A tribute to Steve Perry!!

Stephen Ray Perry is without a doubt the greatest vocalist of all time. Why do I say this? Because I'm a die hard Journey fan. Yet another breathtaking band is up for review today; the cult hit "Don't Stop Believin'" was just one of the many many hits of the phenomenon that was JOURNEY. For many months I believed that Journey was indeed the greatest band of all time, but I have been proven wrong by other worthy contenders. Still Perry's still cheer class on the vocals is second to none, and I shall stand by my statement of him being the Greatest Vocalist of all time.

Journey didn't get the best of starts in the year 1973. Very very lack lustre beginning with dull lifeless albums like "Look Into the Future" and "Next". It was but obvious that the band wanted a much needed change in direction, so 1977 they hired Steve Perry and moved towards the "Progressive Rock" genre. This seemed to have done the trick with instant fame for Perry and the band. Escape was by and large their best work till date with the cult classic "Don't Stop Believin'". This song ruled the charts in the early 80's with many a motion picture borrowing this amazing song for their OST. I must admit, when I first heard Steve Perry in "Open Arms" I swear I thought it was a female vocalist. Such is the depth and range in this man's voice. He reaches notes that only certain highly programmed keyboards can touch, very strong voice he has. "Mother Father" is also a wonderful song. But this was just the tip of the iceberg for Perry and Journey. Arguablly their golden era was during the mid 80's when they came up with back to back platinum albums in the form of "Frontiers" and "Raised on Radio". Frontiers was a huge hit with "Faithfully" topping all the charts. Another song where Steve Perry just takes you to a whole new level in terms of vocals. "Separate Ways (World's Apart)" is one of my favorite songs, its got a nice pacy beat to it.

What baffles me is the fact that despite such success, Journey is very much an unknown quantity even in the states. I guess its because they were a band that went through so much change in the time that they operated with no less than  15 members actively involved with the band thru its 30 year history. One such guy was Randy Jackson, the same dude from American Idol. He was a rather unsuccessful bassist with the band during their peak time between 1985 to 1987. Then in 1996 came Journey's best album according to me - Trial By Fire. This album didn't do that well commercially but in my book this is the album that convinced me that Journey is up there with Classic Rock's greatest bands. "Message of Love" still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it and songs like "Still She Cries" and "Easy to Fall" underline Perry's class in the vocals department. The fame didn't last though, the band split up after this album with Steve Perry going his separate ways. There's irony for you. They tried reviving the band with other vocalists, but nobody could match Perry and the numbers clearly showing, Journey dipped steadily after their last album with Steve Perry. The band is still alive today with filippino singer Arnel Pineda leading the charge in the vocals. I must say, he's the best possible alternative to Steve Perry. Revelation was indeed a revelation in the year 2008, the band showing glimpses of its glory days. "After All These Years" is the stand out song there, with other great songs like "What It Takes To Win"; "Never Walk Away". Quite recently Journey released their latest album Eclipse which got relatively good reviews, but still there's no denying the band is not the same without Steve Perry. Their discography is huge guys, we are talking about a band that has been active for close to 30 years, but I'd still say its worth the download. Journey is one of those novelty bands whom you are either going to hate entirely or love them to pieces. Steve Perry is a class apart when it comes to vocals and I would say for his voice alone, you should give Journey a try. Here are their albums in my order of preference of course:

• 1996 - Trial By Fire
• 1983 - Frontiers
• 1981 - Escape
• 1986 - Raised on Radio
• 2001 - Arrival
• 2005 - Generations
• 2008 - Revelation
• 1978 - Infinity
• 1979 - Evolution
• 2011 - Eclipse
• 1975 - Journey
• 1976 - Look Into The Future
• 1977 - Next
• 1980 - Departure

Of the 14 albums, there are definitely about 7 albums that are worth listening to over and over again, and I feel that is a respectable figure to give Journey the benefit of the doubt and download the entire Discography. A good band, a good genre, Journey has all the ingredients to become Classic Rock legend. Let's hope they continue to dazzle us with their whacky music and even whackier album covers for many more years to come. All the BEST JOURNEY. All the Best ARNEL PINEDA, you have big shoes to fill!!! 

Follow @SwamiG13

Survivor - The GREATEST BAND EVER!!

Its about time I featured my FAVORITE band in the whole world - SURVIVOR. I'm convinced they are easily the world's most under-rated band, so much of their music is unknown to most people. The first thing people think of when I say Survivor is Rocky Balboa and "Eye of the Tiger". People just assume thats their best song, but clearly they don't what Survivor really is. I'm still shocked how such an awesome band had such little success, but there's no denying the fact that Rocky really brought them to the scene. You know those awesome scores in Rocky that we all listen to when we are at the gym, its all by SURVIVOR. I wouldn't say Survivor is completely a Classic Rock band, most of their music is from the 80's. Still they are cool enough to be called a Classic Rock band. They started off in 1979, still very young none of their songs really caught the eye. But come the 80's the albums really started to kick some serious ass. Premonition was mind blowing and then Eye of the Tiger happened. Monster hit that album was, instant platinum selling album.

The main reason I rate Survivor so highly is actually because I do RATE Survivor so much. The sheer numbers only prove my point, of all their 80 odd songs, a total of 55 songs made in onto my "Top Rated" list on my i-Pod. So forgive if I'm a little biased, but I just love Survivor too much. The main reason why they are such a kick ass band is the fact that you will never get bored with any of their albums, all the ten songs are good enough to keep you hooked for years. Some songs are so awesome that you will keep listening to them over and over again. And its not like all of their music is about "pumping yourself up" like Rocky did, no they have songs about love, pain, heartbreak etc. There are just way to many songs that I like to name but still gun to my head I'd say "Vital Signs" is there best album. "Broken Promises" is such a brilliant song, as is "High on You", but that's a personal choice really. Also "Jackie Don't Go" is an awesome song. But then like I said there are just too many songs to put in brackets, I'd strongly recommend EVERY SINGLE SONG of EVERY SINGLE ALBUM of Survivor. Its easily the best 79 songs you will download. Totally worth it. Here's the entire discography:

• 1979 - Survivor
• 1981 - Premonition
• 1982 - Eye of the Tiger
• 1983 - Caught in the Game
• 1984 - Vital Signs
• 1986 - When Seconds Count
• 1988 - Too Hot To Sleep
• 2006 - Reach

There's not a single album thats not good, at least that's what I think. Do not be fooled by the idiots who tell you "Eye of The Tiger" is their best album, get them all and you will see for yourself that albums like "Caught In the Game", "Premonition" and "When Seconds Count" should also have been platinum selling albums. My biggest regret about my American vacation was the fact that I couldn't get hold of a Survivor T Shirt. I searched high and low, but the shirt or merchandise of any kind of the band evaded me. Still I have the rest of my life, and till then I will search for this Shirt. This is so the type of shirt you would never want to wear, instead you would frame it and put it up on your wall proudly. Here's hoping that day comes soon, Real Soon. Even their pictures or wallpapers are so hard to find on the Internet, still their music isn't. So go ahead and get their discography and thank me later. Long live SURVIVOR, Long live CLASSIC ROCK. Like I always say, "If it ain't CLASSIC, it ain't ROCK".  

Follow @SwamiG13

Breakfast in AMERICA!!!

My dream vacation is finally over, and the thing I’ll miss the most about America is definitely the Breakfast. Now as per my usual routine, I skip Breakfast and go straight ahead to Lunch, and in the off chance that I do manage to wake up in time for Office, my “Breakfast” consists of Coffee and toast sandwich if I’m feeling a little hungry. Lol, in America people spend roughly one and a half hours of their day eating breakfast. Man those American’s can eat. Men, Women even Children seem to eat limitless amounts of food for breakfast in the morning which gives them the energy to tackle their day to day activities. This culture of a Healthy breakfast really appealed to me, cause that’s how you’re meals should be. You know that old saying, Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper. Well the American’s have certainly got that going for them. I had one such breakfast buffet at the Courtyard Marriot when I was away at the Niagara Falls. Now the breakfast buffet is open for all, not just the hotel guests and it’s usually 10-15 dollars per person which is alarmingly cheap if you earn in dollars. Still for us tourists who would convert the same into Indian Rupees, I’d say this was one such expenditure that was totally worth it. 

Now the best part about a buffet is the fact that you have limitless food, so you can have 2-3 helpings of the same dish and its still okay. Eggs are an important part of the breakfast menu, so every hotel’s probably going to have an Egg Station, where the chefs will cook your omelette from scratch as per your request. You can top up this omelette with all your favourite veggies and there’s only like 5 types of cheese that you can choose from. Haha if you think that’s a pretty filling breakfast, hold on I’m only getting started. Scrambled eggs and “Sunny Side Up Omelettes “are also available for those who like their eggs that way. You have to toast your own bread if you want some. Then we head across to the pancakes and waffle station. No chefs here, its self-service time, but honestly even a monkey can make himself a waffle, its that simple once you have the batter ready. Right next to it is an enormous maple syrup bottle, powdered sugar, marshmallows and butter. If you’re a sweet tooth, then this is pretty much the place you are going to spend most of your breakfast time in. Chocolate waffles are also available, again very easy to make – and don’t forget to take a cup of maple syrup with you separately cause it’s so good you’re definitely going to want some more.

I’m still not done. Next we go to the Croissants and Bagel section. A huge range of breads, all kinds of different varieties, stuff that most people would never knew existed. If you go to America and don’t eat a Bagel, well that’s just sad. Its easily the best breakfast dish to make and to eat. The cream cheese is to DIE for. The bagel itself comes in at least 5-6 types, ranging from Cinnamon flavoured to an “all-in-one” Bagel. Still I’d choose the plain bagel with Strawberry Cream Cheese. That works for me. Plain cream cheese is also very good, but Strawberry is just better. Croissants are generally flavoured mostly apple or strawberry and the muffins are just too good to resist. Blueberry, plain, frosted icing, vanilla and chocolate, well you get the point – you have all the possible muffins in front of you. Then we move onwards to the fruit bar. OMG the fruits!!! It’s like they handpicked the fruits, picking only the freshest and juiciest ones for their guests. Pineapples, Strawberries, Papayas, Watermelons, Peaches, Musk Melons, Bananas and so many more cut nicely and served out for you to pick your favourite fruits. Definitely have them all, even if you don’t like the taste, because these fruits are nothing like the ones you get in India. They somehow just taste different. Better. Fresher. 

I’m still NOT DONE. I saved the best part for the end. The BACON, Holy mother of God the BACON. Words can’t adequately describe the pure awesomeness of the bacon. Goes well with your eggs and bread, hell it goes well with anything. Crisp, perfectly cooked, it’s easily the best meat you can have for breakfast. Sausages are also available and I don’t need to remind you that you can have unlimited no of sausages and servings. Starting to look like a dynamite deal isn’t it. Apart from all this you are served Coffee and a wide variety of juices on your table, I’d definitely recommend the juices, cranberry my personal favourite. The coffee in America is too strong for my liking, I’m a proper South Indian that way and only my Filter coffee gets me excited about coffee. And finally after unlimited refills of all this your American Breakfast is over. You’re probably gonna need 10 minutes to just rub your belly and relax. They let you do that also, if people were curious. Nothing is frowned upon there.

See I knew I forgot something, the YOGURT. Flavoured or plain, and flavoured includes all the possible fruits you can think of. Again Strawberry is my favourite. Now I’m not usually a Strawberry guy, but the ones in America are just too good. Hands down the sweetest you will ever eat in life. Okay I’m done now, sit back, Enjoy and READ you’re HEAVY AMERICAN BREAKFAST.

Follow @SwamiG13

Me Likey Mexicana!!

First things first, I have to apologize to my cousin sister for thinking Mexican Food was crap. I was ill informed. Mexican food can be a wonderful culinary experience if you know what to eat and how much to eat! Two things I never seem to get right in my life. Turns out Burritto's arent the only thing Mexican in a classic mexican deli. That's just the tip of the iceberg. There is just so much variety in their food, the only possible downside it is that they have all these baked beans that I'm not a very big fan of. Still Taco Bell was an absolute blast, thats to Krupa Guruvayurappan, I can't thank her enough for finally opening my eyes and experiencing the GRAND EL TACO with some NACHO SUPREME and Salsa.


Taco Bell is a very famous chain in America, probably not as popular as a McD or Burger King, but definitely every freeway exit is somehow connected to a Taco Bell. The food is again dirt cheap, with ridiculously low prices, they have a good non veg menu, but I myself didn't try any of their non-veg so I cannot comment on the same for now. You should definitely have the Queso with Cheesy Dip, the best Nachos I have ever had in my life. That and the Nacho El Grande are enough to get you started and warmed up for the wonderful main course. Now the thing with Mexican food is that you can never have too much of it, like you can never enjoy just 3 plates of Enchiladas or Fahitas. You need to mix things up and try little of everything. That's the perfect way to eat at Taco Bell, so I would say avoid the Enchiladas, like I said, its just plain baked beans wrap around a Rumali Roti, I think its safe to say, I've had better food than that. Still the Mexican Pizza at Taco Bell is to KILL FOR. This is apparently their specialty and I have it on good authority that no where else in America can you get a Mexican Pizza this good. Taco Bell's is simply the best. 4 thin slices of pizza with a Taco shell and ample cheese, this is without a doubt the best item on their menu.

The classic taco is a corn preparation, so you shouldn't over dose on it, still the Double Decker supreme is probably the best Taco dish I've ever had. It has perfect amounts of both the hard and soft taco in a wrap, loaded with baked beans and cheese. The salsa that comes with it is amazing, not to sweet, not to spicy. Simply Perfect. Apart from that you have 4-5 different sauces in Taco Bell. I love the packets and the way they have marketed them, each sauce being a grade hotter than the other one. Now I love spicy food and I need something spicy in all my meals, so I went straight to the Hot sauce which for me wasn't really that hot, still I loved the BBQ flavored sauce and the FIRE sauce, which is their hottest sauce. This really sets your lips on fire, a mexican pizza loaded with these sauces and a nice big soda on the side, a perfect LUNCH. You do get cocktails like Mohitos and coolers at Taco Bell, but obviously they don't serve alcohol. Again they offer you unlimited refills, boy I just cant seem to get enough of these Unlimited refills. The greatest thing about Taco Bell is that you aren't stuffed even after a very heavy meal. Mexican food in general is very light, and easy to digest, probably cause its one of the most healthiest types of food. Still I loved it, and from now I have a new found perspective for Mexican Food.

Viva Mexicana, El TACO BELL!!!

Follow @SwamiG13

Progressive Pysch Rock is on the UP!!!

Okay, I want to stray away from the blog's Classic Rock theme for the first time. Now I'm not the kind of guy who likes to experiment a lot with my music, like I must have mentioned countless no. of times, I will only listen to an Artist/Band if someone gives me a good review about the same. Still even then that was only applicable for Classic Rock. My music horizons would never expand as I was so lost in the vastness and depth of the awesome Ocean that is Classic Rock. But if you have grown tired of listening to the same Classic Rock music and need some techno-ish influence and feel to your music, you should really check out Prog-Pysch Rock. Some good bands here guys, most notable and my personal favorite MGMT.

Honest to god I have no clue what their full form is, still its a pretty good band. A lot of their music reminds me of Pink Floyd, still no one can match the levels of Pink Floyd, I think MGMT is a great band and I will definitely be looking out for them in the future. They are just 2 albums old, having debuted in 2007. Still Oracular Spectacular was a pretty decent success even though the album took almost 2 years to complete. Good music, very electronic, 5-6 songs are really really good songs. Their second album was sort of a bummer, still definitely worth keeping track off. I mean it's like 2 albums, so thats roughly 20 songs, surely that's not a lot to download, even for the stingiest of broad band users. Some of the songs to definitely check out are "Kids", "Time to Pretend", "Electric Feel", "Youth", "Weekend Wars" etc. The first album is a good album, so you should definitely check that out. I hear their next album won't be out till 2012, so thats gonna be a bit of a wait, still for now you can check out their discography:

• 2007 - Oracular Spectacular
• 2010 - Congratulations

Follow @SwamiG13

BURGER KING!!!

There are about a million Burger joints across America, ranging from lavish luncheons to a trailer park with a Grill. The key to finding the Best Burger in America is about going to the right places and with the right kind of people. Now a regular American Hamburger is VERY filling, and its loaded with Cheese, Ham, Veggies and a plethora of sauces. Beef is even more filling as the patty itself is so thick and juicy. I didn't get to go to a lot of Burger joints cause I was traveling with a "Pure Vegetarian Family" so that sort of made my burger experience in America pretty straight forward. Still I think I can go out on a limp and say Burger King is definitely in the Top 5 burgers of America. The greatest thing it has going for it is its price, dirt cheap burgers starting at 2-3 dollars a burger. That kicks out all the other competitors and  just to make sure, they have like a Burger King on every street or gas station in America. It's crazy how many Burger King's I saw in the 2 weeks that I've been here.

I've honestly lost count of the no. of times I've had food at Burger King. Its just that good. They have like 10 combos to choose from, still I think I'm done with beef for a bit, cause Beef is the kind of food you should have when you are eating with many people. When you're riding alone, its more logical to go for the classic "Ham and Cheese". This burger or Whopper as they call it is without a doubt why Burger King still runs profitably today. Comes with a bag of fries and unlimited Coke, this is without a doubt the best deal you can get in America for under 10 dollars. That's one thing I can never stop "wowing" about in the States, in every fast food chain, the soda is a one time payment, and after that you can have UNLIMITED refills.  Isn't that something. You should know that a small soda here is equivalent to a Large in India. Burger King even has a Veggie whopper and a Veggie Patty for those vegans out there, still if I were a vegetarian, I'd not go to a burger joint in America. If you thought Subway in India was unfair to you'll, haha come over to Burger King and McDonalds! You will feel like very bad, and a soda is pretty much all you're going to get. Still atleast in Burger King you can have ONE burger. Plus the Onion Rings and Hashbrowns are great so it's not like you will not get anything over here, but definitely come alone, cause if you come with a hardcore non-vegetarian you will have to watch him/her gorge themselves to all the ham, beef, chicken and pork in this world.

I liked the sauces in Burger King more than anywhere else, Honey Mustard, Spicy Mustard, Buffalo were some of my favorites. The desserts are also pretty reasonable with chocolate and Strawberry cheesecakes, but seriously if you go to Burger King, then the only thing you should be eating is Burgers and some O Rings. Two maybe 3 good ol' fashioned Hamburgers with some fries, as you gulp it down with all the Coke in the world and then just sit in the parking lot rubbing your belly. Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner; Burger King is never gonna make you thinner. A COMPLETE FAST FOOD PARADISE. Burger King FTW!!!!

Follow @SwamiG13

TOTTINO's Pizza

A very good pizza place this is. Located a little off Los Angeles in the city of Inglewood, California Tottino's was a welcome change for me after all the burgers in Vegas and New Jersey. I didn't actually have the time to go down to the restaurant and dine there, but they have a very good delivery service, so I ordered for a couple of pizzas to my hotel room. Now the first thing about an American pizza is that is an actual pizza with italian authenticity unlike the Tandoori filled crap you get in India. Also their pizzas are humongous, they usually sell pizza's at anything from 1 dollar to 5 dollars a slice; still they even sell 8 inch, 10 inch, 12 inch, 14 and even those mammoth 16 inch pizzas. Cheese is pretty much a standard ingredient here and you are not charged for it, and you can pick and choose your toppings. Atleast in Tottino's you had like 20-25 toppings to choose from and also they had their custom pizzas like your Pepperoni, Meat Lovers, BBQ Chicken etc. They even had a Veggie Special loaded with Mushrooms and Jalapeno's, and a mexican pizza. I however tried the Hawaiian pizza and boy did I make the right choice. Juicy pieces of ham and PINEAPPLE. Now you can call me fruity or whatever, but I think pineapple is one of the most awesome toppings at any pizza place, it gives you that Sweet and Spicy flavor that is just heavenly. The quantity is huge too at Tottino's. One medium has 8 big slices and that's easily enough for 2 people.

They have like a dozen starters like Mozarella Sticks, Breadsticks, Buffalo Wings etc, but yet again you need to have a monster appetite and a good foodie group to order everything on the menu. Still I loved this place, and I'm glad this was the first American Pizza I had. This had the right amount of Cheese, sauce and even the toppings were perfect. Delivery takes about 45 mins, but I must the pizza was hot even while I was eating it. If you're tired of the all the expensive eat outs at L.A and Hollywood Blvd, then this place is a pleasant change of scene. A medium pizza costs only about 12 dollars, which is a steal when you look at it just in terms of Dollars. I however was converting it to Indian Rupees and so I was feeling the pinch, still all in all great Pizza Place. Viva Tottino's !! 

Follow @SwamiG13

Bow down to the LIZARD KING!!!!

Where do I even start with The Doors. Possibly one of my all time favorite rock bands. Easily one of the most enigmatic, charismatic and god like vocalist in Jim Morrison. They say that all the good ones always die young, well that certainly holds good for good ol' Jimbo, who over dosed in his hotel room in Paris while he was partying with his girl friend when he was just 27. And in those 27 years he created magic via The Doors. I was in Los Angeles, the birthplace of the band, and my god they are HUGE even till today. Every store has their T-shirts hanging on their walls, with kids drooling over them even today(PS: I was one of them). A hotel is named after the great Jim Morrison and till today I don't think I have come across any singer that has captured his audience the way Jimbo did. Also known as the "Lizard King", "The American Poet", "Jimbo" he was easily the only reason why The Doors had such a successful stint in 70's Rock. I can't even imagine The Doors without Jimbo in the lead, and the statistics clearly prove it, their last album "An American Prayer" was a flop to say the least.

It all began for them in 1967 with a self titled album. If you hear "Light My Fire" once and still say you don't like the song, then I'm afraid we cannot be friends. The lyrics of all the songs are whacky to say the least, classic Jimbo. The best part about Doors is that none of their songs are long, most of them are 3-4 minute ballads and they have a very poetic feel to them, Jim Morrison was after all the Great American Poet. Its sad that such an iconic singer died at such a young age, but like it says on his tombstone, Morrison was a free spirit and he lived by his own rules. A complete ROCKSTAR. Urban legend says that Morrison is still alive, some say he faked his death to have a quieter life, some say his ghost still roams around LA. Whatever it is, the world is really empty without a singer and rockstar like Jimbo. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, that if he were alive till today, he'd still be rocking them Roadhouse Blues and about a million people would still show up to listen to him live at Woodstock. I can't think of a better lead singer than Jim Morrison and you should download the entire discography without a shadow of doubt. Most of the people nowadays have heard of Jimbo, I guess that's the only benefit of dying young - everyone's talking about you. Still for those of you who aren't familiar with some of their classic songs, you should definitely hear "Roadhouse Blues" arguably my favorite song; "Alabama Song", "People Are Strange", "Light My Fire", "L.A Woman", "Five To One", "Hello, I Love You" and so many more. You know what, let me just name the albums in order of preference, that list should be much shorter.

• 1967 - The Doors
• 1967 - Strange Ways
• 1968 - Waiting For The Sun
• 1969 - The Soft Parade
• 1970 - Morrison Hotel
• 1971 - L.A Woman 
• 1971 - Other Voices
• 1972 - Full Circle
• 1979 - An American Prayer

The first three albums are so awesome you should listen to them 4 times over. Still on the whole The Doors is definitely "up there" with the great rock bands of this millennium. I was unlucky not to go to Morrison Hotel where they actually have a memorabilia and rare paintings of a lot of bands including The Doors, there's also a Cafe Morrison in New Delhi, that I've been meaning to check out. Still I have all my life and I will definitely go and visit someday. Till then I these pictures to be happy about. Three Cheers to The Doors, Three Cheers to the Lizard King.

Follow @SwamiG13

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!!!

Sorry I'm a little behind on the blogging, after all I am on Vacation so I am allowed my slight delays. I thought I'd make this a music review by reviewing ZZ Top. A hugely popular band in America, but one of those bands that never found their way to India. They were mildly successful in the early 70's. This band was re-known for its one of a kind look - white long beards, kind of like Dumbledore! They too like Lynyrd have a very predominant southern feel to their music, and most of their music is considered to be a part of the Blues-Rock, Boogie-Rock genre.

I would only recommend their Greatest Hits album, for I myself have not heard their entire discography. Still they've got a couple of catchy songs and some good slow songs too, a nice little album to listen to on those long waits in traffic jams. Some of their best songs are "Sharp Dressed Man", "Rough Boy", "Pearl Necklace", "Gimme All Your Lovin'". But their all time greatest song has to be "VIVA LAS VEGAS". This was the only song I heard in Las Vegas on my i-pod. The music video of this song is very well made, showing the 3 band members on a slot machine during the intro and then the King of Pop "Elvis" takes over. Its a catchy number, and arguably the best musical rendition of the the awesome city that is Las Vegas. There is just way too much to do in Las Vegas, and surely one lifetime isn't enough to complete everything in Vegas. It's not just about the Gambling and the Casino's; there's amusement parks (New York,New York and Stratosphere); roman architecture at The Venetian, The Bellagio and absolute debauchery in most of the night clubs and casinos on Las Vegas Blvd. Every guy has to experience Vegas once in his life, it's the greatest entertainment hub in this world. I was lucky enough to be there (albeit with my parents), still like the old saying goes, "What Happens In Vegas, Stays in Vegas". To everybody out there, if you are ever too stressed with life,work, your marriage or relationships and want to cool off, listen to ZZ Top's song - "Viva Las Vegas" and pack your bags. You won't ever regret it, LAS VEGAS will be the GREATEST VACATION OF YOUR LIFE.

PS: In keeping with the nature of this blog, definitely download the Greatest Hits of ZZ Top, and listen to it. Not a great band or something, but definitely worthy of being on your i-pod. Follow @SwamiG13

HOOTER-RIFIC!!!

There are just way to many places to eat at in Vegas, so many choices – from eat all you want shrimp to a nice juicy steak, hell they even had a Tandoori diner. Needless to say, that diner wasn’t worth writing about. I did however manage to get my parents off my back and head to Hooters. Now as most of you would know, Hooters is a chain of restaurants all across America, serving typical American fast food like Buffalo Wings, Prime Ribs, Burgers, Beer etc. What’s so different about this place compared to any other American burger joint? Well the HOOTERS. Wow. The waitresses are dressed in lovely tank tops and the shortest of short pants. And they don’t mind you gawking at them, hell they actually encourage it and if you’re lucky they do a lil’ jiggle while getting your order. It takes you a good 5-10 minutes to get a hang of yourself and actually get to the menu and place your order. I must say the Hooter girls are way too nice, with their least polite comment being, “Can I get you anything Honey?” The restaurant is decorated expertly with tacky signs like “Bumps Ahead” and “It’s okay to stare”. There’s a bar and a proper seating area, but not to worry, the Hooter girls are there everywhere.

The food and beverages at Hooters are beyond belief and you get them at dirt cheap prices. 10,20 and even 50 pieces of Buffalo Wings with all the dip you want only ranging from 7-15 dollars a plate. Boneless too mind you. There is so much beer available in Hooters that you can’t possibly not have a glass. The ladies can get Margaritas for 5 dollars each, yes I saw a lot of families come down to Hooters for a nice meal. Personally if you want the complete Hooters experience you have to have the Bud Lights. Priced at a ridiculous 1.5 dollars a pint, you can tell your waitress to keep them coming. Apart from the Buffalo Wings, they have an insane amount of starters like Onion Rings, Shrimp, Chicken pieces with Bone, Nachos etc. They even have Mexican food at Hooters, but since I was dining alone, I had to be content with their Buffalo Wings. The main course is pretty straight forward, the only choices you have are between Burgers, Hot Dogs and Enchiladas and Fahitas. I was still reeling from the double burger I had at the Harley Davidson Café, still the Ham and Cheese was just too tempting. Served with loads of juicy bacon on a foot long bread, with an ample helping of coleslaw and cheesy dip and all the sauces in this world. Mustard, Mayo, Hot Sauce, they have got it all. Any burger in America is very filling cause they load it with lots and lots of meat. Still its totally worth the trouble, you can take your own sweet time eating at Hooters, the girls will keep checking on you every now and then, asking you for refills of beer or anything else. A lot of people say Hooters is the kind of place where only guys should go and eat, that’s not true. This is the perfect fast food place, it’s just MORE FUN for us guys. But I’d say you can go in a large group, that way you can try almost everything on the menu. And the more the people, the more girls will come and take a picture with you. Yes that’s easily the best part about Hooters, the girls are kind enough to allow them to take a picture with you. I only got the one girl, as I was eating alone, but groups of 4-5 guys can have a perfect picture taken with maybe all the girls. Still I’ve got no complaints here, GREAT food, GREAT ambience, absolutely loved the place.

I’ll sign off my saying this, The man who invented Hooters is either a brilliant visionary or just plain Horny, or maybe a bit of both, but on behalf of all the people in India, I would pray to god that he reads my blogs and sets up a few outlets in Bombay. Till then let me just look at these lovely pictures and reminisce. Thank you HOOTERS. 

Follow @SwamiG13

Harley Davidson Cafe

This post is about three things BEEF, BEER and BIKES. So if you don't like any of the above I'm guessing you won't be liking this place. Yes the place, Harley Davidson Cafe right opposite to the City Center casino on Las Vegas Boulevard or as the locals call it "The Strip". Now there are about 45 casinos in Vegas each with their own fancy restaurants, yet still this was the first place I went to eat. Well the logic behind that is pretty straight forward, places like the Bellagio, The Venetian and pretty much any hotel casino is not exactly affordable unless you've won the previous night. Even this place is slightly on the expensive side when it comes to food but one just HAS to visit here for its atmosphere. The building cannot be missed as there's a giant Harley sticking out of the front end of it, and there are Harley's everywhere.

There is an open restaurant and the complete Harley experience inside. The music in the cafe is mind blowing, just my kind of music, and in the 1 hour or so that I was there, I heard CCR, REO Speedwagon, America, Journey and other such vintage American bands that made me feel immensely happy. They let you take all the pictures you want, so you can take a good long look at all the Harley's that they have and mind you they do have a few of them. Up on the first floor are signed memorabilia of famous actors, rock bands, celebrities and other Harley fanatics. Signed engine boards from Chuck Norris, John Malkovich, Martina Navratoliva and a host of others make this a camera crazy zone. The waiters are kind enough to take those "display picture material" type photos of you and I think the best part is that you can actually sit on a Harley and have a picture taken. I'm no fan of biking, hell I don't even know how to ride a bike nor have I actually riden one, still seating on that big monstrous bike is a spectacular feeling. No wonder all the bikers go crazy for a Harley. But am I forgetting something about the Harley Davidson Cafe?? Yes of course the food.

OMG.
The food at this place will absolutely blow your mind. Its every boy's dream menu with only Burgers, Ribs, Hot Dogs, Steak and Beer on the menu. They've got some great deals which lets you have more food, unlimited beer and save your money too, but sadly I went there alone so I couldn't cash in on any of these offers. A entree is about 10$, which is usually a plate of Buffalo Wings, Baby Back Ribs etc. The burgers are absolutely worth every penny, coming with complimentary fries and some greens on the side. You get all kinds of meat here predominantly Beef, but also Turkey, Chicken, Pork, hell they even have a plain Veggie Burger, but the menu clearly says that its only upon special request. The beers are cold, the burgers are big juicy and very very filling. One meal here and you have to walk around the Strip for a good 2 hours until you can even think of having something else to eat. All in all this place is worth the money you spend, and definitely one of the cheaper, affordable yet awesome places in Las Vegas. The beef was really well cooked, I must say even thought it was my first time having Beef, it was very very good, hands down the best meat I've ever had. Don't miss this place guys, if you ever swing by Vegas, the casinos and strip clubs aside, the amount of food on offer here itself is enough to make you never want to go back home.











Cheers to Harley Davidson, Cheers to the City of Las Vegas.  

Follow @SwamiG13

Red, White and Blue!!!!

Happy Independence Day American’s, I was privileged enough to be in your country during the 4^th of July weekend, and boy was it a blast. Most people don’t know the cheer size of America, roughly about 3500 miles from one coast to another. It’s so huge it has 3 different time zones within the country itself. Now today’s review is about possibly one of the most AMERICAN bands I can think of. Everything about their music evokes patriotism towards their country and they don’t get more classic than good ol’ Lynyrd Skynyrd. Where do I start with this band, definitely in my top 5 all-time rock bands, I think Lynyrd is why I started listening to so much American Rock. As always I wasn’t born listening to Free Bird, I first heard about the band when Sweet Home Alabama the movie hit India. A very crappy movie to say but the soundtrack of the movie is pure ecstasy. Then I saw Con-Air and after that I was a total total Lynnie Skynnie junkie. Mind blowing vocals, guitar solos and cheer presence on the big stage; Lynyrd Skynyrd had all the essentials required for ruling the rock charts for years to come.

However the band while on tour met with a tragic accident where their plane crashed and all but one of the original members survived. A sad end to what would have been a stellar rock and roll career. However they did release some of their best work before the crash. They had 5 albums from 1973 to 1977, most of them where cult hits. Arguably their greatest song has to be from their first album “Pronounced” released in 1973. With monster hits like “Free Bird”, “Simple Man” and Tuesday’s Gone”. Even till today the guitar solo in the end of the “Free Bird” is one of the toughest to ever play and many a band have tried to cover this timeless classic, but only in vain. You will find a lot of their songs centric around Whiskey, The countryside, the classic rock and roll image of a guy riding across America on a Harley and the true spirit of the United States of America. America has changed like in a million ways since the 1970’s however their undying spirit does remain even until today. Most of the people wouldn’t blink an eye to do something in the name of their country. When you visit places like Independence hall during the 4^th of July, whilst listening to Lynyrd, you are evoked with such a sense of patriotism it’s scary. Being an Indian I thought I would experience such a feeling only when Dhoni hit that majestic six to win us the World Cup, but I must say I have to take off my hat for the Americans. They might not be the most hospitable, or smartest guys around but man they love their Country. I think bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd are a paramount example of that fact, and I couldn’t think of any better way to pay tribute to this country on their Independence Day. This one’s for you America. Thank you for all that you have given us, fast food, cars, ridiculously obese people, casinos and CLASSIC ROCK!!! I’d like to end this post by saluting those bands that came from America, who changed Rock and Roll forever with their music, enigma and spirit.

Gary Rossington, the original band’s only remaining member still tours with the band. It’s good to see the spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd still alive and kicking with the band still performing gigs and recording albums. Another couple of good albums are “Vicious Cycle” and “God & Guns”. Even these two albums have phenomenal songs such as “Unwrite That Song”, “Floyd”, “Skynyrd Nation”, “God & Guns”, “That’s How I Like It” and my personal favourite “RED, WHITE and BLUE”!! Sit back with a nice cold beer and enjoy one of the greatest CLASSIC Rock Bands of all time. Its a no brainer really that I have to recommend the entire discography of Lynyrd. Its easily the best investment you will make. Still if you're only looking for their greatest albums I'd say have a look at these:

• 2003 - Vicious Cycle
• 2009 - God & Guns
• 1973 - Pronounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
• 1974 - Second Helping
• 1976 - Gimme Back My Bullets

Follow @SwamiG13

Its BURRRRRITTO!!!!

Most of the people I am related to in America live in New Jersey. What is so great about this state I will never know. It was supposed to be one of the rural areas of America, and hence all of us (Indians) decided to come and pimp out the place. I think the sheer presence of so many Indian families has hampered the already poor social life of this state. They have long days with the sun setting at 9 pm on most days, very sparse rain - at least in July and heavy breakfasts. Man these Americans love to start the day with a nice solid meal. They do most of their eating in the morning (as one should) with Bagles, Omlettes, Muffins, Bread, Cereals, Waffles, Pancakes etc etc. I shall be reviewing the "Classic American Breakfast" a bit later on the blog. This review is about Mexican Food.




Now Mexican food isn't something that you will eat on a regular basis, it is the sort of taste that you have to acquire. A lot of their food contains baked beans, lots of veggies, peppers and their signature SALSA. One such place is "Baja Fresh" in New Jersey. Decent place, typical fast food joint with about 10 stalls were families can come and dine on a weekend. Know for its Fahitas, Enciladas and Burritos Baja Fresh is a pleasant change to the otherwise monotonous eating habits of an Indian. As a vegetarian you really don't have much scope for food in America, but this place does have a Veg Burrito but I must warn you it's awful. The Burrito's with meat however are a totally different story. Available in Pork, Chicken and Beef it gives you the proper feel of a wrap packed with sauces and vegetables. Every order comes with a complementary bucket of Nachos with dip and a huge range of Salsa to chose from. A special "Salsa Bar" is there where one can make their own mixes and pick up various flavored salsa's ranging from Plain Tomato to Mango!! The Nachos are very light and purely corn based without any other herbs or species. There are a lot more options for a hard core non vegetarian over here and my luck would have it that I went with a bunch of pure homely food eating noobs. Either way I managed to score me some Chicken Burrito, even if it meant taking it home in a doggy bag.

The Burrito's are huge and man they are filling. Its difficult to finish a single Veg Burrito not because of its size but because of the sheer amount of vegetables in them, there's only a finite amount even a veg person can eat. I think one Burrito with a soda and a few Nachos is a perfect meal enough to fill your hunger for a good 5 hours. Generally people avoid Mexican food, unless there's a lot of meat in them. Just the vegetables in the Burrito are difficult to over dose or hogg. At 7 dollars a Burrito, I think it's a tad expensive - but that's because I'm converting the figure into INR. I think for the Americans its a pretty good price and in Baja Fresh a Proper filling meal would cost you roughly 10 dollars. The final verdict being - Baja Fresh isnt the kind of place I'd go unless I suddenly had a craving for Mexican food. This place is definately better than Chili's and the food is fresh and cooked very well. Its definitely worth it if you are a Non Vegetarian, other wise I'd suggest you stick to India. All in all worth of a blog entry !!!

Follow @SwamiG13

AMERICA!!!!

Not the country, the band. This blog isn't just about the food, its also about the Classic Rock Music. America is a band I'm sure very very few people would have even heard about; but this group of 3 American's formed the band in the early 70's. Most of their music was folksy, very simple, a lot like CCR. I think the one song that almost everyone would have heard by America without even knowing it would be "Horse With No Name" from the Friends episode in season 7 where Joey's movie gets canceled and he is left waiting in the desert all alone. The song playing in the background is from the band America. Its a beautiful song.

Since space isn't a problem for me, I always download the entire discography of an artist. America however have 15 albums and since they weren't a whole lot popular, acquiring the entire collection could be a tad time consuming but trust me its all worth it. America was breaking all sorts of records with 5 albums in as many years and each and every one of them was a bigger success than the previous ones. I swear to you, of the 50 something songs that are there in these 5 albums - at least 45 of them are brilliant. I am not over exaggerating but America is definitely worth the trouble, they have a good vocalist, soothing lyrics and a very happy feel about their music. Another reason why I did manage to listen to a lot of America recently was the fact that I was in New Jersey. Possibly one of the most boring cities I've ever been to, no apartments, no traffic, no public transport. Just people with huge hatch backs and family cars, zooming around the country side. Row houses built like dominoes, almost identical, there really isn't much to do in this place. Driving around the city is so peaceful and serene that only music like America will work. Even after 2-3 hours of non-stop driving and music, you will still be craving for the roads to never end. All in all its a great band, totally worth the effort of downloading it. I think all 15 albums is a little too much to start with, I think some of America's stand out songs are from their first five albums, namely:

• 1971 - America
• 1972 - Homecoming
• 1973 - Hat Trick
• 1974 - Holiday
• 1975 - Hearts    

All the songs from these albums are great, very light and easy to hear. America is one such band, that you can listen to any song of theirs and still have a smile on your face. Still their best songs in my book have to be "Horse With No Name", "I Need You", "Only In Your Heart", "Ventura Highway", "Another Try", "Don't Cross The River" etc etc. Like I said, I can sit here all night and keep on naming their good songs, so why don't I just end this review here. After all I've got a super busy day tomorrow. Keep on following the Flavor of Rock, as we round up New Jersey this weekend and look ahead to Sin City - Las Vegas!!! Adios Amigos! 

Follow @SwamiG13

If you fly Business Class, flights should be 16 days long!!!

Alright my first official post of the America vacation was supposed to be after I land describing the awesomeness of Philadelphia and Survivor, but however a recent change in events have diverted my attentions elsewhere. For the record this was the first time I have ever flown abroad ! EVER! And my super fly dad decided to break my duck with probably the most fulfilling airline experiences I will ever have. 16 hours of pure bliss in the heavens above. So much so I was literally crying when I found out that due to an already overbooked flight, they could only bump us up to Business Class with a catch. What was the catch you ask? Oh well it meant that I had to sit alone far far away from my parents!!! Guys its at times like this in life when you actually accept that maybe there is a big guy up there, pulling all the strings.

So I set off to my seat, plush expansive massage chairs with full recliner comfort, the softest of pillows, the prettiest of air hostesses, everything. EVERYTHING was PERFECT about business class. And all this was before I had taken a look at the in flight menu. Now the most annoying part about my journey was the fact that I was surrounded by 25 people who had probably flown Business class all their life, hence zero excitement. I however was like a little child on Christmas morning; so with me gasping at every single thing about the Jet Privilege Experience I was sort of sticking out like a bull in a China Shop. But what the hell, let them secretly mock me; I wasn't going to let some fancy suit spoil my flight.

I don't really like airline food, I was always the type who would sit through the entire flights listening to my music and just having the welcome drink. But last night, I didn't even bother taking out my I-pod. The Bar Menu was so amazing, I swear I think I got a little tipsy just by looking at it. Only the best for business class. Single Malt Whiskey and I must say I was spoilt for choice. Glen Fiddich 18 Year Blend, Chivas 18 Year Blend, Black Label 18 Year Blend, Campari, Grey Goose Vodka and Wine. There was so much wine on the menu I couldn't even believe it. There were wines that I had not even heard of. And let me tell you Wine is seriously the most under-rated drink ever. No prizes for guessing the drink I ordered - Glen Fiddich!! A gentlemen never reveals how many pegs he's had. The in flight movie selection was a bit lame, especially the Hollywood ones, but that gave me a good chance to catch up on some good Hindi movies that I had not gotten the chance to see. The food was your textbook "Airplane Food". I hardly had breakfast. Unless you can count Whiskey for Breakfast, Red Wine for lunch followed up with some lip smacking Prawns.

Ahh the Good Life !! I can't thank my father enough and here's hoping each and every one of us experience this heavenly experience atleast once in their lifetime. All I have to say is BUSINESS CLASS FTW !!! :) :) Sorry guys this post comes without any pictures, I was so high on Business Class that it never dawned to me that I had a camera. 

Follow @SwamiG13