AC/DC – It’s a Long Way to the Top

Another one of my favorites from Bonn Scott era AC/DC

Rock Block: Thin Lizzy – Are You Ready?

There was only 1 rock band I listened to for about 5 years solid and that band was Thin Lizzy. Actually I listened to them so much I was pretty burnt on them up until a year ago. Luckily You Tube is lifting the moratorium and I can hear stuff besides the studio albums and crappy bootlegs.

I think it’s fairly well documented about Phil Lynott being a visionary and a musical genius in his genre. One of my favorite things about them is they were doing proto speed metal way back in the late 70’s. Of course Phil hung out with diverse people as Midge Ure, Lemmy and the Sex Pistols so its not like he was unaware of what was really going on at the time. He even was good friends with Huey Lewis(!?!)

Are You Ready shows such badass metal mastery that its one of my most favorite tunes by Thin Lizzy. I liked the sappy stuff as much as the next guy, but when they turned it up it was a wonder to hear.

Rock Block: Thin Lizzy – Sha La La

Behold Thin Lizzy possessed by the spirit of Maiden… Or WERE THEY?
This song was written in 1975, a good 5 years before Maiden even put out a record…
And what a drum solo at the end pure badassery, pure unadulterated badassery!

Rock Block: Thin Lizzy – Cowboy Song / Boys Are Back in Town

Grand finale of the Thin Lizzy Rock Block, greatest hits…
Live in Sydney 1978, keep an eye out for Aussie heshers!

AC/DC – Sin City

… what can you add to that?

The Sweet – Love is Like Oxygen

The Sweet were Glam Rock Godfathers, the epic, Ballroom Blitz, for example has been covered ad nauseum by many an inferior band.In 1973 The Sweet were on top of the world with 3 top 10 hits including the aforementioned Ballroom Blitz, and had been plunking around in bands since 1965. So lets just say for arguments sake that they “peaked” in 1973.

“Love is Like Oxygen” received a lot of airplay in 1977, four years after their heyday and after they’d dropped the glam angle. Apparently they dug what ELO’s was doing and rode their stylistic dick, but it would be easy to dismiss this song as mere style biting by a band past their prime.

The song itself is an incredibly well written pop song and the guitar hook is pure FM Gold. I could argue that the best “Rock” bands just knew how to hide kick ass pop songs in Wizards’ robes or pyrotechnic stage shows. Look at Kiss for instance, the best Beatles cover band of the 70’s. Anyways, I think that I’ll close quoting Macker505 from you tube who wrote:

Reminds me of my friend Randy. We used to smoke weed then laugh while singing this song. That was back in the mid 70’s.