Friday "Rockomendations"

In addition to being the uncontested queen of concession stands, Sue Roweton is also master of the "reccomendations" post.  If she says it's good, it probably is.  Thus, I'm not going to try and compete with her picks.

Instead, I offer these to you on a rainy Friday afternoon.  Here are my "Rockomendations" for your listening pleasure.

1. Something Old: Hocus Pocus by Focus

When one of my buddies first sent this to me last summer, my immediate thought was that this had to be some kind of joke.  Surely this was not an actual song recorded by a serious band.  Still, it wasn't five minutes after I walked away from the computer before I realized that the signature opening lick was on repeat in my head.  It's a great rock lick and has earned this tune a place on my workout playlist.  Oh, and as far as the yodelling, goes, the whole thing kind of reminds me a Friends episode.  Joey's eating jam straight out of a jar and Chandler asks Joey to choose between a hot girl at the Xerox place (holds up one hand) and a big tub of jam (holds up the other hand). Joey's response is "Put those hands together."  On a musical level, I'm pretty sure that sums up how I feel about yodelling and rock music.

2. Something New(ish): The Story by Brandi Carlile

I can't say this one is really "new" as it came out in 2007, but Carlile is someone whose career I didn't really follow until I caught her Austin City Limits performance last fall upon a friend's reccomendation.  I suppose that makes her "new" to me.  Carlile has melodic sensibility on par with someone polished like Sarah McLachlan, but mixes that musicality with a level of grit and growl that just stinkin' rocks; no other way to explain it.  This tune in particular is one of my faves because of the way she pushes on the yells.  Love it.

3. Something Borrowed: Redemption Song  "borrowed" from Bob Marley by Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell is easily in my top-ten favorite vocalists of all time.  There was some talk that his voice had tailed off some near the end of his run with Audioslave, but after so many years of rocking, that would make sense.  It would be tough sing most of the early Soundgarden catalog for as long as he did and expect to still have fully-functional vocal chords forever.  Despite that, from what I've heard of the recent SG reunion tour, his voice is still as strong as ever.  CRAZY!  Cornell is best known as as a metal/rock singer with signature screaming ability, but this is one of those moments where he totally removes himself from that context and shows the range as an artist and singer that make him great.  Oh, and if you think Marley is the extent of that range, be sure to check out Cornell's version of Ave Maria HERE.

4. Something Blue(s-based): ZZ Top's Just Got Paid by Joe Bonamassa

This could have just as easily been my "something borrowed" since it's actually a ZZ Top tune, I believe.  When it comes to bluesy rockers, Bonamassa is a bonafide stud.  As a kid, he got a guitar at the age of four and was playing Stevie Ray and Jimi Hendrix tunes by age seven.  There are some people who were made to rock and this video pretty much proves it. 

Effective Score: 11/10 as a nod to "This Is Spinal Tap"