Roll over Beethoven

You didn't tell us there would be a quiz !!!

Mike Nettleton    

If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. 

      Albert Einstein

My first musical memories are of singing in a trio with my older sister Lana and one of her friends. They were both in high school and I was, maybe eight years old, short, round, precocious and already an incurable smart-ass.  

          

We mostly sang folk songs. A favorite was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s Sixteen Tons.  I sang the bass part, which was amusing as I was a soprano, bordering on castrato.  “One fist of iron, the other of steel, if the left one don’t get you, then the right one . . . “ Chirrup!

         

 My lifelong love of music extended into my career choice, disc jockey morphing into annoying talk-show host and the tendency to play my basement stereo so loud it sets the dogs howling and my wife searching the rolodex for the number of her divorce lawyer. My  I-pod is stuffed with 1500 plus songs, ranging from show tunes to pop and rock and gut bucket country to delta blues. I even have Run DMC’s version of Aerosmith’s Walk This Way so I can’t be accused of not including rap in my selections.

        

 Most of us have been influenced by music from our formative years, so I thought I’d make use of this space to offer a five question pop music-pop quiz. Include your answers in the comments section of the blog and we’ll see how many you get right.

1. Which of the following is not an actual lyric line from a pop song?

      A. Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah-ah! Roma-roma-mamaa!

      B. Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip! Mum mum  

          mum mum mum mum !!!!

      C.  Elementary penguin singing Hari Krishna.

      D.  Buhrapppadappadappadappadap !!!!

      E.   Boom shaka-laka-laka, Boom shaka-

            laka-laka Boom !!!

2.  Which of the following is not the name of a rock and roll guitarist? There may be more than one right answer.

            A. Slash

            B.  Yngwie Malmsteen

            C.  The Edge

            D.   Over the Edge

            E.   Skunk Baxter

            F.   Catfish Jimmy Fryboy

3. Who said the following?  “The great thing about rock-and-roll is that someone like me can be a star.”

       A.   Elton John

       B.  Jimi Hendrix

       C.   Pat Boone

       D.   Bono

       E.   Freddy Mercury

4.  Many pop songwriters have been credited with inventing an ingenious lyric line or musical riff. Who is most famous for having invented a totally unique musical beat or rhythm?

5. Match the following nicknames with the appropriate musical artist.

A. God                                          1.  Neil Young

B. The Godfather of Grunge         2.  Prince

C. The Prince of Wails                  3.  Ozzie Osbourne

D.  The Prince of Darkness           4.  Eric Clapton

E.   His Royal Badness                 5.   Johnny Ray

And your 11 point bonus question, If we didn’t send Lawyers, Guns and Money to Warren Zevon in his song of the same name, what would hit the fan?

Look for the answers in this space up the road. Until then, stretch your brain, annoy your friends with long distance calls and consult your Ouija board. But Googling is contrary to the spirit of the contest, not to mention the spirit of Rock and Roll.