This is the start of my ABC Music Humpday, inspired by a friend of C, the very cool, articulate and intelligent J of the the blog Thinking About. For 26 weeks, she posted a different song/video based on the letters of the alphabet and called it ABC Music Mondays. In her case the letters of the alphabet corresponded to the band or singer's names not the songs. Check out her archive here. Since I'm such a music freak, I thought that would be kind of fun, so here goes my attempt at ABC Music videos....
Okay, who out there remembers this classic from ANTHRAX?
The first time I heard "I'm the Man"" was back at State in 1988. I was one of the few chicks in Guitar class (hey, it seemed like a fun elective) and I befriended this guy (let's call him "D") who graduated from the notoriously drug addled Patrick Henry High School ("Give me liberty or give me meth!"). Turns out that one of D's best friends was Mr. Saliva's UCSD Summer Bridge roommate, a Filipino/Mexican stoner dude who was brilliant as hell. This same guy ended up being one of Bert and Thane's friends at UCSD and also Thane's co-worker once they graduated college. Small world, eh!
Anyways, D introduced me to a bunch of bands I'd never really listened to that much before or had ever heard of...Those bands included the most awesome and excellent thrash era Metallica (pre "black album" days; before they got popular), their bitter rivals Megadeth, metal/rock/reggae/funk/hip-hop African American pioneers 24-7 Spyz , the progressive (yet Beatleseque) killer harmonies of King's X, and lastly, the third segment of the holy thrash trinity (the first two being Metallica and Megadeth), Anthrax.
You have to remember that back in the mid 80's, rap and metal DID NOT MIX.
Hell to the No.
Until RUN DMC and Aerosmith teamed up to reinterpret Aerosmith's 1975 classic "Walk This Way" in 1986 and the song exploded into a huge crossover hit, rock and metal bands steered cleer of anything that was rap like. Then this song came along. Complete with band members wearing Public Enemy t-shirts. Sprinkled with samples of Sam Kinison's primal screams ("Aaaaugh, auuughh, aaughhhh!!!!!!) and guitar riffs based on the Jewish folk song, "Hava Nagila", the song, "I'm the Man" caught the eyes and ears of rock fans who were yearning to hear something different. I felt it was more of a novelty/comedy song more than anything and you certainly didn't hear it played on the radio. Speaking of which, at that time, I was totally into KGB 101.5 ("KGB FM ROCKS Saaaan Diegoooo" - say that in a robotic voice!) and KNAC (a Hard rock/metal station based in LA).
D and I bonded over our love of heavy metal and classic rock music. He tried to teach me how to play the beginning of "Gettin' Better" by Tesla, but alas, I was a shitty guitar player. I'm left handed but played a right handed guitar. I had problems doing bar chords. But I got a "B" in the class and had fun in the process. Trading mixed tapes with D was also pretty fun because I'd get tapes that had Steve Martin and Rodney Dangerfield comedy bits mixed in with the Beatles, King's X, Metallica, Boston, Spinal Tap, and Styx.
Even though I don't really listen to Anthrax much nowadays, I still can't help but snicker and sing along when I hear this song.
"I'm the man! I'm the man! I'm so bad, I should be in detention! I'm the maaaaan!"
Close 2nd's to this song:
Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force- "Planet Rock" (1982)- one of the very best old school hip hop classics of all time!
AC/DC - "Girls Got Rhythm" (1979), a raunchy ode to backseat sex from their landmark album, "Highway to Hell" (original leader singer Bon Scott's last album before he died the classic rock star death - choking on his own vomit)
Aztec Camera- "Oblivious" (1983)- one of my favorite pop/new wave songs from the 80's! Love the Spanish tinged guitar!
and lastly
Alice in Chains - "Man in the Box" (1991) - Ya gotta remember, grunge was just starting right when I was finishing college! This song was so grindingly hard core at the time!
Stayed tuned for next week..."B"
I think I just may go crazy choosing one song a week!
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3 comments:
Isn't J the coolest?! I LOVE her! I've always wanted to try doing the ABC Music Videos posts, but then I get too pensive and end up not being that ambitious in the end. It's a big deal to choose music and videos. It so difficult for me to choose just a few!
BTW, we bought our tickets for New Moon! Can't wait!
P.S. I MAY end up doing the ABC music video posts if I get stumped for anything to post for NaBloPoMo.
hi c - did you pull your last post about nablopomo? i was about the comment on it, then it was gone!
and yes, i do look through people's medicine cabinets! ha ha!!! there, i said it!!!!
your friend j is quite intelligent. i liked her post about kid's toys (remember that baby einstein shit?), specifically the leap pad. i never bought one for tc - we got one as a gift. she got bored with it and preferred that we read to her instead, that is, until she learned to read by herself...kindergarten.
i am a big opponent of all electrical toys for kids. they don't need them. why would they need a fucking leap pad to learn how to read? that's what parents are for not some damn toy.
about abc music videos, i am going to have a hard time choosing just one. i'm too detailed to a fault!
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