Classic Rock News

Elvis Costello will greet 2022 with a new studio album that he recorded with his longtime backing group The Imposters called The Boy Named If.

The 13-track collection, which will be released on January 14, is described in a press statement as an album “of urgent, immediate songs with bright melodies, guitar solos that sting and a quick step to the rhythm.”

Costello explains about the project, “The full title of this record is The Boy Named If (And Other Children’s Stories). ‘IF’ is a nickname for your imaginary friend; your secret self, the one who knows everything you deny, the one you blame for the shattered crockery and the hearts you break, even your own.”

The Boy Named If will be available on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats. There also will be “an 88-page hardback storybook edition,” each copy of which will be signed and numbered by Elvis.

The storybook edition features 13 illustrated short stories that have the same titles as the album’s songs and relate to the corresponding tunes in some way. The stories feature the lyrics of the songs, and the illustrations were created by artist Eamon Singer.

In advance of The Boy Named If, one of the tracks, “Magnificent Hurt,” has been released as a digital single.

Costello has been quite busy since the start of the pandemic. He released his last studio album, Hey Clockface, in October of 2020, followed in March 2021 by La Face de Pendule à Coucou, an EP featuring French-language versions of six songs from Hey Clockface sung by Iggy Pop, actress Isabelle Adjani and others.

In September, Elvis released Spanish Model, a Spanish-language version of his 1978 album This Year’s Model showcasing various guest singers.

Here’s The Boy Named If‘s full track list:

“Farewell, OK”
“The Boy Named If”
“Penelope Halfpenny”
“The Difference”
“What If I Can’t Give You Anything but Love?”
“Paint the Red Rose Blue”
“Mistook Me for a Friend”
“My Most Beautiful Mistake” (guest vocal by Nicole Atkins)
“Magnificent Hurt”
“The Man You Love to Hate”
“The Death of Magic Thinking”
“Trick Out the Truth”
“Mr. Crescent”

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Historic collectibles from various music legends, including Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin‘s Robert Plant and Bob Dylan, will be up for bid during a memorabilia sale hosted by Julien’s Auctions on November 19 and 20 at the Hard Rock Café in New York City.

Among the priciest items going on the block is a 1968 Martin D-45 acoustic guitar once owned by Clapton, who played the instrument at the live debut of his group Derek and the Dominos at London’s Lyceum Theatre in June 1970. The guitar, which Clapton gifted to singer/guitarist Dave Edmunds in 1976, is estimated to sell for between $300,000 and $500,000.

Meanwhile, a sheet of lyrics for the classic Led Zeppelin song “Kashmir” handwritten by Plant on stationery letterhead from Chicago’s Whitehall Hotel is estimated to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. The lyrics feature some differences from the studio version of the tune, which appeared on 1975’s Physical Graffiti album.

Another interesting item being auctioned is an abstract oil painting of a nude woman created by Dylan during the 1960s and gifted to his late manager, Albert Grossman, which is expected to bring in between $100,000 and $200,000.

Also up for bid is a cream-colored Fender Stratocaster Vintage ’57 reissue electric guitar that Pink Floyd‘s David Gilmour owned and played on stage with the band during the 1980s and ’90s. It’s estimated to sell for between $80,000 and $100,000.

Other items being sold as part of Julien’s Auctions’ “Icons & Idols: Rock ‘n’ Roll” event include memorabilia and artifacts from The Beatles, Guns N’ Roses, Eddie Van Halen, U2, Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Trent Reznor, Keith Richards and Quiet Riot.

Visit JuliensAuctions.com for more info.

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Herbie Herbert, the veteran music-industry figure who managed Journey from the band’s 1973 inception until 1993, died of natural causes Monday, October 25, at his home in Orinda, California, Variety reports. He was 73.

Early in his career, Herbert worked for famed concert promoter Bill Graham as a roadie for Santana, which is how he met co-founding Journey members Neal Schon and Gregg Rolie.

During the late 1960s, Herbert managed Frumious Bandsnatch, a psychedelic group that featured future Journey members Ross Valory and George Tickner.

Herbert helped put together Journey in 1973 and guided the band for the next two decades. According to Variety, he was involved in all aspects of their career, including overseeing recordings, the design of their logo and album covers, concerts and more.

In a 2017 interview with ABC Audio, ex-Journey frontman Steve Perry credited Herbert for bringing him into the band.

“Herbie…really is a legend,” Perry said, “and I’m actually in the band because he heard my demo tape and believed in me and told the band, ‘You gotta listen to this tape, I think this is the guy that should be the singer.'”

Interestingly, a reported personality conflict with Perry led to Herbert exiting Journey. He also managed the Steve Miller Band and co-managed acts like Roxette, Europe, Mr. Big and Enuff Z’Nuff.

In a lengthy tribute to Herbert, Schon wrote on his Facebook page, “I’ll cherish all the incredible times and trials and tribulations we experienced together. Herbie was an incredible hands on Manager and fought like a mother f***** for all of us every step of the way.”

Variety reports that a documentary about Herbert’s life is in production, and plans for a memorial celebration will be announced soon.

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Ozzy Osbourne has announced a digital reissue of his 1981 solo album Diary of a Madman in honor of its 40th anniversary.

The expanded collection is due out November 5 — two days before its actual anniversary on November 7 — and includes bonus live versions of the songs “Flying High Again” and “Believer,” which were previously unavailable digitally.

Diary of a Madman was Ozzy’s second solo album, and his last to feature Randy Rhoads before the guitarist’s untimely death in 1982.

Fittingly, the reissue will arrive a week after Rhoads is inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Musical Excellence award.

This year, Ozzy also released digital reissues of his solo albums No More Tears and Down to Earth for their 30th and 20th anniversaries, respectively.

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Anyone can start a podcast that talks about an artist, but what about an entire podcast series about a single song?  We Didn’t Start the Fire: The History Podcast is solely devoted to Billy Joel‘s 1989 number-one hit, and a few days ago, the Piano Man himself appeared on it to discuss the song, its legacy and, surprisingly, how much people dislike it.

“The only thing I’ve heard about that song from people is, ‘I hate that song!'” Billy told podcast hosts Katie Puckrik and Tom Fordyce. “Some people hate that song. It’s one of the most hated things I ever wrote! And I don’t get the hate.”

“I mean, I hate the music, because it’s not good,” Billy admitted. “But I think the lyrics are fairly clever, I think I did a pretty good job with the words, but some people just hate that thing.”

As for why the music isn’t good, Billy explained, “I wrote the words first, which is why the music is so horrible in that song. I usually write the music first and then I write the lyrics, but in that song, the melody…it’s like a mosquito buzzing around your head! It’s more annoying than musical.”

Each episode of the podcast is a deep dive into one of the historical figures or event named in the song, from Eisenhower and The King and I, to Liberace and Joseph Stalin.  Billy discusses what inspired the song, why he chose to mention certain people, and answers trivia questions about those people.

By the way, despite its “horrible” music, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” is one of only three Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits Billy has had in his career, next to “It’s Still Rock ‘n Roll to Me” and “Tell Her About It.”

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Dave Grohl has offered a sly response to Nevermind cover model Spencer Elden‘s lawsuit against Nirvana, alleging that the artwork — which shows a naked, baby Elden swimming in a pool reaching for a dollar bill — constitutes child pornography.

When first asked about his reaction to the suit in a new interview with Vulture, Grohl at first gave a vague answer, saying, “I don’t know that I can speak on it because I haven’t spent too much time thinking about it.”

“I feel the same way most people do in that I have to disagree,” he added. “That’s all I’ll say.”

However, Grohl got a little less diplomatic after the interviewer wonders why Elden would be upset about the cover if he’s recreated the Nevermind artwork before, including for a 2016 New York Post piece.

“Listen, he’s got a Nevermind tattoo,” Grohl quipped. “I don’t.”

Grohl previously told the U.K.’s Sunday Times that he has “many ideas” about how to change the Nevermind cover should that be necessary.

Nirvana plans to release a 30th anniversary reissue of Nevermind — with the original artwork intact — on November 12.

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This week marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The J.Geils Band‘s chart-topping album, Freeze-Frame.

Released on October 26, 1981, Freeze-Frame saw the veteran blues/R&B-influenced rock band finally enjoy major commercial success after years of critical acclaim and moderate popularity.

The album spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 in February of 1982, while the song “Centerfold” became the group’s only single to top the Billboard Hot 100, enjoying a six-week run at the pinnacle of the chart around the same time.

Freeze-Frame also yielded a #4 Hot 100 hit with its title track, while a third single, the ballad “Angel in Blue,” peaked at #40.

The popularity of “Centerfold” and “Freeze-Frame” were bolstered by music videos for the tunes that went into heavy rotation on MTV.

Keyboardist Seth Justman wrote or co-wrote all of Freeze-Frame‘s nine tracks, and he produced and arranged the record. Four of the songs were co-penned by frontman Peter Wolf, among them “Freeze-Frame.”

Freeze-Frame, which was The J. Geils Band’s 10th studio effort, went on to sell more than one million copies in the U.S., making it the group’s only album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Wolf left The J. Geils Band in 1983 because of disagreements over the group’s musical direction, and began solo career. The band released just one more studio album, 1984’s You’re Gettin’ Even While I’m Gettin’ Odd, which featured Justman taking over lead vocals. The band broke up in ’85.

Over the years, J. Geils Band members have participated in various full or partial reunions, most recently in 2015. Band leader and guitarist John “J.” Geils died in 2017 at age 71.

Here’s the full Freeze-Frame track list:

“Freeze-Frame”
“Rage in the Cage”
“Centerfold”
“Do You Remember When”
“Insane, Insane Again”
“Flamethrower”
“River Blindness”
“Angel in Blue”
“P*** on the Wall”

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Longtime Kansas violinist and vocalist Robby Steinhardt sadly passed away in July of this year, but not before recording his debut solo album, a star-studded collection of songs titled Not in Kansas Anymore, which was released posthumously this week.

Described as a “Prog Rock Opera,” the album features guest appearances by Jethro Tull‘s Ian Anderson, Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs guitarist Steve Morse, former Toto singer Bobby Kimball, Rolling Stones touring keyboardist Chuck Leavell, Pat Travers, longtime Billy Joel drummer Liberty DeVitto, former Rolling Stones backing singer Lisa Fischer, acclaimed jazz drummer Bill Cobham, and many others.

Not in Kansas Anymore includes a new rendition of Kansas’ classic 1978 hit “Dust in the Wind.” The album was produced by Michael Franklin, who also worked on former Yes singer Jon Anderson‘s similarly star-packed 2019 solo effort, 1000 Hands: Chapter One.

Not in Kansas Anymore is available for purchase now on CD and digital formats at RobbySteinhardtOfficial.com or SolarMusic.com. You also can pre-order a vinyl LP version of the record, which is due out in December.

In the only interview he gave about Not in Kansas Anymore, Robby explained to PBS about the album’s title, “It’s no slight against the band, no never! My time with Kansas defined a big part of my life, of which I am very proud of. Ever since The Wizard of Oz, those words have become an American axiom for moving forward, you can never go back etc. I guess it has a special meaning when it is fixed to me.”

Steinhardt died on July 17 from complications of pancreatitis. He was 71.

Here’s the full Not in Kansas Anymore track list:

“Tempest”
“Truth 2 Power”
“Mother Earth”
“Rise of the Phoenix”
“The Phoenix”
“Prelude
“Dust in the Wind”
“Pizzacato”
“Tuck Tuck”
“Not in Kansas Anymore”
“A Prayer for Peace”

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Bruce Springsteen is part of the lineup for the seventh annual John Henry’s Friends Benefit concert, which will take place December 13 in New York City at The Town Hall.

The show is hosted by veteran Americana artist Steve Earle and raises money for The Keswell School, an educational program for children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Earle’s son John Henry, after whom the fundraiser is named, is a student in the program.

In addition to Springsteen, the concert will feature performances by Earle and his band The Dukes,plus Rosanne Cash, Willie Nile and others.

“The John Henry’s Friends concerts are obviously a labor of love for myself as well as an expression of the generosity of all the performers who have suited up and showed up over the years,” says Earle. “I’m especially grateful for this year’s new friends, my neighbor Willie Nile, my old friend Rosanne Cash and my hero Bruce Springsteen.”

General admission tickets for the show will go on sale to the public on Friday, November 5, at TheTownHall.org at 3 p.m. ET. VIP packages will go on sale to the public this Friday, October 29, at CityWinery.com at 3 p.m. ET.

General admission pre-sale tickets will be available to Town Hall and City Winery members starting on Wednesday, November 3, at 3 p.m., and pre-sale VIP packages will go on sale beginning Wednesday, October 27, at 3 p.m. ET.

As previously reported, Springsteen’s new book, Renegades: Born in the USA, which he co-authored with former President Barack Obama, was released today. The book focuses on conversations between Springsteen and President Obama that were featured on the eight-part podcast of the same name, which premiered on Spotify earlier this year.

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After being forced off the road for over a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason‘s current band, Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, has announced plans for a new North American tour scheduled for early 2022.

The 26-date trek, dubbed The Echoes Tour, will kick off with two Canadian shows, on January 18 in Toronto and January 19 in Montreal, and then will head to the U.S. for 23 concerts before winding down in Vancouver, Canada, on February 28.

Tickets for 12 of the concerts will go on sale to the general public this Friday, October 29, while tickets for the remaining 14 shows will be available for purchase starting Friday, November 5. Visit TheSaucerfulofSecrets.com for more information.

“We enjoyed our 2019 tour in America so much,” says Mason. “We’re happy to be back at it and playing Pink Floyd music fans may have never had the chance to experience live.”

Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets performs Pink Floyd music that precedes the band’s classic 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. The group also features Spandau Ballet guitarist Gary Kemp, longtime Pink Floyd and David Gilmour touring bassist Guy Pratt, and veteran session musicians Lee Harris and Dom Beken on guitar and keyboards, respectively.

In 2020, Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets released Live at The Roundhouse, a concert film and album that features performances from a May 2019 stand that the group played in London.

After their North American trek, the band will launch a lengthy trek in Ireland, the U.K. and mainland Europe, spanning from April into July.

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