Phases pt. 2

Pop quiz: What happens to a Metallica-obsessed 14-year-old kid when he starts listening to Classic Rock radio? Well the answer, of course, is he becomes a AC/DC obsessed 14-year-old kid!

Yes of course, what could possibly catch my attention quicker than a midget playing guitar in a school-boy uniform? Yes, the ridiculous antics and high-adrenaline rock of AC/DC became my second obsession. I was one of those many annoying kids who praised Angus Young and ignorantly believed he was the greatest guitarist of all-time. But who could blame me? This kind of rock was all new to me. I couldn't get enough of the shrill, screetching vocals, thumping beats and catchy guitar riffs. But as embarassed as I am about this, it was Brian Johnson's vocals that I confused with one of the truly greatest bands of all-time.

I remember being in my dad's truck when I first heard the lyrics, "hey hey mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove." The following guitar riff immediately caught my attention and I was then determined to find out what AC/DC song it was. I checked 92 citi fm's website when I got home and was shocked to find that it wasn't AC/DC at all. It was the legendary Led Zeppelin. I had heard their name mentioned many times in the past but all I knew about them was that they had a song called Stairway to Heaven. I then downloaded that song, along with many others and before I knew it, yet another obsession was born. Although I no longer listen to them, AC/DC served as a gateway to many great bands like Zep, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, The Police, Heart, ZZ Top, Nazareth, Black Sabbath, Cream, The Scorpions etc as well as a reason for deeper exploration of bands like my beloved Beatles, The Stones, CCR, The Doors etc.

Eventually I realized that I was falling back into old habbits and only listening to bands of the past. I immediately resolved the situation by seeking out new bands and new sounds. One music scene that has intrigued these days is the Indie scene. Bands on Indie labels, I find, are consistently coming up with fresher sounds and putting out more music relevant to today's society than most. The Shins are my current obsession. Although relatively unknown in Canada, they have taken the Indie music scene by storm in the USA. Their latest release Wincing the Night Away has barely left my CD player in the last 6 months.

And that about brings us to now. I hope this blog has been at least somewhat interesting and has possibly even inspired you to relive your own musical history.