Fozzy - Sane

I have taken a long enough hiatus. I am ready to shout my casual musical opinion into the internet once more. I took some time off because I was humbled. Humbled deeply by the Internet. What you haven’t been? If staring into a device that possesses all human knowledge did not humble you, you must be an arrogant prick. I passed this litmus test, I am humbled.

I have at no point in time been under any delusions about my own personal knowledge of music. I am not formally educated in music. I have only ever dabbled in the six-string guitar, with no knowledge of any other instruments. I can sing okay, I guess. The other day in the gym I was chatting with a guy wearing a Dream Theatre shirt and he was telling me about the 6-4 measures on the drums and how the 4-4 measures of the guitar somehow match, and I just had to nod along. I do not know what I am doing. The Internet does not need me.

But then I get feedback. Sure, a lot of people justly point out what I already knew, that I barely know what I am talking about and that I unavoidably get objective facts wrong sometimes. However, the positive always outweighs the good, and that is just great.

Then I went on the Chris Jericho cruise. I watched a lot of wrestling and heard a bunch of music, mostly Fozzy and Quiet Riot, since they did two shows each on the cruise. I guess I owe Chris Jericho a direct and indirect thank you. First off, thank you for being Chris Jericho and entertaining me most of my life. Secondly, thank you Chris Jericho for daring to put your crazy professional wrestling and rock and roll cruise ship adventure together, I feel spoiled.

For those who do not know Chris Jericho has been a professional wrestler since the nineties, he was a major player during the Monday Night Wars between WWE’s Raw and WCW’s Nitro. He was trained in Stu Hart’s dungeon, and that’s here, that’s home, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I have been a fan for a long time. Jericho is one of few wrestlers who have managed to remain active and relevant well into his fifties. He also is the vocalist and front man for his rock band Fozzy.

I know far less about Fozzy then I do the man who fronts them, but thanks to osmosis, through wrestling I know a little a more than I would have otherwise. The obvious song to talk about would be “Judas” as that is the song Jericho and his faction the Jericho Appreciation Society (JSA), use it as their entrance music now. On one of the previous Jericho Cruise Ship adventures the crowd was perfect to sing along with “Judas” so naturally they did, and now the crowd always sings along with Jericho’s entrance. So yeah, “Judas” is too obvious.

My own independent listening to Fozzy led me to appreciate “Sane” uppermost, and I mostly still feel that way about Fozzy. I do also really like “Nowhere to Run.” Anyway, “Sane” is a song I liked independently, somewhat, from Chris Jericho’s professional wrestling.  I just noticed now that "Sane came out about a year ago, I assumed it was older and I just missed it until recently.  Shows how much attention I was paying.  Anyway, let us indulge in “Sane.”

While acknowledging my own ignorance, I am under the impression that most of Fozzy’s songs are rather simple rock songs. This fits knowing that Fozzy is in many ways Jericho’s side project, although I assume the other members of Fozzy would, and should, disagree with this sentiment. Following, this thought, “Sane” is also a straightforward, effective rock song. Far from a criticism, a simple rock song is sometimes all I want in life. Even the theme is typical, at least to me, the world is crazy and the only way to cope is to give up on sanity. This is not unlike, “crazy on a ship of fools” if you will, only you know, more rock and roll. The point is, I like it. Always instantly enjoyable.

It does not hurt that Fozzy opened the cruise ship show by playing “Sane.” It was a great song to open the many, many, activities to follow. I was largely sober for Fozzy’s first show, so I took in the music well, I even recorded most of the song. I was taken immediately, and not just because I was half in the bag from Crown Royal, and on a cruise ship, but also, the big screen played clips from one of my favorite childhood anime “Ninja Scroll.” Here is the video:

Sane - Live on the 2023 Jericho Cruise

We will see how my life turns out in 2023, but if things go alright financially, I suspect I will join the ragers next year on the cruise ship to Cozumel, Mexico. Thanks again Chris Jericho, for being Chris Jericho, and also thank you for the wild adventure you put together for the fans. It was a highlight of my life, insofar a the years I have lived thus far.

P.S.

I was wondering why my body had bruises when I returned home from the cruise, then my friend reminded me of the mosh pit for Frankie Kazarian’s band Gutter Candy. Right. That also happened.