Monday, June 30, 2014

The Who Set to Record New Album



British Invasion legends The Who have some great news for their fans. For the first time since their 2006 release Endless Wire, the band will be going into the studio to record a brand new album with all new material.

Guardian reports after a press conference held in London at Ronnie Scott's club that guitarist and primary Who songwriter Pete Townshend had come up with three brand new songs that have been given the thumbs-up by singer Roger Daltrey. Townshend elaborates that portions of the material have been inspired by Daltrey's recent work with Wilko Johnson and that "we might try to make the album in a more basic way than we usually do." As for the style of the rest of the album, Townshed says it will probably be "more prog rock than pub rock".

In addition to entering the studio this summer, the band is embarking on a 50th anniversary tour that will act as what Daltrey refers to as "the beginning of the long goodbye". He says “We can’t go on touring forever. [This tour] will have a finality to it. We’ll stop touring before we stop playing as a band.” The Who intends to bring out many songs on this tour including 'hits, picks, and misses'. So far, the band has included 9 U.K. dates for the tour which are listed below.

The Who 2014 U.K. Tour Dates

11/30 – Glasgow
12/2 – Leeds
12/5 – Nottingham
12/7 – Birmingham
12/9 – Newcastle
12/11 – Liverpool
12/13 – Manchester
12/15 – Cardiff
12/17 – London
“We can’t go on touring forever,” he said. “[This tour] will have a finality to it. We’ll stop touring before we stop playing as a band.”

Read More: The Who to Record New Album This Summer | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/who-new-album/?trackback=tsmclip
“We can’t go on touring forever,” he said. “[This tour] will have a finality to it. We’ll stop touring before we stop playing as a band.”

Read More: The Who to Record New Album This Summer | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/who-new-album/?trackback=tsmclip

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Three Amazing 80's Albums You May Not Know About

No matter what time period it is, there is always astounding music that for whatever sets of reasons seems to get tragically overlooked by the general public. Some times they are from well known bands, some times from not so well known. Either way, today we will be taking a brief look at three albums from the 1980's that completely rock from start to finish but have been unfortunately passed over by the masses.

1. Seventh Star, by Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi



In 1986, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi was making what was supposed to be his first solo record due to the recent departure of the band's third vocalist ex-Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan and original Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. However, due to pressures from management Iommi was forced to have the album that would be Seventh Star billed as a Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi album. This is mostly due to the fact that the record company at the time was desperate to make some money and wanted to sell lots of something with an already famous name.For vocals Iommi recruited ex-Deep Purple and Trapeze vocalist Glenn Hughes. Seventh Star featured a more glossy pop and blues rock feel to it than previous Black Sabbath records.

That being said however, even though it sounds far different from other albums by the band, its songs are still surprisingly good in their own right. The opening track In For the Kill wastes no time telling you what the album is about. It grabs the listener and is just as good of a headbanging tune as anything else that was more popular during that era. The album also gets creative featuring instrumental tracks like the synth filled and ghostly feeling song Sphinx (The Guardian). For an 80's pop rock album it of course has a love ballad, titled No Stranger to Love, which the record company used as a single to sell the album. Be that as it may, Seventh Star is a unique adventure from an interesting time in Black Sabbath's history.

2. Slide It In, by Whitesnake




In 1984 Whitesnake vocalist and band leader David Coverdale was looking to make a change in his band's sound. For the longest time it had been mostly straight up blues oriented rock n' roll, but he wanted something more energetic and passion filled. The album Slide It In would act as a transition between the old sound and the heavy metal sound the band would later become famous for. Many line-up changes happened during this period. In fact, the British release and the U.S. release of the albums would both feature a different lead guitarist from one another. The British featured original lead guitarist Mickey Moody and the US one featured a new one: John Sykes. Both versions of the album did end up sounding quite distinctly different from one another.

The mission Coverdale set out on seemed to have been accomplished because the songs on Slide It In are in general heavier, louder, and on occasion quite faster than how the old songs had sounded. The title track Slide It In is fairly simplistic (and quite innuendo filled), but one can't help but pump their fist and dance around when it plays. Naturally there are songs that are more love ballad oriented (I know, big surprise), such as Love Ain't No Stranger and Standing in the Shadow. One song that REALLY gets the energy going though is the upbeat and uptempo song Guilty of Love. It features dual guitar harmonies and drums that are just blasting. Any 80's rock fan NEEDS this album.

3. Too Fast For Love, by Motley Crue



In the early 80's the new glam sensation was sweeping Los Angeles. Since Van Halen had taken off in the late 70's all anyone could think about in terms of music was trying to emulate Eddie Van Halen's guitar shredding and David Lee Roth's image and persona. One band that really set the precedence of the glam movement however was none other than Motley Crue. Fueled by punk and 70's glam rock, drugs and alcohol, and the desire to rise to the top they quickly gained popularity and set many of the fashion trends the 1980's would become notorious for. They put out their first record Too Fast For Love independently, but it was reprinted and remixed once they got picked up by Elektra Records.

Too Fast For Love is a unique record. Its sound is a blend of punk rock, heavy metal, and glam rock from the previous decade. It doesn't stick to one thing for very long. The album starts off with a bang with the rocket propelled tune Live Wire. Anyone who has had the good fortune to hear it cannot help but mosh and/or headbang when it is playing at top volume. Of course the album also has its more melodic sides with tunes like Public Enemy #1. Though bassist Nikki Sixx wrote all the songs on Too Fast For Love, guitarist Mick Mars definitely added his own style to them and gave everything a more melodic touch. Another unique aspect of this album is that even though love is a theme in it, it focuses more on the problems that many teens/young adults go through when they live such broken lives; which honestly for the time was a radical departure from the constant stream of commercial love songs. Though Too Fast For Love does not contain the radio hits Motley Crue is known for, it is still worth the money to buy it. It is definitely an adventure.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Eric Clapton Confirms Retirement Plans


Once again, legendary guitar god Eric Clapton has made it known to the public that retirement is very much on his mind and it may happen sooner than we think due to the road becoming unbearable and hostile to him.

Clapton said in an interview with NME:

“The road has become unbearable. It’s become unapproachable, because it takes so long to get anywhere. It’s hostile – everywhere: getting in and out of airports, traveling on planes and in cars."

He further goes on to elaborate:

"There are tons of things I’d like to do, but I’m looking at retirement too. What I’ll allow myself to do, within reason, is carry on recording in the studio. I don’t want to go off the boil to the point where I’m embarrassing myself.”

Clapton has also admitted that health reasons are also a contributing factor in his decision to quit touring. Last year many concerts of his were cancelled due to insufferable back pain. Another event that may have sparked this decision recently however was when at a show in Glasgow, Clapton had to end his set early due to technical difficulties – resulting in being booed off the stage by a rambunctious livid crowd.

In an interview with Uncut Clapton said that he would probably retire from touring for good once he turns 70 years old, which is coming up on March 30th, 2015. If fans of the guitarist want to see him play, they had better act soon if this is the case.
“The road has become unbearable. It’s become unapproachable, because it takes so long to get anywhere. It’s hostile – everywhere: getting in and out of airports, travelling on planes and in cars,” Clapton says in the interview.

Read More: Eric Clapton Says Touring Has Become ‘Unbearable,’ Confirms Retirement Plans | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/eric-clapton-retire/?1&trackback=tsmclip

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Throwback Thursday: Queen's A Night at the Opera



By 1975, Queen had already released three studio albums but had very little commercial success. The single Killer Queen from their Sheer Heart Attack had gotten them a small amount of notoriety and a noticeable position in the charts, but the band still wasn't doing as well as it wanted to. Queen was coming close to calling it quits if this next album was not a success. Fortunately with the help of producer Roy Thomas Baker and an incredibly large budget (when released in 1975 it was the most expensive album ever made) Queen was able to not only make their album A Night at the Opera a success, but one of their most popular and critically acclaimed albums of all time spawning two of their most well known singles: You're My Best Friend and Bohemian Rhapsody.

A Night at the Opera features some of Queen's most complex and highly produced song writing at the time. It features much more piano than the previous albums and also has more of a pop rock feel than the heavy rock overtones of the band's previous ventures.

The recording process of A Night at the Opera was quite memorable to Queen for multiple reasons. For instance, during the operatic section of Bohemian Rhapsody the band ended up doing several takes of them all singing the parts together and would keep doing more and more recordings until they had built up enough layers to sound like an entire choir. This drove everyone in the band but lead singer Freddie Mercury nuts, but the end result was clearly worth the effort.

A more amusing anecdote from this time includes an incident involving the song I'm in Love with My Car. It was written by drummer Roger Taylor, though when he presented a demo of it to the band they didn't think he was serious about it. Soon however, they discovered that he was. When they did not want to put the song as the B side to Bohemian Rhapsody Taylor locked himself in a closet and refused to come out until Mercury agreed to do it.

A Night at the Opera features one of the most well known songs in rock n' roll to this very day. In more recent years it has even made a major comeback. This song is Bohemian Rhapsody. The song is without a doubt Freddie Mercury's crowning achievement as a musician, having penned nearly the entire thing by himself. The song is primarily played on piano softly and sung with much pure emotion by Mercury at a slow to moderate tempo with occasional drum backing from Taylor and bass backing from John Deacon. However, during the build-ups and louder parts of the song, the whole band comes in with powerful choral vocals, heavy guitar solos, and thundering rhythms to accentuate the climax of the story being told in the song. The song then winds down with the same feel and instrumental concepts as the beginning and then softly fades out right at the very end.

This album features more than just the widely played singles heard on radio, however. One of the most memorable songs from A Night at the Opera was in fact not even sung by Mercury, but by guitarist Brian May. '39 is an acoustic ballad that tells the story of astronauts traveling faster than the speed of light to find a new home for the people of their world living on a dying planet. They are gone for what they perceive is only a year, but when they return it seems they have been gone far longer due to how fast they traveled. Though the lyrical content of the song is somewhat sad, musically it is fairly upbeat and it works really well when audiences clap their hands along with it. When Queen tours with other singers these days it is just as much a staple in the set as much as any of the radio singles.

A Night at the Opera is without a doubt one of if not the absolute best albums Queen ever released. It features Queen at its most creative (even if the creativity at times involved being downright silly). It is the album that really put Queen on the map and saved them from calling it a day too early. While still having a commercial overtone to it, it also keeps to the band's progressive nature. It is an eargasm from start to finish. Anyone who has NOT heard the album all the way through is required to immediately go out, purchase the record, and then do so.

A Night at the Opera, by Queen receives 5 out of 5 stars.

Purchase the album on Amazon:

 http://www.amazon.com/Night-at-Opera-Deluxe-Edition/dp/B004UUKDHG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403844399&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Night+at+the+Opera+Queen

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Ex-Iron Maiden Vocalist Paul Di'Anno Hates Sound of First Album



In a recent interview while on a tour in Greece, former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'Anno sat down for an interview where he was asked about his current tour and days in Iron Maiden. In the interview Di'Anno admits not only that the first album that he was involved with were more punk influenced rather than metal but also they could have sounded a LOT better.

Di'Anno recently said in the interview with Rock Overdose: “Iron Maiden was always a heavy metal band with a punk kid, that was me. But the sound — oh, God — the sound of the first album was f—ing awful. Somebody should remix that. There were some of the best songs on the first album and on the second one. Somebody should do it because then it will sound even more fantastic with a really good sound behind it.”

Di'Anno plans to release two albums this year: one with his band Killers and one with his other band Architect to Chaos, a German band. Di'Anno also makes it abundantly clear that even with his knee recently injured, he has no intention whatsoever of calling it a day and retiring.

"I’m gonna get my knee fixed up at some point, because it’s absolutely an agony everyday with my bad knee as far as the concerts, but it’s ok cause they don’t wanna fucking see me, they want to hear the voice. But right now I’m making the new album, we’ve got about six tracks released. The band is called Architect To Chaos, it’s a german band and we’re going to do the same thing we do with Sorrowful Angels, but we’ve become a band, it’s not just a project, it’s a band. We just found out we just made the EP Of The Month in Rock Hard magazine, so it’s looking great! So, one’s the album is out we’d be happy to come out on the road and tour around the world again!"

Monday, June 23, 2014

Singer Robert Plant Premieres New Single 'Rainbow'


Though legendary guitarist Jimmy Page is currently hard at work getting all the remasters of the entire Led Zeppelin catalog ready to go, singer Robert Plant has been no slouch either with his own work. He has been working with a band called The Sensational Spaceshifters and today they have released a single titled Rainbow from their album ‘lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar’ which will be released on September 9th of this year.

This will be Plant's first release of new original material since his 2005 album Mighty ReArranger. His past two releases were albums done as a collaboration with singer Alison Krauss and were filled entirely with covers. Nine of the eleven tracks written for the album were done in collaboration with the band, but two were covers of ‘Little Maggie,’ a traditional folk song, and ‘Poor Howard,’ an adaptation of Lead Belly’s ‘Po’ Howard.’

In a recent press release Plant said:

“It’s really a celebratory record, powerful, gritty, African, Trance meets Zep. The whole impetus of my life as a singer has to be driven by a good brotherhood. I am very lucky to work with The Sensational Space Shifters. They come from exciting areas of contemporary music…I have been around awhile and I ask myself, do I have anything to say? Is there a song still inside me? In my heart? I see life and what’s happening to me. Along the trail there are expectations, disappointments, happiness, questions and strong relationships….and now I’m able to express my feelings through melody, power and trance; together in a kaleidoscope of sound, color, and friendship.”

'lullaby and... The Ceaseless Roar' is available for pre-order on Plant's website. The pre-order includes: a print of the cover, immediate download of the single Rainbow, and a guarantee of advance digital downloads prior to physical release. The album will also be available in lossless FLAC file format.

A US tour for the Sensational Spaceshifters will be happening this fall. Dates to be released soon.

Track Listing for ‘lullaby and… The Ceaseless Roar’:

1. ‘Little Maggie’
2. ‘Rainbow’
3. ‘Pocketful of Golden’
4. ‘Embrace Another Fall’
5. ‘Turn It Up’
6. ‘A Stolen Kiss’
7. ‘Somebody There’
8. ‘Poor Howard’
9. ‘House of Love’
10. ‘Up on the Hollow Hill (Understanding Arthur)’
11. ‘Arbaden (Maggie’s Babby)’

Sunday, June 22, 2014

AC/DC Likely to Tour in 2014


In recent news it came to the attention of the public that AC/DC rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young had become stricken with illness due to a stroke, putting the future of the band into question and concern. However, it was then confirmed that the band was in fact working on a new album, but Steven Young, brother of guitarists Malcolm and Angus Young would be taking over rhythm guitar duties while Malcolm was away. In a recent statement from lead vocalist Brian Johnson, it now seems that it is very likely that the band will be touring before the end of 2014.

When rumor of Malcolm Young's illness first came to the press, it was then rumored that AC/DC would retire. However, the band was quick to set the record straight about what was going on and what would be happening. An official statement from them said:

“After forty years of life dedicated to AC/DC, guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young is taking a break from the band due to ill health. Malcolm would like to thank the group’s diehard legions of fans worldwide for their never-ending love and support. In light of this news, AC/DC asks that Malcolm and his family’s privacy be respected during this time. The band will continue to make music.”

Johnson said, "Hello everyone, i just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words about Cars That Rock. Your encouragement means a lot to me. This was my first ever go at presenting a TV series and even though it may not show, i was real nervous and so am very relieved that you all seem to be enjoying it. We hope to bring you more shows in the near future but, of course, there is the slight distraction of my day job with AC/DC – and it looks very likely that we will be on the road again before the end of the year. So stand by for more music – and more Cars That Rock. thanks"

That being said, hopefully fans of AC/DC will be able to see the band before the year is out despite the recent setbacks.
Hello everyone, i just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words about Cars That Rock. Your encouragement means a lot to me. This was my first ever go at presenting a TV series and even though it may not show, i was real nervous and so am very relieved that you all seem to be enjoying it. We hope to bring you more shows in the near future but, of course, there is the slight distraction of my day job with AC/DC – and it looks very likely that we will be on the road again before the end of the year. So stand by for more music – and more Cars That Rock. thanks

Read More: AC/DC's Brian Johnson: It's Very Likely We'll Tour in 2014 | http://loudwire.com/brian-johnson-very-likely-acdc-on-road-again-2014/?trackback=tsmclip
Hello everyone, i just wanted to thank everyone for their kind words about Cars That Rock. Your encouragement means a lot to me. This was my first ever go at presenting a TV series and even though it may not show, i was real nervous and so am very relieved that you all seem to be enjoying it. We hope to bring you more shows in the near future but, of course, there is the slight distraction of my day job with AC/DC – and it looks very likely that we will be on the road again before the end of the year. So stand by for more music – and more Cars That Rock. thanks

Read More: AC/DC's Brian Johnson: It's Very Likely We'll Tour in 2014 | http://loudwire.com/brian-johnson-very-likely-acdc-on-road-again-2014/?trackback=tsmclip

Friday, June 20, 2014

Queen + Adam Lambert: A Concert Review



Today we're doing something a little different on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective. While the content of this blog normally pertains to album reviews and rock news stories, this post will be a concert review. Last night I attended the kick-off show for the Queen + Adam Lambert tour that is currently going on.

Since the late Freddie Mercury's passing in 1991, many people have agreed that no one could ever take his place in Queen. While that may be true, that does NOT mean that no one is up to the task to performing his songs while giving them new life and keeping his memory alive. Last night at the United Center in Chicago, IL, Adam Lambert managed to do just that at the first gig of the tour he and Queen are doing together.

The performance got started about 45 minutes later than scheduled and had no opening act, but once Queen took the stage all was instantly forgiven. As the first of many pleasing surprises, the concert started with the band playing a guitar instrumental called Procession that was used to begin not only Queen's second album Queen II, but also many of their early concerts back in the 1970's. The curtain was then lifted and the band powered right into Now I'm Here.

The band exhibited many of their hits, but surprisingly also quite a few of their older numbers that don't necessarily get a whole lot of radio airplay. Such surprises consisted of songs like Stone Cold Crazy, Seven Seas of Rhye, and Now I'm Here. At one point, the trio of Lambert along with original Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor performed their own version of Love Kills, a song Freddie Mercury composed and performed for the redone soundtrack of the silent film Metropolis back in 1984.

For those who are more fond of Queen's more pop oriented music, they appeased the crowd with such songs as Radio Gaga, These Are the Days of Our Lives, and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. To end the show (but before the encore), the widely popular Bohemian Rhapsody was played and even included a visit from Freddie Mercury on the video screen above the stage.

While Queen's songs speak for themselves, the band did more than just stand there and play the songs as though they were a live jukebox. Quite the contrary, actually. Queen + Adam Lambert put on a full spectacle of a show. In all honesty, it was exactly what one expects to see at such a concert. Lambert took on a very flamboyant diva-like character that was really all his own. He commanded the attention of the audience and interacted with them in his own charming ways. He sang the songs as though he himself had written them, rather than trying to imitate Mercury. What was spooky was the way Lambert could hit the falsettos in songs like Somebody to Love. He had a variety of flashy costumes that he would change into throughout the show that often sparkled and kept the concert goer from diverting their attention anywhere else. The pinnacle part of Lambert's performance though was the expensive and royal looking couch he dramatically lazed upon during the band's performance of Killer Queen. At the same time, he also exuded a very professional vibe when his mic went out during the first song. He just ran over to the other side of the stage, picked up one of the backing vocal mics, and jumped right back in where the song was currently was.

May and Taylor were both on top of their game. Though the both of them have aged, they exuded the energy of men half their age. They gave each and every last song their all. Even if Lambert had failed to impress anyone, May's guitar playing would have more than compensated for it, seeing as he tore it up through every song. With age, his finesse and technical skills have only improved. While not running all around the stage as Lambert was, he still didn't stay in one place too long either. For some odd reason Taylor had an additional drummer with him playing along to every song. However, Taylor's drumming was a force to be reckoned with especially during the thunderous drum dual between him and the second drummer.

In terms of stage set up there were lasers, a disco ball, a gigantic circular video screen with a frame that could move up and down around the stage, a multitude of spectacular light set-ups, and fog machines. The stage itself was unique in that it wasn't just an ordinary stage. In addition to that it also had a long curving platform that the performers could walk out onto with a large circular platform at the end to make the stage look like a giant Q. These stage implements were all integrated in ways that one would have to see in order to fully believe and understand. In a way, these things made the concert seem more like the kind of thing one would come to expect from a Las Vegas show which in a sense is what a Queen show is supposed to be. It certainly flowed the way one would expect it to.

Overall the Queen + Adam Lambert concert was very much worth the time and money to go see. Many of the people who packed the United Center to its rafters would agree. The music was fantastic, the stage set-up was phenomenal and unique, and one could tell that all the musicians were putting their hearts and souls into every last detail. Many fan favorite songs and surprises were played and there was no shortage of visuals to capture the imagination. If you get the chance to see them in your city, it is vital that you get to a show.

Queen + Adam Lambert's performance receives 5 out of 5 stars.

Videos from the performace:

Somebody to Love:



Under Pressure:


Killer Queen:



Set List for Queen + Adam Lambert in Chicago on June 19th, 2014:

Procession 
Now I'm Here 
Stone Cold Crazy 
Another One Bites the Dust 
Fat Bottomed Girls 
In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited 
Seven Seas of Rhye 
Killer Queen 
Somebody to Love 
I Want It All 
Love of My Life 
(Duet with Freddy Mercury on screen )
'39 
These Are the Days of Our Lives 
Drum Battle 
Under Pressure 
Love Kills 
(Freddie Mercury cover)
Who Wants to Live Forever 
Last Horizon 
(With guitar solo)
Tie Your Mother Down 
Radio Ga Ga 
Crazy Little Thing Called Love 
The Show Must Go On 
Bohemian Rhapsody 
(with Freddie Mercury image on screen)

Encore:
We Will Rock You 
We Are the Champions 
God Save the Queen 

(Thomas Augustine Arne song)

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Megadeth Demoing 'Really Heavy' New Material


According to a recent Facebook post made by bassist David Ellefson of thrash metal band Megadeth is currently writing and demoing some brand new material for their next album; the follow-up to their 2013 release Super Collider. Above is a picture of Ellefson and Megadeth front man and founding member Dave Mustaine jamming out new riffs.

Ellefson says, "Dave and I are in the studio this week in California working up some of the new riffs. We're having fun, just throwing it down and keeping it chill. These are essentially writing demos at this point so just grinding out the tunes like a metal band should. More to come…."

Drummer Shawn Drover also confirmed through a recent Facebook post of his own saying that the band is working on new songs and also went on a little further to indicate that these songs will be much heavier than the previous album. He states:

"Spent this week in the studio with Dave tracking demo 'ideas' for the next record-Some really heavy riffs going on here and if I say it you know its true."

No doubt Megadeth is going back to making heavier material due to how the previous album which was more pop rock than thrash metal was not too well received. Fans of course will most likely be a bit skeptical about this, so whenever Megadeth is ready to show what they have cooked up the long time fans can decide for themselves as to whether they have been true to their word.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Finnish Bluegrass Band Covers Iron Maiden's 'The Trooper'


You have NEVER heard Iron Maiden like this before. People do all kinds of covers of famous songs in their bedrooms for YouTube all the time, but rarely does anything as radical as this happen. A Finnish bluegrass band has now put on YouTube their version of Iron Maiden's The Trooper.

The band is called Steve'n'Seagulls and this is not the first time they have given famous rock, pop, and metal tunes their bluegrass treatment. Their website includes covers of Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes, Michael Jackson's Thriller, and Slayer's Raining Blood to name a few among many others. Though their end products sound vastly different from the original versions of each song, each sounds unique while still being true to the original.

Though some long time Iron Maiden fans may not be too keen on accepting this new version, it may still bring the band's music to a new set of ears that may not have heard such music otherwise. Perhaps bands like Steve'n'Seagulls may actually bring bluegrass music back into a more mainstream light if such songs keep getting this kind of treatment.

To visit Steve'n'Seagulls' website go here:

Monday, June 16, 2014

ELO Makes Big Comeback!

After an extensive festival hiatus, the much adored and missed Electric Light Orchestra lead by Jeff Lynne will be breaking their silence and performing with a new line-up. This will be ELO's first time playing at a festival in nearly 30 years.

ELO is set to play along with Blondie, Chrissie HyndeBilly Ocean, Paloma Faith, Gregory Porter, Bellowhead and Kacey Musgraves at the seventh annual 'Live in Hyde Park' festival put on by BBC Radio 2 which will be taking place on September 14th of this year. Lynne announced the surprise to everyone via Facebook saying, "I haven't performed live in quite some time, and I know the fans have asked for it a lot over the years. It's very exciting to come to Hyde Park with Radio 2 and do something this big, and I'm very much looking forward to playing my ELO songs for everyone."

Lynne has not yet announced who will be in his new line-up of Electric Light Orchestra. During the 2001 resurrection for the Zoom album and tour the only original member besides Lynne in the band was his long time writing partner multi-instrumentalist Richard Tandy. It is more than likely he will get all new musicians, but it is not completely out of the question for him to give a ring to former members Louis Clark and Mik Kaminski, who formed their own band The Orchestra which plays many old ELO songs.

If you can't make it to the event, there will be coverage of it available to watch on BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and the Radio 2 website. The Radio 2 site will be featuring backstage footage, acoustic sessions, as well as interviews from the event.

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Queen Concedes Paul Rodgers Was Not a Good Fit



Back in 2004, world renowned rock band Queen announced that they would be joining with singer Paul Rodgers for a tour. This was considered quite unusual to many fans of both Queen and Rodgers. The group then not only did multiple tours together, but also released a live album Return of the Champions and a studio album of brand new work The Cosmos Rocks. Though the collaboration is over and has been for five years, the band is now preparing for a new summer tour with singer Adam Lambert taking the mic. In retrospect, guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor concede that Rodgers may not have been the best fit for them.

Taylor recently said in an interview with the Toronto Sun, “Paul has one of the greatest rock voices but it’s more blues and soul orientated I would have thought. I would say, with all due respect to Paul, that Adam is more suited to a lot of our material and whereas we had great tours with Paul, I think Adam is more naturally at home with us.”

May concurred with Taylor by saying, “Yeah, I think the styles match more closely in a sense, but we had a great time with Paul no doubt about it and it kind of stretched it to a new place and I think a thoroughly good experience. But Adam is really, like us, he has many, many colors, so we can explore some of those strange excursions that Queen likes to.”

The tour with Lambert is set to get moving on June 19th at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Unfortunately, this may be one of Queen's last tours ever due to May and Taylor feeling their age creep up on them. May says, “We haven’t done it for a long time and I don’t know how long we’re going to be capable of doing this kind of thing. At the moment it is that feeling, yeah, ‘One last swing around, one last gallop,’ and we’ll see how it goes.”
“We haven’t done it for a long time and I don’t know how long we’re going to be capable of doing this kind of thing,” May continued. “At the moment it is that feeling, yeah, ‘One last swing around, one last gallop,’ and we’ll see how it goes.”

Read More: Queen Admit that the Paul Rodgers Era Didn't Really Work | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-paul-rodgers-era/?trackback=tsmclip

Friday, June 13, 2014

Slash Releases Stream of New Single "World on Fire"


Earlier in the week, world renowned guitarist Slash released to Dutch radio station 3FM a short snippet of the title track from his upcoming album World on Fire. It was streamed from the station's website and soon after Slash's personal YouTube page. Today however, the full song has now been posted to the YouTube page in its entirety for streaming.

The song is very unmistakeably Slash. It practically has his name written all over it with the flashy bluesy hard rock guitar playing. It is very up-tempo and has many of the vocal harmonies that singer Myles Kennedy is known for doing. The style overall sounds fairly similar to the vibe of the previous album Apocalyptic Love that Slash and Co. put out back in 2012.

Produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette and recorded at NRG Studios in Los Angeles and Paint it Black Studios in Orlando, World on Fire will feature 17 all new songs by Slash and his backing band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. It will be dropping on September 15th. The single itself will be available for purchase on the 16th of this month.

Listen to "World on Fire" here:

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Throwback Thursday: Back in Black: The Return of AC/DC


After the great deal of success that hard rock band AC/DC had with their 1979 Highway to Hell album, they had begun working on new material. However, things took an extremely unfortunate turn and their progress was briefly halted when on February 19th, 1980 lead singer Bon Scott's life was brought to a tragic early end when he succumbed to a terrible alcohol poisoning incident. When this happened the band was in mourning and considering calling it quits, but with insistence from Scott's parents they were convinced to find a new singer and carry on because it is what he would have wanted them to do. This lead them to find former Geordie singer Brian Johnson.

Soon enough, the band was Compass Point Studios with producer Mutt Lange recording new material with Johnson including some of the songs they had been working on with Scott. This would become one of the band's most famous and successful albums: Back in Black. The album features five of AC/DC's biggest hits: Back in Black, Shoot to Thrill, Hell's Bells, Rock n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, and You Shook Me All Night Long. Having so many commercial hits on one record is the main cause that to date Back in Black has sold over 50 million copies since its release on July 21, 1980, making it the second highest selling album of all time next to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album.

Though AC/DC's previous albums had been very hard rock based, Back in Black seemed to take things in an even heavier direction and also at times a bit darker. Johnson's high ranged screaming vocal style seemed to call for more of a punch than what the band had been doing. The band was more than able to pull through on this. One of the noticeable characteristics of Back in Black in contrast to AC/DC's albums with Scott is that many of them are a bit more of a walking pace with catchier hooks for the choruses whereas the old songs were often times a bit faster and more based on 50's rock song writing style.

This would be no Back in Black review if we didn't take a bit of time to examine the album's title track. The song starts off with a couple measures of hits on the hi-hat cymbals when BAM -you're hit right in the face with two guitars playing the beefy chords that make up the signature riff that many people have come to know and love over the years. The whole song maintains a pretty steady walking tempo, but it features some of Johnson's best vocal work as well as lead guitarist Angus Young's best soloing and rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young's best riffage. The whole track is non-stop in your face rock n' roll leaving no room for any further desire.

While also released as a single and played on the radio from time to time, one tune from Back in Black that deserves a little more attention is Rock n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution. It starts off with just one guitar playing some finger picked electric blues and Johnson lighting up a cigarette and taking a puff or two. Johnson then starts the first of the vocals, which sound like him just shouting out to some guys on a fence. The song honestly does paint a really good musical picture of this kind of scene, especially when it goes into the meat and potatoes of the track itself. This track is a little more up-tempo than Back in Black and is also a bit bluesier. The lyrics themselves as in many of AC/DC's timeless tracks mainly talk about love of rock n' roll and how it will never die.

Though the circumstances surrounding the genesis of Back in Black are rather somber, it not only brought AC/DC back from the grave, but launched their career into a state of massive success that they had never seen before. It is what has ensured that the band will always be among the titans of rock n' roll and that no matter what rock n' roll will survive, yes it will.

Back in Black, by AC/DC receives 5 out of 5 stars.

Buy the album on Amazon:

 http://www.amazon.com/Back-Black-AC-DC/dp/B000089RV6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402634392&sr=8-1&keywords=AC%2FDC+Back+in+Black

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Deep Purple Recording New Album

It has recently come to light according to lead singer Ian Gillan that Deep Purple are working on a brand new album. Given the amount of time the band has spent in between albums in recent years it is an unexpected but most welcome surprise to their fans because it has only been one year since they released their most recent album Now What?!.

In a recent interview with Rocksquare Gillan stated, “We have a studio in the Algarve where we’re working on new songs. In the evening we take a sip of good red wine and enjoy the tranquility. I’m woken up at dawn by a rooster in the neighborhood and I get up when it gets light. When it gets dark in the evening, I go to bed. It’s a no-frills life; but it’s a good life down here.”

Unfortunately Gillan has not given any insight or clues as to what kind of musical direction the band will be taking on this album, but he has assured the press that they will be taking the songs on the road for all to hear.

A couple of weeks ago, Gillan made a rather bold retort to those who were saying that he and the rest of Deep Purple are far too old to still be performing and making music. “We have been called old rockers, rock pensioners and dinosaurs. I mean, I have a thick skin I understand that, of course, if the young ones say: ‘Step aside, Grandpa! Die at last!’ I think to myself then stop: ‘F— you.’”

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Paul McCartney to Postpone US Tour Dates Due to Doctor's Orders


Unfortunately it seems that former Beatle Paul McCartney is not completely out of the woods yet health-wise. Last month he contracted an unnamed virus which forced him to cancel a whole slew of tour dates in Japan and South Korea just before the tour was supposed to begin. McCartney was then kept in a Japanese hospital until he was deemed ok to leave.

However, this illness doesn't seem to be gone entirely and is forcing McCartney to postpone the first two weeks of his U.S. tour going on this summer called Out There. It was originally scheduled to take off on June 14th in Lubbock, TX.

In a recent press release McCartney said, “I’m sorry but it’s going to be a few more weeks before we get rocking in America again. I’m feeling great but taking my docs’ advice to take it easy for just a few more days. Look forward to seeing you all soon.”

Seven of the dates including the Lubbock, TX date have now been moved to October and the tour itself will get started instead on July 5th in Albany, NY. Below are the rescheduled tour dates.

Rescheduled Paul McCartney Tour Dates:

10/2 – Lubbock, TX
10/11 – New Orleans, LA
10/13 – Dallas, TX
10/15 – Atlanta, GA
10/16 – Nashville, TN
10/25 – Jacksonville, FL
10/28 – Louisville, KY
“I’m sorry but it’s going to be a few more weeks before we get rocking in America again,” he said in a press release. “I’m feeling great but taking my docs’ advice to take it easy for just a few more days. Look forward to seeing you all soon.”

Read More: Paul McCartney Postpones U.S. Tour Dates On Doctor’s Orders | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/paul-mccartney-postpones-us-tour/?trackback=tsmclip

Rival Sons: Great Western Valkyrie: An Invasion's New Edge

 Cover of Great Western Valkyrie, by Rival Sons

The British Invasion made a rather large impact on the entire world back in the 1960's, especially America. Bands like The Beatles, The Yardbirds, The Animals, and The Rolling Stones inspired a vast number of people to pick up guitars and make their own music and way. 50 years later, that impact still seems to exist. In Los Angeles based hard rock band Rival Sons' most recent release Great Western Valkyrie (which came out June 6th), the tones and vibes of this time period seem to have been brought back into a new light for this new generation of rockers.

Great Western Valkyrie was recorded at LCS Studios in Nashville, TN and produced by Dave Cobb, who has produced Rival Sons' previous releases. Between this album and the band's previous release Head Down, there are many differences and deviations. Much of these changes are due to David Beste taking over bass duties for Robin Everhart, who left the band due to being tired of being on the road so much. Where Everhart's bass playing was more laid back and groove oriented, Beste's playing is a bit more aggressive and present in the mix. Besides the mix sounding different than normal however, Great Western Valkyrie differs stylistically in terms of music in general. Where the Rival Sons' previous albums had more of a 70's hard rock feel to them, this album focuses more on 60's style pop, rock, and occasionally psychedelic elements such as the implementation of an organ to many of the tracks, the types of vocal melodies used, and the tone of the guitar.

The British Invasion influence on Great Western Valkyrie becomes very prevalent in the second track Good Luck. The layer of keys provided by guest musician Ikey Owens, along with the vocal and guitar melodies make the song sound extremely reminiscent of The Animals' song We Gotta Get Outta This Place due to it's upper mid-tempo rhythm, upbeat melodies, and catchy chorus. That is not to say that the song sounds like a direct ripoff. Far from it. Like in many of Rival Sons' works, while the influences are very noticeable they are still doing their own unique thing and making their own personal sound.

The album's first single and opening track Electric Man seems to follow more of the hard rock style Rival Sons are known for, but at the same time having the same kind of slightly edgy feel of the rest of the album. It starts of with a bluesy distorted riff form guitarist Scott Holiday, who is then quickly joined by drummer Michael Miley the rest of the band in a mid-tempo rhythm. This song is a good showcase for vocalist Jay Buchanan by presenting just how well he can wail to just how softly he can sing in short transitions. This song is definitely one you could dance around and head bang to.

Great Western Valkyrie while deviating from Rival Sons' notorious style to a degree would still be very enjoyable to those who have been following the band for some time. All the right elements of pure rock n' roll are in there, even if they are being differently applied. It is probably a wise move on the Sons' part because they are evolving as musicians and keeping things fresh rather than rehashing the Pressure and Time album again and again. Only time will tell what kind of a direction Rival Sons will take from here.

Great Western Valkyrie, by Rival Sons receives 4 out of 5 stars.

Purchase the album from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Western-Valkyrie-Rival-Sons/dp/B00KF7IN7U/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_mus?ie=UTF8&qid=1402374384&sr=8-1&keywords=great+western+valkyrie 

Monday, June 9, 2014

Slash Releases Sample of Title Track of His New Album "World On Fire"

Recently, Slash offered listeners to Dutch radio station 3FM a 30 second sample of the title track of his upcoming solo album World on Fire which was officially announced two weeks ago. While the sample is short, it is still enough to excite the fans of the guitarist worldwide. Fortunately, the station was courteous enough to post the snippet to their website for all the web to hear what kind of direction Slash is going musically.

In a recent interview with Music Radar Slash says, “The one thing about this record is that it was almost like it wrote itself, it was very effortless and that happens very rarely, when there’s a certain energy that carries the creative process and it’s almost like you’re not in control of it and you just ride that wave. That’s how this record was. I can’t think of any outside influence other than just going with this creative flow…I think basically everyone’s a great rock ‘n’ roll player. They’re real rock musicians at heart — deep down. So when we get together, we’ve built up a certain chemistry. We started out with a certain kind of chemistry and we’re just evolving from there.”

World on Fire is reported to drop September 17 of this year. It will feature 17 diverse all new tracks with his band Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators and will be the band's first release of new material since 2012's Apocalyptic Love.

Listen to the World on Fire snippet

Friday, June 6, 2014

Guns N' Roses Punctuality Problems a Thing of the Past?

 Photo courtesy of powerfm.com.au

During Guns N' Roses' nearly 3 decade career many things have changed quite frequently: musical style, band line-up, relationships, etc. One thing that has remained entirely consistent however is their infamous punctuality problems when it comes to taking the stage on time. At least that is, until recently. In a recent interview with 93.9 KWSS current lead guitarist DJ Ashba says that front man Axl Rose (who is notorious for many of the band's punctuality issues) has completely changed his tune on the issue.

Ashba says, “The last year we’ve been going on pretty much dead-on. Axl has made a very big point to be on stage on time. It’s funny, ’cause it’s nothing that media races out and reports. They tend to get the bigger hits when they have something negative to report. So you don’t really hear about that so much. But yeah, I’ve been really happy. Everybody has been really on it, and the fans are happy, and it’s really cool.”

While Rose has spread out the blame to other band members, management, technical issues, etc. over the years, in an interview on That Metal Show back in 2011 he did own up to his own part in the punctuality problem saying it's been an issue all his life. He states: “I lived right behind my school, and I couldn’t make it to the class in grade school. I had a job at the grocery store down the street, and I’m running down the street with wet hair, trying to tie my tie, with a sandwich in one hand… it’s a comic strip.”

Rose has also made mention that once the band finishes its second residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas they may finally be beginning work on a follow up to their 2008 release Chinese Democracy which was at the time their first release of new material in 15 years. In the mean time however, Guns N' Roses will be releasing a concert film of their current tour called Appetite For Democracy, which will be dropping July 1.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Throwback Thursday: Led Zeppelin's Debut

Album cover of Led Zeppelin, by Led Zeppelin.

Picture this:

The year is 1969. You're in your room with your AM radio on listening to all the newest music but trying to keep it down and not get caught by your parents because they called lights out nearly an hour ago. Tonight you have heard new stuff from bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Animals. Everything sounds pretty groovy and catchy, but all of a sudden something new comes on. BAH-DAH! Tss... tss... tss... BAH-DAH! This intro filled with crashing drums and blasting guitar and bass continues a little further till a steady groove kicks in and a powerful high ranged singer the likes of which you have never heard before starts singing of being wronged by an ex-lover. No band you have heard has EVER sounded so loud, heavy, and bold like this before. Little do you realize it now, but the course of music history is being changed forever right before your very eyes and ears...

Who was this audacious raucous causing band? Britain's very own Led Zeppelin. The band started out as a new project that then famous session and Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page was looking to put together. For this venture, Page recruited drummer John Bonham, singer Robert Plant, and bassist John Paul Jones. Originally they were billed as The New Yardbirds. They toured playing old Yardbirds material and also coming up with some new songs as well. When they returned to England however, Page changed the band name to Led Zeppelin after a comment The Who drummer Keith Moon had made about the band "going down like a lead zeppelin". The album cover of the album is a picture of the Hindenburg disaster, which was used due to inspiration from the comment.

In September of 1968, Page brought the band into Olympic Studios in London to record its first album. Page produced the album himself, though it was engineered by Glyn Johns. The recording process took the band only 36 hours over the space of only a few weeks. During these sessions Led Zeppelin recorded seven original songs and two blues covers by Willie Dixon (You Shook Me and I Can't Quit You Baby), although some sections of certain songs were taken from other works that Page had been a part of and other famous blue artists. After presenting the tapes to and being signed by Atlantic Records, the self-titled debut album Led Zeppelin was released January 26, 1969.

Good Times Bad Times was one of the main singles for the album along side Communication Breakdown. The song starts the album and does so quite literally with a bang. With its thundering mid-tempo rhythms, heavy guitar riff, blistering solos, and wailing vocals it is a very bold statement of what Led Zeppelin was about. The lyrics are very blues based; talking about a lover who has left only after having just met not that long ago.

To show just how creative they could be, the band took an old blues tune by Willie Dixon called You Shook Me and put their own spin on it. That unique spin blasted the song into outer space. Page's unique guitar playing and recording techniques take a classic blues song and make it sound thick and reverberated in an utterly fascinating way. Jones also gets to show off his versatility by playing a Hammond organ solo part way through the song that still keeps with the out of this world kind of feeling the rest of the band is giving during the performance. Both Plant and Bonham also get to showcase their blues based backgrounds quite well also.

Though at first Led Zeppelin faced some harsh criticism from the press, the sales of the album were very high. Initially investing only £1,782, Led Zeppelin went on to gross £3.5 million from their debut record. This album launched a musical revolution that would inspire so many people to pick up a guitar and many rock n' rollers to make their sound heavier and louder for years to come; thus being a key part in the birth of the heavy metal genre. No other band before or since has made the blues or rock n' roll this high flying or exciting.

Led Zeppelin, by Led Zeppelin receives 5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Good Times, Bad Times
2. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
3. You Shook Me
4. Dazed and Confused
5. Your Time is Gonna Come
6. Black Mountain Side
7. Communication Breakdown
8. I Can't Quit You Baby
9. How Many More Times

Buy the album on Amazon:

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Black Keys' Turn Blue: A Journey in Psychedelic Experimentation

Album Cover of Turn Blue, by The Black Keys. Designed by Michael Carney

When most people think of The Black Keys they think of two guys (Dan Auerbach on guitar and vocals and Patrick Carney on drums) making straight up gritty bluesy guitar rock. In more recent years however, the band has departed from that original lo-fi blues sound for a more mainstream friendly pop rock vibe. The band's 2011 release El Camino had more emphasis on synth and catchy hooks than previous works of theirs, but they still maintained a very guitar rock oriented sound. However, with the assistance of producer and song writer Danger Mouse their new album Turn Blue has The Black Keys going in a more psychedelic direction by bringing the synth more to the forefront and having less emphasis on guitar.

The majority of Turn Blue was recorded between July and August of 2013 at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, CA. Additional recording was done at Key Club in Benton Harbor, MI and Easy Eye Sound Studio in Nashville, TN. The album itself was released May 12, 2014. According to Auerbach, the reason for the long waiting period between albums was because the band was "this is your brain on drugs" fried.

The title track Turn Blue was the second single released for the album after Fever. This tune along with many others on the album is very laid back and psychedelic while also having a minor funky vibe. At times the tone of the guitar makes the main riff seem as though it is paying minor homage to Eric Clapton's song Cocaine. This song is an excellent addition to anyone's night time driving mix.

It's Up to You Now has almost a jungle drum feel to the start and keeps it up for most of the song. However, this song is closer to The Black Keys' old stuff than almost everything else on the album. The electric guitar is very much present and punching in this song. This tune is also a bit more upbeat than most of the rest of the album. While still having their current production vibe to it, the band at least for one shining moment went back to being the gritty blues band from Ohio that people came to know and love 13 years ago.

Turn Blue definitely gives the impression that The Black Keys decided to go a more experimental route this time around. Where El Camino had catchy upbeat rockers, this album is more laid back, melancholic, and psychedelic. The songs are very rhythmic and occasionally dance-worthy, but seeing as The Black Keys are primarily known as a rock band a bit more rhythm guitar in the mix would have made it more accessible to long time fans. However, the guitar solos were very melodic and made some of the songs a little more digestible when the synth got to be a little too much. Even for those who have been listening to the band a long time however, there are a couple pleasant surprises to be heard when playing this record.

Turn Blue, by The Black Keys gets 3 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Weight of Love
2. In Time
3. Turn Blue
4. Fever
5. Year in Review
6. Bullet in the Brain
7. It's Up to You Now
8. Waiting on Words
9. 10 Lovers
10. In Our Prime
11. Gotta Get Away

Buy the album on Amazon:

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Top Ten Rock Songs For Summer



Everyone knows how awesome it is to have the windows in their car rolled down while just cruising down the street on a warm summer day. What makes this experience even better is when the right song is cranking through the stereo to match the vibe. Below are ten songs that are guaranteed to rock your summer.

1. Summer Nights, by Van Halen

This song from Van Halen's first album with Sammy Hagar captures the idea of a summer night perfectly by glorifying how great it is to get out of the house, hop into your car, and going out to find some fun. With a catchy chorus and fantastic guitar chops from Eddie Van Halen, this song is a must have in your summer playlist.


2.  Dancing in the Moonlight, by Thin Lizzy

If you like dancing, this song is right up your alley. It's all about going out with your friends and then finding a special girl and just dancing the night away with her, regardless of what your parents might say about you being up so late. You can almost feel the summer warmth radiating from the vibe of this song.


3. D'yer Maker, by Led Zeppelin

While the lyrical content in this song is sad, the reggae feel of the music itself is enough to bring you right back up and groove right along. It is a weird combination, but nonetheless no summer is complete without this song.


4. The Way, by California Breed

For those of you that like something a bit more bass-heavy, funky, and modern this song should do it for you. The groove laid down by this power trio completes any summer night scene if you're driving in a convertible through down town. While it isn't a dance tune, its loud steady groove is enough to energize get you going.


5. Beautiful Girls, by Van Halen

Another Van Halen song? Yes, that's right. This one is from the band's second album with original singer David Lee Roth. With the upbeat nature of the music combined with Roth singing about sitting with your toes in the sand on a beach and life seeming to be just right on a nice warm day, it's impossible not to get the image of an ideal summer day when jamming this.


6. Sunny Days, by David Coverdale

While a bit more obscure, this song does no less of a good job bringing vibes of warm sunny days than any other song on the list, as its title depicts. When you just can't take any more of the rat race of daily life in your town or city, it's good to just go back to thinking about those sunny summer days that you spent with all of your friends.


7. Summertime Blues, by Eddie Cochran

How could this classic NOT be included? When you're stuck working all summer for a boss who makes you stay late all the time when you want to go have fun, you just have to raise a fuss and a holler.


8.  All Over the Road, by Rival Sons

While not directly related to summer in any way, this is still a good song about getting out with your girl knowing that even though you're driving to some place, you two are so into each other that you probably won't be getting where you're going anywhere near the time you said you would, if you get what I mean....


9. Summer Song, by Joe Satriani

This song has no lyrics, but Mr. Satriani still brings the summer time energy with his strong zippy melodic guitar playing. It makes the listener just want to get into their car and just floor it in the hot summer sun.


10. Paradise City, by Guns N' Roses

I don't know about you, but when I think of a paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty, I've got summer time in mind. What other time of year do you get to see such wonderful things? Even if the song has been played to death on the radio, sporting events, festivals, etc. it still wouldn't be summer without hearing this down home rocker.


Monday, June 2, 2014

Allman Brothers Have Made Final Plans

 
After 45 years (with a few minor hiatuses in between), the Allman Brothers Band are calling it a day. A recent news release from the band confirmed that their final performances will happen between October 21-28 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, New York, a place they have come to consider a home away from home. The unexpected departures of Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes were more than likely a catalyst for this.

The final two dates (10/27-28) are preceded by a set of four shows that were rescheduled from March due to Gregg Allman being ill at the time. Butch Trucks had alluded to the possibility of two more performances at the Beacon after the rescheduled one, but the latest reports confirm it. Tickets for the postponed March shows will be honored at the October shows. Anyone unable to attend the rescheduled performances will have until August 1 to have their money refunded.

It has now also been confirmed that during the June performance, the band does intend to play its first two albums The Allman Brothers Band and Idlewild South in their entirety. By the end of the final performance, The Allman Brothers Band will have played at the Beacon a total of 232 times since starting annual residences back in 1989. After these performances, the band WILL be retiring.

Final Allman Brothers Tour Dates:

6/8 — Hunter Mountain, NY, Mountain Jam
8/14-17 — Scranton, PA, Peach Fest
9/7 — Arrington, VA, Lockn’ Music Fest
10/21 — New York, NY, Beacon Theatre (tickets for March 25 honored)
10/22 — New York, NY, Beacon Theatre (tickets for March 26 honored)
10/24 — New York, NY, Beacon Theatre (tickets for March 28 honored)
10/25 — New York, NY, Beacon Theatre (tickets for March 29 honored)
10/27 — New York, NY, Beacon Theatre
10/28 — New York, NY, Beacon Theatre

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Kiss Drummer Eric Singer Responds to Ace Frehley and Peter Criss Comments


For over a decade now, founding members of Kiss drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley have been known for making derogatory comments to the media about Tommy Thayer (lead guitar) as well as Eric Singer (drums) who replaced them and even started wearing the classic make-up following the end of the classic line-up reunion in the early 2000's. Recently both Criss and Frehley have been referring to the new line-up of Kiss as a "half-assed Kiss cover band".

However, after all these years Singer is finally speaking out in response to these comments. In a new interview with Rolling Stone he says, “This is something that I notice that nobody seems to point out. When I came in to play with the makeup [in 2001], Ace was in the band, and had no problem with me playing with Peter’s makeup while he went onstage and made that Kiss money. In fact, he loved it, and he didn’t want Peter back in the band.”

Singer then goes on further by saying, “And then go forward the next year, when Ace decided to leave. When we fast forward, all of a sudden they bring Peter back, and you got Tommy Thayer playing guitar wearing the Ace makeup, and all of a sudden, no one minded it was Ace’s makeup design. Peter had no problem, did he?”

Throughout the interview Singer made sure to emphasize how much impact the original Kiss line-up has had on the world as well as himself and how without it there would be no Kiss today. However, he does comment when asked about how he feels about what he and Thayer doing on stage being an impersonation, "I love when people say that, because the reality is, I'm not impersonating. Because I wear the makeup that he wore? Did they come up with their designs? Yes. Of course. But it's not an extension of their personality. Peter wasn't a cat. Peter Criss was a cat? They had to create a character. You know something? I don't know if he even had a pet cat. Come on, it's ridiculous."