Addicted To Vinyl Musical thoughts from the open road, with headphones on

Cage Match: Genesis vs. Ozzy Osbourne

This week's Cage Match is a unique battle featuring a drummer that can no longer drum vs. a singer that can no longer sing.  It should be a well-known fact that Genesis is one of our favorite bands here at ATV HQ.  I spent parts of the past week insanely jealous of Popdose pal Jason Hare, as he dug deep into the new video box set from Mssrs. Collins, Rutherford, and Banks.  Attempts to persuade the ATV board of directors to authorize funds for the purchase of this hallowed box set of video goodness have been fruitless to date, and we are left to hold out hope that perhaps the video gods will shine down upon us.  Or specifically, I'm hoping they'll shine down on me.

The more I think about it though, perhaps it is all for the best that I don't have a copy of that box set.  Dial up any live version of "Mama" by Genesis, and you will see the visions of Phil Collins that gave me nightmares as a small child.  The same kind of nightmares that Phil Collins-era Genesis gave to an entire nation of music fans for many years - "haters," as I like to call them.  While I couldn't understand Collins and his need to strike fear into me with the video imagery for "Mama," I do still love the hell out of this song, and many other things Collins related - both solo and with Genesis.

With the recent announcement that he can no longer play drums, I'm hoping that perhaps he'll put his musical talents towards recording another solo album that's more No Jacket Required and less "You'll Be In My Heart."

Can you dig that, Phil?

While reading the print edition of the recent Rolling Stone interview with the great LEMMY of Motorhead, I came across a little factoid that I'm sure I was aware of at some point, but it came as a revelation as I read the interview.  You know that one "Mama, I'm Coming Home" song by Ozzy Osbourne that you hear on your favorite classic rock radio station about a bazillion times each week?  Sure you do.  But did you know that that sucker was co-written by Lemmy?

Surprised, right?

This is what's wrong with radio * - all of the many hours that I've spent listening to the average crappy classic rock DJ, I can't say that I've ever heard a single one of them mention this when talking about the song.  Granted, it's Lemmy from Motorhead, and not Paul McCartney, but when you play the song nearly every day, you'd think that they might make mention of this at some point, while searching for something new to say about a song that's nearly 20 years old.

(* one of many things that's wrong with radio)

"Mama" was one of four tracks on No More Tears featuring the assistance of Lemmy Kilmister - the other tracks were "Hellraiser," "Desire" and "I Don't Want To Change The World."

There's your musical lesson for the day - and if you already knew that, well then, good for you.  We haven't been this shocked since that one time that we found out that Joe Walsh played the guitar solo on Richard Marx's "Don't Mean Nothing."

"Mama" or "Mama, I'm Coming Home" - Which one is your favorite?