You really got me.

''I live my life like there's no tomorrow and all I've got I had to steal, least I don't need to beg or borrow, yes, I'm living at a pace that kills.

Runnin' with the devil.''

Do you ever get bored and take one of them online quizes? I seem to do that often. During times when I really should be paying attention to the world around me. I already learned fascinating things about myself. For one facebook seems to be certain that at some point I will be a math teacher. Ha ha ha. Are you kidding me? I hate math, I suck at math. This could never happen. Also married to an Italian with three kids? As if.

But that aside, there's quizes about rockstars that can't really give a wrong anwser, which 80's rockstar is your soulmate? Which 80's rockstar would date you? Which 80's hair metal musician would fall for you? You get the point right? Anyways the one musician that I keep getting seems to be David Lee Roth. So in that spirit here we are today....

Do you have albums, songs, musicians that you feel are just completly underrated? Not appreciated as they should be? Don't get as much love as they deserve? I actually feel Van Halen are one of them. They actually created this whole new wave of hard rock music. Honestly look at it back in the 78' between punk and disco, rock music was barely holding on. This was the re birth of hard rock, you've got two extraordinary talents together, Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth. And yet somehow when speaking about revolutionary rock albums they never seem to make the cut.

But don't you think it should get more attention? Don't you think that Eddie completly changed the perception or what a guitar can do? Sure okay they're not Led Zeppelin or the Rolling stones but I believe they are still just as iconic as any of the ''big guns'' are. This was a how do they call it a ''pedal to the metal'' kinda album that came onto the scene what it seemed like out of nowhere. And it's still one of the top debuts of all times. When I said Eddie changed how we see guitar playing forever that was because the speed and flair he plays with? That is nothing short of jaw dropping. All the solos and riffs on this album and any follow up album are amazing.

They are originally from Southern California, formed by the brothers Eddie and Alex Van Halen, which is where the name comes from. Did you know that they were actually born in the Netherlands to a jazz musician? Roth joined them somewhere in the 1974 I believe, his father being quite wealthy and his uncle owned a cafe which had names such as Dylan and Hendrix playing it it. Amazing huh? I guess it's not hard why they picked him to he the frontman. All that sass and charisma and charm and essentially looks as well. Makes sense.

They started out playing anything, from private parties on someones backyard to Sunset strip night clubs. Cute story in 76' Gene Simmons saw them preform and offered to produce a demo tape for them. Of course later he backed out of the deal because the band wouldn't change their name into, what is that one spider with really long legs? Oh right! ''Daddy longlegs''. Seriously Gene what kind of a name is that for a band? Comforting to see that his ''smart'' comments are not a recent thing, obviously he's always been ''smart''. After that Kiss's managment told them that the had no chance of making it. Well hell, they sure showed them haven't they? The very next year a man from Warner Bros saw them play and was so impressed that he got them a recording contract. Which turns out to be a bit shady, or so the band is saying these days.

So there are nine original songs and two covers on this album. And right from the get go with Runnin with the Devil, it's hard and heavy, I feel like it's something that should be played in one of them fantasy movies when Godzilla or whatever else is popular at the moment, rampages through Hollywood boulevard or Manhattan, swatting planes from the sky. Funny thing about it is that it never made it to the charts as a single but today it's one of the most known songs by them.

Then you've got the Eruption, instrumental and probably one of the best guitar pieces ever recorded. Slash baby, I love you and I'm so sorry, I feel like I'm cheating on you but what's true is true, also I did say one of. Hah. I read about a man once that was born on a Van Halen concert during this song. I mean how cool is that? To say ''oh I was born at a Van Halen concert, during Eruption''? Eruption wasn't supposed to be on the album it was Eddie rehearsing and the guy that gave them a record deal heard it and loved it, same story as Sweet Child O Mine's intro, just Slash rehearsing. Can you imagine that? Reaching a point where your rehearsing is that good? And not to mention that both Eruption and the begining of Sweet Child which has to be one of the most iconic guitar riffs could never happen? Bloody nightmare.

Eruption goes into You really got me, as cliche as it is it's one of my favorites. Obviously. Who doesn't know or love that song? Riff after riff and those vocals in the chorus, cmon. It's perfect. And guess what? Unlike Runnin with the Devil this one made the top 40 single chart.

''I’ve been to the edge and there I stood and looked down, you know I’ve lost a lot of friends there baby, ain’t got time to mess around…”

Ain't talkin' bout love is rather dark don't you think? As opposed to You really got me which is basically all fun and games. But to be fair I think a great and really underrated song is actually the last song on the first side which is I'm the one. Kinda bluesy and dynamic and a slight acappella part, I really don't understand how this song doesn't get more attention. You know what Nikki Sixx once said? That he loves vinyl because there's no skipping, you put on a record and just listen, that's why bands had to do an album where all the songs were good not just the single. Honestly I love that about vinyl too, I came to realize many times that there's songs I love far more then the singles on those albums I listened too. Single isn't always the best song.

Alright part two. Feel your love tonight, Jamie's cryin'? Pop rock. Although they're nice and their catchy choruses really should put them on the radio and play them untill we hated them, they never were. Hm. I wonder why. And Atomic punk that's between them is more of a ''dangerous'' title then anything. Little dreamer is actually what got my attention, the guitar is perfect and the way it blends with the drums and the bass is perfect and somehow I feel like Davids singing is different on this song. Somehow better then the rest of the album. I don't know maybe I'm imagining things.

Everything about Van Halen is big, and the simple rhythms give David and Eddie room to run free and wild. Have you ever seen a live video? David's strutting up and down the stage? Or the dirty jokes? And there were plenty of those but that's exactly what I love about him, the sass, the flare, he is not A frontman he is THE frontman. These are the songs that changed rock n roll music, they're still fresh and fun today 30 something years later. And this record went Diamond in the US, selling over 10 million copies, while the albums that followed, Van Halen II, Women and children first, Fair warning and Diver down only got, 5,3,2 and 4 times platinum *in the US* until the revolution that is 1984 that also came out in 84' which was Roths last album with the band and it also went straight to Diamond. Amazing album that one.

I give this album a straight 10 out of 10 stars. *guess who has star grading on her blog now?*

It's amazing, I love it from start to finish, if you don't have it, you're missing out, pick it up and give it a chance, I'm willing to risk the name calling if you happen to be disappointed. But you won't be, I promise. And if nothing else at least enjoy the picture in the back. It's one hell of a picture.

P.S. to all my readers in Texas, Florida, Mexico, and anywhere else where something nasty is happening, stay safe and look after one another. 2 huge storms in such short time period, hey Donald, you still think global warming is a hoax? *coughidiotcough*. Be strong guys.

''I found the simple life ain't so simple when I jumped out on that road. I got no love, no love you'd call real ain't got nobody waiting at home.

Runnin' with the devil.''

I feel a fire burning underneath my skin now that I breathe in I breathe you in.

My world's on fire, how about yours? That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored.

You know that line in one of them Harry Potter movies; ''Everything's going to change now, isn't it?''...

Everything in my life is changing as well and I feel completly overwhelmed. Change is good. Most of the time. Change means you're growing, hopefully going on a better path in your life. Change means leaving behind what hurt you. Change means doing rather then dreaming. But that doesn't make it any less terrifying.

Here's the deal. I am not who I used to be. Not at all. None of my past friends would know who I am today if I'd wrote them down a few simple facts about me. I've grown a lot. I'm no longer a naiive little girl. I'm no longer as broken as I used to be. I think in a different way, I see things open minded, I love differently, I enjoy different things in life. I like different things, I'm interested in different things. I express myself differently, even my art is no longer the same. It's darker then it used to be, because my mind is a darker place then it used to be. But that's okay, rather then fighting demons I learned to accept them. I cuss and drink more but that's fine I never claimed to be an angel. And I am more courageous, doing things I never thought I could, like putting people in their place instead of letting them walk all over me.

I changed because there was a time when I had my entire life planned out, and I learned the hard way that nothing is ever as easy. Things fall apart, plans fall apart, people leave, life changes, your priorities change. And that's alright. I changed to be softer to strangers and I learned to love those I love stronger. I changed and learned to be more realistic, ''And now that you've been broken down. Got your head out of the clouds. You're back down on the ground. And you don't talk so loud. And you don't walk so proud.''.

But here's the deal despite the changes I am not the person I want to be. Not yet at least. And that's alright, there's always space and time to grow, don't say you did or that you are the best you could be, say ''I am the best I could be for now''. Never close the doors to change and growth. Always be open for compassion and empathy and understanding and love. Take a second and be proud of everything you've done so far but never settle. Always strive for more.

Thing is, you will always have worries, you will always have fears, you will always find something to be uncertain about but that is life, it's normal, it happens to all of us. But if you want to live to the fullest and breathe and grow you can't wait till you're no longer afraid. The path to success is never clear, it's never easy. It's hard and it's supposed to be, if it wasn't everyone could do it. I learned that no matter how hard and dark times may get, there's always room for change, there's always room to improve. And here's the deal, I am really scared, these recent changes will literally turn my world upside down, but I am willing to go down this road because I know that in the end it will be worth it.

There are things I can't control and not being able to change those is hell. I am still learning how to make peace with that and let live but maybe I'm not quite there yet. Someday. When you learn how to be comfortable in your own skin, with your own life despite the fear and change and growth and anxiety it gives you, that's when you really learned how to do this thing called life.

And here's something someone way smarter then me once told me, he said if I am still waiting for that one special person that will come along and change my life then I need to take a good long look in the mirror. And he was right, the only one that can make a change in your life is you and you alone.

In that spirit, while scrolling through tumblr earlier I saw something that was literally like a sign that everything will be alright. I was just a bunch of pictures with the following words ''Relax, you will graduate. You will get a job. You will find love. You have an entire life. Things take time. Just enjoy where you are now.'' Amen. I am driving myself crazy over such petty things, instead of enjoying the moment. Living in the moment. Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Delam kar paše mi.

''Podnevi suženj sem življenja ponoči pa pozabim vse in delam kar si želim. Ritem rock`n`rolla me prevzame in mi požene kri po žilah. Jaz nimam noč za spanje, ponoči se znorim. Nemaram le sanjati, jaz sanje rad živim.''

Šank Rock - Jaz nimam noč za spanje

I decided to do something just a little bit different today. I go on and on and on about bands with worldwide fame, bands we all know or we at least heard of at some point in our lives. And to be honest it's not fair. I should pay some attention to the bands we have here. Home. Great, amazing, talented musicians. Musicians I grew up with and seen about a thousand times.

I had a really busy weekend and as I type this early Monday morning I am still exhausted. I must be getting old. Ha ha. Friday night we had a big charity concert. We were raising money for a burned down hangar. Now everyone that knows me knows that if I love anything then that's charity concerts. Not only you enjoy and have a great time you also do something good for someone else. Which of course brings us back to local concerts. Jesus Christ. The drinking. Why? WHY? Why would someone go to a concert and then get so damn drunk that it wouldn't make a difference to them if there's Marilyn Manson or Madonna on stage? I did mention that guy that slept through the entire Guns N' Roses concert didn't I? Ugh. Humans.

Nevermind, let's get back to the bands or this will turn into a full blown rant about how much people annoy me lately. And trust me they do. Like a lot.

First band that played, Nude, locals, they pretty much live down the street from me. The band started in 1993 I believe, which makes them a year younger then me. I've seen them live at least 100 times no joke. Ever since I was a kid, barely one year old, musician's daughter you know how that works, mom and dad loved music and they used to take me to all kinds of local shows and I've seen Nude so many times because I loved them most, well I still do. I never get tired of their music. Obviously. They are a really great band, they have great music with awesome lyrics and many awards including one for Slovenia's most popular artist. Well deserved too.

You know this is a band that was started by two members in high school, probably in a garage, based on mutual love for Rock 'n' roll music. And their first name was actually ''Every East'' which later sounded teenagery and not provocative enough. Now their biggest concert was local, in our Kayak club that was absolutely packed, and they were actually an opening act for Serbian singer Bajaga that was on tour at the time, they did concerts together all over our country. The name Nude was born then, as in naked, exposed, honest, straightforward and totally in style of their influences such as U2, Metallica, Nirvana, Radiohead...and they started with their own music, no more covers, and let me tell you something thank god because that music, yeah it's perfect. They play this easy pop rock, it's catchy and it's fun, makes you wanna sing and dance along.

So Friday night with them was totally fun as per usual. I just love screaming along to lyrics in my own language for a change. I enjoyed watching a fangirl too, she was freaking out, like ''if he looks at me I will just die on the spot I swear''. I couldn't stop giggling, I never looked at them that way though I must admit they are handsome. But I got a first hand view of how crazy I can be. This was a sort of ''deja vu''. Jon Bon Jovi. If I do recall I was freaking out even more, ''oh my god if he touches me I am never washing my hands again'' kinda thing. Hah.

''Ti si tok popularna, tvoje roke so zlatarna, ko hodiš po mestu, vsak se za tabo ozre. Lačna si ljubezni, jst bom tvoj ulov, dovolj si že stara, da se z mano igraš. Jst te dam na balon, pa tud če tvoja mama me sovraži, ker noče da še gdo se s tabo važi, če boš ti hotela kar takoj. Jst te dam na balon, če slučajn bo težil tvoj stari, dej povej mu naj mi ne sitnari, ker to stvar obvladam, se že leta ubadam, js te dam na balon.''

Nude - Balon

Cheers boys, I love you, see you next time.

And the second band. Locals as well. They're called ''Šank rock'' which roughly translates to ''bar rock''. I haven't seen them as many times which is ironic if you consider that my dad used to live right next door to the singer, and they're friends. But this band I love even more. They are rock n roll, they are fun, they are our very own 80's ''hair metal'' rockers and I honestly love them. They started out in 1982, their first record came out in 1987 and after that an owner of a tv station discovered them and things went up from there. Now past members aside, current members are ah-mazing. The singer Matjaž. The voice guys the voice! Those rock screams. Holy hell. So cool. And the guitar player Bor? He's our very own Slash, I am not joking. The man is amazing, the way his fingers fly up and down those strings so effortlessly. It's just. Woah. I can feel myself melting away when he plays. But then again might not be just music, might be the fact that he's kinda attractive. Okay fine, very attractive but let's not go there. Again. Hah.

In 1995 they got an offer from managers in New York to record an album there. And they did. It's called ''Shut up and play'' but things went a bit sideways then, should they stay in USA or go back...you know I get it, who wouldn't take the offer and record in USA given the chance? I know if I was a musician I surely would want just that. And also I wouldn't want them to go, they honestly are the best band we've got so you know...I'm a bit selfish here I know. Hah. No, seriously I wish them all the best. Anyways the drummer left and then in 1998 the band stopped working. And then in 2002 they're back with the drummer that left and it worked till 2006 when disagreements made Bor leave, the guitar genius! Which if you ask me is nothing short of a disaster. Look I know we have a ton of really talented musicians but c'mon none are Bor. He is all that. Plain and simple. Which brings us to 2011 when disagreements made the singer and bass player leave the band and the band broke up. There were tears I admit when I found out. I was beyond miserable at that point.

Luckily I didn't have to be miserable for too long, in 2014 they were back for what was supposed to be an exclusive show on a local annual festival but they decided to continiue and up till now they put out 2 new albums and are currently promoting the last one that came out in 2017 that I might be a little obsessed with. It is nothing short of perfect. All the songs are absolutely amazing, the slow rock ballads are beautiful, the lyrics packed with emotion, and the heavier songs are energetic and fun and full of guitar solos that could match up with some of the best guitar players in the world. Let's not even get into those vocals. I get goose bumps just thinking about it.

Fun fact, first time I saw then I was around 1 year old, slept through the entire show, which is amazing considering that was back in 1993 or 1994, speakers back then weren't as great as they are today *you'd walk out of the venue and your ears were ringing and your teeth vibrating* and these guys are loud. Really loud. I saw them a couple of times after, through the years, and on that exclusive show in 2014, one of my favorite shows really, just because they were back. But I got to say Friday night was something else. I don't know what it was but it was just completly amazing. Might be that one song ''Metulj'' or butterfly if you will, which everyone knows, and everyone sings on top of their lungs. And this one it was even louder, we were in a hangar, raising money for pilots, and the song is about flying. It was a moment that gives you shivers and makes you feel happy and warm all over. You know what I mean? It's a feeling you have to feel, I can't describe it but it's better then any kind of drug, better then that buzz alcohol gives you, and honey so much better then sex.

''Nova oblast zopet dela red, meni trd kruh, sebi mleko in med. Vsega sem sit, vse je čisti »shit«! Aj, ja, jaj, ja, jaj. Kradejo vsi, jaz naj bom pošten. Kot da sem nor, v čuden čas rojen. Šel bi drugam, nimam pojma, kam? Aj, ja, jaj, ja, jaj. Ko se stemni mi v glavi in vse me tlači dol. Na noge me postavi Rock ‘n’ Roll! Vse bo vrag vzel, Rock bo preživel! Ja, v to sem prepričan! Vse bo vrag vzel, Rock bo preživel! Pošteno, brez kiča! Jaz pa z njim, ko znorim, ko se mi utrga! Še bom pel in verjel, Rock bo preživel!''

Šank Rock - Rock bo preživel

''Ljubezen dela čudeže, le poslušaj srce in prepusti se. Verjemi v ljubezen, to je vse. Ljubezen dela čudeže, le dovoli ji spet, da objame tvoj svet, ves tvoj svet.''

Šank Rock - Ljubezen dela čudeže

I got to admit I ''lost'' it a couple of times during their set on Friday night, we're talking dancing, headbanging, singing along, or better yet howling along. Hey, I never said I'm a good singer did I? Never stopped me though, my voice was a bit shot next morning. But I enjoyed every second of it. Local heroes as a friend of mine would say. They're the best and I love them just as much as I love any of my ''big dogs'' such as GN'R and Crue and all the rest...

And then there was Saturday night. I was in that very same Kayak club I mentioned earlier, there was a kayaking competition and a concert later on. The singer that was preforming is also one of my favorite local singers ''Pero Lovšin''. Amazing rock voice, great music also. He changed quite a few bands in his career my favorite one being ''Pankrti'' meaning punks. Great band, punk rock music and they started a movment in music in former Yugoslavia, new wave? You know about these things right? After Pankrti there was another band ''Sokoli'' meaning Falcons, they put out an album titled ''Marija pomagaj'' *mother Mary help me* which aparently is still to this day one of Slovenian best sold albums. They kinda parted from everything else on the scene at the time beacause they had this hard rough sound, kinda like Motley Crue had in their early days, when it was unpolished and raw but that was exactly the thing that made it perfect.

Sokoli played their last show in 1993 somewhere in Austria where a local reporter said that they as a band are too big for such a small country. Completly true. We have so much talent in this country and they have little to no chance in making it to the big times. Lovšin actually helped a lot of young talented musicians on their way to succsses making them his support bands on tour. Then after he went solo he wrote 5 new albums that were awarded a couple of times but never quite as important as the 2000 football anthem that he wrote with two other musicians. Oh my god does that song annoy me or what? There won't be a sports event in this country without it. It's getting rather old at this point.

Now let me point out that two records ''Izlet'' and ''Happy hour'' were recorded on Jamaica with The Wailers which surely you know are Bob Marley's group and also with Brian Jobson who produced Eurythmics and No Doubt. Safe to say he is serious business. In 2014 he was on the chart of 10 best rock singers in Slovenia which was also the first year that chart happened. And no surprise too, his voice is nothing short of perfect.

I've seen him a couple of times. I actually always go see him when he's near beacuse I enjoy his music, I enjoy his concerts, specially those little comments about politics and our country and the way we live and where we're going. Those comments usually go into the song ''Bandiera Rossa'' which is more then controversial here at the moment. For those of you who don't know Banriera Rossa or Avanti Popolo is one of the most famous songs of the Italian labour movement. It glorifies the red flag, symbol of the socialist and communist movement. The text was written by Carlo Tuzzi in 1908, the melody is taken from two Lombard folk songs. And that very socialist and communist part of it is what makes it controversial in our current political state. Not that anyone cares. Everyone was singing this song as loud as they could. "Evviva il comunismo e la libertà" well...let's not go there right now, this is not a political post, even if punk and politics go hand in hand.

Sometimes letting lose and forgetting your problems and life around you is good. And I can't imagine a better way to do that then on a concert. Music is passion, it's like the air you breathe, it's that happiness and freedom I'm missing on a daily basis. It's a getaway from the prison that is work, or school, or whatever else it is that's keeping you down. Nothing is quite as good as live music, screaming the lyrics back to the band. Or as my boys would say...

''Paše družba, dobra zabava, ko rabim se znoret. Paše oder, muzka taprava, da mi da polet. Pasalo bi z mojim bandom, na turnejo it v svet, in ko v postelji sem s tabo, vem kaj nama paše počet. Delam kar paše mi, kar se mi dober zdi, vzamem si, kar si želim! Delam kar paše mi, le enkrat se živi, usodo si sam krojim!

Paše sreče, zdravja, veselja, nekomu zaželet. In paše spanje, mirna nedelja, kadar sem napet. Pasal bi miljon na lotu, ali raje štiri, pet. A najbolj v tem trenutku, paše mi z vami zapet. Delam kar paše mi, kar se mi dober zdi, vzamem si, kar si želim.''

Šank Rock - Delam kar paše me

Cheers guys, here's to a pain free as possible monday. Good luck at school to those that are starting today. Look after one another and don't forget to let lose sometimes. It's good for you.

Take tomorrow one day at a time.

Heaven isn't too far away.

Now the lights are going out, along the boulevard, memories come rushing back and makes it pretty hard.

I've got nowhere left to go and no one really cares, I don't know what to do but I'm never giving up on you.

Heaven isn't too far away closer to it every day, no matter what your friends might say we'll find our way.

Rest in peace angel.

February 1, 1964 - August 11, 2011

Take me back cause I need to be reminded what I left behind me so far away. Take me back cause I need to feel the fire, yesterday's desire ain't far away.

''I can't tell ya baby what went wrong I can't make you feel what you felt so long ago, I'll let it show. I can't give you back what's been hurt, heartaches come and go and all that's left are the words I can't let go. If we take some time to think it over baby, take some time let me know if you really wanna go.

Don't know what you got till it's gone, don't know what it is I did so wrong, now I know what I got, it's just this song and it ain't easy to get back, takes so long.''

Did you ever notice how pain comes in waves? Sometimes nothing and sometimes it hits you full force? Sometimes you're completly alright, dare I say happy? And sometimes all you know is pain, pain, pain.

It's been a long week. Long hard week. And I sat here for an hour just thinking what to write about. Complain about the weather? Jesus summer go home you're drunk. This is Europe not hell. Well, feels like hell in more ways the one anyways, so I guess close enough. Should I give you another speech about any of the many things that bother me? About all the things that are wrong and ugly and unfair on this planet? Would I even make a difference?

I suppose I wouldn't. I picked a record to write about. Chester Bennington's death, literally swept the rug from underneath me and I am still processing and healing, it doesn't seem to hurt any less, thinking I'll never get to see him live again, thinking what an amazing man and kind caring soul was taken away from us by something as ugly as depression, thinking about his family and best friends…that is unbearable. So I've been listening to a lot of different music, to distract myself. Lord knows if I play their album I'd be a sobbing mess within minutes…

So it's this instead…

You don't know what you got till it's gone? Aint that the truth?

I love Tom Keifers voice. I absolutely love it and to think we almost couldn't get to enjoy it. He has been cursed with performance problems for so many years due to paralysis of one of his vocal cords, horrible situation for any singer. Yet I mean, would it be so bad if it happened to someone like Justin Bieber or would it actually be a blessing from above? Think about it…

Either way I believe that Long cold winter is not just Cinderella's finest moment but one of the best moments in 1980's hard rock. Yes you heard me hard rock. Calling them hair metal is just plain rude. They are so underrated it's not even funny. Sure they looked all poofed out on the back cover but under all the hair and makeup *yeah yeah hair metal I get it* their sound really more reminds of like 1970's southern rock. Did you pay attention to the inner sleeve? The cowboy hat? And live covers of Sweet home Alabama? Or Tom Keifer singing on a top 10 country album by Andy Griggs, okay it was what 14 years later but still. Not to mention the themathics, country songs have this eternal theme of trying to find your way back home, but isn't that what Gypsy road and The last mile and of course Coming home are all about?

This album is a step up for Cinderella if you ask me, I love Night songs but honestly this one is better in so many ways. This new found sound they got, a bit of bluesy rock kinda like the Stones you know. But we're at it again the ballad Don't know what you got, which I love don't get me wrong is what made them most commercial success. To be honest though the combination of those pop rock hooks and serious badass rock n roll on other songs such as Fallin apart at the seams is what done it for me. Amazing album, sound, lyrics. An amazing mix of screeching rock and bitter blues. Not to mention the lyrics, Tom is completly underrated as a song writer, you can hear just how much of his soul he bared on this record and he would deserve a lot more credit.

Night songs was all about hard rock, party all night long and basically sex. It was fun, but Long cold winter started picking up on some other influences which helped them find their own thing, their own voice. The acoustic blues parts that slowly transition into that well known hard rock sound are really cool, they actually remind me more of Aerosmith then of their first album.

Fun fact; did you know that Fred Coury their drummer was touring with Guns N' Roses almost through the entire recording process of Long cold winter. Steven Adler broke his hand while punching a wall. Really Stevie, really? Lol. Denny Carmassi and later Cozy Powell *R.I.P.* stepped in to help.

Bad seamstress blues is where I think it shows most clearly that the band has grown up and changed. In a good way mind you. The electric blues and organs and ''moaning guitar''. Not to mention how Tom stretches his voice almost to a breaking point. I'm willing to bet this right here was pretty much the first taste of blues rock if not blues alone that many hard rock loving fans got in the 80's.

Followed by Gypsy road and Fallin' apart at the seams which are holy shit amazing, they're hard rock, they're totally badass. That voice! My god. People call these two songs hair metal songs, which is why I don't like people. To be honest they only made one ''hair metal'' album which is Night songs, after that, their music sounded a lot more like Aerosmith rather then Poison. No offence to Poison either. I love them. But if you're still doubting then please, go check out their third album Heartbreak station, if you still hear hair metal there then all hope is lost for you.

Don't know what you got (till it's gone), power ballad. Epic one, radio stations still play it. Beautiful song to be honest. Tom's voice on it is really beautiful and that great guitar solo in between is also a total hair raising moment.

I really liked ''If you don't like it'' classic rock song which is follwed by three amazing songs, Coming home, which to be honest is the song that I was hooked up on almost more then Don't know what you've got, I like the vibe, the feeling, it's obvious they wrote songs while on the road. Then you've got Fire and ice, totally heavy and it totally stands out, for me at least. And then the album closes with Take me back, kinda the same vibe as Coming home yet a lot heavier, but an amazing closing song to such a great record.

Long cold winter is and will remain my favorite album they've put out and one of my favorite 80's rock albums in general. People lately are childish, ''embarrassed'' to admit they like something that was labeled ''hair band'' once. Like Poison. Well shit I still like Poison, Nothing but a good time, Talk dirty to me, So tell me why, Your mama don't dance and obviously Every rose has it's thorn are totally my jams and I aint ashamed to say I love them, so do expect me turning up the volume when either Poison or Cinderella come on.

Here's a life lesson for you kids, be who you are, don't be afraid to liking what you like, and loving who you love. No matter what people say. They have no right to tell you who to be or how to live your life.

''I can't feel the things that cause you pain, I can't clear my heart of your love, it falls like rain, ain't the same. I hear you calling far away, tearing through my soul I just can't take another day, Who's to blame. If we take some time to think it over baby, take some time let me know if you really wanna go...

Don't know what you got till it's gone, don't know what it is I did so wrong, now I know what I got it's just this song and it ain't easy to get back, takes so long...

Do you wanna see me beggin' baby, can't you give me just one more day? Can't you see my heart's been draggin' lately, I've been lookin' for the words to say.''