Classic Rock Song of the Day (Deep Cuts now being featured!!)

[Jaq]

I liked Rainbow throughout all their phases, from their 70s Dio led era, with Blackmore stretching the songs out to ridiculous lengths live, through their more hard rock/AOR period in the 80s, but I never really was a huge fan of Man On The Silver Mountain. The first Rainbow album is a little undercooked; they took off for me with Rising, which has Stargazer, which for me is the definitive Dio era Rainbow song. 

[Pols Voice]

I'm a huge Dio fan and a moderate Rainbow fan, but I've never even heard of this song. One of the few Rainbow albums I don't have.

I'm the opposite. This is one of the only Dio songs I have heard.

It's pretty good.

[Orbert]

I'm a huge Dio fan and a moderate Rainbow fan, but I've never even heard of this song. One of the few Rainbow albums I don't have.

Seriously?  It was pretty much the song that put Rainbow and RJD on the map.  Or so I always thought.  I'd never heard of either of them before it, and not a whole lot after.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm a huge Dio fan and a moderate Rainbow fan, but I've never even heard of this song. One of the few Rainbow albums I don't have.

Seriously?  It was pretty much the song that put Rainbow and RJD on the map.  Or so I always thought.  I'd never heard of either of them before it, and not a whole lot after.

I obviously wasn't around back then, so I'm not trying to dispute anything! All I'm saying is that as a general Dio fan for all of his projects, I've somehow never heard this song come up. It's likely just slipped under my radar, being a relatively younger music fan. Given the success he had between Rainbow, Black Sabbath and solo, it wouldn't be too hard for that to happen when seeing it all in retrospect.

But hey, that's the good thing about this thread. For those of us who know the songs, it's a chance to remember and discuss classic songs, and for those of us who don't, it's a chance to discover some more classic stuff.

[Orbert]

I forget sometimes how age plays into it.  But as a "huge Dio fan and a moderate Rainbow fan" it just seems bizarre that you'd never even heard of the song.  It was huge and really was their breakthrough.  Thats akin to someone being a huge DT fan, but has never heard of "Pull Me Under".

[KevShmev]

I was gonna say, it is like being a Kansas fan and not knowing Carry On Wayward Son.  But hey, better later than never, right?

[BlobVanDam]

I forget sometimes how age plays into it.  But as a "huge Dio fan and a moderate Rainbow fan" it just seems bizarre that you'd never even heard of the song.  It was huge and really was their breakthrough.  To me, that seems akin to someone being a huge DT fan, but has never heard of "Pull Me Under".  Because they're not familiar with the early stuff or something.

I think the difference is because DT is one band, as opposed to Dio being well known for several different bands, and they're all different, so I've explored some of them more thoroughly than others.
Actually, now that I think about it, the first Rainbow album is one of the only major things I don't have with him. I have every solo album, the other two Rainbow albums, and the Sabbath stuff (including the H&H album, which is still Sabbath). Since I never hear anything about the first album, I'd just forgotten all about it.

[jjrock88]

Dio Rules!

[DebraKadabra]

Dio Rules!

 

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

[KevShmev]

Ted Nugent - Stranglehold

His standing as a gun-toting redneck aside, Nugent has been in on his fair share of good songs over the years, especially as a solo artist back in the day, and Stranglehold was a really good one, one that showcased how good of a guitar player he is.  A classic by any measure or standard.

[Orbert]

Still my favorite Nugent song.  I love the solo, how it kinda sneaks up on you (you don't realize at first that it's going into the solo, it could've just been another break before a verse or something) then how it keeps going, taking its time, and that "fanfare" towards the end.  Great song!

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I don't know, as much as I like Nuge for his all out guitar badassery and such, this song has always been kinda blah for me.  Never could stand up to things like Wango Tango, in my opinion.

I recall an article in Circus Magazine where they asked all these well-known guitarists what their favorite guitar solo was.  A number of obvious ones were referenced, like Stairway, Comfortably Numb, Eruption, Machine Gun (Hendrix), etc.  Nuge's favorite?

Stranglehold.  He went on to describe how lyrical and passionate it was.  Textbook Nugent narcissism. 

[jjrock88]

love this song, my favorite from Ted Nugent

[Orbert]

I recall an article in Circus Magazine where they asked all these well-known guitarists what their favorite guitar solo was.  A number of obvious ones were referenced, like Stairway, Comfortably Numb, Eruption, Machine Gun (Hendrix), etc.  Nuge's favorite?

Stranglehold.  He went on to describe how lyrical and passionate it was.  Textbook Nugent narcissism. 

Okay, that's true about Nugent being 100% full of himself.  But that solo really is awesome.  It's practically its own composition.  It has a number of changes to it, it has a great buildup and conclusion.  As I said upthread, I just like the way it takes its time and says what it needs to say.  It's not your standard 16-bar or 32-bar solo in place of a verse or chorus, but because of that, he had to structure it to actually make it musically interesting, and I think he nailed it.

[KevShmev]

Agreed, Orbert. It's just a perfectly written and executed solo.  Nugent isn't one of my favorite guitar players, but he does have a handful of solos that I absolutely love (several of which were with Damn Yankees).

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Oh I know, it definitely is a great solo.  I just thought it really funny how when these well-known guitarists are talking about other peoples' classic solos that they love, he goes with one of his own.

Just the song itself has always left me cold and I just cannot seem to put my finger on why that is.

[DebraKadabra]

Ted Nugent - Stranglehold

Bad ass song is bad ass.

[Orbert]

Oh shit, I didn't realize that that was the question!  I thought that that was the point, to pick their favorite solo of theirs. 

Out of the infinite number of solos ever played and/or recorded, his favorite is one of his own, from his own first album?  Great, Ted.  Might as well just quit, then, 'cause you're never gonna top it.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Right, they obviously weren't required to pick someone else's, it was just something like "What's your all-time favorite guitar solo", but as you've said, with that many solos to choose from, to pick your own, from your first album, is just "Wow".  Keep in mind this issue of Circus Magazine was from late 80's/early 90's.

[masterthes]

Stranglehold is awesome, and I'm more of a Stargazer fan personally

[Dublagent66]

Kickass muthafuckin' tune. 

[KevShmev]

Derek & the Dominos - Layla

This song never gets old.  I cannot count how many times I've heard it over the years, and it still kicks my ass every time I hear it.  I love how popular it is considering it is basically two songs, the first three minutes being the rocking section, and the piano-driven coda that comprises the second part actually being longer than the first part.  And I know I am one of many who thinks of Goodfellas every time the piano coda kicks in.

[masterthes]

Just as good acoustic as electric

[Orbert]

I always liked the main song, but the coda, while very nice, just goes on too long.  If it were about half as long, it would be great.

The acoustic version was okay.  Kinda weird after listening to the original for decades, but I can understand Clapton's need to reinvent the song.  Artists like that must have a lot of mixed feelings about playing those same songs for 20 or 30 or more years.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Great tune, but the tacked on ending just seems like "Well, we had another song that we didn't know what to do with it, so we'll just stick it here at the end of this song."  Kinda like Stone in Love.

[Unlegit]

First half of the song is blistering. Second half goes on too long, but it's still nice.

[DebraKadabra]

Derek & the Dominos - Layla

Great song, and I guess from reading the posts so far that I'm one of the few here who don't mind the coda.

[Pols Voice]

I think I might like the second part of the song better than the first.

But I actually prefer the acoustic version overall. DEAL WITH IT

[DebraKadabra]

The unplugged version is pretty damn hip.

[Jaq]

Derek & the Dominos - Layla

Great song, and I guess from reading the posts so far that I'm one of the few here who don't mind the coda.

You're not alone! The coda is better than the actual song, if you ask me.

[Zydar]

Derek & the Dominos - Layla

Great song, and I guess from reading the posts so far that I'm one of the few here who don't mind the coda.

You're not alone! The coda is better than the actual song, if you ask me.

I agree, the coda is the best part actually. Plus that cool riff in the first half.

[KevShmev]

The Band - The Weight

Undoubtedly a classic, this is a song that seemingly everyone goes nuts over, and I can see why it is still so well-liked, but it never did a lot for me.  I don't dislike it, but it is not a song that I cannot turn off.  And if I do listen to it, once I get past the first chorus, it's like, "Okay, that's enough of that."

[Jaq]

The Band - The Weight

Undoubtedly a classic, this is a song band that seemingly everyone goes nuts over, and I can see why it they are still so well-liked, but it they never did a lot for me. 

When fixed like this, it sums up my thoughts on the Band perfectly. 

[Zydar]

I barely listen to any country, but The Band is the exception to that. Their first two albums are both great, and The Weight is a great song.

[masterthes]

Great song