Classic Rock Tuesday: Rockin' In The Free World by Neil Young

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The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll has a deep appreciation for classic rock. Every Tuesday, I will select a cut that seems to be on the heavy rotation list or a long lost classic. 

Neil Young is an artist that can deliver a powerful but beautiful song on an acoustic guitar or he can make your ears bleed with a wall of guitars. 'Rockin' In The Free World', released in 1989, was and still is an all out rocking anthem against jingoism and a materialistic society. It seems that some twenty thousand bands (i.e. Pearl Jam) use 'Rockin' In The Free World' as their obligatory protest/we're-gonna-get-all-political-and-deep-on-you song, but in my opinion, this song still is powerful twenty three years later. Enjoy.

Guided By Voices Monday: Long Distance Man

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Sandbox (1987) was the second album released by Guided by Voices, and there are some fans out there who believe it is quite possibly the worst album released by the band. I spent many hours during the mid to late 1990s defending Sandbox because I feel the album is very underrated album about the complexities of relationships. Perhaps one of the best tracks on Sandbox is 'Long Distance Man', a Beatles inspired acoustic number that clocks in at 1:17, but delivers a powerful punch. Take a listen and enjoy.   

Friday Funday: Don't Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston

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The weekend is almost here, so The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll will give you a shot of energy every Friday Funday to get you to the end of your shift.

My first selection is Don't Leave me This Way by Thelma Houston. Yes, this is disco, but this is quite possibly the greatest song that the genre has or will ever produce. Motown recording artist, Thelma Houston, covered this Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes hit in 1976 and it became a major hit earning Thelma Houston the 1978 Grammy for Best female R&B Vocal Performance. During the 1980s and 1990s, 'Don't Leave Me This Way' was used by the gay male community to bring awareness concerning the significance of AIDS in the community. Thelma Houston continued to have some success on the charts following the success of 'Don't Leave Me This Way' and is still active in the music industry.   

Turn It To Eleven Thursday: Killed by Death by Motorhead

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Turn It To Eleven Thursday is another new column at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Every Thursday, I will select a gem from the world of hard rock and heavy metal for your listening enjoyment.

My first selection is 'Killed By Death' by Motorhead because it is awesome. Released in 1984, 'Killed By Death' is definitely on my top five list of greatest Motorhead songs and the video for 'Killed By Death' has all of the requirements for a heavy metal video. Angry parents who hate rock and roll? Check. Forty year-old chick trying to play a teenager? Check. Lemmy crashing through the living room wall on a motorcycle, and then giving the family the bird? Check. Evil cops who hate rock and roll and have the worst aim ever? Check. The obligatory live performance? Check. Lemmy getting electrocuted and then coming back from the dead via his motorcycle? Check.

Also, how can a song go wrong with the title 'Killed By Death'? Turn this one to eleven.

What The...Wednesday: TVs From Outer Space by Butch Willis and The Rocks

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What The...Wednesday is another new weekly series at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Every Wednesday I will select something wonderfully odd from the rock and roll universe. My first selection of What The...Wednesday is 'TVs From Outer Space' by Butch Willis and The Rocks.

Spinal Tap gave us some memorable moments and one of my favorite moments is when the band discovers that there is a fine line between stupid and clever. After viewing Butch Willis and The Rocks' 'TVs From Outer Space', I have put these guys into the rock and roll realm of clever for their unique but energetic performance. I completely understand that taste is subjective, but the circa 1986 clip posted below is a fine example of why bands get together in the first place; they want to rock. Yes, Butch looks and dresses like the younger brother of Jake the Snake Roberts and yes, the guy next to him is karate chopping his throat, but you will never forget 'TVs From Outer Space'.

Butch Willis is an outsider rocker from the Washington D.C. area and is the composer of some memorable tunes such as 'Pizza On My Jeans'. 'Outsider' is a term applied to musical acts that perform music their way with no apologies. Other artists that fall into this category are R. Stevie Moore and Daniel Johnston. Don't worry folks, I have a whole arsenal of outsider rock music waiting to be unleashed on the masses. So click the video below and enjoy 'TVs From Outer Space' by Butch Willis and The Rocks.

Classic Rock Tuesday: Bad Company by Bad Company

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Welcome to Classic Rock Tuesday at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Tuesday's will be dedicated to the overplayed and long forgotten classic rock jams. The selection for July 24, 2012 is 'Bad Company' by Bad Company.

Writing a song that shares the same title as your band is no easy feat, and you better bring your A-game or you are looking at an epic fail. Minor Threat, Green Day, Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and Belle and Sebastian are among a handful acts that have earned their gold star for recording a song named after their band. Also clearing that rock and roll hurdle is Bad Company. Featuring members of Free, King Crimson, and Mott the Hoople, Bad Company's eponymous debut album peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts when released in 1974 on Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label. 'Bad Company', 'Can't Get Enough', and 'Movin' On' are the standout tracks from that first Bad Company album.

I'll admit that I really like some of Bad Company's music, but I wouldn't be sad if they decided to stop playing 'Feel Like Makin' Love' on the radio for the rest of time. I'll put my haters club card back in my pocket so you can enjoy 'Bad Company' by Bad Company.

Guided by Voices Monday: Big Boring Wedding

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Propeller, Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, and Under the Bushes, Under the Stars are in my opinion the four best Guided by Voices albums. The aforementioned albums were released from 1992 to 1996, starting with Propeller, and ending with Under the Bushes, Under the Stars. This is considered the 'classic' Guided by Voices era, and it shows on all of the albums. Some fans have complained that the 'classic' era was not so classic, but I respectfully disagree. As much as I love this band, I can honestly say they never came close to duplicating the greatness of 1992 to 1996. Sure, they had some great songs and some very good albums, but I challenge any GBV fan to tell me that Do The Collapse, Mag Earwhig!, or Half Smiles of the Decomposed is better than any of the four albums.

One of my favorite tracks from Under the Bushes, Under the Stars is 'Big Boring Wedding'. Fortunately, I was raised 20 minutes north of Dayton, Ohio and I discovered Guided by Voices after Bee Thousand was released. I had the opportunity to see the band some 35 times from 1995 until 2001, and out of the 35 shows, I have only heard 'Big Boring Wedding' once, which is something of a bummer because I attended plenty of shows where they played a heavy rotation of songs from Under the Bushes, Under the Stars. This is GBV at their best and pass the word, the chicks are back.