Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Sirius XM to Air Widespread Panic and Willie Nelson NYE Shows (jambands.com)



Sirius XM will broadcast live from a number of shows this New Year’s Eve, including PhilRAD at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, Widespread Panic at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC and Willie Nelson at the Moody Theatre in Austin, TX. The shows, which are all set to take place on December 31, will air on a variety of Sirius XM stations. 

Read more at jambands.com

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Ultimate Classic Rock's Metallica Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide


Even while becoming the most successful heavy metal band in history, Metallica has had to withstand the occasional lineup change. That started with the early-days ejection of lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, which had a butterfly effect on the course heavy metal. But it was, by no means, the last of their personnel shifts...

Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Metallica Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide 

Monday, December 29, 2014

Bruce Springsteen Adds Legendary 1978 Cleveland Show to Concert Archives (Rolling Stone)


Just over a month after Bruce Springsteen launched his archival concert project live.brucespringsteen.net, the E Street Band rocker has updated the download service with one of the most in-demand gigs from his legendary Darkness on the Edge of Town jaunt: An August 9th, 1978 performance from Cleveland, Ohio's Agora Theatre and Ballroom. 



Sunday, December 28, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Alive 2007

Alive 2007 is a live album by French house duo Daft Punk, first released on 19 November 2007. It is the second album recorded live by the duo, following Alive 1997. Alive 2007 features their performance at Bercy in Paris from 14 June 2007. 

The physical release in North America was delayed to 4 December due to production issues, but the album became available as a digital download on 20 November 2007.  A special edition of the album was released that includes the encore from the Alive 2007 tour on a second disc. It also includes a 50-page book containing photographs from the tour taken by DJ Falcon. The first single from the album, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Alive 2007)" was released digitally on 15 October 2007. 

The album won the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album in 2009.


The Alive 2007 set used Ableton Live software on "custom made super-computers" for the show. Daft Punk accessed the hardware remotely with Behringer BCR2000 MIDI controllers and JazzMutant Lemur touchscreen pads within the central pyramid. Minimoog Voyager RME units were also implemented for the live performances. The four Voyager units and two Behringer mixers allowed Daft Punk to "mix, shuffle, trigger loops, filter, distort samples, EQ in and out, transpose or destroy and deconstruct synth lines." The majority of the equipment was stored away during the live sets within offstage towers.






Saturday, December 27, 2014

The History of Joe Cocker + John Belushi’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ Duet (UCR)


Joe Cocker‘s recording career was in a bit of a lull in 1976, with his most recent release, ‘Stingray,’ stalled at No. 70 on the U.S. charts. But he was still one of the most eagerly anticipated musical guests in ‘Saturday Night Live‘ history when he booked an Oct. 2, 1976 appearance as the show’s musical guest — and all because of John Belushi


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: The History of Joe Cocker + John Belushi's 'Saturday Night Live' Duet 

Friday, December 26, 2014

Jimmy Page Promises His New Material ‘Will Be Surprising’ Read More: Jimmy Page Promises His New Material 'Will Be Surprising' (Ultimate Classic Rock)


Cue up a Jimmy Page record, and you expect to enjoy a feast for the ears. For his next project, the ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist might also be going after a few of your other body parts.
Speaking with Classic Rock Magazine, Page hinted at what he has in store for his oft-discussed return to solo work, calling it “sparkling” and saying his goal was “stimulating all the senses.” 


Read More of Jeff Giles'article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Jimmy Page Promises His New Material 'Will Be Surprising' 

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

R.I.P. Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker, one of rock music’s most distinctive performers, has died of lung cancer. He was 70 years old.
The BBC reports that Cocker’s agent, Barrie Marshall, “confirmed that he had died of an undisclosed illness,” adding that it ”will be impossible to fill the space he leaves in our hearts.” But ITV has an official statement from Sony Music: “John Robert Cocker, known to family, friends, his community and fans around the world as Joe Cocker, passed away on Dec. 22, 2014, after a hard fought battle with small cell lung cancer.” 



Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Joe Cocker Dies at Age 70

Monday, December 22, 2014

Rolling Stone Interview: Dave Grohl: The 'Sonic Highways' Exit Interview


"I haven’t had too many reflective moments in the past eight months," Dave Grohl tells Rolling Stone a day before the finale of his musical travelogue series Sonic Highways



Even though the Foo Fighters frontman has been traveling to eight U.S. cities, including Austin, Los Angeles and New Orleans, to spotlight their respective musical histories, Grohl is already thinking about his next, as-yet-unrevealed project.


Read more of Jason Newman's Q&A with Dave Grohl @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/dave-grohl-sonic-highways-exit-interview-20141208#ixzz3LzUdaQgG

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Wilco Set Southern Tour Dates (jambands.com)


Wilco’s 20th anniversary tour will stretch into the south with shows in Dallas, Houston, Tallahassee, Orlando and St. Augustine towards the end of April and into May.  

Read full article @ jambands.com

All ticketing information is available via the band’s website. Consult the full tour schedule below.

Wilco Tour Dates:

April 22 Dallas, TX—McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
April 23 Houston, TX—Bayou Music Center
April 26 Tallahassee, FL—Capital City Amphitheater
April 28 Orlando, FL—Hard Rock Live Orlando
May 1 St. Augustine, FL—St. Augusting Amphitheater
June 26-28 North Adams, MA—Sound Solid Festival



Friday, December 19, 2014

Best Songs of 2014 (Ultimate Classic Rock)


The best songs of 2014 find rock’s biggest names successfully treading the difficult line between revisiting past glories and keeping things fresh. It’s a tricky balance: if you go too far one way you’ll be labeled a derivative nostalgia act, and if you reach too far in the other direction you’ll notice a whole lot of people suddenly heading to the beer lines when you break out the new songs in concert.

Read More of Matthew Wilkening's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Best Songs of 2014 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Widespread Panic Spring Tour 2015 Dates


Widespread Panic recently announced their Spring Tour dates for 2015.  The band also confirmed a two night stand in Brooklyn, NY at the soon-to-be-opened Kings Theatre on April 24th and 25th. 

Tickets will go on sale via Ticketmaster on January 30th at 10 AM ET.

Widespread Panic Upcoming Tour Dates:

December 30 Charlotte, NC—The Fillmore
December 31 Charlotte, NC—Time Warner Cable Arena


January 24-28 Punta Cana, DR—Hard Rock Hotel and Casino



March 13 Boise, ID—Morrison Center
March 14 Spoke, WA—Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox
March 15 Seattle, WA—Paramount Theatre
March 17 Portland, OR—Schnitzer Concert Hall
March 19 Oakland, CA—Fox Theater
March 20 Oakland, CA—Fox Theater
March 21 Oakland, CA—Fox Theater
March 24 Los Angeles, CA—Orpheum Theatre
March 25 Los Angeles, CA—Orpheum Theatre
March 27 Las Vegas, NV—The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
March 28 Las Vegas, NV—The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
April 17 Live Oak, FL—Wanee Festival
April 18 Live Oak, FL—Wanee Festival
April 24 Brooklyn, NY—Kings Theatre
April 25 Brooklyn, NY—Kings Theatre
September 10-13 Arrington, VA—Lockn’ Music Festival


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Black Keys + Moe to Headline Mountain Jam 2015 (UCR)


The 11th annual Mountain Jam Festival will take place June 4-7, 2015 at the Hunter Mountain ski resort in Hunter, NY. Today, it was announced that the Black Keys and Moe will be two of the weekend’s four headliners, and that Gov’t Mule will once again be appearing at the festival.

Read More of Dave Lifton's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Black Keys + Moe to Headline Mountain Jam 2015 

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Vinyl-record factories race to keep up with demand surge (WSJ)


Nearly 8 million old-fashioned vinyl records have been sold this year, up 49% from the same period last year, industry data show. Younger people, especially indie-rock fans, are buying records in greater numbers, attracted to the perceived superior sound quality of vinyl and the ritual of putting needle to groove. 

Read full Neil Shah's article @ Wall Street Journal

Monday, December 15, 2014

Rush to Reissue Classic Early Albums in Hi-Def Audio (UCR)


Rush‘s first 14 albums are returning to vinyl in 2015 — and they’re getting hi-def audio upgrades too.
Universal Music, the label that currently owns recordings released by the band’s former Mercury imprint, has announced an ambitious, year-long reissue campaign for the band’s classic early records, starting with the Jan. 27 release of 1975′s ‘Fly by Night’ (which follows the 2014 reissue of the group’s self-titled debut) and continuing for the rest of the year. Each album will be released on vinyl with a download code; they’ll also be available in high-resolution Digital Audio editions in DSD (2.8mHz), 192khz / 24-bit, 96kHz / 24-bit. 


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Rush to Reissue Classic Early Albums in Hi-Def Audio 

Sunday, December 14, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas



On December 18, 1966, MGM released a soundtrack LP in conjunction with the television special. CD releases include albums produced by Island (1995) and Mercury Records. In the recorded version, Boris Karloff does all voices except Cindy Lou Who (which is again voiced by Foray). The song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" includes all verses with their original rhyming lyrics and the isolated song tracks have different durations due to being re-recorded.

On Oct 5, 1999, Rhino Entertainment released a new CD soundtrack (which included the soundtrack for another Dr. Seuss cartoon, Horton Hears a Who). Both story collections contain selected dialogue and music numbers. The "isolated music tracks" in this edition are taken directly from the television soundtrack and are not the re-recorded tracks from earlier versions. The dialogues are the originals, being voiced by Boris Karloff for "Grinch" and Hans Conried for "Horton."

Because Ravenscroft was not credited in the closing credits as singing the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", it is sometimes attributed to Boris Karloff. After becoming aware of this oversight, Seuss himself called Ravenscroft and apologized profusely and later wrote letters to columnists nationwide telling them that it was Ravenscroft who provided vocals for the musical number.[citation needed] Karloff received a Grammy Award in the Spoken Word category—the only major performing award of his career—for the album.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Merry Christmas from the Showbiz Kids!




Merry Christmas!

Kiss' Paul Stanley: 'Dave Grohl Is the Ken Burns of Rock Documentaries' (Rolling Stone)


Dave Grohl didn't need his manager to contact Paul Stanley to ask him to appear in Foo Fighters' HBO music documentary series Sonic Highways; he simply had to drive his kids to school. "I've seen Dave almost every day for the past three years," says Kiss' singer and guitarist, whose children attend the same school as Grohl's. "Every year we actually do concerts, separately, but the same nights as a fundraiser for the school. He asked me if I would be involved with the [HBO] show, and I said absolutely." 


Read more of Kory Grow's interview with Paul Stanley @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/kiss-paul-stanley-dave-grohl-foo-fighters-sonic-highways-20141205#ixzz3LJvauDpv

Friday, December 12, 2014

Trey Anastasio Says 2015 Should Be a "Quieter" Year for Phish (jambands.com)


In a new interview with the Boston Globe, Trey Anastasio addressed several topics including Phish’s decision to cover Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House as well as their plans for 2015. The guitarist recounted the band working out the arrangements for the set for the new tunes during their time in Denver over Labor Day Weekend and said that they will enter Phish’s repertoire in the future. 

Read full article @ jambands.com 

Thursday, December 11, 2014

U2 Announce 2015 Tour (Ultimate Classic Rock)


U2 will kick off a 19-city, 44-concert arena tour in May 2015 with a string of shows in several major North American cities. Called the Innocence + Experience Tour, these initial dates will be split up evenly with 22 springtime shows in North America and then another 22 set for the U.K. and Europe in the fall. 


Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: U2 Announce 2015 Tour | 

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Ryan Adams, Jack White, Black Keys, Beck and More Garner Grammy Nominations (jambands.com)



The Grammys announced the nominees for the 57th annual awards ceremony, slated for February 8 in Los Angeles. Among the notable nominees so far are sister act HAIM, which will go up against pop superstars Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith, Bastille and Brandy Clark for Best New Artist. 

Read full article @ jambands.com

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Axl Rose Debunks Death Hoax, Hints at New Guns N’ Roses Music (Ultimate Classic Rock)


Some mean-spirited pranksters tried to dupe readers into believing we’d lost Axl Rose during the same week that’s seen the deaths of Bobby Keys and Ian McLagan, but not to worry — the Guns N’ Roses frontman is still very much alive. 

A fake Rose obituary made the rounds Dec. 3, with a headline reading “Sources: Guns N’ Roses Frontman Axl Rose Found Dead in West Hollywood Home at Age 52″ citing “sources” behind “unconfirmed reports” and containing a “quote” from a fake LAPD spokesperson.


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Axl Rose Debunks Death Hoax, Hints at New Guns N' Roses Music 

Monday, December 8, 2014

Rolling Stone's List of the 50 Best Albums of 2014


2014 was another phenomenal year for music, illuminating darkness when it often seemed that the only light was from buildings burning in Ferguson, Missouri. Veterans like U2, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Leonard Cohen were showing the youngsters how it's done, but classic rock was being revived in more unlikely ways too: the Eighties impressionist guitar choogle of the War on Drugs, Ought's word-drunk post-punk, Perfume Genius' arty glam rock and Eric Church's country arena-rock.

Read more @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2014-20141201#ixzz3KksHOStN
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

Sunday, December 7, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra


A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra is a Christmas album by American singer Frank Sinatra, originally released by Capitol Records in 1957. 

This was Sinatra's first full-length Christmas album. It features the Ralph Brewster Singers along with an orchestra conducted by Gordon Jenkins.

Capitol reissued the album in 1963 with different cover art and a new title, The Sinatra Christmas Album, both of which also featured on the album's initial 1987 compact disc pressing. The original title and cover were eventually restored for subsequent CD pressings in 1990 and 1999. In 2001, the album art was altered from its 1957 version. The CD bonus tracks were originally issued on a 1954 Capitol 45 rpm single, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle.

In 2007 the album was reissued yet again, with a "50th Anniversary" banner placed atop the 2001 cover art and an additional bonus track (a vintage radio PSA that Sinatra did for the American Lung Association's "Christmas Seals" campaign) added.

In 2010, the album was reissued on vinyl for the first time since the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab reissue, #1-135, circa 1986 (separate from the 1983 16-LP box), exclusively to independent record stores.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing’ Sees Spotify Surge After Comet Landing Read More: Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' Sees Spotify Surge After Comet Landing (UCR)


Apparently, when people think about comets, they also think about Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck and Aerosmith.

The Telegraph reports that the band’s 1998 power ballad ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,’ recorded for the soundtrack to Michael Bay’s blockbuster sci-fi thriller ‘Armageddon’ and memorably used to score a love scene involving Tyler and Affleck’s characters and some animal crackers, saw a “huge spike” in streams after the Rosetta probe Philae touched down on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. 


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing' Sees Spotify Surge After Comet Landing 

Friday, December 5, 2014

Bruce Springsteen, Chris Martin Fill Bono's Shoes at Times Square Benefit (Rolling Stone)


For the thousands of people crammed into the center of Times Square on a rainy Monday evening, it must have seemed like a surreal dream inspired by a night gorging on junk food, Born to Run and The Joshua Tree. U2's the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. played the familiar opening notes of "Where the Streets Have No Name," but Bono was nowhere in sight. Instead, out walked Bruce Springsteen in a leather jacket. Needless to say, the crowd – which didn't pay a dime for the show or have any clue it was even happening until about 2:30 this afternoon – went into complete hysterics.

Read more of Andy Greene's article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/live-reviews/bruce-springsteen-u2-kanye-west-world-aids-day-concert-20141201#ixzz3Kkqqgqr2

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Trey Anastasio Band Debut New Original in Pittsburgh (jambands.com)


During Trey Anastasio Band’s Saturday show at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, the group delivered a brand new original entitled “Speak to Me” in the second set. No official word as to whether the tune will appear on TAB’s forthcoming effort Paper Wheels, due out early 2015. “Bounce” is the only song confirmed thus far. 

Read full article @ jambands.com






Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Robert Plant Explains Refusal to Reunite with Led Zeppelin Read More: Robert Plant Explains Refusal to Reunite with Led Zeppelin (Ultimate Classic Rock)



Robert Plant has taken some slings and arrows recently for refusing to reunite with Led Zeppelin, but he says his restless need to try new things actually traces back to before he ever met Jimmy Page.
In fact, as Plant tells Sound Opinions, he’d worked with future Led Zeppelin bandmate John Bonham in an utterly uncompromising earlier group called the Band of Joy, and he learned something along the way. 



Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Robert Plant Explains Refusal to Reunite with Led Zeppelin 

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Cat Stevens, Foo Fighters to Play The Tonight Show This Week (jambands.com)


This week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Foo Fighters will both perform on select nights. Yusuf will play on Wednesday, December 3 in support of his latest Tell ‘Em I’m Gone while the Foos will take the stage on Thursday night to perform a track from their recently released, Sonic Highways. 


Read full article @jambands.com

Monday, December 1, 2014

Famous Musicians Who Correctly Predicted Their Own Death Read More: Famous Musicians Who Correctly Predicted Their Own Death (Ultimate Classic Rock)


Most of the time, famous musicians write about what they know: sex, drugs, girls. Stuff like that. Sometimes they go a little deeper, penning songs that aim to get at life’s eternal truths, uncovering little pearls of wisdom among the riffs and ruins. And sometimes they freak everyone out by writing songs that predict their own deaths.




Read More of Michael Gallucci's article @Ultimate Classic Rock: Famous Musicians Who Correctly Predicted Their Own Death 

Sunday, November 30, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Wings At The Speed Of Sound



Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth album by Wings and was recorded and issued in 1976 in the midst of a large world tour as the follow-up album to the popular Venus and Mars. It is the band's only album where every member sings lead on at least one song.

After a series of concerts in Australia in November 1975, Wings took a break from the tour to spend the holidays with their families and in January 1976 booked time at Abbey Road Studios in London to record Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was the first time McCartney had recorded an album in England since Red Rose Speedway. Due to the tour commitments, Wings were not afforded the opportunity to record in another locale. By the end of February, the album was complete, and Wings went back on the road.

Around the time of the studio sessions for Wings at the Speed of Sound, McCartney was facing criticism for Wings simply being a vehicle for himself. He encouraged each of the band members to contribute a song during the sessions, though this would become one of the reasons for the criticism of the album. McCartney had previously attempted to create a democratic album in Red Rose Speedway, though it would be rejected by his record label.

Engineer Peter Henderson later commented, "I remember one of my first engineering jobs, working with Paul McCartney on Wings at the Speed of Sound — he'd do two vocal takes and ask, 'Which is the better one?' And when he played guitar, he'd really lean into it and give it everything he got."Two tracks ("The Note You Never Wrote" and "Warm and Beautiful") were arranged by Fiachra Trench.


Saturday, November 29, 2014

Bono Wants to Apologize for His iTunes Apology (Ultimate Classic Rock)

At first, Bono seemed taken aback by the outrage generated by U2‘s placement of their new album into the iTunes libraries of 700 million users. He even apologized.
The more Bono’s thought about it, however, the more he’s decided that saying he was sorry was the wrong approach. “I’m already working on the apology … for the apology,” he told Mojo. “Because I’m very proud of what we did. It’s one of the proudest moments in U2’s history.” 


Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Bono Wants to Apologize for His iTunes Apology 

Friday, November 28, 2014

UCR's 2014 Box Sets Holiday Gift Guide


As music fans, there’s nothing we like to receive more during the gift-giving season than a big ol’ box set. Stuffed with outtakes, previously unreleased songs, alternate mixes and other rarities, box sets separate casual music fans from the dedicated ones. And we definitely fall into the latter category. There are plenty of great boxes to choose from this year, spanning everything from career-encompassing collections to single-album expansions to legendary Holy Grail recordings that fans have been waiting on for almost 50 years. So, take a look at Ultimate Classic Rock’s 2014 Gift Guide: Box Sets, and let your friends and families know what you really want this year. 



Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: 2014 Box Sets Holiday Gift Guide 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Dave Grohl Says The Kardashians Scared Him Off Pot (Ultimate Classic Rock)


Dave Grohl briefly started smoking weed again, but has sworn it off thanks to one of reality television’s most recognizable names, the Kardashians


Read More of Nick DeRiso's Article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Dave Grohl Says The Kardashians Scared Him Off Pot 


Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Rush's 2015 Plans Could Include New Music and Touring (Ultimate Classic Rock)


Now that they’ve finished taking their year-long vacation, what’s next for the guys in Rush

The short answer is that they don’t really know yet, but as Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson recently told Radio.com, they’re more than ready to get back to work. “Some days I feel like being back out on the road and taking advantage of the fact that it’s our 40th anniversary,” mused Lifeson. “On other days I sit around messing with musical ideas and think, ‘We’ve got to start writing.’”



Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Rush's 2015 Plans Could Include New Music and Touring 

Monday, November 24, 2014

Listen: Dave Matthews Band Premiere "Granny" Studio Recording (jambands.com)



Dave Matthews Band will reissue their iconic 1994 album Under the Table and Dreaming later this month. One of the bonus items on the first ever vinyl pressing is a previously unreleased studio recording of “Granny,” taken from the UTTAD sessions. 

Read full article @ jambands.com

Sunday, November 23, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Tour de France Soundtracks



Tour de France Soundtracks is the tenth studio album by the German electronic group Kraftwerk, released in August 2003. It was re-released in October 2009 under the title Tour de France. The album was recorded for the 100th anniversary of the first Tour de France bicycle race, although it missed its intended release date for the actual tour. It includes their 1983 single of the same name, the cover artwork of both releases being nearly identical. The announcement of the release caused much anticipation, as it had been 17 years since the group had put out a full album of new studio material (1986's Electric Café, also known as Techno Pop).

Unusually for a Kraftwerk album it did not have separate German and international vocal mixes, but was released only in one version, with a mix of French, German and English. The lyrics were co-written by Ralf Hütter and Maxime Schmitt, who had previously been manager of the Capitol label at Pathé-Marconi (part of the EMI group, the company that distributed Kraftwerk's music in France) and had been involved with the band since the mid-1970s.

It was recorded by the band in their Kling Klang studio, located in Düsseldorf, Germany; Hütter and Schneider working with Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz. This four-piece line-up then took the album on an extensive world tour in 2004. On the tour, they performed the music from four laptop computers running sequencing, sampling and synthesizer software, also controlling and synchronised with large video displays. In 2005, Kraftwerk released Minimum-Maximum, with separate audio and video releases featuring songs performed at various venues during the 2004 tour.

A short jingle was supplied to the television broadcaster Eurosport for use in their coverage of the 2003 Tour de France.


A newly remastered edition of the album was released by EMI Records, Mute Records and Astralwerks Records on CD and digital download in October/November 2009, with heavyweight vinyl editions released in November/December 2009.


Saturday, November 22, 2014

Dave Grohl Doesn't Mind Being Outsold By Pink Floyd (UCR)

For all the publicity that has surrounded Foo Fighters‘ ‘Sonic Highways,’ which includes an HBO documentary series, it appears that it will come in second to Pink Floyd‘s ‘The Endless River‘ at the top of the U.K. chart this week. But frontman Dave Grohl doesn’t seem to mind too much.  


Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Dave Grohl Doesn't Mind Being Outsold By Pink Floyd 

Friday, November 21, 2014

Hard Rock, Harder Times: AC/DC Return Without Two Key Members (Rolling Stone)


The first bad sign came even before AC/DC started recording their new album, Rock or Bust, in Vancouver last May: The group's longtime drummer, Phil Rudd, was 10 days late for the sessions. "One minute he was coming, then he wasn't, then he was," lead guitarist Angus Young recalls.  



Thursday, November 20, 2014

Grateful Dead Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide (Ultimate Classic Rock)


The Grateful Dead are an American institution, one of very few bands that did exactly what it wanted and still managed to be incredibly successful. Over the years, and through countless live shows, the band stayed true to its creative vision. 


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Ryan Adams Brings Rarities, Banter in Carnegie Hall Return (jambands.com)




Ryan Adams returned to Carnegie Hall in New York on Saturday night for a rare solo acoustic show as the singer-songwriter supports his latest self-titled release. 

Read more @ jambands.com

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

New Music Tuesdays: CoS Review for TV on the Radio-Seeds



Countless albums have been written after the passing of a loved one. Albums written after the death of a bandmate come about less often, but they happen. Some of these rage and seethe, tearing at the concept of death, while others wallow in sadness, filling the room with tears.  

Read full album review @ Consequence of Sound

Monday, November 17, 2014

Watch Pink Floyd’s New Video for ‘Louder than Words’ Read More: Watch Pink Floyd's New Video for 'Louder than Words' | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/pink-floyd-video-louder-than-words/?trackback=tsmclip


Pink Floyd have released a striking video for ‘Louder Than Words,’ just as the song begins arriving worldwide on ‘The Endless River‘ today. The track is the only one with a vocal on the band’s new album, which will most likely be the final Pink Floyd studio project.


Read More @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Watch Pink Floyd's New Video for 'Louder than Words'

Sunday, November 16, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Led Zeppelin III


Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and August 1970 and released on 5 October by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's music towards a greater emphasis on folk and acoustic sounds. This surprised many fans and critics, and upon its release the album received rather indifferent reviews. 


Although it is not one of the highest sellers in Zeppelin's catalogue, Led Zeppelin III is now generally praised, and acknowledged as representing an important milestone in their history. Although acoustic songs are featured on its predecessors, it is this album which is widely acknowledged for showing that Led Zeppelin were more than just a conventional rock band and that they could branch out into wider musical territory.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Umphrey’s McGee Celebrate 2000th Show with Bustouts, Live Staples (jambands.com)



Umphrey’s McGee celebrated their 2000th show together at the Orpheum in Madison, WI, their second of two shows at the Midwest venue.  

Read full review @ jambands.com


Friday, November 14, 2014

Jimmy Page: 'Led Zeppelin Was an Affair of the Heart' (Rolling Stone)


"I don't intend to revisit the vaults for awhile," Jimmy Page says with a smile, sitting in the opulent library of a Victorian hotel in London. The ex-Led Zeppelin guitarist, 70, has spent much of the last decade in a retrospective frenzy: collating the images for his lavish, photographic memoir, Jimmy Page, first published in a collectors' edition in 2010 and now widely available; and curating acclaimed, deluxe reissues of his band's historic studio LPs. Rarity-laden editions of 1971's Led Zeppelin IV and '73's Houses of the Holy come out on October 28th, and Page has finished preparing the rest of the catalog for release. 



Thursday, November 13, 2014

Robert Plant Turns Down Almost $800 Million to Reform Led Zeppelin (jambands.com)



Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant reportedly turned down £500 million (approximately $795 million) to reunite Led Zeppelin. According to The Mirror, Plant was offered a contract for 35 dates in three cities--London, Berlin and New Jersey--by Sir Richard Branson and ripped it up in front of surprised promoters. The other members of the group all agreed to the deal. 

Read more @ jambands.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Furthur Break Up, Fueling Grateful Dead Reunion Rumors (UCR)


As the Grateful Dead‘s 50th anniversary approaches, Furthur, the band formed by the Dead’s Bob Weir and Phil Lesh, have called it quits. And the news is fueling rumors that the Dead may reunite next year to celebrate their golden anniversary. 


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

CoS Album Review: Foo Fighters-Sonic Highways



The story of Sonic Highways is both admirable and flawed in its conception. Foo Fighters, now nearing 20 years into their career as a rock band, decide to push themselves in new directions, traveling to eight American cities, recording with local legends in famed studios, leaving Dave Grohl to wait until the last minute to write the lyrics for each song, so as to be inspired by the surroundings, the experience. 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Sunday, November 9, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Led Zeppelin IV


The untitled fourth studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, commonly referred to as Led Zeppelin IV, was released on 8 November 1971 on Atlantic Records. Produced by guitarist Jimmy Page, it was recorded between December 1970 and March 1971 at several locations, most prominently the Victorian house Headley Grange

After the group's 1970 album Led Zeppelin III received lukewarm reviews from critics, Page decided their fourth album would officially be untitled. This, along with the inner sleeve's design featuring four symbols that represented each band member, led to the album being referred to variously as , Four Symbols, The Fourth Album, Untitled, Runes, The Hermit, and ZoSo (which was derived from Page's symbol).  In addition to lacking a title, the original cover featured no band name, as the group wished to be anonymous and to avoid easy pigeonholing by the press.


Led Zeppelin IV was a commercial and critical success, producing many of the band's most well-known songs, including "Black Dog", "Rock and Roll", "Going to California", and the band's signature song, "Stairway to Heaven". The album is one of the best-selling albums worldwide at 37 million units, and with a 23-times platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, it is the second-best-selling album in the United States. Writers and critics have regularly cited it on lists of rock's greatest albums.