By the end of 2005, Wolfmother had won several awards for the EP in their native Australia, and their song "Woman", been nominated for Single of the Year and Best Breakthrough Artist (Single) at the ARIA Music Awards.

The band was on the move. They relocated to Los Angeles to record their first full-length album, also titled Wolfmother, in the spring of 2005, with producer Dave Sardy, who worked with Slayer, Oasis, and Jet. The band became a huge hit at many summer festivals in Europe in 2006, though several dates were cancelled due to bassist Chris Ross taking time off to tend to his wife, who had just had a baby. Soon their music was featured on video games and the like, expanding their popularity even further.

Fans thoroughly enjoyed the band's hip, retro metal sound which invoked the era of Sabbath, Grand Funk, early Led Zeppelin, and other proto-metal bands.
But one person who hardly counted himself as a fan was former Faith No More
vocalist Mike Patton. In one video interview, he went off on the band as their music played in the background. "Wolfmother, you suck!!" He derided them by saying, "What era are we living in??"

Patton interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKDvJTxZDbA

Wolfmother on David Letterman. Check out Stockdale's big Afro hair!!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLGde-7mIyA

Here's another video which uses the song "Woman". The video is not put out by the band, but the song is used for very convincing effect: :drool: :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmCY43ea4eU&feature=related

Woman

Woman,
You know your woman,
you got to be a woman,
I got the feeling of love.

When you’re talking to me,
You see right through me,
I got the feeling of love.

She’s a woman;
You know what I mean.
You better listen,
Listen to me.
She’s gonna set you free,
yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, you’re kinda looking at me,
Like I’ve got to set you free, I can’t be nobody.
Oh, you’re kinda looking at me,
Like I’ve got to set you free,
I can’t be nobody.

She’s a woman;
You know what I mean.
You better listen,
Listen to me.
She’s gonna set you free,
yeah, yeah, yeah.

Woman,
You know you woman,
You got a woman,
I got the feeling of love.

When you’re talking to me,
You see right through me,
I got the feeling of love.

She’s a woman;
You know what I mean.
You better listen,
Listen to me.
She’s gonna set you free,
yeah, yeah, yeah!!!

:rock: :guitar: :banana: :mango peace: :schmack:

White Unicorn

Have you been to the carnival
I would like to see you
There’s a whole lot of people there
Who would like to be you
With the white unicorn, across her shoulder
Makes you think that she might of been
Someone who’s older, ahh yeahhh

And i know its on your mind
we've been drinking on the wine
that we drank from the serpents vine
Now we live in another time

We could live together...
We could live together...

She lives on the borderline, that they call hazel,
And the tent that she lives in, has the name of her lover,
Ahh yeah!

And i know its on your mind
we've been drinking on the wine
that we drank from the serpents vine
Now we live in another time


sister can you tell me when the day turns to night
she left without a word and wondered inside
how many days must i still wonder why
and see her face in every passer by

we could live together...
we could live together...

And i know its on your mind
we've been drinking on the wine
that we drank from the serpents vine
Now we live in another time

We could live together...

Joker and the Thief

I said the joker is a wanted man
he makes his way all across the land
see him sifting through the sand

So I'll tell you all the story
'bout the joker and the thief in the night

He's always laughing in the midst of power
are we living in the final hour
there is always sweet in sour

So, we are not goin' home

Can you see the joker flying over
as she's standing in a field of clover
watching out everyday
I wonder what would happen if he took her away

What you see, well you might not know
you get the feelin' comin' after the glow
the vagabond is movin' slow

So I'll tell you all the story
'bout the joker and the thief in the night

All the people that you see in the night
hold their dreams up to the light
the wildebeest is searching for sight

We are not goin' home

Can you see the joker flying over
as she's standing in a field of clover
watching out everyday
I wonder what would happen if he took her away

I said the joker is a wanted man
he makes his way all across the land
see him sifting through the sand

So I'll tell you all the story 'bout the joker and the thief
I said, I'll tell you all the story 'bout the joker and the thief
I said, I'll tell you all about the joker and the thief in the night

:rock: :guitar:

The Sword was another "hipster metal" band from Austin, Texas which hearkened back to the roots of metal with its 70's-esque sound and vibe reminescent of Black Sabbath. The band, comprised of vocalist and guitarist John "J. D." Cronise, guitarist Kyle Shutt, bassist Bryan Richie and drummer Trivett Wingo, formed in 2003 and released their self-titled EP a year later, followed by the EP 'Freya' in 2005. In early 2006, the band released their first full-length album, Age Of Winters, which featured "Freya" and other tracks such as "Celestial Crown", "Barael's Blade", "Winter's Wolves", "The Horned Goddess", and other songs with titles depicting arcane lore. The artwork for the album cover also featured a female figure illustrated in an antiquated style.

In spite of their medieval fantasy themes, The Sword were too "retro" to be considered power metal. Power metal may have been "retro" as well, but this was rather ancient for "old school".


Freya

A sword of fire and an axe of cold
Vision of the Sibyl has foretold
Armies gather on the battle-plain
All will fall and earth will die in flame

Here on the battle-plain
We will die in flame

In falcon's feathers soaring overhead
Choosing warriors among the dead
Twilight written in the runes of crones
Freya weeps upon her golden throne

Upon her golden throne
We wait for her alone
Call us unto you hall
Take us into your thrall

The battle rages, but they fight in vain
When all is done it must begin again


Winter's Wolves

Can't you see what you have wrought here?
Bloody battles will be fought here

May the mountains rise against you
May the orests block your path
May your axes chip and shatter
And know it is my wrath
I would mount your head on bloody spears
Outside your palace gates
And watch as crows peck out your eyes
And your cities are laid to waste

Can't you see what you have wrought here?
A curse on you and all your kin
Bloody battles will be fought here
Await your doom at empire's end
May the rivers rush to drown you
May the earth swallow your hosts
May the winter's wolves surround you
And rip the live from your throat

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Freya (live):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfVDqdmTdA

Winter's Wolves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFWoDlygXKM

Priestess was a Canadian "hipster metal" band from Montreal that formed in 2003. The band, which featured Mikey Heppner on vocals and guitar, Mike Dyball on bass, Vince Nudo on vocals and drums, and Dan Watchorn and vocals and guitar, released Hello Master in 2005. The album featured such 70's-esque metal in the vein of Sabbath and others, including some dual harmony lead guitar work on such tracks as "Lay Down", which received extensive airplay on satellite and internet rock radio. Other songs included "Talk To Her", "Run Home", "Blood", "I Am the Night, Color Me Black" and "Everything That You Are". Many of the songs ended up on various video games.

Lay Down

Lay down, sleep my little darling
I'll be nothing when you're gone
Lay down just like in a coffin
I'll have nothing but a song
I'll leave you in a coffin for real
I'll leave you in a church

Lay down
Leave you'll be lonely
I know I won't go
Lay down
Sleep you'll be lonely
I know I won't go
It's not my turn

Lay down, this pain will be long gone
With the absence of your breath
I know, I know that you loved me
I can't love you when you're dead
So I'll leave you in that coffin for God
And I'll leave you in the dirt

Lay down
Leave you'll be lonely
I know I won't go
Lay down
Sleep you'll be lonely
I know I won't go
It's not my turn

Lay down
Leave you'll be lonely
I Know I won't go
Lay down
Sleep you'll be lonely
I Know I won't go
Lay down before me
I know I won't go
It's not my turn

End.


Talk To Her

Talk to her, don't leave her behind
You shut her out for too long
I know, 'cause I've seen her cry
If you keep her down she'll get up and move on

Wake up it's time
Open your eyes
You've got to let her know
Stop wasting time
Make up your mind
Love her or let her go

Talk to her, you've done something wrong
We've all got something to hide
But don't turn your back for too long
There'll always be somebody waiting in line

Wake up it's time
Open your eyes
You've got to let her know
Stop wasting time
Make up your mind
Love her or let her go

I could be all that she wants
Got a heart, got a home, got a hand for her to hold

Talk to her, there's something you'll find
With all this pain that you caused
You'll be the loser this time
And I'll be the one with the girl that you lost
Believe me she's leaving
Believe me she's leaving
Believe me she's leaving
And I'll be the one, look what you lost

Wake up it's time
Open your eyes
You've got to let her know
Stop wasting time
Make up your mind
Love her or let her go

Wake up it's time
Open your eyes
You've got to let her know
Stop wasting time
Make up your mind
Love her or let her go


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Lay Down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cfahXQh-X8

One 70's-style metal band in the vein of Sabbath and others which did not fit iinto the trendy "hipster metal" sound was Early Man, a trio originally from Columbus, Ohio. Mike Conti, who plays guitar, bass, and vocals in the band, while Adam Bennati plays drums, were protected from listening to rock and metal by the strict parents who attended a Pentacostal church. When they finally came across it, they found an epiphany in bands such as Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Kreator, Celtic Frost, and thrashing Cliff Burton-era Metallica. The band released in 2005 an self-titled EP with a semi-official title,
'F:censored: You If You're Talking To Me'.

The band released their first full-length album, Closing In, that fall. The album included tracks as "Death Is the Answer To My Prayers", "War Eagle", "Thrill Of the Kill", "Evil Is", "Don't F:censored: With Me", "Fist Shaker", and "Raped and Pillaged".

The band recruited a second guitarist, Pete Macy for their live shows, and while the band has no official bassist, they have used Tim Ramage on tours. The band also incorporates thrash in with their unique 70's sound. Apparently they have called themselves Early Man in reference to their musical ancestors of early metal and thrash.

Death Is the Answer To My Prayers

Death is the answer to my prayers
Yeah!

You think that you can see right through me
Your reign is watched just like your lies
I know you think you thought you knew me
Satans reflection's in my eyes
Yeah!

There are no questions left to answer
There is no problem to be solved
My thoughts are eating me like cancer
He took my life, he takes them all
Yeah!

You are the cause of all my pain
Pulling and pleading in my brain
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain
You are the reason I'm insane!

You're not turning the screw
And I'm turning on you
You're not turning the screw
And I'm turning on you

The less air I breathe,
The more I see,
That you take a little piece of my heart

The more my eyes can see,
The less I breathe,
You know you take a little piece of my...

All words are falling on deaf ears
The more you talk, the less I care
Drowning in silence all these years
Death is the answer to my prayers
Yeah!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Another band which leaned toward Black Sabbath proto-metal but was the complete polar opposite of the trendy "hipster metal" phenomenon was Sunn O))) (pronounced simply 'Sunn'), which was named after the famous vintage Sunn amps with the logo pictogram incorporated into their name. The band, originally from Seattle before relocating to Los Angeles, was an ambient, experimental drone-metal/doom metal band which was influenced by Seattle drone music pioneers Earth (not to be confused with Black Sabbath's early name back in the late 60's), and chosing to name themselves Sunn O))) out of the curious reasoning that "the sun revolves around the earth", an interesting take on pre-Copernican astronomy.

The band was simply composed of two members, guitarist Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson, another guitarist originally with the band Goatsnake. The band was known for using deeply detuned, droning, churning chords and heavy feedback. Very little drumming can be heard as well as lack of discernable beat or rhythm. The two members dress in "grim robes", and play at very high volume in fog.

In 1998, the band started their own label, Southern Lord Records, on which they release most of their material, though they also record for other independent labels. The band has recorded such albums as 'The Grimmrobe Demos', ØØ Void, Flight of the Behemoth, and Black One, released in 2005. The band has also collaborated with other black metal musicians and the like on their albums and EPs.

Here is a song sung in Norwegian, in honor of the Scandinavian district of Seattle:

The Gates Of Ballard

[Anderson / Gammelsaeter / Preston / Ritter]

Håvard Hedde

Eg heiter Håvard Hedde, og er so ven ein kar.
No vil eg burt og gifta meg og rydja meg ein gard.
Eg bur upp under fjell,
og gjenta hev eg lova. Eg svik ho inkje hell!

Eg heiter Håvard Hedde og bur upp under nut;
No vil eg burt og gifta meg, eg vil 'kje lenger ganga gut.
Eg bur upp under fjell,
og gjenta hev eg lova. Eg svik ho inkje hell!

Garden han er liten, men skogen han er god.
Der heve eg tvo furor, og dei skal stå i ro.
Eg bur upp under fjell,
og gjenta hev eg lova. Eg svik ho inkje hell!<

Når borni dei vert mange, og skuldi aukar på.
So høgg eg ned den eine, den andre ho lyt stå.
Eg bur upp under fjell,
og gjenta hev eg lova. Eg svik ho inkje hell!

Men når me verte gamle og kvar skal hava sitt,
so høgg eg ned den andre, og då er skogen kvitt.
Eg bur upp under fjell,
og gjenta hev eg lova. Eg svik ho inkje hell!

Det var no ikkje undrands, at Håvard totte vondt;
Han reiste ifrå Lanje: Den myrke Haustenott.
Eg bur upp under fjell,
og gjenta hev eg lova. Eg svik ho inkje hell!

Han reiste ifrå Lanjei, og då var gjenta fest;
Men det var med ein annan, det hev han trega mest.
Eg bur upp under fjell.
Og gjenta hev eg lova - ho sveik meg likevel.

CandleGoat

Alone, unalive, forgotten and abandoned where only the discarded dwell,
the scurrying of footstpes so large planets fall into the great pit,
entire civilizations consumed in the slow frenzy of despair,
an unholiness that judges without reason, digested by something so hungry,
so insatiable, a gleeful darkness that knows you have arrived,
and has always known, something that should never have been,
something waiting with a patience truly terrifying,
that is everything and nothing,
a darkness that binds all together in fear and eternity. Await.


Cry For the Weeper

Something comes, something that you should never have known calls,
summoned by a vastness that kills certainty without thought,
the boulders of blood open their gates,
for it is here that the universe fears to believe,
the gateway to the infinite hunger opens,
the eternal swarms that darken darkness beckon with their flawless misshapen menace,
a knowledge that is so certain it has been locked away, here it dwells,
draped in the void, the very flesh of darkness,
where the unholiest caress their nigthmare,
the resting place of all that is damned.
For here you are unwelcome,
un-alive and incarcerated in the place where the mudered stones bleed
onto the tongue of damnation.

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:


Sunn O))) albums, plus band pic:

Grimmrobe Demoes:

ØØ Void:

White 1:

White 2:

Black One:

Dungen was a Swedish "hipster metal" revivalist-oriented band which featured elements of psychedelic rock, Swedish and European folk
music, and classic and prog rock. The band was not afraid to even incorporate a little old-school hip-hop. The band, whose name in Swedish means "the groove", was fronted by multi-instrumentalist Gustav Ejstes, who was accompanied by bandmates Reine Fiske on guitar, Mattias "Tiaz" Gustavsson on bass, and Fredrik Björling on drums.

The band formed in Stockholm in1999 and released a few albums on Swedish record labels. The band chose not to join one major label there since they did not regard themselves as a pop group, so they returned to a smaller independent label. Interestingly, the band sings its songs entirely in Swedish, yet this has not been a deterrent to their growing success outside of its native Sweden. Tours in America and Europe have brought them wide attention, resulting in the band even performing their song "Panda" on the popular NBC television talk show Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

The band's 2004 album was Ta Det Lugnt, in English meaning "Take It Easy".

Meanwhile, back in the present, contemporary prog metal titans Nevermore were undergoing upheaval in a series of setbacks to their career. The Seattle
band were facing various health crises, with guitarist Steve Smythe finding out that he had a serious birth defect--he learned that he was born with only one kidney, and that an internal obstruction was forcing the single kidney to consume and "eat" itself to the point that it was 85% destroyed. He had to cancel a tour of Europe and go immediately into dialysis while awaiting a kidney donor. He had to leave the band indefinitely, and would keep busy during this time pursuing other projects and recording a solo instrumental album under the name the EssenEss Project, with other musicians.

At this time bassist Jim Sheppard was suffering from Crohn's disease and required surgery. Vocalist Warrel Dane found that he had type 2 diabetes and needed to cancel a few shows due to his illness. The remaining dates on the tour that the band was able to honor would feature Jag Panzer guitarist
Chris Broaderick. The band would go on hiatus to deal with their medical problems, but Nevermore was far from over. In the near future, the band's members would venture into recording solo albums before regrouping for a new record.

New guitarist Chris Broaderick with Nevermore at Wacken 2006 (dark hair, blue Ibanez):

In happier news for guitarists and Nevermore fans, the Schecter Guitar Research company came out in 2006 with the new Schecter Jeff Loomis Signature guitar, a 7-string guitar with Floyd Rose tremolo and EMG active pickups. The fretboard came with cross fret . The body was a natural Vampire Red finish. :rock: :rock:

While Slayer's cover art and lyrics were raising eyebrows in America, a more sinister threat was exploding throughout the shores of Europe: A Danish newspaper had published rather unflattering cartoons of the Muhammed, the prophet of Islam, as a bomb ready to ignite, among other apparently crass depictions. Muslims across Europe were enraged at the illustrations of their prophet, as their religion forbade artistic representations of him, much less satirical ones, and began a wave of violent firebombing and vandalism in protest. Danish embassies in Europe were attacked as Muslim leaders demanded a retraction. A response was slow in coming, as the harsh outcry seemed to justify the cartoonists' depiction of the Islamic prophet as violent.

The Muslim reaction against unflattering depictions of their faith did not stop with cartoons. Even Pope John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI, became embroiled in controversy when, while lecturing on Islam at the University of Regensburg in Germany, he stated thusly: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached". Muslims protested his misrepresentation of their faith, and the Pope felt the need to clarify his position about religious violence.

The backlash over the Danish cartoons were a symptom of a greater problem in Europe: As Muslim communities grew and expanded with the influx of immigrants from North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, the continent found itself immersed with a disgruntled population who felt they were discriminated against and underrepresented there. Throngs of Algerian youths took to the streets and caused waves of vandalism and rioting in France to protest the slowness or indifference of their government in recognizing their concerns.

One situation which helped matters little was that the French government issued a ban on Islamic headdresses and apparel in an attempt to force Muslims to become more Westernized. Veils, burqas, chadors, keffiyahs, and the like only stigmatized and isolated the wearer, marking them as "different" and backwards in a progressive society. This edict did not go over well with many Muslims in that Western European country.

The outrage over the cartoons was treated in a less severe light than what happened with other critics of Islam. In 2004, Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, great-grandson of the famed artist, and a man known for controversial and inflammatory views on religion, society, and politics, was brutally gunned down by a Muslim extremist who was angered over his harsh, and shockingly accurate, commentary of Islam as a violent religion which repressed women. His collaborator, Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a female immigrant from Somalia who witnessed oppression in her native Muslim country, noted that far too many immigrants from Islamic nations refused to become acculturized in the Western societies they adopted, seeking only to being on the public dole while contributing very little to the society which supported them. Her horror at 9/11 confirmed the Islamic menace to the West. The growth of Muslim immigrants had mushroomed exponentially in those years in Europe, even to the point where the Archbishop of Canterbury in England recommended that certain British cities actually adopt shar'ia law, Islamic law over there! :eek: A secular Western nation adopting laws based on Islamic tradition? Could it be possible? What was the fate of Europe? The immigration policies in Europe succeeded what the Crusades could not--a threat to overturn the continent's Christian, Western, and Enlightenment traditions.

Theo Van Gogh and Ayaan Hirsi Ali:

Meanwhile, in another corner of the globe, America's War On Terror scored a victory when former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who had proved elusive for years, had finally been put to death at the hands of his countrymen after a lengthy incarceration and trial. Before his execution by hanging, Saddam had remained defiant and insisted that he was still president of Iraq. On November 5, 2006, he was convicted of charges related to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'ites suspected of planning an assassination attempt against him.

Saddam's rise to power began in 1963 when he had joined the militant Ba'athist party took part in uprisings against the government. In 1968, after a victorious coup against overthrew Abdul Rahman Arif. Saddam was named his deputy, and deputy chairman of the Baathist Revolutionary Command Council. He helped bring about unity among party members, and drew interest from the United States due to his staunch anti-communist stance. By the early 70's, he rose in leadership not only in rank within the Ba'athist Party but also in Iraqi politics, and was seen as a stabilizing influence in the country's divisive political scene riddled with tensions between ethnic and religious groups. He was able to bring modernization to the country and improve it economically, as well as profit substantially due to the world energy crisis in 1973 with rising oil prices.

Throughout the rest of the decade, Saddam was able to accomplish what had been unthinkable in other Arab and Muslim countries: he was able to greatly improve the quality of life in Iraq with modern technology and education, as well as instating government policies to help all Iraqi citizens.
He helped transform Iraq from a backwards agrarian nation to a thoroughly modernized, advanced country in the Middle East.

As Saddam was being applauded for his achievements in thoroughly modernizing Iraq and such acts as bringing electricity and energy to places in the country where there had been none before, his own power was becoming firm. By the end of the 70's he had become the country's most powerful figure. In 1979, he had become the undisputed leader of Iraq. He purged his cabinet of "disloyal" Ba'athish members and had them arrested and executed for treason.

Though his attempts to secure power often seemed barbaric, and often were,
Saddam helped bring about many sweeping changes in an increasingly secular
society in Iraq. He enabled women to vote, which many Islamic conservatives
found appalling. He patterned the legal system after the West, abandoning the traditional Shar'ia law sytem in Islam in Iraq. Many in the country were concerned that that Shi'ite Islamic revolution in the neighboring country of Iran would spill over into Iraq, causing unrest within the Shi'ite minority in 1979. To curb possible dissent, Saddam instated a paramilitary and special police force in the country, further ensuring his powerful grip on the populace.
Dissenters would face imprisonment and torture, as well as assassination.

In order to promote Iraq's special place in history, Saddam pointed out that the country was in fact not only the cradle of civilization, Sumeria and Mesopotamia, but that it was also the great site of such rulers as Nebuchadnezzar and Hammurabi--and that he had designs on making himself such a grand leader of the nation and that part of the world as well. To this end, he instated a cult of personality promoting his importance and destiny.
Posters of him blanketed the country's cities, and even pictures of him in his traditional Bedouin attire and adopting Muslim attire and praying toward Mecca in an attempt to show him as an Iraqi Everyman.


Saddam promoting women's literacy in the 1970's:

By the end of the 70's, Saddam Hussein had seized total control of Iraq and strengthened his grip on the government and society, having executed over hundreds of high-ranking Ba'athist party members accused of disloyalty in the process. Meanwhile he had reached out to other nations for support. In the early 70's, he had sought an alliance with the Soviet Union, but a crackdown on Iraqi communists strained relationships between the two countries and prompted him to seek diplomatic unions elsewhere. France was one of his biggest allies beginning in the 70's. The French built a nuclear reactor in Iraq named Osirak, but it was destroyed by an Israeli air strike in 1981.

The United States had friendly diplomatic relations with Iraq in the early 80's
due to its reliance on America in the Middle East nation's long, bloody war with Iran. Saddam feared that radical Shi'ite ideology would spread into Iraq and threaten his modernized, secular rule. He and Khomeini had long been enemies, and with the Ayatollah's rise to power, the Islamic revolution sought to oust Saddam with the help of Shi'ite extremists within Iraq. Saddam decided to invade Iran and try to occupy a large section of Iranian territory.
Soon Iraq was finding itself on the losing side of the war, and attempted to find assistance from other Arab countries. When this failed to pan out, Saddam sought military assistance from the United States. The U.S., involved in its own halt to diplomatic relations with Iran, due to the American embassy takeover in Tehran in late 1979, was only happy to comply.

The famous photo below shows Saddam with Reagan's envoy Donald Rumsfeld
shaking hands in 1983. This union was the start of a clash of destinies between the two countries, as we shall see.

In the early 80's, the war with Iran was not going well for Saddam. One member of his cabinet, Dr. Riyadh Ibrahim, suggested that Saddam temporarily step down to discuss peace negotiations. Saddam at first appeared open to this, then fired Ibrahim himself when he was allegedly found to have given a lethal intravenous dose of an incorrect potassium supplement. A few days after his dismissal, he mentioned to the press that he was "lucky to have gotten away alive"--but then went missing. His wife received a package later which were found to be his severed remains! :eek:
It was clear that Saddam was not the modernizing liberator he was championed of being. His regime was taking on a grim, brutal turn. Anyone who was not found completely loyal to his rule would suffer a similar fate.

Iraq was fully awash in one of the longest wars of attrition in the 20th century, lasting up to nine bloody years. The country began to use chemical weapons against Iran, and Saddam even began to use them against the Kurdish separatist population in the northern part of the country, for attempting to open a front with Iran. On March 16,1988, the Kurdish town of Halabja was attacked with a mix of mustard gas and nerve agents, killing 5,000 civilians, and maiming, disfiguring, or seriously debilitating 10,000 more.
The United States, which had supported Iraq in its war with Iran for the past several years, now turned in its opinion of Saddam and condemned the the chemical attack, which was instigated by Saddam against his own countrymen. Saddam insisted that Iran was responsible, but it was too late.
The Iraq-Iran war ended in a stalemate with no winners. The expansion of modernism and prosperity in that part of the nation was ground to a halt--cities lie in ruins.

Saddam found himself in the embarrassing position of having to depend on the United States to help rebuild his country and seek funds. This was an ignoble blow for a leader who sought to be an inspiration of Arab nationalistic leadership. Saddam had pleaded for funds from Arab and other nations to fight a war to curb Shi'ite radicalism, but this backfired and made his nemesis,
the Ayatollah Khomeini look like the victor who only attempted to defend his own nation against Iraqi aggression. Saddam's loss only emboldened Islamic radicals across the region. Saddam found himself alone in struggling to rebuild his nation from the ruins of war, as no country would further support him. Something desparate needed to be done.


Saddam with Chilean business enterpreneur Carlos Cardoen, who would supply him with weapons and money for ammunition in the early 80's:

Now that the bloody, costly war with Iran was brought to an end, Saddam courted his wealthy southern neighbor, Kuwait, and asked them to forgive the huge debt Iraq incurred, some $30 billion they had borrowed from the small nation. The Kuwaitis chose not to. In addition to refusing the request, Kuwait spearheaded the opposition in OPEC to the cuts that Saddam had requested. Kuwait was pumping large amounts of oil, and thus keeping prices low, when Iraq needed to sell high-priced oil from its wells to pay off a huge debt.

Saddam pointed out that Kuwait was actually a part of Iraq, and owed its very existence to being carved out of the the British Empire, it was not this totally sovereign state as others were in the region, but just a territory only fairly recently granted independence in the past several decades. What was of importance to Iraq was the massive oil reserves, of which Kuwait held in great supply. Taking control of these reserves would certainly help the ailing Iraqi nation. Seeking an excuse to confront Kuwait, Saddam told the U.S. State Department that the monarchy there was drilling for oil within disputed Iraqi territory bordering the two nations. Saddam sent troops to the border.

The U.S. tried to diffuse tensions between the two Arab countries. Iraq was important to the U.S., strategically and economically due to its oil. In order to keep it from aligning with the Soviet Union, the U.S. pumped billions of dollars into the struggling nation to keep it afloat during the Reagan administration. As for the border dispute with Kuwait, the U.S. did not want to become embroiled with this, as America had spent too much money on Iraq to be sacrificed on their minor territorial ambitions. But Saddam was adamant--Kuwait must be dealt with. In the summer of 1990, Saddam began his invasion of Kuwait.


U.S. emissary April Glaspie with Saddam (he seems to be shaking an awful lot of hands in these pictures):

On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded and annexed Kuwait as its own territory. The U.S. and the rest of the world recoiled in horror and outrage at
the Iraqi dictator's brazen move, escalating tensions between the Middle Eastern nation and America. As the crisis worsened, Iraq became more friendly toward the Soviet Union, which provided aid, munitions and supplies to the aggressive country. The U.S. had been supportive of Iraq during its plight in the war with Iran, but this was unnacceptable. Iraq had now become a pariah in the Middle East due to its military expansion into a neighboring country.

The invasion had severe economic repercussions as well. Many countries feared that the invasion would prompt the skyrocketing of the price of oil, as well as endanger businesses which had invested in the area. Iraq posed a military threat to Israel and Saudi Arabia, which was an economic ally with Washington, D.C. for decades and provider of fuel to America. President George Bush (Sr.) gave a deadline ultimatum for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait.
If the deadline was not met, the U.S. and other countries would attack Iraq.
Saddam came up with his own condition: if Israel withdrew from Palestinian territories, he would exit Kuwait. This proved problematic for the U.S. and American-supported Arab nations which did not want to become embroiled in the Palestinian debate. The U.S. had begun what was known as Operation: Desert Shield, in an attempt to contain further Iraqi aggression.

The deadline, January 15, 1991, passed, and no response came from Saddam.
He had ignored the ultimatum. The next day, missiles from the West pounded into Iraq. The Persian Gulf War had begun, with the U.S. renaming its mission
Operation: Desert Storm. Iraq had launched missiles into Israel in retaliation,
but the small Jewish-led nation refused to fire back, for fear of provoking its Arab neighbors from leaving the coalition involved in the fight against Saddam. He committed such atrocities as dumping gallons of oil into the Persian Gulf, causing an environmental crisis, as well as showcasing tortured and beaten Western soldiers on live television in an attempt to shake American and European morale. After a month and half, American, British, and other Western ground forces finally routed Saddam's army from Baghdad and occupied a large southern section of Iraq. America and the West were victorious.

President George Herbert Walker Bush's success in the Persian Gulf was the beginning of bigger things in that part of the world:

"What is at stake is more than one small country, it is a big idea — a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in common cause to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind: peace and security, freedom, and the rule of law."

Though his country had suffered devastating losses in the defeat in the Persian Gulf War, Saddam remained defiant, claiming "victory" over his opponents. The defeat created massive instability in the country, with reports of uprisings and rebellions erupting throughout the region on ethnic and sectarian lines. Ironically, the United States, the sworn opponents of Saddam, did nothing to support the rebellions against the government. Bush felt that the people should remove Saddam on their own, something which was not quite happening. No other countries in the area were about to help
Iraq's rebellions, fearing another Shi'ite revolution similar to Iran over ten years earlier and lacking the economic wherewithall to do so. Saddam's ability to survive during the war and remain strong was his "proof" that he was the victor in the conflict. This message of resilience resonated strongly in the Arab world. The U.S. and the West were seen as aggressor imperialist nations, and anti-Western sentiment fomented in that region. American sanctions did little to dispel contempt for the West. Iraq was suffering, children were dying due to sanctions, but Saddam stood firm.

While Saddam had been primarily a secular leader in recent years, at this point, he attempted to connect with various sectarian groups by posing as a devout Muslim, even introducing Sha'ria law in many parts of the country and inscribing the phrase "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great") into the Iraqi flag.

Tensions with the U.S. remained at an all-time high in the years that followed, including missile strikes by America on Iraq's intelligence headquarters in Baghdad in 1993. This was in retaliation for a plot by Saddam's henchmen to assassinate former president George H.W. Bush. Sanctions imposed since the invasion of Kuwait further crippled and destroyed the Iraqi economy infrastructure, as their oil exports were blocked, with ships not being able to leave ports. This created a humanitarian crisis of starvation and disease, with smuggling from Syria being the only way to deal with the hardships. In response, the United Nations adopted the Oil For Food program to enable Iraq to receive food and medical supplies.

In the years that followed, the U.S. insisted that Iraq was still building weapons of mass destruction, in defiance of orders to cease and desist. The sanctions were not stopping their production, and it was time to bring it to an immediate halt. Missile strikes by the U.S. and Britain were its responses to the reports, but this did not deter Saddam.


Saddam in a televised appearance with his British hostage, five-year old Stuart Lockwood, in 1990. As Britain became embroiled in the Kuwaiti debacle, Saddam began to flex his political muscle against citizens of Britain, which formerly controlled Iraq, by taking hostages in a show of strength and intimidation. He could be charming and pleasant to his victims, though none were taken in by his facade:

The support from many Iraqis dwindled during this time of Saddam's postwar struggles with the West, while other of his countrymen continued to give him wide support. In order to supress growing tensions with citizens wearing of his rule, Saddam intensified his iron-clad grip on the nation, creating a police state where his security forces would infiltrate every sector of society and purge any voices of dissent. Saddam's sons, Uday and Qusay Hussein, became leaders in the crushing of opposition, and were efficiently cruel and despotic toward any offenders. Two of Saddam Hussein's sons-in-law Hussein Kamel and Saddam Kamel, who held high positions in the Iraqi military,
defected to Jordan the summer of 1995, but Uday and Qusay had them killed upon their return to Iraq a few months later. Saddam's rule became increasingly bloodthirsty and brutal in the later years of the 90's.

Meanwhile, the U.S. closely watched Iraq for signs of the possible development of weapons of mass destruction, sending U.N. weapons inspectors to monitor the situation. Iraq seemed to co-operate, but only sporadically. President Clinton ordered Operation: Desert Fox, which included
air strikes against Iraqi "No-Fly-Zones" in order to prompt civil uprisings against Saddam within the country, to provoke his overthrow.

In 2001, a devastating event to United States created a greater sense of urgency against the Iraqi leader: the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001
prompted President Bush to include Iraq as one of the members of an "Axis of Evil", a trio of countries, including Iran and North Korea, who were developing weapons of mass destruction, as well as a nuclear arsenal, to be used against the U.S. and the rest of the world. Bush stated, "The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax, and nerve gas, and nuclear weapons for over a decade... Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror." The American people inexplicably began to believe that Saddam had something, perhaps very much, to do with 9/11, though none of the perpetrators were Iraqis. Reports emerged that a few al-Qaeda members met with Saddam for possible co-operation, but their actual connection appears to be slim. Regardless, Bush insisted that Saddam remained a grave threat to the United States and urged for his ouster. Saddam Hussein even claimed that he falsely led the world to believe Iraq possessed nuclear weapons in order to appear strong against Iran.

The American people were rivetted to Bush's claims of weapons of mass destruction, or WMDs, as expressed by Colin Powell and members of Bush's cabinet, who claimed with certainty as to the whereabouts of said weapons.
Condoleeza Rice said that the "smoking gun" of such weapons should hopefully not come in the form of a "mushroom cloud". It was time to act.
Bush gave Saddam an ultimatum: either let the UN inspectors finish their job of checking for weapons, or face war. A date in mid-March 2003 was given as the deadline.

According to Bush's critics, Bush himself seemed to not allow the weapons inspectors time to finish their search, while Saddam assured them that he was complying with the inspections. Was he hiding something? Bush himself was accused of rushing the inspections before ordering them out altogether.
He did not buy into Saddam insisting that he was clean of WMDs. This was seen as an excuse for Bush's next move, which was the beginning of the invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003. Saddam proved elusive, having the ability to slip through undetected in his home country, and though the U.S. sent missile attacks intending to kill Saddam, they killed civilians instead--Saddam had gotten away and remained at large.

Baghdad fell after a few weeks, during Bush's campaign of "Shock and Awe" where targets in the country were heavily bombed. Saddam's army quickly capitulated under America's military might. Saddam had disappeared, and a massive search was underway. After a month and a half, major operations were declared successful. Iraq was now under America's control, and a provisional government was set up. Months later, in December, Saddam was found, disheveled, hiding in a spider hole at a farmhouse outside of Tikrit.

Many questions remained about Bush's objectives in Iraq. Bush and his cabinet insisted that Saddam had stockpiled WMDs in labs and arsenals all over Iraq, though subsequent searches appeared to discount this. There was concern that weapons left over from the first Persian Gulf War were still potent and could be be used by terrorists and militants. Some speculation arose as to whether Saddam actually sent the WMDs out of the country to Syria. Meanwhile, though Bush was victorious in his invasion of Iraq, a massive celebration in that country was not forthcoming as he had hoped,
as the country lie in devastation and badly in need of repair. Slowly the rebuilding took place and restoration of order had begun, though sectarian violence and insurgent attacks hampered efforts to put the country back on its feet. For the next several years, the occupation would drag on, with no visible end in sight. Many criticized Bush for his worst foreign policy decision ever in the history of the country, while others hailed his efforts to rout a ruthless dictator and restore freedom and democracy to a Middle Eastern country.

Meanwhile, Saddam appeared to be a shadow, a shell of his mighty former self:

Saddam Hussein was put on trial for his extensive crimes against humanity, specifically the torture and execution of over 148 citizens following an assassination attempt in 1982. He was held at Camp Cropper, a U.S. base where his special tribunal too place. Saddam remained defiant throughout his trial, insisting that he was still the president of the nation of Iraq. He asserted that the trial was a sham and that they had no legal right to do it. He and several members of his Baathist cabinet were found guilty and sentenced in November 2006 to death by hanging.

On December 30, the end had come for Saddam Hussein. His last words to an audience were a religious plea to his countrymen before the gallows dropped and the despot was dead at the end of the noose. A video was leaked to the internet, which, to some critics, was not only wrong to air but
appeared as if his captors and executors were acting more as an unruly lynch mob than carrying out an official duty. Though Saddam did not grant much dignity to his opponents, it seemed undignifying that a solemn occasion as an execution would take on the tone of a rowdy frathouse hazing. But regardless, the tyrant was dead, and the world had one less monster to fear. Some Iraqis shared Saddam's belief that he was the true president of the country and that his trial was a mockery of justice, while others celebrated his death, a time of freedom from oppression.

In closing, Saddam had one final message to the Iraqi people:

"To the great nation, to the people of our country, and humanity,
Many of you have known the writer of this letter to be faithful, honest, caring for others, wise, of sound judgment, just, decisive, careful with the wealth of the people and the state ... and that his heart is big enough to embrace all without discrimination.

You have known your brother and leader very well and he never bowed to the despots and, in accordance with the wishes of those who loved him, remained a sword and a banner.

This is how you want your brother, son or leader to be ... and those who will lead you (in the future) should have the same qualifications.

Here, I offer my soul to God as a sacrifice, and if He wants, He will send it to heaven with the martyrs, or, He will postpone that ... so let us be patient and depend on Him against the unjust nations.

Remember that God has enabled you to become an example of love, forgiveness and brotherly coexistence ... I call on you not to hate because hate does not leave a space for a person to be fair and it makes you blind and closes all doors of thinking and keeps away one from balanced thinking and making the right choice.

I also call on you not to hate the peoples of the other countries that attacked us and differentiate between the decision-makers and peoples. Anyone who repents - whether in Iraq or abroad - you must forgive him.

You should know that among the aggressors, there are people who support your struggle against the invaders, and some of them volunteered for the legal defence of prisoners, including Saddam Hussein ... some of these people wept profusely when they said goodbye to me.

Dear faithful people, I say goodbye to you, but I will be with the merciful God who helps those who take refuge in him and who will never disappoint any faithful, honest believer ... God is Great ... God is great ... Long live our nation ... Long live our great struggling people ... Long live Iraq, long live Iraq ... Long live Palestine ... Long live jihad and the mujahedeen (the insurgency).

Saddam Hussein President and Commander in Chief of the Iraqi Mujahed Armed Forces

Additional clarification note:

I have written this letter because the lawyers told me that the so-called criminal court — established and named by the invaders — will allow the so-called defendants the chance for a last word. But that court and its chief judge did not give us the chance to say a word, and issued its verdict without explanation and read out the sentence — dictated by the invaders — without presenting the evidence. I wanted the people to know this."


The war continued without the man responsible for causing the aggression. What could he have accomplished if he were not stopped? Many claimed that Saddam viewed himself as the reincarnation of Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. In 1991, many evangelicals feared that he was the Antichrist.
Bush later clarified that he did not think Saddam was behind 9/11, but the routing of his regime would
prevent further similar 9/11-style attacks. Not many people in the world mourned his loss. He was cruel, his rule was an iron grip over the populace. He may have helped modernize Iraq a few decades before, but his long war with a neighboring country brought immense devastation and hardship. His actions to help sustain Iraq in the aftermath led to horrific consequences to not only his own country but to many around the world. His struggle for control ultimately brought defeat and shame to a country considered the Cradle of Civilization.

This may not have much to do with the history of rock and roll, but this gives a perspective of events in the world that brought international history to this critical juncture, events and persons which affected everyone. However, there was interesting, amusing anecdote related to rock and roll and Saddam Hussein:

At one concert by the reunited Eagles, they dedicated the song, "Peaceful Easy Feeling", to Saddam Hussein. Though the dedication was a joke, the band were criticized by some who didn't get the humor. ohno: :lol:

Posters of Britney Spears were also found in Saddam's private bunker when U.S. forces moved in during the fall of Baghdad in 2003.

On a more domestic note, a few days before the execution of Saddam Hussein, American President Gerald Ford died the day after Christmas, December 26, 2006, at the age of 93, only 45 days longer than President Ronald Reagan a few years earlier. Ford became the longest-lived president, though, unfortunately, he also became one of the nation's most unpopular presidents due to his decision to pardon his predecessor, President Richard M. Nixon. Ford earns the distinction of being the only president to neither have been elected to the office, nor was he elected to the office of Vice-President. He became vice-president only on the resignation of Spiro Agnew in 1973, and became president of the United States following the resignation of Nixon in 1974.

Gerald Ford was born Leslie Lynch King on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents separated and divorced shortly after his birth, during this time he went to live with his paternal grandparents. Ford admitted that his father had a history of domestic violence and spousal abuse against his mother. Ford was only a few days old when his father threatened to kill her with a butcher knife. He even hit her on their honeymoon for her smiling at another man.
In 1916, his mother Dorothy married Gerald Rudolff Ford, and from that point on, the Leslie King was renamed Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr., though Ford never legally changed his name until late 1935. He only had sporadic contact with his real father, not really knowing him until he was 17, when he was informed about the circumstances of his birth. As a child, he never even met his siblings as a from his father's second marriage, and though he first met his father while waiting tables at one job, he never really had close contact with him. He went on to write that his real father was a "carefree", successful man and that both his real parents had a "wonderful, magnificent" marriage and that he had a fine, happy upbringing. He concealed the grim truth of their relationship for years.

Ford also participated in the Boy Scouts and achieved the highest rank, Eagle Scout. Ford was so dedicated to scouting that he asked Boy Scouts to participate in his funeral. Ford also excelled in high school football, and even played football in college, becoming a star athlete. In the 30's, Ford attended
the University of Michigan law school and eventually went to Yale law school.
His first foray into politics came when he worked for presidential candidate Wendell Wilkie in 1940. During his time at Yale, he helped draft a petition for the Neutrality Act in 1939, urging America to stay out the new World War in Europe. This petition became the inspiration behind the America First movement, which urged against involvement in the war, explaining that it would drain America's resources by unnecessary conflict. Of course, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought an end to the movement.

Ford served in the Navy during World War II, eventually becoming Lieutenant.
He took part in missions to the Pacific Islands, nearly dropping overboard during a heavy typhoon in 1944, though he managed to save himself. His ship had caught fire during the storm.
He resigned from the Navy under honorable conditions, as well as receiving medals for his service, in 1946.

On October 15, 1948, Ford married Elizabeth Bloomer Warren, a divorcee who had a background as a fashion model and dancing with the the Martha Graham Dance Company. They decided to wait to be married after his first election to the House of Representatives because, according to a later article in the New York Times in 1974, "Jerry was running for Congress and wasn't sure how voters might feel about his marrying a divorced ex-dancer."

Naval service had changed Ford's views on international relations. He began his political career as an isolationist, urging America to stay out of the affairs of foreign nations to preserve its own sovereignty, but his time in the military convinced him to be an internationalist, as America had to take a mighty role in changing the course of the post-war world. Ford spent many days on his campaign meeting working voters, even milking cows on local farms, meeting the people. Voters were impressed with his friendly, hands-on approach with constituents. Ford spent 25 years, from 1949 to 1973, as a member of the House of Representives, holding the seat as a delegate from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was noted for being a negotiator and reconciler, in a career know for modesty in his policy.

In 1963, following the assassination of President Kennedy, Ford was appointed by the Warren Commission, which investigated the incident, to write a biography on Lee Harvey Oswald, the president's accused killer. The Warren Commission continues to be a source of debate to this day. Ford explained that the CIA either hid or destroyed critical evidence which would have implicated them in the assassination plot. He later asserted that the assassination was the work of a lone gunman.

In 1964, after Democrat President Johnson's landslide victory, Ford became the Minority Leader in the House. Soon the tide of public opinion turned against Johnson in regards to his mishandling of the war in Vietnam, and the American public began to look at Republicans for leadership. Ford began to criticize Johnson of not being able to bring the war to a successful resolution, which incensed and angered Johnson so much that he accused Ford of "playing too much football without a helmet." Ford began a series of televised press conferences with popular Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen. The shows were jokingly refered to "The Ev and Jerry Show", and Johnson, in his typically coarse and crusty fashion, grumbled, "That Gerald Ford. He can't fart and chew gum at the same time." The press sanitized LBJ's familiar salty language to read, "He can't walk and chew gum at the same time."

In spite of Johnson's criticisms, Ford remained a popular figure in Republican politics during his tenure as Minority Leader due to his non-offensive nature and sense of fairness. Soon, things were about to take a drastic change in 1973 during the Nixon administration.

Ford billboard in 1948:

Gerald and Betty Ford on their wedding day, 1948:

Ford with Marshall Space Flight Center director Wernher Von Braun, Congressman George H. Mahon, and NASA administrator James E. Webb, during a meeting over the Saturn space program in 1964:

Ford with President Nixon during his days as House Minority Leader:

On October 10, 1973, in a shocking turn of events, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned and then pleaded no contest to criminal charges of tax evasion and money laundering, part of a negotiated resolution to a scheme wherein he accepted $29,500 in bribes while governor of Maryland. Nixon pondered as to who should replace the disgraced vice president. His entire cabinet and others agreed--the choice was Ford.

Ford was nominated to take Agnew's position on October 12, the first time the vice-presidential vacancy provision of the 25th Amendment had been implemented. The United States Senate voted 92 to 3 to confirm Ford on November 27. The House confirmed the vote on December 6. However, Ford's tenure as Vice President was rather inconspicuous, as the media were
focusing on the growing Watergate scandal in which Richard Nixon was awash amid revelations of coverups of criminal break-ins and attempts to undermine Democratic leadership. On August 1, 1974, Chief of Staff Alexander Haig contacted Ford about the "smoking gun" evidence linking Nixon to the acts. Ford and his wife were living in Virginia awaiting the move into the newly designed vice-presidential residence in D.C., and were told that the evidence against Nixon was so damning that chances were that he would either face impeachment or choose resignation, and that Ford would end up becoming president. Ford told his wife, "Betty, I don't think we're ever going to live in the vice president's house."

Over a week later, on August 9, it became official: President Nixon resigned the presidency rather than face certain impeachment for his involvement in Watergate.


The Fords join the Nixons on the final walk outside the White House:

Interestingly, upon the resignation of Nixon, Gerald Ford became the first president and vice-president to have not been voted into either office. He became vice-president, upon Nixon's choosing, following the resignation of Spiro Agnew, and became president once Nixon himself resigned. He was aware of the awkwardness of the situation, so in a live broadcast to the nation, he said, "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your president with your prayers." He continued, "I have not sought this enormous responsibility, but I will not shirk it. Those who nominated and confirmed me as Vice President were my friends and are my friends. They were of both parties, elected by all the people and acting under the Constitution in their name. It is only fitting then that I should pledge to them and to you that I will be the President of all the people."

On August 20, 1974, Ford chose former New York governor Nelson Rockefeller as vice-president to fill the post left vacant upon his ascention to the presidency. The close contender for the spot was in fact George H.W. Bush.
Rockefeller underwent hearings before members of Congress, many of whom
were chagrined by the disturbing revelations that he had given gifts to such prominent figures as Henry Kissinger. Regardless, Rockefeller was confirmed as vice-president.

More appalling to many was the event a few weeks later which soured most everyone on the new President: On September 8, 1974, Ford issued a full and unconditional pardon of Nixon for any crimes he may have had commited during the Watergate scandal. In a televised statement to the nation, Ford explained that he felt the pardon was in the best interests of the country, and that the Nixon family's situation "is a tragedy in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must."

Massive controversy ensued over the presidential pardon. Critics derided the move as a "corrupt bargain" that had been struck between the two. They claimed Ford's pardon was quid pro quo, in exchange for Nixon's resignation that elevated Ford to the Presidency. According to journalist Bob Woodward, Secretary of State Alexander Haig allegedly proposed a deal between Nixon and Ford where, prior to his resignation, Nixon was given a list of options, where he could either pardon himself and resign, or resign, or have Ford become the new president who would pardon him after his resignation. All that was needed was a signature to make it legal and official.

Ford basically explained that his reasons for pardoning Nixon was based on the friendship the two men shared.

Ford in fact never accepted any deal from Haig, and insisted that he pardoned
Nixon based on their friendship. Regardless, no one was pleased with the decision. The New York Times denounced the pardon as "a profoundly unwise, divisive and unjust act" that in a stroke had destroyed the new president's "credibility as a man of judgment, candor and competence." Ford's first press secretary and close friend Jerald Franklin terHorst resigned his post in protest after the announcement of President Nixon's full pardon. Ford also voluntarily appeared before Congress on October 17, 1974 to give sworn testimony—the only time a sitting president has done so—about the pardon.

After Ford left the White House in 1977, intimates said that the former President privately justified his pardon of Nixon by carrying in his wallet a portion of the text of Burdick v. United States, a 1915 U.S. Supreme Court decision which stated that a pardon indicated a presumption of guilt, and that acceptance of a pardon was tantamount to a confession of that guilt.
However, not everyone agreed that the pardon was a bad idea: In 2001, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award to Ford for his pardon of Nixon. One reason, Ford explained,
that it was good that Nixon was neither impeached nor indicted was that he did not wish to subject the country through a re-enactment of the long national nightmare of the incident.

It was notable that two members of Ford's Chiefs of Staff were Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld.

Without question, the decision to pardon hurt Ford's chances of being officially elected in the 1976 presidential race. The long malaise of the late 70's continued under his successor, Democratic runner Jimmy Carter, who presided over a worsening economy, foreign policy debacles and crises, and deepening lack of faith in the government.

During Ford's brief tenure as president, as inflation expanded and prices climbed, he urged voters to wear buttons reading "WIN" = "Whip Inflation Now". In hindsight, this was viewed as simply a public relations gimmick without offering any effective means of solving the underlying problems.

Also, during his term in office, a health crisis occurred with an epidemic of the swine flu hitting the populace.

Ford was also a strong supporter of the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) and identified himself as "pro-choice" on abortion--as opposed to later Republicans
who identified themselves as pro-life, a pillar of the Republican party upon the influence of the Religious Right. His wife Betty championed the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion as a "great, great decision".

You are going to get ot KT Tunstall, right? :D

You are going to get ot KT Tunstall, right? :D
Who?







;) :joke:

Actually, if anyone is wondering why I am focusing on the obituaries of two
non-musical figures, it's to provide an historical context of the times of rock and roll, and events which affected our world and culture to this day.
Plus, this is to segue into another notable rock and roll obituary which occured toward the end of the year.

During Ford's heyday, 'Saturday Night Live' comedian Chevy Chase regularly lampooned the president's ineptitude and perceived clumsiness, playing Ford as making buffoonish pratfalls and verbal faux pas.

In another pop culture moment, Ford (in animated form) made a guest appearance on an episode of 'The Simpsons' where he moved in and invited Homer over for football games on t.v. and nachos.

Betty Ford also made a name for herself by establishing a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic where many famous, and not-so-famous, individuals would attend.

When asked why he decided against indicting Nixon for any crimes committed during Watergate, he felt that not only did he refuse to do that against his friend who made him vice-president and subsequent president, but he did not wish to make "America re-live the national nightmare." Ford's decisions lessened his popularity, but he was caught in a very awkward position at the time.


Ford and his dog Liberty:

Getting back to music of that year, preceding Ford in passing was a dark Christmas for many, as one of rock and r & b's legendary performers, James Brown, died of congestive heart failure due to pneumonia on December 25, 2006 at the age of 73. A few days before, he had showed up late at his dentist for dental work, when he was recommended to see a doctor immediately for his poor health. On Christmas Eve, he checked into a hospital, but it was too late. He died during the night after midnight. The "Godfather of Soul" was scheduled to perform at a few New Year's Eve dates.

James Brown was born to Susie (née Behlings) and Joseph ("Joe") James Gardner (who changed his name to Brown after Mattie Brown who raised him)
in Barnwell, South Carolina on May 3, 1933. Although Brown was to be named after his father, his name was mistakenly reversed on his birth certificate, and instead became James Joseph Brown, Jr. As a child he was often called Little Junior. Brown was both of African-American and Native American (Apache) ethnicity. He and his family lived in extreme poverty when he was a child in the Jim Crow South. His mother left his father for another man, and he lived with his father and his live-in girlfriends until he was six. He and his father later moved to Augusta, Georgia.

He moved in with his aunt, who ran a bordello. In his teens, Brown dropped out of school in the 7th grade and pursued a life on the streets in order to get by. During this time, he began entertaining the troops at Camp Gordon with his own song and dance routines for small change at the start of World War II. He also learned music from such important figures in the blues scene as Tampa Red, who taught him guitar, and Louis Jordan, who inspired him to become an entertainer. Before he made good on his promise to become a performer, Brown committed petty crimes when he was convicted of armed robbery and sent to a juvenile detention center at the age of sixteen.

While in prison, a music figure by the name of Bobby Byrd saw him perform and decided to launch his career as an entertainer. Byrd secured an early release for him, and though Brown made a few forays into sports, he eventually took up singing professionally after being sidelined by an injury during boxing.

In 1955, Brown joined Byrd's sister Sarah in a group called The Gospel Starlighters. Brown then joined Byrd's group, The Avons. The group soon directed their sound away from gospel to a more secular r & b style and renamed themselves the Flames. They released one successful hit, "Please, Please, Please". Brown idolized Little Richard, who was huge at that time, but when Richard left music to become a preacher, Brown took his place on remaining tour dates in 1957. Brown credited Richard with injecting funk into
rock and roll with his horn-studded band, The Upsetters. The band became part of Brown's act after Richard's exodus from rock and roll.

In the early 60's, Brown scored with a number of hits including a cover of a popular r & b song "Night Train" (not to be confused with the Guns N' Roses track "Nightrain"), but did not hit real success until the release of the concert album 'Live at the Apollo' in 1963, which was followed by "Prisoner Of Love". At this time Brown formed his own record label, Try Me Records.

During the mid-60's, Brown sought to expand his audience to white listeners with his new style of music called funk. He scored a number of major hits such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and of course, "I Got You (I Feel Good", both in 1965, as well as "Out Of Sight", "Cold Sweat" in 1965, "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" and "Licking Stick-Licking Stick" in 1968 and "Funky Drummer" in 1969, as well as the hit "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" in 1966.
Fans loved the interplay between horns, drums and guitars, as well as Brown's rousing vocals which shot up and down in pitch, not staying in perfect melody. This would become a familiar trademark in r & b vocals.

In the fall of 1967, Brown bought Knoxville, Tennessee, radio station WGYW and changed its call letters to WJBE, reflecting his initials. Its station's slogan was "WJBE 1430 Raw Soul". In addition to his growing song repertoire,
Brown began to command a wide musical empire with several businesses.

Brown's influence was felt on such r & b legends as Sly & the Family Stone, Booker T. and the MG's, Edwin Starr, and David Ruffin of The Temptations.

I Got You (I Feel Good)

Whoa-oa-oa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would, now
So good, so good, I got you

Whoa! I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

{ sax, two licks to bridge }

When I hold you in my arms
I know that I can't do no wrong
and when I hold you in my arms
My love won't do you no harm

and I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, I got you

{ sax, two licks to bridge }

When I hold you in my arms
I know that I can't do no wrong
and when I hold you in my arms
My love can't do me no harm

and I feel nice, like sugar and spice
I feel nice, like sugar and spice
So nice, so nice, well I got you

Whoa! I feel good, I knew that I would, now
I feel good, I knew that I would
So good, so good, 'cause I got you
So good, so good, 'cause I got you
So good, so good, 'cause I got you


Papa's Got a Brand New Bag

Come here sister
Papa's in the swing
He ain't too hip
about that new breed babe
He ain't no drag
Papa's got a brand new bag

Come here mama
and dig this crazy scene
He's not too fancy
but his line is pretty clean
He ain't no drag.
Papa's got a brand new bag

He's doing the Jerk...
He's doing the Fly
Don't play him cheap
'cause you know he ain't shy
He's doing the Monkey,
the Mashed Potatoes, Jump back Jack,
See you later
alligator.

Come here sister
Papa's in the swing
He ain't too hip now
but I can dig that new breed babe;
He ain't no drag
He's got a brand new bag

Oh papa! He's doing the Jerk
Papa he's doing the Jerk
He's doing the twist just like this,
He's doing the Fly ev'ry day and ev'ry night
The thing's like the Boomerang.
Hey...come on
Hey! Hey...come on
Hey! Hey...he's pu tight...out of sight...
Come on. Hey! Hey!

Cold Sweat

Ha!

I don't care ha about your past
I just want ho our love to last dee
I don't care darlin' about your faults huh
I just want to satisfy your pulse

Oh

When you kiss me
When you mess me
Hold my hand
Make me understand

I break out - in a cold sweat

Ho! Uh! Ho!

I don't care about your wants
I just wanna ha! tell ya about the does and don'ts
I don't care about the way you treat me darlin' ha!
I just want huh! to understand me honey

Oh

When you kiss me
And ya miss me
You hold me tight
Make everything all right

I break out - in a cold sweat heh!

Mercy on me
C'mon now
Brother
put it, put it where it's at now
Aww
Let him have it

uh!

Awww!

Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose

Baby give it up or turn it a loose
Uh ha baby gives it up or turn it a loose
Starting over again
Baby, give it up or turn it a loose
Oh ha baby, give it up or turn it loose
Oooooh all right

Baby, give it up, oh turn it a loose oh
Oh o o all night long, uh
All right, hey, hey, hey, hey
All night long, ain't no use oh o
Oh oo baby give it up ha
Lord have mercy, hey, hey, hey, hey
All night long, ain't no use oh o
Oh oo baby give it up ha
Lord have mercy, hey, hey, hey, hey
Uh ha oh oh e wow
Baby need you so
Uh turn it a loose
Hey, hey, hey, hey

Oh, oh, oh, hold you tight
Cause I need you so
With all my might
I've got to squeeze you
Hold you tight because I love you so
Oh oh oh baby oh

It's a Man's Man's Man's World

This is a man's world
This is a man's world
But it would be nothing
Nothing without a woman to care

You see man made the cars
To take us over the world
Man made the train
To carry the heavy load
Man made the electro lights
To take us out of the dark
Man made the bullet for the war
Like Noah made the ark
This is a man's man's, man's world
But it would be nothing
Nothing without a woman to care

Man thinks of our little baby girls And the baby boys
Man make them happy 'Cause man makes them toys
And aher man make everything, everything he can
You know that man makes money to buy from other man
This is a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Not one little thing
Without a woman to care

He's lost in the wilderness
He's lost in the bitterness
He's lost, lost and ...

:guitar: :banana: :mango

As James Brown's star rose in music and entertainment, so did his visibility as a role model and public figure. He released a single titled "Don't Be a Dropout" in 1966 urging young people to stay in school. He made speeches and presentations to audiences of children and others at schools, stressing the importance of education (in spite of the fact that he himself spent a only a few years in school--perhaps making these speeches as a way of making amends for mistakes he regretted). He even recorded a patriotic rap single called "America Is My Home", reminding black listeners of why they should take advantage of the opportunities of their home country. He explained how at one time he was shining shoes and the next, he was greeting the President of the United States as he did when President Lyndon B. Johnson thanked him for donating money to school drop-out prevention programs.
It was a common attitude among young African-Americans to blame America for their own problems, but Brown proposed a message of taking opportunities and remaining pro-active rather than pointing fingers.


James Brown was credited for maintaining calm on the day after Martin Luther King was gunned down in 1968. At a concert in Boston, he allegedly pleaded for members of the audience to not riot in retaliation for the tragedy, though Boston Mayor Kevin White actually insisted that the police not use force. The mayor decided to broadcast the concert multiple times all over the city, thus preventing rioters and looters from committing crimes, due to their being tuned in to a free concert--and ultimately the concert was dubbed as "The Night James Brown Saved Boston".

http://www.universalhub.com/node/7023

From Universal Hub.com:

How James Brown helped keep the peace in Boston

By adamg - 12/25/06 - 5:06 pm
After Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, rioting broke out in cities across the country - but not in Boston. James Brown had been scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden on April 5. At first, a panicky Mayor Kevin White wanted to cancel all public events, including Brown's concert, but his aides convinced him that cancelling Brown's show might make things even worse. Brown played - and the show was aired on WGBH - and Boston stayed relatively calm. The Phoenix calls the concert one of the greatest concerts in Boston history:

... The show was an absolute tour de force. Brown soothed his mourning audience by dedicating the concert to Dr. King and delivering a million-watt performance packed with greats: "It's a Man's Man's Man's World," "Cold Sweat," "That's Life," "Try Me," "Please, Please, Please," and more. He invited White to speak to the crowd and the cameras. And when police reacted to fans who rushed the stage at one point, Brown assured them he could handle things himself, pleading, successfully, for everyone to return to their seats. On this night, music literally helped determine the course of Boston's history.

Brown at the Boston Garden in 1968:

Scroll down for video:

http://www.universalhub.com/node/7023

By the early 1970's James Brown's band had left for other projects, though he
kept his guitarist Bobby Byrd, as well as hiring on a new bassist, Bootsy Collins, and other notable greats in funk, including brother Bootsy's Phelps "Catfish" Collins and trombonist and musical director Fred Wesley. This new backing band was dubbed "The J.B.'s", who made their debut on the Brown's new hit single, "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine", released in 1970. The next year, Brown released new singles including "I Know You Got Soul", "Think (About It)", and "Doing It To Death".

In 1973, Brown recorded the score to the blaxploitation 'Black Caesar'. In 1974, he toured Africa providing music during boxing matches with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Brown also served as an influence on jazz great Miles Davis. It was claimed that the song "Fame" by David Bowie was borrowed from Brown's 1976 song "Hot" (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)", when in fact the reverse was true (since "Fame" was released a year earlier by Bowie).

Brown's popular songs during the mid-70's also included "The Payback" in 1973, "Papa Don't Take No Mess", "Stoned to the Bone", and "Funky President (People It's Bad)" in 1974, and "Get Up Offa That Thing" in 1976.

Get Up Offa That Thing

OH!

Say it now!

I'm back!

I'm back!

I'm back!

I'm back!

Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you, sing it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and shake it, say it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up off!
Ha!
Good God!
So good!

Ha!
Everybody ready?!

Follow me!

Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and shake it, sing it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up offa that thing, (Ha!)
and twist 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you, sing it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!

Huh!
Get funky!

So good, Uh!
I'm first to stop, ha!
I've told them now, ha!
[I'm not sure about those last two lines]
Uh!
Ha!
Ohio player! (like the band, or maybe 'Go higher player!')
Can you hit it one time, from the top?!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance to try, you better! [?]
Get up offa that thing,
and... Help me!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!

Huh!

I need it!

That's the wise old brother at the side start good! [that's what is sounds like]
C'mon Clive do it!

Do it!

Uh!
Ha!
Good God!
God Good! [that's not a typo]
Huh!
Feels good!
Feels good!
Do it to me!
Huh!
Good God!
I want you all in the jam! [i think]
Gonna get you all in the jam!
Play that bad funk! [?]
Show 'em how funky you are!
Play it JB's!
Play it now!
Hey!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you, help me out!
Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better!
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release, say it now!
Get up offa that thing,
and shake 'till you feel better,
Get up offa that thing,
and try to release that pressure!
Get up and... call it!
I feel good!
[Fade out]


Funky President (People It's Bad)

Funkytown, nasty
(Hey, listen to the man)
Yeah, I'm the Godfather (baby)
Lyrics courtesy Top40db.

People, people
We got to get over
Before we go under
People, people
We got to get over
Before we go under

Hey, country
Didn't say what you meant
Just changed
Brand new funky President

Stock market going up
Jobs going down
And ain't no funking
Jobs to be found

Taxes keep going up
I changed from a glass
Now I drink out of a paper cup
It's getting bad

People, people
We got to get over
Before we go under

Listen to me
Let's get together and raise
Let's get together
And get some land

Raise our food like the man
Save our money like the Mob
Put up a fight down on the job

Tell em, Godfather

Turn up your funk motor
Get down and praise the Lord
Get sexy, sexy
Get funky and dance

Love me, baby, love me nice
Don't make it once
Can you make it twice
I like it

People, people
We got to get over
Before we go under
People, people
Well, well, well
Before we go under

Turn on your funk motor
I know it's tough
Turn on your funk motor
Until you get enough

Hey, give yourself a
Chance to come through
Tell yourself, I can
Do what you can do

Hey, listen to the man
I'm the Godfather
Payback, cold-blooded

People, people
People, people
Hey, people, people
Don't you see what's going on

People, people
We got to get together
Get on the good foot
Change it, yeah

Got to get together
And get some land
Raise our food just like the man
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

I got to say it again
We got to get together
And buy some land
Raise our food just like the man
Save our money, do like the Mob
Put up your fight right on the job

We gotta get over
Before we go under
Time's getting short, Lord

Country, do you know
Just what I meant
We just changed, we got
A brand new funky President

I need to be the Mayor
So I could change
Some things around here
I need to be the Governer
I need to be the Governer

:guitar: :banana: :mango

Unfortunately, James Brown's star began to wane in the late 70's as the music scene and r & b began to be taken over by such trends as disco. Soul and funk was no longer raw and physical, it was usurped by the vapid assembly-line rhythms and sounds of more commercial dance music. It was a disappointing time, Brown found himself to be a man without a country. What could he do? Brown tried to incorporate disco rhythms and slicker production techniques into a few of his albums, such as 1976's 'Get Up Offa That Thing', 'Bodyheat', 'Mutha's Nature' from 1977, and Jam 1980s in 1978, as well as the 1979 LP 'The Original Disco Man'. These did not produce huge singles.

Fortunately, Brown did make an appearance as a preacher, Reverend
Cleophus James, in the 1980 movie 'The Blues Brothers' starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, along with a myriad of other blues and r & b artists.

As James Brown entered the 80's, he encountered a sort of career setback when he was dropped from his label and his touring was limited. Regardless,
in addition to 'The Blues Brothers', he starred in other movies including 'Dr. Detroit' with Dan Aykroyd, 'Rocky IV', where he sang 'Living In America', and on an episode of 'Miami Vice'. He now had wide crossover appeal, and began to have an impact on the rising rap and hip-hop scene. Brown collaborated with hip-hop artist Afrika Bambaataa on the single "Unity". His re-recorded version of his 1969 hit "Give It Up Or Turnit A Loose" (the recording included on the compilation album In the Jungle Groove) became so popular at hip hop dance parties (especially for breakdance) during the late 1970s and early 1980s that hip hop founding father Kurtis Blow called the song "the national anthem of hip hop".

Unfortunately, in spite of his resurgence in fame, Brown continued to have brushes with the law. He served time in prison for domestic violence with his wife, as well as for other offenses. He still found time to perform during this period.

Living In America

Yeah, uh! Get up, now! Ow! Knock out this!
Super highways, coast to coast, easy to get anywhere
On the transcontinental overload, just slide behind the wheel
How does it feel
When there's no destination - that's too far
And somewhere on the way, you might find out who you are
Chorus:
Living in America - eye to eye, station to station
Living in America - hand to hand, across the nation
Living in America - got to have a celebration
Rock my soul
Smokestack, fatback, many miles of railroad track
All night radio, keep on runnin' through your rock 'n' roll soul
All night diners keep you awake, hey, on black coffee and a hard roll
You might have to walk the fine line, you might take the hard line
But everybody's working overtime
(chorus)
I live in America, help me out, but I live in America, wait a minute
You might not be looking for the promised land, but you might find it anyway
Under one of those old familiar names
Like New Orleans (New Orleans), Detroit City (Detroit City), Dallas (Dallas)
Pittsburg P.A. (Pittsburg P.A.), New York City (New York City)
Kansas City (Kansas City), Atlanta (Atlanta), Chicago and L.A.
Living in America - hit me - living in America - yeah, I walk in and out
Living in America
I live in America - state lines, gonna make the prime, that
I live in America - hey, I know what it means, I
Living in America - Eddie Murphy, eat your heart out
Living in America - hit me, I said now, eye to eye, station to station
Living in America - so nice, with your bare self
Living in America - I feel good!

:banana: :mango

In spite of James Brown's health problems, including diabetes and prostate cancer, the "Godfather of Soul" was considered the hardest working man in show business, giving it his all in long extended performances, treating the audience to everything he had. His performances included him dropping to his knees during "Please Please Please", with his impassioned singing, impersonating a man on the verge of a meltdown, dropping capes from his shoulders one by one while a member of his band placed one after the other in succession. His James Brown Review was a huge act with several guitarists, a few bassists, and a horn section. The band was tightly run and ordered to dress appropriately, to be on time and rehearse meticulously. Any member of the band who ran afoul of his rules would be fined.

Brown was married several times, and had a number of children, some from illegitimate relationships. One son died in a car accident in 1973. Controversy ensued when it was learned that Brown's marriage to Tomi Rae Hynie was not legitimate in that she was still married to a Pakistani man in order to secure a Green Card in an immigration scam. Though she attempted to provide proof of her annulment, relations between Brown and Hynie deteriorated.

In 1988, Brown was arrested after a high-speed chase with police along the Georgia-South Carolina border. He was sent to prison for carrying a weapon and assaulting an officer, though his 6-year sentence was reduced to three. He was released in 1991. In addition to his charges of domestic violence, Brown's other crimes included threatening an electrician with a steak knife at his home, as well as being sued by a woman over allegations of forcible rape. He was pardoned for his crimes in 2003 in South Carolina.

In the fall of 2006, Brown's symptoms of illness were noticeable, though he never told anyone that he was sick. After he was recommended by his dentist that he should check in to a hospital, Brown was confident he would be released in time for his New Year's Eve concerts. He never made it out alive. He passed away in the early morning hours of Christmas.

Memorial concerts and tributes took place after his death, complete with videos of Brown in concert. Celebrities and members of the music community made appearances at the Apollo Theater in New York and at the James Brown Arena in Atlanta.


James Brown received numerous awards for his contributions to music during his lifetime.

Say It Out Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud

Now we demand a chance to do things for ourself
We're tired of beatin' our head against the wall
And workin' for someone else
We're people, we're just like the birds and the bees
We'd rather die on our feet
Than be livin' on our knees
Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud!

:guitar: :banana: :mango


James Brown statue in Augusta, Georgia:

Meanwhile, while the world noted the passing of many greats, life was still going on music. The year 2006 produced many fine artists, one such singer-songwriter included KT Tunstall, a Scottish vocalist who became a huge hit in the British Isles and received multiple music awards, including a Grammy nomination.

Born on June 23, 1975 in St. Andrews, Scotland, to parents of mixed ethnicities, Kate Victoria Tunstall was adopted by English parents over two weeks after her birth. Oddly, there was very little music in her home, but learned to play instruments while at school in New England.

After performing with many groups and musicians over the years, she gained attention for her bluesy song, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", which she played nearly on the spot on the British show 'Live...With Jools Holland'. She upstaged many popular artists including The Cure on that program. Her debut album, Eye To the Telescope, recorded in 2004, was re-released
and shot up the British charts to #3. Critics praised her brand of folk-oriented rock and compared her favorably to Melissa Etheridge and Fiona Apple.

Suddenly I See

Her face is a map of the world
Is a map of the world
You can see she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm

Suddenly I see
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see
Why the hell it means so much to me

I feel like walking the world
Like walking the world
You can hear she's a beautiful girl
She's a beautiful girl
She fills up every corner like she's born in black and white
Makes you feel warmer when you're trying to remember
What you heard
She likes to leave you hanging on a wire

Suddenly I see

And she's taller than most
And she's looking at me
I can see her eyes looking from a page in a magazine
Oh she makes me feel like I could be a tower
A big strong tower
She got the power to be
The power to give
The power to see

Suddenly I see

:guitar:

:)

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

*two, three, four*
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)

Well my heart knows me better than I know myself, so
I'm gonna let it do all the talking
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
I came across a place in the middle o' nowhere with a
Big black horse and a cherry tree
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
I felt a little fear upon my back, I said
Don't look back, just keep on walking
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
When the big black horse said look this way, he said
"Hey li'l' lady, will you marry me?"
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)

But I said
"No, no, no, no-no-no", I said
"No, no. You're not the one for me.
No, no, no, no-no-no", I said
"No, no, you're not the one for me."

(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)

And my heart hit a problem in the early hours, so I
Stopped it dead for a beat or two
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
But I cut some cord and I shouldn't have done it and it
Won't forgive me after all these years
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
So I sent it to a place in the middle o' nowhere with a
Big black horse and a cherry tree
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
Now it won't come back 'cause it's oh, so happy and
Now I got a hole for the world to see, yeah
(woo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)

And it said
"No, no, no, no-no-no", it said
"No, no. You're not the one for me.
No, no, no, no-no-no", it said
"No, no, you're not the one for me."

(whoo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo) *Not the one for me, yeah*
(whoo-hoo-oo,woo-hoo)
I said, "No, nah, no, no,
No, no, no, No, no,
you're not the one for me
No, nah, no, no,
No, no, no, No, no,
you're not the one for me"

Big black horse
And a cherry tree
I can't quite get there 'cause my heart's forsaken me, yeah yeah yeah
Big black horse
And a cherry tree
I can't quite get there 'cause my heart forsaken me

:guitar: :banana: :mango

KT Tunstall came to mainstream American attention when 'American Idol' contestant Katharine McPhee requested the use of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" in the contest during a Billboard charts-themed week. This was interesting, since KT's song was only at #79 on the Billboard charts. KT
made it clear about shows like 'American Idol', expressing her displeasure with them, saying, "The major problem I have is that it's completely controlled... they're told what to say. They're told how to sing." Regardless, she allowed McPhee to use it. "No one on that show told Katharine McPhee to sing my song because no one knew it." Due to McPhee's performance, the song leaped up to #23 on the charts!

KT explained, "My status as a musician in America is pretty much cemented by Katharine McPhee, which is really interesting and funny for me because I've never been polite about how I feel about shows like that."

She's most likely not the only person who feels the same way about the dictatorial nature of 'American
Idol', with the whole "jump-through-the-hoop-and-bark-on-command" style of hitmaking. :nod: Just follow these instructions and we will make you a star!! ohno:

Also in 2006, KT released KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza, which was first released only released through her website, then later released in stores all over.

Suddenly I See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tlU-1u1JC8

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYEU91d8ngc

After a lengthy hiatus, The Dixie Chicks returned to the stage after the controversy three years before resulting from Natalie Maines' uproarious comments about Bush's decision to invade Iraq. The brouhaha had settled down, and the group came out with a new album, Taking the Long Way. The band did respond to the backlash with new songs including the hit
"Not Ready To Make Nice", which touched on the death threats, the hate mail, and general ostracism the band faced as a result of their criticising the pending invasion. But the band also wanted to make it have a universal appeal than just focusing on that disturbing incident, being more about hate and verbal violence in general. The song was an angry response to the hatemongers, that the band was not about to back down from their previous comments. It was painful and harsh what they had to deal with, but they had not changed their minds to placate anyone.

Not Ready To Make Nice

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
What it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

:rock:

The one-time darlings of the country-pop charts once again found themselves
ostracized again commercially by the music community. Most likely it was because of Maines' retraction of her previous apology toward the president.
"I apologized for disrespecting the office of the President, but I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever."

"A lot of artists cashed in on being against what we said or what we stood for because that was promoting their career, which was a horrible thing to do. ... A lot of pandering started going on, and you'd see soldiers and the American flag in every video. It became a sickening display of ultra-patriotism." Maines commented, "The entire country may disagree with me, but I don't understand the necessity for patriotism. Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country ... I don't see why people care about patriotism."

:eek2:

Fast forward another three years and one will realize why her comments have some major problems with many Americans. Or perhaps her comments will resonate with others to create certain problems?


Not surprisingly, many dates for their upcoming group's Accidents & Accusations Tour in America were either cancelled or scheduled for smaller venues than what the group was used to playing. Regardless, the tour was re-routed through Canada where the band and their new album was enjoying enormous success. The band actually toned down on the onstage political rhetoric, instead letting the songs do the talking. The album did go on to chart in the Top Ten and win multiple times at the Grammys.

The band released a documentary concert film, 'Shut Up and Sing', tracing the band's history just prior to "The Incident" in London where Maines criticized Bush's decision to send troops to Iraq and expressed shame at being from the same state as he was, to the subsequent backlash and death threats, and how the girls managed to keep it together. One letter-writer warned Maines that she would be shot dead at one concert unless she "shut up and sang"--hence, the title of the film. It was an emotionally draining time, but the Chicks stood by courageously and continued to play with no incident.

NBC also refused to air spots promoting the movie, saying that it was following a "policy of not broadcasting ads that deal with issues of public controversy." Regardless, the movie did receive very positive reviews when it was released.

The film's distributor Harvey Weinstein said, "It's a sad commentary about the level of fear in our society that a movie about a group of courageous entertainers who were blacklisted for exercising their right of free speech is now itself being blacklisted by corporate America."

The following year, Maines spoke out in defense of the West Memphis Three,
the trio of young men who were accused of heinous murdering three boys.
The young men were determined by the court to be guilty simply because of their fondness for heavy metal and reading books on the occult, though many believed the men to be innocent. Maines implicated the stepfather of one of the boys as the likely culprit. He sued Maines and the Dixie Chicks for defamation as a result of her statements, but recently the lawsuit was thrown out.

Shut Up and Sing: American poster with towels;
Shut Up and Sing: Canadian poster strategically covered.

More pics:

KT Tunstall had a point when she criticized shows such as 'American Idol', in saying that they were "too controlled",
and that contestants were told how to sing and what to say. Was 'American Idol' the total be-all and end-all as to
how to become popular in music? Perfectionism, how sweet the sound. Did it not make sense to these musical
tastemaker judges that more often than not, imperfection was what made many performers unique and worthy of
our attention? Why was there not much spontenaeity in the show? It was an act--and while many of them were
very good, who knew what would really happen with many of these "big names" who had their fifteen minutes of
fame or shame, where would they be in five years' time?


With that in mind, we come to Season 5 of 'American Idol'.

As usual, judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest presided over the precedings. This
season was known for not only the most successful year ever for the show, but also was the first to be broadcast in
high definition.

The contestants for the Season 5 lineup were as follows:

Taylor Hicks
Katharine McPhee
Elliot Yamin
Chris Daughtry
Paris Bennett
Kelly Pickler
Ace Young
Bucky Covington
Mandisa
Lisa Tucker
Kevin Covais
Melissa McGee

Taylor Hicks, the big winner of Season 5, was born in Alabama in 1976. Interestingly, his hair started to turn gray by the time he was 14. Due to his difficult home life as a youth, he became enamored by the blues and soul music for solace. He joined several bands which went on to little success, and eventually returned home from Nashville to sing solo. His brother suggested that he audition for 'American Idol'. He did, and made it through the first few rounds with judges, though Simon Cowell didn't think he would finish well.

Well, Cowell found he was wrong--audiences did like Hicks. After weeks of performing songs such as
Elton John's "Levon", the Doobie Brothers' "Takin' It To the Streets", Buddy Holly & the Crickets' "Not Fade Away", and Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music, White Boy", among others, he advanced to the Top 3 Round.

Los Angeles-born Katharine McPhee was encouraged at an early age to sing and perform, and though she was successful in stage and musical productions, she struggled with eating disorders in her teens. This problem even continued well into her stint on 'AI', with her weight fluctuating constantly, though she was largely able to bring it under control. As a young girl, she was thought of having a learning disability, though it was later learned she had a vision problem.

On 'American Idol', she won the audience's attention with her covers of Dionne Warwick's "I'll Never Love This Way Again" and an a capella version of
"My Funny Valentine". She went on to finish as a runner-up.

Elliott Yamin was born Efraym Elliott Yamin in Los Angeles, a son of Jewish-Iraqi descent. His mother was a professional singer. Yamin was plagued with 90% deafness in one ear as well as diabetes. He began singing
r & b songs early on in contests and taking on several job stints before auditioning for 'American Idol'. His audition went well, with his rendition of Leon Russell's "A Song For You" and though it was noted he was not a great dancer, his actual singing performance was excellent. Simon Cowell said that Yamin was "potentially the best male vocalist" he had ever heard on the show. He also performed "Bless the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts and "It's In His Kiss (the Shoop Shoop Song)" by the Hollies. His performances were highly rated by everyone in the entertainment press.

Chris Daughtry, one of the more popular contestants on
'American Idol', was born in North Carolina and began to perform music in his teens. He was heavily influenced by many alternative rock bands such as
Creed, Pearl Jam, Bush, Live, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, and Fuel, as well as 80's favorites such as Bon Jovi and Journey. He played in bands before entering the work force as an auto salesman. Soon the lure of 'American Idol' beckoned.

Presenting an image of a young rocker with Southern influences, he auditioned with the song "The Letter" by the 60's band The Box Tops. Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson enjoyed his performance, but Simon Cowell, ever the sensitive one, castigated it as being "too robotic". He sang"The First Cut Is the Deepest", and "Emotion" during his trio performance with Ace Young and Bobby Bullard. Eventually, he was called back for more performances. After singing "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" by Fuel, to much acclaim, he was even offered the job of becoming the new lead singer by the band, who were without a lead singer at the time. Daughtry declined, though he expressed interest in working with the band some time later on in the future.

Daughtry's March 21 performance caused controversy when the apparently original rendition of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" garnered much praise from the judges. However, viewers noted that the rendition was very similar to a version by Live; however, there was no mention of that in Daughtry's pre-performance interview. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Daughtry defended himself, saying "It wasn't my doing. You say a lot of things in the [pretaped] interview, and when editing gets involved, things get cut out for time constraints. I did mention in my interview that I'm doing a different version from a band I totally respect. The lead singer of Live, Ed Kowalczyk, called me to say, 'Man, don't listen to that.'...It was really cool to get that kind of respect."

Paris Ana'is Bennett , the next 'Idol' contestant, performed in musical and stage productions at an early age. While choosing to pursue a career in gynecology rather than follow in her family's path in the music business, she was encouraged to audition for 'American Idol'. In the audition,
she performed the Dixie Chicks' "Cowboy Take Me Away". She performed a number of country and r & b songs after passing the audition including "Can't Fight the Moonlight", Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train To Georgia", and "Emotion". Simon Cowell asserted that the latter song was "pitiful", though the other judges enjoyed her performances.

The next contestant, North Carolina-born Kellie Pickler, was raised by her grandparents at an early age and became cheerleader and beauty queen while in high school. She sailed through both Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" and Martina McBride's "A Broken Wing", impressing even Simon Cowell, who was quite smitten with her quirky Southern charm and her tendency to mispronounce words. Her naivete and lack of exposure endured her to many, leading some to compare her to Jessica Simpson, a fellow Southern gal who often appeared awkward. She sang songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" by Frank Sinatra, though she was eliminated in the final round with her rendition of The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody".

Brett Asa "Ace" Young , born in Denver, began singing at an early age and even sang the national anthem at games for the Denver Nuggets. His first published song, "Reason I Live", was included in the soundtrack to 'The Little Vampire", and he even played a small role in the show 'Half & Half'.

Young passed through auditions with a largely favorable rating (with Cowell having his typical reservations), and he began singing songs such as Kenny Rogers' "Tonight I Wanna Cry". Jackson said it was living proof that Young was single, and Abdul said the song was perfect for his range and that he sang an adequate rendition of a contemporary country music hit. Rogers himself even enjoyed the cover of his song, and publicly praised Young, which greatly encouraged the budding singer. He even performed songs such as George Michael's "Father Figure" and Queen's "We Will Rock You". Unfortunately, in the finals after his slightly disappointing performance of the Rod Stewart pop standard cover of Nat King Cole's "That's All", where he faltered a bit, he was eliminated.

William Joel "Bucky" Covington III, born in North Carolina, had a twin brother named Robert David "Rocky" Covington. He taught himself to play on various instruments before singing country and rock in his teens, while his brother went on to play in a country band. In 1998 when the Covington twins were 20 years old, they were in a minor automobile mishap. Bucky allegedly pretended to be Rocky. They were arrested for deceiving the authorities. The plaintiff failed to identify which twin was driving, since the twins were identical.

In 2005, both twins auditioned for 'Idol', with Bucky passing into the official contest. He sang songs such as "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "The Thunder Rolls", "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder, and "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen. However when Covington was in the bottom three with Ace Young and Elliott Yamin in April, the votes went to the latter two.

Mandisa Lynn Hundley, whose name means "Warrior Princess" according to her, was born in Citrus Heights, California. She auditioned for 'American Idol' after serving as a backup singer for Christian author Beth Moore. She explained that her musical tastes and influences ran from Whitney Houston to Def Leppard.

Unfortunately, during her audition, Simon Cowell once again made a complete ass of himself when, after Paula Abdul complimented her for her unique
"Frenchie" growl in her voice, he made a further disparaging comment by comparing her to the nation of France itself, an obvious slur on her plus-sized weight! :eek: :mad: This verbal slam drew the ire of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. However, Mandisa chose to give him a dignified response: When Mandisa presented herself to the judges prior to the final cut-down to the season's 24 semi-finalists, she told Cowell: "what I want to say to you is that, yes, you hurt me and I cried and it was painful, it really was. But I want you to know that I've forgiven you and that you don't need someone to apologize in order to forgive somebody. I figure that if Jesus could die so that all of my wrongs could be forgiven, I can certainly extend that same grace to you." Cowell told Mandisa that he was "humbled" and apologized to her immediately.

Mandisa has explained that the cause of her weight problems goes back to various childhood traumas involving self-esteem issues. And, interestingly enough, on the March 7, 2006 Idol show, she stated in her pre-performance video that she sucked her thumb until she was 24 years old! :eek: :lol:

On the show, she performed such songs as "Never" by Heart, "Cry" by Faith Hill, "Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing" by Stevie Wonder, "Any Man Of Mine" by
Shania Twain, and Dinah Washington's "I Don't Hurt Anymore", during 50's Week, in which the judges gave her high marks. Unfortunately, she joined the ranks of the eliminated contestants. But the story of Mandisa's career thankfully did not end there, bigger and brighter things lie on the horizon.

The next contestant on 'Idol', Lisa Tucker, appeared in a Disney production of 'The Lion King' as well as 'The Little Princess' at a young age, though Disney later let her go due to child labor laws. She also appeared on 'Star Search'. At the age of 16, she auditioned for 'American Idol' with Whitney Houston's "One Moment In Time", handily winning the audition with the impressed judges. On the show, she sang such songs as "Who's Loving You" by The Jackson 5, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie
Wonder, "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" by Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, and
"Because Of You" by Kelly Clarkson. She made it to 10th place and was eliminated.

The next contestant, Kevin Covais, born in Long Island, New
York, is, like fellow contestant, Elliott Yamin, a diabetic who takes insulin treatment. He appeared in several stage productions in his teens before auditioning for 'Idol'. He facetiously referred to himself as the show's "sex symbol" while fellow contestant Paris Bennett called him Chicken Little, due to his resemblance to the character in the Disney cartoon. Paula Abdul was so enamored by him that she said she wanted to pinch his cheeks. He was sent over to her where she and other female contestants were allowed to do just that.

Covais sang such songs as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" by Don McLean, "Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder, and "What's New, Pussycat?" by Tom Jones. He was later eliminated.



My gosh, he looks positively geeky!! :lol: Maybe he should sing Elvis Costello or someone like that!

Melissa McGhee, from Tampa, Florida, auditioned in Denver with "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LiAnn Rimes. One the show, she performed such songs as "When the Lights Go Down" by Faith Hill, "What About Love" by Heart, and "Lately" by Stevie Wonder before being eliminated early on.

Taylor Hicks!

Hicks won with his covers of Stevie Wonder's "Living For the City", "Levon" by
Elton John, and his own song "Do I Make You Proud?" Obviously, he made someone proud.

In 2006, The Who finally released a new album, 'Endless Wire, that fall, their first album of new material since 1982's 'It's Hard'. It was originally going to be released the year before with 'WHO2' as the tentative title. The album hit the charts at #7 and #9 in America and the UK respectively. A new tour would follow the release, and some of the new songs would be given the live treatment. Pino Palladino, the session bassist who replaced John Entwistle in 2002 after the original legendary bassman's death, was now in the band as was Zack Starkey, Ringo's son, on drums.

Many of the songs revolved around Pete Townshend's musical production,
'The Boy Who Heard Music', a story about three young inmates of a mental health facility, each of different faiths, who experience hallucinations and recall their experiences. Many of the other songs dealt with religious themes and observations.

The following song is about a hostage in the Beslan massacre in Russia who fell in love with his female captor due to her piercing eyes moments before she set off explosives and killed herself:

Black Widow's Eyes

You jumped out of an alley
With surprise in your Black Widow's eyes
I was prepared to be unprepared
Been preparing for lies

I fell right in love with you
Into a thousand parts I blew
I fell right in love with you

I was caught in a corner
In recoil from a broken romance
Taking breath after one sudden death
I had a firm grip on my pants

I fell right in love with you
Through a hundred hearts you flew
I fell right in love with you

Strange that when infatuation calls
We think we've got real love in our life
It pumps like the pressure in the station hall
As the express-train thunders on by

I fell right in love with you
As the blood came blowing through
I fell right in love with you

Across the room, I saw your eyes
Black-windowed, looking back at me
You held a gun, as children cried
You touched some wires and shattered me

I was blown into the blue
There was nothing I could do
I fell right in love with you

I rose up to the station
Smelt your scent by the door
You'd stood waiting so patient
Just one wave - then no more

I fell right in love with you
There'd been nothing I could do
I fell right in love with you

Across the room, I saw your eyes
Black-windowed, looking back at me
You held a gun, as children cried
You touched some wires and shattered me.


The next song, which first came out in 2004, was about Townshend's infatuation with all the decent looking rock stars of his youth which stood in stark contrast to his not-so-matinee-idol looks, by his own admission. He was very self-conscious of his appearance, and destroyed his guitar onstage as an outlet for his rage due to the taunting he received from other kids over his outsized nose, among other things.


Real Good Looking Boy

When I think back to the
first time in my childhood
When I saw that face
I thought right then,
'That's a real good looking boy'

I saw myself in the mirror
in profile
for the first time
I thought,
'Hey! That's a real good looking boy'

And I felt then
that I moved
With all those lucky f***s and angels
High in the theatre
In the sky

So I ran to my mother
I said,
'Mom - take a look at me
Have you ever seen a teen
Fly so high?'

That's a real good looking boy
That's a real good looking boy

She said,
'Son, well, you know,
you're an ugly boy.
You don't really look like him

In this long line
There's been some
real strange genes
You've got 'em all
You've got 'em all
With some extras thrown in'

That's a real good looking boy
That's a real good looking boy
That's a real good looking boy
That's a real good looking boy

Wise men say
Only fools, only fools rush in
But I - I can't help
Falling in love, in love with you

Now I'm here with you little darling
And you say, 'You're beautiful as you are'
And I've managed somehow to survive

You arrived in my life like a fragrance and
you help me find a way to laugh
Now I Know how so-called beauty lies

God gave him a face
Then he gave me something above
God gave me a grace
Man, he gave me your sweet, sweet, sweet love

You make me feel like I'm a real good looking boy
I feel I'm a real good looking boy
That's a real good looking boy
That's a real good looking boy

:guitar:

Also in 2006, former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour released 'On an Island', his first album in 22 years. He released it on March 6, 2006, his sixtieth birthday. The album featured guest appearances by David Crosby, Graham Nash, Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, as well as former Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright. The album, which featured such singles as "This Heaven", "Take a Breath", and the title track, became Gilmour's first #1 album outside of Pink Floyd. A tour followed after its release where he performed many Pink Floyd classics.

On an Island

Remember that night, white stairs in the moonlight
They walked here too, through empty playground, this ghosts town
Children again on rusty swings getting higher
Sharing a dream on an island it felt right

We lay side by side between the moon and the tide
Mapping the stars for awhile

Let the night surround you
We're halfway to the stars
Ebb and flow, let it go
Feel the warmth beside you

Remember that night, the warmth and the laughter
Candles burn though the church was deserted
At dawn we went down through empty streets to the harbor
Dreamers may leave but they're here everafter

Let the night surround you
We're halfway to the stars
Ebb and Flow, let it go
Feel the warmth beside you


Take a Breath

Take a breath
Take a deep breath now
Take a breath
A deep breath now
Take a breath

When you're down is where you find yourself
When you drown there's nothing else
If you're lost you'll need to turn yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no-one else

To make the moves that you can do
When you fall from grace your eyes in blue
Your every breath becomes another world
And the far horizon's living hell

Take a breath
A deep breath now

This kind of love is hard to find
I never got to you by being kind
If I'm the one to throw you overboard
At least I showed you how to swim for shore

When you're down is where you know yourself
That if you're drown there's nothing else
When you're lost you need to find yourself
Then you'll find out that there's no-one else


This Heaven

All the pieces fall into place
Where we walk these fields
And i reach out and touch your face
This earthly heaven is enough for me

So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but i'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When i see the faith in my children's eyes

I've felt the power in a holy place
Wished for comfort when in need
Now i'm here in a state of grace
This earthly heaven is enough for me

So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but i'm counting mine
Life is much more than money buys
When i see the faith in my children's eyes

:guitar:

Also in 2006, veteran guitar genius Joe Satriani released Super Colossal, which featured such excellent tracks as "Crowd Chant", "Just Like Lightnin'", "Ten Words", "One Robot's Dream", and "Theme From a Strange New
World". "Crowd Chant" was originally going to be called "Party On the Enterprise", with 'Star Trek' sound effects, but due to legal issues, he was prevented from doing so. Instead he recorded live audience chant and added that to the song.

Rob Zombie released his third solo album, Educated Horses, in the spring of 2006. The album was of a more experimental nature, not his typical shock-dance-metal with his growling vocals. His vocals were more sensual, more seductive, an interesting change of pace for the master of the macabre.
Even the album's title was rather curious; instead of the typical gory demon B-movie-sounding titles, the title was rather unexpected. What did it mean, exactly?

Zombie eplained thusly:

"It was a weird kind of phrase, like, that I remembered as something as a kid. You know, my parents, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, the whole family, were involved in carnival business and, like, circus business, so as a kid, we would get dragged to these things, and we'd have to spend all this time there. And that was just one of the attractions I remember, what they would call the trained animals, you know, educated horses."

The phrase was used in the popular song, "Foxy Foxy", his most danceable track yet. Many of the songs were influenced by 70's glam artists such as T-Rex, Gary Glitter, and Slade. Other tracks included the Grammy-nominated
"The Lords Of Salem", "American Witch", "The Devil's Rejects", based on his horror movie, and Let It All Bleed Out", a return to fearsome form for the singer. He hadn't completely abandoned his trademark sex-and-scarefest with hot dancing women, including his wife, Sheri Moon, included his videos, as well as spooky songs about creepy bugs and critters such as "17 Year Locust" and "The Scorpion Sleeps".

Foxy Foxy

He who gets slapped and he who gets saved,
He who brutalizes the timeless stage.
He is the mongrel, he wants it all,
He lives for relics, hang on the wall.

Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses

Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?

She who looks back, and she looks away,
She internalizes the motion wave.
She is the butcher,
She wants the air,
She hides the scars under her hair.

Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses

Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?

Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses

Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?
Foxy, Foxy, what's it gonna be?

Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses
Don't you wanna ride it?
Educated Horses

:guitar: :banana: :mango


Let It Bleed Out

One time I saw a Filipino Cab driver cut out a cancer with a rusty butter knife.)

BLEED - BLEED - BLEED IT OUT - YEAH!

A rat on the scraps,
Jaws to the fossil,
Turn into conventional man, yeah!
(conventional man, yeah!) [x3]

Persistance of the system,
Acccumilate collection like a
Hype show on the surface,
(On the surface) [x3]

Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out!
(Bleed Out!)

High status freaks,
Grandize and screaming,
I'm a Major, Prince, Squire and King, Yeah!
(Squire and King, Yeah!) [x3]

Black tie appearance,
Circus roles for nothing,
All the odd ones leave'em screaming,
(Leave'em screaming) [x3]

Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out!
(Bleed Out!)

(Let it all,
Let it all,
Let it all bleed out,)

BLEED - BLEED - BLEED IT OUT - YEAH!
BLEED - BLEED - BLEED IT OUT - YEAH!

A rat on the scraps,
Jaws to the fossil,
Turn into conventional man, yeah!
(conventional man, yeah!) [x3]

Persistance of the system,
Acccumilate collection like a
Hype show on the surface,
(On the surface) [x3]

Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out
Let It All Bleed Out!
(Bleed Out!)

(Let It All Bleed Out)

:guitar:

Godsmack released their fourth album, simply titled IV, in 2006. The album, was in vocalist Sully's words, a work of closure. "This is the first time I’ve been totally honest, speaking the truth about real situations," he says. "In the past I was always pointing a finger, whether at myself or someone else, but I’ve come clean with myself and the people I can now love and care about. This record is about the light at the end of the tunnel, coming out of that funk, recognizing the dark parts of our lives, but committing to finding a way out of them." The album was produced by legendary producer Andy Johns.

The album featured such tracks as "Speak", "The Enemy", and "Shine Down".

Speak

Free? You better love me
And Hide or runaway
from all your yesterday's

Chorus:

Speak the truth, or make your peace some other way
Oh Yeah, Yeah
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me
Oh, Will speak to me

In way beyond your controlling mind (mind)
And no more believing in all your precious lies
Yeah

Chorus:

Speak the truth or make your peace some other way
Oh Yeah, Yeah
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me
Oh Will speak to me
Speak the truth or make your peace some other way
Oh Yeah, Yeah
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me
Will speak to me

In finding balance between lies and trust
they'll never be a better
source than to speak your truth
or make your peace in some other way

Chorus:

Speak the truth or make your peace some other way
Oh Yeah, Yeah
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me
Oh Will speak to me
Speak the truth or make your peace some other way
Oh Yeah, Yeah
I never knew, but I believe that your trust in me
Oh Will speak to me

Speak!

Oh Speak!

Speak!

Oh Speak!

Speak!


The Enemy

Hey, Oh Mister backstabbin' son of a bitch
you're livin' in a world that'll soon be dyin'
and I know everybody knows you try to be like me
but even at your best as a man you couldn't equal half of me.

I am realizing that everybody's lost their simple ways
and now that it's here I see it all so clearly
I've come face to face with the enemy, the enemy.

You, you're another s*** talkin' punk to me.
You're a living inspiration for what I never wanna be,
and I see you've been blinded by what you believe
And now back up and sit down, shut up and act like you need to be.

I am realizing that everybody's lost their simple ways
and now that it's here I see it all so clearly,
I've come face to face with the enemy, the enemy.

come to me, come to me
the enemy come to me, come to me

So predicting you're the reason why I lie
simple decision took me too much time to fly
Oh, checkmate!

I am realizing that everybody's lost their simple ways
and now that it's here I see it all so clearly,
I've come face to face with the enemy, the enemy

come to me

:guitar:

The biggest cult band in the world, Tool, released another hugely successful album, 10,000 Days, in the spring of 2006. The album featured such tracks as "Vicarious", "Jambi", and "The Pot", three singles which topped high on the charts. The album contained a special set of stereoscopic glasses which enabled the listener to view the album's artwork in 3-D.

Vicarious

Eye on the the TV
'Cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavor it happens to be, like...
"Killed by the husband"
"Drowned by the ocean"
"Shot by his own son"
"She used a poison in his tea...kissed him goodbye"
That's my kind of story
It's no fun 'til someone dies

Don't look at me like I am a monster
Frown out your one face, but with the other
Stare like a junkie into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother holds her child, watches them die
Hands to the sky crying, "Why, oh why?"

Cause I need to watch things die...from a distance
Vicariously I live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie

Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit it?
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold
Will write as the story's told
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing

I need to watch things die...from a good safe distance
Vicariously I live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same, so...

Why can't we just admit it?

Blood like rain come down
Drum on grave and ground

Part vampire
Part warrior
Carnivore and Voyeur
Stare at the transmitter
Synced to the death rattle

La, la, la, la, la, la-la-lie (x4)

Credulous, divest your desire to believe in
Angels in the hearts of men
Pull your head on out your hippie haze and give a listen
Shouldn't have to say it all again
The universe is hostile, so impersonal
Devour to survive... so it is, so it's always been

We all feed on tragedy
It's like blood to a vampire

Vicariously I live while the whole world dies
Much better you than I


Jambi

Here from the king's mountain view
Here from the wild dream come true
Feast like a sultan I do on treasures and flesh - never few

But I, I would wish it all away if I thought I'd lose you, just one day

The devil and his had me down in love with the dark side I'd found, dabbling all the way down; up to my neck, soon to drown

But you changed that all for me; lifted me up, turned me 'round
So I...
I...
I...
I...
I would
I would
I would wish this all away

Prayed like a martyr dusk 'til dawn
Begged like a hooker all night long
Tempted the devil with my song
And got what I wanted all along

But I...
And I would
If I could, then I would wish it away, wish it away, wish it all away
Wanna wish it all away
No pressure could hold, sway, or justify my kneeling away my center

So if I could I'd wish it all away, if I thought tomorrow would take you away
You're my peace of mind, my home, my center
I'm just trying to hold on one more day

Damn my eyes...
Damn my eyes...

Damn my eyes if they should compromise our fulcrum
if wants and needs divide me then I might as well be gone

Shine on forever
Shine on, benevolent sun

Shine down upon the broken
Shine until the two become one

Shine on forever
Shine on, benevolent sun

Shine on upon the severed
Shine until the two become one

Divided, I wither away
Divided, I wither away

Shine down upon the many
Light our way, benevolent sun

Breathe in union
Breathe in union
Breathe in union
Breathe in union
Breathe in union
So, as one, survive another day and season

Silence leach, and save your poison
Silence leach, and stay out of my wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!


The Pot

The Pot

Who are you to wave your finger?
You must have been outta your head
Eye hole deep in muddy waters
You practically raised the dead

Rob the grave to snow the cradle
Then burn the evidence down
Soapbox house of cards and glass so
Don't go tossin' your stones around

You must have been high
You must have been high
You must have been

Foot in mouth and head up ass-hole
Whatcha talkin' 'bout?
Difficult to dance 'round this one
'til you pull it out, boy

You must have been so high
You must have been so high

Steal, borrow, refer, save your shady inference
Kangaroo done hung the juror with the innocent

Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle

You must have been high high
You must have been high high

Who are you to wave your finger?
So full of it
Eye balls deep in muddy waters
****in' hypocrite

Liar, lawyer; mirror show me, what's the difference?
Kangaroo done hung the guilty with the innocent

Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye, eye
When you pissed all over my black kettle
You must've been...

So who are you to wave your finger?
Who are you to wave your fatty fingers at me?
You must have been out your mind

Weepin' shades of indigo
Trapped without a reason
Weepin' shades of indigo

Liar, lawyer; mirror for ya', what's the difference?
Kangaroo be stoned. He's guilty as the government

Now you're weeping shades of cozened indigo
Got lemon juice up in your eye, eye
Now when you pissed all over my black kettle

You must've been
High
High
High
High

Eyeballs deep in muddy waters
Your balls deep in muddy waters
Ganja Please
You must have been out your mind

:guitar:

Listener anticipation for the new album was so high that controversy ensued over possible leaked songs over the internet and the like. There was even talk that the upcoming release was a "decoy" album, though a leaked copy of the album confirmed the official release.

Tool toured with such names as Isis and Mastodon at that time and played Australia before preparing to appear in North America. However, an altercation between drummer Danny Carey and his girlfriend's dog, resulting in a torn bicep, threatened to halt their tour. After surgery, Carey was back on the road with the band in time for the summer dates.

Wings For Marie (Part 1)

You believed in moments not conceived
You believed in me

A passionate spirit
Uncompromise
Without us in your heart
A light in your eyes that
Ends all lies

Vacant, broken
Fell at the hands of
Those moments that I wouldn't see
It was you, who prayed for me so,
What have I done to be a son to an angel
What have I done to be worthy

Daylight dims leaving cold fluorescence
Difficult to see you in this light
Please forgive this selfish question, but
What am I to say to all these ghouls tonight
She never told a lie
Well might of told a lie
But never lived one
Didn't have a life
Didn't have a life
But surely saved one
See? I'm alright now it's time for us to let you go


10,000 Days (Part 2)

Listen to the tales and romanticize
How we follow the path of the hero
Boast about the day when the rivers overrun
How we'll rise to the height of our halo

Listen to the tales as we all rationalize
Our way into the arms of the savior
Feigning all the trials and the tribulations
None of us have actually been there
Not like you

Ignorant flippants in the congregation
Gather around spewing sympathy
Spare me
None of them can even hold a candle up to you
Blinded by choice, hypocrites won't see

But enough about the collective Judas
Who could deny you were the one who illuminated
Your little piece of the divine

this little light of mine
a gift you passed unto me
i'm gonna let it shine
To guide you safely on your way
Your way home

What are they gonna' do when the lights go down
Without you guide them all to Zion
What are they gonna' do when the rivers overrun
Other than tremble incessantly

High is the way but our eyes are upon the ground
You are the light and the way that they will only read about
I only pray, heaven knows when to lift you out
Ten thousand days in the fire is long enough
You're going home

You're the only one who can hold your head up high
Shake your fist at the gates saying:

I've come home now
Fetch me the spirit
The son, and the father
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended
It's time now, my time now
Give me my, give me my wings

Give me my (x7)
Give me my wings

You are the light and the way
That they will only read about

Set as I am in my ways and my arrogance
Burden of proof tossed upon the believers
You were my witness
My eyes, my evidence
Judith Marie, unconditional one

Daylight dims
Leaving cold fluorescents
Difficult to see you in this light
Please forgive this bold suggestion
Should you see your maker's face tonight
Look him in the eye
Look him in the eye, and tell him
i never lived a lie, never took a life
But surely saved one, hallelujah
it's time for you to bring me home

:guitar:

Chicago-based band SOiL released their fourth album, True Self, in 2006. It was the first album with their new lead singer AJ Cavalier. Unfortunately, it was not completely well received by fans, who criticized it for its more melodic metalcore direction as well as a few NU-metal influences, compared to their previous efforts. Regardless, the opening track
"Fight For Life" remains a very strong song, as well as others including "Give It Up" and "Forever Dead", which featured guest vocals by Burton C. Bell, of Fear Factory.

Fight For Life

Dragging me down
I try to keep myself from sinking
Without a sound I scream in silence
I stop all breathing

You fight for it and live for it, then it lets you down
Fight for life and it's all i see
Fight for life until it's through with me

Chewing me up, engulfed in madness
Searching again
Meaning in life
I keep on searching further to no end

You fight for it and live for it, then it lets you down
Fight for life and it's all i see
Fight for life until it's through with me

You fight for life then it's through with you

Holding me back
I keep on fighting, for what reason?
Torturing me, what is the purpose?
My time has ended

You fight for it and live for it, then it lets you down
Fight for life and it's all i see
Fight for life until it's through with me


Give It Up

You get in my space
You get in my way
I cant do nothing
Nothings wrong

Keep on pushing
Up in my face
I'm gonna leave ya
Face down in the dirt

First you said it
Dont think you get it
One more time i'll
Break you down

You came out of no where
You only got yourself to blame
I gave all the warnings
There's nothing left to offer

Give it up

I can not take it
You're bothering me
What's your problem
Just get lost

Insist on prying
Your gonna get hurt
One more word
I'll burst and I'll break your bones

I'm bleeding from my ears again
Listen to this s*** I have
Bleeding from my ears again
Listen to this s*** I have
Bleeding from my ears again
Bleeding from my ears

You came out of no where
You only got yourself to blame
I gave all the warnings
There's nothing left to offer

You'll get what you deserve
You'll get what you have earned
I gave all the warnings
Theres nothing left to offer

Give It Up

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Voivod's final album, Katorz, was recorded with guitar tracks done by Piggy before his death the year before from cancer. In his final days, he had left instructions as to how to use the tracks, and the rest of the band worked from that point to complete a cohesive, fitting album to befit their fallen guitarist's memory.

The album's title was a play on the French word for 14, "quatorze". The album featured such tracks as "The Getaway", "Dognation", "Silly Clones", and "The X-Stream".

The Getaway

Bring the boys back
They're under attack
Pack up your stuff
Before you get smacked
The maps are folded
The truck's are loaded
The spirit of the troops
By the heat remolded
The plan was simple
And time was crucial
Who knows now if
It's still essential?
A sort of revenge
Gone out of hand
Black gold is worth
A few dead men

Find the getaway
Time to get away
Find the getaway
Finally get away

Bring the kids home
Since they're on hold
The sky above their head
Is filled with black smoke
No more to prove
Their minds get loose
Becoming targets
A mirage confused
The world is watching
The moves you're making
And every action
Might be mistaken
No one's a winner
But you ain't losers
As we fill our tanks
You're damn good soldiers

Find the getaway
Time to get away
Find the getaway
Finally get away

Away from here
The battlefields of gods
The wasteland of titans
Where everything's destroyed

Only speculations
Who speaks for you
As they make their millions
I speak for you

Wait for orders!
Please stand by!
Let's call it even
Even now, even now
Before it's too late


Dognation

Here they come
With their guns
March parade
Under the sun
Here they come
Helmets on
Stoic faces
The stand has begun

Fear is growing with the hours
Intensified by the fever
Curfews
Dead town
Black out
Paranoia

With an axe
Special tool
Busting in
Breaking rules
Just like dogs
Hooked on drugs
Blind searching
For marginality

It uses all kind of power
A message is blowing
Through the speakers
Curfews
Strip search
Black out
Paranoia
Propaganda

I put my hands
In the white sand
Here used to be
Paradise island

Vacation goes in order
Terrorized villagers
Supervised foreigners
Covered up massacres

So much of a nonsense
Better hide
The evidence

So much of a disgrace
Better leave
Without a trace

All includes all

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Eleswhere in the music scene that year, one band that made a few waves was Christian band Showbread, from Georgia who initially started out in the mid-90's as a group who formed to play praise and worship services--except when the band tried to do it in a little more hip fashion, with goth-punk music, this did not sit well with the leaders of the church, who demanded that they stop at once. The band went through a number of lineup changes before they released their first album, 'The Dissonance of Discontent', in 1998. The band released their followup, 'Goodbye Is Forever', in 1999. Both albums are now out of print. The band took a few years to release 'Life, Kisses, and other Wasted Efforts', in 2003. Their next album, No Sir, Nihilism Is Not Practical was released in 2004, and by that time, true to the tone of the albums title, the band began to stir controversy wherever they played and in interviews. Their music was quirky alternative rock/hardcore, and their stage shows were wild. They gained a wide audience who were in for a ride with their stylistic changes and deep lyrics with curious titles as "A Llama Eats a Giraffe (And Vice Versa)", "Dead By Dawn", "If You Like Me Check Yes, If You Don't I'll Die", "And the Smokers And Children Shall Be Cast Down", and "Mouth Like a Magazine". The album was released on Tooth and Nail Records.

The band followed up with 2006's Age Of Reptiles, which was less frantic than its predecessor.

Showbread has elicited some controversy by not exactly playing by the rules set down by and for other conventional Christian bands. They had defined themselves as a spazzy "raw rock band", with rather introspective lyrics which are open to interpretation. The band often "sings" with screaming, yelling, and a rather abrasive vocal style. Also, in interviews, the band's members have given rather cryptic, often nonsensical, responses to questions: They have described fellow Christian band Blindside's members are vampire, werewolf, and zombie hunters, as well as members of another Christian band, Pillar, as being made of grass clippings. They have dubbed their tours under the headings "Kings Of Krunk" and "To'...Fo' Sho'". The band has often worn identical shirts of black and red pants, in a sort of show of visual conformity similar to the uniforms of DEVO back in the day, and currently, Slipknot.

The bizarre sense of humor displayed by the band has been lost on many Christians. Much of the controversy over the band has occurred over such things as a fan-made video for the song "Dead By Dawn" which has featured
apparently some horror images and other scenes too disturbing for some. This has prompted many Christians to accuse the band of being "unsaved" and "satanic". The 'No Sir' album was pulled from shelves in Christian stores.
The band eventually made a statement:

"Showbread is a Christian band. As I tell you from the stage in dark musty concert venues each night, dressed in silly outfits, covered in sweat and in a tired voice. This means that we as a band believe in Jesus Christ, we believe the Bible to be the living word of God, we believe in love."

The album was put back in Christian bookstores, but this did not end the consternation by many Christians over further dark themes and lyrics.
Regardless, the band has been very serious and upfront about their Christian faith and message.

Lead vocalist Josh Dies has also formed a side project called DIES.

A Llama Eats a Giraffe (And Vice Versa)

I'm nauseous, or maybe just inspired
So truthful, I begin to tire,
No less then everything.
No haiku, no paper packaged thing,
Patronized you harmonize, a thorax rattles so,
Like idealistic jargon every self-respecting hopeful should know.

I know the road to everything,
I know it goes right off a cliff,
Nothing, nothing, nothing is forever

Sympathy I do indeed intake in bulk amounts,
For reasoning obscure it seems too numerous to count,
And so it goes the lesser chose to crawl through narrow gates,
Bulimic thin the winding road now empty into lakes,
A pulse is found, and so we drown, and sing for this duration,
From rows and rows of teeth we're spared, these artery serrations.

Emptiness I must impress upon you in its grandeur,
My stagnant heart, it comes apart, as selfishness demands her,
To sound a note from scores I wrote,
And offer them unto thee,
For melodies now synthesized, your love it lives within me.

Nothing is forever.


Dead By Dawn

Tonight's twilight will be the last seen by our eyes,
So if it seems so beautiful, kiss the beauty goodbye,
Oh my little cornea, please say that you are no more,
And ears please swear you did not hear this creaking in the cabin floor,
I'll forgive my eyes for lovely lies, so certainly within my will,
Please declare this piercing stare,
So false, at a clock that's standing still.

Such pretty skin, give it to us,
The sun won't wise my spirit dies,
All hope has withdrawn,
So here I lay because either way,
I know we'll all be dead by dawn,
Dead by dawn.

Arming shotgun shells this rotting smell lingers on words that were said,
Her body in pieces, my hand cut away,
the ever-enchanting book of the dead,
The sun won't rise, my spirit dies, All hope has withdrawn,
So here I lay because either way I know we'll all be dead by dawn.
A chainsaw can remove a limb or act as a replacement,
Smell the gas as hours pass, contrary to my statement,
The corpses wish to cover me with kisses,
So just maybe I'll cover this cabin with their blood,
Hail to the king baby.


And the Smokers and the Children Will Be Cast Down

Sing with me child,
As my ears are bleeding,
the dreams that we have now, seemed so fleeting.
still your cradle, with no effort sways,
where this monochromatic record is played.
and i'll purse my lips to blow kisses goodbye,
It's so easy if you never ask yourself why
my lungs will contract and give up a brief sigh.
shall we say an appendage has finally died?

[Chorus:]
Or is it easier to go on with a smile, with flattering ease,
And talk for awhile, Words fall from your mouth and are lost on the floor,
And I can't go on singing anymore

Oh the tale that you tell, oh the web that you've spun
and the salt that was sprinkled on the things that you have done
makes the anger oh so sweet,
makes the world fall at your feet
makes the pity that you pour over your head quite a treat,
so go ahead and cry, and go ahead and lie,
begin every sentence that you vomit with "I"
And then Jesus will forgive you,
but oh what can I do
to see if there's enough forgiveness left for me

But in all of Israel,
father did you see
someone who seeks himself so perfectly,
The Pharisees would be so content with the sight of me
The snakes would wrap around me and we'd dance across the sea,
to ridicule you there and to spit upon your face
Unsheathe this wicked tongue, and invite disgrace
Isn't that the goal that I've always pursued?
While I beg you, Lord to be used for you

Under a light in Bethlehem i was sifting through the sand
the saline burned my eyes
i was looking for your hand,
I gave up on myself, and left my pride disarmed
I cried out "I'm Alone!" and found myself in your arms

Rest in me oh my love
I have loved you before the world began
rest in me oh my love,
you will never wander too far to reach my hand
Did they not murder you?
Did they not see you die?
Hanging on a tree as life had left your eyes
Did we not torture you?
Smiling as you died.
Or is it that you killed death itself, and now you are alive?

I won't find you there,
lying with yourself
sleep under a rock until your mouth is full of insects
i won't look for you, praying to your ceiling
Swallow every snake and sing of your mistakes,
Sing of your mistakes
Put lipstick on your mirror
Cry into your hands.


If You Like Me Check Yes, If You Don't I'll Die

The love letters that lead to bliss,
Embracing, youthful, love's first kiss,
Stops after school, the parents are fooled,
Thinking they'll be home so soon,
She waits for him in parking lots and hallways everyday,
And he smiles anticipating, thinking of the words to say.

Then it begins this absurd parade,
Such an unproductive way to behave,
The accusations are unending,
Tiring, no more listening.

I wish I never read his name written on your notebook,
I wish I didn't break my neck to take another look,
I wish I never held your hand, I wish I never knew your name,
Or I just wish that from the day we met nothing ever, ever changed

Then you put your hands on my face,
Pink roses and red valentine lace,
You're dancing like hot dripping wax,
Like your fingertips running up my back,

The truest parts of the feeling, feeling within
skinned by insecurities in him,
will no longer retort to the truth,
This half-decade charade of wasted youth.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! I'm dying. <i>[4x]
I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying.

Please don't say the words he screams, please don't let go,
Please don't cut me up again just to turn and go,
How many ways can I say I care?
Run my fingers through your silky hair,
Look up and see the pale skin of your back as you walk away again,
Look up and see the pale skin of your back as you walk away,

The ring's been set in the shape of her finger,
Still on and off the torment that lingers,
Going through and falling again,
Where are we going? Where have we been?
It's so much simpler then we make it,
Fearing the other one can fake it,
Tears and sweat and lips again,
I wonder if she'll stay with him.

The words we share are nothing short of inspired,
I love you's and I miss you's across a telephone wire,
She says she never thinks of another,
I wonder if she's a liar, yeah.


Your Owls Are Hooting

This letter won’t make it to you in time
Introverted by your distance from me, and by mine
But the chameleons who sift through the trees
Are garnering a bouquet in my head’s faculties
And its filled with scales and perfumes wearing thin
There is no flaw in you, there is no sun on your skin
Where have you been all of my life?
I hear a lizard tongue above my head
Will you be my wife?

Skin and bones and things that make my heart beat
My possession my obsession, everything to me
The sound of your voice and all your fingertips
Is like a bible verse spilling right across your lips

Waiting for my bride no longer taking it’s toll
Like a great horned owl swallowing fruit bats whole
Now that you’re here I feel a presence that I didn’t before
I feel your love I feel the warmth I’m feeling so much more
No more stiff joints, no more skin dry and rigid
You’re like a funnel in my heart
No longer artic and frigid
I’m indebted to you, you are my only one
Straight from the breath of the almighty Father, Spirit and Son

Skin and bones and things that make my heart beat
My possession my obsession, everything to me
The sound of your voice and all your fingertips
Is like a bible verse spilling right across your lips

Skin and bones and things that make my heart beat
My possession my obsession, everything to me
The sound of your voice and all your fingertips
Is like a bible verse spilling right across your lips

Skin and bones and things that make my heart beat
My possession my obsession, everything to me
The sound of your voice and all your fingertips
Is like a bible verse spilling right across your lips


George Romero Will Be At Our Wedding

I was looking for you when I first heard the sirens
The ambulances filled the streets
The masses screamed and called for help
You were no where next to me
The soldiers came to round up the living
And take them away to somewhere that’s safe
But if I cant find you there’s no place to save me
If you are gone then its too late

Night turns to dawn, and dawn into day
And the land overflows with the dead
Where did I last hold you in my arms?
What was the last thing that you said?
Some hide underground, others hide in a mall
I still drag myself through the streets
I life without love my love isn’t a life to me

I don’t believe that love can rot away
So first aim for the heart, then aim for the head

I wept bitterly and then I threw up
Something silver washed up in my lap
This metal thing, your wedding ring
Brought all of the memories back
I remember the bite, and breaking my teeth
I remember choking it down
Eating your fingers one at a time
I left most of you there on the ground

And it’s there that I find you, just as you were left
Writhing you rise to your feet
You come back to my side with very few insides
They’re still strewn about on the street

I have heard it said that love endures all things
And now I know that its true
Stronger than the grave, death cant put it out
Here I am, the walking dead, still next to you

I don’t believe that love can rot away
So first aim for the heart then aim for the head
If true love last forever, then love doesn’t die
It just becomes the living dead

:rock: :guitar:

Hopping back briefly to 2005 for a moment, one of the big names of that year was the hip-hop act Black Eyed Peas, a multi-racial group fronted by female singer Fergie, a new hottie on the horizon. That year, the group released Monkey Business, which featured the tawdry hit "My Humps" where Fergie sang about her breasts, which of course was going to get a reaction from everyone on the planet.
Cheap, tacky, tawdry, and just downright goofy. ohno: Other songs on the album included "Don't Phunk With My Heart" and "Boom Boom Pow".


If Fergie singing about her sweater puppy funbags wasn't enough for horny teenage boys, try her weak bladder: ;) :lol:

In 2006, Fergie came out with her own successful solo album, The Duchess, after the tendency of many to connect her name to Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York. The album featured the popular hit "Big Girls Don't Cry", as well as "London Bridge", "Fergalicious", "Glamorous", and "Finally". "Big Girls Don't Cry" became the biggest hit of her career, topping the charts at #1.

Fergie was born in Hacienda Heights, California, in 1975. She entered show business at an early age, doing voice-overs for 'Peanuts' cartoons in the 80's as well as 'Kids Incorporated'. She was a straight-A student, a cheerleader, and spelling bee champion as well as being a gifted dancer. In the 90's, as a member of the group Wild Orchid, she unfortunately developed an addiction to crystal meth, which clung to her life after she left the group. She admitted it was the "hardest boyfriend she ever had to break up with." She explained that she became addicted to it because, as a child star, she had to suppress her feelings, and crystal meth became useful to that end. She finally ended her addiction to the dangerous drug.

Following her stint with Black Eyed Peas, she sang on the soundtrack for the movie 'Poseidon', a remake of the early 70's disaster movie 'The Poseidon Adventure'.

Needless to say, Fergie was on her way to becoming one of the biggest divas in popular music and entertainment. Quite the looker as well as a singer.


Big Girls Don't Cry

La Da Da Da
The smell of your skin lingers on me now
You're probably on your flight back to your home town
I need some shelter of my own protection baby
be with myself and center, clarity,
Peace, Serenity

[CHORUS]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, Myself and I
We got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry

The path that I'm walking
I must go alone
I must take the baby steps til I'm full grown, full grown
Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they
And I foreseek the dark ahead if I stay

[CHORUS]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, Myself and I
We got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
And big girls don't cry

Like the little school mate in the school yard
We'll play jacks and uno cards
I'll be your best friend and you'll be mine
Valentine
Yes you can hold my hand if you want to
Cause I want to hold yours too
Well be playmates and lovers and share our secret worlds
But it's time for me to go home
It's getting late, dark outside
I need to be with myself and center, clarity,
Peace, Serenity, yeah

[CHORUS]
I hope you know, I hope you know
That this has nothing to do with you
It's personal, Myself and I
We got some straightenin' out to do
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket
But I've got to get a move on with my life
It's time to be a big girl now
and big girls don't cry

Don't cry
Don't cry
Don't cry

la da da da

More hot pics of Fergie:

While on the topic of music hotties, Janet Jackson released 20 Y.O. to commemorate her twentieth year in music. And with this came a slew of magazine covers where one could always hope for a repeat of "wardrobe malfunction*. A fan contest was organized to help determine what should appear on the cover, and Janet decided the ultimate design from a handful of entries.

The album was basically a return to her musical roots, which received mixed reviews. Oh well, who needs an album when you've got the mag covers? :grineyes:


And what was anything Jackson-related anymore if not tabloid-related? Well,
we'll have to wait and see if the music would once again regain its place in the Jackson dynasty. A long wait...

So, finally at the two-thirds mark of the decade, after America endured a seemingly never-ending war in Iraq and Afghanistan which dragged on and tested the resolve and patience of the nation, and after the apparent mishandling of Katrina and loss of confidence in the Bush administration over such controversial figures as Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over such issues as overreaching governmental intrusion into the personal lives and liberties of its citizens, as well as his dismissal of attorneys over a perceived
"lack of loyalty" to the President--the American people felt that they had had enough. It was time to vote in new blood.

To that end, Democratic candidates were overwhelmingly voted in across the country and into Congress. Nancy Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House, and would wield much power and influence. But while the American people held their breath that the "new blood" would overwhelm the Bush administration, they still kowtowed to the President's demands and cowered.


Their time would come, however. Their time would come.

Gonzales; Pelosi with Bush:

That summer, Motorhead released Kiss of Death, their eighteenth studio album, which featured another pummelling fistful of face-banging tunes.
One significant tune, "Sucker", received some airplay. Motorhead were not about innovation and elaborating on their sound, given their "if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it" ethic. Who needed to change to appease others when you had a living legend like Lemmy?

Other songs on the album included "One Night Stand", "God Was Never On Your Side", "Kingdom Of the Worm", and "Under the Gun".

Sucker

How we are, ain't how we were,
Innocence, is for the birds,
Now we are poison, and we don't care,
We have no shame, we strip you bare,
And you so precious, lost in smoke,
Too busy laughing, to see the joke.

Nobody knows if you won or you lost,
Into the palace or up on the cross,
Into the gravy or into the ground,
We just don't want you around,

What we want, ain't what we get,
Rags to riches, ain't working yet,
For we are monsters, we love our work,
Raise your voice, you bite the dirt,
And you so patient, lost in dreams,
Too busy crying, to hear the screams.

Nobody cares if you lost or you won,
In with the girlies or under the gun,
Into the sunshine or under the blade,
We gonna dance on your grave,
Sucker

What we do, is break the law,
We tasted blood and we want more,
For we are murder, we like it fine,
No quarter, we draw the line,
And you so gracious, lost in time,
Too busy killing, to see the crime

Love it or hate it, you're gonna pay,
All of us here, gonna ruin your day,
Into the palace or into the pit,
We think you're just full of s:censored:.

Nobody cares if you're in or you're out,
We're gonna give you a smack in the mouth,
Whether you go or whether you stay,
I guess it just ain't your day,
Sucker


God Was Never On Your Side

If the stars fall down on me
And the sun refuse to shine
Then may the shackles be undone,
And all the old words, cease to rhyme.
If the skies, turn into stone,
It will matter not at all,
For there is no heaven in the sky,
Hell does not wait for our downfall,

Let the voice of reason shine,
Let the pious vanish for all times,
God's face is, hidden, all unseen,
You can't ask him what it all means
He was never on your side,
God was never on your side
Let right or wrong, alone decide,
God was never on your side.

See the ten thousand ministries,
See the holy righteous dogs,
They claim to heal
but all they do is steal,
Abuse your faith, cheat & rob.
If God is wise, why is he still,
When these false prophets
call him friends,
Why is he silent, is he blind,
Are we abandoned in the end?

Let the sword of reason shine,
Let us be free of prayer & shrine
God's face is hidden, turned away
He never has a word to say
He was never on your side
God was never on your side
Let right or wrong, alone decide,
God was never on your side.
(No, No, No)

He was never on your side,
God was never on your side
Never, Never, Never, Never,
Never on your side [x2]
God was never on your side,

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

The new metal titans of Trivium released their next album, The Crusade, in the fall of 2006. The album featured a number of current classics such as "Ignition", "Entrance Of the Conflagration", "Detonation", "Anthem (We Are the Fire)", and "The Rising". Many of the songs touched on themes of actual murders, such as "Entrance of the Conflagration" which was about Andrea Yates's murder of her five children, "Unrepentant" is about Nazir Ahmad's murder of his three daughters and stepdaughter, "Contempt Breeds Contamination" is about the death of Amadou Diallo by police, and "And Sadness Will Sear" is based upon the murder of gay victim Matthew Shepard.

As much as many metal purists were evenly divided about the authenticity of Trivium, debating whether or not they were just a screamy mallcore thrash ripoff, or a new fresh speed-metal act with plenty of melody and shred, one thing that was certainly to be applauded about the band was their tenacity, of sticking to their guns. Case in point: The band at Ozzfest was threatened with being kicked off the tour if they continued to play Iron Maiden songs and wearing Maiden t-shirts onstage after the egging debacle the year before. The band were huge fans of the Maiden, offered their huge support of the band, and blew off $haron's warnings! Nothing came of her threats, and the band continued to make new fans that summer.

Ignition

Raise the guns
At every self-made suspicion
Build the bombs
Corrupt policy's decision

That's the sound of integrity breaking its back
In a country founded as a thievery act

Raise the guns
At every self-made suspicion
Build the bombs
Corrupt policy's decision

Times are dark with our children spoon-fed ignorance
Inheritance of an anxious trigger finger

Raise the guns
At every self-made suspicion
Build the bombs
Corrupt policy's decision

Our leaders preach if we disagree
We're the traitors of society
Homophobia, racism, sexism
Our system breed supremacy

[x2]
Ignition
Inception
Burning is a fuse to destruction
Break the walls of ignorance
To disarm the world for its last chance

Time again for a war
On an enemy that isn't real
Greedy selfish warlords
Feed the agenda, death's the meal

[Solo: Matt]

That's the sound, impending far crawling up your spine
In a country where nothing its truly made clear

Raise the guns
At every self-made suspicion
Build the bombs
Corrupt policy's decision

Our leaders preach if we disagree
We're the traitors of society
Homophobia, racism, sexism
Our system breed supremacy

[x2]
Ignition
Inception
Burning is a fuse to destruction
Break the walls of ignorance
To disarm the world for its last chance

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Entrance Of the Conflagration

A common woman
Lives by The Bible
Wed-locked a prison
Of antiquation
Brings life to the earth
While losing her mind
Trying suicide
Hallucinating Satan

Forcing her own blood down
Beneath the waters to drown
Lying dead with eyes wide open

Spiraling downward
Refusing all help
Self-mutilation
Neglects the children
Dagger licks her neck
Desiring escape
Succumbing Satan
Robbed by the seventh deadly sin

Forcing her own blood down
Beneath the waters to drown
Lying dead with eyes wide open
Believing Satan was inside
Ordering to abide
To destroy her cursed children

Entrance of the Conflagration
Entrance of the Conflagration

Go!

[Solo: Corey, Matt]

Conditions worsen
Searching for answers
In holy scriptures
Systematic plan
Water fills the tub
All of her children
Floating lifelessly
Innocence chased down and drowned

Forcing her own blood down
Beneath the waters to drown
Lying dead with eyes wide open
Believing Satan was inside
Ordering to abide
To destroy her cursed children


Unrepentant

A poor man with four daughters
A wife and a son.
Daughter commits adultery
Or so he was told

Bought the knife and machete, after Fridays prayers.
Feared the young would follow old, thought all must be killed.

[Chorus:]
For your honour
You will slaughter
Everyone of your daughters
For your honour
You will slaughter
It's you who should be slaughtered
Terror grips the steel with hunger
Thirsting to avenge its soiled pride
A shamed madman
You take their lives away as they sleep
The blade kisses at their throats.
Life bleeds without a chance to weep
You take, you take their lives away

Yet a man of unrepetant, don’t you realise?
You murdered your own children
Call that honourable cause

[Chorus]

[Solo: Corey]

[Chorus]


And Sadness Will Sear

Shepherd is chased by the wolves
Wolves who lived by intolerance and hate
For what they couldn't understand

Blinded and vicious are the beasts
Beating and ripping at a beautiful human
Who did nothing more than be himself

Tied to the fence as they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear

Scarecrow is left crucified, left freezing, bleeding
Tied, and wondering why. The wolves just couldn't understand
It's the preachers, and the teachers,
Governments closed-minded creatures
Try to teach us to hate that which is different

Tied to the fences as they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear

It's 12:53 AM
October 12th when the scarecrow died
A victim of society's cruelty
It's 12:53 AM
October 12th when the shepherd died
The candles light will alight your departure

[Solo: Matt]

Tied to the fences as they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear

[Solo: Corey]


Contempt Brings Contamination

Mistaken identity
You really got this one wrong
Racially singled out
He must have a gun
And yet you get off with no time
How can this be the answer?
No crime yet they shot away
He now lies dead, the blood is on your hands
Hands which were supposed to protect
People like the man you blew away
This isn't justice, this is corruption

The four protectors fired 41 shots
Hitting him 19 times
Searching the body there were no weapons found
He lies with all who died in vain

Murder must still be a crime
When our inherent freedom
It's hatefully gunned down by who we entrust
And yet you get off with no time
How can this be the answer?
No crime yet they shot away
He now lies dead, the blood is on your hands
Hands which were supposed to protect
People like the man you blew away
This isn't justice, this is corruption

The four protectors fired 41 shots
Hitting him 19 times
Searching the body there were no weapons found
He lies with all who died in vain

Contempt breeds contamination
Contempt breeds contamination
Contempt breeds contamination
Contempt breeds contamination

[Solo: Matt]

How can this be the answer?
No crime yet they shot away
He now lies dead, the blood is on your hands
Hands which were supposed to protect
People like the man you blew away
This isn't justice, this is corruption

The four protectors fired 41 shots (41 shots)
Hitting him 19 times (19 times)
Searching the body there were no weapons found
He lies with all who died in Vain

Contempt breeds contamination
Contempt breeds contamination
Contempt breeds contamination
Contempt breeds contamination

[Solo: Corey]


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Also in 2006, contemporary prog/alternative band The Mars Volta released Amputechture, their third album. The album was first to feature guitarist and sound manipulator Paul Hinojos, formerly of At the Drive-In and Sparta.

In contrast to their previous albums, 'Amputechture' did not feature an extended storyline or narrative.
It was once again a concept album, but rather than telling a story, the album was based upon a single idea, with each song looking at it from a different perspective. The album featured such songs as "Vicarious Atonement", "Tetragammatron", an epic song which clocked in at nearly seventeen minutes, " Vermicide", "Meccamputechture", which ran over eleven minutes, "Viscera Eyes", and "Day Of the Baphomets", which ran nearly twelve minutes.

Vicarious Atonement

Don't you pretend
That I'm not alive
My bones never ache
Unless she's nearby
Where is your face
In a safe of dead tongues
I can see your reflection
In your totem first born
I suspect
You've been carrying a pack of wolves
I regret
Not killing you while I had the chance

Maybe I will always haunt you
Mark the somnolence with truth
Better hang your dead palace
Than have a living home to lose
In the river ganges God damns my name

Don't let these hands
Sharpen your eyes
A rasp of tails


Tetragammatron

Tell me it's over, Rusbel awaits I've been to the surface
And nothing is there, Eyelids sank muffled
In the nerve aura sound, But when she awakes
Will she still be with us?

My heart is darkclots, Leap year is late
How did you get here, Ask all but the babe
From a Christ that went hissing
Constricting his cells
We summon by candle by book and by bell

Glossolalia coats my skin
Glycerin and the turbulence
stuffed the voice inside of God
Mirrors to the animals

The sermon goes mourning, Pricking it's hail
Slothful the child, That preys on the seed
Shall behead the drought, Wound under sleeves
I hope you have room, In a thicket of vines

Give me a moment, To clean what you've stole
The streets will hang high, Stretch ribs and let taste
We'll cover the smell with silver nitrate
Mending the cuts of your prosthetic faith

Glossolalia coats my skin
Glycerin and the turbulence
Stuffed the voice inside of God
Mirrors to the animals

Then so long, Dear minemonic
Assume the form, You've given me and I'll spill

Now hold on, Just hold my hand
Say that they made you
But you brought your own leash
Tell me no more no, say I'm the last one
Outside, By the drift, You read my will
Of thread and itch, Failure to comply
As failure to decease
And still you won't know everything
I've built the fall

Sulking drained the fall of my pale will
Swarming by your steps
Licking the ankles of your blasphemer guilts
It only meant to drape a plastic
Over the stuck pig scalp of head
To cover the sock where to flatline had spread
The kiosk in my temporal lobe
Is shaped like Rasalyn Carter
She says my map is home again, But torn face down
I have only but a million blemishes
To tell you all about

In the end they just gagged me
To make him come out

Gas me the hind, Of your five legged snare
Tooth picks the eye, But no things there
Down drags your waltz, Cross the alter top
From a sleep that, Depravation knew
Trespass your form, I'm void of dusk
I'd ask to look, But the mask stays on

You'll levitate, Teutonic print
Cruelty is the wrath, Of my instrument

In the end they just gagged me
To make him come out

You locked the cuffs
Arsenic erupts

Will you drink the shadow
Of my red hair

You and your falst, Witness to God
You've one in the chamber,
But your finger got stuck

Let slip the sound, Of a cry for help
But all was lost, On the night you walked

Palms speak through eyes
Serve your memory lost
I cantaminate with insignias

In the end they just gagged me
To make him come out

Glassolalia coats my skin
Glycerin and the turbulence
Stuffed the voice inside of God
Mirrors to the animals

Wait till I get my hands on you
I won't forget a face that left me
Just you wait
Till I get my hands on you
I can't, You won't remember

Unwrap my corpse, And let it thaw
In the eye of the needle, I can't get out

They'll check my wrist, I'll faint a pulse
I'm not the human, You thought I was

If you pet the night, Sixth pentacle dice
If you roll the seven, St. Michael dies

They'll be no ransom, Don't shut my mouth
I scaled the answer, You're afraid of


:guitar:

Vermicide

There with them is error
We are sacrosanct
A taunting of ravens to you
My swarms have fit the holster
My faith burnt every house
Like no other manger
I am emptier with doubt

Bare them
Sevens
Three to a pall
Marks the
Venom
Lush and terminal

When I became your larvae
You fed me from your plates
Now my slouch is nervous
Sinking by the face
Wrinkled by this gravel
Skinless trace of time
Wear your cobwebs proudly
In your cheap and brittle sight
My glands emit this carnage
These pews bend back your knees

That uniform it wears you
When the ultimatum pleads

Bare them
Sevens
Three to a pall
Marks the
Venom
Lush and terminal

That cesspool it becomes you
Just north of the eyebrows
Squat the hole for a pucker
When the rations go blonde
The salted stitch is patient
Waiting to engulf
There is plasma from this hoax
Pretending to be us

Embalming all the fluids I must I must
I prefer to burn it I must I must


Meccamputechture

Amputechture came Philistine praise Bottomless pit of empty names Incarcerated habits tore from the palms Severing the breast Nursing all the youngs

Beneath those locks Of dirty red hair A necklace of follicles with sabertooth monocles They want a bouquet of black rose gems Castrating kisses stalactite stems They went and built a capsule in the cyanide one Where the holiest of water would have you to drown

Tomorrow is a gift ‘Cause now is never left You gotta find my body In the Mecca context

You give me a corpse You live in it now You’re staring from unkempt nourishment plows

You give me a corpse You live in it now You’re staring from unkempt nourishment plows

Please dismantle all this phantom limbs It’s the evidence of humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments

Everyone stabs all the time Persuation deflowers your sympathy Everybody has chosen to help the shovels that bury me

This stir is turning Christ to make repent again So I’ve heard They’re cutting all the youngest ones Said this dirt is turning Christ to make repent his lust So I’ve heard That the puppets tugs its pull

Please dismantle all this phantom limbs It’s the evidence of humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments

Everyone stares all the time Persuasion deflowers your sympathy Everybody’s choosing to hold these shovels and burying me

Nova meat The pin slipped whispers of both of our heaps Swept to an earth of Magdalen’s frowns Prune fingers who tug at a zealot’s shroud

I was called supreme truth as it touches this house I was called supreme truth…

Please dismantle all these phantom limbs It’s the evidence of humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments Humans as ornaments

I obsconse supreme truth as it touches this house I obsconse supreme truth as it touches this house

Everyone stares all the time Persuasion deflowers your sympathy Everybody’s choosing to hold these shovels and bury

Everyone stares all the time Persuasion deflowers your sympathy Everybody’s choosing to hold these shovels and burying

It lacks a human corpse It lacks a human pulse It lacks a human corpse It lacks a human corpse It lacks a human corpse It lacks a human corpse It lacks a human corpse – don’t know for sure now It lacks a human corpse – don’t know for sure now It lacks a human corpse – Ah, ah, ah


Viscera Eyes

por cuando te vi enfermo con mentiras
este ladron cuenta se dio
trapa mal hecho de trampas te lo juro
que yo si te mato
y con cada dia que se pase recuerdate
quien era el mas poderoso

don't let me, don't let me go
there is a venom in numerical lies
your convalescent thorns
are but a crown of magnets
they fold the shakes inside that third glass eye
come on and give it to me
come on and die

in your viscera eyes
cateracts close the blinds
let me let comfort come drown by your side

hay mi hija no me llores
porque yo te quito de esta cruz
a noche te vi caminando sin el alma de tu cuerpo
en los brazos sin luz

stains fall into the brick wall severed
four of them were watching
while the other three did hide
the culprit spat the seed from a podium of glass
shattering the sigil that you thought was deitized

don't let me, don't let me go
there is a venom in numerical lies
your convalescent thorns
are but a crown of maggots
they rot the shakes inside that third glass eye
come on and give it to me
come on and die

in your viscera eyes
cateracts close the blinds
let me let comfort come drown by your side

in your viscera eyes
cateracts close the blinds
let me let comfort come drown by your side

wait
i've seen the arc shake from your mnemonic tongue
but the braille that you weave of itself, it shall read aloud
yes it will
i said, she's falling, she's still falling
but no one wants to come
she's crawling, she's still crawling
on your burial ground
she's falling, she's still falling
but no one wants to come
i said, she's crawling, she's still crawling
on your burial ground


Day Of the Baphomets

sawing off the pavement
repenting their past lives
might i be the only payment left
to be left behind
clay and pigment footsteps
rust it boiling clean
our bull let in linguistics
that only we can breathe

i gotta prayer that'll make you theirs now
beneath sepulchers
raise your entrails as an offer

fondling with pitchforks
in a cattle prodded sea
signaling the sedatives
to emaciate their queen
bowing in constriction
anytime you leave
we snuffed ourselves an angel
and cut her by the wings

i gotta prayer that'll make you sweat now
beneath sepulchers
way down entrails has to offer

in my sight i was born
to bring death at the footsteps of your home
tonight
i have sewn
all the hair and crooked nails
that you all have worn
while your wife
sits at home
i plant the vermin
because she needs it so

how long must we fold by hand
the nuns are burning wheels again
dent of mattress to make it bare
come clean with the antidote
after all we came undone
pale of sluts with host at fault
one day we won't pay your debt
our centipedes will get theirs yet

poachers in your home
poachers in your home

how long must we fold by hand
the nuns are burning wheels again
dent of mattress to make it bare
come clean with the antidote
after all we came undone
pale of sluts with host at fault
one day we won't pay your debt
our centipedes will get theirs yet

fold the river by the lips
as a cruel and smothered wind
fits the gash with ornaments
dawn is nodding off again
raised the braille to read it clear
gathered by the cholera
rinse the burns in cauldrons
help the palm we see a lens
my hands secrete a monument
my hands secrete a monument

i am the reason
four your missing child
they might be home
but there's no trace
under your pillow
i have left a spine
oh the things we do
when you're away
i saw the message
that you wrote in the sand
dismembered hints that carve away
the anesthetic of your gospel said
put a muzzle on the lamb

give me one page
give me one page
make it blank
mace that i leak
will rain
give me one page
give me one page
make it blank
race i inflict
your way

maybe one day you'll stop and realize
the throne that you serve is dead

give me a plague
give me a plague
make it blank
nothing you own is safe

:guitar:

Also in the fall of 2006, theatrical British extreme metal legends Cradle Of Filth
released Thornography, their seventh full-length album. The album's title was an obviously play on words, thorn--meaning the crown of thorns placed on Christ's head during his trial and crucifixion, and pornography. In the words of frontman Dani Filth: "This title represents mankind's obsession with sin and self. The thorn combines images of that which troubled Christ, the Crown of Thorns, thus intimating man's seeming desire to hurt God and also, of the protecting thorn and the need to enclose a secret place or the soul from attack. An addiction to self-punishment or something equally poisonous. A mania. Twisted desires. Barbed dreams. A fetish. An obsession with cruelty. Savage nature. Paganism over Christianity. The title can also represent a sexual attraction to religious iconography as in the case of the 'possessed' Loudun nuns. I like the title because to me it invokes images of a darker, sexier pre-Raphaelite scene wherein Sleeping Beauty's castle is won and she is awoken by a poisonous kiss. A darker, more adult fairytale."

Guitarist Paul Allender also explained his guitar work on the album: "There are quite a few guitar solos on this album. To be honest, I've never really classed myself as a lead player as such, but this is the first time I've sat down and seriously practiced lead work. I've been so involved in actually writing new material and coming up with song structures that I haven't had time to practice all the frilly things that go on top of it. Up 'till now, there hasn't really been much room for guitar solos as such. The riffs we write, they're not riffs that are meant to be soloed on top of. They're melodic within themselves. But I'm a great believer that less is definitely more. I love listening to all the shreddy, widdly stuff, but I have no interest in playing it. This new album is quite guitar-orientated. The last album was, but this is definitely more melodic. Dare I say it, there are quite a lot of typical Maiden-esque harmonies in there."

Controversy also ensued over the proposed original cover for the album. Roadrunner Records nixed the idea for the first cover, which was to feature a scantily clad female figure with bared legs. In an interview with Metal Hammer magazine, Filth explained, "When we put the original next to the new version, it was so slightly changed... The nymph's skirt was a little longer. It was like a game of spot the difference". Charles Hedger told Gothtronic.com that the new cover "is practically the same... A lot of Americans are really religious and Roadrunner were basically saying that Wal-Mart was not going to take Cradle albums with that on the cover. But Wal-Mart never takes Cradle albums anyhow, so it doesn’t make any difference."

Dirge Inferno

Carrion my name
For those who choose to mouth the curse
A tragic serenade
With Judas in my stride
The Gothic halls of shame
Where statues coldly hold no worse
Than the murders I reclaim
From a dark, forsaken time"

Kissing heaven, spent
He wipes lips free of his hectic discharge
Wishing to repent
For the brute that ravaged free
In slight hands beauty weeps
Conquest's deep methodical screwing
Hurt repeatedly
Like the world wound at his feet

Dirge Inferno

As it is written, damn it
So let it be wrung
From throats of those in overthrow
The past at last has come

A savage bit without respite
Pervades the freezing air
This winter chill, grist for his mill
If tears of joy will blear elsewhere
And church bells drown in the cracks of doom
The storms above us hew
As lightning runs like bifurcate tongues
Deflowering two by two

Hissing, malcontent
He storms the skies on electric discharge
Pissing in contempt
On the effigies of the weak
Killing all resolve
The great beast simmers, his scarlet women
Spit their vitriol
On the terrified face of peace

Dirge Inferno

As it is written, damn it
So let it be wrung
From throats of those in overthrow
Our past at last has come

A hellbound heart, the rose and thorn
Have locked to hasten blood
The moon disrobes, to harden droves
Of legions pouring
These rivers press, his breath adorns
Senates and enemy seats
Whilst his power takes as ingratitude
The writhing of the weak

"Wormwood my name
The poisoned star that fell to earth
And blistered free of shame
In the pits of self-rebirth
Now those caves become a Garret
Overseeing endless barracks
As the waters turn to claret
And the Vatican satins burn"

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Tonight In Flames

"I will give to drink without cost,
From the spring of the water of life.
He who overcomes will inherit all this...
And I will be his God... and he will be my son."

When contrary winds blow across the sands
Their murmurs can be easily swayed
But when storms quicken one cannot placate
The howling of their murderous rages

Winged seraphim hold love's trembling hand
Beside our waiting graves
As war roars about out precious land
Seeking cause to subjugate

Tonight in flames
Tonight the world will fear our names
Tonight in flames
Stay my feeble heart
Our deaths will be the start
Of something glorious and vain
Tonight in flames

There is no fanaticism as virile as faith
To the blind his words are clear
"Suffer not the infidel! Suffer not the infidel!
Assure your place in paradise here"

Winged seraphim hold love's trembling hand
Beside her tiny grave
I will avenge her, do or damned
Her sacred mother did the same

I went to see her dance one day
In a play by a wailing wall
Now she is gone
But the song lives on
Zealous and maniacal

The Eastern sword must fall

Tonight in flames
Tonight the world will fear our names
Tonight in flames
Stay my feeble heart
Our deaths will be the start
Of something glorious and vain
Tonight in flames


The Byronic Man

As lonely as a poet on the wall of Jericho
Or the moon without the comfort of the stars
I am loathe to know it that a man without a soul
Is nothing but a split canopic jar

I proved it, improved it
Drove a sonnet right through it
And in this state of bliss
Evil kissed with wet lips
Pen-filled fingertips
Which drew me, for through me
Illuminati usually pissed
But with words of some hurts worth
I threw a party that extended God's list

Exciting new flames that my fame would claim for me
Reciting back the almanac of travesties

They call me bad
Mad Caliban with manner
Dangerous to know
A passing fad
Taught in all debauch
In excess and in canto

Grown wild this child
Whole harems defiled
Faustina's and Mina's
Lady Libertine and her sisters between her

What spread of lies arise when lovers die
Which circle of hell is mine when I arrive?

They call me bad
Mad Caliban with manners
Dangerous to know
A passing fad
Taught in all debauch
Crow against the virgin snow

Grown colder, my shoulder
Like a boulder beside her
And bolder, not wiser
My dark seed took up root inside he
That mouldered, where older

Beddings would hold a passionate sigh
But laudanum and soda
Lord Numb coda
Merited a forest of inherited spite

Fleeing grief for foreign maps
I still played vampire aristocrat
Unloading my gun in hot, promiscuous laps

Then shooting swans in a gondola
I tripped my foot on a fallen star
And there's nothing like a mouthful of Venetian tar
To let you know just who you f***ing are

[Ville:]
The patron saint of heartache
You can't see my world is falling
The world is falling down
The patron saint of heartache
Can't see the world is falling
My world is falling down

[Dani and Ville:]
Ever after, can they hear my laughter?
The patron saint of heartache
Never craft a better bed of disaster...
The patron saint of heartache

They call me bad
Made Caliban with manners
Dangerous to know
A passing fad
Taught in all debauch
In excess and in canto

They call me bad
Mad Caliban with manners
Dangerous to know
A passing fad
Whereupon I tell them
To go f*** their mothers
As so...
On my grave


I Am the Thorn

The needle in the eye of the hurricane
The poison in the font
The nail in the coffin of the profane
I am the lot

Maniacal the fire
That weaves inside my should
When dripping tongues of hate, envenomed, roll
Like carpet bombs in vast bazaars
My blood runs with the beasts
Though no crescent, cross
Or wandering star
Shalt witness my defeat

Born of jackal in the Vatican
To a loathsome flock I have crept behind the drapes
And a wizard there is not
Just a white flag blackened by
Singing weapons that have led
A faith that soon dominions over
Desert kingdoms of the dead

I smell the fleur du malcontent
The hellish stench
Of Judas in the dozens

Bouquets for greed and twisted law
Handmaidens of a holy war
Bring on a thousand roses more
I am the thorn
Tangled are the thickets
That spare the virgin heart
From the waking grasp of rapists in the dark

Mountaineers that strive so far
For a Heaven grown from reach
That love herself is fabled
To be missing from their peaks
Save in one sole tower
Where the presence of a rod
Stays the sleeping beauty
From the prying fingers of the mob

I smell the fleur du malcontent
The hellish stench
Of Judas in the dozens

Bouquets for greed and twisted law
Handmaidens of a holy war
Bring on a thousand roses more
I am the thorn

I am the thorn

I am the Spear of Longinus
The sword of Damocles
Kali up in arms, a bleeding sinus
The hammer of the gods in the prophet's teeth

Saint Disgustus, President Evil
Great white hopes of a shark-eyed people
Light of the world now flicker and die

Impaled in the race, in the paling face
Where forked tongues pricked the skies
Choking on these words as I slither to their ear
A lightning strikes their blinded mains

I am not the hand of god...
I am the thorn

Territorial thieves
Ever stealing thunder for religious causes
I will bring you all down to your knees

And f*** you over


Under Huntress Moon

With the snow fallen thick
And bonfires alit
And shooting stars portents of rips
I ascended to spur
A mere glimpse of murmur
From her precious celestial lips

Be it sun to your moon
"Be it moon to your sun"
Together we promised to come
With a turn of the screw
And a slip of the tongue
We eclipsed one another undone

Through the mist, through the woods
With the night-wraiths I've stood
Atop murderous peaks calling you
On storm-lashed beachheads
Where the fisherman dread
The things your bewitchments accrue

Those deep creatures bring
Her cut diamond rings
A girl with a pearl necklace her
Advancing in fevers
Tsunamis and myrrh
Will she wreak bloody vengeance or purr?

She lights the skies
Dressed in silver scales plucked from the ocean
To spite her thighs
That Lucifer snuck inside
And with his pride
Enclaves were upgraded to Goshen
So paradise
Could shine from out her skirts

"I adorn myself at dusk
With ornaments to close the noose
A kiss as red as blood and cold as hell

My body glows with lust
Anaemic as the flag of truce
I raised at dawn to catch you in my spell"

With every twist I cannot resist her
Fertile female mind control
This wanton witch, white rapids sister
To whom I pour my wine and soul

From a copse of black yews
Where the moon was drawn through
Like a sword through a Gordian knot
She descended to me
Claiming swift victory
Over the heart I had near soon forgot

With every kiss this huntress whispered;
"Yield to my sweet embrace
One night of bliss". I could not dismiss her
Once her beauty shot me a darker face

You mesmerise my soul Diana
You mesmerise my soul

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Hopping back to 2004 for a moment, in case we haven't covered this one,
Cradle Of Filth released Nymphetamine, another obvious play on words,
or portmanteau. This was their sixth album, and the only one to feature guitarist James McIlroy. The title refers to the addictive qualities, like an amphetamine, to a particular woman, in this case a nymph, and in Dani Filth's own explanations, had a certain vampiric quality to her. The album also featured guests such as vocalist Liv Kristine, who later front Norwegian/German symphonic metal band Leaves Eyes', as well as King Diamond, who would later appear on an updated release of the album.

The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for
the title track, "Nymphetamine (Overdose)".

Nemesis

Tonight is the night
The empowering wind that draws breath from despite
Roars 'neath my wings as I soar with the end in sight

Choirs ignite
A swansong for Leda
Deathknells for Troy
Tragedy blooms from one act
I am nemesis

Poured in my arms
When my daughter's eyelids closed
I swore to slaughter those
Who stole my ray of moonlight

So strike up the skies
The diction of thunder
God-given rites
No fiction can deafen the fact
I am nemesis

Cowled in the utter grief
I am the priest of a new disorder
Whose flag unfurled
Bears a hatred for the western world

The is no compromise
No piped lament
To stay the blind
Just a shrike cacophony of war

Ashes ember, fires rise
No longer am I paralysed
Now I drown in a loss worth fighting for

Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am nemesis

Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am nemesis
Nemesis
Nemesis

Tonight is the night
The city sweats fever, the filth in her womb
Shifts like the season's unease at the hands of doom

Restless inside
Her split underbelly
Suitored with flies
Martial bowels now contract
I am nemesis

Poured in my arms
When my daughter's eyelids closed
I swore to slaughter those
Who stole my ray of moonlight
Never again
Our enemies entertained
I toy at the clasp of her chain
And remember the fight

Cowled in utter grief
I am the priest of a new disorder
Whose flag unfurled
Bears a hatred for the western world

There is no compromise
No piped lament to stay the blind
Just a shrike cacophony of war

Ashes ember, fires rise
No longer am I Palestined
Now I drown in a loss worth fighting for

Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am nemesis

Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am nemesis

Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am nemesis

Black is my heart
Black is my heart
Black is my heart
I am nemesis
Nemesis


Absinthe With Faust

Pour the emerald wine
Into crystal glasses
We will touch the divine
Through kisses catharsis

Let us pitch to the seven-year itch
Of the ultra-decadent
To a tainted world and the painted girls
That our fantasies spent

Tripping through boudoirs laced with opiate themes
Sipping the bizarre, tasting copious dreams
A toast to those most sacrilegious of days
Where for every whim won
One soon repays

We touched the stars
That now laugh from afar
At we, the damned
The damned
The damned
The damned

We have spent our time
Drenched in opulent splendour
But when midnight chimes
Will gilded souls surrender?

Let us drink on the giddying brink
Of pools of excrement
All manner of **** for the glamour and glitz
Mephistopheles lent

I remember the night as if it were engraved
A bright marble bridge stretched across the dark waves
To the shore from the moon and by her grace
Came that erudite stranger
That ****er

He was a predator, creditor cold
Our blood was shed on the yellowing scroll
And all that glittered was not gold
But we wanted everything
And for it all, lost our souls

Come my friend, to fate let's raise
Two finger shots at this our last soiree
For tomorrow I fear
Swoops all too deadly near
This precipitous weir to Hell's high gate

We touched the stars
That now laugh from afar
At we, the damned
The damned
The damned
The damned

He was a preditor, creditor, cold.
Our blood was shed on the yellowing scroll.
And all that glittered, was not gold.
But we wanted everything,
And for it all, lost our souls.

Our souls
For it all lost our souls
Our souls


Nymphetamine (Overdose)

Evanescent like the scent of decay
I was fading from the race
When in despair, my darkest days
Ran amok and forged her face
From the fairest of handmaidens to
A slick perverted wraith

Nymphetamine

Heaving midst narcissus
On a maledict blanket of stars
She was all three wishes
Sex, sex, sex

A lover hung on her death row
I was hooked on her disease
Highly strung like Cupid's bow
Whose arrows hungered meat
And the blinding flare of passion
In the shade of narrow streets
Where their poison never rationed
All the tips they left in me

Two tracks
Bric-a-brac
Something passed between us
Like a bad crack
Upward-lit
I'd met another kind

Of rat
In fact
With every Rome inside me
Licked and ransacked
She haunted at the corners of my mind

In black
Cataracts
Wouldn't whitewash away
Her filthy smoke stack
She burnt me like a furnace
For my future suicide

Lead to the river
Midsummer, I waved
A 'V'' of black swans
On with hope to the grave
All through Red September
With skies fire-paved
I begged you appear
Like a thorn for the holy ones

Cold was my soul
Untold was the pain
I faced when you left me
A rose in the rain
So I swore to thy razor
That never, enchained
Would your dark nails of faith
Be pushed through my veins again

Bared on your tomb
I'm a prayer for your loneliness
And would you ever soon
Come above unto me?
For once upon a time
From the binds of your lowliness
I could always find
The right slot for your sacred key

Six feet deep is the incision
In my heart, that barless prison
Discolours all with tunnel vision
Sunsetter
Nymphetamine
Sick and weak from my condition
This lust, a vampyric addiction
To her alone in full submission
None better
Nymphetamine

Nymphetamine, nymphetamine
Nymphetamine girl
Nymphetamine, nymphetamine
My nymphetamine girl

Wracked with your charm
I am circled like prey
Back in the forest
Where whispers persuade
More sugar trails
More white lady laid
Than pillars of salt

Fold to my arms
Hold their mesmeric sway
And dance her to the moon
As we did in those golden days

Christening stars
I remember the way
We were needle and spoon
Mislaid in the burning hay

Bared on your tomb
I'm a prayer for your loneliness
And would you ever soon
Come above unto me?
For once upon a time
From the binds of your holiness
I could always find
The right slot for your sacred key

Six feet deep is the incision
In my heart, that barless prison
Discolours all with tunnel vision
Sunsetter
Nymphetamine
Sick and weak from my condition
This lust, a vampyric addiction
To her alone in full submission
None better
Nymphetamine

Sunsetter
Nymphetamine (Nymphetamine)
None better
Nymphetamine

Two tracks
Bric-a-brac
Something passed between us
Like a bad crack
Upward-lit
I'd met another kind

Of rat
In fact
With every Rome inside me
Licked and ransacked
She haunted at the corners of my mind

In black
Cataracts
Wouldn't whitewash away
Her filthy smoke stack
She burnt me like a furnace
For my future suicide

Coffin Fodder

The time has come
To rise again
Freedom lift thy sewered hem
Free from beasts and skewered men

My dreams unroll
Ten thousand fold
Their world will never take me
They will never desecrate my soul

The stars I have grasped
Are so far lonely constellations
And wishing on those stars
My spirit bars annihilation

From earthen miseries
Hosts of most fell forms of greed
Ghosts of pearly gate remissions

Forever haunting me
Slit the witch and watch him bleed
As with any inquisition

Lying from the start
The preachers piled their craft
Scoffing elder glories
And dying, I depart
To make their sunken hearts
A coffin for their stories

The time is past
The falter when
Freedom slips my sombre pen
And the gates to wolves break open then

My feelings may
Seem constant prey
But claws no more will rake me
Those whores have fled to darker days

Above and beyond
I have wronged in my position
But now the winds are strong
To soar from Babel's vision

Of cutthroat jealousies
Dock to dock these mongrels breed
Dogs of fogged derision

Pacing, soon to be
Back to pack mentality
When my killing moon is risen

Trying from the start
These creatures of the dark
Were quaffing morning glories
And dying, I depart
To make their drunken hearts
A coffin for their stories

Innovation in ovation
Imagination stirs

Somewhere the dusk is lining
Red the shore of a roaring sea
And though loved there is someone pining
For the waves of blood to run and rescue me:

The time has come
To rise again
Freedom lift thy sewered hem
Free from beasts and skewered men

My dreams unroll
Ten thousand fold
Their world will never take me
They will never desecrate my soul

Their world will never break me
They will never desecrate my soul


:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

That fall, emo titans My Chemical Romance released their third album, The Black Parade, a critically panned album which nevertheless achieved platinum status. Many reviewers were put off by its "showmanship", while other critics praised it. Several singles were released from the album, including "Welcome to the Black Parade", "Famous Last Words", "I Don't Love You", and "Teenagers".

The album contains a theme about a dying patient who reviews his life in the form of a "Black Parade" that takes place in his dying moments. Onstage, the band would perform in parade uniforms and costumes, clearly taking cues from theatrical progressive rock from the 70's. The band would resemble
The Beatles during their 'Sgt. Pepper' phase. Lead singer Gerard Way has cited the bands Queen and Pink Floyd as a major influence on the album.

Welcome To the Black Parade

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.

He said, "Son when you grow up,
would you be the savior of the broken,
the beaten and the damned?"
He said "Will you defeat them,
your demons, and all the non-believers,
the plans that they have made?"
"Because one day I'll leave you,
A phantom to lead you in the summer,
To join The Black Parade."

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.
He said, "Son when you grow up,
would you be the savior of the broken,
the beaten and the damned?"

Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me.
And other times I feel like I should go.
And through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets.
And when you're gone we want you all to know.

We'll carry on,
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And in my heart I can't contain it
The anthem won't explain it.

A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreams
Your misery and hate will kill us all.
So paint it black and take it back
Let's shout it loud and clear
Defiant to the end we hear the call

To carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
Your weary widow marches

On and on we carry through the fears
Ooh oh ohhhh
Disappointed faces of your peers
Ooh oh ohhhh
Take a look at me cause I could not care at all

Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
I won't explain or say I'm sorry
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar
Give a cheer for all the broken
Listen here, because it's who we are
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
Just a boy, who had to sing this song
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
I! don't! care!

We'll carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone believe me
Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
Your weary widow marches on

Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part (We'll carry on)

Do or die, you'll never make me (We'll carry on)
Because the world will never take my heart (We'll carry on)
Go and try, you'll never break me (We'll carry)
We want it all, we wanna play this part (We'll carry on)


I Don't Love You

Well, when you go
So never think I'll make you try to stay
And maybe when you get back
I'll be off to find another way

And after all this time that you still owe
You're still the good-for-nothing I don't know
So take your gloves and get out
Better get out
While you can

When you go
Would you even turn to say
"I don't love you
Like I did
Yesterday"

Sometimes I cry so hard from pleading
So sick and tired of all the needless beating
But baby when they knock you
Down and out
It's where you oughta stay

And after all the blood that you still owe
Another dollar's just another blow
So fix your eyes and get up
Better get up
While you can
Whoa, whooa

When you go
Would you even turn to say
"I don't love you
Like I did
Yesterday"

Well come on, come on

When you go
Would you have the guts to say
"I don't love you
Like I loved you
Yesterday"

I don't love you
Like I loved you
Yesterday

I don't love you
Like I loved you
Yesterday


Teenagers

They're gonna clean up your looks
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you
Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do

Because the drugs never work
They're gonna give you a smirk
'Cause they got methods of keeping you clean
They're gonna rip up your heads,
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine

They said all teenagers scare the living **** out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

The boys and girls in the clique
The awful names that they stick
You're never gonna fit in much, kid
But if you're troubled and hurt
What you got under your shirt
Will make them pay for the things that they did

They said all teenagers scare the living **** out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

Ohhh yeah!

They said all teenagers scare the living **** out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me

All together now!

Teenagers scare the living **** out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me
[x2]


Famous Last Words

Now I know
That I can't make you stay
But where's your heart?
But where's your heart?
But where's your...

And I know
There's nothing I can say
To change that part
To change that part
To change...

So many
Bright lights, that cast a shadow
But can I speak?
Well is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
A life that's so demanding
I get so weak
A love that's so demanding
I can't speak

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

Can you see
My eyes are shining bright
'Cause I'm out here
On the other side
Of a jet black hotel mirror
And I'm so weak
Is it hard understanding
I'm incomplete
A love that's so demanding
I get weak

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

These bright lights have always blind..ed me
These bright lights are always blind..ed me
I say

I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

(How can I see, I see you lying) 'Cause I see you lying next to me
(How can I see, I see you lying) With words I thought I'd never speak
(How can I see, I see you lying) Awake and unafraid
(How can I see, I see you lying) Asleep or dead

'Cause I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

'Cause I see you lying next to me
With words I thought I'd never speak
Awake and unafraid
Asleep or dead

I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home
(Or dead)
I am not afraid to keep on living
I am not afraid to walk this world alone
(Or dead)
Honey if you stay, I'll be forgiven
Nothing you can say can stop me going home

:guitar:

Also in 2006, one of the most controversial bands in death metal, Deicide, released The Stench Of Redemption, which featured more of the band's trademark diatribes against Christianity and the like. Interestingly, even further controversy ensued when it was learned that former Iced Earth guitarist Ralph Santolla, who made his first appearance with the band on this album, was in fact a practicing Roman Catholic. :eek: A rather religious guitarist performing with Glen Benton, one of the most notorious satanists in metal?? How would that play out? This contrasted with the situation with Tom Araya, frontman/bassist for Slayer, himself a Roman Catholic and religious believer, singing with the band in spite of guitarist Kerry King's anti-religious stance--this was different because Slayer had no members who were personally satanist. But some began to wonder if even Deicide's Glen Benton really was a true satanist himself, or was this just an act?

Former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Jack Owen also played on the album. Both guitarists replaced former guitarists and founding members Eric and Brian Hoffman.

Many critics hailed the release as the metal album of the year.


The Stench Of Redemption

Dead and gone, you and the hatred,
Ignorance, is searing in failure...
What is what, will always be questioned,
You're the one who lives in deception...

Bow to a god I will never want,
Look him in the face as I taste his blood..
Fall to my knees and forget myself..
Forever and ever and never I will
Rot with disgust and no dignity...
Enemy of me you will always be...
Fall to your dead and except the fact...
The stench of redemption there's no coming back...

Curse the plight and all explanation....
Jesus Christ foreboding impatience,
Step aside, and fall from your grace man
God the son, lost in temptation

Never will you rise from the flames of death...
Dying as you bleed and the your lies confessed..
Elements untie at the end you see...
Unbridled revenge in my heart unto thee...
In an endless sea of divine regret..
Living in the past with the words you said...
Anger disbelief will convince the soul...
The stench of redemption, you're dead to this world...

Dead and gone, you and the hatred,
Ignorance, is searing in failure...
What is what, will always be questioned,
You're the one who lives in deception...

Bow to a god I will never want,
Look him in the face as I taste his blood..
Fall to my knees and forget myself..
Forever and ever and never I will
Rot with disgust and no dignity...
Enemy of me you will always be...
Fall to your dead and except the fact...
The Stench of redemption there's no coming back...


Desecration

Children of Satan it's time to bring pain...
Stand by your side when the Christians engaged..
Angelic pastures is where we will war...
Once and for all we will settle the score.....

In the presence of god... Holy crosses inverted....
Retribution for what has been done by the church's
With no warning the word of the lord is in question...
Preservation of life ever more....
Desecration

Holy man tremble insight of dismay,
Temples on fire and graves are displaced
Wreck and define there realm of disgust....
Christian religion is turned into dust......

In the presence of god... Holy crosses inverted....
Retribution for what has been done by the church's
With no warning the word of the lord is in question...
Preservation of life ever more....

Worship the devil... and vanquish thy role.. Destroy the vision of god you were told,
Call on ones who invoke his disgrace cast out this spirit in Lucifer's name...
Christian religion lie dead and decay, killing and conquered then turned into slaves,
what does it matter and what is it worth, killing for Jesus to unify earth,
stand in the shadows and forced to believe, Willingly die for the light of the weak,
he has forsake you and left you to rot....
Mass desecration the killing of god,

Jesus defeated and followers fled...
Heaven in ruins impaling the dead...
Holy lord vanished to where he know not.....
No more religion or god to begot......

:guitar: :guitar:

So how was it that a personal believer such as Ralph Santolla would would work with someone of such noteriety as Glen Benton? Santolla explained that he was "not going to pretend to be some dark and evil person just so people think I'm metal." Both he and Benton had a mutual respect for each other, in spite of their beliefs--Benton apparently liked Santolla because of his willingness to be true to himself. He worked well within the band and didn't let his personal convictions get in the way of writing and performing with Benton.

Another controversial incident was when the band played in Laredo, Texas, that summer. Santolla allegedly threw a can of Red Bull drink at a police officer when the show was forced to stop. Though Santolla denied the incident, several others in the audience insisted that the act did occur. The case was thrown out for lack of evidence. However, other performances on the tour were cancelled due to lack of funds.


Homage For Satan

Bound from the light to the end of eternity...
Fighting for rights for the realm of antiquity
All that is evil and right hand of god...
Trinity bound and defying his cross...

Homage for Satan, cursing dissension, forced isolation
To the lake of fire...

Will and free thought you have brought to the edge of eve,
Nothing to stop what they thought was the truth to be...
God without Satan no one would believe...

Homage for Satan, sworn to the devil, Unholy master,
Destroy the heavens,
Homage for Satan, the invocation, rule the unwanted,
Armies of the dead....

Skinning the Christians and the lost and not forgave,
Punishing priest for the lives that they wouldn't save,
Waiting rebirth of the Christ back upon the earth...
Given temptation to wipe out the world....

Homage for Satan, god can not find you, hell is your heaven,
Jesus ripped apart.....

The Lord's Sedition

Dis-contention anger vented, overthrow them with rejection
Higher power in regression diabolical obsessions...
Over run with fornication, deadly sins manipulation
Disapproval by the faithful, lords sedition from the papal....
Murder god and Jesus pieces,
Everyone of them deleted..
Slit the throat of their religion,
Execute the lords sedition....
For the pain thou has caused this world your embodiment will confine you..
Truth now shines in the valley of death, when lambs lay down and all die to...
Decimate crucifixion
Congregate contradiction,
Conversion of the Christians,
Kill themselves with sedition,
Time after time they have failed with him, when try to hide what their up to...
Under thou can't protect them since the light of god is devalued
Stab to death his conviction
End their reign of decision
No more god and religion,
Burn in hell for sedition...
Anarchism to the vision, sanctimonious condition,
Veil of darkness has been lifted, testament of god resisted,
In deny of gods forgiveness, nullifying his religion,
Go to hell with all your rich's for the crime for his sedition...
Sacraments of light receded,
On the ground the cross defeated
Hanging priest with their confessions,
Free this world from their deception...
Slit the throat of their religion,... execute the lords sedition...


:guitar: :guitar:

Also in 2006, the masked metalers known as Mushroomhead released Savior
Sorrow, the first to feature Waylon Reavis on vocals, who replaced longtime frontman Jason "J. Mann" Popson. The album featured such tracks as "12 Hundred", "Simple Survival", "Damage Done", "Cut Me", and "Tattoo", which featured guest vocals by Sean Kane of Gizmachi. The band attempted to get the rights to release a cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry", but were unsuccessful.

The album's title was a play on words, "Save your sorrow", meaning, we don't care about your pity.

Damage Done

As the day is long as the
Damage done
Rise get in line get em pumped up high
Get the hammers up high get in like to
Get f***ed up

Get the hammers high
Calm and cool corrupt
As the day is long as the
Damage done
We wont give away anything we've won

Is this punishment where did we go wrong
Like a new conviction of a broken law
This is life in the balance this is hate for a challange
This is killing us in the desert dust
They love the way we let the water wash away
Gonna wake s*** up gonna break s*** up gonna tear this
Gone dead world apart
Don't doubt the hate thats inside of my heart gonna
Break humanity just inspire of me
Gaze into my eyes and you'll find
Were losing so much more


Simple Survival

The shadow within me
The sorrow at my feet

Push the colors from the make up
Drop your feelings at the door
Has anybody here had enough
Walking in on so much more
Gonna make you give up
I wanna see you get up

I said you're the only one, I said
What's your name, Who do you love
I wanna hate you, kill you
Treat you like I've had enough
What's your name (What's your name?)
Who do you love (Who do you love?)
I wanna hate you, kill you
Treat you like I've had enough
Gonna make you give up

I said you're the only one x3, I said

Keep breaking the shame
Take away what I wanna say
Regretting the day
You don't believe in me, You don't believe in me
I'll show you just what you wanna see
The end in me

Push the colors from the make up
Drop your feelings at the door
Has anybody here had enough
Walking in on so much more
Gonna make you give up
I wanna see you get up

Come on people, get up

What's your name, Who do you love
I wanna hate you, kill you
Treat you like I've had enough

The shadow within me
The sorrow at my feet
The shadow within me
Gonna lead the revival
No simple Survival
For me


What's your name (The shadow within me
The sorrow at my feet, Gonna lead the revival
No Simple Survival for me)

Who do you love (The shadow within me
The sorrow at my feet, Gonna lead the revival
No Simple Survival for me)

What's your name (The shadow within me
The sorrow at my feet, Gonna lead the revival
No Simple Survival for me)

I said, Keep breaking the shame
Take away what I wanna say
Regretting the day
You don't believe in me, You don't believe in me
I'll show you just what you wanna see
The end in me

Cut Me

Cut me and i bleed same as you do
And underneath the need
Secrets show thru
Is there anyone of us
Who ever truly trust the things
We all do
Sensing the pain you lash out
With no restraint
Creating a place that you
Cannot defend
Suffocating need befalls you
When theres nothing left
To hang on to
We fall thru
Till theres nothing left for us
Far too hard to trust
And you fall down dying to know you
Creating a place you can never defend
Sensing the pain
Thats inside of your mind
Breaking down beyond your sight
When i bleed and i release a piece
Of me so seldom seen
Can i survive myself inside you

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

If there were anything scarier than Cradle Of Filth, Deicide, or Mushroomhead,
then it would have to be the train wreck of a musical diva known as Amy Winehouse. The British singer performed in a number of various musical styles, including r & b, pop, rock and roll, jazz, and soul. The only thing more frightening than her talent was her tendency to be a complete dipsomaniac whose addictions would cripple her personally and professionally.

Winehouse's first album, Frank, was first released in the UK in 2003 and would not be seen in the United States for the next several years. The critically acclaimed debut album featured such singles as "Stronger Than Me", "Take the Box", "In My Bed"/"You Sent Me Flying", and "F:censored: Me Pumps"/"Help Yourself", a reference to sexy high-heeled shoes. In addition to the album being named after her dog on the cover, the title was a statement about herself and what she wanted to say in her music--frankness, honesty, being real. Interestingly, she later became dissatisfied with it because the record label seemed to insist on too much control as to what songs should have been included on it. She later embraced the album and said she was proud of what she had done on it.

On her next album, Back To Black in 2006, she became influenced by 60's girl groups and released a number of songs including "Rehab", "You Know I'm No Good", and the title track. The album became a huge seller in Britain in 2007, one of the biggest releases of the year. The remix of "Rehab" featured rap vocals by Ghostface Killah. Because of the lyrical nature of "Rehab" and its references to drugs and alcohol, the song was nearly dropped from the album.

Stronger Than Me

You should be stronger than me
You been here 7 years longer than me
Don't you know you supposed to be the man,
Not pal in comparison to who you think I am,

You always wanna talk it through - I don't care!
I always have to comfort you when I'm there
But that's what I need you to do - stroke my hair!
Cos' I've forgotten all of young love's joy,
Feel like a lady, but you my lady boy,

You should be stronger than me,
But instead you're longer than frozen turkey,
Why'd you always put me in control?
All I need is for my man to live up to his role,
Always wanna talk it through - I'm ok,
Always have to comfort you every day,
But that's what I need you to do - are you gay?

I've forgotten all of young love's joy
Feel like a lady, but you my lady boy

He said 'the respect I made you earn -
Thought you had so many lessons to learn'
I said 'You don't know what love is - get a grip!' -
Sounds as if you're reading from some other tired script

I'm not gonna meet your mother anytime
I just wanna rip your body over mine
So tell me why you think that's a crime

I've forgotten all of young love's joy
Feel like a lady, but you my lady boy


F*** Me Pumps

When you walk in the bar,
And you're dressed like a star,
Rockin' your eff me pumps.

And the man notice you,
With your Gucci bag crew,
Can't tell who he's lookin' to.

Cause you all look the same,
Everyone knows your name,
And that's you whole claim to fame.

Never miss a night,
Cause your dream in life,
Is to be a footballers wife.

You don't like players,
That's what you say-a (sayin'),
But you really wouldn't mind a millionaire.

You don't like ballers,
They don't do nothing for ya,
But you'd love a rich man six foot two or taller.

You're more than a fan,
Lookin' for a man,
But you end up with one night stands.

He could be your whole life,
If you got past one night,
But that part never goes right.

In the morning you're vexed.
He's onto the next.
And you didn't even get no taste.

Don't be too upset,
If they call you a skank,
Cause like the news everyday you get press.

You don't like players,
That's what you say-a (sayin'),
But you really wouldn't mind a millionaire.

Or them big ballers,
Don't do nothing for ya.
But you'd love a rich man six foot two or taller,

You can't sit down right,
Cause you jeans are too tight,
And your lucky its ladies night.

With your big empty purse,
Every week it gets worse,
At least your breasts cost more than hers.

So you did Miami,
Cause you got there for free,
But somehow you missed the plane.

You did too much E,
Met somebody,
And spent the night getting caned.

Without girls like you,
There'd be no fun,
We'd go to the club and not see anyone.

Without girls like you,
There's no nightlife,
All those men just go home to their wives.

Don't be mad at me,
Cause you're pushing thirty,
And your old tricks no longer work.

You should have known from the jump,
That you always get dumped,
So dust off your f*** me pumps.


In My Bed

Wish I could say it breaks my heart
Like you did in the beginning
It's not that we grew apart
A nightingale no longer singing

It's something I know you can't do
Separate sex with emotion
I sleep alone, the sun comes up
You're still clinging to that notion

Everything is slowing down
River of no return
Recognize my every sound
There's nothing new to learn

You'll never get my mind right
Like two ships passing in the night
In the night, in the night
Want the same thing when we lay
Otherwise mine's a different way
A different way from where I'm going

Oh, it's you again
Listen this isn't a reunion
So sorry if I turn my head
Yours is a familiar face
But that don't make your place safe
In my bed, my bed, my bed

I never thought my memory
of what we had could be intruded
but I couldnt let it be
I needed it as much as you did

Now it's not hard to understand
Why we just speak at night
The only time I hold your hand
Is to get the angle right

Everything is slowing down
River of no return
You recognise my every sound
There's nothing new to learn

You'll never get my mind right
Like two ships passing in the night
In the night, in the night
Want the same thing where we lay
Otherwise mine's a different way
It's a different way from where I'm going

Oh, it's you again
Listen this isn't a reunion
So sorry if I turn my head

Yours is a familiar face
But that don't make your place safe
In my bed, my bed, my ba ba dee dee bed


Rehab

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been bad but when I come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

I'd rather be at home with ray
I ain't got seventy days
Cuz there's nothing
There's nothing you can teach me
That I can't learn from mr hathaway

I didn't get a lot in class
But I know it don't come in a shot glass

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

The man said 'why do you think you here'
I said 'I got no idea'
'I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby
So I always keep a bottle near'
He said 'I just think your depressed,
This me "Yeah, baby, and the rest"

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know...


I don't never wanna drink again
I just ooooh I just need a friend
I'm not gonna spend ten weeks
Have everyone think I'm on the mend

It's not just my pride
It's just til these tears have dried

They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said 'no no no'
Yes I've been black, but when I come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
They tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go


You Know I'm No Good

Meet you downstairs in the bar and hurt
Your rolled up sleeves in your skull t-shirt
You say, "Why did you do with him today?"
And sniffed me out like I was Tanqueray

Cause you're my fella, my guy
Hand me your Stella and fly
By the time I'm out the door
You tear men down like Roger Moore

I cheated myself
Like I knew I would
I told ya, I was trouble
You know that I'm no good

Upstairs in bed, with my ex boy,
He's in the place, but I can't get joy,
Thinking on you in the final throes
This is when my buzzer goes

Run out to meet you, chips and pitta,
You say "When we're married" 'cause you're not bitter
There'll be none of him no more
I cried for you on the kitchen floor

I cheated myself
Like I knew I would
I told ya, I was trouble
You know that I'm no good

Sweet reunion, Jamaica and Spain
We're like how we were again
I'm in the tub you on the seat
Lick your lips as I soak my feet

Then you notice likkle carpet burn
My stomach drop and my guts churn
You shrug and it's the worst
Who truly stuck the knife in first

I cheated myself like I knew I would
I told ya I was trouble, you know that I'm no good
I cheated myself, like I knew I would
I told ya I was trouble, yeah ya know that I'm no good

:drunk:

It was during this time that Winehouse began a downward spiral into addiction and personal and professional chaos. After her grandmother died in
2006, this marked the descent into turmoil for the singer. At the time of her peak of fame and success, she acted out her rage and instability by lashing out in profanity-filled tirades and crying outbursts onstage, shocking audiences and critics. The promise of a new singer on the pop horizon was severely hampered by her substance abuse issues and disastrous behavior.

If the personal and professional travails and foibles of Amy Winehouse were too much for the average fan to deal with on a regular basis, then music fans were truly at a loss to deal with the thundering might of the heaviest cartoon on the planet, 'Metalocalypse', which featured the wacky and wild exploits of the fictional metal band Dethklok. The show first aired in the summer of 2006 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

The animated band featured bassist William Murderface, guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Nathan Explosion on lead vocals, Pickleson drums, and Toki Wartooth on rhythm guitar and keys. One thing that certainly accounted for the extreme success of the band, and for metal in general, is that the band was the seventh largest economy on earth, surpassing even that of Belgium. The band was so influential that they commanded an audience who would do anything for them, including die and kill for them. Their endorsements of products and services would completely cripple any and all competitors. The band were so powerful that they needed their own police force, in spite of their own tendency to unknowingly commit illegal acts.

Dethklok concerts are exercises in total mayhem and become so violent that attendees are urged to sign "pain waivers", excusing the band from liability in case of injury or worse. No problem, since fans revel in being maimed or dismembered as a rite of passage or badge of honor. Several searing hot coffee-and-cream pitchers are also deliberately poured on the crowd by the band's special-effects team, burning the crowd's skin off (to fit with the "face-melting" guitar solo in the death metal-styled coffee jingle being played by the band). In another episode ("Dethtroll"), Dethklok accidentally summons a gigantic and extremely destructive Finnish lake troll after taking lyrics from "the Finnish necronomicon". The band is managed by a rather clean-cut business figure named Charles Foster Offdensen, who tolerates the band's excesses and abuses due to their being his economic livelihood.

The band's immense success has alerted the attention of a mysterious organization resembling the Illuminati called "The Tribunal", which remains concerned that the band is becoming too powerful and seeks to control and curtail their influence on commerce and the like. The band threatens to upset the status quo, and so the Tribunal seeks to infiltrate and subvert their activities. The Tribunal fears the band's power due to an ancient Sumerian prophesy "Apocalypse of Metal", which foretold the band's rise to domination.

The cartoon drew comparisons to 'This Is Spinal Tap', though in animated form, but while the successful comedy movie was a "rockumentary" about a band on the decline, Dethklok was clearly a band so far at the top of its game that they literally commanded its own faithful military even more
powerful than the KISS Army, and was a complete economic force of nature. However, the band had a difficult time doing anything not rock and metal-related, such as shopping for groceries and the like.
Much of the humor of the show derived from the band being out of its element in their basic mundane
lives apart from the stage and studio.

An issue from Guitar World from that time and gave guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf a question and answer interview, and he gave some rather hilarious replies, in near broken English with a heavy Swedish accent.

Alternative "math" metal band Deftones released Saturday Night Wrist on Halloween that year. The album's title, according to vocalist Chino Moreno, came from the numbing sensation caused when an intoxicated person fell asleep on one's own arm and gave it a numbing sensation with uncontrollable twitching movements: "[W}hen you're alone on Saturday nights and your only best friend is your shaking wrist..."

The band's previous, self-titled, album from 2004 was not a strong seller, so they decided to record a stronger effort. To that end, they finally summoned Bob Ezrin, who produced Pink Floyd, KISS, and Alice Cooper, for the album. The band, who wished to release "straight evil music", found themselves in a quandary when tensions erupted between Moreno and Ezrin. Moreno decided to commit his time to his side project Team Sleep while the rest of the band continued to work with Ezrin. Moreno used Shaun Lopez, guitarist for the band Far, as his own producer for his vocals. However, tensions between Chino and the other band members as well as their choice of producers nearly led to the breakup of the band.

The album included the singles "Hole In the Earth", "Mein", with Serj Tankian, "Rats! Rats! Rats!", and "Pink Cellphone", with Annie Hardie guesting on vocals.

Hole In the Earth

Can you explain to me how
You're so evil (how?)
It's too late for me now
There's a hole in the earth (a hole in earth)
There's a hole in the earth (a hole in the earth)
I'm out..

Can you explain to me now
If you're still able well...
I think you know the truth
There's a hole in the earth (a hole in the earth)
I'm out
I hate all of my friends
They all lack taste sometimes
There's a hole in the earth
I'm out..
There's a hole in the earth
Please take a bow...
This is the end (somewhere)
This is the end
Somewhere...
There's a hole in the earth
There's a hole in the earth
I hate all of my friends
I'm out...
There's a hole in the earth
Hey..
Somewhere


Mein

I've looked outside
But I've never wandered out

I'd like to pull you into me
Intercept you, in between
But I will never walk without, outside

That way, I'll always stay away from you [x2]

I've looked inside
But I never wandered in

I'd like to pull you into me
Intercept you, in between
But I will never wander in, inside

That way, I'll always stay away from you [x2]

Universe, Breaking us down

That way, I'll always stay away from you
That way, I'll always stay away from you [x3]
You, you, you, you....

Universe, Breaking us down [x3]

:guitar:

Remember 70's giant Meat Loaf? Apparently many still did, because he actually released his third installment of his successful 'Bat Out Of Hell' Trilogy, Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose.

Interestingly, this was the first album by Meat Loaf in the "Bat..." series that did not include his longtime partner Jim Steinman. Produced by veteran songwriter Desmond Child, the album became a target of a legal dispute between Meat Loaf and Steinman, the latter who claimed that "Bat Out Of Hell" was a trademark of his, and therefore, any album so named without his involvement was a violation of the trademark. Eventually, seven songs by Steinman were included. The album was intended to be released several years earlier, but was postponed due to health issues with Steinman.
Meat Loaf patiently waited for him to fully recover, but when this was too long in coming, the singer decided to proceed without him. The two musicians reconciled, though Meat Loaf explained that the main problem was with their managers.

Meat Loaf was even exposed to bands such as Slipknot for musical inspiration, and to possibly give the music a modern, contemporary touch. Steve Vai and former Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 guested on the album, as did Queen guitarist Brian May. Norwegian vocalist Marion Raven appeared on the album as well. The album continued in the familiar theme of love and relationships in an ongoing storyline.

The Monster's Loose

I've lived my life in a cage
freedome spit in my face
it was such a disgrace
and I was lonely
burnt out and empty
desperate

I had my head in a noose
I had nothing to loose
had enough of abuse
so now I'm dangerous
hate's so contagious
it owns us

I'm angry
I'm raging
I'm breaking through the pain

The monster's loose
and now you know the truth
tell me can you fell it
as you hit the wall

The monster's loose
and now you have to choose
and prove that you can take it
to the top before you fall

I've walked a slippery road
with revenge in my soul

Through the wind and the cold
with no protection
just one direction
destruction

I've paid for all my mistakes
taken all I can take
till I'm ready to break
life can be vocious
it's so outrageous
it breaks us

I'm bleeding
still breathing
I'm tearing through these chains

The monster's loose
and now you know the truth
tell me can you fell it
as you hit the wall

The monster's loose
and now you have to choose
and prove that you can take it
to the top and never fall

I've lived a thounsands years in darkness
banished all alone
inside my mind with just my madness
behind these walls of stone
I was falling apart at the seams
holding my breathe just to breath
tasted the sting of my tears
I was waking up stuck in my dream
ran out of air couldnt scream
wasted away by my fears

The monster's loose
and now you know the truth
tell me can yopu fell it
as you hit the wall

The monster's loose
and now you have to choose
and prove that you can take it
to the top and never fall

The monster's loose
you've lost your last excuse
now show me that you've got it
even if you crawl

The monster's loose
this game is win or lose
the time has come to do it
and show the world you want it all


It's All Coming Back To Me Now

There were nights when the wind was so cold
that my body froze in bed
if I just listened to it right outside the window

There were days when the sun was so cuel
that all the tears turn to dust
and I just knew that my eyes were drying up forever

I finished crying in the instant that you left
and I can't remember where or when or how
and I banished every memory you and I had ever made

But when you touch me like this
and you hold me like that
I just have to admit
that it's all coming back to me
when I touch you like this
and hold you like that
it's so hard to believe
but it's all coming back to me

It's all coming back
it's all coming back to me now
there were moments of gold
and there were flashes of light
there were things that I'd never do again
but then they'd always seemed right
there were nights of endless pleasure
it was more that any laws allow

Baby, baby
if I kiss you like this
and if you whisper like that
it was lost long ago but it's all coming back to me
if you want me like this
and if you need me like that
it was dead long ago
but it's all coming back to me
it's so hard to resist
and it's all coming back to me
I can bearly recall
but it's all coming back to me now

but you were history with the slamming of the door
and I made myself so strong again somehow
and I never wasted any of my time on you since then

But if I touch you like this
and if you kiss me like that
it was so long ago
but it's all coming back to me
if you touch me like this
and if I kiss you like that
it was gone with the wind
but it's all coming back to me now

It's all coming back
it's all coming back to me now
there were moments of gold
and there were flashes of light
there were things that we'd never do again
but then they'd always seemed right
there were night of endless pleasure
it was more than all your laws allow

Baby, baby, baby
when you touch me like this
and when you hold me like that
it was gone with the wind
but it's all coming back to me
when you see me like this
and when I see you like that
then we see what we want to see
all coming back to me
the flesh and the fanasies
all coming back to me
I can bearly recall
but it's all coming back to me now

If you forgive me all this
if I forgive you all that
we forgive and forget
and it's all coming back to me now
it's all coming back to me now
when I touch you like that
it's all coming back to me now
and if you do it like this
it's all coming back to me now
and if we...


:guitar:

Christian rockers Newsboys released their twelfth album, Go in the fall of 2006. It was their last to feature bassist Phil Joel and their first to feature guitarist Paul Colman. The album featured such popular tracks as "I Am Free" and "Something Beautiful".

In the fall of 2006, Evanescence released their second album, The Open Door. It topped the charts worldwide and spawned a very successful tour around the globe. The album contained several singles including
"Lithium", "Call Me When You're Sober", "Weight Of the World", and "Good Enough". The album went platinum and sold more than their debut release.

Unfortunately, the band, fronted by ethereal, hauntingly beautiful vocalist Amy Lee, would suffer from lineup changes, as the next year saw the dismissal of guitarist John LeCompt and the departure of drummer Rocky Gray. They would be replaced by Dark New Day drummer Will Hunt and guitarist Troy McLawhorn.

Call Me When You're Sober

Don't cry to me
If you loved me
You would be here with me
You want me
Come find me
Make up your mind

Should I let you fall
Lose it all
So maybe you can remember yourself
Can't keep believing
We're only deceiving ourselves
And I'm sick of the lie
And you're too late

Don't cry to me
If you loved me
You would be here with me
You want me
Come find me
Make up your mind

Couldn't take the blame
Sick with shame
Must be exhausting to lose your own game
Selfishly hated
No wonder you're jaded
You can't play the victim this time
And you're too late

So don't cry to me
If you loved me
You would be here with me
You want me
Come find me
Make up your mind

You never call me when you're sober
You only want it 'cause it's over - It's over

How could I have burned paradise?
How could I? you were never mine

So don't cry to me
If you loved me
You would be here with me
Don't lie to me
Just get your things
I've made up your mind


Lithium

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside
Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without
Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow
Oh but God I want to let it go

Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone
Couldn't hide the emptiness you let it show
Never wanted it to be so cold
Just didn't drink enough to say you love me

I can't hold on to me
Wonder what's wrong with me

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside
Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without
Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow

Don't want to let it lay me down this time
Drown my will to fly
Here in the darkness I know myself
Can't break free until I let it go
Let me go

Darling, I forgive you after all
Anything is better than to be alone
And in the end I guess I had to fall
Always find my place among the ashes

I can't hold on to me
Wonder what's wrong with me

Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside
Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without
Lithium, stay in love with me
Oh I'm gonna let it go

:guitar:

Evanescence could be best described as "Goth-y" in both look and sound, though most likely, categorization remained inadequate.

Sweet Sacrifice

It's true, we're all a little insane
But it's so clear now that I am unchained

Fear is only in our minds
Taking over all the time
Fear is only in our minds,
But it's taking over all the time

You poor, sweet, innocent thing
Dry your eyes and testify
You know you live to break me -- don't deny,
Sweet sacrifice

One day, I'm gonna forget your name
And one sweet day, you're gonna drown in my lost pain

Fear is only in our minds
Taking over all the time
Fear is only in our minds,
But its taking over all the time

You poor, sweet, innocent thing
Dry your eyes and testify
And oh, you love to hate me don't you, honey?
I'm your sacrifice...

[I dream in darkness
I sleep to die
Erase the silence
Erase my life]

Do you wonder why you hate? [Our burning ashes]
[Blacken the day]
Are you still too weak to survive your mistakes? [A world of nothingness]
[Blow me away]

You poor, sweet, innocent thing
Dry your eyes and testify
You know you live to break me -- don't deny,
Sweet sacrifice


Good Enough

Under your spell again
I can't say no to you
crave my heart and its bleeding in your hand
I can't say no to you

Shouldn't let you torture me so sweetly
now I can't let go of this dream
I can't breathe but I feel

Good enough
I feel good enough for you

Drink up sweet decadence
I can't say no to you
and I've completely lost myself and I don't mind
I can't say no to you

Shouldn't let you conquer me completely
now I can't let go of this dream
can't believe that I feel

Good enough
I feel good enough
its been such a long time coming, but I feel good

and I'm still waiting for the rain to fall
pour real life down on me
cause I can't hold on to anything this good
enough
am I good enough
for you to love me too?

so take care what you ask of me
cause I can't say no

:guitar:


More pics:

The Killers' second album, Sam's Town, was also released in the fall of 2006. Vocalist Brandon Flowers explained that he "wanted to create an album that captured, chronologically, everything important that got me to where I am today". The album sold 6 million copies, though, while many critics praised it, others panned the varying styles that did not match their previous effort.

The album featured such tracks as "When You Were Young", "Bones", "Read My Mind", and "For Reasons Unknown".

When You Were Young

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now
Here he comes

He doesnt look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined
When you were young

Can we climb this mountain
I dont know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow
Let's take it easy
Easy now
Watch it go

We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane
That started turning
When you were young
When you were young

And sometimes you close your eyes
And see the place where you used to live
When you were young

They say the devil's water
It ain't so sweet
You dont have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now
Here he comes

He doesnt look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined
When you were young
(talks like a gentleman)
(like you imagined)
When you were young

I said he doesnt look a thing like Jesus
He doesnt look a thing like Jesus
But more than you'll ever know


For Reasons Unknown

I pack my case. I check my face.
I look a little bit older.
I look a little bit colder.
With one deep breath, and one big step, I move a little bit closer.
I move a little bit closer.
For reasons unknown.

I caught my stride.
I flew and flied.
I know if destiny kind, Ive got the rest of my mind.
But my heart, it don't beat, it don't beat the way it used to.
And my eyes, they don't see you no more.
And my lips, they don't kiss, they don't kiss the way they used to, and my eyes don't recognize you no more.

For reasons unknown; for reasons unknown.

There was an open chair.
We sat down in the open chair.
I said if destiny kind, Ive got the rest of my mind.
But my heart, it don't beat, it don't beat the way it used to.
And my eyes, they don't see you no more.
And my lips, they don't kiss, they don't kiss the way they used to, and my eyes don't recognize you at all.

For reasons unknown; for reasons unknown.

I said my heart, it don't beat, it don't beat the way it used to and my eyes don't recognize you no more.
And my lips, they don't kiss, they don't kiss the way they used to, and my eyes don't recognize you no more.

For reasons unknown; for reasons unknown; for reasons unknown; for reasons unknown.

:guitar:

Read My Mind

On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a paid trapeze

Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go, can you read my mind?

Its funny how you just break down
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline

Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you jump
Tell me what you find when you read my mind

Slippin’ in my faith until I fall
You never returned that call
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again

She said I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine

Put your back on me
Put your back on me
Put your back on me

The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun
When you read my mind


Bones

Come with me.

We took a back road.
We're gonna look at the stars.
We took a backroad in my car.
Down to the ocean,
it’s only water and sand
And in the ocean we'll hold hands.

But I don't really like you, apologetically dressed in the best, but on a heartbeat glide.

Without an answer, the thunder speaks for the sky, and on the cold, wet dirt I cry.
And on the cold, wet dirt I cry.

Don’t you wanna come with me? Don’t you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It's only natural.

A cinematic vision ensued
like the holiest dream.
It's someone's calling?
An angel whispers my name,
but the message relayed is the same:
“Wait till tomorrow,
you'll be fine."
But it's gone to the dogs in my mind.
I always hear them
when the dead of night
comes calling to save me from this fight.
But they can never wrong this right.

Don't you wanna come with me? Don't you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It's only natural.
Don’t you wanna swim with me? Don’t you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It's only natural.

(Never had a lover)
I never had a lover
(Never had soul)
I never had soul
(Never had a good time)
And I never had a good time
(Never got cold)
I never got gold.

Don't you wanna come with me? Don't you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It's only natural.
Don't you wanna swim with me? Don't you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It's only natural.
Don't you wanna come with me? Don't you wanna feel my bones
on your bones?
It's only natural.
Come and take a swim with me. Don't you wanna feel my skin
on your skin?
It's only natural

:guitar:

And also, Kevin Federline, the boy-toy of Britney, released his first stellar hip-hop album, Playing With Fire, on Halloween of 2006. It entered the charts with a bullet at #151, and promptly fell off within a very short time. It sold only 1,500 copies. Obviously, no one cared. In fact, everyone thought it SUCKED. puke:


People obviously thought that Vanilla Ice had more credibility than did K-Fed as a "rapper".

One band that refused to remain in the slag heap of heavy metal-has-been-ism was Skid Row, who, in spite of the departure years before of their notable
singer Sebastian Bach, had returned with a new vocalist Johnny Solinger in 2004. Snake, Scotti, and the boys knew there was still much life left in the band, and released Revolutions Per Minute in the fall of 2006 to prove it. It might have not had the phenomenal impact of their first two albums over fifteen years before, but it did contain one memorable track, "Another Dick In the System", as well as straight -on rockers as "Disease", "Pulling My Heart From Under Me", "When God Can't Wait", Shut Up, I Love You", "White Trash", and a cover of "Strength", the 1986 hit by Welsh band The Alarm.

While many fans applauded the fine effort by the veteran sleaze-metal band from Joisey, other critics were unfortunately much less impressed, including former vocalist Bach, who, amazingly, continued to have a strong career in rock, as we shall see.

Another Dick In the System

I'm not the devil
But I can show my horns
All the things I did to you
Could have been in a porn
Then I heard the rumors
Now I know they're true
Some strange motherf:censored:er
Is gonna do 'em to you

I said I loved you but you didn't listen
I know there's another dick in the system
I said I loved you but you didn't listen
I know there's another dick in the system

I've lived with angels
I've laid with whores
I gave you nothing but honesty
Then I licked your sores
I'm not the one to crucify
With blood, iron and wood
You're not the saviour to me anymore
You're damaged goods Yeah

I said I loved you but you didn't listen
I know there's another dick in the system
I said I loved you but you didn't listen
I know there's another dick in the system

I said I loved you but you didn't listen
I know there's another dick in the system
I said I loved you but you didn't listen
I know there's another dick in the system
Hey Hey
Hey Hey
Hey Hey Hey
Hey Hey Hey


Disease

Have you looked at yourself lately
You see the lines of time?
Walking dead amongst the living
Chaos by design
I've seen you fall this far before
I've seen you disappear
You've thrown it all into the fire
Ashes in your tears

I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough
I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough

You've fallen on your sword again
So not to face the truth
Then ran head-on into what's real
And collided into you
I've heard you lying to yourself
I've watched you fade away
Your best laid plans are still born shadows
Promise in decay

I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough
I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough

I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough

I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough
I felt your disease and now I think
I've had enough. I've had enough

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

In late 2006, Jon Oliva's Pain , a band fronted by the former vocalist for Florida power metal band Savatage, released Maniacal Renderings. Oliva, who was very close to his brother Criss, the Savatage guitarist who lost his life in a car accident in 1993, found a box of homemade tapes they recorded together and decided to release an album featuring music
based on their collaboration.

Forming in 2003, the band was to be called simply The Jon Oliva Project until they discovered the music of blues legend Taj Mahal, and subsequently changed their name to Tage Mahal. In order to avoid legal confusion over the
names of both acts, the vocalist simply changed the band's name to Jon Oliva's Pain, based on the first song from the upcoming debut album.

Interestingly, Oliva bears a striking resemblance to Alice Cooper vocally, unlike his previous recordings with Savatage. Other influences include The Beatles, The Who, and Queen.

'Maniacal Renderings' includes such tracks as "Through the Eyes Of the King", "The Evil Beside You", "Time To Die", "Who's Playing God", and the title
track.

Through the Eyes Of the King

What is this he sees
All through history
He has been watching over the lands
Now he just sees tragedy
All the world's misery
Are as plain as the lines on his hands
What's this I see
Through the eyes of the King
Still sits upon his throne
Guarded by walls of stone
Through the years he surely has grieved
Look at what the world has done
We have poisoned everyone
Now he sees things he just can't believe
What's this I see
Through the eyes of the King
He looks for reason why
Pain fills his eyes
Run, we can't hide from our destiny
Now we face judgment day
Have we doomed humanity
Is there time for us all to be saved
What's this I see
Through the eyes of the King


Maniacal Renderings

I don't see things quite the same
Pictures inside my brain
Twisted visions they get scattered
I just move further away
From life's reality
Like a painting that scarred and tattered
Can you feel me deeply breathing in your dreams where
I show you pictures only you and I can see
I'm just paving the way
I'm in total control
I don't hear what you say
I am running the show
I know soon you'll awake
But before I go
I want to have a part of you to take with me
Maniacal renderings of TWISTED VISIONS SHOWING HELL
Maniacal renderings of TWISTED VISIONS SHOWING HELL
I just wanna touch you all
And smile as I watch you fall
I just don't know right from wrong
Or where these memories belong
They are specters shadow dancing
I tell it all black and white
I use no colors to hide
All the things that are grey and blackened
Can you feel me deeply breathing in your dreams where
I show you pictures only you and I can see
I'm just paving the way
I'm in total control
I don't hear what you say
I'm still running the show
I know soon you'll awake
But before I go
I want to have a part of you to take with me
Maniacal renderings of TWISTED VISIONS SHOWING HELL
Maniacal renderings of TWISTED VISIONS SHOWING HELL
I just wanna touch you all
Smile as I watch you fall
Now I will soon set you free
No more will you have to see
These visions that we have offered
Now you may choose your own
Be sure you never betray
The pictured lives we have ordered
Can you feel me deeply breathing in your dreams where
I show you pictures only you and I can see
I'm just paving the way
I'm in total control
I don't hear what you say
I'm still running the show
I know soon you'll awake
But before I go
I want to have a part of you to take with me
Maniacal renderings of TWISTED VISIONS SHOWING HELL
Maniacal renderings of TWISTED VISIONS SHOWING HELL
I just wanna touch you all
And smile as I watch you fall


The Evil Beside You

When we were young but never told
How the world could be so cold
As we change from young to old
The night takes us away
The night takes us away
As the day falls to the night
Then we take the stage
Play the game of life
Where everyone's just trying to succeed
At dawn as the day begins
To weave our way through a world of sin
Temptation only leads to agony
And I can feel your tired, starving
Try to break through
Feel the weight of the world upon you
There's nothing but Evil beside you
Watch out cause they're coming to get you
Another day just trying to get through
Live, love at times we grieve
But there's so much more that we really need
Seems all there is are sketchy prophecies
Scratch, claw just to survive
Have to fight our way through this world of lies
Just so we can feed our families
And I can feel your tired, starving
Try to break through
Feel the weight of the world upon you
There's nothing but Evil beside you
Watch out cause they're coming to get you
Another day just trying to get through

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

For the past several years, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, now known by his Muslim name, Yusuf Islam, had made little contributions to music
since his conversion in the late 70's. He had long felt his involvement in pop music was a contradiction to his new faith, and what few forays he had done in music were particularly Islamic in nature, in much the same way many born again Christian rock musicians focused primarily in the contemporary Christian scene so as not to become "worldly". But by 2006, Yusuf (who decided to drop the moniker Islam from his recording name) felt it was time to re-enter
the pop music scene. He released An Other Cup, in late 2006, which featured such tracks as a cover of The Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Midday (Avoid City After Dark)", "Heaven/Where True Love Goes", and "I Think I See the Light".

The album was a refreshing change for Yusuf. It felt invigorating to get back into pop. His son even encouraged him to purchase an electric guitar for the album, a Fender Stratocaster Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature model, after so many years of sticking to an acoustic.

However, the rest of the world was not ready to embrace the former Cat Stevens. For years controversy ensued over many questionable comments he had made. In 1989, he had supported the worldwide fatwa calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie over certain texts in his book 'The Satanic Verses' which were considered unflattering to Islam. And in spite of Yusuf's humanitarian efforts and working for peaceful causes, the authorities in America decided to put his name on a list of persons not allowed to enter the United States, in its post-9/11 banning of individuals suspected of terrorist activities. Yusuf had defended his innocence of these accusations.

Perhaps Yusuf decided to return to pop music in order to give a human face to the public, and not just a lightning rod for controversy simply being a PR mouthpiece for the Islamic faith.

In other airline-related fiascos, if we have not covered this already, guitar genius Yngwie Malmsteen released Unleash the Fury in 2005. The title was based on a bizarre, yet hilarious incident in 1988 where, while flying over the Pacific for dates in Japan, Yngwie and his band were get a little drunk and carried away on the airline flight. One female passenger who got a little fed up with his antics decided to pour icewater on the sleeping guitarist. Awakened in a rage, he screamed at her, "You have unleashed the f:censored:ing fury!!" His bandmates all laughed at his reaction. The exchange was made into a audio clip available later on the internet.

Of course, in this day and age, Yngwie's drunken diatribes and general misbehavior on an airline flight would not be tolerated in a post 9/11 world.

Songs on the album included "Locked and Loaded", "Revolution", "Cracking the Whip", "Winds of War (Invasion), "Crown of Thorns", "Magic and Mayhem", and the title track.

New American Metal heroes Killswitch Engage released their metalcore classic As Daylight Dies in the fall of 2006, which featured such popular songs as "My Curse", "The Arms Of Sorrow", and the title track, as well as their cover of Dio's "Holy Diver", which remains one of their most popular tunes and videos. "Holy Diver", which was released as a bonus track, strangely lacks the drama and tension of Dio's original song, and features such silly tricks as Howard Jones' shrieky vocals during the chorus and Zakk Wylde-style pinch harmonics all through the piece (the weeyeeyeeyeee effect. Such things added nothing to Dio's classic, but merely trivialized it to just another mallcore must-have, conveniently destroying the mystique of the original. On top of that, the video further destroyed the mystery and aura of Dio's anthem by making it into a half-baked Monty Python-esque cornball comedy with kings and royal figures in some trivial skit (which was not as good as original Monty Python). ohno: Regardless, the song remained one of the most successful by KSE.

There appears to be Christian themes of the Apocalypse and of personal redemption running throughout the lyrics on the album.

Daylight Dies

Slowly, we watch the degradation of the civilization
The rise and fall of all we are stands before us

This place is evil
Is there an answer?
This world is vile
We are the answer
Oh!

How long until we die?
Die from the inside out
How much is enough for us to see the light?
How much blood must be spilled?

Contest the lies
We cannot be so blind
Hear their cries
Don't wait till daylight dies, woah (daylight dies).

When there is blood on our hands,
How can we (how can we) ignore the truth?

Contest the lies
We cannot be so blind
Hear their cries
Don't wait till daylight dies.

The cost of one life
The price of one soul
Is too much to bear.

No more broken promises
Our shattered hearts will heal
No more broken promises
No more (no more)

Contest the lies
We cannot be so blind
Hear their cries (hear their cries).
Don't wait till daylight dies (daylight dies).

How long until it dies?
How long? (How long?) How long?
How long until it dies
How long? How long?


This Is Absolution

We will not die this way, in unification
They cannot break these chains of faith
Let them do their worst (let them do their worst)
Never slaves to iniquity

We will not die this way (this is absolution)
Death claims us no more (no more)
Do not grieve, end the suffering
We will live, live eternal

Will you take the stand among the dead?
Bury your fear, and hold fast to life

We will not die this way (this is absolution)
Death claims us no more (no more)
Do not grieve, end the suffering
We will live, live eternal

Anchor yourself to the foundation of everything you love
Believe you have just become to live

Don't let the world deceive you
Don't let their words betray you
Don't let their lies deceive you
Lead them to their graves

We will not die this way (this is absolution)
Death claims us no more (no more)
Do not grieve, end the suffering
We will live, live eternal


The Arms Of Sorrow

Imprisoned inside this mind
Hiding behind the empty smiles
So simple (the anguish)
As it haunts me
Crawling back into the dark

Running, always running, into the distance
Stop me before I bleed, again
The echoes of my voice
Follow me down
The shadows I cast
Follow me down

Deeper I'm falling
Into the arms of sorrow
Blindly descending
Into the arms of sorrow

There must be serenity

The echoes of my voice
Follow me down
The shadows I cast
Follow me down

Deeper I'm falling
Into the arms of sorrow
Blindly descending
Into the arms of sorrow

The demon of my own design
This horror must not remain

Deeper I'm falling
Into the arms of sorrow
Blindly descending
Into the arms of sorrow

There must be serenity

There must be deliverance

Deeper I'm falling

Blindly descending


My Curse

I watched you walk away
Hopeless, with nothing to say
I strain my eyes
Hoping to see you again

This is my curse (the longing)
This is my curse (time)
This is my curse (the yearning)
This is my curse

There is love burning to find you
Will you wait for me?
Will you be there?

Your silence haunts me
But I still hunger for you

This is my curse (the wanting)
This is my curse (time)
This is my curse (the needing)
This is my curse

There is love burning to find you
Will you wait for me?

And still I want
And still I ache
But still I wait
To see you again

Dying, inside, these walls [2x]

And I see your face in these tears
In these tears
And I see your face...

There is love [8x]

Desperate Times

Time and time again
I stand at the crossroad
Where the weight of my burden
Eclipses my resolve
This broken path I've chosen
I walk it alone
Though I feel forgotten
You've carved my name in stone

In these desperate times
This I plead
When all else fails
Remember me

This is daily crucifixion
And these rusty nails leave scars
My jagged crown is on my side
Because it never fell

In these desperate times
This I plead
When all else fails
Remember me

This is a blood-oath
They are nothing to me anymore
But your voice means more to me than you'll ever know

There's no question
You're the answer
I will find you...

In these desperate times
This I bleed
When all fails
Remember me
In these desperate times
This I bleed
When all fails
Remember me


Holy Diver

Hmm-hmmmm
Yeah, yeah

Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh, what's becoming of me?

Ride the tiger
You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh, don't you see what I mean?

Gotta get away
Holy Diver
YEAH
(YEAH)

Shiny diamonds
Like the eyes of a cat in the black and blue
Something is coming for you - look out!

Race for the morning
You can hide in the sun 'till you see the light
Oh, we will pray it's all right

Gotta get away - get away

Between the velvet lies
There's a truth that's hard as steel
The vision never dies
Life's a never ending wheel - yeah!

Holy Diver
You're the star of the masquerade
No need to look so afraid

Jump, Jump
Jump on the tiger
You can feel his heart but you know he's mean
Some light can never be seen - yeah!

[Solo - Adam D.]

(Holy Diver...)
Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
Oh, what's becoming of me? - No! Yeah!

Ride the tiger
You can see his stripes but you know he's clean
Oh, don't you see what I mean?

Gotta get away, get away (get away!)
Gotta get away, get away - yeah, yeah

Holy Diver, sole survivor
Your heart is clean
Yeah, Holy Diver (Holy diver)
Holy Diver (Holy Diver)

You're caught in the middle coming after you, Holy Diver

Oh, Holy Diver (Holy Diver)
Get away, get away, get away - come on!

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

On a not-so-rock-&-roll related note, rapper Nas released the provocatively titled Hip Hop Is Dead in the fall of 2006. To which we rockers could simply rejoice!!!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :rock: :rock: :rock:
HIP HOP DEAD????!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!

But in fact, the title had a more dire nature according to Nas. He explained, "Hip-hop is dead because we as artists no longer have the power."
He continued, "Could you imagine what 50 Cent could be doing, Nas, Jay, Eminem, if we were the Jimmy Iovines? Could you imagine the power we'd have? I think that's where we're headed." He made mention of the famed rock record producer in the preceeding sentence who could have made hip hop a powerful force if they had that kind of clout.

He elaborated further: "When I say 'hip-hop is dead', basically America is dead. There is no political voice. Music is dead ... Our way of thinking is dead, our commerce is dead. Everything in this society has been done. It's like a slingshot, where you throw the muthaf:censored:a back and it starts losing speed and is about to fall down. That's where we are as a country ... what I mean by 'hip-hop is dead' is we're at a vulnerable state. If we don't change, we gonna disappear like Rome. I think hip-hop could help rebuild America, once hip-hoppers own hip-hop ... We are our own politicians, our own government, we have something to say."

Rockers may not have cared about Nas' comments, but this statement had serious consequences for all of popular music. Where were the voices of dissent, the movers and shakers? At one time rap and hip hop were a serious clarion of change, as was rock and roll. What happened? It was now a slick commodity blathering of bling bling and pandering to oh-so-hip kids, soccer moms and yuppie dads all clamoring for the Next Trendy Thing. It was commercial, it had no force, no bite. It had sold its soul to mass corporatism.


Regardless of the critical support of the album, many rappers took offense at the title. Others understood his message and supported it. The state of music, rap, hip-hop, rock and roll, everything else, was in sad shape and in need of serious jolt to the system. It was a pathetic reflection on the state of affairs in America which had grown equally complacent and lethargic with its wasteful wars with no end, and politicians who turned a deaf ear to the concerns of the populace. Many rappers and others decried the seemingly slow response to Hurricane Katrina. For music, it was business as usual, and the malls were doing pretty well. But was music really dead as a force of cultural upheaval?

Well, we seemed to take quite a bit of time covering 2006!! So now we draw that year to a close and continue on with the next year:

2007!!!!!!


And, as always, if there is something we've missed with 2006, we'll be sure to cover it in upcoming posts. So let us continue on in our most excellent, ever expanding coverage of the first decade of the new millenium with the seventh
year!!!

So now we are beginning a new, amazing year in our annals of rock and roll history:

2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And what a year it was--a number of fine albums, a few tragic goodbyes to many--and above all, the most anticipated event in all of rock, the reunion to end all reunions!!!!!!! THE MOTHER OF ALL REUNIONS!!!!!!!

Well, actually, there were a few big reunions that year, but none like the one which took place toward the end of the year!!!!! :rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

One of the most anticipated reunions in 2007 occurred when some members of one of rock and metal's legendary bands reunited under a new name. The band regrouped under the moniker none other than--

HEAVEN AND HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The band, of course, was Black Sabbath, but Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler decided to reunite with the band's other classic lineup in the early 80's with Ronnie James Dio and drummer Vinnie Appice. Iommi and Butler were releasing a best-of album, Black Sabbath: The Dio Years, and needed two more new songs to complete the collection. They summoned Dio and Appice for the songs "The Devil Cried", "Shadow Of the Wind", and "Ear In the Wall". The intent was to just recruit Dio for the three new recordings, but when they found there was still magic and cameraderie in the old lineup, they decided to continue for a third time, hoping it would be the charm.

However, when the band decided to call on Dio to join them, original drummer Bill Ward was originally going to be in the lineup. But in spite of his liking Ronnie, he was not comfortable with doing music or touring with him, the music of the Dio version of Black Sabbath was not his cup of tea, it was too different for what he was used to with the band. There were a few concerns about his health as well, and so he respectfully declined to be a part of the band. Appice was recruited, and once again, the lineup from late 1980 to 1982 was complete.

The reason why the band went by the name Heaven & Hell rather than Black Sabbath was that Tony Iommi and the others did not want people to think that the band would be playing the familiar Ozzy-era tunes. This new phase of Black Sabbath (which, of course, what the band still was) was to focus on the long-neglected Dio era, which yielded a phenomenal amount of great songs. It was the Dio era which resurrected Black Sabbath's visibility and creative output in the metal scene in the 80's, before, sadly, the lineup imploded for rather petty reasons. Not to mention that the Dio era became the paradigm of how Sabbath would sound for nearly the next thirty years. In spite of the attention given over Sabbath's sludgy, raw Ozzy-era sound, the band never went back to that more primitive style, in spite of its popularity.

Why didn't the band record another album with Ozzy? Tony Iommi had tried to record some new material with Ozzy, but the Ozzman was no longer on the same page with the band at this point. He was very dissatisfied with what they were coming up with, yet Iommi wanted badly to record some new songs. Several years before, the band had tried to record, but Ozzy wasn't having any of it. He was sure the music would hardly live up to the band's standards of the past, nor fulfill its potential. Iommi was not about the band wallow in the whole "nostalgia" trip on all the Ozzfest tours. Ozzy may have been "the star" of the band, but he wanted very little to do with coming up with new music, other than to cash in on Sabbath's "reunion" popularity. Would it have hurt Sabbath to record new songs, their first full album since 1978's 'Never Say Die'? If it "failed", would it have hurt Sabbath, or would fans be glad just to hear new material? How bad would it have been? Regardless, Ozzy was not too thrilled with the progress and put off the sessions indefinitely.

Songs such as "The Devil Cried" were Sabbath's legitimate response to fans' demand for new music. The song received regular radio airplay, and, though it resembled the trudging 1998 track "Psycho Man", the lyrics were vastly improved, courtesy of Dio. There was an air of mystery and intrigue in his lyrics, and the song did not feel like some outtake bonus track one would expect on a best-of album. The band was invigorated and energized to record new material. But first, it was time to re-acquaint fans with the other
lineup of Sabbath that had not been seen for many years. The band, under the name Heaven & Hell, began what was to become a massively successful tour. The demand often outstripped the supply for tickets. But those who saw it were amazed at how fresh the music sounded still after all these years, as well as with the professionalism of the band. One tour was not enough--the band had to extend their itinerary, and began to play with many
big names of metal. It was an event to behold.

The Devil Cried

One fine day in Hell
The master told a story
Someone lied so well
He sent him back to Glory

There are whispers between the screams
That this deed can be done
Even sinners must dream
And I can be the one to make the Devil cry

I can win this game
If all things come together
I know this sounds quite strange
I won't be smart, just clever

It's the law on the other side
Just the kill lets you run
And how many have tried?
I know I'll be the one to make the Devil cry

At last my time has come
I must not give him pleasure
I can be the one
One chance or burn forever

So I told him about my pain
And the life I've been through
He just smiled and the laughter came
Then I told him that I love you, and the Devil cried

Tears from his eyes
Eyes of fire
And the Devil cried

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Going back momentarily to 2006, Black Sabbath (the original lineup) finally did something it said it never would do: They allowed themselves to be inducted to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. For years, they had resisted the dubious honor. Where were all these tastemakers and critics when the band struggled in the 70's to gain respect in rock and roll? Sabbath were the band completely hated by the press for sounding and looking absolutely repulsive. Why now did these fancy people suddenly embrace them?

Each time the band was asked to allow themselves to be inducted, they had said no. Take our names off the list of nominees, they said, we are a band for fans and not part of the music scene elite. The band felt they were amply
rewarded by the large number of devoted fans who had loyally bought their albums and attended their concerts, paying tribute by learning their songs and furthering the cause of heavy metal. No tinsel-y award and back-patting by the phony, sanctimonious Hall of Fame crowd was going to equal that. But the requests kept coming, and eventually Sabbath gave in.

But at the awards ceremony, the band made it clear beforehand that they did not wish to be there, that they felt wrong about attending. The HOF elite didn't get the band's music, perhaps it was because of Ozzy's successful
t.v. career, or the fact that so many Seattle grunge bands gave Sabbath this attention fifteen years ago. Apparently the band felt they should attend as a formality and lay to rest all the hype of induction once and for all. They seemed to want to get it off their chests and be done with it.

After Sabbath's brief acceptance speech, the members of Metallica made a speech praising Ozzy, Tony, Geezer, and Bill as a huge influence on them, with Lars Ulrich jokingly pleading for $haron Osbourne not to egg him if he said something not right (an obvious comic reference to $haron's egging of Iron Maiden the year before). Sabbath had declined to perform at the ceremony, but Metallica paid tribute to them by playing covers of "Hole In the Sky" and "Iron Man".

Here are the other two new songs on 'The Dio Years:

Shadow Of the Wind

Oh it's night again
And the dark just killed the sun
If the light must end
You've got time to run away

There's a door to dreams
And it always lets you in
But with a silent scream
All the nightmares must begin

Still you chase what you can't see
Like death and pain and sin
And the Shadow of The Wind
The Shadow of The Wind

You'll remember me
I could make you disappear
Be where you want to be
Just as long as it's not here

Well I'm back and stronger
And the first one's always free
And it lasts much longer

You can bet your sanity

Never more the victim the cries
As I slip beneath the skin
And the Shadow of The Wind
The Shadow of The Wind

If words had names like red and green
And two for sympathy
Black and white and in between
Then you'd paint misery

Every day is an inquisition
Who are you? What are you? Why?
I'm alive, I belong, I'll be back
It's a half truth, still a whole lie

In the garden of good and evil
You'll come, but you know
The spider only spins
The Shadow of The Wind
The Shadow of The Wind


Ear In the Wall

Hello can you hear me
I might not be alone
Don't see anyone near me
But I just might go home again
Lets meet in the morning
I just can't speak tonight
This is more than a warning
Be silent till its light and then

You know I'll be there
Waiting for someone to believe me
Remembering it all
Make my flesh start to crawl
I've seen an ear in the wall

This time it could prove it
But you've heard this all before
Cry wolf and you're moving
To a special kind of danger zone
I need a witness
Somebody just like you
So bring an exorcist
A wizard and the Holy Ghost

You know I'll be there
Waiting for someone to believe me
Remembering it all
Make my flesh creep and crawl
I've seen an ear in the wall

One more reason one more time
Someone's walking through my mind
Now where am I suppose to go
Its not who you are its who you know
What's it gonna be
I knew you would answer
I'm the curiosity
You could miss a chance because
The fool might see reality
There it is in the corner
You must be going blind
What's wrong were you born before
Your god invented eyes
It's got to be there
Grinding away at my secrets
It's going so dark
And you can't see it all
I'll turn on some lights
So you're sure not to fall
It's next to the eye in the wall

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

That summer, Heaven & Hell released Live From Radio City Music Hall, a double-live album which documented their spring concert at the famed venue in New York City.

Heaven & Hell found themselves hugely in demand all over the country and the world by fans eager to see the other version of Black Sabbath that had been nearly forgotten due to their involvement with Ozzy. Great interest was rekindled for the 80's lineup that had plenty of quality songs and a strong stage presence by Ronnie James Dio. Old grievances were long put aside between Dio and the rest of the band, and once again, the magic between the four members was amazing--as were their concerts. Dio was singing, as usual, in perfect form, and the band played their strongest sets in years--but no one was to expect "Iron Man" or "Sweet Leaf" on the bill. If you came for "Neon Knights" and "Mob Rules", then you were totally in luck. It had been fifteen years since we had last heard of Ronnie's involvement with the Sab Four--and it was completely refreshing and stunning to see them roam the stage once more.

The songs on the album included:

Disc one
"E5150/After All (The Dead)"
"The Mob Rules"
"Children of the Sea"
"Lady Evil"
"I"
"The Sign of the Southern Cross"
"Voodoo"
"The Devil Cried"

Disc two
"Computer God"
"Falling Off the Edge of the World"
"Shadow of the Wind"
"Die Young"
"Heaven and Hell"
"Lonely Is the Word"
"Neon Knights"


The album was also made into a DVD and box set which included such items as a laminated pass, photos, and other must-have objects. :cool:

Megadeth and Machine Head opened the Heaven & Hell tour that year.

Vinny Appice live:

Heaven & Hell onstage in Sheffield, England--though Tony Iommi seems to be missing from the picture. :confused:

Heaven & Hell live stage set:

Heaven & Hell live in Sheffield:

In the next few years following the tragic murder of Dimebag Darrell, his drummer brother Vinnie Paul, his fellow warrior in Pantera and DamagePlan, lay low, doing very little in the way of music. He could not focus on musical projects, as he was completely shaken and devastated by his unthinkable loss. It took him a long time to deal with it, he could not talk about it nor wish to face it publicly. The healing process was long and hard, and understandably, it seemed that he would never fully recover, nor at least find enough closure to get back into music. Time would have to take its course.

Eventually, in 2006, Vinnie found the strength to move on somewhat back into
music. He needed to get back into the limelight. Throwing himself once more in music would heal him further, and he found his solution. Summoning members of Mudvayne and Nothingface, he decided to form a supergroup, called Hellyeah. With Mudvayne's vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett, as well as Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell and bassist Jerry Montano, the band planned not to revive the legacy of Pantera, but just to have fun making music and communicating, connecting with each other. This was not about trying to find a comparable "shredder" guitarist as Dime, but just about having fun and making a musical statement. But soon it became serious. Hellyeah needed to take off. In fact, Vinnie and the boys wanted to start the project sooner, in 2001, but were not able to due to scheduling conflicts.
But now they got together and jammed, coming up with their first album, which was released in the spring of 2007.

Vinnie Paul found it hard to go back into the same studio where he and his brother Dime last went to record their final albums, but once the new band stepped in, the "dark cloud" went away. The new self-titled debut featured such outstanding tracks as "You Wouldn't Know", "Alcohaulin' Ass", an acoustic rock song which became a staple on the radio, "Thank You", and the title track.

While the album received some significant airplay and critical acclaim, there were a few problems within the band. After the band's debut album came out, bassist Jerry Montano was out of the band. Details remained sketchy at first, but the story allegedly was reported that Montano became a little too drunk and disorderly and that his disruptive behavior at a few local watering holes created tension. Whatever the reason, Montano made his exit from the band and was soon replaced by none other than Bob Zilla, formerly of DamagePlan. It was great to have Vinnie's friend back on board, and the band continued on with their new plan for musical domination.

How exactly the band came up with the name was quite interesting: The band explained that the name was "very affirmative and full of attitude. When your buddy asks if you want to get a beer tonight, you don't just say 'yes,' you say, "Hell yeah!". Chad Gray attributes the name to "late teens, keggers and chicks and AC/DC and Metallica". :rock: :cheers:


Hellyeah

Yeah!

F*** the norm, I can't understand
Live my life, by the rules of no one
I am me, that can't be wrong
I do what I do, when I do, that's how I like it
Conformity, amputate my soul
Made of stone, smashed the mold
Indifferent, so f*** you all that
Whine, bitch, nag, complain, cry.

If you don't give a **** you getcha' HELLYEAH
Throwin' fists in the pit you getcha' HELLYEAH.
Think your f***in' with this? Well hell no.
Balls, volume, strength, you get'cha come on
Drinkin' beer smokin' weed you getcha' HELLYEAH
Gotta bruised attitude you getcha' HELLYEAH.
Think your f***in' with this? Well hell no
Balls, volume, strength, you get'cha' come on.

F*** you all, that won't understand
Be a man, no more & no less
I'm just me, no matter what you say
I am, who I am, what I am, that's how I like it
Typical, f***ing lifeless clones
My attitude, embrace my own
I don't care, so just walk away & live your
Dull, dead, bland, boring, life.

If you don't give a **** you getcha' HELLYEAH
Throwin' fists in the pit you getcha' HELLYEAH.
Think your f***in' with this? Well hell no.
Balls, volume, strength, you getcha' come on
Drinkin' beer smokin' weed you getcha' HELLYEAH.

Gotta bruised attitude you getcha' HELLYEAH.
Think your f***in' with this? Well hell no
Balls, volume, strength, you getcha' come on.

Don't give a f*** & don't think I ever will
For the prim & the proper it's a shallow jagged pill
Don't really care if you like me
I just hold up my drink & get my HELLYEAH!
So point your fingers & throw your stones,
I'll be smokin' & drinkin' & breakin' ****in' bones
To all you f***in' people thinkin' your better than me,
I hold up my middle finger & give my HELLYEAH!

If you don't give a s*** you getcha' HELLYEAH
Throwin' fists in the pit you getcha' HELLYEAH.
Think your f***in' with this? Well hell no.
Balls, volume, strength, you getcha' come on
Drinkin' beer smokin' weed you getcha' HELLYEAH
Gotta bruised attitude you getcha' HELLYEAH.
Think your f***in' with this? Well hell no
Balls, volume, strength, you getcha' come on.

HELLYEAH!
Got your whiskey & weed!
HELLYEAH!
Come on!
HELLYEAH!
Balls volume & strength!
HELLYEAH!

HELLYEAH!
HELLYEAH!
HELLYEAH!
HELLYEAH!


Alcohaulin' Ass

Come on.
A little bit of sunshine
A little bit of booze
A little bit of me
And a little bit of you
A little bit country
A little bit of blues
A little slice of heaven
And a little piece of you, come on.

Alcohaulin' Ass.
Pour another drink in my glass.
Alcohaulin' Ass.
Alcohaulin' Ass.

A little bit thirsty
A little bit used
A little bit of whiskey
And a little pinch of chew
A little bit tired
And a bad attitude
A little bit of drinkin'
And another piece of you. Yeah! Come on!

Alcohaulin' Ass!
Pour another drink in my glass!
Yeah, come on!
Alcohaulin' Ass!
Alcohaulin'!
Alcohaulin'.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, come on!

You drove me to it, so there was nothin' I could do
You pushed me down, split me right in 2
Now I've hauled the long hard load
Carried the weight of you
Boy oh boy Goddamn
There's only one thing left to do.
A little bit of...

Alcohaulin' Ass!
Pour another drink in my glass!
Yeah, come on!
Alcohaulin' Ass!
Alcohaulin'!
There's only One Thing left to do!
Yeah! A little bit of...
Alcohaulin' Ass!
Alcohaulin' Ass!
Pour another drink in my glass!
Pour another drink in my glass!
Alcohaulin' Ass!
Alcohaulin' Ass!

Alcohaulin' Ass.

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

You Wouldn't Know

You couldn't be
You couldn't be me
Even if you wanted to
Everything I've been through
You Wouldn't Know
Live your life
Soaking up all my sunshine
And smile your whole life
I Wouldn't Know.

18 wheels are rollin'
18 wheels are crushin' me down
Runnin' me down
Cars are crashin'
Cars are crashin' all around me
Runnin' me down.

All my days are numbered
All my days are gray
All my skies are covered
All my ends are frayed.

You couldn't be
You couldn't be me
Even if you wanted to
Everything I've been through
You Wouldn't Know
Live your life
Soaking up all my sunshine
And smile your whole life
I Wouldn't Know.

Lightning's crashin'
Thunder's rollin' all around me
Bringing me down
Stars are fallin'
Fire's lighting all around me
Burnin' me down.

All my days are numbered
All my days are gray
All my skies are covered
All my ends are frayed.

You couldn't be
You couldn't be me
Even if you wanted to
Everything I've been through
You Wouldn't Know
Live your life
Soaking up all my sunshine
And smile your whole life
I Wouldn't Know.

You Wouldn't Know.
You Wouldn't Know.
You Wouldn't Know.
You Wouldn't Know.

Feels like I'm fallin' down
Inside, a fever risin'
Bury my life deep in the ground
Left my existence lyin' so let's go.

[Instrumental Break:]

You couldn't be
You couldn't be me
Even if you wanted to
Everything I've been through
You Wouldn't Know
Live your life
Soaking up all my sunshine
And smile your whole life.

You couldn't be
You couldn't be me
Even if you wanted to
Everything I've been through
You Wouldn't Know.


Thank You

So many things, I didn't say.
Is it too late now that you've gone away?
So many words, so many ways.
If you can hear me now, there's something I've gotta say.

Just one more talk.
Just one more touch.
Just once too much, then.

I just wanna say
Thank You, for everything
You've ever done for me.

Done for me.

I just wanna say
Thank You, for all the things
For saving me.

Saving me.

So many times, so many days.
You helped me through.
Walked me through the rain.
So many tears, have washed away.
If you can hear my voice, there's something I have to say.

Just one more talk.
Just one more touch.
Just once too much, then.

I just wanna say
Thank You, for everything
You've ever done for me.

Done for me.

I just wanna say
Thank You, for all the things
For saving me.

Saving me.

It's been so long.
They say time will heal everything.
Could you send me a sign to fill this whole in my life?

Turn on a light.
To help me see through it all.
No one left to rescue me.
Save me!

[Instrumental Break:]

Just one more talk.
Just one more touch.
Just once too much, then.

I just wanna say
Thank You, for everything
You've ever done for me.

Done for me.

I just wanna say
Thank You, for all the things
For saving me.

Saving me.

I just wanna say
Thank You, mother
Thank You, father
Thank You, sister
For Saving me.

I just wanna say
Thank You, brother
Thank You, daughter
Thank You
All my best friends.


Cowboy Way

YEAH!!!
Ya see I left my soul by the side of the road,
Somewhere down in Texas,
Where the minister spoke,
Said boy ya better find god,
Cause you're destined for sin
So I did a shot and smiled,
With a black-tooth grin,

What ever you say,
What ever you think,
Cowboy,
Hillbilly what ever you say
We love 'em and leave 'em,
It's just a cowboy's way,
Outlaw or redneck what ever you think,
What's mine is mine,
What's yours is mine,
It's just a cowboy's way

YEAH!!!
Ya see I sold my soul at the cross in the road,
Somewhere down in Texas where the devil had spoke,
Said boy you wanna be somebody sign on the line,
I said I gotta raise some hell so I ain't got the time,

What ever you say,
What ever you think,
Cowboy,
Hillbilly what ever you say
We love 'em and leave 'em,
It's just a cowboy's way,
Outlaw or redneck what ever you think,
What's mine is mine,
What's yours is mine,
It's just a cowboy's way

It's just a Cowboys's
It's just a Cowboys's
It's just a Cowboys's
It's just a Cowboys's way

Reckless and worthless,
Ya can't understand,
Ain't got no reason to give a ****,
Just don't give a damn

It's just a Cowboys's
It's just a Cowboys's
It's just a Cowboys's
It's just a Cowboys's way

Cowboy,
Hillbilly what ever you say
We love 'em and leave 'em,
It's just a cowboy's way,
Outlaw or redneck what ever you think,
What's mine is mine,
What's yours is mine,
It's just a cowboy's way
It's just a cowboy's...

:rock: :guitar: :guitar: :rock:

Are we still in 2006? :)

Are we still in 2006? :)
Actually, we are in the year 2007, though I started it a few months ago. I got sidetracked by a few other things, as well as a slow computer, but now I am back on track. :cool:

On a less heavier note, another long-anticipated reunion was that of The Police, who marked their thirtieth anniversary as a band with a tour. No one had heard much of the band collectively since their best-of album 'Every Breath You Take: The Singles', which featured a rather tepid remake of their
hit "Don't Stand So Close To Me". As mentioned earlier in the 80's thread,
the band's breakup was rather acrimonious, as tensions flared between Sting
drummer Stewart Copeland. The drummer was always antagonized by the ever-popular vocalist-bassist (as evidenced by the obscenities scrawled on his drumheads; if one notices old photos of the band in record inner sleeves and elsewhere, the words "F:censored: Off" are scribbled in, and are allegedly
directed at Sting), and matters reached a point to where the band refused to work with each other, except for rather sporadic instances.

The band officially broke up in 1984 after the Synchronicity tour, but reconvened briefly for the Singles album, as well as other dates such as
the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope tour, which was organized in 1986 to draw attention to the plight of political prisoners and human rights abuses worldwide. Hopes remained dim, however, for the possible full reunion of the band until January of 2007, when their label A & M decided to have a complete tour to mark the anniversary of the band's release of the single "Roxanne".

Guitarist Andy Summers felt that The Police had not finished with a sense of closure the first time around. In fact, he felt they should have continued over twenty years before. He explained about the breakup of the band and Sting's solo career: "The more rational approach would have been, 'OK, Sting, go make a solo record, and let's get back together in two or three years. I'm certain we could have done that. Of course we could have. We were definitely not in a creative dry space. We could have easily carried on, and we could probably still be there. That wasn't to be our fate. It went in another way. I regret we never paid it off with a last tour."

The band appeared on the broadcast of the Grammies in February 2007 with the announcement, "We're The Police. And we're back!" The band then jumped into their breakthrough hit "Roxanne". They started their world tour in
Vancouver, B.C., in late May, where, as a joke, drummer Stewart Copeland
wrote a scathing review of the first concert on his website. The media, unaware of the light-hearted jab the band made about itself, became alarmed at the "feud" going on within the group. The worldwide tour actually went very well, taking them to the Far East, and finally closing with a show at New York's Madison Square Garden with the B-52's opening in August of 2008.

Unfortunately, fans awaiting for anything new by the band were to be disappointed. Once the tour was over, the band explained, the band was finished. According to Sting, "There will be no new album, no big new tour, once we're done with our reunion tour, that's it for the Police."

Which may have been just as well for the band, as they were not the fresh young men as they had been just thirty years before. Sting and Copeland were in their mid- to late 50's, while at the time, Andy Summers was only 65.

That fall of 2007, the music world shook with huge anticipation when it was announced that there would be--

THE REUNION OF LED ZEPPELIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On December 10, all three surviving members of Led Zeppelin--Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, as well as the late John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, played a concert at the O2 in London, England. The concert, announced in September, was intended to be a benefit concert for Ahmet Ertegün Education Fund, named after the Atlantic Records founder who passed away earlier. The fund was intended to go to scholarships in music studies at universities in England and America. After the announcement, the resulting hysteria created a massive demand for tickets, which resulted in 20 million orders online, which made the list of Guiness Book of World Records.

The concert was spectacular. The band, while certainly older than in their heyday, did not disappoint live. They played an amazing set with the following songs:

"Good Times Bad Times"
"Ramble On"
"Black Dog"
"In My Time of Dying"/"Honey Bee"
"For Your Life"
"Trampled Under Foot"
"Nobody's Fault but Mine"
"No Quarter"
"Since I've Been Loving You"
"Dazed and Confused"
"Stairway to Heaven"
"The Song Remains the Same"
"Misty Mountain Hop"
"Kashmir"

The band also played two encores, "Whole Lotta Love", and "Rock and Roll".

The Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert, which was headlined by Led Zeppelin, also featured the appearance by a one-off supergroup featuring of keyboardist Keith Emerson of ELP, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White of Yes, and drummer Simon Kirke of Free and Bad Company. The brass section from Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings were also featured. Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, Paul Rodgers, Paolo Nutini, and Foreigner were also the opening acts, and the opening acts featured guest appearances by blues singer Maggie Bell and Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee. Pete Townshend was also invited to perform, but he declined, saying "They really don't need me."

The concert also featured a number of celebrities and musical figures in attendance including Dav Grohl, drummer Chad Smith, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Brian May, David Gilmour, Lulu, Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis, Ann Wilson of Heart, The Edge, Dave Mustaine, Peter Gabriel, Mick Jagger, Marilyn Manson, Warren Haynes of The Allman Brothers, supermodels Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, Jerry Hall, Priscilla Presley, Paris Hilton, and Neil Finn of Crowded House.

Critics were unanimous in their praise for the band. The band may have been a little older, a little grayer, but the energy and intensity with which they played was clearly obvious. They still had the passion that fired them up just thirty years before. Page commented, "It was a wonderful celebration of the music, a celebration of the fact that the essence of it, the energy, was still there,". He also added, "It’s great that we did it. I look back on that night with a great amount of fondness, but Jason [Bonham] was the hero. For me that gig was about him."

Plant also stated, "On a musical level, we've had sublime moments and there were several on December 10. Bear in mind that we're old guys now and we're not supposed to be hip-shrugging teenage idols. It was pretty ... I'm not sure 'sincere' is the right word. But it was as real as you're going to get. And Jimmy [Page] was on fire at times."

The concert renewed hopes that the band would in fact reunite for more tours and albums. Page was completely up with the possibility. But Plant felt more involved with his musical project with singer Allison Krause at this point, and a Led Zeppelin reunion was not really in the cards for him now. The band entertained the idea of having a singer to replace Plant on the road, including Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy, but
the long-anticipated tour was put indefinitely on hold. Still, the one-off concert sparked renewed interest in Led Zeppelin, and members of the band
entertained the possibility of future shows together.

More pics:

Meanwhile, rumors of another Psychic Tomato reunion remained persistent . . .. :lol:

YEAH, FORGET ABOUT THE LED ZEPPELIN REUNION!!!!!!!!
SERVE ME THE TOMATO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rock: :rock: :rock: :rock:

YEAH, FORGET ABOUT THE LED ZEPPELIN REUNION!!!!!!!!
SERVE ME THE TOMATO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rock: :rock: :rock: :rock:

:lol:

Back to 2006 for a moment to remember Billy Preston, who died on June 6, 2006 . . .. :(

Preston began playing piano while sitting on his mother's lap at age three, and he was considered something of a child prodigy on piano and organ. By the age of 10 he was performing in the bands of gospel singers Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, and Andrae Crouch. At age 12 he began a side career acting, and appeared in the 1958 Paramount Pictures film St. Louis Blues, portraying blues composer W.C. Handy as a young man. In the 1960s he performed with Little Richard and Ray Charles, and in 1963, aged just 16, he played organ on the Sam Cooke album Night Beat. He also began a recording career as a solo artist with the 1965 album The Most Exciting Organ Ever. He was also a regular on the mid-1960s ABC-TV musical variety series Shindig! as a member of the show's house band.

Preston first met The Beatles in 1962 while part of Little Richard's touring band, when their manager Brian Epstein organized a Liverpool show, at which The Beatles opened. The Washington Post explained their subsequent meeting:

“ They'd hook up again in 1969, when The Beatles were about to break up while recording the last album they released, Let It Be (they would later record Abbey Road, which was released prior to Let It Be). George Harrison, always Preston's best Beatles buddy, had quit and walked out of the studio and gone to a Ray Charles concert in London, where Preston was playing organ. Harrison brought Preston back to the studio, where his keen musicianship and gregarious personality temporarily calmed the tension. ”

Preston played with The Beatles for several of the Get Back sessions, some of the material from which would later be culled to make the film Let it Be and its companion album, during which he joined the band for its rooftop concert, its final public appearance.[3] "Get Back", one of the album's singles, was credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston," the only time such a joint credit had been given on an official Beatles-sanctioned release (as distinct from an unsanctioned reissue of some Hamburg-era recordings on which they were the backing group for Tony Sheridan). The credit was bestowed by The Beatles to reflect the extent of Preston's presence on the track; his electric piano is prominent throughout and he plays an extended solo. Preston also worked (in a more limited role) on the Abbey Road album, contributing to the tracks "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Something."

He soon began his career as a solo artist on Apple, and in 1969 released his debut album That's the Way God Planned It, highlighted by the song of teh same name.

(Information courtesy of Wikipedia.)

That's The Way God Planned It - Billy Preston

Why can't we be humble
Like the good lord say
He promised to exault us
But no-one is away
How men be so greedy
When there's so much left?
All things are God given
And they all have been blessed
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be

Let not your heart be troubled
Let mourning sobbing cease
Learn to help one another
And live in perfect peace
If we'd just be humbler
Like the Good Lord say
He promised to exault us
But love is the way
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be

You better believe me
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be
I hope you get this message
Where you won't others will
You don't understand me
But I'll love you still
That's the way God planned it
That's the way God wants it to be, be

Here is another one of Billy Preston's biggest hits: :cool:

Nothing From Nothing

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin'
If you wanna be with me
Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin'
If you wanna be with me

I'm not tryin' to be your hero
'Cause that zero is too cold for me, brrr
I'm not tryin' to be your highness
'Cause that minus is too low to see, yeah

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
And I'm not stuffin'
Believe you me
Don't you remember I told ya
I'm a soldier in the war on poverty, yeah
Yes, I am

[Instrumental Interlude]

Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin'
If you wanna be with me
Nothin' from nothin' leaves nothin'
You gotta have somethin'
If you wanna be with me

You gotta have somethin'
If you wanna be with me
You gotta bring me somethin' girl
If you wanna be with me

:banana: :mango

After signing with Apple, Billy Preston's friendship with George Harrison continued after the breakup of the Beatles; he was the first artist to record "My Sweet Lord", on his album Encouraging Words (Harrison's own version of the single hit number one in the U.S. and the U.K. and was the first number one by a former Beatle after they disbanded) and he was on several of Harrison's 1970s solo albums. Preston also made notable contributions to The Concert for Bangladesh, the Harrison-organized charity concert, toured with Harrison on his 1974 tour of North America and, after Harrison's death, The Concert for George. Preston also worked on solo recordings by two other ex-Beatles, John Lennon and Ringo Starr. He also worked wtih the Rolling Stones on several fo their records and concert tours.

It was also Preston who was instrumental in giving Stephen Stills the inspiration for his biggest solo hit. While Stills and Preston were at a party, Preston, enjopying the good vibes of the moment, said, "If you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with!" With Preston's blessing, Stills wrote a song around it, and it became a hit.

Preston's own solo career also peaked in the early seventies, beginning with 1972's "Outa-Space", an instrumental track that further popularized the sound of the clavinet in funk music. The song reached #2 on the U.S. Hot 100, #1 on the R&B chart, and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in June 1972.

Over the next two years, he followed up with the #1 hits "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing", and the #4 hit "Space Race." All three releases each sold in excess of one million copies. "American Bandstand" host and executive producer Dick Clark enjoyed "Space Race" so much that he used the instrumental for the mid-show break for virtually the remainder of its run.

Preston also played Sgt. Pepper in the ill-fated Sgt.Pepper movie of 1978. He sang "Get Back," the Beatles song on which he famously played the keyboard solo in the middle eight; his cover re-created that riff. "My solo on "Get Back" was my creation," he said in 1982.

He got the Sgt. Pepper movie role because producer Robert Stigwood couldn't get Paul McCartney to play it.

As the seventies drew to a close, Preston moved to Motown after a long and successful stint with A&M.

"Will It Go Round In Circles" was another big hit of his from the '70s.


Will It Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston

I've got a song I ain't got no melody
How'm I gonna sing it with my friends
I've got a song I ain't got no melody
How'm I gonna sing it with my friends

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

I've got a story, ain't got no moral
Let the bad guy win every once in a while
I've got a story, ain't got no moral
Let the bad guy win every once in a while

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

I've got a dance, ain't got no steps
I'm gonna let the music move me around
I've got a dance, I ain't got no steps
I'm gonna let the music move me around

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

Oh.. Wohw.. Yeahh..

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky

I've got a song I ain't got no melody
How'm I gonna sing it with my friends
I've got a song I ain't got no melody
How'm I gonna sing it with my friends

Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky
Will it go round in circles
Will it fly high like a bird up in the sky, Ooooo..

(Thanks to Wikipedia for most of the information.)