ROCK Classics that you should not miss

[V_S]

Thanks Bala for your honest comments. Somehow they got into me since my college years and found them very interesting, especially their first four albums. Please listen to Rock of Ages and Pour Sugar on me, in case you have not, I felt they did their best in those soundtracks.

Thanks Dilbert, grouch and Bala for your picks, especially the Dire Straits and U2. Really enjoyed each one of them.

My pick for today is The Spirit of Radio by Rush. One of my dearest song. More of progressive rock. This was released in 1980, but I discovered in late 80s through my friends at college. Guitar literally speaks throughout. With the hard guitar at the background very soft vocal gives a tremendous contrast. From 3:50 the song takes a different direction only to come back and again go away. Tremendous change of scales there. Another big relief is the song is not based on love which is mostly the case. More than the tune, the lyrics in this song was appreciated by everyone that time. It was way way ahead of its time and reflects even today's scenario. Glittering prizes and endless compromises shatter the illusion of integrity. Wow! what a line! Few lines here:

All this machinery making modern music
Can still be open hearted Not so coldly charted
It's really just a question of your honesty, yeah your honesty
One likes to believe in the freedom of music
But glittering prizes and endless compromises
Shatter the illusion of integrity

For the words of the prophets were written on the studio wall, concert hall
And echoes with the sounds of salesman

[groucho070]

Good one, V_S, Rush is one of those tolerable prog rock groups (actually prog rock enakku AgAthu, except for Rush, Peter Gabriel era Genesis)

[Bala (Karthik)]

V_S Sir
What a coincidence! Whenever i do an all-nighter, i invariably listen to "Spirit Of Radio" to usher in the 'morning' ( ) and last night was one. I just listened to this song an hour or so back!
Moreover, i had posted this song in the song of the day thread a few months back, with the lyrics. The part you have quoted is my favorite too

P.S: "Pour some sugar on me" exemplifies the problem i have with DL. I guess we should A2D on that one

[Bala (Karthik)]

King Crimson anyone? (was having a long conversation with KV on meesic. Rock, Raasa, Rahman etc...) I only remember one track of theirs "21st century schizoid"

[groucho070]

Not familiar, Bala. Care to introduce/share some tracks?

[Bala (Karthik)]

College tayathula maarkkama irukkumbodhu kekkaradhu dhaan, not fully into their works. I remember only this (Remba ellaam edhirppaarkka vendaam, btw):

http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct...96PbrN8UXvltMg

[groucho070]

Thanks, nalla irukku. Listening to other tracks linked there.

[Bala (Karthik)]

Unable to post videos now. I'll just list some songs (theme 90s)

90s was an interesting time for rock. Appo dhaan DD la daily 2 avEzhs MTV podra scheme kondu vandhaanga and then the Star TV cable revolution happened (it was still Music Television and not the Bollywood shit channel it is today in India). And rock was alive and kicking then
Malarum ninaivugal. Some songs i liked during the period:
"Black holed sun" - Sound Garden
"Basket Case" - Green Day (ippo kappi thanama irukku)
"Interstate love song" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Gel", "December", "Shine" - Collective Soul
"Free as a bird" - The Bealtes (remastered)
One song by Smashing Pumpkins, can't recollect the name
"Bang and Blame", "Everybody Hurts" - REM


One song i revisit even now is "No Rain" from Blind Melon. What a delightful track. Strongly recommended for everyone here.

[groucho070]

90s-la-thAn, nan pinnAla pOga arambichEn, checking out the 60s and 70s scene, and whichever bands I left out in the 80s (not only rock, but also our TFI songs) So, I totally skipped the 90s

[V_S]

King Crimson was good, but more of instruments than the vocals. But amazing work by the guitarists. Hearing for the first time. Thanks Bala. Good to know that you also listened to Spirit of the Radio last night. Exactly those kind of songs were excellent companions during night-out studies and exam times. I too loved to watch MTV those days during DD days and also during the start of cable TV days. I remember watching almost 5 to 6 hours continuously (at my friend's house) and noting down the songs for recording. Was also crazy about Grammy awards telecast right from my college years till late 90s. Unforgettable days!

90s was an interesting time for rock. Appo dhaan DD la daily 2 avEzhs MTV podra scheme kondu vandhaanga and then the Star TV cable revolution happened (it was still Music Television and not the Bollywood shit channel it is today in India). And rock was alive and kicking then
Malarum ninaivugal. Some songs i liked during the period:
"Black holed sun" - Sound Garden
"Basket Case" - Green Day (ippo kappi thanama irukku)
"Interstate love song" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Gel", "December", "Shine" - Collective Soul
"Free as a bird" - The Bealtes (remastered)
One song by Smashing Pumpkins, can't recollect the name
"Bang and Blame", "Everybody Hurts" - REM

One song i revisit even now is "No Rain" from Blind Melon. What a delightful track. Strongly recommended for everyone here.

Very good list. I heard few from this list; Sound Garden, Smashing Pumpkins (is it Bullet with Butterfly wings? I like that very much), and of course REM and Beatles. Beatles, I have almost their entire collection. I came to know about Sound Garden only in mid 90s. Just now listening to 'No Rain' and others. 'No Rain' was interesting and the video was very good too. After late 90s/early 2000s I never updated myself and slowly lost interest in western contemporary music, as I tend to see many repetitions and unimpressive performances. They say Rock music (not the rock and roll) was best in 60s and 70s. Rock music was also slowly coming down by late 80s and 90s. The recent western soundtrack I listened many times was 'Songs About Jane' (2002) by Maroon 5. Since the benchmark set by those legends in 60s/70s/80s/90s could not be broken by others. May be it has to do with my taste too. When I rediscovered the same thing happening in our film industry, could not appreciate much. Oru salippu vanthiruchu, unless the tune is new and fresh (despite any brilliant stuff they show in orchestration) with no hint of western tune and singing. That's why I go back often to 30s/40s/50s to discover the forgotten western classics.