April 30, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
J.J. CALE...Okie  (1974)
Okie was released 40 years ago today in 1974.  It reached number 128 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 30
Clark Vogeler of the Toadies is 45; J.R. Richards formerly with Dishwalla is 47; Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1971 The New York Times reports that Bill Graham is planning on closing the Fillmore East. Graham ends up closing both the Fillmore East and Fillmore West
1983 The original Manfred Mann reunites for a London concert. Also that day Muddy Waters dies in his sleep at his home in Westmont, Illinois at the age of 68
1991 Nirvana signs a recording deal with DCG Records
1993 Elton John’s “Simple Life,” from his 1992 album The One enters Billboard’s Top 40 breaking Elvis Presley’s longstanding record with 24 consecutive years of Top 40 hits
1999 Darrell Sweet of Nazareth suffers a fatal heart attack in New Albany, Indiana at the age of 51. That same day the members of Aerosmith visit with Lance Kirklin, a shooting victim at Columbine High School

April 29, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
URIAH HEEP...Raging Silence  (1989)
Raging Silence was released 25 years ago in April 1989
(CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 29
Klaus Voorman formerly with Manfred Mann is 76; Mike Hogan of The Cranberries is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1970 George Harrison announces the Beatles will eventually reunite
1976 Bruce Springsteen tries to climb over the fence at Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate in an attempt to see Presley. He is escorted off the premises by guards
1998 Aerosmith postpone the remaining 14 shows on their North American tour after Steven Tyler has a knee injury during a show in Anchorage, Alaska
1999 Tommy Lee quits Mötley Crüe to spend more time with his new band Methods of Mayhem
2002 Scott Stapp has a car accident in Orlando forcing Creed to cancel their remaining dates on their tour
2007 My Chemical Romance cancel a State College, Pennsylvania, concert after band members and road crew are hospitalized with food poisoning following their concert a day earlier in Williamsburg, Virginia
2008 Mudcrutch by Mudcrutch is released
2008 Nine Lives by Steve Winwood is released
2008 Songs From The Sparkle Lounge by Def Leppard is released

New Releases

NEW RELEASES

April 29
PIXIES...Indie Cindy (vinyl, CD)
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND...40th Anniversary Show Live At The Beacon Theatre (DVD)
CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD...Phosphorescent Harvest (vinyl, CD)
TOTO...35th Anniversary Tour Live From Poland (CD, blu-ray, DVD)
RUSH...ReDISCovered LP Box (vinyl)
RED...Release The Panic/Recalibrated Edition (CD)
SALIVA...Rise Up (CD)
THE WINERY DOGS...Dog Treats (Special Edition 2 CD)
VANILLA FUDGE...The Complete Atco Singles (CD)
SAXON...St. George's Day Live In Manchester (CD)
THE CLASH...The Rise And Fall Of The Clash (DVD)
HELSTAR...This Wicked Nest (vinyl, CD)

May 6
SANTANA...Corazon (CD/DVD)
Various Artist...All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs And Voice Of Gregg Allman (2 CD/1 DVD, 2 CD/1 blu-ray, blu-ray)
BLACK STONE CHERRY...Magic Mountain (CD)
BEN AND ELLEN HARPER...Childhood Home (vinyl, CD)
RUSH...The Rise Of Kings (DVD)
MICHAEL SWEET...I'm Not Your Suicide (CD)
Various Artist...A Celebration Of Soul And Blues: The 1989 Presidential Inaugural Concert (DVD)
KISS...Love Gun (2014 vinyl)
KISS...Psycho Circus (2014 vinyl)
THE ROLLING STONES...Get Your Ya-Ya's Out (2014 vinyl)
THE ROLLING STONES...12x5 (2014 vinyl)
THE ROLLING STONES...Through the Past Darkly (2014 vinyl)

April 28, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE OFFSPRING...Smash  (1994)
Smash was released 20 years ago in April 1994.  It reached number 4 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 28
Chuck Leavell formerly with the Allman Brothers Band is 62; Kim Gordon, formerly with Sonic Youth, is 61;

ON THIS DATE
1963 Andrew Loog Oldham becomes the Rolling Stones’ manager
1973 The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd is number one, but only for a week. Interesting for an album that stayed on the charts for 700 weeks
1980 Tommy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band dies in a car accident in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Caldwell was 30
1981 Steve Currie of T-Rex dies in a car crash near Val De Parra, Portugal. He is 33
1991 Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael Noonan O’Keefe in New York
1999 Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
2006 Donna D'Errico files for divorce to end her nine year marriage to Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue
2008 Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots is sentenced to eight days in jail for drunk driving
2009 The Devil You Know by Heaven And Hell is released
2009 Together Through Life by Bob Dylan is released
2009 Warpaint Live by the Black Crowes is released
2013 Lonnie Turner, formerly with the Steve Miller Band, died in Lebanon, Oregon.  Turner was 66

April 27, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
TOM PETTY...Full Moon Fever  (1989)
Full Moon Fever was released 25 years ago in April 1989.  It reached number 3 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 27
Kate Pierson of The B-52's is 66; Ace Frehley is 63; Rob Squires of Big Head Todd and the Monsters is 49; Travis Meeks of Days of the New is 35; Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy is 30;

ON THIS DATE
1947 Pete Ham of Badfinger is born in Swansea, Wales
1981 Ringo Starr marries Barbra Bach
1990 Axl Rose marries Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly from the Everly Brothers. It lasts 29 days
2006 Cheap Trick and the Allman Brothers Band initiate a class-action suit against Sony BMG claiming that the music company hasn't paid them what’s due from digital-download sales
2006 Slash of Velvet Revolver and his second wife Perla file for divorce in Los Angeles
2008 The giant pig that is part of the Roger Waters stage show escapes. It was found a few miles away
2009 Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam suffers a head laceration after he is robbed outside a recording studio in Atlanta
2010 Fearless Love by Melissa Etheridge is released

April 26, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
LIVE...Throwing Copper  (1994)
Throwing Copper was released 20 years ago in April 1994.  It reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 26
Duane Eddy is 76; Gary Wright is 71; Roger Taylor of Duran Duran is 54; Chris Mars formerly with the Replacements is 53; Jose Pasillas of Incubus is 38;

ON THIS DATE
1994 Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane pleads guilty to pointing a shotgun at police
1995 Oasis fires their drummer Tony McCaroll
2005 Devils And Dust by Bruce Springsteen is released
2014 Paul Simon and his wife Edie Brickell were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after police were called to their home in Connecticut after a family dispute that involved minor injuries

April 25, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE MOODY BLUES...On The Threshold Of A Dream  (1969)
On The Threshold Of a Dream was released 45 years ago today in 1969.  It reached number 20 on the U.S. Billboard charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 25
Stu Cook of Creedence Clearwater Revival/Creedence Clearwater Revisited is 69; Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers is 64; Billy Rankin, formerly with Nazareth, is 55; Eric Avery, formerly with Jane's Addiction, is 49;

ON THIS DATE
1968 The Beatles turn down a request to do a concert for the Queen
1981 Denny Laine officially leaves Wings
2006 IV by Godsmack is released
2006 Let Love In by the Goo Goo Dolls is released
2006 We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen is released
2006 All The Roadrunning by Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris is released
2013 Bob Weir, formerly with the Grateful Dead and now with Further, collapses onstage in Port Chester, New York.  Further finishes the concert without Weir

April 24, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BLACK SABBATH...Headless Cross  (1989)
Headless Cross was released 25 years ago  today in 1989.  It reached number 115 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 24
Doug Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revival/Creedence Clearwater Revisited is 69; Glen Cornick, formerly with Jethro Tull, is 67; Rob Hyman of the Hooters is 64; Jack Blades of Night Ranger, the Damn Yankees and Shaw/Blades is 60; Boris Williams, formerly with the Cure, is 57; Billy Gould of Faith No More is 51; Shannon Larkin, who has been a member of Godsmack, Candlebox and Ugly Kid Joe, is 47; Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors is 46; Brian Marshall of Creed and Alter Bridge is 41; Jasen Rauch formerly with Red, is 33;

ON THIS DATE
1961 Bob Dylan plays harmonica on Harry Belafonte’s “Midnight Special” earning $50
1970 Grace Slick is invited to the White House by Tricia Nixon. She is escorted by Abbie Hoffman, who is not allowed by the Secret Service to enter, therefore they leave
1984 Jerry Lee Lewis marries Kerrie McCarver, his sixth wife
1989 Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty is released
1992 David Bowie marries fashion model Iman
2009 Aerosmith settles a class-action lawsuit brought against them after they pulled out of a sold-out concert on Maui, Hawaii, in September ‘07. As part of the deal, the group gives a free performance on Maui in ‘09
2014 Stephen Pearcy announces that he is leaving Ratt

April 23, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
JOE COCKER...With a Little Help From My Friends   (1969) 
With A Little Help From My Friends was released 45 years ago today in 1969.  It reached number 35 on the the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 23
Tommy DeCarlo of Boston is 49;


ON THIS DATE
1936 Roy Orbison is born in Vernon, Texas. Orbison died in 1988
1960 Steve Clark of Def Leppard is born in Sheffield, England. Clark died in 1991
1975 Pete Ham of Badfinger commits suicide at home in Surrey, England. He is 27
2013 Todd Harrell of 3 Doors Down is freed on $100,000 bond and then checks himself into rehab.  Harrell was arrested 4 days earlier and charged with vehicular homicide by intoxication, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, violation of the implied consent law and possession of contraband.

April 22, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
GREAT WHITE... ...Twice Shy  (1989)
...Twice Shy was released 25 years ago in April 1989.  It reached number 9 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 22
Peter Frampton is 64; Paul Carrack of Ace, Mike + the Mechanics and Squeeze is 63; Shavo Odadjian formerly with System of a Down is 40; Daniel Johns formerly with Silverchair is 35;

 ON THIS DATE (April 22)
1969 John Winston Lennon legally became John Ono Lennon on top of the Apple building, and he and Paul McCartney record "The Ballad Of John And Yoko". That same day the Who performed for the first time the rock opera 'Tommy' in Dolton, England
1980 'Love Stinks' by the J. Geils Band is released
1981 Eric Clapton has a car accident in Seattle, suffering broken ribs
1998 Faith No More announce they are finished
2008 Richie Samboara of Bon Jovi pleads no contest to a drunk driving charge due to an arrest a month earlier in Laguna Beach, California
2008 'Good To Be Bad' by Whitesnake is released
2010 Bret Michaels of Poison is rushed to the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix as he suffers a severe headache caused by bleeding at the base of his brain stem
2013  Richie Havens  dies of a heart attack at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey.  Havens was 72

April 21, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
STEVE PERRY...Street Talk  (19840
Street Talk was released 30 years ago in April 1984.  It reached number 12 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 21
Mars Bonfire formerly with Steppenwolf is 71; Iggy Pop is 67; Robert Smith of The Cure is 55; David Brenner of Theory of a Deadman is 36;

ON THIS DATE
1961 The Beatles perform at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England for the first time
1980 Empty Glass by Pete Townshend is released
1993 Bill Wyman, formerly with the Rolling Stones, marries Suzanne Accosta
1996 Bringing Down The Horses by the Wallflowers is released
2001 Peter Buck of R.E.M. is arrested for assaulting 2 crew members on a trans-Atlantic flight to London
2013 Dani Crivelli, drummer for Krokus from 1987-1989, died after falling from a bridge in Sweden

April 20, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
RON WOOD...Gimme Some Neck  (1979)
Gimme Some Neck was released 35 years ago today in 1979.  It reached number 45 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 20
Craig Frost of Grand Funk Railroad and Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band is 66; Mike Portnoy, formerly with Dream Theater, is 47; Kelly Hayes, formerly with Cold, is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1968 Deep Purple perform their first concert in Tastrump, Denmark
1976 Black And Blue by the Rolling Stones is released
1981 John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas is sentenced to five years in jail after pleading guilty to drug possession charges. His sentence is suspended after 30 days
1991 John Fogerty marries Julie Lebiedzinksi in Bristol, Indiana. That same day Steve Marriott of Small Faces and Humble Pie dies in a fire at his home in Essex, England, at the age of 44
2004 Bono of U2 makes the list of Time Magazines 2004 list of the 100 most influential people
2004 Desensitized by Drowning Pool is released
2004 Mark Evans, formerly with AC/DC is injured in a car accident in Sydney, Australia
2011 It is announced that after 42 years KK Downing has left Judas Priest.

April 18, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
ROGER WATERS...The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking (1984)
The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking was released 30 years ago in 1984. it reached number 31 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 18
Mike Vickers of Manfred Mann is 74; Mick Sweda, formerly with King Cobra and the BulletBoys, is 54; Mike Mangini of Dream Theater is 51; Greg Eklund formerly with Everclear is 44; Mark Tremonti of Creed, Alter Bridge and Tremonti is 40;

ON THIS DATE
1946 Skip Spence of Jefferson Airplane was born in Windsor, Ontario. He died in 1999 just 2 days shy of his 53rd birthday
2005 Clare Torry wins a lawsuit against Pink Floyd for royalties and songwriting credit for "The Great Gig In The Sky" on the Dark Side Of The Moon album
2006 Every Man For Himself by Hoobastank is released
2006 Gillan's Inn by Ian Gillan is released
2012  5 vintage guitars worth $175,00 are returned to Tom Petty after they had been stolen a week before
2012  Dick Clark dies of a massive heart attack at the age of 82.  Clark was the host of American Bandstand from 1956 to 1989
2013  Rush, Heart, Randy Newman and Albert King are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in a ceremony in Los Angeles

April 19, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
STYX...Caught In The Act  (1984)
Caught In The Act was released 30 years ago in April 1984.  It reached number 31 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, DVD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 19
Alan Price formerly with The Animals is 72; Rod Morgenstein formerly with Winger is 61; Bekka Bramlett, who was briefly a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1993-1995, is 46;

ON THIS DATE
1980 Brian Johnson replaces the late Bon Scott as lead singer for AC/DC
2002 The body of Layne Staley of Alice In Chains is found in his apartment in Seattle. It is believed he died two weeks earlier of a drug overdose at the age of 34
2006 A Miami-Dade Circuit Judge throws out a lawsuit by a woman who appeared in a sex tape with Scott Stapp and Kid Rock, saying that she cannot sue while remaining annonymous
2010 Iron Man 2 soundtrack by AC/DC is released
2012 Levon Helm of the Band dies in Woodstock, New York. Helm was 71
2012 Ted Nugent meets with the Secret Service because of the statement he made; "If Obama is re-elected I will either be dead or in jail." They decide that Nugent poses no threat to the President
2013  Todd Harrell of 3 Doors Down hits a pickup truck in Nashville, Tennessee, sending the truck down an embankment and killing the driver.  Harrell was intoxicated and was charged with vehicular manslaughter

April 17, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
R.E.M. ...Reckoning   (1984)
Reckoning was released 30 years ago in April 1984.  It reached number 27 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 17
Maynard James Keenan of Tool and A Perfect Circle is 50; Liz Phair is 47;

ON THIS DATE
1960 Eddie Cochran dies at the age of 21 due to injuries sustained the day before in a car accident in Wiltshire, England
1970 McCartney by Paul McCartney is released
1976 Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy is released
1983 Felix Pappalardi of Mountain was shot and killed by his wife in New York City. Pappalardi was 43
1998 Linda McCartney of Wings dies at the age of 56 due to breast cancer in Arizona
2004 ABC News says that the U.S. Marines rattle Iraqi insurgents by playing "Shoot To Thrill" by AC/DC
2007 Year Zero by Nine Inch Nails is released
2008 Danny Federici, the keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen, died in New York City at age 58
2009 Pink Floyd file a lawsuit against their label, EMI, alleging that the company has shortchanged the band's royalty payments

April 16, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
MAX WEBSTER...A Million Vacations  (1979)
A Million Vacations was released 35 years ago in April 1979
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 16
Peter Garrett formerly with Midnight Oil is 61; David Pirner of Soul Asylum is 50; Dan Rieser formerly with Marcy Playground is 48;

ON THIS DATE
1924 Rudy Pompilli of Bill Haley and the Comets was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. Pompilli died in 1976 of lung cancer from second hand smoke
1943 Lonesome Dave Peverett of Foghat was born in Dullwich, England. Peverett died in 2000 in Orlando, Florida
1947 Gerry Rafferty is born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Rafferty died in 2011
1960 Shortly before midnight, rock-and-roll performer Eddie Cochran, 21, was fatally injured in a taxi crash in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; he died the next day.
1972 Electric Light Orchestra makes its debut in Croydon, England at the Fox and Greyhound pub
1993 David Lee Roth is arrested for buying a small amount of marijuana in New York
1996 Kiss announce a world tour with all 4 original members at a press conference in New York
1999 Skip Spence of Jefferson Airplane dies at the age of 52 of lung cancer in Santa Cruz, California
2011 Ozzy Osbourne is the head ambassador for Record Store Day

April 15, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
LYNYRD SKYNYRD...Second Helping  (1974)
Second Helping was released 40 years ago today in 1974.  It reched number 12 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 15
Dave Edmunds is 70; Ed O'Brien of Radiohead is 46; Patrick Carney of the Black Keys is 34;

ON THIS DATE
1966 Aftermath by the Rolling Stones is released in England
1982 Billy Joel collides into a car with his motorcycle breaking his wrist
2001 Joey Ramone of the Ramones dies in New York City at the age of 49 of lymphoma
2004 A prostitute files a civil suit against Vince Neil of Motley Crue, claiming he became viloent toward her after she refused to have sex with him for free
2008 Snakes And Arrows Live by Rush is released
2012 In a radio interview at the NRA convention in St. Louis Ted Nugent said that he will be either dead or in jail if Barrack Obama is reelected.  This leads to a later meeting with the Secret Service

April 14, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BOB DYLAN...Bob Dylan At Budokan  (1979)
Bob Dylan At Budokan was released 35 years ago in April 1979. It reached number 13 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 14
Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow is 69; John Bell of Widespread Panic is 53; Vinnie Moore of UFO is 50; Barrett Martin of the Screaming Trees and Mad Season is 47; Martyn Le Noble of Porno For Pyros is 45;

ON THIS DATE
1974  Ladies And Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, a concert movie filmed during the band's 1972 North American Tour, premieres at the Ziegfield Theater in New York
1980 A bill is introduced to make the New Jersey state song "Born To Run" by Bruce Springsteen
1983 Pete Farndon of the Pretenders dies of a drug overdose in his home at the age of 30
2008 At the Country Music Television Awards Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win the Wide Open Country Video of the Year for "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)", Bon Jovi and Leann Rimes win the Collaborative Video trophy for "Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore"
2009 George Harrison's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is unveiled
2012   Guns N’ Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Small Faces/Faces are inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland

April 13, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THIN LIZZY...Black Rose: A Rock Legend  (1979)
Black Rose: A Rock Legend was released 35 years ago in April 1979.  It reached number 81 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 13
Jack Casady formerly with Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship is 70; Max Weinberg of the E Street Band is 63; Jimmy Destri formerly with Blondie is 60; Joey Mazzola of Sponge is 53; Lisa Umbarger formerly with the Toadies is 49; Marc Ford formerly with the Black Crowes is 48; Aaron Lewis of Staind is 42;

ON THIS DATE
1945 Lowell George of Little Feat was born in Hollywood, California. George died in 1979 of a massive heart attack
1962 Hillel Slovak of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is born in Haifa, Israel. Slovak died in 1988 at the age of 26 of a heroin overdose
1965 The Beatles win a Grammy for Best New Artist
1967 The Rolling Stones perform in Warsaw, Poland, their first performance behind the Iron Curtain
1979 David Lee Roth of Van Halen collapses on stage in Spokane, Washington due to exhaustion
1987 Tango In The Night by Fleetwood Mac is released
1999 Echo by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers is released
2009 Music producer Phil Spector was found guilty by a Los Angeles jury of second-degree murder in the shooting of actress Lana Clarkson. He was later sentenced to 19 years to life in prison
2010 Emotion And Commotion by Jeff Beck is released
2013  Chi Cheng of the Deftones dies at the age of 42.  Cheng had been in a  in a semi-conscious state since a 2008 car accident

April 12, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
RUSH...Grace Under Pressure  (1984)
Grace Under Pressure was released 30 years ago today in 1984.  It reached number 10 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 12
John Kay of Steppenwolf is 70; Pat Travers is 60; Art Alexakis of Everclear is 52;

ON THIS DATE
1954 At their first session for Decca Records Bill Haley and the Comets record "Rock Around The Clock", thus pretty much beginning the Rock 'N' Roll era
1979 Mickey Thomas becomes the lead singer for Jefferson Starship, replacing Marty Balin
1993 Lisa Bonet files for divorce from Lenny Kravitz
2000 The fight between Metallica and Napster gets underway as the band files a suit against the file sharing company
2006 Are You Experienced by Jimi Hendrix is chosen to be preserved in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry
2008 Lou Reed marries his longtime girlfriend Laurie Anderson
2010 Bret Michaels of Poison undergoes an emergency appendectomy at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas
2011 Wasting Light by the Foo Fighters is released

April 11, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
TOM FOGERTY...Zephyr National  (1974)
Zephyr National was released 40 years ago in April 1974.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 11
Nigel Pulsford, formerly with Bush, is 51; Dylan Keefe of Marcy Playground is 44; Joss Stone is 27;

ON THIS DATE
1958 Stuart Adamson of Big Country was born in Manchester, England. He died in 2001 at the age of 43, due to heavy alcohol consumption
1961 Bob Dylan plays his concert debut opening for John Lee Hooker at Gerde’s Folk City in New York
1964 The Beatles hold 14 positions on Billboards Pop Singles Chart, thus breaking the old record of 9 set by Elvis Presley
1970 Peter Green leaves Fleetwood Mac
1981 Eddie Van Halen marries Valerie Bertinelli
2002 Kid Rock asks Pamela Anderson to marry him
2006 Fifeteen by Buckcherry is released
2007 A Japanese tour for Guns 'N' Roses is postponed after Tommy Stinson tumbles down a flight of stairs and injures his hands
2007 Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear's divorce is finalized
2007 Sully Erna of Godsmack is involved in an auto accident in Methuen, Massachusetts where he rear ended a vehicle and seriously injured 25-year-old Lindsay Taylor. Erna had aches and pains and a split lip
2008 Def Leppard cancel some Canadian shows after Joe Elliott falls ill
2008 Shinedown announce that Jasin Todd was replaced by Nick Perri. Todd had been arrested two days earlier for disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer

April 10, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE BEATLES...The Beatles' Second Album  (1964)
The Beatles' Second Album was released 50 years ago today in 1964. It reached number 1 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 10
Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats is 55; Reni formerly with the Stone Roses is 50; Tim "Herb" Alexander Primus and a Perfect Circle is 49; Mike Mushok of Staind is 45; Bryce Soderberg of Lifehouse is 34;

ON THIS DATE
1962 The Beatles original bass guitarist, Stuart Sutcliffe, dies of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 21 in Hamburg, Germany
1970 Paul McCartney announces that the Beatles have broke up
1994 At the Seattle Center a public memorial is held for Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
2007  Fans of Jim Morison of the Doors send a petition to Florida governor Charlie Crist asking him to pardon Morrison for charges that were on appeal when he died in 1971.  Morrison had been convicted of exposing himself while in concert in Miami
2013  It is revealed that in 2010 charges had been filed against Tim Bachman, formerly of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, of sexually abusing a girl under the age of 14.  There had been a ban on reporting the story in order to protect the girl.  Bachman was found not guilty

April 9, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BOB DYLAN...Nashville Skyline  (1969) 
Nashville Skyline was released 45 years ago today in 1969.  It reached number 3 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 9
Gene Parsons formerly with the Byrds is 70; Kevin Martin with Candlebox and the Gracious Few is 45;

ON THIS DATE
1932 Carl Perkins was born in Tiptonville, Tennessee. He died in 1998 at the age of 65
1966 Jeff Beck, as a member of the Yardbirds, collapses while in conert in Marseilles, France
1970 The Beatles are over, as far as a group recording together goes
1973 Queen makes its debut performance in London at the Marquee Theater
1997 Soundgarden are officially over
2008 Jasin Todd of Shinedown is arrested in Jacksonville, Florida for disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer
2010 'When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors' starring Johnny Depp is released in select theaters
2010  Eddie Vedder wins a copyright infringement case revolving around the lyrics to a song he performed for the movie 'Into The Wild' called "Hard Sun" in which the songwriter sued because Vedder changed the lyrics but the judge ruled that under copyright laws lyric changes are allowed
2011 A 12x9 self portrait of Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd that was taken in the early 60's is stolen from the Syd Barrett Arts and Letters Exhibition at the Idea Generation Gallery in London.  It is later returned undamaged

April 8, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
SWEET...Sweet Fanny Adams   (1974)
Sweet Fanny Adams was released 40 years ago in April 1974
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 8
Steve Howe of Yes and formerly with Asia is 67; Mel Schacher formerly with ? And The Mysterians and Grand Funk Railroad is 63; Izzy Stradlin formerly with Guns 'N' Roses is 52; Julian Lennon is 51;

ON THIS DATE
1972 Paul Gray of Slipknot is born in Los Angeles, California. Gray died in 2010
1994 The body of Kurt Cobain is found in his Seattle home. Cobain of Nirvana had committed suicide three days earlier. He was 27
2004 Vince Neil of Motley Crue is given a 30-day suspended jail sentence and is ordered to complete anger-management sessions and is fined $1,000 for allegedly assaulted a prostitute in Nevada in 2003
2006 The Rolling Stones play in Shaghai, their first concert ever in mainland China

April 7, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BLUE OYSTER CULT...Secret Treaties  (1974)
Secret Treaties was released 40 years ago in April 1974.  it reached number 53 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 7
Mick Abrahams formerly with Jethro Tull is 71;

ON THIS DATE
1952 Bruce Gary of the Knack was born. Gary died in 2006 in Tarzana, California of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
1962 Mick Jagger and Keith Richards see Brian Jones perform at The Ealing Club in London. They ask Jones to join their group which eventually will be called the Rolling Stones
1975 Ritchie Blackmore leaves Deep Purple to start Rainbow
1995 At a Burbank airport Eddie Van Halen is detained after a Beretta semi-automatic pistol in his carry-on luggage that is loaded is discovered
1998 Cozy Powell, drummer for Whitesnake, Rainbow and Black Sabbath, dies in a car accident
2004 A misdemeanor battery charge against Vince Neil of Motley Crue is dismissed in a Beverly Hills court following 100 hours of community service
2013 Neil Smith, bassist for AC/DC in 1974,  dies after battling cancer at the age of 60

April 6, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE GUESS WHO...Road Food   (1974)
Road Food was released 40 years ago in April 1974.  It reached number 60 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 6
Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band is 54; Markku Lappalainen formerly with Hoobastank is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1968 Syd Barrett is asked to leave Pink Floyd
2005 The Allman Brothers Band At The Fillmore East (’77) and Nirvana’s Nevermind (’91) are added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. That same day Judas Priest is forced to cancel a show in Katowice because of a decree put forth by the Polish government after the death of Pope John Paul II
2006 Alice In Chains announce that William Duvall will be replacing the late Layne Staley
2009 Divorce proceedings began in London to officially end Pete Townshend of the Who's 40-year marriage to Karen Astley
2010  The Scorpions are added to the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame

Aptil 5, 2014

ALBUM OF THE DAY
JOURNEY...Evolution  (1979)
Evolution was released 35 years ago today in 1979.  It reached number 20 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 5
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam is 48;

ON THIS DATE
1948 Kent Henry, who performed with Blues Image and Steppenwolf, was born in Hollywood, California. Henry died in 2009
1981 Bob "the Bear" Hite of Canned Heat died at the age of 38 in between sets at a North Hollywood Club
1994 Kurt Cobain commits suicide
2002 Peter Buck of R.E.M. is aquitted of charges resulting from an incident on a Trans-Atlantic flight
2007 Mark St. John, formerly with Kiss, dies at the age of 51 of a cerebral hemorrhage
2011  Vince Neil of Motley Crue is charged with battery and disorderly conduct for allegedly jabbing his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Jacobs, in the Shimmer Cabaret lounge at the Las Vegas Hilton twelve days earlier

April 4, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
TEN YEARS AFTER...Positive Vibrations   (1974)
Positive Vibrations was released 40 years ago in April 1974.  It reached number 81 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 4
Craig Adams of The Cult is 51; Josh Todd of Buckcherry is 42;

ON THIS DATE
1948 Barry Oakley of the Allman Brothers was born in Chicago, Illinois. Oakley died November 11, 1972 after having a motorcycle accident in Macon, Georgia
1960 Elvis Presley recorded "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" in Nashville for RCA Victor
1964 The top 5 songs on Billboard's Singles Chart are "Can't Buy Me Love", "Twist And Shout", "She Loves You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "Please Please Me", all by The Beatles
1966 Mike Starr of Alice In Chains is born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Starr died in 2011
1996 Some of Jerry Garcia's ashes are scattered in India’s Ganges River
2006 Operation: Mindcrime II by Queensryche is released
2007 The press has a field day with Keith Richards after he stated that he had snorted his fathers ashes with cocaine in 2002
2009 Jeff Beck and Metallica are inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame
2010  China's Ministry of Culture denies Bob Dylan permission to perform in China because of his involvement in the 60's counterculture movement
2011  According to papers filed at the Los Angeles County Recorders Office Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne owe $1.7 million in back taxes

April 3, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BILLY PRESTON...Live European Tour (1974)
Live European Tour was released 40 years ago today in 1974.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 3
Mick Mars of Motley Crue is 58; Sebastian Bach, formerly with Skid Row, is 46; James MacDonough, formerly with Megadeth, is 44;

ON THIS DATE
1978 FM soundtrack is released
1988 The Traveling Wilburys begin recording sessions for what will be Volume 1
2005 Mike Starr, who played bass for Alice In Chains from 1987 to 1993, is arrested in Seattle for "investigation of property destruction and theft” after allegedly pulling a hood ornament off a car
2007 World Wide Red Light District agrees to stop distributing a sex tape of 4 women with Scott Stapp and Kid Rock
2007 Vena Sera by Chevelle is released
2007 Black Sabbath: The Dio Years by Heaven And Hell is released
2011 The home of Jon Bon Jovi in  New Jersey is robbed, with over $100,000 worth of jewelry stolen.  The thief is later arrested

April 2, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
DAVID BOWIE...Diamond Dogs   (1974)
Diamond Dogs was released 40 years agom in April 1974.  It reached number 5 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 2
Leon Russell is 72; Dave Robinson of The Cars is 65;

ON THIS DATE
1952 Leon Wilkerson of Lynyrd Skynyrd was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He died in 2001 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida from natural causes at the age of 49
1973 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 by the Beatles are released
1999 Joshua Harmon attends a Black Crowes concert and later sues the band for hearing loss
2006 Gene Simmons of Kiss is the grand marshal of the Honda Grand Prix auto race in St. Petersburg, Florida
2013 Richie Sambora leaves Bon Jovi's tour to deal with  “personal issues”

April 1, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BOB SEGER SYSTEM...Ramblin' Gamblin' Man (1969)
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man was released 45 years ago in April 1969.  It reached number 62 on the US Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR APRIL 1
John Barbata, formerly of Jefferson Airplane/Starship is 69;

ON THIS DATE
1946 Ronnie Lane was born in London. He would later become the bassist for the Faces and The Small Faces. Lane died in 1997 at the age of 51
1954 Jeff Porcaro of Toto was born. He died of a heart attack in 1992
1979 The Kids Are Alright by the Who is released
1985 David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen
1992 A judge in Beverly Hills, California fined Billy Idol $2,000 for punching a woman in the face. Idol plead no contest
1994 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana jumps a wall to leave a rehab center in California and returns to Seattle
2003 Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam criticizes President Bush and the Iraq War, promting some to boo and leave the show
2004 Paul Atkinson of the Zombies dies of liver and kidney disease in Santa Monica, California at the age of 58
2008 Scott Weiland leaves Velvet Revolver. Also that day Chad Kroeger of Nickelback is found guilty of drunk driving in Canada June 2006