Five Albums That Changed My Life: Shaun McCoy of Bobaflex
Bobaflex didn't let some good old-fashioned music business drama shut them down. Earlier this year the West Virginia rockers released their latest album, 'Hell in My Heart,' in spite of some behind-the-scenes issues within their camp. "We lost management, went through three divorces and a two-year legal battle for our recording rights just to make this record," vocalist/guitarist Marty McCoy told Noisecreep back in September. McCoy continued, "Everyone forgot about us or wrote us off; everyone but our true fans. 'Hell in My Heart' was born from our struggle and our fans love." Now that 'Hell in My Heart' is out in stores and their single 'Bury Me With Guns On' is gaining strength on radio, Bobaflex has been tearing up the club circuit with a fury. Vocalist/guitarist Shaun McCoy took a moment out of Bobaflex's schedule to take part in Noisecreep's ongoing 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series.
'Shout at the Devil,' Mötley Crüe (1983)
"This album warped me as a child. It was in your face, quick and simple. It bleeds pure visceral heat. 'Shout' taught me how important vibe and content was. Bands try to act like badasses, but is that really who they are? Mötley Crüe were monsters. The album never feels pretentious. It's violent, narcissistic, rebellious and hedonistic as hell. Through the songs and attitude of the album you just knew these guys were true savages. The tunes are catchy, but never pretty. During this ear in heavy music, death metal bands wrote songs about how ugly and repulsive the world was, Mötley just wrote songs about how ugly and repulsive they were... and I love it to this day."
'Appetite for Destruction,' Guns N' Roses (1987)
"This is probably one of the most important rock records ever made. It's dark and mean-spirited and oozes nastiness. You can tell the band put a lot into the song structures and arrangements. Content wise it's like the diary of a warped street kid's descent into the life of an outlaw. It's got songs about drugs, drinking, love, sex, paranoia, and insanity. All the ingredients you need for a good rock 'n' roll album. 'Welcome to the Jungle' is a runaway's introduction to Hollywood's warped street philosophy. The album ends with a changed view in 'Rocket Queen,' where the writer is a hardened womanizer, but finally falls in love and shows he's not 100% scumbag. This record never gets old."
'Flash Gordon,' Queen (1980)
"Yeah, it's a weird one, but it was my introduction to rock at age seven. As a kid, I had to know who wrote the epic music to this campy classic and begged my parents for the soundtrack. I loved the movie, which got me into hot girls in weird sci-fi outfits, but the dual leads throughout the movie are amazing. They actually dwarf the drums in the mix nearly drowning them out. To this day, Brian May's overdubbed harmony leads still make me think of firing photon guns, scantily clad space chicks and uber-phallic rocket ships."
'Seasons,' Sevendust (2003)
"We toured with these guys on this record, but just hearing it at that volume every night burned the spot-on harmonies into my head. Each song has a monster hook, with big harmonies that are generally uplifting. Morgan's drumming is aggressive and the band has that authentic tightness that even with pr-tools can't be faked. Lajon's vocals are always soulful and everything is BIG, BIG, BIG! Producer Butch Walker truly captures the magic from the live show on this record."
'1984,' Van Halen (1984)
"When the video came out for 'Hot for Teacher,' it it floored me. With Eddie's blazing tap intro over the engine-idle drum pattern and verses with no vocals, just David Lee Roth cracking jokes over finger plucked blues licks, I thought this was it. How could any band top this song? It bulldozes you. The record is full of of groove and classic riffs like 'Panama' and 'Drop Dead Legs.' Yes, it has the keyboard song 'Jump,' but I can forgive them because the rest of the record jams so hard. It is the last record with Roth who kept the band sounding young and full of fire. Then they grew up with Van Hagar and a part of me died."
Catch Bobaflex on tour:
11-17-11 SYRACUSE, NY @ STATION 58
11-18-11 HARTFORD, CT @ UP OR ON THE ROCKS
11-19-11 BROOKFIELD, CT @ THE ROOM
11-26-11 HUNTINGTON, WV @ THE V CLUB
12-02-11 LOUISVILLE, OH @ CARRIAGE HOUSE
12-09-11 INDIANAPOLIS, IN @ THE ROCK HOUSE
12-10-11 CHILLICOTHE, OH FIRST CAPITAL MUSIC HALL
12-15-11 BATTLE CREEK, MI @ NEW YORK NEW YORK
12-16-11 BATTLE CREEK, MI @ PLANET ROCK
12-17-11 LANCASTER, OH @ MICKEY'S
12-29-11 ROCKFORD, IL @ BAR 3
12-30-11 CREST HILL, IL @ BADA BREW
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