The timing of the release of Sahaj Ticotin’s acoustic cover version of “The Mission,” – from Queensryche’s epic masterpiece, Operation Mindcrime – couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time, at least when it comes to Hard Rock Daddy.
One of the realizations that we came to when we launched our new weekly feature – the HRD Radio Report – last Tuesday, is the fact that so much great hard rock music doesn’t get the attention that it deserves on Active Rock radio. Even SiriusXM’s Octane, which isn’t bound by the constraints of commercial radio, has a relatively tight playlist, which is why their recent “Music Discovery Week” was such a refreshing change of pace.
Rather than complain about the lack of available avenues to showcase artists that fly below the radar, Hard Rock Daddy is going on “a mission to change the world” (of hard rock music), and taking it upon ourselves to expose our audience to music that isn’t found on the charts.
Neither Ticotin, nor his band (Ra), are household names, but it certainly isn’t because of a lack of talent. Although they have gotten some radio exposure, for the most part, Ra has inexplicably flown beneath the radar of many hard rock fans.
Covering any Queensryche song takes balls; pulling off an acoustic cover of a lesser-known song, from arguably the greatest concept album of all-time, requires a rare combination of confidence and talent (which Ticotin has).
While many acoustic versions of hard rock songs are merely unplugged, Ticotin nailed “The Mission” with only his voice and two acoustic guitars (the other one played by his studio engineer – Brooke Villanyi). Considering the fact that Queensryche songs are layered with texture beneath Geoff Tate’s soaring vocals, bringing the song to life in this fashion is more than a little impressive.
Will this amazing cover version of “The Mission” find a place on radio (satellite or otherwise)? Not likely. Should it? Absolutely!
Ra may never get the recognition that they deserve at radio, but they will always have a place on Hard Rock Daddy. Long before we declared it our “mission” to give bands like Ra more attention, we reviewed “Supermegadubstep” and featured it as the #10 song in the Top 52 Hard Rock Songs of 2013.
If you haven’t yet discovered Ra (and Ticotin), check out “The Mission” and the rest of their catalog to see what you’ve been missing!
Fucking LOVE RA! Always have since the debut in ’03 and they were the most underrated band on Sounds Of The Underground in ’05. Stupid talent, man!
Awesome version of the “Mission”..Sahaj & Ra…rocked it!