March 4, 2013

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BRIAN MAY AND FRIENDS...Star Fleet Project  (1983)
Star Fleet Project was released 30 years ago in 1983 and it reached number 125 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  This is actually an EP containing only 3 songs.  Brian May, lead guitarist for Queen, invited Mr. Eddie Van Halen to riff with him on the record, along with bass player Phil Chen, who had done some work with Rod Stewart, and the drums were handled by Alan Gratzer, drummer for REO Speedwagon.  With that lineup how could you lose, right?  Well, it could have been much better, especially by the fact that it's not a full album.  The 3 songs are pretty good, especially "Blues Breaker".  I recommend it with a 2 1/2 out of 5 and should be included in classic rock lovers collections
(vinyl, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MARCH 4
Chris Squire from Yes is 65; Chris Rea is 62; Jason Newsted, formerly with Metallica, is 50; Evan Dando of Lemonheads is 46; Fergal Lawler of The Cranberries is 42;

ON THIS DATE
1966 John Lennon made his remark to a reporter about how “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. We’re more popular than Jesus right now”
1970 Janis Joplin is fined $200 for swearing onstage at a concert in Tampa
1971 The Rolling Stones announce that they will be moving to France due to too much tax in Great Britain
1973 Pink Floyd begin their U.S. tour supporting their latest album Dark Side Of The Moon
1986 Richard Manuel from The Band hangs himself in a hotel room in Winter Park, Florida. He was 42
2006 Aerosmith has to cancel several concerts as Steven Tyler has strained his vocal chords
2008 Warpaint by the Black Crowes is released
2011 Courtney Love of Hole settles a lawsuit and agrees to pay $430,000 to clothing designer Dawn Simorangkir for a series of attacks via Twitter
2011 Detroit members of the NAACP protest the organization's plans to give their Great Expectations Award to Kid Rock because he uses the Confederate flag in his shows