AC/DC’s ‘Black Ice’ Lacks Originality, But it Has the Heart! | Album Review
Moving on from Stiff Upper Lip (2000), today, I’ll be focusing on Black Ice (2008). It is the band’s 15th (14th internationally released) studio album. Black Ice‘s development got stalled due to bassist Cliff Williams recovering from a hand injury and AC/DC changing record labels. Not only is it the band’s longest gap between studio albums (eight years), but it… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Judas Priest Edition
We’re back with another edition to the Songs with the Same Title series! I previously covered rock band Kiss, and now we’re shifting focus to the heavy metal band; Judas Priest. If you’re new to the series, there will be six rounds, and I’ll pick my preferred song from each one. In the end, I’ll choose the winner… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Stiff Upper Lip’ is a Banger! | Album Review
For my last AC/DC review, I gave my thoughts on Ballbreaker (1995), now I’ll be looking at Stiff Upper Lip (2000). I bought the Stiff Upper Lip album in June/July; it’s all a blur now. The point is, we’re here, and I’m ready to share my thoughts on the band’s 14th (13th internationally released) studio album. “Stiff Upper Lip” started the… Continue Reading →
Five Disney Channel Original Movie Songs That Rock
Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs) were huge for me, not so much now! But everything from Camp Rock, High School Musical, Lemonade Mouth, and Stuck in the Suburbs, those films were my childhood. Some of the movies were cheesy as heck, but they came with great songs. Most of them were pop songs, but they had some rock moments… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Kiss Edition
Happy new year, everyone! How about we do another band for the Songs with the Same Title series to kick off the new year? The next act I will cover in the series will be Kiss. Unlike Bon Jovi, it was harder to find Kiss songs with the same title as other artists’ songs, so I had to… Continue Reading →
Reflections on the Year 2020
First of all, I know I had a collage for last year’s post reflecting on 2019, but I didn’t do that for 2020 because I didn’t do much other than write on my blog, watch a lot of YouTube, and listen to bands such as Def Leppard, AC/DC, Metallica, and Iron Maiden. So nothing special, to be… Continue Reading →
Thank Goodness AC/DC Brought Back Phil Rudd for ‘Ballbreaker’! | Album Review
AC/DC was “back in business,” thanks to the success of 1990s The Razors Edge, which contains “Moneytalks” and “Thunderstruck.” It was their first (and only) studio album with drummer Chris Slade; though, he wouldn’t last long as fate would have it that the boys would reunite with former drummer Phil Rudd, who left some big shoes… Continue Reading →
‘AC/DC Live’ is Pretty Great! | Album Review
This past Friday, while helping my mom do some last-minute Christmas shopping, I went to the Book Off at Pearlridge, hoping that I’d find at least one new AC/DC album to add to my collection. It wasn’t The Razors Edge (1990), but it was something better, AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector’s Edition (1992). As you’ve read on my previous AC/DC… Continue Reading →
My Favorite Songs – Fall 2020
My last exam is this Wednesday, so I thought now would be the perfect time to wrap up Fall 2020 and talk about my favorite songs from that time since I had so much fun making My Favorite Songs – Summer 2020 post. I tried to diversify this list by including more songs by different artists, but… Continue Reading →
I’m Finally 22, So What’s New?
On Monday, Nov. 30, I turned 22 years old, and no, I did not sing Taylor Swift’s “22” that day. But it was a great day; I got to see my grandma, I had chicken katsu from L&L for lunch, two of my Amazon CDs came in, I had spring rolls and fried shrimp for… Continue Reading →
Was AC/DC’s ‘The Razors Edge’ Their Big Comeback?!? | Album Review
I’ve been all over the place with my AC/DC reviews recently. But this time, I’m going to take on the band’s follow-up to Blow Up Your Video (1988). I reviewed that album back in August, which you can find over here. Anyway, today we’re focusing on The Razors Edge (1990), which supposedly is AC/DC “comeback” album; I say otherwise, however. … Continue Reading →
Ten Things I’m Thankful For
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, so I thought that now would be a good time to talk about ten things I’m thankful for in my life. 2020 has been a rough year, but showing gratitude for the positive things can improve one’s mood in many ways. Some of these things are a bit weird, but please… Continue Reading →
Taking College Courses Online During a Pandemic
I’ve been taking online classes since March, I believe. It’s already November, and we still have yet to find a cure for COVID-19. But enough about that, I want to take the time to do a mental check and talk about my experience with online classes so far. One thing for sure is taking online… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Bon Jovi Edition
I started a series back in July, where I talk about songs with the same title, but I only did one so far (Songs with the Same Title – Backstreet Boys Edition). Now I’m bringing it back, and this time, the main focus will be on Bon Jovi. However, I’ll only be focusing on songs… Continue Reading →
My Top Five AC/DC Songs
AC/DC released their 17th studio album today, so in celebration of that, I’ll be sharing my top five AC/DC songs of all time. Why bring up only five? That’s because ten songs would be too easy; come on! I don’t do things the easy way, in case you haven’t noticed! Also, I’m only doing one… Continue Reading →
Lessons from the Late Great Steve Clark
It’s been a while since I talked about Steve Clark, but he was an incredible individual. I’ve never met him, but I wish I did. He has changed my perspective on life and the way I look at different types of music, specifically rock and heavy metal music. I won’t get into how Clark died… Continue Reading →
Judas Priest’s ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ Gets a Thumbs Up | Album Review
When I was 12-years-old, I watched Judas Priest perform on the American Idol finale for season 10. Earlier in the season, my favorite contestant, James Durbin, gave it his all on “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin,’” and he nailed those high notes! That was 2011, flash forward to 2020, where I decided to check out the album… Continue Reading →
The Best of Def Leppard Deep Cuts and Rarities
Inspired by Mike Ladano’s Highway to Lists: Live Streaming AC/DC Deep Cuts post, I thought it’d be fun to do a similar post about Def Leppard deep cuts. But I’ll also include rare hits that didn’t make their studio albums; yet are still worth mentioning. I’ve created some guidelines to make things easier for me. So… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘High Voltage’ is the Best Purchase I Ever Made! | Album Review
Ok that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it did get you to click on this review, right? I was going to do a review on Queen’s first album, but after a trip to the Book Off at Pearlridge this past Friday, those plans changed. I scored four kickass albums, including AC/DC’s High Voltage (1976). The… Continue Reading →
Metallica’s ‘Load’ Had Fans Shook! | Album Review
Metallica’s Load (1996) is known for being criminally underrated by many fans. So, if you know me, I’m all about checking out the underrated albums because you can get sick of the popular songs, but you can’t get sick of the lesser-known songs! If I could sum up the Load album in one sentence, it’d be this: Metallica playing… Continue Reading →
AC/DC IS BACK – Here’s What You Need to Know!
It’s official, AC/DC is back! There are no more assumptions about whether or not Cliff Williams rejoined the group or if an album is yet to be released. It’s happening, and the boys are back better than ever! Following the leaked photos posted on the band’s website about two weeks ago (then removed shortly afterward),… Continue Reading →
The Best Contestants to Ever Exist on ‘American Idol’
American Idol may not be as good as it was in the old days, but they did have some memorable contestants over the years. We have the people that should’ve gone further in the competition, the ones that are doing well post-Idol career-wise, and we have those people that need recognition because they’re too good not… Continue Reading →
Can an AC/DC Reunion Save 2020?!?!
I’m not the person that keeps up with the current times, but this one is an exception. AC/DC IS BACK, BABY!!!! People are going crazy over the recently leaked photos of the band, possibly working on something for us fans to enjoy in the future. Journalists have acknowledged that lead vocalist Brian Johnson and drummer… Continue Reading →
Which Songs Should AC/DC Add to Their Setlist?
Even if there’s only a slight chance of AC/DC reuniting for one final album and tour, I want to prepare myself for the day I get to see these rockers in person. The lineup would consist of hopefully, Angus Young, Brian Johnson, Stevie Young, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd. After watching many virtual AC/DC concerts,… Continue Reading →
Metallica Took It Up a Notch With ‘S and M’ | Album Review
Yeah, that’s right! I said S&M versus S&M2 because I have not seen the first one and I’m too cheap to buy the second one. But also, I grew to be a fan of Jason Newsted, so that’s why I wanted to check out S&M first. Back in June, I watched a Mike the Music Snob video on youtube, where he… Continue Reading →
Which Songs Should Def Leppard Add to Their Setlist?
I love Def Leppard, but sometimes I feel like their setlists have gotten pretty predictable throughout the years. They still sound great live, and the experience itself is mind-blowing (from what I’ve researched), but I think it’s time for the boys to spice up their concerts. Their catalog is so diverse, yet they play the… Continue Reading →
My Favorite Songs – Summer 2020
As my summer comes to an end, I’ve realized my music taste has shifted drastically within the past three months. I went from glam metal’s Def Leppard, to pop rock’s Bon Jovi, to 90s pop’s Backstreet Boys, to heavy metal’s Metallica, to rock ‘n’ roll’s AC/DC. My music style is all over the place, but… Continue Reading →
Do Artists Need to Play Their Hits at Concerts?
It depends! For any artist, they need to have popular tunes to sell records. But sometimes, overplaying the hits can be a bit much at times. It is necessary, though; at a Bon Jovi concert, for example, the crowd would be upset if they didn’t play “Bad Medicine,” “Wanted Dead Or Alive,” or “Livin’ On… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Blow Up Your Video’ Is Um…Interesting | Album Review
AC/DC’s Blow Up Your Video, their eleventh studio album (tenth internationally) supposedly was their comeback album. I see things otherwise! There were only like four tracks I liked, out of the ten tracks on there. The reasons being the song titles were lame (“Kissin’ Dynamite” made me cringe so hard), choruses were not the greatest,… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Fly on the Wall’ is Not as Bad as People Think | Album Review
It seems that AC/DC hit rock bottom when they released their tenth (ninth internationally) studio album titled, Fly on the Wall on June 28, 1985. At the time, MTV and 80s hair metal bands were the next big thing. As a way to stand out, AC/DC decided to make the album as raw and real as possible,… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Flick of the Switch’ Is a Raw Masterpiece | Album Review
AC/DC’s Flick of the Switch (1983) was their eighth studio album released internationally, and their ninth album released in Australia overall. Besides being the third AC/DC album to feature Brian Johnson on vocals, it was also the final one to feature drummer Phil Rudd before his eleven-year departure from the band. The previous three albums were produced… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘For Those About to Rock’ Kicks A**! | Album Review
Honestly, when I first got into AC/DC, I was blasting For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981) more than Back in Black (1980) because I’ve heard “You Shook Me All Night Long” a million times, but you don’t hear “Evil Walks” or “Let’s Get It Up” often. I wanted to dive deep into the band’s catalog, so… Continue Reading →
Bored at Home?!?! Here Are Five Ways to Stay Busy This Summer
I’ve never watched so much YouTube in my entire life, let alone in one day! Though I do enjoy it, it’s nice to take a break once in a while. There are other ways to stay busy during the summer that doesn’t require staring at your computer screen for a long time. For today’s post,… Continue Reading →
Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’ Turns 33!
On August 3, 1987, exactly 33 years ago, hard rock legends Def Leppard released their fourth studio album titled Hysteria. The album was the result of dreadful hours in the studio, record-producer Mutt Lange’s perfectionism, the never-ending debt of making the album, and drummer Rick Allen’s determination to be the best f*cking one-armed drummer in the… Continue Reading →
I Miss Disneyland So Much, It’s Not Even Funny!
The last time I went to Disneyland was summer 2018, right before Pixar Pier opened! I was hoping to go to Disneyland this summer after the Stadium Tour in San Francisco. But of course, both of those events got canceled due to COVID-19. I’ve been watching more Disneyland videos on YouTube recently, and they remind… Continue Reading →
Giving Up One Direction Was the Biggest Mistake I Made in High School
I became a fan of One Direction back in middle school. Harry Styles was my favorite member, but I loved all of them. I even wrote a song about Harry, but that’s another story! I bought all of their albums until Midnight Memories (2013), then I stopped because I thought I was supposed to. High school… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Back in Black’ Turns 40!
On July 25, 1980, Australian rock ‘n’ roll band AC/DC released their seventh studio album titled, Back in Black. It is known to be one of the best selling albums of all time, having sold about 50 million copies worldwide. Forty years later, people all over the world still blast that thing every chance they get!… Continue Reading →
How Music Has Shaped My Mental Health
I’m no therapist, but I know what music does to people! There’s a song for everything; breakup songs, love songs, sad songs, feel-good songs, and angry songs. Whenever I’m in a bad mood, I would play a Def Leppard song, and immediately feel better. I’ve learned throughout the years that certain songs aren’t the best… Continue Reading →
Remembering Cory Monteith, Mark Salling, and Naya Rivera
With the tragic news of Naya Rivera’s death, Cory Monteith’s seventh death anniversary, and Mark Salling’s death resurfacing, I thought it’d be time to spread some light during this dark time. Remember the good memories these actors have shared with us during their time on Glee. Who can forget Finn singing his heart out in the… Continue Reading →
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak – ‘High ‘n’ Dry’ Turns 39!
In July of 1981, Def Leppard released their sophomore studio album titled, High ‘n’ Dry. It was released in the U.K. on July 6 and in the U.S. on July 11. That was 39 years ago, what the heck?!?!? This album not only helped the group establish their musical roots, but it also marked the first… Continue Reading →
Did ‘Fuller House’ Meet ‘Full House’ Expectations?!?!
Full House is my favorite show of all time, so I was excited when Netflix announced a reboot for it. Though not having Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen was a bummer, the cast delivered with their charm and humor that we’ve come to know and love from the original series. Fuller House centered around a widowed D.J. Tanner-Fuller (Candace… Continue Reading →
Songs with the Same Title – Backstreet Boys Edition
I’ve had this idea to write about songs with the same title because that seems to be a common thing in the music industry, it’s like no matter how old the song is, another artist is bound to have the same title eventually. There are many artists out there, but I’m starting with the Backstreet… Continue Reading →
‘The Princess and the Frog’ Plunges into Splash Mountain
On June 25, 2020, Disney announced their plans to retheme Splash Mountain – at both Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida – into a completely new experience. Based on the 2009 film The Princess and the Frog, the reimagined attraction will follow Tiana and Louis as they prepare for their first-ever… Continue Reading →
Final Thoughts on My Junior Year of College
I knew my junior year was going to be the hardest one in my college career, and this was before COVID-19 started. In Fall 2019, I changed my major to communication, I joined the PRSSA, and the Disney Ohana Club gained some new officers, meaning I had to adjust to working with new people. Spring… Continue Reading →
My Dream Vacation to Disneyland
Disneyland is still closed, but it’s always fun putting together a dream vacation to the happiest place on earth! The last few times I went, I never got to do everything I had planned because my family and I like do different things. My dad loves roller coasters and is always on the move, whereas… Continue Reading →
AC/DC’s ‘Powerage’ Album Review
As soon as the malls opened up again, I went rushing to the Book Off because who doesn’t want cheap DVDs and CDs?!?! Nothing caught my eye in the DVD department, but the CD department was another story. Especially since I stumbled upon an AC/DC album titled Powerage (1978); I mostly bought it because the cover reminded… Continue Reading →
How COVID-19 Has Changed Me
When this pandemic first started, I thought it was going to come and pass, like the flu season, but I had no idea this would turn my life upside down! The first few weeks of the quarantine, I was fine. I had Bon Jovi and Def Leppard concerts planned for the day, and I was… Continue Reading →
Five Must-Watch Disney Movies on Netflix
I don’t have Disney+, but I do have Netflix! There aren’t many choices for a Disney Movie Night, but there are some decent ones to satisfy everyone’s taste. So for today’s post, we’re counting down five must-watch Disney movies available on Netflix as of right now. But Netflix tends to remove and add new films… Continue Reading →
Bon Jovi’s ‘New Jersey’ Album Review
I only wanted to review this album as an excuse to sing-along to “I’ll Be There For You,” can you blame me? But Bon Jovi’s New Jersey (1988) album had other hits as it produced five top ten hit singles, with “Bad Medicine” and “I’ll Be There For You,” reaching number one. As the follow-up to Slippery When… Continue Reading →
What I Learned From High School
For those of you that don’t personally know me, I didn’t have an ideal high school experience. It was the opposite of that. I didn’t hate it entirely, though; I made some great friends, and I’m thankful for my time in the band. As soon as high school ended, I promised myself that I would… Continue Reading →
