Classic Rock 93.9

Rolling Stone magazine is once again ranking musicians, and their latest list is bound to get folks talking — and possibly shaking their heads. 

The mag has just come out with their picks for the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, looking not just at rockers but also artists in genres like folk, blues, country, disco, reggae and more.

So, who is the greatest guitarist of all time? Well, according to the mag, it’s the late Jimi Hendrix.

“He was a showman who played with his teeth or behind his back,” Rolling Stone writes. “But underneath all the theatrics is the true master of the instrument.” The mag adds, “His career may have lasted eight years, but musicians spend a lifetime studying his dazzling technique and improvisational genius.”

Coming in at number two is Chuck Berry, followed by Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page at three, Van Halen‘s Eddie Van Halen at four and Jeff Beck at five.

The highest ranking women on the list include Sister Rosetta Tharpe at six and Joni Mitchell at nine; the mag calls Joni “rock’s ultimate acoustic guitarist for over 50 years.”

Other well-known guitarists on the list include: Allman Brothers Band’s Duane Allman at 10, Carlos Santana at 11, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi at 13, Prince at 14, The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards at 15 and Stevie Ray Vaughan at 20. 

Of course, with any list, some of the rankings are bound to raise some eyebrows. Guitar legend Buddy Guy is at 27, while Queen’s Brian May is at 33, Eric Clapton is at 35 and The Who’s Pete Townshend is at 37, while Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante and St. Vincent are ahead of all of them at 25 and 26, respectively.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Moody Blues bassist John Lodge has added a new leg of his Days of Future Passed tour, where the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer plays the band’s classic 1967 album, Days of Future Passed, in its entirety, along with a selection of classic hits.

The new dates kick off February 24 at The Villages in Florida and wrap March 17 in Boston, Massachusetts. Lodge will then perform on the Flower Power Cruise, which departs Miami on March 21 and returns March 28.

The tour has the 78-year-old Lodge accompanied by his 10,000 Light Years Band and includes a guest appearance by Lodge’s son-in-law, current Yes frontman Jon Davison. The concert also features a special recording of late Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge reciting his poems “Morning Glory” and “Late Lament.”

A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found at johnlodge.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A legendary live performance of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ classic “Get Up, Stand Up” is now available on YouTube for the first time.

The performance was recorded in 1973 at the Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, North London, and up until now was only available as a bootleg. 

The performance will be featured on the upcoming 50th anniversary reissue of Marley & The Wailers’ album Catch A Fire, which drops November 3. It will feature the original album, the 10-song Live From The Paris Theatre, London recording and Sessions, an album of alternative and extended takes, as well as instrumental Jamaican versions of Catch A Fire songs. It is available for preorder now.

“Get Up, Stand Up,” written by Marley and Peter Tosh, appeared on the 1973 Wailers album Burnin’, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary October 19.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

During the Jimi Hendrix Experience‘s historic concert at the Hollywood Bowl in August of 1967, they covered The Beatles’ classic “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Now, fans are getting a chance to hear it.

The live performance has just been released, giving fans a preview of the upcoming album, Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hollywood Bowl August 18, 1967, which drops November 10. It’s the first time the concert has  officially been released. 

You can listen to Hendrix’s cover now via digital outlets and on YouTube.

The concert was recorded five days before the band released their debut album, Are You Experienced. As the opening act for The Mamas & the Papas, their performance featured such classics as “Purple Haze,” “The Wind Cries Mary” and “Foxey Lady.” In addition to The Beatles cover, they also performed covers of Bob Dylan‘s “Like a Rolling Stone” and Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor.” 

The “Sgt. Pepper’s” cover is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul McCartney is sharing how The Beatles felt about the presence of John Lennon‘s wife, Yoko Ono, in the latest edition of his new podcast, McCartney: A Life In Lyrics.

The episode is titled Let It Be. Those who watched Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back docuseries might have seen Yoko sit in on the recording sessions for the Let It Be album.

On the podcast, McCartney says John and Yoko getting together “was bound to have an effect on the dynamics of the group.” He later adds of Yoko’s presence, “anything that disturbs us is disturbing.”

“Out of deference to John we would allow this and not make a fuss and yet at the same time, I don’t think any of us particularly liked it,” says McCartney. “It was an interference in the workplace … So not being very confrontational, I think we just bottled it up and just got on with it.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Fans of the late Jimmy Buffett are getting another preview of his upcoming posthumous album, Equal Strain On All Parts, which drops November 3.

Two new songs from the album have just been released, including a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mozambique” featuring special guest Emmylou Harris. “Mozambique” originally appeared on Dylan’s 1976 album, Desire.

The second is an original autobiographical track, “University of Bourbon Street,” featuring New Orleans’ own Preservation Hall Jazz Band. It has Jimmy singing about the life lessons he learned while experiencing the city’s famed party street.

Equal Strain on All Parts, which also features guest appearances by Paul McCartney and Angélique Kidjo, was recorded while Buffett was battling Merkel cell skin cancer. He passed away from the disease on September 1.

The album is available for preorder now.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

A new visualizer accompanying the Nirvana song “Dumb” is streaming now on YouTube.

The clip was created by animator RuffMercy using hand-painted Super-8mm film.

“Dumb” appears on Nirvana’s 1993 album, In Utero, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in September. A 30th anniversary reissue of the record, featuring remastered audio alongside B-sides and previously unreleased live recordings, is due out October 27.

Meanwhile, a newly annotated version of author Michael Azerrad‘s 1993 Nirvana biography, Come As You Are, is being released October 24.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart has shared the first song from his new creative collective, The Time Experience Project, which consists of writers, actors, filmmakers, composers and performers.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer dropped the single “Brings Me Home” from the group’s upcoming album Who to Love, a 10-song modern rock opera dropping October 20.

“It’s a song about the power of real love; about how something as simple as holding someone’s hand or seeing their face can make us feel at home, even amid chaos,” Stewart says of “Brings Me Home.” “In a world that is constantly changing and moving at a rapid pace, it is important to slow down and connect with others in a meaningful way. This song reminds us that we all need a place to call home, both physically and emotionally.”

You can listen to “Brings Me Home” now via digital outlets and on YouTube. 

Who to Love is not only an album but also a movie, which is set to make its premiere October 19 at the Rome Film Fest. The project features Italian actress Greta Scarano, with Stewart backed by the Italian band Mokadelic. 

Who to Love is available for preorder now. 

Here is the track list for Who to Love:

“Time Is A Masterpiece”
“Electrified”
“Not The Sweetest Taboo”
“Brings Me Home”
“Diamond Eyes”
“Who To Love”
“Time Flies”
“Talk To Me”
“Human”
“Surrender”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band have rescheduled the Canadian leg of their 2023 tour.

The Boss will now head north of the border starting October 31, 2024, in Montreal, hitting Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton before wrapping November 22 in Vancouver.

Tickets for the originally scheduled Canadian dates will be valid for the new shows. Refunds are available to those who can’t make the new dates.

In late September, Springsteen pushed all of his remaining 2023 dates to 2024 in order to give himself more time to recover from peptic ulcer disease. The tour is now set to resume March 19 in Phoenix, Arizona. A complete list of dates can be found at springsteen.net.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Heart’s Ann Wilson has given fans an update on a planned biopic on the group.

While appearing on the Totally 80s podcast, Wilson confirmed that the film, first announced in 2020, is still happening; she didn’t give a timeline as to when production may start.

“The pandemic kind of slowed them down a little bit, but it’s in the works still. Carrie Brownstein‘s writing it,” she said.

“I’ve seen a couple of drafts of the script. It’s good. She’s a great writer. If anybody can capture the story of a couple of women in rock, it’s probably Carrie, ’cause she’s been there herself,” Wilson added of the Sleater-Kinney rocker.

As for whether anyone has been cast to play her or her sister and bandmate Nancy Wilson, Ann noted, “There’ve been a few things bandied about, but nothing solid yet.” 

“I’d like somebody who could sing, and then they could sing some, I could sing some,” she continued. “I think that my preference would be somebody young and brand new and fresh, somebody who’s really got their s*** together in terms of being into the script.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.