Metal Monday

Post 9/11 kicking Muslim Butt edition:

People of Earth, I give you:

Ahhhh Iron Eagle. Yeah, yeah, I know. Still its a lot of fun and God Bless Queen.

Twenty Five years ago I was listening to this sound track everyday. Queen does a song here for Iron Eagle, but also Highlander.

Check out Brian May's solo at about 3:00. It has a heroic feel, an almost operatic feel to it. Then he just hammers the listener.

Back then, when I was 18 mind you, I was writing about galactic alliances and such. I've held on to a few of the ideas I had and got them in print. Anywho with the One Vision opening I used to see helicopters rising out from a hill, the morning sun behind them. Very Apocalypse Now, I know. That massive sword fight in the middle, well that used to make me think of space dreadnoughts trading fire, one volley after another.

The interesting thing about Queen was their ability to adapt. In the early 70's they sound like a guitar driven classic rock band. By the end of the decade they're heavily influenced by Disco. By the mid-80s they sound kind of metal. Which was no fluke. Brian May is on my top ten guitar players list. Heavy was always in them, oh stop snickering.

Queen also has a special place in my generation's heart. Well, you know:

Before Wayne's World one only heard Bohemian Rhapsody on the musty classic rock stations, 92.3 and 102.7 in the NY metro area. As it happened Freddie Mercury died a few months before this came out, so this was kind of his swan song cum tribute. Yes, my friends and I drove around in my 86 Celica doing this. Heck, we do it when DJ's play the song at weddings.

Fuck yeah, who says the gays can't rock?