Workingman’s Rush

“Working Man” by the Canadian power trio Rush popped into my head today so I had to listen to it repeatedly and dissect it. I’ve always loved the guitar in this song from their 1974 self-titled debut. As a whole, this song ROCKS!

It’s not just the guitar that makes this song enjoyable for me. I love the lyrics and the driving feel to it. I think this song has an angry undertone tone. I mean, who is happy to be doing nothing but working your ass off, right? “I got no time for livin’, Yes, I’m workin’ all the time.”

When I was growing up, I would see tons of fans wearing their Rush concert t-shirts. There was also a subdivision entrance with the circled-star-Rush-2112 spray painted on the street. There are a lot of die hard Rush fans, but I wouldn’t put myself in that category. There are also rallying cries I’ve heard about the band over the years: Neil Peart/Geddy Lee is the best rock drummer/bassist ever, etc. That, or, they’re a great band, but I can’t stand Geddy’s singing voice. I have no problem with his voice, but maybe that’s one reason why this tune appeals to me. “Working Man” actually features Neil Peart’s predecessor John Rutsey on drums as well.

Getting back to the guitar, there are plenty of parts to dissect: the opening lick, the siren lick, and lots of hard driving solos in the E minor pentatonic vein. What’s not to love about it! Oh by the way, the guitarist’s name is Alex Lifeson.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

Stream of Canadian-ness

For whatever reason…beating the summer heat, boredom, or both, I have found myself watching a couple of interesting Canadian TV programs recently. Thank you, Streaming TV! I always thought cable TV was a ripoff. In any event, watching these programs has turned me onto at least one song by a Canadian musician who is completely new to me. His name is Joel Plaskett. This song, in particular, is by Joel Plaskett Emergency.

The guitar in this song “Lightning Bolt” really grabbed my ears. It rocks! For guitar nerds, I believe this tune is in Drop D or Dropped D tuning. (The low E string is tuned down to D. I had to explain this to an associate of mine years ago. He thought it was from the “Dropdy” region of Bora Bora or something like that.) I really feel the vocals in this song, too. “Let me get particular” is probably my favorite lyric. Apparently, Joel Plaskett’s father is a Canadian folk musician. By the way, Joel opened for none other than Paul McCartney on a 2009 concert in The Great White North.

I heard a clip of this song while watching a Canadian TV series called “Little Dog.” Basically, the series is about an aging boxer and his politically incorrect family. Dad is in jail, Mom is in the choir, Sis is an aspiring self-help guru and single mother. His older brother got the lion’s share of everything growing up. On the other hand, Tommy “Little Dog” Ross is a world-weary fighter who is just trying to survive. Aren’t we all? Every time he turns around, Tommy also has to deal with the local media who seem to be following his every move and other shady characters like his manager. “Little Dog” was written by Joel Thomas Hynes, who also plays the main character. Boxing may be the sport which conveys an individual’s day-to-day Me vs. The World struggle better than any other because it’s true.

A couple of other Canadian TV shows I like include “Northern Mysteries” and “72 Hours: True Crime.” I’m no expert on Canada. “I’ve never been there, but the brochure looks nice.” (Sheryl Crow).

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!

“Power Ballads for $500, Alex”

When I hear the term “power ballad”, I think of Eighties rock bands. It seems like there were a lot of them on the radio and “the MTV” back in the day. It’s kind of a weird Yin-Yang thing…long haired, hard rockin’ dudes combined with the sad, weepy ballads, but I have to admit I like some of them. One good example of a power ballad popped into my head today. Canadian rock band April Wine’s sweet-sounding song “Just Between You and Me” was released on a 1981 album entitled “The Nature of the Beast.”

I happened to glance at the thumbs up vs. thumbs down rating on YouTube. OVER 500 gave it a thumbs down, but over SIXTEEN THOUSAND gave it a thumbs up. The songwriter and lead singer of April Wine fame is named Myles Goodwyn...not just one alternatively-spelled “y” in his name, but two…Very Eighties!! Give this dude some credit. According to the official April Wine website, https://www.aprilwine.ca/ , the band started in 1969. Talk about persistence! It makes me wonder how many gigs/practices/disappointments/ hurdles/songwriting attempts did it take him to get this one?

For the 500 plus thumbs-downers, I say this: You’re entitled to dislike it, but I’m going to sit in the dark, break out a cigarette lighter, and wave it to my little heart’s content. If you’re a millennial and prefer to use a cell phone instead, that’s one way to do it. It doesn’t seem quite the same, but you probably don’t have a mullet either. I wonder what Fire Marshall Bill would say about the combo of long hair sprayed in Aqua Net and an open flame. This blog’s special guest star Canadian hockey guru Barry Melrose.

Till next time, keep your Mojo on the Horizon!