Friday, February 28, 2014

Comic Book Album Cover Mashups (UCR)



Some of rock’s most famous record jackets have been invaded by iconic superheroes in a fantastic series of comic book album cover mashups by Gernan artist Uwe de Witt.
Ultimate Classic Rock and Comics Alliance have teamed up to feature de Witt’s awesome album cover parodies, which find Wolverine, the Joker, the Human Torch and other super-powered legends visiting classic album covers from Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and more.



Read More: Comic Book Album Cover Mashups | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/comic-book-album-cover-mashups/?trackback=tsmclip


Thursday, February 27, 2014

The National to Make SNL Debut (jambands.com)



NBC has announced that The National will perform on the March 8 episode of Saturday Night Live, which will be hosted by Girls writer/star Lena Dunham. The appearance will mark the Grammy-nominated band’s debut on the long-running sketch comedy series and will coincide with the release of their documentary Mistaken for Strangers later in the month.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Original Kiss Manager’s Partner: ‘Do It For Bill Aucoin’



The chorus of critics questioning why Kiss isn’t performing with all four founding members as part of its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is growing. Now, Roman Fernandez, the former partner of Bill Aucoin, has joined its ranks, and weighed in on how their former manager would have handled the situation.

Read More: Original Kiss Manager's Partner Urges Them To Reunite For Hall Induction | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-manager-hall-of-fame/?trackback=tsmclip

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Soundgarden to Offer Deluxe Edition of Superunknown (jambands.com)




Soundgarden will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their fourth studio album Superunknown with a multi-disc special edition of the record. The album will be reissued in a two-CD deluxe edition, with one featuring the remastered version of the album, and the other packed with demos, rehearsals, B-sides and more. Vinyl options are also available. Please follow the link to read more at jambands.com.


Monday, February 24, 2014

UCR's Top 10 Peter Gabriel Genesis Songs



Since the first rumblings of Genesis in 1967, it was clear that Peter Gabriel had his own unique vision. His path to find his own artistic identity would lead him to constantly look for new ground. Though his tenure with Genesis was less than a decade, the mark he left on the band, and the fans, is undeniable. To this day there are those who swear only by the Gabriel era, dismissing everything that came after, while, of course, record sales would play devil’s advocate. While Gabriel would go on to artistic and commercial triumphs on his own, the music he created with Genesis remains a unique and incredible batch of recordings. We have picked a paltry few of the many highlights of the fabled era for this list of the Top 10 Peter Gabriel Genesis Songs, but the truth is, there’s nary a bum note in the entire catalog.

Read More: Top 10 Peter Gabriel Genesis Songs | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/peter-gabriel-genesis-songs/?trending&trackback=tsmclip

Sunday, February 23, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Look Out For #1




Look Out For #1 is the debut album by the Los Angeles, California-based duo Brothers Johnson released in 1976. The album reached number one on the R&B albums chart and number three on the jazz albums chart in the United States.



Track listing

  1. I'll Be Good to You 4:44
  2. Thunder Thumbs And Lightnin' Licks 4:51
  3. Get The Funk Out Ma Face 2:27
  4. Tomorrow 2:58
  5. Free And Single 4:07
  6. Come Together 4:12
  7. Land Of Ladies 4:30
  8. Dancin' And Prancin' 3:01
  9. The Devil 3:40

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Famous Final (Or 'Final') Concerts (Ultimate Classic Rock)



Whether born out of tragedy or creative restlessness, a band’s final concert is sure to become a big part of their history. On this chronological list of some of the biggest farewell shows in rock, you’ll find planned goodbyes from groups like Cream and the Band, and a doomed attempt to rekindle the early connection between the Beatles.

Read More: Famous Final (or 'Final') Concerts | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/famous-final-concerts/?trackback=tsmclip

Friday, February 21, 2014

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Devo Guitarist Bob Casale Dies at 61 (Ultimate Classic Rock)




Bob Casale, the guitarist for New Wave hitmakers Devo, died yesterday (Feb. 17) at the age of 61. The news was broken by his older brother Gerald, who played bass and keyboards in the group.

The Casales formed Devo at Kent State University near Akron, Ohio around 1973 with the Mothersbaugh brothers (Mark, Jim and Bob — who was known as “Bob 1″ while Casale was “Bob 2.”) Jim Mothersbaugh left in 1976 and was replaced by Alan Myers, who died in June 2013.


Read More: Devo Guitarist Bob Casale Dies at 61 | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/bob-casale-dies/?trackback=tsmclip

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

New Van Halen Album Rumors Continue (Ultimate Classic Rock)



David Lee Roth recently let slip that Van Halen is working on a follow-up to 2012′s ‘A Different Kind of Truth,’ and although he cautioned fans they’d have to wait awhile, it sounds like the band is making real progress.


Read More: New Van Halen Album Rumors Continue | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/van-halen-album-rumor/?trackback=tsmclip

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Why Julian Lennon Skipped The Beatles Anniversary Celebrations (UCR)




Please follow the link to read the Jeff Giles' full article as to why Julian Lennon did not attend the Beatles 50th Anniversary tribute at Ultimate Classic Rock.


Monday, February 17, 2014

Lasting Love: Rock's Most Enduring Couples (Ultimate Classic Rock)




Even the best marriages can take a lot of work sometimes. Adding the busy schedules and long absences of life on the road can make it uniquely difficult for rock stars — to say nothing of the temptations made available to them. Happily, within this list you will find rock star duos who have beaten the odds and actually stayed together for decades thanks to that little crazy little thing called love.


Read More: Lasting Love: Rock's Most Enduring Couples | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-marriages/?trackback=tsmclip

Sunday, February 16, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Menagerie



Menagerie is overall more uptempo and less introspective in feel than Withers' previous albums. None of the songs tackle intensely personal emotions of the kind which lent a dark edge to earlier Withers tracks such as "Use Me", "Better Off Dead" or "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)". The arrangements are also generally upbeat and breezy, with "I Want to Spend the Night" and "Tender Things" having a distinct Latin feel, and "Lovely Night for Dancing" and "She Wants To (Get On Down)" showing disco influences. The lead single "Lovely Day" has gone on to become one of Withers' signature songs, particularly in the UK, where it was a top 10 hit both on its original release and again in a remixed version in 1988.

Menagerie peaked at #16 on the R&B chart and #39 on the Billboard 200. It was Withers' biggest-selling album in the UK, where it reached #27.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Widespread Panic: The Earth Will Swallow You Film Makers to Attend Screening (jambands.com)





The Charleston Pour House will hold a screening of Widespread Panic: The Earth Will Swallow You, a documentary that follows Widespread Panic on their 2000 summer tour.  Please follow the link to jambands.com for more!

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day from the Showbiz Kids


You shouldn't be on this site today; you should be spending time with your Valentine! Well, since you are here, please enjoy some of these 'love songs' to get you in the mood!  Happy Valentine's Day!














Thursday, February 13, 2014

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Should Journey Reunite with Steve Perry? – Great Rock Debates (UCR)





Journey fans around the world got all stirred up about the reported possibility of the group reuniting with former vocalist Steve Perry this week — only to find out that once again it’s apparently not going to happen.

Please follow the link to Ultimate Classic Rock to look at the larger question — should Journey reunite with Perry? 

Monday, February 10, 2014

Jimmy Fallon and The Muppets




Jimmy Fallon was emotional as he said goodbye to his 12:35 time slot as the host of "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," but also marked the occasion with his show’s signature mix of music and laughs.

The 39-year-old talk show host, who will take over “The Tonight Show” from Jay Leno on February 17, wrapped up his final show with a performance of The Band's 'The Weight" with help from the Muppets.






Sunday, February 9, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...Violator




Violator is the seventh studio album by the English electronic group Depeche Mode, released by Mute Records on 19 March 1990.

Preceded by the hit singles "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" (a Top 10 hit in both the UK and US), Violator propelled the band into international stardom. The album yielded two further hit singles, "Policy of Truth" and "World in My Eyes". This album is the first of the band to achieve the Top 10 on the Billboard 200—reaching No. 7—and staying 74 weeks in the chart. It was supported by the World Violation Tour.

Compared to previous efforts, the band decided to try a new approach to recording. Said Alan Wilder, "Usually we begin the making of a record by having extensive pre-production meetings where we decide what the record will actually sound like, then go into a programming studio. This time we decided to keep all pre-production work to a minimum. We were beginning to have a problem with boredom in that we felt we'd reached a certain level of achievement in doing things a certain way." Martin Gore elaborated, "Over the last five years I think we'd perfected a formula; my demos, a month in a programming studio, etc. etc. We decided that our first record of the '90s ought to be different."

With co-producer Mark "Flood" Ellis, Wilder began a complementary working relationship, with Flood able to provide the technical know-how and Wilder working on the arrangements and song textures. "That's how we made the group work at that time," clarified Wilder, "by accepting that we all had different roles and not actually all trying to do the same thing. So we ended up with this unwritten agreement in the band, where we'd all throw together a few ideas at the beginning of a track. Then Fletch and Mart would go away, and they'd come back after we'd worked on it for a while to give an opinion."

There was also a notable change in Gore's demos. After the rigid, limiting effects of almost-finished demos for Music for the Masses, Gore, heeding to Wilder's request, kept them less complete this time around. Several of the basic recordings consisted of vocals over simple guitar or organ part, with the odd percussion loop but less sequenced material. The sparse demos allowed the band to take creative liberties with the songs. For instance, "Enjoy the Silence" started out as a slow ballad, but at Wilder's suggestion became a pulsating, up-tempo track.

The band convened to work on the record with Flood at Mute's WorldWide programming room in London for three weeks after which they flew to Milan for the new sessions at Logic studios. According to Flood, they didn't do substantial amount of work in Milan, except for the song "Personal Jesus", which was crucial in setting the tone and spirit of the album. "Everybody was feeling each other out, because they wanted to try working in a different way. The idea was to work hard and party hard and we all enjoyed ourselves to the full." After Milan the band relocated to Puk studios in northern Denmark, where most of the album was recorded.

Martin called the track "World in My Eyes" a very positive song. "It's saying that love and sex and pleasure are positive things." The song "Blue Dress," which Gore called "pervy," is simply about "watching a girl dress and realizing that this is 'what makes the world turn.'"With "Halo," Gore said "I'm saying 'let's give in to this' but there's also a real feeling of wrongfulness. ... I suppose my songs do seem to advocate immorality but if you listen there's always a sense of guilt."

According to Alan Wilder, the closing track, "Clean," was based on an echoed bass riff from Pink Floyd's "One of These Days," off their 1971 album Meddle.


As for the album name itself, Martin said "We called it Violator as a joke. We wanted to come up with the most extreme, ridiculously Heavy Metal title that we could. I'll be surprised if people will get the joke."

Saturday, February 8, 2014

The Who To Record New Album (Ultimate Classic Rock)





Only a few months after wrapping up their last tour, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend are reportedly planning to begin work on a new Who album sometime this year.  Please follow the link to read more at Ultimate Classic Rock.  

Friday, February 7, 2014

Jim James, Sharon Jones, Ben Harper, Beck Contribute to Starbucks’ Valentine’s Day Compilation (jambands.com)





Starbucks is set to release another compilation of covers performed by indie artists to celebrate Valentine's Day.  This year's installment will include artists such as Jim James performing Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and Beck performing John Lennon's "Love."

Please follow the link to see the complete track listing.  

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Steve Perry on Journey Reunion: 'We're Trying' (Ultimate Classic Rock)




According to a recent article on Ultimate Classic Rock, it appears that Neal Schon is seriously considering the idea of Steve Perry returning to Journey.  Please follow the link to read more and don't stop believing!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Trey Anastasio Debuts Another New Song in Kansas City




The Trey Anastasio Band debuted yet another new song during Friday night’s show at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO.  Please follow the link to see video footage of the tentatively titled track "Sometime After Sunset."

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Motley Crue Announce ‘The Final Tour’ (Ultimate Classic Rock)





Motley Crue recently announced their 'The Final Tour' which will see the band play a total of 72 dates before hanging it up for good.  Please follow the link to read the full article at Ultimate Classic Rock

Sunday, February 2, 2014

On the turntable this Sunday...The Lexicon of Love




The Lexicon of Love is the debut album by British pop band ABC, released in 1982. It is not a concept album, but features repeated themes in which the singer experiences heartache as he tries and fails to have a meaningful relationship.

It was produced by Trevor Horn, engineered by Gary Langan, and featured orchestration by Anne Dudley and Fairlight CMI programming by JJ Jeczalik; Horn, Langan, Dudley and Jeczalik would later form the Art of Noise. Indeed, most of the production team and sessions players listed below would form the basis for the ZTT label, and their work with Horn meant all concerned would be in constant demand throughout the industry in years to come.

"Tears Are Not Enough" (in its initial release produced by Steve Brown), "All of My Heart", "Poison Arrow", and "The Look of Love (Part One)" were all Top 20 hits in the UK; the last two also charted in the US, peaking at No. 25 and No. 14 respectively. The album reached No. 1 on the British charts, and peaked at No. 24 in the US charts.

In 2004, a deluxe 2-disc reissue including outtakes and early demos and a live performance of the album from 1982 was released on the Neutron label.

In 2009, ABC performed the album integrally at the Royal Albert Hall in London, accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, and conducted by arranger and composer Anne Dudley. They were joined on stage by album producer Trevor Horn.


The Lexicon of Love was again performed live in its entirety on 18 December 2012 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. This marked the 30th anniversary of the album's release and once again featured Dudley as conductor, performing with the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Red Hot Chili Peppers to Cover Led Zeppelin During Super Bowl Halftime Show (UCR)




The surprising collaboration between Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers scheduled for the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2 just got a lot more intriguing.

Speaking to reporters following the Guitar Center Drum-Off finals on Jan. 18, Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith revealed that the band wasn’t focusing on Mars’ material or their own for the show — instead, they’ve been working up a live version of Led Zeppelin‘s ‘Dazed and Confused.’



Read More: Red Hot Chili Peppers to Cover Led Zeppelin During Super Bowl Halftime Show | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/red-hot-chili-peppers-led-zeppelin-super-bowl/?trackback=tsmclip