Tuesday, October 1, 2013

TOP 10 SONGS ABOUT UFOS


UFO
David McNew, Getty Images
Ever since the space race and rock and roll launched at the same time, musicians have looked to the skies for inspiration – something we’re celebrating with the Top 10 Songs About UFOs. While some tunes have focused on rocket men and space cowboys, others have ruminated on the idea of extraterrestrial beings invading earth’s orbit. Early rock hits went the route of the novelty song (‘Flying Saucers Rock and Roll’ and ‘Purple People Eater’), while classic rock artists wrote about UFOs in a grander context (or even named themselves after these unexplained spacecraft). Here are 10 of the best UFO tunes.

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10

‘It Came Out of the Sky’

 
 
From: ‘Willy and the Poor Boys’ (1969)
John Fogerty employed a B-movie plot (even the song’s name sounds like a schlocky sci-fi flick) for this ‘Willy and the Poor Boys’ album track. “It” is never revealed to be anything; we just hear about what everyone else sees in the UFO that landed “a little south of Moline.” In the chugging rocker, which begins our list of the Top 10 Songs About UFOs, Fogerty explains that scientists seek a natural explanation. The Vatican sees a sign from God, conspiracy theorists blame the communists, Hollywood turns it into a big-budget film and then-Vice President Spiro Agnew looks to profit from “It.”
 
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9

‘Arriving UFO’

 
 
From: ‘Tomato’ (1978)
Yes often sounded otherworldly, but they push their progressive rock to the stratosphere on this track from the much-maligned ‘Tomato.’ ‘Arriving UFO’ finds the band welcoming a race of superior beings to the planet, with the hope that they will inspire “a bolder empire of energy.” Rick Wakeman’s mechanical synthesizers make ‘Arriving UFO’ sound like it takes place in outer space. Although, after this album, Wakeman would decide that he and Yes needed their own space; he wouldn’t return to the fold until the ’90s.
 
Sammynine
8

‘Silver Lights’

 
 
From: ‘Nine on a Ten Scale’ (1976)
Going back decades, the Red Rocker has been obsessed with unexplained phenomena, writing multiple songs (such as this one, from his solo debut LP) about the universe and the other life forms that may exist in it. ‘Silver Lights’ describes a group of alien beings that visited earth, then whisked some of the population away while the rest “fought for the broken bits” that remained. In his autobiography, Hagar describes a dream he had about having his thoughts uploaded by aliens – something he later claimed wasn’t just a dream, but actually happened to him. If he gets abducted again, it better be in a fast flying saucer – Sammy can’t fly 55.
 
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7

‘Zero Zero UFO’

 
 
From: ‘Brain Drain’ (1989)
For his last album as a member of the band, Dee Dee Ramone co-wrote a couple of paranormal punk tunes: ‘Pet Semetary’ (written in concert with the movie’s release) and ‘Zero Zero UFO.’ Joey Ramone growls the lyrics about a man in Idaho who witnesses the landing of an alien spacecraft that “did not look like it came from Japan.” A strange man approaches him, but we’re not told much about what happens after that, except that the general public isn’t likely to believe tall tales told by potato farmers.
 
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6

‘Waiting for the UFOs’

 
 
From: ‘Squeezing Out Sparks’ (1979)
In the midst of the Cold War, Graham Parker wrote one of the Top 10 Songs About UFOs as a sly commentary on mankind’s inhumanity. He sings, “We’re dying to be invaded and put the blame on something concrete” in a song filled with people desperately wanting to believe in alien life forms. It doesn’t seem to matter if the little green men turn out to be good or bad, it simply beats thinking about our own, man-made disasters.
 
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5

‘I’ve Seen the Saucers’

 
 
From: ‘Caribou’ (1974)
Sir Elton and his co-conspirator Bernie Taupin are no strangers to space-based songs. On the mid-tempo rocker that opens Side Two of ‘Caribou,’ John sings about the excitement of a true believer who’s taken aboard a UFO. Facing the enormous scope of the universe, the space traveler quickly gets homesick (just like the ‘Rocket Man’) and prays to return to earth soon: “Maybe if I promise not to say a word / They can get me back before the morning light.”
 
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4

‘Come Sail Away’

 
 
From: ‘The Grand Illusion’ (1977)
This classic rock radio staple is neatly split into two parts. There’s the baroque, piano ballad portion, which presents a lonely ship captain on the open sea, and there’s the guitar-fueled finale, which is where the UFO comes in. Angels, who are really aliens, rescue the depressed captain and crew and take them on a journey into the final frontier – filled with spacey synthesizer and keyboard effects. Singer Dennis DeYoung said he wrote this song because he was sad about his band’s lack of success at the time. Like the extraterrestrials in the song, ‘Come Sail Away’ rescued Styx and became one of the band’s biggest hits.
 
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3

‘Hangar 18’

 
 
From: ‘Rust in Peace’ (1990)
In creating this metal classic, Megadeth was inspired by the UFO conspiracy theories that suggest that Hangar 18 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is where the U.S. government hides aliens and their spaceships (such as the infamous craft said to have landed in Roswell, N.M.). Although then-drummer Nick Menza was credited as the band’s alien believer, the lyrics also tie into frontman Dave Mustaine’s anti-authoritarian stance: “Military intelligence / Two words combined that can’t make sense.”
 
TheByrdsMrSpaceman
2

‘Mr. Spaceman’

 
 
From: ‘Fifth Dimension’ (1966)
This hit single – along with ‘5D (Fifth Dimension)’ – brought about the first use of the term “space rock,” even though the country-rock jangle of ‘Mr. Spaceman’ bears no resemblance to the progressive rock epics that would be associated with space rock in the ’70s. But the subject matter of this 2-minute tune is right at home with those later works. Jim “Roger” McGuinn wrote the light-hearted tale about a man who is visited by UFOs every night, but is disappointed when they refuse to bring him aboard and take him for a spin around the universe. McGuinn hoped that extraterrestrials might be encouraged to contact earth if they heard the Byrds’ song on AM radio (although he was disappointed to learn that AM signals dissipate quickly in outer space). Thanks for trying, Roger.
 
StarmanUK
1

‘Starman’

 
 
From: ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’ (1972)
You couldn’t have a Top 10 Songs About UFOs without a David Bowie song. From ‘Space Oddity’ to ‘Loving the Alien,’ the Thin White Duke has written and performed a fair share of sci-fi material – including Bowie’s most famous album. Contrary to what many think, the character of Ziggy Stardust isn’t an alien, but merely an earthbound messenger who speaks for otherworldly beings that could rescue earth in the last five years of humanity’s existence. ‘Starman’ tells the story of teenagers who hear Ziggy’s message about the alien beings “waiting in the sky” and ready to land their ships if the young people can “sparkle” for them. The song is a key moment in the story of Ziggy, but also in Bowie’s career. ‘Starman’ was his first British hit in the three years that followed the release of ‘Space Oddity.’

KORN COME UNCAGED AT NEW YORK CITY SHOW WITH ASKING ALEXANDRIA + LOVE AND DEATH


Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Korn invaded New York’s Roseland Ballroom on Friday night (Sept. 27) with a backdrop of real-live fans in cages as the band members themselves took over the venue like a pack of uncaged lions, complete with dreaded manes. Along for the wild ride were Asking Alexandria and Love and Death.
Seeing Korn live is quite an event as it is, but seeing them with cages full of fans behind them definitely adds to the overall experience. With a backdrop looking like something out of ‘Mad Max,’ Korn took the stage and launched into a rousing rendition of ‘Blind.’ Along with favorites like ‘Falling Away From Me,’ ‘Coming Undone’ and ‘Here to Stay,’ the band performed the new songs ‘Love & Meth,’ ‘Never Never’ and ‘Prey for Me’ off their upcoming album ‘The Paradigm Shift.’
With Brian ‘Head’ Welch back in the band, Korn seem whole again. Seeing the four dread-locked founding members at the front of the stage together makes you wonder how they ever played without Head for so many years. Frontman Jonathan Davis looked as energetic as ever, while Fieldy and Munky were in great spirits. It was obvious the band members were enjoying one another’s company onstage.
For an encore, Korn busted out ‘Get Up!’ along with their classic hits ‘Got the Life’ and ‘Freak on a Leash,’ leaving the NYC crowd buzzing at the end of the show.
Prior to Korn’s set, UK metalcore heroes Asking Alexandria took the stage for an adrenaline-fueled set. The band is out in support of their latest album ‘From Death to Destiny.’ And opening the night was Love and Death, who are fronted by Korn’s very own Brian ‘Head’ Welch.’
Check out pics of all three acts below, and if you’d like to pick up tickets to one of the remaining shows on Korn’s tour with Asking Alexandria and Love and Death, click here for a full list of dates.
Exclusive Photos of Korn, Asking Alexandria + Love and Death at NYC’s Roseland Ballroom:
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Head Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Jonathan Davis Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Korn Fieldy
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Munky Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Ray Luzier Korn
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Jonathan Davis Korn
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Fieldy Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Jonathan Davis Korn
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Head Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Munky Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
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Korn
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Asking Alexandria
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
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Love and Death:
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Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire
Spencer Kaufman, Loudwire

Monday, September 30, 2013

TOP 10 CLIFF BURTON METALLICA SONGS


Elektra Records
When Cliff Burton died in that tragic tour bus accident on Sept. 27, 1986, he left a void that the heavy metal community (never mind Metallica) has realistically never managed to fill. Before Burton’s emergence just a few years earlier as heavy metal’s next, revolutionary bass guitarist, the instrument’s role had already been redefined by both Black Sabbath‘s Geezer Butler and Iron Maiden‘s Steve Harris. But since Cliff’s departure, can you name a single heavy metal bassist who’s had a similarly broad impact? (And, no, little known underground giants such as Steve DiGiorgio, Atheist’s Roger Patterson (R.I.P.) or Intronaut’s Joe Lester don’t count.) Neither can we, but we can certainly cobble together this list of the Top 10 Cliff Burton Metallica Songs to make us feel better. Hope it makes you feel better too…

justice
10

‘To Live Is to Die’

From: ‘… And Justice for All’ (1988)
 
 
We begin our survey of the Top 10 Cliff Burton Metallica Songs with ‘…And Justice for All’s’ ten-minute funeral march, ‘To Live is to Die’: a song Cliff sadly didn’t live to play on, but which was built from a series of riffs and melodies he had demoed before his death. As such, its stately, epic majesty and somber mood will serve as sonic pallbearers for what lies ahead.
 
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9

‘The Thing That Should Not Be’

From: ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
 
 
‘Master of Puppets’ sounded like the heaviest album ever made at the time of its release in 1986. Yet for all those tunes fueled by violent thrashing, arguably none sounded as heavy as ‘The Thing That Should Not Be,’ an uncharacteristically deliberate, doom-laden affair thrumming with low-end guitars and bass, capped with lyrics inspired by Burton’s love of H.P. Lovecraft.
 
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8

‘Seek & Destroy’

From: ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
 
 
With its slower pace and repetitive melodic riff, ‘Seek & Destroy’ was probably the most accessible composition on 1983’s thrash-tastic ‘Kill ‘Em All’ LP. But it was also a little dull, let’s be honest. Still, it could have been a lot worse without Burton’s deft fingering and overdriven wah-wah fills keeping boredom at bay. Listen for these and you’ll see what we mean – especially after James Hetfield first states the chorus.
 
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7

‘Damage, Inc.’

From: ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
 
 
This popular song’s intro section is constructed entirely from Burton bass parts, stacked into a harmonic sequence inspired by, of all people, Johann Sebastian Bach. What’s more, Burton uses his volume controls to create recurring sonic swells, which lift and dip like ocean waves before crashing upon the shores of thrashdom. Then, once the mayhem ensues, one can appreciate his inimitably precise fingering technique (remember, no pick!) even at such high velocities.
 
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6

‘The Four Horsemen’

From: ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
 
 
‘Kill ‘Em All’'s remarkable ‘The Four Horsemen’ remains a colossal thrashing tour de force, especially coming from a group of kids who were barely out of their teens and still applying zit cream. But as the old man of the group (all of 21!), Burton’s knowledge of musical theory proved crucial in transforming Dave Mustaine’s rough and ready ‘The Mechanix’ into this seven-minute behemoth. Burton also stole the show during ‘Horsemen’'s slower mid-section (beginning at the 3:30 mark) with a cleverly ascending bass figure that sounds oddly reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ Listen for yourselves if you don’t believe us.
 
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5

‘Creeping Death’

From: ‘Ride the Lightning’ (1984)
 
 
Halfway through our list of Top 10 Cliff Burton Metallica Songs lies ‘Creeping Death’ -- pound for pound, maybe the band’s single greatest musical creation (there, we said it!), and another excellent example of Cliff Burton’s importance to the group. He coined the title for Hetfield’s Old Testament horror show and his timely counterpoints consistently offer different shadings behind the six-string riffage; and to cap it all off, his three-note bass fill at the 30-second mark has often been called the greatest “here comes the pain” moment in heavy metal history.
 
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4

‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’

From: ‘Ride the Lightning’ (1984)
 
 
Even all these years later, many first-time listeners find it hard to believe that the head-ripping melody that introduces ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ (Metallica’s first non-thrash metal song, incidentally) was performed, not on guitar, but by Cliff Burton’s trusty four-string. In fact, Cliff had been playing some variety of this sequence – with all its bluesy string bends and loads of amp distortion – since his days in pre-Metallica band, Trauma, and maybe even high school, as this stunning cafeteria footagesuggests. P.S. – that is indeed Faith no More’s Jim Martin on guitar.
 
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3

‘Orion’

From: ‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)
 
 
Cliff’s baby all the way, ‘Orion’ was the requisite instrumental recorded for the ‘Master of Puppets’ album, and it opens with a series of backwards-played bass parts, similar to the intro to ‘Damage, Inc.’ Then, almost exactly four minutes in, ‘Orion’ settles into a gentle melodic pattern that has since become synonymous with posthumous tributes to Burton. And circa 6:35, Cliff takes his last recorded solo with Metallica, firing off a dexterous lead that eventually meshes perfectly with Kirk Hammett’s guitar. Goose-bumps all the way!
 
metallica-ride-the-lightning
2

‘The Call of Ktulu’

From: ‘Ride the Lightning’ (1984)
 
 
One of the great metallic tragedies of the CD era is the way Cliff Burton’s bass got buried in the transition to digital, thus requiring one to hear vinyl mixes of ‘The Call of Ktulu’ (yes, these lyrics too originated in the bassist’s Lovecraftian reading materials) in order to truly grasp one of Cliff’s greatest lifetime achievements. So whatever you're spinning music on these days, listen closely as Cliff slides into action at the one-minute mark and then simply begins to wail underneath Hetfield and Hammett’s riffs, about 90 seconds in: flying and flailing up and down the neck while periodically unleashing shockwaves of distortion with his hyperactive wah-wah pedal. Godlike!
 
kill
1

‘(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth’

From: ‘Kill ‘Em All’ (1983)
 
 
“Bass solo, take one,” mutters Cliff ahead of ‘Kill ‘Em All’s’ paradigm-shifting ‘(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth,’ thereby forewarning listeners that their minds were about to be blown. Simply put, the inevitable No. 1 choice in our list of the Top 10 Cliff Burton Metallica Songs took an instrument most metal fans hardly knew they were hearing, more often than not, and shoved it down the heavy metal world’s collective throat. Here was an almost unprecedented display of daring and chops, showcasing not only Cliff’s incredible technique (and significant chutzpah!), but his eclectic musical tastes, too (check out those bluesy bends, classical scales, etc.). To our minds, there’s no better example of Burton’s crucial contributions to Metallica’s career than this living testament to his sorely missed musical talents. There’s really no telling where he might have taken heavy metal bass guitar had his time not been cut so unfairly short.