Homer Marrs – Sistinas
I could talk about Danzig for hours and about how the music world has never truly given the New Jersey-native his just due. One need only look past the Conan The Barbarian routine. Yes, this is a consequence of the artist’s image and reputation overshadowing the music. Yet, at his best, Glenn Danzig was among the best vocalists and songwriters in rock. It is true, he mostly wrote about monsters and, generally, gruesome things. However, so did E.A Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, and only one of those two was a hack.
In 1992, Danzig, the group, was, genuinely one of the more successful bands in alternative metal. Highly confident and backed by a successful record label, they released their third and most ambitious record, one in which Glenn Danzig got to display his vocal talents outside of hard rock and metal.
The best example of Danzig’s wide array of influences is the Roy Orbison-inspired single Sistinas. Homer Marrs’ acoustic rendition does an amazing job of stripping the tune down to its essentials. Left without its shiny production, or dramatic music video, the song is revealed for what it, a classic rock ballad. It takes courage and a well-developed voice to pull this song off and Marrs possesses both of these.
Billy Summer – Time Slipping
Would the teenage version of yourself approve of the modern you? Probably not! Most of us don’t get proper exercise, a reasonable diet, and, in the last year, especially, hardly any sunlight.
If you have managed to become a genuine musician or race car driver, your chances of pleasing your previous iteration increase. However, what kind of music do you play? What kind of music did you used to like? I’d reckon it was something aggressive, like punk, or metal. Unless you’re in Metallica and stuck in a lifetime contract of having to play thrash, you’re unlikely to be indulging in these kinds of sounds.
The artwork Billy Summer’s Time Slipping shows the singer-songwriter decked out in metal gear as a teenager. The song, however, reveals Summer to have become a master at the art of well-crafted power-pop. I’d like to think that teenage-Billy would admire the subtle nuances of the melodies and instrumentation and, at the very least, give grownup-Billy a high-five.
