Clang & Clatter

Friday the 13th doesn’t have to be scary with the Friday Five over at IckMusic.

Dream Theater - “Ytse Jam” (When Dream And Day Unite, 1989)
Excellent instrumental from Dream Theater version 1. The title is “Majesty” spelled backwards and alludes to the band’s name in its previous incarnation. The album as a whole has not aged well in places, but in others, it remains an excellent showcase of the band’s songwriting and playing prowess.

Alice in Chains - “Nutshell” (Unplugged, 1996)
This album which was recorded as part of MTV’s Unplugged series is probably my favorite from this “grunge” band, with “Nutshell” being one of the best performances from the set. Known more for his chunky guitar riffs than for his acoustic work, Jerry Cantrell shows just how well-rounded he is, providing his usual excellent harmony vocals behind Layne Staley’s unique—though sometimes annoying—voice. I think the songs benefit from the laid-back acoustic arrangements here, and given that AIC had not performed together as a band for nearly three years, they are amazingly tight. Unfortunately this would become one of Staley’s last shows prior to sliding into deep depression and his eventual overdose in 2002, giving many of the songs a weight and somberness in hindsight that they may not have carried at the time.

Caedmon’s Call - “Thousand Miles” (Back Home, 2003)
I’m not sure why iTunes keeps picking Caedmon’s Call, and this album specifically, from my library for Friday Fives, but in the case of this song, I don’t mind one bit.

Iron Maiden - “Moonchild” (Flight 666: The Original Soundtrack, 2009)
Another live cut from Flight 666, this time an often forgotten Maiden gem that popped up in my Friday Five for August 26, 2011. “Moonchild” is from a Puerto Rican show on the tour, and the crowd there is as wild as the South American audiences. And frontman Bruce Dickinson hams it up as usual. Maiden is such a tight unit, and you would be hard-pressed to find a better live metal band.

Mae - “Release Me” (Singularity, 2007)
I am pretty open about my love of this band on my blog, which may seem odd to many given my metalhead and snobbish musical tendencies, but I just can’t help it. I love just about everything Dave Elkins and company have ever put out, and this song and the album it comes from are no exception.

I stole your Friday Five over at IckMusic. Ain’t never gonna let it go.

KISS - “I Stole Your Love” (Alive II, 1977)
Another classic from KISS’s second live album. Same annoying fake crowd noise.

Caedmon’s Call - “Mystery of Mercy” (Back Home, 2003)
Version of the Andrew Peterson-penned song that I covered in the 2/17/2012 Friday Five. Not much else to say about it.

Coheed & Cambria - “Delirium Trigger” (The Second Stage Turbine Blade, 2005)
I love most of the music produced by the C & C music factory (no, not that C & C Music Factory), but good grief, I wish I understood the story arc behind these albums.

Iron Maiden - “Iron Maiden” (Flight 666: The Original Soundtrack, 2009)
I’ve gotten so used to Trivium’s version of this song that the original sounds old and slow to me these days. But a great song nonetheless. The Flight 666 rockumentary has some excellent live footage. The Central America and South American crowds are completely insane (see also: Rush in Rio). Looks like a fun time and quite a refreshing difference from the typical spoiled, cooler-than-you American concert goer.

Mötley Crüe - “Starry Eyes” (Too Fast for Love (Leathür Records version), 1981)
The original Leathür records version of one of my favorite songs off the Crüe’s debut album. A couple of friends and I literally wore out the cassette version of the Elektra release of this album. Good times playing air guitar, air cowbell, and trying to sing in Vince Neil’s Mickey Mouse falsetto. Can I get the real Mötley Crüe back?! Whatever happened to these guys?

Gettin’ my Friday Five action on over at IckMusic:

Iron Maiden - “Moonchild” (Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1998)
I remember thinking that both Iron Maiden and Judas Priest had sold out when they started using guitar synths. Typical teenage angst I guess, but boy was I wrong. Just listen to Steve Harris’ galloping bass underneath the synth and guitar sheen. Solid song from an album that is probably too often overlooked.

Joe Satriani - “Belly Dancer” (Strange Beautiful Music, 2002)
I bought Flying in a Blue Dream without having heard a single note and then promptly wore the cassette out. Then I fell in love with Surfing with the Alien. The Extremist was next, this time on CD. But somewhere after that I just lost the attraction to Joe. I have since tried to pick up his stuff and listen all the way through, but I’m sad to say that more often than not, I just can’t do it. Strange Beautiful Music did however become the soundtrack for my HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding for a few weeks back in the day.

The Beatles - “Tell Me What You See” (Help!, 1965)
The Beatles catalog is just way too confusing to me, what with the differences between the UK and US releases alone. This particular song was only on the UK release since in the US, the album was a soundtrack album and since the song had already appeared on Beatles VI. Beatles VI?! That’s a real album? Are you sure? Yep, apparently so. As for the song, it doesn’t really do it for me, but it’s The Beatles, so that’s something, right?

Cheap Trick - “I Want You to Want Me” (Bun E.’s Basement Bootlegs 3 “Beertown ‘75” (Disc 2), 1975)
I love Cheap Trick, but I’ve never been crazy about this song. OK, that’s not quite true. I was infatuated with the whole of At Budokan back when I acquired the vinyl. This take has a fire and urgency missing in the sappy and admittedly weak, albeit definitive, version everyone is familiar with, but it doesn’t make me like it any better.

Black Sabbath - “Hole in the Sky” (Symptom of the Universe: The Original Black Sabbath (1970-1978), 2002)
I love the separation of the dual guitar parts you get when you listen to Tony Iommi with headphones on. Heavy, driving Sabbath tune, and I really like the edge in Ozzy’s vocals. I think I see the sky opening up.