Author Archives : Dana

NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC BIOGRAPHY ABOUT ROCK KEYBOARDIST JON LORD TO BE RELEASED IN APRIL

Jon Lord, the celebrated keyboard player of rock bands Deep Purple and Whitesnake and a celebrated composer, is the focus of a new photographic biography that will commemorate his life and successful career, reports blabbermouth.net.

The limited-edition book, released for pre-sale today, is published by Rufus Stone who specialize in creating photographic books of major musical artists.

The exclusive book has been produced in conjunction with Jon Lord’s family and will be personally signed by friend and fellow keyboard player Rick Wakeman. Featuring unpublished professional images, personal family photographs and contributions from Jon’s family and colleagues, the book is highly anticipated by lifelong fans. The book will be accompanied by unreleased music by the late musician and a never-before seen live DVD of Jon performing his famous Concerto.

One of the unreleased tracks, named All Those Years Ago, has inspired the title of the Jon Lord project and is included in the package as a 10-inch vinyl single.

The photographic book is due to be released in April, to coincide with a special memorial concert being held at the Royal Albert Hall in celebration of Lord’s life and musical accomplishments. However, serious fans of Jon Lord can pre-order the limited-edition book as the pre-sale has just recently been launched by Rufus Stone.

Mark Smith of Rufus Stone says: “This photographic book is the ultimate piece of memorabilia for devoted Jon Lord fans. The celebration of his life and work contains rare material from his early days before he was a professional, then continuing through his time with Deep Purple, Pal, Whitesnake and beyond. Signed by Rick Wakeman, All Those Years Ago will be a treasured possession for anyone interested in Jon Lord and his musical talent. We had the honor of working with Jon himself back in 2012 before his death, when Rufus Stone were working on the Deep Purple California Jam title. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to celebrate Jon’s life, and to be working closely with his family and colleagues once again.”

As one of the most respected and revered names in both the rock and classical musical fields, Jon Lord made an impact on people worldwide. A night in his memory, Celebrating Jon Lord will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 4th. The major concert will give fans the opportunity to relive Lord’s extensive musical career, and will feature special guests, including Paul Weller, Rick Wakeman, Alfie Boe and Deep Purple.

Rufus Stone’s photographic biography will be released simultaneously with the memorial celebration concert and will delight fans with its spectrum of unreleased material.

Tarquin Gotch, Jon Lord’s manager, said: “All Those Years Ago is a work of love, and will act as a true collectible for fans of Jon Lord and Deep Purple.”

To find out more about this project, please visit rufuspublications.com.

Watch a video preview about the book below.

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WHAT IS EDDIE TRUNK’S FAVORITE DECADE FOR MUSIC? “THE ‘70s GUYS ARE THE MOST SPECIAL TO ME”

Jeb Wright of Classic Rock Revisited spoke with Eddie about his current book, Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Volume II and music, in general. Highlights of the interview appear below.

Jeb: You are not just a personality; you are a fan of the music. After 30 years does it feel odd that you get asked to do all of these things like host shows, parties, cruises and write books, or are you to the point where you say, “After all of this time…I have earned this.”

Eddie: Well, I will tell you it is a little bit of both. I do really honestly just think of myself as a fan but I would be naïve if I didn’t realize that there are a lot of people that actually care about what I do and what I say and the music I play. I am very grateful that there are people that care about what I say and do. I am proud that I’ve been able to build that sort of trust and relationship with an audience. It is really cool.

It is a little bit of both. I know that there are people out there that are going to really look forward to something like these books. I have heard from a lot of people who have used them as blueprints to get their kids into the music, or that they have discovered bands because of them. That’s really cool, because no matter what I have done in the business in the 31 years that I have been in it, I have always made it about spreading the word about these bands that I love. That has always been the endgame and the fact that it is growing and continues to grow and that I have more than one outlet to do that…I have my website and social media as well, the fact that I have these things is something that I don’t take for granted.

I try to keep a certain standard of quality to it. I try to make sure they are done well. The layout of the books and the quality of the layout is all well done. That is a credit to my publisher more than me. I want to do stuff that is of good quality and that is respectful of the music, but also honest. I think that is what really carries the whole thing.

Jeb: You talk about Glenn Hughes in the new book.

Eddie: I love Glenn’s work. Deep Purple has always been way bigger outside of American than in America. They have a higher level profile elsewhere. Lars Ulrich wouldn’t be playing music if it were not for Deep Purple; they were bigger for him than Led Zeppelin. There is a much higher level for Deep Purple in Europe for Deep Purple’s lineup with Glenn.

I was sorry to see Black Country Communion fall apart. He has new stuff coming out. People can discover Glenn Hughes through places like your website or my radio show. There is a swell of people out there who want to know about this. There is a ton of great music from classic artists that is not being well represented and I want to represent it just like you do.

Jeb: Buckcherry is in this book. They are awesome.

Eddie: They are a band that embodies that sort of AC/DC in your face hard rock sound. I was very happy when they came back. They had a really huge record when they came back and now they have settled into playing to their core fan base for now. They are still a phenomenal band. They are not a new band but they are a newer band that captures that spirit.

Jeb: I tend to lean as a fan to the ‘70s hard rock over the ‘80s. Well, up to about 1983 is pretty awesome. Which era do you love the most?

Eddie: I would say my personal favorite era is the ‘70s. There is a tremendous amount of great stuff that came in the ‘80s. You had great commercial stuff and you had the whole Metallica thing happen and everything that came after. You had Iron Maiden and stuff like that.

For me, the ‘70s guys are the most special to me. That is when I really grew up. I was a little kid and those are the things that shaped me musically for the most part. Aerosmith, Kiss, Van Halen, UFO, AC/DC, Black Sabbath…those are the bands that were important to me as a kid and really opened the flood gates to everything.

In the ‘80s I was already in the business. I started my radio show in 1983 and I started working for a record company in 1986. A lot of the ‘80s bands were bands that I worked with and some of them were friends. I still respect them and like them, but I have a different way of looking at them as we came up in the business together, as opposed to the ‘70s guys as they were the ones that I had the posters of on my wall. That is the difference mainly for me.

Jeb: Tell us about an album that readers at www.classicrockrevisited.com should be checking out.

Eddie: I love the new Alter Bridge record. That record was in my Top 3 of last year. The Winery Dogs are very near and dear to me. They were a band that I had a role in assembling. It was my idea to plug Richie Kotzen into that band. I think he is one of the greatest talents I know of. If people have never heard his solo stuff then you need to know that his last few solo releases have been mind-blowing. Beyond the personal connection, as a fan, I love that Winery Dogs.

There are some new bands that have come out. I like some things about Rival Sons. There is a band called Monster Truck that I heard and I like. They are out of Canada. There are movements of bands that are coming out that are newer and younger but have a kind of old school sound. Scorpion Child at times sounds like Fastway to me. So, those are the things that catch my ear that I like.

I’d like to hear a really great heavy band come out, but I haven’t. One of the big problems I have with music in general is that I need to have vocalists that I like. If I don’t like the singer, then I am not going to be down with it. I can’t get into the scream stuff. I’d love to hear a really heavy, heavy band with really good vocals but I have not heard any of that just yet.

Read more at Classic Rock Revisited.

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VIDEO OF THE NEW LYNCH MOB LINE-UP PERFORMING AT THE WHISKY A GO-GO POSTED ONLINE

Blabbermouth.net reports:

JoeDolanPR.com has uploaded video footage of Lynch Mob’s February 14th performance at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. See the video below.

The current line-up of Lynch Mob is an unusual combination of rock backgrounds. Bassist Kevin Baldes is an original member of the Orange County alternative rock band Lit. Lit’s platinum album A Place In The Sun had three Top Ten hits, including My Own Worst Enemy. Jimmy D’Anda is on drums. With L.A.-based rock band Bulletboys and its hit Smooth Up In Ya, he earned a gold album and toured the world with rock’s biggest acts.

Being introduced on this tour is new vocalist Thadeus “Tad” Gonzalez. With Oakland-based Electric Sister, Tad enjoyed critical acclaim from not only the release of The Lost Art Of Rock & Roll, but also supporting gigs with KISS/Motely Crue, Slash and Black Label Society. He’s been called “a frontman to watch” and “a definitive rock ‘n’ roll voice.”

source: blabbermouth.net

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SEBASTIAN BACH’S “GIVE ‘EM HELL” TO BE RELEASED ON APRIL 22ND

Former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach will release new solo album, Give ‘Em Hell, on April 22nd through Frontiers Records. The follow-up to 2011’s Kicking & Screaming was once again produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath and Shinedown, among others.

Of the new album, Sebastian Bach enthused: “I could not be more proud of the new CD, Give ‘Em Hell. As a rock music fan myself, I listen to it every single day. As a musician, I honestly feel like I have reached a new level of album recording. As an audiophile, I could not be more blown away by the sound! The production and mastering sound so good that it’s perfect to show off your high-end stereo system. Ever since my first record, Skid Row, on through Slave To The Grind up to Kicking & Screaming and Angel Down, I have always been concerned, first and foremost, with making quality records for my fans. And I can honestly say that Give ‘Em Hell meets or even exceeds the standards set by some of the records I have put out in the past. I can’t wait for you all to hear this record! Let’s Give ‘Em Hell in 2014, mothertruckers!”

Fans who pre-order from iTunes will be able to get the first taste of new music as the pre-order includes an instant download of the song Hell Inside My Head, a classic loud and heavy rocker from Bach.

Sebastian managed to involve in the writing and recording some very special friends and guest stars, including none other than Duff McKagan (Velvet Revolver, Guns N’ Roses), and not one but two top-class guitar players: John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). Rounding out the lineup on the CD are Devin Bronson (Avril Lavigne, Pink) on guitar and Bobby Jarzombek (Halford, Riot, Fates Warning) on drums. Duff and Sebastian previously collaborated on Duff’s solo album Believe In Me.

Give ‘Em Hell” track listing:

1. Hell Inside My Head
2. Harmony
3. All My Friends Are Dead
4. Temptation
5. Push Away
6. Dominator
7. Had Enough
8. Gun To A Knife Fight
9. Rock N Roll Is A Vicious Game
10. Taking Back Tomorrow
11. Disengaged
12. Forget You

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DEF LEPPARD GUITARIST VIVIAN CAMPBELL SAYS THAT THE FIRST SONG HE WROTE FOR THE BAND “COULDN’T BE PLAYED” ON RADIO STATIONS

Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has recalled the bitter experience of seeing the first song he’d written for the band bombing when it was released as a single, even though the track had been well-received.

He’s hoping to put the bad memories behind him now that Slang, the first Def Leppard album he played on, has been re-released.

Campbell joined the band in 1992 following the death of Steve Clark, and his first writing credits came with Slang four years later, including the single Work It Out.

He tells Death And Taxes, “The first single in the States was my first writing contribution – here I was, stoked that the label had decided to go with it, and I remember someone from the management calling me up to tell me the bad news. Modern rock stations had tested the song and got a great reaction to it. But they realized they couldn’t play it because DJs couldn’t announce: ‘That was new from Def Leppard.’ They figured they’d lose so many listeners. They were playing Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soungarden – they couldn’t slot in Def Leppard even though they liked the track.”

With Slang the band had made a conscious effort to move away from their 80s credentials in an attempt to remain credible in the grunge era. Campbell recalls: “The underlying brief was: ‘It can’t sound like a Def Leppard album.’”

He admits: “My personal opinion is we went a little too left-field. There’s no backing vocals, which was a big trademark. There’s no real sense of that melody, the hooks. Being the new guy I didn’t rock the boat too much, but I think we went a few degrees too far left.”

But the guitarist – who recently successfully fought off cancer – is optimistic about the re-release, saying: “It’s nice that it will get a second run and be judged by a different generation. We’re glad that, with the passing of the last twenty-odd years, we can put it back out there. Hopefully it will be judged impartially this time round. It is fresh sounding. It’s sonically very vibrant.”

Def Leppard have just begun work on a new studio album.

additional source: classicrockmagazine.com

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ANTHRAX GUITARIST SCOTT IAN DISCUSSES HIS SPOKEN WORD TOUR, DOPPELGANGERS AND KELLY BUNDY

Kory Grow of Rolling Stone spoke with Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian about his spoken word tour (Dana’s note: a la Henry Rollins, perhaps?). Excerpts from the interview appear below.

RS: When you were prepping for your spoken-word concerts, did you ever get any pointers from any of your comedian friends?

Scott Ian: No [laughs]. I hang out with Brian Posehn a bunch, and I’m friends with Patton Oswalt and [Metalocalypse creator] Brendon Small. If anyone helped at all, it’s Brendon. He said, “Go up there and do it as much as you can, and that’s the best way to learn.” I know that might sound completely cliché, but after my first week of shows in the U.K., I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I was just up there telling stories. Then it kind of evolved; you start to learn how to do it. You learn your timing, how to milk the most out of every word for effect, for pathos, whatever it may be. You really learn how to tell a story in front of a crowd.

RS: So what sorts of stories are you going to tell on this leg of your tour?

SI: It’s everything from being a pathetic 13 year old dabbling in drugs for the first time to touring the world for 30-odd years with Anthrax. I have stories about the people I’ve met and the people I’ve had insane experiences with – people like Lemmy and [deceased Pantera guitarist] “Dimebag” Darrell.

The Lemmy story is from when I first met him in London in 1985 and basically how that ended up with me in Germany fighting off Nazi doctors. I did not not make up.

Then people always ask me what my favorite memory of Dimebag is. I can’t say I have a favorite memory, because that’d be too hard to pin down, but I have a favorite Dimebag “experience,” that began with a phone call in 1997 in the middle of the night and how that turned into a three-year revenge story. That whole story takes about 40 minutes. There’s a kind of video intermission halfway through.

RS:You released a teaser video for your tour. In it, you talk about people mistaking you for other rockers. Who have you gotten over the years?

SI: Shit, since I’ve shaved my head, it’s been either been [Pantera frontman] Phil Anselmo, the singer of Live, Flea and Shavo from System of a Down. Certainly when Live was really big, I’d get that a lot.

RS: Have you heard that people have been mistaking your supposed doppelgängers for you?

SI: I met that dude Ed from Live at a show years ago and told him that and that sometimes I go with it and act like a dick ’cause I won’t get blamed for it [laughs]. He thought it was funny and said, “I get it all the time, as well. ‘Aren’t you that guy from Anthrax?'”

RS: Do people really come up to you and ask to touch your beard?

SI: Oh, all the time. I don’t get it – even if you’re a lady coming up to do it. A dude coming up to me saying, “Let me run my fingers through your beard,” that makes no sense at all. But even for a girl. I got this crazy idea about personal space that’s important to me. I don’t walk up to ladies and say, “Can I run my fingers through your hair?” You get in trouble for shit like that.

I’ve had women at meet-and-greets ask that. You’re in some tent at a festival signing autographs and everyone’s filthy, you know, I don’t want anyone’s hands in my beard except for my wife’s. People get mad at me when I say that. Like, really? I’m the one who should be mad.

I make a point to tell stories about all the beardy guys I’ve hung around with for the last 20 years and not once have I ever thought I would want to snuggle up with Zakk Wylde. It’s not something I’ve ever wanted to do.

RS: Do people really think you that you, uh, slept with Kelly Bundy when Anthrax was on Married. . . With Children.

SI: Yeah, everyone has seen that episode around the world in every language. That’s one of the things still to this day we get asked about. I just love the context of someone asking you, “Did any of you sleep with Kelly Bundy,” because it just adds this whole level of weirdness to it because she’s a character. I could understand more if they said, “Did you have sex with Christina Applegate?” That makes sense. I didn’t, but I joked with someone once, “I did, and Christina stayed in character, which added this whole awesome weirdness to the whole thing.”

And there’s this great story about that that I don’t want to give away because it’s in the show. In the script for that episode, all the way up until Thursday of the week that we shot, there’s a scene where Kelly takes me by the hand up to her bedroom to have sex. And that scene didn’t make the actual taping, but I won’t give away why it didn’t make it here.

RS: While we’re on the subject of Anthrax, are you guys recording?

SI: Yeah. Frank [Bello, bass] and Charlie [Benante, drums] came out here to my house and we jumped right in in November. Not to jinx anything, but things have been going pretty fast creatively, which normally isn’t the case. We’ve got a ton of material; I’m talking 12 songs now, musically arranged. I’m on my fifth and sixth lyrically, and Charlie sent over ideas for two more songs. He even wrote in an email, “Now the really good stuff is coming.” And I was like, “Really? The shit we have right now is pretty fucking killer.”

This could probably be the first time in this band’s history that we’ll go into the studio with more original material than we need. Normally we have nine or 10 songs then do a bunch of covers, but I can safely say this time, we’ll be recording about 15 of our own songs, if not more, which we’ve never had before.

The vibe has been great. I think we’re all just happy to be doing it because we came off this great run with Worship Music, two years, 207 shows, and people all over the planet really love that record. It just afforded us the opportunity to do what we love to do, so we can’t wait to get back in and start.

Watch Scott Ian’s teaser video below

Read more at Rolling Stone.

source: rollingstone.com

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