Weekly Dose of Prog: Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime

Along with the folk bender I've been on, I've also been diving heavily into the progoverse (that's progressive universe for those who didn't get my cleverness). Bigelf, Agalloch (ok that's sort of a mix of folk and prog) and now Queensryche have all popped up in my playlists, and are all great in very different ways (60s/70s prog, black/folk/doom prog, and hard rock/hair metal prog, respectively). I like to mix it up.

Upon listening to the two of the best Queensryche albums (best by common knowledge, although long-time fans of the band may disagree), Empire and Operation: Mindcrime, I came to the realization that the latter of the two, is really out there. I am surprised that with the way it's constructed, how much press and acceptance it's received, both at the time (1988) and now. It is dark and brooding, is still in the vein of hard rock but has so many stylistic twists and turns you can't help but call is progressive. It's a great release, something that is still heralded over two-decades later, but I still can't believe that it was ever as big as it was.

Rant: 20 Cover Songs That Are Better Than The Original II

So I wrote the first installment of this article way back in 2008, as one of my first articles, and while I do have a ton of cover songs in my arsenal, it's hard to pick 20 more songs that completely blow away the original versions enough to be made mention of. That is why the long pause (over two years) between articles. I've tried on a couple of occasions to compile a new list, but this is the first time I feel that I have found enough amazing songs to warrant a list of 20.

1. Andrew Clayton - "In My Time of Dying" - Traditional, notably done by Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin
The fact that I was a direct part of the recording for this song may have something to do with it, but I think the other half is that it is so different from most of the other cover versions out there. It's got a bar room quality to it; a bunch of friends drinking and jamming out. Nice and chill.

2. Black Robot - "Cocaine" - Originally by J.J. Hale, made famous by Eric Clapton
An off-shoot from some of the members of Buckcherry, Black Robot's debut self-titled debut was an alright foray into the world of radio-friendly rock, but their cover of "Cocaine" really does the group some justice. While it's not amazing, it is a completely different direction for the legendary song, and I think the refresher works well.

3. Black NASA - "I Don't Have to Hide" - Originally by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
A song that I had for a while before I even realized it was a cover, and for that it will always shine brighter. The only reason I discovered that "I Don't Have to Hide" was a cover is from the two great editions of the Sucking The 70's collections. When I was jamming through them originally (all 4 discs worth) I came to this Black NASA song and was confused. This was a song I already owned and had heard many times before, it wasn't a cover was it? It was, and a favorite cover was born that day.

4. Blind Guardian - "Spread Your Wings" - Originally by Queen
One of my favorite covers of all time. Hansi Kürsch, the vocalist for Blind Guardian, cites Queen as one of his major inspirations and he knocks this one out of the park. His amazing vocals, coupled with the rest of the band's fluency with their instruments, makes this a song to behold. A lot of emotion is heard on the original, and it is doubled on this new version.

5. Blind Guardian - "The Wizard" - Originally by Uriah Heep
I know, I know, not only two Blind Guardian songs on the list, but two originals by Uriah Heep (see number eighteen for the second), but sometimes it's worth it. The original is great, and Blind Guardian don't stray far from it, but, once again, Hansi Kürsch's vocals make it go the extra mile.

Bands I Should Like, But Don't: Queens of The Stoneage & Co.

I was at work today, and I began to think of acts that by all accounts I should like, but for some reason I don't. Some, while I love the genre in general, their particular representation of it doesn't, or I like all of the previous works by one of the members of the band, but can't quite grasp the new direction they're headed in. And so, because without much thought I was reminded of two such bands - and I'm sure if I put more effort into it I could think of more - I decided to create a new segment dedicated to this notion.

After my 'All In The Family' based on the members of Kyuss, I thought it prudent to continue with the subject and focus my debut 'Bands I Should Like, But Don't' on one of the best-known of the off-shoots of the legendary stoner rockers: Queens of The Stoneage, and the following off-shoots, Them Crooked Vultures and Eagles of Death Metal, basically anything that Josh Homme has his hands in.

I'm a big fan of stoner rock/metal, as anyone who spent any time reading The Guide could confirm, varying across the numerous sub-genres of this sub-genre. From blues to southern, psych to sludge, I think that every one of these stoner off-shoots bring something to the table, something that needs to be paid attention to. What I don't like is the stoner that moves into the pop direction (I'm not sure is stoner-pop is another sub-genre, but I'm going to use it as such). Bands that combine radio-friendly poppy-sounding rock, with the fuzz and attitude of stoner.It's not a mix that I like very much, and I lament the bands that make this stylistic progression.

New Album: Stryper - The Covering

As I said in my 2011 wish-list, I have never even heard much from Stryper, let alone claim to be a fan. I'm just not into the glam rock of the 80s and so, besides a single or two, this band never was brought into the foreground of my musical experience. I was just going to pass over their newest album, The Covering (their 7th I believe), and not give it a second thought, but then I saw that it was a cover album. For anyone who has been visiting me here for very long (or AngryChairs), you know I love cover songs and albums. I think that if a band can turn a good song great - or the few times a crappy song good - then that is something to be held in high regard. There's an art-form to a good cover, and so few get it right that when it happens, it's something special. Anyway, because of my love of cover albums, and only because of this, I decided to pick out The Covering from my massive collection and give it a spin. I was not disappointed.