“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…
“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
When it comes to atmospheric Rock ballads, it really doesn’t get much better than this, An underrated classic from an underrated band.
Can’t see the wood for all of the trees Can’t hear the wind for the breeze that whispers Voice in your head, you like what it said So what can you do but listen to it?
What kind of fool Lays all that’s precious to waste? What kind of fool Leaves all their treasure to rust in the rain? They’ll need it again when the sky clears What kind of fool Won’t discover the jewel ‘Til the dust clears? Fools like us
Fools who want more than they’ve treasured before Wanting the dawn of the brightest morning Reach for the stars ’cause they’re sweeter by far Than the moon ‘though she’s brighter And closer to you
This blog is based on nostalgia and facts, although it could not be verified who made the cards.
However, the photos in the blog are of a real deck of cards that were made by one or more prisoners in Japanese captivity, it is not known where exactly though, and who made them. They were stored in a box, which must have been used later to store the cards. The box originally contained American-made playing cards that were sent as gifts to American soldiers and prisoners of war by the American Red Cross. The shipments were dated on the boxes. This shipment was from the stated date in 1944. The cards must have been made in 1942 when the Japanese camps still had a regime in which this was allowed. Later it was banned.
Picture of the deck of cards below was stored in a white cardboard box with a blue diamond pattern. The cards s are drawn and colored by hand. Some have images related to Camp Vught, in the Netherlands: including the Ace of Spades, the main building and the prison of the camp; on the Ace of Clubs the Roman Catholic Church of the camp, and on the Jack of Spades the ‘Jack’ is a camp guard in a barbed wire frame.
The nostalgia bit I was referring to is about a song I heard a lot when I was still a kid, the song was called “Deck of Cards,” but the version I would be familiar with was the Dutch version “Een Spel Kaarten” it was one of my mother’s favorite songs. Some of you might know it. “The Deck of Cards” is a recitation song that was popularized in the fields of both country and popular music, first during the late 1940s. This song, which relates the tale of a young American soldier arrested and charged with playing cards during a church service, first became a hit in the U.S. in 1948 by country musician T. Texas Tyler, and many others like Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves.
These are the lyrics:
“During the North African campaign, a bunch of soldier boys had been on a long hike and they arrived in a little town called Cascina. The next morning being Sunday, several of the boys went to Church. A sergeant commanded the boys in Church and after the Chaplain had read the prayer, the text was taken up next.
Those of the boys who had a prayer book took them out, but this one boy had only a deck of cards, and so he spread them out. The Sergeant saw the cards and said, “Soldier put away those cards.” After the service was over, the soldier was taken prisoner and brought before the Provost Marshall.
The Marshall said, “Sergeant, why have you brought the man here?” “For playing cards in church, Sir.” “And what have you got to say for yourself, son?” “Much, Sir.” Replied the soldier. The Marshall said, “I hope so, for if not I shall punish you more than any man was ever punished.”
The soldier said, “Sir, I’ve been on the march for about six days, I had neither Bible nor prayer book, but I hope to satisfy you, Sir, with the purity of my intentions.”
With that, the boy started his story:
You see Sir, when I look at the “ACE”, it reminds me that there is but one God; And the “DEUCE” reminds me that the Bible is divided into two parts; The Old and the New Testaments;
And when I see the “TREY”, I think of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;
And when I see the “FOUR,” I think of the four Evangelists who preached the Gospel. There were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John;
And when I see the “FIVE”, it reminds me of the five wise virgins who trimmed their lamps. There were ten of them, five were wise and were saved. Five were foolish and were shut out;
And when I see the “SIX,” it reminds me that in six days, God made this great heaven and earth;
When I see the “SEVEN,” it reminds me that on the seventh day, God rested from His great work;
And when I see the “EIGHT”, I think of the eight righteous persons God saved when He destroyed this earth. There was Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives; And when I see the “NINE”, I think of the lepers our Saviour cleansed. And nine out of the ten didn’t even thank Him.
When I see the “TEN,” I think of the Ten Commandments God handed down to Moses on a table of stone;
When I see the “KING”, it reminds me that there is but one King of Heaven, God Almighty;
And when I see the “QUEEN,” I think of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who is Queen of Heaven;
And the “JACK” or “KNAVE” is the Devil;
When I count the number of spots on a deck of cards, I find 365, the number of days in a year; There are 52 cards, the number of weeks in a year; There are 4 suits, the number of weeks in a month; There are 12 picture cards, the number of months in a year; There are 13 tricks, the number of weeks in a quarter; So you see, Sir, my pack of cards serves me as a Bible, Almanac and Prayer Book.
And friends, this is a true story, because I was that soldier.”
The song may possibly have been inspired by a sermon by a preacher in the late 1800’s.
This is the song:
This is the Dutch version, which is strangely enough one minute longer.
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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.
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.
“Madhouse” was released as the only single and third track from the group’s second full album, Spreading the Disease. The song is written in an up-tempo time signature, with heavy distorted guitar riffs. The song is about going insane.
It has become a staple of live concerts, and has also appeared on Anthrax’s “best of” album, Anthrology: No Hit Wonders (1985–1991). In 2009, the track was named the 46th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
The 12″ vinyl features a cover version of the Sex Pistols song “God Save the Queen”.
Music video by Anthrax performing Madhouse. (C) 1985 The Island Def Jam Music Group
History of Sorts 
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