Riding to Thunder Bay With Mr. Potato Head

This is a trip down memory lane for me. When I was in my late teens to early 20's, I lived in Merritt Island, FL. (Its near Cocoa Beach) There was an amazing local music scene all over Central Florida from Cocoa Beach to Orlando to the speed metal scene in Tampa. This was a great time to be alive.

There were many bands that I loved seeing, from AWOL to Modern Man to Hard Knox. Most of the bands also got to open for touring national acts because of the huge crowds that the local bands drew on their own. On occasion, the national act would get booed off the stage in favor of the local opening act. I was in several bands back in the day, and I even got to open for several national acts.

However, there were 2 bands who set the standard of what was expected from a local act, and all other bands aspired to achieve their success on a local level on the way to getting signed themselves. They were Dead Serios of Melbourne FL and Stranger of Tampa.

It didn't matter where these bands played, or who they played with. The place was always packed with enthusiastic fans. Personally, I saw Dead Serios over 50 times, and Stranger at least 15 times. Seeing them never got old because it was always a blast, and every time you saw them seemed like the first time. Their shows were the biggest party in town. These bands were experts at ruling a crowd and the music was always great too. I don't remember seeing a bad performance from either of them.

We'll start with Dead Serios because I was and still am friends with the guys. The band was a punk metal comedy act. The band consisted of Dead Lee Serios (Christopher Long) on lead vocals and lawnmower, Doug Gibson on lead guiar, Phil Billingsley on rhythm guitar, Joe Del Corvo on bass, and Bill Irwin on drums and vocals.

Doug Gibson

You never saw a better show than this. High intensity rock, with the greatest frontman ever to walk the earth. Songs like 'No More Pipe For Potato Head' featured a 3 foot tall Mr. Potato Head that shot pyrotechnics out of the pipe. The band always delivered, and they always seemed at the top of their game. There was a time when it seemed like a given that this band would be signed, and huge. I don't know a single person who ever saw them in concert and didn't love them for life. Unfortunately, the record deal never came, but grunge did, and that's when all the good music went by the wayside. But the good news is that the band does reunion shows from time to time! The live links I posted are from a reunion show a couple years ago. 'Lawn Care Studs' that featured Dead Lee leading a mosh pit circle swinging a toy lawnmower, then smashing it onstage like Pete Townsend with a Fender Telecaster. I remember one show where one of the fans snuck out the back door during that song, grabbed the club's REAL lawnmower, fired it up, and got in line before Dead Lee with the real mower going full blast. Fun times indeed. Their set lists would always consist of crowd favorites like these, and other songs like 'Rosemary's Baby was Framed, Who's on Oprah, Psycho Dyke, Buster's Got A Booger, Butterbean Queen, and Peanuts are Evil. The ending of their shows was every bit as electric as the show itself, and lasted as long as a song. They would introduce the band, along with sound words of wisdom like "Brush after every meal! Smell the cheese before you eat it!" Dead Lee would then call for quiet, and tell the crowd that no matter where they went on the highways and biways of life, they should always remember....."MOTORHEAD RULES!" They would then finish off with their trademarked staple close "And Remember....WE'RE NOT JOKING!! WE'RE! DEAD! SERIOS!"

Dead Lee Serios and a
sacrificial lawnmower

Next up is Stranger! Pure bred "Florida Rock N Roll!" This band had the unmistakable vocals of Greg Billings, and the unique and powerful guitar sound of Ronnie Garvin, joined with a thunderous rhythm section consisting of Tom (King) Cardenas on bass and John Price on drums. Randy Holt was on keyboards.

The energy of a Stranger show was unmatched. You just wanted to grab a beer, raise it (when you weren't chugging it) and sing along with their unforgettable chouses in songs like Okeechobee Whiskey, Play Something Good (Something I can Dance To), and probably their most recognized chorus, 3D. And, their amazing guitar grooves in songs like Swamp Woman, Hit N Run, and the heartfelt ballads they offered like Clear Blue Morning, and many more.

When you left a Stranger show, you felt good. Seeing them was like a being at a football game where your team is just taking apart their opponent. It makes you feel like you're on top of the world. They would always interact with the audience, encouraging crowd participation, and the fans were more than happy to give it. And, like Dead Serios, it was not possible to see a Stranger show for the first time, and not leave a fan. They would open with the anthem, Bad Day, which instantly got you in the mood to forget about your day, and get the night started. Their shows were always 'a night to remember, after a 'day to forget.' From the first song on, you belonged to the band. All the way to their grand finale, Thunder Bay.

Ronnie Garvin

At a Stranger show, you couldn't help but notice Ronnie Garvin's old, beat up and ugly Fender Strat. It looked like it was held together with duct tape. So ugly, yet at the same time, the most beautiful guitar on the planet. He also had a unique style and sound like I mentioned before. Nobody could play like him, and nobody could play like Stranger.

The end of the road for them came on October 10, 1996 when the news came out that guitarist, Ronnie Garvin had been found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound. This tragic event came to be known as 'The shot that broke Florida's heart.' That was it. It was over. And, many Floridians can tell you exactly what they were doing when they heard the news. Me, I was on the way to the hospital in Melbourne to deliver my oldest daughter, and heard the news on the radio. That's how I am able to remember the exact date.

Greg Billings has a band that plays in the Tampa area called The Greg Billings Band, along with bassist Tom Cardenas. They play regularly across West Florida, and their set list includes Stranger songs.

These two bands were polar opposites in their styles, sound, and stage shows, and I don't remember them ever playing together. If they had, it would have been one of the most amazing shows of all time. Both bands dominated Florida during the same time, and they both loved to play, and loved their fans. Both bands put 120% into every show they played, and as a result, they were both adored by the fans.

But this isn't just one blogger's opinion. The proof is in the print. Jam Magazine, which was/is? a publication that everyone back then read. They had the 'Jammy Awards' where bands and musicians were nominated by the fans, and awards were handed out to the best. In 1991, Stranger won their highest honor as Entertainer of the Year. In 1992, Dead Serios won it, and Stranger presented the award to Dead Serios. I couldn't find a photo of that. If you have it, send it to me on my Facebook page, and I will add it to this post.

So, if you were fortunate enough to see these bands live, post some of your memories in the comments or on my FB page. Haven't heard of them? Click the links throughout this post and enjoy. I haven't seen a local music scene as good as Central Florida's in the late 80's to early 90's since, and I doubt I ever will.

You want to see another local music scene like that? Support Local Music! We didn't know how good we had it back then.

8 Types of Football Fans That Suck!

In honor of FOOTBALL SEASON starting, I figured I'd do a write up on the people who go out of their way to make life more interesting in a bad way for the rest of us sports fans. Today's blog post is a list of fans that you do not want to be..or know for that matter. And if you are one or more of these people, please make a change. Your friends will be very grateful.

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The Fantasy Football Freak. He's the guy who goes to sports bars with NFL Sunday Ticket not to watch any one game in particular. He's there to watch the players on his fantasy football team. He will run from screen to screen, asking people about his fantasy players. Friend or stranger, he doesn't care. You can be minding your own business watching YOUR team, and this guy will run up to you, and demand to know how your team's QB, RB, WR, etc are doing. Or, he will tell you that he hopes your team loses because your team member is on his fantasy opponent's team. These idiots are easy to spot. They are in the sports bar with papers and pens...and of course, no girlfriend...or friends at all for that matter, unless its another Fantasy Freak. These pathetic football fans actually think that everyone around them cares about what their fantasy football team is doing. Its crazy! In fact, I would bet that alot of these freaks were Dungeons and Dragons freaks when they were younger. If you like fantasy football, but do NOT do this type of thing, than you are not a fantasy football freak.

The Upper Level Diehard. He's the guy sitting in the seats next to the roof who is painted, shirtless, drunk and loud, demanding that everyone around him get up. The team could be down 31-3, but he's still insisting that his crowd noise will help the team out. There is a place for this in the stadium. Usually the lower level end zone and corners, where the groups like The Black Hole in Oakland, The Dog Pound in Cleveland, or The Deep End in Miami are. But not in the top row of the stadium! This guy probably is not a season ticket holder. He probably doesn't get to go to games very often, so he is overly excited. You can almost give him a pass, but he still sucks.

Overly Sentimental Guy. He's the guy who at the sports bar/tailgate/or at the game will for no reason get emotional, saying things like "Guys, it means so much us all being here together like this. Good friends hanging out, drinking beer, and watching football!" Then, he will demand a toast and say "To good friends!"

The Wannabe Scholar. There are several types of these. The guy who is a new football fan but wants everyone to think he has been a fan for years, and he wants people to think he knows everything there is to know about football. Or, the guy who wants to impress a total stranger for no reason. For example, I have been in sports bars wearing my Miami Dolphins gear, and someone will come up to me and say something like "I used to be a big Miami fan when they had Dan Marino." But, they can't name another player from the Marino era. I hear that at least 5 times a season. I firmly believe that you pick a team and you stay with it regardless of how good/bad they are, or who is or isn't on the team. When someone tells me that they were a fan when Marino was there, I usually tell them that they were never a real fan to begin with.

An example of the other type of wannabe scholar is this: I lived in Clarksville, TN from 2000-2003. I would be in sports bars, and all these new Tennessee Titans fans wanted to impress everyone, and of course they all had been life long Houston Oilers fans. You ask them who their first black QB was, and they would always say Steve McNair. But they have NO idea who Warren Moon is.

 But the worst one of all talked to me during the week 1 game of the 2001 season. The Dolphins were playing the Titans in Nashville. Up until that point, the Baltimore Ravens were the only team who had ever beaten the Titans in that stadium. Miami was CRUSHING the Titans. Zach Thomas intercepted McNair, and ran it back for a touchdown, and did a flip into the end zone. One Titans fan tells me that the Titans would win because nobody wins in "The Delpher" (Adelphia Coliseum) except the Titans. I reminded him that the Ravens had done it twice. He then said that it was ok because the Super Bowl champions get a guaranteed spot in the playoffs. I said "Number one, that isn't true. Number 2, the Titans are NOT the Super Bowl champs!" He backed off. Another one, a guy came up to me, saying that he had been a Dolphins fan all his life, and it broke his heart when Ray Finkle missed that field goal in the Super Bowl. I told him to get away from me. Just be yourselves, people! Seriously! Its ok if you are a new fan, or if you don't have alot of knowledge. Nobody is going to think you are stupid...unless you are a wannabee scholar.

But the last type of wannabe scholar can be summed up with a picture, and needs no explanation.

Personally, I like the guy, but not as a football commentator.

The Bandwagon Fan. This guy always has brand new gear from the previous Super Bowl winner. He knows nothing about the history of the team. All he cares about is looking like a winner. That guy is usually a loser. I'm glad I'm not a band wagon fan. It would get really expensive replacing your gear every year. But, you see more band wagon fans in Basketball than anything else. How else can you explain why there were suddenly Oklahoma City fans all over the country, and how many Miami Heat fans outside Florida even know the lineup before Lebron James got there? NOTE: This pic obviously was taken long after this blog post. I used this one after the site crashed because it was the best bandwagon pic I have ever seen.

The Jerk. This guy is the greatest fan in the world. Nobody knows more about the team than he does, and if you try to call him on it, he will try to pick a fight with you. Although he will get into fights with the opponent's fans, he more often gets into fights with fans of his own team.

The Eternal Pessimist. The way he talks about his team, you'd swear his team was a division rival. He downs them constantly, when they make a good play, he swears it was luck because the QB was trying to throw the ball to someone else. The kicker could hit a field goal, and he would whine because it wasn't straight down the middle. These people are ZERO fun to watch a game with. I have told people to get away from me if they were going to talk like that. They ruin the experience, and they are a total buzz kill. Here's a rl he'd be really happy with:

Bad Cliche Guy. He will be watching a game with you, and say the dumbest and most worn out, over used lines of all time, and he will say it like he really means it and thought it up on his own. Things like "I guess they just don't want to win!" Yeah. The team huddled up and said "You know what, I really don't feel like winning today. Lets let the other guys have it!" That, or "Best in the league!" when an average player makes an average play. "Wow! That second string offensive lineman made a huge block! He is the best in the league, and he really needs more playing time. You can't teach things like that!" Maybe we should rename this fan "Wannabe Commentator."

So, watch out for these types of people. And if you're guilty of any of it, just stop doing it. Nobody will notice it, and you won't get any compliments, but your friends will appreciate it, and you will find that you have a better time watching football.

All this being said, I hope your team has a GREAT football season (unless you are a NY Jets, Buffalo Bills, or New England Patriots fan.) ;)

GO PHINS!!!

A 9/11 Tribute I did in 2001

September 11, 2001...Within one hour after the second plane struck the World Trade Center, everybody in the world knew it was a terrorist attack on the United States. Everybody was angry, and there were many different reactions. Most noticeably was the congress singing God Bless America on the steps of the capitol building. Even though we all knew the 'unity' that was shown there would only last another 20 minutes, it was still cool to see, even if certain politicians were only doing it for a photo op. Other people wrote parody songs. I was living in Clarksville, TN at the time, which is near Ft. Campbell, home of the 101st Airborne Division. One of the songs I remember was from the Nashville rock station was a parody of AC/DC's For Those About to Rock, We Salute You called For Those About to Fight, We Salute You. In that town, everyone knew what was about to happen, and spirits were high. The soldiers knew a deployment was coming, and they were excited to go.

Within 5 days of the attacks, I had written a parody of Queen's We Will Rock You/ We Are the Champions called We Will Bomb You/ We Are Americans. I scheduled time in a friend's recording studio for 2 weeks later. I started practicing and learning my lyrics. They aren't simply a new set of lyrics written over the music. These lyrics fit and flow the way the lyrics do in the original song. You'll notice this when you listen to it.

So, the day arrived when I was going to go into the studio and record my tribute, but I got sick! Strep throat! I talked to my friend, and he told me to go ahead and try it, and if I couldn't do it, he would schedule me another time after I got over the strep throat. I agreed, and we went in, and I started recording. After a warm up and a few beers, I didn't notice my throat as much, or maybe I didn't care. Who knows? Anyway, once I warmed up, I was okay and did the song in 2 takes. I did it well enough not to need to do it again after I was over the strep throat.

We burned about 10 copies, and took them to bars and a couple radio stations. It was played on the Clarksville rock station as well as the Nashville rock station. People started requesting copies, and we started burning them with a label that I designed. We then started handing them out at bars. We handed out between 150 and 200 CDs. The majority of CDs were grabbed by soldiers about to deploy. I know for a fact that the song was played in Afghanistan and Iraq, not to mention Germany and Korea, and wherever else the US has a base.

It felt good to know that something I did served to lend morale to our troops. So, here it is. For the first time since 2001-2002, in memory of those lost, and those who fought and continue to fight for our freedom, We Will Bomb You/ We Are Americans. Words written and sung by yours truly. Enjoy it. Its a little out dated, but you get the point.

Here is the song, along with a slideshow I put together. (watch it on YouTube. Bigger screen.)

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I know how large corporations can pay more.

That's right. I know a guaranteed way that corporations can pay their middle class employees more money...and it won't even raise their payroll. Want to know the secret? I'd tell you but I have to refer you to the 'Department of Unsolicited Messages Bid And Solid Solutions' (DUMBASS) and they will have to approve me telling you, then send your request to the 'Message Office Replies Of Necessity' (MORON) and once they deem it a necessary, they send it to the 'Department Of Linking Transfer' (DOLT) who then forwards it back to me. So, once I get permission from the required channels, and the permission forms are all documented and verified by my boss, his boss, and his boss's boss, you can expect to hear my secret in about 3 months.

Well, in true corporate fashion, I will tell you in a bit. First, I'm going to tell you a few stories of experiences I've had recently and in the past. By the time I'm done, I probably won't even have to tell you my idea, but I will anyway.

A few years back, I was a property manager for a company that 'offered storage to the public.' I had never seen so many layers of unnecessary brass before in my life. They had people who's job it was to travel around the country and appraise the safety awareness of everyone working there. Sounds good, right? All this person (who made triple what I was making, plus got paid to see the country) did was show up, go through your 'safety manual' (which was nothing but monthly printouts of common sense safety crap that any 5 year old would know...and they never changed year to year. They were always the same with a different little smiley face or something like that so they knew you printed it) to make sure it was up to date, then they would ask you what the monthly safety topic was...it was on the monthly printout that never changed, and to conclude their visit, they would ask you to demonstrate the proper way to open a roll up door. They were there literally 5 minutes tops, and they never found anything bad or out of order. I called another store in a different part of the company with a different safety manager and was told that they did the exact same thing there. How can I apply for that job? And, why did the DM come around and do those things when there was a department specifically for that?

At least twice a year, there would be an email from corporate HQ, saying to welcome the new employees of the new 'Department Of Nothing Other Than Handling Insignificant Numeric Goods' (DONOTHING) and how glad they were to have them on board. Then, a week later, another email from HQ talking about how the bonuses had been "restructured." (cut to pay for DONOTHING)

My wife has worked for the same company for 7 years. She has transferred the job to 3 different cities, and has been asked to go to other stores that needed help. The company's payroll department after getting W4s from her when we moved to a different state was always backwards because of a chain of people that had to handle that information. When she went to help another store, she was paid gas mileage. The check they cut for that had to be approved by the store manager of the store she was at, then to the DM, then to the RM, then the VP of the company, then forwarded to the payroll department. As a result, her mileage was sent to a previous address. This happened twice. Another time, we moved, and her paycheck was sent to the previous store. That happened twice. Once, they credited the money to a CLOSED BANK ACCOUNT! She tried to get that straightened out, and they said they would send a check. Once again, sent to a previous location. Every one of these transactions had to go through 3 different people before they went to the department where it needed to go.

This next story was the inspiration for this post. I have over the years delivered pizza as a second job. Before moving to North Carolina last month, I worked for a chain for a year and a half as a second job. I worked for a franchise store. I gave them a month notice when we left, and left on very good terms, and was definitely rehire-able. I went to a location near our new place, thinking I could grab a job quickly and have some fast income coming in while I found a real job since we were in a much bigger city. I was WRONG. Seems the location I went to was a corporate store, not a franchise store. It had only been a matter of 3 weeks since I worked for the franchise store, yet I had to interview, then go to a 2 hour orientation, and they had to submit my information to a department who's sole responsibility is to determine if previous employees are eligible for rehire. You'd think a DM could just pick up the phone, and call the previous manager, but you would be wrong. So, I jumped through hoops for a week, and it finally come back that since working for the franchise store, I had not gone on a crime spree, and gotten a DUI or two. So, I was hired. Next step was the orientation. I was told that it only was once a week with the orientation manager. That is all that guy does. He goes from city to city telling people how to deliver pizza and work there.

The orientation day was Tuesday. It WAS scheduled for 6, and this was the only day I could do it. We have a 3 year old, and my wife was scheduled to work that night, so she changed her schedule so I could do it. No problem. Then, I got a phone call from the place, saying the orientation had been moved to 5:00. I told them that my wife had changed her schedule, and I would have to be a few minutes late. They said it was ok. So, I got there at 5:15. The 'orientation manager' was there with a group of new hires, and he had no idea who I was. I told him, and he looked in his books, and informed me that I was scheduled for NEXT week. I told him what had happened, and told him that I was there now. He asked me if I had my orientation paperwork. I knew nothing of orientation paperwork. No one said anything about it. He apologized, and said he couldn't help me. I told him that I had been working for them for a year and a half, and I didn't understand all this red tape. He snidely told me that I worked for a franchise store, and not a corporate store, and corporate stores do things much differently, and screen their employees much deeper, and I would have to learn to do things the "right way."

I told him that there was a reason that franchise stores do better than corporate. For example, I was a top driver at the franchise, and would work whenever needed, and they weren't thrilled to lose me. But, because of the stupidity of the corporate store, I would not be back. I'd go to a competitor if I haven't found a job in the next couple weeks. So, they lost out on a top employee just because the corporation has to have all these DONOTHINGs with a novel sized rule book.

So, I'm sure you have a pretty good idea what my idea is by now. Its simple. Get rid of all these stupid and unnecessary departments, and you can pay your employees more! You know what? Production would go up too because the employees wouldn't have 5 different people breathing down their necks to complete one simple task. 

This goes out to all DONOTHINGs: 

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Seriously, corporations...Get rid of all those layers of upper management, and give the money you pay them to the people who make you all the money...Your ground level employees. When did an 'orientation manager' ever make a DIME for your company? Never?

Top 20 Hair Metal Power Ballads of the 80's

 

There's so much crap going on these days, and I am well aware of all of it. I am just too awe struck by the idiocy of the so called leaders of this country, that I choose to live in the past for a while.

Sooooo, What better way to live in the past than to rattle off the top 20 hair metal ballads of the 80's.

This isn't going to simply be a listing of the songs with the most air play. It will be a list of songs based on musical content. For example, More Than Words by Extreme will most definitely NOT be on this list. Neither will Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue. There will be a couple radio hits, but most of this will be great songs that were overlooked by the music machine that is the radio.

So, here's a good idea for a date night. Grab that lighter, the laptop, some beer, cuddle up with your

 significant other, and lets get on with this list. Listen to every song as you read this! NOTE: The titles of the songs here are also links to the songs.

Number 20: Hideaway by Leatherwolf.

An under rated band, as most of the bands listed here will be. This ballad had power, skillful guitars, good strong vocals, and a chorus that knocked you into the next room. The first time I heard this one, I was convinced that Leatherwolf would be the next 'big' band. The problem was that this song was released in the LATE 80's. Not really enough time to catch on before the 90's. 

Number 19: Sunlit Nights by Racer X 

Yeah, we GOTTA throw some Racer X in here. This band should have been huge, but I guess the radio execs were scared of all the crazy guitar to push them. Oh wait...They pushed Mr. Big. I got nothing.

Number 18, I Saw Red by Warrant

This one was a radio hit, but it was not their biggest hit. I include it in this list because of the sheer emotion in the music, and Jani Lane's vocals. RIP, Jani. I got to open for him back in 2004, and got to hang with him. Great guy.

Number 17, Livin' Without You by Shotgun MessiahThis song is great on so many levels. It is the PERFECT breakup song. And it would be equally perfect today. A girl probably wouldn't have heard the song, so you give it to her, and she listens, and hears the lyrics, and thinks that the guy is heartbroken until she hears the line 'Living without you don't bother me.' Then, it heads into the line 'If there's a tear in my eye, it's not for you. Don't flatter yourself.' The girl would be shocked and angry, especially if SHE was the one doing the breaking up. 

Number 16, Don't Close Your Eyes by Kix

A very deep and heart felt anti suicide song. Very emotional singing, deep lyrics, and music. Not much more to say, other than great song.

Number 15, Alone Again by Dokken

Dokken wrote great ballads. Period. It was hard to narrow it down to one, so we'll just go with their first one. The guitar solo in this is phenomenal. Glen Tipton of Judas Priest thought so too. 

Number 14, The Flame by Cheap Trick

Yeah, I know that this was a mega radio hit, but it was definitely worthy of it. And, someone would have gave me crap had I left it off!

Number 13, Ballad of Jayne, LA Guns Kind of a deep song for LA Guns, but a great song none the less. Jayne Mansfield, the working man's Marilyn Monroe is immortalized by the Guns, but I can answer their question. Q: What happened to Jayne? A: She died in a car accident. What a shame.

Number 12, House of Pain by Faster Pussycat

LOVE this song. Not sure why, but its been one of my favorite ballads since it came out. MUCH better than Bathroom Wall, right? 

Number 11, Without You by Motley Crue

Calm down now! I promised that Home Sweet Home wouldn't be on the list! Without You is a song that Crue actually put effort into. Its a great song. Vince Neil actually sings, and the music actually does something, unlike that other one that ends with a hummer from Vince. 

Number 10, Love Song by Tesla

Another one that if I had left out, someone would have been all over me for!

Number 9, Fly High Michelle by Enuff Z'Nuff

Yes. I put them in the list. They were a great band. Extremely talented, and this song DOES belong in the top 10. Listen it it! I guess people couldn't get past the band's look. What a shame. I'd rather they had made it big than say...Winger. I'd put them deeper into the top 10, but there are some great songs coming up.

Number 8, Screaming in the Night by Krokus

Not your typical power ballad, but it still kicks ass. Can someone tell me what the song is about please?

Number 7, Dreams by Van HalenLove this song. It soars like an F-18. (Ok, that was bad I know, but this video is one of the only places you get to see the Blue Angels these days thanks to you know who!)

Number 6, Fly to the Angels by Slaughter

This song is great. A perfect and beautiful eulogy. Can't really say much more than that, other than Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum make an appearance further down in the list. NO PEEKING!

-See what I did there with Dreams and Fly To The Angels? ;)

Number 5, Together as One by Stryper 

This is Stryper's best ballad. Great piano, and a great guitar solo. Why this song isn't a hit for the first dance at weddings, I will never know. 

Number 4, Forever Free by Wasp

Yes. Forever Free by Wasp is number 4. Think about it, it is everything you'd expect if you heard the term 'power ballad' for the first time. Ok, go ahead and give me hell about it. This list was harder than I thought! It was either this or Nobody's Fool by Cinderella! 

Number 3, Quicksand Jesus and Wasted Time by Skid Row

These two songs are equal. I sat there for 20 minutes trying to decide between the two. Both have very deep lyrics, dark and powerful music, great singing, intense lyrics, and are just overall great songs, so I decided to list them both at number 

Number 2, Painted Skies by Crimson Glory

Ok, this song rules. It features one of the greatest metal singers of all time, in one of the first progressive/speed metal bands to make it big. All though, Crimson Glory never made it huge, they have a hell of a cult following, and this album is one of the most respected prog metal albums of all time.

Number 1, That Time of Year by Vinnie Vincent Invasion

I've been saying this for years. This song has it all, and then some. It is probably one of the best written preformed, and produced ballads I have ever heard. Sadly, this great song was overlooked. There is really no excuse for it. Emotion, great guitar, vocals...Everything. 10/10

Ok, as I mentioned earlier, this was MUCH harder than I thought, but I did have a good time, and I listened to every song I posted here, so it was a good night. 

Let me know what you think, and if I left something off. I had fun, hope you did too!

Honorable Mention and a spot as #1A to Love Kills, by Vinnie Vincent Invasion.

Because it was in the soundtrack of A Nightmare on Elm Street 4.

HELLO CLEVELAND!!!! My own personal Spinal Tap moments in bands

This will be a kind of short one, but here we go...Here are some stories about my onstage mishaps over my life.

My first show was in 9th grade with my first band, Epidemic. We were horrible, but we thought we were awesome. We were legends in our own minds. There was a video tape of it, and I saw it a couple years later, and thought that if anyone else saw it, my reaction would be something like this:

Luckily, I don't think the tape exists anymore...I hope. We did get better, and even good.

Same band, 2 years later, the drummer had constructed a drum cage out of PVC pipe for his drum set. It collapsed during a show, and took out a $1200 Ovation acoustic guitar.

Same band, we had a show at a park during a local event. We were the headliner, and we played our first set. After that set, we took a break, and the cops showed up. Not to shut us down, but to give a K9 display. They literally did it for 45 minutes, and by the time they were done, there were maybe 10 people left in the audience.

I have had 2 experiences that came straight from 'This Is Spinal Tap.' I have had radio transmissions get picked up on a wireless. Also, in a 5 piece band, with me on vocals, we had a guitarist who didn't show up to practices and missed the learning of a new song. He assured us that he knew the song after one practice, right before a show the next night.  He didn't.  During the song, he lost his place, and got lost in the song. He took off his guitar, threw it down, and walked off stage. We finished the show as a 4 piece.

I have fallen off a stage before.

But, I think the most embarrassing Spinal Tap moment was in Nashville, TN.  I was singer/guitarist in a band, and the guitarist talked me into wearing fake leather vinyl pants on stage. I had worn them once before, and they were hot as hell, and I was sweating bullets down there,  so I decided to free ball for this particular show. (Free ball means wearing no underwear) During a guitar solo, I dropped to my knees, and leaned backward. The crotch of the pleather pants ripped, and I was airing out for all to see. I didn't realize it right away either. A group of ladies did though, and that wound out being a good thing for me later on, but I was still very embarrassed. 

Moments like this happen to every musician. If you have any tell us about yours!

Interview with Pamela Moore

I'd like to thank Ms. Moore for the opportunity she gave me to interview her. I had a lot of fun, and she is a very friendly lady. We discussed her new album; Resurrect Me on Rat Pak Records, which I also reviewed earlier. 

Here is the interview:

Me: I do have one Queensryche related question for you if that's ok.

PM: (laughs) That's fine go ahead.

Me: What was it like coming out on stage at their album release concert, and doing Suite Sister Mary with Todd LaTorre? Because, when you took the stage, the crowd just went nuts.

PM: It was awesome. So you were there, huh?

Me: No, but I did watch all the Youtube footage from it.

PM: You know, it’s always awesome for me to be on stage.  I love it!  Solo, or with my friends!Queensryche, all of them have been like family to me, and being able to join up with them is kind of like being “home”. <giggles> I've done “Sister Mary” with Geoff, of course but this was a first with Todd,  it was a very pivotal moment, especially for him, and he kicked butt! He was just ON, and I was like "WOW!" I mean we rehearsed it to make sure we were doing the right notes, but when it was time for performance, Todd just turned it on!  He killed it!  WOW, there it was. All I could think was Good job!  I was really proud of him.

Me: Yeah, on the last high note of the song toward the end is a dual note, and the two of you nailed it together. I don't think I ever heard it like that except on the album until that point.

PM: It was a great night… (laughs)

Me: Ok, that's all about Queensryche. I just had to know about that particular moment. It seemed really special. So, when is your tour for Resurrect Me kicking off?

PM: Hopefully soon. Right now, I hope to have at least one more show under my belt before the end of the year, but no tour scheduled yet. I just booked my first Concert Cruise - Cruise To the Edge~2014 that my band members and me are excited about doing in April In the meantime, I'm still practicing with the band.  My Band sounds awesome! The songs translate so well, live.  Very powerful!  That's why I am really excited to get out there and show it off!  Hopefully, other people feel the same way.

Me: So, the album met or exceeded your personal expectations for it?

PM: Oh yeah. It took a long time to make, and the only reason for that was because of a lot of things that happened in between. It was 4 years in the making, and it was only supposed to be one or two. I ended up moving from Chicago back to my hometown, which is Seattle. I did a couple tours with Primal Fear, just a lot of different things that kept me busy. But, I was able to record my first year, and put together my ideas for format on the songs, and I was happy. I was excited about the different things we were working on. It really seemed to resonate with me at the time, a lot of growth came out of it, and I feel like it really pushed me, and pushed my vocal ability, and my heart a little more too. I went through a change, there were some specific things that I can keep for myself, and hopefully, other people can take what they want from it. It’s funny because we pieced this whole thing together. Seriously. We didn't just work out of one studio.We recorded out of four or five different ones, so all things considered, the way that it all fell together, and the common thread between it all, turned into a really good album that I always wanted to make, and I want to do another one.NOW! (smile)

Me: I'll buy it! PM: Well, thank you. (giggles)

Me: I haven't heard any of your previous releases, and I get the feeling that this is your first metal album.

PM: The last album I did that was considered a solo album because I co wrote on it with a friend of mine. It had a harder edge to it, but it wasn't metal or hard rock. It has more of an electronic ambient feel to it. The other releases that I did before, I didn't write on very many of them. On one CD, Solna, I was commissioned to only sing which Ralf Scheepers was also commissioned to do. And then acouple of really early albums from when I had just gotten out of school, those are really soft, album oriented rock, so again, I have a diverse taste in music, but my heart is in the rock and metal vein which I'm known for. I've dabbled in a lot. The only thing I haven’t dabbled in is country.

Me: Lets not do that one just yet. (laughs)

PM: (Laughing) Yeah that might confuse people even more.

Me: Where was the Paranoia video shot?

PM: We shot it in Concrete Washington, which is north of Seattle, in the foothills of the mountains. The building is an old concrete factory that they tried to destroy, but it didn't come down. The area is very peaceful, but eerie. The building has been graffiti all over, there are big holes in the walls from where they tried to destroy the building, and there are stories about something paranormal going on there. It was really the perfect location for the type of song that Paranoia is. It was really cold, and I was damp and cold, and afterward, it seemed to take 24 hours to warm up.

Me: One thing I gotta know is whether or not the album is a concept or themed towards vampires? My wife swears that by listening, she can formulate a vampire story.

PM: That would be awesome. That's funny! I've been asked that before, and it was never intended to be a conceptual album at all. It was just us putting things together, and I think the common thread was me going through these difficult moments, personally, but I can tell you this...One of the songs, Melt Into You. After I heard the music, I went and watched the first episode of Twilight, and the whole idea of falling in love or having a crush on somebody who isn't necessarily that good for you. It might be a bad thing, but it was pretty interesting to me. I think I said in another publication that our most destructive relationships are the most interesting ones, and so that song out of all of them, that’s the one that was probably vampire inspired. But if you think about all the songs, they really could be. If you wanted to write out a movie set, and get your wife to write down what she was thinking, you never know!  Sounds like a great idea! I don't really like to tell people what certain songs are about because its your job or wish as an artist that people latch onto a song and find personal ownership in it, it makes it really interesting for them, and I feel like the song even more. So, if I said, "Ok, this song is about eating cracker jacks." you're like "Well, yeah," and you kind of lose the whole romanticism of your interpretation.

Me: My favorite songs on the album are 'Wide Awake' and 'We are Damaged.' I was wondering what your favorites are.

PM: I love them all! (giggles) My favorite lately has been Awakening. The reason for that is because it’s kind of a sleeper. It has that kind of mid tempo and easy feel to it, and then it takes you into this huge, chaotic and crazy ending. Another one that is becoming a favorite of mine is also 'Wide Awake.' I think of all the songs, that’s the one song that is isn't as dark, and almost like a prequel to the next album.

Me: Its kind of funny that you say that. That song comes off to me as darker, as one of the more darker songs on the album.

PM: Well, it does have a kind of gothic sound to it, with strings, and chanting "I am!" But if you listen to the lyrics, it’s about a rebirth. Finally, you are wide awake. You can see things, and you're rising up, and asking those to come with you. ” I am wide awake”. But the music is probably what you're hearing as dark. Most of the songs have a pretty darker subject matter to them. Lets see, the darkest would be maybe Acquiescent, or even Resurrect Me. There's a lot of things going on in there. I think when you talk about dark content, you may be talking musically. I am talking lyrically. Particularly on Wide Awake.

Me: Yeah, I was referring to the musical content and not the lyrics. How did your band come to be your band?

PM: Michael Posch wrote Most of the music, so for shows, I obviously had to find some people that would fit the bill, and I lucked out. I have some pretty amazing and very professional musicians. These guys have really been under the radar, so once we start playing, a lot of people will stand up and take notice. I want to reenact the album live, and that's pretty much what you hear.

Me: That's good. Is this going to be the band who records the next album with you?

PM: I don't know. We'll have to see. I have about 4 songs that Michael and I have in the box that we revisited this summer. It very well could be that the guys record the album with me, that would be awesome, but you never know.

Me: Judging by the photos from the debut show, it looks like all of you are just up there having a blast.

PM: Yeah, it was awesome, especially for Michael because he and I wrote the album, and this was the first time playing these songs live in front of an audience, and to get the response that we got was simply amazing. We've been really blessed, and that is huge validation, a huge pat on the back!  And, with everybody, the chemistry is just right, and that is really cool because it is really hard to find that, and when you have something like that as a musician, you want to make sure you hang onto that, you know?

Me: Yes, I do. A couple adjectives that I would use to describe your voice are 'haunting and beautiful.' I can remember even back in the 80's when Mindcrime was released, and hearing your voice, and thinking 'who is this lady, and where did they find her?'

PM: I remember back in the 80's, a lot of people thought it was Geoff singing, and once the Empire tour came around, they were like "Oh, it IS a girl singing." (laughs)

Me: Well, those people didn't read the album credits.

PM: No, they didn't, but I am always thankful for compliments for anything I have done. Thank you.

Me: Thank you for an awesome album. I have 2 more questions for you. One, have you ever been approached to sing the National Anthem at a sporting event?

PM: No, I haven't, but I think I'd be afraid. (laughs)

Me: Well, singing acapella is kind of scary.

PM: Its really neat. It is quite the song, and its been done very differently by a lot of different people. Sometimes horribly, sometimes honorably.

Me: The best was Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl in the early 90s.

PM: And what about Christina Aguilera? Come on, you gotta get the lyrics right!  Right?  (laughs)

Me: If you do get to sing it in the future, please make sure someone in your inner circle is filming it.

PM: (laughing) Ok, it seems like everyone is filming everything these days, so that shouldn't be too hard.

Me: Yep. Ok, last question. If you look on You Tube, there is footage from the early 80's of Meatloaf performing with a Pamela Moore. I gotta know if that's you.

PM: Nope. That's not me. In fact, I have been trying to find that woman because we both broke onto the scene around the same time. She has also worked with Bob Segar, and another band. But we get ourselves mixed up and rightfully so because we are both singers with the same name and we've both done a little bit in the business.  Nope. I have always tried to seek her out!

Me: Hey, Pamela, I loved you with Queensryche, and I hear you got a new album about vampires!

PM: (laughing) Yep, and she's like "That's not me! What are you talking about???" So, if you ever come across another Pamela Moore, please tell her that I want to talk to her. (laughs)

Me: Well, I'm not going to take up any more of your time, and I want to thank you for this chance to interview you. I had a lot of fun, and I hope you did too. Hope you have a good night.

PM: Thank you. Spread the word for me, and I really appreciate this opportunity! You have a good night too.


So, buy the album, (here is an Amazon link) and see her when she comes to town in concert! Also, if you know the other Pamela Moore, tell her that Sweet Sister Pamela would like to grab a cup of coffee! Her Facebook page is here. Also, book your ticket to see Pamela Moore along with another familiar favorite on  the Cruise to the Edge 2014.