web analytics

Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Journey

  • Sing Off with Glee

    NBC wanted a singing reality show too so the network dusted off Nick Lachey and decided to reinvent doo-wop and scatting by creating an a capella competition.   This pale imitation of American Idol has a couple of good things going for it and some things positively cringe-worthy.  You’re excused if you missed the flurry of three shows in 3 nights from the same network that brings you prime-time Jay Leno five nights a week.  That’s actually one of the good things.  Someone give me a backbeat and let’s talk about Sing-Off.

    Great Stuff About Sing-Out

    1.  No reality show back stories.     You sing, you mug a little for the camera, you get some judging criticism and you’re off the stage.

    2.  The lightning fast eliminations.   The show started with 8 groups and began cutting mid-show immediately.  That’s a fun concept. I love watching judges cut acts in mid-show.

    3.  Sing-Off is getting tons of song clearances with the winners promises a Sony/Epic contract.  Mind you, no one said anything about promoting that record, but you get a studio, and probably a producer too.

    4.   A couple of the performances have been fun to watch.  A capella isn’t for everyone.  I don’t know if it’s for me, but that’s where the show’s lightning pace helps.

    5.  Watching Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men in the Simon Cowell role is a treat.  Think some amateur a capella singer is going to argue with Stockman?  And on last night’s show he rocked a bow tie and argyle sweater that still made him look like the coolest guy in the house.

    Not So Great Stuff About Sing-Off

    1.   Ben Folds is my man.  I love Ben Folds.  I have everything — the rarities, the imports, the whole catalog.  He has 100% musical credibility in my eyes. C’mon, he covered Snoop as a tender ballad!  Unfortunately, he’s Randy Jackson on Sing-Off.  I don’t know whether that makes me like Folds less or Jackson more. It’s just weird.

    2.   There are times that the show is trapped in a Glee casting session.  Watching the SoCals do Journey last night was actually pretty darn good until they went straight into Don’t Stop Believin’.    Between the Glee kids, the final episode of The Sopranos and now this, I don’t want to hear this song for another five years.  Amazingly well-crafted song.  Really good album.  Stop playing the song, and Lord, please stop covering the 30 year old track.

    3. The Beelzebubs are a hoot to watch.   They did campy stuff in the Straight No Chaser vein until last night when they did a Who medley (catch it below) that has 3 songs I would pay to download.

    Things I Hate About Sing-Off

    1.  Nicole Sherzinger, the Paula judge, makes Paula Abdul sound like a Rhodes Scholar lecturing on music theory.    Like Paula, Nicole can sing, had a string of hits off an album (although Abdul had bigger hits over a longer period of time), but this is one boring judge.  By the time she offered her opinion a third time, we were yelling at her through the television to shut up.  Alas, she did not.  Money Mike promised us Pussycat Dolls were no more, but I forgot to check if Nicole would continue talking.  Perhaps that’s a New Year’s resolution.

    2.  No one expects Nick Lachey to be Seacrest or Dick Clark.    Maybe next time we roll out Wayne Brady or someone who actually, you know, doesn’t sound like a young John Tesh.

    Bonus Thing I Loved:   Simon and Randy (I mean, Shawn Stockman and Ben Folds) arguing over a cover of Man in the Mirror.  Stockman ripped into the group, told them they were technically sound and missed the emotion of the song, which he happily sang to them.  Folds defended them, told them not to be afraid of the original, and Stockman leaped over the table and beat Folds with a chair calling him a “sissy cracker who makes fun of black people in songs”.    Actually, I made that last up.   What Stockman did was interrupt Folds and chastise the kids again.  He made his point by Slapping. The. Desk. With. Each. Word.    Got it?  Good.   Although I have a Franklin down on Stockman if he and Folds decide to throw hands in the finale.

    The finals are Sunday on NBC.  I do love that lightning fast get-em-outta-here aspect.   Meanwhile, enjoy The Who as sung by a bunch of a capella geeks.  I’m guessing Pete is smiling because it’s pretty darn good.

  • SonicClash 2008 Top Tens: Aboard the Rock ‘n Roll Train

    Over the next week, the team here at SonicClash will be posting lists of their favorites from this year. First up to bat is our rock ‘n roll renaissance man, Mikey Hersh. Take it away, Mikey.

    Keep in mind that this Top 10 list is not about the greatest tunes in terms of musical integrity.  These are the ten songs of 2008 that brought a smile to my face. These ten songs have great melodies, great guitar riffs, or a great dance beat. My list probably isn’t going to match up to all of the critics, but I determined my list on what songs really made an impact on me regardless of whether it’s cool or not to admit.  I have no shame in including songs from the Pussycat Dolls and New Kids On The Block on my list. Remember to understand my warped tastes in music, and don’t take me all that seriously on this list. Music is very subjective, and just because a song has three chords or is formulaic doesn’t mean it isn’t quality.

    1) Rock & Roll Train:AC/DC-  AC/DC not only put out a killer album after making me wait eight years, but they also contributed another song that will be a classic in the same vein as Highway To Hell and Back In Black.  Rock & Roll Train was AC/DC’s first ever song to be nominated for a Grammy, and has been
    kicking ass on the modern rock charts.  The song even peaked at #47 on the dance charts.

    2) Never Walk Away:Journey–  Journey also returned in full fashion going back to the sound that made them famous, even if Steve Perry is no longer in the picture.  Never Walk Away, the first track on the album, is a killer tune that sounds like Be Good To Yourself from the Raised On Radio album.  A song so good, that I got chills upon listening to it for the first time.

    3) Use Me:Hinder–  I thought Hinder would be a here today, gone tomorrow band.  Their first album was okay, and that Lips Of An Angel song was definitely not as great as it was hyped up to be.  Use Me, the first single from Hinder’s sophomore album sounds just like an 80’s hard rock song.  It has a great opening guitar riff, and a fun chorus.

    4) Summertime:New Kids On The Block– This is the first song on my list that I’m sure to get shit for.  I don’t care, this song has a great dance beat, and was the perfect comeback tune for a group who I wanted to die quickly back in 1988.  It’s a song that defined the summer, and a song I wish I would have heard more of at the clubs.  The New Kids surprised many, and especially me with a catchy pop song that works.

    5)  My Apocalypse:Metallica–  I was very impressed with Metallica’s new album, and the fact that they decided to go back to their old sound.  My Apocalypse was not officially released as a single, but was one of the tracks you could download before the album was released.  The song is a full-out kick-ass song, and a song that works well when you are having a bad day and want to take your aggression out.

    6) I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go):Sarah Brightman & Paul
    Stanley    –  Not a well-known hit, but anytime Paul Stanley from KISS goes outside the box, I’m going to take notice.  On this track, he collaborates with Broadway star Sarah Brightman for a fun little pop song.  It’s always fun to hear Paul try to sing songs that are outside the rock and roll style we are used to from him.

    7) Troublemaker:Weezer–  I truly believe this should have been the first single, although as the second single of the Red Album, it’s been a huge hit on the modern rock charts.  Rivers Cuomo is the king of writing these 3 minute rock songs with that noticeable melody.  The lyrics are fun, and this might just be my new theme song.

    8) When I Grow Up:Pussycat Dolls–  I’m getting to get heat for this one also!  I thought nothing would best Don’t Cha, but I was wrong.  When I Grow Up has a fun dance beat, and the “When I Grow Up, I want to have boobies” line in the song is the lyric of the year.  Ha ha ha ha ha!

    9) Rise Above This:Seether–  It might be formulaic, but still good. Seether knows how to write songs that get ingrained in your head.  My eyes light up whenever I wake up to WDHA in the morning and hear this song as I try to wake up.

    10) Hot N Cold:Katy Perry–  I know I’ll also get shit for this one, but I prefer Katy Perry’s second single.  I Kissed A Girl got old really quick, but Hot N Cold is a fun song that brings back memories of rollerskating back in the 80’s for some reason.

  • MisenPOPic- Why 80’s Dance Parties Irk Me!!!

    Bars and clubs all across the country promote their 80’s nights every weekend.  As a fan of 80’s music, you would think I would want to hit the 80’s nights and enjoy the sounds.  You thought wrong!  Because the dim-witted DJ’s refuse to play anything out of the ordinary because the paying customers don’t want to think outside the box.  We’ve all been reading Mike Heyliger’s outstanding Infatueightes countdown to know there are more than just the same 40 danceable tunes that came out of the 80’s.  Isn’t it the DJ’s job to inspire with new sounds and different beats?

    Don’t they get tired of spinning “Come On Eileen” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me” on a constant basis?  I get frustrated when I hear the opening notes to the same tunes, so much I want to find a stick and repeatedly hit the DJ over and over and over again for having no sense of originality. It pains me when I request a song from Dokken, and they don’t even know what I’m talking about.  I’m not saying the DJ even has to play obscure songs that you read about in my Out There! column.  Mix it up!  I envy these guys and girls, don’t they realize they have the best job in the world?

    Here are some examples of songs we hear all of the time that need to be removed from the weekly playlist immediately,  or else we still continue to dumb down the musical educations of future generations!

    Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
    Now look, I’m a huge Leppard fan, maybe one of the biggest Def Leppard fans on the planet. Pour Some Sugar was one of my favorite songs until I’ve heard it replay thousands of times over the years at dance clubs and bars.  Does the DJ realize there are other fast-beat songs/hit songs on the same album (Hysteria)? Why not think outside the box and play Animal?  That will get people singing along.  “An I Want, An I Need, An I Love, Animal!  C’mon, I just got that stuck in your head.  You telling me if you were drunk and you heard this anthem, you wouldn’t start shaking about.  Can’t we give some loving to some other pop metal bands like Ratt and Poison as well.  And I don’t mean hearing “Nothing But A Good Time” which is another bar staple.

    Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
    Do the 21 year olds understand that this song has overstayed it’s welcome?  It’s a fun song to dance to with a group of friends, this I understand.  But aren’t there a whole slew of songs from the 80’s just like this from corporate rock giants such as REO Speedwagon and Journey?  Wouldn’t “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” be a song to huddle up with your buddies and belt out the worlds.  “Some day love will find you,break those chains that bind you..” You know the rest.  Guitars and keyboards just like the Bon Jovi classic, c’mon DJ, put that record on.

    Come On Eileen by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
    You know when the opening of this song comes on, people are getting ready to throw up their legs and pretend they are a Rocktette.  Do aye do aye do aye do aye YAY!  Ugggh!  Can’t we maybe replace with a fun 80’s tune from a similar band like Men At Work or Madness?  How about “House of Fun”, it could work and get people lifting their legs in the air?  You know, I haven’t heard “Who Can It Be Now” at a bar in a few years, this might just work also.

    I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston
    Another R&B 80’s staple that is sometimes played more than once in the night.  Is it supposed to automatically remind the girls that there are tons of meat int the bar and they need to dance with some of them? How about “The Neutron Dance” by the Pointer Sisters?  I’ve always defended this song as a classic dance hit that hasn’t aged one bit.  I never understood why I have never heard this song ever at a club.  It has a great beat, is totally familiar to the naked ear, and heck, the DJ can even work up some new steps and create a new dance sensation to compete to the Electric and Cha Cha Cha slides.


    Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield
    The DJ always has to include the 80’s pop rock tune.  Another great tune, but does it need to be played every time?  There are other pop/rock songs just as good.  How about something from J. Geils Band?  “Love Stinks” or “Freeze Frame”?

    Tainted Love by Soft Cell
    You know it’s not a true 80’s night without this staple.  Doesn’t the DJ realize there are plenty of syntho-pop songs that would work so “Tainted Love” can be played every fifth night instead of every night.  How about some lesser-known gems like “Space Age Love Song” from A Flock Of Seagulls or “Love Plus One” from Haircut 100?  A lot of bands experimented with synthesizers in the 80’s, is “Tainted Love” the only one that still works?  I think not.

    Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
    I know, I know, it’s the popular tune for all the girls out there.  But if Girls want to have so much fun, how about kicking off the shoes to “Girls” by Dwight Twilley (if you don’t know this one, you will in a future Out There! column) or “Valley Girl” by Frank Zappa?

    And the list goes on and on.  The clueless DJ’s need to do their homework.  Watch old MTV clips on youtube, do some research on Wikipedia, sample songs on iTunes, read this blog!!  Play some more Rick Astley! Play some more Human League! Play some more A Flock Of Seagulls!  Play some Romeo Void or Yaz!  Play some more lesser known hair-metal bands.  Play something else off of AC/DC’s Back In Black besides “You Shook Me All Night Long”! Hell play more Michael Jackson and Madonna, just play different songs you don’t hear on a constant basis!  Because the next time I hear “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey even if it’s remixed with a dance beat, I’m gonna drop my pants and pee all over the DJ’s equipment!

    Oh how I miss the Culture Club!  Although come to think of it, they could have used some lessons as well!!