Last summer, Bono told Rolling Stone that U2 have as many as four records ready to go. “We have “Songs of Ascent,” which is the meditative work that was meant to complement “No Line on the Horizon.” We've got a rock album. We also have a club-sounding album. And then we have the Spider-Man (musical) stuff.”
Well, looks like the first of the four may be on track for this spring.
U2 fan website @u2 has discovered a listing for a new album on the German version of Amazon.com here.
No details are provided, (the title is displayed simply as “New Album 2011″), Amazon does include a release date of May 27 in the listing.
While the band has not confirmed anything on this news, the information does sync up with what U2′s manager, Paul McGuiness, said in an interview to New Zealand website stuff.co.nz last November: “We are trying very hard to use this time in New Zealand and Australia to finish an album that will be released in the spring… It’s not so much recording as editing and polishing up lyrics and trying to getting it done by the date it needs to be delivered to the record company for release in May. It’s sounding great: lots of hits.”
Stay tuned.
U2 – Get On Your Boots Ernst Happel Stadion - Vienna, Austria - August 30, 2010
Whitesnake return this year with a new album “Forevermore,” and, naturally, they’re hitting the road to bring the music to fans.
The band has just announced a bunch of live dates for the tour, kicking things off in May.
“Forevermore” is set for release March 9 in Japan, March 25 in Europe and March 29 in North America.
The first single/video clip, “Love Will Set You Free,” will be out on February 21.
Whitesnake “Forevermore” 2011 Tour
May 14 - Columbia, MD - M3 Festival - Merriweather May 20 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Biloxi
Jun 02 - Moscow, Russia - Megasport Arena Jun 04 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Icearena Jun 08 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene Jun 10 - Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival Jun 13 - Newcastle, UK - City Hall Jun 14 - Glasgow, UK - Clyde Auditorium Jun 16 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic Jun 17 - Manchester, UK - Apollo Jun 19 - Bournemouth, UK - BIC Jun 20 - London, UK - Hammersmith Apollo Jun 22 - Milano, Italy - Gods of Metal Jun 25 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting Jun 27 - Munich, Germany - Zenith Jun 28 - Prague, Czech Republic - Saska Arena Jun 29 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle
Jul 01 - Belgrade, Serbia - Arena Jul 03 - Bucharest, Romania - Romexpo Jul 08 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Akademik Stadium Jul 10 - Istanbul, Turkey - Kazlicesme Festival Site
Whitesnake – Still Of The Night Live In The Still Of The Night DVD (2005)
Canadian rockers Rush will do some border-hopping in late June.
The band has confirmed a June 30 concert at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC, squeezing the date in between a June 28 Portland gig and a July 2 show in Seattle.
Tickets for the Vancouver show go on sale February 4th, with pre-sales for Rush.com members and AMEX front of line starting Tuesday at 10 AM.
The "Time Machine" tour resumes March 30 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Motley Crue’s Vince Neil is speaking up about his upcoming jail time.
"I made a mistake,” Neil tells People, “and I have to finally learn my lesson and go do a little bit of time."
"I've already learned my lesson,” he added.
Vince was dealt a soft sentence by Las Vegas authorities, who have given him 15 days in jail and 15 days house arrest, as part of his plea deal for his DUI arrest there last June.
The guilty plea helped Neil avoid a possible maximum sentence of six months in jail if he had been convicted at trial.
For some reason, Tess Driver, an assistant to the Clark County district attorney, feels that 15 days is enough for a repeat offender who had previously killed someone while drunk behind the wheel.
"He's getting a pretty solid sentence," Driver said.
Really?
Funny, I haven’t seen any references to Neil actually losing his license, or having it suspended, so it appears the Las Vegas authorities don’t take these matters very seriously.
Of his arrest, Neil said, "I just have to move on and get past it and get it behind me."
R.E.M. have just released the video for "Mine Smell Like Honey," the first radio single from the band’s forthcoming album, “Collapse Into Now,” due out March 8.
The video was directed by Dominic DeJoseph, who has directed music videos for R.E.M, including "Bittersweet Me," and "New Test Leper"(co-directed with Lance Bangs) from “New Adventures In Hi-Fi,” tour films for “Monster,” as well as music videos for Jenny Lewis, Tilly and The Wall, The Stills, Ryan Adams, The Dandy Warhols and Natalie Merchant.
“Collapse Into Now” is produced by Garret "Jacknife" Lee(Snow Patrol, U2), and was recorded in different cities -- Berlin, Nashville, New Orleans -- with breaks between to write and rewrite songs.
News of Bob Seger’s first concert tour in five years landed the Michigan rocker in the #1 position on the hennemusic Hot 10 this week.
With the tour set to start in March, fans await details regarding the exact cities and dates where Seger and his Silver Bullet Band will play; an announcement is expected shortly.
Seger, who turns 66 in May, is known for his legendary live performances at Cobo Hall over the years, and he will almost certainly play several hometown shows.
The HH10 is a list of the most-viewed rock news stories in the past week by hennemusic readers.
A rare, live tv appearance by metal legends Motorhead came in as the #2 most-viewed story of the week; Lemmy and crew have just launched a North American tour in support of their latest, “The World Is Yours,” due February 8.
Kirk Hammett of Metallica’s jam with Tool in Hawaii a few weeks back is still a hot item for Met’ fans, and so is the news that Van Halen are in the studio working on their first album with David Lee Roth in more than 25 years.
Other big rock news this past week included features on Guns N’ Roses, Wanda Jackson with Jack White, the Big 4 Festival announcement, Aerosmith starting writing sessions for a new album without Joe Perry, and Bret Michael’s heart surgery.
Ozzy Osbourne has probably been animated for most of his life, but now it’ll be on the big screen in a new Disney film.
“Gnomeo & Juliet” is a take on William Shakespeare's classic play, "Romeo and Juliet"; it features two garden gnomes in forbidden love. The couple looks to find lasting happiness and avoid tragedy as they are caught in the middle of a feud between neighbours.
Opening February 11, the film stars James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as the leading couple, along with Michael Caine, Jason Statham and others. The soundtrack features classic Elton John tracks.
Ozzy plays the role of Fawn, and we get our first glimpse of his character in a clip that aired during an interview Ozzy did last Thursday for KTTV (FOX 11)’s “Good Day LA.”
Ozzy Osbourne – interview FOX 11 TV – Good Day LA – January 27, 2011
Lotsa rumours floating around that Slipknot/Stone Sour vocalist Corey Taylor could be the new singer for Velvet Revolver.
In a new interview with Billboard.com, Taylor would neither confirm nor deny that is the “known singer" who's working under wraps with Velvet Revolver.
"To be continued!" Taylor told Billboard with a long, hearty laugh, before declining to say anything further.
No word from the VR camp, despite comments that they expected to announce the new singer this month.
Taylor has been doing double duty between Slipknot and Stone Sour, and does fit the profile of a "known" artist whose style is a little "heavier" than what previous singer, Scott Weiland, brought to the band…qualities referenced by both Slash and Matt Sorum in recent weeks.
As for the future of Slipknot in the wake of bassist Paul Gray's sudden death in May, Taylor is more forthcoming but hardly definite.
"I go back and forth," he acknowledges. Though the group has three Sonisphere Festival shows this summer in Europe and is tipped to play at this year's Rock in Rio festival, Taylor says that "there are moments when I'm like, 'Let's keep going for (Gray),' and there are moments when I'm like, 'It's not the same without him.' Right now my main concern is baby steps. We lost a huge piece of our band. We lost a huge member of our family -- in my opinion the biggest -- and it's a different vibe now. So right now I'm just taking it step by step, and I can only hope that the other guys in the band are as well."
While other Slipknot members have spoken about starting a new album, Taylor says he's not nearly in that headspace.
"There's a lot of things I've got to figure out about myself before I can even contemplate that," he explains. "There's a big part of me that wonders if I'm the guy for that band anymore. I'm in such a different place in my life...musically, spiritually. I'm not the angry kid anymore. A lot of things don't mean the same to me anymore, and there's a lot of things I don't feel like saying anymore. Does it make sense anymore? We'll just have to see."
In the meanwhile, Taylor is having no problem staying busy. Stone Sour -- which also includes Slipknot guitarist Jim Root -- will be on the Nightmare After Christmas tour with Avenged Sevenfold until Feb. 13, then head to Australia for Soundwave Festival shows in late February and March. On March 24 it kicks off the first Avalanche Tour with Halestorm, Theory of a Deadman, Skillet and Art of Dying.
“What is Robert Plant out there doing? Playing folk music! What is he doing?” - Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper knows his rock history: he was there to witness, and make, much of it himself.
The Class Of 2011 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee will turn 63 on Friday, and loves the opportunity to celebrate rock’s past on his “Nights with Alice Cooper” radio show.
“There is so much great, lost music,” Cooper tells the Palm Springs Boxing Examiner. “Listen to the radio today; they are playing the same 60 songs. If you like Led Zeppelin, you will love the Yardbirds. There is no Led Zeppelin without the Yardbirds. I like to educate people to the fact there was a lot of great music lost in the 60s and 70’s.”
Cooper was baffled when he was told fellow rocker Robert Plant confessed that he may be too old to perform Led Zeppelin songs.
“I go out on stage and say ‘turn it up,'” said Alice. “I never get tired of playing my songs.”
“They are just standing there,” Cooper added. “What is so hard? Jimmy Page wants to do it. John Paul Jones wants to do it. And they got Bonham’s son [Jason], who is a killer drummer. All they need is Robert Plant. But what is Robert Plant out there doing? Playing folk music! What is he doing?”
Read Alice’s full interview at the Palm Springs Boxing Examinerhere.
Dave Grohl took to Twitter Friday afternoon, posting several hints and pictures of himself driving up California’s Hwy 101 just hours before posting the news:
Tonight! 1/28 @foofighters w @the_bronx. 8pm Velvet Jones,Santa Barbara.One $20 ticket per person cash only. 21+ w/ID. Bam.
The last-minute, secret club show gave the Foos a chance to play their full new album before a packed house of 300 fans at a Santa Barbara club.
The set featured the full new album front front-to-back, before kicking in to a career-spanning second half.
Johnny Firecloud at Antiquiet has a full review of the evening that you'll want to check out here.
Foo Fighters Velvet Jones Santa Barbara, CA – January 28, 2011
Bridge Burning Rope Dear Rosemary White Limo Arlandria These Days Back & Forth Matter of Time Miss the Misery I Shoulda Know Walk All My Life Times Like These Generator My Hero Learn to Fly Watershed Up in Arms Big Me Enough Space Monkeywrench Hey JP Everlong — Pretender I’ll Stick Around This is a Call
Here’s a couple of videos from Friday’s show – one featuring a song from the forthcoming Foo album, and one Foo classic.
Foo Fighters – These Days Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA – January 28, 2011
Foo Fighters – Times Like These Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA – January 28, 2011
The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, shares the following update with fans:
Happy New Year Redheads,
Here we go again. Made any New Year's resolutions? I have. Mine is: Don't work so damn hard. Hello? Already blown that one.
1) Got my book coming out in March and I've gotta work on that.
2) The movie is almost ready so that's more work.
3) This year The Wabos will be in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Ohio, Tahoe of course. Oh, did I forget we will be in Mexico sometime in the fall? Working vacation there, amigo. And we are playing some place else, I can't remember, but I'll let you know.
4) Finally starting a Chickenfoot record this week. But I can't really call that work 'cause when Chad and Mike and Joe are around it's so damn good, so much fun, so soulful, basically playing the blues...it's good work when you can get it. When the Foot gets a track done we will put something on Chickenfoot.us, so check us out...
As part of the band’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, legendary rockers Queen will be reissuing their first 5 albums this Spring.
On March 14, the groundbreaking albums "Queen," "Queen II," "Sheer Heart Attack," "A Night At The Opera" and "A Day At The Races" will again see the light of day, remastered and each will be released as a standard CD as well as a deluxe two-disc set which will feature new bonus content.
Each deluxe album will be released on iTunes featuring bonus tracks plus additional sleeve notes, unseen pictures and videos. The albums also set the scene for their band's forthcoming "Stormtroopers In Stilettos" global exhibition that launches in London on February 25.
From the pure raw rock of "Queen" through to the majestic anthems on "A Day At The Races," the first five albums highlight the diverse talent, musical ambition and already global success of a band made up of some of the best songwriters, musicians and performers of all time.
"Queen" - recently nominated by Dave Grohl as his favourite album of all time, was recorded in the same studio that David Bowie was recording "Ziggy Stardust."Because they didn't have any money, the album was recorded on Bowie's downtime, so Queen were literally recording at 3 a.m. after Bowie had gone to bed. "Queen" is their heaviest album, influenced by The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and contains some of their hardest-rocking songs, and also some of their most imaginative. Like all subsequent Queen albums, no two songs sound the same and there are mixtures of light and shade, the band teasing one minute with a lullaby, then blowing your head off.
"Queen II" is the real beginning of Queen as we know it. It's the first time we hear the multi-layered overdubs, the harmonies, the varied musical styles (ballads, folk, blues, thrash metal, pop and rock, it's all there). It also includes their first hit single "Seven Seas of Rhye," which led to the first of many iconic performances on "Top of the Pops." The band recorded "Queen II" in just over a month in 1973 ahead of its release in 1974. The album cover was shot by legendary photographer Mick Rock and inspired by a Marlene Dietrich portrait. The image was later brought to life in the revolutionary "Bohemian Rhapsody" video. "Sheer Heart Attack" - Roger Taylor's favorite Queen album, was released in 1974 and reached No. 2 in the U.K. Prior to this, Queen were mostly considered a heavy rock band, but this album experimented with a variety of musical genres, including music hall, heavy metal, ballads and ragtime. At this point Queen started to move away from the progressive tendencies of their first two releases into a more radio-friendly, song-orientated style, illustrated by "Killer Queen," which was their biggest hit at that point reaching No. 2 in the U.K. It also went to No. 12 in the U.S. Billboard chart, the first of many hits there. A song about a high-class call girl, it contains the guitar solo that Brian May is most proud of and won Freddie Mercury his first Ivor Novello Award.
"A Night at The Opera," named after the Marx Bros. film, is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest albums of all time. Exceptional on every level, musically, lyrically and artistically, Queen took the strongest elements of their previous two albums to make the ultimate winning combination. The most expensive album ever recorded at that time, it delivered rock, opera, heavy metal, romance, ballads, pop, sci-fi folk, music hall, "trad jazz" and even the national anthem. The album contains perhaps the most famous rock song of all time, "Bohemian Rhapsody," which went on to spend fourteen weeks at number one, be voted "Song of the Millennium," become the only song in history to reach Christmas No. 1 twice and sell a million copies on two separate occasions. Queen also recorded the first official pop promo for "Bohemian Rhapsody" as they were on tour and could not appear on "Top of The Pops" and this video paved the way for MTV and VH1.
By 1976, Queen were back in the studio recording "A Day At The Races," which was written and recorded by Queen at their happiest, riding on the crest of a wave and loving every second. The album is an infectiously jubilant piece of music, full of love, optimism and good old-fashioned rock and roll. Like "A Night at the Opera," it again borrowed the name of a Marx Bros. movie, and its cover was similar to that of "A Night At The Opera," a variation on the same Queen crest. It reached number one on the British chart and features the classics "Tie Your Mother Down,"Freddie Mercury's personal favorite composition "Somebody To Love," and "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy."
"Queen" track listing:
01. Keep Yourself Alive 02. Doing All Right 03. Great King Rat 04. My Fairy King 05. Liar 06. The Night Comes Down 07. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll 08. Son And Daughter 09. Jesus 10. Seven Seas Of Rhye
Bonus tracks:
01. Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971) 02. The Night Comes Down (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971) 03. Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971) 04. Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971) 05. Liar (De Lane Lea Demo, December 1971) 06. Mad The Swine (June 1972)
"Queen II" track listing:
01. Procession 02. Father To Son 03. White Queen (As It Began) 04. Some Day One Day 05. The Loser In The End 06. Ogre Battle 07. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke 08. Nevermore 09. The March Of The Black Queen 10. Funny How Love Is 11. Seven Seas Of Rhye
Bonus tracks:
01. See What A Fool I've Been (BBC Session, July 1973 - 2011 remix) 02. White Queen (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 1975) 03. Seven Seas of Rhye (Instrumental Mix 2011) 04. Nevermore (BBC Session, April 1974) 05. See What A Fool I've Been (B-side version, February 1974)
"Sheer Heart Attack" track listing:
01. Brighton Rock 02. Killer Queen 03. Tenement Funster 04. Flick Of The Wrist 05. Lily Of The Valley 06. Now I'm Here 07. In The Lap Of The Gods 08. Stone Cold Crazy 09. Dear Friends 10. Misfire 11. Bring Back That Leroy Brown 12. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper In Stilettos) 13. In The Lap Of The Gods . . . Revisited
Bonus tracks:
01. Now I'm Here (Live at Hammersmith, Dec 75) 02. Flick of the Wrist (BBC Session, Oct 74) 03. Tenement Funster (BBC Session, Oct 74) 04. Bring Back That Leroy Brown (A capella Plus) 05. In The Lap of the Gods..Revisited (Live at Wembley July 86)
"A Night At The Opera" track listing:
01. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...) 02. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon 03. I'm In Love With My Car 04. You're My Best Friend 05. '39 06. Sweet Lady 07. Seaside Rendezvous 08. The Prophet's Song 09. Love Of My Life 10. Good Company 11. Bohemian Rhapsody 12. God Save The Queen
Bonus tracks:
01. Keep Yourself Alive (Long-Lost Retake, June 75) 02. Bohemian Rhapsody (Operatic Section A cappella) 03. I'm In Love With My Car (Guitar & Vocal version) 04. You're My Best Friend (Backing Track) 05. '39 (Live at Earls Court, June 77) 06. Love Of My Life (South American Live Single June 79)
"A Day At The Races" track listing:
01. Tie Your Mother Down 02. You Take My Breath Away 03. Long Away 04. The Millionaire Waltz 05. You And I 06. Somebody To Love 07. White Man 08. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy 09. Drowse 10. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)
Bonus tracks:
01. Tie Your Mother Down (Backing Track) 02. Somebody To Love (Live at Milton Keynes, June 82) 03. You Take My Breath Away (Live in Hyde Park, Sept 76) 04. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (Top of the Pops July 77) 05. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) (HD Mix)
The Clash’s iconic 1979 album “London Calling” is coming to Rock Band 3.
Paste Magazine reports the full album will be available as downloadable content on February 1, and will feature pro-mode guitar and bass tracks to help players actually learn the ins and outs of guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Paul Simonon’s parts.
It will also include a special Pro-Instrument-Destruction-Mode, in which players can wildly swing their plastic axes around, inspired by the album’s famous cover shot.
Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation®3 system (Feb. 1):
• “London Calling” X • “Brand New Cadillac” • “Jimmy Jazz” • “Hateful” • “Rudie Can’t Fail” X • “Spanish Bombs” X • “The Right Profile” • “Lost In The Supermarket” • “Clampdown” X • “The Guns of Brixton” • “Wrong ‘Em Boyo” • “Death Or Glory” • “Koka Kola” • “The Card Cheat” X • "Lover’s Rock” • “Four Horsemen” • “I’m Not Down” • “Revolution Rock”
Note: “Train In Vain” is already available, so not included in the track listing above.
The album will cost $19.99 (1600 Microsoft Points), with individual tracks going for $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) each.
Tracks marked with “X” will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass expansions for an additional $0.99 per song.
Having never watched the show, Steven Tyler had only some idea of what he was getting into when he decided to get involved with American Idol, but he knew one thing: it would raise Aerosmith’s profile to its highest in many years.
Looks like Tyler was on to something.
FOX411 reports Aerosmith’s sales are up since the show’s premiere last week.
Aerosmith’s 1998 power ballad, “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing” is currently #22 on Apple’s iTunes chart, and not one, but two versions of the band's 1973 hit “Dream On” are charting, at #77 and #115, respectively.
“Steven Tyler is such a character on the show, and that’s sure to boost interest in his work,”Richard Rushfield, author of “American Idol: The Untold Story” tells FOX411. “Just like we’ve seen in the past, when people appear on ‘Idol,’ it gives their sales a bit of a jump. Clearly, (Tyler’s band mates) didn’t see the potential that being part of the show could have for the band in a positive way.”
“So far, Steven Tyler has been a pretty striking presence on Idol,” added Rushfield. “He’s a wild character, and he’s pretty much pushed Simon Cowell out of people’s minds in just two weeks.”
By now we know the Foo Fighters have a new album coming and that it was recorded in Dave Grohl’s garage, and not the expansive Foo HQ complex with its own state-of-the-art recording facility.
Now, producer Butch Vig fills in more details behind the project in a new interview with MTV News. “[Dave] mentioned to me,” said Vig, “when they played Wembley [Stadium in the U.K.] at the end of last tour, they were like, 'Holy sh--, I can't believe how big we are.' ... And he was thinking what to do next, and so he said, 'I want to do something really primal sounding.' And had me up to his house, and when I got there — this was nine months ago — he opened up his garage door and went, 'I want to record the record in here.' And I said, 'Uh, OK ... '
"So, literally, we got a drum kit and put it in there, and he started banging on it, and I was like, 'Wow, it's really intense sounding,' because it's a small garage, just drywall, you know?" Vig continued. "And then he said, 'Cool, well, here's another thing: I want to do it on tape, 24-track tape. I don't want to use any computers.' And I said, 'Look, I totally understand this, [but] it's going to be a lot of work, because you guys have got to play really good.' Because you can fix anything with computers, Auto-Tune everything until it becomes perfect, and he said, 'I want the record to sound rawer and somewhat imperfect. As good as we play, that's how good the record will sound.' And, you know what? It sounds great. They're f---ing badass players. It's an honest record. It sounds real."
With a special guest appearance by Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, the new Foo album reunites Grohl, Krist and Vig after all these years.
"When Krist came up to Dave's house, we sort of sat down and it was like, 'Holy sh--, man, we hadn't been in a room together — the three of us — in almost 20 years,'" said Vig, who produced Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind.""So Krist did his bass overdubs, and he added a little accordion part at the start and end of the song, and then we just sat around and shot the sh-- for three or four hours. Dave and I were sipping on some wine, and Krist started drinking some bootleg whiskey, and it was great. ... One story would lead to another story, and it was an amazing experience, just to be there, to open up all these things you may have forgotten about. It was really a pretty special part of the album."
First, despite being a repeat offender, his drunken driving has landed him a soft sentence of only 15 days in a Las Vegas jail, with an additional 15 days of house arrest.
Now comes word that the Motley Crue singer allegedly owes over $1 million in unpaid taxes.
The Detroit News reports that the IRS filed a $740,171 lien against Neil and his wife, Lia, in April 2010, while another $371,050 demand was filed against the couple for income taxes in December. The address on the lien is Neil's 6,800-square-foot mansion in Las Vegas, which was featured in an episode of MTV's “Cribs.”.
Gregg Allman is the featured guest on A&E’s Private Sessions this weekend.
Among the topics Gregg chats about with host Lynn Hoffman are his new album “Low Country Blues,”the musical legacy of brother Duane Allman, and the Allman Brothers’ former hippie life at The Big House.
Plus, The Gregg Allman Band rocks the studio with scorching performances of "I'm No Angel," "Whipping Post" and his ballad "Melissa."
A&E's Private Sessions with Gregg Allman airs Sunday, January 30 at 9 AM ET.
Over the past few years, Rush have been hitting 30th Anniversary milestones for their late 70s/early 80s albums.
Rushisaband.com reports that NMR Distribution has marked these occasions with a series of Wall Calendars: a 2010 edition for “Permanent Waves,” a 2011 edition for “Moving Pictures,” and now they have a new addition to the series.
A 2012 calendar will mark the anniversary of “Signals.”
The calendar is now listed at the NMR Distribution website here and can be pre-ordered for wholesale. It should be released to the general public sometime this summer.
Originally from "Signals," here’s a really cool cover of “Subdivisions" by Jacob Moon…
Jacob Moon – Subdivisions Original by Rush The Staircase Theatre - Hamilton, ON. – September 11, 2008
Last month, metal fans were shocked by the announcement of a farewell tour by Judas Priest.
The latest news from the British metal gods may cause more confusion for Priest fans: the band is working on new material.
A posting on guitarist Glenn Tipton’s website late last week talked about pre-tour meetings to discuss the stage production and setlist, then added,
“To put everyone’s mind at rest, this is by no means the end of the band; in fact, we are presently writing new material, but we do intend this to be the last major world tour.”
The news was confirmed on Priest’s site this week:
“The guys are working together on writing new material - all is going really well - more details later!”
So, while this may be sending fans a mixed message, there is room for interpretation; I read the news as suggesting a few possibilities, including:
(a) Priest will record a new album before the tour (b) Priest will not record pre-tour but will introduce new songs into the set (c) This may be the final tour, but the band may continue making music into the future (d) Insert your option here
I’m strictly guessing here, but any of these options seems possible given the messages being delivered by the band at this point.
You’d have to think that a farewell tour would result in a live recording of some kind, so if the band followed option (b) above, the addition of new material may help market the new product.
Looks like we’ll have to wait for the band to clarify further, as promised.
Duff McKagan has reviewed the first draft of his upcoming autobiography, and shares his thoughts on some life lessons learned with readers of his Seattle Weekly column.
Many of you already know that I have been writing a book over the past year or more. Well, this week I got back a first and very rough edit, and I have, for the first time, sat down and read the whole thing.
Here's the deal: In writing so much about my own life, I have found so many places where for so long I have placed blame on others for this failure or that shortcoming. It's not like I haven't worked on resentment in my sober life, because I really have. Or so I thought.
Both of my parents passed away within the past 10 years. My mom was a saint in my eyes, and raised us eight McKagan kids with the courage of the whole Allied Forces in WWII. I think she knew how much I loved her and appreciated all her lessons shared, but did I tell her all this when she was still alive? Surely not like I would now.
It is common for all human beings to experience a traumatizing childhood event. I think when we are kids we have these idealized models of what life should be like and what grown-ups should adhere to. In my case, my own father didn't live up to my idealized "father-figure" model, and I ended up resenting him for the rest of his life.
To sort of throw my dad under the bus now that he isn't here to defend himself is not my intent. There were many things he did in my life that were amazing and righteous. We just didn't have a real knack for communicating, especially when I witnessed first-hand my parents' marriage falling apart. When they divorced, I placed the blame squarely on my dad's shoulders and never looked back.
After I got sober, my wife Susan sort of forced me into having a relationship with my dad again. We had a new daughter, and Susan asked me to try and forgive my Pop so that Grace (and then Mae) could have a grandpa around in Seattle. I'm glad that Susan did this.
I didn't go all the way, though, with my dad. I didn't have the guts or fortitude to address with him alone the things I address in my writing and forgive him for wholeheartedly. Sadly, it's just too damn late.
For Duff’s thoughts on how to address issues like this, read his full column at Seattle Weeklyhere.
Police filed charges against the son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour on Thursday for his role in last month's violent protest against the British government's decision to raise university tuition fees.
The AP reports Charlie Gilmour, 21, shocked many in Britain when he was photographed swinging from the Union Jack attached to the Cenotaph, Britain's most important war memorial, during the Dec. 9 demonstration.
The picture of Gilmour swinging from the flag featured prominently in the country's tabloid press and ran over captions reading "vile" and "shame."
Gilmour was originally arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, theft and "attempted criminal damage of the Union flag on the Cenotaph."
Police said Thursday that they weren't charging Gilmour with attempted criminal damage to the flag. They are however filing charges of violent disorder and "theft of a mannequin leg."
Police said they also had cautioned or charged 11 other protesters in relation to the disorder and other protests that hit London in the run-up to the government approved the controversial tuition hike.
Although most student protesters marched peacefully, the demonstrations often descended into violence amid clashes with riot police. The December 9 march was particularly fraught, with some protesters even attacking the luxury car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla.
Gilmour has apologized for what he called a "terrible insult" to Britain's war dead. But he drew widespread ridicule when he claimed not to have known he was swinging from the Cenotaph.
Well, most of Aerosmith is: there’s still no sign of guitarist Joe Perry.
But longtime Aerosmith collaborator Marti Frederiksen insists the group has been very productive during its first few days of writing for a new album at his studio Monrovia, Calif.
"It's been really good, great," Frederiksen tells Billboard.com. "We've been playing songs, putting together riffs, having fun, laughing and working from noon to 11 (p.m.) We're just digging in, man."
Frederiksen began working on Jan. 22 with frontman Steven Tyler, guitarist Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer, with plans to continue through Feb. 2, when Tyler begins his live appearances as an "American Idol" judge. Guitarist Joe Perry was unable to attend the sessions due to an unspecified commitment, according to Frederiksen, but his bandmates were "missing" him.
The group put together four songs in its first three days of working together, though Frederiksen notes they're not necessarily finished products. "We're trying to move quick and not necessarily finish up songs and make them complete but just get a lot of stuff to choose from," he says.
Ultimately, he predicts, "I think we can wind up with a lot of good stuff, and they've got a lot of great stuff already from the past" -- including a series of sessions with Brendan O'Brien in 2008 -- "that hasn't been finished, a whole stockpile that just needs to be produced up. I think they'll be in pretty good shape."
The album will be Aerosmith's first since 2004's "Honkin' on Bobo."
Check out the full Aerosmith story at Billboardhere.
Neil Young will be honored with the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at Canada's 40th annual Juno Awards March 27 in Toronto, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced. ”We are thrilled to salute Neil Young’s committed and compassionate legacy,” said Melanie Berry, President & CEO of CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. “As a driving force behind one of music’s most successful fundraising events, Farm Aid, and a key participant in Live 8 right here at home, plus many other deserving causes and programs, his tenacity and spirit is highly regarded among his peers and serves as an inspiration to all of us.”
The impact of Neil Young’s music, as well as his philanthropy, has touched millions of lives and spans generations. Young is a five-time JUNO Award winner and was inducted to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1982. In 2009 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2010 was named the MusiCares Person of the Year by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
The awareness raised by Farm Aid led to subsequent action by the U.S. Congress to pass the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987, helping to save hundreds of family farms from foreclosure. In 2010, Farm Aid celebrated its 25th Anniversary, having successfully raised more than $37 million, making it one of the most successful charitable events in history.
In between recording 37 studio albums over more than 40 years, Young has also managed to devote himself to yet another excellent cause very close to his heart. In 1986, he co-founded The Bridge School with wife Pegi Young, to create an organization and school to help educate children with severe speech and physical impairments. The Young family has three children, two of whom were diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Having encountered difficulty in finding a suitable school that met the needs of their children, Young rallied his fellow musicians and organized the first Bridge School Benefit Concert in 1986 to raise funds necessary to build the school.
In 1987, The Bridge School opened its doors within an elementary school in Hillsborough, CA, and has since expanded its educational program to include early childhood intervention, international outreach through Teachers in Residence, and successfully completed construction of a permanent detached facility in 1995.
On the occasion of the school’s 20th Anniversary, Neil organized a special Benefit Concert featuring a star-studded line-up that included Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Brian Wilson, Foo Fighters, Trent Reznor, Death Cab for Cutie, Gillian Welch and Devendra Banhart. One week later, The Bridge School hosted its first “Heart of Gold” Gala with Sir Elton John providing an evening to remember.
Although he adopted residency in the U.S., Young never relinquished his Canadian citizenship, and continued to find time to support worthy causes at home. He’s joined fellow Canadian musicians in the recording of “Tears Are Not Enough,” to help raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia; closed out the Canadian leg of Live 8; and recently took to the stage for “Summer Sessions” to raise funds for Sarah McLachlan's Foundation, which offers free music programs to children in underserved communities.
Young joins past recipients of The Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, including Bryan Adams, McLachlan, Paul Brandt, Tom Jackson and Bruce Cockburn.
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