Classic Rock News

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Queen’s self-titled debut album, and in a new interview, guitarist Brian May says things didn’t necessarily go the way the band wanted them to during the recording process.

“Our major frustration was the sound of that first album, which we were never happy with,” he tells Guitar World. He says the sound at Trident Studios, where they recorded it, “was very dead.”

“It was the opposite of what we were aiming for,” May adds. 

He says the album’s producer, Roy Thomas Baker, said the issues could be fixed during the mixing process, with May noting, “And I think we all knew: it ain’t going to happen!”

But even with the issues, May is still incredibly proud of the album.

“Oh, I love it! It encapsulates what we were at the time, and it’s a declaration of where we were going,” he says. “It’s very emotionally based and quite raw. But it’s got a lot of melody and sh**loads of harmonies.” 

He adds, “We were starting to flex our muscles. We were painting those colors with vocals and with guitars. It’s got all sorts of experimentation, which defines how free we wanted to be.”

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Guitar playing fans of The Grateful Dead can display their axes with the help of Jerry Garcia. Well, actually, his hand. 

Guitar.com reports that GuitarGrip has come out with a new guitar hanger that’s basically a replica of Garcia’s hand coming out from the wall and shaped so a guitar can easily rest inside it. The hanger is “inspired by existing photos and guidance from Jerry’s family,” and is finished with gold and wood accents.  

“GuitarGrips has created a beautiful homage to our father!” Jerry’s daughter Trixie shares. “Nearly as exquisite as Jerry’s playing, these grips rock.” Mike Ryan, founder of GuitarGrip, notes, “Jerry was one of a kind, and we worked really hard to bring his unique personality and the timeless vibe of his music into this series.”

But the hangers don’t come cheap — they’re priced between $235 and $295. There are other options priced significantly less, including four decorative wall plates inspired by Garcia’s famed Alligator, Tiger, Wolf and Rosebud guitars. They cost around $125. 

The Jerry Garcia collection is available now at guitargrip.com.

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The relationship between Metallica and Megadeth has always been complicated, but the latter’s Dave Mustaine may be reigniting the rivalry with his latest comments.

Speaking with Guitar World, Mustaine suggests that Metallica is avoiding doing a joint show or tour with Megadeth.

“The fact is simple: the world wants to see Megadeth and Metallica play together,” Mustaine says. “And in case anyone is wondering: there’s f***ing money in that. The fans want to see Metallica and Megadeth share the stage.”

As for making that a reality, Mustaine feels the ball is firmly in Metallica’s court.

“Does Megadeth need Metallica? No,” Mustaine says. “But Metallica talks about their fans, but they don’t give them what they’ve been asking for.”

“What are they afraid of?” he adds. “I don’t know. It’s not me; it’s them.”

Mustaine, of course, was Metallica’s original lead guitarist, but was replaced by Kirk Hammett after being fired from the band in 1983. He then went on to form Megadeth, which went on to join Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax as the “Big 4” of thrash metal.

The Big 4 did do a run of shows together in 2010 and 2011, and Slayer has since broken up. In an interview with Songfacts last year, Mustaine advocated for another Big 4 show, saying that Metallica should “step up” and make it happen.

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The relationship between Metallica and Megadeth has always been complicated, but the latter’s Dave Mustaine may be reigniting the rivalry with his latest comments.

Speaking with Guitar World, Mustaine suggests that Metallica is avoiding doing a joint show or tour with Megadeth.

“The fact is simple: the world wants to see Megadeth and Metallica play together,” Mustaine says. “And in case anyone is wondering: there’s f***ing money in that. The fans want to see Metallica and Megadeth share the stage.”

As for making that a reality, Mustaine feels the ball is firmly in Metallica’s court.

“Does Megadeth need Metallica? No,” Mustaine says. “But Metallica talks about their fans, but they don’t give them what they’ve been asking for.”

“What are they afraid of?” he adds. “I don’t know. It’s not me; it’s them.”

Mustaine, of course, was Metallica’s original lead guitarist, but was replaced by Kirk Hammett after being fired from the band in 1983. He then went on to form Megadeth, which went on to join Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax as the “Big 4” of thrash metal.

The Big 4 did do a run of shows together in 2010 and 2011, and Slayer has since broken up. In an interview with Songfacts last year, Mustaine advocated for another Big 4 show, saying that Metallica should “step up” and make it happen.

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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band brought their tour to Houston, Texas Tuesday and treated the crowd to a very rare performance. Rolling Stone reports the set included “If I Was the Priest,” reportedly a fan request, marking the first time The Boss performed the song live since 1972.

“I wrote this song. I was 22. Fifty years ago,” Springsteen told the crowd. “I still don’t have a clue what the f*** it’s about.” 

The last known performance of “If I Was the Priest” reportedly took place in May, 1972 at Gaslight Au Go Go in New York. The song was one Springsteen performed to audition for managers Mike Appel and Jim Cretecos back in February, 1972, as well as during his audition for CBS Records in May of that year. While “If I Was the Priest” has appeared on bootlegs, its first official inclusion on an album came 2020 when Bruce and the E Street Band re-recorded it for Letters to You.

The Houston concert also saw the return of Steven Van Zandt and Soozie Tyrell, who missed shows due to COVID. Unfortunately, guitarist Nils Lofgren was still out due to COVID, the first time since 1981 Lofgren missed a full Springsteen and the E Street Band concert.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s tour hits Austin, Texas on Thursday.

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Guns N’ Roses are trading a “Nightrain” for a race car at the Daytona 500.

The “Welcome to the Jungle” rockers are sponsoring the Legacy Motor Club’s No. 43 Chevrolet at the upcoming NASCAR event, which takes place this Sunday, February 19, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The car, which will be driven Erik Jones, features GN’R’s logo on the hood and is adorned with roses on the side and bumper. You can check out a video of the paint scheme via GN’R’s Facebook.

While the GN’R car will be racing in the Daytona 500, the band’s YouTube views have been racing toward historic highs. The “November Rain” video has officially passed two billion views, the first GN’R clip to reach the milestone. The nine-minute, infamously expensive epic was previously the first music video from the ’90s to hit one billion views, which it did in 2018.

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The Kinks are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year, and marking the occasion with a two-year celebration that kicks off next month with a new compilation album, The Journey, that will be released in two parts.

The Journey – Part 1, dropping March 24, features songs handpicked by The Kinks’ Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory. Songs on the album include hits like “You Really Got Me,” “Waterloo Sunset,” “All Day and All of the Night” and more.

Songs on the release are broken down into four different themes, including “songs about becoming a man, the search for adventure, finding an identity and a girl,” “songs of ambition achieved, bitter taste of success, loss of friends, the past comes back and bites you in the backside,” “days and nights of a lost soul, songs of regret and reflection of happier times,” and “a new start, a new love, but have you really changed? Still haunted by the quest and the girl.”

“Ask yourself the question, is this journey really necessary?…….Yes!” Ray shares, speaking of the album, while Dave adds, “I’m delighted with what I think is an inspiring selection of timeless and magical Kinks music.” 

The Journey – Part 1 will be released in a variety of formats including 2-CD and 2-LP editions that will include a booklet with photos and personal track-by-track notes from the band. There will also be a digital and HD digital release. 

The Journey – Part 2 is expected to come out later this year, with other events and activities celebrating the 60th anniversary of The Kinks happening throughout 2023 and 2024.

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On This Day, February 15, 1975…

Rush released their sophomore album Fly By Night. It was the Canadian rockers’ first recording with drummer and lyricist Neil Peart.

The album marked the beginning of Rush’s eventual shift from blues-based hard rock to progressive rock inspired by science fiction, fantasy and philosophy. 

Fly By Night peaked at number nine on the Canadian charts but only made it to 113 on the Billboard 200. Rush released two singles from the record: the title track, which landed at 88 on the U.S. singles chart, and “Making Memories,” which didn’t chart. 

Rush’s Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Peart went on to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Neil Peart passed away from glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in January 2020.

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Yes has added a new member to the group. The rockers have announced that Jay Schellen is joining the band as their permanent drummer, following the death of original drummer Alan White in May, 2022.

Schellen was personally chosen by White to sit behind the drum kit for their 2016 Topographic Drama tour, and split drumming duties with White from 2018 and beyond. 

“We’re all delighted to welcome Jay officially into the fold!” Yes guitarist Steve Howe shares. “He’s been a great support throughout the last seven years, and we couldn’t have found a better all round team player.” 

Schellen is certainly very familiar with Yes’ music, having previously played alongside keyboardist Geoff Downes and late bassist Chris Squire. He’s also worked with both White and bass guitarist Billy Sherwood. 

“I am thrilled to become the new drummer with YES,” Jay says, “I grew up playing along to YES records and I am proud to have worked so closely with my musical hero and great friend Alan White these past few years.”

Jay adds of White, “I will strive to honor his memory as we drive towards the future with the band.”

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Metallica is doing what it can to help those affected by the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The band announced on social media that their All Within My Hands Foundation has donated $125,000 each to two organizations helping those in need. 

“We’re at a loss for words to describe the devastation in southern Turkey and northern Syria,” they shared. “The 7.8 magnitude earthquake has reduced the entire region to rubble. The death toll continues to rise, tragically exceeding 36,000 lives lost.” 

The donations will go to two All Within My Hands Foundation partner organizations: Direct Relief and chef José Andrés‘ World Central Kitchen. The band notes both entities “have boots on the ground providing medical aid and food to the victims of this disaster.”

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