Album Review: Punk Goes Classic Rock – Various Artists

Artist: Various Artists

Album: Punk Goes Classic Rock

Label: Fearless Records

Year: 2010

What do you get when a bunch of bands that sound all the same cover classic rock’s most-loved songs? You get Punk Goes Classic Rock.

Fearless Records releases another ‘Punk Goes Whatever-we-can-butcher’ album which goes by the name of Punk Goes Classic Rock. The album starts with Hit The Light’s catchy cover of Boston’s More Than a Feeling. Next up is VersaEmerge’s highly passable cover of Paint it Black by The Rolling Stones. Ironically, The Almost’s version of Free Fallin’ is almost like the original. I didn’t really go crazy for Aaron Gillespie’s vocals on the track, his voice just suits metal more than err.. “punk”. A Skylit Drive does a decent cover of Journey’s Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), but killed it in the end with the screams.

The album undergoes a transition from irritating auto-tune vocals to good rock music starting from Pierce The Veil’s version of (Don’t Fear) The Reaper.

Mayday Parade, The Summer Set, Nevershoutnever, and blessthefall take on the more prominent rock stars in the album.(Queen, Kiss, Aerosmith) The Summer Set does a longer version of Kiss’ Rock and Roll All Nite with the inclusion of an unnecessary guitar solo and the repetition of the chorus- which is really annoying. Nevershoutnever does Queen justice by a beautiful rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. blessthefall’s version of Dream On hits the album’s concept right on the spot: Classic Rock. No unnecessary poppy tunes, no gimmicks, just good rock music.

Recommended Tracks: Bohemian Rhapsody, Dream On.

Final Word: The album is pretty generic, with some good bits inserted here and there. Just like the previous Punk Goes… compilations, the bands featured- except for some- sound all the same. Bluntly said, they have no originality.

Rating: 37%

Tracklist:

1. More Than A Feeling (Boston) – Hit The Lights

2. Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones) – VersaEmerge

3. Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers) – The Almost

4. We Are The Champions (Queen) – Mayday Parade

5. Rock n’ Roll All Nite (KISS) – The Summer Set

6. Caught Up In You (.38 Special) – We The Kings

7. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Journey) – A Skylit Drive

8. Your Love (The Outfield) – I See Stars

9. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (Blue Oyster Cult) – Pierce The Veil

10. Crazy Train (Ozzy Osbourne) – Forever The Sickest Kids

11. Pour Some Sugar On Me (Def Leppard) – The Maine

12. All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan) – Envy On The Coast

13. Take Me Home Tonight (Eddie Money) – Every Avenue

14. Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) – Never Shout Never

15. Dream On (Aerosmith) – Blessthefall