Thursday, December 31, 2009

Top 10 Rock CD's/Downloads For This Week (12-31-2009)


TOP 10 ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK (12-31-2009)

(1)1. STING...If On A Winter's Night...
(3)2. BON JOVI...The Circle
(2)3. PAUL McCARTNEY...Good Evening New York City
(5)4. NICKELBACK...Dark Horse
(6)5. DAUGHTRY...Leave this Town
(Enter)6. MUDVAYNE...Mudvayne
(4)7. ROD STEWART...Soulbook
(10)8. BREAKING BENJAMIN...Dear Agony
(9)9. CREED...Full Circle
(8)10. FOO FIGHTERS...Greatest Hits

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 31
Andy Summers from the Police is 67; Peter Quaife from the Kinks is 66; Burton Cummings from the Guess Who is 62; Tom Hamilton from Aerosmith is 58; Paul Westerberg from the Replacements is 50; Ric Ivanisevich from Oleander is 47; Scott Ian from Anthrax is 46; Mikko Siren from Apocalyptica is 34;

ON THIS DATE
1974 Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are asked to join Fleetwood Mac
1984 Rick Allen of Def Leppard losses his left arm in a car accident
1992 Anthony Kiedes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is hospitalized with dysentery
2003 Alex Lifeson of Rush is arrested in Naples, Florida for aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer, plus five other counts

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

December 30

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 30
Michael Nesmith, formerly with the Monkees, is 67; Davy Jones, formerly with the Monkees, is 64; Clive Bunker formerly with Jethro Tull is 64; Patti Smith is 63; Jeff Lynne, formerly with ELO, is 62;

ON THIS DATE
1928 Bo Diddley is born in McComb, Mississippi. Diddley died in 2008
1938 Felix Pappalardi of Mountain is born in New York, New York. Pappalardi died in 1983
1968 Peter Tork pays $160,000 to get out of his Monkees contract
1999 Former Beatle George Harrison fought off a knife-wielding intruder who broke into his mansion west of London and stabbed him in the chest. (Michael Abram was later acquitted of attempted murder by reason of insanity.)
2007 Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull receives the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II

IN CONCERT
Thursday, December 31 BulletBoys Boothill Saloon Daytona Beach

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

New Rock Releases


ROCK NEW RELEASES
January 5
ELVIS PRESLEY...Elvis 75

Reissues
LYNYRD SKYNYRD...Street Survivors: Rarities Edition
STEVE EARLE...Copperhead Road: Rarities Edition
GIN BLOSSOMS...New Miserable Experience: Rarities Edition

January 12
Reissues
STEPHEN STILLS AND MANASSAS...Manassas (2 LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

February 2
LIFEHOUSE...Smoke And Mirrors

Reissues
SANTANA...Supernatural (Legacy Edition, Extra Tracks)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 29

Ray Thomas from the Moody Blues is 68; Dexter Holland from the Offspring is 44; Glen Phillips from Toad The Wet Sprocket is 39

ON THIS DATE
1942 Rick Danko is born in Greens Corners, Ontario. Danko died in 1999
1947 Cozy Powell, who drummed for several acts including Rainbow and Whitesnake, was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. Powell died in 1998
2005 Pearl Jam win a legal battle over the rights to the domain name pearljams.com. The band filed a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum saying the site's domain holder, Vertical Axis Inc., was using it to link to commercial sites that were unrelated to Pearl Jam.

IN CONCERT
Wednesday, December 30 RICK SPRINGFIELD Seminole Hard Rock And Casino Tampa

R.I.P.
The Rev from Avenged Sevenfold

December 28

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 28
Edgar Winter is 63;

Sunday, December 27, 2009

December 27

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 27
Mike Pinder formerly of the Moody Blues is 68; Mick Jones from Foreigner is 65; Larry Byrom formerly with Steppenwolf is 61; David Knopfler from Dire Straits is 57; Guthrie Govan from Asia is 38;

ON THIS DATE
1962 Gene Vincent has a bone graft to repair his leg that he injured in the accident that killed Eddie Cochran
2005 Best Of (Chapter One 1997-2004) by Sevendust is released
2008 Gregg Allman's home in Richmond Hill, Georgia is robbed. All stolen items except for a pistol are recovered

Saturday, December 26, 2009

December 26

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 26
James Kottak from The Scorpions is 47; Lars Ulrich from Metallica is 46; J from White Zombie is 42; Peter Klett from Candlebox is 40; Chris Daughtry is 30;


ON THIS DATE

1967 The Beatles TV special Magical Mystery Tour airs for the first time in England

Friday, December 25, 2009

December 25


BIRTHDAYS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 25
Annie Lennox, formerly with the Eurythmics, is 55;

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Top 10 CD'S of 2009


10. HEAVEN AND HELL...The Devil You Know
Tony Iommi is just utterly amazing, no matter who his front man might be. In this case it's Ronnie James Dio. This CD just flat out rocks!! Dio still has the ability to belt it out like he did in his 20's. A few highlights: "Bible Black" and "Follow The Tears" You can purchase the vinyl here







9. FOREIGNER...Can't Slow Down
Their first album in 15 years and the first to feature their new lead vocalist Kelly Hansen who sounds uncannily like Lou Gramm! The songs are good, tight arena rock, whether they're fist-pumping anthems like the title track and "Give Me a Sign" or power ballads like "When It Comes to Love" and "As Long as I Live." You can purchase the CD here





8. THE BLACK CROWES...Before The Frost...Until The Freeze
This is a double-album's worth of new material recorded in front of a live audience at Levon Helm's barn in upstate New York. This is a rather remarkable record, a record that has all the easy interplay of a road-tested band but none of the weariness. The Crowes play with muscle, mixing the rustic ramble of "Appaloosa" or the gritty opener "Good Morning Captain". The band sounds alive on this terrific album. You can purchase the vinyl here





7. QUEENSRYCHE...American Soldier
Geoff Tate is a fantastic singer and this concept CD is brilliant. Real soldiers giving their brief stories between tracks adds to the color and the mood of the music. "Home Again" could possibly be one the band's best tracks ever. Other highlights include: "Man Down" and "If I Were King" You can purchase the CD here







6. ERIC CLAPTON AND STEVE WINWOOD...Live From Madison Square Garden
Clapton and Winwood did three concerts together at Madison Square Garden in February 2008, the results spawned this double-disc album and culls 21 highlights. Sequencing so Traffic numbers alternate with selections from Blind Faith, Derek & the Dominos, blues standards, a handful of Clapton hits, and three Hendrix covers - "Them Changes" being the standout. Clapton and Winwood trade vocals and solos almost equally. Clapton and Winwood create sparks such as the '80s hits "Forever Man" and "Split Decision," both which are highlights here. This isn't an album of moments, but rather a sustained whole that finds Clapton and Winwood producing a wholly satisfying reunion. You can purchase the blu-ray here



5. ALICE IN CHAINS...Black Gives Way To Blue
AIC fans that were worried about Layne Staley's replacement had their fears put to rest when this CD came out. William DuVall gives an outstasnding vocal performance on this record. What helps is the tracks are basically the type of rockin' track you'd expect from the band. the 14 year wait was worth it. Highlights: "A Looking In View", "All Secrets Known", "Your Decision" and "Check My Brain" You can purchase the vinyl here





4. CHICKENFOOT...Chickenfoot
What a wild and exciting record this is. Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony (both formerly with Van Halen), Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Pepper's drummer Chad Smith combine for this (you hate to say 'supergroup') outing and the results are great rock 'n'roll, folks!! Nothing fancy, just straight ahead-have fun-in your face-jamming Rock N' Roll. Highlights: "Soap On A Rope", "Oh Yeah" and "Sexy Little Thing" You can purchase the vinyl here





3. PAUL McCARTNEY...Good Evening New York City
One Knight, over two hours of music, from three concerts. Full of the "hits" - but check out "Mrs Vanderbilt" and "Highway". You can pre-order the vinyl here










2. KISS...Sonic Boom
The wait was way too long for some new music from KISS but it finally came and the results were very very good. While the band was recording this CD they would tell the press that Sonic Boom would be very 70's sounding KISS. To this listeners ears it was a little more like 80's KISS but 80's KISS was good. Gene Simmons bass playing is the best it's ever been on a KISS record and Eric Singer is a beast on the drums. Only drawback: it's available only at Walmart. KISS still rocks, folks, don't kid yourself. Highlights: "Say Yeah", "Modern Day Delilah" "I'm An Animal" aand "Russian Roulette" You can purchase the CD here



1. ACE FREHLEY...Anomaly
Ace Frehley is the coolest dude in Rock 'N' Roll. He is a guitar god and an extremely talented songwriter. Anomaly sounds more like what KISS fans would want a new KISS record to sound like. Here on this CD are a collection of great sounding, very well produced, very well crafted straight ahead hard rock. It had been 20 years since Ace put out an album and he definitely got it right, making this our pick for the number one album of 2009. Highlights: "Outer Space", "Fox On The Run", "Genghis Khan", "A Little Below The Angels" and "Fractured Quantum" You can purchase the vinyl here

TOP 10 ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK (12-24-2009)
(1)1. STING...If On A Winter's Night...
(3)2. PAUL McCARTNEY...Good Evening New York City
(2)3. BON JOVI...The Circle
(4)4. ROD STEWART...Soulbook
(7)5. NICKELBACK...Dark Horse
(6)6. DAUGHTRY...Leave This Town
(5)7. BOB DYLAN...Christmas In The Heart
(8)8. FOO FIGHTERS...Greatest Hits
(9)9. CREED...Full Circle
(Re-enter)10. BREAKING BENJAMIN...Dear Agony

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 24
Lemmy from Motorhead is 64;

December 23

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 23
Jorma Kaukonen from Jefferson Airplane is 69; Ron Bushy from Iron Butterfly is 68; Dave Murray from Iron Maiden is 53; Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam is 45;

ON THIS DATE
1959 Chuck Berry is arrested and charged with the Mann Act after ttransporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. He is convicted and serves time in prison in Indiana and later in Kansas
1972 Grand Funk Railroad's former manager Terry Knight shows up with moving vans and the sheriff at one of GFR's concerts to collect their equipment. The nand and Knight have been involved in several nasty lawsuits. The sheriff tells Knight he cannot take the equipment until after the show
1986 Two teenagers from Reno, Nevada attempt suicide after listening to the album Stained Glass by Judas Priest. One dies and the parents sue the band claim ing it was their fault. That suit is later dismissed
1987 Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is pronounced dead, but is then revived with 2 adrenaline shots to the chest

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

December 22

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 22
Barry Jenkins of the Animals is 65; Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick is 63;

ON THIS DATE
1973 Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers is arrested for marijuana possession in Visalia, California
1978 Kenny Jones officially becomes a member of the Who

2002 Joe Strummer of the Clash dies of an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. Strummer was 50

Monday, December 21, 2009

New Rock Releases


December 22
NIRVANA...Live At Reading (vinyl)
MUDVAYNE...Mudvayne or vinyl LP with Digital Code
also a clean version
EVERYBODY'S FINE soundtrack

Box Sets, Greatest Hits, Compilations
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND...Dave Matthews Band - Europe 2009 (3 CDs & 1 DVD)
THE WHO...Greatest Hits
NEIL YOUNG...Greatest Hits (2 LP 180 Gram Vinyl with Bonus 7 Inch Vinyl LP)
Various Artist...Monster Mullet Rock
Various Artist...This Is Stadium Anthems

January 12
Reissues
STEPHEN STILLS AND MANASSAS...Manassas (2 LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

February 2
LIFEHOUSE...Smoke And Mirrors

Reissues
SANTANA...Supernatural (Legacy Edition, Extra Tracks)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 21
Albert Lee is 66; Brett Scallions formerly with Fuel is 38;

ON THIS DATE
1970 Elvis Presley shows up unannounced and with no invitation to the White House to meet President Nixon

2007 Austin Winkler of Hinder is arrested for driving while intoxicated in Jonesboro, Arkansas

20,807

Sunday, December 20, 2009

December 20

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 20
Peter Criss formerly of Kiss is 64; Alan Parsons is 61; Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1975 Joe Walsh joins the Eagles
2006 Matthew Fisher formerly with Procol Harum wins his lawsuit for royalties from "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" but was awarded 40% of the composers' share of the music copyright, rather than the 50% he was seeking and was not granted royalties prior to 2005

2006 Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith announces he is cancer-free
2007 Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli's divorce becomes final

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Central Florida Concert Datebook

CENTRAL FLORIDA CONCERT DATEBOOK

Sunday, January 10 SMILE EMPTY SOUL Firestone Live Orlando
Thursday, January 14 EDDIE MONEY Captain Hiram's Resort Sebastian
Friday, January 15 FOREIGNER/EDDIE MONEY Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater
Saturday, January 16 RICHIE HAVENS Capital Theatre Clearwater
Saturday, January 23 RICHIE HAVENS Mt. Dora Community Center Mt. Dora
Saturday, January 23 MARTY BALIN Skipper's Smokehouse Tampa
Friday, February 5 B.B. KING/BUDDY GUY Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater
Saturday, February 13 HEART Universal Studios Orlando
Friday, February 19 THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Plaza Theatre Orlando
Saturday, February 20 THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Coachmen Park Clearwater
Sunday, February 21 HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS Busch Gardens Tampa
Saturday, February 27 YES Sea World Orlando
Thursday, March 4 THE MOODY BLUES Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater
Monday, March 8 THE MOODY BLUES Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
Thursday, March 11 THE MOODY BLUES Van Wezel Performing Arts Center Sarasota
Thursday, March 11 JOHN CAFFERTY Orlando
Saturday, March 13 ED KOWALCZYK (of LIVE) House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista
Saturday, March 13 ERIC CLAPTON/ROGER DALTRY Amway Arena Orlando
Sunday, March 21 GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista
Thursday, March 25 BLUE OYSTER CULT Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
Friday, March 26 FOGHAT Downtown Bradenton

Friday, April 9 TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL: JIMMIE VAUGHAN Vinoy Park St. Petersburg
Saturday, April 10 TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL: KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD Vinoy Park St. Petersburg
Friday, April 16 NELSON Epcot Center Lake Buena Vista
Friday, April 16 STYX Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
Saturday, April 17 NELSON Epcot Center Lake Buena Vista
Saturday, April 17 BON JOVI St. Pete Times Forum Tampa
Sunday, April 18 NELSON Epcot Center Lake Buena Vista
Monday, April 19 NICKELBACK/BREAKING BENJAMIN/SICK PUPPIES Amway Arena Orlando
Thursday, April 29 SPIN DOCTORS Hard Rock Hotel Orlando
Saturday, July 3 SURVIVOR Busch Gardens Tampa

December 19

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 19
Alvin Lee of Ten Years After is 65; Doug Johnson of Loverboy is 52; Kevin Shepard of Tonic is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1955 Carl Perkins records "Blue Suede Shoes"

1993 Michael Clarke of the Byrds dies of liver failure in Treasure Island, Florida. Clarke was 47
2003 Peter Eckenrod pleads no contest for scheming to defraud and fraudulent use of a credit card and receives 25 months in prison for pretending to be Mark Tremonti of Creed
2006 At a Disturbed concert in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin 30 people are taken to a local hospital after receiving cuts, bruises and overheating in a mosh pit
2006 The F.B.I. release documents relating to their investigation of John Lennon after President Nixon thought Lennon was providing financial assistance to left wing causes but there was never any evidence to support this theory

Friday, December 18, 2009

December 18

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 18
Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is 66; Elliot Easton of the Cars is 56; DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit is 37;

ON THIS DATE
1938 Chas Chandler of the Animals was born in in the Heaton district of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Chandler died in 1996
1975 Rod Stewart announces that he is leaving the Faces
1976 Fly Like An Eagle by the Steve Miller Band is released

1983 Keith Richards marries Patti Hansen in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Mick Jagger is the best man
2006 Led Zeppelin, the Grateful Dead, the Doors and Santana all file suit against Wolfgang's Vault in U.S. District Court to stop streaming footage of the group’s live shows taped during the ‘60s at the Fillmore auditoriums in New York and San Francisco
2007 Kissology 3: 1992-2000 DVD by Kiss is released
2008 Shinedown annonce that Zach Myers has replaced Nick Perri on guitar

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Top 10 Rock CD's/Downloads For This Week (12-17-2009)


TOP 10 ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK (12-17-2009)
(1)1. STING...If On A Winter's Night...
(2)2. BON JOVI...The Circle
(4)3. PAUL McCARTNEY...Good Evening New York City
(3)4. ROD STEWART...Soulbook
(5)5. BOB DYLAN...Christmas In The Heart
(6)6. DAUGHTRY...Leave This Town
(10)7. NICKELBACK...Dark Horse
(7)8. FOO FIGHTERS...Greatest Hits
(9)9. CREED...Full Circle
(Re-enter)10. Various Artist...Twilight soundtrack

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 17
Paul Rodgers is 60; Mike Mills of R.E.M. is 51;

ON THIS DATE
1994 Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi marries Heather Locklear
2007 It is announced that Stephen Stills has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo treatment for the disease

IN CONCERT
Sunday, February 21 HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS Busch Gardens Tampa
Thursday, April 29 SPIN DOCTORS Hard Rock Hotel Orlando

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

December 16

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 16
Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top is 60; Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1983 Pete Townshend announces that he will no longer record or perform live with the Who
2008 Cinco Diablo by Saliva is released

2008 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath files a lawsuit against Live Nation and their subsidiary Signatures Network Inc. for copyright infringement claiming that they are selling merchandise with Black Sabbath images despite the expiration of a licensing agreement

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

December 15

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 15
Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge is 63; Paul Simonon of The Clash is 54;

ON THIS DATE
1964 Beatles '65 by the Beatles is released
1992 Insecticide by Nirvana is released
2006 B.B. King receives the Medal of Freedom from President George Bush in recognition of his musical accomplishments

Monday, December 14, 2009

New Rock Releases


NEW ROCK RELEASES
December 15
GREEN DAY...Bullet In A Bible (2 vinyl LP)
JULIAN LENNON/JAMES SCOTT COOK...Lucy (EP)

Vinyl Reissues
NIRVANA...In Utero (180 gram vinyl)
NIRVANA...MTV Live Unplugged (180 gram vinyl)

December 21
NIRVANA...Live At Reading (vinyl)
MUDVAYNE...Mudvayne or vinyl LP with Digital Code
also a clean version
EVERYBODY'S FINE soundtrack

Box Sets, Greatest Hits
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND...Dave Matthews Band - Europe 2009 (3 CDs & 1 DVD)
THE WHO...Greatest Hits
NEIL YOUNG...Greatest Hits (2 LP 180 Gram Vinyl with Bonus 7 Inch Vinyl LP)

January 12
Reissues
STEPHEN STILLS AND MANASSAS...Manassas (2 LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

February 2
LIFEHOUSE...Smoke And Mirrors

Reissues
SANTANA...Supernatural (Legacy Edition, Extra Tracks)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 14

Cliff Williams of AC/DC is 60;


ON THIS DATE

2004 A lawsuit is filed in L.A. Superior Court claiming that a soccer ball kicked from the stage during an August 31st Rod Stewart concert at the Hollywood Bowl caused a concertgoer "personal injuries, physical disability and physical and emotional distress, pain and suffering
2005 Jimmy Page is appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace
2006 Co-founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, dies at the age of 83 from injuries he received when he fell at a Rolling Stones concert 6 weeks earlier

Sunday, December 13, 2009

December 15

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 13
Ted Nugent is 61; Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of the Doobie Brothers is 61; Berton Averre of the Knack is 55; Amy Lee of Evanescence is 28;

ON THIS DATE
1974 George Harrison stops by the White House and meets President Gerald Ford

2004 A Maryland couple sues Walmart for selling Evanescence's Anywhere But Home CD/DVD without a parental advisory label

IN CONCERT
Sunday, January 10 SMILE EMPTY SOUL Firestone Live Orlando

Saturday, December 12, 2009

December 12

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 12
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band is 66; Bruce Kulick formerly with Kiss is 56; Cy Curnin of the Fixx is 52; Eric Schenkman of the Spin Doctors is 46;

ON THIS DATE
1957 Jerry Lee Lewis marries his 13 year old second cousin Myra Gale Brown, in Hernando, Mississippi, a move that ultimately hurt his career. Lewis was still married to his second wife at the time, that divorce didn't come until May 1958

1967 A British court commutes Rolling Stone guitarist Brian Jones’ nine-month prison sentence for cannabis possession
1974 Mick Taylor quits the Rolling Stones
2007 Scott Weiland of Velvet Revolver is formally charged with driving under the influence of drugs stemming from a car crash he had in Los Angeles on November 11, 2007

Friday, December 11, 2009

December 11

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 11
Mike Mesaros of The Smithereens is 52; Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is 51;

ON THIS DATE
1976 Night Moves by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band is released
1976 Ace Frehley of Kiss is shocked while on stage in Florida. He returns several minutes later and finishes the show



IN CONCERT

Saturday, December 12 CHRIS ISAAK Universal Studios Orlando
Saturday, December 12 COLD Gasoline Alley Clearwater

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Top 10 Rock CD's/Downloads For This Week (12-10-2009)


TOP 10 ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK (12-10-2009)
(2)1. STING...If On A Winter's Night...
(1)2. BON JOVI...The Circle
(5)3. ROD STEWART...Soulbook
(4)4. PAUL McCARTNEY...Good Evening New York City
(Enter)5. BOB DYLAN...Christmas In The Heart
(8)6. DAUGHTRY...Leave This Town
(9)7. FOO FIGHTERS...Greatest Hits
(6)8. THEM CROOKED VULTURES...Them Crooked Vultures
(10)9. CREED...Full Circle
(Re-enter)10. NICKELBACK...Dark Horse

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 10
Scot Alexander of Dishwalla is 38;

ON THIS DATE
1967 Otis Redding, 26, and six others were killed when their plane crashed into Wisconsin's Lake Monona
1967 The Steve Miller Blue's Band sign with Capitol Records, with "Blues" soon dropped
1976 Wings Over America by Wings is released
1999 Death claimed Rick Danko of the Band, a day after his 56th birthday
2007 Led Zeppelin perform at London's O2 Arena at a tribute concert for Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who passed away the previous December. Included in the audience: Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, The Edge, David Grohl, Queen drummer Roger Taylor and Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

December 9

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 9
Nick Seymour of Crowded House is 51; Thomas Flowers of Oleander is 42; Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers is 40; Tre Cool of Green Day is 37;

ON THIS DATE
1967 Jim Morrison of the Doors gets maced by police in New Haven, Connecticut before a concert. Later, he badmouths the police and is then arrested on stage and charged for breach of the peace and resisting arrest
1967 Their Satanic Majesties Request by the Rolling Stones is released
1992 Bill Wyman quits the Rolling Stones after being in the band for 30 years
1992 George Harrison is the first recipient of Billboard magazine’s Century Award
2003 Splinter by The Offspring is released
2003 Owners of The Station in Rhode Island, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and Great White tour manager Dan Biechele are each charged with involuntary manslaughter. 100 people were killed in a fire at the club the previous February after Biechele lit the pyrotechnics that sparked the blaze
2005 Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains undergoes surgery at an L.A. orthopedic clinic to correct a problem that was causing acute pain in his left shoulder
2008 Dave Buckner files a lawsuit against his former band Papa Roach for breach of contract and other improprieties. He also seeks to dissolve the Papa Roach partnership and related corporations

IN CONCERT
Saturday, March 13 ERIC CLAPTON/ROGER DALTRY Amway Arena Orlando

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #119. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)



1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #119. The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)

The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
Label – Columbia
Producer – Gary Usher
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality – USA
Running Time – 28:25

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Artificial Energy
2. Goin' Back
3. Natural Harmony
4. Draft Morning
5. Wasn't Born To Follow
6. Get To You
7. Change Is Now
8. Old John Robertson
9. Tribal Gathering
10. Dolphin's Smile
11. Space Odyssey

This is the Byrds' fifth album released in January of 1968. Other than the “hits”, before listening to the 1001 list I had never heard a single Byrds record, this is the fourth one of theirs on the list. And “The Notorious Byrd Brothers” is a good one. Also I never knew much about the Byrds history so reading up about each album has been fun as well.
The sessions for this record came during the middle of internal turmoil that found the Byrds reduced to a duo by the time the record was completed! Roger McGuinn, and Chris Hillman remained in the group while David Crosby and Michael Clarke left the band. Additionally, original band member, Gene Clark, who had left the band in early 1966, rejoined for three weeks during the album's recording, before leaving again. Fortunately that doesn’t transpire to the music.
The group continued to grow and take more chances with their music to be more than the guitar jangle and harmonies that made them so famous.
The record has spacey arrangements on songs like "Natural Harmony" and the use of electronic phasing on the Goffin & King penned "Wasn't Born to Follow". Then there is the eerie backdrop for "Space Odyssey" which by the way is a musical retelling of Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Sentinel" (which was the inspiration for Stanley Kubrick's film “2001: A Space Odyssey”).
The songs are linked with segues and fades so it feels like one long piece of music but that’s not to mistake this as a concept record because it is not. "Goin' Back" (which was also written by Goffin & King) was an excellent cover complete with the expected 12-string guitar fills all over it that it very surprising that it was not a big hit, and "Tribal Gathering" uses their trademark harmonies most effectively. Topping it all off is "Draft Morning" a subtle track about the horrors of the Vietnam War and the pleasant "Old John Robertson" which is mostly country-rock.
Over the years, “The Notorious Byrd Brothers” has gained in reputation and is often considered the group's best work. The album reached #47 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and reached #12 in the United Kingdom. The single "Goin' Back" reached #89 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, the album was ranked number 171 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It is highly recommended.


You can purchase the CD here


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 8
Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band is 62; Warren Cuccurullo of Duran Duran is 53; Phil Collen of Def Leppard is 52; Marty Friedman formerly with Megadeth is 47;

ON THIS DATE
1943 Jim Morrison of the Doors is born in Melbourne, Florida. Morrison died in 1971
1968 Graham Nash announces the formation of Crosby, Stills And Nash
1969 Jimi Hendrix is found not guilty for possession of hashish and heroin in a Toronto courtroom
1976 Hotel California by the Eagles is released
1980 John Lennon was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by Mark David Chapman, an apparently deranged fan
2000 On the 20th anniversary of John Lennon’s murder in New York, a statue of Lennon is unveiled in Havana
2003 Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of the Doors attend a memorial at Jim Morrison’s gravesite in Paris on his 60th birthday
2003 An ATV accident on his U.K. estate sends Ozzy Osbourne to the hospital with a broken collarbone and six broken ribs
2004 "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, 38, an influential heavy metal guitarist, was fatally shot with three other people during a performance in Columbus, Ohio; the gunman was then shot dead by a police officer
2007 Chris CFornell of Audioslave and Soundgarden loses $30,000 worth of personal belongings when a flood hits the Buenos Aires, Argentina, hotel where he is staying
2008 On what would have been Jim Morrison's 65th birthday Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger attend a plaque unveiling at a restraunt in Los Angeles Barney's Beanery, where Morrison had urinated on the bar


IN CONCERT

Saturday, February 27 YES Sea World Orlando

Monday, December 7, 2009

New Rock Releases


NEW ROCK RELEASES
December 15
GREEN DAY...Bullet In A Bible (2 vinyl LP)
JULIAN LENNON/JAMES SCOTT COOK...Lucy (EP)

Vinyl Reissues
NIRVANA...In Utero (180 gram vinyl)
NIRVANA...MTV Live Unplugged (180 gram vinyl)

December 21
NIRVANA...Live At Reading (vinyl)
MUDVAYNE...Mudvayne or vinyl LP with Digital Code
also a clean version
EVERYBODY'S FINE soundtrack

Box Sets, Greatest Hits
DAVE MATTHEWS BAND...Dave Matthews Band - Europe 2009 (3 CDs & 1 DVD)
THE WHO...Greatest Hits

January 12
Reissues
STEPHEN STILLS AND MANASSAS...Manassas (2 LP 180 Gram Vinyl)

February 2
LIFEHOUSE...Smoke And Mirrors

Reissues
SANTANA...Supernatural (Legacy Edition, Extra Tracks)

ON THIS DATE
1962 Bill Wyman auditions for the Rolling Stones. He gets the job a week later
1968 Eric Burdon announces that the Animals will disband after fulfilling their already scheduled concerts
2005 Amy Lee of Evanescence files a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against her band's former manager, Dennis Rider of Rider Management, for breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and sexual assault
2006 A couple who witnessed the Damageplan show on 12/08/04 in Columbus, OH, where five people were shot and killed, including guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, file a lawsuit against the club's owners. The plaintiffs claim club security was inadequate and that they suffered severe and permanent emotional injuries from witnessing the shooting
2008 Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who received Kennedy Center Honors.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

December 6

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 6
Peter Buck of R.E.M. is 53;

ON THIS DATE
1956 Randy Rhoads, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and once a member of Quiet Riot, is born in Santa Monica, California. Rhoads died in 1982
1966 Rubber Soul by the Beatles is released in the U.S.
1969 A free concert by the Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway in Alameda County, California was marred by the deaths of four people, including one who was stabbed by a Hell's Angel
1988 Roy Orbison dies of a heart attack in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Orbison is 52
1994 Vitology by Pearl Jam is released
1995 The Grateful Dead officially announce they have disbanded due to the death of Jerry Garcia
2005 See You On The Other Side by KoRn is released
2007 Stephen Benton of Drowning Pool is hospitalized in Eau Claire, Wisconsin after experiencing paralysis and is diagnosed with the neurological malady Bell's palsy, a condition that usually is temporary. The group is forced to cancel the remaining shows on their tour

Saturday, December 5, 2009

December 5

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 5
Little Richard is 77; J.J. Cale is 71; Jim Messina formerly with Buffalo Springfield is 62; Jack Russell of Great White is 49; John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls is 44; Glenn Graham of Blind Melon is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1968 Beggar's Banquet by the Rolling Stones is released
2005 Valerie Betinelli files divorce papers to end the 24 year marriage to Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen
2007 Stewart Copeland of the Police apologizes to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet after her government objects to comments the drummer made about her. Copeland was quoted saying Argentinean president-elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was "good for one beer" while Bachelet was good "for four."

IN CONCERT
Sunday, December 6 DEREK TRUCKS BAND The Ritz Ybor Ybor City
Sunday, December 6 97X THE NEXT BIG THING with CAGE THE ELEPHANT, CHEVELLE, SICK PUPPIES and others Ford Ampitheatre Tampa
Sunday, December 6 PUDDLE OF MUDD House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista

Friday, December 4, 2009

Central Florida Concert Datebook

CENTRAL FLORIDA CONCERT DATEBOOK

Wednesday, December 30 RICK SPRINGFIELD Seminole Hard Rock And Casino Tampa
Thursday, December 31 BulletBoys Boothill Saloon Daytona Beach
Saturday, January 2 SEVENDUST House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista
Sunday, January 10 SMILE EMPTY SOUL Firestone Live Orlando
Thursday, January 14 EDDIE MONEY Captain Hiram's Resort Sebastian
Friday, January 15 FOREIGNER/EDDIE MONEY Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater
Saturday, January 16 RICHIE HAVENS Capital Theatre Clearwater
Saturday, January 23 RICHIE HAVENS Mt. Dora Community Center Mt. Dora
Saturday, January 23 MARTY BALIN Skipper's Smokehouse Tampa
Friday, February 5 B.B. KING/BUDDY GUY Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater
Saturday, February 13 HEART Universal Studios Orlando
Friday, February 19 THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Plaza Theatre Orlando
Saturday, February 20 THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Coachmen Park Clearwater
Sunday, February 21 HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS Busch Gardens Tampa
Saturday, February 27 YES Sea World Orlando
Thursday, March 4 THE MOODY BLUES Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater
Monday, March 8 THE MOODY BLUES Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
Thursday, March 11 THE MOODY BLUES Van Wezel Performing Arts Center Sarasota
Thursday, March 11 JOHN CAFFERTY Orlando
Saturday, March 13 ED KOWALCZYK (of LIVE) House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista
Saturday, March 13 ERIC CLAPTON/ROGER DALTRY Amway Arena Orlando
Sunday, March 21 GEORGE THOROGOOD AND THE DESTROYERS House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista
Thursday, March 25 BLUE OYSTER CULT Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
Friday, March 26 FOGHAT Downtown Bradenton

Friday, April 9 TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL: JIMMIE VAUGHAN Vinoy Park St. Petersburg
Saturday, April 10 TAMPA BAY BLUES FESTIVAL: KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD Vinoy Park St. Petersburg
Friday, April 16 NELSON Epcot Center Lake Buena Vista
Friday, April 16 STYX Hard Rock Cafe Orlando
Saturday, April 17 NELSON Epcot Center Lake Buena Vista
Saturday, April 17 BON JOVI St. Pete Times Forum Tampa
Sunday, April 18 NELSON Epcot Center Lake Buena Vista
Monday, April 19 NICKELBACK/BREAKING BENJAMIN/SICK PUPPIES Amway Arena Orlando
Thursday, April 29 SPIN DOCTORS Hard Rock Hotel Orlando
Saturday, July 3 SURVIVOR Busch Gardens Tampa

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #118. Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1968)


Blue Cheer - Vincebus Eruptum (1968)

Label – Polygram
Producer – Eric Albronda and Abe “Voco” Kosh
Art Direction – Uncredited
Nationality – USA
Running Time – 32:06

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Summertime Blues
2. Rock Me Baby
3. Doctor Please
4. Out Of Focus
5. Parchment Farm
6. Second Time Around

Now this is some heavy Rock & roll. When Blue Cheer emerged from San Francisco onto the national rock scene in 1968 with this their debut album, “Vincebus Eruptum”, their claim to fame became being known as the first genuine heavy metal band, but that in itself doesn't quite describe this loud and in your face “assault”. Perhaps it’s best to call them pioneers of heavy metal music. This album is crushingly forceful, and is widely accepted to be their best. To be honest a lot of the records “sounds” reminded me a lot of some of the early Jimi Hendrix records. There is even a much slower take on “Rock Me Baby” that Hendrix performed at Monterey Pop.
For a trio they have a huge sound. Paul Whaley's drumming combined with Dickie Peterson's bass lines laid out a thick rhythm for guitarist Leigh Stephens to lay down his massive noise.
From the opening frantic version of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" (which became a hit single), to the drug lyric influence “Doctor Please”, right down to the final punches of "Parchment Farm" and "Second Time Around," this record is just good rock and roll!! Maybe best described as Bluesey Metal! They definitely opened the door for bands like Led Zeppelin to come roaring through.
As mentioned a cover of “Summertime Blues" peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #3 on the Canadian RPM magazine charts. It was their only such hit. The album peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 chart.
It is recommended.


You can purchase the CD here

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 4
Chris Hillman of the Byrds is 65; Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Rossington Collins Band is 58; Vinnie Dombroski of Sponge is 47;

ON THIS DATE
1965 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones gets knocked out by an electrical short during a concert in Sacramento, California
1980 The 3 surviving members of Led Zeppelin decide that they will no longer continue as a band due to John Bonham's recent death
1993 Doug Hopkins of Gin Blossoms is found dead of a self-inflicted gun shoot wound in his home in Tempe, Arizona. Hopkins was 32
2007 Good Times, Bad Times-10 Years Of Godsmack by Godsmack is released

IN CONCERT
Saturday, December 5 JOE PERRY The State Theatre St. Petersburg
Saturday, February 13 HEART Universal Studios Orlando
Thursday, March 25 BLUE OYSTER CULT Hard Rock Cafe Orlando

Thursday, December 3, 2009

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die - #117. Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul (1968)


Aretha Franklin - Lady Soul (1968)

Label – Atlantic
Producer – Jerry Wexler
Art Direction – Loring Eutemey
Nationality – USA
Running Time – 25:39

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Chain Of Fools
2. Money Won't Change You
3. People Get Ready
4. Niki Hoeky
5. You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman
6. Since You've Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)
7. Good To Me As I Am To You
8. Come Back Baby
9. Groovin'
10. Ain't No Way

This was Aretha Franklin’s third – and perhaps finest – record. Her first record (reviewed previously) sizzled and her second kinda fizzled, but this set released on January 22, 1968 proved that Aretha Franklin was no one hit wonder.The material is very strong, a nice blend of established covers and originals from the best songwriters in soul and pop music of the time.
There are the classics - the opener, "Chain of Fools," which became the biggest hit, (with backing vocals provided by the Sweet Impressions – who would soon become part of Elvis Presley’s touring band.) and the record’s showpiece "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," a song which was written expressly for her by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. It is still to this day one of the landmark performances in pop music.
Franklin’s covers of heavyweights James Brown ("Money Won't Change You") and the Impressions ("People Get Ready,") are also top notch.
On the strength of three hit singles, (each which reached the pop Top Ten), “Lady Soul” became Aretha Franklin's second gold LP and remained on the charts for over a year, and firmly established her as THE Queen of Soul. The record peaked at #1, #2 and #3 on Billboard's Black Albums, Pop Albums and Jazz Albums charts respectively. The single "Ain't No Way" peaked at #9 on the Black Singles chart, and #16 on the Pop Singles chart. "Chain of Fools" (#2 Pop), and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (#8 Pop), and "(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone" (#5 Pop).
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named “Lady Soul” the 41st greatest album of all time. It is number 84 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It is recommended.


You can purchase the CD here

TOP 10 ROCK CD'S/DOWNLOADS FOR THIS WEEK (12-3-2009)
(3)1. BON JOVI...The Circle
(4)2. STING...If On A Winter's Night...
(2)3. PAUL McCARTNEY...Good Evening New York City
(Re-enter)4. PEARL JAM...Backspacer
(5)5. ROD STEWART...Soulbook
(1)6. THEM CROOKED VULTURES...Them Crooked Vultures
(Enter)7. TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS...The Live Anthology
(10)8. DAUGHTRY...Leave This Town
(7)9. FOO FIGHTERS...Greatest Hits
(6)10. CREED...Full Circle

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 3
Ozzy Osbourne is 61; Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship and Starship is 60;

ON THIS DATE
1966 The Monkees make their concert debut in Honolulu, Hawaii
1968 "Singer Presents Elvis" airs on NBC. The show is more commonly known as the "Comeback Special"
1972 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones reads in the newspaper that charges have been brought against him and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg by French police for violating the country’s drug laws
1976 During the cover shoot for the album Animals by Pink Floyd the 40 foot pig breaks free flying from London to Kent
1979 11 people were killed in a crush of fans at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium, where The Who were performing

IN CONCERT
Friday, April 16 STYX Hard Rock Cafe Orlando

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

December 2

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 2
Rick Savage of Def Leppard is 49; Nate Mendel of the Foo Fighters is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1973 The Who are arrested after a concert in Montreal for doing $6,000 worth of damage to the motel they were staying at
1988 Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of Kiss appear on the Geraldo show to discuss sex while on the road

IN CONCERT
Thursday, December 3 OUR LADY PEACE House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

December 1


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR DECEMBER 1
Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult is 65; John Densmore of The Doors is 65; Brad Delson of Linkin Park is 32; Mika Fineo of Filter is 28;

ON THIS DATE
1990 C.C. DeVille of Poison is arrested in Louisiana for public drunkeness and spends 6 hours in jail


IN CONCERT
Wednesday, December 2 JOE PERRY House Of Blues Lake Buena Vista

19948