Classic Rock
U2 Reimagine 40 of Their Songs on New Album Songs of Surrender
On St. Patrick’s Day, U2 will unveil their new album Songs of Surrender. Taking a page from Taylor Swift, the forthcoming collection sees the band reimagine 40 songs from their back catalog. U2’s The Edge previewed the project in a handwritten note sent to fans. “The fact is that most of our work was written and recorded when we were a bunch of very young men. Those songs mean something quite different to us now,” The Edge wrote. “Some have grown with us. Some we have outgrown. But we have not lost sight of what propelled us to write those songs in the first place. The essence of those songs is still in us, but how to reconnect with that essence when we have moved on, and grown so much? “Music allows you to time travel and so we started to imagine what it would be like to bring these songs...
David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane Getting 50th Anniversary Reissue
Aladdin Sane, the landmark 1973 album from David Bowie, is getting the reissue treatment for its 50th anniversary. On April 14th, the record will be re-released on a half-speed mastered LP, as well as a picture disc LP pressed from the same master. With hit singles such as “The Jean Genie” and “Drive-In Saturday,” Aladdin Sane — released less than a year after Bowie’s momentous breakthrough album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars — marked the Brit’s debut on the US charts. As one of the final examples of his Ziggy Stardust persona before he was “laid to rest” in July 1973, Aladdin Sane also boasts perhaps the most iconic cover art in Bowie’s mammoth discography, and arguably one of the most recognizable album covers of all time. Pre-orders fo...
Peter Gabriel Returns with Comeback Single “Panopticom”: Stream
Peter Gabriel has returned with a new song called “Panopticom.” It serves as the lead single to i/o, his upcoming first new album of original material in 21 years. “Panopticom” features contributions from Brian Eno (synth), David Rhodes (guitar), Tony Levin (bass), and Manu Katché (drums). In a statement, Gabriel said that the song “is based on an idea I have been working on to initiate the creation of an infinitely expandable accessible data globe: The Panopticom. We are beginning to connect a like-minded group of people who might be able to bring this to life, to allow the world to see itself better and understand more of what’s really going on.” Advertisement Related Video While a release date for i/o is still forthcoming, Gabriel has already announced a supporting tour. “The i/o Tour” ...
Robert Plant: Phil Collins Was “A Driving Force” Behind My Solo Career
If you’ve been keeping tabs on Robert Plant lately, it’s clear he’s doing just fine without Led Zeppelin. That doesn’t mean he always goes it alone, though: In a new interview with Vulture, Plant credits his pal Phil Collins for helping him get his solo career off the ground, saying the Genesis musician was “a driving force” for him. “After John [Bonham, Led Zeppelin drummer] passed away and there was no Led Zeppelin, there had to be a way to go,” Plant says in a new interview with Vulture. “I floundered around a lot because until I was 32, I was in some kind of wild and absurd adventure… Phil Collins especially was a driving force and had positive energy with the first record, Pictures at Eleven. It wasn’t a difficult job to get together with other people, it was just wheth...
Journey’s Original Keyboardist Gregg Rolie to Join Band on Upcoming Tour
Journey will hit the road next month on a North American tour, and you can expect a familiar face to be among them: according to guitarist Neal Schon, original keyboardist Gregg Rolie will perform with the band for the first time in over four decades. Rolie helped found Journey back in 1973 and left the band in 1980. This past November, Schon teased the idea of a reunion, tweeting a photo of himself and Rolie with the caption, “2 original founding members. I think my brother Gregg Rolie should join us for 2023 tour. What do you think friends? He will spice it up and we will have a great variety of songs to choose from.” Now, Schon has confirmed that Rollie will appear on the “Freedom Tour 2023” in some capacity, replying to a fan on Facebook that “you’ll be seeing him” at the shows. It’s u...
Dee Snider: Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio Not “Great Frontmen” Despite Being “Great Singers”
Dee Snider stirred up an ongoing Twitter debate just before the new year when he claimed that he doesn’t consider Robert Plant and the late Ronnie James Dio to be great frontmen. The Twisted Sister vocalist explained that he admires both rock legends as singers but insisted that they lacked excitement onstage as performers. It all started when Snider praised late drummer Cozy Powell, who was bandmates with Dio in Rainbow and played on select tracks on Plant’s debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven. When a fan tweeted at Snider that Dio was the second best frontman after Freddie Mercury, Snider responded, “You are confusing singing with performing. There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer. Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, h...
Tony Iommi Is Prepping a New Solo LP and Reissues of the Tony Martin-Era Black Sabbath Albums
The new year is shaping up to be a busy one for Black Sabbath legend Tony Iommi. In a year-end video message to fans, the guitarist revealed that he’s been building a recording studio and plans to write a new solo album. There are also plans for numerous reissues, including a box set of the long-out-of-print Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath LPs. “It’s been a good year for me, 2022, in parts anyway,” Iommi said [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]. “I’ve been writing and recording. I’m having a new studio built, which I’m really pleased about. Well, actually, the studio is built, and it’s almost ready to go … I think I’ll be ready to go in and start work in there, which I’m really looking forward to — writing another album.” Related Video Iommi then discussed the reissue projects lined up for 2023...
Iggy Pop Was Once Approached About Fronting AC/DC
Iggy Pop has revealed that he was once approached about becoming the frontman of AC/DC. “They had a manager many years ago, when I hadn’t re-formed The Stooges, I hadn’t moved to England,” Iggy told the New York Times. “And this guy said, ‘Are you interested in joining AC/DC?’ They were looking for a singer.” Though it’s not clear exactly when he was asked to join the band, the timeline likely puts the encounter around the time AC/DC formed in 1973 or perhaps when original frontman Dave Evans departed and when Bon Scott took over as lead singer — sometime around 1974. Related Video “I listened to their record. I thought, I can’t fit that bill,” Iggy admitted. “I wasn’t, like, ‘Ugh, I don’t like them.’ It was quite well made. They do careful work, but I’m not what they needed.” Advertisemen...
Sir Brian May: Queen Guitarist Knighted by King of England
Brian May has added another title to his title to his resume. Already a rock legend, an activist, and a doctor in astrophysics, May has now been knighted by King Charles. May received a knighthood as part of the 2023 New Year Honours List, an annual tradition celebrating the achievements and service of exceptional individuals. May was specifically recognized for his contributions to “music and charity.” His full citation reads as follows: “Brian May is an acclaimed musician and songwriter, founding member of the rock group Queen. In 2020 he was named Greatest Guitarist of All Time by Total Guitar Magazine. Queen’s performance at Live Aid in 1985 is acknowledged as the greatest live set in history. Brian famously opened the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002 performing live on Buck...
Billy Joel and Producer Phil Ramone Captured Collaborative Magic on The Stranger: The Opus
Listen via: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Radio Public | Pocket Casts | RSS The Stranger didn’t just mark Billy Joel’s critical breakthrough, but the beginning of a decade-long creative partnership with producer Phil Ramone. Together, the two would create some of the most lasting songs in music, and it all began with those first sessions in the summer of 1977. Advertisement Related Video Joel had a specific vision for what would be his fifth studio album, and that meant finding the right person to work the boards. And he was dead set on finding the right person; not even Fifth Beatle George Martin met his standards. It wasn’t until Ramone — known then for hits like “I...
Steven Tyler Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Minor in New Lawsuit
Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has been accused of sexual assaulting a minor in a new lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Julia Holcomb. Tyler, then 27, began dating Holcomb shortly after her 16th birthday in 1975. Holcomb’s mother signed over her guardianship to Tyler, and the two moved in together at Tyler’s Boston home. She soon became pregnant, but then their relationship went south. Their apartment caught on fire, and she ended up in a hospital, during which time Tyler allegedly forced her to have an abortion. “When I returned home to my mother, I was a broken spirit,” Holcomb recounted in a 2011 essay. “I could not sleep at night without nightmares of the abortion and the fire. The world seemed like a dark place.” For his part, Tyler contends that the couple jointly decided to abo...
David Lee Roth: Working with Eddie Van Halen Was “Better Than Any Love Affair”
David Lee Roth and the Van Halen camp haven’t always seen eye to eye, but the singer recently offered some touching remarks while reflecting on his longtime bandmate, the late Eddie Van Halen. Roth opened up about his working relationship with the guitar legend on his The Roth Show podcast earlier this week. DLR famously left Van Halen in 1985 to pursue a successful solo career, and multiple failed attempts to patch things up would eventually give way to Roth rejoining the band in 2007. Roth and Eddie Van Halen appeared to be on good terms when Eddie passed away in 2020. “My dear departed Ed,” Roth said on his podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Boy, I miss him. I had a ball with Ed. Walt Disney once said, ‘You know what? My love affair with Mickey Mouse was better than any love aff...
