Eric Clapton - Layla

This is a live performance by Eric Clapton playing the song "Layla" live. The song was originally done by Derek and the Dominos which Clapton was a part of. It has since become a staple in his live set as a solo artist.
The song was originally released by Derek and the Dominos in 1970 on the album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs". The song is known for its unique guitar figure played by Eric, and the piano instrumental part of the piece composed by Jim Gordon.
The song was written for Pattie Boyd and about Clapton's unrequited love to her. At this point she was the wife of fellow musician George Harrison. It didn't gain success on it's first release, but over time it has become one of the most recognizable and important songs in rock.
As mentioned Clapton has played the song regularly as part of his live set as a solo artist. He has also done a version where he plays it with Dr. John. (Embeded below)

That performance is from a VH1 series called Duets. It mostly features Clapton, but John can be seen in the back playing away on that piano. This version is vastly different from the first version. The opening chord progression is played more like a walking chord progression, it's played faster, it's funkier, and it doesn't feature the instrumental end of the song.
Clapton also had chart success with this song through his acoustic version of the song released in 1992 for the MTV Unplugged he played. (Embeded below)

This version also disposes the instrumental end of the song. It's played slower though, with the chord progression re-touched to fit the acoustic setting. This version reached #12 on the US pop charts and won the Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1992.
"Layla" is one of those shape defining songs of its genre, it's recognizable and truly one of the best rock songs ever written and composed. A great song in all it's versions!

Enjoy ; )

Heart - Barracuda

This is a live performance from the band Barracuda. They play their classic 1977 single Barracuda live many years later at this gig. The performance is from a new concert DVD and Blu-ray recently released by the band promoted by the Eagle Rock company.
The song Barracuda is a hard rock classic, with a driving riff and an extensive use of natural harmonics both in the solo and the intro of the song, it has a unique sound. The song was written as a protest towards the record company Mushroom Records who had publicised a story about a lesbian relationship between the two leaders of the band (who are sisters, so it was a dumb, immature and respectless move towards the band). The Wilson sisters have often stated in interviews that they'd listen to music like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. They'd admire the bands, but not like many of their friends who thought they were sexy, and wanted to be with them. Ann and Nancy wanted to be like them, and be independent recording artists in their own rights which was tough in the 70's as women.
The song was also ranked as the 34th best hard rock song ever by VH1 and their viewers who decided on an online poll.
The song was also used at (and is still used at) The Republican National Convention. Sarah Palin had the nickname Barracuda in high school (due to her sports involvement). And they purchased the rights to the song. The Wilson sisters disproved of this, and in an open letter asked for them to stop using the song. This didn't work as they had legally purchased the rights to the song and were paying royalties to the band every time they used it. Other band members have said that it was a good thing, because it, in the end, ended up putting focus on Obama's campaign, due to the media coverage of the band's disapproval, and the fact that they got royalties. The Wilson sisters however still disprove of this.
It's a great song that's been used literally everywhere, and just keeps getting better with time.

Enjoy ; )

Queen+Paul Rodgers - Feel Like Makin' Love

The song "Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song originally by the British supergroup Bad Company. The song originally appeared on the band's LP "Straight Shooter", it was released in 1975 and released as a single the same year. The song was ranked as the 78th best hard rock song by VH1 and its viewers.
It has been covered by a large number of different artists and has been referenced in popular culture on many occasions. One of the most well known covers is Kid Rock's version from 2003. It was highly successful, but doesn't come close to the original, not even close.
The group was a supergroup and consisted of members from various bands. They were managed by Peter Grant who also managed Led Zeppelin. Rodgers was with the group from 73-82, and has since joined various other groups, and done a lot of work with rock legends like Jimmy Page and the remaining members of Queen Brian May and Roger Taylor. Rodgers has been quoted as saying that he feels the best version of this song is with the members from Queen. I agree, it's a great performance, and it's really energetic, gotta love that!

Enjoy it ; )

Whitesnake - Still of the Night

This is a live performance by the British hard rock/metal band Whitesnake performing one of their classic songs "Still of the Night". The song was released in 1987 on their self-entitled album. It did fairly well in the charts, and in 2009 it was ranked the 27th best hard rock song by the VH1 network and its viewers.
The song kinda fuses the early blues vibe and influence with a more modern metal style. And that's just what it sounds like, you end up with this sweet hard rock song, with distorted guitars, pinch harmonics, awesome vocal performance and a sound that's both unique and totally familiar.
The song has also been stated to sound like the Zeppelin song "Black Dog", and I agree, but that's not a bad thing. First off, the riff from "Black Dog" does sound somewhat similar, but it is much more complicated than the riff in "Still of the Night". Besides what's wrong with drawing influence from Led Zeppelin, all 70's/80's bands should do that. There's influence and then plagiarism, and this is definitely just influence, well done Whitesnake.
It's a great song, and to this day it is still used as Whitesnake's encore at concerts, and with good reason, what an awesome way to end a show.
They really perform in this clip, and give 100 %. The fans are into it, and joins in on singing, the guitar parts rock, the melodic middle session rocks and David Coverdale does a fucking amazing job on the vocals. Truly an awesome performance.

Enjoy ; )

Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever

This is a recent performance of the classic hard rock 70's song "Cat Scratch Fever" by Ted Nugent, of the album with the same title. The song is known for its simple three tone blues scale riff harmonized in parallel fourths.It's traditional rock 'n' roll, straight forward, one riff, attitude and a simple but rockin' guitar solo by Ted Nugent himself.
In 2009 the song was named the 32nd best hard rock song of all time by the VH1 television network.
It's a great ballsy performance, with Ted functioning at full throttle and energy level. Truly a great song, true rock 'n' roll.

Enjoy ; )

AC/DC - Down Payment Blues

This is a performance from 1996 by hard rock/rock 'n' roll band AC/DC. The song is from the album "Powerage" which is the band's fourth internationally released album and the fifth Australian studio album, confusing, yeah I know.
The song is also one of Slash's favourite AC/DC songs, as he explains in an interview on the Ronnie Wood show. He says that it's one of the best driving songs, and I agree, it drives you, and it's got that classic AC/DC groove. A really nice song, and a great performance.

Enjoy ; )