Classic Rock News

September 29, 1992, was a veritable grunge-a-palooza.

Thirty years ago today, both Alice in Chains‘ Dirt and Stone Temple Pilots‘ Core were released.

Dirt followed Alice’s 1990 debut Facelift, which put the band, and the signature harmonized vocals of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell on the map with the single “Man in the Box.” As AiC prepped their sophomore follow-up, the grunge scene had begun to take off, and the budding genre eventually became a household term as Nirvana‘s Nevermind hit #1 on the Billboard 200 in January 1992.

A few weeks before Dirt dropped, the new Cameron Crowe movie Singles premiered in theaters, which featured Alice in Chains performing the album’s lead single, “Would?” When Dirt did arrive, it debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, which was then a career-high for AiC.

Dirt also featured the singles “Rooster,” “Them Bones,” “Down in a Hole” and “Angry Chair.” The album would go on to earn a Grammy nomination and is today certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA.

As the grunge explosion continued, the “Seattle sound” of Nirvana, Alice, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden was no longer constricted to just the Pacific Northwest. Down the coast, Stone Temple Pilots were building a following in Southern California, leading to the release of their debut album, Core.

In addition to being geographical outsiders, Scott Weiland and company weren’t exactly critical darlings and were often dismissed as Pearl Jam imitators. Nevertheless, STP connected with listeners, who eventually propelled Core to #3 on the Billboard 200.

Singles including “Plush” and “Creep” are now considered ’90s classics, while Core has been certified eight-times Platinum.

Both AiC and STP have released deluxe reissues of Dirt and Core in honor of their respective albums’ milestone anniversaries.

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If your love of metal expands beyond just the music, then perhaps you’d be interested in a James Hetfield cigar or an Ozzy Osbourne burger.

The Metallica frontman has launched his own signature stogie, according to Cigar Aficionado. The Blacked M81 was created in collaboration with cigar maker Jonathan Drew and distiller Rob Dietrich, who also works with Metallica on their Blackened Whiskey.

“The three of us connected and shared each other’s vision and story about where we’ve been, what we like to see and what is important to us now,” Hetfield says. “We all came up with what a Blackened M81 cigar would look and taste like.”

Cigar Aficionado will be offering Blackened M81s at the magazine’s upcoming Big Smoke Las Vegas event in November.

Meanwhile, the metal-themed burger joint Grill ‘Em All has announced a new sandwhich inspired by Ozzy. Fittingly for the Prince of Darkness, the burger is served on a black bun with “house made
chimichurri, garlic aioli, blue cheese, onion frizzle and field greens” topping a half-pound of meat.

You can try one for yourself this Saturday, October 1 at the Grill ‘Em All in Alhambra, California. While the real Ozzy won’t be in attendance, the 25-foot inflatable version of the Black Sabbath frontman, which previously made its debut over the summer at San Diego Comic-Con, will be on display.

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2022 still has a few more months to go, but Billy Joel’s already making plans for 2023.

The Piano Man has announced that he’s headlining London’s annual British Summer Time Hyde Park festival on Friday, July 7. The gig is billed as his “only European appearance of 2023.” He’ll be joining his pal Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band at the festival: They’re performing July 6 and July 8.

The rest of the this year’s festival lineup — which has in the past featured the likes of Adele, Elton John, The Eagles, Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, Michael Bublé and Bruno Mars as headliners — will be announced at a later date.

Tickets go on sale October 6  at 10 a.m. London time via www.bst-hydepark.com.

Meanwhile, Billy’s concert film Live At Yankee Stadium — which documents his June 1990 show, the first rock concert ever held at the iconic venue — will be shown in theaters on October 5 and 9. You can get tickets at BillyJoel.film.

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It turns out that those enigmatic posts that appeared on Bruce Springsteen‘s social media pages earlier this week were teasing a big album announcement. The Boss has revealed that he will be releasing a new collection of 15 soul covers titled Only The Strong Survive on November 11.

The studio album will include gems from the catalogs of the Motown and Stax labels as well as by the legendary Philadelphia-based songwriting and production duo of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame is a featured guest vocalist on two tracks — renditions of Dobie Gray‘s “Soul Days” and William Bell‘s “I Forgot to Be Your Love.”

Only the Strong Survive, which was produced by Ron Aniello, also features contributions from the E Street Horns, strings, and backing vocals by a group of singers that includes E Street Band touring member Soozie Tyrell.

“I wanted to make an album where I just sang. And what better music to work with than the great American songbook of the Sixties and Seventies?” Bruce says in a statement. “I’ve taken my inspiration from Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin, Jimmy Ruffin, the Iceman Jerry Butler, Diana Ross, Dobie Gray, and Scott Walker, among many others. I’ve tried to do justice to them all — and to the fabulous writers of this glorious music.”

The Boss has released a version of “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” a 1965 rarity by Frank Wilson, as an advance digital track. A companion music video, which was directed by frequent Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny, has debuted on Bruce’s official YouTube channel.

Springsteen also has posted a YouTube video of him sharing details about the making of the project.

Only the Strong Survive can be preordered now. Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Only the Strong Survive”
“Soul Days” — featuring Sam Moore
“Nightshift”
“Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)”
“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”
“Turn Back the Hands of Time”
“When She Was My Girl”
“Hey, Western Union Man”
“I Wish It Would Rain”
“Don’t Play That Song”
“Any Other Way”
“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” — featuring Sam Moore
“7 Rooms of Gloom”
“What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”
“Someday We’ll Be Together”

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Today, September 29, marks the 25th anniversary of the release of The Rolling Stones‘ 23rd U.S. studio album, Bridges to Babylon, which peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200.

While the 13-track collection yielded no U.S. pop hits, three singles from the record broke into the top 20 of Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock chart — “Anybody Seen My Baby?,” “Saint of Me” and “Flip the Switch,” which reached #3, #13 and #14, respectively.

While The Stones were recording “Anybody Seen My Baby?,” guitarist Keith Richards‘ daughter Angela pointed out to him that the melody of the chorus was similar to that of Canadian singer k.d. lang‘s 1992 hit “Constant Craving,” so lang and her co-writer Ben Mink were given songwriting credits on the Stones tune alongside Richards and Mick Jagger.

The music video for “Anybody Seen My Baby?” features Angelina Jolie.

Bridges to Babylon was recorded at Ocean Way Recording studio in Los Angeles, and in addition to The Stones’ core members — Jagger, Richards, guitarist Ronnie Wood and drummer Charlie Watts — a variety of guest musicians and singers contributed to the sessions.

Among them were longtime Stones touring member Darryl Jones, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Living Colour‘s Doug Wimbish and album co-producer Don Was on bass; guitarist Waddy Wachtel; keyboardists Billy Preston and Benmont Tench; jazz sax great Wayne Shorter; rapper Biz Markie; ex-Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin on multiple instruments and backing vocals; and famed session drummer Jim Keltner on percussion.

To support Bridges to Babylon, The Rolling Stones mounted a major tour that featured 108 dates and ran from September 1997 to September 1998.

The album has been certified Platinum for sales of over 1 million copies in the U.S.

Here’s the full track list of Bridges to Babylon:

“Flip the Switch”
“Anybody Seen My Baby?”
“Low Down”
“Already Over Me”
“Gunface”
“You Don’t Have to Mean It”
“Out of Control”
“Saint of Me”
“Might as Well Get Juiced”
“Always Suffering”
“Too Tight”
“Thief in the Night”
“How Can I Stop”

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A music video for “Fantastic,” a previously unheard solo Joe Strummer song featured on Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years box set, has debuted on the late Clash frontman’s official YouTube channel.

The clip features a montage of photos and candid archival footage of Strummer, and includes a brief cameo appearance by Pearl Jam‘s Eddie Vedder. The video begins with an emotional spoken-word recording of Strummer encouraging people to get along with each other.

The clip was directed by Lance Bangs, whose credits include videos for songs by R.E.M., Green Day and George Harrison.

“Fantastic” was one of Strummer’s last recordings and includes vocals he recorded at the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales in December 2002, the same month that he died.

Joe Strummer 002: The Mescaleros Years features remastered versions of the three studio albums Strummer made with his backing band, The Mescaleros — 1999’s Rock Art and the X-Ray Style, 2001’s Global a Go-Go and 2003’s posthumous Streetcore — as well as a disc titled Vibes Compass that boasts 15 rare and previously unreleased tracks.

Vibes Compass includes “Fantastic,” as well as some of the first demos Strummer made for The Mescaleros, outtakes of several later tracks by the group and a song called “Ocean of Dreams” that features contributions from Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones.

The collection was curated by Strummer’s widow, Lucinda Tait, and is available as a four-CD set, a seven-LP vinyl package and digitally.

The physical versions of the box set come with books featuring exclusive new interviews with Strummer’s friends, collaborators and Mescaleros bandmates, as well as previously unseen handwritten notes, lyrics and drawings from Joe’s archives.

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The Last Band on Stage, a new documentary about Chicago and how the group dealt with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, will premiere in select theaters Thursday, September 29, and will be available on demand starting Friday.

The movie, which is narrated by Joe Mantegna, features many of Chicago’s current members, including co-founders Robert Lamm, James Pankow and Lee Loughnane, discussing how the health crisis forced the band to put touring plans on hold for the first time in their 55-year career.

The film also documents the remote recording of the title track of Chicago’s new studio album, If This Is Goodbye, and how the experience led to the group members realizing they will eventually have to call it a day.

A trailer for the documentary has been posted on YouTube. It features various band members talking about the final concert Chicago played before the COVID-19 shutdowns began in March 2020 and their joy in returning to the stage over a year later.

The Last Band on Stage will be released digitally via iTunes this Friday and is available for preorder now.

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A new archival box set that explores the 12-month period leading up to the arrival of David Bowie‘s classic 1971 album Hunky Dory will be released November 25.

David Bowie: Divine Symmetry, which can be preordered now, features four CDs and one Blu-ray audio disc that include home demos, BBC radio sessions, live performances and studio recordings. The collection boasts 48 previously unreleased tracks and new alternative mixes of songs from Hunky Dory, created by the album’s original co-producer, Ken Scott.

The box set is packaged with two books: a 100-page hardback featuring rare memorabilia and photos and a 60-page book featuring replicas of Bowie’s notebooks from the period that include handwritten lyrics, drawings, recording notes, set lists and more.

Among the many unreleased tunes on Divine Symmetry are songwriting demos of the classic songs “Life on Mars?” and “Changes.”

An alternate version of the Hunky Dory tune “Kooks,” recorded in September 1971 with Spider from Mars guitarist Mick Ronson for the BBC radio show Sounds of the 70s, has been released as an advance digital track.

David Bowie: Divine Symmetry also will be available via digtial formats, while a 12-track vinyl LP featuring selections from the box set will be released February 24, 2023.

Check out more information, including the full track list, at DavidBowie.com.

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If you’re going to see the new Ronnie James Dio documentary, maybe bring some tissues along with your metal horns.

The film, titled Dio: Dreamers Never Die, follows the metal legend’s entire musical career from his days as a ’50s doo-wop singer and forming the band Elf to joining Ritchie Blackmore‘s Rainbow and replacing the fired Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath to finally launching his own namesake band, Dio.

It continues throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s, with Ronnie’s career taking a plunge amid to the grunge and alternative explosion, to his triumphant reunion in the 2000s with former Black Sabbath bandmates in the band Heaven & Hell, and his untimely death of stomach cancer in 2010.

Making Dreamers Never Die was a “bittersweet” experience for Ronnie’s widow, Wendy Dio, who’s an executive producer on the film.

“When we were going through all the archives and everything … there was certain things I laughed about, and then other things I cried about,” Wendy tells ABC Audio. “It was just a very emotional journey.”

Wendy adds the film’s directors, Don Argott and Demian Fenton, were “just amazing.”

“They just did everything that I wanted and more,” she says. “I was so, so proud of this movie.”

Ronnie’s story struck Fenton as one different from the usual rock ‘n’ roll tale.

“Normally you hear the story about the young rock people, rocker gets discovered early on and everything crashes and burns and all this stuff, but Ronnie is the opposite,” Fenton says. “He worked for years, he worked for decades honing his craft, learning about who he was as an artist.”

Dio: Dreamers Never Die will be shown in theaters on September 28 and October 2. For more info, visit DioDreamersNeverDie.com.

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Former Youngbloods frontman Jesse Colin Young has three concerts lined up in Northern California in the coming week as part of the veteran folk-rock singer/songwriter’s ongoing tour in support of his 2020 solo album, Highway Troubadour.

The first show will see Young opening for the Steve Miller Band this Friday in Lincoln; the second concert, which takes place Saturday, is a headlining gig in Santa Cruz; and the final performance will be a set at San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival on Sunday.

Jesse tells ABC Audio that his friendship with Steve Miller dates all the way back to 1967, after they’d both relocated to the Bay Area. Young says Steve likely will hit the stage with him in Lincoln to perform The Youngbloods’ classic 1960s hit “Get Together.”

“He loves that song as much as I do, I think,” Jesse maintains.

Joining Young at all of the gigs will be his daughter Jazzy, a singer/songwriter in her own right who recorded a duet version of Cat Stevens‘ “Trouble” with her dad that was released as a single last year.

While Jazzy will sing with Jesse at the end of his sets opening for the Miller Band and at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Young says his daughter will get to play three of her own tunes during his headlining show.

“[S]he’s so musical and so real in the way she approaches writing about relationships,” Young enthuses.

Meanwhile, Jesse describes his performance at the San Francisco festival, which is a free event at the city’s Golden Gate Park, “a completion of the circle.”

He notes that when The Youngbloods moved to the Bay Area from New York in ’67, one of their early shows was a free performance in the famous park.

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