Finish The Album...Please!!!

Anyone who has partied or hung out with me knows that the love for Rock Band goes deep. It's become one quintessential elements of life that make it worth living like sex, ice cream and and watching Cool As Ice. And anyone that knows me knows that this Tuesday, Pearl Jam is the band of the day, hell, the week. In addition to the release of the remastered, remixed and re-liner notated edition of their 1991 debut, Ten, the same album will appear on Rock Band that day. This is a sweet addition to a game that has brought us albums from Judas Priest, The Cars, Pixies, Megadeth, Rush, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now, at any time of the day, people can freely cry out "Jeremy spoken class is dead" (it's close enough to original and probably what the one drunk person at your party will sing when it's playing) and many other misquoted Pearl Jam lyrics. Seeing as how something as essential as Ten is being released, I started wondering about other albums on the game that have two or more songs yet, for whatever reasons, do not have full albums. Here's a list of five albums that should be released in their enitrety at some point.

1. The Clash by The Clash
So far, we've been treated to "Complete Control" and "I Fought The Law". While both are great songs, neither of them compare to "I'm Bored With The USA", "Career Opportunites" or "Janie Jones." "Clash City Rockers" is a fantastic opening track. "White Man In Hammersmith Palais," "London's Burning" and "Police And Thieves" would be fun on guitar. Definitely, one of the most important albums to have any material on the game and right now, it's a crime that it isn't complete. Two songs is barely an appetizer to the awesomeness of The Clash's debut.


2. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie.
Seeing as how this is the only Bowie album on the game featuring the master recordings, this definitely needs to be completed. Much like The Clash's debut, Ziggy Stardust is showcased through two songs, "Moonage Daydream" and "Suffragette City." Granted, these are two incredible songs off the album but, still, they are only two songs on an album that is one of Bowie's best from beginning to end. tracks such as "Starman," "Ziggy Stardust," "Five Years" and "Rock And Roll Suicide" are great band songs as well as great rock songs. That's what Rock Band is about, being a rock band. This album is made for such moments where you have three other friends over and really want to rock or perhaps go for a slower song to build up the sound. Even "Star" has resurfaced in a recent TV ad. Where, oh where, is the Ziggy Stardust DLC?


3. Nevermind by Nirvana
"Come As You Are," "Lithium" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" are missing. I think that says it all.


4. Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
"Cherub Rock" and "Today" have been delivered. While both songs are great songs, where's "Disarm" or "Rocket?" "Geek USA" would be a guitar workout as would be "Silverfuck." The whole album breaks down to either songs washed in a permanent press cycle of distorted guitars and feedback or very mellow, dreamlike songs. This record, on its own, is probably responsible for the existence of Silversun Pickups. It's a symbolic record of its time. Beautifully distorted with a hint of "I don't give a fuck, this is how it's going to sound" attitude and lots of hunger and ambitition. One of the three great Smashing Pumpkins records needs to see a completion someday and hopefully, by then anyway, you'll be able to plug in a bell controller to properly play "Disarm."


5. Toxicity by System Of A Down.
Sure, The Who's Who's Next and Weezer's Weezer (blue not red) need completion and I would play Weezer's debut until my arms fell off and my throat bled, however, System Of A Down's sophomore album is a monster. If completed, next to Peace Sells...But Who's Buying and Moving Pictures, it would be one of the hardest album DLC's to play. At least with the other two albums, you can get a break somewhere in regards to individual difficulty. This album, for the most part, tosses that idea out the window. With the exception of "ATWA," you will surely fail if you attempt this album on expert. You might even fail it on hard. Chugging guitars, rapid bass lines, drums coming from every direction and vocals that feel like two of the most maniacal people in the world formed a band with all of their personalities is just barely touching the surface of how hard playing one song would be. After that is over, you'll have 13 more songs to go. "ATWA" would the easiest to play but after having to play "Needles" or "Bounce," you won't care since you'll have no arms, feet or voice to continue gameplay.

These are just five albums I'd love to see completed someday. There are plenty more artists that have graced Rock Band with even one song from an album (Sonic Youth and Faith No More, I'm looking in your directions) but right now, I could settle with any of these five albums...that is unless Weezer's Pinkerton is released. If and when that happens, all bets are off. There will be no need to see sunlight for a week.