Classic Rock
Ace Frehley: “Trump Is the Strongest Leader That We’ve Got on the Table”
Ace Frehley insists he doesn’t like to talk about politics, but the former KISS guitarist has gone ahead and talked about politics. In a new interview, he declared President Trump “the strongest leader that we’ve got on the table.” While speaking on The Cassius Morris Show, the guitar legend remarked, “I don’t think politics and rock ‘n’ roll mix — in my opinion. And I try to stay away from that as much as I can. I mean, once in a while, I’ll make a crack. I will say I’m a Trump supporter.” He added, “All the politicians have had skeletons in the closet. But I think Trump is the strongest leader that we’ve got on the table.” Frehley’s comments don’t come as a major surprise. He previously said during a 2018 appearance on the Juliet: Unexpected podcast, “Let me say this about Trump. Whether...
Hans Zimmer Brings New Arrangement of Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” to Dune Trailer
The stunning first trailer for Denis Villenueve’s Dune is out, and amid all the excitement — Sandworms! Stillsuits! Oscar Isaac’s beard! — you may have caught a familiar tune. Playing in the background is Pink Floyd‘s “Eclipse”, presented in an apocalyptic new arrangement by composer Hans Zimmer. “Eclipse” is the final track from the classic album Dark Side of the Moon. In some ways, its appearance here is the closing of a circle. In the 1970s, experimental filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky sought to use Pink Floyd’s music for his own adaptation of Dune. The attempt failed, but was later documented in the 2013 film Jodorowsky’s Dune. At last, one of the spaciest rock bands in history has been joined with Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic. Zimmer’s arrangement differs from the origina...
Rush’s Geddy Lee Confirms He’s Alive After Trending on Twitter
The year 2020 has been so rough that anytime a celebrity trends on Twitter, people assume the worst. So, when Geddy Lee’s name went viral over the past 24 hours, some fans assumed something tragic had happened to the Rush legend. Thankfully, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer reports that he is alive and well. Rush’s official Twitter account had to assure fans that the beloved prog-rock icon is okay, issuing a statement from Lee that read, “Even I gulped when I saw I was trending on Twitter, but I asked my dogs and apparently I’m a bit boring but otherwise fine.” As for why Geddy Lee was trending in the first place, all signs point to a cardboard cutout of the singer-bassist placed in the stands behind home plate at Toronto Blue Jays games this season. The team has been playing home games i...
Rob Zombie’s Halloween Soundtracks Finally Heading to Vinyl
Fall is upon us and just begging for a return trip to Haddonfield, Illinois. Waxwork Records has some tricks and treats for the occasion as they’ve announced the debut vinyl release of the soundtracks to Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Halloween II. What a treat, indeed. Both soundtracks feature score cues by composer Tyler Bates, select dialogue from the movie, and songs from the respective films, which range from Alice Cooper and Kiss to The Moody Blues and Motörhead. Both also come pressed on colored 180 gram vinyl and feature exclusive liner notes by Rob Zombie, a booklet of unseen set photography from Zombie’s personal collection, a 12”x12” art print insert, and beautiful new artwork by Robert Sammelin. Pre-orders are currently on-going for the set with a release set for — you guessed it —...
Ace Frehley Shares Cover of The Beatles’ “I’m Down” Featuring John 5: Stream
Founding KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is returning with a new album of cover songs, Origins Vol. 2, on September 18th. First we heard his take on Deep Purple’s heavy “Space Truckin’”, and now Frehley is sharing a cover of The Beatles’ 1965 B-side nugget “I’m Down” featuring Rob Zombie guitarist John 5. The track selection shows Frehley’s appreciation for the Fab Four. The guitarist dug out a deep cut from The Beatles’ power-pop heyday of ’65, giving the song a hard-rock update for his Origins version. When it comes to reinterpreting the songs of others, Frehley is master of sorts, turning the Russ Ballard-penned “New York Groove” into a hit for KISS back in 1978. Like the initial Origins project in 2016, the tracklist for the new album depicts an autobiographical backstory of his influ...
David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World to Be Reissued Under Original Title
Parophlone Records will re-release David Bowie’s 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World, under its original title and with new artwork. Bowie originally intend to call his third studio album Metrobolist, a homage to Fritz Lang’s 1927 film of the same name. However, for its US release, Mercury Records retitled the album as The Man Who Sold the World without Bowie’s consultation. The forthcoming reissue will be released under the name Metrobolist and with artwork from Mike Weller, the artist who created the album’s original animated artwork. The cover’s gate-fold sleeve also features unseen images from Keith MacMillan’s “dress” shoot at Haddon Hall that later covered the UK release of the album as well as subsequent reissues (seen above). As for the music, the majority of the album has ...
Keith Richards Says He “Can’t Imagine” The Rolling Stones Will Ever Retire
The Rolling Stones were one of, well, all the artists forced to cancel touring plans in 2020 due to the pandemic. Those bummed they had to miss the “No Filter Tour” should take some solace in the knowledge that there will come a coronavirus-free day, and The Stones plan on being there, as Keith Richards has said he “can’t image” they’ll ever retire. Richards made the comments in a new interview with Rolling Stone about the upcoming Goats Head Soup reissue. Touching on how COVID-19 has threatened the touring industry, frontman Mick Jagger expressed concern that “we don’t know” how “everyone that performs live [is] going to function in the future.” Still, Richards intimated The Rolling Stones would find a way to solider on eternally, whatever the situation is. “You might call it a habit,” he...
50 Reasons We Still Love Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited
Gimme a Reason takes classic albums celebrating major anniversaries and breaks down song by song the reasons we still love them so many years later. This time we make like a rolling stone with Bob Dylan and Highway 61 Revisited. Highway 61 Revisited is unanimously considered not only one of Bob Dylan’s greatest albums, but also one of the most influential and enduring records of its genre and time. Released mere months after the highly controversial Bringing It All Back Home (whose focus on electric instrumentation and cryptic lyricism — punctuated by Dylan’s appearance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — left many devotees feeling betrayed and incensed), the LP saw its creator delve further into those polarizing elements. The end result was a collection that brilliantly and bravely mixed ...
The Rolling Stones Enlist The Killers for New Remix of “Scarlet”: Stream
The Rolling Stones (photo by Heather Kaplan), and The Killers on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) The Rolling Stones have recruited The Killers and Jacques Lu Cont for the latest remix of “Scarlet”. It will be included in the elder rockers’ forthcoming Goats Head Soup box set, out September 4th. Take a listen below. After unearthing this long-lost Jimmy Page collaboration in July, The Stones released a charmingly sloppy music video starring Normal People’s Paul Mescal, and followed that up with an initial remix by The War on Drugs. Now, their study in “Scarlet” continues. This time, they’ve turned to The Killers, still riding high from the release of their fun new album Imploding the Mirage, as well as English electronic artist Jacques Lu Cont, ak...
Ronnie James Dio’s Holy Diver Album Inspires Upcoming Graphic Novel
The Dio album Holy Diver is one of metal’s most iconic LPs, not just for its music but for its striking album cover. Now, thanks to a new graphic novel from Z2 comics, fans will finally find out why a priest was seemingly hurled into the ocean by the demonic figure Murray. Z2 Comics has tapped horror writer Steve Niles to tell the story leading up to the dramatic illustration on the cover of Holy Diver. Niles (Criminal Macabre, 30 Days of Night, October Faction) is being paired up with artist Scott Hampton (Gotham County Line) for the 120-page graphic novel. Ronnie James Dio’s widow, Wendy Dio, is fully on board with the project, stating, “Steve Niles tells the story behind the album cover Holy Diver, a story about how you can’t judge a picture by the way it appears, which is what Ronnie w...
The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde on Why Hate Is a Strong Word
Kyle Meredith With… Chrissie Hynde Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS The Pretenders‘ legendary singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde gives Kyle Meredith a call to talk about the band’s new record, Hate For Sale. Hynde talks about writing with her touring guitarist James Walbourne, looking back to the ’50s and ’60s for their sound, and the return of original drummer Martin Chambers. She also goes on to speak about hate as a strong word, love as a drug addiction, and her Bob Dylan quarantine covers series. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Meredith digs deep into the arti...
Ozzy Osbourne on Trump’s Pandemic Response: “This Guy’s Acting Like a Fool”
Ozzy Osbourne’s signature solo song is “Crazy Train”, and that’s pretty much the ride he thinks Donald Trump has the United States on right now. “This guy’s acting like a fool,” the metal legend exclaimed in a new interview when speaking of the president’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The singer, who rarely talks politics, offered some strong opinions while speaking with Rolling Stone, even questioning why Trump ran for president in the first place. “If I was running for president, I would try and find out a little bit about politics,” remarked Ozzy. “Because the f**king guy you’ve got in there now doesn’t know that much about it, I don’t think.” He added, “It’s not like anyone could be a f**king heart surgeon and just go in with a scalpel. You have to know what you’re f**king doing....
