Classic Rock News

With Valentine’s Day taking place this Monday, Neil Young & Crazy Horse have debuted a new animated lyric video for their song “Don’t Forget Love,” which appears on the group’s latest album, Barn.

The clip, which was directed by Neil’s wife, actress Daryl Hannah, features a series of animated drawings created by Gary Ward. Among the many images depicted in the art are a human heart, a couple kissing, a hand flashing a peace sign, a hand holding a few roses, a rain cloud, a rainbow, the sun shining on the moon and the Earth, and animals including bears, an owl, a dove and a blackbird.

The delicate song features sparse instrumentation, driven by piano, with lyrics that encourage “don’t forget love” when negative things are happening in your life.

In a brief video interview with Young posted in December on his YouTube channel, Neil explains, “I wrote that song for myself so that whenever I start to lose it I can just listen to that and go, ‘I wrote that. Why can’t I just do that?’ So, you know, a lot of it’s cheap therapy. Very cheap.”

As previously reported, Barn was recorded last June in a restored 19th century barn Young owns in the Colorado Rockies, and was released in December. A documentary about the making of the album, also called Barn and which Hannah also directed, premiered around the same time as the record’s release, and currently is streaming for free on Neil’s YouTube channel.

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Sting‘s latest solo album, 2021’s The Bridge, features a song titled “For Her Love.” Now the former Police frontman has released a Spanish-language version of the tune called “Por Su Amor.”

The new track, which is available now globally via digital outlets, was recorded during Sting’s recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he was inspired by the scenery of Baja, California, and the views of the Gulf of California.

The Spanish lyrics for “Por Su Amor” were written by musician, songwriter and producer Martin Kierszenbaum, who is also Sting’s manager. Martin also co-wrote of “For Her Love” and co-produced The Bridge album with Sting, as well as contributing contributed keyboards to “Por Su Amor” and The Bridge.

You can check out a lyric video for “Por Su Amor” at Sting’s official YouTube channel.

Sting will give “Por Su Amor” its premiere performance on the 2022 edition of the long-running Latin music awards show Premio Lo Nuestro, which will air February 24 on Univision.

Sting has recorded other songs in Spanish in the past, as well as in Portuguese and French.

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This Saturday marks the 50th anniversary of the release of The Allman Brothers Band‘s classic fourth album, Eat a Peach.

The record, a two-disc set that includes a mix of studio tracks and live performances, is the band’s last album to feature founding slide guitarist Duane Allman, who died in a motorcycle crash at age 24 on October 29, 1971, not long after the sessions began.

Although Eat a Peach had no hit singles, it features what became many of The Allman Brothers Band’s most popular songs, including “Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More” and “Melissa,” both written by lead singer/keyboardist Gregg Allman; “Blue Sky,” penned by singer/guitarist Dickey Betts; and a memorable cover of blues great Elmore James‘ “One Way Out.”

The live tracks — “One Way Out,” “Trouble No More” and the epic “Mountain Jam” — were recorded at the same run of 1971 New York City shows that yielded the band’s At Fillmore East album.

“Mountain Jam” is a 34-minute-plus improvised instrumental based on British folk-rocker Donovan‘s 1967 hit “There Is a Mountain.” To fit the jam onto the album, it was split into two parts and took up two full sides of the double LP.

Eat a Peach peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200, The Allman Brothers’ highest-charting album up to that time, and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA for 1 million units sold in the U.S.

In 2020, Eat a Peach was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More”
“Les Brers in A Minor”
“Melissa”
“Mountain Jam” (live)
“One Way Out” (live)
“Trouble No More” (live)
“Stand Back”
“Blue Sky”
“Little Martha”

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Rush‘s best-selling, multi-platinum 1981 album Moving Pictures is being reissued in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

The expanded package will be released in a number of different formats — including the elaborate Super Deluxe Edition — on April 15.

Inside the Super Deluxe, you’ll find the 2015 remastered version of Moving Pictures on CD for the first time, plus two discs of previously unreleased live recordings from a 1981 hometown concert in Toronto. An additional disc features Blu-ray audio of Moving Pictures, along with a new “YYZ” video and remastered video promos for “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “Vital Signs.”

The Moving Pictures album and the Toronto live recordings are also spread across five vinyl LPs.

In addition to all the music, the Super Deluxe boasts a number of exclusive memorabilia items, including a pair of signature Neil Peart drumsticks, metal-embossed guitar picks engraved with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson‘s signatures, and a 44-page hardcover book of unreleased photos and new artwork.

The book also includes liner notes by Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil, Primus‘ Les Claypool, Foo Fighters‘ Taylor Hawkins, Mastodon‘s Bill Kelliher, and Three Days Grace‘s Neil Sanderson.

The 40th anniversary Moving Pictures reissue is available for pre-order now. For the full track-listings and all configuration details, visit Rush.com.

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Back in December, Styx and REO Speedwagon announced plans for a 35-date 2022 North American trek dubbed the Live & Unzoomed Tour featuring Loverboy as their special guest.  Now the veteran rockers have added 10 new dates to the outing.

The new concerts run from a September 3 performance in Duluth, Minnesota, through a September 18 show in Bangor, Maine.

Tickets for the new dates will go on sale to the general public on starting Friday, February 18, at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com. Styx and REO Speedwagon will be making available VIP packages and exclusive pre-sales starting Tuesday, February 15, at 10 a.m. local time at StyxWorld.com and REOSpeedwagon.com.

Citi card members also will be able to buy presale tickets beginning February 15 at 10 a.m. local time; visit CitiEntertainment.com for more details.

As previously reported, the Live & Unzoomed Tour kicks off May 31 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the initially announced run of shows had been scheduled through an August 21 performance in Wantagh, New York.

When the trek was first announced, a hilarious video promoting the trek premiered on YouTube featuring Styx’s Tommy Shaw and Lawrence Gowan, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin and Dave Amato, and Loverboy’s Mike Reno showing what they’ve been up to at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now a follow-up “bloopers” clip has debuted on YouTube featuring the various band members having fun while filming the original promo clip.

(Video contains uncensored and censored profanity.)

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Paul McCartney has contributed a bass part to a new song called “Home” by The Umoza Music Project, an international collective featuring various singers from the African country of Malawi collaborating with over a dozen U.K. musicians.

“Home” is the lead single and title track of The Umoza Music Project’s upcoming second album, both of which are due out May 6.

The Home album, which will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats, features the Malawian artists singing in their native language, Chichewa, and was put together remotely with the various musical contributors.

The song marks the first time that McCartney has played bass as a guest musician on an African language track. Sir Paul recorded his part while in lockdown in the U.K. during the sessions for his latest solo album, McCartney III.

“Home” will also be released as a limited-edition single on 7-inch and 10-inch vinyl. Proceeds from the discs will benefit Malawian musicians.

“I’ve always loved African music so when I was asked to do this I jumped at the chance and ended up playing my Hofner bass on this cool song,” McCartney says in a statement. “It was great to collaborate with these excellent African musicians.”

John Tobin, founder and producer of The Umoza Music Project, adds, “[Paul has] helped us create us a great track and lead single, and it’ll bring these beautiful Malawian voices to the attention of many more music lovers around the world than we would have reached otherwise.”

Tobin, who was born in Malawi but raised in the U.K., began The Umoza Music Project in 2010 as a collaboration with a Malawian singer/songwriter named Max Jere. A documentary about the project currently is in the works. Visit PaulMcCartney.com and UmozaMusic.com for more information.

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Aerosmith‘s 1971: The Road Starts Here, a collection of seven recently rediscovered rare live performances that was first issued as a limited-edition vinyl disc and cassette for the 2021 Record Store Day Black Friday event, will get its official release on CD and digital formats on April 8.

The announcement of the release is the first in conjunction with the band’s 50th anniversary celebrations this year.

1971: The Road Starts Here features performances that were recorded in 1971 on guitarist Joe Perry‘s Wollensak reel-to-reel tape machine by early Aerosmith roadie Mark Lehman, either in the band’s Boston rehearsal room with a few friends in attendance or during a soundcheck for an early gig.

Among the songs Aerosmith performs on the recording are versions of five tunes that went on to appear on the band’s 1973 self-titled debut album — “Movin’ Out,” the classic anthem “Dream On,” “Mama Kin,” “Somebody,” and a cover of Rufus Thomas‘ 1963 hit “Walkin’ the Dog.”

1971: The Road Starts Here also includes a performance of “Reefer Head Woman,” which the band later recorded for the 1979 album Night in the Ruts, and a rendition of “Major Barbara,” a tune that appeared the group’s 1986 Classics Live collection.

The CD will feature previously unseen archival photos, images of the original tape box, and liner notes penned by Rolling Stone journalist David Fricke that includes new interviews and comments from the band members.

1971: The Road Starts Here can be pre-ordered on CD and vinyl and pre-saved now. Aerosmith’s early version of “Somebody” has been released as an advance digital single.

Aerosmith also has introduced a collection of special merch items inspired by the album that are available now at the band’s online store.

Here’s the full track list:

Intro/”Somebody”
“Reefer Head Woman”
“Walkin’ the Dog”
“Movin’ Out”
“Major Barbara”
“Dream On”
“Mama Kin”

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Bruce Springsteen is helping Eddie Vedder celebrate the release of the Pearl Jam frontman’s new solo album, Earthling.

The Boss and Vedder got together at Springsteen’s farm in New Jersey for a conversation about the album that was filmed for a special that will premiere today at 2 p.m. ET on Amazon Live. The interview also will be made available at Vedder’s official YouTube channel starting this Sunday, February 13.

In a preview clip from the special that’s been posted on YouTube, Springsteen asks Vedder about his musical influences, and Eddie reveals that as he was grwing up they they included The Jackson 5, The Beatles and The Who, as well as, of course, the “Born to Run” rocker himself.

“Ah, grazie,” Springsteen responds.

Vedder adds that he also got into The Band, Split Enz, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi and his grunge contemporaries Mudhoney.

Earthling, Vedder’s first solo album in 11 years, is out today. It was produced by Ozzy Osbourne collaborator Andrew Watt and was recorded with a core of backing musicians that included Watt on bass and guitar, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer.

In addition, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, Elton John and longtime Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench make guest appearances on the record.

Watt, Smith and Klinghoffer are also members of Vedder’s solo live band, The Earthlings, along with Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard. Their tour continues February 15 in San Diego and wraps up with February 21-22 stand in Seattle.

Here’s the Earthling track list:

“Invincible”
“Power of Right”
“Long Way”
“Brother the Cloud”
“Fallout Today”
“The Dark”
“The Haves”
“Good and Evil”
“Rose of Jericho”
“Try”
“Picture” — featuring Elton John
“Mrs. Mills”
“On My Way”

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Michael McDonald, the soulful singer and talented songwriter and keyboardist who found success with The Doobie Brothers, as a solo artist and as a collaborator with various other musicians and singers, celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday, February 12.

In 1974, McDonald briefly was a member of Steely Dan‘s touring band. He would go on to contribute backing vocals to all of Steely Dan’s albums, from 1975’s Katy Lied through 1980’s Gaucho.

McDonald joined The Doobie Brothers in 1975. During his tenure with the group, Michael sang and wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits, including “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Real Love,” “Minute by Minute” and the chart-topping “What a Fool Believes.” The latter, which McDonald co-wrote with Kenny Loggins, also won multiple Grammy awards, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

After The Doobie Brothers’ 1982 breakup, Michael launched a successful solo career. Among his solo hits are 1982’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” and 1986’s “Sweet Freedom.”

McDonald also lent backing vocals to notable tunes by other artists, including Loggins’ 1979 hit “This Is It,” which he co-wrote, and Christopher Cross‘ 1981 #2 single “Ride Like the Wind.” In addition, he scored hit duets including the Grammy-winning “Yah Mo B There” with James Ingram in 1983, and the chart-topping “On My Own” with Patti LaBelle in 1986.

McDonald was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doobie Brothers in 2020.

McDonald has reunited with The Doobies several times over the years after the band’s initial breakup. Starting last year, Michael rejoined the group to take part in their 50th anniversary tour, which gets underway again in June.

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Ian McDonald, a multi-instrumentalist and founding member of King Crimson and Foreigner, has died at the age of 75.

The rocker “passed away peacefully on February 9, 2022 in his home in New York City, surrounded by his family,” according to a press release. A cause of death was not given.

McDonald co-founded King Crimson in 1968, alongside Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake and lyricist Peter Sinfield. He contributed saxophone, flute, clarinet, Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ, vibraphone, the band’s influential debut album In the Court of the Crimson King, as well as backing vocals and production. McDonald left the band after their first U.S. tour in 1969, although he later contributed sax to two songs from the group’s 1974 album, Red.

In 1976, Ian became a founding member of Foreigner, joining guitarist Mick Jones, singer Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Ed Gagliardi. McDonald played on the band’s first three albums: Foreigner, Double Vision and Head Games, all of which went platinum, and produced such classic songs as “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Hot Blooded” and “Double Vision.”

McDonald also took part in several Foreigner reunion concerts alongside the band’s other surviving original members in 2017 and 2018.

McDonald was also an in-demand session musician, playing on numerous recordings by the likes of T. Rex, Steve Hackett and Asia. Notably, he played saxophone of T. Rex’s signature tune “Bang a Gong (Get It On).”

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