R.E.M.- An honest musical hot take

 It's no question that I'm a music nerd and is what will always keep me going . Now, I know what you're thinking ? There's got to be a band or a certain artists that he can''t be fond of? The answer might surprise you but it's a fact. I have had my fair share of bands that I didn't like at all (at first). I didn't care for U2 for the longest time. I had no problem with the Edge and the other band members (though I admit now that in my opinion the edge isn't the most groundbreaking guitarist) Nope. My problem was with Bono. I thought he was preachy and full of himself .It was also because I was so used to FM rock radio playing the same hits over and over and over. But then I realized something . If I can love Bruce Springsteen even though he can be political; then why couldn't I give a liking to U2?  Once I discovered their first LP Boy and dug deeper into 1983's War, I swung in the other direction . 

Now you're probably asking yourself "What does U2 have to do with this R.E.M. hot take?" Well, I'll tell you. I've listened to a boatload of bands and artists in my life and I can honestly say that R.E.M. just doesn't cut it for me. The first part of my disliking can come from the constant radio play of their most popular tunes. If I had a nickle for every time I heard "Losing My Religion" "Everybody Hurts " "It's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) , I would be a millionaire . Now just like U2, I wanted to give the same treatment to R.E.M. so like any good music nerd, I started from the beginning of their catalog. 

Here's the hot take. The bands sound and their songwriting doesn't bother me. When R.E.M released their first LP in 1983 titled Murmur , the sound and production of the record was fairly common at the time for lots of new-wave rock acts. Another factor that doesn't bother me are guitarist Peter Buck and drummer Bill Berry. I find Bill Berry to be a solid drummer and Peter Buck is an extremely gifted and underrated guitarist whose playing reminds me of a combination of both James Honeymoon Scott and Johnny Marr. My problem and what makes the buck stop for me is lead singer Michael Stripe. I can't stand for the life of me his vocal approach. I find his vocal approach to be throbbing and whiny to no end . I just don't understand why a lead singer can sound the way he does with a  band that clearly knows how to play their instruments. The song that can back up my opinion is their hit "The One I love" . Everything about the song musically sounds great .The track is polished and Peter Buck's guitar riff is killer while Berry lays a simple yet effective beat. Once again, Stripes vocals just turn me off completely.   

That's my hot take on Alt rock superstars R.E.M. I might be coming off as a Lester Bangs or Robert Christgau but just like them, I have my own crazy opinions.

Unchained; but never forgotten : Guitar god EVH dies at 65

 This past week , the music community, guitar players , and the world suffered a crushing blow. One of the most innovated guitar players to have ever lived passed away. That man was Eddie Van Halen. Van Halen alone changed the way guitar was played and the amount of players (including myself) he inspired cannot be more meaningful. He was born in the Netherlands on January 26th, 1955 and was the youngest son to Jan Van Halen and Eugenia Van Halen. When his family relocated to Pasadena, California , Eddie and his older brother Alex Van Halen would form a strong sibling bond and always practiced day and night on their instruments. Originally, the roles were switched. Alex was on guitar and Eddie was on drums . Thank goodness they flipped . Luckily, the other original Van Halen members David Lee Roth and Michael Anthony were  in a short distance of one another in the same neighborhood and soon enough the mighty Van Halen was formed. Talk about a Cinderella story. 

    Eddie Van Halen single-handedly revolutionized his own signature sound and technique and took all the fundamentals of the electric guitar, and flipped it on its  head. His guitar tone, pinch harmonics, and tapping technique  is to die for and is envied  by musicians everywhere. He was the guitar hero of not only my dad's generation, but his influence crossed over into mine. What I respect about Eddie the most is that he took his influences (Eric Clapton the most note worthy) and made a mark all his own . There will never be another like him ever again. 

    Eddie Van Halen and Van Halen as a whole have had a great impact on my life. Since my love for music began back in elementary school, I was introduced and exposed to some of the best music ever written. From The Beatles, The Stones, AC/DC, Cream, The Carpenters ,to Frank Sinatra I was an open book and took everything in. It wasn't until 7th and 8th grade when I finally got introduced into the mighty Van Halen. When I heard Van Halen for the first time , my mind was blown. I was immediately in love with  Eddie's guitar sound . I was obsessed on how heavy his tone was along with his underrated rhythm playing was (Mean Streets and So This is Love are the best examples).

Like so many other inspiring guitar players though , I was over the moon on the masterpiece what is known now as 'Eruption". No guitar player has or since then has created such a rule-breaking/ innovated instrumental since then . I could sit here and try to explain, but that would be just as useful trying to teach all you quantum physics. We would all have to ask the Mozart of guitar himself. 

Van Halen itself as a band itself got me through a rough patch in my life which was the dreaded years of junior high . Everyone knows what junior high was like. It's the time in your academic life where its that awkward period when your face looks like a pepperoni pizza, you're crushing on the prettiest girl in your grade, and you just want to fit in . For those of us who were awkward , Van Halen's music was that badass friend you always saw in those classic John Hughe's movies ;they walk the walk, talked the talked , and knew how to party and have a good time. With Van Halen's music in my arsenal (along with many other 80's hard rock acts) I felt like a total badass. 

Years later, I'm still a die hard fan and I don't plan to stop anytime soon . I'm personally a David Lee Roth era fan of Van Halen mostly because of how raw and powerful Eddie's guitar tone was on the bands first two LP's and Fair Warning, which is my all time favorite Van Halen record. Regardless if your'e in the Roth or Hagar camp, we can all agree on one thing ; Eddie Van Halen was an innovator , genius and a role model for music lovers and guitarist everywhere. 

Thank you Eddie Van Halen. You were one of a kind and a true master. There will never be another . Rest easy and fly high