Guitar Hero Songs Bringing New Appreciations

I’ve been playing a whole lot of Guitar Hero 3 on my Wii. The whole experience is really a lot more fun than jumping around your living room with a plastic guitar should ever be. Here’s what I’m not going to do in this post. I’m not going to address any of the arguments about how GH has ruined the playing of actual guitars, or how people would be better served using that time to learn a "real" instrument. I think the whole argument is silly and others have addressed both sides quite aptly. Instead, I’m struck by how many times a GH player ends up listening to the same songs over and over in their attempts to master them. And due either to the high-level of interactivity or a genius selection process by the developers (likely a combo of both) most of the songs really don’t get old or tired to the ears. And as someone who loves music, the re-experiencing some classic songs has been really interesting.

So without further adieu, here is my list of songs that GH3 has reminded me of and brought new appreciation to.

Sunshine of Your Love/Cream
Did anything else sound like this in 1968? Crunchy and infectious guitar/bass lines based on a D blues scales and simple but off-beat drums that drive the whole thing. Throw in a signature solo from Clapton and you’ve got perfection. I’d forgotten how simply awesome this song is.

Anarchy in the UK/The Sex Pistols
I still remember hearing this song for the first time. I was probably fifteen-years old and a friend of mine put it at the end of an otherwise new-wavey mix-tape. I’d simply never heard anything like it before. And although I’ve always appreciated the song for its cultural and historical significance, it has never actually been a staple in my "listen to" mix. Maybe that was a mistake. Highly enjoyable, full of piss and vinegar, and distinctly brilliant in the way only people pretending like they just don’t care could produce. Interestingly, the band recorded a new version for the game because the original masters could not be found. I need to go listen to the original again to see how much my new found appreciation is based on this 2008 version.

The Cult of Personality/ Living Colour
I remember this 1989 song from MTV and don’t recall ever being a fan. Now I simply love the snaking guitar work and wonder why these guys never got bigger than they did.

Slow Ride/Foghat
Some songs, for what ever reason, become parodies of themselves (think drunken frat boys yelling out "Free Bird" at any random concert or the riff to "Stairway to Heaven" being banned in guitar shops). I’ve always felt this way about Slow Ride. But how many songs so perfectly embody their message? As Dave Peverett sings "slow ride, take it easy," long extended notes stretch through your ears and lull you into the groove. Then the "slow downs" crash slightly dissonantly– breaking the trance and reminding you how good it was to be there.

Talk Dirty to Me/Posion
That’s right, I said it. It’s in print and now on the web for all to see. Listen, I would never argue for Poison as a classic band and this song will certainly never make a list of greatest tracks ever. But there was a time my friends when this brand of hair metal rock ruled the world, and it didn’t rule the world for no reason. Unapologetically juvenile, almost lazy in the simplicity of its catchy main riff, and perfectly cheesy in its band callout ("CC pick up that guitar and talk to me!). Who needs subtext or metaphor when you can subtle for three minutes of sexual earnestness that (ironically?, contradictingly?, appropriately?) is really about as dirty as holding hands at the point in the 1950s?