January 31, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BLACK SABBATH...Cross Purposes  (1994)
Cross Purposes was released 20 years ago today in 1994.  It reached number 122 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 31
Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols is 58; Al Doughty from Jesus Jones is 48; Jason Cooper from the Cure is 47;

ON THIS DATE
1964 Jeff Hanneman of Slayer was born in Oakland, California.  Hanneman died in 2013
1969 Jethro Tull refuse to perform after their opening act, none other than Led Zeppelin, thrill the audience too much for their liking
1998 Kirk Hammett from Metallica gets married in Hawaii
2005 Cream sold out 4 shows in about 2 hours
2007 Deborah Coons Garcia, widow of Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, sues the corporation that manages her late husband's estate, wanting access to his recordings which she wants professionally restored
2010 At the Grammy's: Best Rock Album "21st Century Breakdown" by Green Day.  Best Solo Rock Performance 'Working On A Dream' by Bruce Springsteen. Best Rock Instrumental Performance goes to Jeff Beck and Best Hard Rock Performance goes to AC/DC

January 30, 2014

Check out the Top 10 Rock Genre Albums for this week


ALBUM OF THE DAY
BOB DYLAN/THE GRATEFUL DEAD...Dylan And The Dead  (1989)
Dylan And The Dead was released 25 years ago today in 1989.  It reached number 37 on the U.S. Billboard album charts

(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 30
Marty Balin from Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship is 72; Phil Collins is 63;

ON THIS DATE
1947 Steve Marriott of the Small Faces and Humble Pie was born in Eat Ham, London, England. Marriott died in 1991
1969 The Beatles perform their rooftop concert in London, which the majority of ended up in the "Let It Be" movie
1973 Kiss performed their first show ever at a place called Popcorn Club in Queens, New York
1989 The American Music Awards were held in Los Angeles where Don Henley drummed with Guns 'N' Roses

January 29, 2014

ALBUM OF THE DAY
CHRISTINE McVIE...Christine McVie  (1984)
Christine McVie was released 30 years ago this month in 1984.  It reached number 26 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 29
Tommy Ramone formerly with the Ramones is 62; Louie Perez from Los Lobos is 61; Eddie Jackson from Queensryche is 52; Jonny Lang is 33;

ON THIS DATE
1967 The Who and Jimi Hendrix perform at the Saville Theatre in London
1977 Aerosmith hit the Top 10 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart with "Walk This Way"
1992 Willie Dixon dies in Burbank, California. Dixon was 76
2002 Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater is released
2008 The Future Starts Here by the Doors is released
2010 Roy Orbison gets a posthumous star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

January 28, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE PRETENDERS...Learning To Crawl  (1984)
Learning To Crawl was released 30 years ago this month in 1984.  It reached number 5 on the U.S. Billboard album charts. It should have gone to number 1 as this is a masterpiece.  Seriously, a masterpiece.  Every track on this record is a great number.  Highlights are 'Time The Avenger' (the best one on the album), 'My City Was Gone' and '2,000 Miles.'  Highly recommend this one
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 28
Dave Sharp formerly with the Alarm is 55; Dan Spitz formerly with Anthrax is 51; Sam McCandless of Cold is 36;

ON THIS DATE
1965 The Who make their first TV appearance playing "I Can't Explain" on the British show Ready, Steady, Go
1968 Jim Morrison of the Doors is arrested for vagrancy and public drunkeness
2006 Just before a concert in Orlando Eddie Hawrysch, keyboardist for the Black Crowes, parted ways with the band after an argument about some long unresolved issues
2006 An airplane carrying Chad Taylor, Patrick Dahlheimer and Adam Kowalczyk all of Live had to make an emergency landing at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Everyone aboard was fine
2008 It is announced that Dave Buckner is no longer a member of Papa Roach
2009 Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboard player Billy Powell, who survived the 1977 plane crash that killed three band members, died in Orange Park, Florida at age 56

January 27, 2014

Check out the Rock genre New Releases


THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
JOHN LENNON/YOKO ONO...Milk And Honey  (1984)
Milk And Honey was released 30 years ago today in 1984.  It reached number 11 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  This review is easy to do.  The John Lennon songs are fantastic.  The Yoko Ono songs are crap!  Enough said.  Half of the album is recommended
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 27
Nick Mason from Pink Floyd is 70; Janick Gers from Iron Maiden is 57; Mike Patton from Faith No More is 46;

ON THIS DATE
1930  Blues legend Bobby "Blue" Bland was born in Rosemark, Tennessee.  Bland died in 2013
1956 RCA Records release their first single by Elvis Presley, "Heartbreak Hotel."
1976 Queen begin a four month tour in Waterbury, Connecticut
2004 The book “Ordinary People: Our Story” is published. It chronicles Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and their children
2009 Working On A Dream by Bruce Springsteen is released
2009 For(N)ever by Hoobastank is released
2014  Folk singer Pete Seeger died in New York, New York.  Seeger was 94

GRAMMY WINNERS FROM THE ROCK GENRE 
Best Surround Sound Album... Live Kisses, Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; Tommy LiPuma, surround producer (Paul McCartney)
Best Historical Album.."Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965" Teri Landi, Andrew Loog Oldham & Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (The Rolling Stones)
Best Boxed Or Limited Special Edition Package..Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition)
Simon Earith & James Musgrave, art directors (Paul McCartney And Wings)
Best Blues Album... Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite "Get Up!"
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album..Dave Grohl/various artists, Butch Vig "Sound City:Real To Reel"
Best Music Film...Paul McCartney "Live Kisses"
Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media..."Sound City:Real To Reel"
Best Traditional R&B Performance...Gary Clark, Jr. "Please Come Home"
Best Alternative Music Album...Vampire Weekend "Modern Vampires Of The City"
Best Rock Album...Led Zeppelin "Celebration Day"
Best Rock Song..."Cut Me Some Slack" Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear
Best Metal Performance...Black Sabbath "God Is Dead?"
Best Rock Performance...Imagine Dragons "Radioactive"

January 26, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
JUDAS PRIEST...Defenders Of The Faith  (1984)

Defenders Of The Faith was released 30 years ago this month in 1984.  It reached number 18 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  The ninth studio album from Priest is rock-n-roll in-your-face metal mayhem from the metal gods.  The opening track, 'Freewheel Burning,' sets the tone.  The rest of the album follos and is recommended.  The highlights are 'Some Heads Are Gonna Roll,' 'Love Bites' and 'Jawbreaker'
(Vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 26
Corky Laing from Mountain is 66; Eddie Van Halen from Van Halen is 59; Charlie Gillingham of the Counting Crows is 54; Tom Keifer from Cinderella is 53; Chris Hesse from Hoobastank is 40;

ON THIS DATE
1974 Ringo Starr is at number one on the Billboard Pop Singles chart with You're Sixteen
1977 Fleetwood Mac's former guitarist, Peter Green, is committed after he had shot at a delivery boy
1977 The Clash sign a recording contract with CBS Records
1995 The Rolling Stone magazine names Soundgarden Best Metal Band in their '95 Music Awards
2001 Several fans were injured and one dies in a mosh pit at a Limp Bizkit concert in Sydney, Australia
2005 It is announced that Ryan Vikedal is no longer with Nickelback
2011 Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil pleads guilty to a Las Vegas drunk driving charge from the previous summer and is sentenced to fifteen days in jail
2014 At the 56th Grammy Awards:  Best Rock Album...Led Zeppelin "Celebration Day", Best Rock Song..."Cut Me Some Slack" Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear, Best Metal Performance...Black Sabbath "God Is Dead?", Best Rock Performance...Imagine Dragons "Radioactive"

January 25, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
GARY MOORE...After The War  (1989)
After The War was released 25 years ago today in 1989.  It reached number 114 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 25
Dave Walker, a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1972-1973, is 69;

ON THIS DATE
1968 David Gilmour plays his first Pink Floyd gig
1980 Paul McCartney is released from jail in Tokyo, Japan after serving 10 days for possession of marijuana that was found in his luggage as he and his band, Wings, were arriving for a Japanese tour which, obviously, had to be cancelled
1999 In Oakland, California the Rolling Stones begin their No Security tour
2005 Some Kind Of Monster DVD by Metallica is released
2005 Breaking Benjamin announce that Chad Szeliga has joined the band
2006 Mötley Crüe receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
2007 In the Waco Tribune-Herald Ted Nugent responded to accusations he made racial remarks: "In total defiance to the vicious lies and hateful allegations of 'racism' leveled at me by irresponsible, unprofessional and downright goofy media punks, I never said a word . . . against 'illegal immigrants' or 'non-English-speaking' anyone. I will intensify my fight for a united America by demanding all Americans speak English."
2012 Mark Reale of Riot dies due to Crohn's disease. Reale was 56

January 24, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
SKID ROW...Skid Row  (1989)
Skid Row was released 25 years ago today in 1989.  It reached number 6 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  I remember my brother-in-law had bought this cassette when it came out.  He listened to it a few times and then he grew bored with it.  I kinda took it over but I ended up listening to '18 And Life' and 'Youth Gone Wild' (the 2 singles) and pretty much ignoring the rest.  After listening to it yesterday I found out that the rest of it is pretty good, as well.  It's definitely an 80's hair-band style album which is good (don't let nobody tell you any different).  The highlights are the 2 singles, along with 'Rattlesnake Shake'
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 24
Jools Holland is 56; John Myung of Dream Theater is 47; Mitchell Marlow formerly with Filter is 35;

ON THIS DATE
1947 Warren Zevon is born in Chicago, Illinois. Zevon passed away in 2003
1962 Brian Epstein and the Beatles sign a mangagement contract
1973 Ringo is at number one with 'Photograph'
1976 Kiss hit number 12 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart with a live version of 'Rock And Roll All Nite'
1981 Steven Tyler of Aerosmith was hospitalised after being involved in a crash on his motorbike
1986 Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Elvis Presley are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1995 Balance by Van Halen is released
2004 Drowning Pool announces that Jason "Gong" Jones replaces the late Dave Wiliams as lead vocalist
2004 An Iron Maiden concert is abruptly ended in New York after someone throws a drink onto the mixing board
2006 Testify by P.O.D. is released
2006 Greatest Hits Live by Ace Frehley is released
2008 Gene Simmons appears on 'Ugly Betty' on ABC
2011 Brett Michaels of Poison has surgery to close a hole in his heart. 

January 23, 2014

Check out the Rock Genre Top 10 albums for this week

ALBUM OF THE DAY
DAVID CROSBY...Oh Yes I Can  (1989)
Oh Yes I Can was released 25 years ago today in 1989.  It reached number 104 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 23
Robin Zander from Cheap Trick is 61; Nick Harmer from Death Cab for Cutie is 39;

ON THIS DATE
1950 Danny Federici of the E Street Band was born in Flemington, New Jersey. Federici died in 2008
1958 Buddy Holly and the Crickets release "Maybe Baby"
1977 In Tampa, Florida Patti Smith falls from the stage and breaks a neck bone. Smith was opening for Bob Seger
1986 Chuck Berry is inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by Keith Richards. Jerry Lee Lewis is inducted as well
1990 Allen Collins from Lynyrd Skynyrd passes away from complications due to pneumonia. He was 37
2004 Scott Weiland from Velvet Revolver is ordered by a judge in Pasadena, California to return to a live-in drug detoxification facility after it is learned that he left
2007 Freedom Road by John Mellencamp is released
2007 Blood Stained Love Story by Saliva is released
2007 Live At The Cow Palace by the Grateful Dead is released
2013  Jimmie Vaughan suffers a heart attack in Mumbai, India. He is teleased from the hospital and recovers at his home in Texas

January 22, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
UFO...Strangers In The Night  (1979)
Strangers In The Night was released 35 years ago this month in 1979.  It reached number 43 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 22
Steve Perry, formerly with Journey, is 65; Steve Adler, formerly with Guns 'N' Roses, the BulletBoys and currently with Adler's Appetite, is 49; Ben Moody, formerly with Evanescence, is 33;

ON THIS DATE
1959 Buddy Holly had his final recording session. It was just Buddy and an acoustic guitar. The tracks were later finished and released after Holly died
1960 Michael Hutchence of INXS was born in Sydney, Australia. Hutchence died in 1997
2008 Ringo Starr walked off the 'Live With Regis and Kelly' show after the producers asked Ringo to shorten his performance of 'Liverpool 8.' Rightfully, Ringo refused, but said that he still loved Regis

January 21, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BON JOVI...Bon Jovi  (1984)
Bon Jovi was released 30 years ago today in 1984.  It reached number 43 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  It is the debut album from this New Jersey based band, and a fine one at that. The opening track, 'Runaway,' was the only track I had ever heard before, as it became a rock radio favorite after their album "Slippery When Wet" became such a huge success.  I do need to tell you that 'Runaway' is not the best track on the record as the next track 'Roulette' is a good rocker and is much better. Another highlight is 'Breakout.' A good rock 'n' roll album that has that 80's hair band sound, which is cool because that's always been good no matter how much it gets ridiculed
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 21
Mark Trojanowski from Sister Hazel is 44; Chris Kilmore from Incubus is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1941 Richie Havens is born in Brooklyn, New York.  Havens died in 2013
1966 George Harrison married Patti Boyd
1987 Eddie Cochran, Roy Orbison, B.B. King and Bo Diddley are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1990 MTV Unplugged premieres with Squeeze
1997 Elvis Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, dies at the age of 87
2003 Journey gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
2004 The recording industry sued 532 computer users it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet
2006 As Bon Jovi's Boeing 707 lands in Hamilton, Canada it skids off the runway. No injuries and that night's show goes on
2008 Ringo Starr appears on the 'Late Show With David Letterman' on CBS
2009 Five Finger Death Punch announce that Jason Hook has replaced Darrell Roberts
2012 Deen Castronovo of Journey is arrested and charged with coercion, fourth-degree assault, criminal mischief in the second degree, interfering with making a report, and harassment. Castronova was released after posting his $52,500 bail

January 20, 2014

Check out the Rock Genre New Releases

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE BEATLES...Meet The Beatles  (1964)
Meet The Beatles was released 50 years ago today in 1964.  It reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard album charts (DUH!),  What can be said about the Beatles that hasn't already been written before?  Nothing.  Nothing whatsoever.  Is this a great album?  Of course.  The fact that it is 50 years old is hard to grasp.  Yours truly was born 32 days later.  I was glad to pull out the vinyl and listen to this today.  I didn't have to dust it off as I do play my Beatles often.  It is as fantastic today as it was 50 years ago and will be 50 years from now.  I won't be around then but Meet The Beatles will be
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 20
Eric Stewart formerly with 10cc is 69; George Grantham of Poco is 67; Ian Hill from Judas Priest is 63; Paul Stanley from Kiss is 62; Greg K. from The Offspring is 49; Rob Bourdon from Linkin Park is 35; Matthew Tuck from Bullet For My Valentine is 34;

ON THIS DATE
1964 Meet The Beatles by the Beatles is released
1965 The Byrds recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man", written by Bob Dylan. Did you know that CBS Records insisted that Hollywood musicians be used rather than the band? Jim McGuinn is the only group member to play on the track.
1968 Bob Dylan made his first public appearance since his motorcycle accident 2 years earlier. He performed with the Band at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
1982 Ozzy Osbourne is treated at a hospital in Des Moines, Iowa after biting off the head of a bat
1988 The Beatles are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, with Mick Jagger as their presenter
2005 Dave Ellefson of Megadeth loses his lawsuit against Dave Mustaine in a New York federal court. The court ruled Ellefson relinquished his share of royalties due to a prior agreement
2011 Arin Ilejay joins Avenged Sevenfold as their new drummer, replacing Mike Portnoy, formerly with Dream Theater

January 19, 2014

Check out the Rock Genre Top 10 Albums For This Week


THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
NAZARETH...No Mean City  (1979)
No Mean City, the 10th studio album from Nazareth, was released 35 years ago this month in 1979.  It reached number 88 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  The first thing that was cool about this album was the unique vocal style of Dan McCafferty coming at you on the opening track 'Just To Get Into It.' The second was hearing some music from Nazareth other than the "Hair Of The Dog" album. which is one my fav albums of all time.  Now for the music itself:  I definitely recommend it.  Of course, it's not going to be as good as "HOTD" simply because that's the record we're all used to but this is a good rock 'n' roll record.  'May The Sunshine' has some great harmony vocals from the band which I personally had not heard from the Scottish rockers.  Very refreshing to listen to.  'Star' is an awesome listen. 'Claim To Fame' is a cool rocker with it's warning to not talk to or think about my woman.  'Whatever You Want Babe' has a nice hook and beat to it with some excellent vocals and acoustic guitar.  Sometimes I think of Nazareth being more of a rock band such as the Stones or the Who rather than being a hard rock/heavy metal band because of songs like these.  The slide bluesy guitar is played very well in the next track 'What's In It For Me.' The title track 'No Mean City Part 1-2' closes the album and is my favorite on the record.  Just a cool song.  You should check this one out
(CD, Vinyl, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 19
Rod Evans formerly with Deep Purple is 67; Martha Davis from the Motels is 63; Dewey Bunnell from America is 62; Jeff Pilson, formerly with Dokken and Dio and is currently with Foreigner,  is 55; Whitfield Crane from Ugly Kid Joe is 46; John Wozniak from Marcy Playground is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1939  Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers is born in Chicago, Illinois.  Everly died earlier this month
1943 Janis Joplin is born in Port Arthur, Texas. Joplin died in 1970
1949 Robert Palmer is born in Batley, Yorkshire, England. Palmer died in 2003
1976 Bill Sargent offers the Beatles $30 million to perform one show. They declined
1994 John Lennon, The Animals, The Band, The Grateful Dead, Rod Stewart and Elton John are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1998 Carl Perkins dies from throat cancer and a series of strokes in Jackson, Tennessee.  Perkins was 65
2007 Denny Doherty, a member of the 1960s folk-rock group The Mamas And The Papas, died near Toronto at age 66

January 18, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
ZZ TOP...Antenna  (1994)
Antenna was released 20 years ago on this date in 1994.  It reached number 14 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 18
Jonathan Davis from KoRn is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1989 The Rolling Stones are inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame
2009 A star-studded preinaugural concert took place on the National Mall, featuring Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Beyonce, with President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, in attendance
2014  Dennis Frederiksen, formerly with Toto, dies at the age of 62

January 17, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BOB DYLAN...Planet Wave  (1974)
Planet Waves was released 40 years ago today in 1974.  It reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  An interesting listen, to say the least.  As I mentioned a few days ago Dylan's just not a good singer, but what helps here is that Dylan's band is the Band (yep, the Robbie Robertson bunch).  Another interesting point to make is that there are 2 versions of one song 'Forever Young'.  The slower version is probably the highlight for me.  Not a bad album, I will recommend it 
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 17
Mick Taylor, formerly with the Rolling Stones, is 64; Steve Earle is 57; Jon Wysocki from Staind is 44; Kid Rock is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1996 David Bowie, Jefferson Airplane and Pink Floyd are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
2008 Gene Simmons is fired from 'Celebrity Apprentice' on NBC
2011 Rock promoter Don Kirshner, 76, died in Boca Raton, Florida

January 16, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
DEF LEPPARD...The Def Leppard E.P.  (1979)
The Def Leppard E.P. was released 35 years ago in January 1979.  According to Wikipedia this rare E.P. has a great history.  Here's the story: The Def Leppard E.P. is the debut EP by British rock band Def Leppard. The EP was recorded at Fairview Studios in Hull, in November 1978 and produced by Def Leppard.  One hundred copies included lyric sheet inserts that vocalist Joe Elliott had photocopied during his lunch-break at work. Additionally, he and his mother glued the 1,000 sleeves together. Released in January 1979, the single was sold for £1 at shows and was handed out to anyone who could help gain the band exposure. The first pressing had sold out by the summer. The band's first managers had the EP reissued with the yellow label and no picture sleeve. he EP was re-issued yet again in the late 1980s to Def Leppard fan club members with the picture sleeve intact, the tracks put back in their original order, and a white label replacing the yellow label.  Boy, I would love to hear this one!
(vinyl, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 16
Nick Valensi of The Strokes is 33;

ON THIS DATE
1957 The Cavern Club opened on Matthews Street in Liverpool, England.
1964 The legendary Whisky A Go-Go opens on the Sunset Strip in LA, a venue where many famous rock acts performed, most notably the Doors
1976 Frampton Comes Alive by Peter Frampton is released
1979 Gregg Allman and Cher are divorced
1980 Paul McCartney jailed in Tokyo for 10 days on marijuana possession
1989 The Rolling Stones are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1990 The Who are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1991 The Byrds and John Lee Hooker are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
2004 The estate of George Harrison settles its lawsuit against Dr. Gilbert Lederman, who treated Harrison before he passed away November 29, 2001 (see January 6 and 7)
2011 Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails wins the Best Score trophy at the Golden Globes for "The Social Network"

January 15, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
ACCEPT...Accept  (1979)
The debut album from Accept was released 35 years ago in January 1979.  It did not chart on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, Allmusic review)

ON THIS DATE
1948 Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd was born in Jacksonville, Florida. Van Zant died in 1977
1962 Charlie Watts joins the Rolling Stones
1992 Jimi Hendrix and the Yardbirds are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
2008 Liverpool 8 by Ringo Starr is released

January 14, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE BEATLES...Yellow Submarine  (1969)
"Yellow Submarine" was released 45 years ago in January 1969.  It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  Side 1 is the Beatles, side 2 is music from the movie conducted by George Martin.  All 6 songs on side 1 are excellent.  George went psychedelic on his 2 tracks, John rocked on his and Paul was rather charming on his track.  The other 2 had been previously released, the title track and 'All You Need Is Love.'  Side 2 is actually very pleasant listening.  Check it out, I recommend it
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 14
Blues singer Clarence Carter is 78; T-Bone Burnett is 66; Geoff Tate, formerly with Queensryche, is 55; Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society is 47; Steve Bowman, formerly with Third Eye Blind and the Counting Crows, is 47; Dave Grohl from Nirvana, the Foo Fighters and Them Crooked Vultures is 47; Caleb Followill of Kings of Leon is 32;

ON THIS DATE
1960 Elvis Presley gets promoted to Sgt. Presley in the Army
2000 David Crosby is revealed by the Rolling Stone magazine that he has fathered a child for Melissa Etheridge and her partner Julie Cypher
2002 Adam Ant is placed into a secure ward at London’s Royal Free Hospital by his family
2010  Incubus DJ Chris Kilmore is granted another restraining order against former band DJ Gavin Koppell, who Kilmore replaced in ‘98. Kilmore was granted an initial restraining order in ’03 and that appeared to be at the root of a 12/28/09 incident where Koppell confronted Kilmore and his girlfriend allegedly threatening "you will get killed if you don't lift that [restraining] order, people get killed in the street for that."
2012 Robbie France, formerly with UFO, died at the age of 52
2012  Roger Waters, formerly with Pink Floyd, weds his fiancée of seven years, Laurie Durning, in a private ceremony at the pair's home in Southampton, New York

January 13, 2014

Check out the Rock Genre New Releases here

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BOB DYLAN...The Times They Are A-Changin'  (1964)
"The Times They Are A-Changin'" was released 50 years ago today in 1964.  It reached number 20 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  It would be best to check out the Allmusic review rather than read mine.  They like the album.  Me...not so much.  First, I'm just not a fan of the folk-rock scene.  It's not horrible by any means, some of it is good.  But what gets me with Dylan is that he cannot sing, it's so irritating.  Most people either love him or hate him.  I am in neither category as he has put out some terrific material but it's usually a track here and a track there.  There is only one Dylan album that I liked every track ("Infidels").  For this album the terrific track was 'The Ballad Of Hollis Brown'.  The rest, not so much.  Just because I wasn't all that keen on the record doesn't mean you won't be.  I definitely suggest you give it a try as there are millions of folks out there who do love Dylan's albums.  You might be one, too
(CD, Vinyl, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 13
Trevor Rabin, formerly with Yes, is 60; James Lomenzo of Megadeth is 55; Graham "Suggs" McPherson from Madness is 53; Lee Agnew of Nazareth is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1967 The Rolling Stones appear on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'
1969 Yellow Submarine album by the Beatles is released
2003 Pete Townshend of The Who was arrested in London on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children. He was later cleared

January 12, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
LED ZEPPELIN...Led Zeppelin  (1969)
"Led Zeppelin" was released 45 years ago today in 1969.  It reached number 10 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  At true classic. This is of course Led Zeppelin’s debut record released in early January 1969. It is widely regarded as marking a significant turning point in the evolution of what we now consider hard rock and heavy metal. To me, it’s actually more like an incredible blending of blues and rock.
“Led Zeppelin 1” (as it is generally called) is an lp consisting of powerful guitar riffs from Jimmy Page with a backdrop of simple, memorable songs belted out by Robert Plant and held together by the pounding drum and bass rhythms of John Bonham and John Paul Jones respectively. There is however an emphasis on subtlety. Not a barrage of guitar fills and a wall of noise, it’s more like a painted masterpiece with subtle shading and textures, filling the music canvas - but leaving spaces that are filled with alternating tempos and multi-layered stereo panning passages.
All of the tracks here could be labeled as ‘stand out’ tracks, and the record plays like a ‘best of’! There is the extended psychedelic blues of "Dazed and Confused," "You Shook Me," and "I Can't Quit You Baby", the acoustic driven "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" which shifts from folk to rock. "Good Times Bad Times" and "How Many More Times" have groovy, bluesy shuffles with the latter turning out into a full blown jam that I dare you to sit still through! Then there’s "Your Time Is Gonna Come", almost what could be considered a anthem rocker with a sing along chorus, and "Communication Breakdown" a balls out wild rocker. And this is their debut record!
The album was very commercially successful. Within two months of its release the album had reached Billboard's Top 10. It stayed on the Billboard chart for 73 weeks and held a 79-week run on the British charts.
In 2003, VH1 named “Led Zeppelin” the 44th greatest album of all time, while Rolling Stone ranked it 29th on the magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
It is HIGHLY recommended.
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 12
Charlie Gillingham from the Counting Crows is 54; Rob Zombie of White Zombie is 48; Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against The Machine is 44; Dan Haseltine of Jars Of Clay is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1977 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is fined for possession of cocaine that was found in his vehicle after he had had a car accident in 1976
1993 The Doors, Cream and Creedence Clearwater Revival are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1995 Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, the Allman Brothers Band and Neil Young are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
1998 Gene Vincent, Carlos Santana, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame
2006 Axl Rose of Guns 'N' Roses sues Beverly Hills Classic Cars alleging that the dealership violated an oral agreement with him by failing to deliver two luxury vehicles
2010 Y Not by Ringo Starr is released
2012 Wes Scantlin of Puddle Of Mudd is arrested in Culver City, California and booked for felony possession and then released after posting the $10,000 bail

January 11, 2014

ALBUM OF THE DAY
RUSH...A Show Of Hands  (1989)
"A Show Of Hands" was released 25 years ago this month in 1989.  It reached number 21 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  Starting off with the theme from The Three Stooges is brilliant (you know, cuz there are 3 members of Rush).  Not the best live Rush album but still pretty amazing.  The boys rock, as usual.  Live versions of 'Subdivisions,' 'Distant Early Warning' and 'Time Stand Still" are the highlights.  Highly recommended.  I even played it back to back as I was preparing todays blog
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ON THIS DATE
1942 Clarence Clemons of the E Street Band was born in Norfolk County, Virginia. Clemons died in 2011
2000 After only 4 months Sharon Osbourne resigns as manager for the Smashing Pumpkins, saying that Billy Corgan was making her sick
2003 Mickey Finn, formerly with T. Rex, died in Croydon, Surrey, UK. Finn was 55
2004 Ted Nugent receives 40 stitches after cutting himself with a chainsaw while filming a reality show for VH1 “Surviving Nugent: The Ted Commandments"
2005 A federal appeals court dismisses a lawsuit brought agains Kid Rock by former business associates who accused him of violating trademark and copyright-infringement laws
2005 Spencer Dryden of the Jefferson Airplane (1966-1970) dies in Penngrove California. Dryden was 66
2011 Thank You Happy Birthday by Cage The Elephant is released
2011 Showroom Of Compassion by Cake is released
2014  During a Fleetwood Mac concert in Hawaii Mick Fleetwood announces that Christine McVie would be rejoining the band

January 10, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
ROD STEWART AND THE FACES...Coast To Coast: Overture And Beginners  (1974)
"Coast To Coast: Overture And Beginners" was released 40 years ago on this date in 1974.  It reached number 63 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 10
Ronnie Hawkins is 79; Rod Stewert is 68; Aynsley Dunbar formerly with Jefferson Starship, Whitesnake and Journey, is 67; Donald Fagen from Steely Dan is 65; Scott Thurston from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is 61; Pat Benatar is 60; Michael Schenker from the Scorpions is 58; Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets is 54; Brad Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies is 50; Matt Roberts from 3 Doors Down is 35; Brent Smith from Shinedown is 35;

ON THIS DATE
1964 The Beatles' first album in the United States, Introducing the Beatles, was released
1977 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is found guitly of cocaine possession
2003 Stolen tapes from the Beatles Let It Be sessions are found in the Netherlands
2005 Gene Simmons of Kiss is sued by Georgeann Walsh Ward claiming Simmons made her out to be a nymphomaniac in the VH1 Kiss documentary "When Kiss Ruled The World"
2007 Don Henley and Glenn Frey of the Eagles file a $537,000 lawsuit against a South Korean insurance company that they accuse of using their group's ballad "Desperado" illegally

January 9, 2014

Check out the Top 10 Rock genre albums for this week


THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
VAN HALEN...1984  (1984)
"1984" was released 30 years ago today in 1984.  It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  It could not get past Michael Jackson's "Thriller" to reach number 1.  In fact, nobody could for a long time.  I have always loved this album.  My friend Scotty bought the cassette and he was always playing it.  Back in 1984 when you first heard those opening chords from a keyboard your first thought was "oh no, what have they done?"  Lots of folks still hate 'Jump' but I think it's ok.  The rest of the album is pure Van Halen rock n roll.  'Panama' is such a great track and "Hot For Teacher" is fun.  Just a real good album, which, unfortunbately, was the last to include all 4 original members.  Highly recommended
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 9
Joan Baez is 73; Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin is 70; David Johansen (aka Buster Poindexter) of the New York Dolls is 64; Eric Erlandson formerly with Hole is 51; Carl Bell from Fuel is 47; Dave Matthews is 47; Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth is 47;

ON THIS DATE
1975 The Beatles partnership is officially dissolved in court
1984 1984 by Van Halen is released
2005 Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe marries longtime girlfriend Lia Gerardini in Las Vegas with Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx attending
2010 Gilby Clarke, formerly with Guns 'N' Roses, suffers a broken leg following a hit-and-run while he was riding his motorcycle
2012  It is announced that Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi  has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma
2013 Three Days Grace announce that singer Adam Gontier has left the group due to an undisclosed health issue and that Matt Walst from My Darkest Days has replaced him 

January 8, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
FOGHAT...Energized  (1974)
"Energized" was released 40 years ago in January 1974. It reached number 34 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 8
Robby Krieger from The Doors is 68; David Bowie is 67; Mike Reno of Loverboy is 59; Jeff Abercrombie from Fuel is 45;

ON THIS DATE
1935 Rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Presley died in 1977
1974 Kiss signs with Casablanca Records
1979 The Canadian government names Rush the “Ambassadors of Music”
1991 Steve Clark of Def Leppard is found dead in London due to excess alcohol mixed with antidepressants. Clark was 30

January 7, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
FLEETWOOD MAC...English Rose  (1969)
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

"English Rose" was released 45 years ago in January 1969.  It reached number 184 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  First of all, if you're expecting an album with Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham or Christine McVie you will be disappointed.  This is back in the days when Fleetwood Mac was a blues band, a rather excellent blues band, I might add.  This album is very very good. I'll give it 4 out of 5 stars.  I had never heard this album before until now.  In fact, I had never heard of this album before.  Why I have ignored those early FM albums I do not know.  Of course, Mick Fleetwood is the drummer, as he always has been.  John McVie is in the band, too.  Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan all 3 play some excellent guitar.  I enjoyed this album alot, and the highlights are 'Evenin' Boogie,' 'Jigsaw Puzzle Blues' and 'Coming Home.' It also contains that very familiar classic 'Black Magic Woman.' It was written by Green and it was later covered by Santana, who had a massive hit with it when they recorded it in 1970.  This record is highly recommended.

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 7
Paul Revere is 76; Kathy Valentine from The Go-Go's is 55;

ON THIS DATE
1970 Max Yasgur is sued by his neighbors in upper New York for damages caused by those who attended Woodstock 4 months earlier. Yasgur owned the property where the festival was held
1994 Nirvana performed on stage for the last time in the US at a concert in Seattle
1996 Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Jefferson Airplane are inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame
2004 Dr. Gilbert Lederman offers to donate a George Harrison autographed guitar to charity one day after Lederman is sued by Harrison’s estate for coercing Harrison into signing a guitar on his death-bed. The case is settled when its agreed that the guitar will be disposed of privately
2011 Phil Kennemore of Y&T died of lung cancer in Stanford, California. Kennemore was 57

January 6, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL...Bayou Country (1969)
(CD, vinyl, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR JANUARY 6
Kim Wilson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds is 63; Malcolm Young from AC/DC is 61; Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys is 28;

ON THIS DATE
1946 Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd is born in Cambridge, England. Barrett died in 2006
1957 Elvis Presley appears for the third time on the "Ed Sullivan Show"
1975 The mayor of Boston cancels a scheduled Led Zeppelin concert after fans damage the Boston Gardens while waiting to purchase tickets
1977 After only 3 months EMI drops the Sex Pistols
2004 The George Harrison estate sue a doctor who had been treating Harrison for $10 million. The estate claims the doctor coerced George into autographing his son's guitar and sign autographs for his two daughters
2006 Chris Cornell submits a petition with California's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement requesting that his ex-wife, Susan Silver, return all earnings she received while managing Soundgarden stating that she was not licensed
2009 Ron Asheton of the Stooges was found dead in his home in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Asheton was 60