Classic Rock
R.I.P. Hilton Valentine, Guitarist of The Animals Dead at 77
Hilton Valentine, guitarist and founding member of The Animals, has died at the age of 77. A representative for ABKCO Records announced Valentine’s passing on behalf of his wife, Germaine Valentine. A cause of death was not immediately made available. In 1963, Valentine was recruited by Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler, and Alan Price to join what would become The Animals. The UK band quickly made a name for themselves thanks to their high-energy concerts and rock ‘n’ roll covers of Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and John Lee Hooker. They achieved their first No. 1 single in 1964 with “House of the Rising Sun”, on which Valentine is credited with playing the song’s iconic arpeggio introduction. The Animals’ early success culminated in visit to America in October 1964. As was the case for The Beatles mo...
Ten Years After on Why We Keep Returning to Woodstock
Kyle Meredith With… 10 Years After Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Ten Years After co-founder Ric Lee talks with Kyle Meredith about his new autobiography, From Headstocks to Woodstock, which recounts his early life up until the moment the band played the legendary festival. Lee discusses the enduring legacy of their song “I’d Love To Change the World” and why we continue to revisit the late ’60s era, as well as a very different atmosphere that they found at The Isle of Wight festival that same year. The legendary drummer also revisits the time he taught Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham drum patterns and how Ten Years After learned to jam after touring with Grateful Dead. Kyle Meredith ...
Freaks and Geeks’ 10 Greatest Needle Drops
Freaks & Geeks is now on Hulu. That’s great news for fans of the ’80s-set dramedy that launched the careers of James Franco, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, among others. Yet it’s also, in a way, a minor miracle for newcomers. While DVDs of the series remain in print, the show has been largely shelved from streaming circulation due to music clearances. These issues tend to affect variety shows that include music performances — like The Muppet Show or Saturday Night Live — but Freaks & Geeks runs into licensing challenges due to its heavy use of classic pop music. All too often, the series featured multiple hit songs from major artists like The Who or Van Halen. Rewatching the series now, it’s clear how effectively Paul Feig, Judd Apatow, and the rest of the team used thi...
Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) and Richie Kotzen Detail New Album, Share “Taking My Chances” Video: Watch
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and veteran rocker Richie Kotzen have detailed their new collaborative debut album, Smith/Kotzen, which arrives March 26th. The duo have also shared a music video for the previously released lead single, “Taking My Chances”. The collab between the two friends was born from a mutual appreciation for the blues guitar style, as evidenced on “Taking My Chances”. Smith and Kotzen are both highly gifted players, and their world-class fretwork is truly impressive in tandem. In addition to an extensive solo discography, Kotzen has been a member of Poison, Mr. Big, and The Winery Dogs. Fans of virtuoso guitar performances should look no further than the song’s accompanying video. Smith and Kotzen’s skills are front and center, as the camera primarily focuses ...
Giant Eddie Van Halen Mural Unveiled Outside Hollywood Guitar Center
A large mural depicting the iconic Eddie Van Halen was unveiled at the Hollywood Guitar Center on the Sunset Strip on Tuesday, in commemoration of what would’ve been the late guitarist’s 66th birthday (January 26th). The artwork was created by local muralist Robert Vargas. The Van Halen guitarist died on October 6th, with countless tributes coming from his musical peers in the ensuing weeks. The new mural now immortalizes the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer in painted form, with Vargas’ artwork taking up an entire outer wall at the back entrance of Guitar Center’s flagship Hollywood store. The piece, which stands at 17 feet tall by 105 feet wide, depicts Eddie playing his famous “Frankenstrat” guitar. “Eddie was one of my creative heroes. When I was young, the debut Van Halen record was the ...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Turn Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” into a Serpentine Workout: Watch
King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox are back with another Sunday treat — a musical workout routine to the Guns N’ Roses classic “Welcome to the Jungle”. The couple’s last two “Sunday Lunch” quarantine performances — Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” — are closing in on a combined 5 million views. Those clips are as popular for Toyah’s revealing outfits as much as the couple’s quirky takes on the rock classics, and the trend continues for the GN’R cover. Fitness seems to be a central theme to the playful pair’s recent performances. After rocking an exercise bike (“Enter Sandman”) and a cheerleader routine (“Rebel Yell”), Toyah turns the focus on biceps with dumbbell curls, all while paying homage to Axl Rose’s signature snake dance. Fu...
Ghost’s Tobias Forge Covers Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” with the Hellacopters on Swedish TV: Watch
Ghost frontman Tobias Forge joined The Hellacopters for a cover of The Rolling Stones classic “Sympathy for the Devil” Friday evening (January 22nd) on Swedish television. The performance aired as a segment on the På Spåret quiz show on Sweden’s national TV network SVT. Forge, who has taken on a handful of identities as Ghost’s frontman over the years, retired his Cardinal Copia persona during the band’s only show of 2020, a March 3rd gig in Mexico City. That concert ended the tour cycle for their most recent album, Prequelle, and introduced Forge’s new guise, Papa Emeritus IV. Performing as Papa Emeritus IV, Forge was backed by fellow Swedes The Hellacopters for the televised rendition of “Sympathy for the Devil”, a song with a title that fittingly sums up a central theme of Ghost’s ...
Steve Hackett on Performing Genesis’ Seconds Out In Full
Kyle Meredith With… Steve Hackett Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett meets up with Kyle Meredith to discuss Under the Mediterranean Sky, an orchestral album built around his nylon guitar. Hackett talks about what attracted him to the region, his journey from harmonica player to world musician, and the political undertones within his music and the players who make up his bands. Hackett also updates us on his next tour, which will include a solo set and one with his band and will cover the Genesis live album Seconds Out in its entirety. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of m...
Box Set of Bon Scott’s Pre-AC/DC Band Fraternity Released with Previously Unheard Tracks
Fraternity featuring Bon Scott (center, with vest), courtesy of Cherry Red Records A box set of late singer Bon Scott’s pre-AC/DC prog-rock band Fraternity has been released via Cherry Red Records. The 3-CD collection, titled Seasons of Change, encompasses Fraternity’s complete recorded output from 1970 to 1974. Along with Fraternity’s two full-length albums, 1971’s Livestock and 1972’s Flaming Galah, the box set includes non-album singles, B-sides, EP tracks, live tracks, and the band’s “lost” third album, Second Chance. “Scott’s tenure with Fraternity has been poorly documented on the reissue market,” reads Cherry Red’s description of the set. “Of the two albums the band had issued at the time, Livestock and Flaming Galah, neither album has been released officially. And their story has n...
Heart’s Nancy Wilson and Epiphone Announce New “Fanatic” Electric Guitar
Heart co-founder Nancy Wilson has teamed up with Epiphone for the new “Fanatic” electric guitar. The announcement of the new instrument comes ahead of Wilson’s forthcoming solo album, due out in April. The Fanatic is Wilson’s first guitar designed for Epiphone and her second collaboration with Gibson Brands. The guitar… Please click the link below to read the full article. Heart’s Nancy Wilson and Epiphone Announce New “Fanatic” Electric Guitar Jon Hadusek You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair...
Roger Waters Debuts New Version of “The Gunner’s Dream”: Watch
Roger Waters has shared a new recording of “The Gunner’s Dream” alongside a black-and-white video of himself performing it in the studio. The track originally appeared on Pink Floyd‘s 1983 album The Final Cut, which served as Waters’ last record with the band before they parted ways. Lyrically, “The Gunner’s Dream” imagines a post-war life where the world is free from tyranny, terrorism, and cruelty. The new version arrives mere weeks after we watched insurrectionists attack the US Capitol and just two days before their leader exits the White House. According to a statement from Waters, he started to revisit “The Gunner’s Dream” after recently watching a historical movie. “Last night I watched the 2013 documentary film The Man Who Saved The World. The man’s name is Stanislav Petrov,” he sa...
Tesla’s Brian Wheat on Battling Bulimia, Anxiety, and Depression
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Tesla bassist Brian Wheat talks with Kyle Meredith about his new autobiography, Son of a Milkman. Together, they discuss how the book is a source of therapy, particularly for the darker moments of battling bulimia, anxiety, and depression during the band’s height of success. On the brighter side, Wheat tells us about why Paul McCartney is his biggest influence, meeting him in England, and what he thinks of the just-released McCartney III. Bonus: We’ve also included a 2017 interview surrounding Tesla’s Shock. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Fri...
