Anyone trolling the rock and roll news sites on the Web the last couple of weeks has likely seen all the drama around Steven Tyler and the rest of Aerosmith. Tyler has been having a rough time the last few months, what with breaking his shoulder in a fall off a stage mid-concert, and various rumors that he has fallen off the wagon.
This week's news was that Joe Perry got off the plane from a recent concert in Dubai to hear that Tyler announced he was quitting the band, via his Web site no less. What he actually said was that he was going to focus on the "Tyler brand," which probably means a solo album or something. But Perry took it as a resignation, and even went so far as to say they would be auditioning for replacement singers, adding that Tyler won't even return his phone calls.
Well, according to a Tweet from @PiercingMetal who is at Perry's Fillmore NY show right now, Tyler just joined Perry onstage for Walk This Way. So much for all the bullshit tabloid-like coverage, stoked by Perry himself. Maybe it was a ploy to get people to his gig!
Anyway, if the band needs a break, let 'em have it. It is often good to take a break to recharge the ole batteries. But after all this time, it’s hard to believe those two wouldn’t stay buddies somehow.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Stream the New Them Crooked Vultures Album
I just got an email that simply said, "Fuck Patience. Let's Dance" and provided me the below link to stream the new Them Crooked Vultures album, which will hit the stores next week. Enjoy:
CD Review - U2 The Unforgettable Fire Remastered
I had not heard this album in years but know it well from high school, when U2 and The Police were my ‘secret bands’ I listened to by myself in my room.
Publically, it was all Quiet Riot, Sabbath, Maiden, Priest etc. U2 were just not musically adept enough to pass muster with my metal friends. Plus, way too many of our fellow students with strange haircuts liked this stuff. Therefore, I could not.
But I did! And The Unforgettable Fire is my probably my favorite U2 album, followed by All That You Can’t Leave Behind, No Line on the Horizon, The Joshua Tree, and War, in that order.
Anyway…This remaster is fantastic. The original CD is crisp and as with all good remasters, I hear all sorts of stuff that I never heard on the original. For example, you can hear the amp hiss at the very beginning of Bad. Not something you really WANT to hear, but you get the idea of the clarity presented here. This album is also a great one for remastering because it is so sonically ambitious. The layers of guitars, echo, keyboards and the pulsing bass and drums just sound really good here. A Sort of Homecoming and the title track really stand out.
The very odd Elvis Presley and America is very Floydworthy. I heard they got that sound by slowing the tape down and letting Bono wing it live. He wanted to re-do his vocals and they all said no. Imagine that. Telling Bono ‘no.’
The bonus disc also sounds great. It kicks off with a song begun for the album but finished for the remaster. So, kind of a ‘new’ old U2 song. The next four songs are from the EP Wide Awake in America, which contained live versions of A Sort of Homecoming and Bad, and two studio tunes, the better of which is The Three Sunrises -- a song that sounds like it would have been on War. I have to note that this live version of Bad is my favorite version of my hands-down favorite U2 song. And it just sounds great here.
The rest of the bonus tracks are B-sides, remixes and odd soundscapes that didn’t make the album. Together, they paint an ambitious picture of a band trying to do something new, with producers (Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois) who had some powerful sonic tools at their disposal and weren’t afraid to use them. For example, the instrumental Yoshino Blossom has a bit of a New Years Day feel, but with some screaming guitar tones from The Edge armed with an E-Bow, according to the liner notes written by Edge himself.
Another fun piece is the remixed version of A Sort of Homecoming that was done at Peter Gabriel’s studio (around the time he was recording So with Lanois). You can hear Gabriel doing backing vocals and that is kind of a neat novelty. The song starts like a Peter Gabriel song, as a matter of fact.
Two new mashup mixes of Wire are pretty good too. Overall the bonus disc adds a lot to this release, and the packaging is really nice too, with liner notes from Eno, Lanois, and like I said, Edge. Lyrics are also included. Very helpful in the afore-mentioned Elvis Presley and America, which has always been mysterious to me lyric-wise.
There is a super-deluxe version with a bonus DVD but I didn’t get it – maybe I should have. But if you ever dug this album back in the day, you’ll have fun re-experiencing it in its sonically enhanced state. Rock it!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Neil Peart Waxes on the Future of Rush
What to write? What to write? Another Rush post? Seems like there are lots of opportunities to put up little things about Rush these days. I usually let them pass because there are better sites for that – like RushIsABand.com.
But every month, Neil Peart posts a usually-lengthy entry on his Web site that either chronicles a motorcycle trek, a bird-watching episode and sometimes items about drumming. This month, he got way into the drumming again, and it’s worth a read if you are a Peart fan.
One part of his post struck me as interesting enough to repeat here. Peart said that soon he would be getting together with Alex and Geddy to talk about what they are going to do next as a band. He said that none of them have any idea of what lies next but that they have been paying attention to the changing landscape of the music business and may decide to go very non-conventional moving forward.
They only have one album left on their deal with Atlantic (he didn’t say this, but it is true), so after that is done, they can pretty much do whatever they want, business-wise. Interesting possibilities. Here is some of what I am talking about:
... In this autumn of 2009, the three of us are poised on another kind of "reinvention." We have agreed to meet in Los Angeles in November, and discuss our future. ... these are parlous times in the music business, so our time-honored pattern of touring, recording, and touring is no longer the obvious way to do things. ... Because of that reality, record company advances that used to pay for album projects are a thing of the past, so if that was what we wanted to do, we'd be on our own. ... To this point, the three of us haven't even discussed what we might discuss, so to speak-so our ideas and shared enthusiasm for the entity of Rush will be fresh, spontaneous, and quite likely exciting. For myself, I'm open to anything we can all agree on (I've pointed out before that in a three-piece band, we need consensus, not democracy-it's no good having one outvoted and unhappy member). My favorite group activity is always songwriting and recording, and I've got some lyrical ideas and those new drumming frontiers to explore. However, those rhythmic concepts would also be inspiring for a new drum solo, if we decided to do a tour of some kind, maybe with an orchestra. We could write and record just a few songs, and release them some way. Or there were a couple of film-and-music projects we had discussed in the past. In any case, there are enough possibilities for future collaboration, and I am curious to see what we'll come up with.
Maybe they could just do house concerts and start in my basement. There’s an idea to discuss!
But every month, Neil Peart posts a usually-lengthy entry on his Web site that either chronicles a motorcycle trek, a bird-watching episode and sometimes items about drumming. This month, he got way into the drumming again, and it’s worth a read if you are a Peart fan.
One part of his post struck me as interesting enough to repeat here. Peart said that soon he would be getting together with Alex and Geddy to talk about what they are going to do next as a band. He said that none of them have any idea of what lies next but that they have been paying attention to the changing landscape of the music business and may decide to go very non-conventional moving forward.
They only have one album left on their deal with Atlantic (he didn’t say this, but it is true), so after that is done, they can pretty much do whatever they want, business-wise. Interesting possibilities. Here is some of what I am talking about:
... In this autumn of 2009, the three of us are poised on another kind of "reinvention." We have agreed to meet in Los Angeles in November, and discuss our future. ... these are parlous times in the music business, so our time-honored pattern of touring, recording, and touring is no longer the obvious way to do things. ... Because of that reality, record company advances that used to pay for album projects are a thing of the past, so if that was what we wanted to do, we'd be on our own. ... To this point, the three of us haven't even discussed what we might discuss, so to speak-so our ideas and shared enthusiasm for the entity of Rush will be fresh, spontaneous, and quite likely exciting. For myself, I'm open to anything we can all agree on (I've pointed out before that in a three-piece band, we need consensus, not democracy-it's no good having one outvoted and unhappy member). My favorite group activity is always songwriting and recording, and I've got some lyrical ideas and those new drumming frontiers to explore. However, those rhythmic concepts would also be inspiring for a new drum solo, if we decided to do a tour of some kind, maybe with an orchestra. We could write and record just a few songs, and release them some way. Or there were a couple of film-and-music projects we had discussed in the past. In any case, there are enough possibilities for future collaboration, and I am curious to see what we'll come up with.
Maybe they could just do house concerts and start in my basement. There’s an idea to discuss!
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Concert Review - John Cleese
I saw comedic genius John Cleese last night in Eugene with frankly low expectations. I had seen Cleese in some interviews over the last few years and thought he was funny but not rip-roaring funny. I thought, well, maybe the man has lost his edge and his best work is behind him.
Well, call me all straightened out. Last night Cleese did what amounted to a two-hour monologue in front of a sold out theater. He used hilarious slides on a screen behind him to help drive the jokes home, and he showed various clips from his career as well.
He started off saying that he was so old, one of his teeth fell out when he was brushing his teeth that morning. “I am so old that pieces are literally falling off of me.” He continued on by saying he had to do this tour because he was recently divorced and has to pay his ex $20 million dollars. He continued saying that by other divorce settlements, he could have married Pamela Anderson 8 and a third times (accompanied by a graphic of eight and a third Pamela Andersons), and other similar comparisons of what $20 million can get you these days.
He talked about his mother, who was afraid of everything. “The only two things my mother and I had in common were that we were not raised by wolves and that we both loved black comedy.” He went on to say that his remedy for her complaining that she was depressed was to offer to have someone come to her house and kill her. When she said "You'll forget about me when I am gone," Cleese said "No I won't because when you die I am going to have you stuffed by a taxidermist, and I will put you in a glass case by my door so when I grab my hat to go outside, I will see you." This promise, according to Cleese, upped her status at the nursing home.
It went on and on and soon focused on how he got into comedy, with of course lengthy segments on Python, Fawlty Towers, his late writing partner and fellow Python Graham Ghapman, and the Fish Called Wanda movie. Then he said, “since my career has been dead for the past 19 years, let’s go to the Q&A,” and took a few questions from the audience.
I was dying laughing all night and immediately wished that every one of my friends were there with me to see this. One was – one of my oldest friends Brendan. Brendan runs the production house that puts shows on in the Theater, so we watched the show from the soundboard. And Steve, the house sound guy, had a 30-odd page script that was basically everything Cleese was saying. There were some improvised parts but I was very impressed that Cleese basically had written a two-hour comedy skit about his life, complete with props, slides and films. And he delivered it flawlessly.
Cleese brings the show to his home state of California next week, with various shows (mostly in Southern California). Do some Googling and see if you can see this. And while you’re there, get the tour shirt (yes, he has merch) that says “I saw John Cleese Live. Before he died.”
There is a pretty good interview with Cleese in the Glendale Press as well, here.
Well, call me all straightened out. Last night Cleese did what amounted to a two-hour monologue in front of a sold out theater. He used hilarious slides on a screen behind him to help drive the jokes home, and he showed various clips from his career as well.
He started off saying that he was so old, one of his teeth fell out when he was brushing his teeth that morning. “I am so old that pieces are literally falling off of me.” He continued on by saying he had to do this tour because he was recently divorced and has to pay his ex $20 million dollars. He continued saying that by other divorce settlements, he could have married Pamela Anderson 8 and a third times (accompanied by a graphic of eight and a third Pamela Andersons), and other similar comparisons of what $20 million can get you these days.
He talked about his mother, who was afraid of everything. “The only two things my mother and I had in common were that we were not raised by wolves and that we both loved black comedy.” He went on to say that his remedy for her complaining that she was depressed was to offer to have someone come to her house and kill her. When she said "You'll forget about me when I am gone," Cleese said "No I won't because when you die I am going to have you stuffed by a taxidermist, and I will put you in a glass case by my door so when I grab my hat to go outside, I will see you." This promise, according to Cleese, upped her status at the nursing home.
It went on and on and soon focused on how he got into comedy, with of course lengthy segments on Python, Fawlty Towers, his late writing partner and fellow Python Graham Ghapman, and the Fish Called Wanda movie. Then he said, “since my career has been dead for the past 19 years, let’s go to the Q&A,” and took a few questions from the audience.
I was dying laughing all night and immediately wished that every one of my friends were there with me to see this. One was – one of my oldest friends Brendan. Brendan runs the production house that puts shows on in the Theater, so we watched the show from the soundboard. And Steve, the house sound guy, had a 30-odd page script that was basically everything Cleese was saying. There were some improvised parts but I was very impressed that Cleese basically had written a two-hour comedy skit about his life, complete with props, slides and films. And he delivered it flawlessly.
Cleese brings the show to his home state of California next week, with various shows (mostly in Southern California). Do some Googling and see if you can see this. And while you’re there, get the tour shirt (yes, he has merch) that says “I saw John Cleese Live. Before he died.”
There is a pretty good interview with Cleese in the Glendale Press as well, here.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The Governator and His Secret Message to the California Assembly and Senate
According to numerous reports last week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger included a secret message, Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds-style, into a memo to the California Assembly and Senate.
Seems that the Assembly and Senate unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1176 to help the port of San Francisco with financing issues. Schwarzenegger decided to veto the legislation, sending a letter to the state Assembly chastising them for focusing on “unnecessary bills.” And check out the little secret message he included:
The Wall Street Journal provides more context, making this even more amusing:
Earlier this month, the Republican governor crashed a San Francisco Democratic Party fund-raiser, where he was booed by Democrats still upset at the spending cuts he pushed this year. One attendee, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, yelled “You lie!” at him, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Then, Ammiano, a former standup comedian who is famous in San Francisco for his championing of liberal causes and gay rights, walked out on the speech, shouting a vulgarity.
Schwarzenegger has said he was unfazed by the incident.
Four days later, Assembly Bill 1176, which just happened to be sponsored by Ammiano, reached his desk. The bill would have expanded the financing powers of the Port of San Francisco. The state legislature didn’t have a problem with it; it cleared the Senate 40-0 and the Assembly 78-0.
Nonetheless, the former tough-talking “Terminator” star vetoed the bill, sending along a message.
...When asked about the intent of the message, Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said that “like every veto message, it says why the governor vetoed the bill.”
Okay. What about the other message in the letter?
“As far as what it says on the left-hand margin, that’s just a strange coincidence,” McLear said. “When you do so many vetoes, that’s bound to happen.”
Seems that the Assembly and Senate unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1176 to help the port of San Francisco with financing issues. Schwarzenegger decided to veto the legislation, sending a letter to the state Assembly chastising them for focusing on “unnecessary bills.” And check out the little secret message he included:
The Wall Street Journal provides more context, making this even more amusing:
Earlier this month, the Republican governor crashed a San Francisco Democratic Party fund-raiser, where he was booed by Democrats still upset at the spending cuts he pushed this year. One attendee, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, yelled “You lie!” at him, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Then, Ammiano, a former standup comedian who is famous in San Francisco for his championing of liberal causes and gay rights, walked out on the speech, shouting a vulgarity.
Schwarzenegger has said he was unfazed by the incident.
Four days later, Assembly Bill 1176, which just happened to be sponsored by Ammiano, reached his desk. The bill would have expanded the financing powers of the Port of San Francisco. The state legislature didn’t have a problem with it; it cleared the Senate 40-0 and the Assembly 78-0.
Nonetheless, the former tough-talking “Terminator” star vetoed the bill, sending along a message.
...When asked about the intent of the message, Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear said that “like every veto message, it says why the governor vetoed the bill.”
Okay. What about the other message in the letter?
“As far as what it says on the left-hand margin, that’s just a strange coincidence,” McLear said. “When you do so many vetoes, that’s bound to happen.”
Monday, November 02, 2009
John Cleese Silly Walks Into the Northwest
John Cleese from Monty Python's Flying Circus is on a rare tour right now. The 70-year old Cleese is calling this the "A Final Wave at the World or The Alimony Tour, Year One." Similar to the Carol Burnett tour I just took my mom to, Cleese will talk about his life in comedy, of course hitting on Python and Fawlty Towers, and then taking questions from the audience.I am attending the show with my one of my best/oldest friends Brendan on Wednesday in Eugene. The show in Portland tonight is sold out but it'll be more fun to see it with Brendan in Eugene anyway, despite the 109 mile drive. The venue is where my band plays the Floyd tribute shows, so it'll be nice to be there and not have to perform!
Serena Markstrom from the Register Guard in Eugene had the good fortune to interview Cleese for an article in the paper to promote the show. She published the mostly complete transcript here. Check it out!
I certainly will post something about the show on Thursday or Friday, time permitting.
Friday, October 30, 2009
WTF? Orianthi Is Avril Lavigne Meets Yngwie Malmsteen?
I was poking around the blogosphere last night and came across this video at Mr. Mike's Media Madness. It's this chick singer, Orianthi, and of course because she is hot I had to click on the video. What I heard was your average Avril Lavigne The Matrix chick pop song but then all of a sudden this shredding guitar came in and I realized it was coming from the fingers of Orianthi herself.
OK, so aside from the fact that the shred and this song do NOT go together, I thought it was very cool that this woman is such a fine guitarist. And damn it, if she turns a bunch of Miley-loving tween girls onto shredding guitar, then God Bless Her!
Also, according to Wikipedia, she was Michael Jackson's lead guitarist and "was present on all rehearsals for his This Is It tour before his death...She appears in the film This Is It, which chronicles the rehearsals for the tour" and is raking in loads of cash. Further proving that if you want a career pop, all you have to do is die.
Enjoy.
OK, so aside from the fact that the shred and this song do NOT go together, I thought it was very cool that this woman is such a fine guitarist. And damn it, if she turns a bunch of Miley-loving tween girls onto shredding guitar, then God Bless Her!
Also, according to Wikipedia, she was Michael Jackson's lead guitarist and "was present on all rehearsals for his This Is It tour before his death...She appears in the film This Is It, which chronicles the rehearsals for the tour" and is raking in loads of cash. Further proving that if you want a career pop, all you have to do is die.
Enjoy.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Introducing the Running With The Devil Soundboard!
OK, this is too funny. Someone carved up the audio-only track of David Lee Roth singing Running With the Devil and made a soundboard out of it. Go to this site and click around. I think the photo they chose it perfect too. Claaaasic!
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