Classic Rock News

The latest edition of Classic Rock magazine celebrates the 50th anniversary of AC/DC, with members of Def Leppard, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick and more sharing stories of the band and their favorite albums. One of those sharing is KISS’ Paul Stanley, who reveals why 1980’s Back in Black is his favorite AC/DC record.

“When Brian Johnson joined AC/DC, I was curious – like everyone was – about how that would impact the band and the chemistry they had with Bon Scott,” Stanley says about the band’s first album following Scott’s February 1980 death. “But what they created with Back In Black was just monumental.” 

He adds, “They were building on what they’d done before, moving forward. That kind of bare-bones grit they had in the early days was replaced with this driving sonic overload. But it was so brilliant. I thought what was gained overrode what was lost.”

Stanley says he knew AC/DC were “the real deal” after the first time he saw them perform at the Whisky A Go Go in the seventies. He notes, “They were so gritty, and the adrenaline level was just crazy. The amount of energy that Angus [Young] was expending on stage was mind boggling.”

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 Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt has caused a bit of controversy after suggesting in a recent interview that not many of his fellow guitarists could handle working with Rihanna like he has.

It all started when Bettencourt gave an interview with Planet Rock in which he commented about working with Rihanna. “Most of the guitar players who I admire could not in their lifetime play that gig” because of all her different musical styles, he said. He specifically mentioned Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, saying that while he was “one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time,” even he would say, “it ain’t happening.” 

The comments seemed to upset Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus, who responded by writing, “there is very little @slash couldn’t do on guitar (if he wanted to). This gig wouldn’t be a struggle for him.”

That prompted Nuno to defend himself via social media “because I’d hate to think my few words offended a hero of mine, @slash and possibly f*** up my relationship with him.”

After calling Fortus a “replacement player in GUNS,” Nuno went on to explain himself.

“As if I’d ever think Slash isn’t capable of playing any Rihanna song in his sleep,” he insisted, writing he only meant most guitarists would feel “like a fish out of water as a player” onstage with Rihanna.

He did acknowledge he used a “poor word choice” when suggesting Slash would “struggle” playing for the pop superstar, noting he hoped Slash “would be more mature enough to understand what I truly meant as a guitarist by that comment.”

“I’ve had NOTHING but respect and admiration for @gunsnroses and @slash,” he concluded, adding, “Apologies if I’ve unintentionally offended anyone.”

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R.E.M. has put together a best-of playlist to celebrate the renewed interest in their music thanks to the recently premiered second season of The Bear.

The playlist, which was made exclusively for NME, consists of 40 songs, with each member — frontman Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry — hand-picking their 10 favorite songs from their entire discography.

Stipe leads off the playlist with his picks and is followed by Buck, Mills and Berry.

The Bear season 2, which dropped in June, prominently features the R.E.M. song “Strange Currencies” on its soundtrack. Since its premiere, R.E.M. has shared a new video for a remixed version of  the track.

The Bear is streaming now on Hulu, which is partnered with Disney, the parent company of ABC News.

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Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour arrived in the land of grunge over the weekend with shows at Seattle’s Lumen Field on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23.

Eddie Vedder was in attendance alongside his family, but not everyone recognized the Pearl Jam frontman as the grunge royalty that he is. One Swiftie on TikTok shared a photo of Vedder in the crowd, only to identify him as The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal.

Many took to the TikTok’s comment to correctly name Vedder, including his own daughter Olivia, who wrote, “That’s fully my dad.”

For what it’s worth, both Vedder and Pascal have a connection to The Last of Us. Pascal, of course, plays main character Joel in the HBO series, while Pearl Jam’s music is featured both in the show and in the video game series on which it’s based.

Meanwhile, you can see more of the Vedder family’s adventures at the Swift show via Eddie’s wife Jill‘s Instagram.

In addition to welcoming the Vedders, Swift’s trip to Seattle also included a surprise appearance by HAIM, who joined Taylor onstage during the Saturday show for the live debut of their collaborative song “no body no crime.”

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Billy Idol is set to release an expanded version of his 1982 self-titled debut album on Friday, July 28, and to celebrate, he’s taking part in a very special Twitch livestream. 

The event, which will also include his longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, takes place Wednesday, July 26, at 6 p.m. ET in Los Angeles and will feature a special acoustic performance as well as a Q&A, where Idol is expected to discuss the album’s history.

Fans will be able to tune into the livestream via 3point5, Universal Music Group’s Twitch channel.

Billy Idol (Expanded Edition) will feature a previously unreleased 12-minute Clubland Extended Remix of his classic tune “White Wedding.” In addition, the two-CD set will feature a separate album with a previously unreleased concert, recorded August 12, 1982, at The Roxy in West Hollywood, California. It features performances of such tracks as “Hot in the City,” “Mony Mony,” “White Wedding” and more.

Billy Idol Expanded Edition is available for preorder now.

In other Idol news, the rocker recently confirmed that Billy Idol: State Line, a film of his April Hoover Dam concert, will be released in theaters this fall. The concert features “two unique sets” of Idol hits and appearances from several special guests, including The Dead Weather’s Alison Mosshart, Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal.

Next up, Idol is set to kick off a North American tour on August 27 in Vancouver, Canada. A complete list of tour dates can be found at billyidol.net.

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On This Day, July 24, 1978…

The all-star movie musical Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, inspired by The Beatles’ classic album, opened in theaters to mostly negative reviews from critics.

The movie featured music from The Beatles album, and a cast of music superstars including Peter Frampton, The Bee Gees, Aerosmith, Earth, Wind & Fire, Alice Cooper and more, although no Beatles actually appeared on the film.

Despite the bad reviews, the movie was a minor success financially, grossing over $20 million, with a budget of just $13 mil. Regardless, it is still remembered as a huge flop.

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James Taylor is the latest artist to remember the late Tony Bennett, posting a lengthy tribute to the legendary crooner, who passed away July 21 at the age of 96.

Taylor noted seeing Bennett on the children’s show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, writing, “he was basically explaining what his job was to the children who were the show’s audience. It was a straight-ahead presentation of a working jazz musician, a description of himself that was simple and honest.” 

“Tony was such a bright light in our world and the longevity of his career gave him a depth, a gravitas that tied together two main generations of contemporary, popular music, Frank Sinatra to Stevie Wonder,” Taylor shares. “I never met a more believably positive person. He radiated his love of being alive. You never got a whiff of sarcasm or cynicism.”

Taylor recalls telling Bennett he was a fan of his music and of them working together over the years, including on Bennett’s Duets album, calling it “a high point for me.”

Finally, he notes, “Whenever I wonder just how long I should carry on touring and performing in public, I think of his example: Tony Bennett, the greatest last man standing…”

Also remembering Bennett over the weekend was Paul McCartney, who called him a “special singer and a good friend.” “I was privileged to work with him on a few occasions and he was always a wonder to behold,” Sir Paul added. “Thanks Tony for the joy you brought to our world.”

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When the next Judas Priest album finally arrives, the metal legends will be following their highest-charting U.S. release.

Rob Halford and company’s last record, Firepower, debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 upon its release in 2018 — a career-best in the States. Speaking with ABC Audio, guitarist Richie Faulkner shares that the chart success of Firepower “means a lot” to him as a member of Priest, and as a superfan of heavy metal.

“Priest, to me, has always been one of the bands that flies the flag for, not only heavy metal, but British heavy metal,” Faulkner shares. “I remember that week in the Billboard top 10 there was country and there was hip-hop and there was pop, and there was heavy metal right there in the middle of it all. It was proud, and it was unmistakable — there it was.”

When it debuted on the Billboard 200, Firepower shared the top 10 with albums by artists including Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, Logic and Lil Yachty, as well as the Black Panther soundtrack.

“In modern times, there’s a healthy chunk of heavy metal right there for everyone to see,” Faulkner says. “So it means a lot.”

As Priest continues to chip away at a Firepower follow-up, Faulkner’s optimistic about repeating its Billboard success.

“Hopefully we can match that or maybe top it and push it up to #1,” he says.

In the meantime, Faulkner has also been rocking with his new band Elegant Weapons, which dropped their debut album, Horns for a Halo, in May.

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Loverboy is currently the special guest on Foreigner’s Farewell Tour, and frontman Mike Reno feels like the pairing just makes sense.

“I know their big song is ‘Jukebox Hero,’ but they really are jukebox heroes. And luckily enough, we’ve had a fair share of success with our songs, too,” Reno tells ABC Audio. “We’ve sold a lot of albums and we’ve had a lot of hits, and we play our hits and then they play their hits. Really, it’s like a hit fest and the crowds just go crazy.” 

And Reno is more than just a tour mate — he’s a fan, as well: “What a fabulous band they are and all those songs. I mean, I grew up to all that stuff.” 

Reno is feeling particularly proud about his band these days, revealing they’ve been getting “great compliments” from people who’ve seen the show. “That’s a nice feeling, cause I really try. I try very hard at the concerts. I put a lot of effort in it,” he shares. “It’s nice that it’s appreciated.”

But compliments aren’t the only recognition the band is getting these days. In fact, Loverboy been chosen as an honoree on Canada’s Walk of Fame. And while Reno is thrilled to be recognized, he’s really just happy to still get to play for people after all these years. 

He shares, “After 43 years, we’re all still together, we’re doing it, you know, we’re working all the time. It’s quite an achievement just doing that.” 

Foreigner’s Farewell Tour, with special guest Loverboy, hits Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Monday, July 24. A complete list of dates can be found at foreigneronline.com and loverboyband.com.

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Brian Setzer is ready to share some new music. The Stray Cats frontman will release the new solo album The Devil Always Collects on September 15.

The album is Setzer’s first record since 2021’s Gotta Have The Rumble, and he’s also sharing its first single, “Girl on the Billboard.”

“It’s an old truckers song,” Brian explains. “At first I wasn’t getting the sound I wanted until I picked up my Gretsch 1957 Duo Jet 6131 Firebird. I mean, the sound is monstrous, dirty and twangy.”

And Brian is gearing up to play those songs live, as he’s set to kick off his first tour in four years, the Rockabilly Riot tour, on September 27 in Red Bank, New Jersey. A complete list of dates can be found at briansetzer.com.

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