Real music is in trouble. It has come to an extent where we the listeners have to take it upon ourselves to pass on the legacy of the Legends of our time and, of the times of our predecessors, to our next generation and save them from the rust and degeneracy of the idiots who think the likes of Usher, PitBull, Eminem, Gaga, Katy Perry and the modern day 'rockers' like Foo Fighters, Gotye, Linkin Park etc. are the harbingers of musical enlightenment.
(Do note that a certain fag called Bieber is excluded from the above list. It's because he's not even worthy of being mentioned amongst the derelicts.)
Before we proceed onto the list there are a few points that I want the reader to know.
1. This is list consists of bands and songs that I personally was influenced by. As I've said before, they may or may not find your vote of approval..and the last fuck I gave was a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
2. Having conveyed point 1. if the reader disagrees about the greatness/value of any of the mentioned songs, I'd love to know what your point of view and your reasoning is. Provided, you make sane arguments.
3. This is just a list of the Top 15 songs that I believe, are extremely awesome and may need our effort to seep into the minds of our coming generations. There obviously are other really great songs that either I may not have listened to OR might have failed to add in OR didn't appeal to me. In such case, feel free to provide your additions.
4. Although upon looking at the list you might think I have a bias towards a particular genre, I would like to inform the reader, that to me genre matters the least and it is purely coincidental if some/all of songs mentioned belong to a particular (sub) genre. :)
Here goes.
15. Zerstören (eng: Destroy) - Rammstein
If you are a metal head with an open mind, you'll be totally held against a wall, clutching your testicles protecting them from the sheer brutality of Till Lindemann's voice and Richard Z. Kruspe's complementing lead guitars. But wait...just the moment you think that the song is all testosterone and ear piercing..the outro leaves you wondering how R+ was able to transition from heavy artillery fire to pillow fighting.
14. Ich Will (eng: I want) - Rammstein
Again, R+ !! That voice.....you just cannot get enough of it. But this time there's more to R+ than just brawn...this song is a crowd drug. By that I mean, if hypothetically R+ were to play just this one song over and over again in their concert, they could do so without worrying about boring the audience. Its just that fucking good.
13. Links 2 3 4 (eng: Left 2 3 4) - Rammstein
And R+ again!!!! (LOL! My child is gonna be a freak!) Considering 15. and 14. above, this song is mellow. Knowing R+, the whispering by Till in this song gives you the chills! Fun fact: Links 2 3 4 is a yell by German Military used during marching. Its analogous to "Hut 2-3-4" used elsewhere. Gotta love that march themed sound.
12. November Rain - Guns n' Roses
Where to begin with this song! It's 9 minutes of sheer bliss. Axle Rose's voice and the lyrics of this song just hit you right at that sweet spot in your heart. Added to that the amazing Slash whose solos leave you wanting nothing more in life.
11.Faceless Man - Creed
Man, Scott Stapp....in his inimitable voice the spirituality in the lyrics makes you just want to sit and listen to whatever he says. This song is not all about being loud and being heard, it invokes something peaceful inside you.
10. Sonne (eng: Sun) - Rammstein
R+ AGAIN!! This was the first Metal song ever that I heard and fell in love with it instantly. I had some school work to do and this song was playing at 2 a.m. on the radio. I heard it and turned it to full blast, and got thwacked by my folks for ANNIHILATING their sleep, but it was totally worth it.
The female voice in this song is just heavenly, I consider this song to be my saviour. I wouldn't exist without it.
9. Turn the page - (covered by) Metallica
There's no denying, Metallica are the Gods of Metal and Hard Rock.This particular song was originally written and sung by Bob Seger and what a mighty fine work he did. I like the Metallica version as it breathes life into the words, and who on Mother Earth could ignore Kirk Hammet on the lead guitars!
Turn the page is a living breathing creature in itself. It frustrates you, teases you then calms you down to take you on a high and then bring you back to earth, wanting MORE.
8: Weathered - Creed
This would be the perfect song to listen to with your best buds over a few beers or a scotch. Just drifts away taking you along on a soft breeze. Love the country type feel you get with the guitars in the intro, and again as I mentioned in 11. that voice of Scott Stapp is inimitable. It sounds simple, but there's a lot of technicality hidden under it.
7. Drops of Jupiter - Train
Patrick Monahan wrote this song inspired by his mother's death after the opening lines came to him in a dream. The whole experience of this song is purifying in itself, sheer brilliance and heart warming. Drops of Jupiter is the prime example of the ways music can bring forth the good in you.
6. No Leaf Clover - Metallica
No Leaf Clover was my first experience in listening to a full fledged orchestra working in unison with the Legends of Guitars like Hammet and Jason Newstead and what an experience it was!! The lyrics, telling the listener how sometimes what actually looks great is way way different that what it actually is...and not to forget the epitome vocal brilliance of James Hetfield binding and gagging the listener!
5. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix
How could anyone miss one the biggest contributor to music and guitars especially. Purple Haze has this atypical coolness factor of the 1960's and nothing can ever match upto that era in terms of number raw geniuses of music that era produced, especially Hendrix here. This MUST be passed on to the next generation as it has come under the danger of extinction.
4. Unforgiven I & Unforgiven-II - Metallica
Sirs and Madams, what can I say... very rarely has there ever been a song made that has had such deep, passionate and intense poetry for lyrics and such a Legendary set of artists to convey it. To me, Unforgiven I & II define what Metallica is at its crux. You can get any truer to yourself than this. Just spellbinding.
3. Voodoo Child - Jimi Hendrix
Aah! This one song kicks mighty ass. With the exquisite riffs straight from the Lord himself and the lyrics like..."When I stand next to a mountain, I chop it with the edge of my hand...", mankind found new and better ways to get an orgasm! This one's for the keeping!!
2. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
I consider Led Zep to be the Fathers of all that constitutes music. No man or band has or will ever come close to the Divinity of these legends. Fuck! This band is everything that defines the word perfect. Stairway to Heaven talks about how a lady gets all that she wants without giving anything back. It starts off on a cynical note, but then eases out. The softening undertones of the song just serenades you, and nothing matters after that. If Stairway to Heaven or Led Zep is forgotten or fades away in time, then there really isn't any hope left for music itself.
1. Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Time to sit up, shut up and listen.
Kashmir was the single biggest contribution to music made by mankind. Each of the Led Zep band members, i.e. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham and John Paul Jones could have an award analogous to the Nobel, named after them!
God! When the verse...
"Oh, pilot of the storm who leaves no trace, like thoughts inside a dream
Heed the path that led me to that place, yellow desert stream
My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon, I will return again
Sure as the dust that floats high in June, when movin' through Kashmir.
Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails, across the sea of years
With no provision but an open face, along the straits of fear"
...hits you....you can't help but have teary eyes. No one writes like this anymore. No one sings like this anymore. No one plays drums, guitars and keyboards like this anymore. Fuck....no one THINKS like this anymore. I'd be the worst predecessor in the history of humanity if, after knowing about the existence of a song like this, didn't pass its legacy onto my future generations.
Heck! I took it upon myself to teach my folks back home, a part of the lyrics viz.
" Talk and song from tongues of lilting grace, whose sounds caress my ear
But not a word I heard could I relate, the story was quite clear. "
and made them SING it along with me....
Kashmir could easily replace an honest prayer...it is THAT BIG. Don't take my word for it....
In the words of the God himself...
Robert Plant said.."It was an amazing piece of music to write to, and an incredible challenge for me ... Because of the time signature, the whole deal of the song is… not grandiose, but powerful: it required some kind of epithet, or abstract lyrical setting about the whole idea of life being an adventure and being a series of illuminated moments. But everything is not what you see. It was quite a task, ’cause I couldn’t sing it. It was like the song was bigger than me. It’s true: I was petrified, it’s true. It was painful; I was virtually in tears."
If you haven't listened to it before...Sir/Madam...I urge you to listen to it at least once..its an experience in itself.
That concludes my list of 15 songs that I would pass down to my successors. I know, some really epic songs/bands were missed out..it all comes down to personal tastes. Although here are a few honorable mentions..that also need to be passed on, but I couldn't include them for some n00b reason. Apologies for that.
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Cocaine - Eric Clapton
Shine on you crazy diamond - Pink Floyd
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
Riders on the Storm - The Doors
Hallowed be thy name - Iron Maiden
Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden
Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
...last but not the least.......It's a Hard knock life - Annie
.......(what else am I missing here?? Feel free to add....)
- Happy Listening \/
Askios.
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