R.E.M. puts together best-of playlist to celebrate ﻿’The Bear’﻿-driven resurgence

R.E.M. puts together best-of playlist to celebrate ’The Bear’-driven resurgence

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.

Eddie Vedder’s daughter corrects Swfitie confusing her dad for Pedro Pascal

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.”

Billy Idol announces Twitch livestream ahead of self-titled debut expanded reissue

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.

On This Day, July 24, 1978: The ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ movie opens in theaters

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.

James Taylor remembers Tony Bennett: “a bright light in our world”

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.”

After Judas Priest’s career-high ’Billboard ‘200 debut, Richie Faulkner’s hoping for a #1 album

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.

Loverboy’s Mike Reno on touring with Foreigner: “It’s like a hit fest”

July 24, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.

Brian Setzer to release new solo album, ‘The Devil Always Collects,’ in September

July 22, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

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.

How Sting (sort of) inspired Christopher Nolan’s new movie, ‘Oppenheimer’

July 21, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Christopher Nolan‘s much-anticipated new movie, Oppenheimer, arrives in theaters Friday, July 21. But it turns out Nolan may have never had the idea to make a movie about “the father of the atomic bomb” if it hadn’t been for Sting.

As EW reports, Nolan first became aware of J. Robert Oppenheimer when he was a kid in the ’80s and heard Sting’s song “Russians,” an anti-nuclear war track from Sting’s 1985 debut solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles.

As Nolan tells EW, “That Sting song … refers to Oppenheimer’s ‘deadly toys.'”

Specifically, the song’s lyrics go, “How can I save my little boy/from Oppenheimer’s deadly toy?”

“I was growing up in the U.K. at a time when people were very concerned about nuclear armaments,” Nolan continues. “When I was 12 or 13, myself and my friends were absolutely convinced that we were going to experience a nuclear war at some point in our lives. Oppenheimer stuck with me as a figure and I learned more about him over the years.”

When Nolan learned later in his life that the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project couldn’t rule out the possibility that detonating an atomic bomb would cause a chain reaction that would destroy the planet, he knew he had to make a film that included that dramatic decision.

“I’m just very interested in taking the audience into that room, and being there, and kind of living in that moment,” Nolan says. “What would that have been like to push that button, knowing there was any possibility of that?”

Roger Waters reveals the reason he wanted to remake ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’

July 21, 2023 by Classic Rock 93.9

Roger Waters has rerecorded Pink Floyd’s classic album The Dark Side of the Moon for a new release, The Dark Side of the Moon Redux, dropping October 6. In a new a video posted to YouTube, Waters explains why he’s revisiting the hugely successful record.

Waters shares that in celebrating the album’s 50th anniversary this year he realized it “deserves a reimagining.” He notes, “The message has stood the test of time, the concept has stood the test of time and it’s a really important thing.” He added it “seemed like a really good way to celebrate” the album’s anniversary.

Waters tells fans that his take on the record shouldn’t “supersede” or “replace” the original, but it’s there to “remember it as an adjunct to it.”

“I love the original recording, by the way, and I love what Nicky (Mason) did and what Rick (Wright) did and what Dave (Gilmour) did on the original recording,” he says. “The new recording is more reflective, I think, and it’s more indicative of what the concept of the record was.”

Waters adds, “It is a reinterpretation and I hope that we can gain more from it than we did back in 1973 when it first came out, ‘cause it’s been part of all of our lives for 50 years, and yet we are still not yet breathing in the air.”

The Dark Side of the Moon Redux is available for preorder now. It features reworkings of all the tracks on the original album. A double LP edition of the release will include a 13-minute bonus track, “Original Composition,” which was inspired by the rerecording.

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