Late Night Music Part 19............."90's Rock Ballads"
It's my birthday week, and I was feeling really reminiscent so I decided to go with some of the rock ballads I grew up with. No fancy intro here folks, even the master runs out of ideas sometimes. However, just to clarify, no "POP" group was considered for this category- see the also receiving votes category below for clarification. I will add that is really interesting to see it is to get songs from all over the spectrum in this somewhat narrow genre.
Also receiving votes in this category were- "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crowes, "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton, "If You Could Only See" by Tonic, and "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran - NOT receiving votes in this category was anything by Chicago, Bryan Adams, REO Speedwagon, Robbie Williams, or Nickelback.
Collective Soul- "The World I Know". I couldn't find the video, but here is a pretty good live version of this song. The song is actually a great piece of songwriting by lead singer Ed Roland, as it is a picture of not being disillusioned or upset with your life, because in the grand scheme of things, it could be much worse. I really liked the jump to this genre from Collective Soul after early 90's heavy rock hits "December" and "Shine". These guys are still really big in the Washington, DC area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDIYFeEwK4I
Live- "Lightning Crashes". You know, for the longest time, I thought Live was a British band. It took me seeing them live at Jubilee Jam in Jackson in 2004 that I realized they are from San Francisco- see? Learn something new every day! I would also like to add, that even though John Lassiter argued and argued with me about it, this could quite possibly be the only song I have ever even heard of that features the word "placenta". Seriously, I'm not joking.However, in all seriousness, this song is actually about a friend of the band who was killed by a robber fleeing a scene and the impact her donated organs had on so many people. Live was an ok band, but as we will talk about with other bands on this list, they are one of those rock bands that made their splash solely with ballad hits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAMnjzU-6UQ
Third Eye Blind- "How's It Going To Be". Most of you know how much I love this band and how much this song means to me personally. Besides the great emotional lyrics in this song, the intro with the entrance of the several instruments is really cool. It's also the only song to ever crack the top 40 that I can think of that features an autoharp. Third Eye Blind has great songs of all kinds, but their ballads seem to always mean alot to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuAGVr-O-3E
Stone Temple Pilots- "Big Empty". Ok, I was torn between this song and "Creep", both of which were recorded by the band during their mid 90's hay day. This song, most people don't realize was also featured on the soundtrack of the infamous movie "The Crow".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65jkFKR-udY
Guns and Roses- "November Rain". I love this song on so many levels, and you seriously have to love this video. Axl Rose seriously outdid himself on this epic masterpiece that has been compared to similar songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Stairway to Heaven", and "Hey Jude". This video made during the MTV "mini-movie" era and had a budget of over $1.5 million and is still to date, one of the most expensive music videos ever filmed. A song this powerful would have to have a powerful video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VX6gMudhCU
Metallica- "Hero of the Day". Unlike most rock and roll fans, I have never really been a big Metallica fan. However, this song is completely different than anything they ever recorded. While I like a few of their ballads like "Fade to Black", this song, while surprisingly mainstream and more musically vanilla (one of Metallica's few songs in a major key), the video and the song seemed to show the intimate side of James Hetfield, and the song was very inspirational to the country shortly after 9-11.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEETC3msD9U
Van Halen- "Not Enough". Ok, I have the 1995 Van Halen album "Balance", and I have to say that, as with every album after "1984" that got progressively worse, this one is just as bad. However, as horrible as Sammy Hagar is, I really like this song, and people forget that while he is one of the best guitar players alive, Eddie Van Halen is also a very good piano player. I think deep down, Van Halen is a pop band that likes to play rock and roll. I still can't get over the Van Halen brothers having short hair in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvlrFV6CTGk
Creed- "My Own Prison". Off of Creed's not as well known debut album (which came out in 1997), this was probably Creed's most spiritual and most intimately lyrical song they had (which led many people to believe they were a "Christian" band, with the references to Jesus in the song). For my money, it's tough to beat Scott Stapp singing on a ballad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YoUuwDZuW0
Aerosmith- "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing". EVERYONE remembers this song, but you can't tell me you don't love it. Aerosmith has some of the best rock ballads ever, but this one is by far their magnum opus. Besides being from the movie "Armageddon" (the first movie Jay Money ever cried at- I was there!), this song in a way "re-emerged" Aerosmith after being dormant for 5 years after the mega success of "Get A Grip". Another piece of trivia- this was Aerosmith's first and only #1 hit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo_0UXRY_rY
Def Leppard- "Two Steps Behind". Def Leppard came out of nowhere after being in hibernation after the mid 80's to score this surprise hit in 1993. Great song and decent video, but explain me some things. Has ANYONE ever seen Joe Elliot play a guitar before this video? I thought the only thing he played was the "microphone". This video is confusing and it really seems like a knockoff cross of a U2/Duran Duran video. Is it just me?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv829hUuYAM
Goo Goo Dolls- "Iris". Another one of those bands that was a "rock" band but is simply remembered for their ballads, Goo Goo Dolls had this blockbuster song on the blockbuster movie "City of Angels" (a movie, surprisingly, I have never seen), and was also featured on their 1998 album "Dizzy Up the Girl". Interesting observation- like most songs on that soundtrack, this song has a several second rest that kinda takes you by surprise. Seriously, check out all the other songs and tell me if this is a pre requisite or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_hAIcGzmew
Also receiving votes in this category were- "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crowes, "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton, "If You Could Only See" by Tonic, and "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran - NOT receiving votes in this category was anything by Chicago, Bryan Adams, REO Speedwagon, Robbie Williams, or Nickelback.
Collective Soul- "The World I Know". I couldn't find the video, but here is a pretty good live version of this song. The song is actually a great piece of songwriting by lead singer Ed Roland, as it is a picture of not being disillusioned or upset with your life, because in the grand scheme of things, it could be much worse. I really liked the jump to this genre from Collective Soul after early 90's heavy rock hits "December" and "Shine". These guys are still really big in the Washington, DC area.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Live- "Lightning Crashes". You know, for the longest time, I thought Live was a British band. It took me seeing them live at Jubilee Jam in Jackson in 2004 that I realized they are from San Francisco- see? Learn something new every day! I would also like to add, that even though John Lassiter argued and argued with me about it, this could quite possibly be the only song I have ever even heard of that features the word "placenta". Seriously, I'm not joking.However, in all seriousness, this song is actually about a friend of the band who was killed by a robber fleeing a scene and the impact her donated organs had on so many people. Live was an ok band, but as we will talk about with other bands on this list, they are one of those rock bands that made their splash solely with ballad hits.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Third Eye Blind- "How's It Going To Be". Most of you know how much I love this band and how much this song means to me personally. Besides the great emotional lyrics in this song, the intro with the entrance of the several instruments is really cool. It's also the only song to ever crack the top 40 that I can think of that features an autoharp. Third Eye Blind has great songs of all kinds, but their ballads seem to always mean alot to me.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Stone Temple Pilots- "Big Empty". Ok, I was torn between this song and "Creep", both of which were recorded by the band during their mid 90's hay day. This song, most people don't realize was also featured on the soundtrack of the infamous movie "The Crow".
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Guns and Roses- "November Rain". I love this song on so many levels, and you seriously have to love this video. Axl Rose seriously outdid himself on this epic masterpiece that has been compared to similar songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Stairway to Heaven", and "Hey Jude". This video made during the MTV "mini-movie" era and had a budget of over $1.5 million and is still to date, one of the most expensive music videos ever filmed. A song this powerful would have to have a powerful video.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Metallica- "Hero of the Day". Unlike most rock and roll fans, I have never really been a big Metallica fan. However, this song is completely different than anything they ever recorded. While I like a few of their ballads like "Fade to Black", this song, while surprisingly mainstream and more musically vanilla (one of Metallica's few songs in a major key), the video and the song seemed to show the intimate side of James Hetfield, and the song was very inspirational to the country shortly after 9-11.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Van Halen- "Not Enough". Ok, I have the 1995 Van Halen album "Balance", and I have to say that, as with every album after "1984" that got progressively worse, this one is just as bad. However, as horrible as Sammy Hagar is, I really like this song, and people forget that while he is one of the best guitar players alive, Eddie Van Halen is also a very good piano player. I think deep down, Van Halen is a pop band that likes to play rock and roll. I still can't get over the Van Halen brothers having short hair in this video.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Creed- "My Own Prison". Off of Creed's not as well known debut album (which came out in 1997), this was probably Creed's most spiritual and most intimately lyrical song they had (which led many people to believe they were a "Christian" band, with the references to Jesus in the song). For my money, it's tough to beat Scott Stapp singing on a ballad.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Aerosmith- "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing". EVERYONE remembers this song, but you can't tell me you don't love it. Aerosmith has some of the best rock ballads ever, but this one is by far their magnum opus. Besides being from the movie "Armageddon" (the first movie Jay Money ever cried at- I was there!), this song in a way "re-emerged" Aerosmith after being dormant for 5 years after the mega success of "Get A Grip". Another piece of trivia- this was Aerosmith's first and only #1 hit.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Def Leppard- "Two Steps Behind". Def Leppard came out of nowhere after being in hibernation after the mid 80's to score this surprise hit in 1993. Great song and decent video, but explain me some things. Has ANYONE ever seen Joe Elliot play a guitar before this video? I thought the only thing he played was the "microphone". This video is confusing and it really seems like a knockoff cross of a U2/Duran Duran video. Is it just me?
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Goo Goo Dolls- "Iris". Another one of those bands that was a "rock" band but is simply remembered for their ballads, Goo Goo Dolls had this blockbuster song on the blockbuster movie "City of Angels" (a movie, surprisingly, I have never seen), and was also featured on their 1998 album "Dizzy Up the Girl". Interesting observation- like most songs on that soundtrack, this song has a several second rest that kinda takes you by surprise. Seriously, check out all the other songs and tell me if this is a pre requisite or something.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
Just don't seem like the type right?
The original Third Eye Blind lineup- 1998
They look British..........right?
posted by General 5A Pigott at 11:21 PM
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