Reviews Supplemental

11 Jan 2015: Tier 4
Albums I've already reviewed:
The Police/"Synchronicity" (1983)
Ratt/"Out of the Cellar" (1984)

Tier four had some great moments. Three, actually. Synchronicity II was a brilliant choice, as was Round and Round and Round. As for the rest, well

11 Jan 2015: The Romantics/"The Romantics" (1979)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/04/julio-and-case-of-missing-seventh-son.html

1979?! WHAT IS THIS GARBAGE

What I Like About You is garbage. This album is garbage. This band is garbage. It's 100% the guy's voice. The faux-Asian mess he calls a voice.

The Romantics
The Romantis
The Romants
The Romans
!

11 Jan 2015: Krokus/"The Blitz" (1984)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/04/julio-and-case-of-missing-case-by-case.html

I liked the cover of Krokus's cover of Ballroom Blitz in RT80s. As a side note, I wish Neversoft had continued to call non-main series GH games "encores". I liked that a lot.
I hated the other Krokus song I've heard, Long Stick Goes Boom, which was in GTA Vice City Stories.

I expected to hate this, but I actually enjoyed it. If the guy's voice was any worse, I'd hate it, though.

21 Jan 2015: Tier 4 and Tier 5
Albums I've already reviewed:
Poison/"Open Up and Say Ahh" (1988)
Billy Squier/"Don't Say No" (1981)
Iron Maiden/"Killers" (1981)

The fifth tier of RT80s has two great songs, two okay songs, and one Godawful cover of a great song. The cover of Lonely is the Night is the worst thing Wavegroup could ever have done.

21 Jan 2015: Oingo Boingo/"Only a Lad" (1981)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/04/julio-and-case-of-missing-poolio-by.html

OH BOY THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE AWFUL
The first song is about paedophilia. Nice. Great. Super-amazing. Love it. Totally. Wow.

There's also a horrible cover of You Really Got Me. I barely recognised it.
The Wavegroup cover of Only a Lad was better than the original by a wide fucking margin.

BAD ALBUM

12 Jan 2015: Faster Pussycat/"Faster Pussycat" (1987)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/04/julio-and-case-of-missing-jewelio-by.html

Wavegroup's Bathroom Wall is also better.

This album is bad. It has no redeeming qualities at all.

13 Jan 2015: Tier 5 and Tier 6
Albums I've already reviewed:
Judas Priest/"Screaming for Vengeance" (1982)
Dead Kennedys/"Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" (1980)
Winger/"Winger" (1988)
Extreme/"Extreme" (1989)

Tier six is pretty fucking sweet. Unlike GH2's tier eight, it's all good. Even if Police Truck was way too easy, you've still got four good songs and a really cheesy one.

15 Jan 2015: X/"Los Angeles" (1980)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/04/julio-and-case-of-missing-thirty-first.html

I also could have done this for THUG2. I didn't, because the title track isn't great.

Your Phone's Off the Hook, but You're Not is a cool song title, if nothing else.

"I have no musical talent, but I own a guitar and don't want to get a real job," thought John Doe. "I know! I'll start a punk rock band!"

13 Jan 2015: Anthrax/"Among the Living" (1987)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-puzzle-piece.html

Metallica are a good band, Megadeth are a great band, and Slayer are 3br00tal5me. This leaves Anthrax, who are just cheesy. They have one legitimately good song, which is only good because of Public Enemy.
I can't take this seriously. The vocals and lyrics just can't be taken seriously.

Tomorrow, I'll start GH1. But for now:

14 Jan 2015: System of a Down/"Mesmerise" (2005)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-fjords-by.html

Toxicity was great, so I went ahead. I don't know how they'll follow it up, but I'm interested to find out.
How the fuck do SOAD think they'll be taken seriously when their music sounds like this? And with lines like "why don't presidents fight in wars"? I mean, wow, that is a fucking stupid question that I'd expect to be posed by a stupid, idealistic college student, not someone who was nearly forty.

This album isn't anywhere near as good as Toxicity. It lacks the absolute "what the fuck" of Toxicity.

14 Jan 2015: Silversun Pickups/"Pikul" (2005)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-gourds-by.html

Do you like my flavours of the month? I sure do.
It's just like all their other music. It's a 3.5, like always.

ALL THE SONGS FROM GUITAR HERO 1

15 Jan 2015: Tier 1
Albums I've already reviewed:
Deep Purple/"Machine Head" (1972)
Bad Religion/"Stranger Than Fiction" (1994)

Let me just say: there are only six albums I haven't reviewed from this game, and half are in the first tier.
The first tier of GH1 isn't great. The best song is Infected. Smoke on the Water is utter garbage, and I'm pretty sure they fucked up the solo.

15 Jan 2015: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts/"I Love Rock and Roll" (1981)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-way-by-away.html

I Love Rock and Roll was a pretty good first song for the entire Guitar Hero series. I'd have reviewed this album already, but Bad Reputation was mediocre at best.


HOW TO CONSTRUCT AN ALBUM (A GUIDE BY JOAN JETT)
1: Make one good song
2: Record fucking whatever for nine tracks
3: ????
4: You know the rest

15 Jan 2015: Ramones/"Road to Ruin" (1978)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-title-by-tidal.html

I Wanna be Sedated was probably the best choice they could have gone with. Much better than Blitzkrieg Bop. I don't think Harmonix would have gone with something like I Wanna Live or Rockaway Beach, but whatever.

This album is chock-full of lethargy. It's actually impressive. Still better than the debut.

16 Jan 2015: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3
Albums I've already reviewed:
Black Sabbath/"Paranoid" (1970)
Boston/"Boston" (1976)
Judas Priest/"Screaming for Vengeance" (1982)
Franz Ferdinand/"Franz Ferdinand" (2004)
ZZ Top/"Eliminator" (1983)

Queen/"Sheer Heart Attack" (1974)
Incubus/"Make Yourself" (1999)
Burning Brides/"Leave No Ashes" (2004)
Megadeth/"Countdown to Extinction" (1992)

The second tier is absolutely great. You've Got Another Thing Coming is the low point, which isn't bad at all.
The third tier is let down by a sub-par Incubus song and a song title that makes your first thought "PINK FLOYD".

16 Jan 2015: White Zombie/"La Sexorcisto" (1992)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-wake-by.html

Thankfully, both Thunder Kiss '65 and Black Sunshine are on this album. So I don't have to redo it when I do GH3 next. Sweeten the ride and shit.

It opens with a song called Planet Motherfucker. No comment.
The GH3 cover of Black Sunshine is better than the original. Think about that for a moment.

Is it just me or does every song have the same opening riff?
IN FACT
EVERY SONG SOUNDS ALIKE
GREAT JOB
It's not bad, it's just monotonous.

16 Jan 2015: The Exies/"Head for the Door" (2004)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-ness-by-ness.html

How did they choose this? Did they click "random article" on Wikipedia until they got a band?

I say that, but I've heard the first song about a million times.
Hey You is A LOT better than the GH1 cover would make you think.

It's generic post-millenium grunge, but it's not bad. It's actually great compared to the band's peers. Except Tired of You, which is the most boring, generic ballad ever.

17 Jan 2015: Tier 4, Tier 5, Tier 6
Albums I've already reviewed:
David Bowie/"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (1972)
Audioslave/"Audioslave" (2002)
Helmet/"Meantime" (1992)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience/"Axis: Bold as Love" (1967)
Red Hot Chili Peppers/"Mother's Milk" (1989)
Queens of the Stone Age/"Songs for the Deaf" (2002)
Motorhead/"Ace of Spades" (1980)
Cream/"Wheels of Fire" (1968)

Blue Oyster Cult/"Spectres" (1977)
Stevie Ray Vaughan/"Texas Flood" (1983)
The Edgar Winter Group/"They Only Come Out at Night" (1972)
Pantera/"Cowboys from Hell" (1990)
Ozzy Osbourne/"Bark at the Moon" (1983)

The fourth tier is decent. None of the songs are bad, really. It's just outshadowed by the fifth and sixth tiers, which are absolutely brilliant.

17 Jan 2015: Sum 41/"All Killer, No Filler" (2001)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-artist_10.html

Despite the title's "No Filler" claim, the very first track is a filler intro. YOU HAD ONE JOB

This album contains both Fat Lip from GH1 and In Too Deep from LEGO Rock Band. I like Fat Lip, and In Too Deep is okay. The rest? Too much filler, not enough killer.

17 Jan 2015: The Donnas/"Spend the Night" (2002)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-mother-by.html

Generic, not noteworthy in the slightest.


5,000th post was the fat lip review
1,500th rym rating was this one

fucking milestones

GH3 tomorrow. TODAY HOWEVER

18 Jan 2014: The Reverend Horton Heat/"The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of The Reverend Horton Heat" (1993)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-mister-by.html

Like I said before, please don't judge this band on Psychobilly Freakout alone.
The biggest problem with reviewing music I like (but don't love) is that I don't have much to say about it. It's got guitars, vocals, drums, holy shit. That's too many instruments. Calm down.

With song titles like Wiggle Stick and Nurture My Pig, how can you go wrong? note: Nurture My Pig isn't very good

18 Jan 2015: Bodyjar/"How it Works" (2000)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-independence.html

Barely didn't make the cut when I was reviewing Tony Hawk albums. Not the Same is one of the best THPS songs, but I wasn't too sure this whole album would be any good.

I was wrong, though. It's a very solid album. Nothing is as good as Not the Same, but I can't say I expected any different. The rest is really good "NOT TRU PUNX" music.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

19 Jan 2015: Tier One
Albums I've already reviewed:
Foghat/"Fool for the City" (1975)
Poison/"Look What the Cat Dragged In" (1986)
KISS/"Alive!" (1975)

A significant decrease in difficulty from GH2's first tier, and also a decrease in quality. Slow Ride is kind of annoying, and the other two are just okay.
I really don't get the decrease in difficulty in the first half of the game (like, the first three-and-a-half tiers are easier than GH2's first tier) when they already decreased the difficulty with the retarded note timing. CASUALISATION

19 Jan 2015: Pat Benatar/"Crimes of Passion" (1980)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-animal-cage.html

Hit Me with Your Best Shot was a poor choice for GH3. It's just kind of there, really. It's not a bad song, but it's lacking the whole "guitar" thing. Like, the whole point of the game. They should have gone for Heartbreaker, which at least has that guitar solo.

This album isn't great. It doesn't have any great songs, but it also doesn't have any bad songs, aside from I DO I DO I DO I DO I DO. It's just kind of middling in all respects.

19 Jan 2015: Social Distortion/"Social Distortion" (1990)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-julions-by.html

Story of My Life is one of the band's worse songs. It gave me a pretty bad impression of the band, honestly. This entire album is much the same. I'm glad I listened to that other album before this one, because this is mediocre as shit.

20 Jan 2015: Tier Two and Tier Three
Albums I've already reviewed:
Mountain/"Climbing!" (1970)
Cream/"Disraeli Gears" (1967)
Heart/"Little Queen" (1976)
Rage Against the Machine/"Evil Empire" (1995)

The Killers/"Sam's Town" (2006)
The Who/SINGLE (1970)
Priestess/"Hello Master" (2006)
The Rolling Stones/"Aftermath" (1966)

Honestly, these two tiers are great musically. Shame that they're all easier than GH2's first tier

20 Jan 2015: Alice Cooper/"School's Out" (1972)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-bochulism-by.html

The title track would be better without the children. Like, I get why they're there. It makes sense, but it still sucks.
I guess the band knew the title track would be played everywhere, because almost every other track is shameless filler. I like My Stars a lot, though.

20 Jan 2015: AFI/"Decemberunderground" (2006)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-sap-by-trees.html

Fun fact: AFI stands for "A Fire Inside".

I LOVE SCREAMING VOCALS
The screaming songs are shit, and the non-screaming songs are the epitome of "just okay".

21 Jan 2015: Tier Four and Tier Five
Albums I've already reviewed:
Black Sabbath/"Paranoid" (1970)
Sex Pistols/"Overrated Garbage" (1977)
Weezer/"The Blue Album" (1994)
Pearl Jam/"Ten" (1991)

Dead Kennedys/"Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" (1980)
Scorpions/"Love at First Sting" (1984)
Aerosmith/"Get Your Wings" (1974)
Guns N' Roses/"Appetite for Destruction" (1987)

So, the fourth tier has two good songs, one "so bad it's good" song, one "why did you choose this" song, and one awful song. Everything but My Name is Jonas and Even Flow is easier than GH2's first tier. Except not even, since GH3's retarded note timing makes both of those piss easy.
The fifth tier is probably the best one. Same Old Song and Dance was a pretty great choice.

21 Jan 2015: Sonic Youth/"Goo" (1990)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-post-by-mail.html

As with every Sonic Youth album, Thurston's songs are the only good ones. Kool Thing is absolutely Godawful, but in such a way that it's actually amazing, thanks in no small part to Chuck D.

Mote would be a good song if not for that fucking ending lasting forever.
Mildred Pierce is like Endless, Nameless, but that screaming only works if you have the charisma of I'm as biased towards you as I am Kurty

Scooter and Jinx is literally just noise.

Not horrible, but not great.

21 Jan 2015: ZZ Top/"Tres Hombres" (1973)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-mister-by_21.html

The vocals on Master of Sparks are pretty annoying. When will Billy Gibbons learn to sing? Hopefully before the album's over.
La Grange just makes me want to listen to Bran & Friends.

Mediocre in every respect. They say Eliminator is when the band sold out. I say they should have done it sooner.

22 Jan 2015: Tier Six and Tier Seven
Albums I've already reviewed:
Smashing Pumpkins/"Siamese Dream" (1993)
White Zombie/"La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One" (1992)
Tenacious D/"The Pick of Destiny" (2006)
Stevie Ray Vaughan/"Texas Flood" (1983)

Slipknot/"Vol. 3" (2004)
Queens of the Stone Age/"Era Vulgaris" (2007)
Muse/"Black Holes and Revelations" (2006)
Living Colour/"Vivid" (1988)

Tier six is the last easy one. Aside from SWEETEN THE RIDE and the bad cover of a bad cover of a Peter Green song, it's pretty good. The Metal is annoying, but it's fun.
Tier seven is just a difficulty spike. Aside from the horrific charting of Before I Forget, it's pretty fun, though.

22 Jan 2015: Fleetwood Mac/"English Rose" (1969)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-one-by-zeroes.html

The production on this album is startlingly bad. By which I mean that when another instrument comes in, it literally startles me.
As far as the music goes, it's better than Then Play On. Santana had me tricked into thinking Black Magic Woman was a bad song, but I'm glad

22 Jan 2015: Disturbed/"Ten Thousand Fists" (2005)
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2014/05/julio-and-case-of-missing-i-win.html

Here's a confession: I've never cared one way or the other about Disturbed. They are okay. Watch as I ENJOY THE SHIT OUT OF THIS AND FEEL SHAME FOR IT
I totally get why these guys are popular. They're definitely some form of metal, but they aren't, like, metal. The guy's voice is definitely a metal voice, but it's inoffensive. Add to this the choruses that are obviously meant to stick out and be sung along to, and you've got ten thousand fists in the air or whatever.

This album would be a lot better if it were half as long. Tracks six to ten are really just filler.

are you really not going to review abraxas? the first two santana albums are just plain fun
and anyway, Gypsy Queen is a cover also, so i expect some Gábor Szabó