Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, Aug. 14, 1971…

English rockers The Who released their iconic album Who’s Next, featuring such future Who classics as “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Behind Blue Eyes.”

The album was originally conceived as another rock opera, Lifehouse, following their 1969 hit Tommy. Pete Townshend eventually scrapped the whole project.

Who’s Next was a critics darling, and consistently lands on lists of the greatest albums of all time. The album was the band’s only #1 in the U.K.; it hit #4 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and has been certified triple Platinum by the RIAA. 

Last year The Who revisited Who’s Next/Lifehouse with a new 10-CD/Blu-ray set that featured 155 tracks, with 89 songs that had never been released and 57 fresh remixes. It included Lifehouse demos, various session recordings and two complete concerts from 1971: one recorded at London’s Young Vic theater and one recorded at San Francisco’s Civic Auditorium.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Earlier this year, nine reimagined Meditation Mixes of John Lennon’s classic track “Mind Games” were featured on the Lumenate app, and now folks who don’t use the app will finally get to experience them.

Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes, produced by Lennon’s son Sean Ono Lennon, will be available digitally and as a limited-edition three-LP crystal clear vinyl set on Oct. 11, just two days after what would have been John’s 84th birthday (it will also be Sean’s 49th). In addition to the nine Meditation Mixes, the vinyl will include nine 1.8-second mantras that will play in infinite loops. 

“You might say meditation is the ultimate mind game. These very abstract interpretations will hopefully assist you in exploring your ‘Innerverse,’” Sean shares. “This part of the Mind Games project evolved spontaneously and feels like it is sprinkled with just the right amount of good vibes and fairy dust. (Effects may vary).”

The Meditation Mixes follows July’s release of Mind Games – Ultimate Collection, which featured six different listening experiences, as well as unreleased outtakes, stripped down mixes, instrumentals, demos, rehearsals and even what’s described as “studio chatter.”

Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

An iconic piece of Grateful Dead history is set to go up for auction as part of Indiana’s 54th Annual Auburn Auction and Show.

Among the 400 cars up for auction is The Dead’s personal equipment truck, known as “The Dred.” The 1949 Studebaker M5 was originally owned by the band’s legendary sound man, Owsley “Bear” Stanley, and was used to haul The Dead’s equipment in the 1960s.

Often seen parked outside The Dead’s studio in Novato, California, the truck is painted, as you’d expect from the band, with a psychedelic design. It was retired from use once The Dead introduced their legendary Wall of Sound system in the ’70s, as it was too big to be carried in The Dred.

The 54th Annual Auburn Auction and Show will take place Aug. 29-31, with The Dred auction set to happen on Aug. 30.

More info on the auction can be found at worldwideauctioneers.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Billy Joel has paid tribute to his former guitarist David Brown, who passed away Sunday, August 11. Brown played in Joel’s band from 1978 to 1991 and appeared on all of Joel’s albums from 1978’s 52nd Street to 1986’s The Bridge.

“I am so sorry to hear that David Brown has passed away,” Joel wrote on Instagram next to photos of the musician. “He had such a young heart and such extraordinary musical talent,” adding, “I send my deepest respects to his family.”

News of Brown’s death was first revealed on social media by Joel’s former drummer Liberty DeVito, who shared, “I am heart broken to hear my old band mate David Brown passed away.”

Mark Rivera, who has been Joel’s saxophonist since 1982, shared on Facebook that Brown passed away Sunday, and reflected on how his connection with Brown led to him being hired by Billy.

“I can’t say enough about the Beauty and Grace that David brought to Every musical endeavor that we shared,” Rivera noted. “His Sound and Feel were like no other. I Will Miss You My Friend.”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul McCartney is set to play Costa Rica for the first time in more than a decade.

The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just added a Costa Rica date to his Got Back tour. He will be playing Estadio Nacional in San Jose on Nov. 5.

A ticket presale kicks off Aug. 19 at 10 a.m., with tickets going on sale to the general public Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. 

The last time McCartney performed in San Jose was in May 2014 during his Out There tour, with the show also happening at Estadio Nacional. 

The 2024 leg of McCartney’s Got Back tour will kick off Oct. 10 in Uruguay, with confirmed dates in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Europe and the U.K. It wraps with a two-night stand at London’s O2 Arena, Dec. 18 and 19. A complete list of dates can be found at paulmccartney.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A new compilation album featuring Lou Reed’s pre-Velvet Underground music will be released this fall. 

Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65 features music Reed wrote during his tenure as an in-house songwriter for Pickwick Records, where he also occasionally sang and played guitar. According to the compilation’s description, it “offers a fascinating early glimpse at his ever-evolving and truly limitless artistry.”

The set features previously unreleased material, including the song “Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy,” as well as rarities and cult classics like “The Ostrich,” a dance track released by the Primitives, which featured Reed and his future Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale.

The release also includes a booklet with unseen photos and essays by Patti Smith Group co-founder Lenny Kaye and music journalist Richie Unterberger.

The album is being released in cooperation with Reed’s widow, Laurie Anderson, and the Lou Reed Archive. It will be released digitally on Sept. 27, with CD and two-LP editions dropping Oct. 4. The vinyl will be available in two options: standard black vinyl and oxblood, and gold vinyl.

All formats are available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A bust containing the ashes of late Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister took a VIP trip through England.

After initially debuting at the Bloodstock Festival in Catton Park, Derbyshire, a procession of motorcycles — or, should we say, Motör-cycles — led the bust on an hour’s ride to the Rock City venue in Nottingham. It’ll be on display at Rock City but will return to Bloodstock each year.

You can check out photos of the procession now via the Motörhead Facebook.

Bloodstock, which took place earlier in August, was the latest site to enshrine Lemmy’s ashes, following France’s Hellfest, Germany’s Wacken Open Air and the Rainbow Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. Ashes were also sent to friends of Lemmy, including Metallica‘s James Hetfield, who mixed them with ink for a new tattoo.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A movie about rocker Dave Stewart’s teen years is headed to the big screen.

The Eurythmics star tells the site that director Shekhar Kapur has been hired to direct Ebony McQueen, a film based on Stewart’s 2022 semi-autobiographical album of the same name. It follows Stewart’s teen years in North East England in the 1960s/early 1970s, when he discovered music after he hurt his knee playing soccer.

“When I was at my lowest point, a turn of fate changed my life forever. Music appeared as if by magic,” Stewart tells Deadline. “Yes, music found me and opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

Filming on the movie is expected to begin next spring in Stewart’s hometown of Sunderland. British actress Sharon D. Clarke, whose credits include Doctor Who and London’s Ghost: The Musical, which Stewart wrote the music for, is on board to play the title character, a fairy godmother-type who encourages Stewart to go for his musical dreams.

Stewart will partner with Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman on the music for the film, with Rahman penning the score and Stewart handling the lyrics.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, Aug. 13, 1994 …

Aerosmith headlined the second day of Woodstock ’94, a three-day festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock.

Originally billed as “2 More Days of Peace and Music,” the festival was originally announced for Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, but a third day, Aug. 12, was added after the first two sold out.

In addition to Aerosmith, the Aug. 13 lineup included Crosby, Stills & Nash, who played the original Woodstock in 1969, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Blind Melon, Joe Cocker and Melissa Etheridge.

Artists who played the festival’s other days included Peter Gabriel, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, Santana, Sheryl Crow, Collective Soul and Candlebox.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Journey’s Neal Schon is once again speaking out against his bandmate Jonathan Cain after Cain filed a lawsuit detailing what he claims is Schon’s overspending. 

“I find Cain’s slanderous allegations are very disruptive and damaging with intent to try to harm me, the band, crew, promoter and the tour,” he writes on Facebook. “Truly disturbing to hear of Mr Cains filing in the middle of Journey’s very successful Stadium Tour with our good friends Def Leppard.”

He accuses Schon of creating “a very hostile work environment” for himself and their fellow bandmates, maintaining “the allegations are false and I intend to prove it in court.” 

“My focus is, as it always has been, and will be, the music and fans since when I began Journey in 1972,” he says. “51 years now for me, I will continue to always do what’s right for Journey in protecting and making good decisions for the band, crew, music and fans. I will let the music do the talking.”

Cain filed a lawsuit against Schon on July 24, detailing what he claimed was Schon’s overspending, although in a statement he insisted the aim of the suit was to get the court to appoint a third, independent director to serve on the band’s Freedom 2020 board in order to deal with “growing issues” between him and Schon.

Schon previously responded to the allegations via social media, calling them “absolute rubbish.”

In the meantime, Schon and Cain are currently sharing a stage on Journey’s Summer Stadium tour with Def Leppard. The tour hits Houston on Wednesday. A complete list of dates can be found at journeymusic.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.