ROCK BAND: Say it ain't so, I will not go, turn the lights off, carry me home

UnbreakableVow

PlayStation 3 Bundle Pic



Xbox 360 Box Art

What Guitars Can I Use?

Xbox 360 Rock Band owners are free to use the Guitar Hero II X-plorer, the Guitar Hero III Gibson Les Paul, or the Rock Band Fender Stratocaster. PS3 owners do not have the luxury, and have to use their wireless Strat that comes packaged in with Rock Band. The following chart, therefore, only applies to the 360 version.



The Game

(Excerpts From Wikipedia)

Rock Band is an upcoming music video game under development by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and to be distributed by Electronic Arts Partners. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are scheduled for a North American release on November 20, 2007 at a price point of $169.99, while the PlayStation 2 version will be released in North America on December 10, 2007 at a price point of $159.99. The game will be released in Europe in early 2008.

Rock Band will allow players to perform in virtual "bands" by providing up to four players with the ability to play three different instrument-based peripherals (a guitar peripheral for guitar and bass guitar sequences, a drum peripheral, and a microphone). These instruments will be used to simulate the playing of rock music by hitting scrolling notes on-screen. Players can interact through both online and offline multiplayer capabilities. The game is Harmonix's first project since development duties of the Guitar Hero series were transferred over to Neversoft.

(In Casual Speak)

The culmination of what Guitar Hero I and II had hinted at. How psyched am I for this? Super-psyched. There's a very good chance (we're talking 75% here) that this could be become my favorite series of all time.



The user interface. Left is guitar, middle is drums, right is bass, vocals run along the top. It was confirmed that the positions of these can be switched.

The Instruments





This sexy replica of the Fender Stratocaster is (from a style perspective) a vast improvement over the GHII model, looking much more like an actual instrument rather than a toy. Each fret button is still color-coded, however it's much more incognito this time, as the colors are only visible on a side-view, perfectly placed for the player. Other features include a five-way switch for different sound effects, and an extra set of the five existing fret buttons for all your soloing needs.

Downstrum not working on your Strat anymore? Not afraid to fix it yourself? THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=40188

THE GUITAR THAT COMES WITH THE 360 BUNDLE IS WIRED. THE GUITAR THAT COMES WITH THE PS3 BUNDLE IS WIRELESS. If you happen to own both systems and really want a wireless guitar (and GH3's controller end up not working on Rock Band), this is going to be a large part of your decision. To accommodate all the instruments, the 360 bundle will come with a USB hub.



Four pads (snare drum, tom-tom, hi-hat, and cymbals), one kick pedal. Real drum sticks. I imagine you know what those look like, and they're easily replaceable if lost. According to reports, it's easy to assemble in less than five minutes, and you can even set it up on a flat tabletop if you don't like the stand. Easily the newest part of the game I'm looking forward to the most.



It's a microphone. One tends to sing into these devices. It picks up individual vowels and consonants, and if your bastard friend happens to be playing the solo on "Highway Star" or you really want to imitate Will Ferrell, it can be used as a tambourine or cowbell by simply tapping on it. Don't want to tap? Hand full of axe? Just make random noises, like "pow pow pow." All the real rockers do this when people aren't looking.

The Music

These are the songs confirmed to be on the disc at release so far, in alpha order by song title. The master tracks are in bold.

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" - Jet
"Ballroom Blitz" - Sweet
"Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
"Blitzkrieg Bop" - The Ramones
"Celebrity Skin" - Hole
"Cherub Rock" - Smashing Pumpkins
"Creep" - Radiohead
"Dani California" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Dead On Arrival" - Fall Out Boy
"Detroit Rock City" - KISS
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Oyster Cult
"Electric Version" - The New Pornographers
"Enter Sandman" - Metallica
"Epic" - Faith No More
"Flirtin' With Disaster" - Molly Hatchet
"Foreplay/Long Time" - Boston
"Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
"Go with the Flow" - Queens of the Stone Age
"Green Grass and High Tides" - The Outlaws
"The Hand That Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
"Here It Goes Again" - OK Go
"Highway Star" - Deep Purple
"I Think I'm Paranoid" - Garbage
"In Bloom" - Nirvana
"Learn to Fly" - Foo Fighters
"Main Offender" - The Hives
"Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Mississippi Queen" - Mountain
"Next to You" - The Police
"Orange Crush" - REM
"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
"Reptilia" - The Strokes
"Run to the Hills" - Iron Maiden
"Sabotage" - Beastie Boys
"Say It Ain't So" - Weezer
"Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash
"Suffragette City" - David Bowie
"Tom Sawyer" - Rush
"Train Kept A-Rollin'" - Aerosmith
"Vasoline" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Wanted Dead or Alive" - Bon Jovi
"Wave of Mutilation" - The Pixies
"Welcome Home" - Coheed and Cambria
"When You Were Young" - The Killers
"Won't Get Fooled Again" - The Who

BONUS TRACKS:



"29 Fingers" - The Konks
"Blood Doll" - Anarchy Club
"Brainpower" - Freezepop
"Can't Let Go" - Death of the Cool
"Day Late, Dollar Short" - The Acro-Brats
"I Get By" - Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives
"I'm So Sick" - Flyleaf
"Nightmare" - Crooked X
"Outside" - Tribe
"Pleasure (Pleasure)" - Bang Camaro
"Seven" - Vagiant
"Time We Had" - The Mother Hips
"Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld" - Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld


A METRIC FUCKTON OF DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT. Available in albums, packs, or individual purchase. $1.99 is standard price for most songs. Rare occasions may see $0.99 or $2.99. Track Packs come at a discounted price of three songs for $5.49.

And wouldn't you know it, those lovable characters at OXM have even taken their time to review individual tracks as they come out, so you don't have to (by purchasing them first)!
http://www.oxmonline.com/articles/59

Albums

The Who - "Who's Next"

All videos on expert unless otherwise noted. I'm trying to find videos of guitar/bass/drums, but can't find many for the bass.

PRICE (unless otherwise noted)

• One Song = $1.99
• 3-Pack = $5.49
• Songs that are underlined cost $0.99 each

MASTER TRACK
COVER TRACK

• Metallica Pack
  • "Ride the Lightning": Full band
  • "Blackened": Full band
  • "...And Justice For All": drums - guitar
• Police Pack
  • "Roxanne": guitar - drums
  • "Synchronicity II": guitar - drums
  • "Can't Stand Losing You": guitar - drums
• Queens of the Stone Age Pack
  • "Sick Sick Sick": guitar - drums
  • "3s and 7s": guitar - drums
  • "Little Sister": guitar - drums[/li]
• David Bowie Pack:
  • "Moonage Daydream": guitar - drums
  • "Heroes": guitar - drums
  • "Queen Bitch": guitar - drums
• Black Sabbath Pack:
  • "N.I.B.": guitar - drums
  • "Sweet Leaf": guitar - drums
  • "War Pigs": guitar - drums
• Punk Pack:
  • "Ever Fallen in Love" - Buzzcocks: guitar - drums
  • "I Fought the Law" - The Clash: guitar - drums
  • "Rockaway Beach" - The Ramones: guitar - drums
• "Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival: guitar - drums
• "Juke Box Hero" - Foreigner: guitar - drums
• "My Sharona" - The Knack: guitar - drums
• "Cherry Bomb" - The Runaways: guitar - drums
• "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" - T. Rex: guitar - drums
• "Joker and the Thief" - Wolfmother: guitar - drums
• "Brass in Pocket" - The Pretenders: guitar - drums
• "My Iron Lung" - Radiohead: guitar/bass - drums
• "Buddy Holly" - Weezer: guitar - bass (hard?) - drums
• "Attack" - 30 Seconds to Mars: guitar - drums
• "The Kill" - 30 Seconds to Mars full band (hard guitar/medium drums/expert bass) - guitar
• "Dirty Little Secret" - All-American Rejects guitar - drums
• "Move Along" - All-American Rejects: guitar - drums
• "Song With a Mission" - The Sounds: guitar - full band (hard guitar/medium drums/expert bass) - drums
• "Gimme Three Steps" - Lynyrd Skynyrd: guitar - drums
• "Limelight" - Rush: guitar - drums
• "Hard to Handle" - The Black Crowes: guitar - drums
• "The Number of the Beast" - Iron Maiden: full band (expert)
• "Die, All Right!" - The Hives: full band (expert)
• "Interstate Love Song" - Stone Temple Pilots: full band (expert)
• "Last Train to Clarksville" - The Monkees: guitar (expert) - drums (expert)
• "Action" - Sweet: guitar (expert)
• "All the Small Things" - Blink-182: guitar (expert) - drums (expert)

Official XBox Magazine Feb'08 Bonus Songs:

• "Sprode" - Freezepop: guitar (expert)
• "Shake" - Count Zero: guitar (expert)
• "Rock Rebellion" - Bang Camaro: guitar (expert)

Special thanks to Houn, who is much less lazy than I.

Rumors abound that it will be followed by Nirvana's Nevermind. Tracks can be purchased individually or as a whole package. DLC by the Grateful Dead has been confirmed as well.

StormyWaters

I got my replacement guitar last night, but I'm too engrossed in trying to figure out how to drum without hurting my leg to care. My shin muscle really hurts during some songs

bruin

Some bands are really fucking emo

Docshifty

I love my guitarist, she's like a musically inclined road warrior.

Also, what's up with gold stars? Is it like a way of showing if you reached 'six stars' or what? I find myself wanting those gold stars more and more. Must be because I never got any in school.

Lunker

Thread title is hilarious because my friends and I have a running gag about measuring how emo bands are in units of measurement known as "emons," placed on a 100-point scale (with 0.0 being "not emo at all" and 10.0 being "Dashboard Confessional"). So Foo Fighters is pretty low, about 1.7 emons, but Jimmy Eat World rates at 6.4 emons. Further Seems Forever? That's a 9.5, good buddy.

Docshifty

Lunker wrote: »

Thread title is hilarious because my friends and I have a running gag about measuring how emo bands are in units of measurement known as "emons," placed on a 100-point scale (with 0.0 being "not emo at all" and 10.0 being "Dashboard Confessional"). So Foo Fighters is pretty low, about 1.7 emons, but Jimmy Eat World rates at 6.4 emons. Further Seems Forever? That's a 9.5, good buddy.

I'm assuming you mean a 10-point scale?

Funny part is, me 'n my friends have done this, too. Small cynical world, eh?

FaceballMcDougal

Nirvana was emo before emo was emo

also my wife is so out of touch that she keeps asking me "is this emu?"

Arikado

Doing Vocals on Hard mode, I have come up with some tips:

Should I Stay or Should I Go
This song is pretty hard on Medium as well. Most of the track is low pitch bass notes. I'm an upper Tenor so it is really hard for me get "Awesome" strings consistantly...until last night. I was so pissed having failed the song again and again that when it popped up during our London random set, so I sang the song with clenched teeth and I got 97% on it. I did this for other low bass tracks that I had trouble with and it helped a bit.

Foreplay/Longtime
You have like...1 minute of singing and 4 minutes of smacking the mic. I have a drumstick handy for these sections because my hand starts to sting after a while. A heavy pen also works, just don't hit it too hard or it'll bounce more than once on the mic. This goes for a lot of tracks with mic-smacking sections. I have better accurracy hitting it with a solid object than with my soft hands. If I yell POW POW POW for it, my sister laughs like crazy and messes up her guitar parts.

If your throat is sore after hardcore singing...
Hot water + Lemon + Honey = soothing
Soda or cold drinks = bad
Let someone quickplay a song along and just humm the vocals to get warmed up.

Don't get angry even if you like totally fucking hit that phrase perfectly but the fucking game shot your tracking arrow too fucking high off the fucking bar that stupid piece of shit. Yeah don't get angry, it does more damage than you think.

Lunker

FaceballMcDougal wrote: »

Nirvana was emo before emo was emo

also my wife is so out of touch that she keeps asking me "is this emu?"

Nitsuj82

Emo has been bastardized and commercialized SO much. What the kids today call emo is nothing more than pop punk.

FaceballMcDougal

Arikado wrote: »

Foreplay/Longtime
You have like...1 minute of singing and 4 minutes of smacking the mic. I have a drumstick handy for these sections because my hand starts to sting after a while. A heavy pen also works, just don't hit it too hard or it'll bounce more than once on the mic. This goes for a lot of tracks with mic-smacking sections. I have better accurracy hitting it with a solid object than with my soft hands. If I yell POW POW POW for it, my sister laughs like crazy and messes up her guitar parts.

protip: push A on the controller

Lord Yod

Arikado wrote: »

Doing Vocals on Hard mode, I have come up with some tips:
Foreplay/Longtime
You have like...1 minute of singing and 4 minutes of smacking the mic. I have a drumstick handy for these sections because my hand starts to sting after a while. A heavy pen also works, just don't hit it too hard or it'll bounce more than once on the mic. This goes for a lot of tracks with mic-smacking sections. I have better accurracy hitting it with a solid object than with my soft hands. If I yell POW POW POW for it, my sister laughs like crazy and messes up her guitar parts.

Smacking the mic against the couch like a drumstick works also. Just don't do it too hard.

Arikado

I'd qualify a band as "emo" if more than half their songs are about sadness, anger, and hate. But not in terms of relationships because if we do, pretty much 75% of country is emo.

I got into an argument at work because I called Linkin Park an emo band. Apparently, he thinks they're electronica/metal.

A lot of bands have "emo stages." So I think we can single out individual tracks as emo rather than the overall band at least to avoid pages of arguments abotu emo bands.

EDIT: Pressing A on the controller works, I am aware of it. But I like to get into the song with movement.

StormyWaters

I've always sung falsetto, badly, to music. Been doing this my entire life. So I'm pretty horrible at most of Rock Band singing, except for Tom Sawyer, which I did on expert the first day and got through it easily.

scootch

whats with the who being listed as album download? I don't see no album downloads available on PSN...
:P

ufo

Nitsuj82 wrote: »

Emo has been bastardized and commercialized SO much. What the kids today call emo is nothing more than pop punk.

thank you. the term is so misused its ridiculous. i also love the misuse of 'screamo' when the bands labeled as such are nothing like saetia

Charles Kinbote

ufo wrote: »

Nitsuj82 wrote: »

Emo has been bastardized and commercialized SO much. What the kids today call emo is nothing more than pop punk.

thank you. the term is so misused its ridiculous. i also love the misuse of 'screamo' when the bands labeled as such are nothing like saetia

The funny thing is, I can't stand what you diehard semanticists refer to as "emo", "screamo" or, apparently, "pop punk". It's all equally terrible.

ufo

i like screamo like hot cross and the such but i dont really listen to proper emo. im more into indie rock myself. i just hate how trivial and incorrect the word emo is thrown around. besides labels are silly in music anyway. listen to whatever you like.

Accualt

How can "pop punk" possibly be "emo?"
It is, you know, poppy.

Lord Yod

Am I the only person that's sick and tired of bands being labeled these days? To me, there are 3 labels: 'awesome', 'good enough to listen to', and '/vomit'.

FaceballMcDougal

Lunker you gotta get that mic workin' for your drums

ufo

i only listen to awesome bands so i like that system of labels.

if only there was synth in this game crystal castles would be crazy in rock band.

Lord Yod

ufo wrote: »

i only listen to awesome bands so i like that system of labels.

if only there was synth in this game crystal castles would be crazy in rock band.

I'm really hoping that instead of making a Rock Band 2 (and making us by all this shit again) they figure out a way to patch in other stuff. You know, if they decide to make new peripherals.

Also, I had an idea last night: How awesome would it be to have a battle of the bands, played out and spectator-able through Home?

Arikado

A_ccualt wrote: »

How can "pop punk" possibly be "emo?"
It is, you know, poppy.

For me its either Loud or Not Loud.

I'm still living in the '90s.

Zephos

ufo wrote: »

i only listen to awesome bands so i like that system of labels.

if only there was synth in this game crystal castles would be crazy in rock band.

Freeeeeeeeezepop.

Nitsuj82

Shankill Butcher wrote: »

ufo wrote: »

Nitsuj82 wrote: »

Emo has been bastardized and commercialized SO much. What the kids today call emo is nothing more than pop punk.

thank you. the term is so misused its ridiculous. i also love the misuse of 'screamo' when the bands labeled as such are nothing like saetia

The funny thing is, I can't stand what you diehard semanticists refer to as "emo", "screamo" or, apparently, "pop punk". It's all equally terrible.

For the most part, you are absolutely right. I cannot stand 98% of the music out now. I don't think I've picked up music from a new band in a few years.

Arikado

We should totally start linking our Rock Band profiles.

Get all MySpace crazy on this shit.

I'll do it when I get home.

ufo

Lord Yod wrote: »

ufo wrote: »

i only listen to awesome bands so i like that system of labels.

if only there was synth in this game crystal castles would be crazy in rock band.

I'm really hoping that instead of making a Rock Band 2 (and making us by all this shit again) they figure out a way to patch in other stuff. You know, if they decide to make new peripherals.

Also, I had an idea last night: How awesome would it be to have a battle of the bands, played out and spectator-able through Home?

well i mean phase sorta does what you described. put in your own music and play it. i lack a new enough ipod to try it but hopefully that does come into fruition since it would be majorly bad ass. then again i can see the labels having a shit fit since obviously they wouldnt see a dime from that.

Arikado

New peripheral: Keytar.

PatboyX

FaceballMcDougal wrote: »

Nirvana was emo before emo was emo

Morrissey.
/end.

edit: can we please get some Smiths?

Leonhart

Arikado wrote: »

Doing Vocals on Hard mode, I have come up with some tips:
Foreplay/Longtime
You have like...1 minute of singing and 4 minutes of smacking the mic. I have a drumstick handy for these sections because my hand starts to sting after a while. A heavy pen also works, just don't hit it too hard or it'll bounce more than once on the mic. This goes for a lot of tracks with mic-smacking sections. I have better accurracy hitting it with a solid object than with my soft hands. If I yell POW POW POW for it, my sister laughs like crazy and messes up her guitar parts.

A drumstick? I've found that it responds perfectly to a light tap on top of the mic with a single finger. If you're worried about getting into it with movement, you won't look too much more ridiculous dancing around tapping your finger than you will tapping your hand.

Monoxide

Arikado wrote: »

We should totally start linking our Rock Band profiles.

Get all MySpace crazy on this shit.

I'll do it when I get home.

http://www.rockband.com/leaderboards?page=2&lb_platform=xbox&lb_type=solo&lb_score=scorebysong&lb_instrument=guitar&lb_alpha=mtor&lb_song=86

woo, #50

I should've linked it when that score was #14.

I also should go back and FC it, because I broke combo twice in that run.

Legacy

Arikado wrote: »

EDIT: Pressing A on the controller works, I am aware of it. But I like to get into the song with movement.

Then hold the controller on the right, put your thumb over A and shake it like a cymbal, hitting A when it hits your hand. :P

Raslin

:whistle: Cry tonight. My hands around your hands
I won't let you die tonight
Cry tonight. My heart's in your hands
I won't let you... :whistle:

SniperGuy

Raslin wrote: »

:whistle: Cry tonight. My hands around your hands
I won't let you die tonight
Cry tonight. My heart's in your hands
I won't let you... :whistle:

Well done sir. Well done.

Lord Yod

In the last thread someone linked to a site selling skins that fit on the guitar and drums, including an attachable bass drum lookalike. They had several styles and could also add your band name.

Anyone have the link handy?

Arikado

Legacy wrote: »

Arikado wrote: »

EDIT: Pressing A on the controller works, I am aware of it. But I like to get into the song with movement.

Then hold the controller on the right, put your thumb over A and shake it like a cymbal, hitting A when it hits your hand. :P

Another issue is that the wireless controller I have tends to disconnect from the 360 if I wave it around. A friend of mine who works with electronics has a fix for it (seems to be a faulty spring in the battery case) but I won't have it fixed until after New Year's.

Also, I have my mic set to a bit under half sensativity so finger tapping it doesn't work all the time.

Accualt

My neighbor got my wife a guitar stand (it fits two fake guitars =p) and a boom mic stand for me. Now I can drum and sing at the same time! Not really, that would be horribly difficult. I can play guitar and sing, though, so :^:

Arikado

I've been toying with getting a shitty mic stand from a music store. However, I find myself lying on the coach singing most of the songs. Seems to bring me luck.

Dr_Keenbean

Raslin wrote: »

:whistle: Cry tonight. My hands around your hands
I won't let you die tonight
Cry tonight. My heart's in your hands
I won't let you... :whistle:

Blake gives guitar lessons in his living room.

weenus

My friends and I made our band, the Bronados.

http://www.rockband.com/bands/the_bronados



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