A Quick Shot Of Rock And Roll

If you've never heard (or heard of) the Rubinoos. Then you, my rock and roll friend, are in for a treat that's sure to pick you up.

The song "Rock And Roll Is Dead" is from their 1977 self-titled debut. But how in the world could anybody think that rock had passed away after hearing this?

Alice...Alice...Alice...

Tim Burton's version of Alice In Wonderland is opening in theaters nationwide today. So, with that in mind, here are two videos that fit that theme. One is a less obvious choice, the second is more closely related to the story.

First up we have Alice Cooper doing the theme song from another movie (Friday The 13th VI). Besides the same name, and that it was from a movie, it also contains the line "And he crawled out of his hole", which also fits in well with the Wonderland theme.



Fans of classic rock would most likely think of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" as the most obvious choice. And I like to keep everybody happy here at Rock and Roll Decades, so here it is...

Greatest Rock And Roll Riffs - Part I

Rock and roll is quite often a riff-driven syle of music. We will look at some of the best rock riffs from time to time. As usual it will be done with the same "anything goes" attitude that we fans are so fond of.

The riffs are not presented in any particular order. But they're all cool! Are you ready to rock?

I figured as this is a new feature, we might as well start it off with some of the better known riffs.


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How's that for a start?

:)

Rock and Roll Remakes Wednesday #2

It's another Wednesday here at Rock and Roll Decades and that means you get to hear a cover version of a rock song. It may be odd, in a different genre, or very close to the original. The only rule is that they have to be remakes. So, open your ears and open your mind, you never know what you'll discover here.

We got a nice slab of hard rock today, boys and girls! A remake of Chris Isaak's haunting 1989 hit "Wicked Game". It is done by the Finnish band HIM. This is their earlier version from 1998(?) and is a bit heavier than the US release.



For the sake of comparison, here is the original.

Who Was Jimi Hendrix' Favorite Guitarist?

Though he left us almost 40 years ago, Jimi Hendrix is still regarded as one of the best guitarists of all time. His ability to get sounds out of the quintessential rock and roll instrument is legendary.

Yet, the question of who his favorite guitarist was is an interesting one. A few logical guesses would include B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Bob Dylan, or maybe Eric Clapton; all great in their own right.

But it turns out that Jimi's favorite guitarist was a member of The Moving Sidewalks. They opened for Hendrix during a leg of his 1968 tour. The musician in question became part of a rock trio that formed in 1969 and still plays with the same line-up today.

And that guitarist is none other than Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top!

Here they are covering the Hendrix classic rock and roll song, "Foxey Lady".

My Dumbest Music Prediction, So Far

In the summer of 1987 I was looking forward to becoming a first-time father. And even though my oldest is now a college sophomore, the following scene is still crystal clear in my mind.

At that time Saturday night meant one thing: Headbangers Ball on MTV. I was relaxing on the couch, getting ready for a brand new video by some band I had never heard of. After watching the video, and allowing for some time to mentally process what I just saw, I shared my prediction with everyone in the room.

"This band isn't going anywhere", I said deliberately.

Oh, by the way, the video was none other than "Welcome To The Jungle" by Guns N' Roses; a song that has gone on to become a part of popular culture. Its parent album, Appetite For Destruction, went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide and holds the record for fastest selling debut album in the history of rock and roll.

Almost 25 years have passed since that summer's night, and I still haven't made a prediction as dumb as that one.