#86 – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions

#86 – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions
Queen



Its an anthem at sporting event around the world, its been parodied by Gymboree teachers and despite being two separate songs they are always played together, Queen’s classics We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions .

The two songs couldn’t be any more different. From the bombast and anger of We Will Rock You, to the elegancy and regality of We Are The Champions, but they are like Yin and Yang, perfect together. As I write this all I can hear is the sound of We Will Rock You “BOOM BOOM CLAP BOOM BOOM CLAP”. And guess what its in your head right now too.

While We Will Rock You is the war cry, We are the Champions is the “hey guess what, we won, second place is is just the first loser, get off our field as we enjoy the spoils of war,” cry. So its both high class and bratty all at the same time. And when the Mets win the World Series next time, I will be driving all around town blaring this song. It will be very obnoxious, people will be very embarrassed.

Queen had so many great songs , but these two are among the best.

Happy Father's day

Father of Mine
Everclear



I know this song is more about a son of divorce. But this song still hits very close to home for me, and it makes me sad. But it also makes me want to be there for Olivia and her soon to be born sibling. When you think about the song it is pretty good for the band Everclear, classic 1997, not too heavy and a song that doesn't sound dated when you are driving on a hot and sunny summer day.

Here are some other "classic" dad songs in honor of father's day.

Big Poppa -Notorious B.I.G.

Daddy Sand Bass - Johnny Cash

Gone Daddy Gone - Violent Femmes

#87 American Jesus

#87 - American Jesus
Bad Religion




I think when you first get into a band your knowledge really starts from that point going forwrad. You listen to the older stuff but you miss hidden gems. That is what happened to me with American Jesus by Bad Religion.

It was when we saw Bad Religion in New Jersey a few years ago they played American Jesus and I was like what album is this from and I looked back and checked out the song further. It is just as good on the album as it was live. Intense. Thought provoking. Sinister.

The song is a very commercial and could have been another hit for Bad Religion in the vein of 21st Century Digital Boy . But don't take that to mean, not genuine and very punk rock. Honestly it is the anthem of the dystopian future that Bad Religion has been singing about for years.

Is Olivia a lefty guitar player?

Here is Olivia jamming out on her Yo Gabba Gabba guitar left handed. Is she a lefty? Hmmm.

She wouldn't be the first left-handed guitarist here are a few other notables.

Kurt Cobain

JImi Hendrix

Tom Iommi

Paul McCartney

#88 - Man on a Silver Mountain

#88
Man on a Silver Mountain
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow



I was driving to work this morning and couldn't bare listening to talk radio any more so I started playing one of my metal mixed CDs on random and seven songs in a row by the recently departed Ronnie James Dio. I kind of wanted to put a so-called "New Wave of British Heavy Metal" song and I despite the fact that this song is a few years earlier than the era of NWOBHM (and the fact that Dio was American) its close enough. And hence we have Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow's Man on a Silver Mountain.

It is a great song for strutting and tossing up devil horns. The song is about rock stars being everything to their fans, but they need their fans to make them worshiped. Basically the same relationship that the star and paparazzo have in Lady Gaga's Papparazzi. I think this was Dio's first "big" song before his career took off with Black Sabbath and then as a solo artist.