Playlist: Ten Songs About Machines

A new feature on Hair Whip: suggested mix tape lists by subject. Giant robot suggested, but not required.

1. Queen: Machines (Back to Humans)
   Queen were once killed on an album cover by a giant robot but it was on this 1983 track from The Works that Freddie and the boys expressed concerns about rising technology and the computer age.
   
   
2. Black Sabbath: Iron Man
   Tony Iommi's titantic de-tuned riff kicks off the mightiest Black Sabbath song ever written. And it's about a killer robot gone berserk and rampaging across the countryside. Very Ted Hughes.
   The classic Dio track "Time Machine" is an excellent alternate if you want something less overplayed.
   
   
3. Pink Floyd: A New Machine Pt. 1, Welcome to the Machine, A New Machine Pt. 2 Just for fun, try sandwiching the Wish You Were Here track between these two brief tracks from A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Works quite nicely, although Roger Waters would probably turn up his nose.
   
4. Yes: Machine Messiah This is the lead-off track on Drama, the sole Yes album that does not feature singer Jon Anderson. This tale of an omnipotent robot combines sci-fi imagery with a curious, minor-key chorus. And it includes some of Steve Howe's finest playing.


5. Rush: The Body Electric
   Look. It's about a robot fleeing for its life. And it has a chorus ("1-0-0-1-0-0-1") written in binary. One of the geekiest Rush tracks of the '80s, from their classic album Grace Under Pressure..
   
   
6. Judas Priest: Metal Gods
   Yes, this is another song about giant marching robots going berserk, invading the earth, and stomping humanity into submission. And it's on Priest's most famous record, British Steel. Except that Rob Halford in his leathers and spikes has already conquered the planet, if you're into that sort of thing.
   
   
7. King's X: Groovemachine
   This heavy track from Tape Head makes a great show opener and pretty much describes what King's X has been doing for almost 30 years. Heavy bass, great harmonies, and soulful vocals.
   
8. Styx: Mr. Roboto
   Even more fun than "Machine Messiah." I will say no more.
   
   
9. The Cult: Love Removal Machine
   Not too sure what Ian Astbury is singing about although his Jim Morrison howl™ paired with Billy Duffy's dry Gretsch guitar defined the Cult's sound.
   
   
10. Pete Townshend with John Lee Hooker: I Eat Heavy Metal
    This is from Pete's Iron Man musical, inspired by Ted Hughes' story about a giant robot. The song details the robot's eating habits, with a menu that includes "Heavy water, nitro demi-tasse" and something called "turbo schnitzel." Mmmm. Turbo schnitzel.