A.A. RockBlog

  While there have been several posts made about Metallica this month, including the release of their sequel to the successful performances with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, S&M2 , last night Metallica's live show was shown across over 300 drive-in venues in the US and Canada The process The way these shows are recorded and presented is that the artist in question pre-records their show, usually in a small venue with their band, and then the recording is projected and played back. Regarding Metallica, they went to the Gundlach Bundschu Brewery in nearby Sonoma, California, where this show was recorded. It was a massive pleasure for fans to be reminded of the music from Metallica's four decade history. Regarding their ability to pull of a live show in this manner, the band said, and I quote, " Needless to say, this is an exciting first for us, as we continue to explore new ways to connect with you and keep playing live… this definitely qualifies as a unique and...

 We have lost Peter Green earlier this summer, but exactly three decades ago today was when a deadly crash took the life of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Born Stephen Ray Vaughn, October 3, 1954 in Dallas. Vaughn formed the band Double Trouble in 1978, and has, in the years since, been labelled as a "second wave of blues." They had hits such as Couldn't Stand the Weather, Pride & Joy, Superstition  (Stevie Wonder), Voodoo Child (Slight Return) (Jimi Hendrix), and The House is Rockin.'  The doing of a helicopter In the days leading up to his death, Stevie Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble were opening for Eric Clapton at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre near East Troy, Wisc. Thereafter, they started making plans for performing on the other side of the pond, at the Royal Albert Hall, being the 20th anniversary of Hendrix' death in 1991, and Vaughn and Clapton both citing him as a significant influence. On the morning of August 26, 1990, Vaughn told his bandmates of a nightmar...

 Although many think Woodstock was the greatest festival in the history of rock, on August 23, 1980, in the Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, there was a massive electronic and punk-rock festival called Heatwave . Organized by John Brower, the event was (cleverly?) promoted with lines such as "Punk Woodstock," and "New-Wave Woodstock." A large crowd 85,000 people came to attend the show, with 15,000 positioning themselves in the perimeter of the park. As the sun went down, and the Talking Heads took the stage, Bower agreed to add the 15,000 to a "guest list," bringing the attendance up to a whopping 100,00 people!  Folks, it's also worth knowing that hosting a new wave/punk fest outside was seen as a novelty act. Most of the names on stage that day were rising stars, or at the peak of their careers, and preferred to play at night in clubs or small venues.  The lineup The photo above is the poster hung to promote the event. As you can see Th...

  Four days ago was the 40th anniversary of the release of Yes' tenth studio album, Drama , an album that many consider disappointing. The album, while trying to take a step back from their progressive sound of the past ten years, was more or less a commercial disappoint - for more reasons than one. No Jon Anderson At the time of the album's production, Yes in were in a massive turmoil. After the success of their previous album and tour, Tormato , Yes decided to meet up with Roy Thomas Baker in the fall of 1979, who was in Paris at the time. However, while Anderson was working on some folk-rock ballads to be recorded, the majority of the band (guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, and bassist Chris Squire) where going for a much harder sound. In 1980, the band met up several more times, but to no success. Melody Maker's Chris Welch documented the meetings and said that Anderson was not showing the dignity of years past. Eventually, both Anderson, and then keyboardist Ri...

 Today we celebrate a spectacular birthday - particularly in the hard rock department. Deep Purple's Ian Gillan has turned 75 today. Before Purple, There Was Episode Six Many do not recognize that Gillan's career was not all about Deep Purple. He has been in bands before and during Deep Purple. One of the most notorious bands of his pre-Purple days was a band called Episode Six, which also featured future Purple bass player Roger Glover. In 1969, the core of Deep Purple: guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, drummer Ian Paice, and keyboardist Jon Lord decided that they would much rather go with a hard rock sound in the following decade. Therefore, original vocalist Rod Evans (responsible for singing on their cover of Joe South's Hush ) was let go. His friend, Nick Simper, also quit as well.  Gilan then brought along Roger Clover and the three remaining members of Episode Six elected to split the band. Purple Days Gillan's first studio debut for Purple was their 1970 record In Ro...

 It was this day in 1970 that Eric Clapton released his self-titled solo debut. Having started recording it back in November of 1969, Clapton decided to try to record an album under his own name after his success with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, and Blind Faith.  Delaney & Bonney A short-lived ensamble after Blind Faith, some of the members of this band became long-time session musicians of Clapton in the 70s as well as members of Derek and the Dominoes, including initiator Bobby Whitlock on keyboards.  A mediocre debut success The album yielded three singles. Clapton's up-tempo debut single, After Midnight , a cover of a J.J. Cale classic, became a top 10 hit in Canada and the US. Despite this, it wasn't a hit in the UK and neither were the two follow-up singles: Blues Power , and Let it Rain. The latter charted in the US at #48. The album itself was a top 20 hit in the UK, US, and even Norway. Leading into Derek and the Dominos Some time after releasing the ...

  Although of minor significance, today is 35 years since we lostJimmy Stokley of Exile. A little known Kentucky band, Exile is perhaps only known for their 1978 hit Kiss You All Over . In the 80s, the band shifted to more of a country sound, and has not made any noteable chart hits since. A Jagger-like frontman Born James Carr Stokley on October 18, 1943, Stokley joined The Fascinations in 1963, who then became Jimmy Stokley and The Exiles, featuring future Exile guiarist J.P. Penington  Jimmy Stokley and The Exiles, were, towards the end of the decade, shortened to simply The Exiles, before the plural form was dropped in the mid 70s, becoming Exile. Interestingly, Stokley's attire and attitude on stage led to many calling him the American Mick Jagger. One hitters In 1978, Exile issued their LP Mixed Emotions  through Warner Bros. records. The record features the disco-ey hit Kiss You All Over , written by producer Mike Chapman (also notorious for working with Blondie). ...