Before we get to today's tunes, I want to make a brief announcement. As some of you may know, in addition to being a fan of them good ol Buckeyes, a hater of Michigan, and a lover of music in all its varieties, I am also a writer/poet. Well, the second half of that bifurcation is finally getting me somewhere. Although I've not signed a contract yet, I've received word that Finishing Line Press out of Kentucky is publishing my poetry chapbook, "Book of Never." While this isn't a novel or even a full-length poetry collection, I consider it a big step forward in my career, and I'm ecstatic about the prospect of finally getting my name on a book.
Moment of braggery aside, let's get to some tunes.
Up first we have a power metal cover of the Ledd Zeppelin classic "Immigrant Song" by German supergroup Demons and Wizards. Demons and Wizards are what happened when Hansi Kursch (vocalist of Blind Guardian) joined forced with Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth. This cover follows the original closely, the most obvious difference being the more pronounced drums, the heavier riff, and the more aggressive vocals of Kursch, whose voice can soar and roar with the best of them.
Next we have a song from American rock band Incubus, from one of their less appreciated albums, Light Grenades. This song, "Pendulous Threads," begins with a minute of pure discordance verging on cacophony, an ear shredding minute that feels like a tour of an exploding guitar factory, but at the end of it the melody clarifies, and it plays out more or less like an ordinary, up-tempo Incubus song. The song's highpoint comes with the guitar solo, which is in my opinion the best solo in the band's entire catalogue. Why? Probably because of the washed out, underwater sound.
Next we have a song by Ice Cube, the only song of Ice Cube's I really know (though I'm certain he had a lot of other bangers, he was a bit before my time). This is "It Was a Good Day," a song that features perhaps one of the greatest beats in hiphop history.
Last is a classic by one of the true legends of soul and R&B, the Reverend Al Green. This is "Let's Stay Together." I chose a live version because I feel it better shows Green's quality and the richness of his voice unadulterated by any studio engineering.
