Music Review for Punk Goes Classic Rock

A compilation of classic rock covers by today’s most popular punk bands, Punk Goes Classic Rock delivers older songs with a familiar sound. The track list includes:

Hit The Lights – More Than A Feeling (Originally by Boston)
Versa Emerge – Paint it Black (Originally by The Rolling Stones)
The Almost – Free Fallin’ (Originally by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
Mayday Parade – We Are the Champions (Originally by Queen)
The Summer Set – Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite (Originally by Kiss)
We The Kings – Caught Up In You (Originally by .38 Special)
A Skylit Drive – Separate Ways(Worlds Apart) (Originally by Journey)
I See Stars – Your Love (Originally by The Outfield)
Pierce The Veil – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Originally by Blue Oyster Cult)
Forever The Sickest Kids – Crazy Train (Originally by Ozzy Osbourne)
The Maine – Pour Some Sugar On Me (Originally by Def Leppard)
Envy On The Coast – All Along the Watchtower (Originally by Jimi Hendrix)
Every Avenue – Take Me Home Tonight (Originally by Eddie Money)
Never Shout Never – Bohemian Rhapsody (Originally by Queen)
Blessthefall – Dream On (Originally by Aerosmith)

The CD has a few tracks that really stand out from all the rest. The first track, “More Than A Feeling” performed by pop-punk band Hit The Lights stands out. Hit The Lights took the original song, sped it up, and dropped the key by a half step from D to C sharp. The result was a catchy, fast paced tune that makes use of any stereo’s bass.
“Free Fallin” performed by alternative rock group The Almost may have improved the original song. The Almost added slightly distorted guitars along with vocal and instrumental variations to turn the classic favorite into an alternative rock hit.
The Maine’s cover of “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard was top-notch. The infectious guitar lick in the beginning instantly draws your ear, and keeps you there throughout the whole song. Lead singer John O’Callaghan’s voice delivers the song almost flawlessly, and the guitars follow the original down to a T. The solo during the bridge is the most noticeable variation in The Maine’s version of the song, which may catch Def Leppard fans by surprise. This cover, along with Mayday Parade’s cover of “We Are the Champions” and Blessthefall’s cover of “Dream On”, stays true to the original song without becoming boring.
I See Stars, an electro/post-hardcore band from Warren, Michigan, covered “Your Love” by The Outfield. I See Stars stays true to it’s genre, as you hear in the first 30 seconds of the song. The programmed drums and synthesizers draw your attention to the song as the pop-punk feel continues. Halfway through the second verse, however, the band goes into a breakdown, and the vocals are turned into screams until they start the third verse. This different take on The Outfield’s original song can be very addictive, depending on what style of music you enjoy.
As with most CD’s, there are a few tracks that don’t stand out, and if they do, it’s for the wrong reasons. Never Shout Never, one-man acoustic-pop sensation put his first cover track on this CD. To Never Shout Never aka Christopher Drew’s credit, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a monster of a song to cover. The vocals (all of which Drew did himself) are good, but can hardly be compared to that of Freddie Mercury, lead vocals and pianist of Queen.
Versa Emerge, a rock band hailing from Florida covered “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones. The cover did little to stand out, as the song has been done by many other bands. One thing that Versa Emerge did that made this cover better was their use of a synthesizer in the intro instead of the original sitar riff.
All in all, Punk Goes Classic Rock will satisfy listeners, both young and old. It’s a good investment for anyone who enjoys both classic and new rock.