A.A. RockBlog

  2020 has been a year of doom for many. The pandemic leading to shows being cancelled, the recent death of Eddie Van Halen, and even the great Journey lawsuit. But 2020 has also been a year in which many rockers bounced back. The ones I'm talking about here are the one and only AC/DC! First in six years Todays new release, Power Up , is AC/DC's first in six years. The album has so far generated two singles, Shot in the Dark , and Realize , with a third expected for release in December.  Founding lead guitarist Angus Young calls this record, "a tribute to his brother, Malcolm."  Pictured above, Malcolm Young had recovered from lung cancer and had been diagnosed with dementia in 2014, which led to his resignation from the group, and his uncle, Steve Young, replacing Malcolm. Malcolm died in November of 2017 as a result of dementia.  Trouble on top of trouple In 2015, AC/DC's long-time drummer, Phil Rudd, had been charged with various accounts of murder, trheats to

  This year has arguably been dreary for many, but in the world of rock, a year of 70th birthdays. From Peter Gabriel, to would-have-been Steely Dan's Walter Becker, to Peter Frampton, today another star marks seventy years of existence - Jim Peterik. A massive career Born James Michael Peterik in the western Chicago suburb of Brewyn, Peterik formed a band in 1964 with his classmates, which two years later became The Ides of March. The name refers to the 74th day of the Roman Calendar (3/15), at a friend's suggestion. IoM had hits with You Wouldn't Listen, Vehicle, and LA Goodbye  before disbanding in 1973, but are most remembered for Vehicle , which by late May 1970, reached #2 on the Bilboard Charts, and is the fastest-selling Warner Bros. song on record. After IoM, Peterik formed the short-lived Jim Peterik Band, but in 1978, he met guitarist Frankie Sullivan and eventually, vocalist Dave Bickler to form the band Survivor, whose 1982 hit The Eye of The Tiger , is conside

He may be an underrated musicians, but folks on this very day, Bruce Springsteen has dropped his 20th overall album, Letter to You . His 20th overall album, and the 16th with his long-time band, the E Street Band, the album was released to critical acclaim.  And there was a letter Even though The Boss never intended to do so, he decided to make a movie about the making of the album. Long-timer, Thom Zimmy, who worked with Springsteen since the new millenium, once proposed to Springsteen that the recording of the album be made into a movie. And lo and behold folks, the movie did come to fruition. Like the album itself, the movie received positive review - especially from IndieWires David Ehrlich, and Time's Stephanie Zacherack. Timing was also perfect as the documentary itself was released on Apple TV+ the same day as the album. The making of a rockstar The majority of the themes on Letter to You  deal with the aging of rockstars and express how their careers can make them weary. Th

 Although we may still think of albums realeased in the 60s, 70s, and even 80s, as classic, we tend to forget the rock scene of the 90s, from the birth of grunge, to the alternative scene featuring bands such as Oasis, The Offspring, and Everclear.  But one of the bands that has stood the test of time and defied the 90s rock sound was Orange County's No Doubt. Today marks the 25th anniversary of the release of their commercial breakthrough, Tragic Kingdom . It wasn't their debut Many may not realize it, but No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album was not their debut. In fact, the band released their self-titled debut in 1992 through then new-formed Interscope Records, but it was largely shunned. It defied the grunge sound and featured a unique pop sound. Even the sole single, Trapped in a Box , did not get them much attention and the LP as a whole sold 30,000 copies. No Doubt chose to issue their next album, The Beacon Street Collection  on their own, Beacon Records, label. The alb

 Van Halen namesake and founder, Eddie Van Halen, has died at 65 today. Born in Amsterdam, he was the younger brother of Alex Van Halen - drummer for Van Halen. In 1965, his family relocated to Los Angeles, and in 1972, Eddie, Alex, and bas player Mark Stone formed a power trio, Genesis.  Unbenknownst to them, there WAS another Gensis at the time, which resulted in the band changing its name to Mamoth, and by 1977, Van Halen. Gods of rock Van Halen made a name for themselves in two noteably distinct eras. The most popular, the David Lee Roth era, lasted between 1977 and 1985 and is the era where the band had a string of hits, including their Kinks' and Roy Orbison covers, You Really Got Me , and Oh! Pretty Woman , Runnin' With The Devil, Unchained, Ain't Talkin' Bout Love, Dance the Night Away, Jamie's Cryin,' and Jump , among others. The second noteable era, the Van Hagar/Sam Halen era, featured ex-Montrose Sammy Hagar on lead vocals. In this era, two of the mo

  It's been three long years since we said goodbye to the legendary Tom Petty, known for his semi-nasal voice, and extraordinary guitar work, Petty has remained a hitmaker for four decades. Now, in honor of the late, great one, here is some trivia. The Heartbreakers formed in...Los Angeles Even though Petty was born and raised in Gainsville, Fla, it was in Los Angeles that he began making a name for himself when he hooked up with Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench to form Mudcrutch. Mudcrutch was barely successful, which led to Petty wanting to go solo, when he met bass player Ron Blair and drummer Stan Lynch. Eventually, Petty called Campbell and Tench back in and the first lineup of the Heartbreakers came to fruition in late 1975.  Petty and Stevie Tom Petty was good friends with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks. In 1980, he wrote Stop Draggin' my Heart Around , and recorded it as a duet with Nicks. In addition, Campbell and Tench played on that record, which can be heard on Nic