Green Diamonds and Rusty Crowns

Until the night that my dad flew Project Grimm all the way to Detroit just to play one show for his 60th birthday party (which actually wasn't for 2 more years, because he wasn't sure if he would live that long (he did and continues living quite well at that)), I always had little patience for the notorious Fleetwood Mac era. At the night in question, and after my bandmates tied one on with my ever game father, the dj busted out his copy of Fleetwood Mac's greatest hits on the lot of us. It was one of those nights where dumb shit happened, dumb shit like me suddenly really digging Fleetwood Mac, really getting Stevie Nicks. Even digging Christine McVie for god's sake. It was that kind of satanically creepy Detroit night

When I was a kid, Fleetwood Mac occupied a place in my musical universe mostly saved for what I believed to be people much older than me, due in no small part to my being totally uninterested in the coke-fueled failed-romance subject matter.

But then my friend down the street, Joe, turned me on to a band who I still listen to today. Judas Priest.

The first Priest album I bought was Unleashed in the East, which is their ultimate live statement on record if you ask me. One of the centerpoints of the Priest set during that era (and since) was the song The Green Manalishi With the Two Pronged Crown. I knew nothing more about that song than any other Priest song other than the fact that it blew me away (still does).

Imagine my surprise when I discovered who actually wrote the song.

You guessed it, Fleetwood Mac.

Better still, the song was written by the founder of Fleetwood Mac, a guy who basically became debilitated by mental illness and parted ways with the band. Peter Green. Of course they eventually went on to acquire a couple of snotty but 70s sort of attractive Americans and went on to a level of noteriety that is hard to imagine by mere mortals such as ourselves.

I always wondered what the Mac version sounded like since, first off, I love that song, and second, considering the Peter Green stuff I have heard from them beyond Manalishi, I figured that track would be strong as well.

It is.

And it's no surprise why Judas Priest covered it either.

Watch both bands versions and see why the song is so fucking brilliant.

And then, I'll tell you about Joan Baez.






See what I mean?

Also on the album is a song titled Diamonds and Rust. Care to know who originally penned and performed that epic metal monster?

That's right! Joan Baez! Written for the godfather of metal, Bob Dylan!

I fucking love Rob Halford.

Check this out:





I remember your eyes were bluer than robin's eggs.

Metal.

That's it for me this week.

On a totally unrelated note.

Come home soon, baby. I miss you and am totally uselsss without you.

And that too is metal.

Carry on.