Classic Rock
Bob Dylan Announces New Book The Philosophy of Modern Song
Six years after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, Bob Dylan has announced his first book of new writing in nearly two decades, The Philosophy of Modern Song, set to be published by Simon & Schuster on November 8th, 2022. Dylan began writing the collection of over 60 essays in 2010. Described in a press release as “a master class on the art and craft of songwriting,” the book will see Dylan break down songs by artists like Stephen Foster, Elvis Costello, Nina Simone, and Hank Williams. The singer-songwriter’s analysis includes “what he calls the trap of easy rhymes, breaks down how the addition of a single syllable can diminish a song, and even explains how bluegrass relates to heavy metal.” The Philosophy of Modern Song also contains 150 photos curated by Dylan, as well as a seri...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Support Ukraine with Neil Young and Living Colour Covers: Watch
During the course of the pandemic, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and his singer wife, Toyah Willcox, have been distracting music fans with lighthearted and eye-catching covers of iconic rock tunes. This week, the couple took a more serious tone as they turned their attention toward the war in Ukraine, performing Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” and Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.” For their latest “Sunday Lunch” performance, Robert and Toyah take on Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” While the original may have been an indictment of American policies under the George H. W. Bush administration at the time Young released the song in 1989, it’s clear that the Robert and Toyah are focusing on Russia’s current attack on the freedom of the Ukrainian people right now. In the...
David Crosby’s Advice to Young Artists: “Don’t Become a Musician”
The world is pretty dire right now and the music industry is no exception. In light of the recent Spotify vs. Joe Rogan debacle — in which issues of censorship, misinformation, racism, and paying artists an adequate wage all came to a head — Stereogum recently got on the phone with one of the biggest artists who pulled their music from the platform: David Crosby. During the interview, he revealed why, in his eyes, the modern music industry is pretty hopeless. “Don’t become a musician,” Crosby said when asked what he would tell younger artists trying to navigate the penniless world of streaming. “I don’t like Spotify. I don’t like any of the streamers, because they don’t pay us properly. Their proportion is wrong. They’re making billions with a ‘b’ and they’re paying out pennies with a ‘p.’...
Eddie Vedder Covers The Police’s “Message in a Bottle” with Stewart Copeland: Watch
Eddie Vedder was joined on stage by The Police’s Stewart Copeland during a concert in Los Angeles on Friday night. The surprise collaboration came during the encore of Vedder and the Earthlings’ gig at the YouTube Theater, as Copeland sat behind the kit for a cover of The Police’s “Message in a Bottle” as well as Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith, who had accompanied Vedder for the duration of the tour, joined Vedder, Copeland, and the rest of the Earthlings for “Rockin’ in the Free World,” trading in his drum sticks for a guitar. You can replay the two-song encore performance below. Advertisement Related Video In addition to Vedder and Smith, the Earthlings lineup features guitarist/keyboardist Josh Klinghoffer, bassist Chris Chaney (of Ja...
Roxy Music Announce Vinyl Reissue of First Two Albums
Roxy Music are reissuing their first two albums, Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure, on vinyl. These new pressings are due out on April 1st via Virgin/UMe. Originally released in 1972 and 1973, respectively, Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure are the band’s only albums to include Brian Eno, who rounded out the group of Bryan Ferry, Andy Mackay, Phil Manzanera, and Paul Thompson. Roxy Music peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart, while its follow up reached No. 4. Both albums received half-speed remasters at Abbey Road Studios by engineer Miles Showell (The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Marvin Gaye). Advertisement Related Video Roxy Music officially reached legendary status when they entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Watch Duran Duran induct the band here, and relive the group’s p...
Elton John’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Hydraulics Fail at 10,000 Feet
Sir Elton John is safe and well after his private plane was forced to make an emergency landing following a hydraulics failure at 10,000 feet. The Rocketman had hoped to fly from Britain to New York on Tuesday, but it wasn’t such a long, long time before touchdown brought him around again to the UK. An hour into the flight, the plane’s hydraulics failed, crippling the functionality of some of its brakes, flaps, and landing gear equipment. The pilot quickly rerouted to Farnborough Airport on the southern coast of Ireland. Witnesses told The Sun that the plane struggled with 80 mile-per-hour winds, twice coming in for a landing only to pull up. “The plane was being buffeted and couldn’t make it,” one person said. “The aircraft’s nose was far too vertical. The plane was descend...
Billy Joel’s Map of New York City: A Virtual Tour of the Piano Man’s Discography
Though a Long Island native, New York City is Billy Joel’s home. In fact, you could almost say Madison Square Garden is his residence, as he played a record-setting 73 consecutive monthly shows at the legendary venue between January 2014 and February 2020, a streak only interrupted by the pandemic. But the city is more than just the place he lives: It’s been the soul of much of his iconic discography over the last 50 years. Whether taking a Greyhound along the Hudson River, strolling The Village in tie dye jeans, or working Mr. Cacciatore’s down on Sullivan Street, Joel imbued numerous songs with the landscape of New York. His characters have cruised the Miracle Mile and Bedford-Stuy, while familiar locations like Astor Place and Mercer Street have appeared on his album covers. There’s har...
Eddie Vedder Reveals Musical Influences to Bruce Springsteen in New Sitdown: Watch
Amazon Music has debuted a wide-ranging chat between Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen, during which they broke down Vedder’s new album Earthling, the veteran rocker’s first solo studio album in more than a decade. During part of the conversation, The Boss questioned the Pearl Jam frontman about which bands and artists influenced his sound. “The stuff that got put in my blender, it started maybe, like, Jackson 5 when I was a kid and then [The] Beatles… growing up, and then The Who took over big time,” Vedder explained, before adding, “And then my friend,” gesturing to Springsteen. (“Ah, grazie,” the legend replied with a chuckle.) From there, Vedder continued charting his string of musical inspirations, citing The Band, Split Ends, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, and Fugazi. “And I guess...
Eddie Vedder Reveals Musical Influences to Bruce Springsteen in New Sitdown: Watch
Amazon Music has debuted a wide-ranging chat between Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen, during which they broke down Vedder’s new album Earthling, the veteran rocker’s first solo studio album in more than a decade. During part of the conversation, The Boss questioned the Pearl Jam frontman about which bands and artists influenced his sound. “The stuff that got put in my blender, it started maybe, like, Jackson 5 when I was a kid and then [The] Beatles… growing up, and then The Who took over big time,” Vedder explained, before adding, “And then my friend,” gesturing to Springsteen. (“Ah, grazie,” the legend replied with a chuckle.) From there, Vedder continued charting his string of musical inspirations, citing The Band, Split Ends, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, and Fugazi. “And I guess...
Steve Albini Suggests Juggalos Are Better People Than Deadheads
Here’s a new one for your Steve Albini hot take bingo card: The famously opinionated Chicago producer has come to the defense of Juggalos, even going so far as suggesting that Insane Clown Posse’s fans are better people than Deadheads. “Yes, I’m saying the Juggalos are good,” Albini tweeted on February 7th. “A non-judgmental, inclusive community for people on the fringe, built on a beautiful communion they call ‘family.’ They remind me of punk/queer chosen families and I love them. I haven’t heard much of the music, it’s atrocious. Who cares.” Albini’s take on the fans of the Insane Clown Posse arrived after screenshots of a 2020 Violent J interview with Stereogum went viral. In the interview, the rapper owned up to past instances of homophobia in the duo’s music, calling himself a “fool” ...
Alice Cooper Thinks “Rock ‘n’ Roll Should Be Anti-Political”
Alice Cooper opened up in a new interview about his rather strong distaste for mixing music and politics. “I don’t ever talk politics…I hate politics. I don’t think rock ‘n’ roll and politics belong in the same bed together, but a lot of people think it does — because we have a voice, and we should use our voice. But again, rock ‘n’ roll should be anti-political, I think,” the rock veteran told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “When my parents started talking about politics, I would turn on The [Rolling] Stones as loud as I could. I don’t want to hear politics, and I still feel that way.” The “School’s Out” singer went on to refer to his live shows as “a vacation from CNN,” insisting, “I’m not preaching anything up there, and I’m not knocking anybody…That’s what was funny about it. If you’re in...
Ringo Starr Announces 2022 North American Tour
Ringo Starr is taking his All Starr Band on the road for the first time in three years. Today, The Beatles drummer announced a 22-date North American tour kicking off in late May 2022. The tour’s itinerary includes three nights at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, as well as headlining shows in Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Atlanta. Check out the full schedule below. Joining Starr on the road will be Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Gregg Bissonette, Hamish Stuart, and Edgar Winter, who is rejoining The All-Starr Band for the first time since 2008. Advertisement Related Video Tickets are available to purchase through Ticketmaster. Ringo Starr 2022 Tour Dates:05/27 – Rama, ON @ Casino Rama05/28 – Rama, ON @ Casino Rama05/30 – Canandaigua, NY @ CMAC06/02 – Boston, M...
