Here are the top stories from this past week's Day in Rock report
Zakk Wylde, Bootsy Collins, Buddy Guy Lead Experience Hendrix Tour
(Radio.com) Radio.com is proud to announce 2014′s Experience Hendrix Tour, the guitar-centric tribute to Jimi Hendrix that's run on and off since its first incarnation as the Jimi Hendrix Guitar Festival at Bumbershoot '95.
This year's tour will feature Buddy Guy, Bootsy Collins and Zakk Wylde, along with a busload of other guitar legends including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Gales, Eric Johnson, Serbian blues-rocker Ana Popovic, Doyle Bramhall II, Mato Nanji of Indigenous, and Los Lobos co-frontmen Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo.
The tour is set to kick off March 11 in Dallas and run through April 3′s Detroit show. Other than Wylde and Popovic, the other artists have played the tour in the past. John McDermott, one of the tour's organizers, told Radio.com that while Wylde, Hildago, Guy, Zappa and Collins may be an odd combination, the goal of the tour is to show the scope of Hendrix's musical influence.
"We try to follow the roots to the fruits," McDermott said. "Before he passed away, we had [blues legend] Hubert Sumlin, who was a favorite of Jimi's. We have Buddy Guy, who is a favorite of Jimi's. We like to have a variety of [younger] players to show how broad and deep the influence is. "
While Wylde spends most of his time on the road playing to all-metal audiences, it's not all that surprising that he signed on for this tour given his fandom (one of his sons is named Hendrix). As for the other tour rookie, Popvic, she first came to the attention of Hendrix fans via a cover of "Belly Button Window" on the 2000 tribute album Blue Haze. "Ana is somebody who we had seen, we saw a performance of 'If 6 Was 9,' which was great, so she was a no-brainer for us," McDermott said. - more on this story
Rush On Hiatus
(hennemusic) As Rush release their new "Clockwork Angels Tour" DVD this week, guitarist Alex Lifeson tells Billboard that the band will be on hiatus for most of 2014 but assures fans it will only be a short break and they will return.
"We've committed to taking about a year off," says Lifeson. "We all agreed when we finished this tour (in early August) we were going to take this time off and we weren't going to talk about band stuff or make any plans. We committed to a year, so that's going to take us through to the end of next summer, for sure. That's the minimum. We haven't stopped or quit. Right now we're just relaxing. We're taking it easy and just enjoying our current employment."
That said, Lifeson acknowledges that he and singer/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee - who both live in the Toronto area while drummer Neil Peart resides in California - "typically get a little bored, and so we enjoy writing and working together and I wouldn't doubt that some time in the new year we'll probably gravitate towards each other and start doing some writing."
"It's going to be interesting to see where we do go next," he continues. "You know, the album is dying as a format. We're so used to it and we're so old school in that format, but will we get more mileage by doing a few new songs at a time, or do we do another album? It's hard to say what the future holds, and it's just changing so rapidly. It's always hard to speculate where you're going to go." - more on this story
Sammy Hagar and Motley Crue's Vince Neil Planning Tour
While Motley Crue has announced their intentions to retire, their frontman Vince Neil has revealed that he plans to continue performing and even broke news about a tour with Sammy Hagar.
Neil was recently interviewed by Vegas Rocks! Magazine and was asked about what he intended to do following the band's retirement and revealed that he is already working on a big tour with Sammy Hagar for next year.
The singer told the publication, "I have my own stuff. I have my solo band, and we have a lot of touring coming up. And actually, it looks like me and Sammy Hagar are gonna go out together for a long tour next year. I'll be carrying the torch for Motley Crue when Motley Crue is done." - more on this story
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Wants Rick Rubin To Produce Solo Album
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler has been meeting with Rick Rubin to see if popular producer will sign on produce his debut solo album, tentatively due next spring.
"I'm working on it," Tyler tells Rolling Stone. "I just got back from Russia. Tour was over last week, so I set up my studio, and I had dinner with Rick Rubin last night."
While their working together is not yet confirmed, Tyler seemed confident about Rubin's involvement when asked about the likelihood. "We did do 'Walk This Way' with Run-D.M.C.," he said. "That was his idea." - more on this story
The Doors Surviving Members Plan Q&A At Special Event
(hennemusic) The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is hosting "An Evening With The Doors" on December 5, an event which will feature a screening of "Mr. Mojo Risin: The Making of L.A. Woman" and a Q&A with surviving band members Robbie Krieger and John Densmore.
The 2011 documentary "Mr. Mojo Risin: The Making of L.A. Woman" looks at the creation of The Doors' sixth album, offering a detailed perspective of the intense recording sessions that produced one of the group's most memorable records.
Krieger and Densmore will be on hand for a Q&A following the screening to discuss the band's legacy and their own careers. Check out the trailer for the film - here.
R.E.M. Members Reunite
(Gibson) There was a partial reunion of R.E.M. last week when drummer Bill Berry and bass player Mike Mills joined guitarist Peter Buck on stage during one of his solo shows at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia.
The former bandmates performed R.E.M.'s 1984 track "(Don't Go Back To) Rockville." According to reports, former frontman Michael Stipe was in the audience too. So if he happened to be singing along, a case could be made that R.E.M. performed together, right? Right?
R.E.M. called it quits following the release of the album Collapse Into Now in 2011, an album which they chose not to tour for. "As lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band," they sad by way of explaining the break. "We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished."
However, comments made by Mills to Rolling Stone in May seem to indicate that this onstage jam is as close as we're going to get to the real thing. "We said we're done and we're done," he said at the time "If we honestly thought there was a chance of a reunion tour, we might have said so at the time."
During that May interview, Mills explained that there was no animosity among band members: it was simply time to bring the band to an end. "There were no real factors other than deciding it was time to break up," he said. "There's no drug abuse. There's no in-fighting. There's no legal problems. It was time to break up. That's never really been done before. The idea of breaking up and not reforming for a reunion tour is kind of attractive to us. I doubt you'll see us touring as R.E.M. again."
Check out video of the reunion performance - here.
Bruce Springsteen Releasing New Single Next Week
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen has announced that he will be releasing a new single, "High Hopes", on November 25. Originally recorded by Los Angeles band The Havalinas, a version of the song appeared on Springsteen's 1996 documentary and EP, "Blood Brothers".
Bruce and The E Street Band performed the song during their March tour of Australia this year, along with special guest Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, who was filling in on guitar for Steve Van Zandt.
In January, Springsteen will perform in South Africa for the very first time before kicking off a month-long tour of Australia and New Zealand in Perth on February 5. - Hear the original version here.
Queens of the Stone Age Get Interactive In New Video
(Radio.com) For "Vampyre of Time and Memory," Queens of the Stone Age have crafted a surreal interactive music video that allows fans to peruse the hallways of a rather creepy mansion.
The clip–directed by Kii Arens, Jason Trucco with help from the tech company Darknet–lets fans lead the way threw the gothic house only to end up in an ever-changing grand ballroom with a very well-manicured Josh Homme and the rest of the band playing the song in dapper suits and ties.
While interacting with the clip, users can find QOTSA performing in three different settings, as well as access song lyrics and a direct link to purchase …Like Clockwork by clicking on various onscreen "Easter eggs" like the very cool poster for the band's show at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple leads to La-La Land Posters, which is home base for the artwork of director Arens.
The elaborate clip can be accessed through its own dedicated website. But for fans who prefer to just sit back and relax, the band has also provided a director's cut of the video, which merges the various scenes and settings of the interactive clip into one fluid visual. Watch it - here.
The Flaming Lips Have Major Plans For Black Friday
(Gibson) The Flaming Lips will mark this year's Black Friday edition of Record Store Day by participating in a trio of interesting projects and creating a chocolate skull and a toy frog.
The band has curated a covers album of the entire first Stone Roses LP along with bands including Peaking Lights, Stardeath, White Dwarfs, New Fumes, Def Rain, Poliça, Foxygen's Jonathan Rado and Spaceface. They've also recorded a collaborative EP with Australian neo-psychedelic rockers Tame Impala where they cover each other's songs, and will release a vinyl edition of their Peace Sword soundtrack EP for the film Ender's Game. And frontman Wayne Coyne tells Rolling Stone the band also hopes to have an edible chocolate head ready in time too.
"It's all made out of chocolate, it's a life-size human skull, a life-sized human brain, and the brain is actually sliding out of the skull made with this brain fluid flavored hard-candy," Coyne says. "And there's a little magic coin inside that brain that you're supposed to dig out. I think it's supposed to get you into any Flaming Lips show in the world. I think that's our intention." If the Oompa Loompas haven't sorted out the chocolate head by Black Friday, the band will aim to have it out for Christmas.
Perhaps even more bizarre though is [Expletive] You Frog, a toy frog which contains a recording of the band's first demo. "That is our very first demo that we ever recorded that's never been released before," Coyne says. "So you get that in this packet. This little frog that's kind of a recorder that you can manipulate the sound on." - more on this story
Stevie Nicks Releasing In Your Dreams Documentary Next Month
(hennemusic) Stevie Nicks will release her 2013 documentary, "In Your Dreams", on December 3. The project shows a behind-the-scenes look at the Fleetwood Mac singer as she created her 2011 solo album of the same title.
Co-produced and co-directed by Dave Stewart, "In Your Dreams" shows the musical journey that the two artists embarked on in Nicks' Los Angeles home as they wrote and recorded an album during what Nicks called "the greatest year of my life".
For "In Your Dreams", Nicks allowed cameras inside her mansion high above L.A. with a wild cast of musicians and friends. The inner life of the legendary Nicks has by her design long been kept at a distance from the public. We learn in "Dreams" that her world features costume parties, elaborate dinner feasts, tap dancing, fantasy creations and revealing song writing and recording sessions all of which are captured on film. - more on this story
Stryper Score Top 40 Debut With New Album
(Gibson) It's a chart result that's pretty much unprecedented in the modern era for 80s hard rock acts, especially those with a Christian element: 80s rockers Stryper have landed at a very respectable #35 on the Billboard Top 200 with their new album No More Hell To Pay.
The album also landed at #2 on the Contemporary Christian Albums chart, #3 on the Current Hard Music Albums chart, #3 on the Top Hard Music Albums chart, #3 on the Billboard Top Christian/Gospel Albums chart and #6 on the Top Current Rock Albums. The album sold over 9,500 copies in its first week.
Hailed by fans as a return to their classic sound, No More Hell To Pay features the original lineup of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitars), Oz Fox (guitars), Tim Gaines (bass) and Robert Sweet (drums), and was produced by Michael Sweet.
"We're humbled to be charting alongside some of the biggest and best in music today," Michael Sweet said. "We've worked hard to deliver the best Stryper record to date and we couldn't be more proud of "No More Hell To Pay"! The Yellow & Black Attack is back (well, we never really left). Here's to 30 more years and we'll see you on the road in 2014."
Second Coming, an album of re-recorded Stryper classics, sold less than half the number of copies of No More Hell To Pay in April and handed at #117. Their 2011 covers album The Covering sold 4,600 copies to hit #175, and their previous album of new material, Murder By Pride, reached #73 in 2009. - more on this story
Roger Waters Reflects On Original Pink Floyd Frontman Syd Barrett
(Gibson) Roger Waters reflected on the legacy of original Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett at the recent Billboard Touring Conference, describing the troubled songwriter as "very talented" but "only incandescent for a year or two maybe."
During the 80-minute discussion, Waters also recalled Floyd's 1967 U.S. debut performance at San Francisco's Winterland, saying Janis Joplin pilfered a pint of Southern Comfort he had just purchased just before the show.
Earlier this week, Waters spoke with Rolling Stone about his forthcoming solo album--his first "rock" effort in 20 years. "I finished a demo of it last night," he revealed.
"It's 55 minutes long. It's songs and theater as well. I don't want to give too much away, but it's couched as a radio play. It has characters who speak to each other, and it's a quest. It's about an old man and a young child trying to figure out why they are killing the children." The veteran rocker went on to say he isn't sure whether he'll support the disc with a tour. - more on this story
Robert Plant Releases Second Episode of New Web Series
(hennemusic) Robert Plant has posted the second episode in his new 8-part web series, "Zirka", which documents his 2003 trip to perform in Mali and the Festival In The Desert.
Plant appeared at the famed festival alongside Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen and many others. "It was a journey of revelation — one of the most illuminating and humbling experiences of my life," Plant explained recently to Rolling Stone.
"[The trip] took us from the scurry and bustle of our world into the homeland of the Tuareg, the Sahel of Mali, Timbuctoo, and north to Essakane. A journey that could only reinforce the power and the great gift of music across and between cultures. . . sharing outside of language." - Check out the video here.
Black Sabbath React To Living Legend Award
(Gibson) Black Sabbath were the big winners at this year's Classic Rock Roll of Honor ceremony in London. The heavy metal pioneers picked up three prizes, including the coveted Living Legend award, reports NME.com.
"I didn't even expect to live this long," said Ozzy Osbourne, accepting the awards. "When I was 21 I thought I would be dead by 40. That was alright until I was 39." He later added: "I never thought 43 years ago I'd be standing here. We're in shock--this year has been an incredible event for us."
Guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler attended the event as well. "It's fantastic to get the awards," said Iommi. "When we started out we never thought about it, you just wanted to play. Even this time, we never thought for a minute [the new album] would get to number one. We just wanted to make an album."
In other Sabbath news, the band has just announced another round of North American live dates, kicking off at the end of March. - more on this story
The Wildhearts Planning Spring Tour With Ginger's New Band
(Classic Rock) The Wildhearts have announced that will be heading out on tour in April 2014, with support provided by Classic Rock Award nominees – and another Ginger project – Hey! Hello!
This tour will see Ginger reunited with his bandmates CJ & Ritch, and will welcome the return of Scott Sorry on bass. Says Ginger: "The Wildhearts always seem to regroup when the timing is absolutely right for everyone. I absolutely cannot wait to get back onstage with the lads, and we're all excited to be playing with our brother Scott again."
Scott Sorry had this to say about the reunion, "After a four year long break, I am excited as hell to hit the road again with The Wildhearts. April couldn't come soon enough." - more on this story
Nine Inch Nails Announce UK Spring Tour
(Classic Rock) Nine Inch Nails will be heading across the pond to launch a tour of the UK next year, where they will be performing six shows in May, it's been confirmed.
It's a continuation of the first world tour since Trent Reznor reactivated the band he'd shut down in 2009. Their eighth studio album, Hesitation Marks, was released in September.
NIN performed at this summer's Leeds and Reading festivals, but the upcoming dates mark their first full UK tour in six years. The shows will feature the full arena production they've been using across the US. - more on this story
Roy Harper Appears In Court On Alleged Child Sex Charges
(Classic Rock) Roy Harper appeared in court on Monday (November 18) for a hearing. The iconic folk musician has been charged for allegedly sexually abusing an underage girl.
He's accused of two charges of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13 in the 1970s, plus three charges of indecent assault and four of gross indecency. All charges relate to one alleged victim.
The 72-year-old progressive folk musician, best known for his guest vocals on Pink Floyd track Have A Cigar, entered no plea during a short hearing at Hereford Magistrates' Court. - more on this story
Monster Truck and Scorpion Child Team For Lords Of The Riff Tour
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock is proud to present the Lords Of The Riff UK tour, featuring a double-whammy of rising star acts Monster Truck and Scorpion Child, in association with their sister title Metal Hammer.
Highly rated by both magazines, the bands will deliver nine shows in March next year, taking turns at closing the show. Canadians Monster Truck have been in existence for four years.
The four-piece released their debut album Furiosity earlier this year and won a Juno Award in their home country. Frontman Jon Harvey says: "We can't wait to get back over to the UK with Scorpion Child. It's going to be a certified rock'n'roll roadshow that will melt your face off…"
Texan outfit Scorpion Child launched also launched their first album this year. The self-titled opus led to their nomination in the Best New Band category at the Classic Rock Awards. Vocalist Aryn Jonathan Black enthuses: "We are super excited to rejoin our European family, along with Canadian brethren Monster Truck." - more on this story
Threshold Working On Next Album
(Prog) Threshold are at work on what will be their tenth studio album and guitarist Karl Groom hopes the change of pace between new albums will be permanent.
Their previous studio outing was 2012′s March Of Progress, their first with vocalist Damian Wilson since his return in 2009. Fans had been forced to wait five years for the sequel to Dead Reckoning.
Groom reports that he and keyboardist Rich West started thinking about new material during their last stint on the road. "Our touring for the March Of Progress album inspired Rich and I to get writing not long after the main set of dates," he says. - more on this story
Eric Clapton Releases Tears In Heaven Video From Crossroads DVD
(hennemusic) Eric Clapton is sharing video footage of a performance of his 1992 hit, "Tears In Heaven", from his new live package, "2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival."
Due for release Tuesday in North America on DVD and Blu-ray with highlights on digital and CD, the set features nearly 5 hours of music across 45 tracks, plus conversations with the artists and other behind-the-scenes footage from the event.
On April 12 and 13 in New York City, Clapton assembled an unparalleled lineup of the world's most celebrated guitarists for the fourth incarnation of his legendary festival, where the world's greatest players perform together to raise funds for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. Clapton founded this treatment and education facility in 1998 to help people suffering from chemical dependency. - Check out the video here.
Dregen Reveals Bald Look in New Music Video
(Classic Rock) Former Backyard Babies guitarist Dregen has released a video for his track Flat Tyre On A Muddy Road and it's the first time fans will have seen his bald look.
The guitarist, who's taken a break from Michael Monroe's band to promote his self-titled solo debut, explains that his hair started to fall out as he worked his way through a hectic year.
"Here's the answer to all of you who have asked why I've been wearing a hat or bandana for the last six months," Dregen says. "I became a dad. I was writing and recording my solo album. I was writing and recording the Michael Monroe album. I wrote a 330-page autobiography. I was touring. All at the same time.
"So my hair fell off – overnight. All of it. The doctor called it 'post traumatic stress disorder.'" But he's pleased to report he'll soon be sporting a head of hair again, and reflects: "Luckily I don't play or write with my hair… It could have been worse. I could have lost my fingers." - Check out the video here.
Blitz Kids Release 'Sometimes' Video
(TeamRock Radio) Blitz Kids have released a video for their track Sometimes. It's taken from the band's upcoming album The Good Youth, which is set for launch on January 20.
Frontman Joe James asserts living in the past two decades has been a massive boost for the Crewe four-piece. He recently told the Plymouth Herald: "We grew up in what I think was true best era of music ever. People still play System Of A Down and Green Day. It was a golden age."
But he cites Queen frontman Freddie Mercury as one of his biggest influences, saying: "I'm a real introvert. I always admired Freddie but I never saw myself in that role. Then I realised even he had insecurities – but he just got on and did it."
James describes writing material for Blitz Kids' next album as "a bit like self-therapy." - Check out the video here.
A Look Back At Led Zeppelin III
(Gibson) Led Zeppelin III often has been tagged the group's "folk album." But how folkie is a tune like the operatic "Immigrant Song" or the charging "Out on the Tiles" or the epic blues "Since I've Been Loving You" or the wailing "Celebration Day?"
What the album actually represented was the band's arrival at the height of their compositional powers and the apex of their ability to distill their primary influences (folk, rock and blues) into something grander that faithfully encompassed elements of all three genres. And to do that, they had to go "country" – or at least into the countryside.
Until mid-1970 the group hardly had time to plan its moves. Less than two years in existence, Led Zeppelin had already made two albums and toured the U.S. – where Page acquired his storied "Number One" Gibson Les Paul Standard from Joe Walsh – five times, rising from clubs to arenas as their guarantees swelled from $1,500 to $100,000 a show. The modus operandi had been to grab their blues roots hard and hit the ground running, and it was only when they stopped in July for a five-week break in the action that Led Zeppelin III crystallized as something more.
Before that the group had tried to record "Since I'd Been Loving You," which appears in a pre-Led Zeppelin III live version on the Royal Albert Hall concert DVD, but couldn't nail its radical shifts in dynamics and intensity in the studio.
The acoustic "Friends," inspired by Page's tinkering with open C tuning, and "Immigrant Song" were also written, or at least ready to get crunched out in jams and on tape.
But sometimes the vibe just isn't right. Maybe, for Led Zeppelin in 1970, it was a matter of finding the right headspace. The group's most recent tour of the States had been a challenge. On the plus side, they set attendance records wherever they traveled and grossed well over a million dollars at a time when concert tickets were about the same price as a fast-food meal today. But the minuses included conflicts between the police and Led Zeppelin's counter-culture audiences in Baltimore, Vancouver, Pittsburgh and other cities. In Georgia and Texas, Plant and Page were taunted by rednecks when their bus stopped, and in Texas they were refused service at a restaurant because of their long hair and had a pistol pulled on them. Worse, in Canada, Page's beloved three-pick-up 1960 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty was nicked at an airport and still has never been recovered. He'd played the instrument since his years in the Yardbirds.
So when Plant suggested a July retreat to the ancient Welsh cottage Bron-Yr-Aur that he'd visited as a lad, he and Page packed up their families and headed to the country to find some peace.
After 18 months on the road playing at teeth-rattling volumes, the tranquility of the unelectrified cottage was welcome. It also seemed to be a perfect segue for the music they'd been listening to, which included a big helping of acoustic open-tuning wizards John Fahey, Burt Jansch and Davy Graham.
"That's the Way" ended up becoming a turning point in the upcoming album's direction. After Page and Plant mapped the song out at Bron-Yr-Aur it became a touchstone, dictating further acoustic explorations for Led Zeppelin III. Page developed the song in open G tuning, inspired by Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, and that, in turn, fueled a search for new textures when they returned to the studio. When the song was recorded John Paul Jones shifted from bass to mandolin, and Page took turns at pedal steel and dulcimer.
"That's the Way" was actually the only song written during the idyll in the countryside, but, Page says, it opened up the approach that made Led Zeppelin III a landmark recording in the group's history. -
Roy Harper Charged With Alleged Child Sexual Abuse
(Classic Rock) Roy Harper has been charged with sexually abusing a girl from the age of 12. The progressive folk musician, 72, will appear in Hereford Magistrates' Court on Monday in relation to nine counts of sexual assault, which are alleged to have taken place between 1975 and 1977.
The incidents are said to have taken place in Herefordshire and relate to one victim. Harper, who is based in Ireland, is probably best known for his guest vocals on Pink Floyd's 1975 track Have A Cigar. He also worked with Led Zeppelin and is cited as an influence by the Who, Kate Bush and Jethro Tull, among others.
The musician was summonsed last month after he was voluntarily interviewed by police in February. A brief statement was posted on his Facebook page. Read it - here.
Guns N' Roses Top Dangerous Driving List
(TeamRock Radio) Guns N' Roses track "Paradise City" is one of the most dangerous songs to listen to while driving, according to a list released by insurance website Confused.com.
They used their MotorMate app to monitor the behaviour of motorists as they drove 250 miles without music playing and the same distance with sounds on.
The firm says that listening to rock music caused men to drive more aggressively, moving faster and braking later. Women responded in a similar way to hip-hop. - more on this story
Vince Neil Clarifies Motley Crue's Reason For Retiring
(hennemusic) Vince Neil says Motley Crue's farewell tour plans are not related to guitarist Mick Mars' health, following recent comments to the contrary by drummer Tommy Lee.
"I don't know why Tommy would say that," Neil tells Vegas Rocks! Magazine. "It really had nothing to do with Mick's health. It was just because we all felt — at least me and Nikki [Sixx, bass] and Mick — felt that it was just we didn't wanna go out on the bottom.
"We didn't wanna be one of those bands that start fading away. We've been on top for 32 years, and it's great. And it's just like, you know what? By the time we finish this tour, it'll be in 35 years of Motley Crue. So… that's really kind of it." - more on this story
Cameron To Focus on Pearl Jam and Not Soundgarden in 2014
Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron has announced that he will not be joining the band on their road next year in order to focus on his other gig with Pearl Jam.
He tells fans in an online posting, "I will be taking 2014 off from Soundgarden touring due to prior commitments promoting 'Lightning Bolt' with my brothers in Pearl Jam and the desire to have more time at home with my family.
"I am trying to balance the many twists and turns of my awesome music career. This is temporary. I am still an active member of Soundgarden. Chris, Ben, Kim and I are in the process of finding the perfect substitute for the upcoming Soundgarden dates in 2014."
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Journey Donate Over $350K To Philippines Storm Relief
(Classic Rock) Journey have donated more than $350,000 to victims of the storm that struck the Philippines earlier this month. The band are fronting a US appeal for more funds while the International Committee of the Red Cross are running a wider campaign.
Over 11 million people are believed to have been affected after super typhoon Haiyan made landfall on November 7, killing more than 4000. It's thought to have been the second most intense storm on record in the area with wind speeds reaching 200mph.
Journey frontman Arnel Pineda, a Filipino who remains based in Manila, is aiming to take a leading role in recovery efforts – and he's started by pledging the six-figure sum from his bandmates and their associates Live Nation, Creative Artists Agency and manager John Baruck. - more on this story
The Beatles Animated For Buddy Holly Cover
(hennemusic) The Beatles have premiered a new animated video for their performance of the Buddy Holly classic, "Words Of Love", from the band's newly-released "On Air - Live At the BBC Vol. 2" package.
The set features 63 tracks, none of which overlaps with The Beatles' first BBC release, including 37 previously unreleased performances and 23 previously unreleased recordings of in-studio banter and conversation between the band's members and their BBC radio hosts.
Ten of On Air's songs were never recorded by the group for EMI in the 1960s, including two making their debuts with the new release: The Beatles' direct-to-air performance of Chuck Berry's "I'm Talking About You" and a rocking cover of the standard "Beautiful Dreamer." - Watch the video here.
Maynard James Keenan Says New Tool Album Process Is Tedious
(TeamRock Radio) Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan admits getting set to add his input to the next Tool album is "tedious." His bandmates are thought to be working on tracks for the follow-up to 2006's 10,000 Days – but it's taking a while.
Keenan tells Rolling Stone: "I don't write the music. They write the music. I wait for them to bring music to me. They tend to go back over and over stuff.
"It's a long process – for a person like me, it can be a very tedious process." He doesn't believe it needs to take as long as it does. "They don't have to go through it 700 times," the frontman says. "They can trust that first thought. But that's their process, so you've got to let them do it." - more on this story
Robert Plant Pays To Play In Charity Soccer Match
(hennemusic) Robert Plant has paid £900 to play in a testimonial football/soccer match next year for the Wolverhampton Wanderers as part of a fund-raising effort for the Birmingham Children's Hospital.
The former Led Zeppelin frontman's bid was part of total figure in excess of £8,000 collected for the hospital at a fund-raising dinner Thursday night, according to The Guardian.
The May 2014 testimonial match between the Wanderers and Sunderland is a tribute to newly-retired Wanderers' captain Jody Craddock, who played for both teams in the Premiere League; his son, Toby, has been treated for leukemia at the Birmingham Children's Hospital. - more on this story
Allman Brothers Release Whipping Post Video From Crossroads DVD
(hennemusic) Eric Clapton is sharing video of a performance of "Whipping Post" by the Allman Brothers Band as seen on the new live package, "2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival."
Due for release November 19 in North America on DVD and Blu-ray and – for the first time ever – audio highlights on digital and CD, the clip is the second one issued from the set featuring the Allmans – watch Clapton and the band play "Why Has Love Got To Be So Sad" here.
"2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival" features nearly 5 hours of music across 45 tracks, plus conversations with the artists and other behind-the-scenes footage from the event. - Watch the video.
Scorpions Release MTV Unplugged Preview
(hennemusic) The Scorpions have released a video preview and movie trailer of the upcoming release of "MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens."
Due November 29 in Europe (January 21, 2014 in North America), the package features a mix of classic Scorpions tracks and new songs performed acoustically.
In September, the German rockers performed three MTV Unplugged concerts in Athens, Greece at the city's Lycabettus Theatre. "MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens" will be available on CD, DVD and Blu-ray disc. - Watch the preview here.
Paul Rodgers Release Cover Of Sam & Dave Classic
(hennemusic) Paul Rodgers is sharing his cover of the Sam & Dave classic, "I Thank You", as a preview of "The Royal Sessions", a collection of classic R&B and soul songs redone by the Bad Company singer due in early 2014.
Recorded at Memphis' Royal Studios, historic home of Willie Mitchell and Hi Records, "The Royal Sessions" features Rodgers' interpretations of songs by Otis Redding, Albert King and Ann Peebles, among others
Produced by Perry Margouleff, "The Royal Sessions" pairs Rodgers with an all-star roster of legendary musicians who played on the original hits dating back to the '60's. The classic rhythm section includes Reverend Charles Hodges (Hammond B3), Michael Tolls (guitar), LeRoy Hodges Jr. (bass), "Hubby" Archie Turner (Wurlitzer), Steve Potts and James Robertson Sr. (drums), The Royal Horns and the Royal Singers. - Check out the cover here.
Ace Frehley Lands New Record Deal
(hennemusic) Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has signed a new two-album deal with eOne Music. Frehley announced his new deal with eOne Music Friday morning on the Mancow radio show in Chicago.
This summer, Ace was in the studio recording with drummer Matt Starr (Burning Rain) and bassist Chris Wyse (The Cult, Owl) for the follow up to his 2009 release, "Anomaly."
Frehley is also working on a companion to 2011's "No Regrets: A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir", which debuted at #10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list upon its release in 2011. - Check out video here.
Pearl Jam Broadcasting Lightning Bolt Tour Shows
(hennemusic) Pearl Jam has begun airing concerts from their current "Lightning Bolt" tour on its Pearl Jam Radio channel on SiriusXM. The first show from the tour, which took place in Pittsburgh, PA on October 11, debuted last Friday, November 15.
The channel will premiere a different show from the tour each Friday at 6:00 pm ET, with rebroadcasts on Saturdays at 7:00 pm ET and Sundays at 2:00 pm ET.
Concerts are accessible on Pearl Jam Radio via satellite on channel 22, through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App on smartphones and other connected devices, and online at siriusxm.com. - more on this story
Quireboys Laughs Off Drummer Woes and Accept Spinal Tap Comparison
(Classic Rock) Quireboys frontman Spike has laughed off the band's drummer woes – and accepted a comparison with Spinal Tap. They recently parted ways with Matt Goom, the eleventh man to sit behind the kit, who said: "I'm now ready for a new adventure and I will see you all very soon." The current stand-in is Simon Hanson of Squeeze.
Asked if Spinal Tap used the Quireboys as a role model, Spike tells Austrian TV show Mulatschag: "Exactly. We've had 25 since the start. You couldn't make it up, could you?"
He recalls how late Little Angels man Michael Lee replaced Jason Bonham, who was still packing up when the new man arrived. "They were never very good friends," he says. "The look on each others' faces… originally Jason didn't get the job with Page and Plant – they gave it to Michael."
And Spike says his memories of working with former manager Sharon Osbourne are good. - Read what he had to say.
Arcane Roots Ask Fans To Pick Cover Songs For Upcoming Tour
(Prog) Arcane Roots have invited fans to submit cover versions they'd like to hear the band tackling. And they've vowed to choose one on every day of their upcoming tour, record it and post it online.
The band is currently gearing up for a run of headline shows with support from Empire and Verses, followed by a set of support slots with Coheed And Cambria.
If you want to suggest a cover for the group, just use the hashtag #OneCoverADay or #ARUKTour and Arcane Roots will select from the resulting list.
The band has also released a video for their upcoming single, Resolve, due for release on December 9. View it - here.
Bill Wyman Has Warning For Blues Fans
(The Blues) Bill Wyman has issued a warning to people who are starting to explore blues music, telling them to be cautious over where they begin. The former Rolling Stone believes the genre he loves is at risk from low-quality output which leads to stereotyping.
Wyman tells the Yorkshire Post: "People should be very careful about what blues music they listen to when they start. Because if they start off with something that's not very good quality it will put them off for life.
"At its worst, blues can be really dull and boring. But if they're listening to Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed or people like that, they'll get the really good quality blues.
"A lot of it's got fantastic humour; some of it's saucy. A lot of it is very close to the edge." - more on this story
Black Sabbath Release Paranoid Video
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath have released a preview video of their performance of the classic "Paranoid" from their forthcoming live DVD, "Black Sabbath – Gathered In Their Masses."
Due November 26, the set features the band recorded over two shows – April 29 and May 1 – in Melbourne, Australia during the early stages of the group's current world tour.
In support of their latest album, "13", Black Sabbath launches a fall tour through Europe this Thursday, November 20 in Helsinki, Finland. Check out the "Paranoid" video - here.
KISS' Music From The Elder Still Controversial 32 Years Later
(Classic Rock) Kiss' Music From The Elder was released on November 16, 1981 – 32 years ago this month. Was it the band's worst album or was it an unheralded masterpiece?
Art or arrogance? Love it or hate it, Music From The Elder has long been considered to be the most divisive album released by Kiss (yes, even more so than Psycho Circus or Carnival Of Souls). The Elder is so divisive, in fact, that even we at Classic Rock can't make up our minds about it!
A couple of years back we included The Elder in a list of the Top 50 Worst Albums Ever, saying:
The Pan-Stik'd rock titans dropped a bollock the size of Jupiter with this bafflingly bad tale of one boy's stand against extra-terrestrial invaders.* So embarrassing that guitarist Ace Frehley left the band soon afterwards. The Elder reached its nadir with the God Of Thunder's uber-syrupy ballad A World Without Heroes – closer to Diana Ross than Kiss. Only The Oath kicked something approaching arse.
…Oops! We obviously forgot that way back in Classic Rock issue 72 (November 2004 edition) we named The Elder as one of the 20 Most Underrated Rock Albums Ever, saying:
The Elder was a mad concept album that confused the hell out of everyone. A colossal failure in sales terms, this anomalous release nonetheless has much to recommend it. A spooky atmosphere is conjured up by bizarre opening track The Oath, and a sense of impending doom never departs. For The Elder Kiss rehired Bob Ezrin, who had produced their 1976 classic Destroyer, and whose last project had been Pink Floyd's The Wall. Which probably accounts for much of the demented nature of The Elder. Surprisingly, some of the songs were even co-written with Mr Lou Reed.
Here's what Ace himself had to say about The Elder in his book No Regrets, A Rock'N'Roll Memoir: Bob Ezrin is a brilliant producer, but when it came to the ninth Kiss studio album (and what would turn out to be, for all practical purposes, my last Kiss album for a while), Music From The Elder, I disagreed with him and the band on many issues. I could see it from the beginning. I had the street smarts and common sense to take a giant step back and look at the project with an objective eye, and I knew it was a colossal mistake in judgment. Paul, Gene and Bob didn't get it. They went forward with the whole ridiculous concept.
As anyone who knows rock'n'roll can tell you, concept records can be career killers even for the most talented bands. The problem is that instead of ending up with a masterpiece like Tommy, you could end up with Saucy Jack, Spinal Tap's unproduced rock opera about Jack The Ripper. - More from Ace and a lot more.
Queen's Roger Taylor Streams Bonus Song Online
(hennemusic) Queen drummer Roger Taylor is streaming "Dear Mr. Murdoch (Nude Mix)", a bonus track from his newly-released solo album, "Fun On Earth", as included in the career-spanning collection "The Lot."
Recorded at Priory Studios in Surrey, the project marks Taylor's first new solo album in 15 years. In addition to the solo album, Roger has also released "The Lot" - the complete collection of his back catalog of solo work and material from The Cross.
The material is available in stunning limited collector's editions and digital formats. "The Lot" comprises Roger's solo albums "Fun In Space" (1981), "Strange Frontier" (1984), "Happiness?" (1994), "Electric Fire" (1998) and "Fun On Earth", as well as the three albums by his band The Cross – "Shove It" (1988), "Mad, Bad And Dangerous To Know" (1990) and "Blue Rock" (1991). - Check out the song here.
Rush Releases Two Performances From Upcoming DVD
(hennemusic) Rush have released performance videos of the songs "Red Sector A" and "Middletown Dreams" from their forthcoming live DVD, "Clockwork Angels Tour."
Due November 19, Rush were filmed and recorded last November at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas. The 11-month marathon world tour crossed North America twice and ventured overseas to Europe in support of the band's acclaimed 2012 studio release "Clockwork Angels."
In capturing the tour's three-hour set, "Rush: Clockwork Angels Tour" pairs Rush classics ('Tom Sawyer', 'The Spirit Of Radio', '2112'), with a nod to the '80s Rush era ('The Analog Kid', 'Territories', 'Subdivisions') alongside newly reworked arrangements specifically for the tour featuring the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble ('Headlong Flight', 'YYZ', 'Red Sector A'). The string section marks the first time the trio has brought additional musicians on the road with them. To showcase their latest studio release, the epic set list also features nine tracks off "Clockwork Angels." Other highlights include tracks rarely performed and never before recorded live ('The Body Electric', 'Middletown Dreams'), in addition to three separate drum solos by Neil Peart. - Watch the videos here.
Jolly Get Animated With Mike Portnoy In New Video
(Prog) Jolly have released an animated video for their track Lucky. It's taken from The Audio Guide To Happiness Part 2, which the band finally released in March after fighting back from seeing their studio devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
They tell Purevolume: "We took time out of our busy schedule to do some arts and crafts to make our latest animated video. We made the most we could out of cardboard, hot glue, and computer software. Jolly loves you."
The promo includes a scene featuring Mike Portnoy – the band hint: "Look for the puppy nursery van." Look for it as you watch the brand new music video
