The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Not too terribly long ago I was approached by a friend about a new Bush album, which was released LAST year. This was news to me, as I hadn't heard anything about it, and being a long-time fan of the band, I've almost always been incredibly up-to-date on any new releases by Gavin Rossdale and the boys. So, while I trusted the aforementioned friend I've known since grade-school, there was admittedly a sliver in my noggin which told me, "Seriously?!? This can't be true!" Well, it was, and boy, was it ever something I wasn't expecting. The band's 9th studio album is called The Art of Survival , and for the fans of Rossdale's solo record or Bush 2.0's first three releases: The Sea of Memories , Man On the Run , and Black and White Rainbows , upon first listen to this latest effort, it may leave you more shocked than getting struck by lightning while stationed in an electric chair. Bush's first four albums were, to put it simply, grunge - with a...

For whatever reason, when it was announced my favorite band Muse would be releasing their 9th studio album - Will of the People - on August 26 th of last year, I decided to start ranking each and every song I've heard of theirs. After listening to their most recent effort several times through, I think I'm ready to release my months-long project unto the masses. Before I do, please note that I've included everything from singles to B-sides to covers to instrumentals to demos, but did not include live jam-sessions, preludes, or demos which are shorter than a minute in duration. Also, every song listed is my favorite rendition of it. For example, if Muse had a song called "Probe Me Please," and there were multiple versions of it, I'd naturally only list my favorite of the bunch - the full-body rendition. Lastly, I know we'll have differing opinions here and there, but let's try to be respectful toward one another. I've spent a lot of time on th...