Recently, some musicians have been attacking the internet for, let me get this quote exact, “ruining Rock music”.

John Mellencamp, Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young have all recently attacked the internet and its impact on the music business. Just last week, John Mellencamp, while promoting his latest release, told Reuters “I think the Internet is the most dangerous thing invented since the atomic bomb. It’s destroyed the music business.”

And a few days later, Stevie Nicks told The New York Daily News that “The Internet has destroyed rock.”

But Mellencamp went on: “Rock will be all but forgotten for our children’s children: after a few generations, it’s gone. Rock ‘n’ roll — as important as we think it is, and as big as it was, and as much money as people made on it, and as proud as I am to say that I was part of it — at the end of the day, they’re gonna say: ‘Yeah, there was this band called the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones, and this guy named Bob Dylan.”

Mellencamp has gone so far as to use what some think are “primitive” recording technology for his latest album “No Better Than This”. Besides recording the album in mono, he also use old tube-amplifiers, reel-to-reel tape recorders and only one old ribbon R.C.A. microphone to sing into. You can hear him claim his new album sounds like it was recorded in 1945, by clicking on the link below.

John_Mellencamp_On_Technology_Of_No_Better_Than_This

Is “A Day In The Life” the Greatest Beatle Song of All Time? 

It is according to a special edition of Rolling Stone magazine devoted to the greatest Beatles Songs. The issue includes one of those Top10 Lists that we like so much, and the #1 Beatles Song of All Time is “A Day In The Life”. The new special Collectors Edition also features an introduction by longtime Beatles disciple and Paul McCartney collaborator, Elvis Costello.

Costello says Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had high standards as writers. He went on to add “they started to really grow up: simple love lyrics to adult stories like ‘Norwegian Wood,’ which spoke of the sour side of love, and on to bigger ideas than you would expect to find in catchy pop lyrics.” Here is the list of the Greatest Beatles Songs of All Time:

1. “A Day In The Life” (1967)
2. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963)
3. “Strawberry Fields Forever” (1967)
4. “Yesterday” (1965)
5. “In My Life” (1965)
6. “Something” (1969)
7. “Hey Jude” (1968)
8. “Let It Be” (1970)
9. “Come Together” (1969)
10. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (1968)

Paul McCartney recently talked about co-writing “A Day In The Life” with John Lennon. You can hear what he had to say by clicking the link below:

Paul_McCartney_On_A_Co_Writing_A_Day_In_The_Life

It was all happening this week 41 years ago: 3 Days of Peace and Music with the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in Bethel, New York.

What started with a smaller concert featuring local big-name musicians (such as Bob Dylan and The Band who live nearby), the promoters had a tough time getting any rock stars to sign a contract, until one of the first to agree, Creedence Clearwater Revival, signed to play for $10,000. When other acts started to agree to play at the event, the promoters got excited when they thought they might sell about 50,000 or 100,000 tickets, and make a profit after all.

Of course, by the time over a half million people showed up, the organizers had to give up and make it a free concert. Although Woodstock was neither the first nor last major festival concert, the fact that the youth of America were able to be in one place with no violence during one of the most turbulent years of the decade, gave birth to the notion of the “Woodstock Nation” and gave a voice — and a face — to the hippie ideal.

Artists who performed at the legendary festival included Joan Baez, Country Joe McDonald & the Fish, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Mountain, Janis Joplin, the Who, the Band, Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead, Sly & the Family Stone, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Sha Na Na, John Sebastian, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, Joe Cocker, and many, many more. The Band, by the way, turned down the chance to appear at the festival.

Pete Townshend says that the finale to the Who’s set wasn’t as organic an experience as the rest of the Woodstock Festival seemed to be. And he still regards the Who’s 1969 Woodstock performance as a watershed event in the Who’s live career. You can hear what he had to say about his appearance at the festival by clicking on the button below:

 cr0812bs_08_Pete_Townshend_on_Woodstocks_importance_to_The_Who

You might want to be aware of some upcoming new album releases from some elder rock musicians. The big news is the new Eric Clapton release “Clapton” on September 28th.

This is Clapton’s first studio set since his 2006 joint collection with J.J. Cale, called “The Road to Escondido”. The album includes both newly written material, as well as cover versions of existing songs. Some of the songs will sound familiar to Clapton fans, because he has recently performed some of the new songs live in concert.

The tracklisting to new album is: “Travelin’ Alone,” “Rocking Chair,” “River Runs Deep,” “Judgment Day,” “How Deep Is The Ocean,” “My Very Good Friend The Milkman,” “Can’t Hold Out Much Longer,” “That’s No Way To Get Along,” “Everything Will Be Alright,” “Diamonds Made From Rain,” “When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful,” “Hard Times Blues,” “Run Back To Your Side,” and “Autumn Leaves.”

In talking to us about the new album, he said he has long ago made peace with being referred to as a “guitar god”. But he still thinks he does not deserve such praise. You can hear what Clapton had to say by clicking on the link below.

Eric_Clapton_on_being_thought_of_as_guitar_idol

Another new album is due next week from John Mellencamp: “No Better Than This”. This new release comes out Tuesday (August 17th) on Rounder Records, and most of the songs were written and recorded last year when he was on tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. The songs were recorded on the road in different studio locations, including the title track in an old church in Memphis, using vintage recording equipment with tube technology from the 1920’s.

The recent trend of remastering and re-releasing classic rock albums continues. The success of the recent Beatles Catalogue and the Deluxe Edition of the Rolling Stones “Exile On Main Street” has prompted Bob Dylan to begin going through his early releases. He is currently listening to master tapes so he can re-release authentic mono mixes of his first eight albums in a proposed box set.

The albums will include Bob Dylan (1962); The Freewheeling’ Bob Dylan (1963); The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964); Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964); Bringing It All Back Home (1965); Highway 61 Revisited (1965); Blonde On Blonde (1966), and John Wesley Harding (1968). No release date for the mono box has been announced.

In the meantime, Dylan will release the ninth installment of his critically acclaimed Bootleg Series in October, according to the Dylan magazine “Isis”. As opposed to the past few editions, Bootleg Series Nine will not feature live-in-concert tracks or studio outtakes, but Dylan’s legendary publishing demos recorded between 1962 and 1964, featuring many songs which never made their way into the official Dylan catalogue: as well as early demos of future classics, such as “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “When The Ship Comes In,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” and “Masters Of War,” among others.

Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary, who shared a manager with Dylan and was responsible for giving Dylan his first #1 song with his group’s version of the song “Blowing In The Wind”, says that it was incredible to witness Dylan compose some of the greatest songs of the ’60s. You can hear his comment by clicking on the icon below:

Peter_Yarrow_On_Early_Days_With_Bob_Dylan

You may have not heard this yet, but this weekend John Fogerty will be the first musician ever to be honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame for writing a song, and he will even be on hand to perform said song ”Centerfield” at the induction ceremony July 25th in Cooperstown, New York.

Fogerty’s special baseball-shaped guitar is being restored after the recent Nashville flood, and will be exhibited at the Hall of Fame. The guitar, nicknamed “Slugger,” looks like a baseball bat split down the middle, and has long been his favorite guitar when he performs the song in concert.

And never one to miss an opportunity, the album of the same name “Centerfield” is about to be re-released and remastered in a special 25th Anniversary Edition, with a couple of bonus tracks: both single B-sides were covers of the Rockin’ Sydney’s 1984 hit “My Toot Toot” and the ’50s R&B/doo-wop classic “I Confess.” You may recall that Fogerty did all the instruments and production on the album, and it was considered his “comeback” album. It hit number one at the time (1985), making it his most successful post-Creedence Clearwater Revival release.

It took him almost a decade to release it, and he claims that is because he wanted to become good enough on each instrument before recording it. You can click on the button below to hear Fogerty talk about his musicianship on the album “Centerfield”.

 John_Fogerty_On_Instrumentation_On_Centerfield

Despite years (read decades) of denials and bad feelings, it looks like the unthinkable happened: a Pink Floyd Reunion.

Roger Waters and David Gilmour have once again reunited onstage, performing a five-song set last Saturday (July 10th) at Kidlington in Oxfordshire, England, according to Rolling Stone. The pair teamed up for the Hoping Foundation (Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation) charity raising $525,000 for the Children of Gaza.

The two last performed together at Pink Floyd’s 2005 reunion set at Live 8, entertained the crowd of 200 with a rendition Phil Spector’s Teddy Bears’ classic “To Know Him Is To Love Him” — which according to a blog on Gilmour’s website was a long-time Floyd soundcheck staple; “Wish You Were Here,” “Comfortably Numb” and “Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2.”

Although Waters had battled the group for it’s name and shared a contentious relationship with David Gilmour for nearly two decades, following Pink Floyd’s 2005 Live 8 reunion, he was the group member most open for future team-ups. Waters had asked Gilmour to join him for his upcoming world tour in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Wall tour, (which comes through Buffalo) but Gilmour declined.

Roger Waters kicks off The Wall tour on September 15th at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. In preparation for his appearance here in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena October 8th, Roger talked to us about the last Pink Floyd Reunion show during Live 8. You can hear what he had to say by clicking on the link below:

Roger_Waters_On_Pink_Floyd_Reunion_For_Live_8

In case you missed it, a few weeks ago Billboard Magazine posted its’ Top 30 Summer Songs list. These are the songs that have summer related themes and ranked based on each song’s performance beginning when the chart began: back in August of 1958.

Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at Number One earning the greatest value and weeks at Number 100 earning the least. The list:

1. “Summer In The City” – The Lovin’ Spoonful – 1966
2. “Wipe Out – The Surfaris – 1962
3. “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” – Bryan Hyland – 1960
4. “Surf City” – Jan & Dean – 1963
5. “Endless Summer Nights” – Richard Marx – 1988
6. “Summertime” – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – 1991
7. “Hot Fun In The Summertime” – Sly & The Family Stone – 1969
8. “Surfin’ U.S.A.” – The Beach Boys – 1963
9. “Summer Nights” – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – 1978
10. “The Boys Of Summer” – Don Henley – 1984
11. “In The Summertime” – Mungo Jerry – 1970
12. “Summer Of ‘69″ – Bryan Adams – 1985
13. “Under The Boardwalk” – The Drifters – 1964
14. “Summer” – War – 1976
15. “California Girls” – The Beach Boys – 1965
16. “Summer Girls” – LFO – 1999
18. “California Gurls” – Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg – 2010
19. “Summer Love” – Justin Timberlake – 2007
20. “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer” – Nat King Cole – 1963
21. “School’s Out” – Alice Cooper – 1972
22. “Summer Breeze” – Seals & Crofts – 1972
23. “Surfer Girl” – The Beach Boys – 1963
24. “Suddenly Last Summer” – The Motels – 1983
25. “A Summer Song” – Chad & Jeremy – 1964
26. “Summertime Blues” – Eddie Cochran – 1958
27. “Cruel Summer” – Bananarama – 1983
28. “Wipeout” – Fat Boys and the Beach Boys – 1987
29. “Summertime” – Billy Stewart – 1966
30. “Surfin’ Safari” – The Beach Boys – 1962

Alice Cooper’s 1972 classic “School’s Out” came in at Number 21 on the list. He told us that he’s always been proud of the fact that bands continue to cover the song. Click the link below to hear his comment.

Alice_Cooper_on_people_covering_Schools_Out

Last time I wrote about Ringo Starr kicking off his “All Starr Band” tour here in Western New York, and now I have been hearing some interesting things about another touring ex-Beatle.

It seems Paul McCartney has always performed his favorite songs during the soundcheck sessions before an actual concert (soundchecks are conducted by bands before playing a concert to “check” the equipment), and then play the “hits” that he thinks the audience expects to hear. Now we are hearing, for the first time, as though some of those soundcheck rarities are finally creeping into his shows, with both the 1971 ukulele favorite “Ram On” and a cover of the Champs’ “Tequila” during his current tour. 

Among the highlights played during McCartney’s recent soundchecks were such Beatles classics as “I’ve Just Seen A Face,” “Things We Said Today,” “Magical Mystery Tour,” and “You Never Give Me Your Money” (none of which are in his concert playlist). Also Wings favorites “Coming Up,” “C Moon,” and “Only Mama Knows,” Fats Domino’s “I’m In Love Again,” Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Honey Don’t,” and “Matchbox,” Dionne Warwick’s “Do You Know The Way To San Jose,” Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” and Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Going On”.

McCartney will be bringing his show to our area August 8th and 9th, at the Air Canada Center in Toronto. He talked to us about playing his pop hits from the 1970’s and the 1980’s. You can hear what he said by clicking on the link below.

Paul_McCartney_Doesnt_Worry_About_Copying_Self

Ringo Starr hits the road again with his All Starr Band, coming through Buffalo this week in Niagara Falls, Ontario at the Fallsview Casino. The tour is Ringo’s 11th solo tour with his All Starr Band featuring Edgar Winter on sax and keyboards, Gary Wright on keyboards, Rick Derringer on guitar, and the Romantics’ Wally Palmer on guitar and harmonica.

After Buffalo, the tour hits Bethel, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Ringo plays New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on his 70th birthday July 7th.

If you plan to go, expect Ringo to stick to his hits during the show, with the exception of a couple of his latest songs found on his new album “Y Not”, including the song he recorded with Paul McCartney “Walk With You”. Ringo talked to us about performing new material live here in Buffalo, and you can hear him by clicking on the link below: 

Ringo_Starr_On_Performing_New_Material_Live

UPDATE:

Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band opening night setlist from June 24th, 2010 in Ontario, Canada:

“It Don’t Come Easy” (Ringo Starr)
“Honey Don’t” (Ringo Starr)
“Choose Love” (Ringo Starr)
“Hang On Sloopy” (Rick Derringer)
“Free Ride” (Edgar Winter)
“Talking In Your Sleep” (Wally Palmer)
“I Wanna Be Your Man” (Ringo Starr)
“Dream Weaver” (Gary Wright)
“Kyrie” (Richard Page)
“The Other Side Of Liverpool” (Ringo Starr)
“Yellow Submarine” (Ringo Starr)
“Frankenstein” (Winter)
“Peace Dream” (Ringo Starr)
“Back Off Boogaloo” (Ringo Starr)
“What I Like About You” (Wally Palmer)
“Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo/Eruption” (Rick Derringer)
“Boys” (Ringo Starr)
“Love Is Alive” (Gary Wright)
“Broken Wings” (Richard Page)
“Photograph” (Ringo Starr)
“Act Naturally” (Ringo Starr)
“With A Little Help From My Friends/Give Peace A Chance” (Ringo Starr)