2008 ROCKinsights™
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12/31/2008
New Notes |
Allman Brothers Back At Beacon
With close to 200 shows at the
venerable New York City venue The Allmans could be considered the
House Band at the Beacon Theater. Last year's edition of the group's annual
series at the Beacon was cancelled to give Gregg Allman more time to
rebound from Hepatitis C. The theater will come back stronger too,
thanks to renovations sure to please the band and fans on hand
for the renewal of the tradition, which starts March 9 and will include 10
shows over a span of a couple of weeks.
|
12/30/2008
New Notes |
Dead Return To The Road
The New Year began on the right
note for fans hoping the
October performance in support of Barack Obama's candidacy would not be
the last time Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill
Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart played together. A 2009
Evening With The Dead Tour is now official. The 19 concert, 16
city trek opens April 12 in Greensboro, North Carolina and will wrap up with
a show in San Francisco on May 10. Ratdog keyboard player
Jeff Chimenti and Allman Brothers - Gov't Mule guitarist
Warren Haynes will round out the lineup. Drummer Hart's take on the plan
to resume the long, strange trip... "A mind meld is a terrible thing to
waste".
|
12/30/2008
New Notes |
Olympic Studios Expected To Close
Barring a last minute reprieve, a landmark
location for recording sessions will go silent at year's end.
Olympic Studios in London is the latest victim of advances that make it
possible to affordably record and produce albums almost anywhere with little
sacrifice in quality. Relocated to a turn of the century theater in
Barnes, London in 1966, the Olympic hosted the debut sessions for Jimi
Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. The Rolling Stones recorded
Beggar's Banquet, Sticky Fingers and portions of several other
albums there. It was also the scene for Queen's Night At The
Opera, and used by the Who for Who's Next, Who By Numbers
and Who Are You. Before Abbey Road Studios became their their
base, the Beatles did some sessions at the Olympic, as did Eric Clapton
while with the Yardbirds and Derek & The Dominos. Most
recently, U2 used it for
No Line On The Horizon.
|
12/30/2008
New Notes |
Jerry Garcia Estate Sued
It's hard to imagine Merl Saunders and
Jerry Garcia locking horns in court, but with neither around to head
things off it looks as though their estates will. Prefixmag.com
reports that the Saunders estate filed a claim in a California District
Court Monday (12/29)
seeking $100,000, apparently over money it feels was
due from a live recording Garcia and Saunders made in September, 1974 at the
Keystone, a Berkeley club they played regularly.
Saunders died October 24th.
12/30/08 |
12/28/2008
New Notes |
U2 Drummer Uncomfortable With Bono's Pals
Larry Mullen "cringes" when
his band's lead singer hangs out with Tony Blair and George Bush. The
U2 drummer tells
Q Magazine he considers Blair and Bush war criminals - the former UK
leader in particular because Blair is smart enough to know better.
According to Billboard, No
Line On The Horizon, U2's 12th studio disc will be
released in five formats: Regular CD, double vinyl, Digi-Pack includes a 36
page book, a poster and a movie, DigiPac Plus adds a 60 page magazine, and a
deluxe Box edition with a hard cover book and second poster. |
12/27/2008
New Notes |
Delaney Bramlett Dies After Surgery
Complications following gall
bladder surgery apparently caused the guitarist's death Saturday
(12/27)
at UCLA Medical Center. Born in Mississippi, Bramlett moved to Los
Angeles after serving in the Navy. 1969's
Accept No Substitute
with wife Bonnie Bramlett was the first of
several recordings under his own name, but it was his work on albums and
tours that made him a legend among musicians. Bramlett co-wrote songs,
including Let It Rain, and produced the 1970 solo debut album by
Eric Clapton, and wrote, recorded, produced or toured with Clapton,
Dave Mason, Duane Allman, Elvin Bishop, Leon Russell, George
Harrison, Joe Cocker and dozens of others. In 2008 year Bramlett
released A New Kind Of Blues, and was
finishing up work on a new album, Rise Up,
at the time of his death. |
12/24/2008
New Notes |
Keith Richards Found in Translation
Ozzy Osbourne you can't
understand, Yogi Berra you understand but can't comprehend.
Keith Richards has been confounding people on both counts for
decades.
Keith is more wise guy than a wise man, but you don't live as hard as Keith
has for as long as he has without
at least some measure of wisdom to go along with luck. Keith's eccentric
syntax is sure to make What Would Keith Richards Do? Daily
Affirmations From A Rock n Roll Survivor an amusing read. The
book, compiled by Jessica West, is scheduled for publication in May. |
12/23/2008
New Notes |
Bruce Joins Bon Jovi at Jersey Benefit
He was not listed in the lineup of
musicians at last night's (12/22)
concert to raise money for community health services in Red Bank, New
Jersey, but Bruce Springsteen was ready to rock when Jon Bon Jovi
invited him to the Count Basie Theater stage. According to the Asbury Park
Press, The Boss joined Bon Jovi on Run, Run Rudolph, and later
returned for Merry Christmas, Baby and Santa Claus Is Coming To
Town. Two area food banks collected over 10,000 pounds of food
donations brought by the crowd.
|
12-22-2008
New Notes |
Black Crowes Landing at Levon's
Band drummer Levon Helm
has been hosting informal concert sessions in his studio near
Woodstock for the last several years.
The Midnight Ramble, as the Saturday night shows are
known, are the musical equivalent of a pot luck dinner - you're never sure
of what you'll get, but it almost always satisfies.
Chris Robinson and the
Black Crowes
will perform
and record at the rustic studio over consecutive weekends this winter.
The Saturday & Sunday night shows
February 21 & 22 and Feb. 28 & March 1 will give fans willing to pay $150 the chance to be part
of one of the more intimate concert recordings ever.
|
12/20/2008
New Notes |
Triple Disc Dead Set From NYC, 1990
Even for a band accustomed to
working without a net, the circumstances confronting the Grateful Dead
in the fall
of 1990 had to be daunting. Keyboard player Brent Mydland died in
July. Bruce Hornsby offered to fill-in on a temporary basis,
and former Tubes member Vince Welnick had agreed to fill the
void Mydland left on a fulltime
basis. Both joined the band during its 6
night September series of shows in Madison Square Garden.
Remarkably, Bruce, Vince and the band managed to exceed the notoriously high
expectations of the band's most demanding audiences. You will hear
plenty of examples why on
Road Trips Volume 2.
|
12/19/2008
New Notes |
U2 Files For Early Payday
Just weeks ago the Irish rockers sealed a 12 year
deal that reportedly gave Live Nation exclusive rights to
present and benefit from a wide range of the group's enterprises, including
concerts and recordings. According to the Wall Street Journal,
the company guaranteed a buy back value of 25 million for the 1.6 million
shares of Live Nation stock the group received
as part of the deal. The paper reports an SEC filing indicates the
band is seeking that buy back now. With the current value of the shares only
around 6 million, Live Nation could be on the hook for 19
million.
The band's new CD drops March 3 and a massive
world tour is expected, so Live Nation could recoup that and more in
short order.
|
12/18/2008
New Notes |
Floyd Drummer's High Octane Hobby
Other than behind his drum kit,
there are few places
Nick Mason would rather be than behind the wheel
of an exotic performance car. Yesterday
(12/17),
the Pink Floyd drummer flew in by chopper for some track time
with three of his favorite cars. According to the Daily Post of North
Wales, Mason was at Anglesey Circuit to drive his Ferrari Enzo, 1964 Alfa
Romeo and 1932 Bentley. Mason is adding chapters to a racing book he
co-authored a decade ago. Mason doesn't just admire fast cars; he and
David Gilmour have raced together, and were injured in a crash while
participating in the Pan American off-road race in Mexico in 1991.
|
12/16/2008
New Notes |
Eddie Van Halen Guitar Available
You may never play guitar like
Eddie Van Halen, but you can get your hands on the same guitar
the VH fret master plays. EVH®
plans a January roll out of an exact replica of one of Eddie's favorite axes. How
identical will the
Wolfgang®
model be? The guitar great says
"… we left no stone unturned. Everything that I’ve
built, destroyed, stumbled onto, learned and experienced is in this guitar.”
Get more details on the instrument
here,
and in the February edition of Guitar
World, out now. |
12/15/2008
New Notes |
Warren Haynes Christmas Jam
Asheville, North Carolina is a hip place anytime of year.
Every December it gets even better when the city hosts the Warren Haynes
Christmas Jam. The Allman Brothers Band and
Gov't Mule guitarist added a second day to this year's festivities in
the Civic Center, and put together a phenomenal lineup for the
charity event's 20th anniversary (12/12&13).
There were plenty of highlights, including the Allmans on stage with
Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones. Hungry for more details?
Jason Bugg has 'em in his great wrap-up piece on
JamBase. 1
2/16/2008 |
12/14/2008
New Notes |
Steven Tyler Sings With TSO
Fans attending a couple of
Trans Siberian Orchestra shows got an early Christmas present when
Steven Tyler joined the group for a couple of Aerosmith
classics. The concerts at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island
(12/12)
and the Izod Center (formerly the Continental Arena) in northern Jersey
(12/13)
were closed out with the Aerosmith front man leading the TSO on Dream On
and Sweet Emotion. Plenty of fans with cams
captured video
at both shows. |
12/13/2008
New Notes |
Neil Young Archives, Phase 1
The first collector's edition box
of material mined from the Neil Young archives spans the period from
1963-1972. The 10 DVD set that drops Feb. 24 contains 128 songs, 43 of
them previously unreleased. Two recent concert discs from the archives
are also included, as is the movie Journey Through The Past, and a hardcover
book. Opting in for the whole set set you back more than
$400. 12/13/2008
|
12/12/2008
New Notes |
Clapton Shotguns Auctioned in London
We reported
in October Eric Clapton's decision to put several prized pieces from his
impressive collection of firearms up for auction. The sale took place as
scheduled yesterday (12/11) at
the Princess Louise House in Hammersmith, London. The final tally for
close to a dozen of the finely crafted shotguns engraved with the
guitarist's initials was just over $464,000, which was short of projections
back when everyone was getting more bang for the buck.
|
12/12/2008
New Notes |
Stones Songs Selected for Streets
Officials in the Dartford Borough
of Kent accepted a resolution 12/11
to make several Rolling Stones song titles the basis for street names
in a new development near the area band members grew up. According to
metro.co.uk, residents will be able to live on on Angie Mews,
Satisfaction Street, Ruby Tuesday Drive, Dandelion Row, Sympathy Street
and a half dozen others. Mick Jagger was born in Dartford and met up
with Keith Richards while attending school there.
Street sign theft should outpace the overall crime
rate by a big margin as soon as the signs go up.
|
12/10/2008
New Notes |
Fight To Preserve Chelsea Hotel Escalates
Residents of the lower Manhattan
hotel have gotten the city to halt renovations to Room 211, the space where
Bob Dylan wrote Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands and other songs
for Blonde On Blonde.
Called "The Last Outpost of Bohemia", the Chelsea has been home to
hundreds of luminaries in its long history, among them Mark Twain, Allen
Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, members of the Grateful Dead, The Ramones,
Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Leonard Cohen. It
inspired the Joni Mitchell song Chelsea Morning, was
where Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols allegedly stabbed his
girlfriend to death in 1978, and long before the Beatles
performed on a London roof top, the Grateful Dead played on the roof
of the Chelsea. Photos of Dylan's room and updates on the dispute between many
long-term residents and the building owner is being chronicled in this
tenant group's
blog.
12-10-2008 |
12/10/2008
New Notes |
Doobies Open New Year In Miami
The stadium is history, but the
Orange Bowl continues as one of the elite bowl games. The 75th
playing of this gridiron classic January 1 at Miami's Dolphin Stadium honors
a band with a great tradition of its own. The Doobie Brothers are the
showcase attraction for Orange Bowl half time festivites.
/2008 |
12/9/2008
New Notes |
Graham Nash Reflections
Material from the 4 Graham Nash solo
projects, his collaborations with David Crosby, and group recordings
with CSN, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and the Hollies
are all included in this career spanning set due from Rhino on Feb 3.
Half of the 64 song collection consists of alternate takes, and there are 6
previously unreleased songs. |
12/9/2008
New Notes |
Vegas Volcano Erupts to New Beat
Following a massive makeover, the famed Volcano at
the Mirage in Las Vegas roars back to life tonight
(12/9) to a new soundtrack
composed and recorded by former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. |
12/8/2008
New Notes |
Townshend & Daltrey Get Kennedy Center
Honors
The Who's Pete Townshend
and Roger Daltrey represented Rock at the 31st annual Kennedy
Center Honors over the weekend in DC. Other award recipients last night
(12/7)
included Barbara Streisand, choreographer Twyla Tharpe, actor
Morgan Freeman and country crooner George Jones. All
were invited to a State Department dinner Saturday night and a reception at
the White House Sunday afternoon before the ceremony. Rob Thomas,
former lead singer of Matchbox 20, performed Baba O'Riley at
the event - an odd choice, we thought. |
12/4/2008
New Notes |
Steven Tyler Re-Brands Motorcycle Company
When the lead singer of one of
the biggest bands in the world helps run the biz, finding the right person
to
announce a company name change is a no-brainer. Steven Tyler of
Aerosmith was on the scene at the New England Auto Show in Boston
Wednesday (12/3)
to announce Red Wing Motorcycles is being renamed
Dirico Motorcycles after designer-engineer
Marc Dirico,
who also happens to be Tylers brother-in-law. New bikes will continue to
be delivered with Tyler's signature. |
12-3-2008
New Notes |
Plant+Krauss=5 Grammy Nominations
Raising Sand,
the eclectic release Robert Plant and Alison Krauss put out in
the fall of 2007, earned five
Grammy nominations today,
including Best Album and Record Of The Year. other rockers up for
hardware during the Feb. 8 awards ceremony include The Eagles (4),
and Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen,
who each are up for two awards.
|
12/3/2008
New Notes |
Zep Guitarist
Attends Drummer's Services
Jimmy Page attended the
funeral
for drummer Michael Lee. Lee backed Robert Plant on a
number of projects and worked with Page & Plant during their 1990's
collaborations, including the 1998 album
Walking Into Clarksdale.
According to the
Northern Echo, Plant sent flowers and a note but was not in attendance.
Lee, who also played with Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, and Lenny
Kravitz, passed away at his home after suffering an epileptic seizure
11/25. 12/3/2008 |
11/30/2008
New Notes |
Costello Sundance Show Premiers
Spectacle, a new program hosted by Elvis Costello premiers
December 3 on the Sundance Channel.
A loose format promises a lot of room for interesting conversation and
musical exchanges between the host and his guests. The opening session
features Lou Reed.
Future guests will include Elton John, the Police, James
Taylor, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Kris Kristofferson, and
former President Bill Clinton. |
11/29/2008
New Notes |
Fleetwood Mac Back On The Road
Five years after wrapping up the
Say You Will Tour, Fleetwood Mac returns to North American stages
starting March 1 in Pittsburgh. The opening leg of the Unleashed
Tour covers a dozen U.S. cities and three stops north of the border.
Not expected onboard is Christine McVie, who hasn't performed with the group
since its induction into the Rock Hall Of Fame a decade ago.
|
11/28/2008
New Notes |
Doobies & CCR Member Side Project Released
Jackdawg, a short-lived
group with John McFee and the late Keith Knudson of the
Doobie Brothers and Creedence Clearwater's Stu Cook, laid
down some tracks in 1989 and 1990 that are finally available.
SonicPast Music has released the single disc, which includes
their take on Van Morrison's Wild Night. |
11/27/2008
New Notes |
Live Earth Concert Cancelled
The recent wave of terror attacks
in Mubai, India have caused organizers to scuttle plans for the December 7
Live Earth Concert in the city. The
cancellation notice gives no indication of whether the event, which was
to have included appearances by Roger Waters (left), Jethro Tull
and Bon Jovi, might be rescheduled at some future date or alternate
site. |
11/25/2008
New Notes |
Another Neil Young Archive Release
The live version of Sugar
Mountain Neil released as the B side of The Loner came from a
show on his birthday in 1968 at the Canterbuy House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Portions of the rest of that set have circulated over the years among
collectors. December 2
Live at Canterbury House 1968
becomes the latest nugget from Neil's massive archive to get released. Neil
made the fully restored recording available for fans to preview at National
Public Radio's web site for several days before its release. |
11/24/2008
New Notes |
Rock Hall Branches Out
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame
opened a satellite location in lower Manhattan today
(11/24).
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Annex features a section devoted to rock
landmarks like CBGB, the Fillmore East and the Chelsea
Hotel, along with personal belongings of some of the city's native and
adopted sons, including Billy Joel and John Lennon.
Like the flagship location in Cleveland, special exhibits will rotate in and
out periodically. The Clash get first honors.
11/24/2008
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11/24/2008
New Notes
|
Bruce Turns Tile Song Loose
Working On A Dream, the title
track for the January 27 follow up to
Magic,
was mad available as a free
download through the Bruce Springsteen
web site today.
The song, which had its premier during the
Nov. 16 Sunday Night Football game on NBC, will be available through i-tunes
exclusively from 11/25 - 12/9. |
11/18/2008
New Notes
|
Garcia Movie Planned
A film focused on the pre Grateful Dead years
of Jerry Garcia will go into production next year. Albert
Berger and Ron Yerxa, who collaborated on Little Miss Sunshine
and Cold Mountain, will draw on Dark Star,
the recently published Garcia biography by Robert Greenfield, author of
several excellent books on music and rock culture. It is unclear how
much beyond the jug band and bluegrass days leading up to the formation of
the Warlocks, which later morphed into the Grateful Dead,
the film will go. |
11/17/2008
New Notes
|
New Springsteen Around The Corner
Working On A Dream,
the title song for next Bruce Springsteen album had its official
debut during NBC's Sunday Night Football
(11/16).
Bruce played the song at swing state Obama rallies in the closing days of
the campaign. The disc, out January 27, has 12 songs recorded between
legs of the E Street Band world tour, plus two bonus tracks - the song he
contributed to the movie The Wrestler, and Night With
The Jersey Devil, a download available through his web site at
Halloween. Bruce has also stepped up to the plate on behalf of the
New Jersey Food Bank with a full page newspaper ad.1
|
11/16/2008
New Notes
|
Beatles Track Surfaces
There is no mystery why
Carnival Of Light was not included on
Magical Mystery Tour.
With LPs averaging only just over
20 minutes per side, adding a 14 minute track with no conceptual link to the
album made as little sense as the song itself. One listen makes it
easy to understand why this Beatle song remained unreleased years after virtually every
snippet and outtake from the archives had been put out - a fact might or
might not stand in the way of Paul McCartney getting apporvals from
Yoko Ono, Ringo Starr and George Harrison's estate to
release it now.
|
11/14/2008
New Notes |
Familiar Faces Back Together?
A London Daily Mirror
story says Rod Stewart & The Faces could start rehearsals for a
reunion tour soon. In a comment
that suggests that the turmoil in Ron Woods personal life may have
influenced the guitarist's decision to rejoin the band he left to join the
Rolling Stones in 1975, Stewart said, "Ronnie is up to it... We try
not to mix our family problems with work". Studio sessions are
said to
begin this coming week, with tour plans to follow soon. With the
Kinks also on the comeback trail, we would hope and expect to see other
bands join the party. |
11/12/2008
New Notes |
Mitch Mitchell Dies
The last surviving member of the
Jimi Hendrix Experience, drummer Mitch Mitchell, was found
dead in a Portland, Oregon hotel room Wednesday morning
(11/12).
The 61 year old Mitchell, who had just completed the 18 date Experience
tour, is believed to have died of natural causes. |
11/11/2008
New Notes |
Gabriel Launches Online Music Service
Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend, Neil
Young and Peter Gabriel are
artists that are as interested in technology as art. Gabriel's latest
project aims to merge technology and marketing to expand no-cost access to
music. We7.com
made its online debut today (11/11).
The site allows free access to millions of tracks, with artist compensation
coming through sponsorship dollars generated by audio and display
advertising on the site. |
11/7/2008
New Notes |
Dylan Visits Neil Young's House
Owning a house a great musician
lived in means putting up with fans stopping outside for a look.
According to the
CBC,
the owner of the Winnipeg house Neil Young called home was surprised
to find Bob Dylan in front of the house last Sunday
(11/2).
Dylan dropped by while taking in some
sights around the city before doing a concert that night at Winnipeg's MTS
Centre. Unlike most other unannounced visitors, Bob and his manager
were invited in to the house Neil occupied during the same years Dylan was a
few hundred miles south in Hibbing, Minnesota. |
11/6/2008
New Notes |
Walsh Delivers Anthem
Joe Walsh took center court
before tonite's Lakers - Clippers game in LA and did a fine solo rendition
of the Star Spangled Banner. Given Joe's flare for the unpredictable,
we can only imagine how many NBA officials were holding their breath until
the last note. |
11/4/2008
New Notes |
Cream Bassist Blasts Zeppelin
Jack Bruce
followed his acceptance of an award for
Cream's 1967 release Disraeli
Gears Monday
(11/3)
with a negative outburst against Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin.
In an interview with Dave Ling of Classic Rock Magazine, Bruce
referred to Zeppelin as 'crap', and blasted Jimmy Page as lacking the
talent to be compared with Eric Clapton.
The remarks seemed rooted in Bruce feeling that Zep's single reunion
appearance upstaged Cream's multiple night reunion concerts in London and
New York. |
11/3/2008
New Notes |
Kinks Close to Confirming Tour
Rumor mills toss out another
possible replacement for Robert Plant in Led Zeppelin every
day. Reports are again surfacing that Genesis members are trying to
coax Peter Gabriel into doing at least a few live dates. Ray
Davies has given fans a reason to believe a Kinks reunion is in
the works by confirming studio sessions are planned with the hope they lead
to new material and a possible tour.
1 |
11/2/2008
New Notes |
Founding Member of Zappa's Band
Dies
Jimmy Carl Black,
drummer in Frank Zappa's
Mothers Of Invention, passed away Saturday
(11/1)
just a few months after learning he had lung cancer.
Black, who immortalized himself on
record as "the Indian of the group", occasionally performed and recorded
with other veterans of Zappa projects, including a 2002 album with guitarist
Roy Estrada, who together with fellow Mothers member Lowell
George, formed Little Feat.
|
11/2/2008
New Notes |
Allmans Onboard for Holiday Jam
In celebration of the event's 20th
year, organizer Warren Haynes has added a second day to his annual
X-Mas Jam in
Asheville, North Carolina. The Allman Brothers Band, Derek Trucks
Band, Steve Earle, Gov't Mule, and the legendary Johnny Winter
are among the more than 20 artists set to take the stage December 12 & 13 in
Asheville's Civic Center to raise money for Habitat For Humanity |
11/2/2008
New Notes |
Head Parrothead Plays Barack Rally
It was a Democratic Party
Sunday (11/2)
when Jimmy Buffett packed the Ford Theater in Tampa with 20,000
Parrotheads for Change. The rally two days before voters hit the polls
in the pivotal Sunshine State was
a chance for Buffett to urge his legions of followers to join him in voting
for the Democratic Presidential ticket.
The Obama-Biden campaign has enjoyed the support of plenty of high-profile
rockers. The Republican White House effort, hurt by bad PR resulting from
rockers complaints about unauthorized use of their songs at McCain-Palin
events, finally scored an endorsement last week when Joe Perry of
Aerosmith, a self-described life long Republican, went public with his
support for McCain.
|
10/30/2008
New Notes |
Young Cancels LA Date
A dispute between operators of the
Inglewood Forum and union workers caused Neil Young to cancel his
concert at the venue (10/30).
Doing the show would have forced Neil, a union member himself, to cross a
picket line of members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage
Employees. Officials with the Forum contend union members have been
conducting unsanctioned picketing and claim the facility was found
to be in compliance on labor matters. They also voiced the opinion
that racism on the part of the union is an underlying cause of the dispute. 8 |
10/30/2008
New Notes |
No Spooktacular Halloween at Springsteen's
Bruce Springsteen and wife
Patti Scialfa decided to give their neighbors a break this Halloween
by not decking out their Rumson, NJ home. In a note on his
web site explaining their decision to go low key this year Bruce called
recent displays a "catastrophic success" because they drew so many to the
neighborhood.
Bruce also posted a Halloween song and video on his site before he and Patti
traveled to Syracuse, New York over the weekend to watch young Jessica
Springsteen compete in a horse show before heading on to Columbus, Ohio
where Bruce appeared before an estimated 60,000 attending an outdoor rally
in support of Barack Obama. |
10/29/2008
New Notes |
Rare Beatles Film Discovered
Charlie Finley, owner of
the Kansas City Athletics and a man often called the PT Barnum of
baseball, tripled his original offer of $50,000 to get the Beatles to
ad a Kansas City concert to their 1964 US tour. The Municipal Stadium
show September 17 was so last minute it drew only around 20,000. The
only know film of the concert was made by a 15 year old who attended
with his father and brother. The 2 minutes of 8mm footage that lay forgotten
in a drawer for 50 years brought a high bid of $6,600 - not bad considering
no sound was included in the recording. |
10/29/2008
New Notes |
Line Up The Lawyers?
Zeppelin bass player John Paul
Jones' response to a question during a recent Q&A session left little doubt
about his plans to tour with Jimmy Page and Jason Bonham,
but did not validate claims that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith
will join in if Robert Plant refuses to change his mind about
touring.
The obvious question is whether Plant will seek to block Page, Bonham and
whoever they recruit for vocals from using the name Led Zeppelin. The
band appeared as The Nobs early in 1970 when a suit was filed against
it by Eva Von Zeppelin over the use of her name. |
10/28/2008
New Notes |
Piano Men Hit The Road Again
Billy Joel and Elton
John have a joint tour in the works for next year, according to
Newsday. The paper was on hand last night
(10/27)
when Billy did a set to raise money for a
Long Island based charity at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan.
More details on Joel's concert last night
here. |
10/27/2008
New Notes |
Doors Live At The Matrix
This November 18 release contains
more than 2 hours of music remastered from the original tapes recorded
March 7 & 10 of 1967. Bootlegs of these shows at the San Francisco
club owned by Marty Balin of the Jefferson Airplane have
circulated for years so thousands have heard them, but The Doors were so
under the radar outside of Southern California that very few showed up to
witness either night.
The debut album had been out just a couple of months. Light My
Fire, the nearly 7 minute song that launched the band and gave a big
boost to FM Rock Radio, had been released as a single just days before these
shows.
Disc 1 includes most of the songs on
The Doors,
plus Get Out Of My Life Woman,
an Allen Toussaint song that has never been on a Doors release. The
second disc features developing versions of several songs that would appear
on later discs. |
10/26/2008
New Notes |
Superstar Jam to Open London Olympics?
According to Britian's News Of
the World, the 2012 London Olympics could include an opening ceremony
performance that puts the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page and Robert
Plant, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Van Morrison, Sting, David
Gilmour and Phil Collins all on stage together.
The Stones were initially approached by the organizing committee according
to the report, which says that Mick Jagger wants to include as many
of the others as are willing. Conspicuously not mentioned: Roger
Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Joe Cocker, U2 (Van Morrison is Irish), and
Scotland's Ian Anderson.
Getting this group to agree on everything could end up as complicated as
staging the games themselves, but it will be some spectacle if they can pull
it off. 10/26/2008 |
10/25/2008
New Notes
|
Glory Days In Asbury Park
An enterprising teacher at the Asbury Park, New Jersey High School figured
there was no harm in asking, so she wrote a letter to see if Bruce
Springsteen would consider a contribution so the school could get team
jackets to commemorate the school's first state football title in 23 years.
According to the Monmouth Country paper
The Coaster, Audrey Kevorkain's letter brought a $10,000 check from
Bruce and his wife.
|
10/24/2008
New Notes |
R.I.P. Merl Saunders
One of the Bay area's musical MVPs
died early 10/24 in a San Francisco hospital. Organist
Merl Saunders
suffered a stroke six years ago and broke his hip earlier this year.
Admired by blues, rock and jazz musicians and fans, Saunders recorded a
series of releases with Jerry Garcia as Legion Of Mary
and Garcia/Saunders. The two performed regularly
together at the Keystone in Berkeley in the 1970's. Saunders also
filled in on keyboards for the Dead's Skull & Roses release in 1971
while Ron Pigpen McKernan was sidelined before his death in 1973.
Garcia and Saunders got back together in 1990 to record Live
From The Rainforest.
|
10/23/2008
New Notes |
Mudcrutch Live EP
Before forming the Heartbreakers, Tom Petty,
Benmont Tench and Mike Campbell were in the band Mudcrutch
with Tom Leadon, brother of the of the then Eagles guitarist
Bernie Leadon, and Randall Marsh. A few years ago Petty
reunited the group. November 11 Mudcrutch turns loose
Extended Play Live.
Recorded during a brief spring tour in California, the EP has only 4 songs,
but one, Crystal River, is an epic 15 minutes. Get an advance listen at
mudcrutchmisic.com
1 |
10/22/2008
New Notes
|
Pink Floyd Stratocaster Bids Enter Stratosphere
Bidding for a custom made Fender Strat signed David Gilmour, Roger
Waters, Nick Mason and the late Rick Wright and sporting graphics
by the artist behind The Wall hit the wall. After racing to $25,000
October 22, bidding tacked on only a few hundred in the closing week
of the charity auction,
closing out just short of $26,000 on October 31.
|
10/21/2008
New Notes
|
Jeff Beck Tears It Up Live
A series of SRO dates featuring
Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's Club in London were so electric that a
live CD is fast tracked for release November 25. The disc includes 16
tracks, and will be followed by a DVD sometime next year. |
10/21/2008
New Notes |
Who Tour Opener Benefits Motor City
The Who opened a 10 date US tour
in Detroit Tuesday (10/21)
and donated their proceeds from the show to area charities. Get
details on the performance for 11,000 at the Palace at Auburn Hills
here. |
10/20/2008
New Notes
|
Young's Car Rolls West
The term 'Maverick' sure gets
applied loosely these days. One guy it legitimately applies to is
Neil Young. Throughout his career, Neil never let other people's
expectations dictate his direction. His record company even sued him
over a release the label did not consider commercial enough.
So with the focus on developing small fuel efficient vehicles, Neil backed a
project to prove a behemoth 1959 Lincoln could be converted into a vehicle
that would outperformed all of the micro-machines. The
LincVolt not
only gets the equivalent of 75 miles per gallon, it can also end the day
with enough surplus energy to charge the house instead of needing to be
recharged from it. Now that's our idea of Maverick!
|
10/19/2008
New Notes
|
Alabama Adopts Skynyrd Song
Sweet Home Alabama became
that state's tourism marketing tag several months ago. In January The
Lynyrd Skynyrd song title will replace another song, Stars
Fell On Alabama, as the slogan on license plates. With up to seven
letters allowed on custom tags, the state could cash in by doing a lottery
to see who gets S-K-Y-N-Y-R-D on theirs. |
10/19/2008
New Notes
|
Rays Manager Rocks
Boston-LA or Boston-Philadelphia,
either World Series would have had great sub-plots: Joe Torre
and Manny Ramierez united against Red Sox Nation, or Terry
Francona leading the Sox into the city that heaped so much abuse on him
when he managed the Phillies that he once joked that he checked the back of
his jersey to see if it had "You Suck" stitched on it for his name because
that was what fans yelled every time he went to the mound.
But the Tampa Bay Rays earned their World Series opportunity. Another
season of anemic attendance and the fact a good number of the fans that did
show up at The Trop rooted for the opposition make their accomplishment all
the more remarkable. The team and their manager are the deserving American
League Champions. Real baseball fans know it's no fluke; The Rays are
a talented, determined group of players with a lot of heart, managed
by a guy they all love to play for.
The calm, unassuming Manager of the Rays might not look or act like your
typical rock fan but Joe Maddon is one, and according to Gerry
Fraley of
The Sporting News, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling
Stones and Motown help keep him centered.
|
10/19/2008
New Notes |
ZZ Top Live From Texas
Live treatments of four songs from the
trio's 1983 breakout release are on this disc, but it's the healthy helping
of pre Eliminator
boogie and blues based material that has early Top fans looking forward to
this The Nov. 4 release. The CD version of the very successful DVD includes
Waitin' For The Bus>Jesus Just Left Chicago, Just Got Paid, I'm Bad, I'm
Nationwide, La Grange, Tush, Tube Snake Boogie, Pearl Necklace, Blue Jean
Blues and Cheap Sunglasses. Rough Boy, from 1985's
Afterburner, is
the only post Eliminator
song to make the cut. 10/19 |
10/18/2008
New Notes
|
Rod Waives Fee For Royalty
It's good to be King - and being
next in line ain't too shabby either. Rod Stewart will perform
for free for guests at the November 15 birthday party being thrown for
Prince Charles.
The gig at the Prince of Wales Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire will
bring out A-List celebrities, no doubt including other musicians who have
participated in the Prince's Trust concerts, so guests could be in for quite
a night of entertainment. |
10/17/2008
New Notes |
Springsteen & Joel Barack The Vote
The economic
crunch didn't stop a couple of thousand fans from laying down big bucks to
see Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel perform together
at last night's (10/16) fund
raiser for the Democratic Presidential ticket. New York City’s
Hammerstein Ballroom on 34th Street was the setting for the historic event.
Highlights included Bruce dedicating Born To Run to the
candidate and climbing atop the piano while Joel banged out Allentown,
and the Piano Man strapping on a guitar for Glory Days.
Near the end, Obama emerged from the wings to express his
appreciation to the musicians and urge fans to help get out the vote. He was
joined by his wife as the band returned and ripped into Signed,
Sealed, Delivered.
|
10/17/2008
New Notes
|
U2 Band Mates Surprise Small Town
Bono and The Edge of U2 showed up at a restaurant
in the small California coastal community of Half Moon Bay last night
(10/16), where Bono spoke to
associates, employees and investors in Elevation Partners, an entertainment
investment firm he was a founding partner in. According to the
Half Moon Bay Review, employees at Sam's Chowder House knew
something big was up but were kept in the dark about just who was coming
until the two arrived. After Bono's presentation, the two previewed a
couple of new U2 songs and hung with the staff for photos.
Next weekend (10-25), Bono and
The Edge present the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz Founders Award to
BB King at a ceremony in LA. BB teamed with U2 on When Love
Comes To Town on Rattle & Hum. |
10/12/2008
New Notes |
Dead & Allmans Unite for Change
For the first time since the summer of 2004, Grateful Dead members
Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart took the
stage together. The 10/12 concert at the Jordan Center on the Penn
State campus in State College, PA included a set from the Allman Brothers
and a video greeting from Obama.
Guitarist Warren Haynes and Ratdog keyboard player Jeff
Chementi joined the Dead members on a 14 song set that opened with
Truckin', included Dark Star>St. Stephen and closed with an encore of Touch
of Grey>Not Fade Away.
Speculation the Dead will hit the road next year grew with the announcement
that Ratdog and Phil Lesh & Friends will close out 2008
together 12/30-31 at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco.
|
10/7/2008
New Notes
|
Clapton Guns to Auction
Guitars are his first love, but Eric
Clapton has a collection of firearms that is the envy of a lot of
collectors. On December 11 at London auction house they can bid
for the chance to get their hands some of Clapton's prized weapons, among
them some that were custom made for EC. According to thisisbristol.co.uk, experts expect the 13 shotguns and other pieces the
guitar slinger to unload could bring in over $750,000
|
10/6/2008
New Notes |
Welcome Camper$$$
Nick Mason, Bill Wyman and Mick
Ralphs have signed on to coach a Rock Fantasy Camp offering daily
sessions in London's Abbey Road Studios November 4-9, followed by a
performance in the Cavern Club. The chance to play with the
former Pink Floyd drummer, former Rolling Stones bass player and
Bad Company & Mott The Hoople guitarist will set campers back
almost $13,000.
|
10/5/2008
New Notes
|
Santana To Ministry?
Spirituality has inspired his music from the beginning. Now, Carlos
Santana says that when he is done recording and touring he wants to
become a minister in Hawaii. The guitarist credits his faith with
helping him overcome depression following the breakup of his 34 year
marriage last year |
10/3/2008
New Notes
|
Astral Weeks Concerts Set
Van Morrison and many of the
musicians included on his landmark 1968 album will perform Astral Weeks
in its entirety November 7 & 8 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The shows will be filmed for a DVD Morrison hopes to release before the end
of the year on his new label, Listen To The Lion, named after a song
on Saint Dominic's
Preview. |
10/2/2008
New Notes
|
Behind The Scenes at Cirque
A film documenting
"Love", the Beatles themed Cirque du Soleil production that has
drawn big crowds in Las Vegas and Orlando, will have a one night run in
about 150 theaters October 20. A DVD release follows the next day.
10/2 |
9/29/2008
New Notes
|
Springsteen & Joel Barack The Vote
New York City’s
Hammerstein Ballroom is the scene for a Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel
concert for Barack Obama on the day after the Democratic Presidential
nominee’s final debate with John McCain. Cheap seats for the October
16th event will reportedly go for $500, with premium seats
breaking the five figure barrier.
|
9/27/2008
New Notes
|
E Street Band Half Time in Tampa
The streak of rockers headlining halftime at the Superbowl continues in
2009 with an appearance
by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Feb 1 in Tampa. Last
year, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers rocked an estimated 150
million American viewers and tens of millions more outside the U.S.
|
9/26/2008
New Notes |
Bad Economy Derails Zeppelin Coaster
Opening season attendance was so far below projections at the 400
million dollar Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach that operators filed for
bankruptcy protection Wednesday
(9/24). Attractions including the Led Zeppelin
'Whole Lotta Love' roller coaster and Eagles 'Life In The Fast Lane' Eagles themed
ride drew far less than the 30,000 a day planners expected to drop $50 to
spin the turnstiles.
|
9/25/2008
New Notes |
McCartney Plays Tel Aviv
In 1965 the plug got pulled on a planned Beatle concert in Israel.
Reports put blame for the cancellation on a government official concerned
that the group would have a corrupting influence on Israeli youth.
Others claim it was the result of a feud between promoters. Whatever
the case, it was 43 years before Paul McCartney finally got on a stage in
Israel. Thursday
(9/25), 40,000 greeted him as he launched the set with
"Hello, Goodbye"
|
9/24/2008
New Notes |
Front Men Left Behind?
A son replacing his late father on drums is okay - especially one as good as
Jason Bonham. But even fans willing to consider Led Zeppelin
still Zeppelin without John Bonham are not likely to stand for a
stand in for Robert Plant. Rumblings that Jimmy Page, John
Paul Jones and Bonham might audition singers may just be a ploy to get
Plant to reconsider touring and recording with his old mates.
Yes
appears willing to gamble on fans accepting another singer in Jon
Anderson's place. The lead singer's severe asthma forced
cancellation of a planned 40th anniversary tour.
Anderson's web site makes it
clear he feels betrayed by reports that group members plan to tour the U.S.
with a new lead singer.
|
9/23/2008
New Notes |
Hall Of Fame
The Rock Hall Of Fame has come under fire for inducting pop acts
ahead of clearly more deserving ones. Madonna's selection last
year may have attracted more visitors to the Hall, but Jeff Beck,
inducted previously as a member of the Yardbirds, belongs there.
Beck will hopefully enter in his own right next spring, but the list includes
some questionable nominees. In addition to Beck, Metallica, War,
The Stooges, Bobby Womack, Chic, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Wanda
Jackson and Run DMC are in contention. Five of the nine go in
April 4th in Cleveland.
|
9/18/2008
New Notes |
Van Morrison Shows Go Dry
Tired of being distracted by fans going for a fill up or to empty out while
he plays, Van Morrison is reportedly requiring halls hosting concerts in
Liverpool and Birmingham England to ban the sale of alcohol.
|
9/15/2008
New Notes |
Cancer Claims Rick Wright
The Pink Floyd keyboard player died Monday (9/15) after a brief battle
with cancer. A founding member of the group, Wright first hooked
up with Roger Waters and Nick Mason in Sigma 6 while studying architecture
in college. Tired of feuding within the group, Wright quit after "The
Wall" sessions, but rejoined for the ensuing tour, and remained a member for
all albums except "The Final Cut".
|
9/14/2008
New Notes |
Crowes Tour Grounded
Illness has forced cancellation of a series of the Georgia band's
tour. The member and nature of the illness were not announced by the
group, but it must not involve guitarist Luther Dickinson, who will use the
down time to do dates with his other group, the North Mississippi All
Stars.
|
9/10/2008
New Notes |
Stones Logo
A gallery's top bid of $92,500 has returned original artwork for rock's most
famous logo to London. The legendary tongue & lips logo used on every
Rolling Stones album since "Sticky Fingers" was created by an art student in
1970.
|
9/9/2008
New Notes |
A Slice of Key West in Jersey
Parrothead sightings along the Jersey shore will increase next summer if
regulators approve the sale of one of Donald Trump's Atlantic City casino
properties to a company working with Jimmy Buffett. Odds makers
say the Trump Marina Hotel and Casino will be converted into the
Margaritaville Casino and Resort. A sure bet is another
Margaritaville Cafe in the Mohegan Sun Casino complex in eastern
Connecticut, which will open its doors later this month.
|
9/8/2008
New Notes |
Dead Treads
Leave it to a marketing team to come up with the notion that "...never being
afraid to disrupt the status quo" is justification for a custom sneaker.
Converse Sneakers credits it as one reason the Grateful Dead and
Kurt Cobain are being honored with footwear. Signature artwork
from Alton Kelly and Stanley Mouse will adorn the various Dead
models, which are priced from $40-$70 at
Journeys and though
Converse.
Dancing Bear treads, we hope. |
