Steven Tyler: New Single, Oxygen, Comes With Autobiography

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

There’s a new Steven Tyler single on the horizon.

Last fall, when the Aerosmith singer was making headlines with news that he was joining American Idol as a judge, Tyler released his first solo single in Japan.

Tyler recorded the theme song, “Love Lives,” for the live-action "Space Battleship Yamato" movie, which opened in Japan in December.

Now, there’s news that another Tyler solo track is on the way.

On May 3, Steven will release his autobiography, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” – and the book will be accompanied by a new single called "Oxygen (Feels So Good)."

Tyler posted a comment on Twitter back in February about it, saying:

“Workin on new song (OXYGEN) Will B in book...”

In 2002, while putting together songs for the “Oh Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits” package, a song called “Oxygen” was reportedly turned down by the band; Tyler has resurrected the song for a solo 2011 release.

My Career With Elton John: Davey Johnstone Interview

Davey Johnstone on stage with Elton John, Norfolk, Virginia, 2011. © Jason Moore/ZUMA Press/Corbis

"What's going on with us is remarkable, and Madison Square Garden is a classic example," marveled Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone the other day. "We've played there so many times, well over 60 concerts, and to still sell it out for a couple of shows, it's incredible. New York City has always been a great city for us. We love coming here."
Having just played two knockout (and yes, packed) dates at the Garden, Johnstone was in town with Sir Elton and the rest of the band (which also includes drummer Nigel Olsson, who, along with Johnstone and the late bassist Dee Murray, comprised the famed, original Elton John four-piece), for an appearance on Saturday Night Live. John hosted, and he and the band played a couple of numbers with Leon Russell, Elton's idol and musical partner of late.
During a break in his schedule, Johnstone sat down with MusicRadar in Manhattan's swanky London Hotel. He admitted that the SNL gig promised to be "a lot of fun. Elton's such a comedy fan - I'm sure he'll be brilliant in all the skits." But after the show, it's back to the road. Johnstone, who has performed with John for 40 years now ("very hard to believe - the time has just blown by"), not counting a brief period in the late '70s when the superstar went into semi-retirement, said that touring has lost none of its luster. The three-hour show is a dizzying cavalcade of multi-platinum smashes, but Johnstone revealed that he and the boss try to change things up here and there.
"Elton and I talk before every show," he said. "We look at the setlist and make adjustments when needed. It's a long show, with no opening act. We do all the hits. Of course, when I say 'all' the hits, there's still many that we aren't doing. Even in a three-hour show, we can't do every hit. I'm always trying to get him to do stuff that we haven't done in a while, like Harmony, which I love.
"Every Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which I've been hassling him to do for years, and Crocodile Rock - he hasn't been doing that one for a while, either. That's what I do: I stay on him about the set. Fortunately, I know his tolerance level, and I know not to ask him about something too many times. But he knows me, and he knows if I say something often enough that there might be something to it. We have a great relationship in that way."
The Scottish-born Johnstone joined Elton John's band in 1971 at the advanced age of 19. Throughout the decades, the guitarist has put his unique guitar stamp - one minute he's dishing out lashing electric solos, the next he's applying lush acoustic layers - on a breathtaking number of worldwide chart-toppers (it's estimated that John has sold over 250 million albums) and has become Elton's musical director. In addition to his day job, Johnstone has worked with John on The Lion King soundtrack, as well as the music to productions such as Aida and Billy Elliot.
"We've done pretty well," Johnstone said, chucking at what he realizes is a whopper of an understatement. With so much history to talk about, classic songs and decades of memorable shows (the guitarist cited 1974's Madison Square Garden concert, during which John Lennon joined Elton and the band, as a career highlight), it was difficult to know where to start. So, MusicRadar went right to the beginning:
Tell me how you came to join Elton's band.
"I was a studio player, and I knew Gus Dudgeon. Gus was Elton's producer [Dudgeon died in a car accident in 2002], but he was also working with a band I played with called Magna Carta. One day, Gus talked to me about an album he was doing with Elton - this would be Madman Across The Water - and he said that none of the guitar players they had tried had worked out. He asked if I wanted to come to the studio and do a session, and I said, 'Sure. Of course.'
"Honestly, I didn't really know at the time who Elton John was. I'd seen him a bit in the music papers, but I wasn't into what he was doing - I was into traditional Irish music. But money's money, so I agreed to do the session. Why not, right? The day before the session, however, I saw Elton perform Border Song on Top Of The Pops, and I went, 'Wow…this guy is good! [laughs] So I went into the session with a whole new attitude."

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Pink Floyd’s Waters and Gilmour to Reunite

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04.01.2011

 

Roger Waters has confirmed he is likely to be joined on stage by former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour on his tour of The Wall – but only for one gig. Waters and Gilmour have had a fractious relationship for many years, but did play together in Pink Floyd at 2005’s Live 8 charity show. There now seems to be another chance to see them share a stage.
“I hear the rumors,” Waters says. “I think it’s beginning to look now as if he’ll do one gig, he’ll do “Comfortably Numb” at one gig. It’s a big secret when. Live 8 was the big one when Rick [Wright] was still alive – it was very moving."
Speaking to Sky News, Waters also rebuffed that he and Gilmour’s battle over Pink Floyd ever got over-serious. “We didn’t go to court – all that was crap – we never went near a court ever. When we split up, David and Nick [Mason, drums] ended up with the name and I ended up with The Wall and everything to do with it and a few quid.”
Waters predicts these could be his last big shows. “Constructing something like this indoors – I’ll probably never do anything this big again, the technology of projection we’ve used in this show is breathtaking.”
Waters’ European tour of The Wall starts today, April 1 in Milan, Italy.

'Hop' Vaults Over Weekend Box-Office Competition

Last week's #1, 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' drops to #4.

"Hop" (featuring the voice of outrageous jokester Russell Brand as an Easter Bunny who poops candy) had the strongest opening weekend of any movie released thus far in 2011. The holiday-themed kids' movie enjoyed a $38.1 million opening, which is just a hair (or "hare"?) more than the $38 million debut of "Rango" five weeks ago.
Both flicks are rated PG. "Hop," which co-stars James Marsden ("X-Men") in the lead human role, earned the rating for some mildly crude humor, whereas "Rango," featuring Johnny Depp voicing a cartoon lizard, has some crude humor, a bit of cowboy action and characters who smoke.
"Rango" remains the better reviewed of the two, with 89 percent of critics finding it worthwhile, according to Rotten Tomatoes, which collects reviews from critics. "Hop" sits at just 20 percent on the Tomatometer at press time. ("Rango" was produced by Paramount Pictures, which like MTV is a subsidiary of Viacom.)
The strong debut of "Hop" is great news for Russell Brand, whose "Get Him to the Greek" debuted at #2 last summer with $17.5 million. The R-rated comedy went on to gross $60.9 million domestically. Brand, who is married to singer Katy Perry, will turn up again in theaters next weekend as the drunken title character in the remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore vehicle "Arthur."
The weekend's #2 movie was "Source Code" starring Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko"), with a $15 million debut. The mind-bending, time-traveling, Hitchcock-influenced intimate action drama co-stars Vera Fermiga ("Up in the Air") and Michelle Monaghan ("Eagle Eye"). "Source Code" is the second feature-length film from director Duncan Jones, whose somewhat similarly themed sci-fi mind-bender "Moon" was beloved by critics, though it grossed just $5 million domestically.
"Source Code" boasts a 89 percent critical average on Rotten Tomatoes — just 1 percent less than "Moon." Jones, whose father, David Bowie, often sang about outer space as his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, wrote "Moon" but worked from a script by Ben Ripley ("Species III") for "Source Code."
The weekend's other new release, "Insidious," was #3 with a $13.5 million debut. The haunted-house-themed horror/thriller was directed by James Wan ("Saw") and produced by the team who made "Paranormal Activity." The movie was reportedly made for just $1 million. The original, Wan-directed "Saw" was famously made for just $1.2 million and went on to earn $55.1 million domestically in 2004. It spawned six sequels, all with Wan onboard as producer.
Last weekend's #1 film, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," was #4 this weekend with $10.2 million, for a two-week total of $38.3 million. Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover") thriller "Limitless" was #5 with $9.4 million, giving it a $55.6 million total that easily surpasses its $27 million budget. "The Lincoln Lawyer" was #6 with $7.1 million for $39.6 million total. The drama is the best-reviewed movie from Matthew McConaughey ("Sahara") in years.
The critically panned "Sucker Punch" fell hard and fast to #7 with just $6.1 million in its second weekend of release. The CGI-heavy, female-led action fantasy from director Zack Snyder ("300") has made $29.8 million domestically against it's $82 million budget. Warner Bros., the studio behind "Sucker Punch," enlisted Snyder to reboot one of their biggest franchises with "Superman: Man of Steel," which is set for release next year with Henry Cavill ("Stardust") in the lead role.
The aforementioned "Rango" was #8 over the weekend with $4.6 million. It's $113.8 domestic total puts it in the 2011 $100 million+ club with Adam Sandler's "Just Go With It," which is no longer in the top 10 but has earned $101.4 million since it was released two months ago. The Elton John-produced Disney movie "Gnomeo and Juliet" is close behind them with $96.8 million.
Comedic sci-fi homage "Paul" was the #9 movie with $4.3 million for a $31.9 million total. "Battle: Los Angeles," whose aliens are much less friendly than the little guy voiced by Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up") in "Paul," was #10 with $3.5 million, for a $78.5 million total.
The Weinstein Company's decision to re-edit Oscar-winning historical drama "The King's Speech" in order to change it's R rating to a PG-13 didn't seem to broaden the film's audience as they'd hoped. The new cut, which excises a spout of harsh language during a speech therapy session scene, earned just $1.1 million in its first weekend of release. By comparison, the original R-Rated version made $1.6 million last week. The film has earned $136.6 million domestically and $230 million internationally since it was released in late November of last year.
In addition to "Arthur," next weekend's new releases include the assassin drama "Hanna"; the sword-and-sorcery comedy "Your Highness" starring Danny McBride ("Tropic Thunder"), James Franco ("The Pineapple Express") and Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"); and "Soul Surfer," the real-life tale of pro surfer Bethany Hamilton. Hamilton lost an arm in a shark attack at the age of 13 but went on to take first place at the 2005 NSSA National Championships. MTV Books published her book, "Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board."

John Travolta To Play John Gotti In New Movie

(RTTNews) - John Travolta has reportedly signed on to play famed mobster John Gotti in Nick Cassavetes' new family biography "Gotti: Three Generations." The new indie project will explore the relationship between the now-deceased Gambino family crime boss John Gotti Sr. and his son and success John Gotti Jr.

In the film, Travolta will portray Gotti Jr. as he decides to step away from the family business and dodges prison time in four subsequent racketeering trials. According to a report from Variety, Gotti Jr. has given his blessing to the film and met with Travolta during the casting process for the film.
The film will be produced by Marc Fiore along with Marty Ingels and hollywoodreporter.com claims that Travolta and Gotti Jr. will join the producers at an upcoming press conference for the film.

The Cars Starting Summer Tour In May

The Cars have announced ten dates for May, in support of the band's upcoming reunion record Move Like This. The Cars will play Seattle (5/10), Los Angeles (5/12), Oakland (5/13), Denver (5/15), Minneapolis (5/17), Chicago (5/18), Toronto (5/20), Washington D.C. (5/23), New York City (5/25) and Boston (5/26). Move Like This is due out on May 10.

Steven Tyler Goes Solo?

It appears that Steven Tyler is working on a solo project.
This came to light when his daughter, actress Liv Tyler, let slip the following when interviewed on US TV chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live:
“We were driving through the hills in his fancy sports car with the top down… he was blasting me his new single; it’s amazing and beautiful.”
Whether this affects  plans for a new Aerosmith album remains to be seen.

'Moneyball' Heads List Of Movies To Watch Out For In 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(RTTNews) - With production wrapping for many of the most anticipated movies hitting theaters in 2011, here's a look at some of the titles that should make an impact outside of the obvious summer blockbusters.

"Moneyball" Sept. 23:
One of the most unlikely Oscar hopefuls of the year, "Moneyball" stars Brad Pitt and is based on the exploits of Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane, who came up with a revolutionary new method to evaluate baseball talent. Co-written by "The Social Network" scribe Aaron Sorkin and also starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright and Jonah Hill, "Moneyball" is already being whispered about as a strong candidate for big Academy Awards. "Moneyball" is also from Bennett Miller, who previously teamed with Hoffman for his Oscar-winning role in "Capote."
"The Ides of March" Oct. 14:
A political thriller with arguably the cast of the year, "The Ides of March" is from director George Clooney, who previously made the very well-received "Good Night and Good Luck" and "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" before he helmed the strange "Leatherheads." "The Ides of March" tells the story of an idealistic presidential candidate getting brought into the seedy underworld of presidential politics. This one stars Clooney, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti.
"War Horse" and "The Adventures of Tintin: the Secret of the Unicorn" Dec. 28:
As of now, Buena Vista and Paramount look to be releasing both 2011 Steven Spielberg films on the same exact day. "War Horse" is based on a popular book and tells the story of one boy willing to go into the trenches of World War One to save his beloved horse. Breaking from Spielberg's norm, "War Horse" has mostly little-known actors ,while "Tintin" has an interesting cast headed by Simon Pegg, Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell and Nick Frost. "Contagion" Oct. 21:
From director Steven Soderbergh comes an action-thriller with an incredible cast and interesting concept. "Contagion" tells the story of a deadly disease that a team of doctors frantically tries to deal with while the rest of the world looks on. Soderbergh always has a good cast and "Contagion" is no different, as this one stars Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard and Laurence Fishburne. After Soderbergh's last two films, "The Girlfriend Experience" and "The Informant," had limited commercial appeal, "Contagion" should be in line for a much better box office reception.
"The Descendants" Dec. 16:
Writer/director Alexander Payne's last film, "Sideways," had such a cultural impact that it literally dropped Merlot sales in a phenomenon commonly referred to as the "Sideways Effect." In "The Descendants," Payne is back with George Clooney heading his cast in a story about a wealthy man looking to get back in touch with his daughters.
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David Coverdale from Whitesnake Interview

Whitesnake's David Coverdale : "Evidently The Snake By Its Nature Has To Change Its Skin Every So Often"

 

 

Vocalist David Coverdale needs no introduction to most fans of classic hard rock. From his initial emergence back in the 70's as frontman of British heavy rock legends Deep Purple, through his seminal blues rock with Whitesnake later on in the decade, later enjoying mega platinum success with later versions of the band, through his work with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page in Coverdale/Page -  All the way to the present, the man is rightly regarded as a vocal legend.

Yesterday David had a talk with Mark Skaar, afternoon drive personality at KLKK 103.7 The Fox in Clear Lake, Iowa in support of the brand new album 'Forevermore'. The album, just released in the States this week via Frontiers Records is being widely hailed as the band's finest since 1987's '1987'. An extremely strong offering, it neatly encompasses all the band's strengths and spirit of all eras of the band in one package. A welcome addition to their catalog, it's a release which can be highly recommended to any fan of classy hard rock with ease. Read on as we present this exclusive interview with a true rock legend, Mr. David Coverdale....

Special thanks to Mark Skaar for allowing this interview to be made public on Nightwatcher's House Of Rock!



Mark Skaar : Mark Skaar from KLKK 103.7 The Fox. I am proud to present David Coverdale from Whitesnake. David, how are ya?

David Coverdale : The Fox and the Snake baby (Laughs) I'm doing great, thank you very much.

MS : What an honor to be talking with such a legendary gentleman as yourself. One of my favorite lead vocalists of all time. Thank you.

DC : I must warn you I'm succeptible to flattery.

MS : You have managed to capture the spirit and sound of all eras of the band on this new record called 'Forevermore' which just came out this week....

DC : We're very excited. It was released as you said this week in the States. I work with fabulous Italians who always discussed the simultaneous worldwide release, which to them means over the period of six weeks. (Laughs) So I'm pretty confused.

MS : You have amazing talent on this album. Your right hand man is guitarist Doug Aldrich...

DC : Yes, it's a partnership made in heaven.

MS : I got to see him when he played with Ronnie James Dio, so I know of his talent...

DC : Doug, Reb (Beach) and I have worked together now for eight years. So it's a very secure foundation for us to build. We have a new rhythm section with Brian Tichy on drums and Michael Devin on bass, and a keyboard player Brian Ruedy will be joining us on tour. So we've redecorated the house of Whitesnake. Evidently the Snake by its nature has to change its skin every so often.

MS : Talk to me about writing with Doug and how that's come to fruition over the past two records.

DC : Doug, as I say, we've had a great friendship that had developed even before I had the intention of making a new recording. So when we sat down it was a natural transition. We're friends anyway so we'd start talking at the dinner table, then inevitably the conversation would turn to what I call a music conversation. We'd do a trade off on acoustic guitars, playing ideas to each other. Immediately it was obvious that it was a natural thing for us to compose together. Relatively effortless. We wrote a powerful record, I thought with 'Good To Be Bad'. The way that was received so successfully I think gave us that extra boost of confidence which led directly to 'Forevermore'.

MS : I understand 'Forevermore' was not the original title for the album...

DC : It was going to be 'Guilty Pleasures'. But I thought that I'd keep that for a "Best of" album.

MS : Also in the pipeline this year is a live concert filmed at Donington in 1990...

DC : Yes, featuring the incredible Steve Vai, the "Paganini of Rock", Adrian Vandenberg, Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge. It's an incindiary live concert that we played in England at The Monsters Of Rock, the Castle Donington Festival. It really did cause me to reassess that chapter of the Snake. The band's firing on all cylinders. It's a relentless show, and the audience is with us every step of the way. It's Whitesnake featuring 72,000 of their closest friends.

MS : I understand that's coming out in June?

DC : I believe so, yes. I'll believe it when I see it. To be honest, I'd suggest that anyone just check at whitesnake.com. That's the oasis of all things Snake. That will give you tour dates, potential interaction with myself, and find out  what's being released and when.

MS : The tour starts in May. You have so many songs to choose from. How do you pick the songs you're going to play live?

DC : You know what, I'm going to leave that to the people who participate on the bulletin board at whitesnake.com. A lot of them are already posting their playlists, and I think a lot of them are wanting to hear the entire 'Forevermore' album. Hopefully we'll be doing 50% new stuff while still featuring stuff like "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love", "Give Me All Your Love", "Still Of The Night"...all those things. It should be a very compelling and fulfilling show. But really I'm going to say to the band, "What do you fancy doing?" Because to me, with a new band I'd be delighted to do all the songs.

MS : Whose idea was it to do the Deep Purple "Burn/Stormbringer" medley?

DC : Actually that was originally Doug Aldrich's and the band's idea. I threw "Stormbringer" in. I had rehearsed "Burn". Apparently to all of my colleagues, that was an incredibly influential song on their decisions to make music their career. I didn't really want to go back, as there's certainly enough Whitesnake material to perform. But when they played it it was irresistible, and we had to play it. I think it shocked, surprised and delighted a lot of people. For instance, when we were playing in South America, I never went down there with Deep Purple. I had no idea that "Burn" was like a national anthem down there. The place went bananas.

MS : In 1974 with Deep Purple you played the Cal Jam. Probably everybody's seen the DVD. What was on your mind? That was your first trip to America, and you're looking out at over 300,000 people. What are you thinking?

DC : It was amazing. Just to list some facts, that people don't really know, is that we'd just received a check for a million dollars from Warner Brothers, and it was so crazy backstage, that it was deemed that my jeans pocket, my arse pocket, was the safest place to have this check. So I had a million dollar check in my jeans pocket. After the show, somebody called Linda Lovelace was asking to meet Deep Purple. Unfortunately at that time we'd never heard of her. It had all the Deeps. Purple and Throat.

MS : The 'Come Taste The Band' 35th Anniversary album was released recently. Kevin Shirley did a great job on that.

DC : He did an amazing job. I'm very happy to say that Kevin Shirley had the respect to have both me and Glenn Hughes involved in this. He would send these mixes through.He is incredibly, insanely fast at mixing. I'm not sure if it's available in the States, but you can get it through Amazon. It really is a beautiful, contemporary piece of work that stands up amazingly well. The remix is astonishing.

MS : Of course the late Tommy Bolin is one of us, being here from Iowa....

DC : Oh yeah he was incredible. I kind of claim responsibility for bringing Tommy into Deep Purple. I'd heard his work on Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' album and I was blown away. When Ritchie Blackmore decided to depart, and we made the decision to continue and look for a replacement, my list was first Jeff Beck, then an Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher, and then Tommy Bolin, who, I'd been hearing. None of the other guys had heard of him at that time until I played them the 'Spectrum' album. I didn't even know about The James Gang albums with Tommy at that time. I was a big fan of Joe Walsh's at the beginning.

Everyone was blown away with Tommy, so we set out trying to find him. It took some time actually, then we found that he lived down the coast from me, in Malibu. Next door. It was amazing.

For more information on Whitesnake go to http://www.whitesnake.comLinkWithin

Foo Fighters Stream Full Album Online

					Foo Fighters Since the Foo Fighters' seventh album, Wasting Light, is coming out on April 12, the band has decided to offer a full stream of the album online at wastinglight.foofighters.com. In other recent news, Foo Fighters have been tapped as the musical guest for Saturday Night Live on April 9, with host Helen Mirren. Dave Grohl holds the record for the most musical appearances on SNL, having played with the Foos, Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Tenacious D and Tom Petty. Furthermore, fans should keep an eye out for FMQB Productions' radio special, Inside Foo Fighters: Wasting Light, hosted by Matt Pinfield. The one-hour program features the band discussing working with legendary producer Butch Vig as they stripped down to the bare essentials as a group of friends recording an album to tape in a garage. Pinfield also gets the lowdown on cameos by Bob Mould and Nirvana co-founder Krist Novoselic; and digs into the James Moll-directed Foo Fighters documentary. The special will air on radio stations across the country from April 8 to 12.

Kid Rock Announces Second Leg Of "Born Free" Tour

Kid Rock Kid Rock has announced a second leg of his "Born Free" tour, with Sheryl Crow onboard for the entire run of dates. The new round of touring begins in Cincinnati on July 2, with more shows expected to be added. Crow and the Kid team up for his new single, "Collide," currently impacting at radio. Of course, the pair had a smash hit duet single with "Picture" in 2002.Kid Rock "Born Free" 2011 Tour: 7/2/11 Cincinnati 7/3/11 Milwaukee (Summerfest) 7/6/11 Pittsburgh 7/7/11 Hartford, CT 7/9/11 Boston 7/10/11 Hershey 7/12/11 Holmdel, NJ 7/13/11 Buffalo, NY 7/15/11 Cadott, WI (Chippewa Valley Music Festival) 7/16/11 St. Louis 7/22/11 Cheyenne, WY 7/23/11 Minot, ND (North Dakota State Fair) 7/26/11 Sacramento 7/27/11 Paso Robles, CA (California Mid-State Fair) 7/29/11 San Jose, CA 7/30/11 Irvine, CA 8/2/11 San Diego 8/5/11 Phoenix 8/6/11 Albuquerque,NM 8/16/11 Cleveland 8/19/11 Indianapolis 8/20/11 Chicago, 8/22/11 Bristow, VA 8/23/11 Virginia Beach, VA 8/25/11 Raliegh, NC 8/27/11 Charlotte, NC 8/28/11 Atlanta 9/2/11 Dallas 9/3/11 Houston

Van Halen Album Rumored To Be Nearing Completion

 

The Van Halen News Desk (VHND.com) was the first to report last December that Van Halen were set to record a new studio album with Grammy Award winning producer John Shanks. In January, Shanks confirmed this via his Twitter account.
Today, respected Metal Show host, Eddie Trunk, tweeted that he heard gossip from a “reliable source” that the “VH album is close to done and will come out this year. Label TBD” This matches up perfectly with what we heard from a trusted source at the beginning of March – that the recording process is going great and the band is starting to mix the new tracks. Also, from another reliable source of ours today, we hear that this Fall is the most probably time that the album will be released and a tour will begin.
Get ready, everybody…the Van Halen juggernaut is gearing up!

Helen Mirren Honored On Hollywood Boulevard

3/29/2011 6:27 PM ET

Helen Mirren scrawled her name, the date (3/28/2011) and left an imprint of her hands and feet in wet cement to be added to the Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk. The ceremony took place in front of the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The British actress said at the ceremony that the memorialization was one of the three proudest moments of her career—after being made a British dame and winning an Oscar. She quipped that she was also proud to have been made an official Dame of Hollywood.

ANOTHER AEROSMITH BEST OF PACKAGE SET FOR RELEASE!

AEROSMITH will release Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads on May 10th via Geffen Records.



Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads tracklisting:

'Angel'
'Amazing'
'Love In An Elevator'
'Cryin''
'What It Takes'
'Rag Doll'
'Crazy'
'Deuces Are Wild'
'Livin On The Edge'
'Blind Man'
'Janies Got A Gun'
'Dream On'



Aerosmith were recently in the studio with producer/song-writing partner Marti Frederiksen working on new material that may see the light of day later this year.

3 DOORS DOWN SET TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM IN JULY

3 Doors Down

Multi-platinum rock band 3 Doors Down is set to release its long-awaited new album "Time of My Life" on July 16, 2011 on Universal Republic, the band tells Billboard.com. The group's fifth studio album will be their first offering since their chart-topping 2008 eponymous release.

"This record shows some growth on our part," says vocalist Brad Arnold. "We've had success in the past and we're very thankful for that, but there's always room to … take it up to another level. And I feel like we did that."

The Mississippi quintet, best known for modern-rock hits such as "Kryptonite," "Be Like That" and "Here Without You," is already climbing the chart with the album's first single, "When You're Young," which clocks in at No. 25 on the Rock Songs chart this week. But Arnold says that fans should not judge the entire album - which they put together with producer Howard Benson (Daughtry, Flyleaf, Three Days Grace) -- based on that mid-tempo track.

Video: 3 Doors Down "When You're Young"

"That's one of the slower songs on the album. There's a lot of rockers on there too," he says. "It's really diverse. We arranged (the album) to where it kind of takes you on a ride. I'm just looking forward to people listening to the record as a body of work rather than just tracks."

3 Doors Down will touring Europe in May before heading back to the U.S. for a summer trek.

"There's a lot of songs that people can immediately identify with," he says. "We just really wanted to do our best on this record, and looking back on the whole experience, I can really say that we did."

POISON'S TOP HITS GATHERED FOR 25th ANNIVERSARY 'DOUBLE DOSE: ULTIMATE HITS':

Catch Poison's Extensive North American Tour this Summer with Mötley Crüe and the New York Dolls / Hollywood, California – March 15, 2011 – To celebrate Poison's 25th Anniversary, 35 of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites have been gathered for Double Dose: Ultimate Hits, a new career-spanning 2CD and digital collection to be released May 3 by Capitol/EMI.

Double Dose: Ultimate Hits features all of the band's charting singles, including the #1 smash ballad “Every Rose Has It's Thorn,” Top 10 hits “Nothin' But A Good Time,” “Unskinny Bop,” and “Something To Believe In,” and other big hits and fan favorites, including “Talk Dirty To Me,” “I Want Action,” “Your Mama Don't Dance,” “Fallen Angel,” “Ride The Wind,” and many more, including standouts from the band's most recent album, 2007's Poison'd!.
“Between Double Dose and the 25th Anniversary Tour, I honestly can't think of a better way to mark this major milestone,” says Poison's singer Bret Michaels. “I'm so excited to get back out on the road with the band again to celebrate - and 'Double Dose' is going to be such a must-have collection: All the hits in one place. This is going to be really special for all of the fans - and especially for all of those who have been with us since Day One.“
Poison's highly-anticipated tour with Mötley Crüe and the New York Dolls kicks off June 7 at Dallas' Gexa Energy Pavilion, before continuing on to more than 30 other cities and major venues across North America, including Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl on June 14, Toronto's Molson Amphitheatre on June 28, Detroit's DTE Energy Music Center on June 29, and Chicago's FMB Amphitheatre on July 1.
Bret Michaels has partnered with Dean Guitars to represent a line of guitars, and he will soon release a new vocal warm-up CD. This fall, he'll hit the high seas aboard the Bret Michaels Super Cruise. Check: www.bretmichaels.com for updates / www.poisonweb.com.

Double Dose: Ultimate Hits [2CD, Digital] - Disc 1 - 1. Talk Dirty To Me 2. I Want Action 3. I Won't Forget You 4. Cry Tough 5. Look What The Cat Dragged In 6. Nothin' But A Good Time 7. Fallen Angel 8. Every Rose Has It's Thorn 9. Your Mama Don't Dance 10. Unskinny Bop 11. Rock And Roll All Nite 12. Ride The Wind 13. Something To Believe In 14. Life Goes On 15. Stand 16. The Last Song 17. Shooting Star.
Disc 2 - 1. We're An American Band 2. So Tell Me Why 3. No More Lookin' Back [Live] 4. Can't You See 5. Little Willy 6. Suffragette City 7. Look But You Can't Touch 8. Until You Suffer Some (Fire And Ice) 9. Bastard Son Of A Thousand Blues 10. Lay Your Body Down 11. Sexual Thing 12. (Flesh & Blood) Sacrifice 13. What I Like About You 14. Love On The Rocks 15. Face The Hangman 16. Livin' For The Minute 17. Cover Of The Rolling Stone 18. Poor Boy Blues.

VAN HALEN - 2011 STILL THE YEAR FOR A COLD FRONT TO REACH HELL:

Due to the usual lack of information flowing, Van Halen fans went all kinds of crazy this week at the mere sight of a tweet from Eddie Trunk regarding Van Halen's progress in the studio. When in reality, it pretty much just confirmed the already stated - that the album talked about since last year will appear later this year.... Van Halen's PR department is once again sadly lacking, but there is always hope I guess!

Producer John Shanks' tweets have been sadly useless. He rarely says anything and when he does it is only cryptic, and looking back, there wasn't anything about his work with VH. Another opportunity missed.

Here's what I can add to the current rumours...
Yes, the album is all but done and it appears mixing is underway, but once again, my source (who has been with me all through this) is sticking with the story that the majority of the album was recorded in 2010 with producer Ross Hogarth. John Shanks was called in to help David Lee Roth arrange and record the vocals and put the whole thing together.
I'm told that Eddie has played most of the bass parts, but will likely not be credited on the album for that.
My source also tells me that one of his contacts heard one track with the working title of Lift. It was described as having "a Van Hagar flavor to it" and that "Dave's vocals were done in a very low baritone key."
Lastly, I heard from a venue in Europe that they were offered a mid-year date for a Van Halen with Ozzy Osbourne tour package. I can't confirm that in any way, but take it as yet another rumour to consider.
That's all until next time...

TED NUGENT - New US Tour Dates Announced

Rock Hard

Posted on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at 13:00:50 EST

TED NUGENT has announced a number of new US dates to his upcoming live schedule. His tour itinerary is now as follows:

April
14 - Hog Creek Icehouse - Waco, TX
15 - Nutty Jerry's - Winnie, TX
16 - Lone Star Park - Grand Prairie, TX

June
25 - Flaming Gorge Days (Stratton Myer's Park) - Green River, WY
26 - The Depot The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT
28 - Celebrity Theatre Celebrity Theatre - Phoenix, AZ
29 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA



July
1 - Canyon Club Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA
2 - Sunset Station Casino - Henderson, NV
21 - Waukesha County Fair - Waukesha, WI
29 - Mountainfest 2011 (Mylan Mark) - Morgantown, WV

August
26 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Biloxi, MS

September
2 - The Central Wisconsin State Fair (Grandstand) - Marshfield, WI

Van Halen rumored to tour the US with Scorpions

Van Halen rumored to tour the US with Scorpions

Van Halen is rumored to be mixing their new album with David Lee Roth on vocals according to a good source at the Van Halen News Desk.

There is also a rumor about Van Halen releasing their new album in August followed by a US tour with the Scorpions as coheadliner. We are told Van Halen will close out each show. Triumph was rumored late last year to be negotiating a tour with Van Halen but apparently negotiations feel apart. There has been no official release from band management regardling this information.

Van Halen Album Rumored To Be Nearing Completio

The Van Halen News Desk (VHND.com) was the first to report last December that Van Halen were set to record a new studio album with Grammy Award winning producer John Shanks. In January, Shanks confirmed this via his Twitter account.
Today, respected Metal Show host, Eddie Trunk, tweeted that he heard gossip from a “reliable source” that the “VH album is close to done and will come out this year. Label TBD” This matches up perfectly with what we heard from a trusted source at the beginning of March – that the recording process is going great and the band is starting to mix the new tracks. Also, from another reliable source of ours today, we hear that this Fall is the most probably time that the album will be released and a tour will begin.
Get ready, everybody…the Van Halen juggernaut is gearing up!

Sixx laughs off Godsmack song

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Laughter and tears: Nikki Sixx

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx says he think Cryin’ Like a Bitch, the song Godsmack wrote about him, is funny – and he found it even funnier after the band refused to appear on his Sixx Sense radio show to discuss about it.
Singer Sully Erna last year admitted the track was inspired by Godsmack’s experiences on the 2009 Crue Fest tour. He said: “It’s about certain rock stars who still feel they can push people around even though it’s been 20 years since they had their big moment. There was some rock-star garbage we’d never seen in our career. I felt like, if some people are going to treat other people a certain way, I’m going to to crush you on stage – make sure you look old and fat and go home with a nice paycheck.”
But Sixx tells Revolver he’s not offended: “It made me laugh so hard. I don’t get mad, I actually laugh. I played the song on my radio show and asked the band to come and do an interview with me – and they wouldn’t do it.
“I was told: ‘You know, the guys are really nervous, like, you’re going to come over and start a fight.’ I go, ‘About what?’
“It was like a 14-year-old mentality. Everybody I know was saying, ‘How can you be saying someone’s crying like a bitch when you’re the only one crying?’
“If you’re going to hit somebody, dude, hit them with a two-by-four, not a toothpick. Let’s go big.”
Asked what he thinks of the song, Sixx says: “It was just Godsmack. It was okay – I mean, they’re not the Rolling Stones.”

Def Lep can’t promise hard rock album

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 No promises: Def Leppard

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell says he and fellow axeman Phil Collen are hoping the band’s next album is a hard rock outing – but they can’t guarantee it.
The band will start writing their next record when they hit the road in June following a year off after their Songs from the Sparkle Lounge album and tour.
Collen has already said he’d like their twelfth studio opus to lean towards early works On Through the Night and High ‘n’ Dry, and Campbell says he agrees with the sentiment. But it won’t necessarily be their call.
Campbell, who’s coming to the end of his “dream come true” stint with the 2011 lineup of Thin Lizzy, tells Guitar International: “Phil and I are championing it – but it takes a little more patience for us than for other bands.
“We all agree and know on a certain level we can make it happen. If we were on a major record label and they paired us with Rick Rubin, I’m sure he would strip us down and have us doing it.
“But it’s easier said than done. Def Leppard were in a different headspace with what they did 30 years ago – they played and wrote differently then.
“And back then Rick Allen had two arms. Although we can represent ourselves very well live, it’s difficult for Rick to jam. If I were to come into the room and show the guys a riff, Rick would have to stop and think about how he was going to join in. It’s not like other bands where you can kick out the jams and see what happens.”
Campbell thinks the band have already changed tack significantly with Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, which makes their ambition easier to achieve.
He says: “We’ve been guilty in the past of conceptualising the LPs – it’s like we decide we need to make a certain type of LP before a note is even written. Sparkle Lounge wasn’t like that at all. I’m glad to say it was a selection of songs we wrote individually and decided to record as Def Leppard. I thought it was a better record for that, and easier to make.”
And he’s hopeful that, even if the band don’t go back to basics in any specific sense, they can still deliver a hard rock record in 2012.
“It might actually be disingenuous of us to force ourselves to do a record like High ‘n’ Dry,” he says. “I’m not saying we’re not going to do it – we’re going to try to do something like that.”

Whitesnake New Album Release March 29,2011!

"The glam hair bands – couldn't play for s---!" David Coverdale

If you want to make David Coverdale laugh, just bring up the so-called hair metal scene of the late '80s. "It was a joke. It was like the Rolling Stones' 'Jumping Jack Flash' period. We were like, 'How far can we push this?'"

Noisecreep is sitting with the legendary Whitesnake vocalist at the famed Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood, California. The British rocker is in town to promote 'Forevermore,' Whitesnake's forthcoming 11th studio album which finds them stripping down their sound to its raw essentials: blues-informed songwriting, muscular guitar riffs, and powerful yet earthy vocals.

Before diving into a discussion about the new record, Coverdale reminisces about the '80s days when touring bands still packed cases of Aqua Net on their tour buses.

"You see, a lot of the bands that came up during that period – the glam hair bands – couldn't play for s---! What they could do was make great videos. So there were no kinds of chops behind it. You could give one of the bands a box of Ritz crackers and they could do an amusing, entertaining, and informative video. You give me a box of crackers and I would be like, 'Would you like a cracker, sir?'"

"I do agree that the way we looked in the late '80s was over-flamboyant for the identity that I had created for Whitesnake," says Coverdale, sipping on a latte. "We were like, 'How many people tonight -- 25,000? Make our hair bigger!' It was mindless stuff, it was a giggle. The pictures, I don't really care for, but at least it amuses my child [laughs]. But I have no f---ing regrets about that period, it was great."

Even though Whitesnake's roots go back to Coverdale's days in Deep Purple, the band's biggest commercial success coincided with the rise of the hair metal era. While myopic rock journalists carelessly dismissed the group during the late '80s, Whitesnake were busy creating some of the finest songs in their discography.

"Sure, our look took the attention away from the music," says the singer. "One of the reasons Whitesnake is still popular is the strength and power of the songs. I'm talking about things I did 30 years ago -- 'Fool For Your Loving' and 'Here I Go Again -- all of those songs still have legs. But the songs were more disguised or cosmeticized during that time."

Our conversation finds its way baclk to the new album, as we tell Coverdale that it reminds us of the blues-based hard rock of his earlier days. Coverdale agrees.

"I was talking to Glenn the other day, and I told him that a couple of songs on the new Whitesnake record sound like they could have been on the 'Stormbringer' album." Coverdale is talking about Glenn Hughes, his former Deep Purple bandmate who played on their 1974 'Stormbringer' album and now fronts Black Country Communion, a super-group that also features Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham, and Derek Sherinian.

'Love Will Set You Free,' the irresistible first single from 'Forevermore,' is one of the songs Coverdale is talking about. The tune could have easily appeared on an old Deep Purple or early Whitesnake album like 1980's 'Ready an' Willing.'

"All of my songs that I've ever been involved with are blood relatives. It's just part of the bloodline. It doesn't matter if they came out during Purple or the '80s Whitesnake days -- it's all part of the family tree," said Coverdale.

You'll be able to hear Coverdale's newest addition to the Whitesnake family tree when 'Forevermore' hits stores on March 29.

George Lopez Compares Kirstie Alley To A Pig

 

George Lopez has apologized to Kirstie Alley for comparing her to a pig.

"I misjudged the joke," Lopez tweeted Thursday. "No malice was intended and I apologize to Kirstie."

On Wednesday's Lopez Tonight, Lopez cracked on that Alley did a nice job on Dancing with the Stars with "her little hooves tapping away." "Before the show she went to the market, and then she had roast beef, and this is her going all the way home," Lopez said, showing a clip of a pig with its head hanging out the window of a car.

Alley, who earned a 23 for her cha-cha on Monday, didn't seem too worked up about Lopez's remarks.

"Don't worry about George's comments," Alley tweeted earlier Thursday. "Just remember what happens to the big bad, drunk woolf [sic] ...falls in a boiling pot of vodka. Piggy laughs."

• 

Chris Cornell: 'Soundgarden are recording a diverse new album'

The reunited collective are hard at work on their first studio album since 1996's 'Down On The Upside', with Cornell giving fans an update in an interview with Billboard.

"We're pretty far into our record now," he said. "Every time we write a song we always take it for what it is and try to make it the most it can be. It's very diverse, I can tell you that."

As for a release date, Cornell said that the band were happy taking their time recording in his home studio in Seattle.

"We went into this with the idea that we wouldn't worry about scheduling or timing," he stated. "We would worry about making a great record. It's been a pretty fast pace, considering everything. But we're not putting any pressure on ourselves. Let the album decide when it's done."

Soundgarden's new live album 'Live On I5' is out now.

DON DOKKEN - "My Voice Is On The Mend; I'm Still Singing With Caution But Every Day It’s Getting Better"

DOKKEN frontman Don Dokken recently spoke to Bravewords.com correspondent Deb Rao regarding his recent vocal surgery, the band's spring Tour, and issues a very special message to Japan regarding the recent earthquake tragedy.

Bravewords.com: Are you happy with the results from your vocal surgery? I saw some videos from your show in Minnesota. You and the band sound great!

Don: "Thanks. Yes, it seems my voice is on the mend. I'm still singing with caution but every day it’s getting better, finally."

Bravewords.com: Tell us a little bit about the set list on the current tour. Will you be adding a lot of new tunes into the mix over the next couple of months?

Don: "Yes, we will be changing the set a lot. We're going to do songs that we have never done live, starting in April. I’m honestly a bit tired of just playing the hits, time to mix it up and I'm sure our fans will be happy about it as well."

Bravewords.com: Any plans to go into the studio to record a new Dokken album?

Don: "We're writing right now and plan on going into the studio soon between shows hopefully we'll have a fall release."

Bravewords.com: In one of our interviews, you mentioned that maybe an acoustic tour would be in the works? Any acoustic shows on the horizon?

Don: "For right now no. But I would love to do it again like I did on the QUEENSRŸCHE tour. It was a lot of fun."

Bravewords.com: Japan was recently hit hard with the earthquake and tsunami. Is there anything that you would like to say to all the Dokken fans in Japan and all the people trying to survive there after this horrific event? I know the band has a big following there and you have traveled there many times over your career.

Don: "It is truly a tragedy, but the Japanese are resilient people. We were planning on doing shows there late this summer but now everything's on hold. I think everyone in the world should donate for food and medical help. If and when we go back to Japan we will donate some of the tour profits, it's the right thing to do. We owe them a lot for all the years of supporting us. It's a great country, and I'm sure they'll pull through, but still it's a sad situation right now."

Dokken tour dates are currently as follows:

March
25 - Wild Horse Pass & Casino - Chandler, AZ

April
4 - Numbers - Houston , TX
15 - Hemisfair Park - San Antonio, TX
16 - Trees - Dallas , TX

May
14 - Sunset Station Casino - Henderson, NV

ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd Tour

ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd Tour

03/25/2011
. ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd are teaming up this spring for The Rebels & Bandoleros Tour. The two groups, whose respective histories have been intertwined since the early 1970s, are set for a string of tour dates together starting May 12 in Wichita, KS and continuing for the next three weeks. The tour marks the first time in many years that these iconic standard-bearers of Southern Rock will have toured so extensively together.
"Rebels and Bandolers is more of a coming together of friends more than a mere tour," Billy Gibbons commented. "We're delighted to be hitting the road with our Skynyrd brethren once more. It's going to be a great ride."
Johnny Van Zant remarked, "Eleven years ago we toured together for eleven months straight. We love the guys in ZZ and their music, and can't wait to get back out on the road with them. This show is an event that the fans are going to love. Two legendary bands in one night – what more can the fans ask for to kick off the summer of 2011!"
Rebels & Bandoleros will hit markets in Texas, Oklahoma, Maine, New York, Ohio, Illinois and Missouri offering concert goers a wealth of classic material including -- from ZZ Top -- "Tush," "LaGrange," "Sharp Dressed Man," "Legs," "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Cheap Sunglasses" and -- from Lynyrd Skynyrd -- "Sweet Home Alabama," "Gimme Three Steps," "What's Your Name," "Saturday Night Special," "Free Bird" and many, many others.
The two bands first joined forces in 1974 when Houston-based ZZ Top invited Lynyrd Skynyrd, then an emerging new band from Jacksonville, to become part of The Outlaw Tour that year. Ultimately, ZZ Top, which had formed in 1969, would go on to become the major band with the longest running original personnel line-up -- Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard – in music history. Tragedy struck Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1977 when a plane crash took the lives of band members Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines. Today's Lynyrd Skynyrd includes founding member Gary Rossington along with Johnny Van Zant, brother of the late Ronnie Van Zant, as well as Rickey Medlocke, Michael Cartellone, Mark "Sparky" Matejka, Robert Kearns, Peter Keys Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase. Both bands Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees; ZZ was inducted by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 2004 and Skynyrd in 2006 by Kid Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd's most recently released album is God & Guns while ZZ Top's forthcoming, as yet untitled, album is expected later this year.Rebels & Bandoleros Tour dates
May 12 - Wichita, KS - Intrust Bank Arena
13 - Belton, TX - Bell County Expo Center
14 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre
19 - Bangor, ME - Bangor Waterfront Pavilion
20 - Big Flats, NY - Tags Summer Stage
21 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center
22 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Centre
26 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center Theatre
27 - Lampe, MO - Black Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
28 - Bossier City, LA - Centurytel Arena
29 - Orange Beach, AL - Amphitheater at the Wharf

Sammy Hagar: Charlie Sheen reminds me of Eddie Van Halen

Sammy Hagar: Charlie Sheen reminds me of Eddie Van Halen

Sammy Hagar’s making the rounds to promote his new book, "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock," and at least one person who won’t be pleased about the book – or the accompanying headlines - is one Eddie Van Halen.

The day of the book’s release, Hagar had a full slate of media interviews, including Howard Stern and ABC-TV's "Good Morning America." On both shows, Sammy made comparisons between troubled actor Charlie Sheen and former bandmate Eddie.

"I don't know what's going on, but, boy, there's a similarity in the way they look and everything," Hagar said before adding. "I don't know how you get like that."

Hagar also admitted that his book, which includes a lot of dirt about his days with Van Halen, likely makes a reunion out of the question for some time.

"With this book coming out, the chances are probably below zero," laughed Sammy. "But, once ... Eddie puts his book out and tells them what he thinks about me probably, then maybe we can do it again."

Sammy Hagar – interview
ABC-TV - Good Morning America – March 15, 2011

'Limitless' Tops Box Office With $19 Million

3/21/2011 3:08 PM ET

(RTTNews) - Though both "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "Paul" saw modest opening totals, action-thriller "Limitless" found its audience and pulled in nearly $7,000 per venue, enough to finish atop the box office charts with a studio estimated $19 million. "Rango" finished in second once again with $15 million over the weekend and "Battle: Los Angeles" rounded out the top three with $14.60 million.

With a production budget of only $27 million and a relatively small marketing push, it was unclear how much box office potential that "Limitless" would have heading into the weekend, but it proved to have more than enough to land as the number one overall draw. With stars Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro heading the cast, "Limitless" had no problem overcoming competition from "Battle: Los Angeles" and posted a very strong opening weekend for distributor Relativity.
Even if De Niro has not fared very well at the box office in recent years, "Limitless" marks the second straight commercial success for the legendary, Oscar-winning actor. His last release, "Little Fockers," was one of the worst reviewed movies of 2010 but still did well at the box office at the end of 2010 and "Limitless" is off to a very good start for a production with such a small budget. "Limitless" also looks to be only Cooper's first release to top the charts in 2011, as "The Hangover 2" is poised for a big box office run coming up in the early portion of summer.
But while "Limitless" had no problem finding its audience, "The Lincoln Lawyer" had a little more difficulty getting going in its first weekend. Even with very strong critical reviews, "The Lincoln Lawyer" managed a weekend intake of just $13.40 million on a per theater average of less than $5,000. "The Lincoln Lawyer" also had a $40 million production budget and will likely struggle to find an audience over the next couple of weekends as well.

A CLASSIC ON THE HORIZON:JOURNEY'S NEW ALBUM!

A CLASSIC ON THE HORIZON:JOURNEY'S NEW ALBUM!
The buzz surrounding Journey's upcoming new studio album Eclipse has already started. Due out May 24 in North America via WalMart and Rest Of The World June 3 via Frontiers Records, the new album has been described by Neal Schon as "...a rock record...sounds amazing..." and by Jonathan Cain "a concept record with some spiritual themes to it…pretty tough, hard-hitting stuff." Band management described it to me as "very melodic.. but more rock...longer songs...".
Some very attention grabbing quotes there for long time fans of the band and of this genre in general to salivate over. But fans are often let down when the advance descriptions don't match the finished product. Well not this time!

ECLIPSE is a MASTERPIECE. There...I've said it. This is one bold, brave, challenging and exquisitely constructed album. Yes, it rocks. Like Journey haven't rocked since 1981...and then some. It is one of the boldest, bravest moves I have heard from a classic rock band. Maybe EVER as far as a band of this age goes. But it is still as catchy and melodic as ever. There are so many twists and turns, it is almost progressive in places. This record will likely scare the shit out of fans of Raised On Radio, it has big balls.
Eclipse is dark and heavy, yet melodic. Adventurous, yet familiar. Moody, yet uplifting. Simply bloody AMAZING.

This has been on daily constant rotation for a while now....it has had plenty of time to sink in or wear off and it simply gets better and better. It's a bit rawer than we might be used to from the ever polished Journey though...very well mixed, with a lot constantly going on, but it has such raw energy and power.
The constant wall of guitars on this record is unbelievable. Fans of Neal Schon are going to love hearing that EVERY song features wailing solos (sometimes several in one song) and truly hard rocking riffs. The songs are LONG. Most over 6 mins, a few under. It really does feature some utterly amazing guitar work. Neal sounds like 5-guitarists-in-one on some tracks. So much to absorb. And drummer Deen Castronovo is a frickin machine. He has never pounded so hard on those skins, not even in Hardline. I have no hesitation in saying that. The drumming on this album is brutal!
Jonathan Cain has delivered some of his finest lyrics in a long long time. I'm really struck by the depth of the lyrics on this record. It has a spiritual nature and deals with human emotions throughout, but there are some truly uplifting and inspiring lyrics in play here - no matter what the emotion of each song is.
Arnel Pineda - well, what can I say. Eclipse is one powerful record and Arnel is pushed to the outer limits of human ability with some of the vocals here. Even when wailing, the soul and emotion within his voice remains true. He spends a lot of the album signing in his own natural timbre, not trying to be Steve Perry or anyone else. But it is still 100% Journey and it works so well. What a stunning vocal performance. STUNNING. His vocals are a MILE in front of Revelation (and how good were those anyway!).

The songs - not one weak moment on there at all. Not one song I would ever skip due to any particular mood. It has to be played thru from start to finish every time - but you'll need over 60 mins to do so! Watch for the hardest rocking Chain Of Love; the heavy, dark mood of Edge Of A Moment (kinda Separate Ways 2011), the upliting feel good anthem Anything Is Possible (sounds like classic Joruney/Bad English AOR); the beyond description She's A Mystery (guitar/vocal acoustic track that turns into Rush meets Triumph!) and one of the most powerful ballads I have heard in years, with vocal power beyond description - Tantra. And of course the classic Journey style anthem City Of Hope, which is released as a single April 4.
But as stated, each and every track here is a classic on its own and favourite tracks vary from day to day.

Eclipse has to be considered a masterpiece. Simply put - it is one of the FINEST albums I have heard in my time running this site and has immediately declared itself to be one of my favourite Journey albums EVER. Stay tuned for more...

Prince has announced a series of concerts in North Carolina and South Carolina

(RTTNews) - Prince has announced a series of concerts in North Carolina and South Carolina as part of his "Welcome 2 America" tour.

The "Purple Rain" star will be performing on March 21 at the Columbia, South Carolina Colonial Life Arena with special guests Mint Condition; March 23 at the Raleigh, North Carolina RBC Center with guest Chaka Khan; March 24 at the Charlotte Time Warner Cable Arena with guest Anthony Hamilton; March 26 at the Greensboro, North Carolina Coliseum with Chaka Khan; March 28 at the Greenville, South Carolina Bi-Lo Center with Lalah Hathaway and March 30 North Charleston, South Carolina at the North Charleston Coliseum with Lalah Hathaway.
Prince's previous dates in New York, New Jersey, and the Bay Area featured guest appearances by Cassandra Wilson, the New Power Generation, Esperanza Spalding, Maceo Parker, Sheila E., and Larry Graham.

Jane's Addiction Eyes Summer Comeback

Jane's Addiction Eyes Summer Comeback

Perry Farrell After several false starts, it looks like Jane's Addiction is finally ready to release their new album, The Great Escape Artist, this summer. The band suffered a few setbacks with the departures of bassists Eric Avery and Duff McKagan, but singer Perry Farrell says the group is fleshing out about 20 potential songs at a Los Angeles studio, where they are now working with TV On The Radio bassist Dave Sitek. Sitek will not be touring with Jane's, but he is collaborating with them as a songwriter and recording bassist for the album. "He's like a scientist, and he's not afraid of making a monster," Farrell told Rolling Stone. "It just keeps getting gnarlier and gnarlier." The Great Escape Artist is being produced by Rich Costey (Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol), and the final album will be edited down to about 45 minutes. Guitarist Dave Navarro calls it "not a typical rock record," and it may be a departure from the band's earlier work. "A lot of it is really hypnotic. We're getting back into using a lot of space and having a lot of air," Navarro told the magazine. "The music that I listen to and love isn't necessarily Rock-oriented anymore. There is a beauty in simplicity that I'm really embracing. To me, that's an evolution as an artist."

Poison to Release "Double Dose Of Poison: Ultimate Hits" on May 3rd

Poison to Release "Double Dose Of Poison: Ultimate Hits" on May 3rd To celebrate Poison's 25th Anniversary, 35 of the multi-platinum band's top hits and fan favorites have been gathered for Double Dose Of Poison: Ultimate Hits, a new career-spanning two-disc set and digital collection to be released May 3rd by Capitol/EMI. This summer, Poison will hit the road with Motley Crue and the New York Dolls for an extensive North American tour. It's going to be the summer of Poison, but we don't want an antidote.

Double Dose Of Poison: Ultimate Hits features all of the band's charting singles, including the #1 smash ballad "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," Top 10 hits "Nothin' But A Good Time," "Unskinny Bop," and "Something To Believe In," and other big hits and fan favorites, including "Talk Dirty To Me," "I Want Action," "Your Mama Don't Dance," "Fallen Angel," "Ride the Wind," and many more, including standouts from the band's most recent album, 2007's Poison'd.

"Between Double Dose Of Poison and the 25th Anniversary Tour, I honestly can't think of a better way to mark this major milestone," said Poison's singer Bret Michaels. "I'm so excited to get back out on the road with the band again to celebrate and Double Dose is going to be such a must-have collection: All the hits in one place. This is going to be really special for all of the fans - and especially for all of those who have been with us since Day One."

Poison's highly-anticipated tour with Mötley Crüe and the New York Dolls kicks off June 7th at Dallas' Gexa Energy Pavilion, before continuing on to more than 30 other cities and major venues across North America.

Are you going to ingest a Double Dose Of Poison this May?