Veteran progressive rock band Yes has signed a new worldwide recording deal with Italian-based record label Frontiers Records.
Guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White, along with Oliver Wakeman (Rick Wakeman’s son) and new lead singer Benoit David, will enter the studio to record the group’s first new CD in a decade for release before Summer 2011.
Frontiers Records President, Serafino Perugino said: “I am truly honored and excited to have these Rock and Roll pioneers on the label. Yes have written some fabulous pages in the history of this music and I look forward to keep on writing new exciting chapters with them!”
“Having the two new guys in the lineup has inspired the impetus behind the need for Yes to return to the studio,” explains Chris Squire, while Steve Howe adds, “The new lineup has shown that we can operate well as a touring band, so now to expand that to recording would broaden our repertoire and the inclusion of Oliver and Benoit on new recordings will show a new leaf in Yes music's continuing development.”
The group's remarkable career has served to redefine the boundaries of rock for more than four decades. Over that time, Yes has sold over 33 million albums worldwide. Their symphonic use of sound and innovative musical style has made each of the group’s players are virtuosos in their own right.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
The Perfect Holiday Gift: John Lennon 'Box Of Vision'
The John Lennon Box Of Vision is the visual and literary companion to the John Lennon album catalog.
The officially authorized Box Of Vision is the perfect holiday gift for any Beatles or John Lennon enthusiast. It is divided into three books and housed in a unique "artist's canvas" slipcase featuring a silver-inked portrait of John Lennon, with a reproduction of his renowned line-drawing "Baby Grand" on the back.
The John Lennon Box Of Vision includes the following items:
- All of the Lennon LP artwork (front, back & inner sleeves) in full LP size, newly restored art prints, in an elegant hard cover coffee table book
- A complete post-Beatles Lennon discography with in-depth details about each album and its context in John's life
- Rare Lennon artifacts and historical advertisements
- The patented CD storage system, built to store all of the official Lennon CD releases in an adaptable format, to accommodate any fan's collection
This limited edition box set (only 7,250 numbered copies will be made available worldwide) is available at www.boxofvision.com or by calling 0845 226 8381.
The officially authorized Box Of Vision is the perfect holiday gift for any Beatles or John Lennon enthusiast. It is divided into three books and housed in a unique "artist's canvas" slipcase featuring a silver-inked portrait of John Lennon, with a reproduction of his renowned line-drawing "Baby Grand" on the back.
The John Lennon Box Of Vision includes the following items:
- All of the Lennon LP artwork (front, back & inner sleeves) in full LP size, newly restored art prints, in an elegant hard cover coffee table book
- A complete post-Beatles Lennon discography with in-depth details about each album and its context in John's life
- Rare Lennon artifacts and historical advertisements
- The patented CD storage system, built to store all of the official Lennon CD releases in an adaptable format, to accommodate any fan's collection
This limited edition box set (only 7,250 numbered copies will be made available worldwide) is available at www.boxofvision.com or by calling 0845 226 8381.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
New Robin Trower CD Set For Release In December
Robin Trower is releasing a new studio album The Playful Heart On December 7.
Recorded with his touring band, with includes vocalist Davey Pattison, and produced by long-time musical cohort Livingston Brown, the 11 new songs reportedly show a more introspective Robin Trower.
The effort is being released by Robin's label V-12 Records with distribution in North America will be handled through MVD Entertainment Group.
Recorded with his touring band, with includes vocalist Davey Pattison, and produced by long-time musical cohort Livingston Brown, the 11 new songs reportedly show a more introspective Robin Trower.
The effort is being released by Robin's label V-12 Records with distribution in North America will be handled through MVD Entertainment Group.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Buffalo Springfield Rock Bridge School
It's not every day that Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Elton John & Leon Russell, Buffalo Springfield and a dozen other renowned rockers gather on the same stage for a weekend-long jam, but at the 24th Annual Bridge School Benefit (Oct. 23-24) in Mountain View, Calif., the pairings of great musicians were everywhere, all in support of Young's Bridge School for severely disabled children.
Shoreline Amphitheater filled slowly on Saturday because of the chilly, unrelenting drizzle that persisted all weekend, but the lawn-sitters who dallied in their cars missed Neil Young's two-song welcome, "Sugar Mountain" and "Comes A Time," as well as a solid, plaintive brief set from Grizzly Bear. By the time Modest Mouse and its copious acoustic guitars and fiddles kicked up the tempo, the venue was full.
On Saturday, once Emmylou Harris turned up to duet with Elvis Costello everyone in the amphitheater was paying attention, paving the way for inspired sets from Lucinda Williams (who played a superlative "Born To Be Loved"), Kris Kristofferson (who drew cheers for his "Me and Bobbie McGee" and asked for prayers for an ailing Merle Haggard, who wasn't well enough to perform), and Jackson Browne with David Lindley.
Billy Idol got people onto their feet, but it was the San Francisco Giants' win over the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League pennant that made the whole place erupt during "Rebel Yell."
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder made a passing reference to its 20th Anniversary the night before (joking that they'd only have made it to "five or six years if Uncle Neil hadn't been looking after us"), but the Seattle band downplayed that milestone on both nights of Bridge in favor of giving shout-outs to the Bridge School students they've seen thrive over the eight times they've played the benefit through the years, as well as delivering crowd-rousing sets full of rarities ("Santa Cruz," "Other Side"), new covers (Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot"), rave ups with Neil Young (on his new "Walk With Me") and great new arrangements of old favorites ("Black," "Better Man").
Headliners Buffalo Springfield, who haven't played publicly in over 40 years, of course were the centerpiece of both evenings. Original members Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay proved their unique, sweet harmonies were still intact with a little help from Joe Vitale and Rick Rosas sitting in for the late Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer. The group's hit "For What It's Worth" had multiple generations singing along, but the crowd was keyed in to every tune from "Rock And Roll Woman" to "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It."
Sunday's line-up added T Bone Burnett's breath-taking ensemble, the Speaking Clock Revue, into the mix and there wasn't a rock fan in the house that couldn't find something to love whether it was Costello's tunes, Neko Case's beautiful voice, 83-year-old roots legend Ralph Stanley singing "Man of Constant Sorrow" after explaining how he wrote it, or a capable mini-set from Jeff Bridges. But no one in attendance could sit still for Elton john and Leon Russell's double-piano onslaught.
Fittingly, it was Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" that brought both nights to a close with all of each evening's performers crowding onto the stage to jam and Young and Pearl Jam's Vedder volleying vocals while everyone else strummed guitars, hollered into mics, or just danced around gleefully as the crowd packed down into the seated area to get one last closer look at the amazing assembly.
Shoreline Amphitheater filled slowly on Saturday because of the chilly, unrelenting drizzle that persisted all weekend, but the lawn-sitters who dallied in their cars missed Neil Young's two-song welcome, "Sugar Mountain" and "Comes A Time," as well as a solid, plaintive brief set from Grizzly Bear. By the time Modest Mouse and its copious acoustic guitars and fiddles kicked up the tempo, the venue was full.
On Saturday, once Emmylou Harris turned up to duet with Elvis Costello everyone in the amphitheater was paying attention, paving the way for inspired sets from Lucinda Williams (who played a superlative "Born To Be Loved"), Kris Kristofferson (who drew cheers for his "Me and Bobbie McGee" and asked for prayers for an ailing Merle Haggard, who wasn't well enough to perform), and Jackson Browne with David Lindley.
Billy Idol got people onto their feet, but it was the San Francisco Giants' win over the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League pennant that made the whole place erupt during "Rebel Yell."
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder made a passing reference to its 20th Anniversary the night before (joking that they'd only have made it to "five or six years if Uncle Neil hadn't been looking after us"), but the Seattle band downplayed that milestone on both nights of Bridge in favor of giving shout-outs to the Bridge School students they've seen thrive over the eight times they've played the benefit through the years, as well as delivering crowd-rousing sets full of rarities ("Santa Cruz," "Other Side"), new covers (Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot"), rave ups with Neil Young (on his new "Walk With Me") and great new arrangements of old favorites ("Black," "Better Man").
Headliners Buffalo Springfield, who haven't played publicly in over 40 years, of course were the centerpiece of both evenings. Original members Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay proved their unique, sweet harmonies were still intact with a little help from Joe Vitale and Rick Rosas sitting in for the late Dewey Martin and Bruce Palmer. The group's hit "For What It's Worth" had multiple generations singing along, but the crowd was keyed in to every tune from "Rock And Roll Woman" to "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It."
Sunday's line-up added T Bone Burnett's breath-taking ensemble, the Speaking Clock Revue, into the mix and there wasn't a rock fan in the house that couldn't find something to love whether it was Costello's tunes, Neko Case's beautiful voice, 83-year-old roots legend Ralph Stanley singing "Man of Constant Sorrow" after explaining how he wrote it, or a capable mini-set from Jeff Bridges. But no one in attendance could sit still for Elton john and Leon Russell's double-piano onslaught.
Fittingly, it was Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" that brought both nights to a close with all of each evening's performers crowding onto the stage to jam and Young and Pearl Jam's Vedder volleying vocals while everyone else strummed guitars, hollered into mics, or just danced around gleefully as the crowd packed down into the seated area to get one last closer look at the amazing assembly.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Bill Kreutzmann's 7 Walkers To Release Self-titled Debut Album
Grateful Dead co-founder and drummer Bill Kreutzmann, guitarist Papa Mali, bassist George Porter Jr. (The Meters, Funky Meters) and multi-instrumentalist Matt Hubbard (Willie Nelson, Fastball), come together as 7 Walkers for their self-titled debut release, due out November 2 on Response Records.
You can hear the album in its entirety on Thursday, October 28 at 9 PM EDT, exclusively at www.gdradio.net. You can also pre-order the album at www.7walkers.com.
With nearly all of its songs co-penned by Papa Mali and longtime Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, 7 Walkers plays a hybrid of classic Bay Area rock and New Orleans funk. The new album features a fresh batch of original tunes, a guest performance by Willie Nelson on “King Cotton Blues,” and a few instrumentals.
For both Kreutzmann and Papa Mali, 7 Walkers — whose name is borrowed from one of the band’s songs — is something of a dream come true. Kreutzmann has New Orleans in his DNA, literally — his mother was born there. That may be why he’s always been partial to the city’s music.
“I have a real feeling for that music and I get along with the folks down there really well,” Kreutzmann says.
Papa Mali grew up in Shreveport, and made frequent trips during his youth to New Orleans, where his mom’s family was from.
“I bought my clothes and my records there, saw lots of live music there and began to forge my own personal style and musical identity in New Orleans,” Mali says.
The songwriting partnership between Mali and Hunter created a special chemistry. According to Kreutzmann, it “reminds me very much, and not because of the personalities or anything, of Garcia and Hunter working together, in that really tight fashion. Those words, if you just read them, they’re fun stories, but when you put the music to them, it sends them over the top.”
Hunter adds, “7 Walkers hit the ball so far out of the park it’s still sailing. It might actually have gone into orbit,” he says. “I’m very proud to be part of the project. This album is sheer joy from first note to last.”
7 Walkers is currently on tour. The complete list of tour dates is as follows:
Friday, October 22 - Revolution Hall, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Saturday, October 23 - Magnolia Music Festival, Live Oak, FL
Monday, October 25 - Saint Rocke, Hermosa Beach, CA
Tuesday, October 26 - Winston's Beach Club, San Diego, CA
Thursday, October 28 - Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Friday, October 29 - Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz, CA
Saturday, October 30 - Sunday, October 31 Las Tortugas Festival Groveland CA
Thursday, December 9 - Mohegan Sun Casino Uncasville CT
Friday, December 10 - Narrow Center for the Arts Fall River MA
Saturday, December 11 - Higher Ground South Burlington VT
Sunday, December 12 - Tupelo Music Hall Londonderry NH
Tuesday, December 14 - Port City Music Hall Portland ME
Thursday, December 16 - Stage One, Fairfield, CT
Friday, December 17 - Boulton Center for the Arts, Bay Shore, NY
Saturday, December 18 - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday, December 19 - City Winery, New York, NY
Tuesday, December 28 - Tupelo Music Hall, White River, Junction, VT
Wednesday, December 29 - Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
Thursday, December 30 - Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY
Friday, December 31 - The Silo, Reading, PA
.
You can hear the album in its entirety on Thursday, October 28 at 9 PM EDT, exclusively at www.gdradio.net. You can also pre-order the album at www.7walkers.com.
With nearly all of its songs co-penned by Papa Mali and longtime Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter, 7 Walkers plays a hybrid of classic Bay Area rock and New Orleans funk. The new album features a fresh batch of original tunes, a guest performance by Willie Nelson on “King Cotton Blues,” and a few instrumentals.
For both Kreutzmann and Papa Mali, 7 Walkers — whose name is borrowed from one of the band’s songs — is something of a dream come true. Kreutzmann has New Orleans in his DNA, literally — his mother was born there. That may be why he’s always been partial to the city’s music.
“I have a real feeling for that music and I get along with the folks down there really well,” Kreutzmann says.
Papa Mali grew up in Shreveport, and made frequent trips during his youth to New Orleans, where his mom’s family was from.
“I bought my clothes and my records there, saw lots of live music there and began to forge my own personal style and musical identity in New Orleans,” Mali says.
The songwriting partnership between Mali and Hunter created a special chemistry. According to Kreutzmann, it “reminds me very much, and not because of the personalities or anything, of Garcia and Hunter working together, in that really tight fashion. Those words, if you just read them, they’re fun stories, but when you put the music to them, it sends them over the top.”
Hunter adds, “7 Walkers hit the ball so far out of the park it’s still sailing. It might actually have gone into orbit,” he says. “I’m very proud to be part of the project. This album is sheer joy from first note to last.”
7 Walkers is currently on tour. The complete list of tour dates is as follows:
Friday, October 22 - Revolution Hall, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Saturday, October 23 - Magnolia Music Festival, Live Oak, FL
Monday, October 25 - Saint Rocke, Hermosa Beach, CA
Tuesday, October 26 - Winston's Beach Club, San Diego, CA
Thursday, October 28 - Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Friday, October 29 - Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz, CA
Saturday, October 30 - Sunday, October 31 Las Tortugas Festival Groveland CA
Thursday, December 9 - Mohegan Sun Casino Uncasville CT
Friday, December 10 - Narrow Center for the Arts Fall River MA
Saturday, December 11 - Higher Ground South Burlington VT
Sunday, December 12 - Tupelo Music Hall Londonderry NH
Tuesday, December 14 - Port City Music Hall Portland ME
Thursday, December 16 - Stage One, Fairfield, CT
Friday, December 17 - Boulton Center for the Arts, Bay Shore, NY
Saturday, December 18 - World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday, December 19 - City Winery, New York, NY
Tuesday, December 28 - Tupelo Music Hall, White River, Junction, VT
Wednesday, December 29 - Pearl Street, Northampton, MA
Thursday, December 30 - Westcott Theater, Syracuse, NY
Friday, December 31 - The Silo, Reading, PA
.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Keith Richards Says Mick Jagger Enraged Him
Keith Richards says the Rolling Stones almost imploded because Mick Jagger thought he was "bigger than the Stones."
The pair's stormy relationship is described in Richards' memoir Life, published next week.
Richards told the BBC on Sunday that during the 1980s, Jagger took control of the band and would not relinquish it. He said Jagger's behavior "started at first to annoy me and then slowly enraged me."
But he said the pair are still friends, half a century after they bonded over a love of American blues music. He said that "nobody has the perfect marriage" but they had healed the wounds of the past.
The 66-year-old guitarist also said heroin and other drugs had helped him cope with fame. He said that "fame is probably a bigger killer than drugs in my game."
The pair's stormy relationship is described in Richards' memoir Life, published next week.
Richards told the BBC on Sunday that during the 1980s, Jagger took control of the band and would not relinquish it. He said Jagger's behavior "started at first to annoy me and then slowly enraged me."
But he said the pair are still friends, half a century after they bonded over a love of American blues music. He said that "nobody has the perfect marriage" but they had healed the wounds of the past.
The 66-year-old guitarist also said heroin and other drugs had helped him cope with fame. He said that "fame is probably a bigger killer than drugs in my game."
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Cars Hint At First Reunion In 23 Years
It's been 23 years since the Cars split, but the band is finally hinting at a reunion. On their official Facebook page, the band posted a photograph of the surviving members — singer Ric Ocasek, keyboardist Greg Hawkes, drummer David Robinson and guitarist Elliot Easton — gathered together in a Boston studio surrounded by their instruments.
"I hate to be vague, but I really can't say," keyboardist Hawkes said when asked whether the band was reuniting. "It's a crazy world."
A link on the band's Facebook to a story about the reunion rumors is accompanied with the following note: "Anyone in the mood for a reunion by the Cars?"
Ocasek said in Feburary that he was working on new material that was "a surprise," adding that the new songs are "more mature, because I'm older now."
The Cars, one of the most popular New Wave bands thanks to a string of hits that included "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed" and "Let's Go," last recorded together for 1987's Door to Door. While reunion rumors have popped up in the years that followed, any hopes of a full-on Cars reunion were abandoned when bassist-singer Benjamin Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.
Since the band's breakup, Ocasek has carved out a notable career as a producer, recording with everyone from Weezer to No Doubt to Guided by Voices.
In 2005, Hawkes and Easton recruited Todd Rundgren to form the critically maligned New Cars, but that project hit the brakes in 2007.
"I hate to be vague, but I really can't say," keyboardist Hawkes said when asked whether the band was reuniting. "It's a crazy world."
A link on the band's Facebook to a story about the reunion rumors is accompanied with the following note: "Anyone in the mood for a reunion by the Cars?"
Ocasek said in Feburary that he was working on new material that was "a surprise," adding that the new songs are "more mature, because I'm older now."
The Cars, one of the most popular New Wave bands thanks to a string of hits that included "My Best Friend's Girl," "Just What I Needed" and "Let's Go," last recorded together for 1987's Door to Door. While reunion rumors have popped up in the years that followed, any hopes of a full-on Cars reunion were abandoned when bassist-singer Benjamin Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000.
Since the band's breakup, Ocasek has carved out a notable career as a producer, recording with everyone from Weezer to No Doubt to Guided by Voices.
In 2005, Hawkes and Easton recruited Todd Rundgren to form the critically maligned New Cars, but that project hit the brakes in 2007.
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