Favourite Song of The Week: Dude Looks Like A Lady - Aerosmith.
If there was ever a song more perfect for dancing around the lounge in your pajamas, this is it! Old school classic rock and roll: winning.
Favourite Album of The Week: United By Fate - Rival Schools.
One of the most underrated bands of all time? Yes. One of the first, maybe the first, punk supergroups whose first album is impressive regardless of your preferred music tastes, but a pretty vital addition to your collection if you're a hardcore-punk enthusiast. Plus, if you're band is made up of members from Punk heroes such as Gorilla Biscuits, CIV, Youth of Today, and Iceburn, you can't go wrong can you?
Favourite Video of The Week: Arguing With Thermometers - Enter Shikari.
For no other reason than that Rou Reynolds looks Hot (capital H) with a 'tache - okay who am I kidding? It's just a sick vid, with a sick message behind it.
Favourite Day of Reading Fest: Sunday, duh.
Yes, yes I already knew Foos & The Cure were headlining, BUT I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that my beloved Bullet For My Valentine were to be destroying the main stage come Sunday 26th - I will happily be crushed against the barrier for that one. And as if that's not good enough, Eagles Of Death Metal are gracing us with their presence too? Jeez, who needs birthdays eh? Party on!!
A good song opening should be enthralling, inviting, and exciting - it should make you wanna listen to the song. Duh.
A great song opening should be one of the following: mind-blowing (your mind will be blown, so from there on out everything is a little warped on account of your mind having be blown from your skull. Cool.), spine-tingling (this is not a metaphor - your spine will actually tingle, like a friendly pins and needles. If this is not happening, then it might just be a 'good' opening), and jaw-dropping (this is a biggie - your jaw will, of its own accord, drop to the floor, and you have to literally scoop it back up with your hands and hold it shut for approximately 30 seconds. It ain't pretty!).
So now that we've covered the basics, let's get to it - and be warned there could be some messy walls (minds blown), itchy backs (spine tingled), and fucked up faces (jaws dropped) upon listening to the following ten kick-ass, face-melting, bone-crushing (forgot to mention those) openings. Let's do this!
10. Layla - Derek, and The Dominoes.
This needs no introduction, but I'm gonna give it one anyway - woah there, that opening riff should come with a warning; something like, Don't freaking drive whilst listening to this here song because you will likely crash on account of you frantically air-guitaring to the illest riff you're likely to hear in about five or ten! Trust me, take that warning kids! You'll thank me later.
On a more serious note, I think we can all agree that Eric Clapton is one slick guy with some ridonkulous guitar skills that we're all a little bit jealous of!
9. Enter Sandman - Metallica.
It's dark, it's brooding, it's omnious, it's cool as hell, and by the time our lion-haired friend James Hetfield comes in we've melted into a pile of goo. Fuck Yeah. Sleep with one eye open, indeed!
8. Your Betrayal - Bullet For My Valentine.
If this militaristic drumming isn't enough to tick your boxes, then I don't know what is. It starts off nice, and simple and just builds and builds until you're mind has blown (mess all over the walls), and those thundering chords are better than BBQ sauce.
It's back-to-basics metal, so get your horns at the ready - and because it's that good, I'm including the video for us all (to perve on Matt some more!)
7. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana.
If there is one song in the world that gives me chills with a single note, it's this little beauty! It's grown into one of the most iconic songs of all time, but at its heart and soul it's a classic grunge anthem - THE grunge anthem - with a bunch of high-school kids thrashing around in a dusky old gym.
Anyone who doesn't recognise this song (but can name all of the kardashkians) within the opening five seconds needs an intervention BIG time.
6. Hell's Bells - AC/DC.
Can't work out what this would be better for - walking down the aisle, or arriving at my own funeral? Either way, it would rock da house.
5. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen.
Why? Because this song is fuckin' weird, and fuckin' fantastic and the opening makes you think you're in for one thing, and it turns out you're in for a whole 'nother. Geddit? Whatever, turn it up.
Plus it just gets straight on with it - and who'da thought that those 4 voices would come together and sound like THAT? Choir boys around the world, take note - this is how you turn up the heat with a high pitched squeak.
4. Foxy Lady - Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Three words spring to mind: Party on, Garth!
This is just a killer opening in every aspect - it's trippy, catchy, slick, and classic Hendrix.
3. Thunderstruck - AC/DC.
This is the kind of song that was destined to be chanted by thousands upon thousands of adoring fans in stadiums all around the world. The opening riff is so simple, but so killer! Rock on. (Fun fact: This is my 7th favourite song in all time and space.)
Repeat after me: Thun-DER!!! Thun-DER!!!
2. Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N' Roses.
From the moment this little gem kicks in all you wanna do is throw on a pair of pleather pants and jump on the nearest bar, and strut your stuff up and down it like you own the joint - don't you?!
I'm quite sure that this is everyone's gateway song into the world of Rock'n'Roll, and the opening is as instantly recognisable as it is infectious. (Plus, if we're being totally honest, it makes us think of Axl shakin' his thang in those tight little leathers like there's no tomorrow, and that's always a good thing - yeah, I took it there.)
1. When The Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin.
Come on, it was never going to be anything else was it? This opening is so atmospherical (is that a word?) that it literally transports you to some dusky, down-n-out old saloon in the days-gone-by where everyone's dressed in chaps, sluggin' back whisky just waitin for Clint Eastwood to show up with a stick o' wood in his mouth and unload on the shifty lookin' bunch over in the corner - and no, you don't feel lucky punk!
Oh shit my mind has just blown out my skull, my spine is tingling, and I've just picked my jaw from up off the floor - that seals the deal then, this is officially the GREATEST song opening of ALL time. (My dad has just confirmed that atmospherical is in fact not a word, but I like the way it sounds - I'm gonna make it a word!)
Now your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to go forth and listen to these ten tracks basquing in all their beautiful glory... You're welcome.
Favourite Song of the Week: Stupid Kid - Alkaline Trio.
Cut to me singing this song to my friend in the pub on monday - she hadn't heard of it before, so it seemed only the fair thing to do that I should perform my very best rendition of it (complete with appropriate air-guitar). Got a free drink out of it, so it's all good.
There's not much I don't love about this song, catchy hooks, punchy bassline, clever lyrics, cool video... Total rocker!
Favourite Album of the Week: The Poison - Bullet For My Valentine.
When it comes to sheer, snarling agrresion, and heavy metal it doesn't come much better than this - no, really it doesn't. There's not a single song on this album that isn't worthy of face-melting, spine-shattering credentials. I also think 'Tear's Don't Fall' is one of the greatest metal anthems of all time - and no, it's not just because the very sight of Matt Tuck in the rain gives me chills.
Favourite Video of the Week: I think we all know where this is going... Well, come on it'd be rude not to!
Favourite Matt Tuck picture of the Week:
There seems to be a theme developing here, and I'm not about to go against it. So here you go, you're all welcome.
UGH.
Favourite Guitar Solo of the Week:
Angus Young - Live at River Plate, Buenos Aires, 2009.
This isn't so much a guitar solo as a guitar spectacle/masterclass. Do yourself a favour, and watch this in it's glorious entirety. The crowd are lapping it up - lucky bastards!
