At the suggestion of Neal Coolong, we're going to start rolling out some 'Top Ten' lists -- all Steelers related -- throughout the season. To get things started for us, we turn to Neal's brother, Adam Coolong for the 'Top Ten Steelers Pre-Game Songs'. Pump-up songs, essentially. Adam is the guitarist and co-founder of the Minneapolis based band Wild Colonial Bhoys. Many thanks to the brothers Coolong for the idea, and a special thanks and welcome to Adam for the solid list and deciding to join the fiesta here at BTSC. And of course, I'd conclude by saying that my Top Ten List would look quite a bit different than this, and I imagine many of you would say the same. That's what the comments section is for. Share your pump-up songs below. - Michael B. -
************
Now that the preseason is finally wrapping up and REAL football is nearly upon us, it's a good time for the average fan to consider the ever-important implications involved in their pre-game rituals. If you are like me, then what you wear for a game, where you watch a game and with whom, what you eat, which route you take to Heinz Field or your favorite Steeler bar and all other considerations REALLY matter. Let's face it, it's true; they do. I know we are all thankful I had my lucky Steeler hat for both Super Bowls XL and XLIII. I had it there for XLV too, but I wore different underwear. I apologize to Steeler Nation for that blunder. Certainly not smart of me to overlook that little detail, as I know Hines, Ben, Troy, et al. really count on us to be the best fans we can be. If our pre-game rituals are not followed to the letter, they know they will have little chance for success.
One of the most important things to decide is what music to listen to in order to get psyched up for the big game, and this must be considered with the appropriate amount of gravity.
Music is about as personal as it gets. One man's trash is another man's treasure. I am one of those people who listen to music constantly, and listening to the "perfect mix" is a big part of my Sunday schedule. Plus, I love Top Ten lists. They are fun to discuss and debate, and really help to get the discourse going. So I sat down and came up with my Top Ten Steeler Pre-Game Songs.
I made a conscious effort to stay away from the more popular tunes--yes, Welcome to the Jungle is awesome, but let's dig deeper. Also, although I tried for a little variety, I am who I am and I guess metal helps me psyche up for football more than a lot of other types of music. So there's a lot of metal on my list. Sorry about that, hip hop fans.
10. Thunderstruck/Hells Bells--AC/DC (tie) Let's get these out of the way right now. You can substitute any number of AC/DC classics for a position on this list; these are just two of my favorites. Both have that slow build I just love. I said above that I tried to stay away from the "popular" or pedestrian songs, but I can't NOT include some AC/DC.
9. Moonchild--Iron Maiden The opening track to their concept album Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, Moonchild has that synth intro to provide a nice dynamic build-up (think Sirius/Eye in the Sky by The Alan Parsons Project, but, well... cool), and then POW the guitars and bass come in on the E chord and it just shakes me to the core. Makes me think of Harrison and Woodley blowing up a hapless QB.
8. Fistful of Steel--Rage Against the Machine Rage is about as close to rap or hip hop as I get, but nothing beats this band when it comes to anger and aggression. You know, rage! While this is not my favorite RATM song per se, the title obviously provides a nice connection to our beloved Black and Gold, and the song's slow swagger and simmering style just make you want to wave your hand in front of your face a la Ike Taylor.
7. Welcome Home--Coheed and Cambria I love songs with acoustic guitar intros that lead to HUGE electric guitar riffs. The artificial harmonics (guitar term, sorry) are awesome, and the steady eighth-note pulse just scream Steeler domination to me. When I hear this intro I'm reminded of that scene in Friday Night Lights (movie not show), when Dallas Carter takes the field with that supreme confidence and fire. That's pretty Steeler in my book.
6. Tryouts (from Rudy)--Jerry Goldsmith The perfect theme for working hard on the practice field. I just love this tune, and since it's about football AND my favorite collegiate team (yeah yeah I know I've heard it all so don't bother), it really gets me going. This one is especially good for training camp pump-ups, which isn't easy to do. This helps, trust me.
5. Lightning Storm--Flogging Molly While I concede Flogging Molly is basically a Pogues rip-off, they are pretty good at creating some high-energy music. This song has a nice bright tempo and I love the minor tonality. Has nothing really to do with football or Pittsburgh, but the melody and strong beat really get the blood flowing. Especially if you are a bit worse for wear from the Guinness on Saturday night.
4. Regular People (Conceit)--Pantera Nothing says aggression like Pantera. Dimebag Darryl's guitar playing is exceptional, and his buzzsaw solid state tone reminds me of Harrison blowing out Massaquoi. Plus, the signature lyric from the chorus provides the perfect warning to Steeler opponents (earmuffs, young folk).
3. O Fortuna! (From Carmina Burana)--Carl Orff A bit usual, I admit, but it flat-out rocks. It's always easy to conjure up mental images of long Ben TD strikes, big hits in the backfield and Troy leaping over the O line for a sack when listening to this gem of symphonic perfection.
2. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)--Jimi Hendrix Caution: Master at Work. It's Hendrix.
1. Steelers Polka--Jimmy Pol It is 7 minutes from my house in St. Paul, MN to the home of the Steeler Fans of Minnesota, McGovern's Pub. Perfect for exactly three iterations of the Jimmy Pol classic. Yeah it's kinda outdated and cheesy, but it's the POLKA, sheesh! I always listen, and for some reason nothing pumps me up for kick off more than this one! If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Can't wait to get this mix going for the Ravens game! What's yours? Discuss.