Attention Deficit Delirium

Who: Jacoby Shaddix, lead singer for Papa Roach.
What: The Top 5 MP3s in his iPod right now.
Where: Northern California.
Latest Album: Time For Annihilation…On The Record & On The Road



1. THE BEATSTEAKS “Demons Galore” — The meter, the tempo and the aggression behind the track just gets me off.

2. THE PRODIGY “Spitfire” — That’s another song that gets me pumped up before the rock show. I like that band.

3. HARD-FI “Middle Eastern Holiday” — They’re kind of like a new version of the Clash. They’re from the UK, they’re badass. They’ve just got that grimy attitude with a little dance raga sound to it.

4. WEEZER “Troublemaker” — That’s me and my son’s theme song when we’re together. It’s the jam. He just jams out in the back of the car every time when I’m playing it. It’s cute.

5. SOCIAL DISTORTION “Highway 101″ — That’s just a put-the-top-down, cruising type song. I think Mike Ness is a great storyteller. If you break it down, they are one of the most influential punk rock bands.


Live versions of Jacoby’s picks: The Beatsteaks, The Prodigy, Hard-Fi, Weezer and Social Distortion.



Other Digital Playlists:

Chuck Billy




Hansi Kürsch




Floor Jansen




Clint Lowery





One of my favorite Eighties fantasy movies — okay, really one of my favorite ever — is the sword ‘n’ sorcery spectacle that is Krull. Released in the summer of 1983, amid the frenzied activity of both the post-Conan fantasy boom and the Stars Wars-inspired sci-fi wave, this was an over-the-top cinematic epic that combined Errol Flynn-like swashbuckling with (then) modern sci-fi/fantasy action, storytelling and effects. It was also rather tongue-in-cheek, featured future stars Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane, had some fantastic, surrealist set design in the Black Fortress and offered up a stirring score by James Horner. And let’s not forget the Glaive, that flying, five-pointed, bladed weapon with intense laser power that was a driving gimmick in the story.

La-La Land Records recently reissued the Krull soundtrack in a limited edition, two-disc version, and it is essential for any fan of the film. Despite some people today deriding this movie as cheesy, it is a hell of a lot of fun, and part of that is due to Horner’s rousing compositions. At the time the composer was still a relative newcomer to the Hollywood scene, although he had already written and conducted the scores for Wolfen, The Hand, 48 Hrs. and Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. We now know him as the man responsible for the music in Titanic, Avatar, Aliens and Field Of Dreams, among many others.

Following is a montage of Krull clips set to some of the score. (Admittedly it uses key scenes, so proceed with caution. You could also simply listen.) Experience the power of the Glaive and the majesty of a young James Horner!






GUEST BLOGGER: GAIL FLUG



Long before the Internet, downloading and file sharing, a new release from a popular band was exciting and met with great anticipation. I have fond memories of my parents bringing home the Beatles’ Abbey Road and listening to it for the first time in my brother’s bedroom. (Not sure if it was the exact day it came out, but I’m sure it was close. My folks were good that way.) Throughout my teen years and beyond, music remained a major part of my life, and I would badger local record stores every day to ensure that I bought a new album within days of its release. Even when I started getting advance copies of releases — a perk of being a journalist — it was still a thrill to crack open an album jacket or jewel case from a band I loved.

But now that music and other entertainment have gone digital, a great part of that pleasure is missing. Although it is quite amazing that downloading allows music and video to be available instantly at our fingertips, am I showing my age by thinking that listening to this format alone de-values music? Do people who are truly passionate about music feel that files on an iPod are the equivalent of owning a piece of vinyl or a CD?

Proof positive I am not alone in this way of thinking: I was among the many Iron Maiden fans that attended a “Two Minutes To Midnight” Sale at Looney Tunes in West Babylon, New York last week to purchase the band’s new album The Final Frontier as soon as it was available to the public. The ages of those online (in the store, not on their PC) ran from old school fans like me who have been following them for decades, to those in their late teens and twenty somethings who likely discovered the band from their parents’ collections, YouTube or elsewhere. I’m sure there would have been teens and even tweens there if the event weren’t happening so late. (The band’s recent Madison Square Garden show was attended by generations of fans.) Most customers at Looney Tunes purchased the album in at least two if not all of the formats — regular CD, deluxe CD and a double-disc vinyl set — resulting in over 50 sales in less than an hour. According to store manager John Ramacca, it was expected that several hundreds more would be sold by week’s end in addition to back-catalog and other Maiden-related merchandise. (Store owner Karl Groeger later reported that the store sold over 300 CDs total for the week, plus vinyl sales. “Digital who?” he quipped. The album ultimately debuted at #4 in America, Maiden’s highest chart position in America ever.)

Despite what the industry believes, there are still people out there that want to purchase music in a format they can have and hold in their hands. A prime example is Capitol Records underestimating the popularity of the re-mastered Beatles box sets. The marketing concept was brilliant: a Wednesday release on 9-09-09, the same day as The Beatles Rock Band video game. Months and months of advertising and promotion preceded the date, which was circled on fans’ calendars around the world, yet Capitol failed to believe that the biggest band in the universe would generate sales. They produced only 10,000 copies of the in-demand Mono box — when Amazon.com ordered 40,000 alone — and the Stereo box sold out at most chains in hours. It wasn’t a matter that stores didn’t order it; major chains received copies in the double digitals at most while, according to John, independent stores like Looney Tunes were not even sure they were getting any until they actually arrived. Fortunately, Capitol announced prior to the 9-09-09 release that they would produce more of both box sets and harmony was restored in Pepperland.

Music sales are indeed down from years past — yes, in part due to illegal downloading — but today there is more competition for consumers’ dollars for entertainment. Video games, iPhones, overpriced concert tickets, cutting-edge gadgets and even gourmet coffee habits have taken a share of the cut. At the same time, according to Soundscan, sales for vinyl — the ultimate opposite of digital technology — are up 33% from 1.8 million in 2008 to 2.5 million last year. That’s still a niche market, but ultimately for a majority of people, the tangible music formats of vinyl and CD are still the desired formats as they provide packaging, superb sound quality and a sense of permanence. Many digital music files offer substandard audio, and all of them are only as safe as the device they are stored on. Like email, they can be deleted with the touch of a keystroke. And listening to an iPod in less than optimal conditions does not do many songs justice.

As someone who loves music and still owns and treasures the first record they owned, I’m glad younger generations are learning that what may become the soundtrack to their lives should be more than a series of zeros and ones on a machine that fits in their back pocket.


Related Posts:

Iron Maiden’s Janick Gers Talks Festivals, Fish and The Final Frontier




Hallowed Be Thy Harp: Maiden Gone Acoustic




Iron Maiden Meets Monty Python





Who: Hansi Kürsch, singer for Blind Guardian.
What: The Top 5 MP3s in his iPod right now.
Where: Germany.
Latest Album: At The Edge Of Time.



1. MICHAEL JACKSON “Man In The Mirror” — It’s painful enough, but I have to confess that ever since he passed away I listen a lot to Michael Jackson. It’s an amazing song, and Michael Jackson was an amazing artist. He really had the ability to intermingle different styles of music, and I’m always impressed to hear how much rock music he had in his early songs.

2. KISS “I Stole Your Love” — I have memories of this song as well. I was supposed to perform it one day with Sodom in 1992, but I didn’t make it to the stage. I just remembered that the other day during an interview because someone brought it to my attention. I was supposed to sing on “I Stole Your Love” when they had an anniversary show, and we were partying a lot on that day, so when I got to the stage I was a little shaky already. I got on stage and fell off immediately. That’s a special song for me, and my son likes KISS so much.

3. NEVERMORE “Your Poison Throne” — I’m a really big Nevermore fan, and I enjoyed their last album. I know some people in Germany complained about it, but as with all the other albums that they have done before I think they did outstanding stuff. They really impress me. They have their own style and are very individual, and I appreciate that.

4. IRON MAIDEN “Hallowed Be Thy Name” — They just released a new album, and I saw them play recently. They played too much of the new stuff. I don’t have a problem with the new stuff, but especially in a live situation I appreciate hearing the old stuff, which is why I’m choosing that one.

5. RORY GALLAGHER “Wayward Child” — I think he is one of the best guitarists, and I like his way of transforming from a pure Irish folk-blues guitarist into a more rock-ish blues guitarist. I like his later stuff.


Live versions of Hansi’s picks: Michael Jackson, KISS, Nevermore, Iron Maiden and Rory Gallagher.


Related Links:

Iron Maiden’s Janick Gers Talks Festivals, Fish and The Final Frontier




Other Digital Playlists