Music News 1997 Some info about popular artists. SOURCES: Rolling Stone, The Aquarian Weekly, Musician, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Spin, The Daily News, and numerous WWW sites. Back to current Music News Updated 12/16/97 One of my favorite new bands, Matchbox 20 from Orlando, Fla., now faces a lawsuit by members of the band Tabitha's Secret. Former Tabitha's Secret singer Rob Thomas, along with bandmates Paul Doucette and Brian Yale, reformed as Matchbox 20, and released the multi-platinum album "Yourself or Someone Like You." Allegations were made that Tabitha's Secret, a popular Orlando band with lots of major label buzz with Atlantic Records and Hollywood Records cut a deal to exclude the two remaining bandmates, who are now suing their former partners in M20. Tabitha's Secret's new CD, "Don't Play With Matches," includes a version of "3AM" along with other songs produced under the band produced before the split. (I personally like M20's version better, but that's my opinion) Those interest in the gory details can read all about it on the Forbidden Records site. REM, in the Beatles' tradition of giving fan club members special, limited-edition recordings,has issued a CD of a new song called "Live For Today," (probably the last song with ex-drummer Bill Berry) as well as a package of goodies, including a sticker, some postcards and a small calendar. Pearl Jam's fan club members will also receive a new song, "Only Happy When I'm Crying". Smashing Pumpkins have been working in the studio with ex-Soundgarden Drummer Matt Cameron, who may possibly bve the full-time replacement for Matt Walker, who was the replacement for ousted member Jimmy Chamberlin. Walker left to continue work with his own band, Cupcake. Updated 11/26/97 Bret Michaels, singer of Poison, has been showing the depth as a performer by getting into movies. His second feature film is "No Code of Conduct" and stars Charlie and Martin Sheen. Co-wrote by young Sheen and He of Platinum locks and singles, the film is about a former cop and a gang of drug dealers. Clint Black will embark on his first major concert tour for his latest release, "Nothin' But The Taillights," his first tour since 1993. Special guest Trace Adkins will be on at least four months of the tour, starting Feb. 6 in Merrillville, Ind. Metallica's newest album, Reload, contains a collection of tunes that didn't fit on last year's Load, which was originally planned to be a double album. Fans will decide if this is a quick-sequel cash-in on last year's success or a collection of quality tunes, but the album has received good reviews so far. (Anyone have some feedback? Let me know!) Some other new albums due out by late November: Lisa Loeb - Firecracker, Led Zeppelin - BBC Sessions, Ozzy Osbourne - The Ozzman Cometh, Harry Connick Jr. - To See You, The Police - The Very Best Of, Leon Russell - Retrospective: The Best of Leon Russell, Babyface - Babyface Unplugged, Will Smith - Big Willie Styles, William S. Burroughs - The Best of William Burroughs, Updated 11/7/97 OK, let me see if I got this straight. It was a simple altruistic act that Elton John got Bernie Taupin to rewrite the words to "Candle in the Wind" for Princess Di, released it as a single, just happened to have a song from his new album on it, and has through these happy little, ahem, accidents, that it is the highest-certified single of all time with over 11 million sold? Can we get some photographers to chase Elton around Paris for a little while? A documentary chronicling the 1996 San Francisco Tibetan Freedom Concert, "Free Tibet," will be out this month. The show features appearances by Beck, Bjork, the Fugees, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, and includes commentaries by performers, concertgoers, Buddhist monks and nuns, and the Dalai Lama. All proceeds will benefit the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving human rights in Tibet. Metallica has been looking for a while for a place to put on a free concert for its fans, and finally has a location: Philadelphia's Corestates Arena parking lot. The show will be on November 11. 120,000 fans responded to the band's request with suggestions for locations. Singer and keyboard verteran Billy Preston has been sentenced today to three years in prison for violating probation with a drug conviction. After pleading for leniency in judgement he was given the maximum sentence for jail time. R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry has officially left the band after 17 years. According to a statement released by Warner Bros., Berry says he’s ready to "reflect, assess, and move on to a different phase of my life..." Police in Tampa, Fla., charged Scott Ian Rosenfeld of Anthrax with grand theft for allegedly trying to steal an on-deck circle from the spring training home of the New York Yankees. He's free on $7,500 bail after being arrested. Rosenfeld said, "It was very stupid and as I was doing it, I was realizing, 'What the hell am I doing?' That's probably why I don't drink very often." Producer David Arnold has finished "Shaken And Stirred," a collection of James Bond covers. The album includes appearances by Iggy Pop, Chrissie Hynde, Leftfield, and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp. The album will be out Nov 25. As most have heard by now, folk/country singer John Denver died in a plane crash. Far be it for a record company to let the body get cold, "The Unplugged Collection," accoustic versions of "Annie's Song," "Rocky Mountain High," "Take Me Home, Country Roads," among others, will be released in Europe this month with the American release (under the how-tacky-can-you-get strategy) entitled "A Celebration of Life." The man, the legend, Johnny Cash has announced that he has developed Parkinson's disease. He is postponing all concerts and canceling a book promotion tour for his autobiography. Jewel will perform at the grand opening of the Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona, Spain, Nov. 6. It is her first performance in Spain, and several concerts will be done shortly after. Joey Ramone will headline the Iggy Pop Tribute Release Party, on Nov. 13 at LA's Viper Room. Ramone will be backed by the band 22 Jacks. Also at the show will be D-Generation, Extra Fancy, and Holy Bulls. Updated 8/17/97 Lots to update in the last 2 months! August 16 marked the 20th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death (or "death," if you read the tabloids). No special celebrations were announced (that I know of), and The King was not available for comment, but I'm sure Graceland's ticket sales have increased exponentially. "Been Around The World," the next single from rap annoyance Puff Daddy's album "No Way Out," samples Bowie's 1983 hit "Let's Dance," and will feature David Bowie in the video. Garth Brooks staged an HBO-sponsored free concert from Central Park, New York, earlier this month. Against my hopes, Brooks' 1996 "Fresh Horses," is back on the chart at #167, with 2500 copies sold within one week, and his older albums, "Hits" and "No Fences" jumped back on the chart as well. The 16th annual Canadian Country Music Awards is set for Sept. 8 in Hamilton, Ontario. Paul Brandt has seven nominations including single of the year for "I Do," male vocalist of the year, and fan's choice award. "I Do" and "I Meant To Do That." Other nominees include Shania Twain, Prairie Oyster, Terri Clark and Michelle Wright. Comedy Central's twisted new adult cartoon, South Park, premiered with a theme song written and performed by Primus. The show, created by Primus fans Matt Stone and Trey Parker, is a bizarre cartoon about third graders in a small Midwestern town. Don't miss it. Someone at Rhino Records was apparently on heavy medication when they ok'd the VH1 8-Track Flashback: The One-Hit Wonders. On one CD, you can relive the gets-more-airplay-than-it-did-20-years-ago hit, Wild Cherry's "Play that Funky Music", as well as "Seasons in the Sun", "Afternoon Delight". Get out the checkbook, Christmas is coming. I have no idea if it's newsworthy, but "Re-Animation Festival" is the debut album by The Groovie Ghoulies. Any band that can have the brass one to name themselves after a crappy Filmation cartoon, and feature pop-punk songs like "Graveyard Girlfriend," "Evading the Greys," and "Chupacabra" HAS to be something worth checking out. Also in the way-out department, Bill Mumy (of Barnes & Barnes and "Lost in Space" fame) is releasing Dying to Be Heard. Anyone with info on this album, please mail me. U2's Bono will be featured in an upcoming PBS special, "Willie Nelson: Down Home," a tribute to the legendary country singer. Bono talks about Nelson's influence on his career; I guess if Queen's Freddy Mercury could be an influence to Axl Rose and Kurt Kobain, it must be possible. The show will feature concerts and interviews from Nelson's home. The annual CMJ Music Marathon will be running September 3-6 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Marilyn Manson and Moby will be Keynote Speakers. Each year, the event also features 900 new artists performing at dozens of clubs all around the city. Don't miss it! Elektra is releasing an anthology of singer/songwriter Jackson Browne's music on Sept. 23, entitled "The Next Voice You Hear: The Best Of Jackson Browne." 13 classic tunes are included, as well as two new songs: "The Rebel Jesus" and "The Next Voice You Hear," which will be a single. The word is that Browne may begin a tour next spring or summer. In the "They're Still Around?" Department, new albums are expected out this month by Jackyl, Night Ranger, Alice Cooper, Marillion, Buster Poindexter,Patti Smith, Fleetwood Mac, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Morrissey, Billy Bragg, Julian Cope, Ric Ocasek, Power Station, and Jules Shear. (Most of these are not to be implied as bad things, actually, it's just a shock to hear these folks are still working.) Other new albums this month: From the alternative scene, 311 ("Transistor"), Snoop Doggy Dogg ("Doggumentary"), Mariah Carey ("Butterfly"), Oasis ("Be Here Now"), Dog's Eye View ("Daisy"), The Kelley Deal 6000 (featuring ex-Breeders singer Kelly Deal) ("Boom! Boom! Boom!"), Tanya Donnelly (ex-Belly lead singer) ("Love Songs for Underdogs"), and Goldfinger ("Hang-Ups"). Some living legends have some live recordings coming up too: George Clinton Live double-CD recorded during his 1997 shows, as well as Dr. John ("Trippin' Live"), and Harry Belafonte & Friends ("An Evening with..."). On a somber note, Rush drummer Neil Peart's 19-year-old daughter Selena Taylor died in a car crash. Police say her vehicle left the highway, rolling over several times before landing in the median. Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate. The group's record company, Anthem, declined comment except to confirm the tragedy. In response to the recent passing, the Selena Taylor Trust Fund has been set up in her name. If you would like to make a donation, please make your check payable to the "Selena Taylor Foundation" and send it to: Selena Taylor Trust Fund, 189 Carlton Street, Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5A 2K7. Cards may also be sent (please, no packages) to the above address. Updated 5/29/97 The Spice Girls, in what is truly a sign of the Apocolypse, have broken The Beatles' sales records after smashing the American charts at number five with their second single "Say You'll Be There," ending a record for the highest new entry by a British act set by The Beatles in 1970, when "Let It Be" entered at number six. (The group matched that mark with its "reunion" song, "Free As A Bird," from the recent Anthology.) The Spice Girls' spokesperson said, "We're obviously very pleased - it's a terrific achievement to have done so much in such a short space of time." Millions of record-buying trend-jumpers (AKA "sheep") will have to wait a while before they'll see their favorite pop tarts on tour, because of their upcoming screen debut in (brace yourself) "SPICE: THE MOVIE." Somewhere, Donnie Wahlberg is looking on with envious eyes. Folks who catch Keanu Reeves's band, Dogstar, in the near future may notice a bit "more" of him onstage. He put on 35 pounds for his role of poet Neal Cassady in "The Last Time I Committed Suicide," by eating six burgers a day and gallons of cola. If he put on some makeup, he'd be ready to backup the KISS reunion tour. Looks like wedding bells are in Barbara Streisand's future, as she plans to marry actor and transmission salesman James Brolin. I could probably make some rude comment about how Brolin's former castmate Connie Selleca also hooked up with an aging, pretentious musician, but I think I'm above that sort of thing. The new James Taylor album, Hourglass debuted at number 9 on the pop charts, a rare occurrence for the folk singer who's wide fan base usually doesn't manage to get him into the top 10. Are there Marilyn Manson fans out there who are closet Taylor fans? Sammy Hagar's first post-Van Halen solo album, Marching to Mars, featuring a plethora of guest stars, entered the rock charts at number 18. The first single, "Little White Lies," is probably already grating your nerves in rotation on your local rock radio station. Michael Jackson's mining his past glory again with Blood on the Dance Floor: History in the Mix, a combination of five new songs and dance re-mixes of old hits, and is his first album in years not to open at number 1...proving there may be hope for humanity after all. John Fogerty is currently touring nationally in support of his new album Blue Moon Swamp, with a 2.5-hour live show. Courtney Love joined Fleetwood Mac as they prepared for their upcoming reunion concert, to be taped May 22 and 23 for MTV. Love confided to Lindey Buckingham, "Your guitar-playing just gives me the chills." He probably feels the same way when he hears the last Hole album. Bob Dylan is hospitalized under an assumed name at an unnamed hospital for treatment of an infection near his heart, a source near Dylan told the Reuters news agency. Dylan is being treated for histoplasmosis with antibiotics after experiencing some recent chest pains, and is not considered a life-threatening situation. While Dylan did finish his latest album, his European tour had to be cancelled due to the illness. Christian Pop singer Bob Carlisle has released Butterfly Kisses, the title cut of which is guaranteed to be played at wedding receptions for the next 20 years. Updated 4/14/97 "The Billie Holiday Companion," released by Schrimer Books, spolights the legendary Lady Day, and includes 28 essays by numerous notable names about one of jazz's the most troubled artists, and the woman behind the amazing voice. Alterna-rock gods Soundgarden have confirmed the rumors, and have officially called it quits after 12 years, the members to persue other musical interests. In a released statement confirming the breakup, the band wished to thank its loyal fans for all their support. Eclectic Candian jazz-folk-rocker Bruce Cockburn began his U.S. tour tonight to support The Charity Of The Night. The guest performances by Ani DiFranco, Patty Larkin, and Bonnie Raitt. Producers Don Was and Babyface will be producing tracks on the next Rolling Stones album, due by early fall. The Stones also approached both the Dust Brothers and Dr. Dre to produce, provoking some conjecture as to what the next album will sound like. Béla Fleck of the Flecktones announced tour dates beginning April 20 at the University of Kansas. They will also open some of the Dave Matthews Band U.S. shows in June. A large group of long-time-since-their-last-album artists are releasing new albums this month, including GWAR (Carnival of Chaos), The Rollins Band (Come in and Burn), George Thorogood (Rockin' My Life Away), Kip "Stewart's favorite singer" Winger (This Conversation Seems Like a Dream), Pink Floyd's Keyboardist Rick Wright (Broken China), Cyndi Lauper (Ssters of Avalon), INXS (Elegantly Wasted), and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (Blues for the Lost Days). Other longtime vets with new albums include: Nanci Griffith (Blue Roses from the Moon" guest-starring Darius Rucker), Queensr˙che (Hear in the Now Frontier), Matthew Sweet (Blue Sky on Mars), Jon Secada (no title available), Genesis/GTR guitarist Steve Hackett (Mid-Summer Nights Dream), Depeche Mode (Ultra), Dokken (Shadow Life), Dr. John w/Eric Clapton (Live), and Lynrd Skynrd (Twenty). Personal favorite Toad The Wet Sprocket has shifted away from the acoustic-oriented hook-driven pop with its new album, "Coil." Singer Glen Phillips announced in a recent interview that the songs are more agressive and, in the case of one song, "crotch-driven." The results will be out in May. The Foo Fighters are getting their second album ready, entitled The Colour & The Shape, and will prepare to go on tour with new drummer Taylor Hawkins, former drummer for Alanis Morrisette. R&B/Soul legend Harold Melvin, leader of the Blue Notes and discoverer of Teddy Pendegrass, died at 57 from the effects of a stroke he suffered last July, while he was preparing for an upcoming tour of Japan. Three very unique compilation albums are due out this month. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus features a collection of love songs, including a new song by Jeffrey Osborne and Regina Belle. The Planet Sleeps is a collection of lullabies from around the world, sung by popular artists. (No info as to who's on it yet, details to follow.) And for those of you craving for a compilation of both live and studio tracks from Blue Oyster Cult, Pat Travers, Steppenwolf, and Foghat, Summer Daze is for you. Don't crowd, now, keep the line orderly. Updated 3/1/97 Never failing to disappoint my expectations of disappointment, the Grammys once again made me want to stop listening to music forever. Here's the list of nominees and the winners. Singers Eric Clapton and Sheryl Crow announced the breakup of their year-long relationship. The couple met when Crow was a backup guitarist for Clapton during his 1995 tour. They are said to have parted amicably. The Average White Band's new album, Soul Tattoo, is due to be released early this month. Also due out later this month, the Indigo Girls newest release, Get Out the Map on Epic. The legend Van Morrison is set to release The Healing Game (A&M) soon, no definite word yet on when it will be out. Updated 2/7/97 The 1996 Grammy Award nominations have been announced. No real surprises here, of course, but you can check out a listing here. The current leg of the Stone Temple Pilots tour finished last month, and has gotten the band glowing notices. A recent concert at Madison Square Garden (in NYC) featured a performance by surprise guests Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, who joined STP onstage for a cool cover of "Sweet Emotion." Check the Stone Temple Pilots web site (www.stonetemplepilots.com) for live photos and info. Eddie Van Halen was involved in a multi-vehicle collision in Studio City, CA, totaling a Mercedes- Benz registered to his wife, sometime actress Valerie Bertinelli, on 23 January. In other Van Halen news, their "Best Of Volume 1" anthology contains a mastering mistake that was not caught by Warner Bros or the band. W.B. refuses "to give an exchange or refund to anyone who purchased the Best Of" the first time around. On March 8, VH1 will broadcast the only airing of the entire, unedited City Of Hope/VH1 All-Star Garage Band show. The "Garage Band" included Eddie Van Halen, Sheryl Crow, Steve Winwood, Rolling Stones Saxman Bobby Keys, John Mellencamp, Bryan Adams, Melissa Etheridge, Don Henley, and Tony Rich, among others. The newest sign of the apocolypse? Boone-mania is again. The 62-year-old grandfather released "In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy," a collection of hard-rock covers that could signal a rennaissance for the singer who's scored 60 Top 40 hits and sold more than 45 million records. Or not. Decked out in leather, he performed some material from the album at the American Music Awards. For the second year running the recording industry as a whole is reporting flat sales. Last year the total decrease was almost 2% (almost $11billion) with only a 1.5% increase this year. Sales have not slumped this suddenly since the end of the disco era (late '70s) and while industry execs try to figure out why, the points have been made the industry is too interested in the quick one-hit-wonder profit as opposed to successive hits with equal profit spread out over the long haul, the cost of CDs has slowly increased , the sluggish economy, college/alternative sounds are once again changing, and heavy competition in both the record pressing/recording and retail markets. (from an editorial by The Rock Record Collectors' Association) David Bowie's newest release, "Earthling," returns Bowie as a rejuvenated meat-and-potatoes rocker, and a new image (big surprise there). Seven Mary 3's sophomore effort, "Crown" is out on Atlantic and word is it revisits the same ground from their first album. (I'll have to either confirm or amend that when I pick up the album next week) The now-defunct Ramones have released a box set gives fans a retrospetive the band's career, the classic "hits" and a handful of tracks that missed making it onto their records. (Truly these are strange times when punk bands are releasing box sets, but I digress.) Rhino Records has issued "Love Songs," a collection of Aretha Franklin tracks from her '60s glory days, including "Baby I Love You" and "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman." The Al Green wannabe's the Fine Young Cannibals have a greatest hits from the last decade which include "She Drives Me Crazy" "Good Thing," Elvis' "Suspicious Minds." "Feel Like Going Home: The Essential Charlie Rich" is a two-CD compilation country-pop hitmaker and his history-making career. "Tony Bennett on Holiday," is out by the soft-spoken singer who managed to endear himself to the MTV, and just in time for Valentine's Day! :) Trust me. Bruce Cockburn's 23rd album, "The Charity of Night," proves again the injustice that Cockburn's music hasn't risen to popularity of an Oasis, Bush, or numerous sloppy Brit grungers. Updated 1/17/97 Rush's "Test For Echo" has gone Gold, and it's the band's 21st gold album, tying them for 3rd most all-time group together with Kiss. The Beatles are 2nd, with 28, and the Rolling Stones are 1st with 37. Rush is taking a break after a succesful tour in the USA, with an expected return in spring 1997. During the break, the band will mix its fourth live album, featuring material recorded on the 'Counterparts' and 'Test For Echo' tours, as well as previously unreleased tracks from a late-70s date at London's Hammersmith Odeon. Helmet has recorded their follow-up to 1994's Betty, Aftertaste, and will be in stores sometime in January. Liam Gallagher, whiner and beer-spiller for Oasis, was arrested in London under suspicion of cocaine posession. A substance was confiscated for analysis. Reporters who waited outside his home on were given the finger and no further comment. Porno For Pyros have postponed their U.S. tour due to Peter Distephano's chemotherapy, whose cancer was detected early and is expected to make a full recovery. Unconfirmed reports say that ex-Judas Priest/Fight singer Rob Halford has signed a deal with Nine Inch Nails' and Marilyn Manson's record company, Nothing Records. Steven Spielberg is producing a rock TV show a la the Monkees, featuring the band Supergrass. Says Gaz Coombes "It could save 3 years of touring in America, and we could say we worked with Steven Spielberg." Uh...yeah. The Offspring's first release on Columbia Records will be Ixnay On The Hombre, out February 4th. Australian teens Silverchair will release their second album, Freakshow, February 11th. Live will release their upcoming yet-untitled album in February,and will begin a club tour once the album is out. Ozzy Osbourne will release a greatest hits album this year, which will also contain some new tunes collaborated on with guitarist Joe Holmes. I Mother Earth are now in the midst of a U.S tour with Gravity Kills. Universal's Goldfinger have finished touring Europe, and are back in the U.S. with Reel Big Fish and will perform until February 21st. Tool's former bassist Paul D'Amour has formed a new band, Lusk. More to follow on album releases or shows. Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam is recording a second album with his side project, Brad. Formerly of Stone Roses, guitarist John Squire is recording the debut of his new band, The Seahorses for Geffen Records. In the Say it Isn't True dept, speculation surrounds a possible reunion with Vince Neil and Motley Crue. The End is near, my friends, seek shelter. Updated 11/20/96 Rock supergroup YES performed a FREE CONCERT in Los Angeles on November 20th, 1996 inside the Tower Records Sunset store. The show reunited the legendary Yes line-up of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire and Alan White. The band has released a live live album, Keys to Ascension, their first album in over 18 years (debuted at #99 on Billboard's top 200). Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor will be overseeing the production for the soundtrack to David Lynch's new movie Lost Highway. The album will be out on November 26th. Geffen's Sugartooth will release their latest album on January 7th. The new album is entitled The Sounds Of Solid. Epic's latest signing, Incubus, will an ep on January 7th, entitled Enjoy Incubus. Pearl Jam begin their European tour on October 24th, and finish in Lisbon November 25th. No opening act announced. Alice Cooper will release a new album on January 14th for Hollywood Records, entitled A Fist Full Of Alice. Also on January 14th, blues rockers from Sacramento, California, Sweet Vine will release their self-titled debut album on Columbia. Atlantic Records will release Collective Soul's as-yet-untitled third album, January 21st . Kelley Deal (The Breeders), Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Jimmy Flemion of the Frogs, and Jimmy Chamberlin, formerly of Smashing Pumpkins have formed a new band called Last Hard Men. The new alternative supergroup (is that an oxymoron, or a sign?) has recorded a cover of Alice Cooper's Schools Out for Wes Craven's Scream. An album and a possible tour will follow. Cleopatra records will be putting out an AC/DC tribute album featuring all industrial bands, due out next year. One Live Night, a live acoustic album from Dokken, is now available, and includes a cover version of ELP's "From The Beginning." Judas Priest Has just finished their first album with new singer, Ripper Owens, entitled Jugulator. The band still has no label, but they are working on a deal, and plan to release the album sometime next year. In other Priest-related news, Atlantic records has just signed guitarist Glen Tipton to a solo recording deal. The album is entitled Baptism Of Fire and will feature appearances by John Entwistle, The Who, Cozy Powell and Billy Sheehan, and will be released sometime in January. Other newly-released albums include Korn's Life Is Peachy, Danzig's Blackacidevil, Corrosion of Conformity's Wiseblood, and Tool's Anemia. Soundgarden are touring the U.S., with openers Rocket From The Crypt and Pond. The band will finish up on December 11th in Seattle. The Stone Temple Pilots are back touring again on November 4th in California, covering 30 cities and will finishing December 14th, with openers Expanding Man. Blues Traveler will finish their current US tour on New Year's Eve at New York's Madison Square Garden. Openers include Leftover Salmon, The Wallflowers, and the Chrysalids. Deep Purple are doing a short tour starting on November 20th in Toronto, Canada, finish up on December 8th in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band's current lineup is all the original members, with the exception of legendary rock guitarist Steve Morse. Former-solo-artist-turned-frontman Sammy Hagar, after getting booted from Van Halen, has already recorded a solo album, Kama, and released the first single, "Salvation On Sand Hill," over the internet on November 11th. The full album will be out sometime next spring. Guns 'n' Roses will be recording again soon, but rumors are flying about who will be left in the band. Some Axl Rose comments quoted in Rolling Stone have left fans puzzled about the band's status. Slash has officially left the band, and according to some rumors, may record with David Lee Roth. Other rumors say there's no chance of Izzy returning. Matt and Duff are up in the air due to their side project Neurotic Outsiders. So far the only members confirmed to still be in G 'n' R are keyboard man, Dizzy and of course Axl Rose. In the PROOF THE HUMAN RACE IS DOOMED Department, Poison are reforming and releasing a greatest hits collection. Updated 11/11/96 Two clips of unfinished versions of "Discotheque" and "Wake Up Dead Man" from U2's new album were leaked from the recording studio to the Internet. Island Records tried to close down the source sites with the files, but the clips spread across the net too quickly. The finished (and authorized) version of "Discotheque" will be available on a satellite feed to radio stations Jan. 15. The band's intentional entry into cyberspace is an Internet camera in the studio so fans can tune in to "see" U2 at work. Ash, a new teenaged tio out of Ireland, debut with 1977. (named for the year Star Wars was released) Called "Snazzy, retro, trash pop with a metal edge" by Rollingstone.com, the band is already highly popular in Europe, Australia, Japan and Thailand. Bush's new album, "Razorblade Suitcase," is out and has shot into the top spot on the album charts. The first single, "Swallow," has been getting heavy airplay for about two weeks. The Van Halen saga continues. A new singer has been decided, and it's Gary Cherone, formerly of Extreme, who'll handle the frontman duties on the next album. Eddie Van Halen announced in a recent interview that Cherone is "it" for the band's singers; if he leaves, the band is through. (It's on record, let's see if he sticks with that.) The item is about 2 months old, but I just heard Billy Ray Cyrus, much to the dismay of his fans, I'm sure, has left the music business and is concentrating on a full-time movie career, fearing his musical commitments would keep him from being a movie star. Thanks, Bill, from all of us. You just sit by that phone, and we'll call you, OK? The Ramones final record, "Greatest Hits Live," was recorded at the Academy in New York City and features several of their classic hits. ("I Wanna Be Sedated," "Blitzkrieg Bop," among others). The band's farewell show, at the Palace in Los Angeles in August, was captured on video and will be released sometime in the near future. Updated 10/10/96 The rumor mill is churning once again. The story is that Hole's Courtney Love and detoxing singer Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots were captured in a Kodak (well, Polaroids anyway) Moment in four sexually suggestive pictures that are claimed to have been purchased by taste champions Hustler Magazine for $10,000. The magazine denies the rumors. (Hmm. I'm sort of "churning" myself.) Tommy Lee's mannequin/wife, Pamela Anderson Lee, is looking for a publisher for her autobiography, tenatively titled "Pamdemonium." The upcoming epistolary opus will discuss her life and loves, past lovers, "tips on outrageous sex," and will feature a chapter entitled (drum roll please) "The History of My Breasts." My IQ!...it's melting!...melting!... Updated 9/19/96 The controversial Van Halen reunion seems to more than just the inital greatest hits compilation as stated before...at least depending who you speak to. A week after their surprise appearance on the MTV Awards, singer David Lee Roth said on the Howard Stern Show the band was not only back together for good, but that a tour is being scheduled for sometime next year. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen, however, as quoted in columnist Lisa Robinson's syndicated column, that he wasn't ready for a tour due to pending hip replacement surgery, saying "we don't need the money," and that he wasn't ready to cash in on the growing list of rock revival acts. Details to follow. The MTV Video Music Awards were held this month and the overall winners for the evening were the Smashing Pumpkins. Singer Billy Corgan, looking Uncle Fester-esque in his long black coat and shaved head, took the opportunity with each acceptance speech to fire off a few comments about other bands, the press, and their now-ex-drummer's drug problems (as reported previously). The Awards winners were: Best Group Video : Foo Fighters for Big Me. Best New Artist : Alanis Morrisette for Ironic. Best Dance Video : Coolio for 1,2,3,4, (Sumpin New). Breakthrough Video : Smashing Pumpkins for Tonight, Tonight. Best R&B Video : Fugees for Killing Me Softly. Best Direction : Jonthan Dayton and Valerie Faris/ Smashing Pumpkins for Tonight, Tonight. Best Rap Video : Coolio for Gangsta's Paradise. Best Hard Rock Video : Metallica for Until It Sleeps. International Viewer's Choice (Europe) : George Michael for Fastlove. Best Alternative Video : Smashing Pumpkins for 1979. Best Choreography : Bjork. Best Editing : Alanis Morisette for Ironic. Best Art Direction : Smashing Pumpkins for Tonight, Tonight. Best Special Effects : Smashing Pumpkins for Tonight, Tonight. Best Cinematography : Smashing Pumpkins for Tonight, Tonight. Viewer's Choice Award : Bush for Glycerine. Best Male Video : Beck for Where It's At. Best Female Video : Alanis Morisette for Ironic. Best Video of the Year : Smashing Pumpkins for Tonight, Tonight. Best Video from a Movie : Coolio for Gangsta's Paradise. The Jersey Shore has a new rock radio station. In the continuing shell game that is NY-NJ metro-area radio formats, former "relaxing music" Adult Contemporary station WADB in Belmar, NJ, changed from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Barbara Streisand to KISS, Soundgarden, and Led Zeppelin, (much to the chagrin of it's mostly-over-aged-45 audience who longer have any other area station to turn to) and have renamed themselves WRAT: "The Rat." I personally like the new format, but it obvious WADB is going where the money is, so we'll see who wins - the ratings or the protesters. Rapper Tupac Shakur died this month from gunshot wounds, though I have no real details yet other than the blurb on the TV evening news. We'll post updates once they're available. Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam has announced they will pay tribute to the fallen rapper in the near future. Updates soon. Perry Farrell, who jumped ship on his festival Lollapalooza, accusing the organizers of becoming too corporate, has arranged the ENIT Festival, whose lineup includes: Porno For Pyros, Love and Rockets, DJ Afrika Bambaataa, the Orb, Meat Beat Manifesto and Lady Miss Kier. Dates are being set for Cleveland, Raleigh NC, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Boston, with more dates expected. Geffen Records has planned to release of a double-live Nirvana CD this October, which has been overseen by Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl. Professional spitter/beer-spiller Noel Gallagher has written 13 songs for the next Oasis album, which should be out in March. Social Distortion’s new album, White Light, White Heat, White Trash, features new drummer Chuck Biscuits (Black Flag, Danzig), and will be in released this month. Contrary to a previous report, Stone Temple Pilots' singer Scott Weiland has not been fired from the band. Weiland did manage to finally complete his rehab program succssfully, and is currently at an undisclosed halfway house, while plans of a possible tour are being discussed. Updated 8/19/96 Eloquent celebrity charmer extroardinaire Courtney Love is making her (long-awaited, I'm sure) major-film-role debut in The People Vs Larry Flint. Says Love of Hole's next album, "(the songs) are more innovative than what I've done before. But somebody else can play pageant mistress. I sent my peroxide to PJ Harvey." Thanks, Courtney. Smashing Pumpkin's keyboardist John Melvoyn (brother of former Prince keyboardist Wendy Melvoyn) recently died from a heroin overdose at a hotel in New York City. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, who was with Melvoyn when he died, was charged with drug posession, and fired from the band five days later. The band now plans to audition a new drummer to finish their current tour. The new album from Pearl Jam, No Code, will be out Aug 27 in both CD and vinyl, and includes four Pearl Jam trading cards. The cassette release will feature nine (count 'em, nine) different covers. Details on a Fall tour should be out shortly. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees for 1997 have been announced: The Bee Gees, Black Sabbath, Soloman Burke, CSN, the Dominoes, the Jackson 5 (should make an interesting ceremony), Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Mamas and the Papas, the Meters, Joni Mitchell, the Moonglows, Parliament-Funkadelic, Gene Pitney, Lloyd Price, the Rascals, and the Stooges. The induction is scheduled for January 1997. More Hall of Fame News: Columbia is releasing The Concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a live record of the opening-night celebrity jam, on August 27. Even More Hall of Fame News: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, just open 11 months ago, is already planning an expansion. The proposed 30,000 sq. ft. would include restaurants and banquet areas to hold "large, income-producing parties," according to the Daily News. Due out September 12 is the new album from Rush, and is tenatively titled Testing For Echo. Rush fans can also look for a tribute album, Working Man: A Tribute, featuring artists like Fates Warning, George Lynch, Deen Castronovo, Eric Martin, Steve Morse, Jake E. Lee, and Billy Sheehan. From 8/1/96 Well, it's official. Van Halen is looking for another permanent lead singer. Singer Sammy Hagar left under "creative differences" with the group, though the rumor is that Eddie Van Halen had a problem with Hagar lyrically, and was embarassed over the words on the last album. The band is currently working on a greatest hits package with, drum roll, ex-singerDavid Lee Roth, who is signed on for one new song on the album. Sly and the Family Stallone may be coming soon to a stage near you. Planet Hollywood International Inc. is getting into the music business. According to The Orlando Sentinel, with stocks beginning to fall (or stabalize, according to the company's point of view) for the chain of specialty restaurants, so the company is looking to get into other areas of entertainment. Specific plans are still being worked out. Grammy Award-winning reggae star David Hinds suffered a ruptured tendon in his shoulder, forcing his band, Steel Pulse, to withdraw from a weekend musical performance at Atlanta's Centennial Olympics. (From Business Wire) Styx's drummer, Chuck Pannazzo, died July 16, causing the band to cancel several scheduled tour dates until they are ready to perform again. The Who disprove their breakup announcement once again by getting together to perform Quadrophenia, which hasn't been seen live since 1972. The new tour is a very limited run of engagements, the only American site being New York City on July 16. (I'll post European dates once I have them.) Stone Temple Pilots have fired singer Scott Weiland, who left his mandatory drug program late last month. The band had recently cancelled their Summer tour, which included opening dates for KISS, and a handful of free radio-promo based concerts, due to Weiland's rehab, announcing that they would support him during this time. Apparently, all bets were off when the singer left without telling anyone. REM's new album is due out September 12, no title available. The band has also parted company with longtime manager, Jefferson Holt. Neil Young & Crazy Horse's new album, Broken Arrow, will be available July 2, with a U.S. tour starting in August. The first single, "Big Time," was just released to New York-area radio stations. At a Smashing Pumpkins show in Dublin, Ireland, on May 12, Bernadette O'Brien, 17, was trampled (and died soon after at a local hospital). Singer Billy Corgan chastized the crowd's behavior at the show, and upon learning about O'Brien, cancelled a later show in Belfast, offering condolences to the girl's family. Three-fourths of the Talking Heads (sans David Byrne) are collaborating again, under the name "The Heads," and feature guest vocals by Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Gordon Gano (The Violent Femmes), and Shaun Ryder (Black Grape). Metallica just released their new album, Load, showing their new sonic range, short hair cuts, and scary new image (BTW, does it remind anyone else of U2, circa Actung Baby ?) They will be the headliners at this year's Lollapalooza Tour this Summer. Veruca Salt have a new album coming out this fall, tastefully titled Blow It Out Ass It's Veruca Salt. Produced by Steve Albini, the album features a heavier, noiser sound than their major label debut last year. In the How Can We Miss You If You Don't Go Away? Department, singer Stephen Pearcy, former of Ratt, has released a new CD with his new band, Vertex. His other band, Vicious Delite (V.D.), is still waiting for a U.S. licensing deal. [How does anyone from Ratt manage to keep TWO bands, while I struggle getting work for mine??] From the As If Anyone Really Cares Department, Latoya Jackson has filed divorce from her husband Jack Gordon, claiming that he beat her, controlled all her bank accounts, and made her enter into a number of money-schemes such as posing for Playboy, and starting her own Psychic Hotline series. The final blow, (no pun intended) she says came when Gordon wanted her to perform in a porno movie. Gordon says Latoya is "an absolute liar." And, from the What The Hell Were They Thinking? Department, former X vocalist Exene Cervenka has released a spoken word album reciting excerpts from the Unabomber's manifesto to background music. MUSICIA Top