Sundance 2015: Intimate 'Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck' Doc Stuns at Premiere (Rolling Stone)

"It's now my duty to completely drain you." You expected to hear Nirvana songs playing over the MARC Theater's P.A. system before the world premiere of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck. But when that line from Nevermind's "Drain You" came on a few minutes before the lights dimmed, you wouldn't have guessed just how prophetic the sentiment was.

Read more of David Fear's article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/sundance-2015-kurt-cobain-montage-of-heck-20150125#ixzz3PwKLcDWb

New KISS Song? (Ultimate Classic Rock)

The second track from Kiss‘ two-song collaboration with the Japanese pop group Momoiro Clover Z has apparently — but not officially — surfaced online. You can listen to it via the above stream. 

‘Samurai Son,’ co-written by Paul Stanley, follows the recent release ‘Yumeno Ukiyoni Saitemina.’


Read more of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Is This Kiss' Second Song With Momoiro Clover Z? 

Sam Smith forced to pay Tom Petty royalties for song 'Stay With Me' (NME)

Sam Smith is paying Tom Petty songwriting royalties for his single 'Stay With Me' after listeners noted a similarity between the song and Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' 1989 classic 'I Won't Back Down'. 


Read more of Nadia Khomami's article @ NME 

Rush Announce 2015 Tour Dates (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Rush have been going back and forth on the subject of a 2015 tour for more than a month now. But it looks like they finally made up their minds: They’ll hit the road in May for a three-month tour.

The band will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the R40 Live Tour, which will play 34 North American cities starting on May 8 in Tulsa and winding down on Aug. 1 in Los Angeles. 


Read more of Michael Gallucci's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Rush Announce 2015 Tour Dates 

Widespread Panic Go Cover-Heavy on Opening Night at Panic En La Playa (jambands.com)

Widespread Panic kicked off Panic En La Playa at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Punta Cana, Domincan Republic last night. While the show wouldn't feature any sit-ins, the band did rely on several covers throughout the show along with a slew of their own originals. 

Read full article @ jambands.com

Widespread Panic

Panic en la Playa Cuatro Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Set I: Playa Jam > Surprise Valley > JAM > Bear’s Gone Fishin” > Good People > Surprise Valley > Fixin’ To Die, Vampire Blues, Conrad

Set II: Papa Legba > Hope In A Hopeless World, For What It’s Worth* > Sell, Sell, Sell > Stop-Go > Blue Indian > Ride Me High > Drumz > Maggot Brain > St Ex
Enc: Waitin For The Bus > Jesus Just Left Chicago > Love Tractor

Source: panicstream.com

D'Angelo to Play "Saturday Night Live" and the Apollo Theater (Pitchfork)

Photo by Greg Harris


D'Angelo will be the musical guest for the January 31 episode of "Saturday Night Live", which will be hosted by J.K. Simmons. This will mark his first public performance since the release of Black Messiah.

Read the rest of Corban Goble's article @ Pitchfork

On the turntable this Sunday...Seeds

Seeds is the fifth studio album by American art rock band TV on the Radio, released on November 18, 2014 through Harvest Records. It is the band's first album since the 2011 death of their bassist, Gerard Smith.   

The album's first single, "Happy Idiot", was released on September 2, 2014.

Seeds was recorded in Los Angeles, at guitarist Dave Sitek's Federal Prism home studio.  Sitek also produced the record. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe explained, "It was nice to be somewhere where you're not exactly on the clock and worried about how much everything is costing you. It was pretty much the same situation as when we started making music."

The band announced the album on July 29, 2014. Adebimpe stated in a press release:

We've been through a lot of stuff in the past few years that could have stopped the band cold, but I'm glad we got it together and took stock of the unique connection we have between each other because the record is, 1,000 percent, without a doubt, the best thing we've ever done.

Seeds was positively received by most critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 27 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".  Many reviewers commented on the album's shift in aesthetic from the band's past work, attributing it to the passing of long-time band member Gerard Smith. Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "Seeds has a palpable sense of moving on for TV on the Radio [...] with the band confronting loss directly on the album's first half and accepting it on the second." She found the album to be "a fine tribute to Smith and the sound of enduring unimaginable loss." Mark Beaumont of NME observed that "grief and anger are channeled into a propulsive energy, driving the quartet's synthetic pop explorations with added garage-rock urgency" and ultimately concluding that the band "have returned from an uncertain period sounding remarkably fresh." Ian Gormely of Exclaim! awarded the album 9 of 10 stars and described it as a "sublime catharsis after the group's tragic loss and a perfect distillation of what the band do best". 

Top 10 Weirdest Kiss Songs-Ultimate Classic Rock

It’s hard to argue with the notion that Kiss have put out some pretty weird songs over their four-decade long career. From the original lineup’s early attempts to find its identity to the ongoing efforts of band leaders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons to stand out amid a rapidly changing musical landscape, the group has tried out more than its share of different sonic “looks” — from hard rock and disco to pop and progressive rock, and even grunge...

Read Ultimate Classic Rock's List of the Top 10 Weirdest KISS Songs: Top 10 Weirdest Kiss Songs 

The War on Drugs 2015 Tour Dates

The War on Drugs have recently added a series of tour dates in the Spring in addition to playing some of the larger festivals in the United States including Coachella and Bonnaroo. 

All tour and ticket information is availble on the band's website.

The War on Drugs 2015 Tour Dates:

January 31 Riviera Maya, MX—Hard Rock Hotel
February 01 Riviera Maya, MX—Hard Rock Hotel
February 02 Riviera Maya, MX—Hard Rock Hotel
February 03 Riviera Maya, MX—Hard Rock Hotel
February 04 Riviera Maya, MX—Hard Rock Hotel
February 16 Liverpool, UK—02 Academy
February 18 Manchester, UK—Albert Hall
February 19 Manchester, UK—Albert Hall
February 21 Southampton, UK—O2 Guildhall
February 22 Brighton, UK—Dome Concert Hall
February 24 London, UK—O2 Brixton Academy
February 26 Leeds, UK—O2 Academy
February 27 Newcastle, UK—O2 Academy
February 28 Edinburgh, UK—Usher Hall
March 1 Nottingham, UK—Rock City
March 2 London, UK—O2 Brixton Academy
March 28 Norfolk, VA—The Norva *
March 29 Richmond, VA—The National *
March 31 Knoxville, TN—Bijou Theatre *
April 01 Chattanooga, TN—Track 29 *
April 02 Athens, GA—Georgia Theatre *
April 03 Birmingham, AL—Iron City*
April 04 – Memphis, TN—Minglewood Hall*
April 05 Tulsa, OK—Cains Ballroom*
April 07 Albuquerque, NM—Historic El Rey Theatre*
April 08 El Paso, TX—Tricky Falls*
April 09 Phoenix, AZ—The Pressroom*
April 11 Indio, CA—Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
April 18 Indio, CA—Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
May 21 Portland, OR—Crystal Ballroom
May 24 Vancouver, BC—Vogue Theatre
June 25 Werchter, BE—Rock Werchter
June 26 Werchter, BE—Rock Werchter
June 27 Werchter, BE—Rock Werchter
June 28 Werchter, BE—Rock Werchter
June 05-07 New York, NY—The Governors Ball Music Festival
June 11-14 Manchester, TN—Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 26 St. Gallen, CH—Open Air
June 28 De Groene Heuvels, NL—Down The Rabbit Hole
July 01-04 Roskilde, DK—Roskilde Festival
July 02-05 Barcelona, ES—Vida Festival
August 11-15 Oslo, NO— Øya
August 13-15 Gothenburg, SE—Way Out West
September 04-06 Laois, IE—Electric Picnic

Motley Crue Announce Last Leg of Their Final Tour (Ultimate Classic Rock)

Last week, Vince Neil mentioned during an interview that Motley Crue‘s last-ever show will be on Dec. 31, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the city where it all started for them. The band just confirmed the date as part of the last leg of their Final Tour.

Read More of Michael Gallucci's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Motley Crue Announce Last Leg of Their Final Tour

'Guardians of the Galaxy' Soundtrack Is Among 2014's Top-Selling Cassettes (Rolling Stone)

Following the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack's chart-topping breakout success last year, the album finally came out on cassette, the format it was on as a prop in the movie, toward the end of the year. Released as a special edition for Record Store Day's Black Friday event, Wondering Sound reports that 2,300 copies of the album in its mostly defunct, recently fetishized format sold. It was the second-best-selling cassette of the year.
Read more of Ryan Reed's article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/guardians-of-the-galaxy-soundtrack-cassette-sells-two-thousand-copies-20150116#ixzz3P1SvPQAX

Black Crowes' Rich Robinson: 'The Band Has Broken Up' (Rolling Stone)

A little over a year after last playing together, the Black Crowes have officially announced that they are ending the band. "It is with great disappointment and regret," guitarist Rich Robinson said in a statement, "that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of the Black Crowes over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up."

Read more @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/black-crowes-rich-robinson-band-has-broken-up-20150115#ixzz3P1VzCCzr

Grateful Dead Announce 50th Anniversary Reunion Shows (UCR)

The surviving “core four” members of the Grateful Dead will reunite over Fourth of July weekend at Soldier Field in Chicago for three concerts celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary. 

For the shows, scheduled to take place July 3-5, Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann will be joined by an assortment of guests that includes former touring member Bruce Hornsby and Phish co-founder Trey Anastasio.


Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Grateful Dead Announce 50th Anniversary Reunion Shows 

On the turntable this Sunday...Voodoo

Voodoo is the second studio album by American recording artist D'Angelo, released on January 25, 2000, by Virgin Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1998 to 1999 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, featuring an extensive line-up of musicians associated with the Soulquarians musical collective. Produced primarily by D'Angelo, Voodoo features a loose, groove-based funk sound and serves as a departure from the more conventional song structure of his debut album, Brown Sugar (1995). The album features lyrical themes regarding spirituality, love, sexuality, growth, and fatherhood. 

Amid heavy promotion and an anticipated release, the album was released to commercial and critical success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 320,000 copies in its first week, and spent 33 weeks on the chart. It was promoted with five singles, including the hit single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", whose music video garnered D'Angelo mainstream attention and controversy. Upon its release, Voodoo received general acclaim from music critics and earned D'Angelo several accolades. It was named one of the year's best albums by numerous publications.

The album is D'Angelo's last studio album prior to a sabbatical period of legal controversies and absence from the music scene, following the end of the album's international supporting tour in late 2000. While successful early on, the tour eventually became marked by concert cancellations and D'Angelo's personal frustrations. Voodoo has been regarded by music writers as a creative milestone of the neo soul genre during its apex.  

It has sold over 1.7 million copies in the United States and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

This video proves every hit country song sounds the same (CoS)

2014 may have been the year of The War on Drugs and Run The Jewels, but it was also chock-full of solid country albums (no, I don’t mean 1989). Among last year’s widely-acclaimed LPs were Eric Church’s The Outsiders, Miranda Lambert’s Platinum, and one of my personal favorites, Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.  

Read Michelle Geslani's article @ Consequence of Sound

Phil Lesh to Celebrate 75th Birthday with Four-Night Capitol Theatre Run (jambands.com)

Phil Lesh will celebrate his 75th birthday with four Phil Lesh & Friends shows at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. The run will begin on March 15—Phil’s actual birthday—and continue on the 16th, 18th and 19th. 

Read full article @ jambands.com

Neil Young Is Recording Another New Album (UCR)

Just like, say, rust, Neil Young appears to never sleep. After releasing two albums last year — the very lo-fi ‘A Letter Home’ and the orchestral and big-band-aided ‘Storytone’ — the busy singer-songwriter is hard at work on a new album. 

Read More of Michael Gallucci's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Neil Young Is Recording Another New Album

Introducing VYNL, A Netflix-Style Vinyl Subscription Service (jambands.com)

In the latest sign that vinyl is making a serious comeback, a new Netlix-style subscription service that ships LPs to your mailbox has just launched. Rolling Stone reports that members of VNYL will get their first selection of records next month. 

Read the full article @ jambands.com

AC/DC to Headline Coachella; Steely Dan Also To Appear (UCR)

AC/DC will headline this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, performing April 10 and 17 at Indio, Calif. These are the first confirmed North American dates — though others have been rumored — in their world tour supporting ‘Rock or Bust.’

Read More of Nick DeRiso's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: AC/DC to Headline Coachella; Steely Dan Also To Appear 

Jimmy Herring Joins Gregg Allman at the Georgia Theatre (jambands.com)

Jimmy Herring took the stage with Gregg Allman last night during the second show of his run at Athens, GA’s Georgia Theatre. The Widespread Panic guitarist, who frequently collaborated with the Allman Brothers Band and even toured as a member in 2000, made his appearance on the Willie Cobbs blues classic “You Don’t Love Me.” 

Read the full article @ jambands.com

On the turntable this Sunday...Paranoid

Paranoid is the second studio album by English rock band Black Sabbath. Released in September 1970, it was the band's only LP to top the UK Albums Chart until the release of 13 in 2013. Paranoid contains several of the band's signature songs, including "Iron Man", "War Pigs" and the title track, which was the band's only Top 20 hit, reaching number 4 in the UK charts. It is often regarded as one of the most quintessential and influential albums in heavy metal history.

In an effort to capitalize on the recent US chart success of their eponymous debut album, Black Sabbath returned to the studio with producer Roger Bain in June 1970, just four months after the album was released. Paranoid was recorded at Regent Sound Studios and Island Studios in London, England. Ironically, the album's title track was written as an afterthought. As drummer Bill Ward explains: "We didn't have enough songs for the album, and Tony (Iommi) just played the guitar lick and that was it. It took twenty, twenty-five minutes from top to bottom."  In the liner notes to the 1998 live album Reunion, bassist Geezer Butler recounts to Phil Alexander that they wrote the song "in five minutes, then I sat down and wrote the lyrics as quickly as I could. It was all done in about two hours." According to Alexander, "Paranoid" "crystallized the band's writing process, with Iommi initiating the ideas with his charred riffs, Ozzy (Osbourne) working on a melody, Geezer providing drive and the majority of the lyrics, and Bill Ward locking into a set of often pounding rhythms beneath Butler's bass rumble." The single was released in September 1970 and reached number four on the UK charts, remaining Black Sabbath's only top ten hit.

Most of the songs on Paranoid evolved during onstage improvisational jams. In the Classic Albums documentary on the making of Paranoid, guitarist Tony Iommi declares that "War Pigs" came from "one of the clubs" with Butler adding, "During the song "Warning" we used to jam that out and that particular night when were jamming it out Tony just went da-dum!" In the same documentary, Iommi demonstrates his approach to the guitar solo in the song, explaining that "I always tried to keep the bottom string ringing so it fills it out nicely." On "Planet Caravan", Osbourne sings through a Leslie speaker, with the singer telling Mojo in 2010, "Then Roger Bain used an oscillator on it - whatever that is. It looks like a fridge with a knob on."

The album's opening track "War Pigs" was originally intended to be called "Walpurgis". It was then shortened to "War Pigs", which the band intended to name the album until it was changed to Paranoid after the record company became convinced that the song of the same name had potential as a single.  Butler explained his intentions to Classic Albums: "I wanted to write a song called 'Walpurgis' - you know, the Satanic version of Christmas - write it about that Satan isn't a spiritual thing, it's warmongers. That's who the real Satanists are, all these people who are running the banks and the world and trying to get the working class to fight the wars for them. We sent it off to the record company and they said, 'No, we're not going to call it that. Too Satanic!' So I changed it to 'War Pigs'." In his autobiography I Am Ozzy, vocalist Ozzy Osbourne recalls, "It was originally going to be called 'Walpurgis' ... which was a term for a black magic wedding or something. Then we changed it to 'War Pigs', and Geezer came up with these heavy duty lyrics about death and destruction. No wonder we never got any chicks at our gigs. Geezer just wasn't interested in your average 'I love you' pop song ... Geezer also liked to put a lot of topical stuff, like Vietnam references, into our songs. He had his ear to the ground, Geezer did."

The song "Iron Man" was originally entitled "Iron Bloke"; upon hearing the main guitar riff for the first time, Osbourne remarked that it sounded "like a big iron bloke walking around". The title was later changed to "Iron Man" as bassist and lyricist Geezer Butler composed the lyrics. The riff to "Iron Man" is iconic among heavy metal guitarists, with Osbourne declaring in his memoir that "...Tony Iommi turned out to be one of the greatest heavy rock riff-makers of all time. Whenever we went into the studio we'd challenge him to beat his last riff - and he'd come up with something like 'Iron Man' and blow everyone away." Butler wrote the lyrics as the story of a man who time travels into the future and sees the apocalypse. In the process of returning to the present, he is turned into steel by a magnetic field. He is rendered mute, unable verbally to warn people of his time of the impending destruction. His attempts to communicate are ignored and mocked. This causes Iron Man to become angry and have his revenge on mankind, causing the destruction seen in his vision. "Electric Funeral" also contains apocalyptic imagery dealing with nuclear warfare. In The Last Supper concert film, Iommi remembers that at the time with most bands "it was all the 'flowers in your hair' and we wanted to sing and play about the other side of life." In the 1992 documentary Don't Blame Me Osbourne concurs: "It was me and five kids living in a two bedroom house. My father worked nights, my mother worked days, we had no money, we never had a car, we very rarely went on holiday ... And suddenly, you know, we hear about 'If you're going to San Francisco be sure to wear a flower in your hair'. And we're thinking, (contemptuously) 'What the fuck is San Francisco? Where is this? What's all this flower shit? I've got no shoes on my feet.'" "You could just see that a lot of things were going wrong in the world," Butler recalled to Classic Albums in 2010, "and no one was saying anything about it. Bob Dylan had long since faded from the present memory and there was nobody talkin' about the things that I wanted to talk about - political stuff - so that's what inspired me."

In 2013, Butler told Mojo magazine that the song "Paranoid" was "about depression, because I didn't really know the difference between depression and paranoia. It's a drug thing; when you're smoking a joint you get totally paranoid about people, you can't relate to people. There's that crossover between the paranoia you get when you're smoking dope and the depression afterwards." According to Mick Wall's book Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe, Butler was dead set against the song because he thought it too closely resembled Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown", with the bassist admitting, "I thought it was so much like that we couldn't possibly get away with it ... They were our favorite band by that time." "Planet Caravan" was an unusually quiet song which showcased that the band was capable of more than bone crushing guitar riffs. Iommi admitted that the band had doubts about the mellow number, telling Classic Albums, "It was almost one of those 'Should we do this?'" with Butler adding, "We just came up with that in the studio and it was really laid back so and we didn't want to come out with the usual love crap. So it was about floating through the universe with your love one, instead of 'Let's go down to the pub and have some chips', or whatever...Just taking a spaceship out into the stars and having the ultimate romantic weekend." Django Reinhart's jazz influence is apparent on Iommi's guitar playing. "Hand of Doom" dealt with the problem of soldiers returning from the Vietnam War strung out on heroin, which the band witnessed first hand when they played two American Army bases but, as Butler observed to Matthew Longfellow in 2010, there was "nothing on the news about this. There was no programs telling you that the US troops in Vietnam, to get through that horrible war, were like fixing up and all this kinda thing. It just stuck in me head and when we got to "Hand Of Doom", that's what I wrote it about."

According to Butler, Ward's drum solo "Rat Salad" resulted from the band having to play eight and three quarter hour spots a night in Europe early in their career. "Bill used to fill out a whole 45 minutes doing a drum solo just to get rid of that 45 minutes," he revealed to Classic Albums. "I have no idea where the title came from, though." In 2013, Sabbath biographer Mick Wall described the closing track on the album, "Fairies Wear Boots", as a "hard-driving riff sweetened by a beautifully baleful melody" with a lyric written by Osbourne about a nasty encounter with a group of skinheads.

Read more @ Wikipedia

Toto Announce New Album, ‘Toto XIV,’ for March (UCR)

Toto will return March 24 with the band’s first studio album in nine years, titled ‘Toto XIV.’

Due out on Frontiers Records, the 11-track LP finds the band working with a rejiggered lineup that includes the return of former vocalist Joseph Williams, who rejoined in 2010, as well as founding member Steve Porcaro...

Read More of Jeff Giles' article @Ultimate Classic Rock: Toto Announce New Album, 'Toto XIV,' for March

Led Zeppelin’s Expanded Three-Disc ‘Physical Graffiti’ Reissue Announced (UCR)

Looks like the last week of February is the official release date for the expanded reissue of Led Zeppelin‘s classic sixth album ‘Physical Graffiti.’ 

Just yesterday, the band updated its Facebook page with a new cover photo depicting an inverted negative-image take of the LP’s cover (mirroring the imagery used in the series).


Read More of Michael Gallucci's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Led Zeppelin’s Expanded Three-Disc ‘Physical Graffiti’ Reissue Announced 

Kanye West and Paul McCartney Team Up for "Only One" (Pitchfork)

Happy new year: Kanye West has released a new song called "Only One", a collaboration with Paul McCartney. Stream it at his website or download it at the iTunes store. The lyrics can also be found at Kanye's site.  

Read the rest of Amy Phillips' article @ Pitchfork

Did ‘The Tonight Show’ Book the Wrong Little River Band? (Ultimate Classic Rock)

The oft-asked question of who has the rights to a band’s name has just added a new wrinkle. On Jan. 12, the Little River Band will appear on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,’ even though the current version of the Australian soft-rock band contains no original members.

Read More of Dave Lifton's article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Did 'The Tonight Show' Book the Wrong Little River Band? 

10 Things We Learned About Prince's Purple Rain Via Let's Go Crazy (Rolling Stone)

Dig if you will the picture: 2014 marked the 30th anniversary of Purple Rain, and the glorious summer when Prince simultaneously had the Number One single, album and movie in the USA. Alan Light (author of The Holy or the Broken, and a Rolling Stone veteran) celebrated the occasion with the new book Let's Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain. 

Read more of Gavin Edwards' article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/10-things-we-learned-about-princes-purple-rain-via-lets-go-crazy-20141231#ixzz3NqqtlEQS 

Bono's Guitar Playing Days Might Be Over (UCR)

Talk about adding insult to injury: After enduring copious amounts of surgery following his nasty bike accident last fall, Bono may have lost the ability to play guitar. 

Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: Bono's Guitar-Playing Days Might Be Over

On the turntable this Sunday...Master of Puppets

Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records. Recorded at the Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the first Metallica album released on a major label. It was the band's last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus crash during the album's promotional tour. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. It was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping six million copies in the US. 

Master of Puppets was released to critical acclaim and has been included in several publications' best album lists. Its driving, virtuosic music and angry, political lyrics drew praise from critics outside of the metal community. The album is considered the band's strongest effort of the period, and is one of the most influential heavy metal albums. Many bands from all genres of heavy metal have covered the album's songs, including tribute albums.

The cover was designed by Metallica and Peter Mensch and painted by Don Brautigam. It depicts a cemetery field of white crosses tethered to strings, manipulated by a pair of hands in a blood-red sky. Metallica embarked on a five-month tour supporting Ozzy Osbourne in the United States. 

The European leg was canceled after Burton's death in September, and the band returned home to audition a new bassist. Metallica honored the album's twentieth anniversary in 2006 by playing it in its entirety.

Master of Puppets has appeared in several publications' best album lists. It was ranked number 167 on Rolling Stone '​s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.   Time included the album in its list of the 100 best albums of all time. According to the magazine's Josh Tyrangiel, Master of Puppets reinforced the velocity of playing in heavy metal and diminished some of its clichés.  Slant Magazine placed the album at number 90 on its list of the best albums of the 1980s, saying Master of Puppets is not only Metallica's best recording, but also their most sincere. The album featured in Robert Dimery's book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Paul McCartney on Beatles in History Books: 'Unbelievable, Man!' (Rolling Stone)

Paul McCartney understands the Beatles' overwhelming impact on music history, but he's still blown away by the band's presence in literal history books used in school classrooms. "To be told – as I was years ago now – that the Beatles were in my kid's history books? That was like 'What?! Unbelievable, man!'"

Read more of Ryan Reed's article @ Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-flattered-beatles-in-history-books-20141229#ixzz3NJDqShJv

AC/DC and U2 Rumored to Perform at Grammy Awards (UCR)

Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but the rumor mill has started spinning regarding live performances for the 57th annual Grammy Awards. Some of the major names being bandied about include AC/DC and U2. 

Read More of Jeff Giles' article @ Ultimate Classic Rock: AC/DC and U2 Rumored to Perform at Grammy Awards 

Jefferson Starship Celebrating 50 Years of Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Starship will celebrate 50 years of Jefferson Airplane with a tour that kicks off the new year on January 16th at the Empire Theater in Belleville, Ontario. 



The band features Jefferson Airplane co-founder Paul Kantner and will celebrate the band's 50th anniversary.

All ticket information can be found here.

Jefferson Starship Tour Dates:

January 16 Belleville, ONT—Empire Theater
January 17 Rama, ONT—Casino Rama
January 28 Derby, UK—The Flower Pot
January 29 New Brighton, UK—Floral Pavilion
January 30 London, UK—Brooklyn Bowl London
February 1 Exeter, UK—Phoenix Arts Center
February 2 Wolverhampton, UK—Robin 2
February 4 Gateshead, UK—Sage
February 7 Bradenton, FL—Regatta at Bradenton Downtown Riverwalk
February 13 Prescott, AZ—Yavapi College PAC
February 14 Stateline, NV—Harrah’s South Shore
February 21 Miami, FL—Magic City Casino Magic & Music Festival
February 22 Jacksonville, FL—Ponte Vedra Music Hall
February 27 Grass Valley, CA—Grass Valley PAC
February 28 Modesto, CA—Gallo Center for the Arts
March 5 Atlantic City, NJ—Harrah’s
March 6 Greensburg, PA—Palace Theater
March 7 Cleveland, OH—Masonic Auditorium
March 19 Natick, MA—Natick Center for the Arts
March 20 Sugarloaf, NY—Sugarloaf PAC
March 21 Beverly, MA—Larcom Theater
March 22 New York, NY—B.B. King’s Blues Club
March 24 Annapolis, MD—Ram’s Head
March 26 Londonderry, NH—Tupelo Music Hall
March 27 Uncasville, CT—Mohegan Sun Casino
March 28 Norfolk, CT—Infinity Music Hall
March 29 St. Charles, IL—Arcade Theater
June 6 San Mateo, CA—San Mateo County Fair
July 23 Truro, MA—Payomnt PAC
July 24 Hartford, CT—Connecticuit Convention Center
July 25 Stockton, NJ—Stockton Rocks Hamilton Township
July 31 Costa Mesa, CA—OC Fair