Music, music, music, playing guitar, running www.milftonrock.com with my mate Milfton, going to see live bands, reading music books and mags, bike riding, keeping up my record of only drinking 2 cups of coffee in my entire lifetime, running a little EBAY CD selling business, enjoying things that others might find "uncool", and chatting with YOU!!
It would have to be Butch Walker first and foremost and then anyone with a passion for music in one way or another :)
I have enough music to fill an 80GB IPOD with almost every genre covered in one way or another! My basic philosophy on music is if it puts a smile on your face, makes you tap your foot or gets you singing in the shower....it can't be bad now can it! My major love and musical beginnings is hard rock/AOR/glam rock and I will happily challenge anyone to a Metal Edge quiz!!!
My "Musical Life" Changing Albums
This isn't my favourite bands of all time, nor is it necessarily the albums that I listen to the most. These are what I consider to be the key albums that have been pivotal in turning me into the music obsessed person that I am today.
Poison - Open Up and Say Aah
Put simply this is where it all began, the very first album I ever bought.
I remember I agonised between this, or Midnight Oil's "Diesel and Dust".
Poison won out and what followed has been a 20 year love of all things hard rock
and glam.
Def Leppard - Hysteria
I remember hearing their single "Love Bites" on radio and it was nothing like I
had ever heard before. Those Mutt Lange trademark backing vocals, the
slickness, the catchiness of it. Little did I know on first hearing "Love
Bites" that songs like "Armageddon It", "Animal" existed. My favourite
album of all time?...it would be exceptionally close!
Marvleous 3 - Hey Album
In the late 90's I was in a real rut as far as music went, the Internet
barely existed and it was a real wasteland for the hard rock loving person that
I was. Just when I thought all was lost, along came this album from the genius
Butch Walker. I hadn't been so excited about an album since Def Leppard's,
Hysteria some 10 years earlier. Hook laden rock as catchy as hell does NOT
get any better than this.
Harem Scarem - Self Titled
Why didn't I know about this band back in 1991 when this album was released?
A band in the last 5 years or so I have been aware of, but it was only recently
when I actually heard this album. This album is an absolute MONSTER full of the
best melodic rock/AOR you would ever find. How did it change my "musical
life".....it brought me into the wonderful world that is AOR, bringing me songs
that I would describe as "orgasmic".
The Eagles
I used to think that The Eagles were a daggy band that old people liked.
Then as my musical tastes matured and I started listening to a lot of music from
the 70's, I realised just how awesome The Eagles are. Virtually every song on
this 2 disc compilation has either been a radio hit I grew up with, or was a
song that I had heard before. The sound of America, they introduced me to the world of country music
and a love of vocal harmonies. And actually one of the bands that made me
finally decide to take up learning guitar....I mean, how good do they make an
acoustic guitar sound!
The Beatles -1
27 of the greatest pop songs EVER written/recorded that will forever leave a
lasting legacy no matter where you are in the world.
Queen - A Night At The Opera & Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
When I truly discovered Queen & Thin Lizzy and listened to their whole back catologue's, rather
than just their Greatest Hits, it became so obvious to me just how much of
an influence Queen and Thin Lizzy had been on all the music that I loved the most. Hard
rock, heavy metal, pop, power pop, you name it.....their influence could be
heard in one way or another in almost all of it. These were certainly the
albums that stood out for me. The blueprint so to speak.... And as far as true "rock gods" go, well you wouldn't find 2 better showmen than the late Freddie Mercury and Phil Lynott, god bless their souls.
Bowling For Soup - The Great Burrito Extortion Case
A very recent album, so it hasn't exactly been life changing....but I
rate this album as lyrically one of the best in my collection and is an am album
that NEVER fails to put a smile on my face and for me personally, that's one of
the greatest tests of any music I hear....if it puts a smile on my face for one
reason or another, it gets a massive thumbs up!
Dio - Holy Diver
I will ALWAYS choose an album/band with melodies and catchy hooks over anything else, time and time again. But I guess this album set me down the Heavy Metal path. If you talk of "blueprints" then Dio in all his guises (Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio) certainly is the blue print for Heavy Metal. And without a doubt Dio is totally responsible for my impromptu air vocal exploits that can often be heard at a venue near you.
I am not exactly a movie buff, music all the way for me, however I love Rock Star, Almost Famous, Shawshank Redemption, The Doors, School of Rock, Point Break, Forrest Gump, In The Name Of The Father, Bravehart, Dances With Wolves, anything with Morgan Freeman, The Lost Boys and Top Gun. Nope not many cult or arthouse classics amongst that bunch!
I must confess to not watching much TV these days in this world of reality TV crap!
Suprise, suprise, music books of any kind! Particular favourites are The Dirt (Motley Crue), The Rocker (Phil Lynott), Something So Strong (Crowded House) and any book dedicated to the hard rock/hair metal genre! I am also a fan of books by Richard Laymon and Dean Koontz, although it's been a while since I read one of their issues. Classic Rock magazine also....obviously not a big reader of quality novels, haha!
I have the utmost admiration for ANY person that follows their dream(s) no matter what it may be, no matter what the obstacles or no matter the sacrifices....to dedicate oneself to achieving their dream takes a lot more than one may think...otherwise, why would I still be working 9 to 5!!