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Countless bands are remembered for one thing: a song, an album or even involvement in a notorious event. It’s unfair since bands are often more accomplished than they are given credit for and find that their catalog of accomplishments goes unrecognized. What’s really crazy is when they are remembered for is something that is not…
Navy towns are great places for Rock bands. You get on-the-job-training working clubs where the only real requirement is to play loud. Hailing from San Diego, in the mid ’60s, the Iron Butterfly were a five-man group with organist/vocalist/leader Doug Ingle, vocalist Darryl DeLoach, guitarist Danny Weiss, bassist Jerry Penrod and drummer Ron Bushy. They…
Warren Zevon always had a unique perspective. He earned it. After his first album bombed, Zevon found work writing commercial jingles. If that doesn’t alter your point of view, nothing will. His return was marked by a self-titled album which contained several classic songs including “Hasten Down The Wind” and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me” (both…
Countless groups have covered Chuck Berry. Nearly all stayed relatively close to the source. One notable exception was Electric Light Orchestra’s rendition of “Roll Over Beethoven.” Aside from the inescapable guitar riff, the song had definite “classical” overtones (figures, given the song’s title) with a creative arrangement. What made it work was the violins and…
With half the year over, it’s noteworthy that only three songs have had multi-week runs at #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart – Metallica (pictured above) -“Lux Æterna,” Linkin Park – “Lost” and Foo Fighters – “Rescued.” “Lux Æterna,” from the ’72 Seasons” album, was released late last year and topped the chart on…
There are some groups so “on trend” it’s scary. MTV, launched in the early ’80s, was initially in dire need of content. Equally important, they needed to find musicians who “got it.” Artists who understood making a video was more than standing in front of a camera lip-synching. Enter Duran Duran from Birmingham, England. Duran…
Pantera‘s major label debut album, “Cowboys From Hell” released in ‘90, was recently certified (May 26th) double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 2-million copies in the United States. “Cowboys From Hell,” originally certified platinum in July ’97, has been called one of the most influential Metal albums of the…
A Jeff Beck tribute concert, organized by Eric Clapton and Sandra Beck, the guitarist’s widow, took place Monday night (5/22) at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The event featured Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, ZZ Tops’ Billy Gibbons and actor/guitarist Johnny Depp. A second all-star concert was held Tuesday night. Beck, who passed away earlier this year, was…
Foo Fighters’ “Rescued” is #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart (dated 5/20). Released on April 19th, “Rescued” is the first single off the Foos eleventh studio album, “But Here We Are,” which will drop June 2nd. The track references the passing last year of drummer Taylor Hawkins. According to the band, it’s “the first…
Florida native Tom Petty was recognized by the University Of Florida with an honorary Doctor Of Music degree. Bruce Petty, Tom’s brother, accepted the posthumous doctorate on his behalf at the university’s spring commencement ceremony (May 4th). The university also partnered with Petty’s estate for what they called the Tom Petty Endowment for Guitars & Innovation, benefitting its School…