This page is a tribute to those things that have molded me creatively.
Perhaps by understanding this you can understand me a little bit better.
NOTE: Soon I will be adding a few more obscure creative references that have had more of a recent impact...I just have to tally them all up!
Say what you will about GN'R, but these 2 albums showed me that a rock band could do more than the status quo. They might be an exercise in extreme self indulgence, but they set the tone for what I want to achieve. There's a real depth here. There are no limits. They cover a variety of styles and take a lot of chances. I like the idea of pushing the limits.
When I was about 8 I bought my first tape. Billy Joel's Greatest Hits Volumes I & II. His music has gone on to be a tremendous influence. Each song tells a story with realistic characters in a setting I can always relate to. In some ways he's more like a writer than a musician. Either way he always suceeds in capturing the mood he is trying to convey.
Wrestling takes a lot of shots, but it something I have loved since my childhood. I love all the aspects of sports entertainment. The daring moves, the characters, the costumes, the lights, the music and the pyro. I love how those all contribute to an ongoing storyline. I never seem to get bored with it no matter what happens.
Faith No More taught me the fine line between insanity and genius. And they walk it to it's fullest. They blend all styles of music with lyrics about topics very few other bands would touch. And they do all of this so brilliantly. They make me feel good about going insane.
Megadeth came along at a period in my life where they were expressing exactly what I was feeling. Dave Mustaine's vocals and lyrics were something I could definately identify with. And the blending of power and passion with excellent musicianship really blew me away.
I know, I know... What person of my generation doesn't love Star Wars? But I approach it from a different perspective. I admire George Lucas' ability to create not just a story but a complete reality. It may be a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....but look at the effect on popular culture.
Star Trek is the same as Star Wars yet different. I still like the concept of creating a full complete universe, not just an isolated story. Over all the spin-offs and movies you can see the cross-over of the storylines just as it would be in real life. But to add a slightly different spin, Star Trek has always shown me what we can aspire to be if we try.
Savatage are totally unique. I have never heard a band that makes concept albums with such ease. And I also totally admire the arrangements of their music. From 5 part vocal harmonies to the haunting sound of a lone piano they will do whatever it takes to fit the mood of the song. And no matter what they still end up contributing to the greater story as a whole.
Not a lot of people read Del James. Not many know who he is. But I find this book to be extremely well written. It actually is very similar to the type of stuff I was writing at the time of it's release. I always found that I could identify with the stories, which is something that is sometimes very hard to do in modern horror & fiction. I think the fact that I can identify with it makes it all the better.
Something about the sound of Ozzy's voice drew me in from the very start. I have no other way to explain it. But what I found once I looked past the surface was amazing musicianship combined with some of the most classic lyrics I have ever heard. A lot of heavy music today does owe a debt to Ozzy. He has done somethging that didn't exist before him and will never exist after he's gone, but still influences millions.
In closing, if you like Guns N' Roses of not you should read this book. It is less about GN'R than it is about Psychology, Religion, Sociology, Modern Day Myth and all things related to the human soul. I definately knew more about myself after I was done reading this book. I can't think of any other book I own that I can say that about.
