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The First Three Reviews: 3 Doors Down, .38 Special, AC/DC

February 26, 2008 12:31PM

I have listened to three albums by three bands so far out of my list of 96 bands and I will review them in short paragraphs:

(1)
Band: 3 Doors Down
Bobsmith Genre: Modern Rock
Album: The Better Life (Debut Album)
Impression: Pretty Damn Good

Listening to Three Doors Down is a departure for me, since I usually listen to older prog and older rock in general. However, I bought this album in 2001 at the recommendation of a friend and I have found that it is actually quite good! It is a guitar-based group that bases their songs around riffs, and their lyrics are slightly depressing but no so much so that it brings your mood down. This is a very good album...I don't have any other 3DD albums but if what I've heard on the radio is any indication this debut album might have been their highpoint.

(2)
Band: .38 Special
Bobsmith Genre: Classic Rock
Album: *unknown*
Impression: Pretty darn good

There is no album name listed on the tracks on my computer, so I'm assuming they are from some kind of greatest hits album. I already knew two songs from classic rock radio, the rest were new to me. 38 Special is a southern band but their southern roots don't come out too strongly in these tracks. Incidentally, similarly to 3 Doors Down they are a guitar driven band though they use chord changes more than riffs to move songs along. Also, their lyrics tend to be about (what most band lyrics seem to be about) relationships, and they seem to have a more positive feeling. You can't help but feel good listening to .38 Special.

(3)
Band: AC/DC
Bobsmith Genre: Classic Hard Rock
Album: Highway to Hell
Impression: Not bad

Highway to Hell is the only AC/DC album I own so I cannot gauge whether it is the best/worse or anything like that. I am aware that it's the last album made with their orriginal lead singer before he died and it was followed up with "Back in Black". The album was okay, though I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous two I reviewed. A guitar-based band that uses riffs strongly, their songs seemed a bit to similar to each other and every single one seemed to be about sex. That being said, there is a certian attitude and feeling about this album that you can get into. Additude is, after all, one thing AC/DC is known for. I imagine this is the kind of album that can grow on you in repeat listenings.

More to come later!
--Ian (Bobsmith)

Genesis-Related Album of the Day: Duke

Wowie!

February 24, 2008 07:47PM

I decided to count the number of bands that I have at least one album of presently loaded onto my computer. It turned out there were ninety-six! I knew there were quite a few but this is more than I expected! The number of songs I have by each artist ranges anywhere from 7 to over a hundred (in maybe 5 or 6 cases).

Here they are--feel free to skip the list if you find it borring:

1. 3 Doors Down
2. 38 Special
3. AC/DC
4. Aerosmith
5. The Allman Brothers Band
6. Asia
7. Bad Company
8. The Beatles
9. Beethoven
10. Ben Folds / Ben Folds Five
11. Billy Joel
12. Bob Dylan
13. Bob Seger
14. Bon Jovi
15. Bond
16. Boney James; Rick Braun
17. Boston
18. Bruce Springsteen
19. Bryan Adams
20. Buffalo Springfield
21. The Cars
22. Catch 22
23. Coldplay
24. The Cranberries
25. Cream
26. Creedence Clearwater Revival
27. Crosby, Stills, and Nash
28. Dead Prez
29. Dire Straights
30. Don Henley
31. Elton John
32. Enigma
33. Eric Clapton
34. Foreigner
35. Funkadelic / Parliament / the Parliament Funkadelics
36. Genesis
37. Green Day
38. The Guess Who
39. Harry and the Potters
40. Heart
41. Huey Lewis & the News
42. Ian (Myself)
43. James Brown
44. Janis Joplin
45. Jethro Tull
46. Jimi Hendrix
47. Joao Gilberto; Stan Getz
48. John Denver
49. John Lennon
50. John Melloncamp
51. Johnny Cash
52. Journey
53. LNN
54. Lou Gramm
55. Matchbox Twenty
56. Meat Loaf
57. Mike Rutherford
58. Neil Young
59. Pat Benetar
60. Paul McCartney
61. Paul Simon
62. Pearl Jam
63. Peter Gabriel
64. Phil Collins
65. Phish
66. Pink Floyd
67. The Police
68. Queen
69. Red Hot Chili Peppers
70. Renaissance
71. REO Speedwagon
72. The Rolling Stones
73. Rush
74. Santana
75. Sarah McLachlan
76. The Shins
77. Simon & Garfunkel
78. Sly & the Family Stone
79. Steve Hackett
80. Stevie Knicks
81. Sublime
82. Supertramp
83. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
84. Tony Banks
85. Toxic Audio
86. Traffic
87. Trans-Siberian Orchestra
88. U2
89. US Funk Team
90. Van Halen
91. Weezer
92. Weird Al Yankovich
93. The Who
94. Yes
95. Yngve Guddal & Roger T. Matte
96. Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer

I was really suprised to find a few things--Dead Prez, for one, is a rap group that I forgot that I got from a friend who was into them years back. Some bands such as Pearl Jam I don't remember ever listening to and I'm not sure how I got the music. One band--Catch 22--I have only vaugely heard of (coincidental numbering isn't it?)

I have decided to embark on a project--to reaquiant myself with bands I haven't listened to in a long time, I will listen to at least one album from each of the bands on my list in order. Some bands I might listen to more than one album, some only one and move on. I will take breaks from the list and jump around a bit, but I will come back and continue. It's a daring project but I think I can do it.

I will inform everyone of my progress on this blog...wish me luck.

--Ian (Bobsmith)

Genesis-Related Album of the Day: Calling All Stations

Songwriting

February 23, 2008 08:58PM

I'm looking for a way to turn my songwriting into a carreer if possible. I just posted a message on the Musician's Forum, my first visit to that particular corner of the Genesis Forum. Hopefully I'll learn something!

Anyway, things are going decently otherwise. I'm continuing to work at Target as a Back Room Logistics person. I like the job so far and I think I'll be there a while.

Also, I just got Steve Hackett's "Till We Have Faces" album. I haven't put it in yet, but I will soon!

That's all for today
--Ian (Bobsmith)

Genesis-Related Album of the Day: The Fugitive