Quotes of the Month: February 2013

Quote of the Month: “I snorted half of Peru.”

-Steven Tyler

Stupid Quote of the Month: “When was the last time you heard about a rape on campus?”

-Bob Beckel

“I was a jerk.”

-John Mayer

"Death panels and sales taxes is how we do this"

Paul Krugman

"Strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”

-Pope Benedict XVI

“It’s like Django unchained! It’s exciting!”

-Marc Lamont Hill on spree killer Christopher Dorner

"If you had to pick between the two, that would be a tough choice, but five beats one every time I look at it."

-Michael Jordan on the question of LeBron vs Kobe

"These cuts are not smart. They are not fair. They will hurt our economy. They will add hundreds of thousands of Americans to the unemployment rolls. This is not an abstraction -- people will lose their jobs."

-Barack Obama

“If he wants to leave it alone and not deal with those two biggies, forget the rest of the stuff -- he'll have a failed presidency."

-Alan Simpson on Obama and the debt

'In America, you have a right to be stupid, if you want to be... and we tolerate that.'

-John Kerry

"That’s a kind of madness that I haven't seen in a long time.”

-Bob Woodward on Obama’s refusal to defend America

"The White House threatened me."

-Bob Woodward

"Congressman, you are a total waste of time. We're moving on, because our audience deserves better."

-Sean Hannity

Top 200 Albums of All Time: Run DMC

Raising Hell: Run DMC (1986)
Run DMC broke into the mainstream and demonstrated Hip Hop’s viability with Raising Hell. The album featured the collaboration with Aerosmith on the “Walk This Way” cover. “Walk This Way” became the first rap song to make it into the Top 5 setting the stage for the genre’s future success. It also paved the way for Nu Metal, which emerged in the early 90s and became a force in the early 00s before fading. Without the success of “Walk This Way” and Raising Hell, Hip Hop might not have broken into the mainstream.

Key Tracks:
It’s Tricky
Walk this Way
You Be Illin’

Top 200 Albums of All Time: A

I decided to do my own Top 200 Albums of All Time. Instead of ranking them #1-200, I am listing them alphabetically by artists. Here are the first 5 entries:

Highway to Hell: AC/DC (1979)


Highway to Hell is the last album AC/DC recorded with Bon Scott. The album propelled the band to stardom. Scott died six months after the album’s release. The song “Night Prowler” is about a boy sneaking into his girlfriend’s bedroom at night. However, the song was stolen by serial killer Richard Ramirez. The publicity led to a backlash against the band for a time.

Key Tracks:

Highway to Hell
Girls Got Rhythm
Shot Down in Flames

Back in Black: AC/DC (1980)

Five months after lead singer Bon Scott’s death by “misadventure,” AC/DC released their greatest album to date with a new lead singer. The band considered dissolving after Scott’s demise, but decided to carry on. They quickly drafted Brian Johnson to do vocals and brought producer Mutt Lange, who produced Highway to Hell, back. This metal masterpiece is the second highest selling album of all time. The band dedicated the album to Bon Scott.

Key Tracks:

Hell’s Bells
Back in Black
You Shook Me All Night Long

Toys in the Attic: Aerosmith (1975)

Aerosmith’s second best selling album is also their greatest work. The album contains four of the band’s most iconic songs including “Walk this Way” and “Sweet Emotion.” The album helped turn the Boston natives into one of America’s greatest bands. By the end of the decade, Aerosmith began to disintegrate as a result of drug abuse. They eventually recovered to reform and experienced a second round of success.

Key Tracks:

Toys in the Attic
Walk This Way
Sweet Emotion
No More No More

Dirt: Alice in Chains (1992)

The first band of the so-called Grunge era to break was not Nirvana. Alice in Chains broke slightly before their Seattle compatriots. In 1992, the band released Dirt which yielded multiple hits. The album focused on depression, drug use, death, war, and other downer topics. It was a clear antithesis of 80s pop metal which was in its death throes at the time.

Key Tracks:

Them Bones
Down in a Hole
Rooster
Angry Chair
Would?

5. At Fillmore East: The Allman Brothers Band (1971)

Recorded at the hallowed concert hall in New York City, the album highlighted The Allman Brothers talent and varied influences. The band incorporated blues, jazz, and southern rock into a four album recording. The album included songs with lengths of 19:15, 13:04, and 23:03 which demonstrates the longer attention span and sophistication of audiences of the time. The live albums made the Allman Brothers stars and showcased the talents of Duane Allman.

Key Tracks:

Statesboro Blues
Whipping Post

Best riffs of the 1970s

Smoke on the Water- Deep Purple

Layla- Derek and the Dominoes

Iron Man- Black Sabbath

Heartbreaker- Led Zeppelin

Walk This Way- Aerosmith

Paranoid- Black Sabbath

Aqualung- Jethro Tull

Brown Sugar- The Rolling Stones

Running with the Devil- Van Halen

La Grange- ZZ Top

Cat Scratch Fever- Ted Nugent

Hey Hey My My- Neil Young

Money- Pink Floyd

Cocaine- Eric Clapton

Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love- Van Halen

Frankenstein- Edgar Winter

Stranglehold- Ted Nugent

Sweet Home Alabama- LS

In the Evening- Led Zeppelin

Echoes- Pink Floyd

#62 Aerosmith

Aerosmith broke in the early 70s. Their sound was classic blues rock based and from the time of their debut they pumped out a string of multi-platinum albums. They lived up to their bad boy rock star image and fell into addiction. The band nearly disintegrated.

Then Run DMC came calling. The rap group’s cover of “Walk This Way,” with Steven Tyler doing backups and Joe Perry on guitar, re energized the band. In 1987, the comeback began with “Permanent Vacation.” They continued to release hits into the early 90s culminating with 1993’s “Get A Grip.”

Aerosmith continued to release rock albums but included the perfunctory radio friendly ballad. The best example of an Aeroballad is “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” That was their only #1. Recently, they have had some health issues, but continue to record. In 2008, Rock Band Aerosmith was released.

Rock n Roll Moment: Love In An Elevator is based on a real event starring Steven Tyler.

Essential Aerosmith:
Aerosmith (1973)
Get Your Wings (1974)
Toys in the Attic (1975)
Permanent Vacation (1987)
Pump (1989)
Get A Grip (1993)

Aerosmith’s Top 10:
Sweet Emotion
Dream On
Walk This Way
Back In The Saddle
Rag Doll
Love In An Elevator
Toys in the Attic
Cryin’
Mama Kin
Seasons of Wither