“Big Bad Moon” is a classic track by the virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani. It’s known for its energetic rhythm, catchy melody, and of course, Satriani’s signature guitar wizardry. The song showcases his incredible talent for blending rock, blues, and a touch of psychedelia into a captivating instrumental piece. Satriani’s ability to create such dynamic and memorable guitar compositions has earned him a well-deserved reputation as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation.
“When the night falls, the big moon’s gonna rise You can look right up, see it in the sky Makes me feel like I’m going to blow a fuse I start to shiver and shake with a strange kind of blues …But I like it
I see it now the moon is high above It’s got a hold on me, I just can’t get enough Big, round, black and white, I feel the pull, I see the light Big bad moon’s looking down on me tonight …But I like it
When the moon comes, got nowhere to hide It can turn your head around like it turns the tide Man, woman, boy, child. Makes you feel like you were born wild The big bad moon’s looking down on me tonight …But I like it …I like it
Talkin’ ’bout big bad moon Ooh yeah big bad moon Talkin’ ’bout big bad moon Ooh yeah…
There are not that many good Dutch rock songs, but “Strange Machine”s by The Gathering, certainly can be called a great metal track.
It is the first song of The Gathering’s third album, the first to feature vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen. The song contains a passage from George Pal’s film version of H.G. Wells’s book, The Time Machine.
It is about the desire to construct a machine that can fly through time.
In 1995, The Gathering released “Mandylion,” their third album and first to feature lead vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen, through Century Media; proving to be their breakthrough and selling over 130,000 copies in Europe. Two singles were released from Mandylion, “Adrenaline/Leaves” and “Strange Machines”, the latter, which reached number 37 on the Dutch singles charts and helped raise the group’s popularity in Europe and the United States.
[Verse 1] It has always been in the back of my mind Dreaming about going to the corners of time I always wanted to fly in strange machines
[Chorus 1] I wanna do centuries in a lifetime And feel it with my hands Touch the World War II and Cleopatra Flying…
[Verse 2] Could it be that my dream would come true Building a machine that would actually do What I want it to do
[Verse 3] Russian revolution, let’s do that in one day Beethoven and Gershwin, I think that would be OK More than anything I wanna fly in strange machines
[Chorus 2] I wanna do centuries in a lifetime And see it with my eyes Watch Jesus rise, if he ever did Flying… You might also like Eléanor The Gathering In Motion #1 The Gathering But Daddy I Love Him Taylor Swift [Chorus 3] I wanna do centuries in a lifetime And feel it with my hands Touch the Renaissance and Chaka Khan Flying…
“The Wild and the Young” is a song by American heavy metal band Quiet Riot, released in 1986 as the lead single from their fifth studio album QR III. The song was written by Spencer Proffer, Frankie Banali, Carlos Cavazo, Kevin DuBrow and Chuck Wright, and was produced by Proffer.
The song’s music video was directed by Jeff Stein and produced by Michael Ader. It received its premiere on MTV on 11 July 1986 and went on to achieve active rotation on the channel. It peaked at number 30 on the Cash Box Top 30 Music Videos chart in October 1986.
The video was made when the US Senate held hearings regarding explicit song lyrics, particularly in heavy metal songs, imagery that resonated deeply with rock and metal music fans, who wanted nothing more than to listen to their favorite music. The video also featured game show host Wink Martindale in a cameo as a militarist in charge of the rock’ n’ roll purge.
Times are changing, nothing stays the same For this jukebox generation Adhere to fashion like computer games Modern day communication
The news hard to take will fade in tomorrow They are the strong, they’ll survive
The wild and the young, they all have their dreams The wild and the young, they got to be free The sun never sets for souls on the run The wild and the young, yeah
Roaring passion with no guilt or shame It’s accepting education, yeah Misbehaving, no regrets, no blame With a bold kind of sophistication
So close to the edge and high on the wire They are not wrong, they’re alive
The wild and the young, they all have their dreams The wild and the young, they got to be free The sun never sets for souls on the run The wild and the young
So close to the edge and high on the wire They are not wrong, they’re alive Look out Wild, wild The wild and the young, y-y-y-y-young
The wild and the young, they all have their dreams The wild and the young, they got to be free The sun never sets for souls on the run The wild and the young, they all have their dreams The wild and the young, they got to be free The sun never sets for souls on the run The wild and the young
“Barracuda” is a song by American rock band Heart, released in 1977 on their third studio album, Little Queen, and was released as the album’s lead single. The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2009, “Barracuda” was named the 34th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Rock sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson engraved their names into rock history with their band “Heart.” The Seattle-based group has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. One of the most acclaimed songs of the band is their rage anthem “Barracuda”
It is a song that calls out an idiot for his idiotic behavior. Which was an ever-so-common occurrence for the rock sisters in the men’s ruled music scene. A scene where some men degenerated the sisters based upon the sole fact that they were women. So it isn’t shocking to learn that the song is based on a true story.
At the time, rumors spread that the sisters were lesbian lovers. This rumor was created by the band’s record company Mushroom Records. As a publicity stunt for Heart, the company ran an advertisement with the controversial caption: “It was only our first time”.
So this ain’t the end, I saw you again today I had to turn my heart away Smile like the sun, kisses for everyone And tales, it never fails
You lying so low in the weeds I bet you gonna ambush me You’d have me down, down, down, down on my knees Now wouldn’t you, Barracuda? Oh
Back over time, we were all trying for free You met the porpoise and me, uh-huh No right, no wrong, selling a song, a name Whisper game
And if the real thing don’t do the trick You better make up something quick You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn to the wick Ooh, Barracuda, oh, yeah
“Sell me, sell you,” the porpoise said Dive down deep now to save my head You, I think that you got the blues, too All that night and all the next Swam without looking back Made for the western pools, silly, silly fools
The real thing don’t do the trick, no? You better make up something quick You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it to the wick Oh, Barra-Barracuda, yeah
“Salvation” is the lead single from Irish rock band the Cranberries’ third studio album, To the Faithful Departed (1996). Released on 8 April 1996 by Island Records, the single reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for four weeks and was a chart hit in Europe and Australia, peaking at number four in Iceland, number six in Italy, number seven in New Zealand, and number eight in Australia and Ireland. The music video for the song was directed by Olivier Dahan and filmed in France.
In 1996, in an article written by Jayne Margetts, Fergal said, “The song Salvation is a glance at drug addiction. […] If you look around you see so much of it going on day-to-day, even in Limerick, which is quite a small town. You walk around the place and go to pubs at night and you see people drinking water because they’re on ecstasy or whatever. It’s quite scary to see that. I mean no matter how much you travel, and how much you see, nothing can prepare you for that kind of thing. You see your brother’s friends who are 16 years old and they’re totally out of it. It’s scary to see how it’s taken over the whole world. “I dunno, […] you meet so many people who have been through all that and they look back, and they said ‘what’s the point’? […] People learn the hard way I suppose. It’s just unfortunate that some people don’t survive it.”
In November 2002 Fergal explained, “It was an anti-drug song when Ecstasy was taking over the world. Some people picked it up wrong as a preachy thing: Don’t do it, don’t do it, like Who is she to tell me don’t do it, and it wasn’t like that, she was kinda talking to herself really. ‘Cos we’d been on tour with lots of different bands and you see different things and hear the stories of people fucking themselves up. It’s something we’ve always been wary of and kept an eye on, and we just kind of steer away from that, ‘cos it’s the old cliché of you and up in Betty Ford at the end of it – What’s the point?” (Hot Press, 2002)
Dolores, “It’s not so much like an anti-drug song. It’s kind of anti- the idea of becoming totally controlled by anything, any substance at all, because I know what it’s like. And it wasn’t a nice experience and it didn’t get me anywhere. It just confused me more […] Oh no, I didn’t try heroin. I was just trying to find the answer in getting out of it, whether it was drinking or whatever. I’m not going to elaborate. But it just, basically, any substances don’t really help. Reality is reality, and unfortunately, no how much you go away, you come back, and it’s always here.” (MTV, 1996)
To all those people doing lines Don’t do it Don’t do it Inject your soul with liberty It’s free It’s free
To all the kids with heroin eyes Don’t do it Don’t do Because it’s not not what it seems No no it’s not not what it seems
Salvation Salvation Salvation is free
Salvation Salvation Salvation is free
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha ha
do do do do do do do do do do do doooo
do do do do do do do do do do do doo
To all the parents with sleepless nights Sleepless nights Tie your kids on to their beds Clean their heads
To all the kids with heroin eyes (heroin eyes) Don’t do it Don’t do Because it’s not not what it seems No no it’s not not what it seems
Salvation Salvation Salvation is free
Salvation Salvation Salvation is free
Salvation Salvation Salvation is free
Salvation Salvation Salvation is free
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha a-ha-ha
a-ha-ha a-ha-ha ha
Music by Noel Hogan & Dolores O’Riordan Lyrics by Dolores O’Riordan
Since it was Roger Hodgson’s 74th birthday on the 21st of March, I am dedicating this episode of Epic Rock to Supertramp.
“Bloody Well Right” is a song by English rock band Supertramp from their 1974 album Crime of the Century. It appeared as the B-side of the single “Dreamer” in 1974. Listeners in the United States preferred it to the A-side, and “Bloody Well Right” became their breakthrough hit in the country, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It was written by Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies.
Davies consciously linked the song to the album’s opening track “School” with the line “So you think your schooling is phoney”, helping to perpetuate the false impression that Crime of the Century is a concept album.
So you think your schooling is phoney I guess it’s hard not to agree You say, “It all depends on money And who is in your family tree”
Right (right), you’re bloody well right You got a bloody right to say Right, you’re bloody well right You know, you got a right to say Ha, ha, you’re bloody well right
You know, you’re right to say Yeah, yeah, you’re bloody well right You know, you’re right to say And me, I don’t care anyway Write your problems down in detail
And take ’em to a higher place You’ve had your cry, no, I shouldn’t say wail In the meantime hush your face Right (quite right), you’re bloody well right You got a bloody right to say Right, you’re bloody well right
You know, you got a right to say Ha, ha, you’re bloody well right You know, you’re right to say Yeah, yeah, you’re bloody well right
You know, you got a right to say You got a bloody right to say You got a bloody right to say You got a bloody right to say You got a bloody right to say, yeah
“Killed by Death” is a song by the English heavy metal band Motörhead. Released in 1984, in 7″ and 12″ vinyl pressings. It peaked at number 51 in the UK Singles Chart.
Motörhead anthem, loaded with noise and sleaze. Lemmy oozes attitude (and makes references to his junk being a lizard and snake) and is a no-good son of a bitch to deal with up until he is “killed by death.”
The song itself has been a mainstay of live performances since its release. As with many Motörhead songs, the lyrics show Lemmy’s skill at composing lyrics which are at the same time menacing and tongue-in-cheek. Another common theme is Lemmy’s use of animal images. Phrases such as “If you squeeze my lizard, I’ll put my snake on you, I’m a romantic adventure, And I’m a reptile too” recall the song “Love Me like a Reptile” from the earlier Ace of Spades album. The second verse also contains the line, “I’m a lone-wolf ligger”
Shut up!
If you squeeze my lizard I’ll put my snake on you I’m a romantic adventurer And a reptile too
But it don’t make no difference ‘Cause I ain’t gonna be, easy, easy The only time I’m easy’s when I’m Killed by death, killed by death Killed by death, come on!
I’m a lone wolf ligger But I ain’t no pretty boy I’m a backbone shiver And I’m a bundle of joy
But it don’t make no difference ‘Cause I ain’t gonna be, easy, easy The only time I’m easy’s when I’m Killed by death, killed by death Killed by death, come on!
Killed by death, Killed by death Killed by death, come on! Come on, I said you’re killed by death Come on! Killed by
Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death, ha-ha-ha-ha! Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death Aah!
Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death Killed by a bunch of death!
Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death Shout out your mouth, shout out your mouth!
Come on! Killed by death Killed by death Killed by death
I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead I’m dead, I’m dead Dead, dead, dead, killed by death Aah!
As preparations for their third album, Survivor knew they still had a lot to prove. Everything was about to change in a big way thanks to some unexpected interest from Sylvester Stallone.
The band’s chief songwriters – Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan – agree they were at a crossroads at the time. “Probably this is either going to happen, or they’re going to drop us,” Sullivan tells UCR. “We never thought that, but probably in reality, that’s what they were thinking, because that’s what labels did back then.” But Scotti Bros. were committed to the band.
I had the privilege to interview Jim Peterik, last April when we talked about Eye of the Tiger and other songs he wrote.
“Locomotive Breath” is a song by British progressive rock band Jethro Tull from their 1971 album, Aqualung.
Written as a comment on population growth, “Locomotive Breath” was meant to replicate the chugging rhythm of a train. In addition to its release on Aqualung, “Locomotive Breath” saw two different single releases and has been a live favorite. It is one of Jethro Tull’s best-known songs.
“Yes, yes. It was about population growth but it was talking about what we might now call globalization. So it is about the population and its place in the expanding capitalist world that we live in. It might have seemed a difficult subject back then. It’s a difficult subject today, people don’t like to be reminded of the harsh reality of overpopulation.”
“Everything follows on from that, everything from the pandemic crisis we’re in, you can trace that back to the effect of a huge population that travel, the spread of the disease, everything to do with climate change… You can see how that is vastly exacerbated by population size. So pretty much everything that we might fear and be concerned with in terms of its effect on our great grandchildren.” according to Ian Anderson.
You might be wondering what is the connection between the music scale picture above and the question, “What if the Nazis had won?”
Firstly, let me explain what type of rhythmic pattern it is. It is an example of a rhythmic pattern used in heavy metal. The upper stave is a palm-muted rhythm guitar part. The lower stave is the drum part.
The following are some rock musicians who may not have been born because they were Jewish or half-Jewish. For that, the Nazis would not have made a difference.
Saul Hudson, aka Slash, is an English-born-American musician and songwriter famed for his distinctive guitar playing, characterized by intricate, powerful riffs and searing solos. Born on July 23, 1965, in London, England, he spent his early years surrounded by the artistic influence of his parents who worked with rock royalty including David Bowie and Joni Mitchell. However, it was a move to Los Angeles, California during his adolescent years that would set the stage for his eventual success in the music industry. Slash’s rise to fame began as the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band “Guns N’ Roses” which he joined in 1985. The band’s debut album, Appetite for Destruction, released in 1987, propelled them to international stardom, largely credited to Slash’s innovative guitar work.
His father, Anthony Hudson, is a Jewish English artist. Of his mixed background, Slash has remarked, “As a musician, I’ve always been amused that I’m both British and Black; particularly because so many American musicians seem to aspire to be British while so many British musicians, in the ’60s in particular, went to such great pains to be Black.” He does not consider himself Jewish, but for the Nazis that would not have mattered.
Daniel “Dee” Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider came to prominence in the early 1980s as lead singer and songwriter of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He was ranked 83 in the Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. Born in Astoria, Queens, New York City, Snider was raised in nearby Freeport, New York, and Baldwin, New York, both on Long Island. His father, Bob, is a retired New York State Trooper and Nassau County court clerk, and his mother, Marguerite, is a retired art teacher. His father is Jewish, whereas his mother is from a Catholic family of Swiss descent. He is also of Ukrainian descent from his grandfather.
Martin Adam “Marty” Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Megadeth which spanned nearly the full decade of the 1990s. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony until 1989, as well as his 13 solo albums and tours. Friedman has resided in Tokyo, Japan since 2003, where he has appeared on over 700 Japanese television programs such as Rock Fujiyama, Hebimeta-san, Kouhaku uta gassen, and Jukebox English. He has released albums with several record labels, including Avex Trax, Universal, EMI, Prosthetic, and Shrapnel Records.
Dave Mustaine, bandmate of Marty Friedman, born on September 13, 1961, etched his name in the annals of rock history as one of the pioneering figures of thrash metal, a sub-genre of heavy metal music. His journey began in La Mesa, California, where he spent an unruly and tumultuous childhood that fueled his passion for music. He established himself as a leading guitarist and vocalist in the industry, known for his distinctively snarling performance style and intricate guitar work. Mustaine’s career took off when he co-founded Metallica in 1981, serving as the original lead guitarist. However, his tenure with Metallica was short-lived due to personal and professional disputes, leading to his expulsion from the band in 1983. Unfazed by this setback, Mustaine picked up the pieces and founded Megadeth, a band that would go on to be regarded as one of the “big four” bands of thrash metal. Under his leadership, Megadeth released several acclaimed albums like Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? and Rust in Peace, which are considered classic masterpieces of the genre. Beyond his musical prowess, Mustaine is also recognized for his outspoken political views, which often found their way into his songwriting. He battled with numerous personal issues throughout his life, including substance abuse and cancer, but his ability to overcome these challenges only strengthened his legacy. His unique blend of technical virtuosity and raw aggression continues to inspire countless musicians around the world. His mother was of German Jewish ancestry. but the Mustaine family were practising Jehovah’s Witnesses. Another group that was persecuted by the Nazis.
I have done a piece on Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons before, but Bruce Kulick is a third member of Kiss, who is Jewish. He was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and lived in Queens for a time, graduating from Newtown High School, and also going to Hebrew school. His brother, session guitarist/producer Bob Kulick, was influential in his music career.] Bob’s performance credits include W.A.S.P., Meat Loaf’s touring band, and Kiss.
David Draiman is an American singer who is best known as the lead vocalist of the band Disturbed as well as the band Device. Draiman is known for his distorted, operatic baritone voice and percussive singing style. In November 2006, Draiman was voted number 42 on the Hit Parader’s “Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time”
He was born to Jewish parents in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on March 13, 1973. His father, YJ, had worked as a real estate developer and small-business owner before he was arrested for embezzlement and sent to prison when Draiman was 12 years old. YJ would later become a candidate in the races for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2013,2017, and 2022. Draiman’s brother, Benjamin, is an ambient musician who lives in Israel. His grandmother Ziona is a Yemenite Jew whose family immigrated to Israel in the early 1900s. While not personally observant of their Jewish faith, Draiman’s parents sent him to Orthodox schools, where he believed he was on the path to receiving rabbinic ordination. He frequently spent time in Israel during his early life.
Scott Ian Rosenfeld, better known as Scott Ian, is the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the renowned heavy metal band Anthrax. Recognized for his aggressive playing style and influential sound, Ian has contributed to numerous successful albums such as Among the Living and Spreading the Disease. With his signature goatee and iconic appearance, Ian has become synonymous with New York’s thrash metal scene, making him a prominent figure among Jewish hard rockers. Scott Ian Rosenfeld was born to a Jewish family in the Bayside section of the New York City borough of Queens; he has a younger brother named Jason, who was the lead vocalist of Anthrax for a brief period in the early 1980s.
Peter Green was not a Heavy Metal artist as such, but he has influenced many Heavy Metal guitarists. Born as Peter Allen Greenbaum, known professionally as Peter Green, was an English blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. As the founder of Fleetwood Mac, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Green founded Fleetwood Mac in 1967. was born in Bethnal Green, London, on 29 October 1946, into a Jewish family, the youngest of Joe and Ann Greenbaum’s four children. His brother, Michael, taught him his first guitar chords and by the age of 11, Green was teaching himself. He began playing professionally by the age of 15.
Life would have been so boring if the Nazis had won.
History of Sorts 
You must be logged in to post a comment.