Saturday Songs – March 16, 2013

Defying convention by not choosing a song from an Irish act (and there are quite a number to choose from), I decided to go retro this time around.

Yes is one of those bands that has been around for a while, though usually on the progressive rock fringe.  Many of their songs are like symphonies, with multiple movements that last for minutes.

In the 1980s, they released 90125, which was my first exposure to Yes… at least on a full album.  While the album has a number of great songs on it, two do stand out since they were in heavy rotation on MTV.  The first is Owner of a Lonely Heart.  The other is the song I picked for this week.

Leave It stood out from other videos on MTV.  First, it was shot upside down.  Secondly, there were 17 different versions of the video.  I know that I have not seen all of them, but have seen a couple.

Sadly, I can’t repost all 17 versions.  But I do post one of them for your consideration.

If you are looking for a little extra fun, look up the band membership of Yes throughout the years.  A chart of it was available as part of the Yes Years box set.  Their connections to other bands nearly make them the Kevin Bacon of music.

Saturday Songs – March 9, 2013

Those of you who have been following my Saturday Songs picks will have already figured out that I don’t often post any new music.  This week, that changes.

I stumbled across the Swedish band Amaranthe by accident.  They were a suggestion on Youtube.com from another band whose video I was seeking.  Like most of the bands I’ve been listening to lately, they are a more hard rock than pop, and have a female lead singer, which, for some reason, is drawing me in more.  I think it may be because in the U.S., we just do not hear female singers rocking out like this.

Even among the “beauty and the beast” bands that I’ve listen to lately, Amaranthe stands apart.  I think this is because in addition to Elize Ryd and Andreas Solveström, whose rough vocals definitely make him the “beast” of this band, vocals are sung by Jake E as well.

Amaranthe has a new album, The Nexus due out in late March.  Already available on iTunes is the title track, along with their previous albums.

Saturday Songs – March 2, 2013

This week, we head back to the 1980s once more.  It was a time of… well, hairspray.  Bands of this era used so much of it I’m sure that they enlarged the hole in the ozone layer, if  not created it themselves.

Into this mix comes Europe, founded in 1979, but achieving international success in the mid 1980s with their third album.  Buried deep on this album was the following song dealing with the plight of Native Americans.

This song, along with other songs by Europe are available on iTunes.

Saturday Songs – February 23, 2013

With much of the country blanketed in snow, and with the Northeast’s blizzard of 2013 behind us… and more snow ahead of us, I thought it would be appropriate to pick a cool song that looks like it was shot in all that snow.

Thus I present for your consideration Lindsey Stirling and Crystallize.

Saturday Songs – February 16, 2013

Keeping with the special Wednesday edition, we revisit a band that I have featured in Saturday Songs before.  To be honest, a lot of their music would work for that special edition’s theme.

So, I present once more… Stabbing Westward.

Saturday Songs – Special Valentine’s Edition

Since I was not able to post my usual Saturday Song this week thanks to the blizzard of 2013 (note, this is the blizzard of 2013, not Nemo, or Charlotte,   just the blizzard of 2013), I figured that I would take a moment to pick out some of the songs that I will be listening to this Valentine’s Day.

First up is a classic.

Next up is a personal favorite from one of my personal favorite bands which has had one other song in the Saturday Songs, Queensryche.

Next up, we turn to the Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master soundtrack for the Vinnie Vincent Invasion.

Next up is Weird Al Yankovic with a thematic parody of the power ballad form.

Finally, we have a pick from the first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson.

Let’s see if you can guess the theme.

 

Saturday Songs – February 2, 2013

I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of this next pick.  But, it seemed the right choice considering that this is Groundhog Day.

 

Saturday Songs – January 26, 2013

Let’s take a trip into the past… again.  This time, we’re hitting the late eighties, when all you needed to be a rock star was a lot of hair spray.

From this era spawned a number of bands.  Some quite popular, some… not so much.  While it is easy to talk about the Bon Jovi’s and the Winger’s, there were a few bands that were pretty good that did not seem to go all that far.

I remember buying the cassette for Hurricane’s On The Edge after hearing a couple of songs off the album.  At the time, I had a rule that I had to hear at least two songs off an album before I would consider buying it.  In most cases, it worked pretty well, in some… well, it didn’t.  In this case, it worked.

I present one of the two songs I had heard from this album for your consideration.

Saturday Songs – January 19, 2013

I did a little Madness earlier in this blog.  Let’s revisit the band with another one of their songs… One Step Beyond!

 

Saturday Songs – January 12, 2013

Let’s head back to the 1980s.  It was a glorious time, when it was possible for a young rocker to become a soap star.

Anyway, here’s Rick Springfield’s Jessie’s Girl.