Eddie Vedder‘s new solo album Earthling was produced by Andrew Watt, and now the Pearl Jam frontman says Watt may also be behind the board for his band’s next studio album, the follow-up to 2020’s Gigaton.
Vedder is featured in the new issue of U.K. magazine MOJO and, according to Bang! Showbiz, in the interview, he says, “We’ll make a record with Andrew, I believe. We’ve already talked about it.”
Vedder also noted that Pearl Jam will “be recording, because now we’ve got a healthy ambition to do so,” adding, “I think we’ll move quick for a year or two, then I can see us slowing down for a little bit.”
Reflecting on Pearl Jam’s future plans, Eddie noted, “We have the ability to play better than ever, but also know what we want to maintain the health of the group and want to keep coming back.”
Watt also produced “E-Ticket,” Vedder’s collaboration with Elton John on Elton’s 2021 album The Lockdown Sessions, and Ozzy Osbourne‘s album Ordinary Man. When Vedder launches a U.S. solo tour in February, Watt also will be part of his backing band, The Earthlings, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, and singer-songwriter Glen Hansard.
Sony Music Entertainment announced today that it’s acquired Bob Dylan‘s entire recorded-music catalog, as well as the rights to various future releases.
The 80-year-old folk-rock legend’s longtime label notes that the agreement, which was reached in July 2021, is a major expansion of its 60-year relationship with the influential singer/songwriter.
The deal spans Dylan’s entire career, from his 1962 self-titled debut album through 2020’s Rough and Rowdy Ways.
Via the agreement, Dylan and Sony Music Entertainment, which is Columbia Records’ parent company, will continue to work together on archival releases for Bob’s Bootleg Series, as well as other projects.
“Columbia Records and [Sony Music Group chairman] Rob Stringer have been nothing but good to me for many, many years and a whole lot of records,” says Dylan. “I’m glad that all my recordings can stay where they belong.”
Adds Stringer, “The essential impact [Dylan] and his recordings continue to have on popular culture is second to none and we’re thrilled he will now be a permanent member of the Sony Music family. We are excited to work with Bob and his team to find new ways to make his music available to his many fans today and to future generations.”
Sources tell Variety that the deal is worth between $150 million and $200 million, although that figure is unconfirmed.
In late 2020, Dylan sold the publishing rights to his songs to Universal Music Group for an amount estimated to be nearly $400 million, according to Variety.
In other news, Dylan has scheduled a spring U.S. tour that runs from a March 3 concert in Phoenix through an April 14 show in Oklahoma City. Tickets for most dates go on sale this Friday, January 28. Visit BobDylan.com for more details.
While many rock and pop stars were sad about the loss of Bat Out of Hell singer Meat Loaf, who died last week at age 74, one rock artist in particular truly is in mourning: Scott Ian of Anthrax, who’s married to Meat Loaf’s daughter Pearl Aday.
On Sunday, Ian took to Instagram to remember his father-in-law, writing, “There are so many stories to tell, and I know they will all be told over time. For now, what I know is that Meat’s legacy will live on through his family – Pearl, Amanda and Revel.”
Amanda is Pearl’s sister; Revel is Scott and Pearl’s son.
“Their forever love for their father/grandfather (Papa Meat) outweighs the heaviness of their hearts,” Ian continued. “Thank you to everyone for the outpouring of love, we feel it. I love you Meat.”
Ian also posted a photo of Meat Loaf posing with his daughters, as well as an adorable photo of the legendary vocalist holding Revel.
Ringo Starr plays drums on a brand-new song by Men at Work frontman Colin Hay called “Now and the Evermore,” which is the title track of Hay’s forthcoming solo album.
Hay, who happens to be a current member of Ringo’s All Starr Band, will release the new album on March 18, while the song is available now as a digital single.
“‘Now and the Evermore’ is a reminder to myself, to make the most of what time I have left walking around on top of the planet,” Colin says about the tune. “When I listen to it, it transports me back to when I thought I had all the time in the world. It is a song which is unashamedly inspired by the majesty of The Beatles, and the gift they gave us all. Having Ringo Starr play on the track, is more than icing on the cake.”
Hay wrote and recorded the Now and the Evermore album in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles. A press statement describes the 10-track collection as “a defiantly joyful celebration of life and love, one that insists on finding silver linings and reasons to smile.” The record finds the 68-year-old singer-songwriter reflecting on loss and mortality, while exploring such genres as vintage pop, pub rock and folk.
You can pre-orderNow and the Evermore now. Hay will support the album with a solo U.S. tour that’s mapped out from a March 18 concert in Fort Collins, Colorado, through a May 12 show in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Colin also will be hitting the road this year with Ringo’s All Starr Band, which kicks off a U.S. trek on June 2 in Boston.
Here’s the album’s full track list:
“Now and the Evermore”
“Love Is Everywhere”
“Into the Bright Lights”
“The Sea of Always”
“Starfish and Unicorns”
“A Man Without a Name”
“Undertow”
“All I See Is You”
“Agatha Bell”
“When Does the End Begin?”
Todd Rundgren will join forces with fellow Philadelphia-area native and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Daryl Hall for a series of eight U.S. concerts in April that will help promote the Hall & Oates singer’s first-ever solo best-of compilation, BeforeAfter, which will be released on April 1.
The eight-date trek runs from an April 1 concert in Chicago through an April 16 show in National Harbor, Maryland, and includes stops at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York City’s Carnegie Hall on April 5 and April 14, respectively.
Rundgren will appear on one track on BeforeAfter, a 30-track collection that features selections from all five of Hall’s solo studio albums, as well as eight performances from his acclaimed TV/web series Live from Daryl’s House, six of which are previously unreleased.
Todd is featured on one of the Live from Daryl House performances — a version of his own “Can We Still Be Friends.”
Hall’s studio work outside of Hall & Oates includes his 1980 solo debut, Sacred Songs, produced by King Crimson‘s Robert Fripp, and 1986’s Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, which was co-produced by Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart and included several tunes co-written by Stewart.
“I picked this collection of songs from my solo albums because I feel they encapsulate certain periods of my career,” says Hall. “It also shows the diversity of working with collaborators like Robert Fripp or Dave Stewart. And, having some tracks from [Live from Daryl’s House] on it…really makes the compilation complete.”
4/1 — Chicago, IL, Auditorium Theatre
4/3 -– Nashville, TN, Ryman Auditorium
4/5 -– Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Symphony Hall
4/7 -– Northfield, OH, MGM Northfield Park
4/9 -– Philadelphia, PA, The Met Philadelphia
4/11 -– Boston, MA, Orpheum Theatre
4/14 -– New York, NY, Carnegie Hall
4/16 -– National Harbor, MD, The Theatre at MGM National Harbor
And here’s the full BeforeAfter track list:
Disc One:
“Dreamtime”
“Babs and Babs”
“Foolish Pride”
“Can’t Stop Dreaming”
“Here Comes the Rain Again” (Live from Daryl’s House) — with Dave Stewart
“Someone Like You”
“Talking to You (Is Like Talking to Myself)”
“Sacred Songs”
“Right as Rain”
“Survive”
“North Star” (Live from Daryl’s House) — with Monte Montgomery
“In My Own Dream” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“NYCNY”
“What’s Gonna Happen to Us”
Disc Two:
“Love Revelation”
“Fools Rush In”
“I’m in a Philly Mood”
“Send Me”
“Justify”
“Borderline”
“Stop Loving Me, Stop Loving You”
“Eyes for You (Ain’t No Doubt About It)”
“The Farther Away I Am”
“Why Was It So Easy”
“Can We Still Be Friends” (Live rom Daryl’s House) — with Todd Rundgren
“Cab Driver”
“Our Day Will Come” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“Laughing Down Crying” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“Problem with You” (Live from Daryl’s House)
“Neither One of Us (Wants To Be the First to Say Goodbye)” (Live from Daryl’s House)
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for God’s Love we Deliver
Last year, Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson told ABC Audio that both she and her sister and band mate Ann were interested in touring together again, possibly in 2022, but Nancy now says a conflict with her sibling has put those plans on hold.
On Friday, Nancy took part in a livestream chat at the social-networking site TalkShop.Live, during which fans could buy signed copies of her 2021 solo album, You and Me.
During the interview, Nancy revealed that discussions about a new Heart tour between her and Ann’s camp broke down over a disagreement regarding the musicians that would back her and Ann.
“[T]hey were trying to bring their new lineup of players that Ann wanted to put on stage as Heart with me and I wasn’t really willing to do that,” Nancy explained, referring to Ann’s current solo group, which is called The Amazing Dawgs.
“I don’t know those guys, you know, and I didn’t want to feel like a sideman,” Nancy continued. “So, [the tour]…kind of went away. They didn’t really respond to any of our responses in response to…what they [wanted]…They wanted this and I didn’t want that and nobody responded to anything, so…”
She added, “[M]y thing was that everybody that’s played on the last big Heart tour [in 2019] would be back, you know, in the same band,” then noted, “I think Ann might be a little bored with Heart. I don’t know.”
It’s worth pointing out that most of Heart’s backing band for their 2019 tour are part of Nancy’s current solo group.
Also during the interview, Nancy revealed that she also has plans for a solo acoustic album and a Christmas album.
You can buy signed CD and blue-vinyl copies of You and Me at TalkShop.Live.
Coinciding with today’s release of John Mellencamp‘s latest studio album, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, the famed singer-songwriter has released a new single from the record called “Did You Say Such a Thing.”
The gritty-sounding blues-rock tune, which is available now via digital formats, features backing vocals from Bruce Springsteen, and is one of three collaborations with the Boss featured on the album.
You can check out a visualizer video for “Did You Say Such a Thing” on Mellencamp’s official YouTube channel.
Mellencamp wrote and self-produced Strictly a One-Eyed Jack at his Belmont Mall Studios in Bloomington, Indiana. He’d previously released one of the other Springsteen collaborations, “Wasted Days,” as an advance single back in September of last year.
Strictly a One-Eyed Jack is currently available everywhere.
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, a reboot of the original show created by the late Jim Henson, is now streaming on Apple TV+, and a soundtrack has also been released, with the hardest-rocking song coming courtesy of Foo Fighters.
The band, which had previously been announced as making a “special appearance” in the new series, has recorded a song called “Fraggle Rock Rock” for the soundtrack. The album also features guest stars like Patti LaBelle, Saturday Night Live‘s Kenan Thompson and The Office‘s Ed Helms. All the songs are featured in the new 13-episode series.
You can watch a clip of Dave Grohl and the guys rocking out with the Fraggles on Instagram.
The show stars Andy Day as the leader of a rock band called The Odd Socks that’s made up of a group of his offbeat friends. May will appear as the Godfather of Rock in an episode titled “Planet Rock” that will premiere on January 24 on the BBC iPlayer and January 27 on the CBBC channel.
On the program, May’s character will join Andy and the Odd Socks to play the “best jam ever” and also will help the group overcome what’s described as a “a global ‘rocktastrophe.'”
The plot of the episode involves The Odd Socks visiting Planet Rock to seek the Godfather’s help in reuniting them with the group’s guitarist, Rio, who has lost his confidence, and his beloved air guitar.
In conjunction with the show, May has recorded a new song with Andy and the Odd Socks called “Planet Rock” that will be released on February 18.
“I have loved working with the Odd Socks! Playing the role of their Godfather of Rock was actually a very emotional experience,” May says. “The episode is a wonderful message of hope to kids who lose their self-confidence. The symbolic use of air guitar is beautifully apt. And on a broader scale I absolutely align with Andy and the Band in their quest for every kid to feel proud of their individual qualities.”
He adds, “I’m backing their anti-bullying campaign to the hilt!”
Meanwhile, Day notes, “Working with Brian has been a musical dream come true, as I am a huge Queen fan, but most importantly he completely understood the ethos and message of inclusivity we share in everything we do.”
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for American Museum of Natural History
The 2022 Boston Calling Music Festival will take place May 27-29, 2022 at the Harvard Athletic Complex in Boston, will feature performances by Foo Fighters, Metallica and Cheap Trick.
Foo Fighters and Metallica will headline the first and last days of the festival, respectively, while The Strokes will be the headliners for day two. Cheap Trick is part of the May 27 lineup.
Other artists on the bill for the three-day event include Weezer, HAIM, Glass Animals, Modest Mouse, Run the Jewels, The Struts, Avril Lavigne and the late Michael Jackson‘s daughter, Paris Jackson. Check out the full lineup at BostonCalling.com.
Tickets are on sale now, with packages ranging from $370 to $2,000.
