5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #157

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Waiting on a Sign, by Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow

After 23 years, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow has returned with a brand new original song. That's right, an original. Not a new even lesser version of a crappy Joe Lynn Turner era tune or an instrumental take on a traditional song. A new song by the band. It definitely has a bit of that Ronnie James Dio first album vibe mixed with some Bad Company. It's nothing stellar or groundbreaking, but it doesn't need to be. It gave me that classic Rainbow feeling one more time.

2. Immigrant Song, by Led Zeppelin

Used in countless popular movies, TV shows, commercials, etc. this tune is the definition of badass classic rock. With that galloping riff, those chilling high vocals, booming rhythms, and lyrics about vikings, how can you go wrong? This is one of those songs that is allowed to be overplayed on commercial radio because it's just so awesome and never gets old. It's the perfect song to get your blood pumping when you need it most.

3. Safari Song, by Greta Van Fleet

Speaking of Led Zeppelin, here is a song from their younger clone. Seriously, put this song on. I guarantee within the first 30 seconds you will be flabbergasted at just how spot on to Led Zeppelin's sound they are. Even the vocalist can easily be mistaken for Robert Plant. Honestly, if you put this song on and you didn't know it was a different band, you might think that this was unused material or a B side or something. Regardless, it's still a kickass tune.

4. Rock Steady, by Bad Company

Also, speaking of Bad Company.... Here is the song that the Rainbow tune reminds me of. It has a similar vibe and atmosphere. That said, this song is pretty rad. It has this infectious guitar riff that just grooves into your soul and sticks with you. It has everything that a good classic rock song needs: a memorable guitar riff, powerful melodic vocals, sleazy lyrics, cowbell, etc. Can't go wrong with a tune with a ton of cowbell, right?

5. Flash of the Blade, by Avenged Sevenfold

And now for something completely different. To wrap this week up, here is a cover A7X did years back of an Iron Maiden classic. While I am a HUGE fan of Maiden, this might be one of the few and far between occasions where I like a cover better than the original. The production is better, M. Shaodows brings this nice nasty snarl, and The Rev does some awesome backing vocals to hit the higher notes that Shadows can't.