An Ugly Entry

I love Ugly Kid Joe. I've loved them since their 1991 debut song, the funny and rude breakup song, "Everything About You". Although they both peaked and faded quickly, UKJ if a fun band to listen to and should be represented on any metal fan's iPod.

Ugly Kid Joe is a band that doesn't always take itself seriously. Their name is a parody of glam band Pretty Boy Floyd and they instill humor frequently into their music (as well as tongue firmly in cheek). The humor is perfectly clear with the titles of their first three albums, all digs at hip-hop: As Ugly As They Wanna Be, America's Least Wanted and my personal favorite of their album titles, Menace to Sobriety. Their fourth and fifth albums continued the parody titles, but this time towards rock music with Motel California and Stairway to Hell.

UKJ's mega hit "Everything About You", is as I mentioned above, funny and rude. Vocalist Whitfield Crane belts his way through a tirade of all the things he hates including his ex-girlfriend. During a rant in the middle of the song, Crane confesses to sleeping with his ex's sister ("I put her on the bed and she didn't say 'maybe'"), who ironically was mentioned as one of the things he hates because he thinks "sex is overrated too". I did say it was rude, didn't I? The video features blow-up sex dolls as characters. SO yes, they are funny in a juvenile way.

The band also did a few cover songs, most notably Harry Chapin's "Cat's in the Cradle". Their version of "Cradle" made the song darker, but failed to bring the emotion of Chapin's tear-jerking original. The band also covered two Black Sabbath songs, "Sweet Leaf" and "N.I.B.". Neither is really worth discussing.

Vocalist Whitfield Crane is what I like to call a jam-metal singer. He's like a badly concocted blend of Axl Rose and Tom Keifer. You all can decide for yourself if that is an insult or not. He is great for a band which doesn't always take itself seriously and is just out there to have fun. He also kind of reminds me of former WWE wrestler Edge, circa the pretty boy days with Christian.

Did I say fun? Yes I did. So check out the songs "Whiplash Liquor" and "Neighbor".

If you want some demented fun, also check out "Madman", a song about a serial killer running loose in Disneyland. Can you have any more fun than that?



Remember when I mentioned the tongue planted firmly in cheek? Turn up the volume and play "Goddamn Devil" which features special guest Rob Halford. Then do the same thing with "God". Although the latter doesn't have Rob Halford.

The PMRC and some crybaby record chains forced a "clean" album cover for the band's America's Least Wanted album. The original cover featured the Statue of Liberty flipping the middle finger and holding a porn magazine. An alternate cover featuring the band's mascot in chains was also used.

Here's a piece of Ugly Kid Joe: their debut E.P, As Ugly As They Wanna Be went platinum and became the highest selling debut E.P. of all time.

Another piece of trivia: former UKJ drummer Shannon Larkin became the drummer for Godsmack.

I'm sure those of you who grew up with metal, have heard Ugly Kid Joe and have their music on your iPod. If you don't have any of UKJ's music, what the hell is wrong with you? Most of their CD's can be found in any bargain bin of your local used CD/DVD store so go out there and pick up their music. If you have to steal your wannabe rocker cousin's Nickelback CD's to trade in towards the UKJ discs, do it. You'll be doing your cousin a favor.

Thank you all again for playing along and taking time to read my blog. Have a great weekend and to my American readers, have a great holiday weekend and please do not drink and drive. Catch you next time and if you cannot be a poet, be the poem.


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Covered in Awesome

In general, cover songs aren't nearly as good as the original. There are some exceptions, Johnny Cash's dreary rendition of Nine Inch Nail's "Hurt" and Aerosmith's version of the Beatles "Come Together" are a couple which most certainly do justice to the original song. However, don't get me started on Madonna's butchering of "American Pie" or the near blasphemous Sheryl Crow cover of "Sweet Child O' Mine". Today, I am going to discuss some really badass covers many of you likely have never heard.

"Baby One More Time" -- Ahmet and Dweezil Zappa
The sons of the late, legendary Frank Zappa take a cheesy song by nutjob poptart Britney Spears and turn it into something which is actually tolerable to your ears. (Not that it's difficult to improve a Britney Spears song, I mean, I could do that.) Featured on the soundtrack to the cult classic WCW film Ready to Rumble, the Zappa boys go all out, full gusto into this cover and without a doubt, improve upon the original. Dweezil Zappa is one of rock's most under-appreciated guitarists and he gets to display that talent here. Ahmet's raspy vocals compliment the hard rock instrumentation and work well on this tune.



"Bad Romance" -- Halestorm
Replace Lady Gaga's silly baby talk with hard rock guitar and her Autotune vocals with the pure talent of Lzzy Hale and you get what the song should have been in the first place: loud and badass. Lzzy's powerful vocals shred this song as her bandmates rock out behind her. The song can be found on the band's cover album, Reanimate (which by the way, has an HP Lovecraft inspired album cover). Lzzy is one talented and beautiful lady and this is truly a cover to go gaga over.



"Black Sabbath" (From the Satanic perspective) -- Type O Negative
This is the most unique of my selections as the lyrics have been completely rewritten. The late Peter Steele rewrote the lyrics to fit the perspective of Lucifer. No, he does not have the same compelling vocal style of Ozzy Osbourne, but his deep and brooding vocals fit this song, and its lyrical content, perfectly. It's not a traditional cover, but it is interesting take on the original, both musically and lyrically.



"Dream On" -- Ronnie James Dio ft. Yngwie Malmsteen
It's Ronnie James Dio. Need I say more? If there was one Aerosmith song for the late metal legend to cover, this was it. Just sit back and listen.



So now, get on iTunes and download these songs. You know you want to.