Published on Nov 19, 1998
The last time I ever remember riding a motorcycle, I was about
12 years old, sitting on the back of my uncle’s Harley-Davidson as
he drove through my neighborhood on a family holiday (I think it
was the Fourth of July). It’s been a long time since that ride, and
my uncle has long since sold that bike, as well as a Honda GoldWing
(which I never thought he’d part with) and another Harley.
While I can not say I ever developed an affinity for motorcycles
(assuring me that I’ll never meet Jay Leno), I have always loved
classic rock, no matter how overplayed it gets on the radio here in
the Chicagoland area. And as many bikers will tell you, classic
rock seems to be the music of the road. Some marketing genius
realized this, and put out
Harley-Davidson Road Songs, a two-disc set, a few years
ago.
Now, the latest volume in that series,
Harley-Davidson Road Songs Volume 2, is out (for the biker
on your Christmas list, you can get it in a special leather CD
wallet that can hold twelve discs total), and while I honestly
can’t make a connection between some of these songs and riding a
motorcycle, I’ll gladly welcome any chance to listen to some of the
music I grew up with again.
Granted, many of these songs are available in some type of
compilation or another. But the selection that the producers of
this set have laid out, for the most part, is a real smorgasbord of
rock and roll. From the songs that anyone can see themselves
motoring down the road to (“Bad To The Bone” from George Thorogood
& The Destroyers, Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” Montrose’s “Bad
Motor Scooter”) to the songs that many of us might have forgotten
about (Foghat’s “Drivin’ Wheel”, Alice Cooper’s “Under My Wheels”),
there is something on this set that will delight almost
everyone.
What surprises me are the songs that I had all but forgotten
about, such as Bad Company’s “Gone Gone Gone”. A subtle reminder
that classic rock isn’t what you’re beaten over the head with
courtesy of rock radio,
Harley-Davidson Road Songs Volume 2 becomes a history lesson
for the last 25 or so years of rock, no matter what the flavor of
it is. From Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blackfoot (“Highway Song” has more
than its share of “Free Bird” influence in it) to Judas Priest
(makes sense – Rob Halford used to ride a cycle onstage) and Pat
Benatar, this disc rocks.
All this aside, there are still one or two moments where the set
flounders a bit. I don’t see Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” as
being a great rock-down-the-highway song, and of all the Rainbow
songs out there, why they selected “Street Of Dreams” (which
admittedly I hadn’t heard in years) I don’t understand. In
addition, I would have substituted Gregg Allman’s sleepy version of
“Midnight Rider” for the more lively version the Allman Brothers
Band did. (Then again, I’m not the one programming this set.)
Okay, so you’re not a motorcycle man (or mama); doesn’t matter,
as long as you like good rock music. Listening to this set is like
listening to the radio, without the commercials. Not bad for over
two hours of straight-out rock that should have everyone’s feet
tapping at some point. (And I still get chills when I here Ronnie
Van Zant start singing “Free Bird”.)
My uncle (who will become a father sometime in January) would
definitely love this set – even if he doesn’t ride a ‘cycle
anymore. Guess experiencing a set like
Harley-Davidson Road Songs Volume 2 is the next best
thing.