Hair Band Friday - 4/28/17

1.  "Raise Your Hands" by Bon Jovi


2.  "Battle Axe" by Quiet Riot


3.  "Eye to Eye" by Slaughter


4.  "Photograph" by Def Leppard


5.  "Addicted to That Rush" by Mr. Big


6.  "Sweet Little Sister" by Skid Row


7.  "Kid Ego" by Extreme


8.  "All She Wrote" by FireHouse


9.  "Heaven's On Fire" by Kiss


10.  "China White" by Scorpions

Retro Videos of the Week: "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister

I have been too damn busy to post a Tuesday Top Ten yesterday, and I just now remembered that I hadn't posted a Retro Video of the Week yet.  In the tear-filled words of Mike Ditka, "All things must pass.  This too shall pass."  I don't have any fun facts for you this week.  Just two totally awesome videos that my three-year-old son is now obsessed with. I'm just waiting for that call from his preschool teacher, telling me that Son just responded to a classmate's request to share some crayons by saying "I've got a good mind to slap your fat face."

Hair Band Friday - 4/21/17

1.  "C'est Loupe'/Beat The Bullet" by Danger Danger


2.  "D.O.A." by Van Halen


3.  "Slick Black Cadillac" (live) by Quiet Riot


4.  "My Michelle" (live) by Guns N' Roses


5.  "Signs" (live) by Tesla


6.  "Brain Drain" by Jackyl


7.  "Wind Me Up" by Mr. Big


8.  "Ball and Chain" by Poison


9.  "I Wanna Be Somebody" by W.A.S.P.


10.  "Too Fast For Love" by Mötley Crüe

Retro Video of the Week: A J. Geils Band Medley

While I was on my dalliance on Hornitos Island last week, rock lost a name brand.  John Warren Geils, Jr. -- better known to all of us as J. -- died of natural causes at the age of 71.  The Worcester, Massachusetts-based J. Geils Band was an underrated party rock band in the '70s and early '80s, reaching the height of their success in the early '80s with songs like "Centerfold" and "Freeze Frame" before breaking up in 1985.  Fun fact:  J. Geils was the guitarist, not the lead singer, whose name was (and still is) Peter Wolf, who I remember as a kid from that video where he jumps the whole time, not realizing at the time that he was previously the guy who sang "Centerfold."  Funner fact:  the band's harmonica player, Richard Salwitz, had (and still has) the nickname Magic Dick.  Thankfully, I do not remember any Magic Dicks from my childhood.

Between 1971 and 1982, the band had 10 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including two Top 5 songs -- "Freeze Frame" (#4) and "Centerfold" (#1).  I am not going to sit here an lie my ass off to you (again), and say that The J. Geils Band is one of my favorites, but I will say that I enjoy their music, and I couldn't pick just one song of theirs that I wanted to feature for this week's Retro Video of the Week.  As a result, I am going with four songs, even though two of them are technically outside the parameters of Retro Video of the Week.

In chronological order, here's what you'll be watching over and over and over again:

1.  "Must Of Got Lost."  Despite the grammatical error in its title, this is a great song.  Released in 1974, this got to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, but for some reason, you never hear it on classic rock radio.  The video is a live version, and man, there must have been a snow storm going through Winterland that night.

2.  "Love Stinks."  What a fantastic title for a song, and what a fantastic song in itself.  If you've seen The Wedding Singer, you remember this one, but it turns out, the song is even better when Adam Sandler is not singing it (though I do love that movie -- fucking Glenn Guglia).  I really wanted to sing this at karaoke night at the resort last Wednesday, but the bastards didn't have it, which proves that one thing's for sure:  love stinks.

3.  "Centerfold."  Now this is a classic '80s hit, and certainly the band's most recognizable and most popular song.  And who can argue?  The song is about a guy who picks up a nudie mag, only to realize that the centerfold is his high school crush, destroying is wholesome image of sweet sweet Angel to the point where he turns into a reptile.  It's a story we can all relate to.

4.  "Freeze Frame."  The band's second-highest charting song, "Freeze Frame" is a catchy '80s tune about frames that. Just. Won't. Stop. Freezing.  Grrrrr.

Tuesday Top Ten: Items in Patrick Swayze's Estate Auction

I'm back from my tropical decompression just in time to participate in Patrick Swayze's estate auction, which is apparently happening on April 28.  I didn't have time to write my own Tuesday Top Ten this week, so please take a look at this article (thanks to Tana for the link), which has some highlights of the memorabilia and personal items that will be up for auction.  There is a DeLorean, as well as some items from various films and TV appearances.  I was hoping for the deed to the Double Deuce, or at least a boot knife or Brad Wesley's remains.  Then again, those have probably been donated to the Smithsonian.

Sweet Children O' Mine

I am embarking on a brief journey tomorrow, so I won't be posting anything until some point next week.  It would be uncouth for me to leave you empty-handed in my absence, so here is a fantastic video of kids listening to Guns N' Roses, some for the first time, and commenting. "In the beginning, it started like roses, and then it comes to the BANG, guns."  It gives me some hope for future generations, and the reactions to the "November Rain" video are great. The moral, for me, is that you should all play rock and roll for your kids.

Hair Band Friday - 4/7/17

Apologies for the lack of posts this week.  I've been quite busy.  As compensation, please accept these ten tasty hair band songs to start off your weekend in the right kind of mood.

1.  "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" by Night Ranger


2.  "Sign Of The Times" by Quiet Riot


3.  "Spit It Out" by Whitesnake


4.  "No More Tears" by Ozzy Osbourne


5.  "Love Song" (live) by Tesla


6.  "I Remember Now" by Queensrÿche


7.  "Don't Walk Away" by FireHouse


8.  "I Wanna Touch U" by Def Leppard


9.  "Price You Gotta Pay" by Mr. Big


10.  "Bad Apples" by Guns N' Roses