Promises In The Dark: Armin Van Buuren Ft Jacqueline Govaeart, Martina McBride With Pat Benatar and ASIA

"NEVER SAY NEVER"   ARMIN VAN BUUREN FT. Jacqueline Govaert

Trance love song that inspires you with the romantic lyrics and picks up your heart rate with a syncopated techno beat.   The beats remind me at times of Wham!   Jacqueline brings the right emotion to the lyrics and Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren blends the perfect mix of sweetness with raw energy.   From the 2 min. mark to 3 min, it's pure bliss.

"PROMISES IN THE DARK"   MARTINA McBRIDE and PAT BENATAR

From the CMT Crossroads series, two of the most iconic powerful female voices team up for a remake of a 80's smash.  "Crossroads" brilliantly pairs current country singers with rock artists who inspired their music.   ZZ Top with Brooks & Dunn, Steve Miller Band with Kenny Chesney, and Jimmy Buffett with Zac Brown Band were some other notable pairings.    Martina began her career as a rock singer and her "pipes" are still amazing matching Pat note for note!

"WITHOUT YOU"   ASIA

From the mega-selling debut CD from 1982's supergroup, Asia, came this album track that didn't get a video or much airplay but stands among the best Asia has ever done.   "Without You" has it all, grand crescendos of drums, swirling rock guitars, Yes-like moments, keyboard solos, and lyrics that inspire.    The original members released a new CD last year and are working on a 2012 project.

Drunk Driving Consequences: Pat Benatar, Simple Plan, Stone Sour

"FIRE AND ICE"                          PAT BENATAR

Classic 80's rock classic from NYC's Pat Benatar.    It's hard to picture her in this video and not think about Fast Times At Ridgemont High and all of the girls copying her look.   Pat Benatar was originally trained in opera and had to learn to sing rock music, so talented, such a great vocal range.    Early MTV, it was Pat Benatar and Joan Jett leading the way for female rockers.    I caught her and her husband, guitarist Neil Girardo, recently at St Pete's Ribfest and they have the best chemistry on stage, how inspiring to have such a successful marriage and be able to perform together.

"UNTITLED"                            SIMPLE PLAN

An amazing video that shows the real "impact" of drunk driving.   The video shows a drunk driver crashing into a teenage girl and it graphically shows that there are "more victims than people think, and many lives are changed forever", to quote Simple Plan's description.   Simple Plan is a pop-punk band with a lot of influence on young adults, I hope many get to see this video and appreciate the powerful message.

"HOME AGAIN"                       STONE SOUR

Stone Sour is the side band for Corey Taylor, lead singer of Slipknot.    Both bands are hard rock but Stone Sour doesn't use the gimmick of masks and has more accessible powerful rock riffs.   This is the last song on their 2010 CD Audio Secrecy.     Great lyrics here:


You might have changed but all I can see is how you're the same
Behind that face are beautiful things and terrible ways
Remember - I remember - we were everything and nothing together
But I can't stay... and I can't get away


Can anybody hear me? Can anybody live like this?