Music to Game to - Bloody Reunion

If you've ever said to yourself, "Man, I wish I could play that song on Rock Band!" you're in the right place.  This is a regular article dedicated to putting the spotlight on musicians, specific songs, or even genres so far absent from the music game industry (notably Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and their many-numbered sequels.)  I'm absolutely open to suggestions either in comments or messages as well.

So a Viking with a battleaxe is staring you down and you're a bit confused as to how it relates to music.  It's okay.  If you haven't played Rock Band, you might not have a clue who these guys are.  Heck, until I bought the game last year, I didn't, either.  But as soon as I played "Flirtin' with Disaster", I understood how awesome this group was.  If you're not a southern rock fan, this might not be your cup 'o tea, but there's a definite lack of the genre in music games to date.  Truly give that song a listen before fleeing from the deadly Molly Hatchet!

This Rock Band loading message says a lot more than I could: "Between recording and touring over the years, Molly Hatchet has featured no fewer than 3 singers, 11 guitarists, 9 bassists, and 7 drummers."  Molly Hatchet's best work definitely comes from their earlier years, before these radical changes.  Their first lead singer, Danny Joe Brown, sang my favorite songs, but briefly left the group and eventually let it decline.  If you peeked at the songs I picked, you might have guessed that they're originally Florida natives, and proud of it, too.  Several other prominent Southern rock bands are similarly from there, and you hear all about them in their song, "Gator Country".

The energy that emanates from their music is quite infectious.  I've only played their hit song from Rock Band, but from it and listening to their other work, I am confident that the songs I've selected will carry their excellent sound and be a blast to play.  The guitar parts are always moving, active, and abound with solos.  Drums are similarly intricate and vary a bit more substantially than the usual pop rock beat.  Finally, singing in a gruff, tough voice about being a bounty hunter with all this behind you makes the ensemble experience truly enthralling.  Now if the games could just properly measure the accuracy of a southern man's whistle, all would be well.

In my dreams: Greatest Hits (1985)

A good start: "Whiskey Man", "Bounty Hunter", "Gator Country"

Playing songs in Rock Band or Guitar Hero is one of the most immersive ways to experience music, second to playing it for real, of course.  Let me know if you'd like to see this in a game, too.  Would you pick something else?  I'd like to hear your thoughts.