Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Tiger Woods’ latest “apology”, why America doesn’t care about Wladimir Klitschko, or the countdown to opening day, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
In the last few years, a lot of music artists have told stories that went a little something like this: “These kids came up to me and said that they never heard of the band until Guitar Hero III. They dug our music in the game, went out and bought our CD, and now they’re coming to our shows. It’s amazing!”
My friend Paul and I were talking about this the other day and couldn’t come up with a similar situation from our experiences. I guess the closest I can get to it is “Godzilla” by Blue Oyster Cult. I’ve heard of the band and enjoyed some of their music, but I’ve never heard that particular song (which is odd, because I was a huge Godzilla mark as a kid). I heard it in the game and loved it!
Today I wanted to see if there are any songs, bands, or solo artists that you’ve come to love thanks to music games. Share your stories in the comments section (please)!
The Killers, Im pretty sure it was on GH3
HE DOESN'T LOOK A THING LIKE JESUS
BUT HE TALKS LIKE A GENTLEMAN
LIKE YOU IMAGINED WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG
Sorry I just really love that song and album, it is named Sams Town.
I haven't played any of the GH or RB games since GH2.
@ ICEMAN
I second that song by Dragonforce
@ Mr. Shade
Did you do the review yet?
Dragonforce blows. Listen to them try and perform live….they are a studio band of studio bands.
No, but they usually remind me of the songs and bands I grew up listening to. Until Beatles Rock Band, I didn't know that certain songs I knew where theirs.
@rpad
I'm harsh on him because he hasn't fought anyone. He may be fundamentally sound but he's nowhere near the skills to be challenging a Klitchsko. The Heavyweight division is soooo soft now. I don't think it will ever get back to it's glory. :(
@big blak
is there any more details of his cheating left? I think TMZ has uncovered it all or maybe Tiger uncovered it all. Interesting theory but I don't think a man that famous would want to tear apart his home like that. I know i wouldn't.
@big 3lak
I have no musical talent and I could be a studio band. Record…re-record, mix…speed up guitar solos, add voice effects. I feel the same way about Godsmack. I saw them live and they were horrible.
Then I see someone like Dick Dale who is 72 now and rocks his ass off without any help. (if you have never heard of him then look him up on youtube and listen to Nitro and Misirlou, ahead of his time man)
@rpad
That's what i'm saying! The Klitchsko's are greedy, mainly Wvladmir, it's bad enough their dominating our Heavyweight division but they have to poach our women too! I can't wait to see the Matrix Dirrell fight this weekend against Abraham. I hope he doesn't get robbed again.
@tokz_21 I still think you're being too tough on Chambers. He had a close fight with Povetkin, beat Sam Peter, beat Calvin Brock, and beat Dominick Guinn. As far as the second tier of heavyweights, I'd rank him #2 behind Povetkin.
@rpad
Maybe i was too harsh saying he was a bum but he and every heavyweight boxer in the U.S. will never take out the Klitchsko's. I don't think it's because they don't have the talent but i think it's that they're not dedicated as much. I hate lazy fighters. If you can't rise to the occasion of at least giving a competitive fight for a heavyweight title that's a poor performance. Wladimir could've taken him out whenever he wanted.
@ Mr. Guy
Will do!
I fell in love with that Coheed and Cambria song on Rock Band 1. I forget the name of it.
@Big Blak
I like the Killers too. The name of that song you're talking about is "when we were young".
I always liked the song but in RB Radiohead's Creep is a blast to sing…..she runs runs runs ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuns
@ topic
I struggled to play any of the music games (as most of you know), but when I did, I knew all those songs already. Granted, in every band I've been in I've been somewhat the historian of the group. Some folks would know stuff i didn't, but I always did my best to pick their brain and learn what they knew. More often than not, they wouldn't do the same with me.
I can talk music for years straight. I've introduced countless people to bands they never knew existed. That's just how I've rolled my whole life. When I was a kid, I hung out at the record stores alot. I would just stay there for hours looking at records and absorbing as much about every artist that I could. Then my dad was a musician and introduced me to most of the blues and jazz I know of.
I get pretty deep with it, but I try like hell to keep my horizons as wide as possible. People that only really listen to one style of music will dig up crazy bands that I never heard of because they get deeper while I remain wide (if that makes sense).
@N8R
Waiting for you to bite. Eventhough you are a musician it does not make my opinions wrong. They are a horrible band to see live, but they are great in a studio. A great sound engineer goes a long way in making them sound better than what they actually are.
I have seen plenty of musicians perform live and know when I hear a band that only sounds good on an album as opposed to actually sounding good live. Ignore the different qualities of sound engineers at various venues…good bands are just good no matter what.
Dragonforce, good on an album but sound horrible live
Van Halen, good on an album, sound bad live
ACDC sound good both ways
Joe Satriani sounds good on both
You stick by what you know from being a musician, I'll stick by what I know by being a fan. There are two sides to this.
By studio band I meant a band that only sounds good in a studio and stinks it up live.
I'd like to add The Cult. They sound great on an album, at an outside venue (VooDoo Fest) or a college bar. Fun times.
Well I have played Bulls on Parade too many times to count. But as far as songs I have come to like because of GH are "Helicopter" by Bloc Party, "Reptilia" by The Strokes.
Many other songs that are on the games that I play the most are usually because I liked them before the games came out and just like to pretend that I am actually capable of playing those songs for real.
@N8R
I'm curious, I'm sure you know who Nightwish is, what do you think of that style of playing? I have a talented friend from Sweden who introduced me to them years ago.
@Smartguy Which version of Van Halen are you talking about? I've seen a few and the results vary.
@Ray
Cherone (sp?) and Roth. Sammy actually sounded good when I saw them together. Sammy also sounds good on his own. I caught his show at HoB many years ago.
@ Smartguy
I never said your opinion of Dragonforce was wrong… in fact I agree. I'm saying you can't do what they do by your own omissions. That's what I was getting at.
Also, you kind of have to be a fan before you become a musician. Sure, doing it broadens your perspective, but that doesn't make an opinion better than any other. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one, they typically stink, and some people eat them.
As for Van Halen… I've seen videos from back in the Roth days… they kicked ass. Once the drugs took over, they went down hill. Hagar was always more of consistent performer, I just didn't like the songs as much from that era. They've sucked ever since. (my opinion)
@ bsukenyan
I actually hadn't heard of them until you said something, but I'm listening to them now. They seem like a cross between Evanessece (sp?) and Muse. It's still to early for me to form a fair opinion, but so far I'm feeling like watching the Neverending Story.
@N8R
I really enjoyed seeing Hagar and the Waboritas at House of Blues years ago. It was almost as fun as seeing Danzig there lol.
I really need to learn to like "newer" music.
@ Smartguy
Yeah, I like Hagar better outside of Van Halen too.
Did you know they kicked out Michael Anthony for playing a few shows with Hagar? They called their band "The Other Half" as in Van Halen (Eddie and Alex) and The Other Half.
I thought it was hilarious.
@ Smartguy
And… I've seen Danzig 3 (almost 4) times. The first time I saw them was when How the Gods Kill came out with the original lineup.
I say almost 4 because I had tickets to the tour he did the Samhain reunion but Glenn caught the flu and canceled his Pittsburgh dates. I was pissed.
@N8R
I got to see him once. It was a neat show…but I was shocked at how small the guy is. He looks like he is huge on his album covers and stuff…but in person…he's a shrimp.
I have bought 4 tickets (each a different show) to see The Cult…I have seen them once.
as a mediocre guitarist, i can say that n8r hit it on the proverbial head when he suggested that studio musicians are the cream of the crop
studio gangstas are mark ass bustas though
vai
malmsteim
satriani
3 of the best guitarists on the planet earth…can you name one song by them? I cant
Devil's Slide is perhaps my favorite Satch tune.
don’t tell anyone but it’s made me like Sting and the Police even more.
@tiger
Why does anyone care what this man does with his life still. He doesn’t owe us anything for entertaining us with his golf skills!
@Wvladimir klitschko
I hate him because he’s nailing Hayden Panettiere! I mean because he doesn’t fight in the U.S. and he carried a bum like Chambers into the 12th round.
@rpad
Did you catch the TNA ppv? I was out but from what i’m reading online; it was just as horrible as the Monday shows. I think this is the beginning of the end.
“Through the Fire and the Flames” by Dragonforce. I love old-school heavy metal, but am too lazy to go out and discover it on my own (since there is a lot of crap out there). In addition, Miami isn’t really too well known for it’s hard rock… shocking, I know.
Since GH3, I’ve been ablet to get the entrie Inhuman Rampage CD and I’ll probably expand into getting their other albums.
Other notable songs that I’ve fallen in love with because of GH:
– Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band
– Surrender by Cheap Trick
– Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
– Cliffs of Dover by Eric Johnson
I’m curious to know what N8’s take on this is, being the buddying musician he is.
-M
@ Smartguy
Funny story about the first time I saw Danzig (and yeah, he is pretty short).
My brother was about 15 when we went to see him and we fought our way to the front. Glenn was slapping hands with people in the front the whole show. When he got to my brother, my brother tried to take one of those fingerless gauntlets he wears with the Danzig skull on it… Glenn straight up punched him in the face. That's right, Glenn Danzig punched a 15 year old kid in the face.
My brother thought it was awesome. He was bragging for weeks about how he got punched by Danzig.
I bought tickets to see Chuck Berry twice and he canceled both times. The first time I saw the Four Tops instead and the second I saw Link Wray instead (old school rockabilly dude… couldn't work his gear at all. He actually bent over and pressed his channel select foot switch a few times.)
@ Thundercracker
I know Vai was in Whitesnake and did the guitars in that Ralph Macchio movie Crossroads along with Ry Cooder, but that's about it for him.
Yngwie is a beast, I actually got to meet that guy at NAMM a few years back. Again, can't name a song.
Satriani… same deal. Can't do it.
@N8R
That's pretty cool…and wrong on so many levels. WTF was your bro thinking ? lol
You don't know any Satch songs? Wow. Summer Song..Satch Boogie, Devil's Slide, Surfing with the Alien…etc. I'm a big fan though.
@Tokz
I think he is doing that on purpose. Think about it, how else does the worlds most popular athlete make himself even more famous and interesting after he cheated (not that I care), by not giving any details. The less we know the more we want to know. Hes no dummy. Thats my theory at least.
@Big Blak: I beat it at about 11pm last night. I’ll be writing it tonight when I get home from “work.”
@tokz_21 You’re pretty harsh on “Fast” Eddie. He’s a really good fighter, but Klitschko is on another level. I didn’t catch the TNA PPV…mostly due to a lack of interest. The dirt sheets are tearing it up.
@ Mr. Shade
Great man I cant wait to read!
@ Smartguy
Lol maybe back in the day they could, and whats wrong with studio bands? From what I understand they just want to control the product as much as possible.
@Sandrock323 That’s interesting. What Beatles songs?
@tokz_21 Well, who is there to fight in the heavyweight division? You basically have the Klitschkos…and everyone else.
@rpad
Peter is a quitter, Chambers should’ve beat him. He was outshape and shattered.
Povetkin i’ll give you that one but Calvin Brock was pretty much defeated after his loss to Wladimir. Guinn was already on the downside of his career Chambers should’ve beaten him too.
@tokz_21 I still don’t see how he’s a “bum”. He’s good, but not great.
@ Mr. Tokz
I don’t think his intention was to get caught BUT he did, and thats when my theory comes to play.
@R-Pad
To be honest, I still can’t name any. I was just saying that I recognized some of their songs as ones I had heard before, but never knew the names of.
Honestly RB has actually made me hate songs that I used to like. I gave the RB set to a friend and his 4 kids for christmas and when I go over there they have me sing because I can get most of it (I suck at the drums) but songs like Go With The Flow & Should I Stay or Should I Go I can’t get and never want to hear them anymore.
Is R.E.M.’s Its the End of the World As We Know It on and of these music games? That would be cool.
@ Smartguy
-“I have no musical talent and I could be a studio band.”-
No you couldn’t. Consider this a challenge. Even mixing pre-recorded loops take a small degree of talent.
As for studio bands (you may mean something else), those guys are he cream of the crop. You have to be insanely talented or else your wasting the studio’s money. The studio wants to throw you the sheet music and have you play it perfectly in one take. Most musicians I know can’t do that.
If your talking about OWNING your own studio and just farting out dischords in whatever time you have, that’s a very bad recording artist. Even then, you’re testing your own patience and you have to sell it. If you record it and can’t sell it, it may as well have never been done. All you did was waste your time.
Consider this a challenge… good luck with that.
@Smartguy Old Roth or young Roth? Cherone peaked with Extreme. In my opinion, Hagar was always better as a live performer than a studio performer.
@Ray
Old. Diamond Dave proved he couldn’t sing even when he got older.
@ Smartguy
What can I say… we were pretty bad kids.
I’m still a huge Misfits fan and silently pray to the rock gods daily for Glenn and Jerry to put their differences aside and just do one tour. There is nothing that would stop me from going to that show… maybe a few different dates since I’m in SoCal now.
Thanks, Thundercracker.
-M
@ Those of you who are fans of good music;
I am going to play devils’ advocate here and let you know what you’ve been missing out on for the past year:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1926914
Miami is, after all, a hub of shallow, superficial music and I would like to share with everyone just how interchangeably generic it is. Two scary things to note:
1- The bastardized mutation that is this song actually sounds better than any of the separate, individual songs it’s comprised of.
2- If you listen to this crap enough times, you actually begin to like it. It’s almost like a pop-brainwashing thing.
-M
@iceman
great find dude, i posted that to my facebook
i love how you worded your post as well, well done