JT’s Ultimate Mixtape: Aerosmith covered edition

One of the greatest American rock bands of all time, Aerosmith raised the bar for hard rockers in the 1970s and shocked the music world with a massive comeback in the late 1980s. More than three years ago, I gave the band the “Ultimate Mixtape” treatment, picking my favorite song from each album released by the group.

Countless artists have offered up their renditions of the Bad Boys of Boston’s greatest hits. In this Ultimate Mixtape, I will attempt to collate some of the greatest and most interesting Aerosmith songs covered by other bands. I’m sticking only to officially released songs, and my personal preference is to avoid live versions. While tribute albums are fair game, only one song per tribute is allowed on this compilation. Further, no artists will be duplicated, and each song will only be represented once. So hit play on the YouTube videos below, click the links to buy some records, and rock out like you’ve never rocked out before!

JT’s Ultimate Mistape: Aerosmith covered edition

• “Walk This Way” (Run DMC, Raising)
• “Sweet Emotion” (Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon, Sixty Six Steps)
• “Dream On” (Ronnie James Dio and Yngwie Malmsteen, Not The Same Old Song & Dance)
• “Toys in the Attic” (R.E.M., Dead Letter Office)
• “Same Ol’ Song and Dance” (Black ‘n Blue, Without Love)
• “Seasons of Wither” (Tesla, Real to Reel, Vol. 2)
• “Draw the Line” (Testament, Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament)
• “Back in the Saddle” (Sebastian Bach featuring Axl Rose, Angel Down)
• “Rock in a Hard Place (Cheshire Cat)” (Puny Human, Revenge is Easy)
• “SOS (Too Bad)” (Eric Singer Project, ESP)
• “Fever” (Garth Brooks, Fresh Horses)
• “Cryin'” (Otis Clay, Sweet Emotion: Songs of Aerosmith – Blues on Fire)
• “Living in the Fridge” (Weird Al Yankovic, Alapalooza)

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Goodbye, Gregg Allman

(December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017)

Founding member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, the Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman passed away today from liver cancer.

Fun Cards: 1987 Topps Chris Cornell

I’m still processing the news from last Thursday. Chris Cornell, lead singer of one of the greatest bands ever from Seattle (sit down, Nirvana, you’re not even in this conversation), allegedly took his own life after a concert in Detroit Wednesday night. Soundgarden was scheduled to play several shows through the end of this month, and was reportedly halfway through writing songs for a new album.

You never know what is going through someone’s mind, even when they are seemingly sitting on top of the world. Please, friends, take care of yourselves emotionally. If you are struggling, seek assistance. Every prescription does not affect every person the same way, and the side effects are more pronounced in some. Work closely with your doctor to get things straightened out, get on the medication (if that’s necessary) that works best for you, and don’t ignore the warnings.

Punky Meadows announces west coast and east coast tour dates

PRESS RELEASE: One of the most striking hard rock bands of the 1970’s was undoubtedly Angel—who sported costumes and a highly theatrical stage show only rivaled by KISS (their then-label mates on Casablanca Records). Despite Angel splitting in 1981, the group’s popularity and influence remain high – resulting in the return last year of their larger-then-life guitarist, Punky Meadows, with his first-ever solo release, Fallen Angel, and a striking video clip for the rocking track, “Straight Shooter”

“I’m very proud of this song and album,” says Punky. “Danny Farrow and I have a great song writing chemistry so it’s hard to to pick a favorite song because they’re all good. ‘Straight Shooter’ was our first single and video. This band is killer with all talented players and a killer singer.”

And in March and April, Punky will be performing in the US. From March 8th-10th, dates have been announced for Las Vegas, San Diego, and Los Angeles, followed by Poughkeepsie on April 21st and NYC on April 29th. Joining the guitarist on stage will be a band comprised of Chandler Mogel – lead vocals, Danny Farrow – rhythm guitar, vocals, Charlie Calv – keyboards, and Bob Pantella – drums, while it will be decided closer to the dates if bass will be supplied by Felix Robinson (due to recent surgery).

Angel was a headline act in the US, and was featured performing live in the 1980 cult classic film, Foxes (starring a then-teenage Jodie Foster, Cherie Currie, and Scott Baio). They were also one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970’s in Japan. The group released six studio albums on Casablanca Records before disbanding in 1981, due to the demise of the label. During his career, Punky had been considered to join such well-known artists such as KISS, Aerosmith, and the New York Dolls.

Upon the band’s disbanding, Punky occupied himself with a number of successful business ventures while continuing to play guitar and write songs. Through social media, fans let him know they missed him and wanted to hear new music. With renewed passion for recording music, and inspiration from close friend and fellow musician, Danny Farrow Anniello, they crafted 15 new songs together for Fallen Angel, which charted on Billboard at #6 on the Heatseekers Chart and #32 on the Independent Album Chart.

Also available is a special autographed edition of Punky Meadows’ Fallen Angel that includes a Punky Meadows guitar pick, and two bonus tracks (one featuring original Angel vocalist Frank DiMino), exclusively on the www.mainmanrecords.com website. Otherwise, the regular 15 song edition is available everywhere else, including iTunes, Amazon, and all other music outlets.

Also available are a limited amount of meet and greets for each show. The meet and greet includes a personal photo with Punky and the band (with personal cell or camera) up to 3 autographed Punky or Angel items, and a free 8×10 to have autographed as well. Here are the links to the meet and greets (all but the BB King meet and greet, which is on their website at checkout): punkymeadows.weebly.com/tour-dates.html

And soon, fans will get an opportunity to experience Punky and his band live on stage. “Can’t wait to get on the road and play for all the fans again. We’re coming to a town near you and we’re going to tear the place up!! Don’t miss it and let’s rock!!”

TOUR DATES:
March 8th – Backstage Bar and Billiards (Las Vegas)
March 9th – Brick By Brick (San Diego)
March 10th – Whisky (Los Angeles)
April 21st – The Chance (Poughkeepsie)
April 29th – BB Kings (New York City)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
www.punkymeadowsofficial.com / www.facebook.com/punkymeadowsofficial/ / www.facebook.com/groups/punkymeadowsofficial/ / www.twitter.com/punkymeadows001

Purchase Fallen Angel by Punky Meadows.

Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman unite/reunite to form Anderson, Rabin & Wakeman (ARW)

Long-time YES fans, rejoice! Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman are proud to announce that after a hiatus of 25 years, they are to reform the definitive YES line-up as Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman (ARW).

Since they last played together in 1990 on the highly successful YES ‘Union Tour’, there have been various hybrid versions of the band. However, none featured the iconic voice of Jon Anderson, the outstanding guitar talent of Trevor Rabin, and the keyboard wizardry of Rick Wakeman. The aim of the band will be to restore the standard of excellence in performance that they established with their 1990 shows, which saw YES members past and present come together for the first (and only) time of the legendary band’s career.

“To be able to sing and perform with Rick and Trevor at this time in my life is a treasure beyond words,” explains Jon. “I’m so excited to create new music and revisit some of the classic work we created many years ago, it’s going to be a musical adventure on so many new levels.”

“Trevor and I have wanted to play Yes music together since the Union Tour,” adds Rick. “And as for so many of us, there is no Yes music without Jon. The ‘Holy Trinity of Yes’ is for me, very much a dream come true.”

The most successful prog rock group of all time, YES was founded by Jon Anderson in 1968 and went on to sell millions of units with releases such as Fragile, Close to The Edge, Tales From Topographic Oceans, Going For The One and 90125, as well as embarking on several record-breaking world tours.

While Rick is associated with the ’70s “prog era” of the band (which saw YES become a worldwide stadium headliner) and Trevor associated with the ’80s “pop era” of the band (which furthered the band’s popularity, including the band’s biggest chart success), Jon is the bridge between both factions (as he was a member of both eras).

Not content to rest on past glory, Jon, Trevor and Rick are working on new songs, which are currently being recorded. The band will make its live debut in North America in October/November, followed by the Rest of the World in 2017.

The worldwide ARW Tour is being produced by legendary concert promoter Larry Magid, who is considered an architect and leader of the modern concert business. With over 16,000 concerts to his credit and still counting, he has produced national and international tours for Yes, Richard Pryor, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, Robin Williams, Kristin Chenoweth, Earth Wind & Fire, Il Divo, The Allman Brothers Band, Patti LaBelle, Grover Washington Jr. and many others. In 1985 Larry Magid co-produced the American portion of Live Aid and in 2005 he was the producer of Live 8.

The following are confirmed dates, and on-sales for each market will be announced soon. Additional dates may be added:

Tue/Oct-04 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
Thu/Oct-06 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Casino
Fri/Oct-07 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Sun/Oct-09 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Ctr
Mon/Oct-10 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
Sat/Oct-15 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
Sun/Oct-16 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
Wed/Oct-19 Boston, MA Wang Theatre
Fri/Oct-21 Wallingford, CT Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Sat/Oct-22 Huntington, NY The Paramount
Mon/Oct-24 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theater
Wed/Oct-26 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Theatre
Fri/Oct-28 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Event Center
Sat/Oct-29 Akron, OH Goodyear Theater at East End
Tue/Nov-01 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Wed/Nov-02 Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
Fri/Nov-04 New Buffalo, MI Four Winds Casino
Sat/Nov-05 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
Mon/Nov-07 Nashville, TN Schermerhorn Symphony Ctr
Wed/Nov-09 St Louis, MO Fox Theatre
Fri/Nov-11 New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre
Sat/Nov-12 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre
Mon/Nov-14 Austin, TX ACL at the Moody Theater
Wed/Nov-16 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
Thu/Nov-17 Salt Lake City, UT Capitol Theater
Sat/Nov-19 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
Sun/Nov-20 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
Tue/Nov-22 Los Angeles, CA Orpheum
Fri/Nov-25 San Francisco, CA Masonic

FOR TOUR, TICKETS AND VIP INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:
www.ARW-tour.com

Goodbye, Andy Newman

(d. March 30, 2016)

Pianist for Thunderclap Newman, Andy Newman passed away yesterday at the age of 73.

Goodbye, Keith Emerson

(November 2, 1944 – March 10, 2016)

Noted as one of the greatest keyboardists in rock history, Keith Emerson of Emerson, Lake & Palmer was found dead in his home on Thursday from a gunshot wound. Former bandmate Carl Palmer said, “Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come.”

Judas Priest unleash new live CD/DVD/Blu-ray, Battle Cry, on March 25

Judas Priest‘s tour in support of their 17th studio album overall, Redeemer of Souls, was one of the most extensive of the group’s entire career—consisting of 130 shows in 33 countries, and offering a setlist that touched upon selections from nearly all of their classic albums. And now, fans can relive the live Priest experience once more, with the release of the new CD/DVD/Blu-ray, Battle Cry, on March 25th, 2016, via Epic Records.

Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Germany’s Wacken Festival in front of an audience of 85,000, Battle Cry is available on a 15-track CD, with the entire show on Blu-ray and DVD (running over 94 minutes), as well as digital audio and video formats. The DVD and Blu-ray also contains 3 bonus tracks shot in Poland on December 10th, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland.

What makes the show’s track listing so appealing is it balances new classics (“Dragonaut,” “Halls of Valhalla,” “Redeemer of Souls”) along with headbanging classics (“Metal Gods,” “Electric Eye,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming”), as well as key album tracks from yesteryear (“Devil’s Child,” “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “Jawbreaker”).

Originally formed during the early ’70s in Birmingham, England, Priest is responsible for offering metal fans worldwide some of the genre’s most influential and landmark albums (1980’s British Steel, 1982’s Screaming For Vengeance, 1990’s Painkiller, etc.), while helping spread metal music to audiences not normally associated with the genre (Live Aid in 1985, and a surprise appearance on American Idol in 2011), and helping popularize the now instantly recognizable “denim and leather” look.

For decades, Judas Priest has been one of the greatest live bands in the entire heavy metal genre. And as evidenced by Battle Cry, Priest rock harder and more ferociously than ever.

Battle Cry CD sequence:
1. (Intro) Battle Cry
2. Dragonaut
3. Metal Gods
4. Devil’s Child
5. Victim of Changes
6. Halls of Valhalla
7. Redeemer of Souls
8. Beyond the Realms of Death
9. Jawbreaker
10. Breaking the Law
11. Hell Bent For Leather
12. The Hellion
13. Electric Eye
14. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
15. Painkiller

Battle Cry DVD/Blu-ray sequence:
1. (Intro) Battle Cry
2. Dragonaut
3. Metal Gods
4. Devil’s Child
5. Victim of Changes
6. Halls of Valhalla
7. Turbo Lover
8. Redeemer of Souls
9. Beyond the Realms of Death
10. Jawbreaker
11. Breaking the Law
12. Hell Bent For Leather
13. The Hellion
14. Electric Eye
15. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
16. Painkiller
17. Living After Midnight

Recorded live on August 1st, 2015 at Wacken Festival, Germany.

BONUS TRACKS
18. Screaming for Vengeance
19. The Rage
20. Desert Plains

Recorded live on December 10th, 2015 at The Ergo Arena, Gdansk, Poland.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT: judaspriest.com.

Pre-order Judas Priest – Battle Cry.

Fun Cards: 1976 Topps Joe Walsh (Eagles)

The Eagles were already a massively successful band—One of These Nights hit #1 in the United States—when Joe Walsh replaced Bernie Leadon in 1975. He had been invited to join Humble Pie following Peter Frampton‘s departure, but Walsh turned them down and later joined the Eagles. The first album with Walsh, Hotel California, was released in December 1976 and hit #1 just like its predecessor. Three more Eagles albums featuring Walsh topped the charts: 1979’s The Long Run, 1994’s Hell Freezes Over, and 2007’s Long Road Out of Eden.

Fun Cards: 1972 Topps Joe Walsh (Barnstorm)

Joe Walsh recorded two albums with Barnstorm, 1972’s Barnstorm and 1973’s The Smoker You Drink, The Player You Get, the later containing the classic “Rocky Mountain Way.” Many fans have forgotten that these were Barnstorm albums and not Joe Walsh solo records, and that’s how the record company promoted them. Walsh said, “I wanted to be a band, not a solo artist. Vitale, especially, should’ve gotten more credit ’cause it wasn’t all me….It was in every aspect a collaborative effort.” The group also served as a backing band for Michael Stanley’s 1973 Friends & Legends record.