Guitar Hero = Evil?

[The Curmudgeon]

Now, I'm no fan of the Guitar Hero franchise myself (in fact, I couldn't think of anything worse) but there's no mistaking how HUGE these games are. Saying that, I've always felt that there's going to be a generation of kids growing up being able to play like Jimi Hendrix whilst never actually having held an actual guitar. But, hey, that's maybe me being, well, Curmudgeonly.

Anyway, check out NME's verdict on the game, courtesy of outspoken miserablist, Mark Beaumont.

www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=58&title=guitar_hero_is_building_a_generation_of__2&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

[trashcanman]

The review is actually full of errors, the biggest being that Dragonforce is not any sort of boss in GH3, they are featured on a track you unlock after beating the game. This was obviously written by somebody who knows little and cares less for rock music or video games. Fine. But rest assured that kids who aren't exposed to real music will only wind up following talentless rappers, banal rock bands too lame to even get into a video game, and reality show contestants. Fight the real enemy. If it takes a video game to get a kid to pick up a real instrument, who cares? Let's not pretend that there were no rock bands being formed already. Oh my god, you mean kids who play video games might start a band? SCARY! And the band will feature guitars? What has this world come to!?!?! It's amazing how people get all scared and panicky whenever something new comes around. Rock music? IT'S THE DEVIL!! Video games? IT'S THE DEVIL!!!!! Rock music video games? OHMAGODWE'REALLGONNADIIIIIEEEE!!!!! Find me an instance of a video game changing the actual world in any meaningful way and then we'll discuss the relevance after that. It's a fucking video game with music in it. It's entertaining. People play it because it is fun and they like the music. It will not change the world. It will not change your children (won't SOMEBODY please think of the children?) into Tommy Lee. IT'S ONLY A VIDEO GAME.

[The Curmudgeon]

Well, do keep in mind that it IS the NME, where sweeping statements written to provoke are the order of the day (they've even got a "do you agree/disagree section).

He did lose me a bit at the end, to be honest. At first I thought the article was going to be about the whole "kids aren't playing guitars, they're playing these plastic things" but instead was about the "dangers" of discovering classic rock bands. Like, what-everrr.

[trashcanman]

Yeah, making fun of the flavor of the month is good times, but when it's just about you not liking guitar music you just come off like a pretentious douche. The GH and RB catlogue is one that nobody can really argue with. With bands as diverse as The Police, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Muse, Jane's Addiction, Radiohead, Sublime, Bob Dylan, Lacuna Coil, Dead Kennedys, Duran Duran, The Stooges, Rage Against the Machine, Reverend Horton Heat, and Slayer joining all the usual classic rock suspects it's hard to argue that you're going to become some drooling musical moron by being exposed to it.

[The Curmudgeon]

Wow, I didn't know there were that many bands available. And obviously Mark Beaumont didn't either.

Well, yeah, that article is total bullshit then. See, it's all well and good slating something, but you MUST get your facts right, (which is why I do "research", as it were, on every Amazon piece of shit I talk about) especially if you're writing for some official magazine. You pretty much shat on his entire arguement there, Trashy.

D'you think there'll ever be any Prince songs on there? It's not my sort of thing at all, but even I'd have a stab at trying to play something like ..

www.last.fm/music/Prince/_/Guitar

[Benjamin Haines]

There haven't been any Led Zeppelin or Iron Maiden songs on any Guitar Hero games due to their respective record companies keeping those catalogs off limits. I can't imagine Prince being any less stingy or litigious with his material than any record company.

[trashcanman]

Maiden has at least had "Number of the Beast" and "The Trooper" on GH games. Prince would be a natural fit, but like you said he's a stingy bastard with his music.

Here's a list of songs in just the newest Guitar Hero and Rock Band games (it's take too long to post and read all games):

Guitar Hero 4
1. 311 - “Beautiful Disaster”
2. 30 Seconds To Mars - “The Kill”
3. Airbourne - “Too Much Too Young”
4. The Allman Brothers Band - “Ramblin’ Man”
5. Anouk - “Good God”
6. The Answer - “Never Too Late”
7. At The Drive-In - “One Armed Scissor”
8. Beastie Boys - “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”
9. Beatsteaks - “Hail to the Freaks”
10. Billy Idol - “Rebel Yell”
11. Black Label Society - “Stillborn”
12. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - “Weapon of Choice”
13. blink-182 - “Dammit”
14. Blondie - “One Way or Another”
15. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - “Hollywood Nights”
16. Bon Jovi - “Livin’ On A Prayer”
17. Bullet For My Valentine - “Scream Aim Fire”
18. Coldplay - “Shiver”
19. Creedence Clearwater Revival - “Up Around The Bend”
20. The Cult - “Love Removal Machine”
21. Dinosaur Jr. - “Feel The Pain”
22. The Doors - “Love Me Two Times”
23. Dream Theater - “Pull Me Under”
24. The Eagles - “Hotel California”
25. The Enemy - “Aggro”
26. Filter - “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
27. Fleetwood Mac - “Go Your Own Way”
28. Foo Fighters - “Everlong”
29. The Guess Who - “American Woman”
30. Hush Puppies - “You’re Gonna Say Yeah!”
31. Interpol - “Obstacle 1″
32. Jane’s Addiction - “Mountain Song”
33. Jimi Hendrix - “Purple Haze (Live)”
34. Jimi Hendrix - “The Wind Cries Mary”
35. Jimmy Eat World - “The Middle”
36. Joe Satriani - “Satch Boogie”
37. Kent - “Vinternoll2″
38. Korn - “Freak On A Leash”
39. Lacuna Coil - “Our Truth”
40. Lenny Kravitz - “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
41. Linkin Park - “What I’ve Done”
42. The Living End - “Prisoner of Society”
43. Los Lobos - “La Bamba”
44. Lost Prophets - “Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)”
45. Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Sweet Home Alabama (Live)”
46. Mars Volta - “L’Via L’Viaquez”
47. MC5’s Wayne Kramer - “Kick Out The Jams”
48. Metallica - “Trapped Under Ice”
49. Michael Jackson - “Beat It”
50. Modest Mouse - “Float On”
51. Motorhead - “Overkill”
52. Muse - “Assassin”
53. Negramaro - “Nuvole e Lenzuola”
54. Nirvana - “About a Girl (Unplugged)”
55. No Doubt - “Spiderwebs”
56. NOFX - “Soul Doubt”
57. Oasis - “Some Might Say”
58. Ozzy Osbourne - “Crazy Train”
59. Ozzy Osbourne - “Mr. Crowley”
60. Paramore - “Misery Business”
61. Pat Benatar - “Heartbreaker”
62. R.E.M. - “The One I Love”
63. Radio Futura - “Escuela De Calor”
64. Rise Against - “Re-Education Through Labor”
65. Sex Pistols - “Pretty Vacant”
66. Silversun Pickups - “Lazy Eye”
67. Smashing Pumpkins - “Today”
68. Steely Dan - “Do It Again”
69. Steve Miller Band - “The Joker”
70. Sting - “Demolition Man (Live)”
71. The Stone Roses - “Love Spreads”
72. Stuck In The Sound - “Toy Boy”
73. Sublime - “Santeria”
74. Survivor - “Eye of the Tiger”
75. System of a Down - “B.Y.O.B.”
76. Ted Nugent - “Stranglehold”
77. Ted Nugent’s Original Guitar Duel Recording
78. Tokio Hotel - “Monsoon”
79. Tool - “Parabola”
80. Tool - “Schism”
81. Tool - “Vicarious”
82. Trust - “Antisocial”
83. Van Halen - “Hot For Teacher”
84. Willie Nelson - “On The Road Again”
85. Wings - “Band on the Run”
86. Zakk Wylde’s Original Guitar Duel Recording


Downloadable content list
1. Metallica - “That Was Just Your Life”
2. Metallica - “The End of the Line”
3. Metallica - “Broken, Beat & Scarred”
4. Metallica - “The Day That Never Comes”
5. Metallica - “All Nightmare Long”
6. Metallica - “Cyanide”
7. Metallica - “The Unforgiven III”
8. Metallica - “The Judas Kiss”
9. Metallica - “Suicide & Redemption”
10. Metallica - “My Apocalypse”
11. R.E.M - “Horse to Water”
12. R.E.M - “Man-Sized Wreath”
13. R.E.M - “Supernatural Superserious”
14. Smashing Pumpkins - “G.L.O.W.”
15. Smashing Pumpkins - “1979″
16. Smashing Pumpkins - “The Everlasting Gaze”


Rock Band 2

# 1. AC/DC "Let There Be Rock" 1970s
# 2. AFI "Girl’s Gone Grey" 2000s
# 3. Alanis Morissette "You Oughta Know" 1990s
# 4. Alice in Chains "Man in the Box" 1990s
# 5. Allman Brothers "Ramblin’ Man" 1970s
# 6. Avenged Sevenfold "Almost Easy" 2000s
# 7. Bad Company "Shooting Star" 1970s
# 8. Beastie Boys "So Whatcha Want" 1990s
# 9. Beck "E-Pro" 2000s
# 10. Bikini Kill "Rebel Girl" 1990s
# 11. Billy Idol "White Wedding Pt. I" 1980s
# 12. Blondie "One Way or Another" 1970s
# 13. Bob Dylan "Tangled Up in Blue" 1970s
# 14. Bon Jovi "Livin’ on a Prayer" 1980s
# 15. Cheap Trick "Hello There" 1970s
# 16. Devo "Uncontrollable Urge" 1980s
# 17. Dinosaur Jr. "Feel the Pain" 1990s
# 18. Disturbed "Down with the Sickness" 2000s
# 19. Dream Theater "Panic Attack" 2000s
# 20. Duran Duran "Hungry Like the Wolf" 1980s
# 21. Elvis Costello "Pump It Up" 1970s
# 22. Fleetwood Mac "Go Your Own Way" 1970s
# 23. Foo Fighters "Everlong" 1990s
# 24. Guns N’ Roses "Shackler’s Revenge" 2000s
# 25. Interpol "PDA" 2000s
# 26. Jane’s Addiction "Mountain Song" 1980s
# 27. Jethro Tull "Aqualung" 1970s
# 28. Jimmy Eat World "The Middle" 2000s
# 29. Joan Jett "Bad Reputation" 1980s
# 30. Journey "Anyway You Want It" 1970s
# 31. Judas Priest "Painkiller" 1990s
# 32. Kansas "Carry On Wayward Son" 1970s
# 33. L7 "Pretend We’re Dead" 1990s
# 34. Lacuna Coil "Our Truth" 2000s
# 35. Linkin Park "One Step Closer" 2000s
# 36. Lit "My Own Worst Enemy" 1990s
# 37. Lush "De-Luxe" 1990s
# 38. Mastodon "Colony of Birchmen" 2000s
# 39. Megadeth "Peace Sells" 1980s
# 40. Metallica "Battery" 1980s
# 41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Where’d You Go" 1990s
# 42. Modest Mouse "Float On" 2000s
# 43. Motorhead "Ace of Spades" 1980s
# 44. Nirvana "Drain You" 1990s
# 45. Norman Greenbaum "Spirit in the Sky" 1960s
# 46. Panic at the Disco "Nine in the Afternoon" 2000s
# 47. Paramore "That’s What You Get" 2000s
# 48. Pearl Jam "Alive" 1990s
# 49. Presidents of the USA "Lump" 1990s
# 50. Rage Against the Machine "Testify" 1990s
# 51. Ratt "Round & Round" 1980s
# 52. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Give it Away" 1990s
# 53. Rise Against "Give it All" 2000s
# 54. Rush "The Trees" 1970s
# 55. Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye" 2000s
# 56. Smashing Pumpkins "Today" 1990s
# 57. Social Distortion "I Was Wrong" 1990s
# 58. Sonic Youth "Teenage Riot" 1980s
# 59. Soundgarden "Spoonman" 1990s
# 60. Squeeze "Cool for Cats" 1970s
# 61. Steely Dan "Bodhitsattva" 1970s
# 62. Steve Miller Band "Rock’n Me" 1970s
# 63. Survivor "Eye of the Tiger" 1980s
# 64. System of a Down "Chop Suey" 2000s
# 65. Talking Heads "Psycho Killer" 1970s
# 66. Tenacious D "Master Exploder" 2000s
# 67. Testament "Souls of Black" 1990s
# 68. The Donnas "New Kid in School" 2000s
# 69. The Go-Go’s "We Got the Beat" 1980s
# 70. The Grateful Dead "Alabama Getaway" 1980s
# 71. The Guess Who "American Woman" 1970s
# 72. The Muffs "Kids in America" 1990s
# 73. The Offspring "Come Out & Play (Keep ‘em Separated)" 1990s
# 74. The Replacements "Alex Chilton" 1980s
# 75. The Who "Pinball Wizard" 1960s
# 76. Abnormality "Visions" 2000s
# 77. Anarchy Club "Get Clean" 2000s
# 78. Bang Camaro "Night Lies" 2000s
# 79. Breaking Wheel "Shoulder to the Plow" 2000s
# 80. The Libyans "Neighborhood" 2000s
# 81. The Main Drag "A Jagged Gorgeous Winter" 2000s
# 82. Speck "Conventional Lover" 2000s
# 83. The Sterns "Supreme Girl" 2000s
# 84. That Handsome Devil "Rob the Prez-O-Dent"

And downloadables are so numerous I'm not about to name them all here.

Have a look at this page toi see how epic that choice is:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downloadable_content_in_Rock_Band

I don't care what kind of music you like, there's something for you there.

[The Curmudgeon]

Fuck, that's amazing. And for every "old rock band" there's a plethora of newer guitar bands. Man, that article is complete bullshit.

How hard are the Jimi Hendrix songs?

[trashcanman]

I haven't played that one yet, but there are multiple difficulties. Easy can be played by a child, but I can assure you that most of those songs are much easier to play on a real guitar then on the harder difficulty settings on Guitar Hero.

[The Curmudgeon]

I don't play guitar, but a friend of mine once bought a Jimi Hendrix chord book and he said some of the stuff was damn near impossible to play. I just wondered how it worked out on the game.

So d'you play real guitar at all, Trash?

[trashcanman]

I used to, but there's no way to do it with the kid around. I am spectacularly awful, but it is a lot of fun.

[The Curmudgeon]

As popular as GH is, do we REALLY need a concert and, ugh, a reality show about it?

www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/guitar-hero-reality-show-concert-tour-in-1003971140.story

Good Lord.

[trashcanman]

I'll die before I watch that.

[The Curmudgeon]

Well, this may come as bad (if not surprising) news to you, Trashy - don't expect to ever tackle the likes of Black Dog or Kashmir anytime soon - if ever.

www.gigwise.com/news/51769/Jimmy-Page-%27Led-Zeppelin-Will-Never-Release-A-Rock-Band-or-Guitar-Hero%27

[trashcanman]

Page makes a good point about the drums being too complicated, but such things can be simplified. Hack White and he have stated several times before that they despise video games and think it's pathetic for bands to get exposure that way. Page's age is showing. He sounds like the critics that bashed his own innovations back in the day. But hey, if he doesn't need the money and doesn't want his music used that way then whatever. But if he thinks playing guitar how he does is "easy" then he is out of his fucking mind. Some of us simply have no talent for it. Adn for the love of God, Guitar Hero not meant to be a substitute for playing real music! It's just a fucking game that challenges you with great music. White is funny because the dude won't e

ven use a guitar that isn't older then he is. It's no surprise that anything new is scary to him. Personally, I'm done with these games for the moment. There are too many coming out and it's too much time and too much money to keep up with. Maybe I'll nab GH4 when it hits the bargain bin ro my son is old enough to join me because he REALLY wants to play these games and often gets upset when I do it in front of him. But he needs to stop shitting himself before he tackles that.