And to cap off a rock and roll week, full of graybeards and old stars, young punks and ruffians, Waved Rumor brings you some classic hard cutting punk rock from Eddie & The Hot Rods from a live TV slot in 1978 on The Old Grey Whistle Test, on which they CRANK out "Beginning of the End" - TURN IT UP!
Eddie & the Hot Rods on Wikipedia.
The 25th anniversary concerts of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden Thursday night and tonight are offering up a load of fun and fantastic musical pairings. Still going strong musical graybeards like David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, as well as Sting, Stevie Wonder, Simon and Garfunkel, John Fogerty and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and others rocked the MSG stage to bring home the history of rock and roll over the past 50-60 years.
Rolling Stone's got most of the goods:
• Stevie Wonder turns a technical difficulty into a hilarious quip: “Aw, shit … stuff happens, you know what I’m saying?” and changes his set before it even gets going to kick off with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” He later pays homage to Michael Jackson with a stunning “The Way You Make Me Feel.”
• The E Street Band make their own Wall of Sound as Darlene Love joins Bruce and the gang for “A Fine, Fine Boy” and “Da Doo Ron Ron.” “We’re in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame now,” Springsteen exclaims.
• Crosby, Stills and Nash add another layer of perfect harmony when James Taylor joins in on “Love the One You’re With.” The capper: one of many awe-inspiring guitar solos by Stephen Stills.
More about the concerts from NPR, MTV, The BBC and the Associated Press.
My NYC pal (and musical powerhouse) Greg Hoy and his band Twice as Bright has unleashed a Halloween cover songs CD present for all of us pretenders and those who'd like to be.
Twice As Bright & 30 Peak
presents 'It's Fun To Pretend!' (click to stream or download)
Halloween 2009
30 Peak release oo3
Track Listing:
01 Wishing Well (Terence Trent D'Arby)
02 Norwegian Wood (The Beatles)
03 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pink Floyd)
04 Raspberry Beret (Prince)
05 She Wants To Move (N.E.R.D)
06 Sugar On My Tongue (Talking Heads)
07 Paranoid (Kanye West)
08 Coconut Grove (The Lovin' Spoonful)
09 Be Near Me (ABC)
10 Run To You (Bryan Adams)
11 Peg (Steely Dan)
12 Nights In White Satin (The Moody Blues)
I got tipped off to a fine rock show scheduled for this Friday night at Modified (PHX) featuring songstress Sara Lov and DIY indie folker cool guy Alex Church (aka Sea Wolf), who's promoting his new CD 'White Water White Bloom'.
All Music Guide writes: "Much like Iron & Wine and similar indie outfits, Sea Wolf is the project name of a sole singer/songwriter who drafts in other musicians as the occasion warrants. That singer/songwriter is Alex Church, a California native who looks to local authors like John Steinbeck and Jack London (whose 1904 novel The Sea Wolf provided the band name) for inspiration. Born in the small former gold rush town of Columbia and raised by a musically inclined, peripatetic mother, Church attended the prestigious NYU film school, then settled in Los Angeles and formed the indie rock band Irving in 1998. As one of three songwriters in Irving, he soon found himself with a clutch of songs that didn't fit the band's dreamy '60s-inspired psychedelic pop sound. Accordingly, Church and various friends played a handful of Los Angeles gigs as Sea Wolf between 2003 and 2005, when Church made a batch of home recordings that he completed in Seattle with Irving's producer, Phil Ek. Signing with the indie label Dangerbird Records, Sea Wolf released its debut EP, Get to the River Before It Runs Too Low, in the spring of 2007, with a full-length album (Leaves in the River) following shortly thereafter.
To tour behind the record, Church assembled a lineup with himself on vocals and guitar, Aaron Robinson on guitar, Lisa Fendelander on keyboards, Theodore Liscinski on bass, Aniela Perry on cello, and Byron Reynolds on drums. When it came time to record a second album, Church cherry-picked three members of his band -- Fendelander, Liscinski, and newcomer Joey Ficken -- and headed to the Omaha studio of Mike Mogis, where a number of additional musicians joined in the creation of 2009's White Water, White Bloom. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide Hide
I missed this story in the Wrap last week about the U2 Claw tour, but maybe you didn't. If so, then mister, you're a better man that I.
Author of the piece Steve Pond writes: "When U2 takes the stage of the Rose Bowl on Sunday night, the Irish band will have performed 42 shows on its "360°" tour. They will have played in front of almost 3 million fans, broken dozens of attendance records and grossed close to $300 million. They will have drawn rapturous reviews, made the cover of Rolling Stone and given the troubled concert business a gigantic shot of adrenaline.
What they won’t have done is make any money.
The U2 tour is so elaborate, its 170-ton, $40 million, four-pronged stage so enormous, its overhead so costly that the band has been on the road for four months just to cover its startup costs. They’re finally on the verge of hitting the break-even mark -- just in time to shut down for the winter, because the weather’s getting too cold for outdoor shows and their stage is far too big for indoor arenas.".
[And to make matters worse...]
"The album’s first two singles weren’t hits, its songs aren’t getting the radio airplay of past smashes like “Vertigo” and “Elevation,” and overall sales have been slow. Released in March, it took seven months to reach sales of 1 million, a significant disappointment by usual U2 standards."
Watch the US Rose Bowl entire 2hour, 21 minute concert at YouTube. Or the 25 year old video of theband making The Unforgettable Fire.
This version of GBV's "The Brides Have Hit Glass" has a different Pollard vocal and seems a different mix from the Isolation Drills LP. Any GBV fanboys reading here know if this version has ever been released? Is this an EP B-sode mix?
How many rock shows have you been to lately where folks are more involved with their device in hand than with the band onstage playing? Plenty, I'm sure, and we're all collectively guilty at one time or another of doing so. Has it all gone too far? Can a rock band play its songs onstage without cell phones being held up in their face to snap real-time updates w/Twitpic photo attached?
I was reminded of this when I read TechCrunch's piece on being part of last weekend's MySpace/Weezer show, from reporter Paul Carr, who wrote this bit about Rivers Cuomo saying onstage "...remember," he said "this is a secret gig, so shhhhhh, no writing about it on Facebook or Twitter."
"Cuomo was joking of course – a ham-fisted attempt at a target reference – but there was a strange and tragic truth in his plea. I mean, what were we all doing? Filming and tweeting and checking in rather than just putting our phones away and enjoying the gig. Why does the world need two thousand photos of the same band on the same stage, all taken from a slightly different angle. That kind of 360 degree imagery might have been useful on the day Kennedy was shot – not least because it would have kept Oliver Stone quiet – but for a Weezer gig? And what’s the point of checking in on Foursquare at a ticketed event that no one else can get into. You might as well tweet “I’m a dick” and be done with it."
Isn't it time we slap our phones into our pockets or purses before it kills the live music experience as we know it? Would I have enjoyed all those live GBV shows 1997-2004 as I did if I was fussing about to fuckin' tweet something about what Pollard just said? I doubt it. Let's dump the device before we become less the audience and more the telegrapher. Figure it out.
It's all CMJ in NYC this week, and here's a load of videos below to help tell the musical story.
The video for Weezer's single '(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To'. The gentlemen look spiffy in Weezerville.
I'm all about great rock photography - so 'Who Shot Rock and Roll' should be a great exhibition and book.
Tonight's a special preview reception featuring original members of Blondie.
NPR also writes about the book as well, with a selection of photos.
"Who Shot Rock & Roll is the first major museum exhibition on rock and roll to put photographers in the foreground, acknowledging their creative and collaborative role in the history of rock music. The exhibition is in six sections: rare and revealing images taken behind the scenes; tender snapshots of young musicians at the beginnings of their careers; exhilarating photographs of live performances that display the energy, passion, style, and sex appeal of the band on stage; powerful images of the crowds and fans that are often evocative of historic paintings; portraits revealing the soul and creativity, rather than the surface and celebrity, of the musicians; and conceptual images and album covers highlighting the collaborative efforts between the image makers and the musicians."
LOTS of music action these days:
- U2 plays tonight with the Black-Eyed Peas at University of Phoenix stadium. Rock.
- Much-vaunted Christian pop kid Adam Young (aka Owl City) plays a sold-out show Scottsdale's Martini Ranch this coming weekend. His single 'Fireflies' is #1 on iTunes - his LP Ocean Eyes is huge - hear his dreamy pop at his MySpace page - see all his other sold out shows. Jesus is walking beside him, apparently. Pop.
- CMJ Music Marathon starts today in NYC. Big show at Pianos with Fanfarlo highlight for today. (via BV)
- Rolling Stone's Rock n Roll Daily has a great review of what was likely a fantastic Echo & the Bunnymen show at the tiny Mercury Lounge in NYC over last weekend.
- Kate Snow of ABC news gets wets interviewing Kiss's Paul Stanley unmasked. Watch the video below. It's good.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has unleashed to the world a 10 DVD set of all its awards shows, acceptance speeches and performances and extra interviews and god knows what else.
Time-Life writes:
"Some highlights include:
* Bruce Springsteen and Bono share a microphone on U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
* The original 3 members of Cream take the stage for the first time in 25 years to play a 3 song set of the group's biggest hits.
* Mick Jagger and Tina Turner perform a sultry duet of the Stones' "Honky Tonk Woman."
This is the first time ever these performances have been available on home video! With 125 exclusive performances, over 24 hours of classic rock entertainment, and over 9 hours of bonus material, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Live is a comprehensive collection sure to exceed the expectations of any rock 'n' roll fan!"
Whoo-Hoo!
Big Shiny Robot likes the set overall, but notes:
"My biggest complaint: the organization of this set. In a word, it’s terrible. Logically, one would think that this would all be presented chronologically, but it’s not. Performances jump around from year to year, as do the speeches -in fact, some of the speeches are actually cut up and presented across multiple discs. Instead, Time Life has chosen to package certain performances together by “theme”. For instance, one of the discs is called “Message of Love” and features The Who, Melissa Etheridge, James Taylor, the Bee Gees, John Mellencamp, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, the Pretenders, Metallica, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Maybe it’s me, but this is a pretty random sampling of bands and only a few would represent a “Message of Love”. Each disc is like this in that they all feature an off mash-up of bands that supposedly represent a theme -the reason for this choice in arrangement is beyond my understanding. In short, with regards to the organization, it doesn’t flow at all and actually takes quite a bit away from the overall enjoyment of this collection."
Too bad. Obviously, this DVD set is aimed at fat old guys who have the $$$ to spend ($120 plus shipping), and would rather not wade through YouTube's archives to find these performances. But a quick search at YouTube finds a lot of it ready for your viewing pleasure. So go figure.
Oh, I get it. You don't get it packaged in 'themes'. :-)
Watch all your favorite rockers in various stages of dress in the promo clip below.
San Diego riff-dance rockers Syndicate are bringing their highly charged up rockin' post-punk sounds to the Rogue Bar in Scottsdale tonight and to the Yucca Tap Room in Tempe Saturday night.
The band keeps the songs moving forward with blasting drums, great band vocals and burning guitars. I like it - I hear echoes of other post-punk-slash-chord bands in their sound, but that's cool. A couple of standouts from their MySpace page is "Down By The River" and "Jesus Lives in North Park" - check 'em.
Veteran rock band U2 rolls into the University of Phoenix Stadium next Tuesday night with its ginormous "360 Degrees of Claw Happiness" tour. For all the local peeps getting excited about it (but no tailgating, OK?) and for those of us who won't be attending, Waved Rumor presents a swell live version of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' from the big New Jersey Giants' Stadium show a few weeks ago. A nice view of what it's like to sit very far away from the stage. It's not Modified, is it?
Indie posters Matt & Kim play Scottsdale's Third Thursdays tonight. Free entry and 50cent beers (after a $10 wristband) - Fun fun fun.
I wrote last month about former Husker Du member Grant Hart, spotlighting his upcoming CD Hot Wax.
Hart played the famed Uptown Bar in Minneapolis last weekend and is throwing his CD release party this weekend at First Avenue. (one of those 'wish I could be there' gigs!)
Hart spoke to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune a week or so ago and gave good quote.
Hart said he doesn't measure success in numbers. "[Bob Mould] has a business acumen that I don't bother exercising because it's not a motivation to me," he said. "Putting things in that focus is pollutive. We're talking about something that is spiritual sustenance to me."
"A long time ago, I started looking at my permanent record -- the history of me after I'm gone," he said. "Even to speak of it reeks of egotism run wild. But I think when all is said and done, the work that I produced in this lifetime will more than repay the world for any inconvenience I've caused it."
This is how Grant Hart looks in 2009, rockin' his old Husker Du fave "Books About UFOs"
This is how he drummed in 1985 on the fastest coolest concert opener ever.
A battering of music news - "You Just have to join in on this Song"
- Strangeglue reports that reuniting Pavement has added shows down under in Australia and New Zealand in March 2010. Can European shows be in the cards for the summer festival season?
- Built to Spill rocked (jammed?) NYC again last night - Brooklyn Vegan's got the goods. The band plays LettermanSexGod show this week.
- I'm working from home today - on the CD player spins a 5-disc cornucopia of Guided by Voices - a blast to the past. 'Useless Inventions' really sounds swell. Here's a fun fact: Back on this date in 1994, the band played Philly's Trocadero, opening for (wait for it...) Pavement!
Fast Japanese Spin Cycle EP (1994)
I Am a Scientist EP (1994)
Over the Bushes, Under the Stars LP (1996)
Half Smiles of the Decomposed LP (2004)
Earthquake Glue LP (2003)
- The Iggy Pop-Stooges-James Williamson-Raw Power Reunion coming together! So says the Ig to Detroit's Metro. Cool Q & A (via Kingblind)
- Listen to snippets of David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars, live on the US Ziggy Stardust tour in 1972.
- Wired asks: Was Stop Making Sense the greatest concert film ever?
- And it's not too late to remember your dear old grandpa on Christmas this year - a new Elvis Presley box set is being released three weeks before Christmas! Gone Daddy Gone!
Is this where all old popsmiths end up? With new deals to perform old songs?
From Mi2n
=> BRIAN WILSON SIGNS WITH WALT DISNEY RECORDS; Beach Boys Co-Founder To Record Two Albums, Including Covers Of George And Ira Gershwin Classics
=> BARRY MANILOW RE-SIGNS WITH ARISTA RECORDS; Collaborates Once Again With Clive Davis On The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time, Set For Release In January
Dunno 'bout you - but I'm liking the Weezer single alot. Another fine song about young lust / adolescent longing from Rivers Cuomo. I hear early Squeeze all over the first two verses. The rest just rocks. Looking forward to hearing the rest of Raditude, out later this month. (Somewhere, though, there's a metashare link I'm sure....)
Rolling Stone Rock 'n Roll Daily has a lot more on hearing Weezer's new song clips at iTunes.
Here is the audio and lyrics:
The moon was shining on the lake at night
The slayer T-shirt fit the scene just right
Your smeared mascara
I looked into your eyes and saw a light
You told me stories about your chickadees
They didnt like BB guns or stupid archery
And Shaun the lifeguard
He let them use the pool all day for free
Then the conversation stopped
And I looked down at my feet
I was next to you and you were right there next to me
Then I said :
Girl, if youre wondering if I want you to (I want you to)
I want you to
So make them move (make them move)
cause I aint got all night
The rest of the summer was the best weve ever had
We watched titanic and it didnt make us sad
I took you to Best Buy
You took me home to meet your mom and dad
Your mom cooked meat loaf, even though I dont eat meat
I dug you so much, I took some for the team
Your dad was silent
His eyes were fixed to what was on TV
And the conversation stopped, and I looked down at the ring
Your folks were next to you
And you were right there next to me
And I said :
Girl, if youre wondering if I want you to (I want you to)
I want you to (I want you to)
I swear its true (swear it's true)
Without you my heart is blue
Girl, if youre wondering if I want you to (I want you to)
I want you to (I want you to)
So make the move (make the move)
cause I aint got all night
So much pain may come our way
There may come a day when we have nothing left to say
When the conversation stops and were facing our defeat
Ill be next to you and youll be right there next to me
Then Ill say
Girl, if youre wondering if I want you to (I want you to)
I want you to (I want you to)
I swear its true (swear it's true)
Without you my heart is blue ooooooh
Girl, if youre wondering if I want you to (I want you to)
I want you to (I want you to)
So make the move (make the move)
Cause I aint got all night
Brooklyn's Vivian Girls are playing tonight at Modified Arts in downtown Phoenix to bang out their rockin' pop. Their MySpace page mentions three influences - The Wipers, The Shangri-Las and Nirvana - which sounds absolutely spot on to me. I also hear some X in the vocal interplay as well (minus the John Doe factor).
A little surprising that they're not in NYC during next week's big CMJ Music fest, but the tour will keep the Vivian Girls busy until the end of the month. Read another take on the band at Phoenix New Times.
Here's a sample of what to expect from the trio, captured below live playing Second Date, Never See Me Again and Tell The World at Death by Audio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City on August 25, 2009. (video by unARTigNYC)
Yes, friends - Rock icon David Bowie's most unfortunate TV music moment during the 1970s. It's been on YouTube for three years, but I just found it tonight. What a hoot!
A YT commenter wrote: "David Bowie on the Cher Show in November 1975. Bowie and Cher dance and sing through the first half of "Young Americans," which was a hit off Bowie's latest album at the time. Then they go through a medley of other people's hits (Song Sung Blue, One Is the Loneliest Number, Da Do Run Run, etc.) before finishing "Young Americans."
You have to understand, kids, cocaine was flying about and Bowie was hanging around too many NYC and LA hotspots and meeting too many showbiz folks, and keeping him off the rough and ragged pathways with the cool people. And that's where clarity gets sullied.
Here we go - David Bowie and lovely Cher (sporting a somewhat orange, but frolicking short cute lil hairstyle) go into Bowie's "young Americans' sounding cool and all, but then at the line of Young Americans' when it goes "Showing nothing he swoops like a song..." BAM right into Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue" (eek!) for a verse, then into Three Dog Night's "One" for a few words, then BAM then into the '60s chestnut "Doo Doo Ron Ron", then for a line or two into the groovy 5th Dimension's "Wedding Bell Blues" and then BAM into some 50s ballad called "Maybe" then BAM into Buddy Holly's "Maybe Baby" where they take the last part of the line "I'll have you some....day" right into BOING! 1965's "Daytripper" by John Paul George Ringo - who wudda thunk it! Crazy!
Next up is a bit of the 50s nugget Blue Moon, the 50s(?) standard The Platters' Only You then a few others before heading back into the 70s with Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", Leiber & Stoller's 'Youngblood', then finally...mercifully... back to Bowie's Young Americans.
What a day for Americans watching TV that day. I was too young. Whew.
I just added a fantastic mix of songs from one of Great Britain's trailblazers of rockin' pop - The Move. It's in the right column for the next month or so. Good Weekend!
"Please don't put your life in the hands...of a rock n roll band....they'll throw it all away."
And indeed, it has been thrown away. The life of Oasis the band as led for the past 10-15 years by the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel. Liam told the UK Times in a new interview that they all know it's done.
"Times2: “Oasis is your band. Is it fair to say that this [gestures at rack of Pretty Green autumn/winter 2009 collection] is a solo projection?” (I meant “solo project” but was nervous. He is a bit unsettling.)
Liam. “Well, Oasis is no longer. I think we all know that. So that’s done.”
Times2: “You genuinely feel that?”
Liam: “Oh, I know. Without a doubt. And it’s a shame but that’s life. We had a good run at it. The thing about Oasis is, no one ... we ended Oasis. No one ended it for us. Which was pretty, kind of ... cool (the word “cool” is enunciated with venom). I’m thinking of what the next step is musically, which is all my mind’s on.”
There's no real news about it at the official band site, but then again, it's really the relationship between the brothers that's cooked for now - the music, the brand is gonna ....live forever.
So let's roll out the Rock Clip of the Week for Oasis, one of the biggest British bands ever, as they "Don't Look Back in Anger".... in BIG form below and under that, in its first ever live rendition...
Was the '59 Les Paul the perfect guitar ever made? Fun piece today in the LA Times about a new book called "Million Dollar Les Paul".
In 1958 Gibson introduced an electric guitar called the Les Paul Standard, a solidbody electric with mahogany body, two pickups, and a three-colour sunburst maple top, priced at $280. About 1,500 were made before production ceased in 1960 of what was at the time a not-particularly-successful model. But when guitar heroes such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page began to play examples in the 1960s, the legend of the 'burst' began. The guitars became among the most desirable ever made, and to buy one now you'd be looking at paying what it would cost to purchase and furnish a decent sized family home, and put a car in the garage."
"In this exciting history, Tony Bacon examines the "burst" phenomenon from every angle. He begins with the "Les Paul Primer," documenting the guitar's brief production period from 1958 to 1960. He then profiles and interviews everyone from the man who inspired it, Les Paul, to dealers, collectors, forgers, roadies, and, of course, major players like Stephen Stills, Duane Allman, and Jimmy Page. Million Dollar Les Paul also looks at the science, investment history (and increasingly astronomical pricing), and almost mystical appeal of the instrument whose small production numbers — only 1,500 were made — belie its stature as the single most sought-after guitar in the world."
I read a cool piece at The Rock and Roll Report today about British rockers Band of Skulls. Here's one of their tracks below, a crunchy White-Stripes-meets-Gary-Glitter stomper called 'I Know What I Am'. I love the gender traded vocals. Shame about the "hotel...Taco Bell" rhyme, though. :-)
Band of Skulls - I Know What I Am
The band's debut CD is 'baby darling doll face honey' 
After their current UK tour, Band of Skulls will be swinging its way to the USA, starting with a Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY show next month.
15 November 2009 - Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn USA
16 November 2009 - Town Ballroom, Buffalo NY USA
17 November 2009 - Portland City Music Hall, Portland ME USA
18 November 2009 - Webster Theatre, Hartford CT USA
19 November 2009 - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, Providence RI USA
20 November 2009 - House of Blues, Boston MA USA
21 November 2009 - Northern Lights, Clifton Park NY USA
23 November 2009 - Rams Head Live, Baltimore MD USA
24 November 2009 - Mr. Small's Theatre, Pittsburgh PA USA
25 November 2009 - Electric Factory, Philadelphia PA USA
27 November 2009 - Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte NC USA
28 November 2009 - Center Stage, Atlanta GA USA
30 November 2009 - Warehouse Live, Houston TX USA
01 December 2009 - La Zona Rosa, Austin TX USA
02 December 2009 - Palladium Ballroom, Dallas TX USA
So the FTC wants bloggers to disclose "any money or freebies they receive in exchange for writing product reviews". Really? So what will all the music bloggers do now? The ones who regularly receive album links, bands' physical CDs and DVDs, and maybe freebie tix to local shows?
The NY Times wrote: "On Monday, the F.T.C. said it would revise rules about endorsements and testimonials in advertising that had been in place since 1980. The new regulations are aimed at the rapidly shifting new-media world and how advertisers are using bloggers and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to pitch their wares."
Sending out products for 'editorial' review has been going on a looooooooooooooooong time; in fact, some newspaper reviewers (it has been said) have made a keen second living trading on their given goods. So how will this impending new set of guidelines affect music PR types who want to send out new music on a weekly basis, or repackaged oldies for the nostalgia circuit (see below)? Will we bloggers have to sign a form saying we'll disclose every freebie CD we get to review? Or will the FTC be watching over us?
"The F.T.C. said that beginning on Dec. 1, bloggers who review products must disclose any connection with advertisers, including, in most cases, the receipt of free products and whether or not they were paid in any way by advertisers, as occurs frequently. The new rules also take aim at celebrities, who will now need to disclose any ties to companies, should they promote products on a talk show or on Twitter. A second major change, which was not aimed specifically at bloggers or social media, was to eliminate the ability of advertisers to gush about results that differ from what is typical — for instance, from a weight loss supplement. For bloggers who review products, this means that the days of an unimpeded flow of giveaways may be over."
On the other hand, updating guidelines from 1980 is probably a good thing. 1980 is soooo long ago! Whaddya think, music PR types who might read or send stuff to this blog? Send it in the comments below....
Reviews are coming in from Mott the Hoople's five-night stand at the Hammersmith Apollo in London this past weekend.
It's another in a line of bands from my youth and yours (Pavement, Pixies, Police and in this Financial Times piece, Spandau Ballet) reuniting for a variety of reasons (money, recapturing old glories, reliving a moment once passed, etc...)
The UK's Independent wrote: "I've seen a few reunion shows, including the Cream and Zep shows, and none elicited the genuine waves of joy – as opposed to reverence or awe – Mott did tonight. Their fans clearly view them more as mates than rock gods, an attitude which Ian Hunter's bluff, self-deprecating banter does nothing to dispel."
The Times wrote (with a mispelled 'Hopple" in the headline!): "The crowd, most of whom were not much younger than the band, rose to their feet from the opening notes of Hymn for the Dudes and stayed up until the dying chords of Saturday Gigs, more than two hours later. It has been a very long time since anyone in this group could have been called “young dudes”, but given recent shows by long-defunct bands such as Cream and Led Zeppelin, the idea that they should now be back on a stage together seemed more plausible than it might have done in the past."
The Telegraph wrote: "Forty years on from their inception, and thirty years since some of the members had actually spoken to each other, Mott stormed back into London for the first of five sold-out nights at the Apollo. Their singer, Ian Hunter, agelessly shrouded in corkscrew curls and face-blotting sunglasses, led straight into a ballad, 'Hymn For the Dudes’, his gnarly, Dylan-esque voice roaring at the high notes. This was not to be a half-hearted canter through the hits. The first hour was mostly devoted to the band’s pre-Bowie, high-voltage rock 'n’ roll material. Hunter, a busy solo artist for more than three decades, and the silver-topped lead guitarist, Mick Ralphs, riffed vigorously, in active defiance of Time’s subsequent intervention. The partisan crowd — at least eighty percent of whom, gloriously, unrepentantly, were old enough to remember it all from the turn of the Seventies — responded with commensurate enthusiasm."
Here's a great (both quality and performance) video of Bowie's "All the Young Dudes", the song that reignited Mott's flagging career back in the early 70s. Thanks to video dude Ofifoto for capturing all these awesome clips from the shows. The Golden Age of Rock n Roll!
It's a Day of Atonement here - In my 6-7 years of blogging here, I don't think I've ever featured Motorhead on a video clip. And that's a damn shame. So let's change that with a 2005 live clip of Motorhead banging out 'Ace of Spades'.
News: Motorhead is playing live on Jimmy Kimmel next Thursday night - Tivo baby.
From Wikipedia: In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at #27 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks, stating "This song has an intro which wouldn't be out of place ushering in the end of the world". In 2009 it was named the 10th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.
YOU try to play as fast as these guys! Lyrics below the clip to sing along with Lemmy.
If you like to gamble, I tell you I'm your man
You win some, lose some, it's - all - the same to me
The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say
I don't share your greed, the only card I need is
The Ace Of Spades
The Ace Of Spades
Playing for the high one, dancing with the devil,
Going with the flow, it's all a game to me,
Seven or Eleven, snake eyes watching you,
Double up or quit, double stakes or split,
The Ace Of Spades
The Ace Of Spades
You know I'm born to lose, and gambling's for fools,
But that's the way I like it baby,
I don't wanna live forever,
And don't forget the joker!
Pushing up the ante, I know you've got to see me,
Read 'em and weep, the dead man's hand again,
I see it in your eyes, take one look and die,
The only thing you see, you know it's gonna be,
The Ace Of Spades
The Ace Of Spades
Live Mould!
Bob Mould announced on his Facebook page:
"We are very pleased to announce that the CD release of the Bob Mould Band performance at ATP NY Festival on September 21st, 2008. Originally recorded for live broadcast on WFMU, this is the first time that this exceptional recording of a seminal performance has been made available since it aired live on air.
This CD will only be available for sale at upcoming Bob Mould Band shows so make sure to come out to the show and get yours!"
Bob Mould Band / Live At ATP 2008 Tracklist:
01. The Act We Act
02. A Good Idea
03. I Hate Alternative Rock
04. See A Little Light
05. Hoover Dam
06. Circles
07. Paralyzed
08. I Apologize
09. Chartered Trips
10. Celebrated Summer
11. Makes No Sense At All
12. New Day Rising
Looks like a pretty rockin' set to have! It's only available at Mould's upcoming live shows, which in the next few weeks are (full list at Bob Mould:
October 05, 2009, Mod Club
October 07, 2009, The Paradise Rock Club
October 08, 2009, The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
October 09, 2009, Theatre of the Living Arts
October 10, 2009, 9:30 Club
October 12, 2009, Metro
October 13, 2009, First Avenue
The Kiss Alive 35 tour has begun. Kiss kicked off the tour with a two night stand in Detroit last weekend, and hit Cleveland with flying blood and sparks (according to Rolling Stone's report).
The tour hits the Phoenix area on December 1st with a show at the Jobing Center in Glendale, AZ.
Here are some perspectives from the first few nights of the World tour.
- RS - "With under-arm wings and a wagging tongue you can see from the cheap seats, Gene Simmons is still a convincing, deep-voiced demon. He spat blood and flew (on cables) to the top of the lighting rig, where he sang “I Love It Loud.” As the band launched into “Love Gun,” Stanley the Starchild zipped on a wire from the stage to a platform in the back of the arena. Over the set, he ran through his repertoire of reliable moves — disco strut, head-scratch, butt-shake, and stripper-style hip-wiggle. His voice hit and missed, but he made most high notes and wasn’t scratchy until end — his pipes, after all, were strong enough to score him a starring role in a production of Phantom of the Opera."
- Billboard - "As its done throughout the year, the group dedicated its main set on Friday to 1975's gold "Alive!," playing all but two of the set's 16 songs ("Firehouse" and "Rock Bottom" were excerpted) and altering the running order slightly to close with "Rock and Roll All Nite." "Deuce" started the two-hour and 20-minute show amidst booming pyrotechnics, and the set list treated members of the Kiss Army, who packed Cobo to the roof for opening night, to deep cuts such as "Got to Choose," "Nothin' to Lose," "Parasite" and "Watchin' You," as well as drum and guitar solos by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively, and an extended version of "100,000 Years" that culminated in a call-and-response between Paul Stanley and the crowd."
- Cleveland Plain Dealer - "Still, when Kiss was firing on all cylinders, there was no denying the enduring appeal of "Hotter Than Hell," "C'mon and Love Me," "Rock and Roll All Nite" and other glammy anthems. The music was accompanied by the usual pyrotechnics and lots of tongue-wagging by Simmons, who also dusted off his ever-popular fire-breathing and blood-spitting routines. Kiss has been nominated for induction next year into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, although the group made no mention of the honor. Minor setbacks aside, this extravagant nostalgia trip was a reminder of the band's worthiness."
There are a few live clips from the Detroit shows up at YouTube, including the new single 'Modern Day Delilah' (where Paul Stanley's voice is really not good in the live version - it's not too great either here with Strutter):
Pre-order the new Kiss LP Sonic Boom here - read a review here.
