It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s only fitting that my last blog be about Christmas music!  This is my favorite time of the year and Christmas music has a lot to do with that.  I’m actually kind of embarrassed to say that I listen to Christmas music during other times of the year.  For some reason I find it to be very comforting.  I can remember a few times back in September after a hard week of class I would listen to some Christmas jams to de-stress.  I’ll never understand the people that hate Christmas music, because I love it!

There are so many iconic Christmas songs.  It’s hard for me to choose just a few that are my favorite.  There also so many great artists that have Christmas albums.  From pop to the classics, I love them all.  I think the reason that I like Christmas music so much is because it reminds me of this special time of year.  A time for friends and family and cherishing what is truly important in your life.  It’s a time to appreciate all that you have and be grateful for what you are receiving.  That’s why it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Aerosmith

I can’t believe that I almost forgot about Aerosmith.  Aerosmith is an American rock and roll band that formed in the year 1970.  Like many classic rock bands, they are actually still together and making music.  Again, I find it very impressive that rock stars that have lived reckless lifestyles still have it in them to tour the country.  Good for them though, they’re a great band and they make good music.  The band members include Tom Hamilton on bass, Joey Kramer on drums, Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on guitar, and of course, the one and only Steven Tyler on lead vocals.  Steven Tyler has a very distinct voice and if you’re familiar with Aerosmith, you can always pick out their songs.  I have to give him credit though for hitting those super high notes, specifically at the end of “Dream On.”  Their sound is a blues-based hard rock and is truly the sound of classic rock and roll.

Aerosmith has many popular songs, even with the younger generation.  Like many classic rock bands, their songs can be heard at sporting events and featured in movies and commercials.  They even had a Guitar Hero dedicated to them.  I remember jamming to “Love in an Elevator” and “Walk This Way” back in like 2008 when it came out.  The really long guitar solos were always your shining moment; the moment when you would frantically hit all the right buttons and use the whammy bar as many times as you could.  Steven Tyler is also pretty iconic; in real life and video game form.  His look was pretty “out-there,” but that’s to be expected of most rock stars.  In my mind though, when I think Steven Tyler, I think about the usual mass of scarves tied to the microphone stand.

Favorite Songs: Rag Doll, Walk This Way, Angel, Love in an Elevator, and Dream On.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was a rock and roll band that formed in 1976.  The original members were Tom Petty on lead vocals (of course), Mike Campbell on lead guitar, Ron Blair on bass, Stan Lynch on drums, and Benmont Tench on keyboard.  (What kind of a name is Belmont?)  The band is actually still together.  They released a new album earlier this year and it has sold 80 million copies worldwide.  Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also had a large involvement in the Heartland Rock movement.  This was the creation of rock music that really related to the blue-collar working life.  It was the kind of music that more people could relate to.  Other artists in this movement were Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen.

My mom told me that she has actually seen Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in concert.  She told me that she saw them while she was in college (at Penn State) and that she hated it.  To which my response was, “Are we even related?”  Personally, I would love to have seen Tom Petty live back in the 80’s.  My favorite song is definitely “American Girl.”  They were a great band and it’s impressive that they are still making music.

Favorite Songs: American Girl, Breakdown, Runnin’ Down a Dream, and Learning to Fly.

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin is probably one of the most well-known and influential bands in rock and roll history.  This English rock band formed in 1968 and stayed together through 1980.  The members of the band included guitarist Jimmy Page, lead singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham.  They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, a place where they rightly belong.  You can’t say that they’ve had a bad album because it wouldn’t be true.  All of their albums that they’ve ever recorded have placed on the Billboard Top 10.  Also, Jimmy Page is probably one of the greatest guitarists of all time.  He was ranked number three on the Rolling Stone “Top 100 Guitarists” list.  All you have to do is listen to one Led Zeppelin song and you can hear how incredibly talented he is.

Not only was Led Zeppelin one of the most popular bands of the 1970’s, but their music is still very influential and relevant today.  You still hear their music being played in movies and at sporting events.  I’m pretty sure that our marching band at my high school did a tribute to Led Zeppelin by playing a medley of their most popular songs.  It was actually a pretty cool thing for them to do.  Led Zeppelin was a truly legendary band and they deserve to be remembered that way.

Favorite Songs: Good Times Bad Times, All My Love, Kashmir, Black Dog, and Stairway to Heaven.

Van Halen

Van Halen was a rock and roll band that formed in 1972.  The original members were Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth, and Michael Anthony.  Eddie and Alex are brothers and they were actually both born in the Netherlands.  Van Halen was probably one of the most popular rock bands in the early to mid 1980’s.  Some of their songs that were and still are popular include; “Jump,” “Panama,” “Runnin’ with the Devil,” and “Hot for Teacher.”  Even if you didn’t know who sang “Jump,” I’m sure you’ve heard the song before.  They play it in the media and at sporting events quite often.  Van Halen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.  The members of Van Halen also wore some pretty crazy outfits.  David Lee Roth was particularly known for his flamboyant apparel.  He’d wear anything from spandex zerbra-print pants to a metallic-gold body suit.

Eddie Van Halen is probably one of my favorite guitarists.  He’s ranked number 8 on the  Rolling Stone “100 Greatest Guitarists” list.  He’s pretty famous for the “tapping” method of playing the guitar.  This method is exactly what it sounds like, it’s just tapping the strings against the fingerboard of the guitar and that makes the unique sound.  Some of Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solos are ridiculous.  If you’ve never heard “Eruption” I seriously recommend you check it out because it’s crazy.  Another one of my favorite guitar solos is in “Hot for Teacher.”  Eddie Van Halen is definitely the reason that Van Halen is one of my favorite bands.

Favorite Songs: Dance the Night Away, Hot for Teacher, Panama, You Really Got Me, and Runnin’ With the Devil.

Penn State Ice Hockey

Okay, I’m going to take a break from my usual rants about music and talk about a really cool experience that I had at the ice hockey game last night.  Here at Penn State, I am part of a club called the Hockey Management Association or HMA for short.  This is a club for people who either have an interest in working in the sports industry or just really love ice hockey.  We do a lot of promotional stuff for the men’s and women’s teams throughout the weeks leading up to games.  We also work the games and try to make everything run as smoothly as possible.  When the student hockey tickets went on sale last September and sold out in under three minutes, this club was a big part of making that happen.  HMA is really the only organization on campus that works this closely with one of the Division I teams at Penn State and it’s a great thing to be a part of.

Last night at the game against Bentley, my job was to work the team tunnel.  This was definitely the best job I’ve had in this club so far.  My main priority was to make sure the team entered the arena at the right times.  So when I would get the cue from my headset, I would tell the team and they would all run past me and take the ice.  It was so cool to get fist bumps from them and talk to them as they came on and off the ice.  And during the game, I actually got to watch from the tunnel which is at ice-level, right next to the Penn State bench, and right up against the glass.  Having been an athlete all my life, I’ve really missed being that close to the action.  The fact that Penn State won the game, made it even more exciting.  That hockey game was definitely one for the books!

The Who

Well, who are you?  The Who was an English rock band that came together in 1964.  The band was made up of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and the drummer Keith Moon.  The Who is probably one of the best bands in rock and roll history.  Every single member of their band was extremely talented.  Pete Townshend was ranked number 10 on the Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists.”  Keith Moon was ranked 4th on the Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Drummers” and Roger Daltrey was ranked number 61 out of the top 100 best singers.  Rolling Stone magazine also ranked John Entwistle as one of the greatest bassists of all time.  They were all talented individually, but put them all together and they made some seriously fantastic music.  They actually broke a Guiness World Record for loudest concert at a show in London on May 31, 1976.  Their record was beaten a few times before Guiness took it out of the book of world records because too many people were losing their hearing at these shows.

I’ve been a fan of The Who since I first heard “Behind Blue Eyes”.  This is probably one of my favorite songs ever.  I know that it’s a bit on the depressing side, but there’s just something about it.  The song is from the perspective of troubled man with blue eyes.  He explains that no one knows what it’s like to be like him and how there’s an emptiness inside him.  Pete Townshend actually wrote it about himself and his own angst that he was facing.  The Who have so many other amazing songs as well and they’re featured everywhere.  I’ll never forget the episode of Full House when Danny Tanner sang “My Generation” in leather pants.  The Who is a legendary band that will live on forever.

the-who-4df32c677c79d

Favorite Songs: Behind Blue Eyes, The Kids Are Alright, Pinball Wizard, and Who Are You.

The Grateful Dead

What do you do when you see a bear in the woods?  Play dead.  The Grateful Dead was an American rock band that formed in 1965 and stayed together through 1995.  They had a very laid back vibe and their music was pretty relaxing as far a rock bands go.  I guess you could categorize it as psychedelic.  They were really big in the “Hippie Era.”  The band had a huge and very dedicated following.  These huge fans were often referred to as “Deadheads.”  Their album artwork always featured tie-dye and a strange combination of objects.  Whether it was the “steal your face” skull or the classic multi-colored bears.  I’m positive that most of their music and performances were fueled by drugs.  It’s no secret that Dead concerts were a hotbed for LSD and other drugs.  Just look at pictures of the fans dancing in the crowd, you can tell they’re not mentally all there.

I also find it interesting that most of their advertisements never show what they look like.  It’s understandable though, they aren’t exactly the most attractive bunch.  Their artwork is always elaborate and really fits with the sound of the band.  Even though the band broke up almost 20 years ago, their music is still popular.  It is also still culturally relevant.  Because what better line is there than, “What a long, strange trip it’s been?”

Favorite songs: Truckin’, Friend of the Devil, Touch of Grey, and Casey Jones.

The Beatles

I have been a huge Beatles fan from a very young age.  I remember one of the first songs I knew by the Beatles was “Let It Be” because my mom used to play it on the piano.  Beatlemania is something that I would have loved to be alive for.  The Beatles were a phenomenon that spread world wide.  They were the craze back in the 60’s and they still are today.  You can’t go anywhere without seeing a Beatles reference.  Their music is played everywhere and their very distinguished sound is easy to recognize.  I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who didn’t know who the Beatles were.  They were just a group of really talented musicians that had it together, until the end of course.  The break up of this legendary band in 1970 left many fans absolutely devastated.  Many say that Yoko Ono was the reason for the break up, but there were many other reasons for split.  They had collaborative differences and the death of their manager really took a toll on the band.  Eventually, they decided it was just time to call it quits.

Out of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison, I would have to say that George Harrison is my favorite Beatle.  He was also so cheeky and sarcastic in his interviews.  He just had a great sense of humor.  He also wrote and sang one of my favorite songs, “Here Comes the Sun.”  This is one of those songs that I will listen to when I’m having a bad day and it’ll make me feel better.  The Beatles also made a few movies.  My favorite is probably A Hard Day’s Night because I feel like it really captured what they were like in the early days.  They were just a bunch of kids that liked to goof around and have fun.  Across the Universe was also another great movie.  This movie came out in 2007, so the Beatles weren’t actually in it, but their music was.  I really liked how every song in that movie had a story and reason as to why it was included.  The Beatles were an amazing group that set the tone for many other bands.  They were a big influence on society in the 60’s and still are today.

The Beatles Running In 'A Hard Day's Night'

 

Favorite Songs: I’ve Just Seen a Face, Let It Be, Can’t Buy Me Love, With a Little Help From My Friends, Penny Lane, Eight Days a Week, and Hey Jude.

The Ramones

I can’t say that I know many people who like them, but I love the Ramones.  The Ramones were really the first punk rock band in the U.S.  They formed in the mid 1970’s with the four original members; Johnny, Joey, DeeDee, and Tommy.  Even though they all associated themselves with the last name “Ramone,” they actually weren’t related.  The Ramones got their name from Paul McCartney’s pseudonym “Ramon.”  They got their first start a CBGB’s which is a really small club on The Bowery in New York City.  Blondie and Television actually got their starts at this club too.  The Ramones weren’t really widely accepted in the United States when they first started out.  Punk rock wasn’t really a genre that many people were familiar with, so they didn’t know how to react to their music.  But after punk rock became more popular, their careers took off.  Many current punk rock bands also admit that the Ramones were a strong influence on their sound and style.  One of their more popular songs is “Blitzkrieg Bop,” which has the lyrics “Hey ho, let’s go!”  It’s been featured in a lot of commercials and movies.

Most people always have a favorite member of a band.  My favorite member would definitely have to be Johnny Ramone.  He was the guitarist and really the brains of the band.  I find him intriguing because he didn’t live a reckless life like all the other band members.  He didn’t do drugs and rarely drank any alcohol, yet he still had the classic “bad boy” image.  It must have been the leather jacket and long hair.  I also feel like I identify with him the most personality wise.  He’s very sarcastic and to the point.  He always spoke his mind and wasn’t afraid of people’s reactions, which I find interesting.  I actually read his autobiography and I found it funny how blunt it was.  He really didn’t sugar coat anything and even though I never knew him, reading the book in his words made me feel like I did.  He actually died in 2004 of cancer though.  And just like the Ramones, his memory will live on.

getty-85238907.jpg

Above is a picture of the Ramones in 1976.  From the left is Johnny, Tommy, Joey, and DeeDee.

Favorite Songs: Blitzkrieg Bop, Sheena Is A Punkrocker, I Wanna Be Sedated, and Do You Wanna Dance?