Songs I Never Need to Hear Again

You know the songs: the ones that are played on classic rock radio over...and over...and over. The same songs get into the rotation and never seem to leave. Usually, a great song is run into the ground.

So, here is my list of songs that I never need to hear again. This doesn't mean I think the song sucks...just that I can't really take it anymore without the grave desire to gouge my own eyeballs out with a spoon.

AC/DC - "You Shook Me All Night Long"

The Eagles - "Hotel California"

George Thorogood - "Bad To The Bone"

Golden Earring (or White Lion) - "Radar Love"

The Rolling Stones - "Angie"

Tom Petty - "Refugee"

And lately...as much as I hate to admit:

Poison - "Talk Dirty to Me." The Boneyard has absolutely played the living hell out of this song. It's getting to the point where I click the dial when I see this song pop on the display. Poison has a fairly deep catalog - play something else!

Do you agree with my list of overplayed songs? Give me your list.

Every Mother's Nightmare Interview

Bring Back Glam! recently interviewed drummer Jimmy Phipps of Every Mother's Nightmare. The Tennessee based band is back on tour and gearing up for a main stage slot at Rocklahoma. Jimmy talks about the old days, a potential Rocklahoma set-list and the trouble with outside songwriters. Transcription follows.

Bring Back Glam!: Tell me what Every Mother’s Nightmare has been up to recently.

Jimmy Phipps: Basically we’ve toured on and off through the years. We took a break from touring – but we’re always writing, like constantly. Rick’s (Ruhl, vocals) got a couple studios and he’s just been writing. We’ve got a catalog that is huge – filled with material. The last record we did was Live Songs from Somewhere and here lately our tour manager has gotten us back together to do a reunion tour, so we are doing a string of dates leading up to Rocklahoma.

BBG!: So, you are touring to try out the new songs or to practice the old stuff?

JP: We are definitely going off the old records and [also] playing some new material.

BBG!: You are playing around 1 or 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 12 at Rocklahoma?

JP: That is what I hear. I am not sure of the exact time…I think we are second.

BBG!: Yes, you play after Pretty Boy Floyd.

JP: The last time we were in Oklahoma, we played the Diamond Ballroom and that was years ago. I don’t think we’ve been back since then!

BBG: How did you get on the Rocklahoma bill?

JP: Our tour manager kind of knew a dude who knew the promoter and they got in touch. Turns out, the promoters said they were looking for us…and that was that. We are stoked about it.

BBG!: How long ago did you know you were you locked in to play Rocklahoma?

JP: I think on the press conference day (March 4)…when they had the lineup announced in L.A. That’s when I knew.

BBG!: So, you didn’t actually know you were playing until your name was called?

JP: Exactly. We didn’t have a representative to go out to L.A. We were going to, but schedules conflicted. I figured that if maybe we’d had a representative there we might have gotten a better slot…but I’m not terribly uncomfortable with the slot – because we get to play a festival!

BBG!: You’re in Tennessee and Every Mother’s Nightmare came along at the end of the Glam craze, so did you ever venture to the Sunset Strip to play gigs?

JP: We did a lot. Our first couple of records, we spent a lot of time out in L.A. We played Hollywood Teaser, the Spice Club, the Roxy, The Palace…I think we played the Viper Room. After EMN was released from Arista in 1995, we kept touring in both L.A. and Vegas. Our last run was in 2004…and we did 26 cities and it was pretty fun. We had great responses some nights, and some nights little response. You know how that goes.

BBG!: Did you tour with other bands, or was this all on your own?

JP: It was all on our own. We had a management company that booked us and we got into about 26 or 30 cities and just had a really good time.

BBG!: What are some of your favorite memories?

JP: The biggest buzz for our band –just four guys from Tennessee – and we had a manager by name of Doc Fields, and he got us everything we wanted. He made our dreams come true. We wanted to be rock stars. So, we put a band together, wrote some songs, and played Nashville. The manager liked us and he moved us to Memphis. Within a year we had a major label deal. There was a bidding war between [several] labels.

BBG:! Which labels?

JP: Capitol, Atlantic, Arista and back then…Chrysalis.

BBG!: Why did you pick Arista?

JP: The best way to describe that is Atlantic had 5,000 rock bands and Arista had two…plus Clive Davis signed Aerosmith, so we thought “How can we go wrong?” And we made a good decision. Arista pumped the hell out of us. They put us in every industry magazine…they did a good job. Our songs were on the radio and they put us on tour. Four kids from Tennessee: our dream came true. To me, that’s incredible. That was a great ride. I’m around every day people now, and in the back of my head I think “hey – I did something pretty cool!”

BBG!: Do you think it was harder to get a record deal being in Tennessee versus the west coast?

JP: I think it was not. We went from Nashville to Memphis and I think it was easier there. Rock n’ roll was predominant there.

BBG!: Rock was everywhere back then, period. What do you think of music these days?

JP: I think there’s some clever stuff out there. There are political bands and bands with things to say and I like a lot of it. There is some stuff I can do without…I think all the urban and suburban and skate bands…there are just way too many. They all have the same message and they have the same haircut – and I guess people can say that about us back then... Creativity is creativity.

BBG!: Do you still play drums everyday?

JP: Pretty much, when I can. We started rehearsals a month ago.

BBG!: How many times do you get together during the week?

JP: We go every weekend.

BBG!: Tell me about your Rocklahoma set list.

JP: Well, I know we’ll play a couple off the first record. “Love Can Make You Blind” was a big hit. “Walls Come Down” was a big single. “Long-Haired Country Boy” is a cult favorite for us. Second record: “House of Pain…” and I don’t know the extent of that record. That record was a weird time in our lives.

BBG!:Weird how?

JP: A lot of negativity. There was negativity between label, drugs and alcohol. We took a year off from our first record to record our second. It was tough, Arista was pushing us. We were pumping out material left and right and they hired song writers for us!

BBG!: How did that make you feel?

JP: Not very good at all.

BBG!: What was that like, trying to collaborate with someone outside the core group of members?

JP: We ran them all away.

BBG!: Are you still with Perris Records?

JP: I am not sure. I haven’t had any contact with them.

BBG!: You’ve recorded quite a few albums for Perris.

JP: I think we owe them a record! I’m not sure.

BBG!: Have you considered making a live DVD?

JP: That is in the works right now.

BBG!: Will you be using your Rocklahoma footage for that DVD?

JP: Absolutely.

BBG!: Do you have a tentative release date planned?

JP: I am thinking August.

BBG!: I’m assuming you have friends from the business. Is there anyone you are looking forward to seeing again at Rocklahoma?

JP: Well, I am friends with the guys in Cinderella. They live down the street from me. I haven’t seen their show in a couple years. Kix is a band I used to love! Are they playing Saturday night?

BBG!: Yes.

JP: Great! I really want to see Kix. They are a real band…they were out before we were. They rock…they have longevity. I have never seen them live and I am excited about them being on the bill.

BBG!: What else do I need to know about Every Mother’s Nightmare?

JP: Just that we’ve never left and that we’re America’s hidden secret. We’re really excited to be a part of Rocklahoma.

Visit Every Mother's Nightmare on Myspace.

Steve Stevens Rocks My World

Seriously, I love Steve Stevens. He's best known for playing guitar for Billy Idol, but the man is so underrated. The sounds he can create with his guitar! Plus...have you seen his hair lately? So Glam...

Steve has a new album called Memory Crash. If you don't want to hunt down the physical version, you can download it right off iTunes for under ten bucks. The album is Steve's first in over a decade, featuring many diverse musical influences. You can hear some samples at Steve's website.

I take bass lessons every Saturday morning and this week my teacher passed along a nice magazine article on Steve. The peg was naturally the new album, but it also mentioned Steve's Grammy for the "Top Gun Anthem." Off to YouTube I went...and lo and behold I found the official video for the song. I had no idea such a video existed, but I think it's pretty cool. Watch for yourself.

Here's the video for "Sister of Pain" from the Vince Neil solo album Exposed.

**Why do you think Steve is underrated among other guitarists?

So I Might Be In Love with Cinder Road

Let it be known here that I don't listen to a ton of new rock bands - the ones that catch my attention have to be damn good to get my business. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually like Cinder Road.

The band recently opened for Tesla and is in Europe supporting Kiss right now. Apparently when Kiss tours America in a couple months, Cinder Road will again be in tow.

Cinder Road create arena-style rock, but are not annoying in that Daughtry sort of way. No, they are not "new heavy" like Bullet for My Valentine, but they certainly are "new pretty." I mean, seriously, did you look closely at the adjancent photo? The Glam gods bestowed good genes on every member of this band! So pretty...

There's a video now for the song "Get In, Get Out." No, Cinder Road is not as good as Lynam and their sound is certainly not unique, but it's pleasureable nonetheless. The download of the debt Superhuman is less than eight bucks on iTunes right now. It's the weekend: treat yourself to some new music. You know you want to. In the meantime, watch the video for "Get In, Get Out."

Yahoo! Slags Glam

I hate it when people try to be "cool" on the Internet. Every time some writer tries to be ultra chic, a Glam band ends up getting slammed.

About two days ago, Yahoo! released lists of the best and worst hairbands of all time. For starters, we don't say hairbands, and second, I urge you to take both lists with a grain of salt. They are, after all, complete crap. Both were written by some guy named Rob O'Connor. I bet he has an M.A. in English like me. The difference is that my piece of overpriced paper is shoved in the bottom of a plastic tub in one of my over crowded closets and his is probably displayed proudly on his desk so the world knows he's in academic debt up to his eyeballs. Nope, you can't buy credibility - you have to earn it. With lists like these...well, I wonder if Rob ever had aspirations of working for the local Starbucks? That seems hipster enough for him. 

First, the "worst."

25. Mr. Big
24. Y&T
23. Bang Tango
22. Shotgun Messiah
21. Lizzy Borden
20. Trixter
19. Danger Danger
18. Autograph
17. Dokken
16. Bulletboys
15. Lita Ford
14. Stryper
13. Great White
12. Slaughter
11. Giuffria
10. White Lion
09. Damn Yankees
08. Warrant
07. Bad English
06. Europe
05. Whitesnake
04. W.A.S.P.
03. Extreme
02. Skid Row
01. Poison

 Now...the best. Drum roll, please...

25. Winger
24. L.A. Guns
23. Queensryche
22. Enuff Z'Nuff
21. Hanoi Rocks
20. Angel
19. Loverboy
18. Faster Pussycat
17. Bon Jovi
16. RATT
15. Quiet Riot
14. Kix
13. Vixen
12. Scorpions
11. Cinderella
10. Twisted Sister
09. Spinal Tap
08. Motley Crue
07. Ozzy Osbourne
06. Kiss
05. Aerosmith
04. Def Leppard
03. New York Dolls
02. Van Halen
01. Guns n' Roses

Now, regardless of how you feel about either list - it's the commentary that makes this all so priceless. About Motley Crue, Rob writes:

"Mick Mars may be the creepiest looking guy in music--and that's saying something. And Tommy Lee may only be "lovable" to women who regularly appear in centerfolds. But I wasn't planning on inviting these guys to dinner. On some level, you expect to hear that your rock stars do not behave like choir boys or even decent human beings. Whether they drink the blood of goats or indulge in enough recreational narcotics to have a poppy field named after them, it goes with the territory. Their greatest sin isn't heroin, it's their inherent corniness."

 Now...his take on Warrant:

"How many forms of wretched can one band deliver? Well, if "Heaven" isn't enough for you, there's always a little "Cherry Pie" to go along with it on the side. Power ballads! Crappy stadium anthems! And guest spots from the guys in Danger Danger and Poison! It's like a recipe straight from Rachael Ray."

I think you and I both agree that these lists are way off - and naming Poison the worst "hairmetal" band is a big joke. Motley Crue is not high enough on the good list. While Motley actually made the good side, all the author did was slag them, so what is the point? Click the links above to read comments. I seriously have nothing more to add about this laughable mess.

Diamond Lie...to Alice in Chains

I figure today's article will have a lot of people hot and bothered, but a little controversy is good for the first day of May. I have a big statement here: Alice in Chains is not grunge. Nope, they are straight up heavy metal and you can even find some Glam influences if you look hard enough.

It's true!

Fact: Dirt is one of the best rock albums ever recorded.

Fact: Alice in Chains Unplugged is the best of the entire MTV series. 

Fact: Bassist Mike Inez had (has?) his feet on solid Glam ground.

Fact: Alice in Chains STARTED as the Glam band Diamond Lie. Ha! 

As a matter of fact, here's a quote from a press kit I found online pimping Diamond Lie:

"Taking center stage for DIAMOND LIE is the energetic and electrifying [vocalist] Layne. Layne's experience with various groups of various styles has given him quite a range of vocal capabilities; from the speed metal group SLEZE, to the punchy glam rock of ALICE 'N CHAINS. Layne's versatility and uninhibited stage performance prove him to be a valuable frontman."

Doesn't that make you giggle just a little?

While Nirvana whined and produced monotone choruses, Alice in Chains were creating stadium rock. While Pearl Jam were trying to take down Ticketmaster, Alice in Chains were performing their hits all over the world.

Sure, AIC have their grunge moments - then again, so do Motley Crue. Remember Generation Swine? While Alice in Chains might not sing about chicks and parties, they do more than enough talking about drugs. Sounds like basic rock to me. Yes, Alice gets too sludgy at times...but there are times when this band owns you. My Glam goodness, the beginning of "Would?" is a bass player's fantasy - and Alice in Chains has some damn great guitar solos peppered throughout all their albums.

Do I think Alice in Chains are close to Poison? In a word, no. I do, however, think they share some things in common with Use Your Illusion era Guns n' Roses.  Of course, Axl and company apparently hate Glam and want nothing to do with the genre. I'm sure Layne Staley would also say he hates Glam...except, you know, he's dead. Still, Alice in Chains live on and their catalog of work is damn impressive.

Let's talk about "Would?" a little more. Yeah, the song is dark. It's also hauntingly beautiful and deliciously heavy. Moreover, it's an anthem-like song you'd expect to hear at every AIC concert much like you know Aerosmith will play "Janie's Got a Gun." Just a few lines ago I mentioned guitar solos: "Would?" has a great guitar part -- sounds Glam to me!

Now, to Mike Inez.  He played with Ozzy! He was also a member of Slash's Snakepit. Gee - isn't it ironic that I mentioned AIC were a lot like GnR? Interesting...incidentally, I remember reading about all of this in Metal Edge. That was before the record labels drew a line in the sand and decided fans had to choose which form of Metal they preferred. I still maintain that if the labels had just kept supporting both Glam and Grunge, the music industry today would be a lot different...but that's another article entirely.

I didn't know this, but apparently Inez formed a band with Chris DeGarmo. Yes, that DeGarmo, formally of Queensryche.  Me thinks Mike Inez loves the bands we talk about here every day on Bring Back Glam!

Here's the video for "Would?"  Guitarist Jerry Cantrell is wearing a grunge cap...but again I remind you that Trixter dressed the same way in their video for "Give it to Me Good." Comment me, people!

Room for Improvement?

As many of you know, I've been doing this website for awhile now - well over a year and a half. You are currently looking at the second site design of Bring Back Glam! - but I want to add more features and content.

I am not a web designer, but in my dreams I know what I would like this website too look like: something very slick, with multiple pages of content, a store, an actual dedicated message board...you get the idea.

I also think it would be cool if I had some sort of podcast plug-in so you could hear my interviews instead of just reading the transcription. Some of my banter with musicians is quite amusing and I'm sure you'd be interested.  

At any rate, please list suggestions/improvements you'd like to see here at BBG! I promise to take all ideas into consideration.