Are You Band Enough? Music Reviews: Stan Bush's The Ultimate: Track 3: "Heat of the Battle"

Does any sort of music go better with karate than hard-charging guitar backed by soulful, sustained keyboard chords? You can practically see two noble competitors breaking each other’s ribs for the enjoyment of a bloodthirsty yet strangely classy crowd of spectators while listening to this song. It’s classic Stan Bush all the way, from the ripping guitar solo to the lyrics about pushing yourself to the limit when the stakes are high and confrontation is unavoidable.

If “Heat of the Battle” doesn’t accompany scenes from a martial arts tournament in a movie within the next couple of years, somebody needs to be held accountable. And after listening to this song on repeat for the last 45 minutes, I’ve convinced myself that I’m the right man to levy the punishment.

Are You Band Enough? Music Reviews: Stan Bush's The Ultimate: Track 2: "The Ultimate"

The second track from Stan Bush's album The Ultimate is indeed the titular track. When you title a song "The Ultimate," you are really making a statement. Some might say, "the ultimate what?" To that I would answer, "Don't question Stan Bush!" With lines like "Hold tight, life's a rocky ride" and "rise up like an eagle in flight, the best of the best would never forget the passion that keeps dreams alive," I might as well let Stan Bush parent my children. Whenever my kids approach me with a problem I will promptly press play on this track and sit silently while Stan Bush sets them straight.

Not only is this track an effective parenting tool, it is also the ultimate end credits song for any motion picture. The next time you watch any movie, turn off the sound at the start of the credits and fire up this track. There is no doubt in my mind it will make every single movie The Ultimate movie. So far I have tried it with The Wizard of Oz, Saving Private Ryan, An American Tail, and The Godfather. I have not been proven wrong yet.

What's Andre the Giant Doing in the 1970s? #18

Kidnapping geishas!

Are You Band Enough? Music Reviews: Stan Bush's The Ultimate: Track 1: "Something to Believe"

"Something to Believe," the first song on Stan Bush's new album, treads some new thematic ground for the inspirational rock legend: self doubt. Bush's discography has no shortage of resolute conviction. The man is known for his steadfast confidence in the face of unbeatable odds. But "Something to Believe" finds him pondering the nature of love and companionship over a soulful piano riff.

In a perfect world, this song would play at every high school graduation as soon as everybody throws their hats in the air, and then those hats would freeze in the air and we'd all go on to chase our dreams but never forget what we all learned from each other in these, the best years of our lives.

That's So Punisher #14

THIS!

(Stabbing a gorilla to escape a bear hug)