Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Song #8 On My MP3 Player - 18 Wheels by The Murder City Devils (Explicit Lyrics)

Someone sent me a copy of The Murder City Devil's 1998 album Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts as a gift years ago for some reason. '18 Wheels' is the third track on the album and it is the eighth song on my MP3 player. The Murder City Devils are a rock band from Seattle, Washington that has released two EPs and four LPs.

'18 Wheels' is on my MP3 player because it is a kick ass rock song that gets me motivated to do things like mow the lawn or move boxes at work. This song is what the kids refer to as garage punk because it has the 60's garage sound mixed with Spencer Moody's angry as hell vocals. You can't go wrong with a track like '18 Wheels'. Give it a listen, but this song does drop the f-bomb at times, so don't blast this one at your cubicle at work.  



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Check out his webcomic The Red Devil because it is totally awesome
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Song #7 On My MP3 Player - 16 Days by Whiskeytown

'16 Days' by Whiskeytown is the seventh song on my MP3 player and is featured on Whiskeytown's 1997 major label debut titled Strangers Almanac. Whiskeytown was an alternative country band from Raleigh, North Carolina that featured Ryan Adams on vocals.

Alternative country is a term used to describe bands that are influenced by country music but produce a style of music that has the country sound mixed with other genres like rockabilly, hard rock, or punk. Uncle Tupelo is a good example of alternative country. I'm a fan of this genre and you can't go wrong with Whiskeytown's Strangers Almanac.

'16 Days' is on my MP3 player because it is a damn good song. Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary do a great job on vocals. If you like songs that tell a story then '16 Days' is right up your alley. However '16 Days' is a story of a relationship that's falling apart. Maybe it's over. Who knows. All I can tell you is that '16 Days' is awesome, and I've included a live performance below, so enjoy today's song.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He has eaten too many donuts over the past four days.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Song #6 On My MP3 Player: Evergreen Memorial Drive by Nova Mob

Yes, it's another Nova Mob track. If you have not been following this MP3 series then click here to get a brief history of Nova Mob. This song is listed as '13 - Evergreen Memorial Drive' on my MP3 player and is one of two hidden tracks from the 1991 album The Last Days of Pompeii. 'Evergreen Memorial Drive' is an amazing song and it is a shame that this is a hidden track because it is another great effort by this Grant Hart project.

'Evergreen Memorial Drive' is a great example of a song that ends an album on a high note. The tempo for this song is somewhat slow, but everything builds up to a great moment where the listener is given a great rock song. Take a listen and enjoy.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Song #5 On My MP3 Player: Overkill by Colin Hay

Listed as '03- Overkill' on my MP3 player, this acoustic version by Colin Hay was released in 2003 on his Man @ Work album. Colin Hay was the lead singer of Men at Work, an Australian 80's pop band that won the 1983 Grammy for Best New Artist. 'Overkill' was originally released in 1983 on their album Cargo.

I'm a big fan of Men at Work and I believe one should not write them off as a goofy 80's band. Their catalog is pretty damn good and Colin Hay can really craft a fine pop song. 'Overkill' is my favorite Men at Work song, and I really love the stripped down acoustic version. The true test of any song is to see if it sounds good acoustically. If you write a song and it doesn't sound good on an acoustic guitar then it sucks. 'Overkill' doesn't suck.

"Overkill' is on my MP3 player because it is a good song for me to hear when I feel stressed out or overwhelmed because I'm sweating the small stuff. Music is what I use to get through some tough times, and 'Overkill' definitely gets me back on track. I think this is a wonderful song and I hope you enjoy it as well.





TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock & Roll. He's excited to visit family in Ohio and to eat Schuler's donuts.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Song #4 On My MP3 Player: Shoot Your Way To Freedom by Nova Mob

Listed as '02 - Shoot Your Way To Freedom', this track by Nova Mob is the fourth song on my MP3 player. Yesterday's song was 'Old Empire', which is the opening track to Nova Mob's eponymous 1994 album. I promise that my MP3 song list gets more organized as we go on in this series.

Nova Mob is a great rock album, and 'Shoot Your Way To Freedom' keeps the listener rockin' following a killer opening track. 'Shoot Your Way To Freedom' was added to my MP3 player because it's a damn good song that rocks. I'm not always in the mood for something flashy and songs like 'Shoot Your Way To Freedom' keep it simple, plus it has that catchy as hell chant of 'Shoot, shoot, shoot' added in for good measure.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He is also the author of two webcomics titled The Red Devil and Day 165. Be cool and check them out.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Song #3 On My MP3 Player: Old Empire by Nova Mob

I have a feeling that my less than stellar alphabetizing and organization of my MP3 player is driving my OCD and anal retentive readers nuts. Listed as '01-Old Empire' on my MP3 player, this song was the opening track to Nova Mob's 1994 eponymous release. Nova Mob was formed in 1989 by Grant Hart who was the drummer and co-lead singer of the post-punk band Husker Du until the late 80's when they disbanded.

Grant Hart and Bob Mould shared the lead vocals in Husker Du and there have been many debates regarding who was the better singer-songwriter. After the breakup there were debates regarding who had the better solo career. Mould's solo career has overshadowed Hart's, but Hart had some amazing solo work that has been ignored.

I'm a fan of Husker Du and of Mould and Hart's solo careers. Hart in my opinion has the ability to write some great pop-rock songs and that's why I have 'Old Empire' on my MP3 player. The Nova Mob album is very good, and 'Old Empire' will appeal to fans of alternative rock, especially fans of the Foo Fighters. Enjoy.



TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He is also the author of two webcomics titled The Red Devil and Day 165. Be cool and check them out.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Song #2 On My MP3 Player: (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) by the Beastie Boys

Due to the parentheses, '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)' is the second song listed alphabetically on my MP3 player. It was supposed to be a goof on party music, but '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)' became a 1987 top ten single on the Billboard 100 for the Beastie Boys. If you are a member of Generation X or Y in denial about your age then you'll be pleased to know that Licensed to Ill was released 26 years ago.

I have had the opportunity to teach classes on the history of rock and roll at a local community college. My students would have weekly assignments where I would ask them to review ten songs. One week I asked students to review '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)' and one student stated in his review that this was the perfect song to play on a day when you are stressed out and pissed off at the world.

The Beastie Boys have a great catalog full of music to get you movin' and groovin'. Their music is a must on my MP3 player because songs like '(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)'  help me out when I'm stressed and/or pissed off at the world. This song is timeless and even though it was meant as a goof on party music it still is one of the best teen angst party anthems. Don't act too cool for school with this song because you still shout "BUSTED" after they say "Now your mom threw away your best porno mag."

The video is embedded below for your viewing and listening pleasure. I recently read an oral history of MTV titled I Want My MTV: An Uncensored History of the Music Video Revolution and there's a funny story about the making of this video. There's a young Tabitha Soren in this video, plus all of the whipped cream used for the pies were taken from containers found in a waste bin outside of a supermarket. In the book Tabitha Soren said that there was no money for the video and that's why they had to get them out of a waste bin. She also added that the whipped cream had turned rancid and the room where they shot the video reeked of rotten eggs. Lovely.




TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. He is also the author of two webcomics titled The Red Devil and Day 165. Be a pal and check them out.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Songs On My MP3 Player: (I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries by Guided by Voices



The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll is back in business. It has been five months since I last posted and I am glad to be back blogging about rock and roll. It was sometime last week when I decided to share with the Lost Soul faithful every song that is stored on my MP3 player which is a Philips GoGear Vibe 4G model.  All posts will be in alphabetical order.

'(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' by Guided by Voices (GBV) is the first song listed on my MP3 player because of the parentheses. '(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is featured on the 'I Am A Tree' single that was released in 1997 by Matador Records.

GBV is a band that was formed in Dayton, Ohio during the early 1980's, and they became a favorite of music critics and alternative rock bands during the early 1990's following the release of the albums Propeller and Bee Thousand. The band has a sound that is influenced by various genres including The British Invasion, punk rock, post-punk, psychedelic rock, and progressive rock. Their lead singer is a former fourth grade teacher named Robert Pollard and he is quite possibly one of the most prolific songwriters of the past thirty years. Many of the GBV's releases are considered lo-fi due to the use of inexpensive recording devices to record their releases, but they would venture into the studio to produce some polished rock albums. The history of GBV includes numerous personnel changes and their career came to end in 2004 when Pollard decided to retire the band. GBV's retirement ended in 2010 when pollard got the band back together to tour and to release new music.

I became a fan of GBV in 1994 and saw my first show in Dayton, Ohio a year later. This was the time of the lo-fi era GBV and the lineup was Bob Pollard on vocals, Jim Greer on bass, Tobin Sprout on guitar and vocals, Mitch Mitchell on guitar, and Kevin Fennell on drums. Greg Demos would replace Greer on bass and this lineup from 1992 to 1996 was known as the "classic lineup".

What I've always liked about this band, especially the "classic lineup", was that on stage they looked like a bunch of regular guys playing solid rock and roll. The sets were long, the energy was high, and the band always played a great show. The "classic lineup" had a run featuring some incredibly amazing albums including Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, and Under The Bushes, Under The Stars.

Everything seemed to be going well from my point of view as a fan during the mid to late 90's, but Pollard made a decision that shocked me in 1997 when he announced some major personnel changes. Pollard had the entire band replaced by members of Cobra Verde, a Cleveland rock band. I was on a GBV mailing list for fans and from what I was told on the list was that Pollard wanted a more savvy group of musicians to join him for a big studio album project. Doug Gillard was lead guitar player, John Petkovic was the rhythm guitar player, Don Depew was on bass, and Dave Swanson was on drums. The sound went from lo-fi to studio rock and the end result was a 1997 concept album titled Mag Earwhig!

Mag Earwhig! is a good album overall, but it was a clear statement from Pollard that the lo-fi era was over. The Cobra Verde lineup did not disappoint fans at shows, but for some reason, Pollard decided to keep Gillard and replace the remaining band members with new musicians less than one year after disbanding the "classic lineup".

'(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is the first song in this MP3 series and it opens with a lovely acoustic sound that builds up to a great progressive rock explosion. It seems to me that it is a crime that this song was placed on the 'I Am A Tree' single instead of Mag Earwhig! because '(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is quite possibly one of GBV's strongest songs from this Cobra Verde era. I've always been of the opinion that Pollard really wanted a hit at this point in his career and Mag Earwhig! could have been the album to take him to radio hitsville. For some reason, it did not happen. '(I'll Name You) The Flame That cries' has everything that a band needs for a radio hit, so it has been a myestery to me why this didn't make the album.

Progressive rock or prog rock is not something I want to listen to on a daily basis, but '(I'll Name You) The Flame That Cries' is an exception that deserves to be on my MP3 player because it is that kind of rock song that will get your head bobbing and your fist pumping in the air. For those of you that have not converted to the rock awesomeness of GBV then give this song a listen because it is definitely a gateway song one can use to get new converts to join the Church of GBV. The club is open.




TonyDoug Wright is the Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Follow him on Twitter @TonyDougWright or join The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll page on Facebook.


Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll Returns Monday, July 22, 2013

I stepped away from this site months ago to focus on some comic book projects, and I am pleased to announce that this site will return on Monday, July 22, 2013. There will be a song of the day feature, but I am going to have a theme for the next 365 days of posts. Yes, you read that correctly. See you on Monday!