Classic Rock
Bruce Springsteen Yearns for a Return to America’s Glory Days: “We’ve Lost So Much in So Short a Time”
For everyone who loved the chorus of “Born in the USA” and glossed over the verses, it may come as a surprise to learn that Bruce Springsteen is not a fan of Donald Trump. In the most recent episode of his SiriusXM radio show “From My Home to Yours”, The Boss shared a prose poem lamenting that “There’s no art in this White House,” and mourning how “we’ve lost so much in so short a time.” The episode’s full title was “From My Home To Yours, Volume 14: Farewell To The Thief.” Capturing the national psyche, his election episode was also a horror episode. “It is time for an exorcism in our nation’s Capital,” Springsteen said to being the program. “Welcome to our Halloween/election day monster mash.” He added, “In just a few days, we’ll be throwing the bums out. I thought it was a fucking night...
The Cars Founder Elliot Easton: “I Didn’t Really Care About the New Wave Thing”
Kyle Meredith With… Elliot Easton Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS The Cars guitarist Elliot Easton speaks with Kyle Meredith about his new album with The Empty Hearts, the supergroup that also features Blondie’s Clem Burke and The Romantics’ Wally Palmar. Easton discusses the influence of ’60s music, working with Ringo Starr, and how the New Wave generation were naturally nostalgic even as they blazed a futuristic sound. He also celebrates the 40th anniversary of The Cars’ Panorama and shares the band’s plans for another record prior to the death of Ric Ocasek. Kyle Meredith With… is an interview series in which WFPK’s Kyle Meredith speaks to a wide breadth of musicians. Ever...
Stevie Nicks Played With Double Pneumonia at 2019 Rock Hall of Fame Ceremony
We already knew Stevie Nicks was an absolute legend, but here’s yet another reminder. In a new interview with Variety, the 72-year-old icon revealed that she was battling a nasty case of double pneumonia when she performed last year at the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “The night of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I knew before I went on stage that something was wrong with me, so I had to really pull it together,” Nicks told Variety. This was no ordinary case of the sniffles, either. The day after she took the stage before a national audience, the Fleetwood Mac member was rushed to a hospital in Philadelphia where she spent a week in the ICU being treated for the aforementioned pneumonia, as well as human metapneumovirus and asthma. “Talk about your oxygen levels...
Eddie Van Halen Saluted with Stylophone Cover of “Eruption”: Watch
The passing of guitar legend Eddie Van Halen earlier this month has sparked countless tributes. One of the most unique is a cover of his instrumental classic “Eruption” on a pair of Stylophones. Before getting into the musical tribute, the first question you may have is, “What’s a Stylophone?” And that would be a very good question. A Stylophone is an analog keyboard operated by a stylus. It was invented in the late ’60s, and mostly sold as a children’s toy. However, it did make its way into some notable recordings, including David Bowie’s iconic song “Space Oddity”. The instrument was revived in 2007 by the original inventor Brian Jarvis’ son Ben, and a handful of models have been released since then. That brings us to YouTuber maromaro1337, who posted the unique “Eruption” cover in tribu...
Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You Boldly Looks to the Future: Review
The Lowdown: Even bosses get writers’ block sometimes. Such was the case for Bruce Springsteen in early 2019. Facing down 70 and preparing to release Western Stars (his best-reviewed record in nearly a decade and one of our top 50 albums of 2019), Springsteen wasn’t totally sure what might come next. On his 20th studio album, he answers that question on both a micro and a macro level. Much like Western Stars found Springsteen exploring bygone California sounds from Los Angeles to Bakersfield, Letter to You also discovered its inspiration in the not-yet-faded past. In addition to a newly vital set of songs devoted to aging, death, and legacy, Springsteen also resurrected three tracks written before his 1975 debut and reconvened the E Street Band for their first full-length studio collaborat...
Gene Simmons Selling Longtime Mansion to Escape “Unacceptable” California Taxes
Gene Simmons (photo by Kevin RC Wilson), Mansion (Christopher Amitrano for Douglas Elliman) Gene Simmons has put his longtime Beverly Hills mansion on the market for $22 million, citing California’s “unacceptable” tax rates as the reason for his move. After 34 years at the home, the KISS rocker and his wife Shannon are heading to Washington state. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer purchased the Beverly Hills house in 1986 for $1.34 million. While he has since put several million dollars into renovations and upgrades, the $22 million he’s seeking should net him a nice profit. The estate was featured prominently on his family’s A&E reality show, Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, which aired from 2006 to 2012. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Simmons explained, “California and Bev...
Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You Documentary Sheds Light on What Drives The Boss: Review
The Pitch: It’s not every day that you record the 20th studio album of your half-century career in music. When that time does come, it’s worth memorializing. Such is the case with Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You, the new making-of documentary now streaming on Apple TV+. Shot last November at Springsteen’s home studio in New Jersey during a four-day recording session with the E Street Band, the film does more than simply capture a veteran band making a hard job look easy. It also gives Springsteen a chance to expand upon and espouse the thoughts on legacy, time, and the creative process that animate the new record’s material. New Jersey in Winter: While it’s unlikely that Springsteen and his crew opted for a late fall recording date to maximize the potential for cinematic poignancy, that ...
Ozzy Osbourne: Eddie Van Halen Once Asked Me to Sing in Van Halen
Ozzy Osbourne (photo by David Brendan Hall), Eddie Van Halen (photo by Philip Cosores) In the wake of Eddie Van Halen’s passing earlier this month, some never-before-told stories have come to light about Van Halen’s search for a new singer over the years. Former Journey vocalist Steve Perry recently disclosed that Eddie had informally reached out to him about replacing David Lee Roth in the ’80s. Now, Ozzy Osbourne reveals that the guitarist once asked him to join the band. While Perry’s story had some viability, Ozzy admitted that Eddie was likely drunk when he received a late-night call from the guitar icon. In speaking with guitarist Billy Morrison (The Cult, Billy Idol) on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard channel, Ozzy said, “[Eddie] phoned me up one time and asked me if I wanted to sing in ...
Heart’s Nancy Wilson Shares Cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising”: Stream
Having already shredded her way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Heart, guitarist Nancy Wilson is finally embarking on a solo career. Her debut album is expected in early 2021, and she’s now shared the lead single, a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising”. Written in the aftermath of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, “The Rising” arrived as an instant classic. Springsteen wrote from the perspective of a firefighter rushing into the crumbling World Trade Center towers. As only The Boss can do, the song felt simultaneously hyper-specific and universal, with lines like “Can’t see nothin’ in front of me/ Can’t see nothin’ coming up behind,” capturing both an individual’s terrifying ascent and the national mood. When the uplifting chorus appeared, it did so with t...
Bruce Springsteen Reunites with the E Street Band on New Album Letter to You: Stream
Bruce Springsteen has reunited with the beloved E Street Band for a new album called Letter to You. Stream it below with Apple Music and Spotify. This is the first time The Boss has recorded with the likes of Roy Bittan, Nils Lofgren, Patti Scialfa, Garry Tallent, Stevie Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, Charlie Giordano, and Jake Clemons since 2014’s High Hopes. Letter to You features nine new Springsteen songs, which were written on a guitar randomly gifted to him by a fan, as well as three cuts from the 1970s that have never been released: “Janey Needs a Shooter”, “If I Was the Priest”, and “Song for Orphans”. Mixing was provided by Bob Clearmountain, and mastering was handled by Bob Ludwig. In anticipation of today’s release, Springsteen released two singles,...
Bruce Springsteen Talks E Street Band, New Album, and Favorite Bob Dylan Songs on Colbert: Watch
Bruce Springsteen is just one day away from releasing his new album, Letter to You. Ahead of its release, the Boss appeared on Wednesday night’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk about the inspiration behind the record, putting it out during a pandemic, and his favorite Bob Dylan songs, among other topics. After joking about not being able to take Letter to You on the road (“I do a lot of work in front of my bedroom mirror with the tennis racket… I go for three hours, just like the show”), Springsteen spoke extensively about its creation. He said the album only took seven days to write and four to record, and was largely inspired by the loss of his old friend George Theiss, the last surviving member of Springsteen’s original band, The Castiles. “I guess being the last guy in...
Lindsey Buckingham Is Also Vibin’, Records His Own “Dreams” TikTok: Watch
Like cranberry juice, the “Dreams” TikTok challenge started out sweet and then quickly ran its course. Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham is the latest to hop on the bandwagon, sharing a 15-second video on social media. The trend was started by the slick skateboarding of Nathan Apodaca, who later received a truck full of cranberry juice from Ocean Spray for his trouble. It got new life when Mick Fleetwood joined TikTok to recreate Apodaca’s video, and then Stevie Nicks laced up her skates to get in on the fun. All the attention pushed “Dreams” onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time since 1977, while making Rumors a top-ten album. In announcing his own video, Buckingham wrote that he, “Made this with my girls this weekend.” The clip opens on a...
