Eric Clapton Announces North American 2017 Tour Dates

Despite the fact that Eric Clapton has fairly recently stated that due to his advancing age and health issues he wishes to retire from touring once and for all, the 70 year old legendary blues man has made public some tour dates for next year.

In the tour program for the upcoming shows, Clapton addresses the fact that he has been talking retirement for a while now, saying:

“I know I’ve been threatening retirement for the last 50 years, but I didn’t think I’d ever really want to stop. I love what I do and always have done, but over the last few decades I’ve found what I was always really looking for, a loving family who love me just the way I am, which means I can relax and rest when I need to, and more and more I treasure the beauty of that.”

Personally I'm a bit surprised that Clapton is going ahead with another tour, but at the same time not really. Performing is something Clapton clearly loves. He has been doing it for over 50 years and I can't imagine him wanting to stop altogether until he physically cannot do it any more. That said, I'm not so surprised that he is keeping it as short and at as few venues as he is. We'll just have to wait and see how he manages to get through the dates.

The tickets will go on sale to the general public on December 3rd at 10AM local time. Chase customers will have access to a special pre-sale starting December 1st at 12PM ET.

Eric Clapton 2017 North American Live Dates

 

3/19 — New York, Madison Square Garden

3/20 — New York, Madison Square Garden

3/25 — Los Angeles, The Forum

3/26 — Los Angeles, The Forum

Phil Collins Getting Drum Chops Back Up to Snuff for Comeback Shows

 

Phil Collins has admitted that something during the Genesis reunion shows in 2007 made his drumming nowhere near as great as it used to be. It just hasn't felt natural for a long time to him. However, Collins is now practicing harder than ever to make it all come back to him so he can be on top of his game for the big comeback tour he has planned next year.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Collins goes into detail about how drumming has been a struggle for him for a while now, but how he is making an effort to fix it, saying:

"After the Genesis reunion tour, I played with Eric Clapton at Albert Hall for one song in 2010, and I had that feeling of 'This isn't happening.' That kind of scared me. The one thing I could rely on in life was that I could sit down at the drums and it would sound good, and suddenly I couldn't pull it together.

Now, I've got a drum kit in my garage and I've got into a routine of practicing. I'm trying to get my hands to feel natural again when I hold a pair of sticks. I've got some comeback shows booked for next year, and we'll see what happens."

I wish Collins all the best. Having something that has been such a staple in your life for so long all of a sudden become unnatural to you must be a complete nightmare, especially if it's a major passion like playing the drums. I hope for Collins's sake that he can manage to pull it together and put on the kind of show that both he and his fans deserve to have. After all, it wouldn't be right for Collins to perform In the Air Tonight without it being him behind the drums at that key moment.

Writer's Moment:

Since it is Thanksgiving weekend I'm taking the next four days off to spend time with my family and to just relax. I hope for those of you who celebrate the holiday you enjoy it as well! 

Album Review: Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, by Metallica

Thrash metal legends Metallica have never really given a crap when it comes to making their fans wait for a new album. This time around was not only no exception, but also the longest they have ever made people wait (last album was 2008's Death Magnetic, so 8 years. No one really counts the 2011 collab album they did with Lou Reed: Lulu.). The result of this is their 10th studio album, a double album called Hardwired...to Self-Destruct.

Hardwired...to Self-Destruct is the first album to be released through their own label they started, Blackened Records and recorded at Metallica HQ in San Rafael, CA. It's also the first album to feature absolutely no song writing contributions from lead guitarist Kirk Hammett since he joined the band in 1983. Producing the album alongside Metallica was Greg Fidelman, who has also produced for Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Audioslave, Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, and many more.

The boys are definitely back in full thrash form for this album. There is no mistake in that. There is barely anything on here that tries even remotely to be commercially pleasing. That said however, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct does seem to revisit elements from each of Metallica's previous successful albums. The long drawn out instrumental sections, the driving riffs, the blistering solos, and howled vocals are definitely reminiscent of places they have gone before musically.

That said, I feel this works to both Metallica's advantage and disadvantage. In some respects it's great that Metallica now sounds like Metallica again, and does an even better job of it than they did on Death Magnetic. People (myself included) fell in love with them because of their no nonsense balls to the wall heavy hitting style of music that leaves your ear drums bleeding and a smile on your face. This is truly music to bang your head and rock out to while being taken on a grand thrash odyssey of sorts. We are back in our comfort zone with Metallica.

I feel that it works to Metallica's disadvantage too however for the same reasons. Metallica has been here before. They have made these kinds of songs countless times in decades past. At this point it all sounds recycled for the most part. That's not to say the songs are bad, but they're honestly nothing new. I get that they want to please their fans while at the same time going back to their roots. I do. I guess it would have been cooler though to take that old way of doing things and try to do something different and new with it. However, to be fair there really is only so much you can do with heavy metal (especially thrash metal).

I also feel that they could have gotten away with keeping the album at one disc and leaving off a few tracks; seeing as many of the songs sound kind of the same, go on a bit too long, and are often all in the same key as one another. Honestly, a sizeable portion of the album was in the key of E. It would have been a lot more solid of an album had they done that. If they wanted to use all of the songs that badly they could have saved some of them for the next album.

I can't beat up on Hardwired...to Self-Destruct too much, though. Despite the problems I had with it, it also had a lot of fun moments. The title track Hardwired definitely reminded me of the fun times I had as a teen/early adult cranking Kill 'em All, Spit Out the Bone and Moth into Flame gave me that vibe of Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All that got me into Metallica in the first place, and Manunkind did have a bit more of a creative Black Album vibe for me. Some of these are great songs that would go well with any live set list of classic Metallica tunes.

All in all, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct isn't a bad album, but it isn't a great album either. It just sounds like retracing steps to where Metallica has gone before rather than exploring and pushing forward the way they used to. The problem I guess is that when they have kept pushing forward creatively we got a lot of the crappy 90's albums. There is really no winning for Metallica, I guess. I would recommend listening to this album at least once, but if you're going to buy it wait till it goes on sale or the price drops.

Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, by Metallica receives 2.8 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

Disc 1:

1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise!
3. Now That We're Dead
4. Moth into Flame
5. Dream No More
6. Halo on Fire

Disc 2:

1. Confusion
2. ManUnkind
3. Here Comes Revenge
4. Am I Savage?
5. Murder One
6. Spit Out the Bone

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Hardwired-Self-Destruct-Deluxe-Metallica/dp/B01LZQ62TO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479799972&sr=8-1&keywords=Hardwired...to+Self-Destruct

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #97

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week is a feature I run on Young Ears, Fresh Perspective on Sundays/early hours of Monday morning where I pick out 5 tunes that I think are notable and tell you a bit about them. The point is to give you some rocking music to help you deal with your weekday blues. You can either listen to one each day, listen to them all at once, or any other combination that you feel. As long as you can get through the week without the man getting you down, that's all I care about. Without further ado, here are the 5 tracks I've picked out for this week:

1. Spit Out the Bone, by Metallica

This is one of the better tracks from Metallica's new album Hardwired...to Self-Destruct which came out last Friday (November 18th). This has a real ...And Justice for All vibe to it without it necessarily trying to copy off the album exactly (though it would have fit in with the rest of that album very nicely). It's fast, gritty, thundering, mean, and will destroy your speakers. Just the way a good old fashioned Metallica song should.

2. When I Fall, by Glenn Hughes

Former Deep Purple, Trapeze, Black Country Communion, etc. bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes put out a new album Resonate on the 4th of this month. Of all the tracks on it, this one was probably my favorite, or at least one of my top favorites. It is a bit more mellow and laid back in some respects compared to the other songs, but it has the most 70's vibe on it. Lots of Hammond organ. Lots of great melody with a funky vibe. Reminds me the most of the kind of stuff many of Hughes's fans have come to know and love him for.

3. Oh! You Pretty Things, by David Bowie

One of my top old school Bowie tunes. It has this real soul vibe to it before Bowie was even into that kind of thing while at the same time keeping things rather light and jazzy on the piano. The guy really did know how to bend genres as well as genders, that's for sure. It all comes together quite nicely, but then again I would have expected nothing less from the man who took many pop genres and did amazing things with them that no one else could have ever possibly dreamed of.

4.  A Light in the Black, by Rainbow

Getting back to some heavier stuff though, this has to be one of the most intense and exhausting (in all the best ways) tune that Ritchie Blackmore ever put together. To be fair though, the whole band play vital roles in this tune. This is the kind of song that does not give you even one second to breathe. It goes on 8 and a half minutes and is balls to the wall the entire time with guitar and synth solos, thunderous bass playing and drumming, and Valhalla reaching vocals produced by the late great Ronnie James Dio.

5. Sabotage, by The Beastie Boys

And now for something completely different. Rap usually isn't my shindig by any stretch of the imagination, but for this tune I'll make an exception. I absolutely LOVE the way it kicks a groove. The vocals are also somehow annoying in the most awesome/pleasant way possible. I'm really not sure how to explain it except it's like that one girl/guy who REALLY gets on your nerves yet at the same time you can't help but find yourself extremely attracted to them. That's this song for me.

Journey Vocalist Arnel Pineda Hopes RRHOF Induction Will Mean Meeting Steve Perry

Filipino singer Arnel Pineda who has fronted Journey for nearly the past decade has managed to accomplish a great deal during this time, including many goals and dreams. However, one of these things has eluded him: the chance to meet iconic Journey vocalist and his predecessor Steve Perry.

Such a chance may come to Pineda if the band who has been nominated this year for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame actually wins their induction. Perry is of course invited to be a part of the induction according to keyboardist Johnathan Cain. In a recent interview with with TMZ says:

“I’m hoping to at least shake his hand. I haven’t had the chance for the past nine years. I’ve never met him. I hope they get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, so maybe I get to see him.”

On the subject of whether or not he himself should be inducted, Pineda says:

“It’s only for the originals. I’m okay with that.”

Personally I find it rather noble that Pineda would be willing to give up his spot in the hypothetical induction to let Perry receive the accolade that he clearly deserves. Pineda while an absolutely FANTASTIC replacement for Perry wasn't exactly there when the band achieved all of the great things that they did over the decades. That said, it would still be cool to see the two of them sing a duet together.

Throwback Thursday: The Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance

In the year 2006 emo/punk band My Chemical Romance put out one of their most beloved albums of all time: The Black Parade. In fact, it would not be too much of a stretch to say that this album was so popular that it was one of the flag ship albums of the emo movement of the mid-late 2000's. This grandiose rock opera managed to spawn four well known singles and really skyrocketed the band to even higher heights of popularity and notoriety than they had already managed to attain with their first two albums.

The Black Parade is a rock opera that centers around a character known as The Patient, who is dying from cancer. It focuses on all of the memories he has of his life. In the end death comes to him in a form of a humongous, grand parade. Musically the album is very diverse, though it all has similar themes. The production is absolutely top notch, but I would expect nothing less from Rob Cavallo - the guy who also produced multiple albums for Green Day and The Goo Goo Dolls. The idea according to the band was to make music that would have a timeless value, which definitely shows through. It's more than just another emo punk album. This is rock n' roll at its most grand.

Welcome to the Black Parade is definitely the most epic track on the entire album. It definitely had the most showmanship, writership, and musicianship put into it. That piano riff with solo vocal intro is probably the best known piece of emo music to ever be written by anyone. In addition to that there are undeniable elements of Queen in the intro and outro, but it works in such a way that it doesn't seem like they are trying to rip them off too much. The rest of it is punk rock at its fiercest, yet most melodic. It flows seamlessly and gives you that feeling as though you are marching in a black parade; so I guess the band definitely achieved their goal here.

Teenagers is one of the most fun songs I've ever heard out of MCR. It actually is pretty blues/classic rock oriented. Kind of a surprise considering most of what I had heard from these guys previously was pretty modern sounding. That said, their dark anti-establishment lyrics still turn the flavor of the song that it definitely and unapologetically them. It's easy to groove and sing along to and it reminds me of the kind of tunes I usually listen to, so it definitely wasn't hard for Teenagers to win me over and want to learn to play on guitar.

Admittedly I've never been that big of a fan of emo music despite most of my peers being heavily devoted to it when I was in high school, but giving this album a fair chance was definitely one of my better decisions. It's good to expand your horizons, especially with music. The Black Parade is chocked full of wonderful little dark gems you never knew you would find unless you actually gave the whole disc a try. Though the subject matter is quite dreary, there is still plenty of fun to be found by delving into it. It's worth one listen-through at the very least.

The Black Parade, by My Chemical Romance receives 3.8 stars out of 5.

Track List:

1. The End
2. Dead
3. This is How I Disappear
4. The Sharpest Lives
5. Welcome to the Black Parade
6. I Don't Love You
7. House of Wolves
8. Cancer
9. Mama
10. Sleep
11. Teenagers
12. Disenchanted
13. Famous Last Words
14. Blood (Hidden Bonus Track)

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Parade-Explicit-Chemical-Romance/dp/B0011Z102K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479449685&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Black+Parade

New Rolling Stones Album Brought Keith Richards and Mick Jagger Closer Together

Rolling Stones stars Keith Richards and Mick Jagger have been notorious in the media for  not always getting along. In fact, some times the two have gotten downright nasty with one another. However, according to Richards the new blues covers album Blue & Lonesome has brought the two of them closer together than ever before.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Richards discusses the true nature of his relationship with his long time band mate and friend Jagger, saying:

“I love the man. That doesn’t mean I can’t get pissed off occasionally, and I have no doubt it goes the other way around. But you have to forgive and forget, and also I would say that 89 percent of the time we’re in total agreement. But people only hear about the 11 percent, you know, where it flares up.”

 Richards further goes on to talk about how if the band was always in perfect harmony and equilibrium, we wouldn't get any of the music we know and love from them, saying:

“What would the Stones be without it?. If you had the perfect machine and everybody in total agreement, you’d probably be fairly bland.  …  It’s amazing we’re both alive. I celebrate Mick’s life. He’s always five months older than me!”

I'm not entirely surprised that it's tension that drives the band to do the amazing things it's done. Some of the greatest music we ever had came from internal band tension, like with: Judas Priest, Fleetwood Mac, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, The Beatles, etc. I'm just glad that at the end of the day Richards and Jagger know what is most important and realize that fun is what making music is really all about.