Label Today's Rock Music For Me Please

The other day at work I posed the question of what we call the rock music of today. I had a couple replies but nothing solid. One said just "Rock", another "unoriginal" which I thought was clever. We've had progressive rock, heavy metal, hard rock, glam rock, arena rock, old rock is now has been called classic rock since it came out, grunge, speed metal, thrash, art rock, hair metal and so on and on. And I also want to ask the question where is the one or two bands of this decade or generation that will change the face of music? It's the middle of 2008 and it hasn't happened yet to my knowledge. Elvis of the 50s, Beatles/Stones of the 60s, Zeppelin/Sabbath of the 70s, VH/and I'll throw in Motley Crue in the 80s just for the sake of breaking out of L.A. with the Glam/Hair Metal and power ballad(s),and Nirvana/Soundgarden in the 90s. I also posed the question about mainstream. One funny reply to me was how is alternative music alternative if its mainstream. Maybe we are just so caught up in all the American Idols of the world and reality/look at me world of reality television and YouTube or Guitar Hero video games. I think why some of these old bands going back out on tour at the age of 40/50/60 is for the fact 'they can'. We just don't have that one big rock band that everybody has to go see. Nobody is standing out from the rest. Everyone has their own favorite bands BUT not everybody has the same favorite bands. But the word that keeps coming back to me is "unoriginal".

Random Music Thoughts Vol 2.

1. Dear Ozzy, you don't need to make truibute albums about other bands. Other bands make tribute albums about you.

2. Dear AC/DC, Wal-Mart? Are you kidding me? You're not the Eagles. I understand your stance...but come on, you'll sell more on iTunes the first day than you will in a month at Wal-Mart.

3. Dear Velvet Revolver, Do whatever you have to do to get Josh Todd of Buck Cherry for your new lead singer.

4. Dear Snack King...how about those snack recipes.

5. Dear Kell88, close the lid please.

6. Dear Eddie Van Halen...how about putting out a instrumental album

7. Dear Stones, keep rockin until you die.

8. Dear Billy Idol, I like the new stuff.

9. Dear Journey, as much as I like the new singer from The Zoo, you still need Steve.

10. Dear Lars, leave the snare off the new album...it's ok - let it go....it sounds better without it.

Video of Week: AC/DC - It's a Long Way to theTop

Video of Week: Judas Priest Diamonds & Rust (live)

Life Changing Moments

"No one expects the rug to be yanked out from under them; life-changing events usually don't announce themselves. While instinct and intuition can help provide some warning signs, they can do little to prepare you for the feeling of rootlessness that follows when fate flips your world upside down. Anger, confusion, sadness, and frustration are shaken up together inside you like a snow globe. It takes years for the emotional dust to settle as you do your best just to see through the storm." - Slash

Video of Week: Hear 'N Aid - Stars

Band of the Month: Aerosmith

Aerosmith was one of the most popular hard rock bands of the '70s, setting the style and sound of hard rock and heavy metal for the next two decades with their raunchy, bluesy swagger. The Boston-based quintet found the middle ground between the menace of the Rolling Stones and the campy, sleazy flamboyance of the New York Dolls, developing a lean, dirty riff-oriented boogie that was loose and swinging and as hard as a diamond. In the meantime, they developed a prototype for power-ballads with "Dream On," a piano ballad that was orchestrated with strings and distorted guitars. Aerosmith's ability to pull off both ballads and rock & roll made them extremely popular during the mid-'70s, when they had a string of gold and platinum albums. By the early '80s, the group's audience had declined as the band fell prey to drug and alcohol abuse. However, their career was far from over -- in the late '80s, Aerosmith pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in rock history, returning to the top of the charts with a group of albums that equalled, if not surpassed, the popularity of their '70s albums.

In 1970, the first incarnation of Aerosmith formed when vocalist Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry while working at a Sunapee, NH, ice cream parlor. Tyler, who originally was a drummer, and Perry decided to form a power trio with bassist Tom Hamilton. The group soon expanded to quartet, adding a second guitarist called Ray Tabano; he was quickly replaced by Brad Whitford, a former member of Earth Inc. With the addition of drummer Joey Kramer, Tyler became the full-time lead singer by the end of year. Aerosmith relocated to Boston at the end of 1970.

After playing clubs in the Massachusetts and New York areas for two years, the group landed a record contract with Columbia Records in 1972. Aerosmith's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1973, climbing to number 166. "Dream On" was released as the first single and it was a minor hit, reaching number 59. For the next year, the band built a fan base by touring America, supporting groups as diverse as the Kinks, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sha Na Na, and Mott the Hoople. The performance of Get Your Wings (1974), the group's second album and first produced by Jack Douglas, benefitted from their constant touring, spending a total of 86 weeks on the chart.

Aerosmith's third record, 1975's Toys in the Attic, both commercially and artistically. By the time the album was recorded, the band's sound had developed into a sleek, hard-driving hard rock powered by simple, almost brutal, blues-based riffs. Many critics at the time labelled the group as punk rockers, and it's easy to see why -- instead of adhering to the world-music pretentions of Led Zeppelin or the prolonged gloomy mysticism of Black Sabbath, Aerosmith stripped heavy metal to its basic core, spitting out spare riffs that not only rocked, but rolled. Steven Tyler's lyrics were filled with double entendres and clever joke and the entire band had a street-wise charisma that separated them from the heavy, lumbering arena rockers of the era. Toys in the Attic captured the essence of the newly invigorated Aerosmith.

"Sweet Emotion," the slyly funky first single from Toys in the Attic, broke into the Top 40 in the summer of 1975, with the album reaching number 11 shortly afterward. Its success prompted the re-release of the power ballad "Dream On," which shot into the Top Ten in early 1976. Both Aerosmith and Get Your Wings climbed back up the charts in the wake of Toys in the Attic, peaking at number 21 and 74 respectively. "Walk This Way," the final single from Toys in the Attic, was released around the time of the group's new 1976 album, Rocks. Although it didn't feature a Top Ten hit like "Walk This Way," Rocks went platinum quickly, peaking at number three.

In early 1977, Aerosmith took a break and prepared material for their fifth album. Released late in 1977, Draw the Line was another hit, climbing to number 11 on the U.S. charts, but it showed signs of exhaustion. In addition to another tour in 1978, the band appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performing "Come Together," which eventually became a number 23 hit. Live! Bootleg appeared late in 1978 and became another success, reaching number 13. Aerosmith recorded Night in the Ruts in 1979, releasing the record at the end of the year. By the time of its release, Joe Perry had left the band to form the Joe Perry Project with vocalist Ralph Morman, basssist David Hull, and drummer Ronnie Stewart. Night in the Ruts performed respectably, climbing to number 14 and going gold, yet it was the least successful Aerosmith record to date. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.

As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies. The new lineup of Aerosmith released Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. Peaking at number 32, failed to match the performance of Night in the Ruts and the record showed that the band was out of ideas. Perry and Whitford returned to the band in 1984 and the group began a reunion tour dubbed "Back in the Saddle." Early in the tour, Tyler collapsed on stage, offering proof that the band hadn't conquered their notorious drug and alcohol addictions. The following year, Aerosmith released Done with Mirrors, the original lineup's first record since 1979 and their first for Geffen Records. Although it didn't perform as well as Rock in a Hard Place, the album showed that the band was revitalized.

After the release of Done with Mirrors, Tyler and Perry completed a rehabilitation program. In 1986, the pair appeared on Run D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way," along with appearing in the video. "Walk This Way" became a hit, reaching number four and receiving saturation airplay in MTV. "Walk This Way" set the stage for the band's full-scale comeback effort, the Bruce Fairburn-produced Permanent Vacation (1987). Tyler and Perry collaborated with professional hard rock songwriters like Holly Knight and Desmond Child, resulting in the hits "Dude (Looks like a Lady)," "Rag Doll" and "Angel." Permanent Vacation peaked at number 11 and sold over three million copies.

Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes." Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. Like Permanent Vacation and Pump, Get a Grip was produced by Bruce Fairburn and featured significant contributions by professional songwriters. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years; it went double platinum shortly after its release.

Music News V2.0

AC/DC new albumn due in early October...exclusiely at Wal-Mart (and only). Taking a page from the Eagles.
Sebastian Bach turned down the lead singer duties for Velvet Revolver. I think would have like Buck Cherry's lead singer instead...but he also says no thanks.

Video of Week(end): David Bowie - China Girl (Live)