February 29, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Theatrical Releases About Musicians:
1. A Hard Days Night (The Beatles)
2. This is Spinal Tap (Spinal Tap)
3. The Decline of Western Civilzation Part 2 (Various Sunset Strip Bands)
4. Help! (The Beatles)
5. The Doors (The Doors) if for no other reason than Val Kilmer's brilliance
6. Some Kind of Monster (Metallica)
7. Purple Rain (Prince)
8. Head (The Monkees)
9. Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads)
10. Anvil: The Story of Anvil (Anvil)
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
February 28, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Things Society Should Re-Embrace (1-5 Yesterday, 6-10 Today):
6. Websites Without Intrusive Ads: Once upon a time I could visit Yahoo! without an advertisement for a movie taking up the entire page, covering nearly every clickable link except for that tiny little box that says "close ad" hiding ever so covertly in the upper right corner of the page. It's bad enough that advertisements are everywhere on the net but now they actually have the gall to have the advertisements intrude our browsing process. I understand that these sites offer free services to us and can afford to do so by having ads on their pages. I don't have a problem with the ads, but please spare me the one that covers the entire page when I accidentally place my mouse on it. The advertisement actually dissuades me from wanting to purchase the product it is promoting because it's pissing me off. In fact, I will likely go out of my way to avoid that product as a result of it being such a pain in my ass when I go to check my e-mail.
7. Actresses Who Don't Look Like Twigs: Last night the Oscars were on and I had a moment of angst. When Angelina Jolie walked out to present an award at the ceremonies I could have sworn she had been starving herself. It was sickening. If you saw her arms you know exactly what I'm talking about. I wanted to hand her a sandwich or at least offer her one of my french fries. I love celebrities like Pink and Kate Winslet who refuse to conform to the stereotypical thin celebrity look flaunted by people like Jolie. There was actually a time in Hollywood when actresses didn't look like skeletons but those days have been long gone for too long. I hope this kind of garbage eventually becomes a thing of the past but I doubt very seriously it ever will.
8.Tuition Free College: In 1847, Baruch College, opened in New York and was noted as being the first free college in the United States. In 1862, the first Morrill Act created established free universities through federal grants. That’s right, free quality education at the university level. Today you have to barter your firstborn child and sacrifice your pets to get through college without foreclosing on your home because your university is run by Dr. Evil. Seriously, I can just see some rich jerk sitting in a mahogany chair stroking a cat while he smokes cigars made of $100 bills in a mansion that overlooks your school, laughing as starving students eat ramen and supply his fortune with their outrageous tuition. Isn’t having an intelligent society full of hard working people who are good at what they do something that could help foster a productive society? Instead lets overcharge for an education, pay teachers jack squat and leave most of the country without an education so they can become gas station attendants. How are we supposed to excel as a country when the country denies its people the education it needs to thrive?
9. Quality Journalism: First off, before people start cracking jokes, I do NOT consider myself a journalist. This is just my fun way of getting my creative juices flowing. However, ESPN, Fox News, Yahoo! and the like all consider themselves “news” sources and their brand of journalism would make Walter Cronkite turn in his grave. I could write an entire top ten list dedicated to the crap news stories that make the front page of Yahoo or ESPN - stories that have weak sources, lack credibility, have erroneous content and are generally fail to “inform” us of anything interesting. No joke, Yahoo’s front page yesterday boasted articles about a player falling while running the 40-yard dash in the NFL combine, Brad Pitt being excited about meeting Lea Thompson at the Oscars, tattoos the panel of “The Voice” regret getting and Sean Young getting arrested at an Oscar party. Now, to be fair, there are some well written and interesting stories on Yahoo, but they are few and far between when compared to the TMZ fronted drivel they boast on their homepage.
10. Mom & Pop Stores: I couldn’t leave this off the list. I think there are some people out there who really do their best to conduct their shopping experiences in small independently run shops as opposed to large department stores. I’ll be the first to admit that the convenience of a Target or Barnes & Noble sometimes wins out when I shop, but I’m not particularly happy about it. I need to make a conscious effort to keep “mom & pop” stores in business as opposed to spending my hard earned money in places where most employees couldn’t care less if I’m enjoying my shopping experience. I’m always going to enjoy going to a place that has the “Cheers” experience where everybody knows your name over a place where I’m just another walking dollar sign to some bigwig billionaire counting their fortune.
Greg's Top Ten Things Society Should Re-Embrace (1-5 Yesterday, 6-10 Today):
6. Websites Without Intrusive Ads: Once upon a time I could visit Yahoo! without an advertisement for a movie taking up the entire page, covering nearly every clickable link except for that tiny little box that says "close ad" hiding ever so covertly in the upper right corner of the page. It's bad enough that advertisements are everywhere on the net but now they actually have the gall to have the advertisements intrude our browsing process. I understand that these sites offer free services to us and can afford to do so by having ads on their pages. I don't have a problem with the ads, but please spare me the one that covers the entire page when I accidentally place my mouse on it. The advertisement actually dissuades me from wanting to purchase the product it is promoting because it's pissing me off. In fact, I will likely go out of my way to avoid that product as a result of it being such a pain in my ass when I go to check my e-mail.
7. Actresses Who Don't Look Like Twigs: Last night the Oscars were on and I had a moment of angst. When Angelina Jolie walked out to present an award at the ceremonies I could have sworn she had been starving herself. It was sickening. If you saw her arms you know exactly what I'm talking about. I wanted to hand her a sandwich or at least offer her one of my french fries. I love celebrities like Pink and Kate Winslet who refuse to conform to the stereotypical thin celebrity look flaunted by people like Jolie. There was actually a time in Hollywood when actresses didn't look like skeletons but those days have been long gone for too long. I hope this kind of garbage eventually becomes a thing of the past but I doubt very seriously it ever will.
8.Tuition Free College: In 1847, Baruch College, opened in New York and was noted as being the first free college in the United States. In 1862, the first Morrill Act created established free universities through federal grants. That’s right, free quality education at the university level. Today you have to barter your firstborn child and sacrifice your pets to get through college without foreclosing on your home because your university is run by Dr. Evil. Seriously, I can just see some rich jerk sitting in a mahogany chair stroking a cat while he smokes cigars made of $100 bills in a mansion that overlooks your school, laughing as starving students eat ramen and supply his fortune with their outrageous tuition. Isn’t having an intelligent society full of hard working people who are good at what they do something that could help foster a productive society? Instead lets overcharge for an education, pay teachers jack squat and leave most of the country without an education so they can become gas station attendants. How are we supposed to excel as a country when the country denies its people the education it needs to thrive?
9. Quality Journalism: First off, before people start cracking jokes, I do NOT consider myself a journalist. This is just my fun way of getting my creative juices flowing. However, ESPN, Fox News, Yahoo! and the like all consider themselves “news” sources and their brand of journalism would make Walter Cronkite turn in his grave. I could write an entire top ten list dedicated to the crap news stories that make the front page of Yahoo or ESPN - stories that have weak sources, lack credibility, have erroneous content and are generally fail to “inform” us of anything interesting. No joke, Yahoo’s front page yesterday boasted articles about a player falling while running the 40-yard dash in the NFL combine, Brad Pitt being excited about meeting Lea Thompson at the Oscars, tattoos the panel of “The Voice” regret getting and Sean Young getting arrested at an Oscar party. Now, to be fair, there are some well written and interesting stories on Yahoo, but they are few and far between when compared to the TMZ fronted drivel they boast on their homepage.
10. Mom & Pop Stores: I couldn’t leave this off the list. I think there are some people out there who really do their best to conduct their shopping experiences in small independently run shops as opposed to large department stores. I’ll be the first to admit that the convenience of a Target or Barnes & Noble sometimes wins out when I shop, but I’m not particularly happy about it. I need to make a conscious effort to keep “mom & pop” stores in business as opposed to spending my hard earned money in places where most employees couldn’t care less if I’m enjoying my shopping experience. I’m always going to enjoy going to a place that has the “Cheers” experience where everybody knows your name over a place where I’m just another walking dollar sign to some bigwig billionaire counting their fortune.
February 27, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Things Society Should Re-Embrace (1-5 Today, 6-10 Tomorrow):
1. Live Friendly Customer Service: I'm not exactly sure when companies started using computer prompts instead of having a living human being speak to you, but it was sad day for humanity. Whoever the jackhole is that decided to remove the human element from telephone customer service should be forced to use the same crappy prompts when making the 911 call that could potentially save his life. I say "his" life because only a person with a Y chromosome would eliminate the empathy from customer assistance. Just imagine the irony of the guy who invented this money-saving idea trying to make the emergency phone call to the hospital just after experiencing cardiac arrest:
Hospital: "Thank you for calling El Camino Hospital. If you have genital herpes, please press one. If you have anal warts, please press two, if you have a large buildup of ear wax, please press three...(twenty minutes later), if you are having a heart attack, please press 82."
The kind of hair-pulling frustration this insensitive prick would likely be enduring as he's about to expire is probably not too far off from what many of you out there have gone through at some point in your lives. What ever happened to a friendly voice on the other end of the line working hard to keep you the customer satisfied? Instead I have to listen to a series of prompts and then when I finally get connected after twenty minutes of listening to Kenny G instrumentals I have to speak to some poor schmuck who has no training except to read off of some stupid pre-written set of cards his idiot supervisors gave him that supposedly answer every question the customer potentially might have.
2. Full Service Gas Stations: You know that scene in Back to the Future when Marty goes back to 1955 and witnesses a car pull up to a Texaco station and five guys jump out of the building in white suits and service the entire car right there without the customer ever getting out of his vehicle? They clean his windshield, check the air in his tires, fill the tank up with gas. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they shined his damn shoes. When did that go out of style? Most of the time I go to a gas station some asshat who has too much time on his hands gives me a blank stare, takes my $60 without saying a word and punches some buttons on a computer meanwhile I walk to my car in the freezing cold and get raped by Chevron and their $4.50 per gallon gasoline. For 4 f***ing fifty the least you could do is smile at me while you're draining my bank account, you arrogant buffoon. Where's a DeLorean when you need one?
3. Original Movies: Anyone out there with me on this one? Sure, for the average thirteen year-old out there the new "Footloose" movie might be a hoot, especially when they never saw the original. For everyone else out there who has seen the original, we all know we're about to get subjected to a far crappier version than what we grew up on. Remakes are everywhere these days and most all of them suck. Remember when Vince Vaughn starred in the remake of "Psycho" or when Chris Klein was in 2002's "Rollerball." My favorite movie "Blade Runner" is apparently getting the treatment which terrifies me to no end. How do you remake something that's already nearly perfect. Even "Total Recall" is getting the remake treatment with Colin Farrell. Seriously, they're remaking a Schwarzenegger classic and casting Colin Farrell in the lead role. I shutter at the thought. Next thing you know they'll try to remake timeless treasures like "The Breakfast Club" and cast Justin Bieber in the Judd Nelson role.
4. Kids Sitting at the Dinner Table: Because I work at a restaurant, I feel as though I'm exposed to bratty children on a regular basis. When I was a kid I had to sit a the dinner table whenever my parents took me to a restaurant. If I got out of line, it was out to the car we went...and you did NOT want to go out to the car. These days many kids just do as they please, with almost no threat of punishment. I actually saw a kid last night sit down at the table at Double D's and demand his mother give him quarters. So, what did this mother do in response, you ask? Without looking at the little brat she gave him a roll of quarters. I can think of a few things she should have done with that roll of quarters but I might get sent to prison for offering that up here. In all seriousness, while I would never legitimately endorse such violence, I think it's insane that a parent would allow their kid(s) to walk all over them like that and I see it happen all the time.
5. Quality Air Travel: If you've ever seen the wonderful Leonardo DiCaprio movie "Catch Me if You Can" you know how unbelievably well respected airline crews were treated and how in turn they treated their passengers. These days we're stuffed into shiny metal tubes like sardines and served lukewarm chicken dinners with pilots flying the plane on a salary a McDonald's manager wouldn't touch. It's bad enough that the pre-flight experience is a nightmare of standing in long lines, carrying luggage everywhere while you get stink-eye from the airport security for holding up the line while you try and remove your shoes. Where are the gorgeous Pan-Am girls or the pilot who looks like George Clooney or the hot towels and hot meals? I'm guessing the same muffblossom who invented computer prompts on customer service lines probable removed all the suave from air travel, too.
Greg's Top Ten Things Society Should Re-Embrace (1-5 Today, 6-10 Tomorrow):
1. Live Friendly Customer Service: I'm not exactly sure when companies started using computer prompts instead of having a living human being speak to you, but it was sad day for humanity. Whoever the jackhole is that decided to remove the human element from telephone customer service should be forced to use the same crappy prompts when making the 911 call that could potentially save his life. I say "his" life because only a person with a Y chromosome would eliminate the empathy from customer assistance. Just imagine the irony of the guy who invented this money-saving idea trying to make the emergency phone call to the hospital just after experiencing cardiac arrest:
Hospital: "Thank you for calling El Camino Hospital. If you have genital herpes, please press one. If you have anal warts, please press two, if you have a large buildup of ear wax, please press three...(twenty minutes later), if you are having a heart attack, please press 82."
The kind of hair-pulling frustration this insensitive prick would likely be enduring as he's about to expire is probably not too far off from what many of you out there have gone through at some point in your lives. What ever happened to a friendly voice on the other end of the line working hard to keep you the customer satisfied? Instead I have to listen to a series of prompts and then when I finally get connected after twenty minutes of listening to Kenny G instrumentals I have to speak to some poor schmuck who has no training except to read off of some stupid pre-written set of cards his idiot supervisors gave him that supposedly answer every question the customer potentially might have.
2. Full Service Gas Stations: You know that scene in Back to the Future when Marty goes back to 1955 and witnesses a car pull up to a Texaco station and five guys jump out of the building in white suits and service the entire car right there without the customer ever getting out of his vehicle? They clean his windshield, check the air in his tires, fill the tank up with gas. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if they shined his damn shoes. When did that go out of style? Most of the time I go to a gas station some asshat who has too much time on his hands gives me a blank stare, takes my $60 without saying a word and punches some buttons on a computer meanwhile I walk to my car in the freezing cold and get raped by Chevron and their $4.50 per gallon gasoline. For 4 f***ing fifty the least you could do is smile at me while you're draining my bank account, you arrogant buffoon. Where's a DeLorean when you need one?
3. Original Movies: Anyone out there with me on this one? Sure, for the average thirteen year-old out there the new "Footloose" movie might be a hoot, especially when they never saw the original. For everyone else out there who has seen the original, we all know we're about to get subjected to a far crappier version than what we grew up on. Remakes are everywhere these days and most all of them suck. Remember when Vince Vaughn starred in the remake of "Psycho" or when Chris Klein was in 2002's "Rollerball." My favorite movie "Blade Runner" is apparently getting the treatment which terrifies me to no end. How do you remake something that's already nearly perfect. Even "Total Recall" is getting the remake treatment with Colin Farrell. Seriously, they're remaking a Schwarzenegger classic and casting Colin Farrell in the lead role. I shutter at the thought. Next thing you know they'll try to remake timeless treasures like "The Breakfast Club" and cast Justin Bieber in the Judd Nelson role.
4. Kids Sitting at the Dinner Table: Because I work at a restaurant, I feel as though I'm exposed to bratty children on a regular basis. When I was a kid I had to sit a the dinner table whenever my parents took me to a restaurant. If I got out of line, it was out to the car we went...and you did NOT want to go out to the car. These days many kids just do as they please, with almost no threat of punishment. I actually saw a kid last night sit down at the table at Double D's and demand his mother give him quarters. So, what did this mother do in response, you ask? Without looking at the little brat she gave him a roll of quarters. I can think of a few things she should have done with that roll of quarters but I might get sent to prison for offering that up here. In all seriousness, while I would never legitimately endorse such violence, I think it's insane that a parent would allow their kid(s) to walk all over them like that and I see it happen all the time.
5. Quality Air Travel: If you've ever seen the wonderful Leonardo DiCaprio movie "Catch Me if You Can" you know how unbelievably well respected airline crews were treated and how in turn they treated their passengers. These days we're stuffed into shiny metal tubes like sardines and served lukewarm chicken dinners with pilots flying the plane on a salary a McDonald's manager wouldn't touch. It's bad enough that the pre-flight experience is a nightmare of standing in long lines, carrying luggage everywhere while you get stink-eye from the airport security for holding up the line while you try and remove your shoes. Where are the gorgeous Pan-Am girls or the pilot who looks like George Clooney or the hot towels and hot meals? I'm guessing the same muffblossom who invented computer prompts on customer service lines probable removed all the suave from air travel, too.
Friday, February 24, 2012
February 25, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Favorite Metallica Songs:
1. Disposable Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0kK45lVyk
2. Creeping Death
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G5vdnUsmkA
3. Seek & Destroy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-tvJcTPxHc
4. Eye of the Beholder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCuaPUVFbzg
5. Blackened
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU_ggFovJNo
6. Battery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ7Aif5aXlQ
7. One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8bTdBs-cw&ob=av2n
8. Fade to Black
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_E8tOkjrSA
9. Frayed Ends of Sanity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTu-1-j037U
10. Leper Messiah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmWroc4VarY
Greg's Top Ten Favorite Metallica Songs:
1. Disposable Heroes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0kK45lVyk
2. Creeping Death
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G5vdnUsmkA
3. Seek & Destroy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-tvJcTPxHc
4. Eye of the Beholder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCuaPUVFbzg
5. Blackened
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU_ggFovJNo
6. Battery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ7Aif5aXlQ
7. One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8bTdBs-cw&ob=av2n
8. Fade to Black
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_E8tOkjrSA
9. Frayed Ends of Sanity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTu-1-j037U
10. Leper Messiah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmWroc4VarY
February 24, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Favorite Metal Bands (6-10 Today, 1-5 Yesterday):
Before we get started here, I want to be clear that the metal genre is subjectively defined. Nobody, even those in the metal community, can definitively say who's metal and who's not. I don't believe bands like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, AC/DC or Def Leppard belong on this list. Not because they aren't tremendous acts, but because I don't define them as metal, so if you notice a band missing from this list, it's possible I didn't qualify them as metal. Ok, enough of my blabbering...
6. Ozzy Osbourne: I'll always wonder what Ozzy's career could have been like had his prodigy guitarist Randy Rhoads not died an untimely death shortly after Osbourne's second record "Diary of a Madman" hit the shelves. Ozzy's first two records were, I dare say, better than a lot of his work with Black Sabbath. Songs like "Suicide Solution" and "Over the Mountain" might be some of the finest metal songs of all time. Though some of Ozzy's records suffered a bit in the post-Rhoads era, he rebounded nicely with his comeback album "No More Tears" in 1991 which featured current Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde.
7. Alice Cooper Band: Before Marilyn Manson or Trent Reznor started using macabre imagery in their acts there was Alice Cooper. Cooper once said "Nobody ever tried to do what Alice did. Nobody every tried to be the sort of bizarre vaudevillian character. There are so many rock heroes. I wanted to be a rock villain." He certainly succeeded. Though I love songs like "School's Out For Summer" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy" it's his stage presence and live horror show that makes his legend even more impressive. His acts often included frightening imagery like decapitated bodies, guillotines and bloody corpses and paved the way for metal acts like Manson, and Rob Zombie to follow suit with their own brand of shock rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiTPL7t4Aq4&feature=related
8. Scorpions: It seems like Scorpions have always been a part of my life - as if their music has followed me around forever. The first time I heard "Loving You Sunday Morning" when I was in grade school I was hooked and that was before I had heard other massive hits like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" or "Blackout." They definitely became more pop in their prime with big top 40 hits like "Winds of Change" but, like Metallica, their more mainstream sound helped them reach a larger fan base that was mostly untapped before they hit it big.
Greg's Top Ten Favorite Metal Bands (6-10 Today, 1-5 Yesterday):
Before we get started here, I want to be clear that the metal genre is subjectively defined. Nobody, even those in the metal community, can definitively say who's metal and who's not. I don't believe bands like Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, AC/DC or Def Leppard belong on this list. Not because they aren't tremendous acts, but because I don't define them as metal, so if you notice a band missing from this list, it's possible I didn't qualify them as metal. Ok, enough of my blabbering...
6. Ozzy Osbourne: I'll always wonder what Ozzy's career could have been like had his prodigy guitarist Randy Rhoads not died an untimely death shortly after Osbourne's second record "Diary of a Madman" hit the shelves. Ozzy's first two records were, I dare say, better than a lot of his work with Black Sabbath. Songs like "Suicide Solution" and "Over the Mountain" might be some of the finest metal songs of all time. Though some of Ozzy's records suffered a bit in the post-Rhoads era, he rebounded nicely with his comeback album "No More Tears" in 1991 which featured current Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde.
7. Alice Cooper Band: Before Marilyn Manson or Trent Reznor started using macabre imagery in their acts there was Alice Cooper. Cooper once said "Nobody ever tried to do what Alice did. Nobody every tried to be the sort of bizarre vaudevillian character. There are so many rock heroes. I wanted to be a rock villain." He certainly succeeded. Though I love songs like "School's Out For Summer" and "No More Mr. Nice Guy" it's his stage presence and live horror show that makes his legend even more impressive. His acts often included frightening imagery like decapitated bodies, guillotines and bloody corpses and paved the way for metal acts like Manson, and Rob Zombie to follow suit with their own brand of shock rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiTPL7t4Aq4&feature=related
8. Scorpions: It seems like Scorpions have always been a part of my life - as if their music has followed me around forever. The first time I heard "Loving You Sunday Morning" when I was in grade school I was hooked and that was before I had heard other massive hits like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" or "Blackout." They definitely became more pop in their prime with big top 40 hits like "Winds of Change" but, like Metallica, their more mainstream sound helped them reach a larger fan base that was mostly untapped before they hit it big.
9. Megadeth: One can't help but wonder what Metallica would have been like had Dave Mustaine not been booted from the band just before their debut record "Kill 'Em All" was released. I suppose his exit from Metallica might have been one of the best things to happen to metal because it opened the door for Mustaine to start his own band - Megadeth. Songs like "Peace Sells" and "Symphony of Destruction" are staples of heavy metal, featuring Mustaine's signature growling vocals. I'm sure Mustaine would rather he stayed with a more profitable act like Metallica, but fans of his are likely glad he was given the chance to make his own mark on metal.
10. Dream Theater: Simply put, there's no other band in the world quite like Dream Theater. Rolling Stone Magazine once called them the perfect mixture of progressive rock and heavy metal. They also might be the most technically proficient metal band on this list. Most people who aren't familiar with their work probably know the song "Pull Me Under" from their 1992 record "Images and Words." It's the song that got me started on their library of work when I was in high school. 11 albums later and they're still at the top of their game. Their 2011 album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" reached #8 on the Billboard Top 200, proving their staying power and elite status as one of metal's most beloved acts.
10. Dream Theater: Simply put, there's no other band in the world quite like Dream Theater. Rolling Stone Magazine once called them the perfect mixture of progressive rock and heavy metal. They also might be the most technically proficient metal band on this list. Most people who aren't familiar with their work probably know the song "Pull Me Under" from their 1992 record "Images and Words." It's the song that got me started on their library of work when I was in high school. 11 albums later and they're still at the top of their game. Their 2011 album "A Dramatic Turn of Events" reached #8 on the Billboard Top 200, proving their staying power and elite status as one of metal's most beloved acts.
February 23, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Favorite Metal Bands (1-5 Today, 6-10 Tomorrow):
1. Metallica: Pretend that they never released another record past 1988's "And Justice For All..." and I doubt any metal fan would have a single complaint about their catalog of music. Those first four records are absolutely flawless in every way, with almost no tracks getting the skip treatment on my iPod. Even their later material really doesn't detract me from keeping them from the #1 spot on this list. Many will say they sold out when they released The Black Album in 1991, but as their former bassist Jason Newstead once said, "Yes, we sell out...every single show we have, every night we play." I can't really argue with that.
2. Iron Maiden: I liked them with former lead singer Paul Di'Anno. I absolutely love them with current and longtime frontman Bruce Dickenson. The theatrics, the heavy riffs, the incredible shows, the badass mascot...they absolutely rule. When they released 1982's "Number of the Beast" they reached a worldwide audience and helped foster a new era for a British style of heavy metal that would influence countless bands in their wake. They still tour today and have a larger core audience than almost any metal act.
3. Judas Priest: Speaking of British metal...I got into Priest far later in life than most of the bands on this list, but made up for the lost time in spades. I've never heard a vocalist quite like lead singer Rob Halford. I swear, even Mariah Carey can't hit some of the notes he elevates his voice to. The twin guitar sounds created by Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing are unlike anything I've ever heard. Just listen to "You Got Another Thing Coming" and you might get the point.
4. Black Sabbath: Though their later works with Ozzy Osbourne aren't quite as powerful as the albums that preceded them, they absolutely have to be in the top five on this list. They literally are the first true metal band and have impacted the lives of virtually everyone in the metal genre. Even their post-Ozzy work with Ronnie James Dio is awesome. Seriously, they're so awesome that their lead guitarist accidentally cut his fingers off and glued melted bottle caps to his amputated fingers to keep playing. That's metal, right there.
5. Motley Crue: Metal is such a difficult genre to truly define. Some will say Crue are too glam to be metal, but it's all subjective. I think the four original members (Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx) are one of the most influential bands of their time and have a definitive place in metal history. They might be the first of the "Sunset Strip" bands to have a lasting presence in the metal community, largely due to their crazy antics and incredible stage shows. Still, if their music sucked, we wouldn't be talking about them here. Their greatest hits record is a treasure of incredible songs like "Too Fast For Love", "Looks That Kill", "Shout at the Devil" and "Home Sweet Home." The latter of those songs ended up being the first recognized power ballad and set the stage for glam metal's rise in the 1980s.
Greg's Top Ten Favorite Metal Bands (1-5 Today, 6-10 Tomorrow):
1. Metallica: Pretend that they never released another record past 1988's "And Justice For All..." and I doubt any metal fan would have a single complaint about their catalog of music. Those first four records are absolutely flawless in every way, with almost no tracks getting the skip treatment on my iPod. Even their later material really doesn't detract me from keeping them from the #1 spot on this list. Many will say they sold out when they released The Black Album in 1991, but as their former bassist Jason Newstead once said, "Yes, we sell out...every single show we have, every night we play." I can't really argue with that.
2. Iron Maiden: I liked them with former lead singer Paul Di'Anno. I absolutely love them with current and longtime frontman Bruce Dickenson. The theatrics, the heavy riffs, the incredible shows, the badass mascot...they absolutely rule. When they released 1982's "Number of the Beast" they reached a worldwide audience and helped foster a new era for a British style of heavy metal that would influence countless bands in their wake. They still tour today and have a larger core audience than almost any metal act.
3. Judas Priest: Speaking of British metal...I got into Priest far later in life than most of the bands on this list, but made up for the lost time in spades. I've never heard a vocalist quite like lead singer Rob Halford. I swear, even Mariah Carey can't hit some of the notes he elevates his voice to. The twin guitar sounds created by Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing are unlike anything I've ever heard. Just listen to "You Got Another Thing Coming" and you might get the point.
4. Black Sabbath: Though their later works with Ozzy Osbourne aren't quite as powerful as the albums that preceded them, they absolutely have to be in the top five on this list. They literally are the first true metal band and have impacted the lives of virtually everyone in the metal genre. Even their post-Ozzy work with Ronnie James Dio is awesome. Seriously, they're so awesome that their lead guitarist accidentally cut his fingers off and glued melted bottle caps to his amputated fingers to keep playing. That's metal, right there.
5. Motley Crue: Metal is such a difficult genre to truly define. Some will say Crue are too glam to be metal, but it's all subjective. I think the four original members (Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Nikki Sixx) are one of the most influential bands of their time and have a definitive place in metal history. They might be the first of the "Sunset Strip" bands to have a lasting presence in the metal community, largely due to their crazy antics and incredible stage shows. Still, if their music sucked, we wouldn't be talking about them here. Their greatest hits record is a treasure of incredible songs like "Too Fast For Love", "Looks That Kill", "Shout at the Devil" and "Home Sweet Home." The latter of those songs ended up being the first recognized power ballad and set the stage for glam metal's rise in the 1980s.
February 21, 2012
Greg's Top Ten Legendary Replacements
1. Mo Lewis Drops the Hammer on Drew Bledsoe: People tend to forget that Drew Bledsoe was once the savior of aonce decrepit franchise in the New England Patriots. Before taking Bledsoe #1 overall in the 1993 NFL Draft the Patriots had suffered through a 1-15 and 2-14 season over a stretch of three seasons. Just after Bledsoe arrived on the scene the Patriots were on the rise, with Bledsoe leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl in 1996 after throwing a then-career best 27 touchdown passes. In essence, Bledsoe was on his way to becoming a legend until this moment in history changed the course of NFL history forever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQOaT7TRirY
Think about what you just saw and the implications it had for the history of the NFL. If this play never happens it's entirely possible Tom Brady is selling insurance somewhere in California right now. Maybe Peyton Manning has 3 Super Bowl rings. Who knows. The hit Mo Lewis laid on Bledsoe in that video knocked the quarterback out for what was supposed to only be a few games. Instead, some backup quarterback taken in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft comes in and never relinquished the job back to Bledsoe - leading the Patriots to 5 Super Bowl appearances and 3 Lombardi Trophies on the way. Bledsoe never found his way back to anything close to greatness, languishing in Buffalo and Dallas only to watch his understudy build a Hall of Fame career.
2. Steve Young Replaces Joe Montana: I know many of you will say that this should be #1 on the list but I think it deserves to be knocked down a peg. Why, you ask? Because Montana won four Super Bowls to Young's one. Young was a stud quarterback, but Montana simply has more to show for his career accomplishments. Frankly, I'm amazed at how many people in this town still bitch about how Montana was so great without recognizing Young's own greatness. While I think Super Bowl rings are extremely important, we tend to overvalue a quarterback's greatness based solely on the number of titles he's been a part of. After all, nobody would ever say Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson, both Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, were greater than Dan Marino or Warren Moon, both of whom never won a Super Bowl ring. What Young had to endure during the post-Montana era was brutal and yet he handled it with tremendous grace. Hey Niner fans, here’s a little tidbit for ya, Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in his Super Bowl win over the San Diego Chargers, which is the same number of touchdown passes Montana threw in his first three Super Bowls combined.
3. Leroy Kelly Takes Over For Jim Brown: No matter how great a running back might seem to be, they all bow down to Jim Brown who many claim is the single greatest professional football player of all-time. Everyone from Barry Sanders to Walter Payton to Marshall Faulk has praised Brown for being one of the toughest and most elusive runners in NFL history. He was the perfect blend of power and speed. When he decided to leave the NFL for Hollywood, the Browns handed the reigns over to halfback Leroy Kelly, who went on to amass nearly 10,000 yards from scrimmage and earn a Hall of Fame bust in Canton.
4. John Madden's Exit Opens the Door for Tom Flores: The very name Madden is synonymous with everything football. The Hall of Fame coach starred in everything from light beer commercials to football announcing gigs to having his own brand of video game that is still the benchmark for all football video games. Having to fill his shoes would be a difficult job at best. Tom Flores quietly took over for Madden in 1979 and just two years later won his first of two Super Bowl titles as head coach of the Silver and Black. While Madden might get all of the glory for being the face of pro football, Flores had the distinct honor of being the first person in NFL history to win Super Bowls as both a player and a coach.
5. Aaron Rodgers Replaces Brett Favre: I question whether this is too high on my list since Rodgers is still playing and has only had a few years of experience under his belt but considering what he has already accomplished in such a short period of time, I have a hard time placing him any lower. I also get the feeling that he’s far from finished with his winning ways. Before Brett Favre “retired” from the Green Bay Packers I always wondered how the hell they were going to find someone capable of supplanting #4. Rodgers was practically an afterthought in the 2005 NFL Draft who had to sit in the green room of Radio City Music Hall after his name was repeatedly passed over by nearly 30 teams before finally getting taken by the Packers. When Favre finally did leave Titletown he left the organization under less than amicable terms and allegedly was frigid towards Rodgers, who now had massive shoes to fill. Rodgers not only filled his shoes, he’s practically made Favre an afterthought by winning a Super Bowl title in just his third year as a starter. Furthermore, he’s passing with far greater accuracy than Favre ever did and looks all the part of a future Hall of Famer.
6. Tom Landry is Fired From the Dallas Cowboys: Some will argue that this should be higher on the list given what Landry's replacement Jimmy Johnson did when he arrived in Dallas. Truth is, although Landry was a twice-over world champion head coach with the Cowboys, Dallas was completely in shambles when he was fired. Dallas had suffered three straight losing seasons including a 3-13 record in his final campaign before being unceremoniously shown the door. Enter former Miami Hurricane coach Jimmy Johnson who would barter star running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for a bevy of future draft picks that would end up transforming the Cowboys from laughing stock to dynasty. Johnson won two Super Bowl titles with Dallas and set the team up for a third title in four years when Barry Switzer took over for Johnson one year after resigning from the Cowboys.
7. The Edge Arrives in Indy: People often overlook how incredible Marshall Faulk was when he played in Indianapolis - usually associating him with the Rams and their "Greatest Show on Turf" era. Truth is, Faulk was an absolute beast for the Colts, especially during the 1998 season - his last in Indy. It was Peyton Manning's rookie season when Faulk amassed 2,227 combined yards from scrimmage - at the time the sixth highest total in NFL history. With Faulk due to cash in on his career best season, the Colts had a tough decision to make - either dish out a boatload of money or seek less expensive talent elsewhere. I won't lie, I was furious when the Colts jettisoned Faulk. What I didn't realize was how the Colts would rebound by partaking in one of the most shocking moments in NFL Draft history a few months later by drafting Miami Hurricane rusher Edgerrin James over far more heavily touted Texas Longhorns star Ricky Williams. Williams was listed much higher on virtually everyone's draft board having just broken the NCAA Division I record for career rushing yards. The Colts passed on Williams and grabbed James who would go on to break virtually every Colts rushing record during his career with Indianapolis.
8. Bill Cowher Replaces Chuck Noll: I wonder what Cowher must have thought after taking over for Noll in 1992. Noll had won four Super Bowls as the Steelers head coach, still an NFL record for Super Bowl wins by a head coach. It's a near impossible task to replace someone so legendary but Cowher did a pretty damn good job. He ranks a little low on this list because he only won one Super Bowl and it took over a decade to do it, but there's no denying that the team was in tremendously good hands when The Chin was in charge of the Steelers. They were a constant threat to win the AFC crown and many will argue that Cowher helped plant the seeds that helped the Steelers blossom in the post-Cowher era when Mike Tomlin took over in 2006.
9. Sonny Jurgensen replaces Norm Van Brocklin: Before Young took over for Montana there was this situation in Philly where future Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen sat on the Philly bench for four seasons behind another future Hall of Famer in Norm Van Brocklin. Van Brocklin won an NFL title with the Eagles in 1960 and pulled a John Elway by retiring as an NFL champion opening the door for Jurgensen to get his chance at greatness. Though Jurgensen never won a title with the Eagles, he would lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns a year after getting the starting gig. The Eagles foolishly traded Jurgensen a few years later to the Washington Redskins when ownership had concerns about Jurgensen's off-field antics. Jurgensen's career would only continue to blossom in Washington until his own retirement following the 1974 season.
10. MJD Takes Over For Fred Taylor: Fred Taylor racked up over 13,000 yards from scrimmage for the Jaguars and held virtually every team rushing record before his eventual replacement Maurice Jones Drew arrived on the scene in 2006. Since then it's been Jones-Drew who has re-written the Jaguars' record books. In half the time it took Taylor to rack up his 13,000 yards, Jones-Drew is already closing in on 10,000 career yards from scrimmage and is just two TDs shy of Taylor's team milestone of 74 total touchdowns. It's only a matter of time before Jones-Drew smashes every record in Jacksonville Jaguars history.
Greg's Top Ten Legendary Replacements
1. Mo Lewis Drops the Hammer on Drew Bledsoe: People tend to forget that Drew Bledsoe was once the savior of aonce decrepit franchise in the New England Patriots. Before taking Bledsoe #1 overall in the 1993 NFL Draft the Patriots had suffered through a 1-15 and 2-14 season over a stretch of three seasons. Just after Bledsoe arrived on the scene the Patriots were on the rise, with Bledsoe leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl in 1996 after throwing a then-career best 27 touchdown passes. In essence, Bledsoe was on his way to becoming a legend until this moment in history changed the course of NFL history forever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQOaT7TRirY
Think about what you just saw and the implications it had for the history of the NFL. If this play never happens it's entirely possible Tom Brady is selling insurance somewhere in California right now. Maybe Peyton Manning has 3 Super Bowl rings. Who knows. The hit Mo Lewis laid on Bledsoe in that video knocked the quarterback out for what was supposed to only be a few games. Instead, some backup quarterback taken in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft comes in and never relinquished the job back to Bledsoe - leading the Patriots to 5 Super Bowl appearances and 3 Lombardi Trophies on the way. Bledsoe never found his way back to anything close to greatness, languishing in Buffalo and Dallas only to watch his understudy build a Hall of Fame career.
2. Steve Young Replaces Joe Montana: I know many of you will say that this should be #1 on the list but I think it deserves to be knocked down a peg. Why, you ask? Because Montana won four Super Bowls to Young's one. Young was a stud quarterback, but Montana simply has more to show for his career accomplishments. Frankly, I'm amazed at how many people in this town still bitch about how Montana was so great without recognizing Young's own greatness. While I think Super Bowl rings are extremely important, we tend to overvalue a quarterback's greatness based solely on the number of titles he's been a part of. After all, nobody would ever say Trent Dilfer or Brad Johnson, both Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, were greater than Dan Marino or Warren Moon, both of whom never won a Super Bowl ring. What Young had to endure during the post-Montana era was brutal and yet he handled it with tremendous grace. Hey Niner fans, here’s a little tidbit for ya, Steve Young threw six touchdown passes in his Super Bowl win over the San Diego Chargers, which is the same number of touchdown passes Montana threw in his first three Super Bowls combined.
3. Leroy Kelly Takes Over For Jim Brown: No matter how great a running back might seem to be, they all bow down to Jim Brown who many claim is the single greatest professional football player of all-time. Everyone from Barry Sanders to Walter Payton to Marshall Faulk has praised Brown for being one of the toughest and most elusive runners in NFL history. He was the perfect blend of power and speed. When he decided to leave the NFL for Hollywood, the Browns handed the reigns over to halfback Leroy Kelly, who went on to amass nearly 10,000 yards from scrimmage and earn a Hall of Fame bust in Canton.
4. John Madden's Exit Opens the Door for Tom Flores: The very name Madden is synonymous with everything football. The Hall of Fame coach starred in everything from light beer commercials to football announcing gigs to having his own brand of video game that is still the benchmark for all football video games. Having to fill his shoes would be a difficult job at best. Tom Flores quietly took over for Madden in 1979 and just two years later won his first of two Super Bowl titles as head coach of the Silver and Black. While Madden might get all of the glory for being the face of pro football, Flores had the distinct honor of being the first person in NFL history to win Super Bowls as both a player and a coach.
5. Aaron Rodgers Replaces Brett Favre: I question whether this is too high on my list since Rodgers is still playing and has only had a few years of experience under his belt but considering what he has already accomplished in such a short period of time, I have a hard time placing him any lower. I also get the feeling that he’s far from finished with his winning ways. Before Brett Favre “retired” from the Green Bay Packers I always wondered how the hell they were going to find someone capable of supplanting #4. Rodgers was practically an afterthought in the 2005 NFL Draft who had to sit in the green room of Radio City Music Hall after his name was repeatedly passed over by nearly 30 teams before finally getting taken by the Packers. When Favre finally did leave Titletown he left the organization under less than amicable terms and allegedly was frigid towards Rodgers, who now had massive shoes to fill. Rodgers not only filled his shoes, he’s practically made Favre an afterthought by winning a Super Bowl title in just his third year as a starter. Furthermore, he’s passing with far greater accuracy than Favre ever did and looks all the part of a future Hall of Famer.
6. Tom Landry is Fired From the Dallas Cowboys: Some will argue that this should be higher on the list given what Landry's replacement Jimmy Johnson did when he arrived in Dallas. Truth is, although Landry was a twice-over world champion head coach with the Cowboys, Dallas was completely in shambles when he was fired. Dallas had suffered three straight losing seasons including a 3-13 record in his final campaign before being unceremoniously shown the door. Enter former Miami Hurricane coach Jimmy Johnson who would barter star running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for a bevy of future draft picks that would end up transforming the Cowboys from laughing stock to dynasty. Johnson won two Super Bowl titles with Dallas and set the team up for a third title in four years when Barry Switzer took over for Johnson one year after resigning from the Cowboys.
7. The Edge Arrives in Indy: People often overlook how incredible Marshall Faulk was when he played in Indianapolis - usually associating him with the Rams and their "Greatest Show on Turf" era. Truth is, Faulk was an absolute beast for the Colts, especially during the 1998 season - his last in Indy. It was Peyton Manning's rookie season when Faulk amassed 2,227 combined yards from scrimmage - at the time the sixth highest total in NFL history. With Faulk due to cash in on his career best season, the Colts had a tough decision to make - either dish out a boatload of money or seek less expensive talent elsewhere. I won't lie, I was furious when the Colts jettisoned Faulk. What I didn't realize was how the Colts would rebound by partaking in one of the most shocking moments in NFL Draft history a few months later by drafting Miami Hurricane rusher Edgerrin James over far more heavily touted Texas Longhorns star Ricky Williams. Williams was listed much higher on virtually everyone's draft board having just broken the NCAA Division I record for career rushing yards. The Colts passed on Williams and grabbed James who would go on to break virtually every Colts rushing record during his career with Indianapolis.
8. Bill Cowher Replaces Chuck Noll: I wonder what Cowher must have thought after taking over for Noll in 1992. Noll had won four Super Bowls as the Steelers head coach, still an NFL record for Super Bowl wins by a head coach. It's a near impossible task to replace someone so legendary but Cowher did a pretty damn good job. He ranks a little low on this list because he only won one Super Bowl and it took over a decade to do it, but there's no denying that the team was in tremendously good hands when The Chin was in charge of the Steelers. They were a constant threat to win the AFC crown and many will argue that Cowher helped plant the seeds that helped the Steelers blossom in the post-Cowher era when Mike Tomlin took over in 2006.
9. Sonny Jurgensen replaces Norm Van Brocklin: Before Young took over for Montana there was this situation in Philly where future Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen sat on the Philly bench for four seasons behind another future Hall of Famer in Norm Van Brocklin. Van Brocklin won an NFL title with the Eagles in 1960 and pulled a John Elway by retiring as an NFL champion opening the door for Jurgensen to get his chance at greatness. Though Jurgensen never won a title with the Eagles, he would lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns a year after getting the starting gig. The Eagles foolishly traded Jurgensen a few years later to the Washington Redskins when ownership had concerns about Jurgensen's off-field antics. Jurgensen's career would only continue to blossom in Washington until his own retirement following the 1974 season.
10. MJD Takes Over For Fred Taylor: Fred Taylor racked up over 13,000 yards from scrimmage for the Jaguars and held virtually every team rushing record before his eventual replacement Maurice Jones Drew arrived on the scene in 2006. Since then it's been Jones-Drew who has re-written the Jaguars' record books. In half the time it took Taylor to rack up his 13,000 yards, Jones-Drew is already closing in on 10,000 career yards from scrimmage and is just two TDs shy of Taylor's team milestone of 74 total touchdowns. It's only a matter of time before Jones-Drew smashes every record in Jacksonville Jaguars history.
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