High Heels, Sneakers, and Stilettos, Best songs about Shoes: Elvis Presley, Run DMC, The Eagles, Kelly Picker

"MY ADIDAS"  RUN D.M.C.

Old school rap at its finest.  You better be singing along here!  Run DMC made Adidas the go-to sneakers of the mid 80's until Michael Jordan's Spike Lee commercials.  Come on, who doesn't love this rap "they're black and white, white with black stripe, the ones I like to wear when I rock the mic."  My first concert that I paid money to see was a young LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys, and the headliners, Run D.M.C.  Of course during My Adidas, people in the crowd were waving their shoes over their head.   Even though I'm partial to retro Nike and Jordan brand shoes, this song always described my sneaker obsession.   Run sings about having 50 pairs of Adidas, I'm not far off.  

DAILY MUSIC TRIVIA:   Run DMC recorded a CD with multiple guest stars called Crown Royal.   What song did they sing with Kid Rock?   Yesterday:  Todd Rundgren


"BLUE SUEDE SHOES"    ELVIS PRESLEY

"Well, it's one for the money, Two for the show, Three to get ready, Now go, go, go!" The epitome of cool, Elvis in '68, black leather outfit, ultimate swagger, his signature hip shakes, and he's even playing guitar on "Blue Suede Shoes".   Elvis was in comeback mode on these live shows and he re-established his role as The King with electric performances that worked the crowds into a frenzy.   These TV special performances preceded MTV's Unplugged and opened up bands performing intimate shows with their fans.    One question though for the ladies, would you really be impressed by a guy who not only wears blue suede shoes but he's so obsessively worried about getting them scuffed up?

"RED HIGH HEELS"      KELLY PICKLER

Oh Kelly, she is 100% a love her or hate her kind of artist.  Yes, I can see how her voice can be annoying.   Her innocent, dumb blonde routine on American Idol either made you laugh and love her or you couldn't wait to see her kicked off the show.  I didn't think her talent was incredible but her chemistry with Simon Cowell and her sex kitten style had me totally rooting for Kelly.  Her first big hit, Red High Heels, is a great kiss-off breakup song.   Love the line, "I put up a barbed wire fence around my heart, Baby, just to keep you out.  Well, you thought I'd wait around forever But, baby, get real I just kicked you to the curb in my red high heels." 

"THOSE SHOES"    THE EAGLES

Stripper anthem:  "You get whatever you choose, oh no, you can't do that, once you started wearing those shoes."  From their 1980 CD, The Long Run, Don Henley and Glenn Frey trades lines about the singles scene.  Guys being like sharks trying to pick up and prey on the sexy women in the high heels "with the little ankle straps".  And women wielding their power over men, standing up for themselves, and not taking any more crap.   It's easily the sexiest song in The Eagles catalog especially with Don Felder using the talkbox that Joe Walsh used superbly on Rocky Mountain Way.   

Pearl Jam Fan Writes Their Concert Setlist: New No Doubt, Socal Distortion, The Fixx

"SETTLE DOWN"    NO DOUBT

Gwen Stefani and her boys are going to release their new CD, Push And Shove, on September 25th.   The world premiere of their new video is online and there was a Ryan Seacrest  30 minute special preview on E! Tuesday night.  "Settle Down" has the feel of "Hey Baby" but it's better!  More of a chilled out reggae/ska style and those last two minutes of this video are magical!  Gwen looks incredible especially when they're slow dancing to that hypnotic outro beat!   No Doubt are rehearsing for a new tour and I can't wait to see them again.  I saw them in a outdoor venue in a rainstorm with Paramore as their opening act.  No Doubt is back, so excited!!

    


DAILY MUSIC TRIVIA:   During their MTV Unplugged performance, what did Eddie Vedder write on his arm during the song "Porch"?   Yesterday:  The Pittsburgh Steelers

"CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU"    PEARL JAM

First off, yes, this is Eddie Vedder coving ELVIS!   Amazing cover of The King of Rock N Roll.  Brian Farias basically won the Pearl Jam lottery.  He's a longtime fan of the band and seen them play 108 times.   The band offered to let Brian decide on the set list for their concert.  Imagine being able to make a playlist of your all-time favorite songs and then get the band to drop by and play them in the order you chose!   Brian picked some obscure choices like a B-side called "Alone", a Mother Love Bone song "Crown Of Thorns", and "Bugs" from Vitalogy.   For the complete set list and story, check this link:  Pearl Jam Set List.

"I WAS WRONG"    SOCIAL DISTORTION

A little California punk rock to pick up the morning!   One of my friends is in his mid 50's but he's going to see S.D. with his daughter in New York in October.   How cool is that!!   Lead singer, Mike Ness, who turned 50 this year, embodies the punk spirit, defiant, standing for his beliefs, and rocking out with his custom Gibson Les Paul guitar.    "I Was Wrong"is from 1996's "White Heat, White Light, White Trash", an amazing CD to check out.   The song merges punk, rockabilly, and blues, the perfect blend for the Social Distortion signature sound.

"STAND OR FALL"     THE FIXX

Just saw The Fixx tickets are available for a summer tour.   Wow, didn't know they were still together!   Not only are they celebrating their 30th Anniversary of their debut album, The Fixx just released their new CD, Beautiful Friction.   "One Thing Leads To Another", "Red Skies" and "Stand or Fall" are a triple play of New Wave/Rock that stands up any of the bands of the era.   Their first hit, "Stand Or Fall" has that great synthesizer opening, that foreboding beat, then the drums and Cy's vocals explode into a classic 80's nugget.  Fun Fact:  The Fixx is the rare English band who is much less popular in their native country than Canada and the U.S.

Father's Day, 5 Favorites Of My Dad: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Waylon And Willie, Hank Williams Jr.

I lost my father in the late 90's in a dramatic, violent manner.   But he wasn't part of my life for many years before then.   Yet, as many children of broken homes, I always loved my father dearly and wanted him to find the happiness he was often lacking in his life.   To a son's eyes, you look past the faults, to me often times he was a hero.   Athletic, intelligent, attractive, charismatic, strong, creative, many of the traits I hope to emulate.  He lived a hard life, often times brought on by bad choices, but he has had a profound effect on who I am today and I'm thankful for the memories.   R.I.P.  Ron Pease (dad)

"SUSPICIOUS MINDS"   ELVIS PRESLEY

Elvis in the black leather jumpsuit at the '69 Comeback Special is my favorite incarnation of the King.   Powerful vocals, that stage presence, he looks so comfortable telling stories and playing some of the greatest songs that defined his generation.    "Suspicious Minds" was Elvis's last #1 hit while alive.  The lyrics of a dysfunctional relationship and the hope of making things work are still relevant today.   #91 on Rolling Stone Magazine's all-time greatest songs.   This version is from a 2010 Elvis Remix CD, it's a harder rock version but such an incredible video!

"COCAINE BLUES"   JOHNNY CASH

First off, Johnny Cash's look and style reminds me of my dad.  His songs about prison, rebellion, and redemption only furthers the comparison in my mind.    Johnny Cash at San Quentin Prison is one of the rawest, intense, live performances ever.   Songs like "Folsum Prison Blues" about shooting a man in Reno just to watch him die and "Cocaine Blues" appealed to the public in general but I can only imagine how the prisoners loved seeing the "Man In Black" come to them and give such a special performance.  Profanities were edited out of the record, but it wasn't all "outlaw" themed, Johnny was a devout Christian and included some spiritual hopeful songs to his set.

"JUST TO SATISFY YOU"   WAYLON & WILLIE

I can remember seeing the Waylon & Willie album in our house AND on 8-track in our family car.   Outlaw country artists always appealed to me, they took something traditional like country music and roughed it up.   Songs about guns, whiskey, partying, and rowdy friends were the equivalent of today's gangsta rap music.   The kings of outlaw country music were Waylon and Willie and when they teamed up for their CD's, it was a highlight for both of their illustrious careers.  This song was originally recorded by Waylon Jennings but his duet with Willie sounds better.

"THAT'S LIFE"    FRANK SINATRA

Growing up in an Italian family, there's no way you can't love Sinatra!   "The Voice", "Ol' Blue Eyes", rumors of his Mafia connections, "the Pride of Hoboken New Jersey", his life-long battle with depression, his Oscar nominated movies, the tilt of his iconic hat, he was a rock star before rock n' roll was even around!   Sinatra was as the cliche' goes, "often imitated but never duplicated".    "That's Life" is ballsy, vintage N.Y. attitude, and emphasizes that inner strength that even if you're knocked down in life, you're going to pick yourself up!

"THE BLUES MAN"     HANK WILLIAMS JR.

Another cassette from my dad's collection that was worn out from many late night drives.   "The Blues Man" is sad yet hopeful.   Alan Jackson did a great cover of this song but Hank Williams' version feels more personal and rings true to his life.  I can't hear this song and not think about my dad.   He even went for Hank's beard look in his later years.  "You wasted so much of your life running through the dark night, let me shine some love light on this blues man".