Month: October 2021

Supergroup ASIA will release a 10-CD box set, “The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1”, on November 26. A digital album — also called “The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1” — will feature a selection of 24 tracks taken from the full box set, out on the same day. “The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1” celebrates the concert tours following ASIA‘s first two albums in 1982 and 1983. The boxset features concerts from 1982 (Buffalo, NY, USA), 1983 (Worcester, MA, USA), 2007 (São Paulo, Brazil), 2008 (Tokyo, Japan) and 2010 (London, UK).

Keyboard player Geoff Downes says of the boxset: “This historical collection represents some of our finest and most defining live moments from the very first ASIA tour in 1982 and the ‘Alpha’ tour the following year through three of our many ‘Reunion’ shows. It was such a privilege to take ASIA‘s music to these different continents and feel the warmth and support from fans all over the world. We hope this brings back great memories and inspires others to appreciate the music of ASIA.”

Pre-order your copy of “The Official Live Bootlegs Volume 1” – at the link here.

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Neil Young & Crazy Horse have announced a new album called ‘Barn’ set to arrive December 10 via Reprise. Young announced the news on his  Neil Young Archives website, along with the full tracklist.  Barn marks Young and Crazy Horse’s follow-up to 2019’s Colorado. In addition to announcing the new LP, Young released the track “Song of the Seasons” available to stream for Neil Young Archives subscribers.  You can take a listen to the track – here.

Earlier this year, Young and Crazy Horse released Way Down in the Rust Bucket, a live album recorded in 1990 at a small club in Santa Cruz, California.

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Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil is “back home and resting” following an accident on Friday, October 15, where Neil fall from the stage during his performance at the Monsters on the Mountain Festival at LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, TN. An update posted to Mötley Crüe’s social media reads: “Vince is back home and resting after breaking a few ribs on Friday night. Our love and best wishes for a speedy recovery and ready to rock in ‘22!! ”

Bassist Dana Strum (Slaughter) who was performing with Neil, addressed the crowd after the accident, telling them: “The truth is Vince fell and broke ribs when he fell. He can’t breathe and he’s gonna get dealt with medically. Now, that sucks for us, and him. He was so excited to be here. He lives in Tennessee. But he was willing to stick it out and tough it out when the people back here were telling him ‘Don’t do it.’ Let’s have one good round of applause, please, for this guy.”  Neil’s band closed out the show without the singer, playing a rendition of the Crüe classic “Live Wire” with guitarist Jeff Blando (also from Slaughter) handling lead vocals. Video of the fall and Strum’s address to the crowd were captured on video.

Mötley Crüe will launch a stadium tour with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 2022. The tour was originally rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford revealed that he battled prostate cancer last year during the pandemic.
The legendary rocker shared details about the health issues he faced in the past year in a newly-added chapter to the just-released updated paperback edition of his 2020 memoir, “Confess.”

Halford had been experiencing symptoms dating back to 2017. “How did I feel?” he writes. “I felt a combination of shock, horror, and oddly, relief – at least now I know!…’Am I going to die?’ It was all I could think of. I know blokes who’ve died of prostate cancer. ‘No, you’re not going to die, Rob,’ said Dr. Ali.”

Halford underwent prostatectomy surgery in July 2020 to remove the cancer, then received radiation therapy this past spring after more cancer was discovered on his prostate bed. He also had an appendectomy after a tumor was discovered on his appendix.  Halford is now in remission after receiving an all-clear in June.

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Paul Simon marked his 80th birthday last week by announcing the new audiobook Miracle and Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon. The five-hour audiobook is named after a line in the Graceland track “The Boy In the Bubble,” and features new music titled “Seven Psalms” — his first since 2018’s In the Blue Light. It also includes previously unreleased live studio versions of beloved songs from his catalogue like “The Sound of Silence” and “The Boxer.”

Simon collaborated with author Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce Headlam for Miracle and Wonder, recording over 30 hours of interviews over nine sessions. The biography traces Simon’s upbringing in Queens, New York, his rise to fame as one half of Simon and Garfunkel, his solo career, and more with cameos from Sting, Jeff Tweedy, Herbie Hancock, Rosanne Cash, and more. Miracle and Wonder: Conversations With Paul Simon arrives November 16th.

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Bryan Adams has released a music video for his brand new single “So Happy It Hurts,” the title track to his forthcoming album which will arrive on March 11, 2022.

Adams directed the video, and has this to say: “The pandemic and lockdown really brought home the truth that spontaneity can be taken away. Suddenly all touring stopped, no one could jump in the car and go. The title song ‘So Happy It Hurts’ is about freedom, autonomy, spontaneity, and the thrill of the open road. The album of the same name, touches on many of the ephemeral things in life that are really the secret to happiness, most importantly, human connection.”

Watch the video for ‘So Happy It Hurts” – here.

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