"Jet City Woman" by Queensryche

Break out your air guitars, Dialophiles! Tonight the big ‘ole, bad ‘ole Radio Dial brings you a choice cut from 1990, a heavy metal classic containing strong elements of prog rock. Raise your lighters in the air for Queensryche, and “Jet City Woman”. 

Waited so long I can't wait another day without you. Jet City Woman. It's a long way, home to my Jet City Woman. 

The fourth single from the triple platinum LP Empire, extracted immediately following the Grammy-nominated smash “Silent Lucidity”, JCW charted high (#6) on the US Mainstream Rock chart, but amazingly, did not cross over to US Top 40. It, however, did reach #39 on the UK singles chart. 

Waited so long now the plane's delayed an hour… reminds me of all our days apart. Hold on, just a little longer. 

Interestingly enough, though air travel is confirmed near the track’s end as the preferred mode of transport (reinforced by the jet sound effects in the final seconds), the Jet City mentioned here is actually a nickname for Seattle, Queensyrche’s home city.

I first heard JCW, and the entire Empire LP, while working at the Square Circle record store in Maryland’s St. Charles Towne Center mall, an awesome job with a great group of folks. Here, co-workers helped me dabble in the back catalogs of groups like the Grateful Dead, Depeche Mode, and “The Ryche”, a personal favorite of assistant manager Mike. In fact, it was through Mike's collection that I was able to listen to great Queensryche LPs like 1988’s Operation: Mindcrime and their 1983 self-titled EP.

Being such the fan of music that I am, working in a record store was a dream. In addition to my co-workers enthusiastically sharing their favorites, I was also able to expand my musical knowledge by listening to tunes that were not getting airplay on the top 40, adult contemporary, and classic rock stations I was enjoying at the time. It was here that I gained an appreciation for acts as diverse as 29 Palms, Animal Logic, Robin Lee, and of course, Queensyrche.

So check your luggage, and catch a flight with Queensyrche’s prog metal classic. Far from a power ballad, it’s a sophisticated romantic track, albeit one with a killer riff. 

No more nights alone I'm almost home now. Jet City Woman. Close my eyes, I'm there in my Jet City.