First, an update to the Westerberg entry I posted yesterday – it seems like you might have to wait a bit longer to plunk down 49 cents for 49 minutes of new Paul Westerberg. The new music is supposed to be available today, and might be still – but it’s more likely that the download link will be posted on Monday. Keep your eyes peeled for further updates at Westerberg’s official site.
My musical comrade Michael was trying to twist my arm to get me to road trip to NYC for one of the two Billy Joel shows at Shea Stadium this past week. I couldn’t quite pull it off, and in retrospect, I wish I would have. Guests for the Wednesday night show included Don Henley, John Mayer, Tony Bennett and John Mellencamp.
We had heard rumors that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr would join Joel on Friday, and those rumors ended up being half-true. Michael was sending me text updates as the special guests made their way out. Tony Bennett made a return appearance on “New York State of Mind,” Garth Brooks made a rare appearance to duet on “Shameless,” Steven Tyler on “Walk This Way,” Roger Daltrey on “My Generation,” and finally – Sir Paul McCartney! McCartney came out for “I Saw Her Standing There,” and closed the show with a tried and true seated performance of “Let It Be” at the piano.
The setlists for both shows were pretty cool too – I like it when he closes a show with “Souvenir.” You can grab a great version of “Souvenir” on the recently released 30th Anniversary box set for The Stranger, and also via this great show that I posted here recently.
Both Shea shows were recorded for eventual CD and DVD release, and while it seems likely that Joel fans will grumble about YET another live release, I’ll be looking forward to this one!
You can grab merchandise from the Shea shows right here.
Speaking of merch, I’d love to get this Tom Petty t-shirt.
Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page got busted for drugs this past week, and the band’s new children’s album is called Snacktime. Coincidence?
Wilco and Jayhawks fans take note: Related “supergroup” Golden Smog have a best-of release on the way, that will include a previously unreleased cover version of Brian Wilson’s “Love and Mercy,” a longtime staple of the group’s live set. The set will not have any material from Another Fine Day or Blood on the Slacks.
And of course, we’re going to get a live CD and DVD from the Police reunion tour.
On that same subject of live releases, Bob Lefsetz says that industry veteran Irving Azoff is ready to release a Van Halen live DVD for $7.99 if Dave will sign off on it.
Prog rock fans will have a new Dream Theater live CD/DVD in September to annoy their girlfriends with. It’s true, some prog rock fans actually do date!
One final bit – ex-Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm will release a Christian rock solo album.
Uh, excuse me??? Dream Theater happens to be my FAVORITE band of all time. They are perfection. My boyfriend and I have been to probably 6 of their concerts already and will continue to go see them every single time they’re in town. There is no better drummer in this world than Mike Portnoy. Just sayin’…
Tara – that ROCKS…I am a HUGE DT fan…but guys, girls, and DT don’t necessarily go hand in hand! My former better half was supportive, but I don’t think she ever went to a show with me…not even when they were co-headlining with our mutual much-loved Yes!
Mike Portnoy is indeed awesome, and a cool human being to boot.
What’s your favorite DT album?
BTW – for what it’s worth, my favorite is “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.”
I should have blogged about Steven Page. I mean wtf (in very sense in every letter of every word in the phrase). I’ve like the band since before anyone knew of them. One of my college professors was listening to them in his office and I got the CD. Um, that was back a while ago. Think 1990. I’ve seen them several times in concert, the latest being last year at Plain Dealer Pavilion. Heck, now I live near it and would just listen from the Viaduct. I digress can’t you find a high another way other than blow?
Todd,
I was shocked….as a longtime BNL fan, Steven Page is the last person I would expect to EVER be busted for something like this.
They’ve already issued what sounds like a denial of guilt, so who knows.
My fan-status with BNL started around the same time as you – a Canadian friend sent my record store boss a Canadian copy of Gordon, and I was hooked.
From that point, it was several years before BNL actually made it to Cleveland in 1994 for a show at the Odeon, which I was thrilled to get a copy of several years later, on CD (even though it is a noisy audience recording….it totally takes me back to being there.)
I ultimately saw them twice at the Odeon, and then many other times after that. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen them now – I think the last time might have been when they were playing Q’s Christmas show at the Convocation Center (around the time of Everything to Everyone, I think.)
On a Page note, I dug his solo excursion The Vanity Project.
Cocaine’s a helluva drug. It’s amazing to me how many 40something/50something people are engaging in it. I don’t want to judge anyone, but seriously…….everytime I hear of someone doing that stuff, it sickens me.
Matt – yeah, you’re right… now that I think about it, I’m usually one of the few girls at the Dream Theater concerts, at least in Cleveland. When I saw them in New Jersey, I did notice more girls at that concert; not sure why but hey, go jersey girls! Yay! It’s wierd, too, because I’m a girly-girl, but I grew up a metal head, and that side of me has never gone away. I guess I’m an enigma. haha
My FAVORITE Dream Theater album? That’s hard to say. They’re all good in their own ways and I love how they’re quite different from each other. I guess if I’m in a “rock out with your cock out mood”, I’d choose Scenes From a Memory because it has one of my favorite DT songs, “Home” <— LOVE LOVE LOVE that song!!! But Six Degrees is REALLY good too. And by the way, whoever says Train of Thought isn’t good, is HIGH. But if I’m in the mood for melodic “in-love” kind of music, I’d choose “Falling Into Infinity”. I head alot of love and passion in Dream Theater music and I’m really surprised that more women don’t get into their music. They just must have no idea.
Well, I’m sure I’ll see you at the next DT concert – I don’t miss them!
I have to agree with Matt above… I don’t see many women at Dream Theater shows singing along.
I have to weigh in on the “fave album” thing here… I would have to say that their most complete album, to me, was definitely Scenes… but as for a favorite, I would still have to go with Images and Words or Awake. I love all of their stuff though, with the exception of “Repentance”… that song just needs to go away. WAY too long… they should have actually titled it “Repetitive”.
And the Van Halen live DVD being $7.99? Please. Who is this guy trying to kid?! That thing will be the typical $25. I love Van Halen… but can never see them putting something out at THAT cheap a price.
Did you see there’s a Dream Theater Greatest Hits CD out there now? I don’t know if I’m going to get it or not since I already have all of their albums (well my boyfriend does and I listen to them haha). Hopefully it will attract some new fans.
Oh and WarlockHater, “Images and Words” was how I discovered DT. It was 1994, I was a senior in high school dating a drummer in a band. He played the CD for me. I immediately loved it and have loved DT ever since. At least that idiot was good for something. haha
WarlockHater…..jerk 🙂
If VH is smart, that DVD will be 7.99 at Wal-Mart – Irving engineered the successful promotion with the new Eagles album, and now the new Journey album at Wal-Mart. Two projects that were heavily discounted that found a lot of success.
I don’t think VH will pass that up, but then again you’re right, this is VH we are talking about, so I could see them dropping the ball….I don’t think they will though.
Tara – I’m not the biggest fan of Train of Thought. Out of all of the CDs, that one just didn’t hit with me, and as WarlockHater would tell you, I flat out “hated” it when it came out.
Now, I can listen to it, but it’s not my favorite.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of “Falling Into Infinity” but really got into it, and now it is one of my favorite albums….especially when I’m in the mood for “melodic in-love music” as you say….
“Awake” – I remain pretty much not a fan of 80 percent of the album. WarlockHater and I go round and round on this one – I just can’t deal with how LaBrie’s voice sounds on the album.
The Greatest Hits CD….too funny that Portnoy and company had fun with the title by calling it “Greatest Hit (and 21 other pretty cool songs.)
I would say it is for completists – it has new mixes of the tracks from Images and Words, which the band was never happy with, so they had Kevin Shirley (often their producer of choice) remix the material for this compilation…..so that stuff is interesting to hear, and there are some other interesting oddities on there as well.
I’d say it’s also good to have a nice 2 CD compilation of DT stuff that you can grab quickly for a road trip…..but with Ipods (and in your case, Zunes) I guess that most of us probably have the whole catalog loaded anyway!
1994 btw…WarlockHater and I were also seniors in high school, back when we were young…lol.
I discovered DT for the first time in 1992 when Images and Words was released….heard the album playing while I was in Perry’s Rockpile looking at t-shirts, and I was hooked!