Classic Rock News

David Lee Roth has premiered a new solo song titled “Pointing at the Moon,” which you can check out now at the longtime Van Halen singer’s official YouTube channel.

Accompanying the acoustic-based, Americana-flavored tune is a new abstract painting by Roth bearing the same name, which he also posted on his official website and social media pages. No information about the song has been revealed.

The track begins with a solo piano intro, followed by a strummed acoustic guitar as Roth sings the enigmatic first verse, “From the mildew to the barbecue, you came through from the classroom to the tomb/ Moment of truth now, your bags are packed/ With lies you can go forward, but you cannot go back.”

“Pointing at the Moon” doesn’t appear to be available yet via any major digital music providers. The song is the first solo tune Roth has debuted since December 2021, when he premiered a video on his YouTube channel along with an acoustic-based song called “One Piece Thermo-Molded Country Plastic Chair,” which he dedicated “to all who are affected by and recovering from the Kentucky tornadoes.”

Roth has been relatively quiet since canceling a series of Las Vegas residency shows in January because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Diamond Dave had announced in an October 2021 interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he was planning to retire after the residency.

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Following Carlos Santana‘s onstage collapse last Tuesday during a show in the Detroit suburb of Clarkston, Michigan, his band immediately postponed a concert the following night in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, and now the group has postponed six additional performances.

The affected shows, which will be rescheduled, were to have taken place on June 8 in Noblesville, Indiana; June 9 in Cincinnati; July 10 in Milwaukee as part of the city’s Summerfest event; July 12 in Rogers, Arkansas; July 15 in Dallas, Texas; and July 16 in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands, Texas.

Carlos’ illness during the Clarkston show has been reported as “serious heat exhaustion and dehydration,” and the guitar legend’s manager, Michael Vrionis, explains in a statement that the concerts are being postponed “out of an abundance of caution for the artist’s health.”

He adds, “Doctor’s have recommended that Mr. Santana gets rest to recuperate fully.”  Carlos will turn 75 on July 20  

Santana is scheduled to resume touring on July 23 with a performance at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, California.

“Carlos is doing well and is anxious to be back on stage soon. He just needs rest,” Vrionis says. “Santana profoundly regrets…these postponements of his upcoming performances; but, his health is our number one concern. He is looking forward to seeing all of his fans very soon.”

Tickets purchased for the postponed concerts will be honored for the rescheduled dates. Visit Santana.com to check out all of the band’s confirmed shows.

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Neil Young has revealed that he just finished making a new studio album with Crazy Horse that he co-produced with Rick Rubin.

In a message posted Thursday on his Neil Young Archives website, the 76-year-old folk-rock legend explains that he’d like to release the album immediately, “but it won’t be out until later in this year,” because it will take some time for the vinyl to be manufactured.

“Listeners want vinyl for its quality and it’s worth waiting for,” he says, adding that some tracks from the album will be made available one at a time in advance leading up to the record’s release.

“With this recording, something special is happening and we know we have a good one,” Young enthuses about the new project. “It’s too early to say any more because in this world things come and go so fast. But real magic lasts and we think we have it.”

The as-yet-untitled album is a follow-up to Barn, which Young and Crazy Horse recorded in June 2021 and released in December.

“It’s the same band, Crazy Horse, but the music is unlike Barn, our last offering,” Neil writes. “Music lives!!!!! Two records made in one year!!!!!!!”

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Collective Soul has announced a new album called Vibrating.

The 11th studio effort from the “Shine” rockers will arrive August 12. The first single titled “All Our Pieces” is available now via digital outlets. You can watch its accompanying lyric video streaming now on YouTube.

“Our fans have been waiting for Vibrating for almost three years now, and I can’t wait for them to hear it,” says frontman Ed Roland. “They’re excited because both [2015’s] See What You Started and [2019’s] Blood set such a high standard for where we’re going as a band, and it’s only going to continue getting better with Vibrating. I really do believe that.”

Before Vibrating drops, Collective Soul will launch a U.S. co-headlining tour with Switchfoot July 15 in Gary, Indiana.

Here’s the Vibrating track list:

“Cut the Cord”
“Reason”  
“All Our Pieces”  
“Take”  
“Undone”  
“Rule No. 1”  
“A Conversation With”  
“Just Looking Around”
“Back Again”  
“Where Do I Go”

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Blondie has released a rare demo of a song called “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer” that was recorded in 1980 and that will be featured on the band’s expansive forthcoming box set, Blondie: Against the Odds 1974-1982, which is due out August 26.

The track, which is available now via digital formats, is an early version of “Go Through It,” a country-flavored tune that appeared on the band’s hit 1980 album, Autoamerican.

As previously reported, Against the Odds focuses on the influential New Wave band’s original heyday and is fully authorized by the group.

The retrospective, which can be preordered now, will be available in multiple formats and configurations, including an eight-CD set and a super deluxe collectors’ edition that features 10 12-inch vinyl LPs, a 10-inch LP and a 7-inch vinyl single.

The vinyl box set features 124 tracks, 36 of which are previously unreleased. The collection contains remastered versions of Blondie’s first six studio albums — 1976’s Blondie, 1977’s Plastic Letters, 1978’s Parallel Lines, 1979’s Eat to the Beat, Autoamerican and 1982’s The Hunter — and four LPs of outtakes, demos, remixes, alternate versions, home recordings and other rarities.

The 10-inch disc features additional rarities from 1974 and ’75, while the vinyl single boasts a cover of The Doors‘ “Moonlight Drive” and a demo of the song “Mr. Sightseer.”

The box set also includes extensive liner notes and track-by-track commentary from Blondie’s Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke, and from former members Jimmy Destri, Nigel Harrison, Frank Infante and Gary Valentine.

Blondie: Against the Odds also will be available as a four-LP package, a three-CD set and digitally.

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Heart singer Ann Wilson will take part in a special performance at an exhibition of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay‘s extensive collection of rock memorabilia and other historic artifacts, which will be held August 2 in Irsay’s hometown of Chicago.

Wilson will perform at the event with The Jim Irsay Band, which features Irsay backed by founding R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, longtime John Mellencamp guitarist Mike Wanchic, John Fogerty touring drummer Kenny Aronoff and other noteworthy musicians.

The exhibit of the Jim Irsay Collection and the performance will take place at the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier and will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. CT. The event is free, but tickets will be required to attend and can be reserved at Eventbrite.com.

Irsay’s collection includes guitars that were played and/or owned by Bob Dylan, members of The Beatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, The Grateful Dead‘s Jerry Garcia, Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour and many other famous musicians.

The collection also features other instruments, as well as autographed photos, handwritten lyrics and more. The most recent additions to Irsay’s trove of memorabilia is the guitar that late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain played in his band’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, and the guitar on which the late Janis Joplin learned to play “Me and Bobby McGee.”

Some non-music-related items also are part of the collection: an original “Wanted” poster for John Wilkes Booth, a baseball bat used by Jackie Robinson and a robe worn by Muhammad Ali.

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Metallica has joined forces with the heaviest guitar player in the Upside Down.

The metal legends “duet” with Stranger Things character Eddie Munson on a rendition of “Master of Puppets” in a new TikTok video.

The clip mashes up a new ‘Tallica performance of “Master of Puppets” from the band’s rehearsal space with the pivotal scene in the season 4 finale of the Netflix sci-fi series, in which Eddie, played by Joseph Quinn, shreds the 1986 thrash classic.

“Eddie, this is for you!” the TikTok’s caption reads.

To make it all the more fitting, the Metallica members are all wearing Hellfire Club shirts, a reference to Eddie’s Dungeons and Dragons group.

Metallica previously issued a statement saying that they were “beyond psyched” and “totally blown away” by the “Master of Puppets” placement in Stranger Things.

Since the episode’s premiere last Friday, streams of “Master of Puppets” have increased by 400%, according to Billboard. Meanwhile, the guitar instruction platform Yousician has seen a 100% uptick in plays of “Master of Puppets.”

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Eric Clapton has quietly debuted a new song called “Pompous Fool” on his official YouTube channel and social media pages.

Clapton has offered no details about the tune, which was posted on July 7, but some fans and media outlets have speculated that it might be a commentary on U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned that same day amid allegations of political corruption.

“Don’t you worry, don’t be blue/ Let your woman, take care of you,” Clapton sings in the first verse of the upbeat pop-blues tune. “Live your life, by the golden rule/ Pay no mind, to the pompous fool.”

Back in July 2021, Clapton posted a message criticizing Johnson after the politician announced that COVID-19 vaccine passes would be required to attend events at nightclubs and other venues in the U.K.

In the message, which appeared on the Telegram page of Clapton’s friend Robin Monotti, who identifies as a pro-vaccine-safety advocate, Clapton declared, “I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present. Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”

“Pompous Fool” currently doesn’t appear to be available for purchase or via the major streaming platforms.

In May, Clapton postponed several shows on his 2022 European tour leg to October because he had contracted COVID-19. His next scheduled performances are a series of seven U.S. concerts running from a September 8 gig in Columbus, Ohio, to a September 18-19 stand in New York City. Jimmie Vaughan will be joining him at most of the shows.

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Toast, an album that Neil Young recorded with his frequent backing band Crazy Horse in 2001, finally got its release day Friday.

The seven-track collection, which was recorded at Toast Studios in San Francisco, includes three songs that were never released in any form — “Standing in the Light of Love,” “Timberline” and “Gateway of Love.” The album is available now on CD, as a two-LP vinyl set and via digital formats.

Those who purchase Toast on CD and vinyl at Young’s Greedy Hand Store will receive a high-res digital download from the Xstream Store at Neil’s Archives website.

Coinciding with Toast‘s arrival, the 10-minute-long “Gateway of Love” has been issued as a digital single.

In a message first published on NeilYoungArchives.com in 2021, Young writes, “Toast is an album that stands on its own in my collection, unlike any other. The songs of Toast were so sad at the time that I couldn’t put it out. I just skipped it and went on to do another album in its place.”

He continued, “The music of Toast is about a relationship. There is a time in many relationships that go bad, a time long before the breakup, where it dawns on one of the people, maybe both, that it’s over. This was that time.”

Neil also praised Crazy Horse’s performance on the tracks, writing that the band “shows a depth never seen or heard before on any other Horse recording.” He added, “For the greatest group I have ever met — Crazy Horse — this is a pinnacle. Where they let me go, where they took me, was unbelievable. I couldn’t stay.”

Here’s Toast‘s full track list:

“Quit”
“Standing in the Light of Love”
“Goin’ Home”
“Timberline”
“Gateway of Love”
“How Ya Doin’?”
“Boom Boom Boom”

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The Eagles will be flying north of the border with their Hotel California 2022 Tour this September.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ ongoing tour, which celebrates their classic 1976 album, has been extended to include six Canadian dates — September 9 in Toronto, September 13 in Ottawa, September 16 in Winnipeg, September 18 in Saskatoon, September 20 in Edmonton and September 22 in Vancouver.

Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public next Friday, July 15 at 10 a.m. local time; A limited number of VIP packages will also be available that day. Pre-sale tickets are currently on sale. Visit Eagles.com for more information.

As previously reported, the tour features the Eagles performing the Hotel California album in its entirety, as well as other memorable tunes by the group, accompanied by an orchestra and a choir. The band’s current lineup includes founding singer/drummer Don Henley, longtime guitarist Joe Walsh, bassist Timothy B. Schmit and country star Vince Gill on vocals and guitar.

The Eagles wrapped up a European leg of the trek in June and also toured the U.S. earlier this year.

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