I got to spend some time with Guitar Hero 3 this week and I think the track list is the poorest in the series so far, and definitely not UK friendly. It's funny how She Bangs the Drums by The Stone Roses is an unlockable track in the shop, maybe it'll get swapped to a main track in the European release along with the Kaiser Chiefs track (although that one is poor). I feel that the series is increasingly geared to 80s and 90s American rock and metal, regardless of quality of songs or suitability for a rhythm game. Even in the first game, the tracklist wasn't stellar but at least it had at least 2 genuine classics in each set list.

Anyway, I tried to play Welcome to the Jungle and Knights of Cydonia on hard and expert after I finished Normal (really quickly) and it's just ridiculously hard! These are two songs that I really like and can play on the guitar easily and they are easy to play. The scale runs and sweep picking in Knights of Cydonia are three 'buttons' max on the real guitar and the tremolo picking isn't nearly as fast or weirdly timed as the on-screen notes on Guitar Hero 3 either. The constant fast position changing needed during the 'solos' just don't exist in the song as played on a real guitar and on the keyboard. I'm pretty sure this is the same on all the songs except that crazy song in the credits which I think could possibly be harder on the guitar than Guitar Hero :p

So, if you can 100% tracks on Hard, let alone Expert on Guitar Hero 3, please consider picking up a guitar at some point. You already have the speed, timing and relative co-ordination to do really well.

I am really annoyed that Rock Band isn't out until next year 'sometime' in the UK, I was going to have that for Christmas!

In case you were wondering which songs I like in Guitar Hero 3 (not likely), here is a list:

School's Out - Alice Cooper
When You Were Young - The Killers (one of the only songs by the Killers I like)
Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream*
The Seeker - The Who (kind of, there's SO many better songs by The Who)
Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones* (I smiled and the back of my neck prickled when I got to play this one)
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
My Name is Jonas - Weezer
Welcome to the Jungle - Guns & Roses*
Black Magic Woman - Santana (Fleetwood Mac did it better and originally wrote it though)
Cherub Rock - Smashing Pumpkins (yet again, so many better songs by this group to do than this)
Knights of Cydonia - Muse* (Although they could have picked a more guitar heavy Muse track)
She Bangs the Drums - Stone Roses
Pride & Joy - SRV (yet again... etc)

* The starred ones are the only ones I was truly excited about, until they're too easy on Normal and too hard on Hard

EDIT:
Oh, also, the boss battles have a bug in them. If you go through all the tracks up to the boss battle, the difficulty on their side will be set to Easy, meaning that it's extremely hard to beat them due to their increased defense and regeneration. You have to turn off the machine and start again from the boss battle for it to be at the correct difficulty. I found Morello and Slash impossible til I did this and then they fell straight away.