THE ROCK & METAL PROFS

WITH MATT ALSCHBACH & DR. COURT LEWIS

Associate professors at Owensboro Community College and Pellissippi State Community College, respectively, Alschbach and Lewis host the popular podcast The Rock & Metal Profs: The History & Philosophy of Rock & Metal. Now they're bringing their keen insights to the pages of News 4U with a monthly deep dive into some of the best bands of the rock/metal genre and thoughts on music in general.

Great American Rock And Metal Songwriters

Within popular music there is an ongoing debate - who is the greatest American songwriter? Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan finish near the top of most lists. Such a debate typically leads to each person arguing for their favorite singer/songwriter/lyricist, and let’s face it, there are many who might take the prize. Yet, no matter how many times we’ve heard the debate, no one ever argues for a rock and metal songwriter. Why have rock and metal songwriters been ignored?

Lots of answers could be offered, but let us look at the concept of brilliance, which is open to many interpretations. Most great songwriters sustain a level of brilliance with deft use of poetry, prose and imagery - their lyrics paint a vivid picture and make you feel something visceral and profound. Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and James Hetfield of Metallica are two strong contenders, even though there are detractors who delight in finding reasons why both are terrible. There are several great female rock/metal songwriters like Suzi Quatro, Grace Slick, and the Wilson sisters to name a few. No one can deny that some of the best metal singers are female, but they have not found the same level of success as men when it comes to songwriting. So, which American rock and metal songwriters should be included?

Alice Cooper and Ronnie James Dio are the first two to come to mind. Since the mid-1960’s, Cooper has used his love of various types of music to craft some of the catchiest, most humorous and macabre songs in American music. His ability to make you feel frightened one second, then laugh the next, illustrates his mastery of music. From the catchiness of “I’m Eighteen,” where the character of the song laments the confusions of being eighteen, but ends with the statement, “I love it,” to songs about drugs, nightmares, and going to hell, Cooper is a master of lyricism. Similarly, Dio spent his life writing songs about wizards, dragons, rainbows, dreams and nightmares. Legendary RUSH percussionist Neil Peart penned the lyrics to nearly every song in that band’s impressive catalog. “The Professor” as he is known to fans, delved into a wide range of cerebral topics including history, literature, philosophy, mythology, nuclear war and an array of social issues. Few lyricists can match the power, insight, complexity and poignancy of Peart’s written words. Who can deny the genius and artistic ability of Cooper, Dio and Peart? Are they on the level of Dylan, Springsteen and Simon? Obviously, as the self-proclaimed “Rock & Metal Profs,” we think so. A careful listen to RUSH, Dio and Cooper will support our conclusion that they should be included in the pantheon of great American songwriters.

IF YOU TELL: A TRUE STORY OF MURDER, FAMILY SECRETS, AND THE UNBREAKABLE BOND OF SISTERHOOD

by Gregg Olsen

As a true crime podcast listener, this book immediately drew me in. I had never heard of the Knotek family or their mother, Shelly, so I was going into this case completely blind. However, by the end of it, I felt so immersed in the story that I felt like I had seen it all happen.

This is another one I listened to as an audiobook, and to be completely real, I think that’s what sold me. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is genuinely impeccable, but listening to the terrible things that Shelly inflicted on her children - Nikki, Sami, and Tori - was so gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and sadistic that I don’t know if I would have kept reading had I not been listening. Admittedly, this book is not for the faint of heart. It goes into detail about all of the torture that these kids experienced at the hands of their mother every day.

The one thing about the book that didn’t make it a five-star read for me was the length. The 431 pages were filled with lots of detail, but sometimes it felt like too much detail. Not because they were graphic, which they were, but because a lot of it felt repetitive or irrelevant to the heart of the case.

I think about this book often and how truly wild it was. Shelly was able to get away with a lot, and for a long time, but the ending provides some sort of closure with the daughters. It’s not one of those stories that you can just make up, I feel. Olsen is an excellent storyteller and I’m excited to read what else he has to offer. - Karah

Wilson