Buttkickin’ Holiday Songs: “Holly Herald” — Jethro Tull (2003)

Hi and welcome back for another year of festive holiday musical happy-time! No big hurrah here, no major write-ups, I thought I’d jump right into this year’s selections with an instrumental piece from legendary prog-rock band Jethro Tull. Their 2003 release Jethro Tull Christmas Album is one of my favorite seasonal listens. It’s equal parts Pagan…

Film Review: “Backbeat” — Iain Softley (1994)

Rating: 5 / 10 Long before Ringo Starr was a Fab Four fixture, or before Love Me Do became their first hit single… before John Lennon proclaimed that the band was more popular than Jesus, or before they were slumming around India with the Maharishi… before their Magical Mystery Tour debacle of a film and…

Album Review: “Love Gun” — Kiss (1977)

Pound for pound, I’d say Love Gun is probably my favorite Kiss album, or at the very least in my Top 3. Everything about it screams quintessential Kiss. First there’s that cover. Look at that thing. Beautiful. Artist Ken Kelly painted it (he had done the Destroyer cover as well) and that is some buttkickin’…

Album Review: “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.” — The Monkees (1967)

As strong as an album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. really is, it still represents something of a step backward for the band. While their previous album Headquarters (released earlier that very same year) represented an assertive statement of individuality and liberation of The Monkees as a self-sustaining band, PACJ has the band relying…

Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs: “Goodnight Moon” — Shivaree (1999)

Well this is it for my 2013 Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs. Until next year my friends… Happy Halloween! And goodnight… — Hokeydude There’s a nail in the door And there’s glass on the lawn Tacks on the floor And the TV is on And I always sleep with my guns when you’re gone There’s a blade…

Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs: “Black Sabbath” — Black Sabbath (1970)

The very flames in which the darkened blade of heavy metal was forged… The first track from their first album… The song Black Sabbath from the album Black Sabbath by the band Black Sabbath… Yeah I think that sets up our penultimate Buttkickin’ Halloween Song song pretty well, but you have to admit that it’s one of the…

Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs: “God Of Thunder (Live)” — Kiss (1977)

Three more songs to go, gang. Hope you’re having a righteous Halloween! And let’s be real, there was NO way I was gonna do a list of buttkickin’ Halloween songs without including something by KISS. And believe you me, the Lords of Rock Theatricality and Spectacle had a host of great songs to choose from…

Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs: “Fire On High” — Electric Light Orchestra (1975)

If you’re over the age of, oh, let’s say 30, you’ve probably heard this song on Classic Rock radio over the years, but perhaps never knew the name or the artist. It happens. The problem is, as an instrumental, there are no lyrics to look up or inquire about, and trying to identify a song…