What do you think? And what are some of your favorites? And don't tell me you don't have one - because that would be a lie
Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
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Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/22/2010 9:35 PM EST
- jesseyeric
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Power ballads - some say they were the death of the 80's, but we all know that they have been around since day the 60's.
What do you think? And what are some of your favorites? And don't tell me you don't have one - because that would be a lie -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/22/2010 10:53 PM EST
- p-mike
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Jeez . . .
I dunno . . .
Ziggy Stardust comes to mind. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 5:49 AM EST
- jesseyeric
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Ziggy - interesting choice Mike. Are you sure you still aren't celebrating the Pats kicking Mannings Azz? -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 8:55 AM EST
- yogafriend
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I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner
We Belong - Pat Benatar
Alone - Heart
I'll Stand By You - Pretenders
Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Am I on track?
(note edit: I removed Queen) -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 9:14 AM EST
- jesseyeric
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Certainly are, especially with Foreigner and REO Speedwagon. REO and Journey were Kings of the power ballads. One of Journey's greatest Power Ballads is Faithfully.
We Are The Champions? That one you lost me on. I know Wiki calls it a power Ballad, but personally, I am not hearing it.
Stairway to Heaven and Dream On are considered by many to be the heavyweight champions of the Power Ballad.
I will list my fav's later if anyone else shows any interest in this topic. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 11:19 AM EST
- SlimPickensII
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Cheap Trick's 'The Flame' is up there. Right at the top though, would be Elvin Bishop's 'Fooled Around and Fell in Love' -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 12:38 PM EST
- jesseyeric
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Nice choices Slim -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 2:10 PM EST
- BBReigns
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Here's one that I don't feel to girly to actually like or admit I like:
Tesla - Love Song -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 3:01 PM EST
- Mattyhorn
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Not a terrific fan, but a few have suckered me in over the years....
Van Halen - "I'll Wait"
Whitesnake - "Is This Love"
Nazareth - "Love Hurts"
AC/DC - "Ride On"
Deep Purple - "Perfect Strangers"
Styx - "Come Sail Away" (close to definitive, IMO)
Meatloaf - "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad" (some of the worst lyrics ever)
Zeppelin - "All My Love"
Living Colour - "Open Letter (To A Landlord)" (stolen from zilla)
and the aforementioned "Love Song" by Tesla is a all-time great pick, BB.... -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 3:55 PM EST
- jesseyeric
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Bravo BB
Truly one of the great songs from probably one of the best of the 80's Hard Rock bands. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 4:45 PM EST
- Yoshimi25
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Would "Gimme Shelter" by the Stones count? Or perhaps "Tessie" by the Dropkick Murphys? (It's about love...kinda...sorta...yeah, I'm probably reaching with that one...) -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/23/2010 7:07 PM EST
- Hfxsoxnut
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Led Zep - Tangerine
Aerosmith - Seasons of Wither
Van Halen - Love Comes Walking In
G & R - Don't Cry
Journey - Open Arms
Don Henley - The Last Worthless Evening (don't know if that one qualifies but it's a killer ballad) -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 12:20 AM EST
- p-mike
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Well . . . all a ballad really has to do is tell a story.
Reasonable minds may differ as to what constitutes "power."
I happen to think REO Speedwagon's Time for me to Fly is a powerful song, but I'm not sure that makes it a "power ballad." It's not particularly heavy. The power, if it's really there, comes from the message. So that's one definition, anyway. Conversely, I guess a song like Ziggy Stardust is more of a "heavy" ballad, or a narrative set to power chords.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 6:13 AM EST
- jesseyeric
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In Response to Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?:Well . . . all a ballad really has to do is tell a story. Reasonable minds may differ as to what constitutes "power." I happen to think REO Speedwagon's Time for me to Fly is a powerful song, but I'm not sure that makes it a "power ballad." It's not particularly heavy. The power, if it's really there, comes from the message. So that's one definition, anyway. Conversely, I guess a song like Ziggy Stardust is more of a "heavy" ballad, or a narrative set to power chords. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Posted by p-mike
One thing for sure about Ziggy - it has one of those special RnR songs. Definitely a life changer for me when I was a teen. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 7:52 AM EST
- jkjband
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Sister Christian by Night Ranger always seemed to be the quintessential Power Ballad to me. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 8:47 AM EST
- jesseyeric
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I think Vanilla Fudge's version of "You Keep Me Hangin On" could be considered a power ballad - but that's just me.
I do think that Stairway and Dream On are the standard bearers.
Nights in White Satin has elements of a power ballad in it.
Definition of Power Ballad as I know it:
Starts soft and easy; usually with an accoustic guitar, begins to build in the middle verses, has a melodic but blistering guitar solo. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 10:35 AM EST
- Mattyhorn
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Ballad implies a song addressed to someone, ie. usually a woman. The "Power" part is subjective.
"Stairway" may be a power ballad, but songs like "Thank You" and "Tangerine" would also qualify, I think. From Zep, "All My Love still is the best example, IMO.
I keep thinking of one of the cd collections advertised at night "Power Ballads" - but nearly all of those songs sukkk bad. Except, maybe, "Fly High Michelle".... -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 1:20 PM EST
- ZILLAGOD
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I like a good rock song. It needs to start with a cool drum beat, wicked bass line, guitar licks and/or some nice keyboard. In the case of Jethro Tull, flute is expected. Any other instruments are extra. The vocals can be telling a story (The Last Days of May-B.O.C.), making a political point (Power to the People -John Lennon) or non existent (Surfing with the Alien -Joe Satriani).
The term "power ballad" has always been a mystery to me. What is a ballad?....a song that tells a story. What is power?...Paranoid by Black Sabbath is a "powerful" song....and it tells a story.
I tend to think of a song in terms of "does this sound great ...or what?"...rather than try to determine whether it is a "power ballad" or "hard rock" or "soft rock" or "folk rock" or any number of sub titles or genres.
I think we've travelled this ground on a few threads. What makes music "progressive" , what makes a group " Heavy Metal"...where's the line between Punk and New Wave? It can give you a headache. -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/24/2010 1:36 PM EST
- Mattyhorn
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Again, I thought this was fairly straightforward:
A ballad is - in most respects - a love song. A "power ballad" is a love song with a heavier beat, more guitar, more bass, and perhaps more inflection from the vocalist.
As with "power pop", the "power" part of it is relative. REO Speedwagon will nearly always be heavier than, say, 10cc, but both are pop bands.
Dammn Yankees' "High Enough" = power ballad -
Re: Have We Discussed Power Ballads Yet?
posted at 11/26/2010 9:10 PM EST
- devildavid
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I always go back a bit further than most so I will submit a classic that I think would qualify: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - The Righteous Brothers