January 18, 2012

MIXTAPE: Korn on the blog.


Say what you will about Korn. Nu metal, sold out, cliché, whiny, trendy, DJ electronica. Sure maybe they’ve been all of that. But they still rock.

Here’s my best of Mixtape for these dreadlocked dudes.

Don’t forget to wear your Adidas track suit and/or kilt. Enjoy.

January 1, 2012

Metallica: MIXTAPE ‘em all.



Here’s my first for 2012.
I have my own Big 4 and Metallica is a part of it too. By adding Metallica into the mix here, I’ve now given you a mixtape for each of them, albeit out of order. The Big 4 I’m talking about are the four largest bands that reined supreme with the title of being my favorite band for an extended period of time. First was Motley Crue. Which led to Metallica. I liked Motley and ‘tallica equally for a while but soon I was so into Metallica. Later Snapcase took the title, then current leader Napalm Death. Quite a path.

There is so much you could say about Metallica that has already been out there so I’ll keep it personal. The first song I ever got into was Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth), the bass solo by Cliff Burton. That was around August 1989. I would see them live the following June on the very last show of the Justice Tour (opening right before Aerosmith). I would then see them live December 1991, April 1992 and July 1992 during the short 25-stop stadium run with Guns N Roses (Faith No More opened). I didn’t see Metallica again until November 2009. They were even more impressive 17 years later.

As an aside, I don’t know why but I have a soft spot in my heart for Jason Newsted. I always felt like he was the coolest, with the coolest hair. The one that never took it for granted, having been a Metallica fan when he joined the band. I felt bad for him the way it all went down with his departure. But his departure forced some dark stuff into the light with James and Lars – and now the band has actually grown stronger without him. I always knew and liked Robert Trujillo from his days in Suicidal Tendencies, but with Metallica I just feel indifferent about him. I’m interested to hear what a second album with Robert will sound like – where perhaps his influence and presence is stronger.

Okay, on to the mixtape. Yes, we’ve got some typical best of stuff here, but this is really just my best of. A few rarities. A bunch of Kielbasage edits – cuz I’m just not a fan of songs that go north of the 6 minute mark. Enjoy.

My top 6 favorite Metallica songs (in rank order) are:
  1. Crash Course In Brain Surgery
  2. Harvester Of Sorrow
  3. Creeping Death
  4. For Whom The Bells Tolls
  5. Devil’s Dance
  6. Whiplash
 
Edits are my edits – used to improve the song, keep listener interest high and/or shorten in an attempt to get more songs played at a party. Don’t like it? Buy the original.