I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”. Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like. No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key. I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me. I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key). “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea. Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].
This month on Minor Key Monday I talk about another hard rock band I was forced to reevaluate due to stumbling across their back catalog on the radio:
Unlike last month’s Scorpions post, a band I always kind of secretly liked, I have always been pretty sure I could safely say the only thing cool about Mötley Crüe was all the umlauts in their name. I mean, Girls Girls Girls, and whatever other random songs I’d heard by them were pretty unequivocally lame, and it seemed pretty safe to write them off with the rest of the glam/hard rock shit on which I’ve also prematurely passed judgement.
But, as it turned out, in the words of the greatest ever film character to go by the name of Groot, “I was wrong.” Apparently Mötley Crüe wasn’t just good at making me look up the alt codes for umlauts, they also were actually pretty goddamn metal. Not that Shout at the Devil is some piece of underground KVLT obscurity, but it sure had a lot more teeth than I would have given it credit for. Today’s song is actually pretty tame, almost a ballad really, but it’s still got a metal backbone that is really quite refreshing to hear.
Built out of simple elements, but since when does a great song need more than simple elements? In this case, all a truly excellent song needs is a kickass verse riff and an epic, driving, Journey-esque chorus. Well, all that and a minor key.
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