Republican Party Drowning?

With House Majority Leader Tom DeLay recently getting indicted for funneling corporate cash into the RNC, how much trouble is the Republican Party in? Bush’s approval ratings are at an all time low, not to mention how the public has responded to his efforts in Katrina. While Americans watch the bad press being poured on their president Iraq is burning and more soldiers are dying each day and finally after two years of useless fighting a majority of the public realizes that we were rushed into an unjust war and that Bush’s handling of it was far worse than lackluster. What does this mean for the Republican Party? In the 2008 elections it’s looking like the Republican candidate will be either Jeb Bush or Senator John McCain while the Democrats are likely to get Hillary Clinton. Is America ready for another Bush? Let alone are Americans even ready for another Republican in office? If DeLay does indeed get proved guilty of his recent allegations it looks like Republican Party will have to work more than just hard to gain back what they have lost. Also coming very soon will be Bush’s next candidate for a Federal Judge. From the way things initially looked it seemed as if John Roberts was a safe pick just to lead to a more radical next choice, but with the way things are looking for Bush and his party he could really endanger the future of the Republicans if his choice is too conservative. The best thing Bush could do for the future of his party is to go with another safe choice like Roberts, but I still don’t think that will save a party that’s sinking deeper in an ocean of trouble. We will see how all of this affects the next presidential elections and even upcoming elections on state and local levels.

9) Tool

Vocals: Maynard James Keenan
Guitar: Adam Jones
Bass: Justin Chancellor
Drums: Danny Carey

It's really tough placing this band on the countdown due to the fact they really haven't released all that much. A matter of fact, I actually had to change their position minutes before I started writing this. With only three full length studio albums Tool clearly possesses a major talent to contend with the rest of the bands on the countdown. Backed by the eerie and melodic voice of Maynard James Keenan and the sensational drumming of Danny Carey, Tool has created a sound which has never been heard before. Their unique sound is hard to clarify but if I was to place it into a genre I would say they would fall under the category of Progressive Metal. Many would like to compare the band with King Crimson an Pink Floyd but in the end it is safe to say that they have truly developed their own sound. With long and complex songs with extremely eloquent lyrics they defied the norm at the time. Their first full length album "Undertow" came out in 1993, during the grunge rock era. "Undertow" started off the bands life in a positive way but they were yet to show what they were truly made of. "Undertow" certainly displayed the direction Tool was going in with unique little mysteries (such as the image hidden behind the CD plate and the 69 tracks) and dark intricate music. Three years later Tool released their highlight album "Aenima." Aenima had a very abstract and innovative sound. The band sounded much more in sync and tighter than with their previous album. The length of the songs had grown along with the quality. Each song has such extreme detail which can only be appreciated the more you listen to it; every sound and note is perfectly crafted to create near perfect songs. Tracks such as "Stinkfist," "Eulogy," "Pushit," "Aenima" and "Third Eye" stand out as the best songs on the album. In my opinion this album is the best album released in the 90’s. After "Aenima," Maynard went on to record with the “super group” A Perfect Circle. As usual Maynard succeeded just like he always does and showed his vast versatility. Once returning from a long hiatus he recorded Tool's long awaited "Lateralus" which was released in 2001. It debuted at number one and was did not quite match the sound that "Aenima" had but none the less was incredible. Tool continued with their artsy, haunting and unique sound that continues to make the listener really reflect on what they’re listening to.
To basically sum up the goal of Tool; people should not just believe what they see or hear but rather they should take what they see and hear and formulate their own ideas and think for themselves. No band in history has made people really think more than Tool has, take for instance the way their fans had realized that the song Lateralus contains a drumming pattern that uses the Fibonacci Sequence and that is just the beginning of the many discoveries of Tool fans. With more time this band can easily move up this countdown, we have only seen the beginning of a band with a plethora of talent

10) The Doors

Vocals: Jim Morrison
Guitar: Robby Krieger
Drums: John Densmore
Organ: Ray Manzarek

The mysterious band The Doors have locked in the ten spot for the countdown. The band pushed all the barriers in the music industry. Jim Morrison's controversial antics on and off stage made this band who they were and how they are remembered today. The Doors were clearly a band centered around one member, which is obviously Jim Morrison. They may not have intended for it to be that way, but when having such a fascinating and charismatic lead singer it is hard to view the band as a whole. None of the members stood out in talent but they all did exactly what they needed to in order to cater to Jim Morrison's visions. As well as being one of the most controversial bands of their time they were also one of the most inspirational. Their psychedelic sounds backed by Morrison'’s poetic lyrics and hypnotic voice created for some of the best music in the 60's.
Their debut self titled album can easily be regarded as the best psychedelic album of all time. With hits such as "“Light My Fire," "“Break on Through,"” and the Oedipal tragedy "The End,"” they displayed their major potential for the future. The problem with such an incredible debut album is that all the following albums will normally fail to compare to it. This stands true with The Doors but that does not take away from the greatness of the following albums. They went on to release the albums "Strange Days,"” "“Waiting For the Sun,"” "“The Soft Parade" and "Morrison Hotel." Songs like "People Are Strange," "Hello I love You,"” and "Roadhouse Blues" elevated their fame and success to even greater heights. Their last release recorded together as a band was "L.A. Woman"” which was quite promising, and contained a number of their most memorable songs. For instance there was "Lover Her Madly," "“LA Women,"” and "Riders on the Storm." The Doors only recorded albums from 67'’ to 71'’ but they are easily one of the most important and influential bands of all time. Their intangible and seductive sound will continue to survive through all the generations.

Top 10 Rock Bands of All Time

I decided to go from posting my countdowns in my AIM profile to my newly created blog. In the next few weeks or so I will be counting down the Best Rock Bands of All Time. So remember to check in every few days for the newest additions to the list!