Monthly Archive for February, 2011

I love cover songs.  I make no apologies for it.  I’ve always enjoyed hearing a band give a new take to an old favorite.  To name a few:

All the Young Dudes – Bruce Dickinson (Original by Mott the Hoople); Taxman – Stevie Ray Vaughan (the Beatles); Cry – the Philosopher Kings (Creme & Godley); Johnny B. Goode – Judas Priest (Chuck Berry – cousin of Marvin Berry, for all you Back to the Future fans); Pipeline – Anthrax (the Ventures); and even — oh, heck, why not? — It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go – Wild Colonial Bhoys (Nanci Griffith).

This list doesn’t even include all the various incarnations of these songs.  These are just my favorite versions.  Well, another band has thrown their yellow and black Stryped hat into the cover song ring.  Yes, Stryper has released an album of nothing but cover songs.  And what a variety of sources!  The aforementioned Priest, Kansas, KISS, Iron Maiden, and even heavy metal godfathers Led Zeppelin. 

There are some terrific selections on Stryper’s “The Covering.”  So when this album came out last week I was anxious to hear a new take on some of the music that defined my youth (I’m not as old as the above bands but for some reason I’ve always been at least 10 years behind the curve, musically speaking).  Now, when Michael Sweet goes to sleep each night on his pile of money, if he were so inclined to investigate he’d find several dollars that originated in the shallow pockets of a young Canadian guitarist.  I admit it, I’m a Stryper fan; another thing for which I apologize not.

What an age we live in!  Just the other day I bought an album while sitting on my couch.  iTunes is the best!  So, naturally, I went back to iTunes to check out the sound of the new Stryper album.  This band, with their tight vocal harmony and great guitar playing, has always been right up my alley.  Just how will the safest hair band of all time go Over The Mountain to Shout It Out Loud while they’re Breaking The Law?

Now for everybody out there who’s saying, “whatever, man!  Nobody does it like Priest and Zeppelin and Ozzy,” you’re right!