JetWolf said...
JetWolf said...
I have a confession to make. I've been looking forward to something Guitar Hero. Not Aerosmith. I like Aerosmith, but not enough for a whole game of them. And while I curse the unfeeling gods that granted them "All the Young Dudes", I also don't like THAT song enough to shell out $60 for it.
No. What had me excited was the upcoming Def Leppard pack.
I've been hoping with my hopingest hope for some Lep since I picked up Guitar Hero 1. You know, back before it had to be numbered. When I heard that GH3 would be getting "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages", I about squeed myself.
I said "squeed", you perv.
This morning, checking for videos of the new songs was one of the first things I did. (The morning flowchart being e-mail -> LJ -> Leppard.)
I lack words to adequately describe the many shapes and distortions my face experienced as it fell.
I expected some degree of bad charting. It's unfortunate, but what I've come to expect from Guitar Hero these days. And to be fair, the charting wasn't TOO bad. What I didn't expect, however, were crappy live versions.
Yes, I said crappy.
I've seen Def Leppard in concert several times. In fact, way back in high school, I went to the Adrenalize tour, which I'm pretty sure are where these recordings are from. And it was a good show. But the group had gone through a lot here. This was their first tour without Steve and with Vivian, and the whole affair had an air of melancholy to it. It was still an awesome time, don't get me wrong. But it wasn't Hysteria and everybody knew it.
Part of what I love about seeing Def Lep in concert though is the connection that the band -- Joe in particular -- has with the audience. Let's face it, you don't really go to concerts for the music. If I want to hear "Rock of Ages" in pristine quality, I'll go pop in Pyromania and do just that. You go for the ENERGY. For that connection to the band. On this, Def Leppard deliver in spades.
But you can't get that by picking two tracks out of a bootleg. You can't get that by charting music that's sorta-familiar-but-not-quite. All you're left with are a few songs that sound like hollow imitations, carrying neither the charm of a live performance, nor the power of a studio recording.
I'm frankly embarrassed. I'm disappointed, yes, but thinking on it, the embarrassment is shining through brighter still. These are my boys, making their first foray into a game genre that I feel was MADE for them ... and this is what they get. For some people, this will be their first exposure to the group. Their first impressions will be formed by poor choices and lazy charting. Nobody's going to hear this version of "Rock of Ages" and say, "Damn! That was AWESOME! I gotta hear more of that!"
What a shame. What a freaking shame. What an opportunity missed.
Dammit, Guitar Hero.
JetWolf said...
We wound up with 5 of the Judas Priest songs: "Bloodstone", "Fever", "Hellion/Electric Eye", "Riding on the Wind", and "You've Got Another Thing Coming". We may pick up "Screaming for Vengeance" later on -- we're considering it a rainy day download for now.
Haven't tried drums or bass yet, but had a blast with guitar and vox.
And okay, I had a nice long bit here that I've decided to turn into a forum post. Now I must further tax my brain to be interesting in new ways. Give me a moment ... (to be continued)
(Now back to our programme)
Okay, so this isn't as interesting as what I cut. But in good news? I just almost doubled my previous score on "Live Forever" vocals from 105,455 to 205,469. Yay, right? But the real question is: Why did it take me this bloody long? It's not a HARD song.
I think it's Oasis getting back at me for not liking them.
THAT'S NOT HELPING, OASIS.
JetWolf said...
So after looking around at other profiles, it occurs to me that I actually sort of enjoy reading the blogs. Then I think to myself, "Self? You talk about Rock Band so damn much in your personal blog that everyone else is probably ready to kill you. Why not talk about it in the one place where your entire audience is guaranteed to have an interest in the subject? Now stop talking to me and get some cheese curls."
Mm. Cheese curls.
My hot Rock Band topic of the moment is, of course, the Judas Priest album. I'm sort of wrestling with myself on it. On the one hand, I want to be all supportive. Yay, go albums! On the other, I'm not the hugest Priest fan ever. So while the GH picks are no-brainers, I'm still undecided on the others.
vsTerminus' post this morning with the videos (http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45509) is helping though. My hubby and I were watching them before he had to leave for work, and I think we'll settle on a few more.
I like the song "Devil's Child" but the charts look sort of meh. By contrast, "(Take These) Chains" isn't a song I particularly like, but it seems much more fun to play. Not sure how we'll go there.
"Pain and Pleasure" is probably a skip, whereas I think "Fever" and "Bloodstone" are both for go. Good songs, fun charts. (For everything but bass, that is.)
We didn't get to the last two vids yet, but will check them out tonight when we make our final decisions.
Either way though, new DLC coming for us in just a few hours. I approve of this.
Not that anybody would necessarily be wondering, but just in case -- My recent absence from the forum is nothing to do with the forum itself nor Rock Band. Simply that I landed myself a sweet little job, which has now taken my free time from infinite to zero. I'm in the middle of a 10-day straight training run (just beginning day 6) and when I do finally manage to get a second, it's either spent eating, sleeping, or seeing my husband.
But take heart! Once training is done and a shift with some semblance of normality begins, I shall return, offering my unsolicited opinion about a variety of topics and telling everybody how they're wrong. I expect to get into another heated discussion within hours.
Sunday, May 4, 2008