Classic Rock News

The new Thin Lizzy-themed audio/video collection pairing the 2020 documentary Phil Lynott: Songs for While I’m Away with the archival concert film and album Thin Lizzy: The Boys Are Back in Town Live at the Sydney Opera House October 1978 was released Friday.

The release is available now either as a two-DVD/CD set or a Blu-ray/DVD/CD set. A limited-edition version featuring a card autographed by longtime Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham can be purchased at NewburyComics.com.

Songs for While I’m Away presents a candid look at late Thin Lizzy singer/bassist Phil Lynott‘s life and music. It tells the story of how a Black boy raised during the 1950s by a working-class family in Dublin went on to become one of Ireland’s biggest rock stars before he died in 1986 of drug-related health issues at age 36.

The movie features archival footage of conversations with Lynott, as well as recent interviews with Thin Lizzy members and/or alums Gorham, Eric Bell, Darren Wharton and Midge Ure, as well as with U2‘s Adam Clayton, Metallica‘s James Hetfield, Huey Lewis and Suzi Quatro.

The film also includes conversations with Lynott’s wife, Caroline Taraskevics, and his daughters Sarah and Catherine Lynott.

Thin Lizzy: The Boys Are Back in Town Live at the Sydney Opera House October 1978, which was originally released in 1988, features the band performing many of its classic songs at the famed Australian venue. The footage has been restored for the new DVD release, while a companion CD of the show is also included in the package.

Here’s the The Boys Are Back in Town Live at the Sydney Opera House‘s CD track list:

“Jailbreak”
“Bad Reputation”
“Warriors”
“Don’t Believe a Word”
“Waiting for an Alibi”
“Still In Love with You”
“Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed”
“Cowboy Song”
“The Boys Are Back in Town”
“Suicide”
“Are You Ready”
“Baby Drives Me Crazy”
“Me and the Boys “

And here’s the track list for concert DVD:

“Jailbreak”
“Bad Reputation”
“Waiting for an Alibi”
“Cowboy Song”
“The Boys Are Back in Town”
“Are You Ready”
“Me and the Boys “
“Baby Drives Me Crazy”

Lost Sydney Performances
“Warriors”
“Don’t Believe a Word”
“Still In Love with You”
“Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed”
“Suicide”

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The 1995 Eric Clapton documentary Nothing but the Blues, which was broadcast just once on PBS, got its official release Friday on multiple formats and configurations, along with a companion soundtrack album.

The film features Clapton showcasing and discussing his lifelong passion for the blues. It includes performances from two concerts that he played in November 1994 at San Francisco’s famed Fillmore venue during his tour in support of his blues covers album From the Cradle.

Nothing but the Blues is available as a super deluxe limited-edition box set and as a standalone DVD or Blu-ray, while the soundtrack has been issued on CD and digitally. A two-LP vinyl version of the album will be released on July 29.

The movie was executive produced by Martin Scorsese, who also conducted an in-depth interview with Clapton for the film, in which the British guitar legend talks about his love for blues music and the artists who influenced him, such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Robert Johnson.

The film has been upgraded to 4K video, while the audio has been newly remastered.

The box set features a Blu-ray of the documentary, the soundtrack on both CD and as a two-LP set, and a bonus CD featuring four extra tracks. The collection comes packaged in an exclusive hardcover book and includes a lithograph, a poster, a set of Clapton guitar strings, guitar picks and a bandana.

In conjunction with Friday’s release of Nothing but the Blues, a video of Clapton performing the Willie Dixon-penned 1957 song “Groaning the Blues” has premiered at Clapton’s YouTube channel, where you also can watch a few other clips from the film.

Here’s the track list of the Nothing but the Blues DVD and Blu-ray:

“Blues All Day Long”
“Standin’ Round Crying”
“Forty-Four”
“It Hurts Me Too”
“Early in the Morning”
“Five Long Years”
“Crossroads”
“Malted Milk Blues”
“Motherless Child”
“How Long Blues”
“Reconsider Baby”
“Sinner’s Prayer”
“Every Day I Have the Blues”
“Crosscut Saw”
“Someday After a While”
“Have You Ever Loved a Woman”
“I’m Tore Down”
“Groaning the Blues”
“T’Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness”
“Driftin” (Bonus Track)

And here’s the soundtrack’s track list:

“Blues All Day Long”
“Standing ‘Round Crying”
“Forty-Four”
“It Hurts Me Too”
“Early in the Morning”
“Five Long Years”
“Crossroads”
“Malted Milk”
“Motherless Child”
“How Long”
“Reconsider Baby”
“Sinners Prayer”
“Every Day I Have the Blues”
“Someday After a While (You’ll Be Sorry)”
“Have You Ever Loved a Woman”
“I’m Tore Down”
“Groaning Blues”
“County Jail Blues”*

* = exclusive to two-LP vinyl version.

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As part of Don McLean‘s continuing 50th anniversary celebrations for his classic song “American Pie,” a special dance remix of the tune created by Australian electronic dance-music outfit L’Tric was released Friday via digital formats.

McLean was personally involved in making the remix, sharing his input and notes with L’Tric. The track features the singer/songwriter’s original vocals accompanied by a pulsing dance beat, hand claps and some modern electronic flourishes.

“American Pie” was originally released in October 1971 along with McLean’s studio album of the same name. The song spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early ’72.

L’Tric’s “American Pie” remix arrives between the new children’s book Don McLean’s American Pie: A Fable, which was published earlier this month, and the recently announced documentary The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie,” which will premiere in theaters and on Paramount+ in July.

Meanwhile, McLean continues his American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour with a show Friday night in San Antonio, Texas.

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The new Elvis Presley biopic Elvis opened in theaters Friday, and with its arrival an expansive star-studded soundtrack album has been released. The album features 36 tracks that include new versions of classic Presley tunes, remixes, virtual duets and more.

Among the songs that appear on the Elvis soundtrack is a duet between Stevie Nicks and Chris Isaak on a rendition of the 1963 Presley rarity “Cotton Candy Land.”

The album also features contributions from Doja Cat, Eminem & CeeLo Green, Kacey Musgraves, Jazmine Sullivan and Måneskin, and virtual duets pairing Presley’s archival vocals with Elvis star Austin Butler and with ex-White Stripes frontman Jack White.

You can purchase the Elvis soundtrack now. A special immersive website has also been launched to showcase the music.

Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, stars Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Here’s the album’s full track list:

“Suspicious Minds (Vocal Intro)” — Elvis Presley
“Also Sprach Zarathustra/American Trilogy” — Elvis Presley
“Vegas” — Doja Cat
“The King and I” — Eminem & CeeLo Green
“Tupelo Shuffle” — Swae Lee & Diplo
“I Got a Feelin’ in My Body (Stuart Price Remix)” — Elvis Presley and Stuart Price
“Craw-Fever” — Elvis Presley
“Don’t Fly Away (PNAU Remix)” — Elvis Presley & PNAU
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” — Kacey Musgraves
“Product of the Ghetto” — Elvis Presley & Nardo Wick
“If I Can Drea” — Måneskin
“Cotton Candy Land” — Stevie Nicks & Chris Isaak
“Baby, Let’s Play House” — Austin Butler
“I’m Coming Home (Film Mix)” — Elvis Presley
“Hound Dog” — Shonka Dukureh
“Tutti Frutti” — Les Greene
“Strange Things Are Happening Every Day” — Yola
“Hound Dog” — Austin Butler
“Let It All Hang Out” — Denzel Curry
“Trouble” — Austin Butler
“I Got a Feelin’ in My Body” — Lenesha Randolph
“Edge of Reality (Tame Impala Remix) ” — Elvis Presley & Tame Impala
“Summer Kisses/In My Body” — Elvis Presley
“’68 Comeback Special (Medley)” ” — Elvis Presley
“Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” — Jazmine Sullivan
“If I Can Dream” — Elvis Presley
“Any Day Now” — Elvis Presley
“Power of My Love” — Elvis Presley & Jack White
“Vegas Rehearsal/That’s All Right” — Austin Butler & Elvis Presley
“Suspicious Minds (Film Edit) ” — Elvis Presley
“Polk Salad Annie (Film Mix) ” — Elvis Presley
“Burning Love (Film Mix) ” — Elvis Presley
“It’s Only Love” — Elvis Presley
“Suspicious Minds” — Paravi
“In the Ghetto (World Turns Remix) ” — Elvis Presley featuring Nardo Wick
“Unchained Melody (Film Mix) ” — Elvis Presley

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If you’re a Grateful Dead fan who also happens to like the New York Yankees, here’s some cool news for you: The first 1,000 fans who purchase a special-event ticket to the Yankees’ August 1 home game will receive a collectible Jerry Garcia Bobblehead doll.

The promotion takes place on what would’ve been the late Garcia’s 80th birthday. The doll depicts Garcia with gray hair and a gray beard holding a guitar and wearing a Yankees home jersey, complete with pinstripes, the team’s interlocking NY logo on the front and the number 80 on the back.

Tickets to the game, which will feature the Yankees facing off against the Seattle Mariners, are available now at MLB.com. A portion of every ticket sold will be donated to The Grateful Dead’s Rex Foundation charity, which supports people involved with creative endeavors in the arts, sciences and education.

Fans can pick up their doll at Yankee Stadium by heading to the Bobblehead redemption table located on the Field Level next to Gate 2 up to one hour after the game’s first pitch is scheduled to be thrown.

It’s worth noting that a number of Grateful Dead fans have taken exception to the Yankees-themed Garcia Bobblehead, with some pointing out in the comments of a post on Jerry’s Facebook page that, as a native of the Bay Area, the legendary musician was a big San Francisco Giants fan.

Garcia died August 9, 1995, at the age of 53.

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Stephen Stills has joined the growing ranks of famous rock artists who have sold the rights to their musical recordings for a big payday.

Stills’ recorded music assets have been acquired by longtime Eagles manager Irving Azoff‘s Iconic Artists Group company, whose roster also includes David Crosby, Linda Ronstadt and The Beach Boys.

The 77-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist’s recorded assets include his solo work as well as music he created as a member of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Manassas, The Stills-Young Band and other projects. Stills has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice — with Buffalo Springfield and CSN.

The agreement also includes an interest in Stephen’s band trademarks and the use of his name and likeness.

In the wake of the acquisition, plans are in the works to release an archival live solo album that Stills recorded in 1971 in Berkeley, California, in support of his second solo album, Stephen Stills 2, and an expanded, 50th anniversary reissue of Manassas’ 1972 self-titled debut album.

“Music is one of the greatest driving forces in my life, a means to communicate a universal language, and it’s comforting to know my life’s work is in the very best hands with Irving and the Iconic team,” Stills says in a statement. “With the unreleased recordings I’m uncovering from my vault, and the 50th anniversary of Manassas, it couldn’t have been a more opportune time.”

Adds Azoff, “I have had the pleasure of knowing Stephen for more than 50 years and he is certainly one of rock’s most enduring American treasures. I’m pleased that we will be working together to preserve, expand, and share his musical legacy for his next generation of fans.”

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Neil Young will release a new live album and concert film titled Noise & Flowers on August 5, which was recorded during his nine-date 2019 European tour with his frequent backing group, Promise of the Real.

The album and film are dedicated to Young’s longtime friend and manager, Elliot Roberts, who died at age 76 just a couple of weeks before the trek was launched.

Noise & Flowers, which can be preordered now, will be available on CD, as a two-LP vinyl set, via digital formats and as a deluxe CD/two-LP/Blu-ray collection featuring the film on the Blu-ray disc. In addition, a standalone Blu-ray can be purchased exclusively at Young’s Greedy Hand Store. The film was co-directed by Young and his wife, Daryl Hannah, under their Bernard Shakey and dhlovelife pseudonyms.

“Playing in [Elliot’s] memory [made it] one of the most special tours ever,” Young notes in the album’s liner notes. “We hit the road and took his great spirit with us into every song. This music belongs to no one. It’s in the air. Every note was played for music’s great friend, Elliot.”

Noise & Flowers includes performances of a wide range of songs from Young’s back catalog, including classics such as “Mr. Soul,” “Helpless” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” and deeper cuts like “On the Beach,” “I’ve Been Waiting for You” and “Winterlong.”

One track, a rendition of the 1992 tune “From Hank to Hendrix,” has been issued as an advance digital single, while a video of the performance has been posted on Young’s official YouTube channel.

Those who purchase Noise & Flowers at the Greedy Hand Store will receive a high-res digital download of the album from Young’s Xstream Store at his NeilYoungArchives.com website.

Here’s Noise & Flowers full track list:

“Mr. Soul”
“Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”
“Helpless”
“Field of Opportunity”
“Alabama”
“Throw Your Hatred Down”
“Rockin’ in the Free World”
“Comes a Time”
“From Hank to Hendrix”
“On the Beach”
“Are You Ready for the Country”
“I’ve Been Waiting for You”
“Winterlong”
“F***in’ Up”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Styx‘s Tommy Shaw is among the artists who have lent their talents to veteran British producer, composer and musician Alan Parsons‘ latest album, From the New World, which will be released on July 15.

Shaw is featured on a song titled “Uroboros.” The album also includes guest appearances by acclaimed blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa, ex-Ambrosia singer David Pack and James Durbin, an American Idol alum and former Quiet Riot frontman.

Parsons has released a track titled “I Won’t Be Led Astray” as a new advance single that features Pack on vocals and Bonamassa on guitar. A music video for the song also has debuted on the Frontiers Music label’s YouTube channel.

The album can be preordered now and is available on CD, as a CD/DVD-audio set, as a colored-vinyl LP, digitally and as a Collector’s Box Set.

The box set includes the CD, the DVD audio disc, a blue-vinyl LP, a t-shirt, a poster, a digipak version of the Alan Parsons Live Project‘s Live in Madrid concert album and more.

Here’s the full track list of From the New World:

“Fare Thee Well”
“The Secret”
“Uroboros” — featuring Tommy Shaw of Styx
“Don’t Fade Now”
“Give ‘Em My Love” — featuring James Durbin and Joe Bonamassa
“Obstacles”
“I Won’t Be Led Astray” — featuring David Pack and Joe Bonamassa
“You Are the Light”
“Halo”
“Goin’ Home”
“Be My Baby”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

After premiering his new solo song “Patient Number 9” featuring Jeff Beck earlier this morning, Ozzy Osbourne has now debuted the song’s video.

The clip, directed by famed comic book creator Todd McFarlane, finds the Prince of Darkness in a hospital slowly turning into a demon, cut with a fantastical cartoon adventure. At one point, cartoon Ozzy is about to once again bite the head off a bat, before an even bigger bat grabs him and takes revenge.

“Having worked with Ozzy in the past, I jumped at another opportunity to do so again…especially on the music side this time,” says McFarlane. 

“In the harsh business called the music industry, any creative person who’s sustained a multi-decades career has shown the skill, talent and tenacity that will always garner my admiration,” he adds. “Ozzy has shown many of us creative folks that it’s indeed possible to make a living doing what you love for nearly an entire lifetime. Go, Ozzy!”

You can watch the video streaming now on YouTube.

As previously reported, “Patient Number 9” is the lead single and title track off the next Ozzy solo album, the follow-up to 2020’s Ordinary Man. The Andrew Watt-produced record features a number of guests, including Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready, Black Label Society‘s Zakk Wylde, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Jane’s Addiction‘s Chris Chaney and Metallica‘s Robert Trujillo.

Additionally, late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins makes a posthumous appearance.

Patient Number 9, the album, arrives September 9.

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