Today's Day in Rock
AC/DC's Phil Rudd Going To Trial
(Classic Rock) The trial of AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd for threatening to kill four people and possession of drugs is to take place next year, a judge has decided. He wasn't present at Tauranga District Court in New Zealand Tuesday as a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.
He's likely to face a judge-alone trial with no jury. Judge Tom Ingram ruled that a decision will be made in February. The media were ordered not to report details of the case.
Rudd, 60, was arrested last month and originally charged with procuring a murder before the accusation was dropped less than 24 hours later. He appeared at Tauranga High Court last week for a short but dramatic hearing, at which the case was sent down to a lower court since the most serious charge had been removed.
His status in AC/DC remains in doubt, with the band having insisted they'll tour next year regardless of the results of his trial. Read more here.
Scott Stapp Trying To Raise $480K From Fans
(Classic Rock) Troubled Creed singer Scott Stapp has asked fans to crowdfund him to the tune of $480,000. It follows a week in which he released an emotional video saying his bank account had been frozen and he was under attack. He later withdrew it, explaining he "should have known better."
But in the meantime it was revealed that his wife had filed for divorce, citing his heavy drug use, threatening behaviour and a suicide attempt. Now Stapp has opened a Fundly page and hopes to raise nearly $500,000.
His intro reads: "Raising funds 4solo album #3. Using same team, Howard Benson (producer) & Chris Lord-Alge (mix). At the same time, my first book in the fiction category. Need 2fund both projects." To date, 74 people have pledged a total of $422. The story doesn't end there. Read more here.
Former Megadeth Guitarist Says Band Is Done
(Classic Rock) Former Megadeth guitarist Jeff Young says the band is "done" and he'll never rejoin them. He was a member of Dave Mustaine's outfit long enough to record 1988 album So Far, So Good… So What before leaving under a cloud, with the mainman accusing him of talking "pure horse sh*t" during his tenure.
Last week guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover quit the thrash giants, leaving Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson the only current members.
Asked on Facebook whether he'd consider going back, Young says: "I have zero interest in 'the Megadeth situation.' The band is done. But a fork in it." Read more here.
Vinnie Paul Leads Dimebag Darrell Tribute Special
(TeamRock Radio) Vinnie Paul says he continues to play as it's what his late brother Dimebag Darrell would have wanted. TeamRock Radio have recorded a one-hour special to mark the 10th anniversary of the Pantera and Damageplan guitarist's death.
The special available now on demand here and will also be broadcast on December 8 - exactly a decade on from the shooting which took the metal icon's life.
Paul says: "I do my best to carry on that same torch and that flame - I know he would kick my ass if I didn't. That's why I continue to do what I do. I'm happy that I'm part of HellYeah - it's part of the legacy that me and him started a long time ago."
The radio special also features contributions from Machine Head, Halestorm, In This Moment, Phil Anselmo and music from the guitar icon. Read more here.
Mike Portnoy Warns Fans Of Online Scams
(Classic Rock) Mike Portnoy has warned fans to ignore any Facebook messages they receive from him, because they're fake. Portnoy has worked with a range of outfits since leaving Dream Theater in 2010.
The drummer is the victim of a fraudster who's created a false account and may use it to acquire personal information that could be used in financial crimes.
Portnoy says: "Beware - I've been informed by several people that somebody made a fake Mike Portnoy page and has been writing to people, as me, with scams.
"If you've received an inbox message from me in the past few days, it's not me." Read more here.
AC/DC Discuss Replacing Malcolm Young
(Classic Rock) AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson says seeing Stevie Young grow into his role in the band was "wonderful." He was brought in to take over guitar duties from Malcolm Young who has been forced to retire from the band due to his battle with dementia. He appears on new album Rock Or Bust and will tour with the band in the future.
"Steve's got this wonderful character and he lets out these bellowing laughs and you need that in any situation," Johnson tells Absolute Radio. "He came in to do this album and I've just got to applaud him. Every night he was learning his chops and it was wonderful to see the weight lifting off his shoulders and he felt really part of the band."
Although no tour dates have been announced, Johnson says he's eager to hit the road as it's a great way to connect with the fans. He adds: "As you get older, you take things for granted and you start realising what a great gig you have." Read more and stream the interview video here.
Slipknot Won't Take Same Step As KISS
(TeamRock Radio) Corey Taylor believes Slipknot will never follow Kiss down the route of abandoning their stage costumes. Gene Simmons and co abandoned their trademark makeup in 1984 before putting it back on a decade later. And while Taylor says his band could easily perform without their masks, he doesn't believe they ever will.
The frontman tells HTZ-FM: "I don't think we'd want to. I always think back to when Kiss took the makeup off. I know why they did it - they kind of hit a wall and it was time to evolve.
"But for us, the masks always evolve and our look always evolves. We don't feel that pressure to take them off because we allow ourselves to roll with the times and to change with the albums.
"So even though I think we could, I don't think we will. Because it's not just about the masks - it's about everything." He had a lot more to say on the subject here.
Queensryche Looking For Investors
(Classic Rock) Queensryche are giving fans a chance to share in profits the band generates through record sales and merchandise deals. For a minimum of $50,000, investors can buy an ownership stake from a private holding company that will entitle them to a fixed percentage of any revenue generated by the band.
Attorney Marc LoPresti helped the group set up the limited liability company (LLC) and he says this could just be the start of similar projects. He tells the Seattle Times: "We think it's a first. If it's successful, which we expect it to be, we may do it again with other bands."
LoPresti reckons the stock sale could replace a label's usual role in financing tours and album recording sessions - and would mean more money for the band and investors as the label wouldn't be taking such a big slice of the profits. Read more here.
Eddie Van Halen To Headline Smithsonian Event
(hennemusic) Eddie Van Halen will be among those helping launch "What It Means To Be American", a new three-year initiative by The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and Los Angeles-based Ideas Exchange Zocalo Public Square.
The project is aimed at engaging leading thinkers, public figures and Americans from all walks of life to explore how the United States became the nation it is today.
One of the campaign's goals is to foster a national conversation through a series of free public events across the U.S. The kick-off event on January 14 will feature former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Anna Maria Chavez, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, at the Heard Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate in Phoenix.
Eddie Van Halen will headline the next event at the National Museum of American History in February. Read more here.
Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl To Appear On The Daily Show
(hennemusic) Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl will appear as a guest on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tomorrow night, Wednesday, December 3.
Grohl will promote the band's new album, "Sonic Highways", which recently debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 after opening week sales of 190,000 copies.
Produced by Butch Vig, "Sonic Highways" was recorded in 8 American cities - Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Read more here.
Slayer Got Corrosion of Conformity Their First Record Deal
Reed Mullin of Corrosion of Conformity tells antiMusic in a new interview that Slayer landed the group their first record deal with Metal Blade Records.
Mullin was discussing the band's early days when he made the revelation. He said, "I think when we first started, it was kind of a new music form. American hardcore and punk rock were new things; there was a small scene, but everybody was tight and knew each other. When we did it, it certainly wasn't a thing where we thought we were going to make money. To us, the biggest bands in the world were Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, The Misfits, and they didn't make that much money. It's not like today. We did it just to do it, and when we were first playing, influences from Deep Purple and Black Sabbath seeped in, and we kind of morphed into this punk-metal flavored kind of thing. We became really good friends with the Metallica dudes and Slayer. Slayer got us our first record deal."
He explains, "We had known them from playing out in LA, and when they went on their first US tour, they played Baltimore, and they asked us to play. It was a great show. They knew we had put out our first album ourselves, and they mentioned getting us signed. We thought they were just being nice. This was the Haunting The Chapel Tour. Tom and Dave Lombardo said they were going to get us on Metal Blade. I gave those guys my parents' business scoop; my dad had a fax machine.
"Sure enough, that Monday morning, there was a contract for Metal Blade Records. From there, we did a little more stuff. Then, the punk version broke up, and Woody and I put the band back together. We did a one-off with a singer named Karl for Relativity Records-an album called "Blind," which is much more metal. Then, we started doing all the stuff with Pepper.
"We've had an interesting career. It gets a little confusing for our fans, particularly those who like certain eras. Some like all of it, but there's a lot of people who just like Pepper stuff or the punk stuff. Our name definitely makes sense."
Biffy Clyro Taking Next Year Off From Performing
(TeamRock Radio) Biffy Clyro will effectively take a year off during 2015, bassist James Johnston has said. The trio want to avoid becoming over-exposed after a busy 12 months that included headline appearances at T In The Park and the Isle Of Wight festivals.
Instead, they'll focus on completing their seventh album to their satisfaction. Johnston tells NME: "I think we'll have a quiet one - we don't like to be in people's faces too much. That last thing we want is for people to get bored of us. So you could almost call it a year off."
He adds of the follow-up to 2013's Opposites: "It's coming along. We're not in any massive rush; we don't want to do anything that's not perfect. We've got too many songs, which is a great place to be at." Read more here.
The Blackout Breaking Up Following Final Tour
(TeamRock Radio) The Blackout will split after a final UK tour, they've confirmed. The Welsh outfit believe they're "unable to sustain the band any more" and therefore October's crowdfunded EP Wolves will be their last release.
The Blackout say: "We feel the time is right to bring it to a close. This is the hardest decision we have ever had to make as a band - and although we do it with heavy hearts, we also do with our heads held high.
"We are all extremely proud of Wolves, and are eternally grateful to each and every one of you who helped it get made." Thanking fans for their support, they add: "We achieved more than we ever dreamed of when we started. We play our farewell shows in March 2015 - there are no plans for anything more for The Blackout, so we hope you would like to come and party with us for the final time."
Robin Trower Celebrating 70th Birthday With Album Release
(Classic Rock) Robin Trower will release his next album, Something's About To Change, on March 9 next year - his 70th birthday. A 17-date UK tour will support the launch, with Joanne Shaw Taylor in support.
Trower says of the new album, the follow-up to 2013's acclaimed Roots And Branches: "I can't remember ever being so happy with a finished album before."
He's recorded bass parts for the first time, reflecting: "As a songwriter and a performer, you use everything at your disposal to put into songs. There's some sort of feeling of emotional release when you play a note that rings out right." Read more here.
Five Finger Death Punch Guitarist Calls Out Metal Sub-Genre Labels
(TeamRock Radio) Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory reveals he dislikes metal sub-genres as it takes the focus away from the music. And he says he misses the "brotherhood" that previously united bands before it was fragmented into divisive categories.
He tells Ultimate Guitar: "I don't even know what genre we would fall into. We are coasting on our own edge of hard rock and heavy metal. I don't really care much for these sub-genres and that's one of my peeves with heavy metal.
"At one point it was all just one big genre and it wasn't broken down to these crazy sub-genres - and all these sub-genres don't like each other any more. It was just one big brotherhood but that's gone - it's segregated into these little sub-cultures."
He adds: "We still incorporate other styles so in some ways it's accessible to a lot of people as there are a lot of elements from everywhere. Some people don't like it because they say it's not true to one specific genre." Read more here.
Bring Me The Horizon To Play One-Off Intimate Show
(TeamRock Radio) Bring Me The Horizon have announced that they will be playing a special one-off gig at an intimate venue in London this week as they prepare for a big arena show.
The Sheffield metallers will play warm-up show at The Underworld in Camden on Wednesday (December 3) - two days before their appearance at Wembley Arena, where they will be supported by Young Guns, Issues and Sleepwave.
Bring Me The Horizon will release new single Drown on December 7 and are set to record a new album - the follow-up to 2013's Sempiternal - next year. Read more here.
Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson Reveals New Solo Album Details
(Prog) Steven Wilson has revealed details about his upcoming album Hand. Cannot. Erase. It's due to launch in the UK on March 2 via Kscope and will be the follow-up to 2013's The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories).
The Porcupine Tree mainman recently announced a run of six-UK dates to promote the new record and revealed he was working on making the shows a spectacular experience.
He said: "We're currently developing a show that I hope will raise the bar musically and visually from my previous tours. The setlist will be based around the new album, of course, as well as casting the net further back for a few surprises."
Bob Dylan Reveals Early Unexpected Songwriting Inspiration
(Classic Rock) Bob Dylan says he started writing songs in the 60s as he had nothing else to do. The music icon was interviewed on US series Showtime to mark the launch of Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes.
The album features a host of stars including Elvis Costello and Marcus Mumford, who recorded tracks based around Dylan's 'lost' lyrics penned during his Basement Tapes sessions in Woodstock, New York in 1967.
And Dylan reveals that while the US was enjoying the Summer Of Love that year, he and guitarist Robbie Robertson found musical inspiration from more conventional sources.
He says: "The events of the day seemed to be a million miles away. We weren't really participating in any of that stuff, well it was the Summer of Love, but we weren't there. So we did our thing where we wrote Million Dollar Bash. We had nothing else to do, so I started writing a bunch of songs.
"I wasn't going to write anything about myself - I didn't have nothing to say about myself that I'd figure anybody else would be interested in. You look for ideas on TV and just any old thing would create the beginning to a song: names out of phone books and things." Read more here.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Caffery Cried At Dream Show
(Classic Rock) Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist Chris Caffery has revealed he cried with pride ahead of their 2004 gig at New York's Madison Square Garden. Caffery and the band headlined the venue in 2004 and he reveals it's the stand-out moment of his career.
He tells NorthJersey.com: "I remember going home to my house in Queens the day we played. Producer and composer Paul O'Neill insisted I didn't because he was worried about me traveling on a show day.
"I snuck home and took the subway back to the Garden. I walked off the train with a tonne of fans who had no idea I was there, hidden in a ski hat. I looked at the huge marquee and it flashed, 'Tonight Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Sold Out.' I stood there and cried." Read more here.
Fish Reveals Rescheduled Tour Dates
(Prog) Former Marillion frontman Fish has announced a string of rescheduled dates across mainland Europe after illness forced the postponement of the originals.
The singer last month called off a series of appearances after being diagnosed with viral laryngitis, making it impossible for him to perform. It followed the cancellation of earlier dates as a result of guitarist Robin Boult's own illness.
His December UK dates, in support of acclaimed 2013 album A Feast Of Consequences, remain unaffected. Fish says: "Shows that aren't in this schedule did not have available dates or did not fit into the routing - which, as you can see, is demanding to say the least.
"For 'days off' read 'travel days.' Manager Yatta and the promoters did a marvellous job saving what we could. No more shows will be added to this itinerary." Read more and see the new dates here.
Lifesigns Recording Upcoming Shows For DVD
(Prog) Lifesigns have revealed that they will be recording two shows in London next month for their live DVD after they hit their crowdfunding target for the project.
Shooting will take place on January 22 and 23 at Under The Bridge in Chelsea, London. Most of the audience will consist of those who supported the Pledge fund, although some tickets will go on general sale soon.
Lifesigns say: "Thanks to everyone for helping us reach our goal. We understand people are already making plans from far afield to fly in for the event, and we look forward to welcoming you." Read more here.
Alan Parsons Announces First UK Show In Over A Decade
(TeamRock Radio) Alan Parsons will be playing his first UK show in over a decade on March 18 when he takes the stage at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, he's confirmed.
He'll be joined by PJ Olsson, Alastair Greene, Danny Thompson, Guy Erez, Manny Focarazzo, Todd Cooper and Dan Tracey, with support to be confirmed.
The show is billed as an evening of greatest hits, with Old And Wise and Don't Answer Me to be on the setlist. Artist, engineer and producer Parsons recently spoke of the studio apprenticeship that led to his work with the George Martin and the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios, and his later work on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon. Read more here.
Bruce Springsteen, Kanye, Carrie Underwood Rock With U2
(hennemusic) U2, billed as U2 Minus 1 without injured frontman Bono, were joined by Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Kanye West and Carrie Underwood in New York's Times Square Monday evening for a live performance on World AIDS Day.
U2 opened the event with Martin handling vocals on "Beautiful Day" and "With Or Without You"; guitarist The Edge then joined Underwood for a song before she played her set, which was followed by West's performance.
Springsteen wrapped up the hour-long show by teaming up with U2 on "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", which he dedicated to the absent Bono as he recuperates at home in Ireland after facing surgery following a bicycle accident in New York's Central Park recently.
"This year is a World AIDS Day like no other," said Bono, speaking from Dublin. "The world reached a tipping point in the fight against AIDS - more people were newly added to life-saving treatment than were newly infected with the virus. A lot of people are calling it the beginning of the end of AIDS."
"We wouldn't be at this point without American leadership, people from the left and the right," he added. "Today, 13 million people have access to life-saving treatment, up from 300,000 just over ten years ago. Americans don't know the role they've played in this fight. Tonight's event is to inform them and thank them."
Steven Tyler Brings Some Rock To CMA Country Christmas
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler teamed up with Brad Paisley to perform the 1958 Chuck Berry classic, "Run, Run, Rudolph", on ABC-TV's CMA Country Christmas special Monday evening.
Hosted by Sugarland vocalist Jennifer Nettles, the two-hour program celebrated the holidays with some of the biggest names in music performing holiday classics.
Joining Tyler and Paisley were Alan Jackson, Dan + Shay, Brett Eldredge, Sara Evans, Lucy Hale, Hunter Hayes, Little Big Town, Idina Menzel, Nettles, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, and Carrie Underwood.
The special was taped in front of a live audience last month at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Watch video of the Tyler performance here.
Queen And Adam Lambert Perform On The X Factor UK
(hennemusic) Queen and Adam Lambert are sharing video of their performance of the band's 1976 classic, "Somebody To Love", presented live on The X Factor UK on Sunday.
Queen recently released "Queen Forever", a new compilation that presents a mix of the group's hits and classic tracks, including three previously unreleased songs featuring Freddie Mercury.
The package includes a long-anticipated track from Queen and Michael Jackson, "There Must Be More to Life Than This", a previously unfinished Mercury-Queen tune, "Let Me In Your Heart Again", originating from the band's "The Works" album recording sessions, and a new stripped-down ballad take on "Love Kills."
"Queen Forever" is available as a 20-track single CD and as an extended 36-track, two-CD set. Watch video from the TV performance here.
Roger Daltrey Crashes Wedding and Performs Who Classic
(hennemusic) Roger Daltrey made a surprise appearance at a Scottish wedding on Saturday, where he joined the evening's live band to perform The Who classic, "Can't Explain."
Daltrey teamed with The Milestone Band at the Mar Hall resort in Bishopton, Scotland during the wedding celebration of Susan and Carl Smith.
"Basically we were coming towards the end of our set and we were sort of halfway through a song," lead guitarist Graeme Allan told the BBC. "I remember looking over to the side of the dance floor and a wedding guest was actually walking with Roger, coming towards the band. Roger came up and he took the mike and he congratulated the bride and groom."
"Because the groom had served in the parachute regiment he also mentioned them as well," he added. "Then he turned to the band and he said, 'I was through next door and I heard the band and they're brilliant, so I had to come through'."
The newlyweds spoke of their joy at the experience on Facebook, with Mrs. Smith posting: "Absolutely overwhelming! The story we will be telling for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much x."
Lunatic Soul Release Documentary Teaser Video
(Prog) Lunatic Soul have issued a teaser clip for their documentary In Between. The 25-minute film appears on the special edition of their latest album Walking On A Flashlight Beam which launched in October via Kscope. It's the follow-up to 2011's Impressions.
In the clip, mainman Mariusz Duda reveals: "My music is born from unspecified fragments - I only have a general idea, a colour and a main concept and for me that's how working on an album begins."
The band have also released a promo for album track The Fear Within. They previously issued a promo for Shutting Out The Sun and released a stream of Cold. Check out the new song and the documentary teaser here.
Black Metal Legends Von Reveal New Song
(TeamRock Radio) Von are unveiling the first taster for their new album in the from of a ultra-stark lyric video for the track Mother, and debuting a new, doom-laden and gothic sound.
One of the most legendary bands to have emerged from the forging fires of black metal, San Francisco's VON were arguably the genre's first band to have emerged from the US. Much like Finland's Beherit, their ultra-primitive sound horrified many yet enthralled a legion of devout worshippers. Their rare, ritualistic live shows, featuring animal skulls and copious amounts blood nigh on two decades before it became de rigeur and initial demo release (not releasing a studio album under the name until 2012) tapped into dark and irrational and rudimentary regions of the human psych. In the process, they setting out a path that's been in large part responsible for the current wave of occult-steeped death and black metal, not least for Watain, who named themselves after the track on 1992's Satanic Blood cassette, and Dublin's rising underground metallers and wielders of capitalised letters, ZOM.
VON's history since has been as tempestuous as their music, lurching from long hiatuses through internal fights, splits and more, but now they're back in a new incarnation fronted by VENIEN, and with both a new album, Dark Gods: Birth Of The Architects, released on VON Records next March, and a comic book Dark Gods, written and illustrated by VENIEN himself, that will be published in 12 parts on a weekly basis from December 1 through to February 6, and each one coming with an exclusive CD single.
The Amsterdam Red Light District Release A Chance To Change Video
(TeamRock Radio) TeamRock are premiering the new music video from The Amsterdam Red Light District for A Chance To Change, which is taken from latest album Gone For A While.
Speaking about the new video, guitarist Max Comby said: "We are so stoked to reveal our brand new music video for A Chance To Change with Metal Hammer.
"It's much heavier than our first single, Gone For A While and far more intense and fast! We hope that you enjoy it." Their latest album Gone For A While was released last week via Red-Light Records.
Wicked Snakes Release 'unusual' Video For Wonder & Delirium
(TeamRock Radio) TeamRock are premiering the new music video from psychy riffers Wicked Snakes for the song "Wonder & Delirium," which comes from their debut record Sleep Dance, out now on A Wolf At Your Records.
Speaking to Metal Hammer about the video, frontman Luke Davis says: "Wonder & Delirium is probably one of the most melodic tracks on [debut album] Sleep Dance."
"So naturally we felt that this rather 'unusual' video to accompany and compliment would be most appropriate. Don't be fooled!" Check out the unusual video here.
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Twisted Sister Lead Rockin' Christmas Album List
(Gibson) Going back to Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" and Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run," rock and rollers have tried to put a modern spin on the spirit of Christmas. Vying against crooners like Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, and Johnny Mathis is never easy this time of year, but a handful of more raucous artists have acquitted themselves well. Below are ten albums that would fit nicely in any rock lover's stocking.
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Christmas Time Again: Deciding a southern rock Christmas was in order, Skynyrd recruited guests 38 Special and the Charlie Daniels Band to help fashion this inspired collection. Skynyrd gives Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" a Stones-like, garage band treatment, and tosses in a bit of Yuletide lasciviousness with the original tune "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'." The Daniel Band's version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is basically a rewrite of "Devil Went Down to Georgia."
Beach Boys - Christmas with the Beach Boys: Originally released in 1964, this album mixes holiday standards with original songs penned by Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson. The group's trademark vocal harmonies are in full bloom on "Frosty the Snowman," and their a cappella version of "Auld Lang Syne" is pure magic.
Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas: Here we have Dee Snider delivering "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" in his own inimitable way. Actually, this 10-song collection comes off as reverent in spite of itself. True, "Deck the Halls" sounds like a Ramones outtake, and "I'll Be Home for Christmas" (sung by guest Lita Ford) is pure arena rock, but the disc has a goofy charm. On "Twelve Days of Christmas" (rechristened "Heavy Metal Christmas"), Snider replaces the refrain "partridge in a pear tree" with the words "a tattoo of Ozzy."
Elvis Presley - Christmas: Recorded in 1957, when the King ( was in full rock and roll flight, this disc rates just a tad below the Spector album on the classic scale. "Blue Christmas" is embedded in the national consciousness, but Presley's magnificent takes on "White Christmas" and the Leiber/Stoller original "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" are nearly as good.
Jethro Tull - Christmas Album: Tull frontman Ian Anderson's goal on this 2003 disc was "to find some uplifting traditional Christmas carols, some new songs, and to re-record some old Tull pieces on the Christmas topic." The eccentric minstrel was obviously inspired by the process, as he and his Tull 'mates delivered their finest folk-prog album since the '70s. Guitarist Martin Barre's acoustic work is especially dazzling.
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