nobody_home

I own a Yamaha P120 88 Key Stage Piano with Speakers. Not a whole lotta features to it, but feels like the real thing and it sounds GREAT (as it should considering what I paid). I also got two basses - a five-string Ibanez and a fretless Yamaha - two guitars - an old, acoustic Austin and a new, electric Stagg - bongo drums and a harmonica. Now all I need is the time to practice all of them ::

I can't compare U2 to Elvis, The Beatles, or Bob Marley. Can you compare The Kinks to Pearl Jam? Separate times, different styles of music. I will dare you to name a band with a better repertoire of songs from the '80s: Bad I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For With or Without You Pride (In the Name of Love) New Year's Day Sunday Bloody Sunday Where the Streets Have No Name I Will Follow Desire In addition to their '90s and '00s songs: She Moves In Mysterious Ways Sweetest Thing Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me Even Better Than the Real Thing One Beautiful Day All Because of You Vertigo

I just learned how "dirty" the song "Come On Elieen" really is. Yah, I'm pretty dense. Anyways, that's not my favorite one hit wonder. That would be "Spirit In the Sky" by you know who.

Ehh...I still don't see WHY U2 is considered overrated. They still come out with (half) decent music, and they still appeal to the masses. Can you say the same thing with Metallica, Radiohead, Aerosmith, Beastie Boys, etc..? The Boss inducting them into the RnR Hall of Fame? I'm glad they've secured a place in the history of rock'n'roll, and I'm looking forward to what the band can still accomplish.

Whoever said Madonna's version of "American Pie" got it right. Although, I remember getting plenty p*ssed when I first heard Lenny Kravitz butcher "American Woman." And I never much cared for Clapton's cover of "I Shot the Sheriff" - who said it was alright for Clapton to be the white guy to cover Bob Marley?

I like Joe Cocker's old stuff, especially from his first few albums. The Letter, Feelin' Alright, With a Little Help From My Friends, She Came In Through the Bathroom Window ... all good to say the least. Haven't listened to the recent material, but like most old rockers he's probably washed-up. Now, is he mad? Out of his mind? I've seen videos, so I can't argue with that.

I like the bassline in "Wild Night," and it's the only song I've ever went through the trouble of tabbing for the Internet.

Actually I've done some research on the subject and can make a pretty good argument for conspiracy, but that would be a whole other thread. Hmm...maybe I'll do that. As far as everyone above claiming that U2 is the MOST overrated band, now or ever, is an overstatement. Think, would U2 be the first band you'd turn off the radio if it came on? And many of their songs actually mean something; they hold some timeless value and appeal. I could definately picture people listening to U2 a hundred years from now. Plus, Bono seems like one of those "larger-than-life" characters - one of those guys you might roll your eyes to when his name is mentioned in conversation, but demands respect when he actually enters a room. Bob Dylan said being with Bono is like being on a train. It feels like you're moving and going somewhere. He's got the soul of an ancient poet, a philosopher. He's like the guy in an old movie, the one who beats up a rat with his bare hands and wrings a confession out of him. And although The Edge might not have the greatest guitar chops, he creates original, atomspheric landscapes of sound that could fill two arenas. That's not a small feat.

Here's some: Meatpuppets ~ "Backwater" Barenaked Ladies ~ "Brian Wilson" Counting Crows ~ "Mr. Jones" Fatboy Slim ~ "Funk Soul Brother" "Praise You" Beck ~ "Loser" "Where It's At" Dishwalla ~ "Counting Blue Cars" Faith No More ~ "Epic" The Offspring ~ "Come Out and Play" Ugly Kid Joe ~ "I Hate Everything About You" Pavement ~ "Cut Your Hair" Lenny Kravitz ~ "Are You Gonna Go My Way" The Flys ~ "Got You Where I Want You" Weezer ~ "Suzanne" "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" Presidents of the USA ~ "Lump" "Peaches" Blues Traveler ~ "The Hook" "But Anyway" Porno For Pyros ~ "Pets" Sublime ~ "40 oz. to Freedom" Santaria" "What I Got" Fountains of Wayne ~ "Stacy's Mom" Candlebox ~ "Far Behind" Temple of the Dog ~ "Hungerstrike" Stone Temple Pilots ~ "Plush" "Big Empty" "Interstate Love Song" The Breeders ~ "Cannonball" Fastball ~ "Out of My Head" "The Way" Foo Fighters ~ "Big Me" Superdrag ~ "Who Sucked Out the Feeling" Seven Mary Three ~ "Cumbersome" Dave Matthews Band ~ "What Would You Say" Cracker ~ "Low" Filter ~ "Hey Man, Nice Shot" "Take My Picture" Us3 ~ "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)"

Remember the movie, "Swingers", with Jon Favreau? "Look, we're gonna spend half the night driving around the Hills looking for this one party and you're going to say it sucks and we're all gonna leave and then we're gonna go look for this other party. But all the parties and all the bars, they all suck. I spend half the night talking to some girl who's looking around the room to see if there's somebody else who's more important she should be talking to. And it's like I'm supposed to be all happy 'cause she's wearing a backpack, you know? And half of them are just nasty skanks who wouldn't be nothing except they're surrounded by a bunch of drunken horny assholes. And I'm gonna tell you something T. Are you listening? I'm not gonna be one of those assholes. Alright? It just makes me sick. It's like, some nasty skank who isn't half the woman my girlfriend is, is gonna front me? It makes me want to f**kin' puke!" And the reason Robin Williams won an oscar in "Good Will Hunting": "So if I asked you about art, you'd probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life's work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right? But I'll bet you can't tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You've never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that. If I ask you about women, you'd probably give me a syllabus about your personal favorites. You may have even been laid a few times. But you can't tell me what it feels like to wake up next to a woman and feel truly happy. You're a tough kid. And I'd ask you about war, you'd probably throw Shakespeare at me, right, "once more unto the breach dear friends." But you've never been near one. You've never held your best friend's head in your lap, watch him gasp his last breath looking to you for help. I'd ask you about love, you'd probably quote me a sonnet. But you've never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable. Known someone that could level you with her eyes, feeling like God put an angel on earth just for you. Who could rescue you from the depths of hell. And you wouldn't know what it's like to be her angel, to have that love for her, be there forever, through anything, through cancer. And you wouldn't know about sleeping sitting up in the hospital room for two months, holding her hand, because the doctors could see in your eyes, that the terms "visiting hours" don't apply to you. You don't know about real loss, 'cause it only occurs when you've loved something more than you love yourself. And I doubt you've ever dared to love anybody that much. And look at you... I don't see an intelligent, confident man... I see a cocky, scared s**tless kid. But you're a genius Will. No one denies that. No one could possibly understand the depths of you. But you presume to know everything about me because you saw a painting of mine, and you ripped my f**king life apart. You're an orphan right? You think I know the first thing about how hard your life has been, how you feel, who you are, because I read Oliver Twist? Does that encapsulate you? Personally... I don't give a s**t about all that, because you know what, I can't learn anything from you, I can't read in some f**kin' book. Unless you want to talk about you, who you are. Then I'm fascinated. I'm in. But you don't want to do that do you sport? You're terrified of what you might say. Your move, chief."

Only Cobain didn't kill himself And Kevin, Zappa never achieved the popularity Prince had in the '80s. He's earned the acclaim of critics but really never won over the mainstream. As far as I know, "Apostrophe" is his only album to go gold. I guess the "tongue-in-cheek" nature and absurdity of his songs cross the bounds of "good taste" for the casual rock fan.

I'd say the foundation of heavy metal was set when Blue Cheer recorded their cover of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues". Couldn't sing very well, and couldn't play very well, but created one hellava heavy sound with this one.

The only big name musicians I've met are Cheap Trick. My friend's stepdad is best friends with Bun E. Carlos, so when they came to the area last year we got to hang out with them back stage before the show. Rick Nielson is as colorful and goofy as you'd expect. I can tell he loves being an entertainer. He was kinda being a jerk, although I know he was just trying to be funny. Bun E. was kinda quiet and pretty much just talked with my friend's stepdad. He's probably been the glue that's held the band together over the years. Not your typical rock star persona. I didn't get a chance to talk with Tom Petersson for very long. He was at the side of the stage talking with one of the techs. Robin Zander was the one who showed up fashionably late, took pictures with everyone, and always had a big smile on his face. Probably the most friendly of the bunch. They all did their own thing beforehand, but once the show started they all clicked! Oh, and guess what I got to play!

IMO Frank Zappa is anything but overrated. First of all, he's unclassifiable. Not because he played one particular, hard-to-define style, but rather because there wasn't a single style he couldn't do. Rock, jazz, classical, funk, metal, bluegrass, etc. were all represented at one point or another during Zappa's career of 50+ studio albums. And don't fall for the fatal "jack of all trades, master of none" load of horses**t - not only could Zappa sufficiently play any style of music, but he often did it better than those artists who played them full time. Zappa was also one of the most accomplished artists to ever wield a six-string, constantly looking for new innovations and other means of making music that was as unconventional as possible. And Frank Zappa was not only a genius in the studio or on stage, but the man had a way with words which was initially evidenced by the biting social commentary of his lyrics, only to carry over into his passionate bout against Tipper Gore and her music censorship initiative. He never sold out as he got older, as Pete Townshend and others did; he stayed sharp and pissed-off until his untimely death. There were so many sides to this man's genius, from composer to businessman to guitarist and social commentator. Frank Zappa was one of those incredibly special and original people that only come along every 100 years or so. His musical achievements alone make him one of the 20th centuries greatest human beings. Unbelievable. Brilliant.

I always liked this song 'cause it mentions my hometown, Pittsburgh. Silkworm - "Miracle Mile" I was caught in a bad dream; I was locked out on love. I got stuck in the slipstream until I lucked out for once. In the sky behind this club I saw her face high-rise. (I) didn't want to lose it on that miracle mile. But we played at CBGB on a 4th of July at 3 a.m. The soundman wanted to kill us then. He was strung out on Ex-Lax. He was f***ed in his lungs. He got shot out on "Avenue A" while sucking on some slut's tongue. He would dress up like a whore just to get lucky once in a while. I didn't want to lose it on that miracle mile. Then we played at the Knitting Factory for fifteen people, thirty bucks, and someone broke into the godd**n truck. He had s**t in his pants. He had a needle in his arm. He just stole a couple sleeping bags that he needed to stay warm. But he couldn't even walk. We found him crawling in a garbage pile. Yeah, I didn't want to lose it on that miracle mile. But we met with even greater misfortune in the "Armpit of the Americas" - four dumb hicks from hunger. We got ripped off by these assh***s at a Fort Lee garage. They didn't weld that motherf*****g leaf spring. No, those sparks were a mirage. Yeah, we hallucinated freely huddled shivering on the tile. And I didn't want to lose it on that miracle mile. But six hundred dollars later we were still drinking bad coffee. Couldn't sleep. Our stomachs were full of pizza grease. Well I called her up long-distance. There was freezing on the line. Did she trust me? Could she throw me with a strong breeze from behind? Oh no and no again. No f*****g s**t, a crazy smile. And I didn't want to lose it on that miracle mile. But the stage was set for tension so I cried and I spit. I drooled and wept, and I hit the gas for Pittsburgh. Guitar Solo I was caught in a bad dream; I was out on the nod. I got stuck in the slipstream until I blacked out, until I blacked out. Thank God.

A band I have never heard on any classic rock radio: Big Star! Three great albums in the 70's (#1 Record, Radio City, and Third/Sister Lovers) yet no respect.

Good song, but no "Rich Girl"

IMO 25. Machine Head ~ "Space Truckin'" 24. Ten ~ "Release" 23. My Aim is True ~ "Watching the Detectives" 22. Paranoid ~ "Fairies Wear Boots" 21. American Beauty ~ "Truckin'" 20. Frampton Comes Alive! ~ "Do You Feel Like We Do" 19. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers ~ "American Girl" 18. Highway 61 ~ "Desolation Row" 17. The Clash ~ "Train in Vain" 16. Born to Run ~ "Jungleland" 15. Loaded ~ "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" 14. In the Court of the Crimson King ~ "The Court of the Crimson King" 13. Led Zeppelin IV ~ "When the Levee Breaks" 12. Electric Ladyland ~ "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" 11. Cosmo's Factory ~ "Long as I Can See the Light" 10. Rust Never Sleeps ~ "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" 9. The Doors ~ "The End" 8. Uprising ~ "Redemption Song" 7. In Utero ~ "All Apologies" 6. SMiLE ~ "Good Vibrations" 5. Let It Bleed ~ "You Can't Always Get What You Want" 4. Who's Next ~ "Won't Get Fooled Again" 3. Dark Side of the Moom ~ "Eclipse" 2. Odessey & Oracle ~ "Time of the Season" 1. Sgt. Pepper's ~ "A Day in the Life" Great capstones to brilliant albums.

You should freestyle rap.

Ever see that Simpsons episode where Homer and Ned go to Las Vegas? PLAYING TONIGHT The Satin Knights sing The Moody Blues OPENING ACT The Moody Blues

That's a :guitar: song to play if you've got a keyboard/synthesizer player like Edgar Winter. I've always wondered if that's his real name (Johnny's too) or just a cruel irony.

Didn't Brian Wilson have some kind of social anxiety problem that led to a nervous breakdown?

Hey Luke, since you've been playing guitar for awhile I imagine you know at least some of the basics (Clapton, Page, Gilmore, Stevie, Eddie, Beck, Hendrix, etc...) Here's some recommended albums for guitar players: Albert Collins ~ "Ice Pickin'" The Allman Brothers ~ "The Fillmore Concerts" Jimi Hendrix ~ "Band of Gypsys" Television ~ "Marquee Moon" Buddy Guy ~ "The Complete Chess Studio Sessions" Frank Zappa ~ "Hot Rats" Jeff Beck ~ "Beckology" Ten Years After ~ "Ssssh"

The Coral remind me a lot of some late 60s psychedelic garage rock bands, which is a thing. Really cool "new" band!