Thursday, July 2, 2009

Music for TEOTWAWKI...

In line with last week's fun thought question, what's your soundtrack for TEOTWAWKI? The Forces of Evil™ draw nigh; the grand climactic battle between good and evil looms ever closer. You prepare furiously, gathering weapons, armor, and courage. You will, of course, need something to both distract you from your inevitable gruesome demise at the hands/horns/hooves/claws of evil as well as get your war face on.

What's playing as you gird for battle? And what could possibly help you fight the Forces of Evil™ against overwhelming odds and crushing foes? Let's here the music you'd choose for all three stages:

1. Preparing for the battle;
2. The interminable wait; and
3. "LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLE!!!"



For the preparation, I'd have to go old school. Real old school. This is music to get the blood flowing as I load magazines, fill holsters, and gas up chainsaws. Its purpose is not so much to get me ready to fight as to bide my time as I make preparations for the coming apocalypse.
  • Wagner, "Ride of the Valkyries"
  • George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers, "Bad to the Bone" & "Born to be Bad" (might as well push the "I am the meanest son of a bitch in the valley" angle)
  • Nazareth, "Hair of the Dog"
  • Joe Satriani, "Surfin' with the Alien", "Satch Boogie"
  • Johnny Cash, "Ring of Fire"
  • Steppenwolf, "Magic Carpet Ride"
For the wait, I'd want to ratchet up the tempo a bit. This is music to get the blood flowing, to stimulate those few senses still dulled. Hard, driving tempos are a must; music with loud guitars, bangin' drums, and lead singers with gravel in their larynxes.
  • AC/DC, "For Those About to Rock", "TNT", "Highway to Hell", "Hail Caesar"
  • Judas Priest, "Hell Bent for Leather", "You've Got Another Thing Coming", "Painkiller"
  • Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell"
  • Guns & Roses, "Welcome to the Jungle"
  • REM, "(It's The) End of the World As We Know It" (c'mon, just had to include it...)
  • Beastie Boys, "No Sleep 'til Brooklyn"
  • Public Enemy, "By the Time I Get to Arizona"


For the main event... It's all hardcore. This is frantic, frenetic metal, speed punk, and thrash. Lyrics? I either know 'em by heart - or they just get in the way. I want 100+ BPM to synchronize with the utter destruction and devastation of the Forces of Evil...
  • AC/DC, "Thunderstruck" - this starts the madness.
  • Metallica, "Seek and Destroy", "Fuel", "Jump in the Fire", "Last Caress", "Blitzkrieg"
  • Megadeath, "Symphony of Destruction", "Peace Sells"
  • Iron Maiden, "Run to the Hills", "Die with Your Boots On".
  • Anthrax, "Chromatic Death", "Antisocial"
  • Ramones, "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Don't Wanna Grow Up"
  • Sex Pistols, "Anarchy in the UK"
  • Limp Bizkit, "Break Stuff"



So what's on your soundtrack for TEOTWAWKI?

That is all.

22 comments:

Ambulance Driver said...

Toss up between The Carpenters' Close To You and Muskrat Love by Captain and Tenille.

Hey, don't judge me.

Brad_in_MA said...

Jay,

I just love the fact that you've got Wagner at the very top of the list. And even though I've watched the scene dozens of times, the helo assault over that beach in 'Nam with Wagner pounding away in the background still sends chills up my spine. Perfect choice sir, perfect choice.

AD - might want to toss in some Air Supply for good measure.

- Brad

wolfwalker said...

Phase 1 -- marches. "Washington Post". "Stars & Stripes Forever". "Paratroopers March" from A Bridge Too Far. "Theme of the Fast Carriers" and "Guadalcanal March" from Victory At Sea (and don't knock 'em til you've heard 'em). The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps songs. Gotta have some John Williams stuff too -- the Raiders March from the Indiana Jones movies, and maybe the Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back.

Phase 2 -- dunno, 'cept maybe Ambulance Driver's suggestions aren't as daft as they sound. One real good way to get my blood flowing is to force me to listen to music I hate...

Phase 3 -- not sure of the whole list, but damn well better be "Princes of the Universe" and "Gimme the Prize" by Queen somewhere in there. "Danger Zone" from Top Gun, too.

ZerCool said...

Great minds, my friend ... I read the topic and started thinking before reading down... and here's what popped into my head:
AC/DC "Highway to Hell"
Motley Crue "Ten Seconds to Love"
Metallica "Fuel", "Fight Fire with Fire"

I stopped thinking there and continued reading. :)

Ambulance Driver said...

Brad, good thinking. No good battle soundtrack is complete without Air Supply.

Add The One That You Love to the list.

Lissa said...

Top Gun soundtrack - Danger Zone
Rocky soundtrack - Eye of the Tiger
Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade
Drowning Pool - Let the Bodies Hit the Floor
Rob Zombie - Dragula
and maybe a little Shipping Down to Boston?
(taken directly from my workout playlist . . .)

Anonymous said...

1. Selections from the "Last of the Mohicans" and "Master and Commander" soundtracks.

2. "Men Of Harlech" (Zulu, anyone?)

3. Bagpipes. The louder, the better.

Nancy R.

Jay G said...

AD,

Please. Do try to be serious here.

We *ALL* know you'd have ABBA's "Dancing Queen" at full volume on endless loop...

brad,

Wagner had to be #1. Just had to. I cannot imagine preparing for TEOTWAWKI without das Valkyries...

wolfwalker,

Ooooh, marches, excellent addition.

ZerCool,

I thought of VH's "Unchained" for #2 as well... :)

Lissa & Nancy, y'all have some good lists too!

Awesome responses!

Comrade Misfit said...

"Paint It Black" by the Rolling Stones.

The Awards Ceremony music from Star Wars.

The theme song to Rocky I

"The Eye of the Tiger" (Rocky II or III?)

"The Ecstasy of Gold"

Borepatch said...

For the ladies, Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" is a good one for the lead up.

Rustmeister said...

I think AD is on to something - Captain and Tennille makes me want to kill the radio whenever I hear it.

On topic, though, you'll have to add Ted Nugent's "Stormtroopin" to the list.

Quigley said...

Like the list. Need to make sure you have the operatic version of Ride of the Valkyries like they do in the movie rather than the symphonic (no lyrics) version IMHO. It is more profound that way.

Sounds like some "man cards" need to be revoked...hehe... :)

Don't forget: Johnny Cash-When The Man Comes Around. More for the lyrics than the tune.

"There's a man goin round takin names. And he decides who to free and who to blame. Everybody won't be treated all the same. There'll be a golden ladder reaching down. When the man comes around."

Ross said...

Need to think some more on this, but two songs spring to mind: Heather Alexander's "March of Cambreath" (Go to iTunes and listen to the sample... then buy it. It's a GREAT tune). And Scotland the Brave. Played at full volume. Preferably by a LIVE piper or pipers. I once marched onto the main battlefield at the Pennsic War, together with all the other fighters from the Barony of Carillon. The adrenaline rush was unbelievable.

I'll have to think of some more, though. Hmm...

Born to Run might be good there.

Battle Hymn of the Republic is always a goodie. The 1812 Overture is always good to get the blood running.

And Wolfwalker, please - get the titles! Here they are for you.

Marine Corps Hymn I think IS the title, but Army is The Caissons Go Rolling Along, Navy is Anchors Aweigh, and Air Force is Up In The Air, Junior Birdman. (OK, kidding on the Air Force one. Wild Blue Yonder: here's a good rendition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZenN39fP98 )

Ross said...

Just thought of another one... Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition!

Heath J said...

I'm with whoever Estacy of Gold. Metallica S&M or The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

Or Wagner, really a toss up there...

Then a transition to getting the Led out, Immigrant song.

For the main event, Some ZZ Top, Powerman 5000 (superbeast, anyone?) and some friggin bagpipes.

Stretch said...

Preparing for the battle
George C. Scott's version of Patton's speech.
Patton’s March (Jerry Goldsmith is a genius)
Guadalcanal March (Coldstream Guards at light infantry tempo)
Midway March (William’s best)

The interminable wait
St. Crispin’s Day Speech (Oliver or Branagh, please yourself)
Men of Harlech (Yah, saw Zulu on the big screen and have it on DVD. Play it while cleaning my Martini-Henry)
All The Blue Bonnets Are Over The Border

"LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLE!!!"
Bat Out Of Hell (can’t have Armageddon without Meatloaf)
Johnnie Cope (cranked up to 11)
Ride of the Valkyries (neither Charlie nor Macmmoud surf. Anyone else substitute the words “Kill the wabbit! Kill the wabbit!”?)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Atholl Highlanders
Panzerlied (OK, too many movies but Robert Shaw in Panzer black? Who can resist.)
Dixie (you can’t do a Rebel Yell to anything else)

Weer'd Beard said...

Hands down, the Main theme to A Fistful of Dollars by Ennio Morricone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaNogNtT0zA

Keith said...

To get ready, I'd listen to Brian Burns' reading of Travis' letter from the Alamo, and then maybe Marty Robbins singing "The Ballad of the Alamo" and "Big Iron", and Chris LeDoux singing "Across the Borderline"

So, uhh, yeah, I went in a different direction than ya'll did.

Grayson said...

O.K, to start with:

1) Opening theme music from the movie, 'Wing Commander'. Awesome musical score.

Ramping it up a bit, I would include some music from those ex-Air Force maniacs who go by the name 'Dos Gringos.' Sample lyrics:
"...just a name that you read in history,
Cause I'm the motherf**ker,
that started world war three"
or this:
"..but the issue's black and white
as a schoolbus full of nuns,
and someone's got to make the call,
I'm going in for guns"

And finally...
the song 'Twilight Zone', by Golden Earring. The chorus:
"So you'll come to know,
When the bullet hits the bone".

And by the way, find yourself a first rate bagpiper. Those pipes will keep you fighting even after all hope is lost.

Cheers!!!

Unknown said...

Most of mine have already been mentioned:
Ride of the Valkyries
Stars and Stripes Forever
1812 Overture

But no one mentioned:
Don't Fear the Reaper (with or without cowbell).

Ever since The Stand mini-series, I associate that song with TEOTWAWKI.
Mycroft

Anonymous said...

StormTroopin by Ted Nugent

Comin' up that street, jackboots steppin' high.
Got to make a stand.
Looking in your windows and listen to your phone.
Keep a gun in your hand.

Anonymous said...

tom petty 'i won't back down' and johnny cash 'when the man comes around'. over and over again.