Aug 30, 2012

Black Country Communion's new album 'Afterglow' will be released October 30th, and vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze) broke down each of the album tracks recently. Besides Hughes, the band consists of guitaist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham (Bonham, Led Zeppelin) and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater).

Just like its two predecessors, Afterglow was overseen by Kevin Shirley, whose catalogue of hit records for LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, JOURNEY, THE BLACK CROWES and many more has made him the hottest producer that rock music has to offer. Shirley – who had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa together in a band together after seeing them jamming onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009 – is the group’s unofficial ‘fifth member’.

Afterglow track listing:
Big Train
This Is Your Time
Midnight Sun
Confessor
Cry Freedom
Afterglow
Dandelion
The Circle
Common Man
The Giver
Crawl

Glenn Hughes breaks down the album track-by-track: :

'Big Train': “It’s very quirky and British-sounding. Jason Bonham is an incredible timekeeper. I love the way he provides the engine room on that song."

'This Is Your Time': “Let’s give Jason Bonham a little more love. He writes his songs on an iPhone whilst driving his car, which is completely nuts. It really helps the groove factor. He emailed me some footage of him playing this song. He wrote the music and I wrote the lyrics. It has a huge chorus, too. Jason is not just a brilliant drummer – he’s a great songwriter.”

'Midnight Sun': “I had my wallet stolen in a Starbucks and arrived late at the studio. When I got there the guys were fooling around with a song that sounds quite a lot like The Who, thanks to those Rabbit Bundrick-style keyboards. I picked up my bass and joined in. It’s quite a romp; there’s a definite vibe of Moon and Entwistle.”

'Confessor': “The first album had ‘No Time’, which was slow and groovy. I wrote ‘Confessor’ that way too, but when Jason heard it he insisted upon playing it – in his own words – like his dad would have done. We’re a democratic band and I went along with that. When he turbo-d it up it really came to life.”

'Cry Freedom': “I sang this one alone originally until Kevin pointed out that the album didn’t have a song with split vocals. Joe and I sing well together. I’ve never had a problem sharing a microphone with other great singers. We really let rip off one another on this one, which has a ZZ TOP/HUMBLE PIE kind of a vibe.”

'Afterglow': “[At more than six minutes long] it’s an epic song. I was adamant that this album should have a proper title instead of a number. I played it to the band right at the end of sessions – purposely so. When they heard it on acoustic guitar, everybody agreed that it should name the album.”

'Dandelion': “I wrote it slower than we recorded it; maybe I had too much coffee that day. Had we done it that way then maybe it would have sounded a bit dirge-like. Jason sets the tempos – he’s got a really good ear for the way that a song should sound.”

'The Circle': “It’s one of my favourites on this record. It gives me the chance to use my ‘breathier’ voice. Kevin asked me to sing it an octave higher than I intended, and it worked. The high voice in the chorus is not my falsetto, it’s my upper register natural voice. I’m singing about being powerless; being in a dreamlike state. People have spoken about my voice and bass playing for so many years, I hope that this time they notice my lyrics because I’m very proud of them.”

'Common Man': “That’s another of the songs that came from Jason. When he sang me its melody acapella I could hear myself singing it. It could have been a song from Deep Purple’s ‘Stormbringer’ album; he wrote it for my voice.”

'The Giver': “When you listen to the end of the song, if people are trying to figure out what key it’s in, I’m playing a capo [a device that raises the pitch of notes] on the fifth fret. When I wrote it, I deliberately held back from completing it because it needed Joe’s input. Kevin helped as well.”

'Crawl': “Some people may know that this song was going to be on ‘BCC2’ but we held it over because there simply wasn’t enough room. To me, it fits this album a lot better. It’s a really aggressive song – it’s dangerous and angry. I love it. It’s a great way to finish the record.”

Aug 30, 2012

"Trampled Under Foot: The Power And Excess Of Led Zeppelin," written by British music critic Barney Hoskyns, will be released September 6th. Hoskyns meticulously tracked down everyone involved with the band during its early years, at the height of its power, and during its dramatic decline.

The 624-page book is billed as the inside story of what went on behind the music, lifting the lid on the parties, the fights, and the unmitigated, unapologetic bad behavior of rock gods at the pinnacle of world stardom.

"Led Zeppelin was unobtainable and unattainable and we very seldom talked about it,” Robert Plant told Hoskyns in May 2003. “Basically, the myth propagated itself."

“Trampled Under Foot” will present a unique look at the history, adventures, myths and realities of this most legendary and powerful of bands, based on hours of first-hand and original interviews. What emerges is a compelling portrait of the four musicians themselves, as well as a fresh insight into the close-knit entourage that protected them, from Peter Grant to Richard Cole to Ahmet Ertegun, giant figures from the long-vanished world of 1970s rock.

The first book on Led Zeppelin to cover such recent events as their triumphant 2007 O2 Arena gig and Robert Plant's Grammy-winning resurgence of recent years, it will also feature many rare and never-before-seen photographs, it is also the first book on Led Zeppelin to cover such recent events as their triumphant 2007 O2 Arena gig and Robert Plant’s Grammy-winning resurgence of recent years.”

Aug 30, 2012

I know who I'm rooting for on the upcoming season of the Emmy award winning CBS reality show 'The Amazing Race.' It's veteran rock bassist James Lomenzo! Lomenzo, who has played in numerous high-profile rock bands including White Lion, Slash’s Snakepit, David Lee Roth, Black Label Society and Megadeth, will compete with teammate Mark "Abba" Abbattista, 45, a friend and entertainment lawyer. There is a new twist on the show this year with an opportunity for a team to win even more that the $1 million grand prize.

CBS announced yesterday (Aug. 29) that 11 teams that will make up the cast for Season 21 of the reality series. Hosted by Phil Keoghan, the show pits 11 teams, each comprised of two members, against each other on a trek around the world for approximately 25 days. At every destination, each team must compete in a series of challenges, some mental and some physical, and only when the tasks are completed will they learn of their next location. Teams who are the farthest behind will gradually be eliminated as the contest progresses, with the first team to arrive at the final destination wins $1 million. In a new twist, if the team that wins the first leg ends up as the winners of the entire competition, they will double the prize and receive $2 million.

The new season of 'The Amazing Race' premieres Sunday, September 30 at 8 p.m. Check out more on James and Mark, and the show itself at: www.cbs.com/amazingrace

Aug 30, 2012

Former Dio bassist Jimmy Bain was arrested for DUI at around 9:30PM on Tuesday, Aug. 28th. According to Sgt. Darin Ryburn of the Burbank, California police department, Bain, 64, was making a left out of the Fry's Home Electronics store parking lot in his 1995 green Toyota Camry on to westbound Vanowen Street, near Hollywood Way, about 9 p.m. Tuesday night when he pulled in front another vehicle, causing a collision.

Police officers administered a field sobriety test, but according to Ryburn, Bain "failed to satisfactorily pass it." Officers subsequently discovered that Bain was in possession of Vicodin pills without a valid prescription. He was arrested for DUI, possession of narcotic pills, and for an outstanding felony warrant for drugs. He was released Wednesday after posting $60,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in a Los Angeles County Superior courtroom on September 19th. We wish Jimmy well is in ongoing battle with addiction.

Besides his work with Dio, the legendary rock bassist was once a member of Rainbow and collaborated on the late Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott's solo albums. In 1978, the bassist formed Wild Horses, a band that also featured ex-Thin Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson, drummer Clive Edwards and guitarist Neil Carter. The group broke up after two albums. Bain still performs in the Los Angeles area in a covers band called Hollywood Allstarz.

Aug 30, 2012

The Rolling Stones will play four dates in November, two at London's O2 Arena and two at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a source tells Billboard.biz.

Richard Branson and Australian promoter Paul Dainty will promote, and the source says the Stones will be paid $25 million for the four shows.

New York Film Festival and the Rolling Stones are both turning 50 this year, and the festival will be saluting the Stones by announcing the world premiere of ‘The Rolling Stones: Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965′ concert film. Footage from the film has surfaced over the years, but it has never been seen in full form until now.

The screening, showcasing a completely new edition of the film with never-before-seen footage, will take place Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7PM at the Walter Reade Theatre in New York City. An encore screening will follow at the same theatre Oct. 3 at 8:30PM.

ABKCO Films has been meticulously restored this documentary that shows the early days of the band. The footage primarily comes from the band’s trip to Ireland in 1965, and provides an intimate, behind-the-scenes diary of life on the road with the band mere weeks after ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ hit No. 1 on the charts. The professionally shot video features the frenzy surrounding the band as they were being mobbed at each stop. An announcement date for a national broadcast is expected soon, and Nov. 6 is the official commercial release date. Included in the super deluxe box Set packaging will be the director’s cut, the producer’s cut, and the new 2012 version.

The Rolling Stones: 50 exhibition originally had been scheduled to close its doors this Monday, but the run has been extended until September 2.

The free exhibit opened on July 13, exactly 50 years and one day after the rock legends played their official first gig. All of the band's current members, as well as former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, attended an opening gala on July 12 at the Somerset House art space. The display debuted in conjunction with the release of the Rolling Stones: 50 photo book, and features images that also can be seen in the tome. Limited-edition prints of many of the pics can be purchased at the Somerset House gallery, as well as at RollingStones.com.