Rockphiles Blog

ROGER WATERS APPEARANCES

As well as a one-off in London, Roger Waters will visit the US in the fall for several dates.  His set list will include a performance of Floyd's tour de force, Dark Side of The Moon. 

Floyd bandmate David Gilmour has been having enormous success on his current tour, also featuring a few Floyd offerings, as well as selections from his new album On An Island.  Ticket prices run from a king's ransom to unavailable.

You might want to take that second (or third) mortgage, and grab some Roger Waters tickets, while they're still around. 

LIVING WITH WAR

The web is abuzz with the news that Neil Young is about to release what is being hailed as possibly one of the strongest albums of his career.  "Living With War" was recorded in a remarkable 9 days, and is Neil's musical rallying cry against the political status quo. 

Beginning today, April 28, Neil Young's "Living with War" is
available for free as an internet stream via his website.  The title tune is every bit as good as they said it was.  Astonishing work by the huge choir and a three piece band.

The album will be available for digital download beginning on May 2, and will  be available through regular retail outlets in late May.

TIME FOR THE TERMS

The Terms (the button is over on the right there) are a great new band from Baton Rouge.  Getting together as a bar band while at LSU together, they thrashed their way through Johnny Cash covers, etc., until it was decided to try some originals.  This turned out to be a wise idea.  Their local following grew rapidly, and an entrepeneur, who had come to see another band for his new record company, was impressed enough to get their tape to veteran producer Greg Ladanyi, (Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Fleetwood Mac, The Church).  Greg loved the songs, sent for the band and produced the album. 

Please give a listen and let us know what you think.  We've got CDs and other stuff to give away to those submitting comments here, so make sure we can contact you via email. 

LINDA RONSTADT DATE

Linda Ronstadt, understandably reclusive since her Las Vegas appearance last year, is scheduled to appear in Wilmington, DE in June, accompanied by long-time pal David Bromberg.  More here.

The article, while giving Linda her well-deserved props, fails to mention that Linda is more than partly responsible for putting the Eagles together. 

PHIL WALDEN RIP

Phil Walden, a founder of Capricorn Records, and manager of Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers, succumbed to cancer on Sunday, at age 66.

A colorful and scrappy character, known for his bouncebackability, Phil did much to promote integration in the music industry. The idea that music could be a universal force, bringing together different races and cultures, was central to both Phil's and Otis Redding's personal philosophies. At a time when it may not have been considered politically correct, Redding had a racially mixed band and a white manager, and together they achieved enormous success, before Redding's death in a plane crash in December 1967.   Phil and Otis had been friends since their school days.

Phil went on to discover the Allman Brothers, Wet Willie and The Dixie Dregs, and to become one of the great forces in Southern rock.

MSNBC story and Billboard story.

THE WSJ WEIGHS IN ON LENNON PSYCHIC CAPER

News of the upcoming pay-per-view production  - which pretty much promises psychic contact with the spirit of John Lennon in one or more of several sites associated with the Beatles or John personally - was greeted with appropriate scorn over here on the Rockphiles blog and elsewhere. 

The Wall Street Journal has now joined the general hue and cry, and were nice enough to contact us for a quote for a piece they ran today.  They talked to the producer, who is being a tiny bit defensive, and of course "something" happened while filming at Strawberry Fields ... well, read on.

BEATLES ON LINE

After several years of short-sightedness regarding the profits to be realized by using the internet, the powers-that-be who control the Beatles music have finally decided to make their catalog available to on-line music services in the near future. More here.

Apple's Neil Aspinall has informed a High Court judge, who is hearing Apple's case against Steve Jobs for breach of an agreement to not enter the music world using the name Apple, that he is in the process of digitally remastering the Beatles' songs before releasing them on the internet.  He is averse to putting the old masters out there, he said, and a spokesperson at Apple has confirmed the catalog will be on line, but could not give a definite date.

The case against Steve Jobs wrapped up on April 6, and the judge will issue his decision next week.

TOM PETTY ANNOUNCES END OF TOURING

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are poised for a raft of summer dates, and various projects are upcoming, including a documentary film and a solo Tom Petty album (to be produced by Rick "I'm Producing Everything These Days" Rubin).  However, as the band turns 30 this year, Petty is philosophical about the band's ability to undertake major arena tours past this summer, and feels that the time may be coming for the Heartbreakers to slow down a tad.  More from Rolling Stone.

SO FAR, SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT BONNAROO

And there will additional musicians added to a stellar, eclectic line-up of confirmed musical acts for the two-day festival, which so far includes:  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Phil Lesh & Friends, Beck, Elvis Costello & the Imposters featuring Allen Toussaint, Dr. John,  Blues Traveler, Oysterhead, Bonnie Raitt, Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, moe., Bright Eyes, The Neville Brothers, Les Claypool, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, My Morning Jacket, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder,  Shooter Jennings, Steve Earle, Nickel Creek, Buddy Guy, Sonic Youth, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Matisyahu, G. Love & Special Sauce, Cypress Hill, Blackalicious, The Streets, Lyrics Born, Common, Matt Costa, Steel Pulse, Mike Gordon and Ramble Dove, Cat Power, Medeski Martin & Wood, Gomez, Atmosphere, Amadou & Mariam, The Refugee All Stars, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Umphrey's McGee, Disco Biscuits, Dresden Dolls, Son Volt, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Jerry Douglas, Soulive, Rusted Root, Devendra Banhart Band, Donovan Frankenreiter, Mike Doughty, Sasha, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, The Magic Numbers, Bill Frisell, Seu Jorge, Bettye LaVette, Dungen,, Rebirth Brass Band, Robinella, Andrew Bird, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Steel Train, Jackie Greene, Devotchka, The Wood Brothers, dios (malos), Toubab Krewe, The Motet, Marah, I-Nine, Balkan Beat Box, The Cat Empire, Tortured Soul, and Deadboy & the Elephantmen.

GENE PITNEY RIP

Following a show last night in Cardiff, South Wales, Gene Pitney, 65, was found dead in his hotel room of unknown causes.  The local police are not treating the death as suspicious. 

Gene had many hits in the 60s and early 70s, including "Town Without Pity" and "24 Hours From Tulsa," and was known for his distinctive vocals and songwriting talents.  He is also generally credited for introducing the Rolling Stones to America. 

He leaves a wife, Lynne, and three sons. 

Reuters report here.

It has now been officially established that Gene died of natural causes.  BBC Wales update.