Classic Rock
Rush Pinball Machines Officially Unveiled: Watch Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Record Dialogue
Stern Pinball has unveiled its new Rush machines, including three cabinet variants. Last week, we reported that Stern’s first pinball machine of 2022 would be themed after the iconic progressive rock band. At the time, only a short teaser trailer was available featuring a list of songs and a CGI version of the Fly By Night owl. Now, Stern has given fans a first full glimpse at the Pro, Premium, and Limited Edition Rush cabinets as well as detailing gameplay and the revolutionary Insider Connected feature. Related Video The company set out to “reflect the energy, excitement, and experience of a live Rush concert” as players “travel with Rush through time.” The game will be guided by exclusive concert footage and custom dialogue from Rush members Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee, along with fellow...
David Bowie’s Entire Publishing Catalog Sells for $250 Million
David Bowie’s estate has sold the publishing rights to his entire catalog to Warner Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group. Variety reports that the months-long negotiations ended in a deal estimated to be worth at least $250 million. This deal includes all the beloved classics from Bowie’s peerlessly cool lifetime, like “Heroes,” “Space Oddity,” and “Life on Mars?,” as well as Toy, his elusive 2001 LP that posthumously received its first commercial release in November of last year. As Variety points out, this deal also means that virtually all of Bowie’s music is now part of the Warner system. Last September, Warner acquired the rights to the musician’s recordings from 1968 through 2016 — even including his last few albums that were originally release...
Ted Nugent Is Pissed Off About a 12-Year-Old List of the 100 Greatest Guitarists
A decade old list ranking the 100 greatest guitarists left Ted Nugent in a foul mood over the holidays. As Blabbermouth points out, Nugent went live on YouTube on December 30th to rant and rave about a list originally published by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke in… December 2010. “When you see the Rolling Stone magazine list of greatest guitar players, they list Joan Jett but not Tommy Shaw [of Styx],” griped Nugent. “How do you list the top 100 guitar players and not list Derek St. Holmes?” he continued. “How do you do that? You do that by lying. The same way you get Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. You do that by lying. You have to be a liar.” Nugent took particular umbrage with Joan Jett’s inclusion on the list. “You have to have shit for brains,” he continued, “and yo...
Rush Are Getting Their Own Pinball Machine
Rush are the latest legendary rock band to get their own pinball machine. Stern Pinball announced that their first machine of 2022 will be themed around the iconic prog act, sharing a short teaser video featuring a list of featured songs. Although a mockup design for the machine and play field have yet to be revealed, the teaser does depict an impressive CGI rendering of the Fly By Night owl — the kind of graphics one would expect to see on a modern pinball machine as you’re racking up points. Most importantly, the video reveals at least 17 songs that will be featured in the new game — a large playlist compared to other band-themed pinball machines. Fans and players will hear classic tracks such as “Tom Sawyer,” “Spirit of the Radio,” and “Limelight” alongside deeper cuts like “Subdiv...
Alice Cooper Set Money Aside for His Crew When Pandemic Started
Live music was one of the industries hit hardest when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Shock rock icon Alice Cooper saw the writing on the wall and put money aside for his road crew as lockdowns hit last year. In a new interview with Forbes, Cooper revealed that he supported his crew during the tough time before the widespread return of concerts. He only hopes other major acts did the same. “When we saw this coming, we put money aside for our crew,” Cooper said. “We could see that it was… something. So we put money aside as a backup for them. Because we knew that their unemployment would run out, you know? And then they’d have something to go to. I think all responsible bands did that. Hopefully.” Advertisement Related Video Cooper is known for his elaborate stage show and theatrical set piece...
KISS’ Paul Stanley and His Entire Family Infected with Omicron Variant of COVID-19
KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley is dealing with his second bout of COVID-19 in the past six months, and this time he’s been infected with the Omicron variant. In fact, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s entire family has tested positive for the new strain. The rock veteran first contracted COVID-19 in August, just a few shows after KISS had resumed their postponed farewell tour. Although Stanley has been a staunch advocate for mask-wearing and vaccines, he faced criticism when he was seen outside a hotel without a mask just days after revealing that he tested positive. On Sunday evening (December 26th), Stanley announced that he had once again contracted COVID-19, writing alongside a selfie on Instagram, “My Omicron face! Yup. My entire family has it. I’m tired and have sniffles. Most ...
Patti Smith Honored With Key to New York City
Patti Smith has been New York City nobility ever since she rose to prominence as one of the initial voices of the city’s punk scene in the 1970s. But now, the multi-hyphenate’s mark on the Big Apple is official: Mayor Bill de Blasio honored Smith with a key to the city today (December 27th). “There are many artists out there, many musicians out there, but there was only one Patti Smith,” de Blasio said at the ceremony. “Patti Smith had an authenticity and has an authenticity that you just didn’t find that many other places — an ability to cut through all the swirl around us and speak some more profound truths.” “I came here in 1967 from a rural area of South Jersey,” Smith added. I had just a few dollars in my pocket, nowhere to stay, no real prospects. But I came here to get a job and see...
Neil Young Drops Surprise Album for Christmas
If all you wanted for Christmas was a new Neil Young album, then you’re in luck. The legendary singer-songwriter has gifted fans with Summer Songs, a previously unreleased album from 1987. You can listen to it now via Neil Young Archives. “Happy Holidays everyone! I think you will enjoy this very cool recording – lost for years, but not forgotten. Now a gift,” Young wrote in a note accompanying the album’s release. The eight-song Summer Songs was originally tracked at Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California, with Young playing all of the instruments. Though the album was never released, several of the songs later appeared on records such as Freedom, American Dream, Psychedelic Pill, and Harvest Moon. However, “the words of these originals are significantly different from their subse...
Bob Dylan Gives Our Half-Assed Year a Half-Assed Christmas Light Show
As the neighbor of Bob Dylan, author and journalist Merrill Markoe has become a celebrity reporter of sorts. For over a decade, she’s documented and analyzed the folk singer’s Christmas lights outside his Malibu home, and this year’s interpretation — Markoe’s last ever — has finally arrived. From half-assed string lights to basic plaster nativity scenes, Dylan’s decorations have prompted Markoe to ask one simple question: “What does it mean?” But the task has proven gruesome as the years have gone by. “Because people keep bugging me, here are you-know-who’s Xmas lights. For THE VERY LAST TIME,” Markoe wrote on Twitter. “But I can no longer take the strain of trying to translate such an obscure method of communication. See thread for my LAST interpretation EVER.” This year, Dylan resorted t...
Sammy Hagar Says He Was Once Asked to Join Pantera (and Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe and Velvet Revolver)
If Sammy Hagar joined every band he was asked to be in, he could have fronted every act on one of the greatest theoretical one-day rock festivals himself. The Red Rocker says in a new interview that he was approached by Pantera’s manager to join the legendary metal group as their singer, and it’s certainly not the only time he’s been asked to sing for a high-profile band. Of course, Hagar will forever be known as one of the most notable replacement singers of all time, taking David Lee Roth’s spot in Van Halen. Granted, he already had a very successful solo career at the time. Hagar took a recent ride in Pantera’s old limousine, which was gifted to radio host Jose Mangin by the estates of late brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Advertisement Related Video “How about if I tell you so...
Elton John Subjects Us to Horrible Flashbacks with “The Ultimate Zoom”: Watch
Winter… Zoom parties… new COVID-19 variant… Sounding familiar? Believe it or not, we’ve entered a disturbing era in which artists can say they’ve “reunited” with their lockdown collaborators, and Elton John certainly isn’t counting himself out from the quarantined festivities. The iconic musician has rounded up the cast of his recent album, The Lockdown Sessions, for a playful (albeit dismal) clip titled “The Ultimate Zoom Call.” John simply does not care that you’ve had enough Zoom gatherings, which is why he’s corralled the likes of Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, and many more to subject you to the harrowing reminder that we are coming up on the second anniversary of this shit. Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder, Young Thug, Damon Albarn, and Nicki Minaj were also among the est...
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Perform “Searching for My Love” on Fallon: Watch
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday night to perform “Searching for My Love.” The track is featured on the duo’s new collaborative album Raise the Roof, which was released last month. Watch the replay below. Previously, Plant and Krauss supported the album’s release by performing “Can’t Let Go” and “Trouble With My Love” on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They also recently played an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Next year, the Led Zeppelin frontman and bluegrass singer will embark on an expansive international tour in support of the studio effort. They’ll play ten US dates throughout June before hopping the pond for the trek’s European leg, which includes stops at London’s BST Hyde Park, the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy, and the Forest...
