I Remember You Two: An Odd Cover

Why did Johnny Solinger – and therefore Skid Row – record “I Remember You Two?” I heard the song on Hair Nation yesterday and totally ran into the grass while backing out of my driveway on the way to work.

I suppose the band wanted to cash in on one of their biggest hits and prove their new singer had chops way back in 1999 when Solinger came aboard...but still.

“I Remember You Two” is a weird cover. First, I don’t know many bands that make cover songs...of their own tunes. Second, Jonny’s voice isn’t great on the song – he even sounds a little scary. This isn’t true of Johnny at all, though. I actually think he does an amazing job with Skid Row. Think about it: here’s this country boy, selected to fill one of the biggest voids in Metal. Skid Row had some of the biggest hits of the early 90s...and Sebastian Bach is regarded as having one of the best voices in Metal – period. So here we are, Johnny is in the band, the Skids want to forge ahead and make some new tunes. I think that’s great! Why shouldn’t they continue to earn a living? So, the band records Thickskin and adds “I Remember You Two” to the mix. To me, adding a punky-grunge-odd mix of “I Remember You” is just saying to fans “Hey, we know you like Bach a lot but this other guy can sing the song too...except he doesn’t. At least not on the album.” I should say I’ve seen Skid Row lots of times with Jonny Solinger and every single time the crowd response is bonkers. People still love this band! That aside, the band sure as hell as never performed “I Remember You Two” live – at least not when I’ve been in the crowd!

I wish the band would hurry up and make a new album...and actually play some fresh tunes live! Bach hasn’t been in Skid Row for a decade so it’s ok for the band to swap songs in the set. At this point, none of us is getting any younger and I highly doubt a Skid Row/Bach reunion will happen anytime soon.

A grammar note: I do want to add I think the title of “I Remember You Two” is subtly brilliant. At first glance, a listener would assume the band made a simple grammar error, meaning to use the word “too” as in “also.” By selecting the numeric derivative of the word, the band is slyly referencing some sort of relationship triangle. It isn’t clear if this is romantic or platonic.

RATT Joins Shiprocked!

FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (July 21, 2009) - Get ready to Ratt n' Roll on the high seas! Sunset Strip superheroes Ratt will sail the Caribbean this November as part of ShipRocked, a multi-day floating festival. ShipRocked sails from Ft. Lauderdale on November 15 and returns you to reality five days later. Along the way, ShipRocked ports in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Grand Cayman. Queensryche, Tesla, Skid Row, Lynam, Endeverafter, Broken Teeth, Stereoside, Stonerider and the Niki Barr Band will join Ratt for the wet n' wild vacation of lifetime.

Ratt are known for mega glam metal hits like "Round and Round," "Lay It Down" and "Back for More." Ratt will rock your face off and party hard with fans aboard ShipRocked. Who knows? You might even hear a choice cut or two from the band's new album, due sometime this fall.

On ShipRocked, it's all about the music - but other activities abound like exclusive meet and greets with the artists, theme nights, heavy metal karaoke, contests, charity auctions and maybe even a few all-star jam sessions!

"The biggest advantages ShipRocked has over other land-based festivals are intimacy and access," says ShipRocked promoter Alan Koenig. "The venue and audience size are smaller, so the performances are much more up close and personal than they would be otherwise. Plus it is substantially easier for the bands to meet and greet all of their fans onboard, versus just a few people before or after a show. Add to that a number of other unique interactive events hosted by the artists and our guests will have plenty of opportunities to spend some quality time with their idols."

ShipRocked sails November 15 -20, 2009 on the beautiful MSC Poesia. The Poesia is the third vessel in the MSC Cruise Line's "Musica" family of ships. This ship features MSC Cruise Line's signature Italian inspired decor, impeccable service, sumptuous cuisine in multiple restaurants, beautiful swimming pools, hot tubs plus a full-service spa and fitness center. Nearly two-thirds of the ship's staterooms include private balconies! Pricing varies by cabin and is subject to availability, but starts at only $749 (per person, double occupancy) for an interior stateroom. The prices include your cruise (room and board), all the concerts, meet and greets and other exclusive events during the trip. For booking and more information, please visit www.getshiprocked.com, or call 877-855-5502.

ShipRocked will truly be the ultimate rock and roll vacation and backstage pass!

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List 'Em All Here!

I thought it would be a cool exercise for me to try and recall every concert - that is, to list every band I've seen live. This is going to be hard because I never keep ticket stubs and I've been going to shows for well more than a decade. Still, I'll attempt my list. I'm sure I'll come back and edit as I continue to remember more and more shows. I figure this exercise is bordering on anal retentive or obsessive compulsive or whatever the psychological buzzwords are of the day - but I don't care!

Whitesnake
Judas Priest
Adam Lambert (later this summer on the American Idols Live tour)
Godsmack and Drowning Pool (next week, part of Crue Fest 2 in Las Vegas)
AC/DC
The Answer
Van Halen (with Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth)
Our Lady Peace
Aerosmith
Motley Crue
Poison
Cinderella
Def Leppard
Stevie Nicks
Britney Spears
The Pussycat Dolls
Billy Idol
Ringo Starr and his All Star Band
Peter Cetera
Herman's Hermits
George Michael
The Beach Boys
The Black Crowes
Vains of Jenna
Wednesday 13
Z02
Britny Fox
Steelheart
LA Guns
Great White
Jackyl
Queensryche
Twisted Sister
Bang Tango
Bulletboys
Faster Pussycat
Enuff z’ Nuff
Firehouse
Warrant (several versions including the original)
Winger
Dokken
Vince Neil
Dirty Penny
White Lion
Y&T
Slaughter
Quiet Riot
RATT
Jetboy
Vain
Sebastian Bach
Bret Michaels
Creed
XYZ
Armored Saint
Kingdom Come
Living Colour
Night Ranger
Extreme
Triumph
Pretty Boy Floyd
Tora Tora
Black n’ Blue
Trixter
Lynch Mob
Kix
Lita Ford
Zebra
UFO
Ace Frehley
Tesla
Gypsy Pistoleros
Anthrax
Saxon
Anvil
Metal Church
Leatherwolf
Danger Danger
Helix
Stryper
Keel
Skid Row
Nelson
Bonfire
Baton Rouge
Icon
Big Cock
Bai Bang
Foreigner
Beautiful Creatures
Lynam
Endeverafter
Lynch Mob
Gilby Clarke
Sammy Hagar and the Wabos
Little Ceasar
Alice Cooper
Yngwie Malmsteen
Dangerous Toys
Broken Teeth
Steel Panther
SLAMM!
Stone Temple Pilots
Disturbed
Hinder
Theory of a Deadman
Trapt
Red
Shinedown
Sixx: AM
Buckcherry
Rev Theory
Papa Roach
Staind
Killswitch Engage
Serj Tankian
Finger Eleven
Filter
Airbourne
3 Doors Down
Seether
Five Finger Death Punch
Slipknot
Alice in Chains
Korn
Chevelle
Saliva
Black Stone Cherry
Avenged Sevenfold
Saving Abel
Duff McKagan’s Loaded
Atreyu
All That Remains
The Levon Helm Band
Charm City Devils
Crooked X
Jani Lane
Bullet for My Valentine
John Mayer
Sheryl Crow
Three Dog Night
'Nsync
Pink
Nathalie Merchant
Blessed Union of Souls
Shania Twain
Garth Brooks
Clay Aiken
Kelly Clarkson

Gearing Up for Whitesnake...

I'm seeing Pop Evil, Whitesnake and Judas Priest tomorrow night. I have awesome seats and I'm pretty excited. As such, I went and did a little advanced research. I wanted to know the set list for Whitesnake...and to see what the band sounds like today. See, I've never see Whitesnake live - and they are high on my "see before death" list. Happily, the clips seem awesome.

I'll post a review after the show tomorrow. Until then, I'll be listening to Priest and Whitesnake nonstop on my iPod!

This Seals the Deal, I'm Going

All weekend, Vh1 Classic showed clips of this year's Download Festival. After watching the show, I went on to YouTube and search for some more footage.

The clips are awesome. The crowd is huge and I'm going next year. I just have to be there. Even the idea of camping at Download doesn't completely repulse me - and trust me, I am not a wilderness girl. Something tells me, though, that camping at Download would be worthy of a lifelong memory.

Here are some clips. I guess I better start saving. Europe ain't cheap but it's going to be worth every penny.

New Band Alert: White Wizzard

Ok, so Hollywood, California - based White Wizzard isn't 100% new: they've been around a couple years. The traditional metal band draws a lot of influence from Iron Maiden and Saxon. Here's what the band's publicist sent me:

With the current metal landscape dominated by doom, gloom, growling, screaming and useless instrumental wankery,WHITE WIZZARD are here to make a difference. The band has no lack of talent. They've got a singer who can wail, guitarists who can shred, a bassist who's practically the next incarnation of Steve Harris and a drummer who can lay down a rock solid groove. The most important asset that the band possesses is a sense of fun. Chock full of catchy hooks too irresistible not to sing along with, WHITE WIZZARD's September 8th debut mini-album, HIGH SPEED GTO will make you feel like you're cruising down the strip with the top down, screaming your lungs out.

The band made a video for the song "High Speed GTO" and it took one second for me to fall head over heels in love. First off, the video is nutty. I'm pretty sure the budget was a whopping two grand and you know what? The clip is awesome! Even better, I love the song! This band has talent - and I think we'll be hearing a lot more from them in the future.

Check out this video for "High Speed GTO."

Read more about the band.

Nothing New on the Radio?

Picture it: cruising down the highway, listening to the radio, windows down. The DJ comes on, announces your favorite band not only has a new album out, but is also set to hit the road for a kick-ass tour. You’re stoked. You get ready to hear some new tunes… the song starts, and it’s something that’s been out for about a decade.

What gives?

Apparently, this isn’t a vast conspiracy against musicians. It’s really just an alternative form of music marketing, according to Pam Edwards, owner and executive producer of ‘The House of Hair with Dee Snider.’ Says Edwards, “Telling the audience about a favorite artist's new record or tour actually does help the artist, even if it’s followed up by one of their classics. People are aware of what they're up to and if the listener is still into new music, might buy the new CD which they otherwise wouldn't have known about. Maybe even more importantly, they might catch the tour and buy some merch.”

While this trend may annoy fans of legacy artists, it comes down to a matter of format. Edwards adds that classic rock stations stay modern by announcing current information about artists in their respective catalogues.

Fans can speak with their voice – and wallets. Boycotting stations and advertised products has worked in the past, but don’t expect the system to change anytime soon. Instead, research favorite bands on your own and continue to support them by buying new music – even if you never hear it on the radio.

Thoughts?