Down Payment Blues by AC/DC (1978)

I remember first hearing AC/DC in grammar school. A few of my classmates(Bill, Ricky, and Dan) would listen to Highway to Hell and Back in Black constantly. For me, I didn't get it. I guess I wasn't old enough yet to appreciate the guttural riffs of the band. By high school, though, I had come around to enjoying their music to a degree and then that exploded in college. I remember hearing the rest of the band's catalog in my those years. I took a particular shine to the band's 1978 album, Powerage. I like the big riffs of What's Next to the Moon, the breakneck speed of Riff Raff and the full rock n roll lyrical package of Gimme a Bullet. But, I always held a special place for their epic blues lament, Down Payment Blues. So here it is. RIP Malcolm Young.

[Original video taken down. Live version replaced here]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jtBG0kvjJ4

Aeroplane Head Woman by Pete Brown & Piblokto! (1970)

Jack Bruce's/Cream's oft lyricist didn't always want to sit behind the scenes. So, on a couple of occasions, he tried to form a band. While the results were not always stellar, there were some shining moments. Here he is with a proggy track from his 1970 release, Thousands on a Raft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbq3gD1KYDs

Fanatical Fascists by Gary Moore (1978)

Hmm, a solo B side from Gary Moore that was written by Phil Lynott. I think I've found a somewhat clever way to include another almost-Thin Lizzy song into this blog space, despite the band being featured in the inaugural post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRU4jZmrXFk

Chicken C by Ahkmed (2003)

This Melbourne area band sound like what it would be like if Tool recorded instrumental doom metal music. At least that's what I hear? Do you agree?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nyuq6LsW3Q

A Cue Stick by Fable (1975)

A power trio with a whole lotta wah wah guitar? No, this isn't 1969. These Canadian rockers probably were born too late. That said, they had some good rockin' tunes that they've left us to enjoy years later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MBoii9UO04

Fire & Water by Secret Oyster (1973)

Alright, what better music for Boxing Day than some Danish fusion...Here is Secret Oyster off of their self-titled debut album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Geqnyj8qg7s

Brainstorm by Hawkwind (1972)

So, for the Christmas blog post this year, I looked for an Xmas tune that fit the bill, but nothing grabbed me. My second instinct was to play a track from Metallica as there are many fans of the band and I love the first half of their career. However, Metallica is not too fond of Youtube videos featuring their music. So the third option was to play one of my favorite bands, space rock legends Hawkwind. Here they are from their third album with one of their underrated classics. Plus it features one Lemmy Kilmister on bass guitar, so how can you go wrong...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0att2_Zc1A