I've been spending the twilight hours of the last few days playing Guitar Hero: World Tour and marveling at the world. The biggest laugh that I get while doing this is when I queue up "Livin' on a Prayer" and start wailing away -- banging the drums or screeching the vocals.
I think back to the mid-'80s, hanging out after high school with my pals and watching MTV. Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet was all the rage and we were pretty happy to make fun of the folks who were into this music. I'd never have imagined that, twenty-some years later, I'd be in my living room pounding on some fake drums while being queued by flashing lights... all while "Livin' on a Prayer" blares out of my TV.
Everyone who reads this blog knows that I'm a little (?) OCD. I can't just enjoy Guitar Hero, I have to dig it fully. I'm looking forward to the newest incarnation of the game, "Guitar Hero: Smash Hits", a compilation of the first four GH games, retooled to allow multiple instrument play (a la Rock Band and Guitar Hero World Tour).
However, I'm slightly disappointed by the set lists being chosen for GH:SH. A look at their (all Flash) website reveals the titles included.
With the addition of microphone, bass, and drums to the instrument line-up, I question the choice of certain titles over others. Limiting myself to the same number of tunes, here's my dream set list:
Guitar Hero I (14)
- Ace of Spades
- Bark at the Moon *
- Cochise
- Frankenstein
- Higher Ground
- I Wanna Be Sedated
- Iron Man
- Killer Queen *
- More Than A Feeling *
- Thunderkiss 65 *
- Unsung
- Sharp Dressed Man
- You Got Another Thing Comin'
- Ziggy Stardust
Guitar Hero II (19)
- Woman *
- Killing In The Name *
- Heart-Shaped Box *
- Free Bird
- Carry On Wayward Son *
- Stop! *
- Mother *
- Surrender
- Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight
- Search and Destroy
- Rock This Town
- War Pigs
- Who Was in My Room Last Night?
- John the Fisherman
- Billion Dollar Babies
- Can't You Hear Me Knockin'
- Crazy on You
- Sweet Child o' Mine
- Strutter
Guitar Hero III (a paltry 8)
- Barracuda *
- Black Magic Woman
- Even Flow
- Cult of Personality *
- Hit Me With Your Best Shot *
- Holiday in Cambodia
- The Number of the Beast
- Sabotage
Guitar Hero 80s (a measly 6)
- Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
- Police Truck
- Lonely Is the Night
- I Wanna Rock *
- I Ran (So Far Away)
- Holy Diver
Bonus Songs
Time to get some of the downloadable songs into the mix proper along with songs that Rock Band "scooped" Guitar Hero with.
- Rock of Ages
- Photograph
- Say It Ain't So
- Suffragette City
- Wave of Mutilation
- Wanted Dead or Alive
- In Bloom
- Run to the Hills
- Next to You
- Ballroom Blitz (Sweet)
- Creep
- Detroit Rock City
- Celebrity Skin
- Blitzkrieg Bop
- Are You Gonna Be My Girl
At times (the *'d tracks), GH and I agree. For the most part, however, I'm disappointed by the tracks on "Smash Hits" and hope that a sequel follows quickly.
With all of the above, I hope that these will be the original, uncut, studio versions. (Yes, even "Anarchy In The U.K.". I know that it's supposed to be Johnny Rotten singing on that track but it sounds like a cheap imitator.) In this list I eliminated instrumentals (the singer has to have something to do) and tried to include songs that featured some killer drum and bass parts.
Presumptuous? Yes. Bitchy? Without a doubt. But I just felt I had to give my two cents.
No comments:
Post a Comment