A.A. RockBlog

They're arguably one of the longest lasting bands to have stood the test of time. For the past four and a half decades they have amazed with a string of hits from their signature Come Sail Away , to the hard rocking Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)  and Miss America , and even to the new wavey sound of Too Much Time on my Hands and Mr. Roboto . For a change of pace, rather writing out a full biography, here is a list of some things you may not have known about Styx. 1. They met as teenagers and Dennis DeYoung actually played the accordian for a while!  You read the last bit right. It all began in 1961 when Mr. DeYoung was walking through his neighborhood on a hot, sticky afternoon. He stumbled upon a house where from the basement came the jamming sounds of the Ponazzo brothers - Chuck and the late, great John. DeYoung liked what he heard and after listening to them for a while suggested that he come jam with them the next day, and he glad he did. As we know, the rest is history.

After making a blog on the  2020 Rock'N'Roll Hall of Fame Candidates , I have pondering if there are some "forgotten" acts that deserve to be inducted. While the classes inducted thus far represent a good portion of classic artists. I feel that just like how radio does not play some artists, some rockers deserve to elected. But how do you get in? To get into the RRHOF, an artist must have released their commercial debut for at least twenty-five years. The artist is selected by a committe and becomes nominated. Results are usually revealed during May, but the date floats year to year. Who are these artists? Here is a brief overview of artists that should have been inducted: Uriah Heep: While their 1970 commercial debut led to shocking critical outrage, the records that followed: especially 1972's Demons and Wizards  and The Magician's Birthday and 1973's Sweet Freedom  are also staples of the emergence of heavy metal. Their most significant songs

This week, there are several acts that have been announced as nominated for the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame Induction to take place in May of this year. This is an annual induction event where artists who have been recording for at least twenty-five years are eligible for induction. Here theinductees thus far.. Whitney Houston (1963-2012) The late, great Whitney Houston has realeased seven albums throughout her career and all have been certified gold, platinum, or diamond. Due to her heavy appearance on MTV, she made a name for herself starting with her hits How Will I Know? and I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) . These videos helped shape and influence other African-American artists. In 1993, she recorded I Will Always Love You . Folks, being her signature song, the song is NOT her original. In fact, Dolly Parton is responsible for carving the original two decades before Whitney. Depeche Mode Perhaps one of the best examples of 1980s New Wave/Synthpop cultur

After the recent news of Neil Peart's death comes an illness in the world of rock. The Prince of Darkness, spoke at Good Morning America this morning and revealed that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's. Next to him was his wife, Sharon. Sharon explained that he has been diagnosed with PRKN 2. That's right, there are many different kinds of Parkinson's No two Parkinson's patients are ever the same folks. In Ozzy's case, his version is characterized by mood swings. As Sharon put it, and I quote, "It's where you have a good day, another good day, and a really, really bad day." That's not all he's got going on. Ozzy also stated that he takes a myriad of medications. His legs get cold although he is not sure if it stems from the Parkinson's. Last year, Ozzy also had a great fall. It prompted him to cancel his 2019 tour, and he also had surgery for a nerve in his arm. Ozy explained that nerve pain is a very strange feeling.

I've written some good posts on concerts including finding the best seats in the house, but something that often gets overlooked is the setlist. What about The Setlist? While I'm no one's tour manager or organizer, I do make mental notes of shows (whether I attend them or not), and I feel that the most important way to set the stage and what you leave your audience with matters. The beginning is key I won't list all artists in both categories, but here are a select few artists and how they should start their shows. U2: I was disappointed that during their 30th Anniversary Joshua Tree tour they opened with Sunday Bloody Sunday . Being a good (and important song), I feel it would make a better interlude. Most U2 shows I heard of opened with I Will Follow , and that song's jangling guitars tend to really be saying "welcome," and it seems like an obvious warm-up choice for Bono. Fleetwood Mac: This one is a DEAD giveaway, but The Chain is the no-br

Last week, I wrote a post on the news of Neil Peart's death, but earlier week was 40 years since Rush issued their seventh LP, Permanent Waves . The record that helped bring them to commercial status and marked the start of producing radio friendly hits. About the Album...And the Cover Pictured above is the cover of 1980's Permanent Waves . Take a look at the newspaper in the lower-left of the picture. Of all the aspects of the cover, that was the most controversial as the headline read "Dewey defeats Truman," a reference to the 1948 Presidential Election in which New York Governor, Republican Thomas Dewey, lost to Harry Truman. Being an incorrect reference, the Chicago Tribune, shortly after the record was issued, requested a repackaging to ommit the headline. Anthem Records negated this by replacing 'Dewey," with "Dewel," or in some cases, a blank or randomly blurry headline. Despite the controversial cover, the band went platinum. The alb

In this day and age, many people think hip-hop is the predominant, but I bet most of my blog readers didn't know that even rock has offensive language (albeit sparsely spread out). Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze Apart from featuring the devil tri-tone in the intro (not really offensive), the song's most MEMORABLE line has got to be "'scuse me while I PISS the sky." "Piss," slightly more derogatory by Brit standards, is basically a more offensive version of "pee," a la "I need to take a piss . Now what really was unique here is that the line is actually misinterpreted. Perhaps the most accepted version of the line is "'scuse me while I KISS the sky," yet a slightly more contraversial take is "kiss this guy." Pink Floyd Money A single from their 1973 hot-seller The Dark Side of The Moon , the song's offensive passage Money, it's a hit/Ah don't give me that do-goody-good bullshit . Today's classic ro

Today, news broke out that three days ago, Rush drummer and lyricist has died as a result of giloblastoma - a brain cancer. Aftering joining Rush in late 1974, Peart had been responsible for writting lyrics for the band. His lyrical poetry centers on philosphical, mythological, and even fantasy subjects. Born in Hamilton, Ontaria, Peart was raised in Port Dailhoue, Ontaria - now a part of St. Catherines, the largest city in the Niagra Region. He spend his teen years floating arond many local bands, but had no luck in making a name for himself at the time. Although Peart was a long-standing Rush member, he did not feature on their 1974 self-titled debut, as at the time, he was in England trying out for the progressive rock, or perhaps more emerging punk scene of the day. Rather, the late John Rutsey played on their 1974 debut which featured the lengthy, Sabbath-like Working Man . Peart came into Rush in time for their first US shows. He has seen been responsible for writing many