Classic Rock News

Yes’ biggest hits are about to be all in one place. Rhino is set to release the new vinyl Yessingles on October 6, featuring 12 of the band’s most popular tunes. 

The album features a chronological history of Yes hits, with songs from 1971 to 1984. Tracks on the album include “Your Move,” “Starship Trooper,” “America,” the #1 hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and more. Also included is a promo radio edit version of “And You And I (Part One),” which has just been released digitally for the first time.

Yessingles will be released on 140-gram black vinyl, with a special splatter-vinyl coming to retailers. It is available for preorder now.

Here is the track list for Yessingles:

“Your Move” – Single Version
“Starship Trooper: Life Seeker” – Single Version
“Roundabout” – Single Edit
“America” – Single Edit
“And You And I (Part One)” – Promo Radio Edit
“Soon” – Single Edit
“Sound Chaser” – Single Edit
“Wondorous Stories” – Single Version
“Don’t Kill The Whale” – Single Version
“Into The Lens” – Single Version
“Owner Of A Lonely Heart” – Single Version
“Leave It” – Single Remix

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Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is doing even more to raise money for relief efforts following the wildfires that devastated Maui, Hawaii, earlier this month. 

The band is already raffling off two signed posters to raise money for those affected by the wildfires. Now, Vedder has donated an autographed ukulele featuring his original artwork to a silent auction for the Maui Mana Wildlife Relief Benefit, an event in Honolulu that includes the auction, a local concert and more. 

Bidding is open until Saturday, August 26, at 11:30 p.m. ET, with the current bid for Vedder’s ukulele at $6,000.

Vedder isn’t the only rocker lending support. Musician and Hawaii native Jack Johnson has also donated an autographed ukulele to the silent auction, while former AC/DC drummer Chris Slade has donated autographed drumsticks and a drumhead. 

“The goal of our Silent Auction is to unite our community in a shared mission of compassion and support,” reads a post on the auction’s site. “Each bid and contribution made during the auction serves as a tangible step towards rebuilding lives, restoring hope, and fostering a sense of unity.”

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Dave Grohl made a surprise appearance during a recent concert by Chevy Metal, a cover band that featured late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.

The show took place at the Harley’s Bowl bowling alley in Southern California on Monday, August 21. Along with Grohl, other guests included Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins and Hawkins’ son, Shane.

Chevy Metal posted photos from the gig on their Instagram. According to Setlist.fm, they played songs by artists including Van Halen, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and The Rolling Stones.

Chevy Metal was one of the many bands to play the two tribute concerts to Hawkins, which took place September 2022 in London and Los Angeles. For both shows, Chevy Metal performed alongside pop star Kesha.

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On this Day, August 23, 1946… 

Future The Who drummer Keith Moon was born in North West London.

Moon joined the band in 1964 before they recorded their first single, and went on to play on eight of The Who’s albums, with his last being 1978’s Who Are You.

Throughout his musical career, he was known for his destructive nature and turned trashing hotel rooms into an art.

He suffered from alcohol problems over the years and died in September of 1978 from an overdose of a drug that was supposed to prevent alcohol withdrawal.

The Who’s Roger Daltrey has been very vocal about his attempts to make a Keith Moon biopic; as of February, he revealed that he had finished the script for it.

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A new TV music series coming this fall will try to answer an often debated question: Who is the greatest rock star?

AXS TV is teaming with SPIN for the new series, SPIN’s 100 Greatest Rock Stars Since That Was A Thing, which is inspired by a list the mag initially put out in 2021. The series, which premieres October 2 at 8 p.m., will spotlight artists who “best embody the ‘Rock Star’ spirit,” including Stevie Nicks, Kurt Cobain, Jimmy Page, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, Syd Barrett, Grace Slick and more.

The series will include “Artist Spotlights,” and there will be segments celebrating musicians who are loved by other artists, including Sammy Hagar, The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and AC/DC’s Angus Young. There will also be plenty of guests chiming in about what makes the artists on the list great, with appearances by Twisted Sister‘s Dee Snider, The Police‘s Stewart Copeland, Steve Vai, Joel McHale, Carnie Wilson and others.

“The problem with lists like this is they are invariably BS. So our prime objective was to make sure we didn’t do a BS list,” says SPIN founder Bob Guccione Jr. “A rock star is, perhaps by definition, undefinable. They just are. They’re luminescent. Even when, in some cases, they didn’t want to be,” adding, “I’m excited to bring this list to life with AXS TV!” 

So, who made SPIN’s list of the greatest rock stars? Well, it’s certainly possible the list will change, but the original 2021 article picked The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards for the top spot, with Prince, Hendrix, Page and Bowie also making the cut.

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A new documentary about Paul Simon is getting its U.S. premiere next month. 

Variety reports that In Restless Dreams: The Music Of Paul Simon, from award winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, is set to premiere at the Camden International Film Festival, taking place September 14-17 at venues throughout Camden and Rockland, Maine.

In the film, Gibney follows Simon’s career, from growing up in Queens to his partnership with Art Garfunkel and more. It also goes in the studio with the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer during the making of his most recent album, Seven Palms, which was released in May.

While the Camden Festival is the movie’s U.S. premiere, it won’t be the first time people will see it. It’s getting its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday, September 9.

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Eric Clapton and the Grateful Dead‘s Bob Weir are among the guest stars featured on Stephen Marley’s new album Old Soul, which will be released September 15.

Clapton lends his guitar talents to Stephen’s acoustic cover of dad Bob Marley’s “I Shot The Sheriff,” which he also covered in 1974 for his album 461 Ocean Boulevard. Weir is featured on the track “Winding Roads” along with Jack Johnson and Weir’s band Wolf Bros, made up of Don Was and Dead & Company’s Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane.

Old Soul is Marley’s first full-length album since 2016. It will also feature guest appearances by Ziggy Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Buju Banton and Slightly Stoopid.

Old Soul will be released digitally, on CD and as a limited edition double vinyl; it’s available for preorder now.

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If a T-shirt isn’t enough for you to express your love for Metallica, perhaps some jewelry will do the trick.

The metal legends have announced a ring inspired by their new album, 72 Seasons. The ring will be available as an all-silver piece for $249.99, with a limited edition version embossed with brass selling for $349.99.

The brass edition is exclusive to members of Metallica’s Fifth Member fan club and will be limited to just 72 pieces.

For more info, visit Metallica.com.

72 Seasons was released in April. Metallica is currently supporting the album on the world M72 tour, which continues Friday, August 25, in Los Angeles.

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Guns N’ Roses continues to surprise fans on their current world tour. The latest instance came Monday, August 21, during their show at Fenway Park in Boston, when Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde came out to join them on the track “Bad Obsession.”

Fan-shot footage posted to YouTube shows Chrissie joining Axl Rose and the others on harmonica for the Use Your Illusion I track, which was the second song of the night.

Chrissie and the Pretenders are currently one of the opening acts on the Guns N’ Roses tour. The trek hits Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Thursday, August 24. A complete list of dates can be found at gunnroses.com.

Pretenders, who are dropping the new album Relentless on September 1, are also currently headlining a club tour. Their next club show is happening Saturday, August 26, in Nashville, Tennessee. A complete list of dates can be found at thepretenders.com.

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith, often called the Godmother of Punk, continues to to be an inspiration to future generations of musicians, and the latest artist paying her respects to her is Dua Lipa.

The pop star has just picked Smith’s acclaimed memoir, Just Kids, as the September pick for her Service95 Book Club. 

The book documents Smith’s relationship with late photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in the late ’60s and early ’70s New York art scene. The book was a New York Times best seller, and in 2010, it won the National Book Award for Non-Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award.

“Patti is an absolute rock and roll icon and a personal hero of mine so I am beyond excited to dive into this book,” Dua writes on Instagram. “It’s hard to define Patti – she is a singer, a songwriter, a poet, a painter and, of course, an author. It’s safe to say that we get something of all of these personas through this beautiful book.”

Dua continues, “I’d have loved to be part of such a cool era. Patti gives us the next best thing – possibly the most spellbinding account of New York in the ’70s ever written. As we witness the ascent of two legendary artists – Robert and Patti – it’s clear that her respect and love for artistry never dims.”

Throughout September, Book Club followers will see Dua chatting with Smith about her life experiences and creative process. Smith will also share two exclusive readings, a playlist and a compilation of her own must-reads.

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