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!!! 

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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".  

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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.

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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!!!

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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

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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!!!!

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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 !! 

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