Today In Rock News, 7-24-12...

Aerosmith's New Album Delay Explained...

Aerosmith will release their new album, “Music From Another Dimension,” on November 6.

Produced by Jack Douglas, the project is the band’s first album of new material since 2001’s “Just Push Play.”

It was originally scheduled for an August 28 street date, but things changed for a number of reasons.

“It’s unfortunate,” guitarist Brad Whitford tells the Long Branch-Eatontown Patch. “We were going to have the song ‘Legendary Child’ as part of a movie soundtrack that was going to come out this summer and the movie [“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”] was delayed to next year, so the whole marketing campaign that went along with that and the album’s release went right down the toilet. So the record company wanted time for a whole new approach and they wanted to get a slot to release the album they thought would be good for it. It’ll be worth the wait.”

Whitford’s comments follow those of singer Steven Tyler, who told the Alan Cox Show on 100.7 WMMS Cleveland last month that “Too many people [other notable recording artists] are releasing [new albums] those weeks [in late summer]. We don't wanna step on their release dates. So we just said, 'You know what?! We've got the goods… ain't no doubt about it. We'll wait another couple of months.'"

Currently out on the road with their Global Warming tour, bassist Tom Hamilton revealed his frustration at the situation.

“It’s really difficult to wait until November to put this record out,” said Tom. “I mean, finally – after all these years – we have this record and it’s done. It’s been mastered. It’s ready to be unleashed but it has to remain ‘on the chain’ for another few months…which sucks…but it’s the right way to do things, so I’m going to have to learn to live with it.”

The Global Warming tour wraps up August 12 in Bristow, VA.

-Hennemusic.com

Bruce Springsteen Felt Suicidal In The 80s...

The Boss began seeing a psychotherapist as a result of his childhood relationship with his father along with experiencing a mixed reaction to achieving fame and fortune.

Many of his songs discuss the difficulties of dealing with his father’s own depression, and fears he’d have to face similar demons – which turned out to be true.

Springsteen tells the New Yorker: “My issues weren’t as obvious as drugs. Mine were different. They were quieter – just as problematic, but quieter.”

He recounts the time he told his therapist how he’d regularly drive past the house he shared with his parents, remembering arguments and fights. Springsteen explains: “He said, ‘What you’re doing is that something bad happened, and you’re going back, thinking you can make it right again.’ I sat there and said, ‘That is what I’m doing.’ And he said, ‘Well, you can’t.’”

His friend and biographer Dave Marsh says: “He was feeling suicidal. The depression wasn’t shocking, per se. He was on a rocket ride from nothing to something. Now you’re getting your ass kissed day and night. You start to have some inner conflicts about your real self-worth.”

But along with help from his associates, the Boss found solace on stage. “With all artists, because of the undertow of history and self-loathing, there is a tremendous push toward self-obliteration that occurs onstage,” he says. “It’s both things: there’s a tremendous finding of the self, while also an abandonment of the self at the same time.

“You are free of yourself for those hours; all the voices in your head are gone. Just gone. There’s no room for them. There’s one voice, the voice you’re speaking in.”

That’s one of the reasons he still makes sure his concerts are “an extreme experience.” He reports: “For an adult, the world is constantly trying to clamp down on itself. Routine, responsibility, decay of institutions, corruption: this is all the world closing in.

“Music, when it’s really great, pries that shit back open and lets people back in, it lets light in, and air in, and energy in, and sends people home with that and sends me back to the hotel with it. People carry that with them sometimes for a very long period of time.”

Eventually he managed to make a kind of peace with his father before he died, even though there was never a proper discussion about the difficult times they’d lived through – so Springsteen said his piece through song lyrics.

Lyrics:

Last night I dreamed that I was a child out where the pines grow wild and tall

I was trying to make it home through the forest before the darkness falls

I heard the wind rustling through the trees and ghostly voices rose from the fields

I ran with my heart pounding down that broken path

With the devil snappin at my heels

I broke through the trees and there in he night

My fathers house stood shining hard and bright the branches and brambles tore my clothes and scratched my arms

But I ran till I fell shaking in his arms

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/my-fathers-house-lyrics-bruce-springsteen.html ]

I awoke and I imagined the hard things that pulled us apart

Will never again sir tear us from each others hearts

I got dressed and to that house I did ride from out on the road I could see its windows shining in light

I walked up the steps and stood on the porch a woman I didnt recognize came and spoke to me through a chained door

I told her my story and who Id come for

She said "Im sorry son but no one by that name lives here anymore"

My fathers house shines hard and bright it stands like a beacon calling me in the night

Calling and calling so cold and alone

Shining cross this dark highway where our sins lie unatoned

He says: “I had to have a conversation with him, because I needed to have one. It ain’t the best way to go about it, but that was the only way I could, so I did; and eventually he did respond.

“He might not have liked the songs, but I think he liked that they existed. It meant that he mattered. He’d get asked, ‘What are your favourite songs?’ And he’d say, "The ones that are about me."

-Classicrockmagazine.com

Metallica, Iron Maiden, Santana and More Tribute Deep Purple...



Deep Purple’s landmark 1972 album, “Machine Head,” is getting the tribute treatment.

"Re-Machined: A Tribute To Machine Head" is a compilation CD featuring re-interpretations of songs by Metallica, Iron Maiden, Chickenfoot, Black Label Society and more.

 Due on September 4, the fanpack also comes with an in-depth, official, band-endorsed 124-page magazine featuring exclusive interviews with Metallica, Maiden, Chickenfoot, Joe Bonamassa and Steve Vai.


Deep Purple discuss the making of the album, and provide access to exclusive and unpublished photos and artefacts from their archive.


The magazine also includes one of the last-ever interviews with keyboard icon Jon Lord, who died earlier this month. 

Last week, Glenn Hughes assembled some friends to record "Highway Star" for this release as a tribute to the music legend. 

Deep Purple’s most successful record, “Machine Head” reached number 1 in the UK and stayed in the top 40 for 20 weeks; it reached number 7 in the United States, remaining on the Billboard 200 for 118 weeks.

Various Artists
"Re-Machined: A Tribute To Machine Head"


01. Smoke On The Water – Carlos Santana / Jacoby Shaddix
02. Highway Star – Chickenfoot
03. Maybe I’m A Leo – Glenn Hughes / Chad Smith
04. Pictures of Home – Black Label Society
05. Never Before – Kings of Chaos
06. Smoke On The Water – The Flaming Lips
07. Lazy – Jimmy Barnes with Joe Bonamassa
08. Space Truckin’ – Iron Maiden
09. When A Blind Man Cries – Metallica


Exclusive to this special edition:


10. Highway Star – Steve Vai, Glenn Hughes, Chad Smith, Lauchlan Doley
-Hennemusic.com

Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson Lead Rock Vegas Lineup...

Rob Zombie, Shinedown, Marilyn Manson, Godsmack and Staind lead the lineup for Rock Vegas.
The two-day music festival will take place on Friday, September 28 and Saturday, September 29 at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.

The event will also feature Stone Sour, Adelitas Way, All That Remains, P.O.D., Art of Dying, Redlight King, New Medicine, Deuce, Otherwise and more.


Godsmack's Shannon Larkin says, "The line-up is incredible for any rock fan, and the stage and sound system will be massive! Add to that the location, LAS VEGAS...what more could you ask for! This is gonna be HUGE! Get your party boots on and come to the biggest spectacle in the country! You won't regret it. Vegas Baby!!!"
-Antimusic.com

KISS and Motley Crue Heading South...



KISS and Motley Crue launched their summer North American tour on Friday.

The pair of classic rockers will play more than 40 shows before the trek wraps up in Hartford, CT. on September 23.


A week after the North American dates finish, KISS will play a series of newly-announced concerts in Mexico.


KISS will play Mexico City (September 29 with Motley Crue) and Monterrey (October 1 - KISS only).


KISS will release their new album, “Monster,” in October.
-Hennemusic.com

Slash Recruits Foxy Shazam For Fall Tour...



Slash has tapped Foxy Shazam as a support act for the former Guns N' Roses guitarist's Fall tour.
The North American trek will be running from September 4 to October 4, culminating at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Foxy Shazam will be hitting the road with Slash in support of their album, The Church of Rock and Roll.


Sept. 4 San Diego, Calif. House Of Blues 
Sept. 5 Phoenix, Ariz. Celebrity Theatre 
Sept. 7 Austin, Texas Stubb's Bar-B-Q / Waller Creek Amph. 
Sept. 8 Dallas, Texas House Of Blues 
Sept. 9 Houston, Texas House Of Blues 
Sept. 11 New Orleans, La. House Of Blues 
Sept. 12 Atlanta, Ga. The Tabernacle 
Sept. 14 Ferndale, Michigan DIY Street Fair, Nine Mile Rd & Woodward Ave.
Sept. 18 New York, N.Y. Hammerstein Ballroom 
Sept. 19 Cleveland, Ohio House Of Blues 
Sept. 21 Cincinnati, Ohio Bogart's 
Sept. 22 Detroit, Mich. The Fillmore Detroit 
Sept. 23 Toronto, Ontario Sound Academy 
Sept. 25 Indianapolis, Ind. Egyptian Room 
Sept. 28 Chicago, Ill. Riviera Theatre 
Sept. 29 Springfield, Mo. O'Reilly Family Event Center 
Oct. 2 Oakland, Calif. Fox Theater 
Oct. 3 Los Angeles, Calif. The Wiltern

-Antimusic.com

Slash...

"Happy 47th Birthday"

Slash...

As the lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses, Slash established himself as one of hard rock's finest and most soulful soloists during the late '80s, technically adept yet always firmly grounded in the gritty Aerosmith and Stones licks he loved. 

Slash was born Saul Hudson on July 23, 1965, in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to artistic parents both involved in the entertainment industry; his mother was a clothing designer who worked on David Bowie's film The Man Who Fell to Earth, and his father designed album art for such artists as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. 

Slash's Mother...

Born in 1946, Ola Hudson was an African American costume designer whose clients included Ringo Starr, John Lennon and David Bowie. She died of lung cancer in 2009.

Slash's Father...

Anthony Hudson is an English artist who created album covers for musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

Slash's Brother...

Albion Hudson,

Born in 1972, Albion "Ash" Hudson is a designer who founded ConArt Inc. which is a graff-inspired brand for clothing, surf and skate items, printables that also credits graffiti art and artists. He has designed several album covers for Slash.

(High School pic.)

The family eventually moved to Hollywood, where Hudson attended junior high, received his first guitar, and met future GNR drummer Steven Adler. With Hudson adopting the nickname Slash, given to him by a family friend, the two formed a band called Road Crew; although it proved unsuccessful, it was the vehicle through which they met and eventually joined up with the other members of Guns N' Roses.

Slash's early bands

"The first thing I did as soon as I could put three chords together was start a band. At a really young age, I was going around trying to find people to form a group." (Slash)

 Tidus Sloan

"Tidus Sloan was a purely instrumental band because we never found a singer and I certainly wasn't going to sing myself." (Slash)

Slash played in this band from 1981 to 1983.

• Slash: guitar
• Ron Schneider: bass
• Adam Greenberg: drums
• Louie Metz: bass

Played songs: When The Five Dies / Metal On Metal / What A Change / Rats Ass Rock N' Roll / Funky And Stormbringer / Heaven And Hell (Black Sabbath) / What You're Doing (Rush) / Dazed And Confused (Led Zeppelin) / Message In A Bottle (Police) / Start Me Up (The Rolling Stones) / Feelings (Morris Albert)

Tidus Sloan at Fairfax Highschool on June 4, 1982

Road Crew

"We would rehearse every week and it became a big party. Steven joined and eventually it stopped working out for Slash." (Chris Torres)

Slash played in this band from 1983 to 1984.

• Slash: guitar
• Chris Torres: vocals
• Ron Schneider: bass
• Adam Greenberg: drums
• Steven Adler: drums

Played songs: When The Five Dies / Road Crew Eats First / Shot Down / Natural Regression / Stand Alone / Discusses / Young Killer / Rock N' Roll Survivor

Road Crew promotional picture, taken in 1984

Hollywood Rose

"Axl thought Izzy and I would make a great pairing, but since they had never actually discussed it before he put it in motion, I was in but Izzy was gone." (Slash)

Slash played in this band in 1984.

• Slash: guitar
• Axl Rose: vocals
• Steven Adler: drums
• Steve Darrow: bass

Played songs: Reckless Life / Anything Goes / Back Off Bitch / Shadow Of Your Love / Everything's OK / Rock N' Roll Survivor / Cold Hard Cash / Rock N' Roll Rose / Nice Boys (Rose Tattoo) / Hair Of The Dog (Nazareth)

Hollywood Rose at Madame Wong's East on June 28, 1984

Black Sheep

"I went on to join a band called Black Sheep with Willie Basse, which was a rite of passage for a succession of talented musicians. He is a really tall black guy who sings and plays bass and he had a penchant for landing the hottest shredder guitar players of the day." (Slash)

Slash played in this band in 1985.

• Slash: guitar
• Willie Basse: vocals
• Paul Carmen: bass
• Todd Devito: drums

Black Sheep at the Country Club on May 31, 1985

Guns N' Roses

"After three nights we had a fully realized set and so we unanimously decided that we were now fit for public consumption." (Slash)

Slash played in this band from 1985 to 1996.

• Slash: guitar
• Axl Rose: vocals
• Izzy Stradlin: guitar
• Duff McKagan: bass
• Steven Adler: drums

Played songs: Move To The City / Reckless Life / Don't Cry / Shadow Of Your Love / Think About You / Back Off Bitch / Anything Goes / Jumpin' Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones) / Nice Boys (Rose Tattoo) / Heartbreak Hotel (Elvis Presley)

Guns N' Roses at the Troubadour on September 20, 1985

-Slashparadise.com

The Gunners debuted in June 1985, and even before Appetite for Destruction was released in 1987, the band-members acquired a reputation as notorious alcohol and drug abusers. As their popularity soared, the reserved Slash established himself as an important part of the band's visual image, with a top hat and a mound of shaggy black hair covering his face as he typically staggered around the stage with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. 

Hedonistic excess consumed most of the band, with such incidents as Slash and Duff McKagan's drunken, profane acceptance of the band's American Music Award on live television. In 1990, opening for the Rolling Stones, Axl Rose's infamous on-stage pronouncement that he would leave the band if certain members did not stop "dancing with Mr. Brownstone" (using heroin) was primarily directed at Slash and Adler; Slash kicked his habit within a year, but Adler did not and was fired.

In 1992, Slash courted controversy again with a product endorsement for Black Death vodka. Later that year, he was married to actress and model Renee Sorum, a union that lasted five years.

Meanwhile, in spite of controversy and personnel turnovers, Guns N' Roses had actually continued to record music. After the Use Your Illusion sets of 1991 and the 1993 punk covers album The Spaghetti Incident?, the band went on hiatus. 

Slash formed a side project called Slash's Snakepit, which consisted of fellow Gunners Matt Sorum (drums) and Gilby Clarke (guitar), plus bassist Mike Inez and vocalist Eric Dover. The group released an album in 1995 titled It's Five O'Clock Somewhere; Slash hit the road with a slightly different touring lineup, with Brian Tichy and James LoMenzo signing on as the rhythm section. 

In 1996, Slash put together a different band to play at a blues festival in Budapest, an endeavor that evolved into Slash's Blues Ball. Featuring vocalist/harmonica player Teddy Andreadis, rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck, saxophonist Dave McClarem, bassist Johnny Griparic, and drummer Alvino Bennet, Slash's Blues Ball devoted themselves primarily to a repertoire of classic blues covers, plus occasional GNR and Snakepit material.

Rumors about the status of Guns N' Roses had been swirling for some time, and in October 1996 it was confirmed that, owing to his unwillingness to follow Axl Rose's interest in industrial and electronic music, Slash was no longer a member of the band (although he left the door open for a reunion if Rose decided to return to guitar-based rock & roll). He gigged off and on with the Blues Ball into 1998, although a rumored live album never materialized. Instead, Slash decided to re-form the Snakepit in 1999 with an entirely different lineup (the original members were by this time involved in other projects, and the Blues Ball was more suited to touring than developing original material). Raspy-voiced singer Rod Jackson and ex-Venice drummer Matt Laug came on board, along with Blues Ball bassist Griparic (now Johnny Blackout) and Teddy Andreadis, who contributed keyboard and harmonica work. After trying out ex-Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie, Slash settled on rhythm guitarist Kerry Kelly, who had previously worked with Warrant and Ratt.

The new Snakepit played some gigs together and in the spring of 2000 completed a new album, which was originally slated to be released on Interscope/Geffen. However, feeling that a more traditional guitar rock album would get lost in the promotional shuffle, Slash moved over to Koch, which finally released Ain't Life Grand in October 2000. 

2nd wife...

Perla Ferrar first met Slash in 1992, backstage at a Guns N' Roses concert in Las Vegas. They married on October 15, 2001 in Hawaii.

Slash and Perla have two children, London Emilio and Cash Anthony, born in 2002 and 2004 in Los Angeles.

Slash teamed up again with McKagan, Matt Sorum, and Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland to form the supergroup Velvet Revolver, who released their first album in 2004. Velvet Revolver released a second album called Contraband in 2007 and fell apart not long afterward. 

Slash regrouped by releasing his memoir in 2007 and cutting his eponymous first solo album, drafting a bunch of friends -- including Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Kid Rock, and Fergie -- to sing lead vocals.

 For the supporting tour, Slash had Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy sing lead and this union proved strong, as Kennedy was the only singer on Slash's second album, 2012's Apocalyptic Love.

-Allmusic.com