Magazine - Shot by Both Sides

This song alone should cement Magazine's place in Rock and Roll history:



The riff might sound familiar - if so, it's because Pete Shelley wrote it and gave it to his former Buzzcocks member and Magazine founder Howard Devoto. He then used it for the Buzzcock's song Lipstick:



Howard Devote gets songwriting credit on that one, and Pete Shelley on "Shot by Both Sides." Can't go wrong with that kind of post-split collaboration.

I Like the Cover Better: Without You

The song Without You, done by Harry Nilsson, is one of my favorite songs of all time.



He didn't write it, though. The original is by Badfinger, and it's also excellent:



Still . . . as the title says, I like the cover better.

Neil Young - Unknown Legend

This song is more country than rock, really, but has some of the finest guitar playing ever by Neil Young . . . who has played some of the best guitar in rock and roll, period.

The Stranglers - Get a Grip on Yourself

Dammit, COVID-19 took another musician from a band I love - the keyboardist from The Stranglers.

Wendy O Williams - It's My Life

Wendy Orleans Williams, one of my punk rock heroes, took her own life on this date. I'm still not over that.

It was her life . . . but I sure wish that wasn't what she felt like she wanted to do.



Thanks for the music and the attitude Wendy. Rule in Metal-Punk Heaven with Lemmy at your side.

Bonus track - Masterplan (live)

We're Not Gonna Take It - Acoustic

I love this version of "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister's lead singer, Dee Snyder:



I don't love the original any less than this, but this is great. You can really get the power of the lyrics, as simple and straightforward as they are. I always liked that we worked in the criticism "trite" into a metal song.

Rush - Tom Sawyer (Exit Stage Left)

This is the first video I saw from Rush, back when I was a teen watching MTV:



I'm sure it's the first Rush song I heard, too, followed soon by Limelight. I liked them ever since then. One of my close friends was a huge Rush fan. Thanks to him I ended up with cassette copies of A Farewell to Kings and Moving Pictures. I went on to buy a bunch more Rush on vinyl and later on CD.

We lost Neil Peart, but as the Rancid song says, "through our music, we will live forever."