heavy-metal-rock-fan

joan jett

2010-03-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

Joan Jett is an originator, an
innovator, and a visionary. As
the leader of the hard-rocking
Blackhearts, she's had eight
platinum and gold albums and
nine Top 40 singles, including
the classics "Bad Reputation," "I
Love Rock 'N' Roll," "I Hate Myself
For Loving You," and "Crimson
and Clover." She sits at the head
of her own independent label,
Blackheart Records. Jett has
acted in movies, including
1987's Light Of Day, with Michael
J. Fox and Gena Rowlands, and in
a Tony-nominated Broadway
musical, The Rocky Horror Show.
As a producer, she has overseen
albums by Bikini Kill, Circus
Lupus, and the Vacancies, as well
as the Germs' LA punk
masterpiece, GI. Jett was even
one of only two women named
to Rolling Stone magazine's list
of the 100 greatest guitar
players of all time.
In the end, though, Joan Jett's life
has been dedicated to one goal
and one goal only - rocking the
hell out of every listener she can
reach. "I remember times when I
was at shows and the person
onstage locked eyes with me,"
she recently told Esquire
magazine. "And in that moment,
everything was right with the
world. I think that's part of my
job, to create these thousands of
moments every night."
Since co-founding the
Runaways, the pioneering all-girl
punk quintet, at age 15, Jett's
determination and drive have
kept her in the public eye. This
year, however, her profile will
skyrocket yet again, with the
release of both a long-awaited
feature film telling the story of
the Runaways and a new, two-
disc Greatest Hits collection.
The Runaways is based on lead
singer Cherie Currie's book Neon
Angel. Kristen Stewart, star of the
Twilight series films, plays Jett,
and her fellow A-Lister Dakota
Fanning portrays Currie. The
movie chronicles the band's
early years; formed by teenage
girls living near Hollywood, CA.,
the Runaways became the first
all-girl band to break into the
world of arena-filling hard rock
acts.
After the success of their first
single, "Cherry Bomb," the
Runaways toured with such acts
as the Ramones, Cheap Trick, and
Tom Petty. But in Japan, the band
became huge stars - their arrival
for a set of shows in 1977 was
like Beatlemania all over again.
During the Japanese tour, Currie
began to struggle, and she left
the band when they returned
home - but Jett decided to keep
fighting the rock & roll fight,
with the Runaways and then on
her own.
Jett has been close to the project:
She serves as an executive
producer on the film, and she
has described Kristen Stewart as
being "like a little sister." For her
part, the young actress has said
of Jett that "her story's
important - it's an incredibly
triumphant feminist story,
really."
The two discs of the Greatest Hits
set, meanwhile, present twenty
blazing tracks from Jett's three-
decade-plus career. From "Cherry
Bomb" through her smashes in
the '80s and '90s, all the way up
to the recent favorite "A.C.D.C.,"
it's a comprehensive look at one
of rock's most iconic figures.
In addition, the compilation will
feature eco-friendly packaging
(100% recycled paper and
biodegradable trays). Jett, who
has been dedicated to protecting
the environment for most of her
life, couldn't be more thrilled to
be offering a "green" effort.
"I've always appreciated nature,"
she says, "trees, grass, birds, sun,
and even insects. I obsessively
recycle. I almost never turn on
lights; I pretty much live in the
dark. I don't use a lot of water.
I'm a vegetarian, so I avoid
contributing to the major
environmental damage that the
meat industry creates. I hope
that soon we can make sure that
everything we do is earth-
friendly."
Of course, the hits collection will
be released through Jett's own
Blackheart Records, a label she
founded in 1980 - which made
her the first female artist to own
and operate an independent
record company. She and her
longtime songwriting partner/
producer Kenny Laguna created
Blackheart after being rejected
by 23 different labels when she
was trying to release "I Love
Rock n Roll," after she parted
ways with the Runaways. (The
song went on to spend eight
weeks at Number One in 1982,
and remains one of Billboard
magazine's top thirty songs of all
time.)
Blackheart Records is currently
home to such up-and-coming
groups as San Antonio-based
female threesome Girl In A Coma
(Both Before I'm Gone) and Los
Angeles' pop-punk trio the
Dollyrots (Because I'm
Awesome). The label continues to
add new artists to its roster.
"I keep my eyes open [for new
acts to sign] all the time when
I'm on the road," says Jett. "We
made Blackheart Records what
we wanted it to be. It's a place
where musicians can feel
comfortable, both in a work
environment and on an artistic
level."
Since the release of Sinner in
2006, Jett has continuously
toured across the globe,
including a summer as a
headliner on the Vans Warped
Tour and stints alongside such
bands as Aerosmith. Her music
has become a permanent force
in mainstream culture. Faith Hill
sings "I Hate Myself for Loving
You" as the theme for NBC's
Sunday Night Football, and "Bad
Reputation" is the theme for the
hit show American Chopper.
Jett’s version of "Love is All
Around," the theme from the
Mary Tyler Moore Show, became
a popular anthem for women's
sports. Her songs have also been
featured in countless films,
including Shrek, Charlie's Angels,
and Monster.
Joan Jett has spent her lifetime
breaking barriers and
challenging expectations. She’s
fought hard for all of her historic
accomplishments, yet she
remains humble and
appreciative.
"I've had a blessed career," she
says. "I consider myself so lucky
to have been able to do things
my own way."
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts

led zeppelin

2010-03-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

"Led Zeppelin"
Early days (1968–1969) With
their first album not yet
released, the band made their
live debut under the name
"Led Zeppelin" at the
University of Surrey, Guildford
on 25 October 1968. This was
followed by a US concert
debut on 26 December 1968
(when promoter Barry Fey
added them to a bill in
Denver, Colorado before
moving on to the west coast
for dates in Los Angeles, San
Francisco and other cities. Led
Zeppelin's eponymous debut
album was released on 12
January 1969, during their
first US tour. The album's
blend of blues, folk and
eastern influences with
distorted amplification made
it one of the pivotal records in
the creation of heavy metal
music. However, Plant has
commented that it is unfair
for people to typecast the
band as heavy metal, since
about a third of their music
was acoustic. Live in
Montreux, 1970 In an
interview for the Led
Zeppelin Profiled radio promo
CD (1990) Page said that the
album took about 36 hours of
studio time to create
(including mixing), and stated
that he knows this because of
the amount charged on the
studio bill. Peter Grant
claimed the album cost
£1,750 to produce (including
artwork). By 1975, the album
had grossed $7,000,000. Led
Zeppelin's album cover met
an interesting protest when,
at a 28 February 1970 gig in
Copenhagen, the band were
billed as "The Nobs" as the
result of a threat of legal
action from aristocrat Eva von
Zeppelin a relative of the
creator of the Zeppelin
aircraft, who, upon seeing the
logo of the Hindenburg
crashing in flames,
threatened to have the show
pulled off the air. In their first
year, Led Zeppelin managed
to complete four US and four
UK concert tours, and also
released their second album,
entitled Led Zeppelin II.
Recorded almost entirely on
the road at various North
American recording studios,
the second album was an
even greater success than the
first and reached the number
one chart position in the US
and the UK. Here the band
further developed ideas
established on their debut
album, creating a work which
became even more widely
acclaimed and arguably more
influential. It has been
suggested that Led Zeppelin II
largely wrote the blueprint
for 1970s hard rock.
Following the album's
release, Led Zeppelin
completed several more tours
of the United States. They
played often, initially in clubs
and ballrooms, then in larger
auditoriums and eventually
stadiums as their popularity
grew. Led Zeppelin concerts
could last more than three
hours, with expanded,
improvised live versions of
their song repertoire. Many of
these shows have been
preserved as Led Zeppelin
bootleg recordings. It was
also during this period of
intensive concert touring that
the band developed a
reputation for off-stage
excess. One alleged example
of such extravagance was the
shark episode, or red snapper
incident, which is said to have
taken place at the Edgewater
Inn in Seattle, Washington, on
28 July 1969. "The biggest
band in the world" (1970 –
1977) Led Zeppelin's
popularity in the early years
was dwarfed by their
triumphant mid-seventies
successes and it is this period
that continues to define the
band. The band's image also
changed as members began
to wear elaborate,
flamboyant clothing. Led
Zeppelin began travelling in a
private jet airliner nicknamed
The Starship, rented out
entire sections of hotels most
notably the Continental Hyatt
House in Los Angeles, known
colloquially as the "Riot
House", and became the
subject of many of rock's most
famous stories of debauchery.
One escapade involved John
Bonham riding a motorcycle
through a rented floor of the
Riot House, while another
involved the destruction of a
room in the Tokyo Hilton,
leading to the band being
banned from that
establishment for life.
However, although Led
Zeppelin developed a
reputation for trashing their
hotel suites and throwing
television sets out of the
windows, some suggest that
these tales have been
somewhat exaggerated.
Music journalist Chris Welch
argues that "Led Zeppelin's
travels spawned many stories,
but it was a myth that they
were constantly engaged in
acts of wanton destruction
and lewd behaviour. For the
composition of their third
album, Led Zeppelin III, Jimmy
Page and Robert Plant retired
to Bron-Yr-Aur, a remote
cottage in Wales, in 1970. The
result was a more acoustic
sound and a song, "Bron-Yr-
Aur Stomp", misspelt as "Bron-
Y-Aur Stomp" on the album
cover, which was strongly
influenced by folk and Celtic
music, and revealed the
band's versatility. The album's
rich acoustic sound initially
received mixed reactions,
with many critics and fans
surprised at the turn taken
away from the primarily
electric compositions of the
first two albums. Over time,
however, its reputation has
improved and Led Zeppelin III
is now generally praised. It
has a unique album cover
featuring a wheel which,
when rotated, displays
various images through cut
outs in the main jacket
sleeve. The album's opening
track, "Immigrant Song", was
released in November 1970
by Atlantic Records as a single
against the band's wishes. It
included their only non-
album b-side, "Hey Hey What
Can I Do". Even though the
band saw their albums as
indivisible, whole listening
experiences —and their
manager, Peter Grant,
maintained an aggressive
pro-album stance —some
singles were released
without their consent. The
group also increasingly
resisted television
appearances, enforcing their
preference that their fans
hear and see them in live
concerts. The four symbols on
the label and inside sleeve of
Led Zeppelin IV, representing
(from left to right) Jimmy
Page, John Paul Jones, John
Bonham, and Robert Plant.Led
Zeppelin's fourth album was
released on 8 November
1971. There was no indication
of a title or a band name on
the original cover, but on the
LP label four symbols were
printed —. The band were
motivated to undertake this
decision because of their
disdain for the music press,
which tended to label them
as hyped and overrated. In
response, they released the
album with no indication of
who they were in order to
prove that the music could
sell itself.[24] The album is
variously referred to as Four
Symbols and The Fourth
Album both titles were used
in the Atlantic Records
catalogue, and also IV,
Untitled, Zoso, Runes, Sticks,
Man With Sticks, and Four. It is
still officially untitled and
most commonly referred to as
Led Zeppelin IV. In an
interview with Rolling Stone
magazine in 2005, Plant said
that it is simply called The
Fourth Album. further refined
the band's unique formula of
combining earthy, acoustic
elements with heavy metal
and blues emphases. The
album included examples of
hard rock, such as "Black Dog"
and an acoustic track, "Going
to California" (a tribute to Joni
Mitchell). "Rock and Roll" is a
tribute to the early rock music
of the 1950s. Until mid-2007,
the song was used
prominently in Cadillac
automobile commercials—
one of the few instances of
Led Zeppelin's surviving
members licensing songs.[56]
The album is one of the best-
selling albums in history and
its massive popularity
cemented Led Zeppelin's
superstardom in the 1970s. To
date it has sold 23 million
copies in the United States.
The track "Stairway to
Heaven," although never
released as a single, is
sometimes quoted as being
the most requested and most
played album-oriented rock
FM radio song. In 2005, the
magazine Guitar World held a
poll of readers in which
"Stairway to Heaven" was
voted as having the greatest
guitar solo of all time. Led
Zeppelin's next album,
Houses of the Holy, was
released in 1973. It featured
further experimentation, with
longer tracks and expanded
use of synthesisers and
mellotron orchestration. The
song "Houses of the Holy"
does not appear on its
namesake album, even
though it was recorded at the
same time as other songs on
the album; it eventually made
its way onto the 1975 album
Physical Graffiti. The orange
album cover of Houses of the
Holy depicts images of nude
children climbing up the
Giant's Causeway (in County
Antrim, Northern Ireland).
Although the children are not
depicted from the front, this
was controversial at the time
of the album's release, and in
some areas, such as the "Bible
Belt" and Spain, the record
was banned. The album
topped the charts, and Led
Zeppelin's subsequent
concert tour of the United
States in 1973 broke records
for attendance, as they
consistently filled large
auditoriums and stadiums. At
Tampa Stadium, Florida, they
played to 56,800 fans
breaking the record set by
The Beatles at Shea Stadium
in 1965, and grossed
$309,000. Three sold-out
shows at Madison Square
Garden in New York were
filmed for a motion picture,
but the theatrical release of
this project (The Song
Remains the Same) would be
delayed until 1976. During
the final night's performance,
$203,000 of the band's money
from gate receipts went
missing from a safety deposit
box at the Drake Hotel. It was
never recovered. Led
Zeppelin live at Chicago
Stadium, January 1975.In
1974, Led Zeppelin took a
break from touring and
launched their own record
label, Swan Song, named after
one of only five Led Zeppelin
songs which the band never
released commercially (Page
later re-worked the song with
his band, The Firm, and it
appears as "Midnight
Moonlight" on their first
album). The record label's
logo, based on a drawing
called Evening: Fall of Day
(1869) by William Rimmer,
features a picture of Apollo.
The logo can be found on
much Led Zeppelin
memorabilia, especially t-
shirts. In addition to using
Swan Song as a vehicle to
promote their own albums,
the band expanded the
label's roster, signing artists
such as Bad Company, Pretty
Things, Maggie Bell,
Detective, Dave Edmunds,
Midnight Flyer, Sad Café and
Wildlife. The label was
successful while Led Zeppelin
existed, but folded less than
three years after they
disbanded. 24 February 1975
saw the release of Led
Zeppelin's first double album,
Physical Graffiti, which was
their first release on the Swan
Song Records label. It
consisted of fifteen songs,
eight of which were recorded
at Headley Grange in 1974,
and the remainder being
tracks previously recorded but
not released on earlier
albums. A review in Rolling
Stone magazine referred to
Physical Graffiti as Led
Zeppelin's "bid for artistic
respectability," adding that
the only competition the
band had for the title of
'World's Best Rock Band' were
The Rolling Stones and The
Who. The album was a
massive fiscal and critical
success. Shortly after the
release of Physical Graffiti, all
previous Led Zeppelin albums
simultaneously re-entered
the top-200 album chart, and
the band embarked on
another U.S. tour, again
playing to record-breaking
crowds. In May 1975, Led
Zeppelin played five highly
successful, sold-out nights at
the Earls Court Arena in
London, footage of which was
released in 2003, on the Led
Zeppelin DVD. Following
these triumphant Earls Court
appearances Led Zeppelin
took a holiday and planned a
series of outdoor summer
concerts in America,
scheduled to open with two
dates in San Francisco.[54]
These plans were thwarted in
August 1975 when Robert
Plant and his wife Maureen
were involved in a serious car
crash while on holiday in
Rhodes, Greece. Robert
suffered a broken ankle and
Maureen was badly injured; a
blood transfusion saved her
life.[23] Unable to tour, Plant
headed to the channel island
of Jersey to spend August and
September recuperating, with
Bonham and Page in tow. The
band then reconvened in
Malibu, California. It was
during this forced hiatus that
much of the material for their
next album, Presence, was
written. By this time, Led
Zeppelin were the world's
number one rock attraction,
having outsold most bands of
the time, including the
Rolling Stones. Presence,
released in March 1976,
marked a change in the Led
Zeppelin sound towards more
straightforward, guitar-based
jams, departing from the
acoustic ballads and intricate
arrangements featured on
their previous albums.
Though it was a platinum
seller, Presence received
mixed responses from critics
and fans and some speculated
the band's legendary
excesses may have caught up
with them. The recording of
Presence coincided with the
beginning of Page's heroin
use, which may have
interfered with Led Zeppelin's
later live shows and studio
recordings, although Page has
denied this. Despite the
original criticisms, Jimmy
Page has called Presence his
favourite album, and its
opening track "Achilles Last
Stand" his favourite Led
Zeppelin song. In an
interview with a Swedish TV
program, Plant stated that
Presence is the album that
sounds the most "Led
Zeppelin" of all their LPs.
Plant's injuries prevented Led
Zeppelin from touring in
1976. Instead, the band
finally completed the concert
film The Song Remains The
Same, and the soundtrack
album of the film. The
recording had taken place
during three nights of
concerts at Madison Square
Garden in July 1973, during
the band's concert tour of the
United States. The film
premiered in New York on 20
October 1976, but was given
a lukewarm reception by
critics and fans. The film was
particularly unsuccessful in
the UK, where, after being
unwilling to tour since 1975
due to a taxation exile, Led
Zeppelin were facing an
uphill battle to recapture the
public spotlight at home.
Plant (left) and Page (right)
on stage during the 1977
North American tourIn 1977,
Led Zeppelin embarked on
another major concert tour of
North America. Here the band
set another attendance
record, with 76,229 people
attending their Pontiac
Silverdome concert on 30
April. It was, according to the
Guinness Book of Records, the
largest attendance to date for
a single act show. However,
though it was financially
profitable, the tour was beset
with off-stage problems. On 3
June a concert at Tampa
Stadium was cut short
because of a severe
thunderstorm, despite tickets
printed with "Rain or Shine".
A riot broke out amongst the
audience, resulting in several
arrests and injuries. After a 23
July show at the "Day on the
Green" festival at the Oakland
Coliseum in Oakland,
California, John Bonham and
members of the band's
support staff including
manager Peter Grant and
security coordinator John
Bindon were arrested after a
member of promoter Bill
Graham's staff was badly
beaten during the
performance. A member of
the staff had allegedly
slapped Grant's son when he
was taking down a dressing
room sign. This was seen by
John Bonham, who came over
and kicked the man. Then,
when Grant heard about this,
he went into the trailer, along
with Bindon and assaulted
the man while tour manager
Richard Cole stood outside
and guarded the trailer. The
following day's second
Oakland concert would prove
to be the band's final live
appearance in the United
States. Two days later, as the
band checked in at a French
Quarter hotel for their 30 July
performance at the Louisiana
Superdome, news came that
Plant's five year old son,
Karac, had died from a
stomach virus. The rest of the
tour was immediately
cancelled, prompting
widespread speculation
about the band's future.
Bonham's death and breakup
(1978 –1980) November 1978
saw the group recording
again, this time at Polar
Studios in Stockholm,
Sweden. The resultant album
was In Through the Out Door,
which exhibited a degree of
sonic experimentation that
again drew mixed reactions
from critics. Nevertheless, the
band still commanded legions
of loyal fans, and the album
easily reached #1 in the UK
and the U.S. in just its second
week on the Billboard album
chart. As a result of this
album's release, Led
Zeppelin's entire catalogue
made the Billboard Top 200
between the weeks of 27
October and 3 November
1979. In August 1979, after
two warm-up shows in
Copenhagen, Denmark, Led
Zeppelin headlined two
concerts at the Knebworth
Music Festival, where crowds
of close to 120,000 witnessed
the return of the band.
However, Plant was not eager
to tour full-time again, and
even considered leaving Led
Zeppelin. He was persuaded
to stay by Peter Grant. A brief,
low-key European tour was
undertaken in June and July
1980, featuring a stripped-
down set without the usual
lengthy jams and solos. At
one show on 27 June, in
Nuremberg, Germany, the
concert came to an abrupt
end in the middle of the third
song when John Bonham
collapsed on stage and was
rushed to a hospital.[76] Press
speculation arose that
Bonham's problem was
caused by an excess of
alcohol and drugs, but the
band claimed that he had
simply overeaten, and they
completed the European tour
on 7 July, at Berlin. On 24
September 1980, Bonham
was picked up by Led
Zeppelin assistant Rex King to
attend rehearsals at Bray
Studios for the upcoming tour
of the United States, the
band's first since 1977,
scheduled to commence on
17 October. During the
journey Bonham had asked to
stop for breakfast, where he
downed four quadruple
vodkas (450 ml), with a ham
roll. After taking a bite of the
ham roll he said to his
assistant, "Breakfast". He
continued to drink heavily
when he arrived at the studio.
A halt was called to the
rehearsals late in the evening
and the band retired to Page's
house — The Old Mill House in
Clewer, Windsor. After
midnight, Bonham had fallen
asleep and was taken to bed
and placed on his side. At
1:45 pm the next day Benji
LeFevre (who had replaced
Richard Cole as Led Zeppelin's
tour manager) and John Paul
Jones found him dead.
Bonham was 32 years old. The
cause of death was
asphyxiation from vomit, and
a verdict of accidental death
was returned at an inquest
held on 27 October.[28] An
autopsy found no other drugs
in Bonham's body. Bonham
was cremated on 10 October
1980, at Rushock parish
church in Droitwich,
Worcestershire, England.
Despite rumours that Cozy
Powell, Carmine Appice,
Barriemore Barlow, Simon
Kirke or Bev Bevan would join
the group as his replacement,
the remaining members
decided to disband after
Bonham's death. They issued
a press statement on 4
December 1980 confirming
that the band would not
continue without Bonham.
"We wish it to be known that
the loss of our dear friend,
and the deep sense of
undivided harmony felt by
ourselves and our manager,
have led us to decide that we
could not continue as we
were." Post-Led Zeppelin
(1981 –2007) In 1982, the
surviving members of the
group released a collection of
out-takes from various
sessions during Led Zeppelin's
career, entitled Coda. It
included two tracks taken
from the band's performance
at the Royal Albert Hall in
1970, one each from the Led
Zeppelin III and Houses of the
Holy sessions, and three from
the In Through the Out Door
sessions. It also featured a
1976 John Bonham drum
instrumental with electronic
effects added by Jimmy Page,
called "Bonzo's Montreux". On
13 July 1985, Page, Plant and
Jones reunited for the Live
Aid concert at JFK Stadium,
Philadelphia, playing a short
set featuring drummers Tony
Thompson and Phil Collins
and bassist Paul Martinez.
Collins had contributed to
Plant's first two solo albums
while Martinez was a member
of Plant's current solo band.
However, the performance
was marred by the lack of
rehearsal with the two
drummers, Page's struggles
with an out-of-tune Les Paul
and poorly-functioning
monitors, and by Plant's
hoarse voice. Page himself
has described the
performance as "pretty
shambolic", while Plant was
even less charitable,
characterising it as an
"atrocity". When Live Aid
footage was released on a
four-DVD set in late 2004 to
raise money for Sudan, the
group unanimously agreed
not to allow footage from
their performance to be used,
asserting that it was not up to
their standard. However, to
demonstrate their ongoing
support for the campaign
Page and Plant pledged
proceeds from their
forthcoming Page and Plant
DVD release and John Paul
Jones pledged the proceeds
of his then-current US tour
with Mutual Admiration
Society to the project. The
three members reunited
again in May 1988, for the
Atlantic Records 40th
Anniversary concert, with
Bonham's son, Jason Bonham,
on drums. However, the
reunion was again
compromised by a disjointed
performance, particularly by
Plant and Page (the two
having argued immediately
prior to coming on stage
about whether to play
"Stairway to Heaven"), and by
the complete loss of Jones'
keyboards on the live
television feed. Page later
described the performance as
"one big disappointment",
and Plant said unambiguously
that "the gig was foul". The
first Led Zeppelin box set of
the nineties, featuring tracks
remastered under the
personal supervision of Jimmy
Page, introduced the band's
music to many new fans, thus
stimulating something of a
renaissance for Led Zeppelin.
This set also included four
previously unreleased tracks,
including the Robert Johnson
tribute "Travelling Riverside
Blues", which was released as
a single in the US. The song
was a huge hit, with the
video in heavy rotation on
MTV. 1992 saw the release of
the "Immigrant Song" b/w
"Hey Hey What Can I Do" (the
original b-side) as a CD single
in the United States. The
second box set was released
in 1993; the two box sets
together containing all
known studio recordings, as
well as some rare live tracks.
In 1994, Page and Plant
reunited in the form of a 90
minute "UnLedded" MTV
project. They later released
an album called No Quarter:
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
Unledded, which featured
some reworked Led Zeppelin
songs, and embarked on a
world tour the following year.
This is said to be the
beginning of the inner rift
between the band members,
as Jones was not even told of
the reunion. When asked
where Jones was, Plant had
replied that he was out
"parking the car". On 12
January 1995, Led Zeppelin
were inducted into the
United States Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame by Aerosmith's
vocalist, Steven Tyler and
guitarist Joe Perry. Jason and
Zoe Bonham also attended,
representing their late father.
At the induction ceremony,
the band's inner rift became
apparent when Jones joked
upon accepting his award,
"Thank you, my friends, for
finally remembering my
phone number", causing
consternation and awkward
looks from Page and Plant.
Afterwards, they played a
brief set with Tyler and Perry
featuring Jason Bonham on
drums, and with Neil Young
and Michael Lee replacing
Bonham. On 29 August 1997,
Atlantic released a single edit
of "Whole Lotta Love" in the
U.S. and the UK, making it the
only Led Zeppelin UK CD
single. Additional tracks on
this CD-single are "Baby Come
On Home" and "Travelling
Riverside Blues". It is the only
single the band ever released
in the UK. It peaked at #21.
On November 11 1997 the
release of Led Zeppelin BBC
Sessions, the first Led
Zeppelin album in fifteen
years. The two-disc set
included almost all of the
band's recordings for the BBC.
Page and Plant released
another album called Walking
into Clarksdale in 1998,
featuring all new material.
However, the album wasn't as
successful as No Quarter, and
the band slowly dissolved. On
29 November 1999 the RIAA
announced that the band
were only the third act in
music history to achieve four
or more Diamond albums. In
2002, Robert Plant and John
Paul Jones reconciled after
years of strife that kept the
band apart. This was followed
by rumours of reunion,
quickly quashed by individual
members' representatives.
2003 saw the release of a
triple live album, How the
West Was Won, and a video
collection, Led Zeppelin DVD,
both featuring material from
the band's heyday. By the end
of the year, the DVD had sold
more than 520,000 copies.
Led Zeppelin were ranked
#14 on Rolling Stone's 2004
list of the "100 Greatest Artists
of All Time",[89] and the
following year the band
received a Grammy Lifetime
Achievement Award. In
November 2005, it was
announced that Led Zeppelin
and Russian conductor Valery
Gergiev were the winners of
the 2006 Polar Music Prize.
The King of Sweden
presented the prize to Plant,
Page, and Jones, along with
John Bonham's daughter, in
Stockholm in May 2006.[90] In
November 2006, Led Zeppelin
were inducted into the UK
Music Hall of Fame. The
television broadcasting of the
event consisted of an
introduction to the band by
various famous admirers, a
presentation of an award to
Jimmy Page and then a short
speech by the guitarist. After
this, rock group Wolfmother
played a tribute to Led
Zeppelin, performing the
song "Communication
Breakdown". On 27 July 2007,
Atlantic/Rhino, & Warner
Home Video announced three
new Led Zeppelin titles to be
released in November, 2007.
Released first was Mothership
on 13 November, a 24-track
best-of spanning the band's
career, followed by a reissue
of the soundtrack to The Song
Remains the Same on 20
November which includes
previously unreleased
material, and a new DVD. On
15 October 2007, it was
reported that Led Zeppelin
were expected to announce a
new series of agreements
that make the band's songs
available as legal digital
downloads, first as ringtones
through Verizon Wireless
then as digital downloads of
the band's eight studio
albums and other recordings
on 13 November.[94] The
offerings will be available
through both Verizon
Wireless and iTunes. On 3
November 2007, a UK
newspaper the Daily Mirror
announced that it had world
exclusive rights to stream six
previously unreleased tracks
via its website. On 8
November 2007, XM Satellite
Radio launched XM LED, the
network's first artist-exclusive
channel dedicated to Led
Zeppelin. On 13 November
2007, Led Zeppelin's
complete works were
published on iTunes. 2007
The Reunion The surviving
members of Led Zeppelin and
Jason Bonham at The O2 in
London in 2007Main article:
Ahmet Ertegun Tribute
Concert On 10 December
2007 the surviving members
of Led Zeppelin reunited for a
one-off benefit concert held
in memory of music
executive Ahmet Ertegün,
with Jason Bonham taking up
his late father's place on
drums. It was announced on
12 September 2007 by
promoter Harvey Goldsmith in
a press conference. The
concert was to help raise
money for the Ahmet Ertegün
Education Fund, which pays
for university scholarships in
the UK, US and Turkey. Music
critics praised the band's
performance. Hamish MacBain
of NME proclaimed, "What
they have done here tonight
is proof they can still perform
to the level that originally
earned them their legendary
reputation...We can only hope
this isn't the last we see of
them." Page suggested the
band may start work on new
material, and stated that a
world tour may be in the
works. Meanwhile, Plant
made his position regarding a
reunion tour known to the
Sunday Times, stating: "The
whole idea of being on a
cavalcade of merciless
repetition is not what it's all
about." However, he also
made it known that he could
be in favour of more one-off
shows in the near future: "It
wouldn't be such a bad idea
to play together from time to
time." Reunion tour reports
(2008) Following the reunion
concert and the press
coverage it generated,
speculation on the future of
the band and the possibility
of a tour with Jason Bonham
on drums increased to a level
not seen in several years. In
an interview promoting the
release of the Mothership
compilation in Tokyo early in
2008, Jimmy Page revealed
that he was prepared to
embark upon a world tour
with Led Zeppelin, but due to
Robert Plant's tour
commitments with Alison
Krauss, such plans will not be
announced until at least
September. Showing
enthusiasm for continued
performing, in late spring
Page and Jones joined Foo
Fighters frontman Dave Grohl
and drummer Taylor Hawkins
onstage at Wembley Stadium
to perform Led Zeppelin
tracks "Rock and
Roll" (Hawkins on vocals and
Grohl on drums), followed by
"Ramble On" (Grohl on vocals
and Hawkins on drums). Plant
however continued to remain
focused on his recent work
and tour with Krauss. Their
duet album Raising Sand
became certified platinum in
March, and their recordings
received awards including a
Grammy for the song "Gone,
Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)"
and Album of the Year from
the Americana Music
Association. Along with
concentrating on the duo's
American tour, Plant
remained evasive on the
subject of a Led Zeppelin
reunion tour, and expressed
displeasure at the process
leading up to the 2007
reunion show during an
interview with GQ Magazine,
saying "The endless
paperwork was like nothing
I've experienced before. I've
kept every one of the emails
that were exchanged before
the concert and I'm thinking
of compiling them for a book,
which I feel sure would be
hailed as a sort of literary
version of Spinal Tap." After
the BBC reported in late
August that Jimmy Page, John
Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham
had been recording material
which could become a new
Led Zeppelin project,[104]
the rumours of a reunion
began to accumulate through
the remaining summer. On 29
September Plant released a
statement in which he called
reports of a Led Zeppelin
reunion "frustrating and
ridiculous". He said he would
not be recording or touring
with the band, before adding,
"I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul
Jones and Jason Bonham
nothing but success with any
future projects." Following
Plant's statement,
authoritative but divergent
views of the possibility of a
Led Zeppelin reunion tour the
next year were offered by
John Paul Jones and promoter
Harvey Goldsmith. In late
October, Jones confirmed to
BBC Radio Devon in Exeter
that he, Page, and Bonham
were seeking a replacement
for Plant. The bassist
remarked: "We are trying out
a couple of singers. We want
to do it. It's sounding great
and we want to get on and
get out there." The next day,
Goldsmith commented on the
prospect of a Led Zeppelin
reunion, casting doubt on the
possibility or wisdom of such
a venture. In an interview
with BBC News, Goldsmith
stated "I think that there is an
opportunity for them to go
out and present themselves. I
don't think a long rambling
tour is the answer as Led
Zeppelin." The Ertegün
Concert promoter felt the
result of the ongoing plans of
Jones, Page, and Bonham
would not be "called Led
Zeppelin" A spokesman for
guitarist Jimmy Page later
confirmed this, telling
RollingStone.com that a new
band featuring Page, bassist
John Paul Jones and drummer
Jason Bonham would not go
by the name Led Zeppelin
due to the absence of singer
Robert Plant. On January 7,
2009, Music Radar reported
that Jimmy Page's manager
Robert Mensch said that the
band had "tried out a few
singers, but no one worked
out, that was it. The whole
thing is completely over now.
There are absolutely no plans
for them to continue." In a
radio interview, Plant cited a
fear of disappointment as a
major factor for not
continuing a reunited
Zeppelin. "The
disappointment that could be
there once you commit to
that and the comparisons to
something that was basically
fired by youth and a different
kind of exhuberance to now,
it's very hard to go back and
meet that head on and do it
justice.

Finding Good Cheap Guitars

2009-10-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

It is always a tricky thing when you put together the words "good and cheap." This is the case when it comes to finding good cheap guitars. We must remember to look at the word "cheap" two different ways. One, the guitar is inexpensive or two, its just plain garbage. We will be speaking to both meanings in this article. You can own a sweet instrument without spending a lot of money. There are several things you can do in order to be satisfied with the purchasing of cheap guitars. Lets take a look at a few points that will help you make a wise decision.

General Considerations
One of the most important things to keep in mind is, how does the guitar feel when you hold it, as well as the quality of sound it produces. With a few exceptions the guitar will be made from quality wood such as walnut, hickory or rosewood. Avoid guitars made out of composite materials. They just do not resonate sound like wood does. (There are a few exceptions to this rule.)

The shape is important as well. How it fits your body while your sitting down or the feel of balance if you are standing up. Pick a shape that makes it feel like it is a extension of your body. Visit a local music store and have an employee or a friend play several guitars and listen for a sound that is the most pleasing to your ears.
Note:( When you decide to purchase, do so on-line. You WILL pay less there.)

Replace Tuner Heads and Pickups
You will be amazed at how much better a guitar can sound by replacing cheap pickups with ones that have strong name recognition. There are several to choose from. Find pickups that fit your style. Also the tuner heads on cheap guitars often do not stay in tune very well. Again there are several quality heads that will be fine replacements. Simply doing these two things will narrow your search in finding good cheap guitars and boost your guitars performance quite a bit. They are easy to do using simple tools.

Be Willing to Spend $100 or More
In your pursuit of finding good cheap guitars the most important thing to keep in mind is maintaining that passion to practice. Especially for beginners it is essential that you own a guitar that you just can not wait to play when you get home. If you own something that is really cheap, you will not be enthusiastic about playing it. From my experience plan on spending at least $100 or you will end up with a dust collector.

Check Out Reviews and Ratings
Finally, spend some time on the Internet researching and learning.You will need to educate yourself on the vast array of options available to you. There is a huge amount of selection out there. Many guitar manufacturers are battling for your dollars. That being the case, competition is fierce, and companies are producing fine guitars at a fair price. The most difficult thing in finding good cheap guitars is deciding between all the options you have.

The good news is, there are websites out there that have done the research for you.

It can be frustrating weeding through all the forums and blogs out there while trying to find cheap guitars. If you want to see several 5 star guitars for under $500 all in one place, check out my website Cheap Guitars

I have been in the music business since the early 70's. My goal is to bring all the reviewed guitars and related gear to one place. Saving you the time of running all over the Internet.
Gold Top Musician- Researcher
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=T._Gibson

metallica world magnetic tour

2009-10-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

Metallica world tour, death magnetic album, james hetfield, lars ulrich, robert trujilo, kirk hammet, american heavy metal, metal band, supergroup, live, on stage,

kirk hammet

2009-10-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

Hammett was invited to join Metallica following the dismissal of the band's original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine in 1983. This was prior to the recording of Kill 'Em All. At the time Hammett was taking private guitar lessons from the now-famous Joe Satriani.

Hammett has written and contributed riffs for Metallica songs since the mid-1980s (particularly in the 1990s during the Load era). One of these riffs, used in "Enter Sandman" became one of Metallica's most popular songs. It was the first track and first single on Metallica's self-titled "Black Album" and was ranked 399th on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest songs of all time.

The bridge for "Creeping Death" was originally an Exodus riff that Hammett took with him to Metallica.

Hammett is also known for always having his picking hand taped up. During the course of a full tour, due to constantly palm muting and fast picking, the back of his hand takes sizable abuse.

Hammett's playing style is noted for his extensive use of the wah-wah pedal in his solos. Hammett says "The wah-wah is an extension of my personality." Hammett's use of the wah-pedal hadn't been featured in recent Metallica solos, but has seen a resurgence in his solos on the newest album, Death Magnetic.

Hammett initially wanted to have guitar solos on Metallica's 2003 album, St. Anger, but drummer Lars Ulrich and producer Bob Rock thought that the solos did not sound right in the songs. He later admitted himself, "We tried to put in solos but they sounded like an afterthought so we left them out".

On April 4, 2009, Kirk, along with remaining Metallica members Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Robert Trujillo, and former bassist Jason Newsted, was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Former bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident during the Master Of Puppets tour in 1986, was posthumously inducted as well. In 2009 Hammett supplied the foreword to British author Joel McIver's book To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton

Hammett now resides in San Francisco with Lani, his second wife, whom he married in 1998. They have two sons, Angel Ray Keala Hammett (September 29, 2006) and Vincenzo Kainalu Hammett (June 28, 2008).

Hammett's interests include surfing, cooking, horses, archeology, cars, science fiction magazines, collecting skulls of animals such as cats and dogs as seen in Metallica's movie Some Kind of Monster, and collecting horror film memorabilia.

Kirk also commented recently on the T3 gadget website in their audio interview that he was previously addicted to video games, stating that the addiction resulted in the loss of eating, social interaction and guitar practice.

Kirk hammet, gibson flying V, gibson signature, rock guitar, metallica, rock concert , guitar solo, metallica guitarist, world tour,

Birth name Kirk Lee Hammett
Born November 18, 1962 (1962-11-18) (age 47)
San Francisco, California, USA
Genres Thrash metal, speed metal, heavy metal, hard rock
Occupations Musician, songwriter
Instruments Guitar, bass, sitar
Years active 1979 - present
Labels Warner Bros., Elektra, Vertigo, Megaforce
Associated acts Metallica, Exodus, Spastik Children
Website Metallica.com
source wikipedia

GIBSON les paul and SG part 2

2009-10-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ready to Rock

The advanced electronics on the 2009 Raw Power models speak volumes about their intentions. A pair of 57 Classic humbucking pickups offer a broad appeal for a wide range of playing styles. One of Gibson’s most popular pickups of all time, the 57 Classics employ Alnico II magnets, vintage enamel coated wire, nickel-plated pole pieces, nickel slugs, maple spacers and vintage-style, two-conductor, braided wiring, just like the legendary PAFs that they are based on. In a variation from the majority of original PAFs, however, the ’57 Classics’ coils are wax potted to combat microphony and feedback squeal at high volumes so, while vintage voiced, they are also suited to high-gain playing.

Solid to the Core

The Raw Power Series carries a hardware complement that cuts straight to the core of its intentions. The legendary Gibson Tune-O-Matic bridge and stop bar tailpiece pairing aid tuning stability and enhance sustain, while green-key Grover Kluson-style tuners add subtle vintage elegance to their superior performance. A Corian nut helps to ensure excellent resonance and sustain, as well as hitch-free performance. Both guitars feature glued-in necks and are built to Gibson’s traditional 24 3/4" scale length, with a neck width of 1 11/16" at the nut. All Raw Power Series guitars come equipped with a Gibson gig bag, so they’re ready to hit the road and roll.

the Raw Power Les Paul and the Raw Power SG .... just GREAAAAAAAT.

source gibson.com

GIBSON les paul and SG

2009-10-16T08:32:00.000-07:00

When it comes to Gibson’s Raw Power Series, exactly what it declares: two of the world’s most iconic electric guitar designs, stripped of superfluous frills and ready to roar. Inspired by the popular but short-lived Raw Power Les Paul of 2000-2001, the newly revitalized series of 2009 includes both the Les Paul Studio Raw Power and SG Raw Power, both in the dressed-down styling and meaty performance package that so many players loved in the original release, but with notable added features to update the theme.

Down to Business

The new Raw Power guitars follow the no-nonsense ethos of Gibson’s popular Studio series, and their down-to-business looks are packed with performance features that the hard-gigging modern musician will appreciate. These are grab’n’go workhorse guitars for tone-conscious rock and blues artists, and they wear their attitude on their sleeves. Both the Les Paul Studio Raw Power and SG Raw Power feature unbound solid maple bodies, with a traditional carved top on the former. This sturdy tonewood offers a clear, well-defined sonic response, as well as looking great with minimal cosmetic treatment. Their solid mahogany necks are topped with unbound maple fretboards, which are dressed with simple dot position markers, and graced with a traditional trapezoid marker at the 12th fret.

Simple, Yet Sizzling

None of this simplicity means that the Raw Power guitars suffer cosmetically, however, and just like the original Raw Power Les Paul — and the Les Paul Studio — these instruments are destined to be admired for their visual purity as well as for their power and tone. A Natural Satin finish denotes the cornerstone of the series (with smoky acrylic pickguard to enhance the natural elements in these guitars’ tops), but both models are also available in a range of finish options, including Satin Gold, Satin Yellow, Satin White, Satin Blue/Platinum, Satin Trans Ebony, Satin Aquamarine, and Gloss Platinum. Furthermore, the Les Paul Studio Raw Power is available in either chrome or gold-plated hardware.

metallica death magnetic tour USA

2009-10-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

]
Some photos of Metallica american tour, the core of american metal band. Greeting All metallica fans there at the death magnetic tour. James Hetfield, lars ulrich, robert trujilo, kirk hammet ...looking great..... . awesome metal band!!!!. oooooh I miss Jason. still prefer the old metallica though.
metallica stil has a strong followers after 20 years and deserve recognition and do not forget to mention
that
Metallica is a LEGEND

Oops where did I left my gibson ? suddenly I got the urge to play "enter the sandman" and crank my marshall amp out loud..... In order to wake the neighbors.. lol ... wish I could learn to play rock guitar at a guitar school earlier... or enroll at Joe Satriani guitar school..... Like kirk hammet did. hehehehe lol.... anyway... keep on rocking ... where ever you are.. thats the matter...

Beatlemania strikes again

2009-09-11T00:10:00.000-07:00

LONDON (Reuters) - A wave of "Beatlemania" struck Britain's streets as a specially remastered edition of the Fab Four's albums was released on Wednesday, complete with an interactive video game for a new generation of fans.

The Beatles collection, launched worldwide on 09/09/09 and priced at 180 pounds ($300), is expected to dominate the charts in the United States and Britain, bringing a windfall to the group's label EMI Music and the Beatles' company, Apple Corps.

While queues formed at major music stores in London, there was also Beatles nostalgia across Europe and parts of Asia.

A front page cartoon in France's Le Monde newspaper showed France's divided opposition leaders dressed as Beatles. "It would be nice if we played the same music," says one. "All you need is love," replied another.

In Ireland, a radio station hosted a karaoke event with people invited to sing and play Beatles tunes on guitar.

Ahead of the launch, Beatles singer and songwriter Paul McCartney wrote a letter to Britain's biggest selling daily newspaper saying how he once imagined the band, which changed the face of popular music in the 1960s, would only last a couple of years.

"Now it feels like the Beatles will go on forever," he wrote in The Sun, nearly 50 years after the group was formed.

While the remastered catalog, its first overhaul since 1987, is seen appealing mainly to Beatles' fans who would appreciate subtle variations and improvements, most excitement surrounds MTV's video game, "The Beatles: Rock Band."

"I'm buying the game," said Stefan Krupicki, 32, who queued for an hour at the launch at the HMV store in central London and declared himself more a fan of Metallica than the Beatles. "I just want to try the game and see how it is going to work."

Developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by Viacom's MTV Games and distributed by Electronic Arts, analysts say the game could sell 2 million units in the first month.

In New York's Times Square, Ken Zemsky, 56, picked up several copies of the game for his three children aged 12 to 20. "It's going to be a Christmas present," he said, after waiting in a short line at Toys "R" Us. "I thought I'd get it early in case the game sold out."

Although Zemsky said he rarely played video games, "I may play this one a little, but I'll really enjoy listening to the music while I watch them play."

QUALITY IMPROVED

The new music collection -- with its hefty price tag -- comprises 16 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in Britain, and "Magical Mystery Tour," which became part of the Beatles' core catalog when the CDs were released in 1987.

Allan Rouse, who oversaw the remastering, said improved computer software had allowed his team to improve the quality and sound of the Beatles' catalog, including the removal of bad edits, electrical clicks and sibilance.

The release should boost CD sales in an era when songs are often downloaded online and fans can choose their favorite tracks. But the Beatles appear set to move into the digital age -- with some of their music likely to be made available as downloadable content for the video game.

"I'm probably not going to buy the album. I'll probably download it because it's free," said Robert Gold, 21, who works at a clothing store in central London.

Fans of arguably the world's most successful pop band, with album sales of more than 600 million worldwide, have waited for years to be able to download the Beatles' coveted body of work, but have been frustrated partly by a trademark dispute.

The game, which offers 45 songs from the band's catalog, has won rave reviews from critics.

Gennaro Castaldo of HMV said the significance of the Beatles release was the introduction of a new generation of fans worldwide to the group's music.

"Music-based franchises such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero now sell in the tens of millions and have huge family appeal," said Castaldo, "which is why the release of Beatles Rock Band, combined with the simultaneous release of the remastered Beatles albums, promises to be such a global event."

With video game sales falling in the United States, the makers of the game hope to appeal to older consumers whose love of the music may draw them into gaming.

However, Jeff Howells, a 36-year-old civil servant, said he was at the launch to get the discs.

"I'm not interested in the game; quite a few people are not, I suspect. I think most people will be interested in the music. The game is just a nice little fad -- I don't think it will last."

Pearl Jam release Backspacer

2009-09-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

By Jonathan Cohen.
NEW YORK (Billboard) - "Super poppy." "Just plain fun." "Surprisingly optimistic." "Catchy as hell." These are not phrases often used to describe Pearl Jam, the 30 million-selling purveyor of angst-ridden guitar rock now approaching its 19th year of existence.

And yet these are the words being used on blogs to describe "The Fixer," the first song from the Seattle rock band's ninth album, "Backspacer."

The track is a surging, '80s-style rocker written by drummer Matt Cameron.

You can't blame Cameron, singer Eddie Vedder, bassist Jeff Ament or guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready for smiling wider than usual. President George W. Bush, who the band vilified in song and onstage for eight years, is out of office. The group remains a huge touring draw and A-list festival headliner, having grossed nearly $42 million from 51 shows reported to Billboard Boxscore from 2006 to 2008. Vedder won a Golden Globe for his soundtrack to the 2007 movie "Into the Wild." Life is quieter on the homefront, too: Four of the five band members have children.

But Pearl Jam is also celebrating because it finally made good on a longstanding desire to release its music on its own, without the aid of a major label. "Backspacer" will come out September 20 in the United States through a creative patchwork of deals with physical and digital retailers, the most prominent of which is a one-off, big-box exclusive with Target. Internationally, Universal Music is the label for the release.

The Target partnership threw fans for a loop when the news leaked in June. At first glance the move seems at odds with a band whose DIY, fan-first business ethic has set it against corporate behemoths like Ticketmaster and AT&T. But as details began to emerge, it became clear that Pearl Jam struck a deal that rewards the band and its fans as much as it does the stores that sell its music.

MORAL BAROMETER

Target agreed to let independent music retailers carry "Backspacer," a first for one of its exclusives. "Backspacer" will also be sold on Pearl Jam's Web site and at Apple's iTunes Music Store.

"We've put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and we've done it in a way that we think will be good for everybody," Vedder says. He understands why some fans may be confused about the deal, but he says, "I can't think of anything we've ever done without putting it through our own personal moral barometer. Target has passed for us. The fans just have to trust us."

As Gossard puts it, "If somebody would have said 15 years ago that they were going to give us a great chunk of money and let it be a one-off and not hold us to any strings, we would have said, 'Come on! This is the best deal ever!' We fought our way through eight records at Sony and J to get ourselves in a position where we could cut a deal to get paid $5 a record, rather than $1.50 or $2. It was the right compromise for this record, and I think it will give us even more flexibility in the future. The fact that we cut out a few other chains -- I think it's our prerogative to do that. We're bringing a lot of smaller stores with us."

The Target discs will link to a virtual "vault" of 11 concerts spanning Pearl Jam's career, from which fans can choose two. The band will also create an organic cotton T-shirt to be sold at Target, with proceeds earmarked for the hunger relief charity Feeding America. And in September, a Cameron Crowe-directed TV ad will air featuring footage shot during a private performance at Seattle's Showbox in late May.

For Vedder, an avowed vinyl junkie who still savors memories of buying Jackson 5 records as a preteen in Chicago, Target isn't exactly his preferred music purchasing environment. "Maybe it will change, but I'm not going to find Thee Headcoatees at a Target," he says, invoking the obscure British band with a hearty laugh. "But if they only have 300 records at Target, and you can be one of them, and that's how people are going to hear your music, you have to think about that."

That's not the only thing Vedder is thinking about, either. While acts like AC/DC and Aerosmith were winning new fans with branded versions of "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero," respectively, Pearl Jam was sitting on the videogame sidelines. The band finally took the plunge this spring when it made all of the songs from "Ten" available for download on "Rock Band" the same day the reissue hit stores. The band's manager, Kelly Curtis, declined to discuss sales, but sources at MTV say the "Ten" songs have generated more than 850,000 downloads.

"Backspacer" will also be available on "Rock Band" the day it comes out, and Target has an exclusive on an edition of the album featuring access to download its songs for "Rock Band" on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. It's a precursor to a dedicated Pearl Jam game that could hit stores as early as 2010.

Industry observers are eager to see how Pearl Jam's plan plays out. If successful, it could inspire a host of established bands to try a similar approach, according to Tsunami Entertainment president Bruce Kirkland, who has helped negotiate numerous exclusives between artists and big boxes, including the Pearl Jam/Target pairing.

"Any artist that can tour without support and has a base is well served by this system," he says, pointing to Wal-Mart's deals with the Eagles and Garth Brooks. "For them, the record is a marketing tool for other revenue-generating opportunities. It is a no-brainer. It's a perfect deal in that sense. The financial upside is cutting out a lot of the middle pieces. I like the model because it basically puts more money into marketing, which is a big piece missing from labels these days, and there's a better bottom line for the artist."

Others are impressed that Pearl Jam has been able to create synergy among such a disparate roster of partners. "They're playing ball with the big boys," one former major-label executive says. "This isn't like some other bands, who self-released music online and then followed it up at retail months later. They picked major partners, because this is still a major band."

LEAN AND MEAN

As Pearl Jam reinvented its business, it turned to a familiar face when it came time to record: Brendan O'Brien. The band recorded "Backspacer" in Los Angeles and Atlanta with the producer, who also worked on "Vs." and "Vitalogy" but hadn't produced a Pearl Jam album since 1998's "Yield."

Pearl Jam's members quickly realized what they'd been missing, as O'Brien provided crucial input on arrangements; played piano, keyboard and percussion; and put together orchestrations for delicate Vedder songs like the acoustic guitar-powered "Just Breathe" and the gut-punch finale "The End."

"He does those melodic things from his musician brain first, and then he's able to layer them within the music with his producer brain," drummer Cameron says. "He uses both sets of skills in a way that most producers aren't even able to do." O'Brien's efficiency rubbed off on the band, according to Gossard. "We made this faster than we've made any record," he says. "We were 30 days in the studio total, including mix. I think we had 90 percent of the record cut in the first nine days."

At 11 songs and less than 37 minutes, "Backspacer" is the leanest and meanest Pearl Jam album yet. "At one of our gigs, without flashpots and electricity, there's only so much room for those more difficult listening songs," Vedder says with a laugh. "That was one reason why we kept the arrangements lean. The songs come off more like sparkling water than pea soup, and I think that's good for our group right now."

"The Fixer" became the foundation for the album after Vedder came up with an edit of an arrangement the band bashed through without him. "My personal interpretation is that it's about how (Vedder) makes our songs work," Gossard says of the track. "When someone inspires him, he's an incredible collaborator."

Other musical highlights on "Backspacer" include the opening one-two combo of "Gonna See My Friend," a furious Stooges-style garage blast, and the propulsive, Police-y "Got Some," which Pearl Jam premiered June 1 on the first episode of "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien."

On the softer side, "Just Breathe" is a ballad based on an instrumental from Vedder's "Into the Wild" soundtrack, while "The End" is an aching love song that closes the album with startling lyrics: "My dear/I'm here/But not much longer."

"You know, I'll admit that even I felt some impact myself listening to it back the first time, and not even really knowing where it came from," Vedder says of the song, which he debuted this summer during a solo tour. "A lot of the songs on this record were ones I just tried to get out of the way of, without self-editing."

Vedder named the album in homage to a typewriter key. The frontman, who still uses typewriters for lyric writing and personal correspondence, says he got upset when he saw vintage typewriter keys being used as jewelry. "For me it was like shark fin soup: 'You're killing typewriters for a bracelet!'" he says.

The band, which headlined the past weekend's Outside Lands festival in San Francisco, has shows lined up in Seattle, Los Angeles and Philadelphia through September and October, with the Philly gigs set to be the final ones at the Spectrum.

Also on tap is a headlining slot October 4 at the Austin City Limits festival, plus a run of shows in Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii in November and December.

As satisfied as they are with their new album and their new deals, Vedder and his bandmates insist they're as driven as ever to keep challenging themselves, both as a band and a business.

"You'd like to be able to go to work and have everything be smooth, but there's some weird artistic gene in some of us," he says, expanding on the theme of "The Fixer." "It can feel like a curse, because it makes you push yourself to make things better and not allow them to be easy. That's how you get the good stuff."

Megadeth so far, so good .... so what

2009-08-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

megadeth 1985
Megadeth has remained a vital element in continuing to define and redefine the sound and the fury of metal music. When Dave Mustaine met up with David Ellefson in 1983, several months after Mustaine departed from Metallica, the musical beast they conceiv ed was Megadeth.

As co-founders of the band, Mustaine and Ellefson have devised a musical creature that, with each new album, forges new ground and stretches the very boundaries where metal lives. As the creative genius behind the music, Mustaine writes lyrics that are pr ofound and that analogous to his sharp, cynical view of modern society. "It's not like I am this frustrated bleeding anarchist," Mustaine remarks. "I am just telling a story of how my life is. I grew up in a broken home. I was latchkey kid. I want our fan s to have better lifestyle than the one I grew up in."

Mustaine's intelligence and talent, combined with those of Ellefson and the other players who have graced the formation of the band thoughout the years, have spawned authentic, raw, unruly music. "Our music is very stimulating, aggressive music, that cont ains influences all the way from blue to jazz fusion to speed and thrash metal", explains Mustaine. With intricate, furious guitar licks and heavy drums and bass, Megadeth continues to reign as a premier speed metal band of the 1990's, personifying metal music itself with every song reeling in ferocity, honesty and powerful thrash induced rhythms.

Their meteoric rise to forefront of the metal genre began in 1985 with Killing is my business... and business is good released on Combat records. This powerful debut propelled them straight into a deal with Capitol records. Their next album, Pe ace Sells... but who's buying, was released in september 1985. This sophomore release was a veritable onslaught of pure aggression and went gold.

In 1988 So far, so good... so what was released. The album was harder, more forceful and maintained an even punk feel, unleashing such monsters as "Mary Jane" and "Set the world afire."

After the So far, so good...so what album, with Nick Menza on drums and Marty Friedman on guitar, Megadeth began yielding songs, fueled by Mustaine's fierce intellect and supported by superior musicianship, that spiraled Megadeth towards its best a nd most creative period. "When the four of us got together and made the record Rust in Peace, we knew we were on to something special," says Ellefson.

"Since then we have really honed our sound and we have learned how to write and record together." The unique bond that resulted changed the face of Megadeth's future. "This lineup is more successful than any other because the vision is the same," says Dave Mustaine, a sentiment concurred by Marty Friedman who notes, "We are lucky because we are all a similar age, have a similar vision and share a chemistry. When the four of us strap on our instruments it just sounds like Megadeth." The four embrace a soulful commonality, especially regarding what their music is about. "We are focused and in alignment with what we wan
t to do and how we want to do it," says drummer Nick Menza. "We have always been the type of band that makes music for ourselves foremost. That is why there is so much substance to it. It is not contrived. It is real. It is reality."
megadeth 2006
Megadeth has done very well at bringing their music to new audiences. Countdown to extinction was released in 1992, taking them on a world tour. The year also saw Mustaine as a host on MTV for "Rock the vote" covering the Democratic Convention - a job which coincided perfectly with Mustaine's penchant for political commentary and social awareness. Also keeping the band in the limelight, the band's single, "Angry Again" from the Last Action Hero soundtrack made a major breaktrough and "99 way s to die", the lead track on the hugely successful The Beavis and Butthead Experience compilation album, became an MTV and metal radio staple.

The release of Youthanasia brought Megadeth to new heights and also to parts of the world never before ventured, including Israel and Eastern Europe. It represented a departure in many ways for the band. "Killing is my business... and business i s good" up to Countdown to Extinction were all written while performing previous material," explains Mustaine.
"Youthanasia was written totally and 100% in the studio. We weren't playing any old cataloged material. None of the past influenced the new record." The album contains songs that explore the depths of Mustaine's darker, deeper thoughts and feelings - songs such as, "The Family Tree" a song about child abuse and the deep pain of lost love described in "Addicted to Chaos" while also delving into his inner fear of nuclear war in "Black Curtains."

The band withstood controversy after controversy with the release of Youthanasia, "A tout le monde" being banned by MTV for its suicidal overtones. "This is coming from an institution that is supposedly for your mind and says that censorship is un- American," says Mustaine. "We don't write music that makes suggestions of taking one's own life. It's more saying - we have a problem here, let's be part of the solution." The cover art for the album, decipting babies hanging from clotheslines, caused a m ajor stir as well. "We never do anything for shock value or to get controversial press because that is basically a pain in the ass," says Marty Friedman. "We like it and that is what we wanted our album cover to be." Youthanasia has gone platinum.

The band released a new album, Hidden Treasures, in the UK an March 13, 1995 to coincide with the European leg of the Youth tour. In addition to a new Sex Pistols cover, the album contains songs only previously released on complation and soundtrack albums. A version off Hidden Treasures was released in Japan and the U.S. as well.

1995 also found the band on-line with Megadeth Arizona. "We use it as a communication tool between us and our fans. We are more accessible and more able to communicate with include our fans within Megadeth's world," says David Ellefson.

On Cryptic Writings (1997), Megadeth's eighth album, the band's unwavering conviction mixes with a desire to explore new territory, characteristics which mark their career as true musical pioneers. Recorded in Nashville, TN, Cryptic Writings ranges from Mega-rock (the melodic "Trust" and "Almost Honest" with their relationships-going-to-hell vulnerability), balls-out powerful (the monsterous thrash of "the Disintegrators" and the fight for freedom of "FFF") and hard pummeling metal ("Masterm ind" and the edgy "I'll get even").

Cryptic Writings was written during 1996 and the last three months of the year were spent in the recording studio with producer Dann Huff. When Megadeth went in search of a cutting edge, not necessarily well-known producer - They found Huff, the si nger-guitarist of hard rock's Giant in the late '80s to early '90s, who was also a student of famed producer Mutt Lange.

"I wanted to take guitar lessons from Dann six years ago. I'd heard a Giant record and said, 'Here's a guy who knows where to put the notes.' He sounded awesome," Mustaine says. But Huff instead offered to jam with him. Recalls Mustaine, "I didn't realize that he was a session player and what he meant was 'I'll give you a free lesson.' So I turned him down." Now Mustaine wanted him as a producer and flew to Nashville. "I never heard anything he'd produced or even any music from him recently. He had really short hair and he got us lost driving from his house to the studio. But I thought, 'He's the guy.'"

Recording far from home, he says, was the best it's ever been for a band that has been nothing short of volatile over the years. "There was a congeniality and a level of trust in each of us created an enviroment of cooperation. This was the most painless experience we ever had in a studio."

In the time between Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings, the members of Megadeth kept their fierce work ethic in full tilt. Mustaine collaborated with Lee Ving of Fear on MD.45, the full length album, The Craving, on Capitol. Marty Frie dman released a solo album entitled, True Obsessions.
In addition to contributing regularly to Bass Player Magazine with the column "The Real Deal," Ellefson's book "Making Music Your Business" is now available, published by Miller Freeman. Nick Menza put together a band called SOMA, which has recorded 14 songs, played a gig opening for Dokken and has yet to release any material.

Megadeth touring plans for Cryptic Writings have the guys on the road for much of 1997. After promotional touring of Europe and the US, and then rehearsals, the havoc began in Mesa, AZ on friday, June 13. The summer of 1997 included rock festivals such as the Waldrock Festival in the Netherlands, Graspop festival in Belgium and Midtfyn Festival in Denmark. With Megadeth's dedication to their fans, they fit in gigs at smaller venues as well.

July through September marked Megadeth's return to the US where they continued their onslaught from state to state, leaving sold-out venues in their wake. Additional dates will take Megadeth all around the world where they can expect to remain as the reigning beasts of metal music.

SKID ROW

2009-07-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

In 1986 SKID ROW was born in a garage somewhere in Toms River, N.J. Formed by founding members Snake Sabo and Rachel Bolan. Like a bastard child of a thousand maniacs, they relentlessly pounded the New Jersey club circuit; packing houses wherever they performed. Fast forward to 1989. SKID ROW's debut album goes on to sell over 5 million copies in the U.S.A. along with a tour that takes them around the world.
1992 the band releases their second record SLAVE TO THE GRIND which debuts at..1 on the Billboard charts. Making them the first Heavy metal/Hard rock band to do so. Slave rockets to multi-platinum status. This is also followed by a massive world tour. In 1995 band relationships severely strain, but they reluctantly go into the studio to record what was thought to be their final release

SUBHUMAN RACE. Soon after, the band parted ways.

That was until late 1999 when founding members Rachel Bolan, Scotti Hill, and Snake Sabo decided that SKID ROW meant far to much to them let the music fade into rock obscurity.

There were changes to be made the question was who. Enter Texan singer Johnny Solinger. Suggested through a mutual friend the band visited Johnnys website and were immediatley interested in what they heard. A few e-mails later and the singer was on a plane to N.J. He had a quiet confidence about him when he walked through the front door says guitarist Snake. Rachel adds We knew he was the guy half way through the first song of his audition. Johnny fit the bill to a T. Great voice, great attitude and was clear on what the band was about.

With a new frontman in place the band needed a rock solid drummer. They turned to Atlanta native Dave Gara. Dave came into rehearsal and started playing and everything felt right. It was like he had been in the band forever. explains guitarist Scotti Hill. If they thought things couldnt get better, they did. In 2000 SKID ROW landed the coveted opening slot on the KISS Farewell Tour. The tour of tours. It brought SKID ROW's music back to the hungry masses.

Since then the band has logged a few hundred thousand bus miles and some 350 shows during which the band was busy writing new songs for their cd THICKSKIN that was released in 2003. That album put SKID ROW's past in perspective and future in place. SKID ROW has just put the final touches on their new CD REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE that released worldwide October 24th, 2006 on SPV records.

KISS gallery

2009-07-04T09:06:00.001-07:00

I WANT ROCK N ROLL ALL NITE

KISS is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972.

Current members
* Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, lead vocals (1972–present)
* Gene Simmons – bass guitar, lead vocals (1972–present)
* Tommy Thayer – lead guitar, vocals (2002–present)
* Eric Singer – drums, percussion, vocals (1991–1996, 2001–2002, 2004–present)

Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid and late-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics. Kiss has been awarded 24 gold albums to date. The band has sold over 19 million records in the United States[2] and their worldwide sales exceed 85 million albums.

The original lineup of Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion and vocals) is the most successful and identifiable.

KISS on stage at summer fest milwaukee

With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personae of comic book-style characters:
The Demon (Simmons), Starchild (Stanley), Spaceman (Frehley), and Catman (Criss).

The band explains that the fans were the ones who ultimately chose their makeup designs. The "Demon" makeup reflected Simmons' cynicism and dark elements, as well as his love for comic books. Paul Stanley became the "Starchild" due to his tendency to be referred to as the "starry-eyed lover" and "hopeless romantic." Ace Frehley's "Spaceman" makeup was a reflection of him wanting to go for a ride in a space ship and supposedly being from another planet. Peter Criss' "Catman" makeup was in accordance with the belief that Criss had nine lives due to his rough childhood in Brooklyn.

Due to creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had also waned considerably by that point.
KISS ALIVE 1975
KISS UNMASKED
In 1983, Kiss abandoned its makeup and enjoyed a commercial resurgence throughout the rest of the decade. Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup (with makeup) in 1996. The resulting Kiss Alive/Worldwide/Lost Cities/Reunion Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997. Criss and Frehley have since left Kiss again and have been replaced by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band continues to perform with makeup, while Stanley and Simmons have remained the only two constant members.
gene simmons | paul stanley | ace frehley | peter criss | eric carr | mark st john | tommy thayer |bruce kullick | vinnie vincent | eric singer | source wikipedia

download Kiss greatest hits MP3 here click the "click me download button" after the jump.

megadeth still photos

2009-07-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

dave mustaine, megadeth guitarist

megadeth early years

megadeth 1985
megadeth 2006
megadeth photo collection from the early years to 2006

aerosmith history

2009-06-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Aerosmith: History
Aerosmith - Formation: 1969-1971

The origins of Aerosmith can be traced to the late 1960s in Sunapee, New Hampshire. Steven Tyler was a drummer and vocalist originally from Yonkers, New York, who had been in a series of relatively unsuccessful bands such as The Vic Tallarico Orchestra, The Strangeurs/Chain Reaction, The Chain, Fox Chase, and William Proud. In 1969, while vacationing in Sunapee, he met Joe Perry, who was at the time washing dishes at the Anchorage in Sunapee Harbor, and playing in a band called the Jam Band with bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer David "Pudge" Scott. This meeting would eventually lead to the formation of Aerosmith.

Hamilton and Perry moved to Boston, Massachusetts in September . There they met Joey Kramer, a drummer also from Yonkers, New York who had also known Steven Tyler, with whom he had always hoped to play in a band. Kramer, a Berklee College of Music student, decided to quit school to join the band. In October 1970, they met up once again with Steven Tyler, who had been a drummer and backup singer, but adamantly refused to play drums in this band, insisting he would only take part if he could be the frontman and lead vocalist. The others agreed, and Aerosmith was born. The band took the name Aerosmith, suggested by drummer Joey Kramer, after considering The Hookers and Spike Jones.

As said, the members of the band used to sit around every afternoon getting stoned and watching Three Stooges reruns. One day, they had a post-Stooges meeting to try to come up with a name. Kramer volunteered that when he was in school he would write the word Aerosmith all over his notebooks. The name had popped into his head after listening to Harry Nilsson's album Aerial Ballet, an homage to Nilsson's grandparents' aerial circus act, that featured jacket art of a circus performer jumping out of a biplane. Initially, Kramer's bandmates were nonplussed; they all thought he was referring to the boring Sinclair Lewis novel they were forced to read in high school English class.

"No, not Arrowsmith," Kramer explained. "A-E-R-O...Aerosmith."

The band added Ray Tabano, a childhood friend of Tyler, as rhythm guitarist and began playing local shows. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, who also attended the Berklee School of Music and was formerly of the band Earth Inc. Other than a period from July 1979 to April 1984, the line-up of Tyler, Perry, Hamilton, Kramer, and Whitford has stayed the same.
Aerosmith - Record deal, Aerosmith, Get Your Wings, and Toys in the Attic: 1971-1975

After forming the band and finalizing the lineup in 1971, the band started to garner some local success doing live shows. Originally booked through the Ed Malhoit Agency, the band signed a promotion deal with Frank Connelly and eventually secured a management deal with David Krebs and Steve Leber in 1972. Krebs and Leber invited Columbia Records President Clive Davis to see the band at Max's Kansas City club in New York City. Aerosmith was not originally scheduled to play that night at Max's Kansas City, but they were able to pay their way on the bill. Aerosmith signed for a reported $125,000 and issued their debut album, Aerosmith. Released in January 1973, the album peaked at #166.

The album was straightforward rock and roll with well-defined blues influences, laying the groundwork for Aerosmith's signature blues-rock sound.

Although the highest charting single from the album was "Dream On" at #59, several tracks (such as "Mama Kin" and "Walkin' the Dog") would become staples of the band's live shows and receive airplay on rock radio. The album reached gold status initially, but eventually went on to sell two million copies and was certified double platinum after the band reached mainstream success over a decade later. After constant touring, the band released their second album Get Your Wings in 1974, the first of a string of multi-platinum albums produced by Jack Douglas. This album included the rock radio hits "Same Old Song and Dance" and "Train Kept A-Rollin'", a cover done previously by The Yardbirds. The album also contained several fan favorites including "Lord of the Thighs", "Seasons of Wither", and "S.O.S. (Too Bad)", darker songs which have become staples in the band's live shows. To date, Get Your Wings has sold three million copies.

It was 1975's Toys in the Attic, however, that established Aerosmith as international stars competing with the likes of Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Originally derided as Rolling Stones knockoffs, Toys in the Attic showed that Aerosmith was a unique and talented band in their own right. Toys in the Attic was an immediate success, starting with the single "Sweet Emotion", which became the band's first Top 40 hit.

This was followed by a successful re-release of "Dream On" which hit #6, becoming their best charting single of the 1970s. "Walk This Way", re-released in 1976, reached the Top 10 in early 1977.

In addition, "Toys in the Attic" and "Big Ten Inch Record" (a song originally recorded by Bull Moose Jackson) became concert staples. As a result of this success, both of the band's previous albums re-charted. Toys in the Attic has gone on to become the band's bestselling studio album in the States, with certified U.S. sales of eight million copies. The band toured in support of Toys in the Attic, where they started to get more recognition. Also around this time, the band established their home base as "The Wherehouse" in Waltham, Massachusetts, where they would record and rehearse music, as well as conduct business.
Aerosmith - Rocks, Draw the Line, and Live! Bootleg: 1976-1978
Steven Tyler and Joe Perry performing in concert together in the 1970s.

Aerosmith's next album was 1976's Rocks, which "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". It went platinum swiftly and featured two FM hits,

"Last Child" and "Back in the Saddle", as well as the ballad "Home Tonight",

which also charted. Rocks has sold four million copies to date. Both Toys in the Attic and Rocks are highly regarded, especially in the hard rock genre, and appear on such lists as Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and are cited by members of Guns N' Roses, Metallica, and Mí¶tley Crí¼e as having large influences on their music. Soon after Rocks was released, the band continued to tour heavily, this time headlining their own shows and playing to several large stadiums and rock festivals.

The next album, 1977's Draw the Line, was not as successful or as critically acclaimed as their two previous efforts, although the title track proved to be a minor hit (and is still a live staple), and "Kings and Queens" also experienced some success. The album went on to sell 2 million copies; however drug abuse and the fast-paced life of touring and recording began affecting their output. While continuing to tour and record into the late 1970s,

Aerosmith acted in the movie version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their cover of the Beatles hit "Come Together" was included in the album's soundtrack and would be the band's last Top 40 hit for nearly 10 years.

The live release Live! Bootleg, originally released as a double album, was put out in 1978 and captured the band's rawness during the heyday of the Draw the Line tour. Lead singer Steven Tyler and lead guitarist Joe Perry became known as "The Toxic Twins" because of their notorious abuse of drugs on and off the stage.
Aerosmith - Departures of Perry and Whitford, Night in the Ruts, and Rock in a Hard Place: 1979-1984

Just after the recording of their sixth studio album, 1979's Night in the Ruts, Joe Perry left the band, citing differences with Steven Tyler, and formed The Joe Perry Project. Perry was replaced first by longtime band friend and songwriter Richard Supa and then by guitarist Jimmy Crespo (formerly of the band Flame). Night in the Ruts quickly fell off the charts (although it would eventually go platinum several years later), its only single being a cover of The Shangri-Las' "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", which topped out at #67.

The band continued to tour in support of Night in the Ruts with new guitarist Jimmy Crespo onboard, but as the 1970s came to a close, the band's popularity waned. Steven Tyler collapsed onstage during a performance in Portland, Maine in early 1980. Also in 1980, Aerosmith released its Greatest Hits album. The album has gone on to become the band's bestselling album in the United States, with sales of 11 million copies.

In the fall of 1980, Tyler was injured in a serious motorcycle accident, which left him hospitalized for two months, and unable to tour or record well into 1981. In 1981, the band suffered another loss with the departure of Brad Whitford. After recording guitar parts for the song "Lightning Strikes", Whitford was replaced by Rick Dufay and the band recorded their seventh album Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. The album was considered a commercial failure, only going gold, and failing to produce a major hit single. During the tour for Rock in a Hard Place, Tyler again collapsed onstage, this time at the band's homecoming show in Worcester, Massachusetts, after getting high with Joe Perry, who met with Aerosmith backstage that evening.

On February 14, 1984, Perry and Whitford saw Aerosmith perform. They were officially re-inducted into the ranks of Aerosmith once more two months later. Steven Tyler recalls:
Aerosmith - Back in the Saddle reunion tour, Done with Mirrors, and drug rehab: 1984-1986

In 1984, Aerosmith embarked on a reunion tour entitled "Back in the Saddle", which led to the live album Classics Live II. While concerts on the tour were well-attended, it was plagued with several incidents, mostly attributed to drug abuse by band members. Their problems still not behind them, the group was signed to Geffen Records and began working on a comeback. Despite the band signing on to a new record company, Columbia continued to reap the benefits of Aerosmith's comeback, releasing the live companion albums Classics Live I and II and the collection Gems.

In 1985 the band released Done with Mirrors, their first studio album with Geffen and their first album since the much-publicized reunion. While the album did receive some positive reviews, it only went gold and failed to produce a hit single, or generate much buzz outside the confines of rock radio. The album's most notable track, "Let the Music Do the Talking", was in fact a cover of a song originally recorded by The Joe Perry Project and released on that band's album of the same name. Nevertheless, the band became a popular concert attraction once again, touring in support of Done With Mirrors, well into 1986.

In 1986, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry appeared on Run D.M.C.'s cover of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way", a track blending rock and roll and hip hop that not only cemented rap into the mainstream of American popular music, but also marked Aerosmith's true comeback. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and its associated video helped introduce Aerosmith to a new generation.

Yet the band members' drug problems still stood in their way. In 1986, lead singer Steven Tyler completed a successful drug rehabilitation program, at the discretion of his fellow band members and manager Tim Collins, who believed that the band's future would not be bright if Tyler did not get treated.

The rest of the band members also completed drug rehab programs over the course of the next couple years. According to the band's tell-all autobiography,

Collins pledged he could make Aerosmith the biggest band in the world by 1990 if they all completed drug rehab.

Their next album was crucial because of the commercial disappointment of Done With Mirrors, and as the band members became clean, they worked hard to make their next album a success.
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation and Pump: 1987-1991

Permanent Vacation was released in September 1987, becoming a major hit and the band's bestselling album in over a decade (selling 5 million copies in the U.S.), with all three of its singles ("Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", "Rag Doll", and "Angel") reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. The group went on a subsequent tour with labelmates Guns N' Roses (who have cited Aerosmith as a major influence), which was intense at times because of Aerosmith's new struggle to stay clean amidst G N'Rs well-publicized, rampant drug use.

Aerosmith's next album was even more successful. Pump, released in October 1989, featured three Top Ten singles: "Janie's Got a Gun", "What It Takes", and "Love in an Elevator", as well as the Top 30 "The Other Side", re-establishing Aerosmith as a serious musical force. Pump was a critical and commercial success, eventually selling 7 million copies, achieving four-star ratings from major music magazines, and earning the band their first ever Grammy win in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, for "Janie's Got a Gun". The recording process for Pump was documented in the video The Making of Pump, which has since been re-released as a DVD. The music videos for the album's singles were featured on the release Things That Go Pump in the Night, which quickly went platinum.
Aerosmith appear in a "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live in 1990.

In support of Pump, the band embarked on the 12-month Pump Tour, which lasted for most of 1990. On February 21, 1990, the band appeared in a "Wayne's World" sketch on Saturday Night Live, debating the fall of communism and the Soviet Union, and performed their recent hits "Janie's Got a Gun" and "Monkey on My Back".

On August 11, 1990, the band's performance on MTV's Unplugged aired. In October 1990, the Pump Tour ended, with the band's first ever performances in Australia. That same year, the band was also inducted to the Hollywood Rock Walk. In 1991, the band appeared on The Simpsons episode "Flaming Moe's" and released a box set titled Pandora's Box. In 1992, Tyler and Perry appeared live as guests of Guns N' Roses during the latter's 1992 worldwide pay-per-view show in Paris, performing a medley of "Mama Kin" (which G N'R covered in 1986) and "Train Kept-A Rollin".
Aerosmith - Get a Grip and Big Ones: 1992-1995

The band took a brief break before recording their follow-up to Pump in 1992. Despite significant shifts in mainstream music at the beginning of the 1990s, 1993's Get a Grip was just as successful commercially, becoming their first album to debut at #1 and racking up sales of 7 million copies in a two-and-a-half-year timespan. The first singles were the hard rocking "Livin' on the Edge" and "Eat the Rich". Though many critics were unimpressed by the focus on the subsequent interchangeable power-ballads in promoting the album, all three ("Cryin'", "Crazy" and "Amazing") proved to be huge successes on radio and MTV. The music videos featured then up-and-coming actress Alicia Silverstone; her provocative performances earned her the title of "the Aerosmith chick" for the first half of the decade. Steven Tyler's daughter Liv Tyler was also featured in the "Crazy" video. Get a Grip would go on to sell more than 7 million copies in the U.S. alone, and over 15 million copies worldwide. The band won two Grammy Awards for songs from this album in the category of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: for "Livin' on the Edge" in 1994 and "Crazy" in 1995.

During the making of Get a Grip, the management and record company brought in a variety of professional songwriting collaborators to help give nearly all the songs on the album more commercial appeal, a trend which would continue until the early 2000s. However, this led to accusations of selling out that would continue throughout the 90s. In addition to Aerosmith's grueling 18 month world tour in support of Get a Grip, the band also did a number of things to help promote themselves and their album and appeal to youth culture, including the appearance of the band in the movie Wayne's World 2 where they performed two songs, the appearance of the band and their music in the video games Revolution X and Quest for Fame, performing at Woodstock '94, using their song "Deuces Are Wild" in The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience, and opening their own club, The Mama Kin Music Hall, in Boston, MA in 1994.

That same year saw the release of the band's compilation for Geffen Records, entitled Big Ones featuring their biggest hits from Permanent Vacation, Pump, and Get a Grip, as well as three new songs, "Deuces Are Wild", "Blind Man", and "Walk on Water", all of which experienced great success on the rock charts.
Aerosmith - Nine Lives and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing": 1996-2000

Aerosmith had signed a $30 million contract with Columbia Records/Sony Music in 1991, but had only recorded three of their six contractual albums with Geffen Records at that point (Done with Mirrors, Permanent Vacation, and Pump). Between 1991 and 1996, they released two more albums with Geffen (Get a Grip and Big Ones), which meant they now had five albums with Geffen under their belt (along with a planned live compilation), which meant they could now begin recording for their new contract with Columbia.

The band took time off with their families before working on their next album, Nine Lives, which was plagued with personnel problems, including the firing of manager Tim Collins, who, according to band members, nearly caused the band to break up. The album's producer was also changed from Glen Ballard to Kevin Shirley. Nine Lives was released in March of 1997. Reviews were mixed, and Nine Lives initially fell down the charts, although it had a long chart life and sold double platinum in the United States alone, fueled by its singles, "Falling in Love (Is Hard on the Knees)", the ballad "Hole in My Soul", and the crossover-pop smash "Pink" (which won the band their fourth Grammy Award in 1999 in the Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal category).
It was followed by the over two-year-long Nine Lives Tour, which was plagued by problems including lead singer Steven Tyler injuring his leg at a concert, and Joey Kramer suffering second degree burns when his car caught fire at a gas station. However, the band also released their only #1 single to date: "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", the love theme, written by Diane Warren, from the 1998 film Armageddon, starring Steven Tyler's daughter Liv.
The song stayed on top of the charts for four weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. The song helped open Aerosmith up to a new generation and remains a slow-dance staple. 1998 also saw the release of the double-live album, A Little South of Sanity, which was assembled from performances on the Get a Grip and Nine Lives tours. The album went platinum shortly after its release. The band continued with their seemingly neverending world tours promoting Nine Lives and the "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" single well into 1999.

In 1999, Aerosmith were featured in the Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World (and later in 2001 at Disneyland Paris in the Walt Disney Studios Park) ride, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, providing the ride's soundtrack and theme. On September 9, 1999, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry reunited with Run-D.M.C. and were also joined by Kid Rock for a collaborative live performance of "Walk This Way" at the MTV Video Music Awards, a precursor to the Girls of Summer Tour. The band celebrated the new millennium with a brief tour of Japan, and also contributed the song "Angel's Eye" to the 2000 film Charlie's Angels.
Aerosmith - Just Push Play, O, Yeah!, and Rocksimus Maximus: 2001-2003

The band entered their next decade by performing at the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, in January 2001, along with pop stars 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly. All of the stars collaborated with Aerosmith at the end for a performance of "Walk This Way".

In March 2001, the band released their 13th studio album Just Push Play, which quickly went platinum, fueled by the Top 10 single "Jaded" and the appearance of the title track in Dodge commercials. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame soon after their album was released, in late March of 2001. Aerosmith is the only band to be inducted to the Hall of Fame with a song active in the charts ("Jaded"). Later that year, the band performed as part of the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert in Washington D.C. for 9/11 victims and their families. The band flew back to Indianapolis for a show the same night, as part of their Just Push Play Tour.

The band started 2002 by ending the Just Push Play tour, and simultaneously recording segments for their Behind the Music special on VH1, which not only chronicled the band's history but also the band's current activities and touring. The special was one of the few Behind the Musics to run two hours in length. In July 2002, Aerosmith released a two-disc career-spanning compilation O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits, which featured the new single "Girls of Summer", and embarked on the Girls of Summer Tour with Kid Rock and Run-D.M.C. opening. O, Yeah! has since been certified double platinum. MTV honored Aerosmith with their mtvICON award in 2002. Performances included Pink covering "Janie's Got a Gun". Shakira performed "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)", Kid Rock played "Mama Kin" and "Last Child", Train performed "Dream On" and Papa Roach covered "Sweet Emotion".

In addition, testimonials featured surprise guests Metallica, as well as Janet Jackson, Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, Alicia Silverstone and Mila Kunis. In 2003, Aerosmith co-headlined with Kiss on the Rocksimus Maximus Tour, in preparation for release of their blues album.
Aerosmith - Honkin' on Bobo, Rockin' the Joint, and Devil's Got a New Disguise: 2004-2006
Brad Whitford, Steven Tyler, and Joe Perry of Aerosmith performing at the NFL Kickoff in Washington, DC on September 4, 2003.

Aerosmith's long-promised blues album Honkin' on Bobo was released in 2004. This was a return to the band's roots, including recording the album in live sessions, working with former producer Jack Douglas, and laying down their blues-rock grit. It was followed by a live DVD, You Gotta Move, in December 2004, culled from performances on the Honkin' on Bobo Tour. "Dream On" was also featured in an advertising campaign for Buick in 2004, targeting that marque's market which is now composed largely of people who were teenagers when the song first charted.

2005 saw Steven Tyler appear in the film Be Cool. Joe Perry released his self-titled solo album that same year. At the 2006 Grammy Awards, he was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for the track "Mercy", but lost to Les Paul. In October 2005, Aerosmith released a CD/DVD Rockin' the Joint.
The band hit the road for the Rockin' the Joint Tour on October 30 with Lenny Kravitz for a fall/winter tour of arenas in the largest U.S. markets. The band planned to tour with Cheap Trick in the spring, hitting secondary markets in the U.S. Almost all of this leg of the tour was canceled, however. Dates were initially canceled one by one until March 22, 2006, when it was announced that lead singer Steven Tyler needed throat surgery, and the remaining dates on the tour were subsequently canceled.

Aerosmith commenced recording a new album on Armed Forces Day 2006. Tyler and Perry performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra for their annual July 4 concert on the Esplanade in 2006, a milestone as it was the first major event or performance since Steven Tyler's throat surgery. Around this time, the band also announced that they would embark on the Route of All Evil Tour with Mí¶tley Crí¼e in late 2006. On August 24, 2006 it was announced that Tom Hamilton was undergoing treatment for throat cancer. In order to make a full recovery, he sat out much of the Route of All Evil Tour until he was well again. Former Joe Perry Project bassist David Hull substituted for Hamilton until his return. On September 5, 2006, Aerosmith kicked off the Route of All Evil Tour with Mí¶tley Crí¼e in Columbus, Ohio. The co-headlining tour took both bands to amphitheaters across North America through November 24. After that, a select few arena dates were added, some of which were with Mí¶tley Crí¼e. The tour ended December 17.

On October 17, 2006, the compilation album Devil's Got a New Disguise - The Very Best of Aerosmith was released. The album contained previous hits with the addition of two new songs, "Devil's Got a New Disguise" and "Sedona Sunrise", which were older outtakes re-recorded for the album. "Devil's Got a New Disguise" peaked at #15 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The album was intended to fulfill Aerosmith's contract with Sony and tide fans over until the band's new studio album was released.
Aerosmith - World Tour, Guitar Hero, and new album: 2007-present
Aerosmith performing live at Quilmes Rock, Argentina on April 15, 2007.

In early 2007, the band announced a new World Tour, their first for nearly a decade to include dates outside North America or Japan. The band performed at London's Hard Rock Cafe in February 2007

to promote their European tour which included a night in Hyde Park as part of the Hyde Park Calling festival sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe. In the spring, the band toured Latin America to sold-out stadium crowds. In the summer, the band toured Europe, performing at several major rock festivals and visiting some countries they had never played before. Additionally, the band played Asian countries such as the United Arab Emirates and India for the first time. The band also played a few select dates in California and Canada in late July. One such date, a July 21 concert in Prince Edward Island, was the largest in that province's history. In September, the band performed eight dates in major markets in Northeastern North America. These shows were opened by Joan Jett. The band also played a private gig in Hawaii. A public show in Hawaii was canceled for logistical reasons, which spurred a class action lawsuit against the band.

On November 1, 2007, the band began work on the final studio album of their current contract with Sony. It is believed that the album will be a mix of re-recorded tracks left off previous albums as well as brand new material. In an interview, guitarist Joe Perry revealed that in addition to creating a new album, the band was working closely with the makers of the Guitar Hero series to develop Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which is dedicated to the band's music. The game was released on June 29, 2008 and contains many of their best songs. Steven Tyler announced on VH1 Classic Radio on September 4, 2008 that Aerosmith intends to enter the studio at the end of September, 2008 to complete the band's 15th studio album. It will be the band's first album of original material since 2001's Just Push Play. Tyler also confirmed that the band plans to begin a new U.S. tour in June of 2009, in support of the as-yet-untitled album. This tour was supposed to be preceded by a concert in Venezuela on February 1, 2009. However, on January 15, Tyler said the band would be unable to play the gig because of a second knee injury of guitarist Joe Perry. In mid-February 2009, it was announced that the album would be produced by the famed Brendan O'Brien and that the album would likely be recorded live, like their earlier records. The band hopes to finish the album before their tour starts in June 2009.
Aerosmith: Band members

Aerosmith - Current members
Steven Tyler - lead vocals, piano, harmonica, percussion and drums (1970-present)
Joe Perry - lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1970-1979; 1984-present)
Brad Whitford - rhythm and lead guitar (1971-1981; 1984-present)
Tom Hamilton - bass guitar, backing vocals (1970-present)
Joey Kramer - drums, percussion (1970-present)

Aerosmith - Former members
Ray Tabano - rhythm and lead guitar (1970-1971)
Jimmy Crespo - lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1979-1984)
Rick Dufay - rhythm and lead guitar (1981-1984)

source aerosmith.com

OZZY speaks of the BLACK SABBATH issue

2009-06-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

OZZY SPEAKS ABOUT BLACK SABBATH TRADEMARK ISSUE

Below is my official press statement on the official Black Sabbath trademark lawsuit. I am very saddened that I've had to take legal action against Tony. This is something that I've tried to avoid for years. I am not Geezer or Bill's voice. However, till the day I die I will not change my mind on this issue.

The Black Sabbath trademark should be equally owned by Geezer, Bill, Tony and I as the true Black Sabbath lineup is Tony, Geezer, Bill and I. We've all been mates since school. I've always said there is an invisible thread that holds us together.

Tony, lets get this ridiculous issue sorted and move on with our lives. You're 61, I'm 60. I hope that we've got a good 20 years left in us. But if not, God forbid something happens to you. What's going to happen to the Black Sabbath trademark? Who's going to oversee it? Don't you think after we're long gone the rights should stay in your family, my family, Bill's family and Geezer's family?

Statement from OZZY OSBOURNE:

"It is with great regret that I had to resort to legal action against my long term partner, Tony Iommi, but after three years of trying to resolve this issue amicably, I feel I have no other recourse. As of the mid-1990's, after constant and numerous changes in band members, the brand of 'Black Sabbath' was literally in the toilet and Tony Iommi (touring under the name Black Sabbath) was reduced to performing in clubs.
Since 1997 when Geezer, Bill and myself rejoined the band, Black Sabbath has returned to its former glory as we headlined sold-out arenas and amphitheatres playing to upwards of 50,000 people at each show around the world.
We worked collectively to restore credibility and bring dignity back to the name 'Black Sabbath' which lead to the band being inducted into the UK and US Rock & Roll Hall of Fames in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Throughout the last 12 years, it was my management representatives who oversaw the marketing and quality control of the 'Black Sabbath' brand through OZZFEST, touring, merchandising and album reissues.
The name 'Black Sabbath' now has a worldwide prestige and merchandising value that it would not have had by continuing on the road it was on prior to the 1997 reunion tour. Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you. I don't have the right to speak for Geezer and Bill, but I feel that morally and ethically the trademark should be owned by the four of us equally. I hope that by me taking this first step that it will ultimately end up that way. We've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright. We're all in our 60's now. The Black Sabbath legacy should live on long after we have all gone. Please do the right thing."

source ozzy newsletter

Why Is He Famous?

If you have purchased a rock album over the past 30 years, Ozzy's DNA is all over it. The original Black Sabbath front man went on to release over a dozen records, recruiting legendary guitarists, going on infamous tours, and pulling some head-raising feats. A rock legend in the truest sense of the word, surely he was one of the major influence in today's rock music.

guns and roses, short bio

2009-05-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

guns n roses, november 88 on the cover of rolling stone magazine

The Early Days

It all begun in Los Angeles in 1985 when William Bailey (Axl Rose - vocals) formed a rock band with Jeffrey Isbell (Izzy Stradlin - guitar), Tracii Guns (guitar) and Rob Gardner (drums) called in turn Rose, Hollywood Rose and L.A Guns. Soon Guns and Gardner were replaced by Saul Hudson (Slash - guitar) and Steven Adler (drums) and with the addition of bass player Duff McKagan the band was renamed to Guns N' Roses. Playing a unique sound incorporating punk, blues and metal, the band released a self-produced live album called "Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide" in 1986. Having received some interest from the music industry the band signed to Geffen Records.

The Appetite For Destruction Masterpiece

The following year the band released their debut album "Appetite For Destruction" which, despite being the best selling debut album of all time, it only started selling a year latter when MTV started playing "Sweet Child O' Mine"! The album shoot to number 1 and Guns N' Roses became overnight one the biggest bands in the world. During their performance at the legendary 1988 Monsters Of Rock Festival in Donnington that also featured the likes of Iron Maiden and Kiss two fans died during crowd disturbances.

At the end of 1988 the band released "Lies" which featured four new acoustic songs and tracks from "Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide". The album hit number 2 of the charts but controversially the song "One In A Million" sparked intense controversy for its violent and racist lyrics. Also when in 1989 Guns N' Roses were awarded at the annual award show for best heavy metal album and best heavy metal song for "Appetite For Destruction" and "Paradise City", McKagan and Slash used strong language on live television. As a result all subsequent award shows were broadcasted with a five second delay!

Use Your Illusion Global Domination
Shortly after the release of "Lies" drummer Steve Adler was fired and replaced by Matt Sorum from the Cult and during the recording of their long-awaited second studio album the band added keyboardist Dizzy Reed. Under the new lineup Guns N' Roses released "Use Your Illusion I" and "Use Your Illusion II" which simultaneously shoot at the two top spots of the charts.

The band then went on a colossal 28-month long world tour which was hugely successful but also very eventful. The most famous incident took place in the summer of 1991 when during a show in Missouri Rose jumped into the crowd injuring a fan and then left the stage. The angry crowd begun a riot in which many people were injured. During this period Stradlin quit the band due to differences with Rose and was replaced by Gilby Clarke.

Spaghetti Decline
In 1993 the new lineup released a collection of punk covers named "The Spaghetti Incident?" which received some good reviews, however, it did not match the brilliance of their previous three studio albums. In conjunction with a number of other events, including the release of the "Nevermind" album that shifted musical interest to Nirvana and internal disputes between Rose and the rest of the band, Guns N' Roses gradually declined. By 1997 the band disintegrated leaving Rose the sole original member of the band.

In the years that followed Guns N' Roses remained relatively unnoticed, occasionally making the headlines for the wrong reasons including riots in their gigs, cancelled shows and the long delayed fifth studio album "Chinese Democracy". The only releases from the band since 1993 were the two compilation albums "Live Era '87-'93" (1999) and "Greatest Hits" (2004).

A notable attempt from previous Guns N' Roses members came in 2003 when Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum formed the band Velvet Revolver with Scott Weiland formerly with the Stone Temple Pilots. Their debut album "Contraband" released in June 2004 received good reviews and went straight to the top of US charts.

Legacy
When it comes to living dangerously, few bands can claim they have done more so than Guns N' Roses. From creating musical masterpieces to causing riots in their gigs, no other band managed to cement such an untouchable legendary status with just four studio albums. The absolute encapsulation of "Sex, Drugs And Rock N' Roll" was to rise and fall in less than a decade.

"Nothing lasts forever, even cold November Rain"

source The Rock Radio.com

Rock camp in Los Angeles

2009-05-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp kicked off on Wednesday (April 29th) in Hollywood with a list of guest instructors that includes Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan, Foo Fighters touring keyboardist Rami Jaffee, Todd Rundgren, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick and others.

The camp allows fans to perform with and learn from some of their favorite rock stars. Tyler told us that he "positively" will be able to tell if any of his students have true talent:

"I can listen to the melody line they've got, and I can tell them right then and there that it's not about hitting that note, it's about how you approach it. It's about (scats for a few seconds). It's about that as opposed to trying to hit the note, trying to get the vibrato just right, trying and trying and trying. It's about making something work for you."

The camp launches Wednesday night with a kick-off party and all-star jam at the Gibson Showroom in Beverly Hills, and concludes with the campers and their counselors performing live at the Whisky-A-Go-Go on May 3rd.

Counselor Bruce Kulick will maintain a daily blog from the camp beginning on Thursday (April 30th).

An auction of autographed memorabilia from all the participating rock stars will also be held at the closing show. Proceeds will benefit the MusiCares Foundation, which provides assistance to musicians in need.

Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp has been held since 1997, with upcoming editions scheduled for New York, London and Milwaukee.

Previous guest counselors have included Velvet Revolver's Slash, Roger Daltrey of the Who and Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.

Metallica drummer talks torture

2009-05-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich appeared as a guest on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show on Monday night (April 27th), where the liberal news commentator and the Danish drummer discussed living in San Francisco, Guitar Hero: Metallica, and politics.

With the debate over the military and CIA's use of torture front and center in the news lately, Maddow also asked Ulrich how he felt about Metallica's music being used to psychologically torture prisoners of war:

"There is a lot of Metallica music that's helping a lot of scared 18, 19 and 20-year-old kids out there who are out on the front lines and who are doing a hell of a job on behalf of you and me and the rest of us. But obviously when you hear stories like the one you're telling, it all seems so bizarre and so strange that Metallica's music, which generally sort of facilitates bringing people together, is used in these bizarre circumstances. It's certainly not something that we in any way advocate or condone."

Ulrich also told Maddow that if someone really wanted to use music to torture others, there are groups out there that are way more extreme than Metallica:

"If there are people that are dumb enough to use Metallica to interrogate prisoners, you're forgetting about all the music that's to the left of us. I can name, you know, 30 Norwegian death metal bands that would make Metallica sound like Simon and Garfunkel."

Metallica will be on tour in Europe throughout the rest of the spring and summer, but will begin a new North American trek on September 14th in Nashville.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4th, along with Jeff Beck, Run-DMC and others.

A digital "box set" of every song Metallica has ever recorded, called The Complete Metallica, became available online last month at iTunes and other outlets.
source the rockradio.com

aerosmith the bad boys from Boston

2009-05-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

Aerosmith - Current members
Steven Tyler - lead vocals, piano, harmonica, percussion and drums (1970-present)
Joe Perry - lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1970-1979; 1984-present)
Brad Whitford - rhythm and lead guitar (1971-1981; 1984-present)
Tom Hamilton - bass guitar, backing vocals (1970-present)
Joey Kramer - drums, percussion (1970-present)

Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, glam, and rhythm and blues, which has inspired many subsequent rock artists. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970.

Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. By 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston.

They were signed to Columbia Records in 1972 and released a string of multi-platinum albums, beginning with their 1973 eponymous debut album. In 1975, the band broke into the mainstream with the album Toys in the Attic, and their 1976 follow-up Rocks cemented their status as hard rock superstars. By the end of the 1970s, they were among the most popular hard rock bands in the world and developed a loyal following of fans, often referred to as the "Blue Army".

However, drug addiction and internal conflict took their toll on the band, which resulted in the departures of Perry and Whitford, in 1979 and 1981 respectively. They were replaced by Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay. The band did not fare well between 1980 and 1984, releasing a lone album, Rock in a Hard Place, which went gold but failed to match their previous successes.

Although Perry and Whitford returned in 1984 and the band signed a new deal with Geffen Records, it wasn't until the band sobered up and released 1987's Permanent Vacation that they regained the level of popularity they had experienced in the 1970s. Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the band scored several hits and won numerous awards for music from the multi-platinum albums Pump (1989), Get a Grip (1993), and Nine Lives (1997).

Their comeback has been described as one of the most remarkable and spectacular in rock 'n' roll history. After 39 years of performing, the band continues to tour and record music.

Aerosmith is the best-selling American hard rock band of all time, having sold 150 million albums worldwide, including 66.5 million albums in the United States alone. They also hold the record for the most gold and multi-platinum albums by an American group. The band has scored 21 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, nine #1 Mainstream Rock hits, four Grammy Awards, and ten MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and in 2005 they were ranked #57 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

aerosmith guitar hero contest

2009-05-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

AEROSMITH® OFFER FANS THE CHANCE TO BE THE OPENING ACT ON SUMMER TOUR.

WINNERS TO PERFORM ON STAGE BEFORE AEROSMITH AND THEIR SPECIAL GUESTS

In groundbreaking fashion, America’s Greatest Rock ‘N Roll Band and the mega-popular video game franchise are giving fans the chance to be the OPENING ACT for the massive Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Presents Aerosmith tour with special guests ZZ Top.

In each city the tour hits, two victorious fret-burners will perform before ZZ Top (or the support acts for the dates where ZZ Top aren’t performing), playing Guitar Hero: Aerosmith on stage in front of massive audiences.

One grand prize winner will be chosen from AEROSMITH’s YouTube channel online and others will be chosen from participating radio stations. However, AEROSMITH are offering the victors way more than just rock immortality for a night.

The contest will be showcased on social media sites including MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, iLike and official websites such as Aerosmith.com and Aeroforceone.com; and Guitar Hero web sites including GuitarHero.com and Guitar Hero’s Facebook group.

AEROSMITH--STEVEN TYLER (vocals), JOE PERRY (guitar), BRAD WHITFORD (guitar), TOM HAMILTON (bass) and JOEY KRAMER (drums)--made history last year when Activision released Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, marking the first music-based game built around the legendary music of Aerosmith. The groundbreaking partnership united “America's greatest hard rock act” (as described by Mojo editor Phil Alexander in a May '07 cover story) with the massively successful videogame franchise; sales exploded and broke records, with AEROSMITH reaching another generation of fans.

Click here for official contest terms & conditions http://www.aeroforceone.com

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith brings these quintessential rock legends to the interactive realm to create the ultimate gaming experience. As fans progress through their careers in the game, they can rock out to scores of Aerosmith’s greatest hits including various tracks re-mastered by the legendary band for Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, as well as songs from celebrated artists that the band has either performed with or has been inspired by in some way.
Highlighting the list of celebrated artists is an in-game guest appearance from one of the pioneers of hip-hop and kings of rock, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels. Venues from historical moments during the band’s illustrious career offer the experience of “sweet emotion” and further capture the essence of the band’s rise to fame. For more information visit www.guitarhero.com.

metallica immortalized in Rock hall of fame

2009-04-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame gave fans a trip through modern music history on Saturday, inducting a variety of performers into its ranks from "Queen of Rockabilly" Wanda Jackson to rappers Run-D.M.C and rockers Metallica.

The climax for the Hall of Fame's induction ceremony came when Metallica, whose hits include "Enter Sandman," took the stage to play a medley of their hit songs. Two of the group's bassists, Jason Newsted and Robert Trujillo, jammed together.

Singer James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich hugged onstage after giving speeches, and both thanked fans who have followed the band through its ups-and-downs that included the death of first bassist Cliff Burton in 1986.

"Dream big and dare to fail," Hetfield said to the audience. "I dare you to do that, because this (Metallica's success) is living proof that it is possible to make a dream come true."

The Rock Hall of Fame began naming new inductees in 1986 and opened its doors in Cleveland in 1995. In recent years, the induction ceremony has been held in New York City, but it moved back to Cleveland for the 2009 version.

Metallica got their start in the 1980s and made their mark with albums like 1986's "Master of Puppets" and 1991's self-titled "Metallica," which proved to be a smash hit.

But their influence extended beyond just making music. In the early 2000s, Metallica sued song-sharing website Napster, alleging copyright infringement. Eventually their battle led to legal downloads and the rise of sites like Apple's iTunes.

The heavy metal group was only one of many bands and performers to whom the rock museum paid tribute on Saturday.

Run-D.M.C. -- composed of rappers Joseph "DJ Run" Simmons and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, as well as Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell spinning records on two turntables -- helped usher rap music and hip hop into mainstream pop culture with hit albums like 1986's "Raising Hell."

That album featured the lead single "Walk This Way," a cover of the classic Aerosmith song of the same name that fused rap and rock and thrilled fans of both genres.

Simmons, McDaniels and Mizell, who was shot and killed in 2002, were inducted into the Hall of Fame by rapper Eminem, who said he first heard them at age 11.

Run-D.M.C. was "something fresh, something tough, something dangerous and something unique. Two turntables and a microphone," said Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers.

Inductees on Saturday night stemmed from the roots of rock and roll, embodied by Wanda Jackson, who got her start playing alongside Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, to classic rocker Jeff Beck, who was inducted by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.

Soul singer Bobby Womack received his key to the Hall from Rolling Stone guitarist Ron Wood, and Motown legend Smokey Robinson welcomed his friends, Little Anthony & The Imperials, into the ranks of modern music legends.

Inductees are picked by 600 voters from a pool of performers who are eligible 25 years after their first record was released. Being named to the Hall of Fame is considered a great honor among rock musicians from the 1950s onward.

Joan Jett the cherry bomb

2009-03-30T00:33:00.000-07:00

Joan jett has been writing great rock music since she penned "Cherry Bomb" at 15 years old on the Runaways' debut LP, insisted on testing herself anew on SINNER. "If anything, the lyrical content might be expanding", she explains " it's not all about falling in or out of love."

For example, there is "Naked". "I think everyone's first image of the word "naked" is about being physically naked, and this isn't that at all. This is about introspection. This is a very lonely song in a sense. I think it's kind of cool to go inside and figure out what's behind the emotions of what makes people who they are. It can be scary to think about it all".

The album kicks off with "Riddles" and pulls no punches.

"Five" is about the tabloids.

At only 17, Joan was headlining clubs like CBGBs with bands such as Tom Petty, Talking Heads, Television and Cheap Trick opening up for her, and she later toured with the Ramones. Joan has since worked with Bikini Kill, Peaches, Ian MacKaye of Fugazi, Lars Fredrickson of Rancid, Bratmobile, L7, The Gits, The Replacements' Paul Westerberg, The Sex Pistols and Blondie among others. Joan produced G.I., the lone album of the seminal L.A. punk act, The Germs.

About her Sirius radio show, "That's been interesting, and different. I never aspired to it, I'm really kind of shy, so for me to get on the radio and talk, I had to build up to it. But I'm having a good time, and I get to turn people on to different things!"

Another is her ongoing acting career. She's appeared in movies like Light of Day (with Michael J. Fox and Gena Rowlands), the indie films Boogie Boy and The Sweet Life (she and her Blackhearts sing the title song) and was actually killed in an on-screen karate fight with martial-arts legend Chuck Norris. On Broadway, Joan was in the original cast of The Rocky Horror Show. "I wanted to be an actress before I wanted to play the guitar!"

One of Joan Jett's proudest accomplishments is the 25th anniversary of her record label, Blackheart Records. This company was forged during the trials and tribulations of trying to get a record deal after The Runaways, and she was rejected by every label out there....28 to be exact. Believing in themselves, Joan and her long-time songwriting partner and producer, Kenny Laguna, decided to be the masters of their own fates and pressed the records up and sold them out of the trunk of Kenny's car. It was almost immediately that they had a hit on their hands, and the company has not only survived, but flourished, in a volatile record industry.

In addition to Joan's long awaited CD, Joan and Kenny produced The Vacancies, a punk group from Cleveland. That Blackheart release A Beat Missing Or A Silence Added, has gone Top 20 on the college charts. The Eyeliners, a pop/punk band from Albuquerque, released No Apologies on Blackheart. Since the Warped tour, The Dollyrots, a pop punk band from LA and Girl in a Coma, indie rock band from San Antonio, have joined the roster. The Dollyrots, Girl in a Coma, and The Vacancies all have upcoming release this Spring/Summer.

Jett stands at a point in her life where she can appreciate her past and longevity, but still look towards the future. It is an exciting time. "I went to a school reunion in Maryland not long ago and some people reminded me I had said I was going to go to California to become a rock n roll star! I hadn't remembered that I had focused on it that early!!! To say that as a kid and actually do it is pretty cool. It just goes to show you that if you can believe in yourself, if you're lucky and have the right timing, you have a shot. I'm an example of what can be, if you don't give up!

Metallica join Guitar Hero

2009-03-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

AUSTIN, Texas (Billboard) - Signing on for a "Guitar Hero" game was a "no brainer," according to Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.

"When 'Guitar Hero' came to us in April of last year, we said yes very quickly," Ulrich told Billboard.com on Friday during the quartet's drop-in appearance at the South By Southwest music conference to promote "Guitar Hero: Metallica," which comes out March 29.

"It seemed like the next step -- a whole other platform for musicians to reach an audience. If we talk about this in five years, I think it will turn into an expected way to release an album," Ulrich said.

Metallica released its latest album, "Death Magnetic," through "Guitar Hero" as well as through traditional retail and download sites, and Ulrich acknowledged that it might have helped to bring a younger audience to the band. "What blows me away is six months into the (album) experience how young the audience continues to be," he said. "We see whole armies of 10-year-olds who weren't listening to music when 'St. Anger' was released. In a world where music has so much competition, this is a great gateway for them into the music."

Guitarist Kirk Hammett -- who revealed that he beat Ulrich the one time he played "Guitar Hero: Metallica" ("He stormed off") -- added that he hopes the game inspires those young fans to learn how to play instruments for real.

"Kids get a feel of what it's like to play a song on guitar without having to learn to play guitar -- how cool is that?" he noted. "And to be exposed to classic rock and metal songs they might not otherwise listen to ... It's a wonderful thing."

In addition to Metallica songs -- as well as character images of the band from throughout its career -- "Guitar Hero: Metallica" features songs by Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead and other Metallica friends and heroes.

Metallica resumes the European leg of its "Death Magnetic" tour on March 25 in Birmingham, England. Hammett said the group plans to be on the road until late 2010 and "has talked a little bit" about possibly documenting the tour with an album or DVD release, but has reached no conclusions. The group will come home for its April 4 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where it was recently announced the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea will make the induction speech.

"It's cool that he's not in a heavy metal band but is a well-respected musician you might not expect," Hammett said. Former bassist Jason Newstead will join the band that night, and Ulrich said that the evening "will be like a family reunion ... a whole big pile of people, lots of friends."
By Gary Graff
(Edited by Sheri Linden at Reuters)

slash guns n roses

2009-03-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

Born in Hampstead, England, and raised in the US, Saul Hudson is not a gentleman. Those who would expect reading something in this line here are about to be very disappointed: Saul or, better yet, Slash is the perfect image of a rock'n'roll god, the guitar icon of an entire generation, a man who lived his entire life in the spotlight, by the rules imposed by the game. He is not educated or well-behaved or even good looking: instead, he is an extremely accomplished guitarist, a showman par excellence, a former drug addict and, in short, a rock god.

His father was an artist who also designed the covers for some of the albums of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell; his mother was a fashion designer who created the costumes for David Bowie's 'The Man Who Fell to Earth' - so you can see where Slash got his artistic genes from. When he was still a child, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles, where they would be later joined by his father. Until the 11th grade, Saul's childhood could be described as 'normal' (whatever that might mean): he went to the Beverly Hills High School, learned how to play the guitar, founded a couple of bands, you know, stuff teenagers normally do.

By the time he was in the 11th grade, he already knew that studying was not for him: he had dropped out of school to focus intently on his band, called Road Crew. Sure, just like his previous projects, this group too was soon disbanded but its name is still retained by many for being the vehicle that enabled Slash to meet the man with whom he would make music history, Axl Rose. At that moment, Rose was the lead singer of Hollywood Rose and the two groups met while preparing to open for Stryper, in 1984. The rest was history, as they say, and Guns'N'Roses was founded, the rock band that would alter and literally shape the rock music of the '80s and '90s.

At first, things didn't go as smoothly: the Guns used to hold gigs in bars and garages and to tour as the opening act of other rockers, more famous than them. By 1986, they already had a bunch of tracks penned down (which would later become smashing hits) but no album released. That all changed a year later, when 'Appetite for Destruction' was put out, a material that, besides including many of the band's legendary songs, like 'Welcome to the Jungle', 'Paradise City' and 'Sweet Child O' Mine', stirred quite a controversy because of the artistic cover it initially had. In two more years, the boys from Guns were famous and preparing for yet another album.

From the very start, Slash did not get along with Axl but, for quite some time, both of them managed to either hide their differences or to meet halfway. The rift became more and more obvious in the '90s, when the high level of success Guns had reached made Axl go for a more commercial variant of rock which, naturally, was not something that Slash approved of. Hits like 'Don't Cry' and 'November Rain', that have become emblems of that spleen an entire generation of youngsters was experiencing, and the fact that Axl was going for more dramatic and expensive videos (oh, so un-rock'n'roll-ish of him!) did nothing else but virtually end the friendship and work relation the two (brilliant singer and equally brilliant guitarist) had shared for so long. Slash's departure became official in 1996, when he announced that he would be pursuing a solo career but, in fact, the situation had become obviously unbearable way before that date.

After he left Guns, Slash got involved in a myriad of projects, singing with other famous rockers and rappers and featuring on their albums and videos. He was, by now, a star on his own and he didn't need Guns'N'Roses for people to know his face or his music, especially since he kept the trademark elements that had distinguished him from other rockers: curly hair, tophat and the cigarette dangling from his lips while performing... shirtless. In 2003, he officially moved away from his Guns past, by founding Velvet Revolver, the band with which he made his comeback into the public eye. Meanwhile, Guns was left only with Axl (the rest of the members had also left) and slowly began to fade away.

Slash was married twice but details like this tend to be overlooked when we're talking about one of the greatest and most accomplished guitarists of our times. Instead, the media has (and probably always will) focused on his turmoiled life, which was often 'spiced up' with drug use, incendiary statements, allegations of weird habits and hobbies (like collecting snakes), drunken appearances, alcohol abuse and f**king fiery performances! In the long run, only that last part matters because, however Slash really is and whatever he might have said or done, we will always have his music.

source
http://www.inoutstar.com/news/Saul-Hudson-aka-Slash

Yngwie Malmsteen part 2

2009-02-24T00:40:00.000-08:00

With his place in guitar history firmly established, Yngwie's neo-classical compositions fueled the ears of fans and the ambitions of aspiring guitarists worldwide for over a decade with such powerhouse classic albums as
Marching Out,
Trilogy,
Odyssey,
Live in Leningrad / Trial By Fire (gold-selling concert video of Yngwie’s 1989 sold-out concerts in Moscow and Leningrad),
Fire & Ice (which debuted in Japan at #1 and sold over 100,000 copies on the day of its release),
The Seventh Sign,
Magnum Opus,
Inspiration (covering the music of Deep Purple, Rainbow, U.K., Kansas, Scorpions, Rush, and Jimi Hendrix),
Facing the Animal,
Alchemy, and Attack!!
Perpetual flame

In 1997, Yngwie proved that he was much more than a rock phenomenon. After months of intensive work, Yngwie produced his first completely classical work, Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in Eb minor, Op. 1. This groundbreaking album was recorded in Prague with the prestigious Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and famed symphony conductor Yoel Levi. Several years later, in 2001,Yngwie found his first opportunity to perform the critically acclaimed Concerto Suite with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra in Tokyo. The DVD/CD/VHS package of this groundbreaking performance became Yngwie's first release of the year in January 2002.

In 2003, Yngwie joined the famous "G3" Tour in a lineup many guitar fans saw as the ultimate dream combination (Satriani, Vai, Malmsteen). The CD and DVD of the tour became instant classics and hot sellers throughout the year. Once the G3 tour ended, Yngwie took to the road again in support of his Attack album.

Taking most of 2004 to rest, recharge his creative batteries, and work in his studio at his leisure, Yngwie produced a highly acclaimed new album titled Unleash the Fury. Featuring some of his most impressive playing and songwriting in years, the album garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Virtuosityone.com, a popular Internet hard rock music review site proclaimed, "Yngwie Malmsteen, the Neo-Classical king is back to Unleash The Fury with another bag of alchemy fuelled compositions... Overall Unleash The Fury is a welcome return to form from ... to deliver the goods." Reviewers on Amazon.com and CD Universe gave the new album 5-star ratings, with consumers proclaiming "Yngwie is the original, don't settle for cheap imitations!" and "it's a great year for shredders!"

In the summer of 2005, the Unleash the Fury World Tour kicked off in Ireland and headed across the globe, blazing new trails of glory. Malmsteen and his Rising Force lineup proved they were back with a vengeance by selling out the famed Hammersmith Apollo theatre in London and playing to rapt capacity crowds across the U.K., and garnering legions of new fans from Paris to Vienna to Madrid. Eager fans in The U.S. can look forward to the Unleash the Fury Tour later in the year.

source http://www.yngwiemalmsteen.com

yngwie malmsteen at wikipedia go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yngwie_Malmsteen

see also at http://www.yngwiemalmsteen.net/

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN part 1

2009-02-24T00:35:00.000-08:00

Yngwie Malmsteen is one of rock's premiere virtuoso guitarists. Yngwie has dominated the world of solo guitar for two decades. When he was barely 20, Yngwie exploded onto the music scene with his jaw-dropping technique of lightning fast harmonic minor scalar riffing. His 1984 album, "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force," established seemingly overnight the style now referred to a neo-classical melodic rock. A legend in both style and technique, Yngwie's long career reach new heights when his totally classical work for orchestra and solo electric guitar, "Concerto Suite," was released, proving that his classical credentials were genuine. A respected musician among both his peers and his fans, Yngwie continues to play and compose at a level of mastery that many career musician only dream of.

Yngwie Malmsteen was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 30, 1963. The youngest child in a household that included his mother Rigmor, sister Ann Louise, and brother Bjorn, Yngwie originally had no interest in music. However, on September 18, 1970, Yngwie saw a TV special on the death of guitar iconoclast Jimi Hendrix. Seven-year-old Yngwie watched with awe as Hendrix blasted the audience with torrents of feedback and sacrificed his guitar in flames. The day Jimi Hendrix died, the guitar-playing Yngwie was born.

Applying his intense curiosity and tenacity to first an old Mosrite and then a cheap Stratocaster, Yngwie immersed himself in the music of such bands as Deep Purple and spent long hours practicing to learn their songs. His admiration for Ritchie Blackmore's classically influenced playing led him back to the source: Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Mozart. As Yngwie absorbed the classical structures of the masters, his prodigious style began to take shape. By age 10, he began to focus all his energies into music. His mother and sister, a talented flautist, recognized his unique musical gifts and gave him support and encouragement. His mastery of the instrument progressed rapidly. In his early teens, Yngwie saw a television performance of Russian violinist Gideon Kremer, who performed the highly difficult 24 Caprices of 19th century virtuoso violinist Niccolo Paganini. The effect was profound, and Yngwie understood at last how to combine his love of classical music with his burgeoning guitar skills and onstage charisma.

By age 15, Yngwie's trademark style had begun to emerge. He worked for a time as a luthier in a guitar repair shop, where he encountered a scalloped neck for the first time when a 17th century lute came into the shop. Intrigued, Yngwie scalloped the neck of an old guitar in similar fashion and was impressed enough with the results to try it on his better guitars. The scalloped fret board was somewhat more difficult to play than a normal neck, but his control over the strings was so improved that Yngwie immediately adopted it as a permanent alteration to his equipment.

About this time, Yngwie began playing in a number of bands built around his explosive guitar style, with long instrumental explorations. Around age 18, Yngwie and several friends recorded a demo set of three songs for Swedish CBS, but the cuts were never released. Frustrated, Yngwie began sending demo tapes to record companies and music contacts abroad. One such tape found its way into the hands of Guitar Player contributor and Shrapnel Music founder Mike Varney. Yngwie was invited to record with Shrapnel's new band Steeler--and the rest, as they say, is history.

From Steeler, Yngwie moved on to Alcatrazz, a Rainbow-style band, but it became clear that to fully develop his talents, Yngwie would have to go solo. Yngwie's first solo album, Rising Force (now considered the bible for neoclassical rock) made it to #60 on the Billboard charts, an impressive feat for a mostly instrumental guitar album with no commercial airplay. The album also gained Yngwie a Grammy nomination for best rock instrumental performance. He was voted Best New Talent in several reader's polls, Best Rock Guitarist the year after, and Rising Force became Album of the Year. Rising Force blazed a trail on the concert circuit that established Yngwie as one of rock guitar's brightest new stars and added a new genre to the music lexicon: neoclassical rock.

metallica part two

2009-01-30T17:40:00.001-08:00

source www.metallica.com official fan club

Lars Ulrich
Born: December 26, 1963
From: Gentofte, Denmark
Personal: 3 Children
Instrument: Drums
Vitals: Green eyes, blonde/brown hair, 5'7"/1.7 meters tall

The oft-seen and heard dynamo of Metallica, when it comes to arranging all matters from songs to business, Lars is always at the epicenter. Indeed, constant activity has been a hallmark of Ulrich's life. As a child he saw his father Torben run a small jazz club in Copenhagen (sax player Dexter Gordon is Lars' Godfather) before following the family on the professional tennis circuit where Torben became an established figure.

Lars was nearly 10 when the sounds of Richie Blackmore and Deep Purple blew his little socks off at one of the first gigs he ever attended. It began a theme which has been recurrent in his life -obsession with a band- and having bought the 'Fireball' album, he began a Deep Purple love affair which continues to this day. At 13 his grandmother bought him his first drum kit, yet percussion vyed with tennis for priority. When the family moved to Newport Beach, CA in the late '70's, the seeds of priority scattered themselves in his field: girls, rock'n'roll and the occasional funny cigarette were all keys in turning Lars from the wooden raquet to full metal racket. He got so excited about metal music that he jammed a bit with a young lad called James Hetfield before taking a teenage trip to England during June of 1981 to see his newly beloved Diamond Head. He thus managed to finagle living with them for a while before returning to So Cal and the tape-trading he enjoyed with the likes of Metal Blade Records Brian Slagel.

Slagel was looking for bands to record cuts for an album he would release on the label (their first release). Lars got a slot but had no band. Remembering the less-than-awesome yet energetic jams with young Hetfield, Lars called him up and told him about the album. James listened. And thus was Metallica conceived.

These days, some 80-odd million albums worldwide later, Metallica might have undergone enormous collective and individual changes, but the essence of Ulrich remains. He is at once a loyal, attentive and determined person, one who locks in for the long-haul and one who's skin can achieve great thickness. He's also, in recent years, become even more comfortable saying exactly what he believes in regardless of the consequences (as evidenced by his willingness to be the band spokesperson on the Napster issue).

Music now shares the front seat with Lars' three sons Myles, Layne, and Bryce as well as his thriving interests in art and film. Busy? Of course. But would Lars have it any other way? The proof is there for all to see...

Kirk Hammett
Born: November 18, 1962
From: San Francisco
Personal: Married, 1 child
Instrument: Guitar, background vocals
Vitals: Brown eyes, brown hair, 5'8"/1.75 meters tall

Kirk Hammett, never without a grin or a curious thought, is the true Bay Area band-member. Born in San Francisco, and raised in the East Bay town of El Sobrante, he gained an interest in music from his brother Rick's extensive record collection, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and UFO. It all led to him properly picking up the guitar when he was 15, his first being a wholly unglamorous Montgomery Ward catalog special accompanied by a shoe box with 4 inch speaker for an amp.

After picking up a 1978 Fender Stratocaster, Kirk experimented by mixing and matching guitar parts to find his perfect sound before falling for a 1974 Gibson Flying V. In a determined (and successful) effort to upgrade his equipment, Kirk even took a shift at Burger King to get the cash together for his first Marshall amp. Around that time, Kirk also co-founded Exodus with Paul Baloff, and the East Bay thrashers crossed paths with Metallica twice, in late '82 and early '83, as a support act.

In April 1983, Kirk received a phone call from Metallica in New York. They were in the process of firing guitarist Dave Mustaine and wanted Kirk to fly out and audition. Kirk got the money together for the flight, left California for the first time and arrived in the late afternoon to find three guys who were still waking up. Immediately he, and they, knew the fit was right despite the fact nobody ever formally invited him to join.

A keen student of his instrument even today, Hammett followed his first 'Kill 'Em All' tour by taking lessons from Joe Satriani, and embarked upon a passage of guitar self-education that took in jazz, blues and classical styles. Indeed, education has always been Kirk's answer to potential burnout. After the marathon 'Black' album tour ended in 1993, he immediately went to the City College of San Francisco where he took classes, something he credits as the reason behind his reinvention as a guitarist on the 'Load' and 'Re-load' albums.

Kirk continues to bring not only a dazzling array of lead guitar parts to Metallica's music but also some savage rifferey, having started sharing 6-string duties with James during the 'Load' era. He is happily married to Lani, and lives in San Francisco along with a large collection of old Hollywood movie memorabilia, his two dogs Darla and Hoku, plus cats.......Oh, and for the record, Kirk plays his guitar at least 361 days a year.

Metallica part one

2009-01-30T17:33:00.001-08:00

Robert Trujillo
Born: October 23, 1964
From: Santa Monica, California
Personal: Married, 2 Children
Instrument: Bass, Background Vocals
Vitals: Brown eyes, dark hair, 5'9"/1.75 meters tall

He's got rhythm, and he's most certainly got music. Now Robert Trujillo's also got the job of being Metallica's new bassist and family member...one that will doubtless fit this most righteous and cheerful of Southern Californians like a glove.

Although he sometimes does use a pick, Trujillo is best known as a baaaad motherplucker, a finger-playin' bass monster who's dexterity, tones and attitude have seen him grace the bass of Suicidal Tendencies, Infectious Grooves and Ozzy Osbourne's band since his first professional work with Suicidal in 1989. It all stems back to a childhood filled with variety and spice.

Growing up in Venice Beach "Dog Town", Trujillo heard everything, from Led Zeppelin to Motown with a chunk of funk in between. Joined with a young love of surfing, Trujillo developed a rhythm and a vibe that saw him play with a variety of local bands through his early 20s until he met Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies via his High School buddy, Suicidal guitarist Rocky George. the two got on infamously well, and thus began a rich and fruitful relationship which saw Rob establish himself as one of the most exciting bass talents in the rock world.

In the early '90s, he and Muir formed the experimental funk-rockers Infectious Grooves, and then in the mid-'90s Trujillo joined up with Ozzy Osbourne. Together with drummer Mike Bordin, Trujillo formed one of rock music's most soild and reliable rhythm units.

Rob's name first floated by the Metallicamp during Suicidal's supporting role on the Summer Shed tour of '94, when all the band noted his enthusiastic style and performances. Thus when it was time to consider who could step up and take the bass full-time in Metallica, Rob's name was an obvious choice.

By all accounts, Trujillo's audition dared the band NOT to give him the job, and even producer Bob Rock was heard saying how complete and unequivocally whole the band sounded with Rob playing.

And so it was that on Thursday, February 24th 2003, Robert Trujillo walked in to the HQ and saw Ulrich, Hammett and Hetfield immediately start applauding him. Again, Rob is the perfect fit, a calm, even-keeled man with experience and full bass props...and genuinely one of the nicest guys around. It all adds up to the 4th member, an equal part of the Metallica family and an exciting new stage in Metallihistory.

James Hetfield
Born: August 3, 1963
From: Los Angeles
Personal: Married, 3 Children
Instrument: Vocals, Guitar
Vitals: Blue eyes, blonde hair, 6'1"/1.85 meters tall

When it comes to defining Metallica, most people use James Hetfield as their guide. There's never any bullshit with James and there's never any shirking of duties. Example? When he threw his back out on the Summer Sanitarium 2000 tour, James ploughed his way through three weeks of intense physical therapy in four days, according to his physical therapist. And when the going got really tough, and James needed help in 2001, he sought it out, took it on and came back stronger than ever. It is precisely this sort of fierce, unbending dedication, devotion and spirit which has made James such an inspirational focal point through the years for millions of fans.

Ironically, the voice of Metallica (indeed, a defining voice of his rock'n'roll generation) very nearly wasn't a voice at all, simply because in the early days, James Hetfield didn't fancy being a lead vocalist. Metallica tried a few different vocal/guitar configurations. Some of the options considered included adding another
guitar player, having then-lead guitar player Dave Mustaine play the sole guitar and asking John Bush from Armored Saint to sing for the band. Of course common sense prevailed, James decided to fight harder to establish himself as a frontman and the results are, ahem, history

To trace the roots of Hetfield's unflinching dedication and determination, you have to go back to a childhood that was often tough but laid a foundation, which underscores James today. Born to a truck driver and light opera singer on August 3rd, 1963, in Los Angeles, his family's Christian Science religious beliefs played a large part in the young Hetfield's life, and subsequently form a central point for many of Metallica's lyrics. He was 9 years old when he first took piano lessons before taking on brother David's drums and finally picking up a guitar in his pre-teens.

With the likes of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy providing inspiration, James quickly set about the task of becoming a rock star in his first band, Obsession. Made up of the Veloz brothers on bass and drums, with Jim Arnold on guitar, plenty of time was spent in the Veloz's garage jamming with Ron McGoveny and Dave Marrs acting as roadies. McGovney subsequently stepped in alongside Marrs and Hetfield when the Veloz brothers incarnation ended.

After moving to Brea, California, James attended Brea Olinda High School and met up with drummer Jim Mulligan. The two jammed at lunch time scaring fellow guitarists with their loud and heavy sounds before a guy called Hugh Tanner was seen carrying around part of a flying V guitar at school. Phantom Lord was born with Hugh on guitar, Mulligan on drums and James singing plus playing guitar. The group went through a few bass players until graduation when James moved back to Downey.

Back in Downey, James moved into a house owned by Ron McGovney's parents that was slated for demolition due to an expressway expansion. It was the perfect place for James and Ron to crash, rehearse and jam. James talked Ron into taking up bass, Phantom Lord was no more and the third band under Hetfield's leadership.

Leather Charm, was born. The only difference between Charm and Lord, was James singing without guitar and Ron playing bass guitar, Hugh Tanner and Jim Mulligan retaining their former 'Lord positions. Leather Charm was a largely hard rock combo, playing some originals and covers such as Iron Maiden's 'Remember Tomorrow' amongst others. The band managed to perform at a few parties and recorded a demo, but then began to fall apart.

First Tanner left the band (replaced by Troy James), then Mulligan left for a more progressive, Rush-like band. And with no drummer, the band was forced to call it quits. Although it was Mulligan's departure that led to James searching for a new drummer, we can safely say that Hugh Tanner was responsible for the catalytic moment which would change the course of James Hetfield's life and out him on the path to achieving his childhood ambition. How? Simple...Tanner introduced James to Lars Ulrich. The rest, as you'll read elsewhere, is a long, illustrious (occasionally curious) and still-evolving history...

James is the main songwriter in Metallica, co-creating the framework and structure for most Metallimaterial. When he's not writing, singing or playing, James enjoys a variety of outdoor activities including hunting, snowboarding, water and jet-skiing, sketching, annoying neighbors with guns and loud pipes on his chopper "The Saga", watching his favorite Oakland Raiders and going to hot-rod shows. He also collects older guitars (particularly those from 1963) and enjoys working on old cars. Amongst his favorites are a '55 Chevy BelAir (which he helped built and restore himself), and 'The Beast', a fearsome all-terrain 4-wheel drive Blazer that is designed to survive everything from earthquakes to nuclear holocausts. Aside from these pursuits, James is often happiest spending time with his wife Francesca and three children, Cali, Castor, and Marcella.

source www.metallica.com official fan club

Ibanez, heavy metal axe

2009-01-28T06:21:00.000-08:00

beside the legendary guitar such as Fender stratocaster or Gibson les paul, there is also the "Ibanez". The main guitar that exclusively used by rock musician. here is a brief history of ibanez guitar, how can a japanese product used a spanish name and more.

The Hoshino Gakki company began in 1908 as a musical instrument sales division of the Hoshino Shoten bookstore company. In 1935 they began manufacturing their own stringed instruments. The company had little presence in the Western world until the mid-1960s.

In 1954, Harry Rosenbloom opened a music store in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, northwest of Philadelphia along with his main store on Arch Street. In the mid-1970s, Harry moved his entire operation to the location it is today, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Due to the post-World War II music boom, his sales soon outstripped his inventory, and he began a company called Elger Guitars (named so after his son Gerson who is now running the business and his daughter Ellen) in an attempt to manufacture enough guitars to fill his needs. The Elger Guitar company made a relatively small number of hand-built, high quality guitars through the early 1960s.

Ibanez JEMBy 1965 Rosenbloom had decided to stop manufacturing guitars and chose to become the exclusive North American distributor for Hoshino Gakki instruments. At the time, the phrase "made in Japan" was considered to have negative connotations of low quality, so Hoshino Gakki and Rosenbloom wanted to distribute the instruments under a "non-Japanese" name. Hoshino had recently acquired a small Spanish guitar company named Ibanez, and it was decided to market the instruments under this brand name. In 1971 Hoshino purchased Elger Guitars, renaming the company "Ibanez U.S.A." and retaining the company headquarters in Bensalem, Pennsylvania as a distribution and quality-control center.

In the early 1970s Ibanez began making guitars that were almost exact copies of popular models by Gibson, Fender and Rickenbacker. Using somewhat cheaper materials and greater automation in manufacturing, they were able to sell these guitars for a significantly lower price than the originals. The low price combined with the relatively high quality of the guitars made these models very popular. Many guitar aficionados feel that the early- and mid-70s mark a low point in the quality of guitars from the major manufacturers, which helped contribute to the popularity of the Ibanez copies. These guitars have become known as "lawsuit" guitars and have become somewhat collectible.

The actual lawsuit referred to was brought by the Norlin Corporation, the parent company of Gibson guitars, in 1977, and was based on an Ibanez headstock design that had been discontinued by 1976. Ibanez settled out of court, and by 1978 had begun making guitars from their own designs.

Abandoning the strategy of copying "classic" electric guitar designs, the newer models began incorporating more modern elements into their design, such as radical body shapes, slimmer necks and flatter fingerboards (which allowed for faster playing), higher-output electronics and colorful finishes. This led to an increasing popularity with heavy metal musicians. The company also began an extensive program of consulting with well-known guitar players, such as Joe Satriani and Steve Vai and creating signature models made to the players' specifications.

Deep Purple biography

2009-01-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

One of the longest running and most prolific of hard rock/proto-heavy-metal bands, Deep Purple appeared in the wake of the psychedelic era, sporting a harder sound than anything that had come before. The classic 1970s lineup (featuring virtuoso guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, wailing tenor Ian Gillan, and classically influenced keyboardist Jon Lord) established the template for countless metal bands that followed in their wake.

They went through numerous lineup changes over the years, with singers David Coverdale and Joe Lynn Turner and guitarists Tommy Bolin and Steve Morse all passing through the ranks. Since the 1980s, sporadic reunions have found key members returning to the fold.

Deep Purple evolved in 1968 following sessions to form a band around former Searchers drummer Chris Curtis (b. Christopher Crummey, 26 August 1941, Oldham, Lancashire, England). Jon Lord (b. 9 June 1941, Leicester, Leicestershire, England; keyboards) and Nick Simper (b. 3 November 1945, Norwood Green, Southall, Middlesex, England; bass), veterans, respectively, of the Artwoods and Johnny Kidd And The Pirates, joined guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (b. Richard Hugh Blackmore, 14 April 1945, Weston-Super-Mare, Avon, England) in rehearsals for this new act, initially dubbed Roundabout. Curtis dropped out within days, and when Dave Curtis (bass) and Bobby Woodman (drums) also proved incompatible, two members of Maze, Rod Evans (b. 19 January 1947, Slough, England; vocals) and Ian Paice (b. 29 June 1948, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England; drums), replaced them.

Having adopted the Deep Purple name following a brief Scandinavian tour, the quintet began recording their debut album, which they patterned on US band Vanilla Fudge. Shades Of Deep Purple included dramatic rearrangements of well-known songs, including "Hey Joe" and "Hush", the latter becoming a Top 5 US hit when issued as a single.

Lengthy tours ensued as the band, all but ignored at home, steadfastly courted the burgeoning American concert circuit. The Book Of Taliesyn and Deep Purple also featured several excellent reworkings, notably "Kentucky Woman" (Neil Diamond) and "River Deep - Mountain High" (Ike And Tina Turner), but the unit also drew acclaim for its original material and the dramatic interplay between Lord and Blackmore.
In July 1969, both Evans and Simper were axed from the line-up, which was then buoyed by the arrival of Ian Gillan (b. 19 August 1945, Hounslow, Middlesex, England; vocals) and Roger Glover (b. 30 November 1945, Brecon, Wales; bass) from the pop band Episode Six.

Acknowledged by aficionados as the "classic" Deep Purple line-up, the reshaped quintet made its album debut on the grandiose Concerto For Group And Orchestra, scored by Lord and recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (reprised in October 1999 at the Royal Albert Hall with the London Symphony Orchestra).
Its orthodox successor, In Rock, established the band as a leading heavy metal attraction and introduced such enduring favourites as "Speed King" and "Child In Time".

Gillan's powerful intonation brought a third dimension to their sound and this new-found popularity in the UK was enhanced when an attendant single, "Black Night", reached number 2. "Strange Kind Of Woman" followed it into the Top 10, while Fireball and Machine Head topped the album chart.

The latter included the riff-laden "Smoke On The Water", now lauded as a seminal example of the hard rock oeuvre and a Top 5 hit in America. The album was also the first release on the band's own Purple label.
Although the platinum-selling Made In Japan captured Deep Purple's live prowess, relations within the band grew increasingly strained, and Who Do We Think We Are! marked the end of this highly successful line-up.

The departures of Gillan and Glover robbed Deep Purple of an expressive frontman and imaginative arranger, although David Coverdale (b. 22 September 1951, Saltburn-By-The Sea, North Yorkshire, England; vocals) and Glenn Hughes (b. 21 August 1952, Cannock, Staffordshire, England; bass, ex-Trapeze) brought a new impetus to the act. Burn and Stormbringer both reached the Top 10,

but Blackmore grew increasingly dissatisfied with the band's direction and in May 1975 left to form Rainbow.

US guitarist Tommy Bolin (b. Thomas Richard Bolin, 1 August 1951, Sioux City, Iowa, USA, d. 4 December 1976, Miami, Florida, USA), formerly of the James Gang, joined Deep Purple for Come Taste The Band, but his jazz soul style was incompatible with the band's heavy metal sound, and a now-tiring act folded in 1976 following a farewell UK tour.

Coverdale formed Whitesnake, Paice and Lord joined Tony Ashton in Paice, Ashton And Lord, while Bolin died of a heroin overdose within months of Purple's demise.
Judicious archive and "best of' releases kept the band in the public eye, as did the high profile enjoyed by its several ex-members. Pressure for a reunion bore fruit in 1984 when Gillan, Lord, Blackmore, Glover and Paice completed Perfect Strangers. A second set, The House Of Blue Light, ensued, but recurring animosity between Gillan and Blackmore resulted in the singer's departure following the in-concert Nobody's Perfect.

Former Rainbow vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (b. Joseph Linquito, 2 August 1951, Hackensack, New Jersey,
USA) was brought into the line-up for 1990"s Slaves And Masters as the band steadfastly maintained their revitalized career.
Gillan rejoined in 1993 only to quit, yet again, shortly afterwards, while his old sparring partner, Blackmore, also bailed out the following year, to be replaced briefly by Joe Satriani (b. 15 July 1956).
The line-up that recorded the credible Purpendicular and Abandon in the late 90s comprised Steve Morse (b. 28 July 1954, Hamilton, Ohio, USA) on guitar, with Lord, Gillan, Glover and Paice. At the start of the new millennium, Lord announced his retirement and was replaced in the line-up by rock veteran Don Airey. He was featured on the band's 2003 studio album, Bananas.

Time and time again Deep Purple is cited as the band that crafted heavy rock to a fine art. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath they remain the genre's undisputed leaders.

taken from mystrands.com

KISS short biography

2009-01-27T17:12:00.000-08:00

taken from http://www.therockradio.com/

Big Apple Beginnings
Hard rockers Kiss were formed in New York City in 1973 by schoolteacher/bass player Gene Simmons and guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, who'd played together in the band Wicked Lester. Influenced by rock n' roll outfits ranging from The Rolling Stones to Alice Cooper, the pair took the bad boy image of the former and the glam/horror style of the latter to create one of the biggest bands in the history of popular music. Recruiting drummer Peter Criss and axeman Ace Frehley through newspaper and magazine ads, Simmons and Stanley set out to do nothing less than conquer the known rock world.

1973-75: Dressed To Kill
Donning face make-up and suggestive black leather outfits, the quartet adopted stage names and personas (Simmons as The Demon, Stanley as The Star Child, Frehley as The Space Man, and Criss as The Cat) and honed their raw, original rockers in local clubs and bars. By the end of 1973, they'd managed to impress respected band manager Bill Aucoin and ink a deal with Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records.

Their self-titled debut album came out in early 1974, followed later that year by Hotter Than Hell. Both albums were packed with crushing hard rockers that would later become Kiss classics, including "Strutter," "Cold Gin," and "Hotter Than Hell." Their first real commercial success, though, came with 1975's Dressed To Kill, which featured the timeless anthem "Rock And Roll All Nite." That song not only gave the band their signature tune, but became a rousing battle cry for a generation besieged by disco, sappy AM Top 40 acts, and polyester.

Capitalizing on the runaway success of the single "Rock And Roll All Nite," Simmons and Stanley (who are as adept at business as they are rock n' roll) pulled out all the stops on their Dressed To Kill tour, taping shows and winning new fans across the country. 1975 saw the release of Kiss Alive!, a double LP party on vinyl that included now-famous photos of Simmons spitting blood, blowing fire, and wagging his legendary long tongue.

1976-79: Shout It Loud
1976's Destroyer cemented the band's hard-won image as the greatest rock n' roll band in America (a 1977 Gallup poll of the USA agreed), with numbers for their official fan club,
The Kiss Army, growing into the millions. Marvel Comics featured the band in two comic books- the first allegedly inked in the band members' own blood. Kiss albums, dolls, pinball machines, buttons, banners, T-shirts, and makeup kits sold at a heady pace. Their randy lyrics and the undeniable sexual energy of both Simmons and Stanley also gained them a respectable female fan base. And the outfit finally got their first Top Ten hit with drummer Criss' throaty ballad, "Beth."

Kiss' next two albums, Rock And Roll Over and Love Gun, also went platinum. In 1978, they issued Kiss Alive II, followed by solo records from each of the members. 1979's Dynasty produced a couple of popular numbers, but a slight disco edge to the music and an obvious, increasingly strained relationship between the members saw their original fan base beginning to erode.

1980-82: Unmasked
In 1980, original drummer Peter Criss left the group; session skin-man Anton Fig filled in for the recording of Kiss Unmasked later on that year. Official replacement Eric Carr joined the band in time to perform on their 1980 world tour. 1981's Music From The Elder received disappointing sales and fan reaction, and guitarist Ace Frehley was the next to jump ship. Vinnie Vincent took up axe duties for 1982's Creatures Of The Night, which would be their final album for Casablanca.

1983-1990: Crazy Nights
By 1983, Kiss had dropped the make-up and revamped their sound for a new decade, resulting in the platinum-selling Lick It Up, their first for Mercury Records. Music videos and more touring followed, with Vincent replaced by first Mark St. John and then Bruce Kulick in 1984. For the remainder of the ‘80's, Kiss' albums sold well and they became regulars on MTV with hits like "Heaven's On Fire," "Tears Are Falling," "Crazy, Crazy Nights," and "Forever." The latter, a spicy power ballad in the vein of "Beth," once again propelled them to the top of the charts.

1991-97: Revenge
In 1991, drummer Eric Carr passed away from cancer at age 41. He was replaced by Eric Singer, who played on 1992's Revenge. That album went gold, and the hits kept coming, with "Unholy" and a cover of Argent's "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" becoming concert staples. Kiss Alive! III was issued in 1993, but failed to achieve the success of the first two.1996 saw the first official reunion of all four original members since 1980, with the set filmed for MTV's Unplugged and released internationally both on video and record. A wildly successful world tour followed, culminating with the band returning to the studio.

1998-Present: Psycho Circus
In 1998, the reformed original Kiss released Psycho Circus amidst a massive PR blitz. They once again wore make-up and outlandish costumes, produced a cornucopia of Kiss memorabilia (including 3D glasses to view the live show), and undertook a highly successful tour. They continued through 2001, at which time Peter Criss again quit- reportedly due to financial issues. Frehley left in 2002, amid rumors of acrimony and dissent. In 2003, Polygram released Symphony: Kiss Alive IV.

Through major line-up changes, evolving popular music, and a plethora of copycat acts, Kiss have survived into the 21st Century with a massive fan base, millions in sales, and that famous, edgy New York sense of humor. They may not be the most critically-acclaimed act of all time, but in the end, the music speaks for itself- to their fans, the Demon, The Starchild, The Space Man, and The Cat remain the greatest rock and roll band in the world.

""I'm in a weird band. We've done very well. The American dream is alive and well...""
Gene Simmons

Led Zeppelin, biography and discography

2009-01-27T16:56:00.000-08:00

Continue ...

IV was certified as having sold 16 million copies in the USA by March 1996. However, the effusive praise this album generated was notably more muted for Houses Of The Holy. Critics queried its musically diverse selection - the set embraced folk ballads, reggae and soul - yet when the accustomed power was unleashed, notably on "No Quarter", the effect was inspiring. A concurrent US tour broke all previous attendance records, the proceeds from which helped to finance an in-concert film, issued in 1976 as The Song Remains The Same, and the formation of the group's own record label, Swan Song.

Bad Company, the Pretty Things and Maggie Bell were also signed to the company, which served to provide Led Zeppelin with total creative freedom. Physical Graffiti, a double set, gave full rein to the quartet's diverse interests, with material ranging from compulsive hard rock ("Custard Pie" and "Sick Again") to pseudo-mystical experimentation ("Kashmir"). The irrepressible "Trampled Under Foot" joined an ever-growing lexicon of peerless performances, while "In My Time Of Dying" showed an undiminished grasp of progressive blues. Sell-out appearances in the UK followed the release, but rehearsals for a projected world tour were abandoned in August 1975 when Plant sustained multiple injuries in a car crash.

A new album was prepared during his period of convalescence, although problems over artwork delayed its release. Advance orders alone assured Presence platinum status, yet the set was regarded as a disappointment and UK sales were noticeably weaker. The 10-minute maelstrom "Achilles Last Stand" was indeed a remarkable performance, but the remaining tracks were competent rather than fiery and lacked the accustomed sense of grandeur. In 1977 Led Zeppelin began its rescheduled US tour, but on 26 July news reached Robert Plant that his six-year-old son, Karac, had died of a viral infection. The remaining dates were cancelled amid speculation that the group would break up.
They remained largely inactive for over a year, but late in 1978 they flew to Abba's Polar recording complex in Stockholm. Although lacking the definition of earlier work, In Through The Out Door was a strong collection on which John Paul Jones emerged as the unifying factor. Two concerts at Britain's Knebworth Festival were the prelude to a short European tour on which the group unveiled a stripped-down act, inspired, in part, by the punk explosion. Rehearsals were then undertaken for another US tour,
but in September 1980, Bonham was found dead following a lengthy drinking bout. On 4 December,
Swan Song announced that the group had officially retired, although a collection of archive material, Coda, was subsequently issued.
Jones went on to become a successful producer, notably with the Mission, while Plant embarked on a highly successful solo career, launched with Pictures At Eleven. Page scored the movie Death Wish 2 and, after a brief reunion with Plant and the Honeydrippers project in 1984, he inaugurated the short-lived Firm with Paul Rodgers. He then formed the Jimmy Page Band with John Bonham's son, Jason, who in turn drummed with Led Zeppelin on their appearance at Atlantic Records' 25th Anniversary Concert in 1988.

Despite renewed interest in the band's career, particularly in the wake of the retrospective Remasters, entreaties to make this a permanent reunion were resisted. However, in 1994 Page and Plant went two-thirds of the way to a re-formation with their ironically titled Unledded project, though John Paul Jones was conspicuous by his absence (for want of an invitation).
The duo cemented the relationship with an album of new Page And Plant material in 1998.
The discovery and release of live tapes and video footage in 2002 carried the Led Zeppelin phenomenon over into the new millennium. Decades after their demise, the triple-live CD How The West Was Won entered the Billboard chart at No 1 in June 2003. [COLOR=blue]Although their commercial success is unquestionable, Led Zeppelin are now rightly recognized as one of the most influential bands of the rock era and their catalogue continues to provide inspiration to successive generations of musicians.
[/COLOR]

DISCOGRAPHY:
Led Zeppelin (Atlantic 1969)****, Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic 1969)****, Led Zeppelin III (Atlantic 1970)****, Led Zeppelin IV (Atlantic 1971)*****, Houses Of The Holy (Atlantic 1973)****, Physical Graffiti (Swan Song 1975)****, Presence (Swan Song 1976)***, The Song Remains The Same film soundtrack (Swan Song 1976)**, In Through The Out Door (Swan Song 1979)***, Coda (Swan Song 1982)**, BBC Sessions (Atlantic 1997)****, How The West Was Won 3-CD live set (WEA 2003)****.

COMPILATIONS: Led Zeppelin 4-CD box set (Swan Song 1991)****, Remasters (Swan Song 1991)****, Remasters II (Swan Song 1993)***, Early Days: The Best Of Led Zeppelin Volume One (Atlantic 1999)****, Latter Days: The Best Of Led Zeppelin Volume II (Atlantic 2000)****, The Very Best Of Led Zeppelin: Early Days & Latter Days (Warners 2003)****

VIDEOGRAPHY: The Song Remains The Same (Warner Home Video 1986), Led Zeppelin (Warner Music Vision 2003), Inside Led Zeppelin: 1968-1972 (Classic Rock Legends 2004).
taken from mystrands.com/artist

Led Zeppelin, biography

2009-01-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Formed from the ashes of British blues-rockers the Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin shot to the stratosphere in the early 1970s. With Dionysian frenzy and a blast of blues-drenched riffs, they became one of the biggest bands of the era. Their intense musical excursions helped define the sound of hard rock, while their penchant for folk balladry added to their mystique as rock gods. The group called it quits after the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980, and remaining members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones pursued (mostly) separate musical ventures.
Biography

This pivotal heavy rock quartet was formed in October 1968 by British guitarist Jimmy Page (b. James Patrick Page, 9 January 1944, Heston, Middlesex, England) following the demise of his former band, the Yardbirds. John Paul Jones (b. John Baldwin, 3 June 1946, Sidcup, Kent, England; bass, keyboards), a respected arranger and session musician, replaced original member Chris Dreja, but hopes to incorporate vocalist Terry Reid floundered on a contractual impasse.

The singer unselfishly recommended Robert Plant (b. 20 August 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England), then frontman of struggling Midlands act Hobbstweedle, who in turn introduced drummer John Bonham (b. 31 May 1948, Birmingham, England, d. 25 September 1980), when first choice B.J. Wilson opted to remain with Procol Harum. The quartet gelled immediately and having completed outstanding commitments under the name "New Yardbirds", became Led Zeppelin following a quip by the Who's Keith Moon, who, when assessing their prospects, remarked that they would probably "go down like a lead Zeppelin".

They were guided and managed by Peter Grant (b. 5 April 1935, London, England, d. 21 November 1995). He was best known as the heavyweight manager of all UK rock groups, both in size and stature. Armed with a prestigious contract with Atlantic Records, the group toured the USA supporting Vanilla Fudge prior to the release of their explosive debut, Led Zeppelin, which included several exceptional original songs, including "Good Times, Bad Times", "Communication Breakdown", "Dazed And Confused' - a hangover from the Yardbirds" era - and skilled interpretations of R&B standards "How Many More Times?" and "You Shook Me". The set vied with Jeff Beck's Truth as the definitive statement of English heavy blues/rock, but Page's meticulous production showed a greater grasp of basic pop dynamics, resulting in a clarity redolent of 50s rock 'n' roll. His staggering dexterity was matched by Plant's expressive, beseeching voice, a combination that flourished on Led Zeppelin II.

The group was already a headline act, drawing sell-out crowds across the USA, when this propulsive collection confirmed an almost peerless position. The introductory track, "Whole Lotta Love", a thinly veiled rewrite of Willie Dixon's "You Need Love", has since become a classic, while "Livin' Lovin' Maid (She's Just A Woman)" and "Moby Dick", Bonham's exhibition piece, were a staple part of the quartet's early repertoire.

Elsewhere, "Thank You" and "What Is And What Should Never Be" revealed a greater subtlety, a factor emphasized more fully on Led Zeppelin III. Preparation for this set had been undertaken at Bron-Y-Aur cottage in Snowdonia (immortalized in "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp"), and a resultant pastoral atmosphere permeated the acoustic-based selections "That's The Way" and "Tangerine". "The Immigrant Song" and "Gallows Pole" reasserted the group's traditional fire and the album's release confirmed Led Zeppelin's position as one of the world's leading attractions. In concert, Plant's sexuality and Adonis-like persona provided the perfect foil to Page's more mercurial character, yet both individuals took full command of the stage, the guitarist's versatility matched by his singer's unfettered roar.

Confirmation of the group's ever-burgeoning strengths appeared on Led Zeppelin IV, also known as "Four Symbols", the "Runes Album" or "Zoso", in deference to the fact that the set bore no official title. It included "Stairway To Heaven", a group tour de force. Arguably the definitive heavy-rock song, it continues to win polls, and the memorable introduction remains every guitar novice's first hurdle. The approbation granted this ambitious piece initially obscured other tracks, but the energetic "When The Levee Breaks" is now also lauded as a masterpiece, particularly for Bonham's drumming. "Black Dog" and "Rock 'N' Roll" saw Zeppelin at their immediate best, while "The Battle Of Evermore" was marked by a vocal contribution from Sandy Denny. IV was certified as having sold 16 million copies in the USA by march.

25 guitar top riffs of all times

2009-01-27T06:42:00.000-08:00

Doo doo doo: "Smoke on the Water" still top riff

By Atholl Simpson

LONDON (Reuters) - Deep Purple's 1973 hit "Smoke on the Water" is the greatest guitar riff of all time, according to a poll by a London music school that has taught members of top bands like Radiohead, The Kinks and The Cure.

The majority of the 25 songs selected by current students of the London Tech Music School, were recorded in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Only seven were recorded in the last 20 years.

"It was the iconic era for the electric guitar." head of the school's Guitar and Bass section John Wheatcroft told Reuters.

"A lot of our students started listening to their parents records and discovered these bands through them."

The most recent song selected was "7 Nation Army" recorded by American rock duo The White Stripes in 2003.

But Wheatcroft does not believe this spells the end of modern music.

"The great riffs can simply be the ones that withstood the test of time." he said. "It might just be a question of waiting till the dust settles and in 10 years time it could be completely different."

Other songs include "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix (1967), "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith (1975) and "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits (1984).

A list of the top songs chosen follows:

1. Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple (1973)
Ritchie Blackmore
2. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (1991)

3. Walk This Way - Aerosmith (1975)

4. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix (1967)

5. Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N' Roses (1987)

6. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses (1987)

7. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead (1980)

8. Enter Sandman - Metallica (1991)

9. Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1992)

10. Welcome To The Jungle - Guns N' Roses (1987)

11. Run To The Hills - Iron Maiden (1982)

12. Walk - Pantera (1992)

13. Johnny Be Goode - Chuck Berry (1958)

14. Back In Black - AC/DC (1980)

15. Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin (1970)

16. Wake Up - Rage Against The Machine (1992)

17. Highway to Hell - AC/DC (1979)

18. My Generation - The Who (1965)

19. 7 Nation Army - The White Stripes (2003)

20. Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf (1968)

21. Give It Away - Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1991)

22. Paranoid - Black Sabbath (1970)

23. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix (1967)

24. Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor (1982)

25. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits (1984)

Reuters/Nielsen

iron maiden, a short biography

2009-01-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

The early years of Maiden were tough. When you consider not only that they formed just as the spectre of punk loomed large on the horizon but also that heavy metal, and in particular British Heavy Metal was considered to be on its last legs, it is no small miracle that the band survived past ’78.

But survive they did. Their early line-up consisted of Steve Harris (bass), Paul Di’Anno (vocals), Dave Murray (guitar), Doug Sampson (drums) and Dennis Stratton (guitar) and after three years of near continuous touring the band finally set about recording their self-titled debut.

Iron Maiden was nothing less than a statement of intent. Merging heavy metal power and riffs with the energy of punk, this is undoubtedly one of the finest and most important debut heavy rock albums of all time.

Recorded in just a few weeks in January 1980, the record contains more straightforward compositions than fans of their later work may expect. Classics such as ‘Prowler’ and ‘Phantom Of The Opera’ showcased the raw vocal talents of Di’Anno, while the album was a great starting point for main songwriter Harris to hone his skills. The album was an instant smash in the UK reaching number 4 in the charts.

Rather than resting on their laurels, though, the band looked to ramp it up a notch. With a new guitarist on board (Adrian Smith in place of Dennis Stratton) and a renowned hard rock producer Martin Birch (Deep Purple) at the helm, the band’s sophomore album was a much more polished and focused affair.

Killers was released less than 12 months after their debut, but was clearly a huge leap in the development of the band. The new twin guitar attack coupled with Harris’s newfound songwriting confidence combined to produce an energetic and powerful record that practically burst from the record decks. The album was another instant hit in the UK and it even made headway in the US chart – a veritable wasteland as far as British heavy metal acts were concerned at that time.

However, trouble was just around the corner for the band. Di’Anno lived the rock & roll lifestyle too fully for the rest of the band and his problems with cocaine and alcohol forced a “parting of ways” in the middle of a tour in 1981.

Enter Bruce Dickinson

In 1982 Samson were a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal mainstay. They produced fine, if not great material, but as with many of their contemporaries commercial success was lacking. Support slots with Iron Maiden were as mainstream as it got for the band and their frontman, Bruce Bruce.

Of course, this "Bruce Bruce" was better known as Bruce Dickinson and when a support slot with Maiden led to the offer of frontman with the country’s biggest metal band the decision was a no-brainer. The puzzle was now complete.

Work was already underway on the band’s third album, Number Of The Beast, when Dickinson joined in 1982. The album would prove to be their biggest yet, and any fears that the departure of Di’Anno would affect the momentum gathered so far were quickly dispelled.

Number Of The Beast heralded the arrival of the progressive sound that would go on to define the band for years to come. ‘Run to The Hills’ and the title track are now signature tunes for the band at any live show. The album hit the top spot in the UK and went top 40 in the US. It was their first true classic.

Former Pat Travers drummer Nicko McBrain joined the ranks in 1983 to complete the “classic” Maiden line-up that would stay in place until 1990. He joined at the best possible time. The band were unstoppable by the time they released their next album, Piece Of Mind.

The record followed the same pattern of its predecessor despite owing much more to group songwriting than any of the band’s previous efforts. Smith, Dickinson, Harris and Murray all had songwriting credits on this one. The album, which contains the classic tracks ‘Flight Of Icarus’, ‘Where Eagles Dare’ and ‘The Trooper,’ was another huge success and confirmed the band as the biggest heavy metal proposition on the planet.

As a renowned touring band, it was no small miracle that they managed to find time to put out so many albums in such a short time. After Piece Of Mind Maiden managed to fit in two huge world tours, and still find time to record Powerslave in 1984.

While other bands in the NWOBHM scene chased success with bitesize singles and commercialised sound, Maiden went in the opposite direction and embraced a much more progressive approach than they had previously exhibited. The epic ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ weighs in at just over thirteen minutes, while several others could easily be described as “epic”.

The move paid off – Powerslave was a massive hit. Each of Maiden’s records to this point had outsold its predecessor and this one was no different. This is widely regarded as their classic album by fans and critics alike.

The World Slavery Tour that followed Powerslave lasted from August 1984 to July 1985, and remains to this day one of the longest continuous tours by a rock band. The stage set used on the tour was based upon the pyramid that graced the cover of the album, and is one of the most iconic stage sets ever built. In recognition of this the band have recreated the set for their 2008 World Tour.

A live album, Live After Death, was put out in 1985 and was as close as the band had had to a “Best Of” at that point. Recorded during a four night stint in LA and at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, the album was released as a “thank you” to fans and remains to this day one of the best loved live albums of all time.

When the band returned with yet another new album in 1986 (their 7th since 1980) it took many by surprise. The high watermark set by Powerslave was always going to be difficult to reach, so in keeping with the band’s capacity to surprise they tried something completely new.
Somewhere In Time saw the band embrace synthesisers for the first time, although unlike many other rock bands at that time Maiden didn’t go overboard. The album didn’t quite reach the high critical acclaim of their previous albums but it at did at least lay the groundwork for the band’s next classic.

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988) built on the newly lavish soundscapes set up on Somewhere… but did it better than anyone could have predicted. Seventh Son… is a concept album based upon the story of a prophet trying unsuccessfully to warn a village about an impending holocaust. The record produced four top ten hits in the UK ('Can I Play with Madness?,' 'The Evil That Men Do,' 'The Clairvoyant,' and 'Infinite Dreams') and was one of the band’s biggest worldwide commercial and critical successes to date.

Unfortunately the album also marked the end of an era for the band. A gruelling tour followed the release of the album and it would take its toll. The first member to leave was Adrian Smith in 1989. The band took a year’s hiatus, and despite the addition of Janick Gers in 1990 and the release of the decent, if not groundbreaking, No Prayer For The Dying, Maiden were crumbling.

Dickinson lasted for one more album, the slightly lacklustre Fear Of The Dark (1991) before he left to work on his solo material and a new band. Incidentally the album was still one of the band’s biggest to date and hit the top spot in the UK

It was the end of an era. The rest of the Maiden story is one of line-up changes and reconciliation, and although they still produce fine material even today the band will always acknowledge the 80s as their finest hour – and rightly so. Their achievement was immense.

Maiden had been born in an era where they shouldn’t have survived. They trod a path that others followed. They found success where they shouldn’t and kept on evolving when they did.

A simple test of how important they were to rock music between the years 1980 - 1989 is to try to imagine a world without Maiden. Imagine a world without their iconic record sleeves; without their huge success at home and abroad which paved the way for so many other acts; without their image and their iconic stage shows; without “that sound” and without those bands that tried, and failed, to copy them.
source planetrock.com

New Guns n Roses song heads to "Rock Band 2"

2009-01-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A new Guns N' Roses song, "Shackler's Revenge," apparently from the decade-in-the-works album "Chinese Democracy," will be included in the video game "Rock Band 2," according to a report in the New York Times.

The game will be released in September.

The news makes it seem increasingly likely that "Chinese Democracy" will finally see the light of day before year's end via Interscope. Nine seemingly complete tracks from the album, not including "Shackler's Revenge," leaked online earlier this summer.

"Rock Band 2," developed by MTV and Harmonix, will support all songs downloaded for the game to date and will also support the original game's instrument controllers. But it will also introduce new controllers for drums and guitar and boast a soundtrack of more than 100 master recordings.

In April, Motley Crue made its new single, "Saints of Los Angeles," available for download "Rock Band" well in advance of the release of the album of the same name. The only other place to obtain the track was iTunes.

According to data provided in late May by the band's management, Tenth Street Entertainment, the track was downloaded more than 47,000 times via the Xbox 360 version of the game alone in the first week after it became available. ("Rock Band" publisher MTV Networks was unable to independently verify these figures, and total downloads that include the PlayStation 3 version of the game were not available.)

By comparison, the same track received slightly more than 10,000 downloads via digital services like iTunes and Amazon, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The track has now sold more than 62,000 downloads.

Reuters/Billboard

iron maiden arts, album covers

2009-01-26T18:03:00.000-08:00

Iron Maiden album covers

from Killers, the number of the beast, power slave

1981 Killers

1982 the number of the beast

1983 piece of mind

1984 power slave

1985 live after death

1986 somewhere in time

88 seventh son of a seventh son

90 no prayer for the dying

91 running free to the hills

90 wasted years

OOOOOOPS sorry I have not got the chance to get Rock in Rio

All through the years Iron Maiden has produced magnificent albums, but for my personal favourites I think its the "Power slave" that is on my toplist

official Iron Maiden fan club http://www.ironmaiden.com

AC/DC

2009-01-26T17:42:00.000-08:00

AC/DC... We Salute You!
"She was a fast machine, She kept her motor clean, She was the best damn woman I had ever seen, She had the sightless eyes, Telling me no lies, Knockin' me out with those American thighs"
AC/DC - 1986

Formation

Widely regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of rock, AC/DC pioneered the sound of hard rock and heavy metal music together with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. The band was formed in 1973 in Sydney by Scottish-born brothers Angus and Malcolm Young. An early influence to the band's career was their sister Margaret that came up with both the band's name AC/DC (meaning alternating current / direct current) after she read it on an electrical machine and Angus' trademark school uniform look (he was still a school student at the time).

Bon Scott Era (1974 - 1980)

After a number of member changes in the first year, the band settled with lead singer Dave Evans, Rob Bailey on bass, Peter Clarke on drums and the Young brothers on guitars. With this lineup they did some touring around Australia, however, when they started recording for their debut album Evans, Clarke and Bailey were let go and replaced by their bus driver Bon Scott on vocals, Phil Rudd on drums and Mark Evans on bass guitar.

Under this lineup the band recorded their first three albums "High Voltage" (1974), "TNT" (1975) and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap" (1976). Considerable success was achieved by touring Australia, the UK and US and in the process the band cemented their image as wild, crazy and fun, lead by Bon Scott's charismatic voice and Angus' powerful guitar play. In early 1977 Evans left the band and was replaced by Cliff Williams. Under the new lineup AC/DC recorded their next album "Let There Be Rock", their first one to chart in the US. The band's fan base was expanding quickly and was given a further boost by the 1978 album "Powerage" and live album "If You Want Blood, You Got It".

It was in 1979 and 1980, however, that through a couple of landmarks in rock history that AC/DC truly became superstars. The first one was the release of the all-time classic album "Highway To Hell" that became their first million selling album. Tragically the second one was the death of their frontman Bon Scott. He was found dead at the backseat of a friend's car after a wild night of drinking.

Brian Johnson Era (1980 - present)

At the time of Scott's death the band already started working on their next album, however, they decided to start from scratch with new singer Brian Johnson. In record time the band released "Back In Black", an album titled to reflect Scott's loss. What they didn't know at the time was that they recorded an absolute masterpiece that went on to sell 42 million copies worldwide! For the next few years the band dominated the world and with 1981's "For Those About To Rock We Salute You" they topped the US charts once again.

In 1982 while recording "Flick Of The Switch" Rudd left and with new replacement Simon Wright the band recorded "Fly On The Wall" (1985), "Who Made Who" (1986) and "Blow Up Your Video" (1988). As by the mid-80's the music stage was dominated by the new wave of heavy metal bands lead by Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Metallica and Van Halen, AC/DC's powerful machine begun to decline. In 1988 Wright was replaced by Chris Slade who in turn only participated in 1990's "Razor Edge", the big comeback the group was looking for. By 1994 Slade was gone and Phil Rudd returned. With the reformation of the classic 1980-1983 lineup, the band recorded "Ballbreaker" in 1995 and "Stiff Upper Lip" in 2000.

New Millennium

As the new millennium entered, AC/DC were still going strong. In 2003 the Recording Industry Association Of America upgraded the group's US sales figures to 63 million, making the band the fifth most successful in US history behind The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and The Eagles. The same year in March, the band rocked New York's historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel as they performed "Highway To Hell" during their induction in the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame. Also in July the band played alongside the Rolling Stones in front of nearly half a million people in Toronto to help the city recover from the effects of the SARS outbreak. More than 30 years on, AC/DC are still inspiring rock fans all around the world with their unique sounds and powerful lyrics.

AC/DC... We Salute You!