Classic Rock News

Paul Simon opened up about his hearing loss during an appearance at the Toronto Film Festival to promote his new Alex Gibney-directed documentary, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.

“I haven’t accepted it entirely, but I’m beginning to,” he told the audience at the Princess of Wales Theatre, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Simon says he still plays the guitar every day, sharing it’s not only an outlet to “express myself creatively,” but “It’s where I go for solace. If I’m feeling … ‘whatever.’”

“So it’s a very crucial thing to me,” he added. “You know, something happens to you when you have some sort of disability that changes your awareness or changes how you interact with life.”

Due to the hearing loss, Simon wasn’t able to tour behind his most recent album, Seven Psalms, noting that when he’s on the road, “I have the opportunity to really investigate the piece. And then it evolves to another standard and goes further.”

He is exploring new ways to get back out on the road. 

“Although a week from now I’m going to try and work with two guitarists who will play the parts that I played on the record, and see if I can sing the piece,” Simon shared. “I’m not sure how I can integrate my voice with the guitars.”

So far, there’s no word on when In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon will hit theaters.

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On This Day, September 11, 1953…

Tommy Roland Shaw, guitarist and co-lead vocalist for the band Styx, was born in Montgomery, Alabama. 

Shaw joined Styx in 1975 and made his first appearance on their 1976 album, Crystal Ball. He co—wrote and sang such well-known Styx songs as “Renegade,” “Blue Collar Man” and “Too Much Time On My Hands.”

In the 1990s, Shaw, Ted Nugent, Night Ranger’s Jack Blades and drummer Michael Cartellone formed the band Damn Yankees and had a huge hit with the song “High Enough,” which Shaw co-wrote. He and Blades also got together and formed the duo Shaw Blades, which released their debut album, Hallucination, in 1995. 

Shaw still tours with Styx to this day. They have dates booked through November 11 and will then resume touring in early January 2024.

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AC/DC has announced a lineup change ahead of their set at the upcoming Power Trip festival.

In a Facebook post, the “Highway to Hell” legends revealed that drummer Matt Laug will be joining them for the performance in place of Phil Rudd. The post also includes an audio clip from a recent rehearsal for the festival.

“PWR UP for Power Trip!” AC/DC writes in the caption. “Listen to the rehearsal of the boys powering up with Cliff Williams, who’s coming out of retirement for the festival and Matt Laug on drums.”

The last time AC/DC played live was in 2016, and they were without both Rudd and vocalist Brian Johnson. Rudd had parted ways with AC/DC in 2015 due to legal troubles, while Johnson was off the road due to severe hearing issues, paving the way for Guns N’ Roses‘ Axl Rose to fill in on lead vocals. Co-founding guitarist Malcolm Young died in 2017, and bassist Williams announced his retirement in 2018.

Johnson, Rudd and Williams then returned to AC/DC alongside Angus Young for the 2020 album Power Up, which marked the reunion of the classic Back in Black lineup, minus the late Malcolm.

Laug, meanwhile, is known for playing drums on Alanis Morissette‘s hit album Jagged Little Pill.

Power Trip will be held October 6-8 in Indio, California, the same site as Coachella. The bill also includes Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Tool and Judas Priest, who took the place of Ozzy Osbourne after he pulled out due to health issues.

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Jimmy Buffett’s wife, Jane Slagsvol, shared a touching tribute to her late husband, who passed away September 1 at the age of 76. 

“As Jimmy said a few months ago, ‘growing old is not for sissies.’ These last few years have been unimaginably challenging for Jimmy and me, and we’re definitely not sissies,” she wrote on his website. “One thing we both knew and experienced, through every difficult moment, was the feeling of being buoyed up by all the people in our lives,” she continued, noting they felt “surrounded by love.”

Jane thanked Jimmy’s fans, who she described as a “big, boisterous family.” “The smile that Jimmy beamed at you from the stage was sparked by your spirit, she wrote. “He was so grateful to the community you built around him.”

Jane also thanked all the people who cared for Jimmy during his battle with Merkel cell skin cancer as well as their friends and all those who worked for the rocker.

“Jimmy was love. Every cell in his body was filled with joy. He smiled all the time, even when he was deeply ill,” she wrote. “And his sense of humor never wavered. Jimmy was always the optimist, always twinkling, always making us laugh.”

After quoting his new song “Bubbles Up,” she concluded, “Jimmy knew he was loved. Right until the end, he looked for the light. Thank you for giving joy to him and to me.”

Meanwhile, fans are showing their love for Jimmy by rediscovering his music. Billboard reports that Songs You Know by Heart: Jimmy Buffett’s Greatest Hit(s) is back on the Billboard 200 at #4, a new high for the record. It’s also the first time the album’s made not only the Top 10, but the Top 40.

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Bernie Taupin‘s memoir, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me, an inside look at his life and career as the co-writer of Elton John‘s biggest hits, is out September 12. It features plenty of rock ‘n’ roll behavior and celebrity encounters, with everyone from John Lennon and Freddie Mercury to Princess Margaret, but what’s really amazing is that Elton didn’t know some of the details Bernie reveals in the book.

“He genuinely loved the book. I was so flattered by his compliments on it,” Bernie tells ABC Audio. “But the first thing he said to me when he called me after he finished the book, he went, ‘I can’t believe all of this. I mean, I didn’t know you did this. I didn’t know you did that.'”

“That’s a fan fantasy that we’ve lived in [each other’s] hip pockets for the last 55 years, ’cause it’s not true,” Bernie adds.

While the book isn’t in chronological order — hence the title Scattershot — it does cover all the major moments in Bernie and Elton’s career. It just does it from Bernie’s point of view.

“There are things in our collective lives that are bigger than life itself … they’re huge bullet points in our careers. You have to address them,” he says.

As for a new Elton album, Bernie says it’s being discussed.

“I’m sure somewhere in the not too distant future we’re going to be getting in the studio and doing something,” says Bernie. “We just have to figure out what we want to do.”

What he does know is that Elton really isn’t going to tour anymore.

“Believe me,” Bernie says. “He’s never going to be singing ‘Crocodile Rock’ … again.”

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The Rolling Stones just announced their new album, Hackney Diamonds, is coming out October 20, and there’s no doubt fans are excited. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will be touring to support the record, and it sounds like those fans won’t be disappointed.

When asked by ABC News whether they’re planning a new tour, Ronnie Wood confirmed it will be happening. “Oh, America we have penciled in for next year,” he shared. “And we really hope we can finish off what we started last time.” 

Ronnie says it’s frustrating they have to wait a month for the album to come out, though he’s sure fans will love it.

“It’s a really rewarding thing for me to hear the tracks and it’s a heartwarming feeling,” he says.

Frontman Mick Jagger echoes that sentiment, sharing that they’re “really pleased with the record.”

“It’s got a lot of styles. It’s very eclectic,” he says, calling it rock based but not a classic rock album.

And if fans weren’t excited enough by Hackney Diamonds, they’ll be happy to know it won’t be the last new music we hear from The Stones. Jagger revealed, “We cut a lot of songs, so we got almost like two-thirds of the next album as well. … We got a good jump in on that one.” 

Hackney Diamonds, The Stones’ first album of new songs in 18 years, is available for preorder now.

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Pearl Jam was forced to postpone their concert scheduled for Sunday, September 10 in Noblesville, Indiana, just outside Indianapolis, due to illness.

“The band is deeply sorry and thinking of those who travel to shows, as well as the great crowd in Indy,” read a statement on their website, which did not identify who in the band was sick.  

“It’s obviously serious, and we wish there was another way around it,” the added. “Again we apologize, and thanks so much for your understanding. It’s not easy…“ 

Pearl Jam says the show will be rescheduled “for a future date,” and those who can’t make it will be refunded.

The Seattle rockers’ next shows are scheduled for September 13 and 15 in Ft. Worth, Texas, and as of now, they are scheduled to go on as planned. The tour wraps September 18 and 19 in Austin, Texas.

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Whitesnake is sharing another preview of their upcoming reissue of 2015’s The Purple Album, celebrating the 50th anniversary of frontman David Coverdale’s three years in the band Deep Purple.

The band’s just released “Lay Down, Stay Down (2023 Remix),” the second song they’ve shared from the record, following a live recording of the 1974 track “Burn.”

“‘Lay Down, Stay Down’ was one of the first songs I wrote with Ritchie Blackmore at his house in Camberley, Surrey,” Coverdale shares. “It’s a lyric about dealing with bullies … an aspect of the human condition I despise.”

He added, “I can’t tell you the original ‘working’ title I had, as it’s quite disgusting … It’s about fighting back & not taking any s*** from anybody.”

You can listen to “Lay Down, Stay Down (2023 Remix)” now via digital outlets and watch its new video streaming on YouTube.

The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition will be released October 13 as a two-CD/Blu-ray set, which includes concert videos from The Purple Tour, official music videos and more, including commentary from Coverdale. It’s also being released on two-LP gold vinyl.

All formats are available for preorder now.

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Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir is featured on Stephen Marley’s new track, “Winding Roads.” It also features Jack Johnson and Weir’s backing band, Wolf Brothers, made up of Don Was, and Dead & Company members Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane.

The song will be featured on Marley’s new album, Old Soul, which drops Friday, September 15. It also features a guest appearance by Eric Clapton on Stephen’s acoustic cover of dad Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff,” which Clapton also covered in 1974 for his album 461 Ocean Boulevard.

Other guests on the album include Ziggy Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Buju Banton and Slightly Stoopid.

Old Soul, Marley’s first full-length album since 2016, will be released digitally, on CD and as a limited-edition double vinyl; it’s available for preorder now.

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Steve Miller is sharing another track off J50: The Evolution of The Joker, his upcoming box set celebrating the 50th anniversary of his classic album The Joker. 

Miller has just released the tune “Mama Church (A Capella),” which is one of eight previously unreleased songs on the set. It’s a song he recorded in a hotel room on April 21, 1972.

You can listen to “Mama Church (A Capella)” via digital outlets and on YouTube.

J50:The Evolution of The Joker, dropping September 15, will feature not only the original album but 27 previously unreleased recordings, some of which were taken from Miller’s personal songwriting tapes, along with studio outtakes and more. There will also be six audio commentary tracks, with Miller taking fans through the “evolution” of the album.

J50: The Evolution of The Joker is available for preorder now. 

Meanwhile, the Steve Miller Band is set to kick off the next leg of their North American tour on Saturday, September 9, in Nampa, Idaho. A complete list of dates can be found at stevemillerband.com.

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