Signs of the Apocalypse

I'm 45. I have grown up in the rock 'n roll era.

So, I can't help it, I love rock 'n roll music.

The harder, louder, and more screaming electric guitars, the better I like it.

But here's where it starts to get weird, as a Christian, I do NOT like to hear most of what many modern rock and heavy metal bands sing or scream about.

So I gravitate towards bands that are either Christian rock bands, or rock bands that have Christians in the band, and their lyrics tend to be uplifting and yet have the heavy music that I love.

For example. I have two cds by the band All That Remains, This Darkened Heart and The Fall of Ideals and both of these cds are simply amazing. Absolutely some of THE best musicianship and good lyrics I have ever had the pleasure of happening upon.

Their two guitar attack in their music almost makes my head spin with just how incredibly fast, precise, and melodic guitar playing can get. I can honestly say that I've never heard better guitar playing than are on those two All That Remains cds.

These days I don't listen to the radio much, even the rock on rock stations turns me off. I end up finding stuff on my own.

But years ago, I did listen to the radio a lot. There was lots of rock music that I liked.

One of the rock bands from the 80s that I liked was Def Leppard.

Now regardless whether you love or hate them, Def Leppard has been together now almost 30 years, and have toured and put out cds of the music that they love to play. That's gotta count for something.

I've always liked Phil Collen, their lead guitar player. He's a great lead player, and he happens to look a lot like my younger brother, so I like him and his playing a lot.

Plus Def Leppard has always been content to do their own thing, hard rock without trying to sound like anyone else, or to try to change to fit their music to whatever style is most popular today.

This past Friday night/early Saturday, I was hurting something fierce (my back) and went to get into my recliner for a while.

I turned the TV onto VH1 Classics channel and they were playing what they call, Classic/Current videos. This is where they'll play a classic old music video of a band, and the next video will be a new video by the same band.

As I watched, they played an old video by Def Leppard, and then played a new video by them of a song called "Nine Lives."

The song was pretty good, and standard fare for Def Leppard. Just a good solid Def Leppard song with a nifty guitar lead by Phil Collen.

But John, why did you title this post as Signs of the Apocalypse?

Because the new Def Leppard video for their song Nine Lives had country crooner Tim Mcgraw in it. In fact, Tim McGraw cowrote the song with the band.

Now I don't dislike Tim McGraw, heck he's from the same part of Louisiana I'm from, but I don't like country music. At all. (Tim McGraw seems like a swell guy)

Tim McGraw or no Tim McGraw, the Nine Lives tune sounds pure Def Leppard, and is pretty darn good.

But c'mon! Tim McGraw in a Def Leppard song and video?

Jesus has GOT to be comin' back soon.