It's a pretty rocking week for the shuffle, though a couple may be questionable ...
Aerosmith, “Jaded.” From the album Just Push Play (2001). Though I initially liked this record out of sheer fanboyish unwillingness to admit that it sucked, I now realize what a mess it is. This is really one of the best songs on the record, and that’s saying something.
Poison, “Bastard Son of a
Thousand Blues.” From the album Native Tongue (1993). I guess if you have to
hit a Poison tune, this isn’t the worst album to choose. With the short-lived
and disastrous tenure of guitarist Ritchie Kotzen, Poison took a more rootsy,
blues-influenced approach to their music. That’s not to say there isn’t still
plenty of the 1980s glam sound here. Bret Michaels, after all, who might have
the defining voice of glitzy 1980s glam rock, is still singing, but I kind of
like this record and the follow-up with Blues Saraceno, too. Oh, and the song features Lynyrd Skynyrd's Billy Powell on piano.
Kiss, “Domino.” From the album Revenge (1992). One of those huge Gene Simmons numbers that made this record so good. It’s nasty, it’s grooving, it’s what Simmons does best, and in turn what Kiss does best.
Iced Earth, “Electric Funeral.” From the album The Melancholy EP (1999). This is a pretty straight forward cover of the Black Sabbath classic with a little more involved arrangement. Matt Barlow’s dramatic vocals, though, just don’t have the same sinister ring as Ozzy’s originals.
Savatage, “She’s in Love.”
From the album Gutter Ballet (1989). A love song, of sorts, from Savatage. It’s
got that trademark, knife-edge Criss Oliva guitar sound and Jon Oliva’s
unmistakable rasp. It might be one of the weaker moments on Gutter Ballet, but
it’s still better than the best tune by most other metal bands. And finding a video of a rare live performance doesn't hurt, either.
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