Classic Rock 93.9

Brian May wants everyone to know how he feels about the guitar talents of The Who’s Pete Townshend. 

A fan recently posted an old quote from May in which he called Townshend a hero and a “god of guitars,” and May reshared it on Instagram, reiterating his feelings toward The Who star.

“I’m glad I said this – I probably don’t say it enough,” May writes. “I can’t imagine Rock Guitar without Pete Townshend. Looking back, it seems to me he basically invented it ! I was lucky enough to be there watching. My playing owes so much to him.”

May goes on to explain, “Townshend brought to the scene a blistering clang of super-amplified but not over-saturated chords – razor-edged monoliths crashing angrily through our brains, biting rhythmic hammer blows which would change the likes of me forever.”

He then suggested fans listen to Who songs like “My Generation,” “I’m A Boy, “Substitute” and more “to feel what I’m talking about,” adding, “Good Morning folks !! You have your assignment for the day !”

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The Who’s Pete Townshend seems to keep changing his mind in interviews about the future of the band, recently saying they weren’t over and they’d likely tour again. But it sounds like his bandmate Roger Daltrey doesn’t seem so sure.

Roger tells ABC Audio that he doesn’t know whether a tour is in the cards, noting, “I don’t know what we would do.”

“The last time I had communication with (Pete) about touring, he was ambivalent about it,” Daltrey shares. “Now I just can’t do touring ambivalently. It’s all or nothing for me. The audience is too important.”

If they did try and tour again, Daltrey, 80, thinks going back to the “freeform” way in which they used to tour in the early days could be interesting. “That to me would be something that would be exciting and wonderful to at least attempt,” he explains. “Even if you got it completely wrong, it wouldn’t matter.” 

Daltrey feels The Who’s previous tour, backed by an orchestra, was the ultimate way of showing off Pete’s music and could be hard to top. “Where we can go from that last tour with the orchestra? I really don’t know,” he says.

While Pete says his relationship with Roger is better than ever, Roger doesn’t seem quite as enthusiastic. 

“I mean, I love the guy, you know. We’ve been through hell and high water together, but equally, when it comes to working, you know, he perplexes me because he says things and then changes his mind,” Daltrey says. “You know, he’s a great bunch of fellas.” 

As fans wait to see if The Who will tour again, they can still catch Roger performing live. His solo tour kicks off in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on June 10. A complete list of dates can be found at thewho.com.

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Lenny Kravitz has shared another preview of his upcoming album, Blue Electric Light. 

The rocker just dropped the new song “Paralyzed,” the third tune he’s released from the album, following “TK421” and “Human.” 

“All you gotta do is keep on loving me/ I’m under your spell I’m hypnotized,” he sings in the chorus. “All you gotta do is keep on loving/ Babe without your love I’m paralyzed.”

You can listen to “Paralyzed” now via digital outlets. 

Blue Electric Light, Lenny’s first new album since 2018’s Raise Vibration, is set to drop May 24, two days before the rocker’s 60th birthday. It is available for preorder now.

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Bruce Springsteen is getting another shot to land that “E” for the EGOT.

Variety reports that for the 12th and final season, Larry David’s HBO/Max comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm has submitted 35 names for Emmy consideration, including Springsteen, who played himself in several episodes.

The Boss is actually one of 15 actors submitted in the guest acting categories, along with Steve Buscemi, Conan O’Brien, Ted Danson, Vince Vaughn, Allison Janney and Jerry Seinfeld.

Should Springsteen get nominated and win, he will join the 19 other artists who have landed an EGOT — an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar.

Throughout his career, Springsteen has won 20 Grammys, nabbed an honorary Tony in 2018 for Springsteen on Broadway and won an Oscar in 1994 for Best Original Song for “Philadelphia.”

He had previously been nominated for three Emmys: in 2001 for the HBO concert special Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City, in 2009 for his Super Bowl halftime show and in 2019 for his Springsteen on Broadway Netflix special. He lost all three times.

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Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival is naming one of its stages after the late Steve Albini.

Albini’s band Shellac, a Primavera regular, was scheduled to play again at the 2024 festival.

“Although it will be the first year since 2007 in which he will not command the inimitable Shellac at his annual date with his favorite festival, the figure of the late Steve Albini will be more present than ever at Primavera Sound,” the festival’s website reads.

During what was supposed to be Shellac’s scheduled set time, the Steve Albini stage will “become the meeting point for fans who want to say goodbye to Albini while their new album, To All Trains, is playing.”

Albini died May 7 at age 61. Among those who paid tribute was Nirvana, who worked with Albini on their 1993 album, In Utero.

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Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna has announced a batch of shows shows paying tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio.

The four-date run will stop in Sebastian, Pompano Beach, Clearwater and Winter Park, Florida, taking place August 15-18.

During the shows, Belladonna will be performing Dio’s songs recorded with Black Sabbath, Rainbow and his namesake band, Dio.

For ticket info, visit JoeyBelladonna.com.

Another tribute to Dio, the Rock for Ronnie concert, just took place on the other side of the country Sunday in Woodland Hills, California. It featured performances by Quiet Riot and Lita Ford.

Anthrax, meanwhile, just performed at the Sonic Temple festival and has a number of U.S. festivals coming up, including Louder than Life and Aftershock.

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Jon Bon Jovi is giving fans insight into the music he loves and listens to in an “honest playlist” interview with The Guardian.

Asked to name the song that changed his life, Jon gave props to his friend and fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen, citing his “Born to Run.” “I grew up in New Jersey, so the E Street Band was how you were indoctrinated to rock ’n’ roll – they were the local heroes,” he says.

Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer” is the song Jon wishes he’d written, sharing the lyrics and melody resonated with him. “I ran into Don last week, put my arm around him after he had just sung that song, and said: ‘I really wish I’d written that,’” he shares.

Of course, Jon had some things to say about some Bon Jovi tunes, including “Livin’ On A Prayer,” which he calls the best song to play at a party. He adds, “How do I feel when I hear it on the radio or a party? Amazed and amused!”

As for the song of his he can’t listen to anymore, it’s “R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas” from Christmas in the Stars, the 1980 Star Wars-themed album.

“I was a gopher in a recording studio, running errands, and the producer needed a young voice,” he says. “People have only just recently rediscovered I was the singer. Now it gets played to me all the time.”

Jon also reveals that PSY’s “Gangnam Style” is the song he secretly likes, although he tells people he hates it, and picks “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! as the song he wants played at his funeral.

Bon Jovi’s new album, FOREVER, comes out June 7.

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The Rolling Stones are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their album Voodoo Lounge with a new reissue.

The album will reissued on red- and yellow-colored vinyl on July 12. There will also be a limited-edition Rolling Stones store exclusive 10-inch single, containing B-sides “I’m Gonna Drive,” “So Young,” “Jump On Top Of Me” and “The Storm.”

The celebration also includes a new collection of Voodoo Lounge merchandise, including hoodies and T-shirts.

Voodoo Lounge 30th anniversary reissue is available for preorder now.

Released July 11, 1994, Voodoo Lounge was The Stones’ first album without longtime bassist Bill Wyman, and their first for Virgin Records. The album peaked at #2 on the U.S. charts, with “Love is Strong” and “You Got Me Rocking” among the rock hits released from the album. It went on to win the Grammy for Best Rock Album.

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Eddie Vedder has weighed in on Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker‘s controversial commencement speech. Suffice it to say, he does not agree with Butker’s idea of how to be a “Better Man.”

Speaking to the crowd during Pearl Jam‘s concert in Las Vegas on Saturday, Vedder took issue with the way Butker described masculinity in his speech, in which he said, “Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men.”

“The irony was that, when he was saying that, he looked like such a p****,” Vedder quipped in a video posted to social media.

In his remarks, which were delivered to the Catholic liberal arts school Benedictine College, Butker also addressed the women graduating by saying, “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”

“There’s nothing more masculine than a strong man supporting a strong woman,” Vedder retorted.

Pearl Jam is currently on a U.S. tour supporting their new album, Dark Matter, which was released in April. The outing continues Tuesday in Los Angeles.

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On This Day, May 20, 2013 …

Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors, passed away at the age of 74. Earlier in the year, the rocker had been diagnosed with a rare form of bile duct cancer.

Manzarek co-founded The Doors with Jim Morrison in July 1965. Drummer John Densmore joined in August of that year, followed by guitarist Robby Krieger.

The band released their self-titled debut in January 1967, containing future classics “Light My Fire” and “Break On Through (To The Other Side).” “Light My Fire” has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, with the album chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2015.

The Doors went on to sell over 34 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Manzarek released his memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors, in 1998.

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