SOUNDGARDEN: So, When Are We Getting That Last Cornell Material?
Ever since Soundgarden settled their lawsuit with Vicky Cornell over the final songs they recorded with her late husband Chris Cornell, fans have wanted to know when those songs will be coming out. Guitarist Kim Thayil says they've been working on the tracks this year, but since Soundgarden don't have a record contract (their back catalog remains with Sub Pop and Universal), no one is forcing them into a schedule to get the album done. “We're at a point in our career where we can kind of make it right. And we can adjust things. And if there's a performance we don't like we revisit it. And we don't really have that kind of pressure from record labels or from the producer or management. So I love that fact. It's like it'll be ready when it's ready and we're all happy about it."
And bassist Ben Shepherd adds that he's happy with what they've done so far. "I'm really digging the sounds that we got already." Soundgarden's last album was 2012's King Animal. Chris Cornell died by suicide in 2017. He was 52.
Alex Van Halen To Release New Van Halen Anthology
Genesis Publications is announcing an official chronicle of Van Halen by Alex Van Halen. "The Van Halen Anthology," signed, written, and curated by Alex, will explore the years between 1978 and 1984 through correspondence, tour memorabilia, album artwork and more. It goes through the band's journey from childhood to their formation, as well as their debut and rise to fame. The release will be published as a signed limited-edition book boxed set. Fans can register through Genesis Publications' website to be among the first to hear more.
GREEN DAY: Bang Bang Bass Bass
Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt has teamed with Epiphone for the Mike Dirnt Grabber G-3 signature bass. He says, "My original Gibson G3 bass came into my life when we were on tour [for our first album, 1990's] 39/Smooth... That was the first Gibson bass I had ever played. That became my sound for a long time... I've always wanted to do a version of the G3. The problem was back in the day when my bass was broken, it was just really hard to replicate it."
As for the signature model, he says, "This bass sounds every bit as good as my original... if not way better because I just toured them for over two years and they performed like magic... They had to go over my original base and analyze the heck out of it and say, 'Okay, what is it that makes this so special?'" Priced at $1300, they're available in either a Silverburst finish or natural wood at at authorized Epiphone dealers, Gibson Garage locations in Nashville and
London, and online at Epiphone.com.
Steve Vai Honors David Coverdale On Instagram
We told you last week that legendary vocalist David Coverdale had announced his retirement. The equally legendary guitarist Steve Vai, who was part of Whitesnake during what was arguably the band's peak, paid tribute to Coverdale yesterday with a lengthy post on Instagram. Alongside several pictures of him with band, Vai wrote "I was fortunate enough to tour and record ('Slip Of The Tongue') with WHITESNAKE in '89–'90 alongside Adrian Vandenberg, Rudy Sarzo, and Tommy Aldridge. That band was absolutely smokin', and sharing the stage with that kind of power was one of the true highlights of my career. And on every single one of those 119 shows of the 'Slip Of The Tongue' tour, David took the stage and delivered like a boss. Never complained, always a gentleman, always performing like a house on fire. It was a magical time in the music business, and I'm endlessly appreciative for that WHITESNAKE experience." He also told how he was on stage for the final song Whitesnake would perform live in 2022. "On June 23, 2022, I played Hellfest with my band in France. WHITESNAKE went on after us, and David was kind enough to invite me up for the last song of the night, 'Still Of The Night'. I've always loved playing that tune… and to be back on stage with David, unleashing that historic monster of a track with the band, was an honor. Who could have guessed it would be the band's final performance - and that I'd get to play that last song with them? There's something beautifully poetic (and outrageously cool) about that."
RUSH: Took Care of Business
Randy Bachman likes the fact that fellow Canadians Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson chose a female drummer to take the spot of the late Neil Peart on their Rush reunion tour next year.
He says Anika Nilles is "the real deal. I look forward to seeing the show! Hats off to female drummers! These ladies don't just play the drums; they lead the band with fire. They are reviving the Keith Moon, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, Dave Grohl magic we all love. "My own family band (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) has evolved with the passing of my three brothers to include my son, Tal (on guitar) and his wife Koko on drums, who pays tribute to my brother Robbie..."
And Koko is not the first female drummer Bachman has employed. In 2014 he released an album titled Heavy Blues on which he was backed by two ladies -- Anna Ruddick on bass and
Dale Anne Brendan on drums. Calling his trio Bachman, they also toured together. As for Rush, they will start their Fifty Something tour on June 7th with the first of four shows at the Forum in Inglewood, California where Rush played their last show on August 1st, 2015.
CHEAP TRICK: A Parting Gift
Cheap Trick reportedly said goodbye to Japan with two farewell shows there this past September and October. As a thank you to the country that put them on the international map following the success of their first live album, 1978's At Budokan, they've released an eight-minute video of highlights from their return to the Budokan. In addition to performance clips, there are reactions from fans who were at that first Budokan show on April 28th, 1978, and who returned for their show there this past October 1st. As for whether or not it was their last show, singer Robin Zander said from the stage, "Well, I don't know if we're coming back or not. It's up to you. We love you guys." You can watch the video on YouTube.
On April 24th, 1978, Cheap Trick released their third album, Heaven Tonight. Four days later, April 28th, they performed at the Budokan in Tokyo, which would result in their most successful album, At Budokan. Meant solely for sale in Japan, where it was released in October 1978, it received strong airplay in the U.S. courtesy of the promotional album From Tokyo to You. As a result, an estimated 30,000 import copies were sold here and Epic Records decided to release At Budokan in February 1979, delaying the release of their fourth studio album,
Dream Police. The live version of "I Want You to Want Me" cracked the Billboard Top 10 and a rendition of "Ain't That a Shame" hit number-35. At Budokan remains one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed live albums of all time. In 2020 it was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress.
Cheap Trick released their 21st studio album last week, All Washed Up, and they're down to their last four shows of the year -- a headlining show on Friday in Airway Heights, Washington, and then three more dates with Heart -- Sunday in Seattle; December 2nd in Omaha,
Nebraska; and the 4th in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
ACE FREHLEY: Cashing In
With Ace Frehley dying just over a month ago, it's not shocking to see someone wanting to cash in. His Sunburst Gibson Les Paul guitar, which has been modified to release smoke during his solo, is up for bids from Gotta Have Rock and Roll. Played on 1999 KISS Psycho Circus and 2000 Farewell tours, it was signed by Frehley and comes with a letter of authenticity from him stating that it was part of his personal collection. Bidding starts at $100,000 and it's expected to sell for between $150- and $200,000. The auction runs through December 5th, and as of yesterday (Wednesday) there are still no bids. If you're interested, go to: GottaHaveRockAndRoll.com Frehley's death on October 16th was the result of a fall in September at his New Jersey home that resulted in a fracture to the back of his skull, a subdural hematoma and a stroke. While the medical examiner is awaiting the results of a toxicology screening, his death was ruled an accident. He was 74.
KISS: Have Grown Up?
Paul Stanley, during a Q&A at this past weekend's KISS Kruise: Landlocked in Vegas, said he was working on new music for the band for either their bio-pic, avatar show or both. Back home in Los Angeles, he was stalked by TMZ who asked him what the "vibe" of the songs would be he said, "I think we'd probably go for something that's classic, but everything has to have a beat. You gotta be able to dance to it, but it should still be rock." And as for his inspiration for the lyrics, he said, "Freedom, self-empowerment, enjoying life. That doesn't change. It doesn't matter how old you are. You're supposed to enjoy your life, you're supposed to do things your way. That's timeless. That's rock and roll." While there's still no word on when the bio-pic or avatar show will see the light of day, should either be accompanied by new music, it will be their new songs since their last album, 2012's Monster.
SMASHING PUMPKINS: A Night at the Opera
Back in March, Billy Corgan announced that he would celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Smashing Pumpkins' third album, 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, with a seven-night run at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Billed as A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness, the first of the seven nights is this Friday and it features Corgan and a group of guest artists backed by the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus performing orchestral and operatic versions of the 28 songs from the double album. Taking a break from rehearsals this week, Corgan told Chicago's WGN it's "amazing to hear your music sung with incredible artists like themselves. So it's really emotional.""If you know the album, it's an emotional experience. If you don't know the album, then it's made so if you're an operatic fan or a classical fan, it's interpreted that way. So, we're not trying to do 'rock and roll goes opera.' We're taking rock and roll into the opera."
Following opening night, the other dates are Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday, November 30th. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness was released on October 24th 1995 and has sold over five million copies.
David Bowie-Starring "Labyrinth" Returning To Theaters For 40th Anniversary
David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly's fantasy musical "Labyrinth" is set to return to theaters early next year. The re-release is in celebration of the musical's 40th anniversary. The 4K remaster features special footage from the U.K. cosplay event "Labyrinth Experience and Masked Ball" that took place in October. "Labyrinth" will play in theaters in North America from January 8th to the 11th.
RITCHIE BLACKMORE: Has He Been Hushed?
Ritchie Blackmore's Renaissance-inspired band, Blackmore’s Night, have now postponed the remainder of their six-date tour after putting off the first two shows due to "medical reasons."
This is not surprising given that in August, his wife and bandmate Candice Night said he was dealing with a number of health ailments. "There's the three main issues with him that are going on. He has a heart issue. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, so we stay on top of that. He's got gout (a type of arthritis caused by a buildup of uric acid in the blood, leading to inflammation and pain in the joints), so that's difficult. It's affecting his feet really badly. And it's starting in his forefinger so it's hurting the mobility in that, so he just had an injection for that. And his back, of course, which has always been an issue."
She then addressed his ability to tour, saying, "It's not so much the travel on a plane. Honestly, it's the aggravation before you even get into the plane and after you get into the plane and it's all the sitting of traveling. So that'll affect his back and all the rest of it. And the jet lag that stresses your heart. All of these things... It really does take a toll on a human -- on a healthy human, so forget about someone going through these issues." This tour was concentrated in the Northeast, so they would have been driving from town to town. Ritchie Blackmore, who co-founded Deep Purple, is 80.
Tom Morello Says Audioslave Vault Material No Closer To Being Released
Sorry, Audioslave fans, but Tom Morello says you'll have to keep waiting for that last album featuring the late Chris Cornell. Back in 2019, Morello revealed there was at least "a record's worth" of material recorded with Cornell, getting fans fired up for one final album by the band. In an interview with "SNSMix," Morello said the band is no closer to releasing that material. He explains that it's not because the material isn't worth releasing, it's that the remaining three band members just haven't sat down and worked on finishing it. "It's not for lack of anything other than that just we don't have it together," the guitarist insists. "There's no plan to not put it out. I would love for it to get in the world and hopefully it will one day." For now, fans will have to enjoy the three studio albums the band put out nearly 20 years ago.
IN OTHER NEWS
The Led Zeppelin documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin, and the Bruce Springsteen bio-pic, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, have been nominated for AARP’s Movies for Grownups Awards, which celebrate the “voices and stories of the 50-plus.” Becoming Led Zeppelin is up for Best Documentary, and the Springsteen film for Best Period Film. Scott Cooper, who directed the Springsteen film, is up for Best Director. The awards will be handed out on January 10th in Los Angeles, and it will air on Great Performances on PBS starting February 22nd.
ZZ Top have announced their first European tour in two years. The Big One! starts on June 22nd in Estonia with 23 dates through July 25th in Spain.
London police have concluded that the Oasis fan who fell to his death from the upper tier at their show on August 2nd at Wembley Stadium was a “tragic accident.” Lee Claydon was 45.
R.E.M.’s debut EP, 1982’s Chronic Town, and debut album, 1983’s Murmur, are being reissued on December 10th as part of Interscope-Capitol Records’ Definitive Sound Series. They are being packaged together as a two-LP set, which is limited to 3,000 copies.