Jason Bonham Not Getting Hopes Up About Led Zeppelin Reunion

Over the past few decades people have dreamed and begged for a Led Zeppelin reunion, with it only ever happening in short one-off stints a small handful of times ever since the band's break-up in 1980. The most substantial reunion happened back in 2007 (nearly a decade ago at this point) when the band got back together to pay tribute to former Atlantic Records executive Ahmet Ertegun. Currently however, late drummer John Bonham's son Jason Bonham is not too hopeful of another reunion of the band ever happening.

In a recent interview with Billboard, Bonham goes into detail on how he is trying to put the idea of another Zeppelin interview ever happening; saying that it's the only way that a Zeppelin reunion ever could happen. He says:

"Back in 2004 I finally let go. I said to myself, 'Don't ever think it's gonna happen. Don't in the back of your mind ever think something's gonna happen. Let it go. Don't have that little flutter of hope in your stomach or whatever.'

And then when I let it go what happens? I get a call in 2007. So all I'll say is 'I'm gonna let it go.' As far as I know, nothing's gonna happen, but if I let it go, you never know."

I hope for Bonham's sake (and ours for that matter) that this little method of his works for getting at least one more Led Zeppelin reunion, but I still don't think it will ever happen again. Robert Plant seems like he is about ready to retire altogether and Jimmy Page last I heard is working on getting his own thing going. If it does happen it will be a miracle and will probably be only one more show rather than a tour. Besides, since Black Country Communion is getting back together next year I'm more interested to hear what Bonham and the rest of the guys in the group will do.

The Who's Pete Townshend Finds Joy in Performing Live Again

Pete Townshend, guitarist and primary song writer for The Who has made it crystal clear in recent years that he feels absolutely no joy in playing live and HATES his band. However, recently Townshend threw a bit of a curve ball at us by telling us that at least the first part of the previous statement isn't necessarily true any more.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Townshend explains his recent rediscovery of his love for playing before a live audience, saying:

"For me, the last five weeks of the tour we did, before we came to California to do Desert Trip, everything felt very different. I'm notorious for being, I suppose the word is blasé, but also a bit diffident about performing.

We'll do a good show and afterwards, people will say, 'Were you having fun?' And I'll say, 'No, not really.' They'll say, 'Isn't it great?' And I'll say, 'Well, glad you think so but it's just what I do.' That kind of thing.

I'm a little bit detached and I put it down to the way that I grew up. My dad was in a band, and I grew up on the road with my dad, and I feel safe on the road. I don't get nervous on the road. I get a little bored on the road. I don't have a lot of hose kind of starry buzzes that a lot of people get when they perform.

Well, this last couple of months, maybe it's because I can see the end in the distant misty future or maybe it's something else, I started to feel like what I'm doing is of greater consequence. It means more to me, anyway.

In Germany and Italy, and Bologna specifically, at least 65% of the audience were under 30. Now, when we went to Coachella, we were also playing to an audience that was about 50/50 millennials on the one hand – fuck knows why they were there but they were there, and I'm not gonna try and explain it – and people of our age and younger.

But in the middle, we played in Mexico, and the audience was very young, but they knew the words of every song and they sang them the whole way through. And on both nights, when I went to bed, I couldn't sleep. I was tired, but I couldn't sleep, and I think it was because the little artist inside me was excited. I feel I'm still riding on a bit of that now."

Whatever it is that has made Townshend change his mind, I'm glad he is giving at least some semblance of a crap again. It doesn't seem right to me for a performer to go on stage and play with absolutely no passion. If you don't like what you're doing, you shouldn't do it. People want to see performers that are actually having fun and enjoying what they're doing, otherwise it kind of feels like a cash grab and a waste of time.

Writer's Moment:

The end of the year is rapidly approaching. That said, I want to do things a little differently to wrap 2016 up. This year I want to take the days between Christmas Eve and New Years Day (including the two aforementioned days themselves) off. It's been a rough year for me and I want to take that time to not have to worry about putting a blog post out 5 days a week so I can just relax, spend time with my friends and family, and enjoy the holiday season. For those that are wondering, I will still be doing my year end Top 10 Albums of the Year posts but they will be posted the week before Christmas.

5 Songs to Get You Through the Week #98

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. Cliffs of Dover, by Zack Kim

This Eric Johnson classic is beloved my millions of guitar nuts and regular listeners alike. It's melodic, upbeat, catchy, and fun. However, some times it's interesting for such a long standing pillar of a song to be taken in a different direction. A long while back South Korean guitar wizard Zack Kim did just that by doing a jazzy rendition of it. However, what you hear is him playing two guitars simultaneously. No joke. That is all him just playing in one single track. Check it out for yourself.

2. No Shows, by Gerard Way

The former My Chemical Romance front man has definitely gone in an interesting musical direction with his debut solo album Hesitant Alien. This track in particular is a definite departure from his old band's style in that instead of sounding like emo punk music, it has a great deal of early 80's New Wave overtones to it but with a bit more modernish fuzz added onto it in certain areas. Regardless, it's quite a catchy song (even if the lyrics make little to no sense).

3. Pyrrhic Victoria, by Joe Satriani

This has to be one of the absolute best songs Satch has put out in recent years. It's hard and rocking while still having an epic symphonic feel to it that makes you feel like you're watching the summer's biggest blockbuster hit in the theaters. I love that he was somehow able to make a marriage of two seemingly distinctly different musical styles in such a way where they blend and intertwine, rather than have a war with one another.

4. Rip This Joint, by The Rolling Stones

This is a tune I LOVE to crank whenever I want to get energized, feel good, and have some fun. Surprisingly enough I almost NEVER hear it on the radio. It's fun enough that you would think it would. Anyway it's not lyrically profound by any stretch of the imagination, but it's the Rolling Stones. They don't need to be. It's straight up blues charged rock n' roll with a real swing to it. Great for getting a party going if you're hanging with people who actually have taste in music.

5. Princess of the Night, by Saxon

If you're feeling more metal though, Saxon ALWAYS has you covered. I love how lightning quick the intro riff is played. You might not think so, but this riff isn't quite as easy to do justice as it would sound to someone who is just coming in and listening casually for the first time. Some times it's not the lead guitarist that impresses me, but the rhythm guitarist and just what they can do when given the right kind of focus. That said, crank this tune up to 11 and rock.

 

Ace Frehley Returning to Kiss for Final Tour a Possibility

Over the years it has been no secret that founding Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley has had some major spats with his former band mates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. However, Frehley insists that especially his relationship with Stanley is quite good (especially since Stanley contributed to Frehley's recent solo album Origins Vol. 1) and he would never say never to reuniting with his old band if they did a farewell tour.

In a recent interview on Sirius XM he was asked if a reunion with the band was ever at all a possibility for a final tour, he says:

“Rumours are rumours. I haven’t been contacted. I’m not ruling it out. It’s a possibility. If that’s something they would like to do to end the career of Kiss, if it was handled correctly, it could be great.

Those guys run the show these days. I’m doing my thing and they’re doing their thing. If it happens it would be great. If it doesn’t I’ll be fine and they’ll be fine.”

Personally I don't see Kiss doing anything even remotely close to a final tour any time in the foreseeable future. Gene will definitely want to keep milking that cash cow for as long as he can stand on his own two feet and put on all the make-up and stage outfits. Plus, they really don't show any signs of slowing down at all at this point. That said, Frehley returning to the band in any capacity (even if only for a song or two on stage once in a blue moon) would be epic and rad. That said however, I'm not holding my breath.

Throwback Thursday: Sticky Fingers, by The Rolling Stones

In 1971 The Rolling Stones put out their 9th British album (11th American one), titled Sticky Fingers. It just so happens that it has become one of their most monumental landmark albums (so much to the point where in America it went triple platinum and is considered by many their best album). At this point these guys were definitely on top of the world. They were on fire and nothing was about to make them stop any time soon.

Sticky Fingers has a bit of a variety in sound, ranging from the jumping and jiving rock tunes that everyone loves, to blues, to even bits of country at certain moments. It's definitely a well rounded record to say the least. That's probably why it has done so well over the years. Of course it also helps that it features mega hits like: Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Dead Flowers, Can't You Hear Me Knockin', etc. If ever there were an all killer no filler record, this would be it.

Wild Horses is one of my personal favorite Rolling Stones songs. It might not be fast, loud, or rocking, but it is lovable nonetheless. It's soothing, calming, and relaxing. Those guitar chords played by Keith Richards are so smooth and buttery, washing you away in the relaxing chill of the night while Mick Jagger's soulful voice just makes it that much more impacting. This is the kind of song you put on in your car after a long hard day at work and you just need something to calm you down and put you in a better state of mind.

If high energy fun times rock n' roll is what you're looking for however, then look no further than Brown Sugar. That opening solo guitar riff is iconic. Everyone knows what song it is and who is playing the second it comes on. It has a killer groove to it and will get everyone moving. Plus, that saxophone solo done by Bobby Keys really brings everything together and exudes the good atmosphere the song is meant to present to the listeners.

Sticky Fingers has sold as many copies and been revered as much as it has over the past few decades for a damn good reason. It's definitely a lot of fun and gives first time listeners an excellent idea as to what the Rolling Stones are about. It has its peaks and valleys and they all manage to come all at the right moment. These guys in their prime definitely had a lot of talent. I would recommend this as the first album that anyone looking to get into the Rolling Stones pick up. You're shooting yourself in the foot if you don't.

Sticky Fingers, by The Rolling Stones receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Track List:

1. Brown Sugar
2. Sway
3. Wild Horses
4. Can't You Here Me Knockin'
5. You Gotta Move
6. Bitch
7. I Got the Blues
8. Sister Morphine
9. Dead Flowers
10. Moonlight Mile

Buy the album on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Fingers-Remastered-Rolling-Stones/dp/B002KV4NTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480658900&sr=8-1&keywords=Rolling+Stones+Sticky+Fingers

Rush Donates $40,000 to Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook

Rush has done some amazing things in their 40+ year career as a band, but now they can add major philanthropy onto that list (more so than before). They have just made a $40,000 donation to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook.

Gord Downie is the singer for The Tragically Hip, who has unfortunately developed terminal brain cancer and has since with his band done their final shows. Downie started this charity to help combat the disease so that no one else has to suffer the way he did.

In an official statement, Rush say:

“We are pleased to direct this generous donation from the Allan Slaight Humanitarian award to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research at Sunnybrook. Many Canadian families have been affected either directly or indirectly by this terrible disease.

Through Gord's courageous efforts this cause is now getting the attention it desperately deserves. As fellow musicians and friends it's our turn to help support his efforts to fight brain cancer now."

 In addition to the band's statement, head of neurology at Sunnybrook Dr James Perry adds:

“We are thrilled to learn Rush has made such a donation. It will help give us the tools we need to find ways to treat the untreatable. Right now we are investigating new drugs, surgical techniques and genetic therapies. We are using ultrasound to reach tumours that couldn't be reached before.

The funds so generously donated by Rush will support us as we continue our pioneering work, to the benefit of brain cancer patients not only across Canada but around the world.”

Definitely good on Rush for making this donation, regardless of the amount (because I know a lot of people would be wondering why they didn't donate more). Every little bit counts when it comes to fighting a disease. I can only hope that soon something substantial can be discovered that will help eradicate brain cancer once and for all, or at the very least help in combating it.

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