Category Archives: music

music

Elvis vs. Robin Thicke…

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When I wrote how fake the industry is that artists today don’t write their own songs… idiots would come in and make assumptions that it’s been going on for decades so they bring in Elvis Presley as an example. Yes, it’s true that Elvis didn’t write his own songs, I always knew that but you can’t compare Elvis to Robin Thicke.

In Elvis’s defense, he was just a singer, he was never a writer and he was always honest about that. He always hired songwriters to write songs for him. Elvis did contribute to songwriting himself sometimes, though. He never kept it a secret that he had no writing talent. You see what I mean? He just wanted to sing.

Robin Thicke however was pretending to be a songwriter and lying about it. Keeping it a secret that he had no writing talent.

You can’t compare the old days to today. Today is different. Back then the labels didn’t write songs for the artists so the artist can feel free to hire other writers and buy songs off of them. Today is a whole different game. In today’s industry you can have the labels write the songs for you and not having the public know about it… that’s not how it was back in the Elvis days.

I’ve got a few comments accusing Elvis have no writing talent too so I thought I would respond to it. A lot of people aren’t smart about music at all as some think they are.

More on this tomorrow.

Kev

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Robin Thicke admits he didn’t really write “Blurred Lines”… Pharrell Williams wrote it!!!

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This is the kind of thing that goes on in the music industry these days. Artists writing songs for other artists. Record labels writing songs for artists. This is the kind of thing that Gene Simmons was talking about but nope everybody have to be like, “Wwwaaaaahhhhh… Gene Simmons is full of shit, he’s just a jealous loser”.

I’m willing to bet that Robin Thicke didn’t write most of his own music. I’m sure Robin contributed to his own songwriting but not very much.

Robin Thicke is one artist I’ll never support ’cause he’s one of the very few artists that I hate. Can’t stand this egotistical douche!!!

http://time.com/3378763/robin-thicke-blurred-lines-lawsuit-pharrell-drugs/

Kev

music

List of albums I’m interested in getting…

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I’ll have to admittedly say that 2014 have been a decent year for music I guess… I have purchased a little over 10 albums for the year of 2014 which is impressive. I usually don’t buy that many.

There are still some more albums I wanna get for 2014, here’s a short list:

– Judas Priest “Redeemer of Souls”

– Opeth “Pale Communion”

– Robert Plant “Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar”

– Slipknot “5. The Gray Chapter”

– Foo Fighters “Sonic Highways”

– Taylor Swift “1989”

– Slash & Myles Kennedy “World On Fire”

– Smashing Pumpkins “Monuments to An Elegy”

And whenever Ac/Dc confirms their new album, I’ll be looking forward to that one as well.

That’s all the albums I’m looking forward to for the rest of the year. I’ve never been into Slipknot but after hearing a few tracks off their new upcoming album, I’ve been impressed with it. I’ll have to start getting into Slipknot’s music.

Kev

music

When people attack Gene Simmons for his “rock is dead” comments is proof people know nothing about music…

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I see a lot of people attacking Gene for his “rock is dead” comments. The most popular attack that I’ve seen that is aimed at him is, “The only reason he’s mad ’cause Kiss is no longer successful”. I’ve seen you guys said it on here and a lot of people in facebook made that claim. I see that claim all over the internet. It’s just people way of saying that Gene is just jealous. Which is nothing new when people decide to be realistic or have an opinion in music. When people decide to be honest or have an opinion music related, they always get called jealous. I always get called jealous when I criticize the local music scene. When you criticize other bands or the music industry, being jealous is the only response that people can come up with.

Like I proved the other day, Kiss has always been in the spotlight and they’ve always been successful. ALL of their albums sold pretty well and they still have a huge fan following. They still tour on a yearly basis. As a matter of fact Kiss just played a show in Saratoga Springs not too long ago, SOLD OUT show of course. Plus, KISS are rock n’ roll Hall of Famers now so they’re definitely not jealous of other band’s successes at all.

Ya know, when people makes these claims and lies that Kiss is no longer successful, it sounds like that you’re the one who is being jealous of Gene.

You see, today’s industry is different than the past. There’s a lot of kids and a new generation of music fans who don’t understand how the industry was back in the 70’s and 80’s. I believe that’s why a lot of people attacked Gene for his comments. When I see people attack Gene for his opinion when that’s all it was, I think to myself… all these kids probably listen to stuff like Slipknot, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold and stuff like that. How much do you wanna bet that kids in this generation don’t even listen to KISS, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Clash, Pink Floyd, Hendrix, etc.??? A lot of new music fans don’t understand how the old days were.

Ask yourself this… do you think new bands like Slipknot or Avenged Sevenfold would be as big as Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones??? Yes, Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold are two metal bands that are pretty huge but I don’t think they’ll get the legendary status like bands from the 70’s did.

I know Dee Snider of Twisted Sister responded to Gene and I actually enjoyed what Dee wrote.

However, no matter what people think of Gene’s comments, I’m just glad that he brought it up and it sparked a huge debate. It really helped bring to everyone’s attention. I’m pretty sure the major record labels are pissed that Gene said that. LOL!!! It would be nice if we could get another rock revival just like the good old grunge days in the 90’s. Aaaaahhh, those days were awesome. I miss the days when bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains were all over the mainstream.

Will rock n’ roll and metal ever take over the mainstream again? It could but it would be very tough.

I’m still siding with Gene, though. Gene definitely got people going on this.I don’t see what Gene said was so bad at all. He just simply wants the industry to give the new rock bands a chance. There’s a lot of talented new rock bands today that deserves more recognition and success like the pop stars are getting. Bands like Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold and Black Label Society deserves more mainstream recognition… all three of those bands I listed are great.

When people attack Gene, I believe they don’t understand how the music industry works. I’ve been around long enough to see what music was like back in the 80’s and I’ve been paying attention to 70’s music too. That’s what I prefer to listen to the most, I love 70’s rock music. Why do you think I love Led Zep, Hendrix, The Doors and The Allman Brothers??? How come bands like Slipknot and Avenged Sevefold don’t get the iconic status like them? That’s all Gene is saying, people!!!! Chill out and relax.

I’m sure the music media won’t leave Gene alone on this topic and interviewers will ask him about it again. It’ll be interesting to see how long this debate goes.

Kev

music

Several Ways Rock Music Can Get Big Again…

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I know Gene Simmons comments on “Rock is Dead” is pretty debatable and controversial but I got something else I would like to get off my chest about it. I know rock music is still here and in different forms but either way it is still a dying industry and struggling.

What are ways that the mainstream and commercial music can respect rock n’ roll again???

Here’s a short list:

  • Start inducting actual “rock” bands in the Hall of Fame: I know I’ve spent years defending the Hall of Fame but I’ll have to admit it is pretty weird. The Hall of Fame seems to be inducting questionable artists like Pop and Rap artists just so they can fit the current mainstream. While it’s great that the Hall of Fame finally inducted Rush and Kiss, there are still other true rock bands that the Hall of Fame are ignoring… where is: Yes, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, SRV, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, etc.??? The list can go on. I understand people trashing the Hall of Fame, I mean if you’re going to do a “Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame”, you induct real rock n’ roll. Not pop artists.
  • Fix the broken music industry: Like Gene Simmons said, the major labels aren’t the same anymore. The labels are manufacturing artists without any real talent. Don’t have a good singing voice? No problem… the studios will improve it with auto-tune. Nobody in this industry can really sing these days. The major labels needs to start signing bands who play their own instruments and write their own songs if they want respect again. These days it’s the major labels writing the songs, look it up.
  • Trash crappy magazines like Rollingstone, SPIN, etc.: These are the magazines responsible for changing the industry. They’re the ones who help promotes rap and pop so they can sell subscriptions. We need more magazines that promotes rock music. There are magazines that promotes rock music like “Revolver” but I haven’t seen too many magazines that are about rock music.
  • Get rid of MTV/VH1 and other music channels that promotes mainstream pop: No explanation necessary???
  • Trash the MTV VMA’s and The Grammy’s: Award shows are obviously responsible for helping to kill the rock industry. We can all probably agree on that one.
  • Fix the Billboard Charts: I think the Billboard Charts aren’t honest as everyone thinks it is. I’m almost positive that rock bands sells a lot of records than the pop artists on the charts. The Billboard Charts seem to be broken too. I used to enjoy looking at the Billboard Charts but not anymore.
  • Promote rock music more: Rock music is still here yes but it’s the less promoted genre. When you see people listening to garbage like Kanye, Jay Z, Justin Bieber , Toby Keith or Kenny Chesney and all that crap, try to turn people onto rock music. The reason rock is almost a dead industry is ’cause kids these days would rather listen to those artists I listed above. That’s what I’m gonna do when I get kids of my own someday. If I ever get kids of my own someday, I’ll introduce them to Led Zeppelin, Ac/Dc, Hendrix, the Allman Brothers, The Clash and Sabbath when they get a little older. You should do the same to your kids. If you want rock n’ roll to get big again, then people need to listen to it. Teach people rock n’ roll and maybe people will get interested.

Seriously, I’ve listened to rock n’ roll all my life. It’s my preferred genre although I do listen to a little bit of everything else. Don’t get me wrong, though, I do like some pop and rap, just not all of it.

There are still tons of great rock bands out today that a lot of people are missing like Dream Theater, Black Label Society, Avenged Sevenfold is pretty good, Ghost B.C., Animals As Leaders and tons more to name. The list can go on forever.

Yes, Gene’s “Rock is Dead” comments are debatable but you can’t deny that rock n’ roll is struggling a little bit.

Kev

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Could Temple of the Dog reunite at Bridge School Benefit???

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I just noticed that Soundgarden and Pearl Jam are booked for Neil’s Bridge School Benefit. Does that mean there is a possibility that there is going to be a Temple of the Dog reunion? Remember Temple of the Dog was a super group that had just Chris Cornell singing with Pearl Jam members including, Eddie.

That would be kick ass if Temple of the Dog gave us a surprise performance… maybe for a few songs or they perform that untitled album in it’s entirety. It be cool to see Eddie and Chris sing, “Hunger Strike” together again and I’m sure they will.

Kev

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Neil Young’s “Bridge School Benefit” still happening despite his divorce with Pegi…

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Neil and Pegi Young have been running the “Bridge School Benefit” concerts together since 1986. They’ve been doing it a long time but despite their divorce, “Bridge School Benefit” is still going on this year. Neil announced some big surprises in the lineup: Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Florence and the Machine, Tom Jones, Nora Jones & Puss n Boots and others.

Oddly enough, Pegi’s band, Pegi Young and the Survivors is billed for a slot on the show too.

http://www.bridgeschool.org/concert/

So even if Neil and Pegi are divorced, I take it that those two are still friends??? Maybe Neil isn’t even cheating on her at all and it was an amicable divorce, after all. Still, though, it’s pretty strange how Neil would dump Pegi for Daryl Hannah.

I thought Neil and Pegi would be a long lasting couple until they’re dead. Unfortunately not.

Anyway, I’m glad Neil Young and Pearl Jam are getting back together again.

Kev

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U2’s new album, “Songs of Innocence” is actually a pretty great album, surprisingly!!!

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There’s a lot of U2 hate going on but I don’t understand it. I stopped liking the band for a long while myself but I don’t “hate” them. I still respect U2 for their legacy and I still love their earlier music. Honestly, I think I stopped liking U2 after their, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” album which was their best new album in the 2000’s years, in my opinion.

I listened to their new album, “Songs of Innocence” they just released for Itunes for FREE two times already. I’m very impressed with the album. It seems they got their old school sound back a little bit. I can hear a lot of 70’s and 80’s style that U2 used to have back in the day. There’s a lot of Ramones and the Clash influences on the album which is what the album is about. It’s a homage to those two legendary bands, I believe.

This is Bono’s best singing and the Edge’s guitar playing, WOW!!!! The whole band is pretty tight all the way through. I think the songwriting is very impressive on this album.

My two favorite tracks on the album are “Sleep Like A Baby Tonight” and “Raised By Wolves”. “Cedarwood Road” is a very good song too. The song “Sleep Like A Baby Tonight” kind reminds me of their classic song, “Bullet the Blue Sky” a little bit.

I was pretty impressed with the new U2 album so I’ll probably keep it. Sometime I’ll have to figure out how to get the album on my Ipod Touch. I’m sure there’s a way, i’ll figure it out.

I know a lot of people are upset that they have to get forced to have the album on your Apple gadgets but give the album a chance. Give it a listen and you might actually enjoy it yourself. I know a lot of people are pissed at Bono at this idea but I think it’s pretty cool! It’s a good marketing idea for your band and creative! Because of this, I’m sure U2’s new album, “Songs of Innocence” will be a no. 1 album on the Billboard Charts.

If you have an Iphone or an Ipad or whatever, you should give the album a listen. I think U2 just won my respect back.

Kev

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Has Neil Young been cheating on Pegi???? It seems so…

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It doesn’t surprise me that Neil Young could be having an affair with actress Daryl Hannah ’cause they worked on some projects together in the past before like their protests against the Keystone Pipeline for example. It’s looking like he filed divorced papers on Pegi so he can marry Daryl sometime in the future. Turns out he likes Daryl more than Pegi. It’s a shame that Neil would do this to Pegi after a 36 year long marriage.

While I think Neil Young is a talented guitar player and songwriter, I do think he’s an asshole, though. This could put a huge damage to his career.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-neil-young-daryl-hannah-dating-divorce-keystone-xl-pipeline-20140911-story.html

Cheating is dumb. When you’re not happy with your wife or girlfriend, you be a man and let her know about it… then you split with her.

I’ll never cheat on a woman if I ever start dating.

Kev

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In defense of Kiss…

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There’s a lot of misinformed idiots making claims that Kiss is no longer successful or in the spotlight anymore. I call BULLSHIT. Do people even get their facts right before they open their idiot mouths???? Kiss has always been successful, love ’em or hate ’em. The only reason people think Kiss is no longer big in the mainstream is ’cause they haven’t made a new studio album in a long while. Agree with it or not, Kiss is still in the spotlight. 

Their last three studio albums were pretty high in the Billboard 200. Look it up. “Psycho Circus” (1998) made it up to no. 3. “Sonic Boom” (2009) made it to no. 2. Their latest album, “Monster” made it to no. 3. The band never made a no. 1 album before but they are still successful. 

On top of that, Kiss still sells out concerts and they’re on a successful tour. 

Love Kiss or hate ’em, they are legends. 

When Gene says that “Rock is dead” and he says that newer bands deserve the “iconic” status he’s only speaking from his experience of what Kiss went through back in the day. Gene has been in the music business for over 30 years or more so he has seen how the music business changed. He has more experience in the music industry than any of us so the man knows what he’s talking about. 

I know Gene is a crazy guy but him saying crazy stuff is nothing new. I’ve been reading interviews with Gene and Paul in interviews for a long time and those guys aren’t afraid to tell things like it is. They maybe egotistical yes but at the same time those guys are honest. 

Why do people have to be such negative pieces of shits??? Take your hateful opinions and shove ’em up your ass. 

Kev