Halloween by the Misfits

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Misfits Week continues at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.I remember Halloween. Do you remember Halloween? The song of the day for October 31, 2012 is 'Halloween' by the Misfits.

I'm taking my kids around the neighborhood for Halloween and I am very excited. My son who is five will be The Flash and my daughter who is one will be a kitty cat.I too will dress up as The Flash, so I will have a Barry Allen and Wally West Flash moment with my son. That's for my comic book homies out there who read this blog.   

I remember my last Halloween where I dressed up and asked for candy. It was Halloween 1986, I was thirteen, and we had just moved to a new neighborhood. I had no intention of going out until a friend of mine in the neighborhood convinced me to go out trick-or-treating. He said the candy was awesome and he said I was a fool if I stayed home. I thought he was full of it until we stopped by our first house. A lady gave us an entire Snickers bar, and not the dinky little treat. I was amazed because my previous neighborhood was kind of cheap when it came to candy. I remember this one jackass that gave me a stick of gum from a pack of Juicy Fruit. Perhaps the most memorable house in the new neighborhood was this one where the owner was giving each person a dollar. I'm not joking. The guy must have been mental or just robbed a bank.

Last Caress by the Misfits

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This is Misfits Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. I've got something to say! If you are easily offended then you need to stay away from the song of the day for October 30, 2012 because it's 'Last Caress' by the Misfits.

'Last Caress' is definitely one of those songs that makes religious groups burn records because lyrics dealing with dead kids and assault are not going to win praise from Debbie Boone fans. The Misfits are able to horrify some listeners in two minutes with 'Last Caress', which is impressive because some bands spent an entire career pretending to be scary and completely fail at the task. OK, go to your closet, grab your black t-shirt with the skull on it, and crank this Misfits classic. Enjoy.

Skulls by the Misfits

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This is Misfits Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. I need your skull today. The song of the day for October 29, 2012 is 'Skulls' by the Misfits, which is from the 1982 album Walk Among Us.

I'm pretty certain 'Skulls' is the first song I ever heard from the Misfits. I didn't know much about them back in the day, but I was under the impression that the band was from England. Boy was I surprised when I discovered that the Misfits were from Jersey. Very cool. Enjoy 'Skulls' and I'll have more Misfits rock for you tomorrow. 

Hot Patootie Bless My Soul From The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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Rocky Horror Picture Show Week has come to and end at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Whatever happened to Saturday night? The song of the day for October 26, 2012 is 'Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul' from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Meat Loaf, you fantastic bastard. 'Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul' is a fantastic tribute to 1950s rock & roll, and Meat Loaf does a great job with this number. My wife will be very excited to see Meat Loaf at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll because she is a huge fan of Bat out of Hell.Check out Meat in his pre-Bat era of being a struggling musician and actor. Enjoy.

Sweet Transvestite from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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Rocky Horror Picture Show Week continues at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Calling all satanic mechanics! The song of the day for October 25, 2012 is 'Sweet Transvestite' from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

For those of you that regularly read this blog then it should be no surprise that I selected 'Sweet Transvestite'. I've been following the movie in sequence for the most part, however I did not select 'Dammit Janet'. 'Sweet Transvestite' is a fun song from The Rocky Horror Picture Show because it introduces Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Come up to the lab and see what The Lost Soul has on the slab! Enjoy!

Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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This is Rocky Horror Picture Show Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. The song of the day for October 24, 2012 is the 'Time Warp' from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

I used to work at a family restaurant in Springfield, Ohio, and one day at work I discovered that a waitress was a big fan of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We talked about the movie, and decided to show a fellow employee how to do the dance from the 'Time Warp'. I wish there was something more exciting to tell you about my moment teaching a fellow employee that it's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right. Just click the video below and enjoy!

Over at the Frankenstein Place from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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This is The Rocky Horror Picture Show Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. I am selecting my favorite songs from the 1975 cult classic. The song of the day for October 23, 2012 is 'Over at the Frankenstein Place'.

I started off with 'Science Fiction/Double Feature', skipped 'Dammit Janet', and decided to choose 'Over at the Frankenstein Place' as the song of the day. This song features the vocals of Susan Sarandon (Janet), Barry Bostwick (Brad), and Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff). I really love the part of the song where Riff Raff is introduced. That is wonderful. I hope you guys and gals are enjoying The Rocky Horror Picture Show Week. See you tomorrow!

Science Fiction Double Feature from The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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This is Rocky Horror Picture Show Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released 37 years ago and remains a cult classic and a midnight movie favorite. The song of the day for October 22, 2012 is 'Science Fiction/Double Feature'.

If we are going to have Rocky Horror Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll, then we need to start it off right with the opening song, 'Science Fiction/Double Feature' by Richard O'Brien. It was O'Brien who wrote the musical and screenplay of The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.O'Brien is still in show business and he provides the voice of 'Dad' on Phineas and Ferb.

I used to work at a record store and one of the perks of working there was a 20% discount on purchases. One Saturday afternoon, I was debating what to buy, and decided to get a copy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack. I went over to view the CDs in the soundtrack section, and had no luck. There was a copy on cassette and decided I'd wait until the end of my shift to make my purchase.

I was walking around the store asking people if they needed help when Albert walked in the store. Albert was a kid that I knew from school and he was one weird dude. He was one of those kids that you'd ask a general question like, "Hey, what's up?" and he'd reply with some bizarre statement.Albert walked straight over to the soundtrack section in the cassette aisle and picked up the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack I wanted to purchase. I was prepared to wrestle the tape from the clutches of that little son-of-a-bitch when he put it down and picked up another tape. What were the odds that someone else in my silly Midwestern home town wanted a copy of the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Fortunately, the tape was still there at the end of my shift and I went home one happy Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Enjoy the song. 

New Year by Living Things

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This is the end of Rock the Rocktober Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. The song of the day for Friday, October 19, 2012 is 'New Year' by Living Things. This song was released in 2005 and is featured on the album, Ahead of the Lions.

In my opinion, it is a shame that Ahead of the Lions was not a bigger album. I couldn't locate any information showing the total sales for this album, but I do recall some cuts from this album being featured on some major commercials, so hopefully the guys did well.

I was writing music and comic book reviews for a website called Erasing Clouds when this album was assigned to me by the editor. The album was still in the plastic wrap and there was a sticker on the frot featuring the following review by Robert Christgau: "Lillian Berlin is Johnny Rotten with politics. His art would be nothing without his rage; he is possessed by the need to get his point across that he grabs his brothers' music by the throat and makes it bellow his tune". That review pissed me off, and I put my copy of Ahead of the Lions down for a few days.

After my saltiness ended, I gave the album a spin. I was very impressed with the straight-ahead rock and roll attack of Living Things. Ahead of the Lions has five great songs, but has seven throw-away tracks. I wouldn't compare the lead singer to Johnny Rotten, but I do like his style. One of my favorite tracks on the album is 'New Year' and it is one smooth rocker. Enjoy.

I Want You to Want Me by Cheap Trick

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This is Rock the Rocktober Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. The song of the day for Thursday, October 18, 2012 is 'I Want You to Want Me' by Cheap Trick. This is the live version from Cheap Trick at Budokan that was 1979 hit.

There are a few songs out there in the rock and roll universe that are better live than the studio version. 'I Want You to Want Me' is one of the best examples, and click here to listen to the studio version from the 1977 album, In Color. The In Color version is too light and fluffy, while the Budokan version is totally fantastic. A crowd full of screaming Japanese girls does add a nice touch to the greatness of the live version of this song. Click below to watch and enjoy.  

Sweet Baby James by James Taylor

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It is time for a special song selection at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. My son James turns five today, so the song of the day is 'Sweet Baby James' by James Taylor. The song was released in 1970 and is featured on the album Sweet Baby James.

The past five years have gone by quickly, and there are days when I think to myself, "What the hell did I do before I had kids?" When my son was born, I got hit with a tidal wave of anxiety and had a major freak out because I was responsible for a baby. The anxiety lasted for a few days, but I survived. My wife and I are noticing that he is starting to like rock and roll music. When we have the radio on, he sometimes will ask us, "What kind of music is this called?" It's nice that he is showing an interest in rock and roll, but the major interests in his life are Thomas the Tank Engine, Hot Wheels, and chocolate ice cream. I hope you enjoy today's song.

Draggin' the Line by Tommy James

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Welcome to Rock the Rocktober Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. The song of the day for October 16, 2012 is 'Draggin' The Line' by Tommy James. This song was released in 1970 and made its way to the #4 spot on the US Billboard charts.

The story of Tommy James' career in the music industry is very interesting and I highly recommend his biography, Me, the Mob, and The Music so you can understand the incredible roller coaster ride James experienced as an artist. As the lead singer for Tommy James and The Shondells and as a solo artist, James has two number one hits and a bunch of top 40 hits to his name. Although he had a great deal of success during the 1960s as an act for Roulette Records, it is believed he had $30 to $40 million in royalties stolen by Morris Levy, the owner of Roulette Records.

'Draggin' The Line' is one of my favorite songs from the Tommy James catalog. The song has been rumored to be about James' drug use, but has never been confirmed. I used to teach a class about the history of rock and roll, and Tommy James was a guest speaker. He was really cool and shared some great stories about his days touring with The Shondells. As a fan of Tommy James' music, I find it puzzling that he has never been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Take a listen to 'Draggin' the Line' and enjoy.

Ma-Ma-Ma Belle by ELO

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Welcome to Rock the Rocktober Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. This week, I am selecting some fine music to make your Rocktober more enjoyable. The song of the day for October 15, 2012 is 'Ma-Ma-Ma Belle' by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was released in 1973 and was featured on the album On The Third Day.

I love ELO because you either are going to get a total rocker or some Beatles inspired pop tune. My first ELO album was Discovery, which was given to me as a present for my sixth birthday. Discovery featured one rocker and a bunch of Beatles inspired pop tunes that had an added dash of disco. I later discovered - pun intended - the rest of the ELO catalog, and decided to pick up a cassette of their greatest hits. I remember listening to 'Ma-Ma-Ma Belle' for the first time, and was totally impressed. As a guitar player, this was one of those songs I had to learn how to play, and it is a fun little number. Enjoy today's selection.  

Working Class Hero by John Lennon

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John Lennon Week comes to an end today at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll.The song of the day for October 12, 2012 is 'Working Class Hero' by John Lennon. This song was released in 1970 on the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album.

'Working Class Hero' is one of those songs that fuels the fire for the John Lennon haters. They think he's some sort of Communist minstrel, but John's just telling the truth. I find it interesting that the truth tellers are viewed as problematic. John's not telling people to break the law or do something unethical. All he is saying is that you can become part of the machine or be your own person. You can be miserable in life doing some mindless task or you can find happiness. A working class hero is something to be. Thanks. John. You are missed.

Dear Prudence by The Beatles

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This is John Lennon Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll, and the song of the day for October 11, 2012 is 'Dear Prudence' by The Beatles. This song was released in 1968 on The Beatles album which is more commonly known as The White Album.

'Dear Prudence' is a song I would play for someone who never heard anything by The Beatles because it is in my opinion one of The Beatles' finest tunes. John's lyrics are great, Paul's bass playing is lovely, and the end product is fantastic. You really can't go wrong with The Beatles/The White Album, and picking the strongest track will lead to some very spirited discussions. What I find interesting is that while I view 'Dear Prudence' as a great song for a Beatles introduction, it is featured on an album where the band was in a state of discord. I'm a firm believer that the best rock albums are recorded at a time when a band is at a low point or in the middle of complete chaos.    

Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon

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This is John Lennon Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. John would have been 72 this week, and the song of the day for October 10, 2012 is 'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)'. This song was released in 1970 and it peaked at #3 on the US Billboard charts.

John rounded up an all-star posse for 'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)'. George Harrison played the guitar, Billy Preston played the organ, Alan White rocked the drums, and Phil Spector produced the song. I've always been a huge fan of this song, and I don't have much to say this evening because it has been a busy day. Just play the song and enjoy.

The Ballad of John and Yoko by The Beatles

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This is John Lennon Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. Today would have been Lennon's 72nd birthday, and the song of the day for October 9, 2012 is 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' by The Beatles. This song was released as a single in 1969 and the b-side of that single was George Harrison's 'Old Brown Shoe'. 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' was recorded by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. George Harrison and Ringo Starr were not available at the time, so John and Paul played all of the instruments.

What I like about 'The Ballad of John and Yoko' is that John addresses his haters, and there are plenty out there some thirty-two years following his death. Someone once forwarded me an email that was sent to them by a religious lunatic that claimed God killed John Lennon for his "more popular than Jesus" quote. If people did their research, they would realize that Lennon was talking about the decline of religious interest in the United Kingdom. You can watch this video where Lennon defends his statement. I need to step off the soap box. Enjoy the song below!

Nobody Told Me by John Lennon

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This is John Lennon Week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. October 9th would have been John's 72nd birthday, so I thought it would be appropriate to celebrate John's work this Rocktober. The song of the day for October 8, 2012 is 'Nobody Told Me' by John Lennon. This song was posthumously released in 1984 on the Milk and Honey album.

I vaguely remember the morning of December 9, 1980, but I do recall my mom telling me that a Beatle had been shot while I was brushing my teeth. I was seven and thought someone killed a bug. I had no idea she was talking about John Lennon. At that point in my life, the only music I knew was Kiss, ELO, and The Village People. Like I said, I was seven.

My mom had some of the early albums by The Beatles and I started listening to them when I was fourteen or fifteen. I wasn't totally hooked on The Beatles until I was eighteen or nineteen. I made an effort to check out their solo material as well and recall viewing the video 'Nobody Told Me' on MTV or VH1 one day. It was one of those songs that I had forgotten about because I remembered when it was a 1984 hit. 'Nobody Told Me' is one of my favorite Lennon solo songs, and I believe we can all relate to the line, "Nobody told me there'd be days like these". Enjoy.

'Respect' by Aretha Franklin

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Detroit Rock City week is about to end, but The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll is ending the week with a Motor City classic. The song of the day for October 5, 2012 is 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin.

Aretha Franklin was born in Tennessee, but moved to Detroit when she was a young girl. Her father, C.L. Franklin, was a famous preacher, and Aretha was a star singer for his church. She was pursued by Berry Gordy, Jr. of Motown records, but her father demanded she sign with Columbia. Aretha recorded I Have Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You in 1967, and the opening track to that album was 'Respect', an Otis Redding cover.

It should be a law that you can't hate on this song. This is timeless music that has all the right ingredients for a major hit. Motown's history is very impressive and their roster of talent was and will always be second to none. I wonder what would have happened had Aretha signed with Motown instead of Columbia. 'Respect' is not only one of the greatest songs in the history of rock and roll, but it is a song that never gets old. I don't know what else I can say about this fabulous song, but click the video below and enjoy.

Travelin' Man/Beautiful Loser by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band

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This is Detroit Rock City week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. I'm selecting some of the best rock gems from the Motor City and the song of the day for October 4, 2012 is the 'Travelin' Man/Beautiful Loser' one-two punch by Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band. This is the Live Bullet version recorded at Detroit's Cobo Hall in 1975.

Dearborn, Michigan's very own Bob Seger recorded one hell of a live album in 1975, which was released in 1976 as Live Bullet. The 1970s produced some pretty good live albums like Frampton Comes Alive by Peter Frampton and Alive by Kiss. You can get out of my rock room if you think Foghat Live belongs on a "best of" list for live albums. Some artists are best left unrecorded.

If you've never heard Live Bullet then take a listen to today's selection of 'Travelin' Man/Beautiful Loser'. I was going to pick this for my one-two punch week, but I decided to save it for Detroit Rock City week. Both songs were released in 1975 on the Beautiful Loser album, but 'Beautiful Loser' is the opening track while 'Travelin' Man' is the first song on Side Two. Speaking of the Beautiful Loser album, it features a killer Tina Turner cover of 'Nutbush City Limits', which is the opening track on Live Bullet. Enjoy!

Living For The City by The Dirtbombs

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Detroit Rock City week continues at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll, and the song of the day for October 3, 2012 is a cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Living For The City' by The Dirtbombs. We've got Detroit covering Detroit today. I know Stevie Wonder had the song of the day yesterday and covers week occurred a few weeks ago, but I gotta show some love to The Dirtbombs. 

The Dirtbombs are an awesome rock band influenced by all the great soul and punk artists from the Motor City. Mick Collins is the lead singer and founder of this band known for their incredible live shows. The Dirtbombs released an R&B and Motown cover album in 2001 titled Ultraglide in Black, which includes today's song, and that was my first experience hearing The Dirtbombs.

It's nice to know that bands still have some love for soul music.I do my best not to sound like the crazy old man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn, but I don't hear much soul from the rockers these days. Didn't those rock and roll kids listen to Motown or Stax growing up? If I'm missing out on a band that has plenty of soul then give me the 4-1-1 down in the comments section below. Check out The Dirtbombs below and enjoy some rockin' good Motor City music.

Uptight (Everything's Alright) by Stevie Wonder

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Rocktober is here and this is Detroit Rock City week at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll. I'm selecting some of the best music from the Motor City, and the song of the day for October 2, 2012 is 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' by Stevie Wonder, a hit song from 1966.

Stevie Wonder was 15 when he recorded this song, so all of you teeny-bopper artists need to pay attention to the brilliance of Mr. Wonder. 'Uptight (Everything's Alright)' was another piece of musical gold from Motown, a label that I view was the greatest in the history of rock and roll. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a Motown household and if you don't like Motown, then you need to get out of my rock room. Take a listen to Stevie Wonder and enjoy your Rocktober.

The Hardest Button to Button by The White Stripes

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October is Rocktober at The Lost Soul of Rock and Roll, so get ready for one rockin' month. In case you are wondering, I will continue to have a weekly theme, and this week's theme is Detroit Rock City. I'm going to select my favorite songs from artists from the Motor City, and the song of the day for October 1, 2012 is 'The Hardest Button to Button' by The White Stripes. This song is featured on their 2003 album, Elephant.

In my opinion, Detroit is THE city for producing rock and roll greats. New York, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston have rich traditions as well, but it is tough to beat Detroit. The amount of talent on the Motown label alone beats all of the previously listed cities. Don't be a hater because you know I'm right.

My first selection is 'The Hardest Button to Button' by The White Stripes. What? I didn't select 'Detroit Rock City' as my first selection? I'd like to set the record straight and inform you that Kiss is not from Detroit. Although they wrote and recorded a song called 'Detroit Rock City', it does not mean they are representing the Motor City. Kiss is straight out of New York City.  Now you know and knowing is half the battle.

Mainstream rock has been awful over the past decade, but The White Stripes kept the genre respectable. Jack and Meg are kickin' out the jams on this track, and it is one of my favorite songs by The White Stripes. I won't just kick mainstream rock while it's down, but I'll also kick indie rock as well. Come on folks, indie rock is stuck in a cycle that's comparable to lite 70s AM radio hits. Nobody rocks and everyone is stuck on feelings and all that crap. I need a band that knows what a distortion pedal is and uses it to create some killer music. Good work, White Stripes. Enjoy the song.