Classic Rock News

The Black Crowes brought their Happiness Bastards tour to London’s Eventim Apollo on Wednesday, May 15, where they were joined by a very special guest: Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

Tyler came out for the final song of the night, joining The Crowes for a cover of the Aerosmith classic “Mama Kin.” It was Tyler’s first public performance since fracturing his larynx in September, which forced the postponement of Aerosmith’s Peace Out final tour.

“If it is alright with y’all, we wanna play one more song. We wanna dedicate it to somebody who is a dear friend, and a hero, and a legend, Mr. Steven Tyler,” Chris Robinson shared. “We will be touring with Aerosmith soon, so we wanna play one of his songs.” 

The Crowes were special guests on the Peace Out tour and will join Aerosmith again when the tour resumes September 20 in Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Tyler wasn’t the only rock superstar to take in The Crowes’ London show. The band shared a picture on Instagram revealing that Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page was also backstage. They captioned the clip, “Rock Royalty Reigned last night at the #HappinessBastardsTour at the @eventimapollo in London.”

Next up, The Black Crowes bring their Happiness Bastards tour to Newcastle on May 17. A complete list of date can be found at theblackcrowes.com.

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David Bowie‘s classic The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the latest album to get the Dolby Atmos treatment. 

The first-ever Dolby Atmos mix of Ziggy Stardust will be released September 6 to streaming services and on Blu-Ray Audio, featuring four iterations of the album: the 2024 Dolby Atmos mix, 2024 Stereo and two different versions of the original 1972 Stereo Mix – 2012 remaster.

“You’re in there with the act, with David. He was so theatrical I think being able to put him into an immersive place makes this a really good choice for an Atmos mix,” Ken Scott, who co-produced the Dolby Atmos mix with Emre Ramazanoglu, shares. “My whole philosophy with this has been to make it more like a live experience.”

He adds, “Hopefully, it just feels as if you’re in the theatre with this amazing show going on.”

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in Dolby Atmos is available for preorder now.

The news of the new Ziggy Stardust release comes as the album is set to be explored in the new box set Rock ‘n’ Roll Star, due out June 14. It features 29 unreleased tracks that show Bowie’s journey from February 1971 to the release of Ziggy Stardust in 1972.

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On This Day, May 16, 1966…

The Beach Boys released their 11th studio album, Pet Sounds, a critical hit that’s often considered one of the best albums of all time. 

The album was recorded a year after Brian Wilson quit touring and suffered a breakdown in 1964; he’s said that he considers Pet Sounds “probably the best album I ever did.”

Pet Sounds featured such classic Beach Boys songs as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B” and more. The album peaked at #10 on the Billboard Album chart, has been certified Platinum by the RIAA, and in 2004, it was chosen by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.

In June, Pet Sounds was released with a new mix in Dolby Atmos, courtesy of music producer Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin.

A whole lot more about The Beach Boys will be learned, as a new documentary, The Beach Boys, directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, is set to debut May 24 on Disney +.

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Green Day is expanding their coffee game.

The “American Idiot” has announced the launch of Punk Bunny Coffee, a new brand built off of Green Day’s Oakland Coffee company. Investors include Pitch Perfect actor Adam DeVine and celebrity chef/TV personality Rachael Ray.

In launching Punk Bunny Coffee, Green Day has also announced a partnership with Keurig to provide Punk Bunny K-Cup pods.

“For years, our band has been immersed in making damn good organic coffees with a strong focus on sustainability,” says bassist Mike Dirnt. “Now in our 10th year, we are launching our new brand, Punk Bunny Coffee, and are proud to announce that we have been working closely in partnership with Keurig and support their sustainability innovations. Get ready to get ‘Hopped up on Punk Bunny Coffee.'”

“I’m stoked to be an owner of a very cool specialty coffee roasting company here in the U.S.,” adds frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. “And grateful for our co-owners and the amazing people who help us blend bada** coffee, just how we like it. It’s going to be a big year for Green Day. We’ll be playing shows across the globe and Punk Bunny coffee will be fueling the way, backstage and on our busses.”

Green Day will kick off a U.S. stadium tour in July. They’ll be supporting their latest album, Saviors, and playing their records Dookie and American Idiot in full to celebrate their respective 30th and 20th anniversaries.

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Audio sound waves of Queen’s 1986 song “A Kind of Magic” have been turned into a piece of art that’s now being sold for a good cause.

Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who wrote the song, has teamed up with the Soundwaves Art Foundation for a limited-edition art collection, with each piece featuring a handwritten lyric by Roger that has been digitally added to the artwork. “I’m hearing secret harmonies, It’s a kind of magic!” reads the lyric.

The collection features four originals and 100 numbered prints autographed by Taylor and the sound waves artist Tim Wakefield. There are also autographed prints, which come in both mini and standard sizes. 

Proceeds from the sale benefit Teenage Cancer Trust, which is dedicated to providing specialist treatment and support for young people with cancer. 

More info can be found at soundwavesartfoundation.com.

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Slash is coming to late night TV in a big way.

The Guns N’ Roses rocker will guest on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on May 20, May 21 and May 22. He’ll be performing songs off his upcoming blues covers album, Orgy of the Damned, alongside house band Cleto and the Cletones.

You can tune in to watch starting at 11:35 p.m. ET.

Orgy of the Damned arrives Friday, May 17. It includes collaborations with AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop, ZZ Top‘s Billy F Gibbons and pop star Demi Lovato, among others.

Slash will launch a U.S. tour in July.

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Elton John is showing his gratitude after one of his records was named to Apple Music’s list of the 100 Best Albums. 

“THANK YOU @APPLEMUSIC FOR NAMING GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD ONE OF THE #100BESTALBUMS!” he wrote on his Instagram story, after the 1973 release landed at #78.

Apple Music has been slowly revealing their 100 Best Albums list, so far sharing those that have placed from 70 to 100.  

Other albums making the list include Steely Dan’s Aja at 73, Neil Young‘s After The Gold Rush at 81, Patti Smith‘s Horses at 83, AC/DC‘s Back in Black at 90 and Eagles‘ Hotel California at 99.

Released October 5, 1973, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road featured such future Elton classics as “Candle in the Wind,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Bennie and the Jets” and the title track.

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Yes’ fourth studio album, Fragile, which featured the hit song “Roundabout,” is set to be reissued this summer. 

Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition) will be released June 28, featuring a remastered version of the original album on both CD and vinyl, along with bonus material including rarities and previously unreleased live recordings. There will also be a Blu-ray featuring a new Dolby Atmos mix from music producer Steven Wilson. 

One of those unreleased recordings, “Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus),” is out now on all digital outlets. 

Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition) will feature four CDs, one LP and one Blu-ray, with the music also getting released digitally and on streaming platforms. It is available for preorder now.

Fragile, released in February 1972, was the first Yes album to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, with a Yes lineup that also included Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford and Steve Howe. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard Album chart, with the single “Roundabout” reaching #13 on the Hot 100. It has been certified double Platinum by the RIAA.

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John Lennon’s 1973 solo album, Mind Games, is getting a brand new reissue with lots of extra goodies for fans. 

The newly expanded Mind Games – Ultimate Collection is set to drop July 12, produced by Sean Ono Lennon, who oversaw the project, and with the blessing of Yoko Ono Lennon.

According to the press release, the Ultimate Collection “puts listeners in the center of the studio and explores the album’s 1973 recording sessions at the Record Plant in New York City.” It will include six different listening experiences, featuring unreleased outtakes, stripped down mixes, instrumentals, demos, rehearsals and even what’s described as “studio chatter.” 

And fans are getting a preview of what to expect with the release of “Mind Games” (Evolution Documentary),” an audio documentary that gives listeners insight into the evolution of the album’s title track. It includes an early piano demo of song, which at the time was called “Make Love Not War,” along with studio rehearsals and various takes on the tune. There’s also never-before-seen footage of John and Yoko in their bedroom at their Ascot home in February 1970.

Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection will be released as two-CD and two-LP versions, as well as a deluxe box set with six CDs and two Blu-rays and a super deluxe edition, which is limited to only 1,100 copies and includes two limited-edition reproduction artworks by John and Yoko, nine LPs, six CDs and two Blu-rays.

Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection is available for preorder now.

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A long-awaited documentary about legendary rockers Led Zeppelin is now one step closer to being released. 

Sony Pictures Classics just acquired the rights to the film, Becoming Led Zeppelin, which first premiered as a work-in-progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.

Now completed, the documentary, described as a “hybrid docu-concert film,” is the first officially sanctioned film about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group. It features never-before-seen footage newly unearthed from the band’s archives, including home movies and family photos. There’s also previously unseen performance footage from The Filmore West in January 1969, The Atlanta Pop Festival in July 1969 and The Texas Pop Festival in August 1969.  

Directed by Bernard MacMahon, the doc also includes exclusive interviews with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, as well as previously unheard interviews with their late drummer, John Bonham. 

According to the press release, the film is “a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate commentary from the famously private band.”

“When I saw the early cut of the film premiered, at the Venice Film Festival, it was amazing,” Page shares. “The energy of the story, and the power of the music, is phenomenal.”

Sony Pictures Classics is planning for a theatrical release of the film, but so far there’s no word on when it will hit theaters.

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