Rock Band halo effect

So I’ve been spending a healthy amount of time at night and on weekends completely rocking out (is this why I’ve been slow to post here? mayyyyyyybe…). Ok, so unlike uncles Matt & Rudi, I don’t have a lick of actual musical talent to put to use, but I do have Rock Band for my PS3, and it’s probably the greatest gift you could give a music fan. There’s nothing quite like filling your living room with friends excited to strum, tap, and sing along to your favorite tunes, of which Rock Band is fully loaded.

The full tracklisting is fantastic (as is the extra downloadable content), and I’ve noticed that it’s had a fun effect on my normal listening habits: I’ve been digging through my library and loading up my iPhone with artists I haven’t really focused on in a while because it helps me prep for playing the game. My most recent rediscovery? How much I freaking love David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Bowie is well represented in Rock Band — in addition to “Suffragette City” on the disc, he’s received his own DLC pack trio of songs (”Moonage Daydream” and covers of “Heroes” and “Queen Bitch”) which has apparently sold quite well — but I find myself almost compelled to play through “Heroes” every time I fire up the game. The song, of course, is a classic, and playing it through the game is fun & challenging — I’ve yet to conquer it at 100% on the medium setting (there’s always one note that slips up my broken-and-not-healed-properly finger).

Anyway, my iPhone is now loaded with Bowie, and I’ve been listening to a number of different versions of “Heroes.” I think this is my current favorite: a neat, acoustic live recording from one of Neil Young’s Bridge School benefits. It’s delightfully stripped down, allowing Bowie’s gorgeous voice to shine, and it features some excellent harmony vocals from longtime Bowie bassist Gail Ann Dorsey. Enjoy!

Download: David Bowie, “Heroes” (mp3 - live at the Bridge School benefit)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

There’s a new pack of Oasis downloads set for release later this week — guess I’ll have to get the iPhone ready for the “Live Forever” revival next…