Classic Rock News

44th Anniversary of the Who’s “Tommy”

By: Kathryn Summers — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

The Who’s Tommy made its mark in history today in 1969 by becoming the first-ever rock opera. The double LP, written almost entirely by Pete Townshend, chronicled the story of Tommy, the “deaf, dumb and blind” child abused by family members who becomes a master of pinball through rhythms and vibrations.

Songs such as “1921,” “Pinball Wizard” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It” told the story through the musical sounds and voices of The Who.

Controversial for its time, Tommy dealt with issues of murder, sex, drugs and religion, causing mixed reviews among critics. The album was banned by the BBC and several radio stations; but that didn’t stop the album from becoming an ultimate success.

The production was such a hit that it was eventually turned into a movie in1975, which was directed by Ken Russel featuring Tina Turner as “The Acid Queen,” Jack Nicholson, Sir Elton John, and, of course, Roger Daltrey as Tommy.

Undergoing yet another makeover in1992, Tommy made its way to Broadway, winning five Tony Awards the following year, among them Best Choreography, Direction of a Musical and Original Score.

The album solidified its place in Rock and Roll history when it was inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Check out some of Tommy’s greatest hits below, and head to The Who’s official website for more on the album and all of the band’s latest updates!

Elton John Releases “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” - 5/23/1975

By: Kathryn Summers — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:00:00 GMT

38 years ago Rock and Roll legend Elton John released his ninth studio album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.

The magic began in 1974, when Elton once again paired up with songwriter Bernie Taupin and producer Gus Dudgeon to compose the record-setting Captain Fantastic, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 the following year and spawned hits such as “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” and the bonus track, “Philadelphia Freedom.”

The album also went triple platinum, and was nominated for two Grammys: Album of the Year and Best Male Vocal Performance.

But no one expected less from hit-maker Elton John, who went on to release 17 more albums, compose music for the 1994 Disney film The Lion King, as well as The Billy Elliot Musical, and started The Elton John Aids Foundation.

John released his last album Good Morning to the Night on July 10, 2012, and he is currently gearing up to release of his 20^th studio LP, The Diving Board.

The singer will also kick off a tour this year, performing in the U.S, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Russia, Italy and many more places until December 18, 2013 when the concerts conclude in Prague.

John will be in the United States from September 18 to October 12 at The Colosseum at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas, NV.

For more about Elton John visit his official website and to share your thoughts on John and his music career leave a comment below!

Peter Frampton Talks New Music and Working with the Cincinnati Ballet

By: Gary Graff — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:18:00 GMT

Peter Frampton is hoping that his next batch of new music will come from the original songs he created for his collaboration with the Cincinnati Ballet last month.

In addition to some of Frampton's hits, the company danced to several new songs he created specifically for the show, including "The Promenade Retreat," "Norman Wisdom" and "Friendly Fire."

“The music will come out, but we don't know how to yet,” Frampton tells us. “I would like to get at least a track available on iTunes as we start to go out (on tour). I've got to start talking about that now, 'cause the game has changed so much, you know. I don't want it to get lost, but then odds-on it will (laughs) because that's the nature of the beast...I'm not gonna put an album out or anything like that right now. I don't know exactly how to do it the best way, and that's what I'm working on over the next couple of weeks is a way to put this out.”

Regardless of the music's commercial fate, however, Frampton is still riding high on the production's success:

“I didn't think that I would feel this great about, fulfilled with doing this. It was a welcome surprise...I tweeted something; I said, 'If you really mean it, people will really feel it,' and they really did. Those dancers, the choreographers, everyone was in, like, 180 percent and rose to the occasion and wanted it so badly to work well, and, boy, did it. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever done in my career.”

Frampton is hoping to present the ballet piece again and perhaps even send it on tour.

Meanwhile, he's preparing for the start of his Guitar Circus tour -- with guests including B.B. King, former Eagles member Don Felder, Robert Cray, Sonny Landreth and others -- on Sunday (May 26) in Little Rock, Ark.

CLICK HERE to learn out more about Gary Graff and his award-winning music journalism including the books he has written on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.

Queen’s Brian May Lashes Out at “The Voice”

By: Troy Frisby — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:22:00 GMT

“The Voice” may be one of the biggest TV hits in both the U.S. and the U.K., but the show can count out at least one viewer: Queen guitarist Brian May.

In a blog post on making the rounds this week, May calls the reality competition show "the ultimate insult to music and to performers."

The legendary musician continued with his critique, saying that singing competitions debase the young musicians trying to break into the industry, particularly taking issue with the show’s blind auditions, in which the judges sit with their backs facing the performers.

“When we sing, or play, for real, we are NOT screaming at the top of our lungs trying to persuade someone to notice us,” May wrote. “The performance is all about EVERYTHING the performer gives … in voice, in sound, in body language, in facial expression, in intimate eye contact.”

May finished the post, part of an ongoing blog called “Bri’s Soapbox,” by saying that he hoped the “vile” show would be cancelled in the near future.

In response to the media attention over the past few days, May posted on Twitter yesterday, backtracking a bit on his initial comments:

“I feel I would rather not have said The Voice is vile. It's merely annoying,” the guitarist tweeted.

To read Brian May's entire blog post, click here, and share your thoughts in the comments section below!

The Music Industry Reacts to the Death of Doors Co-Founder Ray Manzarek

By: Gary Graff — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:19:00 GMT

Reaction has been swift to the death of Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek on Monday (May 20) in Germany.

Following a statement from guitarist Robbie Krieger that came with the announcement, drummer John Densmore -- who's been estranged from Manzarek and Krieger since they began performing Doors music together again in 2002 -- issued his own statement, saying "There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother."

Twitter, meanwhile, quickly filled with tributes from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- which inducted the Doors in 1993 -- the Los Angeles club Whiskey A Go-Go and the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and from artists.

Alice Cooper tweeted that he was "absolutely stunned by the loss of my old friend" while Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry wrote that he was "very saddened by loss of Ray Manzarek. Now he's with Jim (Morrison). They mean as much to me today as they did 40 years ago."

Condolences were also tweeted by Three Dog Night, the Guess Who, Slash, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea and many others.

The clubs on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, where the Doors came to prominence, dimmed their lights at 9:31 p.m. PST on Monday in tribute to Manzarek, who died at 9:31 p.m. German time in a hospital where he was being treated for bile duct cancer.

Last year, meanwhile, Manzarek told us that the (then) 45 years since the Doors formed in Los Angeles had flown by for him:

"Time flies when you're living life so, y'know, it feels...Jeez, I don't know. I don't know what it feels like, but it feels like no more than five years ago. Everything just goes whooshing by. When you're a child in grammar school, it takes forever to get out of class each day. Then once you're an adult, once you pass 40, it really starts to chug, man. What is this -- a runaway locomotive or something? Here I am, 72, holy cow! How did that happen?!"

Memorial plans are pending for Manzarek, and the family has asked for donations to be made to www.standup2cancer.org.

CLICK HERE to learn out more about Gary Graff and his award-winning music journalism including the books he has written on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.

John Fogerty Releases Lyric Video for New Single

By: Gary Graff — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:04:00 GMT

Most of John Fogerty's new album, "Wrote a Song For Everyone," features duets with an all-star list of friends and musical admirers. But there are also two new songs, and Fogerty chose to make one of those, "Mystic Highway," the album's first single.

Fogerty has posted a lyric video for the song online, and he tells us that he's been waiting awhile to find the tune its proper home:

“'Mystic Highway' is a thing, it's an idea I've had for a long, long, long time. I've just never made a song out of it...I didn't know how that would manifest 'til we really sat down and started working things out. I had time to get it right, go back, 'That isn't how it should be,' get everybody back in the studio and finally wrassle that thing to the ground and make it the way I wanted it to be. It came...I just really like it, and I'm gonna have a heck of a time playing that one live.”

"Wrote a Song For Everyone" comes out comes out May 28 and features collaborations on some of Fogerty's Creedence Clearwater Revival favorites with Bob Seger, Kid Rock, Foo Fighters and others.

Fogerty will appear with tonight (May 21) and Wednesday (May 22) on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman and on Thursday (May 23) on "The View." He can also be seen performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, currently airing on HBO.

CLICK HERE to learn out more about Gary Graff and his award-winning music journalism including the books he has written on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.

Behind-the-Scenes Look at Black Sabbath's Cover Shoot for "13"

By: Troy Frisby — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:11:00 GMT

In a new video, Black Sabbath reveals the concept behind the album cover for their upcoming studio release 13.

The description for the video explains that the band used a design firm called Zip Design, along with photographer Jonathon Knowles, to capture the image for the cover.

The 90-second video shows the burning of the number 13 in a field in the British countryside. Knowles photographed the image for the album cover as the sun began to set. According to Zip’s website, the band was inspired by pagan effigies created from burning wicker.

13, which is set for release on June 11 via Vertigo Records, marks Black Sabbath’s first studio album with Ozzy Osbourne in 35 years.

Check out the video and don’t forget to leave your thoughts on how the cover for 13 stacks up against band’s other albums in the comments section below!

Yoko Ono & Sean Lennon to Perform “Double Fantasy” Live

By: Troy Frisby — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:17:00 GMT

No stranger to having big shoes to fill, Sean Lennon will take on his father John Lennon’s role for a performance of his parents’ Double Fantasy album at London’s Meltdown Festival in June.

Double Fantasy, which featured songs written and performed by John Lennon and Sean’s mother, Yoko Ono, would be the infamous couple’s final album before Lennon was killed only weeks after its release in 1980.

Ono, who celebrated her 80^th birthday in February, will perform the entire album with her son at Royal Festival Hall on June 23, according to the festival's official website.

The Meltdown Festival has been held annually for twenty years, except for a 2006 hiatus, and has featured headliners like Ray Davies, Patti Smith, Morrissey and David Bowie in recent years.

In addition to the Double Fantasy performance, which will close the festival, Ono and her son are also scheduled to kick off the festival with a performance by Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band on June 14.

“Yoko Ono’s Meltdown” will also feature performances by Siouxsie, Iggy & the Stooges and former Sonic Youth singer/guitarist Thurston Moore, among others.

Visit the official Meltdown Festival page for a complete list of performances.

The Rolling Stones and Dave Grohl Rock Anaheim's Honda Center

By: Amber Harvey — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:41:00 GMT

As if seeing the Rolling Stones play live isn’t privilege enough, fans were in for an unexpected thrill Saturday night (May 18) when Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl made a guest appearance during the band’s second show at the Anaheim Honda Center in California.

The former Nirvana drummer joined the Stones onstage in performing “Bitch,” the highly-energetic, dance-rock number from their 1971 Sticky Fingers LP. In the impassioned play-style we have come to expect from him, Grohl headbanged alongside Keith Richards and even shared a mic with epic frontman Mick Jagger.

According to the Stone’s official set list, Grohl’s appearance came between mega-hits “Wild Horses” and “Shattered,” the second of which was played for the first time since the band’s 50 & Counting tour began in early May.

A special guest appearance was also made by the Stone’s former guitarist Mick Taylor, who jammed out on “Midnight Rambler” and the night’s final number, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”

Grohl and Taylor join the diverse list of artists—including Tom Waits, John Mayer, Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry—who have made surprise appearances on the western leg of the Stones’ tour so far.

50 & Counting will continue through the end of June, with set tour dates in Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, before the Stones return to the UK for massive gigs in Glastonbury and London.

In the spirit of the Rolling Stones’ 50^th anniversary, ABKCO Music & Records will be releasing three of the band’s most celebrated albums on 180-gram, clear vinyl, including: Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Hot Rocks 1964-1971. The re-mastered, “Clearly Classic” series will be released on May 28, with the intention to celebrate and “reflect [on] the group's formative years and transformation into ‘The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band,’” says ABKCO.

For more information on the Rolling Stones tour and vintage album release, visit the band’s website or Facebook page, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Ozzy and Sharon Step Out in Hollywood Over the Weekend

By: AnnMarie Scaramuzzino — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:28:00 GMT

Over the weekend, Rock and Roll’s first couple, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, stepped out together for the first time since their split back in April.

The couple, who have been married for over thirty years, had separated due to Ozzy’s recent relapse, as the Black Sabbath singer admitted on his Facebook page that he had once again been abusing alcohol and prescription drugs over the past year and a half.

Sharon then reportedly kicked Ozzy out of their Hollywood mansion, and explained on her talk show, The Talk, that the two were not divorcing, but that her longtime husband need to get sober before they would reunite.

Now, according to The Mirror, Sharon is back to wearing her wedding ring, and the two walked the red carpet together on Saturday (May 18) with daughter Kelly Osbourne for the An Evening With Women event in Beverly Hills, where Ozzy was performing. The Prince of Darkness even went so far as to plant a kiss on Sharon’s cheek in front of the cameras, solidifying the fact that is indeed back in his wife’s good graces.

The Mirror also states that the Osbournes were spotted out having lunch together earlier that day, and a recent tweet from Kelly suggests Ozzy has moved back into the family home. The rocker is also reportedly considering a move back to the UK, where Sharon will be living and working as a judge on The X Factor in the coming months.

Meanwhile, Ozzy and Black Sabbath have reunited for a tour in support of their latest album, 13, which is due out June 4.

For more on this story, head to www.Mirror.co.uk and share your thoughts on Ozzy and Sharon’s reunion in the comments section below!