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July 18, 2008
Alice Cooper’s ‘Along Came A Spider’ Available For Streaming Free Online
No, I’m not talking about "LimeWire" or "eDonkey" or any other file-sharing network or any music-sharing website. I’m talking about Alice Cooper’s official MySpace page and he has generously made his new album, Along Came A Spider, available to listen to in its entirety.
That’s a pretty cool thing to do for his fans, but also makes me wonder if it will hurt the sales of the album. As I checked out the album on Cooper’s MySpace page, I did notice that there was a "Download" link for each one of them, but clicking them just presented me with a message that read: "Artist has not enabled downloads for this song."
Admittedly, I am not much of an Alice Cooper fan myself, and really didn’t have any interest in downloading any of those tracks, but I did want to see if he had taken his generosity to that level.
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It appears that the intent is to simply let fans listen to the tracks from the new album by "streaming" them in real time from his MySpace page. However, there are always ways around such things and some clever person has probably already written a "ripper" to pull music from MySpace and download them to their own computer. Let’s face it, if you can hear it, there is a way to capture it.
For all I know, Cooper and everyone else involved in the production of the new album are already aware of this, and they know that once fans get their hands on the CDs, some of them will be uploading them to file-sharing networks anyway. In that respect, I guess there’s really no harm done to those who are in line to profit from the new album.
Even for the multitude of fans who lack the technical expertise to download the tracks from MySpace, isn’t there a chance that some fans might spend so much time listening to the streaming versions that they get their fill of it and decide not to spend the money for the CD? Maybe I’m off my rocker here, and just don’t know enough about the level of dedication Alice Cooper fans have for the legendary rocker.
Anyway, I still think it was pretty cool for Cooper and the others involved in the decision-making process regarding this move, and I’m sure there are many fans out there who appreciate it. Check it out at Alice Cooper’s official MySpace page.
The official release for Along Came A Spider is set for July 29.
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Ted Nugent Cuts Loose With Controversial Comments During U.K. Show
The "Motor City Madman," is certainly living up to that moniker of late, as reports of an onstage rant during a performance at at London’s Indigo2 are surfacing, and included some controversial comments, especially when you consider the fact that he was in Europe, where attitudes about a lot of issues tend to be quite different than they are here in the U.S.
Ted Nugent decided to deliver a little commentary on the subject of knives and how they have become a popular weapon of choice for criminals in London. In classic Nugent fashion, he shares his view with the attendees.
Among other things, Nugent was quoted as saying: "I understand that London has a knife problem. That’s because you took everybody’s guns away."
He then goes on to talk about the lack of a knife problem in Detroit because the people with the knives have a "Ted Problem, and even refers to the crowd as "dumb Limeys," at one point.
It was also reported that Nugent used what is often referred to infamously as the "N Word" here in the U.S. I don’t know how that particular word is regarded in the U.K., but it would certainly stir some controversy here in the U.S. if he used that word on stage during one of his performances.
There was no word on the reaction from the crowd following Nugent’s tirade, but in the video below, which showcases just a small segment of his comments, they do not sound particularly offended.
Nugent is no stranger to controversy and I suspect he will continue to share his opinions openly whenever he is given the chance to do so.
To read the complete version of Nugent’s comments, check out Metal Hammer.
There’s also a recent interview with Nugent that can be found at KC Community News.
If you are a Nugent fan or you are familiar with him at all, you’ll know what to expect in the following video. Otherwise, if you are offended by a bit of profanity and some talk with regard to the lower regions of the male anatomy, you may want to skip this one.
July 17, 2008
Rush’s Neil Peart Wins ‘Drummer of The Year’ Again
At the risk of turning this site into "Real Rush News," there is more news to report with regard to group and their achievements. For the second year in a row, Neil Peart has been selected as the recipient of the most prestigious "Drummie" award - "Drummer of The Year.
The winners are selected by way of a reader survey conducted by DRUM! Magazine that includes 42 categories. More than 5,000 drummers nominated Peart for the top spot with Stanton Moore, Mike Portnoy and Jimmy Sullivan coming in as runners up.
In addition to "Drummer of The Year," Peart also took home the "Best Live Performer" award as well.
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In other Rush news, the release of "Rock Band 2," slated for July 21, will feature a track from Rush’s Hemisphere’s album. "The Trees," has always been one of my favorite Rush songs of all time, and will now challenge video rockers everywhere to play along with the 1978 classic.
Among other classic rock tracks to be featured in the game are: AC/DC’s "Let There Be Rock," Bad Company’s "Shooting Star," Bon Jovi’s "Livin’ on a Prayer," Journey’s "Anyway You Want It," Kansas’ "Carry On Wayward Son" and many more.
Rush Drops In To Visit The ‘Colbert Report’
As expected, the boys from Canadian rock trio Rush made an appearance on Comedy Central’s Colbert Report, or as the host likes to call it, "The Colber Repor." It was the group’s first appearance on U.S. television on over 30 years.
Those that are familiar with the program will not be surprised to hear that there was no shortage of one-liners and clever comments and questions from the host, Stephen Colbert. To their credit, the guys in the band had a few clever comments and comebacks as well.
These three guys always seem a little uncomfortable under these circumstances, and that’s probably just a testament to the many reports I have heard that they think and behave like "regular guys," and are not known to play up the rock star role that many of their contemporaries are well known for.
For those of you who may not have access to Comedy Central, check out the clips below.
July 16, 2008
Ron Wood Returns Home To Patch Up Marriage And Enter Rehab
In yet another, "Rock star enters rehab" story, this time we get word that Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones has decided to return home from his alleged love nest in Ireland in an effort to save his marriage and get a handle on his problems with alcohol by entering rehab.
There are various stories about what actually happened in Wood’s life recently, from a torrid affair with a 18-year-old (or 19 or 20-year old, depending on what story you read) Russian cocktail waitress, to a less exciting version of the story which claims that the waitress, Ekaterina Ivanova, was simply a model for Wood’s painting.
Apparently, it was Woods’ son Jesse who went to visit his dad in Ireland and may have convinced him that coming home to save his marriage was the right thing to do. Perhaps the phone calls from some of his Rolling Stones band mates as well as pal Rod Stewart had some influence on the 61-year-old guitarist’s decision to come home as well.
A spokesperson for Wood is quoted as saying: "Following Ronnie’s continued battle with alcohol he has entered a period of rehab. His close family and friends say he is seeking help and look forward to his recovery."
July 15, 2008
Rush Will Appear on Comedy Central’s ‘Colbert Report’
In a rare U.S. television appearance, Canadian rock trio Rush will perform on the popular Comedy Central program The Colbert Report tomorrow (Wednesday, 7/16/08) at 11:30 PM EDT. The group plans to play one of their most-recognized hits, "Tom Sawyer."
Rush has not performed on U.S. television since 1975, and this appearance is most likely a big surprise for Rush fans 
who are more accustomed to the group being overlooked or even derided by many critics since they first appeared on the scene back in the 1970’s.
The long-enduring Canadians do seem to be attracting more attention lately, with a feature story in Rolling Stone magazine, with which the group has a stormy past. Then there’s the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that was recently approved for them. Perhaps the group, after decades of making albums and touring hard are finally being recognized for years of achievement.
Rush fans are encouraged (as if they need it) to set those VCR’s, DVD recorders and DVR’s to catch this rare television event.
The Colbert Report began life as a parody of The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, but has evolved into something that is beginning to take on the look of a variety show, with more musical performances being incorporated into the show.
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One wonders why Rush, after so many years, will show up in The Colbert Report. Could Stephen Colbert be a Rush fan? Hopefully, there will be some time for Colbert to talk to the members of the group rather than just featuring the "Tom Sawyer" performance. I’d like to hear the story-behind-the-story on this one.
New AC/DC Album Said To Be Coming In October
According to AC-DC.Net, the group’s new album is set to be released on October 28th in North America and on October 27th for the rest of the world.
The title of the new album is being reported to be Black Ice, and an earlier news item on the same site says it will be 
available here in the U.S. only at Wal-Mart stores.
The first single from the new album, "Runaway Train," which was also a name that was considered for the album’s title, will be released in late August.
There is also word that the plans for a world tour will be announced next week, and the tour is expected to start sometime late this year. AC/DC is also reported to be in line for inclusion in the next version of the popular video game Rock Band.
There have been at last two bogus e-mail messages that were sent regarding the status of AC/DC’s new album, one of which arrived in my in-box a week or so ago. Having been duped by the first message that was sent out late last year, it was easy to recognize the most recent one was just another fake.
Thanks to AC-DC.Net for this update.
More Bad News For Led Zeppelin Reunion Hopefuls
Robert Plant, whom just about every Zeppelin fan knows, has been touring with Alison Krauss, may be further delayed in the process of putting together a possible Led Zeppelin reunion tour. Plant and Krauss have decided to extend their tour a bit by adding additional dates that run from September 23 to October 5.
While other members of the group seem willing to get to work on a Zep reunion, including would-be drummer Jason Bonham, who sounds as if he’s ready to hit the road at a moment’s notice, Plant has been the one that has been a bit cagey about the whole Led Zeppelin reunion thing since the O2 show last December.
This latest development is not good news for Zeppelin fans who are anxious to see a reunion tour, and can only hope that Plant will have something more definitive to say when he is done touring with Krauss, so that fans can have something to look forward to, or finally have all their hopes dashed by Plant’s refusal to take part.
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My guess is that Plant is genuinely struggling with the decision on whether or not to reunite the legendary super group. It is hard to imagine he is willfully toying with millions of fans who are incredibly anxious to see the remaining members of the group tour again — perhaps for one last time.
One can imagine the reasons Robert Plant might struggle with a decision of this magnitude. Singing Zeppelin is not quite the same as singing with Alison Krauss and he may be concerned about the strains of performing the old Zeppelin numbers or perhaps he would just rather have the group remembered as they were when they disbanded following the untimely death of drummer John Bonham.
Hang on Zeppelin fans, with all the pressure Plant must be feeling about reuniting Led Zeppelin, there’s bound to be some real news coming by the end of the year. We can hope so, anyway!
July 13, 2008
Journey’s Dean Castronovo Basks In Interview Spotlight
Journey drummer Dean Castronovo says he does not usually get to do interviews since the other members of the group usually want to do them, but Castronovo seems more than happy to have his say for a change, and does so in a recent interview with the Deseret News.
Not surprisingly, there’s much talk about the group’s new singer Arnel Pineda. Finding Pineda through the internet by viewing videos of his performances with his band in the Philippines convinced the band that he was the guy they were looking for, but at the same time, they worried a bit about how he might fit in with the rest of the band. When you fly someone you’ve never met half-way around the world for an audition, it is easy to understand those kinds of concerns.
It has all turned out just fine, reports Castronovo. Pineda “is is the most humble and nice person I have ever met,” he says.
Journey has surely had their share of changes where lead singers are concerned. After splitting with original lead singer Steve Perry, they group hired Steve Augeri, who was a good replacement for Perry, but ended up leaving the band after ten years. There was a brief stint with Jeff Scott Soto as frontman, with Castronovo sharing some of the vocal duties as well.
Castronovo also mentions his good friend and former Journey drummer, Steve Smith, and humbly reveals that he has copied Smith’s style, and often jokes with him about how he has “ripped him off.”
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When Castronovo talks about his early influences, he mentions seeing KISS drummer Peter Criss and his massive drum kit. However, on at least on occasion Castronovo was in attendance when Rush was opening for KISS, and Castronovo was quite impressed with Neil Peart’s ability to actually play his entire massive kit. It’s kind of hard to imagine Rush opening for KISS, but I guess you have to start somewhere.
Speaking of Neil Peart, I recall reading not all that long ago on one of the many news updates on his site that he has great admiration for Steve Smith’s ability. That’s a compliment that must make any drummer feel pretty damn good.
Dean Castronovo sounds about as happy as anyone can possibly be with their job. “I don’t know of any other job I’d rather, or should I say, I can do. Life is good,” he says.
For more of the interview, check out the Deseret News.
July 12, 2008
Stones Guitarist Falls Off Wagon Into Arms of Teen Lover?
Word from the British press is that Rolling Stones guitar man, Ron Wood, is drinking again and has run off with an 18-year-old Russian girl that he met in a London drinking establishment.
There are conflicting reports about whether or not the two are a romantic item or not. Wood’s wife of 31 years claims she is aware that the young Russian has accompanied Wood to his home in Ireland, but says he is going there to work on his painting, and that another fellow who is involved with Wood’s artwork is also there.
For her part, 18-year-old Ekaterina Ivanova says she is falling in love with Wood and that he is planning to leave his wife to be with her.
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One point that everyone seems to agree upon is that Ron Wood is drinking heavily, consuming two bottles of vodka a day. One report claims he is so out of it that he does not even know where he is.
Concerned band members and friends are said to have called him in an effort to get him back on the straight-and-narrow, but have so far been unsuccessful. Among those who have reached out to Wood include Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Rod Stewart.
With the recent talk of Wood and Rod Stewart teaming up to reunite The Faces, it has to make fans wonder whether Wood will be up to the task.
