May 31, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
UFO...Phenomenom
Released: 40 years ago, May 1974
Label: Chrysalis
Track Highlights: Give Her The Gun, Doctor Doctor, Rock Bottom
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ON THIS DATE
1948 John Bonham of Led Zeppelin is born in Worcestershire, England.  Bonham died in 1980
1961 Jimi Hendrix signs up for the Army
1976 The Who perform at the Charlton Athletic Grounds in England and according to the Guiness Book Of World Records it was the loudest concert ever at 120 decibels
2011 Ukelele Songs by Eddie Vedder is released
2013 Scott Weiland files a countersuit against his former band the Stone Temple Pilots, seeking $7 million in damages for what he believes was a conspiracy to oust him

May 30, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
PETER FRAMPTON...Where I Should Be
Released: 35 years ago today, May 30, 1979
Highest Chart Position: #19 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: A&M
Track Highlight: I Can't Stand It No More
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 30
Topper Headon formerly with the Clash is 59; Tom Morello of Audioslave and Rage Against The Machine is 50; Patrick Dahlheimer of Live and the Gracious Few is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1968 The Beatles began recording sessions for what would be The Beatles, more commonly known as The White Album
1972 Bruce Springsteen auditions for Columbia Records’ John Hammond. He signs with the label a month later
1980 Carl Radle of Derek And The Dominoes dies from chronic kidney failure. He was 37
1992 Paul Simon and Edie Brickell marry in Montauk, Long Island, New York
1996 John Kahn of the Jerry Garcia Band dies at age 48 of complications from heart disease at his home in Mill Valley, California
2003 Rod Stewart files for a divorce from Rachel Hunter. That same day Paul and Heather McCartney announce they are expecting a child
2006 'The Hard Stuff' by George Thorogood and the Destroyers is relesed
2010 Ronnie James Dio is laid to rest at the Hall of Liberty in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills

May 29, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY 
CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH...Crosby, Stills And Nash

Label – Atlantic
Producer – Crosby, Stills & Nash
Art Direction – Gary Burden
Nationality – US/UK
Running Time – 40:52

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
2. Marrakesh Express
3. Guinnevere
4. You Don’t Have To Cry
5. Pre-Road Downs
6. Wooden Ships
7. Lady Of The Island
8. Helplessly Hoping
9. Long Time Gone
10. 49 Bye-Byes

This is the first release by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Already well know in the industry for their contributions to other bands, this release rocketed them to superstardom. It’s also the best record they would ever do. That of course is only a matter of opinion, but they never re-created the magic found on this first release.
Some of their best know works can be found right here. The hit "Marrakesh Express”, "Wooden Ships," “Guinnevere”, Steven Stills' "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," and David Crosby's "Long Time Gone". These five tracks alone – half the songs - make this a must hear record.
Two of those tracks became Top 40 hits, "Marrakesh Express" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," which peaked respectively at #28 the week of August 23, 1969, and at #21 the week of October 25, 1969, on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The album itself peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 259 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Just a great listen and it is highly recommended.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 29
Gary Brooker formerly with Procol Harum is 69; Michael Porcaro of Toto is 59; Melissa Etheridge is 53; Noel Gallagher formerly with Oasis is 47; Chan Kinchla of Blues Traveler is 45; Dave Buckner formerly with Papa Roach is 44;

ON THIS DATE
1971 At a Grateful Dead concert in San Francisco 36 people are given medical treatment after they unknowingly drank LSD-laced cider
1977 Elvis Presely walks off stage in Baltimore because he was upset with his performance
1999 Four years after his disappearance the remains of Philip Taylor Kramer of Iron Butterfly were found at the bottom of Decker Canyon near Malibu, California. His death was ruled a suicide
2004 Josey Scott of Saliva marries Kendra Lynnett Edney at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee
2008 In Stockholm, Sweden Kiss meets U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
2009 A judge in Los Angeles sentenced music producer Phil Spector to 19 years to life in prison for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson
2009 Ozzy Osbourne files a lawsuit against his Black Sabbath bandmate Tony Iommi over rights to the group's name
2012  Bob Dylan receives the Medal of Freedom from President Obama in a ceremony at the White House. The Medal of Freedom is America's highest civilian honor

May 28, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
 ELVIS PRESLEY...Viva Las Vegas
Released: 50 years ago, may 1964
Label: RCA Victor
Track Highlights: Viva Las Vegas, What'd I Say
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 28
John Fogerty, formerly with Creedence Clearwater Revival, is 69; Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the USA is 49;

ON THIS DATE
1969 Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones is arrested for possession of marijuana at his home in London
1983 Van Halen receives $1 million to perform at the US Festival in California, the highest fee paid to date for a single concert performance

May 27, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET...Dulcinea
Released: 20 years ago, May 1994
Highest Chart Position: #34 Billboard Album Charts
Label: Columbia
Track Highlights: Something's Always Wrong, Fall Down
(vinyl, CD, minidisc, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 27
Pete Sears, formerly with Jefferson Starship, is 66; Eddie Harsch, formerly with the Black Crowes, is 57; Neil Finn of Crowded House is 56; Sean Kinney of Alice In Chains is 48;

ON THIS DATE
1963 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan' by Bob Dylan is released
1980 David Lee Roth of Van Halen injuries himself after he jumps off of Alex Van Halen's drum riser right into some low hanging lights, suffering several cuts and fracturing his nose
2003 'How The West Was Won' by Led Zeppelin is released
2005 Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails wins $2.9 million and full control of all the band's trademarks in a lawsuit he filed in 2004 against his former manager John Malm

May 26, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
ACCEPT...Eat The Heat
Released: 35 years ago, May 1979
Highest Chart Position: #139 Billboard Album Charts
Label: Epic
Track Highlight: X.T.C.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 26
Garry Peterson of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 69; Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac is 66; Lenny Kravitz is 50; Phillip Rhodes, formerly with the Gin Blossoms, is 46;

ON THIS DATE
1940 Levon Helm of the Band is born in Marvell, Arkansas.  Helm died in 2012
1969 John Lennon and Yoko Ono begin their second week-long Bed In For Peace in Montreal, Canada
1977 All 4 members of Kiss deposit some of their own blood into the ink that will print their Marvel Comic book at a Marvel printing plant
2008 Paul McCartney receives an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University in New Haven, during the school's ’08 commencement ceremony
2011 For the first time in 30 years Alice Cooper cancels a concert in Santiago, Mexico after Alice got food poisoning

May 25, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
INXS...The Swing
Released: 30 years ago, May 1984
Highest Chart Position: #52 U.S. B illboard Album Charts
Label:  WEA, Atco, Mercury
Track Highlights; I Send A Message, Original Sin
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)
ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 25
Klaus Meine of The Scorpions is 66; Glen Drover formerly with Megadeth is 45; Todd Whitener of Tantric and Days Of The New is 36;

ON THIS DATE
1965 Dave Davies is knocked unconscious during a Kinks concert in London after he smashes into Mick Avory's cymbals
1978 The Who play what turns out to be the last concert ever with Keith Moon
1996 Bradley Nowell of Sublime dies in San Francisco, California of a drug overdose at the age of 26
2004 Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses by Slipknot is released
2005 Domenic Troiano formerly with the Guess Who and the James Gang dies of prostate cancer at the age of 59 in Toronto, Canada
2013  Marshall Lytle, who played upright bass for Bill Haley and the Comets, died in Port Richey, Florida of lung cancer.  Lytle was 79
2013 Tommy Lee of Motley Crue retires his roller coaster drum kit after a concert in Atlantic City. 

May 24, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
TED NUGENT...State Of Shock
Released: 35 years ago, May 1979
Highest Chart Position: #18 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: Epic
Track Highlights: Paralyzed, I Want To Tell You
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 24
Bob Dylan is 73; Albert Bouchard, formerly with Blue Oyster Cult, is 67; Jimmy Ashhurst formerly with Buckcherry is 51; Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes is 45; Cody Hanson of Hinder is 32;

ON THIS DATE
1963 Blues great Elmore James dies in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 45
1991 Gene Clark of the Byrds dies of a heart attack at the age of 46 in Sherman Oaks, California
1994 Bret Michaels of Poison crashes his Ferrari into a telephone pole in Burbank, California
2005 Motley Crue files a lawsuit against NBC for banning the band after Vince Neil slipped in a cuss word on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
2005 'Out Of Exile' by Audioslave is released
2005 'Karma And Effect' by Seether is released
2006 Elton John is awarded $188,000 in damages from The Daily Mail after the UK newspaper claimed that John told guest not to approach him at one of his charity ball. That same day the Rolling Stones cancel 15 shows due to a head injury Keith Richard suffered
2010 Paul Gray of Slipknot died in Urbandale, Iowa at the age of 38
2013 The members of the Stone Temple Pilots file a lawsuit in Los Angeles against their former lead singer Scott Weiland.   The band wants Weiland to stop using the bands name to further his solo career and they want Weiland stripped of the right to perform STP songs, use their name or to even call himself a former member
2013 Another lawsuit filed in Los Angeles has Kathy Valentine, formerly with the Go-Go's,  suing her 4 former bandmates, claiming they have created a new entity, GoGoCo Corp., in order to use their majority control of Ladyhead to “license the band’s name, brand and trademark” to GoGoCo and "dilute the Plaintiff’s share of band revenues.”

May 23, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE WHO...Tommy (1969)
Label – Track
Producer – Kit Lambert
Art Direction – Mike Innerneny
Nationality – UK
Running Time – 75:03

Track Listing (standout tracks listed in bold)

1. Overture
2. It's A Boy
3. 1921
4. Amazing Journey
5. Sparks
6. Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)
7. Christmas
8. Cousin Kevin
9. Acid Queen
10. Underture
11. Do You Think It's Alright
12. Fiddle About
13. Pinball Wizard
14. There's A Doctor
15. Go To The Mirror
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me
17. Smash The Mirror
18. Sensation
19. Miracle Cure
20. Sally Simpson
21. I'm Free
22. Welcome
23. Tommy's Holiday Camp
24. We're Not Gonna Take It

“Tommy” is the fourth album by the English rock band The Who, and it was a double album telling a VERY loose story about a "deaf, dumb, and blind boy" who eventually becomes the leader of a religious movement and becomes the messiah. Simple enough right? This was also the first record be touted as a “rock opera” and is still considered by many to be Pete Townshend’s masterpiece.
I do however have my reservations about the record. True – as a whole it is an astonishing work, and certainly in 1969 when it was released to the world, nothing like it had ever been heard before – and for that alone it deserves it’s lofty status in rock and roll history. True – the record has some fantastic tracks including "I'm Free," "Pinball Wizard," "Sally Simpson," "Pinball Wizard," and "We're Not Gonna Take It," but for the most part, the record is bogged down with filler tracks that exist merely to advance the story line. A story line that isn’t the greatest to begin with. There are also several instrumentals which while some are good (particularly the dramatic 10 minute epic “Underture ) do nothing to tell the story of Tommy.
The record upon it’s release was hailed as a breakthrough, but it’s critical standing has diminished somewhat in the passing decades mainly from the shortcomings I mentioned above, but also because of some of Townshend’s other works that have followed and greatly surpassed this one. Still this stepping stone was needed and deserves it place in history.
In 1998 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. In 2003, the album was ranked number 96 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album was ranked number 90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll. NME named it the 16th on "NME Writers All Time Top 100" in 1974.Q ranked it 9th on their list of "The Music That Changed The World: Part One 1954-1969" in 2004
It is recommended.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 23
Phil Selway of Radiohead is 47;

ON THIS DATE
1969 'Tommy' by the Who is released
1975 Peter Gabriel plays his final show with Genesis in St. Etienne, France
1979 The Who documentary 'The Kids Are Alright' premieres in New York
1979 Tom Petty files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in a financial battle with his record label, MCA
1979 'Dynasty' by Kiss is released
2000 'Mad Season' by Matchbox 20 is released
2006 'Yeah' by Def Leppard is released
2010 Bret Michaels of Poison wins Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice"
2012 Bo Diddley's single "I'm A Man/Bo Diddley" from 1955 and the Grateful Dead's "Live At Barton Hall" album from 1977 are added to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress

May 22, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
QUEEN...The Miracle
Released: 25 years ago, May 22, 1989
Highest Chart Position: #24 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: Capitol
Track Highlight: I Want It All
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 22
Bernie Taupin is 64; Morrissey is 55; Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms is 52; Dan Roberts of the Crash Test Dummies is 48;

ON THIS DATE
1954 Bob Dylan has his bar mitzvah in Hibbing, Minnesota
1958 Jerry Lee Lewis announces that he has married his 13 year-old second cousin twice removed Myra
2006 Jimi Hendrix's hometown of Seattle's City Council votes to name 5 acres of land after him
2007 Black Rain by Ozzy Osbourne is released
2011 While on stage at the Rock on the Range festival in Columbus, Ohio Pop Evil tear up their contract with their distributor Universal Music.  They later sign with eOne Music

May 21, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
KANSAS...Monolith
Released: 35 years ago, May 1979
Highest Chart Position: #10 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: Kirshner Legacy/Epic
Track Highlights: People Of The South Wind, Reason To Be
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 21
Hilton Valentine of The Animals is 71; Stan Lynch formerly with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is 59;

ON THIS DATE
1940  Tony Sheridan, who recorded with the Beatles in 1961, was born in Norwich, Norfolk.  Sheridan died in 2013
1955 Chuck Berry records his first single in Chicago, "Maybelline"
1968 Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones is arrested for possession of cannabis in London
1969 The Beatles announce that Allen Klein will run their financial affairs. That same day John Lennon and Yoko Ono start their 10 day "Bed In For Peace" in Montreal
1980 Joe Strummer of the Clash is arrested after he smashes his guitar over the head of an audience member in Hamburg, West Germany
1996 Bringing Down The Horse by the Wallflowers is released
2000 Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots and model Mary Forsberg are wed in Los Angeles
2008 Steven Tyler of Aerosmith enters a Pasadena, California rehab clinic
2009 Walmart offers to sell a clean version of 21st Century Breakdown but Green Day says no
2010 Bono of U2 has back surgery in Munich, Germany. He had hurt his back during rehearsals
2013 Trevor Bolder, formerly with Uriah heep, dies at the age of 62

May 20, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP...Shock Treatment
Released: 40 years ago, May 1974
Highest chart Position: #13 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: Epic
Track Highlights: Easy Street, River's Risin'

(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 20
Joe Cocker is 70; Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go's is 56


ON THIS DATE
1966 John Entwistle and Keith Moon of the Who both show up late for a concert so Pete Townshend pokes Moon in the eye giving him a bruised eye and Moon needing 3 stitches
1967 Jimi Hendrix signs with Reprise Records. That same day the BBC bans "A Day In The Life" by the Beatles.
1968 Pete Townshend of the Who marries girlfriend Karen Astley
1970 The Beatles film Let It Be premieres in London
1978 The Buddy Holly Story starring Gary Busey opens in Lubbock, Texas, Buddy's hometown
1979 Elton John becomes the first Westerner to perform in the Soviet Union with a performance in Leningrad
1980 Unmasked by Kiss is released
1981 Alice Cooper's wife, Sheryl, gives birth to a daughter, Calico Cooper
1997 The Colour And The Shape by the Foo Fighters is released
1998 Tommy Lee of Motley Crue is sentenced to six months in jail and three years’ probation for kicking his soon-to-be ex-wife, Pamela Anderson, as she holds their infant son
2007 Scott Stapp of Creed was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault with intent to commit a felony at his home in Boca Raton, Florida after his wife called 911 and alleged Stapp had threw a glass bottle at her face and nearly hit her
2008 3 Doors Down by 3 Doors Down is released
2013  Ray Manzarek of the Doors dies in Rosenheim, Germany of bile duct cancer.  Manzarek was 74
2014 Paul McCartney cancels a tour of Japan after falling ill

New Releases

May 19
CALIFORNIA BREED...California Breed (vinyl, CD/DVD)

May 27
NEIL YOUNG...A Letter Home (vinyl, CD)
KISS...Kiss 40 (CD)
OASIS...Definitely Maybe (remastered) (vinyl)
DEEP PURPLE...Made In Japan (Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set) (CD)
NILS LOFGREN...Face The Music (Box Set) (CD)
POWERMAN 5000...Builders Of The Future (CD)
KISS...Carnival Of Souls (vinyl)
KISS...Alive: The Millenium Concert (vinyl)
KISS...Music From The Elder (vinyl)
KISS...Rock And Roll Over (vinyl)
IRON BUTTERFLY...Live At The Galaxy 1967 (vinyl, CD)
ELVIS PRESLEY...Playlist: The Very Best Of Elvis Movie Songs (CD)
GRATEFUL DEAD...Grayfolded (vinyl)

May 19, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
NAZARETH...Rampant
Released: 40 years ago, May 1974
Highest Chart Position: #157 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: A&M
Track Highlights: Shape Of Things
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 19
Pete Townshend of The Who is 69; Dusty Hill of ZZ Top is 65; Phil Rudd of AC/DC is 60; Iain Harvie of Del Amitri is 52;

ON THIS DATE
1947 Steve Currie of T. Rex was born in Lincolnshire, England. Currie passed away in 1981 in a car crash
1951 Joey Ramone of the Ramones is born in Queens, New York. Ramone died in 2001
1965 Mick Avory of the Kinks hits Dave Davies over the head with a cymbal during a Kinks concert
1976 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones crashes his car after falling asleep and police find drug paraphernalia, cocaine and marijuana
1979 Eric Clapton marries George Harrison’s ex-wife, Patti Boyd. Harrison, Mick Jagger, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are among the musicians who perform at the wedding reception
1986 So by Peter Gabriel is released
2000 The Allman Brothers announce that founding guitarist Dickey Betts will not be a part of their summer tour

May 18, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
DAVID BOWIE...Lodger
Released: 35 years ago today, May 18, 1979
Highest Chart Position: #20 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: RCA
Track Highlights: Boys Keep Swinging, DJ, Yassassin, Look Back In Anger


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 18
Rick Wakeman formerly with Yes is 65; Page Hamilton of Helmet is 55;

ON THIS DATE
1993 Kiss get a spot on the Hollywood Rock Walk
2003 Scott Weiland from the Stone Temple Pilots is arrested in Burbank, California for drug possession and is released on $100,000 bond
2004 Baptism by Lenny Kravitz is released
2006 Johnny Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd has an emergency appendectomy in Palo Alto, California. That same day Axl Rose of Guns 'N' Roses has an altercation with designer Tommy Hilfiger at a New York club during a private birthday party for actress Rosario Dawson

May 17, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS...Cycles
Released: 25 years ago today, May 17, 1989
Highest Chart Position: #17 U.S. Billboard Album Charts
Label: Capitol
Highlight Tracks: The Doctor, South Of The Border, Need A Little Taste Of Love
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 17
Taj Mahal is 72; Bill Bruford formerly with Yes is 65; Paul Di'Anno formerly with Iron Maiden is 56; Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails is 49; Dave Abbruzzese formerly with Pearl Jam is 46; Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures is 41;

ON THIS DATE
1971 Ram by Paul McCartney is released
1980 Peter Criss leaves Kiss for the first time, but later rejoins in 1996
1987 Tom Petty's home in Los Angeles is destroyed by an arson fire causing $800,000 damage
1999 Producer Bruce Fairbairn dies. He produces acts such as Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Kiss, AC/DC, Scorpions, Van Halen...just to name a few
2005 Mesmerize by System Of A Down is released

May 16, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
SANTANA...Lotus  (1974)
Lotus was released 40 years ago in May 1974.
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 16
Boyd Tinsley of The Dave Matthews Band is 50; Krist Novoselic of Nirvana is 49;

ON THIS DATE
1947 Darrell Sweet of Nazareth was born in Bournemouth, England.  Sweet died in 1999
1957 Buddy Holly signs a recording contract with Coral Records
1969 John Lennon is declared “an inadmissible immigrant to the U.S." stemming from a 1968 marijuana bust. That same day Pete Townshend of the Who spends the night in jail after a man rushes onto the stage and grabs the microphone and Pete boots him offstage. Turns out he was actually a police officer who wanted to tell the audience the building next door was on fire
1970 Randy Bachman leaves the Guess Who to start Bachman-Turner Overdrive
1974 Brian May of Queen collapses due to hepatitis, causing the band to cancel the remaining dates on their U.S. tour
1980 Dr. George Nicjopoulous is indicated on 14 counts of over-prescribing drugs to Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and others
1998 Keith Richard of the Rolling Stones breaks some ribs after he falls at his Connecticut home
2006 Paul McCartney announces that he and his wife have seperated
2006 Mark Knopfler files suit against a woman who had knocked him off of his motorcycle in 2003 causing him to break his collarbone, his shoulder and seven ribs. She was later found guilty of careless driving and deported to Ecuador
2007 ZZ Top cancel a summer European tour because Dusty Hill is suffering from a benign growth in his ear
2010 Ronnie James Dio dies due to stomach cancer in Houston, Texas. Dio was 67
2014  Timothy Lambesis of As I Lay Dying is sentenced to 6 years in prison for plotting to kill his wife

May 15, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN...Couldn't Stand The Weather  (1984)
Couldn't Stand The Weather was released 30 years ago today.  It reached number 31 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 15
Nick Perri, formerly with Shinedown and Silvertide, is 30;

ON THIS DATE
1951 Dennis Frederiksen,  formerly with Toto, is born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Fredericksen died earlier this year
1984 Nils Lofgren joins the E Street Band
1995 Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots is busted for buying drugs
2003 The Rolling Stones cancel a concert slated for Belgrade, Serbia due to security concerns
2007 Minutes To Midnight by Linkin Park is released
2008 Kid Rock makes a donation to a Boy Scout troop from Oviedo, Florida who had their equipment stolen the previous week
2009 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day is released
2009 Randy Bachman becomes an Officer of the Order of Canada during a ceremony in Ottawa
2011  Roy Mayorga of Stone Sour suffers a stroke after a show in Des Moines, Iowa.  Stone Sour cancels the rest of their tour
2013 It is announced that Eric Avery quits Nine Inch Nails

May 14, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE...Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere  (1969)
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere was released 45 years ago today in 1969.  It reached number 34 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 14
Jack Bruce of Cream is 71; David Byrne of Talking Heads is 62; Ian Astbury of The Cult is 52; C.C. (aka Cecil) DeVille of Poison is 52; Mike Inez of Alice In Chains is 48; Henry Garza of Los Lonely Boys is 36; Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys is 35;

ON THIS DATE
1957 While filming Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley accidentally swallows a porcelain cap from one of his teeth, which lodges in one of his lungs. He stays overnight in a hospital to have it removed
1976 Keith Relf of the Yardbirds dies at the age of 33 when he accidentally electrocutes himself while playing guitar in the basement of his London home
1982 Combat Rock by the Clash is released
1988 Led Zeppelin reunites, with drummer Jason Bonham to perform a few songs at Atlantic Records’ 40th anniversary concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden
2002 Vapor Trails by Rush is released
2004 Phil Spector is arrested and charged with misdemeanor charges after getting into a fight with his chauffer
2013  A defamation lawsuit filed by Tom Scholz of Boston against the ex-wife of the late Brad Delp of Boston was reinstated by the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Scholz claimes that remarks Delp's ex-wife Micki Delp made to the Boston Herald could be construed as blaming Scholz for his death

May 13, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
ALICE COOPER...Pretties For You  (1969)
Pretties For You was released 45 years ago in 1969.  It reached number 193 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 13
Richard “Magic Dick” Salwitz formerly with the J. Geils Band is 69; Danny Kirwan, formerly with Fleetwood Mac, is 64; John Richardson of The Gin Blossoms is 50; Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish is 48;

ON THIS DATE
1941 Ritchie Valens was born in Pacoima, California. Valens died in 1959 at the age of 17
1971 Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane crashes her Mercedes into a concrete wall near Golden Gate State Park
1985 Bruce Springsteen marries actress Julianne Phillips in Lake Oswego, Oregon. They divorce in 1989
2003 The estate of the late John Entwistle of the Who is auctioned off
2003 14 Shades Of Grey by Stains is released
2004 Paul McCartney's rehearsals at London`s Millennium Dome for an upcoming tour causes nearby residents to complain to authorities. That same day while Kiss is touring Australia Gene Simmons causes controversy by stating that the western world is under threat from extremists and a culture that treats women worse than dogs, he dismisses the Arab world as “God’s armpit.”
2004 Courtney Love pleads innocent to assault charges stemming from an incident in which she allegedly struck a man in the head with a microphone stand at a New York show the previous March
2007 Bo Diddley is hospitalized after a concert in Council Bluffs, Iowa, during which he appears disoriented. He is placed in intensive care at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska after suffering a stroke
2008 Jon Anderson of Yes is hospitalized after experiencing a serious asthma attack
2008 Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots is released from Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department jail facility after serving 14 minutes of his sentence for a DUI bust the previous November
2013 Wes Scantlin of Puddle Of Mudd is arrested and charged with domestic violence in West Hollywood, California after he dragged his ex-wife out of a business. Bail was set at $20,000

New Releases

NEW RELEASES

May 13
BLACK KEYS...Turn Blue (vinyl, CD)
COLDPLAY...Ghost Stories  (vinyl, CD)
R.E.M. ...Unplugged 1991/2001: The Complete Sessions (CD)
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD...Goin' Home (CD)
BLONDIE...Blondie 4(0)-Ever: Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux/Ghosts Of Download (vinyl, 2 CD/DVD)
JOHN MAYALL...A Special Life (CD)
ROY ORBISON...Mystery Girl (Deluxe 25th Anniversary) (CD/DVD)
BILLY JOEL...A Matter Of Trust The Bridge To Russia: The Deluxe edition (2 CD/blu-ray)
OASIS...Definitely Maybe (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (vinyl, CD)
DIO...Live In London Hammersmith Apollo 1993 (CD)
NEAL SCHON...So U (CD)

May 12, 2014

R.I.P.:  Original Foreigner bassist Ed Gagliardi Dies at 62

Original Foreigner Bassist Ed Gagliardi Dies at 62

Read More: Original Foreigner Bassist Ed Gagliardi Dies at 62 | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ed-gagliardi-dies/?trackback=tsmclip

Original Foreigner Bassist Ed Gagliardi Dies at 62

Read More: Original Foreigner Bassist Ed Gagliardi Dies at 62 | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ed-gagliardi-dies/?trackback=tsmclip

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
JEFFERSON STARSHIP...Nuclear Furniture (1984)
Nuclear Furniture was released 30 years ago in May 1984.  It reched number 28 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 12
Ian McLagan of the Small Faces and the Faces is 69; Steve Winwood is 66; Billy Squier is 64; Eric Singer of Kiss is 56; Billy Duffy formerly of the Cult is 53;

ON THIS DATE
1959 Ray Gillen, who toured with Black Sabbath in 1986, was born in New York City. Gillen died in 1993
1963 Bob Dylan is invited to appear on TV’s 'Ed Sullivan Show' but refuses when he is forbidden to sing “Talking John Birch Society Blues.”
1967 Pink Floyd stages the first-ever rock concert with quadraphonic sound at Queen Elizabeth Hall in England
1971 Mick Jagger and Bianca Perez-Mora marry in St. Tropez, France
1972 Exile On Main Street by the Rolling Stones is released
1992 Rob Halford of Judas Priest holds a press conference to announce that he does not have AIDS
2008 Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots enters a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department jail to begin serving his sentence for a DUI conviction stemming from an arrest the previous November. He’s in custody for 10 hours but only spends 14 minutes behind bars before he’s released

May 11, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
STEVIE NICKS...The Other Side Of The Mirror  (1989)
The Other Side Of The Mirror was released 25 years ago today in 1989.  It reached number 10 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 11
Eric Burdon of The Animals is 73; Butch Trucks of the Allman Brothers Band is 67;

ON THIS DATE
1967 Cream begin recording session for what would be Disraeli Gears in New York City
1970 Woodstock, the triple disc album with music from the festival, is released
1972 On the "Dick Cavett Show" John Lennon claims the US government is spying on him and trying to boot him out of the country, a claim which turned out to be true
1981 Legendary reggae artist Bob Marley died in a Miami hospital at age 36
1990 Ritchie Valens is awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1995 Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray reunite for a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan in Austin, Texas, the late blues guitarist’s hometown. All five played with the guitarist at his last concert on August 26, 1990, before his death in a helicopter crash
2003 Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience is found dead in his home in County Cork, Ireland, at the age of 57
2008 John Rutsey, formerly of Rush, dies from a diabetes-related heart attack in his sleep at the age of 55
2011 The 3 surviving members of Pink Floyd perform together for the first time since 2005 at  Roger Waters' concert at the O2 arena in London
2014 Ed Gagliardi, original bassist for Foreigner, passed away after an 8 year battle with cancer.  Gagliardi was 62

May 10, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
BILL WYMAN...Monkey Grip  (1974)
Monkey Grip was released 40 years ago today in 1974.  It reached number 99 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 10
Dave Mason of Traffic is 68; Graham Gouldman of 10cc is 67; Donovan is 68; Jay Ferguson of Spirit is 67; Bono of U2 is 54; Danny Carey of Tool is 53; Richard Patrick of Filter, Nine Inch Nails and Army Of Anyone is 46; Jesse Vest of Days Of The New and Tantric is 37;

ON THIS DATE
1965 The Rolling Stones begin recording their Out of Our Heads album at Chess Studios in Chicago
1967 Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones is arrested for unlawful possession of drugs
1968 Jim Morrison of the Doors incites an audience riot during a Chicago concert, then escapes backstage as the crowd battles with police
1974 Monkey Grip by Bill Wyman is released. It is the first solo album released by a Rolling Stone
1986 Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe marries actress Heather Locklear. The couple divorces seven years later
2004 Cris Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets pleads guilty to assault in Phoenix, Arizona, stemming from an incident with a a post office security guard during which Kirkwood was shot December 26, 2003
2006 Chris Daughtry gets voted off Season Five of “American Idol.”
2006 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is released from a hospital in New Zealand 2 days after he had brain surgery. Richards had fallen out of a tree in Fiji, injuring his head
2006 Daniel Biechele, former manager of Great White, whose pyrotechnics caused a 2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire that killed 100 people, was sentenced to four years in prison. (Biechele was paroled in March 2008)
2010 It is announced that Joey Belladonna has rejoined Anthrax
2011 Move Like This by the Cars is released
2011 Man In Motion by Warren Haynes is released
2011 Live At River Plate by AC/DC is released on DVD and blu-ray

May 9, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP...Big Daddy  (1989)
Big Daddy was released 25 years ago today in 1989.   It reached number 7 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 9
Sonny Curtis of Buddy Holly and the Crickets is 77; Richie Furay of Buffalo Springfield and Poco is 70; Billy Joel is 65; Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick is 64;

ON THIS DATE
1989 Bill Berry of R.E.M. collapses due to a bronchial infection during the group’s European tour
1993 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana is treated at a Seattle hospital for overdosing on heroin and bupreorphine
2006 Stadium Arcadium by the Red Hot Chili Peppers is released
2007 An undisclosed settlement is reached in the wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the relatives of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of Damageplan and Pantera against a Columbus, Ohio nightclub where he and three others were killed by a deranged gunman during a Damageplan show December 8, 2004
2013  Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying pleads not guilty  to a charge of solicitation of murder of his estranged wife and the judge sets bail at $3 million

May 8, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE KINKS...Preservation Act 2  (1974)
Preservation Act 2 was released 40 years ago today in 1974.  It reached number 114 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 8
Paul Samwell-Smith, formerly with the Yardbirds, is 71; Chris Frantz formerly with the Talking Heads is 63; Billy Burnette, formerly with Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1995, is 61; Alex Van Halen of Van Halen is 61; Dave Rowntree of Blur is 50; Joe Bonamassa is 37;

ON THIS DATE
1996 Penthouse Magazine wins in court the rights to publish X-rated photos of Tommy Lee of Motley Crue and Pamela Lee Anderson taken from stolen home movies
2004 Chris Cornell of Audioslave marries Vicky Karayiannis in Paris
2006 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones has brain surgery in Auckland, New Zealand after Richards had fallen from a tree a few days earlier
2006 A London court rules that Apple Computer did not breach a ‘91 contract involving the "Apple" name and logo, because its iPod and iTunes services are involved in selling music rather than creating it, therefore winning a copyright infringement suit brought against them by Apple Corps, owned by the Beatles

May 7, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
KISS...Dynasty  (1979)
Dynasty was released 35 years ago in May 1979.  It reached number 9 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 7
Bill Kreutzmavinyl, formerly with The Grateful Dead, is 68; Prairie Prince of the Tubes and formerly with Journey is 64; Phil Campbell of Motorhead is 53; Scooter Ward of Cold is 44; Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys is 27;

ON THIS DATE
1991 Ozzy Osbourne is sued by a couple from Georgia who claim "Suicide Solution" caused their son to commit suicide. The case is dismissed
2002 The Rolling Stones arrive by blimp at New York’s Van Cortland Park to announce their 2002/2003 world tour
2003 London’s Metropolitan Police Service formally cautions the Who’s Pete Townshend for “accessing a Web site containing child abuse images” in 1999
2007 Don Felder, who had been fired from The Eagles in 2001, settles a wrongful termination lawsuit against the band
2013 Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying is arrested after allegedly  asking an undercover detective to murder his estranged wife

May 6, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
RICHARD MARX...Repeat Offender  (1989)
Repeat Offender was released 25 years ago in May 1989.  It reached number 1 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 6
Bob Seger is 69; Tony Scalzo of Fastball is 50; Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish is 47; Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters is 43;

ON THIS DATE
1977 Led Zeppelin breaks their own attendance record for one single concert as 72,000 see their performance at the Pontiac Silverdome
1994 Pearl Jam begins their fight with Ticketmaster over ticket prices
1997 Crosby, Stills And Nash and Buffalo Springfield are entered into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame
1997 Rick Danko of the Band is arrested for heroin possession in Tokyo, Japan
2005 Ozzy Osbourne is diagnosed with Parkin Syndrome, a genetic disorder that attacks the central nervous system causing involuntary shaking
2006 A memorial stone in honor of the Bon Scott of AC/DC is unveiled in his birthplace of Kirriemuir, Scotland
2009 Ean Evans of Lynyrd Skynyrd dies in Columbia, Mississippi of cancer. Evans was 48

New Releases

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)

May 13
BLACK KEYS...Turn Blue (vinyl, CD)
COLDPLAY...Ghost Stories  (vinyl, CD)
R.E.M. ...Unplugged 1991/2001: The Complete Sessions (CD)
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD...Goin' Home (CD)
BLONDIE...Blondie 4(0)-Ever: Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux/Ghosts Of Download (vinyl, 2 CD/DVD)
JOHN MAYALL...A Special Life (CD)
ROY ORBISON...Mystery Girl (Deluxe 25th Anniversary) (CD/DVD)
BILLY JOEL...A Matter Of Trust The Bridge To Russia: The Deluxe edition (2 CD/blu-ray)
OASIS...Definitely Maybe (Remastered Deluxe Edition) (vinyl, CD)
DIO...Live In London Hammersmith Apollo 1993 (CD)
NEAL SCHON...So U (CD)

May 5, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
STEVIE NICKS...Street Angel  (1994)
Street Angel was released 20 years ago in May 1994.  It reached number 45 on the U.S. Billboard album charts
(CD, Allmusic review)

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 5
Bill Ward, formerly with Black Sabbath, is 66; James LaBrie of Dream Theater is 51; Shawn Drover of Megadeth is 48;

ON THIS DATE
1984 Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders marries Jim Kerr of Simple Minds
1986 Cleveland, Ohio is chosen as the site for the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame
1990 Jason Bonham gets married, and at the reception he plays a 5 song set with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones
1995 Steven Alder, formerly with Guns 'N' Roses, is arraigned on possession of heroin charges
2000 Rod Stewart undergoes surgery to have a growth on his thyroid removed, which turns out to be benign
2002 Legendary songwriter Otis Blackwell dies in Nashville, Tennessee. Blackwell was 70
2003 Ted Nugent makes racist statements in an interview with a Denver radio station. Nugent is then dropped from the upcoming Summer Celebration Festival in Michigan
2006 Songs From Black Mountain by Live is released
2012 Brian "Head" Welch performs with KoRn for the first time in 7 years

May 4, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
TWISTED SISTER...Stay Hungry  (1984)
Stay Hungry was released 30 years ago in May 1984.  It reached number 15 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.  
(vinyl, CD, Allmusic review) 

ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 4
Zal Cleminson, formerly with Nazareth, is 65; Mick Mars of Motley Crue is 63; Mike Dirnt of Green Day is 42;

ON THIS DATE
1977 The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl is released
1987 Paul Butterfield of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band dies of a heart attack in his home in Hollywood, California at the age of 44
2004 Slash and Duff McKagan file a lawsuit against Axl Rose alleging he stopped movie music deals worth $1 million
2007 Chad Kroeger of Nickelback gets into a fight outside a nightclub in Vancouver, British Columbia after the dude shouted "Nickelback sucks!"
2010 The Oracle by Godsmack is released
2010 After suffering a brain hemorrhage two weeks earlier Bret Michaels of Poison is released from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Arizona

May 3, 2014

THE ALBUM OF THE DAY
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND...Where It All Begins  (1994)
Where It All Begins was released 20 years ago today in 1994.  It reached number 45 on the U.S. Billboard album charts.
(minidisc, CD, Allmusic review)


ROCK BIRTHDAYS FOR MAY 3
Mary Hopkin is 64; David Immerglück of the Counting Crows is 53; Josey Scott, formerly with Saliva, is 42;

ON THIS DATE
1969 Jimi Hendrix is arrested in Toronto for possesion of narcotics
1974 Led Zeppelin launches its Swan Song label
1976 Paul McCartney makes his first U.S. stage appearance in a decade as the “Wings Over America” tour opens in Ft. Worth, Texas
2001 It is announced that George Harrison has undergone cancer surgery with a good prognosis
2004 The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal filed by Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake who claimed in a 1998 suit that they had not received proper compensation and credit for their work on two Ozzy Osbourne albums, Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman
2006 A London court rules that Purple Haze Records does not have the right to distribute or sell Jimi Hendrix's music
2006 Living With War by Neil Young is released