Bottom line is, if you like the combination of hard rock and poetic, fantasy-oriented lyrics – this is the album for you. Most of the songs are a bit gloomy in terms of lyrics, except “If You Don’t Like Rock ‘N’ Roll” which is very upbeat and in my opinion is the perfect 60s rock’n’roll nostalgia song! In terms of vocal and guitar delivery I would say that the album is rather simplistic, not as progressive and innovative as some people would like it to be. However, to me that is exactly why the album is so good! Ritchie’s riffs are not as complicated and aggressive as they used to be back when he was with DP and that is the beauty of it! Ronnie, on the other hand is just perfect – in my book of the greatest male rock vocals of all time, he is definitely in top 10. I don’t think anyone can sing those highs the way he does – just play “Black Sheep Of The Family” or “Sixteenth Century Greensleeves” and you will see what am I talking about!
The two songs I wanted to talk about are “Man On The Silver Mountain” and “Catch The Rainbow”, which in my opinion are the best songs of the album.
One of the most memorable song intros ever (at least to me)! Ronnie said that it’s “a semi-religious song, the man on the silver mountain is a kind of God figure everyone is crying out to.” – rather interesting right? It was co-written by Dio and Blackmore. When Ronnie died in 2010, the words “The man on the silver mountain Ronnie James Dio” were put on his grave. The song is a classic and it defines an era – I don’t have to say more. It’s memorable, catchy and very powerful – the greatest thing is that it delivers that power to the listeners. Ronnie’s vocals are beyond perfect! Personally, my favorite part of the song, as well as lyrics is when Ronnie sings : “Come down with fire Lift my spirit higher Someone’s screaming my name Come and make me holy again” ….and then we hear the memorable guitar riff! ❤
“Catch The Rainbow” is probably the gloomiest song from the album. However, I don’t think it is that type of song that brings out sad emotions and feelings (at least to me). The song itself was not released as a single, however it remains one of their most famous works. The song is loved that much probably because it is often connected with “Little Wing” by “The Jimmy Hendrix Experience”. To me personally, its strongest point is the simplistic yet powerful guitar riff and the background choirs that create a very mysterious and a bit psychedelic vibe. Lyrically speaking, the song is very poetic and beautiful. I especially love the chorus: “We believed we’d catch the rainbow Ride the wind to the sun Sail away on ships of wonder”
A real life picture of the CD with the tracklist and the covers of each and every song on the right part of the case. Very well-packaged, indeed!
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Finally, I just want to say that to me, this is one of the most expected and successful debut albums of all time. Ritchie and Ronnie are an amazing team and I wish Ronnie was still with us to continue working together… I am very glad I bought the album and I would recommend it to everyone who enjoy rock music from the 70s. The album possesses an essence…a special and unique atmosphere which is no longer present in today’s music; not to mention quality songwriting and brilliant musicianship… Catch the rainbow!
Me, enjoying the newest addition to my CD collection!
MY ROCK MIXTAPES 