ROCK REVIVAL

Mixed Reviews For (Ritchie) Blackmore's Night's New Album Secret Voyage

2008-07-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Blackmore's Night has always been a band that would split opinions; if you want Ritchie back a la Rainbow forget it,, if you love medievil folk-rock you''l be fine. Here are some selected reviews of Secret Voyage which came out last month

For me, on "Secret voyage" Ritchie and Candice do exactly what they needed to do. While the album is totally recognisable as a Blackmore's Night album, it also breaks new ground and adds enchanting new dimensions to their repertoire. The fact that this combines with some excellent songs, and a stunning new band classic ("Locked within the crystal ball") means that we here have what may well become nominated as their best album to date. Prog Archives

The only other song really worth mentioning is the Rainbow classic 'Rainbow Eyes', but all the other ones just crawl out of you speakers and before you know it the album has already ended without any of the other seven tunes really making any impression. Nope, it seems that Blackmore's Night have very little magic left to conjure and get me in their spell once more. Pity, but like they say, all good things come to an end. Lords of Metal

..the lyrics inspired by nature and fantasy, partially recorded on renaissance-period instruments, and arranged with a contemporary dramatic flair that features the brilliant acoustic and electric guitar stylings of This kaleidoscopic musical journey through time and space incorporates traditional folk music from around the world. The album blends haunting ancient melodies with newly written NightBlackmore. This cd is sure to transport you to a simpler, more magical time, away from the stresses of modern day life. Metal Rage

Rick Rubin To Produce New Crosby, Stills and Nash Album of Classic Covers

2008-07-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Crosby, Stills & Nash are said to be producing a covers album, their first release in 14 years. It's been a massive thirty nine years since their first self-titled album.
album.

Rick Rubin, the man who made Neil Diamond sound great and Johnny Cash sound even better than before is said to be producing

Rubin is no stranger to cover albums (eg: Rage Against the Machine's Renegades. Johnny Cash's American Series, Slayer's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida")

"Rick Rubin's a brilliant man,and what he wants is an album with no CSN songs. He wants to do an album of all the songs we love, all the songs we wish we've written. It's brilliant from this point of view because we usually wait five years to record an album. This way there's no pressure." (Graham Nash)

Apparently the band initially proposed 60 songs which has now been culled to 20

Image: Courtesy Atlantic

A Brief History of Rock: Rock Revival's Twenty Milestones in the History of Rock

2008-07-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

Here's an attempt to list 20 milestones in the history of rock ? What would you add ? Take out ?

1 Elvis at Sun Studios: The first of many whities to make their name playing black music

2 The Beatles in America: fundamentally changed the course of US music, responsible for folk turning into rock ?

3 Dylan goes electric at Newport

4 British blues explodes selling the US back it's own blues in a new form

5 Monterey: San Franciso goes world-wide and Hendrix visits the US for the first time (kind of..)

6 The Stones try to make up for mising Woodstock and end up putting the nail in the coffin of the Summer of Love

7 Led Zeppelin IV: can one album be a historical moment, certainly this one can. .

8 Bowie becomes Ziggy and takes Bolan's Glam to a whole new level

9 God Save the Queen: The Pistols pull off their swindle

10 Van Halen emerge from the sunset: Eddie is the new Hendrix

11 Grunge takes off in Seattle and kills off LA sleaze

12 New Wave kills rock ! Well only for a short while

13 New Wave of British Heavy Metal keeps the flame alive

14 Dream Theatre carry prog through the wasteland years (and many others)

15 British invasion II a la Oasis et al.

16 Uncle Tupelo et al. rescue country

17 Scandinavia becomes the captial of metal

18 the ipod rules the world

19 The album dies by mp3, does listening become more superficial ?

20 Classic rock revival ? Who knows

Hanoi Rocks to Attend Azkena Rock Festival, Spain September 2008

2008-07-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

Finnish rock heroes HANOI ROCKS will attend Azkena Rock Festival, September 4-6, Spain's premier festival

Get this: ORANGE GOBLIN, BLUE CHEER, BLIND MELON, DANKO JONES, THE QUIREBOYS, JOHN CALE, RAY DAVIES will also be present, proving what great taste European;s have in rock

HANOI ROCKS will be joined by new Swedish drummer George Atlagic

"George Atlagic stood out from the five candidates, not only for his talent, but also because of his personality and for being a kindred spirit with the band. Jolle is technically a very skillful drummer and his style is greatly in the vein of the former HANOI ROCKS drummers Gyp Casino and Razzle. He also already looked like he was playing in a successful rock band."

Firewind Release 'The Premonition' in Japan United Kingdom (U.K.) Tour Set For September 2008

2008-07-18T22:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you will be quite familiar with Greek power metal band Firewind's new album 'The Premonition'

It's a brilliant album and more varied than many power metal/melodic albums

“	I feel that the new Firewind album is yet another step up in our career – musically speaking. Once again we aimed for a highly variable effort as I really don't like those albums where you've listened to the first song and it's like you heard them all! This doesn't happen on a Firewind album and certainly not on the new one!	„
—Gus G,

The album was released in Japan a coulpe of days ago entering their foreign album charts at #28 in its first week!

Gus G. states:

"We’ve always had a special relationship with our Japanese fans and we’ve always appreciated the fact that they embraced FIREWIND since the first album came out.
This marks our highest chart entry in Japan and all I can say is….Domo Arigato!
We will see you soon!"

Firewind will embark on a UK Tour this coming September

Go here for tickets

Rock Revival's Mix Tape #10: Melodic Heaven

2008-07-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Rationale: the perfect pallet-cleanser ? cliche-rock hits the spot everytime ? the ideal sing-a-long commute ?

Choice Lyrics:

'Born to live day by day
Is that a curse or a bless
I don't know for sure
But one thing stands
Can't change the way I am'

1. Heard it on My Radio Brother Firetribe
2. Metal Will Stand Tall The Poodles
3. In My Dreams Dokken
4. High on You Survivor
5. Gettin Better Tesla
6. Anytime Michael Shenker Group
7. Any Way You Want It Journey
8. She's Only 17 Winger
9. Get it While It's Hot Kix
10. Never Again Asia
11. Something to Say Harem Scarem
12. Partners in Crime Pretty Maids

Iron Butterfly Remastered Releases 'Scorching Beauty' and 'Sun and Steel' Due September 1, 2008

2008-07-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

Iron Butterfly are seen as one of the earliest heavy metal bands, mainly because of their 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" but also because of the title of their debut album 'Heavy' (translated as 'far out' in the late 60's)

Unfortunately VH1 ranks them as number 19 on their list of top 100 "one-hit" wonders.If you want to blame anyone for this blame their manager, who did alot to destroy their carreer by mismanageing their attendance at Woodstock.

The band had been booked to play but got stuck at an airport. Their manager called the promoters and demanded that the band be flown in by helicopter, whereupon they would "immediately" take the stage. He also demanded they get paid then and there and then be "immediately" flown back. Well, the promotors were slightly busy at the time, realising that Woodstock but be slightly larger than they had anticipated. They fobbed the manager off and Iron Butterfly never made it.

The reality is that there is so much more to Iron Butterfly that ‘In A Gadda Da Vida’. They have actually released 13 albums between the late 60's and 1995 and despite the death of guitarist Eric Brann in 2003 they are planning another release this year

For now satisfy yourself with remastered versions of two of their excellent mid-70's albums, digitally remastered, and slip-cased with extensive new notes.

Due out 1 Sep 2008

Track Listing

Scorching Beauty: 1975 Overture • Hard Miseree • High On A Mountain Top • Am I Down • People Of The World • Searchin’ Circles • Pearly Gates • Lonely Hearts • Before You Go

Sun & Steel: Sun And Steel • Lightnin’ • Beyond The Milky Way • Free • Scion • Get It Out • I’m Right, I’m Wrong •Watch The World Going By • Scorching Beauty

spincds pre-order

Image: MCA

Simple MInds New Album Tracks To Be Recorded This Augusr 2008

2008-07-17T12:45:00.001-07:00

Simple Minds will record the tracks for their new album in Rockfield Studios, Wales, throughout the month of August 2008.

It is bound to be a rather emotional return as Rockfield is where the band recorded some of their fledgling and most innovative work, specifically both their second and third albums - Real to Real Cacophony, Empires and Dance.

With Jez Coad who co produced the bands last album Black and White 050505 returning to fulfill the same duties, drummer Mel Gaynor and bassist Eddy Duffy will join founder members Charlie Burchill and Jim Kerr - both of whom have spent the last few months writing the set of new songs that are due to be recorded. Andy Gillespie will add additional keyboards.

Legendary mixer Bob Clearmountain is set to complete the finishing work at his own Mix This studios in Los Angeles and the album when completed will be ready for international release within the early months of 2009.

Thnx Noble PR

Rock Revival Mix Tape # 9: Soft Cock Rock

2008-07-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

Rationale: because I tell myself that I cant hold out forever, because I only wish I had the strength to let it show, because youre a candle in the window on a cold, dark winters night and Im getting closer than I ever thought I might.

1. I Want to Make It With You Bread
2. You Are The Woman That I Have Always Dreamed Of Firefall
3. Sailing Christopher Cross
4. Hard to Say I'm Sorry Chicago
5. Babe Styx
6. Take a Look at Me Now Phil Collins
7. Cant Fight This Feeling REO Speedwagon
8. The Word Girl Scritti Politti
9. Vincent Don McLean
10. Sailing Rod Stewart
11. We Drank a Toast of Innocence Dan Fogelberg
12. Holly Holy Neil Diamond

Rock Revival's Mix tape # 8: Stairway to Boredom

2008-07-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

Rationale: Last time i looked there were 157 covers of Stairway, but you can't fit them all on a c90

1. Stairway to Heaven: Rolf Harris
2. Stairway to Heaven: Rodrigo Y Gabriela
3. Stairway to Heaven: London Philarmonic Orchestra
4. Stairway to Heaven: Dread Zeppelin
5. Stairway to Heaven: Foo Fighters
6. Stairway to Heaven: The Beatles
7. Stairway to Heaven: Chuck Berry
8. Stairway to Heaven: Leningrad Cowboys
9. Stairway to Heaven: Heart
10. Stairway to Heaven: Dolly Parton
11. Stairway to Heaven: Gregorian Masters of Chant
12. Stairway to Heaven: Helloween
13. Stairway to Heaven: Iron Horse
14. Stairway to Heaven: Iron Maiden
15. Stairway to Heaven: Little Roger and the Goosebumps

Rock Revival's Mix Tape #7: Cold Medievil Magic

2008-07-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

Please blame Rock and Roll Oatcake for my obsession with mix tape's at the moment !

Rationale: the theme tune to the movie about the guys in Immigrant Song

"Ah, aaaaaaaaaahah, Ah, aaaaaaaaaahah !! We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.The hammer of the gods, Will drive our ships to new lands, To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am comi-i-i-i-i-i-ng!"

1. My Last Sunrise: Demons and Wizards
2. Immigrant Song: Ann Wilson
3. Druid Eluveitie
4. The Dweller of Rhymes Elvenking
5. A Quest for the Crown Falconer
6. Wolf Iced Earth
7. A Feast for the Vain Kamelot
8. Blood and Thunder Mastodon
9. One Brown Mouse: Jethro Tull
10. The Wizard Uriah Heep
11. The Wind beneath My Wings Sonata Artica
12. Carry On Wayward Son Kansas

Rock Revival Mix Tape #6: Before the Storm

2008-07-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

Rationale: ingredients = psychedelic blues + turn the bass up + one dead hippy + fuzz-tone guitar + mushrooms = proto-Sabbath

1. Timepiece: Bloodrock
2. Stome Believer: Iron Butterfly
3. Politician: Cream
4. Peace Livin man: Blossom Toes
5. Out of Focus: Blue Cheer
6. Mr Limousine Driver Grand Funk
7. Helter Skelter The Beatles
8. Freelance Fiend Leaf Hound
9. Aeroplane Head Woman Pete Brown and Piblokto
10. Hey Lawdy Mama Steppenwolf
11. The Wizard Black Sabbath
12. Solitide Warhorse
13. Mississippi Queen Mountain

Rock Revival Mix Tape #5: Covered in Metal

2008-07-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Rationale: because The Bee Gees, Jesus Christ Superstar, Neil Young, Joe Jackson, Gary Numan, Bad Company and Kansas were asking for it, because they can, because you can download 157 metal cover albums on the net, because of Sweden....

1. It's a Long Way to the Top Motorhead
2. Die with Your Boots On: Sonata Artica
3. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Bruce Dickinson
4. Stayin Alive Ozzy Osbourne
5. Heart of Gold Black label Society
6. Feel Like making Love Type O Negative
7. Heaven on their Minds Queensryche
8. You Give Love a Bad Name Atreyu
9. Point of No Return Vanden Plas
10. Got the Time Anthrax
11. Seeman Apocalyptica/Nina Hagen
12. Cars Fear Factory

Rock Revival's Mix Tape #4: The Deep Purple Family Tree

2008-07-16T13:58:00.001-07:00

Rationale: Because the on and off ramps for Deep Purple has often been better than the main game, because my dad bought me Made in Japan when i was 12, because Child in Time is as good as Freebird and Stairway, because of the B3, Come taste the band !!

1. Gettin Tighter Deep Purple
2. Standing in the Rain James Gang
3. Mean Streets Niacin
4. Tarot Woman Rainbow
5. Post Toastie Tommy Bolin
6. Medusa Trapeze
7. Sign of the Southern Cross: Dio and Black Sabbath
8. Fires at Midnight Blackmore's Night
9. Child in Time Ian Gillan band
10. Love Communion Glenn Hughes
11. Sweet Home Chicago: Peter Green, Glenn Hughes, Paul Rodgers
12. Snowbound: Tommy Bolin and Alphonse Mouzon
13. Slide it In Whitesnake
13. Flight of the rat Deep Purple

Mix Tape #3: Southern Gumbo

2008-07-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

Here's the third intallation in the art of c90 mixtapes

Rationale: the deep south has always had it (and still does), the ultimate melting pot, where black meets white, europe meets the US, why Creedence was so good, a long way from Oz but much appreciated

1. Cotton Eye Joe Wayne Toups
2. Willie and Laura Mae Jones Tony Joe White
3. Hell at Home Sonny Landreth
4. Lookin at the World Through a Windshield Son Volt
5. Shake You Hips Slim Harpo
6. Walk of Life Shooter Jennings
7. Someday Baby RL Burnside
8. Im in Jail North Mississippi Allstars
9. Cajun Rage Little Feat
10. River is Waiting John Fogerty
11. Such a Night Dr John
12 Let the Good Times Roll Buckwheat Zydeco
13 Travellin Band Creedence

Rock Revival's Mix Tape #2: Rotten Blues

2008-07-16T04:33:00.000-07:00

Here's another one for Rock and Roll Oatcake,

Rationale......this one is about what happens when the blues goes rotten, when there's a worm in the apple, when you derive all your chords from one song and that song is Sweet Leaf, when you letting it out is better than keeping it in, when you listen to Louie Louie at 100th speed, what Kurt Cobain should have played to survive, music to make you happy (it does), sluuuuuuuuuuudge.........................

1. Behemoth: Electric Wizard
2. Electric Worry Clutch
3. Dystopia: Jarhead
4. Sacred Smoke: Bongzilla
5. Vague Illusions: Cult of Luna
6. Garden of Light: Isis
7. Carpe Diem Nebula
8. Electric Sheep Sheavy
9. Weedmonkey: Weedeater
10 Prophet of Doom Type O Negative
11. Gone Katatonia
12. Something in the Way Nirvana
13. Blues Jam Rollins Band

Rock Revival's Mix Tape #1: Ultimate Avante-Garde Chillout Mix

2008-07-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, stokieboy from Rock and Roll Oatcake, a great website has come up with a brilliant idea of asking fellow bloggers to put together a bunch of hypothestical mix tapes. For those of you under 40 they were c90 cassettes we used to make before ipod playlists.

The aim was always to impress, or rather show off with obscure stuff noone else have heard of; so in this spirit I present the Ultimate Avante-Garde Chillout Mix Tape

1. Wind on Water Brian Eno
2. Excellent Birds Laurie Anderson
3. Different Trains Steve Reich
4. Happy Cycling Boards of Canada
5. Peach, Plum, Pear Joanna Newsom
6. River of Sorrow Antony and the Johnsons
7. Ikos Arvo Part
8. Cut Up Piano and Xylophones Fridge
9. Raising the Titanic Gavin Bryars
10. Bringing Down the Light David Sylvian and Robert Fripp
11. Mentalism Shpongle
12. Hamburger Lady Throbbing Gristle

The Rationale: Real chillout mixes are annoying ? Sometimes you need a downer from the upside of rock ? I'm curious about what people can do with sounds ? When your obsessed with music you have yo go to extremes sometimes to get a hit ? Tracks 7 and 9 really are quite beautiful ? Tracks 5. and 6. cut right thru to the emotions ? Eno and Fripp, well no ? needed. 3. might be classical but its pretty hypnotic ? Is it OK to love music generally not just rock ?

This was fun, I'll do some more very soon....

Rock Revival's Time Capsule: The Best Songs of 1965

2008-07-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

Wow what a year 1965 was in the history of rock

* Bob Dylan goes electric at the Newport Folk Festival

* Uk blues-rock peaks with the Who, Yardbirds, Paul Butterfield,etc

* Elvis meets the Beatles

* Southern soul comes into it's own

* the Byrds invent folk-rock

* James Brown invents funk

* the art of protest escalates on the "Eve of Destruction".

Picking twenty of the best tracks of this era is a pretty impossible task. Here is my attempt;

1 Like A Rolling Stone Bob Dylan
2 Satisfaction Rolling Stones
3 My Generation The Who
4 California Dreamin' Mamas & Papas
5 Papa's Got A Brand New Bag James Brown
6 Eve Of Destruction Barry McGuire
7 Catch The Wind Donovan
8 Heart Full Of Soul Yardbirds
9 The Tracks Of My Tears Miracles
10 In The Midnight Hour Wilson Pickett
11 Yesterday Beatles
12 The Sounds Of Silence Simon & Garfunkel
13 Dont Let me be Misunderstood The Animals
14 People Get Ready Impressions
15 I Fought The Law Bobby Fuller Four
16 Turn, Turn, Turn Byrds
17 Positively 4th Street Bob Dylan
18 Uptight (Everything's Alright) Stevie Wonder
19 I Got You Babe Sonny & Cher
20 Day Tripper Beatles

The Born-Again Beatles: John Lennon Interview Reveals His Charismatic Edge

2008-07-15T17:13:00.000-07:00

BBC Radio has just aired a never before heard interview with John Lennon from 1969 where he claims the Beatles were a Christian band !!

John Lennon set american's bezerk in '66 stating that the beatles were 'bigger than jesus' and that Christianity would "vanish and shrink"

In the 69 interview he tries to put his comments in perspective

"It's just an expression meaning the Beatles seem to me to have more influence over youth than Christ.

"Now I wasn't saying that was a good idea, 'cause I'm one of Christ's biggest fans. And if I can turn the focus on the Beatles on to Christ's message, then that's what we're here to do."

Just to add to his credibility, the interview was conducted while he was in bed with Yoko at the Bed-In For Peace protest in Montreal.

The Police to Release New Live Album CD and DVD to Celebrate the End of Reunion Tour

2008-07-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

The Police reunion is now coming to a close (last concert Madison Square garden August 7) and the band will celebrate with a new CD and DVD release, featuring their December Buenos Aires concerts

Stewart Copleand

"It's unbelievable to see the early rehearsals compared to where we're at now. Some of them were so raw we had to take them out, some of the scenes. But he's still got the nitty gritty there, with us each grappling with the reality of life in the band again."

There has been lots of speculation that they would also work on a new studio album but Copeland has stated that they tried to work it out in the studio once but it just didnt come together.

Copeland will have a stab at a concerto next: "real uncommercial, career suicide moves is probably what you'll be seeing from the three of us over the next year or two before we get back into the business of earning a living from our music."

Todd Rundgren: Anti-Rock Hero Interview

2008-07-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

Todd Rundgren was recently interviewed by theboulderweekly

He discusses his approach to music

“When I make records, ideally the effect will be to provoke thought, not simply to give pleasure or make people forget things,” “I realize that, in the past, my music has meant that to some people. They feel down, and so they listen to one of the songs and it makes them feel better. I’m not necessarily doing that kind of music much anymore. Particularly with the latest album, there’s a sense of urgency. I’m a little more concerned about the world that my children and their children are inheriting, and I’m not interested in providing anesthesia.”

The making of his new album Arena due september 2008

“I don’t even use the typical tools that people use anymore. I did this entire recent album on my laptop. I live in Hawaii, ya know. I really enjoy just sitting around and staring off at the sky, and I don’t need a whole lot of technology to make me happy, and I never have. I assimilate the technology too easily, and it makes people think I’m fascinated with it. The problem with human beings is once we know something, we never forget it. If all of the televisions on the planet disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn’t be long before someone had reinvented them, because we already have the concept and we already know how they work, and so eventually we would reinvent everything we had destroyed. Any book we burn will eventually be rewritten. The solution is not about us with or without technology, it’s about us and the way we think.”

He also talks about his time with The New Cars, The beatles and much more

here

Rock Revival's Top best 50 Rock Anthems

2008-07-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

I noticed in the Uk newpaper The Telegraph today the headline "Rock anthems replacing hymns at Australian funerals"

'At Centennial Park, the largest cemetery and crematorium in the southern city of Adelaide, only two hymns still rank alongside songs like Frank Sinatra's classic hit My Way and Louis Armstrong's version of Wonderful World in its top 10 most popular funeral songs: Amazing Grace and Abide With Me. Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven and AC/DC's Highway to Hell rock anthems are also gaining ground as more Australians give up traditional Christian hymns.
"Some of the more unusual songs we hear actually work very well within the service because they represent the person's character," Centennial Park chief executive Bryan Elliott said. '

Rock anthems are typically very well known songs, songs that you can sing along too with a big group of lads (or ladettes) driving along in your car, songs wqith big choruses and guitar solos (check Wayne's World)

Here are Rock Revival's Top 50

1 Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry
2 Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
3 Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
4 Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
5 Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd
6 Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
7 Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
8 You Really Got Me - Kinks
9 The End - The Doors
10 Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd
11 We Will Rock You - Queen
12 Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones
13 Ballroom Blitz - Sweet
14 Baba O'Riley - The Who
15 My Generation - The Who
16 We Are the Champions - Queen
17 Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
18 Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
19 Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
20 Roll Over, Beethoven - Chuck Berry
21 Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
22 The Boys Are Back in Town - Thin Lizzy
23 Rock and Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter
24 Song 2 - Blur
25 Rock N' Roll All Nite - KISS
26 Cum On Feel The Noize - Slade
27 Old Time Rock n' Roll - Bob Seger
28 We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
29 Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
30 American Pie - Don McLean
31 We're An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
32 Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
33 All Right Now - Free
34 Rock And Roll Band - Boston
35 Let There Be Rock - AC/DC
36 Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
37 What I Like About You - The Romantics
38 Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood
39 London Calling - The Clash
40 All Day And All Of The Night - The Kinks
41 Rock n' Roll Ain't Noise Pollution - AC/DC
42 It's A Long Way To the Top - AC/DC
43 Kick Out The Jams - MC5
44 Alive - Pearl Jam
45 Wooly Bully - Sam The Sham & The Pharoahs
46 Living After Midnight - Judas Priest
47 Blowin' Free - Wishbone Ash
48 Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights) - Pat Travers
49 Layla - Derek & The Dominoes
50 Funk #49- James Gang

Rob Tognoni's New Release 'Blues Boulevard' Due August 4 2008

2008-07-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

"Plenty of fancy fretwork, screaming chords and scintillating solos...the vocals sound gruff and great and the production is right on the money" *** - Rock 'n' Reel.

"Rob Tognoni is one of the finest guitar players around today. His work is a combination of classic rock, blues & blues rock and is done with utmost passion and precision" - Bandit Blues Radio.

"A stunning guitarist with killer licks and a fine blues rockfeel..." - Jazz M.

Pretty good kudos for Rob Tognoni, Australian-Italian who was first inspired by seeing AC/DC at the tender age of 14 in 1974.

Rob's first band, formed in 1986, was called the Outlaws, they became the Desert Cats in 1990.

Australian slide-guitarist Dave Hole gave Rob his first big break; he heard Tognoni's music in 1994 and helped him to get a record contract with the Dutch label Provogue/Mascot Records. This was Rob's international breakthrough.

Hole produced Rob's first CD "Stones And Colours", which was released through Europe in 1995. It was an immediate success and received critical acclaim. The follow up CD "Headstrong" (1997) and 'The Ironyard' (2006) have also gained a laerge cult following

Rob Tognoni's new album 'Blues Boulevard' is due for release 4 August 2008

Preorder spincds

1 Rain 2 Isolate 3 My Detonation 4 Shoot To Kill 5 Dogs With Fleas 6 I Got You You Got Me 7 Good Die Young 8 Let Your Love Fly 9 Reboot 10 God Bless America 11 Ballad Of Julie Ann 12 Like A Rolling Stone 13 Stupefy Me 14 Product Of A Southern Land bonus track 15 Red House bonus track

Rock Revival's Time Capsule (1989-1994): "Unauthorised and Proud of It", The Story of Revolutionary Comics

2008-07-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

Back in 1989 Todd Loren founded Revolutionary Comics, specialising in biographies of rock stars, including Van Halen, AC/DC, Bob Dylan, Franz Zappa, Eric Clapton, KISS (300 were published in total).

The aim was to produce comic strips of excellent quality, for adults rather than kids.

"I wanted to do a comic that had all the sex and drugs that is rock and roll,Rock and roll is bigger than life. The stage presence these bands have...they don’t need superpowers because they’re already hero worshipped by their fans. And those fans love to spend money on anything featuring the bands they love." (Todd Loren)

Some pretty amazing artists were recruited; Rick Geary (National Lampoon), Len Kirk (Star Trek comics), Ken Landgraff (Wolverine), Rich Buckler (Avengers) and many more.

Some rock stars were extremely supportive; Pink Floyd included the 5-issue Pink Floyd series in their official “Shine On” box CD set.

Others took the company to court (GNR, New Kids on the Block, Grateful Dead).

In 1990 the company had their day in court and won on the grounds that if book authors can write unauthorised biographies comic artists can too. The finding:

“Bookstores are filled with biographies - both authorized and unauthorized - of public figures. And, while the subjects of such biographies may be offended by the publication of their life stories, they generally have no claim for trademark infringement.”

Sadly on June 18, 1992 Todd was found murdered in his home. Noone has ever found out who did it but Gary Groth (Fantagraphics) had a theory.

"I don’t think anyone in our industry hated him enough to kill him...but it wouldn’t surprise me if someone in the music industry did. There is a lot more money at stake in the music business, and he was publishing all those unlicensed biographies."

Rest is peace Todd and thanks for the great work you did

Thanks to SCrompton for permission to use images. For full coverage go to rockandrollcomics.com

Rock Revival's Time Capsule (1969): The Texas and Atlanta International Pop Festivals

2008-07-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

Woodstock, August 1969, was the zenith of the hippy music, the festival that took the San Francisco scene and Monterey into the stratosphere. Altamont, held in December, signalled the beginning of the end. Despite the prominence of these two events in the history books two other critical American festivals occured in 1969, ones that certainly deserve alot more attention.

The first Atlanta International Pop Festival was held at the Atlanta International Raceway on the July Fourth 1969, more than a month before Woodstock. A hundred thousand peope attneded and with temperatures nearing 100 degrees, local fire departments used fire hoses to create "sprinklers" for the crowd to play in and cool off.

Performers included Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Johnny Rivers, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Canned Heat, Spirit, Ten Wheel Drive, Joe Cocker, Chicago Transit Authority, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grand Funk Railroad, Sweetwater, Al Kooper, Pacific Gas & Electric, Dave Brubeck, and Led Zeppelin. The Allman Brothers Band were booked by a shonky promoter. They showed up but were not allowed to play.

The second was the Texas International Pop Festival held at Lewisville, Texas, August 30-September 1, 1969, just two weeks after Woodstock (150,000 attended)

Artists were: Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Canned Heat, Chicago Transit Authority, Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, Freddie King, Grand Funk Railroad, Herbie Mann, Incredible String Band, James Cotton, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Nazz, Ramon and Ramon and the Four Daddios, Rotary Connection, Sam and Dave, Santana, Shiva's Headband, Sly and the Family Stone, Space Opera, Spirit, Sweetwater, Ten Years After and Tony Joe White.

The Merry Pranksters were in attendance, providing a trip tent and free food. For a personal account go Here