Partial Guitar Hero II Setlist

Eurogamer reports on the release of a partial setlist for the Guitar Hero sequel. From the article: "Ostensibly to trail its E3 showing next week, RedOctane's said we can expect Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs', Butthole Surfers' 'Who Was in My Room Last Night?', KISS' 'Strutter', Rush's 'YYZ', Reverend Horton Heat's 'Psychobilly Freakout' and Van Halen's 'You Really Got Me' in GH2. There'll also be an original recording by Drist called Arterial Black - and Drist, whose Marcus Henderson was the original Guitar Hero guitarist - will be performing in one of a few mini-concerts planned for GH2's showing in E3's Kentia Hall."

Comments

sabotage

[gEvil (beta)]

I really think they should have Sabotage by the Beastie Boys on that list. The guitar part to that is a tough one (nonstop muted string eighth notes)...

Covers?

[Rob T Firefly]

Any chance of getting the actual artists' recordings together, or will these be the standard studio-band covers one finds in such things?

Re:Covers?

[Blackwulf]

From what I read, there's IS some interest by the original artists of the more recent bands to go into the studio and lay down the actual GH-ready tracks themselves, rather than having WaveGroup do it. Because of the way they made the game, they can't just use the original recording. However, since MTV is now partnered with them and the first game sold so well, I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of the bands made good on their wish to come in and do their own version.

Granted, we're not talking the groups like Rush (although I would LOVE to have them come in and do it) but rather Franz Ferdinand, etc...

(Note: None of this is confirmed or anything.)

Re:Covers?

[jandrese]

Or as the FAQ said for the original game: No, they were not able to get Jimi Hendrix to come and perform his Guitar solo.

Re:Covers?

[ChaosDiscord]

Because of the way they made the game, they can't just use the original recording.

Assuming by "the way they made the game," you mean "as cheaply as possible," true enough. By rerecording the tracks they only need to pay the cover artists a flat fee and the songwriter a percentage. (Indeed, you don't even need their permission to cover the song if you're willing to pay the rates set by the copyright office. Assuming they didn't negotiate better terms, each copy of Guitar Hero sold included $2.73 for the compulsory rights.)

If they used the original tracks or got the original artist to re-record it, most of those artists would have wanted a percentage. It's the same reason that Karaoke Revolution uses covers. This also explains why the bonus songs in Guitar Hero are performed by the original artists: they're all much less famous bands who were willing to accept the free publicity in exchange for their music. For a relatively unknown band that's probably a good call. A group like Rush has no incentive short of being well paid (and perhaps a genuine love of the game); they're not going to get significantly new fans from the game.

Re:Covers?

[Pootenheimer]

Even though what you're saying may be true, by "the way they made the game" I think he meant single recordings can't be used since the game has a separated guitar track (or two) that is interactive with the player. Splicing the guitar track from the original recording would be too difficult/expensive to do, so making a new recording with a separate, distinct guitar track is necessary for it to work in the game. Using the original recordings would be theoretically easier (if it were possible), but since there needs to be an additional guitar track for the player to play along with, it's impossible with a single-track recording.

Re:Covers?

[Blackwulf]

Actually, I was more talking about how they needed to seperate the instruments and break them down note by note so they could be used during gameplay - when you miss a note, that note doesn't get played, or if you hit it just a little bit late, it plays a little bit late. Most original recordings don't break it down like that. But I'm sure they COULD have edited the original recordings to strip just about everything out if they had the master tracks.

But pretty much I heard that many of the original artists refused to "stoop to the level of a video game" (that's why there's no AC/DC songs even covered in the original, for instance) but now that the game is a successful franchise, they're more willing to do the work needed.

YYZ: Donkey Konga Edition

[gEvil (beta)]

They really need to find a way to tie these various music games together. And I nominate YYZ as the song they use to do that...

Non-sellout

[FryingDutchman]

As 'obscure' as many of these tracks will probably be to the masses I am glad to see that they're sticking to a palatte of songs that one could quantify as 'their roots' (or even venture onto a limb and claim a relation to 'keeping it real'). One fear I have had since reading GHII was in the works was that it would turn into a "Now that's what I call [shitty pop] Music!" where whatever crappy Ryan-Seacrest approved tune would be pandered to us by Bo Byce and that Fantasia woMAN.

I'll be happy to see anything from one of the following; Probot, STP, Sublime, or TOOL. "Hooker with a Penis" has infinite unlockable content possibilities.

"will these be actual recording artist tracks"

Probably not. Not only are rights an issue, but you'd have to get the artist to re-record it. Re-sampling it would sound crappy.

Deliverence?

[OtakuMan]

Dude! We need Dueling Banjos! That would be the greatest two player song ever!

Partial comment about partial track list

[Tedium Unleased]

This is a perfect example of wh

Kinks

[Castar]

"You Really Got Me" was covered by Van Halen, but written by Ray Davies of the Kinks. Credit where credit is due!

Of course, the song may be based on the Van Halen version, but since it's going to be performed by a cover band anyway, they should at least credit the songwriter. (Not that "You Really Got Me" is anywhere near the best of the Kinks' work, but they get little enough credit as it is).