A Review of Big City Rock's Self-Titled Debut
One of the bands that I had the pleasure of seeing live in concert this year is a relatively unknown band, Big City Rock. They were opening up for Everclear and I wasn't really expecting much from them, as with most opening acts, I really don't really get my hopes up. They played 7 songs off their new debut CD, all of which I enjoyed. The lyrics seemed a little over the top but they spoke some truth and were pretty catchy.
When I got back from the concert, I looked up a little background on them and it turns out that they only have one album out which is self-titled. With about an average of 3 minutes a song, the album only amounts to about 35 minutes. While it is rather short, it surely doesn't disappoint. My three favorites from the album include, "I Believe in You", "Kind", and "Shelter". One of the songs on the album, "Human", shows how simple yet powerful are their lyrics. "I am just a man / Man in a city / City in a State / State in a country / Country in a world / Part of a System / Driving through the city / Stereo is on". Not the most mind blowing lyrics but nevertheless powerful. I definitely recommend you go out and buy this album but at the very least go and give it a listen. To end this artist/album review, I'll leave you some food for thought with some lyrics from "Kind".
We have to try so hard to be kind to one another
When its hard enough living and
We don't know where to go
What can I do about it?"
A Tribute To The "Bringing Down the Horse" Album by The Wallflowers
Today I thought that I would pay homage to one of the great albums of the 1990s, Bringing Down the Horse by The Wallflowers. This is one of those great albums filled with very memorable songs. This album is most known for the #1 hit "One Headlight". That song, though great, is just the tip of the iceberg when you look into great detail the beauty of this masterpiece.
They scored two more successful singles on Bringing Down the Horse with "6th Avenue Heartache", and "Three Marlenas", both of which got significant radio air play when they were released but are seldom heard on the radio today. With the exception of "I Wish I Felt Nothing", the last song on the album, Bringing Down the Horse can be defined in one word, perfect. The album kicks off with "One Headlight", one of my favorite songs today, nearly ten years after its release. This song has such a cool beat and the guitar solos are great.
My favorite line is: "Man, I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same."
I am not going to go through every song on this album, but trust me, there all good. However I would like to highlight the third song of this album, "Bleeders". This song, in my opinion, is the best on the CD. With lyrics like " I need somethin' better / Than a nail and a hammer / To put me back together", there is no question of how universal The Wallflowers songs can be. This song may push you away with the title but it will consume you the first time you hear it and will continue to do so for years there on after. Before I wrap up this outstanding review of superior music, I would also suggest listening to "Laughing Out Loud", the seventh song on the album. With a solid beat and meaningful lyrics, it is an unstoppable force. I suggest listening to the album in its entirety, but if you don't have the time at least check out these two songs.
Thanks for listening to this edition of "A Tribute to" and stay tuned for more outstanding music reviews and suggested listening.