What Should This Be Called?

Is Led Zeppelin going to take flight again? Robert Plant has said he doesn’t intend to pilot it this time around. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, however, are itching for some action and are looking to tour regardless.

This is an interesting development. After Led Zeppelin’s triumphant reunion gig at London’s O2 Arena last year, all parties involved were enthusiastic about the experience and results and discussed the possibility of future engagements. Meanwhile, Plant was gearing up for extensive touring plans with Alison Krauss in 2008. So, while rumors swelled that Led Zeppelin was going to reunite for the biggest tour in Rock N Roll history, it was clear those plans would have to wait until at least the fall of 2008 after Plant’s work with Krauss came to a close.

While Robert Plant has been touring with Alison Krauss in support of their highly regarded album Raising Sand; Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham have continued to rehearse and jam. In fact, they have been working with stand-in vocalists as well.

Recently, the rumor mill began churning out more stories of a major 2009 Led Zeppelin tour – this time, with or without Robert Plant. A few weeks ago, Plant came out with a statement that he had no intention of touring with anyone for the next two years and that he had no plans to work with Led Zeppelin. He also wished his former band-mates the best. With that news, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones have continued their rehearsals and apparently are now actively searching for a replacement vocalist.

This story has divided not only Led Zeppelin fans, but also music fans in general. There are those that feel Led Zeppelin is one of the last truly great bands that has not destroyed its legacy with cash-grabbing tours and that by reuniting with a vocalist other than Robert Plant, it will be destroying the band’s musical legacy that has stayed intact for 40 years.

Others are thrilled about the idea of Page and Jones going out and playing Zeppelin standards with a stand-in vocalist. They figure, many bands move on and evolve. I have seen people comparing this to Fleetwood Mac evolving from a British blues band to one of the biggest pop bands in the world through band member changes.

Well, sorry, but this has more of the potential to follow in the sad footsteps of Journey, Styx and The Doors of The 21st Century than it does of Fleetwood Mac or even Van Halen. This will not end well. Other than diehard fans hoping for any band activity, the concept of Page and Jones working as Led Zeppelin without Plant is not being looked at fondly by the initial press reports.

Now, to be fair, neither Page nor Jones has confirmed whether or not they will tour and record under the Led Zeppelin name. If they choose to regroup and collaborate much like Page and Plant did in the mid-90’s and not use the Led Zeppelin name, they will most likely be embraced. But, if they go out and drag a Led Zeppelin road show across the world, the will lose credibility. And you can be sure promoters and managers will want them to use the Led Zeppelin name.

I can’t blame them for wanting to work. The O2 show was a tremendous success and it was probably the first real musical high both Page and Jones had experienced in many years. They can still play, particularly Jones who happens to be a musical genius. In fact, over the years, I always thought the two of them should collaborate on a full-scale project.

Maybe some of us music fans take this stuff too seriously. Maybe it is okay for Page and Jones to trash one of the remaining band legacies still in good standing. After all, it is their band and their talent. Who are we to say why it is okay and why it isn’t okay for them to work? Either way, plan on seeing Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones touring next year celebrating the music of Led Zeppelin. What they will call themselves, who knows? Whether they use the name or not, they truly won’t be Led Zeppelin – even Page and Jones know this.

The Beatles In The Arcade

The Beatles’ song catalogue and master recordings are some of the most admired and discussed songs in contemporary music. Anytime a song is used for a commercial purpose, it makes the headlines. The announcement that the band’s catalogue is now going to be part of an exclusive interactive videogame through MTV Networks and Harmonix (the developer behind the “Rock Band” franchise) is clearly making headlines.

This is an interesting development on many levels. For the past few years, there have been constant discussions, articles and hints by the band that remastered and digital versions of The Beatles’ recordings are forthcoming. Yet, to this day, nothing has appeared.

The Beatles have a large fan-base that spans many generations, but clearly this development is aimed at a younger demographic. This is a great move in the sense that it creates a unique and exclusive vehicle for the band to showcase its work and legacy in a very contemporary and popular format.

Music producer Giles Martin has stated that the music associated with this videogame will not be remixed or remastered. What is the band waiting for? One would think that optimum sound quality would be criteria for maximizing the potential of this new endeavor.

The Beatles’ core fan-base has been waiting for years for access to upgraded sound quality. The band has a very important and influential body of work and it is strange that the catalogue is solely available to the masses on CD pressings from the 1980’s. Even ABKCO finally remastered and reissued The Rolling Stones’ early catalogue in 2002. In an era of upgraded CDs and an increase in downloads as a viable option for consumers, one has to wonder why The Beatles continue to only offer their music in sub-par sound quality.

Time is ticking away. Instead of offering The Beatles’ fan-base and the holiday consumer a chance at acquiring this famous catalogue in remastered deluxe form, the world gets an announcement of a future videogame. It is big news, but really not that interesting for the fan concerned with the actual music. Rumors again persist that the remasters are coming. Will it be in 2009?

Ronnie & Steve

October 20th marked the anniversary of the untimely passing of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Over thirty years ago, both musicians perished in a plane crash near Gillsburg Mississippi that also took the lives of other members of the band’s entourage as well as both pilots of the Convair 240 tour plane the band was leasing.

Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the most celebrated rock bands in history and Ronnie Van Zant is a legend. But in 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd was still a hardworking band, a band that had not reached its iconic status. From 1973 to 1977, the band released six albums and toured relentlessly. On October 17, just three days before the accident, the band released the final studio album from the Ronnie Van Zant-era, Street Survivors. When the accident occurred, the band had just embarked on a major supporting tour for what was arguably their finest album to date. Their first headlining gig at Madison Square Garden was on the itinerary – a symbol that the band had indeed hit the big-time.

Ronnie Van Zant was a rock star. But it wasn’t because of Greek God looks or an angelic voice. Ronnie was rocker. For a time, he lived hard with bouts of intoxication and brushes with the law. His behavior contributed to his legend, but he was best know for his love of the South and more importantly, his incredible skill as a songwriter and arranger. Bandleaders, front-men and songwriters like Ronnie Van Zant don’t come around very often. He was a tremendous talent.

Steven Gaines had only been in the band for a year when he passed away, however, Gaines’ creative stamp on the band was instant. Gaines was a gifted songwriter, dazzling guitarist and impassioned vocalist. His influence and drive gave Lynyrd Skynyrd a jolt of creative energy it had been lacking at the time of his arrival. Ronnie publicly marveled at the diverse talents of Gaines, even claiming that he and the rest of the band would one day be in Gaines’ shadow.

Who knows what kind of heights Lynyrd Skynyrd could have reached had the accident not occurred.* If there was ever a need for documentation of a creative rebirth within the band, look no further than the triumphant Street Survivors album. This is one bad-ass rock album. It has it all: great hooks, strong melodies, fantastic vocals by both Van Zant and Gaines, inspired guitar work, introspective lyrics and a whole lot of groove. Street Survivors is testament to the greatness of Lynyrd Skynyrd – and the monster talent of Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines.

The music still lives and breathes. That is what great rock and roll does. Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines are not forgotten.

*Lynyrd Skynyrd reformed a decade after the accident with Ronnie’s younger brother Johnny Van Zant handling the lead vocal duties. A revolving line-up of musicians including some original members have been parading around the world performing the Lynyrd Skynyrd catalogue for twenty years now, but the true creative greatness of the band ended in 1977.

More Retail Exclusives

Christina Aguilera will release the greatest hits album, "Keeps Getting' Better - A Decade of Hits," on November 11. This isn't a huge news development other than the fact it will be a Target exclusive. I don't really see the significance of tying this particular greatest hits album solely to one retail outlet other than the strong possibility that the artist will be getting a much more substantial advance compared to what she would have received had this upcoming title been released via a traditional route.

One would think that there would be a better chance of widespread sales if this title were available at all retail outlets. It is a fourth quarter release, right on time for the holidays. Granted, a portion of Aguilera's audience will hit Target for one thing or another, but having a hits compilation by a popular entertainer widely available during the busiest shopping season of the year at multiple outlets might offer the best sales potential. Loads of consumers will be at Best Buy, Circuit City, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Target, etc as well as shopping online at popular retailers like Amazon - why limit the exposure of this album to one entity?

It is the same thing with AC/DC. The new, upcoming album is getting buzz, but if an interested consumer wants it, Wal-Mart will be their only choice. The Eagles moved a few million copies of their Wal-Mart exclusive last year, but other than getting The Eagles and Front Line handsomely paid, the album unfortunately left no lasting mark or impact. Will AC/DC fair any better?

Journey sold more records with their Wal-Mart exclusive than they had done in years, but was it because it was only available at one retailer? Or did other factors come into play such as some actual radio traction for the new single? Still, we are not talking a seven figure sales number either way.

The only people that benefit from these retail exclusives are established acts and their representatives that are looking for a big payday. And what is wrong with trying to secure as much money as possible? Nothing. But if the consumer gets robbed at the chance of easily or conveniently obtaining the music, something is wrong.

True record stores are basically gone from the landscape. CD sales are dwindling. Recorded music can be obtained in so many ways. It just isn't the same as it once was on any front. But, with all of the flaws from eras past, none of them were as bleak, uncreative, uninteresting and non-enjoyable for the fan as the way business is currently being done with regards to the sale of physical product. These retail exclusives are just another sad reminder of how bad things have become. It used to be so much fun.

Before They Were Superstars

The past couple of days, I spent some time listening to the new U2 reissues of “Boy,” “October” and “War” - three tremendous albums in the U2 catalogue. This is where it all started for U2.

These new reissues are done in a first class manner containing deluxe packaging along with extensive liner notes and a full bonus disc of extra tracks. One of the best features is that the band’s guitarist, The Edge, contributes to the liner notes where he discusses the background of the bonus material.

The Edge may feel some ambivalence or embarrassment toward some of the band’s earlier work (particularly from the quickly assembled October album), but even with the flaws he claims it has, the music is superior to the band’s later experimental, and mature crap of “Zooropa” and “Pop.”

There is something special about the initial burst of creativity from a young, talented band. U2 basically locked themselves into a basement and composed and arranged an entire album of material in a very short period of time. There were arguments, elements of writer’s block to overcome, exhaustion from months of touring – but the youthful exuberance and drive to create music that they knew they had inside won out. The Edge even points out that the creativity was flowing to the point that a half-baked musical idea in the morning could turn into a completed song by the evening. That is particularly impressive when listening to the final product.

The same story has been told many times. It is amazing when one looks at all the incredible music produced by young bands with their backs against the wall; starving and struggling to stay afloat. Once they hit the big-time, it can take years to produce an album not nearly as impressive as a hastily produced album from their youth.

U2 isn’t the superstar stadium and arena act it is today because of mostly forgettable music found on “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” and “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.” U2 secured its place in this elite level because of milestone albums like “The Joshua Tree” and “Achtung Baby,” however, the path and roots that led to the masterful sounds on those albums was laid by the band’s first few albums.

The unique sound that embodied the band’s work during this prolific period from 1980 thru 1984 was a combination of The Edge’s signature, reverberation guitar assault containing layers of sweeping, lush landscapes and the inspired production standards set by Steve Lillywhite, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno.

There may be some fans of U2 that simply are not overly aware of the band’s work from the early 1980’s – in fact, some may have just been born during that era. The band had a lot more to offer during the 1980’s than what is currently found on “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.” These U2 reissues along with last year’s reissue of “The Joshua Tree” (and the yet-to-be reissued “The Unforgettable Fire”) are must-have rock albums. These sounds are what launched U2 and gave the band a lasting musical identity.

It has been awhile...

Island Def Jam Music Group and Procter & Gamble's TAG are creating a new record label together to be run by Jermaine Dupri. It is another example of non-traditional entertainment companies jumping into the music business. Does anyone think this new venture will result in anything artistically relevant? This is all about TAG attempting to market directly to a particular audience and demographic by collaborating and being solely connected to certain artists and product in order to drive attention and sales to its own products. It could be a great marketing/advertising concept, but the music plays a secondary role here.

Isn’t that what unsigned, inspiring artists dream of? Signing a deal to make music that will essentially tie into a corporation’s product and marketing campaigns? Some young hip-hop artist must be thrilled about the prospect of having Dupri produce an album that will be connected to body spray.

How about the 360 deals Madonna and Jay-Z have with Live Nation? Who cares? New product will be issued to coincide with over-priced tours. It is more about a large-scale marketing campaign than the desire to produce lasting music. And no one should forget - Live Nation is making their company more attractive by aligning itself with star power so it can jack up the price for a big sale of the company later on down the road. These artists are financially secure – why would they ever want to be owned by a large company? Looks like there can never be enough money. With Michael Cohl out of the picture, perhaps the next deal will not be made so quickly.

All these deals are short-sighted attempts to cash in on the moment. These aren’t in place to create art. For the most part, there is no soul in anything being produced. It is all about the money and short-term gain. That definitely was not the basis during the making of “Born To Run” or “Pet Sounds.”

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Speaking of Madonna, has anyone seen the on-stage images from her recent tour? Wow. She looks like a clown. When does the consensus view of her current image finally become the definition of pathetic? The woman is 50. She may be in good shape, but she isn’t pulling off 35. It is an embarrassment. Not sure why anyone would want to see her version of a Las Vegas show with loads of dancers, lighting and dazzling props while she lip-synchs through half the show. The propaganda machine claims she is still a nightly sell-out, but that isn’t exactly the truth and everyone in the concert industry knows it. Madge, watching you deal with your mid-life crisis over the next few years should be entertaining…

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So, The Rolling Stones are going to be reissuing their post-Abkco back catalogue via Universal in the upcoming months as deluxe editions.

http://www.albumvote.co.uk/news/article.aspx?headline=368

The writing was on the wall for that one. How else is Universal going to recoup their multi-million dollar investment? New Rolling Stones’ product is not going to sell. A few die-hard fans will blindly make the purchase of a new album, but after a few hundred thousand copies leave through the doors of Best Buy, the album will be forgotten (even with reviews in Entertainment Weekly stating it is the best work the band has done since “Exile On Main Street”). What else can Universal do?

Here is the deal. The Rolling Stones are going to screw their fan base with this move. In order to get the unreleased studio tracks and live material, fans will have to repurchase the original albums to obtain the bonus tracks. Universal should just release a box set of outtakes and live material. They will still make a killing since there is little-to-no vault material in the market place. But, that would be too kind to the consumer. So, loads of fans are going to shell out hundreds of dollars for new remasters just to get their hands on the bonus tracks.

Hey, the same thing is happening with Creedence Clearwater Revival. A great set of remasters was issued a few years back. But now that John Fogerty is working with Fantasy Records again, he is approving a latest batch of remasters. And of course, this latest batch will have unreleased bonus tracks. So, fans that shelled out money the first time around will shell it out again to obtain the rarities. Thanks John. I guess he needs to pay off his huge legal bills from decades of litigation against Fantasy’s former owners one way or another.

These artists and their record labels should give away a free jar of Vaseline with bulk purchases since they are fucking consumers in the ass.

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So, The Who are going on a short tour of the U.S. this fall. Just for fun, I went to check out what it would cost for prime tickets. Now, everyone knows the trend for promoters and artists is to create V.I.P. packages built around the ticket sale. But, at the end of the day, the consumer pays triple the price of a great seat for a bunch of lame “V.I.P.” crap. So, for $500+ dollars to see The Who, I get a seat in the first 10 rows. That is cool, but what else do I get since I am a V.I.P.?

*Exclusive, High Quality Who T-Shirt
*Collectible Who Tour Poster (Limited Edition, Numbered, Exclusive to Ticket Packages)
*$50 coupon for use in the official Who on-line store

Wow. How exciting. For $500+ dollars, I get a t-shirt, a poster and coupon for the future purchase of some lame item from the band’s website. This is V.I.P. worthy? You would think for $500+ dollars, one would get a meet and greet with the band or at least a premier parking pass at the venue plus a free beer.

This, my friends, is a total rip-off. I’m not picking on The Who here. All artists are doing this with their V.I.P. ticketing packages. It is simply a way for the band and promoter to make more money. They aren’t interested in giving the consumer true value for a highly excessive ticket price. They are looking for any possible way to screw the fan. This is GREED.

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Axl Rose’s Guns N Roses may be the next band to have a Wal-Mart exclusive release with their “Chinese Democracy” album. Universal music has apparently invested around $15 million dollars in production/studio costs into this project since the mid-1990’s. Various rumors of release dates have come and gone. Now Irving Azoff is part of the management team for Axl Rose and the word is that Azoff is in negotiations with Universal to get this album finally released.

What exactly needs to be negotiated here? Axl Rose owes Universal this album. They have pumped huge amounts of money into it.

Clearly, the only reason Azoff took on Guns N Roses was to make money. The band is no longer a strong touring draw and the only way to generate the possibility of strong ticket sales on the road is to have some new product or to reunite the original line-up. Now, there is no way the original band will reunite, so the only other option is to finally get Axl to agree to release “Chinese Democracy.”

The interest in the band is waning. Even if “Chinese Democracy” is released, there is no guarantee it sells the millions it would have sold a decade ago. So, Universal will probably go along with Azoff’s Wal-Mart exclusive since those releases are proving to be quite the sales tool. Maybe Universal can break even on this baby by giving up a piece to Wal-Mart (and to Irving). Time will tell, but this could end up being available as a 2008 holiday stocking stuffer.

Teaser

I’ve been listening to Tommy Bolin a lot recently. He was such a tremendous talent. From the time he broke into the mainstream in 1973 with his dazzling guitar work on Billy Cobham’s “Spectrum” album through his final solo show opening for Jeff Beck in December 1976, he left behind a prolific body of work.

In that short span, not only did his influential work with Cobham shine, but he also released two albums as a member of the James Gang, two albums as a member of Deep Purple, two solo albums, and as a guest on various other projects with artists such as Moxy and Alphonse Mouzon.

Fans of Bolin will tell you that most of it, if not all of it, is essential listening. And, in all actuality, his playing and/or writing on all of the projects he was involved with during that period is impressive.

His fantastic playing on “Spectrum” opened a lot of doors. After a very underrated stint in the James Gang, Bolin was set to launch his solo career. He had all the intangibles – a dynamic stage presence, looks, songwriting ability and a supreme skill as a guitarist. So, in 1975, Bolin began recording his solo debut, “Teaser.”

“Teaser” was an exciting collage of genres and styles, yet everything blended together. He rocked hard on numbers such as the title track and “The Grind,” he dabbled in Reggae with “People, People,” and tore through some outstanding Jazz Fusion instrumentals like “Homeward Strut.” He displayed a talent for singing with his impassioned vocals on the ballad “Dreamer” as well as his sensual approach on “Savannah Woman” and “Lotus.” The material was strong and impeccably played by notable musicians such as Jan Hammer, Narada Michael Walden, David Foster, David Sanborn, Jeff Porcaro and Phil Collins.

While recording “Teaser,” he also auditioned with Deep Purple to replace Ritchie Blackmore who had recently split to form Rainbow. After a lengthy jam session, he was hired on the spot. So, as Bolin worked on finishing his first solo project, he also was simultaneously recording a new Deep Purple album. Even with exerting so much energy between these to mega projects, the quality of his work did not falter.

“Teaser” was a stronger album than what ultimately became his debut with Deep Purple, “Come Taste The Band.” But, the opportunity to be part of one of world’s biggest rock bands was too much to pass on. With Bolin on tour with Deep Purple, “Teaser” was unable to receive the necessary promotion to break. Sadly, it sort of became a lost gem, as it was one of the finer rock albums from the mid-1970’s.

Understandably, during 1975, Bolin’s solo career took a backseat to Deep Purple. By the time Deep Purple disbanded the following year, Bolin not only had a lot of work to do to get his solo career back on track, but he also had fallen deep into heroin addiction. He still managed to release his second solo project, “Private Eyes,” but it lacked the dramatic style and diversity of his debut. On December 4, 1976, one night after opening for Jeff Beck in Miami, Tommy Bolin died of an overdose.

There are many tales of young musicians dying before their time, passing away before they were able to reach their fullest potential. This is absolutely the case with Tommy Bolin. He was an extraordinarily talented musician. One is left to wonder what could have been because he had the goods to reach superstardom and to take his creativity, music and guitar playing to special places. There didn’t seem to be any boundaries in his way other than his reckless lifestyle. The title of his debut album “Teaser” defines what his career was.

Anyone not familiar with Tommy Bolin’s work, or anyone curious to hear his brilliant guitar work should check out Billy Cobham’s “Spectrum” and Bolin’s debut solo album “Teaser.” It is an inspiring musical ride.