Legendary guitarist and Mountain founder Leslie West will release a brand new solo album entitled Unusual Suspects on Monday September 19th 2011.
The album is his first since 2006’s Blue Me.
Released by Provogue Records, the album, Unusual Suspects features West alongside a hand-picked line-up of the finest guitar players alive today including Slash, blues-rock guitar superstar Joe Bonamassa, Black Label Society front man and ex-Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Toto’s Steve Lukather.
“These guys don’t just show up to play on everybody’s albums,” says West on his special guests and the album’s title.
“They’re all stars in their own right, and fantastic players — everyone with their own sound and style, about as far from ‘the usual suspects’ as it gets.”
– Leslie West
Leslie West - Unusual Suspects
1. One More Drink for the Road (Featuring: Steve Lukather)
2. Mud Flap Momma (Featuring: Slash)
3. To the Moon
4. Standing on Higher Ground
5. Third Degree (Featuring: Joe Bonamassa)
6. Legend
7. Nothin’s Changed (Featuring: Zakk Wylde)
8. I Feel Fine
9. Love You Forever
10. My Gravity
11. The Party’s Over (Featuring: Slash and Zakk Wylde)
Legendary guitarist, singer/songwriter, Grammy winner, producer and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame member Lindsey Buckingham released his 6th solo album, Seeds We Sow, on September 6th 2011.
The album is Buckingham’s first self-release, in which he took a true DIY approach, not only writing and performing every song on the record but producing and mixing them as well. Buckingham also announced a 31-city North American tour in support of the album which kicks off on September 9th in Nevada and continues through October 25th in Napa, CA.
Speaking on Seeds We Sow, Buckingham says, “This might be the best work I’ve ever done. I think it’s an excellent representation of what I do. It shows a certain maturity and musicianship and I just feel like I have a lot of tools in my musical vocabulary from which to draw that are again the product of the choices I’ve made. It’s on my own terms. This is very much from the inside out and I hope I never stop doing that.”
From the album’s first single “In Our Own Time,” to the soft melodic pop/rock tinge of “End Of Time” and the album’s most rocking track, “One Take,” to the touching “When She Comes Down” and the almost lullaby-esque hushed tones of the gorgeous closing number, “She Smiles Sweetly,” the album showcases Buckingham’s full arsenal of skills. Just as his guitar style on Seeds We Sow is more mature and refined, so too are his lyrics, with one of the standout tracks being the hook-laden “Illumination.” “I think the lyrics over the years have actually gotten better because they’ve gotten a little, I don’t want to say obscure, but more poetic in the way they’re created,” he says, adding, “It’s a mysterious process even to me.”
As a part of his promo tour, Lindsey made a stop on the Conan O’Brien show:
When Rory Gallagher died from complications following a liver transplant in 1995 at only 47 years old, the music world lost one of its most influential and respected guitarists. Apocryphal evidence suggests that Hendrix rated Gallagher second only to himself and numerous respected guitarists cite him as having influenced their sound including Brian May, Eric Clapton and The Edge from U2. He appears in many fan-voted best guitarist lists and remains the personification of the razzled Irish blues-rock musician (From Soundunwound).
Rory Gallagher - Notes From San Francisco
This 2-CD archive release from the Irish guitarist contains previously unreleased material.
In 1977, Rory Gallagher entered a San Francisco studio and recorded a whole album’s worth of material. For the first time, the recordings from this session will see the light of day on Notes From San Francisco. The first disc features the results of this recording session. Disc Two consists of a massively energetic live concert recorded in December of 1979 at The Old Waldorf in San Francisco.
Incidentally, the album’s sleeve image is an original postcard Rory Gallagher posted to his mother while on tour. Gallagher would always send postcards back home to Ireland from wherever he was in the world. The Limited Edition Deluxe Edition of ‘Notes From San Francisco’ will include a set of personalised Rory postcards complete with ‘Rory Stamps’ which have been sourced from the original US company that produced them. Also included are reproductions of Rory’s hand written lyrics which were kept by Elliot Mazer.
The live album is a smoker – Rory holds nothing back here. The solo at the end of “Tattoo’d Lady” is three minutes of mind boggling, all out Rory Gallagher guitar bliss. Another treat is a great version of “Bullfrog Blues”. Very good sound quality for a 1979 live album and I’d rate the CD on par with the excellent live material from ‘Live at Rockpalast’ done during that period. Highly recommended! - Amazon.com Review
CD1: Rue The Day 2. Persuasion 3. B Girl 4. Mississippi Sheiks 5. Wheels Within Wheels 6. Overnight Bag 7. Cruise On Out 8. Brute Force & Ignorance 9. Fuel To The Fire BONUS TRACKS: 10. Wheels Within Wheels (Alt version) 11. Cut A Dash 12. Out On The Tiles
CD2: Follow Me 2. Shinkicker 3. Off The Handle 4. Bought And Sold 5. I’m Leavin’ 6. Tattoo’d Lady 7. Do You Read Me 8. Country Mile 10. Shadow Play 11. Bullfrog Blues 12. Sea Cruise
Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Beth Hart, known for her raw and powerful blues-rock sound, wraps her expressive vocals around classic soul cover album titled: “Don’t Explain” — an album that grew out of her friendship with blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa.
Joe Bonamassa - Beth Hart - Don't Explain CD
Produced by Kevin Shirley (Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes), the album features Hart’s interpretations of ten soulful blues songs, with Bonamassa on guitar and his ace band filling out the tracks.
“Don’t Explain” the debut album collaboration between American singer-songwriter Beth Hart and the acclaimed rock /blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa. The album is made up of
intimate soul cover versions and will be released in the UK and Europe.
The album is produced by Kevin Shirley who produced albums for Aerosmith, Black Country Communion, The Black Crowes and John Hiatt. The album perfectly combines Beth Hart’s soulful vocal with Joe’s guitar sound to produce a superb collection of hand-picked soul covers from such as Gil Scott-Heron, Tom Waits, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and others.
Joe Bonamassa crossed paths with Beth and her band numerous times on the road, he recalls how “Don’t Explain” came about; “I was up late one night, I couldn’t sleep. I was playing songs on my iPod from the reissue of Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, which included all the opening acts from that Stones show. As soon as the Ike & Tina tracks came on, I just said out loud, “Beth Hart.” I emailed Kevin, saying, “let’s do a soul covers record with Beth,” and he replied back, “Actually, that’s a great idea.”
Don’t Explain is scheduled for release on September 27 on J&R Adventures—the independent label founded by Bonamassa and his longtime manager and business partner, Roy Weisman.
[LISTEN TO A PREVIEW OF "SINNER'S PRAYER"]
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“Music, for me, is like a weed that just keeps bringing up no matter how thick the concrete is. It just makes its way toward the light. I’ve been doing music since I was a young teen, and man I’m really digging the way the weed has popped through this concrete.” – Jeff Bridges, Actor, Musician and star of “Crazy Heart”.
Jeff Bridges Album Cover
That “weed” sprouted particularly tall when Jeff Bridges won an Academy Award for his portrayal of fallen country star Bad Blake in the 2009 movie ‘Crazy Heart.’
In addition to adding such a tremendous accolade to his already-legendary acting resume, the film also planted the seed for more musical collaborations with its soundtrack producer, T Bone Burnett. The fellow Oscar winners have been friends for more than 30 years.
“‘Crazy Heart’ was an amazing experience,” says Bridges. “When that movie was over, I found that I had quite a few songs that didn’t get to make that film, and those are some of the songs that are here on this album.”
BAD COMPANY LIVE AT WEMBLEY DUE JUNE 28 IN THREE FORMATS
New York, NY (June 14, 2011)—When legendary classic rockers Bad Company performed at the historic British venue Wembley Arena in London on a beautiful April 2010 spring night, high-definition cameras captured the whole evening in all its glory.
On June 28, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Live At Wembley simultaneously on DVD, Blu-Ray & CD, through its Eagle Vision & Eagle Records imprints.
There was magic in the air as all three original Bad Company members—vocalist extraordinaire Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs and drummer Simon Kirke—are augmented by bassist Lynn Sorensen and guitarist Howard Leese. (Original bassist Boz Burrell died in 2006.)
The set list is packed with every major hit, fan favorites and seldom-heard deep album cuts. The DVD and Blu-Ray includes a band interview.
Bad Company burst upon the rock’n’roll scene in 1973, and was immediately dubbed a super-group by fans and press alike, as its members all came from very successful popular bands: Free (Rodgers and Kirke), Mott The Hoople (Ralphs) and King Crimson (Burrell). They lived up to the hype for nine straight years with a string of six soulful hard-rocking albums. After a four-year break, they got back together minus Rodgers (who had formed The Firm with Jimmy Page). Rodgers returned in 1999.
DVD and Blu-Ray Track Listing
1) Can’t Get Enough
2) Honey Child
3) Run With The Pack
4) Burnin’ Sky
5) Young Blood
6) Seagull
7) Gone, Gone, Gone
8 ) Electric Land
9) Simple Man
10) Feel Like Makin’ Love
11) Shooting Star
12) Rock And Roll Fantasy
13) Movin’ On
14) Ready For Love
15) Bad Company
16) Deal With The Preacher
CD Track Listing:
1) Can’t Get Enough
2) Honey Child
3) Run With The Pack
4) Young Blood
5) Seagull
6) Gone, Gone, Gone
7) Electric Land
8 ) Simple Man
9) Feel Like Makin’ Love
10) Shooting Star
11) Rock And Roll Fantasy
12) Movin’ On
13) Ready For Love
14) Bad Company
15) Deal With The Preacher
LOST RORY GALLAGHER STUDIO ALBUM FROM 1978 TO FINALLY BE RELEASED!
~Two-Disc Set, Notes From San Francisco, To Land May 17 Via Eagle Rock Entertainment ~
~Lavish Package Includes Never-Before-Released 1979 Concert!~
The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was once asked what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world, to which he replied, “I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher!”
Rory Gallagher - Notes From San Francisco
Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) is simply one of the all-time guitar greats. Slash, The Edge, Brian May, Johnny Marr, Janick Gers, Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Tipton and Vivian Campbell have all said it. Since practically inventing the Power Trio format in Taste (both Cream and Taste debuted in 1966), Gallagher’s music has stood the test of time and he’s as popular now as he ever was, his influence gargantuan.
The story of Rory’s lost San Francisco album actually starts in Japan. In November 1977, after a grueling six-month world tour, the band flew straight from their last show in Japan to San Francisco to begin working on a new album with famed American producer Elliot Mazer (who worked on Neil Young’s Harvest, Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills and The Band’s The Last Waltz). Mazer recalls the sessions grew “tense,” as Gallagher thought the mixing process “too complicated.” By the end of January 1978, he had shelved the whole record and broke up his band of the past five years.
Fast forward to 2011 when Rory’s brother/manager Donal allowed his son Daniel to recover the album from the Gallagher archive and begin the process of mixing it with his engineer. Rory said in 1992 he hoped the album would surface one day but only if it were remixed. Bingo. Hearing this historic never-before-issued studio album from a key period of Gallagher’s career (the album that would have been released between Calling Card and Photo Finish) is the Holy Grail for Rory’s fans.
CD #2 is another fabulous discovery: a blistering live album taken from four December nights in 1979 at San Francisco’s The Old Waldorf. In the audience Van Morrison, on stage Rory Gallagher (guitar/vocals), Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums). Daniel Gallagher chose to add the live side to highlight why Rory chose to shelve the studio album and reduce his band back down to a three-piece. Rory, after seeing The Sex Pistols at Winterland during final mixes for his own album, was struck by the stark drama and blunt primitivism of pure punk. “It was as close to Eddie Cochran as you’re going to get,” he enthused. He had been saying that he wanted to get back to what he called “meat’n’potato rock’n’roll,” a stripped-back primal raw immediacy hearkening back to his Taste days.
A street has been named after him in Paris; a corner in Dublin; a statue in his Ballyshannon birthplace, where The International Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival is held. There’s a Rory Gallagher Place and Rory Gallagher Music Library in Cork. Annual tributes are held in Germany and Japan. The man has sold in excess of 20 million albums. Notes From San Francisco [MSRP $17.98] will be a worthy addition to his canon.
Track Listing:
CD1
1. Rue The Day
2. Persuasion
3. B Girl
4. Mississippi Sheiks
5. Wheels Within Wheels
6. Overnight Bag
7. Cruise On Out
8. Brute Force & Ignorance
9. Fuel To The Fire
BONUS TRACKS
10. Wheels Within Wheels (Alt version)
11. Cut A Dash
12. Out On The Tiles
CD2
1. Follow Me
2. Shinkicker
3. Off The Handle
4. Bought And Sold
5. I’m Leavin’
6. Tattoo’d Lady
7. Do You Read Me
8. Country Mile
9. Calling Card
10. Shadow Play
11. Bullfrog Blues
12. Sea Cruise
All CD, LP and Bundle pre-orders will receive an Exclusive Bonus DVD, featuring the Warren Haynes Band’s complete set from last December’s Christmas Jam in Asheville, NC.
Happy Mothers Day to all of the mothers out there. If you are reading this post and you have not called your mother today then stop reading and give her a call. Thank her for bringing you into this world and giving you an opportunity to be a guitar player…
Ann and Nancy Wilson of HEART
Today is a day to recognize amazing women and I can’t think of a better day to hail the praises of Ann & Nancy Wilson, the sisters of Rock and Roll.
Ann is the lead singer for Heart and the mother of an adopted son and daughter.
Nancy plays lead guitar for Heart and is the mother of twin boys.
While the other band members of Heart changed often, Ann & Nancy remained true to each other, true to the band and true to their dreams.
The embedded video below comes from VH1′s “Behind the Music” and showcases Ann & Nancy and their amazing contribution to the music world.
