Outside of the latest music, are you guys listening to any new music?

So this year I finally made the leap to Spotify. I had it on my PC, but I was still holding onto Music Bee. However, my hard drive was constantly running out of space, so to make life easier I've made the jump.

Lately I've been in a nostalgic mood, so I made two Top 100 ARIA Chart Playlists to satisfy my cravings.

The first covers 1999, which was the year where I really watched a ton of MTV and rage. Beforehand, I'd often listen to whatever was on the radio or whatever the folks were into, so actually seeing those songs on my own accord was something else. Revisiting the year and it's interesting to see how music was beginning to shift. You still had two very gimmicky songs dominate the chart in Mumbo No. 5 and I'm Blue, but you were also starting to see the 'not so innocent' teens take off in Brittney and Christina. We're also in the big boy band phase so Backstreet Boys, NSYNC (who weren't as popular down here), 5ive, Westlife, Human Nature and 98 degrees qualify. I'd consider Savage Garden as apart of that movement as well, albeit they were more of a pop band than a boy band. This was their follow up to their breakthrough album and it wouldn't be long until they broke up. I actually enjoyed their first few singles, but this follow-up was pretty weak and you couldn't escape it.

Then there was the latin aspect that was sort of becoming a thing. Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias and that Santana/Rob Thomas collaboration. As far as pop movements were concerned, I didn't mind it and Smooth was one of those songs that remained on my iPod long after it was current. Finally there was the Europop movement that consisted of Eiffel 65, Vengaboys, S Club among others. This was the type of music that has probably aged the worst, but was so whimsical it's difficult not to be taken back to the 90s. Those were typically the songs that repulsed me as a kid, just because they were so sickly sweet, but looking back they brought so much joy I can't help but just grin and bear it.

A few Australian bands charted namely Taxiride and Silverchair. I was never a fan of Frogstomp which seemed like it got a free pass since it was put together by 15 year olds. I thought their follow-up album was a lot better and they found themselves more as a melodic rock/pop group with minor post grunge leanings. Meanwhile Taxiride seem to be that band that's going to stay on our rock station, Triple M, for the rest of radio's existence. I'm sure they've been completed forgotten abroad, with their only major exposure coming from Mystery Men where they shot a promotional video for the movie. Interestingly, Powderfinger couldn't find success on the charts, but won a bunch of awards at the ARIAs and had the #1 song on the Triple J's Hottest 100. There was always a mini rivalry between Powderfinger and Silverchair (think Oasis vs Blur) and while I've come to accept both as good as each other, I was always a Powderfinger man growing up.

Then there's 2007 which was my senior year of high school. By this point, I was an avid Triple J listener and was beginning to hit as many gigs as I could get away with. So I was surprised by how familiar I was with a lot of these songs, I guess I did a lot of hanging out that year and had little control of song selection (which looking at my own 07 playlist wasn't a bad thing). In a lot of ways, 07 doesn't feel that long ago, but then I see some of these artists and I haven't heard from them in so long, I wonder if they're still alive. You've got artists like MIKA and Akon and then you've got Timbaland who makes up an absurd number of songs on the list. Compared to '99 the songs are largely more risque and you can really see the electronica influence taking a hold on pop music. In between that you've got a bunch of pop/punk stuff with bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Kisschasey and then flat-out mushy Coldplay wannabe stuff in the Fray. The biggest surprise was seeing Fergie at #1. Big Girls Don't Cry was big, but I was expecting it to be a Top 10 hit, not this #1 song. That would have been Beyonce's Irreplaceable which was everywhere but was only around 50 in Australia, it was #1 in the US. Looking at the US Hottest 100, it's funny how MIKA doesn't feature at all - I imagine it was mostly a UK/Aus deal. For those who didn't get the chance to listen to him, he was basically a part of this movement where we wanted the next Freddie Mercury. First there was the Darkness and they broke up before they could really get big. Mika came next, then Adam Lambert and finally Fun before they gave up. Mika was a talented singer, but most of his songs  were just utter 'get out of bed' pop nonsense. Silverchair also made a big comeback that year and had the #4 single, Straight Lines. After years of trying to be other bands, Silverchair finally settled on being a mediocre one hit wonder pop band. Finally there's songs on here where I'm pretty sure they only charted because the video was sexy. Fedde Le Grand and Alex Gaudino come straight to mind.

Lately I've been listening more to 2017 pop music, and I've got to admit, I much prefer this stuff over 2007. Everything seems to be more uplifting than the sleazy stuff from '07.

I've been listening to a bit of Code Orange lately. I think they're the new torch bearers for this generation of Metal.

Although I'm an avid metalhead, I really struggle to get into new metal bands. Every one I check out garners a reaction of "why would I listen to this when [insert a favourite band] does the same thing but better?" I doubt I will ever lose my love for my favourite metal bands, but in recent years my tolerance for "merely adequate" groups has whittled away, thus I have purged close to half of my large metal collection. I'm not really sure why this is. I guess it's a mixture of my desire for variety in all things, and increased maturity telling that identifying as a metalhead does not mean I must shun all forms of lighter music. Thus I have started to listen to a fair amount of non-metal acts, music that I always liked to some extent but mentally cast away because of my previous prejudices. I'll name a few.

R.E.M.
When I was writing up my PhD thesis (it seems so long ago now...), I would almost exclusively listen to R.E.M. When this phase started, I was only aware of Man on the Moon. Going down the tunnel of YouTube related videos led me to other fantastic songs such as The Great Beyond, Imitation of Life, and The One I Love. It's pleasant music that's not too distracting. I generally don't like their album tracks. Now I only listen to the Document album and a greatest hits collection.

The Seekers
To Big Pete and all the Australians, I assume The Seekers are quite well-known over there? I don't think they are that popular in the UK. I am aware of them through my parents. I've been subject to a lot of bland 50s-70s music when in the car with family. While I like the occasional song by the occasional group, whenever The Seekers came on, it was a thoroughly pleasant experience. Now I listen to them quite regularly. Judith Durham is one of the best singers I've ever heard, and her angelic voice fits their folk style perfectly.

Moon Safari
Moon Safari have become my ultimate easy listening band. It's hard to describe their style. I guess progressive rock fits best, but that's such a broad term that it doesn't really describe their sound much, besides it being different and unconventional. Just listen to them. You won't regret it.

Kadavar
Kadavar are a modern band that takes you back to the 70s era of hard rock where guitars weren't overly distorted and the bass was given a chance to shine. I really love their sound and they have some cracking tunes.

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Not so much into their early funky stuff. To me their peak is Californication and By The Way, both excellent melodic rock albums.

I listen to music constantly and have a shit ton of stuff to choose from, but lately the two bands I've been listening to a lot are:

Rocket From The Crypt - A band we played with a bunch of times and got to be good friends with, just an amazing group of guys.

SPOILER: Click to show

    

Eric Burdon & The Animals - Mainly because Burdon is an amazing singer.

SPOILER: Click to show

    

Bumping this.

Trying a change of pace this year, instead of just checking out RYM's Annual Chart every now and then, I'll do the heavy lifting and go through different genres. I find certain genres like Indie Pop etc. are thriving, so I'd like to get the full scope and see what's on offer. I'm currently working my way through the chronology, I started off with 'The Scary Jokes' fun little concept album about a neurotic journalist and I'm in the middle of checking out the Tallies debut which is an enjoyable throw-back. It feels like one of those bands that listened to a bunch of New Wave bands and maybe a bit of Beach House and took their shot at it. Only one listen in, but I'm keen to add it to the rotation.

Also been reading through some old magazines like the NME retrospective on Nirvana. It's such a fantastic love-letter that it inspired me to check out the genre that inspired my interest in music, Post-Punk Revival. I've been listening to a lot of 'Turn On The Bright Lights' arguably the best album of the genre and I'm finding it enjoyable looking at it through an analystical lense. Usually I'm just the type of person who throws an album onto the background, if I enjoy a couple of tracks then I'll usually throw them into a playlist, so judging a song through it's lyrical content and checking out GeniusLyrics is adding a whole new level of appreciation. I wish I could get more insight into the instrumentals - to me that's where a lot of the poetry from music comes from but I was a percussionist so I don't have an ear for anything other than tempo.

Does anyone know of any good websites where they really break a tune down? I feel like I could learn a thing or three.

The Gaslight Anthem's The '59 Sound Sessions in the car.

The nine-track effort features rare and previously unreleased songs, which were all recorded in the months before The Gaslight Anthem entered the studio for The ’59 Sound. Included are early versions of album favorites “Great Expectations” and “Miles Davis & The Cool”, as well as the previously unheard “Placeholder”. There’s also a cover of the folk standard “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” (made famous Johnny Cash).

I've always said, this is the best band, no one listens to.

Feb 11, 2019 9:25:00 GMT Big Pete said:

Also been reading through some old magazines like the NME retrospective on Nirvana. It's such a fantastic love-letter that it inspired me to check out the genre that inspired my interest in music, Post-Punk Revival. I've been listening to a lot of 'Turn On The Bright Lights' arguably the best album of the genre and I'm finding it enjoyable looking at it through an analystical lense.

Turn on the Bright Lights is a pretty strong contender for my favourite album of all time. I'm a little bit too young to really appreciate how it was the perfect soundtrack to a post 9/11 world, but as a wannabe New Yorker it never fails to spark my daydreams about what it would be like to live there. And even if you strip all that away, from a purely musical perspective it still hits you with the same intensity and emotion on the fiftieth play as it did on the first. 

I love some early to mid 2000's screamo, particularly Alexisonfire.

Watch Out was an absolute cracker album from 2004. The Canadians among us might know them. Dallas Green went onto become City & Color. They either burnt out or faded away with the genre, but for a brief moment in my music history, these guys were the best thing going.

I am going to be posting in this thread A LOT. I have a Google Music subscription and I drive a lot for work, so I'm always messing with the "related artists" feature as I go about my day.

Currently I'm playing the new FIDLAR album, "Almost Free." It came out a couple weeks ago and hasn't left my stereo. I've loved them for a few years now and this album, I think, is going to be their breakout album. It's so good.

Check out "Can't You See," "Almost Free" and "Scam Likely" for a good preview of the album, but really you can't go wrong giving it a listen if you're even remotely into California pop punk.

Also been listening to a lot of Ice Cube lately for some reason. Not sure what kicked that off. I think I checked out his most recent album and just kind of went from there. That's brought up a lot of NWA and other rap I haven't listened to in years.

Also Glorious Sons and Black Pistol Fire have been on and off my playlist over the past few months.

I watch a lot of the needle drop/Anthony Fantano despite disagreeing with his reviews 90% of the time. The other 10% makes up for it though when I get introduced to bands like Death Grips.

Same goes with the band Daughters, listened to their “You Won’t Get What you Want” Album which Fantano gave an elusive 10/10 and was blown away. I’ve also been listening to The Offspring lately, mostly Conspiracy of One because I got it for Christmas when I was a kid 😂

I have bseen on a bit of a Rammstein kick as of late in anticipation of their new album. I found them a bit later than some, as Du Hast/Sensucht came out in 1997 and I didn't jump on the bandwagon until Mutter in 2001.  

Also, have Tea Party tickets in May so I am checking out their new album. They are a Canadian group (my favorite band) so many of you likely have not heard of them.

Feb 19, 2019 22:49:57 GMT iron maiden said:

I have been on a bit of a Rammstein kick as of late in anticipation of their new album. I found them a bit later than some, as Du Hast came out in 1997 and I didn't jump on the bandwagon until 2001.

Also, have Tea Party tickets in May so I am checking out their new album. They are a Canadian group (my favorite band) so many of you likely have not heard of them.

I'm a big fan of the Tea Party. Isn't this like their first tour in over a decade? I remember hearing when they disbanded around 2007ish and being so disappointed.

Feb 20, 2019 5:56:38 GMT Shootist said:

Feb 19, 2019 22:49:57 GMT iron maiden said:

I have been on a bit of a Rammstein kick as of late in anticipation of their new album. I found them a bit later than some, as Du Hast came out in 1997 and I didn't jump on the bandwagon until 2001.

Also, have Tea Party tickets in May so I am checking out their new album. They are a Canadian group (my favorite band) so many of you likely have not heard of them.

I'm a big fan of the Tea Party. Isn't this like their first tour in over a decade? I remember hearing when they disbanded around 2007ish and being so disappointed.

They thankfully reunited in 2014 and created The Ocean at the End album. They toured then and again 2 years ago with their 20 Years of Transmission tour. New single is Black River. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Last 25 plays on Itunes (since that's how these threads usually went back in the day)



Little Bones- The Tragically Hip

In The Mood/Drum Solo/Something For Nothing (Pinkpop Festival 6/4/79)- Rush

Spirit In The Night (WMMS FM Broadcast Agora Ballroom Cleveland 8/9/78)-Bruce Springsteen

American Girl- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Rocky Racoon- The Beatles

Will You Be There (In The Morning)- Heart

Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Cheers Theme)- Gary Portnoy

Senses Working Overtime- XTC

Wild Ones- FM-84 Featuring Ollie Wilde

The Unforgiven (Live Shit: Mexico City)- Metallica

My Crazy Head- Heart

Hold On Tight- ELO

Make You Feel My Love- Adele

All My Sorrows (Songs From The Small Machine: Live)- Lindsey Buckingham

Grand Sword (Kenta Kobashi Theme)- Osamu Suzuki

I Am Here- The Grapes Of Wrath

Life In The Fast Lane- Eagles

Hope- Rush

So Caught Up In You- 38 Special

That Was Just Your Life- Metallica

Achilles Last Stand- Led Zeppelin

Crystal Planet- Joe Satriani

I Don't Wanna Know- Phil Collins

One (Live In Mexico City 2009)- Metallica

Eulogy- Tool


Read more: pwcom.proboards.com/conversation/1095#ixzz5geMqKB00

Feb 26, 2019 15:08:02 GMT Shootist said:

Last 25 plays on Itunes (since that's how these threads usually went back in the day)

I like this approach. I'll have to borrow it next time I pop in this thread. But the quick, pressed for time answer is the same thing I listen to most every day- Sabaton!

Wolfpack- Sabaton

To Hell And Back- Sabaton

Barcelona- Bill Newman

Old Abram Brown- Moonrise Kingdom Soundtrack (Elementary School chorus nostalgia kick)

Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill- Trip McCool (see above)

Demolition Theme- WWF/Rick Derringer

The Clarion Call- Falconer

Lord of the Blacksmiths- Falconer

A Quest For The Crown- Falconer

The Road Goes Ever On- Wuthering Heights

Accident of Birth- Bruce Dickinson

The Chemical Wedding- Bruce Dickinson

Captain Morgan's Revenge- Alestorm

Keelhauled- Alestorm

Angus McFife- Gloryhammer

In The Name Of God- Powerwolf

More Powerwolf

Hold Back The Night- The Protomen

Moral of the Story: Joakim Broden and Christopher Bowes are the modern day Metal Gods and we should all cherish them.

My friend's husband is in a local metal band that is most certainly not my cup of tea. But the friend will sometimes tell me about a band I may like that her hubby's band played a show with. The most recent of these is another local metal act called Burning Shadows. I've been listening to them today, and while they do seem like a band I could get into, I'm not really feeling them. Thoughts, Emperor ? www.youtube.com/user/burningshadows/videos

I also gave the husband's band (which shall remain nameless) another try. Nah. Still not for me. I can't abide the growling.

I see Falconer! And Gloryhammer! These are good bands. Baker, do you listen to albums or just random songs? I'm listening to Burning Shadows right now. I definitely like the general sound and style, and they have good riffs, but it's lacking a bit of force. The vocalist has a nice voice but there's not a lot of power behind it. A lot more good than bad though. I say all these words based on one song, but I'm definitely going to listen to more.

I've been checking out a lot of bands recently, mainly inspired by the 60s rock countdown and related PM conversation with Baker.

Clear Light - Clear Light - Pretty good album. One really annoying song (Mr. Blue) but mostly good proto-metal music. On the fence about whether I will add it to my collection.

Jethro Tull - Aqualung - Very good, definite add to the collection.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Not sure how this album got so massive, because I didn't like a single song apart from Go Your Own Way.

Motorhead - Motorhead - Never given Motorhead a super fair shake. This is their debut album. Bit rough around the edges, but definitely Motorhead. However it proved to me that while listening to the odd Motorhead song is a good experience, listening to them for 15 minutes or more gets boring pretty quickly. Willing to give one of their bigger/better albums a shot though. Recommendations?

Anthrax - Worship Music - It is my belief that Anthrax haven't done anything good since 1987's Among The Living. I heard rumours that Worship Music was a huge return to form. I disagree. I listened to the first few tracks and turned it off. Barely thrash metal. It's too slow and not very energetic. Mediocre groove metal at best, and I am generally not a groove metal fan. That said...

Pantera - Cowboys From Hell - Every few years I return to Pantera because I feel they are a band I should like, but every time I listen to them I feel like I'm forcing myself to like something I'm not that into. Not this time. While I wouldn't say it was an amazing listen from start to finish, it's an excellent album for the most part. Also the only Pantera album I've listened to in full. Never tried any of their other ones. Next up: Far Beyond Driven.

Blood Ceremony - Not listened to any particular album but I've been really high on them in general recently since I saw them not too long ago. Think Black Sabbath with flutes and a female singer. Really excellent, unique band. My favourite songs at the moment are Witchwood and Oliver Haddo.

Believe it or not, Mongolian Rock!!!!!!!

Currently Listening: ^Mongolian Rock. Come on. You had to know there was no way I could pass that up.

Feb 27, 2019 20:23:35 GMT Emperor said:

I see Falconer! And Gloryhammer! These are good bands. Baker, do you listen to albums or just random songs?

Indeed they are. You actually turned me on to Falconer a few months ago. Gloryhammer is an even more recent discovery. Once I found out the guy from Alestorm had a side project I simply had to check it out. I'm not a big fan of their gimmick though. If there is any musical genre that doesn't deserve to be parodied it's power metal. But I cannot deny their ability to rock.

I mostly listen to random songs nowadays and I have a pretty short attention span. If something doesn't hook me quickly, or come with a ton of hype from people I trust, then it's on to the next tune.

Feb 27, 2019 20:23:35 GMT Emperor said:

Motorhead - Motorhead - Never given Motorhead a super fair shake. This is their debut album. Bit rough around the edges, but definitely Motorhead. However it proved to me that while listening to the odd Motorhead song is a good experience, listening to them for 15 minutes or more gets boring pretty quickly. Willing to give one of their bigger/better albums a shot though. Recommendations?

Pantera - Cowboys From Hell - Every few years I return to Pantera because I feel they are a band I should like, but every time I listen to them I feel like I'm forcing myself to like something I'm not that into. 

I feel the same way about both of these bands. The only Motorhead I really like are their Triple H themes and I don't have much time for Pantera beyond Walk.

Second video from the The Hu Band



I think these guys have an awesome sound.  Really looking forward to the full album.

Feb 27, 2019 20:23:35 GMT Emperor said:

I see Falconer! And Gloryhammer! These are good bands. Baker, do you listen to albums or just random songs? I'm listening to Burning Shadows right now. I definitely like the general sound and style, and they have good riffs, but it's lacking a bit of force. The vocalist has a nice voice but there's not a lot of power behind it. A lot more good than bad though. I say all these words based on one song, but I'm definitely going to listen to more.

I've been checking out a lot of bands recently, mainly inspired by the 60s rock countdown and related PM conversation with Baker .

Clear Light - Clear Light - Pretty good album. One really annoying song (Mr. Blue) but mostly good proto-metal music. On the fence about whether I will add it to my collection.

Jethro Tull - Aqualung - Very good, definite add to the collection.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours - Not sure how this album got so massive, because I didn't like a single song apart from Go Your Own Way.

Motorhead - Motorhead - Never given Motorhead a super fair shake. This is their debut album. Bit rough around the edges, but definitely Motorhead. However it proved to me that while listening to the odd Motorhead song is a good experience, listening to them for 15 minutes or more gets boring pretty quickly. Willing to give one of their bigger/better albums a shot though. Recommendations?

Anthrax - Worship Music - It is my belief that Anthrax haven't done anything good since 1987's Among The Living. I heard rumours that Worship Music was a huge return to form. I disagree. I listened to the first few tracks and turned it off. Barely thrash metal. It's too slow and not very energetic. Mediocre groove metal at best, and I am generally not a groove metal fan. That said...

Pantera - Cowboys From Hell - Every few years I return to Pantera because I feel they are a band I should like, but every time I listen to them I feel like I'm forcing myself to like something I'm not that into. Not this time. While I wouldn't say it was an amazing listen from start to finish, it's an excellent album for the most part. Also the only Pantera album I've listened to in full. Never tried any of their other ones. Next up: Far Beyond Driven.

Blood Ceremony - Not listened to any particular album but I've been really high on them in general recently since I saw them not too long ago. Think Black Sabbath with flutes and a female singer. Really excellent, unique band. My favourite songs at the moment are Witchwood and Oliver Haddo.

Nice to see you're coming around on Pantera. Far Beyond Driven continues the consistency and just might be my favorite from them.

The go to for Motorhead is Ace Of Spades. Also give Bomber a whirl.

Disappointed that you didn't like Fleetwood Mac. If you get into the soap opera backstory behind the album the songs have a much bigger impact. If you can find it watch the VH1 classic album series that focuses on Rumours. It may give you a different appreciation for the songs.

Feb 28, 2019 2:45:30 GMT Shootist said:

Disappointed that you didn't like Fleetwood Mac. If you get into the soap opera backstory behind the album the songs have a much bigger impact. If you can find it watch the VH1 classic album series that focuses on Rumours. It may give you a different appreciation for the songs.

Interesting that you mention that. A year or two ago a friend of mine gave me an old rock music magazine of hers. That particular episode has a very long historic piece on Fleetwood Mac. I've been meaning to read it, but to be honest it's hard to get myself to do so considering that I don't like the band at all.

Feb 28, 2019 7:11:03 GMT Emperor said:

Feb 28, 2019 2:45:30 GMT Shootist said:

Disappointed that you didn't like Fleetwood Mac. If you get into the soap opera backstory behind the album the songs have a much bigger impact. If you can find it watch the VH1 classic album series that focuses on Rumours. It may give you a different appreciation for the songs.

Interesting that you mention that. A year or two ago a friend of mine gave me an old rock music magazine of hers. That particular episode has a very long historic piece on Fleetwood Mac. I've been meaning to read it, but to be honest it's hard to get myself to do so considering that I don't like the band at all.

Good point, Motorhead might also be a tough sell as well, even I agree a lot of their songs sound the same and Lemmy's vocals are an acquired taste.

25 more since I'm just studying today.

Endless Sacrifice- Dream Theater
Disco Strangler- The Eagles
The Trees (Different Stages Live)- Rush
Go Your Own Way (Live Rumours Tour)- Fleetwood Mac
Gold Dust Woman- Fleetwood Mac
Orion (Live: Turin, Italy 2018)- Metallica
The Sweetest Thing- U2
Planets Of The Universe (Rumours Demo)- Fleetwood Mac
Poundcake (Live: Right Here Right Now)- Van Halen
Pearl Necklace- ZZ Top
Alternative Girlfriend- Barenaked Ladies
Fool In The Rain- Led Zeppelin
59 Crunch- Heart
I Love You- Heart
Under The Sky (Live)- Heart
Love and Anger- Kate Bush
Digital Man- Rush
Solsbury Hill- Peter Gabriel
Fates Warning- Iron Maiden
The Rising- Bruce Springsteen
God Part II- U2
Awakenings- Symphony X
The Dealer- Stevie Nicks
Screaming For Vengeance- Judas Priest
Symphony Of Destruction- Megadeth

Bumping this with my last 20....

Lord Steven Regal's most famous WCW theme
Diamond Rio- Meet In The Middle
Onyx- Slam
Eddie And The Cruisers- On The Dark Side
Eddie And The Cruisers- Season In Hell
John Cafferty (Rocky IV Soundtrack)- Hearts On Fire
Sabaton- Bismarck 
Johnny Horton- Sink The Bismarck
Sabaton- Bismarck
Dream Evil- The Chosen Ones  :rockin:
Dream Evil- The Chosen Ones
Dream Evil- Into The Moonlight
Sabaton- Bismarck
Rhapsody- Emerald Sword
Isenmor- Pyre
Sabaton- Bismarck
Electric Wizard- Dunwich
The Darkness- Mighty Wings
Sellsword- Rise and Take Command
Sabaton- Bismarck

Jon Wolfe a Texas country artist that I think is fixing to make it big. Saw him this past Friday night and he put on a great show.

Wednesday & Thursday might as well have been Hot August Nights with all the Neil Diamond I was listening to. 

Last 25 on random....

Scorpions- Big City Nights
Belinda Carlisle- Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Styx- Castle Walls
Judas Priest- Freewheel Burning
Wu-Tang Clan- Can It Be All So Simple
Dokken- Breaking The Chains
Neil Diamond(!)- Desiree
System of a Down- Old School Hollywood
Alabama- Cheap Seats
Mercyful Fate- A Dangerous Meeting
Rush- Anthem
Bonnie Tyler- Total Eclipse of the Heart
Iron Maiden- Flight of Icarus
Manowar- Warriors of the World
Kelly Clarkson- Since U Been Gone
Whitesnake- Judgment Day
Warren G ft. Nate Dogg- Regulate
My Chemical Romance- The Black Parade
Dream Theater- Pull Me Under
Butthole Surfers- The Lord Is A Monkey
Bruce Springsteen- The River
Bad Ronald- Lost On Tour
Dexy's Midnight Runners- Come On Eileen
Blue Oyster Cult- Veteran of the Psychic Wars
Billy Ray Cyrus- Words By Heart
------------
Then it was 90s country rabbit hole time....

Billy Ray Cyrus- Could've Been Me
Billy Ray Cyrus- Some Gave All
Garth Brooks- Callin' Baton Rouge
Garth Brooks- The Thunder Rolls

Until this popped up in my Youtube recommendations.....

Sabaton- Fields of Verdun

Then I discovered Sabaton was going on tour later this year. YES! Went to get tickets for the November 3rd show in Virginia. Ticket secured after an hour or two of dealing with stupid Ticketmaster. Going to see Iron Maiden in July and now Sabaton in November. Can't wait! They'll be my first concerts since I saw Rush way back in 2007. After dealing with Ticketmaster again now I remember why I stopped going to concerts.....
Edit: lol Just left the grocery store where they were playing Neil Diamond’s Cracklin’ Rosie. The great man is all over the place today.

I've been obsessed with Pull Me Under recently. For a long time I never thought much of Dream Theater's most critically-acclaied "Images & Words" album, but about a year ago I put it on and it blew my mind. Pull Me Under is an amazing song, perhaps the best prog metal song ever written. That said, the tracks Surrounded, Take The Time, and Metropolis are right up there with it.

In general I've been on a prog metal kick. Listened to Savatage's first album - very good. Fates Warning - Awaken The Guardian. Not so keen on that, but I'm intrigued to check out more.

Then there's Opeth. One of the more popular metal bands, but I've somehow managed to avoid them my whole life. Until a couple of months ago, when I listened to Blackwater Park. I was very impressed. I was equally impressed by Ghost Reveries. Opeth's music is very strange to me. I have a hard time figuring it out. They are able to create an amazing atmosphere and depth seemingly without doing very much. They write songs with no discernible structure, just a constant flow from one movement to the next. I've never experienced anything quite like it. I want more Opeth in my life.

On the opposite end of the rock/metal spectrum, I've been checking out some 80s hardcore punk bands. In general the music is good, but far too simplistic to listen to at length. One Bad Religion song is fun. A whole album of Bad Religion sounds is boring. The exception is Dead Kennedys. Had a great time listening to one of their albums. Their riffs are more sophisticated than the typical punk riff, and they have guitar solos, and amusing tongue-in-cheek lyrics.

In honour of the Verve getting the rights to this song back.