Saturday Shuffle: Savatage, Skynyrd, Billy Idol, Red Eye Gravy, Pantera

Jon Oliva hits a high note, Skynyrd goes creepy with John 5 and Pantera shreds this week ...


Savatage, “Somewhere in Time/Alone You Breathe.” From the album Wake of Magellan (1997). Can I get a hell yeah? Jon Oliva and a piano performing a medley of “Somewhere in Time” from Streets and “Alone You Breathe” from Handful of Rain. This bonus track, for me, is easily one of the strongest performances on Wake of Magellan, and I love the record.



Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Floyd.” From the album God & Guns (2009). This is one of a few songs that guitarist John 5 wrote and played with Skynyrd on from this record, and it’s the shining moment on God & Guns – creepy, funky and grooving.


Billy Idol, “Eyes Without a Face.” From the album Rebel Yell (1983). When Rebel Yell came out, I thought Billy Idol was, quite possibly, one of the coolest cats on the planet. This ballad is still one of the coolest songs on the album.


Red Eye Gravy, “Swingin’ From a Rope.” From the album Dustbowl Hangover (2014). Red Eye Gravy’s new record has some of the best cowpunk that I’ve heard in a long time, but also has some nice, softer country moments. “Swingin’ from a Rope” fits into the rowdy, former category. (Note the video is not the song. There wasn't an available video of the song.)


Pantera, “The Art of Shredding.” From the album Cowboys from Hell (1990). This is a song that kind of gets lost a bit in all the great songs on CFH. It’s a, well, shredding number to close the album, but unlike “Primal Concrete Sledge” or “Domination” or that crushing title track, I rarely think about it. Good stuff, still, though from Pantera’s pure thrash album.