Listening In: Marathon Man

And we’re back with another installment of Listening In, my little musical oasis amidst all the election coverage here on Patch. I’m a firm believer in the idea that music creates community, so this is my attempt to get to know some of you through the music you like.

And there’s free stuff in it for you if you play along. So everyone wins.

Listening In is easy. If you want to be a part of this, send me an email with your name and hometown. Once a week, I’ll pull one of those names out of a hat, and if it’s your week, your job is to send me the names of five songs you’re listening to. I’ll list those songs here, with my comments, and you’ll get free Patch gear just for playing.

Of course, I’m hoping to start some musical discussions in the comments. So far, this aspect of things has been lacking, so I’d love to hear what you think of the songs posted here, and the music you like (or don’t like) in general.

This week’s contestant is Dave Horner of Montgomery. Dave is in training for his second marathon, which is incredibly impressive to me, and I wish him great success. Given that, I was expecting some pounding rock on his iPod, but instead, when he hit shuffle, these five moodier tunes (three of which I’d never heard) turned up:

1. “In Loving Memory,” by Alter Bridge. This is Creed minus Scott Stapp, which has only improved their sound, in my opinion. This is from album #1, One Day Remains, from 2004. I know a lot of people say they really feel this song (and others like it), but it goes right by me. I know it’s about loss and sorrow, and people connect with that, but it’s so generic. Am I completely heartless?

2. “Second Chance,” by Shinedown. I like this better. It’s really big, and Brent Smith can really sing. Not something I think I’d put on at home, but competent and solid radio rock.

3. “18 and Life,” by Skid Row. Oh, I love this song. I vividly remember watching this video on MTV as a teenager, back when power ballads ruled the world. (This is from the band’s self-titled debut, released in 1989.) Look at all that hair! Wow. Sebastian Bach is another one of those underrated metal singers. He has some pipes on him. I’m surprised at how tame this seems now. It was explosive in ’89.

4. “Epiphany,” by Aaron Lewis. Lewis is the lead singer of Staind, a decently heavy band who has had success after success with acoustic ballads like this one. (I imagine Dave’s version is Lewis on his own, but I’ve linked Staind’s take, from 10 years ago.) This as well just slips by me without leaving much of a mark. Lots of people like this band. What am I missing?

5. “Hysteria,” by Def Leppard. True story: my younger sister and I were obsessed with this album in 1988, and we brought it with us everywhere. So we were visiting our Uncle Bunky in Philadelphia one summer, and we played the album in his kitchen, pretty loudly. Bunky was a crusty old man who never shied away from saying what was on his mind, and when he heard the sounds coming from our boom box, he said this: “You call this music? In my day, we’d call this hysteria.” We then delighted in showing him the album cover. I get a lot of flack for being a Def Leppard fan, but I’ve always liked them, and still do. I don’t know that I can properly explain just how everywhere this record was in the late ‘80s. They were huge. And I think it still holds up today.

Thanks for your picks, Dave, and good luck on that marathon. If you want to play Listening In, drop me a line at andre.salles@patch.com. Thanks!